Sleep should have come easily for Natalya after a long day spent tiring herself out among strangers who could be friends. And, to be fair, she did sleep for a couple of hours ....but in the wee small hours of the night, she found herself lying awake, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the steady rhythm of Rhys' breath, and wondering. Rhy'Din. What was it, this place that Rhys held in common with their neighbors and the others whom they had met that day' Why had he never mentioned visiting this place on another plane" What was he hiding from her, what had happened there" These questions and more raced through her head, until finally she couldn't stand it any longer.

Gently easing herself from the bed, she slipped from the room, shaking her head, trying to banish the unwanted thoughts. A moment later, a sliver of light illuminated the bedroom from the master bathroom through a cracked door, and the sound of water falling on ceramic quietly intruded. She had to do something to relax her body. Perhaps then, she would be able to sleep despite the tumbling of her thoughts.

Unaware of his wife's trouble sleeping, Rhys rolled onto his side, reaching for her in his sleep to wrap an arm around her and draw her close, not for warmth so much as for comfort. He slept better when Natalya was close, knowing she was safe and sound beside him. When his arm found nothing but emptiness beside him, he stirred from sleep, prying one sleepy eye open to search for her. He knew she couldn't have gone far and assumed she'd just toddled off to use the bathroom. Perking an ear that way, the sound of water running confirmed his suspicion, though it sounded like the bath, not the sink. He rolled onto his other side to search for his phone on the table beside him and check the time. It had only been a few hours since they'd turned in. What was she doing taking a bath now"

The bathroom door opened a little more, and her hand slipped out, groping along the wall to the chest of drawers. After a moment of scrabbling, long fingers located the claw she was looking for, and Nat's hand disappeared into the bathroom again, trying hard to keep from disturbing him without knowing he was already awake again. She stared down at the filling tub as she twisted her hair up into that claw, curls escaping every which way, and knew suddenly exactly what was preying on her mind. It wasn't a what, or a when, or a why. It was a who.

He set the phone back down and rolled onto his back, debating whether or not to go back to sleep, knowing he wouldn't be able to until she was safely back in bed with him. Was it the baby that was keeping her awake" Was she feeling sick again? Why didn't she wake him' Was she worried about their new neighbors or regretting moving to New York" What exactly was it that was going through that pretty little head of hers"

In the warm wet atmosphere of the bathroom, Nat turned the water off, shedding her nightdress and panties to slide down into the bath with a low sigh, forcing herself to relax back as once again her eyes turned to the ceiling. There was only one type of person in Rhys' past he did not like to mention to her, only one of those in particular guaranteed to distress her. That one had been used as a taunt by a demon, and despite the fact that Rhys had explained it all to her, that taunt still stung. So she must have been in Rhy'Din, too, just months before the flight that had brought Rhys into Nat's life.

He closed his eyes with a sigh, trying to settle back into sleep, but it was no use. He had become too accustomed to the familiar warmth of her body beside him. It was either lay awake and wait for her to come back to bed or get up and find out what had roused her in the first place. He would have preferred the former, but his curious side couldn't help giving in to the latter. He wished she'd just wake him and tell him if something was bothering her. Isn't that what she'd want him to do' After a few minutes of debating with himself, he finally gave up with a grumble and threw the covers off to get out of bed. He snagged a pair of boxers, knowing better than to wander around the house in his altogether. He'd been caught with his pants down once or twice, and it was more habit than necessity that prevented him from repeating that same mistake now.

By the time Rhys slid out of bed, Nat's anxious jealousy had gotten out of control. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, not at all; it was just that any mention of her, any hint toward the pain he had experienced with her, the woman who had been thrown in Nat's face when she was just learning how to be in love ....it left her raw and vulnerable, and that, in turn, left her wanting to find a silver bullet and track the bitch down. She would never do it, of course, but even so, feeling this vulnerable was never fun. Her hand skimmed over the little bump at her waist as she took in a deep, shaky breath, closing her eyes in an attempt to banish those thoughts once again.

"Nat?" he asked, as he knocked lightly at the bathroom door, which she'd left open a crack, despite her desire not to disturb him. He was generally a deep sleeper, when he did sleep. It was unusual for him to get up in the middle of the night once he was sleeping, unless he was having a nightmare.

There was a splash as she jumped, not expecting to hear him awake, let alone just outside the bathroom door. Letting out another of those trembling breaths, she swallowed, lifting her head and opening her eyes as she called back to him. "You can come in, dusha moya."

He heard the splash and knew he'd startled her, though he'd tried to be quiet. He pushed the door open at her invitation, narrowing his eyes a little at the light as he peered inside, relieved to find she was just taking a bath, but still unsure why. "Is everything okay' Are you feeling all right?" he asked, with a worried expression on his face.

"I am well, Rhys, do not worry," she assured him, a faint smile playing about her lips. "I could not sleep, and I did not want to disturb you. I thought, perhaps if I relax my body, my mind will follow." That smile turned a little rueful. "So far, it has not."

He frowned deepened, knowing her well enough to know that something was bothering her, but he wasn't sure what. His first thoughts went to the baby, and he wondered if she was having second thoughts or worrying about being a good mother again. "Is it the baby?" he asked, as he stepped inside and took a seat on the toilet beside her, the lid thankfully closed.

With gentle hands, she helped him rid himself of his boxers, drawing him down into the warm water with her, settling between his legs, her back to his chest, his arms held around her, hands lying flat over the growing swell that was their daughter. A constant, present reminder that this was his reality, even as he steeled himself to tell her about the past.

He settled himself behind her, comforted by her presence, his arms wrapped around her waist, hands settled protectively against the growing swell that was their daughter. Where should he start, he wondered. It was always best to start at the beginning. "I haven't thought about Rhy'Din in a really long time. Not since I met you. It's sort of like Avalon, but not really. It's hard to explain, but as I understand it, it's sort of at the center of the universe. It's a....a place where all worlds and realities and dimensions come together. They call it the Nexus."

She nodded slowly, a quiet sound escaping her throat to assure him that she was listening, not prepared to interrupt what he had to tell her. Leaning back against him, Nat tried to make her silence welcoming, comforting, to be someone he was comfortable telling this tale to.

"It's a world where anything is possible." And he did mean anything. "Anyway, I was in Chicago when I got pulled through a portal. I'm still not quite sure how I got there, but I'm pretty sure it was angels. There was this demon bitch I was hunting - one of Abaddon's lackeys. This bitch and I went way back. She was responsible for....for Jessie's death." Among other things. "Anyway, she caught up with me in Chicago and tried to kill me, but somehow I ended up in Rhy'Din instead."

The mention of Jessie sent a slow ripple of tension down Nat's spine, but for once, this was the only outward sign of her beautifully unrestrained personality flaw - that jealousy that rose at the thought of Rhys ever having loved anyone else but her. Her hands smoothed over his as he spoke, forcing herself to concentrate on what he was telling her. "Why did angels send you to Rhy'Din?"

He left the part out about how he'd been shacked up with Kellie at the time, and they were about to leave Chicago because some blast from her past had found them there and sent gargoyles after them, of all things. It had screwed up their plans, but had also put him one step closer to his destiny, though he didn't know it at the time. He brushed a kiss against her head, as if he'd sensed that jealous tension ripple through her. Despite the long list of past lovers, she had nothing to be jealous of.

He was totally devoted to her and had put Jessie to rest a long time ago. He considered her question. She wasn't so much asking why the angels had saved him so much as why they'd picked Rhy'Din of all places. They could just as easily have sent him to Albuquerque or somewhere. "I've wondered that myself. I thought maybe it was because it would be harder to find me there, but I think it was because of Riley." He knew she didn't want to hear that, but if she wanted to hear the story, she was going to have to accept what had happened in his past.

If the ripple that passed through her at the mention of Jessie was noticeable, there was no way he missed how stiff she became at the mention of Riley. While Jessie had been his first love, she had never been thrown in Nat's face; the other one had. A quiet hiss of instant dislike escaped Nat's lips, breath forced out between her teeth as she scowled at the far wall. But she didn't interrupt, and she didn't question him. He needed to tell her what had happened, and she needed to hear it.

"I'd gotten her involved in all the demon crap, and it was because of me, she....we..." He broke off, the memory of Patrick almost too much to bear. "After the crash, I lost my memory. I didn't remember anything or anyone. Not even Adam or Gina. When I got to Rhy'Din, it all came rushing back. It was a little overwhelming." To say the least. Natalya had seen a little of that past over Christmas, a hint of the shell of a man he'd been after the crash, when Adam had visited him in New York one Christmas Eve and had convinced him that life wasn't as hopeless as it seemed.

As he broke off, Nat pressed his hands to the bump she bore - their daughter, growing in the womb, present and real, loved and protected. She would never let him feel that kind of loss again, she was certain of it. "And to be in such an unfamiliar place to deal with such memories," she mused softly. "Oh, milaya, it must have been terrible for you."

He made no comment either way, answering only with a light shrug that seemed to say it no longer mattered. Yes, it had been hard. Perhaps one of the hardest things he'd ever done. The truth of the matter was he'd never felt more alone in his whole life than he had in Rhy'Din. "I made a few friends there. People who tried to help, but..." He broke off momentarily. There was always a but. "You know how it is. Or how it was. It was too dangerous to let anyone get close. It never ended well for them. Anyway, Riley was there, but she'd met someone else and moved on, and I wasn't about to drag her into my mess that was my life again."

There was that name again, the name of the woman he had bargained with a demon for. Her jaw clenched, but again, Nat bit her tongue, forcing the bitterness away before she spoke again. "What happened?"

"She was in love with someone else. We tried to be friends, but it wasn't gonna work." He wasn't sure if she was asking about Riley or something else, but he needed to get it off his chest. It had been brewing inside him for too long. "You know, I don't even think it was Riley I was grieving so much as Patrick. Every time I looked at her, I was reminded of him. Silly, isn't it' He wasn't even born yet. How can you grieve a kid that was never born?"

"Easily." She reached back to stroke her fingers against his cheek, turning her head to kiss his jaw softly. "I am not happy that you were hurt, but I am glad she found someone else," she told him quietly. "We might never have met if you had returned to her arms."

With the towel clutched in one hand, she stepped into the circle of his arms as he drew her to him, her eyes tender as she smiled for her. "I won't forget," she promised him faithfully, drawing a single fingertip down his chest teasingly. "And you must not forget that you are dusha moya, milaya - my soul, my dearest heart. I love you greatly, Rhys. For always."

He smiled warmly and fondly, happiness renewed. It seemed that no matter what happened, every tiny bump in the road only served to bring them closer together. Where the matter of his past might have caused anger and jealousy and resentment in any other woman, she seemed to understand and believe and trust in him like no one else ever had, and he only loved her all the more because of that trust. "You saved me from myself, Natalya. You gave me a reason to live again."

She paused, laying her fingers gently against his lips, knowing there was one thing he deserved to know, one thing she was not afraid to share with him now there was no chance of it ever coming to pass. "You saved me," she told him gently. "If you had not come back to me on that day, I would not have been salvageable. I was going to kill myself, milaya. I could not bear to be without you."

He raised his brows, eyes widening at her admission. He'd followed her through the city and knew how shattered she'd been by his death. He understood what it was to feel such utter desolation, to feel so hopeless that you wanted to die, but he hadn't known that she had been that close to actually ending her life. And yet, no one lived forever. He was going to die someday, as was she, but he hoped that wouldn't be for a very long time to come. "Nat, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I caused you any pain." He pulled her close against him, enfolding her in his embrace.

"It could not be helped," she reminded him gently, curling into his arms with a low sigh. "But it frightens me to think that one more day and we would never have met again. I was prepared to condemn myself to torment for eternity, rather than live without you." Her arms tightened about his waist, lips turning to brush against the sharp line of his collar-bone. "You and I, we were meant to be together. I believe it with all my heart."

He was unable to stifle the shudder at the horror of that thought - the thought that she might have damned herself to an eternity in Hell if she'd gone ahead with her plan. He pulled back far enough that he could see her face, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze. "Promise me you'll never consider doing something like that again, no matter what."

She raised her eyes to meet his, her gaze clear and honest as she looked up at him. "Never," she promised him. "No matter what happens, I have faith that I will find you again. So don't you do it either."

"No, I won't, because you're right....we are meant to be together, and I have to believe that after this life is over, we'll be together again. We belong together, Nat. Forever. I will love you forever." He lifted her chin, leaning in to press a soft kiss against her lips, tender and loving.

Her arms curled about his neck as he kissed her, sealing their promise to one another in a way they both excelled at, a manner in which neither one could lie. Drawing back just a little, she brushed the tip of her nose to his affectionately. "Would you like to put me to bed now, milaya?"

"I would love to put you to bed, my little dumpling," he replied with a teasing grin, reaching around to pat her towel-covered rump with an affectionate kiss to the tip of her nose before snagging a towel for himself.

She giggled at his teasing, stepping away to smooth the towel over her skin and wipe away the excess water left behind. There was need to stay covered, not when there was only Rhys to see her. Nipping him gently on the arm, she slipped out of the bathroom, tossing the towel into the laundry basket before crawling onto the bed.

He followed closely behind, as soon as he had toweled most of the wetness from his skin, crawling into bed beside her and wrapping her in his warm embrace. Maybe they'd sleep, maybe they wouldn't - at least, not right away. What mattered was that they were together, that they'd always be together, no matter what. She had needed answers, and he had given them to her as honestly as he could, if not completely. He'd told Rufus that he didn't believe in luck or chance, and if he was right, then that meant that he and Natalya weren't only meant to be together - they were destined for each other.

Somewhere someone was smiling down on them from far, far away. She had once been one of the Fates, and she'd made Rhys' life her personal business. While Heaven and Hell played the tug of war over Earth and the mortals who lived there, she'd had the last laugh. She was the Spinner, who had spun the threads of Rhys and Natalya's lives, interweaving them inextricably together from the dawn of time, long before the forces of Heaven had conceived of their warrior, long before Hell had brought forth its Triad.

There were powers in the world far older than those who believed they had shaped the lives of this couple, powers represented by a Lady in a distant realm who watched over them both with love. What was meant to be had come to pass, joining together two souls whose coming had been pre-ordained before the advent of recorded history. Heaven might rule for this brief space in time, but the Spinner had set these things in motion millenia ago. She smiled down on them from somewhere far away, pleased with the way things had turned out. The best things in life were worth waiting for, however long life endured, and these lives, these entwined souls ....they had an eternity of life to live together, from this moment on, spun at the hands of the Fates.

((There's so much these two don't know about each other yet! But hey, at least they got some of it out in the open, right' Huge thanks to Rhys' player for being awesome!))