Rhys had only had Micah home for twenty minutes before Natalya arrived with Ana and Amy, the two little girls apparently more delighted to be hanging out together than take part in a school holiday club. At least they all knew that the children were safe. Which was just as well, because an hour later, a familiar shimmer in the air announced Aurelia's arrival in the Bristol home. The witch offered Rhys an apologetic smile.

"Hello, Rhys."

Despite knowing she was going to show up at one point or another, Rhys found himself startled to find Aurelia suddenly showing up in their house, almost as if out of thin air. "Christ, Ree ....A little warning next time?"

"If I knock before I shimmer in, you will not appreciate it," she pointed out in amusement, though the smile didn't last long. She bit her lip. "Did Gina and Adam tell you what is happening?"

He might have argued with that, but she didn't waste any time getting straight to the point. "Yeah, they told me ....us," he said, quickly correcting himself. "I still don't get what this is all about though."

"A warning," Aurelia told him. "And an offer of allegiance. But I met with Tobias this morning, so that he could introduce me to Laurentia. She has volunteered to be the liaison purely because she can travel in daylight as well as at night. She will be arriving at my house reasonably soon."

"Allegiance," Rhys echoed dubiously. "Allegiance to what and who are Tobias and Laurentia" Vampires, I assume?" he asked, before the wheels in his head clicked regarding what she was telling him. "A daywalker" She must be the dhampir, then?" he asked, though he still wasn't sure he believed in their existence.

"Tobias is a vampire, yes," Aurelia said, carefully keeping her tone gentle as she spoke. "Laurentia is a dhampir. Neither of them have any interest in eating any of us. But they have information they think you should know about."

"It's not them eating us that I'm worried about," Rhys murmured, loud enough for her to hear him. "What kind of information?" he asked, leading the way into the kitchen so he could pour himself a cup of coffee. "You want anything?"

"They did not tell me," she said, following him into the kitchen. "The information is for you. I went because I wanted to vet them. I wanted to make it absolutely clear that if they bring harm to my friend and his family, or anyone he cares for, I have the capability to wipe them so far off this earth that it will never remember they existed."

"Good," Rhys said, with a swell of pride that her loyalty, at least, was to them and not to a group of unfamiliar vampires. He handed her a cup, without asking again, cream and sugar on the counter, before pouring one for himself. "So, they didn't tell you anything?"

"Nothing specific, no," she said thoughtfully, leaning against the counter as she wrapped her hands about the cup. "But apparently there are factions gathering information on you, and Tobias does not believe they are friendly. Apparently Laurentia will explain everything she possibly can, and she seems quite enthusiastic about meeting you."

Rhys arched a brow at something she'd said, but it came as no big surprise that he'd made some enemies. It wasn't his own safety that worried him so much as it was that of his family. "I didn't realize I was so famous," he said, with a hint of sarcasm.

She raised her brow. "A successful hunter who drew the attention of Hell's Triad and closed the gateway to Hell before becoming allied with a power very few can even put a name to?" she pointed out with a faint smile. "I'd say you are lucky this is the first time such factions have formed."

"Yeah, but no one is supposed to know that, Ree," he pointed out, taking a sip of his coffee and waving her into a chair. "Adam tell you he suspects this has something to do with my immunity?" he asked, assuming Adam had already filled her in, since it seemed he knew more about all this than he did right now.

"Yes, he did." Aurelia nodded, sipping her own coffee as she sank down into a chair at the table. "He told me to try and find out for certain, but Monsieur Acton was very guarded."

"Of course, he was. He's a vampire. They have secrets upon secrets," says the man who was secretly allied with the Lady of Avalon, of all people. "Does he know" About Avalon, I mean?" he asked, curling a hand around his cup. He didn't think the Lady would appreciate vampires knowing about her sacred home, whether they were friendly or not.

She shook her head. "No. He knows you are allied with a new power, but he has not discovered who. He did try quite hard to get me to tell him, but even I am not so foolish as to give away those secrets."

"I'm not sure I'd call it new," Rhys remarked. He didn't really want to get into a debate about which factions were older and more powerful than others. He wasn't really aware of the origins of vampires, nor did he care. If they all died tomorrow, it would be one less threat to worry about. "What did you think of them?" he asked, trusting her opinion, even if he didn't trust the vampires.

Leaning onto her elbows, Aurelia considered the question for a long moment. "I do not believe they lied to me," she told him confidently. "And there was no sense of evil about them. Tobias is a vampire; he has that sense of darkness about him, but he also has a keen mind and a sharp intellect, and he invited me into his home, knowing that I could destroy both it and him if I saw fit. There is nothing evil about Lauren at all. You will see what I mean when she gets here."

"I don't know much about dhampirs," Rhys admitted. There wasn't much lore about them, and what there was didn't make much sense. "I assume they're rare." Though maybe not as rare as an incarnated angel. Fallen angels were another matter entirely

"Apparently there are only four in the world at this moment," Aurelia said, glad she had thought to ask in the first place. "Two of them are her sisters. She was reluctant to speak about the fourth."

"Understandable," Rhys admitted, considering who he was. He was likely to hunt them, if he considered them a threat, but he'd at least hold off judging them until he knew what this was all about. "So, when do I meet her?"

"As soon as we hear her motorcycle arrive?" Aurelia suggested. "I asked her to come to my home - it is fairly neutral ground. I did not think you would want to invite her into your own home just yet."

"Where's Morgan?" Rhys asked, assuming she was with Ian, though he wasn't too sure. If Aurelia felt safe - felt her daughter was safe - around this dhampir, then who was he to argue" Aurelia was more than capable of taking care of herself and her family, after all.

Aurelia glanced between them. "Shall we take this inside?" she suggested.

Rhys arched a brow at something she'd said, mostly at the knowledge that they'd been aware of him for years. The question was how many years" What did they want from him, and why had it taken so long to approach him' "We could have used a little help taking Abaddon down, but I guess vampires don't really mess with demons."

"Would you have accepted our help at that time?" Lauren asked, raising her brows pointedly at him. "Before you closed Hell, you had something of a reputation for attacking before thinking or speaking. Forgive us for not wanting to die on your blade for no reason."

"Are you kidding" I was engaged to a were-panther," Rhys pointed out, a touch defensively. Then again, he hadn't been too happy when he'd found out about that either, and he was somewhat prejudiced when it came to vampires, lycanthropes, and demons, even still. Witches were another matter.

"Who also had a bit of a reputation for trying to kill or bury anything or anyone who didn't conform to her preconceived ideas," Lauren pointed out. "I think you and the thief are a much better match," she added with playful mischief. "You got her out of Russia for a start."

"Yeah, well ....No argument there," Rhys remarked with a shrug. He had few regrets regarding the past anymore. He'd learned it was better to leave the past where it was and move on. That didn't mean he didn't still bear grudges against those who'd hurt those he'd loved.

"You wanted to go inside?" he reminded Aurelia. The street wasn't really the place for a discussion of this kind. She was right about him and Nat, but he didn't bother to remark on it.

"Yes, I did," Aurelia agreed, turning to usher them both into her house.

While the Evans' house was the same layout as Rhys', the decor was very different, showing off the two personalities that made up the pair who lived there. There were clean lines interspersed with nature motifs and moons and stars; modern furniture standing next to an enormous rocking chair padded with many cushions; a door open to a study that was clearly Ian's work space; another door open to a workshop holding many, many bottles and dried plants and a cauldron that had to be Aurelia's place. And she drew them both past all this and into the kitchen, which was quite clearly neutral territory and very child friendly.

Rhys followed Aurelia into the house, past all the familiar spaces and on to the kitchen. As friends of the family, he and Nat were no strangers here, nor were Ian and Aurelia strangers to the Bristol's house. Though he hid it well, he was feeling a little tense. This dhampir knew a lot about him - why"

Lauren glanced around with curious eyes, following them both into the kitchen. "You weren't lying about being a witch, were you?" she asked, more amused than anything.

Aurelia raised a brow. "I am like no witch you have ever met," she said with pointed accuracy, turning to turn on the coffee pot.

"Why would she lie about it?" Rhys asked, wondering if the dhampir was just being sarcastic or trying to make idle conversation. He assumed the vampires had approached Aurelia because she was a neutral third party, but Rhys had a feeling that if her loyalty was even in question, she'd side with him. "And how do you know so much about me?"

"We can sense no magic from her," Lauren told him, clarifying her comment. "Magic users gain their power from contracts with demons or gods, that leaves a mark. She has no mark."

Aurelia smirked to herself, turning away to collect cups.

"As to how I know so much about you?" Lauren went on. "Tobias did a little digging when he caught wind of something unusual about your blood. But he only shared that information with me once Aurelia had agreed to sound you out, because I volunteered to do the talking. He doesn't share personal information about anyone lightly."

There was a good reason Aurelia had no mark - Rhys had helped her get rid of her demon. She was her own person now, and answered to no one.

"And he got wind how" As I understand it, someone blabbed. I'd like to know who," he said, though he had no idea if she or Tobias was aware of the source of their information. News traveled fast in the preternatural world, but that news came from somewhere. Rhys knew Adam had done his best to cover up any leaks, but he might have missed something.

"All I know is that it came from a hospital in Flagstaff," Lauren told him honestly. "Toby doesn't give up his sources; he knows it's dangerous for anyone to be outed as passing on information, no matter their race. And the only reason the information came to him is because of his research. You don't gotta worry about us doing anything with your info."

"I worry about anyone who's poking their nose into my private life," Rhys countered. "Do you have any idea what would happen if any of this got out' It wouldn't just be my life in danger, but that of my wife, my kids. But apparently, it's already out, so now I have to worry about who has this information and what they're going to do with it."

"And you would not know that this information was out without our having reached out to you," Lauren pointed out. "We have made contact primarily to make sure you are aware that certain factions are beginning to make noise about moving on this information, and to offer our help in dealing with them."

Rhys arched a brow. Talking to the dhampir was like playing a game of chess. She made a move, and he made a counter move. If they really were on the same side, they were going to have to stop acting like enemies and start trying to find common ground.

"Okay, you've made me aware. Care to tell me what factions we're talking about here, and why you want to help?" he asked, still suspicious, but willing to hear her out.

And it was at this point that Lauren dropped the diplomatic facade, meeting his gaze head on.

"There are two factions within the vampires that are interested in you, with two separate goals. One of those factions we believe we can talk down; the other, we don't think we can. The one we are in talks with would like a sample of your blood that they can experiment on, to develop a cure to vampirism, and most recently one voice among them has floated the idea of kidnapping one of your children to act as that sample. Toby has influence with them; he's been very clear about making the consequences of them even attempting that blazing bright in their minds' eyes. The other faction wants you and your family dead, to kill any hope of a cure for vampirism entirely."

"Or perhaps they're afraid of your power, Miss Van Arkle. And yet, you have friends, allies. A fiance. Not all vampires fear and hate you," he looked to Aurelia, as if to make a point. "Or all humans, it seems," he said, though he wasn't entirely sure he'd classify Aurelia as human. She was a witch, born and bred. More than human, as was he, in a way. "There was a time when the demons sought to make a hybrid. A child born of a demon and an angel. They thought that child would be the most powerful being in Creation and wanted to use it to destroy the world and enslave humanity. Why fault the child for his or her parentage" It's not about you being an anomaly or even an aberration. It's about fear. They fear you, plain and simple. They fear what you could do to them, if you wanted to. They fear what they don't understand."

"I know." Lauren nodded as he spoke. "But a child should not be defined by what they are. No one should be defined by their race and held in unchanging regard because of that. I am very lucky to have made friends among a race that would like me dead; friends who chose not to see me as a danger, but as a person. It is a lesson many people could stand to learn. Don't you think?"

Rhys smiled - actually smiled - his grin just a little mischievous. "Except for demons," he admitted, though he had not heard of any that had survived since he and Nat had closed the Gates of Hell.

"I think it depends how you classify a demon," Lauren pointed out, but her own expression had relaxed into her bright smile once more. "And my name is Lauren, Mr. Bristol. No one calls me Miss Van Arkle."

Rhys mirrored that smile, far more relaxed now than he had been a few minutes earlier, and offered her a hand. "Rhys. No one calls me Mr. Bristol," he countered.

"Rhys, then." Lauren's hand wrapped to his, displaying none of the coolness he would associate with a vampire's touch. She'd given no proof of what she was, but he seemed to believe her regardless. It was a good start. "I'll leave you to do whatever it is you need to do. Thank you, both of you."

Aurelia smiled faintly, pouring out coffee for herself and Rhys. "You are welcome, Lauren."

Rhys didn't go so far as to say that, though he was grateful for the warning. Time would tell whether they became allies or not. He only nodded a farewell, not even bothering to remind her that she'd hear from him in a few days. He waited until he heard the sound of her motorcyle fading into the distance before he turned to Aurelia and reached for a mug.

"So, tell me your thoughts. I know you want to."

Aurelia snorted with laughter, thumping down into a seat at the kitchen table and gesturing for him to do the same. "My thoughts?" She considered this for a moment. "I think ....I think they can be trusted, but that they have not shared everything just yet. I also think we need to talk to Avalon about the inherent threat to your family, because if an example needs to be made, it should be a big one that no one will be able to misconstrue."

Rhys dropped into a seat beside her, the mug of coffee in his hand, a grim expression on his face now that it was just the two of them. There was no need to pretend, no need to lie to each other or themselves. "We definitely need to talk to Avalon and maybe send the children there for a while, until this is all over. Nat won't like it. She doesn't like to disrupt their lives, but if Lauren is telling the truth, we can't ignore the danger."

"That is true," Aurelia agreed. "But we can only take our children to Avalon. I do not know if we have permission, or can get permission, to take the Sparrowhawk children there, and if we remove our own, then they become the targets of choice."

"If it was only Joey, I think we might have managed it, but now that there's four of them, I'm not sure." Rhys frowned a moment in thought. It wasn't his place to share Adam's secret - that Avalon had recruited him, too. Still, that wasn't any guarantee that the Sparrowhawk children would be welcome in Avalon. He shrugged. "The worst they can say is no," he pointed out.

"True. And we are capable of defending all of the children together." Aurelia frowned thoughtfully. "What do you think of all this, Rhys" It is you who is at the center of it."

"Yeah, but not if they're scattered," Rhys reminded her. With some in school and daycare and home. If they wanted to protect the children, they'd either have to keep them in one place or become their shadows. "What do I think?" he asked, pausing to take a swallow of his coffee - at least, his third cup of the day. It was times like these when he thought the stuff was the only thing that kept him going. He didn't bother to tell her that if anyone dared hurt his children - or any children - he'd rip them limb from limb. No, she knew him well enough to know that already. "I think she's telling the truth," he said. He could have handed her his sword and let Caliburnus judge her for him, but he didn't think that was necessary.

"So what do you think happens next?" the witch asked him, half an ear on the sound of Nat, Ana, and Micah walking Amy home to the Sparrowhawks next door.

"I think we ensure the safety of our families, and then we talk to Tobias. See what he has to say," Rhys replied. In that order. The safety of his family - of all their families - came first, more important than anything else. "How many vampires do you think will want to give up their immortality, if given the choice?" he asked, changing the subject. If that was even possible.

"I do not know." Aurelia shrugged, taking a gulp of her coffee. "I know very little about vampirism. But I would think that having a cure for those who are turned unwillingly would be a good thing. Don't you?"

"I suppose," he admitted with a shrug of his own. "Would they start to age normally again then?" he asked, unsure how such a cure would work. "They'd be vulnerable to sickness, disease, aging again, but they'd be human. It's a trade-off, I guess. I'm not sure I'd want to trade everything it means to be human to live forever. Seems like it might become more like a curse, after a while."

"I think it depends on the circumstances," Aurelia said thoughtfully. "Elaine - the Lady - is exceptionally long-lived. She has not lost her humanity, but she seems so very weary sometimes. I think, after a point, life becomes a burden when the only guarantee is that the people you love will die."

"Unless you make them into monsters, like yourself," Rhys added. He was not talking about the Lady now, but those who were cursed to survive by drinking blood. And what about the wolves" Lauren had hinted about them, too. Rhys sighed, a worried frown on his face. "You know, I always knew they were out there. I always knew the threat was there, but I had bigger problems, and I thought I'd let well enough alone, so long as I didn't hear about any bodies drained of blood or ripped to shreds. I don't know what I was thinking. Champion of Avalon. Some Champion. While I've been doing the Lady's bidding, who's been looking after the rest of the world" Hunters" Feds" Agents of Avalon?" he asked, uncertainly. "I'm a hunter, too, Ree. I've been shirking my duty."