A/N: Back, finally. Real life has been intervening. This story picks up where "All About to Change" leaves off. As always, thank you to all who have reviewed, and continue to read and review my work. I truly appreciate your time and your thoughts. I hope you enjoy the latest in "Stories from StarStorm."

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate Pern.

What Kind of Love...

StarStorm Weyr, Landing

It never failed. Every time the Weyr had a Hatching, Trina was depressed for days. Although she had been properly Searched, the dragon who belonged to her had never Hatched. So, she continued in the Lower Caverns, teaching the youngsters, plying her talent of embroidery and helping to keep the life of a busy Weyr flowing smoothly. Not that anyone ever noticed--it wasn't as though she had any real significance. She was just a nobody.

"Watch out, Trina," said Bini. "Looks like J'fren is on the prowl."

Trina looked up to the tables to see the brownrider sitting, absently picking at the remains of his lunch, and smiling at those who passed him. "So?" she said. "How under the moons can you tell?" Bini was obviously taunting her again.

"See the looks he's giving the girls today. He's obviously feeling a little lonesome again." Her tone was lascivious. J'fren had no weyrmate--hadn't had one that Trina knew of—and only occasionally did he chat up a female for the purpose of having her in his furs for a night or two. And rumor had it those nights were memorable ones. As a result, many of the Weyr's unattached women were always scheming to get his attention.

Trina shook her head. "You try for him, then. I'm not making a fool out of myself." She had more or less resigned herself to a single life. Men never noticed her. A face in the crowd, that's what she was. And not much of a face, at that. She turned back to the hearths.

But Bini was right: J'fren was feeling lonesome. But this was a different lonesome than the usual biological urges. He really just wanted someone to talk to -- someone to laugh with. Someone not male and not a dragon.

"That's mean!" Shimuth said indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Shimuth. You know I didn't mean it like that," he replied to his dragon.

"I know. But I do have feelings, you know."

"Yes, I realize you do."

And he could use some stimulating company. Then, he noticed her for the first time--really noticed her. Who was that girl standing by the hearth? She was attractive enough, even though he could hear some of the other women telling her to move her "fat rear end" out of their way. He knitted his brows. She wasn't THAT big. Besides, as he had gotten older, J'fren had learned that looks and size were not of paramount importance when thinking about a woman as a friend or a weyrmate.

She looked fairly young, mid 20s maybe, and had brown hair she wore in a plaited crown. He couldn't see her eyes, but had a feeling they might be brown, too. About his height, well, that was nice, and what about her smile? He hadn't seen one on her face. Let's see if he still had enough charm to wheedle a smile out of her.

"Oh please, as if you didn't know you do," came Shimuth's tart comment, which J'fren studiously ignored. He rose and brought his plate and cutlery to the hearth where the girl was standing. She turned to him, with a -- startled -- look on her face?

"Can I help you?" she said. Nice voice, well-modulated, sweet accent.

"Well, I thought I'd save you some steps and bring my plate over here," he said, flashing her his best grin.

Trina's heart seemed to turn over in her chest when J'fren grinned like that -- and at her. She couldn't seem to breathe for a moment and then said, "Thanks. I appreciate it," and followed it up with a small smile.

The brownrider cocked his head at her and said, "Come on, my dragon gives a better imitation of a smile than that."

Trina laughed in spite of herself, showing a nice smile of her own. J'fren said, "That's better. Your smile is too pretty to hide."

"Thank you," she said, shyly.

"You're welcome. Come sit with me and talk." Before Trina knew it, J'fren had taken her hand and led her to his table. He sat and pulled her down to sit beside him, waving her protests aside.

"Now then -- what's your name?"

"Trina."

"Pretty name. It has a musical ring to it."

"You think so?" she said, dubiously.

"I do. I'm J'fren. I ride brown Shimuth."

"It's nice to meet you." She noticed his shoulder knots, then. "You're a Wingsecond?" she said.

"Yeah, Center Watch Wing, but with such a huge Weyr as StarStorm, you can't know everyone. What do you do around here besides kitchen duty?" His dark eyes were interested and his smile was infectious.

"Oh, a little of everything. I teach the young ones and generally sort of help out. Anything anyone needs me to do, you know," Trina answered, feeling nothing but inadequate next to a dragonrider, and a ranking one, at that.

"A Weyr can't get along without people like you," he said gently.

Trina blushed scarlet and said, "I don't know. I'm really not important at all."

"Sure you are. I'll bet the last time you took sick, everyone wished like shells you were around to do all the little things you just automatically do. I'm sure you're always doing something to help out." Something about this girl made J'fren want to encourage her self-confidence. There was a shadow in her eyes that reached out to him and made his throat ache.

"Now you're just trying to get on my good side," she grinned, dispelling the sadness for just a moment.

"No, I'm being honest." He squeezed her hand. "I hear the Weyrsinger has a sheaf of new songs from the Harper Hall. He's going to teach them tonight after supper. Sit with me and we'll learn them together."

"All right, but I don't sing that well," Trina answered, wondering what kind of excuse he would come up with not to be there. Well, she would just not be there first.

"Doesn't matter. If you're not around, I'll come find you," he said, smiling mischievously. "Thunk!" went her heart again.

"I'm sure you will," she said. Liar, she thought. But at least he's being nice about it.

The Weyrsinger had introduced the new songs and J'fren looked all over the Caverns for Trina, but didn't see her. She wasn't around at supper, either. He edged over to the hearths and peered into the darkness behind them.

"Can I help you, Wingsecond?" said a voice.

He turned to see one of the women and said, "Yes, have you seen Trina around this evening?"

The woman's hopeful expression faded into disgust and she said, "Yeah. She's helping with a birth."

"I didn't know she was a healer," J'fren answered.

"She's not. But she's willing, the healer needed an extra hand and asked her to assist."

"I see. Are they in the infirmary?" he asked.

"Last I heard. You can go in and wait to see her, if you want, I guess," said the woman.

"Thank you. I may do that."

J'fren left the main Caverns and went down the long hallway to the infirmary. There was a waiting area, where an anxious bronzerider was sitting -- obviously his weyrmate was being delivered.

"I just couldn't be in there," was all he said. J'fren could hear the sounds within: the healer giving instructions to the mother, and Trina's voice, calming, reassuring, sensible. Finally, the sound came everyone was waiting for: the lusty cry of a newborn. The new father went limp with relief in his chair. A few minutes later, the healer came out, carrying the baby, with Trina behind him.

"Mother and child are both fine," the healer said, and gave the man his first look at the baby. Trina was standing behind, grinning at the picture they made. She spotted J'fren and gave him a stunned look. She motioned him out in the hall.

"Mind if I ask what you're doing here?" she said.

"I told you I'd come find you if you weren't at supper," he answered.

"Well, I didn't think you were serious, and anyway, the healer needed someone to help."

J'fren gave Trina a shrewd look. "Why wouldn't I be serious?" he asked.

"Because you surely weren't -- were you?"

"I was, yes. You haven't eaten, have you?"

Trina shook her head, still eyeing him a little warily.

"All right. Let's go to the kitchens and find something."

"I might be needed somewhere," she said.

"Not likely. Those new parents are doing fine, and everyone else can wait a little while." He chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were afraid of me."

Trina was taken aback. "Afraid of you? No, not at all. I'm just not in the habit of associating with dragonriders. They usually don't take much notice of me."

"They don't know what they're missing," he said.

Shimuth broke in, "Is that the best you can do?" he said

J'fren sent a silent "Who asked you, anyway?" to his dragon.

"I thought you might need some help, after that answer," Shimuth replied.

Trina saw J'fren's face go suddenly intent and knew he was conversing with his dragon. He made an exasperated sound and rolled his eyes, then grinned at her.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Shimuth is full of himself tonight."

Trina chuckled. "That's all right. I understand."

"We were headed to the kitchens, weren't we?" he said.

"Yes."

"I missed the sweet course looking for you. S'pose they'll have any left?" J'fren asked.

"Maybe. They usually do," she answered.

"Good. My sweet tooth is a little active."

"Something's active, but it's not your sweet tooth," Shimuth interjected.

J'fren gave his head a little shake and didn't answer his nosy dragon.

As they reached the kitchens, they could still hear the sounds of singing, but Trina stopped at the main cooking hearth and grabbed some leftovers, including some of the sweet course for J'fren. They sat at one of the inside tables where the cooks ate. Everyone else was singing, and the cleanup had been done, so they were more or less alone, with the occasional drudge or worker wandering in and out. Trina was unaware that J'fren's interest in her whereabouts earlier had set the gossip tongues wagging. They figured she was the latest, although for the life of them, they couldn't see why.

They sat in the kitchen, some ways into the night, talking. But J'fren slept alone and so did Trina, although her thoughts centered around the brownrider. He was extremely attractive. No two ways about it -- those dark eyes and that grin were enough to turn a girl's head. But why he would be interested in her was beyond her. Still...

J'fren sought Trina out every opportunity he had the next month. Even after his Flight fought Thread, he came to the Caverns to see her, and she knew he was completely worn out.

One night, he caught her after supper. "Hi there. Didn't you tell me your work section has the next few days off?"

Trina nodded. "Yeah. We've got four days off. Why?"

"I'm going to get out of here for a couple of days. Want to come with me?" he asked.

She was speechless for a moment. "W-where are you going?" she finally stammered

"Little place near Landing. Sun, sand and solitude. I'd really like you to come along." He gave her his most winning smile. It worked its usual magic on her heart and she said, "Well, I guess so."

"Fine. I'm planning on leaving midmorning tomorrow. Pack a few things and come to my office. We'll just leave from there."

"All right. I'll be ready to go," she said.

"Good then. I've got a Wing meeting in just a few minutes, so I've got to scoot, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you," Trina said, wondering what under the moons she had just agreed to.

A voice said behind her, "Well, it took him a little longer, but I see he finally has you where he wants you."

Trina turned to see the woman who gave her the most grief in the Caverns -- Dunan. "What in the world do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean J'fren. Usually, it doesn't take him nearly as long to get around to bedding a girl, but you must have presented a challenge. I have no idea why he wanted the likes of you, but I suppose a challenge is just that -- no matter how plain and unattractive it is." Dunan's tone was pure acid.

Trina knew Dunan herself had wanted the brownrider for a long time, but he had never shown any interest in her. So she just smiled and said, "Well, I'm told it's an unforgettable experience, and I'm open to that, so I guess you'll just have to keep wondering." And she walked off.

She packed her carisak, wondering what to take, but finally thought she had a decent assortment of what she might need for a trip to the beach.

She slept fitfully that night. She did wonder what his intentions were.