Chapter Title: Grandmother

Series Title: Unlikely Brothers

Ages in this chapter: Tanner (11) Dashen (17)

POV: Dashen

Chapter Summary: The boys meet Colton's only living relative.


"You have family still living? But, Colt, I thought..."

"You thought what I wanted you to think. My family is gone. Mostly. I have one living relative. A grandmother. She's quite old, but quite spry. She lives off planet. It's the main reason I let it be. It's much too early to be risking the boy off planet, what with the Empire patrolling every spaceport and randomly raiding every city in the galaxy."

I stared up at Colton. Confused. Perplexed. Feeling strangely. Surprised as well. Such was my life. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs.

"Okay, one really has nothing to do with other. You have a grandmother on another planet, but you couldn't tell us because Tanner can't go there. What? Just because you have family doesn't mean... you know what? Never mind. This is stupid."

"It is," Colton agreed, his piercing blue eyes intent. They shone from between the long strands of his blonde hair which fell over a well tanned face. "I know how your and your brother's minds work. You find out I have family. You want to know about them. Visit. Get to know them. Tannerlin would immediately claim her as his own. And on and on. Just too big a risk. Unless that is, you want the target on your brother's back to grow into the size of an actual planet."

"No, no," I surrendered. "Can't have that. Okay fine. Your stupid excuse is legitimate. Enough. So why is it suddenly safe for her to visit us here on Terra?"

"Well, because she's very good at concealment. She's an old woman, nondescript and plain and kind, no one pays her any mind."

I bobbed my head to the left in acknowledgement, rolling my eyes upward at the same time. "So, okay, yeah, Tanner's gonna love her to death."

"See what I mean? You have only a brief description and already Tannerlin has her claimed as part of the family."

I sighed. This was one of the stupidest conversations I'd ever had. "She is part of the family, Colt. Hello! She's your family. Stars, man. And I thought I was the dense one."

"You'll be dense against that wall over there if you keep giving me lip, damn it. Go find your brother. Suni will arrive soon. That is her name in case you have another brain melt."

"Suni Colton. Easy enough to remember." I groaned. "I'll get Tanner."

So, Suni Colton wasn't anything I expected. Where Colton was broad and tall and imposing, Suni was not. She was tiny. Or at least she was Tanner's size - small in height and build. And not the least bit imposing. Hair was a shiny silver-blonde, cut neatly at her shoulders. Her face was aged but with the look of someone who knew where she'd been and where she was going. Confident and calm. Guess it's where Colton got those same qualities.

Her compact form departed the transport and she was immediately enveloped into the arms of her grandson. Tanner and I stood in quiet anticipation of meeting Colton's only remaining blood family. As much as me and my brother made for an odd couple in appearance, Colton and his grandmother seemed just as odd. He towered over her as he did over Tanner, though there was absolutely no intimidation factor at the size difference. Compact she may be, but you were defiantly not about to judge her by that stature.

As they walked toward us, I saw that Suni knew full well who we were.

Not surprising. If she couldn't be trusted, no one around Colton could. Nevertheless, Colton did herd us quickly inside his ground car before conversation. Peering eyes and eavesdropping ears could be anywhere and everywhere in a busy spaceport.

In the back of the large car we sat across from the pair. Naturally, it was Tanner jumping right in to start the conversation.

"Miss Suni, I'm so happy you came to visit. We didn't know Colton had any family still living. We are very glad to meet you. How long can you stay?"

Told you. Just right on in.

Suni smiled, the wrinkles around her venerable blue eyes crinkling. The gesture was so genuine and so heartfelt. Tanner was gonna fall in love with this woman in about thirty seconds, if he hadn't already.

"Young Tannerlin. You are adorable and handsome. Exactly as Colton described you."

I coughed. "Colt, really?"

Colton glared at me. The first of many to come during Suni's visit, no doubt.

"Yeah, Dash, I can be adorable." Tanner said innocently.

"Whatever you say, Mouse."

Suni turned her eyes to mine. Aged or not, they matched Colton's to the exact shade of crystal blue. "Dashen. I've heard much about you. You set a striking appearance with the bright green eyes and stark black hair. A good looking young man."

Huh. Take that, Tanner the Adorable. I blushed. Damn it.

I pulled it together. "Thank you, Suni. I regret that we know very little about you. Actually Colton didn't even tell us you existed until yesterday."

She nodded. "As expected. The less attention gathered, the less attention gained. For my safety as well as young Tannerlin's. There will be plenty of time for us to become acquainted. I've been invited by my grandson to stay for a month."

Of course Tanner was overjoyed at that news and told her so. My own first instinct was to be on guard. If anyone from neighboring planets knew she was relative to Virgil Colton and had an axe to grind with him, well... there was that. In reality, that was just my anxiety and overwhelming need to worry when I didn't need to worry kicking in.

My second instinct was to be happy for Colton to spend time with is only living blood family. I could no longer claim any blood family. As for Tanner and blood? Who knew really. He'd been taken by the Jedi from whatever family when he was a baby. If he had blood family out in the galaxy somewhere, he wouldn't know and he wouldn't know them.

He had me. I had him. We both had Colton. Now, maybe, we'd have Suni.

—-

Colton showed his grandmother into the impressive guest wing of his estate. The man lived for the large and she had everything she'd need

and about four hundred things that she wouldn't. Tanner shadowed her. Honestly, I think part of the attraction was that he enjoyed finally having someone the same size as himself. Constantly having to look up at everyone around you had to become maddening after a while.

"Thank you, darling." She said to him as he set one of her two travel bags onto the bed. Darling was one of several terms of endearment the old woman had already bestowed on my bother. Sweetie, Sweetheart, and there were others. Tanner soaked it up. I was pretty sure he'd never had anyone truly spoil him in his entire life. This was a new experience. The two had already connected emotionally and they'd known each other just over thirty minutes. The kid was something else.

"If you need anything, Suni, you can ask me. Dashen and I are upstairs and I'll be at school during the day and Dash at work, but I can still help."

Colton gave me the raised eyebrow look. The one that said, this is exactly why I hadn't yet told you about my only living relative. Tanner attached and attached hard when he wanted. I couldn't blame the kid, he'd once lived in a Temple of thousands. Maybe he wasn't close to most of them, but they were still family of a sort. They were familiar. They were home. Then he had nothing. Latching onto those who liked him - it was one of his things. The hell if I was gonna shoot him down. So, I only shrugged in response to Colton's stare, basically telling him that the kid was gonna be who he was gonna be.

Suni set her hands on either side of my brother's face. "You are a gem, sweetie. Thank you. I will take you up on that offer, but for now, I need rest. I expect we will enjoy breakfast together tomorrow before you're off to school?"

"Definitely. I like you and I'm glad you're here. Good night, Suni."

I was surprised Tanner left the room without a hug, but he was excellent at reading the state of a person and he knew Suni was tired from her trip. He spared her the hug - this time.

"Suni, I sure hope you don't mind a small shadow. If Tanner likes someone and feels the same in return, he is easily attached."

"I don't mind at all, young Dashen. You've done a fine job raising him I see."

A compliment? Aimed at me? That was a new one.

"I appreciate you saying so, but he's been in my care for just shy of two years. I can't take much credit."

Her blue eyes twinkled and she reached to my face to pat me on the cheek. "You've done more than you can imagine. I will see you in the morning."

Huh. Looks like Tanner might not be the only one to get himself attached to Colton's grandmother.

—-

We set into a pattern then. Breakfast with Suni, then Tanner and me off to school and work. Dinner with Suni. I missed some of those because of work, but it was fine. Tanner was more than willing to fill the time with his new favorite person. She knew what he was, I'd had no say in that matter, though I was okay with it. Oh and she enjoyed boring discussions about nothing in particular. So, yup, Suni and Tanner became fast friends.

—-

End of the second week, I got home late. The day had been a hellish one and I felt like crap walking into our apartment where Suni was visiting. She and my brother were enthralled in one of the galaxies most tediously uninteresting holo-films. Ugh. It was worse than counting grains of sand. And me, I was dirty, cranky and didn't feel all that well so I stumbled in and went straight to my room, thumping face down onto my bed.

Tanner shuffled in about two seconds later. As expected.

"Dash?"

"Sick." I mumbled into the bed.

"You're sick? What's wrong?"

I rolled over, figuring I owed it to my brother to at least speak in non muffled words. "Not sure. Just feel like hell. I'll be all right, go back to your holo with Suni."

Tanner didn't do as I said, I hadn't expected him to. I'd expected him to do exactly what he did next. Sit next to me, feel my forehead for fever and reach out with his magic. He'd look after me and I didn't really want that right now.

"I'll be okay, Mouse. I just need some time to digest my day. And if I'm sick, I don't want you catching whatever it is. I'm gonna get a shower and then crash. You and Suni do your thing."

He hesitated, of course, but eventually did as asked and I spent the next twenty minutes in a steaming stream of hot water. Clean and smelling better, I still felt awful. Then it got worse. There was no way I could keep Tanner away now, not with me falling to my knees and puking my guts out over the toilet.

"Ugh! I g-guess," I stuttered out, knowing Tanner was there next to me. "M'not okay." I puked again.

At some point I must have lost consciousness because at another point, I woke up in my bed with towels tucked on either side of me. There was a cold cloth placed strategically on my forehead. Tanner. Gravity forced my head to fall to the left to my brother and... well, I didn't see my brother. Concerned blue eyes found me instead. Suni.

"Where's..."

"He's sleeping. On the floor, in the corner. I couldn't get him to agree to leave your room."

"Yeah. He's like that." My voice was hushed, pain in my throat from the eventful vomiting.

"Promised him I'd look after you if he slept."

"Don't have to do that."

"Hush. I used to take care of Colton when he was a boy, I can certainly look after you for a time. You worry on others, especially that little brother of yours, time for others to worry on you. Now behave and hush."

I did. Suni took care of me all night. I won't lie, it felt nice. Different. That mothering-like nurture that I'd missed so much since my own mother had passed. That feeling that gave you all the comfort in the galaxy that everything would be all right as long as she was there. This had been missing from my life for so long now...

Once I'd gotten past the violent puking stage of my illness, Suni's mothering tripped hard into the emotional side of my psyche. Damn tears started and didn't stop. Control, no there was no control anymore and the tears flowed easily.

Awake by that point, Tanner crawled onto the bed next to me and tucked in. His usual spot when I was feeling badly. He thought it helped - and usually it did - but mostly he did it to make sure I knew I wasn't alone. Before he'd entered my life I'd been alone for the two longest years of anyone's life. The gut wrenching memories from those years had a tendency to kick my ass from time to time.

So with my brother on one side and a gentle nurturing on the other, my brain and body came together to let me know that everything was okay.

"Dear Dashen, you've never had much to last in your life, have you?" Suni said to me after seeing that my tears had stopped and my breathing slowed.

I breathed quietly into my pillow. "Parents. A little brother. He was my world for a short time. All lost."

"You lost everything. But from that loss came another. This young one at your side, refusing to let you lose yourself."

"M'just sick is all. Not lost. Not now anyway."

She caressed a hand over my forehead and through my hair. "You may not think it, but you are. Still. I see it in your eyes. In your worry. In your actions. And I've known you but for a short time. You long for someone to care for you and give you a rest from your worries.

"Tanner cares about me. I mean, he is glued to me right now."

"He is and he does. A great deal. I saw that a few minutes after our first meeting. But perhaps it's not the same. You know what I mean. When your mother passed it broke something inside of you long before your baby brother left you."

She really did know all about me. "Colton told you everything, huh?" I dragged out. "My life in a nutshell. Pretty crappy."

"But you had people that loved you."

"Sure and every single one of them died."

"See what I mean? Lost."

Great. Not only did I feel horrible from whatever I was sick with, but this old sweet woman was dragging me down emotionally.

"You're not sick by the way." She corrected me. "Just tired. It's been brutally hot this last week and you've been working long days. Heat exhaustion most likely. You do nothing halfway do you?"

"I don't. My folks worked their butts off to provide for me and my brother. Guess it rubbed off. Do your job and do it right, they practiced what they preached and taught their sons to do the same."

Unconsciously, Tanner moved against me, nuzzling his forehead into my back. Whether or not he felt my pain at thinking about my dead family, I didn't know, but I'd put money on that being the case. The kid and his Force magic could be a natural relaxant.

Suni was right though. I wasn't sick. It had been a hot week and most of my jobs had been outside running my ass off. I was exhausted. She was also right in that I probably was still lost. Could be I'd always remain that way to an extent, despite having Tanner and Colton and security and safety.

I sighed heavy and Suni ran her fingers over my temple again, then through my hair. "You have a unique life, Dashen Lesedi."

"You're not wrong about me. I suppose I'm easier to read than I like to think."

"Not necessarily. You disguise things well. I just happen to have an ability to see through facades. Just ask Virgil. Helps too that I know more about you than most. Also helps that your adoptive brother, stuck to your back there, he shares."

I snorted into my pillow. "Yeah. He must really trust you. Trust is huge for him."

Another hand through my hair. Gentle and soft. I leaned into it as she continued. "You know when Colton told me he'd adopted two boys, it was a while before he shared the backstory with me. Of course I thought he was out of his mind at the time thinking he had no business pulling children into his business. What he did say was that he knew he had look after you both - there couldn't just be the one of you - because you were attached at the hip and not about to be separated. I didn't understand the situation then. I understood it a bit more once I did hear the backstory. I am in complete understanding now. You have pain. It's quite constant, though you control it well. Tannerlin has pain, but he channels it, deals with it. His magic as you like to call it. That's his Jedi training benefiting him. It always will. He'll always deal with things better than you. It's not a failing of your own self, it simply is what it is."

That helped. It did. It was no lie that sometimes I got frustrated with how easily Tanner dealt with certain situations. Not always, but times when something would harp on my emotions for days or months, he'd focus on it, do his boring mediation and push it away. It wasn't a perfect system, but it was a hell of a lot more successful than mine. Suni was right. Tanner would always deal with things better than I would. Whether it was his Jedi training or just his nature - probably a combination of both - it was fact.

"I could learn from him." I said to her.

"You could and I'm certain you already have to an extent. You're less tense since he's come to lay next to you."

"His magic again." My voice was quiet.

"Or maybe not." Suni's eyes were direct as I still lay smothered with my head sideways against the pillow. "There's so much more to that boy than just his Force abilities."

More truth. Didn't take long for people to see into Tanner. Whether they knew he was a Jedi or not - thankfully most had not a clue - they knew he was genuinely good. And that was a rare things these days. Bottom line though, he did relax me. If we're were having dinner, wandering through town, watching a holo-film, even on those few times I dragged him into a job with me, just having him around helped just about everything.

"He's got a knack for making people feel better about themselves, especially yours truly. I don't think he really knows he has that ability, or understands why even if he does know it."

I rubbed at my eyes, not feeling so much sick anymore as just tired. Like Suni said. A long week of hard work and intense temperatures combined with all my other self-made issues - I was done. But definitely not sick. For that I was grateful.

"Feeling better." She said to me. "When he wakes, your brother will be glad to know that you are not ill."

My eyes began closing and her hand returned to my temple, offering what I'd yearned for since my mother died, but didn't realize. A soft voice, a soft hand with years of experience in taking care of those she cared about, here and caring about me. I hadn't even known the woman two weeks ago, but she had that same ability Tanner had. She made people feel better just by being around them.

I slept more soundly than I had in ages, waking up with a little brother still attached, but no sign of Suni. Up and out of bed, Tanner followed, gave me a hug and then trudged downstairs into the main house, driven by the smell of something wonderful.

Propped up on barstools we were halfway drooling; the mouth watering aroma of a huge stack of big ole fatty slices of bantha bacon. Several slices each landed on plates and were immediately on their way to being devoured. Colton was there too, giving me the disapproving look for inhaling food at the bar like some type of uncivilized creature.

I turned toward him with a mouth full of goodness. "Olt, ugona it uni u itit oo ahen. Eh oo ooh." Yeah, figure that one out, big man!

Tanner giggled as Colton grumped. Suni gave him the same disapproving look he gave to me.

"Virgil, leave the boy alone. He enjoys his bacon. As I recall, you had a bacon weakness about the same age. In fact, last time you visited me you ate an entire platter of it."

My glance at Colton was smirky with raised eyebrow and all. Tanner giggled again while I fought hard to keep from bursting out in laughter. Maybe I should take up giggling. Tanner seemed to get away with it, though he was a still of the giggling age. What was entertaining, other than my brother's contagious giggles, was the look of defeat on Colton's face. Normally, he was only outnumbered by one. Now he was outnumbered by two with three of us siding with the deliciousness of bacon.

"Suni, don't humor them. You've no idea of the abuse I'll take once you've gone."

"And you love every single second of it, Virgil, you know you do." She remarked with a grin that was as mischievous as it was relaxed. Suni loved her grandson, that was clear. More than that, she looked after him. Maybe not in the way that I looked after Tanner, but she kept tabs on him and probably helped keep him grounded, even from the distance of planets. I truly was glad that he'd finally allowed us into their relationship.

Colton didn't comment on her comment. Smart. He'd get us back though, Tanner and me. For the giggles and laughs. And well, for everything else that maybe Suni didn't know about. Or... maybe she did.

We were going to miss her when she left for home.

But before she did that, we had a another couple of weeks to make the best of.

—-

"Because if I strangle him now, it'll save me the time and effort from having to do it later."

"You bluster, Virgil, you always have. You love those boys, they're the best thing to happen to you in a long time. Admit it to yourself if not to me."

Eavesdropping was wrong. It was however, a valuable tool in my extremely small arsenal. It was also fun. Listening in on an entertaining conversation between a compact old woman and her towering criminal grandson. He had absolutely no chance with her. She could sucker punch him at any given time. It was great to watch... or ah, hear.

The entertainment value dropped a few notches, as did the voices. I strained to hear, stretching my head further toward the door like it would give me super-hearing or something. Tanner was pressed onto my backside, leaning about on top of me as I knelt and listened. He was so close that he was practically breathing into my ear.

"Damn it, Tanner," I shouted in a whisper. "Stop breathing on me! Shhh." My elbow reached back to jab him in the gut. He let out an 'oof', but no one heard.

The grandmother-grandson conversation continued quietly.

"Virgil. I know you. All too well, I know you. Your childhood. Your past. Your losses. We both lost. You drowned out that past with your delving into this criminal thing, but it's there. Buried. You'd have never let those two boys into your life if you didn't still have this need for family. Real live-in family, not the work thing. That annoying part of your brain that craves what you once had, every once in a while it nudges itself to the surface and takes control. Tell me that I'm wrong. Tell me you could give up what they've brought to your life in these two years."

That was deep. I inched my head further forward to get a one-eye visual just in time to see Colton's face. No resistance. No argument. Wow. She'd nailed him dead on. It felt nice too. No lie. I'd had that family once. The one I'd lived for. The one I would have died for. When I'd lost them, I craved the need for family more than ever and thought I'd never have it again. Suppose Colton and I were more alike than not in some ways.

I kept listening. Tanner (still melted onto my backside) did too.

"No, Suni, I can't tell you that you're wrong. I can't tell you I'd give it up. You've always seen through my facades, haven't you? They do drive me to insanity, more than you can possibly imagine. But no, I'd not give it up. There's not a second that goes by I regret what I've done to bring them in. In the beginning there was. There was constant second guessing. The Jedi kid with a Empire-sized target on his back. The older kid with a broken soul. I doubted. I did. For a time at least. I don't doubt any longer."

Colton's eyes smiled. His soul with it. And I was witnessing a side of him rarely seen and one that he'd throttle me for if I ever made mention of it. My mouth would remain shut on this matter. Unless of course it meant teasing the man himself. By all means, that was always on the table.

"Awww, he loves you, Dash." Whispered my brother, finally pushing off my back. "I knew he did."

My arm swept around and caught Tanner in a head lock. "Do not tell him we overheard this, or I kill you before he does." Tanner started to giggle. Again. Damn it. I snugged my hold tighter. "And for the love of stars, stop giggling." So that didn't work. He giggled harder and the volume inched up even after I slapped a hand over his mouth. I actually had to pick him up and carry him away to avoid being snagged in our eavesdropping.

—-

"Of course I know Declar'Bin. Why he's been here forever. Since Virgil was just a boy. Good man. Good friend."

"He saved my life one time and he always has stories to share with me."

That was Suni and Tanner, carrying on in conversation as we walked from home into downtown Kaolin. Destination, Declar'Bin's bookshop. Tanner's favorite place in the entire galaxy. One of his favorite people in the entire galaxy too. Just my luck that Suni knew the guy and his store. Of course, I wasn't forced to tag along with them. Colton had given me these last few days of Suni's visit off work and I had no jobs for Grunley for another week. Tanner was mostly safe in town but not completely, as evidenced by his close encounter with a couple of harassing bounty hunters a year or so ago. So there was always that chance though he did have eyes on him when he went into town. Colton's people. I trusted them with his life. Still...

The reality was, Tanner asked me along. We didn't often get to spend full days together with him in school and me working, and the kid was having a really good time with Suni's visit and now getting to see Dec again. He enjoyed sharing certain things with me even if I found them exceedingly boring. Boring like old paper books with raggedy pages and fictional characters. Ugh. Snore.

Five foot nothing, dark gray skin sided by four skinny arms, with a long thin face and large, perfectly round yellow eyes, Dec was an odd sort. Personality wise, he was pleasant and happy. Best of all for Tanner, the man loved a good hug. And there were hugs all around when we strode into the store. Dec recognized Suni the second he saw her but Tanner was first in line for one of his famous multi-armed embraces.

"Suni Colton. How wonderful to see you, my old friend. It's been too long. I see you've finally met your grandson's boys." Dec stole a glance at me and I gave a quick nod at his silent question. Did Suni know about Tanner? He smiled big, pleased to know they were both on the same page when it came to my brother. "Well then, Tannerlin, I've got some new titles for you. Suni, I know your tastes as well. Come, both of you. Let me show you what we have."

No invite for me. Dec knew books and stories weren't my thing. He also knew I'd suffer though the foreverness of boring to keep Tanner safe. I followed but at a distance, browsing past various trinkets and collections. Lots of rocks and gems. Tanner loved those too. I found one to get for him, to surprise him. There were a pair of pink crystals that I swear had a vague heart shape to them when held in a particular light. Yup. Perfect. A way for Tanner and Suni to have a connection after she left Terra for home. From the far corner of this store, I held the crystals up for Dec's eyes. He nodded. I set a few physical credits on his counter and waited for my brother to finish his own browsing.

Moments fell into really long moments. Other customers came and went. Tanner and Suni sat enthralled in the small book corner of the shop. I snorted thinking that I may never get them out of here. But then just like then, they wrapped up their intense browsing-discussion or whatever and came to the front of the store. Tanner set three books down. Suni had five.

More hugs as they all said their farewells.

"Don't be a stranger, Suni. You are well and that means a lot to me."

Hug.

"I have plans to visit more often now that these boys are around. We will see each other soon enough. You're a friend, Dec. Take good care."

"And you."

Second hug. Tanner got lost in Dec's four arms.

"See you soon, Dec. Thanks for the books. I'll call you once I finish the first one. Maybe we can meet for lunch and discuss it."

Yup. That sounded thrilling. Still, I grinned. Tanner and his way with people never failed to amaze me.

We left. The crystals secure in my inner jacket pocket and my brother skipping - yes, he giggled and skipped - next to me. This kid...

Suni walked happily next to him.

In the distance, from the corner of my eye, I caught something. Tanner's security detail today was Kebrey Pacus. Kebrey fit the Colton image of very large man who knew his job and did it better than just about anyone. The creature he'd just slammed to the ground, he did so with purpose. Were we in danger? Maybe not now, but my comm chirped three times. Our signal to get to safety. Tanner heard it too and we hurried down the block to Colton's bar, the Rathskeller.

Suni didn't question our sudden need to move quickly. She'd been given the lowdown on the security precautions in place to keep Tanner safe.

The creature Kebrey took down, we could only assume it was a threat to Tanner, but with Suni on Terra, the outside possibility still held that it might also be a threat to her. She was, after all, the grandmother of Virgil Colton. An true enemy of Colton would have no issues with slaughtering an actual blood-family member.

Whatever the case, we haul-tailed it into the safety net of the Rathskeller and the bartender, Verahna, motioned silently for us to move to the back room. Colton's people were connected at all times no matter if they were privileged to Tanner's Jedi past or not.

The door was secured behind us and we sat to wait. The walls were blaster proof and protected against minor blasts, those things helped to keep my anxiety from ramping up to dangerous levels. Suni sat in Colton's office chair, seeming mostly unfazed. Tanner sat next to me on the sofa. Close, shoulders touching. Almost immediately after, he sunk into his Force meditation to calm any ragged nerves. He made sure he sat against me, not only for himself, but for me. Some of his calming magic waves might bounce off him and help his big brother keep his wits. As much as I looked after him, he looked after me. Damn he was a good kid.

We sat mostly in quiet for a bit. Suni engaging me in a non-complex board game. Also something to help ease my stress levels. She and Tanner were on the same wavelength. Help Dashen because sometimes he needed it. I did. I was grateful for them both.

Kebrey came in soon thereafter. His purple eyes intense but relaxed. An interesting combination that only he could pull off. "All clear. No threat to the kid. Suni was the target, lucky lady that you are. Figured it would happen at some point. Colton has enemies and occasionally they surface. The threat has been contained." Yup. That was code for he'd been blasted into oblivion.

"We can go home?" I asked.

"You can, but you'll get a ride. Colton's orders. The threat is gone, but no chances until we can sweep the city. Ground car will be here in five."

Fine by me, I was tired of walking today anyway. Tanner could walk all day, but as my job consisted of me being on my feet the majority of the time, walking just to walk was not my thing.

"Thanks, Kebrey, for the save."

"It's what I do." He replied with a slight nod of his head.

Five minutes passed and Kebrey escorted us under guard to the car. We were in and home minutes after. So much simpler than walking.

Colton was at the door to see to his grandmother the second she walked in the door. Making sure she was unharmed.

"Relax Virgil. No one came near us. Kebrey took him down a distance away. I am all right. We are all right." She'd noticed her giant grandson looking over at me and Tanner, hence adding the we. Yeah, he'd worried. About all of us. The big softie.

He relaxed and our day returned to normal again.

—-

Tanner was depressed. Suni was heading home today. A month long visit passed too quickly and little brother was having a tough time. He attached and he loved and he... he was what he was.

"You'll come back to visit again." He said to her after hurtling himself into her arms. The determination in his voice not about to take no for an answer.

"Plan on it. And perhaps one day when the danger around you lessens, you'll come to visit me."

She held him alway. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Your kind were good people, Tannerlin. Never let anyone tell you differently, no matter what that Emperor scum tells you."

Scum. That was good. My little brother smiled. Yeah. I really liked this woman.

With a wrinkled hand, she pressed her palm into his. Each hand held one of the shared pink crystals - from Dec's shop. The crystals touched and a soft-white glow appeared briefly between them. Unexpected. The gems bonded them as I hoped they would. Funny though, Tanner had so much more in common with an ancient old lady than he did with his fake brother. Figure that.

"And you, yourself, darling, you are a gem. You'll do great things, I know it. Keep an eye on this big brother of yours too, would you?"

Tanner nodded past the flood of tears clouding his light brown eyes. "I will."

I wiped at my own eyes. Damn kid. Suni lifted her hands upwards to my face and set them on either side. I was significantly taller than she was, but in height only. "Remember what we talked about, Dashen. Don't be too hard on yourself either. Your road has not been the easiest, but you have people who care about you. Myself included. You call me anytime, if you just need to talk. Don't be a stranger and look after this little one here."

"I always do. And thank you. I may take you up on that offer."

"You do that."

My turn for a hug.

Colton moved in next as Tanner and I stepped back to give them room. We'd argue later as to whether or not the big man actually shed any tears; regardless of that, it was an emotional goodbye.

"Take care of yourself and these boys. The three of you are the family you each need. I'm so happy to be part of it finally. And don't you even think about keeping me out of the loop again on important matters like this, hear me?" Colton sighed, accepting the rebuke. "I'll let you know when I get home."

There was no need. Colton's chief of security and most trusted man, Sydenious Greyer, would be traveling with her, having her home checked and the city scoured before he jumped back on his return flight to Terra. She'd have argued with being saddled with the tree-sized babysitter if it would have made a difference. It wouldn't have. Probably we were all a little relieved for the extra caution.

"Goodbye, my boys. We will talk sooner rather than later."

That was a promise to be kept. Tanner and Suni would end up talking at least once a week. Colton the same. I myself reached out when I needed a detached third party. Or if I'd annoyed Tanner and Colton to the point of them locking me in my bedroom.

Locked bedroom aside, it worked. It all just... worked.

Tanner and me, we actually had a grandmother. In a way.

Suni was officially part of our weird little family.

And that was nothing but a good thing.


END