Understanding (Part II)

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 27th November 2008

Characters: J'gen, Irlani, Calliea
Description: Irlani and J'gen talk about things.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 8 of Turn 4

J'gen pulled aside the curtain and looked over at Irlani who was still
sitting patiently at the end of Gyta's bed. "I think she's asleep now."
he said, with a glance over his shoulder to his older daughter who lay on
the settle.

Irlani stood and made her way out of the alcove, pulling the curtain
back. She glanced over at Calliea. "Both of them are out like candles in a
storm."

"You heard everything?" he asked. Slipping an arm around her
waist. "The mate was bad enough but the bairn as well? It might had settled her -
though it didn't settle her mother." he admitted.

"It's horrible." Irlani knew first hand exactly _how_ horrible, though
she hadn't lost hers so close together. "I know what she's going through
though." Her features twisted as sorrow fell across them. She loved
J'gen, she was not afraid to admit that, but she had loved her husband turned
weyrmate as well. Nothing would ever change that.

"Aw love..." he folded his arms around her. "I didn't mean to bring up
sad memories."

"It's not your fault." Irlani laughed softly, brushing away his
concern. "It's a part of life, I've accepted that. I'm just sorry she
has to experience it first hand."

"I am too." he hugged her close.

"Daddy?" Calliea stirred in the sitting area, "Daddy! Not her again!" her voice sounded as sour as her face looked. "Can't she lea- " she sat up straight, "Yo... you _kissed_ her!" Her voice was harsh in the small room.

"Calliea, we have discussed this." J'gen said, releasing Irlani for a
moment.

A deep rumbling could be heard from the dragon cavern as first Harith and Suuth sounded out to their riders.

It took no more than the blink of an eye and Calliea was up and striding across the room towards Irlani, "You slut!" she screamed and slapped the woman across the face. It happened so fast that J'gen didn't have time to react until it was too late. His voice bounced off the walls as he grabbed his daughter.

Irlani stood there in shock for a moment, her eyes widening. The sting
from the slap made her cheek tingle and she reached up to finger it
gently. A pink stain spread across the side of her face, its shape
resembling that of a hand. The foster mother was so surprised, she
couldn't react right away, but simply stared at the greenrider.

"No!" echoing her fathers cry, Gyta flung herself out from behind the
curtain, and stood in front of Irlani. "Calliea, No!" She held up her
hands, her face creased in anger.

J'gen was so stunned by the ferocity in his youngest daughter's exclamation,
that at first he didn't realise what he had heard.

Calliea rocked back surprised at the venom that was written across her
sister's face.

"Gyta." The child's appearance as well as the words spoken only added to
the shock that Irlani was feeling. It faded however, and she reached down
to gingerly touch the child's shoulder. "You should be in bed."

"No..." she shook her head. "Calliea...no." her hands reached backwards and
she held protectively to Irlani's legs.

J'gen's hands were now holding tightly to Calliea's shoulders. "You need to
calm down." he said roughly, emotions warring within him at the turn of
events. "You also owe Irlani and apology."

Calliea's hands flew to her face, as tears spilled from her eyes again.
"I've lost everything...everything." she spluttered.

"I'm sorry Calliea." Irlani stated softly, her own expression twisting once
more. She had been in a similar state not in the too distant past. A time
when she thought she had nothing left. At least Calliea had her dragon, but
she knew that mentioning such wasn't exactly what the girl needed to hear at
that moment. "I truly am."

"What would you know?" Calliea asked through her hands, her tone
disbelieving.

"I've had one miscarriage and one still born child." Irlani stated, her
tone deadpan. "And I watched my weyrmate suffer from horrible Thread score
only to die from an infection. I know very well."

Calliea's shoulders slumped under her fathers hold. "You're just saying
that..." Calliea replied moodily.

"If you don't believe me, then feel free to look through the Weyr's
records." Irlani offered, motioning toward the door. "Or ask those who
have known me for turns. They will tell you."

"Then...then you do know..." she said, finally dropping her hands and
looking across at Irlani.

"I wouldn't have said I did otherwise." Irlani shook her head more at the
girl's immaturity than anything. "Tragedy has come doublefold since the
return of Thread. Everyone has been touched by it in some form or fashion."
Of course, Thread had nothing to do with the loss of her children, but that
was a tragedy in itself.

"We... we'd only been together a short time. Why did it have to be him?"
Calliea looked from her father to Irlani. "And our baby - I was going to
move to the Queens Wing..."

"I'm sorry, Calliea." Irlani echoed her earlier words as she slowly lowered
herself into a chair. "I wish I had answers for you, but I don't."

"It's not as if you care anyway." Calliea's petulance was obvious, still
crossing the line between child and woman. "Huh, at least something came of
it, Gyta's speaking again, or has she been talking for a while and you
neglected to let Talliea, 'Rigen and I know?"

"No, she hasn't, and I care a lot more than you think." Irlani wished the
girl would grow up. "But you're making it harder. You simply push someone
who might be willing to be a friend, someone who knows exactly what you're
going through. I've done nothing to you, Calliea." She glanced over at
J'gen, then back to his daughter. "And I would like to be friends. I don't
know why that is such a hard thing to grasp."

"You don't want to be my friend, you just want to be with dad, so you're
making out you want to be friends."

Irlani sighed and stood. "You are being unreasonable." She turned to J'gen
and Gyta who had both remained quiet through the exchange, "I will see you
both in the morning. I hope you all have a good night." With that she
turned to go.

"You need to have a change of attitude, young lady." J'gen said with an edge
to his voice. "You owe Irlani so many apologies it will take the next few
Turns to do so. You don't seem to consider that anyone but you, has
feelings."

He turned to Irlani, "Please, don't go... _I_ want you here, and you have
every right to be here." his voice brooked no argument as his eyes fell on
his daughter.

"I know, J'gen." Irlani turned back and smiled to the bronzerider who had
captured her heart. "But right now, she needs you and I'm not going to deny
her that, not matter what her attitude."

"Later?" he asked, knowing what she said was right,and maybe if he gave
Calliea what she wanted right now, then later, she would be more accepting
of Irlani, because whatever the girl thought, Irlani was going to be a part
of his life.

"Of course." She smiled and motioned J'gen closer so that Calliea couldn't
hear. "Let her grieve tonight J'gen. She doesn't need to deal with other
things right now, or even tomorrow. Let her grieve. There is time enough
to deal with her other issues.

He nodded with understanding, and squeezed her arm in appreciation of _her_
understanding.

Last updated on the December 1st 2008

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Understanding (Part II)