MATERIAL GIRL

On the Piece of Crap 2, Swain finds herself in the middle of a material world she knows precious little about. Good thing she has a stepmom more than willing to teach her.

Were those … pressure sensors on the shoe rack? Swain leaned in hardly able to believe her eyes.

She hadn't meant to snoop. She had been doing her and Brent's laundry in the sonic and found some of Sierra's things inside. She'd only intended to bring the folded articles to the closet and leave them there, but once she opened the door it was impossible not to look. Sierra's clothes and shoes were all displayed meticulously as the artifacts in the Iziz museum and were apparently as well-protected.

How expensive were these shoes that Sierra saw the need to install an alarm system? She looked closer. Their circuit didn't move much in the way of designer clothing but it couldn't hurt to broaden her knowledge.

"I bought those on Alderaan." Sierra's voice came from the doorway making her jump. "They still look like they did when they came out of the box. Goes to show that if you take care of your things they'll last forever."

Swain turned around, cheeks aflame. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was doing laundry and they grabbed my attention."

"I don't mind," Sierra said, walking in. "I don't often get the chance to show it off. What was it that caught your eye?"

"The number," Swain admitted. "It's kind of hard to process someone owning so many shoes that just look pretty."

"Oh they serve a purpose." Sierra deactivated the pressure sensors and picked up the pair Swain had been looking at. "See the bright red sole? It draws the eye, which can either set up a distraction or convince a mark that I'm high-class. Both would bolster my cover story." She set them down. "Some people think being feminine or liking feminine things means you're weak, but there's nothing weak about it once you realize clothes and shoes are weapons. Alex has his blaster safe, Hutch has his computer, and I have this closet."

"In ISB training we learned how to walk in heels and put on makeup, but it was mostly just the basics so we didn't blow our cover or look like fools at formal events. We weren't expected to ever put it into practice." Swain laughed softly in an attempt to cover the mental sound of Beck mocking her for such things. "After I left I tried to learn from the HoloNet but half the time I still feel like I'm just slapping things together."

"Would you like a demonstration?"

Swain perked up. She sometimes liked to watch makeover shows with her friends when they were between jobs and she couldn't think of anyone who could transform herself better than a master grifter. "I'd love one."

"Great." Sierra grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth. "Take off your sweater. Have you worn high heels since your lesson?"

"What?" Her hands flew to her taupe-colored cardigan in surprise.

Sierra wasn't fazed. "I love a good oversized moment, but oversized doesn't mean shapeless and that sweater isn't doing you any favors. You have a great figure; we're going to show it off."

"You're making me over?"

"Why not? You'll fit practically anything in here." Sierra pored over her shoe rack and passed over some of the more skyscraping options for a sturdier-looking pair of studded, pointy-toed heels. "These are a nice beginner's heel. They're not too high and the straps give you some extra ankle support, while the studs add just that little edge."

She sat Swain down on an ottoman in the middle of the room and waited for the young woman to kick off her shoes before kneeling to buckle her into the heels.

"Heels elevate any look," she explained. "Literally. When you wear them they lift you up and you stand taller, you have more confidence, and you feel like you can conquer the galaxy."

"Is that why you like them so much?" Swain wiggled her toes inside the shoes. They fit surprisingly well.

Sierra nodded before she returned to her closet and rifled around inside for a second before she produced a structured navy blue blazer. "That should fit and the color will set off your hair which is lovely by the way. You have a nice natural wave that'll hold any style."

Swain's smile was genuine this time. "That's what Shara said when she did my hair for my wedding."

"You must have looked spectacular; Shara's a hair whiz. But for today's purposes…" Without a second's hesitation she undid Swain's braid and pulled the hair loose before picking out a few sections with her fingers and securing them with pins. "There. Ready to take a look?"

She didn't have much of a choice: Sierra turned them both around and Swain blinked when she saw her reflection.

"Salt gods and brylks below." She touched her cheek, half expecting the reflection not to do the same.

"You had it all already. The clothes just bring it out."

"It's amazing." She looked herself over, still unable to believe her eyes. "Thank you for letting me try on your things."

"Come back any time." Sierra said. "You're more than welcome to borrow anything here, whenever you like."

"Seriously?" She looked around the room. "It's too much. I wouldn't look right in such nice things."

"I beg to differ. I think you'd look beautiful in any of them." She picked up Swain's cardigan from the ottoman and made her way to the door. "It's only fair I wash this for you, since you folded my laundry. The security system's off; feel free to pick something else out and we can do this again."

"Can I show Brent first?" A hopeful smile spread across Swain's features.

"Sure. I'll be right back."

...

Sierra made it to the sonic washer before the tears blurred her vision of the cardigan in her hands.

"Sierra?" It was Kallus behind her. "Hannah just went by. Was she wearing your shoes?"

She nodded through the tears. "I gave her a makeover."

"What's wrong?" He stepped into their tiny laundry space, hardly big enough for one body let alone two. "Is that Hannah's sweater?"

She nodded.

Kallus' brow crinkled. "You're crying over Hannah's sweater."

"It's not just a sweater. It's -." It wasn't his fault he didn't understand. He hadn't grown up around girly girls and while he appreciated her craft, he'd never gone into the specifics with her. She took a deep breath and held up the taupe, shapeless sweater. "If you didn't know this was Hannah's, would you say this is something she would wear?"

He studied the garment, obviously racking his brain for the few times he'd seen his daughter in civvies. "Not particularly," he said finally. "She had a sweater, but it was green and more fitted. She liked cool colors and they worked well for her."

"Exactly. Bold, complementary colors and flattering cuts show comfort and confidence, and that definitely fit Hannah. But this? She clenched her hands, scrunching the sweater. "This doesn't belong in that person's daily wardrobe. This belongs to someone who wants to hide."

She swallowed hard. "Alex, the look on her face when I made her over, the things she said - something happened that completely crushed her self-esteem. I don't know what it is but something's made her not feel like a woman anymore."

Kallus' face fell.

"It's like she's a different person," he said. "I didn't know how to contend with her before, but now? Nothing's the same and any time I try to talk to her it turns into an argument."

"That's because you haven't figured out how to do it yet. Have you considered that Hannah's picking fights with you on purpose?"

Kallus nodded. "Which isn't like her; I've no idea why she's doing it!"

"Maybe because she blames you for your part in what happened to her and this is her way of punishing you?"

Sierra watched as realization set in over her husband's face.

"People process trauma in different ways. You know how I dealt with it." She winced at the memory. "In Hannah's case she has a lot of anger and no outlet for it. When you fight back it just eggs her on."

"So I should just ignore her?" Even as he said it she could tell the last thing he wanted was to ignore his daughter.

"The next time she gets started, listen instead of fighting back. If you can let her take out some of her anger on you, then she'll burn herself out and that's your chance to make progress."

Kallus nodded understanding. "Like letting Philip cry it out. Once she's tired and has all that out of her system, she'll start talking."

"Exactly."

"Have I told you today that you're a genius?"

"I'll gladly listen to it again."

…

"Versio. I'm unavailable at the moment; leave a message after the beep."

Hannah swore when she heard the message and the voicemail probably got the tail end of the expletive: "Iden, for someone who never leaves her unit unattended you've been impossible to get ahold of lately. So much so that I'm wondering if you're deliberately ignoring my calls." She exhaled, blowing away her frustration. "Okay that came off a little demanding. My head's not in a good place right now. A lot of things have happened, not the least of which is that Kallus is back. Yep, that Kallus, and now I'm stuck on a ship with him and his baby and his wife, who's very nice which just makes everything more confusing."

That was probably too much to leave on a voicemail but if anyone could absorb a monster voicemail, it was Iden. "Will you call me back when you get this? Thanks. Tell Del I said hi." She terminated the comm.

Maybe it was for the best, she thought and paced the floor in front of Philip's wind-up swing in Sierra's shoes. Iden had never seen her glammed up like this like this and the contrast would probably make her laugh. Not that Iden didn't deserve a laugh in light of her stressful life, but that wasn't how they operated.

Swain had friends on Onderon. Sloan was a constant, but sometimes she needed to talk with someone who understood. Those were the times she and Iden Versio commed each other.

They were young women who had defected from the Imperial elite, both of which were rare enough by themselves let alone together. Swain knew when her unit lit up with Iden's name that it hadn't been a good day in the former commando's life, and since Iden practically had her comlink surgically attached whatever had vexed her so was usually still in progress. That was why it was worrisome she wasn't answering.

Swain shook off the thought. Iden could take care of herself and if something was going on then the last thing she needed was a distraction.

Was Sierra trying to distract her from the situation by making her over? Somehow she doubted it. A grifter of her caliber could come up with something that didn't rely on finding her in the closet after a laundry mixup, and what's more Sierra's demeanor didn't stack up to that conclusion. Genuine care and compassion shone through everything she did.

But why? Sierra didn't have a reason to butter her up. She was already cooperating fully with the con men, they'd worked well together in the past, and she tried not to argue with Kallus in front of her or the baby. Never mind - she shot a glance to Philip in his swing - that she'd just sworn in front of him.

She cringed. "Sorry, little guy."

Philip grinned toothlessly around the plastic fambaa he had halfway in his mouth. "Ah-na?"

"I don't know what that is, but you're too cute to say no to." Swain unbuckled him from the swing and scooped him up. "How's that?"

"Ah-na!" He squealed and nearly dropped his toy to make grabby hands at her hair.

"I should've seen that coming" She sat down in the nearest chair and got the baby situated on her lap. "You know, one thing I don't mind at all about being here is that I get to spend time with you. You're a sweetie."

Philip forgot about her hair in favor of his fambaa and tilted his head in a gesture that looked terribly like his father. Swain pushed the thought from her mind. It wasn't Philip's fault he looked just like a Kallus.

"Your dad's genes ran right over your mom's, didn't they?" She smoothed his blond hair off his forehead. "That's okay; you've got Sierra's smile. You both smile a lot."

"B'na?"

"Is that a yes?" She tickled him. "I like your mama, even though I don't have her figured out all the way. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met and I don't know how she could be married to Kallus.

"I mean, he seems like an okay husband. He's honorable, keeps his word, and he loves her. I thought he loved me too." She swallowed hard. "Actually, I was pretty sure he did but I guess I was wrong."

Philip blew a spit bubble in response and suddenly Swain was acutely aware that she was sharing her very adult problems with an infant.

"He definitely loves you though," she hurried to say. "I promise, little guy. He won't ever hurt you like he did me."

Philip's adorable face scrunched up in distress and he whimpered.

"No, no, don't cry!" Swain raced for a solution. What did Kallus and Sierra do to stop the baby from crying? "Why don't we, um … sing a song? Sierra sings to you sometimes." The baby's lip wobbled and she knew she had to do something fast. "Okay buddy, I don't know any nursery rhymes, but I do know my sea songs. Here we go."

She was halfway through "The Captain's Lady" before she realized that maybe it wasn't the most appropriate choice for a six-month-old audience. But Philip was waving his toy fambaa to the beat and she didn't dare stop and risk him crying again.

She didn't want to stop either. When she was singing to Philip she didn't have to think about where she was, or who she was with, or that someone was trying to kill her. She snuggled him closer and started up another song.

...

In the hallway Kallus approached the room where he'd put his son down. Philip was probably done with his swing and ready for his next nap; if all went well he could then go on to find Swain and put Sierra's advice into practice. It might not be pleasant but they would make progress, and that was all he could ask for at this point.

He was just a few steps from the common room when he heard music. He hadn't put anything on, had Sierra? But she had gone straight from the laundry room back to her closet to pick out more outfits for Swain to try on.

He looked around the doorway and stopped. Swain was sitting in a chair with Philip on her lap, singing quietly to the baby who was gazing up at her with a gummy grin, happy as a clam.

Swain returned the smile as she sang the same haunting song she had when they arrived at the landing platform, the song of the sea.

Kallus knew he should interrupt. Any time wasted was time whoever was hunting Swain could get closer to succeeding. But he couldn't bring himself to take this peace away from her.

"Neither calm nor quiet. Searching for love again."

He stepped out of the doorway so she wouldn't see him and leaned against the wall, listening to Hannah sing.

"My love…"

Progress would just have to wait.

…

On the other side of the ship Sierra had just finished pulling some more articles of clothing she thought might look pretty on Swain when her comlink rang.

"Lux, hey. Alex hasn't tried talking to Swain yet so I don't have anything to tell you. Maybe in a little - slow down. Melaana is what?"