I wrote the mush in the story on Valentine's Day. I thought it would lighten the mood a little and I really wanted to read some L/M romance.

~JL~

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Myrkr

Mark and Han returned to the dayroom where they found the Jedi discussing the situation. Luke looked up to them expectantly as they entered.

Mark gave him a resigned look. "If you decide the memory rub is needed, I'll do it."

Luke gave a nod of understanding. "All right, then." He turned to the group. "Assuming that is the route we take, we have some decisions to make beforehand." Luke pulled up an empty chair and sat down. "Let's say we successfully erase his memories…what story are we going to tell him and anybody back at the temple who may have heard rumors?" Luke hesitated for a moment. "By the way, what do people know about this?"

"Cilghal knows Jacen is the one who attacked me," Mara said to Luke. "She said she would hold that information in confidence until she hears from you."

"How about Jak, Owen and Hanna?" Luke asked about his and Mara's younger children.

"They are still at their college campuses," Mara replied. "I contacted them before I left and simply said I was injured on a mission and I would tell them about it later."

Luke nodded and turned to Leia and Han. "Does Anakin and Tahiri know yet?"

Leia shook her head. "I wanted to find out the facts before we told anybody anything."

"How about you Talon?" Luke asked the younger man. "Did you and Jaden say anything?"

"Karrde told us the situation. We didn't discuss it with anybody but ourselves. We didn't even tell our mom."

"I didn't tell anybody," Jaina said before her uncle could quiz her.

Luke sat with his hands clasped under his chin as he gazed at the floor in thought. "Officially people know that Lumiya was sighted in Chiss territory and the Jedi went to look for her. They know Mara came back to Coruscant injured. There were rumors about Mark and his yellow eyes and Jacen's disappearance." He looked up at the group. "Add in a memory rub and what false story can we concoct where all of that makes sense but doesn't condemn Jacen?"

"I say blame everything on Lumiya. She's dead and I doubt anybody will come forth to dispute any story we conjure up about her," Mara suggested.

"I agree, say Jacen, Ben, Mara and I followed her to Kavan," Mark spoke up. "There Mara was attacked by Lumiya. Ben brought his mother to the hospital while Jacen and I chased her off planet and forced her down on Myrkr where Jacen killed the Sith."

Mara scoffed. "You want to make Jacen the hero of this story after all he has done?"

Mark frowned. "Yes, I do. If we are going to rip memories out of his brain I would like to replace them with a nice story. What tale would you prefer? I killed Lumiya as he cowered in a corner wetting his pants?"

Talon laughed which drew nasty glares from the group.

Mara rolled her eyes. "No, but making him the hero sounds a little extreme."

"Well, I haven't felt like the hero very much lately. I'd rather Jacen take the credit."

Mara brought her hands up in a gesture of defeat. "Fine, you and Jacen fought her on Myrkr and she died. Jacen was injured in the battle and sustained a head injury and memory loss."

"How do we explain Mark's eyes," Ben asked. "I know I probably told more than a few people about that." He gave his uncle an apologetic look. "Sorry, it scared me."

Mark waved him off. "No problem. Tell people that after I saw Mara severely injured I went a little darkside. Or whatever…I just rather people not know I have the ability to bring back the dead."

"We can work out the details later," Luke said. "Now we have to figure out how much memory needs to be removed."

"Can't we just wake him, tell him what we are going to do and ask him when he started training with Lumiya?" Ben asked.

Luke shook his head. "First of all he's not talking, and if he did talk he would probably lie, especially if he wasn't thrilled at our plan." He thought for a moment. "And there is another problem…even people without the Force can resist a rub if they know it's coming. It's possible to forcefully overcome the resistance but not without some damage to the person's psyche. If we tell him what is going to happen he will resist…also if the rub doesn't work he would then know he could fool us by pretending he has no memories."

"So, how will we do it?" Jaina asked.

"We take him out of sedation and once he is awake, but not fully aware of his surroundings we have Mark do the rub. This way he won't know to resist. That brings us to how much memory to wipe." He looked to the group. "When did anybody see a change in his personality?"

"Jacen leaving on his journey for Force knowledge was strange," Leia said. "He never explained why he left suddenly."

"He was also acting nervous and secretive right before he left," Han added.

Jaina nodded. "After he came back he was always depressed when attending family functions."

"When did he leave on his journey?" Luke asked.

Han looked at Leia. "It was almost five years ago, right?"

Leia nodded and Mark shuddered at the implication. In fact everybody in the group looked shaken as they realized five years would need to be torn out of Jacen's mind.

Luke must have noticed the change of mood in the room. "Why don't we talk about this tomorrow. I think we need to sleep on it."

.

After the meeting broke up and the others left, Luke went over to his wife and offered her his hand in a gentlemanly gesture. She gave him a put out look but eventually took his extended hand in hers.

"I'm fine," she reassured him as she stood. "No need to treat me like Vors-glass."

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek as he ran a hand gently over her silken reddish gold hair. "I almost lost my wife," he whispered in her ear. "So don't get mad if I want to hold you close and protectively."

She gave a roll of the eyes, but then smiled. "I'm usually not the type of woman who needs protecting."

"True, so I'll do it to safeguard my heart." He leaned back and looked deeply into her emerald-green eyes. "Mara I always knew I loved you, but when you almost died I realized the true depth of that love. It is endless, timeless and, in a way, frightening." A lump congealed in his throat making further speech difficult. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think of the possibility."

She reached around his waist and pulled his hips to hers. "Luckily we got a second chance. Let's not waste it."

He wrapped her up in his arms resting his cheek on the side of her head. "There is an old Rogue saying, 'Live each day like it's your very last because one day you'll be right.'"

"I like that saying." She leaned back and smiled. "When this is all said and done, we should do more things as a family. I know the kids are adults now, but it would be nice to have some together time."

"That sounds perfect."

"Good." Mara reached out and grabbed Luke's hand as she walked toward the door. "But right now I would like to spend some quality time relaxing in my husband's arms."

Luke smiled as they walked down the hall hand-in-hand. "I like that idea also." He went to enter the room he had been staying in, but Mara pulled him further down the hallway. He gave her a curious look. "Where are we going?"

She grinned playfully. "You'll see."

She pulled him into another room near the end of the hall. It looked just like the quarters Luke had been occupying, but someone had pushed two single beds together. He smiled. "Nice, but why here?"

She chuckled. "You really don't know?"

Luke shook his head confused.

Mara put her hands on his shoulders and gently walked him backwards until the back of his legs hit the bed. "Sit down."

"Okay," he agreed as he took a seat on the mattress.

She then went across the room and sat in a chair. She crossed her legs and pulled out her holdout blaster from its holster and set it on her lap. One eyebrow went up as she gave him a smug smile. "Does this bring back any memories?"

Luke looked around finally realizing where they were. "This is the room Karrde's crew put me in after they had stun-blasted and drugged me." He laughed. "Wow, that brings back thirty-year-old memories."

"You are correct. " She grinned broadly. "This was the room where I first managed to get the famous Luke Skywalker into bed."

Luke chuckled as he patted the mattress next to him. "Unfortunately, I was alone in bed. Let's change that now."

She laid her blaster on a nearby dresser and kicked off her boots and sat down next to him. Luke reached out and gently caressed the side of her face before he leaned in for a kiss. "I wish we were back here under better circumstances," he said before pulling her down next to him in bed.

She gave a sad smile. "If we come here again, maybe I'll get to do what I really wanted to do to you thirty years ago."

Luke's eyebrows went up. "What? Smother me with a pillow?"

She laughed as she nuzzled up to him. "How about I smother you with kisses."

"Despite the situation, I don't think anybody would begrudge me time with a wife I almost lost. So do to me what you will." Luke reached up with his hand and turned out the lights. After a few passionate moments in the dark he gasped. "Force! Mara, did you really want to do this to me the last time we were on Myrkr?"

She giggled. "Not at first, but after I did my pat-down search of you the idea did cross my mind."