Will you always be my baby?

By: Luckycharm/xoxodreamxoxo

A/N: This is my first fic in a pretty long time. I've been stuck in a "writer's block" rut for a while now (since about July!), and this is the first bunny that's followed me home in a long while. I don't have the story planned out too far yet (only the general plot), so I can't guarantee that this will be finished at such-and-such a date, or when the next chapter will be, etc. But, I'll do my best! And yes, I was listening to Mariah Carey's "Always be my baby" when this fic came to me. And that's also where the title came from. Now, enough of my ramblings, onto the fic!

Chapter One

"What do you mean 'she's gone'? She was just here this morning!" Jag argued with his comrade-in-arms, Kyp Durron. Although the pair weren't known for their friendship or friendly-feelings for each other, they were held together by a single person whom both raven-haired men cared for.

"I mean, she left. Just after you went on patrol, it seems. The flight log lists her as leaving in her X-Wing at 08:20 this morning." Kyp answered, holding the datapad in his hands. Jag moved forward.

"Let me see," he said, his right hand outstretched and reaching for the datapad. Kyp handed it over willingly, and then stood with his arms crossed before his chest.

"It doesn't have her destination listed here. That's standard procedure; why didn't she put it down?" Jag asked, ripping his pale green eyes away from the flight log.

Kyp shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know. I wasn't here when she left." Liar! Kyp's mind screamed at him. You were here; you even helped get her to her X-Wing unnoticed. You know where she's going. His mind was going a mile a minute, thinking of everything and anything that could possibly reveal his secret to Jag.

In an uncharacteristic fit of rage, Jag flung the datapad across the room, satisfied with the sound of it colliding with the wall. Kyp tried to talk some sense into the obviously riled up Corellian. "Jag, c'mon, you can't take out your frustrations on the military equipment. I'm sure she's fine, I haven't sensed anything wrong and I'm guessing neither has Jacen. So she has to be all right, where ever she may be." Kyp uncrossed his fingers, and clasped his hands behind his back.

Jag sighed then sat in the nearest chair, resting his head in his hands. "I knew she was upset with me, but I never thought that she'd leave because of it." Jag said a bit softly.

Genuinely interested, Kyp pulled a chair in front of Jag and plopped into it. "What did you do to upset her?" Kyp asked.

"I told her that I didn't want to get more serious with the relationship, that right now my career was more important."

"You idiot!" Kyp cried. "Of course she'd be upset with that, anyone of their right mind would be!"

Jag stood up suddenly. "I know! I wasn't thinking then!" He responded, pushing the chair away from him. He wiped a hand down his face before turning back to Kyp; "I'm going back to my quarters. If you hear anything from her, will you let me know?" Jag asked, his eyes carrying all the emotions that he was desperately trying to keep in check. Offering Jag some relief, Kyp nodded his head curtly twice; then watched as Jag disappeared through the door.

Why did the Force decide for the two most stubborn people in the galaxy to be together? Kyp asked himself even though the answer was already sliding through his mind.

The Force moves in mysterious ways.

::::::::

Jaina Solo sat in her cockpit, and had been in the same position for the last hour or so. Her neck was cramping, her legs ached to move, and her hands were asleep. But none of that really mattered to Jaina; all that she really cared about was that she was on her way back to where she had once been happy.

The Jedi Temple had been rebuilt since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in the exact same spot where it once stood. The Jedi had wanted it rebuilt as close to the original Massassi temple as possible; and even Jaina had said that although it would never be the same place, it was a welcome alternative.

She had been flying for a good six hours, and the confines of the X-Wing were beginning to become stuffy and uncomfortable. She smiled meekly to herself; you've forgotten what it was like during the war. The frequent, up-to ten hours of confinement in the X-Wing escapades during the war were far worse than the little bit of time she had so far spent.

She sighed heavily. To the casual observer, she looked weary and worn; but those that knew her best knew better than that. She was stressed and distressed, crying out for anything that would soothe the pain that stabbed at her heart, her soul, her very being. But she knew that the only cure for her ailment wasn't about to help her because he was the cause of it.

Standing opposite of him on one side of the bed, she motioned with her hands as she always did whenever she spoke. Her arms were being flung about wildly as she was responding to the man before her.

"I want something more permanent, Jag. I don't want to keep doing this, I can't keep doing this." She looked up at him, her brown eyes saying more than her words. Jag felt his heart breaking, but stood his ground.

"Jaina, I… I can't. My career, the Chiss, my family, the Reconstruction, everything… it just won't allow for it. I'm sorry, Jaina." She just nodded her head.

"I've got to get to the hangar; my patrol starts in a half hour. Will you be here when I get back?" He looked towards her for an answer. She just shot him a sad look, but said nothing. Feeling that was enough of a response for him, he left.

Jaina grabbed the flight bag that she had been packing and left. She never looked back.

A lone tear slid down her cheek, which was quickly wiped away by a rough, gloved hand. The ship didn't leave her much more time for thinking as its alarms began blaring. Her hand gripped the decelerator and slowly pulled it towards her. The blackness of space then was adorned with white streaks, which turned into the small, bright dots that were stars. As everything returned to its normal state, she watched as the small, greenish moon came into view. From the envelope of space, the world looked akin to what it once was; a lively jungle filled with mysterious creatures and creations.

Smiling to herself, she realized that it was much the same. It was still a jungle, but not the one she remembered from her youth.

The comm cackled and a familiar voice filled the cockpit. "Unidentified fighter, state your name and purpose. Do not proceed. I repeat, state your name and purpose. Do not proceed." Jaina smiled and hit the button.

"You know, you sound real commanding when you want to, Zekk." Jaina said.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he responded. "And you never were too good at following directions." She laughed out loud at that comment.

"Like you're any better?" She retorted.

"Can't claim that I was, or am for that matter. Raynar's coming up to get you, just follow him in. Command center out." With that, she heard the distinctive click of the link disconnecting itself.

True to what Zekk had said, Raynar came up with the old X-Wing that the temple had. It wasn't much, nor was it used that often, but it served its purpose. A voice flooded her cockpit again, but this time it belonged to Raynar.

"Welcome home, Goddess."

And indeed, she was home.