(Star Wars) ~ Alice

VII

Her eyes opened slowly and Alice smiled. "This feels wonderful." She said softly, her body completely relaxed. "I bet it does; did you know that you're doing it all by yourself?" Dak was still beside her but he was no longer supporting her. "Wait. It's me? I'm actually floating?" She asked, partially scared but partially excited. He nodded, a grin on his face as he shared her enthusiasm. "It's all you, Bunny but don't worry; I'm right here."

After a few more minutes of just floating on her own, Alice turned got back up. "So now what do we do?"

"Now, we get a little deeper and practice swimming. We'll start with your arms and then your legs; by dusk, you'll be a great swimmer."

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Later that evening, the sun was setting as they sat on a towel by the edge of the pool. Dak had practically drag Alice from the water now; at this rate, he would have to get some good lights installed up here because she was never going to come out of the pool willingly. "Come on, Little One; it's time to take a break." He managed to get her out but the challenge was keeping her out; the little monster he'd created was now on his lap. That was only place Dak was sure he could keep her from leaving. She squrimed a little but finally settled down with her head on his chest; she seemed content and relaxed now. "Thank you for teaching me." He had his arms crossed over her stomach, his head resting on top of hers. "Thank you for letting me; I'm actually kinda glad you didn't know how to swim now."

"Why?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at him, her expression curious. "It was um... It was an excuse to spend time with you... Yeah." He looked away, feeling his cheeks flush in embarrassment. She chuckled softly before snuggling against him again. "I liked it." Dak looked back down at her. "You did?" She nodded her head and hummed against him, a cue she was getting sleepy. Dak took this as a good time to get up. "Come on, little one. Time for bed." He slowly got to his feet, keeping a towel around Alice as he carried her. They went downstairs to their room where he set her down on their bed and handed her fluff. Once she was settled, he grabbed one of his tee shirts along with a pair of black shorts and undergarments for her. After giving them to her, Dak went back into the closet and changed into some sleep pants. Normally, he would've made sure they both got a shower but he was fairly sure they'd go swimming in the morning again.

Once he was dressed, he went back over to their bed to find Alice all dressed and cuddling with Fluff. "Thank you... for the nice day." She said sleepily, making more room for him to lay down beside her. He sighed, sliding into bed beside her. "Thank you for sharing it with me." Without much thinking at all, he tossed an arm over her and pulled her back into his chest. "Goodnight Bunny..."

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The following morning, just like Dak had guessed, he and Alice were back in the pool. Once he showed her the diving rock, what started as a feat of somersaults and cartwheels quickly turned into an underwater game of tag. Normally, he would've just watched but she had actually asked him to join her; there was no chance of him refusing. She laughed, a sound that he heard very seldom; her thin hands wrapping around his neck as she pulled him underwater.

Whether it was the way the sun shined through the water or the way she looked beneath the surface, there was something that captivated Dak. Her long blonde hair flowed around her body, the green in her eyes popping as she looked at him underwater; she looked so gorgeous. They both resurfaced and blinked the water out of their eyes. "What are we doing today?" She asked, smiling at him. "Right now, just spending time in the pool." Dak held her with one arm and used his free hand to brush away some hair from her eyes. "Later this afternoon, we're going to have to load up onto my starship."

"So where are we going?" She asked eagerly; for the first time, she seemed to be genuinely excited. "To meet my realtor on Alderaan. There's a property there in the country where I might build us a summer house." He rewrapped both of his arms around her waist, keeping her flush against him. "Anakin and his family have one on Naboo; they're actually going there in a few weeks. I always told myself I would get one for my future family... He convinced me I needed to build it now."

"So I can help?" Alice floated next to him while her thin legs were wrapped around his waist so she wouldn't sink while they were talking. "Absolutely." He smiled, avoiding her eyes for a minute. "It's our house, Alice; you're a part of my family now." Upon hearing her silence, a hand went behind his neck. "I mean, unless you don't want to be..." Her answer was to nuzzle in closer to him. "I've never been a part of something like that." Slowly Dak carried her out of the water; he sat down on a nearby lounger with Alice still in his lap. "Anakin isn't really my brother... I just consider him to be one. To be honest, neither have I..." He ran a hand over her back, using the force to lay a large beach towel over them. As she curled up in his arms, a sense of possessiveness - one he'd only felt once before - bubbled beneath the his surface; this girl was his to take care, his to protect. Though their paths only intwined a week or so earlier, Dak felt like Alice was meant to be his. This little woman was supposed to find him; she was supposed to be with him.

"If there's one thing I do better than anything else, it's care for my family. I promise you, Alice; I'll always be here for you. I'll protect you until my last breath."