So Come On, Baby, Let Me In. Show Me What This Really Is. {Kita}

Gods, they were magnificent.

Roman hadn't known what exactly he was looking for when he decided to sneak onto the sands, but now, looking at the large, pulsing eggs, he was glad he'd come. They were awe-inspiring, and he felt like he was watching his child-hood fairy tales come to life. In the light of he glows, he thought he could almost make out the dragons' silhouettes through the surface of the eggs, and he was struck with an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch them.

Roman restrained himself, though. Instead, he just walked carefully around the cluster of eggs, murmuring incoherences like he would to a newborn foal. The sight of the eggs in the dim light would follow him throughout his life, he knew with a certainty, and he couldn't wait to tell Lesla about the larger-than-life encounter.

As he was debating on whether or not to leave, he heard soft footsteps coming down the long corridor. Struck, Roman thought quickly of a plan before stepping lightly to the cavern walls, hoping to go unnoticed. The big man moved quickly, and soon he was sitting with his back against the wall, hopefully out of sight.

Before he breathed a sigh of relief, though, he remembered his horse, Ares. Gods, he'd left the big stallion outside to graze while he went in on what he'd thought to be a short peek. He hadn't figured he'd be this long, and surely whoever was coming towards the sands had seen Ares and identified him as Roman's. Murmuring angrily, Roman cursed his own foolishness.

"Aww, hells."

Oh well. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. The person was getting closer, and as she came into the light Roman identified her as Kita. Damn. He knew the vet from her house calls out to his ranch, and she wouldn't take this intrusion lightly. His only hope was that she was in a good mood today, and the eggs were all in fine condition. Sighing softly, he waited for her to notice him.

Just as he'd settled down and relaxed, Zane appeared out of between and proceeded to chatter loudly at him, in a Where have you been? tone. Roman, his hiding place successfully revealed, just put his head in his hands as Zane landed on his shoulder, the bronze completely unaware of what he'd just done.

His hiding place compromised, Roman got up and waited for Kita to speak. Whether it was to be a scolding or greeting, Roman wasn't sure, but whatever it was, he was ready.

"Roman Kincaid, What in Shells are you doing here?"

Kitaya hissed, the red was rising on her cheeks as she had entered the cavern, when she had seen Ares out by the entrance she had been been annoyed to say the least, now that she acctually found him in here she was furious, not beyond furious but furious enough to raise her voice and not care who came in. She was allowed but he was not, Candidate or no they weren't allowed till hatching day. Kita had been doing the check ups on them making sure thye were a-okay. In fact she had come up with some intriguing ways to swear when she was around them 'Shells' was one of them. Silently she thanked Zane for making her aware of his exact position, she didn't need another reason to be furious with him after all.

"Give me one good reason to be here or I will report you."

There were no ifs, ands or buts in Kita's voice, she wasn't afraid to turn him in regardless of the possible minor crush she had on him, thankful for the heated angry flush on her face that disguised her blush as she got closer. Her hands were placed on her hips, high ponytail sway with the motion of shifting more weight to one leg as she waited for his reply.

"Roman Kincade, What in Shells are you doing here?"

Roman just sighed and stepped into the lights, all the while sending Zane images of himself strangling the bronze. Once he was sure she could see his face clearly and he her's, Roman looked her in the eyes sheepishly and spoke.

"Ah, Kita. Come now, don't be angry. I was just...."

He let his sentence hang as his blue eyes pleaded silently with her, but she soon spoke again, obviously not feeling sympathetic in the least.

"Give me one good reason to be here or I will report you."

Roman's eyes automatically went to the eggs behind her, and as he glanced at them he noticed Kita's black, curly ponytail swaying as she shifted her weight. Looking back into her eyes, he grinned like a boy who's just been caught eating a cake and said,

"See, Kita, that's the thing. You always have reasons for doing stuff. I, on the other hand, like to be spontaneous, doing things at the spur of the moment. That, of course, doesn't apply to tasks around the ranch, but.... you get my meaning."

"I just happened to be riding by when I thought, Hey, why don't I go check out the Sands... and Voila! I was here. I didn't touch any of them, and had it not been for this little monster, you would've never known I'd visited.. Well, him and Ares."

He stroked Zane's neck affectionately before continuing,

"By the way, Ares is still out there, right? I wouldn't think he'd wander too far, but the last thing I need is for him to be out in someone's garden."

Roman grinned again down at the woman before him, wondering how she'd take his words. Finally, tired of the silence, he asked with an innocent smile,

"Forgive me, Kita?"

"No.. Ares has wonder off.. Of course he's still out there you dimwit."

She tried to keep her voice steafy and not shout like she was oh so tempted to do, that face he gave her infruiated and both calmed her at the same time and odd feeling she found herself contending with. After a while of staring him down she heaved a great big sigh, well she could understand why he wanted to see them. They really were quite magnificent, something that was never lost on her each tim she visited. With a huff she took a seat and motioned to him to come sit down. When he was steated she suddenly got a very serious look on her face.

"Alright you can look, but it can't be long I only have an hou and you must swear not to tell anyone. It's against the rules to be on the sands when a clutch is on there unless you are working on it. No matter how much you want to tell you cannot. That's all I'm going to ask in return for letting you see the eggs." she paused for a long moment for a breath before adding on one last tiny thing.

"After all you don't want to jeopardize us being candidates do you?"

"No.. Ares has wondered off.. Of course he's still out there you dimwit."

Roman laughed at her angry statement; of course, she knew his horse almost as well as he did, being their go-to veteranarian. Returning his eyes to hers, Roman raised his eyebrows at her furious stare, questioning her mood. When she sighed heavily and just motioned for him to sit down, a grin broke out across Roman's sharp features and he happily followed Kita, claiming the seat on the right of her. As she spoke, he listened intently, relieved that she was actually pardoning him.

"Alright you can look, but it can't be long I only have an hour and you must swear not to tell anyone. It's against the rules to be on the sands when a clutch is on there unless you are working on it. No matter how much you want to tell you cannot. That's all I'm going to ask in return for letting you see the eggs."

Roman breathed a sigh of relief, and Zane crooned contentedly on his shoulder.

"After all you don't want to jeopardize us being candidates do you?"

Roman replied, trying to reassure her. Using his nickname for her, he said,

"Of course not, Kit."

Standing up, he then motioned excitedly for her to follow as he walked down to the Sands. As they walked, he got curious about the care of the eggs.

"What do you do here every day? Is there any certain thing you look for? I know this is a new experiment, so how exactly do you know what's good or bad?"

Finally they were at the edge of the cluster of eggs, and Roman remembered one thing he had yet to do. Turning so she could see his face, Roman told Kita,

"Thanks, Kit. I know this is dangerous for both of us, and I appreciate you allowing me in here. It means a lot that you trust me that much."

Kitaya was one of Roman's closest woman friends, besides his sister of course, and he valued her opinions on everything from which horses to cross to what he was going to wear to his birthday feast. The idea that she had a crush on him had never crossed his mind; sadly enough, she was like the brother he didn't have.

After flashing her another dazzling grin, Roman looked back to the eggs and slowly began to walk around them, his facial expressions warring between wonder and curiousity. Zane, on his shoulder, warbled softly; the bronze was apparently as awe-struck as his owner.

Kita stayed where she sat a few moments longer than Roman did before she stood to join him. She followed behind him keeping an eye on him as she did her daily observations list. Everything she knew was from studying firelizard eggs, and if these eggs proved anything like them they would mature the same way.

"We just check on the eggs for any cracks, or abnormal sounds. We're hoping they mature the same as the firelizards and dragonet's eggs do. So far everything looks good."

Kita was about to say more when Roman turned to face her with that serious look on his face. The words he had to say touched her heart and she found herself blushing and looked away for a long moment. Long enough for him to start moving again. There is something of a don't worry about it breathed from her lips, but it was barely heard. Breathing deeply to settle the butterflies in her stomach she rubbed the shell of the egg nearest her calmed by it's warm and slight velvet feel. She moved methodically from one egg to the other performing their daily checks, so far everything sounded and looked to be just fine. Calmed she walked towards Roman and took his hand in hers, gently she pressed it to one of the shells.

"See, it's okay to touch them. We touch and talk to them everyday." she adds with a gentle grin for the man she had somewhat of a 'crush' on.

Zane heard Kita's soft reply and turned to look at her questioningly, but Roman didn't. He was too caught up in the magic of the eggs; at the moment, the thought that the dragons encased within the eggs were intelligent beings already was entertaining him. See, he and his sister shared a sort of empathy; a 6th sense, so to speak, that had them more attuned to their horses and fire-lizards than most people.

The closer he got to the eggs, the more content and satisfied he felt. Yes, Roman was happy, but these feelings weren't exactly his. With a slight frown as he contemplated it, Roman was almost too caught up in his thoughts to notice Kita take his hand forcefully.

"See, it's okay to touch them. We touch and talk to them everyday."

Broken from his musings, Roman's eyes widened slightly as she moved his hand and placed it on one of the eggs. The shell was so soft; it reminded him of the fuzz on a newborn foal. He grinned at the curly haired vet, his excitement at actually touching the dragon egg with her lighting his deep blue eyes. After a quick moment of eye-contact he looked back to the egg and began to rub it gently, enjoying the warm surface of the shell on the palm of his large, calloused hand.

Within a few moments his face took on that serious look once again, and he turned to Kita, lots of questions in his eyes.

"Kit, do you think they hear everything we're saying? You know, hear it and understand it? Are they conscious beings right now, while they're still in the eggs? "

His brow was furrowed in thought, and one more question struck him.

"Do you think they recognoze you and your voice from day to day?"

"I do you know. That's why I'm so careful about what I say. They might recognise me, they might not. I wouldn't know. We won't know till they hatch."

She watched as his brow furrowed with the thought, her's did not as she had long since gotten past that sort of thinking and more onto the implications becoming a partner to one of them might be. In fact she found her emotions most out of check when she thought upon not being chosen. This was a question that still had her most perplexed and sometimes even upset about.

"Ro, Are you nervous about them hatching? About the possibility of being chosen?"

"I do, you know. That's why I'm so careful about what I say. They might recognise me, they might not. I wouldn't know. We won't know till they hatch."

Roman just nodded, still contemplating her reply. What if they did recognize them? It almost felt unfair to the other candidates, but he shook that thought away as fast as it came; if they wanted to see they eggs, they could sneak in here, just like he had. When Kita began to speak again, he looked her in the eyes and listened intently.

"Ro, Are you nervous about them hatching? About the possibility of being chosen?"

Roman looked gently down at her, hoping to ease the tumult of emotions playing in her brown eyes. In a soft, reassuring voice, he replied while sliding his arm around her shoulders, just like he would if it were Lesla.

"Course I am, Kit. I just don't dwell on it. Yes, I'm scared stiff about being a candidate; what would Lesla and our mother do if I had to leave the ranch? Better yet, what would Mother do if both of her children were called away after being attached to a dragon? I'm always wondering how'd I'd take care of the ranch if that were to happen, and any way I go I can't think of a way to work it out. If my father were still here to help it'd be different, but he's not and I can't waste time thinking of what could've been."

He smiled gently at her, hoping to hide the sadness that might've creeped into his face at the mention of his late father. Giving her a easy squeeze, he spoke again.

"It'll all work out somehow, though, Kit. If it's meant to happen, it will. Plus, I'm sure you don't have to worry about not being picked by one of the first clutch. With all the time you've spent on the Sands, I'm sure you're the dragon's favorite person at the moment."

Once again he grinned, hoping to brighten her suddenly bleak mood. Zane, still perched on Roman's shoulder, crooned at his, sensing Roman's sudden change in mood.

Kita almost flinched at his arm around her shoulder, being this close to him made her cheeks hot and her heart beat so hard against her chest she feared it would escape, blood rushed to heat her face further as she rested her head against his chest for a few moments. At his favourite person of the dragon comment she pushed away from him hitting him in the chest playfully with a smile.

"Sure I am, there are other who are here more than I am."

And then with a quiet almost whispered voice looking down at the ground she added,

"If you were both chosen and I wouldn't I'd take care of your Mama and the Ranch."

"Sure I am, there are other who are here more than I am."

Roman just grinned, grabbing her fists and preventing her from bashing his chest any more. When she looked down at the ground, he ducked his head slightly so he could see her eyes as she replied.

"If you were both chosen and I wasn't I'd take care of your Mama and the Ranch."

Roman's heart tore at the sound of her voice. By her tone, he could tell she desperately wanted to be picked, to be part of the new experiment. Doing the only thing he thought he could, he pulled her arms back towards him and wrapped her into a comforting hug, saying,

"Aw, Kit. I wouldn't ask you to do that. With all your work already, that'd be putting too much on your slim shoulders."

"Plus, I just know you are going to be chosen. There's no way in my mind you won't be."

That said, he squeezed her affectionately before pulling back and placing his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eye, he told her sternly, with no room for question,

"Okay?

Zane, on his shoulder, chattered in his own commanding tone, hoping to reinforse whatever his had just said. Roman, hearing Zane's attempt at enforcing something, tried his best to keep a straight face, but couldn't. The corner of his lips pulled up, and then he broke into a full grin. Gods... Zane. You're terrible. he told the bronze mentally, and Zane just warbled happily in reply.

Kita normally would have fought whatever he said, but today she couldn't. He was just so adamant, and being in his arms so much and so close, close enough to hear his heart, her emotions were in a whirlpool of confusion, too much so for her to think straight and thus she just gave in. Simply she nodded in reply, there were no words her closed throat full of emotion could utter without giving her away. So she just nodded. She smiled though, even she couldn't not smile at Zane's antics.

Grinning as she gave in, Roman squeezed her shoulder and finally let her go. He glanced back at the eggs, and then looked over at Kita. Satisfied she wasn't going to argue anymore, he turned his attention back over to the eggs. Walking inbetween them, he noticed a select few were larger than the others. Looking back to Kita, Roman asked,

"Why are these bigger than the rest?"

He stroked one of the larger ones as he waited for her reply. It felt just like all the others; soft and velvetly under his calloused hand. Zane, taking what he knew was a big risk, shimmed down Roman's arm and landed gently on the surface of the egg. Careful not to scratch it, he perched atop the developing dragonet and crooned softly, as if he was speaking to it. Roman was shocked, but he didn't try to stop his bronze. After all, it didn't seem like he was hurting anything....

"Why are these bigger than the rest?"

Kita couldn't help but laugh as Zane gently landed on one of the eggs at sat perched there. She knew he would be gentle, the firelizards and dragonets were around the eggs. His question was valid and she came and ran her hands over the egg that Zane had perched himself on so softly. Her evaluation was sort of a guess but also what she had noticed in the hatching eggs of the Dragonets and Firelizards.

"I guess it means there is a bigger baby in there like in firelizard eggs"

"I guess it means there is a bigger baby in there, like in firelizard eggs."

Roman, at her reply, just nodded. It was a resonable, logic answer, and the horse breeder almost felt stupid for asking it. Turning his attention back to the egg, Roman removed his hand and instead scratched Zane's neck. The bronze, his attention momentarily diverted, trilled contentedly at His. Roman's heart warmed at the sound, and with a smile he looked over at Kita, his eyes still tender with love for Zane.

"I know this is off the subject, but why haven't you tried to Impress a fire-lizard yet? Surely you've been asked...?"

His eyebrows came together in a slight frown as he contemplated this. Surely... She was a veteranarian, after all... Why wouldn't she have a fire-lizard of her own?