Chapter Twenty: But!
"But Mama! You can't be finished!" Reanna exclaimed in dismay. "What happened next?"
Arianne smiled, amused. Reanna had asked the same question of her when she had first heard the story, and Arianne had declined to say. There were no more stories after this one, at least none of she and Jack. Y'lorani would have interesting tales to tell when she returned, Arianne knew, and then Y'lorani would become Reanna's favorite.
She glanced over at Jack and caught him looking back at her, a bemused expression upon his face. She slid closer to him and he put his arm around her, making the children gathered before them make faces.
"That is the end of that story, Reanna darling. And now it's almost dark, we should go home." There was a chorus of "awww"s, but the children began to scatter anyway, each going to his or her home.
"But I want to hear another story!" Reanna protested as they began walking back towards their house.
"Reanna, darling, that's all there is," Jack said.
"But it can't be!"
"That's enough with the 'buts,' love," Arianne chided. "Besides, some day you will begin to write your own stories, and tell them to your children."
"I haven't had any adventures though," Reanna pouted.
"You will," Jack said laughingly. "Believe me, lovey, you will."
"Promise?" asked Reanna, immediately brightening.
"We promise," Arianne said, smiling back.
Reanna ran up to the door and entered the house, no doubt frightening Dharketh for the millionth time. As Jack and Arianne neared the house, they could hear Reanna talking excitedly to Dharketh about all the adventures she was going to have and how they would be absolutely wonderful.
Jack pulled Arianne close to him and they shared a long and tender kiss in front of the door. When they finally pulled apart, Arianne cuddled close to him and tucked her head under his chin. She wished that she could be with Reanna when she did go out into the world to start a life on her own, but she knew that if she were there she would only hinder her daughter's progress. Reanna had to come into her power on her own.
Ah well, she would hear an accounting of Reanna's tales some day.
"Arianne, love, come back down to earth, will you?" Jack whispered in her ear seductively.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at him. "I was just thinking--"
"About Reanna," he interrupted. She laughed. He had gotten so good at that! "Do let us go inside and tuck her in so we can get to more adult activities, hmm?" he said with a glint in his eye.
They went inside and tucked a sleepy Reanna in, each of them kissing her forehead good night. Long after Arianne and Jack had gone to sleep, Dharketh remained awake, wondering about the things that lied ahead for the little Reanna.
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Alright, this story is....FINISHED! I love you all, thank you for reading the story, I'm so glad that those of you that reviewed liked it, and I would welcome any reviews from those of you that read it but didn't tell me how you felt about it. I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism! Also, a third story will be written by me following Reanna's journey--if anyone is interested!
"But Mama! You can't be finished!" Reanna exclaimed in dismay. "What happened next?"
Arianne smiled, amused. Reanna had asked the same question of her when she had first heard the story, and Arianne had declined to say. There were no more stories after this one, at least none of she and Jack. Y'lorani would have interesting tales to tell when she returned, Arianne knew, and then Y'lorani would become Reanna's favorite.
She glanced over at Jack and caught him looking back at her, a bemused expression upon his face. She slid closer to him and he put his arm around her, making the children gathered before them make faces.
"That is the end of that story, Reanna darling. And now it's almost dark, we should go home." There was a chorus of "awww"s, but the children began to scatter anyway, each going to his or her home.
"But I want to hear another story!" Reanna protested as they began walking back towards their house.
"Reanna, darling, that's all there is," Jack said.
"But it can't be!"
"That's enough with the 'buts,' love," Arianne chided. "Besides, some day you will begin to write your own stories, and tell them to your children."
"I haven't had any adventures though," Reanna pouted.
"You will," Jack said laughingly. "Believe me, lovey, you will."
"Promise?" asked Reanna, immediately brightening.
"We promise," Arianne said, smiling back.
Reanna ran up to the door and entered the house, no doubt frightening Dharketh for the millionth time. As Jack and Arianne neared the house, they could hear Reanna talking excitedly to Dharketh about all the adventures she was going to have and how they would be absolutely wonderful.
Jack pulled Arianne close to him and they shared a long and tender kiss in front of the door. When they finally pulled apart, Arianne cuddled close to him and tucked her head under his chin. She wished that she could be with Reanna when she did go out into the world to start a life on her own, but she knew that if she were there she would only hinder her daughter's progress. Reanna had to come into her power on her own.
Ah well, she would hear an accounting of Reanna's tales some day.
"Arianne, love, come back down to earth, will you?" Jack whispered in her ear seductively.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at him. "I was just thinking--"
"About Reanna," he interrupted. She laughed. He had gotten so good at that! "Do let us go inside and tuck her in so we can get to more adult activities, hmm?" he said with a glint in his eye.
They went inside and tucked a sleepy Reanna in, each of them kissing her forehead good night. Long after Arianne and Jack had gone to sleep, Dharketh remained awake, wondering about the things that lied ahead for the little Reanna.
***********************************************************************
Alright, this story is....FINISHED! I love you all, thank you for reading the story, I'm so glad that those of you that reviewed liked it, and I would welcome any reviews from those of you that read it but didn't tell me how you felt about it. I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism! Also, a third story will be written by me following Reanna's journey--if anyone is interested!
