A Demand (Part 2/2)

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 24th April 2009

Characters: Nialyn, Birigundi, K'lar
Description: Nia invites Biri to Lyndi's birthday party and quickly regrets it
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 5

Birigundi

Nialyn was fuming when K'lar took her out into the hallway. "He dares to
demand more time with her after the way he acted in there!" she hissed,
wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive gesture.

"He certainly was acting very friendly, that's for sure," the brownrider
sighed, reaching out to put his hands on her shoulders once more, gently
trying to sooth her. It was obvious she was upset.

"He can't just give it a rest for _one_ moment." She looked up at him.
"Not even on his own daughter's birthday!"

He rested his cheek against the side of her head. "I know. Don't let him
ruin it all for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Birigundi said as he opened the door, watching that
brownrider put his hands all over Nia, _again_. "Am I disturbing a family
moment? I can give you some time if you need it."

She glared at him, but didn't pull back too far from K'lar. She needed
his solid strength right now to help buoy her and get her through this
sharding conversation. "Just say what you need to say."

Biri crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't get enough time with my
daughter and I think that needs to change. I want her on rest days - all
day and all night."

"Your attitude isn't endearing me to the thought."

"I don't care." He pointed an accusing finger at the brownrider. "He
gets her every night and he isn't even her sharding father. I _am_ her
father and I have rights! I want Lyndi on the rest days. Period."

Her pride burned at the thought that he was going to get what he wanted
even after treating her and K'lar so abominably! But how could she refuse
him and still live with herself afterward? Despite his foul mouth and
sour attitude, he had a point. However, Nialyn didn't have to like it.
"You treated me very poorly tonight. And you treated K'lar poorly too. I
will not stand for it anymore, Birigundi. I _will not_!"

"Yeah, I know, you figure you can yank me around as much as you like as
long as I don't yank back. That's pretty typical of you, only thinking of
youself..."

K'lar raised a hand to stop him there. "Let's not make this any worse
than it already is. You say you want her on restdays, Nia says no. I
think you have your answer."

"I don't even know if he could handle the responsibility of taking care of
her on restdays."

Biri's eyes narrowed. It was a cheap shot - one she had pulled out one
too many times now for him to just stand there and take. "Well, then,
perhaps we should ask a harper to arbitrate for us. We will see if _they_
think me responsible enough to take care of Lyndi. And I just might ask
them to grant me the right to share Lyndi _equally_. This isn't a Hold,
Nia. A father has rights in a Weyr."

Nialyn stared at him, face pale. The look in his eyes frightened her--his
words made ice run in her veins. He was completely serious about this,
not just vindictive. She'd by lying to herself if she took back what she
had just said. She _was_ worried about how responsible he was. Lyndi
alone with him in that sharding weyr of his? The weyr where he had
tumbled every other girl in the Weyr save her? It made her furious to
even think it! But she'd also be lying if she said that he didn't love
Lyndi. She knew he did. And because he loved her, he couldn't let his
daughter down, could he? Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face.
However, there was no way on Pern that she would allow him equal time.
She would never expose Lyndi to the kind of lifestyle he lead. Not ever!
Compared with equal time, sevendays were nothing. "A father may have
rights here, but _I'm_ still her mother, Birigundi, and I will decide what
is right for her." She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "And
I do think it's right for her to spend more time with you."

"You only decide as long as I let you," he replied, his tone just as
serious and unyielding as before, the threat very real. "I want restdays
with my daughter. All day and all night. I'll pick her up from her
foster mother's on the sixth day and you can pick her up from her foster
mother's on the first, and you and I and your weyrmate will never have to
see each other."

She glanced up at K'lar, suddenly desperate for reassurance but also
knowing that this was her decision to make, and hers alone. Swallowing
her pride and fear, she turned her eyes back to Biri and nodded. "Fine.
Restdays."

"All right then," he said, feeling rather triumphant. Now at least he
would have _some_ part in his little girl's life! "When you drop her off
at the fostermother's tomorrow make sure and leave a bag with anything
she'll need. At least to start off with. Right, I'll go rescue Lyndi
from your mother then. Don't forget we still have to cut the cake." And
before he could break out in a rather selfishly smug grin, he turned and
opened the door to the party, suddenly in a much more celebratory mood.

K'lar was seething when he watched him go. How could he do this to Nia?!
And during Lyndi's birthday party too. He put his hands on her shoulders
to reassure her that he was there. "We could fight him. You've taken
care
of Lyndi every day of her life. The Harpers would understand that _you_
are her real care giver..."

Coming closer, she rested her head on his chest. "But he loves her," she
said softly.

"Then he can visit her," he growled, wrapping his arms around her
protectively. "If he wanted to be so much a part of her life, why did it
take him a whole turn to figure it out? I don't like it."

Neither did she, really. "I'm tired of fighting with him, K'lar. I'm so
sharding tired of it. If this will get him off my back, then I'm willing
to try to give him a chance." But if anything went wrong, she would take
her case to the Harpers. She would!

He tilted her face towards his and softly kissed her. She had proved once
again that she was a much better person than he could ever be.

Last updated on the May 10th 2009

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A Demand (Part 2/2)