Sam and Alyssa are the main characters in "Life as a House." Hayden Christensen's 1st movie, I think that's the weirdest coincidence and I did not intentionally name my characters Sam and Elyssa because of that.

Thank you everyone who reviewed, special thanks to Danele, my beta reader, or guinea pig, call it what you will.

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Chapter 3
in which We Have No Idea How to Get Home

"How did you end up falling in the middle of the highway?" Obi-Wan asked us.

I had no idea how to reply. If I told them we were from another universe, they'd think we were crazy...if they didn't already. "Ummm..."

"You know you could have been killed, don't you?" he continued sternly.

"Oh, it's not that dangerous, Master," Anakin cut in. "With traffic the way it's been lately, there'll always be someone there to break your fall."

I couldn't help laughing. "Thank you," I said, "for saving my life." Immediately after saying that I wondered why I had. This was a dream. I couldn't die in a dream, could I?

But what if it wasn't a dream? asked some other part of me.

It is, replied the first half, the more practical, disbelieving half, but I wasn't totally sure of anything at the moment.

"What am I, chopped liver?" demanded Elyssa.

"Our lives," I amended, my face turning red. I turned away, but not before I saw the grin on Anakin's face.

"We're going to take you home now," Obi-Wan said; then came the question Elyssa and I were dreading: "Where do you live?"

"Ummm..." Elyssa said. There was an uncomfortable silence as we tried to figure out how to answer.

"We don't know how to get home," I finally whispered.

"How did you get here?" Obi-Wan asked.

I had no answer to give them, so I simply broke down in tears. Anakin immediately put his arms around me. "Leave her alone!" he told Obi-Wan. "Can't you see she's been through a
very traumatic experience?"

"Can we stay here with you for now?" Elyssa asked.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "We should go see the Jedi Council," he said.

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Half an hour later, Elyssa and I were dressed and in the back of the speeder, once again flying through the streets of Coruscant. I held onto my bag protectively; what if someone were to discover the Star Wars books in it? What would we tell them?

But, most importantly, what would we tell the JediCouncil when we got there?

The questions made little sense, considering the fact that they shouldn't have mattered, since I thought the whole thing was a dream. But the fact remained that they did matter. Even while I was trying to convince myself that this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening, inside I knew it was, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I was so preoccupied with those questions in my head that I did not realize we had reached our destination until Anakin tapped me on the shoulder. "We're here."

I got out and looked around, still hugging my bag. The Jedi Temple wasn't the tallest building on Coruscant, but still it managed to stand out in the middle of everything else.

"What will happen after we see the Council?" I asked Anakin. Obi-Wan and Elyssa were ahead of us, and I hoped they couldn't hear.

"I don't know," Anakin replied. "But I hope you can stay with us," he continued in a softer voice, looking into my eyes.

I quickly looked away.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, until Obi-Wan stopped and announced that we had reached our destination. He opened the door and walked through; Elyssa and I nervously
followed.

My first thought was that the room looked a lot like that scene in Episode I when Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin spoke to the Jedi Council...and then I belatedly realized that it looked the same
because it was the same. Recalling the information in my visual dictionary, I could name about half of the Jedi there, but the rest of the names slipped my mind.

"Not seen you two before, have I," Yoda said, interrupting my thoughts.

I hesitated, and Elyssa replied, "No. I'm Elyssa. This is Sam."

"They told me they don't know how to get home," Obi-Wan said.

Yoda looked thoughtful. "Know how you got here, you do?"

"Yes," Elyssa said softly.

When neither of us volunteered further information, Mace Windu pressed, "How?"

There was silence; then Elyssa said, "Through my computer screen."

"Not from this universe, you are," Yoda said, a statement rather than a question.

"No," Elyssa said.

All was quiet as that sank in.

"And why doesn't your companion speak?" Mace Windu asked Elyssa.

"Because you're all figments of my imagination," I said.

"So sure of this, you are?" Yoda asked.

I did not reply for a long time. Then, slowly, I shook my head. "No."

The Jedi looked at each other; they seemed to be holding a silent discussion. As they did this, I looked around. Everything seemed so real. I did not understand how this could be a dream, but I did not understand how it could not be. I was almost dizzy from the confusion inside of my mind.

Finally Mace Windu spoke. "Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, you will care for Sam and Elyssa until you have found a way to get them back to their own universe."

"Wait a minute," I said. "You don't think we're crazy?"

"Think you are crazy, you do?" Yoda asked me.

"Lately I haven't been quite sure," I replied very honestly.

"I don't think you're crazy," Anakin said.

I turned around and looked at him, a sad smile on my face. "Thanks."

Then Obi-Wan told Anakin and I to go ahead and wait for him and Elyssa; I guess he had to talk to the Council. Anakin and I walked to the speeder in silence.

"You're being very quiet," Anakin remarked.

I did not reply.

"You really are from another universe, aren't you?"

"If I'm not dreaming...yes."

"Sam, I'm not just a figment of your imagination. Can your imagination do this?"

Suddenly his lips were on mine, soft and gentle. They lingered but a moment, and then he broke the kiss.

"I dunno," I replied. "I've got a pretty darn good imagination."

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