AN: Thanks for the reviews guys keep them up! And thanks for being patient for updates! Just got back to school after Winter break so I was getting things in order. Also thanks to my friend Em for helping me with this part as well.
Luke stared after her a sick feeling collecting in his stomach. "But Ari!" he called after her, his feet suddenly moving quickly after her.
"What?" she sighed, exasperated, turning to him, arms folded
"Please forgive me?" he asked, unable to think of anything else.
Ari just sighed. "Forgiving and forgetting are two separate things. I have to go, Luke. I have to do perimeter and find out how to explain why Cal is going to be unable to do so today."
"But Ari!" he burst out, "I only wanted to protect you."
"Luke, if you really want to protect me, protect me from something that could do me harm," she told him.
Luke sighed before replying. "Ari, that is or could be potential danger..."
"And so could a snow flake," Ari muttered and started to walk off again.
Luke reached out and caught her arm, "Ari! Really, you are just important to me, and I want to make sure you are alright."
"You didn't seem too worried when you are on your mission! I am fine!"
"Ari, I was sent on that mission for the Rebellion. It wasn't because I don't care what happens to you!"
"It is the whole idea," Ari sighed
"The whole idea?" Luke echoed, "The whole idea of what?"
"You are too caught up in your own life as a commander or whatever to notice what I am doing, and now that I have other friends you are going insane!"
"Ari-" He broke off and sighed, realizing that yelling something back at her wasn't going to help anything. Of course he should have realized that a long time ago. "I do notice what you are doing, and I'm sorry I've been busy, but you've been busy too."
"I still tried to make time for you..." she shook her head, turning to leave again
Luke's hand shot out and caught her arm gently. "Ari, please, I'm trying to make up with you. I'm sorry I've been so busy, but things have just happened so fast!"
"Yeah...Luke...I have to go do my job, ok?"
Frustrated, Luke held up his hands in defeat. "Fine. Go do your job and I'll go do mine."
"Fine! And when you look back you will realize you lost your best friend!" she yelled and turned, rushing down the hall.
Luke froze at her words, staring after her down the hallway, before following. "Don't say that…" he looked wounded now.
"Luke, you have changed," she told him. "You have."
"I've changed?" Luke asked, confused. "Me?"
"Yes, you," Ari answered
"How?" Luke asked, exasperation and confusion still in his tone.
"Do you really have to ask?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Ari, we've all changed...we've had some bad stuff happen to us..."
"Luke, you are too busy fawning over the Princess, and I don't stop you...why must you stop any guy from getting within ten yards of me?"
An offended look came over his face. "I do not fawn over Leia, and I don't trust those guys."
"Well I do! What would you rather? If I was back on Tatooine? Where I would be expected to eventually marry someone like Fixer or Windy?"
Luke was genuinely shocked by the thought. He couldn't imagine her being with any of them. Or any of the Rebels for that matter, but that was another issue in itself. "But we aren't on Tatooine anymore!".
Ari was silent, not wanting to fight, not even looking at him as she got to her quarters and opened the door, pulling on a warmer shirt over the one she was wearing.
Luke leaned up against the wall, just watching her. After a few moments, he asked, in a calmer tone, "Do you think it's a bad idea that I want to protect you?"
"Protecting people you care about is fine. Trying kill others is going too far."
Luke looked down, a bit hurt by this. She was right. He had lost control. He mulled this over in his mind as she pulled on her coat.
Luke took a deep breath. "Ari I know we've changed. We can't help that, but I don't want to lose my best friend. I hope that stays."
"Then you need to let me grow up," she told him, voice finally losing its sharpness. "Luke, I am not eight anymore. I am not even a teenager anymore."
"Maybe that's why I'm more protective. Because you aren't a kid... I don't want anyone to hurt you," he tried to explain.
Ari just gave a small cry of frustration, turning and marching out of the room. He was making no sense at all. "You are so irrational…"
" I'm never irrational," Luke insisted
"You are being irrational now," she called over her shoulder, making her way to where the tauntums were being kept.
"No I'm not. Tell me one irrational thing that I've said." Luke came up behind her, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Well being a hypocrite could be the main thing," she told him as she grabbed a survival pack and pulled it over her shoulders.
Luke's mouth dropped open. "A hypocrite? I can't believe you just said that!"
"You are though. You say you are letting me grow up, but you seem to not even like the idea of me having friends," she answered simply, checking in with the deck officer and quickly explaining that Cal would not be with her. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, they both nodded as Ari pulled her snow goggles on.
"No no no, you're not going out alone!" Luke stated, as he observed her actions, seeing there was no one who was getting ready to join her.
"And if I do?" Ari asked, looking over the saddled tauntums before deciding on one.
"I can't let you Ari!" Luke looked disapprovingly at her. "I wouldn't think it'd be wise for myself to go out without a partner either!"
"Well, good thing I am not you then," she answered, swinging onto the tauntum. "Besides, I did have a partner, until you decided to go beat him up, so don't blame me," she called over her shoulder and clucked her tongue, riding out of the base before he could answer.