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 5:

Mara looked over at the Jedi Master who was walking next to her. His blue eyes had a look of fear in them. "I'm fine Skywalker; you heard what the doctor said. I just have to take it easy for a few weeks."

Luke kept his eyes locked with Mara's green ones. He had heard the Emperor's voice in Mara's head when he had tried to wake her using the Force. Luke couldn't understand why she hadn't just told him that the Emperor's voice was back.

Luke pushed away wild thoughts that kept popping into his mind. Like Mara had only used him to get pregnant. Or this was her way of getting him back for killing her Master.

None of those thoughts were going to help Mara or him. Right now what Mara needed was peace. It didn't take a Jedi Master to know that bringing up her past wasn't doing that. It was only making his love mad.

"Well don't you go home Skywalker. I'm just going back to my place, to get some sleep." Mara said hoping to lose the Jedi Master. Now that he knew she was pregnant there was a good chance that she might have a shadow for the next six months.

Luke shook his head. She wasn't getting away from him that easily. He would go back to her place with her.

Luke had wanted to become a Father for so many years now that he wasn't about to let something happen to either his child or her Mother. 'Her Mother' he thought. Somehow he knew their child was going to be a girl.

Mara's eyes caught the Jedi smiling. She knew at that second, Luke Skywalker indeed was going to be her shadow for the next six months. While a part of her was thrilled by that another part was angered and upset about it. Just because she had made a mistake and let Skywalker into her bed didn't mean he could control the rest of her life.

'Luke isn't like that, he wouldn't try to control me ' Mara thought. She had no idea where the earlier thought had come from. She knew that Luke was a good man, who would never do anything to hurt her or Ami.

"Mar, I was thinking we should stop off at furniture store." Luke said as they rounded a corner. Mara looked at him. Why in the world would he want to stop at a furniture store? It was way too early to be buying baby furniture. Picking up on her thoughts Luke smiled sheepishly. "I don't want to shop for the baby. I was thinking about getting you a new sofa." Luke said trying to act like a gentleman buying his lady a present.

Luke turned red in the next second when Mara yelled. "No way Skywalker I love that sofa. If you have to stay with me you can sleep on the floor." As people past by the Jedi and Trader they tried not to laugh. Luke looked as red as Mara's hair.

"Okay fine" Luke stated then took a breath and pulled the force around him. He knew what he was about to say would get Mara really mad. "Your bed has more then enough room for two. I'll just sleep in it next to you."

Mara was about to unlash every curse word she had ever taught at the Jedi when she felt someone coming their way someone who was a whole lot madder than she was. Her eyes found Luke's and he whispered just barely loud enough for her to hear, "Leia."

Leia had felt his presence and knew he was here. Now all she had to do was find her twin brother the Jedi Master. And give him a piece of her mind.

When she found him, the first thing she was going to do would be to make him apologize to Callista. Leia didn't care what Han had said. As long as Luke acted like a child, she would treat him as one. She was getting pretty sick of it though looking after her baby brother. She didn't want to be Luke's Mother.

Leia looked up the hallway and wasn't surprised to see Luke standing there. She was surprised to see who he was with. Next to him was the one and only Mara Jade. Leia looked the redhead up and down. The ex-Emperor's hand looked pale.

"Leia, it's so good to see you" Mara said as she took the few steps that separated them.

Leia couldn't help but wonder when she had gone from being Madam Chief of State to, Leia with Jade. Before she could even began to wonder why Mara felt different in the force Luke was next to her.

"Leia, I'm sorry about leaving the party last night so suddenly. But Mara needed my help. I trust you got Callista home alright?" Luke asked knowing this was what his twin was so mad about.

Leia had to admit Mara did look sick. But that still didn't give Luke a reason to treat Callista the way he did.

"I'm sure Mara didn't need your help all night long" Leia said trying to keep her voice low so no one else could hear.

Mara couldn't help but give Leia some help. Also this might be a way to lose Skywalker for a few hours. "Like I told you last night Skywalker, you should have gone home. I am fine. Now why don't you go home with your sister, I think she wants to talk to you" Mara smiled, loving the feeling of getting the Jedi in trouble.

Luke looked at the two women before him, both standing side by side and asked "Like you were fine this morning Mara when I found you throwing up? Or like just a few minutes ago when we were at the Doctor's office and you passed out? No, Mara you're not fine and you're not getting rid of me that easily."

As he spoke he switched his gaze from Mara's eyes to Leia's. Leia turned to look the other woman over. Yes she was pale but other then that she looked fine. But if what Luke was saying was true Jade really was sick and did need a friend. But why did that friend have to be Luke? Couldn't Luke for once put his own life first? Luke picked up on his sister's thought. Little did she know that that was exactly what he was doing. Putting the lives of the people he loved first.

"Why don't you both come back to my apartment? We can all have a late breakfast. Since you were at the Doctor's I'm sure you haven't eaten yet." Leia invited them.

Mara looked at Luke. Luke knew that the look meant 'get us out of this'. But instead he felt it was time to deal with this. He wasn't letting Mara out of his sight. And he had to clear things up with Leia. So this was a perfect way to do both.

"I think that's a great idea, don't you Mara?" Luke asked his ex. Mara just nodded her head in agreement. She was really going to kill him for this.

TBC…