**Remembering Lenna**

"Hey Lonnie I haven't seen you around much lately," a very sexy female voice
said from behind him as he sat at a table in the dining hall waiting for
Maddy to show up. "I was beginning to think you'd moved away or fallen in love."

"Hello Gina," Lonnie returned the greeting and couldn't help but smile back
at her as she sat down a little to closely beside him. Once he had enjoyed
her company. They'd had some fun together, but now all he could think about
was Maddy and how much he cared about her. Gina suddenly paled in comparisons.

"Hello Gina?" she frown. "Is that all the greeting I get from you?"

"Sorry," he said and put some space between them, then his smile grew soft
to erase the sting of his moving. "But You were right...And I'm sorry
but...Well you see the reason I haven't been around is that I have met
someone who I think is  pretty special and..."

"You!" the girl laughed as if she thought it was a great joke. "Oh come on
Lonnie... I've been dumped before but do you have to make up another woman
to do it? I mean I know you too well you know. You wouldn't know how to be
faithful to one woman."

As she spoke she moved her hand up to touch his chest and began to massage
it just like she used to before they would leave where ever they were and
find someplace to themselves.
Only this time he didn't seem to respond the way she remembered. 

She tried harder, leaning towards him and brushing her breast against his
arm to see if the touch sparked any memories of how good they had been together.

"Now Gina..." he tut-tutted. And again put some space between them. "I mean
it. I really did find someone and well I'm going to be serious with her and
not fool around with anyone else."

The girl's lips twisted up in a unbelieving grin. "Oh boy who are you trying
to kid. Like I said... I know you to well by now Lonnie and you never were
one to turn down a good time."

Lonnie stood. He was trying to be nice to and let her down easily. It was
true that they had had a few good times together, but that was all over now
that Maddy was in his life. He didn't think she'd be too understanding if he
continued to mess around with other women... And truth be told... All other
women paled next to her. The only one he wanted to spend time with was Maddy.

"Sorry Gina... I'm sure there are others who wouldn't mind spending some
time with you. We did have some fun together," he smiled remembering. "But I
really do care about this girl and I don't want to mess things up. So..."

"So we can still be friends right?" she asked rolling her eyes to let him
know what she thought of that idea.

"Friends sure," he agreed quickly. "I'd like that. But for now on my
heart... and body belong to one woman." 

He waved briefly and walked away, wondering where Maddy was just then.

<Forget the woman right now!> Meritanth's excited voice entered his mind...
<You need to get your love sick but over to Tergath and Vonn's Apartment!
They hatchling was just born!!>

<<Meena had her baby!>> he changed directions and headed out to the green at
a run. 

Meritanth
**********  

<* Meri... can you get your rider to come here now? *> Vonn bespoke the
blue-green dragon as he laid on the green soaking up the last of the days sun.

<Sure I can. But why?> Meri asked her.

<* My rider's had her hatching! *> the albino dragon told him, and he could
hear the excitement in her mind tone. <And she and Tergath's rider want your
rider to come see her! They have something special planned and they have to
have him here to hear it.>

<What is it?> Meri asked. He loved surprises, but hated not knowing what
they were before hand.

<* You'll have to wait and see the same as your rider, *> Vonn chuckled. <*
I wouldn't want you to spoil the surprise. *>

<Oh all right. I'll tell him right away... and you tell your rider that it's
wonderful news from all of us!....... My rider... forget the woman right
now... You need to get your.....>

Lonnie
******* 

HE hurried as fast as he could. Something in Meri's tone bothered him. There
was something the darn dragon wasn't telling him and now he was worried.

What if something had happened to the baby? What if it had been born sick...
Was it too soon for it to be born?

He noticed Dan'yar's brown dragon, Shinner already there. So were the twin
dragons of his nieces. That led him to believe his parents were already
there too. Dan'yar would have gone by to get them if he valued his life.

He didn't even stop when he came to the door. Just plowed his way inside and
had to grab on to the door frame to stop himself from running into the back
of his brother Turner. 

"Woah son!" Yarik frown shaking his head at his youngest sons behavior.
"Slow down inside of the cave..... Didn't your mother teach you anything?"

"But the baby... Meri said..." he started trying to catch the breath he lost
during his helter-skelter run to get there.

"The baby is fine," his mother said, pushing her mate aside to come stand by
Lonnie's side and taking his arm, she led him further into the room until he
was standing there before the proud parents and a nephew who's face wore a
*very pleased with myself* smile.

"Meena you. The baby... both... okay?" he questioned even as his eyes sought
and beheld the tiny little blond headed bundle laying a sleep in her mothers
arms.

By the Gods she was beautiful. So much like... A strange feeling over came
him, and he felt a presence inside of him that was all to familiar. 

He moved forward as if drawn by some unseen hand, and then his legs suddenly
felt to unsteady to hold him up and he felt his body sliding to rest on his
knees before them. 

"She's doing fine Lonnie," Farr'in told him from where he stood behind his
mate with his hand protectively resting on her shoulder. "Both of my girl's
are doing fine. Thanks to Sasha here for all the help he gave them during
the delivery. You should have seen him. I've very proud right now to call
him my nephew, and cousin to our daughter."

Sasha's grin widen even more.

Then Farr'in looked down into first Demee's grinning eyes, then Meena's and
with a warm tender smile, nodded his head. Not that Lonnie had noticed the
exchange. His eyes had never left the baby's face.

"We wanted you all here together to hear what we've decided to call her,"
Farr'in said, his voice full of emotion and for a moment he wondered if he
could go on. Then he felt Meena's hand slip over his and at her reassuring
touch, turned back to those in the room waiting.

But it was Meena who spoke up.

"When Demee and I first came here to Cleft scared and afraid of what was
going to become of us, your family stood beside us and gave us all the love
and support any person could hope for," she said softly, but didn't need to
speak any louder for all were listing to her words. 

"You not only looked after us, but accepted us into you family when Farr'in
and I discovered our love for eachother, and took us in as if we've always
been apart of this family."

"That was the easy part Meena dear," Danki spoke up for the family. "The two
of you are easy to love."

Lonnie was still on his knees, eyes focused on the baby before him, even
though he could hear the words being spoken around him. 

"And we will always be grateful for your love and support. When Farr'in and
I first found out we were going to be having this baby..." she paused and
smiled warmly down at her new daughter. "We had a long discussion about what
to name her if she was a girl... and we think we've come up with a name that
speaks of honor. Farr'in..."

All eyes turned to look up at the stocky bearded dragonrider. Tears fell
from his blue eyes as they looked down at his youngest brother. For this
would mean more to him then any one.

"We've decides to call her Melenna..."

"Oh that's a lovely name!" Danki cried softly, as surprised as everyone
else. Her eyes went first to give thanks to her son and his mate the focused
on her youngest son to see his reaction.

Others acknowledged the naming with approval but they too looked a Lonnie to
see how he would take it.

"Melenna..." Lonnie felt a jolt course through his body. Pain pleasure hit
him all at once. How dare they do this! If was almost as if they were saying
she was dead... But no, a more rational part of him pushed a thought into
his mind. They weren't saying that at all. They were remembering her.
Honoring Lenna for the person she had been. It was a kind thing that Farr'in
& Meena did for her... for him. Gods how he missed her. His head shot up and
their eyes met. "For ... Lenna? Thank you."

"To remember and honor her by," Farr'in told him praying Lonnie would accept
and love his daughter. This name sake of one no longer with them, but still
much loved. Lenna his dear twin. Farr'in hoped his daughter could help fill
part of the empty space her leaving had left in the younger man. Even if
just a small part.

Lonnie bowed his head. His eyes filled with tears as it sank in. For Lenna.
They had named her for Lenna. What a wonderful, caring thing to do. Lenna
would have been pleased and proud.

"Lenna would have told you, you were crazy to wish her name  on anyone,"
Lonnie's voice was husky when he spoke. "But I know she would have been
proud of the honor. Just as I am for her now."

He stood then. Reached out and drew his hand gently down the side of Meena's
face in a soft cares. His smile sad as he then looked up and saw the
understanding in his brothers eyes. He nodded, unable to say anything at the
moment, but Farr'in understood. The slowly his eyes fell back to the little
baby Meena was holding and he bent low over his new niece and places a soft
light kiss on her forehead. "Welcome to our family Melenna my sweet. You
will be loved by all, and twice by me for being so special."

Then half in shock, he turned and left the apartment. He needed to be alone. 

"Lonnie?" Farr'in took a step to go after him, but his mother caught his arm. 

"No Farr'in let him go," Danki told him when she saw his concern. "Lonnie
will be all right but he needs this time to himself right now. What you
did... What the two of you did in naming your daughter after ... Lenna was
... Bless you both." And then she too let her tears flow and felt Yarik's
arms pull her close to comfort her.

"Thank you son," Farr'in's father held out his hand. "And you Meena,
daughter of my heart. This family was surely blessed the day you and young
Demee here came into our lives. For that we will always be grateful."

The twins not wanting to be left out, moved from where they had been
standing next to their father and came to kneel in front of Meena. 

"She's so beautiful," Arly whispered softly, not wanting to wake the
sleeping babe. 

"You will let us baby-sit her sometime won't you Demee," Leyean smiled at
her cousin. "I mean your not going to hog this sweet little thing all to
yourself just because she's your sister right?"

"Well I don't mind if mommy and daddy say it's'kay, but," and then Demee
grinned, and looked up at his male cousin. "You might haf'ta fight Sasha
over her. Mommy said he's gunna be her ... God-daddy... is that right mommy?"

"God-father," Meena corrected him. "That is if Sasha will accept."

"Will I!!" she stunned boy spoke up quickly and everyone saw his chest
expand in pride from the request.  "You'll help me be a good
...god-father... won't you Demee?" Sasha asked wanting to let the boy know
he wouldn't be forgotten for the new baby.

The others stayed just a bit longer, as they could see Meena was tired, and
they family needed some time alone. Sasha didn't want to leave with his mom,
he was still having a hard time believing what he had helped to do, but went
with her anyway.

"I'm very proud of you son," she hugged him to her on the walk home. "You
were very grown up back in there tonight and showed great responsibility. I
don't know of any adult that could have done a better job of it and kept
their cool so well."

"I'll tell you mom, I was really scared," he finally admitted. "But no one
else was there to help aunt Meena and I couldn't just leave her. But is was
really something, and I was glad when Uncle Farr'in got there, but I
couldn't leave until I knew Aunt Meena was going to be all right."

"No I can see where you couldn't," she remarked, knowing she'd have stayed
also. "Still I'm very proud of you."

............. 

Meri was waiting for his rider when Lonnie appeared outside. Silently he
waited until his rider had mounted and then took to the air and without
being asked he flew them to a place he knew his rider loved to come to, to
think.

< Ayesha... Can you hear me?> Meri sent the urgent request to the Queen.

< *I hear you Meri... and can tell by your tone that something is wrong.
What is it? *>

<It's my rider. He just found out that Tergath and Vonn's rider have named
their new hatchling after his twin sibling and he is sad.> Meri told her. <I
don't think he should be alone right now and want to ask if you would ask
your rider to come to him... if she cares about him.>

<* I will ask her Meri. But I do not understand why your rider should be sad
over this, *> the Queen puzzled. <* I would have thought he would be pleased. *>

<He is... deep inside... But he misses Lenna and while others might think
she is gone... My rider won't believe it. He thinks she will come back with
her dragon Blanchie one day.>

<* And what do you believe Meri? *>

<I believe they will return here to us who love them. And as long as my
rider believes it so will I. Please tell her to come. He needs her right now
for things I can't give him.>

Lonnie dismounted without thought when Meri set down. He didn't know, didn't
care where they were as his heart was heavy and his tears blinded his eye.

He stumbled and fell to his knees. His hands came up to cover his face as he
let the hurt inside of him free at last.

"Oh Lenna... where are you!" he cried. "You should have been here to see
her...  Melenna... " His link to his twin suddenly felt stronger then ever
before and somehow he knew her spirit was with him just then. "Gods sis I
miss you... you don't know how much I miss you."

"I'm sure she does Lonnie," a voice said softly from behind him and in the
next second he felt comforting arms go around his shoulders as Maddy knelt
down in front of him. 

His arms moved up and he clung to her, accepting the comfort she offered
until his tears dried up and he felt he could think straight again. 

"You would have loved her," he said in a choked whisper, his fore-head
pressed tightly against her breast as she held him in her arms. Both of you
stubborn and madding at times, but both full of love and warmth."

Maddy chuckled. "I'm sure I would have from all you've told me about her."

"Farr'in and Meena... they named their baby after her Maddy. After Lenna...
they called her Melenna."

"I'm sure she'll live up to the honor."

"God's I hope not!" Lonnie declared more in control of himself now, and
pushed himself back a bit. "One Lenna was hard enough to deal with when she
was in a temper. I wouldn't wish that on her parents at all!"

The were both quiet for a moment and then Lonnie spoke up again. "I ran out
on them Maddy. Right after learning her name... I ran like a scared fool...
they must think I'm an idiot."

[ Tag KK... any words of wisdom for him?]

***Submitted by: ****

Lonnie & Meritanth
&  Family
Cleft Warren

Aka
Barbara