A/N- Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really happy that all of you like this! Personally, this is one of my favorite fics. And TriGemini, your reviews always make my day…they're so interesting! Anyhow, on with the chapter!

Chapter 7- Pictures on the Wall

The sun was setting and Lorelei was locking up shop when Luke reached it. He knocked on the hard, metal doors. They slid aside, and Lorelei peered out at him.

"Luke? Is there something wrong? Where's Harry?" she asked, stepping aside to let Luke enter. She shut the doors and locked them.

"Harry's fine. He's in the apartment that Leia managed to get for him. Actually, I needed to speak with you," the Jedi replied.

Lorelei raised an eyebrow at this but smiled all the same.

"Alright. Come on, let's go talk in the rooms upstairs. That way, no one will come knocking thinking I'll let them in to shop around," she said.

Luke nodded. He followed Lorelei up the black, metal staircase that he had descended so many days ago and into a room adjoining the bedroom that he had not noticed. Lorelei flicked on the lights. The room seemed to be a cross between a kitchen and a dining room. Luke sat down and found himself staring at the wall across from him.

It was covered from ceiling to floor with pictures, and although they were all on paper, some of them moved! Lorelei noticed him staring and laughed.

"I think putting your pictures on your wall draws more attention to them and the memories with them than putting in a photo album. I see that it has worked," she said.

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Can I get you something to drink? I don't have anything native…just some stuff from my homeworld."

"Yeah, what do you have?"

"Coffee, orange soda, grape soda, regular soda, and some…green tea, I think…"

Luke laughed. "I'll try the tea."

"So," Lorelei began, pouring the cold tea into glasses and giving one to Luke, "what did you need to speak to me about?"

Luke accepted his tea and took a sip before answering. He was trying to decide the best way to put his plan to her.

"Lorelei…I think you need to go into hiding," he said, testing the waters of the direct approach.

"What? Nonsense. Is this because of that prophecy mess?" she asked, sitting with her back to the wall of pictures.

"Lorelei, Abdul will be looking for you. It's not safe for you here. I want to take you to Dagobah. It's not the best of planets, but nobody would think of you being there."

Luke knew that he would have to argue his point and was prepared to do so. Lorelei smiled serenely at him.

"I'm not going," was her reply.

"Lorelei, you must."

"Why?"

"You know why!"

"Luke, I can take care of myself," she said, standing to put her empty glass away.

"Yeah, that's what Harry said."

"See? You should listen to him."

"He also said that I should do whatever I could to keep you safe…and this is it. You have to leave here, and he understands that."

At this, Lorelei gave a sad sigh. "I can't. I'm his sister. I have to protect him."

Luke couldn't argue this point effectively without sounding cruel. But she had to go with him! If she got hurt…he didn't know what he would do. Lorelei kept her back to him. Luke opened his mouth several times, only to close it soundlessly. Finally, he resigned himself to staring at the pictures on the wall.

Every picture held a smiling face. One or two of the people that were repeatedly in some of the pictures Luke knew. Most he didn't. Finally, his eyes fell to one picture in particular.

It was one of the moving ones. It was of a man with dark, messy hair and glasses dancing in a courtyard of sorts with a woman with long, red hair and bright green eyes. Luke stood and walked closer to the picture. The couple had joyful smiles on their faces and, although the picture made no noise, Luke knew they were laughing.

Lorelei turned and saw Luke staring at the picture. She moved to stand beside the Jedi.

"Who are they?" Luke asked.

"My parents. James and Lily," she replied.

Luke didn't say anything at first. He took a moment to reflect back on the story the Lorelei had shared with him and Han aboard the Millennium Falcon, right after they had first met. Her parents were dead. Murdered. Murdered by the same man who was out to kill her brother. Luke instantly regretted bringing attention to the picture.

It must've shown on Luke's face, because Lorelei smiled and said, "It's okay. It's one of my favorites too."

Luke smiled back at her. "Why are they dancing?" he asked.

"They had just found out that Mom was pregnant with me," she answered.

Her face grew dark. She sighed yet again and turned away from Luke. After a few moments, she turned to back to face him.

"Do you notice anything about all the pictures? Anything they have in common?" she asked.

Luke studied them for a moment. Then, finding nothing, he shook his head.

"Harry and I never appear in the same picture."

She was right. Not in one, in all that covered the wall, did Harry and Lorelei appear side-by-side

"When the Ministry took me away, I felt so lost. I was scared and alone. And I felt so unloved. When I was very young, I was angry, but as I grew older all I could hope for was that my brother was not feeling the same things I was. I can't leave him here alone while I run and hide, Luke. I never want him to feel like I did."

Luke took her into his arms and hugged her. He could feel her silent tears falling against the base of his neck.

"He loves you, Lorelei. He wants me to keep you safe. He said so. I give you my word that he said that. I also give you my word that everyone here will watch over him and Neville and keep them safe by any means necessary. He needs to know that you'll be safe."

It took a few moments before Lorelei's tears dried, but when they did, she said, simply, "I'll go. Will you be there with me?"

"For as long as it takes."

Because I need to know that you're safe too, Luke thought as Lorelei rested her head against his chest.

End Notes: Quiz Time! Does anyone recognize the picture that Luke was draw to? If you get it right, you get a cookie! And if you review, you get another cookie!