There were distinct advantages to having the Priestess of Avalon for a wife. At the same time, Rhys was beginning to learn that Natalya, for all her practical side, could be more than a little impulsive when it came to friends and family. Take this morning, for example. She had been impatiently wanting to go and visit Ian and Aurelia ever since they'd received the call that told them mother and baby were doing well, and had decided that four days was long enough to wait. Rhys and Ana had been bundled out of bed, fed, dressed, and whisked through Avalon as a minor traveling cheat to end up in the living room of the Evans' home outside Huntingdon. The Evans' themselves appeared to still be asleep, but that hadn't stopped Nat from leaving Ana to amuse herself while she investigated the state of their kitchen.
Rhys was still bleary-eyed when his wife had woken him from a sound sleep and bundled Ana and himself up for a trip through Avalon to wind up at the hunting cottage in central Pennsylvania where he'd spent most of his childhood. Even half-asleep, he couldn't help but tease his wife as he watched her poke about the kitchen Aurelia had made her own, since he'd signed over ownership. "You realize this is breaking and entering," he pointed out with a smirk, though he doubted it mattered much to a woman who was a master thief. It amused him to no end that she'd cheated by taking a shortcut through Avalon, when it would have only taken a few hours to drive here, but he hadn't bothered to point that out yet.
Nat flashed him a glittering smile, more than happy to take the full blame if it meant she got a good look at the little family who had become such surprisingly good friends over the past months. "I broke nothing, and there is no evidence to say that we entered," she pointed out sweetly, putting the coffee pot on automatically. "Oh, the wonderful things I could have stolen years ago if I'd only had access to the mists." She laughed, rummaging through her bag as above them the strident tones of a newborn in full voice made itself known. "I think we may have company soon."
"Which is probably why you didn't," he muttered, before poking about in the cupboard for a glass so he could pour Ana a cup of juice before she got too whiny. He perked an ear toward the sound of a hungry newborn making herself known and smirked. "Ah, to be able to sleep an entire night without having to hear that." He couldn't help but grin, knowing from experience what the new parents were going through, but not having much sympathy for them.
With Ana clinging onto his leg - because, lucky them, she was getting to grips with walking much faster than they'd been warned about - he had a little trouble moving about, but Nat couldn't help grinning at the sight of her husband and daughter being domesticated in someone else's kitchen. "Should we make them breakfast, do you think, dusha moya"" she suggested to him ....which was code for I think you should cook something so I don't get slapped for being impatient. From above came the sound of a feminine groan and yawn, footsteps shuffling across the landing in answer to the squawling from the newborn.
"Should we surprise them or let them know we're here?" Rhys countered, dropping his voice to that of a hushed whisper. He shuffled over to the fridge to hunt for the juice he hoped was hiding in there, with Ana clinging to his leg the whole way, knowing the other couple was likely to hear them before long. He just hoped Aurelia didn't think they were burglars and put some work some spell on them.
"What will they do to us if they are surprised?" Nat asked with a mischievous grin. They could hear the footsteps above their head pausing, and then shuffling a little way across the room. It sounded like a diaper change before any food was going to be administered to the screaming infant, anyway. "Maybe we should make sure the first one they see is Ana."
"Dada," Ana murmured, little hands reaching for the cup of juice, fingers opening and closing possessively.
"Kiss us or kill us," Rhys replied, though from the smile on his face he doubted it would be the latter. They'd probably be grateful for whatever help they offered. "We could have called first, you know," he pointed out, still whispering as he crouched down to offer Ana her juice, staying close by and watching her carefully as she was just learning how to handle a cup. "You just couldn't wait to get your hands on that baby," he teased. "Admit it!"
For a moment, it looked as though Nat might protest her innocence, before her smile burst into a bright grin, dripping with playful mischief. "You caught me, milaya," she teased him in answer, watching as Ana slurped from the sippy cup she was still learning how to use. "As much as I adore our Anushka, I miss cuddling with the teeny person she used to be." And knowing Natalya, she would ensure that Ian and Aurelia thought handing their new baby over to her was entirely their own idea, as well. "Do you think they are eating properly?"
"And don't give me that dusha moya stuff. I know what you're up to! You're trying to get me to volunteer to make breakfast, but guess what, Miss Smarty Pants" This was your idea, not mine," he told her, though from the look on his face, he was mostly teasing. He enjoyed teasing her, even if it did get him a swat and a snarl every now and then. "What do you think, Anabanana?" he asked their tiny daughter. "Do you think Dada should make his famous pancakes for Aunty Aurelia and Uncle Ian, or do you think Mummy should do it?"
Dribbling juice down her chin from a mouthful that hadn't been swallowed, Ana giggled at the silly nickname only her father used on her, far more interested in seeing what happened if you turned a half full sippy cup upside down than whatever her parents were talking about. As for Nat, well ....she offered her husband her sweetest smile, batting her lashes at him. "I will make lunch, if you make them breakfast," she bargained innocently, cocking her head toward the sound of still sleepy footsteps on the way down the stairs, the crying a little muted but no less urgent for that fact.
Rhys deftly caught hold of the cup before it was turned upside down. If he could hunt monsters for a living, he could certainly keep two steps ahead of a not-quite-one year old - most of the time, anyway. "And don't get any ideas about having another baby yet either!" he warned in a hushed whisper as the footsteps got closer. He hoped Aurelia didn't turn the corner with a breast exposed ready for feeding, still wondering if they should give the other couple some warning.
"But you like babies," Nat whispered back to him through her grin, looking to the door as Aurelia shuffled into sight, still in her pajamas, her long hair tangled and hanging loose over her shoulders as she jostled the wobbly shape of her newborn daughter against her shoulder.
She looked distinctly bleary-eyed, the product of nowhere near enough sleep yet, which was probably why she didn't notice their visitors at all for a long moment. It was only when she reached for the fridge door and received an Ana hug around her leg for her efforts that her brain seemed to engage at all. Rearing back in surprise, there was a moment when she shimmered out of view, her hand curling protectively to her daughter's head, before she shimmered back into sight, blinking in surprise at their unexpected guests. "Did I let you keep the key?"
Not given a chance to respond before Aurelia came shuffling into view, Rhys couldn't help but chuckle as the witch nearly shimmered from view before realizing there was nothing to be concerned about. "I married a cat burglar, remember?" he said with a grin. "And this was all her idea!" he added, wasting no time in placing the blame. Of course, if Aurelia was happy to see them, he might be just as quick to take the credit.
Ian had come to a halt in the doorway, still a little bleary-eyed with sleep himself. It had been a few days at least since he and Aurelia had gotten a full night of uninterrupted sleep. "You could have called first," he said, relieved he'd had the good sense to wear pajamas.
Rhys was still bleary-eyed when his wife had woken him from a sound sleep and bundled Ana and himself up for a trip through Avalon to wind up at the hunting cottage in central Pennsylvania where he'd spent most of his childhood. Even half-asleep, he couldn't help but tease his wife as he watched her poke about the kitchen Aurelia had made her own, since he'd signed over ownership. "You realize this is breaking and entering," he pointed out with a smirk, though he doubted it mattered much to a woman who was a master thief. It amused him to no end that she'd cheated by taking a shortcut through Avalon, when it would have only taken a few hours to drive here, but he hadn't bothered to point that out yet.
Nat flashed him a glittering smile, more than happy to take the full blame if it meant she got a good look at the little family who had become such surprisingly good friends over the past months. "I broke nothing, and there is no evidence to say that we entered," she pointed out sweetly, putting the coffee pot on automatically. "Oh, the wonderful things I could have stolen years ago if I'd only had access to the mists." She laughed, rummaging through her bag as above them the strident tones of a newborn in full voice made itself known. "I think we may have company soon."
"Which is probably why you didn't," he muttered, before poking about in the cupboard for a glass so he could pour Ana a cup of juice before she got too whiny. He perked an ear toward the sound of a hungry newborn making herself known and smirked. "Ah, to be able to sleep an entire night without having to hear that." He couldn't help but grin, knowing from experience what the new parents were going through, but not having much sympathy for them.
With Ana clinging onto his leg - because, lucky them, she was getting to grips with walking much faster than they'd been warned about - he had a little trouble moving about, but Nat couldn't help grinning at the sight of her husband and daughter being domesticated in someone else's kitchen. "Should we make them breakfast, do you think, dusha moya"" she suggested to him ....which was code for I think you should cook something so I don't get slapped for being impatient. From above came the sound of a feminine groan and yawn, footsteps shuffling across the landing in answer to the squawling from the newborn.
"Should we surprise them or let them know we're here?" Rhys countered, dropping his voice to that of a hushed whisper. He shuffled over to the fridge to hunt for the juice he hoped was hiding in there, with Ana clinging to his leg the whole way, knowing the other couple was likely to hear them before long. He just hoped Aurelia didn't think they were burglars and put some work some spell on them.
"What will they do to us if they are surprised?" Nat asked with a mischievous grin. They could hear the footsteps above their head pausing, and then shuffling a little way across the room. It sounded like a diaper change before any food was going to be administered to the screaming infant, anyway. "Maybe we should make sure the first one they see is Ana."
"Dada," Ana murmured, little hands reaching for the cup of juice, fingers opening and closing possessively.
"Kiss us or kill us," Rhys replied, though from the smile on his face he doubted it would be the latter. They'd probably be grateful for whatever help they offered. "We could have called first, you know," he pointed out, still whispering as he crouched down to offer Ana her juice, staying close by and watching her carefully as she was just learning how to handle a cup. "You just couldn't wait to get your hands on that baby," he teased. "Admit it!"
For a moment, it looked as though Nat might protest her innocence, before her smile burst into a bright grin, dripping with playful mischief. "You caught me, milaya," she teased him in answer, watching as Ana slurped from the sippy cup she was still learning how to use. "As much as I adore our Anushka, I miss cuddling with the teeny person she used to be." And knowing Natalya, she would ensure that Ian and Aurelia thought handing their new baby over to her was entirely their own idea, as well. "Do you think they are eating properly?"
"And don't give me that dusha moya stuff. I know what you're up to! You're trying to get me to volunteer to make breakfast, but guess what, Miss Smarty Pants" This was your idea, not mine," he told her, though from the look on his face, he was mostly teasing. He enjoyed teasing her, even if it did get him a swat and a snarl every now and then. "What do you think, Anabanana?" he asked their tiny daughter. "Do you think Dada should make his famous pancakes for Aunty Aurelia and Uncle Ian, or do you think Mummy should do it?"
Dribbling juice down her chin from a mouthful that hadn't been swallowed, Ana giggled at the silly nickname only her father used on her, far more interested in seeing what happened if you turned a half full sippy cup upside down than whatever her parents were talking about. As for Nat, well ....she offered her husband her sweetest smile, batting her lashes at him. "I will make lunch, if you make them breakfast," she bargained innocently, cocking her head toward the sound of still sleepy footsteps on the way down the stairs, the crying a little muted but no less urgent for that fact.
Rhys deftly caught hold of the cup before it was turned upside down. If he could hunt monsters for a living, he could certainly keep two steps ahead of a not-quite-one year old - most of the time, anyway. "And don't get any ideas about having another baby yet either!" he warned in a hushed whisper as the footsteps got closer. He hoped Aurelia didn't turn the corner with a breast exposed ready for feeding, still wondering if they should give the other couple some warning.
"But you like babies," Nat whispered back to him through her grin, looking to the door as Aurelia shuffled into sight, still in her pajamas, her long hair tangled and hanging loose over her shoulders as she jostled the wobbly shape of her newborn daughter against her shoulder.
She looked distinctly bleary-eyed, the product of nowhere near enough sleep yet, which was probably why she didn't notice their visitors at all for a long moment. It was only when she reached for the fridge door and received an Ana hug around her leg for her efforts that her brain seemed to engage at all. Rearing back in surprise, there was a moment when she shimmered out of view, her hand curling protectively to her daughter's head, before she shimmered back into sight, blinking in surprise at their unexpected guests. "Did I let you keep the key?"
Not given a chance to respond before Aurelia came shuffling into view, Rhys couldn't help but chuckle as the witch nearly shimmered from view before realizing there was nothing to be concerned about. "I married a cat burglar, remember?" he said with a grin. "And this was all her idea!" he added, wasting no time in placing the blame. Of course, if Aurelia was happy to see them, he might be just as quick to take the credit.
Ian had come to a halt in the doorway, still a little bleary-eyed with sleep himself. It had been a few days at least since he and Aurelia had gotten a full night of uninterrupted sleep. "You could have called first," he said, relieved he'd had the good sense to wear pajamas.