Kessel Run Week Five Challenge: Write a story between 600 and 1,000 words with your OTP (or any romantic pairing, canon or otherwise) in which your characters do not touch, and that includes the following sentence: "All things considered, this was an interesting way to wind up in prison."

5: Putting Down Roots (Ronan and Nadira Jade, 7 ABY)

Corissa looked around, taking in her surroundings with her chin held high, then looked back toward the door. "Well, all things considered, this was an interesting way to wind up in prison."

With an effort, Nadira resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "This is your bedroom. And if you didn't want to be grounded, you should have studied."

Her daughter made no such effort at restraint and rolled her eyes with all the histrionics necessary to match her earlier declaration. "It's just one test."

"It's just one test you failed, Corissa," Nadira said, crossing her arms. "Your father and I have very reasonable standards, and you know it. This grade does not live up to them, especially when we all know you're bright enough to have passed that test. You just didn't bother to study."

Corissa flung herself backward onto her bed and covered her face with her hands. "I had practice, Mom. I'm the main understudy for next month's performance in addition to my own part, you know that."

"What I know is that your dancing is not going to interfere with the rest of your schooling. If you really can't balance them both, then one has to stop. Guess which one that'll be?"

Corissa sat up swiftly enough to risk whiplash. "That's not fair!"

"It's very fair," Nadira assured her. "So for the rest of this week, the only times you leave the house are school and your lessons and practice. The rest of the time you stay right here, in this very nicely appointed prison cell, studying."

"Arrrggh!" Corissa plopped backward again.

Nadira shook her head and left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

She was pulling various items out of cupboards in preparation for dinner when she heard the front door open. "Nadira?"

"In here," she called back.

Ronan entered the kitchen in an uncharacteristic rush. "It's done," he said. "Balram accepted the offer. The shop's ours."

Nadira set down the bag of rice she'd been holding to place a hand to her chest, a sudden swell of emotion rising within her. After all the years they'd spent moving from place to place, all the times the children had had to change schools even in the middle of the academic year, the constant scraping to get by, and here it was at last: real stability. A home, a business, a place that was really their own.

"And I talked to Kumi afterward," Ronan continued. "She's willing to stay on as manager."

Better and better. Kumi was reliable and more than competent; with her continuing to manage the shop, Ronan could keep working as head mechanic and Nadira could take over the finances. "That makes things so much easier," Nadira said, with a sigh of relief. "We should really give her a raise."

Ronan grinned. "I'd have to ask my chief financial officer about that."

Nadira smiled back at him. How long had it been since she'd seen him this happy? "I don't think you'd have to put up much of an argument."

"We should go out to dinner to celebrate," Ronan said.

"Now that," Nadira said ruefully, "would take a solid argument. Between the house payment and what the shop cost, we need to work on building our savings, not depleting them further."

"Hmm." Ronan raised his eyebrows at her. "A compromise, then. Nico won't be back from design camp until tomorrow afternoon anyway. Let's send Corissa off to spend the night at her friend Anneli's house, and we have a night in."

Nadira felt another smile begin, and tried to smother it. "She's grounded. Her grade on that languages test yesterday was abysmal."

Ronan put his elbows on the counter and leaned closer to her. "Clearly she needs a group study session."

"That's a terrible excuse."

"So what?" Ronan asked, leaning a little closer still. "When was the last time we had the place to ourselves?"

"Mm." Nadira lost the battle to not smile, and caught herself leaning in toward him as well. "Not an ideal parenting technique, to contradict ourselves so quickly."

Ronan smiled back, a smile she knew very well. "Sweetheart, she's fifteen. If we haven't irrevocably messed her up yet, I don't think this will do it."

Nadira laughed, a thrill of anticipation running through her. "Fine. But you can handle getting her out of the house. I already dealt with her drama about being grounded in the first place. You'll be shocked to know that she equates being confined to her room with being in prison."

"That's our girl, all right." Ronan pushed himself upright. "I love you."

"I love you too," Nadira said. She watched as he left the kitchen, and turned back to her dinner preparations, still smiling.

They'd done it. It had taken twenty years, but they'd finally found a way to put down some roots and make a real home. She'd have to plan another special dinner for them to celebrate as a family.

But that was for tomorrow. Tonight belonged to her and Ronan.