Morning came early for Aiden most mornings, and he wasn't complaining about it. It was for good reasons the majority of the time. It usually had to do with the smallest knock on his and Alina's door. Then Lira's sweet voice could be heard. 'Dad, are you up?' He chuckled at the thought. It really, really wasn't a bad way to live. It was different, fun, exciting, and he felt that he had a sense of purpose again. If that little girl looked to him and believed in him, he could probably do anything in the world for her.
Aiden was kneeling by the garden, pulling weeds that showed up here and there. He wasn't a professional gardener, but he was getting better. He was starting to learn more about the trade itself just by doing it.
"Hey, Dad! Look at this one!"
Aiden turned, and his eyes widened with surprise. "Whoa!" Aiden smiled wide as she ran up to him, showing him probably one of the finest flowers he had ever seen. "That's probably your best one yet."
Her eyes sparkled, and her smile grew as she giggled. "Thanks! I'm gonna find some more and put them in the house."
"Sounds good!" Aiden smiled and followed up with a small laugh. He looked back to his area, finishing up. That was pretty much it for this side of the flower bed. Aiden stood up as he took a deep breath, taking a casual glance around the homestead.
Then the feeling came....
Sudden, deliberate, a knife between the ribs. He felt the pain, frustration, sadness, all of it. It caught him in such a way that he had a momentary struggle to breathe. He took a step or two forward before his hands rested on his knees, then one came up to his chest for a moment.
"No...."
Aiden dropped to one knee, closing his eyes, the pain tearing through him again. "T-T-There's no way...." The area around him began to spin. He closed his eyes, biting his lip. "Please.... don't do this to me.... not now...." He cried out, blinking through his watery eyes. He spoke in a furious whispher, as if hope itself had betrayed him. "They're still there....they..." Aiden's lip trembled as he shook his head. "They.... have to be...." Memories flooded his mind of them. Laughter, happiness, then drowned by quickening pain and anguish, and the fact that he refused to face. That he didn't want to face.
Alexandra and Addison were both.... gone...
He shook his head, fighting to breathe, sob, cry, stay composed. Aiden, Jedi Knight, last of the Portes.
You could have saved them.
"Shut up!" Aiden shook his head, crying out.
And you were here, playing house. True Jedi Knight, ex-Guardian of Justice and Peace, failure to all you know.
Aiden slapped his face several times, crying out. "Shut up! Shut up!"
You are going to lose everything....
"STOP!!!!" Aiden shot up quickly, to his feet screaming to the heavens, his voice echoing out across the homestead.
"Dad....?" Lira's voice spoke up, clearly scared and worried.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Aiden snarled toward her, pain and darkness taking over for a brief moment as he stood quickly and moved away, struggling to catch his breath. He couldn't get away, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't catch his breath. The space around him began to spin again, spiraling out of control, beyond his control.
Failure....
Breathe!
Coward....
Breathe!!
Give in....
Aiden!!! Breathe!!!
He looked up quickly, hearing the voice pierce through the veil, seeing the grass in front of him. He was kneeling on the ground, hands at his sides. Everything stopped spinning, breathing returned to normal. His eyes were bloodshot, tears still there. "Daddy....?" Lira's trembling voice, cut through the quiet of the area. She was clearly scared, frightened, but she was unable to leave him. He looked back at her, blinking through the tears, seeing her hand reach out for him. He glanced around for a moment, members of Shiraya's Hope were closing in, unsure, unaware, concerned.
"Hey, kiddo" Aiden sniffled as reached out for her hand, pulling her into a hug. There was no resistance as she hugged him back fiercely. "I'm so sorry. Okay?" He rocked back and forth with her in his arms. "I'm so sorry...."
"I love you Dad." Aiden heard her voice, it rang through him. Aiden couldn't say much else, they knelt there for what seemed like a lifetime. He then stood up with her in his arms, walking back to the house. Parting the group of soldiers that arrived, not saying a word to anyone.
