Later That Evening

As she cleaned up the last of the dinnerware, Beru thought to herself, I wish I could tell him the truth. Owen is never going to figure out a way to break it to him lightly, and when he finally does tell him, we're going to lose him. He's going to run away recklessly, and get himself into trouble.

She appeared more concerned at her husband during Owen's confrontation with the boy. They do have one thing in common, and it's not a cohesive trait to form a parent-child bond, she thought. They are both so stubborn...

Beru sat down at the dinner table with a poured glass of her favorite drink. The glass was half-empty after just a few seconds. Imported from Alderaan, the drink was sweet and refreshing, even more so tonight. Two birthdays ago, Owen had bought her a flask of it from the Mos Eisely Cantina. She didn't drink often, but tonight she felt she needed it. Beru was a bit tipsy from the alcohol because her body was not normally accustomed to it.

She looked up to see Luke heading into the dining room. He initially offered her a smile, but his face betrayed a look she had seen before; it was cringing, holding back.

All her life, Beru had always been an intuitive woman. She had always been able to bond with people she trusted. Beru had a natural aura and charm about her as a housekeeper and a homemaker. She was always a very motherly person, and knew the boy well. She and Owen were never able to have a child of their own, and it was a truly amazing gift from the stars when Luke had been brought to them to be adopted.

He sat down and began to eat. Carefully reading Luke's facial expressions and mannerisms, she knew he needed someone to talk to. She was likely going to have to try and comfort him.

"Does Uncle Owen need any other help tonight?" Luke asked her.

Luke had truly worked his heart out for his uncle today. Beru could see it in his eyes. But hard work never ends when you own your own business, and you have no one to answer to but yourself. This was a lesson Luke had yet to learn.

"No, he's turned in for the night. He was very tired," Beru said. "While you were out today, Vaporator twenty-five's power core went down, so he had to go repair it himself--Luke...what is it? What's wrong?"

Luke started to take a bite of his food, then stopped. Now that he was an adolescent, he rarely had moments like this. A few stinging tears that had welled in his eyes had begun rolling down his face.

Beru regarded her nephew's relationship with his uncle with deep regret.

Luke is so unlike Owen. Now that he was thirteen she doubted he was ever going to develop that fatherly bond with her husband. The boy had an amazing intellect and efficiency Owen was appreciative of, but that appreciation was only from a business standpoint. He never acted very fatherly to Luke, and had a great deal of trouble expressing gratitude; or any other emotions, for that matter. That was just Owen's way. He had developed a much harder philosophy of life after Cliegg had died. He felt he had to be the strong one. So naturally, his only attitude toward Luke was to push him harder and faster, and make him better and even more efficient.

Nevertheless, Beru did not agree at all with the way Owen treated him. Beru finally did persuade Owen to at least give the boy something. On his tenth birthday, Beru finally convinced Owen to reward Luke with a small allowance for his work.

Owen was still not prepared for the consequences of staying so emotionally disconnected from his adopted son once the boy reached adolescence. Now that Luke was a teenager, he was starting to rebel. But, being from a strict subservient upbringing, Beru did not feel it was her place to tell Owen any of this.

For now, she simply listened to Luke ventilate his emotions as he gave his despondent side of the story. The frustration; the broken vaporator; the incapable droid and how this was supposed to be his day of rest. She never once interrupted him. Beru let him vent, and gave him time to get it all out.

"--I'm sorry, Aunt Beru. I'm sorry I always come to you like this," he said, finishing at last, wiping his eyes, trying to hide the tears that had long since come and gone. "I wish the time I spent talking to you these days could be full of happier stories." Luke continued to eat his dinner.

Beru was filled with sympathy for the boy. She loved her husband, but sometimes she couldn't stand it when he made Luke this unhappy.

She wished she could say what was on her mind to Owen.

What would Beru say to Owen? She pondered it for a moment. He IS still just a child. I wish you wouldn't be so overprotective of him. He has to learn from his own mistakes, and your constant chiding, belittling and running him over is not going to make it any easier.

Luke sat quietly, finishing his food, wondering what his aunt would say to his last comment.

Finally, she responded. "You never have to look too hard for it, Luke. Happiness is found in here", Beru said, standing up, leaning over the table and placing a single finger on Luke's heart. She winked at him and smiled. "If watching the sunset gives you comfort, then no one can take the love of that memory of that away from you, ever." She kissed him on his forehead, and then sat back down.

No sooner had she sat down than she started, "...and don't you dare tell your uncle..."

"...that you told me this," Luke finished for her.

They exchanged a grin. For him, it was a bittersweet one. Luke was still sad because he knew – he knew somehow that his future would not be here. He would miss his relationship with Aunt Beru when that day came. Her answers in life were so simple and easy to follow.

"You're growing up, and beginning to find yourself, Luke. You're thirteen years old now. Oh, and don't beat yourself up about the T-16 so much. It WAS your birthday, and Owen consciously made the decision to let you fly it as a present. I thought it was a wonderful idea. Besides, if you save your allowance, I'm sure you can salvage your uncle's old one later and build a new one for both of you...you know your uncle is planning on buying a T-16 chassis eventually," she said as she winked at him.

Beru's words seemed to cheer him up, at least a little. But, Luke's thoughts still seemed elsewhere, hanging onto the very first thing she said as he continued to eat.

"You said I'm starting to 'find myself'. But who am I, I wonder? Uncle Owen said he'd tell me when he thought I was ready. It's kind of hard to find yourself when you don't even know where you really came from." Luke's eyes darted down again. He felt lost. Beru said nothing, just continued to smile at him.

Luke knew that he wasn't going to get an answer. He never did.

He stood up and thanked Beru both for listening and for dinner as usual, and went to bed.

Luke laid down and shut the power in his room down for the night, listening to the sandstorm rage around him.

The fact that his uncle constantly invaded the one personal, private moment he savored to himself above all other things infuriated him. Something deeper than just a simple 'need', something in the core of his very soul called him to that place almost every night that he thought he could get away with it, to watch the sunset.

I want to know why I feel so...so pulled there...why does it give me comfort...and another thing...

What WAS that thing he saw in the sandstorm?

Those were his last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.