If Walls Could Talk
By Tahiri Solo
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Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, places and such mentioned in this story. They are property of Lucasfilm. I own nothing and am in no way making any money off of this story. The song belongs to Celine Dion. Not to me. Also, if this story bears any resemblance to stories written by others, that is purely coincidental. No infringement is intended.
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Jaina Solo burst into her apartment, her husband Zekk right behind her. Once the door was shut and locked, she threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely. It ate away at her that they couldn't do this in public - kiss, or even something as simple as holding hands.
The two had secretly eloped not long before, after yet another mission against the Yuuzhan Vong. During the mission, Jaina had realized that Zekk loved her more than Jag Fel ever could when he had risked his own life to save her. When she'd been in trouble, Zekk had been willing to throw everything away just to save her. Jag hadn't wanted to risk the rest of their team and possibly the safety of the entire galaxy for one person, as much as he cared about her. Jaina herself had to at least partly agree with his thinking, and had scolded Zekk when he rescued her. How could he have risked all that for her? But her heart had still melted when Zekk looked directly in her eyes and said, "Screw the rest of the galaxy. If you're not in it, then it's not worth saving." His words sent a jolt so powerful through her that she actually gasped. She'd never felt anything like that before, not even from Jag.
In that one moment, she fell in love with Zekk all over again.
And later that night, she had come into Zekk's bunkroom in the Lighting Rod and told him so. She had broken down completely, sobbing, and begged him to forgive her for the way she'd treated him. Jaina had been too afraid to even look at him, but it wasn't long before she felt him take her in his arms and give her the sweetest kiss she had ever received.
The next day, he proposed.
And she accepted.
The day after they returned from the mission, they eloped. Jaina refused to wait, saying that with the ever-increasing threat of the Vong, any of them could die at any moment, Jedi especially. If she was going to die, she was going to die as Zekk's wife. They might not have the time to take things slowly, and they knew they loved each other and wanted to be together forever. Zekk agreed, and they were married in secret. No one - absolutely no one - knew. Jaina was afraid to tell her family, for fear of what it could do to them. After Anakin's death, Jacen's imprisonment, and her fall, she wasn't sure they could take this big of a shock. Jaina didn't want to risk it yet. She and Zekk both hated keeping this big of a secret from them, hated hiding their love, but they didn't see another alternative. They even wore their wedding rings on chains around their necks instead of on their fingers. Their only consolation was that Jaina lived far enough away from her family that they could share an apartment.
But not being able to share their intense love still ate away at them.
*These walls keep a secret
That only we know*
Jaina kissed Zekk yet harder, her hands stripping off his jacket and tossing it carelessly to the floor. He held her tightly to him, stroking her hair as they kissed.
Every moment with Zekk felt so right, so perfect, that Jaina wanted to cry. She couldn't believe that she had been willing to throw this away for someone else who could never love her like this.
A single tear made its way down her cheek, and Zekk sensed it and pulled away to see what was wrong. Jaina buried her face in his chest and leaned against him, sighing as he kissed the top of her head and hugged her close.
"What's wrong?" he whispered softly, concern evident in his voice as he looked down at his wife.
She clung to him tightly. "I just can't believe I gave all this up. I also can't believe that you were willing to take me back. Zekk, I love you so much."
Zekk laughed softly. "Jaina, that's exactly how I felt after the Shadow Academy. You took me back, and I couldn't imagine how you could ever forgive me. I love you more than anything; nothing could ever separate us."
Jaina snuggled closer to him. "I hate that we can't tell anyone. I'm just too afraid to - I'm not sure they could take this. It hurts me that I can't be with you during the day. I need you with me all the time - I just want to be in your arms."
"Someday, love," Zekk said softly. "Someday we'll be together all the time and not have to keep it a secret."
Jaina looked up at him. "Promise?"
He smiled at her. "Would I lie to you?"
Her face broke into a grin. "Nope. But you're so intoxicating, I'm afraid I'll end up throwing myself in your arms and kissing you someday in front of my family."
"I know what you mean," Zekk agreed. "You're the most intoxicating woman I've ever laid eyes on, and you're going to make me lose control."
*But how can they keep it
'Cause we're two lovers
Who lose control*
"I'm so glad I came to my senses, Zekk," Jaina murmured, laying her head back on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "After what I've been through, I think you're the only one that can truly understand me." Another tear fell from her eye. "The one thing I wanted was to just be understood, and not ridiculed. And you give me that, despite everything I did to you."
"Hey, I'm just returning the favor. You did the same for me, when I couldn't even imagine anyone ever forgiving me."
"It's because I loved you," Jaina said softly.
"And that's exactly why I 'took you back' and asked you to be my wife. Nothing you could ever do could possibly make me not love you, Jaina." She looked up at him again, and he smiled down at her. "You're my girl."
"I hope I always will be," Jaina said, smiling back.
In response, he leaned down and kissed her again, and the feeling of his mouth on hers told her everything she needed to know.
No barriers existed between the two now, and the Force relayed their pain to the other, pain suffered for so long, caused by the loss of friends and family, and their own falls . . .
Somehow, Jaina had never realized that Zekk had been through so many of the things she had, and therefore assumed he had no idea how she felt. Once again, Jaina felt like kicking herself for her stupidity, but the self-reproach vanished as Zekk intensified his kiss.
Zekk and Jaina clung desperately to each other, so tightly that nothing could have separated them. They tried to forget their pain in the feel of each other's bodies and mouths . . . and it was working. The shadows of their pasts began to disappear under the other's touch, and if you looked at them through the Force, the two radiated light.
One glance at them told you husband and wife were incredibly in love.
*We're two shadows
Chasing rainbows
Behind closed windows
Behind closed doors*
Jaina felt immense relief as Zekk held her in his arms. Jag was a good man and she respected him, but she realized now that she had only been attracted to him because he reminded her of Zekk - she had just been too blind to see what she was doing.
She'd thought Jag had given her a spark. That was nothing compared to how Zekk could make her feel. This wasn't a "spark" - he set her whole heart on fire in a way she had never before experienced.
Jaina knew that many people searched their entire lives for the kind of love she was holding in her arms - and had almost thrown away and lost forever. Once again, she marveled at how lucky she was . . . and how much she loved him.
*I am never letting you go again, Zekk,* Jaina promised him fiercely via the Force.
Zekk sensed her guilt and self-reproach and dismissed it with a gentle wave of reassurance. *And I'm not letting you go either - that's why we were married.*
Jaina smiled a little through the kiss and clung even tighter to him, her fingers tugging out the leather thong holding his hair in place at the nape of his neck and then burying themselves in his hair. His hands stroked her back and caressed her shoulders.
*I love you,* Zekk thought tenderly to her.
*I love you too,* Jaina whispered back with the Force. Their minds merged, spirits touching and caressing each other in a way more intimate than any touch of the body.
In the Force, they were one.
*If wall could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more"
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
Jaina clutched him desperately, physically and mentally, seeking the solace only he could offer her. Zekk held her just as tightly, sensing her need for comfort and finding the same relief in her.
The two lost themselves in a wave of passion, mouths tearing at each other, and all pain was forgotten in the other's touch.
They tumbled down onto the plush rug, never breaking their kiss. Zekk's arms pressed Jaina to him, as hers twined around his neck.
Despite how hard it was to hide their love, Jaina thought, secret moments like this almost made up for it.
*Just two people making memories
Too good to tell
And these arms are never empty
When we're lying where we fell*
Jaina tried to sear every moment with Zekk into her brain, never wanting to forget one second of their time together.
She heard/felt his mental chuckle. *Jaina, we have our entire lives in front of us. You don't have to be so afraid of losing a moment.*
*Yes I do,* she thought back, bordering on hysteria as tears filled her eyes once more. *Everything's so uncertain, Zekk . . . you know that as well as I do. Any of us could be killed at any time, and Zekk, if we're separated, I want every memory of you I can have.*
Zekk pulled away gently. "Hey, hey," he said softly. "When we were married, I told you in my vows that I would never leave you, and I meant that. I promised you once, and I'm promising you again. Nothing is ever going to separate us." He pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss.
Jaina saw the truth of what he said in his eyes. Nothing, not even death, could separate a love as strong as theirs. They would always be together, if not in body, then in spirit. A slow smile spread across her face. "You're right, Zekk." Her eyes sparkled. "As usual." She ran her fingertips across his cheek, then lay on her back and grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling him down so that he could kiss her.
Zekk paused for a moment to make sure that she was truly okay, and Jaina impatiently reached up and pulled his shirt up over his head, exposing his sculpted chest and wedding ring.
His hands unfastened the top of her shirt in return, her own wedding ring glinting in the light. Zekk traced his finger along the chain, his eyes never leaving hers.
The look in his eyes sent a thousand butterflies rising up in Jaina's stomach. She could never doubt how much he loved her.
Why wouldn't I want to remember every moment of this? Jaina wondered. This is magic. I never even knew that this kind of love existed.
"Neither did I," Zekk said softly. "That's why I'm so lucky I found you." Then his mouth was on hers, completing the perfect moment.
As their minds melded into each other and the universe faded away, they made love tenderly where they lay, aware of nothing else but the other.
*We're painting pictures
Making magic
Taking chances
Making love*
Some time later, Jaina and Zekk still lay on the rug in front of a real fire in their fireplace, now wrapped up in a soft blanket. Jaina's head was pillowed on his bare chest, her eyes half closed.
"Sleepy?" Zekk asked her with a small smile as he caressed her bare shoulder.
"Mmm," Jaina murmured, nuzzling her head against his chest. Then she lifted her face to smile at him. "You kind of wore me out, you know," she said playfully.
Zekk chuckled softly. "Don't think you didn't wear me out too."
"This is nice," Jaina said quietly. "Just lying here together. No one else, no fighting, no worries, just . . ."
"Us," Zekk finished for her. "Just the two of us together."
"Like we're supposed to be," Jaina said, her voice a near-whisper. "I love you, Zekk. So much." Now her voice was barely audible. I do love him, she thought. So much more than I ever could Jag.
Once again, Zekk sensed her guilt and self-reproach. He sighed, kissing her on the neck. "Jaina, you know I love you." She nodded mutely, and he continued. "And you know I would die for you with no regrets." She nodded again. "You know, because I've told you, I've shown you, and you've sensed it. And if you know all that, then you should realize that nothing you could ever do would stop me from loving you."
Jaina hugged him tightly. "I know, I know. I just feel so guilty . . ."
Zekk hugged her back, but rolled his eyes. "Jaina, stop for a minute and think who you're talking to."
Jaina blinked. "Oh yeah. I always forget. But I forget because it never really mattered."
"And you think this ever mattered to me?"
Jaina paused as she realized the truth of his words. A wave of relief went through her, and she blew out a grateful sigh. "Sith, I'm so lucky to have you." She bit her lip as she finally saw what she had been doing - questioning Zekk's love for her. She felt another pang of guilt, but pushed it away, knowing that was the one thing he didn't want her to be feeling. "I've been so stupid, Zekk."
Zekk pulled away and grinned at her. "You haven't been stupid. Silly, yes, but not stupid."
Jaina giggled and hugged him again. He rubbed her back. "Just as long as you know how much I love you."
"I do, Zekk," Jaina whispered. "I think I always have."
*If walls could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
"Good," Zekk said, smiling.
Jaina smiled back, playfully. "Yeah." Her eyes sparkled. "Now kiss me."
Zekk chuckled and did so, his mouth covering her own warmly. Jaina wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed softly, enveloped in each other's arms.
Finally, Zekk pulled away and simply held his wife close to him, stroking her hair. Jaina laid her head on his shoulder and rubbed his bare chest with her hand, sighing in contentment.
Zekk smiled at her soft sound and gazed at her, watching reflections of the flames dance in her brandy brown eyes.
She is so incredibly beautiful, Zekk thought to himself as he watched her.
Jaina blushed, having sensed what he was thinking. "Thank you." Then she smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "And let me say that you happen to be the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on."
Zekk grinned back at her. "Thank you." He kissed the top of her head, and she gave another contented sigh. Zekk closed his eyes, heart tightening with love for the woman he held in his arms.
Jaina sensed the intense wave of emotion radiating from him, but not the cause of it. "Zekk?" she asked softly. "What are you thinking?"
He blushed slightly. "Just about how much I love you."
Jaina blushed herself, though a much deeper red than her husband, and she hid her face against his chest. "I love you too."
He gently raised her face up and simply stared into her eyes before Jaina impatiently grabbed his face in her hands and their mouths converged, lovingly yet fiercely.
When they finally pulled away, some time later and only due to the fact that even Jedi need oxygen, Jaina panted and gave a breathy little moan.
"Zekk . . ." she whispered, kissing him on the neck, "I'm not so tired anymore . . ."
Zekk grinned. "Me either."
"Good," Jaina said, then kissed him again, passionately.
Their minds melded once more, and once more they became one entity, in both spirit and body.
*If walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd know
I love you so*
When the passion eventually left them, they once more lay wrapped up in the blanket, curled up together and panting. Again, Zekk watched Jaina, struck by her beauty. Her face was flushed, skin glistening with sweat, moist lips parted as she gasped for breath . . . Zekk couldn't remember ever seeing anything so incredibly beautiful.
But then again, he reflected, he thought that every time he looked at Jaina.
Jaina watched Zekk just as intently, studying every aspect of his features, from his long dark hair to his high cheekbones . . . the striking emerald eyes that she could get so lost in . . . the lips that felt so right pressed up tenderly against her own . . .
Zekk was undeniably handsome, and Jaina knew that he would have had no trouble finding another woman . . . but he had chosen to wait for her. Her.
That thought sent tingles down Jaina's spine.
Zekk had always been her protector, her savior, the person who always came rushing to her rescue when she got herself into yet another sticky situation. But now, he protected her from her own stupidity by making her realize that she truly did still love him.
If he hadn't . . . Jaina couldn't imagine what would have happened . . . couldn't imagine her life without his gentle kisses and caresses, the look in his eyes as he gazed at her . . .
Without him, she didn't think she could survive.
She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him tightly as she thought of how good he was to her. Zekk always knew when she was upset or even just stressed out, and would simply draw her into his arms and hold her close, rubbing her back or stroking her hair, letting her cry into his shoulder if she needed to. He always knew what she needed, and could soothe her in a matter of minutes. She marveled at the way he had with her.
She had thought she loved Jag. But yet Zekk had still been able to awaken everything she had once felt for him and make her realize that he was her soulmate, while Jag was nothing more than a complication.
Jaina laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, infinitely in love and finally at peace.
*When I'm feeling weak
You give me wings
When the fire has no heat
You light it up again
When I hear no violins
You play my every string*
"When do you want to tell you family about us?" Zekk asked, knowing that keeping their marriage a secret was a strain on her.
Jaina sighed. "Part of me just wants to get it over with, but the other part of me loves keeping this a secret . . . you know, private, hidden moments with just the two of us . . ." She sighed again. "And plus, if this would happen to leak out somehow, it would be all over the media. I don't want that - tons of people speculating what our life is like and whether or not we will stay together. This marriage is about us, and no one else."
Zekk nodded. "I agree. But do you really think any of your family would let it get out if we didn't want it to?"
Jaina thought for a moment, then blinked. "No. They wouldn't. But I guess I'm just paranoid - sometimes I think that this is just too perfect and that it can't possibly last."
A single tear traced down her cheek, which Zekk kissed away. "Hey," he demanded, yet softly and gently. "What makes you think that we're not going to last?"
She swallowed. "I'll love you forever, Zekk, and I know you'll love me. But how can something so perfect be permanent, with the way everything is now?"
Zekk hugged her. "Because I know the meaning of what you and I have, and there's no way I'm letting it slip away from us. As long as we love each other, then it can't."
Jaina smiled slowly. "True." Her smile broadened. "And I'll always love you, so we'll always be together."
He kissed the tip of her nose. "Exactly." He rested his forehead against hers. "Feel better?"
"Yes. But I'd feel even better if you'd kiss me," she hinted.
Zekk smiled and did as she asked.
*So stop the press
Hold the news
The secret's safe between me and you
Walls - can you keep a secret?*
Jaina pressed herself against him, trembling at his touch. When he pulled away, Jaina simply laid there and listened to his heartbeat. Zekk said nothing, simply content to hold her and stroke her hair.
Finally, Jaina broke the silence. "I wonder if it'll always be like this."
"Like what, love?"
"Like . . . I can't really explain it. Like every time you touch me, it feels like the first time. I know that sounds corny, but it's the truth, and I can't describe it any other way."
To her surprise, Zekk nodded. "I know what you mean. Every time I kiss you, it is like the first time . . . the magic is still there."
"Do you think it always will be?" Jaina whispered.
"I don't know for sure, because I've never loved anyone before, and certainly not like I love you. But I assume it will, because we'll never love each other any less. So why would the magic go away?"
"Old age?" Jaina joked.
"I assure you, Jaina," Zekk said, eyes sparkling with mischief, "things will be just as much fun when we're old and gray together. Slower and more difficult maybe, but no less fun."
"Zekk!" Jaina swatted at him, but she had burst out laughing. "You are awful!"
"Maybe. But you still seem to love me anyway," he teased.
"Damn right I do." Jaina rolled slightly on top of him to kiss his lips. Her small hands stroked his face, while his caressed the back of her neck and her shoulders.
When she pulled away, Jaina didn't move from her position. She grinned down at him, kissing the tip of his nose. Her eyes sparkled. "You're so cute."
"Oh, and you think you're not?"
Jaina chuckled. "I'm too gritty to be cute."
Zekk grinned. "Jaina, I have seen you completely disheveled, crying, all bruised and bloody - in short looking like you've just been trampled by a rabid bantha - and to me, you're still adorable."
Jaina smiled. "Okay, that earns you this." She gave him another kiss, softly and sweetly, then pulled back. She stroked his cheek, gazing into his eyes. "Oh, you are just too cute. It must be part of the reason I love you so much."
He grinned again. "That's good to know."
"Is the reason you love me because I'm so adorable?" Jaina teased.
His hand reached up to tuck a lock of her straight brown hair behind her ear, then his finger traced gently over her lips. "If you want the reason I love you," he said softly, "it could take from now till the end of time for me to tell you. I love everything about you, Jaina - everything you are, and everything you ever will be. I know that sounds like one of those sappy, mushy holovids - but it's the truth." A tear fell from her eye at the sheer sincerity in his voice and his words, and Zekk gently wiped it away. "I love you for just being you."
Jaina sighed, lowering herself down on top of his chest and tucking her head under his chin. "Not only are you just too cute, you're also incredibly sweet."
Zekk held her close, and Jaina reveled in the fact that for as long as they lived, she would always have the comfort and peace of lying in his arms while his love for her radiated off him like a wave.
*This feeling,* Jaina thought, *has to be the definition of true love. No one else could ever make me feel like this. I guess that means I can never love anyone else. But I'd never want to, not after Zekk. He's perfect.*
Just as she was thinking that, Zekk was thinking something very similar. *Oh, I love her so much. The way she feels in my arms . . . it's incredible. Like she was made to be in my arms, and I was made just to hold her. I never want to let go of her . . . and I never will.*
"I don't ever want you to," Jaina whispered.
"Sweetheart, that's something you never have to worry about," Zekk whispered back. "After you, I could never even think of loving someone else. You're all I've ever wanted, and ever will want."
Jaina said nothing, but the feeling of love and agreement coming from her was all Zekk needed to know.
*If walls could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more"
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
After some time of lying in each other's arms, Zekk realized that Jaina was shivering, despite the blanket and the fire.
"Are you cold?" he asked her.
Jaina smiled at the concern she heard in his voice. He was so protective of her - worrying over even slight things such as her shivering. "Actually, yeah," she admitted.
"Here." Zekk slid her gently off of him, and kissed her forehead when she whimpered softly at being moved from his arms. "I'll be right back." He sat up and called their robes to him with the Force. Jaina sat up as well, and he wrapped the robe around her small frame. He slipped his own on, then drew her into his arms and rubbed her back. "Better?" he asked softly.
Jaina nodded. "Thanks." Then she looked around the room and raised her eyebrows. "You know what this apartment needs, Zekk?"
"What?" he asked her, looking around himself.
"We need a holo of our wedding."
Zekk nodded. "We did manage to have a beautiful wedding, considering the circumstances. But you know we really shouldn't have holos of it around, not until we've told everyone. I mean, no one even has any clue that I'm living here."
"I completely forgot," Jaina said, disappointment showing in her eyes. "I can't believe I forgot."
"Well, someday we'll have all the holos you could want," Zekk reassured her.
She hugged him. "Yeah. Hopefully soon." Then she hid her face in his shoulder, almost afraid to look at him. "You know what else I'd like to have someday?"
"What, love?" Zekk asked her, wondering what had made her so serious and nervous all of a sudden.
"I'd like to have a family." Her voice was small, and Zekk sensed she was almost afraid of how he would react.
Zekk pulled back with a stunned laugh, holding her by the shoulders. "Jaina, how could you think I'd be upset because you want a family?" A smile lit his face and eyes, and Jaina could sense his joy at the idea - joy that was mirrored in her own heart. She yearned to have a family of her own - a family with Zekk.
She squeezed him tightly. "I want to have children with you," she said. "Despite the fact that the thought of being a mother terrifies me."
Zekk hugged her. "Why? You'd be an incredible mother."
She snorted. "Yeah. Right. Five minutes into babysitting Ben and I'm ready to bow down before Mara for her bravery."
Zekk laughed again. "Jaina, believe me, you would be a wonderful mother, whether you think so or not." Then his smile faded and his expression turned sober. "And anyway, I don't think we should have a baby any time soon, not with everything that's going on."
Jaina bit her lip. "You're right. Now is not the best time to bring a child into the galaxy. I mean, think of what my mom must have gone through - " Her voice cut off as a soft sob escaped her lips. Tears glistening in his own eyes as her pain washed over him, Zekk cradled her close and rocked her slowly back and forth as though she was a little girl.
Jaina clutched him tightly for several minutes, until she finally relaxed, her body going from stiff and shaking to melting against his. "I'm okay now, Zekk."
"Are you sure?" His voice was a soft murmur into her hair that told Jaina how much he cared about her.
She smiled despite herself. "Yes. I'm fine. I just don't think I'm ever going to really recover from everything that's happened."
Zekk pulled back with a sigh, gazing into her brandy eyes. "The galaxy will never be the same," he said, "and neither will any of us. It's hit us all hard, but you've been hit worse than most. I just don't see why the galaxy has to single you out to suffer. You never deserved anything like this to happen to you - you're too sweet, too good, too beautiful, too . . . perfect. I wish I could put it all on myself instead . . ."
His voice trailed off, sounding choked, and it suddenly hit Jaina how much it hurt Zekk when something happened to her. Moved nearly to tears, Jaina smiled at him. "But I always know where to go for comfort when something bad does happen." With that, she snuggled back into his strong arms, resting her head on his shoulder. After only a heartbeat's pause, his arms were around her, and he leaned his head gently against hers. Jaina sighed happily, pressing herself even closer to him.
After several moments of simply cuddling, Jaina glanced up at the chronometer on the wall. "Hey, it's about dusk. Wanna go watch the sunset?"
"Sure." Zekk let go of her and stood up, helping her to her feet as well. Jaina tightened her robe around her and then slipped her small hand into Zekk's. The two of them walked out onto their balcony. Jaina went immediately to the railing and leaned over it, gazing out at the sunset. Zekk came up behind her with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't lean over so far you fall off, hon."
She twisted her head to smile up at him. "I think you're being just a little too overprotective," she said with a chuckle.
"Don't be so sure about that. People in your family have a thing about falling from high places."
Jaina snorted. "You have a point."
Zekk kissed the top of her head.
"It's so pretty," Jaina said after a moment. "The sunset." Then a hint of bitter determination crept into her voice. "The Yuuzhan Vong may destroy our planets, slaughter our people, warp our brains and kill our hope, but they can't destroy everything good in the galaxy. They can't, and they're not going to."
"They're not going to win, Jaina," Zekk said, and Jaina could hear the much younger Zekk in his voice - the fearless, confident survivor. "We're going to beat them. I don't know how long it will take, but we will."
Despite the fact that all evidence said otherwise, Jaina believed him with all of her heart. "I know we will, Zekk, but please, let's not talk about the Vong."
"Good idea. I don't want to ruin this moment either," Zekk agreed. Jaina leaned back against his chest, and he rested his chin on top of her hair. The two were silent, simply watching the sunset . . .
Though Zekk watched Jaina more than he did the sky. He still couldn't believe that she was his . . . he'd thought he had lost her forever.
But here she was, safe in his arms.
"How did I ever get so lucky?" Zekk whispered to himself, so softly that Jaina couldn't hear.
Jaina closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. She was never happier than when she was in Zekk's arms. She felt so safe, so protected, so cherished. She felt, that for once, life was perfect.
She twisted herself in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck. Zekk smiled at her, and the two kissed, framed by the light of the setting sun.
In a universe torn apart by war and strife, there were still spots of light.
*If walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd know
I love you so*
By Tahiri Solo
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Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, places and such mentioned in this story. They are property of Lucasfilm. I own nothing and am in no way making any money off of this story. The song belongs to Celine Dion. Not to me. Also, if this story bears any resemblance to stories written by others, that is purely coincidental. No infringement is intended.
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Jaina Solo burst into her apartment, her husband Zekk right behind her. Once the door was shut and locked, she threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely. It ate away at her that they couldn't do this in public - kiss, or even something as simple as holding hands.
The two had secretly eloped not long before, after yet another mission against the Yuuzhan Vong. During the mission, Jaina had realized that Zekk loved her more than Jag Fel ever could when he had risked his own life to save her. When she'd been in trouble, Zekk had been willing to throw everything away just to save her. Jag hadn't wanted to risk the rest of their team and possibly the safety of the entire galaxy for one person, as much as he cared about her. Jaina herself had to at least partly agree with his thinking, and had scolded Zekk when he rescued her. How could he have risked all that for her? But her heart had still melted when Zekk looked directly in her eyes and said, "Screw the rest of the galaxy. If you're not in it, then it's not worth saving." His words sent a jolt so powerful through her that she actually gasped. She'd never felt anything like that before, not even from Jag.
In that one moment, she fell in love with Zekk all over again.
And later that night, she had come into Zekk's bunkroom in the Lighting Rod and told him so. She had broken down completely, sobbing, and begged him to forgive her for the way she'd treated him. Jaina had been too afraid to even look at him, but it wasn't long before she felt him take her in his arms and give her the sweetest kiss she had ever received.
The next day, he proposed.
And she accepted.
The day after they returned from the mission, they eloped. Jaina refused to wait, saying that with the ever-increasing threat of the Vong, any of them could die at any moment, Jedi especially. If she was going to die, she was going to die as Zekk's wife. They might not have the time to take things slowly, and they knew they loved each other and wanted to be together forever. Zekk agreed, and they were married in secret. No one - absolutely no one - knew. Jaina was afraid to tell her family, for fear of what it could do to them. After Anakin's death, Jacen's imprisonment, and her fall, she wasn't sure they could take this big of a shock. Jaina didn't want to risk it yet. She and Zekk both hated keeping this big of a secret from them, hated hiding their love, but they didn't see another alternative. They even wore their wedding rings on chains around their necks instead of on their fingers. Their only consolation was that Jaina lived far enough away from her family that they could share an apartment.
But not being able to share their intense love still ate away at them.
*These walls keep a secret
That only we know*
Jaina kissed Zekk yet harder, her hands stripping off his jacket and tossing it carelessly to the floor. He held her tightly to him, stroking her hair as they kissed.
Every moment with Zekk felt so right, so perfect, that Jaina wanted to cry. She couldn't believe that she had been willing to throw this away for someone else who could never love her like this.
A single tear made its way down her cheek, and Zekk sensed it and pulled away to see what was wrong. Jaina buried her face in his chest and leaned against him, sighing as he kissed the top of her head and hugged her close.
"What's wrong?" he whispered softly, concern evident in his voice as he looked down at his wife.
She clung to him tightly. "I just can't believe I gave all this up. I also can't believe that you were willing to take me back. Zekk, I love you so much."
Zekk laughed softly. "Jaina, that's exactly how I felt after the Shadow Academy. You took me back, and I couldn't imagine how you could ever forgive me. I love you more than anything; nothing could ever separate us."
Jaina snuggled closer to him. "I hate that we can't tell anyone. I'm just too afraid to - I'm not sure they could take this. It hurts me that I can't be with you during the day. I need you with me all the time - I just want to be in your arms."
"Someday, love," Zekk said softly. "Someday we'll be together all the time and not have to keep it a secret."
Jaina looked up at him. "Promise?"
He smiled at her. "Would I lie to you?"
Her face broke into a grin. "Nope. But you're so intoxicating, I'm afraid I'll end up throwing myself in your arms and kissing you someday in front of my family."
"I know what you mean," Zekk agreed. "You're the most intoxicating woman I've ever laid eyes on, and you're going to make me lose control."
*But how can they keep it
'Cause we're two lovers
Who lose control*
"I'm so glad I came to my senses, Zekk," Jaina murmured, laying her head back on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "After what I've been through, I think you're the only one that can truly understand me." Another tear fell from her eye. "The one thing I wanted was to just be understood, and not ridiculed. And you give me that, despite everything I did to you."
"Hey, I'm just returning the favor. You did the same for me, when I couldn't even imagine anyone ever forgiving me."
"It's because I loved you," Jaina said softly.
"And that's exactly why I 'took you back' and asked you to be my wife. Nothing you could ever do could possibly make me not love you, Jaina." She looked up at him again, and he smiled down at her. "You're my girl."
"I hope I always will be," Jaina said, smiling back.
In response, he leaned down and kissed her again, and the feeling of his mouth on hers told her everything she needed to know.
No barriers existed between the two now, and the Force relayed their pain to the other, pain suffered for so long, caused by the loss of friends and family, and their own falls . . .
Somehow, Jaina had never realized that Zekk had been through so many of the things she had, and therefore assumed he had no idea how she felt. Once again, Jaina felt like kicking herself for her stupidity, but the self-reproach vanished as Zekk intensified his kiss.
Zekk and Jaina clung desperately to each other, so tightly that nothing could have separated them. They tried to forget their pain in the feel of each other's bodies and mouths . . . and it was working. The shadows of their pasts began to disappear under the other's touch, and if you looked at them through the Force, the two radiated light.
One glance at them told you husband and wife were incredibly in love.
*We're two shadows
Chasing rainbows
Behind closed windows
Behind closed doors*
Jaina felt immense relief as Zekk held her in his arms. Jag was a good man and she respected him, but she realized now that she had only been attracted to him because he reminded her of Zekk - she had just been too blind to see what she was doing.
She'd thought Jag had given her a spark. That was nothing compared to how Zekk could make her feel. This wasn't a "spark" - he set her whole heart on fire in a way she had never before experienced.
Jaina knew that many people searched their entire lives for the kind of love she was holding in her arms - and had almost thrown away and lost forever. Once again, she marveled at how lucky she was . . . and how much she loved him.
*I am never letting you go again, Zekk,* Jaina promised him fiercely via the Force.
Zekk sensed her guilt and self-reproach and dismissed it with a gentle wave of reassurance. *And I'm not letting you go either - that's why we were married.*
Jaina smiled a little through the kiss and clung even tighter to him, her fingers tugging out the leather thong holding his hair in place at the nape of his neck and then burying themselves in his hair. His hands stroked her back and caressed her shoulders.
*I love you,* Zekk thought tenderly to her.
*I love you too,* Jaina whispered back with the Force. Their minds merged, spirits touching and caressing each other in a way more intimate than any touch of the body.
In the Force, they were one.
*If wall could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more"
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
Jaina clutched him desperately, physically and mentally, seeking the solace only he could offer her. Zekk held her just as tightly, sensing her need for comfort and finding the same relief in her.
The two lost themselves in a wave of passion, mouths tearing at each other, and all pain was forgotten in the other's touch.
They tumbled down onto the plush rug, never breaking their kiss. Zekk's arms pressed Jaina to him, as hers twined around his neck.
Despite how hard it was to hide their love, Jaina thought, secret moments like this almost made up for it.
*Just two people making memories
Too good to tell
And these arms are never empty
When we're lying where we fell*
Jaina tried to sear every moment with Zekk into her brain, never wanting to forget one second of their time together.
She heard/felt his mental chuckle. *Jaina, we have our entire lives in front of us. You don't have to be so afraid of losing a moment.*
*Yes I do,* she thought back, bordering on hysteria as tears filled her eyes once more. *Everything's so uncertain, Zekk . . . you know that as well as I do. Any of us could be killed at any time, and Zekk, if we're separated, I want every memory of you I can have.*
Zekk pulled away gently. "Hey, hey," he said softly. "When we were married, I told you in my vows that I would never leave you, and I meant that. I promised you once, and I'm promising you again. Nothing is ever going to separate us." He pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss.
Jaina saw the truth of what he said in his eyes. Nothing, not even death, could separate a love as strong as theirs. They would always be together, if not in body, then in spirit. A slow smile spread across her face. "You're right, Zekk." Her eyes sparkled. "As usual." She ran her fingertips across his cheek, then lay on her back and grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling him down so that he could kiss her.
Zekk paused for a moment to make sure that she was truly okay, and Jaina impatiently reached up and pulled his shirt up over his head, exposing his sculpted chest and wedding ring.
His hands unfastened the top of her shirt in return, her own wedding ring glinting in the light. Zekk traced his finger along the chain, his eyes never leaving hers.
The look in his eyes sent a thousand butterflies rising up in Jaina's stomach. She could never doubt how much he loved her.
Why wouldn't I want to remember every moment of this? Jaina wondered. This is magic. I never even knew that this kind of love existed.
"Neither did I," Zekk said softly. "That's why I'm so lucky I found you." Then his mouth was on hers, completing the perfect moment.
As their minds melded into each other and the universe faded away, they made love tenderly where they lay, aware of nothing else but the other.
*We're painting pictures
Making magic
Taking chances
Making love*
Some time later, Jaina and Zekk still lay on the rug in front of a real fire in their fireplace, now wrapped up in a soft blanket. Jaina's head was pillowed on his bare chest, her eyes half closed.
"Sleepy?" Zekk asked her with a small smile as he caressed her bare shoulder.
"Mmm," Jaina murmured, nuzzling her head against his chest. Then she lifted her face to smile at him. "You kind of wore me out, you know," she said playfully.
Zekk chuckled softly. "Don't think you didn't wear me out too."
"This is nice," Jaina said quietly. "Just lying here together. No one else, no fighting, no worries, just . . ."
"Us," Zekk finished for her. "Just the two of us together."
"Like we're supposed to be," Jaina said, her voice a near-whisper. "I love you, Zekk. So much." Now her voice was barely audible. I do love him, she thought. So much more than I ever could Jag.
Once again, Zekk sensed her guilt and self-reproach. He sighed, kissing her on the neck. "Jaina, you know I love you." She nodded mutely, and he continued. "And you know I would die for you with no regrets." She nodded again. "You know, because I've told you, I've shown you, and you've sensed it. And if you know all that, then you should realize that nothing you could ever do would stop me from loving you."
Jaina hugged him tightly. "I know, I know. I just feel so guilty . . ."
Zekk hugged her back, but rolled his eyes. "Jaina, stop for a minute and think who you're talking to."
Jaina blinked. "Oh yeah. I always forget. But I forget because it never really mattered."
"And you think this ever mattered to me?"
Jaina paused as she realized the truth of his words. A wave of relief went through her, and she blew out a grateful sigh. "Sith, I'm so lucky to have you." She bit her lip as she finally saw what she had been doing - questioning Zekk's love for her. She felt another pang of guilt, but pushed it away, knowing that was the one thing he didn't want her to be feeling. "I've been so stupid, Zekk."
Zekk pulled away and grinned at her. "You haven't been stupid. Silly, yes, but not stupid."
Jaina giggled and hugged him again. He rubbed her back. "Just as long as you know how much I love you."
"I do, Zekk," Jaina whispered. "I think I always have."
*If walls could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
"Good," Zekk said, smiling.
Jaina smiled back, playfully. "Yeah." Her eyes sparkled. "Now kiss me."
Zekk chuckled and did so, his mouth covering her own warmly. Jaina wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed softly, enveloped in each other's arms.
Finally, Zekk pulled away and simply held his wife close to him, stroking her hair. Jaina laid her head on his shoulder and rubbed his bare chest with her hand, sighing in contentment.
Zekk smiled at her soft sound and gazed at her, watching reflections of the flames dance in her brandy brown eyes.
She is so incredibly beautiful, Zekk thought to himself as he watched her.
Jaina blushed, having sensed what he was thinking. "Thank you." Then she smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "And let me say that you happen to be the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on."
Zekk grinned back at her. "Thank you." He kissed the top of her head, and she gave another contented sigh. Zekk closed his eyes, heart tightening with love for the woman he held in his arms.
Jaina sensed the intense wave of emotion radiating from him, but not the cause of it. "Zekk?" she asked softly. "What are you thinking?"
He blushed slightly. "Just about how much I love you."
Jaina blushed herself, though a much deeper red than her husband, and she hid her face against his chest. "I love you too."
He gently raised her face up and simply stared into her eyes before Jaina impatiently grabbed his face in her hands and their mouths converged, lovingly yet fiercely.
When they finally pulled away, some time later and only due to the fact that even Jedi need oxygen, Jaina panted and gave a breathy little moan.
"Zekk . . ." she whispered, kissing him on the neck, "I'm not so tired anymore . . ."
Zekk grinned. "Me either."
"Good," Jaina said, then kissed him again, passionately.
Their minds melded once more, and once more they became one entity, in both spirit and body.
*If walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd know
I love you so*
When the passion eventually left them, they once more lay wrapped up in the blanket, curled up together and panting. Again, Zekk watched Jaina, struck by her beauty. Her face was flushed, skin glistening with sweat, moist lips parted as she gasped for breath . . . Zekk couldn't remember ever seeing anything so incredibly beautiful.
But then again, he reflected, he thought that every time he looked at Jaina.
Jaina watched Zekk just as intently, studying every aspect of his features, from his long dark hair to his high cheekbones . . . the striking emerald eyes that she could get so lost in . . . the lips that felt so right pressed up tenderly against her own . . .
Zekk was undeniably handsome, and Jaina knew that he would have had no trouble finding another woman . . . but he had chosen to wait for her. Her.
That thought sent tingles down Jaina's spine.
Zekk had always been her protector, her savior, the person who always came rushing to her rescue when she got herself into yet another sticky situation. But now, he protected her from her own stupidity by making her realize that she truly did still love him.
If he hadn't . . . Jaina couldn't imagine what would have happened . . . couldn't imagine her life without his gentle kisses and caresses, the look in his eyes as he gazed at her . . .
Without him, she didn't think she could survive.
She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him tightly as she thought of how good he was to her. Zekk always knew when she was upset or even just stressed out, and would simply draw her into his arms and hold her close, rubbing her back or stroking her hair, letting her cry into his shoulder if she needed to. He always knew what she needed, and could soothe her in a matter of minutes. She marveled at the way he had with her.
She had thought she loved Jag. But yet Zekk had still been able to awaken everything she had once felt for him and make her realize that he was her soulmate, while Jag was nothing more than a complication.
Jaina laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, infinitely in love and finally at peace.
*When I'm feeling weak
You give me wings
When the fire has no heat
You light it up again
When I hear no violins
You play my every string*
"When do you want to tell you family about us?" Zekk asked, knowing that keeping their marriage a secret was a strain on her.
Jaina sighed. "Part of me just wants to get it over with, but the other part of me loves keeping this a secret . . . you know, private, hidden moments with just the two of us . . ." She sighed again. "And plus, if this would happen to leak out somehow, it would be all over the media. I don't want that - tons of people speculating what our life is like and whether or not we will stay together. This marriage is about us, and no one else."
Zekk nodded. "I agree. But do you really think any of your family would let it get out if we didn't want it to?"
Jaina thought for a moment, then blinked. "No. They wouldn't. But I guess I'm just paranoid - sometimes I think that this is just too perfect and that it can't possibly last."
A single tear traced down her cheek, which Zekk kissed away. "Hey," he demanded, yet softly and gently. "What makes you think that we're not going to last?"
She swallowed. "I'll love you forever, Zekk, and I know you'll love me. But how can something so perfect be permanent, with the way everything is now?"
Zekk hugged her. "Because I know the meaning of what you and I have, and there's no way I'm letting it slip away from us. As long as we love each other, then it can't."
Jaina smiled slowly. "True." Her smile broadened. "And I'll always love you, so we'll always be together."
He kissed the tip of her nose. "Exactly." He rested his forehead against hers. "Feel better?"
"Yes. But I'd feel even better if you'd kiss me," she hinted.
Zekk smiled and did as she asked.
*So stop the press
Hold the news
The secret's safe between me and you
Walls - can you keep a secret?*
Jaina pressed herself against him, trembling at his touch. When he pulled away, Jaina simply laid there and listened to his heartbeat. Zekk said nothing, simply content to hold her and stroke her hair.
Finally, Jaina broke the silence. "I wonder if it'll always be like this."
"Like what, love?"
"Like . . . I can't really explain it. Like every time you touch me, it feels like the first time. I know that sounds corny, but it's the truth, and I can't describe it any other way."
To her surprise, Zekk nodded. "I know what you mean. Every time I kiss you, it is like the first time . . . the magic is still there."
"Do you think it always will be?" Jaina whispered.
"I don't know for sure, because I've never loved anyone before, and certainly not like I love you. But I assume it will, because we'll never love each other any less. So why would the magic go away?"
"Old age?" Jaina joked.
"I assure you, Jaina," Zekk said, eyes sparkling with mischief, "things will be just as much fun when we're old and gray together. Slower and more difficult maybe, but no less fun."
"Zekk!" Jaina swatted at him, but she had burst out laughing. "You are awful!"
"Maybe. But you still seem to love me anyway," he teased.
"Damn right I do." Jaina rolled slightly on top of him to kiss his lips. Her small hands stroked his face, while his caressed the back of her neck and her shoulders.
When she pulled away, Jaina didn't move from her position. She grinned down at him, kissing the tip of his nose. Her eyes sparkled. "You're so cute."
"Oh, and you think you're not?"
Jaina chuckled. "I'm too gritty to be cute."
Zekk grinned. "Jaina, I have seen you completely disheveled, crying, all bruised and bloody - in short looking like you've just been trampled by a rabid bantha - and to me, you're still adorable."
Jaina smiled. "Okay, that earns you this." She gave him another kiss, softly and sweetly, then pulled back. She stroked his cheek, gazing into his eyes. "Oh, you are just too cute. It must be part of the reason I love you so much."
He grinned again. "That's good to know."
"Is the reason you love me because I'm so adorable?" Jaina teased.
His hand reached up to tuck a lock of her straight brown hair behind her ear, then his finger traced gently over her lips. "If you want the reason I love you," he said softly, "it could take from now till the end of time for me to tell you. I love everything about you, Jaina - everything you are, and everything you ever will be. I know that sounds like one of those sappy, mushy holovids - but it's the truth." A tear fell from her eye at the sheer sincerity in his voice and his words, and Zekk gently wiped it away. "I love you for just being you."
Jaina sighed, lowering herself down on top of his chest and tucking her head under his chin. "Not only are you just too cute, you're also incredibly sweet."
Zekk held her close, and Jaina reveled in the fact that for as long as they lived, she would always have the comfort and peace of lying in his arms while his love for her radiated off him like a wave.
*This feeling,* Jaina thought, *has to be the definition of true love. No one else could ever make me feel like this. I guess that means I can never love anyone else. But I'd never want to, not after Zekk. He's perfect.*
Just as she was thinking that, Zekk was thinking something very similar. *Oh, I love her so much. The way she feels in my arms . . . it's incredible. Like she was made to be in my arms, and I was made just to hold her. I never want to let go of her . . . and I never will.*
"I don't ever want you to," Jaina whispered.
"Sweetheart, that's something you never have to worry about," Zekk whispered back. "After you, I could never even think of loving someone else. You're all I've ever wanted, and ever will want."
Jaina said nothing, but the feeling of love and agreement coming from her was all Zekk needed to know.
*If walls could talk - oh
They would say "I want you more"
They would say "hey - never felt like this before"
And that you would always be
The one for me*
After some time of lying in each other's arms, Zekk realized that Jaina was shivering, despite the blanket and the fire.
"Are you cold?" he asked her.
Jaina smiled at the concern she heard in his voice. He was so protective of her - worrying over even slight things such as her shivering. "Actually, yeah," she admitted.
"Here." Zekk slid her gently off of him, and kissed her forehead when she whimpered softly at being moved from his arms. "I'll be right back." He sat up and called their robes to him with the Force. Jaina sat up as well, and he wrapped the robe around her small frame. He slipped his own on, then drew her into his arms and rubbed her back. "Better?" he asked softly.
Jaina nodded. "Thanks." Then she looked around the room and raised her eyebrows. "You know what this apartment needs, Zekk?"
"What?" he asked her, looking around himself.
"We need a holo of our wedding."
Zekk nodded. "We did manage to have a beautiful wedding, considering the circumstances. But you know we really shouldn't have holos of it around, not until we've told everyone. I mean, no one even has any clue that I'm living here."
"I completely forgot," Jaina said, disappointment showing in her eyes. "I can't believe I forgot."
"Well, someday we'll have all the holos you could want," Zekk reassured her.
She hugged him. "Yeah. Hopefully soon." Then she hid her face in his shoulder, almost afraid to look at him. "You know what else I'd like to have someday?"
"What, love?" Zekk asked her, wondering what had made her so serious and nervous all of a sudden.
"I'd like to have a family." Her voice was small, and Zekk sensed she was almost afraid of how he would react.
Zekk pulled back with a stunned laugh, holding her by the shoulders. "Jaina, how could you think I'd be upset because you want a family?" A smile lit his face and eyes, and Jaina could sense his joy at the idea - joy that was mirrored in her own heart. She yearned to have a family of her own - a family with Zekk.
She squeezed him tightly. "I want to have children with you," she said. "Despite the fact that the thought of being a mother terrifies me."
Zekk hugged her. "Why? You'd be an incredible mother."
She snorted. "Yeah. Right. Five minutes into babysitting Ben and I'm ready to bow down before Mara for her bravery."
Zekk laughed again. "Jaina, believe me, you would be a wonderful mother, whether you think so or not." Then his smile faded and his expression turned sober. "And anyway, I don't think we should have a baby any time soon, not with everything that's going on."
Jaina bit her lip. "You're right. Now is not the best time to bring a child into the galaxy. I mean, think of what my mom must have gone through - " Her voice cut off as a soft sob escaped her lips. Tears glistening in his own eyes as her pain washed over him, Zekk cradled her close and rocked her slowly back and forth as though she was a little girl.
Jaina clutched him tightly for several minutes, until she finally relaxed, her body going from stiff and shaking to melting against his. "I'm okay now, Zekk."
"Are you sure?" His voice was a soft murmur into her hair that told Jaina how much he cared about her.
She smiled despite herself. "Yes. I'm fine. I just don't think I'm ever going to really recover from everything that's happened."
Zekk pulled back with a sigh, gazing into her brandy eyes. "The galaxy will never be the same," he said, "and neither will any of us. It's hit us all hard, but you've been hit worse than most. I just don't see why the galaxy has to single you out to suffer. You never deserved anything like this to happen to you - you're too sweet, too good, too beautiful, too . . . perfect. I wish I could put it all on myself instead . . ."
His voice trailed off, sounding choked, and it suddenly hit Jaina how much it hurt Zekk when something happened to her. Moved nearly to tears, Jaina smiled at him. "But I always know where to go for comfort when something bad does happen." With that, she snuggled back into his strong arms, resting her head on his shoulder. After only a heartbeat's pause, his arms were around her, and he leaned his head gently against hers. Jaina sighed happily, pressing herself even closer to him.
After several moments of simply cuddling, Jaina glanced up at the chronometer on the wall. "Hey, it's about dusk. Wanna go watch the sunset?"
"Sure." Zekk let go of her and stood up, helping her to her feet as well. Jaina tightened her robe around her and then slipped her small hand into Zekk's. The two of them walked out onto their balcony. Jaina went immediately to the railing and leaned over it, gazing out at the sunset. Zekk came up behind her with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't lean over so far you fall off, hon."
She twisted her head to smile up at him. "I think you're being just a little too overprotective," she said with a chuckle.
"Don't be so sure about that. People in your family have a thing about falling from high places."
Jaina snorted. "You have a point."
Zekk kissed the top of her head.
"It's so pretty," Jaina said after a moment. "The sunset." Then a hint of bitter determination crept into her voice. "The Yuuzhan Vong may destroy our planets, slaughter our people, warp our brains and kill our hope, but they can't destroy everything good in the galaxy. They can't, and they're not going to."
"They're not going to win, Jaina," Zekk said, and Jaina could hear the much younger Zekk in his voice - the fearless, confident survivor. "We're going to beat them. I don't know how long it will take, but we will."
Despite the fact that all evidence said otherwise, Jaina believed him with all of her heart. "I know we will, Zekk, but please, let's not talk about the Vong."
"Good idea. I don't want to ruin this moment either," Zekk agreed. Jaina leaned back against his chest, and he rested his chin on top of her hair. The two were silent, simply watching the sunset . . .
Though Zekk watched Jaina more than he did the sky. He still couldn't believe that she was his . . . he'd thought he had lost her forever.
But here she was, safe in his arms.
"How did I ever get so lucky?" Zekk whispered to himself, so softly that Jaina couldn't hear.
Jaina closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. She was never happier than when she was in Zekk's arms. She felt so safe, so protected, so cherished. She felt, that for once, life was perfect.
She twisted herself in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck. Zekk smiled at her, and the two kissed, framed by the light of the setting sun.
In a universe torn apart by war and strife, there were still spots of light.
*If walls had eyes - my
They would see the love inside
They would see - me
In your arms in ecstasy
And with every move they'd know
I love you so*