Edit: 5/17/2020 dialogue tags fixed

"Start with the dream."

A breath in.

"Which one?" A breath out. He had asked the question with a joking smile on, but it quickly fell when he noticed the looks the couple had sent. They looked sad.

"How many have there been?"

A breath in followed a loosening of fingers. His silence seems to be a good enough answer for the two.

"How about you start with the one you had when you got here."

A final breath out as he locks eyes with Owen and Beru.

"How much do you know about what happened?" He asks them, curious about their knowledge of the fall of his family and friends. Owen and Beru trade looks.

"We know the Jedi were declared traitors. That they tried to kill the Chancellor." Beru supplies, looking at Owen.

"We know your men shot at you."

Ben's breathing hitches, but he nods.

"You don't know what happened inside the temple then." It's not a question. He knows they don't know. It was never broadcasted, but he does wonder about-

"What happened?" Owen asks in a soft voice, and Ben still can't come to terms with the fact that the man hasn't yelled at him. That he hasn't been chased away. "Is that what your dream was?"

Ben nods, lowering his eyes to the table they decided to move to. They were all in close perimeter with each other, rather than far apart like they would have been had they stayed in the first room.

"Have you ever felt numb? Had a ringing in your ears that just won't stop?" He doesn't wait for answers. "It's stayed with me since I entered the temple. When I went in, it felt cold. I had never felt the temple like that. My mind was empty; there was no warmth there." He chews his bottom lip and his leg bounces. Odd, he thinks, I've never had that tick before. "Did you know that lightsaber wounds don't bleed?" He watches them nod their heads. "There was no blood to give anything away."

"I didn't see anything until I had been walking for a few minutes." He swallows thickly, thinking of how he would tell them what happened. "We're not baby stealers, y'know. The younglings were given to us by their parents. We had children of all ages living in that temple." He pauses. "I don't think I fully realized how much life they brought to the temple until that night. During the war, I saw many children fallen to blaster bolts and lightsabers." The burn in the back of his throat is back. "It's something else entirely when you knew the children." He whispers, keeping his eyes on the table. "They're bodies lined the floor of the temple. Younglings crowded together. Chrechemasters lying not far from them with their lightsabers only a few inches from their hands." Tears start to fall, but he doesn't find the strength to lift his hand and wipe them away.

"A few had hidden in the council chambers, probably thinking they would be safest there." He flinches at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He didn't hear the chairs inch closer, but suddenly they were there. "Anakin-" His breathing hitches and he chokes on a sob. "I watched him." He chokes out through the tears. "I saw him strike them down!" His voice rises, but the tears don't stop. "They were children!" Louder sobs accompany the careful searching of his shields. They were still durasteel tight, and for that he was grateful.

"What did I do wrong?" His voice is soft, with sorrow and pain lacing the words.

"Nothing." Beru's voice wobbles as she speaks. Ben lifts his eyes to hers and is met with a wet face. "You did nothing wrong."

He tries to believe her.

"It's my fault. I was his Master. Everything he did-"

"Was not because of you." Owen's voice is slightly less wobbly but Ben sees tears in his eyes. "Think about it."

Ben doesn't want to. He would rather not think about his shortcomings with the man he called a brother.

"The Emperor is at fault."

It doesn't do much to stop the guilt, but it helps a little.

Arms fold around him, and he melts into the hold.

"I know you don't believe us, not now," Beru says softly, her words pushing against his hair. "We're going to help you, Ben." A pause and part of Ben knows that the couple is locking eyes with each other. "You're not alone. Stick with us."

"Healing takes time." Owen's voice this time. "But we've got all the time in the world."

Ben melts further into their arms, and for the first time since he landed on Tatooine (though if he thought about it, it could be longer) he felt a piece of his heart slowly be stitched back together.