The Maiden's Dragon

Memory of a Dream

Vivienne pushed in the door of their new house and had to smile at the sound of chaos.

Watching Red disappear beneath the waves and never resurface had been the most terrifying, painful moment of her life.  Anson's screaming and her hysterics had alerted lifeguards and good Samaritans all up and down the beach, creating havoc as they went into rescue mode.  She wasn't sure she wouldn't have just swam out there herself to search if Anson hadn't shoved Tommy in her arms and gotten in her face.

"Think, my lady," he'd demanded.  "Remember the legend we read?"

"We're going to trust in fairytales?!"  She had only barely remembered to keep her voice to a hiss.

Anson nodded once.  "We're going to believe in Dragons.  We're going to believe in tricksters and old gods and true love.  We're going to believe in Red, to make it back to us."

She wiped away the tears that refused to stop or slow and held Tommy close.  Anson wrapped them both up in his arms and whispered in her ear.  "Give him twelve hours.  Twelve hours and we'll start looking for other options."

No one had been able to find a body.  She chose to see that as a good sign.  It still didn't keep her from a near panic for the next four hours.  Full night had fallen and she was pacing up and down their little house with nervous energy.  Tommy and Anson had curled up together, quietly watching her stress.  She was just about to plead with Anson to help her start searching for her mate after six hours instead of twelve, when Red walked in the door.

He caught her as she slammed against him to hold him close.  Tight enough he wouldn't be able to disappear on her again.  The arm wrapped around her back and the way he breathed her in suggested he felt the same, or at least knew how he had made her feel.  Once she had calmed a little, she actually took in the details of his reappearance as she made room for Tommy and Anson to hug her mate.

He was soaked, like he had just come from the water, smelling of salt and the air before a storm.  In one hand he held netting woven of seaweed, wrapped around two very large eggs.  Once he had been turned loose, he gently set the eggs down in the middle of the floor and folded there himself wearily.  Anson brought a towel to dry him and blankets to warm him.

"Are you okay?  What happened?" she asked.

The story he told pushed the bounds of her ability to believe.  She might have called him crazy if she hadn't seen all the strange creatures and happenings she had.  If she didn't have an entire second life floating around in her memories.  If she couldn't see the incredulous hysteria filling Red's tone and frame.

The rest of their vacation had passed without further incident.  They had taken the eggs home with them and Red had cared for them just as tenderly as he did Tommy.  He and Vivienne found a bigger house to accommodate their growing family and were half moved in when the eggs had hatched.

Vivienne couldn't help but laugh as she had helped lift free a slimy baby Dragon, platinum scales glossy with amniotic fluid and a sheen of colors.  Floppy wet wings smacked against her, helping little claws hold tight as she was leveled with sky blue eyes.  The tiny thrum in the baby's chest brought a little moisture to her eyes.  Red grinned, carefully handling the other baby, dark with blues, greys, and hints of green, and eyes of endless dark.

And just like introducing any new baby, the house had been turned upside down.

She kicked off her shoes and hung up her coat as she listened to Red in the kitchen.  "Ouch.  Tia, either you be more careful or I clip your claws again."  There was an angry hiss.  "Don't back-sass me young lady, that's the deal.  Clipped claws or you stop drawing blood.  Your choice."

Vivienne stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, taking in her mate with the dark-colored baby draped about his shoulders.  A memory surfaced.  Or the memory of a dream?  Something ephemeral and fleeting that only left a vague impression.

"We're missing the apothecary."

Red turned away from the steaks he was cooking to look at her.  "What?"  She didn't manage to answer before Tommy hollered from upstairs.

"Dad!  Baha's trying to eat my homework!"

Red raised his voice back.  "Do not let Baha eat your homework!  I do not want to have that conversation with your teacher.  Again."  He shot Vivienne a plaintive look.  "Help."

Chuckling, she moved forward and held out her hands for the little Dragon chirring on Red's shoulders.  "Come here, Tia."  She happily transferred from Red to Vivienne, thrumming loudly as she made an effort to watch her claws and coil around the back of Vivienne's neck.  Baby successfully received and mate rescued, Vivienne reached up onto her tiptoes to kiss Red.

Vivienne turned to go rescue Tommy next and met Anson coming into the kitchen with Baha in his arms.  Baha trilled when he saw his clutch-mate and they stretched towards each other as they chittered and rattled and clicked.

Anson smiled and leaned in to kiss Vivienne's cheek.  Baha and Tia took the opportunity to press their cheeks together in Dragon affection.  And then both were slithering to the floor to go chasing each other across the kitchen floor.

Red cast a look at the children tumbling around each other behind his heels before lifting his eyes to Vivienne again.  "You said something about an apothecary?"

Vivienne shook her head with a smile.  "Nothing, my love.  I've got all I could ever want.  My happily ever after."

Red grinned, nodding his agreement and satisfaction.  "Just what I was thinking."