Because you loved me

14

Drake sit in his castle, his heart beating strongly in his chest as he planned his next day. He was going to tell the queen the truth... he was going to tell her why he was a dragon... because she deserved to know the truth. She deserved to know the whole story... especially if he expected her to be a part of it in the future.

Derek looked at the clock on the wall, noting that it was nearly seven o'clock in the evening. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, and he was watching the colors of the sky from the kitchen window for several minutes. He smiled to himself when he heard the parading feet of the little girl of the house, stomping into the room dramatically as the door to the kitchen swung open.

"What's with all of the pounding?" He asked as he tore himself away from the beauty in the window. His eyes widened and his jaw slacked when he saw the little girl standing in front of him. "Oh my goodness, Zoey... what are you doing?" He asked with a laugh as the little girl grinned up at him.

She stood before him with swimming flippers on her feet and her favorite pink princess dress. On her head sat a hat with Mickey Mouse ears, and her eyes were covered by a pair of swimming goggles.

"Guess what I am!" She exclaimed as she held her arms out and watched Derek's head shake as he laughed.

"Um... a fish?"

"No!" She exclaimed with a giggle.

"Are you... silly?"

"YES!" She exclaimed with a hop as her flippers slapped against the tile floor and he laughed again.

"You had better go put those things away, silly... because your dinner is almost ready..."

"What's for dinner, alligator?" She asked as she flipped the goggles off her face, sending the mouse ear hat flying across the room. "Oops..." She giggled.

"Yeah... oops..." Derek laughed as he picked up the hat. "Chicken... with broccoli... and if you're a good girl, maybe a little bit of melted cheese on top..."

"Oh!" She exclaimed happily as she grabbed the hat from Derek and took off flapping into the living room.

He took care of the little princess in the best way he knew possible... with a stern hand and plenty of laughter. She was never afraid of Drake, though sometimes he allowed that smoke to rise from his nose... and a bit of fire to breathe from his mouth... but her smile was like a bucket of water on that steamed up old dragon... and her tender hugs were always able to smother out the flames that he sometimes found himself emitting. She knew he was frustrated at being a dragon... but she loved him... and he knew that.

Derek had just turned back to the stove, opening the oven to peer inside when he heard a scream from the little girl that sent his heart into his stomach. He slammed the oven closed and pulled the pot of broccoli from the burner as he ran as quickly as he could into the living room.

Immediately, he noticed that there were red and blue flashing lights outside, and Zoey standing in the window. His heart was beating so hard, and so fast that it felt as if it would burst. "DD, there is a police man outside!" She exclaimed as suddenly, that inexplicable knock came on his wooden door.

He moved quickly, his eyes moving to the little girl and to the door. "Zoey... upstairs... get changed for dinner."

"But... But, DD..." She said, her voice filled with concern.

He was her protector...

"DD will take care of everything... upstairs... and no standing at the top of the stairs listening..." He said as he watched the little girl slowly back away from the window. "I promise... I'll take care of it." He said softly as she nodded toward him and ran across to the stairs, watching Derek the entire way up, until she disappeared at the landing at the top of the stairs.