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 7:

Han had taken his seat next to Leia at their table. Their children all took their seats as well. That just left three very confused adults with no clue as to where to sit.

Leia motioned Callista, Luke, and Mara to the three remaining empty chairs on the other side of the table. Callista smiled lovingly at her friend and took the seat next to Jaina. The little girl's brown eyes lit up. She was obviously happy to be sitting next to what Mara assumed to be her hero.

Luke was about to take the middle seat, in between where Callista sat and where Mara would, but Mara beat him to it coming seemingly out of nowhere. Luke couldn't help but smile at his love. As his eyes lingered over the other side of the table, he could clearly see anger in Leia's eyes.

On the other hand Han had nothing but playfulness in his. Luke made a mental note to watch out for Han. Anytime he had that look he was usually up to something. The last thing Luke needed right now was for Han to play a joke on him and Mara. Not when he was so close to cracking through the wall Mara had built around herself.

Mara tried to keep her heart from beating out of control. She turned her head and smiled at the former Jedi Knight on her left, then did the same to Luke on her right. But her heart was still beating faster than she found comfortable. Why had she taken this seat? She wanted Luke and Callista together, didn't she? But it couldn't happen if she kept getting in the way, could it?

While her mind was business making its plans her heart on the other hand seemed ready at anytime to betray her. Mara could hear the Emperor's voice telling her once again "Love is pain" this time it was followed by Vader's voice "The Emperor is wrong." Mara just pushed the voices away hoping no one noticed her inner battle.

Luke had noticed and was surprised to hear his Father's voice after the Emperor's. The Jedi Master knew Mara needed his help, but also knew she would have to ask. No one could tell Mara Jade what to do.

Han had had enough of the silence and decided to do something about it. "So Mara, how long have you been on Coruscant?" Han asked. He'd had enough of the awkward silence and thought that this would be a safe question until he caught the look that the trader threw him.

Mara felt like killing Han Solo. He just had to ask that question, didn't he?

While she knew it was an innocent question, Mara also knew Luke would be very upset to learn she had been on Coruscant for the last two months and hadn't contacted him. And the fact she was three months pregnant wasn't going to help her any. Mara knew as soon as she answered this question she would be in hot water with Luke.

"Two months" Mara said as she looked everywhere but at Luke. She didn't have to look at him to feel his, what surprised her was he wasn't anger but something far worse she had hurt him the last thing she ever wanted to do.

Seeing he had asked the wrong question, Han decided to try something else-- anything else. "So Luke, what happened to you last night?" As soon as he saw the hurt look in the eyes of his brother-in-law, he regretted that question, too, but it was too late.

"I ran into Mara last night and she wasn't feeling good so I took her home." Luke said trying not to let the hurt and betrayal he felt at Mara out through the force.

"So why didn't you come here after that?" Han asked looking from Luke to Mara. Luke just shrugged his shoulders.

"Because he never left my place last night" Mara said trying to cover Luke's sudden quietness.

Hearing this, Callista turned to look at the Trader hate burning in her gray eyes. When Mara saw Callista's reaction, she knew she had just said the wrong thing and glanced to Luke for help. But there was none Luke was still too hurt to even to notice the mess she had just gotten them both into.

Leia seeing the problem smiled and went to defend Luke's friend. "Mara was sick Luke wouldn't leave her alone afraid she might need help. In fact Luke had taken Mara to the doctor this morning."

Callista smiled and let the anger leave her after Leia's words. So Luke was being a good friend last night. She should have known Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker in a relationship? That would never happen, not in a million years.

"I hope nothing is wrong," Callista said wishing Mara would disappear so that she could sit next to Luke. Mara smiled and was about to answer when Luke cut her off.

"Mara needs lots of rest. We all know how Mara is, so I've been ordered by the doctor to make sure she gets it" Luke said, bending the truth a little.

(Call it what it really is farmboy a lie.) Mara sent the Jedi Master through the force. Luke just smiled and it melted her heart. Somehow, he had forgiven her, and all was right in the galaxy again.

Callista smiled politely. She didn't like the idea of Luke and Mara spending so much time alone. There was something going on between those two, but she wasn't able to put her finger on what it was just yet. "So Jade how long has the doctor put you on bed rest?" Han asked hoping to keep the silence at bay. He'd been looking forward to a fun afternoon, but so far it had been anything but.

Mara's face turned a bright red. Bed rest could he know? Mara thought. (He doesn't know don't worry) Luke sent her. Although it hurt him to think that Mara didn't want anyone to know she was carrying his child, he wanted to keep her at peace for the baby.

"A few weeks," Mara replied to Han's question. Han looked at Luke and then back at Mara. They both looked uncomfortable, Han thought, they needed some thing to shock them out of it. And he had just the idea.

"You know Jade, if I didn't know any better I would think you and Luke here were hiding something from us." Han said with a roguish smile.

"Like what?" Luke asked hoping to silence Han with his question. In the next second, he wished he hadn't spoken at all.

"Like that Jade here has a bun in the oven. And you're both trying to keep it a secret" Han said then got ready for the fallout. This was a good joke if Mara Jade didn't kill him for it.

TBC…