It was a long day before they even got to the observatory for the fourth day in a row, and now Natalie was finding it hard to concentrate as she looked down at the printout sent automatically to the iPad she had been given. She missed the feeling of leather and paper.

“Hey, it is Dr. Rocher right?” Nathan came and sat beside her in an empty chair.

“You can just call me Natalie,” Natalie said, accepting the coffee he offered her. She had not asked for this coffee, so straight away, she was expecting Nathan to ask her questions. She knew from experience that he had just brought the coffee over here, looking for an excuse to talk to her.

“Natalie.” He repeated the name softly, and the accent changed the way her name sounded just a little, but she couldn’t quite place where he was from. The slant in his eyes and her skin tone gave away only so much, and it seemed rude to ask. “How long have you been working with Dr. Nepomuceno? He asked her, sipping his coffee cautiously.

“It feels like thousands of years.” She smiled at her joke, looking over to see that Armand and Ted were in a serious discussion about whatever the information was saying on the screen in front of them. “But it has just been a few weeks.” She admitted to Nathan. “We kind of got brought together because we have the same differing opinions on this asteroid, and when no one else wanted to discuss the possibilities of it, well it was only a matter of time.”

Nathan nodded. “You two seem really comfortable around each other. I thought he might be your um…”

Natalie chuckled and shook her head. “We are what we are.” She smiled. Boyfriend and husband were such small things in their lives together that the labels felt useless to describe what Armand meant to her. They had been married several times when they had been lucky enough to survive that long together. Once upon a time, it had been vital to her, and he was dutiful in fulfilling her every desire. Now, she was a little wiser and knew no one would ever find the right word to describe him for her, so why bother trying to make these labels stick?

“So that means you are single?” Nathan asked, and that stopped Natalie in her little daydream trip down memory lane.

“Um, technically, yes,” she answered. “But I just broke up with someone, it was pretty serious, and I’m just not looking for anyone right now.” She felt the lie being said with the same surety she had said everything else. This was not her first time being hit on by someone who wasn’t Armand, and it wouldn’t be the last. Drawing on the emotions of Ryan’s outburst just made it easy to say. If there were any other follow-up questions, she wouldn’t be lying. This girl she had been before the zing had happened had been in a relationship for eight months before Armand came along, and Ryan had been important to her. He just wasn’t all that important to her now.

Nathan nodded. “it probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway.” He said, sipping his coffee.

“Why not?” Natalie asked.

“Well, after this you are going back to America, right?”

“Oh yeah, of course.” She almost wanted to say that next time, she might be a little more available for at least a tour of Parke but was luckily rescued from that terrible mistake by Armand calling her name. “Excuse me.” She rose and headed over to where he was standing with Ted. “What did you guys find?”

“Exactly what they said at NASA,” Armand said, and Natalie’s eyebrows frowned. “I checked the trajectories twice, and we ran every variable we can think off, and the only way that thing is going to hit Earth if it aliens intervene.”

“And there was no sight of aliens?” Natalie’s voice must have sounded too hopeful at the prospect since both men raised an eyebrow in her direction. “It was a joke.” She murmured, glad she had the coffee to distract her from her attempt at humour. This was why she let Armand be the funny one. He was naturally good at it.

“No, no aliens,” Armand said and pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. “This is not the news we were hoping for.” He said, eyes closed, and Natalie nodded.

“I can run a few more statistics for you. We will be tracking the nature of its course, but it is classified as a Rank One on the scale right now, so there isn’t much chance of an impact.” Ted seemed awkward at Armand’s display of emotion. This was affecting him, but not for the reasons that Ted assumed. Natalie was never tempted to tell others about their unique position. No one would believe them, and it would be a wasted effort regardless. They were desperate to find the solution to save the human race and ensure that Nostrodarmus' vision never came to pass. They had both thought this was it. Finally, their souls could rest together. Natalie had been so sure that this was their doomsday that Armand had not stopped to question it. She was their brains and powered their drive. When Natalie said this was it, he had to believe her because that was how it went. Never before had she been so confident about something, yet still here they were with just another failed attempt to save the world.

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Armand took the coffee from her hand, set it aside, and took Natalie's hand gently. “Come on. We should get to the hotel and sleep before flying out tomorrow.” She was aware enough to keep on her persona for their audience, blinking into Armand's eyes. “Thank you for the help. I will be sure to leave a good recommendation for you both whenever you need it.” She pulled on Armand’s sleeve, and he gently took her arm and followed him out obediently.

She stayed in this moving coma to the car, getting into the passenger side without too much prompting. No one had seen them out, and Natalie was glad for it because she wasn’t sure if other people would be as polite as Ted and Nathan had been.

“Are you ok?” Armand asked quietly, the car travelling so smoothly on the roads that it was easy to have a hushed conversation.

“I really thought this was the one,” Natalie said, and she sighed, looking out the window. He took her hand blindly and laid it on his thigh, putting his hand over hers and squeezing it. She let him take the comfort while he continued to drive. It was a country road with very little traffic. “I checked all the findings twice, Natalie." He reassured her. "I really checked. I ensured he was inputting all of the information exactly like I told him to do, and none of it worked like I thought it would.”

Natalie nodded. “We have been through this before, Armand." Natalie's voice sounded far away despite her statement, "We have followed leads that eventually lead to nowhere. We need to get back to our files and get back into it." She looked out the window and kept her hand on his thigh as she watched the world go past.

“This is our purpose Natalie." Armand gently told her. "And the end of days is coming. We can’t be sure when or how exactly, but we need to trust the teaching of Nostradamus and interpret his words to guide us. I am pretty sure that is the gist of the speech you gave me only a few days ago.” Armand sighed and squeezed her hand. “I haven’t given up on the mission Natalie. I was just ready for it to be over.”

“Do you tire of me Armand?”

Natalie asked in a voice so softly that he was not sure if she had spoken at all. “No, Natalie. Oh no. I adore you.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her. “No, never could I want to be away from you. I am ready for us to just live. That is all, Natalie. Once we save the world, then we can finally live out one typical lifetime together. I really want to grow old with you.” He seemed attached to that idea, and Natalie didn’t want to argue against it. Privately, it was the same goal she was attached to as well.

They drove silently and parked outside the hotel they had been staying at. Neither made a move to leave the car just yet. “We have lived many more years like this together than we could ever have in a single lifetime.” Natalie was quiet as she spoke, playing with her nails, and Armand nodded.

“I have also seen you die many times.” He said, and Natalie had to agree that witnessing Armand die had never been a highlight of this existence. She didn’t like the grisly death she would often have to inflict on herself after he died just to ensure they could find each other again in the next life. “Burned at the stake for witchcraft was not a good look for you.” He interrupted her thoughts.

“When is it a good look on anyone?” She sighed. “Not knowing if you had been killed during the first world war was the worst for me. Every day, just waiting and terrified that I would never find you againb, that I had waited too long, and somehow our souls would miss each other next time.” Natalie took a calming breath, feeling that claustrophobic panic arising again was all too familiar from when he had been missing during the war.

“I have forgotten what you look like.” He admitted after just a moment’s hesitation. “In the beginning, I was easier to see you behind every new face,” Armand said, and Natalie nodded.

“In the beginning, it seemed we were going to be stuck in our little part of the world so we kept our own ethnicity at least.” Natalie chuckled, but there was no humour in it. “I don’t remember your original face anymore, either. It has just been too long. But I do remember the time when you wanted to die because my boobs were too small.” She playfully accused, starting to feel a little more natural as they sat in the car.

“You said it was to make sure I didn’t feel emasculated over my dick.” Armand laughed at the memory. “I didn’t kill myself.” he reminded her.

“And I still worshipped you, small dick and all, for five years.” She chuckled, and the noise seemed to chase away the last doubts.

Armand nodded, his tone sober even though he was smiling. “But that is all we get Natalie. Five years here, three over there. I think the longest we got was twenty that one time when we were in the south of France.” Natalie smiled, turning to face him. The seat allowed her to cuddle into the thin cushioning, seeking its warmth as if it could offer something of what Armand had. “I want more than that.” He seemed to be talking to himself as he stared out the front window.

“Me too.” She sighed. “And we will have it. We have to be rewarded for this sacrifice. That was what we were promised. Eternal happiness, or something.” Natalie yawned. “It was so long ago I hardly remember any of the ritual.”

Armand nodded. “We should leave the car before you fall asleep.” Natalie shook her head. “I’m not going to carry you.”

Natalie smiled, put the small USB stick out of her pocket and placed it inside her bra. “You will be moving the files. That is your job remember.”

Armand saluted her, his arm rigid and posed. The action jokingly meant, but his body remembered the training from the years he had served the armed forces during all the significant battles. She didn’t like it. But Natalie said nothing as he bounded out of the car and came to collect her from the seat. "Only for the safety of the files." he commented as she tucked into him.