Chapter 11-

The day flew by quickly from that point on. After starting out distributing food around the camp, Jacen and Tahiri moved on to help the construction crew build additional shelters and then ended up in the medical tent to finish out the day.

"I don't know how you managed to hammer your finger, Tahiri," Jacen declared with a shake of his head. "You'd been working like wildfire up until then."

Yeah, she thought. Up until Jacen had gotten too hot and felt the need to pull off his shirt. Her mouth immediately went dry as the image of him standing bare-chested on top of that roof, sunlight glinting off of his well-muscled back popped back into her mind. Pounding her finger was the least of her problems. If not for a quick save by the Force, she would have fallen off the roof, too!

"Um, I don't know what happened either. Just got a little tired, I suppose," she replied, watching as he tenderly bandaged her with the gentleness she had come to expect and enjoy.

"Well, there you go!" he finally exclaimed as he took a step back and admired his handiwork. "I don't think I'll give any real doctors or nurses a run for their money, but it'll do. So, are you ready to go home?"

He offered her a hand up from the cot and pulled her to her feet. "Looks like you got some sun today," he added as he lightly tapped her sunburned nose with his strong finger.

"Ow!" she said wrinkling up her nose. "I'm going to pay for this tomorrow."

Jacen smiled and then turned to put the first aid supplies back in their proper place. "You've been great today, Tahiri. A lot of girls would have balked at having their first date be a heavy work detail, but you worked harder than most of the men, and I didn't hear you complain once."

Date? Did he say 'date'? she wondered. Calm down, Tahiri. You're reading too much into things.

"But then, you did happen to get a few strange looks when that Vong curse slipped out," he laughed. "Luckily, I was the only person who knew what it meant. Those construction guys would have blushed if they knew what you were really saying."

Tahiri turned red and looked at the floor. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be. I'm sure when that hammer made contact with your finger, more than that one curse went through your head."

Tahiri smiled, enjoying Jacen's light-hearted teasing. He somehow knew just how to put her at ease.

"Let's go," he said offering her his arm. "And I hope you can make it home without hurling in my lap!"

With a tiny gasp if indignation, Tahiri punched him playfully in the arm not at all surprised by the hardness of his muscle.

"Ouch!" he yelled. "Guess I deserved that."

"Yes, you did," Tahiri stated firmly before looping her arm back through his. "And I promise not to puke in your lap." He glanced down into her face and for just a second their gazes connected and something flashed between them. Jacen quickly looked away a bit shaken by what he saw in her eyes.

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Their walk back to the water speeder seemed to take forever. Jacen could feel the awkwardness between them, but had no idea how to alleviate it. So he kept quiet. The thoughts wreaking havoc in his mind kept him busy enough.

He should be happy. Bringing Tahiri to the refugee camp had had the exact outcome he'd been hoping for. She'd been too busy helping others to worry about her own sadness, and he had to admit that he had enjoyed watching her today. She wasn't afraid of hard work, of doing what had to be done. And when she turned those amazing green eyes on him and smiled her gorgeous smile with that little dimple on the side, he felt a little weak in the knees.

He forced those feelings back into their hidden place in his heart. She was just a friend in need. his dead brother's girlfriend. Of course, she was beautiful. The Solo men had great taste in women, but he didn't feel he had the right to look at her in that way. But the more time he spent with her, the harder it was to distance himself from such thoughts.

Yep, he thought. You're in over your head, Solo.

They got into the speeder, buckled up, and Jacen started the engine. He glanced over and saw Tahiri taking a deep breath, readying herself for their journey back across the sea.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied with a forced smile. "I already promised I wouldn't throw up this time, and I keep my promises. I'll just look at it as another challenge."

"Ah. Tahiri the Conquerer."

She glared at him. "Are you making fun of me, Solo?"

There it was-that fire in her eyes. It sparked something in him, too. "Never, Miss Veila. I'd be too afraid to oppose you. There's no doubt I'd lose." He offered her a playful wink and then mashed the accelerator to the floor and they zoomed off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Jacen guided the speeder into the dock just as the sun was setting completely, he ventured another glance over at Tahiri. She'd been awfully quiet for the last stretch of this trip and he found out why. She was asleep. Her head was tilted slightly towards him and in the faint lights of the harbor he could just make out her delicate features. That ever so slightly turned up nose, those long lashes, her perfectly shaped mouth. Her short blond hair was mussed, as usual, and he carefully moved a strand of it away from her sweet face. When she was sleeping, it was easy to forget all she had been through, all the pain she'd endured, all the hurt she'd been forced to feel. He just wanted to make it all go away.

'Take her, Jacen. Kiss Tahiri for me.'

He immediately pulled his hand away from her and took several deep breaths. What was he thinking?

"Are we home?" came her groggy voice.

"Um, yeah," he replied as he busied himself with unbuckling his safety restraint. For some reason, it wasn't cooperating and he felt himself becoming annoyed.

"Here. Let me help," she said easily unclipping her own belt. She leaned over Jacen and he began to protest.

"I-I can do it," he asserted. She was far too close for comfort.

"Don't be silly. Let me help you." She gazed into his brown eyes and saw something new in their depths. Then she hurriedly unclipped his restraint and scrambled back into her seat.

"Thanks," he muttered weakly, both glad and sad that she was no longer so near to him.

Jacen returned the speeder to the dock office and then walked her home. Once outside her door, they both felt the awkward silence envelop them again.

"Did you have a good day?" he finally asked.

"Yes. yes, I did actually. It felt good to be helping those people. Thank you for taking me."

"No problem," he replied. "I'm going back tomorrow. If you're up for it, I'd love to have you with me again."

Tahiri fought down the huge smile that was dying to spread across her face. "I think I'd like that, Jacen."

He let go a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding and grinned. "Great. I'll pick you up in the morning then."

"Okay. Goodnight," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Tahiri," he replied and then he turned to leave.

"But, Jacen," she called after him. He turned back to face her in the middle of the corridor. "Tomorrow, I get to drive."

He chuckled. "You're on!" Then he spun around and left, a little spring in his step.