Authors: Sophie Duncan
'Gently, Dre, you do not get a full upgrade every day.'
The thought-voice made Drekken wake up quite a lot more, not only because the news of a full implant replacement was a shock, but also because the person who delivered it was not Miri, it was one of his mothers, Orin.
"Ma?" he checked, just in case his senses were fooling him, and he looked past Miri.
"We all came as soon as we heard," his human mother, Wen, drew his attention by taking his hand from the opposite side of the bed to Miri.
It took Drekken a few moments to work out what his mother was saying; it wasn't the first time he'd been hurt in combat, and even an upgrade didn't usually mean his whole family trekked out to see him. However, then he saw the cast of Wen's eyes and he realised she was looking at D.
"It is only a temporary bond," he stammered irrationally, suddenly feeling cornered by the way his mothers and Miri were all looking at him.
Wen apparently ignored that and, patting his hand, told him, "The doctors have said you must rest for a month to let your implants assimilate and then you'll have to undergo the usual six month training to make sure you're familiar with the new functionality."
That information wasn't news, Drekken had had upgrades before and the long rehab was standard procedure. Still, Wen wasn't finished and continued, "You and Miri will be able to stay with us while you train at the academy."
"Academy?!"
That was not standard procedure.
"Of course, where else could you go if you want her grandparents to be part of your child's upbringing? We have discussed this with Miri, and we are all agreed that you must stay with us until the weaning is complete, then it is only logical that you retrain at the academy, since Orin teaches there and it is so close. Until this dreadful war is over, the child will then need her grandparents when both you and Miri return to the front, and of course, that pair of capable young uncles you have found for her, too."
Drekken hadn't spent any more than a few weeks at his mothers' house for more than fifty years, one of the reasons being that, although he loved them all dearly, they never seemed to remember he was an adult, let alone closing in on four hundred years old and they always tried to organise his life. Yet, this time, he held back from objecting as his need for independence was beaten down by consideration of the needs of the tiny creature still snoring in his ear. Coupled with the fact that Miri was not usually one to agree with his mothers, Drekken had to consider what was being said, and, although a small part of him was annoyed with being organised, he had to admit, it made sense.
He had not thought much beyond getting his charges to safety, everything from his protective instincts towards Baby D and his budding attraction to Malachi and Yakov had very much been in the moment, and it seemed that most of the thinking for the future had been done for him.
~*~
Implants may have allowed him to keep up with a charging dragon and to channel his magic more directly, but until the upgrade had settled, Drekken's body would be lethargic. However, at the same time, his magic would not stop moving as it sought out the updated technology, so, Drekken found himself tired, but restless.
He had been pleased to see his mothers, but glad when they had finally left, since the person he really wanted to talk to was Miri. She had remained largely silent while his mothers had organised him and Drekken was feeling guilty at having saddled her with his choices. She had seemed content enough, in fact, the way she dealt with everything, 'doting' would have been apt, but that did not change the fact that Drekken wanted to apologise for the rush in which everything had happened. However, Miri had been called away as well, to discuss arrangements for Jayce and dragon, Evax, the squadron's seconds in command, to take over while Drekken and therefore Miri were incapacitated. That meant he had been left unable to really sleep, his mind spinning with the ultimate consequences of his fall and with no-one to discuss it with.
Moodily, he huffed and shifted just a little too much, and then he had another reason to feel guilty, because the snoring that had been his constant companion stopped and there was a small mew. D's head, wobbling as her baby muscles failed to hold her still, appeared at the very edge of his vision and she blinked at him.
"Sorry," he greeted, trying not to sound too grumpy, and put out a finger to stroke her nose.
His daughter purred and butted his touch and Drekken's bad mood slipped away. He reached round and lifted her off the pillow and then sat up, adjusting his position slowly before he put her onto his lap. He was watched all the way and when he was comfortable, he went back to the stroking which D liked. The dragon song came naturally after that and Drekken's chest welled with pride as his child chirruped back at him.
However, the song was short-lived, because a knock at the door interrupted father and daughter. Dragons didn't knock, they didn't have the knuckles for it, so Drekken glanced up at the small human door that was hinged within the larger dragon door to his room and, slightly annoyed, called, "Come in."
For a second time that day, his annoyance dissipated, because Yakov's head appeared around the door jar and he was given an unsure look for what he was sure was his fluctuating emotions.
"Do you mind if we come in?" Yakov checked, revealing that Malachi had to behind him.
Drekken shook his head and waved them in with, "No, please, I'm dying of boredom."
Yakov grinned at that admission and pushed open the door. He crossed straight to the bed and wrapped Drekken in a hug that took him by surprise with its ferocity, and he only slowly reached back as he was told, "We're so glad you're alright, you were in surgery for so long Malachi was pulling me down off the walls. You are alright, aren't you?"
Yakov sat back then, perching on the edge of the bed still holding Drekken's shoulders and face flicking between smiles and concern uncontrollably.
"Yes," Drekken reassured, patting the youth's arm and then giving Malachi, who had more sedately come in, closed the door and moved to the foot of the bed, a welcome smile. "I'm fine. It'll just take me a while to get used to the new implants."
Yakov seemed a little soothed by that. However, then his face flashed with something else and Drekken found himself in a second tight hug and Yakov gabbled, "Congratulations: Miri told us you're officially adopting Baby D. You'll be a wonderful father."
Drekken wrapped Yakov in his arms properly when it appeared his friend was staying there for a while and he looked over Yakov's shoulder at where Malachi was observing and smiling. The older youth rolled his eyes. Yakov's mood was infectious and the newness of his choices caught up with Drekken all at once.
"Thank you," he replied sensibly and then broke all his own rules of self-control when he admitted in a rush, "I'm going to need some help with that."
Yakov sat back for a second time, looked down at D and tickled the dragon under her chin. She purred.
"You can count on us," Yakov offered, looking through the wisps of hair that had fallen round his face as he played with D.
"What Yakov doesn't know about weaning dragons isn't worth knowing," Malachi added and winked as he continued, "Which Yakov has already told your mothers."
"Yeni Margren and I were just discussing techniques," Yakov protested, his cheeks colouring, "I didn't say I knew everything."
Drekken chuckled: Margren was definitely the nurturing one of his three mothers. Not that they hadn't all been loving in their own ways, but Margren was the one who had raised him with the help of the servants and a great deal of patience.
"Yakov managed to audition us for jobs at her school without knowing he was doing it," Malachi also laughed, which meant Yakov was an endearing shade of pink.
"Well, she must be impressed," Drekken decided Yakov needed a little ego brushing. "Ma Margren does not let just anyone work with her kids. You do know you'll have to deal with humans as well as dragons, though?"
Yakov nodded and beamed at him, which made the warm feeling he was getting used to whenever Yakov was around run down through him.
"She asked if we'd join her team at the group home looking after the little ones, and she says there's space for our hatchlings," Yakov was almost bouncing when he spoke.
Malachi walked up behind him and put his hands on Yakov's shoulders, at which Yakov settled instantly back against the other youth. The move gave them all a chance to pause and Drekken could still see the ghost of their experience on the two young men.
"Are you both alright?"
Yakov nodded, although his eyes were a little damp and he reached for Malachi's hand.
"We will be," Malachi was more precise. "Everyone has been so kind."
There was a dissatisfaction behind Malachi's gaze and Drekken thought he knew what it was.
"Don't let my mothers bully you, they can be intimidating en masse," he warned, although he said it with a smile.
"Said like a true survivor," Malachi smiled and Drekken knew he'd been understood.
"When Miri joined in this time, I had no chance," Drekken shook his head and scratched D and vented some light-hearted frustration with, "I woke up and found my life had been organised for the next six months."
'Did I hear my name?' Miri's voice slipped into his head and Drekken relaxed a tension in his shoulders he hadn't really known had been there.
'You did,' he replied in kind, which would probably get him a telling off from him doctors, but it felt too good to not share his thoughts with his dragon and he was smiling at the doorway when she came in.
Yakov shot to his feet and greeted, "Yeni Miri."
'Now what did I say about formalities, Yakov?' Miri teased lightly as she walked up the other side of the bed.
"Sorry, Miri," Yakov looked sheepish.
'That's better,' Miri approved and then dropped her snout to D, who squealed and bounced her egg-horn against her mother's.
Drekken didn't really have much hope of containing the burst of love and joy that generated and he reached out to his dragons, laying a shaking hand on either one. His magic naturally swirled with his emotions and he realised quickly why the doctor's had told him not to use it, since his senses began to spin.
'Gently, Dre,' Miri responded, carefully pushing him back onto the pillows and lowering her brow to him.
"I'm alright," he protested, but not very strongly, and sunk into the intimate contact as he pressed his own forehead against hers.
It took a few moments for him to settle and, while he struggled, Miri's influence wrapped around him, offering stability and comfort. Gradually, his shaking stopped and Miri pulled away.
'Thanks,' he hung on to the intimacy for a little longer with his thought-speaking, but then let his magic go and relaxed.
"Who knew - the big bad warrior is a hopeless romantic," Malachi ribbed lightly and reminded Drekken he was in the presence of empaths.
Drekken tried to fix Malachi with a look for that, but it was difficult when the attractive young man's dark eyes were even darker than usual with dilated pupils from Drekken's emotional rush.
'Age, it gets to all of us eventually,' Miri joined in and drew a laugh from Yakov.
"Remember you're two years older than me," Drekken quipped back.
However Miri lifted her chin and raised her crest in disdain, snorted and replied, 'Dragons carry the years far better than humans.'
Since their aging had gradually slowed down and stopped altogether hundreds of years ago, the argument was not exactly logical, but Drekken had learnt nearly as long ago that trying to win a debate with Miri was not worth the effort, so he decided on a new tack. Much to D's delight, he picked her up and held her against his breast bone so that as she raised her head, he could just see her bright eyes.
"Help me out with your mother, D, she's being mean."
Drekken then blew gently in his daughter's face and she reacted with a happy little snort of her own. That had the desired effect on Miri, whom Drekken knew was just as hormonally challenged as him now that their magics were back in sync. Miri huffed a couple of times, but she couldn't resist her daughter any more than Drekken could and he grinned as her crest flattened back over her neck and she nosed D again. However, Miri wasn't quite done with Drekken and she spoke to D, but made sure the rest of them were included with, 'Don't worry, Darling, you'll learn that mother knows best.'
"Hey!" Drekken protested.
'Left to you, our child would not even have a name,' Miri told him, still playing with D.
Drekken instantly opened his mouth to object again, but then shut it, because Miri was right.
"What are you going to call her?" Yakov asked excitedly and then backed rapidly into Malachi when both Miri and Drekken looked up at him.
It was something that had completely passed Drekken by. His daughter was now D in his mind, but the nickname was not an appropriate moniker a dragon in society.
"Do you have any ideas?" Drekken looked to his dragon for her thoughts, since his own mind was blank.
Miri straightened back up, her eyes half-closed in thought.
'We could name her after one of our mothers,' she suggested, but did not feel too sure.
"Which one?" Drekken pointed out the flaw in that one, since he did not want to saddle his child with five names if they could not choose.
'Good point,' Miri acknowledged and then looked at Malachi and Yakov again and asked, 'How does one normally name a child?'
Malachi and Yakov glanced at each other for a moment, clearly nervous of the way Miri was now regarding them and waiting for an answer. Drekken made a mental note to mention that she could be intimidating to those who didn't know her, but kept silent.
"Um," Malachi began, "well, you could name her after someone significant to her birth."
Silence.
"How about Besthana?" Yakov blurted out and then held his breath when Miri looked down on him.
Remembering the grand old bird who had lost his life to protect his daughter and her fellow orphans was an idea that appealed to Drekken.