Indestructible (completed)

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

It was for a few moments a serious conversation about a dark past that complicated things. The girl had to of had family perhaps she could ask Ana to look into it, maybe some amends could be made to the family. Not that credits were what she was thinking but relief of mind if they didn't know, helping them out if they needed it, something that would help alleviate the regrets that Draco felt.

"Me, I dreamed of being nobody. Of, being able to do what I wanted when I wanted, as I wanted without someone saying, Young Ladies do not act in this way Faith. " Faith shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know how anybody can claim to know so much times changed.."

She frowned slightly, "I always wanted to know father, you know I didn't meet him until much later in life..and by them I was so happy to see him, touch him that..I didn't think about him not being there. I always thought he would have made us normal..but who knows what's normal"

She looked at Draco a hint of sadness reflected in her eyes, "WE cyar'ika are going to be ok." Yes they would, they had different lives, they had different manners, but one thing they would never abandon one another.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled at her softly, "Yes we are. We have each other." He needed her more than he needed anything else. She comforted him, she kept him level and safe, and she saved him from himself when he spiraled down.

"Huh, I couldn't imagine you as anything less than a princess. My princess if not some planet's princess." He had always seen her as the loyal daughter, yeah she and her mother had disagreements and arguments at times, but he knew how much Faith had sacrificed for her family. He couldn't imagine her rebelling anymore than bringing home him. He knew her, and he knew how rebellious she could be, and that she was far from the good little, innocent princess. And all she had wanted was to be normal. Maybe they had found normal within each other.

"We are almost to Eriadu, and we've been talking about sadness and old wounds." Draco sighed out, knowing that they would be spending the evening with a somber mood, visiting sad places. He nuzzled against her, kissing her neck and nibbling on her gently, trying to be careful not to leave any evidence of his presence. "I don't want your only memories of my homeworld to be sad." He whispered in her ear, his breath warm. "After we say goodbye to my parents, I will take you to a little place on the coast if you want."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

She nuzzled his neck, "It is alright that we revisit these memories but I think that we are building a happy memory too right now Draco. We are together and anytime we are together it is never bad Drahr, ner Drahr." Her Dragon she called him this often it was meant as an endearment.

"Ok but first we visit your parents, and the other places where you need to let go" She wrapped herself, as much as she could around him lovingly but she also sought to protect him. This visit was about getting him to face the regrets, to show her where he started, "This place will be a place our children will one day visit Draco, we will tell them about this journey."

She couldn't explain but she loved him more now than she had before he had a vulnerability that he protected carefully. "I love the coast as you know..." She kissed his cheek..."ner runi."

"We are getting close, we should probably settle in for the descent, for we carry precious cargo." She did not want to move she loved being close. Ana was standing, Faith nodded. "Ana says we are close.."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes, always ner runi." Draco agreed, having trouble remembering if they had ever had a bad memory together. Nar Shaddaa wasn't a good memory, but not because they had been together, they brought out the best in each other and hopefully, they would find peace and serenity soon. She wrapped herself around him and he returned in kind.

"Oh, I don't know if I'll be telling them the specifics about this journey. But maybe." He grinned. He had considered bring them out to Eriadu and maybe owning some form of home on the planet, but in the end, he preferred the thought of keeping his family together, close to each other in the core far from the ravages of the Outer Rim.

"Yes I know you love the coast. That's why I suggested it." He grinned at her as she kissed his cheek lovingly, showing him affection. "It won't be as beautiful a backdrop as you deserve, not like Alderaan, but as I remember it was very nice secluded place." He didn't have many memories of the little cove, but enough to lead her there if they had time.

Draco nodded at Faith reluctantly releasing her so she could settle in. Draco straightened and stood so he could help her up while the ship began its final descent towards the space port outside Phelar.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

They had their fair share of bad memories, Vena, and Nar Shaddaa stuck out to her, what they had almost lost had only strengthened them, and brought them closer. This too would bring them closer.

She listened to his voice the soft gentle tenor to the deep baritone, his eyes as they looked at her hints of sadness, regret, lack of sleep, and how much he loved her were all seen there. The sensation of his fingers on her skin as he protectively made sure she was secure while they landed.

"You will tell them many things to help them grow into responsible adults" she didn't smile as usual for a moment she had started to say and you'll cry over them too. Yes when they fall when taking their first steps, and the night, hourly visits to the nursery to make sure they were breathing still, or covered up, or just to stare at them. There were so many things ahead and there were bumps to happen whatever they were.

This trip just one more bump, "Wherever you take me Drahr is beautiful and remarkable because you are with me." His presence in her life made everything a gift. She smiled at him as she leaned back.

The ship shuddered slightly on approach as it broke through and transitioned from space to atmosphere, Faith looked out onto the surface of Draco's home world for the first time.

They were landing within moments clearance was easy enough to get but she wondered if that was only due to the Alderaan registry.

"Looks like we are here." She looked back to Draco, "Are you ready?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Oh, responsible adults huh? I didn't realize I was all that responsible, but I trust you can teach them more about how to be strong and independent and strike out on their own, while I teach them things like how to take care of themselves. If they are anything like you they will be strong and confident, and maybe a little more stubborn than is good for them." Draco laughed lightly at her, teasing her just a bit. He loved everything about her, the fiery confidence and strength was a part of her that made him tingle from head to toe with affection and desire. She could crush him if she wished with her anger, but she couldn't help that she would look adorable while she was mad. "Oh, I enjoy seeing you in beautiful backdrops, but no matter where I see you, you are always the subject of that art, always the gorgeous model that is supposed to draw the eye. The rest is just little intricacies that complement you."

"Yes, I'm ready for now." He said, knowing that while reliving some of the fond memories he had of this place, of this planet where he grew up would bring some smiles from him, just as much as seeing what was left of his family home would cause him some sadness and maybe even some tears.

The ship bumped as it finished landing and the handful of aides and guards stood around waiting for the couple to decide where to go. After the situation on Nar Shaddaa they wouldn't be allowed to travel so lightly for a time, the guards of Alderaan would keep a tighter watch on the Princess and her Prince-Consort, as well as the next generation of heirs. Draco hardly noticed them, they stayed in the background for the most part, Captain Lindsey and Ana being the only two that actually interacted with he and Faith on a regular basis.

The ramp lowered for them and a sleek, luxurious speeder waited for them, already unloaded by the guards before the boarding ramp had lowered for them. Draco smiled at Faith and looked deep in her golden amber eyes, finding comfort within her, feeling her warmth and affection flowing into him, steadying him for the trials to come. "I love you ner runi. More than I could ever fully express."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]


"If I know you Drahr you always find the most interesting of ways to show me. I look forward to this trip right now." Faith winked at Draco they walked towards the speeder in this place Faith today wore something comfortable and patterned after another dress that had lots of room and still looked good.

Faith kept her hand on Draco's as they walked towards the speeder, yes they had learned many lessons over the last year about safety and what it really meant to be in a position where countless eyes stared at you, and wanted what they could get from them.

"I'm really excited for you to show me around" He was her balance but this was about him, his balance and what she could do to help. It was nothing for her to love him, and assure him these things came easy. They came without effort because she loved him truly and because of their mutual need for one another the reassurance was there when needed. A glance, a smile, and when needed the gentle touch that said I'm here. She held onto him one to make sure they both made it to the speeder, and two because she knew he drew strength from it just as she did from him.

"I love you ner kar'ta nothing will ever part us" She slipped inside and made sure Ana and Captain Lindsey were near. She looked at Draco as he climbed in, "So..where to first?" She was ready, so ready...

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Well, lets start with my father's house. I don't know what happened to it or what's going on with it, so we might as well go take a look at it." His memories of it had been the same throughout his life. Bare walls with only limited decoration despite having lived there for twenty years. Even the attics and basement had been relatively clean, as though the family had been ready to move at a moments notice. It wasn't like that, it was just that the old man had never seen need or desire to decorate his home. Sometimes they had complained about it, but it never changed. It was something that had irked Draco in his youth, but since then he had grown accustomed to bare walls and he felt as though the palace at Alderaan was too cluttered for his comfort sometimes.

Draco slipped inside the speeder and drew himself close beside Faith, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and gently hugging her. The speeder pulled away once everyone was inside and fell into what little traffic there was in the middle of the work day. On the way to the site of his old home, Draco pointed out the window at a factory. "That was where me and Laira worked when we were teenagers. Father worked in the plant, we worked in the shipping department. I'm not sure I'd call that a fond memory." He laughed, pulling himself close to Faith, resting his head on her shoulder.

"She went on to be a pilot and go to the academy, I joined the PDF like my Father had before me. Anything to get out of the monotony of putting metal pieces into a box." Draco chuckled again, thinking of how he had grown to miss it during his life and how he had never returned to that simple life. Things had worked out for him well enough, he had married and was starting a family with an unimaginably beautiful princess that loved him as mush as he loved her, after all.

The speeder slowly maneuvered through the city of Phelar, getting through a few moments delay of traffic before approaching their destination. The city was still recovering from the bombing of Eriadu, though they didn't pass any rumble or destruction, just a plethora of partially built structures, or mostly repaired buildings.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

She stayed close to him she had guessed long ago that he sought comfort and solace near her, in her touch, as much as she found it in him. She looked around at this place that had given birth to her riduur, to the beginnings of the man beside her. "Your father home a good place to start." She wanted to go to Atrisia to see Hyogo to see it for herself again, she knew Bella had taken care of it. Seeing it for her was to see what she could find of her father within it, what he was like.

She snuggled close to Draco as he pointed to the Factory where he and his sister had worked, the sister whose name would soon be remembered as they passed it down to their daughter. "It was hard work? But I bet you remember things about being there with Laira" She had never worked in a factory, what was that like to do every day. A good pilot that meant she had excellent skills, quick thinking, fast reflexes, smart his sister was a woman who could stand on her own.

The PDF even then Draco followed traditions it was why he made a good mandalorian, and why he understood her duties to her family and her home world. "Did putting the metal pieces in the boxes each day teach you patience Draco?" She whispered to him for he was never so far that she had to raise her voice, or speak so loudly that everyone heard.

No even in the speeder they could be alone.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco felt her snuggle close to him, comforting him in her own special way, the way only she could for him. No others could warm his heart his body like she could with a soft, gently touch he had grown to long for when they were apart. "Yes he did. We were fortunate, even though we didn't have much, we had food and a home. We never went hungry." He smiled, searching her shining golden eyes for that piece of her that made him melt.

He knew her father had been estranged, distant, and she had always wanted her family to just be normal, a mother, a father, the children. She hadn't gotten that, but she could give it to their children. "It wasn't all that hard. Not really. And yes. We were mischievous. We liked to put soap in the foreman's coffee. Rewire the horns on the lifters to play funny tones, sometimes rearranging the boxes by colors to make them spell out words when you looked at them from across the warehouse."

"Patience yes. That was but one thing I learned." He pulled himself closer to her, looking deep into her eyes, one hand running his fingers through her long dark hair affectionately. "But it also taught me to take refuge in the small comforts you happen across," He inched loser to her, hovering just inches away, glancing down at her lips. "To hold onto those and make the most of them with the people you love most." He pressed his lips to hers, slipping his hand lovingly around her neck, toying with her silken locks, closing his eyes giving way to passion. His tongue played with hers, and when his breath gave way he took only a short gasp, never breaking their embrace as though she needed his touch or she would be lost. He poured his affection and passion into her, in thanks for her loving support and for his own need to reaffirm his love for her everyday so that she knew without even a fleeting doubt, their bonds grew ever stronger.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

So what does a woman do when the man she loves and adores lavishes attention on her, she stares deeply into his eyes and invites him to do more as she entices him with gentle caresses, and tender kisses.

She needed no thanks for loving him it was easy to do so even though there were still voices in the galaxy that looked upon him and saw someone else, a different face, and heard a different voice.

"Sounds like you and your sister could be quite the pranksters with all your mischief." She couldn't help but look into his eyes all the emotions he felt reflected there outward towards her washing over her, protecting her, and slowly drawing her in closer. Oh he was getting much closer now, the way his lips pressed against hers, a firm demand with a soft urging. Faith reached out for him gently pulling him closer.

"Drahr you're making it incredibly warm in here." She pressed her nose against his, "you'll be in trouble later you know' She kissed him lightly even though at this moment she wanted nothing more than their alone time.

"how much further" she whispered.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco pressed against Faith, feeling the light and tender beat of her heart in his own chest as he held her close. They shared tender, passionate kisses over and over again, holding one another in their arms.

Draco kissed her until his breath gave way and he was forced to breath, and only then for a second, leaving a trail of his affection down her neck. She whispered in his ear while he pressed his lips against her skin, in the corner of her neck and shoulder, feeling her flawless skin blush with warmth at his touch. One hand played sheepishly with her dark silky locks of hair while the other rested just below her heart a little more playfully.

"Not long enough, ner runi." He whispered through ragged breaths, hugging close to her so that her warmth radiated against his body. "We could make the driver circle around if you wanted to, or we can hang on to this and wait for just a little while." He pulled himself closer to her, almost on top of his princess, his weight balanced on his own as he kissed her skin and pressed himself against her body.

She was perfect in every way, sweet and kind but with a fiery passion that allowed her to be feisty. She was a princess that every man could only dream about, and even then their dreams would fall utterly short of reality. She radiate power and confidence at times, softness and tenderness when she pleased, and love and affection as she desired. Physically, she was gorgeous with long dark hair, svelte curves in all the right places, long slender legs, a booty that could make Draco weep if she used it right, and most of all shimmering amber brown eyes that stared deep into his soul. Draco could not ask for more, and loved her with every part of his being.

The ruins of his home loomed outside the window, but he had yet to look up from her, distracting himself with showing his affection for his riduur. The row of small houses were not but frames and blackened ashes now, rubble from fire and explosions having riddled the neighborhood almost two years ago. No one had paid to have the houses rebuilt and so they had been left just as the were.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"]

She could not help but wonder if he were trying to keep from looking around, not that she would ever stop him from lavishing such attentions upon her. She felt his presence all around her as he filled her senses his touch every where, the sound of his voice soft gentle luring upon her ears, and that ever present magnetism he had that pulled her to him.

The storms that once raged in his eyes were not gone no at this moment another kind of storm waved there waiting to be unleashed. She couldn't help but smile up at him as he pressed against her. He knew better than to press his luck with her in the back of a transport, luxury or not. She reached over rubbing her thumb along the scruff of his chin, "We could have a hundred lifetimes together Draco and still it would not be enough." There would never be enough time for them to show their love and devotion to one another.

As much as she wanted to feel the heat of his skin against hers, and to taste the sweetness of his kisses this visit was about reconciling a past so that their future could move forward. "We are going to hang on for a while ner runi and see how much we both can endure before we melt one another." Faith stroked his cheek lightly, "anticipation cyar'ika....can you wait?"

She knew he could he was Ra's Shukalar because of his patience waiting should come easily for him.

"Tell me where we are now" She whispered to him, as her hand found his.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled at her, but stayed close. "I can, love. But only barely, and only because you want to." He kissed the tip of her nose gently and sat up to look out the window where she was gesturing, asking where they were.

"This is the neighborhood I grew up in. There weren't many kids my age that lived here. There was a school a few blocks back we all attended with the other neighborhood kids. Its just outside the city, low income families. You know the type. Hard working man of the house, spent most of his time in a factory, a woman that worked part time and always had laundry hanging around outside. Two kids that got into trouble as often as they could." The Mandalorian opened the door to the luxury speeder and stepped out, holding out his hand to help her from the vehicle.

"My family lived there," he pointed to a partly ruined building, the roof had collapsed as had one corner of the house in the little row. "We had just a little bit of a backyard when we were young we played in it sometimes. Then when we got older we hung out in that house. It was empty and the teens gathered there because of that. Nobody minded because we weren't causing too much trouble and it kept us out of the street. We would have parties there, with booze and food, and girls. It was just a little place where we weren't under someone else's roof." He smiled faintly as he looked onto the ruins of what had been his childhood home and those of his neighbors.

"I haven't been here in ten years. Maybe a bit more. I hope when our twins are twenty they don't leave and never come back like I did."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

It was good he had such control she smiled and winked at him, "later I promise."

Faith looked around the neighborhood it must have been so much different when Draco was a child and now with how it looked it was just depressing. The speeder stopped Faith stepped out taking Draco's offered hand she kept looking where he pointed.

She bit her lip as she was thinking she looked over to him, "No I don't think our children will leave and never come back. They will leave, but they will always know that where we are is where home is." Faith took a few steps, she looked back at Draco. "You know we have all kinds of resources. We could give some of these families and their children a fighting chance at a descent life, at the least."

She walked to Draco looking up at him, then back at all the broken homes, "people who grown up feeling hopeless Draco they do desperate things. We can give them hope, we can help. We can start with building them homes that have locks, windows, roofs...everything that makes them feel safe."

She put her hand on his chest, "See a need and react, there is great need here. Don't you think?"

They were here they could look into it while they were here, see what it took, what the costs were, do something positive for Draco's home world. She knew he had a big heart but were some of the memories too much.

She took his hand putting it on her stomach, "if we lived here, if we didn't have all that we had...and lived here...wouldn't you want those things for our children?" Faith knew all about rebuilding, they were still rebuilding Alderaan.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled. "I suppose." He said in regards to their children. One of the reasons he had never returned was his fear of disappointing his father, something that had ruled his thoughts and his goals for many years. Most of his childhood was spent trying to avoid that feeling of failure. When he had finally done something that he felt would be hung over his head for years, he avoided his family for almost a five years before they were just gone.

"We can help some, but we can't help every person in need. We just don't have the resources to make everyone in the galaxy feel better." He shrugged as he looked around the ruined block of homes and houses. "I suppose we can start here though. Except for that house." He pointed at the home he had lived in, he had spent years of his life in. The home his parents had been in when the First Order bombed Eriadu not so long ago. Draco didn't know what he would do with that house, but he knew he didn't want some random people living there. He just wanted it empty right now. Left alone. Maybe in time, he would be okay with it being the big empty house the kids played at, maybe he would give it to someone or turn it into a rental house for the downtrodden. But not yet. "I just want that one rebuilt."

"If we lived here? Gods no I wouldn't want them to have those things!" Draco said aloud, probably a little sharper of tone that he had intended. "I mean, I suffered and struggled to ensure that others would have stability. I paid my dues for generations to come. I want better for our children, and I've went to great lengths to ensure that they would have better than me." There was at least one vault with several ingots of Aurodium at their home, and another hidden on a space station for those exact reasons. Even if they had nothing else, they would still have something to fall back on. They would always have a place and security somewhere in the galaxy.

He turned and patted her belly. "Alright, lets go look at the grave site. I suppose its that time."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

She felt they were very fortunate in all that they had and no she didn't know about all the things he had tucked away for 'just in case' not that she would need to know all of those things. They had multiple investments, a few homes, multiple ships, a great pet named Blu and soon to have two children. They had everything they couldn't hold much more.

So, she wanted to ensure that others had something, yes they would rebuild the neighborhood including Draco's home give the families a chance she smiled up at him, "We can't help all of them but we can do a lot just here in this neighborhood to help. And we should do in memory of your family, even if no one else knows that except us."

Faith slipped back into the their luxury speeder, the grave she thought would be the hardest. She remembered her own mother visiting her parents and how difficult it was, the sadness, the memories, the what if, and I should haves.

"I'm glad you brought me Draco. Tell me more about your family and what happen." She knew bits and pieces of it not all of it. And she wanted to know to have all the story. She reached over for his hand drawing her thumb across his knuckles as she thought of him. The harsh realities of life that he had faced, and as he had said paid his dues for generations. This visit was about helping him heal, or to accept the past.

Helping others often did that for her, but that might not be what did it for him. She would slowly find out what it would take, she made sure she was securely on the seat smiling over to him.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco smiled back at Faith while she spoke. "I know. I'm just not ready to have strangers living in their house yet. The rest of the block needs it. People need a home, I'm just not entirely sure how they would have wanted their house to be handled. Once I am, we will deal with it." In truth, he wasn't sure if they would care what happened to that house since neither of their children had need of it. He had plenty of places to stay if he needed to, and Laira was already buried elsewhere. He wasn't sure whether his mother or father had a will, but he was sure someone would find out for him rather than he and Faith having to stand in line somewhere to wait for it.

She slipped into the speeder and Draco stepped back into the transport, a solemn half-smile on his face brought on by the memories and the nostalgia of the place of his childhood. The door closed and the driver slowly accelerated the speeder towards the cemetary where his parent's had been buried after the attacks. "Well, from what the reports told me, they were found on day four in their home. It was late evening in Phelar when the First Order attacked, so they were likely sitting in the living room watching the holovids or sports, or whatever until bed." He knew that wasn't what she was asking about when she asked what happened, but he felt like saying it anyway.

"Whenever my father got home from work, he found his chair and only moved to get drinks, use the bathroom and go to bed. Mom cooked, cleaned dishes, did laundry, all the house hold chores while he relaxed. They argued about it sometimes, that he never helped with the day to day upkeep, but he worked ten to twelve hours a day in the factory and fixed plumbing, lights, and all that when it malfunctioned so it wasn't like he didn't do his part. When we were teenagers, we woke up, he took us to school, we walked to the factory and did our part time shift, and then he drove us home whenever he got off." Draco swallowed hard, fighting back some emotions down back into his gullet.

"I'll never forget the time Laira and I backed one of the loaders into a truck and knocked it over. All three of us would have been fired and had to pay damages if we'd have gotten caught. They investigated that for three weeks without coming up with anything, but our father knew it was us. I think I've only ever been beaten like that twice in my life, and once was by a Sith Lord." Draco chuckled at the thought of Vrag tearing him down and breaking his spine on Yinchorr many years ago, even before he was remotely aware of his Force Sensitivity. It had been a long time ago, almost seemed like a lifetime ago. So many wars, so many battles, but he had still come through them to end up with Faith.

"And then Laira graduated and went into the academy, and I dropped out, got a certificate of completion and joined the PDF. I'm glad I brought you to. I don't think I would have come alone. I'm not sure I'd have had the stomach for it all on my own. I'm your rock when you need me, ner runi, but sometimes I need you for the same thing. Most times I need you because you are soft and warm and kind and beautiful, but sometimes I just need you to hold on to and steady myself." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her palm softly. He had no problem with helping the people of his childhood home, he had no problem dropping everything to show his love for her, either. If she woke up one day and decided she wanted to live in a townhouse and go to work every morning, he would. He wouldn't like the idea of putting his children through that, but he would do anything for her.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith leaned on Draco just a bit more, this is part of what marriage and relationships were about helping one another over the rough spots and being there. She intertwined her fingers with his, ever thankful that he was the father of her children. She shifted again her back was bothering her more this trip than the others. She smiled though not complaining.

"I'm here for you Draco, I'll always be here for you just like you are for me. We are going to get through all of this cyar'ika. The past something we can't change, but we can learn from it, be stronger from it, and move forward. Fixing some houses that will help some families out there who are toughing it out. It will ease my mind to know we are helping and not just visiting their misery."

Faith sighed heavily, "Remind me when we get home, we should make a trip to the Lake House, and go spend a week at the cabin on Aldera." There was always something to do for them, as long as there was a planet to liberate somewhere.

They would never live in a townhouse, no they would either live in the cabin, the mountain palace, the palace on Aldera, or build something somewhere else. but she had been doing this too long right now to do something else.

"So tell me more," She didn't know far they had to go but she liked listening to him tell her the story.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco wrapped an arm across her shoulders as the little speeder moved through traffic leaving the city. A short distance away there were a few cemeteries, which while they didn't exactly hold entire bodies, contained the markers and urns for the deceased. He hugged her close and smiled. "I know that you are here. I can feel you, and the twins. I suppose I'm just afraid if they turn out like me, more than like you is all. I was estranged and troubled through parts of my life. You were always so consistent, stalwart and strong, so well equipped to deal with your troubles and heart breaks." He grinned. At times in his life he had been much more fragile than she, despite the differences in their appearance and the nature of his upbringing. Someone who read a description of them might think he was stone without and stone within, but that was not the case. He was a man who wore armor, physical and emotional, and when someone could claw their way through that armor, they could heal or break him with ease. Faith healed better, handled sadness better than he did.

"I shall remind you. I have good memories of that Lake House, and wouldn't mind reliving some of them." His face was calm, his heart rate slow and steady, in rhythm with her own.

"I don't know what else to tell you. When I left, I left it all. Laira wrote me sometimes, but not every week, and I didn't respond all the time. Then when I escaped Kessel, I hadn't heard from her while I was there, and I didn't re-establish contact with her. I didn't hear from her again until I was announced as the Foreman of the Techno Union, and then it was little more than a congratulations letter with some updates on how the family was. I had a secretary write a thank you note and signed it. And during that time, the First Order killed them when Eriadu signed with the Alliance." He had been weak in that time, closed off. He had been hurt and closed off others to keep from being hurt again during his fall to the Dark Side. Time had taught him that it was a mistake to become so closed off from others, but he had been young and foolish back then. Draco had grown since his fall. He was not as weak, not as frail as before. He still had a dark part of him, but it was a part of him, under his control. Not a black spot in his mind he shoved all his woes into to avoid dealing with them.

Draco felt her touch and her warmth, something he had grown to cherish, to miss while they were away, and to long for when they were even but an inch apart.

[member="Faith Organa"]