Elorinna Evenstarre: Thanks! Leia will move on…eventually. Although I respect her, I don't like EU Leia that much—but she'll come around. ;P Thanks for reading!

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Chapter Twelve: Jaina Takes Her Place on Garik's Couch

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For Jaina, there was little more comforting than seeing her dad and Chewie tinkering with the Millennium Falcon. She had grown up around their exclamations, occasional curses – both in Wookiee and Corellian – and frustrated growls, in Chewie's case.

There was also little more exasperating than knowing her dad was ignoring her because he thought she was too "fragile" from her death experience to help him.

Maybe if she punched a dent through the Falcon…? But, no, that wouldn't work. Even if he could see the difference on the already battered ship, he'd keep her fifty metres away from the ship for the rest of her life.

"That scowl isn't very complimentary," Garik remarked casually as he sat down next to her. " 'Turn that frown…upside down, into a smile…' and all." He grinned.

At least Garik was getting (slightly) better at hiding his mother-hen-paranoia.

"Garik, dear," she drawled, "the Jedi children are in the west wing. Maybe they would enjoy your cheesy slogans."

Eyes a-twinkling, he clutched his hands to his wiry chest as if in pain. "Milady. You wound me!"

"You can take it," she retorted, her lips quirking upward despite herself. "Wouldn't want you to be out of practice for your next Senate meeting, would we?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets and scowled. "Don't mention that, and I won't have to do something drastic."

"What – like blow them into the next dimension?" Her eyebrow raised. "C'mon. You're all talk, 'Rik. You'll never do anything about it – you like being the best too much." But she winked to let him know she was only teasing.

"Being stuck in Imperial quarters did something twisted to your brain," Garik despaired.

He hadn't learned yet that Jaina's moods were wont to swing as quickly as a child spinning down a slide, but he would find out quickly. Sanar's disposition thrust Jaina into a sulky attitude at Garik's words. "I died," she muttered peevishly. "You try it, and see how long you last."

The diplomat took it in silence – he had weathered her adolescence, and he would do the same with her black moods. Jaina couldn't keep anything in, but once it was out in the open, she was fine.

She moved about impatiently, chewing on her lip viciously, then turned back to him, as if he had started an argument. "People don't like realizing that I've changed, but how could I not?" she demanded, a myriad of emotions on her face.

"If not for Sanar and Zekk, I'd be dead. But when I try to explain that to people, they become even more afraid, because I'm here…I'm alive…but I shouldn't be. So they wonder if I'm really Jaina Solo, or if I'm possessed by something else. They probably think I'm evil," she muttered, eyes flashing.

It took all his control not to laugh at her melodrama. "Solo – really. No one thinks you're possessed."

"Then why, of all my friends, are you the only one who's actually shown up?" she retorted, her eyes becoming wet. "Tenel Ka's treating me like I have a fatal disease. I don't blame her, but… And Tiran…and Aarie…and Tayra…? Not even Kip – or Miko, for stars' sake! – has shown up, and it's been a week."

Garik leaned against the wall, watching her through heavy-lidded eyes. Silently, he damned the list of people she had offered. They were terrified, and only encouraging Jaina's own insecurity.

Well, they'd be hearing from him, if nothing else.

"They are afraid," he agreed bluntly. "But I doubt any of them have decided you're evil."

He pushed off the wall and considered his words carefully. "You died, Solo. I think we all understand that better than you think. We had your funeral. We put some of your belongings and photos in a box and burned it. The Jedi felt you die, and Aarie still spasms and sobs and wails at the slightest provocation. Tiran hasn't slept properly in weeks, since he took over Aarylia's training because she has nightmares.

"But…slowly…some people started to accept your death. Let's face it – there have been plenty of losses in this war, and there will only be more. So maybe they started to put a lid on the memories. They made themselves think about something else – about the living. About the war.

"It's not easy to re-open part of your life once you've shut it. Besides: why you?"

Her head jerked up, and she looked hurt, but he continued anyway. She wanted the truth, and he'd give it to her. "Friends get killed all the time. Lovers are murdered. Siblings – parents – cousins – whatever – are slaughtered on an Imperial whim. Why were you the one chosen to come back?"

Jaina tucked her hands around her sides, as if she was cold, and she looked away, trying to hide her tears. It made him tired. Garik wished he could change the truth. He really, really did. But he'd heard too many lies in his life already. He wasn't going to be his parents, or his peers. Not if he could help it. Not with her.

"Who would you have preferred?" she asked stiffly. "Who do you wish you were seeing right now, Garik?"

His breath came out in a slow, heavy sigh. "You know me better than that, Solo."

"I wasn't chosen." The words came from her hidden face, soft and hesitant. "I wasn't – Garik, sometimes… If it weren't for Zekk, and you, and my parents and… I don't know if it'd be worth it." She ended in a whisper's shadow.

And that, he realized, was exactly what was bothering her. This possession stuff didn't touch her real concerns. He'd suspected there was something else, but this…?

Kriff, Zekk. You ran far too soon.

Garik's gaze sharpened immediately and he stepped forward, touching his friend's elbow. "Jaina?"

"You saw one of my episodes," she whispered, as if even the words frightened her. "It won't be the last; it certainly wasn't the first. I barely sleep – especially now that Zekk's gone. I keep seeing…things…Sanar's life. Zekk's life. And…other stuff. I can't even – I can't even explain half of it."

"Humans adapt," he said, perhaps a little harshly than was necessary. "You are different, but you cannot be anything more than Jaina Solo."

"I saw my brothers, among others."

Garik flinched. "When you…died?" Why was it so hard to say that?

Jaina was studying her hands; Sanar's attitude had retreated when Garik had refused to react, but her own mood was dark. "Yes. I didn't want to come back, Garik; I almost killed Sanar and Zekk when they tried to help me."

Well, he had wanted her to confide in him.

"I'd forgotten everything other than what dying would offer," Jaina continued, hugging herself, as if she was cold. "I only remembered because Zekk… It reminded me. I couldn't stand the idea of being dead; I'd fought so long to have him back, I'd hate myself if I wasn't there to help him after. I deserve to be here, after everything."

"You came back for Zekk? No other reason?" The words stuck in his throat.

Jaina's mood lightened somewhat. "Oh, well, that was my initial reason. But as soon as I started remembering, fighting, I had my other reasons – my parents, my friends, proving one last time that Brakiss can't win against a Solo…"

"One last time?" Garik questioned, grateful for a new line of topic. He had enough to think about, to adjust to.

Jaina's mouth curled in pride and victory. "Zekk killed him."

Garik stared. "Impossible. Solo, Brakiss is still alive."

Her eyebrow raised. "Zekk threw Brakiss from a balcony, Garik," she snickered, looking only slightly worried. "We were three levels up. He can't be alive."

"You came back from the dead; why couldn't he?"

"Because no one cares about him enough to do what Zekk and Sanar did for me," Jaina retorted.

"Maybe he did not die upon impact," Garik remarked carefully. "And you must remember that he is a Sith; who knows what control he has over his own death?"

Jaina's eyes widened in barely concealed concern. "If he's alive, he would go after Zekk."

"Indeed."

She reached out and jerked his wrist, as if to wake him. "Garik, it would be sheep to the slaughter."

"Do you have a way to contact him?"

Jaina nodded hesitantly. "He's in my head, remember?"

"Ah." It took a minute for that to sink in again. Humans adapt, he thought irritably, but it always has to be the little things that take so relatively long, does it not? "Well, I suggest you…" he gestured helplessly, "do your thing."

Jaina's eyes closed and she relaxed. After a few seconds, she exhaled and nodded, her eyes opening once again. "Alright."

"Alright," he echoed.

They fell into comfortable silence, Jaina watching Han and Chewie as they worked on the Falcon, Garik absently studying the durocrete. They had been friends for a long time, and he, for one, was grateful that not only was she alive, but that they were on the right path to keeping that friendship, despite their internal changes. Very grateful.

"You're not the only one," he thought he heard Jaina murmur.

Garik smiled.

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...and ff.n format is being wonky again. Well, it wouldn't be...this place...if it stayed normal for long.

Please R&R!

.Tjz