AND A WEDDING RING IN A PEAR TREE
Disclaimer: I don't own the Clone Wars. I do own Sierra and Hero.
This is canon in my "While Others" universe, but you don't have to read those to understand this one. If you're reading this and thinking "That chick is dead", just go with it. Or if you feel so inclined, check out the "While Others" stories! I certainly wouldn't mind… : )
CHAPTER ONE- AND A WEDDING RING IN A PEAR TREE
Lux Bonteri had everything ready.
Ring? Check.
Romantic plan? Check.
Night before the biggest night of his life spent puking into Saw's toilet?
Wait, what?
The author knows what you're all thinking: why is Lux throwing up when he's apparently not sick? Luckily, Saw Gerrera knew what was going on.
"It's not that serious, Bonteri!" Saw scoffed as Lux leaned over the toilet.
"Yes, it is!" Lux wailed. "Everything's going to go wrong, and it's all going to be my fault!"
Just then, Hutch walked around the corner and poked his head into the bathroom. "What's going on here? Is everything alright?"
"I am a failure!" Lux bawled.
Hutch did a double take. "What the heck?"
Saw turned to his roommate. "Hutch, you know that song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas'? Like how it repeats and you say 'partridge in a pear tree' twelve times?"
Hutch nodded. "Okay. Bonteri here has anxiety kind of like that. It only rears its head when he and Ahsoka are about to do something really important."
Hutch blinked. "I don't get it."
Saw sighed. "On their first date, he threw up the night before. The next time it happened was the King's Ball. Bonteri's hands shook so bad they were useless and he threw up the night before. Last time, it was the party for the anniversary of the rebellion. He cried for hours, his hands shook, and-."
"Wait," Hutch said, finally catching on. "So every time, something new happens and everything that happened before repeats itself?" Saw nodded confirmation. "But what's this one about?"
Saw whistled the first few bars of "Here Comes the Bride."
Hutch gaped at Lux. "You're going to propose?"
As if on cue, Lux puked into the toilet.
"Is it even possible for someone to puke this much?" Saw cried.
Lux gagged for a few more seconds, then sat up. Hutch grabbed his arm. "If you're feeling better, let's take a walk."
"Yes, a walk would be good." Lux conceded, standing up and letting Hutch lead them around the apartment.
"Lux, do you love Ahsoka?" Hutch asked.
"More than anything." Lux said.
"Great. That's great," Hutch said. "Now, tell me everything you love about Ahsoka."
Lux took a deep breath. "Well…she's kind. She's spunky, she's tough, she's selfless, she cares about everybody, and she's so beautiful she teaches the sun to shine!"
Neither Hutch nor Saw were a big romantic, or a great lover of words. But they would much rather have words coming from Lux's mouth than vomit.
"She's honest, she's brave-."
Saw cut him off. "So, since you love her so much, what are you going to do?"
"We're going to get married!" Lux blurted.
Saw crossed his arms. "And how's that going to happen? Is she going to propose? Because when I look at her hand, I don't see no ring!"
Lux turned greener than Yoda, and Hutch had just enough time to jump clear before the Senator emptied whatever was left in his stomach onto the kitchen floor.
"How much puke do you have inside?" Saw roared as Lux ran back to the bathroom.
…
Luckily for everybody involved, Saw and Hutch had the good sense to call Steela and basically beg on hands and knees for her to come over and deal with Lux.
"Steela!" Saw's relief was obvious when she arrived. "Thank goodness you're here."
"Where's Lux?" Steela asked, putting her purse down.
Her answer came in the form of a horrifying sob of "I messed up Carlaac, I messed up the Rebellion, I mess up everything!"
Steela's eyes widened. "Is that him?"
"We've been dealing with this all day," Hutch groaned. "At least he's done tossing his cookies."
Steela, unfazed, headed for the living room where Lux lay sobbing on the couch. "Lux? It's Steela. What's wrong?"
Lux sniffed. "I'm a failure! I always screw things up!"
"Is this about your proposal?" Steela cautiously patted his shoulder. "She loves you so much, Lux. Why don't you tell me what you're going to do?"
Lux sighed and sat up. "We're going to dinner at the restaurant Hero works at." Hero was one of the former rebels. "I have reservations in her section. When she brings the bill, she's going to give the ring box to Ahsoka."
"Aw, that's a cute idea!" Steela exclaimed.
Lux straightened. "Hero told her boss, and they're giving us some champagne for free."
"That's really nice of them." Steela smiled. "Ahsoka's going to be over the moon." Lux curled into a little ball and started bawling. Steela raised an eyebrow. "What did you have for breakfast this morning?"
"Nothing. Or else I'll throw up."
"Get some saltines." Steela ordered, and stepped into the hallway with Saw and Hutch while Lux nibbled on the crackers.
"Okay," Hutch said. "He already cried and threw up. That just leaves shaking hands and the mystery symptom."
Steela checked her watch. "That'll be happening any time now. Ahsoka gets off work at five." It was currently 3:30. "And the reservations are about what time? Six? Considering his current state, we'd better get him ready."
…..
An hour later, the rebels sat in Lux's living room watching the HoloNet while he showered and dressed. The news was interrupted by the very shaky voice of the apartment's owner.
"S-Saw? Can you help me, please?"
Lux stood in the doorway, holding his tie. His cheeks sported several tiny bandages where he nicked himself shaving.
The cause was obvious: Lux's hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"Here," Saw said, and deftly tied his friend's tie.
"Aw, Ahsoka's going to die when she sees you!" Steela crooned in a voice she hoped was soothing and not condescending.
It failed, because Lux's entire body started shaking.
"Okay, let's try another way. How about you pretend that I'm Ahsoka, and you can practice?" Steela suggested.
Lux almost started crying. "I did! I practiced in front of the mirror, I practiced in front of my stuffed animals, and I even practiced in front of Sierra."
"How did that go?" Hutch asked, dreading the response. Everyone knew Lux's younger sister wouldn't pass up an opportunity to tease him a little.
"She laughed at me." Lux cried.
Steela made a mental note to read Sierra the riot act when she saw her next.
"I'm sure she was just joking. You're good with words." She said.
And then her phone rang. Steela checked Caller ID.
Lux turned pale.
"It's her, isn't it?"
Oh, how Steela wished it wasn't. But it was.
"Yes. It's probably nothing major, she's probably asking where I put something." Steela said of her roommate. She stepped into the hallway, and picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Steela, it's me. Can you help me get ready tonight?"
Steela internally swore. "Sure. I'll be right over." She said, and hung up. "Guys, that was her. She wants me to help her get ready."
"How?" Saw asked.
Steela knew that the day Ahsoka Tano cracked open a makeup bag was the day the galaxy exploded, so there was only one reason. "Probably to help her pick out an outfit."
Steela decided to keep a certain conversation with Ahsoka to herself.
See, Hero and Hutch had recently gotten engaged, and the happy bride-to-be was becoming a little obsessed with wedding shows. A few days ago she, Ahsoka, and Steela were watching a wedding show on TV, and Hero had pointed out a wedding dress.
"That would look pretty on you, Ahsoka."
Ahsoka had rolled her eyes. "If Lux ever proposes!"
"He'll get around to it," Steela reassured.
"We've been dating for three years, Steela." Ahsoka said hopelessly. "When is he going to do it?
"Give him some time," Hero said. "I never thought Hutch would propose to me."
(Steela remembered how that happened. Hutch had rolled the two things he loved most (Hero, and University of Onderon bolo-ball) into one. He and Hero had been in the stands at the U of Onderon game, and when the camera was locking onto people to be on the jumbo screen, it picked Hutch and Hero. Little did Hero know, Hutch had paid the jumbo screen people to pick them. While they were waving, Hutch asked. "Hey, baby?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you marry me?"
And that was the gist of how Hutch and Hero got engaged.)
"I've given him time." Ahsoka had lamented. "I'm just waiting for him to give me a ring."
In the present, Steela couldn't help but think You're going to get it now, Ahsoka. And if I know Lux, it's one heck of a ring.
"I'll be right back, Lux," she said, squeezing her friend's hand before departing.
….
Saw and Hutch eventually got Lux to sit down.
"What are you gonna order at dinner?" Hutch asked.
Lux cleared his throat. "Steak, probably. Maybe with potatoes. Maybe with a side salad. And chocolate cake for dessert, because that's Ahsoka's favorite."
Both the other boys knew this was not good. Lux was usually pretty indecisive when it came to food.
"Go for the side salad." Saw advised. Maybe it will reduce his chances of puking. "Lux, I want to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a prince who fell in love with a princess. One day he asked the princess to marry him. She said "uh, no." and the prince said "Okay!" and he went to wild parties until 2AM, and never had to eat disgusting cooking, and drank milk right out of the carton, and left the toilet seat up. And everyone thought he was cool as heck." Saw announced.
Lux nodded, right before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted dead away.
"Guess we found the new symptom." Saw said while Hutch gave him a death glare.
….
Meanwhile, Steela was helping Ahsoka zip up the back of her dress.
"Where did you get this again?"
"There was a merchant in Malagan Market," Ahsoka answered, holding out the skirt. Even to the unaccustomed eyes of a former Jedi and a rebel, it was a good find. Ahsoka's dress was light blue and purple, with a lace collar and three-quarter sleeves. And even better, it had been on sale.
She had just finished negotiating the zipper when her phone buzzed. She discreetly checked it.
It was a text from Saw, reading STALL FOR TIME.
Force bless it…
Steela shoved her phone back into her pocket and aimlessly fluffed Ahsoka's dress for a minute, thinking madly for stalling techniques.
"What shoes are you wearing with this?" she asked, noticing Ahsoka's bare feet.
"My white flats." Ahsoka said, gesturing to the shoes laid out in the corner.
"What if the restaurant's air conditioning gets cold? Do you want to wear a shawl?"
Ahsoka gave her a look. "The dress has three-quarter sleeves. I think I should be fine. And if worse comes to worse, Lux will probably give me his coat."
Steela gave her a quick once-over, and then it came to her.
"You know what would look great with that dress? My necklace!" She cried, racing to her side of the room and opening her jewelry box.
Ahsoka trotted up to her. "Which one?"
"The silver locket with the purple stone."
"But Steela, that was your mom's!"
Steela bit the inside of her cheek. Yes, the necklace in question was a first anniversary gift from her father to her mother. If that wasn't enough in terms of sentimental value, her and Saw's baby pictures were inside and her father had engraved For Kate on the back.
"I don't mind if you borrow it," she said. "It would look great on you. Now, I just have to find it."
Steela knew that she could rifle through her jewelry box until the end of time but she would never find that necklace. Because it was currently around her neck.
She gave herself a mental pat on the back for her genius.
…..
Sierra Bonteri arrived home from school just in time to see Saw kneeling over Lux.
"Lux?"
Hutch stopped her in the doorway, blasting past her with a pitcher of cold water. He wasted no time in pouring it over Lux's head.
As Lux came up sputtering, Saw yelled "Your sister is here. Pull yourself together!"
"What's going on?" Sierra queried.
Hutch walked by, singing to the tune of the wedding march. "Here comes the bride. Here comes the bride."
"You're going to propose to Ahsoka?" Sierra asked.
Lux nodded weakly.
"Well it's about time! Let's see the ring."
Lux fumbled to open the ring box, and held it out in front of his sister. Sierra delicately lifted the diamond from the box and tried it on.
"She's going to cry." She announced.
Lux stands up straight. "Thank you. Anakin said she would."
Saw and Hutch shared a triumphant look. These are the only Lux-like words they've heard all day.
"Where did you get it?" Sierra asked.
"At a jeweler downtown, the same one Dad got Mom's engagement ring from."
"Well, did that proposal go well?" Saw brought up.
Lux looked at him sideways. "Do Sierra and I exist?"
"Exactly. It'll be good luck."
Lux nodded. "Yeah, it will."
Out of nowhere, cheering came from the couch. Hutch was doing a mini break dance in front of the TV.
"Yeah! Go Rupings!" he cheered.
Sierra's face went white. "D-did the University of Onderon actually win a game?"
Lux nodded. "Yeah…"
It couldn't get any luckier than this.
…..
"Oh, there is is!" Steela said when she knew she couldn't use the necklace ruse another second. She deftly unhooked the little chain and transferred the locket to Ahsoka's neck.
"I don't want to just take it from you. You were wearing it!" Ahsoka protested.
"Wear it. You look great." Steela said, making a dismissive motion with her hands.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka spotted the clock.
"Oh, no. I'm supposed to be ready to go at five, and it's 4:45."
"You look great!" Steela said, and sat down on the couch with her datapad.
About fifteen minutes later, Lux arrived at the door to pick up Ahsoka. From what Steela could hear, it sounded pretty uneventful. Just the usual, picking-Ahsoka-up-for-a-date stuff.
But after saw the two of them leave, a car horn jolted her from her work.
She shuffled over to the door and peeped out the peephole.
Saw, Hutch, and Sierra were all sitting in Saw's car, waving.
Steela Gerrera is not a twit. She knows that three of them together bodes trouble. So she ducks into the house, grabs her purse, and jumps into the car after locking the apartment doors.
"What are you doing?" She demands.
"What does it look like? We're gonna go spy on Lux and Ahsoka!" Saw said.
Steela facepalmed.
…
Lux and Ahsoka had just finished their desserts, and he had managed to slip Hero the ring box while Ahsoka was busy looking at something else.
"Lux, are you okay? You're picking at your food." Ahsoka said.
Yes, Lux was picking at his food. He really, really didn't want to throw up.
Hero can arrive any time with the bill. He thought.
Luckily for Lux, Hero had been watching the table out of the corner of her eye. She rushed over to the register, quickly tallied the bill, and cued her coworker to bring the bottle of complimentary champagne.
"All right you guys. I've got your bill here," she said, placing the check in front of Lux.
Lux swallowed hard.
"And for you, Ahsoka, I have something else."
Lux watched as Hero set the little velvet box in front of Ahsoka.
All right Lux. You were brave when you and Sierra were separated from Mom and Dad. You were brave when you escaped from Carlaac. You were brave during the rebellion. You were brave during the Lazarus Project, and Force be damned if you can't hold it together to propose to the love of your life! Lux thought.
Shaking like a leaf, he stepped out of his chair and got down on one knee.
Ahsoka's eyes grew to the size of planets.
"Lux…"
"Ahsoka," Lux said. "I love you so much, it hurts. When I left you after Carlaac, I missed you every day. I don't ever want to live without you."
He took a deep, deep breath.
"Ahsoka Tano. Will you marry me?"
The fact Ahsoka had both hands held over her mouth did nothing to muffle her voice.
"Yes! Oh my Force, yes! I will marry you!"
Lux gasped in relief, stood up, and took the ring out of the box. Very carefully, he slipped the gold band over Ahsoka's finger.
Ahsoka looked down at her hand, and burst into tears before the newly engaged couple shared a kiss.
Hero popped the cap off a champagne bottle and tapped it with a fork.
"A toast to the lovely couple!" she called out.
The entire restaurant raised their glasses, and Lux and Ahsoka took a sip of their complimentary champagne. The person at the next table handed him their phone.
"Plug in your number. I took pictures!" she said.
Ahsoka tapped in her number, and the pictures arrived on her cell phone.
"I thought you were never going to ask." Ahsoka said, hugging her new fiancé.
"Just waiting for the right time." Lux replied.
As he looked over Ahsoka's shoulder, he flashed a thumbs-up to his friends, sitting in Saw's car with binoculars.
(A/N: Please drop a review! This may or may not evolve into a series of oneshots revolving around Lux and Ahsoka's wedding, and feedback is greatly appreciated.
If anyone wants to request a oneshot for this series, I'll look at them, but I can't guarantee I'll do every one.
Until next time,
Lux's Sister)