"Taylor? We need to talk."
Taylor looked up from where he was sitting on his piano stool, bent over a small table as he scribbled down some wayward lyrics.
"Uh oh," he came out with as she stepped in and closed the door behind her.
He sat up and shifted his papers.
"It's about Avery," Natalie said softly, knowing it was a sore subject.
Taylor sighed. He knew already where she was going with it.
"It's not that I don't enjoy having her here, I promise," she insisted defensively, "but the constant midnight wake up calls? I mean fair enough when you do it you can just sneak out of the room, but she's waking up the kids. Every night!"
"You don't think that being here is helping her with that?" Taylor tried the puppy dog eyes.
"I'm sure that it is," Nat insisted, "but maybe... maybe it's time to think about her moving back home? Memory wise she did spend most of her life there, and with your Mom's empathy..."
"I'm sorry," Taylor said suddenly.
"For what?" Nat asked, suddenly worried.
Taylor sighed again and reached up to take her hand.
"I know she's been draining you a bit."
"It's not that," Nat shook her head, "I'm pretty sure that I've done all that I can for her on the empathic healing level. Aside from..."
"When she wakes you up in the night?" Taylor finished for her.
"...Yeah."
There was a moment of silence.
"I'll talk to her," Taylor relented.
"Thank you."
"I don't think she'll mind either way, to be honest," he admitted, "I just... I'm worried about her."
"Since when is that anything new?" Nat attempted a joke.
Taylor smirked, his eyes lowering.
Nat's face softened and she pulled up a seat beside him.
"It's just not fair on the kids, Tay," she reasoned, a hand on his shoulder, "especially Viggo."
"I know," Taylor nodded.
"...And I'm really beginning to think that you've done all you can for her. You've proven to her that you're always going to be there for her, you gained back her trust-"
"Through inciting bad memories," Taylor rolled his eyes before picking at his nails.
"It doesn't matter how, the fact is you did it. She knows she can count on you now. I'm sure if there are any problems at your Mom's place you'll be hearing her in your head in no time."
Taylor smiled a little at that.
"Yeah I know."
Natalie rubbed his back reassuringly.
"Will you talk to her?"
He nodded.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow and see what we can do."
Nat leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, then stood and made to leave the room.
"Maybe Ezra will be able to resist the temptations of her power easier as well," she mused as she opened the door.
"I had thought of that," Taylor smiled, rubbing his chin.
"Goodnight Tay."
"'Night Nat."