Authors Note: Alright, here is the next chapter…

Tallacus- Thank you, and glad you think he does…I see him as being rather cocky, lol, hench his personality in the fic. As far as the last name, it is to distinguish me/Phantaphied Jen from RoF Jen. And, now that you mention it…it is! Lol

Creedy's Only Fan- How could anyone hate Creedy? Tis…impossible! Lol. And thank you, glad you liked it and thanks for reviewing!

Chapter 3

The Castle

The castle was rather uninviting, was Jen's first thought. It was a perfect little slice of hell, a miserable speck on the ash-ridden landscape. "Home sweet home." Quinn muttered as the vehicle stopped. "Will you be needing anything particular, Jen?" he asked. Jen shrugged. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, seeing as you are a dracologist, I think we can use you. And, I need to know if you will be needed any space for equipment. I can clear out some space if you need it. Like you told Creedy- it's because of people like you that we are still here." Jen smiled and him, then turned and cast a glare at Creedy. Turning back to Quinn, she smiled. "I don't need a lot of space, but a small lab would be nice. Enough space for me and my companion, and eventually anything else I might find. No, not a lot of space. Thank you very much sir."

"Quinn. Just call me Quinn. Everyone else here does." With that he was gone, leaving Jen with Creedy. The Scotsman sighed. "Stuck with you again. I get the feeling he is trying to pair us up, how about you?" he said with a laugh. Jen shrugged. "I am not interested in relationships Mr. Creedy. Only dragons." She took the dragon chick from the man and walked off. "Wait a minute missy, you are not going anywhere near that Castle alone." Creedy told her, grabbing her arm. She glared daggers. "Then hurry up."

"Sheesh woman, you are bossy." Jen was already halfway to the door. Creedy ran to keep up. "Fine, fine, I'll move faster. I don't know where Quinn wants you, but I can show you around until he tells me."

"Great, I have a body guard now." Jen muttered. "I am not your bodyguard. I am merely leading you around the castle."

"You might not be now, but you will become one at this rate. Saving me from the rubble, helping me to the car, leading me about- a great chivalrous knight you are. Shall I call you Sir Creedy?" Jen's humor did nothing to make her more agreeable. It was going to be a long couple of hours.

XxXxXxXxX

Jen followed her 'guide' about the castle, trying to get the lay-of-the-land. She knew that she would need to find her way about unaccompanied. The castle on the inside was little better than on the out. It was dark and Jen could tell that it was in serious need of repairs. Or at least, some things were. It was defensible, however, and the people there seemed nice and happy enough. Well, most of them, she thought with a glance at Creedy. The Scotsman did quite well at ignoring her and she ignored him and simply followed.

"And this is where the kids sleep." He said as they entered a fairly large room. It was full of children of all ages. Jen cringed. She didn't do kids well. "I spend a lot of time here, with them." He continued before turning to the occupants of the room. "Alright everyone, I want to introduce to you Jen Lerake. She is going to be staying here and studying the dragons." Some of the shyer children watched her warily, others smiled and said "hi" or waved. Jen attempted a smile. "Hello to you all. I…uh…am happy to be here."

"I'll be back later." Creedy told the kids, then lead Jen out once more. "You really love them, don't you?" she asked. He shrugged. "They need someone who does."

"Any of them yours?"

"No. I don't have kids." He answered, almost sadly. Jen thought a moment. "Married?"

Creedy smiled and shook his head. "No." Jen grinned mischievously. "No woman could handle you, eh? I can see why."

"I'm not that much of a problem." He fought back. Jen laughed. "I doubt that. If and when there ever is a Mrs. Creedy, I feel quite badly for her. She will have her hands full."

"You make it sound like I am a child!" Creedy smacked her in a friendly way. "You act like one!" Jen told him, smacking him in return. Both laughed and Jen smiled at him. Creedy was grinning. "Flirting now, are we?"

"Not on your life. Like I said- no woman could ever deal with you." Jen told him.

"What was that I heard about flirting?" Quinn's voice carried to them. They turned and looked. Creedy waved to him. "Nothing, nothing." The Scotsman told his friend off handedly. Jen rolled her eyes. "It seems Ms. Lerake says differently."

"Who cares what she says?" Creedy asked. "I do." Jen muttered. "You don't count." Creedy told her. "I do too!" Jen retorted. Quinn sighed. "Please stop arguing! It is getting rather old." He said. "Now, Ms. Lerake, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to show you to your new quarters."

"Yes sir." Jen said with a smile. She glanced back at Creedy, who waited a moment, then followed. She tried to memorize the path Quinn took, and soon they stopped in front of a door. "It is one of the few rooms that you could use." He said. "So I hope it is sufficient."

"Quinn?" Creedy's voice carried from behind Jen. He sounded annoyed. "Yes?"

"That is my room." The Scotsman pointed out. Jen's eyes widened, then she snickered. "Apparently, I deserve it more." With that the dracologist entered the small room and placed her dragon companion down. The hatchling looked around curiously, then took wing, hopping down to the floor.

"I know Creedy, but you are never here anyway. She needs it for research." Quinn argued back. Creedy sighed. "I don't want that thing in my room."

"Well it is my room now, so deal with it." Jen replied calmly. Creedy glared daggers at her and Quinn. "Fine, fine, since I have another cot I'll use it." With that he was gone. Jen started laughing. "You gave me his room? Why?"

"It is the only I could find." Quinn told her with a shrug. "And he is never in here anyway."

"He'll get over it." Jen was now pacing around the room, creating how she wanted it to look in her mind. "Is everything alright."

"Yes…it is fine…" she replied, sounding distant. Quinn nodded. "Good. If you need anything, just find me or Creedy."

"Yes, yes, alright. Thank you." With that he left the dracologist to her work.

XxXxXxXxX

Quinn found Creedy sulking in the room where they often met. "I know, I know. But where else was I supposed to put her?" he asked before his friend could begin complaining. "If you like her so much, why didn't you just give her your room?" Creedy muttered. "Because, unlike you, my friend, I actually use it. You are always in with the kids anyway."

"I know." Creedy admitted reluctantly before taking another drink. Quinn shrugged and left. "You will have to get used to her, Creedy. She is going to stay, I can tell." With that he left his friend alone.

Creedy sat in the dim room for some time. Jen Lerake, he thought, was the most horrid excuse of a human he had ever met. She was one of the only people to treat him the way she did. She didn't get along with him- at all. And he could tell she couldn't care less. It annoyed him that she was always so calm yet cold. The icy tranquility would forever keep her distant from everyone, he could see that. She had reasons, sure, but didn't he also have reasons? He had lost his family, he had lost friends, yet he tried to be civil. And, unfortunately for him, he was now stuck with that dragon-loving bitch. It was going to be a very long siege against the dragons…very long.

XxXxXxXxX

Jen was tapping her pencil against the desk absent mindedly. She watched her dragon chick walk about, but no matter what she did, she could not bring herself to write her observations. She was too busy thinking. About Creedy. She couldn't stop. It was annoying- she was acting like a little girl with a crush! She couldn't stand the man, and when she was physically separated from him, he still managed to annoy her! She would go crazy before she got out of the castle, she knew it!

The dracologist was disturbed from her thoughts by a sharp rapping on the door. "What?" she nearly snarled, not thinking before she spoke. "Geesh, sorry." That familiar, scotch voice called through the door. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted food or not."

"Come in." Jen called. She glared daggers at Creedy, but didn't know why. "Quinn asked me to accompany you." He told her simply. She sighed, was Quinn trying to hook them up? If so, fat chance of that! The idea itself was ridiculous! "I'm coming, I'm coming…" Jen told him, grabbing a jacket- the interior of the castle was rather cold- and following him out the door.