A Good Thing

-future-

HI. so. 2 things. first a lot of you have mentioned that you like the slow burn romance they have going on. I hope I'm not about to torpedo that too badly. I don't want to spend 15 chapters on the next 6 months having them slowly fall in love and get together for real. I don't think that is believable for the characters and the story I have set up so far and there is a lot of plot to get to so. I hope the way I have done the rest of this section of this story isn't a huge turn off.
2nd thing. I hate that I have to say this but I'm no taking Cara out of my story. I have 70k words written already and she is a pretty important part of it. great thing about reading is you can imagine characters however you want. If this turns you off my fic, sorry. No matter what you think of the actress, the character is a hilarious, strong, independent female and the show will be less for her loss. A recast would be a little weird but I hope they take that route.

Chapter 11

-future-

The low hum of conversation and children's laughter filtered in with the morning light between the slats in the window over Din's head. Blinking slowly, it took him a moment to remember where he was. Then Omera's voice sounded from the other side of the curtained doorway, a harsh whisper as though she didn't want to disturb him.

"Hush, Winta. Get to lessons. He will be here when you get back, sweetheart. Let him sleep."

Omera. He had come back to Sorgan, to her. Relaxing back into the bed, more comfortable than he'd slept in for years, relief filled him as he rubbed a hand across his eyes. Winta's grumbled reply was too low for him to hear but he didn't miss the rapid beat of her footsteps as she raced out of the house. Realizing how late he'd slept, Din felt bad for missing her but he had been exhausted.

Deciding he had slept long enough, he rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. All he owned in the world were the things he'd been carrying when he'd stepped off Fett's ship. His spare clothes, limited in style though they were, had been destroyed with his ship so he had slept in the tight, thin pants he wore under his flight-suit. Looking at the piled besker, Din sighed in frustration. It didn't feel right to put it back on, not now that he'd decided to stay. He didn't know how to be anything but a bounty hunter, but he wanted to try.

A soft rap on the doorframe pulled him from his thoughts. Omera called out to him.

"Are you awake, Din?"

A slow smile worked its way up his face and he told her to come in. She entered with a basket on her hip, and started to greet him.

"Good morning... Din..."

The rest was forgotten as a blush colored her cheeks and her eyes widened slightly. A look he couldn't quite bring himself to name flashed across her face as she took him in and Din remembered he'd slept half naked.

"Um.. sorry I... well here." She was looking determinedly at the basket in her arms. "Hannah, the gossip, must have told everyone you're back at dinner last night and well... I've got some things for you to wear. I know you hadn't brought anything else this time, what with your ship and..." Her eyes flicked back to him and her blush intensified. He was sure that he was as red as she was by now. "Unless you wanted to wear your besker. I'll just leave this here for you."

Before he could manage anything to say in reply, she flashed him an embarrassed smile and slid back out through the curtain. Breathing out a laugh, Din looked down at himself. Scars, some silver with age others pinker and more fresh, cut across his bare torso. Glancing up to where Omera had just been, he wondered if the look he'd seen in her eyes had been disgust. Idly, he scratched one of the newer ones on his bicep.