A/N: I would like to thank all of you that have reviewed anonymously (and of course everyone who reviewed otherwise. But hopefully I've already said thanks!). It means a great deal that anyone is reading this at all.

Chapter 2

"It isn't here?" Erizaina asked blankly, her dark hair wafting in the cool early evening breeze.

Garen sat cross legged amongst the ruins, chin to his chest. "No," he said sounding defeated. "There's nothing here. Nothing at all."

Eri kicked at the black rubble around her feet, chilled to the bone. She didn't think it was just the temperature; something about this place made her shiver. She'd never particularly like Coruscant; the sheer number of beings made her edgy. But here at the edge of the Great Western Sea, in the ruins of a dead man's fortress, she would have given anything to be in the crush around the Palace.

Abruptly, Garen stood, breaking into her thoughts and striding toward her. She backed up a few steps, noting the fire had returned to his eyes and hoping to avoid undue punishment. "It isn't here," he repeated, his face determined. "But I know how we can find out where it is."

Luke whistled as he sauntered down the corridor leading to Han and Leia's flat. Flying gave his soul an unfettered joy matched only by the single time he'd allowed his mind to intertwine deeply with Mara's during meditation. His steps faltered on that thought and he blinked in confusion; how could he possibly equate the two? Flying for fun was like throwing his arms wide and rolling down a giant sand-dune: it was exhilaration, speed, and freedom. It was all he'd ever wanted out of life before he joined the Rebellion. It wasn't like Mara at all. . .except the longer he thought about it, the more similar he decided they actually were. Mara challenged, she excited, she made him burn. His blood fizzed in the same way whether he was sparring with her or hurtling through the space. And kissing her. . .that was something else entirely.

He stood unobtrusively to the side of hall, hands on hips, his head tilted down watching his feet as he wiggled his toes in his boots. He reached out down the corridor into Han and Leia's apartment, his sense darting past his sleepy and contented sister, his laughing brother in-law, and two very happy babies, to settle on Mara. He had hoped to simply see her; had hoped that simply looking at her would help him sort out the suddenly discomfiting emotions. He should have known better, however, and at the briefest whisper of his sense against hers Mara was instantly alert.

*Luke? I swear, if you leave me here one minute longer I am going to turn into a grampus.*

Luke's eyebrows furrowed. *Grampus?*

*Wild virago. Eats children,* came the terse reply, and Luke laughed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, marveling again at the strength of their connection. Every time they did this her "voice" seemed louder and clearer in his head; he didn't even have as clear a connection with his sister.

*Please don't eat the children.* Luke requested, disregarding this odd gift from the Force with a shrug. His smile widened as he felt Mara's melodramatic sigh.

*Fine. They're too small to be filling anyway.*

Luke felt her struggling to contain her laughter and his own heart struggled with the complex, joyous emotions her presence filled him with. *I'm on my way* he thought and knew that Mara sensed his smile as he started down the corridor again.

The door slid open with a faint whoosh and Luke stepped inside, curious at the exceptionally bright feel of the household. Han and Leia were always fairly happy and their living quarters felt alive and cheerful, but the air this afternoon sparkled. He entered the family room with a puzzled smile and leaned in the doorway to watch the tableau. Leia was curled up against the arm of the sofa, her head thrown back in laughter. Han sat next to his wife, their son balanced on his knee. The boy was being jostled to his obvious delight, grinning and drooling and gazing up with big grey eyes at his sister and Mara across the room. Jaina clung to Mara's shoulder, trying to jump and cooing madly as Mara spun them both around the living room in an intricate pattern that Luke thought he might recognize as one of the formal Chandrillian dances. Laughing lightly at the squirming child in her arms, Mara turned her head when she registered Luke's arrival. She spun fully to greet him, their eyes locked, and Luke felt like his stomach hit the floor right between his booted feet. For in that moment he knew, as surely as he'd ever known anything, that this woman; this wonderful, mercurial, talented woman was destined to be his partner in all things. His lover, his best friend, his wife, his adversary, his confidante, the mother of his children. He knew this down to the deepest, most secret places in his heart and barely managed to contain a shout of glee. He hadn't realized how desperately he wanted those things from her; not from just any woman, but from her.

Through his haze of shock and joy, Luke realized that all female occupants of the room were giving him strange looks. Leia looked simply quizzical, Mara was regarding him like he'd sprouted a second head, and Jaina had a look on her face that Luke swore would translate to "interesting" if she could speak. Slamming his mental barriers into place and affecting an easy smile, Luke pushed away from the wall and sauntered into the room, pausing to kiss Jaina on the top of her head. "Enjoying yourself, missy?" he queried affectionately and sent a loving caress through Force to both young twins. He looked up, his eyes locking onto Mara's, and he felt something pass between them that sent his heart racing.

*Alright?* she asked simply and Luke knew that she'd felt his unexpected surge. He swallowed hard, but nodded.

Jacen cooed and kicked his feet at the mental contact from his uncle, while Jaina gurgled a laugh and fisted her hands tightly in Mara's damp, unbound hair. Her green eyes closed immediately and her face contorted comically as she tried to angle her head to break Jaina's grasp, but Jaina just grinned wider and shoved the fistfuls of red-gold hair into her mouth.

"Ow, ow, ow," Mara chanted as Luke reached out with a laugh to disentangle the silky locky from his niece's questing mouth, motioning for Leia to stay seated when she started to rise. "As you see," Mara said, "I opted not to eat them." She winced as the chubby fingers tangled further with Luke's ministrations, though she patted Jaina's bottom in a soothing rhythm. "A decision I am coming to regret."

Luke looked up from his labors and smiled, enchanted at this unexpected and almost grudgingly maternal side to Mara. "I thought you didn't like kids," he murmured then smiled triumphantly when Jaina's hands were freed. He clapped lightly and Jaina leaned toward him, small feet kicking against Mara's abdomen. Mara passed off the little girl willingly, then tossed her hair over her shoulder and turned to Luke with a raised eyebrow.

"I never said that," she said coolly, crossing her arms.

"I think it was implied when you mentioned them as snack," Luke responded, smiling widely. Mara's face lit up with a mischievous grin and Luke nearly toppled over it made him so weak in the knees.

"That's the second time someone's mentioned eating my children," Han drawled, unconcerned, and continued to bounce Jacen on his knee.

Luke and Mara both looked over their shoulders, Luke grinning madly and Mara having the grace to look chagrined. "It's nothing Han," Luke said soothingly, laying Jaina down on the soft mat in front of the sofa. "Just a joke." Mara sent him a grateful look as he straightened and she sidled closer, her arm nearly brushing his. Luke thought it was an unconscious move, but his heart leapt at her nearness. He glanced down at Mara, suddenly noting the circles under her eyes. "You tired?" he murmured quietly and Mara's head dipped slightly in acknowledgement.

"I think it's time we were off," Luke announced to the room.

"You just got here," Leia pouted.

"I did want to hear about those V-wings," Han said, standing with Jacen in his arms.

Luke smiled, his pleasure in the topic evident. "Oh they're like a dream, they handle great even in the upper atmosphere."

"Yeah?" Han said, interested. "What about those boosters? They as good as the initial tests indicated?"

"They're something special all right. Makes her feel a little out of control and she pulls to the right when they're engaged but. . ." As he spoke, he felt Mara's Force sense begin to wobble from tiredness. Luke shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from putting an arm around her: something he suddenly itched to do. He rocked back on his heels, hoping to distract himself and knowing she would not appreciate the gesture. "Why don't we grab a drink and talk about this later?" Luke asked. He felt Mara's gratitude trickle into his own awareness and he ducked his head, suddenly shy. He stepped forward to hug Leia and as he pulled away, she held him at arm's length and glanced up at him knowingly.

"We should have some time together; just you and me," she said, her low voice soft and warm.

"I'd like that," Luke murmured back, his gaze straying to where Mara had leaned down to tickle Jaina's belly.

Luke shot a disbelieving look at his sister and she shrugged in answer. "Not exactly what I'd expected either."

He caught Mara's eye and gestured toward the door with his head. Mara straightened and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Leia," she said stiffly, unaccustomed to the generosity the other woman had shown her. "I had a most enjoyable afternoon."

Leia chuckled and leaned in to give Mara a brief hug. "It was my pleasure," she said sincerely. Mara nodded uncomfortably and turned toward the door.

"Bye Solo," she called out as they walked past.

"No words of love for the little princeling here?" Han asked with a smirk as he propped Jacen on his hip. Mara and Jacen eyed one another warily, then Jacen turned and buried his head against his father's shirt.

Mara raised her eyebrow and nodded, waiting in the doorway for Luke to say his goodbyes. After a brief moment, he joined her, opening the door and gesturing for her to precede him.

"Always the gentleman," Mara snorted, but there was no hint of her customary derision. Rather it was said with something softer. Something Luke very much hoped was affection.

"I like being a gentleman," he responded easily, positive that nothing could dampen his mood. He'd worry about how in the galaxy he was going to get Mara to marry him and have children later; for now he was just pleased to be back in her company.

"I'm not exactly a lady," Mara retorted, then backed up the statement with a wide yawn. Luke laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"You are when it suits you."

Mara turned her head to give Luke a disbelieving look. "When have you ever seen me behave like a lady?"

He shrugged again and they turned a corner. "I haven't. But you're the most capable person I know. You can do whatever you set your mind to." He felt Mara stumble a little and reached out his hand to steady her at the elbow. The contact was brief, but sent tingles up Luke's spine as he felt her pleasure in the Force at both his touch and the compliment.

"I can't believe you stayed the entire afternoon, to tell you the truth," Luke said as they reached the lift at the at the end of the hall. "You could just have easily walked home without me."

Mara shrugged nonchalantly and stepped to the back of the turbolift as the doors hissed closed. "Didn't have anywhere else I needed to be and I knew you'd try to track me down if I'd left."

"Yes, but. . ." Luke trailed off as a thought occurred to him. "You liked it," he accused.

Mara blushed, then looked horrified. "I most certainly did not!" she countered.

"You did," Luke said wonderingly. "You enjoyed a girly afternoon with my sister."

"Would you shut up?" Mara hissed as she slid to the side when more people entered the lift, tucking her hands behind her and desperately trying to make sure none of the new occupants had overheard their conversation.

"Admit it," he teased in a low voice as he followed her across the lift, crossing his arms, his hip nudging against hers.

"Shut up, Skywalker," she repeated, though he noticed that she did not shy away from the slight pressure of his thigh.

"It's alright if you did," he murmured, his heart suddenly thudding that she allowed the small but intimate press of their legs in full view of others.

"Your sister is, and has always been purported to be, a most gracious hostess," Mara intoned stiffly, glancing up as the lift stopped on the correct floor. She pushed away from the wall and Luke followed, a smile plastered on his face. She shot a sour look at him over her shoulder and, making a split second decision, Luke glanced around the mostly deserted hall and pulled her behind one of the large trees that lined this particular corridor.

"What are you-?" Mara managed before Luke's mouth covered hers in an quick, impulsive kiss.

"Luke!" she spluttered as she pulled away, trying to shrink deeper into the foliage of the big tree, eyes darting to make sure no one had seen.

"Mara?" he queried with a raised eyebrow and stalked her through the shadows.

"What are you doing?" she growled, stopping him with her hands against his chest.

"The first kiss wasn't obvious enough for you?" he said with a charming smile that widened when Mara smiled back.

He moved to kiss her again, his mouth a mere breath from his, when Mara pulled back abruptly to yawn. "I'm so sorry!" she said, sounding horrified.

Luke chuckled and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile against her temple. "I know you're tired."

"Why the hell do you even put up with me?" Mara asked grumpily and Luke pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"It isn't your sparkling personality, I assure you," he teased.

Mara rolled her eyes a hit him lightly on the chest. Luke grabbed her hand and brought her knuckles to his mouth for a brief kiss. "I put up with a lot for people I care about," he said softly, then dropped her hand as if nothing had happened.

He turned to look around the tree for any oncoming pedestrians then stepped out from behind the leaves, starting to saunter away, knowing he'd left her speechless and staring. He turned back when he realized she wasn't following and gestured with his right hand. "Come on. Let's go take a nap." She emerged, eyeing him and the hallway with equal looks of mistrust, and strode off ahead of him. Luke ambled after her, smiling to himself.

He tiptoed into the bedroom several hours later, looking for an errant data card. He quietly slid open his drawer, thinking maybe he'd somehow dropped it in there, but to no avail. He checked the bedside table and the drawer there too, but could not locate it. Gritting his teeth and hoping Mara didn't wake up, he opened the drawer on her side of the bed, wondering if it had fallen in. He saw no data card, but something silver glinted in the half-light and unable to resist, he stretched forward and plucked it from the neatness of the interior contents.

It was a silver colored ring, a simple interlocking filligree around the outside of the band. It was the kind of ring anyone might have; nothing special or precious about it. Luke wondered why Mara of all people would keep something like this in such a very personal place, then a faint inscription around the inside of the band caught his eye. He squinted to make it out in the dimness, and with a glance at the sleeping woman in the bed, stepped quietly to the window. "Patience is the art of hoping," he read aloud in a whisper. He didn't know where she'd acquired it or why, but the sentiment made his heart clench. He very carefully returned the ring to its exact place in the drawer, then stood over the bed, looking down at Mara.

She sighed and shifted in her sleep and Luke reached down to brush her hair off her forehead. The corners of her lips edged up at the contact and he smiled reflexively. "What do you hope for, Mara?" he murmured. He hoped that she would one day hope for him. He knew she'd hate it if she ever found out he'd discovered something so sentimental, so he tucked that away in the deep recesses of his brain for safe keeping. He suddenly had the urge to do something for her; he'd always suspected she had a vein of softness at her core, but suspecting and knowing were two very different things. He wanted her to have something she'd like, something meaningful. Something just for her and that soft place she kept so guarded; not a new blaster or an upgraded comm unit. A few stray ideas passed through his head, but one hung on and he smiled slowly to himself. It would take some work, but he was positive he could manage it. He leaned down to kiss Mara's forehead and set off to make some calls.

The next evening at dinner, after a perfectly pleasant day, an amused Mara watched Luke fidget throughout the entire meal. He fidgeted as she suggested they go into the living room to watch the evening news. He even fidgeted when she sat on the on the sofa.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked testily when he remained standing.

"I got you a present," Luke blurted as he drew an envelope out of his pocket. "Kind of a 'congratulations, Luke can leave me alone now' kind of thing," he said with a shy smile.

"You didn't have to-" Mara protested, shaking her head.

"I know, but I wanted to," he responded quietly.

Mara took the proffered envelope and pulled it open with a flick of her thumb. She extracted two narrow pieces of flimsy and stared, open mouthed, as she read the front of each and her heart fluttered in her chest. "Luke, these are the Imperial box at the ballet."

He shifted uncomfortably under her astonished gaze. "It's not the Imperial box anymore," he muttered. "The NR higher ups can reserve it for themselves and visiting dignitaries."

"Your sister," Mara said breathlessly, still staring at the tickets. "I have to thank her," she said as she unfolded her legs and stood.

Luke stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, looking even more uncomfortable. "She didn't," he said as he shook his head. "I didn't want you to feel like you owed her. So I called in a few favors."

Mara stared at Luke, some foreign emotion building just beneath her surface. "You-you," she stammered and cleared her throat, biting her lower lip. "You called in favors to get me tickets to the ballet?" she asked, incredulous. Her tone made Luke squirm, but his gesture had made her so soft inside that she didn't even have the heart to take pleasure in his discomfort. "Those must have been some rather large favors," she finished quietly.

Luke shrugged and remained silent though Mara could read the terrible insecurity behind his eyes. She looked down at the tickets again and that unnamed feeling burbled even closer to the surface. No one had ever given her a gift like this, something just for her. She could tell from Luke's Force sense that he expected nothing in return: it was simply a gesture he thought might please her. "I love the ballet," she breathed, still looking down.

She heard Luke breathe a sigh of relief and she felt his Force signature brighten. Her own responded to his, lightening and illuminating the gratitude in her chest. "You do? I thought you might, I mean with your dancing, and the Court, and-" Mara reached up a hand to lay a finger across his lips with a smile.

"I love it. . .Luke. Thank you," she felt Luke smile brightly against the pad of her finger and she removed it to give him a shy kiss. She lowered her eyes and ran her thumb along the sharp edge of the flimsy. "Nobody's ever-" she cleared her throat and pursed her lips, but before she could continue, Luke brushed his mouth against hers.

"I know," he murmured as his arms came around her waist and slid under her loose tunic. His hands brushed softly against her lower back and Mara swayed into him. "You can, of course, take anyone you want," he said as his lips slid along her neck. "But I'd like to take you."

Mara snorted, but lifted her arms to circle his waist and plant a kiss against his throat. "In more ways than one," she breathed, then canted her head. "Wait, these are for tomorrow," she said, trying to sound reasonable while Luke's mouth did amazing things to the skin below her jaw. "That just happens to coincide with when I have been instructed I may resume 'vigorous activity'."

Luke lifted his head and smiled wolfishly, the expression sending tingles down Mara's spine. "Really? That hadn't occurred to me."

Mara laughed, a husky sound, and playfully patted Luke's back. "How many times do I have to tell you that sarcasm doesn't really work for you?" Despite the playful tone, she pressed her body flush against his, reveling in the heat. She gasped as his calloused hand gripped her breast and rolled a nipple between his fingertips. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and dropped his hand to her hip, while he moved his forehead to rest against hers. They stood, panting, breathing each other's breath, and Mara reached up to brush Luke's hair behind his ears.

"Tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"Tomorrow," she promised on a small laugh.