Author's Note: This is a favorite of mine for some odd reason. I write lots of mush sure, but it's always mixed with angst and so on, so this was a really happy story coming from me. Hehe. There was a challenge on a board for Valentine's Day where there had to be feelings told through a series of letters from one person to another, so I kind of stretched the rules and this is what I came up with. It ended up getting the most votes for favorite story in the challenge and I'm proud of it. Enough of my rambles though! XD Written: 02/18/2004.

Into Your Arms

Meet me in the Gardens...

The war with the Yuuzhan Vong had ended mere weeks before and the Galactic Alliance was holding a formal celebration on her home planet of Hapes. Dignitaries and pilots, Jedi and Officers, there were many people present. The guest quarters of the Palace held high-ranking officials and Jedi Masters and the like. The Skywalkers had one of the more lush rooms, while Han and Leia Organa Solo were staying in one of the practical suites, mooching off of the Skywalkers whenever they felt the need.

Jaina Solo was staying with Tahiri Veila and Alema Rar, while Jacen Solo roomed with Zekk and Lowbacca. There were many nights when the Queen Mother would walk silently through the hallways of the guest quarters and she would hear laughing and talking. She would smile inwardly to herself, happy that the universe was getting back to normal.

But now in the middle of the night, the Queen Mother of Hapes drew in a short breath. She had found a hand scrawled note outside of her door, the penmanship familiar... but one she hadn't seen in a long time.

Your highness,

I would be honored if you would join me in the Gardens tonight. I have my reasons.

Signed, me

It was a questionable letter. But Tenel Ka had a good feeling about it. She had made her way out to the gardens, in a trance-like state, barefoot and in her nightgown. Her mind wandered aimlessly as her feet carried her through the pathways of the Palace Gardens.

Why am I acting so heedless?

Tenel Ka shook her head and became alert, poking around hedge walls and down paths until she came to an empty grove. It was one of the small corners of the garden, vines snaking up branches, shrouding the small area in a dim light. The moonlight passed through spaces between them, and landed on a small, handheld holopad. Wondering how the small device got outside, Tenel Ka padded over to it, picked it up, narrowing her eyes as she studied it. Another hand scrawled note sat on the ground beside the spot she found it.

Dear Tenel Ka...

With a slightly frustrated sigh, Tenel Ka kneeled on the ground and set the holopad down. Pressing the small red button, it was brought to life.

A clear holo of a man, from the broad shoulders up appeared, floating over the flat screen. She had passed this man earlier that day in the halls of the Palace and had nodded a hello to him.

"Hey there Tenel Ka." The holo spoke quietly. "You're probably wondering why I brought you out here... I'm not going to answer that. I'm just going to let you witness it for yourself."

Tilting his head to the side, Jacen's eyes wandered, as he looked away from the camera nervously.

"I've been gathering these holos over the years... and I think it's the right time to put them all together and show you just what's been going on in my head."

The image fizzled into another holo, the same man, almost a decade younger, squirming in the seat he sat in to record the message.

"Hi Tenel Ka! I decided to start these recordings today. I'll show 'em to you one day. We'll be able to look back on them and realize how stupid we were when we were younger... well, alright. How stupid I was!" The kid giggled, his brown eyes visibly sparkling in the dull holo. "Zekk laughed at me and said it's like I was keeping a diary... but we all know how he is, so negative all the time. Anyways, I just wanted this to be the first recording so---"

The young boy's eyes widened as they caught something unseen to the holorecorder.

"No! How'd you get out of there?! Jaina just made that cage!" With a look of panic on his face, young Jacen jumped up and his arm could be seen reaching towards the recorder.

The holo went dark and then seconds later an image reappeared. It was Jacen Solo again, roughly the same age as the recording before, tears streaming down his cheeks as he hunched forward.

"I'm so sorry, Tenel Ka. It was all my fault. You're gonna blame it on your lightsaber, on your construction or something but no. No. No excuses. It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention, I was too busy trying to impress you and... and... and... it's my fault."

His eyes opened and he stared straight ahead, his brandy-browns bloodshot and tired.

The image flickered and he appeared again, what seemed to be minutes after he recorded the previous message. His eyes were still red, but not as bad.

"And why didn't you tell me you were a princess? Your highness!"

The holo vanished.

A slightly older Jacen Solo flickered in. Older by just a year, maybe.

"We just got back from Ryloth. This is the first chance I've had alone, away from my sister, away from you." A pause. "Hey Tenel Ka... I miss ya already." He laughed as the image faded.

Pulsing back in, a steady holo of Jacen, his hands locked behind his head as he relaxed in the chair he was seated in. "I just wanted to tell you that hug I got... I told you it was almost worth falling for. I thought about it." A smile. "It was worth it. It really was." Laughing, he reached forward.

An older Jacen appeared next. "It's been awhile. There's a war going on. One of the first things I thought of when this invasion began was you. I know you can take care of yourself... but I still worry. If something happens to me, I hope you find these holos. I just want you to know how I feel, how I've always felt..."

He was visibly shaken.

"I... Tenel Ka... I..." Shaking his head, he reached up and the image disappeared.

A beard was what made the next holorecording of him drastically different from the previous ones. It was recorded after his return from Yuuzhan'tar.

"I've done a lot of thinking. What happened on Myrkr... I miss you. I really do. I hear you're the Queen Mother now. Hey, that's great. I mean, I'm sure you're not too excited," the Solo grin. "But I'm sure you're doing an excellent job. I hope I get to see you soon. I have a lot to talk to you about."

The Jacen she had seen first loomed over the holopad again, a small smile crossing his face. "Those were only the least embarrassing ones. There were so many more of me just... gushing." He chuckled. "I'll show them to you one day. Maybe." Drawing in a deep breath he glared straight ahead, the holo appeared to lock eyes with Tenel Ka, as the air escaped him.

"I guess this whole thing was because I just wanted to let you know... I just wanted to tell you---"

The holo cut off.

Jolting upwards to a standing position Tenel Ka clasped her hand over her mouth. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. It wasn't an alien feeling, like it would have been a decade before, but she had found herself crying a bit more at this point in her life. She knew weeping for the past would do nothing, but for some reason she could never stop herself.

Feeling a presence behind her in the Force, Tenel Ka spun around and stared at the man she had just watched grow up.

"Jacen... where is the rest of it? It cut off... It just..."

As he paced towards the Queen Mother, she noticed he was still wearing what he had worn to the banquet that night. His immaculate dress tunic was a deep shade of green, the pants under it the darkest shade of black. Pushing a lock of auburn hair out of his eyes, he turned his head slightly, the dim moonlight spilling over his cheeks. The boots he wore clicked softly on the ground as he came to a halt and wrapped the barefoot Tenel Ka up into his arms, his clenched fists resting at the small of her back.

Her expression was one of muted shock, but it faded as she heard his words.

"There is no rest of it." Tilting his head slightly, he winked, letting the lopsided Solo grin appear. "There's just this." Leaning the slightest bit forward, Jacen let his lips lock with hers in the kiss they'd both been wishing to experience for years. He could feel Tenel Ka melt in his arms, her right hand clutched around a piece of fabric on the front of his dark emerald tunic. Through the Force, Tenel Ka could hear his voice echoing in her head.

I love you.

The breeze blew softly through the branches and vines as Jacen Solo forgot about the piece of flimsiplast crumpled up in his hands. He let his fingers uncurl, bringing his hands up to Tenel Ka's sides and the wind carried the note out of his grasp. It fluttered around their feet and softly settled to the ground. Scrawled on it were four words.

All My Love,

Jacen