Chapter Title: Nickname

Series Title: Unlikely Brothers

Ages in this chapter: Tanner (30), Dashen (36), River (6)

POV: Dashen

Chapter Summary: River wants a nickname.

"Mouse! Tanner, why does Dashen call you that?" There was River asking another unexpected question. He'd become quite adept at it recently. Hearing the kid use that nickname though, I admit, it sounded strange coming from his mouth. Only I had ever called my brother by that name.

"That's called a nickname. Dashen gave it to me a long time ago when he and I first became brothers. Before he knew what my name was. I guess I reminded him of a mouse. When he found me, I was small and covered in brown dirt and huddled in a hole in the wall."

"You were sick?"

"I was. And alone and scared. That nickname helped me not be so scared."

"Do I get a... nick... name?"

So, there was that question. Tanner flashed me a look that basically said, Okay, Dash, you're the master of names. This one's on you.

No pressure there.

"Well..." I began, making this up as I went. "You're small, like Tanner was. Brown hair. You were dirty when we found you. I guess we can't use Mouse the Second, huh?"

Another look from my brother, calling me an idiot in his own non verbal way.

River giggled though. Heh, at least I had the little one on my side.

I started thinking. River was so young, so scared and confused when

we'd found him. Terrified out of his mind really. Like a lost pup or cub or something similar. That dark brown messy long hair that fell all over the place, it was sort of ah... Wookiee-ish. Wookiee-like? Wookiee-y? Baby Wookiee. What were they called? Did Wookiee have babies? Of course they did. They didn't just spontaneously reproduce, you idiot. Or maybe they did, how did I know? Ugh, why the hell was I talking to myself in my head?

"Okay, give me a second. Or a few of them. No, give me an hour. I don't know, just wait."

The boy giggled at me again, apparently finding me humorous. Glad I was fun fodder for our new addition. And he wanted a nickname of all things. On the spot too. Sure. No problem.

I yanked Tanner's data pad off the table and started punching in some stuff. Master of research I was not; that was my brother's forte. I was functional enough though to figure this out. And... there. A young Wookiee was called a Pup. Hmmm. Turning my head, I stared at the kid for a minute. Debating. He did kinda have Wookiee type hair, at least until we could get the kid a proper haircut. I sure couldn't call the kid, Hairy, That would just be weird. He didn't grunt or growl or make non verbal noises like Wookiee's did. And he wasn't tall like a Wookiee. But a pup was a general term for the young of other creature's too. In my experience, pups were small and nervous and they liked to curl up in a ball to sleep. Those things were definitely River.

"Pup." I said, looking up from the data pad. There. They wanted a nickname on demand. Best I could do.

"Pup." So repeated my brother and River at the exact same time.

Tanner thought about it. Rolled it around in his head. Passed it over his lips.

River didn't hesitate a second. "I like it!" Of course he did.

Had I been successful? It wasn't hard to get things past this kid. I mean, everything was new to him after barely two months away from the life of a child slave. Even if he'd hated it, he probably still would've said, I like it! It came from Tanner or me and he trusted us fully, so, there.

I shrugged. "Well, then Pup it is. Pup, meet Mouse. Mouse meet Pup."

Heh heh. I was gonna have way too much fun with his. Tanner glowered at me. He might use me for Force exercises later. That was the look on his face. Eh, any chance I could grab for the simple pleasure of annoying my little brother... that was a good day.

River asked me then, "Dashen, what is your nickname?"

"Eh, I don't really have one. Just Dash."

"Colton calls you idiot. Is that a nickname?"

Tanner spit his drink all over the floor as I scrunched my face. This boy paid way too much attention to everything around him. Probably had to in his slave life to just stay alive... now though? I'd have to watch what I said.

"Well, idiot is what Colton says... eh, never mind. One day, I'll explain. Idiot is not my nickname, despite what my brother may think."

I threw a couch pillow at Tanner's head. There came another bout of little-boy laughter from River. We were just entertaining the hell out of him right now.

Yeah, yeah, I smiled about it.

"One day when I'm bigger, you'll explain it, right?" Not about to give up, River had his way of making you promise things you really didn't intend to promise. A new life, a new way of doing things. This kid was changing our lives day by day. Never get set in your ways, that seemed to be my life.

Wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Yup, I will definitely explain it one day."

"Okay."

That was that. I said it, he believed it and done. That he trusted Tanner and me so completely already, it said something. I don't think it meant that he'd trust anyone who offered him a free meal and a bed. I do think it had something to do with Tanner and him sharing his magic Force stuff. He couldn't read Tanner's mind, but he could feel things. Maybe the Force was leading him in some way to understand he could trust Tanner and by default, me. No idea. All that magic stuff gave me a headache and now I had two people in my life dribbling around with it. Sure, one was essentially clueless about it, he still had the potential ability though.

"Can we have breakfast now?" That was me. I was hungry. My stomach had been badgering me through this entire odd conversation.

"Bantha bacon!"

Damn, the kid loved him some bantha bacon. Couldn't argue on that one.

"Sounds like a plan. Tanner's doing the cooking." I ducked a Force-thrown pillow. Not the only one who can see things coming, magic boy!

Well, okay, so the second flying pillow nailed me in the face and knocked me on my butt.

Damn Jedi.

"Dashen?"

River stood over me, holding out his hand. Naturally, it was palm up. His gesture when he was okay with physical touch. This time though, it was him helping me instead of the other way around. I accepted the offer and the hand, curled my fingers securely around his and stood.

Hands clasped, I motioned for River to wander with me to the kitchen.

"Come on, Pup." Trying out the new nickname. "Let's grab a seat and watch my brother..."

No, that wasn't right. Tanner wasn't just my brother anymore. Colton had said it before... the boy might be far too young to technically be our brother age-wise, but it is what he was. Our baby brother. My third in what I used to think was my crap-hole of a life. Maybe not such a crap-hole after all.

"Let's go watch our brother make us breakfast." I corrected and finished.

"Our brother?"

"Yup, our brother."

"I like that."

"I figured you would, Pup."

"Pup. I like that too."

"I figured that as well."

With a quick lift, I propped River up on the barstool to watch Tanner work some culinary magic.

Tanner grabbed his cooking tools, spread them out and started working. But not before he reached over the bar and set a hand top of mine, his light brown eyes with a slight sheen to them. My little brother (much like me), always the emotional creature.

"This is good, Dash. This is really good."

"Sure is, Mouse. Now, get cookin'! Chop chop! The Lesedi and Salvus boys are ready to eat!"

River giggled again at my ribbing of my brother.

Yup. Greatest sound ever!

END