Title: Irrational Anger

Author: mavjade

Characters: Luke/Mara

Timeline: AU, Ben is a toddler, there was no Yuzhan Vong.

Authors Note: This is for the Monday Mush Mania Interpersonal Conflict challenge over at TF.N.

The challenge:

Write a story in which there is some sort of inter-personal conflict...and then an appropriately mushy resolution! NOTE: Please notice the "interpersonal" part! This is not a detonators-exploding, blasters-shooting conflict, its an argument/fight/conflict. The conflict can be about anything (serious or silly--your choice!) but it must be fixed with a kiss!!

I hope you enjoy! Reviews are love!

-- Mav

Mara walked over to get Ben something to eat from a nearby vendor stand to avoid having a grumpy toddler on her hands. This was a rare day; they hardly ever got do things as a family and she didn't want to ruin it over something as little as hunger. They had come to Corellia so Luke could test a group of children that were suspected to have Force abilites, and while most of the time parents came to Ossus to have their children tested, Luke did sometimes go to them when it would be a financial strain on the family. He had spent several days testing many children, some who were Force sensitive and would be returning with them to Ossus, and many who were not. Mara suspected that many of the parents just wanted a better life for their children and would do anything to get it for them, and being a parent herself she knew how they felt.

Before going back to Ossus, Luke and Mara decided to take a day for themselves, and to take Ben to the Coronet City Zoo.

As Mara walked back over to her husband and son, she saw something that sent her heart racing. Luke was watching some strange animal that Mara couldn't make out from her distance and Ben was trying to climb in with it. He was about three quarters of the way up the fence and still climbing.

"Luke!" Mara yelled as she dropped the food she was carrying and ran toward her family. Hearing her voice Luke turned toward his wife, wondering what had the usually unflappable Mara Jade so upset. Reaching out with the Force he felt no danger or ominous presences; he had no idea what was wrong.

As Mara approached them, she reached up and grabbed the red-headed toddler off of the fence he had very nearly climbed over, then she turned to her husband with a look he had not seen since they first met on the Wild Karrde all those years ago: pure anger.

"Just what do you think you were doing?" Mara hissed. Her heart was still racing. Her face was red and her pupils were completely dilated, turning her otherwise emerald eyes black. In a word--she was furious.

"He was fine..."

"He was climbing into the cage! He could have fallen in and gotten hurt!" Mara barely took a breath in her tirade. She was upset and she was going to make sure Luke knew it. "What were you thinking, Luke?"

"There are safety barriers..." Every time Luke started to say something, Mara interrupted him.

"I don't care, you are his father and should have been watching him."

At hearing his parents argue, little Ben began to cry.

Luke began once more, attempting to be heard above his son's wails, "I had a hold--"

"This conversation is over. You've made Ben cry." Mara started to walk away from Luke, "Come on, we're leaving."

Luke didn't think he was the one that had made Ben cry, after all, Mara was the one yelling, but he knew better than to tell her that. He just quietly followed his wife as she tried to console their son on the way out of the Zoo. He figured this argument was going to be all over the holonet in the next few hours and he was racking his brain trying to think of a way to keep it from happening. All he needed now was for Mara to see it replayed on the 'net and find some way to blame him.

His wife was usually very rational and would know something like that would not be Luke's fault, just a byproduct of their fame, but when it came to matters of Ben, Mara's irrational side tended to come out and rear its ugly head.

Later on that evening Mara was still upset and barely speaking to Luke. She would answer important questions with a nod or a clipped yes or no. She was still very much angry with Luke and he knew he had to do something or she would continue to stew in her anger.

She had just put Ben to bed and was now standing looking out at the night life of Coronet City. Luke placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. Her posture was guarded and stiff, but her eyes lacked the anger from earlier in the day.

"Luke," she spoke softly.

He placed a finger over her lips. "No, let me speak." He was speaking very softly, as he usually did. "I know you were caught off gaurd and it scared you, but I had the situation under control. I had a hold of him with the Force, and even if I didn't, the Zoo has safety measures to keep anyone out. He was perfectly safe, I would never put him in danger."

Mara sighed. She knew he was right, but she still felt that it was something he shouldn't have done. "I know, Luke, and I'll admit I over-reacted."

Luke raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often that Mara admitted she was wrong, but he let her continue to speak as she had let him moments before.

"What do you think it looked like to other people? You have to remember we are in the public light and everything we do gets seen and examined. Even though I know you would never do anything to let him get hurt, others might not see it that way. They would just see it as being neglectful."

The sad, almost hurt look on her face made Luke realize just how much this worried her. Being the former Emperor's Hand, many still thought her undeserving of the life she had and they scrutinized everything she did. While she did not care what they thought of her as a woman or as a Jedi, she did very much care what people thought of her as a mother.

He pulled her into a warm embrace and spoke softly into her ear. "I'm so sorry, Mara. I wasn't thinking of that, and like normal you have to talk some sense into me." He pulled back slightly so that he could see her eyes, but his arms stayed wrapped around her, "Can you forgive me?"

Mara closed the gap and placed a kiss on his lips. "Of course," she said, followed by another kiss. "I forgive you." This time her kiss lingered a little longer. "Just don't do it again."

She started to walk away from a stunned Luke, when she turned back to him with a coy smile. "Time for bed?"

Luke simply smiled and followed his wife.