[NRPG: For Telnor-ites, this is the day before the day we're on-- the day 
of Tes's memorial and the attack on Laya.  For Marriders, this is maybe 4 
or 5 PM, an hour or two after the surgery on Shep Swordson was complete.]

[B'rin]

B'rin and Diana stood awkwardly looking at each other.  Her hair was golden 
and her eyes green.  She was quite pretty.  And young.  At least, she was 
compared to his mother.  She was also quite huge with pregnancy and B'rin's 
mind carefully avoided thinking about how that had happened.  He didn't 
want to like her.  Though he knew it wasn't the truth, he still felt she 
had stolen his father from him.

She held out her hand.  "Hello, B'rin, good to meet you."  As he shook her 
hand she continued, "I hope everything is all right at home."  She looked 
at his father as she asked this.

"Everything is fine," Papa assured her.  "B'rin just wanted to come visit."

B'rin glanced at his father, relieved that his problems wouldn't be dragged 
out and paraded before his father's new mate.

She stretched, her back obviously hurting from being dragonback for a 
while.  "Can we go back to the apartment and maybe have dinner?  I would 
like to get to know you a little better, B'rin.  That is, if you have time."

B'rin hesitated, unsure he wanted to spend time with this woman.  But, if 
he left now, he wouldn't see more of his father till his next visit.  He 
nodded.  "I don't have to be back until later."

They climbed aboard their respective dragons and headed for the apartment.  
They landed and his father went over to help Diana down from Zena.  B'rin 
watched them, not knowing how to feel.  His father was happy because of 
her.  His father was happy because she was having his children.  But what 
of him?  What of Laria and Ph'let?  Were they to be forgotten for this new 
mate and these new children?

"I need to go get cleaned up," Diana said.  "Been flying patrol there at 
the Cavern for a while today."  When his father looked at her 
questioningly, Diana explained, "One of the other riders was ill, so I 
stayed in the air a little longer each time, before breaking to help make 
up for it."

Papa frowned at that idea.  "You know you are supposed to be on short 
patrols.  The babies--"

Diana interrupted, "-- are fine."  She smiled at him then looked at B'rin.  
"Your father is a worrier.  I'll be back in a few moments."  She walked out 
of the room rubbing her back.

His father and he headed for the kitchen, beginning to gather things 
together to make a simple meal.  B'rin remembered back when they had done 
this at home... was it really so long ago?

Suddenly from the doorway, Diana gasped, "Trey?"

They turned around to see Diana standing in the doorway, her face contorted 
in pain and grasping her abdomen.

"Diana!"  Papa rushed to her side, dropping the bowl that he had been 
holding, pasta falling to the floor.

Diana straightened up slightly and looked at him with a lopsided grimace.  
"I think it's time."

She was going to have the babies now?  It was unthinkable.  B'rin stood 
frozen in horror, as his father reacted.

"Okay, how far apart are the contractions?"

"I... don't know, maybe once every ten minutes," she answered, her face 
white with fear.  "It's too early."

"It'll be okay.  We need to get you to the Medical Center at once.  I'll 
take you over on Roth.  B'rin, help me.  B'rin!"

B'rin snapped out of his paralysis.  "What?"

"Take care of the stove and then come help me get Diana on Koroth, okay?"

"Right.  Stove.  Koroth.  Got it."

He quickly pulled the pans off the woodburning stove, leaving the fire to 
burn itself out, then dashed into the dragon cave.  His father and Diana had 
just made it to Koroth's side.  Papa climbed up first, then held his hand 
down for Diana.  B'rin helped her into his father's arms.

He watched as Koroth took off, then Kalon landed.

<Come on, B'rin!  Don't you want to see?>

<I, ummmm...>

<Koroth tells me your father would like you there.>

B'rin sighed.  <All right, all right, I'm coming.>

******

[Sina]

Sina sat up at the bugling of a dragon and stepped outside to see the blue 
and cream Koroth land.  Tr'etram slid off and then helped Diana down.  Sina 
could see by the whiteness of Diana's face that something was wrong.  She 
ran over to help.

"Sina, Diana's gone into labour," Tr'etram explained.

"It's too early," Diana gasped out.  She was holding on to her mate as if 
to life itself.

Sina quickly got them inside and called for some help.  "Okay," she said to 
the labouring woman, "lie down and relax and don't push."

D'ssarian stepped in, his hand bandaged.  "What have we got?"

"She's in labour.  And what are you still doing here?"

D'ssarian's presence seemed to have a calming effect somehow.  Ignoring his 
daughter's question, he turned to Diana.  "How far along are you now?"

"Seven months," she answered.

He nodded.  "Okay.  I'm going to use a drug to slow down the labour, and 
another that will strengthen the babies' lungs, otherwise they're not 
likely to survive."

"But with the drug, they'll be okay?" Tr'etram asked.

D'ssarian patted Diana's hands reassuringly.  "They'll be better.  I won't 
claim perfection.  I'll be right back."

He stood and stepped out, followed by Sina.  "What are you still doing 
here?" she hissed when they had stepped out.

"It's still my shift.  You didn't think a little injury was going to do me in?"

"Where's C'tain, or Arri, or that new healer?"

"C'tain is asleep in his office, since he worked when he should have been 
sleeping.  Arri has had a bad experience with Tr'etram and I'd rather not 
have a repeat.  Lakoda doesn't know Diana's medical history and this is no 
time for her to be learning it.  That, my dear Sina, leaves me and you.  I 
expect you to be my hands for this, okay?"

Sina nodded.  "I'll go get a couple of assistants."  She turned to leave 
and nearly walked into a rather awkward-looking boy of perhaps fourteen.  
"Can I help you?"

"Ummm... yeah.  I'm Tr'etram's son, B'rin.  I... umm."

"Oh, were you wanting to be present for the birth?"

His eyes widened in horror and the blood drained from his face.  For a 
moment, she thought he was going to faint at the thought.  "No!  I just...  
Is there somewhere quiet where I could wait for him?"

She chuckled.  "You may be waiting a while, hon, but sure.  There's a 
padded bench just outside their room."  She pointed.

"Thanks."  He headed off and she went on her way as well.

******

[Suayla]

She awoke in the middle of the cold, stone floor.  She had lain down to 
rest a moment and had drifted off.  She had rolled over on her paintbrush 
and could picture the streak of green paint that must now adorn her face.

"Hello?"  She stood and glanced about, listening.  The apartment was silent. 
 She stepped into the main room, but it was dark.  There was a light on in 
the kitchen.  She stepped into the kitchen.  A bowl and a pile of noodles 
lay on the floor.  A pan with some sort of cheese sauce had been set off to 
the side.

"Hello?" she repeated, puzzled.

The bedroom, bathroom and dragon's den were equally empty.

Finally, she stepped out onto the ledge and looked about.  She could see 
lights in the apartment next door.  Who lived there?

She wracked her brain.  It was the new wingsecond.  Daniel... no... 
Darrin... no, that was Diana's first mate... David.  That was it.  David 
and... Amanda?... Minda?... no...  It was no use.  She had been holed up all 
the time they had lived there and she had never met David's mate.

"Hello!  David!  Anyone?"

A dragon poked its head out and gazed at her.  She knew a few dragons 
understood human speech.  She hoped this one did, or at least would tell 
its rider that some strange woman was yelling at it.

"Hello, there.  Could you go get your rider?  I seem to have been abandoned 
here."

******

[Seventeen hours later]

[Trey]

"I see the head!  It's crowning!"

Diana was practically screaming from the pain, face sheened with sweat, as 
Trey knelt between her legs.

"One more push, come on, you can do it," he encouraged as the head slipped 
back momentarily.

She let out an unintelligible sound, then the tiny head emerged.  It seemed 
to freeze there for a moment, with its father's hands cradling it, then the 
shoulders slipped out and it slid into his waiting hands.

The room seemed to fall silent as they waited.

"Come on, little one," Trey crooned as he cleared the slime from in front 
of its blue lips.  The baby grimaced at the touch and then they all 
distinctly heard its first breath, followed by the unmistakeable wail of a 
newborn.

They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's a girl," Trey said.

Diana laughed with joy, and then tensed again.

"Okay," D'ssarian said, wiping her face, "one more time, and it's all over."

******

He stepped out to see his son stretched along the padded bench, snoring 
softly.  He wondered if B'rin had ever had dinner.  Or breakfast.  "B'rin."  
He shook the boy gently.

B'rin's grey eyes opened, looking disoriented.  "Wha... what?"

Trey smiled gently.  "Come meet your new sisters."

B'rin scrambled to stand, straightening his clothes and running a hand 
through his unruly hair.  "Sisters?"

"Identical twin girls."

B'rin smiled in spite of himself.  "Really?"

Trey laughed and clapped his son on the shoulder.  "Come see."

They stepped into the room where Diana lay exhausted but still beaming, her 
arms full with two bundles.  Trey gently took one and laid it in B'rin's 
arms, adjusting his son's hold just a little.  "This is Treanya."

B'rin looked down into wide blue eyes.  A small wisp of blond hair was 
laying against her cheek, having escaped the cap she had on her head.  She 
was so tiny, only halfway to his elbow from the tip of his fingers.  "She's 
so small."

"Excuse me?"

Trey looked up to see a face he hadn't seen in many months.  "Retala?"

"Trey, how good to see you, and under such happy circumstances," she said, 
smiling, then turned to B'rin.  "I just wanted to let you know your mother 
sent me to make sure you were okay.  I'll be around.  Bye."

"Retala," Trey said, "you are not getting out of here without cooing over 
my new daughters first."

Retala laughed and stepped over to B'rin, gazing down at the baby in his 
arms.  "She's beautiful, Trey.  And B'rin's such a natural holding her.  
Better watch that, boy, or you'll have all the women after you."  B'rin 
blushed as she winked at him.  She then went and quietly peeked at the 
other.  "Identical twins!  I don't envy you.  Oh, but they're so perfect.  
What are their names?"

"Treanya and Darenni," Diana answered, smiling quietly.

"Well, I'd ask to hold one, but I'm not exactly clean and this should be a 
family thing.  Congratulations."

Trey thought he saw a single instant of regret on her face as she turned 
and walked out.  He knew before she and Sandor broke up that they'd been 
talking about starting a family.  It seemed so singularly unfair that he 
should be happy when she was so miserable.

B'rin cautiously handed his little sister back to Trey.

"You're not leaving are you?" Trey asked.

"I need to go get breakfast.  I'll be back in a bit."

Trey nodded.  "See you, son."

Trey sat down next to Diana, alone at last with just her and the twins.

"Their eyes are so blue," she said.

"Yes, babies' eyes frequently are.  They may change with time."

"Darrin's eyes were blue."

Trey sat, hearing the sadness in his mate's voice.  He gently shifted so he 
could take her hand.  "I love you, Diana.  It would be good for them to be 
his, but I'll love them just the same, regardless."

She sighed.

He laid Treanya in the crib beside her bed, then took Darenni from her and 
did the same.  "Scoot over."

She complied, with difficulty, and Trey stretched out beside her, his 
fingers brushing her hair from her face.  He leaned over and kissed her, 
then slipped his arms around her.  They lay together quietly till they 
drifted to sleep.

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Tr'etram and Koroth
   (and B'rin and Retala)

---
|   Lynette R. F. Cowper  *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess    |
| http://www.io.com/~lcowper  *  lcowper@io.com  *  lcowper@indy.net |
|  "If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever |
|                   get done."  -- L. Wittgenstein                   |