My Mother Won't Bite!

Writers: Kaysea
Date Posted: 15th July 2007

Characters: Fareena, Caelah
Description: Fareena has to talk Caelah into meeting Faleen.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 14 of Turn 4

"Look, she wanted to meet you. It was her idea." Fareena smiled, holding tightly to both of Caelah's hands. "It's been a misunderstanding on both parts, we talked," she squeezed Caelah's hands again, "talked _really well_, better than we have since father died. And she understands now why I ran away, and in a sense she is too.."

"I understand all of that Far, really I do, but I'm not sure I am ready to meet her yet. I'm not what a mother wants for her daughter, am I?" she asked, as small derisory smile on her lips.

"You .. you don't want to meet her?" Fareena's brows knit together in a frown of confusion. "But, I thought.." she shook her head.

"I _do_ want to meet her Far, I do. But I'm not sure if I'm _ready_." she looked down at their joined hands. "Shells! Can't you feel my hands trembling, my love? I'm as nervous as can be. It's a big step."

"Yes, it is, but sweetheart, I would do it for you."

"No - you wouldn't. You wouldn't dare, and neither would I! I'm just grateful I'm no where near my home. My father wouldn't just disown me..." she didn't want to finish that sentence, and pulled her hands free of Fareena's. "My parents will never be accepting of my choice." She pushed her chair away and stood up. "Bad enough I wanted to be a Harper, but to be the way I am..."

"Well Mother isn't that way. She was quite sweet about it." she smiled in memory of her mother's sudden demand to meet the woman Fareena loved. "Please, sweetheart, please say you'll come and meet her?" She moved across the room and took Caelah by the shoulders, turning her slowly so they stood face to face.

Their eyes met, and Fareena bent in slowly and kissed Caelah on the lips, softly, before pulling away. "I love you, and I want to show my mother the woman I love, so that she can fall for you as well." she smiled. "Well, you know what I mean." she winked.

"You know I can't say no to you when you sweet-talk me that way." Caelah laughed softly, planting a quick soft kiss on Fareena's lips. "Okay, when do we meet?" she asked.

"Tonight?" Fareena winced, and hunched her shoulders up, waiting for the tirade to follow. She closed her eyes, and scrunched up her face, hoping to look comical enough that the tirade would be short-lived, that Caelah wouldn't be able to hold her shock and anger for longer than a moment, when faced with such a sight.

"Ton.." Caelah's voiced cracked, "Tonight?" Her whole body trembled, half fear, half outrage, to be tricked so neatly.

"No..No!" she shook her head, "No, I need time to adjust to this Far.." she said, walking backwards and holding out her hands as if in defence. "I can't, not right away." Quick tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at Fareena. "You don't know how much this whole thing scares me."

"Scares you?" Fareena was puzzled. This was the girl who had swept her off her feet. Made her feel as though together they were invincible, and now... Now she wouldn't even bend enough to meet Fareena's mother. "Caelah, what is going on?" she walked across and took hold of her hands, pulling her upright, from where she was slouched against the dresser.

"You were the one who said nothing could seperate us, no one could tear us apart, and now, now you're acting as though just one look could make you run for the hills and leave me behind."

"I'm sorry Far, I really am." Caelah shook her head. "As long as I have you I am strong. But in the face of meeting your mother, I realise I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I don't know that I can do it." She wrenched her hands free and covered her face, shoulders jerking spasmodically as she sobbed.

Fareena slipped her arm around Caelah's should and led her to the table, pulling out a seat and making sure she was sitting before pulling her own chair out and placing it nearby. "I want to understand." she said quietly.

"I ran away from home when I realised just how I felt about men - about women." Caelah replied slowly, as she caught her breath between sobs. "I had seen the way my father reacted to my brother, when he Impressed a blue."

"If my brother hadn't been safely installed in the Weyrling barracks, my father would have killed him, I'd never seen my father so angry. So could you imagine how he would react to find his daughter was almost the same - but more so, do you see?" she asked, her eyes pleading in silent appeal.

"He wouldn't.." Fareena shook her head in disbelief.

"He would. I saw a side to my father that day, that will stay with me forever." Caelah nodded earnestly. "My brother never returned to the cot. A wise move in the circumstances. And me? I left as soon as I was able. I saw what my life would be, if my father ever found out."

"So ... so you never returned? Not once?" Fareena asked. The trouble with her mother had never been that bad. Her mother had just been following traditional Hold teaching. Girls wed, and had babies, end of story. her mother's situation was that much different. Still old enough to breed from, was the way the rest of the hold folk had looked at her.

But things were changing now, thanks to the new Lord Holder. Soon - soon she and Caelah may be able to make the move to the Weyr and begin the journey of crafting. With her mothers blessing - if all went well.

"Caelah, it's just my mother. Your father need never know and you have nothing to fear." she tried to sound reassuring. "How many people do you think dont' suspect us for what we are, right now?" she asked.

"I..I've never really thought of it." Caelah shrugged, a small smile touching the corner of her mouth as realisation came to her.

"They may not say anything directly, but I bet some of them suspect, and no one has said anything yet, have they?"

The other girl shook her head. "No..not yet."

"Come, come with me and meet my mother. It's the first step for the rest of our lives, Caelah." Fareena's voice showed her returning excitement. "My mother won't bite, I promise."

She gave a brief, short nod of assent, and stood again, more confidently this time. "Hold me Far, hold me tight!" she begged, slipping her arms around Fareena's shoulders as the other girl stood as well. "Hold me tight enough that I'll be able to feel you forever."

Last updated on the July 18th 2007

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My Mother Won't Bite!