Morning's about over, and me, Rain, and Wayne are on top of the wall that surrounds the city together, having just showed up on it. After the three of us have went to the Braveheart and ate. Me and Rain are about to leave the city to find Tommy. The fuzzy green scarf's wrapped and tied around Rain's neck, ready to return it to him.

We did see Amanda and Neal working there this morning, and we also saw Cody, Jessie and Frankie there too, and we all ate together. Me and Rain did tell them that we're leaving the city today, but we didn't bring up that we're going to see Tommy. Rain thought it'd be a good idea to keep this quiet. She doesn't want them, not even Frankie, to worry about us going there. Like me and Wayne, they would have doubts that Tommy wouldn't remember Rain at all. Heck, I don't want to see Frankie get all worried about his sister. I wouldn't blame him if he did. Rain did get shot by Tommy, years ago.

But I'm sure that things will be alright. Not like she's going there alone, I'm going with her.

So now, me and Rain are on the wall along with Wayne, so he'll see us off. Well, he's the only other human in the group that knows about this plan of Rain's, so we can at least say goodbye to him before we leave. At least, he appears to be okay with this.

Rain said this as we're walking on the wall, looking down at Wayne, "Hey Wayne, thank you for not saying any of this to anyone, especially my brother. I didn't want the others to get worried about me, even Frankie."

Wayne shrugged with both hands, "Hey, I can keep a secret. But I honestly hope things don't get bad. I mean, if Tommy hasn't returned to normal and if he sees you, then he'll just shoot you again."

I waved him off, "But he won't see her. I'm just going to go up to him, while Rain's watching me from the woods. Pure and simple."

Rain reassured, "And if Tommy DOES see me, then Brandon here will protect me."

I exclaimed to Wayne, "Exactly!" Rain looked down at me and smirked. I gazed back and smirked too.

All three of us have stopped on a spot on the wall, looking out at the outskirts. Wayne said this with a nervous tone, "I'm still a bit nervous about this, guys."

She waved a dismissive paw at him, "I'm not going to get hurt. I'll make sure of that." Then she gave him a teasing grin, "Don't tell me you're going to get overprotective, like my brother."

Wayne laughed and shook his head, "Please, that's your brother's department. I'm not the drake who's VERY overprotective of his own sister."

She shrugged her shoulders, "You and I are not siblings, anyway."

He pointed a finger at her, "That doesn't mean I can't get worried a TEENY TINY bit, about you."

She nodded in agreement, "Oh, I know. You wouldn't be my friend, if you're not worried." She shot up her head, "Goes to show me, that you care."

I walked up to Wayne and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him more reassurance, "Don't worry, I'll look after her. And I promise you, we'll come back safe and sound."

Rain added, "We'll probably just spend the night outside the city, so we won't be back tonight. It's a long flight to get back here."

Wayne grasped my hand to remove it off his shoulder and he asked, "You guys sure, you don't want to come with you?"

Me and Rain both nodded, and she said, "It's something, I want to do with Brandon alone." She waved her paw at him, "I just think this whole closure thing will be better if everyone's not with us. If I was going to break down in tears, I'd rather cry with Brandon alone."

Wayne stared at her for a second, and then he finally nodded, "Well....Alright. I understand." Then he raised a finger and remarked, "I'll be truthful, I know that I'm doubtful, but...I hope that Tommy remembers you. I miss talking to that guy." He shrugged his shoulders with a chuckle, "I wouldn't mind that he's old, I would still talk to him."

I said with an excited face, "Hey, this is my first time meeting him. Everything you guys said about him, sounds like he's a nice guy."

Rain turned her gaze away from us and let out a sigh, "Yeah...When he's not screaming and shooting at you."

Wayne gave her a pity nod, "I know."

I turned to her and said in comfort, "Hey, he won't scream and shoot at you. He won't hurt you again, I promise."

She was shaking her head to herself, with her eyes showing pain, "I wish that he didn't at all. I...I-" I walked up to her and put my hand on her chest, feeling her heart pounding against it. Rain felt that and looked down at me, I was giving her a smile, silently telling her that I'm here with her. I backed away from her a bit and she lowered her head to my level, so I could take her chin with my hands. She said this with a glimmer of happiness in her eyes, "Thank you."

I gave her nose a kiss, "Don't mention it." I was looking right at her eyes, those caring beautiful eyes. My feelings for her came back in an instant. Oh Rain....I wish that Tommy didn't hurt you back then. It really makes me feel bad. Feel bad for you.

I can remember the first time she told me what happened to her back then. I can remember the whole story. And I can remember the reason why she didn't trust me and Jessie at all before, because of what happened to her. Because she didn't want to feel that pain again. I can certainly remember all the tears she was shedding, after she told me the truth.

I'm here Rain. I'm here for you. Don't worry, big girl.

I love you.

Rain's voice cut through my thoughts, "Brandon?" I shook my head, looked at her and she pressed me, "Are you okay? You're staring."

I actually wished I did tell her how I've felt, right now. But I couldn't. Not until I know if she loved me the same way or not. Not until I really know for sure. Plus, her mind's on Tommy and her need for closure. So I'm just going to wait, until that time comes. I giggled a bit and nodded, "Sorry bout that. I was just a bit....Zoned out."

Wayne laughed and remarked, "Funny, it just looked like you were entranced by her eyes."

I turned to Wayne and said, "Well why not?" I turned back to Rain's face, with a smile, "They are pretty beautiful."

Rain beamed at me, "Aww, now I'm really feeling better."

I gave her nose another kiss, "I'm glad."

She rose her head away from my hands and above my level, she backed away a bit to lower her body to the ground, ready for me to mount her, "Alright, jump on my back."

I nodded and started to walk to her back, "Yes, ma'am." She giggled at the word ma'am, and I grabbed her wing joint, jumped up, hurled my leg over her back and now I'm sitting on top of her. She started to rise her whole frame off the ground and stood tall with me, while Wayne was staring up at us.

Wayne said with a nod, whose expression got back to being nervous like before, "Well guys, this is it."

Rain nodded in agreement, "Yep, my flight to find closure is about to begin."

I looked down at Wayne from my dragon's back, "We'll be back tomorrow, alright?"

Wayne replied, "Alright, and....Just be careful." He looked right at Rain, "Especially you, Rain."

Rain lowered her head to his level, she said with reassurance in her eyes, "I promise." She raised her head to look back at me, "Ready?"

I patted her neck, "Lets find Tommy." She nodded and looked ahead at the outskirts of the city, with a determined look. She unfurled her wings and started to flap them. I wrapped my arms around her neck, as she was about to take flight. She repeatedly flapped them, until we were hovering over the wall and over Wayne, who was watching us with amusement. He waved at us from down below, and I waved back for a second. Rain then flew forward with a burst of speed, and I screamed happily by the thrill of flight, "WOOO!" She let out a loud roar, as we flew away from the dragon city.

Now heading to find Tommy.

*****

The lone dragon was watching from a distance, far away from the dragon city's big wall so no one would see it. Seeing Rain has took flight off the wall with Brandon riding her. It watched her fly off, and it looked back at the wall, where it can see Wayne standing up there alone. Wayne was just standing there watching them leave, until he decided to leave his spot as well. The dragon looked off at the direction of where Rain and Brandon flew off to, then it had a look of total determination. It spread it's wings and then it took to the skies, to follow them.

*****

I was standing beside Rain in the woods, seeing the house that Tommy appears to live in at a distance away from us. The house doesn't really look that bad, in my opinion. After Rain knew where we were at from up in the air, me and her had to land in the woods away from the house, so Tommy wouldn't see her. Which I know she has done so many times before. After that, we both treaded through the trees and bushes, until we see the house right now.

I looked at the barn nearby, beginning to actually picture what happened with Rain and Tommy years ago. I know I wasn't there, but I can picture it. How he was standing in front of that barn and when he saw Rain, I see him screaming at her in terror, calling her a monster. Then afterward he grabbed his rifle and shot her. God, what a horrible image. That Rain would get shot by someone she had grew to love and care for. I can even picture the tears brimming in her eyes, after she got shot, also with the look of feeling betrayed. Feeling hurt and betrayed by Tommy. Rain...

Rain let out a deep sigh, and I gazed up at her, "You ok?"

Rain didn't looked down at me, only at the house. She had a haunting look on her, "I haven't came back here, since days ago. And the last day I came here, was the day we've first met." She took a deep breath, puffing out her chest, and let it out, "This house has a haunting feeling to it. Like every time I look at Tommy and the house...I feel like I'm a ghost."

I muttered, "That you really are an angel, watching over him. Watching over him, until the day he dies."

Rain turned to look down at me, "Sounds about right." Then she nodded to herself, "And now, I became your black scaled angel."

I replied with a little smile, "Yep." Then I looked back at the house, saying this, "Well, big girl...This is it."

Rain followed my gaze, looking like she was having this anticipation building up in her. Ready to know if Tommy remembers her or not, "Yep...This is it."

We looked at the house for a few moments, on the inside I'm basically trying to build the guts to do this. I never did meet him at all, and I'm just a total stranger. So right now I'm just nervous, but I know that I'll brush that off. I was also excited to meet the human that Rain and everyone else has talked about, more than once. I turned my whole body at Rain, and said this, "Alright, give me the scarf."

Rain sat down on her haunches and reached around her neck, to using her claws to untie the scarf. She grabbed it in her paw and lowered it to hand it to me, "Here you go. Be the last time, I'm wearing it."

I took it and held it in both hands, looking at it and feeling the fuzziness of it, "Thanks." I slowly turned to the house once more, both the nervousness and anticipation were building up within me. I took a breath and let it out in a slow whoosh of air, "Alright, here I go."

Rain said, "I wish I was the one who was doing this, but you're the one who has to."

She lowered her head to where I was, and I only turned my head to her to say this, "I know." She softly nuzzled my cheek with her nose, and it felt good to me. I said after I gave her nose a pat and she pulled it away, "I'll be back, alright?" She nodded and gazed straight at the house. After gazing at it for a second, I started to walk out of the woods in slow steps. Rain rose her head behind me, when I trekked out of the bushes and out in the open. I swung the scarf onto my shoulder, so I wouldn't have to carry it. I looked around the yard and at the barn, not seeing Tommy outside. After several slow steps, I made it to the front door and began to knock three times on it. I backed away a bit, waiting and anticipating his arrival.

I can hear several footsteps in the house, until someone opened the door, showing an old man. With white hair and several wrinkles on his face. The old man appeared to be curious of me and said with a bit of a ragged voice, "Yes? Can I help you?"

I put on a smile, my feeling of being nervous went away at that very moment, "Hi there. Are you Tommy Ross?"

The old man nodded, "Yes, I am." He frowned, "I don't think we've met before, do I know you?"

I shook my head at him, "Actually no, we never met." I put a hand to my chest, "I'm sorry, I think I better introduce myself. My name's Brandon Long, and I'm from a town called Leon."

That's when Tommy brought his head closer to mine, holding up a finger close to my eyes, "Wait a second...I do know you." He started to nod, after staring at me for several seconds, "Yes...I do know you. You're one of the kids, who ran away from that town. That girl, uh....Jessie Dobbins ran away too. I saw your faces on TV days ago, and the police have been looking for you." I was just staring at him. I sorta had a gut feeling that he probably saw me and Jessie on TV and knows that we're both runaways. I really hope mom after reading my letter, has told the police not to search for us anymore and we're safe and sound. Then he lowered his hand to his side and pulled his head away from mine, "I haven't watched TV lately, so are the police still looking for you kids? If you are, then I need to call your parents and-"

I shook my head and waved him off, "No, it's alright. You don't need to worry about it. Me and Jessie are living in a new place, and we told our parents everything. They know we're alright, so they should call the police off."

Tommy started to giggle, "Really? And here I thought that you were coming to my home, begging for a place to stay." Then he asked, "Aren't you kids a little young to live out on your own?"

I giggled too, "Trust me, we're fine."

He asked again, "So where is the young girl?"

"She's back at our new home."

Tommy slowly began to nod, "Well...Alright, if you say so. You kids have your reasons to want to move away from home. You're both growing up, and want to live out your lives. It's normal to move out of your parent's home."

I nodded as well, "I know what you mean."

He let out a sigh, and looked up at the sky, "I can remember what my mother was like. How nice she was. How devoted she was." He started to let out a small giggle, "I can really remember how shy I was, and my mother was the only one who talked to me. The one person who understood me. One that I can talk to, and not worry."

I was frowning at him. She wasn't the only one who understood you. Rain did too.

Does he...Not remember her?

Tommy looked away from the sky toward me, curiosity filled his eyes, "So....What do you want from me? And more importantly...How do you know my name?"

Well I guess it's time, I do what needs to be done. I answered him, "A friend of mine, told me about you. She said that she met you, years ago. And...You haven't talked to her for such a long time."

He tilted his head at me, "Who? I...Didn't have a lot of friends growing up. Who is it?"

I have a feeling I know the answer to his question, but I said it anyway, "Rain."

Tommy was humming to himself in thought, putting his hand to his chin. He was pretty deep in thought. Finally he looked at me and shook his head, "No...Doesn't ring a bell."

My heart sank at his answer. I knew it. Poor Rain....

How can you not remember her, pal? You loved her.

He asked, "Who's Rain? I don't even know any Rain." He chuckled, "I know I'm old, but I don't think I'm that forgetful."

I decided to ask again with this question, changing the subject a bit. Thinking that asking him this one is worth a shot, "Do you remember...Dragons?" I motioned my hand toward him, while he looked real confused by the question, "This might sound crazy to you but, did you remember...Dragons and humans co existing? Did you remember talking to one?"

Tommy had a grim look on his face, "Well...I don't know why you would ask me those questions, they sound ridiculous. Hell, I thought dragons were just a bunch of fairytale creatures that only appear in movies and stories. But uh....I did see one, show up at my house. To my total surprise and shock, a REAL dragon came to me. And I never expected that at all. I really thought dragons don't exist, but one came out of nowhere and found me." He was rolling up his eyes, remembering that day, "I was young, almost about your age." He gestured to the barn near the house, "I was standing over there, outside and it just walked up to me. A big black one, to be exact. I was just scared to death and it...Knew my name. It actually talked to me. Like a human." He shook his head to himself, "...I didn't know what it wanted, but I certainly didn't know it. It acted like it knew me, but I never met it at all. It...Was a monster showing up in my yard, and I didn't trust it at all. So I used a gun and shot at it. Ever since then, I never saw it again."

Then he changed his expression to surprise, "As it turned out, I wasn't the only one who saw a dragon, years ago. Turns out, several people saw other dragons and it seemed to be an invasion to me. Big giant lizards, showing up and scaring a lot of people. Since that day, dragons never showed up again and they all just disappeared, never to be seen again."

I was just staring at him, thinking differently about his words. They weren't invading, they were seeing their friends which is humanity. And you and humanity...Don't remember them. For some odd mysterious reason, you don't remember your big scaly friends. I'm sure you doesn't remember the dragon city also.

Tommy asked with a brow raised, "How do you know about dragons? No one hasn't talked about them for years. No one these days, knew about them. Except the ones who were there around that day...Including me." He giggled in his throat, "No one these days, would believe us anyways. None of us had any video proof or anything, so how can anyone these days believe us? Dragons...Alive and real. I wouldn't believe it either."

He asked once more, "So how did you know about them? And now I'm wondering....Why did you ask me, if dragons and humans co existed? That really sounds silly and ridiculous. We never did that, they were monsters that just showed up out of nowhere, invading our world. They wanted to scare us and then quite possibly kill us. It would've been a disaster. Dragons can breathe fire. But luckily, no one died back then. They were just scared off by our guns and bullets. Hell, I'm surprised they were just scared away in the first place. They're bigger than us, so wouldn't they have the advantage to kill us? Even up to this day, I'm confused. We all thought they would just retaliate, but none of them never came back. I...I had just hoped for years, that those things don't ever come back. I don't know how smart those monsters are, but who knows what those things are really capable of."

I shook my head in front of him. You're wrong about them. They're not monsters. They never were. Dragons...Cared about our kind. They weren't trying to scare you and kill you, they all care for you. That's why they all just ran away, that's why they didn't want to kill you, because they care about you. Rain cares about you.

Tommy sighed, "I guess, we'll never know why they just left and disappeared. Who knows, what would've happened back then. I'm sure if things happened differently, then humanity would've gone extinct because of them." He then asked, "So how did you know them?"

The only thing I could do was lie to him. I don't think I can tell him the truth. He won't remember it, and he won't believe me, "I...Kinda heard a rumor about it. Some people in Leon brought it up. I sorta heard about you meeting one years ago, and I'm just...Trying to believe it."

Tommy shrugged his arms, "How can a young man like you, believe it? You weren't there back then."

I shook my head, "I wouldn't." Then I went on with a small smile, "And the question about dragons and humans co existing...It was just a stupid thought coming from me. I...I was kinda thinking it would've been cool, if it happened." But it did happen, and he doesn't remember it.

Tommy said, "I guess...If they weren't monsters who wanted to scare us and kill us."

I rubbed the back of my neck and muttered, "Yeah." Then I pulled the scarf off my shoulder, holding it out to him in one hand, "Tommy...I want you to take this."

He looked at it and trailed his eyes back to me, "What's this?"

"You gave this to your friend, years ago. She...Wants you to have it back."

Tommy looked straight at it and said softly, "I can't remember giving that to anyone. It's...All a blank."

I nodded and insisted, "You did give it to her, and she wants to give it right back."

He eyed me with curiosity, "Why?"

I let out a sigh, with a sad look on my face, "She wanted to give it to you, for all the kindness you gave her, for everything you've done for her." Tommy didn't look sure in taking it, and I went on, "I know you can't remember giving it to your friend, but you did. She was real happy that you did. You two were so close back then. And I don't know, if you believe me or not. But trust me, she wants you to have it. Please, Tommy."

Tommy asked, "This Rain...Is she sick, or something? Wasn't there another Tommy Ross, that she met? Maybe she got me confused with another Tommy Ross, cause I really don't remember Rain."

I was shaking my head, lowering my hand with the scarf to my side and that's when responded, "Tommy...You have met her. And....You loved her."

He drew back his head, his eyes now wide, "What? What are you talking about?"

That's when I decided to let out this certain part of the truth. Partly hoping that he'll remember Rain, somehow. I was giving him a look of insistence, "You guys were together and you loved each other. She said that you loved her before, and-"

Tommy looked really confused, his voice sounded total disbelief, "Kid, I never was with a girl at all. I never had children. I was shy back then. I was never married at all. Not once."

I said with my voice raised a bit. I felt like, I was about to break down in tears in front of him, "You did love her! You loved Rain! How can you forget about her? Don't you get it, she-"

That's when Tommy had a furious look on his face and he pointed down at his driveway, "Get off of my property."

My eyes went wide at his look. This isn't going well. I can't give up yet. I tried to speak, "But I-"

Tommy let out an annoyed breath, "Look...Brandon. I don't know you, and I don't know of this Rain. And I don't KNOW, if you're high or what. But I know for damn certain, THAT I NEVER MET ANY PERSON NAMED RAIN."

I wanted to tell him that the dragon he hurt back then, was Rain. That the person he loved, was actually a dragon. But I couldn't tell him THAT. How can he believe that? Jesus, he might even be repulsed at the thought of it. I just said this, "Tommy, you did meet Rain. She's...Your angel."

He glared at me, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. But if you don't get back to this hole you crawled out of, I'm going to call the police." He put his hand on the door, getting ready to slam it, "I thought you were just some decent kid, who seemed nice. But now I think you're crazy. I don't really know why the hell you ran away from home, but I can imagine why now. There's something wrong with you and if I were you, get help. Go to rehab, if you're addicted to drugs. Because I'm getting a feeling, that's what's wrong with you."

I shook my head taking a step toward him, deciding to just let out more of the truth, "I'm not high. I'm telling you the truth about everything. Listen, about the dragons co existing with humans, it did happen. I didn't make it up, it really happened."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "What the hell are you talking about? Dragons are monsters!"

I shouted, "No, they're not!" I took another step at him, "They-"

Tommy said in a sneered tone, "Get out."

"But, Tommy-"

"GET OUT!" And then he slammed the door in front of my face, with a loud bang. My eyes went wide. Well....Shit. Things didn't go well at all. I looked down at my hand that held onto the green scarf. I let out a sigh in disappointment. He didn't take it.

I looked at a lawn chair that's near the front door. I'll just leave it there. Rain would want me to do it. I walked up to the chair and placed the scarf softly on it. I quietly muttered to myself, "Damn it." I looked at the woods, knowing Rain has been watching us the whole time. Probably heard us screaming at the end of it. Poor Rain. She probably figures that Tommy doesn't remember her. I'm....Sorry Rain. I looked down at the scarf sitting in the chair and backed away from the house, backing away a couple of feet, until I whirled around to jog back into the woods. I went through a couple of bushes and saw Rain standing in the exact same spot.

She lowered her head to my level and asked, "You okay, Brandon?"

I hung my head and sighed, "Yeah."

Rain held a sad look on her face, "I know now...." She turned her gaze off of me, and she was letting out a trembling breath. I can tell she wants to cry.

I walked up to her, and put a comforting hand on her neck, "I'm sorry, Rain. I really am."

Rain sighed again and rose her head above my level, "Yeah, I know. I know now, he still doesn't remember me." Her body shuddered at the thought, and she shut her eyes tight, "Oh, Tommy."

I looked up at her, "I'm here, Rain. You know I'm here."

She nodded and finally opened her eyes, they looked like they were about to brim with tears, "I'm glad you are." She let out a breath and began to turn and walk off, "C'mon. Lets get out of here." I nodded and followed up behind her, to find the spot in the woods so I'll climb on her back and we'll fly off. My pity for her came to me, like it has more than once.

I'm sorry Rain....I'm so sorry.

*****

Tommy is just sitting in his chair in the living room. With no TV on, there was only just silence. While sitting there, he was actually feeling sorry for treating Brandon badly, and for slamming the door at his face. And for also thinking that Brandon's doing drugs, when he probably isn't. He's thinking he's pretty WRONG about THAT. To him, Brandon didn't look like the type of kid who does drugs at all. He looked liked a normal kid. He didn't appear to be high. He may not know him that much, but he feels sorry for him. But he was pretty curious about the things Brandon said, everything that he said. Mostly curious about this person named Rain. He could swore that he never met her before, swore that he never had a girlfriend once, but for some reason when that name was brought up, he started having a deep feeling inside him. He was rubbing his stomach up and down, with confusion shown in his eyes. He's thinking maybe he has met her before, but he can't picture her.

He slowly got up off the chair and just stood there. The scarf on his mind now. The green scarf that Brandon claimed he gave it to Rain, years ago. He can remember the expression Brandon had, when he tried to give him that scarf. That he really wanted to give it to him. That he was doing that, because Rain wanted him to do it. That the reason why he was giving it back to him, was for everything he did for Rain. Tommy reached up to his forehead and closed his eyes, trying very hard to remember the time he gave that scarf to her. But he couldn't remember. He opened his eyes and sighed. Then his eyes went to the door, wondering if Brandon left that scarf outside for him. A part of him feels terrible for not taking that scarf from the young boy's hands.

He paced to the front door, opened it, went outside and looked around for it. Tommy found it sitting on his lawn chair. Laying there, plain as day. He tilted his head while staring at it. He started to take a few slow steps toward it, not taking his eyes off of it. He reached down and grabbed it off the chair, now holding it with both hands. His fingers were moving around in circles on the scarf. Feeling the soft, fuzziness of it. Then while he was looking down at it, while he was still rubbing it with his fingers, he felt some kind of familiarity to it. Like he had held it before. The deep feeling grew within the old man. Now he's starting to think that Brandon was telling the truth. He said this with curiosity filled eyes, "Rain?"

Tommy turned his body away from the lawn chair and walked very slowly out onto his yard, with the scarf still held onto his hands. He was just gazing onto the soft fuzzy thing, before he changed his gaze onto the bright blue sky. While he was looking up, he was starting to feel some kind of familiarly coming from it. Like he has flown up there before. He began to frown at the sky. He doesn't know why he's having that feeling, he knows that he has never flown on an airplane before, not once. But for some reason, he's feeling it. Tommy took a deep breath and let it out. Then he tightened his grip on the scarf, his deep feeling grew more intensely inside him, "R-.....Rain?"

*****

Night has arrived at the dragon city, the stars and the full moon shining over the stone buildings. Frankie's sitting on his haunches on the rooftop of his house, staring up at the stars, his big long tail laying out behind him. With his gaze locked onto them, his mind's on someone. He puffed out his chest and let out a slow whoosh of air. He heard a voice behind him, "Frankie?" His ears perked up and he twisted his head to look behind him. He sees Jessie standing there rubbing her eyes, they looked groggily. Jessie asked with a smile, "Hey, can't sleep?"

Frankie smiled back, "Not really."

Jessie walked up until she was standing beside him, stretching up her arms and moaned, "Neither can I." She started to sit down on her butt, crossing her legs.

Frankie asked, changing his look to a bit of worry, "You look tired more than me, how come you can't sleep? Something troubling you?"

She shook her head, looking up at him, "No, nothing's troubling me."

He waved a paw, "So how come you can't sleep, your majesty."

She giggled a bit at the word majesty and she answered, "Well, I was dreaming. A very pleasant dream, actually." He curled his neck into a shape of an s, as she went on, "I having such a good sleep, until I began to feel that you weren't sleeping by me. So I woke up and came up here."

He grinned down at her, "You miss my body warmth so much, and you woke up?" He giggled in his throat, "I never figured you'd cling to me in bed THAT much."

Jessie replied when she started rubbing one of her eyes again, "I like how warm your scales are. I've gotten used to them so much, I can't sleep without them." She put her arm down to her lap and chuckled, "I think, I really do love clinging to you in bed. Your body's so warm."

Frankie reached up with his claw and scratched behind his neck and held an apologetic look in his eyes, "Ahhh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to wake you up."

She waved him off and shook her head, "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm fine."

He cocked his head at her, "You sure? You said that you were having pleasant dreams." The black drake gave a mock gasp and his eyes went wide, "Wait a second! What was in your pleasant dream?" Then he started to form a devious grin, "Were you dreaming about ME and my pride?"

Jessie turned red a bit and sarcastically remarked, "Oh SURE. I'd like to dream about your pride, sticking out in front of me."

He tossed up his head and laughed, "Ancestors, you never saw my pride, but you're dreaming about it. I can bet that it's CERTAINLY big, like in real life."

She rolled her eyes, "Shut up, you dork."

Frankie put a paw to his chest, "What? I'm being Mr. Macho."

Jessie said, "You're embarrassing your majesty."

"I like embarrassing her."

She nodded, "I can tell. You like seeing me turn red. And I just turned red, because you thought I'm dreaming of seeing your pride."

Then Frankie said this, "WELL, since we're talking about pleasant dreams, perhaps I can share you mine." He was showing a big toothy grin, "You'd be surprised at what my dreams are like."

Her face went wide and she started waving her hand at him, also shaking her head, "Actually, don't tell me!"

He whined, "Aw, why not?"

She answered, "Cause your dreams are probably dirty."

He waved a dismissive paw at her, "Not ALL the damn time."

She teasingly smirked up at him, "You're lying, you big black scaly pervert."

He gave her a mock expression, "What? You don't believe me?"

"Nope." She giggled.

Frankie let out a breath, "If I was having those kind of pleasant dreams EVERY night. I'd be humping my furs in my sleep."

Jessie's smirk went away and her face turned bright red at that, "Frankie! I sleep by you!"

He laughed and shook his head, "Oh relax, I'm kidding. I never even done that before."

She glared and folded her arms against her chest, "You better be kidding." Then she pointed up at his ear, "Or I'll twist your ear again."

His eyes went wide and his ear twitched, "In that case, I really am kidding."

Her glare was replaced with a wide grin, "Don't mess with the queen, noble steed."

Frankie let out a sigh, "You're more like a princess, to me."

She pointed a threatening finger at him, "Don't push it."

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever...Princess." She snickered at that and he went on, "Just for the record, I do believe that you weren't dreaming about my pride." He was snickering too, "I mean, how can you dream of something like that, if you never saw it before?"

Jessie laughed and replied, "I know! How can I dream of something like that?"

Frankie answered, "I think you have to have a VERY dirty mind, to dream of something like that." He remarked with another toothy grin, "And if you did, that's quite of an imagination you got there."

Jessie replied to that, "Well I don't have that kind of imagination."

He shook his head, "I don't either."

She chuckled, "Don't give me that, you can be a dirty drake at times."

He stared down at her for a moment and finally admitted, "Alright, a little bit."

Jessie let out a pleasant sigh, "Even when you can make dirty jokes and all, you still treat me with respect."

He lowered his head to hers and nuzzled the top of her head with his nose softly, "I do. You're my best friend."

She reached up to scratch under his chin, "And I thank you for that respect, you big black dork."

Frankie chuckled, "I'm a lovable black dork." Then he added when he rose his head way above her level, "Stubborn a bit, but lovable."

Jessie chuckled too, "I know." They both looked at each other's eyes for a moment and then they started looking up at the stars, seeing several of them twinkle. They were like this for a few minutes, until Jessie broke the silence, "Hey Frankie?" He took his gaze off the stars and looked down at her. She asked when she looked back at him, "How come you can't sleep? Are you...The one feeling troubled by something?"

Frankie took a deep breath and let it out, having a glum look on his face. He looked up at the stars once more, "Sorta."

She asked with concern in her voice, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He responded without looking down at her, "Well...I was thinking about my mother."

Jessie knew why he was thinking about her, and asked, "Still thinking about her, after you went to the memorial wall the other day?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "A little bit." He began to move his tail to curl it around Jessie, and she began to stroke his tail smoothly, as Frankie went on with his tale, "Its just...I sometimes dream about her. I do dream about dad, but I mostly dream about her. When I do dream about her, I come up to the roof and stare at the stars." He sighed, "I know that I was always with my father, before he was gone. Seeing that he was my favorite parent to be with. But...Sometimes, I wished that I've spent more time with my own mother, before she was gone. I never even slept by her, I always slept by dad." He began to show a small smile on his snout, "I remember one time before she was dead, she told me and Rain this story about dragons looking down at their loved ones as stars, after they die. That my mother is one of those stars, looking down at me."

Jessie looked amazed by the story, "That sounds beautiful."

He hung his head, his smile melted away, "Yeah. But I don't know, if that's true or not. My sister believes it, but I just end up wondering."

Jessie was giving him a comforting smile, giving his scaly tail another smooth stroke, "Don't be sad, Mr. Macho. You shouldn't regret not sleeping by your own mom, and not spending a lot of time with her. We all have our favorite parents."

Frankie looked down at her, "I try not to. But...I sometimes can't help it."

She gave his tail a kiss and rubbed it in, "Yeah, I know. But it's just not fair to see you treat yourself that way. She knows you love her." She gazed up at the stars, "I think that story your mother said is true. And if your mother's one of the stars up there, then she knows that you love her."

Frankie began to form a smile, "That is a comforting thought."

Jessie looked back at him, "Exactly. And you should stop doing that to yourself. Both your father AND mother, know you love them."

Frankie nodded down at her, "Thanks, Jess." Then he shyly looked away from her gaze.

Jessie tilted her head, "Something else on your mind?"

Frankie's feelings for her were like a fire in his heart. He wanted to tell her the truth. But he remembered his sister's advice she gave him the other day. Telling him to just wait for Jessie to show those signs. The signs that she loves him back. So he held himself back from telling her. Frankie decided to tell her something else entirely, just to cover up his feelings toward her. He hummed in thought and looked back down at her, "Can I tell you something?" She gave him a nod and he said, "I never told you this before, but....Usually when you sleep by me...You feel just like her."

"Like who?"

"My mother." Her face went wide and he giggled, "Hey don't give me that look. I don't see what's your deal with it."

Jessie let out a laugh and brushed her blonde hair off her shoulder, "Sorry. I just...Didn't expect that." She just frowned at her noble steed, "So I FEEL like your mother? What do you mean by that? I mean, why really?"

He shook his head, "I don't know why, but it's just in a small way you feel like her." He waved a paw and went on, "The way you talk to me and make me feel calm, the way you really understand me, and mostly when you sleep close to the likes of me, you REALLY feel like her." He shrugged his wings and shoulders, "Pretty strange, I know. But it's true. I think, that's another reason why I like being with you so much."

Jessie slowly started to smile at him, imagining his mother, "I don't think it's strange. I understand why you'd think that. That means, you don't feel alone when you're sleeping by me."

He let out a sigh, "I think we both can't stand to sleep without each other. You love my warm scales, and I love sleeping by you because you feel like mother."

Jessie replied to that with a mock expression, when she rubbed his tail again, "Is that all? I thought you'd love to sleep by me, because of ME."

He laughed at that, "I know you feel like mother, but I do love sleeping by you because of you. I do know, you're not literally mom. You're Jessie, the bratty little queen who loves to bark orders at her noble steed."

Jessie burst out laughing, "Oh I know, I was kidding. I don't mind, if you let me sleep by you with that feeling or not. I can sleep with you in both ways."

Frankie reached out with his paw and brushed some of her hair away, and she grabbed his paw and was rubbing her cheek lovingly against it. Frankie said this with a smile, changing the subject, "Just out of curiosity, what were you pleasant dreaming about?"

Jessie chuckled and pushed his paw away from her face, "Nice change of subject."

He shot up his head, "What? I'm still curious as to what your pleasant dream was about." He raised his paw away from Jessie and put it on his chest, "I told you what I dreamed about, now I think it's fair that you tell me what YOUR dream was about." He was forming a toothy grin, "I'm sure it's not about me and my pride anyways."

Jessie took her gaze to the stone buildings across the street, "Well actually....It sorta did have you in it." Frankie frowned and she looked up at his face, narrowing her eyes, "I wasn't dreaming of seeing you pride, thank you very much for asking."

He laughed, "I didn't say anything, you just thought I was thinking that."

She let out an amused sigh, "I think we can both understand, why I was thinking that."

He waved a dismissive paw at her, "Will you quit worrying about my pride and just tell me?"

Jessie formed a big smile across her face, deciding to just tell her tale. She turned her gaze to the stone buildings across the street again, "What I was really dreaming about, I was actually dreaming of being a dragon like you. That we're both just flying in the sky, side by side. We were having such a good time."

Frankie was beginning to smile, "That does sound like a pleasant dream. Were you beautiful in it?"

She giggled, "By dragon standards, yep. I mean, I looked big, tall, and majestic. My scales were shining off the sun."

He asked with curiosity in his eyes, "What color were you?"

Jessie smiled at her own image of being a dragon, "Black. I was black in my dream."

He formed a big grin, "Not bad."

She laughed, "I think, I got that idea from you."

He held up his head smugly, "Well, I do look handsome in my black scales."

She nodded in agreement to that statement, "You pretty much do." She sighed, "I feel like a dragon on the inside, and I dream as one too."

He shrugged his shoulders, "There's nothing wrong with that. We all dream of very special things." He pointed at himself with his claw, "Like my mom. She's special." Jessie hung her head with a bit of a glum look. He grew concerned and lowered his paw back to the ground. He figured out what's bothering her, "You REALLY do want to be a dragoness, huh?"

Jessie looked up at him and answered, "Sometimes....I really want to be one." She lowered her gaze to his chest and shook her head to herself, "I know that I can't change into something that I want to be. And it sucks." She let out a sigh, "I know I fly on your back, and I always appreciate and trust you for that. But I feel like I want to fly, but I can't. I wasn't joking that I feel like a dragon, like you."

He nodded a bit, "I think, I can understand your pain. That would sound like a dragoness who lost her ability to fly, because she lost her wings by whatever made her lose them. That she feels like she's nothing, without them."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Problem is, is that I wasn't born with wings. Humans are never meant to fly. They're meant to be stuck on the ground, while some things get the glory of flight. People would feel more alive, when they're born with wings."

He asked, "Is that why you like flying on me? Because you feel more alive?"

Jessie looked up at him, "I was nervous to ride you before, but after that one time, I've felt more alive than before. Even more alive, after I ran away from my miserable life."

He shook his head in pity for her, "I'm sorry about what you're feeling and that you can't have wings. I...I wish there was something, I could do for you."

Jessie's face lit at his words, "You already have done something for me. When I'm flying with you, I feel like I'm alive, despite that I can't be a dragoness." She waved her hand, "I can't fly, but I still feel like I am flying when I'm riding on my noble steed. I can never forget that." She reached out to touch his leg, "I can never repay you, for all those things."

He lowered his head to her level, staring right at her face, "And I can never repay you, for changing me and making me feel so happy with your company."

Jessie reached up to place her hand on his nose, both of them peering into each other's eyes. While they held their gazes, both of them have the same thoughts rolling in their minds and they both want to share them. Both of them don't know that they both have those same feelings. That they both love each other. One of each, still don't have any idea what the other is really feeling. Frankie said this, while Jessie was rubbing his nose up and down, "Jess...Can I tell you something else?"

She pulled her hand off of him, "What?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, "When I said before that you'd make a beautiful dragoness, I didn't just say it...I meant it."

She shyly looked down at from his gaze, "I know that, and...Thank you." Then she looked back up at him, "And you did say that I was a beautiful human...Did you really mean that?"

He smiled down at her, "You know the answer to that. There's no bullcrap about it."

Jessie said this with a bit of hesitation, "Can I....Ask you a question?" He nodded and she asked, "Which is it that you'd like me more? Since we're just talking about it, which is it? A dragoness or....A human?"

He answered without hesitation one bit, "Both." He nodded as he was sure of his answer, "I know what kind of person that you really are, Jess. Whether you're dragon or human, I still see you as Jessie." Then he lowered his gaze to her chest, "I wouldn't care which."

Jessie was getting a feeling that he does love her that way. But she still wasn't sure. So she asked carefully with this one, "Frankie...I know that you never had a girlfriend once in your life and I never had real love at all. So...Can I ask you this?" He brought his gaze back on her face and she asked, "If I was that dragoness you've pictured....Would you have...Asked me out?"

Frankie didn't say anything at first, then he finally did in a whisper, "I would." When he gave her that answer, Jessie knew by the look in his eyes that he loves her. She finally knows, but she can tell he's very afraid of telling her the truth. They stared at each other for a long time, both want to share that love right now. But Frankie slowly uncurled his tail off of her and he slowly got off his haunches. Jessie was just sitting there watching him. Frankie let out a trembling breath and said, "See you downstairs." He began to walk away from her, to head through the opening to go back downstairs.

Jessie immediately shot up off the ground and whirled around to see him almost there. She shouted for the black drake, "Wait!" He stopped where he was and turned his whole body around to face her, he cocked his head at her. Jessie just stared at him for a moment, her pulse racing. She balled up her fists and trotted up to the drake. She looked up at him and beckoned him with her hand, "Can you lower your head?" Frankie appeared to wonder why she asked him to do that. But he lowered it anyway to where her face was, curiosity shown in his eyes. Jessie grabbed his face with both hands, locked eyes with his. Staring at the eyes of her knight. She took a deep breath and let it out.

Jessie asked, "What about me as a human? Would you have asked me out if I was a human?" He didn't answer that, he only stared at her. He was breathing very slowly. A part inside Jessie was making her feel nervous about doing this, but then she remembered what Amanda said to her. Jessie put on a determined look and said, "I don't know what future holds out for us. But if I'm going to die, one day. Or if you're going to die, one day. We both might as well die, after we do something like this."

"Do what?"

Jessie didn't say a single word, but instead closed her eyes and immediately pressed her lips directly onto his snout. Frankie's face went wide at her intimate gesture, but then he slowly tilted his head and opened his mouth a bit, sharing their first kiss together. Both their tongues were touching each others and Jessie began to caress his cheek with one hand. When they were kissing, they both finally felt this weight that's been lifted off both their shoulders. They both pulled away from each other after kissing for a long time. Both Frankie and Jessie chuckled together.

Jessie shyly brushed her hair away, "Wow....That was different." She giggled to herself, "I never kissed a dragon before."

Frankie smiled at her, "How do you think I feel? I never even kissed a human before, in my life."

Jessie frowned at him and asked, "Frankie....Did you...Did you really love me?"

He nodded, "Yes."

Then curiosity was getting to her brain, and she asked again, "How long...Have you felt this way?"

He shook his head softly, "I don't know for sure how long. I didn't know if it was the whole time we first met, or what. But I didn't know that I loved you...Until." He shifted around on his paws and raised his head above her level, "It was after you showed me your breasts, it was right after that I realized I was starting to love you." He shook his head to himself and sighed, "At the moment, I didn't think it was a good idea to love you. I thought you wouldn't want me that way. But...I couldn't stop feeling that way about you. I couldn't really drop it. For the first time in a long time, ever since I've fell in love with that dragoness years ago and she didn't want me...I was starting to fall in love with someone else, and it was you." He tilted his head a bit with so much care in his eyes, "You really are pretty special to a drake like me, and I didn't care if you were human or dragon. I'd love you as both."

Jessie nodded in agreement, her smile returning to her face, "Me too."

Frankie asked, "You honestly don't care, what I am?"

She answered, "At first, I did. It was after me and you sat down at the meadow, is when I was starting to love you. I thought it was abnormal, I didn't know what to think, or what to do. I was trying to let it go also, but I couldn't." She gave a proud smile, "But lets just say I've found and talked to Amanda, and she told me that it was ok to love someone who's full of scales. That the reason why it's okay, is because you're a human, Frankie." She put a hand to her chest, "Brandon told me that a knight would find me, and it turns out YOU'RE the knight who found me. That this knight, was right in front of me the whole time."

Frankie lowered his head back down to her and nuzzled her chest with his cheek, "I'm glad you talked to Amanda about it. And about me as a human, I think I agree with you. I...Do feel like a human sometimes." Then he nuzzled her stomach with his nose, "I'm glad you're not afraid of this, Jessie. I wanted to tell you the truth for a long time, but I just waited. And now I know, it was worth it." He raised his head off her chest and gave her lips a lick with his tongue, "I'll always be your knight, Jess. I always will be." He shook his head at her, "I'll never leave your side."

Jessie beamed and kissed his nose. Then they both started pressing into each other's mouth and snout, sharing another romantic kiss. After they both kissed for a long time, Jessie pulled back her mouth off of his and she tasted with her lips, "Hmmm, your mouth tastes like charcoal."

Then he gave her a teasing expression, "Well what did you expect? I'm a dragon." Then he giggled, "And I'm getting a feeling that every time we kiss, my dragonhood's going to show up."

Jessie laughed at the statement, "Oh, I get a feeling when Amanda and Neal kiss, Amanda probably caught glimpses of his dragonhood sticking out of him." She gave him a look of reassurance, "Don't worry, I won't be embarrassed by looking at it."

He shrugged with his paw, "Well good, because we'll be mates after all." Then he gave her a devious grin, "And I'm sure, that you won't be embarrassed when you show me your breasts again."

She laughed again, "Oh, it won't be a one time thing again, I assure you." She gave him a wink. "You really have kept your word that you didn't make it hard for me to show you before, and I'm sure now after what just happened...I'll show you them again."

Frankie nodded with a smile, "I never did tell you this before, but they are beautiful." He shrugged his shoulders, "Even when dragonesses don't have them, but for a human like you, they are beautiful."

Jessie giggled when she began to walk alongside his body, "Thanks for the compliment, big guy." She glanced up at him for a second, "And I'm sure, Neal sees Amanda's as well."

He chuckled, "I can understand one of the reasons, why he's with her."

They both shared a chuckle and he rose his head above her level when she walked past him. Then when she was close to the opening to the stone stairway to head downstairs, she turned her face to him with a big grin and she beckoned him with her finger, "C'mon my handsome knight, lets go to bed."

He bowed his head to her, "Yes, my maiden and my queen." She chuckled at that and he began to follow behind her, both of them heading back inside the house. Going down the stone stairway. Soon enough, they both wounded up in Frankie's bedroom and the big black drake flopped down on his stomach on the furs. Jessie meanwhile, slowly took of her shirt and bra to show him her breasts. She tossed them both aside and giggled. Then she got on her hands and knees and crawled to him. She laid down on her back, looking up at her new boyfriend. Frankie lovingly looked down at his human mate. Then he looked up at the ceiling, like he as staring up at the sky. He giggled softly to himself, "I can imagine mom and dad, that you're both happy that your son finally has a mate."

She reached out to touch his forelimb, "They are." He looked back down at her and he slowly reached down with his snout to where she was. To plant his snout against her mouth, for a deep kiss. When he snaked his tongue into her mouth, she pulled her hand off his forelimb to plant it against his cheek and moaned. Frankie's heart beat with happiness, knowing that she was loving this. He pulled his mouth off of hers and she was stroking his cheek. She said the words she wanted to say to him for a long time, "I love you, big guy."

Frankie said it back, when he licked her arm, "I love you too, Jess." Then Frankie nuzzled her neck with his nose and she giggled, pulled his head a bit more closer to her. The drake pulled his head away from her and laid it down on the furs, letting out a pleasant breath. Jessie got off her back and crawled more closer to her drake. She laid down near him, like she has done so before. Then Frankie began to curl his forelimb around her, holding her against him. She felt enjoyed being held in his grasp and she laid her head down on the furs now. Both of them closed their eyes minutes later to go to sleep. Both of them had smiles on their faces after they closed their eyes, both feeling content with each other as mates.

*****

I was sitting in front of the pond, with my legs held close to my chest by my arms. The full moon shining through the tree line of the woods. The crickets chirping loud in the night. I can hear an owl in the distance hooting. I took a deep breath and let it out. Well...This afternoon was a bit of a depressing one. Tommy after all these years, still doesn't remember Rain at all.

Jesus, Rain wasn't kidding before that he has forgotten her. Hell, she wasn't kidding of the way she described his expression, when she saw it back then. By the look in his eyes...He didn't remember her at all. Something really did happen to him and humanity back then, and it wasn't normal. I would never forget Rain like that, not ever. Hell, it's no wonder me and Jessie never heard of dragons back then, because according to Tommy no one never talked about them for years. Only the ones who were there that day it happened, knew about them. While the next generation of humans, never knew dragons were real. This really blows.

The green scarf popped up in my mind. I hope that Tommy considered taking that scarf and kept it. It would've meant a lot to Rain.

Rain....

After we both left, we flew to her cave that's not far from Jessie's car and we both went inside it. I can remember seeing her whole frame trembling with each toward the pile of furs in there. Once she was over them, she flopped onto them and immediately started to sob. I ran up to her and rubbed the side of her body comfortingly, telling her over and over again, that I'm here. Right after that, I went up to her head, got on my knees and she buried her face into my chest, crying herself into me. I can remember stroking her face, while my shirt was feeling wet from her tears. Even though my shirt's dry now, I can just feel it still. While I was holding her in comfort, shushing her, I was really worried about her. Wondering, if she would ever get better from this.

Rain finally calmed herself down after several minutes of shedding her tears, and she didn't want to move from the furs. So I offered to get us both something to eat and told her to wait. I left the cave and went to the apple tree, that me and the others went to the other day. Picked off several apples and brought them back to Rain, so me and her would eat. At least, the poor girl was eating. After that, she said to me that she wanted to be alone for awhile, of course I didn't want to leave her, but I agreed to do what she said. Since then for several hours, I didn't bother her much, except to take peeks at her in the cave. I did see her sleep in the furs, so I'm hoping that would help her.

Now hours later after that incident, I'm just sitting outside at the pond with all the crickets chirping away. Still feeling worried for the big girl.

Poor girl suffered from this kind of pain again, makes me wonder if coming to that house with her was a good idea. I mean, I know she wants her closure, but this just seemed....Sad. Honestly, I'm still wondering which was worse for her. Crying back then when it started, or crying right now. I still don't have any idea. Poor Rain.

Anger was flashing in my eyes and I just crossed my legs. I looked down beside me and found a rock. I picked it up swiftly and hurled it real hard at the lake with a grunt. It landed through the surface with a plop. I let out a sigh, taking a deep breath trying to calm myself down. This is bullshit!

None of this was never supposed to happen to Rain! Nothing! She deserved to be happy and something took that away from her! Something made Tommy forget her! It's bullshit! I shut my eyes tight, anger was still welling up within me, and I was gripping tightly on my leg until my knuckles turned white. If I find out what started this bullshit...I'll fix it. And what I'm going to say might sound crazy, but if it was SOMEBODY, not WHAT that started this...I'm going to kill it. Rain doesn't deserve this pain. Not one dragon deserved this pain, not even Rain! THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!

I opened my eyes and took another deep breath, feeling pity within me replacing the anger. And it was also showed in my eyes. I'm sorry Rain. I don't know what else I can say, but...I'm sorry. And...I love you.

Then I heard a voice behind me about a few feet away, "There you are." I looked over my shoulder and saw that it was Rain who FINALLY came out of her cave. She showed a bit of a smile, "I looked all over for you. I thought you would sneak in the cave and sleep by me."

I shook my head, "No, I was just leaving you alone." I waved a hand at her, "Are you hungry? Are you....Feeling ok? Are-"

She was giggling at me, when she padded a couple steps toward me, "Gee, and I was the one who was worried about you."

I gave her a concerned look, "You were the one who was crying. Hell, you were just laying in the cave throughout the whole afternoon."

She changed her expression to a bit of an depressing one and sighed, "I know. And I'm sorry if I was making you feel worried."

I shook my head, "You know there's no need to apologize, why you were sad it's understandable."

Rain took several more steps until she was right beside me, she looked down at me, "Well...At least...I've gotten what I've wanted." She hung her head, "I know for certain, that he doesn't remember me. That my former mate, doesn't remember the one he loved."

I held a sad look for her, "I'm really sorry, Rain. I know that you were hoping he remembered you, I was hoping too."

She replied, "Hmpf, yeah and our hopes were crushed." She let out a sigh and looked at me, "But even we both had to do it. I had to do this. I wanted this closure and I've got it. And...You gave that scarf to Tommy, and I can never thank you more for that."

I was smiling at her a bit, "You know me, I'd do anything for you."

She lowered her head to mine and she nuzzled my cheek with hers, "Thank you."

I asked her, while petting her face, "So...Are you feeling better? Any better?"

Rain rose her head high above me and looked out a the pond, "I think so. I mean, I don't have anymore tears to shed. And...I think...I'm starting to feel a bit normal. Just a little."

I nodded at that, "I'm glad to hear that." I puffed out my chest, then let it out. I looked out at the pond with her, the moon's rays shining off of it, "Well...AT LEAST, I've got to meet Tommy. He...Actually looked like a sweet old man."

She giggled in throat, "He was a sweet young man, too."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm just wondering what he looked like back then."

Rain started to smile, "He was very handsome, that's what he looked like." She curled her tail around herself and let out another sigh, "Too bad he's old now. A guy like him, won't last forever." Then she had a curious frown on her face, "Now that I think about it...I wonder if he would remember me, after he dies."

I put some thought to it, but even I wouldn't know. I turned to look up at her, "I honestly, don't know the answer to that question."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well, I guess I'll just wonder." Then she looked up at the night sky, right at the stars, "Well...At least he'll be with you, Alessa. I think you miss talking to him. I'm sure he thinks about you still."

I tilted my head, "Alessa? Who's Alessa?"

Rain lowered her gaze to the pond, looking down at her own reflection, "She was the reason, why Tommy called me angel." I tilted my head at her and she looked at me, "She's Tommy's mother."

I smiled at her, "His mother? And you said that she was the reason Tommy called you angel?"

She nodded, "She was." Then she took a deep breath and began to tell her tale, "I have met Alessa years ago. Twice, actually. She was living in a, what you humans call it a nursing home." She was smiling at the memories, "Alessa was sick when Tommy took me to see her, but she was friendly to me. She didn't show any fear toward me. She was even happy that I was keeping her son company while she was gone. She was real proud of me. Tommy wasn't even shy around her, he really speaks to her. In fact before he met me, she was the only person he ever really talked to. I even told her how I was helping her son overcoming his shyness, she was proud of me for that too."

I asked, "So what happened to her?"

She put on a pity look, "Well, she died a month before Christmas came about. Tommy was visiting her one day, and she died while she was sleeping."

I had a pity look too, "Oh...."

Rain went on, "I found Tommy one day outside his house, crying his eyes out. He was so broken by her death, I didn't leave him alone. Then about a month after all that happened on Christmas night, that's when he called me his angel. Because to him, I was just his black scaled angel who descended from heaven to be with him after his mother died. I...I really did feel like his angel."

I said, "And you were watching over him like one."

Her body shuddered as she went on, "I imagine that his mother's proud that I didn't stop watching over him, even after he changed. His mother's so proud of me now."

I nodded in agreement, "I'd be proud too."

She hung her head and said, "I'm glad he never did it, for years."

I frowned, "What are you talking about?"

She didn't move at all, she only spoke, "One day, months later after his mother died....Me and Tommy were in the dragon city together. And...He was still thinking about her. Actually...He wanted to be with her."

I got the feeling what she was getting at and I said it in total pity, "Oh...Tommy...."

She shut her eyes tight and her frame trembled again, "I sometimes wondered, since he didn't remember me anymore, he would also not remember my conversation with him. That I've convinced him to not do it. Sometimes, a scary thought or two would come to me, showing me that he would kill himself outside his house. But I'm glad he didn't. Because if he doesn't remember me, then how could I have stopped him? He wouldn't have listened to me. Plus, he would try to kill me again." She shook her head a bit to herself, "I would never forgive myself, if Tommy did that. I didn't want him to die young, I wanted him to die old. Alessa wouldn't want him to do that. I'm proud he didn't."

I reassured her, "He didn't look depressed to me, when we talked."

She was starting to smile, "Tommy was strong back then, and he's still strong now." She turned her whole head to me, peering at my eyes, "That was why I was called angel by him, because of his mother. I was just his black scaled angel." She nodded in agreement to herself and looked at the lake again, "Yep."

I stared out at the pond too, and me and Rain were just sitting around in silence for several minutes. Then while I was still sitting by her, my feelings for her came back to me. That my curiosity came to me with it. Wondering, if Rain really loves me. If she loves me, more than a friend. I need to find some way to know. I need to know the truth from my angel. I came up with an idea and broke the silence, "Hey Rain? Can I tell you a story?"

She looked down at me, "Hmmm?"

I didn't looked at her, only at the pond, "It's about how my parents met and got together. I never told you that before." I was starting to grin at my own tale, "It's pretty romantic, when I think about it."

She cocked her head, looking real curious, "How did Sebastian and Diana meet?"

I began to tell my tale, "Well....My mom and dad were at Prom years ago, back in their high school days. My dad found my mom crying alone outside the school building. Dad was real worried about her, so he went to comfort her."

Rain giggled, "I can see where you get that from."

I snickered a bit and went on, "Dad and her talked for a long time, she was actually grateful that she was talking to her. And that's...When the most romantic part comes in."

Rain raised a claw, "No wait! Let me guess." She lowered her paw back to the ground, "They both realize they're meant for each other, after bonding outside the school and they shared a passionate kiss, right?"

I shook my head, "Lets just say, he was singing to her." I was nodding to myself, "He was singing, 'The Search is Over' to my mom, and that's how they got together. She thought it was real sweet of him, to sing a song to a girl like her."

She cocked her head at me, "The Search is Over? That was...."

I looked up at her and nodded, "That was my mom and dad's song, that I was singing to you in the bell tower. That I was singing to you in comfort."

I saw a glimmer of happiness in her eyes, "I can see why that song brightened your mother up that night. Because it certainly brightened me up."

I replied, "And from that moment, that's how they got together, get married after high school, my father stopped being a singer and became a firefighter, mom was pregnant with me, and that's how I was born." I took a deep breath and let it out, "For such a long time, me and my own family were real close. Dad pretty much was close to me."

She nodded in agreement, "I'm still sorry, that he was gone. And I'm still sorry for what happened to you and your mother, after that."

I shook my head, "I wouldn't worry about it anymore." I sighed, "To be honest...Dad really was pretty smart. I did tell you that he helped me overcome my own shyness, got me talking to people without being shy about it. But there was something else, I didn't tell you yet."

"What's that?"

I answered when I looked at the pond again, "He always did tell me, that everyone has a search for everything. Including the search for love. In fact, he was searching for love back then and found mom. Back then I was like him. I was searching for love for years. He even told me that I would find that love one day. And that search, would finally be over. He was pretty smart about it." I chuckled to myself, "I did find that love, and I've found it since days ago."

She curled her neck into a shape of an s, "I know you did. It's Jessie."

I softly shook my head, "No...It wasn't her."

Her face went wide, "What? ....What do you mean? I thought you loved her." She lowered her head to my level, confusion on her face, "I don't get it, you said that you liked her. I mean...I'm confused. Which is she to you? Your friend, or your mate?"

I looked at her and answered, "Jessie's....My friend. She has always been my friend. She was just this friend, who I've met at the bar since days ago. The friend that I've ran away from home with in the night. The friend who I was stuck with from the very beginning of this. The friend who got kidnapped with me, by you. The friend who will always be a dear friend to me." I glanced away for a second and looked back at her, "I lied to you the other night, that I still loved her in that way. I really did want to remain friends with her, I didn't want to get together with her. It's because I never loved her. I never did. I thought I did before, but it turns out....I don't. And the only reason why I stopped kissing her in the woods that night. It's because I...I loved someone else."

Rain raised her head above me and asked, "So then...Who is it? Another human female you met back at home and never mentioned? I'm pretty sure, it's not Amanda."

I began to smile up at her and answered, "This girl that I like...She's very special. She's real likable. Course me and her didn't understand each other before. But...We do now. This girl feels sorry for what happened to me, after my father died. This girl has a smile that brings me confidence. Her smile always does. Even she has been through so much in her life, she still remains strong. She's the strongest person, that I know. And...She had a boyfriend of her own, but they're not together anymore. She was depressed for a long time, she really wanted him back. She even watched him for a long time too." Rain was starting to tilt her head, by the looks of it in her eyes it was starting to sound familiar to her. I went on, "But ever since we both met, she's not depressed anymore. She feels very happy with me. Course, she still thinks about her former lover, but she's still happy with me."

Rain stuttered with a nervous look in her eyes, "Who...Who are you talking about?"

I wanted to tell her how I feel right then and there, but I had to make sure somehow that she loves me too. I asked her, without taking my gaze off the black dragoness, "Rain...I want to ask you something, alright?" She nodded and I went ahead and asked, "If I was a dragon like you...Would you have gave me a chance? Would I have been this drake, that you trusted to be your mate? Would you trust me?"

Rain rolled up her eyes putting thought into it, "Sometimes...I see you as a dragon. A very handsome drake, with black scales like me. Just like I see Tommy as a drake, and he had the same colored scales like you."

I pressed her, "But...Would you trust me to be your mate?"

Rain looked down at me and nodded a bit with a smile, "Knowing what kind of drake you are, knowing how nice you are....I would've been yours."

I asked, "But...Do you love Tommy? Even when you're not together, do you still feel like you REALLY want him? Do you even want to be with someone else?"

She shook her head, "You know I'll always love Tommy, but....I can't be with him. And you were right the other night, I didn't search for love for years, because I was always thinking about him. But...I didn't have to search that love, that love has found me. Brought to me, by fate. Tommy would want me to be with someone else, and I've found him."

I had a feeling, who she was talking about. But I asked her anyways, with my brow raised, "So....Who are you talking about?"

We both stared at each other for a long time, until Rain answered, "I love you, Brandon."

My eyes went wide at her answer. She said it the same way again! Like the other night! She...She does love me! I was just staring at her, speechless that I know the truth. Rain slowly got up off her haunches, and looking down at me with her grin. She didn't have any regrets at all. Then she began to turn her whole body around with her back on the pond, but I said this when I got up on my feet fast and reached out to her, my fingers almost touching her, "Wait."

She stopped herself before she could move anymore, she looked down with that grin still on her face, "Yes?"

I was ready to tell her how I feel, but my conflictions from before came back to me in an instant. Stopping me for a moment. Then I started mentally brushing them away. No! I won't ignore how I feel about her! I am that kind of human! I won't be stopped by YOU! I love her! I will tell her! I'm finding the eye of the tiger! And I'm gonna grow a dragonhood! I won't back down from this! I smirked right at her and said, "I love you too, Rain."

I can see in her eyes, that she loved hearing that. She fluttered her wings on her back. She turned her whole body to me, until her chest was facing me, while I was standing there watching her. When she was done, she lowered her head to my level, her eyes locked onto mine, "You have no idea, how long I've waited to hear you say that. You have no idea." She got her face to mine and nuzzled my cheek, "You really have no idea."

I giggled and then I took her chin with my hands, "So...You did love me...The whole time."

She said with her gaze not taken off of me, "I don't think it was the whole time. I realized that I was loving you, since you sang at the Braveheart the first time. I had this warm feeling in me, and it was the same feeling that I've felt toward Tommy. That's how I knew it." She let out a sigh, "I thought loving you was a mistake. I really thought you wanted Jessie. I...I didn't want to interfere. I knew that I was loving you, but I just couldn't be with you. But...I kept hoping that you do love me, in that way. And it turns out....You do."

I admitted, "I had that feeling too. Honestly...I thought I was thinking about Jessie, but it turned out it was you. How I knew for sure, is when you told me the truth that you actually loved Tommy. While I was comforting you, that feeling came back. And...I was shocked about it. I thought I wasn't that kind of human, who could do it. I was pretty conflicted about it, too. I thought it wouldn't be possible, it was because me and you were too different for each other. Plus...I thought you didn't love me that way. I thought you only considered me as your friend. So because of those reasons, I've been trying to ignore my feelings." I shook my head, "But I won't anymore. I won't ignore my feelings, ever again. I know I'm human, but now...I just don't care. You are the only person that I've loved. For the first time in my life, I've finally found someone that I love. My search for love, brought me to you. And it was fate's help, that brought me to you. If it wasn't for what happened to me in my past, and if it wasn't for what happened to you years ago....We wouldn't be here."

I let out a breath, "I think now....I was starting to love you, before that warm fuzzy feeling came to me. I...I think I was starting to love you, after I sang my mom and dad's song to you. I didn't know before, but I do now. You had your comfort back, but you also have your love. And both those things, are me."

Rain asked with so much happiness in her eyes, after all the words I've said to her, "So you really don't care, if we're too different?"

I reached up with one hand off her chin and touched her nose. I shook my head, giving her the eyes that are full of confidence, "I know what I've felt before, but I seriously don't care what we are anymore. I wasn't supposed to be with Jessie...I was supposed to be with you." Then I waved her off with my other hand, "Besides...Jessie doesn't love me either, she went through the same thing I did. She...She loves your brother."

Rain giggled and gave the palm of my hand a lick, "Funny, my brother feels the same way."

I let out a laugh, "I had a feeling about that. They really are close."

Her tongue licked my cheek, "So are we."

Me and her just stared at each other, when I put both hands to her face. I said to her, "I even had dreams about me and you. One time, I was kissing you as a human, then the other time, I was kissing you as a dragon. Whether I'm dragon or human, I really care about you. I could never find anyone else who's like you."

Rain replied, "Neither could I. You make me feel so happy and alive." She rolled up her eyes, a thought crossed her mind, "You know...For days, I really thought you loved Jessie. I even thought, that you would get together with her and have hatchlings." She giggled, "I really was wrong, huh?"

I shrugged my shoulders, while holding her face still, "Well, we weren't meant to be mates in the first place. We're not exactly John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John." She had a confused look in her eyes, seeing that she doesn't know who they are. I shook my head with a giggle, "Forget it, big girl."

She laughed, "Ok." We both stared at each other for another moment, while I was stroking her scaly cheek fondly. By the look in both our gazes, we were both thinking the same thing. I took a deep breath and let it out. Then I closed my eyes and slowly leaned my head towards her snout, to kiss her. It felt like the sparks were flying when I was pressing my lips against her. Rain closed her eyes too, and began to tilt her head a bit to kiss back. She opened her maw, and I opened mine so we would deepen our kiss. Our tongues were now touching each others.

Me and her shared our first intimate kiss for such a long time and we finally pulled away from each other. We both shared a smile, happy that we both did what we both wanted to do for a long time. Rain's eyes were almost filled with tears. Tears of joy. Rain said this, "I'll be yours, Brandon. And...I love you."

I nodded and said back, "I love you too, Rain. I love you...My angel." And with that, we both shared another kiss, no conflictions or anything that'll stop us now.

Days ago, fate had us meet for the first time, we were strangers, then we became best friends, now we're mates. I'm very happy, we both met.

You've lost Tommy, but you have me now, big girl. And I won't forget this. I'll remember this, for the rest of my life.

I love you...I love you so much.

*****

I was sleeping close to Rain in her cave, both of us feeling content in each other's slumber. I stirred myself awake and opened my eyes, seeing that her leg is curled up against me. As usual, I feel warm against her. I could hear outside the cave, that it's still night. I suddenly felt my stomach growled and that meant I have to use the 'restroom.' So I moved Rain's leg gently off of me, and I began to crawl away from her. I let out a quiet breath and looked at Rain's peaceful form. I smiled at her and whispered, "I love you, Rain." I saw Rain's face twitching in her sleep, thinking that she's having a dream. I'm betting she's dreaming about me. I turned to find my shirt that's not far from me, so I got up on my feet, went to it, picked up the shirt and put it on.

I let out a stretch with my arms and slowly walked away from Rain, trying not to wake her. I walked around the corner of her cave and saw the opening of it. I walked, until I was outside with the crickets again. The full moon still shining over the woods here. My stomach growled again, and I sighed. Ok, I better get to Jessie's car and use some toilet paper. There still is some in there. And with that, I started trekking through the trees and bushes. Brushing away a couple of low tree branches while I was heading to that car. After about a few minutes, I finally made it to her car. I walked up to it, opened up the passenger side door, my eyes trailed in the car until I found what I was looking for. I snatched the toilet paper and started heading to the woods, to do my business.

About a minute has passed and I was done. I held the toilet paper in my hand, taking fast strides back to the car. There, that's much better. I made it to the car again and tossed the toilet paper in there, and shut the door. Alright, time to get back to the cave.

But before I could turn away from the car, I heard a stick snapping nearby. I jumped a bit at the noise, it sounded like it came from the woods. I tuned to look at the direction of the snap. Looking directly at the darkness in the trees. I can't see anything in them. I concentrated my gaze and called out, "Hello?"

No answer, only the sound of the crickets.

I took a step toward the woods. I could've sworn I heard something. Was it a deer or something that made a noise? I'm having a feeling now, I'm being watched. Did Rain feel me leave her and she's now playing a joke on me? I formed a smile across my face and smugly crossed my arms, "Alright Rain. Very funny. I know, you're gonna jump out of the woods and scare me." I spread out my arms and playfully hollered, "I caught your game, big girl. Now come out."

Again, no answer.

I frowned at them woods, after several moments of silence has passed. I said, "Rain...Are you there?"

Still no answer. But then I heard another stick snapping. I'm REALLY getting a feeling that someone's out there. I swiftly looked over my shoulder, thinking that my scaly girlfriend was sneaking up behind me. But there was no one there. I looked back at the trees again. My feeling didn't go away. I hollered once more, "Rain, you're kinda scaring me now. Seriously, joke's over." I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms again, "I'm not going to search for you in the woods. There are thorns in there, you know. I'm just going to head back to the cave." There wasn't any answer, so I tried again, "Rain?"

I just stood there, staring at the dark woods. But no answer. I let out a sigh. There's no one there. It was just the critters making noises. I was just having a stupid feeling. I started to turn to the other direction, to head off to the cave. But another stick snapped and I stopped in my tracks. I whirled around and looked at the same spot in the woods. That's when I thought I saw something big and tall with wings on it's back, in there. I raised a brow at them and called out again, "Rain?" I took a few more steps toward the trees, "Rain....Is that you?"

I saw the big figure move in them and I tried again with suspicion in my voice, "Rain? Come out, big girl. You're acting very weird." Then all of a sudden, the very big figure rushed out of the woods real fast like, and before I could move or anything, it swiped a big paw at me and knocked me away. I cried out in pain and flew about a few feet away, landing hard on my back with a loud grunt.

I moaned and lifted my head off the ground, my vision was starting to look blurry while I was looking at the one who hit me. But I couldn't see it's face, my vision was too cloudy. I groaned in pain, as everything was starting to go black and I laid my head back down on the ground.

*****

I moaned when I woke up finally, when I blinked my eyes twice. I can see that I'm not outside in the woods, but I'm looking at some kind of stone ceiling. I let out a breath and tried to move my arms and legs, they all moved. Good, they're not broken. I rolled around on my hands and knees and slowly started to get up off the floor. After I stood on my feet, I looked around where I'm at. Where am I? That's when I saw something familiar on the walls nearby and I let out a gasp. No...It can't be.

I'm in the place that I've been to more than once in my dreams. I'm inside the cave with that chamber, with those dragon depictions on the walls. My whole body began to tremble in fear and I muttered out loud, "No....No..." I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming.

But I'm not. This time...This is real.

I was backing away a few steps, worried that the dragon in my dream is real too, and it's here. Was that what it was that attacked me? Did that dragon bring me here? Was my vision of being attacked by it in the woods, bound to come true after all? Well apparently it did, and now I'm here. I don't get it, I thought it was going to kill me, but it didn't. Why? Why am I still alive? What's going on here?

I let out another gasp. I need to get out of here. I don't see it, but I better not take any chances. I need to find Rain! I have to get out of here!

I was moving around, trying to find the opening that'll get me out of this chamber, I saw it and I was about to jog to it, until I heard a voice, "You can't escape." I sucked in a sharp breath and stopped. Crap, someone's here! I turned to the sound of the voice, trying to find the person who made it. I can see something moving in the dark corner of the chamber, it was just standing there.

I called out, "Who are you? And what is this place?"

The voice replied, "You're in my master's home." I can see that the figure looked big and tall, like a dragon. It must be the dragon that brought me here. And judging by the sound of it's voice, it sounds like a female.

I asked with a shrug of both my arms, "Your master? Who's your master? And why did you bring me here? And...Who are you?"

The dragoness said with a chuckle, "You certainly do ask a lot of questions, and why did I bring you here? Oh...It's a long story."

I put on a glare, clenched both fists and shouted at it with a bout of courage, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

The dragoness began to step out of the shadow and into the light, taking very slow steps with her paws. When it came out into the light, I see that it's colored scales are bright blue. She gave me a smug grin, "There, happy now? I'm out into the light."

I nodded slowly, "Alright, that part's over with. But...Who are you?"

The bright blue dragoness strode over, until she stood tall over me. Despite my courage and my glare, they both melted away and I was looking up at her with fear. The dragoness looked down at me with a narrowed look, "I was born with a name, that no human would understand. But I was given a human name years later, one that a human like you would understand." She lowered her head to my level, "My name is Sierra."

I gasped again and backed away one step from her. Sierra? It's her! She's here!

Wait a minute...She's the dragon in my dreams? That dragon was her? She...Didn't kill me. Why did she bring me here? I don't like the look of this.