Things had been odd for a long time for Widia Jaden. From her long lost and kidnapped daughter showing up on her doorstep with a husband and a young son, to the baby being born in the guest room, to now, listening to Ben talk as he led her to the main room of Winter's apartment. She'd gotten used to the unsettling nature of oddness, or at least she thought she had. How normal was it for a translucent hyperactive child to regularly drop in and chat a while? She knew it wasn't, not in the least... which was why seeing Neesta having what appeared to be a tea party with the twins only made her pause momentarily and watch them. Then she turned and looked at Winter. "Can I talk to you a moment?"

Winter, confused at the change in direction, nodded. "About what?"

"Have the twins had an invisible imaginary friend for long?"

Winter frowned at her, then looked over Widia's shoulder into the room and saw the twins seated at the caf table, playing with a tea set. One cup was, as usual, floating in the air by itself. "Actually... yes." She'd gotten the play tea set out earlier when everything happened, hoping to find something, anything to occupy three, and later four, children. Anakin and Ben didn't have much interest in it, but the twins... for some reason, they were.

"When did it start?"

"You see Neesta, Grandma?" Ben asked suddenly, pulling at her hand.

Winter looked down at Ben, then at Widia again. "I'm not certain. Who?"

Widia sighed. Of all the... It did make perfect sense, though. Ben's senses were good, but not THAT good. "Long story of long stories. Her name, as Ben just said, is Neesta, and she's in trouble now."

"Why?" Ben asked with all the curiosity of a four year old.

Widia bent down to look him in the eyes, knowing he wouldn't understand fully. "It's a grown up thing, Sweetie. And there are rules."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

Widia stared at him, half-tempted to start laughing at the innocence of the question. "Let me worry about the whys, all right?" She stood up again and entered the room. "Neesta, you know better. And go visible completely so Winter can see you."

Neesta, now fully outed, heaved an unneeded sigh, and faced her grandmother. "I didn't scare anyone, I helped and relayed information about a family member, and I made friends! Momma's not going to be mad at me for that!" She turned and set the tea cup down before losing her concentration further and dropping it.

Winter blinked as she saw a little girl suddenly appear out of nothingness. Then she frowned... the girl bore a striking resemblance to Mara and Luke. And that's when she understood what Widia meant. "Oh."

Widia felt like rolling her eyes at Neesta's explanation. "Oh really?"

"I didn't scare anyone," Neesta reminded her.

"Clinging to that small bit of logic doesn't make you any less grounded, young lady."

Jaina raised a hand. "She can get grounded just like we can?"

"Yes, Jaina, she can. And she is. And she knows why." Glancing down at Ben, Wida sighed. "Is that how Ben knows that your mother is all right?"

If Neesta could have blushed, she would have done so, all the way to the roots of her intangible red-blonde hair as Jacen nodded in the affirmative. "I watched Daddy help her... and I think I spooked him because I forgot he can see me now and I stuck around too long."

"Seems to be a theme today," Widia remarked as Neesta jumped suddenly as if someone had clamped a hand onto her shoulder. "That your grandfather?"

"Yes. Hi grandpa!"

"Good. Now you know how grounded you are."

"Didn't do anything wrong!" When Widia's eyebrows went up, Neesta winced. "Twisting of the rules counts?"

"Yes. It. Does."

"Oh." Neesta turned and addressed thin air. "Do I have to go now, Grandpa Ani?" At what must have been his answer, her shoulders drooped. "Fine. Will I be ungrounded? ...what do you mean 'only if you earn it'? Not fair!"

Widia chuckled as Neesta faded from sight with an enraged shriek, and turned to look at Winter. "She wasn't supposed to do something, obviously. That being, talk to the kids."

"Why not?" Jaina wondered. "She's nice and has been our friend since we were three." When Widia turned to look at her with wide eyes, Jaina frowned. "What?"

"Since you were three?"

Jacen nodded. "Yes. She just showed up one day, wanting to play."

Widia sat down on the couch and pulled Ben into her lap. "So you knew she was there, but Mara didn't know you knew, so there's been a whole lot of sneaking around? Wonderful."

Winter sat down next to them. "I don't remember Mara and Luke having..." At Widia's sudden horrified expression, Winter blinked. So it wasn't her imagination, then. There really was more going on here than rule breaking.

"I know," Ben told his grandmother suddenly. "Who she is."

"Oh?" Widia asked him warily.

"Family," he said simply.

Widia smiled, appreciating that answer. "Yes, Ben. Family."

The tension was palpable as Elsie sat at the medium-sized rounded table in the hospital cafeteria with her husband holding her hand like an anchor. She concentrated on the gray table top, dimly listening as Mara's sister, Renna, and her man-friend who was fairly obviously more than a friend, talked and tried to give the illusion of normality.

After long minutes of listening to them and avoiding Mara's steady gaze, Elsie finally decided they were really good at it. And then there was Mara... apparently upset at her but not saying a word because now really was not the time.

Chris squeezed her hand in silent support and Elsie was reminded that maybe now also wasn't the time to dwell and let her guard down. It was, after all, a hospital... lots of undirected psychic miasma floating around. Were she to let her guard down, bad things, like having a breakdown, could follow. She glanced at him in silent question and he jerked his head in the direction of a bunch of tables to their left. Looking over, she frowned. How odd that Neesta hadn't come up to them and was hanging back...

Just as she was about to point this out to Mara, an older woman arrived, pulled up a chair, and sat down at their table. Elsie blinked at the sudden nonchalantness of it. "Who are you?"

The woman ignored her and instead looked directly at Mara. "Your daughter is grounded."

Mara tilted her head, now rather amused. "What did Riana do? She's a year old, mother."

Elsie glanced again at Neesta, still hanging out about six tables away from them. She'd gained an escort... who was glowering down at her. "I don't think she means Riana."

Widia nodded. "No. I mean Neesta."

Mara sighed. "Oh... and why is my translucent child grounded?"

"I caught her having a tea party with the twins," the woman explained. "After Ben told me, without having had any contact from anyone here according to Winter, that Luke helped Leia with the Force." She nodded to Samir and smiled at Renna. "You said yes, right?"

Renna nodded. "Of course."

"Good."

Mara looked directly at Elsie. "Is she here?"

"Yep. Escorted. And no, you'll not be the one to talk to her." Elsie looked at the older woman as Mara sputtered in surprise. "Did she tell them anything?"

"No... Who are you?"

Elsie gave a pained smile and held out her hand. "Elsie Trent-McCain, Coruscant Planetary Police Force. I was in the wrong place at the right time, or else I'd be at headquarters right now annoying my new superior with donut references that he doesn't really get."

The woman stared hard at Elsie for a moment before turning to Mara. "Who is this?"

"A friend who owes me an explanation."

"Do not." As Mara glared at her, Elsie winced. "Or maybe I do... What is Neesta grounded for?"

"Bending the rules," the woman told her, and then took hold of Elsie's hand. "Widia Jaden."

Elsie blinked at the contact, suddenly understanding a little more about why Mara might suddenly be upset with her. "Oh." She glanced at Chris as Widia released her grip. "Think we should tell Wildcat?"

"No."

Mara frowned at her. "I remember that name. Something about an interrupted vacation and checking in a lot afterward?"

Elsie chuckled as she stood up. "Yeah. Next time we have a wild plan where things blow up had better be a planned building demolition, or Wildcat will be very cranky. And trust me, you don't want a woman whose animal form is a Panther cranky." She pecked Chris on the cheek and stopped him from joining her. "Stay. Need to talk to the kid alone."

"But-"

"Yes, I know it's a hospital. Yes, I know my senses are wonky from temporal dimensional jetlag. I'm fine." She squeezed his hand firmly. "Promise."

Chris watched her go, frustrated that she hadn't let him get a word in edgewise. He noticed Mara starting to get up out of her chair to follow and put a hand out to stop her. "Mara, when Elsie says she needs to do it alone, it's best to let her do it. She knows the child nearly as well as you do, and you are too close to the situation to be objective right now."

Mara stared at him for a long moment before sitting back down. "I keep forgetting that you two aren't really that young. It's disconcerting."

"So I've been told," Chris said wryly. He looked at Samir. "Still want to join this family?"

"Without hesitation," Samir replied a smile as he took Renna's hand and held it. He frowned suddenly. "Is Neesta the see-through little girl who startled Torath and I when we were rushing to finish the baby's room?"

Still finding that memory funny, Mara had to force herself not to laugh. "Yes. She wanted to help."

"Oh, she did. Torath and Alena liked her work later." At Chris's inquiring expression, Samir smiled again. "She did a kind of splash and line pattern that looked really interesting and neat dry, and sort of resembled tangled branches."

As Chris and Samir started to compare painting experiences, Mara looked at Renna and asked silently: "So he really did propose? And you said yes?"

Renna's 1000 watt smile was answer enough.

Iris sighed as she turned to the two men and looked at them, sitting on a bench and watching the woman in the bacta tank together. She almost didn't want to make them go. "I'm kicking you both out of here, right now."

Han turned his head and looked at her, almost taken aback. "What? Why?"

"We have to get her out of the tank and transferred to a bed, General. None of that is taking place with you present." She looked at Luke. "Take him to dinner, please?"

Luke nodded. "Will do. Come on Han, everyone else is waiting for us in the cafeteria." Han appeared about ready to protest. "You and Leia took care of me last time, now it's my turn. And Leia would make you go, too. You know that."

Han looked at the tank his wife was currently in, took in the flat resolve on Iris's face, and nodded. He didn't like it, leaving like this. But... he didn't have to. "All right." He allowed Luke to drag him there by the arm.

Iris watched them go before turning back to regard the tank with a smile.

It wasn't often she allowed herself to go somewhere unescorted inside a hospital complex, but for this... she couldn't do this with other people watching. Entering the hospital chapel, Elsie sat down uncomfortably in one of the provided chairs. She didn't need to be completely open to know that people had sat in here for long hours seeking guidance and comfort. It was a given, even in another dimension with diverse religious teachings and beliefs, that someone would need somewhere to go and to pray, and to be alone for a while.

She was glad it was empty for the time being. "Neesta? If you and your escorts are still hanging around, now's the time." Slowly, reluctantly, the shape of a little girl faded into existence as Elsie sat down and studied her with raised eyebrows. "Hey there."

Neesta had the grace to appear sheepish. "Hi."

Elsie glanced to her left and wasn't surprised to see not one, but three other ghosts present. Two were expected, the third... wasn't, really. Temaru Jaden. Anakin Skywalker. Biggs Darklighter. "I take it she's really grounded, hmmm?"

Temaru nodded. "She really is."

"I just wanted to help!" Neesta told him, only to wince when her other grandfather glared at her.

Elsie waved them off. "Let me talk to her alone, guys. This is a girl thing."

"It is?" Biggs asked.

"It really, really is." Elsie watched as they left in their own way before turning back to turn her own icy glare on Neesta. "Well, Little Needle? Now's your chance."

"Will I still be grounded?"

"Yes. But... perhaps some honesty will lessen the charge, hmm?" Elsie waited until Neesta looked her in the eyes. "Why did you bend the rules?"

Neesta heaved an unneeded sigh. "Which time?"

"All."

Neesta shrugged. "You were busy with a case the first time, and it was harmless. I didn't tell, they didn't know who I was, and I'd never talked to people my own age before."

"Jacen and Jaina are three years older than you would have been," Elsie reminded her gently. "And don't try telling me it's all relative, either. I also fail to see how my having been on a case at the time has anything to do with it. I'm always on some kind of case." She took a moment to stare hard at the translucent child. "Like now, for instance. This is a case."

Neesta winced again. "It was something new and different that became fun? I got to talk to kids! They didn't know who I was... they didn't look at me the way Momma and you do sometimes. Like Dot did when you whispered in her ear."

Elsie stared at her, suddenly getting it, what Neesta was trying to say without having the words to really illustrate her point. "Ah. They made you feel like you belong. Come here, child."

Neesta came closer and Elsie concentrated before putting a glowing hand on her shoulder and making contact. Neesta blinked up at Elsie, bewildered at the sensation. "What are you..." She didn't get the chance to complete the question because she was swept into a memory.

"Didn't we just leave Coruscant, like weeks ago? How could the portal just drop us off here again?"

"Ordinarily, it can't," Ralarna muttered. "And the first time was kind of a random accident. Kind of." A gasp stopped them in their tracks, and everyone turned to look at Elsie, who was standing stock still. "Elsie?"

"Oh wow," the shock in her voice, combined with the expression of incredulity on her face, made everybody frown and follow her line of sight.

"What's so shocking about that woman and the kid with her?" Melinda asked, puzzled. "They look perfectly normal to me." She turned back to Elsie to find that she'd collapsed into Chris' arms. "Uhh..."

Chris slowly lowered Elsie to the ground, glancing up at Ranko when he got her all the way down. "She never does that... and there's nothing here that would explain it, either." Unless... he scanned the area, and found that the woman had picked up the child and was heading straight for them. He blinked at the sudden familiarity. But it couldn't be... could it?

Ranko knelt down beside him and began to check Elsie out for herself, when a voice interrupted her, asking if she needed help. She looked up, saw the competency in the other woman's eyes, and nodded. "She seems fine, but another opinion is always good."

Just then, Elsie gasped and sat up, blinking at them. She glanced at Chris. "Sorry."

"Don't be. Could have happened to anyone," Chris told her. "I was about to break out the smelling salts, though."

"Ugh..." Elsie turned her attention to the woman who had joined them, and her eyes widened. "Ailee?"

Ailee frowned. "How do you know my name? I didn't say..."

Elsie turned her attention to the child sitting on her haunches next to Ailee, and had to stare. "Ranko?"

"What?"

"This isn't the same place. It really, really isn't." She moved to get up, but Ailee shook her head. "I'm fine, all right? You don't need to go all medic on me."

"Let me be the judge of that." Ailee pulled out a pen light. "Follow this with your eyes, please? Up, down, to the side... other side. Thank you. Now... how many fingers?"

"Two."

"Good. You can get up now if you want to."

Elsie rolled her eyes and got up. Was it just possible that the woman was more annoying alive than she was dead? "Thanks."

Ailee glanced down at the little girl. "Well, munchkin? Still want to go to Ewok Fun Land after this?"

The little girl nodded. "Yes! I wanna go, Ailee!"

"Then we will go... after I found out how you know my name, ma'am." She looked hard at Elsie, who glanced at Chris. "And what do you mean by this not being the same place as before?"

Elsie shook her head. "It's a long story, and I'd rather not say."

Ailee glanced around, sighing. "Great." She bent down to look the little girl in the eyes. "Do you mind if we put it off an hour or two, Neesta?"

At that, Chris got it. "We took a left turn at Albuquerque, didn't we? Wow..."

Ariel laughed. "Chris, that explanation only works for Bugs Bunny."

Ralarna glanced down at the Frisbee in her hand, and smirked. "Oddly appropriate, though."

Neesta blinked as the images faded. "What was that?"

"Something unexpected," Elsie told her with a smile. She was glad that Chris had talked her through what happened when she fainted... "And my way of telling you that you, sweet and dear child, belong."

"You fainted."

"I was really, really shocked at the time." Elsie released Neesta's spectral shoulder and just looked at her for a long moment, evaluating with her eyes. "And speaking of Dot... weren't you supposed to be thinking up better outfits than the brown jumpsuit?"

Neesta rolled her eyes. "I like my jumpsuit."

"And?"

"Still don't see the point."

Elsie had to give her that one... what was the point, if the clothes weren't real? "Just trying to drive my point home, here. Changes of clothes, occasionally? Also lend a feeling of belonging. And you can do that now."

Neesta took a moment to stare up at Elsie. "It's that simple?"

"It really is. So don't try to tell me that you don't feel like you belong. You do."

A long pause. "Does that mean I'm still grounded?"

"Yes."

Mara had expected to see Elsie walk back into the cafeteria and calmly explain that she'd told Neesta in no uncertain terms what was what. Instead, she was treated to the somewhat comical spectacle of her husband practically ordering his brother-in-law to sit down and eat something.

Luke looked at Mara when he'd finally convinced Han to sit and at least stare at the tray of food in front of him. "Iris ordered us away."

"Ah... Did she threaten either of you with Jello?" After all... a little humor in a crisis never hurt.

Han frowned at Mara, utterly confused by that. "Huh?"

"I'll take that as a no," Mara said as she glanced at her confused mother. "Iris was my nurse once after I hadn't eaten much in a while, they refused to let me have solids, and it was a day or two of a liquid diet that included Jello. Lots of it."

Luke shook his head, amused that she'd bring that up. "Mara, that was six years ago."

"And?" She waited for him to come up with a retort, but they were both distracted when Elsie rejoined them. "That took longer then I thought it would." She studied the woman... was she shaking? "Elsie?" And then she blinked, even more confused when Chris suddenly said all seven of the words one does not say in polite company as he got up and led her back to their chairs. Which was when Elsie collapsed into his arms, sobbing hysterically.

Chris ignored the six of them as he gently soothed her, holding Elsie in an embrace. "Shhh... deep breaths, Elsie. Shut it all out... breaths. In and out..." For a couple of minutes, all was silent as her sobs tapered off. When she'd been silent for long enough, he asked. "Was it bad?"

"No," Elsie told him from the depths of his embrace, her voice tired. "Just... let my guard down and didn't notice it until after she left. Was completely focused on Neesta until then."

"Ah."

"Don't wanna move now."

"Not going to make you." Chris looked at Mara, still watching them with concern. "Sorry. Didn't mean to make a scene like that. It's just that..."

Mara shook her head. "You don't need to explain or apologize." So that's what Elsie had meant by not wanting to cause a scene... she'd wondered about that for a while.

Han looked down at his tray, then picked up a fork. If the woman could do whatever it was that she'd done to make her come apart at the seems, then he at least eat something. So he did.

Luke glanced at Han, noticing the sudden resolve to eat. Good. "So what brings you to Coruscant, Widia?"

"Samir had a question to ask of Renna and I wanted to see the kids." Widia smiled at him. "Calls over the holonet just aren't the same thing, you know?"

Luke nodded. "I know. So... did..."

"Yes," Renna told him. "He did. And we are. And we're planning our own wedding, thank you."

Mara laughed as Han blinked up at them. "Right... sure you don't want just a little help?"

"Saw yours in a recording after I got back from the southern hemisphere, Mara. No."

"It wasn't that bad, Renna."

Renna rolled her eyes. "I just meant that-"

"You want to plan it?"

"Yes."

"Could you stand some help eventually?"

Renna smiled as she felt Samir squeeze her hand. "I guess so. We'll talk about that later, though."

That worked for her. She turned her attention back to Han... who amazingly looked like he wanted to laugh. "Feel a little better now?"

Han nodded. "Yes." Somehow, the silly talk about wedding planning made most of his tension evaporate. Had he really been that tense?

"Well, good."

Widia, still not understanding what the matter was with Elsie, was frowning. "Um... Mara? What happened to her?" She motioned to the woman in Chris's arms.

"I can speak for myself, Mara," Elsie told her before Mara could speak. Mara nodded and let her go ahead. "This is a hospital and to talk to Neesta, I had to show her something. That meant I had to lower my defenses, because of what she is. When she left, I had nothing to focus on to bring it back under control. Simple, really." She smiled wanly at Renna. "Congrats, by the way. Nice to know that two good things happened today."

Renna frowned, completely missing Mara's glare at Elsie. "Two?"

Elsie winked at Luke, who had to resist a chuckle as he put a restraining hand on Mara's shoulder. "Not my story to tell. But yes... two."

Mara turned to look at Luke and found him smiling back at her. If nothing else, the reminder was nice, even if now still wasn't the time.

Beside them and listening as he's returned to eating, Han understood. Two things... and the other one had to do with his brother-in-law's wife glaring at Elsie murderously. And with Luke's delighted expression. He'd totally be asking both of them in private later.

She awoke slowly, as if a sheet of moss were slowly being lifted off and the blackness receded. For half a second as she opened her eyes, Leia had a strong sense of déjà vu as she saw two of the most important men in her life camped out on either side of her bed. She glanced around, expecting to find a third person, and finding no one else, she blinked in confusion. Where was Mara?

Then, like a tidal wave was crashing over her, she remembered the accident, and the sound of a speeder landing much too close. Taking a few deep breaths, Leia calmed herself down. Or tried to... it was over now, and that was what counted.

A hand closed over hers and Leia looked up to find Han looking back at her, concerned. "Hi."

"Hey," he said. "Good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Sore." She motioned to Luke, dozing in the other chair. "Think we should wake him?"

"Nah. We've all had a long day or two."

"...or two?"

"The accident was yesterday, Leia."

That made sense. "I was out for twenty-four hours?"

"Luke used a Force thing to make you sleep. And heal, too, I think." Han shook his head, trying to think of a way to phrase it right. "He didn't explain what that was, exactly."

Leia felt like laughing as she squeezed his hand. That was all she needed to know right now. "Stay?"

"Of course."

"And the children?"

Han shook his head. "Don't worry about that. Mara and her mother and Renna are watching 'em for now."

"Did you eat?"

"You really think Luke would let me not eat anything? Of course I did."

Leia yawned, satisfied. "Good. Glad to hear it. Going to sleep again now."

Han squeezed her hand carefully and she closed her eyes, drifting off into dreamland. He watched over her for a long while afterward.