Room 204 [morning]

[momslilassassin]

Prom had been fun and the evening after prom had been even more fun (Ben liked Ender in uniform, so sue him), but being fairly bright Fandom students who had been at the school for four years, both guys had remembered to put some clothing back on before falling asleep just in case.

Ben was curled into Ender now, sleeping in for once (so...past sun-up) and enjoying a weekend where he had nothing planned.

[OOC: You know the drill by now, folks! For the boy, then the visitor.]

Comments

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val smiled a tiny bit. "I don't know," she said. "I always got the impression that the stability was actually very important to him. Or at least being able to offer it to us... to you."

She finally gave in to her paranoia and reached out, sensing where Ender might be-- still a little down from where they were, but moving.

[momslilassassin]

Ben looked touched. "He did that for me?"

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if you've noticed," Val said, sounding a little dry, "but dad tends to take the things he chooses to commit to very seriously."

[momslilassassin]

Ben's cheeks went pink. "Well, yeah. I'm still getting to being one of those things."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val sighed exasperatedly, and made a good show of plastering herself against Ben's side. "We love you, dad," she said.

It sounded an awful lot like there was an unspoken 'stupid' there.

"Even if you are a complete tolo-face."

[momslilassassin]

"There's a new word," Ben said. "I'm going to assume it's very complimentary."

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her back. "It sounds like a good life," he continued more quietly.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

There were the finer details about Lusitania, which complicated things; but those were matters she couldn't discuss. "I don't have a lot of complaints," she murmured. "Though if you do get there, be sure to remember to hit Kol in the head a few times during training. It can't hurt."

[momslilassassin]

"Did he get Ender's stubbornness?" Ben guessed.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val shrugged a little. "Yeah," she said. "And he glamorizes the Jedi. It's not a good combination."

[momslilassassin]

Ben bit his lip. "Not much glamorous about what we do--they do?"

It still hurt a bit to think that he wouldn't be one.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"It's the difference between realizing it's a violent and often dangerous occupation with some good goals, and thinking one day you're going to storm over there and become one of them and fix the entire universe," Val said quietly.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sighed heavily. "Yeah," he agreed softly. "That's where Jedi get into trouble."

Like Jacen.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Nat's calmer about it, more realistic," Val explained. "But Kol-- I'm hoping he'll grow out of it."

Even if they couldn't get back to Ben's universe ever again, it would only be a matter of time before he started looking for trouble somewhere else instead.

[momslilassassin]

"How old is he now?" Ben asked.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"Ten. Not that that means much in our family."

[momslilassassin]

"True," Ben agreed, running his hands through his hair. "You've told your dads there about your worries?"

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I have," she agreed.

They just seemed to be discussing this behind her back think it was at best a hypothetical.

"I'm just still worried."

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave her a little squeeze. "I can tell, and I'm sure your me can too because he'll know you so much better."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"I just don't want to lose my brother," Val said quietly.

To his own restlessness and delusions, if nothing else.

[momslilassassin]

"Believe me, I get that," Ben murmured. "Your dads do, too."

Re:

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val sighed, rubbing at her knee, clinging as she often did to the more reassuring emotions Ben was putting out.

"You know, I could probably find you a picture," she said, intent on changing the subject.

[momslilassassin]

"Of all of us?" Ben asked, recognizing the subject change and not pressing it. "I'd really like that."

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

Val reached into her pocket to find her small, portable computer. She activated the holographic display and paged through it until she found an older picture; not enough to give significant spoilers about anything but her family.

There was Valentine-the-Elder, newly pregnant, and her large, blond husband; a three-year-old boy with messy red hair and a five-year-old with light hair, and Val herself, looking only a little younger than she'd been last time she was here.

And Ben and Ender, of course - the latter greying the tiniest bit around the temple. Both of them looked relaxed.

[momslilassassin]

It took Ben a moment before he could talk--he hadn't expected to react so strongly to a holo.

"I'm not bald," he said. "That's good." It wasn't his image that he was reaching out to touch, though: it was the two other children, then Ender.

[bend-in-time.livejournal.com]

"You even shaved," Val joked.

She had no trouble trying to keep it light for him.