Where It Leads

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 17th October 2008

Characters: J'gen, Irlani
Description: J'gen and Irlani discussed what happened after the greenflight
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 14 of Turn 4
Notes: Takes place after "Under The Influence"

The weyr was quiet after Gyta was put down for the night. Irlani stood
in front of the alcove, the curtain closed, staring at the fabric that
separated the child from the rest of the weyr. After a few moments of, she turned and made her way back to the main part of the
weyr.

"She'll be asleep soon. She had a full day." J'gen said, taking a seat
on the settle, and patting the area next to him. "Come and sit
down... please?"

Irlani moved over and lowered herself onto a chair across from him.
"She was already falling asleep when her head hit the pillow. She was
pretty tired out."

"Now....we need to talk - about earlier." he said, as if there was a
need for explanation. "About us..." He hadn't missed her deliberate
move to sit as far from him as the room allowed. "You think what I
said was due to residual dragon lust - am I right?" he asked, a soft
smile curling his lips.

"Dragon lust is a powerful thing." Irlani leaned forward, "J'gen, my
husband...weyrmate was a dragonrider. I understand how it works, how
things go here. It's all right. I'm...I'm glad I was able to help
you during it." The words sounded weak to her ears.

"Help me through it?" he gave a derisive laugh. "Okay, but you've
helped me through more than just a post flight loss."

"You've already mentioned that. On more than one occasion." Irlani
pointed out with a small, amused smile. "Anyway, it's over, no
worries. We can go back to the way things were."

"Can we? It wasn't just dragon lust." he tried to tell her again.
"I've been feeling something for a few sevendays now. The lost flight
today, well...it was ... it made it easier for me to face the way I
felt. I could have gotten drunk like others probably did. I didn't
need to _take advantage_ of you..."

"I promise you, J'gen, you did _not_ take advantage of me." Irlani
insisted. "I would never have let you touch me if I didn't care about
you too."

"You.... you feel the same way?" he sat upright on the edge of the
settle. "So - you believe me - that it wasn't just the dragon lust?"

"I do now." Irlani laughed softly. "I wasn't sure then - after all,
it was too close to the event. But I do now."

He heaved a sigh of relief, then tensed again, "So... where does that
leave us now?" he asked.

"Well..." Irlani drew the word out, as if pondering the situation,
"Where do you want it to leave us?"

"I'd like to see where this can lead us." he admitted, reaching out and
taking her hand. "I...I want to get to know you better." he smiled up
at her.

Irlani let her fingers curl around J'gen's and her smile was soft as it
fell upon him. "Then by all means, bronzerider, lead on."

He slipped from the settle, to his knee's before her. His fingers
caressing hers softly entwining in them. His lips brushed hers so
softly as to be barely felt. He pulled back from her, his eye
flicking from one to the other of hers, "You're sure, aren't you?" he
asked, his hands releasing hers and circling her waist.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Irlani assured him, her arms
encircling his neck. He felt good, holding her like that, body warm
against hers, breath soft upon her face. "Though I wonder what your
children will think."

"Gyta - will be fine, and so will Vordrigen or Rigen as he likes to be
called." J'gen smiled, "I suspect Talliea might be easier to placate
than Calliea, though." his face dropped when he thought of how much
like her mother the girl really was. "But Calliea will have to
adjust."

"I don't want to cause a rift between you." Irlani pulled back,
uncertainty clouding her face. Calliea had been so hostile toward her
and that was before there was anything at all between them!

"_You_ won't cause the rift. Calliea needs to understand that I'm her
father and always will be, but that I need a life outside of being a
father to her." he shook his head, "She's a lot like her mother in
that regard."

Irlani stared into J'gen's one eye and she reached up to cup his face,
her touch gentle, tender. "You miss her, don't you?"

"Who? Jilliea?" his face creased in horror, "Shards no!" he shook his
head emphatically. "She was a big mistake. A big flight mistake."
he continued shaking his head, his sadness almost palpable. "One of
these days I'll sit and tell you all about it, but not now."

"No, not Jilliea." Irlani's eyes flickered over in the direction of
the alcove. "Syrita."

"Oh..." he felt the anxiety leave him in a rush, replaced by something
a lot gentler. "Yes, I miss her - but time has a way of lessening the
pain associated with the loss." he agreed. "I miss the companionship
and the affection and ... and the love we shared."

"We've both lost our loves." Irlani let her hands slide from his face
to his shoulders and down his arms. She took his hands in her own
holding them tightly. "Do you think we could learn to love again?"

"I think its possible I'm already on that track. I care more about you
than I would have thought possible a few short months ago." he smiled
softly, "but I think we both need to discover more about each other
and now, we have that chance." he leaned forward and kissed her
softly, his arms tightened around her waist.

"And what do you want to discover about me?" Irlani asked after the
kiss was broken, her breath caressing his face.

"I want to know all about you. What you like and don't like. What
your weyrmate was like...did I know him?" he asked, a puzzled look
crossing his face. He hadn't considered that one of the riders he
knew, had been her partner; one of the many who had died in the past
few turns.

"You knew him." Irlani said softly. She gazed down upon him, still
kneeling before him. "K'lin. You were probably more familiar with his
lifemate, Serrinth."

**Shaffit!** Yes, he had known both rider and lifemate. "Oh...yes, I
knew him." he nodded in understanding. "I knew _both_ of them." And
there had been nothing he could do to save either. It had been out of
all of their hands, in the end infection had taken K'lin, with
Serrinth following immediately after his rider. "He was a good man,
Irlani."

A sad smile that had come to be intimate with Irlani's features when
talking about her husband and weyrmate flicked over her lips. "Yes, he
was." She paused to reach up and lay a hand upon her shoulder. "But I
think he would agree with me that you are a good man too."

"I try to be." he stood, shaking the stiffness from his knees, before
reaching down to take her hands. He pulled her gently from the chair
and into his embrace. "I don't want you here for me simply to
reminisce about Syrita, though, Irlani. I want you here as my
mate...."

"You do, hm?" Irlani fell into his arms without any hesitation, her
head tipping back so she could gaze upon him fully. "And why should I
give you what you want?"

"Because I'll give you whatever you want. I'll promise to care for
you, and ..." he paused, meeting her gaze, his face reflected how he
felt, "... Irlani, I'm serious, I have developed very deep feelings
for you. I want us to be a family."

"Are you sure, J'gen?" Irlani was almost afraid to press, but she knew
she must. "Perhaps we're taking things a little too fast."

"Yes, a little too fast, but you did ask." he smiled down on her.
"Maybe we'll both feel that way soon. I just wanted you to know that
right now, I want to get to know you better. And a few short
sevendays ago I wouldn't have thought I'd feel this way."

"Neither did I." Irlani admitted. To be honest, she hadn't been
looking for anyone since K'lin had died. She had just been with him so
long...it had seemed strange to think about trying to find someone
else. Until J'gen. "So get to know me better, dragonrider, and let me
get to know you better as well. Then let us see where this leads."

His laughter was deep and soft as he bent to take her mouth with his own.
He kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth with ease. He could
feel arousal rising in him as he scooped her into his arms and carried her
into his bedroom. "You're sure?" he asked, finally coming up for air.

Irlani gave him an answer but reaching up to pull him down for another kiss.
She was very sure.

Last updated on the October 18th 2008

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Where It Leads