Jaina Solo was in her room taking apart and putting back together her lightsaber, because she was utterly bored. With Jacen gone, Jag somewhere in the galaxy, Zekk trying so hard to impress her, and Ben doing who knows what, Jaina could not entertain herself forever.
To her delight, the door buzzed to Ben Skywalker smirking in the doorway, "Want to play sabbacc?" he asked.
Jaina turned around to face her younger cousin, eyeing him suspiciously. "Sure," Almost afraid to ask she added, "What are we playing for?"
"Nothing. Uncle Han thinks that since I have nothing to do, cleaning the Falcon would be fun. I decided cleaning the Falcon is not my idea of fun unless I make it interesting. Play me in a game of sabbacc. Winner cleans, loser gets to sit back drinking iced tea and laughing." Ben crossed his arms, still smirking.
Jaina sighed to herself, "Kid, I'm doing this as a favor, to teach you a lesson. Get the cards out and we'll play in the dinning area." Shaking her head she got up and followed him to the table.
"Why you little…!"
"Ah, ah, ah Jaina. We had an agreement. I take it you know where the cleaning supplies are?" Ben smirked once again, leaving Jaina mad, and confused.
"How the kriff? What have you been doing?" She had to get answers to her surprising defeat.
"My mother is Mara Jade Skywalker. She's beaten Lando Calrissian before." Jaina crossed her arms and stalked off to change, and then made her way to the Falcon.
Four hours later, Ben was slouched on the couch flipping through the Holonet, because he was absolutely bored. That is until his cousin walked in. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with little strands of lose hair flying everywhere. Her white tank top, and gray pants were stained with grease, oil, and grim. He mischievously grinned as she pointed the hydrospanner in her hand at him.
"Next time you will be cleaning the Falcon. I don't care who your parents are." Walking past him she said, "Don't come near the 'fresher at all. I don't care if the Emperor himself has come back from the dead to make me a Sith lady."
When Jaina was out of earshot, Ben burst out laughing. No one was in the apartment, except Jaina and himself, so the laughing fit kept return every few minutes.
Jacen Solo walked the familiar path to his family's old apartment. When the Galactic Alliance had first reclaimed Coruscant, Jaina had said their parents had fixed up their apartment first. Jacen knew things had changed, but that still didn't make his last few trips to the planet any different. I had been about five years since the Yuuzhan Vong had left. Yet everyone was still recovering. Jacen walked into the building, taking a deep breath in and holding tight to his knapsack almost terrified of what he might find.
About an hour after Jaina had stomped off to the bathroom Ben had finally decided what to do. Sleep. Right as he was about to enter his dreamland, the main entrance of the apartment buzzed.
"Threepio!" Only when he yelled the name did her realized he had asked the droid to shut off for the rest of the day. "Oh never mind." Lugging his body off the couch and into the foyer Ben opened to door. The man standing in front of him was tall, broad shouldered, dark haired man in his early twenties.
"Oh sorry. It's been awhile wrong apart…Ben?" The man looked at Ben with a sense of recognition and joy. "Is it really you?"
Ben stood in the door surprised, and anxious to see his cousin. "Jacen?" Ben smiled at Jacen, "Welcome home!" Jacen returned the gesture with a famous lopsided Solo grin. Man, Jaina was right. Just like Uncle Han.
Before Ben or Jacen could say anymore, Jaina walked out in a white robe and a towel on her head, "Ben I hope you didn't order anymore take-out…" She froze in her steps, wide eyed, and gaping at her brother. "Jacen…?" She ran to embrace her brother. Ben watched as the twins connected more deeply than the eye could see.
"I missed you Jay." He whispered in her eye.
"I missed you more." Jaina whispered back with tears in her eyes. She squeezed him one last time and pulled away, wiping tears from her eyes. Realizing she hadn't done exactly what she had told Ben she would do if she ever saw her twin again. Jaina punched her twin playfully, yet still with some force after her emotional timer ended.
"Good to see you too, Jaina. What was that for?" Jacen said, rubbing his shoulder.
"That was for leaving for five years, and not sending a message for a month the last two years! You had dad and I worried sick for months!"
"What about mom?"
"Mom didn't worry. She trusted you could take care of yourself or some poodoo like that. Dad had the right idea." She smiled at her brother, "I thought maybe you could handle yourself, but that whole big-sister-by-two-minutes kicked into gear, and decided it didn't want to lose another brother."
Jacen smiled back at his sister, "You underestimate someone who survived Vong captivity. Not smart."
"Right. I'll try not to underestimate you again, maybe we can teach our cousin a lesson or two."
"Don't worry Jaina, I won't underestimate you either." Placing a hand on his sister's shoulder.
Sighing once more she said, "I really missed you, Jace."
Deciding now was as good a time as ever to test Jacen Solo Ben added; "She even moped around more when you felt than she did for Jag."
Jaina shot a glare at Ben, "No more from you. You've caused me enough trouble as it is."
"More than Jag, huh? I like this kid, he's a good bluff." Jacen smirked, "I could work with him."
"Oh you have no idea, Jacen Solo." Ben had the feeling Jacen wouldn't be a gape in his life anymore. After countless stories and holos, Ben was finally going to have a lasting relationship with his cousin, "Welcome back to the family, Jace."