Chapter 16

"Two seconds too late." Mara said stepping into the apartment.

"So, who wants to be the on to do all the talking?" Han asked.

Mara pushed Gracelin to sit on the couch beside Jacen.

"Hey, watch it!" Jacen said, then making sure Gracelin was okay.

"So you're going to talk? Good! I didn't want to have to yell at Gracelin." Han said to his son.

"Yet." Luke added as his eyes bore into Gracelin.

"So, start talking Jacen."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Don't be smart, Jacen!" Leia barked out.

"Ugh! I stayed the night! Okay, now that we got that out of the way. It was my idea!"

The shock was enough to take everyone's attention off of Jacen. No one had expected Gracelin's outburst, not even Jacen. Or that she would take the blame for his idea. It only took him a moment to recover. "Plus, we're both adults."

"Just because the Galactic Law says so that doesn't mean you're ready to be adults." Leia said, before Gracelin made another outburst.

Gracelin knew one way to get the focus off of them for at least a second or two. "Jacen, doesn't this conversation sound familiar? You had this almost same argument with Luke back on Naboo!"

Luke visibly winced. He had felt he could leave that out when he told Leia about the trip.

"What!" Leia and Han said unison. "This has been going on and you didn't tell us?" Leia accused.

"Nothing was going on back then!" Luke growled out, starring at Gracelin, knowing exactly what she was up to. Her mother's old tricks, he thought to himself. "But now I wish I had told you. Gracelin you're going home, tomorrow!"

"What?" This time said by Gracelin and Jacen, shock evident in their voices.

"Tomorrow, you'll get on a transport and go back to Naboo. Do you need it made any clearer?" Luke asked Gracelin.

"Like hell I am!"

"Gracey, calm down." Jacen tried to soothe.

"No! I will not calm down! He's acting like he's my father, as if he has a say so." She snapped at Jacen. "Luke, you have no idea what's going on! It's our lives, let us live them."

"We're just trying to help, Gracelin." Mara tried to explain.

"I do not want your help. You don't like me Mara, and don't you deny it. I scare you, and you too Mrs. Solo. I scare you because of where I come from!" Gracelin paused to swallow the lump in her throat. "Because of who my mother is. I may not know exactly what happened all those years ago, but I do know there's this strange fear in all of you. You may not show it, but I can feel it." Gracelin stood up, "excuse me."

Jacen was quickly up and following. "Gracey, please wait."

"No, not now. Jacen just give me a minute or two." She walked into the bedroom and locked the door.

I'm going to tell them! He sent her.

No you're not! We said we'd do it together.

I don't know how much more either one of us can take.

Jacen, just wait, please?

He couldn't deny her plea. Jacen walked back into a very silent common room. "I want all of you out, now!" He stated calmly but forcefully.

"I never said anything to Gracelin to make her think I didn't like her. If I did, I didn't mean it." Leia said to Jacen.

"Me neither." Mara added.

It took only a moment for Luke to realize it. "She's Force sensitive?"

Jacen sighed. "You weren't supposed to know."

"Why not? We could help her get into the academy." Mara said confused.

"That's not what Nomica wanted." Jacen informed the group.

"But she'd make a great Knight!" Jaina spoke up.

"Jaina, don't." Jacen quickly silenced his sister.

"She still goes home tomorrow."

"Luke, don't do that." Jacen couldn't believe what his uncle was saying.

"Jacen, I feel it would be better, for both of you, if she left. I'm sorry."

"I'm not discussing this anymore. I would like you all to leave." Jacen said calmly.

"Okay." Luke answered, and then led Mara out of his nephew's apartment. Jaina followed but Han and Leia didn't move.

"So, that's her?"

"Dad, don't start."

"No, no, no, don't get me wrong. She's very pretty. I'm assuming she's who you went and saw on Naboo."

"Yes, I went and saw Gracelin."

"Jacen, I'm not going to tell you what to do and what not to do. You and your sister like to keep reminding us that you aren't children anymore. Now, she still lives under my roof so I can control what she does. You, however, don't." Han sighed. "Just don't do anything you can't handle the responsibility for."

Leia turned to her husband wide-eyed and in shock, not quite believing what he was telling their son.

"Come on, Leia." Han grabbed her hand and practically dragged her out of the apartment.

"I wish you'd stay." Jacen said as she gathered her bags.

Gracelin was on the verge of tears. "It'd be better if I left as soon as possible."

"Gracey?"

"I'm, um, I'm telling Nomica in two weeks."

He shook his head in agreement and understandingly. "Okay, I'll be there."

Her tears were streaking her face. "I'm just so tired of hiding."

"I am too." Jacen wrapped his arms around her.

"I need to go." She had to leave before he broke her resolve.

Jacen could tell there was a bit of distance between the two of them. He could feel tears wanting to form in his eyes. He just kissed the top of her head. "Okay."

"I love you, and I'll, um, see you in a couple weeks." Her voice was breaking up and her vision blurring. She kissed him long and hard before turning and leaving.

"Kristea, I feel like everything is falling apart."

"I still can't believe you're married!"

Kristea and Gracelin sat on the couch of Gracelin's common room. "Kristea, pay attention!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. You still love him, don't you?"

"Yes! Of course I do! I'd give up my own life for him! I just wonder what all this hiding and separation is going to do to us."

"You guys love each other, what could be the problem?"

"I don't know."

The main door opened and Gracelin saw Greyton walk in. "Gracelin, I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." Gracelin reclined on the rest of the couch.

Kristea passed Greyton on her way out, "Bye, Mr. Rowe."

"Bye, Kristea." Greyton walked into the common room and saw Gracelin lying on the couch. He sat down on the couch down by her feet. "Hey, girly."

"Hi, Greyton."

"You talked to your mom?"

"No, not yet. She hasn't said two words since I got back."

"Don't you move into the Palace tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I do."

"You need to talk to her before you go."

"Greyton…"

"Just listen. You are her only daughter. Ramey was like a son but he really wasn't. You're really her child. She feels like she's losing you."

Gracelin sat up at the last statement. "She keeps pushing me away!"

"She's not trying to."

"I know."

"Just talk to her, Sweets."

"I'll try, Greyton."

"Thank you. That's all I ask, is that you just try." He got up and left the room.

It had been the first time Greyton had talked to her as a father figure. She felt guilty for having not taking advantage of having the closest thing she'd have to a dad. With her new found guilt along with the guilt about her mother she laid back down.

The door pager rang and Greyton got up to answer. "Hi, can I help you?"

"I think so. Is Gracelin Dathe here?"

"No, I'm afraid she doesn't live here anymore?"

"Oh, she didn't tell me she was moving."

"I can let her know you stopped by."

"No, I was hoping to surprise her."

"She's at the Palace. You look familiar, do I know you?"

"Yeah, I 'm an old friend of Gracelin's. I haven't been around her in a while. We only met once that I remember. I'm Bow."