How Understanding Can One Man Be?

"I believe him," Trap told Danielle after telling her about is talk with his
father.

They were cuddling up together in bed after making love, when she asked him
about it.

"I guess I can better understand now why he had let himself be fooled by
that bitch when she started coming around and showing and interest in him.
What lonely man wouldn't be flattered if a beautiful young thing started
paying him attentions?" he asked, but she knew he didn't require an answer
to his question.

"He must have missed you mother very much after she died," Danielle told
him. "I can understand that kind of loneliness."

She didn't have to say anymore. He knew what she was talking about. She had
lost so many of the people she had loved. He would make sure he wasn't one
of them. He never wanted to be the cause of her hurting that way ever again.

"I told him about Tera and Ga'brin," he went on. "And he was overjoyed to
learn that he was a grandfather. Wanted to go see the two of them right then
and there, but I told him he would have to wait until we got back from ...
seeing.. Kay."

Danielle raised herself up on one elbow to look at him. 

"You really don't want to take me to see him do you?"

"No," he replied. "But I know how much it means to you, so I will."

"Thank you."

"Don't you know by now love, that I would do anything I can to make you
happy?" his hand moved to stroke her hair. "Even so far as to take you to
see ... Kay."

"You're so good to me Trap," she told him.

'I hope that you always think that my love,' he though as he pulled her warm
body back down to lay beside him. 

It was sometime before either dozed. Trap felt as if he hadn't slept all
night long, but when he felt his loves hand trailing over his body, he
didn't care. There were other things more important.

Gods what her touch did to him, he thought and moaned softly as her hand
trailed lower. Oh yea.. with her ... who needed sleep?

Later they got up and dressed. Fixed themselves breakfast and then went to
see Tera and Trebrin, after making a trip to check up on Violet. 
The lavender dragon was looking much better this morning, and for that Trap
was glad. It was good to see the worry fade from Dallie's eyes.

"Shouldn't be too much longer Abbien told them, when she saw them near the
dragon. "Both of them are responding quite well to the antidote. So well
that I think you might be able to take her home soon. But you will need to
watch her for any sign of a relapse."

After the dragonhealer had set their fears to rest, Trap and Danielle went
on into the medical center to visit with Tera and her son, Trebrin.

"Don't you dare give her that baby to hold," Trap growled when he saw Tera
holding her dark-headed son out to the waiting arms of his aunt.

"Why not?" both women looked up at him frowning.

"Trap love, we have a few minutes," Danielle said. "I just want to hold him
for  bit."

"But love," he smiled brightly. "If you get your hands on him before I get a
chance to hold him... I'll never get a turn before we leave. You have this
really bad habit of hogging him when ever we're here!"

"I do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!!!"

"Children... children," Tera giggled and then past her son into the arms of
her brother. "You do too!! " She told Danielle and stuck out her tongue at
her friend setting both women into fits of giggles.

Trap could only roll his eyes and sigh at their antics.





------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I want to see Lord Etain before we see Kay, Trap" Danielle said "Maybe we
can give him good news."

Trap nodded, still apprehensive about this whole trip.

They landed and requested an audience with Lord Etain and were ushered in.

"You wished to see me?" Lord Etain looked at the two of them.

Trap stayed where he was as Danielle stepped forward "Lord Etain, with all
due respect Kalewyn is being held on wrongful charges."

>"And why do you feel this is so?" Lord Etain looked at her.

>"Sir, I was there....and the man Sabbith flamed was coming at Kay with a
knife. It was self defense." Danielle tried to make him see reason.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

>*A few minutes later*

>Trap and Danielle walked towards the holding area and  walked into the
waiting room. This was where Trap would be staying. Danielle had told him
earlier that she wanted to see the boy by herself. He tried to argue her out
of it. but she had been adamant about it, so he gave into her wishes. 

He wasn't at all happy about it though.

"Danielle!" Kattibrie exclaimed in surprise, "We just came from seeing Kay."
 
> "Kattibrie!" Danielle said, also surprised.

Knowing Danielle better than the other girl, Trap didn't miss the look that
came over Danielle's face when she saw the other woman. But she had it
hidden before the other could see.

A guard stepped forward, looking Danielle up and down. Trap didn't like the
way the man was looking at her and then at Kattibrie. "You may go in now."

Danielle squeezed Trap's hand reassuringly and he watched as she stepped
through the doors. 

"Are you here to see him too?" the man asked.

"You got to be kidding," Trap told the man and then found himself a chair
and sat down to wait.

He didn't have long to wait. A few minutes later Danielle came flying out of
the back room in tears. Trap was out of his seat, and moving towards her. 

"Dallie what's wrong!?!"

Through her tears, she told him what Kay had accused her of. Of his anger
and hate for her because she had chosen Trap of him. The more she talked the
angrier the tall blond man got.

'Damn the boy!!' he thought as he gathered her closer. "What the hell was
the kids problem? She had come here of her own will to try to save is
miserable neck and then to turn on her this way. 

The pain in her eyes and the sounds of her sobs was more than he could take.
Turning he called out to L'sein who was just starting to usher the
Queenrider out of the door for their return trip to the Warren.

"Hold her," he told the man and waited until they lead his love over to sit
on a bench. The queenrider, Kattibrie sitting beside her and wrapping her
arms around her shoulders.

Trap then turned back to the guard.

"I've changed my mind. I do want to see him," he told the man, the smile he
wore on his handsome face never reached his green eyes.

"Look... I don't want any trouble," the man said.

"Don't worry. I won't kill him before you can take him to trial," Trap said
smoothly. "He's safer here behind those bars than he would be if he was
standing here before me! But that self-pitying little boy needs to have a
few things told to him, and I've elected myself as the teller. Now are you
going to let me in or do I have to go over you?!?"

The man was quick to open the door. He wasn't afraid of the tall blond, even
though the man was a hell of a lot bigger than he, but the guard had been
listening in when the girl had come running back into the room and he agreed
with the rider.

Kay's back was against the bars, his head facing away from the door when
Trap entered. Reaching though the bars he grabbed Kay by the shoulder and
when the kid turned around, he caught his other arm and pulled him face
first against the bars. Trapping him there where he had to *read* the words
from the taller mans mouth.

Trap wasn't going to give him the chance to walk away and turn his back
until he'd had the chance to say what he was here to say.

"What is it with you? Danielle  came here to try to save your sorry hide and
you turn on her. Are you as stupid as you think you are or what!?!" Trap
spoke slowly so Kay couldn't help but understand. "And my sister Tera, even
after she almost lost her baby because of you, she still defended you rather
heatedly and told me and everyone else who would listen that it wasn't your
fault."

"Danielle ... even after the way you treated her when she turned to me, she
was still worried about coming here and telling Lord Etain what really
happened. All because she  CARES about you!! Just like my sister and that
queenrider that was just in here. I just can't figure out why."

Trap's anger increased when Kay tried to pull away, Trap just yanked him
closer to the bar.

"They must have seen something in you at one point that made them think you
were worth caring about... But I don't see it!!  All I see is a self-pitying
little boy who is to afraid to grow up and join the real world. Instead of
fighting for what he believes, he lashes out at those who care about him and
only want the best for him. All I see is a quitter who uses his handicap as
a shield to hide behind, and here I was... worried about losing Dallie to you."

He gave a bitter laugh. "Well it looks to me like I won't have to worry
about that ever happening. Because you've given up, you'd rather go around
and play the martyr and thinking poor me instead of fighting for yourself.
Well go on little boy.. give up.. What do I care. But before you do you son
of a bitch, think about all of the friends you have who care about you, who
don't give a damn that you're deaf. They cared enough to learn your damned
hand signs so they could speak to you... Danielle cared enough about you to
come here on Diemis while her own dragon was  sick at home, just to try to
help you."

Trap suddenly pushed the boy away and turned around and left the room.

His eyes met those of his loves when she raised her eyes to met his. He
could see the concern and questions there in the icy blue roundness.

"I didn't kill him if that's what you're worried about," he snapped and
reached for her hand. "Not that I wasn't tempted because of the way he
treated you,  but I just didn't want to have to listen to both you, Tera and
every other female in the Warren yell at me if I had. Come on love, let's go
home."

---------------------------------------------
NRPG: I hope I didn't take Trap to far :) but I thought it about time
someone remind Kay that he does have friends (even though Traps not one of
them) and to quit acting like a baby :)

*****Submitted by: *****************

Barbara (a.k.a.

Tera & Sundellath
Traplin & Diemis 

Telnor Warren