#muse development: kat banks

[andipxndy-writes]

Life Is Hard - Sam & Kat

[[So you know how I love angst a lot? Well, this came more out of an angsty discussion where an idea popped into mind and I just kinda decided to sprint with it. But you have no idea how much I love this family just being a family - it’s the sweetest thing ever, and they pull each other through a lot.

So here’s another thing I wrote for @a-simple-rper - based off the family life that our muses Sam and Kat are thrown into at possibly the worst time in their lives, financially.

Enjoy!]]

Life Is Hard

Standing at the open window overlooking the street below, an unopened box of cigarettes in their hand, Sam was deep in thought. Fingering the box in their hand, never had they been more tempted to open it and light one than right then – just for the feel of the smoke, the nicotine rushing through their system, the sense of peace that came with the drug.

Or maybe they could take advantage of their night off, head down to the bar anyway and drink themselves stupid. To the point where Rick would either carry them back home or up to the spare bed.

But they couldn’t do that. Not to Rick. Not to Kat. Not on their good conscience, when three lives depended on them.

Three lives. Not one. Not two. But three. That was what seemed to be keeping them up late on a night where they would usually nod off without a care in the world. The fact that they were up at such a ridiculous hour should be more than enough to show that they had a lot on their mind.

They had three lives in their care. Three lives, and not a lot of money. As great as Rick was as a boss, it wasn’t like the man could suddenly afford to up his pay a lot when there were bills to pay. Sam wasn’t the only employee anymore, and the fact that he was dating the other gave her a bit of an advantage when it came to things like working out paycheques. At least, it did in Sam’s opinion.

Not that they didn’t like Laura. Well… they were terrified of her, to be honest; but she could be nice, they supposed.

But now they were stuck. For some reason, they’d had a conversation with some of the other dads at Kat’s pregnancy group, whatever it was called, and the subject of how much kids cost came up. Apparently, one of the other dads wasn’t exactly a new dad. And the conversation they’d had was… enlightening.

Not only were they going to pay for baby stuff (which they’d started buying already with Kat, and wasn’t cheap), but kids grew out of clothes quickly. So they’d have to be buying those regularly. Then there was the food, because apparently kids needed a lot of that – and a lot of the good stuff, not the shitty microwave stuff Sam could live on – to grow healthy. There was no way Sam was gonna let their kids not be healthy. Not after the childhood they had. Add to that the increased heating and water bills, because babies needed baths and they needed to stay warm when it was cold (they just had to have late fall babies, huh?), and raising a baby was expensive.

And that wasn’t even taking into account those toddler years. Kat would obviously have to go back to work, because they couldn’t live on just Sam’s salary, meaning they needed someone to take care of the kids. Kat’s mom would’ve been the obvious choice, but she wasn’t retired yet, so Sam couldn’t exactly call her out of a lecture to take care of her grandkids. That wasn’t fair. So they had to go for either a nanny, or daycare, and eventually pre-k. They knew Allie would be more than willing to nanny, but she was also still a student. They couldn’t ask her to cut her studying short just for them. And Jake had a full-time job. And there was no way Rick would let them raise children in a bar.

Oh God, after pre-k was actual school, and even if public schools were free, food was not. Packed lunch, or school lunch, that was gonna cost money. They’d have to get suitable clothes and shoes and… oh Lord, if their kids were anything like Kat’s brother, George, clothing was gonna be a bomb. And then there was the school books and the stationary and when they got to middle school did they have to buy reading books for literature? They’d have to look that up. And then there were the proms and the school trips and the birthday parties… oh God the birthday parties…

This wasn’t even taking into account the fact that there had to be a college fund.

And all of that mentioned earlier? Yeah, double it. Because they were having twins.

They were so lost in their thoughts that they didn’t hear the soft patter of feet behind them, until a blonde messy bun suddenly appeared in their peripheral. They visibly jumped, turning to see Kat stood there, heavily pregnant and looking adorable (in Sam’s opinion) all sleepy in her pajamas.

“Sammy?” she asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes tiredly. “What are you doing up…?”

“I was just… thinking,” they responded quietly, shrugging a little. Their usual crooked smile appeared on their face, but it didn’t reach their eyes.

Kat just stared at them for a few moments. “Right…” She took their arm, beginning to drag them back towards the bedroom. “It’s too late to think. Back to bed.”

“Don’t you mean too early?” Sam teased as they let themselves be dragged away, back to the bedroom. At the last moment, they threw the pack of cigarettes behind them, out of the window.

“Don’t make me think.” As the pair reached the bed, Kat hesitated for a moment, which made Sam pause.

“What?” they asked slowly, leaning down a little to look her in the eye.

She drew her lips to the side, before responding, “We’re gonna be okay, you know.”

Sam just stared at her for a few moments, before sighing and climbing into bed, carefully pulling her down beside them so that they could curl up together under the sheets. “I know, it’s just… hard to imagine, y’know?”

“Then don’t imagine,” Kat responded softly, caressing their cheek with her hand. “Just have faith.”

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Looking up from her own stack of reading papers, Allie was surprised to actually see Sam so focused on the worksheet in front of them. Despite their obvious lack of schooling, they actually seemed to be progressing well in their studies. They were almost at the end of elementary now, and soon enough they’d be moving on to middle school stuff. Allie promised she would celebrate the day they reached the high school curriculum, and had somehow managed to convince Rick to hold a graduation ceremony for them if they got through it all and passed.

After a few minutes, though, Allie realised Sam wasn’t actually focused on the worksheet.

“Hey,” she called, reaching over to tap their arm. They jumped at her touch, eyes wide, and looked up sharply at Allie.

“Oh, uh, hey…”

Her eyes narrowed at them. “What’s bugging you?” she asked, as blunt as ever.

Sam pursed their lips shut – a universal sign that they didn’t want to speak – and looked down at the worksheet again, but when they looked back up they realised Allie was still staring. They knew that look. Laura got that same look when she knew they’d done something wrong and she was gonna figure it out. Rick got that same look too. Heck, even Kat got that look sometimes when the twins were playing up.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” Sam answered finally in a quiet voice, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

She raised an eyebrow at them. “Are you sure…?” she asked, her own voice suddenly softer as she leaned forward. “Because I’m always here if you need it…”

Sam looked back down at the worksheet in front of them. They were finally getting some of the stuff, but clearly not enough to know how short they were on the bills payment that month when they’d decided to go and do some grocery shopping. So long water and heating. They’d have to get a second job if things were going to keep going like this.

“I’m sure,” they replied, going back to the work with renewed vigour.

Later that night, when they checked their wallet for spare change, they realised they knew exactly who had snuck in the cheque for a thousand dollars.

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Wiping down the bar, Rick sighed as he looked up. The bar was practically empty – Thursday evenings were apparently not meant to be that busy, which was fine for Rick. It meant that he had time to prepare for the inevitable weekend rush.

Hearing the door open, he looked up expecting to see a customer, and was pleasantly surprised to see Sam stood there, the twins at their legs. As much as he claimed it irritated him when they brought those two to work, he actually enjoyed having them around. Annabelle was shy and kept out of trouble by sticking to her dad (and keeping them out of trouble), whilst Tyler had to be the happiest three-year-old he’d ever met.

Except Rick distinctly remembered telling Sam to take the night off because it was going to be slow, to spend some time with Kat.

Kat wasn’t there.

Huh.

“Hiya, Unca’ Wick!” cane Tyler’s cheerful greeting as he ran over, waving wildly. Rick leaned on the bar, looking over at the little guy.

He had to admit, there was a soft spot for the kid. Somewhere.

“Hi, Tyler.” He then turned to Sam and the hiding Annabelle. “Hi, Annabelle.”

The little girl gave a wave from where she was hiding behind Sam’s legs. “Hello.”

Rick then looked Sam in the eye. “I thought I told you to take the night off?”

“You did. And I am. But I thought these two deserved a special dinner tonight,” the younger said with a wide grin, earning a cheer from Tyler and a bright smile from Annabelle.

It didn’t take a genius to see what was going on, and Rick turned back to Tyler. “Well, I guess you gotta go give your orders straight to the kitchen.”

“Okay!” Tyler exclaimed before running off, and soon enough Annabelle was racing after him.

As soon as the twins were safely in the kitchen (not that the kitchen was particularly safe for a pair of three-year-olds), Rick turned back to Sam. “Where’s Kat?” he asked as he went back to wiping down the counter.

Sam shrugged a little as they sat down, running a nervous hand through their short hair. Rick was pretty sure they’d picked up that habit from Jake. “Had to work tonight. Something about not doing her required hours, so they’re docking her pay unless she goes in to do some late work.”

Rick could hear the unspoken sentence: And we can’t afford to have her pay docked right now.

“Do they know she has kids?” he asked, though he felt as if he already knew the answer to his question.

“Do you think they care?” Sam let out a humourless laugh, crossing their arms and leaning down onto the bar counter. “If they did, they wouldn’t be docking her pay when our nanny cancels on us, would they?”

Rick started at them for a few moments, noticing how their shoulders were tensed and their jaw clenched, before letting out a slow sigh. “Dinner’s on the house.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Rick, no—”

“Make sure you get the most expensive meal you can, because it’s not happening again.” He grabbed a glass from below the counter, ignoring the way Sam seemed to be protesting. “Pop?”

Despite what Rick said, it did, in fact, end up happening again.

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Walking around the bar in her pajamas, even on an open night, had become a norm for Laura ever since she’d become a parent. Heck, she couldn’t waste time caring about how she looked to the customers when she had screaming kids that needed juice, or sobbing toddlers that needed their Tylenol. Looking good for the customers was a daytime thing – once it hit ten, and the kitchen was closed, functional quality beat public approval by a long shot.

Which was why, when Rick called her down to check who was at the door round the back, Laura found herself standing in just her pajamas, face-to-face with her twin and her partner. And their two kids.

Tyler grinned up at her toothily, his little dinosaur backpack looking huge on his little four-year-old body. “Hi, Aunt Lauwa!”

Laura just stared at him, before looking back up at Kat. “That speech impediment is still there?”

“Give him a break, he’s four,” Kat laughed.

“I have three one-year-olds who could probably speak better,” Laura teased as she stood aside to let the family of four in.

“One of those one-year-olds literally screams her head off every time Rick tells her it’s bath time,” Sam pointed out with a snort, making Kat chuckle and Laura glare at them.

“I could literally teach her to scream at you,” she threatened, though she had a smirk on her face.

“Yeah, but I give her chocolate milk every time she sees me, so that’s not gonna work.”

Laura glared at them for a moment, before smiling down at the twins and kneeling in front of them. “Hey, so your momma tells me that you’re here for a sleepover! Is that true?” Both children nodded excitedly, and Laura chuckled. “Well, guess what? You get to sleep in your dad’s super cool old room! You remember where that is?”

“Yeah!” Tyler exclaimed, before racing up the stairs before anyone could say another word, Annabelle in her sunflower backpack right behind him. The adults simply laughed as they watched the pair race up the stairs, before Kat moved to follow them.

“I better make sure those two troublemakers don’t break anything. Or wake up the triplets.” She gave Sam a quick peck on the lips. “Don’t stay down too long. You know they won’t sleep if you’re not there.”

Sam nodded, watching Kat’s retreating figure with a smile. Though, as soon as she left, that smile faded and made way for exhaustion.

Laura watched their facial expressions carefully. “Heating…?” she asked softly.

Sam glanced over at her, not sure exactly what to say, before responding quietly, “And electricity. Water goes in two days.”

Laura nodded, biting her lip. “Stay as long as you need. We’ve got the space, even if it’s a tight fit, and the food.” Noticing the guilty look that was forming on their face, she added, “God knows Rick needs someone to show him up with the parenting side of things. Have you seen him change a diaper?”

Sam’s nose crinkled. “He’s still screwing up the diapers?”

“He put one on Claire backwards yesterday.” Granted, Claire had been giggling and crawling away as he’d tried to, but that served him right for using the bathroom floor instead of the changing table like she’d asked him to many times.

Sam smirked, before rolling up their sleeves and rubbing their hands together. “Looks like I’ve got some work to do. Hey, big guy!” They turned and headed not towards the stairs, but into the bar to mess with Rick, as usual.

Laura gave a small smile at Sam’s behaviour, almost tempted to call after them to keep the noise down, but instead she sighed as she shut the back door. It was going to be hectic, but having this huge family all in one place was going to be a lot of fun. She could tell.

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“I still I can’t believe I’m gonna be a dad.”

Sam actually gave a chuckle at Jake’s apparent surprise as they walked through the store, sharing a trolley between them. They didn’t quite understand why Jake had chosen them to go on a shopping trip with, but considering it meant they got out of helping out with stock and cleaning and they still got paid as if they were on shift, they weren’t complaining. They patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry – these next five months are gonna go by in a flash,” they said.

“That isn’t reassuring,” Jake pointed out, making a face at them. “That’s fucking terrifying.”

“I know. I wasn’t trying to reassure you.” They laughed at the punch to the shoulder they got in response, rubbing their shoulder.

Eventually the pair reached the kids’ aisles, and Jake slowed down as he looked through all the baby clothes.

“They’re all so tiny…” he murmured, reaching out to touch a tiny pink dress.

Sam gave a small smile. “Yeah, but they grow so fast.” They laughed a little as they held one of the baby boy outfits. “It feels like yesterday that Tyler was wearing something like this. Now he’s in kindergarten ruining almost every pair of pants he’s got.” They made a face. “Kids grow like weeds, oh my God.”

“Yeah, Ty’s gonna be a tall one,” Jake agreed with a laugh. As they continued to pass through the aisles, Jake realised Sam had stopped in the section for five and six year olds. He walked backwards towards them to see what they were looking at.

Hanging up was a pretty Disney Princess dress. Ever since Allie had introduced Annabelle to the Disney Princess movies, she’d been hooked on Aurora, saying something about how her daddy loved to sleep a lot too so she was her favourite. Sam had tried very hard not to take offense to that when Kat cracked up.

“That’s cute,” Jake said casually. “You thinking of Halloween costumes for double trouble?”

Sam let out a snort at Jake’s nickname for the twins. “Kinda? Kat was thinking of doing homemade costumes this year.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this the first year Anna has actually wanted a costume?”

“Yeah, and we can make it from scratch. Don’t worry.” They gave Jake one of their trademark grins.

Jake didn’t seem placated by Sam’s reassurances, but shrugged anyway, heading off to do the rest of the shopping. After all, they had a lot to do, and Rick still needed them back before the bar actually opened for the day.

It was after they’d finished, when Jake was dropping Sam off at the bar, that he handed them one of the carrier bags. Sam frowned.

“This for Rick?”

“No, for you.”

Sam’s eyes widened, almost looking as if they wanted to hand the bag straight back. “Dude, I didn’t ask for anything…”

Jake rolled his eyes at them, pushing the bag into their arms. “Take the damn bag and go,” he said, shooting them out of his car before driving off with a wave.

Sam rolled their eyes at him, before glancing around nervously and then looking into the bag. Their breath almost hitched at what they saw: a few pairs of kids’ jeans, some t-shirts, jumpers and cardigans.

And right on top? The princess dress, complete with a crown. For Annabelle.

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Sam started at the letter blankly in their hands. Not that they couldn’t read it, of course (even with their lack of education, they could at least read), but the words were just swimming on the page right then.

It was a letter for a field trip. The twins were barely six, of course, but their kindergarten class were doing a trip to Central Park to look at nature, or something like that, and draw the trees and the leaves. A ridiculous trip, in Sam’s eyes, but both of them were begging to go.

The only thing was, the school was going to provide them with lunch, and they were taking the school bus to the park. And they expected the parents to pay for fuel and food.

It didn’t really seem that expensive, considering they were splitting things with all the parents, but Sam didn’t have that kind of money. In fact, they didn’t have any kind of money. As it was, they were almost living paycheck to paycheck, and were trying to save up some money for repairs on their car, which had conveniently decided to break down last week, just before Kat had to go out of town for a conference. Which had resulted in them borrowing Jake’s car until the repairs could be done.

But they knew the looks they would get from their children if they told the twins they couldn’t go, and they couldn’t bear to face the tears that would come with them. And it wasn’t even as if they had anything to make up for not going…

Rubbing their hands through their hair frustratedly, they just about noticed Rick approaching them before they began to speak.

“Why is life so damn expensive?” they hissed, clenching their fists in their hair. “It’s just bills and rent and more bills and school and food and even more bills! Half the time I can’t even afford a decent meal!” Slamming their hands down on the bar counter, they continued, “And it’s not even as if anyone makes it easier! Goddamn college bosses don’t give a shit if you have kids and need to pick them up! And if you don’t have a nanny, well, you’re goddamn fucked! Stores keep raising their fucking prices and make everyone live on food stamps! Food stamps! Schools charge for a fucking education! That sort of shit should be free! Kids are suffering and not getting fed and can’t afford to live and all these people care about is fucking money!” They began to scrub at their face furiously, and suddenly their voice sounded like they were on the verge of tears. “I can’t even afford to take care of my own kids! They just drain and drain and drain and drain and drain and I love them so much but I have no money to take care of my wife and kids and—”

“Hey,” came the soft voice from beside them, only just loud enough to hear over the voices in their head screaming that they were a failure, they didn’t deserve to have kids and social services were gonna make sure they would never see them again. The gentle hand on their shoulder made them flinch and panic more, their breaths coming out in short puffs and their body beginning to shake. They couldn’t do this they couldn’t do this they were failing they weren’t good enough they were just destroying their kids they—

“Hey.” A firm hand landed on their other shoulder – a grounding hand that made Sam stop and listen to the firm, deep voice. Moving their hands away from their face, they looked up to see Rick stood in front of them on the other side of the bar, calm dark eyes staring straight at them. Calm dark eyes that conveyed the message that he would say if he actually wanted to speak.

“Why do you keep pushing us away?” Sam looked to the owner of the other hand on his shoulder and noticed it belonged to Allie. An Allie holding a tiny baby, but Allie nonetheless. When they didn’t answer, she sighed. “Sam, it’s okay to let us help you, you know.”

“Help with what? My failure in taking care of my own family?” Sam choked out harshly, looking away from her and almost pushing her hand off their shoulder.

“No,” Jake interjected, sitting on the other side of them at the bar and blocking off any possible escape route from the conversation. “The failure of the government to help you in taking care of your family. This system is shitty.”

“And we’re your family, Sam,” Allie pointed out. “We take care of each other, no matter what.”

Sam thought back to all the times these guys had helped them out over the years, without even them having to ask. Not even once had they demanded that they help in return – they’d just helped without questioning. And one look in Rick’s eyes told them that they would continue to help out no matter what.

Their eyes started to well up with tears, and then they heard the watery voice behind them.

“Don’t you ever call yourself a failure again.”

They span on the stool to see Kat stood there, eyes red from crying and tears still on her cheeks. They watched as she neared them, clearly still crying.

“Don’t call yourself what you aren’t. You are not a failure. You are a husband and a father and damn good at what you do. And I love you with every goddamn fiber of my being.”

Seeing that she was still crying made them begin to sob, and soon enough she was in their arms, the pair of them crying quietly. Multiple pairs of arms enveloped them, comforting them softly, until the sobs quieted down and they all slowly pulled away from each other. Except Kat, who kept her arms wrapped around Sam and her face buried in their chest as she stood in the space they’d made for her between their legs.

They placed a kiss on top of her head. “I’m sorry for worrying you like this…”

“I’m sorry for not making myself available for you to talk to about this,” she responded softly, her voice slightly muffled in their t-shirt.

The two were broken from their moment by the clearing of a throat, and Sam turned their head towards the person whilst Kat lifted her head to see who it was. Turned out it was Rick, sliding a small piece of paper across the bar to them.

A cheque of $150,000.

Kat’s mouth dropped open as Sam immediately began to shake his head. “No, we can’t take that from the bar…”

“It’s not from the bar,” Allie interrupted, drawing their attentions to her. “It’s mostly mine. And before you say anything,” she gestured to the baby in her arms, “Joseph already has a college fund set up. Take the money.”

“And if you need any more,” Jake added, causing the couple to turn to him, “please, for the love of all that is good in this world, fucking ask.”

“We’re literally a phone call away,” Laura added, leaning on the bar counter beside Rick. “Just call us when you need.”

Sam stared between the members of his makeshift family, eyes wide, before their eyes finally landed on their wife, who still had her arms wrapped around them, her eyes still shining with unshed tears but a hopeful smile on her face. A smile that made them smile back.

Life was hard. But they were going to be okay.

[illicreatxm]

☺️❤️ (for the munday meme!)

it’s munday! [accepting!] | @hermosa-pesadilla

[long-ass post so read under the cut]

☺ If you have a faceclaim for your muse, why did you choose them? Are you satisfied with your fc, or would you rather find a different one?

A lot of my fcs were generally picked either from watchingtv programmes or using fc hunters, actually, to find the perfect face.

Allie’s original fc, Ariel Winter, was probably one of the only ones where I watched the programme and the muse literally connected with the character on screen. Alex Dunphy from Modern Family is literally Allie, from the brains to the sarcasm and the awkwardness/lack of self-confidence in her appearance due to “prettier” people around her. The only problem was, she wasn’t ethnically correct (and neither was Mandy Moore, tbh), and only recently have I had the guts to change her to Jessica Parker Kennedy, who is more ethnically correct and kind of fits the more bubbly side of Allie when she’s playing Nora West-Allen in The Flash. And I think I’m preferring Jessica, even if she doesn’t wear glasses that much.

Obed’s fc is another one where I connected the muse with the character on screen. My goodness, never have I laughed so much seeing Zeke in the High School Musical series, and his combined love for cooking and slight obliviousness/enthusiasm for his best friends makes me think of Obed so much. He is such a dork. The only problem is, I don’t know of any movies where Chris Warren Jr. wears glasses, and canonically Obed wears reading glasses when he becomes a teacher (his eyesight was always crappy, but he finally does something about it when he becomes a real adult).

Jake’s was more of a fc hunt, I think, but as soon as I associated him with Dylan Everett I fell in love? He just works so well for Jake. And so does Tom Cruise!! Though I associate Jake more with the Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire than any other film, maybe in A Few Good Men but not much else. Jodie was literally me loving Liliana Mumy from Cheaper By The Dozen and Jodie 100% being that child with the big mouth and punchy fists; her adult fc was definitely a hunt, but I approve of the finding a lot considering it wasoriginally Emma Stone.

Alex’s and Aleshia’s were both from childhood – I never watched Hannah Montana, but as soon as I saw Cody in a fc hunt I knew that would be Alex. He’s very hard to find films for, though, because other than Hoot and Hannah Montana he’s not in a huge lot of other films. Aleshia’s fc I fell in love with from kids movies I watched like Jump In!! Also, there are parts of her that really make me think of Aleshia, but there are also parts of her that don’t quite match up. Like, Keke Palmer seems like such a joker and really loud, and whilst Aleshia can be that loud she’s less of a joker and more of a klutz. But I still love my sweet, clumsy child.

Rachel’s fc was one that I never originally imagined would fit her, but she was very accurate with her expressions and the fact that she looks so happy in a lot of the things she does? Madison Pettis has a lovely smile and from what I’ve watched her characters are happy people so she really fit Rachel. Sarah’s fc is a really rare one, and I originally found her when I was looking for that girl from The Starving Games? (Idek why I watched that…) She fits Sarah so much facially, but she isn’t in much popular stuff, so she’s a difficult one to make icons for, really. I haven’t even really seen much of what she’s in, but she fits Sarah well so I’m keeping her (despite being tempted many times to change). Rosie’s fc was another hunt, though this was mainly through looking for someone who looked like Dylan Everett. In all honesty, when I imagine Rosie, I don’t really imagine Ciara Bravo as the fc, but her facial expressions work ridiculously well for the kind of person Rosie is.

George, Kat and Laura are literally fc hunt finds. I never had any tv or movie characters that really related to them in mind when I was searching. Same for James, and also for Mandy. Though, Mandy’s was recently changed for ethnic accuracy, like Allie’s, and the Banks’ all had their changed because I wasn’t really that happy with the fcs I had for them. Though Alex Pettyfer had the build I had in mind for George, and is a lot more like how I’d imagine George to be, I just didn’t feel happy using him. (Dylan is enough of a dork anyway.)

♥ When it comes to shipping, what factors are absolutely necessary for a ship to develop? 

A N G S T. Alongside the chemistry, I really, really need muses to battle through more difficult times and have conflict for ships to develop, even if it’s just through headcanoning. That, and headcanoning, of course, because communication when shipping is absolutely key for me. But mainly angst. Realistic angst. Like, I can do fluff any day, really, because it can be easy to come up with fluffy, cutesy stuff that a ship could do, but things that cause our muses to clash or something realistic that they have to struggle together to get through? Something that they should really talk about but have been avoiding because they’re afraid of conflict? Big problems that make them want to break down and cry whilst the other holds them up? G I V E   M E.

For example: Kat and Sam (who belongs to @a-simple-rper) generally have a really cutesy, happy relationship. Like, they screw each other a lot, but they’re really happy? But their defining moment in my head will always be how Sam knocked her up, and through that it revealed that they actually really do love each other, and are working through their struggles with regards to finance whilst having the support of their family in the back just cheering them on and ready to catch them when they fall. Jake and Gabbie (who belongs to @astrologicallyperfect) are another cutesy couple, but they got a ton of angst going for them mainly because of their hugely conflicting personalities as teens that they learn to work through. Jake is basically a huge, entitled child and Gabbie is a sweet bean, and whilst they are adorable together their conflict is so beautiful to work through. Like, they are actually a couple who just want to be together and they are working through their problems and baggage both individually and together to make sure they are healthy for each other. (99% of the time it’s Jake’s fault anyway and you guys have no idea how much I love seeing people beat his ass down by pointing out how shitty he can be.)

Of course, that is all for romantic shipping. For friendship shipping, there still needs to be that chemistry, but a lot of my muses tend to slide towards the sibling relationship end of the spectrum than just casual friends. Really. The big friendships on this blog that come to my head are Allie and Sochi (@mochafortissimo), Alex and Lailani (@astrologicallyperfect), Alex and Milly (@a-simple-rper) and Jake and Sam (@a-simple-rper). I know for a fact that there are more friendships on this blog, but these sibling-like relationships are the ones my muses cling to the most. A lot of the time, my muses just need someone they can not only hug and laugh with, but someone who is willing to take the banter. Because all of them have sharp tongues. :/

[alaurin101]

Doing What Must Be Done

So my muse paid me a visit and I feel the need to share the resulting story.  I’ll admit this sucker has been in my unfinished fics folder for more than 2 years!!  So have some desert fun with trooper Tia on Tatooine!  The following takes place immediately after A Necessary Risk and contains spoilers for Trooper Tatooine.....as well as some innuendo and risque conversation!

Doing What Must Be Done

The robed figure eyed the two soldiers for a moment, then ducked into a nearby alley as a crowd began to gather.  Several cheers were going up for the Republic Spec Forces squad who’d just saved several lives by diffusing a massive threat, a second wave of tampered droids that was set off to destroy what was left of the complex the first wave hit.  A cunningly cruel tactic that her ‘superior’ had developed…..blow a civilian complex and wait for first responders to show up before setting off a second blast.  Only the explosives were hidden inside common protocol droids, this time at least.  She knew for a fact that the stuff her former squad mate had developed for the Imperials could be put into just about any droid or vehicle.  So many emotions washed over her, anger at Fuse for going along with the Havoc traitors in the first place, disgust at Gorik that he cared so little for innocent lives, fear that she wouldn’t be able to find a way to stop further attacks, but the prominent one was relief.  Relief that she was no longer alone.  Relief that she had some heavy duty backup.  Relief that she could now begin to put her plan into motion.

Banking on Fuse still attempting to make contact with the mayor, Tia decided to leave Anchorhead without making contact herself since her main reason for doing so was to find out when Havoc arrived on planet.  With that already established, she decided not to risk being spotted and snuck out of the city.  Besides, Tia could easily use one of the comlinks she’d pilfered off of a couple pirates who’d made the fatal mistake of thinking she was an easy target to contact Aric Jorgan herself.  That would be a last resort though, since any voice contact could be heard and possibly recorded over his armor cam.  Very few people knew Tia hadn’t really defected with the other Havoc traitors, and for the security of the mission as well as her own safety, it was best kept that way.  It was a big enough risk for her to send him messages via stolen datapads that she destroyed after the fact, but an actual call was pushing it.  However, the first step of her plan required Havoc to make an appearance.   As soon as she got far enough, Tia pulled her rented speeder over and contacted Colonal Gorik with the latest news.

“Sir, I made it to Anchorhead,” she told her ‘superior’ when his image appeared on her comlink, “but bad news on that front, Havoc Squad is here and they stopped the second wave.”

“Blast,” the commander swore, “Why is Republic Spec Forces on Tatooine?”

“Can’t say sir, thought it best I get outta there before I was spotted.”

“Understood Sergeant,” Gorik sighed, his frustration written all over his face.  “I can’t risk them tracing those droids back to the source.  Are you still in the area?”

“I’m just a few kliks outside of Anchorhead, sir.”

“Good, I want you to go to the Geonosian bunker nearby and make sure they’re ready in case of an attack.  I’m sure it’ll be fine, but there’s always a risk with outsourcing labor like this.  Credits have a way of making people talk.”

“That’s true, sir,” Tia agreed, “But Geonosians aren’t ones to make friendly chit chat with other species.”

“You have a fair point,” Gorik conceded, “but it still doesn’t hurt to make sure defenses are fortified in the factory just in case.  In the meantime, I need to figure out what to do about Havoc Squad.  Report back to me after you’ve seen to the factory’s security, Sergeant.”

“Understood, sir,” Tia saluted, “I’ll head there immediately.”

Tia heard her datapad chime and saw that the Commander had sent the coordinates for the Geonosian factory.  She quickly programmed them into the speeder’s navigator then put her datapad back into her pack along with her com.  Thrilled that Gorik was playing right into her plan, a broad grin spread across her features as she started the speeder back up,  Oh I’ll get that bunker ready alright.   A few minutes later, she was racing over the sandy desert back to Dreviad, hoping that droid had kept its promise to watch over her broken speeder.

It didn’t take long before the Geonosian complex was in sight.  Tia parked the speeder near a large cluster of rocks, grabbed the large backpack she’d packed several kilos of detonite bombs in, then walked the rest of the way to the building.  She found the Geonosians inside and quickly filled them in on the recent developments.  Kyvax, the one in charge, asked if they needed to halt production.  Tia insisted the chances of Spec Forces finding them were remote and assured Kyvax she was there to keep the factory secure at all costs.  The tall insectoid looked doubtful, but granted her request when she asked for access to the upper level in order to make preparations just in case Havoc did show up.  Tia instructed them all to keep working as normal while she handled the potential threat.  The Geonosians complied, figuring the Cathar soldier would be at risk more than they were, and went back to work building the bombs, allowing Tia to work without interruption.

She casually walked around the main part of the factory, pausing from time to time to slip a hand into her pack and place a bomb along the way in key, hidden areas while she pretended to study the room.  The small devices blended in with the equipment easily and wouldn’t be spotted unless there was an inspection, which wasn’t likely to happen before she blew the place.  Then she slipped into the back room, which served as the storage area and planted several of the devices inside some of the crates, then took the rest upstairs to plant the rest of her stash, wanting to make sure all the computer terminals in the offices were obliterated.  No way was she going to risk Fuse’s designs falling into any more hands.  For a brief moment, Tia felt a flicker of remorse for the Geonosians, but the she reminded herself that they were fully aware of what they were making and how it was being used.  They didn’t care about the innocent lives that were lost, a few were even amused by that latest attack on Anchorhead and even suggested they look at expanding their territory if the Imperials decided to test the droids on the nearby Republic outpost.  

“They’re just as bad as Needles and his sick experiments,” Tia muttered, biting her lip as she focused on her task.  But who made you judge, jury, and executioner?  She paused for a brief second when that guilty thought popped into her head and wondered once again if she was becoming a monster.  Suddenly Tia wished she had someone to talk to, someone to tell her what to do, but just as with Taris, she was on her own.  Swallowing hard to clear the lump forming in her throat, the young soldier set aside her emotions so she could do what had to be done.  

Tia gave a sigh of relief as she placed the last one, then sat at one of the terminals and pulled a small remote out of her pack.  She turned the device on, smiling when she saw all twelve lights come on…..her little toys were armed and ready to make some noise at the press of a button, which she would do as soon as Havoc was present.   All that was left was to contact Aric so he could make that happen……because if the factory were to blow up all the sudden for no apparent reason, her superiors would wonder why.  However, if Havoc were around, the Imperials would assume the squad took the factory out.  She’d simply tell Aric to contact her when Havoc reached the outskirts of the Geonosian complex, then wait downstairs and pretend to be keeping an eye out for hostiles.  As soon as Tia got his call, she’d slip out of the factory and blow the place sky high as soon as she was at a safe distance.  Thrilled her plan was going to go off without a hitch, Tia dug out one of the stolen comlinks and put in the number Kat had given her while they were on Nar Shaddaa.  She was about to hit the call button when she happened to glance out the office window and much to her surprise, she spotted Havoc approaching.

“Kark me, she hissed as she stuffed the comlink back into the near empty pack and readied the remote, “they got here quicker than I expected……Fuse must’ve contacted them and spilled the beans!”

Not wanting Havoc to get inside the blast radius, Tia jammed her helmet on, activated her shield, and bolted down the stairs.  Dammit, this isn’t going to be fun, she cringed inwardly, ignoring the chittering of the Geonosian workers she pushed past as she made her way through the factory.  Please Gods, let me survive this, she prayed as she sprinted through the doorway, hitting the switch on the remote as she did.

~*~*~*~

“According to Fuse, that’s the factory,” the tawny Cathar pointed at the bunker nearest to the towering cliffs.

“I don’t see any guards at the doors, but there are several small patrols.  What’s our approach, sir?” The blonde human asked, lowering her microbinoculars.

“If Fuse is right, then they don’t have any actual Imperial backup,” Aric replied, “Just their own people and while they can be tough and good with tech, they aren’t nearly as organized in a fight.  Forex could easily distract the patrols long enough for you and I to enter the complex and raze the place.”

“I am eager to do my part in eradicating this threat to innocent civilians everywhere and to crush those Imperial loving insects, sir!”

“Easy Forex,” Aric shook his head, “We’re not here to stamp out a species, just to take out that facto-“

“Imperial soldier!” Elara called out, spotting a lone figure clad in Imperial armor running out the front door, “Fuse was mis-“

Elara’s statement was interrupted by a ground shaking explosion that was enough to knock them both over.  They both covered their heads as the factory they’d been headed towards was a towering inferno.   Unsure of what caused the factory to blow or if there was more to come, a shaken Aric got to his feet and staggered towards Elara.  He cringed at the carnage all around, certain that none of the patrols had survived.

“What the hell?” Aric swore as he helped his medic up, the blast still ringing in his ears.

“Look, sir,” she pointed, shock making her face even paler.

Aric gaze travelled to where Elara was pointing and spotted a figure staggering out of the fireball that used to be the Geonosian factory a moment ago.  Elara was certain it was the same Imperial soldier she’d spotted bolting out the building seconds before the blast and said as much.  They saw soldier pulled off her helmet when she cleared the flames, tossing the smoking thing aside then frantically tried to peel off her melting armor.  Both Aric and Elara immediately recognized the silvery Cathar and rushed over to help.

“Are you frakking crazy?!” Aric barked as he began ripping off Tia’s melted plating, wincing at how hot the metal felt through his gloves.  “Forex, keep an eye out…….for anyone.”

“As always, it’s such a pleasure to see you, Captain,” Tia retorted, tears forming both from the sting of the smoke and the pain she could feel from the overheated under armor she was trying to unzip, “Good to see you are still your pleasant self……I was worried you’d might’ve figured out how not to be an jerk after our little chat on Nar Shaddaa.  Gods be damned, this karking zipper’s melted!”

“You’ll have to excuse me for not being prepared to see you racing out of an exploding building!”  Aric’s hands were shaking as he dug out a knife and began cutting at the very hot, thick material, “I swear both you and your littermate need to read up on how to properly handle explosives.”

“Stars, stop griping at me and get this kriffin’ thing off!” Tia yowled, feeling the mesh weave starting to singe through her fur in a couple of places.

“Serves you right,” Aric snapped as he continued working at getting the silvery minx free from her underarmor, “and it wouldn’t kill you to use the words ‘please’ and ‘sir’ you know.  You might be behind enemy lines, but I’m still your superior.”

As soon as he’d cut enough of the material, Aric jerked it the rest of the way open and discovered yet another thing that would likely be invading his dreams.  His hands shook as he finished helping her out of the hot mesh, itching to tear those purple satin and lace scraps off of her as well.  Tia groaned in relief as she shimmied the rest of the way out of it, kicking the ruined mesh aside as she dashed the tears from her eyes.  When she turned to face him, a glint caught his eye and he spotted a small, violet gem dangling from a small silver hoop that pierced her navel and he felt his body tighten further.   Needing to get control of himself, Aric took a step back before he did something really stupid.

Tia saw his heated gaze and gave a sultry laugh, “I take it you like the view…….sir.”

“You scared us, Sergeant,” Elara intervened before things got ugly and before Tia could taunt Aric any further, she guided the younger Cathar over to where she and Aric had parked their speeders.  She unhooked her medikit from her speeder and began tending to the numerous cuts and burns Tia sustained, pausing when she caught mischief twinkling on those lavender eyes which were currently following their brooding CO who was pacing nearby.  She lowered her voice as she continued to apply kolto to one of the more raw spots, “I seem to recall you making a promise to Val back on Nar Shaddaa that you were going to try to be nicer to Captain Jorgan.”

“No, I merely promised that I wouldn’t do any more physical damage,” she smirked, knowing his sharp hearing was catching every word of their conversation, then winked at a scowling Aric who’d stopped pacing at her comment and was currently glaring at her with those arms crossed, “I never said I’d stop teasing him…….and he was the one who started it this time.”

“Well, it isn’t nice to come on to a guy like that when you don’t really mean it,” Elara chided, “While I can understand somewhat why you are angry, I think you’ve had more than enough payback for Ord Mantell.”

“I can’t help it if I’m the flirty type,” Tia shrugged, willing to bet the other woman didn’t know everything, “and who says I don’t mean it……”

“Do you?” Elara asked pointedly, a blonde brow arching as she looked up at Tia.

“That’s for me to know and Captain Crankypants to wonder…..” Tia taunted as the subject of their conversation had enough and strode towards them.

“So, is there any particular reason you felt the need to blow a building before you were a safe distance from it?” Aric asked in that highly grating, acerbic tone of his and Tia itched to slap that smug look off his face.

“I wasn’t counting on you guys getting here so fast,” she admitted grudgingly as she checked her bracelet over, glad to see it was undamaged.  She let out a sigh, feeling a little guilty for lashing out, “I’d actually planned to be a bit further away when I set it off.”

“You knew we were on planet?” Elara’s green eyes narrowed at her.

“I found out when I arrived in Anchorhead a couple hours ago,” Tia nodded, “I was there when the second wave of droids went off and saw you guys had diverted them.”

“Where were you?” Aric asked, certain he’d have spotted her in any crowd.

“I was standing near the ruins of that apartment complex, but I ducked into the alley before you got too close.”  Tia’s lavender eyes met Aric’s as she continued, “I was in disguise but didn’t want to chance being detected.”

“Probably for the best,” Aric nodded, understanding what she was leaving unsaid.  Elara had been unconscious the last time they’d met face to face, and he certainly hadn’t felt the need to share the details of that explosive exchange for several reasons.  Including the fact he’d come dangerously close to crossing boundaries that he had no right to, but Gods help him, he was finding it a lot harder to resist.  Even though nothing happened, other than her emotional tirade and him consoling her, he’d know her scent anywhere.  “So why were you in Anchorhead in the first place?”

“Officially, I was there to oversee the field test for Colonel Gorik,” Tia replied, gritting her teeth as Elara began to clean out a raw spot on her shoulder.

“And unofficially?” Aric prodded.

“I was going to pay a visit to Mayor Klerren.  I figured he would at least know if Republic Spec Forces was in his city.  I came across a couple comlinks that were no longer needed by their owners…..”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not,” Tia grinned.  “I was going to give one to the mayor and keep the other for the sole purpose of one call to let me know when Havoc Squad arrived on Tattooine.  After I saw you for myself, I didn’t need to visit the mayor after all so I snuck out while the crowd was cheering your heroics.”

“Miss me that much, did you?” Aric taunted, a wicked gleam in his bright green eyes as they met hers again.  He chuckled when she scowled, glad to be giving her a taste of her own medicine for once.

“About as much as the flu,” she shot back, hating the fact that she did in fact miss him a little.  “I needed you guys for my plan.  As soon as I arrived on this dustbowl, I’ve been trying to figure out how I was going to deal with Gorik, Fuse, and those damned bomb designs.  I haven’t quite worked everything out, but I knew that factory had to go and sooner rather than later.  So before I  set out this morning, I packed a few little bombs to take with me.”

“A few?!  That factory is a crater!”

“Okay, more like a dozen,” she looked sheepish, “Detonite.”

“Kark, you really are crazy!”

“It’s not like I had a lot of choices and I’m not exactly an explosives expert,” Tia defended herself.  “So after I left Anchorhead, I contacted Gorik and let him know you’d arrived….”

“What?!” Aric bellowed, running his hands over his head as he stared at the younger Cathar.

“Why would you do that?!” Elara frowned.

“Oh please,” Tia rolled her eyes at them both, “No need to get your panties in a bunch.  It was only a matter of time before word spread that the infamous Havoc Squad saved Anchorhead.  Besides, I knew if Gorik felt the teensiest threat to his precious factory, he’d send someone to help defend it.  I was his best choice since I was conveniently close by.  So he sent me the coordinates and I headed over here.  The Geonosians were expecting me and I was able to arrange my little surprise while they thought I was beefing up security and preping an ambush……just in case.  But…..”

Aric sighed, “But you needed Havoc here so Gorik would assume we destroyed the factory.”

“Indeed,” Tia confirmed, “You know you’re actually smarter than I took you for.  Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing…….so Kat gave me your contact info and I was just about to call you,  however, I saw you guys approaching and blew it before you got too close.  Luckily I had a pretty good shield generator on me but I think I’m gonna need a new one…..and some clothes.”

“What’d you expect after blowing a building while you were still in it?!  You could’ve been killed!” Aric growled, feeling certain areas of his body tense again at the reminder of just how little she had on, not to mention that navel ring.  It would be unprofessional to mate with your subordinate…….or choke the life out of her…….especially out in the open.....or in front of witnesses.

“Awwww, Captain, I’m so touched by your concern,” Tia purred, sauntering over to him as Elara started digging into the pack on Aric’s speeder, “but hey, at least my bra and panties are still intact……or were you hoping I’d need to take them off too?”

“Here, Sergeant,” Elara called out, biting back a smile, and tossed a large t-shirt to her before pulling her datapad out of her backpack.

“Oh, this is way too big to be yours, Sergeant Dorne,” Tia smiled as she pulled it on, “So it must belong to our grumpy Captain……it’s been awhile since I’ve had to cover my body with a man’s shirt…..and never in the desert.” She fixed Aric with a suggestive look, “Just think, sir, you’ve given me a whole new experience……too bad we’re not alone, I’m sure you could’ve given me a much better reason to be wearing your shirt.”

Tia gave a sultry laugh at the low growl that came from his throat, but Elara piped up before her CO blew a gasket, “Loose clothing is best right now, at least until that kolto has time to dry a little.  So while we’re waiting for that, maybe you could brief us on what else you know or have planned.”

“As much fun as teasing old cranky pants here is, you make a good point and I do have news,” Tia sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she rubbed her temples in an effort to ease the growing tension the day’s events were building in her.   Taking a deep breath, Tia went on to explain about Gorik’s plans for Fuse’s designs, Fuse growing a conscious and refusing to work on them after finding out the Imperial officer was testing them on civilians, then Gorik throwing Fuse in the brig as a result.  She explained that Tavus found out and sent her in to deal with the situation.  She admitted to being aware that Fuse was trying to contact the mayor and planned to let that continue since it was the best way to give them information and bide her time so she could ensure those bomb designs never leave the planet without blowing her cover.  Then she looked them both square in the eye and told them she was certain Fuse wanted out.

“If he wants a shot at atoning, then I suppose it won’t hurt to let him continue as is,” Aric spoke up after pondering that for a moment, “but are you sure he can be trusted?”

“Honestly, I don’t think he really wanted to defect in the first place,” Tia told them, “In those few days that we were all together on the Justice, he always seemed a little subdued, even a little hesitant.  At first, I just attributed it to his personality……he’s not exactly the talkative type, but after arriving on Tatooine, I think he just went along with the others and now that he’s seen what the Imperials are capable of……”

“He wants no part of it,” Elara finished, “I know that feeling.”

“Exactly,” Tia nodded, “I’ll keep an eye on him and I certainly don’t plan to let him know my real role in all this, but I do think this is the best way for us to take down operations here and get Fuse into Republic custody.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Aric decided, “When we get back to Anchorhead, I’ll let Mayor Klerren know Fuse’s intel was sound and that we took care of the factory.  Fuse seemed to be comfortable talking with the mayor so that’s probably our best way to keep in contact.”

“And I’ll work on an extraction plan and getting those designs out of Imperial hands,” Tia suggested, “Speaking of getting back, I should do so as well before they start to wonder where I am.”

“What are you going to do about clothing?” Elara frowned, “Because you really can’t wear that back to your base.”

“I snatched some stuff on my way to Anchorhead so I could pass for a local or Force user,” Tia answered, “It’s with my speeder a little ways away from here……no shirt though, just pants, boots, and a robe.”

“Do I even want to know where you got that stuff from?”

“Again……probably not,” Tia grinned at the pained expression on Aric’s face.  “But Elara’s right, your shirt has the Republic Military logo on it so I shouldn’t even wear it under the robe......I don’t trust Gorik and the feeling is mutual.  He’s probably going through my stuff whenever I’m not around to see if he can get any dirt on Tavus and this shirt would raise questions I don’t want to answer if it’s found.”

“Do you have anything else?”

“I was just wearing my tank top that I had on under my cortosis, but that’s toast.”

“I have a spare in my pack but it has the same logo as Captain Jorgan’s shirt.  However, the Republic outpost is nearby and I saw a couple clothing stands there,” Elara mused, “If you don’t mind waiting with Sergeant Vleska, sir, I can go get her something more appropriate to wear.  Sergeant, you look like you’re similar size as I am so it shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes…..fifteen at the most.”

“Thanks,” Tia smiled.

“Don’t mention it,” Elara waved as she climbed on her speeder, “Just be nice to our CO.”

“Fine,” Tia groaned, winking at the medic, “I’ll try my very best.”

Elara took off a moment later and Aric checked in with Forex, ordering the droid to keep scanning the perimeter and to let him know if anyone approached.  Then he sat on a small boulder next to the remaining speeder, glancing over at the temptress wearing his shirt as he recalled the last time they were alone together and that brief exchange of messages they had shortly after, cryptic to anyone else, but full of teasing innuendo on both their parts.  He’d honestly never felt so confused or uncertain in all his years, but knew there was little he could or should do about it at this point.  He lowered his gaze, frowning when he saw a patch of angry red skin through the silvery fur just above her knee.

“You okay?” Aric broke the tense silence.

“I’ve had worse,” Tia sighed.

“You look tired,” Aric pointed out, having noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

“Been a long couple of days to be honest,” she murmured, the adrenaline that had been pumping through her ever since she’d spotted Havoc approaching the complex was waning and she was starting to feel exhausted.  She stared for a moment at the flames still consuming the factory, “I could’ve warned them as I ran for the door…….some might’ve made it out alive,” she brushed at her cheek when an errant tear ran down, “But I didn’t.  They’re all dead because I pressed a button without giving them a chance.”  She turned to look him right in the eye, “What kind of person does that make me, Aric?”

“What do you think would’ve happened if you hadn’t blown the factory?” Aric asked softly, even more worried about the mental toll this was taking on her.  Knowing he needed to at least try to ease the guilt he easily saw written all over that lovely face, he went on, “If we hadn’t shown up, they would’ve continued making more bombs.  More innocent civilians would’ve been injured or killed.”

“Who am I to decide what lives have value?”

“All life has value,” he sighed, “But those Geonosians were no innocent civilians.  Would you be this upset if you were part of a strike team that slagged an Imperial Military base?”

“Those weren’t soldiers caught in the blast though,” she pointed out.

“No, but they were willingly working with Imperial soldiers to attack civilians,” Aric countered, knowing he had to keep her focus on the logical part.  “What if you had warned them?  Do you really think they would’ve simply surrendered to us and gone quietly into custody?”

“No,” Tia admitted, “They would’ve fought back.”

“And would be just as dead as they are now,” Aric finished.  “We were going to assault the factory before you blew it…..again, do you think the Geonosians would’ve surrendered without a fight?”

“No,” Tia murmured, still feeling bad about what she’d ultimately done, but realizing that the outcome would’ve been about the same if she hadn’t.  “I just…..I don’t want to become some cold hearted monster that doesn’t give a squat about people’s lives.”

“Would you be this upset if you were in danger of that?”

“No, I suppose not,” she smiled weakly.  “You’re not just making this all up so I’ll feel better, are you?”

“Given our brief history together, has there ever been anything about me that would make you think I’m the coddling type?!”

“Definitely not,” Tia snorted, her smile broadening.  “But I do appreciate your honesty and insight…..maybe I’ll be able to sleep tonight after all.”

“Come back to Anchorhead with us,” he offered, desperately hoping she’d take him up on it for her own sake, “You know where Gorik’s base is so we can just assault it head on…….”

“With what?” Tia shook her head, “Just you, Elara, and Forex?  If I go with you, my cover is blown and Tavus will compensate for that.  We’d be hard pressed to find him, Wraith, or Gearbox after that and I have no idea what they’re doing.”

“Fuse might be able to help and we can put word out that he died in the attack.”

“It’s not that simple,” Tia countered, “First off, I doubt Fuse knows much more than I do.  We weren’t exactly holding group meetings after Tavus sent us all off.  They all had their separate missions, but no one knew the details of the others’.  I was sent off with Needles and neither of us had any idea what Fuse, Gearbox, or Wraith were up to.  Secondly, it’s going to take a lot more than a three man squad to assault Gorik’s bunker…..even with Forex’s firepower.  Thirdly, there’s too much risk of the bomb designs getting away or Fuse not making it out of there alive.”

“I won’t be too upset if he doesn’t,” Aric growled as he stood and began to pace, “He’s the one who chose to turn traitor and serve the Imperials.  You saw the damage in Anchorhead…….that apartment complex was a direct result of his work for Gorik!  The Geonosians may have built the droids, but he’s the one who designed them!”

“Believe me, I’m definitely pissed about that and he has a lot to answer for if he does make it back into Republic custody,” Tia insisted, “but the target wasn’t his choice and he stopped working on the designs as soon as he discovered the truth about what Gorik was doing with them.”

“What did he think they’d be used for?!”

“That’s the thing, he probably wasn’t at first,” Tia agreed, then went on, “Fuse trusts Tavus, they all do…...and Tavus assigned him to assist Colonel Gorik.  But I truly feel with everything in my being that Fuse deeply regrets what he’s done and wants to atone.  If Gorik finds out Fuse is contacting Mayor Klerren, he’ll face a firing squad as fast as one can be assembled.  He at least deserves the chance for the risk he’s taking.”

“How much of this is because you slept with him?” Aric accused, regretting the words the moment they left his mouth.

A sly smile curved her lips as those lavender eyes met his head on, “You’re jealous.  That’s why you’re getting so angry.”

“I am not jealous,” he lied, crossing his arms as he glared at her, “Just concerned that you’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment.”

“You are a horrible liar, Aric Jorgan,” Tia shot back as she stood, getting annoyed by his accusations.  “But rest assured, I am far from compromised.  I was three days into my mating cycle and Fuse was nothing more than a way to scratch the proverbial itch.  It really wasn’t that great to be honest…..I mean he satisfied my needs so I can’t complain, but he wasn’t who I was wanting at the time……so anyways, the point is moot.  We had sex, that’s it.  There was no emotion involved to cloud my better judgment.”

“Oh really?” Aric raised a brow, his mouth twitching in a smirk as he saw the silvery minx start to fidget with her bracelet.  “So Tiannya Vleska, who were you wanting at the time?”

“Why do you want to know?” she tossed back, a wicked gleam in her eye as her voice lowered to a purr.  “Are you wishing it was you?  I gave you a chance back on Ord if you recall that last day……”

Aric had no trouble recollecting neither that particular moment nor how difficult it had been to resist her, but the sound of an approaching speeder spared him from having to utter a response that he was certain she’d see for the lie it would be.  Judging from the husky laughter that came from her, she knew damn well she’d won that round.  However, after seeing how torn up she’d been a few minutes ago, Aric couldn’t begrudge her the victory.  If all their verbal sparring and innuendo helped her overcome the bitterness of her current predicament, it was well worth any slights he might feel…..or any cold showers he’d end up having to take.

A few minutes later, Elara parked her speeder and was handing Tia a simple white cotton t-shirt while Aric went to fetch her speeder.  She thanked the other woman, then spotting Aric driving her speeder back, she slowly, tantalizingly removed his t-shirt, knowing full well he was watching.  She stood in her bra and panties for a moment while Elara checked over the kolto strips and bandages, then carefully pulled the new one on with the medic’s help, trying to keep the bandages from shifting and not to wince when the tighter garment rubbed a couple of the raw spots.

“Hey Captain,” she winked, her lips curving in a seductive little smile, as she tossed his shirt to him, “Just think, if you wear that without washing it, it’ll be kinda like my naked body touching yours….”

Aric gave her a feral grin before he could help himself, then tried to cover it up by scowling at her before stuffing the shirt into his pack, “Just try to keep out of trouble, Sergeant.”

“I saw that…..and don’t worry about me,” she replied, a dark look coming over her face, “I have a few more scores to settle and I’ll do whatever I must to ensure I succeed.”

[andipxndy-writes]

I Don’t Care - Sam & Kat

[[I wrote a new thing! So basically Ed Sheeran’s new album is amazing and I have a fave song on the album, which 100% reminded me of how Sam feels about Kat. Obviously, Sam isn’t mine (they belong to @a-simple-rper), but I love them a lot and these cuties deserve a fic together because Rick and Laura get too much attention.

So yeah, basically I’ve been listening to this song a lot, and even though Sam can’t sing to save their life, I will always love how this song represents how they feel for Kat.

Edited to completion! Enjoy!]]

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I Don’t Care

Sam hated dressing up.

No, not dressing up as in Halloween costumes. They meant dressing up as in a suit and a tie. Dressing in a “monkey suit”, as Jake called it, was extremely uncomfortable, from the tight pants to the stiff collar and the tie that felt like it was cutting off their circulation. They would never voluntarily wear something like this. Not if they had a choice.

Except for, you know, the annual Martins family dinner party.

It wasn’t a thing they usually went to. In fact, Kat and Laura rarely went to it themselves, preferring to stay away from their uptight and toxic aunts and probably keep that toxicity away from their own kids. Which Sam completely understood – they would never forgive that cousin Lara for regularly calling them a piece of shit in front of other family members (not literally, because she always had a posh way of saying it), and they were honestly so glad that she was now very intimidated by the twins and their total ability to beat her up with no remorse.

Standing to the side of the room, their eyes scanned over the various people milling about the room at the party. It wasn’t hard to spot Rick and Laura in the crowd (he was a whole foot taller than everyone else in the room), the pair of them speaking to a couple of Laura’s male cousins. They remembered Kat mentioning something about them being involved in catering, or something to do with food, and obviously Rick and Laura were an amazing power couple who ran their own bar with food business together, so of course they’d want to have a conversation with them. Probably about business stuff.

Jake and Allie were also in a conversation with some of Kat’s relatives, and it was easy to see that they'd fit right in. With them both being British (poster accent and all), and Allie even knowing how to interact with people of upper social classes (clearly something that Sam lacked), it was easier for them to just integrate and get accepted. Heck, they looked like they fit right in with Jake looking almost like a natural in his suit and Allie looking elegant in her dress.

And Kat, well, she was looking as beautiful as ever, laughing with what looked to be some aunts and uncles. Sam had felt so awkward in that conversation, not really knowing what they were on about, that they’d excused themselves to go to the toilet and just hadn’t returned. And they doubted that anyone noticed they were missing anyway.

They just really didn’t want to be there. They’d rather be at home with the twins, taking care of and playing with them whilst Kat dealt with her family. They didn't really like them, and the sentiment was returned, honestly. If Sam was the punk that knocked up Katherine and possibly hindered her career in research, then they were the stuck up asshats that couldn’t realise when there was genuine love in their relationship.

Standing at the side of the room, sipping on a glass of champagne (how freaking arrogant) as they watched everyone, they seriously considered telling Kat that they were going to head off. As much as they loved her... they felt so out of place in this room that it hurt.

They didn’t notice that she’d left her conversation until they realised their drink had been taken from their hand, and Kat was stood there, knocking it back before placing the empty glass on a nearby table. They stared at her, confused.

“What are you—?”

“You look dead bored,” she responded bluntly, turning to them with a smile on her face. “Plus, this party is a little more on the dull side. My mom’s sisters are all pretty stuck up in a way, but they’re not all too bad, and neither are my uncles. Plus, my cousins aren’t all like Lara.”

“Really?” They were doubtful of that, and Kat could clearly see it on their face. She sighed in response, deciding to just take their hands and squeeze them a little.

“Mom wanted to speak with you,” Kat said softly, changing the topic of conversation. “Apparently she’s been wanting to speak with you all night, but you keep disappearing...”

They gave a guilty smile at that. “Really? Thought I’d stick out like a sore thumb...”

“Oh come on, Sammy, don’t be like that...”

He pursed his lips and looked away. “Where’s she sat?” they asked, avoiding the look on Kat's face. They did not need her “don’t pity yourself” looks right then. Maybe a talk with mom would do them some good.

“At that table, over there.” Kat pointed over to a table where Sam could clearly see her mom sat. With her husband. Having a conversation.

They suddenly didn’t feel like going over. Not with Kat’s dad there too.

“Should I wait a little longer...?”

“Nah, she’s fine. Just go.” At the look they gave her, she sighed. “Dad won’t bite your head off. Go and sit next to mom and speak with her.”

Sam still looked very reluctant to do so, but walked over there anyway, appearing very nervous as they sat down next to Jane. “Hey, mom...”

Jane paused her conversation and turned from where she was talking with her husband to smile brightly at Sam. “Oh, Sam! Wonderful! When did you get there?”

Before they could answer, Phil stood, not sending Sam a single glance as he straightened his suit and brushed it down. “I’m off to get another drink and mingle,” he said stiffly, before walking off.

Jane pursed her lips as she watched her husband, sighing through her nose.

“He really doesn’t like me, huh?” Sam asked, the smile on their face a little on the sad side. It didn’t matter that they and Kat were now thinking of getting married and being completely committed to each other, or that they were the father to his grandchildren, or even that they were trying hard to juggle being a dad with longer bar shifts so that they could put more into the college fund. Phil Banks just didn’t like Sam a single bit.

Jane glanced at Sam, ready to defend her husband and say that he really did like Sam, but seeing the look on their face made her hold her tongue. And her lack of an answer just made them look down at the table, deflated, before they began to push themselves away from the table.

“I think I might just tell Kat I’m picking up the kids and heading home...”

“Before we’ve had our conversation?”

Sam paused in their movements to look over at Jane, seeing something like a teasing look in her eyes. A teasing look that meant she’d caught them out and they were going to do as she told them to. That same teasing look they’d received from Kat many a time, and they'd spotted Rick being on the receiving end himself a few times from Laura right before he quit slacking and took his turn in caring for the kids.

So, sighing, they sat back down, turning to face Jane, leaning on the table. Looking mildly miffed, they waited for her to speak.

“So, how’s work been recently?”

They pursed their lips at that. Small talk? “It's been good. I’ve been behind the bar a bit more, what with the triplets getting older. Rick has more daddy duties.”

Jane gave a chuckle at that. “Oh, that I don’t doubt. Laura wouldn’t let him slack a single bit. Always making sure people do their share of the work.” Her smile widened as she moved on to her next topic, looking a bit more excited. “And my first grandbabies? How are little Annabelle and Tyler?”

“Growing fast.” Sam finally cracked a smile, thinking of their babies – well, they were more like pre-schoolers now, but they would always be their babies. “Anna is reading anything and everything now – we actually found her trying to read a draft of one of Kat’s papers in her study the other day. And Tyler is growing so tall so quickly.” They let out a chuckle. “He can’t still for a second.”

Jane laughed at that. “That definitely reminds me of George.” Ah yes, the family fireman. The first to study a non-academic subject. Though it paved the way for the younger cousins, definitely.

Sam glanced over at the older brother of the twins, who appeared to be having a very animated conversation with some cousins and making them laugh. Yeah... that was very Tyler. They could see that.

Before they could say anything else, though, Jane spoke again, her smile softening.

“It’s okay to not fit in here, Sam.”

They turned to her suddenly, a frown on their face. “...What?”

“It’s okay to not fit in. Everyone talks about everyone, and you don’t really get much privacy with three nosy sisters and their well-off husbands.”

“Is that meant to be comforting?” they asked sarcastically, not looking amused at all. “That just means everyone knows about me.” And how terrible I am for Kat.

“And they’re comparing Kat to me.” She leaned closer to Sam, lowering her voice. “Right down to the choice in partner.”

Sam paused, blinking. Well, they hadn’t expected that one. “...Huh?”

Jane gave an almost conspiratory smirk at that. “Oh yes. Phil was exactly like you when we got married – not really focused on education, but passionate about his own things that my family didn’t get. Elizabeth was the worst at the time, always gossiping and bad mouthing about him, but then he went into business and he just shot up in his career, and they couldn’t say or do anything. Not when I had a husband who built his own success, and three absolutely beautiful children.” She placed a hand on their arm. “Stop caring and take your own path. Kat is so happy with you. My sisters don’t care about that, but my goodness is she happy. And I’ve got five incredible grandchildren, as well as two more children – more than any of my sisters have.” She then lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re my favourite, though. Don’t tell Rick I said that.”

Sam grinned at that, finally feeling a bit more relaxed. Like Kat, Jane always had a way of making them feel at home around her, even if it felt more like her simply being a mom to them too. Even with her heightened intellect, she had a way of being down to earth and bubbly.

Just like their Kat.

Just as they were opening their mouth to thank Jane – God, was she a great mom or what? – they felt another hand on their arm, this one pulling them out of their seat. They looked up at see Kat grinning down at them, her eyes bright and excited.

“Come dance!”

“Dance?” Their eyes widened. “Here?”

“It’ll be fun!”

“But—” Glancing over at a smiling Jane, her words came to mind again.

It’s okay to not fit in. Stop caring and take your own path.

Groaning – more to play up the whole reluctance act than anything – they let her pull them up and away from Jane. Shooting the woman a glance as they were pulled away, they smiled widely as she waved at them.

Stopping in the middle of the room, surrounded by numerous cousins, aunts and uncles who were just watching them with interest, Kat turned to them and placed her hands on their shoulders, leaving them to place their hands on her hips as they swayed slowly to the music.

“So, what did mom want to talk to you about?” Kat asked curiously as they moved. Sam’s eyes drifted upwards in faux thought.

“Mmm... not telling.”

“What? Oh, come on...”

They grinned down at her. “Nope. Not tellin'.”

“Sammy...”

They chuckled, leaning down to kiss her softly. “Hey, how about we spice up this party a little?” they murmured to her, a cheeky glint in their eyes. Which made Kat narrow her own.

“How...?” she asked hesitantly.

“Well, the music for one could put even Tyler to sleep. So let’s fix that. Then we could break out the good stuff at the back of the bar.”

“Oh my God, Sam, this isn’t a bar party.”

“You’re right. A bar party would be better.”

“You know, people are gonna stare...”

Sam just grinned widely at her, before spinning her and dipping her with a flourish, making her laugh. They leaned down close to her, brushing their lips against hers.

“I don’t care.”