[Kallile]

The lunch hour having just past, a little diner on the edge of Terrace Park began to dwindle in clientele. Dishes left scattered about the tables, bits of food or silverware discarded on the floor, and the kitchen burning like the flames of hades. As the last happy "ching" of the cash register sounded and the bells attached to the entrance clattered against the glass, a lone woman stood in the wreckage and heaved a sigh.

She's sitting at the table, the hours getting later.
He was supposed to be here, she's sure he would've called.


Human Ref

Her blonde and orange streaked hair was pulled back into a bun that had now lost much of it's hold and hung heavily against the back of her skull. her eyes were weary and rimmed in black from sleeplessness and her once white cooks apron was stained to the point of yellowing. She gathered the hem of it to wipe excess grease off her hands.

"Alright Alana, last thing before you go back to school--could you go upstairs and check on your brother for me?"


[Ref coming soon]

A shock of navy hair popped up from the kitchen window and the grinning face of a young preteen nodded.

"Sure mom. You sure I have to go back? Because, you know..."

"Nice try young lady, but you have to go back to school." There was a mock humph before Lana disappeared from the window and reappeared near what appeared to be a hallway door. She discarded of her own, considerably more white apron on the nearest booth before turning the knob and ascending up the stairs, door swinging closed behind her.

She waits a little longer, there's no one in the driveway.
No one's said they've seen him.
Why, is something wrong?

Kasari grinned up at her growing girl and shook her head as she began rounding up dirty dishes and making run after run into the kitchen to deposit them in the sink. They could be done later, right now she had to get this place looking ready for the dinner rush.

It had been a hard life ever since...well. Ever since that day. The day Prudii had ushered Alana out of the room and sat with Kasari, telling her as delicately as he could that Trinket was missing in action. probably dead. That he and his brothers would try and help she and Alana as best they could. That everything would be alright. Well, very little had been alright.

She looks back to the window; suddenly the phone rings.
A voice says something's happened, that she should come right now.

First came Alana's nightmares, the eight year old having vivid dreams about what had possibly became of her 'father' --waking up and screaming in terror. She and Kasari had spent many nights sitting in the light of her nightlight, just talking or looking silently through picture books to pass the lonely midnight hour. Then the biggest shock of all--pregnancy. She had attributed the signs to signs of grief...but nothing could be that kind or simply. Several months later the single mother once again welcomed a baby into the world, again without the father by her side, and again down on her luck.

Prudii had been true to his word--he had helped fund her to open the diner and built an apartment on top of it to house she and the kids as well. The diner was good enough--they always had food on hand, the money was enough to break even and have a little leftover, and it was close enough to the schools that the principal allowed Alana to come help her mother during the noon rush.

Her mind goes to December. She thinks of when he asked her...
They talk about what happened, but she can barely hear them.

Looking out one window as she began wiping down tables, Kasari saw her own tears hit the table without having realized she'd began crying.

Milo, her year and a half year old son, reminded her daily of Trinket. She couldn't love either more, but the constant reminder that he wasn't there to know his own son cut her through the heart. She quickly wiped away the tears and sprayed the table down again. Alana would be coming down any minute now and she didn't need to see her mother crying.

Please just remember, even if I'm not there, I'll always love you.
Forever and always.

[1][1]
(Song lyrics from Forever And Always by Parachute)

[MillietheWarrior]

‘You’re sure this is the place?’

Trinket glanced over as a small screen was unceremoniously pushed his way, and he read the text quickly, before nodding slowly. His eyes drifted back to the diner across the street, now vacant of it’s customers as the woman inside moved around busily, cleaning off tables and stacking dishes. Trinket felt his heart constrict, the sudden, overwhelming desire to turn and run catching him off guard and nearly bringing tears to his eyes. He was so afraid, so afraid of seeing her up close. He didn’t know what he would do when she spoke to him, how he would manage to keep himself from falling apart the moment she touched him. All he could do was cling to the vain hope that she still loved him, that she didn’t hate him, and that she wanted him here, despite what he was anticipating.

The day he’d returned, the day he’d gone to see his former lieutenant, had been the day that trinket, in essence, had come back from the dead.

He remembered the absolute shock on Prudii’s face when he’d turned up at his door. For the briefest of moments, he’d thought Trinket was Solus, but a brief shaky smile and the color of his eyes had said otherwise. Those once, warm blue eyes were now a pale, silver, missing much of their vision, and only able to allow him to see shadows. His face was scarred and slashed, and a particularly nasty groove ran from the top of his eyebrows to the bottom of his jaw. When Prudii had seen him, he’d very nearly broken into open tears. Trinket had been absolutely stunned to see his hard-hearted lieutenant in such a state, but Prudii had quickly waved him off and ushered him and his new companion inside. Trinket hadn’t asked any questions about Celty, the Dullahan who had been looking after Trinket since his ordeal, and had accepted her without question.

Prudii had promptly sat him down and asked him to explain himself and where he’d been for so long. Trinket had told him that after Shadow squad had been decimated in the field, he’d been knocked unconscious and taken to a Separatist base. He didn’t need to explain what had happened there, as Prudii had easily guessed what trinket had gone through. He’d then proceeded to tell Trinket about Kasari, and the fact that she was living in town and owned a small diner. Trinket had been unsure as to whether he should try to find her again, but Prudii had immediately assured him that it would be in his best interests. He’d given Trinket some money, and ushered both he and Celty out the door with the address of Kasari’s diner.

And now here they stood. Celty was beside him, and judging from her body language, she didn’t seem all too concerned about going into the diner. ‘What are you going to tell her?’ she wrote, holding out the small writing device with the screen. Trinket read the message carefully, then closed his eyes against the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He didn’t know what to tell her. Or if he wanted to tell her anything. In fact, maybe he should just leave. She seemed so happy with her new life; but then, Trinket couldn’t exactly see her face from so far away, but he did manage to recognize her silhouette as it moved through the diner.

He glanced down at the ground, and Celty turned her helmeted head to stare at him (Or he presumed she was staring) as he closed his eyes tightly against the wave of uncertainty that washed over him. ‘Just go,‘ she typed, holding the screen right beneath his nose to get his attention. He felt her strong hand grip his shoulder and push, and suddenly Trinket was crossing the street, struggling in vain against the Dullahan’s hold. He wasn’t ready, he wasn’t ready, he wasn’t-

The little bell on the door chimed as Celty pushed him through it, and Trinket stood there, looking confused and lost, his eyes staring straight ahead. Celty briefly wondered if he’d gone into one of this ‘zone out moments,’ as she liked to call them, and was going to shut down on her, but in the next instant, he blinked his slightly unfocused eyes and , as if moving on autopilot, stepped around the Dullahan and made his way to the table Kasari was clearing off. He didn’t speak (he rarely did) and didn’t touch her.

Instead, he slid around her, and into the booth, sitting very quietly and patiently with his hands folded and trembling in front of him, his eyes focused straight ahead and his heart hammering in his chest as he tried very, very hard not to let his mind shut down on him. Celty hovered just out of reach, keeping a safe distance from Kasari and Trinket, but ready to step in should something go wrong. Even Celty was surprised when, after a few seconds of tense, heavy breathing, Trinket finally managed to pry his lips apart and utter one soft, hoarse, almost inaudible word; “Kasari.”

[Kallile]

The clatter of the bells against the door drew Kasari's eyes up as quickly as they retreated back to the table. Oh...just another couple.

Prudii and his brothers had done good to keep most other otherwise unaware Clones out of the diner. It was hard enough to look at her own son and remember his father...it was double that when she had to look a Clone in the face and constantly remind herself that it wasn't Trinket. Of course, news didn't always get around to the newer recruits...and it seemed that this one already had himself a girlfriend.

She only gave a small nod, not looking up again, and continued clearing the table in front of her. "Sorry guys, lunch hour is over. I can whip you up a sandwich or something like that, but our hot meals are done for another hour or so." She said all the while willing her voice to stay even.

To her shock, the Clone she was trying to avoid eye contact with slid right in beside her and sat patiently. Kasari's hand froze on the table for a moment before she retracted it. The woman, she noted, wasn't sitting down. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. "I'll ah...go get you a sandwich menu..." She said, but before another word could slip from her mouth, one slipped from his.

"Kasari."

The light-haired woman nearly dropped to her knees, but managed to mask that by dipping down slowly to see his eyes and face. His eyes weren't quite the same color. And his face...

"Trinket?" She managed to breath out with a rush of tears that clouded her eyes and choked her words.  "Trink...is it...really you?"

Every ounce of her wanted to all but leap on him and just hold him. The main restraining factor, however, was the fact he had come here solemnly and with another woman. Her eyes never did leave Trinket, but in her whirling thoughts Celty was very much being paid attention to. The feelings of Alana's real father came rushing to her mind like an out of control freight train. This was it--history repeating itself.

In that moment Kasari prepared herself for the renewed heartbreak of hearing she had been replaced with someone better. To hear all over again that she'd have to watch after "that kid" on her own. And then he would walk out of her life....

"Trinket...oh my God, Trinket...what happened to you?" She finally managed to ask, quaking hand slowly extending to reach gentle fingertips towards the scars she could see on his face. Her anger, fear, agony; it all collided and made her feel absolutely useless. He had very obviously been hurt and she hadn't been there for him. The man she had once always sworn to look after...and she'd failed him. How betrayed did he feel, her sweet and trusting man she remembered, to know she hadn't come after him with every ounce of fury in her body?

Her mouth moved to say his name again but the words were choked out by tears, her hand still mid-air above the table. If she touched him, he'd surely disappear. Just another waking nightmare left to haunt her.

[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

Her voice.

Oh shab, her voice.

Trinket had to forcibly swallow the lump that rose in his throat, closing his eyes tightly against the memories that soft, soothing voice brought back. It was something he hadn’t heard in…how many years now? He didn’t know. He didn’t count them. He just knew it felt like eternity. His hands clasped together so tightly that his tanned skin turned pale white. He didn’t open his eyes --couldn’t, more like-- when she spoke to him, dropping down to her knees beside his table. But mutely, he nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. It felt like they’d been glued shut, and Trinket, normally a man who didn’t talk or speak more than a few words at a time, found himself swimming in his own silence and unable to articulate how he felt. How could he even come close to describing the feelings bubbling inside him? Joy, pain, sadness, horror, hurt, love, fear….how could anyone ever hope to put any of that into words?

When he opened his eyes, he was startled to find her hand hovering only a few inches away, and he automatically flinched away from her touch. He didn’t deserve to be touched by her; he’d let his brothers down, let her down, and he hadn’t been there when he was sure she needed him. How could he tell her he was sorry? He stared at her fingertips, inches away from his face, and the smooth, pale skin of her hand. A hand that had touched his cheek with such tenderness before, a hand that had entwined with his with absolute trust. His eyes traveled up her arm, thin and frail looking, then along the curve of her shoulder, up her slender neck, to her face. Her face that was covered with tears. Tears that were meant for him.

He’d made her cry.

As he’d probably done countless times in his absence. He’d done what he’d swore to her never to do; he’d left. And he didn’t come back. Until now, that is. It took a sheer wall of force to pry his fingers apart, to turn in his seat to face her fully. Tentatively, he reached out his hand, reaching for hers, but he never made it. He quickly dropped his hand into his lap, eyes staring at the floor in absolute silence. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and tell her how much he missed her. Show her how much he loved her. But he wasn’t worth that. “Sorry,” he said at last, his voice directed towards his lap, and he saw Celty shift uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye. She’d folded her arms over her chest, and from the way her helmet was tilted away from them, she was trying very hard not to listen (or watch) and give them some privacy, but he knew she was ridiculously protective of him (especially after he’d finally told her what had happened) and she wouldn’t be put off so easily.

“Didn’t mean to leave you…everyone….is gone…except the lieutenant.” The words felt like glue, stuck in his throat, and it took a large amount of control to force them past his lips. His hand reached up, tracing the scars along his cheeks and over his eyes. There was a smattering of gray near his temples, a good deal more than Prudii; he’d only just received the cure for his advanced aging, and he looked older than he should. It wasn’t just his experiences as a captive that had etched the lines of worry and pain so deeply into his face; it was just his age. “Sorry I didn’t come sooner...bad…bad things happened…I didn’t…remember you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” He finally plucked up the courage to lift his head, staring into her face, her brimming eyes, and the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks. Slowly, he reached out a trembling hand, his fingers shaking violently as he gently ran them along her cheekbone. “Don’t cry. Not because of me. No more.  I’m here.”

[Kallile]

When he flinched away, Kasari had nearly dropped her hand in defeat. He really was disgusted with her; she hadn't come to find him. To help him. She felt a fresh wave of warm tears spill over onto her cheeks as she watched his struggle with something. She'd always known he was shy; words didn't fall from his mouth like they did with many of his brothers. He only spoke when he absolutely needed to and even then it had sometimes taken a lot of prodding to get him to verbalize his thoughts and feelings.

Now, however, was one of those times this trait made Kasari worry more and more about what might come out of his mouth.

When he finally found the words and the strength to say them, Kasari hung on every one of them. Forgotten was the stranger standing behind them and the recent past Kasari feared they had shared. Every fiber of her being silently willed more and more words to come out of his mouth. "I know...Prudii...Prudii came and told me that day...' She said through a sob. That day was the worst in her life. Hearing her soldier would never come home.

When his trembling hand touched at her face Kasari couldn't hold it back anymore. Her shoulders humped forward in a sob and she continued with that momentum until her forehead tapped lightly against his knees. Her own trembling hand reached up to find his, so they could be trembling together. "Don't be sorry, Trinket. It was n-never your fault. Never..."

The door alongside the kitchen creaked tentatively open and the slightly older face of Alana peered out wide eyes and worried. "...Mom?" She asked very softly, the shadow of an toddler on her hip just barely visible. It was not Trinket she noticed first, but Celty, and the door creaked slowly closed.

"Mom...who is that?" She asked, this time her voice a little higher and aggressive.

"Alana, it's...it's alright." Kasari choked out as she raised her head to look behind her. "Alana....it's Trinket." She whispered.

The door was still for a moment, only allowing the view of one small sliver of navy hair to peek out from behind it. Slowly it creaked open, her face coming into full view and slowly too, the face of a barely year and a half old baby boy.

He clung to her shoulder, wide blue eyes that were identical to the original color of Trinkets' gazing around the room sleepily. Shuffling out so that both came slowly into full view, Alana looked to the Clone sitting in front of her mother and buckled a little as she bounced the little boy on her side to make sure her grip on him was going to remain solid.

"D-daddy?"

[MillietheWarrior]

“Sorry,” Trinket rasped again,, and closed his eyes as a fresh wave of pain threatened to engulf him. He’d been so afraid; from the moment he’d lost his brothers, he’d felt nothing but fear. He was no longer afraid of losing Shadow squad; he’d lost them already, and while he mourned their deaths in his heart, his fear focused primarily on Kasari and Alana. He had promised them he’d never leave, that he’d be with them forever.  Maybe it had been a bad idea on his part to think he could keep that promise, and by the Manda, he had tried and tried and tried, but there was nothing he could’ve done to prevent his capture. Or the subsequent years that followed. He felt Kasari’s forehead touch his knees, her fingers intertwined with his own, and his free hand gently lifted to rest on her head, smoothing back the hair from her face with shaking fingers and a trembling arm.

He closed his eyes, wishing he knew what to say, wishing he had more to say, wishing he was able to say something at all. But he couldn’t. His throat had effectively closed over, leaving him trapped and helpless, more so than he had been, with Kasari crying in front of him and unable to do anything to stop it. “D-don’t…” he managed at last, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. “Don’t…c-cry…please…” The sound of a door creaking open forced him to jerk his head up, body tensing as though ready to leap up and run, or defend, or fight, but he was frozen, unable to move for Kasari in front of him.

Celty, meanwhile, had edged over to the side, looking ridiculously uncomfortable, if the set of her shoulders and clenching hands was any indication. She kept tilting her helmet towards the diner door, as if ready to dash out and escape the overwhelming emotion suffocating the room. When the door behind her creaked open, she nearly jumped, but quickly moved aside, trying to stay as far away from the girl (she wasn’t fond of kids at ALL) as possible. Trinket had never mentioned the baby, though. She knew the young teen was Alana, from her looks, but the baby? Had Kasari moved on? If Celty had eyes, she would’ve narrowed them angrily at the thought. She hadn’t imagined the woman would dare to leave Trinket behind (But that was the irrational side of her speaking; the rational side said it was normal, and it would help the woman heal if she found someone else to love) but then…it had been a long time, according to Trinket himself.

Maybe Kasari had gotten re-married, or found a new boyfriend, or heck, even adopted a baby. That last option sounded weird, but Celty crossed her arms over her chest and decided it sounded like the best one. Trinket’s eyes had frozen on the door, on the head of silver and blue hair, and the startled, familiar face. The face that had looked up at him with shy adoration as he’d given her his necklace; the face that had brightened gleefully when he’d said he’d take her to the park; the face that had smiled sleepily up at him as he rocked her to sleep and told her a story.

Then his eyes slowly slid from Alana, to the child at his hip, and he paled considerably, his skin nearly ashen as he contemplated the idea that this child was Alana’s. He hadn’t been gone long enough; he couldn’t have been. She wasn’t old enough to have a child. She-she wasn’t. He refused to believe that. “A-Alana…” he murmured, his voice sounding raw with emotion as his vision swam with tears he tried to blink back forcefully. “I’m-I'm, uhm…It’s…good to see…y-you…sweetheart.”

[Kallile]

Alana continued to inch closer, her face looking torn between crying like her mother and screaming joyfully at the top of her lungs. She finally seemed to settle on the latter, and let out a small squeeze before hopping up to the small reunion happening. The young boy bounced right along, a smile lighting on his face as he was whisked away.

When they were close enough Kasari reached out with her free arm to accept the child from Alana, and the teen promptly leaned over the side of the booth to give Trinket a hug. "Oh my gosh, I knew you wouldn't leave us!" She announced happily before her eyebrows popped up. She fumbled for a moment, but eventually her fingers caught hold of the chain hiding just under the collar of her shirt and she pulled forth the necklace of droid fingers he had given her all those years ago. She held them out to him proudly, her face brimming with joy. "I kept them safe for you, for when you came back."

Kasari's eyes narrowed as she grinned at her daughter and pulled her son in closer. "She's never taken them off; not one day since..." and then her voice failed her. Alana only nodded enthusiastically. "But...sweetheart...you really need to get back to school. Your principal won't let you come help me anymore if you're late again. I..." She paused and looked up at Trinket. Would he still be here when Alana got back? She didn't really know. "We'll catch up when you get back."

There was a classic teenage huff and eye roll that accompanied the request, but Alana finally made her way behind the counter and collected her bookbag. Before she exited, however, she pushed herself past Kasari and threw her arms around whatever part of trinket she could reach. "I love you, dad..." She whispered before racing out the door.

Kasari took a deep breathe and looked at the baby boy. She wished Alana wouldn't have come back down, wished she didn't have to overwhelm Trinket with all of this at once. But..he had to know. He had a right to know.

"Trinket..." She began slowly as she shifted the toddler closer to the Clone. Milo gazed up at the scarred man with a look of innocent curiosity and fearlessness; tiny hands reaching forward to be accepted by a face he had seen many times before.

"When you were pronounced KIA...I didn't think anything about what I was feeling. But...a few weeks later I figured it out. And this...." She held the infant back slightly, unsure of how Trinket would feel about him. "This is your son. I-I didn't know what you would want him to be called...so I named him Milo."

She looked to the baby and gave a soft smile. "Until today, I thought he was the last part of you I had left..." Milo, as if on cue, gave a giggling coo and reached back out to trinket with such determination he threatened to slink his way right out of Kasari's arms.

[MillietheWarrior]

Her loud voice made him flinch more than her hug, but when she threw her arms around him, Trinket froze, suddenly unsure of what to do. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but for some reason, he’d thought Alana would be angry at him for being gone for so long. He certainly hadn’t been anticipating this. When  she pulled away,, Trinket stared at her as though he wasn’t sure who she was, and his eyes followed the motion of her hands as she pulled out the necklace of droid fingers he’d given her so…very long ago. His trembling fingers lifted and gently touched the necklace, before his eyes slid up, brimming with tears, and he managed a faint, rusty smile for his daughter. His little girl, who apparently had never given up on him.

“Kept them safe…” he said softly, feeling the levy finally break as the tears overflowed and ran down his cheeks. “T-That’s my girl…” The necklace brought back too many memories, painful memories of a happier, simpler time, when he was a soldier, and he had everything he could ever want. He was glad when the necklace disappeared from view, and this time, when she threw her arms around him, his own reached up to tentatively hug her back, his body trembling with suppressed emotion and heartache. “Love you…too,” he whispered, wondering how long it had been since he’d said that to anyone, let alone his own family. He wasn’t sure if he remembered what ‘love’ was, but seeing Alana’s face…seeing Kasari’s smile…maybe he did remember after all. He just needed to be reminded.

Then Alana was gone, racing out the door in a blur of blue and silver, and Kasari was speaking to him again. He jerked his head up at her voice, his gaze lingering first on her face, and then on the child that she was inching closer to him with. He instinctively scooted back, not feeling comfortable with being around another man’s child; that was what he believed Milo to be. He must’ve belonged to someone else, and Trinket felt a small part of him break and shatter into dust at the thought. But Kasari’s words suddenly hit him out of the blue, and his eyes darted up to her, staring at her as if he didn’t know who she was. His…son? His? What? How? It was…impossible. It was…completely plausible. His eyes slid back to Milo, and he flinched away, not trusting himself to hold the child; he had a hard enough time holding a spoon as it was. He didn’t want to hurt him.

“M-mine…?” he said at last, his heart stuttering dangerously in his chest. His vision blurred, and this time it was from an overload of emotion instead of tears, and he felt his head swim as the child leaned towards him, reaching out to his father who he didn’t seem to know, yet knew at the same time. “Milo,” he said at last, a faint, tentative smile crossing his face once the feeling that he was going to pass out disappeared. “S-sorry,” he said at last, more to Kasari than the child he was staring at, transfixed. “Not sure…if I should hold him…” he held up his hands, staring down at them hatefully as they trembled and shook almost violently. “C-can’t…want to…b-but can’t…He’s…” he gulped, reaching out to gently ease the boy back into his mother’s arms with a gentle touch. “…b-beautiful…looks like you.”

[Kallile]

Kasari watched as Milo cooed and tried his best to free himself towards the Clone. He was no stranger to the face--Prudii among a few others would check in from time to time. Too young to know there was a difference between them, young Milo only knew the overly familiar face as one that brought smiles to his mother and big sister. It was just that simple. That face brought smiles. Except today.

As he was eased back Milo reached forth to entwine his tiny fist around one of Trinket's fingers, holding on tightly and letting out a giggle once he had done so. Kasari smiled, looking over the top of his head towards Trinket. "No...he's going to be handsome like his dad." she said quietly as she scooted forward. It was then she remembered the other body in the room and her face fell. Turning over her shoulder she looked to Celty and her smile faded completely.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I mean. Maybe this is a bad time..." Her mind whirled with the renewed thoughts that perhaps there was a bigger reason this woman had come with him. Maybe Trinket was only here to tell her goodbye; that he was starting a new life with the woman who had saved him or healed him or whatever it was she'd been doing. "Are you two...?" She stopped herself from asking further, just dropped her eyes down to see Milo's little fingers holding on tightly to Trinket's hand.

If only things could be that simple again for her. To reach out and hold him, never to let go again. Taking in a shaky breathe she sat up onto her knees, maneuvering Milo as carefully as she could to sit him in Trinket's lap, her hands gently holding him in place so that he couldn't fall.

"Don't be silly, you can always hold your own son." She said finally,tone changed as she tried to muster up another smile. No matter the reason for Celty's presence, she would be damned if she denied trinket his most basic rights as a new father. "I may not have been there to help you before...but I'm here now. Always."

[MillietheWarrior]

Trinket forced a wobbly smile on his face. The action felt so foreign that it was almost painful; sure, he’d laughed or smiled once or twice with Celty, but it had never been real. He was a different many then; he wasn’t Trinket, the former soldier, the former medic, or the husband of Kasari. He was just a nameless face, one in a million, without a notion or a clue who he really was. It felt like he’d been asleep for a very long time, and he’d suddenly woken up to find his life was in shambles and his world was in chaos. Everything had been overwhelming for him for the first few weeks; he’d been so unable to process it, that he’d shut himself away in his room and refused to come out. Celty had been worried, but hadn’t commented on his odd behavior, until the day he’d stepped out of his room and told her his real name. They had promptly gone to Prudii to find out where Kasari was, and with more prodding from Celty, Trinket had gathered the courage to come here and see her again.

He couldn’t say what he’d been expecting really, but this…all of this, especially Milo, was making his head spin. The tiny hand around his finger snapped him out of his thoughts, and Trinket stared hard at the chubby little fingers that held onto him. The skin, tanned, like his own, those big, bright eyes that reminded him of Alana, and that smile that looked so much like his mother’s. He had no doubts that Milo was his, but he was afraid that…well, maybe he didn’t deserve to be a father. He hadn’t been here for Milo, or for Alana, or even Kasari. This all seemed to good to be true, and he wasn’t sure he deserved to have it. He tore his gaze away from that happy, smiling baby-face, and turned to Kasari, confusion dawning in his eyes. “What?” he managed, his voice sounding faint as he followed Kasari’s quick gaze to Celty, who looked thoroughly uncomfortable. She’d folded her arms tightly across her chest, and her helmet was turned pointedly away.

Slowly, comprehension dawned across Trinket’s face, and his mouth quickly dropped open to assure Kasari that her fears were unfounded. “N-No. That’s-um-that’s Celty. She helped me…f-found me. Like a sister…j-just a friend.” At his voice, Celty’s helmet snapped towards the,, and she quickly waved her hand sin front of her to deny whatever Kasari was thinking. She typed furiously on the small pad in her hand, and quickly held it out, nearly fumbling with her hands and dropping it. ‘We’re just friends. I helped him out and he’s like a brother to me. Don’t worry. It’s nice to meet you, Kasari. I’m Celty. Trinket told me a lot about you.’ She rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous gesture, and then typed something else on her little pad. ‘Um…I’m going to go sit over there and give you two some privacy.’ She quickly retreated to a booth at the opposite corner of the diner, sliding into it and breathing a (figurative) sigh of relief.

Trinket smiled crookedly, his eyes leaving Celty’s hasty retreat to refocus on Milo. Kasari had settled on her knees and was situating the child on his lap. Trinket sucked in a sharp breath, looking apprehensive as he settled his hands gently around the baby. What…how was he…it had been so long since he’d held Alana, he wasn’t sure how to hold a real life, genuine baby. The only babies he’d ever held were Nia and Paige, and even then, it had only been to pass them off to Prudii. And he’d been steadier then. Not so…broken. Seeing Milo, his flesh and blood, his child, sitting there on his lap, brought everything full circle for Trinket. He suddenly wished his brothers were here to see his little family, he wished he’d been here when Milo was born, he wished he’d been around to watch Alana grow up. Sudden tears sprang to his eyes, obscuring his vision, and Trinket bowed his head, resting his forehead very gently against the top of Milo’s head as silent, heaving sobs wracked his body.

[Kallile]

At his words the the affirmation from Celty herself, Kasari loosened up noticeably. She didn't even think to question why the woman wrote her words rather than spoke--that was the farthest thing from her mind. Right now all that mattered was sitting right in front of her: Trinket and their son together. She gave a tear-choked gasp of a laugh as Trinket doubled forward and began to cry. She leaned forward to push her own forehead against Trinket and Milo, tears falling from her own eyes.

She wasn't sure what to do, how to make things better and chase away the tears they were both shedding. One hand still on Milo to keep him steady, the other snaked it's way up to Trinket's neck and she entwined her fingers around his hairline. "Please don't cry...you're going to make me cry." She barely managed--half sobbing and half laughing. "We're together again, it's going to be alright."

Milo, lost in confusion, tried to look up at his parents despite their leaning in on him. When he found his motion limited he let out a few annoyed burbling noises; the hand still clasping onto Trinket's finger moved to knock against his little legs as he wriggled and burbled. Kasari gave one soft chuckle before moving back to look down at the baby."You're alright sweetie." She cooed softly at him, moving her thumb to tickle at his belly softly. Milo laughed--the most joyful sound any person could ever hope to hear-- and continued burbling at his mother.

Kasari smiled and looked back up at Trinket, wanting so badly to ask what happened now. Was he staying here? Was he returning where he came from with Celty? Most importantly...if he was, was he coming back. It was unsettling that the woman who was so notably uncomfortable was still hanging around; the black shadow waiting to sweep in and take Trinket away from her again. But how could she even think to ask him such things when the day had been hard enough already? There was only one way she could think of to ask without truly asking.

"Are you both staying for dinner? I can close down the diner, it wouldn't be a problem. Especially if you came a long way to get here...you must both be hungry." She prayed her heart wouldn't have to be broken all over again if the answer was no. What would she tell Alana if Trinket wasn't still here? Of all the things in life that could and had happened to her, she'd never foreseen this sort of transition in her future. Now that she was staring it in the face, she wasn't sure how not to sound demanding about it. Of course she wanted Trinket to stay--even if he wasn't the same as he used to be. She wanted them to be a family again; to truly be his wife again and not a widow. But how could she ask him point blank to give up whatever life he'd been building since then in one fell swoop? What if...what if he didn't really want to?

[MillietheWarrior]

Trinket sucked in a deep breath, keeping his head tucked close to his body as the sobs turned into faint hiccups, and then dried completely. “S-So long,” he managed. “Gone for…so long…How can…how can it ever be right? How can I make it all right? Tell me, and I'll do it.” He managed the last part without stuttering or tripping over his words, but his voice was no more than a hoarse whisper. He drew back to stare down at the child --his child, he had to remind himself with a mental smile-- intently. “Still think…he looks like you,” he said softly, brushing a wispy strand of hair away from his son’s face. He was glad he’d come now, rather than years down the road. Kasari would’ve been re-married; it would’ve been the obvious thing to do. Milo would’ve been grown and would never have known who he was, and Alana would probably have resented him for being gone and leaving her family alone again.

He wondered if, deep down inside, Kasari resented him now for being gone so long. He’d promised he’d never leave her. When he’d walked out of the base that day, he’d told her he’d be back soon, safe and sound, and that she shouldn’t worry. He’d promised he’d return. And he’d broken that promise. There was a lot of things that happened on that day that only Trinket would know, and a lot of things that he wished he could change. But he was here now, and that was all that mattered to him for the moment. He sighed heavily, a tentative smile curling over his scarred face as his hands curled protectively around Milo, keeping him steady despite his fears of dropping him. He didn’t need to worry with Kasari right there, ready to catch him if he fell. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

At Kasari’s hesitant question, Trinket looked up, and his smile disappeared as he tilted his head to the side. Staying…for dinner? Was…that all she wanted? “You don’t…want me to stay here? You just-just want me here for dinner? I can…I can go home if you w-wanted. Not a… problem.” His smile this time was watery and unsure, and he quickly lowered his gaze to the top of Milo’s head, pretending he was okay with possibly being asked to leave and ‘come back some other time.’ He wasn’t. He never would be. If she asked him to go away, or to leave, he would do it, but he didn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if he did. Celty looked vaguely uncomfortable in her booth, wondering if she’d be asked to stay too. She couldn’t eat, and she didn’t want to frighten anyone with her…weirdness. But she’d stay if Trinket asked; she had a duty to look after him, after all.