Legendary

I hustled into Ravel on time, but Damian had still beaten me there. Shoot. I hoped my hair and makeup were still good; no time to check in the bathroom now. Named after the French composer rather than an unfortunate knitting incident, Ravel was the new big thing in the city's cuisine. Nice classical music set a lovely tone (literally) and the lighting was subdued and romantic. Ivory silk lined the walls, the wood was dark, and the seating plush and comfortable, inviting diners to take their time. Ivory tablecloths covered the tables, which were set with silverware in mismatched patterns and gold-rimmed china, with a little art glass oil lamp burning by a forced blue hyacinth (constancy, I couldn't help identify.)

The menu was small but filled with delicious sounding things. We started with oysters. I winked slowly at Damian as the first one slithered down my throat. He shifted a little and diverted me by asking how my day went. He was amused to hear about all my meetings.

"In retrospect, it was a mistake to center all the meetings around food and/or coffee," I admitted, and he laughed.

His day had been less exciting, working on making contacts in the fishing fleet who could point him in the direction of ocean trash for their experiments, starting to research sources for equipment and supplies.

He said my day had been more interesting and we talked about the conversations I'd had. "You ladies are a lot more ambitious than I am," he said. "Why is that?"

"Serena and Carol and Dagny and I got into the habit of learning a lot about different trades and skills when we were in Helheim," I said. "We never wanted to be at the mercy of anybody for the necessities of life again. Aslyn's always been driven, but more broadly focused. Karen is also driven, but she has a tight focus on one thing. After she retired from dancing, she ended up taking over project management in her family's renovation business."

"Why didn't you really want to go back into science? Your mom has a point, you'd be working and creating sooner."

I toyed with the knife at my place setting. "Honestly?" When I looked up, he nodded.

"Always."

"Because I'm not sure now that I would have chosen science if I'd gone to a regular high school," I said slowly. "My folks wanted me to get a good job, I had those test scores, STEM occupations for women were being pushed hard and I did like science, so it was natural to continue in that. But if I'd had a broader vision, I might have done something entirely different. My education was geared to the plan J and I developed, and when that went splat, I really wasn't qualified for much. My degrees were in very narrow fields. If Tony hadn't taken me in, I'd have ended up doing production chemistry, drug research, or something else boring, probably. As it was, my career was most successful outside the lab. I pushed our research along in the beginning, but it took off when we got the PhDs in. So... I want to do something that is my choice, through and through. And there's something about working on old buildings, taking care of them, restoring them, that's really appealing." I stopped as our entrees were placed before us. "But I don't want to tell my mom that. I don't ever want them to think they pushed me into something I didn't want to do. Because I did like it, and for my skill level, I did a pretty good job." I took a few bites of dinner. I had a chicken dish that was divine. "And it wasn't as if even my masters was wasted; when we got the wings for real, it helped me figure out the biomechanics. They're not perfect analogs of bat wings or bird wings, no matter what they look like. There are features that are unique to them and it helped me work with the healers when somebody damaged theirs, understand how to build up strength and use them for combat. That level of familiarity helped them when they were working on my wings. They'd have had to be amputated, otherwise." I'd spoken to the healers about the injuries I'd had when I'd been recovering and had been shocked at how bad it had been.

Damian had listened intently. "Take your time in classes," he said. "Learn everything you want to. I'll help however I can." He smiled at me. "I want you to be able to do everything you want. It'd be fun to go to parties and listen to people say 'There's Alex Barnes, the noted conservator and architect. Is that lucky guy her husband?'"

I laughed. "You have a weird idea of fun," I said, and he nodded. The conversation got more playful and flirtatious, and we declined dessert to go to his new apartment. It wasn't a long walk, but it was made longer from frequent pauses for hot kisses. I felt my old craving for him build and enjoyed stoking that feeling with the kisses. When we got inside his apartment, he kissed me so well my eyes crossed, and it took a minute to recover enough to appreciate what he'd done with the place. What had to be every rose in the city was massed in the front room; a line of little bud vases led to the bedroom, where the heady scent of even more roses filled the air. The bed was turned down invitingly, there was a bucket on the floor filled with ice and water and a bottle of cava. Two glasses were on the floor. Long-burning pillar candles were clustered here and there, lighting the room romantically. I let myself be swept away by the sensuality of the moment; flowers and candles and wine were fairly standard romantic accessories, but Damian's kisses spun my head more than wine ever did, his hands stilled my mind as he stripped off my lingerie and heated my blood. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he entered me, keeping him close, stroking his skin, feeling my arousal climb until all I could feel was him moving inside me, lighting up the nerves that led to a titanic orgasm and a couple smaller ones until he came too. He managed to keep up on his elbows enough so I could still breathe, but it took time for us to get our breathing calm and my legs to stop trembling enough that they fell to the sides, still cradling him between them. The sweat had cooled by the time he stirred a little, eased out reluctantly, and swept the sheet over us, rolling so that I lay on him like a blanket, where he could stroke my back and butt. We took a break to drink the wine, and after that, I was buzzed, the alcohol and Damian's tender lovemaking making me feel like I was on fire. All the love and desire and passion I had for him erupted in me as we rocked together and I had one of those moments of dizzying clarity when you know with every fiber of your being that what you're doing is the right thing. In the back of my mind had been the niggling fear that I might not feel that way about him again. The feelings were so powerful that I couldn't hold back the tears as we finished, gratitude that I could still feel that love, that sense of safety and protection with him again. Damian wrapped my in his arms, not saying anything, just stroking away the tears. I was surprised to see tears on his cheeks too, which I kissed away. I lifted myself enough to release him, then his hands found my hips and pressed us close together again.

"I was going to wait," he said hoarsely. "I was going to draw you close again, not pressure you or demand anything, play the long game like I did before, but I can't wait, Alixzandrya. Everything in the cosmos just shifted a little for me. The scent of you, the silkiness of your skin, the pleasures of your mouth and hands and body enchant me. Your mind is fascinating. You fill a space inside me with joy and love and warmth. I want you to come home to me and tell me about your day and what you learned and what you're planning, laugh with you and comfort you when you're low, tell you about what I did and where the company is, plan activities for our weekends, be a couple among our family and friends. I want to be by your side, to be your support and encourager. I want to be your true partner." His hands cupped my face. "Choose me, Alex. Live with me and be my love. I will try every day to be the man you thought I was."

I took a deep breath.

"Do you still have my wedding ring?" I asked, and he let out a sound that was a blend of a sigh and a sob, and gently shifted me off his lap. He went over to the dresser, the candlelight painting his skin in exquisite warmth. When he turned back, he knelt on the floor by the bed, and I scooted over to the edge. He took my hand, slid my old band on my finger, and kissed my finger where it rested.

"You are the center of my universe, Alex," he whispered. "My true north."

I placed his hand between my breasts, a little toward the left one, so that he could feel my heart beating. "You're my heart's desire, Damian," I said helplessly. "I've been yours forever, it seems."

"And I'm yours, omri," he murmured, getting to his feet and pulling me to mine, our bodies pressed together. "Ameli, rohi."

"What does that mean?" I asked breathlessly.

"Omri means my life, my darling. Ameli is my hope. You're rohi, my soulmate." His voice was rich and deep.

"Arabic is very romantic," I murmured. I drew back slightly and tugged him back into our bed. He climbed in after me, and sat against the headboard again so I could straddle him and twine my arms around his neck. We kissed, his mouth ravaging mine, until I could feel him stirring again. I broke the kiss, sliding down until I was laying between his legs, and took him in my mouth, teasing him, drawing things out until he was on the edge, then backing off and rising enough to slide down around him again.

"I know we're still married," I said, as my heart sped up again and my breasts brushed up and down his chest. "But our family is larger than it was, and what I feel for you is special and sacred. How do you feel about renewing our vows in front of our family and friends?"

He groaned in passion, then gazed at me with heavy lidded eyes. "I want the world to know that my most gracious lady has accepted me back into her life, her bed--" he nipped my shoulder and gently squeezed my breast, toying with the nipple--"her body, that I am her chosen. The more witnesses, the better."

"Ok, but the part about the bed and my body can be implied, right?" I asked, gasping as he rolled his hips, spearing deep into me. "Because everybody likes you, darling, but I don't think anybody else needs to see that."

"No," he growled, flipping me onto my back and thrusting harder. "You're mine, and what is between us is not for anyone else to see."

"Ok, good," I said. "So family and friends, everybody's clothes stay on--" He started to laugh, sinking fully inside me and leaving me impaled.

"Yes, everybody will remain fully clothed during the ceremony and the party," he promised, snickering. "But then we come back here and every stitch comes off and we will celebrate by having each other as often and as creatively as we can manage. I think we can plan this one by ourselves, no binders needed." I laughed, remembering the dog and pony show that had been our first wedding, impressively guided along by Bruce and Alfred. "I don't really want to go back to the manor, though. I want our lives to be separate, our own, a little bubble of love and daily activities and talking and making love wherever we want." He started to move again.

"I already told Daniel I wanted my own space," I said, sinking my fingernails into his muscular back. I panted. "Stop for a sec," I requested, and with an effort, he stilled again and looked at me quizzically. "This is something to consider for the future. It's a big deal, and it isn't something we should just jump into, not that we have time right now anyway. There's my education, and there's a program that takes place in Paris that I want to consider. But when my medical records were reactivated by the tower clinic, they reviewed them with me and told me that, if I wanted, there's medications I can take beforehand and during that would enable me to have a regular pregnancy. It's like when you want to bend wood, you steam it to make it pliable. The drugs build up and will make my uterus able to react normally." He jolted, accidentally slamming into my cervix, for which he immediately apologized.

"If that's true, if it's that safe for you, then yes, I want more kids with you," he said intensely. "But only if it's safe. I won't risk you with another pregnancy like the one that produced Martha and Xander, no matter how much we love them, and I can't handle more miscarriages." He sighed deeply and started to move, gently and tenderly. "There's a lot to get done first. There's the lawsuit to deal with, then your schooling, and I have starting to build a business empire on my part, and that will take a lot of effort, at least for the short term. Then as you start on your career, maybe, I'll reverse my birth control and you'll do the same, and take the medication, and we can have a few months of practice before I get my best swimmers going and impregnate you." His voice sounded very satisfied and I laughed, then caught my breath as he pulled out, put me on my hands and knees, and started stroking deep, one hand going from my breast to between my legs.

"I'm hoping for a lot of practice," I said dreamily as I settled in and enjoyed the ride.

"Oh, Petal, it will be my pleasure to practice with you long and hard."

"Long and hard? I thought that was just you," I cracked, and he laughed.

"I might retire Nightfall when you're carrying our child," he said, startling me out of the erotic haze that possessed me. I looked around at him. He sank back on his heels, pulling me with him, my back against his front. I pulsed slightly, moving gently on him, his hands kneading my flesh and playing with me. I put one hand behind his neck and he kissed my temple as he teased me with his body. "I'd rather watch our kids grow up then die too early and leave you a widow. I want to do this with you for the rest of our lives, long may they be. In fact, when I'm a hundred, this is how I want to go out, heart failure after one final mutual orgasm with you."

I snorted a laugh." That's quite a goal you have for yourself, my darling. As it happens, I like the sound of that. Simultaneous orgasm, mutual end, because I don't want to be the only one left again." I whimpered shakily as I jolted closer to a climax. "Retire Nightfall when the time is right," I whispered before I stopped thinking.

In the morning, I was sore and stiff, not having had erotic exercise for far too long, but Damian stroked my skin gently, massaging my inner thighs and carefully sliding a couple of fingers inside to relax the muscles inside, releasing pressure points before finding my g-spot and coaxing me into a nice little orgasm that woke me up and energized me rather than tiring me. Then we took a shower together and he fixed me breakfast from a hamper Alfred had left when he did the floral decorating the day before.

"So will you move in here with me?" he said. "I just signed the lease, so I don't feel I can back out now. And I know you have a lease too, but I wondered if you might get your aunt Rebecca to take it over. There's plenty of room for both of us and Eira."

"I noticed the food and water bowls," I said, feeling hazy and contented with love. "I'd like that, and I'd love to get Aunt Becca out of the tent city. That's an excellent suggestion, darling."

"I aim to please," he said, bowing to me from where he sat. "What are you doing today?"

"Just therapy this afternoon," I said.

He squeezed my hand. "How about you come by the office after you're done and I'll leave early, help you move and clean the apartment. Then tonight we can switch on the fire and cuddle. I'm desperate to build the bond of love and a shared life with you again," he said with candor. I smiled at him.

"Eira will want to be part of the cuddles," I warned him.

"That's fine. She looks nice and warm." I laughed, and after breakfast, he walked me to my apartment before going to work. I retrieved Eira before Dagny went to work clerking in an urban garden company that had just gotten started. Dagny was thrilled to hear that Damian and I had reconciled and offered to help me clean the apartment when she got home from work that afternoon, filling in with a half shift that day. Eira listened attentively as I sat her down and explained how things were changing. She was interested and mainly wanted to know if the ottoman was still hers and if she could still sleep on the bed. She is the best canine companion. She lounged on the bed as I packed my clothes, Eira's things, and the few personal things that I had--I'd gotten used to living pretty sparsely in Valhalla and hadn't returned to my prior life's ways with a lot of clothing or other things. It didn't take long, and we made two trips to Damian's--no, our--apartment. Eira inspected everything carefully and approved of the arrangements, pausing for a long drink out of her new water bowl and a snack from her food bowl. Damian had devoted an entire cupboard to her food and treats; I added her grooming tools. On the way back to my soon to be old apartment, I stopped by the store and bought enough food to fill the pantry and fridge, restocked some cleaning supplies that were running low, and added a bouquet of Peruvian lilies (wealth, prosperity, fortune) as well as some other extras that I thought Becca might like. Back at the apartment, I cleaned the refrigerator, wiping the shelves and arranging everything nicely, stocking the pantry the same way. Eira and I took a break for lunch, and I stripped the bed and washed that and the towels, making the bed almost as well as Alfred could.

Dagny arrived and it wasn't long before we had the place sparkling. I called Becca and she was going to be done with what she was working on soon, in an area not far from the apartment, and agreed to meet me for a break. Dagny came with us, curious about my auntie and agreeing that it would be nice for her to know a neighbor. Eira pranced along, her gorgeous fur and happy face drawing appreciative glances. One child raced up and hugged her, to the dismay of her dad who was unsure about the friendliness of a strange dog, but he was quickly reassured by Eira's wagging tail. Eira gently headbutted the kid to the enjoyment of both, and they parted ways, mutually pleased. Becca was waiting for us, coffee in hand, sipping in pleasure. We hugged, careful of the coffee, she greeted Eira with an ear skritch and kiss on the head, and I introduced Dagny.

"I wanted you to meet Dagny, Auntie, because she's going to be one of your new neighbors."

"My new neighbors?" Becca asked.

"Yep. I'm moving in with Damian and my apartment's vacant. The landlord" (Daniel, and I was certain that he'd agree with me) "said I could sublet for the rest of my lease, so it's yours if you want it." I held up the key.

Her expression eased and she carefully rubbed her eyes. "Oh, Alex, honey, thank you. It will be so nice to get out of the tent and have some privacy. And my heater died last night, I was going to go shopping for a new one after work." She hugged me tight, and what I suspected was confirmed, that she didn't like living in the tent city but didn't want us to fuss and had been putting a good face on her situation.

"I even washed the sheets, so you're ready to go," I said, returning the hug. "There's groceries, so you won't have to go out tonight unless you want to."

"I can't wait to have my own home again," she said, sighing in pleasure, and released me with an extra squeeze. "Thank you, honey."

"You're very welcome. There was an article in the news that said the new construction had hit a snag, so your wait on the list would have been even longer. This way I'll be happier knowing that you have a real roof over your head."

"If you'd like, I could meet you after work," Dagny offered. "We could have a drink, then I could help you reconfigure the biometric access to your building." I wanted to slap myself. I'd forgotten about the security. Becca accepted with pleasure, and we separated with everybody much more cheerful. Dagny peeled off after a hug to do shopping of her own, and I had to get to therapy.

My therapist was pleased with my progress. "I know it's not a cure, and certainly the nightmares won't be gone permanently," I acknowledged, "but I really feel like reconciling with my husband will be good for me. I truly believe that he's making an effort to change and he's not as obsessive as he used to be, so I I believe his promises. I want to work hard during this period where everything is going well, try to beat down the PTSD more." We continued to work on my PTSD and I felt better after the session, like all the work I was putting in was really starting to pay off.

I took a few minutes to call Daniel, telling him that Damian and I had reconciled and that I'd just moved into his apartment. He was thrilled by the news. I admitted that I had illegally sublet my apartment to my aunt, and he promised to call the management company himself and ensure that it wouldn't be a problem. Since Wayne Enterprises owned the buildings and employed the company, I expected that there wouldn't be a hint of a problem. I thanked him and we chatted briefly before he went back to his work.

Eira and I walked quickly to the office, where we found everybody in the lab space, looking at tanks of dead algae. Tony was cursing. He saw me, got a final torrent of obscenities out of his system, and gestured me over with a swing of his arm.

"You know more about this than I do," he said, harassed. "Why does the algae keep dying?"

"I'm not the algae whisperer, Tony," I said peaceably. Ann snickered and Damian covered his smirk with his hand. "What's your protocol?"

With exaggerated patience, Tony walked me through the whole procedure. I made him clarify small details, not to make him crazy (although that was kind of a side benefit) but to understand every step in the protocol. "Well, the cleanser you use on the tanks could have a negative effect; there's a compound in there that could cause die off even if you think you got it all out, you probably didn't. I'd switch cleanser anyway. And of course, there's the possibility that the move either killed it or was responsible for the uncontrolled confounding effect. In either case, your algae are going to be too delicate to work in the wild." Ann's face lost its amusement and Tony swore again. "Start with the cleanser, then do everything by hand for awhile," I advised. "Automation is not your friend this early in the game. First, develop the algae to do what you want, then make it robust enough for the conditions you envision, then let automated processes take over to produce the quantities you want. Even if there's a problem making your organisms tough enough for the ocean--and wait a minute, why are you developing this in fresh water? Oceans are saline, guys."

There was dead silence.

Tony paced and swore, and Ann sagged against the big tanks. "That was a major oversight," she said, underplaying it quite a lot. "It was the most promising algae I found."

"Well, you hadn't advanced very far," I said, attempting to console her. "Only fifty or so generations, right? So you haven't lost much. Get an ocean algae, that will help keep it sturdy, or start investigating bacteria. You might have to change your approach to the process; you might need to collect the garbage and treat it in an enclosed space. Doesn't have to be in land; you could get bots to scoop up the rubbish, hold it in something like the hold of a ship, then discharge the cleaned water back into the ocean. A lot depends on how your organisms work and what they do with the metals and plastics they consume."

Tony shut up, finally, turned back, and rubbed his face. "Can you give us some time here, Tiger? Help us figure this out? Because without the organisms, we have nothing."

"I can give you some time until classes start," I said. "Subject to my therapy sessions."

"Fine," he said, waving his hand. "It's your investment at stake." I narrowed my eyes at him and he backed down, flapping his hand in apology. "Sorry. Of course your mental health is a priority." I rolled my eyes but let the pro forma apology slide.

"I'll start tomorrow," I said. "Have the tanks emptied and ready so I can get started." He cocked an eyebrow at me and I smiled serenely. "Your mess, your cleanup." I looked at my husband. "Ready to go?"

"Wait," Tony protested. I smiled at him.

"Damian and I have reconciled," I told him. He saw the advantage there at once.

"Great, means you'll be more amenable to spending time here," he said. "Lab rules, though, no nookie in the office."

"Sparky," I said, rubbing my forehead.

"Congratulations, Alex, Damian," Ann said, smiling at us. "You go on, we'll have everything ready tomorrow."

"Great, thanks, Ann. See you tomorrow," Damian said, and whisked me away. Eira was amused.

A light snowfall started as we exited the building, and by the time we got home, it was heavy. "Good thing Aunt Becca's out of the tent city," I said, shivering as I toweled Eira off. Damian turned on the living room fireplace and she flopped down in front of it, letting her fur dry completely in the warmth. Damian and I curled up on the couch and talked about the day; I'd seen the highlight of his, and he listened as I described how I'd gotten things set up for my aunt, the results of my therapy session.

"That's nice of Dagny to befriend Rebecca," he said, and I agreed.

"That's Dagny, though," I said. "She always goes the extra mile for a friend. I think that they'll get along really well."

After a bit, we got up and fixed some dinner. The cupboard was pretty spare; I'd have to go shopping tomorrow. I'd been too focused on Aunt Becca to consider our refrigerator. We ate dinner, then returned to cuddling on the couch. I was a little sore, so no erotic romps tonight. This was just as good, in its way, though. We each made phone calls or sent texts to our family and friends to let them know about our reconciliation and that we were living together again. My parents were cautiously pleased, J said it was about time, Martha and Xander were happy to hear it, although Martha said I should have let him twist a bit more. She's vindictive when she or somebody she loves is hurt. Grandma was pleased for me and told me that it was definite that she was coming for Christmas. Grandpa was approving and asked to talk to Damian; I didn't know what he said, but Damian was as warm and polite as always and he agreed completely with whatever my granddad was saying. Uncle Steve and Emma were pleased; Steve is traditional enough that broken marriages disturb him on principle and especially for someone he regarded as a niece. Uncle Bucky congratulated me. "I know you're a grownup, sweetie, but if he dicks you over again, I'm just giving you fair warning now that nobody will ever find his body." Before I could draw breath, he asked for a favor. "Do you have some time to spare? I could really use some short term help with the brats at the tower."

"I just agreed to help Tony out of a mess with his algae--" Bucky laughed--"but yeah, I can start in a couple of days. Once we get a few things figured out, there won't be much for me to do, actually." I said I'd let him know tomorrow when I could start, and next I conferenced in my friends to tell them. They were all enthusiastic, and Dagny had had a good time with Aunt Becca and had gotten her settled. After I finished with that conversation, I made a quick order of chocolates for her help, and settled in to listen to Damian's responses to his grandfather and grandmother's lecture. He was certainly chastened when he hung up. I enjoyed that a moment.

"I forgot to tell you, Grandma is coming over from England for Christmas," I said, putting my head on his shoulder. He brightened; he loved my grandma.

"So now I'm thinking, Petal, that maybe we renew our vows at Christmastime," he said slowly. "It could be a fun surprise. Maybe Christmas Eve, everybody will be there and we can invite our friends to the crowd. Since it's a renewal of vows, we don't need a real officiant." He played with my hair. "We could use the ones from our first wedding. I still feel that what's between us is not to be shared with anybody else." I smiled.

"That would be nice," I said. "Everybody will already be dressed up for the occasion. We'll have to coordinate with Alfred, but I think everybody else will be pleased for the ceremony."

"Cake," he said immediately, and we made plans to check out bakeries over the weekend. That was all we really wanted, to recommit to each other in front of the people who meant the most to us and hadn't been to either of our weddings. The ceremony and a cake, and Christmas. We didn't need anything in the way of gifts; Daniel had already offered us any of the furniture and/or furnishings not currently in use by an inhabitant in the manor. We thought we'd take him up on the offer; the attic was stuffed and we still needed a few pieces of furniture. It would be lovely to have a few pieces from the family. "Maybe some kind of favor, to commemorate the occasion."

"I saw this little doodad in the store the other day when I was buying sheets," I said thoughtfully. "It's about the size of a matchbox, silvertoned, and what it is is a small holographic projector that holds photographs. You can set it to display a single one or slowly cycle through a series, you can download them from whatever device you have, you just touch a button."

"I like that," he said instantly. "We can have somebody take pictures, and download the best one before giving them out. I'll go check them out tomorrow, Sweet pea." We talked a bit more before flicking off the fireplace and going to bed. Damian snorted in laughter as Eira nudged him to the side so she could snuggle between us.