A/N Thank you all for being so very patient: I am now cast-free and have both my hands back! Since everyone has been so very kind, I've prepped TWO (count them) TWO chapters for upload today! Also, the full version of this particular chapter can be found at lukeandmara dot livejournal dot com. This one is R, that one is. . .decidedly more adult. :)

Chapter 10

It was a tense few days in the vastness of hyperspace as the Falcon made its way back to Coruscant. Han and Chewie had very little to do beyond course corrections, so they fiddled with the sublight engines and played multiple hands of sabacc. Both captain and co-pilot watched Luke with trepidation; they could see their old friend was wound tight and they were all united in their concern for Mara. After several attempts to engage Luke in conversation or in a game, Han and Chewie gave up trying. "He'll be alright," Han said to Chewie as they poked at their dinner of rehydrated space rations. Chewie growled something reassuring, though Han wasn't sure if either of them meant it.

For his part, Luke sat on the cold metal deck just below Mara's head most of the day, meditating and instructing her body to heal itself. It was hard work, trying to tell someone else's tissues to reconstruct themselves, but he thought he was managing to at least keep her alive. He need that; needed to keep her alive, get her to Coruscant and into the bacta. He needed it.

As soon as the Falcon touched down at her private landing pad, a team of medics whisked a semi-conscious Mara to the med-center. Han, Luke, and Chewie followed at a slightly more sedate pace in a speeder, Luke fidgeting the entire way. "This is becoming a regular occurrence," Han quipped as he parked the vehicle and got out, adjusting his holster as he did so. Luke hopped gracefully over the edge of the speeder and strode through the doors of the medical facility. He turned the corner and was vaguely surprised to see Leia standing at the end of the hall, already leaning over Mara's stretcher, squeezing her good hand and smiling comfortingly. The stretcher was whisked away before Luke could reach them and he was left staring at the rapidly closing door, the fear that had gripped his heart for days finally beginning to ease.

Leia slipped an arm around his waist in a one-armed hug. "She'll be fine," she stated with conviction. "The doctors were very confident, based on her initial scans."

Luke smiled wanly and Han appeared, dropping a kiss on his wife's head. "Kid did good work," he said with a nod to Luke. "Patched her up with the Force somehow."

"Really?" Leia asked as she looked up at Luke, eyes wide.

"I don't think I fixed anything," he said with a self-conscious shrug. "But I think it helped."

"Course it did," Han stated. "She'd be dead otherwise." Luke shrugged again and Han shook his head at his brother-in-law's seeming inability to take a compliment. Leia stared at Luke in a way that made him feel uncomfortable; she narrowed her eyes a bit and canted her head, gazing steadily at his face. Luke could swear she was reading his mind, even if she wasn't using the Force.

"It really wasn't much," Luke demurred.

"Right," his sister drawled with a half-smile. "Using the Force to heal isn't much at all." Han grinned at her, obviously pleased with her sarcasm and Luke cracked a smile at her tone, if not her words. He was saved from having to say anything by the arrival of a distinguished looking doctor with perfectly groomed white hair, a crisp goatee, and a data-pad that was at least twenty years out of date.

"Councilor," he said with a slight bow. "Captain, Jedi Skywalker," he inclined his head to both men and looked down at his data-pad. "Mistress Jade has asked that I relate her condition," he said disapprovingly, "though none of you are on her emergency data chip. She is stable; the patient presents significant and multiple fractures to the right radius and ulna, superficial lacerations to face and both dorsal and palmar aspects of the right hand, and presents signs of mild traumatic brain injury. Mistress Jade also suffers from numerous contusions, five fractured ribs on her left side and, as a consequence, a rather badly ruptured spleen." He glanced up from the data-pad and was greeted by three completely blank stares. The doctor heaved a weary sigh and shook his head. "In short, she'll be fine, though she will need to remain with us for several days to fully repair the rupture and ensure her previous neural regeneration is all still intact."

Han raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just say so before doc?"

The doctor glared at Han and went back to his notes. "Mistress Jade should be discharged by the end of the week. Someone will have to collect her from the facility and ensure that round the clock assistance is available for at least seven days, preferably ten. Several of her injuries were left untreated for too long for us to be of much use and will have to heal naturally."

"We'll make sure everything is arranged," Leia offered smoothly.

The doctor nodded abruptly and turned to amble down the antiseptic smelling hallway. Han heaved a sigh and clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder. "I wish you the best of luck. You're gonna need it," he said solemnly.

Luke looked up, confused. "What? Why?"

Han and Leia shared an amused glance. "Because," Leia stated as she threaded her arm through her brothers and led him toward the doors, "I think you've just been nominated to be 'round the clock assistance.'" She leaned in and raised her eyebrows. "You remember recovery, don't you? Boring beyond belief. Can you imagine what Mara might do if she's that bored?"

Luke looked suddenly terrified.

Luke stood quietly, hands clasped behind his back, and watched the medical staff as they performed a seemingly endless round of tasks. Buttons pushed, levers pulled, dials turned; all to remove one woman from a tank of bacta. He turned his attention to the woman in question, floating in the thick liquid, unaware of his presence. He red hair had been slicked into a serviceable bun and the white gown clung to her figure, but lust was the furthest thing from Luke's mind. He stood as he had for days, keeping vigil, knowing that his being there made no difference to Mara but wanting to stay, just the same.

"Sir, would you like to step out while we remove Mistress Jade?" a small, dark haired, med-tech asked with a smile. "It can be a little chaotic."

"Yes, I recall," Luke said with a smile and respectfully retreated from the room to lean against the wall in the hallway, listening to the sloshing and surprised noises coming from the other room.

"You may enter, Jedi Skywalker," the med-droid droned a few moments later and Luke pushed away from the wall. "We have her under mild sedation for the moment." Luke nodded his understanding and re-entered the room.

Mara lay still against the white sheets, her vibrant hair a sharp contrast to the bland sterility of the room. She was clean and dry, though deathly pale, and her breathing was deep and even. Luke perused her face with a critical eye; he could detect no signs of the violence to which she'd been subjected. "She'll be glad," he muttered to himself as he very lightly trailed the back of his knuckles across her smooth check. He knew Mara: she liked to pretend she didn't care what she looked like, but Luke had never seen her looking anything less than impeccable if she had a choice. It wouldn't have broken her to have been scarred, but she wouldn't have liked it either.

Luke sighed and sat down wearily in the chair next to the bed. He rubbed the back of his neck to try to ease the tight muscles there; after the last several months he was surprised he didn't have something worse wrong with him than a stiff neck and some new synthflesh. He'd been sleeping in a chair at the med center for the last two nights and then on the Falcon before that: he really had to talk to Han about getting some better bunks installed. He reached out and slid his hand under Mara's where it lay at her side, threading his fingers through hers and raising the back of her hand to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles and leaned back in his chair, still clasping her hand, and sighed in relief. For the first time in what seemed like weeks, he felt he could breath properly again. The galaxy was safe and Mara would be well. As his head nodded and he drifted off, he briefly wondered why the latter seemed so much more important than the former.

Mara came to consciousness slowly but sat bolt upright with gag as soon she was fully awake. She disentangled her hand from someone else's as she did so, startling the room's other occupant.

"Mara?" she heard Luke ask, his voice scratchy from sleep, and she was aware that he was instantly at her side. She flailed her hands and closed her eyes at the noxious taste in her mouth and gagged again. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"What is that taste?" Mara asked swallowing hard. She felt Luke relax as he rubbed circles on her back and she heard him chuckle slightly.

"That would be the bacta," he said as he moved to the small bedside table and poured her a cup of water.

She took it gratefully and swallowed a large gulp. "It's revolting," she said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and lowered herself gingerly to lie down again. Luke took the cup from her unresisting hand with a smile and set it back on the table.

"Never had a full bacta dip?" he inquired companionably as he leaned his hip against the bed and crossed his arms.

"No, until I met you I'd never spent more than twenty-four hours in a med-center," she bit back, rubbing her forehead against the headache forming behind her eyes. She glanced at Luke and heaved a sigh. "Look, I didn't mean it that way."

"No, it's fine," he said automatically, though he'd gone perfectly still and was staring at the wall above her head. "I'm a dangerous person to know."

Mara was still a little hazy but she could see the darkness in his eyes and knew he actually believed that. "Stop it," she said as firmly as she could manage and nudged his hip with her knee when he didn't respond. "Skywalker, you're not dangerous," she said, exasperated. "But you are unique. People are going to try to either take advantage of you or hurt you."

"I don't mind if they take advantage of me," he stated flatly as he flicked his nail against the edge of his belt. "But it bothers me when it's people I . . .care about," he finished with grimace.

Mara felt her expression harden. "Look, I know what you're getting at. This one's all on me," she bit out. She turned her head and stared at the blank white wall. "I should never have gone on my own and I knew it," she said tightly, angry with herself. She gripped the sheets tightly and pressed her lips together. "Thank you," she finally managed, still not looking at Luke. She felt fingers dust lightly against her bare arm and she resisted the urge to shiver. "You should never have had to come after me."

"You're welcome," he said simply, withdrawing his hand.

"Fenix?" she questioned tautly, fingers twisting the sheets at her side. She felt Luke's eyes; he knew there was more to the story.

"Dealt with," he said quietly, his voice full of regret.

Mara nodded once and blinked back tears. Luke's hand slipped into hers again and she responded with a gentle squeeze. He reached out gently through the Force with a soothing caress-he wouldn't push the issue right now and she sent back grateful thoughts.

"I...I wanted to give this back," Luke said as he unhooked something from his belt and Mara felt the cool metal hilt of her lightsaber brush the outside of her hand. She closed her fingers around it and finally turned her head to look into his bright blue eyes. She said nothing, hoping her look and her feelings in the Force would say it for her. Luke nodded and smiled in understanding, then leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his lips.

"Get some sleep," he instructed, then turned to go. He reached the door and stopped, his back straight, and cleared his throat. "I'm really glad you're alright," he stated without turning around. He palmed the door open and strode out, missing Mara's sleepy but brilliant smile.

Three days, nine-hours, and twenty four minutes later, Luke could tell Mara was ready to tear out her hair. He tried to distract her while she was awake which, in typical Mara fashion, was more often than not. He offered card games, he brought Leia and Han to visit, he brought books from the archives: nothing seemed to work. Luke finally decided to leave her to her own devices and her increasingly foul mood and ran through his exercises as she fretted and stewed on the couch, complaining about the state of the holodrama industry.

"You know," he said as he carried her dinner into the common room, still shirtless from his katas, "most people have the good sense to sleep through most of their recovery."

"If I was sleepy, I would sleep," she shot back, though accepted her bowl without further comment, her eyes flicking over his bare chest and inhaling the warm scent of the salty broth with apparent pleasure. "Mmm, terrapin soup," she fairly purred, sipping delicately. "It's my favorite: I haven't had this in ages." She turned sharp green eyes to her companion. "How did you know?"

Luke flushed and ducked his head as he sat down on the floor on the other side of the newly purchased caf table. "I asked Karrde what you might like to eat," he mumbled in the general direction of the carpet.

Mara gazed steadily at Luke over her bowl, the steam curling around the the soft planes of her face. Suddenly, she smiled wickedly. "You," she stated with a flutter of her eyelashes.

"What?" Luke spluttered as Mara set the bowl down on the glass, the clink all but lost as the sound of his own heartbeat thundered in his ears. He watched, dumbfounded, as Mara slid sinuously off the couch and crawled over to him. He noticed she still favored her right arm as she maneuvered around the table and crowded into his space.

"You," she breathed and licked her lips. "You've been here day and night, Skywalker. You sleep on my couch, you cook in my kitchen, you exercise in my living room." She drew a light fingertip down his neck, feathering a light touch over the knob of his collar bones. "A girl could get. . .restless watching all that."

Luke gulped. "Mara, I don't think this is a good idea," he mumbled as she drew her mouth to his.

"Why not? You don't want me?" she asked rhetorically, brushing her lips across his own. Luke sighed into the soft kiss, his hands itching to curl around her head, though fearful he might harm still fresh injuries.

"You know it's not that," Luke growled as a warm palm slid down his chest.

"Then what is it?" Mara whispered, nearly sitting in his lap.

Luke tentatively ran his hands up and down her arms. She was wearing one of his shirts; easier to get on and off and more comfortable for lounging, Mara had proclaimed when he found her pilfering it from his duffle bag. The sight of her in his shirt made Luke's stomach do little flip-flops and caused very unchivalrous thoughts to clutter his mind: difficult for a man who'd been trying to be the epitome of chivalry for days. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, hands trailing down her back.

"You won't," she cajoled breathlessly.

"We're not doing this tonight," he said with finality and a firm kiss on Mara's mouth..

She pouted and leaned back on her hands, then suddenly swore violently and cradled her arm to her chest. "I"m fine," she panted as Luke hovered over her, looking concerned. "I'm fine!" she said more firmly when Luke didn't look convinced. He regarded her for long moments then stood and scooped her up in his arms.

Mara protested half-heartedly. "You can put me down," she said softly as Luke carried her over the threshold into her bedroom.

"I could," he returned just as quietly and leaned down to nip at her exposed collar bone. "But I don't want to yet."

"Oh," Mara replied lamely, trailing her fingertips along his jawline, fascinated by the blond stubble beginning to show there. "You're letting yourself go, Skywalker," she joked with a smile, tapping her index finger against his cheek for emphasis. Luke chuckled and deposited her gently on the bed, mindful of her myriad of aches. She cupped his face as he leaned over her, his bare chest mere centimeters above hers. "I know you think I might, but I promise I won't break," she whispered as she slid her hand from his face to the back of his neck to pull his head down for a kiss. He put up little resistance as her tongue slid past the seam of his lips and groaned low in his throat as her hands stroked down his chest. When she began toying with the tie on his pants and dipped a single finger inside his waistband to lightly stroke the line where his hip joined his abdomen, Luke tore his mouth from hers. He crawled over her, placing one knee between hers and trailing kisses down her throat.

"I told you we weren't doing this," he murmured as he began to unfasten the shirt she'd appropriated, exposing her breasts and leaning down to taste first one, then the other.

"I don't listen very well," Mara said as she clutched the back of his head and arched into the heat of his mouth. Suddenly Luke released her breast and sat back on his heels, a wicked grin spreading slowly across his face.

"And I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."

Mara lifted herself on her elbows. "And what exactly does that mean?" she asked, trying to sound threatening but managing to simply sound throaty and aroused.

Luke reached out to trail his fingers from her throat to the waistband of her leggings, causing Mara's breath to catch in her throat. "It means," he said leaning forward to catch and bite down on her earlobe, "that we will not be having sex tonight." Mara pulled her head back from his mouth and looked at him like he'd taken leave of his senses, which he briefly wondered if he had.

"You can't- I mean what-" she spluttered and Luke cut her off with a soft kiss.

"I said we weren't having sex. I don't want to hurt you, not to mention the doctors said no vigorous activity for another week or so," he said as he nuzzled her temple and traced patterns on her ribcage.

"Skywalker," Mara growled, this time actually managing to convey her threat.

Luke swatted her hip gently. "Will you shut up and let me finish?" he asked with a smile and Mara cuffed him on the shoulder. He fell sideways, laughing, and pulled Mara down to him for another kiss. "I said no sex," he repeated, grabbing her hips and pulling her flush against his hardness. "But that doesn't mean we can't do other things: other, just as interesting things," he murmured as his hand reached between them to cup her heat.

"Oh good," Mara murmured as she pressed herself against his hand. "For a minute I thought I might have to kill you." Luke chuckled against her neck and reached up to slowly push the fabric from her shoulders. He paused to kiss and suckle each patch of flesh he uncovered, lingering on the soft skin on the inside of her elbows. Mara sighed, blissfully content, and dragged her free hand through Luke's hair, raking her nails across his scalp. He hummed happily in response and nibbled his way toward her wrist, which caused Mara to giggle.

"That's funny?' Luke asked as he raised his head, his eyes sparkling.

"No, it tickles," she said on a laugh as he did it again. Mara glanced down and could see his answering grin as he finally leaned forward and darted his tongue out to caress the hyper-sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. She gasped at the sudden rush of heat between her legs and her hands involuntarily clenched as she raised her hips to try to make contact with his.

Luke lifted his head again and gave her a stern look and placed a soothing hand on her hip. "Take it easy," he instructed as he rubbed his thumb along her hipbone.

"I am sick and tired of taking it easy," Mara growled in response as she clutched his shoulders and attempted to bring him fully on top of her. Luke resisted and clucked his tongue at her even as he hooked his thumbs in her waistband and slowly stripped her of her leggings. He moved back up languidly, allowing his chest to just barely graze hers. She sucked in a breath at the heat of the contact then moaned as his tongue found the shell of her ear.

"I know you are, but just let me take care of you," he whispered hotly as his hand slid down the curve of her hip to tease the curls covering her core. Mara twisted her hips again in response, and this time Luke obliged her by moving his fingers down an infinitesimal distance, sliding them against her core. They both groaned at the contact and Luke bent down to give Mara a hard kiss. She whimpered against his mouth and Luke had a hard time not stripping off the rest of his clothes and taking her hard and fast right then. He broke off the kiss and buried his face in the curve of her neck, loving the tightness around his fingers as he thrust against her and the salt of the skin under his lips. It was mere moments before she shattered against him, crying out her release. He levered himself over her on strong arms and she pulled him down for a long kiss.

"Thank you," she purred against his cheek and then rained soft kisses over his eyelids. His breathing hitched as her hands wandered and her mouth found the cleft in his chin. She flicked the tip of her tongue against the indentation and Luke's nostrils flared on his indrawn breath. Mara knew his control was threadbare and she reveled in the knowledge. Her hands dipped inside his gray pants, seeking, and she was startled when he pushed himself off her in a smooth motion and stood at the side of the bed.

"Luke?" she queried, concerned, as she pushed herself up.

Luke looked down at the bed and felt his resolve weaken even further. "I promised," he croaked as he reached out a hand to tangle in her wild hair and give her a rough kiss. "This was just for you." He abruptly dropped his hand, turned on his heel without a backward glance and strode toward the 'fresher.

Mara reclined on her elbows amongst the tousled sheets, stunned, as she watched the door close behind him and heard the water in the shower start. Her brain was wrapped in a post-orgasmic fog and it was a full minute before she had the wherewithal to gather Luke's shirt around her and move toward the door on boneless legs. She hesitated as she reached for the doorknob: she didn't want to intrude, but she'd be damned if she'd let their encounter end with only one satisfied party.

She pushed the door open quietly and another surge of lust shot through her at the site on the other side. Through the steam beginning to collect on the glass of her shower, she could still clearly see Luke. His back was turned to her, his hair darkened to the color of her favorite chocolate. He'd braced himself against the far wall of the shower with one hand as rivulets of water traced down his back and his legs. His head was lowered and his breathing ragged; his body blocked her view of his other hand, but from the bunching of the muscles in his arm, she knew exactly what that hand was up to.

She grinned to herself as she let the shirt slid noiselessly to the floor: he was obviously exceptionally distracted if he hadn't sensed her, and she said so. Luke whirled around, a stricken look on his face. "Mara, please, I can't-" he pleaded as he dropped his head into his hands to block his view of her naked body.

"Shh," Mara soothed as she slid the shower door open, her eyes dropping to his hardness. She flicked them back up to his as she bit her lip and stepped under the spay, gasping at the heat against her still sensitive breasts. She reached out a hand to grasp him as Luke stood stock still, his breathing labored and his head dipped to watch as her hand stroked slowly up and down. Mara stepped close, bringing her breasts against his chest and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Let me help you with that," she breathed, and Luke readily complied.

wow, Long moments later, and without a word, Luke slid down the wall of the shower to join Mara on the floor, sated and happy.

"Wow," he said simply after a moment and Mara giggled as she adjusted to sit shoulder to shoulder with him out of the direct spray.

"Wow yourself," she said with a quirk of her bee-stung lips as she nudged him with her elbow.

Luke's face split into a satisfied grin and he wrapped an arm around Mara's shoulder. "I'm glad we decided to do this," he muttered after a moment, his fingers skating down her arm as she lowered her head to his chest.

She could have pretended she didn't know what he was talking about, but she knew very well he didn't simply mean this night. He meant them. "Me too," she returned quietly and nestled further into his embrace.

They sat that way for long moments, both parties at peace. Eventually Luke reached out a tendril of Force sense to Mara and she caressed it with an answering one of her own even as her hand reached out to caress the back of his. He laced their fingers together and Mara felt something begin to coalesce in the Force. It was a tiny, bright spark in the back of her mind; warm and inviting. She looked up at Luke, confused, and she could tell he felt it as well. He gave a slight shrug and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Water's getting cold," he said as he disentangled himself from Mara and stood. He reached down to help her to her feet, then twisted to turn off the water.

Mara shivered at the loss of heat, suddenly realizing how very weary she was. She ran her hands up and down her arms and Luke grabbed her a towel with a concerned expression. "I'm alright," she said as he wrapped the towel around her shoulders.

"You're sure?' Luke asked worriedly as he began to gently dry her. "I knew we shouldn't have started this tonight," he said under his breath.

"Hey," Mara said firmly as she hooked a thumb under his chin and forced him to look at her. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Really?' he asked, unconvinced.

"Really," Mara responded with a languid smile as she reached for the shirt she'd discarded. Luke hurriedly dried himself off and plucked the shirt from her fingers. This earned him a surprised glance which he returned with a smile as he held open the front in invitation. Mara smiled, slightly embarrassed to have someone else dress her, but put her arms through the sleeves nonetheless. Luke put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around to face him. He fastened up the center of the shirt and rolled back the sleeves so Mara's hands would be free. Mara felt that warm presence in the Force nestle even more firmly in the back of her mind and her heart fluttered in her chest as Luke pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Time for bed," he said as he bent to grab his own discarded clothing.

Mara stood nervously for a few heartbeats, then asked something she'd never asked another man before: "Would you stay with me?'

Luke straightened slowly, very much aware of the import of her words. He had scrupulously avoided her bed for the last four nights: his aunt had raised him to value the fact that it was a woman's right to invite a man to her bed. He felt his chest tighten; he very much wanted to stay. He wanted to hold this woman as they slept: smell her hair, feel her warm body pressed against his. The Force opened itself up to him in that moment and instead of doing what he thought he should do, he did as his heart prompted. "Yes," he said simply and held out a hand to lead her to the bed.

Erizaina despondently picked through the rubble of the former lab and allowed herself a few tears of self pity. She'd walked almost the entire perimeter of the wall and hadn't seen a sign of either the Jedi or Garen. Nor had she been able to see any ships that were salvageable, which meant she was, in effect, stranded. As she rounded the bend that would take her back to where she'd started, she noticed a wide trail in the long grass. Puzzled, she knelt to investigate and was surprised to find that it was really two trails that merged together in places as far as she could see.

Following her instincts and swallowing her fear, she set off down the path. Eventually she saw it ended underneath one of the huge sloping trees that dotted the grassland, and concealed underneath that tree appeared to be a small ship. She set off at a run, her heart beating wildly against her chest in exultation. When she reached the clearing though, she felt her blood run cold for there, sitting propped against the base of the tree, was man. His clothing and hair were singed badly but he appeared otherwise unharmed.

"Garen?" she stammered.

His eyes opened and he smiled through cracked lips. "I'm glad you could join me."