Jamie woke up and stretched her arms above her head. Prying her eyes open, she noticed two things. First, that she'd woken up late and, secondly, that she wasn't at home. Jamie sat up quickly, and dizziness washed over her, making her ears ring.

"Ugh, too fast." Jamie groaned as she leaned back onto the headboard. When the dizziness faded, she opened her eyes once more and took in the room as it all came back to her. She and Emily had made the place comfortable together, making the bed and cleaning various surfaces so it would be perfect for Jamie.

Emily, who Jamie found out had a bit of an OCD streak, insisted on cleaning the bathroom which had never been used, and both women had a great time chatting away as they worked. Housework was always such a chore for Jamie. She'd get to it when she could after a long day at work. But with Emily, it was an enjoyable activity that would provide her even more comfort in the already luxurious home.

Jamie couldn't believe just how much things had changed in twenty-four hours. She was living in a mini-mansion where all her wants and needs were seen to. Not by staff, but by people she was starting to see as friends. As much as she hated the circumstances that led to her stay in Emily's house, she wanted to enjoy the break from her real life as much as she could. And the perfect place to start would be with a homemade breakfast for Ethan. He usually got cereal and Jamie hated that she never had the time to treat him to something nicer.

Jamie turned to the spot beside her and found it empty and cold. Last night, Ethan had started off in his room, then snuck into her bed, afraid to sleep alone. Jamie was touched that Ethan still found comfort close to her, but now he was gone. She jumped out of bed and quickly donned one of Emily's robes before leaving her bedroom. Her heart was in her throat as she raced downstairs. While she trusted Emily and her friends, she knew just how smart Ethan could be. Jamie didn't want Ethan to evade Corrus and his team and wander off somewhere where the dragon might find him.

As soon as she walked into the open-plan kitchen, she placed a hand on her chest and willed herself to calm down. Ethan sat between Emily and Corrus, enjoying breakfast as they doted on him. The sight brought tears to Jamie's eyes.

Conversation over the breakfast table wasn't a daily occurrence for her and Ethan. She often had to rush so that she could walk him to the school bus before taking a bus to work. With her meager budget, gas was too expensive for the luxury of a daily car ride.

Jamie walked over to Ethan and wrapped her arms around him before kissing his head. "Good morning, bud."

"Morning, Mom. Emily made me pancakes!"

"I can see that," Jamie turned to Emily with a smile. "Did you say thank you, Ash?"

Ethan furrowed his brows. "Of course I did." It was like he couldn't fathom how anyone could go without their pleases and thank yous. Jamie smiled as pride filled her heart. She had done a lot of things wrong with Ethan, but he seemed to continue to grow into an excellent young man.

"Good morning, Jamie," Corrus said.

"Morning." Jamie blushed when she realized she was in a robe. "Uh, let me go get dressed, then I'll be back."

"Nonsense," Emily said. "You're decent. There's no need for you to change. Sit down and eat. Ethan informed me that you happen to love everything lemon. I put some in the pancakes."

Jamie sat opposite Ethan and smiled. How he'd noticed that, she didn't know. "That's right. I do love everything lemon. By the way, buddy, I know that you're comfortable with Corrus and Emily, but I'd like it if you didn't leave our room without telling me."

Ethan lowered his head. "Okay."

Corrus rubbed Ethan's back. "Hey, I'm pretty sure you're not in trouble. Your mom just wants to know where you are. You wouldn't like it if you woke up and couldn't find her, would you?"

Ethan shook his head. "That's right," Jamie echoed. "You're not in trouble. I just like to know exactly where you are."

"So you can keep me safe?"

"Yup. That's the idea." Jamie took a bite of the pancakes. "Mmm. This is really good."

Emily smiled. "Thanks for saying that."

"I'll have to cook for you sometime to pay you back."

Emily waved her hand. "There's no need. I really love cooking. Besides, it's nice to have an appreciative audience."

Jamie cocked her head, and Corrus laughed. "Emily's been cooking for us on an almost daily basis. I'm afraid we've gotten a little spoiled."

"That they have. Now they classify some of my meals as regular meals and others as special."

Corrus reached over Ethan and patted Emily's shoulder. "You know we appreciate you. At least I do."

Emily smiled. "I know you do. Especially because you always insist on doing the dishes."

"It's the least I can do." Corrus ducked his head.

Jamie watched the warm exchange continue as she ate her breakfast. Whatever lingering doubt she had about Corrus and his friends' intentions faded. She didn't deserve to fall in with such a group of wonderful people, but she was glad she had.

Emily clapped her hands. "Okay. Breakfast was great, but I'm going shopping. You need some clothes, Ethan, and so does your mom."

Jamie almost choked on the glass of orange juice. Emily letting her borrow her clothes, linen, and her entire house was already generous enough. And now she wanted to shop for both her and her son? It was too much.

Jamie wiped her mouth with a napkin and opened her mouth to protest.

Emily wagged a finger. "I don't want to hear it, young lady."

Jamie's jaw dropped. The authority in Emily's voice was so unlike the warm personality she'd known until now. She reminded Jamie of one of her elementary school teachers.

Corrus chuckled. "Don't get in her way when she's in this kind of mood."

Emily crumpled a napkin and threw it at Corrus. "What kind of mood?"

"The 'I'm a diplomat who can argue circles around you' mood."

Jamie's eyebrows shot up. "Wait. You're a diplomat?"

"That's right. Which means that you really can't out-debate me. Now, you both need clothes. Especially Ethan. I don't have anything around here that will fit him. You'd like a fresh change of clothes, wouldn't you, Ethan?"

Ethan had been grinning ear to ear as he watched the conversation bounce around. But after Emily's question, his face fell as he looked to Jamie for a sign on how to answer. Jamie felt her throat tighten as emotion overwhelmed her.

Ethan had clearly picked up on her tendency to turn down help, and seeing the light in his eyes over the possibility of getting something new just about ripped her heart out. She didn't want people’s pity or help that came with parenting advice, but she realized that in a bid to raise Ethan just how she wanted to, she'd denied him some little pleasures that he wanted.

Jamie nodded, and her voice was thick when she spoke. "Go ahead, Ash. Tell Emily what kind of clothes you want. She and I will decide what you get."

Ethan grinned and bounced on the chair as he turned to Emily, telling her all about his favorite colors and cartoons. Jamie rose and placed her dishes in the sink. Before she could wash them, Corrus appeared by her side.

"It's okay. I've got this. Why don't you take a shower and get changed?"

Jamie wasn't sure if her raw emotion was written on her face, but at that moment she didn't care. She nodded, then trudged up the stairs. Once in the shower, she cried. Not for the mistakes she'd made, but for the fact that she hadn't noticed just how much they affected Ethan.

Jamie was not a pushover or a charity case. But she vowed to let the right people help her treat Ethan. And from where she stood, Emily was definitely one of those people.

After her shower, Jamie got dressed and had a serious conversation with Emily. She told her about what sizes Ethan wore but focused on the importance that Emily only buy necessities. The last thing she wanted was for Ethan to get accustomed to a lifestyle she couldn't provide or sustain.

Emily was very sweet about the whole thing and actually took out a paper and pen to write down everything Jamie thought Ethan should have.

"What about you?" Emily asked.

"What about me?"

Emily shoved Jamie playfully. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. This isn't just about Ethan. I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in your own clothes."

Jamie looked down. Emily's clothes were nicer than anything she'd owned in the last six years. But she knew they cost a fortune and didn't want to ask her to buy anything, because she knew Emily's taste was expensive.

"Fine. I'll just pick up something for you if I come across anything nice. Is that okay?"

Jamie nodded then smiled as Emily pulled her into a hug. "You really are like a younger sister to me, you know?"

Jamie chuckled. "I never had an older sister, but you would have been a perfect one."

"That's sweet. Alright, let me head off. I've got some work to do when I get back."

"Bye," Jamie called as Emily flew out of the house, her energy abundant. Jamie placed her hands on her hips and looked around. The house could do with a bit of straightening up. Not much, but it was something she could do to show her gratitude. After that, she'd take a much-needed nap. As well as she’d slept, her body was letting her know that she needed to make up for months and years of less- than-enough sleep.

"Mom," Ethan called as he bounded up to her, "I want to go play outside."

Jamie sighed. Ethan had a lot of energy, and with the lack of any balls to use for play, it looked like she'd be playing a lot of 'catch me if you can.' And, just like that, Jamie's planned downtime went out the window.

"Alright, let's go play."

Jamie opened the house door and saw a tall, dark-haired man standing at the bottom of the porch. His smile was infectious as his face wrinkled.

"Hello, Jamie, Ethan. I'm Veilios, one of Corrus' friends."

"Hi, Veilios," Jamie said, going down the steps. When she got to the bottom, she realized Ethan was still by the door.

"Come on, buddy. Don't be scared."

Ethan shook his head. "I'm not scared. It's just that he's so big," Ethan whispered.

Veilios chuckled. "I am, aren't I? You wanna know why?"

Ethan nodded as Jamie blanched. She knew that Emily and Corrus understood not to tell Ethan about his dragon heritage. Veilios revealing that at this moment would only add another layer of complexity to their current situation.

"Because I eat a lot of vegetables." Veilios winked at Jamie.

Ethan got down the steps and peered up at Veilios. "Really?"

Veilios squatted. "Yup. Corrus' friends like to eat a lot of junk. But they're all smaller than me. If you want to grow big and strong, vegetables are the secret. But not just any kinds of vegetables. They're vegetables that have extra power. I can show you, if you like."

Ethan peered up at Jamie. "Can I go with Veilios so he can show me his vegetables?"

Veilios looked up at Emily. "We'll just be out back. I started a little garden there."

Jamie wanted to wrap her arms around Veilios and kiss his cheek. He was a godsend. Not only did he keep Ethan's secret, but he got her sweet, but admittedly vegetable-averse, son to believe they had power.

"Of course you can go check out the garden, Ash." Veilios straightened and Jamie patted his shoulder. "Thank you for agreeing to show him."

He really was bigger than the other dragons, including Penum. If Jamie had to wager, she'd say he was over six and a half feet tall. She wondered if Ethan would get that big. Standing beside Veilios, it looked highly unlikely. Maybe he'd grow to Corrus’ height, Jamie pondered.

The house door opened and startled Jamie, breaking her out of her reverie.

Corus stepped outside. "Hi. Where's Veilios?"

"He's out back with Ethan, showing him his garden."

"Oh, that's fine. He'll still be able to keep an eye on the house."

"Going somewhere?" Jamie asked.

"Just checking up on a few leads. I want to find that dragon as soon as possible so you and Ethan can rest easy."

The words rolled off Corrus' tongue with such ease, and Jamie found herself wondering for the hundredth time why he cared so much about her and Ethan. Penum and Emily showed they cared, but something in Corrus' voice suggested that their well-being was a personal matter for him.

Could he be interested in me? Jamie wondered. It had been a while since she'd had a boyfriend or even been on a decent date, but her grandmother's words of advice regarding relationships came to the front of her mind as she thought of Corrus.

She’d said: "A good man is one who thinks first of others, then himself." Corrus had done just that ever since she met him. Regularly checking in on her and Ethan, always reassuring them that he would find the dragon and keep them safe.

Jamie wasn't looking for a knight in shining armor. She was far past wanting that. Life had given her serious responsibilities early on, and she now saw the value in having a real partner. It was too early to think about such things, but Corrus fit the bill just perfectly.

"Why do you care?" Jamie asked, cocking her head.

"What?" Corrus replied, eyes widening.

"Why do you care about Ethan and me? I mean, your teammates care. At least the ones I've met, but not like you. Why do you care so much?"

Corrus took a step forward, and Jamie felt her cheeks blush as the idea that he might confess his attraction to her right then took hold of her. Jamie wasn't sure her knees would hold her up, but she desperately wanted to hear the words. To know that what she felt wasn't a one-sided thing.

"It's my job to care. I guess we all have cases that we're more invested in than others."

Ouch. Of course, that's all there was to it. Corrus had been thoughtful and respectful, but he hadn't flirted with her.

Jamie sighed and nodded. "That's... nice."

As her eyes dropped to the ground, Corrus reached for her hand. A spark shot up Jamie's arm and went straight to her chest, unlocking a flock of butterflies that made her tingle all over. Who knew holding hands could feel so electric?

"You and Ethan are important to this team, but also to me. I want you safe, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe."

The way Corrus' thumb rubbed the back of her hand made Jamie think that he just might be interested in her. Before she knew it, her eyes dropped to his lips, and she took a step forward. They stood like that, hands linked, eyes fixed on each other, for a good thirty seconds. Then Corrus cleared his throat and stepped back.

"Okay. Have a good day." Corrus stepped around her and walked down the street.

Jamie stood on the porch and cradled her left hand to her. Corrus felt something. He must have, or he wouldn't have touched her like that. This time, she had substantial evidence on her side, and she couldn't help but let the hope that rose up within her soar.