"Why didn't you tell me that you met your mate?" Dave asked his daughter the mystery of why she hadn't visited in the last few months solved. Dave was trying his best not to shout at Brigid, but it was clear he was beyond angry, as well as deeply shocked
"I'm really sorry, dad. I really didn't mean to keep it from you or Liana for so long. I suppose I just got lost in the newness of it," Brigid tried to explain. She hated seeing her dad's upset look, especially since she had been the one to cause it.
"I thought you know you could come to me with anything," Dave said his tone devastated. "I thought that you trusted me."
"I do," Brigid protested.
"If you did you would have to told me this happy news a lot sooner," Dave said.
"Now that's not fair, Dave," Liana murmured softly, as she patted his arm. Liana had been silent throughout the whole exchange, but here she stepped in.
"You know what it's like to get lost in the newness, the rightness of a perfect relationship, that meeting your mate can cause. Yes, I agree, that Brigid should have come to you sooner, but you also know that you can be overwhelmed by the perfect connection of the bond.
"You can get lost in the sensation of deep, everlasting love and complete acceptance, which happened to both of us for some time after we had sex and even before that event we both felt a pale version of it. The sensation is euphoric, wonderful and amazing all at the same time. It's nearly impossible not to get lost in that all-encompassing sensation.
"It still catches me in the throat occasionally that I'm happier than I've ever been in my life and that I nearly turned down my chance at complete happiness, because of suspicion and mistrust. Yes, I admit Brigid lied to me or at least omitted some thing's, because she knew me well enough to know that I never would have come to your jewelry store if she had told me the whole truth. I forgave her because she was right in what she did, even if I don't like it when people don't tell me the whole truth, especially when it concerns me."
"You have a point," Dave admitted.
"You know I do," Liana gently teased him causing Dave to smile slightly. "The only difference here is that Brigid knew what our relationship would be before I ever did. I know you're hurt that she didn't tell you sooner, so am I, but if you really think about it you can't possibly be too mad at her. Yes, she was in the wrong, but remember what I said."
"Alright, fine, I'm still hurt that you kept it from me for so long, but I do understand why you did. You're my daughter and I love you," Dave told Brigid finally looking at for the first time ever since he had heard the news. "Next time though, I expect to hear anything important right away and not months later, understand me?"
"Yes, dad," Brigid agreed, as she got up from her seat and walked over to where her father was sitting beside her best friend and hugged him tight.
"So can I expect any little dragonlings, sometime in the next couple years? You have time to have at least two before the mating season is over for the next 300 years."
"We hadn't decided yet," Brigid blushed.
"Considering that you didn't tell me the news for months the least you can do is give me a grandchild," Dave wheedled. "After I meet Aaron of course.
"So have you ever heard of this Aaron Hotchner?" Liana asked Dave who shook his head negatively.
"No, so that likely means that he's younger than me, though it's possible that he comes from a distant clan that I never had contact with. There were dragons all over the world at one point in time, as we weren't all centered in one place, since there are magical communities all over," Dave answered honestly. "He could be either one and I wouldn't necessarily know it, as there are some places I never visited before dragons were nearly extinct. There are large settlements of supernaturals in Poland, in India, in Africa, Scotland and England."
"Also in Italy, Ireland and Australia," Brigid added.
"In some cases there might be a couple of supernatural cities in one country depending on landmass and such. I know there's at least three in Australia, because it's a very big open country," Dave said.
"Australia's very densely populated," Bridget added, "and as dad said it's a very big country, so there's plenty of room for a lot of supernaturals."
"What all this means is that in those places there would likely have been dragon settlements as well unless they decided to mix with other supernaturals," Dave explained. "There's probably smaller supernatural settlements in other countries, but that's all the ones with major towns that I know of."
"Let's not forget that there are several major cities here in the States for supernaturals only. There's one in Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, Minnesota, Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. There's plenty of land in those areas that's empty, so that's where supernaturals build cities of their own that are hidden from humans."
"There's also some areas in some human cities that are hidden from their eyes where supernaturals reside," Bridget said and Dave nodded in acknowledgment.
"Wow! That's a lot of places," Liana murmured. "I knew about some of them, but a lot of them I've never heard of. Oh, I heard of the country or the state, just not that there was at least one supernatural city, somewhere."
"I'm sure we'll visit or even live in those places at some point," Dave told Liana who looked rather happy at that prospect. "Though we try to keep a low profile people still notice us, those that are more observant then a lot of supernaturals. Some people like to keep track of others for various purposes and while I can throw off someone following me with ease that doesn't mean that if we stay in one place more than say 200 years someone won't get suspicious of us, mostly because we won't show our age until the very end of our lifespans. We likely won't ever know what brings us to the attention of somebody who's curious about us. Curious about our family and how long we have lived in the area. All they have to do is some investigating and it wouldn't be that hard to find out that the Rossi's have lived here for a long time. While this might not happen it is a possibility, so it's just better if we move around a lot, as most supernaturals don't live any longer than humans, although a few do depending on what type they are."
"But you've been in this area for several hundred years at least," Liana said.
"Well, yes, and I think it's way past time for us to move on. Just because nobody's taken particular took notice of us it doesn't mean that somebody won't come along and get curious," Dave offered. "I would hate to have to kill someone just because they can't keep their curiosity contained and they start asking questions. Basically meaning, they can't mind their own business."
"I've been ready to move on myself, because as I told you several years ago this place only has mostly bad memories for me," Liana said.
"I'm glad we stayed or I might not have met Aaron," Brigid said. "But yes, I'm sure Aaron won't mind moving on, as he's mostly a wanderer anyway, as it's hard to track somebody down that way. He doesn't stay some place for too long or at least that's the way it used to be before we met."
"I'm sure he'd be willing to settle down for awhile have a few dragonlings," Dave suggested.
"Yeah, he really wants some," Brigid admitted blushing. "He's willing to wait until the next mating cycle though, if I'm not ready to have any right now."
"Well, it's not like you're going to be too old to have a few children in 300 years, since I'm assuming you now share Aaron's lifeforce," Liana said.
"Yeah, she does, as I can see it plain as day. This is one reason she didn't visit, because a lot of supernaturals can read a person's aura, as easily as reading a book and by doing so tell how powerful they are. Brigid was already very powerful, but her power grew exponentially due to joining with Aaron who is a dragon like I am. While she already would've been long-lived so long as she remained in good health, her life expectancy has been extended considerably just like yours has," Dave told his mate who nodded. "I'm glad that for most supernaturals it takes a spell to see somebody's aura, because some less scrupulous people may decide that mine or yours for that matter is somewhat unusual that it requires some investigation. I'm glad most people don't know what auras mean."
"Most people don't really know how to read them," Brigid said. "They might be able to tell you're powerful, but other than that most people can't really tell what your powers are or how long your lifespan will be. They'll be able to guess that your lifespan will be considerably long just because your aura is so thick around you, so long as you aren't killed, but other than that, well, most people just don't have that type of knowledge and they really don't care to find out for one reason or another," Brigid said.
"Mostly because they're afraid that you will challenge them and they know they can't possibly beat you because of your power if nothing else. People with a really powerful aura are quite often warriors of some type and some are very prickly and easy to insult. Best to avoid angering people like me with a very powerful nimbus just in case," Dave said.
"I'm actually glad this happened," Liana admitted. "I wasn't looking forward to losing you in a few hundred years, as you're the best friend I've ever had and we all know the reason why, so I won't bother to repeat myself. That's not to say I won't make other close friends over the centuries, but still, I'm glad this happened and for more than the reason I stated."
Dave knew what she was referring to and agreed wholeheartedly. He had always known that Brigid would die long before he did because she wasn't a dragon who had been the longest lived species on the planet and technically, that was still true, though most people believed that dragons had died out hundreds of years ago. As Liana had told him awhile back that was all to the good since they was so valuable for potion ingredients. If dragons remained nothing more then a thing of the past then he would be happy, as he could live with his mate, peacefully coexisting beside other supernaturals, without them being aware of his true origins. That didn't mean that he wasn't prepared to defend his family or his home if it ever proved necessary, just that he'd rather not have to do so.
"Well, now, it's likely that you'll be dead before I will," Brigid winked.
"So that means Aaron is younger than I am," Dave said. "I'm well over 2,5000 years old and still have many centuries on my lifespan."
"Only by a few hundred years, dad. Aaron originally come from a clan in Poland. He to saw the problems that the dragon hunters imposed and was prepared to flee if necessary. He's a lot like you actually, practical and intelligent, not one to believe that a ordinary supernatural couldn't possibly knock out an entire species, even if that's with a lot of help. Aaron knew that it was more than possible, because of the other dragons arrogance. He believed that they would be killed off one by one because of that arrogance, as just because something seems impossible doesn't mean it is," Brigid said.
"That's very true," Dave approved of that attitude. "Ancient and lost magic is being rediscovered on a regular basis and some of it can be dangerous, even to a species like dragons who are very hard to kill normally."
"Being extremely hard to kill doesn't mean it's impossible if you're very lucky and have the proper tools necessary," Liana agreed. "I think that particular theory has since been proved considering at one point there were very few dragons left and almost everybody believes that they are extinct."
"Aaron started traveling when things got really bad and was very careful to not reveal that he was anything, but an ordinary supernatural. Many of the other dragons didn't believe that the situation could get so bad and so as far as Aaron knows no more than a dozen or so escaped."
"Which would up the total of those that escaped to over 50," Dave said pleased at this news. "I know that doesn't mean that they're still alive, but if your mate is right a few more weren't killed by dragon hunters then I knew about. I didn't even know there was a clan of dragons in Poland, so I never counted them in my original estimate of how many survived."
"Well, Aaron said that they were rather isolated as they had a clan leader the time that didn't like modern society. They had a few dragons that traded with the supernaturals in the nearest city for some things that they couldn't provide for themselves but that was a limit of their contact."
"Ah, that explains it," Dave said in understanding. "I've come across communities like that before, though there usually pretty small, no more than a few hundred people under one leader. The leader doesn't like modern society for whatever reason and the people who live under his reign either obey that law or they are likely made an outcast or possibly put to death depending on who's running the town and how ruthless they are."
"Places like that are bound to die out sooner or later," Liana said and the other two people nodded because it was true.
"Either because they stagnant due to lack of progression or because the people get tired of their ruthless leader and so leave," Dave said.
"Or sometimes they kill the person that is making their lives so miserable," Brigid said. "Which takes a lot of guts, as such ruthless people who have a whole town or village terrified are always prepared for rebellion. At least they are if they're at all intelligent instead of just a goon who who has managed to keep a whole town of people under control through intimidation and threats."
"People like that tend to make an example of those that defy them," Dave said.
"Believe me, I'm well aware of the darker side of human nature," Liana said.
"You are somewhat," Dave agreed, "but people no matter who they are can be very depraved, much more depraved than you have ever experienced in your short life. If you're very lucky you won't ever experience how depraved people can really be."
Liana had to acknowledge that silently, as she didn't disagree. She had only seen the tip of the iceberg so to speak of what people could really do to others.
"So when do I get to meet Aaron?" Dave asked finally.
"As soon as you like," Brigid said.
"Good, he can come over anytime he likes, perhaps, have a meal," Dave offered.
"I'll tell him," Brigid promised.
"Just give me a day or so of warning before he does come," Dave said. "You know our security measures are rather stringent, especially after Templar sent his spine crackers here."
The security measures had been upgraded considerably, so that not just anybody could enter the Rossi home. Very few people were allowed inside the house, just the three in the den and also Marilyn.
"So what are you going to name my new brother or sister?" Brigid asked finally now that she knew her dad had forgiven her momentary lapse of judgment.
Liana was now six months along and had gotten pregnant again immediately just like the first time. Dave had been ecstatic when he had learned that Liana was indeed pregnant. He had wanted to shout the news from the rooftops, but that wasn't wise, so he had told Brigid. Brigid had been very happy for both the man that had raised her and her best friend.
"We haven't decided," Liana admitted looking Dave. "We named our daughter Marilyn, because it was the name of his mother who died a long time ago. If we have another little girl we agreed that we would name her after my mother Yolanda, but as for boys names...well..."
"Boys names are somewhat harder, because Liana doesn't know who her father was and my dad hated his name, so I won't be naming any son of mine after him," Dave said.
"There're so many names out there though," Bridget said.
"We might be reduced to looking in some of those baby book that are so popular now," Liana said.
"We still have quite awhile to decide, so there's no rush," Dave said.
"Why don't you come up with a few names and we'll decide if we want to use one of them or not," Liana suggested to Brigid.
"That's a great idea," Brigid said enthusiastically.
"Between the three of us we ought to be able to come up with the perfect name," Dave said smiling.
"Yeah, we should," Liana said, as she leaned contentedly against Dave's broad shoulder and Dave automatically put his arm around her waist in a gesture of deep affection.
~~~Dave and Liana~~~