PERFECT STRANGERS: PART V

14557354-5698

Dear Journal,

Giggle I'm sorry I can't help it! Brock called and woke me up this morning. It was so sweet! He felt bad for waking me, but he said he wanted my voice to be the first one he heard today because he'd been dreaming about me all night. Sigh I really like that boy...

MONDAY

The next few days were full of delightful fantasies, confusion, and denial. Brock mused over his situation for days, which was very unlike him. He'd never had this much interest in anyone after just one date. But it wasn't simply interest. In fact, he wasn't sure what it was.

It was 21:30, and he was home alone, lying on his back on the couch in an undershirt and comfortable gray pants. He had tried to occupy himself, but he simply couldn't concentrate on anything. Every situation that came about, turned his mind back to Saturday night. And more importantly, back to Jaina. His head was swimming with emotions and thoughts that he could hardly control. He didn't know what to do. He needed to talk. He needed to spill his guts to someone who would listen and who wouldn't laugh at him. He needed-- Lucy.

Fifteen minutes after Brock hung up with Lucy, she was sitting in Jeremy's chair playing psychiatrist for her melancholy companion.

"Okay Mitchie. What's goin' on with you? You have not been the same since you came home Saturday night."

Brock rolled over on his side and groaned. "I really don't know, Lucky. I just can't stop thinking about her. She's so different from anyone I've ever met. And it's not just her body or her eyes or her smile—there's just something so genuine about her." Lucy smiled, but Brock's eyebrows were deeply furrowed. "But things are so complicated. Her dad doesn't like me, plus she's a Jedi; A really powerful one. Jedi Knights were never meant to be with roughneck starpilots..."

"Mitchie, don't say that."

"But it's true, Luce. I know, wish it wasn't. But you know it's gotta be hard for her too. The expectations everyone has for her are so high-- they're halfway to impossible. The last thing I want to do is cause trouble for her."

"Brock, you don't understand. She's a grown woman. If you were causing her trouble, she wouldn't waste time with you."

"But what do I have to offer, Lucy? She could have any guy in the galaxy."

"But Saturday night, and every other night last week, she was with you—because she wanted to be. Because she likes you, and she likes who she becomes when she's around you! Face it honey, she is falling hard—and so are you."

Brock looked up suddenly. "What? Come on, Luce, gimme a break. I've known her all of a month. You however, have know me for half a decade and--"

"And I've seen you come home drooling over a beautiful face or a nice body—" she interrupted. "But this is not that. This is more, this is deep—and you're scared."

"I am not scared." Brock shot back.

"You're scared." Lucy grinned. "Cause you like her."

Brock did not answer. He turned over onto his back again and folded his hands behind his head, thinking. Lucy hid a smile and rose from the couch to grab a drink from the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Brock turned Lucy's accusations over in his mind. She couldn't possibly be right. For the past month he'd been constantly telling Jeremy and Zane that his reasons for continually going out with Jaina were simply because of her looks and her status. But as he thought, he realized that his excuses had been created only to convince himself. "Am I really that simple?" he wondered. Surely not. A hint of bachelor pride invaded his head. Sure Jaina was different from every other girl he'd dated. Sure she was smarter, more charismatic, and more beautiful than anyone he'd ever met in his life—but if necessary, he could certainly go on and do fine without her.

Maybe.

Maybe!

Brock was a little alarmed by how quickly doubt latched itself to his idea. One side of him screamed, "Of course you could manage without her!" But the other simply inquired, "Why in the worlds would you want to?"

Brock sat up quietly on the couch as Lucy reentered the room. She sat down beside him and smiled innocently.

"So..."

Brock slowly turned his head to look at her, then turned back to stare at the coffee table in front of them. "I like seeing her." He began quietly, trying to be truthful without sounding sappy. "I like how she looks when she smiles at me and I like making her laugh—and making her blush." He sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead for a moment. Lucy grinned at his anxious embarrassment.

"She's—strong," he continued. "And sharp-- and completely gorgeous. And—I really, really like her."

Lucy squealed. "Yay! Mitchie, you're adorable. I'm so excited."

"Hey, I'm gonna give this a shot, but don't expect too much. Remember who you're talking to here."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "There you go again. Don't sell yourself short, Cap'n. You are engaging. People follow you. You're very charming and you command authority without being obnoxious. Jaina's not just swooning over your face, honey. She's attracted to your confidence. Your charisma. Just keep being yourself-- cause it seems to be working."

Lucy and Brock talked a while longer, until Lucy started yawning.

"I should go." She said sleepily. "I've got some stuff to take care of before I hit the sack." She stood from the couch and stretched. Then Brock followed her outside.

"Thanks for coming over and listening to me." He smiled, shutting the door and embracing Lucy. "Thank you for making me tell you the truth."

Lucy smiled. "You're very welcome." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But when are you gonna tell your friends about your girl?"

Brock looked down and bit his lip in thought for a moment, and then looked back at Lucy. "I really don't know." He finally answered.

Lucy's eyebrows rose, and her hands flew to her hips. "What do you mean you don't know!"

Brock sighed and crossed his arms. "You know how they are, Luce. I don't need any outside influence here. I don't want this to go beyond you and me until I'm sure of everything. If something got messed up now, I'd never forgive myself."

Brock paused and Lucy's face softened. She had never seen him so concerned about anything. Never had he been so adamant about keeping a secret. Never had he been so-- head over heels. Lucy smiled to herself.

Brock sighed. "Promise me, Luce," he whispered. "Promise me this stays a secret until I know for sure I've got a real chance. Please?"

Lucy looked up at him and grinned. "You are too cute, Mitchell." He smiled. "I promise."

TUESDAY MORNING

14557354-5698

(Jaina screams at the top of her lungs) Not really, but that's how I feel! Forget about reading my own mind. I want to read his! No, I need to read his. Badly. Why can't I just be honest with myself? Why can't I accept this feeling? Because... I'm scared to? No, that's stupid. I'm not scared of anything. I can do this. I will-- maybe...

Jaina made her way to the garage, not to work, but to return some tools to her ship. The noise level grew louder as she entered the place where her ship was docked, and she could have sworn she heard a whirring noise coming from next door. She peered through the window on the thick metal door and was pleasantly surprised to see Brock toiling away at his ship. Memories flashed in her mind of their first meeting in the garage, and she smiled. "Who would've thought it could turn out like this?"

Jaina entered quietly enough that Brock didn't hear her. She stood in silence watching him work. Oblivious to her presence, he paused and wiped sweat from his forehead with the edge of his shirt. Seconds later, he was still dissatisfied with the temperature of the room. Jaina whistled loudly as his shirt hit the floor and Brock turned around sharply at the sound. He smiled at her, blushing slightly. "Hiya, Sparks. What are you doin' here?"

Jaina made her way toward him. "Just dropping some stuff off on the Gemini. Thought I'd say hi."

Brock nodded. "Cool. Wanna help?"

"Nah. I'll just watch."

Brock smiled and returned to his work, wondering for a moment what exactly she was watching. They sat in silence except for the whir of Brock's screwdriver. After he replaced the plate, he got up and went to the side of the ship to check his work.

As Jaina admired his sculpted frame, she noticed a long, thin, scar running down his left shoulder. She waited for him to come back closer to her, then rose from her seat and approached him from behind. She placed her hand on his shoulder and traced her finger over the scar. He jumped slightly at her touch.

"Your hands are so cold!" he exclaimed.

She jerked back. "Sorry!"

"No, no," he answered back. "Put 'em back. I'm dying in here."

At the risk of seeming too eager, Jaina considered her options, and decided to take advantage of the situation. She pulled Brock's head backward into her lower torso. She then covered his forehead with one hand and put the other hand on his shoulder. "Better?" she asked.

Chills ran down Brock's spine. "Aw, yeah." he drawled. "That feels really good. It's about twenty degrees too hot in here."

"Sorry about that—I'll go."

Brock grinned and moved her hand to the side of his face. "You—stay right here."

Jaina had to use the Force to keep her hands from trembling. She quickly changed the subject.

"So, uh-- what's this from?" she asked touching the scar again.

Brock was silent for a moment. "You never saw it before?"

"How many times have you taken your shirt off in front of me?"

He grinned to himself. "Uh... twice, I think. Would you like me to do it more often?"

When she didn't answer immediately, he turned and caught her blushing. "You're changing the subject." she replied demurely. A smile crossed his face, but quickly faded as he answered her question.

"Glass bottle," he muttered. "Dad came home angry. Guess it was something I said. Two hours and fifty-three stitches later..." he trailed off.

Jaina sighed softly. "I'm sorry."

Brock snorted. "Don't be. That was a long time ago. Besides, it's not your fault."

Jaina walked around him and dropped to her knees, looking him in the eye. "You know it wasn't your fault either, right?"

Brock glanced at the ground. "Yeah. I know."

Jaina decided to change the subject again. "So aren't you supposed to go up to Nine Volt with Jacen later?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I'm headed there after I finish this."

"Well, then I'll let you finish so you can go." Jaina said standing from the crate she was sitting on. She started toward the door, but halted at the sound of his voice.

"Hey, will you be home later this afternoon?"

"Yeah,"

Brock smiled. "Cool."

"Yeah, see you later." Jaina continued toward the exit and didn't turn around again until she reached the door. She glanced back at the charming mechanic behind her, and caught his gaze raking over her form. When their eyes met, Brock winked at her and shot her a sly grin that made her blush. She smiled shyly back and quickly exited.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

"Your break, Solo."

Brock stuck his cue in the charger and blew of the end as if it were a smoking blaster. He watched as Jacen sank the seven ball in the top right corner.

Jacen and Brock had made the trip to Nine Volt a weekly activity. Brock had been hanging out at the Solo house more often and Jacen had a feeling he wasn't going anywhere quickly. So he, in brotherly fashion made it his business to decide whether or not Brock was genuine. A weekly game of pool was the perfect opportunity to talk casually. However, it didn't take long for Jacen to realize that Brock was a near perfect match for his sister. Not to mention a worthy billards opponent.

Jacen stepped away from the table after his second shot and Brock leaned over the table.

"Question." Brock muttered as he lined up his shot.

"Shoot."

Thud. Brock moved to the other side of the table. "Is there anything I can do to get in good with your dad?" he asked.

Jacen laughed. "Besides stop dating my sister? No, probably not."

Clunk. Brock snorted as he returned to the other side of the table for his third shot.

"But really," Jacen continued. "You're not doing anything wrong. Unfortunately, Jaina is dad's favorite-- so anyone who wants to be with her has to go through a little bit of hell."

Brock sighed. "She's worth the hell—I'm just wondering if it's going to be like this—indefinitely. Stang it! Your shot."

Brock stepped back from the table while Jacen lined up his shot. He sometimes wondered about playing with Jacen. He did have the Force on his side, but he swore he never used it to his advantage.

"Hey, I feel your pain." Jacen continued. "Tenel's grandmother would see me and my father spaced tomorrow, then hold a parade following the event, but that hasn't stopped me. At least our mom likes you."

"Yeah, your mom's been pretty cool."

"She says you remind her of Dad. The 'good kind of scoundrel', whatever that is. Anyways, you should be happy. She has a lot of influence on him."

Brock snorted. "I'm not convinced."

Jacen rolled his eyes. "Listen Mitchell, here's a little Han Solo 101—Han Solo doesn't like anyone who goes out with his daughter. Even if he does like you—he'd never tell you. That's not his style. His style is to watch your every move and wait for that one moment when you screw up, so he can nail you. But fortunately, you've got his one weakness on your side. Jaina—will kill me for saying this—but she's crazy about you. That gives you a strong upper hand."

Jacen walked around the table to shoot again. "You can beat his game, Mitchell. In fact, you have to-- because if you give up, Jaina will be really disappointed. And if you break my sister's heart," Jacen sank another ball, and glanced up at Brock, only half-joking,

"I'll kick your ass. And I don't mean at pool."

SAME TIME, DIFFERENT PLACE...

Jaina sighed nervously as she rang the Skywalker doorbell. Mara looked a little surprised to see her niece at the door. "Jaina! What a nice surprise! Come on in!"

"Thanks," Jaina replied. "Uncle Luke's not home, is he?"

"Oh no, he's out and he took Ben with him. And you're in luck! Emily's up in her room and the babies are asleep." Mara collapsed on the couch in relieved happiness.

"Wonderful," Jaina said sitting down beside her. "Because I need to talk to you."

Mara grinned at her and smiled. "About your flyboy?"

Jaina rolled her eyes. She hated being so obvious. "Nothing gets past you. I really don't know what to do, Aunt Mara. He is driving me absolutely crazy-- in the best way possible."

Mara chuckled. "Isn't that always the way it goes?"

"I mean-- what do I do?" Jaina sighed again. "I like Brock a whole lot more than I ever planned on liking him. But I don't want to tell him and scare him off or something."

"I can understand that." Mara said sympathetically. "Putting your feelings out on the line can be terrifying-- but, speaking from experience, you're going to make yourself miserable if you don't do something."

Jaina sighed. "How did I know you would say that?" She leaned back against the couch. "Okay, maybe you can answer this. How did you know for sure that-- that you were supposed to be with Uncle Luke? I mean I know before that it was all screwed up, so how did you ever figure out-- what was right? And when you did, didn't you doubt it? What if your emotions were all wrong? How did you ever just--"

"Jaina! Slow down, sweetie! You're making it worse! You're analyzing way too much and thinking way too hard. One thing you've got to remember is that love isn't planned, you're just supposed to let it happen."

Jaina froze for a moment at the mention of the word "love".

"What if it's not love at all?" she answered. "What if you don't know?"

Mara rolled her eyes where Jaina couldn't see, forgetting the connotation of the word. "Sorry, bad choice of words. Um-- replace 'love' with 'these kinds of situations'. That better?"

Jaina cracked a smile. "Sort of."

"Look Jain, if you aren't sure, why don't you just continue to date him casually to make sure you want to pursue this? There's no harm in that."

"Aunt Mara, I already know that I like him. A lot. But I don't want to tell him that and then have him tell me he was 'just messing around'. I'm tired of crappy, meaningless relationships, and I don't want this to turn into that."

Mara smiled at her niece. "Sounds like you know exactly what you want." Jaina sank into the couch again. "And I think," Mara continued. "That if he's not willing to give you that, then he's not worth any more of your time."

Mara could sense that Jaina was still quite worried and added, "But judging from what I've seen so far, I don't think Brock is going to walk away from this if it turns into something deeper."

Jaina looked up. "You don't?"

"Of course not!" she smiled, and playfully slapped Jaina's leg. "I'll bet he's having as much fun as you are!"

Jaina chuckled and ran a hand through her hair as Mara stood from the couch. "In all seriousness, Jain, don't stress out about it too much. As cliche as this sounds, if he's the One, you'll know."

Jaina turned over on her back and stretched out on the couch, cover her face with her hands. "Argh," she growled. "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

Mara smiled in the kitchen. "Honey, if lov-- if it were any easier, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun."

Jaina's stomach fluttered again.

Half an hour later, Jaina left the Skywalker's and returned to her own home. As she punched in the code on the panel beside her door, she sighed. Love? Did she want to be in love? Well, it wasn't like she had complete control over it now. Her mind and heart might as well be two separate beings. But-- if she did have complete control, would she have chosen to love him anyway? She shook her head, trying to clear it. "Too much thinking going on." she reminded herself. "Love isn't planned, you're just supposed to let it happen." She smiled a bit nervously. 'It' wasn't such a scary word. But she still needed a bit more time for confirmation. She took a deep breath as the door slid open.

To her dismay, Jacen, Anakin and Brock were lounging in the den. Could she face him right now? With all those feelings out in the open? It might be best to wait. Jaina stopped short at the doorframe, but it was too late. She had been spotted.

"Hey Jaya." Jacen called out. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just out." she answered. "I thought you guys were--"

"We were." Jacen interrupted. "But we finished early." Jacen rose from the couch as Jaina entered the den. "Ani, c'mere. I gotta show you something." he beckoned his brother.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Way to be subtle, bro." Reluctantly, he stood from the couch and followed Jacen out of the den.

Brock grinned and shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if you two are really related."

"Me too! All the time!"

Brock laughed and turned his eyes to the floor. He was suddenly at a loss for words. Talk about bad timing.

Jaina however, decided that this was an opportune time for a define-the-relationship talk. They certainly got interrupted enough, so there was no telling when her next opportunity would be.

"So, uh, Brock--" she began bravely, strolling across the living room. She stopped at the arm of the couch. "I have a question for you. About our evening together..."

Brock smiled to himself, but didn't look up. So she'd been thinking about it too. "Yeah, I was kind of wanting to talk about that myself." He paused. "I've been thinking about it lately and--" his voice trailed off as he turned his head to look at her.

She was still wearing her black flight boots with olive green flight pants that fit her form much too perfectly. Her black, sleeveless tank was layered over a white one, showing off her toned arms and shoulders. Her hair was a mess, tied up in a wild bun with the many unruly pieces tucked behind her ears—and she was perfect. Brock chuckled as his train of thought promptly plowed over a cliff.

Jaina eyed him. "What?"

Brock shook his head.

"What?" she persisted.

Brock met her eyes and smiled sheepishly. "You're just beautiful, Sparks, that's all. You distracted me."

Brock averted his gaze, furiously racking his brain for how to continue the conversation. Jaina absentmindedly bit her lip and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, blushing slightly. Why did she even bother keeping her guard up? He always got under it.

"So, anyway," he continued. "You already know what a great time I had at that banquet. The most fun I've had since I moved here. Then again, I always enjoy myself when I'm with you. Which makes me think that I need to be with you—more often." he paused. " I've been thinking about us a lot, Sparks. I'm just not--"

"Us?" Jaina interrupted, fighting to keep her sly smile from becoming a giddy one. She walked casually along the edge of the couch and eased down next to Brock. "You've been thinking about Us."

Brock mirrored her expression. "Yes, Us-- as in You and Me." He slid his arm across the back of the couch and pushed a strand of hair behind her left ear. "What, you like the sound of that?"

Jaina literally had to use the Force to draw the blush from her face. Even then, she wasn't sure it worked. How did he do this to her?

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Brock grinned. "Do you need some convincing? I can be very persuasive."

She smiled. "It wouldn't hurt."

Brock ran his finger across her jawline. "How about You slide over here so you can hear Me a little better?"

Jaina's heart skipped as Brock brushed over her bottom lip with his thumb.

Then Brock physically jumped as his mobil-comm buzzed loudly on his belt.

Brock held her gaze in disbelief. "I hate my life." He muttered.

Jaina shook her head. "Somebody's watching us, I swear."

Brock absentmindedly ran his fingers down her arm, grabbed her fingers with his right hand and the buzzing comm with his left. Jaina leaned back against the couch and sighed.

"This is Mitchell, is there a problem?"

"Captain Mitchell, this is Captain Allen. Your presence is requested at the hanger immediately."

"What for?" he asked. "I'm supposed to be off today."

"No, sir. You aren't guaranteed any days off until a new leader has been chosen for Echo Squadron. You're still the highest in command on that squad and the most comfortable flying with those boys. They're used to taking orders from you. From this point on, until a new man has been selected, you're double-teamed. We leave in ten, and your ship will be ready upon your arrival. Good day, Captain."

Brock threw down the comm and cursed under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Jaina asked, pulling their entwined hands onto her knee.

"I'm on call with Echo," he grumbled. "My squad leaves the hanger in ten minutes. I gotta go."

Jaina covered her disappointment with a smile. "Hey. Look at me." She met his frustrated eyes with a rueful smile. "Duty calls. I'll be around when you get back."

Brock rolled his eyes and then looked back to Jaina. "You better believe I'll be back. But before I go, I was thinkin-- maybe Us could go out Friday or something? We could-- talk, and hopefully not be interrupted."

Jaina smiled. "I can't wait. Don't forget, you've still got some convincing to do."

Brock grinned as he rose from the couch. "I wouldn't miss that for the world." He leaned down and dropped a light kiss on her forehead.

"I'll talk to you tonight."

Jaina let herself melt into the couch as Brock let himself out of the house. When she sat up moments later, her brothers appeared in the doorway wearing twin smirks.

"Messed up again?" Jacen teased.

"We are going to have one amazing first kiss." Jaina said walking past both of them. "Just you wait."

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Tristan Lockhart sat in her quarters, reviewing the information Cerberus had gathered on Brock Mitchell. He was perfect for the job. Not only was he becoming Zanetically involved with Jaina, but he had no family on Coruscant to speak of. No one to care about what happened to him. No one to miss him while he was gone. Tristan knew that the Jedi Knights would be leaving for Yavin soon and Brock would undoubtedly miss Jaina after a week or two. So all they needed to do was create some kind of disturbance to get Brock into space. When he was in range, they could pull him in and seize control of his fighter, and then-- then came the best part.

Lockhart entered the bridge of the Artemis. She could wait no longer. Today was the day the plans would become a reality.

"Cerberus, give me the new records on Captain Mitchell. Taurus, I assume the Meta-14 Compound is ready to test today?"

"Yes Admiral."

"Good." Tristan marched across the bridge. "Merlyn, give the Republic fighters a reason to fly up here. When you can detect their presence, release the compound pods onto their ships. Then bring back the pods so that they cannot be traced."

"But Admiral," Taurus interjected. "The Meta-14 is supposed to be used to subdue and alter victims after capture. What am I to do with the pilots once they are affected?"

"Don't do anything, Taurus!" Tristan growled. "Check them later and make sure the compound doesn't kill them. If it does, change it so that it's not lethal." Benjamyn's surprise must have shown on his face. "And be glad I didn't decided to test the Meta-14 on my own crew members." she continued.

Benjamyn swallowed hard and went back to work.

WEDNESDAY EVENING

Brock reclined on the couch daydreaming about 'convincing' Jaina. The buzz of the mobil-comm interrupted his thoughts.

"This is Mitchell."

"Good evening, Captain." Jaina grinned. "Whatcha doin?"

Brock swung his legs around and stretched out on the couch. "Thinkin about you. What are you doin?"

"The same. That's why I called. I know you were gonna call me, but I decided to call you instead because I have a question."

"Well, last time you asked me a question, we had a wonderful evening. So I'm looking forward to this one. Shoot."

"About Friday night-- would you want to come over here and hang out? It would be us and Jacen and Tenel and maybe a few other people."

"Sure."

"You sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not. As long as you'll be there-- and as long as we can have at least a little time to ourselves."

Jaina smiled to herself. "I'm sure we could slip out for a bit."

"So what's this party for?" Brock asked.

"Oh it's just a last little thing before we all head back to Yavin."

Brock froze. "What do you mean head back?"

Jaina smiled sadly. "Back to Yavin. Remember I told you? The banquet was my last big thing. Uncle Luke barely let me go to that. I'm leaving for Yavin IV at the end of this week."

Brock's heart skipped a beat, and his voice dropped to a lower, more serious tone. "How am I supposed to remember if you don't tell me?"

Jaina sensed a twinge of anger in his voice. "Brock, you know I have to go back. Coruscant is like my vacation. Yavin's like-- home. I have to finish my training! I won't be moving back here permanently for at least a year or so."

Brock was silent. What was he supposed to say?

"When were you gonna tell me you were leaving?" he stammered.

Jaina sighed. "I swear I already told you, Brock! I wouldn't forget to mention something so important!"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." he scowled.

Jaina's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you! Why are you bringing that up? How can you still be mad about that?"

"Who said anything about being mad? I'm only saying that I'm not surprised."

"What the crap is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that just because something is no big deal to you, doesn't mean that other people are thinking the same way."

Jaina sat up in her chair. "Okay, wait a minute. Don't get mad at me. What's wrong with you? Why are you freaking out?"

"I'm not freaking out! It's just that--" Brock fell silent again. He wasn't ready to pour his heart out to her. But he thought they had something special! And now she was just going to leave! And in less than a week?

"Aww, Sparks-- what are you trying to... mmm, I mean, I just don't get it!" he sputtered. "Why don't you ever tell me the truth! I mean, are you really just afraid to tell me, or are you just so preoccupied with your important business average people like me get left in your royal dust?"

Jaina's mouth fell open. Brock had never spoken to her so harshly. "Excuse me, jerk, but could you put Brock Mitchell back on the comm?"

"Oh, now I'm a jerk?"

"You're being one right now!"

"At least I didn't stoop to name-calling."

"Name-calling!" Jaina slammed her hand down on the table in front of her. For the time being, her Jedi training was out the window. "You're the one calling me a self-absorbed snob!"

"No, I didn't," Brock answered in an unnervingly calm voice. "All I did was acknowledge the fact that we have a communication problem."

"Maybe you just have a memory problem." Jaina snapped back.

"Oh, so now you're going to insult me! That's mature, Jaina. Real mature. Really, I expected more from a princess."

"Well, maybe you expected too much of me. Or maybe Dad's right. Maybe I expected too much of you."

Dead silence.

Brock felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

"So the truth comes out at last." he muttered.

Jaina heard a click, and he was gone. Immediately, her words sunk into her mind. She dropped the comlink and covered her face with her hands. "What have I done?" She bolted out her door, down the stairs, out the front door and didn't stop until she reached Brock's apartment.

Brock sat paralyzed in his chair. "I can't believe this," he thought. "She actually said it. All this time I've been trying to convince myself I'm wrong, but I've actually been right. She thinks I'm not good enough for her..." The thought pounded his mind to the point where he felt as if he'd been physically beaten.

Jeremy barely noticed his frozen roommate as he made his way to the kitchen. Just as he reached for a drink, the doorbell rang.

"Sali, get the door."

"You get it! You're closer!"

Brock squeezed his eyes shut. "Stangit, Sal-- it's Jaina." Jeremy walked into the den and finally noticed his friend's anguished expression. Brock looked up at him and then turned away.

"Please, just go-- and tell her--- tell her to forget it. Tell her she's right. It's over."

Jeremy stared at Brock. "What? But why--"

"Vaping stars, Jeremy, just do it. Go."

Jeremy slowly made his way too the front door and opened it. Sure enough, there was Jaina, looking incredibly upset.

"Oh, hi Jeremy." Jaina said quietly, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Um, can I see Brock for a second? I really need to--"

"Uh, he's not-- accepting visitors... right now."

"You're kidding. I don't believe this. I have to talk to him! This is all my fault!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. He told me to tell you to-- forget it-- and that you're right-- and it's over."

Brock flinched at the cold words he had put in Jeremy's mouth. He could no longer keep his emotions inside. He got up from the chair and stormed to his room, slamming the door behind him. He collapsed on his bed and hot, angry tears escaped his eyes, running down the sides of his face and into his hair. He swiped at them and fought the urge to smash something.

Jaina wasn't doing much better in the hallway. She ran her fingers through her hair in disbelief and tried to remain calm. But she couldn't. She didn't give Jeremy another look, but simply turned and walked down the hallway. "Oh no. Oh no. I'm so stupid. What is wrong with me?"

When Jaina heard Jeremy close the door, she broke into a stride, using more strength to hold back tears than to run. She arrived at the door of Tenel's apartment moments later, and rang the bell repeatedly. Tenel opened the door, and her happy expression turned to alarm at the sight of her best friend on the verge of a breakdown.

"Jaina! What's wrong?"

"Is Jacen here?" Jaina managed in a cracking voice.

"Yeah, come on in. Jacen!"

Jacen sensed his sister's pain before he saw her face. When their eyes met, Jaina covered her mouth, but could no longer hold back her emotions. She ran into Jacen's arms and burst into tears.

END PART FIVE