It was another late night for Luke, and an unusually chilly and rainy one as well. By the time he left to retire for the evening, it was already half past one – long past bedtime for all of his junior pupils and many of his senior ones.
The halls of the Jedi Temple were quiet, save for the clicking of his boots as he made his way to the quarters he and Mara shared. He fully expected her to be asleep by this time: she was feeling a bit under the weather – some kind of cold going around the Temple – and decided she was going to get some rest after supper.
Luke opened the door to their small apartment. There wasn't much in there: a little kitchen with a table for two, a chair, a bed, a 'fresher and a sofa. The glow of Mara's datapad, playing old reruns of "Everybody Loves Garmanarnar," filled the room with a soft blue glow. On the end table was a glass of water, some crackers and an empty mug of Corellian whiskey and lemon juice. And sleeping peacefully at the end of the sofa, curled up in a brown blanket and a fluffy pink bathrobe, was Mara. Her long auburn hair was spread out every which way on the pillow under her head and across her face. She was, as the saying went, dead to the galaxy.
You tell anyone I own anything pink, Farmboy, and I swear to the gods I'll kill you where you stand.
Luke shut the door behind him, careful to be quiet so he didn't wake her. She always had trouble sleeping, being plagued constantly by nightmares, so to see her sound asleep was rare. She needed her rest, though, especially being sick.
He knelt down beside her, brushing strands of hair out of her face. As he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, she stirred a bit.
"Luke...is that you," she mumbled in a sleepy whisper.
"It's me."
"What time is it?"
"Late. Come on. You'll be more comfortable in bed."
"'M sleepy, Luke."
"I know."
He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms, grunting a bit as he picked her up off the couch. Everyone knew Mara the assassin, and Mara the Jedi, but few people knew how small she was. And, at this moment, vulnerable. Open. And loving, he thought, as she nestled her head into his shoulder.
Luke carried her the few feet to their bed, using the Force to peel back the covers, and laid her down. She was still mostly asleep, thank the Force. He was sure she'd taken something to help her with that. She stirred a bit but, thank the Force, didn't wake up completely.
He gave her another kiss on the forehead before he covered her up, turned off the lights and shut the bedroom door.
