Home, Sweet home

[Josh Dragovalor]

Home.

It was warming up again, and the beaches on Naboo would be ripe for swimming in. This ragtag family of sorts hadn't been there in some months. Visits to the Naboo home were few and far between, due to Jason still getting a hold on his abilities and them not wanting to risk it. But with some years under Jason's belt of training, and now that the renovations that Josh had started on some time ago since nobody would be living there, were finished... Well, now it was finally time to come home. For real this time. The house didn't look all that different on the outside as they flew over it. As the ship would land in the underground hanger bay, Josh would walk down the ramp with Ra, Jason, R4 and HK behind him. As they took the elevator into the house, though...

There it was.

The kitchen and living room combination had been completely renovated. Both seemed much larger, and able to fit more than just two people like it was originally designed for. It was clearly meant to house guests now, which worked considering Scherezade and Madalena tended to drop in from time to time, as well as the fact that Ra was now an actual resident. Josh hadn't had the chance to renovate proper even when he was married, it just hadn't come up.

There was now an actual dining table and chairs between the two, while the recreation area had gotten a much needed upgrade in technology and organization. The kitchen itself, which had next to nothing in cooking utensils before, had everything that one could think of. It's capabilities were even more than that on the Maekrix.

"Whoa..." Jason would gape with his mouth wide open. Even Josh couldn't help but smile a bit. He hadn't had the chance to see the place for himself. His only confirmation the house was finished was that of the droid team working on it, before he had wiped their memories of the experience. So to see it now... It was very well worth the credits.

 

[Riamah]

For severl year of her adult life, Ra had not had a single place to call home. That seemed to change overnight and she had a home on Vjun. Not just any simple home, but Bast Castle. She had lived quite happily there for a few years until the Sith had come. NOt having any choice, she had left Vjun and a good friend behind. Since that happened, she had been staying at the Rest with Josh and much as she could.

She had seen Jason grow from a shy, quiet two year old into a young five year old now. He had grown comfortable with and once in while even called her mom. It was in those rare moments Ra could almost forget her own problems. All her life there was one thing she wanted and that was a family. Now she had one even if it was ragtag and patched together.

Jason's training had progressed enough that he was granted some vacation time. He would be under the watchful care of his father and she was that played a large role here. This was more than just a vacation, but was also a sort of homecoming. He had been having work done and now that was done. So a new home waited for them.

It had originally been built for two and had worked fine while Jason was little. As he had grown, he needed his own room. Any changes Josh had done were a mystery to Ra and she looked forward to this almost much as they did.

The house had changed on the outside other than a new coat of paint. It looked the same. After the ship landed and the five of them excited, the changes became clear.

Holding hand with Josh, she gave his a bit of squeeze as she looked around. It would a bit of getting to, but she hoped to cook on the new appliances soon. The upgraded technology also interested her, but that could wait. She was confident these weren't the only changes.

"Whoa is right. Did you also have that underground lair built for me too?"

Her tone was entirely humor filled and not serious. Giving him a large smile, she looked down to Jason to see how he was taking in the changes.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh gave her a half smile but she would have to see for herself. He had considered walling off the kitchen to feel like there were more rooms but he liked being able to see what was on the living room holo screen while cooking, and it let the cooking family member stay interacting with the others. So he’d decided to keep it as a combination room, with only a quarter wall and a transition plate separating them. Jason though, was completely mesmerized. There were the questions of “What’s that?” And they were answered repeatedly. The holo tech in the rooms had gotten a much needed upgrade and there were more couches, more chairs and tables alongside the new dining stuff. For what was once a house meant for Josh alone with potentially a guest once in a blue moon, and little renovations here and there upstairs for Jason’s presence... It seemed he was a little more ready to have guests over, or just to flat out have a larger family. Jason was getting bigger by the day, he was ready to let Ra move in full time and who knows if another family member could be waiting in the wings?

“So upstairs, there’s now two guest rooms. Master bedroom and Jason’s room were renovated, to accommodate for two people in the former, and for Mr. Growing in the latter” Josh revealed. Even while his wife was around the master bedroom was still just built for one person... But that had changed now. As for Jason’s room... It was the size of an adult room now, as they would find out when they crossed a new rotating staircase into Jason’s room. Jason was floored by this, running around the room erratically. “There-Is-So-Much-Room!” Jason cried out. To Josh it had been too bare for the room of a child. Even if Jason was a Jedi now... He wanted him to still have that childhood. He hoped now he’d have an opportunity to.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

The questions for Jason amused Ra greatly and the patience they were answered with just reminded her of just one of the many reasons she loved Josh. He was a great father and wonderful partner. At certain times of the their relationship, she had been given that same patience, but he had never treated her like a child. For that she was thankful.

With the addition of more furniture that meant maybe they could have more guests, if he approved, of course. Ra knew he didn't fully trust some of her friends. However they had yet to hurt, betray or abandon her, so she remained in contact with them. She would not mention this place to them and it would continue to remain a place to go to and escape for a while. That was one of its many purposes.

One thought did not cross her mind as they continues looked around and that was having a family. She could imagine it, but she had not given it voice. When the time was right, it would happen and not before. As of yet, she had not felt the ticking of any biological clock. There were times she wondered if she even had one. Since learning she wasn't human and her life had grown from decades to millennia. That wasn't what she was thinking about today.

They continued on and she listened to what Josh had to say about the bedroom changes. The step contraption was interesting, but the highlight of the day so far was Jason's reaction. Somewhere along the way he had let go of her hand and ran around the room in circles. Yelling in excitement about how large the remade room was made her smile.

"This is all so wonderful! What other changes are there?"

Unless Josh had also let go, she gave his hand a squeeze. Her eyes held a little bit of a flirtatious glimmer and she elbowed him slightly.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It would likely be some time before Josh loosened up enough to allow Ra to pick and choose so freely who could enter the house. He would hope that it would be understandable, of course. This was not just a house, like the treehouse on Kashyyyk that anyone was welcome to visit. This was a sanctuary. This was where Josh could rest his head and not worry about Sith Lords, or invading armies, or politics or anything of the like. This was a place where Josh could be Josh, and where Josh could be a father to Jason without worrying about anything else. To take that away with an ill-advised decision on who was to know the home existed would be to rob him and Jason of a part of themselves. It spoke volumes about the fact he'd let her live here. It was a huge risk. But he hoped in time it would become that kind of place for Ra too. A home where she wouldn't have to worry about the Sith Empire taking it away from her too. He wanted that kind of worry to be behind her, and the safeguards he had ensured this place was under would ensure that it would stay that way for a long time. Even if Naboo were to be placed under Sith occupation and getting here would become difficult if not completely impossible... Josh did have a last resort mechanism in place that even Ra did not know about.

"Hmm..." He mused when Ra would ask about additional changes. "Not too much beyond that, really. Why don't we show Jason his room?" He asked as he would motion for Jason to head upstairs, to which he did gladly when he had heard it was renovated. The moment he disappeared, Josh would let go and promptly land a playful little whack on her rear end, shooting her ever the even more flirtatious grin. Despite how long they had been together, Josh's demeanor hadn't changed when it came to these games...

Heading upstairs, Jason would be surprised to find that Josh had bought him a bigger bed, one meant to last him until his teenage years. He had also furnished it a bit further, and Jason now had a desk for his studies and a holo-TV set of his own for his own personal entertainment and knowledge access. Jason was getting old enough to be able to access these things on his own, after all. Josh would enter soon after, in time to see the open-mouthed look from Jason as he stepped in.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

She hadn't even invited any of her friends to his home on Kashyyyk so that should show just how she felt on the matter of having people over.

Now that they were in a place where it was just them, Ra had a different face. Here she would openly display her emotions. That was something she didn't do on Kashyyyk, at least in public. Again behind closed doors, she was herself. Josh would have noticed the change by now. It was just how she was.

When they had met, he had seen her business façade and pretty much busted it right down. One handshake was all it took and a few phrases. After that it had a small amount of time, but they had just naturally come together as a couple. Now they were coming together as a family and that was the most important thing.

What he hoped for had happened and Ra was as comfortable as she could get. There were times when it seemed like she was a stick in the mud, but that was also just the kind of person she was. Today wasn't one of those days though. She laughed, smiled and showed just how much she cared.

Nodding when Josh suggested they show Jason his room, they walked up together. Once his son had run out of sight, he smacked her rear and she laughed at the playfulness. There was a glint in her eyes of mischief and he would learn what it meant later. Right now, she really wanted to focus on seeing what else had been done with the home.

"I'll get you back for that."

It was whispered in his ear and not loud enough for Jason to pick up on.

Ra actually wanted this day to be focused on Jason and family. Later once he was asleep, that focus would shift to her and Josh. Looking at Jason's face, she smiled and then looked around the room.

"Hopefully he won't get us discovered with that."

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh would only smirk back at her when he heard her words. "We'll see" He teased right back as he would scan the room a moment, as if pondering if anything was missing for Jason. "We'll be coming back on weekends like we used to, so long as you can make sure to hide your force signature when you're here" Josh would inform Jason, who would turn and stare at them with mouth agape. "Really?" The child would ask, clearly taken by surprise by the revelation, but also quite joyful about it as well. "Aye" Josh responded. "We're going to be spending today and the next two days here, and then we'll go back to the Rest again and be back for the next weekend - like we used to."

And there was no longer any issue in doing so, as Josh no longer was the sole leader of the Silver Jedi. Which meant he wouldn't be completely exhausted from overdoing it at the office to ensure it would be fine for him to go when he did, as he used to be. With the Assembly working at it more with more power, and an Assembly Head not named Josh overseeing things, he had more time to spend with his family.

Jason was clearly thrilled by this announcement, and when things would calm down, Josh had sat down with Jason to show him how to use the HoloTV.

"So there's a remote pad for working it, though you can also use the touch controls on the screen to do it yourself" Josh would begin, showing Jason each of the buttons on the remote pad before moving to the manual inputs on the HoloTV itself. He tried to explain these things with smaller words, and in a way a bit more simpler considering Jason was a child. No fancy wording if he could help it. It was a bit out of character for him, but for Jason he was willing to make that compromise. "Ra, honey, you want to show him the rest?"

He had remembered how Ra had reacted to Jason calling her by the name of mother. If being a mother to Jason was something she wanted to pursue... Well, he was certainly going to help give her an opportunity if he could.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

The joke quickly passed, but would be addressed later. Ra would make sure of that. Smiling at the surprise and joy Jason felt, she was getting better at empathy and picking up on these things. That was something of a weakness for her, but as time passed, she was finding herself feeling more and more from those around her. Granted that was usually just Josh and Jason, but it was something to be proud of.

"It will be wonderful to return here on a weekly basis. I am also glad some of your duties allow this, Josh."

Giving his hand a soft squeeze as she spoke, the truth of her words was written on her face. When it was just them, Ra was pretty much an open book. She wore no facade or kept things hidden, there was no need for it. Over the years, Josh had proved beyond any doubt she might have had that he wasn't going to hurt or betray her. So she took the chance, let him in and loved him in return.

Josh had already started to tell his son about the remote and the touch screen on the television itself. He then remembered Ra had experience with droids and technology. He offered her the opportunity to explain things to Jason and she wasn't going to miss the chance.

Though he was taller now, he was still shorter than her. So she got down to his level and allowed him to hold the remote as she explained what the buttons did. Mainly the on/off and how to change the channels as well as the volume. Everything else would be explained when it was discovered. When it came to the screen, she showed him how similar the icons were on the remote and screen. Once he had them memorized, she looked at Josh and smiled with a bit of a wink. She had figured out what he was trying to do and let him know.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Aye, I know. I'm glad things can start to get back to normal again" Josh agreed with a gentle smile. He watched as Ra would begin to show Jason how to use the holo television. As Jason watched with interest as she did so, Josh couldn't help but relax as he leaned against the wall, closing his eyes a moment and letting out a calm but thorough exhale. This was.... Nice, he thought. With the hidden nature of the homestead, and with how more lively it was now thanks to Ra's presence, things just finally felt... Right. He felt like he could relax finally, and like everything was just how it was supposed to be. Perhaps he finally could move on from the events of the past.

After all, he had everything he could ever want right here and now, right in front of him.

Jason had a little trouble memorizing this and that, and needed a bit of extra care in order to get them right. Josh would stop Ra when he noticed that Jason didn't seem to be getting certain things. "He's not a quick learner, but once he gets it, he gets it. You gotta be as hands on as possible."

Once Ra seemed to get that, Jason learned things pretty well. It took them some time but before long, Jason was doing just as she had shown. Josh had emphasized using examples and showing him as many times as necessary, including going over the steps with him if needed. But they got it. And once he got it, he did indeed get it. Josh had sat down with his back to Jason's bed as he watched Jason do as he'd been shown, with a smile on his face. Also showing him how similar the icons on the remote and TV were helped with memorizing, Josh was sure. It was a good touch.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Josh hadn't needed to interrupt the lesson Ra was giving Jason, but it was fine with her. Jason was his son and it was the right of the father to step in now and then. She would repeat anything Jason didn't seem to pick up as often as she needed to and when he asked a question, she would answer it.

"Of course, dear. Jason and I seem to be similar in a way. We both learn better hands on and working with items. Why do you think I'm on his level and sitting down here with him instead of towering above like some sort of vulture."

Chuckling slightly, she turned her attention back to Jason and continued working with him.

"What is your favorite kind of show?"

With that idea, she hoped he would answer and they could all maybe sit down and watch something together.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh had tried to be as gentle with any interruption as possible. Ra was still learning how to handle Jason in some aspects, and he just wanted to be sure she memorized the little things that would make for a smooth time with it. But he did try to be as hands off as he could so long as he knew she was getting it.

"Fair point" Josh responded, with a small smile. "I just wanted to be sure. I'm similar as well, which is how I figured it out quickly. Though I guess you've figured it out quickly too. Seems the lot of us a are a match" He joked, chuckling lightly.

When asked what kind of show Jason liked, the child tilted his head a moment, considering it. Then he seemed to remember.

"The Porg Brigade!" Jason chirped, with a big grin, which got a laugh out of Josh. "Its his favorite show."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

So many things in her life, Ra had needed to learn quickly. Usually they were something Force related and from the Sith. With those days in her past, the muscle memory of needing to pick things up fast remained intact. There was nothing negative in her interaction with either Josh or Jason nor any sense of displeasure.

They were like a family and this was something she had always wanted and dreamed of. Her master was wrong. Love did exist and even though it could be painful, they had always worked everything through. She just hoped it would continue this way.

Holding the remote between herself and Jason, she looked up at Josh as he spoke and smiled when he pointed out they were a match. It had taken time, but it was obvious now they were. Nodding, she turned her attention back to his son and listened to his answer.

"Would you like to see if we can find it and watch some or would you like to see the rest of the house? We can always come back and watch the show."

She would like to see the rest but she also wanted to make Jason happy.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Jason looked from the TV, to them, and then back to the TV and then to them a few moments before looking to his father as if asking for direction silently. Josh smiled softly. "There isn't too much of the house left to show, so if you're excited to see the house, we can certainly get it over with quickly if you want to watch your show" Josh would offer, knowing that Jason's curiosity would drive him to irritation while watching the show, but he also knew he liked the show. So Josh knew Jason would look for a way to do both and this was what he was offering.

"Okay!" Jason chirped as he would put the remote down. Smiling toward Ra, Josh would lead them to show off the refurbished bathroom, which was now much larger and was seemingly based off the one from the Maekrix. A series of showers, as well as a large basin that could serve as a bath as well as a hot tub - though it wasn't as big as the one on the ship. Seeing as the ship was more for entertaining guests though, this made sense and this one would still fit a small group.

But it was downstairs into the basement that things got interesting. A home gym and training area had been installed, with everything from weights to holographic training programs and even a pool for exercise. But Josh knew what Ra would be interested in most was the room they came to next. They would cross through a tunnel that led under the next building over, the small hut that was the study.

The "lab" one could call it, was made to resemble what Josh remembered of Ra's facility on Bast to the best of his abilities. This even included cloning tubes, which he had confiscated from the mission they'd been on some time ago.

"And this is where I assume someone here will be spending most of her time" Josh joked, shooting Ra a grin, though curious as to how she would react to the surprise.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Josh offered Jason the same thing she had, but used different words. It got his son moving though and they had soon completed the tour of upstairs. She looked on with some surprise at the new bathroom and smiled at the hot tub.

"I can't wait to give that a try. A good soak will do wonders."

That smile stayed on her face as they continued the tour. The workout area was only of a passing interest to her, but she turned to look around and then stopped on Josh once again.

"Is there a steam room down here too?"

They walked along a hallway and she looked around. Knowing the lay out of the grounds she knew they were heading to the hut that was next door. She found it nice that it was now connected and she stopped in her tracks as they entered.

If her face was a mirror, then it would have looked quite similar to Jason's earlier. Before she ran off in leaps and bounds, she wrapped Josh up in a large hug, a firm kiss (she didn't care if Jason saw or not) and squeezed his hand.

"You DID build me that secret lair!"

There weren't the words for her to thank him enough, but that would come later...

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh was happy to see that Ra was thrilled when he unveiled the room that he had built for her. He knew she had likely missed her life on Bast -- she hadn't been the same since she had lost it. While he wouldn't be able to pull off a one-man pilgrimage to reclaim Bast for her, he did try to bring a little bit of Bast here in some fashion. He felt like it was an ideal way to help Ra feel as though she were home here. As it really had begun to become her home now, and he hoped she would get more comfortable, especially with this bit of accommodation to help smoothen the process. He figured she'd be happy to get back to her work here as well.

Jason was impressed by the looks of it, and didn't see the affection. Though after a bit of gawking, he did turn to his father as they let Ra take a look around the room.

"This is for Ra?" Jason asked, and Josh nodded his head. "She's missed home. I decided to bring a bit of home to her" He admitted, and Jason nodded his head. "That was nice of you" Jason responded as he peered around the room again. "Does she like it?" He asked, and Josh chuckled a bit as he nodded too. "I think so. I think she looks happy, how about you?" He asked Jason, who nodded back. With that, Josh squeezed Ra's hand and led her around. "I tried to get every detail I could, dear, but if you're missing anything, feel free to do what you gotta. The cloning tanks I remembered seeing last I was at Bast, and we weren't using the ones we had recycled from that one slave hideout so I put in a request to allow them for your use as I knew you used to work with them in your old home."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

-Oops-

 

[Riamah]

As good or bad as it might be, Ra actually had as much taken from Bast before the Sith had essentially evicted her and her people. She had entrusted her friends to keep these items in holding for her until she had a place for them. Josh had provided just for her now and she almost glowed with her happiness.

An aura of joy surrounded her and for a short while as she looked around, she lost track of them both and was engrossed in what was there. Flipping a few switches to test the tanks, they lit up and started to hum quietly.

When Josh squeezed her hand, it brought her back to the now and she smiled at him. Without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him as large of a hug as she could. Letting go of him, her eyes glimmered with surprise and pleasure.

"Thank you so much, Josh."

If she had been a child, she would have been jumping around and yelling, "yippee", or something like that.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]