Mara woke up at 8am exactly, reaching for her medication and phone at the same time.

When Gloria answered, Mara said, "Do you ever get sick of people calling to ask you for stuff? Back when I was here healing people originally, we had no phones. I'd get lines down the street, but phones would have been a pain in the ass."

Gloria laughed. "You planning to make me start drinking this early in the day? I'm never sure if a call from you is going to lead to excitement or tears."

"When I do it right, you get both. Sorry, but I need a favor. I have a list of things I need for a medical kit. I'm going after Duke today. He may be completely healthy and well when he comes through, but in case he has any kind of Void-sickness or injury, I want to be prepared. Can you help me, or do I need to come rob the place?"

"As entertaining as that might be to watch, I can probably get you whatever you need. Tell me what you're after."

Mara read the list off to the doctor as she donned a pair of cotton leggings and a black tank top. Clothes that were comfortable and easy to move in- pretty much all she owned anymore. She didn't want to, but she pulled a cardigan over her arms. The creatures in the Void usually weren't a problem, especially for someone like her- there was nothing in the Void she couldn't kill- but they still looked for weakness in their prey, and she was already slowed down by the pregnancy. Better not to show anything else that might make her a good target. If something did get a little too interested in her, she could use the scars to frighten it off.

"I've got everything, but why oral and injectable tranquilizers?"

"Because at some point he's going to ask what happened and I'll have to tell him about Audrey. And me, for that matter. He's going to be at least as angry as I was, maybe more. I don't want him breaking himself or someone else."

"That's a good call, kid. When will you be here?"

"Within the hour. Nathan and Audrey slept here so we could get moving early. I'll see you soon, okay?"

When she made her way out, Audrey was in the bathroom, James in her spot on the sofa bed. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hi little man, how'd you sleep?" He put his arms up and Mara lifted him, settling him against her hip. "Oh, you're wet. You want a new diaper?"

Mara changed and dressed James with clothes Audrey had in the diaper bag. "Da!"

"Yup, you're all dry so now you can go after your Daddy. Here you go." She set him back on the sofa bed and watched him pull at Nathan's face. So often Mara had daydreamed about what Nathan would be like with his son. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined- yet it wasn't her son anymore. She couldn't tear her eyes away as Nathan chuckled, pulling the baby against him under the blanket.

"Someone wants me to get up."

She had to clear her throat. "Everyone wants you to get up. Audrey is in the bathroom, getting dressed I think. I dressed James for you. Gloria is packing my kit right now. Once you're ready, we can go pick the kit up and I can go after Duke."

He groaned as he sat up. "You were right when you warned me about the couch. Could you..." Nathan gestured to his neck and Mara shook her head, pressing her hands against Nathan's shoulders and letting the Aether relax his knotted muscles. He groaned loudly just as Audrey was entering the living room and she raised her eyebrows.

"It only sounds obscene. I warned him about sleeping on the couch."

"He doesn't listen to me, either. He's gotten so used to doing what he wants and not feeling it the next day."

Nathan stood and stretched, still dressed from the night before. "I listen. I just don't always do what I'm told."

"Ah, I see. He's acting like Duke in celebration of his homecoming." Mara brushed her hair, but Audrey came up behind her, taking the brush and twisting the strands into a neat braid that fell against Mara's back.

"I think Nathan's bad behavior just stands out more without Duke to draw the attention from it." Audrey kissed his cheek, laughing as he grumbled and went to brush his teeth.

They picked up the medical kit and Gloria wished Mara luck, tears in her eyes. Mara promised to send a message the minute she had Duke home.

She was considering taking the Rouge out to sea just so she wouldn't have to share Duke for awhile once he got home.

Nathan pulled as close to the Thinny as he could, and Mara unloaded her pockets. "I'm leaving everything here except my pouch, so I can refill on orbs. I absorbed everything I had in case I need it ready to use. I don't know how long this will take. I'll try to be quick, but you know how time fluctuates." She slid out of the car and stretched, sliding Nathan's ring onto her right hand.

Audrey stood next to her, fidgeting. "Are you sure you don't want someone to come with you? Either of us would be happy to."

"No. Thank you, but it's important to me that you both stay safe. I know what I'm doing, I've spent time in the Void before. Thank you for all your help."

They all looked like they wanted to speak, so Mara went first, cutting Nathan and Audrey off. "Not goodbye. I'm bringing him home. I'll see you soon. If I take to long and you have to, go home. Just leave my bag under that bush. I love you both."

She ran the few feet to the Thinny, throwing herself in before anyone else could speak.

No matter how many times she traveled it, the Void was always disorienting. So bright it was hard to see, so loud it felt like she was deaf, yet she could hear the whisper of her hair brushing her shoulder.

She managed to stay upright as she landed, giving her legs a moment to adjust. There was nothing around her- only white fog filled with lightning in every direction. She straightened her spine, calling out to the living Aether that surrounded her.

"Bring me to Duke Crocker."

A single orb flew close, brushing across her cheek like a kiss before darting away and back, clearly expecting her to follow.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help." She followed as quickly as she could, feeling the vast space warp and fold around her as she approached her destination. As they got closer, Mara could make out the shape of a doorway and her heart raced, pounding in her ears. There was a large, dark shape to her right and she slowed, staring it down as her eyes flared first purple, then a shining red. She didn't stop moving, but she walked steadily, with purpose. She would not show fear.

The large shape that looked almost like a person in a hooded cloak backed away as Mara passed, and from there it was only a few feet to the doorway. She squinted, focusing her intent as she reached her right hand toward the door. It sparked green light, finally turning blue and opening with the sound of waves. She took a deep breath and stepped out, catching herself expertly as everything seemed to shift sideways.

She was on a beach, the same one she'd seen in her dream. Warm, soft sands stretched out along the shore, no sign or sound of cars or airplanes. Just the sea and the birds and endless peace and tranquility.

Poor Duke must be bored out of his mind.

She turned slowly, spotting a shape lying in the sand a dozen yards away. He was stretched out in the sun, one arm crooked over his eyes. His body was loose in sleep and she walked quietly, wanting to soak up the sight, wanting to see him asleep before she shattered the tranquility with laughter or tears.

Every step showed he something new. He was tan and beautiful, ragged cutoff jeans hanging around his hips. It was hard to tell with him lying down, but his hair looked longer. She sank quietly to her knees and crawled the last few feet, leaning over just a little. "Duke? Duke, wake up."

Mara touched his shoulder gently and Duke startled, his arm flying back against the sand before he froze. "Mara?"

"Missed you."

"Are you really here or is this a dream?"

A soft smile crossed her features and her shoulders relaxed. "I'm really here. I told you I'd come."

He sat up quickly, reaching for her, and she surged forward into his arms, holding him tightly and crying into his neck. "Shh, don't cry, Mara. Everything is okay."

"I know, I know. That's why I'm crying. I thought nothing would ever be okay again."

His mouth was against her ear when he whispered, "You and me both, beautiful."

She took his face in her hands, pulling him close to kiss his lips. Even the pain seemed muted here. Still obvious through her clothes, but not stronger than Duke's presence. Pulling her lips from his, Mara took his hand and pressed it to her belly, staring intently into his eyes. Confusion passed over his eyes until she felt the baby kicking out against his hand and he stared in shock, gaze darting between her belly and her face. "I... what... are you..."

She laughed at his stunned stutter, eyes shining. "I don't think I've ever seen you speechless before. It's kind of adorable."

"A baby?" Duke finally managed. She nodded, still grinning as his mouth opened and closed silently. "Holy shit, why didn't you tell me? Is it even safe for you to be here?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "Thank you for answering your own question, Mr. Crocker. I didn't tell you because I was coming to get your either way, and I wanted to tell you in person. I knew you'd stew about it if you knew ahead of time."

"But you're okay? Oh god, do you know if it's a boy or girl? How long have I been here? I mean, how far are you... how much time do we have?"

She hugged him again, pressing her face to his neck. "I'm almost 27 weeks. A human would have about 13 weeks to go, but for my species I'm full term. Seeing as how it's a Crocker though, there's no telling when. I was in a hurry, I didn't want to risk going into labor without you. Speaking of which, would you very much mind if we headed home? We have people waiting for us, and I don't want them to worry."

Chuckling, he helped Mara up as he stood. "Man, how'd the stooges take it when you showed up pregnant? Did their heads explode?"

They walked down the beach toward the door, and Mara considered her words carefully. "There's been a lot going on, I think everyone has been too busy getting by day-to-day to let their heads explode over me."

"How is Nate? How long have you been home?"

She had to really think about that. "Uh... I guess today is my third day home. Nathan is very, very anxious to see you. He's been hurting so much, you have no idea how much he misses you." She stopped Duke just outside the door, pulling the ring off her finger. "Listen, please. We're about to cross into the Void. Stay with me, don't let go of me. Give me your hand."

He held his hand out and she put her ring on his pinky. "This will keep you safe even if you're not touching me. I'll take us to the other door and then we have to stop again so I can make sure your body stays strong for the crossover. No matter what you see, don't panic, think of anything you see in the Void like a wild animal in the woods. Don't show fear and never, ever run unless I specifically tell you to."

Duke eyed Mara cautiously. "How dangerous is this, exactly?"

"On a scale of one to ten? Only about a 23. Bright smile! We're going home, Duke."

Mara took Duke's hand and tugged him through the door and into the Void, holding him steady when he almost tripped. She paused to look around them, searching for the creature she'd seen before. When she was sure it was clear, she walked steadily and stood as tall as possible.

Every time she looked up at Duke, she felt smaller.

"So, when I saw you earlier, when we... was that a dream? Because I'm fairly certain I would have noticed you were pregnant."

The laugh that came out of Mara's mouth actually startled her. It was her first full, real laugh since she'd been alone with Duke. "It was real, but I was dreaming. That's why I didn't look pregnant."

He mulled that over as they walked, then pulled her to a sudden halt. "Wait. Wait, you were hurt. You told me you were hurt. Tell me what happened." He was still gripping her hand, looking her up and down. He couldn't see much with the sweater on, but his eyes zeroed in on her lower neck, where the raised scar tissue began.

"Not here. We need to stay focused. Come on, keep moving. When we get home, I'll show and tell whatever you want, but this isn't the place for that kind of conversation." She tugged again. "I mean it, Duke. I do not want to go into labor in the Void, this place isn't safe unless you're strong."

Duke sighed and kept moving. "You swear we'll talk about it when we get home?"

"I give you my word, once we're home and I've made sure your health is stable, I will tell you everything." She thought about Audrey, Paige and James, about her bond to Nathan. "Once I have my medical kit."

Mara pulled Duke to a stop. "Okay, the doorway is here. I'm going to use Aether I already absorbed to strengthen your body. Once we're on the other side, I need to do it again, just to lock it down and make sure everything stays perfect."

She pressed her hands to his already shirtless chest, her Intent pushing the Aether through his perfect, beautiful body. Giving the form mass, locking the soul in. She summoned more Aether to her, opening her pouch for the sweet, active orbs to pile in.

"It just comes when you call it?" Duke held out his hand and an orb danced over his palm. He grinned like a kid at the zoo.

"Kind of. I mean, it does when I call it. It likes you, so it will respond to you. If someone it disliked called? No. It's sentient. It sees into people. Are you ready to go home?" Mara wrapped one arm around his waist, keeping her hand splayed on his chest.

"Wait, before we do, tell me- did it work? Did my sacrifice end the Troubles?"

He looked so hopeful and afraid, but she couldn't just lie to him. What had Audrey called it? Creative truth-telling. That would work.

"I promise you, when we cross the threshold, if you punch Nathan he will feel it. But I think you should hug him instead. He's been miserable. Worse than miserable. I finally had to convince him to let me take the pictures and hide them with the memories from his childhood. He has a lot of nightmares."

"Before we go, you and me- we're okay? Are you mad at me? Can you forgive me for not being there when you needed help?" His eyes were sad and imploring, and she hugged him as hard as she could.

"You had no way of knowing, Duke. She fooled me, and I very much doubt she suddenly told you what she actually did with me as soon as I was gone. There's nothing to forgive. Even if you knew I was alive and didn't come, I wouldn't be angry. Don't be scared, Duke. I'm going to take care of you, I won't let anything happen to you. You're not dying again, not on my watch."

Duke nodded and pressed a kiss to her lips, and tightening her grip on his waist, Mara shoved them out the door, unable to keep Duke upright as they both crashed to the ground outside. Ignoring everything else, Mara pushed with the Aether, quickly setting, repairing and healing whatever seemed to call her attention. He was breathing, that was a good sign.

"Nathan, get my bag!" He ran to her side in an instant, dropping to his knees and cradling Duke's head. Audrey was sobbing behind him, and Nathan's tears fell on Duke's face.

"Oh god, is he okay? Is he alive? What can I do?"

"He's alive, go ahead and keep your fingers on his pulse. Tell me if it gets too fast or slow. Just be here for him, Nathan. It's okay. I promised to bring him home." She finished with the Aether, checked to make sure Duke was stable, and said, "Okay, let's get him in the truck. He's safe to transport. I'll work on him in the back while you drive."

With James safely locked into his car seat, they wrestled Duke into the far back and Mara clambered up with him, inserting an IV while he wasn't awake to feel it and taping it to his arm, starting the fluids and broad-spectrum antibiotics to try and ward off illness that he may have lost his resistance to. She held off on the Valium or any other medications until she could see what his physical state was when he was awake.

They got to the Rouge in record time, and Audrey took James in his carseat to unlock the door while Nathan carried Duke and Mara followed with her kit and the IV bag. Nathan took him to his bed, setting him gently on the comforter. Mara hooked the IV bag to the folding pole she had borrowed. "Audrey, there's a metal pan in the fridge with foil on top. Will you please put that in the oven at 325? He's bound to be hungry when he's awake and has his sea legs."

She kicked off her shoes and eased the cardigan off her shoulders and arms. Having Duke here seemed to dull the constant pain, and she found she was able to move a bit more freely. She sat next to Duke, stroking his hair- it really was longer- and whispering to him.

"I can't tell you all the stories you're so curious about if you sleep all day. I know, I know. Coming back to life is tiring, and I'm sorry. But you've got people who would give anything to hear your voice right now. Please, baby. Wake up."

Nathan sat on the edge of the bed by Duke's legs. "Why is he unconscious? Was he awake before?"

Mara reached a hand across to Nathan. "Remember, what he just did, it's like being born. It's exhausting. He's just tired, this is normal sleep. This body is solid, I made damn sure of that. Duke will have some adjustments to make. He's going to have a lot of Aether that his body is reliant on. He'll be like me and Audrey. But yes, he was talking, he asked about you. He's himself and he's healthy. It's okay. Go play with James, hold onto Audrey. She's freaking out, too. I'll call you the minute he's ready for you."

Nathan nodded, leaned to kiss Duke's head and left the room, closing the door behind him. Mara pulled her bag up next to her, took her medication and curled up to face Duke, studying him as he slept. She set a sentinel orb over him just in case, and let her eyes slip closed with her face pressed against his arm.