#Papa and Leia Bear...

[astoldbychae]

Some things never change. 🥺

how it started vs. how it's going

My cereal is now soggy from me crying for way too long because I found some old shots of Melo and Monet (from when they first hooked up in San Myshuno).

Quite a bit has change for Melo, I'm over here trying to catch up so I can share all the deets. 😩

[polypomefiore]

I'm sorry the only thing I am physically capable of is thinking about diasomnia all the time every day forever 🙏

Sebek praying and begging his whole childhood that he presents as an omega so (alpha) Malleus can breed him with pups and stuff him with eggs, sobbing nonstop and refusing to leave his room for a week when he presents as an alpha... Malleus finding out about it later and fucking Sebek while calling him his cute little omega <3

Or... Alpha Malleus with two dicks and omegas Silver & Sebek. He can breed both of them and give one egg to each of them 💕 (and to the misfortune of everyone involved, they will fight and argue nonstop during the dual pregnancy over who's egg will hatch first, who's egg will look more like Malleus, who's egg will be stronger, or bigger, or smarter, or... Save them 😔)

Alpha Lilia getting his omega son pregnant... During the early pregnancy, anyone who doesn't know them who finds out will think that Lilia was the omega who got bred by his kind beta Silver 😭 but Silver is so so so happy to have his dad's kid. He'll accidentally call Lilia papa instead of father without realizing it... He refuses to leave his side unless it's to train with Sebek (who continues training with Silver every day until he actually beats Silver and knocks him down...... Sebek is not allowed to spar with him again until the pup is born 😔)

Orrrr or omega Lilia who's heats are so few and far between in his old age, he didn't even think he could get pregnant, and let his kids fuck him indiscriminately to get all their aggressive teenage hormones out. Now somehow he's pregnant and none of them can tell at all who did it 😭

Formal get-togethers with the Draconias and other (mostly fae) royalty around the world... Maleficia whoring her omega grandson out to guarantee an heir... He's put into a heat and muzzled and chained down and crying and soooooooo cute while he's passed between alphas and betas. He's stuffed full of cum and eggs of all different kinds by morning 💕 (think of this especially if it's dehorned Malleus... Magically too weak to fight back, and ordered to grin and bear it through his punishment ❤️)

Silver pregnant with a kid, or impregnating someone else with a kid, either way is going to be hoping the entire time that his child is born looking more like the other parent. Considering how strong papa dawn's genes were in Silver, I think he is inevitably going to add another carbon copy of himself to the family tree 😭 and born with blonde hair too........ He will still love them no matter what they look like ❤️

(Knight of Dawn was impregnated by Leia. This is true and canon. Toboso Yana told me herself)

don’t worry i feel u and ur so valid….i love all the different flavors of these hcs they’re so yummy agh. i feel like a kid in a candy store and i don’t know what to get first. the benefit of being flexible with dynamics (besides epel sorry dude) is i can enjoy all of these <33 and ur right leia did impregnate KOD i was there >:3c

lemon below

my personal fav dia omegaverse dynamic is lilia letting his kids fuck him..thinking there’d be no consequences…ur mind omggg and not knowing who’s it is??? delicious augh. i’ve also been thinking abt lilia knocking up silver too a bit lately…

ALSO bottom malleus. wrapping his tail around his top’s waist to pull them deeper insider him. i think abt that a lot too

[marvelstars]

POST ROTJ FORCE GHOST ANAKIN

Honestly post ROTJ Anakin has the potential of being an awesome chaos gremlin. He has all the force power of Anakin developed with the discipline and ruthlessness of Vader, coupled with his new found sense of compassion and unlimited love, a wish to right his wrongs and years of training from the light and dark side masters.

He can go to any astral plane be it light or dark or any force strong planet be it of the Sith or the Jedi, in fact he rescued Luke from Sith spirits while he was exploring a Sith planet in one of the novels. I want my boy to expend his next life turning former sith acolytes to the lightside, rescuing people from the remmants of the Empire or the Sith Order or just visiting and helping new Jedi without them realizing it´s him or him just hanging out with Thrawn for old times sake while telling him he totally needs to make a peace deal with the New Republic.

20 years of pain, suffering and darkness left him ready to unleash his most fun and playful side with a side of the old wise Papa bear master, seriously, I want to see him low key protecting Luke, Leia, Ahsoka, Han, C3PO and R2 without them noticing and I am totally here for that.

Chaos Gremlin Anakin Skywalker haunting his old castle of mustafar and rescuing people while he is at it

[varpusvaras]

The nights on Alderaan were a dark shade of blue.

Leia had seen nights on other planets. Most of the planets she had been on had moons that illuminated the sky even during the darkest hours of the night. Alderaan had none, but still, they had clear skies and countless stars shining down on them, and she loved the nights like they were.

Especially as the darkness made a very good cloak for anyone who knew where to step when sneaking around.

She wasn't the one doing the sneaking tonight, but she welcomed the cover anyway. She knew he was coming, even before there was a light knock on her door. Two-one-two-two.

Come in, she thought, and listened as the door slid open and then close, as soft steps made their way to her bed.

"Can't sleep?" Even asked quietly, as he climbed up next to her.

It was a rhetorical question more than anything. Even already knew that she couldn't sleep, and he already knew why.

"No", Leia answered anyway. "I had the dream again."

"Of the boy and the Suns?" Even asked. Again, a rhetorical question.

"Yes", Leia still answered, again.

It was not a bad dream. It was a good dream, actually. Leia liked seeing the boy, his light hair, bleached in the rays of the two suns, his eyes, just as blue as the sky above the sea of desert around him. He was always radiant, even more than the suns, and every time Leia saw him, she felt warm, like she had been standing there with him.

But every time she opened her eyes after the dream, all she was left was the feeling of the heat leaving her body, and doing so, leaving her only with the cold sorrow of longing.

Even always knew when Leia had that dream. She was almost sure that he could see it too, every time she did. Just like they seemed to know each other's thoughts and feelings, like they were whispers only they could hear. Leia had never felt anything like that with anyone else, and she couldn't bear the thought of not having him in her life.

But still, it felt like-

It felt like she was missing something. Someone. Like there was a violently torn seam on her side where Even wasn't.

Even took her hand into his, and tugged it lightly. She scooted over to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. Even was already almost a full head taller than her, despite being several months younger. Leia didn't mind it too much, though. He reminded her of Papa and Buir more and more every single day, and she found it more comforting than anything else.

"You miss him", Even said.

"I do", Leia said. "I just- I have you."

It felt unfair, for both her and Even, for her to miss someone like that. He was her brother. It should've been enough.

"You do", Even said, calmly and patiently. He really was more like their parents, every single day, even like Mama. "It's alright. Buir has us, but he still misses his family, every single day. It doesn't mean he loves us less than he loves them."

That was true. Leia knew that the sadness and yearning she could feel coming from Buir wasn't because they weren't enough for him. They all occupied his heart just as much, but there were holes in it, holes that just weren't the right shape for Leia, or for Even, or even for Mama and Papa to fill back up. Leia understood that, but still-

"But Buir knows them", she said. "He misses them because he knows them. How can I miss someone I don't know so much?"

Even was quiet for a moment. Leia could feel him thinking, but for once, not the exact thoughts going through his head as he tried to figure out what to say to her.

"I think", he said, after a moment, "I think you do know him, already. Maybe you always have."

Leia's eyes burned.

"It's not fair", she whispered, trying her best to make the burning go away. It wasn't working, not that night. "It's not fair."

Even didn't admonish her, nor did he try and make it better by saying something to make her not sad. He just leaned down and pressed his forehead softly against Leia's, and let her pour her silent tears into the night.

[princesssarisa]

"Faerie Tale Theatre" Role Association: Seasons 1 through 3

To honor Shelley Duvall in a silly yet fun way, I decided to finally do what I've been meaning to for some time: play a complete game of Role Association for the characters of Faerie Tale Theatre.

That is, describing the story using the names of the actors' more famous characters. @thealmightyemprex and I once did this together, long ago. I thought I would try doing it myself now, starting with the show's first few seasons.

The Tale of the Frog Prince

The Genie is turned into a frog, and only a kiss from Inga can break the spell. Odo is Inga’s father, while Debbie Dunham and Kramer are Genie’s parents. Brave Sir Robin narrates.

Rumpelstiltskin

Wendy Torrence is ordered to spin straw into gold for Lots-O’-Huggin Bear after her father Sarge lies that she can. Tattoo agrees to spin it for her, but at a price.

Rapunzel

Olive Oyle is hidden away in a tower by her abusive foster mother Gloria Swenson, until she meets and falls in love with Prince Lir. Cornelius narrates.

The Nightingale

Ned Kelly is the Emperor of China, who learns the value of friendship from Hillary Whitney and a bird with the voice of Wendy Torrence. Commander Adama is the Prime Minister, while Harold, Iroh, and Mr. Wing are other members of the court.

Sleeping Beauty

Rita the Cat is cursed to die by Ellen Griswold, but Grandmama Addams softens the curse to a 100-year sleep, from which Superman’s kiss will wake her. Father Mulcahy and “Hot Lips” Houlihan are Rita’s parents.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Dave Stohler lives in poverty with his mother Jessica Tate, until Blinkin gives him magic beans that grow into a beanstalk, which leads him to the castle of gigantic couple Ted and Edith.

Little Red Riding Hood

Emily Hobbs goes into the forest to visit Grandma Gilmore and encounters Alex DeLarge, who sets out to prey on them both. The Mayor of San Francisco and Ida Sessions are Emily’s parents.

Hansel and Gretel

T.J. and Savannah are the children of poor woodcutter Wimpy, who get lost in the woods and are nearly cooked and eaten by Mrs. Potiphar.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Addie Loggins intrudes into the house of papa Mongo, mama Alma Cox, and their son Paco. Dick Solomon and Rosie are Addie’s parents and Randall Peltzer is a forest ranger.

The Princess and the Pea

Stephen Waltham falls in love with Sally Bowles, but to test her worthiness, his mother Dr. Lesh has her sleep on twenty mattresses with a pea beneath them. Dr. Jack Bardofsky is a court jester and Chris Hargensen is a mean-girl princess.

Pinocchio

Pee-Wee Herman is a puppet carved by Saul Bloom and brought to life by Maria Portokalos. Kramer and Rocko are two con artists who lead him astray, and Waternoose turns him into a donkey.

Thumbelina

Two-inch tall Princess Leia is stolen from her mother Berta and nearly forced to marry first Castor Oyle, then the Penguin, before finding true love with Tommy Ross.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Cora Crawley is taken in by seven dwarfs after fleeing from Julia, who wants to kill her because Nicholas Medina claims that Cora is more beautiful than she is. Eventually Julia poisons her, but in the end, she revives and marries Frederic.

Beauty and the Beast

Janet Weiss becomes the prisoner of Count Dracula and eventually learns to love him. Chief Hubbard is her father, while Morticia Addams and Helen Henny are her sisters.

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers

John Cage isn’t afraid of anything, so he spends three nights in Count Dooku’s haunted castle with the promise of marriage to Dooku’s daughter Max. Bob Cratchit is an innkeeper, Stu Pickles is a clergyman, and Frank Zappa is a hunchbacked servant.

[takadasaiko]

Find the word tag game

Rules are serach your WIPs for the assigned words and post a snippet. then pick four words and tag some writers to do the same!

Tagged by the lovely @illegalcerebral with the words: hope, ache, blood, and forever

Thank you, friend! This is such a fun game!

These are from A Flicker of Light and Burn the Worlds. Apologies, they're from chapters already posted because while I have been writing more lately, it's been on my original project.

Hope

Life was a funny thing. As a little girl, Snow wouldn't have dreamed that she'd go on so many adventures. Running for her life from the woman that had saved it once, learning to steal and fight and survive, falling in love…. She certainly wouldn't have been able to predict that the love of her life and she would have to put their newborn daughter into a magical cupboard to give her her best chance to survive a dark curse that was crashing down over them. She remembered holding onto Charming's far-too-still body, blood soaking his shirt, and all she had had was hope. Hope that Emma would save them twenty-eight years later. Hope that she would see them again. Hope that they could be a family.

Emma had come back for them, though far too early. The Blue Fairy wasn't able to give her an answer as to why the savior had come long before she was supposed to be there, other than the fact that she'd followed Rumplestiltskin's son to Storybrooke. They'd met out there in a world utterly foreign to those living in the cursed down, but the lead fairy had had few details to offer on why the Dark One's predictions had been off. She did, at least, seem to have at least some knowledge as to what had happened to get them to this point, and Snow had spent far longer than she'd meant to peppering her with questions on what had happened and what Magnus wanted with her daughter.

Ache

A groan escaped him as he sat up slowly, making special note of each twinge and ache, the most notable starting at the base of his skull and radiating upward. Carefully he rolled to his knees and then to his feet. So far, so good, not that it helped him gain his bearings at all. Instead he realized that his TIE fighter was the limit of his vision, the dark clouds that had appeared to make up the bizarrely uncharted, Mid-Rim planet cover the ground and sky like a deep, black fog.

Luke touched his fighter, finding it cold beneath his fingertips. There was no way to tell how long he'd been there or if Renz had even had time to send a search party for him. Dank farrik. That was humiliating. His first solo battle in command of the Aeres and he'd crash landed. If Mara heard about it - and she would - he'd never live it down. If Father did, then -

There was a rush of movement that he heard rather than felt, his connection to the Force still impossible to grasp.

Blood

"What about me?"

"You're going back to Magnus," Rumplestiltskin said from the entrance, drawing both of their attention. He was standing carefully, but at least he'd washed some of the blood away from his face. That helped tremendously.

"He'll kill me," August argued, and Neal's papa snorted.

"Not if he thinks you're useful, and you're going to make yourself indispensable to him."

"How?"

"Leave that to me," Rumplestiltskin said with a thin smile.

Forever

Leia followed. "She must be more than a friend if you're willing to risk asking her to come with you." He offered only a grunt in response and the petite woman at his side picked up her pace. "It's strange. Somehow I feel like I've known you forever, but then I realize that I know very little about you. It's good to know you have someone that you care about and that cares." There was a beat as they moved forward and he could feel her studying him. "Do you love her? I mean, are you able to?"

Luke turned a surprised look on her. "Why would I not be able to?"

"Isn't the whole thing about Siths that they only use the Dark Side?"

--

Let's go with forgive, trust, love, and family as the four words.

And no pressure tags to:

@nimata-beroya, @jedimordsith, @strivia, @exlibrisfangirl, @boasamishipper, and anyone else that'd like to join in!

[roosterscockpit]

Their First Halloween All Together | H.C |

This is within the same universe as my story 🥹❤️

Please let me know if you received/did not receive the notification that you’ve been tagged, thanks besties! 

click here to see the master list

Happy Halloween! Be safe! Check your candy, babes!! 🎃🫶🏼🍭

Bradley wakes up super early to go to the store to get a bunch of spooky decorations for the inside of the house.

Makes Leia and you a spooky basket full of everything you both love.

Decorates the kitchen area with skeletons, ghosts, spiders/spiderwebs, strings bat fairy lights all over and sets up all the Halloween activities.

Plays Nightmare Before Christmas as background noise. 

Cuts up a white bed sheet and drapes it over himself.

Runs into his sleeping daughter’s room and dumps a bucket of candy on her to wake her up

Jumps on her bed in his ghost costume until she wakes up. 

Cuts a white pillow cover for her to wear.

They stand in front of your door and look at each other. They nod in unison and Bradley swings the door open. They run into your room and scare the shit out of you. 

Makes both of you jack-o-lantern pancakes in the morning. 

Carves pumpkins with Leia. Bradley carves a ghost with aviators with a sick mustache. You help Leia and she carves a scary face with a mustache and names it spooky doddle-doo.

Bradley gives you your spooky basket. It has skeleton-printed socks, a Starbucks card, a squishy stress ball in the shape of a pumpkin, a cute pumpkin-headed teddy bear, a pumpkin cake pop, a pumpkin spice-scented candle, a wine glass that says, “I need more boos” and your favorite candy, a KitKat. But the king size with 16 pieces.

He gives Leia hers. It has cute jack-o-lantern spooky slides, a shirt that says “Creep it Real” with a skateboarding ghost, black and green striped socks, a pumpkin cake pop, an Oogie Boogie plushie, squishy toys in the shape of a skeleton head, a cat head, and a pumpkin, Halloween themed hair bows, and a bunch of different candies. 

Bradley runs to his bronco for another surprise. He comes in with matching pajamas for the three of you. They are mummy themed. Your’s says “Mummy”. Bradley’s says, “Dadcula.” Leia’s says, “Lil’ Monster.” 

You and Bradley decorate cookies with Leia. Leia makes a zombie pilot and says it looks like her papa Mav.

You all make cupcakes together. Bradley and Leia team up and throw flour at you. After you are done making them, Bradley feeds you one and smashes it into your face. Leia licks the icing off of your nose.

Bradley helps Leia dress into her costume. He adds the finishing touches and kisses her nose. “You look good, baby girl.” He steps back and admires his masterpiece, “Really good.” They nod in unison.

You dressed up as a vampire.

Bradley comes out into the living room wearing his flight suit. You admire how hot he looks.

“And I present to you… Mini Rooster!” He throws his hands to the side of him and out emerges Leia in a small version of Bradley’s flight suit. She’s wearing a fake mustache and a pair of Bradley’s aviators. 

Leia sings danger zone while you and Bradley die of laughter.

You and Bradley load the car with sleeping bags and the new pajamas Bradley got you all.

You and Bradley bring Leia to Penny’s house for her first house to get candy. Mav and Penny open the door and laugh hysterically. 

Mav wants to fit in so he goes and throws his flight suit on too. The three of them stand together to take pictures.

You and Penny die internally of a cuteness overload.

Leia finishes trick-or-treating and comes back with a Star Wars pillowcase full of treats. 

Bradley checks her candy and eats at least a quarter of it as he “checks.”

You all go to Mav's hangar for a Halloween party. 

You and Bradley bring out all the sweets you three made at home. Everyone goes after them.

The squad sees Leia and dies of laughter. They think it's the cutest thing ever. They all take turns taking pictures with her in Mav's P-51.

All of the dagger squad are dressed up as scary monsters for the haunted house Mav created for Leia and the other kids. 

Leia is the only kid not scared through the whole house. 

She says hi and gives hugs to all the dagger squad while she goes through. All of the other kids hide behind her.

When they reach the end, Mav opens the curtain to let them out.

Leia screams bloody murder. Mav is confused.

“Sorry Papa, you’re the scariest monster here.”

The squad members come out of their hiding spots and laugh at Mav.

Mav is just in his regular old flight suit.

Mav has a Halloween Party playlist playing and everyone is dancing. 

Thriller comes on and everyone dances. Bradley and Hangman lead the group. 

Leia shares her candy with everyone’s kids. 

Mav set up a bunch of games for the kids. The favorite one being ghost bowling. Rolling a pumpkin at a bunch of toilet paper rolls with ghost faces drawn on them.

Another being pin the spider on the web. 

The adults had a pumpkin carving contest. All the couples were pairs for teams. 

The winners were Cyclone and Davina ( @cycbaby​ ) for their drunk pumpkin throwing up. 

They won a Halloween-themed bath box. It had various bath bombs in the shape of a pumpkin, ghost, and skeleton. 

Cyclone gave Davina a devious look when they opened it. “We can use these later.” 

Bradley overheard and yelled, “Baby Typhoon underway!” Everyone joined in.

Cyclone winked over at Davina, “Halloween means spooky sex.”

Penny brought batches of Jell-O shots for a game of trick-or-treat shots. A bunch of Jell-O shots with 1 that actually had alcohol.

Whoever would get the one with alcohol had to get a pie pan of whipped cream to their face. 

Hangman and Bob were the unlucky ones. 

There was a spooky Photo Booth. Everyone crammed into it and took pictures.

Mav had a scrapbook outside the booth for everyone to glue a copy of their pictures and write something.

You, Bradley, and Leia took a picture and put it in Mav’s book. You were biting Bradley’s neck as Leia was mimicking a scream. 

Bradley wrote, “A pain in my neck.”

After the party, everyone changes from their costumes into Halloween-themed Pjs and set up their sleeping bags all around Mav’s hangar.

Mav pulls out the projector.

You, Bradley, and Leia change into your matching pajamas.

You all watch Halloween movies for the rest of the night. 

Tag List

@lonelywitchv2

@shakespear-picaso-lovechild

@emma8895eb

@beebslebobs

@creativitybeware

@peachiicherries

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@b-uckyreadss

@winterrebel04

@rosiahills22

@treblemakeronbase​

@multiple-fandoms-girl​

@inky-sun​

@carsgeek24​

@caitsymichelle13​

@justanothermagicalsara​

@shouldershimmycity​

@itsmytimetoodream​ @javden

@bregarc​

@shanimallina87

@bayisdying​

@smells-like-perfect-senses​

@teenwolf01 

@milestomaverick​

@minstens​

@luckyladycreator2​

@khaylin27​

@dynamo00​

@tallrock35​

@phantomxoxo​

@itsdesiree86​

@adaydreamaway08​

@devvbabyy​

@spookycookie​

@ts1mp0ne​

@secretsicanthideanymore​

@notanordinaryprincess95​

@mak-32​

@abaker74​

@rintheemolion​

@lexhalstead3​

@badasspizzalover​

@sarahsmi13s​

@mushy-mushroom04​

@hazeli410​

[qqueenofhades]

What do you think happened next for Third Sister? Why do you think Luke is taught to call Owen and Beru "uncle" and "aunt" vs. some version of "father" and "mother?" Do you think Luke would have behaved differently if he saw Owen and Beru as his adoptive parents and not aunt/uncle (as compared to Leia's relationship with the Organas)

Hope this keeps the rage-stroking at bay for a few hours...

I like to think that Reva left Tatooine, went into hiding on some remote planet for a while, faked her death, then re-emerged to join the resistance movements and Jedi-smuggling underground, where she used her intimate knowledge of Inquisitorial/Imperial secrets to be their most devastatingly effective operative. Then she met another ex-Jedi badass lady with an equally troubled past, they bonded over it, fell in love, got married, and became fascist-smashing awesome wives. The end.

As for Luke and the Larses, I think it's that Bail and Breha explicitly wanted to adopt a child as their own, whereas Owen and Beru were taking in their nephew. Bail and Breha likewise gave Leia their last name, whereas the Larses allowed Luke to stay a Skywalker. I think it's just what each couple wanted to do, and didn't fundamentally change how either child was raised. Clearly Owen and Beru told Luke at least something about his father, and that Owen was his stepbrother, whereas while Leia knew she was adopted, Breha and Bail were just treated as mom and dad directly.

I've always been a little annoyed that Luke sees Owen and Beru's dead bodies in ANH, is like "welp that sucks" and then never thinks about it again, lmao, but I don't think it changes anything about how he felt for them. Especially since we saw they were such papa and mama bear for him in episode 6, and that they didn't care if he was their nephew or their son, he was theirs and they fought with everything they had to keep him safe and give him an entirely normal childhood. We give Luke a lot of shit for flying his toy plane around and complaining about not being able to hang out with his friends at age 19, while Leia was a diplomat and a senator and running galaxy-saving missions, but.... that's what a 19-year-old should be worrying about? No offense to Bail, since I love him, but he raised Leia the whole time to take over his place in Alderaan and the Senate and become a rebel leader, while Owen and Beru just let Luke have a totally normal and well-adjusted childhood far away from all the Skywalker Nonsense. And for that, honestly, they deserve all the credit in the world.

[yorkieporkie]

Oh my gosh I love your art. The way you draw faces is fantastic! If you are still taking requests, perhaps leia with Luke or Vader?

Papa bear activated

(Thank you! I'm happy you love my work!!!!! :) ))

[astoldbychae]

He's got the whole world in his hands 💙

"Little Bear, just know you are so loved." 🧸

As we get a little sneaky peaky into Carmelo's camera roll, you'll notice quite a bit has changed. Monet's no longer pregnant and there is a new bundle of joy in the Giordano-Hollingsworth family. 🥺

Due to unforeseen circumstances their plans of a baby shower and baby moon were cut short. . .

Monet spent several weeks in the hospital leading up to babygirl's arrival and of course her big cuddle bear was there with her every step of the way.

Alleia Marsai (Uh-Lay-Yuh • Mar-Sigh) Hollingsworth aka Leia Bear aka Little Bear was born prematurely (27 weeks) at Terra Amorosa County Medical Center in Tartosa.

Shortly after giving birth Monet had a few postpartum complications which prevented her from visiting babygirl in the NICU for the first couple of weeks. Those weeks months were stressful nonetheless but He managed to stay by both his girl's sides until it was time for him to bring his babies home. 🥺

Fast forward to present day...and they've been inseparable...

He's an Early Bird (morning sim) and Leia LOVES wake up time. While Monet gets a few extra minutes hours of sleep, Papa makes sure little bear is fed, clean, and happy before heading off to work (or the gym, if it's his off day). Daddy sings to her all the time, just like he used to when she was in her mama's belly. Although he's got a bit of a deep raspy voice, it's calming enough to relax you and put you to sleep.

If he's not singing, he's definitely playing R&B or Soul. Somehow he managed to get "Blue" to play on Leia's crib mobile...and she's finally started sleeping through the night. Such a spoiled little stinker!

📌 The real story of why there was no celebratory baby moments: In a non-theatric series of events there was no baby shower or baby moon because I sorta-kinda-maybe forgot that I unpaused her pregnancy while I was playing with Penny's household. Came back in my game and boop, Melo was holding a newborn baby. After punching the air for several minutes, I decided to age lil miss up and test out some infant CC (because this was a "back up save")...Long story short, I sorta-kinda-most definitely fell in love with little bear and couldn't turn back the hands of time. Especially after seeing Mel autonomously care for her. Like He's literally such a W Dad, for real. 🥺

And after all that...girl now this man has THIS whim and I-

😩 Mama better watch out! It's officially Spring in game...so we're prepping for Love Day AND Mother's Day...I hope sis is back on birth control.

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

Your tags under the Bail Organa post made me cry. Exactly!! The man was too good. Adore Bail.

Idk if you've read The Clone Wars:Wild Space. Its an insanely fun read, and the story focuses on Kenobi and Bail. I had the time of my life reading it. And if you haven't read it, please give it a try. It gives you more insight into Bail.

Bail and Breha Organa deserve *all* the love. I always have the hardest time when I come across Papa Bear Vader content with Leia, because what about Actual Bestest Dad Bail Organa?

I have read it, yeah! I really liked it at the time, but now it's too fanfic-y for my tastes xD the whump galore and the characterization feel too self-indulgent at time, not to mention I don't feel like movie/TCW!Bail and movie/TCW!Obi-Wan would have to go through literal Hell together to start getting along. It's still a fun book though!

[desiraypark]

When the Sun Sleeps in Canto Bight [9]

Previous Entire Series

CHAPTER PLAYERS Kylo Ren Ruby Girard Solo Sanya Solo, Daughter of Kylo and Ruby (5) Ben “Little” Solo, Jr., Son of Kylo and Ruby (4) Aida Solo, Daughter of Kylo and Ruby (2) Leia Organa Solo, Kylo’s mother Sheev Palpatine, Leader of the Palpatine Gang Ap’lek, a Knight of Ren Cheap Restaurant Patron Girlfriend of the Cheap Restaurant Patron (imagine a Jean Harlow character) Flora Chauntaine, Evin’s Wife/Ruby’s Friend Threepio, Leia’s butler CHAPTER CONTENT Fluff; happy family; slight sexual reference; mild violence; disparaging comments.

The series now takes place in a setting that can be compared to a city in 1930s U.S.A. A depression is slightly referenced through consumers’ interest in music.

Ruby intently watched her reflection as she put finishing touches on her makeup. A pink satin dress with long, ruffled sleeves adorned her curves. Her lips were still as she applied lipstick, but they twitched and formed into a smile when she heard the giggles of children. Kylo thumped into the bedroom like a fairytale giant. Sanya and Little clung to his legs like koala bears, and Aida sat on his shoulders. “Please, be careful,” Ruby urged. “Please, be careful,” Kylo mocked. “You all hear your Mama?”

The children giggled, and Ruby whirled around. “Oh, you all think that’s funny, huh?” Ruby asked. She grabbed Sanya and tickled her ribs, causing the little girl to break out into a fit of giggles. Ruby turned her attention to Little, and he left his father’s leg to run around the room--making his parents’ plush bed his destination. “Little, what did your mama say about gettin’ on that bed?” Kylo’s voice boomed. He pulled the two-year-old off his shoulders and held her in his arms, as Little quickly kicked his shoes off. Sanya took her shoes off and hopped on the bed, as well. But Little was letting his guard down. Ruby used the moment to attack--taking his little foot into her hand and tickling it. The boy fell back and filled the room with a pained laugh. Kylo watched the scene play out--looking Ruby over in the process. He bit his lip at the sight of her round ass in the form-fitting dress. “I’ve got a mind to shoot another baby in you with that dress on,” he said. Ruby’s eyes widened. “Kylo!” she said through clenched teeth. “They don’t know what I’m talking about,” he said back. He kissed Aida on the cheek and put her down on the bed. Then, he took a seat behind Ruby and kissed her neck. “What are you all going to do tonight?” Ruby asked, looking at the kids but talking to Kylo. “I know what we’re gonna do, but it’s a secret,” Kylo answered. Sanya jumped up. “Ooh, tell us, Papa, pleeeeeease!”  “It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you!” Kylo said, giving her nose a little tap with his index finger. ____________________ “Grandma, Grandma, Grandma!” Sanya and Little shouted through the large foyer of Leia’s home. The little lady with the coiffed updo flew out of the study.

“There are my grandbabies!” she said, her voice husky and strong. 

She bent down and pulled the two into her arms. Kylo followed behind, holding a duffel bag and carrying Aida in his free arm. Leia stood up and snatched the youngest right from Kylo’s arms. 

“There she goes with those chubby cheeks!” she said. Aida grabbed Leia’s lapel and mumbled and blubbered something nonsensible. Then, Leia gave her a peck on the cheek. “Kids, go into the kitchen. Threepio has a surprise for you.” “Oooh!” Sanya and Little said. They ran toward the kitchen. “Stop that running!” Kylo shouted at them. Leia’s shoulders lifted, frightened by her son’s stern voice. The children slowed their pace. “Stars, Ben. They’re alright!” Leia mumbled. Kylo wiped some drool from Aida’s mouth with his thumb. “Funny, when I was a kid, you’d have my head for running through the house.”

Leia rolled her eyes. “The past is the past.” “What kind of surprise does Threepio have?” Kylo asked. “Some fresh baked cookies,” Leia said, beaming.  “They can have two. I just took them for burgers and shakes, they’re never gonna go to fuc--go to bed.” Kylo handed the duffel bag off to Leia. “I should be back in about an hour. Two hours tops.” 

Leia stared at him in awe.

“Good evening, Mom,” she said to herself. “Good evening, Ben. How are you? Oh, I’ve been fine. That’s great. Business is good on this end. What about you?”

“Good evening, Mom. I’m glad business is good,” Kylo said. He bowed mockingly. “Business will be better for me when I make my way to it.”

He kissed Aida on the forehead and uncharacteristically kissed Leia. Both of them froze at the display of affection but said nothing of it. Kylo swallowed and turned on his heels. “Thanks, Mom. Shouldn’t take more than an hour,” he said, rushing for the door. ____________________  

“Now, your mom, on the other hand--I have a great deal of respect for her. A lot of people folded--giving up their businesses for pennies. But your mother’s got that Organa blood in her. If you ask me, the Organas are a gang all on their own.” Kylo chuckled. “I’d have to agree with you on that.” Sheev Palpatine took puffs of his cigar on the other side of Kylo’s desk. “I don’t like to force people to fall in line with me. You make the offer appealing, they’ll fall soon enough. Especially when they’re in need.” Kylo nodded. “And the Organas have never been in need.” “Precisely.” Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Ap’lek opened the door. “Boss, there’s a customer who wants to meet the manager.” “For what?” Kylo asked, annoyed. “Didn’t like his food.” “Fuckin’ hell…” Kylo mumbled. “I think he’s just lookin’ for trouble, Boss…” Kylo rose from his seat. “I should be heading home, anyway,” Sheev said, also rising. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. Don’t forget--Trudgen and Cardo only. Through the flower shop, into the alley, and behind the bakery.”

“I won’t forget,” Kylo said. “Let me walk you out.”

Kylo and Sheev walked behind Ap’lek and into the recently upgraded dining area of The Garden Lounge. 

“I’ll be over in a minute,” he told Ap’lek. 

His eyes fell on a couple. The man looked to be his father’s age and of course, the woman he was dining with was young enough to be his daughter. She had platinum blonde hair in Marcel waves, was covered in diamonds, and wore a mink stole over her white satin dress. The man sat at the table with his arms folded. Kylo escorted Sheev to his car. Before Sheev climbed in, he held a finger up.

“Oh, by the way. Requests for Ruby’s records are going up,” he said.

“Are they now?” Kylo asked, a small smile forming on his face.

“Didn’t I tell you? You make something appealing enough--people will want it. If everyone thinks she’s tops, they’ll want to be associated with her,” Sheev said. He sat in his car, but Kylo held the door. “Now, wait, Sheev. You’re talkin’ like Ruby has no talent,” he said. “Like you’ve gotta force her on people.” “Oh, no, she is, talented Kylo. No mistake about it. But it’s like I told you before, her voice is too raw. Too powerful. People have been wanting music they can sip champagne and dance to--not drink whiskey and cry to.” Sheev started his engine. 

“But, with the way things are going now, I think people may be coming around. We’ll see.”

Sheev closed his door and waved goodbye to Kylo. Then, Kylo went back into the lounge and stopped at the troublesome table. The woman’s plate was empty, and her face was reddish--her lips pursed. The man’s plate was almost empty--some beef left on the bone; a corner of mashed potatoes left. “What’s the problem?” The man held up his check. “I just don’t think this was worth what I paid, buddy.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “But you ate the whole damn thing,” Kylo said. “Don’t get me wrong, it was okay, but it wasn’t worth this amount. I’d like a senior’s discount or something.” Kylo stared at the man, mulling over how to handle this. He looked at the plate again, then back into the man’s eyes. Then, he looked at the woman’s plate, and into her sapphire blues. 

“Did you enjoy your meal, ma’am?”

“I--” 

“It’s not about whether we enjoyed it or not,” the man said. He pointed at his date. “She could have made this for me herself for cheaper. This didn’t blow me away, at all.”

Kylo knocked the man’s plate into his lap. “Well, get her to make something for you next time.”

“Now, wait a minute!” the man shouted. He jumped up from his seat, but Kylo slapped him across the face, sending him back down on his butt. 

“Pay this ticket and get the fuck out,” Kylo said. He glanced at the woman, who was smirking. 

“I hope you find some more enjoyable company this evening, Miss.”

“As do I!” she agreed. Kylo walked back toward his office. 

“You’re always fuckin’ embarrassing me!” he heard the woman screeched.

Ap’lek watched the man pay the bill, then walked into the office, shaking his head.

“The things men do to impress new pussy,” Ap’lek said. 

“Do you got a pair of balls in your fuckin’ underwear, Ap’lek?” Kylo asked, lighting a cigarette. 

“Yeah, Boss,” Ap’lek answered, releasing air from his nostrils. “Why do you ask?”

“Don’t come in here like a little bitch askin’ me to take care of some fuckin’ table. Especially with Palpatine here. He already thinks you guys are fuckin’ useless.” Kylo blew a puff of smoke into the air. “My kids know how to handle a fuckin’ conflict with more fuckin’ brass than you. Get a fuckin’ grip.”

“Sorry, Boss,” Ap’lek said. He tipped his head in reverence. “I just didn’t want to create any trouble.”

“That fuckin’ prune wasn’t gonna be no trouble. He just wanted to get out of payin’ a bill. Use your fuckin’ common sense.”

“Yes, Boss.” “I’m gonna look over a few books, then I’m gettin’ the fuck outta here,” Kylo said, opening his desk drawer. “Yes, Sir...”

____________________

“It’s a shame you couldn’t stay for the after-party, Ruby,” Flora said. She stopped her car in front of the Ren house. 

“I know. I just miss my babies so much,” Ruby said. She looked up at the darkened house. “They’re all probably knocked out.”

Flora chuckled. “I’m sure my kiddos are, too.”

“I miss having you around, Ruby. All of that testosterone gets to be too much.” Ruby laughed.

“You know you don’t have to go to every engagement, Flo,” Ruby suggested in a sing-songy voice.

“Oh, you’re crazy!” 

Ruby threw her head back and let out another laugh. “You don’t trust Evin after all of these years?”

“Oh, I trust Evin. I don’t trust the boys. Or the chicks at the clubs. The only reason I drove you home is because I miss talking to you alone.”

Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled. “I think you should trust your husband, Flo. He loves you and wouldn’t dream of stepping out on you.”

“Yeah, sure, sure…” Flora said. She hugged Ruby. “Come record with us again,” she said, pulling away.

“I’ll try. I’m just so tied up with Sidious Records. I can’t record with anyone else right now.”

“How much longer are you contracted with them?”

“Two more years. Or until my records start to tank,” Ruby answered.

“Well, from the sounds of it, that’s gonna be a long time. Your records are always on the radio,” Flora said. Ruby smiled. 

“Yeah, it is nice to hear myself,” Ruby said, warmth befalling her. “Thanks for dropping me off. Get back to the club.” 

Ruby gave Flora one more hug before stepping out of the car and into the house. It was pitch black and eerily quiet. She walked up the stairs and peeked into the bedrooms. No Kylo, no kids. Ruby went back downstairs and grabbed the phone.

“CB West Information...” the switchboard operator said. 

“Hello, I’d like to be connected with PAR-1956.” “One moment, please.” Ruby fiddled with the phone cord. “This is Leia Organa’s residence, may I ask who is speaking?” “Hi, Threepio! This Ruby. Is Kylo there?” Ruby asked. “Good evening, Mrs. Ruby. No, he isn’t, but the children are. He dropped them off to attend an emergency meeting.”  “He did?”

“Yes, ma’am. Would you like them brought to you?” he asked.

“Um…” Ruby thought about it. “No, I’ll come to get them myself. I’ll be over soon.”

TAG LIST @aloneandsleepless​

@tsarinastorm​

@sister-winter73​

@clydes-hole​

[varpusvaras]

It takes them all a little adjusting. 

That first night, when they put Leia to bed, Bail looks at her a little hesitantly.

“Could you ask your Buir something?” He asks her, to which Leia rolls her eyes at him.

“Buir can hear you just fine”, she says, “it’s you who can’t hear him.” 

Bail blinks. Fox gives Leia a look. 

“That was not nice, Leia.” 

Leia turns to him, sheepish. 

“I’m sorry, Buir.” 

“Thank you. Now apologise to your Papa.” 

“I’m sorry, Papa.” 

“Thank you”, Bail says. He both sounds and looks somewhere between slightly confused and very amused. “Well, then. Fox, would you like to sit down with us later tonight?” 

Fox can’t help but smile.

“Of course”, he says. 

— — — 

Fox hums Leia to sleep. 

Then, when Bail and Breha walk out the bedroom, he follows them. 

They sit down on the couch in the living room, a little apart from each other, and Breha gestures at the space between them. 

Fox sits. 

There is a moment of hesitant silence. Bail and Breha look at the space between them where Fox is, and then at each other. There is something different in the way they now search for him with their eyes. It looks less like they’re trying to find him, and more like they are trying to draw the outlines of him in their minds, to make him properly fit into the space they have given him. 

Then, they talk. 

The Guard had given them his body after his death. His brothers had still held love high enough for him, even with the chips in their heads stripping them of the rest of their choices, that they had thought giving Fox away to be buried and remembered by the people who had welcomed him into their family was the kindest thing to do for him.

“We buried you in your armor”, Breha tells him. “You had told us before that there weren’t any strict customs for burials among your brothers, with how many of you died in so many different ways, but we thought that it was the closest thing we could do, to honor all of them as well.” 

She takes a moment before speaking again. 

“We buried you covered with the thickest blanket we had in the entire Palace”, she says, her eyes misting over. “It’s not really a custom for us, but we..I just couldn’t bear the thought of you being cold.” 

He is not. Fox has not been cold in a very, very long time now, and he thinks the him in the grave hasn’t been either. 

Bail continues after her. 

“We know we didn’t have the chance to get married before we lost you”, he says. “But that is still who you are to us, what place you hold here, even if it didn’t have the chance to come true while you were alive. You will always be part of this family. You will always be an Organa.” 

Fox should have not ever even doubted it, doubted his place with them, even when he is not there. 

He feels like a fool for ever doing so. 

They talk some more, about things that have happened between Fox’s death and this moment. It’s still not a proper conversation, and at some points, Fox feels a bit frustrated by his inability to say things back to them, but they are talking to him now. It’s the best thing he can get, he knows that. 

Then, there is another moment of hesitation, where Bail and Breha look at each other again.

Fox knows they are about to say something important. 

He just had no way to prepare himself for what they were about to tell him. 

“Leia is the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala”, Bail says, and Fox’s mind is thrown spiraling into a vortex. 

“She has a brother”, Breha continues, not giving Fox enough time to take it all in. “Obi-Wan is looking after him. They needed to be separated, so the Emperor wouldn’t find them.” 

That is the thing that makes Fox refocus quickly. 

He thinks of Sidious, his cruel eyes and sharp, cold smiles and laughs, of the cold, ravaging darkness of his mere presence. He thinks of his blade-like fingers wrapping around Leia’s small body and twisting her until there is nothing left to be recognised, and even in death, he feels fear seizing his heart like he is being shot through it. 

Then he thinks of the hulking, black mass of machine and man, the crushing pain long gone shooting through Fox’s body once again, and at that point, the realisation of what they had told him truly sets in. 

“Please”, Breha says, looking at Fox, looking at him so earnestly that once again, Fox almost thinks that she can truly see him there, even if it’s only inside her own mind. “Please, look after her.” 

She shouldn’t have to have even asked. 

For the longest time, Fox had thought that he was being punished, by having him walk amongst the living as an invisible shadow, being forced to see what his mistakes had brought upon the Galaxy. 

Not anymore. 

Fox now knows he is here because he has a duty to fulfill. 

He knows they can’t hear him. 

“I will”, he promises to them, still. 

He thinks they know, though, even without being able to hear him say it. Breha extends her hand to him and holds it steady, letting Fox hold on to it. Bail tilts his shoulder down a little, and Fox rests his head against it. 

They stay there like that for a long time.

— — — 

“Leia”, Fox calls to her the next morning. 

She looks up at him questioningly. 

There are a lot of things Fox could say to her, but she is still so young and so small, so he decides to just say one very simple thing. 

“I will always be here for you”, he tells her. “Remember that, alright?” 

She smiles at him. 

“I will”, she says, and then grabs his hand. “I love you, Buir.” 

Fox holds onto her hand. 

“I love you too”, he tells her.

— — — 

It takes them all a little adjusting. 

Sometimes Leia forgets that Bail and Breha cannot hear or see Fox, and she forgets to say the things Fox asks her to. Sometimes Bail and Breha will start to speak and then stop, and look at Leia for confirmation that Fox is still there and can hear what they are saying. 

Sometimes they still search for him where Fox is not, and there is an old grief etched into their eyes. 

Fox doesn’t think it will ever truly leave them.

Still, every now and then, they will hold out their hands and keep them steady, and Fox will hold onto them and run his thumb across their knuckles. Still, every now and then, after Fox has taken it upon himself to always stand at a particular spot at their side, they will lean towards him and whisper something that is meant only for him. 

Still, every night, after Fox has hummed Leia to sleep, they will make room for him on their bed, and Fox will lay down next to them, and he will press his head against their chests and listen to their heartbeats drumming on beneath their skin.

Still, Fox is there, and he is loved, even when he is gone. 

— — — 

Bail is looking at Leia. 

Leia is looking right back at him. 

Bail breaks first. 

“Leia”, he starts, gently, “I know that your lessons are not always the most…exciting, but you still cannot just leave them and go to the forest all by yourself.” 

Leia sticks her chin up defiantly. 

“I wasn’t all by myself”, she says. “Buir was there too.” 

Bail looks away from her to his left, where Fox is standing. 

Fox doesn’t even have to say anything, and Bail doesn’t even have to see him. 

“Why do I get the feeling that you didn’t really ask your Buir, and that he had no choice but to follow you?” Bail asks. 

Leia drops her chin. 

“He was still there, though”, she says, and Bail, with his soft heart for her, cannot help himself. 

He laughs.

“Of course he was”, he says. “He is always here. Now, come on. I’m afraid you still have to attend the rest of your lessons, young Lady.” 

He holds out his hand, and even though Leia pouts a little, she still grabs it. 

Bail doesn’t hold out his hand for Fox, because he and Breha both know by now that Fox has difficulties in holding onto them when they move. Instead, he bends his elbow, and Fox holds onto his arm, anchoring himself to him more securely so he doesn’t slip. 

It takes them all a little adjusting, but Fox knows they will get there, together. 

— — — 

Fox knows about the Rebellion. 

Of course he knows. He has been all over the Galaxy. It didn’t take long for the resistance against the Empire to rise. In fact, Fox thinks it had been there even before the Empire. 

He isn’t surprised when he hears about the clones leaving the Empire, either. He had known that it was always going to happen, one way or another. He had just thought that it would’ve been solely by the Empire tossing them out, after they had run their course with them. 

He is surprised, when one night Bail asks him to come sit with them, and in hushed tones, tells him that the chips have stopped working, that Fox’s brothers are themselves again, that they are ready to fight, once again. 

Fox goes to bed with them, and when they are both asleep, he leaves. 

He finds Cody alone, sitting in the hull of an old wreck of a ship, his armor painted grey and his head hanging low. 

Fox looks him in the eyes and sees nothing but regret. 

He reminds Fox of himself, and Fox hates that. 

“Cody”, he calls, and for the first time in a while, Fox grows angry about his voice not reaching him. “Cody!” 

Cody doesn’t hear him. Of course he doesn’t. 

Still, Fox grabs him by his shoulders and he shakes him, even though he doesn’t have the power to actually move him. 

“Get up!” Fox screams at him. “Get up! You are alive! You are alive and you can still fight! Get up! Get up and go fight!” 

Cody doesn’t move. Fox puts his hands into his hands and just screams some more. 

It helps a little, at least enough that when Fox lifts his head, he doesn’t feel like yelling anymore. 

It’s pointless, anyway. 

So is him taking Cody’s hands into his.

Fox still does it. 

“Cody”, he calls, again. “Cody, your General is alive. Kenobi is alive. You didn’t kill him. He is out there. If you won’t fight, at least go to him.” 

Fox knows that Cody cannot hear him. He tells him anyway.

That is all he can do, after all, and Fox has to do it, no matter what. 

Even though Cody cannot see him, even though he cannot hear Fox or feel him, Fox still presses his forehead against his and holds him.

— — — 

The Empire grows crueler. 

The Rebellion grows stronger. 

Leia grows up every single day. 

Every day, Fox fears for her more and more. 

He says it before he can even really think about it, and Leia does not let the idea go, once she has heard it. 

“Buir wants to teach me how to shoot”, she tells Bail and Breha over dinner. 

They both go still, and look at Leia for a moment, before they turn to look towards Fox, who is sitting next to Leia, on his regular spot, where before Leia, and now all of them, always pull out a chair for him. 

Fox sits there, silently. 

They both look like they want to argue, but end up not saying anything. 

After a while, Bail sighs. 

“We’ll talk about it later”, he says. “Fox, if you would please stay for a moment, when Leia goes to her practice?” 

Bail and Breha talk about it for a long time after Leia is gone, with Fox sitting between them as he always does. 

In the end, they say yes. 

Neither of them look happy about it.

Breha still holds out her hand, and Bail still tilts his shoulder down, like always.

— — — 

“Now, remember, it is not a toy”, Fox says. “I am teaching you how to use one so you can protect yourself, and that means that it can and will hurt others.” 

Leia is a smart kid. She is a little impulsive at times, and a little temperamental at others, but she is still smart and understands when something is serious. 

She is now listening to him with her complete attention, as Breha hands her a blaster. 

It’s a small blaster, a model that the army never used, most likely due to its size. Fox would’ve been able to lift it with two fingers.

“It’s heavy”, Leia still says. Her hands are just big enough to hold it securely. 

“You’re small”, Fox says. “Because of that, we need to work on your stance first, after we have gone through the safety protocols. What did I tell you about holding it?” 

“To always point it away from myself and others when I’m not aiming at anything”, Leia tells him obediently. “And to always keep the safety on, or have it set at stun at the very least.” 

She is currently pointing the barrel strictly towards the ground, even with the security on. 

She is a smart kid, and a fast learner. Fox also knows that she knows that if she doesn’t listen to him, it’s over instantly. 

Fox nods. 

“Good”, he says, and ruffles her hair. He doesn’t actually manage to truly mess it up, but some strands stick up slightly, like they have static to them. “Now, let’s see about that stance.” 

Leia doesn’t actually get to pull the trigger until at the very end of the hour Bail and Breha have given them for training. 

Still, she takes her stance, raises her blaster, and concentrates hard, her nose scrunching up at the effort, and even though she stumbles a little when the bolt leaves the muzzle, she still hits just a little to the side of the target.

Fox pats her on the shoulder. 

“Good job, Leili’ika”, he says.

Leia had been eyeing the target and the mark her bolt had made to the side of it with critical eyes, but at Fox’s words, she turns towards him. 

“Can I try again?” She asks. 

Fox looks at Breha, who holds up one finger. 

“One more”, Fox tells her. 

Leia shoots again. 

This time, she hits the left side of the target. 

When she turns back towards Fox again, she grins at him.

— — — 

“Buir”, Leia asks her that night, when she is just finishing her homework. “Can you tell me about the time when you were a kid?” 

“It’s not a happy story”, Fox warns her. 

“But it’s yours”, Leia says. “Please?” 

She looks at him pleadingly, making her eyes bigger on purpose, and Fox relents. 

Leia listens quietly the whole time as Fox speaks. 

“Where are your brothers now?” She asks at the end of it. 

“Many of them are gone”, Fox says. “Just like me.” 

Leia is quiet for a moment. 

“Do you miss them?” She asks then. 

“I do”, Fox answers. “Every day. They were my brothers.”

He thinks then of her brother, who is not there with her either, for the same reason Fox isn’t with his. 

Leia doesn’t say anything to that. Instead, she carefully puts her hand on top of Fox’s, and Fox laces their fingers together. 

— — — 

Leia takes her shooting practice very seriously. 

It is what Fox wants, of course, for her own safety, but there is something else in it now, as well. 

There is fire and determination etched into her now, and they burn brighter with every shot she takes that end up hitting closer and closer to the center of the target with every pull of the trigger. 

It makes Fox think of both Bail and Breha so much that every now and then, he thinks he is looking just a smaller version of them in front of him.

Bail is not home that night. He is still a Senator in the now Imperial Senate, and he is running a mission for the Rebellion at the same time, and both of those take him away from home more and more as of late. 

It’s just Fox and Breha sitting on the couch, with Breha holding out her hand for Fox, and Fox holding onto it. 

“Every single day”, Breha says, “she reminds me more and more of you. She is a soldier, just like you.” 

“No”, Fox says. “She is a fighter, just like you.” 

— — — 

Every day, Leia grows. 

Every day, Fox sees more and more of her birth parents in her as well. 

It is no secret to anyone on Alderaan that Leia is adopted. It has been a known fact that Breha is not capable of carrying children for decades, now. For as long as she has been alive, Leia has been the Princess of Alderaan, and that is all that matters. 

Still, the older she gets, the more pronounced their differences are. Leia has the same dark hair and eyes as Bail and Breha, and she is of similar stature as her mother, but otherwise, the outside differences are getting greater every single day. The shape of her eyes, the way her nose turns, the slope of her cheeks and chin are a mixture of people entirely different from the ones standing right next to her. 

Still, to Fox, everything else about her is entirely Bail and Breha, and that is all that should matter. 

Fox has never thought himself getting truly angry at a child, before, but when Leia’s cousin turns to look at her and tells her that she doesn’t look like an Organa, Fox momentarily wishes that he could smack the little brat at the back of his head. 

“You are not even an Organa yourself”, he mutters, just as Leia says that he doesn’t look like an Organa, either. 

Her cousin scoffs. 

“At least I look like my parents”, he says, before he runs off, like he is too scared to actually face the consequences of his actions. 

He is just a child, and children are many times stupid and don’t think about what they are saying. Fox knows this rationally.

Knowing it rationally doesn’t change the fact that he is pissed. 

He grabs Leia by her shoulders. 

“C’mon, Leili’ika”, he says. “He doesn’t know what he is talking about.” 

Leia follows him, but from the way her head keeps slightly turned down, Fox knows he didn’t get through to her. 

— — — 

Fox thinks that Leia is already asleep, when she cracks her eyes open. 

“Buir?” She whispers. 

“Yes?” Fox whispers right back. 

“Did you know my real parents?” 

Fox stops. 

He thinks of Padmé Amidala, her hair and eyes that are the exact shade that Leia’s are, the way she always strived for a better future, even when so many things kept pulling her to so many different directions. 

He thinks of the man clad in black and metal, the man with the power of killing people with only a twist of his hand. 

He thinks of Padmé Amidala again, who had the misfortune of loving someone who didn’t love her back just as much just for herself, and how that was what ended up killing her.

He looks at Leia, who looks back at him with her eyes still full of innocence, and he thinks of the hand that had killed him just the way it had killed her mother. 

“I think I knew of them”, Fox ends up saying. “I can’t be too sure.” 

It’s not actually a lie. In the end, Fox had not known either of them well enough to say that he truly knows what they were like. 

“Oh”, Leia says. She is clearly disappointed. 

“Leia”, Fox says. He softly runs his thumb over her cheek. “Listen to me when I tell you this. It doesn’t matter who they were. What matters is that they made you, and you are kind, brilliant, brave and beautiful. Things that you are, are the things that tell other people who you really are. And who you are, is an Organa, just like me.” 

Leia smiles, at last. It’s a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, but it’s still there. 

“Buir?” 

“Yes?” 

“Can you sing to me?” 

Fox smiles back at her. 

“Of course”, he says.

— — — 

Leia runs off to the forest. 

Fox can only follow her. 

“Leia”, he says, grabbing her at her shoulder. It slows her down, but only a little. “Leia, go back, now.” 

She doesn’t answer him, only continues to stomp forward on the path. 

“Leia.” Fox can still make himself sound like a Commander, if he wants to. Usually, he doesn’t. 

Leia stops, but she doesn’t turn around. She hangs her head, and Fox hears her sniffle. 

Fox immediately softens his voice again. 

“Leia”, he calls. “Leili’ika. My little heart.” 

“I’m trying”, Leia sniffs. “I’m trying, Buir. I’m trying so hard to be just like you.” 

“You are”, Fox says. He drops on his knee to wrap his arm around her better. “You are. Leia-” 

He hears the crack of a branch. Even though Fox served the entirety of the war on Coruscant, where trees were a thing of novelty, he still knows exactly how it sounds like when something breaks underneath a foot. 

Fox springs back to his feet and pushes Leia forwards. 

“Run!” He commands her, and then steers here to the side just as a figure rushes at her. The hands aiming for her miss her because of the sudden move, and then Leia is already running as fast as she can. 

It has been ten years since Fox died. He has had time to get used to all the limitations his current state has, and he has adapted to most of them. 

Still, he feels nothing but resentment for the fact that he cannot simply fight off the people coming after Leia, that he cannot simply pick her up and run away with her in his arms. 

He tries his best. He tells her where to run, what to look out for, and keeps steering her out of the way, to go through places that are small enough only for her. 

It’s not enough. Leia is still so small, and she can only run so fast for so long. 

She gets surrounded. 

She holds onto Fox’s hand so hard her knuckles have turned white. 

“Buir”, she calls for him, her voice small and scared. 

Fox holds her hand just as tight. 

“I’m here”, he tells her. “I’m here, I’m right here-” 

No matter how tightly they hold onto each other, it’s not enough. 

Her hand is ripped from his as one of the men grabs her and yanks her away. 

“Buir!” She cries. “Buir!”

Fox follows her as she is dragged away. 

“I’m here”, he tells her, because there is nothing else he can do. “I’m here.” 

— — — 

The men stuff Leia into the small cargo hold of their ship. 

She crawls into the furthest corner and sobs. 

Fox crawls in next to her and pulls her against him. 

“Shhh”, he shushes her. “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright. We both know that your Mama and Papa are going to be sending people for you the moment they know you’ve been taken.” 

“But how will they know?” Leia sobs quietly. “How will they know where they’re taking me?” 

Fox thinks for a moment.

It had not worked the last time, but…he has to try. 

He has to. 

“Listen to me”, he tells her. “I’m going to be gone for a moment. I’m going to try and tell someone your parents know and trust that you’ve been taken, and where you are. Then I’ll be right back.” 

She grabs onto him. 

“No, no, please”, she cries. “Please don’t leave me.” 

Somehow, even though Fox’s heart doesn’t even beat anymore, it still manages to somehow break. 

“I have to try”, he tells her. “I have to. I’ll be gone for just a moment. Don’t worry, I’ll always know where to find you. Now, sit tight, and list all the parts of your gun in your head. Once you are done, list all the parts of my armor. I’ll try to be back by then.” 

Leia sniffs. Then she nods. 

“Okay.” Fox presses a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.” 

He knows he has to try.

It still feels like he is ripping himself when he leaves. 

— — — 

Kenobi is still there where Fox left him, all those years ago. 

He looks even more weary, like the suns and the sand have been shaving him down, layer by layer. 

“General!” Fox calls. “General Kenobi!” 

He doesn’t turn to look. 

Fox doesn’t give up. 

“General Kenobi!” He marches right up to him, and grabs his arm. “I need your help. Please, General, it’s important. You need to help me.” 

Kenobi doesn’t hear him. 

Fox can’t give up. 

“General-” 

“You’re not supposed to be here.” 

Fox turns around. 

There is another man standing there, looking at them. He is tall, as tall as Bail is, if not even slightly taller, but he is built very different. He is lean and long, and reminds Fox of a long, thin-bladed sword. 

He might as well be one, if his robes, that look very much like the robes all the Jedi used to wear, are saying anything.

Fox doesn’t think he ever saw him, during the war. He thinks he would recognise him if he did, with the man’s height and the way he holds himself, with his stance relaxed but dangerous, and his long hair pulled back, betraying whatever image of a softer core he wants to portray. 

Fox glares at the man. 

“What?” He asks. 

The man doesn’t seem at all phased by the look Fox is giving him. 

“You’re not supposed to be here”, he repeats, calmly, and tilts his head, as if he is trying to get a better look at Fox. “I don’t sense anything particular in you.” 

He sounds mildly curious as he speaks, like Fox is a somewhat interesting puzzle he is contemplating of solving. 

Fox doesn’t have the time for any of it. 

“I don’t care”, he snarls. “I need to make him listen to me.”

“He will not”, the man says, still just as calmly. “He won’t even listen to me, and I’m his Master.” 

There are a million thoughts crossing each other inside Fox’s mind. Voices of his brothers, telling him whatever bits of information they had learned about their Jedi while on the field. 

Cody had talked a lot about Kenobi. 

He had mentioned Kenobi’s Master as well, once.

“You’re dead”, Fox says. 

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn shrugs. 

“So it seems”, he says, his mouth turning into a slight smile. “And it seems that so are you.” 

“So it seems”, Fox scoffs at him. “I died because the boy you dragged with you to Coruscant snapped my neck.” 

“Ah”, Jinn says. The smile disappears as quickly as it had appeared in the first place. “I see.” 

He doesn’t even have the decency to apologise. Whatever. Fox doesn’t have the time for any apologies, anyway. 

“Make him listen to you”, he tells Jinn. “You’re a Jedi.” 

“I have been trying”, Jinn tells him. “For a very long time, now. It has not worked.” 

“Why not?” Fox demands. “You’re both Jedi. I am not, and neither is my daughter, no matter whatever she has in her blood, and she has been able to see me since she was a baby.”

There’s another smile creeping on Jinn’s face. It’s too sad to be a real smile, though Fox doesn’t care whether it is one or not. 

What he cares about is getting Kenobi to listen so he can go and help Leia, since Fox can not. 

“I’m afraid his connection with the Force has been diminished greatly, as of late”, Jinn tells him. “He is simply not ready.” 

Fox’s blood, long since having stopped flowing, boils. 

“He is a Jedi!” His voice rises the longer he speaks. “His whole thing is having the Force! How can that suddenly be gone?”

Jinn looks Fox straight in the eyes, steady as ever. 

“Have you ever lost everything?” He asks Fox. 

“I am dead”, Fox tells him. “Have I not?” 

“You have your daughter”, Jinn says. “And she needs you, right now. I’m certain that her other father, the Prince Consort, is going to be here sooner than later. Obi-Wan will listen to him. You should go now.” 

If there is someone Fox trusts, it is Bail. 

“Very well then”, he says. Before he leaves, he gives one last look towards Kenobi. “If I have not lost everything, then neither has he.” 

If Jinn has something to say to that, Fox doesn’t stay long enough to hear it. 

— — — 

Fox sits back down next to Leia, who throws herself at him the moment she notices he is back. 

“Hey”, Fox says, and hugs her tightly. “It’s okay, I’m here now.” 

“I listed all the parts six times!” Leia proclaims angrily against Fox’s ribs. 

She sounds so much like Fox remembers himself having sounded like at her age, when he thought his brothers were being unfair, that Fox has to stifle a laugh. 

“I’m sorry”, he says, gently petting her hair. There are loose strands that have escaped from the braid on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, I know. I’m here now. You’ll be fine. I promise.” 

Leia lifts her head a bit to look at him. 

“You promise?” She asks. 

“I promise”, Fox says, because if there is one person in the entire Galaxy who he trusts with everything he has, it is Bail.

— — — 

“Leia.” Fox kneels in front of her, where she is standing at the far end of the cell. “Someone is coming to get you out of here. He is someone your Mama and Papa trust. I knew him during the War. You can trust him too.” 

Leia glances at the door warily. 

“Are you sure?” She asks quietly. 

“Yes”, Fox says. “He was a Jedi, once. He was your ba’vodu Cody’s General. You can trust him.” 

Leia nods, and braces herself, just as the door of the cell slides open, and Obi-Wan Kenobi comes in, with his hand outstretched towards her. 

Fox nudges her towards him, holding onto her other hand, as she grabs Kenobi’s with her other. 

— — — 

The city is on lockdown almost instantly. 

“Just a moment”, Fox tells Leia. “I’m going to have a look around.” 

Even if there are limits to what he can do, in many other cases, there are no limits. 

He is back in a blink of an eye. 

“Take a left there”, he points at an alley. “We should be able to get through there.” 

Leia nods at him, and tugs Kenobi’s hand. 

“Here”, she says, and is already marching off with Fox, forcing Kenobi to follow her. 

They manage to avoid the people looking for them that way, with Fox scouting ahead, and Leia forcing Kenobi to follow her. 

“How do you know where to go?” Kenobi asks, after the fifth right turn to dodge a group of mercenaries on their tail. 

Leia looks at Fox. Even though Fox knows that Kenobi cannot see him, he still feels strange as the man follows Leia’s eyes to him. 

Fox holds up his hand. 

“We don’t have the time for explanations right now”, he says. “C’mon. Right from here.” 

“Okay”, Leia says, which makes Kenobi frown and look harder where Fox is standing. His eyes are not able to focus on him, but they don’t stray too far either. 

“I’ll tell you later”, Leia says, and follows Fox, and Kenobi has no choice but to follow too. 

— — — 

They make it to a transport off of Daiyu. 

Kenobi doesn’t ask again, too shaken from the revelation that has been sprung upon him. 

Fox cannot blame him.

— — — 

Leia keeps looking at Kenobi every time he is not looking. Her nose scrunches up every time as she does so. 

“What is it?” Fox asks her. 

“Is he my real father?” Leia asks. 

“No”, Fox answers.

He wishes that he was. 

He doesn’t say that to Leia. 

— — — 

After they manage to avoid the outpost and the Stormtroopers there, Kenobi remembers his question again. 

“How do you know where to go?” He asks again, as their new transport flies them away. “How did you know that there would be Stormtroopers stationed there?” 

Leia looks up at Fox. Fox nods. 

“My Buir told me”, she says. 

Fox knows that Kenobi recognises the word. He has been on Mandalore enough for that. 

Kenobi frowns. 

“Your Buir?” He repeats. 

“He is always with me”, Leia says. “Only I can see him, though. It’s a little sad, sometimes, because Mama and Papa would like to see him as well.” 

“I’m not sure I follow”, Kenobi says. “Is your Buir…here, now?” 

“Of course he is”, Leia says. “He’s right here. He said that you knew him during the War.”

Kenobi blinks. 

“I knew him?” He asks. “...how is he here, now?” 

He sounds a little less confused than just a moment ago. Fox thinks that he knows something about how Fox is here. 

“He’s dead”, Leia says, and Kenobi doesn’t look at all surprised by that answer. 

“I’m sorry”, he still says. “How did I know your Buir?” 

“He said you were his brother’s General”, Leia says. 

Fox can see Kenobi think. He can also see when he realises who is there with them.

“I see”, he says. His eyes move up from Leia, to where Fox is sitting next to her. 

His eyes still can’t find Fox, but they are straying even less than before. 

“Hello, Commander Fox”, he says. 

There is a slight smile on his face, almost a wondrous one. 

“Hello, General Kenobi”, Fox says. “It’s nice to see you. Now, please get my daughter home, and then go to talk to your Master. He has been trying to talk to you for a while now.” 

Fox grins at the expression on Kenobi’s face when Leia repeats his words back to him.

— — —

Leia sleeps between Bail and Breha the first night back on Alderaan. 

Fox watches them for a while, after they have all fallen asleep, and then he leaves. 

Jinn doesn’t look at all surprised to see Fox again. 

“I suppose I need to thank you”, he says, when Fox comes to stand next to him. 

Fox looks at Kenobi, who is currently walking in and out of his house, with various tools in his hands Fox has no idea what they are used for. 

“I take that he can see you, now?” Fox asks. 

“Very much so”, Jinn says. “I have missed him.” 

Fox knows exactly what he means when he says that. 

“He still didn’t see me”, Fox says. 

“No, I didn’t think he would”, Jinn hums. “It seems that your situation is somewhat more unique than mine.” 

“I have gathered that much myself”, Fox says. 

He watches as Kenobi disappears inside his house and closes the door. 

“Can you give him a message for me?” He asks. 

“I don’t see why not”, Jinn says. 

“My brother is currently on Arvala-7”, Fox tells him. “Neither of them are suited to be living alone. Tell Kenobi to go get him.” 

Jinn smiles. 

“I shall relay the message”, he promises. “Thank you.”

“Thank you”, Fox says back to him, and returns to Alderaan. 

He lays down next to Bail, leans his forehead against his back, and closes his eyes. 

— — — 

Fox visits Tatooine again two weeks later. 

He watches as the door to Kenobi’s house opens, and Kenobi steps out, with Cody following him. 

They are both smiling as they talk, and Fox thinks Kenobi looks years younger than he did when Fox saw him the last time. 

Jinn is there, too, like he always is. He nods at Fox, and Fox nods back at him. 

Then Fox goes back home.

Fox is being punished. 

That has to be it. He had been a bad Commander, a bad soldier, a bad brother. All he had ever done had been mistakes, one after the other, leading up to his miserable end. 

But even after that, even after his body had been broken, even after he had had to lay there, in pain and numb, slowly choking out because no matter how much he had wanted to, his lungs would not draw in another breath. The only mercy he had been granted there had been the fact that he had lost consciousness before the end had actually arrived, so he had not had to actually see it. 

Fox had known when the end had come, though. There had been a flash of something, a landscape of rivers and lights he had fallen through, all the way back towards the hard ground beneath him. 

Then, he had stood there, watching himself laying on that hard ground, unmoving and cold. 

Fox had watched as his men had gathered around him, how they tried to find a pulse, even though Fox himself could tell it had been too late just by looking at himself. He had looked like a doll that had been played too harshly with, and then left behind, once his owner had grown bored with him. 

Fox had watched as his men had gathered his body and covered it, despite the fact that he had still had his entire armor on. He had watched them carry it away. 

Fox had not followed them. 

He knows what happens to all the bodies already. 

He did…he did not want to see himself go through it. 

It is selfish of him, he knows. He should’ve followed them, should’ve watched himself burn, like all of his brothers before him, who had been fortunate enough to make it back. It shouldn’t have mattered. 

He is already dead, after all. 

Still, he had not followed them. Instead, he just continues to stand there, at the foot of the Temple, where he had taken his last breath. 

He had thought he would see his brothers again. 

He had thought that he would finally get to apologise to Thorn. He had thought that Thorn would throw his arm around his shoulders and call him stupid for thinking that he had something to apologise for. 

He had thought that he would get to run to Ponds’s arms again. He had thought he would get to be held, and his older brother, always forgiving, would tell him that he still loved him, no matter what. 

Fox stares at the ground, where his body had fallen. 

It seems that once again, he had thought he deserved more than he was ever meant to. 

— — — 

Fox is being punished. 

That has to be it. He is being punished for all his failures, by having him witness the same things happen over and over again, but this time, he is even more helpless than ever before. 

He watches as his brothers continue to die. He watches as bolts that he could’ve warned them about hit them over and over again, because his voice doesn’t carry anymore.

He watches as his brothers continue to lose themselves, pulling the triggers of their blasters over and over again, because his hands are as much nothing as the air around them is. 

He watches as the Galaxy continues to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness. 

He watches it all, and he knows it is his fault. 

— — — 

Fox thinks about visiting Alderaan, sometimes. 

He misses it. It’s weird. He misses a place that he has never been to. He misses a place that was never his home, and never would be. 

He misses- 

Fox pushes the thought away from his mind, frightened of the possibility of what will happen if he thinks about it, thinks about them too much. He is not tied to the laws of regular travelling of the Universe anymore, and he is afraid that if he thinks too much, the next thing he knows, he will be standing there, looking right at them. 

He can’t do that. 

— — — 

Fox watches Bly die. 

His screams don’t reach him before he is gone, and they don’t reach him after. 

— — — 

Fox watches Stone die. 

He screams, again, even though he knows it’s pointless. He screams at him, orders him to get up, orders him not to leave Thire alone to this place. 

Stone doesn’t hear him. He dies, bleeding out in front of Fox, his blood flowing through Fox’s hands, no matter how hard Fox tries to hold it all in. 

— — — 

Fox watches his brothers die. 

He still tries, for some reason. Tries to hold them, tries to keep them from falling apart, tries to tell them they aren’t alone as they fade. 

He tries, because he has to. Because he didn’t try hard enough when he still had the chance. 

— — — 

He thinks of Rex a lot, whenever he sits by one of his brothers during their last moments. 

He thinks of Rex and the ARC Trooper in Rex’s arms and with a hole in his chest, and he sees himself holding the weapon. 

Fox is being punished. 

— — — 

Fox watches his brothers die. 

He stays with them until the end. 

All of them leave Fox after. 

— — — 

Fox surrounds himself with his brothers. 

He sits there, among them, the living and the dead. He listens to their voices, he watches their faces, he searches their eyes for recognition as they look towards him. 

It never comes. They can only look towards Fox, but not at him. 

Fox doesn’t know if he even wants them to see him. 

He doesn’t want them to leave him. 

He closes his eyes and listens to his brothers’ voices.

— — — 

Fox watches Wolffe. 

He follows him around as he goes across the Galaxy, and closes his eyes whenever he pulls the trigger. 

Fox watches Cody. 

He follows him around as he goes across the Galaxy, and holds his hand whenever he pulls the trigger. 

Fox watches them destroy themselves, and all he can do is cry silent, invisible tears. 

— — — 

Fox watches his brothers die. 

As he sits there, in a pool of blood that cannot stain him any further, he knows that he is being punished. 

He can’t take it anymore. 

Fox is being punished, and there is no place left for him that won’t hurt him further. 

He still goes, wishing for the reprieve of a different kind of pain. 

— — — 

The sun is setting when Fox arrives to Alderaan. 

He stands there, at the gates to the Palace, and watches the sun disappear behind the mountains and paint the sky with the colors of the warmth he can not feel anymore. 

He only has enough courage to enter through the gates once the sky has begun to turn dark. 

He remembers the stories Bail and Breha had told him. He remembers the terraces Bail had told him about, the ones where he would sit with Breha whenever he was back home. He remembers the halls Bail had described to him, the ones where he and Breha would dance in when they had the time, when they had a moment just for themselves to enjoy. 

He remembers the corridors and hallways Breha had told him about, the ones she had grown up running through, her shoes forgotten in the haste of seeing the ships leave in the morning. 

With the stories playing in his mind, he wanders through the Palace, all the way to the living rooms of the Queen and her Consort. 

Fox can hear them, through the door. He recognises the low, gentle sway of Bail’s voice, and he knows the melody of Breha’s voice as she speaks. 

He stands there, outside their door, and listens to them speak words he cannot make out. 

Bail says something. Breha laughs. 

Fox smiles. His tears don’t burn his eyes anymore. 

He sits on the floor and leans against their door, and he listens. 

— — — 

When the morning comes, Fox hides. 

He’s not hiding because he fears they will see him. He knows painfully well by now that he is invisible to the Galaxy as it is now. 

No, he hides, so that he can’t see them. 

So it goes. Fox hides in the halls and rooms of the Palace, living as a shadow in the house that was never his home, and he listens to the voices of the people he had once hoped would be his home. 

He knows the sound of Bail’s footsteps already, and he quickly learns Breha’s as well. Sometimes, he catches a glimpse of them, and he averts his eyes, no matter how much he wants to do nothing else than just look at them. 

There’s pain waiting for him in their faces, and there is pain here, where he doesn’t see them. 

Fox is being punished, after all. 

When the night falls, he sits by their door and listens to them talk. 

Bail says something. Breha laughs. 

There is silence. 

Breha cries. 

It’s an awful sound. 

Fox thinks that it’s his fault.

— — — 

Breha is not back to the Palace yet. 

Fox still sits in front of their door, even though there is no conversation going on on the other side. 

It’s silent, for a long while, but then there is noise. 

Bail is crying. 

It’s an awful sound. 

Fox thinks it’s his fault, too. 

After all, had he not ruined everything that Bail had worked so long for?

— — — 

They have a child, now. 

It’s impossible for Fox to not know that. Everyone around him is talking about her. 

The little Princess of Alderaan. 

Fox knows that they always wanted children. They talked about it often. So often, that sometimes, when Fox had been foolish enough for a moment, he had imagined a little girl himself, a little girl with dark eyes and dark hair, with a toothy smile and bright laugh. 

A little girl, just for them. 

He’s happy for them. He really is. He knows how much they wanted to have a child. A little girl, just for them. 

Fox had always known that he had been nothing more than a pawn on the board of war. 

Somehow, there is still a new pain to be found, from the realisation that the Galaxy and the lives in it would continue to move forward even without him. 

They have a child, now. A little girl, just for them, like it had been before Fox, and how it is now without him. 

— — — 

The little Princess has not been sleeping properly, lately. 

Fox doesn’t know a lot about babies, but he has heard some say that it is quite normal for them to sometimes go through periods where they seem to be doing nothing more than cry, day and night. 

The little Princess has certainly been doing that for the past week. 

Her cries always start the same. First as a few hiccups, that will eventually grow to sobs, and then to loud, demanding and shrill screams, that will go and and on, before she grows tired, and her little voice becomes hoarse, until she has the energy to just whimper. 

Fox hates the sound. He hates every second of every part of it. 

There is a need inside of him. A need that tells him that he must stand up, that he must walk through the door, that he must take the child and soothe her until she stops crying, that he must do so until she is happy again. 

He wonders if this was what the Prime felt like when he had been given his son. 

The little Princess cries. Fox listens to it, his teeth drawing blood that will not flow from his lip as he bites down on it, in order to keep himself composed. Breha and Bail sound both exhausted, as far as Fox can hear through the door, but still, they carry on, trying their best to soothe their daughter, as she continues to cry. 

Eventually, a silence falls. 

It draws on, far longer than it has in many days. 

Fox listens to it for a while, until it becomes simply too much. For a week, he has been holding himself together, and now, during a moment of peace, he has run out of any patience he had still had left.

He stands, and moves into the rooms on the other side of the door. 

He moves slowly and quietly through the dark living room. It feels appropriate, still, even though he makes no sound anymore for anyone to hear. He glances at the marks of a long life together, a life that he was just a small, brief moment in, and makes his way to the bedroom. 

Fox does hesitate for a long moment before he actually steps in. It feels like he is intruding, no matter how many times there had been promises, promises of this place, promises for his place exactly here. After all, those promises had never been able to come through, all because of Fox himself. There is no place for him here, anymore. 

Bail and Breha are both asleep. Fox can see them lay on the bed, turned towards each other in their slumber. Breha is curled against Bail, and Bail is curled around her, his back to Fox, like he is protecting her. 

Fox finally looks at them properly, now that they have their eyes closed. 

He feels like a stranger, stumbling upon a picture of a perfect life. It has been a while since he has wished for anything else than the final mercy of true death be granted upon him, but now, there is a longing for a life inside of him, burning him cold. 

He stands there and he longs, longs for two things he cannot have at the same time. 

Fox is being punished. 

There is a small, dim light on at the nightstand on the other side of the bed, and next to it, is a small cot. 

Fox tiptoes around the bed, and he slowly, so slowly and carefully, makes his way to the cot and looks in. 

She is sleeping there, the little Princess of Alderaan. She has a round face and small body, and tiny arms and legs with even tinier hands and feet. 

There is a tuft of brown hair on top of her head. 

Fox has a feeling that if her eyes were open, he would see that they were also dark. 

A little girl, with dark eyes and brown hair. 

A little girl, just for them. 

There she is, just like Fox had imagined her. 

There she is, now that Fox is not. 

She makes little sounds when she sleeps. Tiny gasps and soft sniffles, and even tinier whines every now and then as she shifts around a bit, her eyelids fluttering for a second before she settles back down. 

Fox cannot look away. 

He stands there, looking at her, at her round cheeks and tiny nose, at the tiny shadows her little eyelashes are casting on her skin, at the way her hair is longer at her forehead and curls ever so slightly towards the left side of her head. 

She whines a little, then again, a little louder. Breha shifts a little on the bed behind Fox. 

She needs her rest. 

Fox knows it doesn’t matter, but he hums. 

There hadn’t been any songs for them when Fox had been little. No lullabies or nursery rhymes. The only songs that had been sung to them had been the endless melodies of the ocean and its waves, and the songs of war, of bravery and brotherhood. 

None of them are suitable to be sung to a little Princess in the dead of the night, to lull her back to sleep. 

It’s a good thing, then, that she cannot hear him. 

Still, despite all of this, Fox hums the song to her, the song of his brothers and their hearts. He hums the song over and over again, with his voice that cannot tire anymore, as it is as soundless as it was eternal. 

The whines stop. She squirms around a bit, before she settles again, and stays there for the rest of the night. 

Fox flees when the morning comes and he hears Bail awaken. 

— — — 

Now that Fox has given a part of himself, he cannot take it back anymore. 

He goes in the next night, stands there next to the cot and looks at the little Princess, and he hums the song for her. She sleeps through night after night. 

Fox knows he is only deluding himself in thinking he is actually helping in any way. 

He still leaves every morning. 

— — — 

Babies grow fast. 

Fox notices it all by himself without anyone having to tell him. She seems to get bigger after every week. 

Leia. The little Princess. A little girl, just for them. 

She is five months now, Fox had heard Breha mention it the day before. 

Fox realises that she must’ve been born right after the Rise of the Empire. 

It feels like it has been a lot longer than that. 

— — — 

Fox hums. Leia had fallen asleep an hour ago, so it was still early into the night. Bail and Breha were also in the bed already, trying to catch as much sleep as they could. 

Fox had really thought they were asleep. 

Until he hears a quiet, choked sob. 

Bail pushes himself up instantly at the sound. Even though Fox could disappear instantly from where he stood, his mind had stopped working for a moment right then, and it’s already too late when the thought to do so finally crosses him.

“Breha?” Bail murmurs. 

Breha doesn’t answer instantly. Fox hears her draw in a deep breath that comes out accompanied by another sob. 

“I-” She says, and tries to breathe in deep again, but her voice just wavers more when she speaks after it. “I miss him. I miss him so much. He was supposed to be here.”

“I know”, Bail says. “I know. I miss him too.” 

Breha buries her face into Bail’s chest and cries.

“He was supposed to be here”, she sobs, digging a hot, burning blade of pain deeper into Fox’s chest with every noise. “He was supposed to be here, with us.” 

It takes Fox a moment to realise that they are talking about him.

He looks Bail in the eyes properly for the first time since before his death. 

They are full of tears, already making their way down his face, steadily and quietly as he holds Breha through her cries, steadfast and strong as always. 

Fox remembers how much he loves them again. 

He wants so badly to reach for them in that moment, he wants so badly for them to see him, to hear him, like he is still there. 

But he is not there.

He continues humming, through his own, quiet and weightless tears, and Leia sleeps through the night. 

— — — 

Fox stays when the morning comes. 

He cannot look away from them anymore, either. So he watches as they dress themselves and then dress Leia, and he follows them when they walk out of the Palace and through the gardens, down the hill and to a smaller garden, away from the main one at the central courtyard. 

Fox didn’t remember either of them ever mentioning it to him. They had both talked so much about all the plants and flowers of the Palace in detail when Fox had asked, in wonder of having living things in such abundance all around, even indoors. 

The little garden looks new, as Fox takes a better look at it. The stones around the flowerbeds have no weather to them yet, and the ground on which the flowers themselves stand is dark and loose and looks like it has just been placed there. 

There are young trees at the center of the garden, their blooming branches arching over white stones in the middle. 

It takes a Fox a moment to realise that it’s a grave. 

There are some petals that have fallen on the stone in the middle. Bail sweeps them away, before resting his hand on top of the stone. 

“Good morning, our love”, he says, and with air that he doesn’t need to breathe stuck inside his throat, Fox reads the writing on the stone. 

Where he lives now is in our hearts

Eternal, everlasting

Like love

Fox Organa

Remembered and lived by his wife, husband and daughter

Oh. 

Fox had thought- he had thought- 

Breha takes Leia’s little hand to hers, and she presses both it and her own hand on top of the stone as well. 

“Good morning, love”, she says. “Say good morning, Buir.”

Leia is five months old. Fox knows that she is too young to know how to speak yet. 

Still, she babbles happily, her little fingers curling against the stone, and Fox-

Fox stands beside his own grave and cries. 

— — — 

He looks at Leia that night as she sleeps. He looks at her round cheeks and tiny nose, her dark hair and tiny hands and feet, the way her chin is shaped and the way her mouth curves. 

He looks at her, and hums a song for her, to their little Princess. To their little girl, a little girl who is just for them. 

Fox sits on the edge of the bed once Bail and Breha are both asleep, and he feels like he somehow belongs, even though he is not there. 

— — — 

Leia is six months old. 

She is still rather small, as far as Fox has understood, but Bail and Breha are not worried by that. Fox trusts that they have a good reason. 

He is sitting on his spot on the edge of the bed, humming the song, as Leia suddenly scrunches her face, looking very much like she is about to cry. 

Fox stands up in a hurry and leans over the cot. 

“Shhh”, he hushes. “Shhh, it’s alright, it’s alright.” 

He only realises that he is trying for nothing, like all the times before, after he has already said the words. 

Indeed, Leia does open her eyes, her face still scrunched up and her mouth drawn tightly, and she blinks rapidly, and- 

She looks up, her dark eyes locking in on Fox’s. 

Fox freezes. 

No. No, she is not looking at him, he reminds himself. She cannot see him, since he is not actually there-

Leia’s face relaxes as she continues staring at him. Her mouth goes lax for a moment, and then it curls into a toothy smile, and she reaches her hands towards him. 

Fox cannot help it. Readying himself for inevitable disappointment, he reaches his hand into the cot. 

Leia’s hands reach for his. First they don’t seem to be able to grasp on anything, but then, all of a sudden, they curl around Fox’s thumb. It feels like there is static between them, as a layer on Fox’s skin, but he can still feel the pressure and a hint of warmth through it. 

Leia looks at him, and smiles. 

Fox smiles back, wavering and on the edge of tears yet again, but he smiles back at her. 

“That’s right”, he says. “It’s alright. Buir is here.” 

Leia falls back asleep that night holding onto Fox’s hand. 

— — — 

There are limits to what Fox can do. 

He cannot lift Leia up properly. He can put his hands under her and lift her maybe half an inch for a second or maybe two, at max. The static feeling is always there whenever she touches him, but Fox can let her hold onto him, and he can lightly brush her head to soothe her. Leia giggles every time Fox runs his finger down the bridge of her nose. 

Fox has no other option than to exist with the fact that there is one person in the whole Galaxy who can see him. 

He cannot touch her as much when she is being held by someone else. He cannot pry her away from Breha or Bail, not that Fox even wants to. 

Breha is holding her on her shoulder as she mixes her a bottle. Leia is a little fussy, hunger making her impatient. 

Fox calls to her, and when Leia looks up at him, he sticks his tongue out at her. 

The fussiness and the hunger are completely forgotten. Leia laughs and clumsily claps her hands together. She shrieks out a louder laugh as Fox does it again. 

Breha turns, and looks around the room. There is still a bang of loss in Fox’s chest as her eyes pass right by him. 

“Something caught your eye?” Breha asks. She is smiling as she looks at Leia, and Fox loves her immensely. 

— — —

Bail stands next to Fox at Leia’s cot. 

Fox had always leaned against him whenever they had stood this close to each other. It had been a habit, born from the fact that Fox had always run cold while Bail had always run warm. 

Fox misses that warmth. 

Bail looks at Leia, who stares right back at him. 

“The last time I checked”, Bail says slowly. “It was way past the bedtime for little Princesses.” 

Leia only grins at Bail, who looks extremely dejected. Fox cannot help but laugh a little. 

Leia’s eyes move to Fox, and she laughs back at him. 

Bail frowns, and turns to look. For a moment, it feels like he is looking straight at Fox, but his eyes never stop searching. 

Fox wants to just lean forward and fall against him. 

He stays put, until Bail’s eyes turn away. 

— — — 

Leia stands up against the couch. 

Carefully, she lets go of it. She looks at Breha, who is sitting just a few meters away from them, and then she looks at Fox, who is sitting on the couch. 

Fox smiles at her. 

“Go on”, he says. “Go on, Leili’ika, you can do it.” 

“Come on”, Breha says, extending her arms towards Leia. “Come on, you can do it!” 

Leia takes one, hesitant step away from the couch. Then another, and another, until she has made it to Breha, who catches her in a hug. 

“There you go!” Breha laughs, and kisses Leia’s cheeks. “There you go, I knew you could do it!” 

Leia giggles, and then looks over at Fox. 

Fox claps his hands. 

“Good job!” He says. Breha puts Leia back down, and Leia turns around, and makes her way towards him with small, wavering steps. She grabs at the couch right in front of Fox, and looks up at him, with a wide, toothy smile. 

Fox glances at Breha.

Breha is looking at Leia, but slowly, her eyes move up, following Leia’s gaze. 

She doesn’t see him, but she keeps looking, almost like she is expecting to see something there. 

She is not smiling anymore. Fox swallows, and turns to look back at Leia. 

Leia is still smiling, and Fox quickly smiles back at her. 

“Good job”, he says again, and runs his thumb over her cheek. “Good job, Leia.” 

Leia giggles again. Breha is still looking when Fox looks back at her. 

— — — 

“Sometimes, it just…” Breha trails off. “....it just seems like she’s really seeing something we’re not.” 

“I know”, Bail says. “But…she always looks happy, correct?” 

Breha nods. 

“Yes”, she answers, and then pauses. “...do you think it’s because of…” 

Bail takes her hand into his. 

“Maybe”, he says, almost whispering. “Maybe. Though I…I cannot imagine what she is seeing. I’ve never heard of anything like this. Obi-Wan or Master Yoda could know, perhaps, but…” 

He cuts himself off, and shakes his head. 

“It’s too dangerous”, he says. 

Fox stares at his hands as he listens to them speak, his mind trying to catch up with what had just been said. 

They aren't all gone. The Jedi are not all gone. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi is alive.

— — — 

Fox goes to see Kenobi that night, after Leia has fallen asleep. 

It’s the middle of the day there, with two suns blaring down on the desert. Fox finds Kenobi easily enough. 

He looks like he has aged several years in just a span of one.

Fox cannot blame him. 

He watches Kenobi for a while, looking for any sign that he can see Fox. 

When none come, Fox steps closer. 

“General?” He calls. “General Kenobi?” 

Nothing. 

Fox tries not to feel disappointed. 

There’s a strange feeling then, like he is being watched. Fox turns around. 

No one around him is looking at him. 

— — — 

Fox goes to visit Cody after. 

He watches as Cody cleans his blaster, just like he always does. He looks like he usually does as well, with his helmet off, and his brows creased in a gentle, concentrated frown. 

Fox wonders what Cody would do, if Fox could tell him that Kenobi is alive. 

Perhaps it’s for the best that he can’t.

Fox returns to Alderaan, and sits on the edge of the bed. Leia makes a sound, and he hums her song to her to settle her back to sleep.

— — — 

Kids are fast. 

Much faster than they have any right to be. Leia especially, because she is still tiny.

“Leia!” Bail calls after her, as she speeds off. “Leia, slow down!” 

Fox can move a lot faster than anyone else. In less than a blink of an eye, he is in front of her, and she hastily slows herself down to a stop. 

“You heard your papa”, Fox says. “Slow down.” 

Leia has the gall to pout at him. 

Bail has now caught up to her as well, and he scoops her up. 

“What are you pouting at?” He asks her, tickling her stomach lightly. 

Leia laughs.

“Buir!” She giggles, which makes Bail stop immediately. 

He looks at Leia, looking a bit confused for a moment, and then glances towards the small garden. 

“Do you want to go see Buir?” He asks her. 

Leia turns to look back at Fox. 

“Buir”, she says. 

Bail doesn’t notice her looking, because he just nods, and starts to make his way towards the garden. Fox decides it’s for the best if he follows them. 

Bail puts her back down on the ground in front of the grave. 

“There we go”, he murmurs. “Say hello to Buir.” 

Leia frowns at the stone, and then looks at Fox. 

“Buir”, she says. She sounds rather confused now. 

Bail looks at her, and then up, straight at Fox but straight past him.

Fox makes himself smile at Leia. 

“It’s okay”, he says. He brushes his hand across the top of her head. “It’s okay, Leili’ika. Buir is right here.” 

Leia looks at him, and then reaches her hand.

“Buir”, she says. 

Fox lets her grab onto his hand. He watches as Bail looks at him, still straight past him, with a lost look full of grief in his eyes. 

Once again, Fox wishes nothing more than to be able to speak to him, make him see, make him hear him, so Fox could tell him that he is right there. 

But he cannot. 

Because even when Fox has found his place, even when Fox has found happiness, even when Fox has found a home, even when he has been granted a reason to be here. 

Even then, Fox is being punished.

[vaderssidechick]

FIC SNIPPET: The Voice of Blood, Chapter 6

We pass through the grand hall and turn into the corridor to Papa’s office. “Tell me what happened, Winter.”

“Papa just burst into our rooms. No knock, nothing. He tore through the place looking for you. Mama just stood in the doorway, watching him.”

I swallow hard. “And Mama?”

“Well, you know Mama, always the picture of serenity. But… there were tears in her eyes.” Winter squeezes my hand. “I’ve never seen him like that before. He wasn’t just angry. He was terrified. Leia,” she stops walking, stopping me too, “he actually backed me into a corner and demanded that I tell him what was going on. So I did. I told him everything.” She sobs a breath. “I’m sorry, Leia, I’m so sorry.”

“You did nothing wrong, Winter,” I tell her, taking both her hands, “I did. This is all my fault. I never should have involved you in this, I never should’ve lied to them.”  I blink back my own tears suddenly forming. “I never should have taken that kriffing holocall last night.”

Winter looks at me, reading my face. “Something happened up there, didn’t it? In the mountains?” She scowls. “Did he hurt you?”

“No!” I swallow again. “Very much the opposite. He’s… he’s actually very…” I look away, unable to bear her piercing gaze anymore.

“Leia,” she whispers as it dawns on her, “are you falling in love with him?”

“No! I…” I bite my lip. “I don’t know.”

“Which means you are,” she sighs. 

[imaredshirt]

Hey, I saw you really like star wars role reversal fics. Tbh I never thought about that before you mentioned it but now I'm super intrigued--do you have any fic recs?

Sure do! 

Trial and Error by aradian_nights. 

This is the first in a series of fics. Luke is raised as prince of Alderaan, and Leia is raised by the Lars family on Tatooine. It kicks off before the events of A New Hope, and actually starts with a young Luke bumping into Vader. I haven’t read every fic in the series yet, but so far I love the way Luke and Leia are written, and I absolutely fell in love with Bail like omg? I already loved him in the Prequel trilogy but in this fic, like, I’m just gonna say that his and Breha’s deaths hurt like 10x more once you get to know them. Bail is such a good father, I can’t even ;_;

Twin Suns by myrlendi

First fic in a series. I really love the last two chapters of this fic where it alternates between Luke and Leia as they grow up differently than they do in the movies, snapshots of events that happen in their lives up until they turn 18 I think? The next fic in the series coincides with A New Hope. This is such a good read.

There is Another by stitchy

Just came across this one! First chapter of the first fic is a short comic of Leia finding Luke’s message to an old hermit in the Dune Sea–Ahsoka Tano. I love the twist of Ahsoka in Obi-Wan’s place. Haven’t read the rest of the series yet, but I’m looking forward to it!

Pocket of Sand by philthestone

First fic in a series that’s a bit different from the rest. Here, Anakin doesn’t become Darth Vader, but the twins are still separated. Anakin raises Leia on Tatooine, and Padmé raises Luke on Alderaan. Both twins set off on their adventure at a relatively young age, and they’re out to rescue their parents. It’s a fun read so far!

And now I’m tossing in one completely different fic just for kicks cause I just finished reading it and it’s really good–Violence in the Library. Luke and Vader face off against those aliens from the Aliens movie, and while it may sound like a far fetched au at first, the author makes it work. It’s suspenseful and kind of creepy at times but it also has little bonding moments between Vader and Luke (including some moments of Vader being a proud and protective papa bear) and if you like Dad Vader tropes at all (like myself, I live for Dad Vader) I would definitely recommend this fic.

[trikadekaphile]

Carrie’s 1985 Esquire interview

https://classic.esquire.com/carrie-fisher/

This is the interview that got her a deal to write “Postcards from the Edge.”

HOME: Los Angeles, California

AGE: Twenty-eight

FATHER: Eddie Fisher

MOTHER: Debbie Reynolds

MOST FAMOUS STEPMOTHER: Elizabeth Taylor

OEUVRE: Shampoo, the Star Wars trilogy, Garbo Talks, Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video

UPCOMING OEUVRE: Stan Dragoti’s The Man with One Red Shoe and Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters

LAST BOOK READ: West with the Night by Beryl Markham

FAVORITE LINE FROM LAST BOOK READ: “Life is life and fun is fun, but it all goes quiet when the goldfish die.”

At age eleven Carrie Fisher was copying lines from Maugham’s Of Human Bondage into her diary. She dropped out of high school after becoming a chorus girl in her mother’s Broadway show Irene and made her movie debut as a teenager who sleeps with Warren Beatty in Shampoo. She attended London’s Central School of Speech and Drama and at eighteen got a leading part in a science-fiction film called Star Wars that made her character, Princess Leia Organa, a pop-culture heroine.

We meet her at her rustic L.A. ranch house, where a blue neon VACANCY sign hangs outside the kitchen door. She is wearing black-based striped pants, a deep fuchsia sweater, and unmatched earrings—one an oversize face and the other a small globe of the earth. Fisher’s secretary sits in the kitchen answering fan mail, her housekeeper does the laundry, and a friend talks to Fisher’s myna bird.

Our conversation moves to various settings: on the wooden swing in her bedroom, in the backyard between the pool and the full-size plastic cow (a sign at the front gate warns BEWARE OF THE COW), on a drive to Knott’s Berry Farm in her blue BMW with Bruce Springsteen blasting in the background. Her life is proof of her favorite T-shirt of the moment: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO HAVE A HAPPY CHILDHOOD.

On Being America’s Niece

“I can have an entire country of people come up to me and say, ‘You have your mother’s eyes, your father’s nose, your mother’s mouth, your first stepmother’s legs.’ I grew up in a big small town called America. My parents were ‘America’s Sweethearts,’ and I think I’m ‘America’s Niece.’ I look like your niece, someone who you could bring home to your whole family and it would work.”

How She Picked Her Parents

“Early on, people used to ask me, ‘What’s it like to be Debbie Reynolds’s daughter?’ And I would say, ‘You mean compared to when I wasn’t?’ That portion of time when I lived with the Andersons and then moved in with the Wilsons for a while; you know, to sample each form of growing up—being an accountant’s kid and a car salesman’s kid and so on—until I finally arrived at being a movie star’s kid, liked that, and said, ‘Let’s stay here, this is fabulous, we’ll go with this one.’”

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

“My family is really the epitome of an unfilmable Dynasty. I call us blue-blooded white trash, and there’s an obsession in this country with that kind of thing. I sometimes believe certain things I read about myself. You know, you have a transcendental experience in front of the National Enquirer and think, ‘Of course, why, that must have been true what I read about myself. I am going out with Andrew Stevens.’ I made a horrible mistake—I thought I was going out with Andrew and I called him, and he was going out with somebody else. It turns out he’s just my neighbor.”

May Divorce Be with You

“A few years ago I found these scrapbooks of my parents’ breakup in my mother’s attic—someone had actually compiled them and sent them to her at the time. I looked through them and discovered a lot of things I didn’t know about it, which is an amazing thing to do when you’re sliding through your twenties and your parents have been broken up your entire life. I realize now, of course, that they’ll never get back together. And now I hear that the child of the woman who sent these things to my mother is compiling the scrapbook on my marriage to Paul.”

So What Went Wrong with Her Marriage to Paul Simon?

“Once I was on this talk show hosted by this child psychologist who kept asking me questions like, ‘When did you realize your father was a horrible human being?’ And finally I said to him, ‘You wanna hear about the wire hangers, don’t you?’ Questions about my marriage are ‘wirehanger questions,’ and no matter how I answer them they’re wired to blow, no pun intended. ”

What About the Book on Her Friend John Belushi?

“I think Woodward is brilliant at that wire-hanger aspect of life. I hear that he’s going to be playing Belushi in the movie version of the book: ‘Bob Woodward IS Wired!”

Drugs

“It’s very good to get through them while you’re still young, and then talk about how great or bad they were for the rest of your life.”

What’s the Difference Between New York and L.A.?

“Three hours. Most people know that. I’m stunned that you don’t.”

What It’s Like to Be Her

“I feel like I’m the doctor and the patient, but a lot of times the doctor isn’t in. I operate at such a level that sometimes it feels dangerous. If I fell off the edge of myself, I don’t know how long it would take to get back up. People think that I’m on drugs because of this velocity of being. And at the same time it’s slow enough for me to be aware of it. Like when I just said ‘velocity of being, ’ I liked the sound of it. ”

Why 60 Watts of Rock?

“In the face of something operating at full throttle, I can finally relax. That’s my form of meditation. My system is recharged in the presence of great rock ’n’ roll, it’s a very high testosterone outlet. Movies are very estrogen—they take you in, give you a house, make you dinner while you warm your feet by their fire. My mother brought me up on them. The Philadelphia Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Bringing Up Baby—those are my black-and-white teddy bears. But rock ’n’ roll grabs your ear, wrestles it to the ground, and slaps a big wet kiss on it.”

Kids Say the Darndest Things

“I was photographed at an age when I was helpless to do anything about it—two hours. You can tell from the distressed look on my face in all my childhood pictures that I don’t like to be photographed. One time when I was five or six my governess took a picture of me and she was very tight to my face, and I said, ‘No ECUs, no ECUs.’ I hate extreme close-ups, even now.”

O Mein Papa

“David Letterman said he’d heard that my father sang everywhere, and I said, ‘Yes, the world is his shower.’ And often he likes to use women for soap.”

A Night to Remember

“I came home one night when I was sixteen, and there was blood all over the bedroom. My brother Todd had accidentally shot himself with a blank. The next day the Daily News headline was PICASSO DIES, and under it was a picture of my brother, and my mother in a mink hat. We were still up at 8:00 in the morning after this whole night at the police station, my brother was in the hospital, Picasso was dead, and all these photographers were at our door because the big story, in all the confusion, was that my mother had shot my brother, and she and I were discussing why she’d done it: ‘Well, you know, he wouldn’t clean his room.’ Or, ‘He never fed his turtle or brushed his teeth, so I finally had to penalize him in a way he’d understand.’ Someone came up to her in the hospital and said he thought it was a publicity stunt for her play Irene, and she said, ‘Yes, I shot him, and I only have one other child to shoot for publicity for the next play, so obviously there’s just one play left.’”

Something She’s Noticed About the President

“A good actor would have this thing down of not looking so expectant between sentences. You have to conceal the fact that you are waiting to talk, and look like you’re listening. He never looks like he’s listening; he’s always waiting to talk. He becomes an entire energetic called ‘President Waiting to Talk.’ Also, he’s not funny, but he really wants to be. I don’t want someone to want to be funny. I want him to be funny, or not.”

Favorite Bumper Sticker

“LOVE IS THE LIBERACE MUSEUM. That expressed it so succinctly for me, and I felt better having that clearly stated on my vehicle.”

Oh, and One Other Thing About the President

“He’s melting. No one’s noticed yet, but he is melting. We’re talking about a semisolid mass with dark hair. If the Democrats had come out and just said, ‘He’s melting,’ I think they would have done much better. I usually don’t talk about this unless someone looks like he also knows—if you know the President’s melting, you know how to identify other people who know that too. It’s going to be a real flood when he finally goes into total liquidation.”

Will She Ever Play Princess Leia Again?

“Yes, the Yiddish Theater has asked me to do it.”