Pandora finds her heart and falls in love...

[Pandora1432]

Pandora is used to being alone. Being the mayor and being on viceregal council has brought her out of her shell a little bit.
Recently, Dora was approached by a very talkative little lad. He wanted to know how to work for the town and "build towers". Dora gave him
some advice and as he thanked her and watched him skip down the lane towards town hall, something stirred inside. Dora
went home and sat in the dark of her inner chambers and thought long and hard...she struggled with herself for close to two days
before making a decision that was going to change her life.

Dora went back into town the next day. She went to the orphanage where the little boy was living. After a surprisingly short conversation with the
"director" and a generous donation, Pandora left with a slip of parchment folded into her cloak.

She quickly walked into town and found little Morgan wandering about the town hall, very dirty from "building his towers."

She felt a hitch in her chest and caught her breathe as she walked up to him. Sitting down on a low wall, Dora called out to him:

"Oh Morgan, would you come sit with me for a moment? I have something I want to talk to you about."

Her heart was racing a bit faster now as he turned and ran towards her voice....and she waited...

[Morgan]

Morgan was playing in the sandbox as he heard his name coming from a familiar voice. His hands and face were dirty, but he didn't care; she was here!

"Morgan come Ma'am Dora!", he was trying to run with is little legs, however his little feet made him fall flat on his stomach. Morgan stopped his fall the best he could as a toddler of his age, scraping his chin and the palms of his hands on the stone pavement.

"WAAAAAAA!"

Staying on his stomach and staring at two clear scraped spots on his dirty palms. Morgan felt them burn a bit and didn't want to put his hands down...

[Pandora1432]

Dora jumped up as she saw his feet stumble. She ran to him and scooped him into her arms. Sitting him down on her lap she pulled a
handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped his cuts, softly removing the dirt from the scrapes on his little hands.

Holding him so close to her made her sure she had made the right decision. Now she only hopped that he would agree..

She held him softly, close to her and dried his tears, waiting patiently for him to calm down...

"Shhhssh baby, shhhsh. I am here and I will take care of you...it's just a little scrape...shhhhshh baby," she cooed as she rocked him in her arms.

[Morgan]

Morgan was still flat on his tummy as he felt himself being lifted up into ma'am Dora's arms. He sat and cried more when the handkerchief touched his raw skin, which caused it to sting even more.

His mouth was wide open and crying after the quick clean. Then Morgan snuggled into ma'am Dora's arm and rested his head on her chest.
With ma'am Dora's soothing voice and pure presence; Morgan started to get over this, for him, rather big ordeal.

"Morgan .. Morgan OWEEE", he started to cry again as he looked at his hands; it was a reminder to him, that they were indeed still hurting.
Ma'am Dora used her motherly instincts again to calm lil' Morgan.

"Morgan...", he snuffles, "..Morgan...will be ok..."

[Pandora1432]

Pandora waited calmly for Morgan to slow his tears. He was trying to be so brave, the poor thing. His sniffles and tears stung her eyes with tears of her own.

She stood, with Morgan still wrapped in her arms and carried him, rocking slowly as she walked towards the market. "The poor thing," she thought. "I know a little snack will make him feel better as well as distract him from his wounds. She walked slowly towards the fruit vendor, still rocking the now snuffling little boy. "Morgan, how about a nice shiny apple? I think that it will make you feel better."

[Morgan]

The little boy leanning on her shoulder was starting to fall asleep between his sniffles.

Apple! Morgan still eyes all red and his little nose from the crying look at ma'am Dora and with a huge smile

"Morgan never tasted yet Apples but Reagan did, she said they good with yummy juice!" with sparkles in his eyes he stares at the fruits at the stand still snuggling to Dora. Then he spots a nice big one almost half of his little head but morgan with his diet, some days he was eating little... the bigger the apple the better his tummy will be.

Morgan points toward the huge apple "THAT ONE!" with a huge smile

[Pandora1432]

Merrick giggles at the pleasure in Morgan's face as she hands him the giant apple. She reaches in her cloak and pays the vendor with the hand not holding Morgan to her.

"Morgan?" She begins as she sits on a large stone at the side of the road..."I have been thinking that you might like a room of your very own." Dora licks her lips as she suddenly worries that she will scare him. Deciding that she has to just get it out there....and she plunges forward...

"Morgan, how would you like to come and live with me...at my house?" Dora, hesitates a little, suddenly very nervous that he will not understand and rebuke her offer. She things she will be devastated if he says no to her.

She looks at the little boy, with his red eyes and his running nose, face covered in apple juice and her heart swells with love for him and with fear that he will reject her. She folds her hands on her lap and smiles at him, trying to read his eyes, though he is far more focused on the apple than her...

[Morgan]

Morgan was indeed digging with his teeth in the apple but was in fact very much listening.

"Mmm...organ... *slurp .... " cheewing on his bite.

"Morgan then could see more Reagan when she comes?" as his eyes lights up. "Morgan can eat when hungry not wait snack time like now?" life has been hard for the little boy that was smaller then the average boys at the orphanage and often lost part of his meals...

"Reagan likes her place... she lucky she got good one.. morgan too.. morgan just smart not strong." he show smiling his little skinny arm imitating showing his muscles.

Morgan yawns as the day was getting so advance and he was up early to do many duties. He enjoyed every minutes with his mama and with ma'am willow at the temple or for the Town to upgrade and have best walls possible. However the boy was never arguing went it was bedtime.

[Pandora1432]

Pandora's smile turned to a slight frown as she listened to Morgan telling her that he could not eat when hungry at the orphanage. She filed that bit of information away for later, knowing that something needed to change in there.

She felt her heart twinge a bit at the mention of Reagan, whom he clearly missed terribly.

"Yes Morgan, you can eat when ever you want, however much you like sweetie." Looking at his frail little frame as he made muscles for her, she started planning meals in her head to plump him up quickly like a proper little boy should be and the smile returned to her face.

"You are my smart and STRONG boy, Morgan. Now, the day is getting on my darling," Dora stood, taking the sleepy boy up in her arms, "are you ready to go home?" She knew he was getting tired and some hot soup, a warm bath with lots of bubbles, and a cozy bed are all he needed today. Dora carried Morgan towards her horse, still at the orphanage from earlier. Wrapping Morgan in her cloak as he nodded his head against her shoulder, she mounted quickly and leaning forward to kiss his sleepy face she said softly - but firmly, "Morgan, hold on to me tight as you can manage, okay?" She felt his little fingers grasp at her as she turned and headed for home, carefully but quickly....

[Morgan]

Morgan was gripping as tight as he could, his mama didnt know how much he was scared on horses. Stuffing his face in her clothings he tried so hard not to cry. Mama wouldnt see its dark and morgan is hiding. He tried to listen to Dora's heartbeats to soothe him, even tried to make a song out of the rythme of the hooves.

"Are we there yet mama?" he shouted is face still hiding...