Okay okay okay. Due to many requests i have decided to continue this fic. Lucky u.


Briar grinned. Here comes Crane, he thought. Now the show can begin. He hadn't told anybody about what he had read, and he didn't know when he'd tell the others. If he even would. Come on Briar, eventually they will find out, a little voice told him. It was right. Eventually everyone would know, but not for a while. He had a feeling Rosethorn and Crane wouldn't show, or even make it public, what they were feeling. Oh well, more fun for me, he thought and headed down to answer the door that had just been knocked upon.

~~~~~~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~~
No, no, no, Rosethorn thought as she heard a knock. He wasn't supposed to come. He was supposed to decide he was better than her, and come up with a snotty excuse not to come. But nooo, he had to hold on to a promise. Why, why, why!? Because he likes you, Rosie, she told herself. Isn't that what you want? That made Rosethorn stop. She didn't know. She liked him, but did she want to get involved with him? Not having time to ponder this, she set it aside to consider after dinner.

"So what's for dinner?" she heard Crane ask.

Lark's voice responded, but Rosethorn couldn't hear.

"That'll do," Crane said and then mentally kicked himself. He loved ham, peaches, and green beans. Why, he had never thought it out, but it was one of his favorite meals that his mom had made for him before she had died.

"So I see you did join us," Rosethorn commented from the doorway. "You didn't come up with some snooty excuse not to come. I'm impressed."

"Well every once in a while I do keep promises. Probably more than you think," he retorted.

"I don't doubt it," and with that Rosethorn walked to the kitchen. The table was already set. Darn. She didn't have an excuse now to be in the kitchen. What could she do now? A rumble from her stomach along with a growl told her what her stomach thought she should do.

"We hope you don't mind that we didn't make what we had planned, but we ran out of food, " a voice behind her said.

"Sandry, I didn't even know what we were having for dinner."

"Oh, well then why were you staring at the food like you were angry?"

"I don't know." and for the first time Rosethorn finally looked at the food. Ham, peaches, and green beans. What a um interesting meal she thought. This should be fun, and smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Sandry asked looking puzzled.

"Peaches and green beans don't get along well. We may hear some fighting."

"We?"

"Briar, Crane, and I."

"Oh."

There was a long pause.

"Sandry," Rosethorn asked.

"Yes Rosethorn."

"What would you do if I started to like a person-someone you knew?"

"Well, I guess I'd be okay with it. Briar might be a little upset, but I want you to be happy." Sandry paused. " Do you like someone?"

Before Rosethorn could answer, the rest of the house including Crane came in.

"Sandry have you seen Little Bear?" Lark asked.

"Yes, he was hiding under Briar's sheets."

"Goddess, why was he up there?"

"Well he ran up there when Crane knocked on the door."

"Yep, I raised that dog right," Briar piped in and pulled up his breeches trying to give the impression of a "manly" man.

Everyone giggled, except for Crane and Rosethorn who kept looking at each other with different thoughts running through the others head.

Briar looked at the two of them, and a thought that he definitely didn't like came to him. What if Rosethorn spends more time with Crane instead of him? Or even worse, started using his ideas!? She would build a greenhouse and ruin all of her plants. Maybe he should stop this. But you want her to be happy, don't you?, that stupid little voice said. Of course I do. But I don't want to be forgotten. But Rosethorn wouldn't forget you. You're her student. That made him feel a little better.

Rosethorn turned away from Crane and her eyes settled on Briar. His eyes looked distressed. Did he know? Did he suspect something? What if he thought she'd forget him, like Sandry said. Why would he think that? She scolded herself. He's your student, and you love him like the son you never had. That's right. Well, if I decide to pursue Crane, I'll sit down and talk with him. Maybe I should talk with everybody in Discipline.

Crane didn't like it when Rosethorn had turned away. Why had she turned away from him? He thought she liked him!? Had she changed her mind? Had she decided that she didn't like his attitude? Had she- Stop it Crane, he told himself. She probably didn't turn away for any of those reasons. You're reading too deeply into this. He was. He needed to stop doing this. When he was a child and he'd been in love, he'd read too deeply into things and they hadn't worked out. He wanted this to work out.

"I'm hungry. Can we please eat, Lark?" Tris whined.

"Way to go, Coppercurls." Briar taunted, " You beat me to the question."

"Well excuse me, but I never had lunch. Niko kept me out too late working on tides," she retorted.

"Awwwwwwww, poor Tris." Briar said with sarcasm.

"Hey I control lightning. I'd sleep with your eyes open and your windows closed," Tris glared at him, fire in her eyes.

Briar shut up. He knew she'd do it too.

"Yes Tris we can eat, "Lark answered to Tris' long forgotten question.

Everyone took a seat. Lark had apparantly brought in a chair since there wouldn't be room for Crane on the benches. There was Rosethorn, Briar, and Sandry on one side, and Lark, Tris, and Daja on the other. Crane sat on the side right next to Rosethorn and Lark. Briar grinned when he saw Tris was right across from him, and Tris scowled.

Looks like more than the peaches and green beans will be fighting tonight, Sandry noticed.

"Who will say the blessing?" Lark asked.

"I will, "Crane piped up, " I am the guest."

Lark nodded, and every one bowed their head.

"Gods thank you for this meal, for without it we would not be here.
Thank you for friends and family. Please bless everything and one in this household today, for I am truly blessed to be here."

(A/N k i'm not a churchgoer so i apoligize for this sucky blessing. O and i don't know whether or not they had to say "so mote it be" so i left it out. So no flames on that pleez)

Rosethorn looked up, " That was very nice."

"Yes it was, " Lark agreed, " but you're being overly kind. Our house looks a mess and right now I don't feel so blessed."

"Hey Lark you're a poet and you didn't even know it!" Daja noticed.

"You're right. I didn't notice that, " Lark said.

"Lark, I think Discipline looks nice. I haven't noticed it ever looking a mess," Crane told her.

"That's not-" Briar shouted until Rosethorn clamped her hand over his mouth. " Hush boy."

Coming up with another thing to say Briar nodded. " Um That's not very nice to your own household. I can imagine it looks very nice."

Crane chuckled because he knew that was not what Briar was going to say, " No comment."

Rosethorn looked at Crane, shocked. " No comment?"

"No comment."

"Yeah sure for once you don't wish to show me up. How thoughtful."

"Oh you're welcome."

"You're welcome?"

"You're welcome."

"I'm lost."

"Very well, let's talk about something else. Like how delicious this ham is. Lark I haven't tasted ham this good since my mother, rest her soul, died."

"Thank you, Crane but really Daja made it. I thought it would be good experience for her."

"Oh and what a wonderful experience it was. Up to my hands in pig guts. The funnest (AN i know i know this is not a word but hey!) experience in my life." Daja rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it looked like fun, maybe Briar should try it next time. But wait we wouldn't want the dirt under his nails to end up in our ham." Tris said.

"Oh very good, Tris, but I think you should learn for you will be the one cooking when you grow up. Men. Don't. Cook." Briar taunted back.

"What a sexist comment, Briar Moss!" Sandry cried.

"Indeed," the other women at the table commented.

"I must agree with the women Briar. I have to cook for myself on occasion, and I have been told I was quite good, " Crane commented. "Cooking is definitely not women's work."

Shocked Rosethorn added, "Yes, and Briar you may end up cooking up some plants someday for some sick family or for some spell. It's about time we focused on your cooking abilities. And now that I'm done with my latest project, I believe we can start on that." She turned to Crane. " Crane, I didn't know you cooked."

"Well I don't cook often, but I actually find it quite relaxing," Crane told her.

Awwww, he's showing his delicate side. How quaint. " Well maybe I'll have to try your cooking sometime. If it's any good I may have you teach Briar how to cook." She glared at Briar.

"What did I ever do to you?" Briar protested.

"You were her student," Tris told him.

Briar glared at her, "You know I have power over plants. You better sleep with your windows and doors locked or I might send poisen ivy over to you. Scratch, scratch. " To add effect he scratched his arm as he said it.

"Very funny, " Tris tried not to act scared. He knew how she felt about poisen ivy.

The rest of the dinner was quiet with occasional retorts from Briar and Tris. Rosethorn talked to Crane much of the time, and Lark kept refilling drinks. Sandry and Daja were busy watching Rosethorn and Crane flirt and wondering what it meant.