O.K. This part doens't have any lemon bits in it...straight
storyline...sorry folks...^_^

Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************


	He settled into the chair at the end of the table away from the
sheet music as Remy went into the kitchen. His thoughts spun as he tried to
find an explanation. Remy set a tray down in front of him with a plate full
off fruits and cold meats and cheeses and two mugs of coffee. Remy took one
of the mugs and set it on the table in front of the chair to Tsuzuku's left.

	"You eat some of that, Cher. I be right back."

	Tsuzuku scowled at himself as his body took over and he started to
bolt the food down like a starving cat as soon as Remy disappeared into the
bedroom. He knew it was his dragon metabolism demanding refueling for the
abuse he had just put it through, but still...it was...crude. Most of the
meal was gone by the time Remy came back out with a large three ring binder
and a book. Tsuzuku took firm control of his instincts and worked on eating
the few bits of fruit left like a civilized human being. Remy seemed
nervous as he came back to the table and settled onto the chair to his
left. Tsuzuku shot him an impatient and expectant look as he finished the
last piece of melon and reached for the coffee cup.

	"You want more, Cher?" Remy asked with an amused smile.

	"No, thank you. You said you had an explanation?"

	The smile vanished and Remy took a deep breath, his fingers
drumming on the stacked books in front of him as Tsuzuku took a drink of
the coffee.

	"Tannis an me, we be dreamin' 'bout you for as long as we can
remember."

	Tsuzuku's swallow went down square and made him cough hard. Remy
shifted uneasily in his chair as he pushed the books at him.

	"My Grandmother, she wrote down my dreaming until I could. Tannis
say she started drawing pictures of you when she five."

	Remy's dark, star-flecked eyes held him for a moment, the
expression around them anxious. It would be so easy to just sit and stare
into those eyes...he jerked his gaze away and focused on the book and
binder.

	"You've been dreaming about me your whole life?" he asked,
uncomfortable with that idea as he moved the book off the binder and opened
it.

	"Oui," Remy answered just as uncomfortably as Tsuzuku flipped
through the drawings in the binder.

	They started crude, but recognizable and rapidly grew more
sophisticated. It was like looking through the family photo album for the
first twelve years of his life. Yet not, for many of the scenes were of
extremely private moments when he would give vent to the tears or temper
that he did not let anyone else see. Not even his brothers. It shook him
badly to know that someone else had witnessed those times. His hands were
trembling as he closed the binder and opened the book to a random page. The
entries were printed in large, exuberant letters.


		'April 15th, 1980.
			Remy told me that Tsuzuku got a baby brother today
and 'boy, does he cry loud for such a little thing!'

		'April 23rd, 1980
			Remy told me the new baby is called Owaru. Tsuzuku
don't know if he likes him much. All he does is cry and throw up.'

	Tsuzuku felt himself color. Well, Owaru had been a fierce tempered
and difficult baby! He started to page through the book, scanning the
entries. The entries changed abruptly in the 83's into a child's
handwriting.

	"Remy?"

	The sweet-pitched female voice startled him and he whirled in the
chair as Remy called back, "Here, lov."

	Lee-san strode in from the living room. *Gods! She is so beautiful!*

	Tsuzuku's eyes flicked to Remy who seemed only very relieved to see
her as confusion, embarrassment and guilt caught him up and threw his
thoughts and emotions into a chaotic whirl. His gaze was drawn back to
Lee-san as she came towards them slowly, her honey amber eyes narrowing. Up
close, she was even more elfin and petite than she had seemed on the stage.
Tsuzuku doubted that the top of her sun-bright curls would reach the middle
of his chest if he had been standing. Her eyes never shifted from his face
as she went to Remy and the expression on her delicate features was
cautious and somewhat hostile.

	Tsuzuku's mouth went dry and his chest tightened. She knew. He had
no doubt of that whatsoever. He forced his eyes down and away and stared at
the book in front of him, not seeing it as Remy smiled up at her and put
his arm around her to pull her tight against his side. Tsuzuku laced the
fingers of both of his hands together on top of the book to hide their
shake, so tense that his knuckles were white and bloodless. What should he
say to her? He hunted frantically for something...anything...

	"Tsuzuku, this be Tannis."

	He had to look back up at her now. She nodded at him as the tension
hung between them like a tangible thing. Remy twitched his nose and rose
swiftly, taking Tannis' shoulders into his hands and pushing her down onto
the chair he had just vacated.

	"I get you some coffee, Lov."

	Tsuzuku groaned inwardly as Remy left him. Her eyes finally
released him and she glanced down at the books on the table.

	"I see that Remy has been showing you the scrap books."

	"Yes. You are a very good artist," Tsuzuku offered with a tentative
smile, very relieved that she hadn't pounced on him with accusations.

	Tannis quirked an eyebrow at him.

	"Thank you. These are terrible though," she replied frankly, her
expression still guarded and her tone formal.

	That awkward silence settled between them again as Tsuzuku hunted
for a gracious reply to that. This was not going well. He found himself as
drawn to her as he was to Remy...he brought those forming images to a
panicked halt and threw out the first thing that came to mind.

	"It must be very strange to dream about someone you've never met."

	"You haven't had any dreams about us, have you?" she held him with
her eyes once more as Remy came back with a mug and put it down in front of
her.

	There was a hint of something under that blunt question that was
more of a statement. Accusation? Anger?

	"Only one," Tsuzuku answered and felt the heat rise in his face as
Remy went to sit in the chair to his right, "and it was last night."

	He swallowed hard as he remembered both of their hands on him and
found that hentai thought very appealing.

	*Only last night. How come they have been dreaming about me their
whole lives and I didn't even know they existed until two nights ago?*

	"Why didn't you ever try to get in touch with me?"

	Remy and Tannis exchanged glances. Tannis answered.

	"We figured that you were having the same sort of dreams and would
get in touch with us if you wanted to."

	"Assumption is the mother of all screw-up, eh, Lov?" Remy added
with a touch of laughter in his voice.

	"I did try to speak with you the other night at the concert. They
wouldn't let me backstage. In fact, I was forcefully escorted off of the
premises," Tsuzuku spoke up in his own defense.

	"See, Tannis?" Remy spoke softly and caught Tannis' eyes.

	Something silent and secret was exchanged between them. Tannis
lowered her eyes and stared expressionlessly into her coffee mug as Remy
favored him with a dazzling smile.

	"Well, now we find each other, Cher, you got some catching up to
do, neh?"

	Tsuzuku blinked, startled. Remy's easy acceptance of him, even from
the beginning, was something he just didn't understand.

	"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Tannis questioned hesitantly
as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes.

	Tsuzuku recognized it as an offering, a willingness on her part to
let him come into their lives and smiled shyly back.

	"Yes, I would like that. Very much. But I need to check in at home
and make sure everything's all right there."

	She nodded as Remy rose and beckoned with a finger. He followed
Remy into the living room and to the phone. Remy gave him another smile
then went back into the dining room, giving him privacy to make his call.
Tsuzuku chewed on his lower lip, his eyes on the dragon painting as he
wondered how he was going to explain this to Hajime as he waited for
someone to pick up.

* * *

	Matsuri was humming softly and happily to herself as she worked on
dinner. She smiled fondly at Amaru who was trying very hard to help and
mostly just getting in the way. The phone rang and they both paused and
looked at each other, then hurried to stick their heads around the corner
as they heard Hajime's concerned, "Tsuzuku, are you all right?"

	His back was to them so she studied his body language as he talked.
Tense, upset...she sighed softly.

	"Yes, he called. What happened?"

	There was a pause, then Hajime answered, "All right."

	Hajime's fingers went through his hair, twice and he glanced at the
closed door that Owaru slept behind.

	"No. That would be fine. Everything is all right here. Just...be
careful, Brother."

	He put the receiver down and went to stand in front of the window,
his arms crossed against his chest and eyes narrowed.

	"Amaru-kun, would you stir this?" Matsuri gave him the spatula and
put the wok on the burner. "Don't let it burn, I'll be back in a minute."

	Amaru nodded and winked at her, a very knowing expression on his
face. She raised her eyebrows and frowned at him and he batted his eyes at
her, all of the sudden all innocence, then set to work stirring with very
exuberant motions. She smiled softly at his subtle tease. She had been so
relieved that Amaru hadn't been upset with the relationship change between
herself and Hajime. She didn't think Owaru had been either, but she
couldn't be sure. Owaru had been in no shape to deal with much more than
getting cleaned up and to his bed. And Tsuzuku would approve. She was sure
of that. She went to Hajime and slid her arms around his waist and rested
her cheek on his back.

	"What did he say?"

	"That he was all right and going to stay for dinner, if we didn't
need him for anything," Hajime's baritone rumbled under her ear.

	She slid around him, ducked and wormed her way up through his
crossed arms. His worried expression was replaced by a small smile as he
pulled her in.

	"And?" she prompted, wanting to let him know that he now had
someone to share his worries with.

	He sighed and his little worried frown came back. "You know
Tsuzuku. He said he would explain when he got home."

	"Then he will. Stop brooding about it, Hajime-san or I'll have to
do something that will embarrass Amaru terribly to take your mind off it,"
she stood up on her tip-toes and gave him a quick kiss on the tip of his
nose.

	He actually blushed and she had to muffle her giggle against his chest.

	"Matsuri-chan! I think it's done!" Amaru called from the kitchen.

	"Coming, Amaru-kun!"

	Hajime kept her gathered close as she tried to pull away.

	"You'd better let me go, Hajime-san, or we'll have to eat our
dinner burnt."

	He did, very reluctantly and gave her a firm pat on her rear as she
hurried past him which startled a little squeak out of her. She responded
with a playful glare over her shoulder and was pleased to see that he wore
an open and honest smile. *Mission accomplished! At least for an hour or
so, if we're lucky...*

* * *

	Tannis let out a sigh of relief as Remy closed the door, on his way
to take Tsuzuku home.

	*Damn it! Why did he have to be so charming? So beautiful?*

	She wandered slowly back across the living room until she stood in
front of the portrait of Their Dragon. She started to pick out all the
little faults with it as tears threatened. She clenched both of her hands
into fists, her nails digging painfully into her palms. Remy was so pleased
that the Dragon had found them at long last. And anything that made Remy
happy was good. She bit the inside of her cheek hard in frustration,
drawing blood. The bitter tang of it filled her mouth. Blood...

	Blood had loved this dragon with all her heart and it had brought
her nothing but pain. She was terrified that it would happen again if she
let herself fall under the spell of his love once more. The Gyushu ruled
the Earth and the Heavens still and so far they had managed to keep
themselves hidden. Like before. Hidden and safe until the Dragon came. Remy
didn't understand. He thought Blood had been granted the same mercy Dust
had when the Kings had been sent into exile. He didn't know that Blood had
spent another ten years in the Gyushu court as a plaything until they had
finally abused her enough that she had died. And he would never know.


to be continued...