Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Anakin was sitting crosslegged on the small carpet in his office, breathing in and out.

He'd say he was meditating.

He was actually checking to see if he could see how Jaina was doing back home.

Sneaky Anakin.

The door was cracked open.

The Moth - Aimee Mann

Comments

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

There was a light knock on the door before lunch. "Anakin?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled, but didn't open his eyes. "Come in, River."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

She entered the room and sat down on the floor opposite him. "I missed the excitement last week. Serenity was a lot more quiet."

[sith_happened]

"You certainly did," he agreed. "The emotions might've given you a headache. It was probably better to miss it."

The corners of his mouth turned up. "And I'd much prefer you here than in the past."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

She chuckled, but didn't object. "This is the past for me." Anything bad happened that hasn't been made right?

[sith_happened]

He shook his head. Nothing more than a case of culture shock for people who spent years in the past, rather than just days.

[withoutverona]

After religions class, Romeo tapped on Master Skywalker's doorframe. "Hello, I wanted to ask about the class I missed?"

[sith_happened]

"Welcome back," Anakin said, opening his eyes. "Come in."

[withoutverona]

"Thank you," Romeo said, stepping in. "I only thought I ought to ask what I missed, and if there is make-up work."

He realized as he spoke that he was a little nervous. Master Skywalker's classes did have a way of cutting to the heart of things he didn't like to think about.

[sith_happened]

"It was a discussion about the dangers of wrath," Anakin said, moving to sit behind his desk and motioning for Romeo to take a seat. "Is that a topic you might have an opinion on?"

[withoutverona]

He sat, looking at the floor in thought for a moment -- less thought about his answer, more thought about how much he ought to explain. "It would be the entire reason I'm here, so yes, I do," he said, glancing up to look his teacher dead in the eye. "I believe it is a dangerous vice indeed."

[sith_happened]

"Go on," Anakin said quietly.

[NFB, s'il vous plait]

[withoutverona]

"I suppose something isn't a secret if half a dozen people know, is it," Romeo said thoughtfully, eyes downcast. "I took a life, at home. A ... my wife's cousin. Our families had been fighting for a hundred years, at least. He killed my best friend, trying to kill me, and I gave way to my wrath and went after him." He glanced up. "Because he killed first, and because of my family's position, I was banished instead of executed. It's taken me some time to appreciate the mercy in that."

Re: [NFB, s'il vous plait]

[sith_happened]

"It's a harsh form of mercy," Anakin said, eyes sympathetic. "Living with consequences always is. Are you sorry you did it?"

Re: [NFB, s'il vous plait]

[withoutverona]

"Death would have been the easier path, in some ways. I had nightmares about it for months," was Romeo's first answer. "The look in his eyes, the way he fell. If I could steal back the bullets and give him what life he would live" - and it was clear he did not think much good would come from this life - "I would."

"But if I am being honest, I must say I would want my friend back first, and I am not sorry his killer was punished."

Re: [NFB, s'il vous plait]

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "The example I used was similar," he said. "When I was a little older than you, a man threatened my family and did his very best to kill my partner in front of me. He'd also taken my hand from me on a prior occasion. I killed him. It wasn't justice. I regretted the action almost immediately."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana stopped in before she went to work. "Professor Skywalker? I was hoping to talk to you about the class I missed and well, just class in general."

[sith_happened]

"Of course," Anakin said, standing up and moving to his desk. "Have a seat."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana sat nervously on the edge of the chair. "I missed class... last week." It still seemed so weird to say that. "Because of the angel statues. And I had hoped there would be some way of making it up. Also... I know this will sound strange, but I was gone for two years and although I have my notes from when I was here before, I'm worried that I've been gone so long I'll find it hard to, well, catch back up and I was wondering if there was anything you would recommend."

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "Give yourself time," he said. "You'll have perspective that many people don't, and it will take them time to readjust, too. I went away for years and came back to discover only a few days had passed on the island. People will think that because you look almost the same, you're still who they remember." He looked into her eyes. "And you're not. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification when you can't remember someone or something."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said quietly, feeling a little emotional at his kindness. "I've already run into people whose faces I remembered, but that I just couldn't place. And you're right. I'm not the same person who left. Or at least not quite the same."

She hesitated, then looked up into his eyes again. "Was it hard for you to come back? I'm finding it very hard to readjust."

[sith_happened]

It had been excruciating.

"It was," he said. "In some ways, I'm still adjusting. People who knew me as a guy who lived in the dorms have problems accepting that I'm an adult now. I have a family. I'd been married and widowed in the time I was gone."

His eyes flicked back up to Lana's. "It's not something I talk about."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"I'm so sorry," Lana said quietly. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Her mouth twisted in a rueful smile. "But it helps knowing it wasn't easy. It was hard to make the decision to come back. And I'll probably be wondering for a while if I made the right one."

She remembered what he'd said about controlling emotions and worked very hard to try and keep hers as quiet as possible. "But I made it and now I go from there."

[sith_happened]

"She's been gone a long time," Anakin said with a small smile. "It doesn't hurt any more."

That wasn't entirely true.

"You can only go forward," he continued, nodding. "Look back to learn, but don't let it drag you down."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She nodded. "That's what I'm trying to do. Right now it's just still so fresh, thoug."