'It'll be OK. Whatever happens tomorrow, we can deal with it.'

{After finishing her pizza, Dianne wraps her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.}

Dianne: "Yeah...good thing the trial's in the afternoon, because tomorrow, I'm probably not waking up early."

Armin gave a quiet chuckle. He leaned into the hug and affectionately kissed the side of her face.

'Healing magic really knocks you out, does it?'

Dianne: "It does. Also, whenever dragons aren't feeling well, they sleep it off. Kind of an evolutionary crutch."

'So, how are you feeling right now? You want to go up to bed, or are we staying up for a bit?'

Dianne: "I am a little tired, but I don't want to go to bed until you're ready to. We can stay up until you're tired."

'We'll turn in soon. I'm not exhausted or anything, but I don't mind going to bed. And I don't want to keep you up too late.'

He settled against her comfortably.

{Dianne kisses his cheek, settling in next to him.}

Dianne: "Alright, just tell me when."

Armin was quiet for a few minutes, watching whatever was on the TV, while Esme dozed in the background.

'Thinking about how Jerry's family are with non-humans... I can't help but wonder if my own parents would have been like that. Maybe if they found out I was a vampire, they'd have hated me. It makes it easier to understand how Jerry can still care about his family after everything they've done, when I consider that mine might've been the same.'

Dianne: "Yeah. According to Jerry, he was groomed to join the family hunting business. His dad tried to teach him that all non humans were bad, but interference from his uncles and grandfather taught him otherwise. He just didn't want to face that his father was a racist."

'Well, he's lucky that he listened to the right side of the family. Otherwise, he might be where his dad is right now.'

Dianne: "True. If he hadn't, we likely never would have been friends. Or he might have decided to shoot me in the back after the Shacklestone war."

Armin considered for a moment. 'I wonder what his mother thinks of everything that's going on, and who's side she's on. I've never met her.'

Dianne: "Yes you have, back at the inn in Riverside. She didn't talk much, but the resemblance was unmistakable. Jerry says he has no idea where she is or how she feels about all of this. That's also very troubling for him."

Armin scratched his jaw and thought back, but couldn't remember her. Jerry had too many family members, and it was a long time ago.

'That's odd... I'd assume that, whichever side she's on, she'd have done something by now. Either to try and help Sam, or to support Jerry.'

Dianne: "We don't have the full story. Maybe it's too hard for her to choose between her son and her husband. Jerry tells me this event basically tore his family apart."

'It's a mess,' Armin agreed. 'And I don't think whatever happens at the trial is going to improve it. But let's not worry about it right now.'

Dianne: "Yeah."

{Squeezing him tightly, she nuzzles into his neck.}

Dianne: "That a problem for tomorrow."

Tensing slightly, he regarded her quietly through half-open eyes.

'Yes... no reason to think about it now. We'll have lots to do tomorrow.' Winding one arm around her, he pulled her closer with an affectionate squeeze.

Dianne: "Yes, much to do."

{Dianne settles in comfortably with him for a minute, before seeing Esme dozing.}

Dianne: "Maybe we should retire now..."

'Mhm, probably...'

Armin heaved himself to his feet.

'Come on, let's go.'

{Standing, Dianne picks up Esme and follows Armin up to the bedroom. Placing Esme down on the bed, Dianne crawls in herself.}

Armin went into the bathroom first to get changed. Returning shortly in his usual nightclothes, he slid under the blankets beside Dianne, yawning.

{Once Armin got in, Dianne rolls over and snuggles into him.}

Dianne: "...Goodnight..."

'Goodnight.'

He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, then settled down with the intention of sleeping.

-------------------

{Early the next morning, Dianne was sleeping peacefully next to Armin. Suddenly, she began to stir and fidget. That moment turned to struggling, clawing, and fearful moaning.}

Armin made a surprised noise and jerked awake, blinking as he tried to make sense of the disturbance.

'Hey.' He took Dianne's arm in a gentle but firm grip, trying to rouse her. 'You're just dreaming, come on, wake up, everyone's fine... I'm here, Esme's here...'

{In response, Dianne jerked her arm back and reached out with the other to grab Armin by the throat. Opening her eyes, she snarls at him.}

Dianne: "No! I won't let you take her! I... I...."

{Realizing what she was doing she lets go of Armin and scrambles backward off the bed, falling with a thud.}

Dianne: "...oh no..."

Armin's expression shifted to slight alarm, but it wasn't because she'd grabbed him by the throat. He sat up and peered over the side of the bed.

'...Are you OK?'

{Dianne simply curls up into a tight ball, shivering and crying.}

Dianne: "...I'm sorry... I'm sorry.... I didn't mean it..."

Armin leaned over the side, watching her. Serious and entirely awake now, his expression showed primarily concern.

'I know you didn't mean it,' he said soothingly. 'Come on, it's OK. Come back onto the bed.'

{Still lookig a bit upset, Dianne slowly gets up and climbs back onto the bed.}

Dianne: "Please don't tell Rex about that..."

'I wasn't planning to.'

Armin eased back so he was partially lying down, propping himself against the headboard.

'So was that... the usual nightmare?'

{Dianne just flopped down onto her front.}

Dianne: "Not quite. This time it was Viridi. He said Esme challenged him to trial by combat, and he meant to take her from me. So, I tried to kill him, then you woke me up, right as I was going for the kill...Maybe next time, don't grab my arm? I don't want to hurt you..."

//Not surprising to dream about Viridi after yesterday. Odd that Esme got into it, though. I guess that's dream logic for you...// Armin thought.

'Oh. Sorry, I just wanted to get you awake quickly, and I wasn't afraid of you hurting me. I won't do it next time.' He gazed down at her as she lay there.

{Dianne just makes a saddened expression, quietly crying as she lay there.}

Armin slid down to lie beside her, reaching over to slowly rub her back. He said nothing, just trying to soothe her.

{After a few minutes, she seemed to calm down, moving closer to him.}

Dianne: "You're sure your ok? I didn't hurt you?"

'I'm fine. You only grabbed hold of me for a second.'

He continued to rub her back slightly, more out of affection than comfort, now that she seemed calmer.

{Dianne snuggles up to him, looking for affection.}

Dianne: "Hold me."

Armin pulled her tightly against himself, hugging her and nuzzling her head.

'You should try and go back to sleep... it's really early.'

Dianne: "Ok..."

{Settling in, she starts to drift off.}

Armin held her close, not letting himself drift off until he thought she had. Eventually, he started to doze off as well. It was dark and cold, this early on a November morning.

{Later that morning, Dianne to stir again, a bit more gently. Burrowing into Armin, she settles back down.}

Dianne: "...Please don't hate me..."

Armin stirred slightly at her voice, but remained peacefully asleep. His arm tightened unconsciously around her for a moment before relaxing again.

{Dianne seems to remain asleep as well, her statement the result of half asleep rambling.}

-------------------------------

{Meanwhile, hidden in the forest outside Opalway, two familiar figures converse. One had a newspaper, and was showing it to the other.}

Jack: "Well, the old man is going on trial."

Carl: "Yep. We can't save him. Dumb old bast.ard."

Jack: "Maybe we can..."

Carl: "How?! We can't get anywhere near there!"

Jack: "We leave the helmets off, ditch the gear. They don't know what we look like."

In Shacklestone, Fred's people were alert. Vampires in a variety of inconspicous animal forms, watching for any sign of the Tussock brothers. Fred was working a morning shift at his own job, patrolling the royal palace, and listened to the telepathic reports coming in from his people as he did so.

//Day of Sam Garvey's trial. Intervention from some party is to be expected.//

A while after Dianne drifted off again, Armin stirred, this time opening his eyes. He glanced at her, then turned his head away with a massive yawn. He checked the time - not wanting to risk them being late for the trial - then settled back down with her.

{Dianne stirs, squeezing Armin slightly. Opening her eyes, she looks up at him.}

Dianne: "Good morning...

Armin shifted his gaze to look back at her.

'Morning. Glad to see I didn't have to manhandle you awake this time.'

He then closed his eyes and snuggled up to her; not sleeping, just relaxing.

{Dianne snickers, welcoming his affection.}

Dianne: "Hey, I was having a bad nightmare. I'm just happy I didn't hurt you."

'Of course you didn't. You came back to your senses almost immediately, as I knew you would.'

He absently kissed her jaw before snuggling up again.

'Besides that incident, did you get a good night's sleep?'

Dianne: "Yes. I'm feeling quite rested."

{Looking up, she kisses his chin.}

Dianne: "how about you?"

'I'm doing good. Though I'm certainly not in a hurry to get up. We're staying here a little bit longer.'

Dianne: "Yes. Just enjoying each other's company."

{Getting comfortable, Dianne nuzzles into his neck, then settles down.}

Armin wrapped his arms around her, squeezing a little.

'Did I ever mention how adorable you are?' he said, grinning.

Dianne: "Yes. You're adorable too, you know. I'm happy you think so."

'I think so because it's the truth. And you probably haven't heard it from anyone in a long time, so I'm saying it to make up for that.' He absentmindedly rubbed her upper back as he held her against him, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling.

Dianne: "Well, I thank you for that."

{Letting out a growl, she closes her eyes, enjoying the back rub.}

'Mhm...'

He continued for a few moments, then, with a mischievous expression, moved his hand up higher and very lightly scratched the back of her neck.

{Dianne sucked in a quick breath, tensing slightly.}

Dianne: "You just love surprising me with that, don't you?"

'Ha, sorry. Couldn't help myself. And you keep nuzzling into my neck, so I call that due payback.' He smirked.

Dianne: "Ok then."

{Suddenly, she sharply nips his neck.}

Armin gave a small, startled yelp in response, digging his fingers into her back and tensing slightly.

'Should have expected that...'

{Dianne chuckles, smirking flirtatiously.}

Dianne: "Yeah? If it wasn't for the fact that there's no one to watch Esme, I don't think I'd stop."

'That's not true. You could get Barnabas to watch her if necessary. You have before.' He shifted restlessly. 'But if you just don't want to right now, that's alright. I know you weren't feeling up to it before.'

Dianne: "Yes, but Esme hasn't had breakfast, and Barnabas can't cook for her like Rex does. With how late it is, we won't have time to do it after breakfast without risking being late for the trial, given that I want to be there a little before. Perhaps we should revisit this tonight?"

'Alright.' He kissed the top of her head, then started to shift away. 'We'd better get up, then.'

Dianne: "Yes, let's."

{Dianne gets up and gathers her clothes. After changing into her under armor garb, she heads downstairs.}

'I need to shower real quick. Go on ahead.'

Armin went into the bathroom, taking his clothes. Esme eagerly followed Dianne to the kitchen.

{Dianne walks to the kitchen and begins to prepare breakfast. An omlette for herself and an egg and cut up fruit for Esme.}

Armin returned a few minutes later and wandered into the kitchen to get himself a mug of coffee.

'When's the trial?' he asked.

Dianne: "At three. But, I want to go over there after breakfast, see what Frederick has set up as far as precautions."

{With both her and Esme's food in hand, she heads to a table.}

'I bet Ryder will be around. He chased those Tussock guys out of the city, so he knows exactly what they look like.'

//Wonder if I'll get to confront them myself,// he mused. //They're obviously not pushovers. Might be fun, to have to fight them...//

Dianne: "Yeah, but he got hurt last time. We can't let him chase them alone this time. I'll have Barnabas snooping around and I'll be in the main courthouse. You should probably be with Frederick, helping him with whatever he needs."

'I'll see what he's up to. Fred usually stays out of the way and lets his people do the dirty work. If it comes down to a fight, I'd rather be involved.'

Dianne: "Oh, that's boring. In that case, you can stay in the courthouse with me. If they want to bust him out, that's where they'll have to be."

Armin sipped his coffee. 'Alright, we'll be prepared. Take armour and weapons... Also, what about Esme? Do we leave her with Pythia again while we attend the trial?'

Dianne: "Yeah, I think we'll have to, assuming Rex is working today. I'll call her after breakfast."

'It's Wednesday. No reason why he wouldn't be... We'll have to stop at my house to collect our weapons. I'm taking my wind magic sword. It might be useful. If they do show, we'll see if their armour withstands razor-sharp projectile strikes,' he said with a feral grin.

Dianne: "Yes. I'll have to collect something to fight with. Maybe the Ghost Pike. Although I know you don't like that one, it will get through their armor."

'Yeah, the pike's great. But can you maybe not let go of it this time?' said Armin, unimpressed. 'Also, we'll talk to Fred before the trial. He might have information on the brothers that we'll need to know if they do show up.'

Dianne: "Don't worry. This time, no screw ups. And yeah, we'll talk to him first."

Armin returned his empty mug to the kitchen to wash it up. Once done with this task, he set about preparing to leave for his house.

{Dianne took care of the plates and went to put on her armor. She called Pythia, and she agreed to watch Esme again. Esme in hand, she waits by the door.}

Armin stepped outside, shoes and leather jacket on. The snow last night hadn't been anything more than a flurry, as none had settled. However, it was cold, as usual.

'I wish they'd hurry up and deliver my truck,' he grumbled. 'C'mon, shift and let's go.'

{Shifting, she waits for them to get on before taking off.}

Dianne: "It's coming from a long way. They said it would take a week at least."

As they took off, Armin put an arm over Esme to secure her while his other hand rested on Dianne's back. He squinted against the rushing wind.

'Well, flying and walking everywhere aren't so bad. Having a car is just more convenient, I suppose.'

Dianne: "Yeah, it is. Although, be honest. Do you just want it to be shipped so we get the heater and move out of my place?"

Armin shrugged. 'That's a part of the reason. I do like my place. I don't want to be away from it all winter. But I'm also beginning to get used to your house, just a little bit... I don't hate being there.'

Dianne: "Alright. That's fair. I mean, our fish cookouts are really great. I want to do more of those."

'Yes, your house being close to the lake is probably its biggest advantage. To me, at least. We can catch and grill fish whenever we like.'

Dianne: "Honestly, I thought that would make you want to live in my house. Seems my interior decorating is too much for you, however."

'We can live here sometimes. We've both got our own houses that we like, and both have benefits and flaws. There's no sense in us just picking one house and staying there all the time.'

Dianne: "That's all I ask."

{Getting to the park, Dianne lands, waiting for them to get off.}

Armin jumped down, letting Esme fly after him. He then set off out of the park towards his house. Like before, a few bystanders gave them startled looks and edged away, not used to seeing a dragon land in their midst.

{Dianne shifts back, grinning under her helmet.}

Dianne: "Have to say, it's kind of funny watching them all scatter."

'That's mean. They've hardly ever seen a dragon before. You're big and scary to them,' said Armin reprovingly, though he smirked as well.

Dianne: "Yes, but I saved them all. Why do they still fear me?"

Armin shrugged. 'Hard to get past the instinctive fear, I guess. Like how some people are scared of spiders, even harmless ones.'

Dianne: "I suppose so."

{Soon, Pythia's house appeared. There wasn't a very long line of people this time. Dianne walks right for the door.}

Armin followed her in, Esme running behind him. She obviously recognised Pythia's house by now and maybe even knew that she was going to be left here again.

{Pythia seemed to be on break when they walked in.}

Pythia: "Hey. How are you three this morning?"

Dianne: "Good. How about you?"

Pythia: "Everything's good on my end. I'll watch Esme for you while you preside over the trial."

'Yeah, you've got the babysitting job now that Rex is too busy to ask him to do it,' said Armin. 'Hopefully you don't mind having her around the house.'

Pythia: "Not at all. But, if there's another infectious disease outbreak, you probably wouldn't want her around here."

Dianne: "In that case, we'd just have to find someone else."

'Depends if the disease is contagious to dragons,' said Armin. 'But yes, I'm sure we can find someone else in an emergency.'

He looked around the room.

'Quiet today? There weren't many people waiting outside.'

Pythia: "Yes. It's nice to not have to work so hard."

Dianne: "That means you can actually spend time with her instead of locking her in a room with a tv."

'Well, have fun together,' said Armin. He reached down to briefly pet Esme's snout. 'We'd better get going. We need to prepare. And try not to be too alarmed if any of us show up at your door later covered in blood.'

Pythia: "Ok, so long as you're alive. Esme needs her parents, you know."

Dianne: "We'll be alright."

{Kneeling, Dianne kisses Esme on the snout.}

Dianne: "Be good, ok? Don't trash Pythia's house."

Esme growled, as if to say, 'How dare you suggest such a thing.'

Armin clapped Pythia on the shoulder in a friendly manner. 'Alright, we'll be back to get her after the trial.'

Pythia: "Alright, be safe, you two."

Dianne: "Bye, Pythia!"

{Getting up, Dianne heads for the door.}

Armin glanced back at Pythia and Esme as they departed.

'Alright, onto my place,' he said, turning to head in that direction.

{Dianne walks with Armin towards their house.}

Dianne: "So, think the Tussocks will show up?"

(Posting new room)