Third Time's A Charm

Chapter: Eight

~~~~~~~~~~

The room was silent save for her own breaths, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Some of Val's acquaintances didn't breathe the way humans did and after that stunt last night, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd sent someone else into her room.

She opened one eye. Upon seeing no surprises immediately evident, Dormé opened the other eye. She sighed, stretching. This bed was soft and comfortable. Too bad she had to get up and face the day. That meant dealing with Palamon and, ultimately, dealing with Val. She hadn't an idea at all how to pay him back for Rix. It needed to be something good. A deterrent to future ideas running about his head. Perhaps she'd think of something after a good hearty breakfast.

Her toilette didn't take long and soon she was dressed in more clothes borrowed from Resa's friend and stepping into the hall. She made a brief stop at Obi-Wan's door, but he didn't answer so she headed downstairs to find Resa.

The young woman was waiting. "Dormé hi, did you hear? Rix got picked up for a drunk and disorderly a few hours ago! It's so bizarre because he like never indulges that much. A drink or two, yeah, but really stinking drunk? Never. LeeLee was beyond mad." She linked her arm through Dormé's, practically dragging her down a hallway. "He was supposed to have a shoot today too and I guess his face is messed up some. LeeLee left to bail him out, so it's you and me for breakfast. Val said he'd be by once he sets up the appointment."

"Resa, have you seen..." at the last second, Dormé remembered the name Obi-Wan had used, "...Ben today?"

"Oh yeah, ages ago. He went out with LeeLee's assistant on some errand he claimed couldn't conceivably wait any longer. Said he'd be back later."

Dormé lingered over her plate and drink long after Resa had left for an appointment. No one joined her for nearly an hour, when Rix came through the door, dragged by a tall older woman who defined the word 'curvaceous' and whose purple colored hair could in no way be natural for any species. The woman shoved him into the chair across from Dormé with a stern order to stay put.

"Xixerhaus, you are more trouble than you're worth," the woman said as she stalked away.

Dormé eyed Rix. He returned the stare, slouched in the chair. His clothes were rumpled -- the same clothes she'd tossed back at him the previous night -- and he looked absolutely terrible, not at all like the young man of the photo shoot. He was unshaven, obviously hung over by the way he winced at every noise, had a black eye, and several scrapes and cuts adorned his handsome features.

"Don't say it," he murmured in a husky voice. "LeeLee already said it all."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

The eye not swollen and puffed turned to her plate, then quickly looked away. He gulped. "Yeah right."

Raising her brows, she crossed her legs and waited. Rix sighed in a dramatic fashion, then leaned over and put his head in his hands.

"I'm never drinking again and I mean it this time." Suddenly, he looked up. "Ben's not gonna hurt me for making a move on you last night, is he? Because Val said --"

"We covered what Val said already, Rix, and no, I don't believe you have anything to worry about." Obi-Wan had been more amused than anything. She waved a hand at his face. "What were you fighting about?"

Rix shrugged. "I dunno. I was having a few drinks, not just one because the women kept buying me drinks. And some of the men kept buying me drinks too, come to think of it. But anyway, I was just sitting there at the bar and some ugly guy came over and said he didn't like me. I told him 'sorry' and he hit me. So I hit him back. Then his buddy hit me and I hit him too and we knocked over some tables and broke some bottles and the next thing I knew LeeLee was waking me up and dragging me into the street, lecturing me."

She sighed. "Where's LeeLee now?"

"Trying to reschedule my shoot. I bet Cor gets the job now."

He sounded so dejected that Dormé decided to patch him up a bit while they waited for LeeLee to return. She went in search of a first aid kit or something.

~~~~~~~~~~

Luck was with him today, which rather amazed Obi-Wan considering the previous day. He found the Jawas that had stolen his speeder, paid them an outrageous price for his own property and managed to talk them down on Dormé's belongings. By mid-afternoon, he was headed back to LeeLee's. Carrying Dormé's bag, he found her in the dining room. He paused in the doorway, watching her. She was tending to someone's injuries.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic. It's a scratch."

Rix's voice answered her. "It's a crater, Dormé. It'll scar and I'll never work again. This cannot happen to me!"

"A scratch and it's not even deep enough to scar. Quit being such a baby. I got worse than that my first week in active duty." She pressed a cloth to Rix's cheekbone.

"Ouch. I can't have a scar. My status will plummet and no one will hire me. Haven't you been listening?"

My Rix looked young when he wasn't strutting about. Was I ever that young, Obi-Wan wondered. It seemed several lifetimes since he'd been Rix's age and maturity level. He crossed to them, setting Dormé's bag at her feet. "Hello. Found your luggage, Dormé." Rix was in a world of hurt by the look of those bruises and cuts. What in the heavens had happened?

"Thank you." She smiled up at him, then returned to her patient. "A little scar, if there happened to be one, which there won't be, might add to your appeal. Consider that. It could lend an air of intrigue, of danger." When Rix stared at her blankly, Dormé sighed.

How long had this conversation been going on? He saw frustration in her gaze.

"Bad boy appeal, Rix. A lot of women like a bad boy."

After a moment, he snorted. "Well, duh."

Obi-Wan pulled up a chair. Their situation had so long ago moved into farce that he'd decided to just enjoy the ride no matter what was in store for them. Despite all of the annoyances, he hadn't had such a good time in ages. "Don't forget the unattainable, Dormé. Women like what is unattainable and forbidden. Of course...that does work both ways sometimes."

Rix nodded and Obi-Wan found himself the subject of the young man's interested stare. Gone was the sheer arrogance of the day before. "So, mystery and a hint of bad boy could work for me? Keep going, Ben. Should I be taking notes?"

He blinked, then laughed softly. "To be honest, Rix, I am no authority --"

"Of course you are! Come on, man, you snared this totally awesome babe here, so you've got to know things. Teach me. I need help. I mean, I was way overzealous last night."

Was that a snicker from Dormé? "Rix."

"I want to learn. I am a completely blank slate. Teach me. I'll be your student."

All humor left him and he stood, cutting off the man's pleas with a stern clipped 'no'. Then, seeing confusion on both Rix and Dormé's faces, he said, "You are young, Rix, with a young man's ways. Time will temper you. I have no special wisdom to impart. Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to."

Dormé followed him into the hall and out into the tiny courtyard. She said nothing for a long while. Finally, she touched his arm. "Have you grieved?"

There was such understanding in her eyes, but she couldn't know the whole of it. "More than you can know." He sighed, clasping her hand in his. "I did not mean to be short with him, but I must admit that in many ways he reminds me...."

"I know."

"I need a moment alone. Please."

She gave his arm a final squeeze. "Of course. I'll be inside."

When she had gone, Obi-Wan put his back to the wall and slid down to sit. Drawing up the hood of his cloak to cover his face, he gave in to the urge for tears. After a long while, where no one disturbed him, he dried his face, composed himself and returned to the dining room.

~~~~~~~~~~

Rix was slouched in a chair, face all banged up and looking very uncomfortable with Dormé across the table from him. Val paused in the doorway. Had it been Dormé or Ben that had slugged Rix? "Hey. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Rix said, not removing his stare from the table top. Dormé lifted a cloth and reached out to Rix, who shrank back with a gasp. "Don't. You've done enough already." Shoving back his chair, he got up and stalked past Val and into the hallway.

She'd done enough? Was Dormé the cause of the black eye and scrapes? Had she been the one to deck him? Val blinked. He'd thought for sure Rix's attentions to Dormé would irritate Ben enough that he'd lose his temper. He hadn't considered calm, cool Dormé would explode instead.

Why didn't she have a scratch on her? Oh yeah, that whole hitting a girl thing. But did that apply when said girl was wiping the floor with your ass? Something to think about. "So, Dormé."

"Yes, Val?" Her sweet smile made him a mite nervous and he wondered just what she was up to. She set the cloth down and crossed her arms, relaxing back in the chair once more.

"You...uh...getting along with Rix, then?"

"As of last night...we understand each other just fine."

He gulped. "Okay then. Where's Ben?"

"Right here," came that one's voice from behind him.

"Yeah. We're set for late afternoon then. Uncle wants to have time to pretty himself up a bit." He didn't miss Dormé's shudder at that. "I know, not really possible, but he wants to give it a try. I've got a plan for that meeting, but give me awhile to solidify it in my mind. He won't bring charges against you or nothing."

"Good to know," Ben said, going to the table and joining Dormé. "Is it just the four of us?"

"Not a chance. The four of us, LeeLee and a few of Uncle's staff. LeeLee wants to check him out and I can't see a reason not to let her go. She's a good negotiator if we need one."

Just then, Resa walked in. She was all dressed up and looking wonderfully gorgeous. Val followed her to the table, intending on holding her chair for her, like a gentleman would, and promptly found Ben doing it first. What the....? Then Ben sat beside her, talking and flirting and making her laugh. All the sort of things he wanted to do. Why was he doing that when Dormé was right there?

So, Val sat beside Dormé and put an arm along the back of her chair. If Ben is going to behave like that with Resa, he thoguht, we'll just see how he likes me doing that with Dormé!

~~~~~~~~~~

What was Obi-Wan up to? Dormé couldn't even catch his eye. He'd concentrated all of his attention on Resa and Dormé couldn't figure out why, so when Obi-Wan and Val left to pick up the pictures, she invited Resa to have a drink while they waited.

Resa sipped from her glass. "Ben and Val. Wow. I never knew they knew each other. They're both such gentleman too."

Dormé about choked on that. Val? A gentleman? Sweet talker maybe, but never once had she thought of Val in that lofty category of gentleman. Now, Obi-Wan she'd believe that about without a second thought. He truly was a gentleman. "Mmm-hmm."

"Do you know how truly rare that is? I mean, most men who tell me they want to have a drink and talk come on to me in the first twenty minutes. Those two though...." She flushed. "Can you keep a secret, Dormé?"

Oh one or two, she thought. "Until death," she answered in a whimsical tone, then winced at the expression and what it meant now for the secrets she'd been privy to.

"Good, because I have to tell someone and I really like you. I just get the feeling that I can tell you anything. Okay, you know Val?"

"Somewhat."

Resa dragged her chair closer. "Well, the last time he was back this way, we...you know. He said the most romantic things." She sighed, a blissful expression on her lovely features.

I'll bet he did, was Dormé's thoroughly cynical thought. She tossed back her drink and set the glass aside.

"But then, it was like months before he came back and I was wondering...do you think I gave in too quickly? Because I thought two and a half years was a pretty long time before agreeing to those matters. Was I hasty? Did he just get what he wanted and run away?"

"Maybe he thought you and Ben--"

Resa laughed and gave her a gentle punch on the arm. "Me and Ben? You are too, too funny. We're just friends. He never even tried to kiss me. I would have let him, because he's a nice looking man and all, but he didn't even try. He mentioned a woman a few times. Guess I assumed he had an on-again, off-again thing going when he asked to talk those times. You, I suppose. My assumption was way off. I mean, it's so obvious you're together for keeps."

"Obvious? How?" Why was everyone assuming she and Obi-Wan were a couple? Resa certainly wasn't the first the past couple days.

Before Resa could answer, there was a loud crash and a pained shout from down the hall in the direction Val and Obi-Wan had taken.

~~~~~~~~~~

They stopped in the middle of the wide hall. Val stared at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan returned the stare. Slowly, Val stripped off his coat and dumped it onto the floor.

"All right, Ben. I hate that it's come to this, but..." He held up his fists. "I'll fight you for her, nice and honest. First man on the ground loses, winner gets the woman."

Obi-Wan put his hands on his hips. Was it fair to fight Val when he'd easily win? Really, it was no contest. Of course, he didn't absolutely have to use the Force to aid him. An old-fashioned tussle might be rather satisfactory right now. No, he told himself. It's not dignified. A Jedi does not give in to such impulses. "There is no need for a fight."

"Course there's a need. What, you a little scaredy-boy when it comes down to it? Huh?"

A Jedi does not give in, he reminded himself, more than a little annoyed at being called a 'scaredy-boy' by this man when Val had run away the previous night rather than wait and watch his plan with Rix unfold.

Val danced a little back and forth, making jabbing movements with his fists. "Yeah, I got your number, Ben. I'm gonna whup you. You're going down."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms a moment. He considered Dormé. Her dark eyes. That sexy, sultry little grin of hers. The shapely legs. That perky bosom. He thought of her with Val and he thought of her with him.

Forget dignity, there was no way he was going to let her slip away again, and with this man!

"Okay, Val. We'll have this out."

"Like gentleman?"

"Like gentleman."

Gentleman, Obi-Wan decided a short while later, had never fought this dirty and underhanded. They kicked, hit, bit and scratched.

"Give up, Ben, and I won't hurt you," Val growled out.

Nice, but Obi-Wan had him in a good hard grip.... Or, maybe not.

A cry in female voices made them pause.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What are you two doing," Dormé and Resa yelled in unison.

"We're fighting for you," was the reply made by Obi-Wan and Val.

Dormé exchanged a glance with Resa. Dormé shrugged. "Which one," she and Resa asked together.

Obi-Wan and Val both sucked in breaths as though they feared never to breath again. "You," they answered.

"Her or me," Resa inquired, crossing her arms.

"You," the two men reiterated, pointing. They shoved each other back, staggered and stood panting and staring at each other.

"Who were you pointing at," Obi-Wan asked, smoothing his tunics. Blood dripped down his chin. He wiped it away, then flipped his hair back off his forehead. His slightly battered countenance gave him a delightful roguish air.

Val clutched at his ribs. There was a bloody gash high on one cheekbone and one eye was already swelling. "Who were you pointing at?"

"Dormé."

"Resa."

"You're not interested in Dormé?"

"Heck no. Only did that to tick you off. I want Resa. You aren't interested in her any?"

"She's nice, but she's no Dormé." Obi-Wan chuckled. "I guess this is settled."

Dormé made a face as Val spat blood onto the nice clean floor.

"Guessed rightly, I suppose."

"Bracing fight, Val. Are your ribs all right?"

"Yeah, they're fine. You got a good grip. Hard punch. I try and get in a little practice now and then, but not so much as I used to. Gets harder to bounce back after a certain age, you know?"

"Oh, tell me about it." Obi-Wan picked up Val's coat and held it out. "Every year it's harder."

"Yup. Stiff joints and I'd swear I'm needing more and more sleep every night. Can't rightly get moving in the morning without a hot drink and big breakfast."

Resa nudged Dormé. "So, I'm a little confused, here. Why were they beating each other up?"

She's no Dormé. Happiness threatened to bubble over inside her. Had he really thought Val was interested in her? And fought him over her? It was romantic in a weird way. "They had a misunderstanding. I believe it's fixed now."

Obi-Wan turned his head, looked at her. The raw satisfaction in his eyes stunned her. There was such passion in it. She couldn't think of a thing to say. There was no time to say anything, however. LeeLee came striding down the hallway towards them to see what the commotion was. They did not have a private moment alone for a very long time. Once Val explained his plan, which she saw Obi-Wan roll his eyes at, LeeLee entered into the idea with enthusiasm.

Dormé wondered if all people born and at least partially raised on Tatooine were as strange as the ones she kept meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Palamon Perrin was surprised to find Val leading a little procession up to his door and even more surprised when Val announced another person was on the way. Well, as long as he got his pictures back he didn't care who was there. He'd even accept an apology from Dormé for stealing them. Perhaps they could enter into an arrangement. If she was so interested in the pictures as to steal them for herself, she had to be his kind of woman.

He watched her, ignoring the bearded man beside her. She was as lovely as she'd been in the dining room, though that concealing cloak did nothing for her figure. He wondered what had happened to her dress. He started forward. "Val, my boy, you found her."

"No Uncle, this isn't Dormé."

Palamon stopped walking, looked her over again. "Of course it is. Sure looks like her, right down to those perky bosoms."

"It's not her." Val helped himself to a drink, pouring more liquid onto the table than in his glass and appearing unconcerned for it.

Palamon frowned. "Who is she then?"

Sipping, Val went to the woman, put an arm around her. "This, Uncle, is her twin sister. Darmé."

Glancing back and forth between Val and the woman introduced as Darmé, Palamon couldn't quite believe it. "You're not serious? An exact twin?"

"Yup."

Darmé looked around the room, not meeting his eyes. She seemed nervous, but he decided it was because she was meeting him for the first time. What woman wouldn't be nervous with him in the room? After all, he was such a wonderful catch! He chuckled. "A twin. Well, well, well." He knew a thing or two about what to do with twins. Raunchy ideas ran amok in his mind for several satisfying seconds. There was Dormé and there was Darmé and there was...him, right in between them. "Pleasure to meet you."

Val squeezed her against him, the liquid in his glass sloshing over the side and dribbling down. "She's married."

"To you," Palamon asked. If so, that could be taken care of easily enough. A little poison in that liquor Val was so fond of, or maybe a carefully placed irate man in Val's favorite bar. Darmé could be a widow by the end of the week.

"No."

He grinned. "Good." Even better. No annoying family nearby to whine about his death on holidays.

Val pointed to the bearded man. "She's married to him. Ben."

Palamon's grin faded. Married to that man? "Oh. Well, do you have my pictures, then?"

"In due time," Ben said.

"Fine," Palamon snapped, peevishly looking over the husband. He looked like a farmer. Same bland clothes in bland colors and such a hardened look about him. This man had seen hardship of some kind, he could see it in his eyes. He didn't look the sort who was easy to kill. He might take exception to another man looking at his wife. "Where is Dormé?"

Val released Darmé, whose gentle polite smile appeared somewhat strained, and glanced out into the courtyard. "She left on a transport. She was gone real quick, Uncle."

"Then how did you get the pictures?"

Darmé spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. She sounded regal, cultured. Too bad she was married already. Appearances were everything and it was important to present an image. She would have been perfect, just like her sister. "My sister took them on impulse. She is like that, but usually regrets her actions later. She left them with us to return and when Val came around asking...."

Grudgingly, he accepted the explanation and lamented the loss of her. Lines of a poem he'd written and published while a youth went through his mind.

Sweet Amaris, love of all time, my heart patters and lips long for yours....

She was his Amaris, his....Wait a minute. Forget Dormé. Who was that absolutely ravishing creature that just walked in?

~~~~~~~~~~

Dormé was surprised Val's plan was working. Palamon actually thought she was her own fictional twin sister. She opened her mouth to elaborate on the story, when Palamon looked over her shoulder and smoothed his hair with a hand.

"Who is this picture of glowing perfection I see in my doorway?"

With a glance, she saw LeeLee standing there. Her clothes were tailored in severe lines and her hair in an upswept 'do that rivaled any Padmé had worn as queen. Her plan had been to come in as this hard, cold woman and negotiate if there was trouble. She'd insisted the slave traders were all alike and that Perrin would expect it. "Madame LeeLee," she informed him.

Palamon brushed by her. "Out of the way. There's a real woman to look at." Going to LeeLee, he took her hand and said something in a language Dormé was unfamiliar with. Whatever he said made LeeLee straighten up tall and smile.

Obi-Wan nudged her and bent his head close. "So fickle," he whispered. "Whatever will you do now?"

"Good riddance," was her reply.

LeeLee looked Palamon over. "Well, aren't you a handsome one!" She cooed this while walking the fingers of one hand up and down on Palamon's tunic.

Val choked on his drink, the resulting fit of coughing drowning out the conversation. Dormé strained to hear while Obi-Wan slapped Val on the back a few times. "Handsome? Is she blind?" Once he'd caught his breath, Val gulped down the drink and set the glass aside.

"No, I think she just changed tactics." Dormé crossed her arms, admiring LeeLee's quick thinking. One look and she'd become all sweetness and light.

The three of them watched the exchange between the agent and the slave trader with the rapt attention most reserved for theater performances.

"We could combine our resources," Palamon was saying, patting LeeLee's hand over and over. "Think of it. We could use my slaves as models and you wouldn't have to waste wages on them. More profit and that's always a good thing, hmm?"

"I rather like my business as it is, Palamon. It's so rewarding working with young persons, launching them on their careers. And I don't pay them really. They are paid by whomever hires them and I earn a percentage of that pay."

"Oh. Well, think of it anyway, my passion petal. Let's have dinner tonight and discuss a...merge." He wiggled his brows at her.

LeeLee gave the most nauseatingly fake coy laugh Dormé had ever heard. "I would love to Palamon, but I'm afraid I already have plans. Dreadfully sorry. Perhaps later this week? We could meet off-planet. There's a lovely place I know--"

"Tell me when and I shall be there. With bells on. Rowr!"

Dormé shuddered. Oh ick. He probably meant it literally, too. She was greatly relieved when the transaction was completed, the copies were in Palamon's hands and they were all away from the house. One last meeting with LeeLee and she was ready to find someplace to live.