Demee
***

Demee sat patiently while Arly combed his hair into a pretty curl. Leyean
was adjusting a lacy shawl around his shoulders. "Hold still a bit longer
Demee," Arly begged, "Almost done."

The boy tried not to fidget. But the appearance of Sasha as he followed his
mother in, set the boys face in motion. "Sasha!" he grinned happily, "I'm
playing with Arly and Leya .. see??"

"Demee!" Leyean said in dismay, "Hold still."

"You're letting 'em make you into a girl!" Sasha said chortling...

Demee frowned slightly, "I'm not a girl .."

"You look like a sissy" the older boy laughed.

"Sasha... be nice," his mother frown, giving him a stern look.

Demee looked at the lacy shawl and ran an hand over his head, mussing the
work the girls had done .. "I'm not a girl!" he quickly pulled the shawl
off and stood running to the boy as the girls murmured unhappily

"You wanna play with me?" he asked the older boy.

"Ah Sasha... we weren't finished yet," Arly complained.

"I'm a boy," Demee told them with such a serious face that the two girls
couldn't help but giggled.

"Why would I want to play with you brat? You're a baby. I've got better
things to do."

"I'm not a baby. I'm 5 years old!" Demee protested and followed the boy.

Sasha rolled his eyes when Demee followed him outside where he'd hoped be
able to get away from him.

Why couldn't the brat just leave him alone?

Why did Uncle Farr'in have to bring him here anyway?

"Where ya going, Sasha? Wanna play tag? Or ball? I can get the ball and we
can play catch?" Demee said, oblivious to the boys trying to get away from
him.

An idea came to him. Why not... "Sure kid get the ball." Sasha told him and
saw the smile on the brats face just before he went after it. He was back
soon and threw the ball to him. surprisingly with a good throw. Sasha
caught the ball and threw it back... several feet over the boys head
causing Demee to have to run after it.

Demee chortled happily and chased the ball running back to throw it to
Sasha yet again.

Again he threw it back over his head and then laughed when the boy once
again had to run after it. Now this could be fun.

Demee chased the ball and ran it back to throw back to Sasha. "I wish my
daddy were here to play with us! This is fun!"

You don't have a daddy!" Sahsa told him, anger mad his words sound harsh.

Demee stopped and frowned, "Do too."

"Do not... your daddy left you and your mama a long time ago," Sasha shot back.

"Not that daddy," Demee told the boy, "Uncle Farr'in .. He's my daddy now .."

"He's not your real daddy... he only took you in because he wanted your
mama and she wouldn't live with him unless you could too... It was your
mama he wanted brat. Not you but he got stuck with you too."

Demee frown, "NO! He wants me! He said so .. he said he's my daddy!"

"And you were dumb enough to believe him," Sasha laughed. "Boy can't you
see how things really are.... What would he want with a baby like you
anyway. If he had wanted a kid of his own he would have had one by now. so
why do you think he keeps sending you over here for Gram's to watch you....
so he can be with your mama without you around. That's why!!"

"They gotta work!" Demee protested, "He does want me .. he does .. He's my
daddy, and you're lyin!"

"Boy are you dumb."

"Am not!"

"Are too... A dumb little baby girl!!"

"Am not!" Demee's eyes filled with tears, "Am not!"

Demee hurled the ball at Sasha, "AM NOT!" he charged at the boy.

Sasha was surprised at the boys attack and wasn't in time to stop the first
few blows that fell, but soon enough recovered and shoved the boy away from
him.

"Don't lie!" Demee shouted, "He loves me! He's my daddy!"

The younger boy charged at the older boy yet again.

"He's not your daddy brat!! He doesn't even want you here and neither does
anyone else!!!"

"He does," Demee cried, "He does!"

"SASHA!!" his mothers angry voice cut across the air and he turned around
to see her and his grandparents standing there behind her.

"That's enough of that! Do you hear me?"

"Well Uncle Farr'in isn't his daddy!"

Demee turned toward the sound Thina's voice and then ran to Danki, "He said
no one wanted me .." He cried as tears ran down his face, "He said I don't
go no daddy .."

"Hush sweetie... it's not true," Danki knelt and opened her arms up to him.
"We all want you. We love you Demee and Farr'in loves you most of all. He
told you him self that he was your daddy right?"

Demee sniffled and nodded, "And I'm not a baby girl .."

"See ... then you know it's true if Farr'in said it was so. and no... you
are not a baby but a fine young man, with much better manors then someone
else I know right now," she wiped at his tears with a cloth and gather him
into her arms as she stood. On her way back inside she passed by Sasha who
stood there glaring at the boy. "I think someone else could learn a few
manners around here."

Demee tightened his grip around her neck, "I love you, Gramma .."

"And I love you too sweetie," she said as she entered their home, but not
before Sasha heard her say it and it just angered the boy more.

Thina turned back to her son. "How could you? If I hadn't heard you saying
what you did with my own ears I never would have believed you could ever
have done anything so cruel. He's just a boy who is in a strange new place
and he needs comforting.... not lies from you!"

Danki wouldn't have believed her grandson's actions if she hadn't heard for
herself how he had teased the boy. Never would have thought he could be so
cruel, when all Demee had wanted was to be friends. she knew the little one
looked up to his new cousin.

"There, there Demee.... You know Farr'in loves you. He said so and he
wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it. Right?" she set the boy down on
a high stood and handed him a cookie and a glass of milk. A mothers comfort
supply.

"But he said....." Demee sobbed. "That my daddy only took me causeān he
couldn't have my mommy without taking me too."

"Well that's simply not true and I should know because I'm his mother and
he wouldn't lie to me," she assured him.

"I know that Farr'in has always wanted a little boy just like you to love
and now he has you and your mommy to love."

Demee looked up into the soft, wrinkled face of Farr'in's mother and tried
not to cry. He didn't want to be baby, "How come Sasha doesn't like me.."

"Oh sweetie...I don't think it's that he doesn't like you," she told him.
"You see Sasha used to have big brother who he loved a lot and well...
My'kel isn't here any more and I think Sasha just misses him.  I think you
sort of remind him of My'kel a little bit."

"Did he leave too?" Demee asked thinking of his first father who had left him.

"Mumm yes he did. He and his dragon had to go away to a place," Danki told
him.

"He won't come back?"

"No... he won't ever come back and I think that's why Sasha is sad. You
know Arly and Leyean lost their mommy too right?"

"They can't find her?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well... " how was she going to say this. She didn't know if she had the
right to be the one telling him this, but what other way could she put it.
"You know how your mama and you daddy ride dragons?"

"Oh yes.. On Vonn and Tergath. They're nice dragons .. Tergath likes to
tell stories." Demee nodded

"Yes he does doesn't he?" Danki grinned for a moment. "Now.. do you know
what they do when they leave you here with me and go flying off on their
dragons?"

Demee nodded, "They keep bad things out of the warren."

"That's right they try to keep bad things out of the Warren and protect
others who live in the Landborn Nations."

Demee nodded, "Like grampa Harkon. But mommy doesn't like him much."

"And with good reason to I'm sure," Danki fought to keep her dislike of the
man out of her tone. "But sometimes.. things don't go the way we hope that
the will and a dragon and their rider have to go away. That's what happen
to Sasha's brother and the girls mother. "

Demee nodded, "Did they do bad things so they can't come back? I think my
first daddy did something bad .. that's why he's gone."

"I'm sure he didn't do anything bad... he just couldn't stay and he knew
your mommy would look after you and love you. Sometimes grown ups have to
do things they don't want to do. I'm sure you're first daddy didn't want to
leave you. He just had no choice."

"I don't think he's comin' back either.. but I don't care. I have Daddy
Farr'in .." he frowned slightly "Even if Sasha doesn't think so."

"Well you don't mind what Sasha thinks... I know you daddy Farr'in loves
you and he just can't wit to come home to you so he can hug you and tell
you how much he loves you," Danki said firmly. "Why I bet that at right
this very minute he is thinking of you and wishing he was home with you."

"I wish he was home too.." Demee said settling in to a comfortable position
on her lap

Danki wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I wish he was home
too my sweet. But you're not to worry now you hear. They'll both be home
soon and I know the first thing they'll want is to see you."

A tiny voice came from the door way. "Grams... is Demee okay?" Arly and
Leyean stood there looking in on them. Dnaki turned to look at the twins
and could see the concern and worry on their faces. We were worried about
him," Arly spoke up.

Demee looked up at the sound of their voices, he turned and smiled at them,
"Where'd ya go?"

Leyean entered the room first and came to stand next to their chair. "We
was waiting with Gramps... but then Aunt Thina wanted to speak with him so
we....."

"....came to see if you were all right.... " Arly finished what her twin
had started, making Demee laugh.

"Yea we were worried and wanted you to know that we love you too."

Demee scrambled off Danki's lap and hugged the girls, then stood there
eyeing them. "Let's play... but no more dress up! I'm a boy!"

"Well of course you are silly!" the girls bot agreed in unison..."Let's
play catch!!

Regards,
Demee and his new cousins
***
NRPG: This was co-written by myself and Barb :) Thanks Barb!

Kris
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       \oo/     Kristen Gant
        ~~      (AKA: Darlea & Makayla, Keldarra Warren, Courier
                      Waylene & Aura, Marrid Warren, Warrenlady
                      Meena & Vonn, Norwall Warren, Wingleader
                      Kalewyn & Sabbith, Telnor Warren, Dragonrider
                      Saul & Fayloth, Whiteriver Warren, Searcher
                      Merybelle Barmen, City of Ralengarde, Innkeeper
                      Ce'lot & Britche, Xylain Warren, Wingleader
                http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/Kris/kris.htm
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