Zekk climbed the last step and leaned against the doorframe, a little tired
from the trip to the top of the academy. When he had finally wakened and
found Jaina gone, it had taken him forever to pry her location from the
nurse. And when he tried to leave! Zekk had seriously contemplated tying
the nurse up; in the end, he had snuck from the room when her back was
turned, walking as fast as he possibly could, terrified that she would come
after him. Zekk chuckled at the thought of the plump nurse running down
the corridors after a weak, stumbling Jedi trainee. Jaina turned at the
small noise. A huge smile spread across her face as she realized who it
was.
'Zekk!' she exclaimed. Jaina jumped to her feet, running across the roof to throw her arms tightly around Zekk's neck. Zekk grunted, grabbing the doorframe in a desperate attempt to prevent a fatal fall down the long staircase.
'Jaina,' he gasped, 'I can't breathe.' Jaina dropped back to the ground.
'Sorry! I'm just so glad to see you. Awake. And alive.' Her smile faded. 'Oh, Zekk, I was so afraid that I would never see you again.' She sprang forward again, her arms doing their best to finish the job that the ion blast had started. Zekk carefully stepped away from the doorway, carrying Jaina, whose feet didn't even touch the ground, along with him. He didn't make it very far before his knees buckled and he was suddenly thankful for Jaina's firm grip. Jaina's relief turned to concern and she pulled him over to the wall. Zekk sank thankfully to the stone.
'Sorry,' she said again, sitting down beside him. 'I should have known you would still be a little weak.' They sat in silence for a moment, Zekk trying to dredge up courage that had suddenly ran and hid.
'Jaina, I have something to...' he stopped, realizing that Jaina was speaking at the same time. They both laughed.
'You first,' Zekk said.
Jaina hesitated, staring out into the forest. 'Zekk, do you remember what you said to me, after you...you jumped in front of me? Well, not said exactly, more like thought.' Jaina turned briefly to search Zekk's face before returning to her scan of the woods.
Zekk thought hard but he couldn't recall much at all. He shook his head.
Jaina sighed. 'Oh. Well then, what did you want to tell me?'
Zekk cleared his throat. 'Master Skywalker told me what you did, saving my life and all, and well, thank you.' Jaina frantically shook her head.
'No Zekk! You saved me. If you hadn't jumped in front of that shot, I'd be dead.'
'Did you ever wonder why I jumped in front of you?'
'Well, we're friends, and you're taller, and well, I don't know...' Jaina trailed off, floundering, thinking that she knew why but wanting Zekk to say it.
Zekk chuckled and ducked his head. 'That's part of it but,' he paused, watching Jaina from the corner of his eye. 'As I saw that ion blast heading for you Jaina, I suddenly realized how empty my life would feel if you weren't in it.' Jaina's head jerked and their eyes locked.
'Since you don't remember what you said Zekk, I'll guess that I will just have to remind you.' Jaina's voice was soft and Zekk had to lean in to hear what she said next. 'I love you'
Zekk leaned in closer. 'I thought that it might be something like that.'
Jaina nodded and her eyes sparkled. 'You never got to hear my response.'
Zekk laughed. 'I was a little preoccupied at the time, but I'm all ears now.' Jaina smiled and Zekk softly whispered,
'I love you too.'
'Zekk!' she exclaimed. Jaina jumped to her feet, running across the roof to throw her arms tightly around Zekk's neck. Zekk grunted, grabbing the doorframe in a desperate attempt to prevent a fatal fall down the long staircase.
'Jaina,' he gasped, 'I can't breathe.' Jaina dropped back to the ground.
'Sorry! I'm just so glad to see you. Awake. And alive.' Her smile faded. 'Oh, Zekk, I was so afraid that I would never see you again.' She sprang forward again, her arms doing their best to finish the job that the ion blast had started. Zekk carefully stepped away from the doorway, carrying Jaina, whose feet didn't even touch the ground, along with him. He didn't make it very far before his knees buckled and he was suddenly thankful for Jaina's firm grip. Jaina's relief turned to concern and she pulled him over to the wall. Zekk sank thankfully to the stone.
'Sorry,' she said again, sitting down beside him. 'I should have known you would still be a little weak.' They sat in silence for a moment, Zekk trying to dredge up courage that had suddenly ran and hid.
'Jaina, I have something to...' he stopped, realizing that Jaina was speaking at the same time. They both laughed.
'You first,' Zekk said.
Jaina hesitated, staring out into the forest. 'Zekk, do you remember what you said to me, after you...you jumped in front of me? Well, not said exactly, more like thought.' Jaina turned briefly to search Zekk's face before returning to her scan of the woods.
Zekk thought hard but he couldn't recall much at all. He shook his head.
Jaina sighed. 'Oh. Well then, what did you want to tell me?'
Zekk cleared his throat. 'Master Skywalker told me what you did, saving my life and all, and well, thank you.' Jaina frantically shook her head.
'No Zekk! You saved me. If you hadn't jumped in front of that shot, I'd be dead.'
'Did you ever wonder why I jumped in front of you?'
'Well, we're friends, and you're taller, and well, I don't know...' Jaina trailed off, floundering, thinking that she knew why but wanting Zekk to say it.
Zekk chuckled and ducked his head. 'That's part of it but,' he paused, watching Jaina from the corner of his eye. 'As I saw that ion blast heading for you Jaina, I suddenly realized how empty my life would feel if you weren't in it.' Jaina's head jerked and their eyes locked.
'Since you don't remember what you said Zekk, I'll guess that I will just have to remind you.' Jaina's voice was soft and Zekk had to lean in to hear what she said next. 'I love you'
Zekk leaned in closer. 'I thought that it might be something like that.'
Jaina nodded and her eyes sparkled. 'You never got to hear my response.'
Zekk laughed. 'I was a little preoccupied at the time, but I'm all ears now.' Jaina smiled and Zekk softly whispered,
'I love you too.'