Chapter Eleven

by Saber Girl Leia

Mara look-a-like: I'm glad you liked it! Don't worry, I love Luke and Mara too much to keep them depressed for too long. Here's the next chapter! Thanks for the review!

SailorLeia: Thanks for the really nice review! "They're so in love with eachother they don't know what to do! ((I love that!))"Exactly! Gosh, I recently experienced what it's like to be standing there thinking 'ask me out ask me out ask me out' to a guy who's like 'yeah you're a really great friend but I'm afraid of commitment and I don't want your dad to shoot me...' Sigh. Like dating in high school actually involves any sort of commitment these days... At least I got a hug ;) And of course I wasn't bold enough to say something to him about it after that. So not exactly the same but whatever... Anyway, I've gotten totally and completely off topic now... and I sure hope SG AmiDee isn't reading this cuz she'll go tell my little sister I have a boyfriend or something. But anyway now I'm even more convinced to get Luke and Mara together in this story... Or maybe I'm just crazy, lol.

OO! I just noticed I'm on your favorites list/Hands SailorLeia a bag of cyber-candy/ Thanksthat means a lot to me! Your stories would be on my list except for the whole three-person thing... I'm trying to get AmiDee to read them but she's lazy!

Calli1: Glad to hear you like it! Here comes the next chapter!

Awesome! I'm on your favorites list! Thank youit is very important to me to know that someone thinks so highly of my writing. :)

Saber Girl Amidaala: Um, yeah that was a good book.

But Luke and Mara aren't supposed to remind you of Luke and Leia... /shudders/... please no.

Stupid-gizka: Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

Ariapaige: Thanks for the commentI was worried that the time skip wouldn't work well.

I know, making Luke sad is so... SAD! lol Don't worry, Mara won't let him stay that way...heheh...

Yeah, break was great! But the schoolwork isn't... X( But it's end of quarter, so stuff is easing up now.

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By the time the movie had ended, Mara was dozing lightly. Luke smiled a little, but quickly sobered, wondering what dreams she might be having.

He rolled her gently from her seated position so she was lying full length on the sofa, her head on a pillow. Luke tried to touch her as little as possible; when he did, he found it hard to break away.

Luke went to the closet and got a blanket, which he pulled over her sleeping form. Leaning down, he kissed her gently on the forehead. He turned to leave, but could not tear himself away. Feeling traitorous, Luke pressed his mouth to hers.

An earsplitting crack, followed by several crashes and a final, loud thud came from outside, causing Luke to jump back. Mara awoke suddenly, and stared for a moment at the Jedi leaning over her. Luke hastily backed away, under the pretense of going to see what had happened.

She followed. "Luke, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," he called back in a quiet voice so as not to wake Ellie.

Mara followed Luke to the window at the back of the family room, which faced the backyard. He raised the shade. Mara pressed herself close against his back and poked her head over his shoulder.

It was too dark to see out, so Mara went to get a light. Luke found himself missing the feel of her pressed against his back.

"We're going to have to actually go outside or at least open the window or something. Otherwise it will just glare back at us," Mara pointed out.

Luke nodded. "You don't feel any danger, do you?"

Mara looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, at least not anything soon. Besides, you're a Jedi. Scared of the dark?" she teased, "Take your lightsaber, if you want."

"You think it's worth me going back to my room to get it?"

Mara gave him an odd look. "You don't wear it constantly anymore?"

"Well it hardly seemed necessary," Luke said, "it's been fairly peaceful recently, and I didn't want Ellie to get ahold of it and inadvertently hurt herself before I could stop her." He gave Mara a wry look. "And I didn't think you were going to pull a blaster on me, these days."

Mara felt a smile engulf her features as she heard him express his faith in her. She turned away a little, slightly embarrassed by her reaction. "Well, whatever then. But we'd better hurry up an get out there before whatever we heard is gone." Her voice was gruff.

Luke placed a hand on her arm and propelled her to the door.

A low moan sounded from their left as the pair stepped outside. Mara swung the light towards its source. A large, pale maroon Zenriffian was collapsed in the grass, facedown. It was Jeria Cordiva.

Mara was instantly wary, but brushed the feeling away as a bad remnant of her past. Glancing up, she could see a path of broken branched leading from high up in the tree. Presumably Cordiva had fallen. But why had she been that high up the tree in the first place? Especially in the middle of the night.

Luke also took note of the damage, but wanted to help the woman as soon as possible. He pulled Mara over to her. She frowned a little, but did not protest.

As they approached, Cordiva twisted her neck up and to the side to look at them. They crouched down and helped her into a sitting position where she could lean against the tree.

"Jeria?" Luke asked softly, "Are you all right? What happened?"

The Zenriffian took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I was up in the tree, taking holos. That's my job. I'm a photographer. I mostly photograph the stars on different planets as they look without the help of technology like magnification or suspensors. I guess I climbed too far away from the trunk and it broke..." She took another deep, shuddering breath.

Mara gave her an odd look. "I'd be very interested in seeing your pictures someday."

"Oh, I'll make sure that you do," Cordiva said, attempting a smile.

Coughing a little, the reptilian woman spoke again. "Can you please help me into your house or something? I don't mean to intrude, but you shouldn't both be away from the baby for long, I would think."

Luke shot Mara a little frown, and she sent her thoughts to him. We have time, Luke. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this story is a little odd, don't you think? I'm not so sure I want her in our house. We can make her comfortable in her own home.

Our house, Luke thought; and then, Ella. But he was careful to keep both from Mara.

The Jedi and the Trader carefully lifted Cordiva, using the Force for help.

At he direction, they laid Cordiva down on a gigantic lounge chair just inside the back door. She motioned to a pile of books and pamphlets on a nearby box. "Bring the ones on top, please," Cordiva asked Mara. She did so.

Cordiva selected a booklet and handed it to the Luke and Mara. The cover showed a holographic image of a starry sky, framed by the tops of trees. "Holos by Jeria Cordiva" was emblazoned across the bottom. They opened it. It was a calendar.

The holos were beautiful. Maybe even worth climbing tall trees in the dead of night for.

When they finished looking, Luke gently replaced it. "Do you need anything else, Jeria? Is it all right if we leave now?" he asked.

"If you could just get me some water," she answered. "Then I'll be fine."

Luke did so. Mara leaned against the wall, eyeing Cordiva silently.

When Luke returned he handed Cordiva the water and gave her their com number. He slipped an arm around Mara's waist. They waved good-bye to Cordiva and left.

Luke kept his arm around Mara as they strolled back to the house. She leaned into him. Both his body and his Force-presence were warm around her. Mara stroked his hand a little, secretly wishing that it would never end.

Suddenly, just after they got in the door, he seemed to realize what he was doing. He pulled his arm away. Luke's actions was slow and gentle, but Mara still sighed in disappointment. It had been very pleasant.

"Goodness, Luke," she teased, "for a moment I thought you were going to have her over for the night. I can't say I would have liked that decision."

"Mmm. You don't trust her, do you? We'll need to discuss that in the morning.

"But really, Mar, you don't think I'm all that naivë, do you? I think I've learned by now that you never know when a pretty servant of the Empire might show up. Goodnight!" He chuckled and headed for his room.

"You think she's pretty?" Mara queried, half-laughing, eyebrows raised. But her heart cried out, You think I'm pretty?

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So, what'dya think? Please review and let me know! Constructive criticism welcome!