"I love you, too."

Jaina's cheeks were wet with tears. Not from sorrow but from joy. The smile she graced him with carried from her lips to her brandy-brown eyes and he wondered how it was possible that she could look even more lovely to him now than she did only moments ago. He found that she was just as radiant in a tattered flight suit as she was in an evening gown of shimmersilk.

He knew the moment he professed his love for her his life would never be the same.

She reached up and rested the palm of her hand against his cheek. He closed his eyes briefly, savouring the feel of her touch on his skin. He didn't know when they would be able to share a moment like this again and even though they had to return to Borleias, he wished that they could have had the luxury of staying on Drognan for at least one more day.

Jag cradled her face as he drew her in for another kiss. Jaina sighed and closed her eyes, waiting expectantly for his touch. Was it possible that she had such power over him? That a gentle breath or simple look could turn his heart over in his chest and make him yearn for something so much more?

Love and desire surged through him as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Jaina pressed herself closer to him, the hand on his cheek falling against his shoulder. She opened her mouth easily for him, a breathy little moan escaping her. The sound of it made his heart race, passion laced with tenderness surged through him.

Jaina pulled back, a little step far enough so she could look up at him. Spots of red marked her cheeks, her eyes dazzled with the same hint of longing he felt stir in him. "We should get ready to go." she whispered. The sadness in her voice pained him.

He nodded. "Do we have everything?"

"I think so." She touched his arm as she walked past him, walking over to the fireplace. Jag half-turned and watched her as she stopped at the hearth. She reached out and took one of the candleholders. Turning it over in her hand, she kept her stare focused on it. She seemed mesmerized by the stone it was made from.

"When you look back on our stay here, what would you say was your favourite memory?"

The question puzzled him. "You expect me to choose one?"

Jaina didn't turn to him. She continued to study the candleholder as if she was using it to help keep her composure. She slumped a little and leaned lightly against the mantle. "I know it's difficult to chose, but if you could take one moment and store it away in your head forever, what one would it be?"

Jag pondered that and found that he couldn't pinpoint a single moment. There were so many to choose from. He turned away, bringing his stare to fall on the chair in front of him. Hanging over the back of it was the two drapes they had used as blankets and folded neatly on top of them was the shirt Jaina had worn. His fingers grazed the material and the image of Jaina sitting on the floor wearing his shirt while snuggled underneath the warmth of the drapes flashed through his mind.

"If I had to choose," she said, breaking the silence, "I'd have to say my favourite memory would be when I first woke up after the crash." She set the candleholder down but her fingers still rested against the base of it. "I remember feeling warm and safe in your arms and when you took care of my injury, you were so gentle with me. You were kind and compassionate; trying to talk to me and keep my thoughts preoccupied so I wouldn't feel the pain of my broken ribs. " He wasn't facing her, but Jag heard the faint sound of Jaina turn toward him. "I knew at that moment that I loved you."

Jag grinned and picked up the shirt. He could still smell the scent of her on the material. Or perhaps he could still smell her on his skin from when they slept. He struggled to find a word to describe it. Sweet, he finally decided. It a sweet scent that he could easily lose himself in.

Turning the shirt over in his hands, he glanced over his shoulder toward Jaina. "I don't think I can name one specific moment, however if I had to chose one, I'd have to say that it was falling asleep with you in my arms and waking up to find you still there."

Jaina blushed and looked back toward the fireplace. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep without you next to me."

Jag picked up the backpack and put the shirt inside then snapped it shut. He then circled the table and shut off the music player, taking the small disk out and putting it away with the other ones. He put them back in the armoire but left the dress on the table so it would dry. He hoped that if they owners ever came back to this place, they wouldn't be too upset.

"I'll never forget this place."

He almost didn't hear Jaina's voice, so quiet was she. Her back was to him and she was staring downward toward the ashes in the fireplace. Her arms were folded across her chest. She seemed fragile at that moment, as if she feared she would break if she moved.

Jag closed the armoire then walked over to her. He stood behind her, heard her fight back a sob. He felt a little awkward and thought it strange that he should feel that way, given all they'd been through. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. She welcomed his support and leaned against him, her arms folding over his. Jag rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't know what's going to happen once we return to Borleias. We both know that in wartime, anything is possible." He paused, thinking out his words. He had the feeling that she needed to hear something from him, a reassurance that things were going to be okay between them. He didn't want to give her any false hopes and he wanted every word he spoke in this moment to come directly from his heart. He had never been in love; it was difficult to find the appropriate words.

"I do know that I want to stay with you and help fight this war." he continued, giving her a gentle squeeze. "There may come a time when my responsibilities may force me to return to the Unknown Regions. My commitments there could keep me away for a short time or indefinitely. " He paused and kissed her neck. "I want you to know that should that happen, I will do whatever necessary to find my way back to you."

"Do you mean that? Truly?" She almost sounded surprised by his admission.

Jag smiled. "Yes, I do. If you and I still have these feelings for each other then, and they are as strong and deep as they are now, then, yes. I can't imagine my life without you."

"Oh, Jag." She turned in his arms and kissed him. A wave of love and desire poured through him. A desire edged with poignancy for although he loved Jaina, he knew that he couldn't make any solid commitments to her because of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. They had to realistic for anything could happen. However, right now and every moment he was granted with her, he would cherish each and every second. She was life; giving him breath, warming him with her touch, feeding him with her kisses.

Jaina pulled away and walked over to the chest. She picked up her helmet and flight gloves then turned to the double doors. "We should go before I do something drastic, like throw myself down those stairs, just so I'm not flight ready." She grinned, opening the door.

Jag smirked. "I'm guessing you really didn't crash. This was all some grand scheme to get me alone." He walked over to the table and grabbed his flight gloves and the backpack.

Her smile was innocent. The glint in her eyes was not. "I'll never tell."

Following her out into the hallway, Jag strapped the backpack over one shoulder, turning to close the door to the dining hall. His hand rested on the doorknob as his gaze returned to the room that he and Jaina had shared for the past several days. The room had been transformed into a cozy little sanctum, filled with love and warmth.

Now it was cold and empty.

Jag stood frozen in front of the door, his eyes transfixed on the only window that bore no curtains. Two mornings ago he had stood there, staring out at the snowstorm, wondering about his feelings for Jaina and the sweeping changes he felt happening within. He was growing as a person, learning more about himself here on Drognan then he had in a very long time. In Jaina's presence he had managed to relax and talk to her about things he wouldn't dare share with anyone else. He had laughed and he had even shed some tears. He had learned a little about her background, shared with her some of his stories. He had held and kissed her with a boldness that surprised him and found it easy to want to continue doing so when he was in her presence.

He liked the person he was becoming. He looked at things differently, thought about life and love, war and conflict in a different context than was instilled in him. He was discovering that there was a life for him outside the cockpit of his ship. His eyes shifted toward the spot where he and Jaina had danced, where he had kissed her with a daring possession that he didn't know existed in him. *I wonder what kind of person I would have been if I was raised in the New Republic.*

His hand was trembling. Jag looked down at the floor. Was it possible that he was afraid to leave Drognan? He knew the answer even as the question came to mind. He did not want to close the door to the dining hall. If he closed the door he would be locking away the person he was becoming. He would return to Borleias and revert back to the man he was before he left for Kesna. It was a silly thought and he cursed it the moment it entered his head.

"Jag?"

He started, surprised by Jaina's voice. He looked over at her and noticed her concern. She must have sensed his thoughts, he realized, and he cursed silently to himself. She stood at the main doors, her smile soft. "I'm coming." he replied gruffly.

He closed the door over, leaving it opened just a little.

Following Jaina out of the house, Jag closed the main doors over, shoving hard to make sure that they did not blow open again like they had done when they first arrived. He put on his flight gloves and joined Jaina at the path at the end of the stairs. She held out her gloved hand to him.

He took her hand and started walking along the lake toward the Clawcraft. The wind wasn't blowing too hard yet it was still crisp against his cheeks. The storm had created a multitude of giant snow mounds and they struggled through snow drifts that were knee-high. A few times Jaina fell and she had to stop a few times when her ribs throbbed with her efforts. Jag pulled her behind him and had her follow in his footsteps, making her walk a little easier.

The air was filled with the sounds of animals native to Drognan. They passed by a group of low snow drifts and Jag almost fell backward when Jaina pulled him to a stop. He turned toward her and his breath hitched. The wind was gently whipping her hair around her face yet she seemed unaware of it. Her gaze was turned toward the lake. It was frozen over from the storm and looked like a giant sheet of transparisteel. The trees and shrubbery were coated white, the clouds broke to grace the sky with a light touch of deep blue.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Very beautiful."

Jaina glanced at him and blushed, realizing he wasn't talking about the lake. She gave him a little shove and Jag started walking again. They made the trip to the Clawcraft in silence and after ten minutes of manoeuvring around the snow drifts and fallen branches, they reached the ship.

The ship already bore footprints from where he had climbed up and into the cockpit earlier in the day when he was checking the systems. It was difficult to clean off the viewport and Jag had found he had to lay flat on his stomach and lean down over to remove most of the snow. It wouldn't make any difference once they reached the atmosphere, but he needed to see to get that far.

Pulling himself up on the ship, Jag popped the access hatch and leaned forward into the cockpit. He popped the compartment open behind his chair and put the backpack away. He came up again and looked down at Jaina. She was glancing at him with a doubtful expression on her face.

"Don't worry. We'll fit in there."

"Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "Does it matter? You're not staying here by yourself." Reaching down, he held his hands out to her. "Come on, Goddess. Your chariot awaits."

Jaina laughed, tossing her helmet up to him. He caught it in mid-flight and rested it on his lap. Jaina leaned up and Jag heaved her up in one fluent motion. Passing her back her helmet, he turned and lowered himself into cockpit.

Grabbing his helmet, he rested it just behind him and looked up. Jaina was looking down at him, shaking her head. "Your turn."

She paused for a moment then disappeared from his sight. He heard her moving around then she was back. With a perky little bounce, she dropped down into the cramped confines of the cockpit. She landed hard in his lap and Jag grunted rather loudly and winced.

"Sorry." Jaina said, her back pressed against him.

"Don't worry about it." Jag said through gritted teeth. "Would you mind moving your right leg please?"

"It's so small in here. Where do you expect me to put it?"

"I don't really care." Jag groaned again and tried to shift himself in the seat. That was a mistake and he cursed loudly. *So much for having children...*

"No need to get angry." Jaina replied sweetly. He thought he heard a note of laughter in her voice and he made a mental note to reprimand her for her humour during his discomfort. "Maybe I should stay here. We can't fly like this."

"I'm not leaving you here, so get use to it." He reached up and sealed the hatch.

Jaina turned in his lap and the movement surprised him. Jag winced again, his head fell back against the chair. "Will you tell me when your going to move like that!?!"

"Sorry." Jaina was half-turned toward him, her face radiant in the dim glow of the cockpit. "Maybe I should turn around and face you and rest my head on your shoulder. That might be more comfortable for you---"

"No, it wouldn't." He reached behind him, fumbling around for his helmet.

"You don't think so---"

"Trust me." He choked on the words and shoved his helmet on so fast he whacked his head in the process. A sensation passed through him, one of both pain and pleasure and the idea of leaving Jaina on Drognan suddenly didn't seem like a bad idea.

"If you say so." Jaina shifted again, this time more gently. She put on her helmet and leaned as far back against him as she could. Her head came to rest on his left shoulder, her hands resting on her legs. "You better strap us in."

Jag adjusted the restraints, doing his best to make sure they were both secure in the seat. To say that the predicament was awkward was an understatement and the fact that Jaina seemed to be enjoying herself annoyed him. Once they were settled in, he slipped his arms through hers and gripped the controls. The Clawcraft came to life, rocking for a moment before lifting off the ground. Jaina gasped in delight, turned her face to his and managed to kiss his cheek. She shifted in his lap again and Jag cursed again.

They came up over the lake and he brought the ship in for a low pass of the house before they left. Jaina sighed against him and she seemed focused on the house outside the cockpit. Jag circled the house, allowing Jaina a look at the place that had been their shelter for the last several days. Regret hit him like a blow to the chest. Perhaps he hadn't truly realized how much this place meant to him until now.

Jaina seemed to echo his thoughts for she was silent as he finished his inspection of the house. She reached out and rested a gloved hand against his. "Goodbye." she whispered.

Jag swallowed past the lump in his throat, diverting his attention to the task at hand. He brought the ship out over the lake then with a quick burst of speed, the Clawcraft headed skyward. Jaina's hand remained firmly on his, helping to guide him.

*Goodbye.*