(Star Wars) ~ Alice

V

Arriving back in their room, Dak was pleasantly surprised to see Alice still curled up on the bed. Since he was back, he carefully took the note from the night stand before going to the master fresher. He spent about fifteen minutes inside, showering and getting himself dressed. Once he was all cleaned up, Dak decided it was time to wake Alice up and get her ready for the day. He leaned over and gently shook her shoulders until she stirred, opening her eyes and sitting up quickly. "Good Morning." He ran a hand over her hair, watching her slowly come back to consciousness. A deep chuckle came from his chest when Alice yawned, causing him to find her even more adorable. "How's my Bunny this morning, hmm?"

"Tired but I'm okay... Did I oversleep?" She asked, her tone sounding anxious. "Not at all." He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "I got up about an hour and a half ago and went to the gym down the hall. I figured you needed the sleep so I just let you."

"I am sorry if I disturbed you last night." Alice told him with her head bowed a little, running her hands over Fluff's body. He shook his head dismissively, smiling softly at her. "You didn't; I just wish I could've been more helpful." Dak poked the tip of her nose with his finger, seeing her smile at the action. "It's time for me to go home." Instantly her smile fell and her face drained of color. "You're leaving? B-But what about me? Where do I have to go? Are you going to leave me? Send me back? Please, please don't do that!" She cried out, looking ready to burst into tears; her breathing already heavy and uneven as she was close to hyperventilating. He quickly pulled her up and into his lap, holding her head over his heart. "Alice, calm down... I need you to just breathe, sweetheart." He started rocking on the edge of them bed; one of his hands supported her while the other was being held by two pale, little hands.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Little One. You're mine."

"I-I'm going t-too?" She stuttered, trying to get her breath under control. Dak nodded, keeping her close to his chest. "I need my little Bunny with me." At the sound of the nickname he'd given her, the smallest smile graced her face as she instinctively nuzzled closer to him, seeking protection. He withdrew his hand from her grasp, only to grab Fluff and give him to her. Once she was settled against him, Dak leaned back against the headboard with both of his arms wrapped around her. The panic attack quickly began to fade away and she seemed almost asleep in his arms; she was so still against his chest.

"You're going to get dressed while I go find Mama Jae; she's going to look at your ankle." He tilted her head up to look at him. "I'm going to set you out some clothes and then step out into the hallway. I won't be far and I won't be long, okay?"

"Okay." She answered him with a nod. Alice slid off his lap, backing up a step to give him room to maneuver off the bed. "Glad to see you can stand on it; that's an improvement from it being so hard to walk on a week ago." He smiled at her, getting up and walking over to their guest wardrobe. "It still hurts but not like it did before." She told him, following behind, a little slower, curious to see what he was doing. Dak pulled out a blue romper with white roses all over it along with some gladiator sandals. He also pulled a small navy, velvet box. He turned to Alice and gently set them in her arms. "Don't open the box until I get back." With a chaste kiss on the top of her head, he left the room so she could change while he went to get Mama Jae. He found her in the throne room, tidying up and muttering to herself.

"Mama, can you come check Alice's ankle?"

"Sure thing, Sugar." Jaelyn set aside the cleaning supplies before following behind him. When they arrived, Alice was sitting on the bed; she had changed into the clothes and was holding the small box in her hands. When her green eyes landed on Mama Jae, she grinned. "Hi." She greeted her happily, putting the box down and giving the old woman her full attention. "Good Morning, Sweetie." Mama hugged her tight, pulling back to hold her arms out. "Ohhh, you look so pretty this morning!" The two of the smiled at each other, both giggling a little bit; Dak took this opportunity to grab the box from beside Bunny. Luckily for him, she didn't notice.

"My ankle is a lot better and I can stand on it again too." Alice explained, holding her foot out to show. Mama Jae took both of her hands, helping the petite girl stand up. "I can see that... Does it hurt anywhere in particular? The ball of your foot or your Achilles' heel?" Alice shook her head, sitting back down. "Alright then, Sweetheart. I'll take off your wrap and I'll give you some ace wrap to wear at night. You can wear shoes and walk around but if it starts hurting, stop and wrap it up as soon as you can. Dak might even carry you if you need him too."

"Okay..." She answered nodding her head. Dak chuckled, hugging Mama from the side. "Thanks Mama; we'll be down for breakfast in a moment." With that, she hugged Alice before dismissing herself. Dak knelt down in front of Alice and pulled out the box. He opened it to reveal a necklace; the charm hanging on the silver chain was a diamond-encrusted 'D.' A smile graced her face as her fingers traced the letter. "It's pretty." She told him, smiling more. "It's yours." He began to gently pull it out of the box. "The only thing I ask is that you always wear it for me." His fingers undid the clasp, gently rejoining the two halves behind her head. He adjusted her long waves, looking up at her with a smile.

Alice touched the charm with her fingertips. "I'll always keep it close." She confirmed with another smile. Dak brought her into his arms, picking her up and spinning her around. "Let's go eat something before we have to leave. Gotta say goodbye to the family, ya know?"