She left the medical center feeling more than a little upset. She wanted to
get on her dragon right this minute and go off in search of her brother and
Cill but knew the healer had been right. 

It wasn't as if Ojean and Cill would be left to themselves if she and Doshy
didn't join in the search. There were still others out there looking and she
did have the baby to be concerned about.

Damn her mother! Damn the women to hell and back.

Why did she have to come back into their lives now when everything had been
going so well. Now when their lives had finally been settling down and they
were happy. Shawnee had never seen the kids as happy as they were here in
Whiteriver.

They were growing in ways she'd never thought possible. And a lot of it had
to do with Saul. They'd never had someone like him in their lives before.
Someone who cared how they felt and treated them with respect, even though
they were only children. 

They had so many people around here to thank from Saul who brought them to
this *fairy tale land* to the Warrenlady Trinale who took the chance of
letting them stay even after she knew what Shawnee had done. 

Then there was everyone else who took time to talk to the kids or tease them
but never ignored them when they happen to run across them out and about. 

Oh Ojean just had to be found!!

He had so much to live for. And they needed him. What would Fawna do without
him in her life? He was everything to her. 

Damn! She wanted to go out looking for him now, not wait until this
afternoon. That is if Clarissa let her go then. Maybe the healer was right
though. A little rest and by this afternoon she'd be good as new.

Her stomach growled.

Not again. She'd just eaten a good breakfast not to long ago. She couldn't
be hungry again!!

Another growl.

Yup... 

Changing her direction she headed over towards the dining hall. At this time
of morning she would have liked to have some company, but knew the others
were all out on patrols already. Those she knew well anyway. And she'd much
rather they be out looking than sitting here with her. 

So when she heard her name being called and turned to fine Cali coming
towards her she was a little surprised.

"You going to the dining hall," her partner asked, and when Shawnee
confirmed this asked if she'd like some company. "Lute's not feeling well
this morning, so I thought it better to keep her here." 

"Oh I hope it's nothing bad," the blonde replied suddenly worried.

"No I don't think so," Cali told her. "She just... well... wanted to stay
here today."

They entered the dining hall and made their way towards the serving tables.
Each selecting their choices. Shawnee blushed a little when she saw her
partner grinning over the amount she placed on her own plate.

"I'm eating for two," she explained weakly. "This little one is a pig who
likes to be fed constantly."

"I'm just surprised that you haven't gain more weight if you eat like that
all the time," Cali laughed as they made their way towards a table.

"I find ways of working off the extra," she grinned with a knowing wink.

"I'm sure you do."

They were both quiet for a few moments but Cali could see how worried her
friend was.

"Shawnee you have to go on believing they'll be found and brought back
here," she said reaching out to cover the other girls hand.

"I'm trying," she took a deep breath to try to stop the tears threatening to
fall. "It's just that the more time goes by and they're not back... the
harder it is not to think something's wrong. I keep telling myself that I'm
just being silly..."

"You're not being silly," Cali said heatedly. "You have the right to worry.
After all it's your brother who's missing. Of course you're worried, but you
also have to remember the baby you're carrying. This all can't be good for
you. So I can understand sort of what you're going through."

"I just have to keep believing he's fine and will be home soon."

"Right. Keep thinking that," the girl encouraged her. "I'm sure everything
will turn out the way it should."

The dinning hall was beginning to fill up with the early lunch crowd and
Shawnee couldn't believe how much time had past since they'd first come in.
Had they been talking that long?

"Ah...look," she turned to her friend after sweeping the faces in the crowd.
It wouldn't do to be caught here when she should have been at home following
the healers orders. "I was suppose to be resting this morning so I'd better
go and try for a while before Fawna comes home from school or Clarissa will
never let me go out this afternoon searching."

"I'm sorry Shawnee I didn't know it had gotten so late," Cali apologized,
but couldn't help thinking it was for the best. Maybe now if Shawnee fell
asleep she'd be that way for a while if no one bothered her. she'd have to
remember to get a message to the Tailor about picking up Fawna after school
let out and keeping her so Shawnee would sleep.

"That's all right. I'm feeling a little better now that we've talked," she
smiled and reached over to squeeze her friends hand. "Thank you for being
here for me. You'll never know how much talking has helped."

"Anytime," Cali grinned and then watched as the pregnant blond left the hall.

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

Shawnee was still asleep when Saul made it home after picking up Fawna just
after dinner. He let her sleep for a while and then had the little girl go
in and wake her while he fixed her something to eat.

"why didn't someone wake me earlier?" she asked when she'd finally made it
out into the main room. "All that time I could have been out with the search
team."

"Because your body was smarter than you were love," he grinned to try to
keep her from becoming upset. "you were exhausted and needed the rest.
You're body knew that even if you didn't want to believe it."

He came over and took the seat beside er, his hand moving until it covered
the budge in her middle only to be rewarded when the baby kicked.

"See even the baby agrees," his deep blue eyes met hers and all her anger
left her. She just couldn't stay mad at him for long.

"Now come on and eat something. If I know you as well as I should by now I
know you're probably hungry again."

"Well she is eating for two Saul," Fawna spoke up as she climbed into her
own seat at the table. "That's what Barry says anyway, but I don't see how
that can be cause there's only one Shawnee here."

Saul and Shawnee both let out a laugh, and she left it up to him to try to
explain to the little girl what the saying meant.

"It's just something that women who were pregnant came up with so they had
an excuse for eating a lot during that time. So us men wouldn't think they
were making little piggies of themselves." His eyes landed briefly on his
mates then turned back to the little girls as he spooned a helping of
veggies onto her plate. "Personally I think it's just an excuse to get us
males to wait on them for as long as they can."

Dinner was over and the three of them settled themselves in the main room
until Fawna's eyes started to close. Shawnee took her off to bed and then
rejoined her mate.

"An other wasted day and still no sight of them," she sighed cuddling up
close under the arm he draped over her. "Oh Saul where can they be? Ojee
must be so scared."

"I'm sure he is love," the rider agreed as he pulled her closer. "But Ojee's
a smart kid. He'll do what ever he has to, to keep himself and Cill safe
until help can arrive."

"I know...but I can't help but to worry. My mother was bad enough...but
knowing *he* is with them..."

"We'll find them love."

"Do you really have to go out tonight?" she asked even though she knew the
reason behind his leaving. 

"Just for a while," he told her. "It's important to have enough candidates
for the eggs when they hatch. "But if you really want me to stay..."

"No...I'm only being silly. I know you have to go. It's apart of your job,"
she cut him off before he could finish his offer. "One you're very good at
too. But tomorrow weather I have Clarissa's okay or not, I'm coming with the
search teams."

"Hey I won't try to stop you," he met her aqua eyes with a wide-eyed
innocent look. "I know how stubborn you can be when you set your mind to it.
But I'm not going to let you wear yourself out again."

A short time later he told her it was time for him to go.

"I can get Barry to come up here with Byrin if you want some company while
I'm gone," he offered, but she shook her head.

"Thank you for the thought my love," she yawned and got up from her seat on
the couch with some difficulty before he could offer to help. "But I think
I'll go in and lay down for a while. You're daughter quiet right now so I
think I'll try to get some rest."

"that sounds like a good idea," he agreed and helped her into the bedroom
where she fell sound asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.

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

Morgie I'll get to Shawnee's reaction in the next post or two....
I'm sure it'll be a shock for her to see her friend reborn..so 
to speake ;)

This was just to fill in her afternoon....

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Shawnee & Doshayne
Fawna 
Whiteriver Warren