Chapter Title: Throwing Rocks

Series Title: Unlikely Brothers

Ages in this chapter: Tanner (13) Dashen (19)

Chapter Summary: (Dialogue only) Tanner whacks his brother in the face with a rock while practicing a Force exercise.

"I never knew it would be this difficult. Living with a Jedi kid."

"That's because you're an idiot."

"No, it's because you hurled a rock into my eye with your stupid magic."

"I told you to duck."

"As I recall, Tanner, your exact words were, Dash, you may want to take a step to your left."

"Right."

"Left."

"No, I mean, right. That's what I said."

"It was your left, my right, you idiot."

"You're the idiot, remember?"

"As I recall, Colton, bestowed that title onto you first. He only included me because I tagged along with you, thus inheriting your idiot-ness."

"Tanner, idiot-ness is not a word and is it my fault the Jedi didn't teach you left from right?"

"They did, I just got a little confused. You should've been able to figure it out in time."

"You mean in the split milli-second between the time you said, incoming, and the time I actually had to react?"

"Yes."

"I swear, little brother, if you weren't who you are, I'd throttle you."

"Nah, you wouldn't. Violence isn't part of what you are, Dash. You know that."

"Fine. You got me there. Can you at least get me to the healers? This is the third time in a month. Quin may not let me in this time."

"Colton pays here big money to look after us."

"No, he pays her big money to keep her mouth shut about you."

"Well, that too. But she likes me. Come on, I'll get you inside the clinic. You're not bleeding, that's a good thing."

"You were hoping for blood?"

"Did, I say that? No, I did not. Just walk slow, Dash, there's nothing wrong with your legs."

"I remember when you used to care more about my well being. Now you just hurl random objects at my face."

"It wasn't random and it wasn't at your face. But I did hurl it, I suppose."

"You were aiming for a different body part? Is that what Ben's been teaching you?"

"Well, he is concerned about my aim."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Dash, don't rub at your eye."

"I really didn't think this through, this Jedi thing. Truly, I never knew it would be this difficult, keeping you around. Of course, that was before I realized you had actual power. When you were small, you were just this small brown mouse. Now, we'll, you're still small and still mouse-like, but you have this need to use me as target practice."

"How am I still mouse-like?"

"You're small with brown hair and eyes and you like wearing the color brown. Or used to. Quiet. You don't take up much room. But now you're like a magical mouse."

"A magical mouse."

"Yes. A magical mouse."

"Dash. You're an idiot."

"Are we there yet?"

"We're still in the house, dummy. You still have one good eye, you can open that one."

"You do know how difficult it is to walk around with one eye open, right? They didn't go over that in Jedi class, did they?"

"No, but we learn the best places on the body to disable a person."

"Let me guess. The eye."

"Yup. But I wasn't aiming for your eye. So, lucky shot I guess. Had you been an enemy."

"Yeah, kid. Real lucky shot. I don't suppose you'd tell me the other areas on the body that make the best targets?"

"Mostly it's the eyes and the groin."

"The groin. Okay, I suppose I'll consider myself lucky then to lose only my vision then."

"Thinking positive. I like that, Dash. That's a nice change of pace."

"I was being sarcastic, Tanner."

"I know. I'm sorry I threw a rock into your eye. I'm sure Quin will fix you up though. I've given you worse injuries."

"Indeed. Maybe I should get some of that Mandalorian armor. Comes with a fancy help and all. Then you can pummel me with all the rocks you want."

"Nah. You're too skinny for beskar armor. You'd fall on your face from the weight."

"Thanks, Mouse. You have such confidence in me."

"Based in reality."

"Yeah. Right."

"Hey, Dash, do you really think I'm difficult?"

"Not you. But the powers you're trying to manipulate without full control, those are difficult for me. I don't understand them for one. I don't want to understand them really. You were this tiny little quiet thing when I found you. Now, you're growing up on me and playing with things I don't comprehend too well. Sorry. Kossi died when he was eight. These feeling-your-oats as a teenager business is well... like I said, it's a bit more difficult than I imagined. Especially when you've got this unseen magic thing going on."

"I can't change who or what I am, Dash."

"No, no, not saying that. I'd never ask you to change. You're a good kid. Hell, you're one of the best people I know. But if you can stop pelting me in the eyes and other various body parts with rocks and things..."

"I can do better. No more using you as target practice with rocks. Promise. Can I still throw pillows at you in the house?"

"You're such a brat, you know that? Damn Jedi."

"You always say that."

"Never gets me anywhere, does it?"

"Nope."

"Pillows are fine as long as there are no ambushes."

"But that takes the fun out of it."

"Them the rules, kid."

"Eh, okay. No pillow ambush. Maybe Ben will let me throw things at him next time we visit."

"I'm sure he'd revel in it. Good luck whacking him in the eye though. He could throw a bantha at you."

"Hmm. That might be fun to watch. Not for the bantha though."

"I have the strangest conversations with you, Mouse."

"It's not a bad thing."

"No. It's definitely weird though."

"Stop rubbing at your eye. We'll be at Quin's soon. You going to tell her how this happened?"

"I should. I mean, she does know what you are and I don't have any other excuse for why or how I got pelted in the eye with a rock. Truth probably works best."

"It does. Less cleaning up later. I only use you for target practice because my options are limited. Ben said practice with moving targets. The only available persons around without giving away my secret are you and Colton. And Colton will strangle us both if I start flinging random objects in his direction. I could use Sydenious or Kebrey, but neither of those would end well."

"They'd both end in my death because I'd get blamed for the magical actions of my little brother. So, no. No, you can't use any security. It's a dilemma for later. Right now, my eye is throbbing."

"Dash, for what it's worth, I never thought my life with you would be difficult. I was just grateful to find someone that cared after I'd lost everything. Never imagined it would lead to any of what we have now. I'm kinda lucky that way. Sorry again for the eye."

"It's all right, Tanner. It's you being what you are. Eye injuries caused by flying rocks aside, I think we're both kinda lucky. I mean, if you hadn't come along, I'd be dead long ago, so maybe a eye-rock injury isn't all that horrible."

"I'm glad you weren't successful back then, when you tried... Without you, I'd be dead too, I guess. Yeah. No more rocks. Promise."

"Thanks, Mouse. Now, let's get me fixed up and back to our weirdly difficult-but-not-too-difficult lives. That about covers it, yeah?"

"I think so. There. The clinic's not far. I'll even treat you to a pala cream cake after. One of the street vendors makes them now. I asked her one day about it. We had a great conversation about sweet treats. She said she'd tried her hand at them."

"Out of nowhere, you had a conversation with a random street vendor and now she's making you your favorite dessert cakes."

"Yup."

"It if wasn't impossible, I'd swear that Kossi had a hand in bringing you to me. You are just so much like him. Well, with a bit of rock-tossing magic added in."

"He liked dessert too?"

"Oh, he loved it, but I mean the other part. About striking up conversations with strangers and making friends with them so quickly. The similarities at times are eerie. But then you go and throw things at me and bust up my various body parts and the similarities end. So, there's that. Still, kinda makes me feel good."

"Getting hit in the eye?"

"No, dummy, the similarity thing."

"Right. Well, I'm glad I can remind you of him... when I'm not pummeling you with stuff for my practice. Hey, Dash, we're here. Time to get you healed."

"Yeah, Mouse, the rock thing aside, you started my healing process the second I found you in that hole in the wall. Thanks for that, by the way. I guess it's worth a little pain-in-the-eye here and there in order to maintain my sanity. I've seen the lowest of lows and I kept myself there voluntarily. Until his annoying little mousy magic kid came out of nowhere to show me it was okay to move forward."

"Now I really feel bad about hitting you with rocks."

"Eh, keeps me on my toes. And no that does not mean to keep doing it. Just... it helps me see that I can live beyond the heartache of Kossi. That's a good thing."

"It's that difficult after all?"

"You, Mouse? Never. Now, lets get treatment on this eye. Quin will be glad to see us."

"Hah! That's funny, Dash. Quin is never happy to see us when we're not expected."

"Her fault then for not assuming that we'd be a pain in her butt once we hooked up with Colton."

"She may regret working for him."

"I think she already does. Oh look at that smile on her face!"

"That's not a smile, Dash. I think we're in trouble. But at least you can still open your good eye."

"No, you cannot throw rocks at that one!"

"Sometimes, you are just no fun at all. Hi Quin! Can you fix Dashen's eye? I sort of hit him with a rock."

END