Disclaimer: Same thing applies. This is not mine (except Lenore Gilbert, SHE'S mine) they all belong to Georgio, King of SWville.
Author's note: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, especially those who helped me on the Gaeriel Captison front. I appreciate it.
This fic is dedicated to Paul, who didn't get me hooked on Star Wars or encourage me to write fics, but who took an obsessed SW freak and turned her into a real fan.
Words/sentences in parentenses thingys are in a different language.
I don't intend to have very many parts to this. This is originally one long fic, but due to the restrictions of my stone-age computer, it's become a series.
Welcome to my Alternate Universe. In this corner of StarWarsVille, there are no mad Empire-leftovers or Bothan Bullies trying to take over the galaxy. The characters actually have some semblance of natural lives. So enjoy.
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Dr Lenore Gilbert was late.
Her first day on the job and she was late.
She'd made sure that she was awake in time to get out the door and catch the public transport train in time, but she'd taken the wrong one. By the time she'd realized her mistake she was at least 20 kilometres away from the stop she needed.
It was frustrating.
"Excuse me!" she shouted above the dull roar of passing trains and hurried government officals. No one answered her.
"Excuse me!"
No response.
Crap! she thought in her native language. She pushed her way towards huge holomap of the train lines and tried to figure out where she was going.
An hour later she finally made her way to the medcenter where she was employed in the obstetrics/gynocology department. She found the doctor's lounge on the eighth floor and put her things in a locker. She pulled out her labcoat and put it on, preparing for a day's work.
"You the new doctor?" said a humanoid male in a white labcoat. Lenore nodded. "You're late." he offered.
"Yes, I know." she said, trying hard to disguise her thick accent. The man pushed through the lounge door and Lenore followed.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Lenore Gilbert." she said. He was walking very fast; Lenore had to almost run to keep up.
"Tell me, Lenore. You ever meet councilor Leia Organa Solo?"
The question caught her off-guard. Her family was very wealthy and Lenore had met several people off relative importance on her homeworld. But never anyone of galactic importance such as Councilor Organa Solo. "Uh... no..."
"Well, you're about to." he said. They'd reached an examination room and the male doctor pushed the door open for her. Inside on the bed sat Leia Organa Solo herself. A man sat next to her in a chair, presumably her husband Han Solo. Lenore stopped just inside the door, realized she was staring, and forced herself to act natural.
"Hello Leia, I'm Dr Rejkavijk, and this is Dr Gilbert..." he said.
"Dr Jee-bert," Lenore interuppted, correcting his bad pronunciation.
Dr Rejkavijk stopped and stared at her. "Are you through?" he asked. Lenore nodded. "Good." He turned to Leia. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she said.
"Good. I'll be leaving now, but Dr Gilbert will be taking over." he said.
"Me?" Lenore asked.
"Yes, you. Try not to screw up, okay?" Dr Rejkavijk said as he left the room.
Lenore watched him leave with her mouth hanging open. She'd just graduated from medical school, and while she was fully qualified to carry on an examination by herself, she'd never actually done so before. Her stomach became lead as she slowly turned to face the patient. Lenore smiled at her, more to reassure herself than the patient.
"I have a bad feeling about this." said Han.
"Me too." said Leia.
Lenore picked up a datapad with the patient's medical status on it. "Um... how far along are you?" she asked.
"Three months." Leia said.
"Have you had an ultrasound?"
"No."
"Do you want one?" Lenore asked.
"Sure." said Leia.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Lenore said, and she left the room.
=============================================
Leia waited until the young doctor left the room, then turned to her husband. "She's obviously new."
Han looked at her. "I'm sure they'd get you another doctor if you asked. I mean, I'm sure she's qualified, but are you sure she's the best?"
"No, give her another chance. She's probably nervous. She'll be better when she gets back. I'd rather have her, anyway, than that idiot that came in here first." she said.
Han laughed. "Yeah, he was a jerk."
"Do you think she'd be good for Luke?"
It took Han a minute to process that last comment. "What do you mean, good for Luke?"
"Well, she's young, apparantly unattached, nice..."
"Honestly, Leia. I'm sure neither Luke nor this chick want to be set up by you. Besides, you don't even know her. She could be a mass murderer, for all you know." Han answered.
"They wouldn't give her a medical license if she was a serial killer, Han."
"How do you know she even has one?! She could've lied!"
Leia gave him a look that said, this conversation's gone too far. At that moment Dr Gilbert came back in with a large machine that looked very, very expensive.
"Hi," said the doctor, smiling.
"Hi," said Leia.
"If you would just lay back for a minute..." said Dr Gilbert. Leia complied.
"So, what's your first name?" Leia asked.
"Lenore." said Dr Gilbert, trying to figure out how to turn the thing on.
"Hm. That's cool. First day?" asked Leia.
"Yes." said a very preoccupied Lenore. She finally figured out the big machine. She steered the viewstick across Leia's belly.
"Where are you from?" asked Leia.
"Amontillado. I just moved here a week ago."
"That's great! Are you doing anything this weekend?" Leia asked casually.
"Uh... no..." Lenore said, taken aback.
"Wonderful, cause they're having this huge sale at this shopping center and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."
"Sure." replied Lenore. Just then the ultrasound picked up a small picture of a baby. Lenore smiled. "There it is."
Leia smiled. Han reached over and squeezed her hand. He seemed to notice something on the picture and squinted at it.
"Uh, is that an extra arm?" he asked Lenore.
Lenore peered at the screen. "That's odd." she said, and moved the viewstick. A second baby came into view.
"Do you realize you're having twins?" Lenore said, smiling.
=====================================
Leia's feet hurt.
They'd been shopping all day. Sale after sale after sale... it was incredible. Leia and Lenore had arrived at the shopping center at 1000 hours that day, and finally, at 1500 hours, they had been to every single store in the mall.
She collapsed into the driver's seat of her landspeeder, and Lenore sat shotgun. "I've never seen so many sales in my life," said Lenore.
"Yeah, it was great!" Leia answered. "Oh, hey, I left this datapad I really need at my brother's apartment, do you mind if we stop and get it while I take you home? He lives right by you." she said.
"Sure."
In all actuality, Luke's apartment was nowhere near Lenore's, but Leia was not about to tell Lenore that. She had been scheming all week on how to get them together, and this was the best she'd come up with. Finally they arrived at Luke's place.
"I'll wait here," Lenore said as Leia climbed out of the speeder.
Leia paused. "Uh, no, why don't you come up? It's awfully hot here in the speeder, and it'll only take a second." she fibbed.
"Okay, fine." Lenore said as she opened the passenger door of the speeder and stepped out. They rode the lift in near silence.
"I think you'll like him," Leia offered.
"Hm." said Lenore.
More silence.
"He's real nice," she said again.
"Mmm." said Lenore.
After what seemed like an eternity, the lift doors opened. Leia led Lenore across the hallway to Luke's door. She knocked.
No answer.
"Luke?" she called.
Nothing.
"I don't think he's home." Lenore said.
Leia sighed. She'd purposely left her datapad here so she had a reason to bring Lenore. She fumbled through her purse for her keycard. Leia swiped it through the lock and the door slid open. They stepped inside.
Her datapad lay on the table where she'd left it. Luke probably hadn't even noticed she'd left it.
"Nice apartment." Lenore commented. Leia didn't answer. She grabbed the datapad and walked towards the door.
She'd have to think of something else.
======================================
On the way back to Lenore's apartment, it came to her.
"Hey, we're having a little dinner party next week. Wanna come?" she asked.
"Uh, sure. Who all is coming?" Lenore asked.
"Oh, just some friends. And Luke." Leia replied.
"Cool. Can I bring a friend?"
A friend? A FRIEND? Of course she couldn't bring a friend, she was supposed to fall in love with Luke! "Of course you can! Bring two friends if you want!" Leia asked. She mentally kicked herself as she pulled the speeder up in front of Lenore's building.
"Thank you. I had a fun time today." Lenore said.
"Sure, anytime. I'll call you later. Bye!" Leia said as she drove off.
I'll just have to try harder, Leia thought.
====================================
As soon as she got in the door of her apartment Lenore made a beeline for the com booth. This Leia chick was nice and all, but it was very obvious that she was trying to set Lenore up with her brother. Why couldn't he get his own girlfriends? He was probably disturbed or something. Lenore couldn't afford to mess around with people who weren't serious, and blind dates were never serious.
She dialed up her brother Adrick. When he answered, she smiled at him. "Hello Adrick!"
"Lenore!" he answered. "How are you?"
"Good, thank you." she said. "I need a favor. Are you doing anything next week?"
"Playing boloball, driving my speeder around picking up girls, but other than that, no not really," Adrick said. "Why?"
"I'm in desperate need of your help." Lenore said. "I made this friend, and she's trying to hook me up with her brother."
"That's wonderful! However I don't understand why you need me. I think you could use a date or two."
Lenore glared at him. "I don't want to go out with her brother. He's probably a serial killer or something."
Adrick laughed. "What's your friend's name? Do I know her?"
"Probably not. She's a patient of mine, Leia Organa Solo."
Adrick's eyes got huge. "You're kidding. Leia Organa Solo, the Councilwoman? The same Leia Organa that was so heavy in their Rebellion?"
"Yes, the same."
"But isn't her brother Luke Skywalker? The guy who blew up the Death Star and killed Darth Vader?" he asked.
"See what I mean? He's a serial killer and I don't want to go with him!"
Adrick stared at her. "Come on, Lenore dear. You've never even met him."
"Well, Leia's giving a dinner party next week and I've been invited. He's going to be at the party and I just know she's going to set us up. Please come with me?" Lenore begged.
Adrick laughed again. "Sure. But I'm not going to pretend to be your boyfriend again."
"Did anybody ask you too?"
He smiled. "See ya later, dear."
"Bye." Lenore said as she broke the connection. She sighed. The last thing she wanted right now was to be hooked up with somebody's brother.
=========================================
"We're having a dinner party next week." Leia said to her husband when she got home.
"Oh we are?" he asked. "Since when?"
"Since fifteen minutes ago. Who do we know who could come?" Leia asked.
"Uh... nobody. Too bad." Han said.
"Not that easy, Han. What about Wedge Antilles? Do ya think he'd like to come?"
"Leia, do we have to have this dinner party?" Han asked, obviously not overjoyed at the idea.
"Yes, we do. I've already invited Lenore. We have to have it now. Mon Mothma would be a nice addition, don't you think? I'll call her. What about Ackbar?"
"You're just having this so you can hook up Luke."
"Bingo!" Leia said as she crossed the front room towards the com booth. She sat down and dialed up her brother.
After a long while he answered. "Yes?"
"Hi Luke. I was just at your apartment but you weren't there. Where were you?" she asked.
"Out." he replied.
"Obviously. I'm having a dinner party next week. Do you wanna come?"
He smiled. "Depends. Who's coming?"
"Well, I haven't invited anybody yet. But I'm going to invite Wedge Antilles, Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, a friend of mine,"- Han snickered behind her. She shot him a glare- "and some of the councilmembers. It'll be real fun. Please say you'll come!"
He sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe I can come for a little while."
"Thanks Luke. See ya then." Leia said, and disconnected.
"A friend of yours. Sure." Han said sarcastically.
"Oh Han, give it a rest, will you?" she said. Han laughed and kissed her.
=======================================
The night of the party Lenore rushed around after work trying to get ready. As she was putting on her earrings, her com beeped. She rushed to get it.
Her brother appeared on screen. "Hey Lenore!" he said.
"Adrick! Where are you?" she asked.
"Lenore my dear, I'm afraid I can't come to your party tonight. I've got a prior engagement with a beautiful person I met in a bar at the spaceport. She's really something." Adrick said.
Lenore groaned. "Thanks alot Adrick! I was counting on you to help me."
"I guess you'll just have to fend for yourself for once. I'll come by before I leave tomorrow to see you. Bye Lenore!" Adrick said as he disconnected.
Damn. Lenore thought.
=======================================
Leia's party fell apart at the last minute.
None of the councilmembers she'd invited had been able to come. This afternoon as she left her office, Mon Mothma caught her and told her that an important meeting had come up, and she and Ackbar would not be able to attend. Five minutes ago Wedge Antilles had called to say Rogue Squadron had been activated and he'd be unable to attend. Han and Chewie had gone out with the Rogues to "work on some techniques." Leia thought it was just an excuse to get away.
So here she was, frantically trying to entertain Lenore Gilbert while waiting for her brother to show up. Thankfully Lenore's friend had also backed out.
"So, Lenore, how are things at the medcenter?" Leia asked for the sake of conversation.
"Oh... they're good... Leia dear, what's burning?" Lenore asked as she smelled the air.
"Burning?" Leia repeated, and then smelled it herself. "Oh crap! My roast!"
They ran into the kitchen and threw open the oven. Sure enough, flames engulfed Leia's roast, the one she was planning to serve for dinner. Leia grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed the fire until it died in a puff of smoke.
They stood watching the burned dinner for a long time. Leia felt like crying. This dinner party had been a bad idea from the get-go.
Beside her, Lenore started to laugh. Leia turned to face her. She was about to tell Lenore off, but when Leia opened her mouth she found herself laughing.
The com beeped. "I'll get it." Leia said, still giggling. She answered with a large smile on her face. It was Luke. "Hey Luke! Where are you?"
"Oh, I'm around." he said.
"Uh-huh. Why aren't you here?"
"Cause I can't come. Busy."
Leia's smile turned into a frown. "Luke! I was counting on you! Can't you get off? Just come for a second, okay?"
"I can't, Leia, okay? You've got other people there. Talk to them." Luke said.
"Well... they kinda backed out. It's just my friend and I."
"Uh-huh. I'm still not coming."
"Why not?"
"Cause you're trying to set me up and I don't want to be set up. I can get my own dates, thank you very much."
"How did you know that?"
"Come now, Leia. When have you ever had a friend you haven't tried to set me up with?" Luke said, grinning.
Leia sighed. "Fine. You don't know what you're missing."
"Yes I do. I'm missing a burned dinner, probably roast, leftover Corellian Whiskey, probably old and bitter, I'm missing you trying to make conversation, and a seriously twisted 'friend' of yours staring at me the whole time. I'll pass."
"Goodbye Luke." Leia said, in an effort to end the conversation.
"Bye."
Leia made her way back to the kitchen. Lenore had made good use of time. The burned roast was in the trash and water was boiling on the stove. Lenore stood at the counter slicing vegetables. "What are you making?" Leia asked.
"Pasta. We'd better have something to eat. Who called?" Lenore said.
Leia took a sliced vegetable and ate it. "My brother. He can't come." she answered.
Lenore smiled. "Neither could mine."
"What do you mean?" asked Leia, genuinely puzzled.
"My brother. I asked you if I could bring a friend, and I was going to bring my brother Adrick, but he decided he'd rather spend his time with someone he met at a bar rather than go to a dinner party with his little sister. Sucks, doesn't it?"
Leia smiled. "Yeah."
"Why couldn't he come?"
"He thinks I'm trying to set you up. Where would he get a crazy idea like that?"
Lenore laughed. "From you. I mean, you obviously are trying to set us up. 'I just need to stop by and get something from my brother's. You'll like him, he's real nice.' Come on, Leia. I'm not stupid, that's a genuine setup."
Leia frowned in embarrassment. "I didn't think it would be that obvious."
"It was, dear, it was." Lenore said as she dished up some pasta and handed the plate to Leia.
======================================
Several hours later, as Leia and Lenore were entrenched in a hot game of Sabacc, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Lenore said. She rose from the table. "Hey! No cheating!"
Leia threw her an innocent look. "Cheating? ME? The very idea!" She hurried to replace the card she'd removed from the deck.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were cheating and you know it." Lenore pressed a button by the door and it slid open. She almost gasped-- almost. The man standing at the door was rather good-looking. He stood just a little taller than her, with sandy-blond hair, and blue eyes so deep you could swim in them. He had a simple air about him, as if he didn't want anybody to notice him, which only served to make him more handsome.
Lenore hesitated. "Um... may I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for--" he began.
"About damn time you showed up." Leia yelled from the table. "Where have you been?"
"I was working!" he said, entering the apartment.
"Sure. We're just playin' some Sabacc. I'm winning, for once." Leia said, smiling.
"Only because you cheat." said Lenore.
Leia gave her another innocent look. "Veally, Lenore der, yu musn't make accusazations ven you know good and vell yu vere doing ze esact same ting." Leia said, mocking Lenore's thick accent.
"Don't mock me."
The man ignored their banter and took a seat at the table next to Leia. "Deal me in," he said.
"Be patient." said Leia. "Lenore, I'd like you to meet my brother Luke; Luke, this is my friend Lenore Gilbert."
"Nice to meet you." Luke said.
Lenore gave a tight smile. "Charmed." Leia laughed. "What?" Lenore asked defensivly.
"Nothing. Sit down and play your cards!"
"Picky picky picky." said Luke mischeivously.
"Shutup Luke. Do you want to play or not?"
"See how she treats me?" Luke asked Lenore. "Here I come all the way down here, when I have work to do, and she treats me like crap. Now is that any way to treat someone doing you a favor, Leia?" he grinned. Lenore decided she loved his grin.
"You're not doing me any favors." Leia said.
"Yes I am! Who was it that called me last week and just BEGGED me to come to this party? 'Oh please, Luke, you have to come! You must!' "
Leia dealt the cards. "That was someone else."
Luke laughed. Lenore smiled. Leia had a very differant relationship with Luke than Lenore had with her brother. It was downright funny.
Just then the door opened, and Leia's husband came in. "Hey," he said.
"Hey Han. Get over here, we need a fourth player." Leia said to her husband.
Han raised his eyebrows. "What are you playing?"
"Two screwing rats." Luke said. They looked at him.
"Huh?" Han said.
"Oh, sorry, Sabacc." said Luke, giving yet another grin.
Lenore laughed. "Where did you get 'Two Screwing Rats?' "
"I dunno, it just came to me."
"Now we know what's on Luke's mind." Leia joked.
They played round after round of Sabacc. Han won, of course, being the resident Sabacc genious. By 2330h that evening, Lenore found herself at least 30 credits poorer.
Han had just dealt another round when Lenore realized the time. "Oh, I have to go!" she exclaimed. She stood up and grabbed her jacket.
"Awww, now we have to deal again." Leia teased.
Lenore smiled at her. "I'd love to stay, but unless you want to work my shift at the medcenter at 0730h tomorrow morning, I should probably go home."
"You just don't want to lose anymore." Han said.
"That, too. Leia, thank you for having me, it was fun." said Lenore.
"Ah, sure. Sorry about the roast." Leia answered.
"I knew you were gonna burn that roast." said Luke.
"Shutup." Leia said, and kicked him under the table. "I'll call you, okay?" she said to Lenore.
"Fine. I won't be home until late. I have to work and my brother's in town. See ya!" Lenore said, as she left.
"Bye." she heard Leia call.
====================================
"Hey, wait up!"
Lenore turned. She was two and a half blocks away from Leia's apartment, on her way to the public transport stop. At first she didn't see who called her.
Then she saw him. Leia's brother Luke, running to meet her. She laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to catch you. You walk fast." he said as he approached her. "Where are you going?"
"Home! It's late, I'm tired, I have to make sure my brother doesn't bring any bar scum home." she said.
He grinned, and Lenore's heart fluttered. "Bar scum?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, he can't pick anybody up at home, because they all ask him for money. Whenever he comes to Coruscant, he finds the seedest underground bars and picks up the most revolting females. It makes me sick."
"Funny. You weren't planning to take the public trains, were you?" he asked.
Lenore looked at him. "Yes..." she said slowly. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing, just they stopped running forty-five minutes ago." he said.
Lenore swore. "Isn't this just typical?!?" She sighed. "How am I going to get home? I live forty blocks away!"
"Well, see, it's this highly complicated process of raising your arm and waving a taxi." Luke said. He demonstrated, and a speeder pulled up. A strange-looking droid sat in the driver's seat. Luke opened the door for her.
"Thanks." Lenore said, climbing in the speeder. Luke climbed in after her. They sat in silence a minute.
The droid turned his creaking torso around to face them. "Where can I take you, kind patrons? Anywhere in the Congressional District, 5 credits a stop."
Lenore continued staring out her window. Luke nudged her with his elbow. "Uh... Lenore, I forgot to mention... the droid isn't psychic."
"What?"
"You have to tell him where you live." Luke reminded her.
"Oh!" Lenore exclaimed, feeling very stupid. She gave the droid her address, and the speeder started moving.
She kept looking out the window for a good five minutes, unable to think of anything to say. Finally Luke broke the silence. "So, what do you do?"
"Beg your pardon?"
He smiled. "Where do you work?"
Lenore blushed. "I'm a doctor at Good Hope Medcenter."
"Cool. What kinda doctor?" asked Luke.
"Um... human obstetrics."
"Oh. That explains how you know Leia."
"Yes, she's my first patient."
Luke laughed. "I bet that makes her feel REAL good."
"Well, what I mean is, I've done it before, but never on my own." she explained. Luke kept laughing. Lenore decided it was time to change the subject before she embarrassed herself further. "Um, what do you do?"
"Nothing really. Sometimes the Council calls me up and says, 'Hey, we've got this problem, will you go fix it for us?' or 'You're so smart, will you come give us your wonderful advice?', but on a day-to-day basis, I don't really do anything." Luke said.
"Then what were you doing that made you so late?" asked Lenore, genuinly puzzled.
"I wasn't doing anything. I just didn't want to go to Leia's party. I knew she was going to burn that roast. She always does."
Lenore smiled. "I wouldn't say it was so much burned as charred to a crisp. I ended up making pasta."
He laughed again. "If the fate of humanity rested on Leia's ability to heat a frozen dinner, we'd all be doomed. She'd still burn it."
The speeder arrived at Lenore's building much too soon. The droid who was driving creaked his rusty torso around to face them. "First stop-- five credits. If you wish me to wait, it will be an extra 15."
Lenore dug through her purse. "I'm sorry, Luke, I don't have any five-cred pieces, I think Han won them all."
"That's alright, I'll get it." he said. "What floor are you on?"
"Ninteen." she said as she climbed out onto the street.
"Cool. I'll see ya later." Luke said, as the speeder left her standing on the lonely, dark street.
"Bye," she called.
=======================================
A month passed.
Lenore found herself extremely busy, with hardly any time to herself. Because the medcenter paid its newest employees a meagar wage, Lenore had taken an extra job at a nearby bar to make a little extra money. Her days were filled with pregnant women and her nights were filled with drunk males of nearly every species known.
One particularly busy day, Lenore happened to be walking through the waiting room at the medcenter on her way to a much-cherished break. The person sitting in a waiting room chair, with his feet on the holozine table and his eyes closed, was none other than Luke Skywalker.
She smiled, then went over to him and sat down. Without opening his eyes, he said, "Hey Lenore."
She started. "How did you know it was me?"
He gave her a grin. "You have a very distinct Force-presence." he said, then almost as an afterthought, "And also, your shoes squeak."
She put her feet on the table next to his, leaned her head back, and sighed very audibly. Luke opened his eyes. "Tired?" he asked.
"Very."
"Well, you shouldn't be going to all those swingin' parties, Lenore. A responsible doctor like you should know that." he said sarcastically.
She grinned. "Yeah, sure. Note to self: find some swingin' parties to cut back on."
Luke laughed. "Are they keeping you busy?"
"Who, the medcenter? Yes, terribly."
"I'm sorry. I'd offer to help, but I don't think your superiors would like that very much." he said.
"No, probably not."
"Speaking of tonight..." Luke began.
Lenore raised her eyebrows. "Were we?"
"No, I just thought I'd say that. What are you doing tonight?"
Lenore sighed again. "Working."
Luke looked at her incredulously. "How long have you been working?"
"Oh, not here. I work at a bar part-time." she said. They sat in silence for a moment. "Hey," Lenore began, "What are you doing here?"
Luke smiled. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"I don't know!"
He laughed. "I'm pregnant, and I've come to have my baby." She kicked him. "I'm just kidding!" he said. "Han's all the way across the planet and Leia didn't want to come alone, so being the nice person I am, I brought her."
"Leia has an appointment today?" she asked. Luke nodded. "With whom?"
"You! She's your next appointment. She's in the bathroom." Luke answered.
"Och!" exclaimed Lenore, slapping the palm of her hand to her forehead. "I forgot! I better go get a room ready." She rose to leave.
"Hey, wait a second." Luke said, taking hold of her wrist and preventing her from leaving. "If you're busy tonight, what are you doing tomorrow night?"
"My laundry," she answered.
He laughed again. "Will your clothes be offended if you go with me?"
"Yes! I won't have anything to wear!" she said.
Luke smiled and shook his head. "Which laundramat?" he asked.
"What?"
"Which laudramat?" he repeated.
"The one on the corner, level 23, by my apartment." she answered.
"Cool. Meet ya there at 1900h."
"Luke! You can't come to the laundramat with me!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's boring, there will be nothing to do!" she said. "You'll be so bored, you'll never want to see me again!"
"Well, we'll see about that." he said.
"I really have to go now, Luke." said Lenore.
He let go of her wrist. "Who's stopping you?" he asked, smiling.
She smiled back and left the waiting room.
=====================================
Lenore was very nervous the next evening.
Rushing home from the medcenter, she found herself worrying. Should she dress up? --should she stay casual? Was it a date?
No, she reasoned. Dates didn't take you to the laundramat.
She arrived at her apartment at 1830h and keyed the lock. The door slid open and she rushed inside, kicking off her shoes and socks. Lenore went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and stared into it, looking for some dinner.
The clean white shelves stared right back. Inside was a carton of milk and some butter.
'Impossible.' she thought. 'I can't be so busy that I don't have time to go grocery-shopping.' Lenore thought back over her week, finding to her dismay that most of her meals had indeed been eaten in the cafeteria at the medcenter.
Yuck.
Lenore dug around her kitchen for a while before she finally found some cereal. She put this in a bowl and poured milk over it, and ate it. When she was finished, she put the bowl in the sink and went to her bedroom.
She crossed the bedroom to her closet and opened the doors. After staring at her wardrobe for five full minutes, she finally selected a pair of black slacks and a yellow shirt with a V-neck and 3/4 sleeves. She quickly put these on.
Lenore went back into the kitchen and retrieved a black trashbag from underneath the sink. She returned to her bedroom and began emptying the laundry hamper into the trashbag. Halfway through this task, a thought struck her. While transporting her laundry to and fro in a black bag was practical, it sure wasn't very classy. Lenore stood in her bedroom thinking about this. She went back to the closet and removed her suitcase. Setting it on the bed, she proceeded to empty the bag into the suitcase.
Another thought came to her. When she opened the suitcase, her dirty laundry would be laying there for everyone in the Administrative District to see. Lenore sat down on the edge of her bed and pondered this for a minute before placing the laundry back into the bag, and then laying the bag inside the suitcase.
She carried the suitcase out and set it by the door, and glanced at the chrono. Eighteen forty-five, it read. Five minutes until she had to leave.
Lenore sat down at her kitchen table and drummed her fingers upon it. She couldn't be too early. There wasn't really anything for her to do here. Her com booth ran slowly, so by the time she accessed the newsgrids it would be time to leave. No point in doing that. Her holoprojector was broken, so she couldn't watch the programmes. She sat there for a few minutes.
Eighteen forty-six.
Her stomach growled. The cereal hadn't filled her up, but she didn't have anything else to eat.
Eighteen forty-seven.
Lenore glanced down, and abruptly realized she hadn't put her shoes on or done her hair. She rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Not bad, but her hair shouldn't just hang there like spaghetti. She grabbed two hairsticks and put it into a bun.
Now for her shoes. She returned to the bedroom and opened up her sock drawer.
One solitary sock stared back at her.
Lenore swore and began searching her bedroom for its mate. Five minutes later she still hadn't found it. She thought back to the socks she'd taken off when she'd arrived, all wet and sweaty, still in the front room. The thought of putting them back on sent chills up her spine.
She left the bedroom, went over to where her shoes lay, and pulled them over her feet, without socks. She grabbed the suitcase, turned out the lights, and left.
Lenore rode the lift down to ground level and ran along the street to the corner building. Her feet slid around inside her shoes, making her skin crawl. She finally arrived at the laundramat. Through the transparasteel storefront, she could see Luke sitting on top of the dryers, eating something. She pushed open the transparasteel doors and entered the laundramat.
"Hey!" Luke called as she crossed the store to him. "I got you a hamburger."
"Oh, thanks," she said. "Have you been here long?"
"Naw, not really." he said as he jumped off the dryer he was sitting on, and went over to her at the washers. Lenore set her suitcase on top of them, pulled out the trashbag, and began emptying the contents into a nearby washing machine. Luke helped her, laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded.
"Do you always carry your laundry around in suitcases?"
"Well, no, not really..." Lenore answered. They finished loading the washing machine. Lenore stuck a credit piece in the slot, set the dial, and the machine roared to life.
Luke jumped up on the next washer and sat cross-legged on it. Lenore did the same. She unwrapped her hamburger and began to eat it.
"What did you do today?" he asked, putting a frenchfry in his mouth.
"Oh... three check-ups and a delivery..." she said between bites. "You?"
"Not much." He pulled a small rectangular box from his pocket. "Wanna play cards?"
**********************************************************************
Okay, I know this ends kinda abruptly, but my computer won't let me write anymore on this file. Piece of crap!!!!
Please, please, please review! Let me know if you liked it, or if you hated it. Please keep flames to yourself. John Lennon said "All you need is Love," and flames don't exactly qualify as love. So be nice.
Part 2 coming up!!!
Copyright 2000 by May Solo.
Author's note: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, especially those who helped me on the Gaeriel Captison front. I appreciate it.
This fic is dedicated to Paul, who didn't get me hooked on Star Wars or encourage me to write fics, but who took an obsessed SW freak and turned her into a real fan.
Words/sentences in parentenses thingys are in a different language.
I don't intend to have very many parts to this. This is originally one long fic, but due to the restrictions of my stone-age computer, it's become a series.
Welcome to my Alternate Universe. In this corner of StarWarsVille, there are no mad Empire-leftovers or Bothan Bullies trying to take over the galaxy. The characters actually have some semblance of natural lives. So enjoy.
*********************************************************************
Dr Lenore Gilbert was late.
Her first day on the job and she was late.
She'd made sure that she was awake in time to get out the door and catch the public transport train in time, but she'd taken the wrong one. By the time she'd realized her mistake she was at least 20 kilometres away from the stop she needed.
It was frustrating.
"Excuse me!" she shouted above the dull roar of passing trains and hurried government officals. No one answered her.
"Excuse me!"
No response.
Crap! she thought in her native language. She pushed her way towards huge holomap of the train lines and tried to figure out where she was going.
An hour later she finally made her way to the medcenter where she was employed in the obstetrics/gynocology department. She found the doctor's lounge on the eighth floor and put her things in a locker. She pulled out her labcoat and put it on, preparing for a day's work.
"You the new doctor?" said a humanoid male in a white labcoat. Lenore nodded. "You're late." he offered.
"Yes, I know." she said, trying hard to disguise her thick accent. The man pushed through the lounge door and Lenore followed.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Lenore Gilbert." she said. He was walking very fast; Lenore had to almost run to keep up.
"Tell me, Lenore. You ever meet councilor Leia Organa Solo?"
The question caught her off-guard. Her family was very wealthy and Lenore had met several people off relative importance on her homeworld. But never anyone of galactic importance such as Councilor Organa Solo. "Uh... no..."
"Well, you're about to." he said. They'd reached an examination room and the male doctor pushed the door open for her. Inside on the bed sat Leia Organa Solo herself. A man sat next to her in a chair, presumably her husband Han Solo. Lenore stopped just inside the door, realized she was staring, and forced herself to act natural.
"Hello Leia, I'm Dr Rejkavijk, and this is Dr Gilbert..." he said.
"Dr Jee-bert," Lenore interuppted, correcting his bad pronunciation.
Dr Rejkavijk stopped and stared at her. "Are you through?" he asked. Lenore nodded. "Good." He turned to Leia. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she said.
"Good. I'll be leaving now, but Dr Gilbert will be taking over." he said.
"Me?" Lenore asked.
"Yes, you. Try not to screw up, okay?" Dr Rejkavijk said as he left the room.
Lenore watched him leave with her mouth hanging open. She'd just graduated from medical school, and while she was fully qualified to carry on an examination by herself, she'd never actually done so before. Her stomach became lead as she slowly turned to face the patient. Lenore smiled at her, more to reassure herself than the patient.
"I have a bad feeling about this." said Han.
"Me too." said Leia.
Lenore picked up a datapad with the patient's medical status on it. "Um... how far along are you?" she asked.
"Three months." Leia said.
"Have you had an ultrasound?"
"No."
"Do you want one?" Lenore asked.
"Sure." said Leia.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Lenore said, and she left the room.
=============================================
Leia waited until the young doctor left the room, then turned to her husband. "She's obviously new."
Han looked at her. "I'm sure they'd get you another doctor if you asked. I mean, I'm sure she's qualified, but are you sure she's the best?"
"No, give her another chance. She's probably nervous. She'll be better when she gets back. I'd rather have her, anyway, than that idiot that came in here first." she said.
Han laughed. "Yeah, he was a jerk."
"Do you think she'd be good for Luke?"
It took Han a minute to process that last comment. "What do you mean, good for Luke?"
"Well, she's young, apparantly unattached, nice..."
"Honestly, Leia. I'm sure neither Luke nor this chick want to be set up by you. Besides, you don't even know her. She could be a mass murderer, for all you know." Han answered.
"They wouldn't give her a medical license if she was a serial killer, Han."
"How do you know she even has one?! She could've lied!"
Leia gave him a look that said, this conversation's gone too far. At that moment Dr Gilbert came back in with a large machine that looked very, very expensive.
"Hi," said the doctor, smiling.
"Hi," said Leia.
"If you would just lay back for a minute..." said Dr Gilbert. Leia complied.
"So, what's your first name?" Leia asked.
"Lenore." said Dr Gilbert, trying to figure out how to turn the thing on.
"Hm. That's cool. First day?" asked Leia.
"Yes." said a very preoccupied Lenore. She finally figured out the big machine. She steered the viewstick across Leia's belly.
"Where are you from?" asked Leia.
"Amontillado. I just moved here a week ago."
"That's great! Are you doing anything this weekend?" Leia asked casually.
"Uh... no..." Lenore said, taken aback.
"Wonderful, cause they're having this huge sale at this shopping center and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."
"Sure." replied Lenore. Just then the ultrasound picked up a small picture of a baby. Lenore smiled. "There it is."
Leia smiled. Han reached over and squeezed her hand. He seemed to notice something on the picture and squinted at it.
"Uh, is that an extra arm?" he asked Lenore.
Lenore peered at the screen. "That's odd." she said, and moved the viewstick. A second baby came into view.
"Do you realize you're having twins?" Lenore said, smiling.
=====================================
Leia's feet hurt.
They'd been shopping all day. Sale after sale after sale... it was incredible. Leia and Lenore had arrived at the shopping center at 1000 hours that day, and finally, at 1500 hours, they had been to every single store in the mall.
She collapsed into the driver's seat of her landspeeder, and Lenore sat shotgun. "I've never seen so many sales in my life," said Lenore.
"Yeah, it was great!" Leia answered. "Oh, hey, I left this datapad I really need at my brother's apartment, do you mind if we stop and get it while I take you home? He lives right by you." she said.
"Sure."
In all actuality, Luke's apartment was nowhere near Lenore's, but Leia was not about to tell Lenore that. She had been scheming all week on how to get them together, and this was the best she'd come up with. Finally they arrived at Luke's place.
"I'll wait here," Lenore said as Leia climbed out of the speeder.
Leia paused. "Uh, no, why don't you come up? It's awfully hot here in the speeder, and it'll only take a second." she fibbed.
"Okay, fine." Lenore said as she opened the passenger door of the speeder and stepped out. They rode the lift in near silence.
"I think you'll like him," Leia offered.
"Hm." said Lenore.
More silence.
"He's real nice," she said again.
"Mmm." said Lenore.
After what seemed like an eternity, the lift doors opened. Leia led Lenore across the hallway to Luke's door. She knocked.
No answer.
"Luke?" she called.
Nothing.
"I don't think he's home." Lenore said.
Leia sighed. She'd purposely left her datapad here so she had a reason to bring Lenore. She fumbled through her purse for her keycard. Leia swiped it through the lock and the door slid open. They stepped inside.
Her datapad lay on the table where she'd left it. Luke probably hadn't even noticed she'd left it.
"Nice apartment." Lenore commented. Leia didn't answer. She grabbed the datapad and walked towards the door.
She'd have to think of something else.
======================================
On the way back to Lenore's apartment, it came to her.
"Hey, we're having a little dinner party next week. Wanna come?" she asked.
"Uh, sure. Who all is coming?" Lenore asked.
"Oh, just some friends. And Luke." Leia replied.
"Cool. Can I bring a friend?"
A friend? A FRIEND? Of course she couldn't bring a friend, she was supposed to fall in love with Luke! "Of course you can! Bring two friends if you want!" Leia asked. She mentally kicked herself as she pulled the speeder up in front of Lenore's building.
"Thank you. I had a fun time today." Lenore said.
"Sure, anytime. I'll call you later. Bye!" Leia said as she drove off.
I'll just have to try harder, Leia thought.
====================================
As soon as she got in the door of her apartment Lenore made a beeline for the com booth. This Leia chick was nice and all, but it was very obvious that she was trying to set Lenore up with her brother. Why couldn't he get his own girlfriends? He was probably disturbed or something. Lenore couldn't afford to mess around with people who weren't serious, and blind dates were never serious.
She dialed up her brother Adrick. When he answered, she smiled at him. "Hello Adrick!"
"Lenore!" he answered. "How are you?"
"Good, thank you." she said. "I need a favor. Are you doing anything next week?"
"Playing boloball, driving my speeder around picking up girls, but other than that, no not really," Adrick said. "Why?"
"I'm in desperate need of your help." Lenore said. "I made this friend, and she's trying to hook me up with her brother."
"That's wonderful! However I don't understand why you need me. I think you could use a date or two."
Lenore glared at him. "I don't want to go out with her brother. He's probably a serial killer or something."
Adrick laughed. "What's your friend's name? Do I know her?"
"Probably not. She's a patient of mine, Leia Organa Solo."
Adrick's eyes got huge. "You're kidding. Leia Organa Solo, the Councilwoman? The same Leia Organa that was so heavy in their Rebellion?"
"Yes, the same."
"But isn't her brother Luke Skywalker? The guy who blew up the Death Star and killed Darth Vader?" he asked.
"See what I mean? He's a serial killer and I don't want to go with him!"
Adrick stared at her. "Come on, Lenore dear. You've never even met him."
"Well, Leia's giving a dinner party next week and I've been invited. He's going to be at the party and I just know she's going to set us up. Please come with me?" Lenore begged.
Adrick laughed again. "Sure. But I'm not going to pretend to be your boyfriend again."
"Did anybody ask you too?"
He smiled. "See ya later, dear."
"Bye." Lenore said as she broke the connection. She sighed. The last thing she wanted right now was to be hooked up with somebody's brother.
=========================================
"We're having a dinner party next week." Leia said to her husband when she got home.
"Oh we are?" he asked. "Since when?"
"Since fifteen minutes ago. Who do we know who could come?" Leia asked.
"Uh... nobody. Too bad." Han said.
"Not that easy, Han. What about Wedge Antilles? Do ya think he'd like to come?"
"Leia, do we have to have this dinner party?" Han asked, obviously not overjoyed at the idea.
"Yes, we do. I've already invited Lenore. We have to have it now. Mon Mothma would be a nice addition, don't you think? I'll call her. What about Ackbar?"
"You're just having this so you can hook up Luke."
"Bingo!" Leia said as she crossed the front room towards the com booth. She sat down and dialed up her brother.
After a long while he answered. "Yes?"
"Hi Luke. I was just at your apartment but you weren't there. Where were you?" she asked.
"Out." he replied.
"Obviously. I'm having a dinner party next week. Do you wanna come?"
He smiled. "Depends. Who's coming?"
"Well, I haven't invited anybody yet. But I'm going to invite Wedge Antilles, Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, a friend of mine,"- Han snickered behind her. She shot him a glare- "and some of the councilmembers. It'll be real fun. Please say you'll come!"
He sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe I can come for a little while."
"Thanks Luke. See ya then." Leia said, and disconnected.
"A friend of yours. Sure." Han said sarcastically.
"Oh Han, give it a rest, will you?" she said. Han laughed and kissed her.
=======================================
The night of the party Lenore rushed around after work trying to get ready. As she was putting on her earrings, her com beeped. She rushed to get it.
Her brother appeared on screen. "Hey Lenore!" he said.
"Adrick! Where are you?" she asked.
"Lenore my dear, I'm afraid I can't come to your party tonight. I've got a prior engagement with a beautiful person I met in a bar at the spaceport. She's really something." Adrick said.
Lenore groaned. "Thanks alot Adrick! I was counting on you to help me."
"I guess you'll just have to fend for yourself for once. I'll come by before I leave tomorrow to see you. Bye Lenore!" Adrick said as he disconnected.
Damn. Lenore thought.
=======================================
Leia's party fell apart at the last minute.
None of the councilmembers she'd invited had been able to come. This afternoon as she left her office, Mon Mothma caught her and told her that an important meeting had come up, and she and Ackbar would not be able to attend. Five minutes ago Wedge Antilles had called to say Rogue Squadron had been activated and he'd be unable to attend. Han and Chewie had gone out with the Rogues to "work on some techniques." Leia thought it was just an excuse to get away.
So here she was, frantically trying to entertain Lenore Gilbert while waiting for her brother to show up. Thankfully Lenore's friend had also backed out.
"So, Lenore, how are things at the medcenter?" Leia asked for the sake of conversation.
"Oh... they're good... Leia dear, what's burning?" Lenore asked as she smelled the air.
"Burning?" Leia repeated, and then smelled it herself. "Oh crap! My roast!"
They ran into the kitchen and threw open the oven. Sure enough, flames engulfed Leia's roast, the one she was planning to serve for dinner. Leia grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed the fire until it died in a puff of smoke.
They stood watching the burned dinner for a long time. Leia felt like crying. This dinner party had been a bad idea from the get-go.
Beside her, Lenore started to laugh. Leia turned to face her. She was about to tell Lenore off, but when Leia opened her mouth she found herself laughing.
The com beeped. "I'll get it." Leia said, still giggling. She answered with a large smile on her face. It was Luke. "Hey Luke! Where are you?"
"Oh, I'm around." he said.
"Uh-huh. Why aren't you here?"
"Cause I can't come. Busy."
Leia's smile turned into a frown. "Luke! I was counting on you! Can't you get off? Just come for a second, okay?"
"I can't, Leia, okay? You've got other people there. Talk to them." Luke said.
"Well... they kinda backed out. It's just my friend and I."
"Uh-huh. I'm still not coming."
"Why not?"
"Cause you're trying to set me up and I don't want to be set up. I can get my own dates, thank you very much."
"How did you know that?"
"Come now, Leia. When have you ever had a friend you haven't tried to set me up with?" Luke said, grinning.
Leia sighed. "Fine. You don't know what you're missing."
"Yes I do. I'm missing a burned dinner, probably roast, leftover Corellian Whiskey, probably old and bitter, I'm missing you trying to make conversation, and a seriously twisted 'friend' of yours staring at me the whole time. I'll pass."
"Goodbye Luke." Leia said, in an effort to end the conversation.
"Bye."
Leia made her way back to the kitchen. Lenore had made good use of time. The burned roast was in the trash and water was boiling on the stove. Lenore stood at the counter slicing vegetables. "What are you making?" Leia asked.
"Pasta. We'd better have something to eat. Who called?" Lenore said.
Leia took a sliced vegetable and ate it. "My brother. He can't come." she answered.
Lenore smiled. "Neither could mine."
"What do you mean?" asked Leia, genuinely puzzled.
"My brother. I asked you if I could bring a friend, and I was going to bring my brother Adrick, but he decided he'd rather spend his time with someone he met at a bar rather than go to a dinner party with his little sister. Sucks, doesn't it?"
Leia smiled. "Yeah."
"Why couldn't he come?"
"He thinks I'm trying to set you up. Where would he get a crazy idea like that?"
Lenore laughed. "From you. I mean, you obviously are trying to set us up. 'I just need to stop by and get something from my brother's. You'll like him, he's real nice.' Come on, Leia. I'm not stupid, that's a genuine setup."
Leia frowned in embarrassment. "I didn't think it would be that obvious."
"It was, dear, it was." Lenore said as she dished up some pasta and handed the plate to Leia.
======================================
Several hours later, as Leia and Lenore were entrenched in a hot game of Sabacc, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Lenore said. She rose from the table. "Hey! No cheating!"
Leia threw her an innocent look. "Cheating? ME? The very idea!" She hurried to replace the card she'd removed from the deck.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were cheating and you know it." Lenore pressed a button by the door and it slid open. She almost gasped-- almost. The man standing at the door was rather good-looking. He stood just a little taller than her, with sandy-blond hair, and blue eyes so deep you could swim in them. He had a simple air about him, as if he didn't want anybody to notice him, which only served to make him more handsome.
Lenore hesitated. "Um... may I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for--" he began.
"About damn time you showed up." Leia yelled from the table. "Where have you been?"
"I was working!" he said, entering the apartment.
"Sure. We're just playin' some Sabacc. I'm winning, for once." Leia said, smiling.
"Only because you cheat." said Lenore.
Leia gave her another innocent look. "Veally, Lenore der, yu musn't make accusazations ven you know good and vell yu vere doing ze esact same ting." Leia said, mocking Lenore's thick accent.
"Don't mock me."
The man ignored their banter and took a seat at the table next to Leia. "Deal me in," he said.
"Be patient." said Leia. "Lenore, I'd like you to meet my brother Luke; Luke, this is my friend Lenore Gilbert."
"Nice to meet you." Luke said.
Lenore gave a tight smile. "Charmed." Leia laughed. "What?" Lenore asked defensivly.
"Nothing. Sit down and play your cards!"
"Picky picky picky." said Luke mischeivously.
"Shutup Luke. Do you want to play or not?"
"See how she treats me?" Luke asked Lenore. "Here I come all the way down here, when I have work to do, and she treats me like crap. Now is that any way to treat someone doing you a favor, Leia?" he grinned. Lenore decided she loved his grin.
"You're not doing me any favors." Leia said.
"Yes I am! Who was it that called me last week and just BEGGED me to come to this party? 'Oh please, Luke, you have to come! You must!' "
Leia dealt the cards. "That was someone else."
Luke laughed. Lenore smiled. Leia had a very differant relationship with Luke than Lenore had with her brother. It was downright funny.
Just then the door opened, and Leia's husband came in. "Hey," he said.
"Hey Han. Get over here, we need a fourth player." Leia said to her husband.
Han raised his eyebrows. "What are you playing?"
"Two screwing rats." Luke said. They looked at him.
"Huh?" Han said.
"Oh, sorry, Sabacc." said Luke, giving yet another grin.
Lenore laughed. "Where did you get 'Two Screwing Rats?' "
"I dunno, it just came to me."
"Now we know what's on Luke's mind." Leia joked.
They played round after round of Sabacc. Han won, of course, being the resident Sabacc genious. By 2330h that evening, Lenore found herself at least 30 credits poorer.
Han had just dealt another round when Lenore realized the time. "Oh, I have to go!" she exclaimed. She stood up and grabbed her jacket.
"Awww, now we have to deal again." Leia teased.
Lenore smiled at her. "I'd love to stay, but unless you want to work my shift at the medcenter at 0730h tomorrow morning, I should probably go home."
"You just don't want to lose anymore." Han said.
"That, too. Leia, thank you for having me, it was fun." said Lenore.
"Ah, sure. Sorry about the roast." Leia answered.
"I knew you were gonna burn that roast." said Luke.
"Shutup." Leia said, and kicked him under the table. "I'll call you, okay?" she said to Lenore.
"Fine. I won't be home until late. I have to work and my brother's in town. See ya!" Lenore said, as she left.
"Bye." she heard Leia call.
====================================
"Hey, wait up!"
Lenore turned. She was two and a half blocks away from Leia's apartment, on her way to the public transport stop. At first she didn't see who called her.
Then she saw him. Leia's brother Luke, running to meet her. She laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to catch you. You walk fast." he said as he approached her. "Where are you going?"
"Home! It's late, I'm tired, I have to make sure my brother doesn't bring any bar scum home." she said.
He grinned, and Lenore's heart fluttered. "Bar scum?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, he can't pick anybody up at home, because they all ask him for money. Whenever he comes to Coruscant, he finds the seedest underground bars and picks up the most revolting females. It makes me sick."
"Funny. You weren't planning to take the public trains, were you?" he asked.
Lenore looked at him. "Yes..." she said slowly. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing, just they stopped running forty-five minutes ago." he said.
Lenore swore. "Isn't this just typical?!?" She sighed. "How am I going to get home? I live forty blocks away!"
"Well, see, it's this highly complicated process of raising your arm and waving a taxi." Luke said. He demonstrated, and a speeder pulled up. A strange-looking droid sat in the driver's seat. Luke opened the door for her.
"Thanks." Lenore said, climbing in the speeder. Luke climbed in after her. They sat in silence a minute.
The droid turned his creaking torso around to face them. "Where can I take you, kind patrons? Anywhere in the Congressional District, 5 credits a stop."
Lenore continued staring out her window. Luke nudged her with his elbow. "Uh... Lenore, I forgot to mention... the droid isn't psychic."
"What?"
"You have to tell him where you live." Luke reminded her.
"Oh!" Lenore exclaimed, feeling very stupid. She gave the droid her address, and the speeder started moving.
She kept looking out the window for a good five minutes, unable to think of anything to say. Finally Luke broke the silence. "So, what do you do?"
"Beg your pardon?"
He smiled. "Where do you work?"
Lenore blushed. "I'm a doctor at Good Hope Medcenter."
"Cool. What kinda doctor?" asked Luke.
"Um... human obstetrics."
"Oh. That explains how you know Leia."
"Yes, she's my first patient."
Luke laughed. "I bet that makes her feel REAL good."
"Well, what I mean is, I've done it before, but never on my own." she explained. Luke kept laughing. Lenore decided it was time to change the subject before she embarrassed herself further. "Um, what do you do?"
"Nothing really. Sometimes the Council calls me up and says, 'Hey, we've got this problem, will you go fix it for us?' or 'You're so smart, will you come give us your wonderful advice?', but on a day-to-day basis, I don't really do anything." Luke said.
"Then what were you doing that made you so late?" asked Lenore, genuinly puzzled.
"I wasn't doing anything. I just didn't want to go to Leia's party. I knew she was going to burn that roast. She always does."
Lenore smiled. "I wouldn't say it was so much burned as charred to a crisp. I ended up making pasta."
He laughed again. "If the fate of humanity rested on Leia's ability to heat a frozen dinner, we'd all be doomed. She'd still burn it."
The speeder arrived at Lenore's building much too soon. The droid who was driving creaked his rusty torso around to face them. "First stop-- five credits. If you wish me to wait, it will be an extra 15."
Lenore dug through her purse. "I'm sorry, Luke, I don't have any five-cred pieces, I think Han won them all."
"That's alright, I'll get it." he said. "What floor are you on?"
"Ninteen." she said as she climbed out onto the street.
"Cool. I'll see ya later." Luke said, as the speeder left her standing on the lonely, dark street.
"Bye," she called.
=======================================
A month passed.
Lenore found herself extremely busy, with hardly any time to herself. Because the medcenter paid its newest employees a meagar wage, Lenore had taken an extra job at a nearby bar to make a little extra money. Her days were filled with pregnant women and her nights were filled with drunk males of nearly every species known.
One particularly busy day, Lenore happened to be walking through the waiting room at the medcenter on her way to a much-cherished break. The person sitting in a waiting room chair, with his feet on the holozine table and his eyes closed, was none other than Luke Skywalker.
She smiled, then went over to him and sat down. Without opening his eyes, he said, "Hey Lenore."
She started. "How did you know it was me?"
He gave her a grin. "You have a very distinct Force-presence." he said, then almost as an afterthought, "And also, your shoes squeak."
She put her feet on the table next to his, leaned her head back, and sighed very audibly. Luke opened his eyes. "Tired?" he asked.
"Very."
"Well, you shouldn't be going to all those swingin' parties, Lenore. A responsible doctor like you should know that." he said sarcastically.
She grinned. "Yeah, sure. Note to self: find some swingin' parties to cut back on."
Luke laughed. "Are they keeping you busy?"
"Who, the medcenter? Yes, terribly."
"I'm sorry. I'd offer to help, but I don't think your superiors would like that very much." he said.
"No, probably not."
"Speaking of tonight..." Luke began.
Lenore raised her eyebrows. "Were we?"
"No, I just thought I'd say that. What are you doing tonight?"
Lenore sighed again. "Working."
Luke looked at her incredulously. "How long have you been working?"
"Oh, not here. I work at a bar part-time." she said. They sat in silence for a moment. "Hey," Lenore began, "What are you doing here?"
Luke smiled. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"I don't know!"
He laughed. "I'm pregnant, and I've come to have my baby." She kicked him. "I'm just kidding!" he said. "Han's all the way across the planet and Leia didn't want to come alone, so being the nice person I am, I brought her."
"Leia has an appointment today?" she asked. Luke nodded. "With whom?"
"You! She's your next appointment. She's in the bathroom." Luke answered.
"Och!" exclaimed Lenore, slapping the palm of her hand to her forehead. "I forgot! I better go get a room ready." She rose to leave.
"Hey, wait a second." Luke said, taking hold of her wrist and preventing her from leaving. "If you're busy tonight, what are you doing tomorrow night?"
"My laundry," she answered.
He laughed again. "Will your clothes be offended if you go with me?"
"Yes! I won't have anything to wear!" she said.
Luke smiled and shook his head. "Which laundramat?" he asked.
"What?"
"Which laudramat?" he repeated.
"The one on the corner, level 23, by my apartment." she answered.
"Cool. Meet ya there at 1900h."
"Luke! You can't come to the laundramat with me!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's boring, there will be nothing to do!" she said. "You'll be so bored, you'll never want to see me again!"
"Well, we'll see about that." he said.
"I really have to go now, Luke." said Lenore.
He let go of her wrist. "Who's stopping you?" he asked, smiling.
She smiled back and left the waiting room.
=====================================
Lenore was very nervous the next evening.
Rushing home from the medcenter, she found herself worrying. Should she dress up? --should she stay casual? Was it a date?
No, she reasoned. Dates didn't take you to the laundramat.
She arrived at her apartment at 1830h and keyed the lock. The door slid open and she rushed inside, kicking off her shoes and socks. Lenore went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and stared into it, looking for some dinner.
The clean white shelves stared right back. Inside was a carton of milk and some butter.
'Impossible.' she thought. 'I can't be so busy that I don't have time to go grocery-shopping.' Lenore thought back over her week, finding to her dismay that most of her meals had indeed been eaten in the cafeteria at the medcenter.
Yuck.
Lenore dug around her kitchen for a while before she finally found some cereal. She put this in a bowl and poured milk over it, and ate it. When she was finished, she put the bowl in the sink and went to her bedroom.
She crossed the bedroom to her closet and opened the doors. After staring at her wardrobe for five full minutes, she finally selected a pair of black slacks and a yellow shirt with a V-neck and 3/4 sleeves. She quickly put these on.
Lenore went back into the kitchen and retrieved a black trashbag from underneath the sink. She returned to her bedroom and began emptying the laundry hamper into the trashbag. Halfway through this task, a thought struck her. While transporting her laundry to and fro in a black bag was practical, it sure wasn't very classy. Lenore stood in her bedroom thinking about this. She went back to the closet and removed her suitcase. Setting it on the bed, she proceeded to empty the bag into the suitcase.
Another thought came to her. When she opened the suitcase, her dirty laundry would be laying there for everyone in the Administrative District to see. Lenore sat down on the edge of her bed and pondered this for a minute before placing the laundry back into the bag, and then laying the bag inside the suitcase.
She carried the suitcase out and set it by the door, and glanced at the chrono. Eighteen forty-five, it read. Five minutes until she had to leave.
Lenore sat down at her kitchen table and drummed her fingers upon it. She couldn't be too early. There wasn't really anything for her to do here. Her com booth ran slowly, so by the time she accessed the newsgrids it would be time to leave. No point in doing that. Her holoprojector was broken, so she couldn't watch the programmes. She sat there for a few minutes.
Eighteen forty-six.
Her stomach growled. The cereal hadn't filled her up, but she didn't have anything else to eat.
Eighteen forty-seven.
Lenore glanced down, and abruptly realized she hadn't put her shoes on or done her hair. She rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Not bad, but her hair shouldn't just hang there like spaghetti. She grabbed two hairsticks and put it into a bun.
Now for her shoes. She returned to the bedroom and opened up her sock drawer.
One solitary sock stared back at her.
Lenore swore and began searching her bedroom for its mate. Five minutes later she still hadn't found it. She thought back to the socks she'd taken off when she'd arrived, all wet and sweaty, still in the front room. The thought of putting them back on sent chills up her spine.
She left the bedroom, went over to where her shoes lay, and pulled them over her feet, without socks. She grabbed the suitcase, turned out the lights, and left.
Lenore rode the lift down to ground level and ran along the street to the corner building. Her feet slid around inside her shoes, making her skin crawl. She finally arrived at the laundramat. Through the transparasteel storefront, she could see Luke sitting on top of the dryers, eating something. She pushed open the transparasteel doors and entered the laundramat.
"Hey!" Luke called as she crossed the store to him. "I got you a hamburger."
"Oh, thanks," she said. "Have you been here long?"
"Naw, not really." he said as he jumped off the dryer he was sitting on, and went over to her at the washers. Lenore set her suitcase on top of them, pulled out the trashbag, and began emptying the contents into a nearby washing machine. Luke helped her, laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded.
"Do you always carry your laundry around in suitcases?"
"Well, no, not really..." Lenore answered. They finished loading the washing machine. Lenore stuck a credit piece in the slot, set the dial, and the machine roared to life.
Luke jumped up on the next washer and sat cross-legged on it. Lenore did the same. She unwrapped her hamburger and began to eat it.
"What did you do today?" he asked, putting a frenchfry in his mouth.
"Oh... three check-ups and a delivery..." she said between bites. "You?"
"Not much." He pulled a small rectangular box from his pocket. "Wanna play cards?"
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Okay, I know this ends kinda abruptly, but my computer won't let me write anymore on this file. Piece of crap!!!!
Please, please, please review! Let me know if you liked it, or if you hated it. Please keep flames to yourself. John Lennon said "All you need is Love," and flames don't exactly qualify as love. So be nice.
Part 2 coming up!!!
Copyright 2000 by May Solo.