Title: Clear As A Bell

Author: Sw (aka Jeditheskyisblue)

Rating: Teen

Summary: Mara waited too long to accept Luke's offer of marriage or did she?

Author's note: I wrote this for a challenge I believe from a yahoo group about how the Emperor got Mara Jade as a child. I have a whole outline of that but never did get around to actually putting it into the story. Perhaps one day I will.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars and am making no money off of this story. I just wrote it for fun.

Part 3

Both Han and Callista both didn't need the force to feel Leia's hostility. Her anger over her brother's actions burned in her mind. It was two in the morning and they still didn't know where Luke was. Are better yet who he was with. A friend that could be anyone from Lando to someone he just met. He should have been back by now.

"Leia, why don't we go to bed? It doesn't look like the Kid is going to show tonight" Han stated as he rose from his seat. Leia eyed her husband, and then looked over to Callista who seemed upset but was holding up well.

"He's not a Kid anymore, Han. It's time he stopped acting like one" Leia said as she walked over towards Callista. Callista smiled as Leia rested her hand on her shoulder. If only Luke would pay her the attention Leia did, she wouldn't be upset right now.

"Han's right it's time we all go to bed. Where ever Luke is he's not coming back tonight." Callista said, looking Leia directly in the eyes. If Luke and she didn't work out, Callista wondered who it would hurt more. Leia or her?

Mara saw a small child sitting on Lord Vader's lap. It amazed Mara because the child didn't look to be afraid of the Dark Lord. Her little red haired head just looked up at his masked face with no fear at all.

"The Emperor is wrong, love isn't pain" Vader was saying, but Mara found that just as she was getting interested in what he was saying, the image before her changed. The same little girl stood before her looking up at the Emperor.

"Come here my child," The Emperor said as the little girl started to cry. The child turned around to look for someone. Mara saw Vader nod his head for the girl to go to his Master. "But he's evil" The child said in a whisper like she only wanted Vader to hear it.

Before Mara knew what happened Vader had run in front of the small girl just before force lighting could hit her. The Little red haired girl raced towards Vader, crying anew. This was all her fault just like her parents. All she ever did was cause pain.

"Yes my young apprentice Love is pain." The Emperor chuckled coldly.

Vader stood up and looked down at the Child. Mara could almost swear she thought he was upset. But that just couldn't be. What she just saw was all a set up to get the child to trust Lord Vader. Yet her heart was telling her it was much more then that.

"Go get yourself taken care of Lord Vader. If you ever do anything like that again, you will have no use to me anymore." The Emperor said as he waved the little girl on. Vader again nodded his head for the child to go ahead. This time the child did what she was told.

"Yes Master" Vader said as the little girl climbed the steps up to meet her future.

She turned back and looked at Lord Vader. She didn't want to leave him. Yet she had to just like everyone else she loved. The Emperor was right love is pain.

Mara wanted to yell "No he's wrong" before she could the image changed again. This time, the little girl was hiding in a closet. Mara could hear people yelling in the next room. As Mara watched the child gets up and opens the closet door. She saw a man and woman being held down as a dark figure stood above them.

"Tell me where the child is and I will let you live." Vader said before turning to the closet door. As he did the man jumped up but a stormtrooper shot him with a blaster as he tried to attack Vader.

"No" All in the room heard a child's voice say. Mara could see tears in the child's eyes and was surprised to find tears in her own. Who was that man who had just died?

Luke had just drifted off to sleep when he heard Mara scream out

"No." At first Luke was afraid something had happened to Mara. As he checked the Force he felt she was not in any danger. She was having a nightmare. As Luke got on off the sofa he hoped Mara wouldn't kill him when he entered her bedroom. But he felt that she needed him.

Luke entered her bedroom and found Mara tossing and turning in her bed. Luke found his courage and climbed into bed next to her, remembering that this was where he had wanted to be earlier that night. A smile came to his face.

He wrapped his strong arms around his sleeping love. He sent all his love and peace to Mara through their bond. He was surprised in return to feel all of Mara's love sent to him. Luke touched Mara's mind and found that the nightmare had past. He was just about to pull away from her when she turned and started to use his chest for a pillow.

'What I'm I going to do?' The Jedi Master asked himself. If Mara found him here in the morning there was a good chance she might shoot first ask question later. 'If I move what's to stop her from doing that now?' Luke thought as he tried to fight his need for sleep. Mara's bed felt so soft under his back. That sofa needed to be thrown out.

Seemingly on its own Luke's mind reached out for Mara's, and when it did Luke felt complete. He had never felt like that with anyone other then Mara.

As sleep started to over take the Jedi he thought he felt someone else in the room with them. He looked around but found no one. Then just as the presence had appeared it disappeared only leaving Luke with question. About who are what it was? Luke closed his eyes and decided to figure it all out tomorrow. That is if Mara didn't shoot him in the morning.

Mara took a deep breath. She could still feel Luke's presence. She had hoped he would give up in the middle of the night and leave. 'That's weird' Mara thought Luke's presence felt as if where right next to her.

As she opened her eyes shock overcame her. She was lying on Luke's chest. When had Luke dared to enter her bedroom much less her bed?

As Mara moved her head off the Jedi's chest she looked up at his face. He looked so happy. The last time she had seem him look that happy was another morning when Mara had woke in his arms.

"Wake up, Farmboy. And answering me this what in the name of the Force are you doing in my Bed?" Mara yelled.

Luke's clear blue eyes opened to see an angry Mara sitting next to him. He had barely heard her question. But wasn't taking the chance of her asking it again.

"You woke me up with your screaming. I came in here and you were having a nightmare." Luke said as he used his elbows to push himself up. So he was now eye to eye with Mara. He didn't like the feeling of her looking down on him.

"So that doesn't explain why you slept in my bed?" Mara said as she turned her head away from Luke's.

Memories of the nightmare, if that was what it had been played before her eyes. Who was that little girl that had befriended Darth Vader? Her red hair reminded Mara of her own. Could that little girl have been her? Mara just shook the memories away. Right now she didn't have time for her past. She needed to get Luke out of her bed. Luke looked at the woman who to him was perfect.

He could feel that something was troubling her through the Force. But he knew her well even not to ask what it was. When she was ready to talk she would. Luke planned on being the person she told.

"Well after I got you claimed down Mar. You started to use me as a human pillow. I didn't want to wake you soon I just fell asleep." Luke replied to her earlier question. Mara eyed her ex and he seemed to be telling the truth. Maybe she was getting soft since she got pregnant. Because she didn't feel like killing Luke for being in her bed.

"Well I think it's time for you to go home Jedi" Mara said as she felt her stomach start to turn. 'Oh no' She thought, 'not morning sickness'. For the last few days she hadn't thrown up.

Maybe it was the Force's way of pushing her to tell Skywalker about his upcoming Fatherhood. Luke was about to remind Mara he wanted to talk to her, when she jumped up and ran into the refresher.

Luke followed his ex-lover to the refresher and found her throwing up. He still didn't believe she had the flu.

"Are you okay Mar?" Luke asked as he kneeled down next to her. Mara looked up and smiled at the man who held her heart. "Love is pain" she heard the Emperor say again in her mind.

Yes, love might be pain but how can you stop loving someone?

TBC…