Eyes Wide Open [Zett, NPCs]

[Mara]

(((Hope it's okay that I took over the stepfather for a bit...)))


When she finally answered, he shoved away his memories of his mother and looked back to Cassandra. He slowly shook his head at her. "You didn't ask; it was my idea, Cass," Ean briefly applied pressure to the hand he was holding before letting go. "It would be my privilege to bring the two of you back together, even if only for a little while. That's what had been the plan all along, until I came here." There was no need to add "and before I found out the truth."

"And to be honest..." The Corellian paused and broke into a smile. "I would have gone and done it anyway, if you had said 'no'. I can be stubborn at times, if you remember." Before more visions of the past could assault him and disturb his concentration and resolve, Ean stood up and walked away from the bed where Cassandra lay. At the door, he turned back to her, all his joking put aside and replaced with serious determination. "I will be back, with your daughter." He stood, looking at the woman for a moment longer, then left the room.

Ean wasn't really surprised to find the man he has assumed to be Cassandra's brother scrambling away from the entrance to the room. He probably would have done the same, if the roles had been switched. With a nod to her brother, he made the rest of his way through the small apartment and out into the hall, down towards the turbolifts. While he rode down to street level, he tried to think of what he was doing as merely letting a mother say her farewells to daughter, with none of the other complications involved in it. There would be plenty of time for that later when he was able to process it more fully.

Within an hour of departing Cassandra's home, he was back in the neighborhood where he had dropped off Ryla. But instead of standing in front of her father's--stepfather's, he reminded himself with a grimace--home, he had had the taxi drop him off a block over. His plan was probably not the most socially acceptable, but Ean was hoping to make this as painless as possible, which included avoiding a confrontation, verbal, violent, or otherwise, with the man of the house. He had a hunch that it wouldn't, given what he had assessed of the man earlier; however, he was prepared to defend his blood at all costs.

Almost feeling like he was searching for a bounty instead a newly discovered daughter, he hurried down the alley behind the small residential buildings. After triple-checking that he had stopped behind the right house, using his fingers to count, Ean moved forward slowly. He needed to do a little recon and figure out what his best approach might be. The darkening evening sky was his ally as he slid down the side of the home, peering through a few windows, wanting to pinpoint the locations of the residents.

Having double-checked that the man inside was absorbed with his vidscreen, he headed back around. The girl had been nowhere to be found, and he hoped she was on the upper level and hadn't run away again. There was a half-open window upstairs; he picked up a small stone, aimed, and fired it inside, praying that Ryla would notice it. Relief spread across his features upon seeing her face framed inside the opening a few moments later. Ean held a finger to his lips for quiet. Then he gestured his intentions for her to pack a bag and leave the house without disturbing her step-father before stepping back into the shadows to wait.

It was then that he heard raucous laughter emanating from the dwelling. He glanced up to the upstairs window, unsure how Ryla might get out, even if her stepfather was otherwise occupied. There was no exit at the back of the house. And then everything from earlier in the day came rushing at him: the man's demeanor on seeing the girl again, the state of the inside of the home, everything with Cassandra. All the stress of the day and his already strained emotions merged with these recollections, and he felt like he might explode with the pressure of it all.

He took a deep breath and marched up to the front door and pounded on it. Not only would this give the girl a distraction, but it would also give Ean a chance to alleviate some pent-up tension. After what seemed like an eternity, the man answered the door, his grumpy look at being interrupted replaced with surprised at seeing the big Corellian again. "Hello, sir." Before the other man could answer, Ean pulled back an arm and landed a fist against the step-father's jaw. "That, was for Cassandra." Another punch to the gut. "And for Ryla." A knee to the groin, followed by a brief flurry of pummeling, and Ean let the man fall to the ground. "Those were just bonus. Have a nice day."

Seeing Ryla had come around to see what the commotion was, he motioned to her to follow him. Ean felt much better after beating up the girl's step-father; perhaps it was a bit unnecessary, but the Corellian didn't care. His thoughts were clearer now, and he was starting to feel like himself again. "Come on. You're never coming back here. We're going to see your mother. And then..." He paused, looked down at the girl walking beside him, and focused back on the path ahead. "And then you're coming with me."

They soon had made it all the way back to the outskirts of Coronet City and into the apartment building. As they took the 'lift up to the right floor, Ean turned to Ryla. Even though her head was probably flooded with confusion and excitement and all kinds of things he couldn't even begin to figure out after he had taken her away from her step-father, he had to break a few more things to her in preparation for this reunion. "You should know, before we go inside...  your mother, she's... she's not well. So just... be careful." He ended lamely as the turbolift doors opened. Another minute more, and they were standing outside the door to the apartment, and Ean knocked, lightly.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

There was a moment where Ean held her hand tight still and Cassandra knew that she could trust the big man once more for a final time before he was making his light hearted remark, which really did go a long way for her. She smiled just a little before he was making his exit and promise to return, before he was leaving out of the room, leaving her alone again before she was resting her head on the back head board now again with a sigh, shutting her eyes and waiting.

Meanwhile Jareth heard the footsteps returning to the door before he was quickly side stepping away, trying to casually play it off like he had been walking down the hall anyway, though failing and was obviously caught by the man. He smiled just a little and nodded back to Ean's own reassuring nod until he was seeing him out and returning to his sister's side to aid her a bit further; making her as comfortable as possible.

---

Back at her step-fathers house however, Ryla was simply laying on the bed still, dried tears of annoyance, anger, sadness, and pain all at once stuck to the side of her face for nearly an hours worth of constant crying that had now ended. She lay there and eventually fell into a light and dreamless sleep for a little while until eventually she was awoken by the obnoxious laughter belonging to the horrid man that her mother had mistaken as a husband.

It was a sad fact that she felt that she probably wouldn't feel happy again for the rest of her teen and young adult years. Unless of course she tried to escape again, which she was already beginning to formulate possible ways to escape. Her step-father probably would never notice of course... but the tricky part came with figuring out where to go. With the only possible family member she knew of not wanting anything to do with her, and her mother sick, Ryla had little elsewhere to go. She decided it may have been a good idea to find her mother again, but she knew that would be difficult. Of course...she doubted anything could be as difficult as finding her Father.

She began packing her bags already to execute this little scheme of her's. Before she could leave though she found herself ducking out of the way of a rock and then peeking out the window it had come from, seeing Ean there again. For a second she wanted to roll her eyes and turn away, but then she stopped, her arms still holding onto the window ready to close it before she was tilting her head and trying to under stand his seemingly random gestures. Eventually though she caught onto what he was trying to convey before she was letting a small smile cross her face and turned back to get her already packed bag.

She heard what was going on down stairs, but didn't stop to listen really, only smiling a bit as she heard the grunts. She stepped out of her window and onto the over hanging balcony before jumping down and to the side, falling to a stumble briefly before she was standing back up and making her way around the corner to find her father, smiling a little when he relayed the news to her.

She stopped for a second to let it soak in before she was running after Ean pulling her back pack onto her back. Soon she was caught up and then they were in the elevator to her mothers apartment, which apparently her brother was helping her in. Ean went on to explain the story a little finally before she was nodding quietly, a slight shiver fallowing the words as she knew what he meant.

She swallowed, beginning to think about it. She hadn't lived with her mother in a few years now, but she knew that this would still hurt just to see her. She looked up to Ean before she was being lead up to the room, letting him knock as she stood there almost impatiently though she didn't know why sense she was in no hurry to see her sick mother, just to make her hurt inside. She took a deep breath preparing herself before the door was opening to them.

Jareth had heard the knock and after a moment of tending to Cassandra for a second longer was making his way to go check the door, opening it with a smile that only masked his sadness before he was stepping out of the way, gesturing. "You already know where she is..." He sighed...

Ryla let Ean lead, but then stopped just outside the door she was taken too. "I... i don't want to see her dying..." Ryla said quietly, looking down between her boots as she tried (but failed) to keep her eyes from crying a little...

[Mara]

Ean acknowledged Cassandra's brother with a short nod after he had come to the door and moved out of the way to let him and Ryla into the apartment. This whole situation was hard on both of them, and he was unsure of his voice. The brother was taking care of a seriously ill sister and probably hadn't seen his niece, who had just arrived, in years, if at all. Not to mention overhearing the shocking news of who Ean really was in relation to his family. And on the other side, the big Corellian was still trying to come to terms with having a daughter, not to mention the dreaded realization of possibly losing yet another person he had cared for, in Cassandra.

Just inside the entrance, he waited for Ryla to run inside, thinking that she would be eager to see her mother after the long absence. However, the girl just stood there, timid for the first time in the short while he had known her. Still unable to speak aloud--the whole trip over from her stepfather's home had been mostly awkward silence--Ean impatiently indicated that she should move ahead. But when she continued to be oblivious to everything, he sighed to himself, belatedly understanding all too well how the girl must be feeling at the moment and that he couldn't push her.

So any earlier frustration gone, he took the initiative and walked towards the room that held Cassandra, hoping Ryla would find her feet and follow. He had just lifted a hand to open the door when the girl murmured her fears about being reunited with her mother. Ean's eyes rolled to the ceiling, and he took a deep breath. Courage gathered, he turned back to her, bending to her level, and placed his large hands gently on her shoulders, forcing her to look back at him. "You won't." His voice had a bit of hard determination to it, none of the mixed emotions he was actually feeling as he made a promise he wanted to be able to keep. Standing straight again, he stepped aside of the door and gestured for Ryla to go through first. "She's waiting for you."

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

She remained standing there in her uncertainty as she continued to look down to her boots for a moment until Ean; her real father, was crouching down to her level in an attempt to reassure her. She looked up to him as her guided her face to look to him for a moment before she was nodding firmly to what he said, though a part of her knew it was wrong. She swallowed and took a breath, wiping her eyes a little with a new determination that she knew she wouldn't be alone before she was moving to open the door herself.

The moment she heard the door moving there was a second of the most intense fear she had ever felt in her life that washed over her. After all the things she had faced in her young life that could have or should have scared her; none came close to comparing to the feeling that had instantaneously washed over her. However, it all vanished the moment she saw her sick mother laying on the bed before she felt the feelings of sympathy and hopelessness. The only thing she could do was let the tear fall and then rush up to her mother's side, quickly grabbing hold in a tight hug. "Mom, don't go!" She pleaded helplessly as if it could somehow help.

As Cassandra waited for her daughter to come in, she had tried her best to make her self look as well as she could, making her best effort to stay strong as well. When the door opened and she saw her little red-headed girl that had grown so much sense she had last seen her, she couldn't help the tears that started to form in her own eyes, but she managed to hold them back a little longer just in order to be brave for her daughter Ryla as she quickly embraced her and looked over her head as she held her close, mouthing the words silently as she caught sight of Ean behind her. "Thank you!" At such a low tone that Ryla wouldn't even hear it right there with her.

"I'm gonna be right here baby.." Cassandra tried to comfort Ryla for a moment as she continued to hold her a second before she was pulling her back just enough to look at her. "But you're going to have to be strong, and go with your father for a while... Okay?"

Ryla listened for a moment before she was looking to her mother, nodding a little bit, but knowing that this would be the last time she would be able to see her mother. "I'm sorry i ran... I'm going to miss you." She said again before moving back to hold her close.

[Mara]

As Cassandra had looked back to him and silently thanked him, he had merely nodded and shrugged to acknowledge he had seen the gesture. He had told her he was going to go get her daughter and bring her here. For the Corellian, his word was as good as having the task already done and finished. Failure was never an option for him. Even if he had to go through quite a few setbacks before completion of a mission. And this had just been another one of those times, though a far cry from what he was used to.

Instead of following the girl inside as she joined her mother, the man stayed out in the hall where he was. Ean wanted to give the two time alone together to catch up and say what needed to be said. Not to mention he wasn't sure what use he would be in this particular situation. It was awkward for him, standing in the doorway, feeling like he was spying on a private moment, eavesdropping on something personal he shouldn't be privy to. So he stepped to the side and turned, leaning against the wall outside the room.

Now that all the heavy drama was out of the way, his mind wandered to what would happen once he and Ryla left this apartment. What would he do with a girl tagging along with him everywhere he went? Obviously she would be well taken care of; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let Cassie down. But all the day-to-day things, the details, he hadn't the faintest idea. The big man had the inkling that this new part of his life would be the most difficult thing he would ever have to face, and that was taking into account all the previous danger he had been involved in. Ean sighed to himself, thankful that Cassandra's brother wasn't around, and he could be alone with his thoughts. What if this time, he failed?

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

As Ryla stayed there in her mother's hold, failing to keep her tears from falling now as she sat with her. "What's going to happen to me mom?" She asked after a second between quivering lips and whimpers.

Cass only looked over her daughters shoulder, remaining as strong as she could for her in order to See Ean now stepping out of the doorway. "You're going to be going with your father now, baby..." She said running her hands through young Ryla's red hair, scratching behind her ear a bit in order to reassure her. "You'll be safe from now on... i promise." She reassured with another gentle hug.

Every moment was precious, the last few moments she would have with her daughter. She sighed though, knowing it only hurt a bit when she realized that they would have to part... and probably very soon.

Ryla had her eyes closed as she leaned and rested her head on her mother's shoulder before shaking her head. "C-Can't... can't he stay here with you? We can help you!" Ryla pleaded, not even knowing what was really wrong with her mother, but eager to help her.

Cassandra sighed heavily and pulled Ryla back a bit, sitting a little more upright in the bed. "No.. no little one... I love you... but i'm ... " She knew she wasn't going to be getting better, but couldn't say those words to her only daughter. "I will tell you if i ever get this under control... but i want you to have a good life... You've never known your father, and you always wanted to... please... go with him."

Ryla stood looking into her mother's eyes, reading between the lines a bit as she realized what was going on. She hung her head a bit and nodded. "Alright Momma..." She said, though he made no effort to move and cut the moment short. Instead she leaned against the bed a bit, sitting there a moment, trying to let this settle.

[Mara]

Ean needed to get out of his head, because if he continued to wallow in his thoughts, he knew he was going to end up in a bad place. He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against, needlessly reaching up to straighten his worn shirt and nerf leather jacket as if to straighten out everything else in his life. Then the big Corellian paused, unsure what to do in order to get his mind off of such serious things. Though he could not hear what was being said, he could still discern conversation continuing in the room behind him.

Wanting to give mother and daughter as much time as necessary, for most likely their next meeting would be entirely one-sided, with Cassandra's body residing in a small wooden box and Ryla crying over it, hoping her dear mother had gone somewhere better and was no longer in pain. So instead he decided to go looking for the other resident of this apartment, the man he had assumed was Cassie's brother. The place was small, and it was not a hard task to locate him puttering around the tiny kitchen area, taking care of those chores that had gone by the wayside much too long. Ean could understand the man's desire to keep busy.

He politely cleared his throat to announce his presence, hoping not to startle the other man. When he had acknowledged him, Ean nodded at him. The Corellian wasn't really sure what he could say to Cassandra's brother in response to this whole situation. With a sigh he just said, "I'm sorry." It seemed to be enough, as those two words held a much deeper meaning. Then he moved to prop himself against a table before he spoke again. "I want her to have the best care. I know you have done what you could, and that means a lot to me... but if there is anything to be done, even to just make things more comfortable, I will pay for it. No sum is too large."

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Ryla continued to hold her mother close, hoping that some how the moment could just last. Wishing heavily with every fiber of her being that she could somehow stop this... fix it... make it all go back to normal.

While holding her daughter Cassandra could spot Ean's shadow outside the door walking away, knowing that they needed a little more time along before he would take her to provide the life Cassandra had wanted for her daughter, bug had honestly not been able to give her simply because is Ryla's step father... she too was wishing that she could go back just a few short years and had just listened to her young daughter... being able to spend those last vital years with her...

Meanwhile outside in the kitchen Jareth was trying to simply work at cleaning things, trying to keep his mind off of his sister, the strange man now entering the life somewhere from Cass' past, and Ryla suddenly home. From a brief chat that they had had while Ean was getting Ryla from the step father, Jareth knew that Ryla wouldn't be staying with them any longer... So when the man was appearing in front of him and giving his apologies, Jareth nodded a bit with a sigh, then listened to the man as he continued to offer help again. "You don't know how much you've already done for her... it's more care then almost anyone save for me has given her in these last few months." He said quietly with a sigh, shaking his head a little. "I can't even begin to tell you how much we need... between hospitals, medication, planning for the worst..." his voice trailed off a bit with a shrug. "I don't even know how much it will cost..." He said hopelessly with a sigh.

[Mara]

He nodded in response to the man's thankfulness in his and Ryla's being there; there was really nothing else to say. The stress radiating off the other man had been almost visible to Ean's eyes since his first arrival at the apartment. Understandable, given the gravity of the situation the brother found himself in. Their added presence, however short-lived it would be, had given him some respite in his sister's care, given him time to do the little things that had piled up while all his attention had been on Cassandra. A little bit of light within the sadness of his heart.

But despite the burden of it all, Cassandra's brother seemed hesitant to take up Ean's offer to pay for everything regarding his sister's care. Still trying to maintain shreds of his pride. Ean took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose, and then walked up to the man and laid a hand on his shoulder. Communicating that he understood the circumstances all too well and that he had meant what he said. For once he could do some good with the wealth his former career had accumulated in his accounts. "I'll make sure you have enough to cover any cost. I'll set up an account for you to use, as well as contact information, and I will add to it whenever it gets low. Just comm me. Anytime."

Ean stepped back then and removed his hand, meaning to take his leave, knowing that he and Ryla had to get going sometime, and sooner would be better than later. However, at the door, he turned for one last request. Softly, "All I ask in return is that you get in touch with me when... so we can come and pay our final respects." He wasn't able to say the words, but he was sure the other man comprehended his intent. With a nod, he walked back to the sleeping quarters of the apartment. It was a fair certainty that his credits wouldn't do much good besides prolong the inevitable and make Cassandra comfortable before the end, but in his mind, that wasn't wasteful at all.

In the doorway of the bedroom, he cleared his throat roughly, laying a hand on the jamb. "Hey, uh... We should probably be on our way." This had been said to both mother and daughter, but then Ean looked over at Ryla. "Your... mother needs her rest. If she's going to get better." A big fat and obvious lie but he couldn't help himself with pretending a semblance of positivity, adding a brave smile along with it. He forced himself to come further inside and stop by the bed, his eyes on Cassandra and his breathing more rapid than was natural. "Why don't you go say good-bye to your uncle, Ryla? I'll be there in a minute or two." Without shifting his gaze away from the woman in the bed.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

The brother Jareth looked shocked for a second as he felt the hand on his shoulder from the much larger man as he continued to insist on helping them out. Jareth gave a week smile and nodded once again. "Thank you." He said finally, appreciating it more then he could put into words. With the money this man had, maybe there was at least a little hope they had thought lost until now, but at the least it would go a long way to helping make sure things were ready in the event that Cassandra did die and only after Jareth had done everything he could to make her more comfortable.

And all thanks to this Ean.

As the man was leaving though, he stopped long enough to ask one final request. Jareth paused, swallowing a bit at the thought but nodded. "Yes, yes of course... you've done more then anyone else has, you deserve as much. Thank you." He repeated before watching as the man again disappeared into the room with Cassandra and their child Ryla.

When Ean came into the room, Ryla almost jumped hearing him, being too absorbed with her mother that she hadn't noticed him walk in. She sighed, a sad look crossing her face before she nodded at him, leaning again to give another tight and loving hug to her mother, her eyes almost welling up again, but fighting the tears back once again. She nodded and took a step back, waving good bye. "B-bye mom... i love you." She said softly, but having to turn quickly to leave before she couldn't stop herself and turn right back.

She walked past Ean with a sad smile on her face, nodding up to him and walking into the kitchen again, seeing the man who held a resemblance to her mother. "You're my mom's brother then?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, trying to get the image of her mother off her minds.

"I don't remember you."

Jareth looked a little surprised for a second as Ryla entered into the room again, but nodded when she spoke. "Yes i am... i met you once when you were a baby, but your stepfather wasn't a fan of Cass' family, so i never got too many chances to be close." He informed her sadly, starting small conversation with her, looking to the bedroom where Ean had stayed...

[Mara]

Ryla said her final farewells to her mother, giving her a big hug, and then departed the room without a second glance. Ean was not directly aware of this, because he hadn't taken his eyes off of Cassandra. But he hadn't caught any hitch in the girl's footsteps, instinct telling him that she had not faltered in the least. His chest swelled with a bit of pride at the thought of her bravery in doing so; even at her young age, Ryla had some understanding of the situation and was dealing with it as strongly as she could.

He wished he had been even half as mature at seventeen when his own mother had died. Losing her had crushed Ean and taken away the only bright spot in his life. As a young man, he had fallen into a job at one of the local factories to help his father make ends meet and to support his older brothers' education. An education he would never have for himself. The repetitive nature of the work coupled with everything else had made him bitter and spiteful towards his family. Ean hoped that Ryla would never feel that way.

With a sigh, he focused back on the dying woman in front of him, tossing away his bad memories and lovingly stowing away the good ones of his mother before she had passed. It wouldn't do to get caught up in the past when the present was dreadful enough. Nor did he want to confuse the two events in his mind. He fell to his knees beside the bed and took Cassandra's hands in his own, this time his heart clenching in pain at the sight of her. Ean hadn't a clue as to what to say to her; he had only asked to be alone with her and hadn't thought beyond that point. "Oh, Cass..." he murmured, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers.

It was overwhelming, being so near this woman who had been one of the many back in his early 20s, what seemed a lifetime ago to the big Corellian. He had been surprised to remember her name out of the dusty reaches of his mind, but then again, she had been special to him, standing out among the other women of his youth. And now, after all that time, finding out she was sick and probably close to the end and and coming to the startling realization that losing her would leave an emptiness in his heart that he wasn't aware of. If only he had stayed. But what was done was done, and he couldn't change it.

At least he had a second chance with Ryla. Ryla... oh, what was he going to do with the girl? This daughter of his that had come into his life the day before? He hadn't the faintest idea of how to be a father, or even a caretaker of any kind. Ean opened his eyes and pulled back to look at Cassandra. All his misgivings could be see on his face. The man who had been one of the galaxy's most infamous bounty hunters had come upon his biggest challenge: an eleven-year-old girl. " I... Ryla... Cass, I don't... know... how..."

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Cassandra watched as her daughter was leaving the room as strongly as she could. It was amazing, and really Cassandra didn't know where the little girl got it from. According to Ean it wasn't from him, and Cassandra knew that aside from the stubbornness and the young girls looks, Ryla didn't have half of her mother's personality.

Sadly the thought crossed her mind that it must have come from her weathered experiences across the galaxy looking for her real father. A fate Cassandra had thrust upon her, and had paid for by losing the last few precious years with her. Suddenly her own strength was failing and she wanted to break into crying now that Ryla was gone, but Ean was here too still and obviously wanted something as he fell to his knees finally and took her hands in his. Cassandra let out a small surprised gasp and simply squeezed his hands back as best she could before feeling his head against her's. She smiled strongly up at him a little before he was pulling back as stumbling around his words.

She sighed a little and swallowed before falling back into her young foolish age a little, recalling some of the nicknames she had once given him and the way she had acted around him aged past. "Oh you big dumb lug nut..." She whispered softly as she let one hand brush his hair a little. "You'll be a good father... just treat her like she means the galaxy to you... everything else will come naturally. Especially to you." She replied, knowing all too well that Ean acted on his instincts more then anything else.

"Love her... like we loved eachother... okay honey?" She asked...

((OOC---Kinda leaving Ryla out as she is just awkwardly bonding with her uncle.))

[Mara]

(((I figure one more post from you, and then I'll wrap up the thread up after that...)))


Ean felt a lump form in his throat at Cassandra's spoken endearments. Playful monikers he hadn't heard in many years. The memories he had tried to dampen down came swelling up again, images of their first meeting so long ago, flashes of their brief time together. But somehow, it was just what he had needed to put away some of his nervousness about his uncertain future with his daughter, and he felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as she caressed him.

"I hope so..." he said when he was finally able to speak again, his voice a bit husky yet from recent emotions. The Corellian meant those three little words; he really did hope he would be a good father to Ryla, to this girl of his own flesh and blood that had just burst into his life and turned it upside down. A newly discovered daughter who was a miniature version of her mother, the only woman that Ean could claim to have had romantic feelings for, however fleeting they may have been.

Before even knew he was doing it, Ean leaned forward and lightly pressed his lip against her forehead. It was more a gesture of reassurance for Cassandra as well as himself than anything overtly sensual. The time for that had passed long ago. Looking back into her green eyes, lifting one hand to smooth back a stray damp hair, "I will try to do my best to make you proud, Cass. I know it won't be easy... probably the hardest thing I've ever faced. But you are right, as always... I'm sure I'll figure out it." Something else struck him then, and he smiled, this time a wide grin. "Though I have a feeling Ryla will be raising me as much as I am her."

Comforting silence descended on them then after a bit of a laugh, both of them reliving whatever memories had come to their minds. As well, Ean was working up the courage to say his good-byes to Cassandra.  He wanted to be as strong as the strength his daughter had shown just a few minutes earlier, but he wasn't sure if he could manage quite as well. The Corellian wanted to linger on, ask Cass more about Ryla, about her habits, get advice for handling certain situations. But he also knew that the sick woman needed her rest, he needed to get back to his ship. And Cass would probably just tell him he would know in his heart what to do, deigning not to relay her personal tips. Father and daughter would have a different kind of relationship, and he would need to find his own way.

He sighed heavily; he could delay no more. Staying further would only make it more difficult to depart. "All right, Cass... I think it's time for me to go. You need your rest. And I--we--need to be heading out. Ryla will be in good hands." Ean hadn't forgotten his original plans to meet up with an old acquaintance on Kuat; though she wasn't expecting him, it was a conversation overdue. There was really nothing more he could do here in Cassandra's presence.

Kissing her gently, he slowly let go of her hands and stiffly came to his feet. "I have some things to take care of... but we will be back to see you again. I promise. Your brother has agreed to stay in touch with me, if anything happens. You just concentrate on getting better, Cass, worry-free." For Ryla's sake, he hoped it was to see a well and living Cassandra... but realistically it would probably be for their final farewells to the woman who was mother and lover.

Softly, "Take care of yourself, Cass." Ean gazed at her for another moment and then just ripped off the bandage of sadness, turning around and going to the door without allowing his head to process the action. At the opening, though, he stopped and bowed his head, wanting to look back at the woman one more time but forcing himself not to. He took a deep breath to compose himself for what was coming next, and then he was through, closing the door behind him.

It didn't take much time at all in the small apartment to find Ryla, standing near the kitchen with her newly discovered uncle. Now that he was away from Cassandra, he felt some normalcy returning to him. The toll that speaking with her had taken on his emotions had been paid, and he was ready to move on the way he always had before, the only difference being Ryla was in his life now. Ean came up to the pair and looked down to the girl. "Ready?"

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

((OOC---I realize this excuse is probably getting old, and i'm sorry. I've just been busy again. Takes forever just to muster muse for this stuff anymore, but i'm still here!))

---

Cassandra continued to stroke the back of Ean's head for a long moment as he took in her very meaningful words that she had spoken. Finally he was speaking again though, showing that he did truly hope to be able to help raise Ryla through her formative years; or what few of them remained. Cass simply smiled up at him again, still trying to remain strong despite everything, though her eyes were showing slight hints of betrayal to that visage of strength.

Before long he was speaking again though, promising in effect to at least try and make her proud of him. She bit her lip a little and shook her head with a weak smile, though the small bit of humor Ean added to it went a long way to boost both of their spirits as she began to fall into a weak giggle and nodded a bit. "I doubt that's possible... i think you're more likable this way anyhow." She commented quietly, but very meaningfully. It was clear though that he wanted to say more then just lift her spirits, making his joke. It seemed like he wanted more, to ask more from her. She could also tell though, that he wasn't about to ask any of those questions, only shaking her head more as she patted his cheek a little; sniffing a bit. "I wish i could help you more darling..." She said quietly, looking up to him with her green eyes.

Instead he spoke more after a short and comfortable pause, changing the subject completely as he again promised to keep Ryla in good hands, something she trusted completely in. He explained that he had somewhere to be soon, though he was keeping that part specifically vague, though she didn't really bring it up. She just nodded with a small sigh and let him up, making his farewells before he was leaving the room, keeping his eyes a head of himself. She watched from the bed, almost hoping he would turn back one more time so she could see his face once more, but knew it was better for him not to. She smiled once more, tears beginning to fall from her face as he left the room again without looking. "Good boy." She whispered before letting her head fall back into her pillows comfortably with another sniffle.

---

Meanwhile out in the kitchen, Ryla remained absentmindedly speaking to her new found uncle Jareth. He was mostly speaking of old stories, but she wasn't really listening as she was trying to hard not to focus on the situation at hand; ironically leading her to think about it deeper.

When Ean eventually left her mother's room, all he spoke was the one question obviously directed at herself. She looked up to her father, thinking for a second as she used her thumb to scratch at her eye, a subtle way of cleaning out the beginnings of a tear before she was nodding up to him.

"Yeah i'm ready..." She said softly as he pulled the back pack over both of her shoulders, pulling on the pull strings tightly before she was clearing her throat a little and taking a step from the counter, pushing herself away from it before she was stepping up beside her father, keeping her head low as she did so.

She had to stay strong...

((OOC2--- Where to now?))

[Mara]

(((End post... feel free to do your own exit if you'd like...)))


Watching Ryla preparing herself to depart with him, his stomach clenched slightly. She was being so stubbornly brave on the outside, but he could tell that inside she was struggling with the whole situation. And he couldn't fault her for that. After all, despite what she had been through in her short life, she was still only a child. As well, for the second time, she was leaving her mother behind, her sickly mother. It was a lot for the girl to handle, but he also knew she had the strength to do so. Even so, Ean found himself laying a hand on her shoulder and briefly squeezing it to comfort her for a moment. A purely instinctual gesture on his part.

Then he nodded at her, "Okay," and led her away from the kitchen and towards the door. Ean thought it best if they just made a clean break instead of lingering around. The sooner she could focus on something else the easier it would be for her to move on with the more mundane tasks of her life. Not that he wanted her to forget Cassandra; that was the last thing he would ask of her. No, if they just put in some distance, both physically and emotionally, he felt it would be healthier for Ryla to adjust to her new life with him, her father, and not continually mourn her mother.

Ean stopped and turned back to Cassandra's brother for a moment. They had already said all they had needed to earlier, and the cant of his eyes reinforced that. He would set up an account for the man to use for all of his sister's  needs, and in turn, Jareth would inform him if any changes occurred with Cassandra's condition. They had an understanding between them. Communicating everything through his face, he lifted his hand in a short wave, and then followed Ryla out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. Shutting away the pain of Cassandra's condition and forcing himself to turn his attention solely on his daughter. The Corellian would be no good to her if he was moping about.

As they walked down the hall together and got into the turbolift, he gave her an encouraging smile, hoping she found it entirely sincere. This was definitely going to be an adventure with the two of them, a new chapter in both of their lives. Father and daughter awkwardly feeling out each other, figuring out where the triggers were, which things to avoid, which things to pursue. He was almost certain there would be more bumps than not at the beginning, but hopefully as time went on, they would grow more comfortable with each other and their situation. For better or for worse, they were stuck with each other now. And it was both terrifying and exciting for Ean.

[to A Minor Detour...]