Chapter 12

"I can't believe you're not the least bit mad at me," Nomi sniffled.

Luke sat beside her on the couch and put his arm around her. "I'm not, really, I promise. A little confused but that's all."

"Hey, I kept this from you for a long time. Ask whatever questions you have?"

"Not now. We have lots of time to talk about it."

"You know I didn't do it on purpose?" Nomi asked looking into his eyes. Those eyes had had her in a trance since she was sixteen.

"Did what on purpose?" Luke was confused by her question.

"You know I didn't loose the baby on purpose. Right? You do know I wouldn't do that?" Nomi could feel the tears beginning to well up again. This had been the reason she didn't want to tell him. She had been worried that he'd think she did it on purpose. Or that it had been her idea not to tell him when she left Tatooine.

"I know you wouldn't do that. Why would I think that?" Luke pulled her into an embrace. He hadn't realized until this moment how much he had missed having her in his arms. After a long pause Luke pulled back and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before you left?"

"Dad. He didn't think you could take care of me. He said you were reckless and impatient. He said I'd be better off on Corusant." Nomi sniffled a little, "I remember the day I told him. He told me I'd have to get rid of the baby or go live with my aunt. And I remember telling him that wasn't fair to the three of us. He told me that loosing his little girl wasn't fair to him so he didn't have to be." Nomi burst into tears.

Luke knew that out of her family she had been closest to her father, Biggs, and Decame. He knew how those words of disapproval would have torn through her. Her father put her through so much but somehow she always still loved him. "I'm sure he didn't mean all those things. He was probably just angry."

"Luke, I haven't talked to him since I called him and told him I lost the baby."

"What?"

"He calls my aunt to talk to her, never asks for me. Never a 'tell Nomica I love her.' I hated it when he'd call. I don't know why I kept living there."

Luke didn't know either. "Think though, had you not stayed with your aunt would you have come to the play that night?"

"Well, no. I guess it was only a small price to pay for what happened." Nomi smiled at Luke and he returned the smile. Luke put his finger tips under her chin to pull it close to him. The kiss was so powerful it brought memories back to Luke he thought he had long forgotten. Memories of him, her, and of his life on Tatooine.

The kiss however was interrupted by a banging at the door. Luke mumbled "don't I ever get any time for me around here," and got up.

Nomi sat in a daze. She had forgotten what his kiss had felt like. It was wonderful; she wished to never forget again.

Luke glanced back at her and rolled his eyes before he opened the door. He knew it was Mara and he was even more displeased that it had been her that interrupted.

Mara was out of breath. "Where's Nomi? Man, we've got to get her out of here." Mara walked in the apartment without being invited. "Nomi! Come on we have to go, NOW!"

"Wait a second Mara what are you talking about?" Luke grabbed her by the arm to try to keep Nomi from hearing.

Too late. "What's wrong Mara?" Nomi looked afraid at first but then remembered that Luke was here and whatever trouble she had gotten into he could fix it for her.

"When you were 'missing' Luke's bright sister called your aunt. And she's here."

"Oh, Sith!" Nomi bit out.

"What did you just say?" Luke turned to her with a surprised look on his face.

"It doesn't matter. I have to get out of here. I don't know where to go." Nomi felt a little ashamed that she had cursed in front of him but there was a bigger problem. A much bigger problem, my aunt!

Mara took Nomi by the arm, "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it."

"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this." Luke said.

"We've got to get her out of here, so suck it up farm boy."

"Hey!" Nomi let out.

"Sorry, it's only meant to offend Luke."

"Aww, how sweet. So what am I suppose to do why you two go hide?" Luke gave Mara a stare and giving his statement with lots of sarcasm.

"Stay here. And whatever you do don't tell her that you saw her. I'd really hate that we did all this for nothing."

"Why don't you let me worry about what I should say? I'm not a laser brain."

Mara was dragging Nomi out the door when she mumbled "Sometimes I wonder."

"Luke? Call my commlink when she's gone." Nomi said as the door closed behind her.

Luke sat on the couch of the apartment wondering how long it would take Leia and good old Aunt Losa to make it down here. He hoped that things weren't going so great for Leia. Sibling rivalry is one thing but this was another. He still wasn't sure whether Leia liked Nomi but this wasn't helping. Why in the worlds would she do that? That was one question he was sure he was going to get the answer to.

Luke could feel Leia coming down the hallway. She was accompanied by the three children and someone else. Luke assumed the fifth person to be Nomi's Aunt Losa. The knock came at the door and knew it was them. He stood up and straitened his tunic. He walked to the door to find them all standing outside.

"Hi Leia, hi kids. Who's this?"

"Move!" Aunt Losa pushed Luke to the side, something he had not expected from the elderly woman. "Nomica Jetta Darklighter! We don't have time for this! Are you trying to kill me and your Father in one swoop?" Aunt Losa continued to call throughout the apartment. She turned to Luke, "So you're the one who got her sent here in the first place."

"I guess I am." Luke knew that the woman knew who he was. He couldn't deny it.

"What?" Leia looked to Luke with a puzzled face.

"Nothing, we'll talk about it later. Why don't you take the kids back up stairs?" Luke and Nomi had hardly talked about what happened he didn't want Leia to know yet. What kind of example would I set for Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin if they found out?

"He didn't tell you?"

"I just found out myself, I haven't had time to talk to anyone about it," Luke was NOT going to talk about this now. He refused to.

"Ashamed about your past?"

"No. I'll talk about it when the time comes. But it's not that time yet. Nomi left, I don't know when or if she's coming back. I walked her to the transport station and she had a bag in her hand. I don't know if it was a suit case or not. If you'll excuse me though, I have a few things I need to take care of. I just got back last night from an off world trip. I have some things to check on."

"Like Nomi?" Aunt Losa was pushing Luke's buttons, and those were hard to push.

"And what if I was?" The response threw Leia for a loop. She was told Luke was to act like he hadn't seen her.

"Then I'd demand you tell me where my niece is so I can take her home and she can go back home to her father."

"To keep her away from me?" Luke had turned the tables now.

"Maybe."

"She is no longer your responsibility to look after her."

"Excuse me?" The aunt's face was astonished at what he had said.

"Luke, what are you talking about?" Leia rushed to him hoping that maybe, just maybe, he had hit his head on something.

"She's my responsibility now. You don't have to worry about it." Luke said it again with much more confidence this time.

"Are planning to marry her?" Nomi's aunt's face was beginning to turn red.

"And what if I am?" Luke replied back.

"Whoa!" Jaina said in astonishment.

"Come on kids, I think I should take you back upstairs." Leia ushered the three children out of the room.

"Her father would never allow it."

"What if she was tired of always doing everything to please her father?"

"That isn't my Nomica. She cares very much about what her father thinks. Plus, she wasn't trying too hard to please him, she was here with you."

The way she emphasized you made Luke sound like some scumbag. He knew he would never be able to win. "Would you please leave?"

"Yes, and if Nomica comes back tell her I was here. I'm sure you will. Thank you, Jedi Master Skywalker." He realized then that it didn't matter to Nomi's family what he had become. He would always be the mischievous farm boy on Tatooine.

He locked the door behind her when she left. He pulled out his commlink. "Nomi? Nomi, you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here did she leave?"

"I'm not sure, but you need to get here fast. We have to talk. Wait! You stay with Mara for an hour or so. I have to run out for a little bit. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll tell you when I get back. See you in a little bit." Luke switched off the commlink. There was so much to do in such a little time.

"What do you think he's up to?" Nomi turned and asked Mara.

"I don't know. I'm not around Luke enough, thank the Force."

Nomi couldn't help but laugh. When Luke had said they didn't get along all the time, he meant it. "I wonder what he said to my aunt."

"Me, too," Mara said. "How does he not know if she left yet? And what does he have to do?"

"It's Luke, no one will know until he reveals his big surprise." Nomi said remembering this mischievous side of Luke. The side that does something that will surprise everyone.