Looking for a Piece of Paradise

[James Justice]

James was beset with the ironies of life. He had made love to so many women, but rarely ever felt the love there. He had fought for his wife, only to have her slip through his fingers and have her ghost tell him to keep moving forward. He had killed countless lives trying to protect life. He had created so much chaos in an attempt to bring order. James had pursued chaos to try and calm his inner turmoil. And now that he had finally found someone to settle down with, James was dying. His body was quitting on him.

It was time.

The doctor had told him there was no cure.

Decades or years ago, James would have tried to fight it. He would have burned worlds, if for no other reason than to make himself feel better. He would have killed so many, drank their blood, and bathed in their souls to find a cure. But now--what was the point? Maybe he was just old. Or maybe he was finally maturing. But either way, James was going to try to make peace before his body gave in.

Of all the meetings, Seo was the one he was dreading the most. He knew that there was no fooling her. Their love was just starting and now--maybe it was better it didn't start at all. The spacer stared out the viewport of the Nestis Cora looking down at the barren surface of Lorrd. Before he landed, James wanted to make an action plan. He had been in orbit for three days now, it had been months since their last meeting. The spacer knew he could only avoid her for so long, he had little doubt she could already guess that something was up. His "a business trip" had been a vague half truth that he was sure she could see right through.

She was immune to his mind affects. She was immune to his pheromones. She was able to read his body language like a book. James was something of a pathological liar and she was his kryptonite. But she was also his teenage love, his Lil Spinner. He hated lying to her, not just because she could see right through it, but because he wanted to be honest with her. That's what this was all about, wasn't it?

With a heavy sigh, James pressed the console and the Nestis Cora began to descend to the surface of the planet. It didn't take long for the ship to land at the Linn homestead. His loading ramp descended and the spacer made his way to the exit. First he checked himself in the mirror, then he carefully grabbed a brown paper bag filled with gifts he'd bought for the girls--and for Seo.

Pure agony shot through James's knees as he gingerly descended the loading ramp. It felt like hot shards of glass grinding between his joints with each step as James came lower. His carefree, confident swaggering jaunt was replaced with a near-shuffling step. A sheen of sweat covered his skin when James finally reached the base of his loading ramp.

"Gotta be an easier way to get down," he muttered to himself.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

If there was one thing Seo knew about James was that he wasn't one to settle down and stay in one place for long. The honest truth was, she couldn't either. However, quite often, she could be found at her home on Lorrd. Her family lived here and led a quiet and actually peaceful life under Sith rule.

Their son stayed here, but she wasn't sure how much longer that would be the case. He was almost an adult now and he craved to be with them more. Not having known James was even alive, she had lied to Aodhan about his father being dead by her hand.

When he came to her house, three girls ran out to him. Laughing, giggling and trying to drag him inside. Even if he didn't stay long when he was here, he was an accepted part of the family now and they made him feel that way. Seo stood in the doorway and looked on at the proceedings. Something was wrong with James and there wasn't anything he could do to keep that hidden from her.

Three girls didn't notice the change in him, but Seo did. Holding open the door, she did smile at him. If he was going to try and pretend nothing was wrong, she would play along for now.

Her parents looked at him and her father held out a familiar looking bottle.

"You look like hell warmed over. Girls, help him to a chair."

Intelligent eyes looked at him and it would be clear her father also saw through his ruse.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James had never been adored in his whole life. All his children grew up quickly and became hardasses, just like him. He wasn't about to win any popularity contests with his kids, and James knew it. They never ran out to greet him, but he couldn't blame them. He deserved that. It scratched an itch James didn't know he had to have three little ones come out with smiles, laughs, and joy. It was better than having his harem greet him in next to (or literally) nothing. It was better than a reception of spice and booze. It was better than almost anything.

"Alright, alright, don't worry, I got plenty for all of ye," he reached into his paper sack and handed a tin box full of sweet and sour gummies, "That's from Thrantin, there's plenty to share," he reached in his bag and pulled out a small plastic bag filled with spiced and roasted roots, "That's from N'Zoth, they're fun to chew, but'll light ye mouth on fire, so be careful."

Half-pulled, half walking, James made his way into the house where Seo was waiting. He quirked a smirk at her, his classic, winning and impish grin. The man had it down to an art-form after all these decades. "Did you miss me, or just that the bed was colder and not as rocked, Lil Spinner?"

It was a statement almost sure to merit an eeewww from the smaller, younger crowd. And probably more from the older ones.

James placed a kiss on her lips before stepping inside. He looked around the place with a hearty sigh. It was homely. James never thought he would ever be able to find a place like this that would welcome him. Or one that he could stay as long as he wanted. It was a place good enough to die in, like so many had. After Elise died, he gave up on that hope immediately. His father never had that option, gods rest his soul. The emotion of it all was enough to make his shoulders droop for a fraction of a second, his smile falter as he took it all in.

"Ah, thank ye," James said taking the bottle and pushing the thoughts aside. He was off the spice as much as he could be, but alcohol was fair game. He took a pull from the bottle and slowly settled into the offered chair. His knees screamed the whole way down, threatening to give way under the effort. At her father's statement, he glanced at the younger girls and then to Seo. There was no reason to worry the little ones.

"I weren't always a good man," James said in a half-truth. "Takes a toll on ye body, binge drinkin', spicin', killin', stealin' an--fu--" he quickly corrected himself, "frolickin' in rose gardens." He was sure the euphemism wouldn't be lost. He reached out to Seo to pull her close, "Enough about me, how have things been here?"

 

[Seo Linn]

Once the girls got him into a chair and the candies handed out, they ran away in fits of laughter and mock fighting over which of them would get the choicest pieces. Her parents didn't bat an eye at the kiss, but the girls giggled and took off a heartbeat later to eat the treats that had been brought for them.

Seo closed the door and followed the pack inside. Listening to what James said, she didn't react much at all to his words.

His pull brought to his side and she rested her chin on top of his head. Looking between the other adults and then tilting her head to look at the man she had loved since she young teen, she shook her head slightly.

"What are you sick with? I might not be a doctor, but even I can see you're ill and I don't mean mentally. That is already known."

Each of the people in the room had been far from perfect in their lives. They had each killed or attempted it. This included their son. As was typical for Aodhan, he was in the corner and sitting next to his grandfather in the chair.

"I've only just met you, pops. You can't die on me yet. If you do, I'll just have mom find you and drag you back. Maybe I'll even help."

The normally quiet teen waved his arms and motioned around them with a small shrug.

"If it as normal as it always is. What happened to you?"

Two people now asked what was going on, it should be clear he couldn't keep it buried for long.

[member="James Justice"]