The Right Thing

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 17th October 2006

Characters: Larken, M'tone
Description: Larken has to face M'tone and explain her decision
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 26 of Turn 3
Notes: Follows "You Make Me Happy" and "Will You Trust Me"

"There you are," the brownrider grinned as he reached for her hand to pull Larken into his weyr and into his arms. "I missed you last night. Did your husband come home?"

Larken let herself relax into his arms, and she closed her eyes, fighting against the sudden lump in her throat--a lump she'd been fighting against all day. "Yes...he did," she whispered, burying her face into his shoulder, breathing deeply. She _had_ to get control...

"Oh, now Larken, it's nothing to be upset about," he said soothingly as he pulled her closer. "I'm not angry. These things will happen sometimes, that's all."

She shook her head, trying to find her voice. "I can't."

"Can't what?" the brownrider asked softly as he rubbed her back, offering her comfort and forgiveness for something he knew was not her fault.

"M'tone..." She swallowed thickly. "I can't do this. We can't." Larken forced herself to lean back--forced herself to look up into his face. "I can't do it to Ojisan."

"Larken," he said gently as he cupped her face in his hands. "You're not _doing_ anything to Ojisan. I told you, you and I have nothing to do with your relationship with him..."

"No. It has _everything_ to do with him, don't you see?" It was killing her to look into his eyes, and she desperately fought against the urge to look down. "By being with you...I'm betraying him. Betraying his trust in me. I'm _lying_ to him every time I open my mouth, every time I kiss him. And he... He loves me." This last was a whisper, and she finally dropped her eyes.

He reached down to lift her chin to look into her eyes. "But you don't love him," he said equally quiet.

"No...I don't." Tears filled her eyes. "But I care for him."

"And I would never come between you and your feelings for him." He leaned forward to kiss her forehead softly. "What happens between us will always stay between us. He'll never know."

"But I'll know."

He frowned slightly. This wasn't going well. "And if you give what we have up, what we've come to feel for each other? What _I_ feel for you? You'll know that too."

She looked away, trying very hard not to let those tears fall. Him actually _saying_ that he cared for her made what she had to do so much harder. "I know. And I... I don't _want_ to give what we share up," she whispered. "But I...have to."

"Shards," he whispered, letting her go and turning to walk further into his rooms. M'tone didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to see it in her eyes. Faranth, it actually hurt.

Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself, expression wounded as she watched him, torn between wanting to go to him and wanting to escape...wanting to run away from it all. She took a step forward, then stopped. If Larken went to him now, she knew she'd take back everything she'd said, and she couldn't do that. She just couldn't. "M'tone..."

He turned around and brought his eyes up to look into hers, his hands on his hips showing his frustration.

She flinched, taking a step back. "I'm sorry..." What else could she say? This wasn't an easy decision for her to make? She'd miss him? Miss him so much it would hurt?

The brownrider crossed his arms across his chest and nodded. "Me too."

Dashing the tears from her cheeks, Larken made herself turn around before she wound up running into his arms, and pulled open the door, making her escape. Shards....she would miss him so much. Miss his jokes, his kisses, his teasing, his encouragement to take on the world and just be herself.
**You're doing the right thing,** a part of her soothed.

But the other part of her wasn't so sure.

Last updated on the October 23rd 2006

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The Right Thing