-CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE-
While flying to Naboo, my blood was boiling. But, the Gunguns would take him in. No doubt about that.
I was right. Jin met me at the edge of the Gungun swamp, but he backed up a few paces when he saw the rage in my eyes.
"Why did you shoot my husband?"
"I didn't. My apprentice, Quinn did."
"I don't give a whomprat's behind who. You let him!"
"I said to him "Can't shoot him, him, him, or her" referring to Luke, Han, Darryl, and Jaina. He thought I said can."
"My husband is dying!"
"Asenath-."
"We lost a baby and now my husband is to follow?"
"I forgot…"
I nodded, tears of anger streaming down my face. I ignited my weapon.
"Duel me for complete answers, and more promises."
"I won't fight you."
"You will if you have to defend yourself."
I came at him and shockingly met with a deep-red blade.
"Fine. Then we do this by my rules," Jin flipped into the lake behind me.
Jin automatically grew gills in deep water. I pulled out my aqua breather and put it in my mouth, ripping off my magnets and shoving them in my water-proof pouch, and dove after him.
We fought like animals, equally matched (what do you expect? We trained each other).
We were so deep into it, I wasn't paying attention to how much more oxygen my breather had.
I began to struggle for breath. I tried to get to the surface, but couldn't make it.
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Jin pulled me out.
When I had recovered enough to speak, I hooked my magnets up, and spoke.
"Thank you. Again, you have managed to save me. You saved us."
"Us…What?"
"Jin, Darryl is half the reason I came. I'm pregnant."
"Again? Your second time?"
"Third…remember…"
"Asenath…"
"There was nothing that could have been done."
"No, Asenath, I could smell Darryl on you…I knew your egg had stopped in your tube. I should have warned you. I could smell your ovulation. I should have told you. I'm sorry."
"Jin, It's okay. Just…I can't lose my husband, too."
"He's strong. He'll make it. I just fought a pregnant woman. I'm so sorry."
"Jin, if I can forgive you, they will."
"They?"
I held up two fingers.
"Twins?"
I nodded.
"My best friend is having twins!"
Jin jumped up, and danced.
"Asenath, I haven't been so happy since I was high on my wedding night!"
"Oh my…"
"What are they?"
"We don't know yet."
"When?"
"In the next few weeks we will know."
"I need to ask you something."
"Go for it."
"Arianna wants to have the baby at home. I told her that she could, if you were the midwife."
"You want me to come to Mandalore when she goes into labor? That could be bad."
"No, more like come and stay with us for two weeks before her due date."
"We shall see. My goal is to make this pregnancy last 32 weeks. So, we'll have to keep playing by ear, huh?"
"Yeah. So, when do you find out?"
"Find out what?"
"The babies exactly."
"Two more visits…man you are pushy."
"Thinking about names yet?"
"Not really."
"I see."
"Well, until we know, we feel like there isn't a whole lot of good names will do."
"I guess that's true. I talked to Arianna earlier. We are having a girl…soon."
I smiled at him.
"She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger."
"Probably."
"Jin, you were so good to Tobi. I don't think there will be any problems with your parenting."
"No?"
"Well, maybe your dirty mouth."
"I already know. Arianna told me to watch my mouth, or she would personally drip acid on my tongue…a drop for every cuss word I spew in front of the baby."
"Arianna is my hero."
"You wouldn't have dared lay a finger on me."
"Precisely."
Jin smiled.
"So, you hold my wife as your idol?"
"Maybe."
"You're funny."
"Yeah…real funny."
"Asenath, I hope you can be our midwife."
"I hope so, too…Where's Quinn? Can I at least yell at him?"
"I locked him in the brig and no food for 48 to 72 hours. Only water."
"Ouch."
"He's a teen ager. Food is constantly being injested"
"Yeah…I would imagine so."
"I am truly sorry about him shooting Darryl."
"I wish I could say that it's okay. But it isn't."
"If you hadn't married Darryl, I think Luke would have."
"Jin, he's like 35 years older than me."
"So?"
I could choke at the thought.
"I love Darryl. I pray he makes it. If he doesn't, I don't know what I'll do."
"You'll come live with us."
"Jin…"
"I mean it."
"I don't know."
"That hurts."
"Jin, I don't know if I want my children under the same roof as the kid who murdered their father."
"He's not dead yet."
"That's true. But I mean that doesn't look good."
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm just worried about him."
"Quinn will be punished. I wish he hadn't shot Darryl, at Luke, or any of the ones I pointed out. He needed to perform a security breech, and I figured he may as well start with the top."
"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense for a kid with no experience."
"Really?"
"NO!"
Jin smiled. "Sarcasm…never fails you, does it?"
"I learned from the best."
"Aye, that you did, lass."
"Jin, I need to get back to my husband."
"You probably need to."
Jin hugged me.
I hugged him back. I tried to put every feeling into that hug.
"May I slap the jerk who hurt my husband?"
"Be my guest."
I walked, angered, toward the brig.
He was a baby-faced kid. He was a Nemoidian.
I normally wouldn't have hit a child.
I slapped him. Hard. So hard, it hurt my hand."
"That was for my husband, you…you…animal!"
I regret to this day, laying a finger on him.
Quinn looked startled.
I was crying. Thinking about still upsets me sometimes.
I left the brig, gave one last nod to Jin, then took off to be with my love.