Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

After leaving a message for Ben, Anakin was parked in the center of his office surrounded by pieces of metal.

He was making one heck of a complicated baby toy for a Force-sensitive baby.

He hadn't decided if it would be going to little Ben or Baby Skywalker yet.

The door was wide open.

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben had seriously considered ignoring the message his grandfather had left him, but decided the lecture that would go along with that decision wasn't worth it.

So there he was, loitering in the doorway before curiosity finally got the best of him.

"What are you making?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked up and smiled. "Baby toy," he said, "for a different version of you. Want to help me?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben bit his lip before nodding. "Okay. What will it do?" he asked. "I don't remember having anything like it."

[sith_happened]

"It's going to be a maze for a ball to race through," Anakin said. "You set it in motion with a nudge of the Force."

[momslilassassin]

"That's...pretty astral," Ben admitted reluctantly, taking a seat on the floor across from his grandfather. "What can I do?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin set him to work on a series of pulleys and levers before getting back to his own section of the project.

"I heard the funeral got a little...interesting," he said carefully.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes went flat. "I don't want to talk about it."

[sith_happened]

"I'm not going to make you," Anakin replied, keeping his eyes on his work. "I already heard about it from Dean and Ender anyway."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wasn't that curious about what they'd said. Truly.

"What did they say?"

He was just trying to be polite, that's all.

[sith_happened]

"That Jacen is a power-hungry meglomaniac and your father isn't seeing it clearly," Anakin said softly. "Does that track with your impression?"

[momslilassassin]

The metal in Ben's hands creaked under the pressure he put on it, but he nodded.

"It's not Dad's fault," he said, voice heated.

[sith_happened]

"I never said it was," Anakin said, keeping his voice calm. He tried to catch Ben's eyes. "It isn't yours, either."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "I wish people would stop telling me that," he complained. "I'm old enough to know where guilt belongs."

And it was on his shoulders.

[sith_happened]

"Uh huh," Anakin said, not buying it for a minute. "Are you sleeping yet?"

[momslilassassin]

"I don't know what you're talking about."

[sith_happened]

Anakin shot Ben a look. "I'm your grandfather, Ben. Do you think you can fool me?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave him the identical look in return. "You're not my grandfather," he retorted. "My grandfather died on the second Death Star after destroying the lives of billions. I don't have to tell you anything."

[sith_happened]

Anakin didn't show any visible reaction to Ben's response, but it had hit hard. "It really makes that much of a difference?"

[momslilassassin]

"Of course it does," Ben said. "You don't know my family, my father. Your Luke smiles and gives me stuffed animals. Mine doesn't know I exist."

[sith_happened]

"You really believe that," Anakin said, frowning.

[momslilassassin]

Ben shrugged silently.

[sith_happened]

"Your father knows you exist," Anakin said, scooting a little closer. "He can find you anywhere in the universe, just like I can, as long as you don't do that hiding trick of yours. He's just wounded right now. When you take a hit, what do you do?"

[momslilassassin]

"Curl up," Ben muttered.

[sith_happened]

"He's doing the same thing," Anakin said. "When you love someone that much, it takes some time to recover. He's focused inward." His eyes met Ben's. "But I can focus on you."

[momslilassassin]

"Focus somewhere else," Ben replied. "I'm fine."