Chilly Boulder [Friday afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Ben was a slightly obsessive listener to the radio, so it didn't take him long to take his speculations from his conversation with Aravis and the information from last night's broadcast and realize that dead relatives had come to visit the island.

And that his mother had not. But he was fine with that. Really. Even if Anakin had come for Jaina and

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[endsthegame]

Ender had to dance around a puddle of emo to make it in pushed open the door to Chilly Boulder. It wasn't that he had Ben tracked, or anything, but his moods weren't very subtle, and his coping methods even less so.

For yet more reasons that involved patently obvious reactions on Ben's part, Ender didn't bother asking as he pulled back a chair and sat down and stole some of Ben's ice cream without asking.

[momslilassassin]

"Get your own, kreetle," Ben said, but without any heat in his voice.

[endsthegame]

"Someone has to look out for your metabolism," Ender said, lightly, and raised his eyebrows in Ben's general direction.

He wasn't so much talking about the food, no.

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave him a smile that would have convinced most people he was fine. "I'm not going to get fat."

[endsthegame]

"Even you aren't immune to packing on pounds," Ender said, his tone still casual, but with an undertone that implied that he wasn't buying it.

[momslilassassin]

"I'll add another run to my schedule," he said. "The island is making me twitchy today anyway, so it couldn't hurt."

He took a bite from his sundae, then asked, "Anyone show up for you?"

[endsthegame]

"I don't really have anyone who would." Ender stole another chunk of ice cream. It wasn't that he particularly liked the taste, but it held a psychological component. "It seems to be mostly people's loved ones, as it stands." He fixed his eyes on Ben. "Twitchy because someone showed up, or twitchy because someone didn't?"

[momslilassassin]

"Both," Ben admitted. "Anakin Solo's here. He and Tahiri were...close."

[endsthegame]

"I know."

You didn't get to spend this much time around members of the Skywalker clan without picking up a few things.

"And the other?"

He had a hunch, but he wasn't going to say it aloud.

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged. "You can guess."

[endsthegame]

Ender didn't answer for a minute, but just spooned up some more of Ben's ice cream and ate it thoughfully. "You've seen her since she died."

[momslilassassin]

"That's why I figure she's not here," he said softly. "I don't need to say goodbye. I already did."

[endsthegame]

"But you're still resentful that she didn't come," he replied, fixing his eyes on Ben's face.

[momslilassassin]

Ben couldn't meet Ender's eyes, but he nodded.

[endsthegame]

Ender made a little noise in the back of his throat, and didn't move his gaze a bit. "She was your mom, Ben. Nobody in this universe or the next loves you more. If she could, she would've come."

[momslilassassin]

Crying into his ice cream would ruin the ice cream, Ben told himself firmly. "She's dead. What other pressing engagement could she have had?"