The Arrangement
By Rhea Jediknight
Thanks go to MaraJadeJediMaster (*grin*) , Falcon_Rider, CJ,Danni-2005 (hope you got a good grade on your paper!) , Lacy1, and aniamifan1988 (Down with Callista!) Thank you so much for all your feedback!
Part Twelve
They made the return journey home in silence, always touching, never once breaking contact. Mara studied Luke feeling the love for this man surge within her so that it obliterated all other thoughts or feelings.
The depth of Mara's emotions astounded Luke and made him feel as if he were the luckiest man in the world. He was immeasurably pleased and deeply humbled by her open show of love. He allowed his feeling to shine through to her, no longer concerned that she might reject his display of love.
The moment the door closed behind them, he could no longer restrain himself. Luke pulled Mara to him and kissed her. His lips moved gently over her mouth, his hands tunneled through her hair, undoing the simple braid down her back. Mara gave a little sob and threw her arms around his waist holding him against her body, responding freely. She opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue entry into her mouth. The kiss was fierce and tender at the same time. They made no move to further this exchanged, but just reveled in the sensations of being in each other's arms. They had finally reached a destination when neither of them had been aware that they had been traveling a long and twisted path.
Their Force senses overlapped, melding in a deeper more complete manner than ever before. They pulled back from the kiss, their noses almost touching, and closed their eyes luxuriating in this incredibly deep communion with each other. Luke's Force signature was bright and focused, pure and true, resonating with love and the very essence of the man he was. Mara's Force presence vibrated with courage and strength, beauty and love and was strangely magnified. Almost as if . . .. ?
Luke's eyes went wide and he asked, "Mara. . . .?"
She watched him through heavy lidded eyes and smiled knowingly at him. Mara knew that he could feel the baby's presence within her. She nodded at him and took his hand to place it gently against the almost imperceptible mound of her stomach, "I think it's time that you meet your son, Luke."
His mouth dropped open and his gaze went from her stomach to Mara's eyes and then back. Her words made everything that he had been sensing lately become instantly clear. It was as if he had been walking through a hazy valley and a strong wind had just blown the mist away. Luke had felt it, earlier at the wedding, he had just been unaware of the significance of the overlapping Force presence he had detected within Mara.
He was going to be a father. Mara and he were going to have a baby!
Luke smiled widely and he bent down so that he could press his cheek against her belly. He reached forward with the Force, gently seeking the tiny life growing inside her womb, and gave a little jump when he felt the responding surge from his son. His son. It was a dream come true.
Mara chuckled and said, "He's going to be powerful, like his father."
Luke slid up her body to pull Mara into a protective embrace and he hugged her against him, a new tentativeness in his manner. "He's going to be a very powerful Jedi," Luke agreed, "Even more so with such a powerful mother, but we'll show him how to control that power, to fully utilize his potential."
He grinned down at her and squeezed her tightly against him. Then he released her, instantly contrite and he said, "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?"
Mara rubbed his back and said, "I'm not going to break, you know. You had better not begin to treat me like that piece of Tatooine glass," Mara gestured to a delicate crystal sculpture displayed in a recessed alcove in the wall, "or I'll have to go do something dangerous just to prove that I'm still more than capable of taking care of myself."
He kissed the top of her head, suddenly self conscious of how cautious he had become. "But I sensed earlier, that you weren't feeling well. Are you sure that you're okay?"
"Positive. I'm not saying that I might not sometimes be a little over emotional, or that I might not want to look at your cooking the first thing in the morning."
"Hey!" he protested.
She grinned at him, and he smiled back to show he knew that she was joking.
"I had a lot on my mind today, and I guess it just became a bit much."
"I'm so sorry, Mara. I never wanted to hurt you."
"I know, Skywalker."
"How long have you known about the baby?" Luke asked, pulling back to meet Mara's eyes.
"Just today. I wanted to wait to tell you when we were alone."
He closed his eyes, mourning all the events of the day. "If I could only have spared you from seeing her again."
Mara placed a hand on his lips, stilling his words, "No. I'm glad that we saw her."
Luke looked curiously down at her, surprised at her words. She went on to explain, "If we hadn't seen her I might have continued to believe that it was Callista that you really wanted. That it was Callista that you were in love with."
"How could you ever think that when I told you on our wedding night that I loved you?"
"I thought you were telling me that you loved Callista. If you recall, your exact words were that you couldn't control your heart and then you promised that your feelings wouldn't interfere with our happiness." She had no difficulty remembering that conversation. Those words had been branded on to her heart, leaving an indelible mark.
Luke could hear his words and for the first time realized how she could have misconstrued them. "But why did you think I was talking about Callista?" He recalled all her questions about his past with the gray eyed woman and grasped that her insecurity about his prior lover ran even deeper than he had imagined.
He experienced a renewed pang of guilt when he understood that Mara must have harbored feelings for him for a very long time, even when he was with Callista. Luke said in a contemplative voice, "And then you said that you felt bad for the way I felt. I thought you meant that you felt bad for my inability to prevent myself from loving you."
Mara shook her head, feeling the tears well up in her eyes, "No, I was trying to be honest with you, that even after you told me that you loved Callista that I couldn't help but feel bad that you still felt that way about her."
"Oh Mara. What a pair we are." Luke pulled her against him and said into her hair, "Please don't cry."
"I never cry, Skywalker." She denied, even though her voice betrayed her and his shirt became damp with her tears. He kissed the top of her head and picked her up cradling her against his chest as he made his way through the darkened apartment. When they reached the bedroom, Luke laid her on the bed and spread out beside her. Mara settled her head on his arm and they pressed together, holding each other tightly.
They lay like that in the darkness, sharing the warmth of their bodies for a long while, alone with their thoughts. Finally, Luke whispered, "I've always loved you Mara. From the day we met and you were pointing a blaster at my face and I could feel your anger, I knew that you were the one for me. There was so much between us then, so much to get past. I might be the Jedi Master," the way he said the title sounded slightly mocking, "but I don't always know my own heart. Callista was a mistake. If I could do things differently. . . ."
"I love you." Mara said simply, interrupting his monologue.
" . . .I would have never have. . ." Luke turned his gaze from the dark ceiling to the woman whose head lay on his arm. "What did you say?"
"I love you, Luke. I've loved you from the first time that I saw you in Jabba's Palace, all those years ago. Why do you think I hated you so much? I didn't want to love you. I denied that love, at first because I believed you to be the villain Palapatine had claimed you to be, but later because I thought loving you would make me weak . . . .vulnerable."
"It takes courage to love, Mara."
"I know that now. It took us a long time to get here. You've shown me so much, believed in me, gave me hope .. .and love. And now you've given me a son." Mara's voice broke. Her confession along with those last words encircled his heart, making the love in him flow out so strongly, it begged for release.
Luke claimed her mouth in a honeyed kiss. He groaned at her passionate response. He covered her with his body, pushing her deeply into the mattress. Their hands roamed, exploring the length, and they pulled away to shed their clothing. The passion rose quickly. Their lips met again in an even deeper kiss, becoming more intense, but all the while there was a new level of tenderness between them.
The blood burned in his veins, and his breathing became labored. His hands cupped her breasts and then slid down to touch her belly with a sense of wonder. He pulled his mouth away and breathed, "Are you sure its all right?"
Mara assured him, "I'm perfectly healthy and there is no reason to treat me any differently. I'll tell you if anything changes."
"I'll take that as a promise." Luke said, resting his forehead on hers.
Mara agreed, "I promise. Now if you want to keep your wife from becoming irritated, I suggest that you resume what you started."
He gave a half smile that reminded Mara of his brother in law and said flippantly, "Now that's an order I can't refuse."
Luke's mouth covered Mara's and after a breathless moment he pulled back and groaned, "I love you so much."
Mara felt him hesitate and realized that despite his intentions, Luke was still afraid that he might hurt her. She decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. Besides, she reminded herself, she had yet to make him beg. Mara hid her grin as she pushed him back against the bed, none too gently.
"Mara?" Luke asked in surprise and then again, "Mara." This time it was an entreaty as she began to touch and kiss his body
Mara smiled to herself. She was pleased she had this power over him, and touching him like this had aroused her to a fevered pitch. Mara gazed at Luke, his firmly muscled chest glistening with a fine sheen of moisture in the dim lighting. His eyes glimmering a brilliant blue in his shadowed face.
Luke could not take his eyes from Mara as she sat astride him, with her hair in wild red-gold tangles around her shoulders. Her breasts full and round, rose and fell with each deep breath she took. Her eyes were heavy lidded, her head tilted to the side as she began to move, focusing on the incredible sensations that rippled through them.
Luke thought he would never have enough. His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips as he surged up into her, thrusting deeply. She gasped and shifted upward, and then pushed back down onto him, engulfing him completely in one sure stroke. The pleasure was so intense that he clutched at her convulsively, grinding her against him as he surged into her, and they danced to the rhythm of their bodies, listening to the beat of their hearts.
Their Force senses were open. When Mara felt Luke reach for her, she welcomed it, joining him through the Force. It was like touching a live electrical circuit, they gasped as one. Their minds united, the Force crackled around them with blue flame. They shared their pleasure through their bond, magnifying it to a euphoric intensity. It bordered on pain and they clutched at each other unwilling for this joining to end, unable to prevent themselves from falling over the edge of ecstasy. They could feel the other's needs, knew how to move, where to touch, how much pressure to exert to bring their partner the optimum pleasure.
She cried out, feeling as if she would never be in command of her body again. Mara collapsed onto Luke's chest and he clutched her to him, fixing her in place. The heat of their bodies burned, but didn't hurt. The smell of lovemaking hung heavy in the air, and the sounds of their breathing was hoarse as they struggled to draw breath into struggling lungs. Luke weakly combed her hair back from her face, until the tendrils were away from her mouth and he kissed her long and slowly.
She was exhausted, replete, and had never felt so alive in her entire life. She returned the kiss, pouring her love for this man through the Force tendril that still connected them together. She felt the Jedi stir within her and she was shocked to find herself warming to the thought of continuing their lovemaking.
Mara chortled softly.
"That was amazing, indescribable, incredible." Luke said in awe.
"You forgot, wonderful, fantastic, beyond my wildest imaginings." Mara added teasingly, although she meant every word of it.
"I was getting there." Luke said. "Thank you."
Mara pushed herself upright to see his face, "For what?"
"For trusting me, for lowering your barriers and letting me in."
"Skywalker, you can come inside me anytime you want." Mara said.
Luke blushed furiously at her double entendre.
She laughed at his embarrassment, charmed whenever his more provincial background showed through.
Seeing her amusement Luke grinned, unable to prevent himself from showing his pleasure at her happiness. "You really do enjoy embarrassing me, don't you?"
"I can't help it. You turn such a handsome shade of red." She teased.
He moved suggestively against her, still joined, touching her deep inside. Mara groaned, closing her eyes, and shuddered at the sensation.
Luke stopped and when Mara opened her eyes she saw him grin at her devilishly. His eyes were darkened with passion, but they were happy too. "You always have had a powerful hold on me."
Mara's eyes widened and then she flushed in surprise at his words.
The Jedi raised an eyebrow at her as if he had no clue that his words could have had a double meaning. He moved just a little bit as if to demonstrate that he really was aware of what he had said.
Mara clutched at him and said warningly "Luke .. ."
Mara had a strange feeling that he knew perfectly well that she had enjoyed teasing him earlier and had wanted to make him desire her so badly that he begged for release. Now she realized Luke was determined to get revenge.
Luke got his vengeance that night, and it was an achingly sweet retribution for the both of them.
**********
Luke and Mara returned to Yavin so that the Jedi Master could resume duties at the Academy, but mostly to keep Mara from taking on potentially dangerous missions during her pregnancy. Luke skillfully managed her training so that it was never too strenuous. He could sense whenever Mara grew fatigued and would shift from physical skills to mental exercises. Mara was perfectly aware of her husband's adroit changes in venue and was both amused and silently gratefully for his wiliness to keep her active and at the same time sensitive to the growing demands of the baby.
They continued to become closer, often sharing surface thoughts without effort, unwilling to suffer a physical distance of any sizeable duration. Luke tuned away many requests for his presence on a mission enlisting the aide of one of the other Jedi. Mara worried that Luke might feel restrained, like a caged mynock, but picking up on her distress Luke had said, "My place is here with you. There is no where else I'd rather be."
The last month of her pregnancy They returned to Coruscant. Leia assisted them in setting up a nursery and even Artoo presented them with a gift of a mobile to hang above the crib crafted of smooth metal disks that chimed gently and glowed with multicolored lights.
Mara was installing some shelves in the room as an afterthought when she felt the first pangs of labor. She continued unabated in her task, ignoring the pain knowing that the labor process was a time consuming affair and she wanted to get everything in order. She doubled over when she experienced a particularly powerful contraction , clutching the smooth wood until the pain eased.
*Mara? Are you alright?* She felt Luke's concern through their bond.
*There's no need to rush, but I think your son is tired of waiting to see the galaxy.*
*Now?!* She felt his surge of panic and she sent him a soothing mental caress that unfortunately was abruptly cut off at the onset of another painful contraction. *I'm on my way.* He insisted.
Mara hissed biting down hard on her lip and when the pain ebbed she began to gather her tools.
When Luke felt the tearing pain coming from Mara he was certain that something dreadful had gone wrong with the baby.
Luke was in the Coruscant galaxy zoo staring sightlessly into the face of a snarling Rancor, when Leia touched his shoulder. "Luke? Are you okay? Brings back bad memories doesn't it?"
Luke glanced away from the caged animal to meet his sister's eyes. Jacen and Jaina had disappeared somewhere in the artificial caves and little Anakin refused to leave the Rancor exhibit.
"What? Oh no." He focused on his sister. "It's Mara. I think she's in trouble."
"The baby?"
"Yeah, But there's so much pain. There must be something wrong."
Leia said, "Would you help me to link with her?"
Luke nodded and took her hand. Leia could sense Mara's pain immediately through Luke's bond with her. Leia refuse to shy away from the awful cramping sensation, recalling her own labor vividly. She had forgotten how much it hurt to delivery a baby, but she could not sense anything awry.
Leia sent soothing waves through the link and she could feel Mara's surprise at her presence. *How's the baby?* Leia asked.
*A little scared but healthy. I guess this means we won't be able to take that trip you arranged for us after all.* Mara gritted out.
Leia knew Mara was refereeing to the wedding gift she had given them. She had made reservations for a trip to Erosia V, a honeymoon destination intending it to be used on Mara and Luke's first wedding anniversary. When the Solos had given them the trip, they had no idea that they would have a child so soon into their marriage. *I can reschedule it for you. Pretty soon this will be over and you'll hardly remember the pain.* she advised sagely.
Mara snorted in response, highly doubting that anyone could forget this . . . sensation.
Leia withdrew and turned to Luke, "As far as I can tell, Mara's labor is progressing normally. She'll be fine Luke."
Luke's nod was jerky and he swiveled on his heel, leaving without another word.
Leia would have liked to have accompanied him, but she couldn't leave her children alone at the zoo. She didn't need to search for them, however. They came to her, their eyes wide and she knew that they were aware of the impending arrival of their new cousin.
Luke arrived at the apartment to find Mara wiping the floor, attempt to clean the damp spot where her water had broken.
Luke urged, "Leave it." And picked her up into his arms. Mara was too surprised to react immediately as he carried her out of the apartment.
Mara glared at Luke and began to protest but the words died in her throat when another more powerful contraction racked her body. She shivered under the onslaught, but made no sound. She focusing her energy on soothing the tiny infant mind inside of her. Luke paused to place his hand on the side of Mara's face, and closed his eyes. The pain lessened and Luke gritted his teeth with an audible clack.
When the contraction ended they both sighed in relief.
"We're only having this one child, understand Skywalker." Mara growled to the Jedi.
Luke regarded her. His eyes were wide in his pale face. "Right." He agreed readily.
The made their way to the med center and it wasn't long before Mara was lying back on the bed exhausted but exhilarated. She nursed a freshly washed baby.
Tears streamed down Luke's face and he made no move to brush the moisture away. Mara felt such a surge of love go through her as she stoked the soft blond hair on the infant's head. She gazed up at Luke and felt for once, that she was exactly where she belonged. They were a family. Luke took her hand, kneeling so that his face was on level with their newborn son.
"We're going to have a dozen right?" Mara whispered, her voice breaking.
Luke's blue eyes widened and then he began to laugh. He had never been happier.
By Rhea Jediknight
Thanks go to MaraJadeJediMaster (*grin*) , Falcon_Rider, CJ,Danni-2005 (hope you got a good grade on your paper!) , Lacy1, and aniamifan1988 (Down with Callista!) Thank you so much for all your feedback!
Part Twelve
They made the return journey home in silence, always touching, never once breaking contact. Mara studied Luke feeling the love for this man surge within her so that it obliterated all other thoughts or feelings.
The depth of Mara's emotions astounded Luke and made him feel as if he were the luckiest man in the world. He was immeasurably pleased and deeply humbled by her open show of love. He allowed his feeling to shine through to her, no longer concerned that she might reject his display of love.
The moment the door closed behind them, he could no longer restrain himself. Luke pulled Mara to him and kissed her. His lips moved gently over her mouth, his hands tunneled through her hair, undoing the simple braid down her back. Mara gave a little sob and threw her arms around his waist holding him against her body, responding freely. She opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue entry into her mouth. The kiss was fierce and tender at the same time. They made no move to further this exchanged, but just reveled in the sensations of being in each other's arms. They had finally reached a destination when neither of them had been aware that they had been traveling a long and twisted path.
Their Force senses overlapped, melding in a deeper more complete manner than ever before. They pulled back from the kiss, their noses almost touching, and closed their eyes luxuriating in this incredibly deep communion with each other. Luke's Force signature was bright and focused, pure and true, resonating with love and the very essence of the man he was. Mara's Force presence vibrated with courage and strength, beauty and love and was strangely magnified. Almost as if . . .. ?
Luke's eyes went wide and he asked, "Mara. . . .?"
She watched him through heavy lidded eyes and smiled knowingly at him. Mara knew that he could feel the baby's presence within her. She nodded at him and took his hand to place it gently against the almost imperceptible mound of her stomach, "I think it's time that you meet your son, Luke."
His mouth dropped open and his gaze went from her stomach to Mara's eyes and then back. Her words made everything that he had been sensing lately become instantly clear. It was as if he had been walking through a hazy valley and a strong wind had just blown the mist away. Luke had felt it, earlier at the wedding, he had just been unaware of the significance of the overlapping Force presence he had detected within Mara.
He was going to be a father. Mara and he were going to have a baby!
Luke smiled widely and he bent down so that he could press his cheek against her belly. He reached forward with the Force, gently seeking the tiny life growing inside her womb, and gave a little jump when he felt the responding surge from his son. His son. It was a dream come true.
Mara chuckled and said, "He's going to be powerful, like his father."
Luke slid up her body to pull Mara into a protective embrace and he hugged her against him, a new tentativeness in his manner. "He's going to be a very powerful Jedi," Luke agreed, "Even more so with such a powerful mother, but we'll show him how to control that power, to fully utilize his potential."
He grinned down at her and squeezed her tightly against him. Then he released her, instantly contrite and he said, "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?"
Mara rubbed his back and said, "I'm not going to break, you know. You had better not begin to treat me like that piece of Tatooine glass," Mara gestured to a delicate crystal sculpture displayed in a recessed alcove in the wall, "or I'll have to go do something dangerous just to prove that I'm still more than capable of taking care of myself."
He kissed the top of her head, suddenly self conscious of how cautious he had become. "But I sensed earlier, that you weren't feeling well. Are you sure that you're okay?"
"Positive. I'm not saying that I might not sometimes be a little over emotional, or that I might not want to look at your cooking the first thing in the morning."
"Hey!" he protested.
She grinned at him, and he smiled back to show he knew that she was joking.
"I had a lot on my mind today, and I guess it just became a bit much."
"I'm so sorry, Mara. I never wanted to hurt you."
"I know, Skywalker."
"How long have you known about the baby?" Luke asked, pulling back to meet Mara's eyes.
"Just today. I wanted to wait to tell you when we were alone."
He closed his eyes, mourning all the events of the day. "If I could only have spared you from seeing her again."
Mara placed a hand on his lips, stilling his words, "No. I'm glad that we saw her."
Luke looked curiously down at her, surprised at her words. She went on to explain, "If we hadn't seen her I might have continued to believe that it was Callista that you really wanted. That it was Callista that you were in love with."
"How could you ever think that when I told you on our wedding night that I loved you?"
"I thought you were telling me that you loved Callista. If you recall, your exact words were that you couldn't control your heart and then you promised that your feelings wouldn't interfere with our happiness." She had no difficulty remembering that conversation. Those words had been branded on to her heart, leaving an indelible mark.
Luke could hear his words and for the first time realized how she could have misconstrued them. "But why did you think I was talking about Callista?" He recalled all her questions about his past with the gray eyed woman and grasped that her insecurity about his prior lover ran even deeper than he had imagined.
He experienced a renewed pang of guilt when he understood that Mara must have harbored feelings for him for a very long time, even when he was with Callista. Luke said in a contemplative voice, "And then you said that you felt bad for the way I felt. I thought you meant that you felt bad for my inability to prevent myself from loving you."
Mara shook her head, feeling the tears well up in her eyes, "No, I was trying to be honest with you, that even after you told me that you loved Callista that I couldn't help but feel bad that you still felt that way about her."
"Oh Mara. What a pair we are." Luke pulled her against him and said into her hair, "Please don't cry."
"I never cry, Skywalker." She denied, even though her voice betrayed her and his shirt became damp with her tears. He kissed the top of her head and picked her up cradling her against his chest as he made his way through the darkened apartment. When they reached the bedroom, Luke laid her on the bed and spread out beside her. Mara settled her head on his arm and they pressed together, holding each other tightly.
They lay like that in the darkness, sharing the warmth of their bodies for a long while, alone with their thoughts. Finally, Luke whispered, "I've always loved you Mara. From the day we met and you were pointing a blaster at my face and I could feel your anger, I knew that you were the one for me. There was so much between us then, so much to get past. I might be the Jedi Master," the way he said the title sounded slightly mocking, "but I don't always know my own heart. Callista was a mistake. If I could do things differently. . . ."
"I love you." Mara said simply, interrupting his monologue.
" . . .I would have never have. . ." Luke turned his gaze from the dark ceiling to the woman whose head lay on his arm. "What did you say?"
"I love you, Luke. I've loved you from the first time that I saw you in Jabba's Palace, all those years ago. Why do you think I hated you so much? I didn't want to love you. I denied that love, at first because I believed you to be the villain Palapatine had claimed you to be, but later because I thought loving you would make me weak . . . .vulnerable."
"It takes courage to love, Mara."
"I know that now. It took us a long time to get here. You've shown me so much, believed in me, gave me hope .. .and love. And now you've given me a son." Mara's voice broke. Her confession along with those last words encircled his heart, making the love in him flow out so strongly, it begged for release.
Luke claimed her mouth in a honeyed kiss. He groaned at her passionate response. He covered her with his body, pushing her deeply into the mattress. Their hands roamed, exploring the length, and they pulled away to shed their clothing. The passion rose quickly. Their lips met again in an even deeper kiss, becoming more intense, but all the while there was a new level of tenderness between them.
The blood burned in his veins, and his breathing became labored. His hands cupped her breasts and then slid down to touch her belly with a sense of wonder. He pulled his mouth away and breathed, "Are you sure its all right?"
Mara assured him, "I'm perfectly healthy and there is no reason to treat me any differently. I'll tell you if anything changes."
"I'll take that as a promise." Luke said, resting his forehead on hers.
Mara agreed, "I promise. Now if you want to keep your wife from becoming irritated, I suggest that you resume what you started."
He gave a half smile that reminded Mara of his brother in law and said flippantly, "Now that's an order I can't refuse."
Luke's mouth covered Mara's and after a breathless moment he pulled back and groaned, "I love you so much."
Mara felt him hesitate and realized that despite his intentions, Luke was still afraid that he might hurt her. She decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. Besides, she reminded herself, she had yet to make him beg. Mara hid her grin as she pushed him back against the bed, none too gently.
"Mara?" Luke asked in surprise and then again, "Mara." This time it was an entreaty as she began to touch and kiss his body
Mara smiled to herself. She was pleased she had this power over him, and touching him like this had aroused her to a fevered pitch. Mara gazed at Luke, his firmly muscled chest glistening with a fine sheen of moisture in the dim lighting. His eyes glimmering a brilliant blue in his shadowed face.
Luke could not take his eyes from Mara as she sat astride him, with her hair in wild red-gold tangles around her shoulders. Her breasts full and round, rose and fell with each deep breath she took. Her eyes were heavy lidded, her head tilted to the side as she began to move, focusing on the incredible sensations that rippled through them.
Luke thought he would never have enough. His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips as he surged up into her, thrusting deeply. She gasped and shifted upward, and then pushed back down onto him, engulfing him completely in one sure stroke. The pleasure was so intense that he clutched at her convulsively, grinding her against him as he surged into her, and they danced to the rhythm of their bodies, listening to the beat of their hearts.
Their Force senses were open. When Mara felt Luke reach for her, she welcomed it, joining him through the Force. It was like touching a live electrical circuit, they gasped as one. Their minds united, the Force crackled around them with blue flame. They shared their pleasure through their bond, magnifying it to a euphoric intensity. It bordered on pain and they clutched at each other unwilling for this joining to end, unable to prevent themselves from falling over the edge of ecstasy. They could feel the other's needs, knew how to move, where to touch, how much pressure to exert to bring their partner the optimum pleasure.
She cried out, feeling as if she would never be in command of her body again. Mara collapsed onto Luke's chest and he clutched her to him, fixing her in place. The heat of their bodies burned, but didn't hurt. The smell of lovemaking hung heavy in the air, and the sounds of their breathing was hoarse as they struggled to draw breath into struggling lungs. Luke weakly combed her hair back from her face, until the tendrils were away from her mouth and he kissed her long and slowly.
She was exhausted, replete, and had never felt so alive in her entire life. She returned the kiss, pouring her love for this man through the Force tendril that still connected them together. She felt the Jedi stir within her and she was shocked to find herself warming to the thought of continuing their lovemaking.
Mara chortled softly.
"That was amazing, indescribable, incredible." Luke said in awe.
"You forgot, wonderful, fantastic, beyond my wildest imaginings." Mara added teasingly, although she meant every word of it.
"I was getting there." Luke said. "Thank you."
Mara pushed herself upright to see his face, "For what?"
"For trusting me, for lowering your barriers and letting me in."
"Skywalker, you can come inside me anytime you want." Mara said.
Luke blushed furiously at her double entendre.
She laughed at his embarrassment, charmed whenever his more provincial background showed through.
Seeing her amusement Luke grinned, unable to prevent himself from showing his pleasure at her happiness. "You really do enjoy embarrassing me, don't you?"
"I can't help it. You turn such a handsome shade of red." She teased.
He moved suggestively against her, still joined, touching her deep inside. Mara groaned, closing her eyes, and shuddered at the sensation.
Luke stopped and when Mara opened her eyes she saw him grin at her devilishly. His eyes were darkened with passion, but they were happy too. "You always have had a powerful hold on me."
Mara's eyes widened and then she flushed in surprise at his words.
The Jedi raised an eyebrow at her as if he had no clue that his words could have had a double meaning. He moved just a little bit as if to demonstrate that he really was aware of what he had said.
Mara clutched at him and said warningly "Luke .. ."
Mara had a strange feeling that he knew perfectly well that she had enjoyed teasing him earlier and had wanted to make him desire her so badly that he begged for release. Now she realized Luke was determined to get revenge.
Luke got his vengeance that night, and it was an achingly sweet retribution for the both of them.
**********
Luke and Mara returned to Yavin so that the Jedi Master could resume duties at the Academy, but mostly to keep Mara from taking on potentially dangerous missions during her pregnancy. Luke skillfully managed her training so that it was never too strenuous. He could sense whenever Mara grew fatigued and would shift from physical skills to mental exercises. Mara was perfectly aware of her husband's adroit changes in venue and was both amused and silently gratefully for his wiliness to keep her active and at the same time sensitive to the growing demands of the baby.
They continued to become closer, often sharing surface thoughts without effort, unwilling to suffer a physical distance of any sizeable duration. Luke tuned away many requests for his presence on a mission enlisting the aide of one of the other Jedi. Mara worried that Luke might feel restrained, like a caged mynock, but picking up on her distress Luke had said, "My place is here with you. There is no where else I'd rather be."
The last month of her pregnancy They returned to Coruscant. Leia assisted them in setting up a nursery and even Artoo presented them with a gift of a mobile to hang above the crib crafted of smooth metal disks that chimed gently and glowed with multicolored lights.
Mara was installing some shelves in the room as an afterthought when she felt the first pangs of labor. She continued unabated in her task, ignoring the pain knowing that the labor process was a time consuming affair and she wanted to get everything in order. She doubled over when she experienced a particularly powerful contraction , clutching the smooth wood until the pain eased.
*Mara? Are you alright?* She felt Luke's concern through their bond.
*There's no need to rush, but I think your son is tired of waiting to see the galaxy.*
*Now?!* She felt his surge of panic and she sent him a soothing mental caress that unfortunately was abruptly cut off at the onset of another painful contraction. *I'm on my way.* He insisted.
Mara hissed biting down hard on her lip and when the pain ebbed she began to gather her tools.
When Luke felt the tearing pain coming from Mara he was certain that something dreadful had gone wrong with the baby.
Luke was in the Coruscant galaxy zoo staring sightlessly into the face of a snarling Rancor, when Leia touched his shoulder. "Luke? Are you okay? Brings back bad memories doesn't it?"
Luke glanced away from the caged animal to meet his sister's eyes. Jacen and Jaina had disappeared somewhere in the artificial caves and little Anakin refused to leave the Rancor exhibit.
"What? Oh no." He focused on his sister. "It's Mara. I think she's in trouble."
"The baby?"
"Yeah, But there's so much pain. There must be something wrong."
Leia said, "Would you help me to link with her?"
Luke nodded and took her hand. Leia could sense Mara's pain immediately through Luke's bond with her. Leia refuse to shy away from the awful cramping sensation, recalling her own labor vividly. She had forgotten how much it hurt to delivery a baby, but she could not sense anything awry.
Leia sent soothing waves through the link and she could feel Mara's surprise at her presence. *How's the baby?* Leia asked.
*A little scared but healthy. I guess this means we won't be able to take that trip you arranged for us after all.* Mara gritted out.
Leia knew Mara was refereeing to the wedding gift she had given them. She had made reservations for a trip to Erosia V, a honeymoon destination intending it to be used on Mara and Luke's first wedding anniversary. When the Solos had given them the trip, they had no idea that they would have a child so soon into their marriage. *I can reschedule it for you. Pretty soon this will be over and you'll hardly remember the pain.* she advised sagely.
Mara snorted in response, highly doubting that anyone could forget this . . . sensation.
Leia withdrew and turned to Luke, "As far as I can tell, Mara's labor is progressing normally. She'll be fine Luke."
Luke's nod was jerky and he swiveled on his heel, leaving without another word.
Leia would have liked to have accompanied him, but she couldn't leave her children alone at the zoo. She didn't need to search for them, however. They came to her, their eyes wide and she knew that they were aware of the impending arrival of their new cousin.
Luke arrived at the apartment to find Mara wiping the floor, attempt to clean the damp spot where her water had broken.
Luke urged, "Leave it." And picked her up into his arms. Mara was too surprised to react immediately as he carried her out of the apartment.
Mara glared at Luke and began to protest but the words died in her throat when another more powerful contraction racked her body. She shivered under the onslaught, but made no sound. She focusing her energy on soothing the tiny infant mind inside of her. Luke paused to place his hand on the side of Mara's face, and closed his eyes. The pain lessened and Luke gritted his teeth with an audible clack.
When the contraction ended they both sighed in relief.
"We're only having this one child, understand Skywalker." Mara growled to the Jedi.
Luke regarded her. His eyes were wide in his pale face. "Right." He agreed readily.
The made their way to the med center and it wasn't long before Mara was lying back on the bed exhausted but exhilarated. She nursed a freshly washed baby.
Tears streamed down Luke's face and he made no move to brush the moisture away. Mara felt such a surge of love go through her as she stoked the soft blond hair on the infant's head. She gazed up at Luke and felt for once, that she was exactly where she belonged. They were a family. Luke took her hand, kneeling so that his face was on level with their newborn son.
"We're going to have a dozen right?" Mara whispered, her voice breaking.
Luke's blue eyes widened and then he began to laugh. He had never been happier.