I don't own Jane and the Dragon. Just sitting in my room at around 2 am, uploading (darn sleeping problems got me again!) No, I don't have insomnia, I just have a really active mind that prevents me from falling asleep some nights. I write or draw when that happens. Tonight, I'm writing. Enough of my problems; enjoy the chapter:)

Chapter 10: The Sleepover, the Shadow, and the Chat

As night fell, Dragon and Jane came back from patrol.

Jane went off to have dinner, and Dragon stayed around the castle. While Jane was coming into the practice field, she happened to see Jester, leaning up against the archway.

"So, any luck?" Jester called.

"Umm, not really…" Jane said, "He's still convinced that something might be up in his cave."

"Any thought about it being a- "

"He's insisting he didn't have a nightmare. But-"

"Right, right."

"At least he hasn't become afraid of monsters, like the prince."

Jester blushed as he remembered to prince's short-lived fear of things like the monsters under his bed, and his own unsuccessful attempts to tell him otherwise. Jester bid Jane a hurried goodnight, and walked quickly over to his room, trying to hide the crimson that was beginning to work its way over the fool's face.

Jane was about to go to her tower, when she saw our favorite green lizard stealthily making his way to the roof of her tower.

"Dragon!" she called, now becoming less-than-amused with his antics.

"Just wanted to have a…a, you know, um…"

"A sleep over?"

"Yes! That!"

"Dragon, whatever may have happened up in your cave might have been frightening, but that doesn't mean you should be scared of your cave!"

"I'm not afraid of my cave! Just of what might be in it…" Dragon trailed off, now feeling slightly foolish. He had been trying to forget what had happened in his cave and dismiss it as a bad dream, but every time he did, he'd end up thinking about the face he saw. It looked almost like a dragon with death worn over, like it belonged in a horror novel or a scary children's story.

Jane, seeing his down look, cut in and replied.

"But, of course, if you do want to have a sleep over, feel free."

Dragon flashed her a grateful look before flying to the top of the tower and settling down for the night. Jane looked on, shook her head, and followed.

Later that night, Dragon was dozing off when a noise reached his ears, like something was down in the practice yard. Yawning, he looked down, only to see nothing.

Must have been one of the horses, he thought as he slowly drifted off, completely missing a shadow prowling around near the stables. Instead of moving towards the tower, however, it shot off, over the wall and out into the night.

Sleepover! See ya tomorrow if my head calms down!