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Chapter 21

Ruth opened his eyes when Philly splashed some water at him on the subterranean beach. The damp saltiness dripped onto Jessica at the same time and she came into wakefulness with a snort.

"What was that for?" He asked as he grinned at the ebullient cetacean that was bobbing in the water with Jacques at her side.

"Fatherrrr says it is getting late, you arrrre losing the light if you want to make it back forrrr evening serrrrvice at The Swinging Sett," Philly replied, gesturing up at the solar stars in the caverns ceiling with her beak.

They were noticeably dimmer, and Jessica's stomach rumbled audibly as her body followed her mind into wakefulness. Grimacing, she stretched slightly as her stomach's rudeness continued, "Sorry...it must be the eggs. I can usually forgo lunch but it seems that my stomach is telling me not to miss meals at the moment. Dracos I am stiff. I thought water was good for support, but I feel like I have gone four hours in the gym."

Philly laughed, "Playing with us can cause that...you did not get chance to rrrrest afterrrr all!"

"Hmmmph! I have played sexually all day before and not felt like this. I must be getting old." Jessica grumbled, stretching more to try and work out the kinks.

"Not yet dear...maybe it is because we are on rocks and not a mattress...how long have we been sleeping anyway?" Ruth said, directing the question at Philly.

"Fourrrr hourrrrs...you werrrre playing with me and my motherrrr forrrr a couple beforrrre that," she confirmed, nodding again. "Fatherrrr apologises forrrr not seeing you off himself, but the rrrrestaurrrrant is alrrrready serrrrving. When you have locked the gate, I will meet you out by the rrrrocks in the bay like this morrrrning forrrr the key."

Ruth joined Jessica in waking his cramped muscles up, "We get the hint that you want us to leave then..."

"No...no...no. It is just that we know you land dwellers dislike the darrrrk. It means nothing to we who live in the sea," Philly protested, "I would love you to stay...as would the rrrrest of the Pod. I would even attempt to bearrrr yourrrr calves."

Jessica shook her head, "Not while I am around...One accident has already occurred and I will not court more."

"Oh?" Philly asked.

"Don't go there...We will not talk of it okay. I do not want such a delightful meeting to end on a sore note." Jessica said firmly. "Now, although we can see to a certain extent in low light, we will take your suggestion and depart. My eggs do need feeding within me, and I still feel very tired for some reason."

"I will bring the key out to the rocks Philly," Ruth said, looking at Jessica concerned. "I will take Jessica back to the hotel first...maybe room service is justifiable in this case."

"I will be fine...I am just tired, that's all." Jessica protested, "Leave me on the cliff top while you fly the key out and then we can walk back to The Sett."

"Walk? You don't feel up to flying?" Ruth asked, even more concerned.

"No...And I don't know why. Maybe I have caught a chill." Jessica answered frowning.

"May I make a suggestion?" Jacques asked, speaking for the first time.

"Go ahead," Ruth answered, rubbing his head against Jessica's in affection.

"Chrystal has never been wrong, could those bits still in your womb have aggravated something?"

"Possibly...but I am in no pain. I will head to the doctor first thing when we get back home next week," Jessica replied.

"You will be going to A+E in the morning if you have not improved. You are caring for four now, not just yourself. You are still very early in your pregnancy and even I know that is when the eggs are at most risk." Ruth stated, nuzzling her more.

"Mmm, very well. Come on then, let's begin the long climb." Jessica answered, slipping into her dress as Ruth put his clothes back on, "Thank you for your concern Jacques, you will make a fine mate for Philly."

"You are welcome...I was thinking that our sonar may have moved them about a little during that last orgasm. That is all," Jacques confirmed, nodding his head.

"That is a possibility. I promise to go to the hospital then in the morning if I feel no better."

"Good...my fatherrrr would be beside himself if something werrrre to go wrrrrong." Philly said as they started up the stairs, "I will see you at the rrrrocks then in about fifteen minutes, Rrrruth." She submerged with Jacques in a cloud of bubbles.

Ruth let Jessica lead, following closely in case she stumbled as she struggled slightly with the long flight of roughhewn stairs. She paused a few times for a breather, which made him all the more concerned for her...after all he was the one with the office job and he wasn't struggling at all. They eventually reached the top and Ruth collected the key from the shelf and locked the grating behind them before escorting Jessica up to the cliff top in late evening sunlight. "Rest here love, I will be back soon," he told her, gesturing at a bench next to the phone box.

Jessica nodded, collapsing onto the bench without saying a word as Ruth turned and launched himself off the cliff to courier the key back to Philly.

"Is she alrrrright?" Philly asked, surfacing as he landed on the rocky outcrop.

"No...I will keep a close eye on her for the next few hours. Something is definitely up," Ruth answered as he handed Jacques the key.

"Then get back to herrrr. Please, let us know in the morrrrning when you know morrrre. It is imporrrrtant to us that we learrrrn if we have made a mistake in ourrrr play. We have neverrrr hurrrrt a guest beforrrre," Philly stated concerned, "I will tell fatherrrr when I get the chance. If you need too, leave a message at the rrrrestaurant if you can't make it down to the bay."

"I will Philly, I will. I just hope that it is a chill she has caught from the seawater."

"Good...I have enjoyed ourrrr time togetherrrr Rrrruth. I am so glad that I picked you frrrrom the otherrrrs on the beach last week. I think my fatherrrr and motherrrr also enjoyed themselves immensely as well. It is a grrrreat gift you have given Jacques and I, and we will name ourrrr calf in memorrrry of you."

"But..." Ruth started.

"But nothing...It is my choice as motherrrr. Now go, go see to yourrrr mate as Jacques saw to me as I was recoverrrring," Philly finished, turning with a flick of her flukes and vanishing under the water with barely a splash.

Ruth sighed, thinking that sometimes the sexual life that Jessica had led him to recently may be creating more trouble than it was worth...what with his offspring in Australia, and now a dolphin who would bear his name in the sea. Wondering what was going to come next, he sprung up to the highest rock on the miniature island in the bay, before launching himself skywards and winging back to Jessica who was still sat where he left her on the bench.

"You alright love?" He asked as he landed next to her.

"Yes, just tired. Come; let us head back to the hotel. I could do with a sleep after I have eaten." Jessica stood, swaying a little from exhaustion, and took Ruth's hand as he offered it to her, leaning against his shoulder as they began walking slowly down the cliff path back to The Swinging Sett.

They walked into the lobby, raising a hand to Stefan who was manning the desk at that moment. He glanced up and frowned in concern at the way Jessica looked, "Is everything okay Mrs. Ruatha?" he asked.

"Yes...yes, just tired, that's all. We have spent the day with the dolphins in the bay," Jessica replied, not really reassuring him.

"You are very pale...that's all. Do you want dinner brought up to your suite?" he asked.

"Yes...Ruth will ring down for it when we have settled," she replied, before ascending the stairs with Ruth's help.

Ruth turned his head over his shoulder, glancing at the marmot who was still watching them. "Do you answer the phone?" He mouthed silently.

Stefan nodded.

"Good," Ruth replied silently again, before turning back to concentrate on getting Jessica up to bed.

Closing the door to the suite behind them, Ruth escorted Jessica into the bedroom, pulling the covers back from the freshly repaired bed. There was no sign of the mess that they had left that morning from the aftermath of the previous night with Alice and Harry, and he silently thanked the two skunk maids for their work. "Do you want a shower before we eat?" He asked Jessica as she sat down on the mattress.

"No...I just want to..." she stopped, a look of distaste passing across her face for a second, before she stood and staggered towards the en-suite as fast as she could before planting her muzzle in the toilet and throwing up violently with Ruth following close behind her.

"I'm calling a doctor now love," he said concerned as she emptied her already empty stomach of its bile.

"No...No," she coughed, "I must have swallowed seawater or something...I...I will be fine in a minute," Jessica protested as she raise her dripping muzzle from the now foul smelling bowl.

Ruth ran the tap until the water flowed cold, before he dipped the tooth brush glass under it and handed her the clear water to drink. "Here, drink this...Are you sure that you don't want the doctor? Are the eggs alright?"

She drank the glass down in one before she grabbed a handful of toilet paper and wiped the residue from around her lips, flushing the mess down the drain. Standing shakily, she pressed and felt around her mid-drift carefully. "I don't hurt, and I don't feel any discomfort...I am just weak for some reason. I have heard of morning sickness amongst newly pregnant furred mammals, but never in a dragon...and I have been fine all day as you know."

"So you don't want me to call a doctor?" Ruth persisted.

"I...I don't think so. It is after hours on a Friday anyhow...we would have to go to a hospital and I really, really don't want that. We can catch a Saturday morning surgery if I am no better in the morning." Jessica replied as she wobbled back into the bedroom.

"Well I will ask at the desk...you never know. I would hazard a guess that there have been some after hour injuries here that require a discreet service...Alice may have a doctor that answers calls so she can avoid bad press. Do you want some food? Do you think you could hold it down?"

Jessica smiled slightly, thinking of Alice's own after hour injury last night, "Very well...ask Stefan when you call down. I will have to eat something or the eggs will suffer. Just order a rare steak, no sauce and boiled potatoes for some carbohydrate. It will taste of nothing, but I need to keep my iron levels up. I just wish I knew what was causing this," she said as Ruth carefully peeled her out of her dress and helped her get into bed, propping her up with pillows in a sitting position before covering her nakedness with the sheet.

"That is why we need a doctor." Ruth replied firmly, turning to pick the handset up from the side of the bed.

"How may I help you?" Stefan's voice sounded at the other end of the internal line.

"Stefan, is Harry or Alice around?" Ruth asked quickly, "It's Ruth Ruatha."

"I haven't seen Alice all day Sir...I think Harry is manning the bar," Stefan replied, "Is everything okay?"

"No...Not really. Could you go and fetch Harry please...I need a private word."

"Oh...okay. I will see if he is available. Hold on a minute please." The line went quiet and then some awful music came on, almost making Ruth want to throw up himself as it droned tunelessly for a very long couple of minutes. "He is here now Sir," Stefan's voice spoke again as he handed the phone over.

"Hello Ruth? Harry here, is all okay?" Harry's voice said, sounding agitated.

"What has Stefan said Harry?" Ruth asked quietly.

"Only that you came back about thirty minutes ago from a day with the dolphins, and that Jessica was looking very pallid and off colour," Harry replied concerned.

"She has just been sick as well...Do you have access to an after-hours doctor's service around here...one that is more discreet than going to hospital. We have no idea what is up, as she was fine up until a few hours ago." Ruth asked.

"Ah...well yes. We have a young lemur who is the local GP who will come if we call. We kind of exchange services as he is unmated, if you catch my drift. Not many lemurs in these parts..." Harry replied, wandering off topic a little.

"If you recommend him, then please call him. We are concerned for the eggs," Ruth replied, interrupting him.

"Ah...yes straight away. Do you need anything in the mean time? It could take him up to an hour to turn up." Harry asked.

"Just send a couple of rare steaks with potatoes up will you...plain, no seasonings; we haven't eaten since breakfast, and we were exhausted by the dolphin Pod. Jessica may not hold it down though, so could you send a bucket or something up as well so she doesn't have to leave the bed." Ruth asked.

"Will do...I will ring Dr. Franks now first. Someone will be up shortly with the meals and a bucket for you." Harry hung up then, not waiting for a reply.

Ruth turned to Jessica who eyes were half closed, "You feeling any better?" he asked.

"Not really...what did he say, I didn't catch it all?" she asked.

"A Dr. Franks will be here shortly. They have an arrangement with him..."

Jessica laughed quietly, "A mutual one I guess...Oh well, he will probably just say I have caught chill. I am never ill! Why does this have to ruin our salvaged holiday? I had so many things planned for us in this break before I lose you to Australia again."

Ruth grimaced, "There will be other times love...there will always be other times. Why don't you come out to Aus. with me anyway...I know the company will pay the fares each way as I will be missing for at least a month."

"I don't like flying...I haven't flown artificially since I left for Oxford. Besides I am pregnant...I am sure it is not good for the eggs." Jessica replied shaking her head.

"We will see what the doctor says about that...if he gives an all clear, will you at least consider it?" Ruth asked, "I don't want to be away from you for that long...I end up in all sorts of trouble without you at my side," he grinned, trying to lighten the mood a little.

She grinned back, "I will consider it then...that's all I promise."

Someone knocked on the door to the suite then, and Ruth stood to answer it from where he was perched next to her.

A young buck pushing a hostess trolley was waiting on the other side with Harry himself carrying a stainless steel Champagne bucket, "Hi Ruth...this is the best I could come up with...the bar won't miss it for the night," Harry said, grinning as Ruth stood aside so they could enter.

The young buck followed him in without saying a word, and Ruth gestured towards the bedroom where Jessica was still in bed, "Thank you, how's Alice after my mishap last night?" Ruth asked, noting that the buck's ears swiveled at his words.

Harry grunted, following the waiter into the bedroom with Ruth, "Embarrassed, and in hiding. She doesn't want to show herself to the guests or the staff while she looks like she does now."

"I thought she was going to wear a headscarf?" Ruth queried.

"I told her that...but she thinks it makes her look matronly...like a grandma! I know the staff gossip mill is going full strength, and her refusal to show herself is just fuelling it...Isn't it George?" Harry said, directing the last comment at the buck who positioning the trolley near the bed which contained Jessica. She had let her sheets slip again, and was showing plenty of flesh that she shouldn't, but the deer was ignoring her quite successfully.

He jumped slightly at Harry's question, "Pardon Sir?" he said after a second.

Harry laughed, "I said...you lot are all gossiping about why Alice is staying in our rooms."

"We wouldn't do that Sir...we respect you for giving us our posi..."

"Don't talk crap George, you know it, and so do I. Alice forgot exactly who she was providing her services to last night and didn't duck in time...Remember that if you ever play host to a dragon for us eh...they breathe fire when at their peaks! I ducked in time when Mrs. Ruatha there hit hers."

George flushed... "I will remember Sir..." He turned to Jessica who had remained silent up to this point, "Would you like serving in bed, or will you sit at the table?" he asked.

Jessica grinned, putting the clues together and realizing the reason her flesh teasing was not generating any awkwardness. This 'George' was obviously the one that Alice had indicated Stefan had gone to, to discover his true sexuality after his education at hers and Amy's hands. "In bed please George, I will be careful not to spill anything," she replied, pulling the sheet up again to cover her breasts as George flipped open a bed tray and opened the steaming servers on the trolley top.

Harry finally turned his gaze to her, worried at the faded colour of her scales, "Are you sure that you want to wait for Dr. Franks? You really do not look very good at all Jessica," he said concerned.

"I don't want to end up in A+E for several hours only for them to tell me I have a chill from the sea. They ask too many questions as I am sure you know, and I don't want to be the gossip of the hospital for the next few months," Jessica replied as she took the tray with the steak and potatoes off George.

Ruth sat himself in the chair next to the bed, "They are professionals love...anything you say would remain in confidence..."

"They would still gossip in the staff room...trust me. If it got out about our liaison with the Pod, Giovanni would either find himself inundated, or ostracized. I wouldn't wish either on him and his Pod. Think about it for a minute...what would your board think if they found out about Felix and Charity and the nights we spent together...or Jane and you for that matter?" She asked as she bit into the steak.

Ruth frowned, "We would end up being disciplined probably...though it would hardly be fair with what Jane does for the company unofficially." Ruth accepted the other lap tray off George who then poured a couple of glasses chilled water for them.

"Then you see how it could harm if this stays anything other than private. If Dr. Franks says it is beyond his treatment...well then I will do anything that is required to ensure our eggs don't suffer. I would just rather have the porcelain that still resides within me removed at our local, and not here.

"Porcelain?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Long story...but it has something to do with an argument we had last week. Trust me...you don't want to ask," Ruth said, flushing a little as he bit into his steak.

"Ah...Well in that case, I will leave you to your meals and send Dr. Franks up when he arrives. Nothing of what he sees, or what you tell him will go further than this room. That I can assure you." Harry replied, turning and gestured for George to leave the trolley where it was, "Just roll the trolley out into the corridor when you are done, and it will be sided away."

Ruth nodded as Harry and George left the bedroom, tucking into his potatoes as the suite's door closed behind them, "You happy now?" Jessica asked between mouthfuls.

"I will be happy only when you get the all clear," Ruth replied, leaning over and kissing her cheek. She smiled in response and went back to picking at her meal.

~~~~

George glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye as they walked down the stairs. Harry sighed, "Go on George, what is you want to ask?"

"Did Alice get burned badly?" The buck broached after a few seconds.

"Yes and no...She lost a fair amount of fur on the back of her head and neck...she was lucky to be riding Ruth while facing forward. Her burns have been healed by his saliva, but she is still embarrassed about being bald," Harry replied, grinning a little.

George offered a slight smile in response, "Mrs. Ruatha doesn't look too good Sir...What do you think is up?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I am no expert on Dragons youngster, but I would say blood loss. Where from though I have no idea as she appears uninjured. Maybe the blood in the steak will buoy her up a little."

George grimaced a little at that, "I will never understand you carnivores you know," he said after a few seconds.

"Omnivores...I have never met a true carnivore and I have no wish to. It is part of the world we live in now. Five hundred years ago, you, or possibly even I would have been the steaks on the plate, as you well know. Meat cannot be banned as the predators need it for their digestions, just as you ruminants occasionally have to go out and mow the lawns without the aid of a grass cutter. At least now it is against the law to eat anything that can talk back. I can tell you one thing though, if she recovers and you can bring yourself to entertain Mrs. Ruatha...you would not be unhappy if she 'ate' you in the only way she can now..." Harry raised an eyebrow and winked at George who laughed after a few seconds.

"I would maybe allow Mr. Ruatha to do that Sir...but Mrs. Ruatha is as far away from my taste as the steak on her plate...It just wouldn't work." George replied grinning.

"He wouldn't...trust me I tried. I think he is as straight as they come, though I managed to jack him off in the shower when he was concentrating on satisfying Alice again."

George laughed, causing Stefan to look up from the desk, "Is everything okay Sir?" he asked quietly.

"We hope so...come and fetch me when Dr. Franks show up will you. Oh and George, you can tell Stefan what went on last night. I will drag Alice out in the morning anyway, so the others may as well know the truth." With that, Harry turned and re-entered the bar as George filled the marmot in on what exactly had happened to their other boss.

~~~~

Jessica felt a little bilious as she finished the last of her potatoes, moving the tray to the unoccupied side of the bed and trying to settle back again, her stomach roiling in protest at the meal she had filled it with. Ruth noticed her expression and reached for the bucket, but she waved him away, "No...I am alright...I must keep this down if I can," she protested.

"Okay dear...but don't strain yourself. I would be better to be sick than suffer from acid trouble. The doctor can always prescribe some intravenous nutrition..." Ruth started.

"Only if I end up in hospital..." Jessica answered, grimacing as she belched up acid and semi-digested potato, before swallowing it again.

Ruth placed his tray on the trolley and the bucket on the chair where he had been sitting, well within her reach. Walking around to the other side of the bed he collected her tray and placed it on the trolley with his. He quickly wheeled them out of the room and into the corridor, closing the door behind him and rejoining her. He didn't want the smell of the food to aggravate her digestion further, though the lizard steak had been of a top quality cut.

Jessica belched again, her throat convulsing rapidly as she attempted to hold back her bile...she failed this time and grabbed for the bucket and hunched over as her stomach rejected everything she had just filled it with, cursing as she lost it into the stainless steel container as Ruth rushed to her aid, holding it tightly so she could hug her aching ribs with her hands.

"Bollocks," she panted after a few minutes... "I didn't want to do that!" she cursed as Ruth withdrew the almost full bucket from her muzzle and placed it on the floor. Its contents were not pleasant to smell or look at, but he was more concerned with her at the moment.

"You want anything else dear?" he asked as she unfolded and leaned back into the pillows.

"Water...my mouth tastes like a sewer at the moment," she gasped, smiling weakly.

Ruth nodded and picked up the bucket and headed into the bathroom. He paused, before setting it aside as the liquid was very red in colour. _'Dr. Franks may want to see it' _he thought, before he filled a glass from the tap again, gathering a few sheets of paper from the loo-roll as well before heading back to her side, "Here you go love," he said passing her them so she could clean her lips of residue before she took the water.

"Thanks love," she said, sipping at the glass slowly as he took the soiled paper from her slightly shaking hands.

"Anything else I can get you?" he asked gently.

"How about some protein..." she gestured at his crotch, grinning weakly at her joke.

Ruth smiled gently, "And what would the doctor say?" he asked, running a hand over her cheek.

She laughed gently, "He may prescribe a liquid diet..."

Ruth joined her, harrumphing gently as he sat down next to her again on the chair, leaning into her shoulder as she continued to sip at the water, "Something tells me that he would be amused if that was the liquid you took..."

She licked at his head horns for a few seconds, grimacing slightly as they were still very salty from the ocean, "You are still salty love...you need a shower," she voiced, sipping at her water again.

"So are you love...do you want to try and shower together gently?"

"No...Dr. Franks could arrive at any moment. We will wait until after he has gone." She handed him the empty glass and closed her eyes, "I am very tired...I will take a nap. Join me on the bed love...Please. I need your company."

Ruth stood gently, placing the glass on the side table. He walked around to his side of the bed and lifted the sheets, slipping in with her without undressing. She snuggled close to him without opening her eyes, resting he head on his broad shoulder. "Why are you not undressed?" she mumbled sleepily.

"I will have to greet the doctor...It would not look good if I were naked," Ruth teased, running a hand along her neck in comfort.

Jessica curled her lips up in a smile, "Good point..." She snored then, her body going limp as her brain closed her mind into unconsciousness without another word.

Ruth was worried as he lay there next to her. He gently kept up his soothing rubs along her scales; never letting his hand wander anywhere she normally welcomed him, just letting his presence be her comfort. He was tired himself, but his uneasiness at the situation kept him from joining her in slumber. His mind wandered a little, running over the events of the last few weeks, wondering if his life had improved, or gotten worse. Sometimes he wondered about the job he was in, questioning if he should continue to pursue the career that was taking him away from her on a more regular basis now. He vowed that should it ever become an issue, he would resign rather than place Jess second to his position.

The knock on the door startled him out of a doze, and he gently peeled Jessica from his shoulder and leaned her back into the pillows, kissing her as he extricated himself from the bed to answer it. He smoothed his shirt down a little where it had become rumpled before opening the suites door. Harry was waiting on the other side with a bespectacled lemur who Ruth guessed to be in his early twenties carrying an old Gladstone bag. "How is she Ruth?" Harry asked, "This is Dr. Franks."

"Asleep at the moment Harry...your bucket was needed I am afraid. Welcome Dr. Franks, I am sorry for disturbing you at this hour, but I have never seen Jessica ill before." Ruth replied, standing aside so the doctor could enter the suite.

"You have known her for long?" Dr. Franks asked, gesturing at the plaque on the door, indicating it was the bridal suite.

"Oh shit...sorry," Harry apologized, "Ruth and Jessica are not newlyweds...this was the only suite we had available on short notice," he explained.

Ruth grinned, "We have been mated for ten years, and we have known each other for over eleven. We met at Oxford where we were studying. Jess herself said before she fell asleep that she is never ill, so this is a very unusual occurrence."

"Ah...apologies for my assumption. What are the symptoms she is showing before we wake her?" Dr. Franks asked, sitting on one of the chairs in the lounge room and pulling out an electronic notebook, straightening his glasses on his long nose.

"I will leave you to it...I must go back to the bar and no doubt some of the queries will be private," Harry said, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Dr. Franks was looking at Ruth quizzically, "Symptoms?" he prompted again.

"Erm...About three to four hours ago we awoke from a nap and she was extremely tired, far more than normal post coitus..."

"Was it normal coitus?" Dr. Franks interrupted.

"Erm...not really. We were invited as a couple to join the Pod of dolphins in the bay. The sex was not particularly trying, as we have a very varied and healthy private life in that way... I know she was taken both vaginally and anally during the session. Sex does not normally tire her out, it is me that struggles to keep up with her if you catch my drift."

"Ah Giovanni's group...how long were you in the water for?"

"Around three hours give or take... she wondered if she had caught a chill from the sea water."

"Were you in open water or the sea caves I know they have got?"

"Sea caves."

"Unlikely then... Has she maybe been bitten by something?"

"No... She didn't mention it, and I assume that the dolphins would keep the caves free of anything like that."

"Mmm...Still a possibility to investigate. What was the first sign something was wrong?"

"That she was very tired and needed support on the climb out of the caves to the surface. She was a little unsteady and refused to try and fly back to the hotel," Ruth replied.

"Anything else other than the tiredness showing?"

"She is very pale, and she was violently sick when we reached the room. She couldn't hold her food down either, and threw that back up again around thirty minutes ago."

"Did you flush?"

"It is in a bucket...she couldn't make the en-suite."

"Good thinking... I will look at that. Is there anything else I should know before I examine her?" Dr. Franks asked.

"She is pregnant, but the eggs were only fertilized last weekend."

"You say you have a healthy sex-life?"

"Yes."

"Then how do you know the exact date of your eggs being conceived?" The lemur raised an eyebrow, "For that matter, how do you know she is pregnant at all?"

Ruth flushed, "Ah... we had an argument that ended up with a bout of feral make up sex. We both required medical treatment when we were done by paramedics. Due to some broken crockery that became lodged within her that the medics removed with one of the probes used to treat avians in order to avoid the embarrassment of a hospital visit..."

"Highly irregular..." Dr. Franks muttered, "That could cost the medics their jobs if it were to be reported...Go on."

"A piece of the crockery was embedded in her cervical wall, and the medic after removing it sent the camera into her womb to look for more. She reported that three eggs were affixing themselves to her wombs wall as she watched."

"Ah...well that explains that I suppose. Anything else I should know?"

"Whilst we were having intercourse with the dolphins, the Pod's medic and alpha female scanned Jessica after Giovani used a nerve block on her clitoral nerve. She reported that no damage was evident from the impact of his beak, but that there are still two pieces of porcelain within her tract somewhere."

"And there we have a likely cause then... How was the session concluded with the dolphins?"

"They gave her a final duel orgasm that involved their sonar..."

"Ah...that is quite the experience isn't it..." the lemur mused.

Ruth looked up, "What do you mean?"

"I assume you were given the same service by the female Pod members?"

"Well yes..."

"Well, when I was in training, I trained in Portsmouth at a dual purpose, cetacean and land dwellers hospital. Some of the land dwellers had relationships with those who were training in the sea arts. I developed a strong bond with one of my delphinic classmates...Lucy. Call her a friend with benefits, if you catch my drift. I hope to hear from her again when the Pod she was sponsored by settles a territory... Sorry...back to your mate. That sonar vibration could have caused something to come loose. Was she scanned again after the session was complete?" Dr. Franks continued.

"No...She was in no discomfort, and she is still not in discomfort, or so she says." Ruth replied with a slight smile on his snout.

"Well then, I had better examine her. At least I have a clue what to look for now." With that the lemur stood and let Ruth lead him into the bedroom.

Jessica was snoring heavily, head lying on one side against the pillows despite the fact she was still on her back. Her tongue was lolling slightly from her parted lips. "Jessica love...the Doctor is here to see you," Ruth said quietly, rubbing his hand over her shoulder without getting a response. "Jess?" he said a little louder.

"She is unconscious...here, crack this under her nose, but don't breathe it in yourself." The lemur handed him a small glass vial. "Where is the bucket?"

"In the en-suite."

"I will take a look then while you do that... It tends to make you reel if you breathe it when you are already awake." He disappeared into the en suite as Ruth examined the vial.

"Well here goes nothing then," he muttered and held the vial under Jessica's fluttering nostrils, cracking the glass with a talon. Jessica's snout twitched once as whatever was in the vial hit her nostrils.

Her brain felt like it was on fire and she coughed, snorting at the same time as she went from a GCS of six to fourteen in one second flat, sitting bolt upright as she batted Ruth's hand aside and nearly knocking him flat. "Dracos! What the FUCK is that!" she shouted, breathing heavily as she patted at her nose believing she was suffering from a blow back of flame.

Ruth's eyes were watering as he pinched his nostrils closed with hand he had not pierced the vial with. He staggered towards the window and threw it open to try and clear the air a little. Whatever it was, was defusing fairly quickly in the room, the breeze hastening the process.

A chuckling came from the en-suite and Dr. Franks stuck his head around the door just after he flushed the toilet. "Oh a little of this, a little of that...We use it on site to see if patients are truly unconscious, or just in a very deep sleep. No one can stay under with that stimulating their brain. You may close the window now Ruth, it is chemically void after only a minute of exposure to air...sniff your talons, the scent will be gone."

Ruth sniffed carefully at his digits, grinning ruefully. He closed the window with a click, "So what was that Doc?" he asked.

"Mixture of skunk, civet, smelling salts and raw pheromones with a diffuser. One of the four is usually enough to reach the brain." He turned to the still panting Jessica, "Now my dear, how may I be of service? I have discussed with your mate your history and the recent events today. Are you in discomfort now? I will take your pressures when your heart has slowed a little from the shock."

"I...I...I don't feel any pain at the moment," Jessica panted.

"Still nauseous?"

"Only after smelling that!" Jessica declared, falling back into the pillows.

"Ha...then you still are. There are anti-nausea drugs in that vial too, so it is not that that is causing it. You were deeply asleep; virtually unconscious...If you had not awoken I would have called for an ambulance immediately. Do you remember if you have been bitten by anything today?" Dr. Franks asked, slipping his hands into some surgical gloves.

"No...I wasn't bitten..."

"Is your heart settled yet?"

"Yes...I think so."

"Good...I will take your cardio pressure now before I examine your body in full."

Dr. Franks extracted a padded cuff from his Gladstone and handed it to Jessica, "Slip this on please, just above your elbow will do," he then delved deeper into the bag and pulled out the usual rubber inflation bulb, tube and gauge.

Jessica slipped the cuff up her left arm and pulled the Velcro tab tight around her bicep. She watched as the lemur affixed the tube to the nozzle on the cuff and started pumping. She was feeling woozy again, her vision swimming slightly as the effects of the 'pick me up' she had been woken with, really began to wear off. Even the pressure that was developing into a light pain of the cuff as it inflated failed to keep her vision clear. The only time she liked cuffs in general were when they were used in imaginative ways in the bedroom.

She became aware that the cuff was hissing, and opened her eyes again as the doctor was watching her and the needle on his monitor simultaneously, "Try and stay awake Mrs. Ruatha...I will need your permission and input to investigate your condition further or I will have no choice but to call for an ambulance," the lemur said quietly. He tutted as the air left the cup completely, "Your blood pressure is through the floor...I can see why you are struggling to stay awake. Does your family suffer from blood pressure issues?"

"I don't know...They didn't when I last saw them...but that was over ten years ago," Jessica replied quietly as she fought against her increasing lethargy.

"Ah...well we will have to assume they don't and go from there." Gently he lifted her arm as Ruth watched and removed the cuff, rolling it up with the other paraphernalia and placing it back in his bag before making a few notes on his pad. Pulling a stethoscope out he placed it in his ears, "Could you roll down the sheet so I can listen to your heart please?" he asked.

Jessica turned down the sheet to expose her naked chest to the air, "Ah...I wasn't expecting you to be naked...do you mind if I place this on your scales?" The young lemur asked, blushing slightly.

That forced a slight grin out of Jessica, which reassured Ruth slightly from where he was watching the examination from the other side of the bed, "Please...examine me where you wish. I won't say anything and I assure you that were I feeling a little better, you could still touch me in any way you wanted... providing you brought a playmate for Ruth along with you," she jested, widening the grin on Ruth's face as Dr. Franks went completely red under his fur.

"Ah...well..." he stuttered.

"Ignore her doctor...my mate takes some getting used to. Her offer is genuine though, especially if you can find out what's wrong with her and our eggs," Ruth said, to avoid any further embarrassment to the lemur.

"I couldn't possibly accept...it is against my oaths as a professional practitioner. The offer is appreciated though." He carefully lent over and placed the flat stainless steel stethoscope on Jessica's chest, listening carefully. He moved it around a few times and then slipped it under her right breast. After a few minutes he withdrew it and frowned slightly. "Your heart is strong Mrs. Ruatha, but is under strain. Your breathing is laboured as well. I fear there is something wrong internally, which I can't solve for you here with my limited equipment." He started typing notes in his pad again after letting the scope hang free around his neck.

"Can you not diagnose the problem then?" Jessica asked, "I hate hospitals with a passion...though I don't know why. It must be that they just keep you waiting for an age, while you answer the same questions over and over again."

"I could hazard a guess from the symptoms that you are bleeding internally...though if you are in no discomfort, I can't tell where. May I perform a touch and internal examination?" He asked gently. "Normally my female nurse would have to be present in such a situation, but if you sign a disclaimer I could continue to try and diagnose you so I can pass the information onto the hospital doctors."

Jessica glanced at Ruth in desperation, "Think of the eggs love... I don't want to lose them or you. It may be for the best..." Ruth pleaded.

She sighed, leaning back into the pillows heavily, "Go ahead then...I still don't know what could possibly have done this to me. Gio's knock was hardly viscous...our pain play has gone way further than a single blow before..."

Ruth nodded at Dr. Franks, who reached into his bag for the relevant paperwork and a pen, signing and dating it before handing it over to her on a clipboard, "Please read it if your eyes will focus enough, and then sign and print below my name. Mr. Ruatha, you must sign also as witness please. The days where medical professionals could examine those of the opposite sex without fear of prosecution has long gone I am afraid. Some would prefer to die than allow anyone other than their mates to touch them intimately, and to many of us have faced the courts on assault charges."

"It is a disgrace really," Ruth tutted as Dr. Franks reached for the bedside phone.

"Definitely, it is even part of our syllabus at medical school now." He dialed for reception, "Hello young Stefan, it's Dr. Franks...Could you put an outside line through for me please...Ah thank you...Can you inform Harry that an ambulance will be arriving soon and to show the medics up to the room...No, no, not an emergency, we have caught it in time...Good, good, now I must call the hospital...I will thank you, I am sure the Ruatha's will appreciate it."

He dialed a local number then into the keypad and waited a few seconds until it was answered, "Oh hello Vera...Dr. Franks here from Weston, registration number 192837, password The Ghost. Could you dispatch an ambulance suited to carry a large female dragon with suspected internal abdominal bleeding to The Swinging Sett on the cliff front road in Weston please. Patient is conscious and lucid, GCS of around ten now, though she was a six on arrival. Used a 'pick me up.' Blood pressure is very low, heart strong but erratic, breathing laboured. She is also newly pregnant and carrying three eggs. Permission has been granted for an internal examination, so more information should be hopefully available when the transport arrives..." He paused for a few seconds as he listened to Vera repeat his information back to him, "Yes that's it...thank you...Goodnight." He turned to Ruth and Jessica, "They will be here in around ten minutes as you are not technically an emergency at the moment. Now, if you will roll the sheet off completely I will try and ascertain where you are bleeding from. Stefan wished you well by the way."

"I will thank him myself tomorrow when I am back here," Jessica said quietly and kicked the sheet to the bottom of the bed slowly, exposing her vents to the lemur. Ruth handed him the signed disclaimers, and he read them before tearing off the back sheet and handing it back.

"Tell me if you can feel anything please Mrs. Ruatha, I am going to be applying firm pressures in certain places on your mid-drift. I will obviously avoid your laying nerves, so do not worry about that." He stood and gently kneaded her scales between her breasts and vents, applying pressure here and there, asking all the time if she felt anything. She drew a breath slightly as he came across a tender spot as he progressed lower, and he concentrated on that point a little more frowning, "You say that you have only been pregnant a week?" He asked as he moved on across her belly.

"Yes...why?" Jessica asked.

"Are you carrying a little extra weight than is healthy?"

"Well no...I keep myself in shape..."

"Your belly is swollen...and it is too soon for you to be gravid." He moved lower still until he came to the upper end of her vent. She winced slightly, "Is this where the dolphin hit you?" the lemur asked.

"Yes...he applied a clitoral nerve block..."

"Ah-ha...You have a small subcutaneous laceration there...but nothing major." He parted her lips and reached for an eyeglass. "Yes...you are definitely bruised where your clitoris joins your body...your urethra is also slightly more swollen and flushed than it should be..."

"Ah...we practice watersports on occasions Doctor," Ruth said quietly.

"That would explain that...you apply suction?"

"Yes..."

"No harm in that, though I would not do it too often, it could lead to incontinence in old age..." He parted her labia carefully and inserted a few of his long, gloved fingers in carefully. Jessica flushed as she was stimulated by his ministrations. "Try not to orgasm Mrs. Ruatha...it could aggravate the problem if it is a reproductive bleed. I will try to avoid stimulation where I can."

Gently he eased his slender hand and arm deeper into her vagina, touch feeling the walls gently for any imperfections as he went until his questing fingers contacted her cervical wall and she hissed, "Sore?"

"Yes...very," Jessica responded through clenched teeth.

"I apologize..." Dr. Franks removed his arm and hand gently, examining his glove as it emerged. There were sexual fluids present, but no blood. He peeled it off and placed it in a clinical disposal bag before reaching for another clean one. "I am going to have to manipulate your cervix Mrs. Ruatha...it will not be comfortable for you I am afraid. It is better that someone of my species does it though that one with thicker fingers at the hospital."

"Go ahead Doctor, I will try and keep as still as I can," Jessica said quietly as her eyesight faded a little again.

The lemur gently eased himself into her again, avoiding any contact with her clitoris this time and gently prodded at the hardened ring of flesh and muscle until he found her internal entrance. It was tightly sealed with her pregnancy, but he eased his middle digit gently through the muscle until he felt the greater temperature on the other side. Jessica was beginning to squirm in discomfort, so he quickly withdrew it again, and pulled his hand free. He frowned; the glove on his finger was stained red. "Mrs. Ruatha, you are bleeding into your womb. I do not know why, but I have to warn you that you may lose your eggs if the pressure becomes too great. They will have to operate as soon as you reach the hospital if they are to have any chance of surviving."

"An operation?" Ruth asked concerned.

"Yes...they will have to drain the pressure off. Hopefully her embryonic sack will not have been damaged by the bleeding. I would guess that the porcelain the Delphinic medic detected via sonar has moved free and cut her lining. It will need suturing as it is infused with blood because of the pregnancy and won't heal itself. You will bleed to death Mrs. Ruatha unless it is sorted immediately." Dr. Franks said firmly.

Jessica's phone buzzed with an incoming message on the sideboard, but they ignored it as there was a knock on the door, followed by the key turning as Harry entered followed by two paramedics and a large stretcher on wheels.

"Ah John, Helen...I was hoping it would be you on shift," Dr. Franks said, greeting to the middle aged lion and young mare in uniforms. "Mrs. Ruatha here has an internal bleed in her womb. Pressure is high internally, but not critical as yet. Get them to bleep a gyno-surgeon on your way in with her. She is within the first week of a triple pregnancy. She has not aborted yet, but you know how urgent the situation is. They were interacting with the Dolphins in the bay earlier and the Pod medic scanned her belly after a clitoral nerve block...she discovered there are at least two foreign objects, probably porcelain pieces in her womb due to an engagement that went wrong last weekend. I suspect they are the cause. Her GCS is dropping, and her breathing laboured. Do you have any coagulants with you?"

"We do..." the lion replied.

"Then I suggest you give her enough to slow the bleed a little...The eggs are already at risk, but I would rather not lose her as well John." Dr. Franks said firmly, packing his kit away into his Gladstone.

The lion nodded and searched through his medi-pack and withdrew a vial with a syringe. The mare was tapping at the underside of Jessica's elbow, trying to find a vein through the soft scales, "Her pressure is too low," she said as John drew the drug into the needle.

"Inject into the underside of her tail...it will get into her bloodstream there." Dr. Franks instructed, "Try for one of the arteries, her mate can heal the needle stick with his saliva."

"Here...you'd better do it," the lion said, handing the syringe to Helen, "I have no disclaimer with her and she is not lucid enough to sign one now..."

Helen looked at Dr. Franks, "Go ahead...the coagulant is a controlled drug, I can't administer it as a GP, only prescribe it," he said easing Jessica's legs apart again so the mare could have better access.

The mare bent to her task hesitantly, running a finger carefully across the fine scales until she felt the arterial pulse. Quickly she forced the hollow needle through Jessica's natural armour, drawing some of the deep crimson blood into the syringe before plunging its contents slowly into the pulsing flow until empty. Jessica didn't even wince, her eyes only rolling in her head slightly. Helen applied pressure and withdrew the hypodermic carefully, "Sir, can you lick her please...try and work some saliva into the wound to close the artery wall," she directed at Ruth.

Ruth knelt on the bed and licked carefully at the oozing blood, grimacing as some of the bitter drug was also present on Jessica's scales, "I would wash your mouth out Sir...it is a sealed as it can be for now and the drug will make you sick if you ingest it." John said, rolling back the sheet on the stretcher trolley, "Good job Helen...your first injection there yes?" he asked.

"Yes...they don't let you practice that at university. It is to intimate," Helen replied blushing a little.

"Well I couldn't have done better myself. Not many dragons go through medical school anyway and they are the only ones outside of otters commonly found in this country with arteries in their tails. For future reference, if you get one that is on their belly, you can go for a wing-shoulder joint if you get one with venal collapse," John assured her, patting her on her shoulder. "Right Mrs. Ruatha...let's get you to hospital. Mr. Ruatha, could you get her feet, I will lift her shoulders and Helen can support her back and stop her wings from opening."

Ruth nodded, as Harry moved the bedside table away from the bed so they could position the stretcher next to Jessica's now unconscious body. "One the count of three please... One...Two...Three!" The three of them lifted smoothly and slid Jessica sideways onto the trolley.

"Pack up a couple of changes of clothing for her Mr. Ruatha, and a nightgown if she has one. She is likely to be in for a couple of nights at least." Dr. Franks said as Harry led the way to open the door. "They have very good surgeons at Bristol, and with you around to heal the laceration, she will be on her feet again before you know it."

"Thank you Doctor...what would have happened if we had left it until the morning like she wanted to?" Ruth asked as he grabbed one of the suitcases and raided the wardrobe and draws as they wheeled her out to the service lift. He picked up both their phones and slipped them into his pocket.

"Then I am afraid you would have lost her in the night..." Dr. Franks replied seriously. "Some people don't like doctors for some reason, but it is always best to give us a call sooner rather than later...it is what you pay your taxes for after all." The lemur smiled, patting Ruth on the thigh as they followed the paramedics out of the suite. "We have caught her in time and she is in the best possible hands."

"Thank you again Doctor..." Ruth started.

"Just doing my job Mr. Ruatha...and coming here at this time of night does have its benefits. Your mate is a very beautiful lady," the lemur interrupted him. "Now...you go and join her in the ambulance and I will check up with you on Monday. Goodnight."

The service lift had closed behind Jessica and her entourage, so Ruth turned and followed the doctor down the main staircase. He fished out Jessica's phone from his pocket and opened the message that had arrived during the crisis. It was from Jools, asking her to ring him. He quickly typed out a reply.

'Jools...Ruth here. Jessica has collapsed with internal bleeding in the womb. We are on our way to the Bristol infirmary by ambulance now. I will try and get a message to you when she is out of surgery. Yours, Ruth.'

** ~~~~ **

The scrape of the heavy chair on the old wooden floorboards broke through the siblings' dinner conversations as Lance shoved himself away from his half eaten steak and stood. All eyes turned to him as he dropped the linen serviette onto the plate. "I am retiring now, I have a headache...You can see yourselves out when Malaprop opens the security net for you. Elizabeth, join me when everyone is gone." With that, Lance turned and left the room, ignoring the tutting that followed his tail over his rudeness.

James glanced at his mother concerned; "He's not still...?" he started.

Elizabeth sighed and interrupted him, "No, he is not still raping me...though I worry that he may use his anger tonight. I can take another beating though if I have to..."

"What!? Beth, you can't...I won't allow it. I will stay tonight and..." Alan started aghast.

"Lancelot made love to me for the first time since we met the other morning. Where his erection came from I have no idea as we have not joined for over a decade. It was not rape for the first time to me, because despite what he has done in the past, I have come to love him. Malaprop and Heather offered to shield me from him by informing his physician not to prescribe sexual stimulants, but I decided to take the risk that he will be gentle with me again in the future. If he uses them tonight, and if he doesn't control his anger...well then one more beating will not harm me. Alan, go home to your mate. Heather knows how to care for me, and Malaprop will stop him from going too far," Elizabeth continued calmly, shutting Alan's protest down before it started.

"You can't allow him to do that!" Gertrude said angrily.

"I had no choice Gertrude; he was too powerful to fight. I was taken from my family and mated to him all those years ago with no personal choice...you know that. Did you think I would bed a stranger voluntarily? Arranged mating is a crime that should not be allowed unless both parties consent to it. Don't get me wrong, Jessica and James are the two things that got me through those first few years, and I wouldn't change them for the world. You were all lucky in that respect Gertrude, not being the heir to the estates, a marriage was not forced on you. Lancelot just saw me as an acceptable means to an end when we exchanged hearts blood...I know that he continued his dalliances after I conceived, and when I was too injured to receive him, though I believe that he loves me now. At least there is a law preventing it now, though I will make sure that Jessica allows her children get to choose who they want to mate with, in just the way that she chose Ruth."

"You should have slipped a message out to the police." Gertrude continued.

"To what end? In the seventies and eighties they would have just taken a bribe from Lancelot and then told me I was prudish. He was always careful that I didn't need hospital treatment and as my parents were guilty by association, they just ignored my pleas for help. My mother had the same thing done to her, and her mother before that. It was just 'The Way' and as I should be grateful that I was now part of a prestigious family."

The male siblings looked a little uncomfortable around the table at the turn of the conversation, "I am afraid you know that she is right Gerty..." Arnold said clearing his throat.

"It doesn't mean that the bloody situation was though does it?" Gertrude rumbled dangerously, "You all met for love didn't you? Didn't use the family name or power?" She asked, staring at them all.

They all nodded, including James, "Yes...though in Nyara's case, she was one of many girls that was shoved at me by their parents. We loved and courted each other though before we took the bond. You were the exception amongst us Gerty...you went Mate hunting, as opposed to being hunted!" Arnold answered for them.

"And I was just lucky when I hired Adam," Jools said quietly, "It wasn't as if I was actively hunting for a partner myself.

"I should have followed my sister's route...and yours for that matter Gertrude and courted my own mate. But I was a shy child, and even worse as a teenager. I was a virgin when I was taken by Lancelot. Sex as an act of love or pleasure has been foreign to me for all my life until this last week. I ask you all, please, stay out of it. It is my choice now, and it is a path that I choose to follow. He will not kill or disable me, of that I a fairly sure. For all we know, he may just want to talk about today's events in the privacy of his own suite. I hardly think that after the browbeating he has had at your hands he will even be thinking of sex. I think that after all our time together as a couple I should know him well enough to trust my instincts...he is likely to be scheming and trying to come up with a way around your conditions."

"Are you sure mother?" James asked.

"I am sure...Now Gertrude shouldn't you be catching your flight?" Beth gestured at the clock on the mantle.

"I can always catch a later one, but I should be getting back to Philippe. Hmmmph...I am still not happy about it, but I will respect your wishes. I swear though on our parents tomb that if you show any sign of abuse the next time I see you, I will eunuch him and break all his talons off at the quick!"

"And I will hold him down while you do it!" Arnold growled. The others nodded as Elizabeth pushed her chair back a little to stand. "Beth, place a few adverts in 'The Lady' so you can see who is available and on what terms. I suggest you look for a chef, a kitchen porter, a gardener, two more maids, and a J.O.A.T. That way Malaprop can concentrate on being butler, estate manager and bodyguard again, and you can have Heather for yourself. Promote her and Owen to chief status, second only to Malaprop. When things get settled, we can add a few more. I am guessing that you are only living in around ten of the manors sixty odd public rooms, so when you take them on, you can start taking the others out of mothballs."

Elizabeth nodded, "Counting the downstairs toilet, we only use eight actually. That was why Lancelot came up with the idea of renting the place out and moving into the lodge."

"That will change. Anytime the family wants to visit the city, they will be coming here soon and not a hotel. That includes Arthur and the others who have not been blessed with good scale colours. I was also serious about you starting to throw parties again, but that will have to wait for a month or two until things settle a little."

"Are you sure that I should start the procedures? After all, it is Jessica's responsibility if she comes back here." Elizabeth queried.

"Speaking of which, do you want me to tell her what has happened here today?" Jools asked.

"Tell her in person. Invite her and Ruth to join us all in a week or so time when I have had time to get everything sorted legally. Brief her over the phone though." Arnold turned to Beth, "I would start to place the adverts Beth; something tells me that a family reunion may be a time away yet..."

"It may be sooner than you think," Elizabeth interrupted him as Jools pulled his phone out of his pouch and typed out a quick ring-me text to Jessica.

"What do you mean?" Gertrude asked.

Elizabeth walked over to the sideboard and retrieved the letter from Geraldine from where it had been filed. She handed it to Gertrude and the others crowded around as she read it. "Lancelot has already instructed Malaprop to look into travel. I would imagine that he will issue instructions now to reply and accept the invite."

"Do you think that a public reunion is best? It could be a social disaster for the Knowles' if it all blows up at their event." Arnold said after a few minutes.

"It would be better than a private one..." Gertrude replied after a second, "Plenty of witnesses."

"We should warn both Jessica and the Knowles' if you are going to attend. Do you think Lancelot could be trusted not to create a scene?" Jools asked.

"I don't know..." Elizabeth replied shrugging.

"Ahem," Malaprop cleared his throat, appearing behind them.

"Yes Malaprop?" Elizabeth asked.

"I would be willing to restrain Master Lance if he loses control. The social faux-pas would be on his head then, not the Knowles'." The black dragon suggested.

The others glanced at each other briefly, before nodding. "Okay... If Lancelot goes for the reunion, try and wrangle Nyara and I another invite. That way there are two more dragons that can control him if required. It would look better if family applied any restraints." Arnold replied for them.

"Good idea, I will see to it," Elizabeth confirmed.

"You have missed your flight Lady Gertrude," Malaprop said in the quiet that followed.

"I will just wait for the next one then at Heathrow. They will squeeze me on." Gertrude replied grinning. "I suggest that we all head home then and see what the next few days bring us eh?"

Jools' phone buzzed with an incoming message and he fished it out as they all headed into the entrance hall together. He read it briefly and stopped dead, his face scales losing all colour as everyone turned to stare at him.

"What's up brother?" Gertrude asked concerned.

He just handed her his phone in silence and turned to glance at the clock and then Malaprop. "The trains have finished running, Malaprop, order me a cab with a fresh driver. I need to get to Bristol now!" He ordered, collapsing into one of the hall seats. Malaprop raised a brow and went to the phone without question.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked as Gertrude turned to face them all, her face pale as well.

"Jessica has collapsed with internal bleeding into her womb...Ruth is with her and they are on the way to Bristol for emergency surgery. It is he that has replied," Gertrude replied, handing the phone back to Jools.

"Oh no..." Elizabeth said her legs folding as James rushed to her side.

"I will go to her Beth...I will get news back as soon as I can..." Jools said quietly as James helped Beth to a chair, the others crowding around them.

"I am coming with you!" Elizabeth replied sharply, "I can't have my daughter in hospital alone!"

"Do you think that wise...the shock of seeing you again..." Jools started.

"You can't stop me," Elizabeth interrupted him. "Malaprop, get Heather to throw me a couple of days clothes into a bag now! Do not tell Lancelot until after we have gone." She ordered, and he nodded, heading into the servants quarters. She turned to Jools, "Get Adam to do the same for you and we will pick him up on the way. We will just have to try and get a couple of rooms near the hospital until she is discharged."

"I wish I could come to," Gertrude said quietly, "But I must get back to Philippe."

"We will keep everyone updated..." Jools replied, sitting up and sending a text to Adam.

"Please do...this could change a few things if she loses the eggs...or even worse, her womb," Arnold replied as everyone stared at him aghast, "Well it had to be said, and you know you were all thinking the same thing!"

"I know...but it is too early to think of that..." Elizabeth said shaking her head.

"Just draft the damn legal with her name on them as heir, and we can cross that bridge if it comes to it. Do not invite disaster where it has not struck yet!" Gertrude snapped, "Modern medical techniques can cure almost anything..." she phased out again for a second before continuing, "She is healthy and young, she has that on her side."

"Gertrude, you are not telling us something, you have phased out twice now while in my presence," Jools pressed.

Gertrude held her head in her hands, "Very well, but you must promise not to let Arthur or Giuseppe know. Philippe has a month, maybe only weeks left. Cancer has got him. He doesn't want a weeping and a wailing at his bedside, so we have kept it to ourselves and our staff. When he nears the end, we will call our sons over to say goodbye, but not until then. That is why I must get back, there is nothing else that can be done for him, and everything that can be done for young Jess."

"Oh Gerty, I am sorry," Jools said hugging her as she teared up. The others all placed a hand on her shoulders and wings in comfort.

"Oh stop it...and I mean what I said. You get your ass over to Bristol and help Ruth pull Jessica through. Philippe and I have been planning for his going in secret for months. He has even joked that I will be the merry old widow to be courted again..." She sniffed, "I will miss him though."

"Of course you will..." Arnold started quietly as the door buzzer sounded. Heather came down the stairs with a small suitcase which she handed to Malaprop as he answered the electronic summons.

"The taxi is here Master Jools," the black dragon said quietly.

"Well that's us then," Jools said standing and heading towards the door. Elizabeth slipped into a jacket as Malaprop deactivated the alarm net.

"Jools, let me know the outcome as soon as you do please," Arnold said quietly, "I will tell everyone else."

"And I will stop Master Lance from following you," Malaprop added, "Even if I have to drug him with Dragonsbane. Jessica doesn't need him to show up at her bedside when she is under stress."

"Thank you Malaprop," Elizabeth said and picked up her own case.

"I suggest that we all call each other on Monday with the latest then, and we all part ways now." Arnold finalized for them, hugging Gertrude and Elizabeth before turning and launching himself into the night sky.

The others all said their goodbyes and left as Elizabeth and Jools got into the cab at the gates and it pulled off. Malaprop sighed and closed the manor down for the night, reactivating the alarms and turned to face Heather who was waiting concerned by the stairs with Owen. "What's up exactly and where has Lady Elizabeth gone?" she asked.

"Long story, but I will tell you in the morning. I have got to go and tell Master Lance now. If he flips Owen, bring me up some bane please. He cannot be allowed to follow them under any circumstances." Malaprop said seriously and headed heavily up the stairs towards Lance's suite.

Heather looked at Owen who just shrugged before heading for the drugs cabinet as instructed for the sedative...

~~~~

Ruth sat in the relatives' waiting room outside the surgery ward, the overnight bag he had rapidly assembled for Jess between his feet. The ambulance had made good time getting to the infirmary, and John had reassured him constantly on route that Jessica's condition was not deteriorating. When they pulled into A+E, a gynecological surgeon was awaiting them, getting a full briefing from John on arrival and accessing the transmitted report from Dr. Franks. Ruth never let go of Jess's hand through the trip, the briefing and the jog-trot through the sterile white corridors of the busy hospitals wards. She didn't even flutter an eyelid, or squeeze his hand throughout, only the beep of the monitor they had attached to a scale under her breasts telling him that she was still alive at all. The doctors only separated them when they reached the surgical suites, showing him quietly to the relatives' waiting room as she was wheeled through the double doors and out of his sight.

Time was creeping along as slowly as it had been when she had left him for those few hours over his revelation about Janice in Australia. It was hard to believe still just what had gone on in the last few weeks. There was no TV to distract his mind this time, no radio; even the clock was electric, denying him the comforting presence of a tick. A forlorn sign hung across the old donated box screen from the eighties, declaring that it was out of order for the foreseeable future. Please donate etc. etc. so services could be restored. The complimentary coffee machine buzzed away, the stale aroma of burnt coffee beans and spilt long-life milk not succeeding to block out the smells of disinfectants and blood that crept under the silencing door.

He reached for his phone, something for him to do; but then noticed the "No Mobiles" sign that blared out a warning of equipment interference that should have been removed when phones switched from analog to digital. Just like when at a filling station, the idiots who came up with the rules originally, conveniently forgot to revoke them when the tech overcame the problems their obsolete predecessors created. The foul smell of some poor soul voiding themselves in fear or worse drifted into the room as the air-conditioning fought to control it, causing his nostrils to wrinkle in distaste. The magazines were all at least twelve months out of date, dog eared and tear stained, crosswords long since completed by the previous residents as they awaited either the good news or bad. He drifted off, fatigue and Morpheus claiming his tumultuous and guilty mind into their arms as the minutes turned into an hour, which rolled inexorably towards the next.

A soft scratch sounded on the door making him snort in his sleep as it opened. A slender young weasel dressed in a nurses outfit stuck her head around it and grinned at the somnolent dragon that was uncomfortably slumped on one of the blue plastic chairs that was struggling to hold his weight.

She cleared her throat, "Mr. Ruatha... Mr. Ruatha. There is a lady and two gentlemen who have arrived to see you. Do you want me to admit them?" she asked as Ruth's eyes opened.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else..." Ruth said as his sleep fogged brain registered the weasel's words, "Who are they?"

"A Mrs. Giles, and a Mr. and Mr. Giles..." the nurse replied cheerily.

"Ah...oh...Please, let them in. It must be Jools and his partner...maybe his sister too."

The nurse nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ruth straightened his posture and tried to smooth a few wrinkles from his clothing until the door opened again and Jools stepped through followed by an impeccably dressed wolf carrying two overnight bags and an elegantly attired dragoness who appeared to be in her early fifties. Jools immediately closed the gap over to Ruth in a few quick strides and gathered him into a hug as he stood to greet them. "Any news Ruth?" he asked as the others followed him across the room.

"Nothing I am afraid, they took her from me..." he glanced at the clock briefly, "Two and a half hours ago. I must have drifted off." Something was bothering him about the dragoness who was watching him closely, she seemed familiar from somewhere in his memory, but he couldn't just place her. "Jools, maybe you should introduce the others?" Ruth suggested as he was released.

"Ah...sorry, this is Adam, my partner and Mate," The wolf held out a hand which Ruth gripped and shook enthusiastically, "And this is Lady Elizabeth...whom I believe you have met before briefly."

A look of recollection passed across his face as the dragoness stepped forward to accept a hug, "Oh forgive me please...Lady Elizabeth I didn't place you at first..." he glanced at Jools who just shrugged.

"Don't blame Jools, Ruth; we had barely concluded the meeting over my Mate's business dealings when your text came through. He couldn't stop me from jumping in the cab with him to join you at my daughter's side. Please, call me Elizabeth; you are after all my Son in Law. Our meeting last time was rather overshadowed by Lancelot's behaviour, so I can perfectly understand you not placing my face considering the stress you were under both then and now."

"What happened Ruth? How has Jessica ended up in here? She was fine a couple of days ago in London." Jools asked, taking a seat.

Ruth flushed pink, colouring his scales as he tried to avert his gaze, "Erm...she was injured while we were swimming with the local dolphin Pod down in the bay," he said quietly.

Jools glanced at Elizabeth who just sighed, "I am guessing then that my daughter's sexual tastes have not calmed in the intervening years at the hands of my Mate's forced exile. You have what I believe is called an open relationship then?" She suggested.

"Yes and no," Ruth started. "Up until a few weeks ago neither of us strayed from each other with members of the opposite sex. She was my only one, and I was quite happy for it to remain that way..."

"Forgive me, you said opposite sex. Do you mean that you have shared warmth with ones of your own gender during your mate-ship?" Elizabeth asked interrupting.

"Oh no...I haven't." Ruth protested rapidly as Adam and Jools grinned, "But...much as I am afraid to admit to it, my drive is not quite up to matching Jessica's. She is a home keeper, but with a business on one side to supplement our incomes. The business she is in, involves toy demonstrations that can involve client participation."

Elizabeth flushed slightly then as Jools and Adam averted their heads to try and avoid giggling at her sudden discomfort. After a few minutes Elizabeth spoke, "I see. I shared warmth with my maid a couple of days ago, so I cannot judge her. Thinking about it, it seems that she has found her perfect niche actually, though I can't wholly approve of course. But for Dracos's sake, don't let Lancelot know about it!" Jools and Adam let their laughter escape then, causing a little moue followed by a curling of Elizabeth's lips at the humour. "Were the dolphins not aware of her pregnancy during your play?"

"They were, and in fact the Pod medic, Chrystal performed a sonar scan on her belly after an accidental impact with the Pod's leader. She revealed that there were two bits of porcelain within Jessica's womb from..." Ruth paused, "Well let's just say a bout of make-up sex last weekend that involved some broken ornaments."

"Oh...should I ask why?" Beth queried.

"I would prefer it if you didn't..."

"Then I won't. Go on please with what you know."

"Erm well..." Ruth sniffed, "We are having two girls and a boy if they survive tonight. The delphinic scan was clear at the time and she was going to book in to have the objects removed when we arrived back home on Tuesday."

"What exactly do you know about the situation?" Beth continued, placing a hand on Ruth's knee in comfort.

"Not a lot. She awoke in the subterranean cavern with me after we had recovered from our play, but she was very tired and lethargic. Which is most unlike her as she only peaked sexually a couple of times. We climbed out to the cliff-top, and walked back to the hotel. She was sick when we got to the suite, but tried to eat a meal before throwing it up again. She finally agreed to me seeing if an after-hours doctor was available. She was unconscious by the time he arrived, but a 'wake me up' fetched her around. The doctor discovered she was bleeding internally, and then identified the bleed as being in her womb. We concluded that it was a strong possibility that the last peak she reached with the dolphins, having been given sub-sonically with their sonar could have disturbed the objects and cut her womb's lining open. That is all I know at the moment, but there was a strong possibility that if it had been left any longer I would have lost her and the children. It is still not a certainty that they have caught the bleed in time." Ruth replied tears forming in his eyes.

Someone knocked on the door then as if in reply, and an mature fox wearing glasses stepped in dressed in a consultants uniform, followed by a pinscher bitch carrying an old fashioned clipboard, dressed in green surgical scrubs. "May we take a seat Mr. Ruatha?" The fox asked with a gentle smile.

"Please do..." Ruth replied moving to stand.

"Please stay seated...Before we begin, are these all family?" He asked as the settled themselves.

"Yes, yes...This is Jessica's mother, her uncle, and his Mate..."

"Ah...very well. I am Dr. Grant, and this is my understudy, Dr. Carter. I am afraid that I cannot bring you all good news, though it could have been a lot worse. Your mate Mr. Ruatha, is in intensive care, and will remain there for at least twenty four hours. We have saved her and her womb...however the embryonic sack around your eggs has been damaged by the porcelain that was floating free. At the moment she is retaining the eggs, and we have patched the sacks leak...but I would warn you that there is about a 90% chance that she will miscarry. The next forty eight hours will be very touch and go on if your children will survive, but we are going to keep her fully sedated in the hopes that her body will complete the healing. You will be asked to heal her exterior incision in the normal fashion, for which we will give you privacy due to its location of course."

"So she will survive?" Ruth asked.

"Yes...unless there are any unforeseen complications she will make a full recovery, even if the eggs are lost. She should also be able to conceive normally in the future as well," Dr. Grant replied, smiling slightly at the relief that passed over his audiences faces.

"Thank you Doctors," Ruth said sitting back into his chair.

"You are welcome...I will send the nurse in when they have settled her. I suggest that you all try and get some sleep when you have applied her first healing. The hospital only has one overnight relative's room vacant at the moment though." The two doctors left the room as Ruth looked at the others for their reactions.

Jools and Adam were just plain happy, Elizabeth looked relieved and happy at the same time, which puzzled him to a certain extent. "Ahem, I am sorry for bringing this up now, but I get the impression that there is something else in your mind Elizabeth..." Ruth hinted at quietly.

Elizabeth glanced at Jools, who just shrugged, "I never was any good at playing poker was I?" She asked turning her lip up in a half smile.

Jools grinned, "No Beth, you weren't. Are you going to tell him, or shall I?"

"You do it. I have had a long day, and I have a feeling that it will only get worse when I ring Lancelot and tell what has happened."

Jools nodded and turned to Ruth, "Lancelot has run the Giles family accounts and fortune into the ground in the last few years. We, and by that I mean all his siblings are being forced to bail him and Elizabeth out of the mess he has caused, in order to 'save face,' if you catch my drift. There are several conditions to the bailout, the main one being that an heir is designated and the estates signed over to them in a legally binding fashion. Due to Lancelot's tardiness in settling and taking Elizabeth as his Mate. James, Jessica's younger brother has been proved sterile as a late child, which I believe I may have mentioned when we were at The Draheal, so the decision has been taken out of Lance's hands and Jessica is to be remade the full heir..."

Ruth held his hand up to stop Jools, but Elizabeth gripped it to stop him, "Let him finish please," she said quietly, and Ruth nodded.

"You are part of that deal Ruth. You are to remain her Mate, and the father to her children. When she is out of the woods we have a few more things to discuss with you, but should we just say that your scales are an accident of genetics, and your parents were well respected and decorated servants to the country with breeding as blue as the Giles family itself. It took some research, but the information is all around if you look hard enough."

"I cannot make that decision Jools...she loathes her father over his prejudices, and you know it. We have stayed away from you and London for ten years for that very reason. She feared for my life and hers as well..." Ruth said forcefully, turning away from him a little, "As for my parents, it will be interesting to fill in the gap, but I never knew them."

"Lancelot will be so bound by the restrictions placed on him by us, he won't be able to fart in your faces, never mind lift a talon in your directions," Elizabeth explained.

"And if she says no? Which I very much think that she will," Ruth asked.

"Then your children will be made the heirs to the estates. Jessica can take her position as caretaker matriarch with you at her side in the manor when Lancelot passes on if she won't come back now." Elizabeth confirmed quietly, "The estates Must stay in the within the main Giles bloodlines."

"And if we lose the children, and she doesn't conceive again through complications?" Ruth pressed.

Jools looked at Elizabeth uncomfortably, "Then I would imagine that the estates will pass to Arnold or Gertrude's offspring, as the next oldest siblings of Lancelot. That is a bridge we do not want to cross, and is also one I think we should not even contemplate at this time."

"But crossed it must be. I came close to losing her tonight Jools, and I may still lose my children and the possibility of having any in the future. I am scared. I am still scared. I have always known how much I loved her, after all despite what it may seem to outsiders, I did not want any sexual contact with anyone other than her. It was only because it was her wish that I strayed from the proverbial nest. She was determined that I would have some of the experiences that she had in her youth. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed it these last few weeks, but my happiest times have still been when we have been lying together, hand in hand, or belly to belly, in bed and alone. That to me is what makes me content with life."

Jools looked at Adam, who just smiled and gripped his hand, "Jools and I know that feeling too...and it is one that I hope every thinking being experiences before they die."

"It is one that is forever denied to me..." Elizabeth said wistfully, "I love Lancelot, but I could never be content with him, not after what he put me through as a youth."

There was a quiet knock on the door and the same young weasel nurse opened it as they all looked up, "Intensive care has your Mate settled Mr. Ruatha, but they have requested that you and only one other attend her at one time."

Jools and Adam looked at each other, reaching a silent agreement, "You go Elizabeth we will see her tomorrow. Nurse, are then any hotels or lodges that will accept a late check in around here?"

The weasel smiled, "As it happens, there is a B+B just across from the outpatients exit. It has over twenty rooms, so I would imagine that they will have vacancies. They have a good reputation as well," she replied as Ruth and Elizabeth stood to follow her.

"We will go and check in for the night then, and reserve you a room as well Elizabeth. Join is when you can, we will warn the reception and have your bag placed on your bed," Jools said as Adam picked up both bags again.

"Thank you Jools...I will see you in the morning then." Elizabeth said, following Ruth and the nurse out into the corridor towards the ICU.

"Beth..." Jools called after her,

"Yes Jools?" she asked, pausing.

"I will ring the manor. You just go straight to bed when you are finished here."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded, turning to catch up with Ruth and the nurse who hadn't paused in their walk.

~~~

The phone rang in the hallway, the buzzing rings cutting through the silence as they echoed of the oak paneling. Malaprop picked up the extension in his rooms as it was nearing midnight, "Regents Manor, Giles residence. To whom am I speaking please?" he answered by rote...he already knew who was likely to be ringing at this hour.

"Malaprop it's Jools. I have just booked into a B and B with Adam. Elizabeth and Ruth are still in the hospital, though I have reserved a room for her when she comes over. Jessica is through the operation, but is in Intensive care and unconscious. They are only allowing two visitors at a time, and Ruth is applying first heal on the operation scar with Beth's help."

"That's good isn't it?" Malaprop asked relieved.

"Yes and no...she may still lose the eggs. There was a lot of damage. How did Lancelot take the news?"

"Don't ask...I had to drug him with bane. He was furious that Lady Elizabeth had gone without him. He will see reason in the morning. Do me a favour and have her ring as soon as she wakes. He might take it from her over the phone that the last thing Lady Jessica needs is him showing up. What's the prognosis for her in the future?"

"Unknown at present...Her womb is fine, but there is a ninety percent chance she will lose the three eggs she is carrying. She will be out of ICU tomorrow with luck according to her surgeon, but they are not waking her for forty eight hours."

"Hmmmph!" Malaprop snorted, "Well that I suppose is for healing time. We did that with injured soldiers in the Mexican army. It just adds to the tension for the relatives though. Are you and Adam staying over there until she is discharged?"

"We were planning on it unless we get under Ruth's feet. I don't know about Elizabeth though," Jools replied.

"I would guess that she will...I would if it were a child of mine in the ward. Is there anything I can do to care-take your restaurants while you are away?"

"No, Adam and I will raise the troops so to speak in the morning. I have had to vanish before on emergencies at the other sites. He can run the day to day things through his palm-pad which he has with him. Thanks for the offer though, you will have your hands full with my brother."

Malaprop laughed, which was a rare sound at the best of times, "Don't worry about me. I will leave you to your rest now and resume mine. Remember to have Lady Elizabeth ring in the morning, Master Lancelot should be awake around nine-ish, if I have judged the dosage of bane right."

"Should I ask why you keep Dragonsbane in the Manor?" Jools broached quietly.

"I would not advise it, nor would I push on why I know how to use it. I am sure you have some ideas anyway...Okay?" The black dragon on the other end of the phone replied darkly.

"Then I will leave it there then," Jools answered, "Goodnight Malaprop."

"Goodnight Master Jools."

The line clicked as it was hung up at the Manor's end. Jools glanced at Adam who had stripped and peeled the bed clothes back on one of the single beds in invitation for him while he had been talking on the phone. The wolf winked lasciviously and slipped himself in tail first as he ran a hand over his sheath.

Jools grinned, arising from the single bed that he had been sitting on while on the phone, "Typical of an establishment like this to not want to encourage gays..." he mused as he peeled his clothes off, spinning in a slight striptease during the process while running his tail-tip up between the wolfs legs, "Little did they know that we are far too tired for anything but a cuddle tonight."

He slipped into the bed with Adam, tucking him tight to his belly, crotch to crotch as the wolf allowed the thin duvet to drop over them as they tried to make themselves comfortable with each of their tails and asses hanging out over the sides. "I'll bet we will make the maids talk if they come in and we are like this," Adam suggested, grinning as Jools chuckled.

"Oh shut up and kiss me you daft pup!" Jools replied taking his lover's lips into his own before they both fell deeply asleep.

~~~~

She was not her usual pretty sight lying there on the bed, sheet just covering her vents so as to keep the heavy dressing on her midriff from snagging against the sterilized and starched cotton. Machines and monitors emitting a myriad of annoying beeps, hisses and images surrounded the top of the bed, indicating vitals that were impossible for those who were untrained to decipher. Her emerald scale colour was off, all luster gone from the keratin turning them a sickly, grassy hue. Two bags of blood hung on wire stands, feeding the vital fluid into her somnolent body by way of plastic tubes attached to cannulas in the underside of her elbows. A couple of tubes did the same service with oxygen down her stilled nostrils from a socket in the wall at the bed's head.

The curtain was drawn around the two standing dragons by the helpful nurse, and the towel lifted from where it was covering Jessica's modesty on her breasts as she bent and retrieved a bowl of scented water from a trolley's bottom shelf with some cotton wool. One of the monitors sounded an alarm briefly and the weasels eyes glanced at it before placing the water back down again so she could retrieve a flat paddle of stainless steel attached to a wire which also plugged into the wall. Gently she eased Jessica's lips apart and placed the paddle against her Thor's thimble and with a slight crackle discharged it.

She withdrew it and wiped it over, passing it to Ruth, "Please could you both discharge as well, the static is affecting the monitors." The nurse asked politely, watching as first Ruth, and then Elizabeth both did as they were bid. "We have to do that with the dragon patients every thirty minutes or so to stop false readings. I should have discharged you when you entered the ward but I forgot. Now, as there are salves around the wound that I am assured taste foul, I will ease the dressing away from it with water so you can apply your saliva."

With that done, the weasel gently began to cut through the raw dressing strapped to Jessica's belly, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell of dried blood before she started to wipe the water across the edge of the incision gently as the last of the fine cloth was eased away, leaving the jagged wound visible to Ruth and Elizabeth. A few more passes of the cloth, and the weasel stepped back and dropped it and the used dressing into a clinical waste disposal bin. "There, she is ready for you to work on now," the nurse declared.

"May I ask why the wound is not a straight one?" Ruth asked looking at the jagged cut.

"The surgeons follow the scales lap Mr. Ruatha. None of the scales have been damaged so as to leave little or no scarring. If we were to open a dragon up like we do a normal epidermis, you would never heal properly, and would be scarred for life," the nurse explained. An alarm went off in a different cubicle and the weasel excused herself and trotted out of the curtains as a commotion developed at its source.

"Ah...that explains my talon strike on Lancelot's face...I removed several scales that aren't growing back properly." Elizabeth commented quietly to herself.

Ruth glanced at her obliquely, "You struck your Mate?"

"He had just suggested murdering you and losing the eggs Jessica is carrying somewhere...I think I was justified," Beth replied seriously, face straight.

"And you want her to back into your household with me?" Ruth asked aghast.

Elizabeth turned and gripped Ruth's face with her talons, forcing him to look her directly in her eyes, "I assure you now Ruth...If you persuade her to come back with you, my life is the one that will end before yours does. Everything I have seen here today and everything that Jools told me about you two on the way over here in the cab shows me that you love my daughter over anything else in this pitiful world. I only wish that I had ever seen the mannerisms that you display towards her from Lancelot, but that is never to be," she sighed, letting him go again, " Come back to the fold, make my family a family again and give your children, or your future children the life that is their right." She finished, a few tears showing in the corner of her eyes.

"I will talk to her then, but I can't promise a favourable answer. My job is likely to take me away from England over the next few months, and she will probably accompany me if we can get over the hurdle of her fear of commercial flight. I also have a secure position in the North, so I can't see anything happening in the next couple of years to be honest..."

"You could just resign; becoming a Giles would allow you that you know..." Beth suggested.

"No I couldn't...Don't presume to know me Elizabeth. I could no more sit back and do nothing while people waited on me, than I could turn back time."

"Run the estates then..."

"How? I wouldn't know where to start. You won't get Jessica to give up her business either you know." Ruth stated.

Elizabeth flushed at that, "Mmm...that could definitely be a problem. While Lancelot lives, there is no way that she could use the Manor for that trade..."

"Then there are many things would have to be worked out before anything could happen. Now, why are we arguing the future while standing over the present? She may be unconscious, but I have heard that beings can still hear things. What would Jessica think if she can eh? You and I both need our rest, or we will be useless for the days ahead." With that Ruth bent and started to work as much saliva as he could into the oozing scar on Jessica's belly scales. As his mouth dried from the efforts, Elizabeth took his place in silence until they were both spent.

The weasel nurse stuck her head around the curtain and smiled. "Done for the night?" she asked as she slipped within and looked at the incision which was losing its angriness. The two dragons nodded. "Good, I will just redress this then. Mr. Ruatha, you have room five on the entry corridor of ICU reserved for you. I or one of my colleagues will come and fetch you if anything changes."

Ruth leant over and kissed Jessica gently under her chin, "See you in the morning love, rest easy eh," he whispered.

Elizabeth did the same, "And I am here too daughter...you have been missing too long."

With that the weasel pulled back the curtains again so they could leave easily. They headed towards the wards exit, splashing the usual ethanol germ killer on their hands at the sink...something else the nurse forgot to make them do on the way in. A very tired old male otter dressed in little more than underwear was being escorted in by another nurse who was comforting him as he muttered a females name over and over again. A mutual glance at each other confirmed that they were thinking the same thing over the alarms that had stolen Jessica's nurse away from her for those ten minutes or so.

They paused at room five together, "You have Jools' number I believe?" Elizabeth queried.

"I do...and I promise that I will let him know if anything changes in the night," Ruth confirmed.

Elizabeth smiled, "Good...We will all be over around tenish in the morning I imagine...now go and get a few hours' sleep, you look dead on your feet."

"Will do mum..." Ruth replied cheekily, ducking the playful tail slap Elizabeth aimed his way.

Beth turned and headed down the corridor, following the signs for the night exit. Ruth couldn't help but notice before she turned the corner that Jessica definitely shared the same shapely tail and ass as her mother. He opened the door to his room and muttered to himself as he slid within. Sliding in was about the only thing he could do given the size of it. A single bunk was fastened to the wall on one side, the total area of the floor not being more than ten foot by six foot. Two clothes pegs were screwed to the back of the door as it closed behind him along with a notice that the toilets were on the opposite side of the corridor. The Draheal it was not!

Switching the bunk brackets to open, he breathed in so he could drop it into position, just loosening his shirt and trouser buttons rather than stripping off. He had just enough presence of mine to program his phone alarm for seven Am. He had not put any underwear on after the dolphins, and he imagined the reaction of the nurses if they came in and found him sleeping naked...not that there would be anything to see. Easing himself on to the hard mattress and single pillow, he fell asleep as soon as his exhausted body found a position of limited comfort.

~~~~

Lancelot awoke to Malaprop standing over him with a glass full of water and some aspirin. "For your head, Sir," he suggested as he withdrew his hand from his Lancelot's shoulder where he had been shaking him gently.

The red dragon groaned and glanced at the large figured clock on the mantle which was reading just after nine, "I should have you arrested for assault," he muttered as he grabbed the glass and swallowed a couple of the tablets, grimacing at the bitter taste as they passed his tongue.

"It was for the best Sir...and you are still here. I know what I am doing, you taught me after all," Malaprop replied, taking the glass from Lance's hands and helping him sit up.

"It was not necessary to drug me..."

"It was, you would have injured yourself, me or Owen and you know it. It is bad enough that Jessica is in hospital, and I thought it better that a second did not join her."

"Any news from Elizabeth," Lance grumbled, ignoring Malaprop's response.

"Master Jools rang at midnight. Lady Jessica is through the operation, but will not be woken for at least a couple of days."

"The eggs?"

"Unknown as yet...she was still bearing them at midnight, but there is a ninety percent chance that she will lose them. Her womb though has been saved barring complications. I am expecting a call from Lady Elizabeth this morning, so I thought to wake you earlier than usual. She may have other news." The black dragon suggested as he walked over and drew the curtains to let the sunlight in.

"Do we know the cause yet?" Lance asked as he threw the bedclothes off himself, pausing with a frown as he realized that he was stark naked and just a ghost of a thought ran through his mind about what, if anything Malaprop could have done to him while was drugged.

"It has not been revealed to me as yet Sir. Owen will confirm that all I did was undress you and place you in bed...I would like to think that you trust me that much though," Malaprop said as he read the expression on Lance's face.

"I trusted you until you used Bane on me," he grumbled.

"I have already explained why, and if that is how you feel I will tender my resignation after I have got you dressed..."

"No, no...Dracos my head hurts and I am not thinking straight. Book a cab to Bristol for lunch time, we will go and join Elizabeth, the runt and the poofs at my daughters bedside."

"With respect Sir...No. That is why I drugged you last night. What would your reaction be if you awoke from a serious operation and found the one person you hate more than anyone else in the world standing by your bed?"

"You think she hates me?" Lancelot queried as he slipped into a loose day gown that Malaprop proffered him.

"After your actions ten years ago...Yes."

"Then I would probably relapse..." Lancelot replied thoughtfully after a few minutes. "Any idea what time my Mate will be ringing?"

"No Sir, she was still at Jessica's side with Ruth when Jools rang from the B+B...they would only allow two visitors at a time, so I don't know what time she retired this morning. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Toast, with ham and devilled eggs...I will take it in the study. If the phone rings, abandon them and answer it, it doesn't matter if they spoil this time." Lance said and headed out of the door. He paused in the corridor and glanced obliquely at Owen who was dusting one of the picture frames opposite his suite, but didn't say anything. He was obviously not there just for that... Descending the stairs he took his seat in the study as Malaprop followed him before splitting off towards the kitchen.

~~~~

Seventy two hours later...

Dr. Carter sat back and placed the ultrasound wand back into its cradle, wiping her hands neatly on a couple of sheets of paper toweling as Jessica and the others awaited the news. The pinscher smiled, "Well it appears that you eggs are still attached strongly to your wombs walls and a heartbeat is still present in each of them. You have been very lucky Mrs. Ruatha. I will admit that having helped perform the repair when we were operating, I didn't think I would be giving you that news today."

A look of pure joy passed over Ruth and Jessica's faces and the leant in to kiss each other as Elizabeth, Jools and Adam all grinned at the display and news. "Thank you Doctor," Jessica said after a few moments.

The pinscher ran a hand over Jessica's stomach where the scar was still showing, "All in a day's work...you were just lucky that Dr. Grant was on call that night with me, he is one of the best in the country. Your incision is almost healed, and you bloods and pressures have been reading normal for thirty six hours now. I can't see why you need to still be here as long as you take it easy. I will sign the discharge papers for you so you can be off home. Do you have any questions?"

Jessica ignored the company without shame, "How soon may we resume our intimacies?" she asked causing Beth to blush slightly.

Dr. Carter grinned, "I should have guessed from the nature of your injury and the notes that you would be asking that question. I would say if you are gentle, a week before penetration of any kind to be safe. Intimacy in other ways of course is perfectly possible whenever you are ready, though I would avoid stimulation to orgasm on your behalf Mrs. Ruatha." Jessica smiled, though she was a tad grumpy that she would be the one to suffer further.

"It is possible that Jessica may accompany me on a plane to Singapore and Australia in the near future on my upcoming business engagements. Is that advisable?" Ruth asked, as Jessica glanced obliquely at him. He hadn't pushed her on joining him, but after the scare he really didn't want to be away from her for a month or so.

Dr. Carter thought for a moment, "Within the next two weeks...no. It would be ill advised as the pressure changes could cause a rupture. After that, there should be little more risk than normal for an avian pregnancy. Modern aircraft don't normally pressurize past six Bar, so it is extremely rare to miscarry through flight. Stay clear of booze though...a glass of wine here and there is fine, but don't get drunk. I would also avoid flying yourself manually for a couple of weeks, it could strain your abdominal muscles."

"We will talk about that later then," Jessica replied, nuzzling Ruth, "In private," she finished.

"Any more questions?" Dr. Carter asked. The others shook their heads. "Well in that case I will leave you and complete the paperwork. Try and avoid intercourse involving broken pottery in the future Mrs. Ruatha...though I find my pestle from kitchen a useful, if cool, frustration reliever at times." With that the Doctor winked and left the consultation room as everyone's jaws dropped at her parting comment.

Jools broke the silence with a deep chuckle, "So what are your plans now?" he asked, directing the question at Jessica and Ruth.

"Well we have only one night left at the hotel, and then we are due back in Cheshire tomorrow as I have to prepare for the arrival of the Australian client and his Mate. I am so glad I didn't agree to hosting them now," Ruth replied, "It is a shame that it can't all be postponed."

"When are they arriving?" Jools asked.

"On a flight tomorrow actually, but Clyde is not coming to the offices at Warrington until Thursday. It will be full steam ahead then if Felix has managed to come up with a surface dressing enough to impress him. I have got to get all my paperwork caught up with at my office before I join the company director and the team from London to welcome him there."

"Do they have weekend plans?" Jessica asked? "We could always come up with something to socialize with them then."

"Would you be up to it that soon?" Ruth asked concerned.

"Hosting them myself...no. But I may be able to wangle another couple of invites to the last garden party of the season at Geraldine's. A couple of Aussies could spice the place up a bit and create a talking point with the other Cheshire set that will be there. I only drag you along because it would be impolite to turn down invites from such a good customer...and of course several of the other ladies there know me that way to."

Elizabeth started to open her mouth, but then shut it again with a click of her teeth. Ruth glanced at her, which caused Jessica to follow his gaze. "Is there a problem mother?" she asked quietly.

"No, no...I just didn't know that you were moving amongst our set still..." Elizabeth replied a little too hastily, ignoring the look she was getting from Jools, "I would have thought someone would have notified us when we sent out the word we were looking for you."

"They are hardly your set mother, the South East families rarely mix with the new money in Cheshire except on sporting occasions...plus no-one knows of my family origins apart from Geraldine. Do you know the Knowles'? I had never heard of them until I met Geraldine at one of my sales parties."

"I have come across the name in Burkes, though I have never actually met any of them." Elizabeth replied covering, "I am not sure you could ask a customer of yours to just include a couple of strangers on their guest list though...I know I wouldn't agree to it."

"I wouldn't ask a customer mother...but I would ask a friend. That isolated vixen has been a great listener when problems have occurred, and our relationship is far closer than that of a client and supplier. The way she acts with me is almost motherly...and sometimes you need an older female to confide in and ask for advice... It is possible that without her, I would have made a really stupid mistake last weekend. You would like her mother, she is childless, slightly older than you, her family fortunes are waning as she is old money; and though her Mate loves her deeply, he strays from the den on occasion which is why she found me. Apart from the last, you share a common background."

"If you come back to the Manor, put her on the guest list and then we can talk in the rose bower like a couple of gossipy old matrons..." Elizabeth started, joking a little.

"I have already given you my answer to that. I will not say yes or no to that until Ruth and I are in a position to take that decision...I don't trust Father, and I never will as long as he breathes. Ruth and I will discuss Arnold and the others legal offer between ourselves and not when I am just recovered from a major health scare. I will not say no to meeting with him again, but it must be in a neutral and public place. One sniff of a threat and we walk, and I guarantee that you will not find us again. Why you started arguing with Ruth about it while I was still unconscious in Intensive care I don't know...it makes me think you have become a little to like Father yourself," Jessica interrupted forcefully.

"It came up by accident..." Elizabeth pleaded.

"But you didn't let it drop. I know you want me back, and I genuinely believe you at least are happy with Ruth as my choice of Mate...but it has taken you ten years to find us. You could have done something about this, years ago if you truly loved me."

"But I do love you...Lancelot..."

"Father has not been a barrier to you for at least a couple of years and you know it," she glanced at Jools and Adam who were trying to stay out of it, "It wouldn't have taken five minutes for Jools to have reverse tracked the postage on my gifts..."

"I wasn't sure they were from you sugarpuff..." Jools protested, "Besides I knew you wanted to stay hidden."

"True...but a card would have been nice eh..." Jessica shook her head frustrated, "Sorry Jools, that wasn't fair."

Jools nodded to accept the apology as Jess turned back to Elizabeth, "Mother...I needed you sometimes over the last few years, and you were unreachable. Don't expect Ruth and I to risk what we have, and to throw the lives we have built for ourselves away on a whim of perceived grandeur. We are comfortable financially, we are happy, and we are about to become a complete family. My business is thriving, and Ruth is climbing the career tree now at Overland faster than a primate in the forest. If, and only if the time and situation becomes right will I consider taking the position as the family head...but that could be a couple of years yet, if ever."

"I will talk to Arnold and Lancelot then..." Elizabeth replied sighing.

"Do so then, but don't push us for a decision. I have a feeling that a lot of things may change with Ruth's position over the next few months, and I will be there at his side to guide and support him no matter what comes up. We are going to be moving somewhere bigger before I lay, and that will be our next priority." Jessica confirmed, "In fact as soon as I am able to start viewing properties, I will be booking appointments."

"What do you want to do about the materials that were uncovered about your parents Ruth?" Elizabeth asked backing down and changing the subject.

"Erm...well...It would be nice to know about them, but I didn't know them at all. They are like ghosts to me from my past," Ruth replied flatly. He felt no emotion towards them at all, and it really didn't bother him.

"I will have Malaprop convert the files then and get Jools to email them to Jessica...you can go over them at your leisure then. It is always worth knowing your past Ruth, these last ten years may not have been so difficult if you had known then what we know now..."

"They have not been difficult for us Elizabeth," Ruth interrupted firmly, placing a hand to cover Jessica's.

"You know as well as I do Father's colour prejudices would still have caused friction between Ruth and him," Jessica said firmly, backing him up by squeezing his hand.

"Colour can be overlooked..."

"Not by Father, now stop pushing the point. I promise that next time we are in London, I will see if Alan is available for a pint or two with us...reading about someone and hearing about them are two different things. From what you have told us they had an interesting history..." Jessica said firmly, looking at Ruth, "I for one would like to know what there is to know, if only for history's sake."

"Alright love...I never understood why my Aunt hid them from me anyway. She must have held the mixed mating against them; she was rather religious after all. That's why I don't do church now, having had it stuffed down my throat until I escaped to Oxford. It put me right off it for life." Ruth agreed quietly, "Right, let's get you dressed and we can go and prove to Alice and Harry that you are still alive...it is only fair that we pay a visit to the Pod as well...though I will have to fly out to the rocks."

Elizabeth stood, stretching a little from the confinement in the plastic molded chair, "I will take my leave then Jessica, Ruth. It will be dark by the time I get back to London, and I will need to talk to Arnold before I bring all the news to Lancelot," she said approaching Jessica and planting a motherly kiss on her snout horn, "You look after yourself dear, I don't want to have to come a running again with another emergency in the future. I am looking forward to being a grandmother...never thought I would say that, but it comes to us all," she joked, causing Jessica and Ruth to grin.

Adam and Jools stood to, moving over to plant their own marks of affection on her snout, "And we will see you soon...even if I have to drag this old queen up to Cheshire myself," Adam joked.

Jools took a swipe at the wolf playfully; "Only when we are invited..." he turned to Elizabeth, "Fancy sharing a cab back to the Capitol? It will save a lot of time," he invited.

"I don't see why not, it will save funds to," she glanced at the clock which was reading just after three, "I will see if Arnold is available to meet for the evening meal."

"How about I brief Arnold as to the situation, that way you only have to deal with Lancelot," Jools suggested.

"That would save me the hassle...In fact I accept." Elizabeth placed a parting hand on Ruth's shoulder, "Look after her for me Ruth, and make sure that you keep us updated on her recovery. Don't forget about us now please...and I hope that we will be seeing more of you both soon..." she paused for a second thoughtfully, "Perhaps if you are flying from Heathrow on business, you can stay in the lodge overnight..."

"Mother..." Jessica started warningly.

"Okay, okay...I won't push," Beth replied backing down again.

"We will consider it," Ruth replied a little more diplomatically, ignoring the semi-glare he received from Jessica.

"That's all I can ask." Elizabeth turned to Jools and Adam, "Come on then, let's get moving so she can be dressed. I may have seen everything when she was a child, but it is inappropriate now!" Causing everyone to laugh. She left the private room, with Adam and Jools on her tail and headed for the exit.

Jessica turned to Ruth with a slight frown, "I still don't trust her or my Father's motives Ruth. Until I see the legal paperwork, and we have had it checked and double checked by our solicitors, I don't want to arrange that meeting...and that includes accepting invitations to stay at the lodge." Jessica said firmly as she peeled the bedclothes back to reveal her nakedness while Ruth fished in the battered chipboard cabinet by the bed for the light dress he had retrieved from The Swinging Sett, the day after her emergency surgery.

"Okay love, though I hope you will be coming with me when I next fly..."

"We will see when that is first, and how I feel. I also want to see if I get along with this Clive and his Mate before I end up in a strange land for weeks on end. I am not a beach bum and am not going anywhere if I have no-one to socialize with when you are at whatever offices you will be at," Jessica pointed out as Ruth helped her into her dress as she stood stiffly.

"Don't get any ideas about Clyde's Mate..." Ruth started.

"Why not...I have never done it with a Roo before," Jessica interrupted saucily, "Have you?"

"No...you know I haven't...but we don't know if they are that way inclined. I can't risk offending them, besides which they are marsupials...are they even compatible?"

"Did it with a koala once, he was a tad slow, but we fitted together well enough...No idea about the females though. I will have to do a little research," Jess replied, planting a kiss on Ruth's nose, "I promise that I won't be the one to ask...but I won't say no if the question comes from the other side okay?"

Ruth held his hands up in mock disgust, "Why did I ever take my bonds with you?" he joked.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe it was because I taught you everything you know in the bedroom...or maybe it was because I seduced you?" Jessica replied kissing him.

"Or maybe it is because you are still the most beautiful dragoness on the planet, just as you were the day you sat next to me in the cafeteria?" Ruth replied, converting the kiss into a French one, "And I to have taught you a few things love!" He finished through her lips after a minute or two.

"And we still have more to learn...which I look forward to. I promise now that unless Clive's Mate turns out to be a prudish, shy and incompatible personality, I will join you in Australia for as long as it takes. You in turn must promise me that you don't push me any further over my mother's offer until I am ready...Okay?"

"Okay, I promise love," Ruth said sitting again with her to wait for the nurse to come in with the discharge paperwork.

~~~~

The cab pulled away from the B+B, the occupants sitting in silence until it pulled onto the M4 and accelerated up to speed. Jools sighed and turned to Elizabeth, "Why didn't you tell her...or at least warn her?" He asked bluntly.

"You could have done it just as easily," Elizabeth replied quietly.

"It was not my place to do so...I am not going to be the one gatecrashing the soiree," Jools insisted.

"Ahem, may I ask what we are talking about?" Adam asked puzzled.

Jools frowned, gesturing to Elizabeth, "She will tell you if she deems it appropriate."

"Don't be like that Jools," Elizabeth snapped.

"Why shouldn't I be? You could blow Ruth's business deal out of the water now if Lancelot creates a fuss..."

"We don't know if she will secure the extra invites..."

"Of course she bloody will...it sounds like Geraldine has been taking your place in her life to a certain extent." Jools sniped angrily.

"What are you talking about please?" Adam asked again, cutting through the darkening atmosphere in the back of the rapidly moving car.

Elizabeth harrumphed, "The garden party that Jessica and Ruth are attending, the one that she is going to be trying to get an invite to for Ruth's clients...Lancelot and I have also been invited. It seems that Geraldine Knowles is trying to act as a bridge builder...without telling one of the supporting pillars. Lancelot will accept the invite now and there is bugger all I can do to stop him. The plan was I was going to try and get an invite for Arnold and Nyara as well so we can stop him if he creates a social disaster out of it... However that was before we knew about Ruth's clients. If it all goes pear shaped, it could ruin him now. I was meant to warn Jessica, but I decided not to when I realized just what Geraldine was to her, as she would have just pulled out."

"Shit...this could be a big mess," Adam commented after a few minutes of silence.

"You don't need to tell me," Elizabeth stated. "What would you do...honestly?"

"Tell Jessica and stop her from inviting Ruth's clients..." Adam suggested.

"And if she pulls out of the do all together? That would mortally offend her clients who will be in attendance," Elizabeth asked.

"We are in a no win situation," Jools grumbled.

"Can Lancelot be controlled?" Adam stated.

"We could drug him I suppose..." Jools suggested.

"Having him appear doped up is hardly a good idea," Elizabeth snorted, "Though it does have its appeal."

"Not good though...it would probably be worse than him losing it and being restrained. I think you don't tell her...but you must have back up. Jools and I will put up the money for the caterers through our circle, throw that into the ring and get that invite for Arnold and Nyara...Maybe Alan and his mate to," Adam offered, "It sounded like Geraldine's fortunes are not too strong, so she would accept the offer."

"Mmm, maybe. No to any more Giles' though...If we all turned up we could overpower the whole affair, and that would just wreck Geraldine's reputation. Lancelot is getting old; if Arnold, Malaprop and I can't control him, then it would just turn into a riot." Elizabeth stated.

"Warn Geraldine then...let her make the call," Jools replied.

"I will do so then...Should I put her in contact with you over the catering offer?"

"Yes, or Adam. We will sort out a trade discount and foot the bill when we find out who she uses." Jools confirmed.

"So we are agreed that Jessica and Ruth are not to be forewarned unless Geraldine suggests it?" Elizabeth said after a few minutes.

"We are agreed...I am still not happy, but I think it could be the only sensible course of action," Jools replied reluctantly as Adam nodded.

"Good, then we will consult again when we know everyone's answers. Let's say Friday." Elizabeth finished, "I won't tell Lancelot that Arnold will be there either, it might put him off his stride."

"Anything would be an advantage..."

"Well let's leave it at that then. I am going to have to a kip now, before I have to face Lancelot." With that, Elizabeth shut her eyes and leaned back into the seat.

"I just hope that you survive that..." Jools muttered as Adam snuggled into his shoulder for comfort.