** Talk With Mother **

"Okay your sister and I talked things over last night," Ben'sar was telling
Leo when the Bard found him sometime during the day.

"And..." Leo asked.

"And we worked things out," Benny smiled, hoping to leave it at that, but he
should have known the brother of the woman he loved wouldn't let it go at that.

"What did she say? Did you ask her to be your mate? Gonna make an honest
woman out of my sister?" Leo was persistent.

"Well I have to apologize to what's her name... Even though I don't think I
should have to any more then I already tried to do the night she nearly
called me a rapist... but I told your sister I would so I will..... And I've
asked and reasked her to me my mate if not in so many words... but she
should have gotten the idea by now that that's what I want. And yes there
isn't anything more in this world I would love to do better then to make an
honest woman out of your sister if she'll let me... by the way I'm moving in
with her as soon as I can get my things packed up and take them over
there... Any more questions?"

"Moving in... with her!" Leo stammered, then his eyes narrowed. "Just what
makes you think she'll let you?"

Benny's grin widen. "*She* asked me to. This morning in fact after we...
err..... work up. So don't go getting all bent out of shape."

"Who me?" the Bard leaned back in his chair, crossing his right hand up over
his chest. "I'm not the one you need to worry about."

Benny noticed the man's lips had curved up into a secretive sort of smile
and was suddenly worried but didn't know why he should be. 

"If not you... then who?" Benny asked. "Elly's already agreed to give us a
chance. Who else do I need to ask... Not that I really need to ask anyone
but your sister... Why? Who do you have in mind... maybe I should fly
Killeen around and around until I find your mommy and ask her? I don't think
so... besides I haven't found a mother yet who didn't half fall in love with
me herself after spending some time in my company. I'm a real charming
fellow once you get to know me."

Leo happen to look up then, past Benny's shoulder and turning to see what it
was that caught the Bard's attention, Benny noticed a woman standing there.
A woman who for some reason looked familiar to him even thought he was sure
he had never met her.

He also noticed the look in her eyes as she looked back at him. He wasn't
sure if he liked the way it made him feel.

"Benny boy you remember my mother, Liandra. Don't you?" Leo asked, barely
able to keep his grin under control. 

"Ahh... no..." he stammered himself now. "I don't think I've had the
pleasure. Though I almost did come talk to you not to long ago." 

He turned back to Leo and threw his friend a dirty look, while mouthing,
"You could have warned me!" Which only made the bard's smile grow wider.

"I think Benny boy here wanted to talk to you mother," Leo said and started
to get up from the table. He walked around to the other side so he'd have to
pass by his mother and whispered something in her ear that Ben'sar couldn't
hear... then walked off laughing.

"So... you wanted to talk to me young man?" Liandra said standing there but
making no move to join him which brought Ben'sar immediately to his feet.

"Umm yes... I guess I do... won't you have a seat ma'am?"

"Why don't we go for a walk outside," she suggested. "The fresh air outside
might cool you off a bit... for some reason your face looks a little...
heated," she said sweetly and Ben'sar knew he was in trouble.

"So... you wanted to talk to me young man?" Liandra said
standing there but making no move to join him which brought Ben'sar
immediately to his feet.

"Umm yes... I guess I do... won't you have a seat ma'am?"

"Why don't we go for a walk outside," she suggested. "The
fresh air outside might cool you off a bit... for some reason your face
looks a little... heated," she said sweetly and Ben'sar knew he was in trouble.

"Benny boy you remember my mother, Liandra. Don't you?" Leo
asked, barely able to keep his grin under control.

"Ahh... no..." he stammered himself now. "I don't think I've
had the pleasure. Though I almost did come talk to you not to long ago."

He turned back to Leo and threw his friend a dirty look, while
mouthing, "You could have warned me!" Which only made the bard's smile grow
wider.

"I think Benny boy here wanted to talk to you mother," Leo
said and started to get up from the table. He walked around to the other
side so he'd have to pass by his mother and whispered something in her ear
that Ben'sar couldn't hear... then walked off laughing.

"So... you wanted to talk to me young man?" Liandra said
standing there but making no move to join him which brought Ben'sar
immediately to his feet.

"Umm yes... I guess I do... won't you have a seat ma'am?"

"Why don't we go for a walk outside," she suggested. "The
fresh air outside might cool you off a bit... for some reason your face
looks a little... heated," she said sweetly and Ben'sar knew he was in trouble.

"I guess you must have figured out why I want to talk to
you.... umm.. Ma'am," Benny stammered like a young boy on their way out of
the hall.

Liandra bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. It
wasn't really nice to tease the poor boy, but well.... "Yes, I think I have
a fairly good idea.  But why don't you go ahead and say your piece."

"Well ma'am... the simply fact is I love your daughter and she
loves me and... well... we had us a few problems but we've worked them out
and....." Now just how in the hell was he going to tell this fine woman that
he was going to be moving in with her daughter.

Straight out. That's what his mother would have told him. Why
lie when the truth would work so much better and was easier to remember.

"Fact is ma'am I love your daughter... and... I came all the
way here from Telnor to be with her."

"So she said," Liandra murmured.  She smiled faintly.  How long was it going
to take this child to tell her he was moving in? She schooled her features
to calmness.  "Eleanora has told me a great deal about you...and about the
two of you."

"She has?" he asked, wondering just what Elly had told her,
the woman had yet to give him a real smile and that worried him more then he
cared to admit... "I know she may have said... well told you about what
happened a few nights ago... but it was all a ... mistake... and We talked
about it last night while after we left to go back to my apartment... "

He stopped. "Oh great going Benny boy!" he silently cursed
himself. "You all but told her you slept with the girl!"

"Yes, she did mention that...eventually. I'm afraid she always has had
something of a temper. But, don't let me interrupt you...you were saying
something about last night?"

"Well I know I had hurt her... and last night..... We finally
talked about it and she forgave me. You have to know I would *never* do
anything to hurt your daughter... not if I could help it. But well one thing
led to another and last night I was so worried when Killeen... he's my
dragon... told me Cara was hurting and I saw Elly run out of the hall... I
just had to follow her and after my sister Abby. She's a dragon healer...
Well she looked Cara over and helped her... but I could see how worried Elly
was and..... well..... We ended up going back to my apartment and..." he
couldn't
look at her when the next words seem to flow out of his mouth before he
could stop them. "We sort of... Reconciled.""

Liandra failed to smother a chuckle. "You're going to hurt
yourself trying not to say it, my boy. Eleanora has already told me exactly
how you....reconciled. "
"
"She did?" he said quickly, glancing at her to see what her
reaction was to thew news..... "And did she tell you that we're... ah... I
mean that I'm going to be... umm... that I'm going to be moving in with her?"

There he finally said it, and was still standing. The earth
hadn't opened him up and swallowed him whole.

Liandra smiled warmly. "She did." She stopped and turned to
face him. "She loves you, I assume you know that. And I won't insult you by
saying this again, but if you hurt her...."  She let the sentence trail off
menacingly.

"Ma'am I love your daughter more then I ever thought I could
love another," he told her, his tone honest and sincere. "Next my dragon
Killeen... She is the most important thing to me in this world and I will do
everything in my power to make sure she stays happy for as long as she will
allow me to. I gave up my family and home to come be here with her...
Doesn't that prove something?"

Liandra reached up and patted Ben'sar's cheek. "Yes, dear. I
wasn't meaning to doubt you, just a friendly warning. Her family loves her
very much too. And I do wish you all the best." She rolled her eyes and
grinned. "Dearly as I love her, I must say you're going to need it."

Benny grinned out for the first time since she had come up
behind them. "That's what Leo has been telling me... After he gave me this
black eye... and we talked things over... He's a bit... protective of her
and doesn't need to be... She can take care of herself... Believe me... I know."

"And just how do you know that Ben'sar?"

"Who do you think gave me this other black eye?" he chuckled, and as one
they began walking back towards the dining hall. 

"Would you care to share a table with me and have dinner?" he asked once
they were inside. But Liandra saw her daughter looking over at them and gave
him a slight push in her direction. 

"Maybe some other night while I'm still here, but I see the look my daughter
is throwing our way so maybe you'd better go over and tell her everything is
all right?"

"Good thing too," Benny quipped to himself as he made his way over to Elly.
"Cause I already ran out of eyes to blacken."

"Where have you been?" she asked when he arrived and then glance back over
his shoulder to see her mother still standing there, and relaxed when she
saw the woman was smiling.

"Promising the soul of both me and my dragon to your mother if I ever do
anything to hurt you again," he grinned and leaned forward to give her a
quick kiss. 

"And did she accept?" Elly grinned.

"Well you don't see any more bruises do you?" then he turned to the others
at the table, nodded politely to Lia (he'd ask her to see him alone later to
give her the apology he'd promised Elly he would) and looked on past her to
the other man sitting with them. "So who's you're new friend?"

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

Ben'sar & Killeen
Whiteriver Warren

Aka
Barbara