Legendary

The next day we moved back to our apartment. It was still lovely, but now that my imagination had been captured by a house in the countryside, built to Damian and my taste, with room for Eira to run and me to fly, it seemed cramped. Damian went into the office for a half day to see where we were after the disturbance and came back with the name of an architect. We had an appointment the next day.

"I know we agreed not to rush it," he said, abashed, "but we have such a wonderful opportunity..."

"I was thinking the same thing," I admitted. He grinned, and we spent the night making Pinterest boards for the house and grounds. We both liked the English cottage exterior aesthetic, wanting to blend in with the other structures on the grounds; which were mostly neo-Gothic or Victorian. Inside, though, we could have whatever we wanted, and wanted to make it more modern than the main mansion. Not jarringly so, however; neither of us wanted to approach a charming country house and step into the latest and greatest interior design, which seemed to be more like a clean room than a living space. I wanted Eira to be able to shed in peace. "I'm very spoiled," I admitted.

"We have options others don't," he said as we sat down to eat. "But there's nothing wrong with that, and to think of it another way, once we get our house built, this apartment can go to others."

The next day we went to our appointment, fairly vibrating with excitement. The architect took some time to get to know us first, smiling when I said that I'd be starting the historic preservation program in the spring. "Your skills will be in high demand, Ms Wayne," he said. "Globally, not just locally, either, once you get some experience." Damian beamed. What we thought was a jumble of ideas turned out to be not so difficult under the expert questioning of our architect, Benjamin Lacoste. He scrolled through our Pinterest boards, nodding, and showed us some pictures and architectural renderings of similar buildings. By the time we left, he'd sketched out a preliminary two-story dwelling with a basement and attic, a cross between an English cottage and a small manor, which kind of cracked me up. A huge turret dominated the back, which was where our library/living room would be, with our suite above it. By the kitchen would be a mud room where Eira would be able to come and go as she pleased. There was technology, originally developed for humans, that would allow her to wash herself off if she came in muddy or dirty, and a warm dryer that she could activate. She woofed and her tail wagged when she heard this, and Lacoste smiled at her.

"One thing to consider is that while we can get your project slated for construction, quality crews are in short supply. However, road crews are not, and landscapers aren't in as high demand--yet. What we can do to get started is put in the driveway and get started with the formal garden that you want across the driveway, so by the time the house is built, the gardens will be a year or two old and starting to fill in."

"Yes, please," Damian and I said in chorus after a quick look at each other. We made an appointment to take Lacoste and some surveyors over to the building site to get started. After the meeting, Damian went to work and I stopped by Wayne. Daniel was in a meeting, so Eira and I waited, going down to the cafeteria for a little snack in the interim. I apologized when the meeting ended for just dropping in, but he assured me that he was always glad to see us. He sat on the floor of his office to rub Eira's tummy as I explained what our architect had proposed and grinned at me.

"Off like a shot," he said. "Just let Alfred know what days that the surveyors are there so he can let them in." He asked many questions about the house we were designing and the gardens.

"Depending on the footprint of the house, either a rectangular or circular maze in front with a fountain, made from different varieties of lavender," I said. "And different bushes up by the front of the house, some flowers. Trees. That part depends more on the style of the house, what it looks like. And in the back, a stone patio, grass and a shaded area for Eira, and informal, kind of riotous flower beds." He grinned and kissed my cheek.

"I'm looking forward to having you closer, Grandma. And I know Alfred will like it, too. You and Grandpa are his two favorite people, I think. Bruce used to be up there too, but that mess with Alexander demoted him a bit." I sighed.

"Bruce is so single-minded," I said. "I was kind of hoping that his afterlife would have relaxed him some, but it seems just to have been an extended vacation, and now he's back with a vengeance."

Daniel paused in his attention to Eira. "Uh, speaking of afterlives, the lawsuit has hit the news cycle. It's, ah, kind of blown up. Commentators are speculating about the movie and what's in it." I cursed. That repellent woman was probably overjoyed, all the information was supposed to be covered by the gag order. He flicked on the screen and we came in the middle of someone pontificating about it. The gist--he was very long-winded-- was that although no details about the movie were known, it sounded like an important historical document and the public good should prevent its suppression.

"It's probably what the courts are going to say," I said morosely. Another channel fretted about the impact of a judgment for defendant if Thor got pissy about it. And he might; he was furious that someone snuck into the embassy and onto Asgard. And recording the battle was beyond the pale, in his opinion. They didn't have media like Earth did, and virtually everybody had friends or family at the citadel or in the battle. Nobody was paying any attention to A, B, C, and D Doe, which was nice. But then, the complaint was sealed and those details shouldn't get out. I snorted. Nothing should have gotten out. My communicator rang; it was the law firm handling our complaint. Kim Lee controlled her temper well but the edge was in her voice as she assured me that Andrews was even then in court protesting the leak.

"The response to our complaint has been filed and he was going to be appearing in front of the judge anyway to set the trial date and get some procedural items worked out, including whether you and the other valkyries can obscure your faces in court. The leak is good only in the sense that it gives us ammunition to argue that your privacy is a priority, given that despite the gag order news about the movie leaked. The leak puts the judge in a difficult position," she said more gently. "The possibility of getting the movie entirely suppressed just got a lot lower; the lawyers are arguing that there's a strong public interest in understanding the events of the return, which, according to mythology, is linked to Ragnarok. It's my feeling that the movie will be released and you'll have to settle for having your identity and any identifying marks obscured."

"I figured," I said gloomily. "This is why it's really important to have the frames that show me at all removed from the film. I don't trust the filmmaker to completely disguise my identity." We talked a little more, her trying to buck me up some, then hung up. The news put a damper on things, even the fun of planning a new house, and after a bit, I gave Daniel a kiss on the cheek and Eira and I went home. To sulk, let's be frank. And worry. Until the first meeting with the lawyers, when they gaped at my wings, I'd never felt like a freak. Different, yes, but not circus-sideshow-weird. And I was worried about how people would react if it was known that I still had them.

"If the worst happens, we'll deal with it," my husband said calmly. "I'm sure that Thor would help you out; you could relocate to Asgard for a bit until the fuss died down; he would help you establish a new identity if necessary. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's see what happens first."

The next day I went up to Columbia to talk with Loki. "Thor has something up his sleeve in case he doesn't get what he wants, the destruction of all the footage, but he won't tell me what it is yet," he said. "So rest assured that the verdict will not be the final word on the matter. As one who fought for Asgard and one of our honored valkyries, it is my brother's pleasure to pledge whatever assistance he can give you in this matter or the aftermath," he assured me. Then we talked about Bucky's application to the university. "I pulled some strings there and he'll be admitted. He still has to complete the same remedial courses you did, but I suspect he won't have much trouble with that."

"His math skills are excellent," I said, and he smiled. We talked a little more about general things; the human embassy staff were having a Thanksgiving celebration, turkey, all the trimmings, and a historically accurate explanation of the holiday.

"How is Torunn?" I asked. "I haven't seen her for quite some time and she didn't answer my message."

"Thor has reassigned her to the citadel for additional training," was all Loki said, and I respected his reticence and didn't push. I suspected it had something to do with the lawsuit.

The new tanks arrived just before Thanksgiving and Tony went out to our supplier to personally pick up the new algae and bacteria. We set up the tanks again and left them over the long holiday weekend. Ann made sure that the security system was armed, the cameras recording, and the doors locked.

My daughter came in from London for the holiday and it was wonderful to have her back, even for a few days. She was energized by the challenges she encountered in London and I was pleased to see her doing so well. "I'm glad Dad made it up to you," she said as we walked over to the site where Damian and I would be building. The architect had come out the day before Thanksgiving with a couple of surveyors, and Damian, Daniel and I had met them, determining just where the house would be sited, where it would be facing, and Daniel took the data from the surveyors in order to put into the deed. The driveway would go in early in December, weather permitting, and the gardens would be started in the spring. We needed to get a landscape architect soon. "You're under no obligation to stay together for the kids," she batted her eyelashes at me and I laughed, "but you guys are pretty much a dream team."

"Well, he'll never make that particular mistake again," I said. She smiled, then listened as I described which way the house would face and our ideas for the gardens as Eira inspected the area.

I was regretful when she went back, but she was coming over with Grandma for Christmas.

After Thanksgiving, I had a lot to do. I was focusing on the renewal of my vows with Damian and wanted a pretty dress to wear. We always dressed for Christmas dinner, so a party dress wouldn't stand out, and I found a lovely tea length dress in misty dark green. It had a fluffy (but not too fluffy) skirt in tulle with wrap sleeves and silver lace applique over the bodice. The double strand of pearls Damian had given me would look wonderful with it. I arranged to take some red roses with me, just tied with a ribbon that could be put into a vase afterword, and a sprig of holly (domestic happiness) for my hair and one for Damian's lapel. Everything was on track with the cake we'd chosen, and I had a surprise for my husband. I'd gotten him a new wedding ring. It was a wide band, with a thin strand of yellow gold about a third of the way in from one edge. The surface of the band was brushed to a satin finish, the larger part oxidized black and the smaller part a lighter gray; it was beautiful and unique, just like Damian. On the inside, they used a laser to engrave part of my fingerprint (not than I'm possessive or anything) and, in small block letters, "my love through lifetimes." There was no date on this ring; I knew there was no expiration date on our union. I'd seen the ring when I went to get the pearls restrung and wanted him to have a more unique ring this time around.

And there were lunches or dinners or drinks with my friends. We were all busy, but keeping up our friendships was important to all of us. Knowing that somebody has your back in a world that isn't as familiar as it seems is precious, and regardless of how much I loved Damian, I couldn't restrict my world just to him. I brought Natasha along after we'd gone to the ballet.

"What did you guys see?" Aslyn asked.

"Swan Lake," I said, straight-faced. Carol, Serena, and Dagny cracked up.

"Are those swans really as bad as Alex says?" Natasha asked them.

"They sure don't seem to like Alex," Serena said, dabbing at her eyes. "The rest of us they pretty much ignore. And it's true, one of them broke her finger once. They have these serrated beaks."

"You always were an unusual child," Aunt Becca said; she'd come along with the other valkyries, a firm friendship having taken root there.

Everybody had a good laugh, and we moved on. Carol was learning a lot and was very happy with her apprenticeship. Serena, like me, was looking forward to starting school in January but was also picking up a lot at the architecture firm where she was working. She'd be working there part time when classes started. That was when Aslyn would be adding first year law classes too. Karen was already managing some small remodels at the company and was set to start her first construction project in a couple of weeks. Margaret was a little frustrated at her city job; there were so many committees and licensing boards and zoning rules to deal with. Dagny had taken an office job until she decided what she wanted to do.

"What are you up to, Alex?" Margaret said.

"Well, the Joker raided the lab and destroyed the tanks of algae and bacteria that Ann was going to be working on. There was Joker venom, and Tony and Ann were affected. The police had to bring in specialists from the CDC and a couple of other federal agencies to put the pieces together. Apparently the organisms that were brought to us were genetically altered to produce the Joker venom, it wasn't something that was released after the tanks were smashed. So there's that." I rubbed my eye. "But I'm looking forward to starting school. Daniel offered Damian and me some land a ways away from the mansion so we could build our own house." That incited a spate of questions and I described what we were doing, the look we were going for. They all smiled at the Eira-specific additions. Dagny had more questions about the landscaping. "And you're all invited to Christmas dinner," I said. Daniel had told us all to bring our friends. "Aunt Becca is already coming, but all of you are welcome. I'm not going to Asgard for Yule, so it's going to be a little weird." The other valkyries nodded.

"What did you guys do for Yule?" Aslyn asked, puzzled. "When is it?"

"Winter solstice," Carol said. "There was a big celebration with a Yule log to be burned, a feast, of course. The great hall in Valhalla would be decorated with holly, mistletoe, and pine boughs, there would be a tree like a Christmas tree, all decorated. There would be baskets of clove-studded apples and oranges. The hall always smelled so good."

"There was a big bonfire outside, and a big feast the night of the solstice, pork, mostly, with cider and apples, fruits, nuts, and special baked goods," Serena said. We sighed in unison. The cooks in Valhalla had been excellent. "It was to honor the god Freyr, who brings light and love back to the world. You put a pair of boots on the doorstep with hay and sugar and Odin would in turn fill them with gifts." We grinned.

"Why hay and sugar?" Karen asked, baffled.

"Because the Wild Hunt is at its peak then, and they're for Odin's horse Sleipnir," I said, shivering a bit at the memory of the one time I'd ridden with the Wild Hunt.

"And Odin gave you presents," Aslyn said skeptically.

"Oh, yes," Dagny said. "Mostly treats to eat, but after we returned from Helheim, he really made an effort and added more personal things too."

I nodded. "He gave me a set of the most beautiful knitting needles the year we returned. Ash, made from a broken limb of Yggdrasil itself. It really surprised me because I thought I was on his shit list." The valkyries roared.

"Why would you be on his bad side? I thought you were his go-to valkyrie," Natasha asked, and Serena told the story of our labor insurrection. "Troublemaker," she taunted me.

"I'd like to point out that I was the last to quit," I said astringently. "And it was me who got valkyries back in Valhalla."

"So if Yule is for the winter solstice, why aren't you going to Asgard?" Margaret asked me. "It's before Christmas."

"The trial starts the nineteenth, and the judge has ordered us all to stay on Midgard for the duration." I scowled. Sif had invited me to bring Damian for the celebration. Bringing up the trial put a damper on the conversation, but then they started to accept my invitation to come to the mansion for Christmas. Even Natasha agreed, and I told her to bring Hawkeye too. I brightened up. I really wanted Daniel to meet my friends in a social situation, now that they were settled back into the world and back to their splendid selves. Mark too. Daniel's mother hadn't been registered or found.

The next day, Damian and I went out to the mansion to update Alfred on the number of people we'd invited--Tony and Ann were coming as well as my friends. He nodded, completely unfazed. "We can have tables set up in the ballroom, so there is plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable."

"So...what were you planning on having for dessert?" I asked. He looked at me, smiling indulgently.

"I was planning on the little spice cakes you like so much, Miss Alex, as well as a variety of cookies and candies." I grinned at him.

"Do you think you could make room if we brought a cake with us?" At my words, his face became austere. "It's not a comment on the superb quality of your baking, I assure you," I said hastily. "It's just that Damian and I are planning on renewing our marriage vows in front of our family and friends, and we've ordered a wedding cake."

Alfred smiled as broadly as I'd ever seen. "What a lovely idea," he said, beaming. "Of course, Miss Alex."

Damian took my hand. "And we wanted to ask if you'd conduct the little ceremony. We're already legally married still, since Alex didn't divorce me. But I can't think of anybody I'd rather have." We smiled at him.

Alfred the Unflappable was decidedly flapped by the request. It took him a couple of tries and what looked like a stern internal command to himself before he spoke. "This is a great honor for me, Master Damian, Miss Alex. I would be delighted."

"It's a secret," Damian warned. "We don't want a fuss, just our friends and family with us."

"Of course," he murmured, and we took a moment to discuss logistics, deciding to have the ceremony before dinner, in the library.

"I'm almost certain that your lovely wedding gown is up in the attic, Miss Alex," Alfred said, frowning slightly as he thought.

"It is." I'd seen it in a storage unit with gowns from other Wayne brides when I'd rooted around up there after my big return. "But the renewal of our vows isn't the point of the gathering, we're just taking advantage of it, and I feel like I'd be making too much of it if I showed up in a long white gown. People were disappointed when we got married again at city hall, and this is as much for them as it is for us. Besides, a lot of them were at the original wedding."

"She's got a new pretty dress to wear anyway," Damian smiled at me and kissed my hand. And so so our plans were pretty much set. I took the opportunity to fly around a little outside, and Mark and Daniel, arriving home as I landed, invited us to dinner.

"If I'd known we'd get an invitation to one of Alfred's dinners, I wouldn't have eaten so many cookies before," Damian said on a sigh on our way home.

As Christmas approached, we decorated our apartment, including a small tree strung with colored lights and crystal ornaments. It was the first time we'd done our own decorating, I realized; Alfred had always had a firm grip on the mansion, followed by his niece. It was fun, reminding me of doing it with my family when I was growing up. We even put red and white stockings on the mantle--one for each of us and Eira. She got a special red and green holiday collar and leash. I did a fair amount of baking, sending my husband to work with cookies and little cakes while I did studying to get ahead for my first semester. I alternated between old favorites and treats that were reminiscent of the cakes and breads we'd had in Valhalla for Yule. I made sure to send enough for everybody. One of my Christmas presents for Damian was a cookie jar.

All too soon, the nineteenth rolled around. Eira went to work with Damian and I walked through the thickly falling snow to the courthouse. I had a cardigan with a hood to cover my hair and a mask so that I could hide my identity in the courtroom. I walked through the full-body scanners and up to courtroom F, one of the smaller ones since it was a closed trial. I put my hand on the door handle, and, exhaling all the air in my lungs, opened the door and walked in.