You Get Me-chapter 14
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"Jacen?"
He turned automatically at the sound of the feminine voice coming from the doorway and was pleased to see Tahiri walking out to join him on the balcony.
"Hey," he said, trying not to let his smile get too large. He was acting ridiculous, his heart speeding up with each step she took toward him. The moonlight glinted off of her golden hair and his breath caught in his throat.
'Ridiculous!' he yelled inside his head.
"I wondered what happened to you," she said leaning back on the rail. "Your mom made this great cake stuff for dessert. She said it was some kind of Corellian treat Mirax Horn gave her the recipe for. Want to go in a try a piece?"
Jacen tore his gaze from her face and looked back out to the ocean. "Nah. I'm pretty full from dinner."
Tahiri's face fell in disappointment. "All right. I'll just go back in. You seem like you want to be alone," and she started to leave. A firm hand on her arm stopped her, and she looked up into Jacen's brown eyes.
"Don't," he said softly. "Stay here with me."
Something in his voice was different-soft, yet almost desperate-and she couldn't refuse. "Sure. I'll stay," she offered with a tiny smile. Jacen let his hand drop and they both returned to their spots overlooking the Mon Cal sea. A comfortable silence settled between them for several minutes before Tahiri spoke again.
"Jaina invited us to go swimming with her and Jag tomorrow-if you'd like to go," she said hesitantly.
Jacen chuckled. "I didn't think you knew how to swim."
Tahiri dropped her head and tried to hide her slight embarrassment. "Yeah, well, someone I know told me he'd teach me how, only he's never followed through on that promise," she recovered.
Jacen grinned. "You're right. I did tell you I'd teach you, didn't I? Well, I guess we'll just have to take my dear sister up on her offer then."
Again the quiet came, but it wasn't at all quiet inside Jacen's head. The talk he'd had with his father kept repeating in his mind, those three options arguing their pros and cons. Of course, the idea that he kidnap her was preposterous and out of the question. However, the other two-tell her how he felt now or later-were battling it out. Postponing any revelation of his true feelings was of course appealing and would save him from any discomfort for now. But the possibility of telling her now and maybe having her in his arms in a matter of minutes was, he finally admitted, a more tempting proposition.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and took her hand in his. She glanced first at their hands and then up to meet his gaze, confusion showing in her green eyes.
"Tahiri, I need to tell you something," he stated, a look of urgency burning in his dark eyes.
"Sure, Jacen. What is it?" He seemed so serious that it was causing her a bit of alarm.
"I-I--," he stumbled. He wanted to say it so badly, but his tongue kept getting tied. Inside his heart felt like it was expanding, ready to explode at any moment if he didn't say the words he so desperately needed to share. Taking one more deep breath, he braced himself for whatever reaction she might have.
"Tahiri," he began boldly, "I-"
"There you two are!"
Tahiri and Jacen both turned at once to see Jaina framed in the doorway. She could immediately sense through her brother that she had interrupted at a bad time, and decided it was too late to worry about it now. She would apologize later.
"Come on in. Mom's got some important news."
Jacen grudgingly let Tahiri's hand drop, but gave her a look that promised they'd continue this conversation later. "Guess it'll have to wait," he sighed.
"Guess so," she replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she walked back into the apartment.
Once they were all seated inside, Leia could hardly wait to share her news.
"I just got off of the holo with Cal. Something wonderful is about to happen, something that could turn this war around and help us defeat the Vong." She paused dramatically for emphasis, which only annoyed her husband.
"Will you just spill it already? For goodness sakes, Leia! What is it?" Han said.
"Finally, after all this time and all of our problems, the Hapans are poised to join us in the fight!" she beamed. "A delegation from the cluster is scheduled to be here by the end of the week to make it official. This alliance could mean all the difference for us."
Her audience looked around, everyone with smiles on their faces. They knew how important this development was in this horrible war that had taken too many of their loved ones already.
"That's great, Leia," Luke remarked, bouncing Ben on his knee. "I know you've worked for this for a long time."
"Yes, I have," she agreed, "and this time I think it's really going to happen. Thanks to Tenel Ka the war may soon be over."
At the mention of the recently crowned Hapan queen, Jacen's eyes darted to his mother to find a smile on her face. "I thought that might get your attention, Jacen. I know how you two used to be so close. She'll be so happy to see you again!"
Jacen glanced at Tahiri who had a strange look on her face, one he'd never seen her wear before, and he was sure a similar one was displayed on his own face as well.
'Tenel Ka-here?' he thought. There was a time he would have done anything to be with her, but now. now the confusing feelings churning in the pit of his stomach left him unsure about everything. He hadn't seen her since Myrkr. He knew he was a different person, but what about her? How much had she changed?
"I knew you'd be delighted," Leia said and then continued to ramble on. She was so busy explaining all of the details of the visit that she didn't notice the secretive look that passed between her husband and their son.
Jacen looked pleadingly at his father, but Han simply shrugged letting his son know he had nothing to do with it. He caught little snatches of what Leia was saying--- there would be a meeting followed by a formal banquet to honor the Hapans' entry into the war, yada, yada, yada. There was more she said, but Jacen didn't hear it. All his mind could focus on was the fact that the girl he used to love-and maybe still did- was coming in a matter of days, and the girl he thought he might love now had no idea of how he felt.
And he thought figuring out Vergere's lessons was difficult. Nothing could compare to this fiasco that was his life.
In a few moments, Leia stopped talking and everyone was moving about, ready to turn in for the night. Jaina and Jag were the first to go, followed by Tahiri and then Luke and Mara. Jacen had lingered, hoping to get in another word with his father. The opportunity eventually came when Leia left to change for bed.
"So, Dad," he began, "got anymore options?"
Han studied his son, amazed to see how grown up Jacen had become. It seemed that only a short time ago, he had been a little tyke climbing up on Han's shoulders, asking questions he had no answers for. Well, Jacen couldn't climb on Han's shoulders anymore, but age hadn't changed his penchant for asking questions his father couldn't answer.
"Well, you could always run for it."
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"Jacen?"
He turned automatically at the sound of the feminine voice coming from the doorway and was pleased to see Tahiri walking out to join him on the balcony.
"Hey," he said, trying not to let his smile get too large. He was acting ridiculous, his heart speeding up with each step she took toward him. The moonlight glinted off of her golden hair and his breath caught in his throat.
'Ridiculous!' he yelled inside his head.
"I wondered what happened to you," she said leaning back on the rail. "Your mom made this great cake stuff for dessert. She said it was some kind of Corellian treat Mirax Horn gave her the recipe for. Want to go in a try a piece?"
Jacen tore his gaze from her face and looked back out to the ocean. "Nah. I'm pretty full from dinner."
Tahiri's face fell in disappointment. "All right. I'll just go back in. You seem like you want to be alone," and she started to leave. A firm hand on her arm stopped her, and she looked up into Jacen's brown eyes.
"Don't," he said softly. "Stay here with me."
Something in his voice was different-soft, yet almost desperate-and she couldn't refuse. "Sure. I'll stay," she offered with a tiny smile. Jacen let his hand drop and they both returned to their spots overlooking the Mon Cal sea. A comfortable silence settled between them for several minutes before Tahiri spoke again.
"Jaina invited us to go swimming with her and Jag tomorrow-if you'd like to go," she said hesitantly.
Jacen chuckled. "I didn't think you knew how to swim."
Tahiri dropped her head and tried to hide her slight embarrassment. "Yeah, well, someone I know told me he'd teach me how, only he's never followed through on that promise," she recovered.
Jacen grinned. "You're right. I did tell you I'd teach you, didn't I? Well, I guess we'll just have to take my dear sister up on her offer then."
Again the quiet came, but it wasn't at all quiet inside Jacen's head. The talk he'd had with his father kept repeating in his mind, those three options arguing their pros and cons. Of course, the idea that he kidnap her was preposterous and out of the question. However, the other two-tell her how he felt now or later-were battling it out. Postponing any revelation of his true feelings was of course appealing and would save him from any discomfort for now. But the possibility of telling her now and maybe having her in his arms in a matter of minutes was, he finally admitted, a more tempting proposition.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and took her hand in his. She glanced first at their hands and then up to meet his gaze, confusion showing in her green eyes.
"Tahiri, I need to tell you something," he stated, a look of urgency burning in his dark eyes.
"Sure, Jacen. What is it?" He seemed so serious that it was causing her a bit of alarm.
"I-I--," he stumbled. He wanted to say it so badly, but his tongue kept getting tied. Inside his heart felt like it was expanding, ready to explode at any moment if he didn't say the words he so desperately needed to share. Taking one more deep breath, he braced himself for whatever reaction she might have.
"Tahiri," he began boldly, "I-"
"There you two are!"
Tahiri and Jacen both turned at once to see Jaina framed in the doorway. She could immediately sense through her brother that she had interrupted at a bad time, and decided it was too late to worry about it now. She would apologize later.
"Come on in. Mom's got some important news."
Jacen grudgingly let Tahiri's hand drop, but gave her a look that promised they'd continue this conversation later. "Guess it'll have to wait," he sighed.
"Guess so," she replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she walked back into the apartment.
Once they were all seated inside, Leia could hardly wait to share her news.
"I just got off of the holo with Cal. Something wonderful is about to happen, something that could turn this war around and help us defeat the Vong." She paused dramatically for emphasis, which only annoyed her husband.
"Will you just spill it already? For goodness sakes, Leia! What is it?" Han said.
"Finally, after all this time and all of our problems, the Hapans are poised to join us in the fight!" she beamed. "A delegation from the cluster is scheduled to be here by the end of the week to make it official. This alliance could mean all the difference for us."
Her audience looked around, everyone with smiles on their faces. They knew how important this development was in this horrible war that had taken too many of their loved ones already.
"That's great, Leia," Luke remarked, bouncing Ben on his knee. "I know you've worked for this for a long time."
"Yes, I have," she agreed, "and this time I think it's really going to happen. Thanks to Tenel Ka the war may soon be over."
At the mention of the recently crowned Hapan queen, Jacen's eyes darted to his mother to find a smile on her face. "I thought that might get your attention, Jacen. I know how you two used to be so close. She'll be so happy to see you again!"
Jacen glanced at Tahiri who had a strange look on her face, one he'd never seen her wear before, and he was sure a similar one was displayed on his own face as well.
'Tenel Ka-here?' he thought. There was a time he would have done anything to be with her, but now. now the confusing feelings churning in the pit of his stomach left him unsure about everything. He hadn't seen her since Myrkr. He knew he was a different person, but what about her? How much had she changed?
"I knew you'd be delighted," Leia said and then continued to ramble on. She was so busy explaining all of the details of the visit that she didn't notice the secretive look that passed between her husband and their son.
Jacen looked pleadingly at his father, but Han simply shrugged letting his son know he had nothing to do with it. He caught little snatches of what Leia was saying--- there would be a meeting followed by a formal banquet to honor the Hapans' entry into the war, yada, yada, yada. There was more she said, but Jacen didn't hear it. All his mind could focus on was the fact that the girl he used to love-and maybe still did- was coming in a matter of days, and the girl he thought he might love now had no idea of how he felt.
And he thought figuring out Vergere's lessons was difficult. Nothing could compare to this fiasco that was his life.
In a few moments, Leia stopped talking and everyone was moving about, ready to turn in for the night. Jaina and Jag were the first to go, followed by Tahiri and then Luke and Mara. Jacen had lingered, hoping to get in another word with his father. The opportunity eventually came when Leia left to change for bed.
"So, Dad," he began, "got anymore options?"
Han studied his son, amazed to see how grown up Jacen had become. It seemed that only a short time ago, he had been a little tyke climbing up on Han's shoulders, asking questions he had no answers for. Well, Jacen couldn't climb on Han's shoulders anymore, but age hadn't changed his penchant for asking questions his father couldn't answer.
"Well, you could always run for it."
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