20. Painting of a New Family (1/2)

ruhlsar000 here! how are you all? things may be a little crazy next week, so there may not be an update. there may, and i repeat may, be a chance of ner vod getting updated the week after as i finally found my notes for the next chapter and can hopefully get through my writer's block. you're high if you think i own rebels. the last episode was so good!

"so, what are we going to do first?" david smiles,

ightly, as we walk through the shopping center. "it's been a while since we've done anything together." david rushes five steps ahead of me. translation: it's been a while since he hasn't had to share me with anyone. which is true, but makes worry about the surprise slightly.

"david, it won't be just us," i say, fighting off the hesitancy in my voice. david turns to me confused and a little disappointed. ah, karabast… "you remember nuha, right?"

"the woman who sometimes has dinner with us?" david says, confused.

"yeah, i asked her to join us," i say.

"why?" david whines, disappointedly.

"because she is important to me. and i'd like for other people who are important to me to know her." i put my hand on his shoulder.

"i do know her." he huffs.

"david, she's my girlfriend. she's going to be around a lot more. and i am going to be spending time with her. but we'd both like to share some of that time with you." i explain, being as upfront as i can. he always takes things better that way.

david sighs. "so, you and nuha are like mom and dad…"

"our relationship isn't that strong yet. but that is the direction it seems to be going." i sigh in relief. david knows how important kanan and hera are to each other.

"what if… what she decides she doesn't like me… or kemen… or mom and dad… or-" david asks quickly. "what if she makes you choose between us and her… and… and…. i don't want-" david cuts off but the words hang in the air. to lose you, again. you to leave. be abandon. my arms circle around him and hold him tight.

"that's not going to happen. ever. nuha already likes everyone. especially you. that's why she wants to get to know you better. besides, you and i are a packaged deal, now and forever. anyone in my life needs to be okay with you. and no one is going to take me away from you again." i pull back and hold out my necklace. david smiles, holding up his half. "i am never leaving you again, david. that's a promise."

david smiles and hugs me again. "come on. nuha is waiting. so, what are we doing anyway?" he releases me.

"she said something about a painting pottery." i smile, directing us around a corner. nuha leans on a

onze bantha statue in the middle of the courtyard nose buried in a datapad. "nuha!" i call out causing her to jump.

she turns to us smiles, walking towards us. she hugs me. "you're late." she huffs.

"oh, like you could tell with your nose buried that deep in a story." i roll my eyes.

"there is a clock at the top of the screen." nuha rolls her eyes, before turning to david. "hey david, how are you doing today?"

"um, good, nuha…" david says, biting his lip, still uneasy. i put a hand on his shoulder and send him reassurance through the force. "should we get going?"

"sure." i smile, as we walk around the corner to the

ight yellow shop with a window filled with

ightly colored mugs and plates.

"this place looks like aunt sabine's hair threw up on a piece of her early pieces of artwork. aibek will be so jealous." david says, cheerfully, not realizing that someone could take that as an insult, rather than a complement.

"yeah." i agree with the apt description.

"so, when am i going to meet this 'sabine' i keep hearing about? and 'zeb' too?" nuha smiles as we enter.

"soon, hopefully. it's been an insane year with all the stuff happening. they haven't been able to drag themselves from mandalore and the senate for more than a day or two at most." i shrug.

"wait… sabine? as in sabine the artist, mand'a'lor?" nuha eye