Private Life, Uh, Finds a Way

[Corazona von Ascania]

I don't know if I could try.

There was a noticeable hitch in Cora's breath. Out of all the possible Jedi who might be able to help untangle her memories, she hadn't even considered Makko.

It wasn't due to a lack of ability - rather, she had wrongly assumed that he wouldn't want to be involved that deeply. Her memories would hurt him doubly, moreso than they would any other Jedi.

"I think…"

A surprising warmth bloomed beneath her ribs. Cora realized that through all their awkward, unpleasant revelations, their fingers were still twined.

"…that if I'm going to trust anyone to root around in my memories, it's you, Makko."

A squeak shifted their attention back to Lula and the kits. The racyon had finished her meal and the babies had taken to climbing all over their mother. One of the kits had fallen from its perch on her head, and was lying belly up while its tiny limbs waved pitifully in the air.

Cora smiled as Lula nosed her offspring back onto unsteady little legs.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"…that if I'm going to trust anyone to root around in my memories, it's you, Makko."

Makko gave a slow nod.

"Then I will do a little reading. Don't look too shocked."

Not the moment for a joke, not at all, but he said it quietly anyway.

He didn't want to hope for too much. It was a difficult challenge. Even if he managed to work into her thoughts and memories he was going to have to face up to the darkest time in their lives.

Then he would have to try and undo some of the damaging work of a sith mentalist. What he wanted to hope for was that they could face up to it together and come to terms with it more than they had before. Hope could be dangerous. His life had made him pragmatic.

They cared for one another and they tried. What they had was worth that.

"I'm sorry you had to carry this these last weeks," he said quietly. "I'm sure you don't want the past controlling your future either and then... Then this. And thank you for trusting me."

He watched the squirming kits. With one exception they staggered back and formed a little fluff ball under Lula's warmth. One of them was still hungry, and Makko let out a soft snort of amusement.

"Mother's daughter. They have some different patterns on their fur already."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Mentally, Cora took a few steps back. It was difficult to try and observe this from an objective lens. Impossible, even.

She reminded herself that Makko hadn't reacted with disgust. Their relationship wasn't ruined by what had happened on Coruscant, and he even sought a way to ease her discomfort.

Cora was grateful for that. She squeezed Makko's hand again in a subtle sign of agreement.

"I don't want to give him any more power over me. Horace isn't worth our future."

Exhausted as she was with the constant specter of Horace looming over her, Cora was still immensely happy that after everything, she and Makko had found their way back to one another.

A weak chuckle left her after observing the kit's behavior. "It won't be like this forever, you know."

She paused, as if she were observing her own words for a moment.

"They'll be able to walk, soon. They'll get louder, too. And more energetic."

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I don't want to give him any more power over me. Horace isn't worth our future."

Makko gave a slow, but firm nod.

Those words meant a great deal to him. It was what he wanted, almost needed to hear. She needed to break free of his phantom grasp, but she also thought that what they had built was worth fighting for.

There had been such perfect moments in their time together. Even the bittersweet, such as when they started to acknowledge what was growing between them again on that gala balcony. Cora hadn't deserved what she had been through. They deserved to find more happiness together without dark spectres looming.

"They'll be able to walk, soon. They'll get louder, too. And more energetic."

"I look forward to it," he said earnestly. Besides, she was the one getting woken in the night by tiny hands getting into places they shouldn't.

"I will talk to some people. Do some reading - yes you heard - and come up with a plan." He didn't want to walk into her mind lightly. Not with the work of a Sith to unpick.

"But you need to get Lula fixed."

Beady eyes turned sharply at his traitorous words.