Beez is a college student on the east coast of the USA, studying social and political science. She hopes to get a PoliSci degree and become a diplomat.

Beez's parents are worried that her missing boyfriend, Edgy, has had a lasting effect on her and wonder if he comes back, will she become the soft-smiling and easy-laughing girl they all once knew?

Since 9/11 Beez has become far more active in the political world. This story takes place 'back in time', in the spring of 2002.

Beez looked at herself in the mirror and decided that yes, the earring would match everything she owned. Of course, at the time Edgy had given it to her, everything she owned was either black or leather or both. She'd graduated to violet, white, grey, lace and even a spot of denim.

"He will come back," she said to herself, as she did always - every morning - since he'd gone two years before. They were just kids, then. She was still a kid in ways now. Her parents were glad that she chose not to grow up in every way, they bought her the clothing she demanded, even fleshing out her wardrobe occasionally with something well-chosen.

How her mother could know, or her father, was a mystery to the girl. They loved her dearly, and they had really liked James. He was a good boy, at heart. It didn't matter that he was white, a punk, or sported more earring holes than a chia pet. They knew that he had a good soul. They wanted him to be part of their family all along, and Beez had always inherited her folks' attitude toward people.

Until the day that two people flew two planes into the WTC and made everyone painfully aware that not everyone wanted peace and tranquility. That event drove her to devote more than ever to her political studies. She wrote papers about the mindset of terrorists, she got stunning grades. But she became a bit colder, a bit less willing to let people be people. On the surface she was still smiling and happy.

Her parents knew that underneath she was scared, angry, worried.

Alone.

True to her word, Beez had tried to keep people from the house where James had lived. However, there was very little that an 18 year old could do when the taxes weren't paid and the collections agency came for the car, furnishings and finally the deed to the house. Legally of course, the home still belonged to James. But he wasn't there, and couldn't be found.

Beez never resented him for leaving. Seeing the beautiful silver dragon standing there in the snow was enough to convince her that yes, there really were things like fairy stories. It just wasn't for her. Not then, anyway. Why couldn't the world have kept up with her fantasy world, then? Why did it have to turn ugly and violent?

Stomping through the university's hall, Beez made a line to her social science class, armed with a stack of papers that told of days and weeks of research. She had a mission, nothing would stop her. Of course, that mission wasn't going to be seen by many more than the staff and students at the university, but still. It might some day make a difference.

James stood in the hallway, hair free of its old dyes but still cut in the same shaggy mohawk - albeit laid flat and drooping over his forehead. A woman who rode a green Vella Crean dragon stood next to him, feeling oddly out of place but at the same time comforting Edgy with her presence.

"She's so fierce now," Edgy said, quietly. "I think she's ready. She wasn't the last time I was here."

"Do you want me to go get her?" Asked Danrelle, and Edgy shook his head.

"No, no, I think let's go visit her parents. That way she won't have to worry about telling them."

Danrelle nodded and they slipped out of the halls, back to the hilly glen where their dragons waited. Rojeth was a bit nervous being here but Raizoth had gotten used to it. He could seemingly project his camoflage over another, so the green was only visible as a kind of blur below his spread camo-colored wing. The riders mounted up, while Beez was delivering a passionate speech about the dangers of trading weapons and dealing with known terrorist groups.

When they got to the house where Beez lived, Edgy knew that only her mother Bailey would be home. There was one car in the driveway, hers. They settled the dragons into the back yard, and Edgy knocked on the back door - he'd done it hundreds of times, before he left.

There was a strange silence in the house, after his distinct knock. Then, Edgy heard Bailey getting out of the big leather couch, and yell at the cat as she made her way through the kitchen.

"JAMES!" she yelled, throwing open the door and tackling him from the back porch. Laughing, suddenly aware that Bailey really was the coolest mom - short of his own - on earth, Edgy hugged the dark skinned woman and let her paw all over his stubbly face. "Your colors ran," she commented on his mohawk.

"Well, it's kind of hard to find good hair dyes on other planets these days," he said, thumbing back at the pair of dragons who crouched as well as they could into the small space of the yard. Bailey's eyes bugged out of her head, and she gulped.

"She meant you really did fly away on a dragon," Bailey whispered. Edgy nodded. "Come in, and who's your friend?"

"This is Danrelle, a search rider from Cy Dragonstake, it's... Well," Edgy breathed deeply and said, "I think it's time to take Beez to find a dragon of her own. There's a good clutch available and it's going to change the way people think about dragons."

"Oh honey, that's happening already," Bailey said, waving her hand and beckoning the riders inside. "You didn't hear about Alabaster, then."

She told them about how on the west coast some weird thing happened and there were dragons flying around out there all the time now. Slightly deflated, Edgy nodded and said, "but look, there's a clutch. It'll be different than most that we've seen before. So, I think it's time."

"I'm happy that you think so," Bailey said. "And when she gets home? Have you broken this news to her yet?"

She knew that he hadn't, just by the look on his face.

"You know it's ..." Edgy said, "I've really missed you guys."

"We hoped you did," the woman said, and set down two mugs of coffee, shooed the cats off the table again, and they sat down to get reaquainted.

***

Beez wondered why her father's car was parked so weird, in the half of the driveway that usually was empty for her own car. When he'd been called, he drove home and haphazardly parked, in his haste to see Edgy again. Beez didn't know that.

But she did in a moment, when she opened the door and said, "why's your car all like that, dad? You drivin' drunk or--"

Her big eyes widened, and her soft large lips parted wordlessly. She dropped her books, right there on the floor. "James," she said, and they couldn't be parted.

She looked at Danrelle a bit oddly, at first worried that she was his new girlfriend or something. But when the situation was explained at last, Beez shook the woman's hand and asked, "we could sure use a superhero around here."

"So I've seen," Danrelle nodded. "But that could be you," she added with a smile.

"You think that the dragons will just be accepted here?" Beez said. "I mean, where to put one?"

"Out in the back," Zach, her father, commented. "They fit."

"They do not fit," Edgy said, "you have any idea how uncomfortable they are? I mean, I can feel Raizoth's wing cramping up."

"I . Was . Kidding ." Zach said, blinking with the obvious. "We'll find a way, James, it's okay to call you James now, isn't it?"

"Mostly," he said, looking down sheepishly and scraping his riding boot on the floor.

"I think you're right," Beez said brightly, "I think it is time. You know what, I want to meet them, your dragon and everything. Can I?"

"They're right outside," James said, "come on."

Outside the dragons 'uncloaked' and Beez stood in awe. Her mind had changed about them. They weren't things to fear, they were wonderful, they were the vision of hope and strength that she'd been looking for since September.

You were right, she is ready! Danrelle's Rojeth said. Terramania here we come!

"She'll need to get her things," Edgy reminded the dragon, who was a bit hyper for his tastes. Bailey came out with her daughter's bag packed. "Must be nice having a psychic mom," he added with a grin. The pain of his family's deaths had finally worn down to a dull roar, it seemed. And he knew that this time, he did have a family to come home to.

"I can't promise I'll have her back by midnight," James said, "but I'll promise that you'll know her when you see her on a dragon."

They flew off, watching down at the house where Bailey and Zach waved. Beez hugged Edgy's midsection tightly, not worried but in glee.

What would happen next was anyone's guess!

The Dragonstake was a busy, filled place. There was an air of worry in some of the more ranking inhabitants, though, and Beez did her best not to ask them all about it. They weren't here for that, just yet. The weather was chill, it was yet winter here and the snow was falling gently.

But there was a bellow and a roar, dragon voices raised below in the sands cavern. Mobilized, Beez was escorted to the hatching sands by her greatest boyfriend of all time, James.

When the eggs started hatching, both of them were attentive, but James had to move himself back up to the stands. Danrelle and the other searchers were scattered around, some at the hatching but more of them out looking for more, there were other eggs needing bonders. They didn't matter to Beez, though.

A beautiful plant-colored dragonet slipped from her shell, who paired off and then everything started moving. An earth bonded to what looked like a dwarf, a fire next, and an electric looking one. There were so many! A whole batch of them, Beez lost count. Mostly because she was just searching the shells - there was one calling to her, but ... she wasn't sure why she thought that. It wasn't the blue water one, wasn't the next electric... And was not the stunning ice that bonded. Another dozen or more? Beez's heart began to pound. There was a vampire on the sands, and it bonded - why wasn't she?

The stunning Greatest water that hatched had everyone including Beez in freezeframe for a moment. She was majestic, but Beez still let her eyes wander the ever-dwindling shells. Waters and fires, plants... Everything but the one that would come to Beez.

Until... An earth dragonet, female, rose from the shards of her broken shell. She looked around with the same questing gaze as Beez had, and their eyes met. Sure, the female shook the last of the sand from her multi-colored hide.

I'm Tevessa, she said.

"Beez," the young woman said. She couldn't help the big grin on her face from spreading. "Nice to meet you."

The hatchling who was of a medium size and would probably be the same size as Raizoth, came to her side and bumped against Beez's legs. Come on now, I'm very hungry. You can contemplate later. Eat now.

Laughing, the pair moved off the sands and would be greeted by James after the hatching was over. They were such the pair!

Notably AOL hometown vanished shortly after this, but in 2020 I've found the wayback has them up. Tevessa is a Medium Earth dragon, and as such she does have the ability to shapeshift into a humanoid draconic form. I have never exploited this, it's possible that she doesn't learn how.

Bailey and Zach Hill named their daughter BZ, after each other. Beez and Edgy - now finally accepting his name of James - married in 2004 after Beez graduated with a Masters in Political Science, and her dragon was an adult. Though they spent another couple years touring with their dragons, eventually they decided to settle where their dragons as well as their experiences would be of the most use: on the west coast in a town known as Crescent City.

Edgy has become a guidance councelor and part-time dragon studies instructor, and Beez has used her extensive knowledge and training to become a history and political-science professor, both of them at Carramba High School, and Beez' poli-sci class held at C4, the community college nearby.

Together they are raising a family, and the Hills as a unit are quite content (though James still complains he doesn't get to wear warm winter clothing enough there). Of note, this might not be the same dimension they started in. Though the 'west coast/Alabaster event' is certainly a common occurrance among many dimensions, they weren't necessarily aware of there being an entire different side of the planet that had furries on it! But true to form, they roll with it, learn to enjoy it, and have plenty of contact - somehow - with Beez's parents.

Their dragons maintain lookout over southern California, and relish the days when they get to play in the snow.

Dragon

Name: Tevessa
Gender: Female
Size/Shoulder/Length: Medium 10'5" s / 60' l / 90' ws (arms)
Colors: Earth, brown mottled scales on limbs and back, with very shiny chocolate and caramel belly scales; wingsails and headwing fins creamy brown; claws medium
Features: Dracanian Elemental, as shown
Powers: Winged Flight
Elemental Earth powers (unclear as to what these are since no specifics were ever given)
Shapeshifting to anthro version of above, keeps all appearance and limbs; this power is entirely unused but will carry in offspring
Unknown other abilities
Parentage: Progenitor in clutch, unrelated to others
Origin: Cy Dragonstake Terramania
Other Info: gets along very well with James' dragon, hmmm....