Room 424 [evening]

[momslilassassin]

An afternoon thinking he was a little girl had not been exactly what Ben had been planning, though the distraction had been kind of a relief.

...not that he'd admit that.

He was in his room, carefully examining his air vent to see how the gremlin had gotten in and looking to see if there was a way to discourage them from returning without breaking the terms of the treaty.

The door was open a crack.

[OOC: Post is open completely!]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben flinched before he could stop himself.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Little jumpy."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John hadn't thought he could feel worse. "I'm really sorry, Ben. Maybe I should just give you some space."

[momslilassassin]

And now Ben felt guilty for making John feel bad. "No, stay," he said. "I'm not ready for big crowds, but being by myself isn't any better."

Ben was a mess. He thought he was covering well.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

And then John remembered that day in Flight Club that felt like ages ago. "It's more than just the zombies, huh?"

[momslilassassin]

"Let's say I'm suddenly very grateful we burn our dead," Ben said softly. "Because the combination of this weekend and the one before would give me nightmares."

If he slept.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Jesus, and I thought this weekend was bad enough," John murmured, slowly leaning against a convenient piece of furniture.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm an overachiever," Ben said with a completely humorless smile.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like," John frowned at the weird smile. "Sometimes talking helps. Jaina likes to make me try when I get all weird."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "Jaina tries to make you talk?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, she's big on me sharing. Ironic, huh?" John verified.

[momslilassassin]

"Completely," Ben said. Oh, look at him trying to change the subject.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John looked at him for a moment and decided to just ask. "What happened back home? I know you said everybody died, but you didn't say anything about your Jaina and that worries me, being as I have a bit of an attachment to this Jaina and who knows how your present and her future are tied."

[momslilassassin]

Ben stared at his hands for a long, long time.

"She killed him," he said softly.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

Pronouns were not useful. "Jaina killed Tenel Ka's dad?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben blinked, then shook his head. "She killed Jacen," he whispered.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John blinked. He opened his mouth as if to speak and stopped.

That was...something.

[momslilassassin]

Ben curled in on himself. "Yeah."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"How is she?" Why was he asking that? John should not feel for a Jaina that was not his and yet.

[momslilassassin]

"Dealing," Ben said. "I didn't see her much before I left. She was in the clinic."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Must've been some fight," he figured, shuddering a little. "After that Jacen jumped her last semester..." John's anger and frustration was written all over his face.

[momslilassassin]

"He did his very best to kill her first," Ben said softly. "It's going to be a while before she can walk again."

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Jesus." That was...John didn't want to think about his Jaina like that. "She doesn't need any more of this."

[momslilassassin]

"That's what Jag said," Ben said a little unnecessarily.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

Nice. John felt that like a punch in the gut.

"Oh yeah? Guess we got something in common after all." And he hated that it was Jaina.

[momslilassassin]

"You don't whine nearly as much," Ben said, relenting a little. "He got left behind on Endor during an operation and I almost stunned him just to get some peace."