Working Title: Vineyard

Genre: Romance

Pairings: Matt x Natalie

Rating: T

Warnings: Language, mentions of torture, light sexual themes (thanks, Lance)

"So I kind of want to buy this vineyard I saw," Matt announced one night as the team sat around the campfire.

The other three fell silent at that proclamation and gaped at the swordsman. Matt didn't seem to notice the stares, his own eyes fixed on his hands polishing Heaven's Gate.

"And... why would you want to buy a vineyard?" Lance finally asked.

"Because I want to make wine, duh."

"Do you even know how to make wine?" Anna asked skeptically. "I mean, it's not like you just smash the grapes and, voila, you have wine. It's a complicated process and takes a long time."

"Of course I know how to make wine," Matt scoffed. "I grew up on a vineyard-meadery combination. We made lots of alcoholic drinks. I didn't just suddenly decide wine-making sounded like a neat hobby, you know—I put some thought into it."

"You wouldn't be able to travel as much anymore, you know," Natalie cautioned. "You'd effectively become the head of a large-scale operation. You'd have to manage supplies, wages, upkeep, shipping, and a lot of other things. You'd need people to supply to, investors to buy the land and equipment, workers... There's a lot that goes into running a vineyard."

"If you guys don't want me to, then just say so and don't take a roundabout route of saying I'm impulse buying," Matt huffed as he tossed his cleaning cloth onto the pile of supplies beside him.

The others drew up short at that. Matt wasn't really all that stupid, and they knew it. He could be impulsive, rash, and simple, but not normally stupid. And clearly he was getting irritated at their subtle suggestions that he was being ridiculous.

"Hey, if you want to buy a vineyard, then buy a vineyard. We just want to be sure you've considered all the complications," Anna soothed. "It's a big responsibility, after all, and an expensive one."

"Do you think I can do it?" Matt asked as he looked up at them. "I mean, obviously starting up could be challenging, but once it's running smoothly I'd basically have a steady income and an awesome place to relax, and could go back to traveling if I want. And I've put a lot of thought into it, and talked to some people. The bars I usually go to said they'd be happy to carry my wine, and I have a lot of gold saved up from adventuring, plus there's this vineyard that recently went on the market after the owner died and they'll be auctioning it off if no one buys it soon. It'd come with all the equipment, a stock of aged and aging wine, acres of fields, a staff, and a villa. And like I said, I grew up in a vineyard, and I helped with production quite a lot. I want to make wine."

Lance exchanged a look with Natalie and Anna, then shrugged. "Well it certainly sounds like you've thought it through. If it's in your budget, then go for it, man."

"I kinda want to check out the vineyard first, though," Matt said with a bright smile. "I mean, I don't want to buy a place that's falling apart, and the previous owner was pretty old when he died. I have no idea what the upkeep was like."

"Good plan. We can start heading that way tomorrow," Natalie agreed with a wistful smile.

It was sad to think their time adventuring together was coming to a close. There hadn't been any warning that Matt was tired or bored of traveling and fighting, but he must be if he was looking at other things to do, and he looked really excited to start a new chapter in his life. She just wished his new chapter didn't require the ending of the team as they knew it. Not that what she wanted meant much. Matt did what he wanted, and had never looked at her the way she'd always longed for; he likely never would, either. Maybe it was a good thing they would be spending a lot of time apart—she could try to put her crush on him aside and let someone new in. And it wasn't like Lance and Anna were both going to quit traveling right away, anyway, so they'd still need a healer with them.

"Well, we should get some sleep, then," Natalie sighed as she stood up. "I imagine it'll be a long hike tomorrow. Goodnight, guys."

"'Night, Natz," Matt replied with a bright, if distracted smile. His eyes were looking out towards the east in the direction of the hopefully soon-to-be-his vineyard.

As she climbed into their tent, Natalie tried not to let his obvious enthusiasm hurt.

A week later and they crested a lush hill—the last blocking their view of the vineyard—and the four's breath caught in amazement at the sight that stretched out below. Hills upon hills of lush grapevines stretched out before them, climbing up the incline of a dead volcano. Irrigation streams crisscrossed the field, stretching from a wide river, and workers could be seen here and there picking weeds and checking vines. A mill sat beside the river with a wheel slowly turning in the water, though whether it was to pump drinking water from a well, or to provide an easier way to crush grapes, they weren't sure. Halfway up the slope, on a small hill of its own, was a lovely villa with an orange stone shingled roof, multiple floors, and a tidy yard. A stables sat below it with a connected pasture where a few horses grazed. Dirt tracks led from a large warehouse, where they assumed the entrance to the wine cellar was located, leading down to a well-worn cobbled road.

Lance whistled, "Not bad. Looks like nothing is in particularly bad repair, either—at least at this distance. We allowed to go closer?"

"Yeah, as long as we don't damage, steal, or disrupt anything," Matt confirmed as he started down the slope. His head twisted and turned as he looked around and took everything in. "It's a little bigger than I'd expected, but smaller than my parents' vineyard. I don't see a worker's lodge, though. I doubt they live elsewhere, so do they live in the house?"

"Maybe, or maybe there are bunks in the barn thing," Anna suggested. She took a deep breath with a smile and added, "The air is so clean, and the temperature is really nice for so late in the fall. I really like it. Is the harvest done for the year at this time?"

"I think so. Everything should have been pressed, distilled, and stored by now," Matt agreed. I don't smell any grapes, anyway."

He paused to inspect the first vine grate they came across, and nodded approvingly at the stainless steel cords and sturdy posts supporting the vines. The plants were healthy, and bare of fruit. A number had been chiseled into the post, marking the row as 45E, and he assumed that meant it was the forty-fifth row of the eastern field.

They moved on, looking around at the state of the fields and plants, as well as the irrigation system. Everything looked more or less okay, though they spied some posts that could stand to see some repairs. The warehouse barn obviously needed a new roof, but the walls were sturdy and well-maintained. Inside was a boiler and some massive vats for grape juice, along with some bunks for the workers, as Anna had guessed. Matt frowned at that, and made a mental note to look into building proper living quarters for the workers if he bought the vineyard. Healthy and happy workers were essential to success, after all.

The villa was also in good shape, though upon closer inspection, the yard needed quite a bit of help. A passing worker told them that the late owner's wife had managed the gardens and yard work until she'd passed a year or two before, and the owner had never bothered to hire a gardener. Someone came by once every week or so to trim the grass, but that was it. They were then directed to a small side house, where the butler for the villa lived, to get the keys inside and a simple tour and explanation of the history.

The man who greeted them was older with a receding hairline of graying black hair and a pair of glasses, but he seemed fit and friendly as he showed them the villa. The entry hall was open and decorated with wood furniture that came with the house, and solid stone floors. The windows on either side of the door let in plenty of light, and the ceiling was high, giving a very open and airy feel to the space. A sitting room was off to one side and the dining room was off to the other, with a kitchen past that. Upstairs had three guest bedrooms, though one had been converted into a study of sorts, while the master bedroom, strangely, was on the first floor past the sitting room. The reason for that became quickly apparent as there was an attached patio outside a sliding door with a personal, natural hot spring. A fire pit was set up for sitting beside or grilling on, and there was a hammock set in the shade of two trees.

"The volcano is no longer active, but the area is still rich with minerals and springs," the butler explained as he watched the four explore the space. "The soil is excellent for growing grapes, and rain always washes down more nutrients from the mountain."

"I'd buy this place just for the spring," Lance joked. "I mean, damn, that's luxury. Good for your health, too."

"Never took you for one to like soaking," Anna teased as she knelt beside the steaming water to dip her hand into it. "Mm, it feels really nice, though."

"A non-private spring can be located beyond the fence here, for any guests and visitors to use," the butler added smoothly. "The late master spared no expense for entertainment in his younger years."

"How'd he die, if you don't mind my asking?" Matt wondered. "Was it just old age?"

"Partially, yes. He also simply wasn't the same after the loss of his wife. They'd been married for over forty years, half of which were spent here. Alas, they were never blessed with children, and so there is no one to inherit this lovely property."

"How's the state of the equipment?" Matt asked. "It looked good from what I saw, but is anything due for replacement soon?"

"The distiller may need new piping in the next few years, and the mill could use some reinforcement on the spokes. Other than that, the workers will need replacement tools before too much longer—shears, trowels, rakes, buckets, and the like. The largest expense, to my knowledge, will be that the north field will require replanting this coming spring. It has been on lay back for a few years to allow the soil to recover, and the west field will need uprooting and tiling. Temporary workers will need to be hired, and it may perhaps require the purchase of plows and steers, if you do not wish to rent them."

"Not too bad," Matt mused thoughtfully. "The barn roof will need repairs, too. Which reminds me: do all the workers stay there at night?"

"There, and in the shadows of some of the walls," the butler agreed stiffly. "The late master was never too concerned with the health of his staff, gods bless his soul—less so after the loss of his wife."

"Well that would need to change if I buy this place," Matt muttered with a furrowed brow. "Building large enough of quarters would be expensive, though. Not sure I have the gold for that and buying the property..."

"I can give you some," Lance offered mildly. "And I can scrounge up some supplies and tools, too. It's not like I'm hurting for cash, either, after all."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Matt agreed with a grin. "So who do we talk to to buy the place?"

"Half a day's walk south and you'll come across a small town. The deed is being held by the local lord. You're the first to show such interest in purchasing the land and I do look forwards to serving you, should you do so, sir," the butler replied with a low bow.

Outside, the four headed south, pausing at the last foothill to look back at the vineyard.

"You getting it?" Lance asked with his arms crossed.

"I think so, yeah," Matt confirmed with a bright smile. He turned to the others with a reluctantly-questioning look and asked, "How long will you guys be sticking around? I won't be offended if you want to part ways now."

"Well I won't be going until after the workers' quarters goes up," Lance replied with a shake of his head. "I want to be sure they do a proper job with my gold. Once that's done, I'll decide where I'm heading next."

"I'll be heading back to Greenwood for a little while after you get the deed and ownership," Anna decided slowly. "We've had a bit of a drought this summer, and I need to figure out and buy whatever provisions we'll need for the winter."

Natalie hesitated for a long moment, chewing on her lower lip as she distantly stared up at the villa. "I don't know, just yet. I need to think about it. Maybe by the time we reach town I'll have some idea."

Matt looked like he wanted to say something, but he clearly changed his mind and nodded. "Alright, let's go, then."

Three hours later saw three of them sitting on a bench outside an office in the Census office. Matt was meeting with the local lord's real estate manager, discussing the purchase of the vineyard, and haggling the price. Anna was writing a list of food she needed to buy, while Lance was writing one of possible contacts to build the workers' lodge. Natalie was staring out the window at the passing clouds with a frown on her face, trying to come up with something to do with her life now that the team was breaking up.

Then the door opened and Matt stepped out with a bright smile of pride, followed by a stooped elderly man. The swordsman shook hands with the man and exchanged farewells and promises to supply some wine to the local serving houses as soon as he could. He then grinned at his friends with a thumbs up.

"It's mine, now," Matt all but crowed. "It was cheaper than I was expecting, too. Apparently, no one's shown much interest in it, and they were planning to sell it cheap at auction."

"I must admit, I hadn't expected anyone to come make an offer, much less pay the entire sum in hard cash," the manager noted in a reedy voice. "I hope you can repay your debtors."

Matt's face flickered with confusion. "Debtors?"

"The men you borrowed that gold from? I imagine they are just as anxious for you to get started producing wine as the rest of town."

Matt hesitated and glanced at Lance, who looked immensely amused. "What is this... borrowing gold thing he's talking about? Do people just give gold out for free?"

Lance snorted. "No, idiot. A lender, or debtor, agrees to lend gold or resources to someone who doesn't have enough of their own with a signed expectation of repayment on his investment, with a little extra. It's definitely not free, and can be very risky and expensive. I wouldn't recommend doing it, if you can avoid it."

The elder looked stunned. "You mean to tell me you just had all that gold on hand? Do you come from a wealthy family?"

"Uh, kind of? But I got the gold from killing monsters. Lots of monsters," Matt explained. He grinned at the other man's baffled look of shock and waved,

"Anyway, I should get going. Thank you for seeing me so quickly, and I'll get back to you soon! Come on, guys."

Outside Matt cheered. The others looked on fondly as he pumped the air with one fist. It had been awhile since they'd seen him so excited. But he quickly mellowed out when something occurred to him as he looked back over his shoulder at them.

"This is it, huh?" he quietly asked as he turned around. "No more team?"

"Well, not in the former sense, no," Lance agreed calmly. "We'll still be friends and visit and stuff, and I imagine you won't be able to stay still all year round, but it won't be a daily thing for you anymore. You've got a real job, now, Matt, and you'd better do it right or I'm going to lord it over you until you die."

"I'll definitely be by a lot," Anna agreed cheerfully. "I'm interested in how winemaking works, and I'd love to help out once in a while. Plus that hot spring is definitely something I want to try."

Natalie had remained silent up to that point, but she tried for a wan smile when Matt looked to her. "It'll be weird not seeing you everyday. It was all pretty sudden, after all. But I'll visit, too, and you'd better not hide feeling unwell from me. I want to know the instant you need me for anything."

Matt's smile fell a little more. "It'll be weird not seeing all of you, too. I'm probably going to miss you a lot. You'll let me know if you need me for anything too, right? You all will always be my top priority."

Lance cleared his throat. "Let's not do our sappy farewells just yet. After all, none of us are leaving tonight, and I'll be here for a while, still, anyway. We can head back to the- to Matt's villa and spend the night there."

Natalie backed up a step with a shake of her head. "Actually, I'm going to part ways here. They've got a warp crystal, and I can use it to return to the cabal I came from originally. The sooner the better. I want to go study higher magic."

Matt's smile abruptly fell into a disappointed frown. "I just got the place, and you don't even want to spend the night?"

"Yeah, Natz, studying can wait. You have to spend some time in the spring with me," Anna wheedled.

Natalie hesitated, but ultimately shook her head. She knew that if she stayed the night, she'd start coming up with excuses to stay longer come morning. And Matt had already made his choice to start something new. She didn't belong there in a world of wine making she knew nothing about. It was time for her to move on, too. Plus, she had a sneaking suspicion she'd start crying if she tried to do a long farewell.

"Maybe in the winter," Natalie compromised. "See you, guys."

Matt's hand shot out to grasp her wrist as she turned away. "Wait, Natalie, don't go just yet..." he begged.

"Matt, there isn't any reason for me to stay," Natalie refused, gently shaking off his hand. She caved a little under his crushed look, and leaned in to give him a hug. "You'll do great, I know it. You can do anything you set your mind to, after all. Good luck."

Matt couldn't speak past the lump in his throat, and merely nodded mutely as Natalie gave him one last smile, then turned to walk away. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't even brought up the idea of buying a vineyard. For some reason, he'd had it in his head that Natalie would still be there no matter what—that all of them would still be there. The end of the team suddenly seemed too great a price just to pick up a family trade and try something new that he loved. But he'd already paid the price—both of gold and the team.

"She'll be back, Matt," Lance quietly comforted. "She likes you too much to just cut you out of her life entirely."

"Not enough to stick around and celebrate with him, though," Anna muttered with a sour look at Natalie's back as the mage reached the warp crystal in town. In the next instant, Natalie was gone, and Anna shook herself and looked up at Matt. "Well, ready to head to your new home?"

"Y-yeah, I guess so," Matt quietly agreed. "Let's go..."

A few weeks later, Lance and Matt were watching a crew building the foundation for the new workers' lodge. The building was progressing smoothly, orders for new piping had been placed for the distiller, and Anna had set the garden and yard to straights before heading back to Greenwood. Lance had watched as Matt quickly and efficiently took control of the vineyard, and was impressed at his friend's ability; it was easy to see that Matt was familiar with the workings, as he'd said he was. Already the swordsman was coming up with ideas to flavor the wine and enhance its taste. All he really wasn't good at was keeping accurate records for his costs.

"So will you be heading out after this goes up?" Matt suddenly asked.

Lance shrugged, "Maybe. I don't know anything about wine making, so I'm not much use around here. I might stay in the area for a while, though. I bet those mountains have some good stuff in them." He hesitated before glancing at the blond with a considering look. "...Plus, I think you need someone here to track your finances for you until you get a professional. You can't be forgetting to write down your expenses all the time. This place'll go belly up in just a few months if you do that."

"True. You wouldn't mind doing that for awhile?"

"It's not like I've got anything more pressing to do," Lance pointed out. "Anna's helping dig irrigation canals and wells in Greenwood, Natz is off doing gods know what, and you're making wine. I don't have any grand aspirations right now, and any I used to have didn't fly with you."

"Well you have to admit taking over the known world is bad. Besides, you'd hate having to listen to everyone's problems," Matt joked and grinned when Lance laughed. He turned his head to look across the fields of grapes and quietly asked, "Did Anna say if she'd heard from Natalie?"

"No. Not even a letter, last I heard." Lance patted Matt's shoulder when it slumped. "She's fine, Matt."

"I know she's capable and strong, but I still worry about her," Matt mumbled. "And I still don't know why she left so suddenly... Did I make her mad?"

Lance hesitated, having some idea of what had happened, but not wanting to actually say it. Matt's forlorn expression made him cave, however, and he took a deep breath.

"I think, honestly, she didn't want you to quit adventuring," Lance admitted quietly. He shrugged when Matt cast a surprised and confused look at him. "It was really sudden, like she said. You'd probably been mulling over the whole vineyard idea for a long time, but it was barely a week for us, and it changed our lifestyles—a lifestyle Natalie had been doing for the longest of the three of us. I'm not saying you shouldn't have bought the vineyard, or even that you did anything wrong, but it was a shock."

Matt's expression fell. He'd never considered the possibility that he'd uprooted his friends' lives by deciding to quit adventuring. "Why didn't any of you say anything? Why didn't Natalie? I could have waited until I was older, or hired a manager to oversee everything, or something."

"Suppose that last year Natalie had suddenly decided that she was done adventuring in favor of doing dedicated magical study and becoming history's most powerful mage—something that she would be tied up in for the rest of her life, but been happy doing. Would you have tried to stop her?" Lance asked with raised brows. Matt's expression was answer enough, and the gunner nodded. "See? None of us wanted to dissuade you from doing something you'd thought over really well and wanted to do. It would have been selfish and wrong of us to even try. I imagine that Natalie wanted to stop you, but ultimately decided she couldn't ask that of you."

"So she does hate me," Matt mumbled with a stricken expression. He slumped to sit on a pile of lumber and stared at the ground between his feet, missing Lance roll his eyes in exasperation.

"She doesn't hate you, dolt," Lance grunted. "I don't think she could ever hate you. You'll see when she finally stops by. Now come on, and let's go to town to get me some actual ledgers. And we can stop by that tavern for some food, too."

Matt rose to his feet, still looking unconvinced and upset.

"And quit moping."

Lance arched a brow at the scowl he received from the swordsman, and held the sour look until Matt gave up and turned away.

OOOOOO

Bang, bang, bang!

Lance was jolted out of sleep by the loud, obnoxious knocking. He jerked upright with a sharp inhale of surprise, automatically reaching for his gunblade—which wasn't at his side. It only took him a split second to realize he'd fallen asleep at the desk in the office. The knocking continued, and he stood up with a groan, rubbing the back of his sore neck. All the way to the door—all five feet—the knocking continued. By the time he reached the barrier and yanked it open, he was ready to use his bare hands to kill whoever was banging.

All thoughts of anger flew out of his head at the sight that greeted him, however. A pair of Matt's workers were standing outside the villa door. One had been responsible for the knocking, and was carrying a lantern that glowed eerily in the foggy night. The other worker was carrying the unconscious form of Natalie. Without pause, Lance stood back to allow the men inside, already asking questions in a hurried voice.

"Where did you find her? What happened?"

"Just inside the south field, sir," the worker with the lantern replied. "She was already collapsed when we found her. Thought she was a vagabond sleeping in the fields, but she's hurt."

"Bring her here and lay her on the sofa, then go wake Matt and tell him to come see me and that it's important," Lance ordered as he cleared the papers from the day bed in his office.

Once Natalie was set down and the workers off to get Matt, Lance turned his attentions to the mage's wounds. She was in a terrible state: malnourished, dehydrated, and covered in small nicks and wounds. Her red dress was smeared with dirt and had a number of small holes that looked like she'd forced her way through a briar patch. The adventure pouch was gone from her waist, and her staff hadn't been brought in with her, so he assumed it was either still down at the southern field, or gone for good. More alarming than any of those, however, was the fact that she had clearly been being held prisoner at some point. Old, half-healed shackle wounds encircled her wrists, and there were a few wounds on her legs that looked intentional, like someone had broken the bones to keep her from running or moving.

"Why didn't you heal these yourself?" Lance murmured as he carefully felt her waist for suspicious lumps.

Natalie said nothing, and didn't even flinch under his touch, still unconscious. The fabric of her dress was cold, as was her skin, and there were a few raised lines under her dress that told him she had healing wounds. Lance's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed as he tossed a light throw blanket over her, already forming a list of supplies that he would need to care for her. Then the door opened and he glanced over his shoulder to see a bleary-eyed Matt entering.

"Hey, Lance, why'd you..." Matt started to mumbled before cutting off with a sharp inhale. "Natalie! What's wrong with her?!"

"Details later. Right now, you stay here with her while I go gather our medical supplies. And don't expect her to heal everything with magic when she wakes up. She has wounds that are days, even weeks, old, which tells me something is wrong with her mana," Lance briskly stated as he walked out of the room.

Matt gaped after the gunner before turning his eyes to where Natalie was sleeping. After a moment, he moved to carefully sit beside her head and brushed a gentle hand through her bangs to move them off her face. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and lines of exhaustion on her face, even in sleep. Her features were slack, and her chest rose so slowly and shallowly, she almost looked dead—so much so, that Matt found himself checking her pulse to reassure himself that she was still alive, if not okay. A suspicious burning was forming behind his eyes as he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

"I knew I should have checked on you," Matt whispered. "This wouldn't have happened if I'd been there..."

Natalie let out a small noise at his voice, and rolled her face to press against his touch. Matt held his breath as he watched her face scrunch up before her eyes peeled open. For several moments, Natalie blinked up at him without comprehension, clearly blurry-eyed; then her eyes widened and something akin to fear blossomed in them, and she jerked away from him.

"Whoa, Natz, it's just me! It's Matt," Matt soothed, gently pressing her shoulder to keep her lying down when she tried to spring up. The light of panic in her eyes lifted some at the sound of his voice, and he kept talking in an effort to calm her further. "Easy, easy, Natalie. You're safe..."

The mage released out a long breath, and relaxed back into the cushion beneath her. "Matt," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

The swordsman nodded in reply, finally letting go of her shoulder. "You're safe," he repeated. His eyes glanced down at her collar bone, shoulders, and arms; the blanket had been knocked askew in her panic, revealing a number of bruises and cuts. "Safe, but hurt," he amended with a worried frown. "Lance is getting some bandages and stuff. What happened?"

Natalie tensed uneasily, and her eyes slid away from Matt's. "Nothing," she feebly replied.

Both of Matt's eyebrows pulled inwards and his frown deepened. "You know I won't believe that. Who attacked you?"

"It's not important."

"The hell it isn't! You don't come showing up at people's houses in the dead of the night after being missing for months, covered in wounds, and have it be 'nothing,'" Matt snapped.

At that moment, the door reopened, and Lance entered with a large tray of supplies, a basket hooked over one arm, and a bucket of hot water over the other. His eyebrow arched at the glare Matt was giving Natalie, but he was relieved that the mage was awake.

"Lover's spat?" Lance lightly asked with a smirk. As he suspected, both Matt and Natalie flushed and jerked away from each other, their glares moving to him. He arched his other brow at the looks before settling to business. "Anna isn't here, so we'll be treating the wounds," he informed Natalie in a tone that said he wasn't taking no for an answer. "Other than the shackle wounds and superfluous cuts, where are you hurt?"

"Shackle wounds?" Matt echoed in a low, deadly voice. His eyes moved back to Natalie. "Is being a prisoner also nothing?"

"You're not helping, Matt," Lance warned as he saw Natalie flinch. "If you can't control your temper, then go wait outside."

Matt gaped at Lance for having the sheer audacity of even suggesting he go away when Natalie was hurt. But before he could say anything, the mage spoke.

"Maybe you should wait outside, Matt. I don't need two men seeing me topless."

A few moments passed in silence where Matt returned to staring at Natalie in hurt confusion. She hated being in any kind of state of undress around Lance, whereas he had treated her wounds before, but now she wanted him away while Lance tended to her? Or maybe she thought he'd hurt her, too, since he was so mad? The thought caused a flare of guilt to rise up, and he numbly stood to leave the room in silence, shrugging off the comforting hand Lance placed on his shoulder as he passed. He shut the door harder than necessary, and headed outside for some fresh air to clear his thoughts.

Back in the office, Lance was shaking his head as he sorted through the materials he'd set on his desk. Behind him, Natalie was sitting up and silently dressing in an over-sized robe he'd brought for her to wear. Tension was thick in the air, but neither person seemed inclined to break it just yet.

"So what did you not want Matt to see or hear?" Lance finally asked as he turned around with a pair of clean towels.

"Nothing."

"You know I don't buy that, Natalie. I won't tell him, if you don't want me to, but I need to know so we can start treating it. And don't try to feed me some cock and bull story about healing yourself. If you were capable of that, then you wouldn't be in this state."

"There isn't anything specific, really," Natalie insisted, briefly glancing over her shoulder. She turned to face forwards again as Lance moved to sit behind her, and her voice fell, "I just hate seeing him upset, and if he's that worked up about scratches, then he doesn't need to see the full extent. He'll do something stupid—we both know he will—and I don't want him to get hurt."

Lance hummed in a tone that said he was unconvinced, but chose something else to say. "Are your legs okay? Not improperly mended or anything?"

"I didn't have time to finish the surface wounds, but the bones are fine, so no re-breaking or splinting needed."

Lance nodded with a relieved sigh and held out one of the towels for her to take. "Good. Now drop the robe to your waist. You can get the things on the front, I'll handle the back."

Natalie reluctantly shrugged the robe down as instructed, the tie at her waist holding it closed over her legs. Lance would never try or say anything to her about it in a situation as serious as this, she knew, but she still felt awkward to be sitting in front of him, half-naked, even if she knew he wasn't going to be focused on her nudity. Behind her, Lance sucked in a sharp breath, and her shoulders stiffened as she ducked her head a little with her eyes fixed on a shallow cut on her stomach. She began carefully dabbing at the wound with the hot water, and felt Lance start doing the same against the cuts on her back. Even though she'd never seen the wounds for herself, she knew what he was seeing.

Lash marks.

Silence reigned for a long time as the pair worked to clean and disinfect the many wounds. Natalie had moved on to her legs, her skin prickling as Lance reached her lower back. He wouldn't go past the robe-line, but she knew the marks extended further than that—they went all the way down the backs of her thighs.

"Did whoever did this, or anyone else..." Lance started to say before trailing off to gather himself. "Were you raped?"

To his relief, Natalie shook her head.

"No. For once, my body wasn't what they wanted. Not in that sense, anyway. A few of the guards were interested, but nothing serious came of it, and they weren't allowed in my cell."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Lance asked as he picked up the antiseptic cream again to smear it on the cut he'd just cleaned. "Why were you being held prisoner? How did it happen, and where? How long were you trapped? Who did it?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Natalie whispered. "Please, Lance."

Lance didn't reply for a few moments before letting out a long sigh. "Alright, I'll let it go for now, but only if you promise to tell me... or Matt... the whole story soon."

"I promise."

"Good. Are they going to be coming after you since you escaped, or were you let go?"

"Allowed to escape, I think," Natalie slowly replied. "I can't think of any other reason why they would have let my mana loose after so long of complete lock down. I just had access to it one night, and seized the opportunity. I was pretty weak, and healing my legs took almost all of my remaining mana."

"Why's it locked now, then?"

"I ran into some trouble on my way out. Some of the guards were wizards, and they cast a spell on me. I thought it was just a siphon, but it's been over a week since it happened, and I still can't cast. I don't know what to do about it."

Lance listened with a grim frown as Natalie calmly explained as much as she was willing to. The calm, he figured, was more due to shock and relief, than anything else. He couldn't imagine her staying this rational for long if she'd been through something harrowing enough to not want to talk about it. The mana seal was a problem, but, at the moment, he was more concerned about her mental health, and he made a silent note to get a sleeping draught from town in case she started having nightmares. For now, however, they needed to finish tending the wounds.

"Alright, let's get the bandages on and then get you to a proper bed. Think you can manage to eat something before you pass out, or do you want to wait until tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow. I'll have some water now, but I don't know how well food will stay down," Natalie replied.

She raised her arms over her head so that Lance could wind a roll of bandages around her torso, all the way up to her collarbone, and over one shoulder for secureness. His fingers moved over her chest with medical swiftness, obviously not lingering any longer than was necessary to apply the binding. A couple of strips were wrapped around each of her wrists where the shackles had been, and Lance wrapped one around a long gash on her left calf.

"Alright, we'll change those tomorrow at noon," Lance sighed as he stood up to allow Natalie to pull her robe back up and fasten it shut. "I'll swing by town to get you some shirts and pants, and some more medicine."

"Is Anna unavailable?" Natalie asked as she accepted Lance's help in standing up.

The gunner nodded, and guided one of her arms to wrap around his neck for support when she swayed. "Unfortunately. They're doing some renovations at Greenwood, and the warp slime vanished. Anna promised in her last letter that it would come back once things calm down, and that she'd swing by for a visit when it did."

They stepped out into the front hall again, and slowly headed for the stairs. Every step hurt for Natalie, who was really feeling her injuries now that the adrenaline she'd been running on for days had finally left her system.

"What... are they renovating?" Natalie panted as they reached the platform and paused for a rest.

"A new irrigation system and building a cold-food storage. Anna funded it so they could stockpile their meat and crops for winter without being so dependent on the weather and game, or have to smoke and salt everything."

"That's good. I'm glad she took my idea," Natalie murmured as they began their next climb.

"The idea was a good one, and she knew it, even if she was mad at you."

"Mad at me? For what?"

Lance shrugged his opposite shoulder with a wry smile. "Matt's been pretty miserable since you left and never visited. Anna had heard from the rumor mill in Goldenbrick that you were running with a new team, and was mad that you'd, ah, 'completely dumped' our poor swordsman."

Natalie flushed a bright red at the allusion to being Matt's girlfriend. "But Matt and I were never-"

"I know," Lance broke in with a snort. "I still don't understand why not, but I know." He briefly glanced sideways at her before opening a door to a guest room. "How come you never came to visit him? I mean, I know you were imprisoned, but before that? Unless you spent most of the last eleven months in a cell."

It wasn't until Natalie was settled onto the bed and Lance retrieved a pitcher and a glass for water that she refilled and drained three times, that she responded. Her voice was low as she stared down at her lap.

"He never got it," Natalie murmured. She picked at a loose thread in the sheets as she went on in a miserable voice, "Even asking more directly never worked. He just doesn't like me like that. When he decided he wanted to become a vintner, I knew it was over. It was his choice, and I decided I'd respect that. I wanted to get over him, so I stayed away." She let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "Yet here I am, running to him when I have a problem. Gods, I'm pathetic. No wonder he doesn't love me."

Lance leaned down to rest both his hands on her shoulders to give her a light shake. That kind of thinking needed nipping in the bud, and it was time she knew exactly what Matt felt. He and Anna had tried for years to let the pair work it out on their own with no results. Natalie was too shy, and Matt too oblivious to take that next step, and he was sick of waiting for them. And if giving them a harder nudge was what it took to keep Natalie out of the state she was in now, then he'd drug them and shut them in a room together with no clothes until they worked things out.

"You're not pathetic, Natz, and you made the right choice in coming here. And whether you or he sees it or not, he does love you. It's why he gets so mad when he sees you hurt, and it's why he's so miserable when you're gone." He let out a short laugh as he stood back, "And it's why he'll die a virgin if you don't take him to bed. You've got him completely tied up, and he has no clue. I do think you need to give up on hearing 'I love you' from him first, though. It won't happen because he doesn't know what he's feeling, and he's about as thick as a tree when it comes to subtle prods."

Natalie flushed a bright red, even as she stared up at Lance in uncertain disbelief. "I- I don't know if I can..."

"You don't need to do it immediately," Lance cut in when she trailed off. "In fact, it might be better if you got well, first, so he'll calm down. Give him some time to get used to the idea that you're around again, and you'll see that it'll be just a couple of days before he's doing things to try and make you smile. It'll be good to see him grinning again. He doesn't do it nearly as much, anymore."

Natalie's eyes dropped again, and she nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll try," she mumbled.

"You've got him, Natz, now you just need to make sure he knows that you've got him, too." Lance stepped back and gestured to the water on the table beside the bed. "I'll leave that there. My bedroom is the first door on your left in the hall, and Matt's is the double door in the back of the first floor—you know, by the private spring. Don't hesitate to get either of us if you need anything before sunrise."

"Got it. Good night, Lance," Natalie murmured as she laid down and snuggled into the strange but comfortable silk sheets. The gunner was at the door when she softly called, "And Lance? Thank you."

"Anytime," Lance replied with a sly, teasing grin. "After all, I finally got to see you topless."

He shut the door with a laugh, blocking the pillow Natalie chucked at him. Inside, Natalie was huffing with a smile and pink cheeks. It was good to know he hadn't matured that much in the past year. He was still an incorrigible ass, though a caring one and a good friend. In fact, she'd even dare say she'd missed him even if he was a pervert, and it was kind of weird to be getting romantic advice from him. But her musings about Lance and her relationship with Matt could wait until tomorrow, at least. For now, her eyes were already sliding closed unbidden, and she quickly fell asleep.

Outside her door, Lance was quietly talking with Matt, who'd finally come in from a long walk.

"Physically, she's pretty battered, but nothing long term," Lance was informing the swordsman. "It's the mental half of the injuries that I'm worried about. Right now she's pretty stable, but I think that as soon as the rush of realizing she's safe wears off, she'll be uncertain and afraid."

"Did they...?" Matt hesitantly asked.

"No, she said they weren't interested in that from her," Lance assured, guessing what Matt was getting at. "She wouldn't tell me why they were holding her, but no one took her. Still, they beat her up quite badly, so she'll need proper food and rest, and soaking in the hot spring can't hurt. Just make sure she doesn't stay in the water too long, and she'll be fine."

"Any signs of infection?"

"Not in the wounds I saw, and she didn't feel feverish. It's still a little early to rule out developing an infection, of course, but it's less likely to happen now that she's here and getting care."

"...I see. And did she... Is she afraid of me?"

Lance blinked twice in confusion, sure he'd heard that wrong. "What?"

"Is she afraid of me? She didn't want me around since I was mad... Does she think I'll hurt her?"

"What?" Lance repeated in a dumbfounded tone. "She's not afraid of you, and she certainly doesn't think you're going to hurt her. If she thought you were going to do something to her, she wouldn't have come here."

"But what if she didn't think that before, but now she does?" Matt fretted. "What if-"

"You're an idiot," Lance flatly broke in. "I know you won't be reassured until she tells you, but you're only dangerous to your foes. She trusts you to look out for her until she's back on her feet; she just doesn't want you to get upset about something you can't go back and change. No, you can't ask her now: she's gone to sleep. Natz'll still be here in the morning, so try and get some more sleep. We have to replace the spokes in the windmill tomorrow, remember?"

Matt frowned in distress at the way Lance blocked his way to check on Natalie. Ultimately, however, he had to admit that the gunner was right—he normally was. And so, reluctantly, he turned away to head for his room. Lance waited until Matt had gone down the stairs before retiring to his own room, already turning his mind to tomorrow's work—he had to finish tallying accounts, replace the windmill spokes, get medicine and clothes for Natalie, harangue the workers into finishing repairing fences, move the aged wine to the front of the cellar for transport and sale... It was a long list.

"I should demand a salary," Lance muttered as he stripped down before flopping onto his bed. "I've certainly earned it."

But he had to admit that he found all of the details of the vineyard fascinating. Managing numbers, workers, machinery, and output all appealed to his sense of efficiency and innovation. And Matt was an exceptional salesman with a long list of people who anxiously wanted to sell the wine of a hero, and he had a good taste and nose for flavor and aroma.

Before Lance knew it, he was waking up to the sound of birds chirping, and early morning light was filtering between the shades. For a few moments, he simply lay where he was, unwilling to completely give up the warmth and coziness of his bed. Sadly, Natalie needed checking in on, and the day's work wasn't going to get done without him. And so he rolled to sit up with a reluctant groan, stretching his arms over his head, and stood to dig through the closet for some beat up work clothes.

Once out in the hall, he paused when he saw Matt sleeping against the wall across from the guest room Natalie was sleeping in. A loose blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, and he'd clearly spent the night there. Lance rolled his eyes as he quietly stepped past and softly knocked on Natalie's door to alert her before slipping inside.

The mage was just sitting up and looking around the room in sleepy confusion. The robe she'd slept in had slipped off of one slender shoulder, and her hair was a tangled mess, still littered with leaves and twigs.

"Morning. Did you sleep alright?" Lance briskly asked as he stepped around the bed to open the shades and let sunlight in.

Natalie winced, squinting against the sudden light, but nodded with a yawn. "Yes, thanks."

"Just so you know, Matt's fallen asleep in the hall outside your door," Lance sighed. "He'll probably be distracted all day, now. Thanks for that."

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the mage's mouth. "Still as prickly as ever. I'll do my best to keep out from underfoot. I doubt I can even stay upright for very long, anyway."

"Can you manage long enough for a bath?" Lance asked with a pointed glance at her tangled orange hair.

"Probably. If not, then at least I won't be a distraction for very long," Natalie grimly joked as she slid to the edge of the bed.

As he had last night, Lance looped her arm around his neck and his own arm around her waist to guide her out of the room. The mage faltered slightly at the sight of Matt sleeping against the wall, and her eyes softened. He had to have been concerned for her, and she hadn't done anything to reassure him before sending him away. The brush off couldn't have helped, either, she knew, and she walked up to kneel beside him with Lance's help.

A single touch had Matt jolting awake and he sat up straight with a gasp. Then his eyes fell on the sight of Natalie and his expression melted into relief. He couldn't resist pulling her from Lance's grasp to give her a hug.

"Natz! I'm glad you're up. I missed you so much..."

"Easy on the bandages," Natalie warned, though in a tone that wasn't very forceful. She wrapped her own arms around him and tucked her face into his shoulder before murmuring, "I missed you, too."

Matt pulled back a few moments later and took over the job of steadying the mage. A stomach growling that wasn't his own had him glancing at her and asking, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Anything. Everything."

"Well, the table might be a little tough," Lance airily joked. "Maybe if we soften it in the spring..."

"You know what she meant, ass," Matt snorted. "I'll see if Peter is up, yet. Maybe he'll make us his omelette supreme."

Lance swallowed a sudden mouthful of drool and calmly informed Natalie in a tone of upmost seriousness, "You haven't lived until you've had Peter's omelette supreme."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like Matt," Natalie laughed.

"Maybe Matt has had the right idea this entire time," Lance countered with a grin. He turned to head down the stairs, calling back over his shoulder, "I'll go talk to Peter. Matt, help Natalie to the bath. She needs it. Change her bandages while you're there."

Matt spluttered out a protest vaguely about decency, while Natalie made a small sound of protest. It was Natalie's noise that caused Lance to pause, just barely within sight. He glanced over the edge of the stairs at the mage, nodded once in reassurance, then continued on. On the platform, Natalie and Matt stood in awkward silence, refusing to look at each other.

Finally, Matt let out a sigh and started walking forwards, forcing Natalie to follow him. He could feel her reluctance, and barely resisted apologizing. There wasn't any reason to apologize, he told himself. Lance was the one who'd forced the situation on them, and it wasn't like he should be apologizing for her needing help getting to the bath.

For her part, Natalie was anxious. It was bad enough that Lance had seen the signs of abuse—he could be trusted to keep a fairly level head, even if she knew he'd start planning cold-blooded murder. Matt was more emotional; if he thought something was hurting those close to him, he near-immediately lashed out in a violent, deadly way. He'd never hurt his friends, but anyone else? It wouldn't be a pretty scene.

Humid air suddenly hit her skin, and she blinked back to awareness to see that they'd made it to the far side of the bottom floor. Matt's personal hot spring steamed in the otherwise-cool air of the enclosure, and Natalie could already feel her muscles unwinding at the thought of relaxing in it. A table had been set up in the center of the space beside the fire pit along with two chairs, and an awning had been raised over the space to increase the feeling of privacy. Twin racks of fluffy white towels and robes sat beside the sliding door.

"Do you and Lance share the pool?" Natalie asked as Matt lowered her to sit in a chair.

"Sometimes. I mean, we share it, of course, but we're rarely in it at the same time. Usually, one of us is doing something else at the time the other is soaking," Matt replied as he moved to haul a stone stool into the water for Natalie to sit on. His cheeks were slightly colored as he moved out and glanced to the side. "How do you want to do this? Lance says you can't be left alone in there, and Anna's unreachable at the moment."

"I, um- We could..." Natalie stuttered uncertainly, feeling her own blush rise. Finally, she took a deep breath, trying to rein in her embarrassment. "You don't need to be in the water, too, and I can keep the robe on, right?"

"Bandages," Matt reminded quietly. "You'll need help washing the... wounds... and changing the bandages."

Natalie silently cursed at that, wondering how much she could possibly do by herself, and wishing, perhaps for the first time, that it was Lance she was stuck with in this situation, not Matt. "I don't need your help washing my skin. I kept the lower half covered last night, and we can do that today, too," she finally decided stiffly.

Matt winced slightly at her chilly voice, and the way she refused to look at him. "Do you, um, want me to get Lance? I can see you don't trust me here, so..."

It hurt, but it was true, he thought. He wondered how he'd gone so wrong that Natalie, of all people, didn't trust him. A part of him wanted to just go crawl into the corner to die at the thought, but he needed to make sure she was cared for.

"I trust you fine," Natalie refuted, cutting into his thoughts. She could hear the hurt in his voice, and knew she needed to reassure him. "What I don't trust is how you'll react to my injuries. If you can promise to not flip out, then we don't need Lance here. If you can't promise that, then go get Lance."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Matt solemnly swore with a hurt expression. "I wasn't going to last night, either."

Natalie stared at him with baffled, concerned eyes. "Well of course you're not going to hurt me," she slowly said. "Who said that was a problem?"

Matt refused to reply, instead moving to help Natalie into the water. The mage went willingly, and shivered at the extreme temperature shift, but most of her attention was focused on trying to get Matt to meet her eyes. It was only when he had her settled on the low stool, up to her collarbone in heated water, and began pulling away that she dared to grab his wrist. The water had loosened the binding over the wrap on her own wrist, and the bandage slipped off to float in the water.

Matt's shoulders stiffened as he stared at the healing wound marring the smooth skin of her wrist. For a few moments, both were frozen—Natalie with her hand around Matt's arm, and Matt with his eyes trained on her wrist. It wasn't news to the swordsman, but it was his first time seeing the mark, and it was undeniable proof of what had happened to her.

Natalie held her breath as Matt's other hand came up to lightly trace the skin around the shackle wound. The injury would scar without healing magic, she knew—it had already begun to scar. She wondered if the resulting mark damaged her overall beauty—to say nothing of the marks across her back. It was a vain thought, of course, but she'd always known she was beautiful, and she'd liked that part of her. Not that her outward appearance had ever swayed Matt, but she doubted that being scarred would help her case.

"I'm sorry," Matt said in a hushed voice.

The apology startled Natalie and she blinked a few times in confusion before seeing the mournful look in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she refused, drawing her hand away to tuck it out of sight under the water. "You couldn't have known. I know you would have come if you had."

"It wouldn't have happened at all if I hadn't bought the vineyard," Matt muttered. "I would still have been there, and no one would have hurt you."

"If I had been paying attention to where I was walking, it wouldn't have happened to me," Natalie countered. "And if I don't blame myself, then I certainly don't blame you. Now where's the soap and a cloth? I've got about a month of grime I want to wash off, and I'm sure the smell is just as bad as the look."

Matt looked like he wanted to protest, but he took in Natalie's flushing features and knew they needed to hurry up before she had to get out of the water. So he retrieved two cloths and a bar of soap from a nearby cabinet and handed one to Natalie. An awkward clearing of his throat and a nod at the robe on her body was enough to get Natalie to take a deep breath and turn around to begin undoing the robe.

"I don't want to hear anything about the wounds," Natalie flatly said as she fumbled with the knot in the sash. "I'm trying to think of other things, so don't make me talk about them."

"Alright..." Matt warily agreed. He reached out to help unwind the bandages covering her upper body and sucked in a sharp, horrified breath at the sight that was revealed. "Gods..." he noiselessly mouthed to himself as he took in the lines criss-crossing Natalie's shoulders and upper back all the way down into the water.

Most of the marks were almost completely sealed over with scabs and new or scarred skin, but parts had been opened by being pulled from the bandages and from movement. He couldn't understand how Natalie had kept such a neutral mask on; the wounds had to be agonizing, especially to move. Or maybe, his mind darkly considered, maybe she was used to the pain after being exposed to it for so long.

Natalie washed herself in tense silence, feeling the weight of Matt's stare on her back. In an effort to distract herself, she watched as layers of dirt, sweat, and dried blood flaked off her skin to cloud the water. It was heavenly to watch and feel, and she couldn't wait to be clean again. She just hoped the hot spring drained itself, or the water would be disgusting for some time.

A finger suddenly ghosted across her back, to cross her spine and run alongside a scar on her back. Goosebumps erupted on her arms and legs, and she couldn't resist a shiver. The finger was followed by a cloth carefully and gently washing her back, and she relaxed despite herself. Matt said nothing, obviously trying to heed her request to not pry, but she could almost see his glare. Then Natalie jumped as she felt his finger on a different mark, accompanied by an unusual tingling sensation.

"Wh-What are you doing?" she gasped.

"I'm not anywhere near as good as you or Anna, but I figure I can help prevent a few scars," Matt quietly replied. "They aren't deep, for the most part, and I know I can heal surface wounds."

Natalie's eyes widened in surprise before her expression softened even as tears welled in her eyes. "Thanks," she breathed unevenly. "Maybe I can get the rest when my mana is back."

The first tear trickled down her cheek, and she wondered where it had come from. She wasn't upset, after all, and she was safe for the first time in months. A second tear ran from the opposite eye as she felt Matt move on to another mark. And then she was silently crying, unable to hold back her tears.

Matt had just cut off his magic, having healed all he could, when he heard her sniffle, and he stared at the back of her head, feeling at a loss. Her shoulders were shaking now, hunched inwards, and he figured this was the mental break Lance had warned him about. Now he could only hope that he was enough to keep her together, or at least hold on to the pieces until she could put herself back together again. Hopefully, he was up to the challenge.

Natalie felt a pair of arms come around her shoulders to link together just above her chest. The stool vanished from underneath her in favor of her being settled into Matt's lap as he held her in the hot water. He was still wearing his clothes, she distantly noted as she felt fabric slide past her skin and saw blurry black below her chin. A cheek settled against her hair, and she inanely remembered that they hadn't washed her hair, yet. Not that it seemed to be bothering Matt at all as he silently rocked her back and forth, calming the sobs that began to shake her body.

"I- I'm s-sorry," Natalie whimpered after a few minutes in the gentle hold. "D-Don't know what c-came o-over me..."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Matt quietly replied. "It just finally hit that it's over, I'm sure. And it is over. You're safe now, and I'll be sure to keep you that way, alright?"

"A-Alright," Natalie agreed as she brought a hand out of the water to rub over her cheeks, trying to remove the tears on them.

"Now, I think you've been in here too long, so let's sit you up on the side, and I'll get your hair for you," Matt went on, already shifting to boost Natalie out of the water.

He kept his eyes off to the side as he set her down on a smooth stone with her legs still in the water and the soaked, loosened robe around her hips. Then he splashed out of the spring to retrieve a bucket that was normally filled with ice to keep drinks cold and dipped it in the water to fill it before hauling it over to Natalie. His clothing ran with water, and was most likely ruined, but he didn't seem to care as he told Natalie to close her eyes and sluiced water over her hair to thoroughly wet it. Calloused fingers began rubbing through the matted tresses, working some kind of herbal-smelling soap all the way down to her scalp.

"It'll kill any bugs," Matt quietly explained as he worked. "Lance got fleas up in the mountains, if you can believe it, and one of the workers recommended this stuff. I don't know if you've got any kind of bugs, but they won't be there after this—the soap is really effective."

"I don't think I do, but it'll be good to be sure," Natalie mumbled, her eyes shut as she enjoyed the swordsman's fingers kneading her scalp.

Another bucket of water washed over her, and Matt renewed his efforts with more shampoo, this time more concerned with cleaning than lathering. He hummed quietly as he worked, trying to distract Natalie from the pulling as he began trying to detangle her hair. Large clumps of loose, dead hair was washed out along with brown tinted water, stained from sweat, blood, dirt, and a few leaves. There were no wounds on her head that he felt or saw, and he began to feel like he was finally making progress in straightening it.

"Feeling okay?" Matt asked after a few minutes of silence apart from splashing and humming.

"Mmhmm," Natalie hummed. Her voice was lazy and sleepy sounding as she added, "It doesn't itch so much anymore. And it feels really nice... like a massage."

Matt smiled slightly at that. "I didn't know you liked having your head rubbed."

"I think most people do," Natalie sighed contently. "Lots of nerve endings up there, you know."

"I'll take your word for it. One more round of soap, and then I think you're good to go. Doesn't even need cutting, I don't think."

By the end, Natalie's hair hung down her back in a long, glistening sheet of deep orange with water dripping off it. It didn't take long to reapply some fresh bandages since everything had been washed, and Matt had healed the remaining open wounds on her back and wrists. Then Natalie was wrapped in one of the fresh robes from the rack and waited with her eyes closed as Matt peeled off his sopping clothes to pull on the other robe. She listened as fabric rustled and wet cloth hit the ground, and couldn't help but feel an urge to peek. She'd seen Matt shirtless plenty of times when he was being treated for a wound or before he went to sleep in a hot environment, but she had always tried not to stare. Still, she couldn't resist slitting her eyes open just slightly to see the blurry form of Matt between her lashes, tossing a white robe around his shoulders before tying it shut.

"Alright, let's go get some food. Assuming Lance hasn't eaten it all."

As it turned out, Lance was waiting just outside Matt's bedroom for them. His eyes scanned Natalie up and down, taking in her clean skin and relaxed expression. Then his gaze moved to Matt, and he inwardly winced at the cold shadow in the normally warm blue eyes. A pointed look from the swordsman said they would be talking later, and he assumed it could only be because of the lash marks across Natalie's back.

"Peter just started cooking now," Lance announced after clearing his throat. "I'm having him make some toast, too, just in case the egg is too much for your stomach, Natz. In the meantime, I've got a shirt and a pair of pants that shouldn't be too big on you. Relatively speaking."

"Lead the way," Natalie sighed, feeling drowsy from the long bath and healing injuries. Still, her back hurt a lot less, and she could acutely feel the difference now that the pain was gone.

Lance seemed to notice her exhaustion as he gestured to follow, and Matt led her to a brightly lit room filled with a variety of plush furniture loosely circling a fireplace. It was a complete bachelor pad, Natalie noted in amusement. Everything was for comfort, nothing matched, and they'd placed most of the furniture up against the walls except what they actually typically used. Despite the unappealing aesthetic, it worked for sitting, and she could appreciate that as she was lowered into an oversized arm chair. She sank back into the cushy surface and watched as Lance slipped off to get the clothes. Matt settled down on a footstool not far away, silently watching her.

OOOOOO

Filtered golden sunlight was what coaxed Natalie awake in the morning and she squinted her eyes open to see her window. The off-white curtains drifted lightly in the morning breeze blowing in from the open window, and the smell of dewy grass and ripening grapes filled her nose. It was cool, but not overly so while under the soft cotton sheets of her bed, and she thought she smelled a hint of rain on the air. Distant voices calling outside told her the workers had already begun their tasks for the day.

Natalie sat up with a yawn and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face before stretching her arms over her head in a languid stretch. A few moments later, and she slid to the edge of her bed to stand and padded to the window to push the curtains back and gaze out at the rolling hills of grapevines, grass, and dirt paths. Mist curled along the ground, golden in the morning sunlight, though she knew it would soon burn away as the day grew warmer. Birds were filling the air with song, insects buzzed in the grass, and the air smelled even better when she opened her window the rest of the way and took a deep breath of it. Everything was so peaceful, she mused with a content sigh as she looked across Matt's land.

Lance was already up and overseeing the loading of a cart with wine caskets to be shipped to the warehouse in town where they would be distributed to several bars. Pairs of workers followed his orders as they carefully rolled heavy caskets of wine out to the cart where Matt waited to heft them up onto it and press a seal onto each one. Once the cart was loaded, the workers dispersed to go help in the fields or with other tasks while Lance and Matt convened beside the cart to talk.

Natalie sat on the windowsill and leaned her head against the frame as she watched the two men clearly plan the next few days of work. Lance's arms waved to indicate something out in the southern field with Matt nodding in agreement before tapping the side of the cart. Whatever they were talking about caused Lance to have to think, Natalie figured, as he rocked back on his heels slightly in thought—a common habit of his when whatever he was thinking about didn't require a snap judgement answer or careful leading. Matt seemed content to wait as he busied himself with binding the wine caskets in place with rope and fabric. Finally, they reached an agreement of some sort, and Lance swung up onto the cart and called a shout to get the team moving.

"Must be in charge of actual delivery," Natalie figured aloud as she idly finger combed her hair.

Her eyes tracked Matt as he strode off and out of sight into the workers' lodging. Not for the first time, she felt a flash of immense pride in him even as she felt regret. The swordsman was doing a phenomenal job at heading the vineyard, and he had a certain bounce to his step that made her think he really enjoyed the work. Lance did, too, if his content behavior and words alongside his endless ideas for improvement were anything to go by. The gunner never invested his energy into something he didn't care for—even his friends' interests could only hold his attention for so long. And even Anna apparently had her own place in the operation as the men's go-to aid for when the soil needed an extra boost, or they had a question about plants and flavors.

"Everyone has a role in this but me," Natalie murmured as she looked across the fields again. "They don't even bother to expect me to get up early and help in some way. Not that I'd be much help for anything here, short of the odd injury or ache. Oh, wait, no, I couldn't even do that."

"You could leave again," a quiet voice suggested in the back of her mind. "You're healed, now, and know better than to get captured again. You haven't seen any of that supposed love Matt has for you, and it's not like Lance is great with emotions. He could easily have been wrong."

Natalie frowned as she moved off the windowsill to actually dress for the day. A simple white blouse with flowing sleeves and a pair of long, gray pants went on in place of the short night gown. She idly straightened the clothing while watching her reflection in the mirror Lance had set up on the vanity for her. Clear blue eyes stared back at her, framed by mussed orange hair. With the scars covered by cloth, she still looked mostly normal, especially since Matt had healed the wounds on her face and neck before they could scar. The long sleeves and pants hid the marks he hadn't been able to fix, and she could almost pretend she hadn't been tortured.

Her frown deepened as she ran a brush through her hair. If her magic was accessible, then she could heal even the deepest, most disfiguring scar. As it was now, she couldn't even heal a paper cut. Not that it mattered at all. Being beautiful was more of a hinderance than a help in her line of work—it was even dangerous if she couldn't defend herself. A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts and she realized she'd been compulsively brushing the same section of hair for the past several minutes.

"It's open," Natalie called, setting her brush down to begin making the bed.

The door opened to allow Matt inside and she briefly smiled a greeting at him as she stretched the sheets flat.

"Good morning," Matt said in a slightly odd voice.

Natalie glanced up in confusion from where she was tucking the top sheet under the mattress. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Matt promised quickly. His cheeks flushed lightly as he added, "Just not used to seeing you with your hair down completely is all. It, um, i-it looks nice."

It was an honest statement. She had worn her hair half braided, half loose before, but never all loose. It was longer than he'd realized, hanging nearly to the small of her back in gentle waves while her bangs were brushed to each side of her face with a few pieces in her eyes. That, paired with the casual loose clothing gave her a very gentle, relaxed look that made his heart thrum happily.

"Oh," Natalie said in a surprised and awkward voice. "Thanks. I just haven't gotten around to tying it up, yet. I... woke late again. Sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Matt refused calmly as he moved to sit on the bench under the second window. "You need rest to recover, I know that. Besides, Lance and I have everything under control here."

"I know," Natalie quietly agreed as she set her pillows in place and smoothed a wrinkle out of the coverlet with one hand. Her head ducked a little as she quietly added, "But I need to feel like I'm useful, which I don't, and I'm not."

Matt hesitated with a hint of upset. He could understand the need to be doing something productive, especially when recovering from something bad. But what could Natalie do with no magic? Designating her the house maid would be demeaning and ultimately boring for her high intelligence. Cooking was already taken care of by Peter, and the manservant hated having anyone in the kitchen with him while he cooked. Errands to town wouldn't do—she still refused to say why she'd been held prisoner, or anything about who had captured her, or why. It wasn't safe to send her out on her own. Then a brilliant idea occurred to him.

"Would you like to come learn about the flavoring and distilling processes?" Matt suggested. "I'm trying to get a second opinion, and Lance's tastes and preferences are too similar to my own."

"Sure, why not?" Natalie agreed with a sigh. "It's not like I'm doing anything else, after all."

And so she spent the day shadowing Matt as he explained about the different parts of the various boilers and distillers, and ideas he'd had for flavors and additions. Natalie had to admit that it was pretty interesting, and she loved being able to taste the new wines. Plus, for a person who pressed wine, Matt loved to make fun of wine snobs, and they spent a good portion of their tastings inventing more and more ridiculous ways to describe how the wine looked, tasted, and smelled.

"Hmm... It has a hint of... pungent bath powder," Natalie mused dramatically as she smacked her lips. "I do believe I detect a slight nose of Lance's socks, too."

"And here I thought we'd fixed the laundry mistake," Matt lamented in a joking tone as he sipped a different glass and made a face. "Yuck, this tastes like how catnip smells." He bent close to peer at the carefully noted card Lance had left detailing number of presses and additives. "Alright, so no more mint effusion in the wine. At least, not this much."

"Or maybe NoLegs would like it? You could expand your market to include animals" Natalie suggested with an amused smile as she tried another glass. After a moment she made a sound of appreciation. "Oo, I like this one. It's got just a little bit of a butter flavor with some apple. Kind of reminds me of wintertime by a fire."

Matt let out a short laugh. "Ha! You're beginning to sound like the real snobs, Natz. But, yeah, Anna suggested we press green apple skins with the grapes, so we did it on a third press just before tossing the rest. Not sure where the butter flavor came from, though."

"Well, I like it," Natalie stated decisively as she siphoned a little more for herself. "I'd buy a skin or three of this in a heartbeat."

Matt leaned against one of the posts supporting the ceiling of the shed and watched Natalie with a smile. A light flush from alcohol was just rising on her cheeks and she looked immensely relaxed and very happy. Of course, he'd have to end happy hour pretty soon, before she actually got drunk. Plus he needed to sharpen some stakes for Lance to use to plot a new wine cellar, and he still had to do a final count of the remaining wine currently aging. By then, Lance should be back, and they could figure out something interesting and useful that Natalie could do. After all, he didn't want her being so unhappy she started thinking about leaving again.

His smile faded some at the mere thought of going back to not having Natalie in his life. Realistically, everything had been 'fine' for him the first time. Fine, but not. He'd been anxious, sad, and inexplicably tired. Plus, Natalie had been being tortured. So, really, things hadn't been 'fine'.

"Matt? You okay?" Natalie suddenly asked.

He blinked in surprise to see her standing right in front of him with a worried frown. Somehow, he'd managed to miss the fact that she'd moved and that she had the back of her hand on his forehead to check for a fever. Her eyes glittered with concern and he held his breath at how close she was—close enough that he could see the light green surrounding her pupils that shifted to a clear and beautiful blue. Before he knew what he was really thinking or doing, he leaned down a little bit and pressed his mouth to hers.

Natalie froze at the sudden kiss and her heart skipped three beats before beginning to race. The hand she'd had on his forehead made it's way past his cheek and down to clench in his shirt. There was a stilted newness in both their motions as she tilted her head slightly for better contact, and Matt's fingers barely brushed against her back as he held her. It was as though he thought too tight of a grasp would hurt her.

In reality, he wanted to leave an easy escape for her, just in case this wasn't something she wanted. Hell, until that moment, he hadn't even realized that this was what he'd wanted. Warmth prickled his cheeks and he let out a soft sigh through his nose when Natalie pressed a little closer, and his arms held her a little tighter.

Then the door to the shed opened and they sprang apart with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, staring at each other and then at the newcomer. Lance stood frozen in the doorway with a crate in his hands and wide eyes of his own, clearly having not expected them to be there, and certainly not kissing. They all stared at each other for a few moments, frozen in surprise and embarrassment. Then, with a slight cough, Lance awkwardly backed out the door again and nudged it shut with his foot, all without a single word from any of them.

Natalie didn't think her face could get any hotter as she stared at her feet with her heart still beating a little too fast. Matt was unnervingly silent beside her, though she could just see his fingers twisting the hem of his shirt out of the corner of her eye. The nervous habit caused her to both smile and feel a little worse.

"I, um..." she mumbled before blowing out a shaky sigh. "Thanks for the wine?"

"You're... welcome?" Matt haltingly replied. His eyes were darting to Natalie's face and away again—specifically to her lips. "Thanks for the kiss? I... I didn't realize... Um, I mean..."

"I liked it," Natalie interrupted in a whisper. She still didn't raise her head as she added in a small voice. "It wasn't just the wine talking, right? I- I've wanted you to kiss me for years, so if it was just the wine..."

Matt's face slowly brightened into a brilliant smile, but his motions were still hesitant as he reached out to tilt her head up with two fingers on her chin. There was a painful amount of uncertainty in her eyes and her cheeks were bright red. He couldn't resist bending down for another kiss and his head spun at the sweetness of it.

"If this is the wine talking, then I never want anything else ever again," he murmured as he pulled back. He smiled sheepishly as he added, "Well, anything else except you."

Natalie snorted out a laugh even as her heart thudded. "That was corny."

"Did it work?" Matt asked with a widening smile.

Another laugh from Natalie followed by her tugging on his shirt to pull him down for a third kiss was answer enough. Her eyes were positively shining and her lips slightly swollen when they parted again. "What about bacon and beer?"

"Hmm, wine, beer, bacon, swords..." Matt began listing with a twinkle in his eyes. "I guess we'll just have to cram you in there with the rest of the stuff I love."

Natalie's eyes widened at the undeniable confession. For a few moments, all she could do was stare at him in silence. "Love?" she finally squeaked.

Worry sparked in Matt's features. "Is it too early for that?"

"No, no, no!" Natalie hurriedly replied with a shake of her head. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed, mostly to herself, "Love... I can't believe it..."

They stood there in silence for a long time before Natalie stood back.

OOOOOO

"Matt isn't in right now, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind you waiting until he gets back," Natalie told the couple outside the door.

She stood back to let them in, and shut the door behind them before leading them to the sitting room. Once they were settled, she trotted off to get them some drinks and a tray of fruit slices, crackers, and cheese. When she came back, the pair were studying the fields out the windows with critical expressions. They didn't turn when Natalie cleared her throat.

"So, um, how do you know Matt again?" Natalie asked as she set the snacks down.

The man was the one who replied, tucking his hands into his pockets. "He's our son. When we heard he'd finally quit being a child to continue the family business, we came to see what kind of disaster he was running."

Natalie twitched slightly at the blatant insults. "Excuse you, but he is doing a phenomenal job."

"Who are you, his mistress?" the woman, Matt's mother, asked with distaste. Her expression was snide when she turned and ran her eyes up and down Natalie with judging expression.

Natalie flushed from embarrassment and anger at the implication, and she regretted ever letting the couple inside. "I'm his girlfriend, not his mistress," she coldly replied, "and I don't think he would approve of the title. In fact, I think it would be better if you were to go to town and purchase a room until he returns."

The pair ignored her, instead strolling past to head for the back door. Their voices drifted back to where Natalie stood stiff with fury.

"Come, dear, let's inspect the facilities in this branch."

As soon as the door was shut, Natalie flipped her middle finger at them out the window, and flopped on the sofa to eat some of the ignored snacks. Their behavior was beyond unacceptable, and she couldn't believe Matt had grown up their son. He acted nothing like them. Spitefully, she hoped they fell in a muddy hole before he got back.

Four hours later, and she'd holed herself up in the distillery, unable to rightfully throw Matt's parents out of his house when they'd returned with snide remarks about him, her, their relationship, the size and productivity of the vineyard... On and on. The only silver lining was that Lance and Matt were the only ones with keys to the storage facilities where the aging wine was and where the pressers were, so she'd been able to tell them that, no, they were not welcome to see the stores. A few of the workers had approached her, all but begging her to send the guests away. She'd apologized and told them she'd speak with Matt.

"There you are, Natz."

Natalie looked up from where she'd been drawing aimlessly in the dust on a wooden table. Matt was standing in the door, smiling widely at her. Already, she felt tension leak out of her body at his beaming smile, and she stood up to give him a hug. He smelled faintly of sweat, from working in the hot autumn weather, but he was dry to the touch and energetic enough to lift her off her feet a little ways before letting go and standing back.

"What're you doing holed up in here?" Matt asked as he looped his arm around her waist to guide her out of the dusty shed.

"Avoiding your parents," Natalie muttered bitterly.

Matt stiffened at that and his arm dropped off her waist in shock. "My parents? They're here?"

"Roaming the place as if they own it, and insulting everyone and everything in sight," Natalie confirmed with a sigh. "Your workers want them gone, by the way."

Matt frowned as he noticed she was avoiding his eyes, and one of her hands had come up to rub her arm in a familiar gesture of discomfort. "What did they say to you?" he asked quietly.

"Everything from asking if I'm your mistress to calling me a country sow," Natalie dully replied as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes were vulnerable as she looked up him. "You don't think I'm a sow, do you?"

"Hm... no, no I don't," Matt assured with mock-serious consideration. "You're much too pretty to be a sow." He leaned over to press a sweet kiss near her ear when she didn't look convinced, and added, "And you're the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

"Flatterer," Natalie laughed with pink cheeks as she shoved him away. Her eyes were back to sparkling as she smiled up at him, "But flattery will get you everything. How was the delivery?"

"Long. I'm glad to be back," Matt sighed, then made a face. "I'd be gladder to not have to deal with the snots I sometimes call my parents. I'm sorry you got stuck dealing with them first. And don't worry, they're always that enchanting."

"I didn't even make the connection until your dad said you're their son. They don't look or act anything like you."

Matt shrugged again. "I'm adopted—one of seven. Mom's sterile, so no kids, and they needed someone to carry on the family business. I think it eventually turned into kid collecting, honestly."

A/N: So I'm sorry for the super long absence. I made the mistake of taking two upper level accounting courses at once, and ended up having to teach myself a third one due to crappy teacher syndrome, and the stress is kicking my ass. On top of that, hours at work have been long both due to holiday season and being short-staffed—never a good combination. I've basically had a full time job and full time class load with self-tutoring. And now finals are next week. Joy. Long story short, don't expect anything for a couple more weeks as I unwind (not that I think many of you are expecting much from me in the way of regular updates).

As for The Long Road Home and Shadow of the Blight, I wish I could promise a timely update on either, but I've been having a hard time digging up the enthusiasm to write them. Luckily, I've taken a couple afternoons/evenings to revisit some of my favorite fantasy RPGs and books, and they've done wonders for my plot bunnies. A few ideas have formed, and one has been jotted down for SotB, so fingers crossed. :3

Anyway, this thing is another one of my many incomplete things that just float around my computer and iPad, jumping from plot point to plot point as my brain wants to write. It's not on my list of ones I'd like to complete, but unlike most of the other ones, it has directions it could go in, which is nice. I've had this one for a awhile, like maybe a half a year now? It's more polished than most of my stuff, but still has plenty of awkward sentences, and probably typos, too. Once again, typed entirely on my iPad, so autocorrect endlessly tries to "help" my writing.

RESPONSES TO GUEST REVIEWERS:

Jason: I don't think it ever says Sarah is Anna's younger sister anywhere in game. At one point, the wiki for EBF listed them as sisters, but I'm not sure why. I just decided to use the idea for giggles, and it ended up working out for Retribution. :P

And, yes, I follow Kupo's updates very closely (I even made a Twitter account to comment on some of his stuff. XD). Already just looking at the gifs he's been releasing spark some plot bunny urges. XD

Anonymous: For Lance blowing up hjs factory, I've always considered Lance to go into a a sort of panic-shutdown mindset when something really stresses him out. Realistaically, ere was no reason to detonate his factory (apart from my REALLY wanting to write that dialogue) since there's no way Valarie could have really known it was his. And yes, the smoke and fire will be what brings his fiancé running. XD

I think Inalready ruined my "triumphant return" by taking so long to update again. :P

Little Follower: I'm always looking forwards to your reviews, but I can hardly complain if they take a long time to be put down. ^^;

As for your comments on the currency in TLRH, I haven't forgotten. I just don't have anyway to contact you outside of the A/Ns. I had always had the idea that most people in that universe are relatively selfish and unlikely to correct the mistake of overcharging. Obviously mindset that doesn't apply to the nice elderly farmers Natalie stayed with, though. I wish I could say there was a good reason for it, but honestly, the fact that the gold the team uses would likely be different from whatever currency Garthram uses didn't occur to me until several chapters in. :P I'm not going to go back and fix it since I can hardly get myself to just update the blasted story, so we'll just pretend the elderly couple didn't know how much Natalie had paid them until after she'd left. :P

Anyway, please leave me some reviews and pray I survive.