Chapter 8: Civilization

A long time passes. All that's left of the forest that Jessica and Staria called home is ash and burned trees. Voices in the distance stir Jessica awake. She looks around, stunned at the sight of her new surroundings. Jessica soon discovers that Staria is not with her. "STARIA!" She cries out, frantically trying to find her daughter. At first, she doesn't get any response, and she begins to break down, gripping at the ash beneath her. A snap brings her back into focus, and soon Staria comes running to her mother. Despite all of what happened, Staria was still alive.

"Where were you?" Jessica asks in a worried tone.
"I found this." Staria holds up a small flower that had also survived the inferno. Jessica just takes the flower, and places it in Starias hair by her horn.
"Mommy? What happened to your ving?" Staria asks out of curiosity, pointing at her mother's right wing.
"It's broken baby, from when I caught you falling."
"Will you be ok Mommy?"
"Yes baby, I'm going to be just fine, I promise." She says as she tears up and hugs Staria. As she does, she hears voices again, and she looks around, trying to find the source of the voices. It doesn't take long for the source of the voices she heard to become known.

"HEY! OVER HERE! WE'VE GOT SURVIVORS!" One of the voices yells. And soon, a group of forest fire fighters begin to approach the two. Jessica starts to back away slowly, putting herself between Staria and the firefighters. It's been five years since she's seen a human, and her discovery might land her back in an AGR cell. Her fears subside when one of them says "Hey, isn't that one of those Dragon Hybrids they talked about on the News a couple weeks ago?"
"You know what I am?" Jessica says to the firefighters.
"Yeah, I guess, wow, I didn't you know you could talk as well." The firefighter responds
"Who are you guys?"
"NorCal Fire Rescue Smoke Jumpers, working with the California Air and Army National Guard Ma'am." Another firefighter says. "Please come with us, and let's get that wing of yours looked at."
"Mommy? What do we do?" Staria asks.
"We go with them Baby, they're the good guys." Jessica answers assuringly. "How did you know we were out here?" She asks one of the firefighters.
A firefighter holds up the AGR blanket "We found this blanket in a cave not far from here; I'm guessing you want it back." Jessica nods her head, and the firefighter throws the blanket over Jessica and Staria, and the two are lead to an awaiting helicopter to be airlifted out of the area. As the Helicopter takes off, a Medic looks over both Jessica and Staria, and soon gives them some Oxygen to help them breathe better. Jessica looks out the window at the destruction, and almost feels sick to see that the forest she had called home for so long was completely destroyed by fire in a matter of hours.

When the helicopter lands at a nearby small airport, Jessica and Staria are both taken to an area hospital to be checked out. After a while, a doctor is doing a final check of Jessica. Her wing has already been set, and put in a small cast to keep the bone in place. As Jessica is looked over, she starts to get antsy as Staria was taken to another room to be checked over. "I told you, I'm fine, can I see my daughter please?" She asks.
"Yes, don't worry; you'll get to see her." The Doctor says. "Just be patient."
"I have a question though." Jessica says "How come I didn't become bar-b-q?"
"It has to do with your skin." The doctor says "Your leathery skin allows you to handle much higher temperatures then any human like myself."
"So, you're saying that what AGR did to me, saved my life out there."
"Very much so, infact I'd think it be safe to say that…" The doctor stops as Staria comes running in. "Well, speaking of your daughter, here she is."
"Mommy I got a lollypop!" Staria says as she runs into the room and jumps into her mother's lap. The Nurse who had been looking her over walks in shortly afterwards.
"Oh you did! Good for you!" Jessica says with excitement.
"For someone that was raised in the wilderness for five years, she was surprisingly well mannered." The Nurse says. "I've haven't seen even human children that were this well mannered, you did an excellent job raising her."
"Thank you." Jessica says. "Can we leave now?"
"Yes, once Staria has her vaccinations, you'll be all set." The doctor responds "Oh, and one more thing." The doctor then reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a key. "Since I doubt you have anywhere to go, I want you to have this."
"What is it?" Jessica asks as she takes the key.
"It's the key to my beach house in San Diego. It's already paid for and everything, and I've been neglecting it for a while, and I was thinking about selling it. But seeing as you need a place to stay, I thought I'd give it to you."
"I don't know what to say." Jessica says as tears fill her eyes.
"Don't worry about it. I've been in the Guard for a while, and have been practicing privately in that time, so I think I can afford to give someone like you a head start. I'll have some friends in the area fix up the place for you, and it should be ready by the time you get there." Jessica hugs the doctor, and just says "Thank you" before letting go and walking out with Staria.

The next day Jessica and Staria arrive at the house and walk up to the front door. Jessica puts the key in, and slowly turns it, not knowing what to expect. She then slowly opens the door, and turns on the light. As she does, tears fill her eyes again as the reality hits her: She was entering HER new home, where she could raise Staria. "What kind of cave is this Mommy?" Staria asks with confusion. A few seconds pass before Jessica answers "It's our new home Baby." as she fights the urge to cry. "It's our new home!" Jessica walks around the house, exploring her new home. The fridge and pantry is stocked with food, the water runs, the place is perfect. On the coffee table in the living room is a book. Sticking out of the pages is a note that reads "I hope this puts things in perspective." The book is titled "Flames of Instinct" and she soon sees a familiar name "James Kerrigan": The one Joe said was fighting for them all those years ago.

That night, Jessica gives Staria a bath, and for the first time, is truly able to clean her up. Under all of the dirt, dust, and mud, she sees the pure beauty of her daughter. Soon after that, she is placed in her very own bed and is also given a doll for the first time. Staria is now getting to experience the life her mother had as a five year old, and she takes to it like she had known this life since birth. "I can't believe this is happening" Jessica says to herself, as she turns out the lights to Starias room. She goes down stairs, and begins reading the book she received, but soon falls asleep while reading it.

A few months later, Jessica and Staria are at a new store, looking for school clothes. As she does, Staria comes running up to her with another kid behind her. "Mommy! I met someone like me!" She says in excitement.
"And so you did, and might I ask who this is?"
"My name is Rebecca Hanson." The little Dragoness responds. Jessica pauses for a second; she mutters 'Rebecca Hanson' a couple times to herself before an all too familiar voice breaks the trance, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jessica looks up and blurts out "JOE! It has… how've you been?"
Joe laughs and responds "Yeah, it has been a while." As she smiles at her long lost friend, but the smile soon fades as she asks "What happened to you?"
"I got scared, thinking that AGR was going to hurt Staria, so I did the only thing I knew I could." Jessica answers in a worried tone.
"Don't worry, I know what happened, you don't have to get apologetic to me, I'm not mad." Joe says with confidence. "But you did run from nothing, when we got to San Diego, we were treated pretty well. They just took some DNA samples, and left us alone and took care of us." Jessica shakes her head at this, beginning to think that the last five years in the wilderness might have been for nothing after all, until she sees Staria telling Rebecca Stories of what happened while they were out there. "Do you think you made a mistake?" Joe asks. Jessica looks keeps watching Staria, listening to her story, but then shakes her head. "No, I don't." She says with a smile. "Staria got to live a life in the last five years, that she might never have known, and I wouldn't trade it for anything." Joe nods her head, and says "Bec, come on, it's time to go." Rebecca says good bye to Staria, and skips over to her mother, as the two check out, Joe asks "Do you want to get lunch some time? Catch up and everything?"
"Yeah, sure, tomorrow while the kids are at school sound good?" Jessica responds
"Sounds perfect, I'll meet you at the school ok?"
"Sure thing."

A few days later, Staria is waiting on the playground for her mother to come and pick her up from school. As she looks around, trying to see if she can spot her mother, she notices another Drake sitting on the swing set that looks saddened. Curious, she walks over to him. "Hello" She says with enthusiasm, making the young Drake look up at her as she smiles at him. "What's your name?" She asks.
"James News" He answers with mild sorrow.
"What's wrong?" Staria asks.
"My mommy is late again, and I'm hungery." he answers.
"Well, My mommy is on her way, she said that she had some bisnis (business) to take care of today." Staria says excitedly, James just continues looking at the ground. Jessica soon shows up and thanks the teacher for looking after Staria, and soon walks over to Staria and James. "Well, who's this Baby?" She asks Staria
"This is James News, and his mommy is late and he is hungery." Staria answers. Jessica quickly thinks "Mariums kid? What the hell happened to her to be like this?" She thinks quickly about what to do. "Well, if he's hungry Staria, then you need to invite him over to dinner, that's what's polite after all."
"Ok, I will." Staria says as Jessica walks over to their teacher. "Do you want to come over to my house and eat dinner with me?"
"I guess. But what about my mommy?" James answers.
Jessica walks up and tells James: "I've just talked to your teacher, and told her the situation, and where we live, so your mom should be able to come and get you from our house." The trio soon leaves, and head towards Jessicas home.

Epilogue

Thirteen years later

Jessica is cleaning the bar of her restaurant, when she knocks over a photo she has of her and Staria. She sets it back up like it was, and looks around. Her restaurant isn't filled, but then again, she only just opened the doors for the day. Staria soon comes in, and sits down. "You're here early." Jessica remarks "What's going on?"
"James is flying in today; I'm going to go meet him at the airport." Staria answers.
"Oh that's right; you said he was getting out of the Army, I just didn't know that today was the day he was due in."
"Mom, what's with you today?" Staria asks. "You've been hiding something, I know it."
"Oh, it's nothing, I'm just thinking."
"About what?" Staria asks with frustration
"Oh, well, it's just hard to believe it's been thirteen years since you met James, and you've both grown up a bunch since then." Staria just looks at her. "Well, before you go to the Airport, I have a late birthday gift for you." Jessica reaches under the counter, and pulls out a thin box, and hands it to Staria, who immediately opens it, but upon seeing the contents quickly closes the box. "What is that!?" She blurts out. Jessica starts laughing, and then states "Oh it's just for fun Staria, I figured since you loooove James soooooooo much that you could show him tonight when you got him to your house."
"What? What the hell are you talking about mom?" She states in anger "He's a friend! A really good friend, like a brother!" She adds while blushing.
"Oh, don't act like I didn't notice." Jessica says as she leans over the counter. "I know what's going on in that heart of yours, you're in love with him, and you know it."
"No, that's impossible!"
"Oh 'I wish James was here.' 'I miss James a lot'; 'I hope he's doing ok'; And don't get me started on the letters he sent you."
Staria turns around as a customer walks in. "Ok mom, I'm going to take this and figure out what to do with it later, I'll be back later this afternoon." Staria walks out while Jessica handles the customer.

A short time later, Staria and James are both at the restaurant eating. Jessica eventually walks up to the two and leans over the counter.
"So James, what happened to the Army?" Jessica asks.
"While I was on the Rappel Tower, the rope snapped. Before I could recover, I hit the ground. The impact broke my wing and a couple bones in my tail. It became difficult to walk unassisted, and after three months of just holding me there, they hand me my walking papers."
"So what are ya gonna do now?" Jessica asks with concern.
"I don't know, I can't return to my mother, Jackson will just get a kick out of calling me a failure."
Staria sighed and then stated. "Well, why don't you stay with me? I've got plenty of room, and if you're in need of a job, I'm sure there's someone on the boardwalk that can hire you. I would, but I only just started."
"Thanks Star, I appreciate it." James responds.
"Well, if you ask me, I think you two should run along now, and make me a grandmom." Jessica states jokingly.
"Ick, no mom, I don't want any kids of my own." Staria says in disgust. A few seconds later, her and James leave and head to her place. "Heh, yeah, you say that now. Give it some time, and you'll want some yourself." Jessica says as they leave. "It's only a matter of time baby, and you'll eventually want him to father your children. And who knows, even if you don't have kids, I'm sure you'll be happy with him. I gave you the chance, now it's all in your hands Staria… Now it's all in your hands."