Same damn rocky bits [late evening]

[sith_happened]

Anakin hadn't really moved from the spot where he'd been sitting for the last two days, except to pull out his comlink after his children had left to stare at it for a good two hours, debating whether to call or not.

As the minutes ticked by, Anakin finally picked up the comlink one final time and called Rory.

[OOC: For Rory, plz. Conversation NFB, people involved totally up for grabs.]

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[sith_happened]

Anakin kissed the top of her head. "You succeed," he said softly. "I wouldn't have gotten here at all without you."

Which he should've said a long time ago, really, but Leia had shaken some of the stoic out of him.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory pulled back enough to look at him. "All I did was try to fix things," she said softly. "I couldn't leave you like that."

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Anakin's eyes locked on hers. "I'll never be able to tell you how much that meant."

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She shrugged a little, looking down before meeting his eyes again. "You're too much to me. I couldn't let you just fall so far you're irretrievable."

[sith_happened]

Anakin ran his finger down her cheek, watching her eyes carefully before taking a deep breath and tilting his head down to kiss her.

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Rory felt her eyes flutter shut, and Anakin's breath on her lips, and --

"RORY LOOKIT LOOKIT LOOKIT LOOKIT!"

Never having children. Seriously. Never.

Rory jerked back from Anakin, startled. "...what, Vladdie?"

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked Anakin, holding a shell in one hand and looking curious.

[sith_happened]

Anakin rested his head against Rory's forehead for a heartbeat, closing his eyes.

"Hello, Vladdie," he sighed.

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"I finded this!" Vladdie declared, holding out the shell. "Play!"

"Sorry," Rory whispered, moving away.

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"It's very nice," Anakin said faintly, hand brushing up against Rory's apologetically.

"Maybe you can go find some more?"

Far away. Far, far away.

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"For yoooou," Vladdie declared, holding out the shell for Anakin. "Don't wanna find mores." He scrabbled up to sit in Anakin's lap.

[sith_happened]

Anakin held in a sigh as he took the shell and carefully put it into one of the pouches on his belt, then shifted Vladdie into a more comfortable position on his lap. "Running out of steam, my friend?" he asked quietly.

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"No sleepies," Vladdie said, leaning against Anakin's shoulder.

"Of course not," Rory said softly, scooting a little closer. "But no one would mind if you just sat with us for a little." Maybe he would finally go to sleep.

[sith_happened]

Anakin stroked Vladdie's back, humming something tuneless and soothing as he reached into the Force to calm the toddler down just a bit.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Apparently the rule of puppies playing hard and then sleeping hard held true even when they were small children. Vladdie? Out like a light, taking advantage of both Anakin and Rory's laps.

"Swear to god, never having kids," Rory whispered, looking down at the child stretched over their laps.

[sith_happened]

Anakin frowned. "But Lorelai was adorable," he said softly, running his hand over Vladdie's back.

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"I don't have the energy," Rory said quietly, looking up at him. "Lorelai was, but what about Brantley?"

[sith_happened]

"Brantley clearly looked up to his father," Anakin said. "You'd just have to make sure that didn't happen in this version of the world." He gave her a tentative smile. "Maybe by never, ever talking to his father."

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"Ha, not a problem. The idea of me and Logan Huntzberger...ew," Rory said, wrinkling her nose.

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Something like hope sparked in Anakin's eyes. "Good to know," he murmured.

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"He has the worst timing," Rory remarked, looking at Vladdie.

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"On a few occasions," Anakin agreed softly, thinking back to their coffee non-date after graduation.

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She bit her lip, looking at him. I miss you, echoed softly through his head without her really meaning it to.

[sith_happened]

"I miss you, too," Anakin said aloud, looking directly at her.

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"I'm right here," she whispered.

[sith_happened]

Anakin leaned in a little closer, stroking her cheek with a finger. "Really?" he whispered back.