Room 614, the Arms Hotel, Saturday lunchtime

[momslilassassin]

Turns out that waking up as a woman when your daughter is expecting you to be a man is not the most exhilirating start to a morning-now-heading-into-afternoon.

"Come on, Val," Ben soothed, rocking the sobbing infant as he paced the room for the thousandth time. "It's me. I still feel the same in the Force, I just...look different."

Perhaps philosophical discussions of gender and sex were not the place to start with a distraut one month old. "Ender?"

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[momslilassassin]

"I am," Ben admitted, letting his eyes drift closed.

[endsthegame]

Ender sank into a seat by the crib. He wouldn't get much more sleep anyway, and he was content to keep watch while Ben got what he could.

"It's still me," he whispered softly to the baby.

[momslilassassin]

Val whimpered slightly to herself and flailed her hands.

[endsthegame]

Ender reached out without thinking and took her into his arms. Which caused a little more noise.

"Shhh. Shhh."

[momslilassassin]

"Shhhh," Ben added from under his pillow.

That didn't help.

[endsthegame]

"Go back to sleep," Ender called.

Then he mumbled more little nothings to the baby, as he rocked her gently. "Just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, please."

[momslilassassin]

Val threw back her head and started bawling.

Again.

Ben groaned under the pillow.

[endsthegame]

"I'll take her outside," Ender promised, already halfway to the door.

[momslilassassin]

"Come back in a half hour and it'll be my turn again," Ben whispered.

[endsthegame]

"Just sleep," Ender said, and slipped out the door.

Pfft, half an hour. He'd give Ben at least one.

[momslilassassin]

Ben was asleep before the door closed all the way. Val was wiping him out.

[endsthegame]

Ender knew the feeling.

He didn't bother going on a full walk with the baby, since she'd already done so. He'd head to the park, and sit down, and hope she slept there for a while.

For an hour or so.

[momslilassassin]

Ben woke up with a start a half-hour later, not used to the room being empty. He glanced around, remembered where Ender had gone and slid back under the covers with a long sigh.

He had the best Ender ever.

[endsthegame]

It was just a favor returned, really.

Val had fits and starts-- crying for at least twenty minutes straight, then silence, then crying for two minutes, then silence.

She was so quiet after an hour, though, that Ender decided to stay a little while longer. As such, he didn't return to the room until an hour and a half had passed, opening the door with care.

[momslilassassin]

Ben cracked his eyes back open and smiled. "I have a bottle ready for her."

[endsthegame]

"You were supposed to sleep," Ender chastised him, but he approached Ben with the baby.

[momslilassassin]

"I slept most of the time," Ben said, "then you hadn't returned and I got pointlessly anxious about it."

[endsthegame]

Ender sighed. "She's actually been good for a prolonged period of time now," he reported.

It was sad 'half an hour' now counted as prolonged.

He handed Ben the baby.

[momslilassassin]

"Hello, sweetheart," Ben said. "You're keeping us on our toes today. Not very nice of you."

[endsthegame]

Ender winced as a sudden blast of distrustful question marks hit his mind. "Yes, I figured that."

[momslilassassin]

"Shhhh, little one," Ben whispered, reaching out through the Force with reassurance. "I don't look like what you remember, but I'm still Daddy."

[endsthegame]

"I think she's just confused because we do and don't come across as her parents," Ender sighed.

[momslilassassin]

"And kuso is she pissy about it," Ben agreed.

[endsthegame]

"Do you think a group hug will hurt or hinder us here?" Ender asked wryly.

[momslilassassin]

"It would help me?" Ben said.