Summary:
ADVENTURES OF A VISION PART TWO:    VISION OF PAIN
    The next day...
    Luke and Mara's relationship has gotten to a comfortable position (how
comfortable can you get after a day?  But it's my story . . .) until Luke has
a horrifying dream...or is it a Jedi Vision?
 

ADVENTURES OF A VISION part 2: VISION OF PAIN
 

    Mara woke up and tried to remember where she was.  It didn’t really work.
Her body felt strange.  She opened her eyes and saw she was in a formal
evening gown.  That’s why I feel so weird, she thought.  No pajamas.  She
tried to stretch, but the dress wouldn’t let her.  Blast it, where am I?  She
turned her head to the right and noticed a clear doorway leading to a small
balcony...
    Funny, she thought, doesn’t Luke have one just like that?  Uh-oh...Mara
turned her head to the left...and almost laughed with relief.  She felt
herself wilting with thanks that she hadn’t been kidnapped by someone last
night.
    Luke was to her left.  His back was towards her with a T-shirt pulled up
halfway by tosses and turns of the night.  She smiled.  Wait a minute-why
aren’t I in my own room?  Forget it, Mara.  At least you fell asleep in this
thing.  But surprisingly she was very comfortable.  Maybe I’ll ask Luke if he
wants to sell his bed...mattress and all.  She smiled again and reached out a
hand to play with Luke’s messed up hair.  She took a few strands in her
fingers and twirled it a bit.  At least he’s not awake...that way I can
admire him without him looking at me strangely...but only if he would turn
around so I could see his face...
    Luke seemed to mumble something then turned onto his back.  The T-shirt
was half pulled up here too.  She smiled and continued to look at him.  Just
being here made Mara feel special.  She lowered her eyes and they grew wide
when she saw just how muscle worked his abdomen and chest were.  Looks like
the all mighty Jedi Master keeps in excellent condition.  Not too shabby, she
thought.
    Luke again turned, but to face Mara’s direction.  This is a good
change...she reached out her hand again and ran her index finger along his
forehead, down the side of his face, then along his lips.  Did I dream it, or
did someone give me a kiss good night?  Must of been a dream.
    She pulled her hand back and turned around to get a little more
comfortable.  She closed her eyes for a moment’s rest and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, she found Luke’s much more sleepier ones
staring at her.
    Wasn’t this something she had been dying to do yesterday?  Wake up and
see Luke’s eyes staring right into hers?  Well you got your wish, Mara.  He
smiled sleepily at her, his eyes blinking slowly open and closed.
    “How you feeling this morning?”  Luke said almost unintelligibly.
    Mara smiled and laughed a little.
    “You should get back to sleep,”  she told him.  “I’m fine.  How’d I end
up in here by the way?”
    Luke stretched and his shirt went up a little more.  Realizing that it
had, he looked down and pulled it back.  Embarrassed, Luke looked at her.
    “Sorry,”  he said blushing.  “It wasn’t supposed to do that.”
    “It’s all right,”  Mara said.  “I don’t mind.”
    She smiled up at Luke, then looked at him expectantly.
    “What?”  he asked.  “Oh.  How’d you get here?  Long story.  I’ll tell you
over some breakfast okay?”
    “Okay,”  she said.  “By the way, why do you get the comfier bed.?”
    That made Luke laugh.
    “How would you know which one’s comfier if you’ve only slept in one?”
    “I’m guessing.”
    “Okay, I can accept that,” Luke said.  “Sorry you’re still in those
clothes, but I don’t think you would have liked it if I had taken the liberty
myself to put you in something more appropriate for sleep.”
    At least he thinks about the other person...but you should of known that
Mara.
    “Thank you for respecting my privacy,”  Mara said.  “I’m sure I would of
done the same for you.  Would I have been able to carry you that is.”
    Luke laughed.
    “I’m not that heavy,”  he said.  “Well for a male I think.  Oh well.
It’s too early in the morning to be thinking so hard.”      He reached a hand
over and stroked her cheek.
    “Do you remember what I told you yesterday that got you choking?”
    This is when I tell him, Mara thought.
    Mara nodded her head, her eyes never leaving Luke’s.  “I want to tell you
something.  She has found you.  She found you a long time ago.  She was just
too stubborn to tell you.”
    Luke looked at Mara with misty blue eyes.
    “You’re serious aren’t you?”  Luke asked Mara.
    She nodded her head and the next thing she knew was that she was in
Luke’s arms, holding him and letting him cry silently with relief.  She felt
his strong arms wrapped around her, filling her with a warmth she'd never
known before.  For Luke it had been a long and hard road in getting here.  It
must be a wonderful feeling for him to finally be with someone after a long
time.   Luke was the only person Mara had ever truly loved.  At least she
thought it was love.  She hoped they would stay together for as long as they
had a life to live.  Luke nudged away a little from Mara and held her at a
distance.  He smiled and wiped at the quiet tears on his face.
    “Let’s go tell Leia okay?"  he asked as he caressed the side of her cheek
with the back of his hand.  "This’ll mean a lot to her.”
    Mara nodded.
    “I think she deserves this,”  Mara said.  “But first...can I get
changed?”
    Luke laughed.  “Sure thing.”
 

    Mara went to her room and got into some work pants that looked fine for
walking around.  She put on a tight fitting shirt with a small jacket and
combed all the tangles out of her hair.  She left it down because she noticed
that whenever she did, Luke always watched her a bit more.  She got a
question from Luke and answered back.  *Almost ready*  She shoved on her
boots and left her room.  Luke was waiting by the door holding a piece of
fruit for Mara and one for himself.
    “Breakfast?”  he asked holding out the colored fruit.  “Sorry, but there
wasn’t a lot of time to make something more suitable.”
    He handed her the fruit and she took a big bite.
    “Tastes good enough,”  she said munching on her breakfast.  Come on.”
    Satisfied with her fruit, Mara followed Luke out to the hall.  The sat
outside in a nearby lounge and finished their ‘breakfast’ then went to Leia’s
door.  Luke knocked and then waited.
    “We should of called first, Luke,”  Mara pointed out.
    *too late for that isn’t it?*
    She smiled.
    “Yeah I guess huh?”  she answered back.
    The door opened and Han Solo smiled.
    “Hey guys!”  han said brightly.  “Wasn’t expecting to find you at the
door.”
    Luke looked at Mara then reached out and held her hand.  Mara gave his
hand a  gentle squeeze.
    “We’re here to tell you and Leia something,”  Luke said.  “Is she here?”
    Han eyed the two curiously.
    “Sorry kid,”  he said shaking his head.  “She’s not here.  Didn’t she
tell you?  The council wanted her to reinstate some new senator from Niori.
But are you willing to at least tell half of us?”  He looked back and forth
between his brother-in-law to Mara.     “I think I know what it is anyway...”
he said witha sly smile.  “Congratulations you two.  Leia would love to hear
this...had she been here.”
    Luke looked over at Mara again, and smiled.
    “Thanks Han,”  Luke said.  “Do you know when she’ll be back?”
    “Well...we could call her when this meeting’s over to see.  But probably
not until dinner time.”
    “We could spend the day with the kids if you wanted.” Luke suggested.
    Han seemed to think about it.
    “Okay,”  Han said.  “I’m going to stay here with you guys.  They’ve
gotten a bit used to their old dad and I’ve gotten a bit used to them.
Oh-sorry.  You guys wanna come in?”
    Han stepped to the side and let Luke and Mara in.  The new couple came in
hand by hand and sat over on the couch.  They sat down, still holding hands.
It seemed like if they’d let go, then they’d lose each other.  Han stepped
into the kitchen and finished eating his breakfast.
    “Sorry you guys,” he said inbetween mouthfuls of pastry.  “But the kids
are still asleep.  Knowing how good they know when you’re around though Luke,
they’ll be awake soon.”
    “Could I go take a peek?”  Mara asked Han.
    He looked up from the glass that had appeared in his hand.
    “Sure,”  he said.  “I don’t see why not.  Just go down the hall and it’s
the one next to the bathroom.  But be quiet.  The longer they’re asleep, the
longer I have to put off making them breakfast,”  he finished with a smile.
    Mara got up and went down the hall, leaving Luke with Han.
    “So, kid...”  Han asked.  “How long have you had a thing for Mara?”
    Luke got up and sat across from Han at the table.
    “Awhile I guess,”  he said with a shrug.  “I never really remembered when
it actually started.”
    “Well I’m happy for you Luke.”  Han said with a smile on his face.  “At
least when you guys sit down and decide to have a family we can go visit
them.”
    Luke laughed quietly.
    “Yeah,”  Luke agreed.  “I think Jaina’s going to love having a little
cousin around.  But Han, we’ve only gone on one date.  It’s a little early to
be talking about having children don’t you think? ”
    “You’d better watch it,”  Han warned.  “If Jaina treats that baby like
she treats her dolls you’re in trouble.  And hey, it’s never too late to be
talking about kids.  You two seem to really hit it off together.  Who knows?
Maybe she’ll be the first Mrs. Luke Skywalker.”
    Luke laughed.  After a moment of silence, Han spoke up again.
    “How did your dinner go?”
    “Well...not too good,”  Luke admitted.  “Mara almost choked to death so
we left.”
    “Ouch,” Han said with a face.  “How’d that come about?”
    “I kind of decided that was the time to tell Mara how I felt about her.”
    “Well you almost killed her,” Han said.  “You should be proud.”
    Luke looked at his friend and shook his head.  Then Han spoke again.
    “Wait-did you two leave together or did she go back to her ship?”  Han
asked.  “I thought Leia said something, but it was too late and I was half
asleep.”
    Luke looked down at the table when he told Han what had happened.
    “Um...she’s not staying in her ship...”  Luke said quietly.
    Han’s eyes went a little wide as he downed the rest of his drink.
    “Oh really now?”  he asked.  “And just where might she be staying?  With
you?”
    Luke looked up at Han a little embarrassed.
    “Well...yeah...”
    “And she spent the night there yesterday?”  Han asked, a smile playing
around the corner of his lips.
    Luke, just realizing where Han was going with this, tried to smooth
things out.
    “Wait-Han it’s not what you think-”
    Han smiled then laughed.
    “I never thought you had it in you kid,”  he said shaking his head in
amazement.  “Try and make up a dinner gone wrong that way, and I’m sure she’d
want to live with you.”
    “Han, that’s not what happened,”  Luke said.  “We decided she’d stay
after we left your apartment yesterday.  I’ve got an extra room so I set it
up for her.”
    “And did she sleep in that room last night?”  Han asked.
    “No she didn’t-”
    That only made Han laugh even harder.
    “I mean she was already asleep so I just took her to my room,”  Luke
said, glad the truth was out.  “I’m not like that Han.”
    Han’s laughter had toned down a bit.
    “Yeah I know kid,”  his friend said starting on another pastry.  “I just
like teasing you.”
    Luke looked down the hall for a second.
    “I think I’ll go join Mara with your kids, all right?”
    Han nodded and Luke was walking down the hall in a few seconds.
 

    Mara entered the children’s room on tip-toe being careful not to wake
them.  It was a children’s room so it was filled with toys.  Mara crept over
to the twin’s beds and knelt down by Jaina’s bed.  She looked so peaceful
lying there.  Her small mouth opened and closed with each mighty breath she
took.  Mara poked up her head and looked over at Jacen.  They looked so much
like Han and Leia.
    Where’s Anakin?  Ah.  She found the smallest child’s bed and went over to
it.  Anakin was the one that seemed less like his parents.  His hair wasn’t
as dark as his older brother and sister’s hair.
    His eyes suddenly opened and he looked up at Mara with some confusion,
then decided all was well.  His eyes were what caught Mara’s attention.  They
were a chilling icy blue.  Nothing like Leia, Han, or any of his siblings.
More like Luke.
    “Hi auntie Mara,”  the child said sleepily.
    Did he just call me auntie ?  Then before she could say hello back,
Anakin closed his eyes and went back to sleep.  Why are his eyes blue?  The
twin’s looked so much like little versions of their parents, but Anakin
reminded Mara a little of Luke.  He was in his own world, apart from the
rest.  Much like Luke was in real life.  Mara wondered just how many people
really understood Luke...or Anakin, for that matter.
    A soft hand fell on her shoulder and she turned around to see Luke
looking quietly at Anakin.
    “Found a favorite?” he whispered.
    Mara smiled and stroked Anakin’s cheek with her hand.
    “He just called me auntie,”  Mara said quietly.
    “And you didn’t like it?”
    “No,”  Mara said slowly.  “I actually liked the sound of it.”
    “Well,”  Luke said coming around Anakin’s bed and kneeling down beside
it.  “I don’t blame him for wanting one.  He’s probably mad at his Uncle Luke
for never giving him more of a family to relate to.”
    That made Mara feel so sad.  Luke really did want a family didn’t he?
    “I wouldn’t blame his uncle,”  she said softly.  “Only those who have
left him and those who don’t want to be with him.  I think he watches out for
you, Luke.”
    Luke continued to look at Anakin and Mara watched.  She’d seen the way he
was around the kids.  He would make a great father.
    “You really think so?” he whispered back to Mara.
    *You weren’t supposed to hear that.*
    “I also think,” Mara spoke up quietly.  “That Anakin looks a lot like his
Uncle.  His brother and sister look more like their parents.”
    Luke smiled.
    “I want to ask you a question,”  Luke asked.
    Mara nodded her approval and Luke continued.  “Are you opposed to having
kids of your own?”
    “No...”  she said.  “I just need to find the right person to be their
father.  I never thought I’d be good with kids anyway.”
    “Well Anakin seems to think you’d make a perfect aunt,” Luke said looking
at Anakin.  “And besides, I think it’s something you can grow into.”
    “Sure about that Luke?”
    “Mm-hm.”
    Mara walked and knelt down besides Luke.
    “You know what else I think?” she whispered.  She waited until Luke’s
eyes were on her to continue.
    “I think that I might of found the man who can help me be a good mother
to my children.”
    Luke looked at Mara then down at Anakin and smiled.  Then he looked at
Mara.  Luke really did know what Mara was like.  He knew everything about her
that made him love her so much.  Did he love her?  Did she love him?  Luke’s
hand slowly went up and gently cupped her face.  His lips came to hers and
they shared their first kiss together.
    It made Mara feel whole inside.  She did love this man.  He made her feel
complete.  She wanted to stay like this with Luke forever, but knew it
couldn’t be good if the kids saw them like this.
    *Let them wake up* she heard Luke’s voice through her head.     He
reached up with his other hand and used it to hold the other side of her
face.  Luke’s kiss was wonderful.  It was warm, tender, and loving.  His mind
completely filled hers until all she could perceive were Luke’s soft
thoughts, and his lips gently moving against hers.  He picked up one of his
hands and slowly caressed her hair, then moved it down to her neck.  His
hands were so warm and soft...She kissed Luke back, and could feel him
smiling.
    A small little giggle from the bed beside them made them part a bit early
and look down.  Mara and Luke saw little Anakin sitting on his bed giggling
quietly so as not to wake his siblings.
    “Are you two married now?”  He said with wide and excited eyes.
    Luke smiled and tousled Anakin’s hair.
    “No we’re not little one.”
    “At least not yet,” Mara added.
    Luke looked over at Mara with nothing but farm boy excitement in his
eyes.  He moved his hand and have hers a gentle squeeze.    *Thank you* he
sent her.
    Mara squeezed back.  Anakin looked up at them then started to get out of
bed.    “I’m going to tell daddy that I’m going to have an aunt!”
    “Wait Anakin,”  Luke whispered.  “Can we keep it a surprise?  Maybe our
little secret?  I don’t want your mother to get too overworked about this
okay?”
    Anakin came back to his only uncle.
    “Okay Lukie,”  Anakin said.
    “Thank you,”  Luke said with a sigh of relief.
    If Leia made arrangements for a wedding Luke wasn’t ready for, no matter
how much he cared for Mara, he’d make sure Leia got what was coming to her.
Anakin left for the kitchen anyway and Mara and Luke were left alone.  Well
not really.  Jacen and Jaina were still there.  Luke turned to Mara again.
    “Not yet?”  He smiled and bent down to kiss Mara again.  Her whole body
seemed to melt.  I could do this forever...
    Jacen and Jaina woke up and saw their uncle kissing the lady they’d known
as Mara Jade.
    They giggled and Jaina told her brother, “I told you they liked each
other!”
    They left quickly for the kitchen to join their brother.
    Mara and Luke knew the twins had waken up, but Luke didn’t let anything
disturb them this time.  Mara could feel Luke’s warm breath on her every time
he came up for some air.  He looked into her eyes for a moment, studying the
features he knew so well.  Her own eyes studied his face.  The scars from the
wampa attack he’d described to her one time, and she loved to look into his
intense eyes.  They were so blue...Luke smiled at her and rested his forehead
against hers.
    “I know this’ll sound a bit weird, seeing as how we’ve only been on one
date...”  Luke said quietly.  “But I’ve felt like this forever and I can’t
keep it in anymore.”
    He looked into Mara’s eyes and looked down to hold both of her hands in
his.
    “Mara...”  he began.  “I want you to know...that I love you with all my
heart and soul.  I never want to leave you again.”      How ironic.  didn’t I
say I loved him too?
    “It’s not so weird Luke...”  Mara said softly.  “I love you too.”
    He smiled and started to laugh off some of the tension.  He kissed her
lightly on the lips one last time before they left.
    “Come on,”  Luke said getting up and offering Mara his hand.  “Who knows
what those kids are telling Han by now.”
    They got up and walked to the kitchen.  Han was on the floor playing with
the kids and letting them climb all over him.  He looked up and Luke and Mara.
    “I was wondering where you guys went,” Han said as he sat Anakin on his
lap.  “Oh I called Leia.  She should be back around the time I told you.
Unless you want to go now to see if they’ll let you see her.”
    Luke thought for a minute.  They could go now.  Or they could just call
her and tell her themselves...
    “Maybe we’ll call her instead,”  he said.
    “Whatever you say kid,”  Han said.  “You can use our communit over
there.”
    Luke walked quietly to the unit and dialed in Leia’s private office
number.  A tone came and he waited until the call went through.
    “Luke!”  Leia said.  “I didn’t expect you to call me here.”
    “Hi Leia,”  Luke said witha smile.  “We just couldn’t wait until you got
home to tell you.”
    Leia looked at Luke then tried to see who else he was talking about.
Luke stepped to the side and Mara slipped in next to him.
    “Oh you two?”  Leia said while looking back and forth between them.
“You’re a?  Then you might get?  Oh Luke, I’m so happy for you!  We can talk
more when I get there.  I have another meeting in about half an hour.”
    “Okay Leia,”  Luke said.  “Good-bye.”  Leia nodded then she was gone.
 

    The wait for Leia took up the entire afternoon.  Luke and Mara helped Han
watch over the kids.  When Leia did come, she was ecstatic.  She couldn’t
stop smiling.  Luke told her about Mara living with him, but she took the
news well.  Much later, after the kids had fallen asleep, Luke and Mara
slipped out and went home.  Then they decided to get some rest in themselves.
    “Good night, Mara,”  Luke said with a kiss on her lips.  But Mara didn’t
want to leave.  She kept holding him, gently pressing her lips to his.  He
put his arms around her and smiled. “Mara...we have to get to sleep okay?  We
can continue this tomorrow.”
    Mara still continued on, but finally stopped.
    “Night Luke,”  Mara said at last.
    He left for his room and Mara shortly after went to hers.  She got into
something more comfortable for sleeping in and turned out her lights.  She
stretched out with the Force and found Luke already fast asleep.  Mara yawned
and then settled in for the night.  She tossed and turned, but couldn’t find
a comfortable enough spot.
    She looked over at the chrono by her bed and saw that it had been three
hours since she’d first laid her head down.  It’s been that long?  Fed up,
she left her room and started to walk around hoping it would make her tired
enough that she’d be able to fall asleep.  After about 15 minutes, Mara went
back into her room and looked out the window.  Looking at Coruscant at night
made her feel so small.  The huge taxis and long lines made her wonder just
how many people worked late at night.  The moon was bright, but the city
didn’t need the moon.  It had enough illumination coming from the street
lights and from the buildings.  The stars also shone brightly against the
deep blue of the sky.
    She went back to her small bed and tried once more to fall asleep.  She
couldn’t.  Frustrated, she took to looking at the things in her room.  Her
clothes were in their drawers, but her jacket hung on the floor.  She looked
at her shelf with a few things she’d put up.  Then she noticed that something
was there that she hadn’t seen earlier.
    Curious, she walked up to it and saw it was a small picture with a note
by it.  The picture was of her and Luke at Yavin.  She was looking at
something and Luke looked like he was talking to her.  Then she remembered.
He was teaching her how to pick up the animal.  Looks like there is a picture
of me, she thought.  But who put it here?  Luke?  She opened the note and
read away:
    My dear Mara,
        I found this for you.  I’ll bet you thought there
    wasn’t one with you and me.  But no camera can capture
    the beauty you radiate when you look up.  I had a student
    take this, and I thought you’d like to keep it.  You meant
    so much to me then as you do now.  You’ll always be in
    my heart no matter what you decide to do.

                                Love,
                                 Luke

    Mara smiled.  I wonder...she put the picture back and put the note in a
pocket, then quietly walked to Luke’s room.  She opened the door and saw him
curled up facing away from the balcony.  Luke had no shirt on, and looked
cold without the covers.  So Mara put them back on him.  Mara went to the
other side of the bed and crept inside.  It was so warm even with Luke all
the way on the other side.  And it was much softer than hers was.  At least
now she knew he defintely got the comfier bed.
    She pulled the blankets over her and went to Luke’s back.  She put her
arms around him and kissed his neck.
    He turned around with his eyes still closed and kissed her forehead as if
dreaming.  After a long time he finally opened his eyes.
    “Mara?”  he asked, his sense coming fully awake.  “What are you doing
here?”
    “I couldn’t fall asleep in my bed,”  Mara said.
    “It’s 2 0’clock in the morning!”
    “I’m sorry,” Mara said pitifully.
    Luke sighed.
    “And you thought you could fall asleep in my bed?”  he asked.
    “Well it’s much nicer than mine is,”  she told him.  “And it’s a lot
warmer.”
    “Well yours might be warm too if you slept in it a little.”  Luke sighed.
“I’m sorry.”
    Mara frowned.
    “I’m invading your space aren’t I?”  Mara asked.  “I’ll go back.”
    Mara got up out of the bed, but was stopped by Luke’s strong yet gentle
grip.
    “No, it’s okay,”  he said.  “I enjoy you being here with me.  It’ll take
some getting used to, but I don’t mind.”
    Mara smiled and sank back into the covers.
    Luke yawned and looked at Mara.  “Comfy?”
    She nodded and Luke got settled in again.  He pulled the sheets up waist
high and closed his eyes.  Mara scooted in closer and put her head on Luke’s
warm chest.  She put her arm around him and closed her eyes.
 

    Luke felt for Mara’s presence, but she was already asleep.  She felt so
small sleeping on his side, but Luke didn’t mind.  He put his arm around her
small frame and closed his eyes...
    The shadow of a woman lay in a bed holding two babies.  A man--was it
Luke?--walked up to her and took one of the small children in his arms.  The
child looked up with wonder in his big blue eyes.  Luke smiled back at him
and returned him to his mother.  He picked up his other child.  His little
girl.  Suddenly Luke’s mind was filled with fear, but he quickly pushed it
back with ease and tried to concentrate on what had caused his unease.  The
babies started to cry and their mother desperately tried to calm them down.
      He shouted something to the woman  and he put the child back in her
arms.  He ran to the desk to try to grab for his lightsaber...there was an
explosion...a door blew open...someone on the other side, an evil one wanted
his babies...the lightsaber came too late...and his mind went black.  He
awoke...and couldn’t feel the woman or the little ones he knew were his
children anywhere...
    Luke woke up with a gasp.  He had sweat all over his body and felt as if
he’d just run a marathon.
    “Luke?  What’s wrong?”  Mara asked, her voice thick with concern.
    Luke turned his head to the side and was glad to see Mara there.  He
pulled her towards him and gave her a hug.
    “Mara, you’re all right.”
    “Of course I am,”  she said sounding confused.  “I just had a little
insomnia that’s all.  You’re all wet.  You screamed in your sleep, too.
What’s wrong?”
    Luke let go of Mara and put a hand to his face.  He was shaking badly.
    “Luke, tell me what’s wrong,”  Mara sounded a little mad now.
    “I’m sorry,”  he said.  “I’ll be right back.”
    Luke got up and ran to the bathroom.  There he got sick in the toilet and
sat up against the wall, still shaking.  He could feel his heart pounding,
and it only made things worse.  What’s happening to you, Luke?  Don’t let
that scare you so much.  You’re frightening Mara half out of her mind.  He
tried to calm down, but the fear from his dream--was it a dream?--kept
returning.
    Mara came running to the bathroom.
    “Luke?”  she asked, the concern gone now replaced with fear.  “What’s
wrong with you?”
    She came up to the counter and got a little towel wet with cold water.
She came up to Luke and felt his forehead.
    “You’re burning up,”  she asked as she applied the cool towel.  “Did you
eat something bad?”
    He tried to shake his head no, but he couldn’t move.  The cold towel felt
so good against his skin.  He could feel the worry seeping out of Mara even
without the Force.  Her concern for him made him feel better.  It was almost
as good as the cool towel against his hot head.  He started to breath slower
and started to gain better control of himself.
    “Better?”  Mara said as she tried to use the Jedi techniques Luke himself
had taught her to calm Luke down.
    He finally was able to nodd his head.  She took the wet cloth, wrung it
out, and put some more cold water on it.  Then she started to cool down the
rest of his body.
    “You wanna take a cold shower or something?”  Mara asked.
    But Luke never answered.  He fell slumped against the wall and fainted.
    “Luke!”  Mara yelled.  “Don’t even tell me what’s wrong with you and you
decide to faint on me?”
    She tried to get to Leia, but wasn’t sure if her mind call had gotten
through.
 

    Leia thought someone was calling her name.  It wasn’t one of the twins,
but she was awake still.
    *Who is it?*  She immediately felt Mara’s relief that she’d heard her.
    *What’s wrong Mara?*
 

    *What’s wrong Mara?*
    Well it worked.
    *I need help, please.  The door’s open.  Please come.*
    Mara tried to wake Luke up, but he was knocked out cold.
    *Come one farm boy, don’t leave me now.  Wake up.  Wake up!  You can at
least tell me what’s wrong.*
    She got nothing in return, so she tried to at least get Luke into a more
comfortable position.  Had he been awake it would of been comfortable, but he
kept slumping over.  She heard the front door open up.  Boy, Leia must have
ran.
    *Over here Leia.*
    She felt Leia’s rushed okay and in less than three seconds, Leia was
beside Mara.
    “What happened to him?”  Leia asked running a critical eye over her
brother.
    “Leia?”  Mara heard Han’s voice call out from the front door.
    “I told him to stay with the kids,”  Leia said while trying to help Mara
get Luke up.  He’d slumped down again.
    “We were asleep and then he just woke up,”  Mara tried to explain.  “He
had screamed during his sleep.  I thought he’d just had a bad dream, but then
he came here.  He never told me what was wrong with him.  He was so hot
though, Leia.”
    “Whatever got him so sick isn’t going to leave him alone anytime soon,”
Leia said glancing quickly at the toilet.  “I’ll go call a  medic to come see
what’s wrong with him.”
    Leia left Mara alone.  Han soon came and told someone to stay away from
the bathroom.
    “What happened to him?”  Han asked.
    He looked over at the toilet and made a face.  “On second thought, I
don’t think I wanna know.”
    “Well we were asleep,”  Mara said.  “And he screamed and woke up all
scared.  Then he ran in here.”
    Han looked at Mara.  She looked miserable.  Her hair was a mess, and her
clothes were all damp from the sweat on Luke’s body.  He wasn’t wearing a
shirt so it stuck to her pretty fast.
    “Here let me help,”  Han said as he got Luke up.
    He put Luke’s arm around his neck and started to walk out of the bathroom.
    “Mara, can you tell the kids not to come in here?”  Han asked.  “I don’t
think they’d like to see their uncle like this.  Take them to your room okay?”
    “Okay.”  Mara said.
    She went out and led the kids to her room.
    “Mara, what’s wrong with my uncle?”  Jacen asked.
    They might have been asleep, but they were wide awake now.
    “I don’t know honey,”  Mara admitted.  “But don’t worry.  Any of you,
okay?  I’m sure he’ll be just fine.”
    Anakin walked to Mara with a worried expression on his little face.
    “How come you’re shaking auntie Mara?”  Anakin asked.
    “I just got a little scared that’s all,”  Mara told him.  “We don’t know
what’s wrong with your uncle yet.  I’m fine now.”   “Did Uncle Luke have a
bad dream?”  Jaina spoke from her corner on Mara’s bed.  “I always go to my
mommy when I have a bad dream.”
    Mara smiled.
    “Come here, all of you.”
    Mara took the Solo children to the window and sat on the carpet.
    “You all understand that your uncle is a little sick right now?”
    She got a nod from all three heads.
    “Well, the doctor is coming to help him get better.  I don’t know if a
bad dream made your uncle get real sick like he did, but I don’t want you to
worry.  You let me and the doctors do all the worrying okay?”
    They nodded their heads again.
    “You like our uncle?”  Jacen asked.
    Mara looked at him, but she could tell it was something all three kids
wanted to know.
    “Yes, I care for your uncle very much,”  Mara said.
    “Is that why you’re living with him now?”  Jaina asked.
    Mara smiled.
    “Yes,”  she said.  “That’s why I’m here.”  She heard the door open once
more.
    “That’s the doctor.  I want you all to stay right here understand?  I’m
going to see what’s wrong and I’ll come back and tell you okay?  Everything’s
going to be just fine.”
    She got up, turned on the light and closed the door behind her.
    Down the hall she saw the medic speaking quietly with Leia.  Leia noticed
Mara and interrupted the medic for a moment.
    “How are the kids?”  she asked with concern.
    “Oh they’re okay,”  Mara said.  “I told them to stay in my room.  You
think they’ll listen?”
    Leia smiled, but she was too tired to convince Mara.
    “They’ll listen,”  Leia said.  “They know when something’s gone wrong.
Oh-this is the medic who checked up on Luke.”  She turned to the medic.
Roommate wouldn’t sound to good, so Leia tried a different approach.
    “This is Luke’s fiancee,”  Leia told the medic.  “She’s the one who found
Luke.”
    The medic nodded his head solemnly to Mara.
    “Hello miss,”  he said.  “We’ve checked up on Master Skywalker, and we’ve
decided to take him in for at least the rest of the night.  He seems to just
of suffered from a good scare, but we’ll go and check up on him at the clinic
anyway.”
    Mara nodded, to confused to say anything else.  Her eyes started to well
up with tears as the impact of what had happened just hit her.  What had
scared Luke so much?  It was starting to rub off on her.
    “Can I come with you?”  Mara asked.
    The medic nodded his approval and left to help the stretcher-bound Luke
get boarded on a repulsor bed.  Two other assistants helped and one led Mara
down after the floating repulsor bed to the medical wing of the Imperial
Palace.
    Leia went into Mara’s small room and found her three children sitting
quietly under a window.  They didn’t look scared.  Only sleepy.  Jaina was
the oldest so she felt obliged to speak first.
    “Mama, where’s auntie Mara?”  she asked.  “She said she’d be right back.”
    “Honey,”  Leia said.  “Mara went with Uncle Luke to see a doctor who can
tell what’s wrong with him and help him...but Mara’s not your aunt sweetie.”
    “Yes she is!  She’s gonna be!!”  claimed little Anakin.
    Leia looked at her littlest son, but didn’t question it.  He’d done
weirder things.
    “Come on,”  Leia said gathering up her children.  “We’re going to go get
some sleep so we can go see your uncle first thing in the morning.  He should
come home tomorrow and we want to be with him when he does.  Okay?”
    “But we wanna go now!”  Jacen protested.  “Can’t we go with Auntie Mara?
Why’d they let her go and not us?  We wanna go!”    Leia was tired and not
ready to argue.
    “We’ll see what we can arrange for tonight then,”  Leia sad tiredly.
“Come on.”
    They followed her out of Mara’s room and then went to Han outside.  He
took them out of Luke’s apartment and down the hall.  The trip to the medical
wing was a quiet one.  No one spoke, but perhaps they were just too tired.
Leia had to stop halfway to pick up Anakin who was falling asleep.
    When they reached the front office to the small hospital, Leia asked if
they could at least go and see Luke through a window.  But the nurse let them
go directly to his room.  When they got to Luke’s room, they found Mara
sitting in a chair besides Luke’s bed holding his hand.
    “How is he?” Leia asked while she took another seat on the opposite side
of Luke.
    “He’s fine,”  Mara said tiredly.  “They said that he needs to wake up
before they can really do anything else.”
    She looked like a mess.
    “Mara, if you want to go home and rest, we’ll stay here,”  Leia offered.
“Or at least one of us will.  An adult has to go back to at least watch the
kids.”
    “No Leia,”  Mara said.  “It’s all right.  I want to stay.  They’re going
to bring me in a bed or something so I can stay the night.”
    The Solo children came up and tried to sit at least besides Mara.  Anakin
was already asleep, so he stayed with his mommy.  Jaina came up and crawled
into Mara’s lap.  Mara smiled down at her and played with her hair.  Jaina
laid her head down against Mara’s chest and soon fell asleep.  Jacen went to
his daddy to do the same.
    At least half an hour went by before someone came in to check on Luke.
He still wasn’t awake, so they left.  A few minutes later a doctor came in
wanting to see Mara.  She got up quietly still holding Jaina and went outside
to see what he wanted.  She soon came back and sat down again.  A few minutes
after that, they heard a cough coming from the bed.  Mara’s head snapped up
and Leia and Han looked over at Luke’s still form.  He coughed again and Mara
reached out, held his hand and squeezed it, trying to fill him with hope to
wake up.
    Luke’s eyes slowly opened and his eyes took in where he was.  He saw Mara
first, then Leia, then Han.
    “Luke, what happened to you?”  Mara asked.
    Luke tried to find his voice.  Was he still scared?  No, he’d calmed down
considerably.
    “Don’t laugh,”  Luke said.  “But I think I just had a bad dream.  You
brought me to the hospital?!”
    Mara laughed.
    “When you wouldn’t wake up Luke,”  Han said from his corner of the room.
“We didn’t know what to do, so Leia called the medic.”
    “I would of waken up...eventually,”  Luke said.
    The medic walked in shortly after.
    “I thought I heard voices in here,”  he said smiling.  “How are you
feeling Master Skywalker?  I hear you got a little sick at home.”
    Luke sighed in slight annoyance at having been brought all the way here
for what was just a bad dream.  Or what he desperately hoped was just a bad
dream and not a Jedi vision.
    “Nothing happened,”  Luke said.  “I probably just ate something bad.”
    “Oh well we thought it might of been that,”  the medic said.  “So we
scanned you for food poisoning when you were first brought in.”
    “See then?”  Luke said.  “It was just something I ate.”
    The medic cleared his throat.
    “We checked,”  he began.  “But it came up negative.  You were not food
poisoned Master Skywalker.”
    The room was silent.  Luke turned his face away.  He didn’t want to tell
them what had happened.  He would just worry them.  Especially Mara.
    “Luke,”  Mara’s voice spoke softly from the seat beside him.  “Please
tell me what happened.”
    She sounded worried.  Well he wasn’t going to tell her only to worry her
more.  He’d just make things worse.
    “It was nothing,”  Luke said still not staring at Mara.  “I don’t know
why I got sick.”
    “But Luke, you screamed in your sleep, and-”
    “I said it was NOTHING!”  Luke growled.  “Now can you please take me
home?”
    Mara felt like she’d just been shocked by an electrical wire.  Luke had
never yelled at her before.  He had never been so harsh with anyone before.
She couldn’t take her eyes off of him from pure shock.
    Seeing her eyes on him, Luke turned away again.  Leia looked at her
brother then at Han.  Han shrugged in return.  Thank the stars the children
didn’t hear that, Leia thought.  After a long silence, Leia spoke.
    “I think we’ll take him home,”  Leia said quietly to the medic.  If he
was shocked at the appaling behavior of the Jedi Master he kept silent about
it.  “We can bring him back in for a check-up tomorrow can’t we?”
    The medic nodded.
    “Sure,”  he said.  “Just call before you do so we can be ready.”
    “Sorry for the trouble,”  Han apologized.
    “No trouble at all.  I’ll get the paperwork so Master Skywalker can
leave.”
    He left and Leia turned her head to look at Mara.  She was still staring
at Luke, but she might of been staring at the far wall.  From Leia’s angle
she couldn’t really tell.  Jaina stirred a little in Mara’s arms and it
helped bring Mara back to reality.  Startled, she looked down and then
decided to get up.  She walked over to Leia.
    “I’ll go put Jaina in bed and wait for you two to get back,”  she said.
    Leia looked to Luke, but he had closed his eyes and had his head rested
on the headboard.
    “No I’d rather not wait for him,”  Mara said quietly.  “Excuse me.”
    Mara walked slowly away with Jaina sleeping in her arms.
 

    Mara got to Jaina’s room that night without remembering it.  She put
Jaina in her bed and tucked in the covers then sat down against a wall next
to Jaina’s bed.  There she just went over the night’s activities, until the
tears that she feared finally came.  She cried silently, sniffing and wiping
at the tears that just wouldn’t go away.  After what seemed like a lifetime,
Leia and Han came in each carrying their own child.  They didn’t notice Mara
until they’d put the small ones to bed.
    Mara herself had fallen asleep against the wall next to Jaina’s bed.
    “What do we do now?”  Han asked.  “Shouldn’t we take her to Luke’s room?”
    “After what he did to her?”  Leia asked incredulously.   “Certainly not.
Can’t you tell?  She’s been crying.  I’ll pull out the bed from the sofa and
she’ll stay there for the night.”   Leia left to make Mara’s bed and Han
carried her there when Leia was done.
    “Shouldn’t we tell Luke she’s here?”  Han asked.
    “He doesn’t deserve it,”  Leia said.  “Whatever made him get so sick
wasn’t at fault for him yelling at Mara when she did nothing to him.  Let him
spend the night thinking about what he did.  He’ll find out in the morning
where she is.”
    Han nodded and made no attempt to argue with his wife.
    “I’m going to go get some things for Mara for when she gets up,”  Leia
said walking to the door.  “She’ll want some clothes and mine are too small.
I’ll be back.  You go ahead and get to bed.”
    Han nodded and walked down the hall.
 

    Luke sat in his bed alone that night.  It’s not like I’m not used to it,
Luke thought.  What did I do?  She didn’t deserve that.  But it was for the
best, he reminded himself.  She probably doesn’t want to talk to me right
now.  Maybe I’ll tell her what happened...No, I won’t.  Luke wouldn’t have
Mara worried.  Being a bit afraid to fall asleep again, Luke got up and
walked out to his balcony.  The cool night breeze played up his bare chest.
Should of put on a shirt, he thought.  He put his elbows on the railing and
burried his face in his hands.
    He thought he heard his front door opening up.  Must be Mara.  Then
Mara’s door opened up.  I’ll go apologize tomorrow morning.  Maybe then
she’ll be ready to talk to me.
 

    The next morning, Mara woke up and rubbed her eyes.  They felt so heavy
and sticky.  Then she remembered.  And when she did, she immediately wished
she hadn’t.  She tried to close her eyes and make the memory go away, but it
only made it worse.  She could still hear Luke’s voice telling her, no
yelling at her that nothing happened.

    But she would not cry again.  She sat up and noticed she was in Leia’s
apartment.  Mara turned her head and saw some clothes and a few shower
supplies on a low table.  Not really feeling up to anything else, Mara
gathered the things and left for a nice shower.
    She got in the bathroom and closed the door.  She turned on the shower
head and let the water run cold.  She let the water fall down her hair, face,
and body.  Luke was not going to ruin her life.  She finished and came out
dressed drying her hair off.  There was a small note on Mara’s “bed”.  She
picked it up and read it.  It was from Leia telling her she’d left for work
and that she left something on the table for Mara to eat for breakfast.  How
long was I in the shower?
    Mara helped herself to some food, then tidied up her “bed”.  She found an
old piece of paper so she wrote her own note.  But this was not for Leia, it
was for Luke.
    Luke,
        I’ve gone and collected my things.  I’m leaving
    as soon as they’ll give me clearance.  Thank you for
    the room, but I didn’t really need it, now did I?
    Say good-bye to Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin for me.
    I’ll miss them. Good-bye.

                                    Mara
    She folded up the note and stuck it in her pocket.  Gathering the small
supply of things Leia left her, she went out of the Solo residence and walked
down to Luke’s apartment.
    Once there, she took all of her things off the shelves and out of their
drawers.  When all was packed, she put it beside the picture Luke had given
her.  Mara then walked out of Luke’s apartment and begun the walk down to her
ship.
 

    Luke woke up and went straight to Mara’s room.  The door was open so he
walked inside.  But Mara and her things were no where in sight.  Everything
besides the furniture was gone.  Where’d she go?  He looked desperately
around for anything she might of left, and saw the small picture he’d given
her lying beside a piece of folded paper.  The only thing she’d left.  The
only thing she didn’t take.  Well I don’t blame her.  He opened up the piece
of small paper and was deeply saddened by what he read.  All was in Mara’s
handwriting saying she’d gone.  No, he thought.  Please no...I’m so sorry
Mara...I’m so sorry...Please don’t leave me...Please...
    He went to his room and got dressed faster than he had in his entire
life.  Maybe I’m not too late... He left Mara’s note and took the picture
with him in his jacket pocket and walked down to the hangar bay.
 

    Mara was just getting the last minute preparations ready before she
sealed up the hatch and took off.  Her droid beeped in that the ship was
ready for take off.  With a sad sigh, Mara closed and sealed the hatch.
 

    Luke walked as fast as he could to the hangar bay.  Using a high
clearance code he got in and started searching with his eyes for Mara’s ship,
the Jade’s Fire.  He saw it and heard the first sounds of the ship getting
ready for take off.  Wait...Please wait... Giving up looking civilized, he
started off at a dead run towards Mara’s ship.
 

    Mara turned in her pilot’s seat to the droid sitting next to her.  “All
things green?”  She got her acknowledgement.  “Okay.  Let’s go.”  Before she
could reach out to pull the ship away, she heard a banging on her ship’s hull.
 

    Luke reached Mara’s ship, not caring if anyone saw.  His only care was of
the woman inside.  I can’t lose her, Luke thought.  I can’t let that happen.
I won’t let that happen.  He started to pound on the outer hull of the
hatchway.
    *Stop it Skywalker, you’re damaging my hull.*
    At least she didn’t just take off and burn Luke to a crisp.
    *Please Mara, let me in*
    *Why should I let you?  I told you to stop, you’ll have to pay for
whatever damages you make*
    *Please Mara.  I love you and I’m sorry, pleasee let me come in*
    *After what you did?*
    *Fine, don’t come out.  But at least remember me the way I was before I
yelled at you.*
    Luke, disappointed with a heavy heart, started to walk away from Mara’s
ship...and perhaps out of her life...
    *Wait Luke...I’ll stay...but you have to tell me what happened to you
last night*
    Luke’s first reaction was to deny her that information.  He couldn’t
worry her like that.
    *Look, don’t do that to me, Luke.  I can protect myself*
With a sigh of resignation Luke answered back.
    *It’s not about protecting just yourself*
    *What?*
    *If you let me on board, I’ll tell you*
 

    Settled into the lounge of Mara’s ship, Luke took a breath.  Mara was
seated several feet away from Luke.  More than a little polite space, but he
deserved it.
    “Mara, would you come a little closer than that?”  he asked.    She made
no move to speak, and she didn’t budge.  Luke continued.
    “I guess I’ll start from the beginning,”  he said.  “After you fell
asleep, I fell asleep not long after.”  He sighed and tried not to freak out
at the memory.  “I saw the shadow of a woman lying down in a bed holding two
infants.  A little boy and a little girl.”  He looked at Mara, but she
remained unmoved so he looked down at his hands and continued speaking.  “I
held each child and gave them both back.  I knew they were both mine, but I
don't know how I knew.  I guess because they had my features, but they felt
like mine.  But anyway--then I had this feeling of fear totally envelope me
and I yelled something to the woman.”
    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes against the memory.  He hoped
it was a dream.  Just a dream.  Did Mara see how painful this was to him?  “I
heard an explosion,” Luke said continuing. “then a door opened, and I tried
to reach for my lightsaber, but I was too late.  Something behind the door
was seething with hate and wanted the infants in the room.  They seemed so
small...so vulnerable...” He paused to take another breath, but he didn’t
look up at Mara.  Not yet.
    “I think I blacked out, then when I woke up, I couldn’t feel my children
or the woman that was lying in the bed.  They weren’t there.  They were
gone.”  He waited silently until Mara would have a response.  He would not
look up until she spoke.
    “Who was the woman?” Mara asked quietly after a long silence.   Luke
picked up his face and opened his eyes.  He took a shuddering breath and
looked into Mara’s faraway eyes.  He didn’t realize it, but to Mara his eyes
were filled with fear and pain.  A fear and pain of the unknown and a deep
worry.
    “I think that the woman lying there...was you.”
 
 

TO BE CONTINUED....