Different AU

[rogue_troubles]

It is ALL Darian's fault, and four-star General or no, Diwaniya is going to kick the man's ass as soon as he gets back to San Ru.

If he ever gets back to San Ru. Because when the smoke from the explosion in the Shaping chamber clears, he's standing in the middle of Lord Rahul's throne room, a good hundred and fifty miles away from where he just

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[quenchthegloom]

A ten year old girl comes rushing into the room, looking this way and that. Spying Diwaniya, she doesn't recognise the young man, and simply ducks behind him.

Elizabeth Weir (Weir? Are you sure) comes bustling into the room, her slightly rounded belly pushing against the confines of a traditional Elizabeth Weir outfit; red tshirt, black yoga pants, and a black Lululemon top. "Malaika Ma--what the hell?"

[quenchthegloom]

Elizabeth nods when he makes the observation about Aleksandr's schooling, and doesn't volunteer any information about Malaika's education.

"This one?" she looks down, her fingers flexing against the fabric of her shirt. "A girl, we think."

[rogue_troubles]

He nods. A boy and two girls...that sounds about right.

He sits down, thinking Lord Rahul won't mind, and then instantly correcting himself. I wouldn't mind.

"To be honest, I--I never thought everything would--happen quite like this." He looks up.

[quenchthegloom]

She comes around to stand in front of the desk, her hands going to grip the edge as she leans against it, her expression turning thoughtful as she turns that over in her mind.

"You know--I didn't, either. Not back then." She's quiet for a few moments. "I had...a much less optimistic view of how it would turn out."

[rogue_troubles]

That's encouraging.

He falters and looks down at the floor. "I don't want to accidentally change anything when I get back."

I don't want to know that I could have had this, but I fucked it up somewhere along the line. I want to marry you. I want to have three children and be able to look you in the eye without you laughing at me.

"What possessed you to marry me?"

[quenchthegloom]

"Well..." Elizabeth's expression turns playful. "When your girlfriend shows up just after she's finished college, utterly smashed and totally jubilant, the first thing you should do -- after you've fussed at her -- is take her straight to bed. Nine months later, you will have a beautiful, wonderful son named Aleksandr."

Giving him a moment to take that in, she tilts her head and answers simply, "I love you."

[rogue_troubles]

If she keeps this up, he will actually start stammering incoherently, and possibly even literally regress into a eight-year-old right before her eyes.

He is used to hearing that from his Lizbet.

But now, not quite for the first time, but more intensely than ever before, he can see how they're the same person.

"I--I love you too."

It doesn't entirely matter which one of them he loves.

[quenchthegloom]

She smiles at him, tilting forward a little. "I know. Trust me. I know very well." She is his Lizbet, just...with more life experience to fall back on. She has years of being married to Diwaniya to keep her one step ahead of this young man.

[rogue_troubles]

But isn't she always? Honestly, even if he bitches about it, it's part of her charm.

"You've gotten scarier with age, though. Does that mean I have, too?"

...come on, he had to.

[quenchthegloom]

A hop, skip and a jump, sir. Good times in the al-Rahim household.

She laughs, tilting her head back. "To other people, maybe. Not to me." Never to her, the fond look on her face says. No matter what happens in their life, part of her is always going to see him as he was when they met, when they were young together.

[rogue_troubles]

Because deep down, he is always going to be a cuddly little puppy. Always. It is deeply ingrained in his nature.

"No," he agrees, with a slightly sheepish little smile, "I don't think anything I do will ever manage to scare you."

But he likes it that way.

[quenchthegloom]

He is her cuddly little puppy. Do not even try and tell me he wouldn't heel for her if she snapped her fingers at him. Not that she would do that, but if she DID.

"That's probably for the best."

[rogue_troubles]

Lord Rahim chooses the opportune moment to swish into the room. Malaika mentioned something about an unfamiliar man, and whoever it is has got to be pretty damn important if Elizabeth's letting him into the study.

"Darling? What's--"

Oh, bugger.

[quenchthegloom]

Elizabeth looks up, straightening away from his desk. "You appear to have time travelled, dear," she says, far less brisk with him. "I don't suppose you remember this and some way of fixing it?"

[rogue_troubles]

Diwaniya resists the urge to hide in the corner until this all goes away. He eyes his older self critically--the man's got to be seventy-something by now, if the math in his head is correct. Merely middle-aged, for a Shaper, and he seems to have aged gracefully enough, but the silvering hair is pretty dramatic.

Lord Rahim surveys the situation and wearily pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Well, I remember it getting resolved one way or another, but I can't remember if we ended up having to keep him overnight."

[quenchthegloom]

"You're going senile in my old age," Elizabeth replies, affectionately. "We'll figure something out. I had Malaika pass on that I'd be late."

There's a brief pause before she continues, "You might've told me about this." It's mild reproof.