The first day behind the mists that now enshrouded Avalon passed quiet and mournful, as the news of Viviane's death spread through those who had chosen to make the mystic isle their home, apart from the world of men. Though there was joy, too, in knowing that Elaine had taken on the mantle of the Lady, there was grief that could not be set aside. For many long centuries, Viviane had been there, the center of Avalon, the heart of the sacred isle. To lose her, even in such a worthy cause, was a blow each person there felt keenly.

As the day fell to dusk, the people gathered on the shore of the lake that still surrounded the isle, to lay to rest the woman they had always known as a guiding influence on their lives. With solemn song and great ceremony, the pyre was lit, and for a long time, the only sound was that of the fire as it crackled over the dry wood, consuming the mortal remains of Viviane of Avalon. Then, as though the powers that had chosen her also grieved and wished to see her laid well to rest, the waters of the lake rose to take up the burning pyre, bearing her in state into the mists that swirled over the surface. The people watched, heartsore and honored, as the first Lady of Avalon disappeared forever into the protective barrier she had given her life to see formed.

The night was a long one, with few seeking the refuge of sleep, many of both the old and the new religions holding vigil together to seek peace for the soul of the woman they had loved and lost. As the new dawn rose, it brought with it a sense of finality, that it was time to look ahead to the future that awaited them, beneath the care of the new Lady of the Lake.

By mid-morning of that second day on the now hidden isle, life seemed to be resuming its usual course, and finally Ian and Aurelia were invited to the Chalice Well, at the heart of the Temple. Elaine awaited them there, her beautiful face pale and drawn with grief, solemn with the burden that now lay heavy upon her own shoulders. She welcomed them with open arms, embracing both Loremaster and witch with a fierceness that could only be earned with the loss they had all endured together.

"It is time for us to say goodbye," she told them softly. "Yet I know I will see you again. Ask your Champion, your Priestess, to bring you to me. I will not rest so easy until I know you have arrived safely home once again."

It had been a difficult couple of days for everyone, including Ian, who'd at first felt somewhat to blame for the Lady's death, though it had been of her own choosing. She had made the ultimate sacrifice in giving her life for the greater good, for Avalon and its people, and he had vowed to make sure no one would ever forget her. He'd made a record of what had happened and entered it in the annals at the library, written in Latin, so that it could be read in this time and in time to come. He signed his name to the ledger - Ian Evans, Loremaster of Avalon. It would still be there centuries from now to be read by future generations. He and Aurelia were part of the history of Avalon now, part of the very lore he had devoted his life to studying.

Two days seemed hardly enough to grieve a life or to prepare for their return to their lives in the future. Ian's heart was heavy at their leaving. He had yearned for Avalon for so many years and now that he had been there, now that it was in his blood and his heart, he knew he would never rest easy on Earth again. He had made his farewells to Pellam, to Morgaine, and to Arthur, knowing he would never see them again. It was a teary-eyed farewell that he gave to Elaine, hugging her close and feeling a little like a father leaving a beloved daughter behind. Or perhaps a sister. He had never had either, though perhaps he and Aurelia would have children of their own one day. He couldn't help but chuckle a little, despite the tears, at Elaine's instructions. "That is many years in the future, Lady. I'm afraid you'll be waiting a long time for that."

"But you will not, and you will recall with clarity," she assured him, raising a soft smile as she turned to envelope Aurelia in her arms. "We can never repay you, either of you, for what you have done for us. Avalon will always open her arms to you from now on - you both risked everything. It is a debt that I cannot repay."

Aurelia shook her head as she stepped back, her fingertips worrying at her throat where, for the first time in her life, no pendant hung. There was no need for her to wear tigers eye any longer. "I do not think there is a debt, Lady," she said quietly, her hand sliding into Ian's. "But I should very much like to come back, someday."

"No," he agreed. "There is no debt." If anything, they had Avalon to thank for freeing Aurelia of the demon. "We were both happy to help and honored to be part of this place." He smiled a little sadly as he took Aurelia's hand in his. "Thank you for everything you have done for us, Lady," he told her with a small incline of his head, just as he would have given Viviane. "I know Avalon will be safe in your hands." Maybe it was cheating, but he knew a little about the future, and he knew Elaine would still be the Lady of Avalon for many years to come.

"Thanks to you," Elaine said gently, stepping back from them in a rustle of skirts. Morgaine and Arthur had already returned to the world outside, Viviane was gone, and now she had to say goodbye to the last remaining people who knew exactly what had happened on the Tor. It would be a long time before she came to terms with her newfound loneliness. "The astrolabe, Ian," she asked, holding out her hand for the precious device. "It is the key to returning you to the home you left."

Ian drew the astrolabe from his belt and laid it in Elaine's hand. "Try to remember us," he told her as he took Aurelia's hand in his once again. He knew that as far as he and Aurelia were concerned, they would never forget Avalon or those they had met there, and with any luck, they would return again and again to find peace and contentment through the mists.

"How could I forget?" For a brief moment, she was simply Elaine, the young woman who had first greeted them when they had set foot on Avalon's soil. Then, as she drew herself to her full height, turning toward the pool at the center of the garden they stood in, she seemed to become the Lady of Avalon, powerful and lonely, resigned to the years ahead of her. "Do not let go of one another until you have arrived," she warned them softly. "I would not have either one of you lost on the winds of time."

Ian's heart ached to know she had so many lonely years ahead of her, but he also knew they would meet again one day and that she would be surrounded with those who loved her. He clutched Aurelia's hand a little tighter as he turned a smile to the woman who had stolen his heart. As far as Avalon was concerned, they were husband and wife. They had already made their vows to each other; it was only a matter of making it legal back home. "I don't intend to ever let go of her," he replied, lifting Aurelia's hand to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Again?" Nat raised her brows, her amusement obvious not just on her face but in her voice, as well. "I was not aware you had done it before, milaya. Were we, malyutka?" she added, looking down at Ana. The baby gurgled softly, inserted half her fist into her mouth, and promptly went back to sleep. Laughing, Nat looked up once again. "I think perhaps you should take a closer look at their hands, Rhys," she suggested mildly.

"Um....Adam and Gina?" he pointed out, with that look on his face that showed he was a little disappointed that she'd forgotten that little fact, though he had really had very little to do with Adam and Gina getting together, other than the fact that they may not have ever met if it hadn't been for him. He gave her a little scowl, but it didn't last long, relieved their daughter wasn't screaming anymore. He furrowed his brows again at her suggestion before turning back to the other couple. "What about them?" he asked as he leaned closer to try and get a look at their hands. In the meantime, Ian had taken Aurelia in his arms and was kissing her, making no secret of their obvious love for the other.

"Ah, so you are no longer claiming the credit for Rachel and Zachariel," Nat laughed softly, rolling her eyes as Rhys peered very obviously at the other couple, who were enjoying as private a moment as they possibly could while under close scrutiny from a man for whom the word subtle was just a collection of letters at times. "Left hands," she murmured to her husband.

"Oh, well..." Rhys shrugged, as he tried to lean a little closer in order to inspect the other couple's hands. "I didn't have to do much to encourage that," he said. He reached out to grab hold of Aurelia's left hand, whistling in appreciation of the ring she was wearing on her hand, which was obviously a wedding band, albeit a rather fancy one. "Nice," he muttered in appreciation, presuming Ian had bought it for her. "So, when did you two get hitched?"

Aurelia squeaked in surprise as her hand was seized and pulled away from Ian, breaking the kiss to turn vaguely accusatory eyes onto Rhys for his lack of boundaries. "Two days ago," she informed him, pulling her hand back protectively. A wicked little smirk touched her face as she glanced up at Ian, remembering just who had stood witness at their wedding.

"Two days?" Rhys echoed, hardly noticing Aurelia's reaction to his nosiness. Even if he had noticed, he was too interested in what had happened to care much about little things like propriety and proper manners. "It's been four days since you called and asked us to come here. Four....days..." he repeated slowly so that it would sink in. So, maybe they'd just arrived, but that was irrelevant. Rhys straightened, crossing his arms against his chest and glaring at the other couple. "Maybe you should just explain."

Aurelia's smirk faded from her face, recalling everything that had happened in the past four days. "This could take a while," she warned them quietly. "Perhaps we should be comfortable before we begin."

Frowning in concern for the witch and her companion, Nat gently shifted Ana to her other shoulder, nodding as she touched Rhys' hand. "She is right, milaya," she said just as softly. "A lot has happened, even we can see that."

Rhys frowned a little, but relented. He'd mellowed a little since he'd met Natalya and even more so since they'd become parents. Whatever had happened, whatever they'd been summoned here for could probably wait a little while longer. "All right. Aurelia, I assume you have a stocked kitchen. I'm gonna make us all my special pancakes, while you two get comfortable or whatever. But no hanky panky until we get an explanation!" He waggled that finger at them again, before heading for the kitchen. "Come on, Nat. Let's give the newlyweds a few minutes to catch their breath."

Aurelia threw Nat a grateful smile as the Bristols vacated the living area for the kitchen, turning once again to Ian. Her hand touched his cheek, drawing his eyes to hers. "Are you sure you are well, mon c"ur?" she asked him once again. "It was easier this time, but no less violent. You did not travel so well a few days ago."

Ian had said very little since they'd returned, his head still spinning and trying to wrap around everything that had happened over the last four days or so. He took her left hand in his, pausing to examine the ring on her finger that matched his own. "I'll be fine, Aurelia," he assured her, remembering something Elaine had said just before they'd been sent through the vortex or whatever it was called. "She said....she said something about more than one soul..." He said, though he had a feeling the Lady wasn't referring to the demon.

She frowned thoughtfully, not entirely sure how to absorb this. It wasn't that she hadn't heard Elaine, but she had assumed the woman was teasing them. It hadn't occurred to her until Ian mentioned it once again that perhaps the Lady of the Lake didn't tease about such things. "I ....mon c"ur, it is far too soon to tell," she said softly, but there was no mistaking the fragile hope that blossomed in her eyes. "Do-do you think she truly meant what she said" The demon is gone?"

"You're not wearing the pendant anymore. You no longer feel her presence. We both saw what happened to Viviane." Ian kept his voice low, not only because it was his nature, but also because he wasn't yet ready to reveal to the Champion and Priestess of Avalon what had happened over the last few days - more than a millenia ago.

"Then ....then the only thing she could have meant by two souls is ..." For the first time since he had met her, Aurelia had run out of words. The hope in her gaze grew bright and fierce as her eyes widened, astonishment dropping her jaw open as she considered the only other reason the Lady of Avalon would speak of there being two souls in a single form.

Ian smiled as realization dawned on his beloved. It surprised him a little that he'd sorted this all out sooner than she had. It seemed Avalon had already found a way to thank them for what they'd done, intentionally or not. He touched her cheek, his expression soft and adoring. "A child," he said, confirming both by thoughts voicing them.

For the second time, Aurelia was overcome, overwhelmed not just by the events of the past few days, but by the sudden understanding that Avalon had given her everything she could ever have wished for. She was free of the demon, wed to a man she adored, and carrying his child, and it had all been accomplished in just a few short days, albeit days that had taken place millenia ago. Despite her smile, she burst into tears, pressing into his arms as she held on tight. "I can never thank her," she whispered, heartsore at the knowledge that Viviane had granted her heart's desire and never even tried to claim credit for it.

Ana gurgled as her father bent to kiss her, one flailing fist catching him a tidy thump on the chin as a prodigious amount of spit up exploded from her mouth. Nat groaned, deeply grateful that Beth's mother had shown her how to arrange the cloth to prevent her from getting warm milky vomit down the inside of her top.

He only chuckled at their daughter's gastric upset, proof he had taken to this parenting thing with the ease of an old pro. "That's my Anushka," he said with a smile. "Just like her old man. She's already got a nasty right hook." He grabbed a bit of the cloth to dab at her mouth before turning back to the matter of breakfast. "You know, you have to actually burp her, Nat."

"I was burping her," Nat protested, turning her head only to have Ana raise her wobbly head and effectively headbutt her own mother in the nose. This parenting thing might have come easily to Rhys, but Nat was always second-guessing herself, certain she was making mistakes at every turn. It hadn't occurred to her yet that every parent since humanity had begun had made the exact same mistakes. "Ouch! Little monster," she scolded the baby affectionately, easing Ana back to her shoulder to pat with just a little bit more vigor. Irritatingly enough, Ana then burped like a pro. Nat sighed, rolling her eyes. "You know, there are some days when I think you should do all the parenting."

"Well, unfortunately for you, I don't have the right equipment," he countered with a slightly smug grin. He flipped a couple of pancakes onto a plate while the bacon started to sizzle before pouring out more batter onto the griddle. It was almost done effortlessly, like he could do it in his sleep. The year or so spent as a short-order cook had come in handy for something anyway. "So, what do you think they were doing in Avalon' And more importantly, how do you think they got there?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, drawing Ana down to sit heavily in her lap as she wiped the tiny girl's face clean, trying to ignore the gentle throb in her nose. She'd thought baby heads were soft - boy, had Ana educated her on that one. "Perhaps we should buy a new pump," she threatened with a gentle laugh, shifting to lay Ana back into the car seat that was settled on one of the kitchen chairs. His serious question made her frown thoughtfully as she cleaned herself up. "I could not say. Perhaps something of Dylan's took them. But that still does not explain how Aurelia was able to reach Avalon in the first place."

"It doesn't explain how Ian was either," Rhys remarked. "Unless..." No. He trailed off, brushing that thought aside as preposterous. "The Lady gave me four men to choose from. One of them was Ian. She told me he had been to Avalon once before, that he'd found his way there. But that was in Glastonbury, not here."

"The Lady decides who crosses the border," Nat mused thoughtfully, relaxing now that the business of feeding the baby was over and done with. "Perhaps she chose to allow them to cross. Perhaps she knew of a way to free Aurelia from her demon."

"Perhaps," he mused back, flipping out a few more pancakes onto the plate. "I mean, that makes sense, and the Lady did know what was going on here. I mean, she's the one who suggested Ian." Though Rhys was unsure what Ian had to do with anything just yet. He thought this was more about Aurelia than anything else.

"There is a very good reason for that," Aurelia interrupted them from the doorway. Damp, but dressed more comfortably in pants and a sweater, she looked far more herself than she ever had before. With no pendant at her throat, there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary about her. She seemed totally relaxed for the first time since Rhys had met her. "And we will explain. But you must know now, so that it does not concern you. The demon is gone, utterly destroyed. She can never come back."

Rhys turned toward the unexpected sound of Aurelia's voice in the doorway. How long she'd been standing there, he couldn't be sure. "Damn it, woman. You could give someone some warning before just popping in unexpectedly for the second time in one day!" he complained, but he was smiling and there was no anger or malice behind his words. Ian joined them a little belatedly, a shadow at Aurelia's back.

"It is not my fault that you do not pay attention to footsteps within this place," Aurelia informed him with a smile, moving to kiss Natalya's cheek in greeting. And, naturally, putting herself in the perfect position to coo over Ana where she was dozing.

Nat chuckled as they abruptly lost the witch to the baby, rising to her feet to offer a hand to Ian. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Evans," she told him with honest assurance. "I am Natalya Bristol."

Rhys chuckled at Aurelia's response and muttered a quiet, "Touche." In all honesty, he'd known her before he'd met Natalya, though he hadn't had much time to get acquainted with her while in Rhy'Din before they'd gone their separate ways. He smiled as Aurelia greeted Nat and Nat in turn introduced herself to Ian. "And breakfast is served!" he told the threesome as he set it all on the table.

Ian's smile was warm and friendly, and his handshake firm but gentle. "The pleasure is all mine, Natalya."

Nat's smile warmed, her hand squeezing that of Ian's before gesturing for him to take a seat at the table, turning to shoo Aurelia away from the baby. The two women laughed together as they both sat down.

"This looks very good, Rhys," Aurelia complimented her friend cheerfully. "Oh, before we forget ....we require you both to come to city hall with us tomorrow."

Rhys smiled and shrugged at the compliment, knowing it was good without being told, but it was always nice to hear it. "Coffee?" he asked, as he took some cups down from the cupboard and filled one for himself and one for Nat.

Ian would have preferred tea, but he only nodded his head. A little coffee might do his stomach some good after the violence trip back from Avalon.

"City hall?" Rhys echoed. "Aren't you already married?"

Realizing that Rhys didn't know to make tea as well, Aurelia rose, setting the kettle to boil as she pulled out her teapot. "It is necessary, to make the marriage legal," she assured Rhys. "There were no registrars, and, unfortunately, even if there had been ....the date on the certificate would have been utterly implausible."

Nat raised a brow curiously, her eyes turning to Ian. "I think, perhaps, you should start at the beginning," she suggested, before Rhys could ask another question that might throw them into the middle of the story.

His laughter was infectious, at least for his wife, who couldn't help joining in with her own rich giggles as even their daughter, utterly oblivious, gurgled along with them. Even Aurelia found herself smiling, despite her confusion, rolling her eyes as she looked to Ian. "And it seems she was responsible for our first meeting, too, mon c"ur."

"Yeah, only you got married over a thousand years ago!" Rhys pointed out with a grin. Not that it mattered. Where Avalon was concerned, time did not seem to matter, nor was it measured in linear fashion.

"Um, there's one more thing," Ian broke in, his English manner not quite seeing the humor in all this so much as the Champion and Priestess had.

Sobering herself in the face of Ian's more serious countenance, Nat swallowed her smile as he added something more. "And what is that, Ian?" she asked curiously.

"She wishes your presence in Avalon," he said, turning to address Nat's question. At least, she seemed to be taking all of this a little more seriously than her husband, but he assumed Avalon's Champion was only amused at the irony of it. It was better than some other reactions he might have had.

"She asked if you would bring us with you," Aurelia added quietly, unable to mask the hope in her expression. Now she had seen Avalon, albeit an Avalon of the very distant past, she longed to go back there, and to see the young woman who had guided the sacred isle for so many long centuries in their absence.

"Oh!" Rhys exclaimed again with seemingly unbridled excitement and amusement. "Wait until you meet Zach and Rach!" He looked to Ian, with a small teasing smirk. "Would you like to see Caliburnus?"

Ian arched a curious but carefully contained eyebrow. "Caliburnus" I have already seen Excalibur."

"And you will see Excalibur again," Nat assured him. "It is laid within a glass pool before the Temple." She looked at Aurelia as the witch touched her arm, murmuring a repetition of the names Rhys had declared in confusion, and smiled. "Rhys' sister is Rachel, and her husband is Zachariel," she explained. "They live on Avalon."

The names meant nothing to Ian either, but the talk of Excalibur - or Caliburnus - piqued his interest. He frowned a little at the memory of Arthur and Pellam and Morgaine and Viviane, all lost to time. It seemed they had only seen them a few short hours ago, but in reality it had been over a thousand years.

"Yes, and Joyeuse! And Durandal!" Rhys added with a grin of his own. It seemed the Champion was as interested in the heroes of old as Ian, though in a less scholarly way.

"Joyeuse?" Ian echoed. "The Sword of Charlemagne" It's in Avalon' I thought it was in the Louvre."

"What is left of it, yes," Nat nodded, trying not to smile in amusement. She'd been the one who had broken Joyeuse, after all. "I am sure that you will have a chance to explore Avalon in time," she added, gently squeezing Aurelia's hand. "But for now ....are you prepared to travel to Avalon this moment, or would you like a little more time?"

"Then what is in the Louvre?" Ian countered, presuming it must be a fake or a forgery or a mistake. He quieted at Natalya's question and turned his gaze to Aurelia. As for them, they had just returned from Avalon. They had just washed the last vestiges of Avalon from their bodies and changed out of the clothes they had worn there. He thought perhaps Avalon could wait a while longer. There was something he felt was a little more pressing right now, and he was sure the Lady would forgive them. He closed his fingers on Aurelia's, his gaze soft and affectionate as it fell on her face. "I think we'd like to visit City Hall first," he said, turning them to the other couple. "We would be honored if you would witness our vows."

"You are the closest we have to family," Aurelia added in her quiet tone, her hand curling into Ian's without needing to be prompted or coaxed. "It would mean a great deal for you to be there with us, since you could not when the Lady joined us."

Rhys grinned, glancing at the child in his lap. "You hear that, Anushka" You're going to your first wedding!" He was rewarded for his enthusiasm with a little baby spit as Ana gave her father the raspberries, and he laughed again. "That's my girl!"

Chuckling at Rhys' response, Nat reached out to assure the other couple herself. "It would be a privilege to be there for you," she reassured them gently. "Though ....Ian, you may need to call the university. You have been gone for four days - perhaps there is a little smoothing over that needs to be done."

"Already done," Ian replied. He'd already seen to that while he'd been upstairs, waiting for Aurelia to get dressed. Once they'd heard he was getting married, they'd told him to take as much time as he wanted, so long as he was back before the end of the month, which gave them at least a few weeks, more or less. "I wonder if we should honeymoon in Avalon," he ventured with a glance at Aurelia.

Rhys snorted at that. "Are you nuts" Too many people there." He considered a moment before continuing. "If you could go anywhere you wanted to go, besides Avalon, where would it be?" he asked, looking to each of the newlyweds in turn.

It seemed an age ago that Ian and Aurelia had been discussing this very subject, and yet it was one that had stuck in Aurelia's mind. She grinned over at Ian as Rhys asked his question. "Monaco," she said without needing to ask. Ian had already suggested it, and now they were married, she couldn't think of a better place to indulge themselves for a little while.

"Monaco?" Rhys echoed with a chuckle, more than a little surprised. Well, they wouldn't be getting away from it all there, but it might be fun. "Never been there, have you?" he asked, looking to his wife. She had been all over the world and had been nearly every place Rhys could think of, except perhaps the Antarctic. If anyone knew anything about vacation destinations, it was Natalya.

Rhys was still smirking, obviously thoroughly enjoying surprising their friends with these little details. "Oh, I think maybe I'll leave that to Sir Lionel," Rhys remarked, though Caliburnus wasn't in Lionel's possession, but Rhys'. Excalibur and Joyeuse and Durandal were another matter, however, not to mention the Grail. "You don't really need to pack anything. Avalon will provide," he told Aurelia as she slipped away from the kitchen in search of something or other she seemed to think they'd need there. Rhys didn't seem to do anything in particular to prepare. He leaned over to tickle his daughter's cheek, whispering, "All ready to go see Aunty Elaine and Uncle Lionel?" he asked his daughter before picking up the car seat, with Ana settled inside it. Not to mention Aunty Rachel and Uncle Zachariel.

It would be Ana's first visit to Avalon since they had come home after her birth, and no doubt there would be plenty of people willing and eager to take her off their hands for a few hours, if they could be persuaded to part with her. Nat chuckled, touching her fingers to the medal at her throat as Aurelia came back into the kitchen, handing Ian the spare jacket he had left here a while back. "Shall we?"

Rhys went over to stand beside Nat, his free hand taking hold of hers. He'd grown accustomed to their travels through the mists, and though he was still a little wide-eyed with wonder at it, there was no more fear or illness to be had traveling that way. It was no different now than stepping through a doorway from one world to another. "Don't worry. It's as simple as breathing," he assured the other couple.

Ian's face had grown a little pale as he moved to his feet and took hold of the jacket Aurelia held out to him. "I hope it's easier than traveling through time," he remarked. He didn't really feel like losing his breakfast when they'd just finished eating it.

"If Ana can do it without throwing up, then so can you," Nat assured Ian, squeezing Rhys' hand to convey her amusement without smiling. "You do not need to hold onto me, though you may wish to hold onto one another. We will simply be passing through the mists."

Aurelia nodded, tucking her hand into Ian's. "We have done that before," she assured Nat confidently.

While they had traveled through the mists before, they had also traveled backwards and then forwards over a thousand years in time. Ian wasn't quite sure how time was measured in Avalon, but he had a feeling it was many years since they'd been there, as far as the Lady was concerned. She had been waiting a long time. Would she even remember them anymore" Ian tossed his jacket over an arm as he wrapped his fingers around Aurelia's, finding himself breaking into a cold sweat, despite the other couple's assurances. He assumed this mode of travel was something they had grown accustomed to over time. He only nodded silently in reply to indicate he was ready.

"Close your eyes," Rhys suggested. "When you open them again, we'll already be there."

Aurelia did as she was told, closing her eyes as her hand tightened in Ian's. She didn't share his uncertainty when it came to this particular method of travel, having found it very similar to the sensation of shimmering that was now lost to her forever, but out of a sense of solidarity chose to do as he did.

Nat smiled, glancing at Rhys, and concentrated. As she breathed out, the kitchen slowly filled with the mists that surrounded Avalon, gently swirling around them where they stood. A moment later, those mists dissipated, and a low squeal erupted in surprise from not too far away. "Rhys!"

As Aurelia opened her eyes, it was just in time to see a petite blonde in the garb of Avalon throw herself into Rhys' arms, giggling with delight.

Ian closed his eyes, but felt nothing happen. There was no sensation of movement, no dizziness, no nothing, just a faint feeling of dampness like one might feel when walking through a fog. He was about to open his eyes and accuse the other couple of pulling some sort of prank when he heard an unfamiliar voice shout Rhys' name.

Rhys laughed and let go of Nat's hand to wrap his sister in a hug, the baby carrier still hanging from his other hand. "Hey, Rach. Miss me?" he teased, green eyes bright with happiness.

"Oh," Ian muttered, as he, too, opened his eyes and looked around. They were definitely not in Pennsylvania anymore.

Avalon had definitely changed somewhat since Aurelia and Ian had last seen it. There were more buildings - the town was larger, better equipped, and where there had been rolling hills, now there were neatly ploughed fields newly harvested. Even the library, such a central part of the isle, was a little changed; they could see the tops of the trees that grew within it standing free of the tall grey stone building itself. But it was still Avalon, still as peaceful as the place they had left not so long ago, the sense of mourning long finished. Aurelia beamed up at Ian, delighted to be back, and looked across to where Rhys was embracing his little sister.

"We didn't expect you back for ages yet," Rachel was saying as she let go of Rhys to pounce Natalya in similar fashion.

Ian took a moment to look around, amazed at the changes in Avalon, which obviously had taken place over a long period of time, and yet, even more impressed at how similar it looked to the Avalon they had only recently returned from. He exchanged a curious glance with Aurelia before turning back to the little blond in front of them who had just been joined by a man, just as blond, but taller than either himself or Rhys and with an air of calmness about him.

"Rhys," the blond man said in greeting. "Natalya. We were not expecting you." He glanced to the child in the baby carrier and went down on one knee, reaching over to touch two fingers to the child's forehead as if to offer a blessing. "It is well to have you back."

Ana gurgled up at Zachariel - whatever had passed between them had woken her up from her doze in a good mood. As the baby seized his fingers, pulling them into her mouth, Rachel released Nat with a grin, glancing at the others who had come through with them.

"Oh ....Rachel, Zachariel," Nat chuckled, gesturing toward one couple, "meet Ian and Aurelia."

"Our home, here on Avalon," Nat explained as they walked along, secure in the knowledge that Rhys would catch them before long. "It is a round tower house, on the edge of the Temple grounds. The Lady gave it to us on our wedding day. Do not worry, we will take you there later."

Aurelia's smile softened as Natalya spoke of her own wedding day, feeling sure that it must have taken place here on Avalon. The Bristols truly were far too comfortable here to stay away for long.

Ian was unfamiliar with any tower anywhere nearby and assumed it must be a structure that had been built sometime after they'd left. "A lot has changed," he murmured quietly, mostly to himself, but also to Aurelia at his side.

Rhys caught up quickly and easily and fell into step beside Nat, barely out of breath. "Giving them the tour?" he asked, curiously.

"Hardly," Nat snorted with laughter, nudging Rhys' arm fondly. "Just because I am not prepared to guide them through the boundary hedgeways does not mean we are taking the scenic route."

Aurelia nodded in answer to her husband, hugging Ian's arm as they followed Natalya and Rhys. "But so much has stayed the same," she added softly, kissing his shoulder absentmindedly. "And somewhere on this isle, is a ledger more than a thousand years old, holding your account of the hiding of Avalon. It is almost too much to believe."

"It is that," he agreed as they followed Rhys and Nat through territory both familiar and unfamiliar. "It's good to know it's flourished," he said as he took in the view, though he'd already known that it would, if only because of Rhys and Nat's travels here.

"So, what was he like?" Rhys asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. "Arthur, I mean. Was he like the movies?"

Aurelia laughed softly. "Which movie in particular are you referring to, Rhys?" she asked her friend warmly. "There are as many interpretations of Arthur as there are versions of the myth itself." She caught Nat's eye, both women sharing the look of wives who would never be free of their husbands' obsession with ancient heroes.

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail, of course!" Rhys replied with a grin that indicated he was not serious, as if there was any other movie about King Arthur worth watching.

Ian laughed. "I'm afraid there's not much of historical worth in that re-telling," he replied, assuming Rhys was merely teasing. "Arthur was..." He paused a moment to give his answer some thought. "He was different from what I was expecting, but we met him before..." He trailed off with a small frown.

Nat frowned a little, knowing there was one person on Avalon that Ian must be thinking of in that moment. "She has never forgiven herself, you know," she said softly, as they mounted the steps into the Temple itself. "No one can condemn her in a worse manner than she has condemned herself for her actions."

Ian arched a brow, knowing instinctively who Nat must be referring to. "She's still alive?" he asked, obviously not expecting that. "What about Arthur and the others?" Morgaine, Pellam, Galahad....Lancelot, even. What had become of them' Had any of the legends gotten the story right'

Rhys was frowning at the thought of Guinevere. He had met her only once, but nothing had been said between them. "She's condemned herself to an eternity of penance. You might even say this is her Purgatory."

"Arthur is here in spirit, if not in body," Nat added quietly. "The others you met ....they died, long ago. But Rhys is right. Guinevere lingers. She swore she would not rest until she could find forgiveness for what she had done, but until she forgives herself, she will not rest. She took Christian orders, centuries ago, and lives here, in the convent attached to the abbey."

"If she'd lived in our time, they'd have simply gotten divorced," Rhys added, though it was really not that simple for royals, even in modern times.

"I'm not sure it's that simple," Ian pointed out, but didn't want to argue the fact. "Did Arthur ever forgive her?" he asked, unsure if Nat even knew the answer to that. If she didn't, Elaine certainly would.

"I do not know," Nat sighed softly, coming to halt where the vines held the world at bay from the heart of Avalon. She turned to look up at Ian, shrugging lightly. "The legends say she never saw Arthur after Lancelot rescued her from the pyre. It is possible she never did see him again, even after he was brought to the isle."

"And Arthur was a good man," Aurelia added, just as quietly. "He loved her a great deal, and love can forgive a great many things. It is possible that even having his forgiveness would not help her to forgive herself."

Rhys found himself shuddering at the thought of that kind of death and wondering what kind of man could subject a woman he'd once loved to such a fate. "I've never understood that part of the legend. If Arthur was such a good man, why didn't he just let them go?"

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," Ian pointed out, knowing the history and legends better than any of them. "But I can tell you that the Arthur we knew was a happy man and a good friend," he said quietly, grieving in his heart for the friend they had lost, along with Viviane and all the others, though he knew it had to be. No one lived forever, after all.

A rustle from the vines that held them out drew their attention away from their conversation as the door to the Chalice Well was drawn open for them to pass through. Aurelia couldn't help smiling at the thought that Elaine had developed good timing over the centuries, squeezing Ian's hand. Though it had only been a few hours since they had seen her, she was eager to see the woman they had watched become the Lady of Avalon in her own right.

Nat chuckled softly. "It would appear the time for discussion is over," she mused. "Come."

Rhys would have opened his mouth to insist that Ian and Aurelia didn't need to leave, but he was too busy brooding on his own confused feelings. He jerked his head up at the Lady's remark, furrowing his brows and frowning a little defensively. "I'm not jealous!" he denied, unsure if it was jealousy he was feeling or something else. "Why should I be jealous" I adore Aurelia and Ian is a good man. I chose him myself! I'm not jealous."

Nat wisely chose to remain silent at this point, not particularly wanting to be present if her husband was about to be scolded. The Lady, on the other hand, simply smiled, touching her hand to Rhys' cheek once again. "You are no less in my affections for their coming," she assured him once again. "You are my friend, the first true friend I accepted to myself since their departure so long ago. Now come, both of you, and let us talk. I know there are many things weighing upon your minds."

Rhys actually flushed a little under the Lady's scrutiny. He didn't want to be jealous, and he knew he was secure in his place in both Avalon and her heart. He wasn't sure why exactly he was feeling the way he was, but he hoped it would pass. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd adored Aurelia. He was fond of both Aurelia and Ian, and knew there was room in her heart for all of them. "I know. I'm sorry," he said at last, a little ashamed of his own stupid feelings, which mostly stemmed from his own insecurities.

"Rhys, you are Arthur's successor," the Lady reminded him gently as she led them to the pool. At a word from her, the vines that filled the Chalice Gardens came together to form seats for them all. "And you are more than worthy of that position. You must learn to see yourself as others do."

Beside Rhys, Nat squeezed his hand. The Lady was saying nothing that she herself had not said to her husband many times before.

"It's not about that," he replied, wondering why Nat had gone so quiet, or maybe it was just because she was in agreement with the Lady. The women in his life tended to be that way. It was a conspiracy of females, he often thought, not that he was complaining. He sighed as he took a seat in her garden, as comfortable there as he would be in his very own living room. "I just..." He glanced to Nat, feeling very much like an errant child, though he was a grown man.

"Tell me, then, what it is that is hurting you so," the Lady told him, almost a command but for the gentle way the words were spoken. She, too, sat, her green skirt rustling gently as she made herself comfortable. Nat sat beside Rhys, meeting his glance with soft eyes. She could not answer that question for him, nor could she guess with any accuracy what was truly bothering him.

He frowned, gnawing at his bottom lip thoughtfully a moment as he tried to find an answer to the question. "I don't know," he replied quietly. "I mean....I'm not Arthur. I'm not a King. I'm nobody special really. It's just..." He glanced to Nat a moment, feeling almost embarrassed to have the attention focused on him. "I thought I put all this to rest. I thought I put Dylan to rest. I thought I knew everything there was to know about my past. Why'd you make me choose if you already knew Ian was....was....what did they call him' The Loremaster" Why didn't you tell me that Aurelia and Ian would be the ones to hide Avalon' What else do you know that you haven't told me" What else am I going to find out that I don't know?"

"To know the future is a burden I would not wish upon anyone, Rhys," the Lady told him solemnly. "Things could have been very different, if you had known all this. The decision had to be yours; I could not make it myself, knowing what I did. That you chose Ian simply proves that it was his fate, that is all. Had you chosen another, perhaps things would have been different after all."

"It's still cheating," he pointed out. "It's like stacking the deck. I assume they told you about us before we were ever born. Don't get me wrong....I'm not complaining, but just how much of our lives did you see in the Well" How much about us did you know before you ever met us?" He included Nat in that equation, as well, judging her just as important as he was. "You don't have to tell me we wouldn't be the same people we are now if we hadn't gone through what we did. I know that. And I know you couldn't save us from anything. I'm grateful. I am. I'm happy with my life the way it is. I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around it all. That's all."

"You do not need to understand it," the Lady told him, and it was clear from her voice that she was not going to be drawn into a discussion about time and paradoxes. "You simply need to accept it. Yes, I have known of you all your life. Yes, I have watched over you in all that time - both of you. But the choices that brought you both to Avalon were your choices, not mine."

He'd heard that same speech from Lailah and even from Nikki, once upon a time, but there was one thing that had always bothered him about it. "I understand that, but....If you were watching over me....over us....Why did so many people have to die" I mean, Lailah told me the same thing. Free Will, I get. But demons" My mom and dad were murdered, and no one did a damned thing to stop it." And then, there was Jessie and Dylan and John and David, not to mention those Nat had lost, chiefly her brother. "Why' Why'd they have to die because of me?"

The warmth in the Lady's face drained away as he spoke, her head turning as though to hide the deep, aching sadness that had taken its place. "I have no answer," she said, her voice tight and pained.

Nat gently laid her hand over Rhys', silently warning him not to follow this particular line of inquiry. Yes, they had lost many themselves, but no one alive today had lost so many friends, or seen so much death, as the Lady of Avalon had in her long lifetime. If she had no answer to give, then it was not a question that had an answer.

He seemed to remember himself as Nat touched his hand and the Lady turned away. His heart turned away from his own pain and remembered hers. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just being a selfish bastard. It's not your fault. You've been a blessing to me, to both of us. Really. I..." He broke off suddenly, tears filling his eyes at knowing he might have hurt her and remembering all she had been through. "You know how we feel about you. How I feel about you. The truth is, I'm terrified of losing you, too."

It seemed to take a long time for the Lady to calm herself, the silence of the garden wrapping around them as she painstakingly shut away the loss and grief of two thousand years of life once again. "You shall not lose me until Ana's daughter is a woman," she said, her voice still shaken but hers to control once more. "We have many more years together, my friends. I do not keep these things close to my heart out of spite or maliciousness. I know what it is to live with the future. It is not a burden I would wish upon anyone."

"Aurelia found some things that seem to have belonged to Dylan. Things he never showed me. Things with the Mark of Avalon. I don't know what that means or if it means anything at all. I don't even know if he knew they were there. They were hidden away in a secret room." He withdrew a small badge in the shape of a shield and held it out to the Lady, but it was only one of several things they'd stumbled on in Dylan's secret room. Rhys paused a moment to hand the badge to the Lady and give her time to examine it, but he wasn't stupid. He had already come to the only conclusion that seemed logical. "Lady, was Dylan a Templar?"

The Lady took the shield from him, stroking her fingers over the fine metal with a fond smile of remembrance both for the man who had made it, and for the man who had borne it. "Yes, he was," she answered Rhys' question with the honesty she had always given him. "He was one of Lionel's first students, hand-picked from several hunters who showed promise. I met him only once, when he drank from the Grail and joined Avalon. He never returned here, working with us through intermediaries and the passing of messages."

Rhys seemed to absorb her explanation with quiet acceptance. It was as though the last piece of the puzzle was finally falling into place. It all made sense now. There was only one more question, and it was a question for which he thought he already knew the answer. "He knew who I was, didn't he" He didn't just take me in out of pity or because he was lonely. He knew who I was because he was told." The realization of all this made his understanding go one step further. "His family....They weren't killed at random, were they?"

"Yes, he knew," the Lady admitted quietly. "But I do not know if the attack on his family was calculated or random. We were not aware, in Avalon, until after the fact. Had we known he was under attack, we would have assisted him."

He nodded again, quietly absorbing that. So, she could not see everything. Not everything was known to her. Maybe she hadn't even seen or known that his parents would be killed. She certainly hadn't known about his sister until only recently. Her ability to see the future wasn't as simple as it might seem - the Well only showed her what it wanted or needed her to see, nothing more. "It makes sense," he mused quietly, mostly to himself. "Maybe if he'd lived, he would have told me someday."

"Perhaps he would," the Lady agreed quietly. "You were too young to know, and a little too wild to be trusted with the information."

Beside him, Nat giggled a little. She had seen a few glimpses of Rhys at certain times in his life, finding it only too easy to imagine that Avalon would have been wary of letting him know the truth about them too soon.

He smiled at last, encouraged by Nat's giggle, and he glanced to her with that smile on his face that made him look just a little more boyish than his years. "I was, wasn't I?" he said, not really expecting an answer. He had been wild in his youth, an untamed heart with a terrible case of wanderlust, but it had been Nat who had captured his heart and had tamed him. "He was a good man," Rhys said, feeling only fondness for the man who had raised him, the grief washed away by the tears. "He was good to me. He loved me like a father. I miss him."

"He was a good man," the Lady agreed, "and without him, we could have lost you forever. He will always be remembered on Avalon - though he never stayed more than a single night here, he raised our Champion to manhood." She smiled fondly at him. "And without our Champion, our Priestess might never have returned to us."

Or almost to manhood. Rhys had been sixteen when Dylan had died, give or take. He'd been mostly on his own after that, nearly but not quite a man. Rhys turned to Nat at the mention of her place in all this. At least, he'd had Dylan and David and Adam, who had been like family to him. She'd only had a brother and an abusive father. He'd been the lucky one by comparison. "Well," he started, giving Nat's hand another squeeze. "Without her, I'd be nothing. Without her, I'd probably be dead by now. She healed my heart and gave me something to live for again. And I love her more than anything." He brought her hand to his lips for a soft kiss, knowing words could never express the true depth of his feelings or his gratitude.

"As you have done for me, dusha moya," his wife answered him, leaning close to touch her forehead to his as he kissed her hand. "You gave me life, you opened my heart. And we have given one another the family we so longed for." Her soft smile said everything she could not put into words, keenly aware that without Rhys, she could well have been dead now herself.

"Oh, baby," he told her, a soft smile on his face, green eyes bright with the happiness that lit him up from the inside. "You ain't seen nothing yet. We haven't even gotten started," he teased her, hinting at the family that was yet to come. He was determined they'd have their happy ending. If anyone deserved it, it was them.

She giggled softly at his tease, brushing a kiss against the tip of his nose in answer, a faint blush touching her cheeks as she glanced up to find the Lady smiling at then indulgently. Before she could offer an apology, however, the Lady was already shaking her head. "You should never feel ashamed of such love," she told them both. "There are many here - myself among them - who feel blessed to witness it."

Rhys felt a sudden almost overwhelming urge to make love to his wife, his heart swelling with love and affection, desire warming him the inside out. It wasn't lust he was feeling so much as love and the desire to show her in the only way he knew how much he adored her. "And we are blessed to be a part of it," he replied, though his eyes were all for Natalya now, and he leaned in to press a kiss against her lips that was perhaps a little less chaste than he had planned.

The Lady chuckled as they kissed once more, averting her eyes discreetly for their comfort. "You have an appointment to keep with a sister who misses you when you are gone," she reminded them gently. "As I have, with old friends. Perhaps now is a good time to say our farewells."

And if they kept at it the way they were going, Zach and Rachel might get a firsthand lesson in how to make a baby. At the very least, they might have to watch Ana just a little bit longer. He reluctantly broke from Nat's lips to stand, pulling her to her feet beside him. "Thank you, Lady," he told her with the utmost respect and sincerity. "It's good to be home."

"I don't know how, Nat. I mean....I don't know how to help her or even to help you." He looked truly troubled by this, not realizing that he was already helping just by being himself and by loving them.

"Oh, my dearest heart ..." She sighed softly, cradling his face in her palms as she smiled up at him. "You do not need to know how. You simply do, in being the man you are, and in loving us the way that you do. Any pain is easier to bear when you know that you are loved, as I do. I am sure she knows it too."

He met her gaze, falling ever more in love with her with every moment, every day they were together, as though his love for her held no boundaries, no limits. "You healed me, Natalya," he told her, not for the first time, his eyes misty with tears again, needing her to know this simple truth.

"We healed each other," she corrected him in a gentle whisper, rising onto her toes to kiss him tenderly. "I do not know where I would be without you, Rhys. I do not ever want to know. I am happy with you, with our friends, our daughter. We have many years ahead of us."

He returned her kiss, deeply touched by her words, and smiled through his tears to agree with her in a way only he could. "Damn straight we have. I plan on growing old with you, Mrs. Bristol. If she's right about the future, we'll still be around when our grand-daughter becomes the next Lady of Avalon. If that's not worth hanging around for, I don't know what is."

"And of course ....we have two boys in our future," she added, her smile wide and hopeful, already looking forward to their growing family, though she would happily wait at least another year before falling pregnant again.

"As far as we know," he said, wondering if there were any children farther out that they had not yet foreseen, but he didn't want to get too far ahead of himself. "I suppose we should go rescue Zach and Rachel before they get stuck changing their first poopy diaper," he said with a smirk.

She snickered softly. "True, but I think they may already have encountered the business end of your daughter," she mused, tucking her hand into his once again as they began the walk out of the Temple together. "She was rather ripe for it when you handed her over to Zachariel to begin with."

"Was she?" he asked with a snicker. "I hadn't noticed," he added with a gleam in his eyes that hinted he just might be telling a small fib. "I love you, you know," he reiterated, needing her to know that as they made their way out of the Temple and back toward the tower house that had become their home away from home in Avalon.

"I know," she assured him, relaxing fully as they stepped from the Temple. It wasn't that she didn't like the Lady, but she felt small and insignificant in the woman's presence, no matter how warm and friendly their interaction might be. It was hard not to compare herself to the ancient beauty; harder still not to be jealous of the bond Elaine clearly shared with Rhys. "I happen to very much love you, too, you know."

"Oh, good! I was worried!" he teased, coming to a halt and turning to face her, that mischievous gleam in his eyes she knew so well. "What do you say we go sneak off somewhere and make a little whoopie while Zach and Rachel sort out diapers?" he asked, though he knew they couldn't stay away too long or Ana was liable to scream blue bloody murder for her mother come feeding time.

Nat turned, her amusement obvious in her expression as she considered his request, knowing full well what that look in his eyes meant. "Are you suggesting that we break into your sister's house while she is in ours and make use of her bed, milaya""

"Maybe, but it doesn't have to be her bed. The stables would do fine. Or an empty cottage. A bush. Anywhere, really," he teased, waggling his brows at her. "Care for a roll in the hay, Lady Priestess?"

"Only if you promise to let me play with your sword, Lord Champion," she answered him impishly, only too easily caught up in his desires. He knew her far too well, and though they'd taken a necessary break after Ana's birth, they had fallen back into their loving routine as soon as they were able to. A roll in the hay was nothing compared with a first class airplane cabin.

"Oh, you can play with my sword anytime you'd like, milady. In fact, I plan on using you for a sheath," he teased her again, with a meaningful and rather bold expression on his face, reaching around to grab two handfuls of her derriere to pull her hard up against him.

She laughed as he drew her up to him, letting her arms wrap about his neck as she teased his lips with her own. "Then I rather think you should follow through on such plans, before you daughter decides she wishes to be fed again," she suggested with her own brand of mischief. "I have no doubt she would fight you for access to my bosom is she had to."

"She can borrow it a while, but that bosom belongs to me," he countered with a grin, scooping her up in his arms and tossing her over his shoulder, caveman style, to go in search of a few trees or something that could serve as shelter for the length of time it would take to shag his wife.

Nat's laughter faded into nothingness as they disappeared from view, leaving the Temple quiet and calm in their wake. One thing was absolutely certain - there could be no doubt at all that Ana Clare had definitely been born of love.

((And everything comes together! Just a couple of loose ends to tie up, and we can manage that easily enough! Loads of fun!))