[Becca]

Vetinari smiled down at her. "I'm sure if she runs into Ravish she'll be fine. That boy would protect a girl with his life and soul. You might call it a bit of a drawback..." he said. His ears pricked up. Was that a snap of a twig? He could swear that he could detect a new scent too, but he was so absorbed in Fleur's scent that he dismissed it.

(Okay! The meeting of the stepson! Dun dun dun! XD)

[SpringsSong]

Fleur nodded, her ears tentatively perked as she looked around again before saying, "Advantage or drawback, I just hope she doesn't end up getting corrupted." There was another snap, and then, a gentle "Ooof!" as someone fell into the caves.  She looked around, her eyes alert and her legs ready to run.  Then, there was a voice that said, "Step away from my mother."

"Mahj!" Fleur said, not moving from her spot.  The ringed and malamute male's eyes were fixed on Vetinari as he said, "Are you all right, Mother?  Has this male hurt you in any way?" Fleur could not tell if there was concern in Mahj-Ahno's voice or if he was just plain being vehement against any male that dared come within range of his mother that was not related to her.

"N-no, Mahj... He's my lifemate..." Fleur said, slightly frightened by her son's appearance.  Mahj walked as close to Fleur as he dared and whispered into her ear, quietly, "You know that he's a Purine, Mother.  You are an Imperial.  What would Grandmother think?"

Fleur looked back at her son as Charmante answered for her, Tali?±a would not care the faction so long as he swears to protect her with his whole being. Fleur nodded in agreement, but Mahj's eyes returned to Vetinari before he asked, "Well, what is your name?  It would appear that you are my stepfather, but I demand to know your name."

{70||1}

[Becca]

Vetinari smiled at the young male's spirit. He sounded like a born fighter. "My name is Vetinari." he said smoothly. He drew himself up letting the young male know that he was not afraid of him. Vet's tails flicked in lazy motions. "And I am indeed your stepfather."

[SpringsSong]

Mahj eyed him curiously before turning back to his mother.  "Well?" He said, and Fleur smiled.  "What else am I supposed to say, Mahj?  I love him, and I'm going to stay with him as long as I'm alive."

"Suit yourself..." Mahj said, looking at Vet warily.  "Just so long as you won't hurt her as my father did in having a crush on someone else and being set on having them as your lifemate..." He said.

{Fleur: 71||Mahj: 2}

[Becca]

Vetinari smiled at Mahj. "You don't have to worry about that..." he said, looking down at Fleur. His smile turned soft and his eyes glazed over. "I couldn't love anyone else more..." he said. He looked back up at Mahj. "She's the most wonderful person I've met..."

[SpringsSong]

Fleur smiled as she said, "You're the most wonderful person I've met, Vetinari." She nuzzled his shoulder as Mahj sighed and said, "Rub it in." He turned to leave, and Fleur shook her head.  "Poor boy... He has a fighter's spirit, yet is so sensitive when it comes to love." She said, becoming worried for her son.

{Fleur: 72||Mahj: 3--left}

[Becca]

"Ah, well I'm sure he'll find someone..." said Vetinari, feeling a pang of pity for his new stepson. "I myself used to be sensitive about that. I'd always sulk when Becca took me to set up breedings. It never felt right." he said. He smiled and nuzzled Fleur back. "Thats not a problem now though..."

[SpringsSong]

Fleur nodded.  "I'm sure he'll find someone, too... that is, assuming that people won't mind his large family.  The Tali?±a and Kyuukai lines, after all, are the largest on Evelon.  Most of the time now, Fire just sends us out and hopes for the best.  Thus was the way with Tasera, my sister." She said, looking around again.  "Either way, I am really glad I met you... even if I do have two more breedings arranged." She said, chuckling.

{73}

[Becca]

"I am glad as well..." murmered Vet. "I may have three other breedings..." he continued, pressing his nose into Fleur's neck. "But I'll never stop thinking of you..." Becca will probably let me drop a few... He smiled and drank in her warm scent.

[SpringsSong]

Fleur smiled.  "I'll never forget you, either.  Not for as long as I'm alive." She said, letting her head rest on top of his.  She breathed in deeply, not wanting to move from her spot.  "I don't mind that we have less than four breedings left before we can retire with each other; even though I'd love just to stay with you forever..." She said.

{74}

[Becca]

Vet smiled slightly. "It'll be something to look foreward to..." he said. He would look forward to it more than anything. "Well, what should we do know?" he asked. It would be nice to go and have some fun, maybe explore some more.

[SpringsSong]

Fleur chuckled.  "I think the smartest thing to do would be to find a way out of these caves that also allows us back in as well, so we don't have to fall through that hole again... that was rather painful." She said, smiling as she stood up, looking around.  To the left were a couple more caves, and; Fleur assumed, another way into the caves.  "Personally, I wouldn't mind trying to find some things to put in this cave to make it a little more... homey.  You see, my mother's moving out here once she gets back from the war, and three or four of her closest children--in addition to me, there'll probably be Marcello, my nephew, Galen, my brother, and if I'm not mistaken, Areia, my cousin--will also move into their own cave here." She said.  "Of course, we don't have to live here if you don't want to..." She added.

{75}

[Becca]

Vetinari smiled. "I like it here. Its hard to find, its cozy, and it just seems right." he said. "We don't have to find somewhere else." He nuzzled her and then set about looking for an easy route out.

Vet sniffed around the edges of the cave. Peering into every crevace he came to, he sniffed for a hint of fresh air. Finding nothing, he turned back to Fleur. "Well, nothing so far..."

[SpringsSong]

Fleur smiled.  "All right then; let's see if we can find a way out of here..." She said, moving towards the other caves.  The scent of her nephew bombarded her nose as she walked on, also catching a whiff of fresh air.  In addition to that, she caught a new scent; actually, two... she recognized both scents undeniably.  What would Lennox and Dismas be doing here? She wondered, remembering the Akita and Shadebane Lucain only vaguely.  Shrugging, she said, "I think we ought to go all the way over into the last cave.  There might be a doorway out."

Indeed, there was a doorway of sorts out into the open through that last cave, and it lead right out into some sort of a hidden waterfall; one that Tali had mentioned in passing.  "Hm..." Fleur murmured.

{76}

[Becca]

Vetinari trotted to catch up to Fleur. "Well, looks like we're gonna get wet." he said in a cheerful voice. Walking a few paces closer to the waterfall, he peered around. "I think I can see a little footpath." he said, raising his voice so as to be heard over the waterfall. "Its out of the range of the water so it probably won't be too slippery."