Nat lay stretched out on a float in the pool, his long legs hanging in the water.  Behind him, peering out the French doors, Icehawk smiled.  Silently he pushed one side of the door open and slipped out, closing it when he was though.  Sliding down the steps on a path of ice, he crossed the lawn to the edge of the pool.  Spreading his fingers he leaned over and touched the surface of the water.

“What the heck?!” Nat exclaimed as a thick sheet of ice covered the pool, trapping his legs and hands in its cold embrace.  He swiveled his head, looking for danger but caught only a glimpse of something blue and white and moving very fast.  Then he saw Wren watching with an amused expression.

“Hm.  Did I come in at a bad moment?" she said trying not to smile.

Nat looked up at her from the float and grinned wryly.  She wore a one piece black bathing suit, jeans and a towel wrapped around her hips.

“Nah, just taking a cool dip,” he said.

With no visible effort, he freed himself from the ice’s grip only to discover the ice was over eighteen inches thick.  The jagged edges of the fractured ice slashed the float and collapsed it under Nat, dropping him into twelve feet of water.  Kicking his feet, he rose only to bang his head on the underside of an iceberg.  Shoving it to one side, he surface and sputtered.

“Okay,” he said.  “NOW it is a ‘bad moment’.”

Wren took a few quick steps, not quite a run, to the edge.

“Want some help,” she asked.

He pushed his way through the floating ice to the pool’s edge.  For a moment, he looked up at her then held out his hand.  Wren took his hand and shifted gravity.  Without effort she drew his out of the water and stepped back, setting him down high and mostly dry.  She unwrapped the towel from around her waist and draped it over his shoulders.

“You okay?” she said with obvious concern.  “Falling into ice water is not a fun thing.”

Nat smiled shyly and accepted the towel.  As he took hold of it his hand covered hers.  For an instant their eyes met and both blushed.

“Cold doesn’t bother me,” he said softly.  “I’m pretty thick skinned.”

Wren slowly removed her hand as if reluctant.

“That’s handy,” she observed, not moving away.

“No, handy is being able to pull someone my size out like that,” he said with a grin.  “What did you do?”

Nat rubbed his hair with the towel.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Nathaniel?” she said in mock frustration.  “My mutation is GRAVITY.”

“Well . . . I mean . . .”  She looked amused at his stammering.  “I guess you create a pocket of low gravity around just me, and lift . . . that about it?”

“Something like that, yes,” she agreed.

“Sorry, I ask too many questions,” he said with an ‘awe shucks’ tone.  “I'm just thinking of ways to use powers like that.”

“There's no such thing as too many questions,” she said.

“She's right,” Archer voice startled them both and they took a guilty step apart.  Archer tossed a towel on the chaise.

“Hello, sir,” Nat ventured

“Archer is fine, Nat,” he said,  “Hello, Wren, getting settled?”  He stepped to the edge of the pool and stretched.

“Yes, thank you, sir,” Wren made a point of the ‘sir’.

Nat whispered, "He's like a normal person . . ."

They could both see him smile as he looked at the iceberg clogged pool.  “You expected some sort of monster, Nat?”

Wren whispered back, "A normal person with very good hearing it seems."

Nat blushed and Archer grinned.  Without apparent concern for the blocks of ice, he dove into the pool and swam under water the length of the pool.

“Think we should let him alone?” Nat said, looking down at Wren.

“Might be an idea,” she admitted.

Nat looked down at Wren's wet towel still draping his shoulders.

“I seem to be collecting these,” he said.

“I trust to get them back,” she said with amusement.

Archer pulled himself out of the pool and dripped over to recover his own towel.

“What do you two think of the place?” he asked, wiping his face then his hair.

“It’s . . .” Nat began then added.  “I never seen anyplace like it."

Archer smiled.  “Never will either.  You guys done any exploring?"

“Only found very creepy white trees so far,” Wren said.

“Creepy?  How so?” Archer said.  “Other than lizard droppings all over the place."

“It's a giant tree with my name on it which seems to host a dragon and someone your daughter so kindly refers to as, ‘his woman’.”

Archer nodded.

“Jessy told me about the names,” he said.  “Bit of a surprise for me, I must admit.”  He flipped the towel over one shoulder.  “Yes, Tsarsaidor is a dragon and Rogue is his 'woman' but I think only because entities don't recognize marriage in the normal sense."

Wren blinked.  "Right."

“Look...Tsar's bad news, kids,” he warned.  “Whatever you do, don't go making deals with him.”

“Deals?” Nat said.  “What kinda deals?”

“He has a habit of asking you to do simple little things for him, like escort so and so to this place,” Archer explained.  “Trouble is, when you get them there, it's so they can be the sacrifice at a ritual then you have to save the sacrifice and end up pissing off some demon.”

“Sounds like a fun Friday night to me,” Wren said dryly.

“Real demon?” Nat’s eyes lit up.

“Slavering, virgin eating demon . . . yup.”

Wren eyed Nat pointedly.  “Anyone makes a comment as to whether I am or am not safe and I'll punch you.”

Ghost Archer eyed her for a moment then as if deciding something smiled slightly.  Nat caught the look and scowled.

“I heard . . . Death Maiden was a demon,” Nat said hurriedly.

 “Half demon, half human,” Archer said with a shrug.  “I think you are both safe from Dee,” he said.  “She rarely eats a student.”  Then he added, “However . . . the bike might find either of you yummy.”

“Bike?” Nat was puzzled.

“Her motorcycle's a full demon but I will not allow it in the valley,” Archer said.

“Why?” Nat asked.

“Everith,” Archer replied.  “I am afraid it might find her too . . . delicious to resist.”

“Ms. Angeles?” Nat frowned.  He really liked the music and dance teacher.

Ghost Archer nodded.

“Angel,” Wren said.  “If the rumors are true.”

“Not a rumor,” Archer confirmed.  “But . . . more like 'fallen' angel.”

Wren nodded.  "Makes more sense," she said.  “If it had any sense to make at all.”

Nat looked at Wren.   "You know what that means?"

“One would assume it means that she is an angel that is no longer working for God, or Gods anymore,” she said.

Slowly Nat shook his head.  “No . . . it means there IS a God!" he said.

“And Hell,” Archer added.

“Or Gods,” Wren suggested.

“I have never seen a manifestation of God, not the all powerful one God . . . but I have met more than a few of what people have called gods,” Archer told them.  Wren gave him a knowing nod.  The bowman pointed across the expanse of forest to the white tree.  “That is the home of one of the most power beings in the Universe. . ." He smiled slightly, “and his 'woman'."

“Must be quite a lady,” Wren suggested.

Archer’s smile was a combination of emotions, dreamy, fondness and a little worry.  “She is one in trillions."  He said.  “And if he ever hurts her, I'll have to try very hard to kill him.”

Wren looked quite amused then tucked a black curl behind her ear as if to divert herself from comment.

“The tree is the new tale of the Forest, this valley,” Archer said.  “It starts with Raven and me and our children. Now I guess it adds each of you.  I wonder what that will mean in the future.”

“Encouraging,” Wren said, dipping her toe into the iced water.  She pulled back swiftly.

“Nick talked about children . . .” Nat said, ready to catch Wren.

Ghost Archer nodded.  "Yes, your children will be recorded there, and theirs and so on.”

“Has your Nick never heard of not leaving a paper trail?” Wren suggested dryly.

Nat glanced at Wren, remembering Nick's choice of where to put his hand when he spoke of children.

“He isn't the one doing it,” Archer told them.  “The tree is.”

Wren gave him a blank stare.

“Thank you for easing my fears.  It's not the tricky dragon; it's the tree that thinks for itself.  Much better,” she said sarcastically.

Archer smiled.

“I think you are in for a lot more than a thinking tree,” he said.

“This is like a very bad Tolkien remake,” Wren said.

“I don't remember thinking tree in Tolkien . . .” Nat thought about it a second.  “Well . . . Ents.”

“Ent's aren't actually trees,” Archer said.

Wren stared up at the two men.  "Should I leave you two alone?"

Archer grinned.  “I think I'll leave YOU two alone, might be more interesting.” He turned and sauntered toward the manor.

“That man is infuriating in a very subtle way,” Wren growled.   “And yes, I'm sure you can hear me, sir!”

Ghost Archer didn’t turn but disappeared inside the building.

“What's so infuriating?” Nat asked her.

“It's probably not him,” she admitted. “It’s probably just me being put into a position that I don't understand.”

“You like knowing what's going on all the time?”

“Yes,” she said firmly.  “I'm used to it.”

Nat flipped the towel Wren had given him out over the chaise then offered her his dry towel.

“Not sure if you wanna go in, right now,” he said, looking at the huge chunks of ice.

“No.  It's somewhat cold,” she admitted.  “I'd rather not come down with hypothermia.”

“There's an indoor pool over in the manor,” Nat suggested.  “Brit told me about it. Wanna give it a try?”

“Well, it's not like I have to work on my tan,” she replied.  “Care to lead on?”

               Nat grinned.  “K,” he said and started for the far side of the manor.

               Wren’s long legs made it easier for him to match his pace to hers without having to stutter step or skip now and then.

               “She said it’s through the atrium next to the sables,” he said.

“Haven't been to those yet,” Wren told him.

 “Think they have real horses or danger room horses?” Nat said with a grin.

“Probably both,” she said.

“Guess you ride,” he said.

“One cannot go to snooty schools without learning the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork, how to play polo and how to ride a horse,” she said coolly.

Nat grinned.  “Salad fork?  Dinner fork?  I just use a spork!"

He was gratified when she ALMOST smiled.

As they rounded the corner and earthy smell of horses and manure scented the air but the row of stall doors were closed.  At the opposite end of the sable they could see a glassed-in wall and a sliding door.  Nat pulled it open for Wren and a wave of warm, moist air tumbled out over them.

Nat gasped as he stepped inside, his mouth hanging open.   "Holy sh . . ."  He gulped down his words and stared at the myriad of flowers.  “Wow . . . “ he whispered.

Beside him, Wren too stared open mouthed at the riot of lush growth that crowded the narrow pathway through the middle of the area.  Every possible color of flower, and some seemingly impossible, filled the room from ground level to ten meter glass ceiling, a feast for the eye.

Both young people stood in awe then the fragrances began to seep into their senses.  Nothing either had ever experienced before came even close to the amazing aromas that melded into a perfume that made them lightheaded.

One bloom, the colors of a sunset over the ocean caught Nat’s eye and gently he plucked it leaving a three inch stem.  He turned to Wren and very carefully slipped it behind her ear.  This time, she held nothing back from the smile.

“You're making this a habit, Nathaniel," she said, tilting her head to his hand.

“Habit?” He frowned.

“Flower giving,” she gently reminded him.

He blushed, remembering the bloom on the way to the white tree.

“Umm . . . I just . . .its . . ." he stammered.

“It's fine,” she said.  “Just remind me to get a flower for your shirt next time it has a collar.”

Nat nodded solemnly.

“Now, do I get to go swimming, or no?” she smiled at his blush.

“Umm . . . I think it's this way,” he pointed down a path in the greenery.

They hadn’t covered more than a few steps when a gently rain began to fall.  Both looked up and realized the shower originate in the clouds trapped inside the room.

“This is . . . odd,” Wren said.

“In this place?” Nat grinned.  “I don't think so.”

               Nat put his hand out, stopping her.  He reached up and pulled down a gigantic elephant ear leaf to cover her.  She looked up at him and smiled.

               “Thank you,” she said.

               “I guess you’re out of luck when it comes to a dry towel,” he said, noting the towel she carried spotted with water drops.

               “Have to run and air dry,” she said.  “Or you know, go up to my room and get a towel.”

               “Air dry . . .” Nat peeked from under the leaf.  The brief shower had ended.

“All done?” Wren said.

“I think so.”

Nat released the elephant ear over Wren only to shower them both with the water that had pooled on the leaf.

“Oops . . . “

Wren laughed as the water doused them.  She shook her hair, black curls bouncing, and sprayed Nat.

“So much for dry jeans, too!” she said, her eyes alight with amusement.

“Sorry,” Nat said.  “Maybe we need to get out of here before it snows or something.”

At the far end of the path they found another glass wall and doors that opened into a classic Greek bath with a full 50 meter pool.  The ceiling over the middle of the pool was open to the sky through an almost invisible glass ceiling.  Nat slid the door open and they stepped into cooler, dryer atmosphere.

“Lovely,” Wren whispered.  They stood together taking in the opulence.  “Think its dive safe?”

“I think the three meter board makes it a safe bet,” Nat grinned.

Wren, breaking all rules, tossed her towel at Nat took a running leap and cleaved the water like an arrow.  Nat caught the towel in the face and pulled it down in time to see her hit the water.  Flipping the towel over a chaise, he spread his own on the one next to hers.

Wren broke the surface and pushed her hair back with both hands.  “Water’s fine!” she called.

Nat smiled at her.  “Umm . . . jeans?”

“They were already wet.”

She sank a few times then came up with the garment wadded into a ball.   Wren tossed it and it landed with a sopping squelch at Nat’s feet.  With a huge grin, Nat leaped high into the air, almost hitting the glass ceiling, and curled up into a cannonball.  Wren managed to keep from drowning in the ensuing tidal wave by blocking most of it with her hands.

Nat leisurely floated to the surface and found himself nose to nose with the flower he’d placed in Wren’s hair.  Cupping it, he offered it to her.  She plucked it from his hand and carefully placed it on the edge of the pool.  She kicked away from the wall and drifted back to Nat.

“You spend much time swimming?” Nat was treading water a half meter away.

“A fair amount,” she admitted.  “Less stress on tired muscles.”

“Keeps you in shape too,” Nat grinned.  "’Course, I'm more used to the ocean.  Hey . . . you see who froze the other pool?”

“I assume it was Mr. Hawkins.”

“Why would he do that?” Nat said with a scowl.

“He's a lunatic,” she said flatly.  “I think there's something in the water.”

Nat frowned.  “Who else is acting weird?"  He sank slowly until only his eyes and the top of his head were above the water.

“I'd say but I'm afraid of what I might find in my bed.”

Wren could see his grin under the water.

“Scary creature wise, of course,” she said to clarify.

Nat came up.  “Oh . . . “  He sank back with a glint of humor in his eyes.

“Mind out of the gutter, Nathaniel,” she warned. 

He slipped under like a crocodile and sank to the bottom.  Pushing off, he rose to just below her feet and circled.

Wren peered down through the refraction of the water, one eyebrow raised.  “What ARE you doing?”

In answer, he stopped directly below her, his feet touching the bottom.  With his hands as platforms, he grabbed her feet and heaved.  She let out a shriek on the way up but twisted as she reached apogee and entered the water with hardly a splash.

Nat was waiting for her and waved, grinning.   She glared at him and he waited for it to turn to a smile.  Instead, she kicked for the surface.  He blinks and popped to the surface.

“Sorry . . .” he began.

Wren lifted a hand and Nat shot out of the pool, stopping a good six meters up .  She had to stifle a giggle at the look of surprised on his face.

“Not a problem,” she said sweetly. 

Though her hand came down, Nat remained suspended over the pool.   Experimentally, he struggled but quickly realized it was hopeless.  He frowned then smiled.

“How long can you hold me up here?” he asked, propping his chin on his fist.

“Long as I want,” she said, holding back a smile.  “Unless something distracts me, anyway.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“Like I'm going to give you ideas, dear,” Wren said sweetly.

Though the word ‘dear’ made him pause, he continued.  “Can we try something?”

“Maybe . . .” she said suspiciously.

“Please . . .” he wheedled.

Wren lifted herself up to the edge of the pool.  For a moment, Nat forgot what he was thinking about as he watched the muscles of her body ripple under the black one piece.  She turned and sat with her feet dangling in the water.

“Try and convince me." She said.

He came out of his contemplations.

“I was thinking . . .” he said.  “If YOU make something weightless . . . and I throw it . . . how far will it go?”  He squeegeed back his hair, the water raining back into the pool.

Hand gripping the edge of the pool she leaned forward. “One would assume very, very far,” she admitted.

Nat grinned.

“Might be an interesting experiment,” he said.  “How big of a something can you make weightless?”

The subtle lift of her shoulders . . . Nat forced his thoughts back to the idea.

“I haven't experimented all that much,” she admitted.  “But somewhat limited still.”

“Might need to find your limits,” he suggested.

“Obviously,” she said dryly.

“What else can you do?”

Again the slight lift of her shoulders.  “Alter my gravity to do some heavy hitting of my own.”  Wren smirked.  "You have competition."

Nat grinned.  "All 110 pounds of you?"  He fought back a laugh.  “Put some ass in it, Wren!!  Oops . . .”  He covered his mouth.

Wren let him drop suddenly, wrenching him to a stop at the last moment then lifted him back up.”

“You'd be surprised,” she said coolly.

Nat laughed.  “That was fun!”

“I can also stop things in flight.  Bullets.  Missiles.  People, I guess.  Haven't tried too much with people.”  She paused.  “Oh, and a force field, but pretty much everyone has one of those.  It comes with the business.”

“I don't,” he told her.

“Then you may borrow mine,” she offered, leaning back to rest on her elbows so as not to have to crane her neck to see him. 

Her new body position didn’t help Nat’s concentration much at all and he smiled.

"I'm pretty tough, don't worry," he assured her.

“I won’t,” she smiled back.

Nat’s look turned serious.

“You ever had to use your powers on someone?" he asked.  “I mean, other than Genocide?”

“No,” she said.  “Just myself and evil death robots.”

Nat twisted in space and hung upside down.

“Any way out of this that you know of?”

He tried to swim out of it, like the astronauts moving in the weightlessness of space.  Wren bit the inside of her lower lip to hold back a laugh.  He really did look ridiculous.

“Negative,” she said.  “Even if there was I wouldn't tell you.”

“Might help in the future to know,” he said.  “In case you have to put someone else like us in here . . . like a bad guy.  I'd hate for you to find out someone CAN get free . . . heck of a shock.”

“I can defend myself now, Nathaniel,” she said slowly.  “Although I've heard if you ask nicely sometimes I go and get all friendly for a moment and let you back down.”

“Wren?  May I please come down?”  He asked.

“However, I figure that someone that can fly would be able to get down,” she said.  “Obviously.”

With a gesture, she lowered Nat back into the pool where he returned to treading water. 

“Thank you,” he acknowledged.

Wren pulled her feet up out of his reach.  Nat eyed her like she was an interesting new species.

”Can you lift water?”

“Not very well yet,” she said.  “Need practice.”

“Sorry,” he said.

She blinked at him in surprise

“I shouldn't be asking you all this . . .”

“If I minded, Nathaniel,” she chided.  “I would have said something.  It's not like I'm the kind to be polite when it doesn't suit me.”

One corner of her mouth went up and Nat relaxed a little.

“I'm just seeing all these . . . possibilities . . .”

“For what exactly?” she asked.

“It's like . . . something in my head switched on . . .” he said.  “You make 'em weightless . . . I throw 'em . . . You can pick up a huge volume of water and put of a fire . . . I can get YOU out of danger if you make yourself weightless and I throw you . . . Although . . . next time I'm gonna carry something in my pockets.  Then I'll have something to throw at you . . .’

He smiled.

Wren cocked her head.  "I didn't know I irritated you so much that you felt the need to throw things at me."

“Okay,” he said.  “So they'll be marshmallows.”

“I like my hair non-sticky, thanks.”  She shook her head and the reforming curls bounced.

In a few strokes, Nat reached the edge of the pool and pulled himself out to sit beside her, feet still in the water.

Apparently gazing at the pool, Nat watched her out of the corner of his eye.  Turning her head slightly, she gave him the raised eyebrow again.

“I've never actually sat and just talked like this with a girl,” he admitted.

Standing, he scooped up his damp towel.

“Girls are always teasing me about my height,” he scowled.  "Or like Jessy . . ."  He wiped his face then flipped the towel over the chaise and sat down, straddling it.

“I seem to attract male attention,” Wren said softly.  “This isn't quite abnormal for me, although usually by this time they are attempting to figure out how much longer they have to talk before I will let them kiss me.”

“Gawd . . .” Nat fell back on the chaise.  “That's what Jessy's trying with me . . .”

Wren stretched out on her back, hands crossed on her tummy, legs crossed at the ankles.

“It's . . . exhausting,” she admitted.

“Yeah....how do you keep 'em at arm’s length?”

“I'm not as nice as you.

It was Nat’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

"I never thought of you as anything but nice,” he said.  "You're easy to be around, your patient with an elephant in a tutu . . . Okay, so no tutu . . . you don't tease me . . . too much.”  Nat grinned.  “And so far, I can take it.”

Wren smiled a little, eyes closed.  "You're very kind."

Nat shrugged.  "Just me . . ."

“Besides, I enjoy your company,” she said.  “I am generally a better person to those who I like.”

“Yeah, you're the only girl I've ever been around that I feel comfortable with.”  He paused for a moment.  “Sorry about the throw thing . . . I guess I was just showing off . . . but all the girls at the beach like me to toss them like that.”

“Try not to mistake me for ‘all the girls at the beach’ ever again, please,” she said without looking at him.

“Sorry . . . I won't ever do it again,” he assured her.

“Then we're good.”