I...you should know

Writers: AL, Suzee
Date Posted: 14th January 2012

Characters: Y'gel, Briata
Description: Briata has to talk to Y'gel.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 10 of Turn 6

Y'gel

Briata

Things just weren't working out the way they had been planned. It had
been one change after another. One thing that had gone wrong after
another and this was just another one. Her life had been so perfect
for such a short time, Briata really ought to be used to things not
going right. Yet, she couldn't hide the shock. And it was certainly
not something she could hide from him.

She had thought she had been pregnant once before, but it had been a
false alarm. Truly, she wished she had been. Then Briata would have a
piece of him, something left of B'lamick. But now she was pregnant
with another man's child, and her weyrmate was getting further and
further away from her.

With a sigh, Briata leaned against the door to Y'gel's weyr. She
couldn't not tell him. She was scared. She was lonely. She was
confused. She was so many things she didn't know what she was.
Finally, after a good fifteen minutes, the girl knocked upon the door.

Y'gel had been reading a rather engaging Harper tale of a pair of
Weyrleaders from hundreds of turns in the past. When he heard the
knock, he set down along with his drink and went to the door.

"Briata," he said with a smile and stepped back to let her in. He was
faintly puzzled by her coming to his weyr. He'd known her discomfort
with recent events and had given her space to sort things out for
herself. He'd experienced a great love with his Liranet so he
understood how her heart still yearned for what she'd lost when
B'lamick had disappeared in the way he had.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Oh, no." Briata shook her head. She hesitated, but decided perhaps
it was best not to mention the issue out in the hall, so stepped
inside, one hand rubbing her opposite arm. "I'm fine. Thank you."
Her eyes turned toward the curtain that separated the main part of the
weyr from the dragon couch, then that jeweled gaze shifted to fall upon
the man. "I...need to talk to you."

"Alright," he said carefully and closed the door behind her. She
seemed a little off somehow, almost like something was wrong. But what
more could go wrong between them than already had. He'd follow her
either to the table of the couch. His quarters were fairly neat as he
liked it that way though his cleared dinner sat on the side table as
he hadn't had a chance to take them back to the dining hall yet.

So what now? Briata honestly wasn't sure_what_ to say. How did

someone break this sort of news to someone else? Had they been married
or weyrmated, it would have been happy news. But with things the way
they are. "I...you should know. I'm with child."

For the second time in his life Y'gel's whole world lit up. "Really?"
He felt like grabbing and hugging her but he stopped himself and
rubbed his hands on his pants. "Are you ok?" He just knew he was
grinning like a fool. "Sit down, sit down." he said.

It was not the reaction that Briata had expected. Not at all.
Confusion, concern, maybe unhappiness, but this? No, it had
definitely not been on her list of possible reactions. "I'm...I'm
fine." Sort of. She glanced around, then chose a chair and lowered
herself into it.

He sat down on the couch near her and tried to read what she was
feeling. But he was having a very hard time with it. She said she was
fine but she didn't look fine. "Can I get you some water or juice or
anything?"

Briata shook her head. "No. I'm fine." Maybe if she kept telling
her that it would be true. The problem was, this was not the way
things were supposed to go. Shards, how many times had she told
herself that before? Too many times. Every time something had gone
wrong, every time her life had been turned upside down which had been
far too often in just the last two turns. "It's...I....just..."

She looked so lost and alone. His instincts warred within him. He'd
worked with enough young people to know when someone was struggling
and Briata was struggling with whatever it was she wanted to say.
"Bri," he started, and reached out to cover her hands. "What is it?"

"It's just...not how I thought things would be." She admitted. Briata
looked down at where his hands covered hers and she sighed. "Nothing in
my life has gone the way I thought it would go. Nothing at all."

"I'm very sorry about all that my dear. But I'm here for you. I hope
you know that." His concern over her emotional state showed in his
face. Briata was a sweet girl who had gone through a rather large
share of hardship. As much as he would cherish another child he
couldn't bring himself to force her in that direction "Do you know
what you want to do?"

Briata's eyes darted up and it took a moment for her to realise what he
meant. "I will keep the child." She stated suddenly and with great
conviction. "Planned or not, this is a baby, not a thing. A living
person - and planned or not, this baby is a part of me. I will keep
him or her - and love the baby."

His smile broke out all over again. He reached out to touch her face.
She was so very lovely and brave. "Oh Briata," he said. "Please let me
be a part of your life and the baby's. I want that more than
anything."

"If that is what you wish, I will be glad for it. A child should know
his or her father." Even if things hadn't been planned, Briata
wouldn't neglect her baby, or deny her friend the opportunity to know
his child.

"Briata," he started. He wasn't sure he'd made himself clear to her.
"I know your life hasn't been anything like what you planned." He took
one of her hands. "I am most certainly not what you had envisioned.
But I care about you."

Briata smiled. Y'gel cared about everyone. Perhaps it was simply a
part of being a healer - or, at least, a _good_ healer. "I know. And
I don't want us not to be friends." It was odd, still, but she was
glad they hadn't pushed each other away after everything.

Experience told him that she didn't have any illusions of love for
him. That much was pretty evident in the way she responded to his
overtures. He also knew she was hold raised and as such whatever
family she still had would expect certain things. He did care for her
more deeply than just a simple friendship would explain and he was
willing to provide the type of 'protection' the Weyrbred were able.

He cleared his throat. This wasn't easy. "Briata, I would be honored
if you would weyrmate with me." He expected her to protest so held up
a hand. "Just hear me out. You've told me some of your background and
I understand you don't care for me in that way. But even if it is only
for the short term while you are expecting and you want to separate
after, I would like to really be a part of _your_ life for now."

Briata's expression softened. Oh shards, how could she do this? She
reached up with the hand that wasn't clasped between the bronzerider's
and rubbed at her eyes. "I understand what you're saying." She stated
slowly. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't see how she wasn't
going to be able to. "I like you Y'gel, a lot. And...and...I
just...it's too soon. It was all too soon. I'm not ready to weyrmate,
not to anyone. If I was, it would be you but....I don't work that
way. Weyrmating for me...its' the closest thing a Weyr has to marriage
and so I treat it as thus. Til death do us part. I don't think either
of us are ready for that kind of commitment."

**It's what I did last time** he thought as a vision of Liranet
flitted through his mind. Death had parted them and he knew how to
make that kind of commitment. But _both_ of them had to want it if it
had a chance of working at all.

"Alright," he said simply. "I understand." He couldn't help a small
flicker of disappointment but wouldn't let that color their
relationship. He still had a some hope, however small.

"Can I get you that juice now?"

"Yes." Things felt even _more_awkward to her now, but Briata didn't
want to lose a friend. And she wasn't about to push away the father of
her child. "That would be lovely."

Last updated on the January 16th 2012

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