*I do not own Jane and the Dragon or its characters

I was working on a series of drabbles when this idea just emerged from a small 600 word drabble. I cannot tell you hour much I love Jane and Dragons relationship. Yet why are there so few fics about them?

Anyway, I would like to shout out to Shay-na-na for her lovely fic that I drew some inspiration from as well as Amelle Kyre and SkyeElf for continued comments, it means the world to me.

Inspired as well by a few real personalities and of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, I hope you all enjoy!

There was once was a lady in waiting, who in turn met a beast, a 300 year old Dragon. After some time, she realized that he truly had a good heart and the two became friends after their unique meeting. In time she became a knight, and their friendship through out all the years could not be broken.

Romance was not exactly Jane's strong suit, but she believed too that it did not determine her lot in life, so she let it be. But the older Jane got, past the bloom of youth into young adulthood, she wondered if she had gone wrong somewhere. It was not that the men did not notice her, she was after all the flower of the knights guard. She just never felt the spark that one supposedly feels when one is infatuated or attracted to someone. However, she also did not want that sort of shallow affection. Like the deepness of the ocean, she wanted something, that is if she was ever looking, for something real.

On a clear day, and yes, as amusing as it will rhyme, in may, they were on patrol. It was late afternoon, right after dinner, a not so breezy day. Dragon looked all around, checking for enemy troops though all he caught sight of was two workers smoke swapping as he would call it. It was not so much amusing, but more of a curious thought it was.

"Say Jane, why do you short lives enjoy that?" He asked

"Enjoy what?"

Making smooching noises and blowing rings of smoke, Jane was not quite getting the message. He thought of how forgetful short lives were and how they thought they knew everything yet nothing at the same time. Of course they needed explaining and he was willing to explain "You know, swapping smoke. That thing that the prince does to that dead broad in that one story?"

How odd enough that she understood such a reference, though only because she's read it to the princess. And though Jane was always ready to answer his questions, this one was not something she would understand, as you know from her lack of experience. "Oh, you mean a kiss. Well, I am not sure Dragon. You should ask Jester about that"

"Have you ever swapped smoke Jane?"

And of course he was going to ask again. "No Dragon, I think that is weird" she replied

"How would you know unless you try?" he teased

"Let me guess Dragon, because there was no one I wanted to do that with"

Which was the truth, though was it really that odd if you are twenty one and never been kissed?

Making a sudden landing at the mouth of his cave, she asked "What is the matter?"

"I think I have gas"

Rolling her eyes, she slid off his back. "When do you not?" She teased

Jane sat on the cliff, looking over the kingdom and all its glory. It made her feel a bit melancholic for some reason. She thought to herself about that saying, you know the one, that there is someone for everyone. Out there in the world was her match, it is not like it mattered whether she found him or not, but it was nice to think about someone being happy to see her.

Dragon thought that his friend had been unusually quiet today. "Jane?"

"I know I should not let it get to me, but I was wondering..."

"What?"

Indeed her thoughts must have been haywire to allow such a thought to persuade her to ask "Would you let me kiss you?"

"Jane, what are you trying to prove here?"

"I do not know, I just thought that way I could get it over with and move on with my life"

Thinking that there was no reason why it was a bad idea, he agreed "Alright"

Closing his eyes, he waited for it. He was not sure why, but his heart was beating a mile a minute. He was afraid of getting startled and knocking her off a cliff, so he said "No Jane"

"What?"

"I do not want to hurt you"

"There's nothing to be afraid of, it will not hurt"

You would think she should be more nervous about it right? No, it was Dragon who was worrying. He was so self conscious about his breath or what would happen if he farted. His knees wobbled, causing him to fall.

"Dragon?'"

"I'm all right"

Jane felt ashamed and embarrassed but mostly worried. Here she was worrying about first kisses while Dragon was sick. "I guess this would be weird for you. If I was a Dragon I might have been more appealing but I cannot help the way I look. I am sorry for asking such a thing of you especially since you are unwell"

"No Jane, you look terrific. Just all of a sudden I felt sick"

Caressing his snout, she cooed "What is the matter?"

"I do not know"

He could smell the sweetness of her breath, practically taste it for that matter. It was as though all his thoughts and all his feelings got confused and were running into each other. There was only one Jane, which he felt belonged to him. He loved Jane, she was his best friend and nothing in the world would take her away from him. He wished so very much that she would be by his side when he had a nightmare at night, or be there when he remembered something funny. Or the times when he had a tummy ache and wished she was there to rub his belly and tell him how much she cared about him. And when she cared about him or protected him he felt the largest sense of pride. He's held her in his hands like a doll, he's known her most intimate thoughts since she confessed them to him, or he would watch her from the sky to see if she was safe. All he ever thought of other then himself was Jane. She was special, she was his, and he belonged to her. Those were his truest feelings. He was not sure what the word for that was but he knew for her it was that word. All these feelings made his heart hurt, like it was being squeezed. He groaned in agony as though he were beaten and it frightened her "Speak to me Dragon?" She cried

"I think I am dying Jane"

"No Dragon, you cannot"

"Tell me something good Jane, show me what a kiss is, I am so very curious"

Shutting her eyes tightly, the tears fought their way through. He could smell those tears, the ones that only he could see. With all her might, and with all her heart she wished "Let me take the pain away"

Offering her life, offering her love, she breathed into his mouth with the most heartfelt, sweetest kiss. Despite all his scales, he could feel it. It felt as though a butterfly had just landed on him. Feeling the emotion rise from his throat, Jane was soaked with a single tear "That was nice Jane" he confessed

"Please get up, please be okay. There are so many things we have not done yet. And did you not say it was you and me till the end? You promised me!"

All of a sudden he felt like his normal self, perhaps even better. He stood back up, nudging her "See! Nothing can get rid of me"

There was no way Jane was going to put up an argument about it. She wiped away her tears as though it never happened, smiling weakly "That is great Dragon. Now, we should be getting..."

Interrupted by a flash of light, Jane fell on her arse and was blinded for a few moments. When Jane was able to see again, before her she saw legs where she saw claws just moments ago. There was no longer a dragon before her, so she thought he must have turned into a man. Looking him over, she noticed that he was as tall as Sir Theodore, as brawn as Smithy, as pretty as Rake with a hint of an amusing smile on his face like Jester. He was clothed in green armor with a pattern that resembled Dragon scales with golden chain mail. With the lightest hair she had ever seen, it fell down his back in a braid, it was extraordinarily beautiful. Looking at his hands and at his arms, he panicked "What happened to me?"

His voice just the same as it was before, though she could not determine his age. She knew it was him, well at least most of her knew. "Calm down Dragon, you changed that is all"

"I know that! Tell me something I do not know"

"You said you could not remember your past. Perhaps that is because you were once a man"

Looking away from his limbs and back at Jane, he noticed she looked so much bigger then he remembered. He could not smell her like he did before, or see what Jester was doing from his cliff. It was official, he was a short life now. But something in his head told him that was alright and he accepted the situation. Now that they were the same, he wondered if he appealed to her "How do I look?" he asked shyly

"It is beyond words Dragon"

"Is that bad?"

Taking small steps, she reached out to touch his face. He backed away a bit, scared of what would happen next. At her touch he flinched, shaking timidly. "I am scared Jane"

"I will not hurt you, I promise"

Like before his heart ran a mile a minute, but it was alright, he believed it would be. She peered into his eyes, feeling his face as though to prove it to herself that it was him. The mismatched scale that he once had under his left eye was now a beauty mark. Or the sharp fangs he had were just much smaller now. She held up his hands, big and strong covered with calluses, a sign of either a hard worker or of a warrior. He gave her that quizzical look which he so often wore when he had the slightest idea of what she was doing.

As he watched her examine him, he thought that whatever it was that Jane was planning on doing before did not seem like such a bad idea now. She looked just as wonderful now as she did before but it was not the way she looked that mattered, or the way she smelled which from their proximity she still smelled nice. It was not the way that she could now be his, but it was the way she called his name. It was the way she would look into his eyes to give him reassurance, or the way she cared for him despite the fact he could have fried her in a single sneeze. And most of all, how she stuck with him through the good and the bad. She was his friend, she was his life, she was his Jane. Picking her up in his arms, he was not afraid of crushing her to death, it was heartwarming feeling. Lifting her up and twirling her around, he laughed "We are the same now Jane"

Looking down at him, she knew that things were never going to be the same again. It was going to take a lot of getting used, but a step at a time she thought. "That's right Dragon"

"Woohoo!"

Putting her down gently, he waited for a response. Nothing in his manner was different, he was still the childish, curious reptile she knew except he was not a reptile anymore. Touching his cheek, she caressed it with her thumb. He relished his newfound senses, and how nice it felt to be touched. Taking her other hand, he placed it on his other cheek. It was not rough like before, but it was so soft, his red eyes looked at her clearly bemused. Something that she wished she could have done on many occasion was to hold him in her arms. She took him into in embrace, humming lightly. It took her breath way away how at home it felt to hold him. Dragon went with the flow, and placed his head on her shoulder, listening to the rhythm of their hearts. Even that was the same now. Feeling the tickle of his breath, she giggled "You and me are mostly the same except you are a man now but I am still a woman"

In pure bliss, he sighed "Hmm, this is different then before, yet I could stay right here"

Twirling locks of hair between his fingers, he chuckled lightly "Your hair is just as puffy but it is so soft"

"And I suppose that's amusing?"

"It is, but it's really fantastic. It's like a world of possibilities exist now"

Giving her some distance, he studied her face, and finally understood why Gunther teased her so. Jane looked so cute when she was irritated. The oddest thought then popped into his head. "Hey Jane, do want to try something?" He asked

"Like what Dragon?"

Holding her face, he licked her cheek "That's a kiss right?"

"Not quite" she laughed

He knew what a kiss was but he was just waiting for the reaction. Noticing her color, he thought that it must have been a good sign. With a smirk, he laughed "I think I know"

Holding her arms length away, he placed soft kiss on her lips. Jane never known such beauty in the world then of her friend Dragon. She would learn something new everyday, but at that moment she learned the most important lesson of all, that love sets no boundaries. She had loved Dragon before, but now those feelings changed in an instant. Now she knew why a kiss was so special. It was a hello, it was a goodbye, an I like you, an I love you. She felt a connection with him that she never had with anyone before, and though she knew it was going to be an unknown journey, she was not scared.

Parting from the kiss, he nuzzled her which made her color terribly. He liked watching her face change color, it was fascinating, it was something completely new. Looking up into her eyes and he too blushed terribly "It is so different now, isn't it Jane"

"I'll say"

"Does this mean you are my mate?"

She had no reason to think otherwise. It is hard to say how she should have answered, but she answered the best she could "In a manner is speaking, I think it does"

His voice rose up like it did when he was excited "I want to learn everything Jane, I want you to show me" he urged

Fanning herself, she looked away "For now we should get home"

Unsure of how Jane felt, he asked "Do you want me too Jane? Do you want me as a mate?"

"Why would I not?"

"Because I am not a Dragon anymore"

Sensing the hurt in his voice, she took hold of his hands, kissing them and holding them close. Slowly, she thought, that it would take a little time but she was ready to face it.

"As long as you are pure of heart, and you are just you, I think will we be fine"

"You and me together till the the end?" he asked

"Forever and ever"

Out of nowhere, a deadly silence moved in the air and into Jane's nose. "Dragon!"

"Sorry, been holding that the whole time"

"At least you could have released it the other way" she complained while holding her nose

"You fart too" he retorted

"Only in private"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Hey!"

Running off after him into the sunset, she could not wait to flick him on the nose while he could not wait to find out other ways to get a rile out of her.

And this is how a not so normal beauty named Jane loved a beast named Dragon, and how he loved her just the same. Certainly not the most typical story, but everyone has their moments.