Last time: Sasha asked Oppie for help to finally finish her healing.

Now: Kyr has a plan to stay.

Chapter 13- Extended Stay

Oppie watched as Viran loaded the last of his and Sasha's luggage aboard the Forerunner. Everyone had pitched in to take down the tents, and they came down much easier than they went up, and were now stowed back aboard the Shadow Runner. Sasha was sitting in her chair, talking to Cien and taking one last look around the beach before their vacation ended, and Oppie was glad to see her smiling and laughing as she held Lana in her lap.

"Su'cuy vod." Kyr said, stepping to his side.

"Hey Kyr." Oppie said.

"I think our trip worked." Kyr said with a smirk as he saw Sasha.

"Yep." Oppie said with a slight smile of his own.

"So are you ready to head home?" Kyr asked him.

"Yeah, I loaded my stuff aboard the Shadow, all set." Oppie said, taking one last wistful look around the beautiful paradise.

"Yeah, about that…" Kyr said trailing off, and Oppie looked over at him. "Tomorrow is my second anniversary with Cien, don't suppose you'd mind hitching a ride with the kids?" He asked, keeping his gaze on the others. "We were going to stay an extra two days."

Oppie looked over at him strangely. "Did I miss some time again? How is it your second anniversary already?" Oppie asked incredulously.

Kyr looked over at him. "Second anniversary of us being together, not second wedding anniversary." Kyr clarified, giving his brother a strange look, as though he should know.

Oppie looked at him a little oddly but with understanding. "Oh, yeah, no problem."

"Thanks Op." Kyr said with a nod. Then looked back over at the others.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Oppie asked.

"Didn't have a chance, and didn't want to make you feel like we were giving you the boot." Kyr answered.

"Oh, well then." Oppie shrugged, "that's nice of you guys to celebrate that." Oppie said with a smirk.

Kyr looked at him sideways. "Yeah, when you have someone in your life you'll take every opportunity to celebrate milestones like that. Not the kind of thing you want to be messin' around with." Kyr said, adding an odd emphasis to 'messin'.

Oppie shot him a sideways glance as Kyr looked innocently onwards towards the others. "Well if that ever happens I'll take your advice. Thanks."

Kyr nodded tacitly. "No problem." He paused for a moment. "So Op, I -"

"What did she say to you?" Oppie asked sharply, glaring at him.

Kyr looked over at him startled. "What did who say about what?" He asked far too innocently.

"Nothing." Oppie said, looking back at the others peevishly.

"You're the captain of your own ship, so just saying if you met someone, say a cute brunette, that would be worth investigating." Kyr said.

Oppie shot him a very hard look at that, then glared over at Cien.

Kyr chuckled. "She didn't say anything. But she does talk in her sleep sometimes." He clarified, placatingly.

Oppie ran his palm over his face. "Kyr, don't start-"

"I'm not!" Kyr said, throwing his hands up to. "Sorry, I just thought I'd give you some big brother type advice."

"I'm the big brother." Oppie groused.

"Oh, right I forgot." Kyr replied with a smirk scratching his neck.

Oppie stood there annoyed for a split second. "I'll go grab my stuff."

"Op." Kyr said, as his brother started to walk away.

"Yeah?" Oppie asked, looking back at him.

"Thanks, it means a lot to us to have this bit of time together." He said, far more contritely. "And I don't know what's going on, I just overheard a little bit of conversation between Cien and one of the cops at a bar on Nivon when I was keeping an eye on her before I realized everything was okay. I didn't know anything was going on in that regard, if anything was going on, and I'm sorry if I went too far."

Oppie looked back at him. "Thanks vod." Oppie said, glancing away.

"C'mere, before the others see." Kyr said, stepping closer.

"For what?" Oppie said, looking at him confused.

Kyr wrapped him in a light hug and patted him on the back, while Oppie stood there awkwardly before returning the hug. "You're a good brother, thanks."

"You're welcome." Oppie said slightly awkwardly, stepping back as he was released.

They stood there for a moment, and Kyr finally spoke. "Does it ever seem weird to you that of everyone in the family we seem to have the hardest time relating to each other?"

"A little, yeah." Oppie said.

They both chuckled at that.

"I'll go help you with your stuff." Kyr said.

"Thanks." Oppie said as they both started walking towards the Shadow.

"Alright, I'm gonna get the Forerunner started," Viran said to the girls as he noticed Oppie head aboard the Shadow.

"So I guess we'll see you at home then?" Sasha asked Cien with a chuckle.

"Yeah." Cien replied with a smile. "But we're not returning to any cookies this time." She said with slight disappointment.

"Well, we can just make some together when we get back," Sasha said, chuckling.

"I like this idea." Cien stated with a smile. She looked up and saw Oppie walking over with his pack, and Kyr carrying Op's other travel bag.

"Hey, you guys got room for another?" Oppie asked Sasha.

"Yeah, of course we do," Sasha replied, confused. "But I thought you were riding back with Kyr and Cien. Not that I'm not thrilled that you are riding with us. I'm just… confused."

Cien also looked on a little confused as well.

Oppie glanced at Kyr, "I just thought the three of us might have some fun together on the way back. You know, for old times sake."

Sasha shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I know Lana will be thrilled to have you with us," she said, excited to have him, but still a bit confused as to what was really going on. She looked down at Lana. "You excited to have Uncle Oppie ride with us on our ship?"

"Ye!" Lana responded before giggled and reaching up to Oppie

Oppie took her in his arms. "No cookies though, sorry Lana."

Lana pouted slightly at that, but then immediately started to giggle again as Oppie carried her. Sasha smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Viran called from the cockpit.

Cien reached down and hugged Sasha. "See you at home."

"Yep, see ya soon," Sasha said, hugging her back. She then pulled away and boarded the ship.

Lana waved bye to Kyr and Cien.

"Bye guys!" Kyr said, waving at them as they went up the ramp to the Forerunner.

Cien stood next to Kyr after they had stepped back and they watched the Forerunner take off with a gust of repulsor driven sand. "This was a really good trip." She stated as they turned to walk back to the Shadow for their own departure. She took one last wistful look around the beach with a smile. "Why did Op decide to go back with them, though?" She asked, looking up at her husband.

"Well." Kyr said, "I thought we could stay another day or two." He said.

She looked up at him, slightly confused.

"It's our second anniversary." Kyr clarified.

She stopped and looked up at him. "Of…" She started in question and trailed off, perplexed. Then understanding dawned across her features. "Oh." She said, with a smile, looking back up at him. "Has it really only been two years?" She asked wistfully.

"Yep. And," he continued, "I thought if we could go catch a showing of Master Hill again, that might be kind of fun since -"

"Kyr." She looked at him wryly.

"I'll shut up now." He said with a smirk.

"Please do." She said as she pulled him down for a long kiss. After she pulled away, she took his hand and led him back to the ship.

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