Emo Beach [after sunset]

[sith_happened]

Anakin was not in a mood to deal with a luau. At all.

Especially after the news his son had passed along.

So he was perched on a rock in the dark with his hood of his robe up over his head, staring out at the crashing waves and meditating on the the vastness of the Force.

It only looked like brooding.

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[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory had had a few bad days. She didn't want to go to a luau even a little bit.

So she was out with Vladdie, and when she found a little spot to sit, she flopped down into the sand, kicked off her shoes, and tossed a stick out for Vladdie.

She didn't even notice the figure on the rock a short way from her.

[sith_happened]

Anakin stared at her quietly for a long moment before breaking the silence.

"I can go."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory jumped, looking over at him.

"...I didn't see you."

[sith_happened]

Anakin shifted a little bit on the rock. "I wasn't really trying to be found."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Oh," she said, looking out at the ocean. "Are you meeting Ro...someone here?"

[sith_happened]

"No," Anakin said quietly. "The waves are soothing. I wanted some time alone."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I'll go, then," she said. "Vladdie, come on!"

Vladdie, unfortunately, had flown over to visit with Anakin.

[sith_happened]

Anakin clung to the puppy like a lifeline. "Hello, Vladdie," he murmured.

"No, you came here for a reason, too," he said quietly. "I can go."

He wasn't moving.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Vladdie doesn't want to," she noted.

[sith_happened]

Good Vladdie, Anakin thought to himself.

There was a long pause as he worked up the courage to say anything.

"Luke said...that you don't want to see me any more," he said, voice coming out a lot more broken than he would've preferred.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I didn't say that," she said after a very long moment.

[sith_happened]

Anakin's eyes lit up with hope.

Too bad it was dark.

"Really?" he whispered. "Because if you don't, I'll understand."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"What I said was that I'm done."

[sith_happened]

The sentence knocked the wind out of him.

"Oh," he said in a small voice, holding more tightly to the puppy in his lap.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

She looked over at him. "I don't even know what we are."

[sith_happened]

"A mess," Anakin admitted softly.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Yes. And broken."

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "Permanently?" he whispered, glancing over at her.

And held his breath as he waited for the answer.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," she murmured. "We aren't the same people we were."

[sith_happened]

Anakin dropped his head. "Yeah," he said sadly. "But we can't start over, can we?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Not really, no. I can't forget," she said.

[sith_happened]

"I never meant to hurt you that badly," he told his lap. "Ever."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory made circles in the sand with her toe.

"Right."

[sith_happened]

Anakin stood up and walked closer to Rory, letting Vladdie fly towards her. "There's nothing between Rose and I, Rory," he said quietly. "There never will be. I didn't mean to scare you and I never, ever want to hurt you."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

She rested her head on her knees. "If you're going to abuse knowledge of my insecurities, I'm not sure I want you to know them."