"About why you are drinking. It's not like you."

"What makes you think I was drinking?" It made perfect sense to her. Deny it. That's what Keith always did.

Chevalier chuckled, "Oh, I have my suspicions."

"Gah, it's not true," she said as her fingers danced with the movement of the ceiling above her.

He watched her hands for a moment. "I keep going over it in my head, and I'm not sure which part would upset you. Is it because of the baby comment?"

He knew he'd struck a nerve when her dancing hands stopped, and she glared at the ceiling.

"Emily, I didn't marry you to have children. I wish you would have told me, but that wouldn't have changed anything." He stroked her cheek softly.

He was actually relieved that she'd told the Elders. They would tell the Valle, and Ulrich could stop worrying about him fathering a Winchester child.

"I was once," she said in a daze.

"Was what, Em?" Chevalier took her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Pregnant," she said as she covered her face with her hands and started to cry.

Chevalier tensed. He wasn't aware of that. The crying didn't last long. The alcohol in her system kept the memories from surfacing all the way.

"Keith wasn't very happy," she said, reaching for the ceiling again.

"I see," was all Chevalier could say.

"Does the ceiling dance in your room?" she asked. Her words were more slurred, and she suddenly became tired.

Chevalier didn't answer, but he watched as her eyes slowly shut, and she relaxed.

He held her all night while she lie motionless. He wished he could kill Keith again, this time more painfully. What right did a man have to do this to a woman who loved him? How could a man manipulate and control someone so completely? His anger ebbed when dawn approached. He had rid the world of Keith, and he took some comfort in that.

Emily groaned as the light erupted into her room. She grabbed her head and buried her face in the pillow.

Chevalier touched her hair lightly and spoke softly, so as not to make her headache worse, "There's coffee here, Em."

"Kill me," she said into the pillow.

He smiled. "Not today. Here, drink some."

He held the coffee cup out for her.

She sat up, wincing at the light, and took the coffee from him. She also noticed aspirin on the table and swallowed four of them.

Chevalier sighed. "You should have told me. It would have helped last night if I had known."

She winced. "Yeah, well, I guess we both kept some things private." Her head hurt too badly for her to notice how he grimaced.

"Truce then?" he offered.

She nodded, then groaned and went back to her coffee.

Emily laid back down until the aspirin worked and she could sit up without getting sick.

He smiled. "Feel better?"

"Mostly... I don't drink wine." She gave him a half-smile.

"I noticed."

She leaned toward him and curled into his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Time for some questions then?" she asked.

"Ask away," he told her, knowing it was coming.

"If heku don't... erm... can't have a baby... how do baby heku happen?" She knew it must have sounded insane when she heard him chuckle.

"When's the last time you saw a baby heku?" he mused.

She frowned and thought about that. She was sure she'd never even seen a child heku before. "Never, I guess."

"It's extremely rare for an immortal man to fall for a mortal woman. That's the only way a heku can procreate. That's also where the incubus comes in."

"Who?"

"An incubus is a male heku that seduces mortal women in their sleep for the sole purpose of reproducing."

"That works?"

Chevalier nodded. "Yes, but it's a mortal baby that is produced. Actually, a left-handed mortal is produced."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

He smiled. "Sure."

"They're all left-handed?"

"Yes," Chevalier told her. He had been wondering though why Emily wasn't left-handed, when Ulrich had told him that she was the product of a heku attack on her mother. He wondered if Ulrich didn't have his facts straight.

"So how are heku made then?" She curled back against his chest.

"It's a long process that involves draining the mortal's blood and replacing it with that of a heku along with some ancient magic." He'd said too much and refused to go further.

Emily frowned. "Magic?"

"Yes"

"Like what?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. We don't turn mortals into heku haphazardly. It's only done with great care and only to individuals who could further the power of the coven or faction." He pulled her tighter to him.

She thought for a moment. "How can a bond be broken?"

He stiffened, not sure exactly where this was going. "Were you going to give it a try?"

She laughed. "No, I'm just curious."

For a few seconds, he debated. He felt she had the right to know, but he also feared an irrational bout of emotions might drive her to it. "Why?"

"Curiosity sake is all." She kissed his neck lightly.

"You aren't playing fair," he said, grinning. "Fine... the bond is automatically broken when one of the two of them die. It's also broken after any infidelity or harsh betrayal."

She frowned. "So when I die, you're free to marry again?"

He fought to keep his composure. He had thought about that a lot lately, and he wasn't sure he could stay awake if she was gone. He was planning an eternity of stasis when she died. "If I would choose to."

"Hmmm"

He wished she'd say more than that, but her thoughts changed directions. "You aren't upset that I can't have children?"

He felt her stiffen slightly beneath his arms. "Not at all. I wouldn't have gotten mad had it happened, but I've never seen myself as a father. It's so rare for a heku to do it that it's ludicrous to consider it."

"Still, when we got married, it had to have crossed your mind."

"Maybe, but we hadn't discussed it. I wasn't sure if you even wanted children." He kissed the top of her head.

She looked up at him and bit at her lip.

"What?" He smiled back.

"Want to practice though?" She was on her back before she could laugh.

Chapter 13.

"Keep the blindfold on, Em," Kyle said. He was leading her carefully down a hallway.

"It's hard to walk like this. Are we close?" she asked, with her hands outstretched.

"Yes... very."

She felt his hands leave her arm and heard a door open. He led her inside, and the warm mugginess of the room seemed odd.

"Ready?" Kyle asked.

"Sure," she said as he lifted the blindfold.

"Ooh... Kyle!" she gasped as she looked out over the swimming pool. It was full of sparkling blue water, and the hot tub bubbled in the corner.

She threw her arms around him. "Thank you!"

"Margaret put a swimming suit in the dressing room. I'll be outside the door if you need me. Just enjoy your swim and don't drown, or Chevalier will kill me." He winked at her and shut the door.

Emily ran to the dressing room and undressed. She didn't even complain while she put on the tiny sheer bikini and hurried out to the pool, dipped in one toe, and then dove in when she felt how warm it was. The water felt incredible against her skin. She'd always felt comfort from water, and the room was so warm that everything was perfect. She swam for over an hour, from one end to the other, feeling the way her muscles strained against the water as she swam laps.

Out of breath, she floated on the water a bit and then eyed the hot tub with its inviting steam. She climbed out of the pool and shook her head as she passed the mirror. "Only Margaret would put me in a see-through swimming suit." She laughed to herself and crawled into the bubbly water.

The warm jets pounded against her skin, and she relaxed, laying her head back against the side of the tub. She breathed deeply, taking in the scent of chlorine and the muggy feel of the air.

Emily raised her head and glanced around the room, checking to make sure no one was watching. She reached around to untie her top and pulled it off, tossing it to the side. Laying back down, she shut her eyes and relaxed.

She yelped when hands gently caressed her exposed breasts, and then she grinned when she saw Chevalier had joined her.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on me," she reminded him as he pressed against her.

"You really should keep your clothes on." He began kissing her neck.

"I thought I was alone," she said when she shivered. His hands were tracing soft patterns on her skin.

He didn't answer. His mouth was pressed firmly to hers.

Scooping up her swimsuit, she handed it to Chevalier and tightened the towel around her. "Take that back, and tell her I would prefer a one-piece that you can't see through."

Chevalier smiled. "No way. I liked that one."

She smiled and walked toward the door, then felt a hand on her shoulder. "Kyle's out there."

Emily looked down at herself. "I'm covered."

Chevalier stepped back and eyed the towel. "Yes, you are, but poor Kyle. You're going to drive him mad."

"How so?"

"We're men, Emily. It's obvious you are only wearing a towel."

"He'll live. I'm more covered in this towel than in that so-called swimsuit," she said, pushing on the door. She'd forgotten how heavy the door was when it opened for her.