Luke still felt badly for Mara, for some reason even though she was a good five years older than him, he knew that one day he would marry her. He wrote her a note and sent to her, she received it a few days later. Mara was surprised by Luke's compassion. She put her note away with her other keepsakes. After she finished working in the garden, she brought Padmé several cut roses. "Mara, thank you these are so beautiful, what's the occasion?"
"For putting up with me, Lady Padmé." Mara whispered.
"Whatever do you mean, Mara? You are more than just Anakin's apprentice, sweetheart, you are family."
"Why do you care about me so much? Most women don't like me and guys tolerate me."
"Why do you feel this way, Mara? Surely you are aware that Anakin loves you like a daughter."
"Yes, but that doesn't explain you. You don't have to be so nice and caring to me."
"Oh, Mara, I do it because you are family and I love you, surely your Jedi abilities realize this."
"Yes, I guess it does."
Padmé pulled Mara into an embrace and she released the tears that she was holding back.
"You are a still water that runs very deep, Mara." Padmé whispered.
Anakin came into Padmé's office and backed away as he realized he was interrupting a moment between Mara and Padmé. He felt Mara's pain as she cried he didn't quite understand why today she was so emotional. He decided to do a little research on Mara Jade, if it was even possible. There was a great sense of loss, he always knew this, but he didn't know why and Mara wouldn't be able to answer, because it was a memory buried even before she was brought to the temple. Anakin contacted Master Yoda.
"Question you have for me?"
"Yes, is today the day you found Mara Jade?"
"It is." Yoda replied sadly.
"What happened to her, Master Yoda?"
"She was brought here by her father unwillingly, but he did it to save the child's life."
"What do you mean?"
"The girl's mother was abusive and very nearly drowned the child in the bathtub. Sad, this is why we assigned her to you, we knew she need a male Jedi Master, she had a hard time relating with women in the crèche. We also hoped that with Padmé she would find a second mother, possibly one she could bond with."
"Your wisdom has paid off, but one day I will have to tell my padawan this tale, she will need to know the truth."
"You will know when the time is right, Master Skywalker." Yoda replied.
"Thank you, Master Yoda."
As Mara finished crying, she jumped off Padmé's lap. "Feeling better, Mara?"
"Yes, thank you. Now I understand why Master Skywalker married you. You are his angel and mine, you saved us both." Mara didn't realize of course of how right she was, without Padmé surely both of them would have become servants to the dark side and to the Emperor. Padmé watched Mara skip out of the room, she wiped away her tears, and she was truly touched about what Mara had said.
Han was picking a fresh looking tomato off the vine, when Mara caught him.
"Hey!"
"What?"
"Don't mess in my garden, Solo."
"I wasn't messing, Mara. I'm eating. These tomatoes are delicious and what's weird is normally I hate tomatoes."
"Get out of my garden!" Mara yelled.
"You know for a Jedi you sure do have a vicious temper."
"You always seem to bring out the worse in me, Solo!"
"Could it be because you like me?" Han taunted and then he saw Mara glaring at him and started to chase him. Han laughed and ran towards the wooded glade. Han climbed a tree and finished eating his tomato.
"Mara? What's going on?" Anakin called out to her telepathically.
"Solo was in my garden, eating my tomatoes."
"Come on back to the house."
"What about Solo?"
"Mara come on, how many tomatoes did he eat?"
"He ate two."
"You have at least a dozen ready for picking, two is insignificant. Come on back to the house."
"Well, Solo you are lucky this day. Don't let me catch you in my garden again, or else I will stuff worms in your bed at night."
"Good then I can go fishing in the morning!" Han retorted.
Mara huffed and ran back to the house. She did multiple cartwheels and back flips as she neared the house. She walked on her hands; she enjoyed doing acrobatics and being physically active. Anakin watched her and shook his head, he always knew that Mara was a bit of a tomboy, but she also needed some serious refinement and that's where Padmé would come into play.
"Angel?"
"Yes?"
"Mara Jade needs to learn how to be a lady of refinement as well as a Jedi, she's taken to the Jedi part very well, but she needs to learn protocol and proper etiquette, she doesn't know how to be a lady."
"You want me to teach her?" Padmé asked incredulously.
"Yes, I can't teach her these things, I'm not a lady."
"No, just a Jedi protector, husband, father, the list is endless."
"She needs to learn these things about social protocol."
"Where did you get your training from; for you dance incredibly well?"
"Obi-Wan taught me certain things, the rest I learned from Master Gallia, as she always had to attend these political parties."
"Oh, yes, I remember." Padmé smiled secretly.
"You know something about Master Gallia?"
"I am not allowed to divulge any information about that night, I swore an oath. You will have to ask Master Gallia yourself."
"You called, Master?" Mara asked breathlessly as she entered the living room.
"Yes. Your life day is coming up soon right?"
"Yes, unfortunately." Mara sighed.
"Why unfortunately?" Padmé wondered aloud.
"I hate life days, is just another reminder of who I was before I became a padawan-learner."
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"You don't know?" Mara cried.
"I suspect something, but you need to tell me, Mara."
Mara ran from the room to the mediation chamber, these emotions were too much for her and she felt fear, anger, and aggression.
"I'll be back, don't worry Padmé." Anakin kissed her on the cheek.
Mara had her head in her hands and was sobbing uncontrollably. Anakin said nothing as he sat behind her and held her as she cried. He sent warm feelings of compassion and affection over their bond. Mara hated how she felt so out of control with emotions, sometimes she wished she didn't have any feelings at all, that she could find away to make them disappear. "Feelings add color to our lives, Mara. I know sometimes it can be difficult to live with them, it's a struggle every Jedi feels, especially if we allow them to control us and instead of us controlling them; it's how we act on our feelings that makes it right or wrong."
"Master Obi-Wan once told me that you and I are kindred spirits, I never really understood."
"Tell me, Mara what happened to make you so afraid of forming relationships with women, I'll understand."
"It's hard for me to tell you."
"Then show me."
Mara closed her eyes and while she was showing memories she held onto Anakin for dear life. The life that Mara had previously was full of pain; the only joy she would feel is that in her father's arms, he seemed to understand that she was very special, he loved her very much. Her mother on the other hand was always angry and hated her own flesh and blood with such ferocity that it shocked Anakin to his deepest core. Mara was often beaten, deprived of food, even a bedroom. She merely had a flat to lie on at night; he would see her curled up from the cold. She was playing with a piece of lint, telekinetically pushing it higher into the air and it made her smile. Her father worked late shifts and would come home to find his youngest daughter shivering from the cold, he would always tuck her into bed on the sofa and pull a heavy black blanket over her small form.
"Daddy."
"Shh, get some rest. Soon you will lead a better life, tomorrow is a new day for you my precious."
"Mommy is angry at me, she caught me." Mara cried in her little four year old voice.
"Mommy will no longer be able to hurt you, Mara. I promise."
Her father loved her very much, Anakin felt his compassion. He saved her from the attempted murder by her own mother; it was no wonder that Mara held such a distrust of ladies. Padmé had worked very hard to give Mara her space and two had become close over the years, it was only because of Anakin's bond with Padmé that Mara could trust her. Mara's vision ended and she was asleep still clutching Anakin's leather inlays of his tunic. He carried her to bed for a nap, it had been an emotional morning. He returned downstairs and went to meditate on everything that Mara had shared, trying to come to terms with it.
Han was in the garage working on a speeder when Anakin approached him.
"It's your day off, Han."
"I know; Mara's life day is coming up isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what her favorite color is?"
"I think it's green."
"Fitting enough, I mean her last name is Jade right?" Anakin rolled his eyes and started to help Han. They spent most of the day working on the speeder and covering it up after they just about completed it.
"You know maybe I should paint it red instead of green to match her fiery temper."
"Solo, do you really enjoy aggravating my apprentice so much?"
"Its fun, she's like a sister to me. Besides I think she enjoys it too." Han replied.
Anakin sighed and with Han around it certainly did keep things interesting.
Author's Note:Okay, folks I need some more ideas, please. I'm at an impasse, again. Sorry this chapter was short. Please don't forget to review me, I always welcome constructive criticism.—Darth Gladiator45