Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilms; now at Disney.

AN: Thanks to all of you who sent me PM's, here is the continuation of "Teenage Blues"! XD This is based on the characters and settings of Lilac Moon's "Forever Destined" universe, which I've liberally borrowed with her permission, with a few twists! ;D Note: this will be a romantic and drama inclined story, not an action filled romp. Although there will be one minor villain later on who I think everyone will like, that is not the main focus of the story here. There will be very little action in the story. So if that is the type of tale you're looking for, feel free to move along. For the rest of us, on with the story! :D

Family Wars

Chapter 1

The sights and sounds around the Skywalker family table were ones they were used to, and ones the members of the family had grown to appreciate over the years. The smells of food drifted over the table in an enticing aroma, and the sounds of chatter all around the table livened up the already lively room. It was the nightly family ritual, and complain though they might sometimes, the Skywalkers had grown to appreciate the closeness it brought them, with or against their will. The Skywalkers always ate dinner together as a family, and though one of the kids griped sometimes about wanting to spend time with friends, they always made it their purpose to be there. Times like this were to be appreciated. They knew their parents were right. Times like this would become exceedingly rare as they got older, and they should savor the closeness they had together now, as it was the thing they had that no one could take from them.

They were only waiting on a couple people now, but already the conversations had started, and people had already started to pick at the sides of food that was available for consumption, despite Padmé's attempts to shoo them away, sneaking little bits onto their plates. Padmé brought in two more bowls of food, soups and stews, aided by Jobal and Shmi, leaving the table positively covered with dishes of delicious food. They were joined by Anakin's parents, Shmi and Qui-Gon, the heart and patriarch of the family, along with Jobal and Riley, Padmé's parents, and Marcus Olin, who was invited to eat with the family sometimes, so he could be with his girlfriend Jenna. Count Dooku wasn't here, since he had business on Serenno, but Elana was there to represent his place.

Kimberly looked around the table, surveying the others. Her brothers and sisters seemed to be in good spirits, which made her happy. She was someone who was most satisfied when those around her were at their most content, and to see her family so happy warmed her greatly and brought a great deal of joy to her heart. She was empathetic that way, and it was part of being a healer.

Suddenly, the room went quiet and took on a different atmosphere as the last remaining people they were waiting on suddenly arrived. Luke stumbled into the room in a focused rush, wearing his Jedi robes, and with him came Callista. She was wearing her black and olive Jedi robes, and looked to be in as much of a hurry as Luke, breathing a bit hard and looking slightly sweaty. It was obvious they had rushed over here.

"Sorry we're late. We were dueling at the Temple and we got held up," Luke explained, settling into his seat dutifully and apologizing to Padmé. "We were taking in some extra training with some of the other students. The Masters had us run a few more exercises," he said, a bit embarrassed.

"That's okay," Padmé said sweetly, waving away his apology without a thought. Her gaze turned on the woman who was settling down next to her son, looking a bit contrite herself and ashamed at being late.

Callista settled down into her seat, and she went about fixing herself up a bit. There wasn't much she could do, but she straightened out her uniform and made herself look presentable; quietly well mannered, and prim and proper.

Luke and Callista gave each other a quick kiss.

"Hello, Callista," Padmé said evenly.

"Hello, Senator," Callista said, making herself comfortable. Everyone knew there was a certain tension between the two women, but they were both too polite and well mannered to mention it, and they proceeded to act as if everything was all right between them.

Anakin didn't like it much either, the situation, and neither did Qui-Gon, but they weren't quite as eager to tackle the situation of Luke's dating as Padmé most of the time, and they also knew when to back off from the situation when necessary, unlike Padmé who often pushed it to the breaking point. They were behaving themselves now – Padmé and Callista, but the family knew it wouldn't be too long until the latter started throwing some barbs the former's way. Everyone in the room just hoped it didn't happen too soon, and that it didn't last too long. They knew it was going to happen, though.

Dinner started along, and surprisingly everything was pleasant at first. If there was one thing everybody at the table shared, it was a love of good food, and Padmé, her mother, and her mother-in-law were some of the best cooks around. Everyone chatted while they enjoyed the delicious meal options, discussing the occurrences that had happened during the day. Everyone savored the flavors of the soups, meats, and breads, while Jayden took seconds, and thirds, along with Anakin, prompting everybody to joke about his unending appetite – his status as the hollow stomach of the group was one that was very much realized. Finally, the moment turned from enjoying the meal to serious conversation, and the room quieted down a bit.

"So, Callista, how was work today?" Padmé began, giving Callista a vicious smile. "Have you given any more thought to the Council's suggestion of you taking a Padawan? I know they were wanting you to consider it," she said, reminding them of what they had heard last week. It was a point of contention between them, the others knew, that the Council wanted Callista to take a Padawan and Callista was fiercely resisting it, which Padmé disapproved of adamantly. They knew the reason why, though no one was going to say it.

Callista began shaking her head. "No," she said, becoming contemplative in her voice. "I'm too old to train a Padawan. Maybe 20 years ago I would have been a great teacher, but not now," she said, thinking of what it would cost her if she did decide to teach someone. "Right now I just want to spend time doing what I love." No sir, taking on a Padawan was not something she wanted to do right now. It would be a hassle starting from square one with a student and provide her with plenty of headaches in the process. It would also throw off the routine she had established at home, which she greatly appreciated. It would also let her spend less time with Luke. Padmé knew this, of course, which was why she had suggested it in the first place, though Callista wasn't about to say it. It was obvious. If Luke wanted there to be peace between her and Padmé Amidala, the first thing she needed to learn was to let go of some of the things some of the time.

Shrug. "You never know. If you don't try new experiences in your life, you are never going to learn if you like them or not," she suggested eloquently, offering what would have normally sounded to everyone in the room like a very valid point, one born of wisdom and expertise. Inwardly, Padmé groaned. Damn it, she wasn't biting, and this was the key to getting that witch away from her baby boy, permanently possibly, which she desperately needed. And the damn woman wasn't biting on it. Despite her personal problems with Callista, Padmé knew she would be a good teacher; she had gotten to where she was by doing nothing that once ruffled the Council or put innocents at risk, which was a rare accomplishment for a Jedi – but the damn woman was staying here instead, just to further make her life miserable.

The blonde smirked knowingly. "Well, you would know Senator, since you've been doing the same thing for the past twenty years," Callista said a bit nastily, unleashing just a bit of the sharpness she normally kept locked away inside. Normally, she would have kept quiet, but Padmé had simply left herself much too open for that. There was no way she would have ever been able to resist taking that shot even if she was normally timid, and everyone in the room knew it.

Anakin looked stricken from his place at the table – it was known he defended Padmé always, and he looked to see Jayden glaring sullenly around him. The youngest Skywalker son stared down at the table, and he sent a loud thought to his father filled with annoyance, as it was easy to see the disdain on his face.

And so it begins. The older Skywalker shuddered at what was about to go down.

Padmé took it in stride. "Fair enough," she said, not letting the insult bother her. "However, I still think you should do it. Teaching someone can be a very rewarding experience. I mentored dozens of students at the universities, and several aides at the Senate, and it is always a very rewarding experience, and there is nothing more rewarding than watching someone grow," she said, with some actual conviction. She had to keep trying. She looked on those days fondly, and perhaps if Callista took the Council up on their offer, she would leave her son alone.

The denial was still there. "No," Callista vigorously shook her head. "There is a reason most Jedi train their apprentices during their twenties. Once they take on that apprentice as their student, they have to be very careful with what they do. They can no longer enjoy being a Jedi Knight, and just being alone for a while. They can no longer take risks like they used to. It's not until after the Padawan celebrates their knighting that they can finally get that back. I don't want to dedicate the next 18 years of my life to training someone else. By the time they graduate, I'll be too old to enjoy it," Callista said, starting to sound just the tiniest bit upset. She smiled. "Right now, I just want to enjoy being at the Temple, doing what I love," Callista smiled, trying to diffuse the tension. She hoped that was enough for tonight. Padmé knew this was a sore subject with her, and she didn't appreciate the senator drudging it up in her face every chance she got, in total disregard for her feelings. She was only human, damn it, and though she tried to disregard it herself and not let it affect her…it hurt. She had better things to do with her time than discuss this nonsense, especially when Padmé's motivation was crystal clear.

"Doing what you love…" Padmé repeated, as if it was the worst thing in the world. "Like being with Luke," she wanted to ask, but she knew not to push her luck now; really knew that even Anakin wouldn't save her if she decided to strike back so viciously, and so direct. There was such a thing as tact and decorum, even if she didn't particularly like her houseguest. "I see," she finally said, making a conscious decision to leave it at that. She turned her attention on another member of the family, one she could in fact question with a bit more forcefulness.

"So Luke," she started, rounding on her son, "what are you planning on doing after you're knighted? You've never told us what you're going to do immediately afterwards. Are you planning on working alone, or with a partner?" she asked. This was a much safer topic, and one that would allow her to get at Callista in a roundabout way, if her son chose to bite on it. She hoped he did. She knew Qui-Gon and Jobal wouldn't approve of it, but they weren't the ones in this mess. She needed to be clear about Callista with him.

A shrug. Luke looked thoughtful, pensive. "I think I'd like to do a little exploration. There are a lot of places in the Republic that could use some help from a Jedi, and I'd like to see what's out there." He thought contemplatively about the other part. "To answer your question…I think I'd like to work with a partner. I want to have the friendship that Dad and Obi-Wan had when they were working together; I want to see what that's like," he said.

Padmé was focused. She wasn't fazed. "With Callista?" Padmé asked, cutting straight to the point. Luke knew exactly what she was asking, and she hoped he didn't shy away from answering. Her son was too smart not to know what she was demanding. She knew what he was planning: he was going to go on romantic excursions with Callista all across the galaxy, frolicking with each other, sleeping with each other, and generally flaunting their relationship in front of her at every turn, all the while supposedly carving out a name for themselves as the newest Jedi team on the hot seat. It sickened her to think of her baby boy debasing himself in this way, with this chutta.

Luke looked closely at his mother across the table. The question was one that was obviously waiting for a response. He decided to give it to her. "I think…I'd like to work with Callista," he said carefully. He knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to figure out if he was going to go off with Callista after his knighting, and become even closer to her romantically instead of following another Jedi. He knew it was a sore point for her, but too bad. She would have to deal with it, no matter what.

Padmé stared at him with cold focus. "…I see," she said, in a clipped tone. The tension had settled at the table, and was now overtaking the atmosphere. There was something looming in the air. It was like something major was going to happen, and the only question was when. Those seating at the table shifted uncomfortably, even as they continued eating. The feeling of the weight of the atmosphere in the room was oppressive, and it was almost bearing down on the dining room with physical force.

They continued eating in a settled mood. Nobody said anything for a while, unwilling to break the fragile stalemate that had formed.

Finally, Padmé asked the question she'd been wanting to ask. "Are you going to have kids?" she asked, keeping her tone conversational. It wouldn't do to sound like she was pressing them. It was something she'd been wanting to ask for a while. She needed to know exactly what kind of future her son thought he was planning with this woman, and what the consequences of it would be.

Luke was a little taken aback by the question. He looked to Callista, who stepped in to help him without a second thought. She faced Padmé head on. "I'm a little too old to be having kids safely, at my age," she said, smiling a little self-consciously under the issue. For her to make the acknowledgement of the age difference between her and Luke cost her a bit emotionally, knowing it would give Padmé grounds to doubt their love. "Luke doesn't want to place me in danger, and I don't particularly want to place myself in any danger either," she said, shrugging off the issue. She looked at Luke, and she placed her hand over his, as they shared a look of mutual understanding. They stared at Padmé with a unified front. "If we ever do have kids, we're planning to adopt," she said, smiling with a genuine smile at the others in the room. It warmed her heart a bit to think of the future she was building with Luke. Though they weren't ready to be parents, yet, she could easily imagine it someday, and giving some nice worthy little boy or girl a home, with them.

Padmé frowned at the other woman. "That sounds rather selfish, don't you think?" The disapproval was practically rolling off her in waves.

The train of thought stopped short. "Excuse me?" Callista exclaimed, staring at the other woman in shock. Had she heard that right? What the hell was Padmé implying? She couldn't be…no, she couldn't. That would be beyond even Padmé, or so she hoped.

Padmé clarified it for her. "Luke is a young man, and you're taking away his chance to be a parent the natural way. I always wanted to see myself with my grandchildren, whom he had out of love," she said. She missed the way the eyes of everyone widened in disbelief around her. Ironically enough, the only one who did not seem surprised was Jayden, who was firmly in her corner. The others stared at him expectantly, but he showed no reaction in the slightest.

Callista tried her hardest to remain patient with Padmé. "With all due respect, Senator, I think it's more selfish to want a little mini-me running around, because you want blood," she started, fixing a dark look on the senator who had dared to say something so offensive. "Your genes are not that good, Senator. And Luke isn't your possession, or your toy to use however you want. He doesn't have to have children, just because you want it. He has to live his life the way he wants to. And adopting a child to live in your home is one of the noblest things you can do, and you have no right to put it down. If you want grandchildren that badly, then have them yourself," she snapped at Padmé. She couldn't help it. The thought of what Padmé said was so upsetting, so revolting, it unsettled the nerves all over her body. Jayden was right there! His girlfriend certainly wouldn't enjoy hearing what was being said out of his mother's mouth right now.

The table settled into an uncomfortable silence. The others sitting around the room were stunned by the argument, and there was no way to speak up without shattering the fragile truce and causing a huge argument. They settled back into eating gradually, letting it go for the moment. Padmé bowed her head and muttered a low "fine", refusing to look Callista in the eye. This was between the two women, and the other family members were not going to interfere. Her cheeks burned from being dressed down so thoroughly, and so humiliatingly in front of her family, but there was nothing she could do about it. The silence once again overpowered the table, and nobody dared to break it for fear of the worst possible consequences.

The other woman sat back in her chair. Callista smirked for a moment at her triumph. It was only temporary though, as she realized the look Padmé was giving her. The Senator stared coldly at her through half-closed eyes, giving her a look colder than Hoth. The tension of the moment was oppressive, bearing down on Callista with the weight of a thousand twin suns, it felt like. Padmé stared at her coldly throughout the entire moment, simmering with barely disguised hatred. Callista held her ground in the battle, not backing down in the slightest. It only lasted a moment, though. Callista shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the other woman's obvious hatred of her. The weight of the pressure was just too much: she had to get out of here. It was like a great pressure was bearing down on her, preventing her from being able to breathe. Oppressive, all-consuming; she had to get out of here.

Callista rose up out of her chair. "Excuse me," she said, getting away from the room. The others were all staring at her, and had their eyes focused solely on her. She turned her back regally on those assembled in the dining room without saying a word as dignified as she could, ignoring the pointed stares and curious looks she knew were there. She left the dining room and proceeded out into the apartment, dismissing them without a thought in the world.

Luke stared at his mother with disappointed eyes. "You know, you could have at least tried a little harder," he said, and the disapproval was evident in his tone. He got up and began to go after the love of his life, regardless of what anyone thought. Padmé didn't look at him. She knew he was exactly right in what he was saying, and she couldn't justify herself disagreeing with him at this point. He had every right to be mad.

He disappeared from the room.

The room was left scattered in their thoughts and confused. None of his brothers and sisters said anything, and Anakin was least of all willing to break the silence. What could they say? They understood Luke's position, and yet it was obvious that Padmé had her own agenda with regards to Callista; they were hesitant to go against her, to be honest.

Perhaps Jenna said it best. She smiled lamely. "Well, that went well," she said.

The others stared at her.

The nighttime sky flowed over Coruscant like a midnight veil, shining with the muted light of a thousand distant stars. It was windy tonight, making it cool for anyone lingering out in the open. The lights of the city shone through its various buildings, creating a sight that was rather beautiful despite the concrete nature of Coruscant's artificial landscape.

Callista stood on the balcony, surveying the city. She had come out here onto the balcony, after leaving the inside of the dining room in that argument. In contrast to the open defiance she had shown inside, she now displayed a timid and withdrawn demeanor. She clutched her arms close to herself, feeling the chill pass through her bones as she stood there on the balcony in sullen desolation. She was shivering strongly, overwhelmed by the thought of what had happened in there.

She had taken off the top layer of her tunic, leaving only her undertunic as the garment covering her body. Other people might have been cold and thought she was crazy, but she needed to feel the crisp feeling of the wind on her skin, to distract her from the turbulent situation that was her life right now. Maybe if the feel of the wind hard against her skin was painful enough, she would forget the pain of what had happened in there. She hoped so.

Luke stepped out onto the veranda, in search of his girlfriend apparently. He was wearing a serene, peaceful expression as he saw his girlfriend standing on the balcony and approached her, apparently not troubled by what happened in there. Callista always envied his ability to be so serene, and bounce back quickly after everything. He drew close to her. He was concerned to see Callista in such a distressed state, her eyes rimmed with red and her hair disheveled from the wind that she seemed to be paying not the slightest attention to. She was shaking, and Luke knew it wasn't from the cold.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked concerned. She was looking torn apart, and Luke knew this wasn't the fierce woman who had defended their love inside. This was a woman on the verge of breaking down, and she badly needed comfort. He was shocked at how affected she was by what his family had said, but that only made him angry at how his mother had treated this kind exceptional woman.

She hugged herself. "They are never going to accept me," Callista declared, her voice starting to sound a little rough. She frowned deeply, and she was shaking from the reality of their situation. "No matter what I do or who I am, it's never going to be enough. I'm not their perfect little princess that they pictured for you. I'm not young, or the mild little girlfriend that they wanted for you," Callista said. A little sob almost escaped her. She had been strong inside, but it was tougher to maintain the façade outside. "Maybe they're right. I'm never going to fit here," she said miserably. She didn't want to admit it, but Padmé hurt her. The way Padmé spoke to her hurt her, and despite only being a senator this woman had the power to cause her tremendous pain if she wished.

"Hey, hold on now," Luke started, putting a hand on her shoulder. What was getting into her? "It's only been a few months. We have to give it more time," he said, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. He understood her frustrations with this, but they had to give it more time. His mother would come around, he was sure of it. This was not something that they couldn't deal with, even if it took some time.

"I don't want to come between you and your family, Luke," Callista said, softly shaking her head. It was the one thing she absolutely did not want to do. Padmé may have had the impression that she hated them, but she absolutely did not want to come between Luke and his family. She knew how important his family was to Luke, and the last thing she wanted was to damage his relationship with them permanently, by putting herself between them.

"You're not," Luke assured her. He took her by the shoulders lovingly. "If we can't maintain things peacefully over here, then we'll just visit less often. It's not a huge sacrifice. I can still see my family. The duties at the Temple keep me busy anyway, and we can take some time for ourselves." Luke paused. "They have no right whatsoever to interfere in my life. I don't know what kind of person they want me to be with – someone else, like Mara, I guess, and I'm not going to go for that. I won't be with someone who won't even stare at me, and hasn't once tried to approach me about a relationship in the past year." Luke was serious, as he related Mara's treatment of him. He knew full well how far from the perfect mate she was. "You are what is important to me," he said. He cupped Callista's cheek lovingly with his hand.

"Luke, you want to be connected to your family," Callista smiled a little sadly. She understood what he was saying, but that was a sacrifice that she could not allow him to make. "I can't allow you to do that," she said, hoping they would let the issue drop. She really didn't want him pursuing this line of thinking.

"Hey, it's not like I would be isolated from them all the time. I can talk to them on the HoloNet, and I see my siblings all the time at the Temple. It's not like things were centuries ago," Luke smiled wryly, putting some teasing into his voice. Sometimes people forgot how easy it was to communicate. "I would just not visit that often, until my mother realized that she can't run my life like that," he said, reminding her that it wasn't that big of a sacrifice.

Callista colored in her cheeks. "I know that!" she said, feeling a little embarrassment. It wasn't like on some of those primitive planets she had been. Of course Luke could stay in contact with his family. It was just…wouldn't he miss them? Luke loved coming over here, and seeing his family members in person.

"Just leave everything to me," Luke said softly. He cupped the sides of her hair, and he lovingly planted a kiss on her forehead.

Callista bathed in the warm outpouring of love she was sensing coming from Luke; rarely had she felt nearly as loved as she did in that moment. He was willing to give up his family to be with her. What had she done to stumble into this incredible man, who loved her more than life itself? He truly loved her. Callista felt a few tears prick at her eyes, as she sniffled a bit. She had told Padmé that she was open to adoption, but now she was having thoughts that were new and unbidden in her mind. In that moment, she wished dearly that she could give him the children that he wanted.

Callista didn't want to be a mother, but for Luke she would do it. She would be the best mother who ever lived in the history of the galaxy, if it would make Luke happy. No child would be loved more, because it would make him happy, and she would give everything to his children.

She lived and breathed by this man, and if something were to happen to him, if anything ever happened to break them apart, she didn't know what she would do. She was almost suffocating at the thought, and she tried to hurriedly put it out of her mind. She focused on putting it out of her mind and trying to put on a happy front for Luke, although it didn't really work. She was just too stirred up, to be calmed down easily.

"I don't deserve you," Callista said sullenly, trying her best not to feel depressed about the whole situation. She felt a bit embarrassed about her earlier insinuations that they should break up, and her upset demeanor now. It was self-pity, but she thought it was rather justified. Padmé just had a way of getting to her, that no one else did. She sniffled a bit, and focused on giving a watery smile for Luke, trying to assure him that she was mostly all right. She was still feeling a bit misty eyed, and she blinked her eyes rapidly to clear away the moisture. That was enough sadness for the night: a few comments, and she was falling apart.

"We deserve each other," Luke said, smiling at her. Callista smiled at him, and she shook her head slightly at his general warmth and happiness: that was Luke, always managing to remain positive no matter what. She couldn't figure out how he did it, and yet it was one of the things she loved most about him. She absolutely loved this man. She loved him mind, body, and soul, and she felt an indescribable warmth inside her just from being around him. She felt loved, treasured, and admired, all at the same time. Never had she felt anything so consuming, in a positive way.

"Oh, Luke," Callista said, blinking back tears again despite herself. Blast it, they just wouldn't go away. She hurriedly tried to get rid of them, before Luke noticed it and commented on them. She didn't want Luke to think she was a crying mess, who couldn't handle a little stress every now and then. But these were happy tears, as opposed to the earlier ones of sadness. She was touched by the show of love from Luke, and the depth of his devotion to her.

"Come on, let's go home. I'll get the speeder; I'll say goodbye to the others, and then we can go back to the apartment, just the two of us," Luke said, smiling in reassurance at her. "We'll spend some time together," he said, a gentle smile playing on his lips. They both knew what he was implying, and he trusted her enough to pick up on it without stating it outright.

Callista smiled in understanding, feeling the anticipation. Oh, she was definitely looking forward to that. That would definitely help take the edge off of tonight, and she smiled a bit in naughty clarity. She shivered in anticipation.

Callista brought her arms close to her. Luke went on ahead to get the speeder, disappearing straight into the apartment. Callista was left in the frigid Coruscant night, pondering what had just occurred. She had everything that she ever wanted now. The question was whether she could keep it. This man loved her, and he was willing to do anything to be with her. She had to focus on that, and ensure she did everything she could to stay with him.

She hoped so. She didn't want to lose this relationship. She had been married before, but this was one that Callista really didn't know what she would do if she lost it. For better or worse, Luke wanted to be with her. Callista had to put her faith in him, and hope that they could figure out their problems together. She had no choice.

Tonight was an eye opening one.