Legendary

The next few weeks passed pretty quietly. I found some security systems that were adequate for what we needed for our apartments and we took a day and installed them. The gals weren't thrilled about it, but understood the need for an alibi in the event we might need them. We placed the cameras very carefully so that they showed just enough of the doors to identify anyone coming in or out and made sure the time and date stamps were on. Aslyn, Margaret, and Karen were aghast by all this and very supportive. My friends are the best.

Not long after our appearance in court, there was a bit at the end of the late night news about Nightwing's new partner. I snapped to attention and Eira raised her pretty head. She was going through a definite growth spurt. "Vigilante superhero Nightwing seems to have acquired a new partner," the female news anchor said, fanning herself. The camera hastily shifted to a citizen recording of Dick in all his glory, his costume (unlike most) leaving pretty much nothing to the imagination. It was superlative eye candy. You could tell that there was zero padding involved. Then another figure in black landed by Dick, and I started to laugh. Neither of them wore capes, showing off their excellent butts to the viewing public. They seemed to be arguing. I laughed harder. Then they turned, and I was relieved to see it looked like Damian at least wore a cup. But otherwise, his costume clung to his muscles every bit as coyly as Dick's did. Damian had his sword on his back and a utility belt. Dick didn't have a belt, but he did have some equipment attached to the costume at the small of his back. Then the guys caught sight of the citizen recording them. Dick grinned, winking behind his domino. Damian looked self-conscious and tugged at his costume a little. The costume didn't have much give. Even Eira snorted in amusement. "Who are you?" a female voice asked, a little breathlessly.

"Nightwing at your service," Dick said cockily. "This is my partner, Nightgown. You can call him Nightie for short." Damian growled, and I howled.

"Oh, did you decide against that? This is Nightingale, then." Damian shoved Dick, who was laughing.

"Nightfall," he growled. The woman behind the camera giggled. Damian glared at Dick and jumped off the roof. Dick, still laughing, waved to the camera and followed. The camera zoomed in on his butt before it disappeared.

"And Gotham has another protector," the anchor said, a trifle breathlessly.

"If they're not careful, there's going to be a wave of petty crime just so they can be picked up by those two," the sports anchor said, looking like she might join them. The male anchor just laughed and bid goodnight to the audience.

I watched the late night show that followed, not as much for the political commentary or the guests--Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio. Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Cy Young, and Joe Morgan, who were discussing the formation of the Hall of Fame league, designed to settle, forever, the endless discussions of fans about how players from different eras would stack up against each other in head-to-head competition. There were similar adjustments going on in football, basketball and hockey as well. Soccer had one too, but it was drawn from superlative players all over the world and under the aegis of FIFA; it would travel and take on national teams. The Hall of Fame leagues had two teams (football) and six for hockey, basketball, and baseball. The teams would play each other and teams in the active NHL, NBA, NLB, and NFL. These leagues had acquired the feel of minor league teams almost overnight. The athletes were training to modern standards, and even non-sports fans were excited to see the initial results. I was interested, of course, but more than that I didn't really want to go to sleep. I'd had the worst nightmare ever shortly after the hearing. The modern cinema experience triggered a lot, plus when you're actually fighting, your focus is tight, your adrenaline zinging through you, and I hadn't noticed nearly as much as I'd seen on screen. The horrors of war were brutal and moved much more slowly than I'd experienced at the time. Plus I hadn't seen what had happened after I'd lost consciousness. Eira had had to wake me up, and I'd been dripping sweat and tangled in the bedclothes. I'd still been shaking even after a shower and the diversion of changing the bed. My therapist had set me up with a different therapist who specialized in combat-related trauma in veterans, and my progress had been swift in the little time I'd been working with him. But I was still reluctant to sleep.

On Halloween, I went up to Asgard using the Bifrost with my friends, aunt and uncles, and Eira for Winternights. It's normally a little wild, kind of like Carnivale, since it's the beginning of the winter season, a celebration of a successful harvest and a time of increased leisure. This year, though, it was more sober, with more emphasis on the honored dead and divination after the events of Ragnarok had marked us. The veils between the planes of existence are thin at this time of year. Together we focused or attentions to the pleasures of hearth and home, a good harvest, the celebration of kinship and friendship, led by Frigga. Hela and the Norn were honored in remembrance of the fallen and the power of fate, and offerings made. The four of us from Midgard and the valkyries who had settled on Asgard made a trek out to the World Tree. We brought chocolates for the Norn and a selection of snails, grains, and vegetables for the swans. The others made me give the swans their treat, the jerks. Like I haven't dealt with them enough. Still, I owed my life to them, at least in part, so I placed our offering where Skuld indicated. They weren't a bit grateful, but they did dive right in. They seemed to like the snails best. It had started to snow on Asgard, the beginning of a normal winter, and our visit wasn't long but seemed appreciated. I also brought some boxes of Milk Bones for Eira's family--she was certain that they'd like them, and after a dubious moment where they crunched in to be polite, they did get a lot more enthusiastic. I felt a little guilty that their daughter was so far from home, but I'd grown to rely on her love and companionship. I toyed with the idea of trying to get into Valhalla again, but I didn't feel stable enough to see Odin and the others just then. I didn't doubt that I could do it; I was the only one of the valkyries who could still move around the Nine Realms at will. Maybe next year.

The next day, Damian came up to get me for a date. We were going to go out to the manor for a family dinner, my first since Xander's deception had been uncovered. I let him into the apartment and gave him a kiss. My lips curved against his before I pulled back slightly. "Nightgown. It's good to see you, darling," I said, before bursting out into laughter.

"Dick," he said in disgust, rolling his eyes. I just laughed harder, and Eira made the funny little snorty/chuckly sounds she makes to indicate amusement. He regained his good mood on the road to the mansion, though, even when I teased him about the fit of the costume.

"Rides up a bit in the back," he noted, then changed the subject as I chuckled. Our daughter was still in London, thriving there running the company branch, but my parents came for dinner, along with Thomas and Martha Sr, Dick and Barbara, Xander and Bruce. Daniel got me settled on a sofa and Mark sat beside me, cutting out Damian. I hadn't had much opportunity to get to know him, so I enjoyed the chat. The beating he'd suffered had created nerve damage that might not be reparable even with modern technology, meaning that he might always have to use the cane. He was ok about it, though. We looked over, breaking off our conversation, when Damian shoved Dick. Dick was laughing. I shook my head, grinning.

"Boys!" Bruce barked.

"What's that about?" Mark asked.

"Did you catch the late night news on CBS the other night?" I asked.

"No, I'm usually in bed by then. I prefer early mornings to late nights these days," he said, eyes twinkling. I smiled.

"They had some footage shot by a civilian," I said, starting to laugh. "Dick and Damian. The woman shooting the video asked who Damian was, and Dick ran through a few...unapproved code names." Mark started to laugh too.

"I'll have to find that on the internet," he said, chuckling. Then Alfred came to call us for dinner, and I grabbed him for a hug as I passed. Dinner was delicious, of course. On the way back to the library afterward for coffee, I found myself walking next to Bruce, who held me outside the library for a moment, offering a heartfelt if awkward apology for causing the rift between me and my son and husband.

"I never stopped to consider that you might feel differently," he said humbly (a significant achievement for Bruce). "I'm sorry for the damage and hurt I caused to you." I had to accept the apology, and as he escorted me over to a sofa where Damian was accepting his tea from Alfred, I asked his opinion on the Hall of Fame baseball league. He lit up. "I've got season tickets," he said eagerly. Then he glanced at me sideways. "Would you like to go to a few games with me?" he asked.

"Thank you," I said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Ty Cobb's ferocious style of play, and of course I want to see Lou Gehrig. Even when he was deteriorating from ALS, he managed to fend off other first basemen on the team who went on to start for other teams, unlike Cal Ripkin, who played for a pretty mediocre Baltimore team."

"They're still deciding whether to put all the former Yankees on one team or not," Damian contributed as Alfred handed me a coffee cup with several macarons perched on the saucer. Damian looked at the two on his saucer before looking at Alfred pointedly. Alfred ignored him and handed Bruce a snifter of brandy. "I'm torn between wanting to see the ultimate Yankees lineup versus some of the Yankee greats plus some others. But the pitching is what's really holding my interest. How will the pitchers hold up against modern day hitters."

"There's room for a lot of movement," Bruce pointed out. "The players sign with the Hall of Fame team as a single entity, and can be assigned and reassigned to different locations in order to provide the best sport. They're currently thinking to start with all-star lineups made up of the best of the Yankees, Red Sox, the Cubs and White Sox on one team--that ought to be fun--and the other three teams with the best of the rest, then mix up the rosters more." There were set to be teams in New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Others joined our conversation and the discussion broadened to all the sports. Martha was eager to see Joe Montana against Terry Bradshaw. I couldn't wait to see Patrick Roy face off against the scoring greats not just from his playing years but also Marcel Dionne, Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, and Rocket Richard. Damian was practically salivating to see Pele, Maradona, Messi, the Ronaldos, Zidane, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Zico.

"Not Beckham? Gerrard? Rooney?" I twitted him, and he just rolled his eyes and sipped his tea, stealing one of my macarons. I frowned and moved my saucer to my other side. Xander sat on the floor with Eira, who was accepting him provisionally as long as the petting didn't stop.

It was a good evening.

Damian took me home, giving me a box of lush red roses in full bloom. I pulled one out, cut the stem off with a pocket knife, and threaded it through the lapel of his suit coat. I felt a little giddy as he walked me up to the door. We kissed, and it felt like coming home. "Sweet dreams," he whispered, and held the door for me and Eira.

And I did have sweet dreams.

The rest of the week was taken up by preparation for and a deposition for the lawsuit--I had to identify the frames of the footage where I was visible, and this necessitated seeing some of the movie again. At least they only showed the scenes with the valkyries and I had to answer questions about how I had become a valkyrie. They only asked questions about how it had happened in the first place, and I made a mental note to ask everybody not to volunteer any information about how the bond was taken away and restored. There were questions about Ragnarok and the events leading up to it. Opposing counsel jumped on my conversations with the Norn. My lawyers advised me when not to answer or what to limit my answers to, and after a few hours, it was over, but I was shaken. Eira, too big now to sit on my lap and sporting a larger service dog vest, helped to keep me calm and focused. I also identified the few frames that showed her. No way did I want her to be singled out and maybe targeted. Her fur was darkening as she got bigger, though, which was a help. We passed Serena on the way out; she was up next. I muttered my request not to bring up my bond, and she gave me a reproving look. I grimaced an apology, and she patted me on the back as she went in. I called the other two for brief conversations, not wanting the information to be seen in texts or in voicemail.

I stood on the pavement a moment, wishing for some warming summer sun, but instead, snow sifted down gently. Eira looked stoic, and we turned for home. I felt shaky, my nerves and temper inflamed from even the little of the movie I saw again. "Alex," someone called, and I turned to see Tony, Ann, and Damian in suits, looking official.

"What happened?" Ann asked, concerned. She gave me a hug. "You look wiped out."

"Deposition for the lawsuit," I said tensely.

"You ok, Tiger?" Tony asked.

"It was just unpleasant," I said. He looked at me skeptically.

"Uh-huh."

"I had to watch the scenes from the movie that showed valkyries and identify if I saw myself." I shuddered, and Tony put his hand on my shoulder. "They asked questions about how I became a valkyrie, what we did, how we trained, how we prepared for Ragnarok, Ragnarok, all that."

"I'm sure they were interested in how Odin chose his valkyries," Tony said neutrally.

"Yeah, I had to explain about how I impressed him on the battlefield. Fortunately, they weren't very interested in the scrimmages. I think they were expecting some big ceremony or something." Tony's kind eyes glittered, and I knew he got what I was trying to communicate. I didn't want my different abilities known. If they didn't ask, I didn't want anybody dropping information. "What are you guys doing?"

"We just signed the lease on the new premises," Ann said, and I shook my head. I'd been invited, but I couldn't make it because of the depo.

"Right. I swear I'd forget my head if it weren't attached."

"Well, there's a little office for you there as a partner," Tony said briskly. I started to protest and he cut me off. "You get an office even if you don't expect to be there much. It is the smallest one, though." He made me laugh.

"They're going back to get ready for the move," Damian said, brushing hair off my cheek. "Would you like to go to a late lunch? I'm already packed." He looked smugly at Ann and Tony. Tony rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Back to the grindstone," he said, patting my shoulder and offering Ann his arm. She gave me a smile and they walked away. Damian stepped up and folded me into his arms, and I let myself relax for a moment.

"You're still trembing," he said in concern. "Let's get some takeout and I'll walk you home."

"I feel like such a baby," I muttered, and bit my lip to keep my eyes dry. Eira leaned against me in support, but I wasn't ready and staggered. She looked sad, and I reassured her that she'd just gotten bigger and I wasn't used to it yet. We stopped for soup and sandwiches at a deli, and I waited outside with Eira since they weren't canine accepting. Because we were late, there wasn't a line and Damian was back fast. He asked me about the remedial coursework, which I'd completed the week before and said that Alfred was going on vacation.

"You're kidding," I said in amazement. "He refuses to take vacations."

"Daniel said he'd be fired if he didn't take a break," Damian related with relish. "He didn't care for the blackmail, but he agreed to a brief one. They compromised on ten days."

"That long?"

"Daniel started with a month off, aiming for two weeks, realistically. Alfred started with three days." He smiled.

"Where is he going?"

"Mexico. He wants to explore the Aztec ruins." We talked about that for the brief time it took to walk the rest of the way to the apartment. Then we sat down to eat--he'd gotten Eira her own sandwich.

"Why don't you take a nap, Alex?" Damian suggested. I hesitated.

"I don't really like to sleep," I hedged, and his expression was understanding.

"If you'd like, I can stay so you won't be alone," he offered, and I hesitated again before thanking him.

"It's no problem, Sweet pea," he assured me. "As I said, I'm all packed up. A benefit to a paper-reduced office. I still don't know why things aren't paperless by now, but there you are. I was just going to look for a new desk, and I can do that any time."

I really was tired, so I went and changed into my nightgown and crawled under the blanket, leaving the curtain open for the reassurance of the sun. Eira hopped up and snuggled up against me for comfort, and I slept.

I was shaken out of a dream of smoke and ash and pain and blood to see Damian, white to the lips, his hands on my shoulders. Eira was standing over me, nudging my hair insistently. "I understand why you don't want to sleep," he said tightly. Eira sat down as I sat up and put her head under my hand. I stroked her thick fur automatically.

"It's been getting better," I said. "It's just that damned movie." Cautiously he sat on the edge of the bed behind me and encouraged me to lean against him. I huddled into him and felt sheltered as he rubbed my back and stroked my hair.

He didn't say anything for a bit, letting me relax. "How's the lawsuit doing?" he asked.

"Surprisingly rapid," I said. "They'll file next month. They've got some sticky issues that have never been litigated before because nobody's ever involved Asgard in the legal system before. The defendants tried to have it transferred to state court because they felt the state laws were more favorable, but it's got to be the federal system since it involves a foreign country and there's diversity among the parties. That filmmaker is legally a resident of California." We talked about other things for awhile until I relaxed enough to sleep again.

"So I've been thinking," I said, not moving. "I was wondering if we could start spending some nights together. And not because you wake me out of my nightmares, which can't be fun for you."

"Are you sure?" he asked gently. "I don't want you to rush and regret it later."

I snorted a laugh. "You've been extremely patient, and no, I don't feel pushed. I've been thinking about it before this, but the nightmares... but you've just seen that. And I feel loved and safe when I'm with you." He kissed my hair.

"Good. Because I do love you and I want you to feel safe with me. I can't protect you from everything, but I want to be right with you when it's bad, helping you through it. I won't ever hurt you again."

I turned my head and kissed his neck because it was closest. "I know," I said simply.

"I just rented a place in town," he said. "It's within easy walking of the new office. I'd like us to take our time together, not rush in to living together until we've gotten used to each other again, but there's plenty of room for you there too. I can spare you a drawer and some closet space," he said, and I chuckled. "Will you help me pick out the furniture? Later, not right now," he amended hastily. "I'd like for you to try to sleep again. I could take a nap with you," he suggested, a little shy.

"Yes to all of the above," I said, and felt Eira approve. She retreated to the foot of the bed as Damian returned in his boxers and we curled up together, spooning.

This time I had no dreams.

I woke up gradually, wondering why I felt so nice and warm and limp, then I remembered. I lay there quietly, letting Damian sleep and just enjoying his presence again. Then he muttered something and his arm tightened around me. I turned over and snuggled into his front. "I missed this," he mumbled. "I took you for granted, Alex, and I'm sorry."

"I think when you're married that you do take the other person for granted, normally," I said, shrugging as much as I could lying on one shoulder. "Because you know that you're a team and that the other person is there for you. But that's enough apologies, Damian. I know you're sorry and I forgive you."

"I don't deserve you, Alex."

"Debatable. Because now I'm a lot more damaged than I was, so I'm not exactly a prize. And I'm not without flaws either."

"You're perfect for me," he said.

"And you're perfect for me," I told him. We spent what remained of the afternoon kissing and talking, just enjoying the intimacy. It was romantic rather than passionate, and I admitted that I was enjoying getting to know him again. "It reminds me of when we were courting, before. That was magical."

He smiled at me tenderly, his eyes soft and kind. "That really was a wonderful time," he said. "So yeah, I want to be intimate with you again, to know your body, but suddenly I'm feeling a lot more secure. Let's have some fun, take our time. Let's court again, relive that magic."

"That sounds amazing," I said happily.

"Excellent," he breathed. "Let's get up, go to dinner, and the three of us do a little furniture shopping," he proposed. "Eira's part of the family, she should have a say in the furniture that makes her comfortable too." Eira woofed a little, pleased, and we got up and did exactly that. We went to his new apartment first, a spacious two bedroom, two bath place in an older building that still had some 20th century charm with crown moldings, plaster detailing, original wood floors, and tall ceilings with large windows that let in a lot of southern light. It wasn't even too far from my apartment, between me and Columbia, actually. I mentioned this and he smirked. "It's an advantage," he said casually, and distracted me with talk about paint choices. Then we went shopping and found pieces we both liked and that Eira liked, although she thought Midgard furniture was awfully small, even though the sofa was large. The find of the night was an enormous ottoman, fairly soft and covered in a soft green upholstery velvet, that would do as a bed for her when Damian and I were otherwise engaged. She liked the idea of having a bed of her own, although she assured me that she liked sleeping on the bed with me, and sent me the image of her snuggled between me and Damian during a cold winter night. She made me laugh. We got a king sized bed. And a nice desk for his new office.