This is a suggestion by Wolf lover27. She wanted Bracken and Kendra's first date. This takes place after dragonwatch but Seth and Kendra are still the caretakers of wyrmroost. Kendra is 18.

Chapter 4: Taking a day off

Kendra ran through the halls of wyrmroost on the way to a meeting with a representative from another preserve. It was 9:00 in the morning and she along with Seth had conversed with 8 dragons, Celebrant, and obtained a summons from the king of the fair folk. Looking at Kendra you would see dark purple bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep. Kendra was up doing paperwork until at least one o'clock in the morning. When she did finally lay down and start to sleep, she was plagued with horrible, vivid nightmares. And if that wasn't enough, after tons of magic was used to mend wounds, her own magic was out of control. For example, she had been conversing with a dragon when Seth started to wince, the Dragon soon followed, until neither would look at her. Apparently her aura had become too bright. This has resulted in a massive headache, which was still present, when it had dimmed again. Kendra knew going into this it wouldn't be easy, but who knew it could be this hard. Arriving at her destination, she entered the meeting. She sighed and started to speak. This was going to be a long day indeed.

(Time skip. Still Kendra's POV)

Kendra felt her head hit the table dully. It was now about 7:00 in the night. This was the first time she had any quiet all day. She had just finished talking to some of the creatures of light about gathering data to keep all sanctuaries stable. At the moment the meeting was a blur, as pure exhaustion began to overwhelm her. Through her sleepy haze, she didn't hear the door open or footsteps walk toward her. In fact she didn't know anyone was there until she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She jerked awake, alarmed that she had let her guard down that much. She relaxed a little when she saw silver hair and deep blue eyes laced with worry. Bracken. Bracken had asked to date her nearly a month ago, after she had been wounded. Unfortunately due to both of there busy schedules, they had yet to go on a date. Relieved that it was him, Kendra let her head fall back down. This time, it was caught in one of his hands. She looked up confused, she didn't believe she had anything to do for at least an hour.

"Kendra? When was the last time you slept?" Bracken asked softly. Obviously very concerned. His thumb rubbed one of the bruises under her eyes. Kendra thought for a minute, the last time she had slept nightmare free was about a week and a half ago.

" A week and a half, " she said yawning. She didn't recall it ever being this hard to hold her head up. She judged that with her magic growing added to the lack of sleep, and the times it had acted up, wasn't helping. Her head began to drop again but this time, Bracken guided it so it rested on his chest. Her drowsy mind barely registered the fact that she was now moving. She knew that there was a reason she should wake up but she felt comfortable and secure. Kendra allowed herself to give in to the exhaustion, knowing, that at least for the moment, she was safe..

††††

Bracken walked through the halls of the keep, escorting several important unicorns back to the high road. They would normally do it themselves but under the circumstances, they had thought that being escorted by the fairy Prince might persuade them to help.

"Bracken!" He turned at the sound of his name being called. He squinted slightly and was able to make out the frame of his sister, Mizelle, leader of the warrior fairies. He stopped, allowing her to catch up to him. When she reached him he noticed the slight concern in her eyes.

" Mizelle, is anything wrong? " Bracken asked, walking once more.

" Its Kendra, she seemed kind of out of it. Her aura wasn't as bright as it should be." Mizelle said concerned. Mizelle and Kendra had become close friends and Mizelle wanted to look after her. They had all been worried since Kendra had been injured. Her magic was different, no longer only fairykind. Nothing like that had ever happened so they had no idea what to expect or how she would tolerate it. Bracken stopped walking again to look his older sister in the eyes.

" What do you think it is? " He asked.

"I don't know, I just worried that her magic may be growing too fast or its too much for her body to handle. I know neither of us know beyond the basics of healing but you know more than me. I'll lead the unicorns the rest of the way, you go back." She said leaving no room for arguments. Bracken nodded and quickly ran back to the keep. It didn't take long. Once he was inside the keep, Bracken reached out to his horn, finding Kendra's location easily. He walked quickly to the conference room and opened the door. His heart ached at what He saw. Kendra had her head on the table in, what looked to be, a very uncomfortable position. Mizelle had been right , her aura was a lot dimmer than it should have been. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Bracken felt her jerk beneath his touch, obviously alarmed . He crouched down so he could look her in the eyes. Kendra seemed to relax realizing it was him. He noticed the dark purple bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep. Before he could get a good look, Kendra's head began to drop again. He caught it in his hand and guided it back so she was looking into his eyes. He saw her confusion and understood that her drowsy mind wasn't connecting his concern and the situation. She obviously thought he came to retrieve her for a job or errand.

" Kendra? When was the last time you slept? " he asked , almost afraid to know the answer. he traced one of the bags under her eyes to prove she couldn't hide it. The confusion left her eyes, and was replaced with a look of thoughtfulness. After a minute she replied through a yawn.

" A week and a half. "

That confirmed Bracken's fears. That long without sleep wasn't good for anyone, let alone someone whose magic was growing rapidly. He saw Kendra's head drop once more. This time he guided it to his chest. Quickly coming to a decision, Bracken picked Kendra up, bridal style and began to carry her to her room. He realized halfway there that Kendra was already sound asleep, He reached her room and muttered the word 'open' in the fairy language. The door flew open and he placed her gently on the bed. He turned to leave when an idea struck him. Kendra had been through a lot, nightmares could be part of the problem. He went back to the side of her bed and placed a hand on her forehead. He easily made a connection with Kendra's drowsy, jumbled, mind. He could hold this connection and stop a nightmare before it happened. As a unicorn he could go a few nights without sleep, without it affecting him too bad. He left the room after making sure to turn her alarm off. Tomorrow, Bracken decided, Kendra was taking a much needed day off. He began to plan, tomorrow he was going to take her on a date. Filled with excitement at what the next day would hold, Bracken went to his room. His mind racing and planning.

††††

Kendra woke up slowly not wanting to leave her peaceful rest. She had slept better than she had in a long time. She went a full night without nightmares, she realized happily. Sitting up in the bed, she stretched and looked at the clock. Quickly she was pulled out of her peaceful state when she read it. 9:00! Why hadn't her alarm went off. Kendra jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed. She was late. What if Seth had been forced to talk to the dragons alone, or take full command because of her laziness. She ran through the halls and into the dining room, still throwing her long hair into a ponytail. In her rush she tripped over a chair, falling. Before she could hit the ground a strong arm wrapped around her , catching her and pulling her up. She turned around to see Bracken. He looked half concerned and half amused.

" Are you ok? He asked.

"No! My alarm didn't go off and now I'm late!" She said frustrated with herself. She started to leave, but Bracken placed his hands on her upper arms to prevent her from moving. Confused, she looked up to meet his eyes.

" Kendra. Slow down and breathe. Your alarm didn't go off because I turned it off." He said calmly trying to calm her down. Unfortunately, hearing this had the complete opposite effect on Kendra. Breathing faster Kendra asked

" What! Why? I have meetings and paperwork and-"

" Kendra, stop! You are worrying over nothing. All those things will wait. Meetings have been rescheduled and paperwork finished by Seth. Because today you are taking a day off."

" Bracken, I can't!" She exclaimed. Trying to talk her stubborn boyfriend into letting her get to work. There was too much work for a day off. What if something went wrong? What if the peace they were in was fake? More scenarios ran through her head as Bracken bent down and kissed her forehead.

" You can, and you will. It occurred to me that while you agreed to date me, I haven't taken you on a date. It's time I did." He declared. Kendra realized she wouldn't win this fight , and a date with Bracken did sound amazing. Allowing herself to relax slightly she asked,

" What do you have planned?"

" That, princess , is a surprise." He said, with a look of triumph. Taking her hand, he led her through the halls and out the doors of the keep, in a comfortable silence. Kendra couldn't help but wonder what he planned. She was excited to find out.

††††

Bracken led Kendra to the fairy shrine. He took a deep breath, attempting to calm his nerves.

" Bracken, are we going to the fairy realm?" Kendra asked. He turned and saw her smirking like she knew what he was up to. She had no idea.

" Why else would we be at the fairy shrine?" He asked playfully. " What I think you're asking is what we are going to do. I will admit that the fairy shrine is more like a way to get to our destination." Seeing her look of confusion he continued." It's called shrine hopping. You enter the fairy realm through the closest shrine to you. Then exit the fairy realm through the shrine closest to your destination. It allows you to travel from one side of the world to another in a matter of minutes." He finished. Bracken laughed at the look of wonder on her face, before taking her hand and willing himself to travel into the realm. He felt the familiar whiteness wash over him. As it dissipated, he found himself standing in a green meadow.

He began to walk with Kendra beside him. They walked in comfortable silence through the vast meadow. They continued to walk until they reached a shrine surrounded by trees covered in frost. Bracken had been there earlier that morning to set the things they would need at each shrine they would be using. He pulled Kendra to the tree closest to the exit of the fairy realm. He paused and smiled at her look of amazement. He always found it amusing how she was amazed at the simple things. It was one of the many things he loved about her. She turned and looked at him with one eyebrow raised in a question.

" What is it?" She asked. Oblivious to his racing heart.

"Nothing." He said, turning to grab two heavy coats draped across the limb on the tree. When he turned to look at her once more she was looking at him oddly.

"What are those for?"She asked.

"Do you remember learning that there were magic preserves everywhere?" He asked starting off. Seeing her nod of confirmation, he continued. " Well, There is one about 2 miles from the arctic circle. It is one of the most beautiful preserves."

" Wow! I can't wait to see it!" She said excited. She looked at the coats once more before adding," but if we are that close to the arctic circle, won't we need warmer clothes?"

" These coats are made of a special fairy material that keeps you warmer than a regular coat. As long as your body continues to regulate temperature, the coats mimic the action. "

" That's really cool!" She said excepting the smaller of the two coats. Bracken then turned to grab something else. Now for the fun part. What Kendra didn't know was that Bracken had an activity of some kind planned for each destination. Going beyond sight seeing. Which brought him to the objects he was grabbing, ice skates.

††††

Kendra zipped up the coat and was amazed at how she wasn't too hot. It was warm in the fairy realm and she had thought the coat would make her hot, despite the explanation given by her boyfriend. The coat was a little big, reaching her knees, while Brackens, stopped at the end of his waist. Turning her attention back to Bracken, she found him holding two pairs of ice skates in his hands. He had an amused look on his face as he stared at her.

"What?" she asked, confused.

" You look adorable." He said with a small chuckle at how big the coat seemed to be on her small frame. Kendra felt a small blush creep up on her cheeks.

" You know how to ice skate?" She asked, trying to change the subject, not finding a reason why he wouldn't. She herself had never been and therefore didn't know how.

" Yes, this preserve is the place I learned. "

" Well, I hope you don't mind teaching me." She said. Already knowing his answer.

" Of course, Kendra. It's not too hard to learn once you can stand." He said, smiling brightly at her. That smile made her melt inside. " Are you ready to go?" He asked, taking her hand and standing in the center of the exit shrine. " Oh, one more thing, there are gloves in the pockets. You're going to need them. " He added quickly. He waited for her to put them on before taking her hand once more. Kendra saw the flash of white light. When it dissipated, she found herself in the most beautiful winter wonderland. The sky seemed so blue and the snow so white. She realized with amazement that she wasn't cold at all. Ahead of them, she saw a frozen over pond, perfect for ice skating. Bracken pulled her over to it and sat down, beginning to pull on his ice skates, and showing her how to do it. Then he pulled her gently to her feet and on to the ice. Steadied her and began to teach her how.

(Time skip to the end of the day, still Kendras POV)

Kendra exited the fairy realm for the last time that day, arriving at wyrmroost. She was exhausted but happier than she had been in a long time. Kendra, despite Brackens insistence that she did fine, never got the hang of ice skating. Both had laughed until their sides ached. There had been one point where Kendra fell and Bracken had tried to pull her up. He ended up slipping himself and falling as well. Around noon, they headed for their next destination. Not before getting into a small snowball fight though. There next destination had been a beautiful garden in China. There they ate a picnic lunch. It seemed that he had thought of everything. Most of their time afterward was spent at a festival in Mexico. Games, food, you name it! As it began to reach 6:00 they both left and returned to the realm. Kendra had expected them to head back, but was surprised to be met by Bracken's sisters. They had whisked her off and dressed her in this beautiful dress that went to her ankles. It was soft and silky. It was form fitting until her hips and then it flowed like a waterfall. It was deep blue at the top and slowly faded to white at the bottom. It shimmered and sparkled as she walked adding a magical feel. Her hair was braided to one side with a silver ribbon braided in. When they were finished dressing her, she went to find Bracken, who was wearing a suit. When he saw her, he had stood in shock for a terrifying moment. His mouth opened as he saw her. He had taken her to dinner in Paris and then they watched the sun set from the Eiffel Tower. That brought her back to now, walking back to wyrmroost, Bracken's arm around her. She was still in her dress and he was still in a suit.

" Did you have fun today?" Bracken asked quietly after a few minutes of walking in silence.

" Yes. It's been so long since I've laughed like that, and I don't remember a time I've ever been happier."she said just as quiet.

" Good. That was the goal. To make you happy. I watch you, I see what a toll this has on you. I wanted to give you a day to relax. A day to feel appreciated. And loved." Bracken stopped walking and looked Kendra in the eyes." Kendra, always remember, no matter how bad things get, or what happens, you are loved. I know you doubt yourself and your abilities. I know you fear the future, but no matter what, always remember, that I Love you Kendra Sorenson, and nothing will ever change that." He finished. He pulled her close and hugged her tightly. Kendra had wanted to hear that for a long time. Hear the words that someone, other than her family loved her. After Navarog, she had been so afraid to trust, so afraid to love. Bracken had healed those wounds and stolen her heart. She knew that he would hold her heart gently and cherish it, like the most valuable treasure. Things might be hard and situations tough. The road might be long and she might not always understand. But as long as they were together, they were definitely going to make it.

Thats the end! Sorry I skipped some of the date i wasn't sure how to go about it. Sorry for the delay i will try to update on Fridays or Saturdays because of . The next one will be two parts and will be about how Kendra gets injured mixed with a suggestion from Leafdragon.