Mavjade's fanfiction

With Open Eyes

2010-01-05T08:26:11Z

Title: With Open Eyes
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Jacen Solo, Anakin Skywalker
TImeline: Post Invincible
Genre: Angst, 1st person POV
Summary: Jacen has a conversation with his grandfather in the after life where he learns about himself, life and what it means to be part of the Skywalker family.
Notes: This was written for the 2009 Fic-gift exchange over at theforce.net. This was the first thing my muse has decided to grace me with in a while and I am thankful for it. I've never really written these characters so I hope I don't mess them up too badly!

~*~*~

I know this is it, the final moment. As Jaina approaches me time seems to slow down, more than it ever seemed like using the Force. I know what Jaina is about to do, that it will be my twin that will strike the killing blow. I also know that her strike will render her vulnerable and I will have the opportunity to take her with me. For fractions of a second I consider doing this, that she and my parents in some way deserve it, but as I raise my blade I become aware that this is not truly the case and that I could take that moment to warn the ones I love most, the ones I've been trying to protect despite their eventual betrayal. So as my twin is rushing towards me, I look her in the eyes and I reach out to Tenel Ka and to my beautiful daughter Allana and warn them that they are not safe.

Blackness

I do not know what this is or where I am, but I do know that I must be dead. All I see is black.

I lay, pondering if this is what happens when one dies as a Sith, when a tiny bit of light shines in the distance. I try to reach out to it, to pull myself towards it's beauty, but find I can do no such thing. As I lay and look at it, I notice it is slowly coming closer and getting larger. I take deep breaths and do my best to be patient. As it draws closer I notice a shadow in the light. It looks to be a man, though I cannot quite make out who it could be.

I try to speak out but it is as though my vocal chords have seized up and all that will escape my lips is a soft whine that sounds as though a small animal is crying for its mother. Again, I take a deep breath and try to wait. It is as though the man in the light is willing me to be patient, that he knows I am confused and if I must admit, only to myself, frightened.

The white light suddenly engulfed me and it was as though I could feel again, like I was not only physically in the darkness but mentally as well. As I got a closer look at him I realized that he was not a shadow at all but he had a hazy blue appearance to him. Although I had never met him I recognized him immediately having been told many stories of his life by my uncle.

I had just opened my mouth to speak to him when he spoke first.

"Jacen," he said my real name and not the name I was as a Sith Lord, filling me with more hope than I thought imaginable. Had I been forgiven for the things I'd done that I now knew to be wrong?

"Not yet, but you will be. You've already taken the first step. By reaching out to Tenel Ka and Allana and not striking down your sister you have allowed yourself to become one with the Force in the natural and intended way."

"So this is the afterlife?" I ask, wondering if this is all there is.

"Yes," he says. "And no. There is much more than this but it must be earned. You now know the things you did in your life and the gravity of those actions, but only knowing does not fix them."

"How do I fix them? What do I have to do to be forgiven?" I ask him.

"You must figure that out for yourself."

The smile on his face is a little unnerving but for some reason I saw that answer coming. I figured it must have been because of all the years of following Uncle Luke. He would never actually give you an answer; he made you figure it out for yourself.

He speaks once again having seemingly read my thoughts. "A smart one, my son is. " As he says those words a small laugh escapes his lips and for the first time the tension I was feeling releases if only just barely. "I seem to be channeling Master Yoda. I suspect he is not far."

I do not know exactly what he means but I suspect I'm not meant to. I would love to meet Master Yoda after hearing stories of him but I do not know if that will be possible. "Grandfather," I begin to ask. "If I am able to see and speak with you, will I be able to do the same with others who have become one?"

"Yes, but it is up to you to figure out how and whom you should find."

I pondered on his words for some time. Time did not seem to matter, as well it shouldn't when one becomes one with the Force. I thought about all those who had gone before me that I would like to see again or meet: I was speaking with my grandfather but I would enjoy more time with him in less serious and confusing circumstances. My brother Anakin whom I missed everyday when I was still in human form. Masters Yoda and Obi-wan whom my have great love and reverence for. My grandmother of whom we only learned just the slightest bit about in recent years.

As I kept thinking of the people I would be honored to see here I realized the one person I had to find. I had wronged many people in my time as Darth Caedus, something I realized with great clarity now. There was something that had been hidden in my desires to do that I thought was right, what I wanted.

Aunt Mara.

As her name appeared in my head I saw my grandfather smile. I had done more to her than anyone else. I had betrayed her love, her trust and in the end I had killed her to get her out of my way, to keep her from letting others know just what I had become. She knew I had been torturing her son when he had been so young and impressionable. My heart began to ache with the sorrow of all that I had done to her, to Ben and Uncle Luke. To my parents and sister.

I felt myself slipping into despair as I relived all of my transgressions when I felt an invisible hand pull me back. "Do not succumb to the guilt. It is just as bad as the things you did when you were too blind to see what you were doing. Guilt makes you blind. Open your eyes and see."

"But how can I not after all that I've done? "

"You learn. It is the nature of being of Skywalker blood I am afraid. With the great gift of the Force that flows so strongly through us the darkness can creep in, making you blind to the things that matter most while making you think you are doing what needs to be done. But once you have crossed that path and returned to to light, only then will you become all you can. Some do that in life, like your uncle and some of us only find our vision has cleared right as we become One."

"So that is the Skywalker legacy? To become dark?" I ask him knowing that is not the truth but a question I feel needs asking anyway.

"No, you know that it is not. It is overcoming that darkness that is our destiny. Becoming more in tune with the Force by having seen all sides of it." His serious face smirks once again and I know that he has said all he will on the subject. I must figure the rest out for myself. "Well that," he continues, "and it seems losing at least one limb is also a Skywalker destiny but I do not think that was in the original plans. I do hope young Ben manages to keep all of his, though he is his father's son."

He begins to laugh, as do I, feeling lighter and as though I understand so much more than I ever have. Before I have the chance to say anything more his blue glow begins to fade.

"May the Force be with you, Jacen," he says with a smile on his face, and then he is gone.

I am alone but I do not feel as though I am. I know that it will take time to get rid of all the guilt and hurt I hold over what I have done but I will not let it consume me. I will do what I need to with open eyes, looking to the light.

The first thing I must do is find Aunt Mara. We have a lot to discuss.

Sometimes I hate technology...

2009-09-30T09:42:13Z

So it's been a while since I updated any of my fics, here or else where and there is a really good reason for it... I'm an idiot.

Everyday I told myself I needed to back up my work. My laptop had been going wonky for quite some time and I had a fear it would not make it much longer and I was right. About a month ago my laptop completely crashed losing not only all the fanfics I had been working on which were many, the fics I had completed (which luckily are all on the internet), but my last years NaNoWriMo attempt, which I really liked and hoped to continue working on.

So needless to say, it will be some time before any of my fics are updated and who know when the ones I had been attempting to finish before posting will occur. :(

Lesson learned.

On the plus side I have gotten a potential plot bunny for this years NaNoWriMo!

I am still alive, if only just barely.

2009-06-15T04:00:28Z

Hello all! (If there is actually anyone out there reading this.)

I'm sorry it has been so long since I've updated any of my fics, life has been a little bit crappy and crazy for a while. I'm really starting to realize I'm not happy the way my life is right now and trying to find a way to fix it, or at least make it better. So all of this soul searching and actual working hasn't left all that much time for fanfic. :( So, what is going on with my writing? See Below.

Jones, Ianto Jones-- I'm not really happy with the way it is going, I feel like it's boring as hell and OOC so as much as I hate to I've put it on a (hopefully temporary) hiatus. This makes me really angry with myself but I fear it would only get worse.

I have been working on the sequel to Let Me Be the First to Say, which was my cracktastic Ianto/Martha fic. I had planned on making the sequel also a one shot but it's up to three parts and still not done and I refuse to post it before I complete it. I hate leaving fics hanging. It's going to be a little Janto, a little Ianto/Martha and hopefully a lot Jack/Ianto/Martha! XD

Under the cut is an unbetaed preview of the first chapter of that fic, which features a little hint of Janto action. :)

~*~*~*~*~

Mostly resisting the urge to laugh, Ianto rolled his eyes, " Yes, I 'm sure that's the reason." He scooted a little closer, "What wrong, Jack?"

Finally looking up at Ianto, Jack put his hand on Ianto thigh, "I miss you."

Ianto jumped up and walked around to the other side of the desk, turning his back to the other man. "Don't do this, Jack."

Jack smiled, "Do what?"

"I'm not kidding."

Jack got up quietly and slid behind Ianto leaning in to whisper in his ear, "Neither am I." Jack place one hand on Ianto's hip pushing his body again Ianto's. The other hand wrapped around Ianto's body, his hand laying on his chest.

"Jack..." Ianto half moaned half admonished. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, he was with Martha, he had feelings for Martha and things were going really well; the problem was he had feelings for Jack as well. He willed his body not to respond, he tried to keep his breath even, his heart rate slow, but as Jack pulled Ianto even closer and he could feel Jack's hardness pressing into him he couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips.

Master Fanfic List

2009-02-18T02:00:01Z

Fanfic Fandoms found here: (Updated 2/17/09- I Do, Promise completed update and 1 new Torchwood fic)
Star Wars: 17 fics
Brothers & Sisters: 2 fics
Torchwood: 3 fic
House: 1 fic

I've finally managed to move this over from my old journal and it will be updated much more frequently now!
As much as I hate to do this, I'm warning that Torchwood, House and Brothers & Sisters could have same-sex pairings Just look at the main characters and you should be able to tell. If you don't like it, don't read it!

Star Wars

I Do Promise: Luke/Mara, Luke/OC-- "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future? [Complete]

Prologue              Chapter One         Chapter Two         Chapter Three         Chapter Four

Chapter Five      Chapter Six         Chapter Seven    Chapter Eight   Chapter Nine

Interlude              Chapter Ten         Chapter Eleven      Chapter 12-A        Chapter 12-B

Chapter 13              Epilogue                  Bonus Features

Here Today, Where Tomorrow?: OC; Randa, eventually with Ben and Luke as well. A WIP diary from her POV. Part of the Old Man and the Boy universe. ~Work In Progress~

(Entry One) (Two) (Three) (Four) (Five) (Six) (Seven) (Eight) (Nine) (Ten)

Distractions: Mara Jade, The Emperor- Young Mara makes a mistake on a mission. What will the Emperor do and just who was it that distracted her?

Unopened Boxes:Luke/Mara- Part of the I Do, Promise universe- Luke has a box that was intended for his late wife, or was it?

These Five Words: Luke/Mara- Several glimpses into the love of Luke and Mara throughout their lives. Song-fic

Collide: Luke/Mara- a different look at how their relationship could have started. Song-fic

The Old Man and The Boy: Luke, Ben, OC's (though they play a minor roll)- Ben spends time with his father and his family. Very sad, Warning: Character death.
-Will eventually be part of a larger Story

If It Works: Mara, Wes, Ghent are all trapped together, what will they do? A Semi-crossover with Torchwood... as in the idea came from it and if you watch TW you should be able to see it. If you don't, no problem, you won't know it is there!

Irrational Anger: Mara, Ben and Luke are out for a normal family trip to the zoo. So why is Mara so mad at Luke?

A Lifetime Together: L/M, Ben-- A series of Drabbles about Luke, Mara and some Ben

Weeks 1-3         Weeks 4-7       Weeks 8-10    Weeks 11-14       Weeks 15-17       Weeks 18-20

Reflections of a Family: Luke, Ben, Jaina, Han, Leia--- This is a small series of vignettes based on how the family feels after Mara's death.

The Word of Lucas: A Parody of Life, the Universe, and Everything in a Galaxy Far, Far Away (Abridged): All Skwywalkers-- A History of the Skywalker Family set to the tune of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Star Killer Kid vs. Evil Lord Man:Ben--A April Fools fic where Ben is a superhero.

Scion of History: Ben, OC's --Ben is not a Jedi, he is an author and he has an evil case of DWB! (Darth Writers Block)

Love Is the Greatest Sacrifice: Ben, Luke-- A coming of age story for Ben.

I'd Give Anything: Luke, Ben-- What would Ben give to bring his twin sister back?

Always: Luke/Mara--- Several stages in Mara's life after Luke's death.

Brothers & Sisters

I Know: Kevin/Scotty- Scotty goes through a range of emotions while Kevin is completely oblivious.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Kevin/Scotty- Kevin think about his past, present and what the future holds after episode 3.10, Just a Sliver

Torchwood

Jones, Ianto Jones: POV; Ianto Jones, with Capt. Jack Harkness, Gwen, Owen, Tosh etc.- A diary about the dealings of Torchwood, starts pre-series. Work In Progress

(Entry One) (Two) (Three) (Four)   (Five) (Six) (Seven)   (Eight)   (Nine)   (Ten)

Let Me Be the First to Say: Ianto/Martha, brief mentions of Jack/Ianto- Starts during S2's Reset. Ianto and Martha are attractive, young, work for secretive agencies and both find themselves single. What can become of it?

Just Breathe: Jack/Ianto (hinted)-- Jack wakes up in a panic after everything that has gone on. (Post Exit Wounds)

House

Very Little Preamble: House/Wilson-- House has other thoughts as her prepares to go on the date with Cameron. (Drabble)

Let Me Be the First to Say (Ianto/Martha)

2009-02-17T03:25:02Z

Title: Let Me Be the First to Say
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who (While Martha was on Torchwood, I still consider her a Who character)
Genre: AU obviously, Romance
Characters: Ianto/Martha
Timeline: Starts during Series Two's Reset
Word count: ~2,000 words
Rating: Teen
Notes: This was written for the Non Star Wars Valentine's Day crack!ship challenge over at theforce.net. I could have come up with crack!ship that would have been more fun but they don't allow same sex relationships over there --as sad as that is-- but these two ended up working for me in the end so I guess that's okay! Concrit is welcome!

Beta'ed by my awesome mother since my usual beta (my fiance) won't do Torchwood. :(

~*~*~

"So, am I right in thinking you and he...?" Martha asked Ianto while they were working on her false identity so she could infiltrate the Pharm.

"No, not anymore," Ianto sighed. "Jack is who he is and I'm not going to take that away from him. He grew up knowing completely different cultural rules so I understand, but I know enough about myself to know I can't deal. It isn't fair to anyone to draw things out."

"He told me that, about you; dependable Ianto. Always doing what is best for everyone else." She gave Ianto a sad smile, she could see that Jack was right. While he could make it sound as though he was doing what he had to do for himself, he was really protecting Jack. While Jack did sometimes need protecting, so did the others, especially Ianto.

He looks so young, Martha thought. Though she knew he was only a few years younger than she, still she felt like he was too young to be doing what he did everyday. She knew though he looked young, his eyes told another story entirely. His eyes told a story of someone who had seen way too much, done way more than he should have and lived more lives than twenty men. But despite all of that he was still a kind caring man, someone who always was looking out for others, doing anything he could to make sure everyone else had what they needed, be it for Torchwood or just for life.

Martha sighed, Why can't I find guys like that? Why am I attracted to the wildly unavailable? And then another thought occurred to her, He is available, attractive, close to my age, funny, smart, caring. A large smile formed across her face.

Ianto was staring at Martha thinking something was wrong when a strange smile crossed her face, it was a little disconcerting in the situation but her smile made him smile. "What?" he asked her.

Shaking her head to try and get rid of the remaining thoughts, "Nothing, just thinking."

"About..." Ianto tried to drag it out of her.

"Nothing, just something someone once told me and I think I finally realized the truth in his words," she told him hoping he would drop the subject. That you really do look good in a suit, especially that suit. I bet red is really is your color seeing the pink on you. She hoped the blush she could feel rising at her thought wasn't showing, she didn't need the man questioning her anymore.

"I guess we should get this stuff set up," Ianto said as he walked up the stairs and back into the main part of the hub.

Martha was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear him. The more she thought about Ianto, the more she liked the idea. Sure she lived in London and worked for UNIT, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun. They both worked very demanding, top secret jobs but not for the same group. It might be nice to be closer to someone she could talk to about some things that she would not be allowed to share with a civilian. Not that they would be allowed to discuss all things, but Torchwood and UNIT worked together enough that it could work.

Ianto was at the top of the autopsy bay when he realized Martha wasn't following him. He turned back to look at her and saw something he had never seen before. Usually when he looked at her he saw the UNIT doctor, someone who was very focused on her work, but looking now he saw the other side of Martha. She looked almost happy at her thoughts, her eyes dancing with excitement, and she was beautiful.

" Tea-boy!" came Owen's familiar cry. "I need some of your liquid happiness."

Shaking his head, Ianto smiled at Martha who had since realized he was starring at her and walked further into the main part of the hub. " I wouldn't give you any even if you begged for it, Owen."

"Coffee!" Owen yelled back.

"Oh, that." Ianto smirked, " Ask nicely, and I may make you some."

Owen growled under his breath, "Please Ianto, will you make me some coffee?"

Ianto resisted the urge to praise Owen like a dog by saying 'good boy', though Ianto sometimes thought keeping a dog would be much easier. "Since Martha and I are done for now, I will. But only because Jack will turn into a gremlin if I don't get him his afternoon caffeine fix."

"I will too! " came Martha's voice as she caught up with Ianto. "In fact, I want to witness this coffee magic. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all,"Ianto smiled as he held out his arm. "Milady."

She slid her arm into his and they laughed all the way to the kitchen.

~*~*~*~

Jack walked down from his office hoping to find Ianto to make him some coffee when he heard giggling from the kitchenette. Reaching his destination he saw something that made him uncomfortable; Ianto and Martha, it seemed, were flirting. She was standing in front of the coffee machine with her hands on the complex handles, Ianto was standing behind her with his hands laying over hers.

Jealousy flashed through him as he saw two of the people he loved most in the universe giggling and laughing like children. He almost walked in to interrupt, hoping to embarrass them both until he reminded himself that being from the 51st century, he didn't do jealousy.

He would be happy they were becoming so close, and if it became more he would be happy with that. They both deserved all the happiness in the world and if they found it within each other then so be it.

Or that was what he would keep telling himself.

~*~*~*~

To Ianto, it had been the worst night since Lisa. If things could go wrong, they did. Owen was dead, in a way, Martha had almost died and they were forced to kill innocent alien life forms.

Ianto was completely exhausted and knew everyone else was as well. He forced his body take each and every step to the kitchenette --to make coffee for everyone-- almost completely on autopilot. Jack's; would you like coffee with your sugar, Tosh; cream and one sugar, Gwen; two sugars, Martha; just cream and Owen. Well, Owen wouldn't be drinking coffee anytime soon; ever.

When this thought crossed Ianto's mind he almost dropped Owen's favorite cup. Placing both hands on the counter he closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. He began pushing the emotions that were threatening to consume him deep down inside.

After standing there for sometime, he felt hands on his shoulders kneading the knots he knew were forming. The feeling was so pleasant that he couldn't help the purr that escaped his lips. It was only after a few moments did he become aware of the person who was chuckling at the sounds he was making and it was not who he thought it was; though he should have recognized that the hands weren't the same size.

He spun around, "Martha!"

"Just who were you expecting?" she raised an eyebrow questioning not only with words but with her expression.

Ianto gave her an embarrassed smile and couldn't help the blush that crept up onto his cheeks.

"I thought that was over?" she asked.

"It is, I just..." he trailed off not knowing exactly what to say.

Martha smiled, "I know." She knew exactly why he had done what he had done and she knew what a hard decision it could be. It would take some time for him to recover.

"Would you like to go get a drink?" She asked after they both stood there for a moment without speaking.

"I thought you were helping with Owen?"

"I've been sent away, and everyone else has gone home" she smiled. "Apparently he no longer needs my services. I was told in no uncertain terms that he was still able, and I quote 'I may be dead but I'm not... well I am. But I'm not.' "

Ianto laughed harder than he had in a long time, "That sounds like him."

"So..." she prodded.

" Yes, " he said turning back around to take everyone's mugs off his tray, except Jack's. "Let me just take Jack his coffee and we can go."

~*~*~

They ended up in a small Pub not to far from Ianto's flat. It wasn't exceptionally noisy like most of the pubs around, so it made it easy to talk.

They talked about many different things, staying away from the topic of work as much as they could, but since they both spent most of their lives there it was a difficult task.

Martha had been trying to avoid talking about Jack but like the man himself he was hard to ignore. Ianto asked a question about when they were traveling with the Doctor together and while he knew that time was a sensitive subject, Martha had several funny and potentially embarrassing -if someone like Jack Harkness could be embarrassed- stories. They were laughing and having a great time when Martha suddenly leaned over and kissed Ianto.

Pulling back and looking at the stunned look on the Welshman's face, Martha began to apologize, "I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I just..."

She was unable to finish her sentence because Ianto's lips were back on hers and they were kissing again, this time both parties were involved.

Finally, they pulled apart and smiled at each other. "Would you like to get out of here?" Ianto asked.

Martha smiled grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and started for the door, a sly smile playing on her face.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Ianto muttered to himself as he left more than enough on the table to pay for their drinks.

A few months later...

Martha was pulling the last picture off the wall in her office when her commanding officer walked in. "Are you sure we can't convince you to stay with UNIT Doctor Jones?"

"I'm sorry sir, but Torchwood needs me, and I think I need them." Martha replied.

"It's that Harkness, isn't it?" He asked with a roll of his eyes. "It's always Harkness."

Martha laughed, "Not exactly." She wasn't surprised that he thought that, Jack did have a way of instilling that reaction in people. While she was very much looking forward to working for Jack, he wasn't the reason she decided to leave UNIT.

The General picked up a box sitting on her chair and helped her carry it out of the building. As they walked towards a black SUV he noticed a man leaning against it. He was wearing a black pin-stripe suit and waistcoat with a deep red shirt and black and red striped tie.

"Who is that?" he asked.

"That, sir, is why I'm leaving UNIT."

"I hope he's worth it." He decided to try one last time to get her to change her mind, "You could move up the ranks much farther here than you can with Torchwood."

Martha knew that was the case, but she also knew she would be happier at Torchwood, "I know, sir. But this is what I have to do."

"Only because of him?" he nodded toward Ianto.

"No," she answered honestly but decided not to expand on why. Torchwood --Jack's Torchwood-- handled things in ways she liked, she wouldn't have to compromise her values working for them and she knew with UNIT, eventually she would. Ianto was an added bonus.

They finally reached the SUV and Martha planted a quick kiss on Ianto's lips. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back.

Martha turned back to look at the man who had been her commanding officer until she had left the building and saluted him. "Thank you for everything, sir."

"No, thank you," he returned her salute. "Good luck."

Ianto loaded the last of the boxes in the back of the SUV and slid into the drivers seat, "You ready to go, Doctor Jones?"

"Absolutely," she smiled as she climbed in the passenger side of the SUV.

Ianto turned to look at her as he was starting the vehicle, "Well, let me be the first to say," he leaned in and kissed her softly, "Welcome to Torchwood."

~ fin

I Do, Promise Word Cloud

2009-02-12T01:31:24Z

There is a website that you can put a document in and it filters out common words like and, the, is, etc. and then makes a cloud where the most common words are the largest.

Here is what I Do, Promise in it entirety looks like!

Do your own at www.wordle.net They are a blast!

I Do, Promise (17/17)

2009-02-11T21:07:47Z

Title: I Do, Promise (Epilogue)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: definitely AU, Romance, Angst
Characters: Luke, Mara, OC's and probably others
Timeframe: Starts at the end of Vision of the Future
Summary: "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future?

AN: This is the final update of I Do, Promise. This is the first multi-chapter fic I've completed and seeing as how it took over a year to write I'm kind of sad to see it end, but this was the place to stop. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it.

I'm sorry the Epilogue is short but I was afraid if I wrote much more I would keep writing.

~**~**~**~

Epilogue: Together

The wedding of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade was a small, private affair: no media, and no dignitaries. Less than a week after Luke proposed to Mara -for the second time- and she accepted, their closest family and friends were invited to the small ceremony having only been told a few days in advance and sworn to secrecy. They figured that they had wasted too much time already and there was no reason for delay.

Luke professed how much he loved Mara and how he always had in front of the gathered family and friends, and Mara told of how she wanted nothing more than to kill him many times in his life, but how now she would do no killing unless she had to do so in order to defend his life.

The bond they had before the ceremony was strong. They could feel their love for each other, realizing how strong it was once they were both open to it, but after the ceremony it was as though the Force had willed their bonding because they became as one person in separate bodies. They could feel every emotion, every thought, every bit of love.

After the event, they went on a long, well deserved honeymoon in a place where they could be themselves and not worry about the media who had since become privy to the nuptuals. By the time they returned something else had inevitably distracted the holotabloids and news outlets and they were mostly left alone.

Together they had three children, the eldest boy named Ben, a daughter named Talla and an adopted son named Jakin. Ben became the youngest Master in the history of the Jedi Council, Talla, who after completing her training decided not to become a Jedi at all, became a very successful attorney. Jakin followed in his father's footsteps and became first a pilot then a teacher at the academy.

The family was very close, even after the children grew up, married and had their own children they could often be found with one or both of their parents who were never far from each other. Luke and Mara had 5 beautiful grandchildren, two boys and three girls, all of whom they spoiled rotten.

It was only fitting that when Luke and Mara decided it was time for them to move on and become one with the Force, they were surrounded by their entire family who, while sad, knew that it was time for them to go. They became one with the Force in the same way that they had done things for their entire lives, ever since they had first met.

Together.

A Lifetime Together (4/?)

2009-02-05T04:09:27Z

Title: A Lifetime Together (post 4)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: Just about everything!
Timeframe: Somewhere in the EU
Characters: Mostly Luke and Mara, but some Ben!
Authors Notes: This is a response to the Ultimate Drabble Challenge over at TF.N. Each week a new set of prompts was given and they were to be done in order, 200 drabbles in 20 weeks. Each one is exactly 100 words long.
This is a work in progress, I didn't exactly finish anywhere near the dead line! :)

Week 11:

Young
What he would give to be young and care free again.

Luke watched Ben playing with some toddler game, giggling every time it made a funny noise, flew in the air or changed crazy shapes.

He watched his son taking his first classes as a Jedi student, eyes wide and full of wonder.

Luke watched his son get his first crush on a girl, and watched the first time he got his heart broken.

He watched his son hold his child for the first time, eyes so full of love.

Luke got to be young again, every time he watched his son.

In-Between
They were at the age where the young people thought they were old and the older people thought they were young; they were completely in the middle.

Unfortunately, that meant middle age.

Most people got to have a mid-life crisis and buy a new speeder or spend obscene amounts of credits on nothing at all. But the Skywalker's couldn't do things the normal way, no, they had to do things with a bang. Literally.

At least they did it as a family.

Mara couldn't wait until they were the old and didn't have to save the galaxy every other day.

Old
Being old wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Things hurt that you didn't know existed, the young beings were doing things you didn't understand and everyone thought you should know everything. But the thing that made Mara most angry about being old was that she wasn't allowed to do things she still wanted to do.

The really fun missions were given to the younger Jedi, and she was left to make decisions and guide the youngling. Had she know this was what would come of being the Grand Master's wife...

She would have still signed up.

Foolish
Now he knew how Mara felt when he was doing foolish things, something he now regretted with his whole heart.

Ben, he figured, was a pretty equal mix of himself and Mara, for better or for worse. This combination usually made a pretty good kid, except when he got something in his mind that he wanted to do. His stubborn streak was as wide as the galaxy and unfortunately this streak blinded him to common sense, or made him ignore it.

Luke couldn't blame his son, he came by it quite honestly, but he wasn't going to tell Ben that.

Wise
Some where along the way he became the mysterious, wise old man. He wasn't sure when that happened, and he didn't particularly like the 'old' part, but there wasn't anything he could really do about it. He tried to leave his door open to anyone, but as time went on it was only Masters who would approach him.

As he walked the halls he could hear students mumble about him, mumble about the things he had done and some he hadn't. When did he become so out of touch that he was more a myth than a man?

Week 12

I decided to take these in a different direction that instinct tried to take them! They all involve Ben!

Trial
Ben knew he had been wrong, knew he was in a lot of trouble but he thought this was taking it a little too far.

It was supposed to be a practical joke, something to laugh at, not something that the entire council would hear about.

Standing in front of the Masters he felt like he was on trial his father looked completely disappointed. He knew the look on his mothers face was going to be much worse once he got home, much worse.

Anything would be better than what his mother would do when she found out.

Test
He knew he should have studied the material given yesterday, he had a feeling about it but he took his extra time to do other things and now he had a test on it.

Ben could hear his fathers words echoing in his mind, "Trust your instincts, son." but never had he taken it to heart until now. Staring at the flimsy he might as well have been reading Botha for all he knew of what it said. He had listened the day before but he couldn't remember it at all now.

Next time he would heed his fathers advice.

Preparation
He had been warned by his father about what women could be like when preparing for their wedding day, but having talked to his mother he knew it did not have to be that way.

Unfortunately for him, while his bride had many similar attributes to his mother, this was not one of them. He got pulled into making decisions about things he had no right or will to be deciding. Once again he wished he had listened to his father and all his wisdom.

He could make snap judgments in life and death, but cake was a whole other matter.

Fail
He had failed as a father, as a husband and as a Jedi.

He had been off on a mission leaving his wife and child alone, vulnerable. He knew his name would get him into trouble someday, he had just hoped it would be him.

He didn't know exactly who had done such a thing, but he had his suspicions. As much as he wanted revenge he knew that he could not, that he had to be strong and do what was right. It would be what his family would have expected of him.

For once he would heed his fathers advice.

Pass
He felt as though he had passed the test, he would finally get to see his wife and child who had died so long ago.

He would get to thank his father for all his words of wisdom and for telling Ben those words even when he wasn't listening. His fathers advice had saved his life in ways he would have never thought of.

So when the time came he knew he was ready, knew that the last bit of wisdom his father had given him was about to show true.

He would be together with his family once more.

Week 13

Festive
"What happened in here?" Mara asked with her eyes wide taking in the mess in front of her.

Luke turned to look at his wife, "It's almost Fete Week."

"I'm aware of that. What I'm not aware of is why I can't see the floor or any of the furniture."

"Ben wanted to decorate so I let him do so," Luke answered realizing his wife wasn't happy.

"You let a three year old decorate by himself?"

"I didn't want to discourage creativity."

"Yes well, you can find a creative way to clean it all up, by yourself. Ben and I are going out.[/i]

Wish
She had only one wish, that she would be able to see her son grow up and become the man he wanted to be, whoever that was. That no one would force him to be someone he wasn't.

His wish was that his wife and child were healthy and happy. That they had all the things they wanted and needed. That they would be all together for as long as the Force willed it.

Ten year old Ben's only wish was that his father would let him use a real lightsaber --not one of the training sabers-- and drive the speeder.

Gift
It was more than she could have ever possibly imagined. This was not simply a man replacing a ship for a woman because it had gotten destroyed in a mission.

It was more than a husband giving a gift to his new bride.

It was a lover showing how well he knew the woman of his dreams; showing her that he felt what she felt, loved what she loved and would do anything she asked of him. It showed her that he listened and loved with his whole heart and that meant more than any ship, any thing ever could.

Naughty
She had everything in place; Ben was staying with friends, most people knew they were not to disturb the Masters Skywalker that evening, though they did not know why.

She had ordered his favorite meal, set it up in their bedroom with candles placed all over. Soft music played in the background, all she needed was the man himself.

After several hours he finally walked in the door. The food had gone cold and the candles had burned out, but Mara was still waiting. Nothing was going to ruin her night.

"You're late, Master Skywalker," she smiled. "And you're gonna pay."

Nice
Watching her son play with others his own age, Mara realized something about him. The other children took toys from one another, pushed and shoved but not Ben. If another kid looked at his toy he would give it to them and find another. If a kid pushed him, he walked away.

Mara figured Luke had been much the same way when he was a child. He certainly was now, though he didn't play with toys... much.

She was very glad Ben got the nice gene from Luke instead of her quick temper. She just hoped he stayed that way.

Jones, Ianto Jones (4/??)

2009-02-03T03:24:06Z

Title: Jones, Ianto Jones (Entry Four)
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Torchwood
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Ianto Jones and he was sitting here making me coffee , I do not and he is not. Nor do I own anything having to do with Torchwood, I just like to play in the sandbox!
Genre: Possibly AU, Angst, sci-fi
Characters: From the POV of Ianto Jones, including, Capt. Jack Harkness
Timeline: Pre-season one, just after the battle of Canary Wharf
Notes: Episode mentioned this entry: 2.12 Fragments
Sorry it took me so long to get this up, my new job about killed me!

~*~*~*~

21 June 2006

This morning I went back to the Cardiff hub hoping to get my next chance to speak with Jack Harkness, which I did, to no avail.

I took him a fresh cup of my coffee, and while it had the effect I had hoped it would --he looked like he might die right there just from one taste-- I had hoped that would throw him off, so that he would be so caught up in my coffee that he would just say yes when I told him I wanted a job. Evidently, my coffee isn't that distracting.

I tried to tell him about myself, prove that I could be useful to him but it seems he already knew all about me, said that after I knew what a weevil was he thought he was going to have to take care of me..He knew my full name, my birthday, my academic record even about the shoplifting conviction I got when I was fourteen.

He also knew about Lisa. I told him she was dead.

He told me he had severed links with Torchwood One, not that I blame him after what happened, but that he wasn't hiring anyone. I got the feeling that he just didn't want to hire anyone having anything to do with London. I tried to guilt trip him, ask him what I was supposed to do with the memories, the memories of people I loved being tortured as they were changed into metallic monsters. He told me I wasn't his responsibility.

I don't think working for him would change any of the memories, if anything it might make them worse. I can barely sleep because I see them all in my dreams, reaching out to me begging me to help them but I can never reach them and everyone I know is still converted. I see Lisa's beautiful face contort in pain, an image I see no matter if I'm awake or asleep. Even if working for Torchwood Cardiff makes those memories worse and I relive them every day of my life it will be worth it to keep my Lisa alive, to save her life.

I'm currently working on finding someone who is an expert in cybertech to help me but it seems many of them have disappeared in recent days, not that this is very surprising in light of what has happened. I'm just hoping I'll be able to find someone sooner than later, but for now I can use the information I already have and hope it is enough.

I promised Harkness I would be back tomorrow and it's a promise I intended to keep. Everyday, if I must, until he gives in. I really didn't want to have to do it this way but he's leaving me no choice.

At least he is an attractive man.

Fic: I Do, Promise (16/17)

2009-01-27T02:20:32Z

Title: I Do, Promise (Chapter 13)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: definitely AU, Romance, Angst
Characters: Luke, Mara, OC's and probably others
Timeframe: Starts at the end of Vision of the Future
Summary: "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future?

AN: This is the last chapter, there is an epilogue coming and then a bonus features post talking about where the idea came from and things that changed over the life of the story.

~*~*~

Chapter 13: Just Fine

Mara did not give Luke a chance to say a word before she had entered his apartment. She strode into the main living area behind the form couch and began pacing.

Luke was a little confused by her demeanor; she looked nervous, an emotion she never showed even if she felt it. She looked almost like a caged wild animal looking for a way out. If he was honest he was also nervous about what she had come here to say. Was she leaving? Could she not stand that he had these feelings? Would she never want to see him again? He couldn't allow himself to dwell on these thoughts; he would listen to what she had to say and then decide what to do after that. However, her pacing was making him more nervous. "Would you like to sit down?" he asked.

She simply shook her head. No, she had been trained from a young age to always have an escape route and to stay as close to it as possible. This way, she could make a fast escape after she had said what she had come here to say.

Taking a deep breath she began, "I know you only proposed because of the promise you made but--."

Luke's heart broke when he realized she was saying no, but he understood. He had been preparing himself for such an answer. He did, however want to correct her, to make clear that he was not proposing because of the promise. "Mara, I di--"

"No, let me finish or I'll never say it." She interrupted while she continued to pace back and forth, "I can't accept because I love you too much to marry you only because you made a promise. I want you to be happy and to marry who you love."

When she finally ran out of breath Luke managed to say, "I didn't propose because..." He noticed what she had said. "Wait. Did you say you love me?"

Mara's face turned almost the color of her hair, "Yes I did, and I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but I had to say it. I understand if it ruins our friendship." She began to move towards the door. "I'll go now."

Luke reached out and grabbed her arm as she walked past him, and turning her to face him he asked, "Is this a platonic, best friend kind of love or..."

"Or." Mara answered truthfully as she turned her head away from the Jedi.

The smile on Luke's face could have lit up all of Corsucant. He lifted her chin with his fingers and made her look at him in the eyes. Once she was looking at him he slid his hand down to hold her other one, but he found something was already occupying the space. He took the object from her hand and brought it to his face to examine it. He would recognize this object anywhere: the intricate emerald stone on a gold necklace was one of a kind. There were no others like it in the galaxy. He smiled and placed the object back in her hand. He knew there was a reason she held it, but he would find out later. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the feeling that he had not truly bought it for Adalet, but for Mara. He would explore that thought later on when he could ask why she had brought it when she came to tell him this, but he had more important things to say at the moment.

"I love you, too."

Realization at what Luke had said barely dawned on Mara's face before his lips were on hers. It wasn't the tentative, soft kiss that she would have expected from Luke as their first true kiss. There was more passion and more love behind the kiss than she even knew to be possible. Mara returned in kind, wrapping her arm behind his neck and showing him how much and just how long she had loved him.

After a few minutes, they had to part for air; both of their lips were swollen and their hair was mussed. Luke smiled at the woman standing in front of him, "I know you said you always saw someone proposing to you in a dangerous situation, and I'm sure I could find one if you would like, but I think we've wasted too much time so I'm just going to ask. Mara, will you marry me?"

Now that she knew how he truly felt and that he was not doing this out of a favor to her, Mara had no choice but to answer with complete honesty, "Yes Luke, I will marry you."

The kiss they met in this time was much softer and slower. They kissed for quite a while, taking their time, getting to know each other. Luke began to kiss Mara's jaw and down her neck when he stopped. "Would you like to take this to a place a little more comfortable?"

Mara couldn't help herself and let a small chuckle escape. Luke looked so shy and so cute when he asked that question, but she could not deny that she would like to do so. She captured his lips with hers once again and began to push him towards the bed room.

~*~*~*~*~

"I want to go check on Luke, " Leia said as she and Han were getting ready for their day.

Han shook his head. He should have seen this coming. "He's a big boy, sweetheart. I'm sure he's fine."

Leia knew that she had a tendency to treat Luke like a younger sibling when in truth they were the same age, but she simply could not help it. Luke just inspired that response in people. "I know, but after what you told me I don't want him to be alone for too long to brood. His heart was so broken when Adalet died and I didn't think we would ever get him back."

"I know, but Mara isn't dead," Han had been very worried at that time that he would never see the man he had come to love as his brother again and that in his place a cold, empty shell had been left behind.

This time, it was Leia's turn to shake her head. "No, but it was Mara that brought him back. If she leaves, I don't know what will happen."

"Fine, Princess. We can go over there and check on him if it pleases the committee." Han knew he was going to lose this argument. Leia was going to get her way one way or another and it would be much easier on him if he just gave in now. He had stated his objections and could now claim it wasn't his fault. "But I promise he's fine."

After they got ready for the day they walked the short distance to Luke's apartment. Han had tried to reach him on the comm to warn him, but there had been no answer. They pushed the door buzzer and waited for a few minutes. Again, there was no answer.

"I know he is in there," Leia said. She could feel her brother in the Force and knew he was there, but that was it. They had an agreement that they would respect each other's privacy and only reach further if it was a true emergency and this was not; at least not yet.

"He's probably just asleep." Han tried to reassure his wife who only gave him a glare. Han knew as well as she did Luke hardly ever slept in. "Maybe he had a late night."

Leia pushed the buzzer again. "If he doesn't answer this time, we're going in." She had the code for emergencies and this was becoming one in her mind.

With no answer, Leia put in her code and walked in the door, followed closely by Han. "Luke?" she called. No answer.

There was no one in the main living area or the kitchen, so she walked to his bedroom. The door was closed and her heart raced as her hand reached to hit the door activator. She did not know what she would find and it scared her to death.

"Luke," she called again as the door slid open to reveal that Han had been right: Luke was asleep. He was laying on his side with his arm draped over a clearly undressed Mara Jade. Leia gasped and turned to leave quickly but quite literally ran into her husband before she could escape.

Han gave his wife one of his trademark lopsided grins and leaned down to whisper into her ear, "I told you he was fine."

Leia took hold of Han's wrist and began to drag him out of the apartment. "I don't want to hear it, flyboy. In fact, I don't want to even think about it." She tried to whisper but her shock was getting the better of her. She just hoped they hadn't managed to wake either person still laying in the bed.

~*~*~*~

Luke awoke with a start, waking the sleeping woman beside him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Luke looked around the room and shrugged, "It's nothing, I just thought I heard Leia's voice." Laying back down, he kissed the top of Mara's head. "Go back to sleep, love."

As Mara snuggled into Luke's chest she whispered, "I love you, Luke."

"I love you too," he responded.

Mara lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She wanted to make sure he did not regret what he had asked the previous night. "You really love me?"

He had a short answer but it gave her all the reassurance she needed.

"I do, promise."

Fic: Jones, Ianto Jones (3/24??)

2009-01-23T00:22:23Z

Title: Jones, Ianto Jones (Entry Three)
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Torchwood
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Ianto Jones and he was sitting here making me coffee , I do not and he is not. Nor do I own anything having to do with Torchwood, I just like to play in the sandbox!
Genre: Possibly AU, Angst, sci-fi
Characters: From the POV of Ianto Jones, including, Capt. Jack Harkness
Timeline: Pre-season one, just after the battle of Canary Wharf
Notes: Episode mentioned this entry: 2.12 Fragments

~*~*~

20 June 2006

We arrived in Cardiff in just a few short hours and I quickly found a place to hide the van, It was much easier here than it was outside of London. While I had lived in London for several years, Cardiff will always be home. God it feels good to be home, I just wish Lisa could enjoy it with me.

I found a cheap cottage to rent that is out of the way where hopefully there are no prying eyes. I told the owner the truth, mostly. I am just leaving London and moving back home, I just left out why I was coming home. I figure getting into Torchwood Three will be difficult and we can't keep staying in the van, there isn't enough power or I wouldn't have risked it.

I managed to get the van all the way up to the door of the cottage so no one will be able to see what I'm moving in. I got Lisa settled the best I could and decided to plan.

A while back I took it upon myself to know where all the Torchwood locations were; all except for Torchwood Four, no one knows where it went. I don't know why I wanted to know, but I'm glad I do or this might have been much harder. Three's Hub is underneath the water tower at Roald Dahl Plass, an area I luckily know pretty well.

All I have to do is to find Harkness there alone, I don't want to do what I have to do in front of any of his people, at least not yet. It will be hard to avoid raising their suspicions, I know they monitor the comings and goings of the plass very carefully, the CCTV always looking for suspicious activity. Perhaps I can catch him at night, off guard, help him with something. I'll show him how valuable I can be.

Evening

After watching Roald Dahl Plass for most of the evening I was about to give up knowing I had to get back to Lisa when he suddenly appeared out of no where, alone. He seemed to be in some what of a hurry so I decided to follow him and see what was going on.

He walked quickly to a near by park and then started running. When I caught up to him I saw a weevil attacking him, going for his neck. He couldn't hire me if he was dead so I decided to help him out. I picked up a large stick and hit the weevil hoping to knock it out. Unfortunately it only made it mad and it started to attack me. Harkness managed to get up, tackle it and inject it with something to knock it out, or kill it. I'm not exactly sure what he used.

I thanked him for getting it off me and he thanked me for my help, a good sign I think.

"And you are?" He asked me as he looked me up and down. I was suddenly glad I had worn this outfit.

I replied, "Jones, Ianto Jones." An idiotic reply but it seemed to do the trick as it made him smile and introduce himself.

I looked to his neck thinking I could get closer to him by offering to dress his wound but when I looked at it there was nothing there. Blood was all over his hands and on his undershirt but there was no wound. Very strange, I know he was hurt but there was no trace. He said he had worse from shaving but I've seen weevil wounds and know what kind of damage they can do. I gave him a look that said I didn't believe him but I don't have the time to worry about it.

I decided to let him know that I knew what that was that had attacked him hoping he would know that there is more to me than meets the eye. "Looked like a weevil to me."

He pretended he didn't know what I was speaking of and threw the weevil over his shoulders. As he was leaving I decided to play to his vanity, something else he was infamous for, "By the way, love the coat."

He didn't turn or even acknowledge what I said, but I figure it got to him. I hope it did.

Tomorrow I'll approach again, see what I can do to get closer.

Maybe I'll take him some coffee.

Entry Four

Fic: I Do, Promise (15/16 or 17)

2009-01-19T04:09:59Z

Title: I Do, Promise (Chapter 12B)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: definitely AU, Romance, Angst
Characters: Luke, Mara, OC's and probably others
Timeframe: Starts at the end of Vision of the Future
Summary: "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future?
AN: This takes place at the same time as Chapter 12A.

This chapter relates to a holiday story I wrote, Unopened Boxes. If you didn't read it fear not, it's not key to the plot but you will miss out on some inside information.

~*~*~*~

She walked onto the ramp opening but when she saw the person with whom Han was speaking, she turned back into the ship as fast as she could, which apparently wasn't fast enough.

"Mara?"

Chapter 12B: The Emerald Stone

She stopped for only a moment when she heard her name being called, his voice sounded confused and if she cared to listen, a little hurt. She ignored his tone and continued into the Falcon, hoping Han had enough sense to stop Luke if he tried to enter. If not, his precious ship would have a person-sized hole in the hull from her lightsaber, cutting an escape route.

Luke was the last person she wanted to see at this moment. She needed to get her emotions under control before she could face him. The last thing she wanted to do was to break into tears, especially with Solo so close, so she focused on anger. Who was Luke to ask such a thing? Granted, she was the one who came up with the idea all those years ago, but she hadn't counted on falling in love. After all, she figured they would have just decided that they did not want to be alone any more and just get married, not that he would propose. After Adalet, she figured that would never happen anyway; Luke had already been in love.

She continued the work she was doing before the interruption and tried to not think about the man who was standing right outside. She had offered her help and she was going to finish what she had started. Maybe later, once she was alone, would she think about the consequences of this situation.

She heard Han and Luke talking for a few brief minutes and then Han returned to the work he had been doing previously. They both worked in near silence, with the only words passing between them being 'hand me this' or 'do you need that?' Han may not have thought anything of poking a stingfly nest with a stick but he certainly knew better than to prod an angry Mara Jade; he'd be lucky to get a spanner to the head.

He was more likely to learn more from listening to the little snippets she was venting under her breath to figure out just what had gone on. Most of it consisted of 'kriffin farmboy', but every now and then she would let something important slip. The only thing Han could really tell was that Luke had done something impulsive--no surprise there--that had made Mara angry--again this was nothing new--and a promise she wished she had never made. He did not know what this promise was, but he figured it was the cause of all their problems.

After Mara's angry venting had slowed down, and she had not thrown a tool in a while, Han felt brave enough to risk the wellbeing of both himself and his precious ship by asking a question.

"So what exactly did Luke do, Jade? Pass me the fusioncutter. "

Mara's head poked up from inside the decking which she currently occupied, her eyes still wild and her hand wrapped so tightly around the fusioncutter that her fingers were almost completely white. For a moment Han thought about running away, but he knew he would never live it down if anyone else got wind of it.

She took a deep breath and released her grip on the tool, tossing it gently to Han, "It was more my fault than it was his. He was just doing something I asked a long time ago, but my feelings had changed and I hoped his had as well."

Mara had no idea why she was telling Han this--so much for keeping with anger, she thought--but someone other than Luke asking her what was wrong, even if it was in a roundabout way, was so rare that her impulse to share was strangely high. She did not tell him much, but she knew Han was more wise about these matters than anyone ever gave him credit for.

Han took a long look at Mara's face and while the look did not stay there very long, he knew that look when he saw it; he had felt it before himself. It was the look of loving someone who did not love you back. Luckily, he had inside information and knew that was not the case. "I don't know what this promise was about, but I think you should talk to Luke. You might be surprised what you find."

A small sardonic smile crossed Mara's lips, "Somehow I doubt that, Solo. He only thought he was doing me a favor."

"It's true Luke would do pretty much anything in the galaxy for ya, but I know the kid better than anyone, even better than Leia--please don't tell her I said that. What ever he said or did, he meant it."

Mara continued to work without saying anything else. She wanted to believe Han--every fiber of her wanted to believe him--but it was clear he did not know the whole story and she silently thanked Luke for not completely sharing as she would be mortified at having asked this of him. After finishing her work she asked Han if there was anything else she could do.

"No, but I'm sure there will be sometime soon if you want to take more of your frustrations out on the old girl," Han patted the hull of the ship and grinned. "She can always use some work."

Mara nodded her head and started down the boarding ramp. Just as she reached the bottom Han spoke again, his voice more serious than she had ever heard, "Talk to him Mara, please."

Mara didn't turn or even acknowledge what Han had said, she just kept walking.

Knowing that Luke was no longer looking for her, Mara decided to go to her own ship to think. It was a place she felt safe and the most at home and she hoped it would give her some insight into the situation. She wandered around looking for something to do that was mindless and that she would not mess up if she wasn't paying complete attention. Finding nothing, she went to her cabin and changed into something more comfortable and laid down on her bunk. She wasn't planning on falling asleep, just relaxing, but as she was staring at nothing her eyes began to droop.

She found herself sitting in an unknown room full of people. Looking around she didn't see anyone she recognized, but there were several people who looked familiar. There was a man who, by the look of him, was in his late twenties with red hair and blue eyes. A woman nearby, who appeared to be his wife, who had short brown hair and brown eyes, held a small child, four or five years of age that looked like an equal mix of the two. There was also a woman with blond hair and blue eyes who looked a little younger than the man with the red hair, sitting beside a man that appeared to be her companion, who had long black hair and blue eyes. There were two other men in the room that she did not recognize in any way but she felt the same about them as she did the others.

Feeling something hanging around her neck, she looked down to see a very intricate emerald stone hanging on a gold chain. Just looking at the stone made her heart fill with love and passion. She recognized the stone as the one Luke had given her the Winter Fete after Adalet died, but she did not know why she was wearing it or why it evoked such feelings. While she was pondering what exactly was going on she felt hands on her shoulders, gently rubbing them. She turned to see who was behind her and what met her gaze were eyes she knew very well. They were older and perhaps wiser, but they definitely belonged to Luke Skywalker. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but something very different than what she planned came out.

"Thank you, farmboy."

Mara awoke from her slumber with a gasp. The dream had been strange and confusing, but not unwanted. It was something she wished for, longed for, to grow old with Luke and have him look at her the way he did in her dream, as if each time he looked at her he fell in love with her all over again.

Quickly jumping up, she began looking for the necklace she saw in her dream. She had hid it away, not being one to wear jewelry very often, and not wanting something so special to be just laying out. When she found the box she knew it to be in, she sat back down on her bunk and placed the box beside her. As she pulled out the necklace she felt the exact same feelings as she had in the dream. They were not remembered, she was feeling them now.

Holding the stone in her hand she knew she had to do something: she could not go on this way. She knew as things stood right now, she would never have what she dreamt of, not with Luke. It would stay that way if she hid away from him and never told him how she truly felt. It was late at night, but something inside of her knew that if she was going to do something it had to be now.

Without even getting dressed, Mara walked a path that was very familiar to her. She had been there hundreds of times; when she was frustrated and angry and needed someone to listen to her vent, or when she was sad and she just did not want to be alone. She could find her way there while half asleep or completely blinded.

She reached the familiar door and hesitated. She knew this was it, what she was about to say could possibly break the best thing that had ever happened to her, but it was a risk she had to take. Taking a deep breath and summoning all the courage she had, Mara rang the door chime.

When the door opened, she spoke before he had the chance to say a word.

"Luke, can I talk to you?"

Chapter 13

Fic: Jones, Ianto Jones (2/30?)

2009-01-18T18:59:12Z

Title: Jones, Ianto Jones (Entry Two)
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Torchwood
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Ianto Jones and he was sitting here making me coffee , I do not and he is not. Nor do I own anything having to do with Torchwood, I just like to play in the sandbox!
Genre: Possibly AU, Angst, sci-fi
Characters: From the POV of Ianto Jones, including the team. Eventually will be Jack/Ianto
Timeline: Starting pre-season one, just after the battle of Canary Wharf
Notes:Written as part of the 2009 Dear Diary Challenge over at the boards on theforce.net The challenge is to keep a diary for a character for an entire year with at least 2 posts per month.

Previous Entry

~*~*~*~*~

19 June 2006

I carefully drove back into London with Lisa still in the back. I knew the moving and bumping was hurting her but I had no choice, I had no where to take her and I had to get back to Torchwood Tower. London was still in a small state of panic, but not like yesterday.

I parked where I hoped no one would bother her for the few minutes I was gone. I checked to make sure she was alright, kissed her on the head wishing to get some response. I knew she was too drugged to feel it - I had to make sure she didn't start screaming while I was gone- but it hurt anyway.

Once in the tower, I scavenged what medical supplies I could and any part from the conversion chambers that looked like they would help. The most important thing I was looking for was in the place I knew the best, the Archives. I wanted all the information we had on the cybermen, cyber technology, cybernetics, I took anything that had the word 'cyber' in it. I also took a rift activity locater, I figure it never hurts to know when things are coming through.

As I was working my way through the rubble, keeping an eye out in case there were still cybermen about, I saw two people looking through everything. I didn't really care what they were looking at, I was there for a specific purpose and nothing else but, they looked familiar. Not in a 'I think I might have worked with them' way. There were so many people that worked in Torchwood Tower that it would be impossible to know everyone, but I knew that wasn't why I knew them. I felt like I had been told about them before, warned even, but I was too tired to give it much thought.

I avoided them at all costs. I did not want to get caught stealing supplies, even if that was what they were there for and got back to Lisa. I checked to make sure she wasn't waking up or in pain and I drove off, not looking back at the ruins that were once Torchwood Tower. I never want to see it again.

It was only after we had gotten back to our hiding place and I began to look through the things I had gathered that I realized why I recognized those people. I may not have ever worked with them but they were Torchwood.

Torchwood Three, Cardiff.

Jack Harkness' Torchwood.

This was the idea I had been looking for; a place for us to go, for us to hide. I could get a job with Torchwood Three and I would have access to all the materials, power and the ability to research in Torchwood archives that I needed.

All I have to do is convince their leader that he needs to hire me, and I know exactly how.

Captain Jack Harkness is infamous, and I'm pretty sure not just with Torchwood. I would bet if you said his name anywhere in Cardiff there would be plenty of people rolling their eyes. It is for this reason he's going to hire me.

Please forgive me, Lisa.

Entry Three

Jones, Ianto Jones (1/ 30?)

2009-01-14T06:44:41Z

Title: Jones, Ianto Jones (cheesey, I know!)
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Torchwood
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Ianto Jones and he was sitting here making me coffee , I do not and he is not. Nor do I own anything having to do with Torchwood, I just like to play in the sandbox!
Genre: Possibly AU, Angst, sci-fi
Characters: From the POV of Ianto Jones, including, Capt. Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato. Possibly others
Timeline: Starting pre-season one, just after the battle of Canary Wharf
Notes:Written as part of the 2009 Dear Diary Challenge over at the boards on theforce.net The challenge is to keep a diary for a character for an entire year with at least 2 posts per month.

At tf.net there are many rules as to what you can and can not do, same sex relationships, canon or not (even though it is canon in SW now) are a no, no unless only slightly hinted at, nothing obvious. Stupid and backwards I know and many of us have complained but the site owners set the rules. Also everything has to stay PG or less, so needless to say this is going to be a challenge. I may change what I post for here and I may not... it depends if I decided to post this on TW comms or not.

So basically all this babling is saying that if things seem OOC, that is why (or that I've never really written Ianto).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

18 June 2006

I had to get her out of there. I couldn't let them complete the conversion, let my Lisa become one of them. I will find a way to fix her.

I was down in the archives when they came. At first I knew nothing of them, I didn't know there was anything unusual going on, until the screams started. The screaming and the noise was so loud, I didn't know what to do. I have very little field training, just the basic that all Torchwood employees get, I didn't even have a weapon. All I knew was I had to find her.

I should have known something was going on with the ghost shifts, but it wasn't my place -a junior researchers place- to say anything. Even if I had, I'm sure Yvonne Hartman would have never stopped.

I'll never forgive myself for not trying.

After I managed to get Lisa out, I knew I had to get her somewhere fast. I couldn't take her back to our flat, it would arise too much suspicion. I managed to drag her out of Torchwood Tower and found an abandoned van that still had the keys in it. I didn't know what else to do, so I settled her in the back the best I could, thankful that she was still unconscious. I ran back into the Tower to grab any supplies I thought I would need, mostly medical things. I left as fast as I could, I didn't want to see anyone else I knew in pain or worse. I drove out of London, doing my best to avoid the major traffic areas though that was pretty much everywhere. Luckily there was so much panic, no one was really paying attention to everyone who was leaving the city; the last thing I needed was to be caught with a partially converted cyberman.

I found a place where I could park the van and hopefully no one will notice it or disturb us. I know I can't keep her in here very long, I'm pretty sure the unit needs power that I don't have here, but I don't know where to go. Moving something this big is suspicious so I don't want to do it very often. Once I move her, I want it to be for good.

As I sit here in the back and look at Lisa, still as beautiful as ever, I know I've done the right thing. She still knows who I am, I can see the love in her eyes, behind the pain. I know she is still there, I just have to find a way to get her out of this damned casing.

She occasionally wakes up, screaming in pain, screaming my name and I do what I can. I give her the drugs that I know the names of, in small dosages until she seems like she isn't in pain. I just hope I'm not going to kill her myself. I can't stand to listen to her in pain.

Tomorrow I will go back there and get anything else I need now that I know she is safe and hopefully I'll come up with a plan.

I hate not having a plan.

Entry Two

Distractions

2009-01-02T05:07:26Z

Title: Distractions
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Mara Jade, The Emperor
Genre: Angst, kinda AU
Timeline: ~ 4 years BBY
Notes: Thanks so much to my beta Jace84z, without whom I would never have been able to write the Emperor.

This fic was written for the Holiday Fic-gift Exchange over at theforce,net boards. The fic-gift is for madman007 who wanted:
1. There is a setback or a mistake made by a young Mara Jade during her training as the Emperor's Hand.
2. Palpatine hints at Mara's origin planet (whether she figures it out or not is up to you, but just don't reveal it. We still want to keep it a mystery.)
3. At some point there should be a connection or brush with her future husband (this does not have to be physical like they run into each other or something. It can be mental. But, you can choose.)
I don't want:
Mush, so don't get too sentimental.

I hope you enjoy
!

Fourteen year old Mara Jade was livid. She was confined to her quarters after a small mishap on a mission. The worst part, other than showing her ineptitude, was that she knew a worse punishment was coming. She had been given much more for a lot less.

One such punishment involved being given no food for days just for being late to a meal. She was to be eating with an instructor who thought he was teaching the young daughter of an officer how to behave at court and please the Emperor. He, like most of her instructors, had no idea of who or what she really was.

On another such occasion, she had been left in a freeze-chamber designed for the storage of foodstuffs with very little by way of clothing. Her offense: an idle comment made about the temperature in Sidius' private sanctum. After a few hours, young Jade had decided that any such minor temperature change would forever remain beneath her notice.

Various offenses had often earned her punishment of one kind or another at the hand of an instructor. She had been lashed, burned, and otherwise tortured many times, but none of those infractions had been as major as this most recent. She knew this punishment would be severe, just waiting was almost punishment enough.

It had been her first entirely solo mission, where previously she had been with an instructor or in contact with someone at all times. This mission was of particularly sensitive nature and she knew that no one, other than the Emperor himself, knew where she was or what she was doing.

There had been rumors of political uprising on some planet in the Outer Rim, and while it was not a major threat at the time it was gaining popularity and the Emperor wanted it taken care of before it gained any more momentum. She was to infiltrate the group's base of operations, find and recover any information they had on the Empire, and recover it. She was then to make sure the leader of this group met with an unfortunate accident, and all without being seen. She was the Emperor's secret weapon, and he intended for her to remain that way.

<^><^><^><^><^>

She arrived on planet and immediately blended in. Having done her research before going to the desert planet she knew what the locals looked like, what they wore, and how they dressed. She made sure she would blend in and not be noticed. In her studies, this was one of the things she was the best at: disguising herself and blending in. She could adapt her mannerisms and accents very easily. She didn't even need the Force to do this, though it could enhance her abilities.

The first thing she did was to go to the local cantina and see if she could find some information. She did this first because once the leader met his end, she would want to make a quick exit from the planet.

It was amazing the things you could find out just by listening in public:

"... organizing people to fight. It's pretty much a suicide mission, but completely worth it," one man was whispering.

"But you would have to be in danger for a long time before you could get any information," the other man said.

"Exactly, which is why we want people with homeworld military experience. They are more likely to start out in positions of authority."

Mara stifled a chuckle. It seemed they were looking for people to work for the Empire and bring information back to this little uprising. They were right that it was a suicide mission. They would certainly be found and killed.

After listening for quite some time, Mara left to find the headquarters. She had gotten quite a few clues from the two men who were speaking, and a few more from others, but it was clear to her that no one here had all that much information.

Finding and infiltrating the building had been easy, a little too easy in fact, and Mara hoped she had not missed anything. Their security system could be sliced by a youngling with a random guess and their guards were easily distracted.

She found the office of the leader and sliced into his computer terminal. This was a little more difficult, but she managed to do so without triggering any security measures. She loaded all of the information onto her datapad to be unencrypted later and then erased the entire hard drive. She hid and waited for the leader to arrive.

The room had surprisingly few places to hide, so she ended up crammed into a space where she could not see at all. She had to rely on the Force to find his presence and to make sure he was alone. Reaching out, she felt someone coming her way. There were two minds standing right outside the door, and she hoped they would stay where they were. She didn't have a problem keeping quiet, but it was always easier to make it look like an accident if only one person ended up dead.

When she finally felt that someone was in the room, she gave them a few minutes to get situated and moved to strike. She kept her senses aware so that she would know if anyone was coming. As she was finishing this part of her mission she felt another mind brush with hers. It was a completely untrained young mind, but it was definitely strong in the Force. There was something familiar about the mind, like someone she knew, though she was certain it was not. She had been told this could happen when two Force users were related, but knew that could not be the case in her situation.

Momentarily distracted, Mara missed the person who was about to enter until it was too late and another being walked into the office. Noticing foul play was afoot, he yelled for the guards and drew his blaster.

"Kriff," Mara swore as she realized she had messed up big time. She wasn't worried about the man or the guards--she could take care of them easily--but more that she had not done what her master had ordered her to do: kill only the leader and make it look like an accident. All that was about to happen was because she let her concentration slip.

She took care of the leader, the man who had just entered, and the two guards quickly and made her exit. Hoping to find the Force user to take him to her Master, Mara went looking for him. She searched the entire area, expanding her senses as far as they would go. She had hoped to find this mysterious being and take him back to the Emperor, which might make him overlook her transgression, but it was as though he had disappeared, or had never existed at all.

After she had spent as much time as she thought possible, she headed back, knowing her master was not going to be pleased.

<^><^><^><^><^><^><^>

After having waited for hours locked in her quarters, Mara was even more agitated and were she to really look inside herself, she would find herself to be nervous. She wondered if the Emperor would just take care of her and be done with it; she had seen it happen before when his servants defied his orders.

Finally, she was summoned to his inner sanctum.

She tried to push down all the feelings that were raging through her, but it was practically impossible. As she entered, she saw her Master sitting in his usual seat, just staring at her and none of the royal guards were present, which made her heart race.

"Do not suppress your feelings, child. They make you stronger."

"Master," Mara said as she bowed at his feet. "I am sorry--"

"Silence. You did not obey my orders and for that I am very displeased, but you did complete your mission. Tell me, why did you fail?"

She told him of the feeling she had gotten, how the untrained mind had brushed against hers and distracted her. She also told him of attempting to find the being, but to no avail.

A strange look crossed his face as she spoke of how it felt somehow familiar, but the look was so quick Mara did not know if it was just her imagination.

"I should have known you would be impulsive and rash. I see that a lifetime of training has not yet overcome your heritage. You will work harder."

Mara felt sure he was not speaking of the planet from which she had just come. She filed it away to think about later. Right now, she needed to worry about where she was going and what her punishment would be, not where she came from.

The Emperor really did not care that she had killed three others, she could have blown up the entire building and he would not have minded. Anything was justified to rid the galaxy of that scum. He knew from watching her training that she would never make the same mistake again; she had learned her lesson. But of course he had to punish her somehow.

"I am disappointed," he continued, "But letting you dwell on your mistake for the past 4 hours has granted you clarity. I trust you have learned your lesson?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. I am doubling your training regimen, and you will remain here with me until I am satisfied you will not fail me again." With this, her lightsaber flew free of her hip and landed in the outstretched hand of her Emperor. "You may leave."

Mara bowed again and backed out of the room. She knew the training would be hard, but she enjoyed it so it would not be much of a punishment. She vowed to never be caught off guard on a mission again.

She was the Emperor's Hand.

Here Today, Where Tomorrow? (1/? at least 24 parts)

2009-01-01T23:30:11Z

Title: Here Today, Where Tomorrow?
Fandom: Star Wars
Author: mavjade
Timeline: Starts about 40 years ABY
Characters: OC- Randa but frequent characters mentioned will be Ben and probably Luke
Notes: For the Dear Diary 2009 Challenge over at TF.net. The challenge is to write at least two entries of a diary for a character for a whole year !
I bombed at this last year but I'm out of school so hopefully I'll have a lot more time! ;)

This character was first introduced in my story The Old Man and the Boy which will eventually become a vignette series.

~*~*~*~*~

Entry # 1:
Subject: Leaving!
Location: What has been my home

I hate how everyone looks at me, as though there is something wrong with me. I'm so glad I'm leaving.

I guess since I'm posting this on the Holonet I should tell you about myself before launching into a big rant, not that I think anyone will read this but you never know!

The name is Randa, I'm 13 standard galactic years old and I'm an orphan or at least I was until a few days ago. Technically I guess I still am, I'm not being adopted or anything, I'm going to some special school. Apparently they just found me and decided I was right to go there. I kind of wonder if Madam Madree (the head of this orphanage) is just sending me away since I cause so much fuss. Not that I really do, I stay out of the way and keep to myself but the others don't like me and blame me for things all the time. I'm always being punished for things I didn't do.

"No dinner for you Randa. No fun for you Randa. Maybe we should have left you with your father, I bet he would take care of this problem." Most of the time I just end up setting in my room by myself while the other kids get to do fun things. I've even been blamed for things while I was in punishment and had no way out.

My mother died when I was very young, I never knew her, but I do dream about her a lot, at least I think it is her seeing as I've never even seen a picture. I lived with my father until about three years ago when I was taken away from him which was fine with me. I'd rather stay here for the rest of my life then live one more minute with him, and that is saying quite a lot since I can't stand it here. He gave me this scar on my face which scares all the other kids and I hate him for it. I could have been pretty, like I imagine my mother was but he made me ugly and I'm sure I always will be.

Well, I guess that isn't entirely true. I do have one friend, Balia, who I will miss a lot. She is the only care taker who is nice to me and isn't afraid of me. She tells me that I am special and that I will realize why someday and that all of these people here will realize it too. I don't know what she means by that, but it always makes me feel better. I don't want to leave her here, they treat her badly too but she says she likes that she can help some of us who have been abandoned.

I'm a little nervous to be leaving even though I'm excited. I know nothing about where I'm going or who I'm going with. Madam Madree wouldn't tell me anything and Balia said they didn't tell her anything but she assures me they would not let me go anywhere that wasn't safe.

I think anywhere would be better than here.

Status: Randa is happy she is leaving this place!
Mood: Bittersweet

_    -    _    -    _    -    _

4 Comments

Correllia_Girl wrote:
Hi Randa! I found this in just a random search and wanted to tell you that I hope you find things better than they are now. I grew up in an orphanage as well and I know how they can be. I was found by a loving family and I hope you find one too! I know it is hard to leave what you know but I promise things will get better!
- C_G

         Randa27 wrote:
         Thanks so much for commenting! I'm glad to hear you found a loving family, I wish I could but no one seems to want me. Oh well, at least I'm going on an adventure! Maybe we could talk about our experiences sometime? Send me a message if you want to!

funnyboy wrote:
Wow! Just when I think my life is bad! I hope this school treats you better, though I don't think it could get much worse. Keep writing things down, when they get bad it seems to help... at least it does me!

Randa27 wrote:
Thanks! I do plan to keep writing, it does seem to help! I hope your life gets better too! Thanks for leaving a comment!

I Do, Promise (14 /17)

2008-12-30T17:11:08Z

Title: I Do, Promise (Chapter 12A)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: definitely AU, Romance, Angst
Characters: Luke, Mara, OC's and probably others
Timeframe: Starts at the end of Vision of the Future
Summary: "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future?
Authors Note: Sorry about the delay but the story is actually finished except for the epilogue. This chapter was split into two parts, I don't like really long chapters and this one was way too long but needed the same chapter so there are parts A & B. After those two parts there is only one more chapter and an epilogue assuming nothing changes.

Since it has been so long...
Recap:

Mara made Luke promise a while back that if neither of them were married by the time they were 50 that they would marry each other. Luke then got married a few years ago, then his wife died in a tragic accident along with their unborn child. The one person who was really there for Luke during this time was Mara. They became even closer friends and slowly, unbeknownst to each other they fell in love. Luke with his lack of impulse control proposes to Mara, out of love, but Mara thinks that he is proposing because of the promise and now that she has feelings for Luke she does not want to marry him for that reason. She ran away, he went looking for advice and they both ended up with Han.

~*~*~

Chapter 12A: Just Talk

She walked onto the ramp opening but when she saw the person with whom Han was speaking, she turned back into the ship as fast as she could, which apparently wasn't fast enough.

"Mara?"

Luke saw Mara stop as he said her name. He hoped she would turn around and just look at him, talk to him, then maybe he could fix this mess, but after a brief pause she continued back into the ship without even turning to look at him.

Luke began to walk after her, calling her name again, when a hand landed in the center of his chest stopping him from moving forward.

"I don't know what you did kid, but she's not real happy. I wouldn't recommend going after her right now, you might lose some important parts." Han took a moment to look at his brother in law and what he saw almost broke his heart. Luke looked totally dejected, his usually bright eyes were dull, full of pain and brimming with tears. His shoulders were slumped, his head hung forward, and his blond hair covered his face. At that moment, he looked like a young kid again that had just had his heart broken for the first time.

Han placed his hand on Luke's shoulder, "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight and we'll talk about it, okay?"

Luke nodded slowly, head still hung, speaking not a word.

"I'll see if I can get anything out of the firespit. Don't you worry, things will work out."

Luke only nodded again and slowly walked away from the ship, looking nothing like the regal Jedi Master he was known to be. He slunk back to his apartment, not having the gumption to do anything with the rest of his day. If Mara would not talk to him, he only wanted to be alone.

Once he arrived at his apartment, he sat on the form couch, tucked his legs up under him in a crossed position and stared at the wall. Had the lights not come on automatically, he probably would have been sitting in the dark.

He had no idea how long he had been sitting there when the comm chirped, alerting him to a message that had just been recorded. Evidently he hadn't heard the incoming call. As he got up, his legs almost did not support him; they were numb and tinging from having been in the same awkward position for quite a while. Reaching the comm, he realized that this was not the first message he had received, but that there were several messages, all from his sister.

In the first one she was telling him that they wanted him to come over for dinner. Obviously Han had told her something, but not the entire situation or she would have sounded worried.

In the second message, Han had evidently spilled some information because she had a note of pity to her invitation.

The third one sounded just a little panicked, like she was trying to hold back on worrying about where he was, but some of it was slipping through.

In the most recent message, her total panic was evident. "Luke, please answer me," she begged. "I don't know where you are and I'm worried about you. Please, answer me and just let me know you are alright. We don't have to talk if you don't want to. Please, if you don't answer in the next five minutes, I'm coming over there. Please, Luke."

Luke looked at the time of the message and then at the current time. If his calculations were correct she should be here right about--

"Luke, you in there?" the comm at the door chirped.

--now.

Luckily, it was not Leia's voice that he heard, but Han's. Getting up, Luke let Han in the door and just waited for his sister to swoop out of the shadows and smother him in a hug having gotten all the details from Han already. He looked out the door once Han was inside, but saw nothing.

"I convinced her to stay at home, which was no easy feat, so you owe me one, kid."

A small smile escaped from Luke's lips, "Thanks, Han. I love my sister but I don't think I could deal with her right now."

Han walked into the kitchen and poured himself and Luke a drink from the reserves he always kept at Luke's for such occasions. Handing a glass to Luke, Han sat down on the chair closest to the balcony and sipped.

"So, what exactly is going on between you and Jade? Last I heard you were in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of your life with her. What happened?"

Luke plopped down onto his previous seat on the couch. "I did," he took a deep breath, "I do. I just don't think she feels the same way."

"What exactly did you do?" Han had a sneaking suspicion after his short talk with Mara that Luke had done something to spook her and that was why they were all in this mess.

"Why do you think it's something I did?" Han just raised an eyebrow at Luke, who simply nodded and decided to go ahead and explain. "We were sparring, like usual and at one point I pinned her, then I asked her to marry me."

"What?!" Han responded practically chocking on his drink.

Luke looked a little sheepishly at his brother in law. He thought if anyone would understand it would be Han, but apparently even he thought it was a mistake.

Han moved over to sit on the other side of the couch, opposite Luke. "You mean to tell me that you tried to pin down a woman like Mara Jade, just like that? Out of nowhere? No wonder she's mad."

"I know, but it's already done. Now what do I do?"

Han could almost hear the young and whining Luke in that statement. He wanted to smile but kept on the topic at hand and kept the smile off of his face. Luke really did need his advice, obviously. "I think you need to talk to her, tell her what was going on in your mind," Han said seriously.

"I don't know that she will even talk to me now. I was surprised she just didn't leave all together." Luke looked at his brother in law with a little hope, "Did you talk to her?"

"I did," Han responded. "But you are going to have to talk to her yourself. I'm not going to stay stuck in the middle here, I might lose a limb and I'm very attached to them all. I've had them as long as I can remember."

Luke laughed. Only Han could make such a joke in this kind of situation and it actually be funny.

Han got up and started for the door, "Give her a few days to calm down and then just tell her how you feel. Nothing impulsive, just talk."

"I don't think she feels the same. I've already made a fool of myself and the last thing I want to do is lose her."

"Just talk to her." Han winked at Luke as he walked out the door, "You might be surprised what you find."

After Han left Luke flopped down onto his couch, his head at one end, his feet at the other. He laid there for quite some time just thinking. Not spacing out like before, just thinking on what Han had said. He was thinking about getting up and going to bed when the door chirped again. Luke heaved himself up from the form couch and headed for the door. He did not even turn on the camera to see who it was, he simply opened the door.

The person standing on the other side was not someone he expected to see.

"Luke, can I talk to you?"

Chapter 12B

Fic: Unopened Boxes

2008-12-23T04:42:38Z

Title: Unopened Boxes
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Luke and Mara
Genre: Mush, mostly some sadness, Romance
Timeline: See A/N
Notes: This story is set in the universe of my fic I Do, Promise a few months after Adalet died. If you aren't reading I Do, don't worry it can be read without it just realize that Luke and Mara never got married and Adalet was Luke's wife who died. I swear it is mushy, you just have to wade down a little! ;)

I promise for anyone who is reading I Do, Promise there is an update coming very soon now that I'm out of college and taken my first board exam! XD

    Written for the 9th Monday Mush Mania Challenge at theforce.net The challenge was to write a holiday vignette WITHOUT using the words gift, party, or celebrate. One more catch--the vig must end with a kiss!

    If you only knew how many time I tried to use the word celebrate! I was about to pull my hair out! 8-}

    ~*~*~*~

Luke stood on his balcony looking out over Corsucant and watched as the decorations began to amass. Winter Fête was approaching fast and the entire planet, it seemed, was excited and ready to have a good time. Brightly colored lights were hung from every available space making an already bright city completely scintillating. Homes were decorated with items from celebrations of home planets and decedent planets mixed with newly bought decorations to pass on to those who would come after. Hundreds of banquets were planned, even the cantinias held events; there were games, plays, and music for the three day festival designed to honor and revere those beloved and held most dear.

When Luke had first arrived here many years ago, there was no such festival. It had been done away with by the Emperor and after his fall it took several years for wonder and excitement of Winter Fête to come back to the beings inhabiting this planet. But when the festivals had started again, Luke was drawn to them like a smoke moth drawn to a flame. The first year Han had drug him to a classier cantina than the ones he frequented but the look on Luke's face, Han told him later, had made it worth his while. They had been making snow and blowing it all over the room, and the lights that were hung made it glitter and glow casting beautiful designs on the walls. Luke sat in a corner booth watching people dance and sing as if there weren't a care in the galaxy, and he had longed to be a part of it.

For years after that outing, he had. He let most things lay as they were for those three days and enjoyed himself with his friends and family. But this year was different.

There were no decorations hung in his apartment; it looked the same as it had for weeks, empty. It was void of the life he had once had, void of the love he had shared. This was the first Winter Fête after Adalet had been killed and he did not feel very festive.

The day finally arrived for the beginning of Winter Fête and the music and laughter started, leaving Luke alone with only his thoughts. He had begun to come out of his depression with the help of his family and Mara, but this was something that he felt he needed to morn. Next year, perhaps, would be a different story, but he felt he owed his wife this much.

That evening Han and Leia came by, trying to get Luke out of his apartment, but to no avail. Han even begrudgingly offered to take him to the cantina they had enjoyed together all those years ago. Luke was flattered but he did not feel like going out and he wished them a good time as he pushed them out the door.

The second day brought several people to try and entice him out into the festivities. Wedge had invited him over to a dinner with Iella and the girls, Corran had tried to get him to go out since Mirax was gone until the next night and even Kyp had tried to get Luke to do anything other than stay in his apartment but the Jedi Master would not budge. He was content to be alone and did not want to bring anyone else's mood down. One by one they came and one by one Luke sent them away.

On the third and final day of the festival Luke woke up late, letting himself sleep in and enjoy the dreams he was having rather than get up and face reality. Today was the day that most beings exchanged presents with their loved ones, giving them a token of their love. Luke spent most of the day catching up on paper work to keep his mind off of things, but when the sun began to set his mind began to drift toward a small box in his closet.

Inside the box was the present he had gotten many, many months ago on a mission to an outer-rim planet. It was the one he had intended to give Adalet on this very day, but he would never get the chance. He got the box down and took it to the living room where he set it on the table in front of the form couch. For quite some time he just looked at the box not daring to open it for the emotions he had kept in check so well for the past few days would spring forth and he did not know if he could handle them.

After some time, he wasn't exactly sure how long, the comm from his door alerted him to the fact that someone was there. Just as he was getting up, the door opened to reveal a worried looking Mara Jade.

"Luke," she sighed as she saw he was alright, at least physically. "I've been trying to get hold of you for hours. You promised you would always answer."

Luke looked outside and noticed it was much darker than it had been, what he thought was only moments ago. "I'm sorry, I guess I was daydreaming. I didn't mean to scare you."

Mara plopped down on the couch beside her friend and smiled at him, "Don't worry, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine, just didn't feel like joining the activities."

"Luke, you should join in, have some fun. You're not honoring Adalet's memory by sitting here in the dark all alone, this festival is to honor and cherish those you love and you are doing the exact opposite. Why don't you remember her with your family and friends, make her memory alive here with you now?"

A small smile started across Luke's face, "You're right, but I still don't feel like going out. Will you stay here with me?"

The look on his face almost broke Mara's heart; he looked so small and frightened, she decided to tell him complete truth. "Of course I'll stay. There isn't a person in the galaxy I would rather be with tonight than you."

Mara noticed Luke kept playing with a box on the table, he would spin it, run his hand over it, but never open it. Curiosity almost got the better of her when Luke spoke.

"I got this for Adalet a long time ago but never got the chance to give it to her." He opened the box and pulled out a very simple yet beautiful gold chain with an intricate stone hanging on the end. Luke hadn't noticed it before but now, holding the stone in the light, he realized that the color is the exact same shade of emerald as Mara's eyes.

He turned to look Mara in the eyes, "I want you to have it."

"Oh, Luke. I can't--"

"Please, Mara. I want someone I love to have it, to wear and enjoy it. I know you don't really wear jewelry very often but..." He trailed off, giving her a bright smile.

Not trusting herself to speak, Mara turned her back to the man sitting beside her and pulled her long red hair up off her neck allowing him to put it on her. Turning back around she looked into Luke's eyes and what she saw reflected back made her heart start beating very fast. There was so much love in his eyes. She knew it was a platonic love, but it was more than she had ever experienced.

"It fits you perfectly," Luke said softly. The length made the stone fall just a few inches below her collar bone making her eyes stand out and shine more beautifully than they usually did. "It's as though it were made for you."

Mara smiled back at Luke, "Thank you," she simply said as she leaned in and placed a small kiss at the corner of his lip.

    ~*~*~*~
Many years later...

Mara sat on her form couch, fingers brushing the necklace Luke had given her all those years ago. Warm hands began rubbing her shoulders causing her to almost pur in appreciation. Mara figured this was what Winter Fête was truly all about. Her children and their families were all here together with the love of her life and she.

She turned to look at the person who was rubbing her shoulders and though her face had aged, the shine of her eyes had not deminished at all. She looked down and the stone and then at each and every member of her family. She pulled him down into a passonate kiss that projected all the love and life she could muster. There were groans and jokes from her children but she payed them no mind. She wanted the man she loved to feel that her love was still there but had grown every day.

Finally when she pulled away she spoke a simple phrase but behind it there was great meaning, "Thank you, farmboy."

    ~ The End

Fic: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

2008-12-16T05:26:48Z

Title: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Brothers & Sisters
Prompt: From the Thousand Tables table of Time- # 01 Today
Disclaimer: I don't own Brothers & Sisters, or anything having to do with it. I just like to play in the sandbox!
Characters: Kevin
Timeline: Set during 3.10- Just a Sliver
Summary: Kevin reflects on who he was, who he is, and who he will be.
Authors Note: A short little ficlet that just came to me out of nowhere.
I'm not usually the biggest fan of 1st person, but I guess Kevin just wanted to talk through me! :p
Please feel free to leave concrit! (Still worried about OOC-ness!)
Again, not beta'ed! Sorry!

~*~*~*~*~

Yesterday I was just Kevin Walker; son, brother, husband, lawyer, a democrat working for a republican, there were many ways to describe me. Today, all that has changed. I am still all of those things, but I am also something more.

While sitting in a waiting room with my baby brother and my husband who was cutely harping on the quality of hospital food, my eldest brother change my world with one small sentence.

"Kevin, it's you."

I looked at Scotty and saw something I hope to never see on his face again, pure, unadulterated terror. I'll admit I was afraid too, knowing that now I would soon be going under the knife, giving part of my liver to my-- brother's daughter. It wasn't a decision, really, even though Tommy and I had been having problems, I wasn't not going to do this.

I owed it to him and I owed it to little Elizabeth.

Today I am Kevin Walker; son, brother, husband, father -if only in the biological sense, but it doesn't make it any less of a fact. I had reservations when Tommy asked me to donate sperm, but with anonymity I decided it would be alright. Tommy would get the child he had always wanted, and we would never know who had given the biological seed. Justin and I would just be two loving uncles and nothing more. Now, Justin is the loving uncle and I am--

--I don't know.

Tommy will always be her father, but now I feel more than an uncle. It's strange how one little thing can change your perspective on the entire world. And Scotty, how will Scotty feel about this? He was there when the issue of sperm was originally brought up and he thought I should do it, but did he ever think it would directly impact him? We've never really talked about children, only in passing as a subject to be discussed in the future, but today that future is here.

As I follow Tommy to the lab I think of all these things at once, and it is starting to overwhelm me, so I try to relax like Scotty is always telling me to do. I stop in the hallway, leaning my head against the wall and close my eyes. I can feel Tommy looking at me, waiting for me to continue following him. I take a deep breath and push all my worries down and focus on right here, right now, and right now, I have to go give some more blood. The rest will come as it may.

Tomorrow, I will be Kevin Walker; son, brother, husband, but other than that I don't really know who I'll be; other than short a piece of liver.

~end

Updates etc.

2008-12-16T04:36:37Z

My Master Fic list has been updated, you can find it here, or over at the side (<--) in my links! It was only 4 whole fics and two chapters and a whole new fandom behind! 8-} I'm going to try and do better, if only for my sanity! :)

I Do Promise- Wow! I started this fic a year ago today and it still isn't finished! I swear, Chapter twelve is almost ready to be seen. It has been written, it just has to be beta'ed! Life has been a little crazy for me and my beta! 8-}

The series for The Old Man and the Boy is coming along, but I want to be pretty much done before I post so we don't end up with a year long adventure not knowing when updates are coming! (*cough* I Do Promise *cough*)

Ummm... I think that is all. Please make sure your laptops are in the upright and locked position and thank you for reading mavjade's randomness!

Fic: I Know

2008-12-03T03:36:33Z

Title: I Know
Author: mavjade
Fandom: Brothers & Sisters
Prompt: From the Thousand Tables table of Time- #5 Late
Disclaimer: I don't own Brothers & Sisters, nor Kevin and Scotty. I wish I did, but alas I do not.
Characters: Kevin/Scotty, mostly Scotty
Timeline: Sometime in Season Three
Summary: Scotty goes through a range of emotions while Kevin is completely oblivious.
Authors Note: This is my first B&S fic and I'm kinda nervous about it. I really hope I've got them in character! Please feel free to leave constructive criticism!
This is not beta-ed (which is kinda scary!) because my beta prefers not to do same-sex relationships. :(

~*~*~

Scotty sat on the couch cross legged, watching the candle he had it flicker. He was expecting Kevin to come home any minute and they would get a night together, completely alone, for the first time in weeks. Scotty had been working very long hours at the restaurant since the woman who had been appointed as his sous chef had left unexpectedly. She had been offered a job as a head chef at a new restaurant and they wanted her immediately. Scotty was happy for her, having just become a head chef himself, but it left them in a bit of a bind. For their night off together Scotty had ordered from one of Kevin's favorite restaurants, other than Scotty's of course, and had picked it up, opened a bottle of wine and lit some candles hoping to surprise his husband.

After the first half an hour of waiting, Scotty had been angry. Kevin knew that this was the only night he had off in a long time, and it was looking like it would be a while until his next one. Once a full hour had passed and half the bottle of wine had been drunk, Scotty was furious. He decided to go ahead and eat seeing as how his stomach was growling so loud he figured the neighbors would start to bang on the door from the noise. The food had already grown cold but Scotty found he did not care.

After an hour and a half when the entire bottle of wine had been finished off and his hunger sated, Scotty decided to call Kevin.

"You've reached Kevin Walker. I'm unable to answer but if you would leave your name and number I will get back to you as soon as possible."

Scotty's call went straight to Kevin's generic voice mail and he left an almost equally generic message in effort to keep the anger out of his voice. "Hey, just wondering where you were. I'll be here, at home."

After hanging up, Scotty blew out the candle and put away what was left of the food. As he was rinsing out his wine glass, something occurred to Scotty that hadn't before. Kevin always called if he was going to be late and he knew Scotty was going to be home. Panic began to wash over Scotty as he realized that something could be wrong, Kevin could be hurt and here Scotty had been angry with him for being late for a dinner he didn't even know about.

Scotty called Kevin's phone again and when he once again got his voice mail, Scotty hung up before the end of the message. He then called Kevin's office to no avail. He started to dial Nora's number to ask her if Kevin was there, but he hung up before he could finish. He figured that if Kevin was not there and Nora caught even a hint of worry in Scotty's voice, the entire Walker brigade would be amassed in a matter of minutes; something he would feel very foolish for starting if it tuned out to be nothing.

Realizing that he could very well be over reacting, Scotty took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He decided he would give Kevin another half an hour before he would call Nora.

He spent the half hour doing anything he could do to keep his mind off of the situation at hand; he tried to think of new recipes he could try out later, but he couldn't concentrate enough to think of anything creative. He rearranged somethings in the bedroom so that there was a little more space and finally he ended up in the kitchen hand washing some dishes that probably had already been washed. Just when he was about to put down his dishtowel and call Nora to see if she knew anything, he heard a key in the lock.

Throwing the towel on the counter, he walked into the living room just as Kevin was opening the door.

"Kevin!"

"Ugh, I have had the longest day." Kevin set his briefcase down by the door put his keys on the shelf and slid off his jacket. "All I want is some food and to go to bed."

Scotty stood in the doorway of the kitchen, the look on his face could only be described as relieved with a hint of astounded . He was relieved that Kevin was alright but astounded that he had yet to say anything about pretty much missing their entire night together.

Kevin looked over at Scotty and raised an eyebrow at the look on his face, "What is that look for? And for that matter what are you doing home?"

Scotty's eyes widened and all the relief that he felt was replaced with the anger from earlier in the night. "You can not be serious, Kevin."

"Wha-- Oh, no. Scotty I am so sorry."

"I'm sure you are. Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't come home and weren't answering your phone?" Scotty said with vehemence.

Kevin pulled out his phone, "I never got a call."

"I called at least twice, and your office too."

When Kevin looked at his missed calls, he did see that Scotty had in fact called him four times in the last few hours. "I swear it never rang."

"Yes well, you could have called me if you were going to be late." Scotty crossed his arms wondering how Kevin was going to respond. He figured it really could only get worse.

Sighing, Kevin realized he could do nothing but tell the truth, that he had forgotten. "I completely forgot you had the night off or I would have called. I was working in a conference room hoping a change of scenery would make the document I was working on look better. I am so sorry Scotty."

Scotty turned to walk back into the kitchen but stopped before he made it through the door. The words he spoke were soft, almost inaudible, "I thought something had happened to you, I was about to call your mother in a panic when you walked in."

Kevin walked over to his husband and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "It's a good thing you didn't or we wouldn't have the rest of the night all to ourselves."

Turning around in Kevin's arms Scotty smiled, "You have a lot to make up for."

"I know," Kevin leaned in and place a small kiss on Scotty's lips. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Scotty replied as he reached behind Kevin's head and pulled him back into a kiss.

~end

Lack of updates... sorry!

2008-11-08T18:57:56Z

I'm sorry there have been a lack of updates recently... I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year, and I'm on track right now to win!! XD

Hopefully after NaNo I'll get I Do, Promised finished!! (As well as a few other things I've been meaning to get to!)

Thousand Tables- Fic Table

2008-09-22T02:29:54Z

This is a fic table from Thousand Tables community where you claim the table not the fandom! :D
This will probably encompass several fandoms, most likely including House, Star Wars and Torchwood, but there could be others! (Possibly the strange Dr. Horribles Sing Along Blog bunny that popped in my mind the other day! Crazy! )

Time.
01. Today.	02. Tomorrow.	03. Yesterday.	04. Early.	05. Late.
06. Seconds.	07. Minutes.	08. Hours.	09. Forever.	10. Never.

Fic: These Five Words

2008-09-21T20:26:27Z

Title: These Five Words
Fandom: Star Wars
Author: mavjade
Genre: romance/Mush/tragedy, song fic, AU
Timeline: From before the Hand of Thrawn to the not quite so far future.
Characters: Luke/Mara
Summary: Several glimpses into the love of Luke and Mara throughout their lives.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars that is owned by the great flannaled one AKA George Lucas, nor do I own the song Thank You for Loving Me, it belongs to Bon Jovi!
Authors Note: Sept. 10th was my third anniversary on the TF.N boards and I asked in my sig for someone to send me a challenge and Jade_eyes sent me this...
Please write a L&M or J&J songfic with a mushy ending--pick your most gooey favorite love ballad
So, one of my very favorite love songs is Thank You For Loving Me by Bon Jovi, and I think it fits Luke and Mara perfectly! I also used this for my entry into the Monday Mush Maina at TF.N!

Thanks to J_e for the prompt and thanks to my fiance for the beta! He rocks!

It's hard for me to say the things I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me and that broken old street light
Lock the doors we'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you are these five words tonight

Luke had been unable to sleep and decided to take a walk. He enjoyed walking in the middle of the night in the public ship births looking at all the different types of ships when no one else was around; there was security but they payed no mind to the Jedi Master. Seeing lights on in one of his favorite ships he decided to visit her captain. Approaching the Jade's Fire he heard no noise but the boarding ramp was down so he decided to just walk aboard. Not far into the ship he saw the person he was looking for, half of the person at least.

All he could see was the lower half of Mara Jade's body covered in loose black pants.

"You look like the ship is trying to eat you," Luke chuckled.

The next thing he heard was a loud bang and an exclamation of pain, and a muffled yet angry, "Skywalker!" the tone making him rethink his idea of surprising his friend.

She shimmied out of the access in the console and looked at Luke with an expression that would make most men cower, though there was some hint of amusement behind the fire in her eyes, if you knew where to look. Luke didn't see any of that, all he saw was how some of her hair was plastered to her forehead from sweat and the small streak of grease above her right eye. In that moment she looked more beautiful than ever.

Of course she always looked beautiful--especially when she was dressed up for some event that Karrde had drug her to--but here in her element, where she wasn't trying to impress, she was a goddess.

"... hello? You alright farmboy?" Mara was waving her hand in front of Luke's face.

Luke blinked rapidly trying to rid his mind of his current train of thoughts, "Yes, sorry. What were you saying?"

Mara laughed at the typical Luke, who always was off somewhere else. "Since you made me tear out the wire to the display you can help me get it back." She opened the console right beside the one where she was working and patted the deck in front of it.

Luke got on the deck and crawled into the console right beside her, both of them now being eaten by the ship. Inside, they were right beside each other, heads inches apart, shoulders just barely touching. They always worked well together, each usually anticipating what the other needed, handing parts before the other asked.

They continued to work mostly in silence, with occasional barbs and teasing. Mara was trying to loosen a bolt when her spanner slipped and hit her in the head.

"Kriff!" Mara hissed as she put her hand to the hairline above her left eye.

Luke turned onto his side as much as he could in such an enclosed space and pulled her hand away from her head. "Let me look."

At first Mara pulled her hand away from Luke, but as she pulled her elbow hit a divider behind her. "Ow! Kriffing..."

Luke smiled and placed his hand on her head. "You are just uncharacteristically clumsy tonight. Let me look."

She had a small cut, but nothing too bad. "I think you'll live," he teased. Luke wiped away the little bit of blood with his thumb and then placed a kiss on the cut. As he pulled back he was once again struck by how beautiful she looked. He leaned in again and this time his lips brushed hers, very softly. At first there was no response and Luke was already cursing himself for doing something so spontaneously when Mara's lips began to respond to his.

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see
For parting my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Mara was startled by Luke's kiss, but it was not unwelcome. She responded with a fervor that surprised even herself. It had been so long since she had felt anyone's lips on her own that was not part of a cover. She forgot how much emotion could be shared through such a simple task, how little you could hide and how vulnerable you became when you allowed someone to be so close. She could feel passion and love through his lips, something that momentarily frightened her causing her to hesitate, but she pushed those thoughts down.

Luke felt her hesitation and pulled back. Mara looked at him with a smile that truly reached her eyes as she reached to grab the back of his head and pull him back into her, kissing him with all the passion she could muster.

I never knew I had a dream until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes the sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe that you believed my lies

Mara was walking down the aisle with all eyes in the galaxy on her. The marriage of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and former Imperial Mara Jade was looked upon as a healing of the galaxy and they had pretty much been forced to make public such a private event. But as everyone was watching her walk towards her soon-to-be husband, she was watching him.

He stood tall and proud with his brother-in-law standing beside him, his eyes shining with happiness and pure love; she knew her eyes were showing the same thing for him. She never dreamt that she could ever feel this way, that she could be so happy that she felt like her heart would burst right out of her chest: he had taught her to love. Being with Luke made her see the galaxy in a whole new light, not everything was bad and not everyone was out to get her: he had taught her to trust. When she put up her walls, keeping anyone out, to keep anyone from seeing the real her, he broke them down and showed her it was alright to be who she was: he taught her how to live.

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn't see
For parting my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Luke watched as Mara walked towards him and all the other people in the large ballroom faded into the background. He couldn't believe the most beautiful woman in the galaxy was a few feet away from becoming his wife. He smiled at her and the smile she returned made his heart hammer in his chest. When he had asked her to marry him, he had thought she made him the happiest man in the galaxy, but he knew now that wasn't true. Standing here, beginning the rest of their lives together, he realized it was only going to get better. Mara once told him that he had taught her so much, but it was she that was teaching him.

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me

Throughout the years, Luke and Mara were an inseparable and unstoppable team. Where one failed the other succeeded. When one was weak the other was strong; there wasn't anything they wouldn't do for each other. When their lives were spinning out of control they held on to each other with every fiber of their being.

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight

Luke sat beside his beloved wife as her breaths were becoming more shallow and his heart felt as though it were literally breaking. His chest was tight and it was hard for him to breath; the pain just made it too hard. He brushed some gray hair off her forehead and was reminded of their first kiss all those years ago inside the Jade's Fire. His Mara was just as beautiful this day as she had been then, as she had been her entire life.

He had summoned a medic several minutes before and he started to go call them again, wondering what was taking so long. He had just to walk out of the room when a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"No one else, please." her voice rasped.

Luke understood. They both knew she was dying and she didn't want to spend her last moments with anyone other than Luke. He nodded and quickly put an override lock to keep even the emergency medical team out --at least for a while-- and returned to his wife. He climbed into the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as he dared.

They had lain like this for a few minutes when Mara lifted looked into Luke's eyes, "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what, love?" Luke asked, a little confused.

"Thank you for loving me."

As she finished, Luke pressed his lips to hers, trying to pass on to her all the years of love and passion they had shared. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him and how he wouldn't give up one second of their time together. As their lips parted, Luke felt Mara gasp and then go limp in his arms. He crushed her against him as tears wracked his body and his chest burned with the need to hear his beloved call him farmboy one last time.

Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
Oh, when I couldn't see
You parted my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips when I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

When the medical team finally found someone to slice their way into the lock and rushed into the Skywalker apartment, what they found surprised them to say the least.

They found the Masters Skywalker laying on a bed, arms wrapped tightly around each other, both completely still. As one of the medics approached the bed, both Luke and Mara started to glow blue and soon there was nothing but their clothing left.

They were doing what they had always done since they had found each other, they were facing a new and unknown territory not as individuals, but together, as one.

Thank you, for loving me.

~end

I Do, Promise (13/?)

2008-08-20T01:26:29Z

Title: I Do, Promise (Chapter Eleven)
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: definitely AU, Romance, Angst
Characters: Luke, Mara, OC's and probably others
Timeframe: Starts at the end of Vision of the Future
Summary: "If neither of us is married by the time we are 50, will you marry me?" What if Luke and Mara hadn't gotten married after Vision of the Future?
Authors Note: So this is obviously an AU, and is inspired by a promise a friend of mine and I made in high school.

Sorry about the delay... the muse was distracted!

Chapter Eleven: Wires Crossed

Luke saw a range of emotions cross Mara's face. The first one was the emotion he wanted to see: happiness. He loved to see Mara smile, when her entire face would light up and make her beautiful eyes sparkle. It wasn't an emotion Mara let slip very often and he was one of the few that truly got to see it. Unfortunately that emotion was short lived, having barely crossed her face before it was replaced; it was so quick he was unsure whether or not he had just imagined it.

The next thing Luke knew, he was lying flat on his back, and the only thing he saw of the woman that he undeniably wanted to marry was the flash of red-gold hair as she ran out of the room.

"That wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for," Luke mumbled to no one in particular as he picked himself up off the floor. He gathered his things, and Mara's, then set off to find her. He had known this would be a risk before he opened his mouth, and he hoped he hadn't just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.

The first place he decided to check was her apartment. He didn't really think she would be there because if she didn't want to be found this would be the last place she would go. He arrived at Mara's apartment and found his assumption to be correct; there was no one home.

He then checked the Fire. He thought about banging on the hatch but he could feel with the Force that she was not there. Defeated, he decided to return home.

Walking back to his apartment, Luke began to dwell on what had occurred; he knew that he had surprised Mara, frightened her even, but he wasn't above begging for forgiveness if it came to that. Anything to keep from losing his friend. The thing that worried him the most was that if she was so inclined, he may never see her again. She could make herself disappear with very little effort and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

After dropping their things off at his apartment, Luke decided he didn't want to be alone and he needed some advice, so he went to see someone who had once been in a similar situation.

~*~*~*~

Mara ran from the room in no particular direction, to no particular place; she just ran. The more she thought about the situation the harder she ran. She thought about going to her apartment, but she knew she would feel trapped and claustrophobic there. Going to the Fire would be her best place for her to feel at home, but she decided against that as well since she knew that Luke would probably try and find her. She hoped that she had gotten a good enough head start that it would be hard for him to track her as long as she didn't go some place predictable. She didn't want him to see the disappointment on her face with the fact that he had felt obligated to ask her to marry him. She now wished she had never asked such a thing of him; that she had kept her mouth shut. A lifetime of loneliness would be better than what she was feeling at this moment.

She slowed down to a walk to avoid unnecessary suspicion as to her motives once she reached a more populated area. She still had no idea where she was going and she wasn't actually paying attention, which was unusual for her. Her mind was reeling, trying to figure a way out of the mess she had gotten herself into. She knew she didn't want to lose Luke as a friend, but she didn't know how upset he would be by her response.

Even though she was avoiding going to her ship, she found herself at the private landing bays for the residents of the Imperial Palace, looking at a familiar ship. She wasn't exactly sure why she was here, but she did know it was probably the last place anyone would look for her.

~*~*~*~*

Luke first checked at their apartment, but no one was home; an apparent theme of the day. He knew there was one place where the person he was searching for could probably be found, but he didn't want to go there in his workout clothes. Going back to his place he changed into something older that he wouldn't mind getting grease and oil all over, since he was sure he would end up doing some work while he was there, as he always did.

Finding his way to the landing bay, she wasn't hard to find. The Millennium Falcon had a tendency to stand out even when surrounded by other older ships, but here in the Palace bays, she tended to be a gigantic bright spot surrounded by all the new and shiny ships. Though the owners of those ships would say that it was a giant sore spot instead of a bright spot, those who new her as intimately as Luke did loved her in all her rusted, nothing original, falling apart glory.

He walked up to the hatch and rapped on it with an uncharacteristic vigor. He could hear the footsteps walking toward him and a familiar voice answered his knocks with a frustration he always showed when he was working on his girl.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! What is with everyone..." he stopped in the middle of his rant as the ramp lowered and he saw who was waiting for him. "Kid," he almost whispered in surprise. He walked down the ramp toward Luke before he spoke again, his voice strangely quiet. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I thought maybe you could use some help, I need to get my mind off a few things."

"Oh, well I was about to leave... uh, Leia's roped me into something boring and uncomfortable that I have to look presentable for. I--"

"That's alright, I"ll let you be--"

"No, I should be able to get out of it." Han figured Luke could tell he was lying and he didn't know why exactly he was, all he knew was that there was a big mess and somehow he had just found himself in the middle of it.

~*~*~*~*~

Mara heard banging and the occasional cursing coming from the ship in front of her and she knew its owner was home. She banged on the side of the hatch and waited for him to emerge.

There were many crashes followed by more cursing before the hatch finally opened. The man standing at the top of the ramp seemed surprised to see the person that had pulled him away from his task, but he hid it well. His confusion was hidden behind his trademark crooked smile and the grease that was spread all over his face.

"Jade?" he asked with the raise of an eyebrow.

"Solo," she replied as she walked up the ramp.

"What did Luke do?" he questioned with a small laugh.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" she almost sneered at him. "I figured this would be the last place he would look for me and you can always use some help with this bucket of bolts and I could use the distraction."

"Alright then," he tossed a scanner to her and walked back into the ship. He knew his brother-in-law had been planning to propose to the woman following him, but he wasn't sure when. He hoped that wasn't what this was about.

They began to work, Mara hanging upside down inside a compartment while Han worked on something over her. They worked in silence with only the occasional muttered curse or exclamation of confusion over what they were looking at.

"Hand me the hydrospanner, Solo." Mara asked.

"I'll have to go find it, give me a minute."

He went toward the front of the ship and Mara was left hanging upside down, trying to figure out which wire went to what thing. She figured a Verpine must have worked on this last because the usually color coded wires were all the same color, at least to her: white. After a few minutes she wondered where Han had gone. She had heard banging and tools spilling, the usual for Han looking for something and then silence. Tiring of hanging upside down, Mara decided to see what was taking so long. As she approached the front of the ship she heard small pieces of a whispered conversation.

She walked onto the ramp opening but when she saw the person with whom Han was speaking, she turned back into the ship as fast as she could, which apparently wasn't fast enough.

"Mara?"

tbc...

Chapter 12A