I blew off working on my history paper yesterday to write this! You'd
better be grateful!
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Chapter Eleven
Jaina stood in front of the door to her parents' suite, debating about whether or not to go in. That thing with Jag and Daddy didn't go so well, she thought. What if he's already told her? What if Mom reacts the same way?
The situation was taken out of her hands, however, when the door slid open to reveal Leia. "Hi, honey," she greeted Jaina. "I thought I sensed you out here."
Jaina pasted a smile on her face and pecked her mother's cheek. "Hi, Mom," she replied. "Sorry I'm so late."
"Oh, that's all right," Leia said, shutting the door. "Your father told me you'd be a little late. Something about tidying up your room?"
"Ummm. yeah," Jaina said, inconceivably relieved Han hadn't said anything about her and Jag.
"So how are you?" asked Leia, leading the way into the dining area.
"Well, being a squadron leader is difficult sometimes," Jaina replied, getting out dishes and utensils to set the table. "Not to mention the whole Trickster Goddess thing. Sometimes it's almost more than I can take. And then." Jaina trailed off when she saw Leia looking at her in amazement. "What?"
"Nothing." Her mother shook her head. "It's just. It's been so long since I've heard you admit to weakness of any kind, and I. well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. You shouldn't have to go through all that you have. You're what? Seventeen? Eighteen? Most girls that age are at home or getting their first job somewhere, not fighting a war. You're. hard now, Jaina. And I understand. You've lost a brother, you're pretending to be a goddess, you're leading an elite squadron. You're too young for this! And it's all my fault. I'm sorry I brought you up to this life. Having parents who are, well, heroes can't be easy. We were hardly ever around when you were young, and we aren't now either. First you were on Anoth, then you went to Yavin 4, and then this war. I'm just so sorry, Jaina I've been a horrible mother." Leia wiped away her tears with her hand.
Jaina's eyes were full of tears of her own. She went over and hugged her mother. "You are not a horrible mother," she whispered. "You raised me to believe in something greater than myself. I just lost sight of that for a while, and got caught up in myself and my own selfish desires. I blamed you for never being around when I needed you, but now I realize you were serving something bigger, something better, something I couldn't comprehend until a few months ago. You were trying to make the galaxy safer for the ones you love. I didn't understand that until someone-" She broke off, blushing.
"What is it, Jaina?" Leia wiped her daughter's tears away. "Are you involved with someone?"
"Well. yes," Jaina said, her face red. "Jag's a pilot too, actually in my squadron. He's wonderful, and caring, and handsome. he's just everything I would ever want in a guy."
"Then what's the matter?"
"Ummm. well. his full name is Jagged Fel." Jaina closed her eyes in anticipation of an explosion. When there was none, she cracked an eye open. To her surprise, her mother had a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"So that's why Han was so upset," she said, her eyes dancing. "Oh, you should have seen him, Jaina! He came slamming in here, muttering something about your needing to clean up your room, then he went into the bedroom to recharge the power pack for his blaster. When I asked him what he was doing, he ignored me and said he needed to go buy some carbonite." By this time, Jaina was laughing with her mother. "Oh, baby! He must be so upset, you dating the son of his enemy. You should have seen his face!" Leia had to sit down on the floor, weak from laughing. Jaina soon joined her.
"I love you, Mom," she said, leaning her head on Leia's shoulder.
"I love you too, sweetheart," Leia said, putting an arm around her daughter.
They stayed in that position for a while longer, mother and daughter, reconciled once more. All of a sudden, Jaina sniffed the air. "Is that just me, or is something burning?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.
"My pastries!" Leia cried, jumping up and running over to the oven. "Well, they aren't too bad," she said, fanning away the smoke. "Jaina, will you get the fruit and set it on the table?"
"Sure, Mom."
Just then, Han walked in the door. "Leia, is there a fire?" he called. "Is everything okay?"
Leia winked at Jaina. "Everything's fine," she responded, taking out the tray of charred pastries. "Just go wash up." She set the tray on a counter. "Do you think he'll notice?"
"Ummm. he might," Jaina said, surveying the blackened mess.
Leia laughed. "Cooking was never my forte," she said ruefully. "Whenever one of my aunts tried to get me to learn, I would always run and hide in my father's study with a book on politics." She shook her head. "That's why I have a food synthesizer."
************************
Han, Leia, and Jaina sat around the table eating the fruit Jaina had set out. It was rather tense, with Han not speaking to Jaina except when absolutely necessary, and vice versa. Several times during the meal, Han had started to say something then changed his mind, glancing around the table. Finally Leia couldn't stand it anymore.
"Spit it out, Han," she said. "What're you looking for?"
"Weren't you making pastries?" he asked after a pause. "I just can't stomach this stuff." He made a face as he pushed the fruit on his plate away from him.
"Yes, Mom," Jaina said merrily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why don't you bring your pastries out for Dad?"
Shooting her daughter a glare, Leia threw her napkin down on the table and went to the kitchen, leaving Han and Jaina alone. Jaina continued to eat, neither one of them speaking. Finally, Han broke the silence.
"Jaina, you're not really serious about this Fel kid, are you?"
Jaina scowled at her father. "He has a name, Dad. Please use it."
Han grimaced. "What kind of name is Jagged, anyway? Sounds like some crazy thing Fel would do, giving his kid a handle like that."
Jaina stood up abruptly, shoving her chair out. "If you can't even speak civilly about my boyfriend, much less his father, then I really don't have anything to say to you."
Han looked at his angry daughter in shock. "So you're taking his side now?" he asked, standing up as well.
Jaina's face was red with anger. "Ever since you met him, you've done nothing but insult him," she said between gritted teeth. "You don't even know him! You're just so prejudiced! You hear the word 'Fel' and immediately assume the worst!"
That made Han angry. "Your boytoy isn't exactly blameless either," he yelled. "Did you not hear him, or do you just have selective memory?"
Jaina poked him in the chest. "He was provoked! By you!"
Han poked right back. "So I'm just supposed to sit back and relax while you. do stuff with the son of my worst enemy?"
Jaina growled in frustration. "You were perfectly calm until you found out who his father was! Come on, Dad. Why does he really get under your skin so much?"
Han's anger seemed to melt away, and he suddenly looked old. "It's just that the moment I saw how fiercely you defended him, I knew he'd be the one who would take my little girl away from me," he said softly.
Jaina's anger dissipated instantly and tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Daddy," she murmured. "I'll always be your little girl." She went over to her father and wrapped her arms around him.
Han returned the hug. "I'll always love you, Princess," he said. He was silent for a moment. "But don't expect me to like him right off the bat."
Jaina chuckled wetly against his shirt. "I won't," she said. "As long as you don't expect him to like you right off the bat."
Just then, Leia reentered the room, bearing the tray of pastries that looked. well. like ronto dung. Han released Jaina. "What the hell is that?" he asked. "It looks like ronto dung!"
Leia smiled sweetly. "I love you too, dear," she said. "These are your pastries."
Han stared at her openmouthed for a minute, then looked again at the shapeless lumps on the tray. He poked a dubious finger at one. "Ummm. they look wonderful, sweetheart," he said. "But I'm rather full now."
"Nonsense, Han," Leia responded. "Why, you've hardly eaten anything!" She scraped several lumps onto his plate. "Eat up, dear."
Han sat back down and picked up a "pastry." He knocked it against the table several times, but there were no visible effects on the hardened ball of dough. "No, really, Leia," he said. "I'm actually very full."
Jaina's face was red from suppressed laughter. Eventually, she couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Leia joined her. "Oh, Dad. You should have seen your face," Jaina gasped, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.
Han looked from his wife to his daughter. "Am I missing something here?"
That just sent Leia and Jaina off into fresh gales of merriment.
Han looked at the ceiling in exasperation. "Women," he muttered.
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Well, there it is, people! Tell me what you think!
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Chapter Eleven
Jaina stood in front of the door to her parents' suite, debating about whether or not to go in. That thing with Jag and Daddy didn't go so well, she thought. What if he's already told her? What if Mom reacts the same way?
The situation was taken out of her hands, however, when the door slid open to reveal Leia. "Hi, honey," she greeted Jaina. "I thought I sensed you out here."
Jaina pasted a smile on her face and pecked her mother's cheek. "Hi, Mom," she replied. "Sorry I'm so late."
"Oh, that's all right," Leia said, shutting the door. "Your father told me you'd be a little late. Something about tidying up your room?"
"Ummm. yeah," Jaina said, inconceivably relieved Han hadn't said anything about her and Jag.
"So how are you?" asked Leia, leading the way into the dining area.
"Well, being a squadron leader is difficult sometimes," Jaina replied, getting out dishes and utensils to set the table. "Not to mention the whole Trickster Goddess thing. Sometimes it's almost more than I can take. And then." Jaina trailed off when she saw Leia looking at her in amazement. "What?"
"Nothing." Her mother shook her head. "It's just. It's been so long since I've heard you admit to weakness of any kind, and I. well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. You shouldn't have to go through all that you have. You're what? Seventeen? Eighteen? Most girls that age are at home or getting their first job somewhere, not fighting a war. You're. hard now, Jaina. And I understand. You've lost a brother, you're pretending to be a goddess, you're leading an elite squadron. You're too young for this! And it's all my fault. I'm sorry I brought you up to this life. Having parents who are, well, heroes can't be easy. We were hardly ever around when you were young, and we aren't now either. First you were on Anoth, then you went to Yavin 4, and then this war. I'm just so sorry, Jaina I've been a horrible mother." Leia wiped away her tears with her hand.
Jaina's eyes were full of tears of her own. She went over and hugged her mother. "You are not a horrible mother," she whispered. "You raised me to believe in something greater than myself. I just lost sight of that for a while, and got caught up in myself and my own selfish desires. I blamed you for never being around when I needed you, but now I realize you were serving something bigger, something better, something I couldn't comprehend until a few months ago. You were trying to make the galaxy safer for the ones you love. I didn't understand that until someone-" She broke off, blushing.
"What is it, Jaina?" Leia wiped her daughter's tears away. "Are you involved with someone?"
"Well. yes," Jaina said, her face red. "Jag's a pilot too, actually in my squadron. He's wonderful, and caring, and handsome. he's just everything I would ever want in a guy."
"Then what's the matter?"
"Ummm. well. his full name is Jagged Fel." Jaina closed her eyes in anticipation of an explosion. When there was none, she cracked an eye open. To her surprise, her mother had a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"So that's why Han was so upset," she said, her eyes dancing. "Oh, you should have seen him, Jaina! He came slamming in here, muttering something about your needing to clean up your room, then he went into the bedroom to recharge the power pack for his blaster. When I asked him what he was doing, he ignored me and said he needed to go buy some carbonite." By this time, Jaina was laughing with her mother. "Oh, baby! He must be so upset, you dating the son of his enemy. You should have seen his face!" Leia had to sit down on the floor, weak from laughing. Jaina soon joined her.
"I love you, Mom," she said, leaning her head on Leia's shoulder.
"I love you too, sweetheart," Leia said, putting an arm around her daughter.
They stayed in that position for a while longer, mother and daughter, reconciled once more. All of a sudden, Jaina sniffed the air. "Is that just me, or is something burning?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.
"My pastries!" Leia cried, jumping up and running over to the oven. "Well, they aren't too bad," she said, fanning away the smoke. "Jaina, will you get the fruit and set it on the table?"
"Sure, Mom."
Just then, Han walked in the door. "Leia, is there a fire?" he called. "Is everything okay?"
Leia winked at Jaina. "Everything's fine," she responded, taking out the tray of charred pastries. "Just go wash up." She set the tray on a counter. "Do you think he'll notice?"
"Ummm. he might," Jaina said, surveying the blackened mess.
Leia laughed. "Cooking was never my forte," she said ruefully. "Whenever one of my aunts tried to get me to learn, I would always run and hide in my father's study with a book on politics." She shook her head. "That's why I have a food synthesizer."
************************
Han, Leia, and Jaina sat around the table eating the fruit Jaina had set out. It was rather tense, with Han not speaking to Jaina except when absolutely necessary, and vice versa. Several times during the meal, Han had started to say something then changed his mind, glancing around the table. Finally Leia couldn't stand it anymore.
"Spit it out, Han," she said. "What're you looking for?"
"Weren't you making pastries?" he asked after a pause. "I just can't stomach this stuff." He made a face as he pushed the fruit on his plate away from him.
"Yes, Mom," Jaina said merrily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why don't you bring your pastries out for Dad?"
Shooting her daughter a glare, Leia threw her napkin down on the table and went to the kitchen, leaving Han and Jaina alone. Jaina continued to eat, neither one of them speaking. Finally, Han broke the silence.
"Jaina, you're not really serious about this Fel kid, are you?"
Jaina scowled at her father. "He has a name, Dad. Please use it."
Han grimaced. "What kind of name is Jagged, anyway? Sounds like some crazy thing Fel would do, giving his kid a handle like that."
Jaina stood up abruptly, shoving her chair out. "If you can't even speak civilly about my boyfriend, much less his father, then I really don't have anything to say to you."
Han looked at his angry daughter in shock. "So you're taking his side now?" he asked, standing up as well.
Jaina's face was red with anger. "Ever since you met him, you've done nothing but insult him," she said between gritted teeth. "You don't even know him! You're just so prejudiced! You hear the word 'Fel' and immediately assume the worst!"
That made Han angry. "Your boytoy isn't exactly blameless either," he yelled. "Did you not hear him, or do you just have selective memory?"
Jaina poked him in the chest. "He was provoked! By you!"
Han poked right back. "So I'm just supposed to sit back and relax while you. do stuff with the son of my worst enemy?"
Jaina growled in frustration. "You were perfectly calm until you found out who his father was! Come on, Dad. Why does he really get under your skin so much?"
Han's anger seemed to melt away, and he suddenly looked old. "It's just that the moment I saw how fiercely you defended him, I knew he'd be the one who would take my little girl away from me," he said softly.
Jaina's anger dissipated instantly and tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Daddy," she murmured. "I'll always be your little girl." She went over to her father and wrapped her arms around him.
Han returned the hug. "I'll always love you, Princess," he said. He was silent for a moment. "But don't expect me to like him right off the bat."
Jaina chuckled wetly against his shirt. "I won't," she said. "As long as you don't expect him to like you right off the bat."
Just then, Leia reentered the room, bearing the tray of pastries that looked. well. like ronto dung. Han released Jaina. "What the hell is that?" he asked. "It looks like ronto dung!"
Leia smiled sweetly. "I love you too, dear," she said. "These are your pastries."
Han stared at her openmouthed for a minute, then looked again at the shapeless lumps on the tray. He poked a dubious finger at one. "Ummm. they look wonderful, sweetheart," he said. "But I'm rather full now."
"Nonsense, Han," Leia responded. "Why, you've hardly eaten anything!" She scraped several lumps onto his plate. "Eat up, dear."
Han sat back down and picked up a "pastry." He knocked it against the table several times, but there were no visible effects on the hardened ball of dough. "No, really, Leia," he said. "I'm actually very full."
Jaina's face was red from suppressed laughter. Eventually, she couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Leia joined her. "Oh, Dad. You should have seen your face," Jaina gasped, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.
Han looked from his wife to his daughter. "Am I missing something here?"
That just sent Leia and Jaina off into fresh gales of merriment.
Han looked at the ceiling in exasperation. "Women," he muttered.
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Well, there it is, people! Tell me what you think!