Private Stay With Me Goose

[Judah Dashiell]

In a way, the house reminded him of the one he raised Makai in on Mon Cala, only just smaller. It had the same vibe, although his had considerably less seashells floating around. Perhaps the large presence of Mon Calamari on Ceto had something to do with it. Or maybe it was just an aquatic thing.

"Sounds like a plan, I won't intrude."

Nor did he want to rummage around too much. Judah pulled pain killers from the cabinet and an instant cold pack. He would have to make do until he could get something delivered, a larger ice pack or stronger stims.

'Not intruding' meant that he would change in trunks and a shirt and sit on the porch like every other old man.

Drink was on the side table as he adjusted the ice pack on his shoulder. One hand had his data pad, trying to do a little work one handed. Reply to some messages, do a little reviewing of reports, check out his next moves.

Wasn't like he do much in the interim. His ex-wife was off splashing somewhere so really it was all peace and quiet left to his own devices.

Thessa Kai

 

[Thessa Kai]

Thessa disappeared beneath the clear waters and stayed under for a while. She'd have to check with her son to see if he'd inherited the healing properties of being in water from being Galan. As the warmth, flow, and quiet surrounded her, the dark bruises of purple and black began fading from her skin. The deep bone bruises also fading until her joints didn't hurt as much.

Aqua scales on her skin glistened more brightly.

With a gentle sigh, she resurfaced after a little bit and swam back toward the steps that would lead up to the house and where Judah was sitting. "You doing okay?" She grabbed a towel from the stack on the chair next to him.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah hadn't been paying much attention to Thessa Kai splashing around in the ocean. The waves had become a backdrop to his work, doing the best he could mostly one handed to reply back to the pile of messages that always awaited his holo mail inbox.

So he wants a little surprised to see her up and on the porch, so engrossed in his task he didn't notice his ex-wife until she cane up and grabbed a towel.

"Hey, enjoy the swim? The ocean looks nice."

At least, to non-aquatic eyes it did. There was the compound on Joiol, but he had been considering a second home. A bit more of a getaway. Something told him if he continued to date Azula Tindara he would need it.

"Yeah. Everything is fine here. Just catching up on work. Some of us are geriatric and don't recover as quickly anymore. I'll be fine I'm sure by tomorrow."

 

[Thessa Kai]

A small snort at his geriatric comment. A low chuck as she wrapped the towel around herself and sat in the second chair on the deck. The sun was beginning to set and cast an orange, golden glow on them. Head leaned back as she stretched her legs out. A long, jagged scar ran down the skin of one of her knees.

Water and time didn't heal or erase all things.

"The water was nice. Can't imagine living anywhere away from water for long."

A glance of her head toward Judah and a pause.

"Thanks for coming. For everything. I know you'd do anything to make sure Makai and I are safe and well taken care of and I want you to know I don't take that for granted."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Yeah, this is nice. I can't believe I lived on a space station for so long."

Not that he didn't visit planets. Or take fishing trips. Or spend time in nature. There was something different about living on the beach. Being with Thessa Kai back in the day, he got used to it quickly. Took to water quickly too, although he did know how to swim, albeit poorly, before meeting his now ex-wife.

He had placed his comm down and was basking in the orange and purplish sunset, watching the rays streak across the sky. Ceto always had amazing sunsets. Nothing like back home on Saleucami.

"You don't have to thank me. Of course I'd do anything for you, your Makai's mother. You gave me, well us, a son. We're kind of stuck together at this point, despite him being an adult. I'm not the easiest bastard to get along with."

He shook her a look that he wasn't quite finished yet, that she shouldn't be so quick to eagerly agree on the bastard part. Although most wouldn't agree with a rekindling of friendship and cordial relations with Thessa, he didn't care. It boiled down to the simple fact she birthed their child and as such, would ensure she was taken care of. Even when he was pissed, he kept a small eye out.

"So maybe I should be thanking you. Hating one another is...exhausting. I am also too old to be wasting such energy. We're going to be grandparents together some day, I'd hate to carry that negative energy onto them. Plus, I guess Makai needs us from time to time."

 

[Thessa Kai]

"You're not hard to get along with, Judah. Not a bastard," she added quietly, eyes flickering to her ex-husband before settling back on the horizon. That horizon full of broad brushstrokes of sunset colors. Deep oranges, violets, and darker purples.

"I'm glad you don't...hate me anymore." She took a breath and let the silence stretch between them. He was dating someone. Perhaps forgiving her had finally let him move on. Or think about going in that direction. After he'd found her and helped her remember things from the accident she'd found herself missing him. But no matter how she felt, she'd never risk hurting him again.

He at least deserved some happiness.

And so did Makai.

"You know what Makai brought up at the Gala? He said he wanted to try and set me up with someone and he'd been doing the same for Danger."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"You're not hard to get along with, Judah. Not a bastard,"

Eyebrow raised, mildly amused. Thessa Kai was the last person he expected to say such a thing. He rolled his eyes slightly, settling back further on the piece of patio furniture. He sighed and turned his attention off her and back out to the sunset. Mind wandered off for a moment, still debating if he should have a second home on Ceto.

"You're the one person who doesn't think so. Oh, maybe the woman I'm dating. Two people....she might think I'm a bastard too, so maybe just one."

Judah started laughing that she seemed shocked Makai was working on setting her and Danger up. He thought about it for a moment, debating the pros and cons for Thessa. It wasn't as if Makai would set her or Danger up with anyone, so there was an element of safety there at least.

"Is he? Maybe that's not so bad. You deserve to live rest of your life happy. I mean, we're not that old. Still got a lot of good years under the hood. I think he's just trying to look out for you."

 

[Thessa Kai]

A small, uncomfortable shift as he mentioned the woman he was dating but her iced-azure lips quirked upward. A glance his direction. "No I guess we're not that old but it sure feels like it sometime."

A low chuckle before her face turned thoughtful. The sun dipped below the horizon, the light turning darker shades of purple around them, reflecing off her skin.

"Is it serious Judah? With...the woman you started dating?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Fixing the ice pack on his shoulder, Judah removed it and experimentally rolled his shoulder. Between anti-inflammatory medicine, some pain killers, and the ice he just may make it. He had briefly considered surgery but really, it was just arthritis aggravated by being an idiot today.

"Is it serious Judah? With...the woman you started dating?"

Oceanic blue eyes turned to her at the question. He wasn't expecting that type of line to come his way. Brow furrowed, wondering where this was coming from. Maybe just curious, it's not like they typically talked about their lives on the regular.

"No idea. We dated for awhile, I panicked and broke up with her, now we're trying to date again. I... I really don't know. It may be too soon to ask her, we are trying to take it slow this time around."

A good question. He needed to ask Azula a few questions. There were plans to be together soon so maybe then.

"Why? Worried about me? Dont be. There's nothing to worry about."

He frowned, thinking. Several possibilities ran through his head. Judah couldn't see Thessa Kai worried about some woman taking advantage of him.

"Wait, you don't want me back do you?"

 

[Thessa Kai]

"Someone has to worry about you," a breathy laugh. Then her eyes collided with his own. The glow of the setting sun off a face she knew so well. The salt and pepper in his scruff.

She worried about him all the time but not in the way he thought. Not about a woman taking advantage of him. She was worried he wouldn't let old wounds heal. She was worried he would work himself to death. She was worried about all those force users out there whether jedi or sith and what they would do to Judah. She was worried about him being a high powered CEO and having a target on his back. She was worried about pirates and bounties.

She was worried about hurting him again.

And she would never chance that.

No matter what her own feelings were. Even if she still loved him. Even if she had never stopped loving him.

"I want you to be happy," she held his gaze as she spoke careful words. "You deserve that, Judah."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"I want you to be happy," she held his gaze as she spoke careful words. "You deserve that, Judah."

Judah laughed, shaking his head. It wasn't something to find humorous but he did, not because she wanted happiness for him. No, not at all. It was more or less just everything and he just found it a tall request. He found such requests to be odd lately, as if he could flip a switch and make something happen. That his mood or outlook would suddenly change.

"Best I can do is contentment. Which, when one things about it, really is not all that bad. There are worse things in life I would think."

Eyebrow raised, looking at her.

"What about you, are you happy?"

Thessa Kai

 

[Thessa Kai]

"You're my family. Judah. Married or not. You and Makai. Being in your lives means a lot to me. Whatever that looks like and whatever capacity Makai, you, will have me."

She held his gaze for a moment before letting her head turn back to the way she was seated. It was getting darker out here. Still plenty of light to see but there were a few stars peeking out higher in the atmosphere.

"And I'm happy for that," she said quietly. Was she happy? Sometimes loneliness was a lot. Sometimes it was a dull edge instead of an encompassing roar. And she'd learned long ago not to let her mind dwell on the past 'what-ifs' and 'what-could-have-been.' That only served as a form of self torture.

(credit to Brandon Sanderson for next line, slightly edited) 'Memory was often her only connection to who she used to be. But memories were fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves.'