Permanently Confused

Under the soft light of the doorway, a mother finds moments to rest while never straying far from the two tiny lives she has brought into the world. Sometimes she watches from above, listening and keeping guard, and other times she curls around them, holding them close against her warmth. In these early days they sleep, stretch, and search for comfort, knowing only the safety of their mother and the small home that shelters them. It is a simple scene, but one filled with devotion, instinct, and the quiet beginning of two new little lives growing under her care.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/81946526

Summary:

Cale Henituse has a very simple life philosophy: when his friends call from the police station, he shows up with a smile, a credit card, and absolutely no questions asked. It's a system that works. Mostly. Even if he's now on a first-name basis with every officer in the precinct. Even if his friends treat jail like a casual hangout spot. Even if he's pretty sure the police station has started keeping his favorite pastries in stock. But when Cale himself ends up in custody for the first time, his chaotic collection of disasters decides that this time, they're going to be the ones doing the rescuing. Or, Cale Henituse is the friend who bails everyone out of jail. His friends decide to return the favor. It does not go according to plan.

you're owen lars. the woman you call mom had another child once. it doesn't make her love you less, but she talks about him in a way that makes it clear that she loved him, too. he's off to be a jedi now and she's very proud.

you're owen lars. your mother's been kidnapped and you have to assume the worst. a man and a woman step into your home and the man announces himself to be that kid who went off to become a jedi. he knows you less than you know him and before anything else can happen, he takes off to bring back his mother, a feat you think is impossible.

you're owen lars. anakin skywalker brings your mom's corpse to your doorstep. her funeral is interrupted by a message of utmost galactic importance.

you're owen lars. your brother is dead. you never saw him again after that first time. there is another jedi on your doorstep, with a baby in his arm and you know what it means and you can't bring yourself to face him as he hands your nephew off to your wife.

you're owen lars. obi-wan ben kenobi is a pain in the ass. he was more your brother's brother than you ever were and he doesn't understand your particular kind of grief, is drowning in his own. you don't even know the full story and kenobi will never tell you all of it. but you have a child to care for so you tell him off and get back to work.

you're owen lars. you didn't know your brother, but you know your nephew and your nephew wants out of this place as soon as possible. you know he won't be safe out there but in the end you're helpless to stop him. and you know the stories, you remember the one time you met him, the days your mother died. and you do this for her and you do this for your father and you do this for your brother and you do this for your nephew.