The sun was rising when the small party made its way to the Ebon Hawk to drop off Kalen's crew. Atton was a little tipsy, Mira was drunk, and Dustil was sensitive to light and sound, though he wasn't stumbling. Mical and Alexis were sober, of course, and Bao-Dur was still missing. They could only assume he'd already made it back to the ship.
Once all of the extras were on board the Hawk, Alexis took Dustil's hand and started to lead him towards Carth's apartment. He was squinting terribly, but he was able to walk. "Not the best way to greet your father after a long absence, hmmm?" Alexis said shrewdly when he paused outside of Carth's door.
"Not so loud," Dustil grumbled.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll be asleep," Alexis said hopefully. She wasn't sure how he'd react to her second night out in a cantina, especially since she had taken his son with her and allowed him to get drunk.
No such luck. When Alexis opened the door, Carth was sitting on the couch, bare-chested and sipping a steaming mug of something Alexis suspected must be java. He was really starting to depend on that stuff lately.
"Good morning," Alexis said brightly, leading Dustil through the door.
"Don't you two look adorable," Carth said dryly.
Alexis smiled. Maybe this situation was salvageable after all. She helped Dustil quickly to one of the empty chairs in the room where he collapsed promptly and shut his eyes.
"I have something for you," Alexis said, walking towards Carth while digging idly at the belt of her pants in the back to retrieve the package of cold medicine she'd put there.
Carth stared at her body, starting with her toes and working his way up slowly. Alexis felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, but she didn't move. "I don't think I'm up for it," he said slowly, his tone sarcastic.
Stung, Alexis started to turn away to take the medication to the kitchen. Instead, she stopped and deliberately lowered her gaze to his lap. She gave him a sweet smile and looked into his eyes, "I don't think you are either, dear."
Carth's eyes widened for a second and Alexis laughed, glad to have caught him off guard. She wasn't that innocent. "Still want to play?" Alexis asked, resting her hands on her hips.
Carth grinned back at her in spite of himself. "No, I don't think that I do."
Carth sat in his kitchen a few hours later, attempting to eat a bowl of soup that Alexis had prepared. It was actually fairly good, which surprised him. It shouldn't have, he thought, when he realized what was in it; leftover chicken from Kalen's cooking the day before and rice. The girl had a rice addiction.
Alexis waltzed into the kitchen at that moment, grinning brightly and spinning. She glanced over at him, her eyes dancing. "He's in a great deal of pain. He was obviously quite drunk, but he wasn't stumbling. It's almost as if the hangover set in immediately."
"Serves him right," Carth muttered under his breath. He broke into a fit of coughing that sent Alexis to his side, holding a glass of water and gently patting his back. He could get used to the attention, even if he couldn't get used to the cold.
It felt right, somehow, thinking of her as Alexis. Revan had always felt cold and distant, as if he were speaking of the story of the Sith Lord rather than to the beautiful girl who bore then name.
Alexis was still running her hands across his bare back. Carth shut his eyes and sighed softly. It was too bad that she was so shy any other time. Her comment earlier had surprised him beyond words. He hadn't even realized the double meaning of the phrase until she'd brought it up. Granted, he'd deserved the thinly veiled insult, but he hadn't known that she even had it in her.
Although he had to admit that she'd been a bit more suggestive lately. He'd always suspected that she didn't know quite the meaning of some of the things that she said, but now he wasn't so sure. She was innocent, yes, but probably not as innocent as he'd thought. She'd been the commander of an entire army. It had been foolish of him to think that she could remain naive under such circumstances.
It seemed that she'd realized she was still touching him, because she pulled her hands back rather quickly. Her words usually said one thing, but her body said another. She was utterly terrified of anything but casual contact. Carth watched out of the corner of his eye as Alexis skipped over to another chair at the table and dropped into it, smiling faintly at nothing in particular. She seemed very happy today, for some reason.
He suspected it was because she was glad that she no longer had to care for him by herself. He sensed that even though she felt badly for him and wanted to help him, she wasn't quite sure what to do for him and it made her uncomfortable. That hardly mattered. He was getting better. He just needed a few more days of sleep. It was hard, too, because now he seemed to sleep better when she was in his bed, and she hadn't been for the last day or two because of his illness.
Earlier that day, when Alexis had walked in with Dustil, Carth had been struck by how lovely a couple they made, even when Dustil was ill. His son was a handsome young man and Carth was quite aware that the exquisite little Jedi was closer to his son's age than she was to his own. They'd both been dressed like warriors, tight clothing and blasters strapped to their hips. It had hurt, a little, even more so since Carth was ill, and he'd gone on the defensive. Insult her first. Draw first blood. She won't fight back.
He wasn't proud of himself, but he hadn't been able to control the impulse. Too bad his idea had backfired. Her little chin had shot into the air and she'd given as good as she got. She was a tough girl, of that he had no doubt.
Carth knew, of course, that he couldn't look at the way Alexis looked with every other man she ever came into contact with. Even though his son was handsome, he knew that Alexis made him look even better. She could generally make even the most brutishly horrid-looking man more appealing. Alexis was so beautiful as to be perfect, and the amazing thing was that she really didn't know it.
Carth glanced over at her and she arched an eyebrow at him. He chuckled lightly and turned back to his soup. He'd never met a beautiful Jedi before Bastila. Now he'd known three: Alexis, Bastila, and Kalen.
Alexis was, as always, the prettiest of the three. Bastila came in at a distant second. She had been classically attractive. When he'd first seen her, Carth had thought that nothing could be lovelier. How wrong he'd been.
Kalen, of course, was pretty in her own right. All of that blonde hair and girl-next-door sort of charm was appealing in a childlike sort of way. Carth had always thought of Kalen as the poster child for the Jedi Order. Sweet-faced and blonde with proud eyes and a determined stance, they could have made a doll of her for little girls to play with. They could have even dressed her in pink Jedi robes and it wouldn't have been far from the truth.
Carth's thoughts drifted slowly to Kalen. She and the Disciple would have made a perfect pair of Jedi, if Jedi were allowed to pair off. It was strange, though, that a girl like Kalen would have chosen Atton instead. They looked well together, like a strange mixture of light and dark. They personalities complimented each other as well. A study in contrasts, he supposed.
Carth glanced up at Alexis again, only to find her studying him just as intently as he had studied her. She didn't see him looking, so she did not look away. There was a faint smile still playing at the corners of her mouth, as if she were still quite pleased about something. Carth glanced back down and forced himself not to smile back. Then she'd know he'd caught her.
"You know," Alexis said suddenly, causing Carth to glance up into her eyes, "Atton shot Disciple today." Mischief danced across her face.
Atton shot Disciple? He hoped Mical was all right… but Alexis was still smiling, so clearly no one had been hurt. "What happened?"
"Atton said something about Kalen that Mical didn't like. He challenged him over it, and Atton shot him with his blaster in stun mode. Mical passed out for a few seconds," Alexis said with a shrug. "Boys will be boys, I suppose. I'll bet Kalen's not happy though."
"I wonder if they'll tell her," Carth mused. Alexis rose slowly and stretched her body.
Carth watched, trying to hide his interest by pretending to stare at his now cold soup. He almost felt like a dirty old man chasing a very young girl. Perhaps he was one, at that.
Alexis, totally unaware of her effect on him, began to idly untie the long braid holding her hair confined. She had very long, silky black hair. It was shiny and healthy once again, nothing like it had been when she had first arrived. She looked a great deal healthier as well, Carth was proud to note. And she showed no signs of leaving again.
Her hair hung in loose waves down her back and Carth fought back the urge to reach out and touch it. Perhaps he should leave before he did something he regretted. His headache was coming back anyway.
Alexis glanced over and caught the pained expression on his face. "You need to go back to bed," she said in an imperious tone, pointing towards his bedroom.
Carth sighed. "Probably right. You want to come with me?" He offered, knowing she would refuse.
"I think not. You're just trying to give me that cold!"
Carth nodded. "You caught me. The least you can do is help an old man to bed," he replied.
Alexis gave him a wry smile and took his hand. "You're hardly old," she told him softly. Carth was certain that she had no idea how those simple words warmed his heart.
Alexis stood in the kitchen with Kalen and Dustil, leaning casually against the wall. The other two were cooking steadily for the evening meal and Alexis had already set the table for the entire crew of the Ebon Hawk, Dustil, Carth, and herself.
"So…" Alexis muttered out of sheer boredom. Dustil glanced over his shoulder at her. Kalen tossed an uncooked egg at her, which Alexis deftly caught. "What was that for?" Alexis asked, tossing the thing back and forth between her hands.
"If you're bored, go do something else. I'm sure Atton will come and play pazaak with you or attempt to beat you at a little lightsaber duel."
"In other words, go outside and play, sweetheart. Mommy's busy."
"Wait a minute," Dustil said quickly. "You're Atton's mummy and Kalen's your mommy…" he shuddered. "Creepy. Very creepy."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kalen asked threateningly, wielding a spoon once again like a weapon. It seemed to be her kitchen weapon of choice.
"Nothing," Dustil said innocently, jerking his hands up into the air. "Nothing at all."
Alexis ambled out of the kitchen and down the hall towards Carth's bedroom. She slid open the door and slipped inside, glancing over at Carth as she did so. He was sleeping peacefully, or so she thought.
When she sat down on the edge of the bed near him, however, Carth caught her hand gently in his and tugged it up to his cheek. "You're going to give me your cold," she whispered, tugging softly to free her hand. He didn't let go.
"Jedi don't catch colds. You know very well that you have never had a cold in your entire life," Carth said easily.
"This could be my first one," she said.
He tugged on her hand and Alexis gave in and collapsed beside him. He pulled her back to him and wrapped an arm around her, resting his head tenderly on top of her own. Alexis glanced over at him as best as she could, smiling faintly.
"I think you'll need a shirt fairly soon," she said at last. Carth's fingers danced lightly across her stomach. He didn't answer. "Carth?" she whispered.
"Hmm?" He replied drowsily, raising himself up on his elbow and moving his other hand up to twine in her loose hair.
Alexis sighed quietly. "Go back to bed, Admiral. I'll come and get you when dinner's ready." She started to rise and Carth caught her arm.
"Leaving so soon?" he asked, smiling. Alexis leaned towards him and kissed his cheek in spite of herself. He released her and collapsed back onto his pillow. Alexis brushed his hair back out of his face. "Yes," she said with an impish smile. She slid from the room as quickly as she came, feeling happy and carefree.
Everyone else arrived slowly. Mira was sitting in the corner of the kitchen, still eyeing Dustil. Atton and Canderous sat in the living room, once again playing that strange card game that they had learned. Visas was meditating in the corner. Bao-Dur was tinkering with his lightsaber, and Mical was staring blankly at the wall.
Alexis shook her head. She did not pity Mical, but she knew he suffered. She only hoped that the suffering would make him stronger in the end, instead of destroying him. Alexis watched him for a moment before making her way to the window to watch the sunset.
She felt Carth walk up behind her and she waited for him to touch her, but he didn't. She was profoundly disappointed, for some reason. "I was coming to wake you," Alexis said.
"That's okay. I never went back to sleep."
Alexis glanced back at him, her expression thoughtful. "How do you feel?" She finally felt his fingers on her arm and she relaxed slightly.
"Like I've been trampled by a herd of banthas," he responded, "but better than I did before."
Alexis turned from the window to face him. "Have you and Dustil gotten the chance to talk?"
"No. We've both been sleeping," Carth said with a laugh.
"After you two have talked for a bit, I have something I'd like to talk to you guys about. Let me know when you have the time," Alexis said easily.
"You want him to be a Jedi, don't you?" Carth asked her shrewdly.
Alexis was never startled by Carth's intellect. He could be a brilliant man when he chose to. But only when he chose, Alexis thought. "We'll talk about it with him later," Alexis said firmly. Carth's fingers were tracing a pattern on her arm and Alexis shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the way it made her feel. His fingers instantly ceased their motions.
Alexis stepped carefully from him and turned towards the kitchen. "I'm going to see how dinner is coming. I'll be back." Something was different about the way Carth was acting. He was more… intense about something, but she wasn't quite sure what.
Alexis waltzed into the kitchen, eyeing her surroundings. Ever since the assassin attack a few days before, she had resumed her hourly checks of the apartment. The assassins had to be coming from somewhere, but she wasn't sure where. She also had no idea when they would attack. Not only was she openly wearing her lightsaber everywhere she went, but she also had a very small short sword strapped inside her boot. She was taking no chances. Things were not as they had been.
Inside the kitchen, Kalen was sitting in a chair next to the table with Dustil gently patting her hand. "We can make another," he said consoling while attempting to conceal a smile. Kalen looked a little wild-eyed.
"Is everything okay?" Alexis asked, frowning slightly. Dustil gave her a mock salute and Mira grinned openly from behind them. "Yes, General. Or, it will be, when Kalen calms down. Here, would you take her hand and pat it for a moment? I need to finish dinner."
Kalen glared up at him. "I am not a child," she hissed, slapping her palm on the table. Nevertheless, she allowed Dustil to pass her hand to Alexis, who sat down beside her and began to pat her hand much as Dustil had.
"What happened?" Alexis asked her gently.
"My cake fell," she said sullenly, staring at the ruins of what had once been a very large pink cake.
"I see…" Alexis said, not really seeing at all. What was so important about a cake?
"I've never had a cake fall before," she said, pointing at the thing and then waving her hand in disgust.
"That's terrible," Alexis said at last. Had Kalen lost her mind? "How, exactly, did it fall?"
"Atton," she whispered, his name sounding as if it were a hideous curse.
"What did Atton do?" Alexis asked curiously. Had he attempted to steal it or something?
"Nothing," Kalen muttered crossly, idly rubbing at her butt. Alexis watched her, finding this motion strange, to say the least. Mira caught her gaze and wagged her eyebrows.
"Well, Atton distracted her. She was checking her cake and he came in and she- uh…" Dustil trailed off under Kalen's sullen gaze.
Mira glanced over at her and took up the story where Dustil had left off. "She practically melted on the floor. She dropped her cake. And then, when he realized it was his fault, he came by and pinched her ass and told her she didn't need it anyway."
Alexis glanced down at the table to hide her laughter. Kalen's hand suddenly tightened on hers and she gasped. "Kalen, you're hurting me…"
Kalen released her hand. "It's not funny, is it?"
"Ah, no. Not at all. But, if you don't mind my asking, what has suddenly made you ah- melt- in his presence?"
The colorful blush that rose on Kalen's cheeks told her everything that she needed to know. "Well, nothing, really…" Kalen said, staring at the floor.
Alexis burst into startled laughter. "I see."
"It's not like that!" Kalen said suddenly, her eyes going wide when she realized what all of the others must have thought.
"Go ahead, exile, tell us what it was like," Mira said innocently.
"I'm not sure I want to know," Dustil said, stirring at something.
"Well, you see… He walked in on me when I was getting out of the shower. I had a towel on, of course, and I told him to leave. And he wouldn't, so I… tried to… remove him…" she hedged, "and lost my towel… And then he kissed me… and then he left." Kalen was blushing so furiously that Alexis thought that she might explode on the spot.
"Not so conceited now, are we?" Alexis asked with a giggle.
"He'll hear you," Kalen whispered brokenly.
Alexis laughed again. "You poor dear," Alexis said, patting her shoulder. Kalen shuddered and looked away. "I was holding it together until he came in here… I was just fine…"
"So you two still haven't hooked up a power coupling? Jeez. I thought you'd taken him months ago," Mira complained, grinning. "You've given that man too much power. I have a spare bothan stunner, if you're interested," she added.
Dustil's eyes widened sharply and he turned his wary gaze on her. She smiled wolfishly at him and he turned furiously back to the dinner he was preparing. Alexis laughed again.
"You'd have done the same thing," Kalen said to Alexis.
"If Atton came at me, I'd like to think that I'd run away," Alexis said slyly.
"I don't mean Atton at all," Kalen replied. She was starting to regain her composure. She was still blushing, but she didn't seem so unnerved anymore.
Alexis looked anxiously over at Dustil. "Please, Alexis. We all know who she means. I can handle a little innuendo directed at my father."
"Can you?" Carth asked from the doorway, smiling right at Alexis.
Alexis refused to blush. She fought it with every fiber of her being. And she won. She turned her gaze on him without hesitation and managed to keep herself under control. "So, how much did you hear of this little conversation?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Carth asked.
Mira burst into laughter. Shaking her head, she left the room, casting a last glance back at Dustil when she slipped through the doorway.
"She's after you," Kalen said finally, glancing meaningfully at Dustil. "Thanks. I need relationship advice from the girl who had a fit because a man kissed her."
Kalen glowered at him. "As if you've got that much more experience," she hissed.
"I'll have you know-" Dustil began before he trailed off, staring at his father. "Nevermind," he muttered, looking away.
Alexis turned back to Kalen. "I suppose you want us to keep this quiet?"
Kalen shrugged. "He's probably told them all."
Carth glanced back and forth between them. "I guess I've missed something."
Alexis grinned at Kalen. "A little something, yes. Kalen, I remember that you tol dme recently that you thought that the game was almost won. I think that it is only beginning."
"And you encouraged him, didn't you? How would you like it if I did that to you?" Kalen asked sourly.
Alexis remembered Mical and stopped laughing as quickly as if someone had tossed a bucket of ice in her face. Kalen looked up. "Can you hang around for a little while when everyone else leaves tonight?"
Kalen nodded slowly. "Yes… I'll stick around."
Alexis nodded and rose. "I'll go and tell everyone that dinner is ready."
