Ze plot! She thickens!

Quick, do the Plot Twist dance!*

*If you don't know what the Plot Twist Dance is, go see the Mess Perfect comic on Deviantart by Epantiras

Ze plot! She thickens!

Like delicious pudding!

Quick, do the Plot Twist dance!*

 

*If you don't know what the Plot Twist Dance is, go see the Mess Perfect comic on Deviantart by Epantiras

There is no plot twist, there is only Zod. Now, kneel before him.

In which there can be only one...

“Athra, if you are seeing this then I have died, either by your hands or those of another,” the image said stiffly. “If I have died by your hands, then we both know the reason why. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you of my true purpose and can only hope you made my death as quick and painless as possible. If I died in the line of duty, then I hope I died protecting you and before events that may tarnish the legacy of our marriage.” The image paused and shifted uncomfortably. “Athra…” he sighed quietly. “Know that, come what may, I love you. My love for you has never wavered nor come into question. It strengthened each day we were together, every laugh we shared, every private moment, every smile, every tear.” The image paused and shuffled its feet. “I will always love you, Athra. I’m sorry for leaving you so soon. On confirmation of my death, you will receive the customary paperwork in your inbox. Fill in the blanks and file them. I have already done most of the work for you. Goodbye, my Lord.” Then his image blipped away.

Athra stared at the holoterminal for quite some time before snapping back to reality and into action. She ran full tilt to Quinn’s apartment and arrived in record time thanks to a handy Force boost or two. She nearly knocked the door down with her eagerness to get in. When she finally remembered the door code, she rushed into the room, saber in hand ready to strike down whoever took her Malavai away. She was surprised to see her father sitting at the Dejarik table with an incredibly pale, but very much alive Quinn across from him.

“Did you get some rest? You’ve only been gone an hour,” her father said, concern lacing his voice.

“Malavai! You’re alive!” Athra said breathlessly.

“Should I not be?” Quinn asked stiffly.

“You bastard,” she said quietly. Then she tackled him, taking him down to the ground in a fierce hug. Quinn shouted in surprise then in pain.

“Your armor is digging into my wound,” he hissed quietly.

“Oh, sorry,” she blushed. She shifted a bit, but would not let him up.

“Why did you think something was wrong?”

“I received a holomessage sent from you. It was you telling me you were dead,” she said thickly.

“Ah, yes,” Quinn murmured quietly. “That was something I set up some time ago in the event of my death. It was set to send if my heart stopped for three minutes or longer.” He paused and shifted uncomfortably. His legs were laying sideways over the seat the chair and Athra was getting heavy. “Can I get up now?”

Athra’s face turned a deeper shade of red. After she stood she helped him back into his chair as painlessly as possible.

“Wait, when did your heart stop for that long?” asked Athra.

“Some time during the extraction, I’d wager.” He paused. “Sorry for scaring you like that, it was unintended,” Quinn said quietly.

“I’d hope so,” Athra’s father muttered to himself.

“I’m not that mean, Athur,” Quinn pouted.

“Hah! You have had no mercy on me this entire round. Or the round before. Or the one before that,” Athur grumbled.

Quinn chuckled quietly. “I always play to win, no matter the skill level of my opponent.”

“Just let me win once?”

“It would wound my pride,” Quinn smiled.

“Imagine how wounded mine is,” Athur pouted.

Athra and Quinn chuckled at the same time. Athra was glad they were getting along. She wondered if she should introduce her mother to him.

“Hey, Quinn, how would you like to meet my mom?” asked Athra.

“I’d love to,” Quinn murmured as he thought over his next move. Quinn moved his Mantellian Savrip then sat back in his chair. “And that’s the game, Athur.”

Athur looked the board over then slouched in his seat.

“Oh, fine, don’t let me win!” Athur pouted.

“I should probably tell you before you meet her that she’s a Twi’lek,” Athra said conversationally.

“That’s… surprising,” Quinn muttered.

“I know. Most people don’t expect that. You know, Vette kind of reminds me of her. And daddy used to run with an oddly stiff Imperial officer much like yourself…” she trailed off in thought.

“He was far stiffer,” Athur supplied helpfully. “Couldn’t get that man to take a day off without threatening to kill him. Or choking him. Or hitting him with the hilt of my lightsaber. Or punching him in the face.”

“Daddy!” Athra gasped.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You should have found him an equally stiff female officer,” said Quinn.

“You know, he actually had a family. What’s your name again?”

“Malavai Quinn.”

Athur looked to the side in thought then snapped his fingers when he found the answer.

“You’re the son of Vai and Essa Quinn!” he said excitedly. At Quinn’s nod, he clapped his hands happily. “Vai and I go way back! He was that impossibly stiff young officer I mentioned. This is wonderful! Do you have his frequency? I’d love to catch up with him!”

“You can use my terminal to call him, if you wish. He should still be at the estate along with my mother,” said Quinn.

“Has it been two weeks?”

Quinn closed his eyes and sighed quietly. “Yes, it’s been two weeks.”

“Wonderful! I’ll go call him now!”

Athur jumped from his seat with a “squee” and ran to the terminal. Quinn shook his head at Athur’s antics. Athra was as sporadic and random as he was. At least it was cute in her case. Athra smiled after her father then took his seat and reset the Dejarik board with the press of a button.

“Fancy a game against your wife?” she asked, smiling evilly.

“What are your terms?” Quinn asked stiffly. He knew her well enough to know she wanted to make a gamble of it.

“If I win, we have sex later today.”

“Very well, but if I win, we continue waiting for the okay from Jadus.”

“Deal.” They shook on it. “Prepare to lose and be ravished!”

“I daresay you will lose and go unravished.”

“Really?” Athra asked, arching a brow.

“Really,” Quinn said firmly, grinning devilishly.

The game was quick and brutal. Athra pouted in her seat after Quinn announced his victory.

“I told you, I play to win no matter my opponent,” he said arrogantly.

“You just don’t want to have sex with me,” she pouted.

Quinn snorted quietly. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to throw you down on the nearest mostly comfortable surface and have my way with you, but I want to do this right and if Jadus says no intimacy then we will continue to wait.” He paused and shifted in his seat. “No matter how frustrating it is,” he grumbled.

Athur returned to the table with a jump in his step.

“Your father still looks the same!” he said happily. “You know, you two look so much alike I’m surprised I didn’t make the connection earlier. You even have similar names!”

“That was mostly coincidence, actually,” Quinn said stiffly.

“You weren’t named after him then?” asked Athur.

“No, I was named after something else.”

“What were you named after?” Athra asked.

Quinn stiffened in his seat. “I’d rather not say.”

“You know I’m going to find out, just tell me.”

“No,” Quinn said stubbornly.

“Round of Dejarik for it?”

“I will beat you within an inch of your pride,” he said stiffly.

“You’re on!” Athra challenged.

Naturally, Athra suffered a terrible loss, but she enjoyed every minute of it.

“How about we meet my mother for lunch after our session with Jadus?” asked Athra.

“That is acceptable. I have nothing planned,” answered Quinn.

“It’s a date!”

EDIT

Notes:

As soon as she was gone, he moved to the doorway to Quinn’s room. He would punish him for hurting his daughter, no matter the circumstances.

 

<snip>

 

She was surprised to see her father sitting at the Dejarik table with an incredibly pale, but very much alive Quinn across from him.

 

<snip>

 

“Hah! You have had no mercy on me this entire round. Or the round before. Or the one before that,” Athur grumbled.

Am I reading this right? Athur's idea of punishing Quinn for hurting his daughter was to try to beat him at Dejarik, and then he failed to do so? LOL!

I love where this story is going. Actually, it seems your way to see the "Quinncidence" (at least the Quinn-side of it) resembles my own. All in all, I thought when it happened that naturally he had to do it, because there was no choice for someone like him. Loyalties were not to switch for my poor captain. My warrior knew as well, but she reacted in quite a different way, hehe....

I've posted my own ideas at fanfiction.net some time ago, but am still a little shy to post it here, since there are so much more readers here and my English... well...

Maybe I'll through it in somewhere here in the forum anyway. After getting drunk and really, really stupidly brave

But I enjoy your story even more because of all that. It is so much fun to read all your Quinn-stories, because you really know your way with words. Thanks again for sharing it all with us, I can't wait to read more

Am I reading this right? Athur's idea of punishing Quinn for hurting his daughter was to try to beat him at Dejarik, and then he failed to do so? LOL!

Heeheee, yes. Athur is the litte Juggernaut that couldn't beat Quinn at Dejarik. If he wasn't so scared of Athra beating him to a pulp, he would have knocked Quinn around a bit instead, lol.

I love where this story is going. Actually, it seems your way to see the "Quinncidence" (at least the Quinn-side of it) resembles my own. All in all, I thought when it happened that naturally he had to do it, because there was no choice for someone like him. Loyalties were not to switch for my poor captain. My warrior knew as well, but she reacted in quite a different way, hehe....

 

I've posted my own ideas at fanfiction.net some time ago, but am still a little shy to post it here, since there are so much more readers here and my English... well...

 

Maybe I'll through it in somewhere here in the forum anyway. After getting drunk and really, really stupidly brave

 

But I enjoy your story even more because of all that. It is so much fun to read all your Quinn-stories, because you really know your way with words. Thanks again for sharing it all with us, I can't wait to read more

Don't be afraid to post. There's a beta thread here somewhere. In it, there's a list of people who are willing to read your work and help you fix any errors and keep your story on track. Look into it, it's well worth it.

Thanks for reading everyone!

In which Quinn pouts to infinity and beyond...

“You didn’t even appear to be the least bit sad when you recorded that message!” Athra grumped.

“I recorded it fifteen different times and spliced together the parts where I wasn’t emotional!” Quinn said stiffly.

“Why? That’s stupid! You should be emotional! You just died and you’re leaving your wife a heartfelt message!”

“I’d rather not leave a legacy of crying like a small child whose candy has been taken away, thank you very much, Athra!”

“So you’d rather leave a legacy of the stiff jerk you’ve always been!?”

“I am not a jerk!”

“The hell you aren’t!”

Quinn growled in frustration and crossed his arms. “If I’m such a jerk why are we here?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, you giant arse!”

“Stop calling me names!”

“Twit!”

“That’s immature, even for you!”

“I have more. Let me go through my list!”

Jadus watched quietly as Athra pulled a datapad and went through a list of insults. By the time she was done, Quinn was practically vibrating with suppressed rage.

“I am not,” Quinn said through clenched teeth, “an ‘ungrateful nitwit with his head so far up his nethers he can barely move let alone think’.”

“I have more.”

Quinn snatched her datapad away and tossed it somewhere in the room.

“Hey!” Athra said angrily.

“That’s quite enough,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

“I can sense the tension between you,” Jadus said tonelessly.

“A blind, deaf, comatose, lobotomy patient could feel the tension between us,” Athra grumped.

“Did you learn that from Darth Baras?” asked Jadus.

“Of course, it was his favorite line of all time,” Athra replied.

Jadus nodded silently then turned his attention to Quinn. He was currently pouting like a child in timeout.

“Why do you hide your emotions from your wife?” asked Jadus.

“I hide them from everyone,” Quinn said stiffly.

“You think you’re protecting yourself.”

“It is simply what I have always done.”

“I assume your mother has something to do with you hiding your emotions,” Jadus said tonelessly.

Quinn stiffened in his seat.

“Got it in one,” Athra grinned.

“Oh, like you’re one to talk about mother issues!” Quinn huffed. “I assume your current state of dress is because you raided your mother’s dancing outfits.”

“My mother may be a Twi’lek, but she was not a dancer!” Athra growled.

“Impossible,” Quinn huffed stubbornly.

“You try saying that to her face without being shot in the head.”

“Like you’d let someone kill me while you were standing right there.”

“I’d be the one doing the shooting,” Athra said lightly.

Quinn scowled and jumped to his feet. “I’m tired. I’m going home. Feel free to continue your Quinn bash while I’m gone.” Then he turned and left.

Athra scoffed and crossed her arms. Jacka*s.

I always loved you

I could never show you

I wanted you to be strong

I went about it wrong

Counseling was going well for Quinn and Athra. Well, as well as well could go when your wife alternated between wanting to inhale your face in wonderful ways to wanting to impale your face in horrible ways. On top of that, there never seemed to be a good time to talk one-on-one without the counselor nearby. It wasn’t that she was violent or had hurt him in any way, it was that she was as intimately frustrated as he was. Any time they occupied the same room together the air became charged with hormones. It disrupted nearby activities and was the likely cause of the odd couple Jaesa and Pierce.

Quinn sighed quietly. He was trying incredibly hard to resist Athra’s charms, but it was difficult with her currently kissing a pattern on his neck and jaw. He was making a concentrated effort not to throw her down on the couch and have his way with her. He sucked in an unsteady breath as she began working the buttons on his shirt.

“Are you alright?” Athra asked between kisses.

“Ah, yes,” he replied breathlessly. “Qu-quite alright, my Lord.”

Athra chuckled quietly and pulled back to face him. She loved making her officer blush as she tore down his natural defenses. She fiddled with the necklace around his neck and smiled. It was just one of many gifts she had showered on him in an attempt to gain his affection, but it was the only one she had seen him use on a near constant basis once she realized he still had it.

“What have I told you about calling me ‘my Lord’ in private?” Athra purred. She could feel his resolve slowly slipping. Just a little more pushing and she would get exactly what she wanted. What they both wanted.

Quinn swallowed hard. “To call you by your given name.”

“And what is my given name, Malavai?”

Quinn released a shaky breath. “Athra,” he said quietly.

“Very good,” she murmured.

With a feral grin she went back to work on tearing down his defenses. She felt his hands twitch and grip her armor a bit tighter. One more push.

“Malavai,” she said quietly, caressing his name gently. She could hear him grinding his teeth with effort. “Won’t you take me to the bedroom?” she purred.

As he tried to respond, the holoterminal in the living room beeped to life with a call. Quinn recognized the emergency frequency and was suddenly all business. Athra pouted at him as he moved her from his lap to the couch and went to the terminal to answer the call. His father’s blue image came into focus.

“Hello, father,” Quinn greet cordially.

“Malavai, there’s been an incident involving you mother,” Vai said sadly.

Quinn quirked a brow and waited for his father to continue. The man knew his relationship with his mother was murderous intent at best and full on matricide at worst.

“She has fallen ill and I fear she won’t recover,” Vai continued.

“I see,” Quinn said stiffly. “That’s too bad.” Honestly, he didn’t really care that she wouldn’t recover. Some part of him felt something akin to sadness with her imminent death, but a larger, angrier part wanted her to die as slowly and painfully as possible.

“Malavai,” his father said thickly, “come home for a while. If only to say goodbye.”

“I don’t need to say goodbye, father.”

“Your mother loves you.”

“She has a funny way of showing it,” Quinn spat harshly.

Vai sighed somberly. “Malavai, please, this isn’t the time for this.”

“I have no desire to come home,” Quinn said tonelessly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was in the middle of something.”

“Malavai, please,” his father begged quietly. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Quinn stared up at his father’s image. His father was never an emotional man, something Malavai had strived to become, but here he was begging and pleading with his son to come home. He sighed quietly then nodded.

“Alright, I will come home,” he said stiffly. “I am doing this because you asked, not because that woman is dying.”

“She’s your mother, Malavai.”

“I know damn well who she is!” he said, angrily slashing the air. He took a calming breath. “I will be at the estate shortly. Have a room prepared in case I bring a guest.”

His father’s image nodded quietly then blipped away. He wasn’t sure if he should be grateful for the interruption or curse his mother’s name until she was burned away to ash. He went back to the couch and sat down heavily. He had no desire to go to the estate, but his father, his poor father was obviously heartbroken.

“I’m afraid I will have to take a rain check, Athra,” he said quietly. “You are more than welcome to join me, but I will not ask it of you.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Athra asked gently.

Quinn stood without answering and headed to his bedroom to change. He couldn’t tell her he was afraid his mother’s dying words would still label him a failure. He couldn’t tell her he was afraid of the sadness that had engulfed his father. He quickly put on his uniform. Freshly starched, delightfully stiff, and lightly armored, it was protection in more ways than one.

Quinn suggested they walk to the estate. It wasn’t too far, within comfortable walking distance. He would use the time to think. He hoped for some great epiphany that he knew would never come. He hated his mother with a fiery passion and he was sure she felt the same way about him. They never got along and they never would as long as he was Force-blind. As there was no way to imbue a person with the ability to manipulate the Force, his mother would always hold distaste for him in the darkest pits of her very soul. And, of course, he would return that distaste in kind whenever possible.

The trip to the estate was unfortunately short. He hadn’t even begun to think of his reaction to her actual death. Knowing her, she was more than likely faking for attention.

When they arrived, Talos greeted them at the door. He pointed Quinn to the room his family had gathered in and invited Athra to follow him. Nox could use a friend and Talos was no good at comforting her at this moment in time. The strange unknown of life and death and the delicate balancing act between the two was driving Nox insane. That damn unanswered question of whether or not Essa could rally plagued Nox until she was nothing, but a blubbering pile of crying Sith. Athra gave Talos a sad smile and followed him to Nox.

Quinn quietly headed to the room he knew his mother was currently haunting. It was the same room his grandfather had died in, his grandmother, his aunt, and an uncle or three. He dubbed it The Quinn Room of Death when he was younger. It also served as a room for welcoming new life into the Quinn household, but new life hadn’t been welcomed since the day he and his sister were born some thirty years ago.

He stepped into the room quietly and took stock of the equipment on hand. Nothing unusual, a few monitors beeping and chirping and two IVs connected to the woman in the bed. She was frightfully pale and oddly quiet. Possibly sleeping. His father stirred in the chair next to the bed, but Quinn raised a hand to halt him from rising to greet him.

“You came,” Vai said quietly.

“You asked me to,” Quinn said stiffly. He walked to the bed and started fiddling with the equipment. He examined the readouts with a critical eye, but could find nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed as if she had a rather bad cold and would be fine, but a visual inspection proved otherwise. Thick black veins stretched down her arms and up her neck. He knew those black veins and pale skin well. She had been exposed to the same poison he had on Corellia. She was too far gone to be helped now. She really was going to die. He blinked at the realization, his eyes suddenly filled with tears at the very thought of her dying. Strange.

“We tried everything,” his father said hoarsely from his chair.

“I can see that,” Quinn said tonelessly.

“Come sit with your mother. I need to lie down for just a moment.”

“Have you eaten?” Quinn asked stiffly.

“I’m fine,” his father murmured quietly.

Quinn shook his head and pulled out his medical scanner. A quick scan of his father revealed exhaustion and the beginnings of malnutrition.

“How long has she been like this?” Quinn asked quietly.

“A week now,” Vai replied. “She fell ill soon after you left.”

“You haven’t slept since then, have you?”

“No.” His father turned his blue eyes to Quinn. “I want to be here when,” he paused and swallowed, “when she goes.”

“I can’t say I understand, but I do know it is unhealthy and mother would be upset that you let yourself become this way. Lie down on the couch there and I will bring you something to eat.”

His father nodded silently. He should have called Malavai sooner, but his relationship with his mother was tense at best. As soon as his head hit the couch, he was asleep.

Quinn returned a short time later. His father was sleeping quietly, but his mother was now awake or, at least, her eyes were open. She turned to him and frowned. Wonderful, she was as sunny as always. He walked to the chair next to her bed and sat down stiffly. She watched his progress the entire time, her brown eyes as calculating as always.

“Why are you here?” Essa asked quietly.

“Father summoned me,” he replied tonelessly.

“I see.”

Silence stretched the room in a thin layer of tension before snapping at the sound of Essa’s voice.

“Malavai,” she said softly. She stretched a thin hand out to him and smiled when he cupped her smaller hand between his. She was cold. So very cold. “I’m glad you came.”

“That is doubtful, mother,” he said stiffly.

“I know I wasn’t the kindest mother. I was always hard on you. I tried, in my own way, to temper you toward the masters you would soon serve. I’m sorry I wasn’t as kind to you as a mother should be to her child, no matter his perceived defects.”

Quinn blinked as hot tears filled the corners of his eyes.

“It’s fine,” he muttered quietly.

“No,” she said with surprising firmness, “it was never fine. I’m so sorry, Malavai.”

“I should wake father.”

Quinn gently placed her hand back at her side and crossed the room to his sleeping father. He knew his mother’s time was short if she was suddenly revealing emotions, positive emotions to him. His father took a while to rouse, but, eventually, he rose from the couch to stand next to Essa, leaving the chair empty in case Malavai returned. He turned to leave his father when a voice stopped him.

“Malavai, don’t leave yet,” his mother said softly. “I have much to say.”

He halted his steps and turned to her. She looked so small in that bed surrounded by machines and pillows. She looked… human. He nodded and retook his seat next to her. She reached out for him again, her arm shaking with effort. He met her halfway and cupped her hand in his once more. He could feel something was different this time. She seemed calm. It unnerved him.

“I love you, Malavai,” Essa said quietly. “I always did.” The monitor tracking her heart rate suddenly slowed its beeping. She smiled at him warmly for the first time in years. Her mother’s love shown in her eyes one last time before she closed them and slipped away. He held her limp hand in his and stared at her.

“Mother?” he asked quietly. She didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. He blinked and hot trails of freshly loosened tears traveled down his cheeks. He was never sure what his reaction would be at the death of his mother. Now that he was here, he knew. He would mourn her and mourn the love she never showed him until her final moments. The heart monitor let loose a steady beep before his father moved and turned it off. Malavai squeezed his eyes shut and brought his mother’s hand to his mouth. He laid a gentle kiss upon her knuckles and cried. If only he had made an effort to improve their relationship, maybe. Maybe… Maybe… His father placed a fortifying hand on his son’s shoulder. There was no point in dwelling on the maybes and what-could-have-beens. There was nothing to rebuild. His mother loved him and that knowledge would have to be enough.

Later that night, Quinn squeezed Athra to him as they spooned in bed. His mother’s passing reinforced that life was short and unpredictable. His father’s hidden misery highlighted the need to take advantage of every living moment.

“Athra,” he said quietly. She made an acknowledging noise and waited for him to continue. “Marry me.”

Athra wiggled until he released her and turned to face him with a strange smile on her lips.

“We’re already married,” she smiled.

“A recommitment then,” he murmured. “We’ll have the ceremony we should have had. Invite friends and family. Make a day of it. Do things properly this time around.”

“I’d like that.”

He smiled. “I love you, Athra.”

“I love you, too, Malavai,” she said sweetly.

“That’s the first time you’ve said that in… a while,” he said quietly.

“I was waiting for the right moment.”

His smiled broadened. “Every moment is the right moment.”

She smiled at him then placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

“I love you, Malavai.”

“And I, you,” he said quietly.

He pulled her to him, then, and lavished her with soft kisses and gentle reiterations of love. They would not reignite the passion in their relationship that night, but they did reignite their love. And that was a critical step that may have never been taken had his mother not passed away. It was the second most wonderful thing she had ever done for him. The first being her declaration of her undying mother’s love.

Notes:

Saying Goodbye

Quinn stared at his mother’s covered corpse blankly. He wasn’t sure what to think, what to do. His father was sobbing somewhere near him. He wasn’t sure where exactly. He didn’t want to look. He didn’t want to see a broken man. No, not just any man, but his father. The man he looked up to his entire life, a man who rarely let an emotion peek through unless he wanted it to. A strong, proud man broken and alone, the comfort he wanted could only come from the dead woman lying on the dais. There was nothing Quinn could say or do to help his father and it made him feel weak, helpless as if he were a child again watching his father in the distance.

“Malavai,” Vai said quietly through tears.

He jumped. He wasn’t sure when his father had moved next to him. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there. Malavai hung his head.

“I fear mother’s death may be my fault,” Malavai said softly.

Vai stiffened and climbed to his feet. He stood in front of his son, his hand on his blaster. If he had done this on purpose, if he had killed his own mother… Vai pulled his blaster and pointed it at the top of Malavai’s head.

Malavai slowly raised his head and found himself staring down the barrel of his father’s blaster pistol. He rose to his feet and stared at his father with a blank face. What was he thinking? In his grief stricken mind, was Malavai the enemy?

“You did this?” his father hissed.

“What?” Malavai asked, his face pinched in confusion.

“You poisoned her, didn’t you?” his father accused.

“Don’t be absurd!”

“I know you didn’t get along with your mother, I know how much you wanted to prove your worth to her. You killed her. You killed her to prove to her that you were strong!”

“Father,” Malavai said gently. “I did not kill her.”

Vai charged a cell and took careful aim. He wouldn’t be able to get away from this, not at this distance. Malavai stared at him, his face a blend of confusion and fear.

“The poison she encountered was one I was researching after nearly falling victim to it myself,” Malavai explained gently. “I brought the research home with me, including the knife I was stabbed with. I wanted to examine everything involved and catalog it as the poison appears to be rare.”

“So you poisoned her as a test?” his father asked angrily.

“Of course not. Whatever our differences were, I still respected mother enough not to make an attempt on her life. She was, as you reminded me through the years, still my mother.” He paused and released a shaky breath. “Now, please, put the blaster down.”

His father’s resolve slowly slipped until the blaster shook violently in his hand, his head hung, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Malavai grabbed the gun gently and placed it on the bench behind him. Then he turned his attentions to the broken man in front of him and hugged him. His father’s sobs increased in volume.

“I should have left my work at home,” Malavai said thickly.

“What’s done is done,” his father murmured quietly. He pulled himself from Malavai’s hug and stared at his son through the tears. “You’re as persistent as your mother.”

“I’ve always heard it described as ‘overly an*l’ and ‘stubborn’.”

Vai chuckled for the first time in three days. Malavai smiled. His father would be okay in time. He may never be the same, but he would get better. And that would have to be enough.

Make Out Interrupted... for at least the third time...

Malavai was the instigator this time. It tickled Athra’s funny bone when he became aggressively affectionate. As it was, they were back on what could now easily be called Make-Out Couch or the Couch-Where-We’re-Likely-to-be-Interrupted-But-It’s-Right-There-So-Let’s-Make-Out-on-it. The second was Athra’s name for it, which she tried to inform her husband of, but it was rather hard with his tongue currently battling hers for glory. This was the closest she could get him to the bedroom as he steadily refused to go much further than incredibly frustrating sessions on his couch. On the bright side, he had finally stopped fighting her advances and was actively participating. It made her feel less like a predator and more like a rutting teenager. When they separated to breathe, she grinned at him and shifted on his lap. Something flashed in his eyes for a millisecond too short. He was still utterly frustrating.

“We should really take this into the bedroom, Malavai,” Athra purred.

He simply shook his head quietly as he worked on catching his breath. She growled quietly. Utterly frustrating.

“We’re doing this right this time around, Athra,” Malavai argued quietly. “If Jadus says no bedroom intimacy, we’re going to listen.”

“Let’s do it on the couch then,” Athra suggested lightly.

He nearly face palmed. “Athra,” he said quietly. “This is important to me.”

“Oh, fine,” she mock pouted.

“As long as you understand,” he murmured quietly. Before she could smart off, which was the likely outcome, he pulled her mouth back to his and otherwise occupied it. Her response died on his tongue.

Naturally, and probably out of spite, the Holo terminal in the room beeped to life with a call. Malavai very nearly tossed Athra to the side to answer it. With the way he quickly shifted from awesome kissing skills to somber frown, it had to be a frequency he recognized through sound alone. She would never understand just how he did that, but he was tricky like that.

Much to their mutual dismay, Nox’s image popped up.

“What the hell, Quinn!?” Malavai growled at his sister.

“You always call me by first name when you’re upset. Did Athra finally leave you?” Nox asked flippantly.

“If you must know, you interrupted us.”

“She’s still around? Amazing.” Nox shook her head briefly. “Anyway, I called for a reason.”

“It had better be good.”

“It is. Mother is currently haunting the Estate and wishes to speak with you before finally resting.”

Malavai’s eyes widened. “She what!?”

“She became a Force ghost because of unfinished business and wishes to speak with you.”

“Wonderful.”

“Yes, it is,” Nox beamed happily. “Come to the Estate as soon as possible so she can move on and stop scaring father half to death.”

“She’s going to kill me isn’t she?”

“Probably! Ta-ta!”

Nox blipped away leaving an incredibly pale Malavai in her wake. Wonderful.

My verdict: awesome. Can't wait to see what she says.

[grins evilly]

Be Still My Icy Heart...

Athra and Quinn arrived at the Estate in short order. As soon as he stepped through the door he felt it, a strange creeping cold reaching for his chest. He shook at the feeling and started the search for his father. Every step his took tugged at him, pulling him gently toward the Quinn Room of Death. Every muscle in his body fought against the pull, but some small part of him forced him to comply. He was vaguely aware of Athra following him silently. When he made it to the Quinn Room of Death, his mother’s blue ghost was waiting patiently. She smiled warmly when he stepped through the threshold. It sent a chill down his spine.

“Hello, Malavai,” she said sweetly. “How have you been?”

“Romantically frustrated,” he answered honestly.

His mother laughed lightly. “Stubborn like your mother.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean by that,” he said stiffly.

“I’m sure,” she laughed again. “I wanted to speak with you because you are still at risk.”

“From what?”

“I’ll explain when I finish with you.”

That sounded down right ominous. She walked to him with surprising speed. So fast was she, his officer’s instinct didn’t have time to activate. One moment she was in front of him and the next she was gone. His body had turned to pure ice as she stepped into his solid form. He gasped in short bursts trying to breathe through the chill, but his chest constricted. He saw a purple light flash before his eyes before everything turned to black.

Two Weeks...

He woke up sometime later on the floor. When he opened his eyes, his mother’s ghostly feet were near his head. He slowly moved into a kneeling position and eyed his mother with trepidation. What the hell had she done to him?

“There,” she said happily, “all better.”

“What?” he asked hoarsely. “What did you do to me?” He rubbed at his chest with a frown.

His mother simply smiled and held out her hand. He squinted at it then his eyes widened.

“That’s…”

“The poison, yes,” she answered matter-of-factly.

“I thought Athur removed that.”

“He got most of it. This poison is rather tricky. I recognized it right away. There’s no antidote for it. It would have killed you eventually.”

“I was working on one, but I haven’t made any headway since…” he said quietly, trailing off sadly.

“It’s alright,” his mother smiled. “I purposely introduced the toxin into my system. Unfortunately, this version of it was designed specifically to kill Force users. I realized that too late, but it was also fortunate in that way. I stuck around hoping to run into you when you visited your father, but your father has mostly stayed to himself.”

“I’ve tried engaging him,” Malavai said defensively.

“Oh, I’m not blaming you, sweetie, calm down,” his mother said gently.

“…sweetie? Just… Malavai is fine, mother.”

His mother chuckled quietly. “Anyway, dear Malavai, I’ve rendered this poison inert. You can still study it and come up with an antidote. You’ll save a lot of important lives, make a name for yourself, and the money will help your future family.”

“Athra and I haven’t discussed that.”

“But you want a family. Is that why you’re avoiding intimacy with your wife?”

Malavai’s eyes went wide.

“Oh, yes, I’ve learned many things since shuffling my mortal coil,” his mother smiled. “You’re a good boy, Malavai. Try talking to her.”

“I – wha –” he stuttered. His mother simply grinned at him. He exhaled and shook his head. “Alright mother, I’ll talk to her.”

“Good boy. Until we meet again. Ta-ta!”

His mother disappeared with a wink and a smile. He gave a small wave to the space she had occupied then stumbled to his feet.

“You want to have kids?” Athra asked from behind him.

He jumped, shouted, and spun around all in one action.

“Ah, well, yes. Some day. Not – right now of course. In the future. When we’re – more settled.”

“You’re cute.”

“As I hope our children will be. In the future.”

“How about we get some practice in?”

“That would be… acceptable.”

Athra dragged him into an empty room. They didn’t leave for two weeks. Much to Vai’s chagrin.

It's official. I can't find a single character in this story that I don't like to some degree. Initially, Quinn's mother is the only one I cannot find any positive feeling for, but now even that's changed.

You are evil.

They didn’t leave for two weeks.

.......

.......

This is funny...

Quinn's luck is terribad.

Just burned a large portion of my afternoon reading this whole thread, but I regret nothing!

Brilliant stuff, the laughs are great but the drama is well done, too. I've yet to start my SW in earnest (he's chilling on the way to Balmorra, waiting to hear any peep about SGRs >_>) but I love to see Quinn analyzed in depth. There's just so much there to figure out, and so much room to put in your own twist on it. (I wandered over here from the Companions 101 thread... better go toss my hat in for him. Again.)

P.S.

Quinn blinked slowly at her. “You’ve been conditioning me to tell the truth whenever I have tea. That’s diabolical.” He paused for a moment. “I have never been more in love with you than I am at this very moment.”

Brilliant.

WoW that was very funny!!! Thanks I read all thread in this affternoon and I enjoyed it so much!

I'm new this world of fanfiction and now I ask to myself why I was not interested on that before!!!

I'm a Quinn Fan Girl so that can sound a little suspect but:

Your Quinn is great, a man that takes you to stores uncomplainingly and also helps to choose clothes!!!

About Jaesa and Pierce romance I see one in background story on fanfiction.net, their scenes are very funny cause it's Dark Jaesa. I see one with Vette too, I think they are beautiful couple.

So if I write for all that I want here I didn't finish this post today.

*Personal Note: I have to stop reading these things on bus, people around look at me as I'm crazy, just cause was laughing alone while a read that.

I wouldve made more then one response, and with quotes but i didnt wanna spam 3 pages worth ^_^

One word: MORE

Give me more.