(Star Wars) ~ Alice

XI

Alice stared blankly at the stone wall in front of her; around her the sound of water dripping and the occasional pattering of small feet only added to the gloom around her. One moment, she was held in warm, loving arms; then the next, she was being brought before Jabba the Hutt and being punished for something she still didn't understand. So now she was here, in her prison cell, until she was sent back to the mines. Next to her was the tray of half decent food some servant had brought her but she wouldn't touch it. She didn't want to eat, to sleep, to breath; she just wanted to feel loved again. What she couldn't grasp was why he sent her away? Was she not good enough? Was there someone else? Was he bored with her? So many questions swirled in her mind; a random popped to her attention. Where was Fluff? She'd been sent alone; he still had her bunny. Oh, how she missed being called that pet name...

She sniffed and a tear rolled off her nose then down onto her knees; she was still curled up against the wall. The past night, there had been a storm outside and Alice had been terrified; Dak used to hold her tight during a sand storm but there was no one there for her anymore. Finally, the pain in her muscles became too much and she reluctantly stood up. The room dipped and swirled and she nearly fell over before she caught her balance. After a moment, she simply moved to the other side of the room; the only movement she had made since she arrived. Curling up in a tight ball, she tried to drown out the sounds around her; all she wanted to do now was go to sleep and never wake up again. Slowly her eyes drooped, and as much as she didn't want to her mind succumbed to the shock of everything around her, dealing with it in the only way she could.

Alice fell into a dream, one she could only wish was real.

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"Alice... Bunny, wake up..."

"Huh?" Alice felt herself being surrounded by water; two strong arms held her by the waist. "Bunny, it's after sundown; we need to get you cleaned up and in bed." Dak slowly stood up, carrying her out of the infinity pool. "Dak?" She asked, tilting her head and looking up into his eyes. Alice started to feel like she was ready to break down and cry. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?" He sat down on one of the loungers, wrapping a towel around her. "Why do you look like you're about to cry?"

"You sent me away!" She sobbed, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. "Oh Baby, I could never do that." He embraced her just as tight, running a hand over her hair. "You're my Bunny; I can't live without you." She brough her hands to the side of his face, wanting to imprint the image of his face in her mind. "I can't live without you either." She whimpered into the crook of his neck. "Come on, Sweetheart. Let's go get cleaned up, yeah?" He smiled at her, carrying her downstairs. Once they got to their room, he set her down on the counter in their master fresher. Dak turned on the shower and made sure the water wasn't too hot. "Go ahead and rinse off; I'm going to grab some clothes from the closet for both of us." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving her to shower.

In her mind, it took only a second to shower; then she was dashing off in search of Dak, desperate to keep this image of happiness alive. "In here, Little One." He appeared from the closet, handing her a peach nightgown before going to shower himself. "Ahhh... Much better." He reappeared a few seconds later, flannels and everything. She too was dressed; Fluff had somehow made it into her arms. "Time for bed, my sweet." She curled up next to him; it was heaven, his arms feeling safe and warm. Being held by the one person she cared for in this whole universe was beyond description; it was so perfect to her. Alice refused to stop looking at him, like she needed to look at him.

"What?" He chuckled softly. "Is there something on my face?" He reached out and held her cheek, running his thumb over her cheekbone. She smiled softly and leaned in closer to him. Drawn like magnet, her eyes closied slightly as her face slowly came up to his. "Alice, can I kiss you?" He held back, afraid to scare her away. "Please..." She whispered, giving a nod of her head. His lips parted slightly as his chin was just about to brush against hers. "Alice..." He whispered, his yellow eyes slowly shutting as their noses barely touched.

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With a gasp, she jolted up as her eyes came flying open. The present slammed back into her all at once...

Dak was gone.