A/N: If any of you have problems with how similar Haley and Jake's love-lives are, tough. I'm going with the whole 'Like Brother-Like Sister' thing. If you don't like it, write your own story. (If you want to use Seth, just ask)

Chapter 9: Seth and Rose's Heart to Heart

The next day after school,

Haley had the day off of Dragon training because Sun suggested it.

"Hey Haley" Seth said as he ran after her.

"Seth! Hi" Haley said nervously

"Think I can cash in that rain check?" Seth asked

"Well…" Haley hesitated

You and he need to learn about each other before you tell him what you are.

Her mother had gone 20 years without telling her father about the dragon issue. Her brother had gone nine months without telling his girlfriend about the issue. Maybe she could do this.

"Sure" Haley said "What do you like to do?"

"Anything. I've led a pretty sheltered life" Seth said

I'll bet

"So…" Seth said when they started walking. "I've noticed you're Asian-American. Asia's always been my second-favorite continent. North being first naturally"

"Mine too" Haley said. "My family's Chinese-American. My grandfather immigrated from Hong Kong YEARS ago. I know nothing about my grandmother as I believe she died when Mom was 3. Grandpa's into all the folklore of the 'old country'"

"Like dragons and other myths and legends?" Seth asked

"You have no idea" Haley muttered

"Cool. Me too" Seth said

"What do you know?" Haley asked nervously

"Only legends. What do YOU know?" he asked a bit suspiciously.

"Only stories" Haley said

"Do you believe in dragons?" he asked

"Heck no!" she lied easily "Magical fire-breathing reptiles. Ha! I only like them in the stories"

Both sighed in relief.

0000

A few months later,

The human Haley and Seth were getting along GREAT and the entire school were just waiting for when the two would start calling each other boyfriend/girlfriend. However, dragon Haley and Huntsboy were mortal enemies and Haley found that it was no wonder Jake flirted and bantered with Rose. It was FUN to tease your crush when you know their secret and they didn't know yours.

There were only two more skulls left and Haley and Seth were fighting for the last one.

"You WON'T get this skull!" Haley told Seth

"Wanna bet Dragon!" Seth said shooting at her and knocking her from the sky and then launched a net at her.

"I've got it! I've got it!" 88 and 89 chorused as they ran to catch the thrown skull

89 caught it.

"Get the skull to the Huntsman!" Seth told the two. "I'LL take care of Little Miss. Dragon"

"Sure thing Huntsboy!" 88 and 89 chorused before running off while Haley struggled under the net

"Say 'Goodbye' Dragon" Seth told Haley as he powered up the staff.

Haley winced. She REALLY didn't want to do this the way her brother did, but if she wanted to live, there was no alternative.

She looked at the snow covered grounded and powered down and braced for the slaying hoping that she and Seth had something similar to what Jake and Rose had.

She looked up when she heard something fall to the ground. Seth was shaking, hands in his slaying position though his staff was on the ground.

"I'm so sorry for lying to you Seth. But this was one family secret that needed to stay a secret for as long as possible" she said

Suddenly, Rose came running onto the scene.

"Seth?" Rose asked as she ran to her pupil.

Seth merely turned and bolted the way Rose had with Jake.

"He knows?" Rose asked the young dragon

"Either tell him or get slain. I didn't have much of a choice" Haley said

"This is going to be one interesting conversation" Rose sighed as she freed Haley.

"Why?" Haley asked

"Because Seth REALLY likes the human Haley" Rose told the dragon. "Luckily, if he does what I think he'll do, it'll be easy to get this conversation started."

0000

Later that night,

Seth was pacing his room trying to figure out how his crush had ended up to be his worst enemy. He looked at a picture of himself with Haley at last week's winter dance. She had been so beautiful in the ice blue dress her mother had made her.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Seth?" Rose's voice came

"Not now Huntsgirl" Seth said

However, Rose entered anyways

"It's Rose" she told him as she closed the door. "Wanna talk?"

"Heck no" Seth said

"C'mon Seth" Rose pried. "I won't tell the Huntsman. Besides, your problem can't be THAT crazy"

"You wanna bet? I'm in love with a DRAGON!"

"That it?" Rose asked

"I almost killed her!" Seth added. "Seven days after almost kissing her"

"Now there's only one question" Rose said "Do you hate her human half or do you love her dragon half now?"

"You don't seemed stunned at my problem" Seth said

"Just answer the question" Rose said crossing her arms.

Seth sighed and looked at the picture of him and Haley. He then closed his eyes and pictured his earlier fight.

"I…I don't know" Seth admitted as he plopped down on his bed.

"Okay. Let's try this question" Rose said. "If you were up against her again, would you slay her?"

Seth closed his eyes to put himself in that predicament mentally. He shook his head.

"I still care for her Rose" Seth admitted. "But I CAN'T! I'm a dragon SLAYER!"

"You know Seth…there IS a way" Rose said slyly

"Why are YOU helping me?" Seth asked.

"Come with me" Rose said

She took Seth to her apartment.

While she opened her dresser, Seth looked around. It looked like any typical girl's room, with the exception of the dragon hide on the wall

Suddenly, he was handed a picture.

It was of a young teen a year older than him. Chinese-American, spiky black-green hair, and wore a tux-like suit. The teen was standing next to Rose, much like his own picture of himself and Haley.

"Who's this?" Seth asked

"His name is Jake" Rose explained. "We're having a long-distance relationship. I haven't seen him in person for six years now, but I did speak to him via dreams a few years ago"

"How come I've never heard of him?" Seth asked

"Because, like your crush, he has a secret" Rose said pulling out another picture and handed Seth the picture.

It was of a red dragon with the same hair-do as Jake

"But…" Seth asked as he looked at the dragon hide on the wall

"Dragons have molting cycles" Rose explained the hide.

"So…you've been dating a dragon for six years?" Seth whispered

"Yes" Rose said quietly as she pulled him to her bed. "You see, he left New York because the Huntsman was close to discovering his identity. However, he didn't go emptyhanded. The dragons have as well been collecting the skulls"

Seth nodded as he recalled his first meeting with Haley's dragon form.

"He took one with him?" Seth asked

"It was so no more than 12 can be together at once. Then, once all the others are found, he'll come back and we'll destroy them before the Huntsman can make that wish to wipe out all magical creatures"

"I'll help you and Jake. I won't let Haley get hurt" Seth vowed

"And don't you hurt her either. In fact, tomorrow, tell Haley that you're okay with this. And you two might want to start fake fighting when she's in dragon form. Jake and I did it all the time"

"You know," Seth said looking at the picture of Rose and Jake again. "He looks familiar"

"He should. I'll give you a hint. His last name…is Long"

Seth dropped the picture onto his lap. He had feelings for his tutor's boyfriend's sister?

0000

The next day at school

"Haley!"

Haley, Renee, and Chad turned to see Seth running to them.

"We'll leave you two alone" Renee said before dragging Chad away

Haley was about to argue when Seth caught up to her.

"Haley…I want to help" Seth told her. "I talked to Rose last night and she told me about your brother and the plan. Naturally, we'll have to fake fight around the huntsclan, but I found that the only reason I care that you're a dragon is that if the Huntsman found out, I'm dead and THEN how can we have a relationship in the future once this is behind us?"

"You don't mind?" she asked

"So you're a dragon? It IS possible for humans and dragons to be genetically compatible."

"I know. Take a look at me" she said. "Human father, dragon mother…though it skipped her generation. But thanks Seth. I feel better knowing that you're okay"

TBC

A/N: Just so you know, because starting tomorrow, the story is merging into the original, I'm just going to go on and post the rest of the story at once so don't just jump to the last chapter when you see the update.