It was a silent journey to Alderaan. Kor was busy piloting the shuttle, making jump after jump, checking again and again that they were not being followed.
Jesse slept in one of the empty bunks, drugged into comfortable sleep by fever-reducers and antibiotics.
Lucia had dragged a chair next to his cot, drawing light fingers over his shoulder again and again, watching him rest.
He looked to be at peace, had lost the unnatural pallor, his breathing had cleared up as well and she found herself smiling at his recovery.
A light knock startled her, Fives entered the room, carrying a tray with mugs and dry-freeze rations. He pressed some into her hands, settling down on the bunk next to Jesse.
"So, Jesse and Fives gonna stay with Kor, He offered to introduce us to the regs of RL."
"RL?" Lucia took a bite of something she didn't dare try to identify.
"Real Life, so what will you do?" Fives had already polished his plate off, had drawn his legs to the edge of the bunk and was sipping on a cup of caf.
Lucia sighed, leaned back in the plasec chair, found it surprisingly comfortable. She imitated Fives, putting her feet up to the edge of Jesse's mattress, careful not to disturb him.
Lucia reached to the try and cradled a cup of caf to keep her hands busy, trying not to fidget.
"I am thinking Fives, I don't think staying here would be the right thing for me."
HE took a sip of his steaming drink, hiding a frown.
"Why? I would like you around." Fives admitted.
Lucia groaned, closed her eyes for a moment and ran a hand through her hair.
"Fives," she started, fumbling with the words, "I don't feel like I would do something here. I have no plan what to do aside from the job I learned."
She paused, trying to get an order to the thoughts whirling around in her head.
A voice came from the doorway.
"For that you didn't did too bady." Kor had entered the room almost without a sound, waved of the cup Fives held out for him.
"Thank you son, but I got mine in the cockpit. Anyway, Lucia I listened in to some channels. The di'kuts think you got kidnapped by the two lads here."
Kor nodded, smiled and Lucia couldn't help to slime back at him.
"That's good for you girl, but just to be safe, I am gonna call ahead and get someone to make up some ident chips for you, better to keep a low profile."
Lucia startled, balked at the thought, but Kor held up a hand, stopping her before she could speak up.
He straightened, expression suddenly becoming serious.
"You can't just appear somewhere with a good story and unless you want the imperial troops showing up in your flat, asking questions how you got there, you better take this offer, because those guys are the best and their stuff is airtight."
Lucia sank down, shoulders curling forward, and then nodded, just once, then sipped some of her caf to cover up shaking hands.
Kor's face became a bit gentler.
"Good. Trust me adi'ka, they would probably go easy on you, but you aren't ready for a questioning yet, because even the nice ones aren't nice and I wouldn't want you to have to go through that."
He pushed away from the wall, giving her a nod of encouragement.
"Also, you should talk to Fives about getting a new hairstyle, better for the pics on the chips."
The afternoon of her rescue found Lucia in a chair fiddling while Fives twirled a pair of scissors between his fingers.
"Don't worry." He said, grinning. "Just lean back and relax. I have given plenty of haircuts. After this we will dye it and no-one will recognize you."
Lucia sighed and closed her eyes, digging fingernails into her hands to keep herself from fidgeting.
"Yeah, sorry, but I hardly feel like looking like a guy, I like my style just the way it is."
Fives chuckled, running his fingers through her soft hair, deciding on a much shorter cut than the one she was currently sporting, and started chipping away.
"You look like you are a guy." He teased, running his fingers through her hair, relishing in the soft texture, hesitating for a moment.
"You know you could just come with us, right?"
He asked, not with comfortable with the decisions she had made. Somehow wanting her to stay he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.
Lucia bit her lip, hesitated before laying her hand on his and answered.
"Please believe me Fives," she started quietly. "I wish I could stay with you, Jesse and Kor, but there are things I need to clean up first."
Fives stopped cutting her hair for a moment, squeezing her shoulder quietly before pulling away; resuming his actions.
For a moment all that was heard above the sound of the engines was the quiet clicking of scissors.
"I understand that you need to wrap up your old life Lucia," Fives said, "just remember that if you ever need something, we are just a com-call away."
Lucia smiled, closing her eyes to hide bitter-sweet tears, relishing the feeling of Five's finger's running through her hair again and again, savouring the time she had left with him.
The sound of water was everywhere on Alderan.
The last days with Fives and Jesse had been relaxing, it was nice to spend time with them, real-time, not trying to figure out grim futures, but having Fives make her laugh with tales until her she teared up and Jesse teaching her some sabbac, trooper style of course.
She had said goodbye to them with long hugs and tears, promising over and over again that she would stay in contact, eve if she didn't quite know how her future looked.
Kor had fended of her hugs, not said much but pressed some credits into her shaking hands, firmly curled her fingers around them as she tried to give them back.
"Keep them, you did right by those lads and you lost a lot."
So Lucia stood in front of a small mechanic shop, nervously clutching the flimsi with the address Kor had given her. She wrestled down her fear and knocked at the door, then entered without awaiting the answer.
Her breath froze in her chest; she froze in the door, choked up with emotions.
In the artificial lights of the shop, there was Carth, just like she remembered him.
Lucia bit her lip, wanted to scream at him, be angry at him for all the things he must have known, but never told her, only making allusions'. She wanted to be angry at him for keeping secrets, but couldn't, found herself dropping her bag, slung her arms around his shoulders and squeezed tight, burrowed her face in the crook between neck and shoulder.
She was surprised to find tears running down her face shoulders heaving with sobs.
"Why?" She asked. "Why didn't you just tell me?"
She asked, pulling away and smacking his shoulder.
"Why Carth, why?"
He reached for her, drew her gently back into a warm embrace.,
"Because you were so hesitant, I wasn't sure you would truly see why I ´needed to do what I am doing-"
Lucia sighed, inhaled his scent deeply and found herself smiling, "You are still using the aftershave I gave you."
It wasn't important, but somehow it was, at least to her.
She felt Carth nod, still holding her close.
"Of course I do Lucia, I love you, with my whole heart and the time apart from you was the worst of my entire life."
He kissed the top of her head, drawing her closer still.
"Let me tell you, everything, please, Kor called ahead, said what you did."
Lucia felt a shudder run through his body.
"I wish I had told you earlier."
Lucia hesitantly pulled away from Carth's arms, looked into his dark brown eyes, finding them shining with unshed tears.
"Then tell me." she said.
"Tell me the whole truth and then we will figure out what to do, because" she pulled him towards the back of the shop, hidden from outsider's eyes, "this time I will listen and we will take action, you and I."
A.N.:
So, this part of their story is over.
When I started this it was just a small piece, I thought it wouldn't be long, just a couple of pages, and then it spawned into this o.O
The journey was exciting, mostly due to you guys, so *bows* thanks for your feedback.
Your kind words of encouragement and feedback make my day everytime I read them.