This is the first fan fiction story I've done that has been read by other people, so criticism is appreciated
Disclaimer: The only thing that is mine is Revan's new name. I do not own Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic, or anything else.
Birthday Gift
"Come on Carth ! Open mine next!" Mission's impatience rang out through her words. She had given up trying to force it down thirty minutes ago after Carth purposefully made sure to open Jolee's present very slowly. Their mission on Mannan had come to a standstill while the crew of the Ebon Hawk attempted to figure out a way into the Sith Military Base. In the meantime, a nosy twilek had been rooting through a certain Commander's stuff only to find out that his birthday was coming up.
"I don't know. I'm pretty tired…." He faked a yawn and Jolee grumbled.
"Would you get on with it already? I'm old and I deserve a slice of cake for sitting through all of this." He crossed hi s arms, causing Carth to laugh.
"All right, all right. Hand it over Mission." She smiled while passing him a white box. He pulled off the top slowly. Folded carefully in the box was a brown leather jacket. He held up to inspect it better.
"Do you like it? It's exactly like the orange one you had. Only less ugly…or at least that's what Sky said. She helped me get it, so it's kind of from both of us." Carth's eyes dropped a little, thinking of Schuyler. They hadn't spoken since landing on Mannan after escaping the Leviathan. He had yelled at her about how he never should have trusted her and that he knew that she would betray him just like Saul had. Since then she hadn't said more than ten words to him. And he hated himself.
"It's great Mission. Thank you. Tell Schuyler thank you for me too." He wished she had come.
"Why don't you tell her yourself? It'll give you a chance to apologize for being an ass to her." Canderous' gruff voice had made everyone jump. He hadn't said much; just walked right in and handed his present to Carth –a bottle of Tarisian ale –then took a seat near the door.
"Mission, why don't you go and get the cake? I will clean up here." Juhani rose and began collecting the trash from the presents. Carth got up to help, mentally reminding himself that he shouldn't think of Schuyler right now.
"Credit for your thoughts?" Jolee walked up next to Carth, the party already cleaned up and having nothing to do. Carth's face was pensive, as he stared at the ocean. "You thinking about her?"
"Who? Schuyler? No. Well, maybe. Sort of….I guess."
"Pick one will you? I don't have the patience to try and sort out the rambling's of a lovesick fool." Carth's eyes cut over to Jolee who had an annoyed look on his face.
"Who me?"
"Yes you. You've been moping ever since you yelled at Schuyler to stay away from you. But now, you look like you're going to puke if Canderous touches her. When she starts to ask if people will go with her on whatever half-assed plan she pulls together you always wait, quietly. Then when she doesn't pick you, you wait by the door for her to come back. You got what you wanted and now you're upset. Sounds like love to me." Carth was silent, thinking about what Jolee had said. He had done all of that. Not to mention the dreams he had about her every night.
"I screwed it up. I was angry and I took it out on her without thinking about what would happen afterwards. She hates me now."
"She doesn't hate you. If anything, she agrees with you. She believes that after all of the pain she's caused you, you have a right to hate her. She's hurt…and lonely. But she's not mad at you." Carth looked at him, his face completely composed.
"How do you know all that?"
"She talks to me. Not as much as she used to, mind you. But still." Jolee listened to the sound of the ocean, while Carth was thinking. "She cares about you, you know." Carth nodded his head. "Look, you didn't hear this from me, but she tends to come back about an hour after everyone goes to sleep. Or at least when she thinks everyone is asleep. But, if someone were to stay up and hide where so that she can't see you when she walks in, then come out to talk to her, she might listen. Have a good night Carth."
Carth heard the sound of the door to the main hold shutting quietly and he knew she was back. He listened quietly to hear where she was going next and heard doors open and shut quietly in the kitchen. He got up off of the bed slowly, and walked to the kitchen. He saw her looking through a cabinet her back to him.
"Hey." He said quietly. She jumped and dropped the piece of bread in her hands. Her eyes looked at him questioningly.
"Hi. What are you still doing up? I thought everyone was asleep."
"Is that the reason why you came back now? So that you wouldn't have to talk to anyone?" Her eyes dropped from him and he knew he was right. His eyes looked her over, hoping he could figure out where she had been. He saw several cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. There was a light brown bruise on her cheekbone. "What happened to you?" He walked up to her and brushed one of his hands along her face where the bruise was. Her eyes slowly started to close at his touch, but after a second they snapped open and she stepped back.
"I found a way into the Sith base. There were a couple of Dark Jedi hidden in the back. I wasn't prepared." She watched him as he reached for her arms examining them.
"Why didn't you just heal yourself?" He looked up at her wondering if something was wrong. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I haven't eaten and I was tired. I figured I'd just grab a medpack here and get some sleep." He looked back down at her arms.
"Come on. I'll help you." She opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted. "It's fine. You look like you're about to fall over anyway." He took her by the hands and led her to the room in the back they'd turned into a medlab. He grabbed a couple of kolto packs and started tending her wounds.
The silence was uncomfortable and Carth couldn't take it any longer.
"Thanks for the jacket by the way. It fits great." She looked at him questioningly.
"I didn't get it for you. Mission did."
"She said you helped." Schuyler chuckled.
"I helped pay. She picked it out. I guess that means that I still owe you something." She smiled softly at him for a moment as the silence settled back. Carth continued to clean the last few wounds. He realized that now, as he had her in front of him he needed to apologize. He couldn't keep beating around the bush anymore.
"What'd you wish for?"
"Hmmm?" Her question interrupted his train of thought.
"What did you wish for? When you blew out the candles….on your cake." She added the last part because he still looked confused.
"Oh. I thought it was bad luck to tell?" She shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah…supposedly. But how are you supposed to get what you wished for if no one knows how to help you get it?" He was silent as he finished up.
"I never thought of it that way. Not that it matters; It's not like it'll come true."
"Why not?" He looked down at her. His brown eyes stared into her bright blue ones, making her melt.
"Because I screwed up too much for anything to happen."They stared at each other for a few minutes before he took a step back. "You're done."
Schuyler looked down at her injuries, all wrapped up. By the time she looked back up, Carth was gone.
Carth rolled over and got his watch off of the side table. The hands showed that it was three in the morning and he groaned. He still hadn't gone back to sleep after waking up a few hours ago due to a dream. A happy dream where he and Schuyler were married with a kid and everything was fine. Since then he had just been tossing back and forth. He put his watch back and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he heard the door to his room open and then shut again. The light that flooded his room, messed up his eyes. He started to sit up so he could see what had caused it, but felt cool hands push his bare chest back down.
"Shhhh…It's okay." Her voice was quiet and close to him. His eyes finished readjusting to the dark and he could see her. Her dark curly hair framed her face and she was only a few inches above his face.
"Sky? What are you-" He said loudly.
"Shhh…I told you. I still owe you something for your birthday. " Her lips were on his before he could realize what was happening. Her hands moved down his chest and she swung her leg over to straddle him. He wanted this…but he also wanted things to be right.
"Wait, Sky…I-" She moved herself so that she was sitting up. He immediately regretted asking her that and wanted her back on him.
"Yes?"
"Never mind." He pulled her down back on top of him and kissed her. He could apologize later.
