Luke was just finishing up his caf, when Aubé walked sleepily into the dining area.

"'Morning," she mumbled, pouring herself a tumbler full of sweet juice. "I'd ask how you slept, but you snore when it was really good, so I guess quite well."

Luke rolled his eyes in mock exasperation as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah, sure... of course," he whispered. "But how about you? You must have been up pretty early to get Pem ready like that."

Aubé shrugged, then covered a yawn. "Well, you know. Sometimes he keeps me up at night."

Now Luke grew concerned. "Bé," he asked softly. "We... I mean, I didn't hurt you last night, did I? Bé honest.."

"No," Aubé sighed, squeezing him with her free arm. "But I think we should take it a little easier from now on, at least until after he's born, though. No more acrobatics, so to speak. At least for a while."

"Consider us retired from the circus, then," Luke assured her, nuzzling her neck affectionately. "Look, there's a lot I need do before this evening that I can take care of without you. On the other hand, why don't I put you back to bed and have a little practice with our new act before I have to..."


"Gra-Mere!" Pem cried gleefully from the other room. "Pay-pa! Gra-Mere is here! Come on Vitty! Pay-pa! Ma-mere! Come see Gram-mere!"

"Go..." Luke finished with a sigh, his passion falling to ashes. "I'll make it up to you, Bé. I promise."

"Would you like some caf, mother?" Aubé asked as Kampher sat down next to her excited granddaughter. "Luke just made some fresh, and Kay has it on the list of things that he forbids me to have."

Kampher smiled gratefully. "Just half, then, please. Captain Solo generously provided a driver and an escort for us this morning, and they are waiting downstairs."

"How's Minister Canaille, Kam?" Luke asked. "Isn't he going with you on my daughter's great adventure this morning?"

"He's resting," Kam replied quietly enough so Aubé wouldn't hear. "But he said he would have some information for you tonight, if you were interested..."

Pem stopped wiggling in her seat long enough to look at her grandmother, wide-eyed. "Is Grey-pa OK, Gra-mere?"

"Grey-pa is fine, Pem," Kam assured her, taking the prefered caf and rising. "He just needs his rest after that long journey."

"Uncle Toa could make him better," Pem said with all the conviction of an eight year old. "He helped me last night when Vitty had bad dreams!"

"Did he, now?" Kam replied, casting her eyes at Luke and Aubé, although the question was directed at Pem. Luke only shrugged in a 'We'll tell you later' gesture as Kam continued, casting her eyes back to her granddaughter. "Perhaps he can check on Grey-pa after he sees to your Ma-mere this morning - later this morning."

"I'm fine, mother!" Aubé protested. "I just need a little more rest is all.."

"I agree with your mother, Bé," Luke nodded, "Just to be safe."

"Fine!" Aubé snapped, exasperated. "I'll just get dressed - "

"No!" Luke said a little more sharply than he intended, "I'll ask him to come here."

"I won't be a prisoner in my own home, Luke!" Aubé retorted, her voice rising.

"We should go," Kam said, taking Pem's hand. "They'll be waiting for us." Her voice taking on a warning tone of its own.

"Aubé, Luke..."

"Ma-mere? Pay-pa?"

"It's all right, Pem," Luke said, not taking his eyes off of his wife. "You go and a good time with Gra-mere, things will be fine..."

"Yes," Aubé agreed, thinning her lips. "Your father and I just need to thrash this out."

"I don't wanna go if you're gonna fight!"

"We're not fighting Pem," Luke said, holding steady. "Your mother is just needs to rest is all, and she doesn't want to."

"That's right," Aubé said cooly. "In fact, why don't you just go with them, Luke. I'm going back to bed!" And with that, she turned on her heel and fairly marched back into the bedroom, alone.

"Go ahead," Luke told Kam. "Take Pem and we'll all meet up for midday meal - if your mother is up to it later. How does that sound?"

"Promise?" Pem asked, her blue eyes swimming with tears. "Pay-pa, you gotta promise!"

Luke knelt down and held his daughter close. "I promise," he said firmly. "And if Ma-mere doesn't feel up to going out, you and Gram-mere and everyone can come back here, and we'll have a pie bread - how does that sound?"

"Sounds great, Pay-pa!" Pem exclaimed, her mood shifting to joy in an instant. "I love pie bread! And Ma-mere does too I know!"

"Then it's a date," Luke said agreeably, casting his eyes to Kam who nodded her approval. "We'll see you this afternoon."

"Don't you have important stuff to do?" Pem replied, some of her anxiousness returning. "Jedi stuff?"

"It can wait," Luke replied, squeezing her tight. "It can wait..."

And it would. For Luke, family would always come first.

Always.