*OK, I've got a bit of an obsession with Kyp/Jaina now*

*So sue me*

*But it's all angsty!*

*Well, kinda*

*Enjoy*

Kyp can hardly believe it. He doesn't want to believe it, as if believing it will make it untrue, as if maybe it won't really have happened. But it did, he knows it, but he also knows… what? It can't happen again? It shouldn't have happened? Really, he doesn't know at all… Did it really happen? Yes… it did. Yesterday…

~

He was on Ossus, helping Kam and Tionne to find somewhere for the new Academy. Finally, after a long day of searching, negotiations and a final decision, they were relaxing in the spaceport cantina. That is, Kyp was; Kam and Tionne had already retired to their room. It was, after all, getting late, and Kyp was about to do the same when he sensed her.

Jaina?

Kyp!

Then he saw her, walking in through the door, instantly meeting his gaze.

Talk, her look said.

Over here, he replied, finding an empty booth nearby.

She's as beautiful as ever, he found himself thinking, even with her creased flight suit. No! No thinking like that! Not anymore.

She slid into the bench opposite him, sat back and closed her eyes. After a few calming breaths, she opened them again and smiled sadly at him. His heart made a funny little jump. She's sad? Must help!

"What's up? What are you doing here?"

She met his eyes again, then looked away. "I don't know. I don't have anywhere else to be… I'm lost."

The funny little jump again. Stop it!

"Nowhere? Come on, surely there's somewhere you can call home."

She frowned. "Here. No, I don't know. I'm not needed in any strikes against the occupied planets. The Vong all surrender when they learn Shimrra's dead, and about Zonama Sekot. The fleet only take the Wraiths with them now, and just as a formality… My family are all on vacation somewhere, but I didn't feel right with them. A jump from fighting to pure vacation antics, Solo-Skywalker style… Not for me… I don't fit in on Zonama Sekot, because I'm not that kind of person… Coruscant's messed up still… Nowhere."

"Where's Jag? Surely you'd be OK wherever he is," he added, a note of derision in his tone.

Ouch. Tension.

After a few seconds pause, Jaina spoke again. "Jag's… not really in the picture just now. We're… having a break from each other, I guess…"

His idea or yours?

There was a longer pause this time, before she answered aloud. "Mine."

"Oh." Stop it Kyp! No ideas!

"'Oh'? Is that it?"

"Well, I… it's a shame… you seemed so… right for each other…" He trailed off rather nervously. Lame!

"Yeah, well… maybe." She glanced back at Kyp for a second, trying to gauge his thoughts, but both his mind and expression were expertly blank.

"'Maybe'?" He grinned as he echoed her tone from before.

She laughed quietly. "Well… I've been thinking. You know, about things. About the war… And if there's anything that really can last. And maybe… something else."

"That's what you want? Something permanent?"

"Yeah. I guess I do…"

"And you don't know if Jag's that something."

Once again, she let her eyes meet his, but this time she didn't turn away.

"So what kind of permanent is it, then?"

You know.

I don't think I do, Jaina…

"Maybe not something," she continued quietly, "maybe someone…"

"Ah." Stop it, stop it, stop it stop it stop it STOP IT.

Kyp used the tense pause that followed to try and gather his thoughts. Jaina was here, in a cantina on Ossus, with him, not Jag or anyone else, and she wanted… someone? Was it tricky Jaina Solo talking? Or was this…

You know it, Kyp! Don't make me say it. Please.

I don't trust myself to say it. I'll get it wrong.

So you know.

Yes.

He looked into her eyes for a few more seconds, searching for some laughter, for some sign that might prove him wrong and save him from the fall he was about to take. Nothing.

"Kyp…" Her voice was a hoarse whisper now.

"Jaina, I can't…"

His heart was all over the place now, one second cold and dismissive, the next, straining to breaking point. Well, Kyp Durron? Decide! You can or you can't. Do or do not. No try!

"How can this be permanent? How can it work?"

"Because I know it… I just do, it can, it can, it will."

"But…" Decide!

"Yes? Or no? One answer means I leave now and we forget this… I'll go back… find Jag… The other means… it'll work. Please, Kyp, decide."

He said nothing, and broke the gaze. They sat in silence for a moment longer until Jaina stood up, her emotions swirled up and flowing into the Force. Kyp watched as she walked away and glanced back at him, an unreadable expression on her face. He watched as she reached the exit and hesitated.

He waited a second as she stood there and, just as she was about to take a step, he gave her his answer.

Yes.

She turned back towards him and paused for a brief moment before walking slowly through the cantina again. After just a few steps she ran, noticing none of the people she knocked aside, ran towards Kyp. He stood up quickly and caught her, pulling her close to him in a tight embrace, her body trembling against his.

"Yes," he repeated in a whisper, "yes."

"You sithspawn," she sobbed, laughter in her voice, "evil, evil sithspawn."

Ssh. Come on then.

In silence they left the cantina, and Kyp led Jaina through the crowds of the spaceport to the private rooms. Outside his own he stopped and, shaking inside, turned towards her and met her gaze.

Sure?

Sure.

Really sure?

Sithspawn, Kyp, sithspawn.

He grinned, reassured, and opened the door.

~

Kyp glances to his side, but the sight of Jaina – Jaina! – sleeping there still doesn't convince him.

It… was real. Jaina…

But is it going to stay real? Is it really the permanent thing that Jaina was looking for? Somehow, Kyp doesn't think so. He and Jaina… He loves her so much… But it's not meant to be this way.

No, he reflects sadly. But no reason to ruin Jaina's dream. She'll work it out herself.

Until then… it can work.