*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 22

Explaining

The Impossible

Ania nervously watched the window. Why wasn't Don back yet?! Worried, she tried to talk to Jack, "Jack can you hear me? Are you alright?..Come back safely Jack. Come back..."

Kim noticed her and placed Maik in her arms, "Could you watch him for a while? I really need to be alone right now." Ania nodded, understanding completely, and started keeping Maik amused. Kim went off somewhere by herself.

"Such a precious child...I hope Jack and I have one." She poked Maik and smiled as he giggled. Playing with him kept her mind off of her worry, and Don came home sooner than she had expected, "Jack?! Jack!!!!" Ania rushed over with Maik in her arms and watched as Don set the backpack on the floor. Ania flew over to it and handed Johnny his son so she could hold Jack instead, "Jack, what happened?"

"Ania..." He smiled and hugged her tightly, "Oh, how I missed you...I was so afraid for a while that I'd never see you again...Oh..." He kissed her on the lips, craving, demanding her full attention. She gratefully gave it all.

Don cleared his throat, "Umm...I kinda would like to put this away...Could you get out...please?"

Jack laughed and stepped out, holding Ania's hand as he left. Don picked up the backpack and left. Jack leaned close to her ear, whispering, "Ania, can we go to the mouse hole again?"

"Are you sure Jack?"

"Please? I want to hold you in my arms, make you part of my life..."

"So do I..." She sighed happily and rested her head on his shoulder, "So do I..."

Jack quivered with anticipation as they walked to the mouse hole. Inside, it was dark to the point where they almost couldn't see each other, but it suited them just fine. They made sure the covering was well blocked, then absorbed each other. It was impossible to stop, they wouldn't have been able to if they'd wanted to, but neither wished to hold back. They held each other tightly, heaving in the air around them and heating it with their love. Nothing could come between them now, or ever again...

"Jack, what are you doing?!!!!!"

Jack grimaced at the black dragon's voice, "You stay out of this. I have the woman I love, and right now I want nothing else."

"But Jack, you can't have her!!!!!"

"Why not?! I want her and she wants me. Why can't we?"

"You're married!!!!"

Jack, stunned, wouldn't believe it. He ignored the black dragon and happily rolled around with Ania in his arms. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to have her as his own. Still, the black dragon's voice told him to stop, "Why should I?!!!!!!!!!"

"You Jack, are MARRIED!!!!!!! You can't do this!!! You promised your wife you would never have another woman on the very day you wed her!!!! You have to stop now!!!!!!!!"

"Jack?.."

Jack cringed, Ania wanted to talk to him, "Yes?"

"What's on your mind? You aren't focusing on me."

"I--I'm not sure. Ania, I--" Suddenly, memories came flooding back. He watched as a green Risso dragon named Hana confessed her love for him in a wedding dress. Jack remember the reaction he'd seen on his friends faces as Nino placed the ring over his and Hana's fingers. He remembered his name again..."Damn it..."

"What's wrong Jack?"

"Ania, I can't..."

"Why not? You just said that you wanted to."

"I can't! I remember everything again! I--Ania, I'm married! I--we--we shouldn't be doing this!!!!!!" He backed away, feeling the first pangs of sorrow, terror, and anger all at the same time, "Damn you, I would have been happy!"

His true voice answered him, "But what about Hana? Do you want her to go through life like that? After everything you and I have been through with her, could we truly have been so cruel to her?"

"If I hadn't known, it wouldn't have been cruel!!!!!"

"But you did know. You just weren't told until now." Jack punched himself to get his other voice to shut up.

Ania was on him in an instant, "Jack, stop! What are you doing?!!!!"

He kneeled down and cried as he brought his clothes back, "It isn't Jack, it's Gareth. I can't make love to you anymore, Ania. I'm sorry." Gareth picked up her clothes and handed them to her, "We have no choice but to be through."

"But Jack--I mean Gareth! WHY?!!!!"

"Because of Hana. She's been worried for a month about me, and I have to get back to her and my daughter. I'm so sorry, Ania."

"Daughter? Who?.."

"Ingrid Brik. I--we can't ever do it again, Ania. Hell, if it hadn't been for my damned powers, you would have been too small!"

"What are you talking about? And how can Hana Brik be your wife? She's a giant..."

"Exactly. I'm a giant, Ania. Let's get out of this mouse hole so I can show you what I mean..." He shoved aside the debris as if it weighed nothing and crawled out. Ania followed, stil confused.

"How can you be a giant?"

Ania gasped as his color changed to black and he became a mountain dragon. He saw her shocked look and cried even more, "Ania, this is what I look like. I can change my size as well and I--I--damn it, I can't leave you." He changed back into the water dragon she was used to seeing for a moment, then changed back. He sounded like he was talking to himself when he next spoke, "What are you doing?!" He whispered, "We have to go back to Hana!" Ania, now completely lost, listened as he shouted back at himself. Before he shouted back, he became the water dragon again, "I told you! I can't leave Ania!" He switched back to the black mountain dragon, "And I can't leave Hana! I married her!" Gareth switched again, "I can! I love Ania, not Hana!!" Another switch, "Damn it Jack, our first loyalties go to Hana! She's my wife!" Gareth switched yet again, "Exactly. You married her, not me! I want Ania!!!!!!" He went back to the mountain dragon, "We married her! We're the same guy!!!!!!!" Back to the water dragon, "NO!!!!!!! I ONLY WANT ANIA!!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!" Once more, "I CAN'T LEAVE YOU ALONE! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!!!! We owe Hana!!!!!!!!!!"

Ania cut in before things got any more confusing, "Jack--Gareth--whoever you are...WHAT'S GOING ON?!!!!!!"

He stayed on the black dragon form, "I'm arguing with myself. I have a wife, Ania. I can't stay with you." He switched, "Yes I can!" He switched again, "Would you shut up?!" He turned his attention back to Ania, "As much as Jack wants to, he and I can't become your lover anymore. I made a promise to Hana that I would never have another woman, and now you..."

"Shouldn't we go to her then?"

He switched to the water dragon, "What? But Ania, I--but you--"

She held his mouth closed and stared at his eyes, "Jack, Gareth is right. Listen to him."

"But Ania!"

"No. No more arguing. You are supposed to belong to someone already. I have no right to want you anymore..." She finished saying that as fast as she could and ran away. As hard as she tried, she couldn't bear not having Jack anymore, but she knew she had no choice.

Jack--or was it Gareth now?--chased her, "Ania, wait!!!!" She turned and saw that he was in the form of the mountain dragon, "Come with me, if only to stop Jack from making things worse." He started growing. Ania watched in amazement as he got taller and taller. When he stopped growing, he towered over her in such a way that he seemed even bigger! She stepped onto his outstretched hand, trembling and trying to hold back her emotions.

Gareth searched for Don, "Don? Hey, Don? Are you and Johnny still here?"

Don came out, eyes wide, "Gareth?!!! Johnny, come here!!!!!!!!"

Johnny came out, "What is..." He didn't finish his sentence.

Gareth bent down and smiled at Johnny, "Sorry for all the trouble I caused you, my friend."

Johnny glanced at Don, then back at him, "Huh?" For an answer, Gareth changed himself to look like Jack, then changed back. It left both Don and Johnny speechless. For a second, Johnny just stared at him, then he smiled, "I get it..."

"Heh. Here I was trying so hard to meet you, and then neither of us 'find' each other, but still become great friends! Well, it's nice to consciously meet you, Johnny."

Johnny nodded, "I--er...you too." Gareth got up and started walking for the door, waving goodbye to Don as he left.

"Don't worry guys. I know the way home."

Both smiled and waved at him as he took to the sky and flew away. While in flight, Gareth heard Jack gasp, "Oh, now what?!"

"I'm afraid of heights..."

"WHAT?!!! But we can fly!!!!!!!!!"

"I know, I'm just...scared..."

Gareth sighed and shook his head, "Look, you're going to have to get over it. You don't have a choice in the matter. We can fly."

Jack sounded angry, "Listen you. Just because you can fly and I'm afraid of heights doesn't mean you have to be so mean!"

"Yeah? Well, it seems to me that you need to shape up, Jack. You're more of a crybaby than Maik!"

"You take that back..."

"Not until you make the effort to shape up."

Jack didn't respond. Ania was still curious, however, and began to ask many questions, "So, what happened to you?"

Gareth looked down at her, "What you mean the amnesia bit? I had been having headaches almost non-stop before I'd gone over to meet Johnny and Don, and then, when I was finally there, I wanted to surprise them, so I shrank. We probably wouldn't have met if Vitara hadn't pounced on me that day."

"Well, even if you aren't mine, I'm still glad we met, Gareth."

Gareth shivered. He could feel Jack's lust for her, and it was almost irresistable. He coughed and spoke, "Ania, what about us now? I mean, what if I've made you pregnant?"

"Then I will be more than happy. I'll have something to remember Jack by."

Gareth frowned, "He's still there, you know. Right now he has the hots for you like I do for Hana."

"What?"

Gareth sighed, "I'm not sure how it happened, but I think having lost my memory gave me a split personality I'm two in one in more ways than one now!"

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"I can shape shift into any dragon I want, Ania. Now, I have a litteral second being inside me. I don't know if he'll try to take control, or leave, or if we'll meld back into just me again. I'm somewhat confused myself. Oh, that reminds me..." He started molding something in his hand and detached it from himself, wincing slightly as the pain of seperation came and went, "Jack wants me to give this to you..."

Ania gasped and hugged the picture of Jack, "Thank you. I'll treasure this."

Gareth sighed and started descending to the ground. His apartment came into view, and right at that moment, Hana had been staring out the window. She saw him and instantly vanished, reappearing at the entrance to their apartment with Ingrid in her amrs. A dilophodragon in a policeman's uniform was with her, looking worried, then relieved when he saw Gareth as well, "I wonder who that is...I'll ask when I land."

Hana hugged him so hard when he landed that, for a moment, he was choking. When she let go, he asked who the officer was.

The officer cleared his throat and replied, "I'm Carl Reg, one of the newest recruits in the police force."

"Yes, and he's been keeping me company whil you've been gone." Hana hugged him gently this time, "Where have you been, Gareth?"

Gareth winced and held Ania in his hand, "To Little Island..."

Hana backed away from Ania, "If you're another anthro that's planning to kill me, you can forget it right now!"

Gareth covered her with his other hand and took a step toward Hana, "No--Hana, she's a pacifist. She won't harm either of us, I swear! She's not like Cory."

Hana gasped at the name, "You met him?!!!! He tried to kill me!!!!!"

Now it was Gareth's turn to be shocked, "He did what?!!!!!! Why, when I get my hands on that anthro I'm gonna--"

"Now now, Gareth, hold your temper..." Jack's voice spoke in his mind, "Heh, we aren't allowed there anymore."

"Correction Jack. You aren't allowed there, but I am." He ignored Jack and looked at Hana, trying hard to think of a way to tell her what he'd done, "Hana, there's something you should know..."

The officer looked around, then spoke up before Gareth could say anything else, "Er...I have to go back to the station and tell them you're back, okay? Do you want me to come by later?"

Hana shook her head, "No, we'll be fine. Thank you Carl." Carl waved and flew off. Hana turned back to Gareth, "Let's go inside first."

Gareth gulped, "Yeah, sure..." All the way there, he tried hard to think up a way to tell her, but none came. When they were in the apartment again, Gareth set Ania down and sat on the couch, "Hana, I--don't really know how I'm supposed to say this..."

"Say what?" She smiled at him, making things even worse.

He decided to be blunt, "Hana, I had sex with another woman."

For a moment, Hana just sat there, looking for all the world like everything was normal. Then her face slowly started to change. Anger seeped into her expression, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, and if the ending result hadn't been evidence enough, the cup she'd been holding was crushed in her hand, "YOU...DID...WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She stood up, throwing the broken pieces of glass away to a corner in the room, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA...ANY AT ALL...ABOUT WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SHOULD KILL YOU NOW AND GET IT OVER WITH, DAMN YOU!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN WORRIED SENSELESS ABOUT JUST SEEING YOU BACK SAFE AND SOUND, AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO TELL ME YOU BROKE THE ONE PROMISE YOU HELD ABOVE EVERYTHING ?!!!!!!!!!!! YOU BASTARD!!!!!! DAMN YOU THROUGH HELL AND BACK!!!!!!!!!! I SWEAR, IF YOU DON'T TELL ME RIGHT NOW, WHAT POSESSED YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, I WILL DIVORCE YOU AND WE WILL BE THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Gareth waited through the whole thing, expecting all of it and more. He spoke quietly, in a small voice, "That's more than fair, Hana. I deserve all of it, but give me a...chance...to explain..."

Hana, still quivering with rage, sat on the couch, "Start explaining then." Her voice sounded so normal that it scared him even more!

"I--Hana, I lost my memory the day I went to see Johnny." Hana growled at him, but didn't say anything, so he continued, "This might explain some of it..." He changed into Jack's colors and shrank down to his size. Hana waited for him to grow back to normal.

"So then you were Jack. At least the memory part is true. What else do you have to tell?"

Jack went through the entire story, explaining the answer to Hana every question she asked as best he could, and doing his best to leave out Jack's still remaining personality. By the time he was done, she didn't look ready to kill, but she was still angry, "Hana, I'm sorry. I never would have done it if I'd known. I mean it!"

She sighed, "I know that much already. You were completely honest through the whole story as well...I don't know what to think any more, Gareth."

Gareth bent his head, "I haven't known since this all started. I really am sorry..."

She shook her head, "Gareth, could you leave Ania and me alone?"

"Hana, Ania can't talk. How is she--"

"Just do it!"

Gareth meekly left them, cringing until the door was closed.

"Well?" Hana looked down at Ania, "It's you I have the most trouble with, you realize."

Ania nodded.

"You stole him away from me, and by the way he spoke, I think there might be a part of him that doesn't want to give you up."

She nodded again, more slowly this time.

"I can't blame either of you, since neither of you knew what would happen, but you know I still can't forgive you."

Ania nodded once more.

Hana sighed, "Good, with that being said, I guess we have no choice but to let you live with us."

Ania's eyes widened at that, but a smile still found it's way on her face.

"Don't think this means I'll be nice to you, Ania. We have to find out if Gareth made you pregnant or not. If he did, I want you to live on that little island of yours and stay away from him."

This caused Ania to start crying. She probably thought that it meant she would never get to see Gareth again.

Hana sighed, wishing the exact same thing, "Calm down, Ania. You can still come visit him. Just not much."

Ania nodded her head, agreeing with Hana as much as she could.

"Okay then. If you turn out to be pregnant, Gareth will take you back to your island for medical help, and he can stay for the birth, but he must be back home right after, understood?"

Ania nodded again, grateful for the kindness that Hana was showing.

Hana however, was trying to hold back her rage, "You are lucky, Ania. You have no idea how badly I want to kill you right now. It would be so easy too...You aren't much bigger than a mouse, and I could clean up your blood easily...you really are lucky Ania." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to digest everything that had happened, then called to Gareth, "We talked, Gareth! You can come in now!"

*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Epilogue

Three months later, Ania left for little island. Gareth checked on her once a month, waiting through the ninth and writing to Hana once a week to let her know what was happening. When the big day came, Jack was there instead of Gareth to help her through it and smiled with pride at their son. Ania named him Jack, and once she was able to live on her own again, Gareth took her to Lisa and asked if she could stay. Lisa, along with her fiance, welcomed her with open arms, saying she wouldn't have to pay at all. A final goodbye, and Gareth left little island. He would never forget the memories, and Jack would always try to remind him, still wanting only Ania. Ania ended up visiting once a year, always bringing Jack with her to show Gareth what their son was developing into. Jack would almost always take control whenever she was around, and Gareth didn't stop him. For Hana, it was always hard to see him act so happy to see them, but she dealt with it, knowing that Gareth felt like that for her and Ingrid as well.