The door shut with a quiet thud, in direct contrast to the beating of
his heart.

Gerald was aghast. Not only had he done this thing with Jayleigh, on
her desk in her office, of all places! R'ven had seen them. He was surely 
going to catch it now.

And what in the world would he tell Kiree?

He looked down, still full of anger and shame at himself, to stare into 
the eyes of the woman below him. Mastering himself, he calmed down and 
tried to withdraw from the warrenlady; she was having none of it, however.
He winced as she tightened her hold on him, his back sending him unhappy
signals.

"No matter what you think about me right now," she started to 
say, her hands clasping the sides of his face to force him to 
meet her eyes. "I wanted you! I wasn't thinking of anyone else 
but you when you were inside me. I couldn't help myself Gerald.
I love it when you touch me, when I touch you. You do things to me... "

"What about Tair'n," he asked, "Where does this leave him?"

"I love Tair'n," she told him. "But at the same time I have feelings for
 you too."

"Because I can please you in bed?" he snapped back at her.

"No!"

"Will you tell Tair'n about this happening between us tonight?"
 his question was almost a dare.

"Yes, I will," she told him. "But somehow I don't think Tair'n 
will be too surprised. He asked me today if I enjoined making 
love to you."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Yes." she said in a quiet voice. "I told him yes. And I do. 
Very much, but it's more than that, I just like being around 
you. That's why I wanted you as my escort. I feel safe when 
I'm with you."

"So what are you suggesting?" he asked. "That maybe we share 
you...I get you the first three nights and him the next three? 
Or maybe we'll go week to week, how's that sound to you? Maybe 
he can have you during the day light hours one week and I'll 
take the nights...then after a few days we'll switch."

"Stop it Gerald!" she cried unable to take his sarcastic tone of 
voice any longer. "What would you have me do? I can't help the 
way I feel. I can't give up Tair'n and I don't want to give you 
up either. Gods!!! Velara must be up there somewhere laughing her 
old head off  to see me in this fix. I care deeply about the both 
of you in different ways. But_what_ would_you_have_me_do?"

Gerald withdrew from her this time, turning his back so she couldn't see the
pain on his features. He heard her gasp as she saw the scratches she had left
on him. 

"It was a mistake to do this," he uttered. "All I've done is made things 
worse."

"It was *not* a mistake! I enjoyed it! *You* enjoyed it!! I know what you
felt, and vice versa. Gods, what are we going to do? You know you want 
me!!"

He clenched his fists. "Gods help me, I do. I don't know what to do, either.
What about Tair'n and R'ven?"

"What do you mean?"

He spun around. "You know what I mean. Are they still going to be together, 
even after you and Tair'n have started something?"

"I...still don't know. But to be honest, I couldn't keep him from seeing
R'ven, I just couldn't."

Gerald nodded his head. "So. Nothing has changed. You were prepared to make
this total sacrifice for Tair'n because you love him, but he doesn't feel 
like doing the same. I said this before, this morning. Don't you see? You're
committing to him, and he's not. He's using you."

"He is not!"

"Of course he is!" Why belabour the obvious? She would never see it. "Fine,
let me put it another way. You're making a commitment to him, at my expense,
or at least you wanted to before this afternoon. *He* doesn't see it that
way. Don't expect him to make that kind of sacrifice for you, because it
won't happen."

"This still doesn't answer what you would have me do."

It was so *hard* to say it! Gerald worked up his courage, pausing for a 
moment...when he spoke, his voice was almost as steady as he wanted.

"Earlier, I said that when you realized you made a mistake, I would be 
waiting. I was wrong. I want you now, even though you love Tair'n. You
can fall head over heels for him, its too late for me to stop you, but 
I still want you." He advanced to her, holding her arms. Her neck stretched
upwards as she looked up at his face. He was struck by just how much 
height and size he had compared to her; now that she was warrenlady, she
was larger than life in his thoughts, he guessed. "After today, I know
that I mean more to you than just a warm body in bed. You have to decide
what you want. Remember, you're the only one who is wanting to commit to
the exclusion of all else. If you choose Tair'n, I can't do anything about
it. If you choose me, well, I doubt that will happen. Maybe you'll reconsider
how you want things to be, and choose us both. I happen to believe that 
having you some of the time is better than not at all."

"What about your new bed mate?" He couldn't miss the hurt in her voice.

"You were jealous!"

"No! I was hurt...that you found someone else so quickly."

Gerald chuckled. "Jayleigh, I'm beginning to see that we are a lot more 
alike than I care to think." He turned, dressed. As the warrenlady began to 
do the same, he said, "I don't know what to say to Kiree. It's a horrible
thing, starting a relationship because you're...jealous of someone else.
But I don't know how she feels about me, either; maybe she doesn't care."

"I doubt that."

He turned and kissed her. This time she responded immediately; Gerald could 
feel the heat building again in his loins...he broke the kiss and said,
"Think about it. But please, don't leave me hanging. Decide what you want
to do so we can move on, one way or another." With that, he left.

<Good show, Gerald. Could it be that I no longer have to worry so much 
about you?>

*I doubt it.* Almost immediately, he felt the pulse of heat through him, 
as Random took off into the air. *Not now...who is it?*

<Salanth flies!>

*No, no! I haven't explained things to her...we can't do this!!*

<I will win her!>

There was no arguing with his dragon's passion. Gerald's mind flew with 
Random, following every twist and weave...it was a long flight, and he 
was as exhausted as his dragon when Random finally dropped out and glided 
to the ground.

<I am sorry, my rider. I failed.>

*That's okay, Random. It would have complicated things with her rider
tremendously.*

<What do I care of that? Ah, to mate with Salanth...>

Well, that postponed the talk he was going to have with Kiree. Gerald sat,
dejected. Things were so complicated, now...and it all started with a 
simple mating flight. What was he going to do?

G'ther would know. Gerald rose, crossed quickly to his dragon.

*Can you fly, my heart?*

<Barely.>

*****************

"Damn, we were close. One of these days, we'll get someone. We're not too 
old yet." G'ther paced, his balding head shining in the light. "I have to 
work off some of this energy. So, explain your problem to me."

Gerald did. By the time he was finished, G'ther was collapsed in a chair.

"It's not so damned funny!"

"Gods. It. Is." G'ther managed to choke out between fits of laughter.
"How do you do it?"

"Well, what am I going to do? She wants me, and she wants Tair'n."

That finally sobered up the man. "Yep, that's the only serious thing about 
this. You're sure she's fallen for him? Well, I see that you think so. She's
setting herself up to be hurt." G'ther's eyes glinted. "The boy has 
impressive leadership qualities-hell, I voted for him, same as the others-
but as far as I'm concerned, the only person he cares about is Tair'n.
She may have the hots for him, but if he's sleeping with her its because
he's getting something out of it, somehow."

"I was about to tell her that, but I didn't bother. She wouldn't have 
listened, and it would have made me look really bad."

"That, boy, is discretion. You're learning fast." G'ther sighed. "Well, if 
she has a lick of sense, she'll realize it and dump him soon. You can't 
rush it, she has to decide for herself. In the meantime, I still think you 
have a chance, if you know the answer to something."

"What's that?"

"Are Tair'n and Jayleigh mates?"

"I...don't know that."

"You better find out. If they're not, then Jayleigh will come around to you,
or at least won't feel guilty about sharing you. If they are, then you
don't have much of a chance."

"I don't think Jayleigh knows, either."

"Then I suggest that it's high time you talked to Tair'n and see what he's
expecting."

*************

"Knock knock."

"Come in!" Tair'n's voice sounded almost desperate. Gerald forced a smile as 
he walked back to the bedroom.

There he was, stretched out in the bed, looking a little ashen from pain.
The warmth of his voice hinted at just how bored he had been. "Gerald!
Haven't seen you in a while. Come to pay a visit?"

"I, um, wanted to see what a stabbed person looked like." He shook his head
and clucked. "Not good."

"Oh, I'll be up and around soon enough, trust me. I'll be back to beating 
you in footraces in no time." They both chuckled. Their semi-occasional
footraces had usually turned out to be all-out long distance sprints,
neither one really wanting to lose. No clear winner, either; their 
running speeds were just too close.

"So, wanted to see the invalid?"

"No, I um...well..."

"...wanted to talk about Jayleigh."

Gerald felt a stab of guilt. "Um, yeah. I have to tell you something, and
I'm not sure how you're going to take it."

"Go ahead. If it kills me, make sure to sing a nice one at my funeral."

"That's not funny."

"Must be losing my touch. What is it?"

"Well, I, um, sort of, um, slept with Jayleigh."

"I know you did. I also know you know about she and I."

"I mean, this afternoon."

"This afternoon?" Tair'n's voice sounded strained. Gerald looked at him, 
seeing the concern.

"Please don't be mad. I hadn't planned it, it just happened." He was 
interrupted by...chuckling? Yes, Tair'n was grinning.

"You're not mad?"

"Ah, Gerald, hah. Why should I be? That's funny...our esteemed Warrenlady, 
denying every moment that she's anything like Velara...and doing this..."
He chuckled harder, until a spasm of pain crossed his face. 

"I'm sorry." Gerald looked around for medicine, a pillow, alcohol, anything...

"Don't worry, it comes and goes." Tair'n stared at him. "So what are you 
going to do?"

"What do you mean?" This conversation was mystifying. Why wasn't he mad?

"You know very well. It sounds like Jayleigh likes you. She's already told
me she enjoys making love to you. She loves me." Gerald waited for Tair'n to 
drop the other shoe, say he loved her, but it never came.

"And..." he prompted.

"And, what are you going to do? I'm not put off by this. You don't sound 
like you're going to try and take her, so what are you suggesting? That we
share her?" His eyes sparkled, almost. "I'm not against that. I happen to 
*like* the thought of us sharing." He stared at Gerald again. The bard had
never been stared at with quite that...intensity...before by a man; he 
blushed.

"I don't know what to do. I don't think Jayleigh would do that, but I'm 
not sure...I need to know something. Are you two...mates?"

That stopped Tair'n. "I don't know yet." He looked at Gerald. "Does that
make you feel better?"

"As well as I can with this mess. I swear, Tair'n, I wasn't looking for this.
I really don't know what to do. I...she...we...enjoy it," he finished
lamely.

"We'll talk."

"Thanks." Gerald turned to go, then hesitated at the doorway. He gripped the
jamb, muscles tightening as he fought with his conscience...

"I really don't want to hurt her, whatever happens. I don't want *anyone*
to hurt her," he added as he looked back at the man on the bed.

Tair'n looked at him, expressionless. "Me neither," he said. Gerald nodded,
left. The evening air felt cool against his face as he exited...

=====================

Hope I got that right, Lyn! Tag :) 

	Respectfully submitted by:
	Allen Veazey
	wolf@dbtech.net
	Warrenlady Phaedra and Melith (Geode); Gerald and Random (Daere)
	Ash'chenon  (Telnor); B'rand and Rook (Cleft)
	Orbus of Amber (Amber)
	Geode Warren Page: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3043/crystal.html
	
     "Fortunately, ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency."
			--Foghorn Leghorn