With her mood a little lighter when Tera returned back to the 
apartment she shared with Ga'brin. Tera wasn't prepared for them 
loneliness that assaulted her when she found her mate had still 
not returned. The empty spot on the ledge where her mate's dragon, 
Preston was usually found waiting for Sundellath, was a quick 
reminder of the reason why.

<I'm here, you're not alone.> Sundellath reminded her.

<<I know silly,>> Tera remarked as she turned to hug the blue for 
comfort. <And I know you think I'm silly to even be upset about 
Preston flying the queen. But that's just the way I am. Doesn't 
it bother you that Preston's not here with you now?>>

<Well it would be nice to be able to lean up against him, he 
makes a nice pillow.> Sundee said. <But don't tell him that. He 
might get a big head.>

Tera had to laugh. Her dragon always did know what to say. 

When finally she knew she couldn't put it off any longer, Tera 
gave the blue one last pat and turned to face the door leading 
into the living quarters. She'd have to go inside sooner or later 
to face the empty rooms.

The first thing she noticed upon entering was the quiet. Why had 
she never noticed it before? Because Ga'brin was usually here 
moving around the place. The two of them would be in the room 
talking about their days, or just sitting down to eat a meal, 
more that often prepared together.  Or even playing their guitars 
and singing, working on some songs together to play for the warren 
after dinner.

She had never been so totally alone here before. She had always 
known that even when he was away during the day, Ga'brin would 
always be here in her bed, come night. This would be the first 
time since moving in with him that she would have to face the 
night alone. And there would be other's, so she had better learn 
to deal with it. 

She didn't have to like it.

When she awoke the next morning, Tera had no memory of even 
falling asleep the night before. For a moment she was confused 
as to why she was laying on the living room couch instead of 
the bed in the other room. Then it all came flooding back. 

The Mating flight and finding out that her brother was alive.

<Tera, are your awake enough now for a message?> Sundee thoughts 
broke into her memories. 

<<Well if I can hear you, I guess I am,>> she returned. 
Wondering if the message was from Preston and Ga'brin. Praying 
if it was it was to tell her he was coming home. A quick look 
around the apartment had shown he had never made it back the 
night before. Where was he?

<Lofflossit, the healers dragon, wants to know if you're coming 
to your appointment with Sarrine this morning?  Sarrine asked 
his rider to ask, because you're late.> Sundellath was a little 
confused. <What are you late for?>

Tera's eye sought out the clock in the room noticing the lateness 
of the morning, she couldn't believe she had over slept that much. 
Getting up form the couch, she all but ran into the bathroom, 
stripping off yesterdays clothes as she made her way to the shower.  
She'd have to hurry, this mornings appointment with Sarrine, was to 
important to miss. Tera had to know one way or another if what she 
suspected was true.

<<Sundee, please tell Lofflossit to inform his rider, that I will 
be there soon.>> Tera told the blue as she stepped under the warm 
water. <<Please relay my apologies for being late.>>

<<Done.>> Sundee replied. <<Lofflossit asks if you're all right. 
The woman Sarrine wants to know. Why would she want to know? Shall 
I tell her you are fine?>>

<<Please do.>> Tera knew her mates mother must have heard about 
Preston winning the mating flight. So Tera had some advanced 
warning what the woman's first question would be about.

She wasn't to far wrong.

 The blond headed nurse, Tera had learned was a woman named Libby, 
was sitting in the front entry way when Tera finally arrived. 
Sundellath, she knew had moved off in the direction of another 
midnight blue dragon she'd seen near the medical hall. 

<Look!!> Sundee had commented when they had landed, <He's the same 
color as me!> and off she went.

"Excuse me," Tera said to get the woman's attention. "I'm a little 
late for an appointment with Sarrine," Tera grimmest indicating 
just how late she was.
"My name is Tera." 

Libby just smiled back, "That's okay," this time, her look seamed 
to say. "Sarrine said to come get her when you finally showed up.  
I hope she has good news to tell you." the woman winked.

"How did you know?" Tera's cheeks were flushed.

Libby chuckled when she saw the girls blushes. "Well I could say 
you have a glow about you.......but to tell you the truth," her 
finger cocked motioning Tera to come forward. "Sarrine has been 
hoping for this every since you and her son got together," she 
confessed.

"Ah, so you finally got here," came the voice of Sarrine as the 
woman entered the waiting area. "Good, let's get you back here 
and find out if I'm going to be a grandmother or not."

Tera turned from the woman to smile back at Libby. "What ever 
will I do if it's a false alarm," she asked the bemused head nurse. 

"Run and hide," came the rejoinder. "But I'll say a prayer just 
encase. I still have to work with her."

"Oh you two," Sarrine laughed with them, before leading Tera back 
to one of the examining rooms. There she was all business. Taking 
a little cup off of the shelf, she turned to hand it to her son's 
mate. 

"Do you know what you're supposed to do with this, or do I need to
 explain it?" Sarrine asked, and saw Tera's cheeks turn rosy again.

"I think I can figure it out," Tera replied, taking to cup and 
going into the small restroom Sarrine pointed out. 

Within minutes Tera was back handing the half full cup back to 
the Medic, who told her to have a seat, while she went to run 
the test that would let them know if Tera, was indeed pregnant 
or not. Tera wasn't sure who wanted to know the outcome more. 
Her or Ga'brin's mother. 

Thinking about Ga'brin, reminded Tera that her mate had never
come home last night. Was he having second thoughts about them 
living together. Or was her mate unsure of the reception he would 
get when it was all over. She was about to ask Sundellath where 
Preston was, when Sarrine came back into the room.
********
{Ga'brin}

Ga'brin had been a little confuse when he had woke up in the 
strange bed, next to someone other than his mate. The memory of 
the mating flight and how wild it had been, came back to him.  
He'd tried to stop Preston from joining the other male dragon's, 
but this had been a Queen's mating flight, and his blue had been 
to far gone to listen. It had been a pride thing for the blue, who 
had lost out on the last two Queen mating flights. Preston wasn't 
about to lose this one too.

Cynthia, was still sound asleep, in the bed next to him when 
Ga'brin thought about his mate. How was she taking this. What 
was she feeling right now. He knew they had talked about the 
possibilities of this happening, and she had tried hard to 
convince him that she would be able to handle it.....but he 
could help his worrying.

[[ Preston, are you awake?]] he reached out to his royal blue 
dragon, and felt the tired contentment in the beast. He could 
also feel how proud the blue was that he'd finally won the queen. 

[ I'm awake, but please don't ask me to come get you just yet.] 
the blue responded, [ I'm to tired to move.]

Ga'brin smiled briefly at the blue's comments, he himself felt a 
little tired and sore from mating with the queen's rider,  [[ I 
just wanted to know if you could ask Sundellath how her rider is 
feeling. If she's okay.]]

He waited for a moment before Preston came back and told him that 
his mate's dragon wasn't answering him. [She's closed off her 
thoughts, and won't hear me.]

Ga'brin was worried now, if Sundee wouldn't speak to Preston, 
something really was wrong. As quietly as he could, so as not to 
wake the woman sleeping there, Ga'brin slid out of the bed. He 
gathered his clothes and pulled them on as he made his way to the 
door. With one last look back at the women in the bed, Ga'brin had 
to smile. It had been some mating flight. One of the best that he 
could remember.......

By the time he'd coaxed a cup of coffee out of a sleepy Tabita, 
and listened to the woman telling him he'd be better off at home 
trying to sweet talk the beautiful girl he'd been smart enough to
catch......instead of sitting here taking up her time while she 
was trying to get breakfast together for the whole warren.......

"Believe me," he told her as she poured him his second cup of the 
warm brew. "If I could get that lazy wraith bait of a dragon to 
come pick me up.... I'd be home right now." he let the thought 
trickle to his dragon, as he answered the cook.

[ Oh all right, I'll come get you.] Preston finally gave up all 
pretends of sleep. [ You never let me have any fun.] 

[[ This is important  wraith bait. I need to see my if my mate's 
okay. ]]
Ga'brin shot back angrily. [[Humans don't think about mating 
flights in the same way dragons do. ]]

[It never bothered you before.] the dragon was confused over his 
riders attitude. 

[[I never had a mate to think about before.]]

The apartment was empty by the time he and Person arrived back 
home. Tera and Sundellath were both gone. When Ga'brin asked 
Preston to try again to local them, he was a little shocked when 
the blue informed him that his Sundellath's rider was at the 
medical center, and that the dragon was a little excited. When 
Ga'brin questioned him about the reason, Preston was just as 
puzzled and told him, he'd better go there and find out for 
himself.

Ga'brin was in a near panic now. Had she taken his mating with 
another woman so bad that she had tried to do something to 
herself. Then he remembered Sandor was to take her to the see 
her brother. Could something have happened to her while they 
were there. 

His eyes swept over the living room, noticing every little 
thing Tera had done to make it a comfortable place for them 
to live in. Every where he looked something reminded him of 
her. If anything where to happen to her....In that minute, 
more than any other time in the past, he realized just how 
much he had come to love her. Brother or not, if Tera had 
suffered any harm because of him, Ga'brin swore he would 
kill him.

[[Preston..]] he started but the dragon cut him off.

[To the medical center, right?]

By the time Preston had landed, Ga'brin was already sliding 
off the royal blue dragon, and running for the entrance to the 
med building. He didn't even hear Preston remark that it couldn't 
be too bad, since Sundellath was over next to a dragon of the same 
color as herself, and she wasn't acting to concerned about her 
rider.


Libby looked up from the paper work she'd been checking over, when 
the door of the med center was slammed open. She recognized the son 
of the medic right off. The man looked upset to say the least.

"Hey hold on," she cried out a she followed the man opening up 
doors all along the hallway. "Dang it Ga'brin, would you calm 
down. If you would have asked, I could have told you where your 
mother was. You can't just push your way inside here and start 
causing all that noise."

She was trying to push him back into the waiting room when his 
sister, Abbien, a jourenywoman healer, stepped out of a room 
down the hall to see what all the noise was about. Upon seeing 
it was her brother, she came running down the hallway grabbed 
onto his arm, physically pulling him into a side room where she 
rounded on him. Her face full of anger at her brothers lack of 
manors in the center.

"Just what in the hell do you think you are doing, Ga'brin? You 
come in here acting like a madman and they're likely to set you 
up in a quiet room and strap you to a bed until they're sure 
you're harmless," Abby shouted at him, trying to get his 
attention.  "What do you think mother and father would have to 
say if they saw you acting like this."

"Where is she Abby. Where is Tera?" his voice was strained with 
worry. "I know she's here, her dragon told Preston. So where is 
she and how bad was she hurt?"

Abby suddenly understood her brothers babbling, she'd heard about 
the mating, and his dragon winning, but surely he didn't think 
Tera had been so upset by it that she'd try to harm herself!

"Brother, your mate is fine," she assured him a big smile broke 
out over her face. "But I mean to tell you....I never thought I'd 
see the day when you would go this crazy over a girl." she 
teased him, 

"She's all right?" he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, "Then why 
is she here?"

Abby took pity on him, stopped teasing him long enough to tell him 
where Tera was. He really must care about the girl, Abby thought, 
To act this crazy.

"She's in mother's office with mother. She's perfectly okay, as to 
why she's here...you'll have to ask her or mother." with that she 
was out the door and back on her way to what she had been doing 
when she heard all the commotion. 

Ga'brin was standing outside the door to his mother's office, to 
nervous to knock. Would Tera want him here. She hadn't said 
anything to him about coming here. He was raising  his hand up to 
knock, when the door opened and he could see his mother standing 
there.

"Did you want something, my son?" Sarrine asked, "Or did you just 
come to pick up your mate? Such a lovely, lovely girl," 

Ga'brin was just slightly confused by his mother's attitude. Why 
was she smiling like she had just single-handedly  come up with 
the cure to get rid of wraiths for good.  

"Mother?" he started to questioned, but she cut him off.

"Go on in and talk to Tera. I think you're in for a big 
surprise," then Sarrine turned and walked down the hall.

Tera was just putting her boots back on when she saw Ga'brin 
enter the room. The look of sadness, concern and love, she saw 
on his tired face, made her realize that what ever else happened, 
his heart belonged to her.

"We're going to have a baby," she told him.

*****Submitted by:*********************
Barbara
Voices of:
Tera & Sundellath (Telnor)
Ga'brin & Preston (Telnor
Dan'yar & Shinner (Soon of Cleft)
"The Shadow" (parts unknown)
Dragonlands

Fatala of Kindis Weyr