Dear Readers,
Hello! How's everyone doing? I hope you're all doin' okay! It's 5 in the morning and whoa, I hear birdies outside! While I go to sleep, here's the next chapter! BUT before we get started I wanted to give a special thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 13…
Sithspawned – I like the way you're thinking! Haha! Thank you so much for writing in, your reviews are always a joy! I hope you like this chapter too! Much Love!
Sweetdeath04 – I'm so glad you enjoyed that (Though I do feel a little sorry for Thorney)! LoL! THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing in! Your reviews always cheer me up! THANKS AGAIN, I hope you like this chapter too! Much Love!
lilyskywalker – Glad you're still enjoying it so much! ((EVERY HOUR? Wow!)) Thank you so for writing in and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Much Love!
Padawan Sydney Bristow – Ahh, great minds think alike! Thank you so much for your kind review, it made me laugh! Bless you! I really hope you like this chapter too! Much Love!
Calli 1 – Okay, here ya go! Haha! I really hope you enjoy, Thank you so much for writing in! Much Love!
stupid-gizka – Haha, That's okay, I was quicker updating than usual! I'm so glad you like it, I hope you like this chapter too! Much Love!
Mara look-a-like – THANKS, I'm really glad you liked it and Mara will lighten up in this chapter! Thank you so much for being so nice and making me laugh! ((Now I've got you saying it too! Haha)) Much Love!
tensixtythree – I'm EXCITED about posting! Haha! I really hope you like it and I'm so glad you're in to it! Much Love!
Jedi-Lover – That's okay, I was really quick posting that last chapter! Haha (I was so proud of myself)! I'm glad you like it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! And you're SOOO Right! Mara is going to try everything she can to get out of there! LoL, but you'll read that in a few seconds ((don't ask!))! Thank you so much for writing in, your reviews are always a joy! Bless your heart! Much Love!
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SoloKenobi – I'm so glad you like it! Hope you like this chapter too! Much Love!
Dedicated to all closet make-out sessions ((Even thought the author's never experienced one! DANG IT!))! Rock ON!
"Master Skywalker's Secret Admirer"
Chapter 14 – The Great Lightsaber Crystal Disappearance
Mara continued to knock on the door, while Luke sat on a crate. "It's no use; I've already tried the whole 'banging on the walls' thing. All it does is eventually hurt your hands."
"There's gotta be some way out of here!" Mara said finally giving up and sliding down the walls. "This is all YOUR fault!" She pointed at him accusingly.
"MY fault!" Luke asked.
"Yeah, you're the one with the crazy sister and brother-in-law who locked us in here!"
"You're the one that had to argue with me in front of them! You think they're going to just sit there and not try to do something about it?" He asked her crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well, you're the one that had to be so nasty with your little secret!"
"YOU STARTED IT!"
"HOW DID I DO THAT!" She asked loudly.
"OH COME ON! You were my 'SECRET' admirer for a whole YEAR!" Luke said accusingly inches from her face.
"And you've known for longer than a week and didn't tell me!" She accused right back!
"You're the one that threw me out of your apartment!"
"Oh, like you're so innocent!" Mara said sitting on a crate, crossing her legs, arms, and lowering her voice to an intense hiss. "You came into my home, saying all of those 'sweet' things, PRETENDING you meant them-"
"I WAS NOT PRETENDING!" Luke said sitting next to her, "I was being honest, Mara! I would never intentional hurt ANYONE like that, ESPECIALLY you! Why can't you believe that?"
"My Lightsaber!" Mara said reaching into her bag.
"What?"
"That's how we can get the hell out of here! My lightsaber!" She flipped the switch… nothing happened she did it again… still nothing. "What the-" she opened the up a hidden door and exclaimed, "My crystal's gone!"
"Really?" Luke asked innocently (little did she know, he had her crystal in his back pocket). "Han or Leia must have swiped it when you weren't looking."
"I guess so, do you still have your's?"
"No, Han took the whole thing from me." Luke shook his head.
"I think I might still have a knife, somewhere." Mara said beginning to feel up her boots and legs.
"Will you get serious?" Luke said.
"I am serious, I'm trying to get us outta here!" Mara said opening up hidden weapon-compartments on the bottom of her boots, cursing under her breath when they were empty.
Luke reached over stopping her searching, "I'm trying to talk to you, Mara."
"I'm listening," Mara said.
"No you're not," Luke said tipping her chin up, "Look at me."
Mara hesitated, but did as she was told. Looking deep into his cerulean eyes, she could see he was hurting. "What?"
"What I'm trying to say is… Mara…" He breathed her name, like she was as precious as the air he breathed. "Why won't you believe me?"
"About what?" she asked, as if she didn't know.
"You know what I'm talking about. Mara, I would never lie to you like that, I would never make you think I care when, I don't… I would never hurt you like that." Luke said stroking her cheek gently with his thumb.
"Luke, you can't care about me like that though. It's impossible." Mara said.
"Why, are you incapable of loving someone?"
"No, I'm not incapable of loving someone; it's just… just…"
"What were you going to say?" Luke whispered.
"Like you said earlier, we will always be friends; we'll always have each other, and that's where it ends." Mara explained.
"I didn't say that… well I said most of that, but I didn't say that's where it ends."
"Luke-" she whined.
"Okay, I'll make a deal with you, all you have to say is you don't care about me like that, and tell me why, I'll never bother you again." Luke said quietly letting go of her chin.
"Luke…" she said sadly
"Is that so much to ask? Just tell me why you feel this way and I'll never bring it up again."
She took his hands in hers and said, "I do care about you, Luke I do, more than anyone!"
"Then why can't you love me?" Luke asked the pain clearly showing on his face.
"You wouldn't understand," Mara said looking away.
"Then make me understand, explain it to me. I want to know." He begged her.
"Luke, you deserve someone much better than me, like I told you before. You'll find someone else, someone who can give you a much better life than I could ever give you." Mara said.
Suddenly Luke yanked her into his arms and said passionately, "I don't want anyone else, Mara, I just want you! Can't you see that?"
"YOU CAN'T, Luke!"
"WHY NOT?"
"BECAUSE NO ONE CAN LOVE ME!"
"WHY?"
"Have you ever noticed what happened to everyone who's ever loved me? Huh? Precious few have lived! Take my family for example! My mother and father were brutally killed, JUST SO the Emperor could have someone around to do his dirty work for him! I couldn't BARE it if anything like that ever happened to YOU!" Mara cried tears rolling down her face. "As often as you hurt yourself already, I'm the LAST THING YOU NEED!"
"Mara, don't talk that way!" Luke said gripping both of her shoulders firmly!
"It's true! See, you don't understand! You have Han, Leia, and those three little children, they all love you-"
"They love you too! And nothing bad has happened to them in a long while!" Luke argued.
"No, they don't-" she tried to wiggle from his grasp.
"YES THEY DO! And if you feel this way, why did you write me all of those letters!" Luke asked, his grip tightening on her shoulders.
"I didn't want you to give up on love! You were the one that taught me how to love, made me forget about my past, my own pain, and made me believe; maybe… I could be happy too... that JUST FOR ONCE… I could be happy, like everyone else. But now I know that's not true-"
"It is true though, Mara, we could be happy…" Luke said with hope shining in his eyes. "We could be so happy together."
"No, I could never give you the happiness you deserve." She whispered.
"Why do you keep saying that? Do you still believe I doing all of this just because you were my secret admirer?" He asked.
"Just forget it," she said picking up a scrap of thick metal and walking over to the door. "Let's just get out of here, you have a party to go to and I have a flight to catch."
At first Luke sat there for a moment on the crate silently. Weighing his options in his mind as Mara started trying to pry the door open. Then it hit him, he had to tell her the truth. The way it was looking this could be his last chance to do so! "But Mara… There's something you didn't count on."
"What?" Mara asked, trying to get that piece of metal between the doors.
"I LOVE YOU!"
Mara stopped what she was doing, and turned to look at him. "What?"
A tear escaped his eye, "I love you, Mara… so much! I'm not giving up on us. I want us to be together." she walked back towards him and he stood up, wrapping her in his arms. Mara tilted her head at him, and looked at him sadly. "The first time I saw you I said to myself, 'you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.' Now, years later, after getting to know you and spending time with you…I know I was right!"
The tears started to roll down her cheeks, 'why does he have to be so wonderful?' she asked herself.
"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and you're the best person I know. You're smart, kind, considerate, but at the same time you can hold your own. It doesn't matter to me that you were my admirer! Now that I know it was you all along, the letters mean more to me than ever. Please believe me when I say I love you!"
Mara looked down, unable to meet his intense gaze; Luke gently took hold of her chin and tilted her face towards his. He wiped away some of her tears with his thumbs and Mara whispered, "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
Luke chuckled softly, "That's part of the fun."
"I love you too; Luke… with all of my heart and soul… but all I really want is for you to be happy. Are you sure I can make you happy?"
"Are you kidding? Mara, I can't even picture my life without you… You really… love me?"
"Mmm hmm," Mara nodded, just before Luke hugged her tightly. She returned the embrace gratefully, and couldn't believe this was really happening.
Luke nuzzled her face and just enjoyed her closeness for a few wonderful moments longer. Then Luke whispered, "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"
"Depends," she shrugged, "do you think a simple Farmboy like you could handle a girl like me?" She asked.
"I don't know after that first kiss, I thought you were going to slug me!" He laughed and she couldn't help but join in. "But I'll take my chances… A black eye might be worth it, a kiss from you."
"Might be worth it?"
"Mara."
"What?"
"You talk too much!" Luke said as he closed the gap between them, and finally kissed the girl he loved. She wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the kiss to the fullest. Lost in their own heaven, Luke and Mara didn't notice the little voices whispering on the other side of the door…
"Dad, do you think Auntie Mara killed Uncle Luke?" Jacen asked.
"SHH!" Han and Leia both hissed.
"Their awfully quiet!" Jacen continued.
"I bet their kissin'!" Jania giggled.
"Maybe we should check, they've been awfully quiet, Han." Leia whispered.
"All right fine, but not a sound!" He warned everyone, then he opened the doors to reveal Luke and Mara still kissing passionately.
"YAH! I told you Jacen!" Jania said quietly as she could.
"EWW!" He replied "Gross!"
Han quickly closed the doors again and began to shoo the kids away, "Now run along, quietly!" He hissed
Then he draped an arm around Leia who smiled gladly, "We did it!"
"Well, it's a start!" Han smiled!
Well? Like it Love it Hate it Tolerate it? Please write in and let me know, I love hearing from all of you! Thanks again everyone who reviewed chapter 13, Till next time, TTFN!
-SailorLeia
