Merissa waited nervously outside the visiting dragonrider's room.
Suddenly the door opened and Thorin stepped out. He froze as he saw
Merissa standing there waiting for him. "Merissa .."
> 
> "How is she?"
Merissa's concern was mirrored in her eyes.

> "She'll be okay," he said. Then added with a bit of surprise. "You're still
> here."
> 
> "I wanted to talk to you, if that's okay."
> 
> "Come on, we'll go in the lab. It'll be quiet in there."

She followed him silently.  Wondering how she could possibly apologize to
him, and let him understand how she felt.  The went into the lab, and he
closed the door.
> and turned to her, "Merissa .."
> 
> "Th'rin .." she said at the same time.
> 
> "I'm sorry," he said, "Go ahead."
> 
> She  moved closer to him grabbing his hand in hers. "I wanted to apologize
> for last night .."
> 
> "You don't have to. You didn't do anything wrong." He said.
> 
> "Yes I do," she said softly bowing her head.
> 
> He shook his head. He had to do this .. he'd let it lie far too long. "No
> Merissa. You don't have to say anything. I know that I don't deserve to
> love you. I wish I could stop, but I can't. I love you more then I ever
> could anyone else." He stared into her shocked eyes and frowned, knowing
> that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear. But he had nothing
> left to lose. He had to tell her. "Don't worry, I know you don't want me
> anymore and I understand why. I just wanted you to know."
> 
> "You what?" she whispered.
> 
> "I love you, Merissa," he repeated.

Merissa started to laugh and cry all at once.  "I love you, too!  Oh,
Th'rin, I've been a real fool!"

He looked at her, taken aback, and it was his turn to ask, "You what?"

"I love you, Th'rin!"  she repeated.

She let go his hands to put her arms around his neck, and slowly, as the
realization sunk in, their lips came together.  She closed her eyes, as
they kissed.  Softly at first, but slowly building in intensity.

"Let's go home"  Merissa whispered as they broke to catch their breath.
  
They left the med-center with their arms linked.  Merissa vowed to
herself, to never let another soul get between them again!
*****
TAG Kris.  You do the love scenes so well ;)  But Merissa gets the top
this time...LOL.
*****
J'red had gone off duty and was lounging in the cafeteria when a messenger
found him.

"M'lord, your father, Lord Fowler, is in urgent distress,"  the lackey
announced, "and he requests your presence immediately."

J'red jumped up from his snack, sending a mental querry to his sleeping
dragon.

Firefly answered him immediately, <Apparently your younger hatchmate is
missing, along with Trinale's younger hatchmate, and another human
hatchling.  T'jellan has called in one wing to find them.>

J'red rushed out to find his father.  <We have to help!>  Where could
Jennifer have gone?  She was never so impulsive!  The fear of rogue riders
snatching the young girls suddenly crossed his mind.  The messenger had
informed J'red that Lord Fowler was meeting with Trinale.

But by the time they reached the office they had already left.  J'red
raced to the green, calling to Firefly to come for him.  Worry and fear
getting the better of him, as both he and Firefly were tired from their
duties as watchdragon all day.

The sun was already getting low when J'red rode out in search of his
sister and her two friends.
*****
TAG Les, I figured that J'red could help :).
*****
Merissa sighed, as she rolled off of the warm, sweaty body of her love
and lover.  The soft pillows suported her head as she gazed at the
contented Th'rin.  She smiled at him.  "Nothing like a little
misunderstanding to make it even more enjoyable,"  She teased.

Laughing softly, Thorin reached out for her again.  Only this time he just
held her gently in his arms.  Her head nestled against his shoulder.  The
soft pastels of her bed covers contrasting with the darkness of her skin
and hair.

But the beauty of the moment was suddenly disturbed by the loud rumbling
of his stomach.

Merissa laughed.  "Looks like you need some food in that pit of yours!"

And Thorin realized that he hadn't had a bite to eat the whole day, as
upset as he'd been by the misunderstanding between himself and Merissa.

"Shall we go to the dining hall?"  He suggested.

*****
Their dinner was interrupted by the sudden trumpeting of a queen dragon.
Merissa's eyes widened, and Thorin dropped his fork with a clatter, and a
soft "No" escaped his mouth.

Merissa looked at him surprised -- then laughed, "Oh, no, not Chrysthal!
Cricket!"

They both rushed to the door, in time to see a silver dragon launch
herself into the air, with a multitude of male dragons hot on her tail.

All the male dragonriders were rushing to the spot where Trinale stood,
spinning and showing her best attributes.  All except Thorin, whose being
joined to a female dragon precluded his participation in this ritual.

> someone shouted, "Bruteth has the lead! He's going to catch her!"
> 
> "Not again! He won the last queen," someone complained.

Merissa cringed.  No, she silently prayed, don't let Bruteth win Cricket!
That would just be too horrible to bare!

> Then there was a gasp from the crowd, "Did you see that!"
> "Fayloth stole her out from under Bruteth!"
> 
> The brilliant blue of Saul's dragon entangled the large silver queen,
and a sob was heard from Shawnee as Saul's lips met Trinale's in a
passionate, mating-dragon-induced kiss.

"I have to help her"  Merissa looked towards Shawnee, who appeared on the
verge of tears.  Two other women stood nearby, clearly showing their
disaproval, and ignorance.  "I have to try to explain..."

Thorin nodded in reply.  He'd been in the Warren his whole life, and he
understood the passions of a mating-flight, though he had never
experienced them.  Shawnee, not only was new to the Warren, but was in
love with Saul...  Thorin felt a hot flush of embarrassment thinking about
his own feelings towards Saul....

Merissa moved in, shielding Shawnee from the stares and comments of those
around her.  She put her arm around her shoulders, and Shawnee looked up
at her with tears in her eyes.

"Let's get out of here!"  Merissa suggested.  "I know a really nice quite
spot...near the waterfall...."  As she guided the shakey Shawnee away from
the crowd.

But as they moved away, a snaring, woman's voice followed after them,
"Can't keep him satisfied, eh love?"  Shawnee shuddered.
*****
TAG Barb.  Hope you don't mind.  But Merissa might have some insights on
dealing with that bitch of a mother -- or at least can commmiserate,
haveing one herself!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
   /^\      /^\                                 Submitted  By
  /  `._   /  `._                               Arlene Jacobs
 ( : :  `.(  : : `.    \^=^/                         aka
 | : :`. `:_ : : `|_   | '.O'--^-^:                Merissa
  \/^|._ _. \_  ._ _\  | '.')__..''              Junior-Queen
     \/. :-._`|  .: | / .'_.-|    __              Rider  of
        \/. ..,`.\__/.,',...')__/^;;)             Chrysthal
          ^\/ ._,_... | ., )-)____/           
            <> \/ | ..  \__)_ __               jacobs@wsnet.com
                __| ., \____(,;;)          
            ../. / . \)____)\      
 _/\_/\__/\/..  ( ... )____)_)___
<__|__|__|__|___(__|___;;; ___;;;) aej

             http://www.neosoft.com/~acoustic/arlenejhp.html