See disclaimer in prologue.
Ok, for anyone who is actually reading this, here is the next chapter. It took a little longer than I thought it would to get out so if I kept anyone waiting to long, sorry about that. If anyone out there likes this story at all, or even if u don't, please drop me a review. I haven't had a very good week and that would definitely cheer me up. :)
CHAPTER 5
"'Night, Daddy," Kirinna said, snuggling under the covers.
"Night-night, Daddy," Kasaia echoed sleepily.
"Good night, Jasa," Maya said. "Don't worry, Jaya will be okay."
"I hope so, kiddo," Jacen said. "Goodnight, girls." He closed the door, leaving just a crack, and went to bed. Tenel Ka was waiting for him.
"Are you tired, my Jacen?" she asked.
"I'm not too tired to stay up and…do stuff," he said, getting under the sheet. Tenel Ka half-smiled at him.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Well…Actually, I don't know." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just can't quit thinking about my sister. Will she be all right? What's going on with her?" With another sigh, he slumped down.
For a while, Tenel Ka just lay there next to him. Then she said, in a perfectly serious tone, "Would you like to hear a joke?"
"What?"
"A joke," she repeated. "You use humour to cause laughter when people are sad or upset. Laughter causes you not to feel as badly. And you, my friend, are extremely upset."
"Well, I'm not—I mean, I don't need you to—Well, okay, go ahead," Jacen said, curious about what she would do. She thought a moment.
"Buzz buzz," she said seriously. His eyebrows rose.
"You're telling me a doorbell joke?"
"Buzz buzz," she repeated.
Grinning, he replied, "Who's there?"
"Filipp," she said, not quite smiling.
"Filipp who?" He was almost afraid to ask.
"Filipp my fuel tank, please."
"Where in the universe did you hear that?" Jacen asked, choking back giggles.
"Kirinna told it to me," she said. "Seven times in a row."
"So," Jacen said. "The kid takes after her old man a little after all." He waggled his eyebrows in a way he hadn't done in years, and it was on that nostalgic note that she turned off the light.
"Tenel Ka?" he asked in the dark a moment later, sounding very much like a small boy coming to an adult for help.
"Yes, my Jacen?" she asked sleepily.
"Why did she say 'yes'?"
*
"Luc, Zekk and I need to talk to you on the Lightning Rod," Tenel Ka told her nephew after breakfast in the morning.
"Sorry, Mrs. Djo—"
"Don't call me that," she interrupted.
"Um, Tenel Ka," he amended. "Sorry, but me and Corrie were going to play."
"You can play later. Corrie will understand. We have something important to talk to you about."
"Well…okay, I guess," Luc said sullenly and followed her to the Lightning Rod.
Zekk was there waiting for them. He sat in the pilot's chair, his head down as he concentrated on what he was about to do. He looked up and smiled nervously as they walked in.
"Hey, Luc," Zekk said in an anxious voice. Tenel Ka sent him a look that told him to calm down.
"Hi, Mr. Dallinger," Luc replied. Zekk cringed, wanting with all his heart to hear his son say 'Daddy' again.
"Luc, Zekk and I want to try a little experiment and we need you to help us," Tenel Ka started.
"What kind of esperiment?" Luc wanted to know.
"Well, it's a test to see how susceptible you are to the Force."
"What does susepabable mean?" Luc asked.
"It means how open you are to something," Zekk answered.
"I'm open to the Force!" Luc cried.
"We know you are, but Lady Misery wanted you tested," Tenel Ka said, using a tactic that she knew would work on the young boy. "She told us before…well, before."
"Lady Misery wants me to?" Luc questioned quietly. Tenel Ka nodded.
"Well, okay, I guess."
"You have to come sit in my lap," Zekk said. "I have to be able to touch you so I can go in your mind and see if the Force is there." Luc studied him for a moment, then walked over and crawled up into his lap.
He has the perfect lap for snuggling in, Luc decided as he let himself relax. Zekk began to stroke his son's hair lightly, afraid that if he did anything drastic, Luc might jump up and run away. He fell into a type of trance and reached out for Luc's mind. After some struggle, Luc let him in. He opened all the locks in Luc's mind and found the place where his memories were hidden. He felt Tenel Ka guide him to the ones he would need to recall first, and then her presence withdrew completely. It was just Zekk and his son.
He decided to start off with something Luc already knew. He touched the memory, and it followed him without much resistance.
Luc and Nova were playing a game outside. Luc ran forward and grabbed his sister's hand. She was out. He won.
More memories of the twins playing together came to the surface on their own. Zekk decided to try something new.
"Mommy, let's go!" Mommy smiled at him, and picked him up. Luc hugged her.
Zekk left the memories alone for a minute to think about it. He had never seen Jaina through someone else's eyes before. She looked so different. Zekk wondered how his son saw him. He hesitated. Then he plunged in.
Luc was on the bottom bunk. It wasn't fair that Nova always got the top just because she was older. She was asleep already, but Luc was awake. He pretended to be asleep though, because somebody was opening the door. It was Daddy.
"Don't worry about this, kids," Daddy said quietly. "Me and Mommy will be okay." He pulled Luc's covers up and went out of the room.
"Good night, Daddy," Luc whispered when Daddy left.
There were a lot of memories now. There were a lot more left. Much as he wanted to protect his son from anything bad, including his own memories, it was time for Zekk to open up those as well.
"I can't believe you!" Mommy yelled.
"Jaina, listen to me," Daddy said, grabbing her arm.
"Don't touch me!" Mommy jerked away. "Don't touch me, don't talk to me, and don't try to stop me!"
"Where are you going?" Daddy asked.
"I'm leaving. I am taking my children, and I am leaving!"
"Are you going to Kanyen?" Daddy asked quietly.
"Oh, so that's what this is about," Mommy said, "Your crazy, jealous obsession! Get a life, Zekk. Kanyen is a great person, and a good friend!"
"If he's so great, why don't you marry him?"
"Maybe I will!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Two separate doors slammed.
"Don't worry," Luc said to Nova. "Daddy said it will be okay, and it will." He went away from the door where he was listening and gave his twin a hug. "We're all going to be okay."
Zekk opened his eyes, coming out of his trance and his son's mind.
"That's enough for now," he said in a voice that he hoped was cheerful. "Go play with Corrie, and I'll see you after dinner, okay?"
*
"I got you! You're out, Jad!" Corrie and his little brother chased each other across the grass.
"Hey, Corrie, I'm done with my test now," Luc said, running up to join them.
"What took you so long?" Corrie asked. "You've been in there all day." Luc shrugged.
"We were just doing…I dunno, Jedi stuff. Anyway, let's play now."
"Not so fast, boys." Corrie turned around to see his dad there. "You kids have got to go get some dinner. Especially you, Luc. You missed lunch."
"But Uncle Anakin, we didn't even get to play!" Luc said.
"Really, Dad," Corrie added. "Can't we have just a few more minutes?" He did his best to give what his mom called the guilt trip look.
"Well, maybe just a couple," he replied. Then he stopped. "Luc…what did you just call me?"
"Uncle Anakin," Luc repeated.
"You remember who I am?" Anakin asked. "How?"
"Daddy," Luc explained. "Daddy fixed my rememories."
*
Zekk entered the med center just as Jacen was coming out of Jaina's room.
"How is she?" Zekk asked. Jaina had stayed in the bacta tank for twenty-eight hours. Now she was almost completely restored. Some of the witches were already trying to study the layered-shield effect that Tenel Ka, Anakin, Jacen, Zekk, and Jaina had accomplished instinctively. Their shields had remained separate from one another, denoted by the colour (which matched each person's lightsaber blade) and yet had worked with the others around it to become stronger than it would have alone.
"She's doing better," Jacen said. "A little weak, but that's to be expected."
"And?" Zekk prompted cautiously.
"And…" Jacen continued, a grin spreading across his face. "She's Jaina. At least she was when I saw her. So unless she's had a relapse…"
"Are you sure?" Zekk exclaimed, not daring to hope.
Jaina was weak, but of course it was a miracle that she had survived at all. As for the newly discovered baby, the bacta had interfered with readings and Jaina had been too afraid to let anyone check since. In fact, there were times when she wouldn't let anyone come near her at all. She seemed terrified to be around other people, but she was not afraid for her own safety.
"Hey! Am I her twin or not? 'Course I'm sure!" Zekk was dumbfounded. "Now get in there! She won't ask, but I know she wants to see you."
*
Jaina sat staring at a holopic someone had put beside her bed. It showed an image of her family. Everyone, from her Uncle Luke to her baby niece, Lei, was in it. Jaina had thought her mother crazy when Leia had insisted they take it the last time they were all on Coruscant. Now she was glad, even though it hurt her to look at the image knowing all the pain she had caused them. She didn't know how she had gotten her memories back, she only knew she had them. Most of the time.
Jaina remembered being Misery and a part of her still was, somewhere deep inside. The only thing that frightened her was the feeling that Misery might decide to come out.
Jaina looked up as someone walked in the door. It was Zekk. Her breath caught in her throat. She had hurt him. She remembered that clearly. The look on his face when she had left, telling him that she didn't love him, and taking his children. Jaina clenched her fists. Everything Kanyen had told her was a lie! Everything! And it had very possibly cost her the love of her life.
She looked up and her gaze locked with Zekk's. She looked away.
"Jaina—"
"Zekk—" They both spoke at the same time. They laughed nervously. He walked over and sat beside her on the bed.
"So…do you remember everything?" Zekk asked.
"Yes," Jaina said softly. "Zekk, I…" She looked at him. He sat far away, looking everywhere in the room but at her. The look in his eyes was almost one of fear. Jaina's heart was pounding. "Oh, God, what have I done to us?" she said, her voice quivering. He looked at her questioningly. "I am such an idiot," she started.
"Jaina, wait," he interrupted. "I don't know what I did to make you hate me, but—"
"I don't hate—"
"No, let me finish," Zekk insisted. "I don't know what happened between us, but I do know that when I thought you were dead…I couldn't take it." He blinked rapidly. "We once thought that our love could withstand anything. Do you still feel that way?" He looked at her, passion evident in his eyes.
"Oh, Zekk, I've messed up everything! None of this is your fault; I was stupid for listening to Kanyen's lies. He messed with my mind, he made me believe evil things about you when he was the one who was evil."
"Jaina, I don't think this was all your fault. He has some kind of power over you."
"It doesn't matter!" Jaina cried. "It doesn't change what I've done, to us, to our family! I couldn't have faith in you when it counted and that's my fault. It doesn't matter that I've ruined everything, because I don't deserve you, no matter how much I love you." Her voice broke and she looked down at her hands.
"I don't believe this was your fault. He did something to you; you wouldn't do something like that on your own. I love you, Jaina. Whatever happened, it's in the past, it's right now that counts."
"How could you want anything to do with me?" Jaina asked unbelievingly. "All I've done is hurt you!" Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Zekk reached over and tilted her chin so that her eyes locked with his.
"You hurt me by not being with me," he said softly. She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. He slid closer and put his arms around her.
"What if I mess up again?"
"Then we'll get through it together," he said firmly. Jaina looked up and stared at him for a long time, reading only love in his eyes.
"Oh, Zekk, I love you so much," she said, sobbing. "I was sure I had destroyed any love you had for me." She clung to him, unable to stop crying and shaking.
"I could never stop loving you," Zekk assured her. "Hey, calm down. It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." As if to convince her, he tipped her chin up and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss with one full of passion. The Force flowed around them, and they could feel their bond, which had never really broken, growing stronger than ever. Jaina buried her face in his chest, and they stayed that 0way for a long time, just holding each other.
"Zekk," Jaina said, finally pulling away. "There's something I need to tell you."
"I think I know, but…"
"The baby's yours, Zekk. I'm sure of it."
"How do you know?" he asked. "I mean, it wouldn't matter. It doesn't with Luc and Nova."
"I know," Jaina said positively. "I didn't realize it then, but I was pregnant about two weeks before…So she's yours."
"She?" Zekk questioned.
"She."
"And is she?"
"I don't know if she was affected. I'm afraid to check," she told him.
"Jaina, we have to know."
"You're right, but what if…" Her finally subsided tears began to well up again.
"Now, don't do that before we even know anything," Zekk said soothingly. "Here, let me." He lifted her shirt and laid his hand on the slight bulge in her stomach. Jaina trembled under his touch. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He felt Jaina, scared but hopeful, and, going deeper, he felt another presence reach out and brush his. He opened his eyes. Jaina was staring at him expectantly.
"I felt her," he whispered in awe.
"Is she…?"
"She's fine." Jaina sighed in relief.
"What about the twins?" she asked, going on to her next worry. "Where are they?"
"Well, um," Zekk started, not knowing what to tell her about Nova. "Wait here." He rushed out of the room leaving Jaina dumbfounded.
*
"What do you want to play?" Corrie asked. All the kids shrugged. "How about Jedis?"
"Being a Jedi is not a game, Corrie," Luc said seriously.
"Fuddy-duddy," Corrie said.
"Un-responsible," Luc replied.
"Geek!"
"Dork!"
"Loser!"
"Knock it off," Maya cried. Everybody looked at her in surprise, even Lei. "My head hurts." Corrie and Luc glanced at each other, but before they could turn their now-united assault on her, the door opened and Zekk came in.
"Big news, everybody," he said. "Jaina and the baby are both all right. Luc, you're going to have a little sister."
"Jaya's okay? Can I see her?" Maya asked eagerly.
"Maybe later, Rusty," Zekk said gently. "Right now she needs to get a lot of rest because she's still very weak, and she can't see too many people."
"But I wouldn't make her tired," Maya argued. "I wouldn't even stay that long."
"Just trust me on this one, kiddo. When Jaina's ready for more visitors, you can see her then. And that doesn't mean for you to just sneak in there and do it anyway, like you've been doing, because that's a very good way to get in trouble, understand?"
"Yes," Maya muttered. She might understand, but that didn't necessarily mean that she would do what he said.
"Luc, you can come in for a minute," Zekk said. "Your mother was asking about you and Nova."
"What did you tell her?" Maya asked, although what she really wanted to know was why Jaina hadn't been asking about her.
"Well…"
"Yeah, what'd you tell her?" Kirinna and Luc said at the same time. Zekk cleared his throat.
"We have an audience. We'll talk later. Come on, Luc, let's go."
*
Zekk pushed open the door to Jaina's medical room. Luc walked in slowly. Though he knew now that Lady Misery was his mommy, he was still a little scared.
"Come in, Luc," Zekk said, kneeling down beside him. "It's okay. She's not bad anymore." Luc, of course, had complete faith in his daddy.
"Okay, Daddy," he whispered, continuing forward. Zekk stood and shut the door behind him.
Jaina was lying on the bed, facing away from them.
"Mommy?" It couldn't have been more than a whisper, but Jaina heard it and, sitting up, turned around quickly.
"Luc!" she cried. Seeing that Jaina was really his mother again, he ran forward and into her arms. Jaina pulled him up onto the bed with her. His arms were wrapped around her neck in a tight hug. "Oh, my baby!" She held him as if he would disappear any second.
Zekk stood watching them, a huge smile spreading across his face. His family was finally reunited, well…almost. Jaina seemed to read his mind.
"Where's Nova?" she asked.
"Nova's on the star destroyer," Luc said. Jaina fixed Zekk with a penetrating stare.
"You didn't get her?"
"We don't know where to go," Zekk said, sitting next to Jaina on the bed. "Luc and the other kids came to us, and they didn't know where they'd come from. That's why we were waiting for you to wake up so you could tell us. I—I got a call from Nova on the Lightning Rod, before I got to Dathomir. She said she saw a yellow planet, but that doesn't tell us much.
"You got a call from my daughter and you didn't go and get her?"
"Well, jeez—Jaina, have you been listening at all? We don't know where she is!" Luc got up and stood on the bed between his parents.
"Don't fight!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Zekk and Jaina fell silent. "Don't fight," he repeated more quietly.
"Hutt space," Jaina finally whispered.
"What?" Zekk asked.
"He had an alliance with one of the Hutt clans," she said, looking at her fingers. "He wasn't far from there when I left, and if he needed supplies or just wanted not to be found, that would be the most logical place to go." Zekk smiled.
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Jaina kissed him on the cheek.
"You don't know how much I've missed hearing you say that."
"And you don't know how much I've missed saying it," he replied, drawing Luc and Jaina into a close hug.
*
Nova looked up at the sky. She didn't know much about the stars yet. She didn't know which one her newly discovered daddy might be looking at. But still, she looked. She saw a dot that she knew was Lord Elbow-head's ship. She wondered why he hadn't come for her.
Maybe she had killed him! No, she didn't think so.
She wished somebody would come to rescue her. She was tired of being all alone. And she was hungry.
Crack.
Something snapped behind her. She turned.
*
After dinner, Maya went to the med center. She was going to see her cousin whether anybody else liked it or not. She knew she would get into trouble, and it wasn't that she wanted to disobey Zekk, but…
She missed Jaina. Didn't anybody understand? She was never bad just to be bad. She always had a reason, just not always one that the grown-up people understood. She had a very good reason right now, but Zekk didn't get it, and probably nobody else did, either.
She got to the door to Jaina's room and lifted her hand to knock. Then she stopped. What if Zekk was right, and Jaina was too sick to see her? Or what if…what if Jaina didn't even want to see her? Or, the scariest thing of all: What if Jaina still wasn't really Jaina? What if she was still that bad person, Lady Misery? Hadn't she tricked everybody before? What if that happened again? And even if she wasn't, Zekk would get so mad…
Maya turned around to go back the way she had come. She would come back and see Jaina when Zekk said it was time.
As she turned, Maya heard the sound of a door opening.
"Need to get in here, kid?" a voice asked. Maya turned around again to see her cousin Anakin standing in the doorway.
"I'm coming back later," Maya muttered.
"Oh, it's okay," Anakin said. "You can go in now if you want."
"But won't she get tired?" Maya asked, somewhat surprised that Anakin hadn't thought of that.
"You aren't planning on taking her jogging, are you?"
"Well, no, but—but Zekk said. He said I can't come yet, 'cause Jaina's too—She's not strong enough." Maya was furious with herself when she realized she was crying. Anakin knelt down by her and gave her a hug.
"If Zekk said that, then Zekk's a moron, and you can tell him I said that," Anakin said firmly. "There's no way anyone with more than three brain cells would keep you and my sister apart."
"Anakin? Who are you talking to?" came a voice from inside the room. Maya's breath caught in her throat as she stepped back from Anakin and looked into the room. Someone walked into the doorway. She didn't move like Jaina. She walked like she was scared of breaking something. She was wearing a white nightgown. Jaina wouldn't wear that. Then again, neither would Lady Misery. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders. It was a little darker than Maya remembered, or was that just her imagination? Her face was so pale it almost looked transparent. Maya couldn't see her eyes.
"Maya?" It wasn't Jaina's voice. It wasn't Lady Misery's voice. It was someone else's, a stranger's. Who are you? Maya looked up, wishing she would say something else, wishing…she didn't know what.
"Oh, Maya!" The voice was different yet again, this time choked with tears. She knelt down, and finally Maya saw the eyes. They were the same eyes. They were right. They were Jaina's. And they, too, were filled with tears.
Getting into the spirit of things, Maya burst into tears and threw herself into her cousin's arms. She knew it was Jaina. It couldn't be anybody else.
"Oh, Jaya, you're back!" Maya sobbed.
"Yes, Maya, I'm back." Maya was so happy, she didn't hear the doubt in Jaina's voice.
*
"You're not going." Maya heard the flat finality in Zekk's voice, and it didn't bother her a bit. She had faced off against him before. And this time, she had grownups on her side.
"I'm going," she replied, just as firmly. She steadied something against the hull of the Lightning Rod while Zekk secured it more firmly, getting the ship ready to travel. It was getting really old. Pretty soon, Zekk would have to get a new one.
"Who said you could come along?"
"Ankan did." She looked at him, but his expression was no different.
"Anakin isn't flying."
"I asked Jasa too. And Tenel Ka. They both said yes."
"Maya, I don't think you understand how dangerous—"
"And Jaya," Maya interrupted. "Jaya said I could go. Get that look off your face, Zekk; Anakin said I could go in. And she was glad I came, and so was I. And even if you don't let me come with you, I'll go in the Rock Dragon because they said I could, and I want to help!" Her green eyes flashed, and she knew she looked like her mother.
"You think you can help?" Zekk asked tiredly.
"Zekk, if my parents told me not to go, I wouldn't. Even if just Jaya said not to, I wouldn't. But my parents aren't here, and Jaya said I could. I'm supposed to learn to be responsible and stuff, right?"
"But, Maya," he said, "When I started taking care of you and your sisters, your mom and dad made me responsible for you. I'm acting on their behalf."
"That's not right," Maya argued. "I came this time of my own free will, and that makes me responsible for myself." Zekk sighed.
"If I don't agree, you'll still come, won't you?" Maya looked him full in the eye with no apologies when she nodded. "Then you'd better come in the Lightning Rod where I can keep an eye on you."
*
"Are you ready? We will leave in thirty minutes," Tenel Ka told her friend. "Are you sure that you will be all right?"
"They won't let us in, you know," Jaina said, as if she had not heard what her sister-in-law had said. "The Hutts. They're so paranoid. They keep anyone who isn't a known ally as far away as possible, these days."
"I believe Anakin is taking care of that," Tenel Ka replied.
"Anakin?" Jaina was unbelieving. "I know he's the puzzle master, but how does he think he's going to convince a bunch of Hutts that we're their friends?"
"I thought perhaps it would be better not to ask," Tenel Ka replied. "We will find out soon enough." After making sure Jaina didn't need any help, Tenel Ka went outside to the Rock Dragon. Her grandmother had given her a brand-new ship a year ago, before she died, but Tenel Ka stuck with her trusty old ship, and the Krayt Dragon remained on Hapes.
Anakin and Tahiri were discussing something while Miri looked on.
"Tahiri are you sure you won't come with us? There's plenty of room on the Rock Dragon," Anakin was saying. Tahiri smiled.
"If I go anywhere, I'm going in the Lady," she replied. "And anyway, didn't you say that someone should stay with the kids?"
"I didn't mean you," Anakin protested.
"Well, too bad, Anakin. I volunteered. And anyway, I think your wife is jealous." She gave Miri her sunniest smile, and walked off to join Anja in the village.
Anakin glanced at Miri and gave her his best smile. Miri rolled her eyes and walked away.
*
Nova ran through the dense trees. She heard blaster fire behind her. They were catching up. She glanced back and saw a green creature right behind her. She screamed and ran faster. She tripped over the underbrush and rolled into a cove under a tree. She felt something hit her and pain shot through her before she slipped into unconsciousness.
*