Part Six—The Truth
Chapter 21
The next evening found Jaina standing before the landing ramp the Millennium Falcon wondering just how she planned on telling her parents what she had to. She walked up the ramp after taking a deep calming breath that did little to calm her frazzled nerves and entered the main cabin of the Solo's home away from home.
Han and Leia were just about ready to eat their evening meal when she entered. Han was already seated in his usual spot at the game table in the main living compartment that served as the Solo's dining table, while Leia was setting a serving dish in the center of the table. Both of them looked up as they noticed her. Han grinned and said, "Hey, princess, what brings you here? Must be Threepio's cooking—I'd thought you would have realized by now that there is better out there."
Leia took her seat and gestured for Jaina to sit. She gave her parents a weak smile and pulled a chair out and sat down. Finally, Leia inquired after a silence where the three of them just looked at each other, "Are you hungry? We have plenty and would love to have you."
Jaina smiled and nodded, "Actually, that would be great." She had said the words with more enthusiasm than she really felt and with her stomach all in knots she doubted she could eat more than a few bites, but it would delay the telling of the awful truth. C-3PO brought Jaina a place setting and they ate in relative quiet, speaking mostly of inconsequential matters.
Finally, after the meal was over and the dishes cleared, Leia said, "Okay, sweetheart, what really brought you here this evening?"
Jaina looked from one parent to the other. Then she sighed deeply and calmly announced, "I've broken my engagement with Zekk."
"What?" Han nearly bellowed. "He isn't getting out of his responsibility that easily."
Before Jaina could respond, Leia said calmly, "Han, if she doesn't love him she shouldn't marry him." She turned to Jaina and asked, "That's the reason, isn't it? You're in love with someone else?"
Jaina simply nodded and looked from her shocked father to her concerned mother. Then she said after taking a long calming breath and laying her hand over her child, "Please, don't say anything until I'm finished. I already know that you will not like what I'm about to tell you nor will you approve, but please let me get it all out in the open before you yell at me." She gave them both a hard stare, settling more on her father.
Leia nodded and after a moment of both Jaina and Leia staring at him, Han nodded and murmured, "I'll try."
"First of all, Zekk is not the father of my baby. He was only being a good friend and loved me enough to want to accept responsibility because—" she paused and looked at her father knowing this was going to go over like a load of durocrete "—because I didn't know who the father was."
Han stared at Jaina then as he finally comprehended what she had told him he jumped to his feet and bellowed, "You didn't know who the kriffin' father was!"
"Han, sit down," Leia pulled him back to his chair. In a tight voice, as tight as Jaina ever heard it, she said as she looked at Jaina, "Let her explain."
Jaina swallowed and looked down at the table top. She reached for her baby and felt his strong presence fill her senses, buttressed by that she looked up and went on, "I didn't know who the father was because I had done something so foolish, so stupid. I—I was with both Kyp Durron and Jag Fel within a short amount of time."
She paused and waited for her father to respond to what she had just admitted to but he instead just stared at her stunned. However, her mother said in such a deadly calm voice she almost missed it, "You were with Jag Fel?"
She looked at Leia and slowly, shamefully nodded her head. She knew her mother was still upset about having to shoot him down and she knew she was still upset about the war. "He is the ambassador for the Chiss to the Imperial Remnant. He was here on government business." Then she stopped and sighed she looked from one parent to the other, "I think I should start from the beginning."
"Yes," Han leaned back, a very disgusted look on his face, "I think I need to hear this from the sordid beginning."
She swallowed again and began, "I was lonely, I was tired of dating losers. I wanted to find someone who could love me and not just want me because I'm your daughter or because I'm a Jedi. I knew Kyp loved me. I think he has since I was sixteen and beat his time in Lando's asteroid race." She glanced at Han but when she didn't see murder in his eyes for the Jedi Master she went on, "I guess you could say I convinced him to take me out on a real date and to see where things went. We had a nice time at dinner with dancing and—and I guess I got carried away. We made back to the Temple and I invited him in."
"And of course he came in. He couldn't resist you?" Leia didn't seem impressed.
She looked at her and said matter-of-factly, "I seduced him. I wanted him and he reluctantly gave in. He told me things would change. That our friendship would end if things didn't work out." She looked away as she quietly went on, "I didn't believe him. Or, rather I wondered what could happen. I just wanted to fall in love with him. I didn't realize that I already was. I didn't realize that until I was with Jag."
"So, when does Jag come into this?" Han asked.
She swallowed, looked down at her hands in her lap and said, "He called me the very next morning." She looked up at her parents, "Kyp overheard the conversation from my bedroom door."
Han groaned and stood to walk over to a display of family holos on the bulkhead. He kept his back to her as she continued, "Jag asked me to meet him that night. Kyp got angry and I told him that I had made a mistake with him. I—I," finally the tears she had been successfully holding in came gushing from her eyes, with a sob she continued, "I met Jag that night and after dinner we went back to his rooms at he Imperial Embassy. I realized while I was with him that I loved Kyp, but it was after we had—"
Han held up his hands and said quietly still facing the wall, "Spare me the details. I think your mother and I both get the picture." Then he spun on her. "I thought we raised you better than this, Jaina. It's one thing if you wanted to do this but now you have a child involved. A child that you were gonna let another man claim, just so you could save face."
"No! Daddy," she sobbed, "it wasn't like that. Kyp hid from me. I tried to find him through the Force but he left the morning after we—after our fight. I came here to find help. I needed a friend. And I knew Zekk would help me find Kyp. I discovered that I was pregnant and since I couldn't sense Kyp's presence I thought the baby belonged to Jag. I was so afraid that Jag would try to take him away from me. You don't know what has happened to him. He is bitter, filled with hatred. Hatred for the Jedi. The last thing he would have allowed was his child to be raised as a Jedi." She looked away and more quietly, "Zekk loves me too. He only wanted me to be happy. He even tried to find Kyp for me. I only realized that I was wrong the night we announced our engagement. Uncle Luke was able to divide the baby's presence."
"So, Kyp's the father?" Leia asked her voice and expression tight.
Jaina looked from her to Han and slowly nodded, "Yes. But I've broken his heart so badly he can't forgive me. He knows and has agreed to help raise our son, but I'm not sure if he will ever be able to love me again."
She was expecting an explosion but it didn't happen. Instead her mother looked away, sadness and disappointment in her eyes; while Han stared at her for a long moment with a look in his eyes she had never seen before. Finally, he turned and headed toward the exit. Jaina's heart flew into her throat and she moved so fast that she wasn't even aware that she had unconsciously used the Force to close the distance between the chair where she had been sitting to the portal her father was about to walk through.
She reached out to grab his arm, "Dad, what are you going to do?"
He didn't look at her as he said, "I'm going for a walk and then I'm going to get the other side of this story." At her sharp intake of breath Han looked at her and went on, "It's too bad, you know. I was really hoping that someday you'd wake up and see what was so blatantly in front of you. I had always known Kyp Durron was in love with you. And of the three of them, Fel, Zekk and him, he had always been my favorite. Although, your mother feels he is too old for you, I felt that you needed that age difference to keep you grounded. I can't blame him for finally giving in to you, especially if you did practically throw yourself at him; I just wish things could have been different. I would have liked to welcome him into the family officially." With that said he pulled free and left a sobbing but surprised Jaina behind with her very distraught mother.
>X
Chapter 22
Han walked for hours but had no clear direction even though he knew where he would end up eventually. He had told Jaina that he wanted to get Kyp's side of the story and he did, but he needed to calm himself down first. He was disappointed in Jaina. How could she play with the lives of three men who loved her? She knew that they loved her; well, maybe Fel was the exception, but Han knew that Jag had loved his daughter once upon a time.
Han knew Jag had loved her enough to ask him for her hand in marriage. He never told Jaina that Jag had contacted him to proclaim his intentions. Han was actually surprised when Jaina never even mentioned Jag's proposal and then she disappeared into the Unknown Regions with the other Jedi. He often wondered if he ever got around to asking her. Han also expected that it was out of love for Jaina that spurred him to help get Lowbacca released from the Chiss. Han didn't appreciate the fact that Jag would have shot Jaina out of the sky, but Han knew that Jag had loved Jaina once.
Then there was Zekk, poor lovesick Zekk. He was so in love with Jaina that it was just sickening. Han shook his head when he thought of what Zekk was willing to do for her. He wondered if he would have been willing to do the same for Leia. He honestly didn't know how to answer that.
Finally, his wanderings brought him to the door of the small single story cottage that had been his eventual destination. He took a deep breath and wished he could draw on the Force like the Jedi in his family did to bolster his resolve. But he had to get Kyp's version of this story.
He stepped up to the door and rang the buzzer, and after about three heartbeats breadth of time began to move away. Han turned when the door slid open. He looked at his friend and took another deep breath when he saw the pain in the Jedi's green eyes. Damn, this wasn't going to be easy.
"Han," Kyp's voice had an uneasy edge to it. He instantly expected that Jaina had told him and Leia about the baby.
Han looked past Kyp's shoulder and gestured with nod of his chin, "Can I come in, Kid?"
Kyp swallowed and moved to the side to allow for Han to enter. Once the older man was in he said, "Han, what is this about? It's late and Stefen is sleeping in the other room."
Han looked around the simply furnished common room, then he turned to Kyp, "I won't keep you long. But we need to talk about Jaina. She told us about the baby."
Kyp bristled some and said somewhat defensively, "Han, I don't know what she told you but I intend to take responsibility for the baby. But I'm not sure if I can do more than that."
Han gazed at the younger man and narrowed his eyes some, "What happened?"
Kyp moved away and stood with is back toward Han as he looked out at the darkness. He countered, "What did she tell you? Did she tell you that she used me to get what she wanted and then tossed me away like one discards a piece of garbage." He couldn't help the bitterness that crept into his voice.
Han rubbed his jaw and stepped over to the man that he had considered a surrogate son for over twenty years. A man that he would have welcomed with open arms into his daughter's life. Albeit, with some gentle warnings of what was expected, but he wondered if that would ever happen now. He didn't need to be a Jedi to sense Kyp's pain of betrayal. "Kyp, she told us what happened. That she—emmm—that she and you spent the night together and that she was with Jag after that. She said that was why you left. She also told us that she knows that she was wrong and is sorry for the pain that she caused you. She loves you, Kyp."
Kyp looked at his old friend and then swallowed as he turned toward the window again, "Han, she broke my heart. I loved her so much that I would have given my life to protect her or to keep her safe. It about killed me when she was with the Killiks and joined with Zekk. I avoided her for years knowing that she loved Fel. Not just because it hurt knowing that she loved him; but, because I couldn't trust myself completely around her. However, I eventually buried my love for her and was willing to just be her friend." He looked back at Han and turned completely to face him. "Han, I loved her. If she loves me like she claims how could she have done this to me? It's not just that she slept with Jag, but then she came here and was willing to marry Zekk without any thought about me."
Han slowly shook his head and quietly admitted, "I don't know, Kyp. I don't know. She was confused and didn't know what she wanted, I guess."
Kyp furrowed his brow and crossly said, "Confused? Is that what she said? She used me, Han. She slept with me knowing that I loved her and would expect more than just a casual tussle between sheets. Then she was willing to give my baby away."
Han moved away from him, he really didn't know how to answer him. Han didn't know how he would react to this situation. He did, however, expect he'd have felt the same way as Kyp. After a few seconds he turned again then evenly said, "Do you still love her?"
Kyp stared at the man that had been like a father to him since there escape from the Kessel mines. He could not lie to Han, he could lie to himself but he couldn't lie to the man he respected more than most. In a small, pain-laced voice Kyp admitted to Han as much as to himself, "Force, help me, yes, I still love her. I just don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive her."
Han gave him a small smile and said, "Kid, give it time. But don't completely shut yourself off from her. I know you will do what is right by the baby, but it would be so much better if the two of you healed your hurts." Han stepped back over to Kyp and laid his hands on the other man's shoulders, "Kyp—ahhh—I've considered you like a son since I found you. I don't blame you for what happened, kriff, I don't blame anyone. I only hoped that someday she would see the love for her that you felt as plainly as the rest of us."
Kyp looked at him somewhat surprised, "You knew?"
Han left out a chuckle, "That you loved her?" Kyp nodded, and Han replied, "Everyone knew, Kid. I only wanted the two of you to be happy—together." Han then patted Kyp's shoulders and then dropped his hands.
Kyp smiled, although weakly, "I'm glad that you would have supported us. I often wondered what you would have to say about the possibility of an 'us'." Kyp paused for a moment then added, "But I have to ask: What does Leia think about this? About me and the baby?"
Han grinned and said, "I think she is still in shock. First, because Jaina slept with you; second, because she was with Fel and lastly, because your child will be her grandchild."
Kyp couldn't help it. The fact that this turn of events shocked the great Princess Leia made him chuckle. "Well, that certainly is a first."
X
In the dark bedroom off the main room, Stefen lay awake listening to the men outside. He had wondered what had been bothering his father since their return. Stefen had assumed that it involved more than what his father had related. Kyp had told him about the baby after they were settled into their cabin. At first, Stefen didn't know how to feel. He didn't want replaced with a child that Kyp would be able to watch grow up. However, Kyp assured Stef without him even needing to ask, that Kyp would always love him. He even said that if anything good came out of what happened between him and Jaina, it was Kyp's discovery of Stefen. Kyp explained to Stefen how he had ended up on Tatooine. He had used the simplest of terms and the story had so many gaps in the details of what had really happened between him and Jaina Solo that it really didn't make sense.
It still confused him even with what he just overheard, he didn't understand it all. And if he was to believe what he knew. He really didn't want to like the Jedi that had his father's heart all tied in knots. But there was something about her that made him want to withhold judgment until he knew more. However, he knew one thing for sure—His father loved that woman and wouldn't probably ever be truly happy until he had her as his own.
Stefen's mother had always scoffed at love, saying that love was for fools. She had never actually told him that, but he knew that was how she felt. She never married and never would. But Stefen, didn't feel the same as his mother. He knew love was real and that his father was in love. He wanted to fall in love someday and get married and be happy. Not for a long, very long time, mind you, but he hoped that someday to find the right girl—
Suddenly, the image of a beautiful face framed by long dark hair, startling grey eyes, and a sweet smile fluttered before his mind's eye.
Jysella
Even her name was nice. As he closed his eyes he wondered if she would be able to give him more information on Jaina Solo. Then he thought as he smiled and drifted off to sleep, what a prefect way to get to know Jysella Horn better.
Jysella…
>X
Chapter 23
Stefen made his way through the wide corridor of the main classroom building of the Jedi Academy. He was dressed in the simple robes of an Apprentice even though he wasn't really one yet. Although, Kyp had spent most of his free time teaching Stef and even he was amazed at how easy the learning was coming.
Master Solusar had quietly praised him when he tested Stefen three days ago and told him the same thing his father had, that older students often learned quicker but had to be careful because they didn't have the control over their emotions as was ingrained into younger students. But all that mattered to Stef was that he wouldn't be put into a class with the younglings. He didn't care if he wasn't as skilled as his counterparts, he just didn't want to have to sit with a bunch of five year olds. But again Master Solusar assured him that the Academy actually had a class for older, what he called latent, students. These were students who came to the Academy later than most now did, but Stefen was pleased to hear that only ten or so years ago, all the students started out older and that the teaching of younglings had only been implemented once the Academy on Ossus began.
Stef thought about that as he moved down the long corridor of classroom building, looking at the numbers on the doors as he passed. Finally, he found the number that he was looking for. He palmed the pad and the door slid open and then he stepped in. Stef was surprised to see only two round tables with six chairs around them each. He checked the number again and knew that it was correct, but he felt uneasy and decided that Master Solusar must have told him wrong. So, he decided to leave and go back the way he came.
As he moved to leave, he suddenly heard a distinct male voice come from the back, "I'll be right out."
Stefen turned and watched as a tall, black haired man came out of the storage closet in the back of the room. Stef then bowed his head and began to introduce himself, "Master Solusar directed me here. I'm—"
"You're Kyp Durron's son." The man said and moved closer.
Stefen looked up at him, nodded and smiled, "Yes, I never realized that I looked that much like him."
The man just peered at him and then turned away, saying, "It's actually uncanny. The resemblance, I mean. I've known your father since I came to the Academy when I was about your age."
Stef not really knowing how to respond decided to hold out his hand and said as the Jedi took it to shake, "My name is Stefen Boaden."
The Jedi smiled and said, "I'm Jedi Zekk. I teach the latent classes." Zekk had to admit he was slightly taken aback to finally meet Kyp's son. He of course, knew he had been assigned to his class. Zekk wondered if Kyp had known that. But then he may have had no other choice, Zekk worked directly with Kam Solusar.
Stefen tried not to stare at Zekk. He had heard that name spoken more than once by his father and not always with the best or nicest adjectives before or after his name either. Of course, that was only when Kyp thought Stefen either out of earshot or not paying attention. So, this was the man Jaina Solo had been engaged to. Great, Stef thought despairingly, this should go well.
However, before anything else could be said the other students, who all ranged between ages thirteen and eighteen, began to file into the room. They greeted the new comer and after they all took their seats Zekk introduced Stefen to them and they introduced themselves to him. And soon Stefen was incorporated into the activity of learning. He had to admit Zekk seemed to be a very good teacher and Stef found himself liking him despite everything that may have gone on in the Jedi's private life with the same woman his father loved.
X
Later on Stef and two other boys from his class were sitting in the cafeteria eating their lunch when he saw Jysella Horn and Jaina Solo walk in together. As they headed to the food line, Stef watched them his attention mostly on Jysella. Tagg, the oldest of the three boys, chuckled and said teasingly, "Now there are two reasons to become a Jedi."
Stef turned back to him and questioned, "What do you mean?"
Zamel, who was a year younger than Tagg but a year older than Stef, snickered, "Oh, come on, Stef, you know what he means. They are two of the hottest things at the Academy."
Stefen suddenly felt the sharp stab of jealousy for two distinct reasons, the first was because they were referring to Jysella and the second was because they were looking at Jaina. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I wouldn't know about Jysella but isn't Knight Solo too old for you guys to be looking at in that way?"
Tagg and Zamel stared incredulously at him and laughed. Then Tagg chided, "You wouldn't know about Jysella? Just look at her. She has to be one of the prettiest girls at the Academy. And well," Stef watched as a slight blush darkened his cheeks and he nervously scratched his ear, "Jaina Solo is older but she still is beautiful."
Stef couldn't help but look over at the two objects of their conversation as they left the line and headed toward the tables. Stef watched as Jaina said something to Jysella and then the younger girl moved away from the older. She looked over the tables and when her eyes fell upon him, she smiled and began walking towards him and the other boys.
Zamel who didn't miss any of the exchange looked at Stefen shocked, "She's coming over here!"
Stefen turned back to see their surprised faces and smiled coyly, "We met the other day. I guess she remembers me."
Nothing else could be said because Jysella came to stand beside the small table. She glanced at Tagg and Zamel and then smiled at Stefen, "Hi."
He swallowed and smiled back, "Hi." After a moment of them just staring at each other he quickly stood and pulled out the fourth chair, "Would you like to join us?"
She glanced again at the others who were just staring at her with stunned expressions; she then looked back at Stef and nodded, "That is why I walked over here." And with that she sat down.
Stef looked away from her and quickly picked up his blue milk and gulped down nearly half of it, suddenly wishing it was some of his mother's Corellian Ale instead, and hoping his face wasn't as red as a Hapan rose.
Jysella began picking at her nerf stew, taking a few bites and then thoughtfully laid her fork down. She turned to Stef who was trying very hard to concentrate on his own stew as were the other two boys across the table. Finally, she asked, "How are things going? Are you and your dad moved in?"
Stef swallowed his bite and looked up at her. He was suddenly thankful for some common ground with her, "Yeah. We're pretty well settled. Although, Dad said he wished that he would have gone to Coruscant first before coming here. Apparently, that was where he was living before and all of his stuff is there at the Jedi Temple."
She nodded, "Actually, my dad just went back. But I decided to stay here for a while. My dad is a good Master and I've learned a lot but he has no patience when it comes to teaching me how to fly."
"You want to fly?" Tagg finally found his otherwise sharp tongue.
She grinned at him, "Yes, I want to fly X-wings like he did." Then she turned back to Stef, "That's why I'm here and not with him right now. Jaina Solo is teaching me how to fly." Then she paused and after sipping her milk she shrugged and as she sat the glass back down on the tray she added, "Of course, I don't know how long she will be able to teach."
"Why's that?" Zamel inquired around a bite of stew.
She looked at him then moved her glance from boy to boy, settling on Stef, with a smug smile she intoned conspiringly, "Because—" she paused for affect and took another sip of her blue milk, "I know a secret about her."
"Jysella, you don't know anything," Tagg shook his head and chuckled then he picked up his fork to eat some of his stew.
She shrugged again and suddenly Stefen felt a chill as he realized what her "secret" probably was. Jysella simply said, "I heard her telling Master Farlander the other day that she was going to have a baby."
Tagg dropped his fork and Zamel sputtered on the bite he was swallowing, they both choked out, "What?"
She smiled triumphantly and sat back, "That's what I heard, anyway. My question is: who's the father? I mean she isn't married."
Stef suddenly wanted to get away but knew there wasn't any escape. Tagg said a sly smile touching his lean features, "Well, I saw her and Knight Zekk spend a lot of time together lately. Actually, ever since she arrived here."
"Yeah," Zamel grinned as if he just solved the puzzle, "I bet it's his."
Stef couldn't take it anymore he suddenly stood up, gathered his tray and left the table without saying a word to any of them. He wasn't sure why the conversation made him so angry, but it did. Maybe it was because he knew who the father what the news of this baby did to him. And he guessed he was slightly hurt to hear Jysella engage in such rumor telling.
Jysella turned and watched him leave them and wondered what was wrong. She heard Tagg say, "What the Sith got into him?" as she stood to follow him. She had sensed something coming from him before he left and she wanted to find out what it was.
She said as she picked up her own tray, "I'll see you guys around." And with that she was gone, leaving Tagg and Zamel staring at each other with puzzled expressions on both their faces.
>X
Chapter 24
Jysella found Stefen sitting outside the dining hall on a small durocrete bench with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hands as he leaned over his lap. He looked so sad, she thought. She didn't know why but she really liked him which to her seemed odd considering she had just met him once. She had wondered over the past few days since that meeting in the hanger what it was about him that intrigued her so. He was cute and seemed very nice but a lot of boys are cute and nice and she didn't spend her quiet moments before drifting off to sleep thinking of them. Maybe it was his mysteriousness that she found compelling; maybe it was nothing more than his good looks. Or, maybe she liked him for the simple reason that the idea of Kyp Durron having a son annoyed her father. She didn't know, but she knew that he was hurting and she wanted to find out why.
She stepped closer to him and after a moment she sat down beside him. He looked up and met her eyes and she was surprised by the sadness there. She cleared her suddenly dry throat and gave him a small smile, "Stefen, what's wrong?"
He instantly bristled and countered, "Why do you want to know? Is it so you can tell every one about the new kid?"
Jysella was taken aback, "Stefen, I don't know what you mean?"
He shook his head and looked away, "I guess I was surprised that you would spread rumors."
Suddenly she understood, "Are you talking about what I said about Jaina Solo? But I don't understand why that would bother you so much. You don't even know her."
"Well, it did." He glanced back at her and added, "She and my dad were friends."
Jysella looked at him. Something else was going on here and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. She reached out with the Force and gently probed him. She felt his sadness and frustration and suddenly a warning bell went off in her mind. She knew she needed to help him. She had to find out what was causing him such emotions. This was Kyp Durron's son after all, and they all knew what happened to him when he wasn't much older than Stefen.
"Stefen, what's going on?" she asked gently. He turned and met her grey eyes again and she went on, "I want to be your friend. I am sorry if I said something that hurt you. I don't normally act like that," a slight blush touched her cheeks and she glanced away and quietly added, ashamed, "I wanted to impress you."
She turned to meet his green eyes again and something sparked between them. She had no idea what it was and neither did him but in that moment they both knew they were destined to be together. After a moment Stefen swallowed and quietly said, "If I tell you, you must promise me that you will not tell a soul."
His seriousness startled her and she nodded, "I won't tell anyone, Stefen. I only want to help you with whatever is bothering you. It's not good to keep things bottled up. Especially for a Jedi."
Stef sighed and seemed to deflate before her then he looked away and said, "Jaina Solo is pregnant and I know who the father is."
"How do you…" she let her voice trail off. Of course! she thought, Kyp and Jaina had been very close before she came here and Kyp disappeared. She suddenly remembered her father joking about them always being together when they were at the Temple on Coruscant and saying that they should just admit to each other what everyone else could see. "Master Durron is the father, isn't he?"
Stefen only looked at his hands which were folded in his lap and nodded.
"Well," she sat back and watched him, "now it all makes sense."
He snapped his head up and inquired not at all sure he liked the tone of her voice, "What?"
She smiled, "Why Master Durron took off. My dad wondered what was going on with him. Then he returns a few months later with you. I also understand why you are so sad and frightened."
"I'm not 'sad' or "frightened'," Stefen stiffened.
She only smiled, leaned over to look at him intently and countered, "Yes you are. I feel it, Stefen. I want to help you. I can only imagine what you are feeling now. It has to be overwhelming. You meet your father for the first time, at least I'm assuming it was the first time," he nodded and she want on, "you are taken from your home and brought back here. All of that alone is enough to scare anyone but now you have to deal with the news of your father's new baby and something tells me that not all is well there. Jaina is very sad all the time. She tries to hide it but something isn't right."
Stefen stared at her surprised that she could surmise everything so easily. Then he smiled and inquired, "Did the Force tell you that or are you just good at this sort of thing?"
She blushed and Stefen didn't think it was possible for her to look prettier then she did, but she surprised him. She met his gaze and she smiled, "I guess maybe a bit of both." Then she really surprised him by reaching over and taking his hand. His heart skipped a beat at the feel of her touch.
Jysella didn't know what caused her to reach for his hand but when she touched him she felt her breath hitch. She held his gaze and thought he had the most beautiful smile. "I just want you to know that I'm your friend and I'm here for you, Stefen."
He amazed them both by squeezing her hand back, "And I want to be your friend, Jysella. I'll tell you everything but you can't tell anyone. You have to promise me."
"I promise," she quietly responded and she wondered if keeping his secret was all she just promised him.
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