We're Different Than the Rest

Chapter 28: A Warm Welcome

"May I remind you that last time you asked this question a wall fell on me?"

Suddenly Aayla was gone. Her physical body was there, still in Bly's arms, but her mind was somewhere else.

"Aayla?" No response. "Cyar'ika?" Still nothing. "I'm right here, it's just us. You're not on Simocadia."

"No!" Aayla screamed and fell to the floor, where she immediately curled into a ball. "No! Not again!"

"Aayla, you're okay. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to you." Bly calmly said, joining her on the floor and holding her.

A single tear fell down Aayla's cheek, and she came back to reality. She immediately looked at Bly and tackled him in a hug, crashing both of them to the ground completely.

"Thank the force you're okay!" She said, propping herself up a little.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bly asked.

"I just saw the wall but... instead of me being crushed it was you. I- I tried to save you but... I... they-"

Bly cut her off. "Hey, it's okay. I'm right here."

"It was so real. I felt like I was actually there, and-" a tear fell off of her face and onto Bly's. "and I saw you get crushed under the wall! It was my fault- I should have- I could have...." Aayla hugged him again.

After a minute, she pulled away. She propped herself up on her elbows, so that she wasn't crushing him after the hug, which made them fall so that she was on top of him.

"I'm okay. We're both okay. We're right here in our house-"

Aayla cut him off with a gentle kiss. "Our house." She smiled.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the war than this is where I'd be now, I would have said that you were out of your mind." Bly said.

"Me too."

.oOo.

Finally, the time came for Aayla and Bly's housewarming party. Along with Reno's for his two room guest house, which he planned on showing off at the party.

Sid arrived before anyone else, coming with extra food and a few gifts half an hour early. Dhara waddled in right on time, making herself at home quickly. Following directly behind Dhara was Faylin, who was carrying her and Dhara's gifts.

"Faylin!" Aayla ran over to her new best friend, and helped her carry the stack of gifts, revealing her face for the first time since she got to their house.

Bly was standing with Reno and Sid when they realized a new guest was here, so they walked over to where Aayla and Faylin were.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Faylin. Aayla says wonderful things about you." Bly shook her hand and then stepped aside. "These are my..." he paused for a second, "brothers and best friends: Sid," Sid shook Faylin's hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"And Reno." Sid stepped out of the way, letting Faylin and Reno meet.

The second this happened, Bly knew a lot of teasing was going to happen later. Aayla, Bly, and Sid all knew Reno too well to know that he liked Faylin.

"It's very nice to meet you." Reno said and smiled.

"You as well." Faylin smiled.

"Hey, Reno."

"Yeah, Dhara?" Reno snapped out of his trance and looked towards Dhara, who was sitting comfortably on the arm chair.

"Care to bring me something to drink?"

"Of course, Dhara."

The party continued for a few hours before Dhara and many others left at sundown. After twenty minutes of goodbyes, only five remained- Aayla, Bly, Faylin, Reno, and Sid.

Aayla closed the front door and sat down next to Bly on the couch. Sid was on Bly's other side, Faylin in the armchair, and Reno sitting comfortably on the floor. The group was talking for over an hour when Sid fell asleep on the couch.

"Aayla can Sid take our bed tonight? He worked over time at the hospital, and I don't want to wake him up."

"Of course, Bly."

"Reno, carry him in there."

"Why me?"

"Because I'm sitting here with Aayla, I'm your boss, and you can carry his weight."

"Fine." Reno's stood up and carried Sid to Bly and Aayla's room, returning a minute later.
"He's tucked in like he used to in the GAR. Happy?"

"Very." Bly said and rolled his eyes at Reno.
Reno took the opportunity of Sid's absence to sit in the open spot on the couch- which was the closest spot to Faylin's armchair.

"Aayla, I hate to leave but I really should be heading home now."

"Faylin it's beyond dark out, and the middle of the night. You can stay here."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"Of course. Follow me, I'll get you some pajamas." Aayla and Faylin quietly snuck into Aayla's room as to not wake up Sid.

"Okay, Vod. Spill."

"Spill what, Bly?"

"Fine, be a di'kut."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Reno refused to talk.

Bly threw his hands up in defense right as Aayla and Faylin walked out in pajamas. Being raised as a Jedi, none of Aayla's clothes were normal, so to say. Her pajamas were far from normal. Aayla was used to having her stomach and arms showing all the time, but Faylin was not. The borrowed pajamas that Faylin was wearing was a pair of sweat pants and a sports bra, which was the same for Aayla.

Aayla tucked herself back into Bly's side on the couch as Faylin wrapped herself with a fuzzy blanket.

"You guys look like twins." Bly said to Aayla.

"I could say the same about you and Reno." Both Bly and Reno had changed into their old GAR blacks.

"Fair point. But we technically are, so I win."
Aayla chuckled.

"Aayla, what was being a Jedi like?" Faylin asked from her chair.

"It was... I don't know how to describe it, actually. Until the war began, I felt happy with my life but I never felt like I had a family. Obviously I was close with other Jedi, but I never had the feeling that... I don't know. Then the war started and I got assigned to the 327th" she grabbed Bly's hand, "and I felt like I was part of a family. So I liked being a Jedi, I really did. Especially helping people, but I'm glad I'm gone. I think if I would have gone back I would have never been happy. I would have known that I was missing out on" she gestured around the room "this."

Faylin nodded and gave an affirmative hum.

"I-" she paused. "Never mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Bly looked at the chrono on the wall, 01:46 (1:46am).

Aayla, Reno, and Faylin continued talking, but Bly drifted off to sleep. By 02:30 (2:30am), Aayla had fallen asleep in Bly's arms on the couch.

Only Reno and Faylin were awake.

.oOo.

Hey readers!! Happy Mother's Day!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Please remember to keep your comments clean! No bad words please! 😁 Thank you!