Indestructible (completed)

[Faith Organa]

Two weeks earlier
They had rescued him from a woman who blamed Draco for the loss of her family and position. From what was retold, it was the truth. She had seen in their accounts where he had transferred money to an unknown source, she assumed this woman.

Yes Draco had demons in his past, this one left his body broken she was yet to see how this played on his mind. She knew him well enough to know these things while the galaxy may see him as uncaring even cavalier he took them to heart.

He was not the same man who had met her at the Peace Accords.

She had read a book the other night while watching him sleep, it was about Dragons. Dragons mate forever. He would be her official husband in a few weeks.

He was already her husband in so many other ways. They had not truly been separated for long since she was lost in the mountains.

Present day

Nar Shadaa she never wanted to go there again. This time the roles were reversed she sat at the edge of the bed watching him. It was clear his mind was tormented by something the sweats came and went Tia had come by to do some healing and leave some medicines.

Faith waited.

It was torture waiting.

She reached over and touched his face the bruises were still dark, the swelling horrendous at first he looked nothing like her Draco, broken bones, swelling, and bruises everywhere. The woman really meant to kill him.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco had dreams about his past, his time with the One Sith and their order. His meeting and service to the Dark Lord of the Sith, watching the empire spread and destroy. The most vivid nightmares he had were his time spent with the Sith on Amar. He had done so much evil there.

Red streets, blood running through the pavement with the rain. Bodies of the diminutive furry creatures piled on either side of the road. He was laughing, they were all laughing. Joking about how easy it had been to rush into the city, drag them screaming out of their homes and butcher them like animals. Genocide. It had been genocide. The first he had ever taken part in. He had even ordered many worked to their deaths in a shipyard, whipped and beaten until they collapsed. That had been him.

As much as Draco liked to separate himself and Vulkan's actions while warm in his comfortable new life, next to his Faith, it was not the case. They were his actions. Vulkan was not some demented spirit that drove him to evil, Vulkan was the product of his own mind.

Gunfire cursed through his nightmare. He had trouble remembering this scene, a fight, no. The deep, utter blackness of Kessel, filled with the cries of slaves like himself, their audible whines and moans echoed through the caves. The woman on his left, he liked her. Sera was her name. She was nice to him. He gave her some of his rations everyday, she got taken away by the masters a lot at first, but now she was let be. When they were allowed to sleep, they shared a bunk, though nothing happened. They both enjoyed the comfort of one another.

He remembered her screams as the slave next to her was grabbed by an energy spider, as it started to pull the line of ten all shackled together down into the darkest pits. The masters shined a light on them just before he did it. In the darkness he thought he wouldn't be haunted by that memory, he had shoved it and buried it so deep. It was all but forgotten.

In his hands he had a vibro shovel. He used it to sever her hand at the wrist. Not the wrist that would have saved her. The one that saved him and the other eight beings chained together. The light appeared right before he did it, just so he could see her look of betrayal. He had told himself for days, weeks, months maybe it was a knee jerk reaction he did to save all the others, that he couldn't reach her other arm. But her face when she disappeared into the black, her screams. They had haunted him for years nonetheless, and then they had just stopped. He hadn't remembered them for the longest time.

The gunfire stopped, the Masters had driven the creature off.

More scenes flashed through his mind while he was out, more scenes he had forgotten long ago. All of darkness and pain. Everything he hadn't been able to justify in his life, piled away in a neat little box and blamed on another. All things that happened to him, or done by him that made him restless at night.

Draco opened his eyes with a flicker, glade the presentation of his darkest memories was finally over. He was not the same man he had been when he met Faith, he had grown, he had changed. He was indeed Draco Vereen, the one she loved. But in his life, so many bad things had been done, he had been so broken when they met. Was he truly healed now? Was he whole?

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[SIZE=18.6667px]He was supposed to be indestructible. In her mind he was, or had been he had come through so much already. Thank god for Draz who got them started, and for Rekha and Ana who kept looking for information. She didn’t know if she could ever repay them enough for helping.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]That woman, she had beaten him badly broken bones Tia had said that from the way his bones broke he had been hit with something multiple times, there were rings around his wrists from where they had bound him. She wanted to kill him that was certain, and if she had not been so hell bent on torturing him she might have succeeded in killing him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]Bound him, like a slave, what that must have done to him to be bound. He moved in his sleep, something was bothering him. In all the nights that they had spent together she had come to recognize some of the signs. But he was also guarded about some things, and he would only share them when he was ready[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]A few moments more she thought just let me watch him sleep without pain, or struggle a few minutes more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]His eyes opened, she smiled, “Draco, ner ka’rta you’re awake” She inched closer. The question she was going to ask would seem ridiculous to some, but she would ask it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]“How are you feeling? Hungry? Thirsty?” she wanted to be sure he had everything. She reached out for his hand squeezing it tightly. “I have been waiting for you” She meant it to be an easy conversation, light, hopeful, full of emotions that had twisted her up in her own fears about loss.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=18.6667px]He was awake, she was relieved.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=18.6667px][member="Draco Vereen"][/SIZE]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled as his eyes opened and he saw Faith near him. He had no idea how long it had been, how many hours he had slept for or how bad his injuries had been by the time she got him to a doctor to be patched up. He wasn't paying much attention to his wounds though. He could see the worry written in her features and he frowned slightly.

"Oh no, I feel alright Ner runi. I do, honestly, just tired of laying in bed." He could feel her hand squeezing his as he started to sit up, realizing he was attached to IV's pumping fluids into him and nutrients as his body required. He knew it was standard procedure with medical situations, but it felt like his muscles were achy and weaker than he remembered. With his free hand he touched his stomach feeling himself just a little making sure he wasn't decrepit.

"Are you okay?" he asked looking her over carefully, checking her with the Force to ensure she wasn't physically hurt. He was slightly relieved to feel the twins within Faith's belly and he smiled again as he sat up. Life was difficult sometimes, and they had a scare, but he was awake now and everything would be alright. Most everything.

When he closed his eyes he could see faces of people he'd let down, people he'd gotten killed that he hadn't thought about in years, maybe decades even. It was odd being like this, having them all suddenly surge back into his memory.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Me? I'm fine" She wouldn't mention the bruise on her knees, or the one on her forearm, or the kick she took to the ribs nope not mentioning that.

"You stay put for now. You were....almost dead Draco and you need to stay put for a bit. I will stay with you, keep you warm, snuggle with you, like you did when I was lost on the mountain side. I will get them to make whatever you want to eat." She frowned some, "but Draco, that woman.....I've got her imprisoned on Aldera. She's...quite loud."

Faith moved closer, she saw him checking himself out, 'you're all there still, fortunately." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "you scared me Drahr" He really had and it wasn't even his fault.

She smiled, "I'm glad we found you. It was a team effort ya know" She often lost her professional voice when talking with Draco. She saw him close his eyes, she watched for a minute, "What's wrong?"

Was he still hurt? Did she need to call Tia?

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Good." He said smiling when she told him she wasn't hurt. It comforted him that through all this ordeal she wasn't seriously harmed, he didn't know what he would have done if she had been harmed, how he could have reacted to such news. "I'm glad you are alright, Ner Runi." She moved to his side and gently pressed on him while she urged him to lie back down. It was against his nature to let himself be worried over and fretted about, but he knew how bad it had been. How painful it must have been for her to see him like this and out of commission for so long.

"I didn't mean to scare you, naoinr." He murmured as she kissed him and held him close. She was warm. "I want to move around, shake off the ache of lying here for so long." He smiled leaning back against the bed but holding her hand still. "It feels like I've been out for days, and that means I've neglected you for days." He grinned sheepishly. "Lay down with me and warm me up for a little while." He winced just a little as he laid down, his ribs still a little painful to move but nothing serious.

"Oh, I'm okay, Faith. Really, I just had a bad dream is all. I have bad dreams when you aren't next to me sometimes." Maybe sometimes even when she was that he simply couldn't remember. "Don't worry about it, just, lay down with me, kiss on me and let me be affectionate. I don't wanna think about it anymore." He was trying to play off his injuries and his nightmares, but she could always see through him. His ribs were still slightly painful as he rolled onto his side some and made room for her, and he was still anxious about his memories. What would she think? How would she react? She had seen him more broken than this and fell in love with him, certainly she would be able to handle this.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"OH I'm tougher than you think, after all I can ride a thranta." He was still in need of a few lessons.

But Faith smiled she understood the need to get out of bed, "Ok, for a little bit you can get up. We can go outside maybe near the water and enjoy our home." She bit her slightly wondering if that would be good for him.

Here at the fortress that he had built for their family, the one that they did not get to use very often. One that they hoped to raise their children at, she couldn't deny him as she lay next to him. It kept him in the bed didn't it.

She took one of his hands and placed it gently on her stomach, "feel here" she made sure his palm rested against her stomach. For her she felt the pressure of one little foot or hand in her ribs, he could feel the movement. She kept close though like he wanted.

She watched his face she had a feeling he needed reminding of a few things.

"Dreams you say, do you want to talk to me about them?" She leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek, he almost took this wolf pack thing a bit too far letting that five o'clock shadow grow in a bit thicker.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco made room for her on the bed, wrapping one arm around her as she lay down. He held her close and she put his hand over her belly where he could feel the twins moving around now where he could feel them. He pulled himself closer to her and kept his hand on her stomach, feeling them moving. She kissed him softly on the cheek before he buried his head in the crock of her neck, giving her his own kiss and affection.

He snuggled into her embrace, enjoying the closeness of her presence and the feeling of their children in her belly. "Oh, they are growing big. They will be along soon, and they will need names." He smiled, "Better names than Iggy and Aggy." Draco laughed a little bit as they laid down together.

"Oh, I've just been having bad dreams while I was out of it. Just my mind chasing ghosts and bad memories is all." Draco nudged her softly and kissed her again. He didn't want to dwell on the bad memories while he had her next to him, there were so many joyful memories and thoughts, things he wanted to remember and cherish when he was with her. He pressed his face into her neck again, his hand tracing little circles in the small of her back. He started to roll towards her but then winced and laid back down as his ribs emanated pain and he grumbled with frustration.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

She moved closer as he laid back, "it will take a little time to heal, you may be the Dragon of Mandalore but you are a man who has been.." she didn't want to say beaten to an inch of his life, now that was too fresh a reminder of how close she had come to losing him.

"Yes names, but Iggy and Aggy are great for twins. I'm..." she laughed to show she was being sarcastic, "I'm hurt...devastated even" She lay her head down on his chest the strong steady beat of his heart thundering beneath.

"Well then let's get serious about names and be sure we have them. Is there anyone you wish to honor?" She might incorporate the name of her father, he might like that, he...if he ever came back. She cleared her mind quickly.

"And what traditions would you like to follow in regards to them?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco soothed in her embrace, feeling her head against his chest. He wanted to take deeper breaths and calm down, but his ribs hurt him when he tried. The best he could manage was normal breathing in and out. "I will be fine. I just need a little bit of time is all." He nuzzled against her neck, kissing her lightly on her neck and bottom of her jaw.

"Iggy and Aggy are okay names." He laughed, playing along with her some. "I'm not saying no, just saying you will owe me." His hands squeezed her hips gently while they pressed against each other. "We could name the girl after my sister, Laira, and the boy after your father. That could be nice." It wouldn't be Mandalorian Naming traditions, but then again neither of them were born Mandalorians even if they were now. He wasn't sure how rigid Alderaanians were to family names, and he really just liked the name Laira, probably because he and his older sister had been close in his childhood. And he wanted to honor her family the same as he was honoring his own.

He nudged Faith, pulling her against him, holding her as close as he could. He could feel the tiny kicks from her belly against his abdomen, the warmth of her body. "We don't have to follow any traditions unless you want to." Draco said, pressing his lips against her neck and kissing, nibbling on her slightly, his heart pounding just a big faster.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith nuzzled Draco gently with her nose along his neck, "I like the name Laira, my fathers name is Garith I wasn't close to him though, I was closer to my brother Theo. You two would probably knock heads together, but if we were to use family names I wou,ld use Theo. His full name was Theodosius."

She laid pressed against him the twins actively letting them know they were present and could feel the roll of their parents. Even though she wanted more she knew he was injured they would wait. She would wait.

"Naming I have never found anything that said we had to name them anything other something sensible and pronounceable." She was content to breath in the familiar sensations of Draco filled her senses, and gave her a comfort she had needed in the dark hours of his kidnapping it had been long hours she cried out in desperation to know where he was, and use every resource she knew.

They had not talked too much more about it, perhaps he knew but then perhaps he didn't, she wanted him to know how desperate she had been, she wanted him to know that her focus was on him, that he in those hours was all she thought about.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"So, Laira and Theodosius. I like those names, so long as you are happy with them." Draco smiled while they laid together. "I'm sure I will knock heads with just the one Theo enough." Draco remembered enough from his childhood to know that he and his children would butt heads a couple of times, and likely drive each other crazy for a few years. That said, he had a fairly boring childhood, mostly just determined to stay away from his father's icy stare of disapproval.

Draco felt the twins nudge him in the stomach while Draco and Faith laid in each others arms. Draco didn't know how long it had been since they had laid like this, but he was enjoying the time he was given. He closed his eyes comfortably beside her while she soothed him with her warmth. He could feel the twins, the rhythmic beating of her heart in sync with his own, their breathing alternating. His nerves felt calm and his worries seemed to fade away.

Draco started to drift to back to sleep, the aching in his muscles fading away. As he drifted back he saw the face of Sera again, the woman he had watched dragged off into the darkness on Kessel in the darkest days of his life and he jerked awake, up to his elbow. His breathing was heavy and ragged, and his ribs sparked with pain with his sudden movement and pressure placed on them. After just a second or so he realized where he was again and dropped back to the bed. His mind was turning and he knew at this point he wasn't going to be able get away from talking about it again.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Almost asleep herself enjoying Draco presence here at home, sorry and sad that it was because he was hurt she sighed with contentment. She was nuzzling his arm when he shot up startling her and pushing her to the side.

She pushed up herself reaching over, "Draco" concern and worry etched on every word he dropped back laying there.

Faith tried not to stare, "You're not alright it's more than bad dreams" Her voice was soft, filled with caring, "You can tell me you know." She inched closer so that she could see him more clearly. "We can handle whatever it is, you don't have to do it alone"

She had no idea what it was, but she had to tell him that whatever it was he wasn't alone in doing it, he wasn't a solitary dragon. She put her hand on his chest and stroked the spot where it lay. She knew Nar Shaddaa would leave scars she just really did not know how deep the scars would be, or if Draco was ready to deal with them and her.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Oh, it is just bad dreams baby." Draco said calmly as he nuzzled against her more, kissing her cheek softly. "Just some memories from years and years ago coming back up to the surface." He was trying to play it off, but even he could tell by the sound of his voice he was troubled. Since his time in the Netherworld after the battle of Ruusan he had been worried about what side affects there might be, but as time had gone on, he had thought he was free and clear.

"Memories, faces. Mostly regrets from another life, another time are haunting me now. It seems now that we are finally happy something would have to come up to cause us some trouble." He smiled, fake as it was, he was trying to be reassuring and add some jest to the conversation.

"Lately its been the same thing, ever since Nar Shaddaa, I've been seeing the face of the first person I ever killed when I close my eyes, haunting the shadows of my sight in the dark of night. Its, just regrets and sorrow." Draco had been a young man, and despite his time with the military, he had been from Eriadu, and there had only ever been one battle there in the past decade, and not in Phelar. Even in his time with the Hutt Cartel, he had never had to kill anyone, but it wasn't until his time in Kessel that he ever actually had to, that he ended his first life. From there he had grown more and more accustomed, it became easier and easier to justify or shrug off, until he came to enjoy it. Now that he was on the other side of the mountain, those regrets were catching back up to him. It wasn't every battle, just the ones where he knew then and now it hadn't been necessary.

"I feel like I've lived three lives already. Like a few life times have passed, but its just been thirty years. I lived as a trouble maker in Phelar and a slave, then as a Dark Sider, and now, just me." He spent a long time coming to terms with his life after being a Sith, putting that life to rest and ending it for good. But his younger years, what drove him for the past ten years, he had packed away and never really spoken of it since he escaped Kessel. "What do you think?"

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith listened she heard the sound in his voice, concern, fret, uncertainty and regret. Emotions so similiar and yet they could drive anyone to do things that hinged on the edge of rationality.

The first person he killed, it was hard sometimes to remember that Draco did do things before they were together things that had begun to haunt him. She saw how he twisted in his sleep, the emotions that crossed his normal serene face as he slept, she had a feeling that the only thing that would help this, that would help to close a door was to go there. Go back where all of this began.

But she had to admit that she was fearful that in doing so it would awaken more ghosts to haunt him.

He had lived so many different versions of life slave, sith, mercenary what had driven him at the beginning no longer existed.

"You're more than who you began as Draco, I want to help you deal with these memories." She leaned over and trailed kisses from his forehead to the hollow of his throat, she wrapped her arms around his form as gently as she could and held him trying to not let her own desperation seep out.

"I think we need to go to your home, where all this began. It would be good for us. You can confront the ghosts, and I can see where you came from" She waited she had not looked up at him she knew that when she did he tended not to deny her anything. This however, this decision needed to come from him she would follow.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"I haven't been home in almost a decade." He said with a smile while she kissed on him and wrapped him up. "Its been a long time, I buried it and stayed away. I'm not sure why I stayed away all the time. I know that I just didn't care when I was a Sith, they weren't important. And then they were gone." He snuggled up against Faith and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, but you have to know I've done some horrible things. I won't go into detail, but even before I was a Sith, its not like I was a saint who fell. I had been on that track for a long time, I've had regrets and sorrows about what I've done for years, ever since before the Netherworld Crisis." He looked into her deep brown eyes through the dim light and softly kissed the tip of her nose. "I know I'm not that way anymore, but some of it still weighs on me." He would likely carry the knowledge and weight of his life on his shoulders for the rest of his days. A wise man had once told him that the weight of experience was heavy, but that it wasn't a burden but a yoke for which to carry. Draco liked the thought of that, especially since he would soon have kids to raise and guide through the galaxy.

Thinking about their children and their life together calmed him, soothed his ragged spirit almost as much as her warm embrace did. His heart wasn't thumping anymore, it had slowed back into the rhythm hers was setting, as was his breathing. "I missed you." He kissed her again, at the top of her sternum and wrapped his arms around her just as she was holding him while he nuzzled against her chest. "Can we go in the morning? Or will I have to wait longer?" He asked playfully since she had been keen on keeping him in bed earlier. His hand slipped down and gently squeezed her backside.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Oh Feth he just had this effect on her, "A decade you say" she kissed his jaw lightly, "is that all? Well then it's time to go home" She soft sounds of his voice hinted only with twinges of regret and pain as he spoke of his home.

They snuggled closer together as she nuzzled his neck stroking his arm gently from shoulder to elbow.

"I know you've horrible things, some maybe even unspeakable. But that not who you are now, if you were we wouldn't be here. I wouldn't love a monster." She kissed his ear as she whispered, "Draco I love you the fact that you have regrets and sorrows about it shows how much you've changed"

She trailed kisses down his neck across his shoulder. She looked up at him just as he kissed her nose.

"It may always weigh on you net Drahr sometimes the regret of our action linger with us perhaps to remind us that we are capable of more. We can do more. " She was thinking that they needed acts of atonement, but hadn't he atones already for so much look at him, bruises, near death, how much more was he to give?

Did fate request his life in exchange? Well she couldn't have him, he was going to stay with her.

The words I missed you hung there, "I missed you but we found you I will always find you" AND I WAS AFRAID! But she didn't say it not now, now she was beginning to cling to him, pulling what warmth he had and mingling it with her own.

"We can go in the morning Draco, how I have missed your fire, longing for it on my skin, having it consume me until I can't breathe." She buried her face into his chest god how much she loved him. She tried hard not to crush him knowing how he was hurt She felt like crying not from sadness but from love and relief that he was still here.

She would have Ana send orders for the ship, but not right now, Right now all she wanted was Draco.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes, its been a long time, Ner Runi. But, maybe a home coming is what I need. A chance to say goodbye and all that." He smiled at her, feeling her hands on him, her skin against his and his heart beat a little faster. He loved her with all that he was, and it seemed like every time she could finally relax and sleep easy and in peace with him, something from his past reared up and tormented her. She was far better than he deserved, far more patient with him than she should be. "You are too good for me, but I'm not giving you up." He whispered, pinching her bottom playfully.

Her fingertips grazed his arm, playfully teasing his skin, begging him to give her his attentions. "I know I'm different, I just wish you could have your fairy tale prince you deserve, and that I could be that for you. That I could be everything you want and not give you the troubles I do."

Draco winced slightly as Faith moved on top of him, but he didn't stop smiling. "Well, if I'm fit for travel, maybe I'm fit for other things?" He asked, the tone of his voice rising a little as he looked up at her, staring deep into her sparkling brown eyes, her hair cascading down around her face. "But you might have to do most of the work."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"It will be good to your home Draco" She wanted to see where his journey had started and get the details on the events he told her about see where they took place. She wanted to see it like it would fill in the pictures she had in her mind.

That part of his life he talked about in short sentences and only what he was comfortable with. Seemed he was always concerned about what she thought of him, and even still after all this time he didn't think himself worthy of her.

One day she knew he would begin to believe, begin to understand just how powerful love was. She desired nothing more than him, everything else was a bonus but even if they didn't have it she'd still have him.

Fire, how she longed for it she felt that deep craving for it out of passion, love and need. A need to know he was alright a need to know that he was still hers, a desire to show her love but he was injured.

She couldn't help but grin at him, "all the work cyar'ika" she leaned over him staring into his eyes, "I don't mind work but I don't want to hurt you" She kissed him gentle soft treating him tenderly one would think because he was injured in truth at the moment she was teasing him.

The Great Dragon of Mandalore tempted by a wisp of a girl.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"All the work? You will have to hold me down if you think you can manage that. Otherwise I will pitch in." Draco teased while she carefully leaned over him, kissing him and treating him tenderly, teasing at him. He was hardly tempted, he was enthralled, enchanted by her, completely at her whim. Her soft kiss had only exacerbated his desire to please, to obey her. His head lifted off the pillows following her as she pulled away, wanting nothing more than to keep his lips on hers. Her dark brown hair, like a cascade falling around her face tickled his skin as she moved. Her skin warm to his touch burned through him and into his blood. He yearned for her love with every fiber.

"You won't hurt me, promise. And if you do, I won't tell." He grinned as his hands slipped from around to her own, his fingers intertwining with hers as he leaned back comfortably on the bed and pillows they had laid upon. Tomorrow they would go to Eriadu, to Phelar the city of his birth and sight see, however much there was to see after its bombing. Draco was sure some of it was still standing. Still enough for them to have a good time while he reminisced about his childhood and early life. How simple it had been back then, how little he had thought would happen to him.

[member="Faith Organa"]