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Author	Topic: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 8/10)
JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 6/29 7:20pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	That was a very sweet post loved it more soon -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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Jedimaster_JainaSolo Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 6/29 7:56pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	awww, beautiful! Dana -----signature----- Excited padawan of NYCitygurl Behind the Durasteel Mask: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28439445 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young..." 1 Timothy 4:12
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 6/30 5:42am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	Yum!! SQUEE! I adored that!!! Why go to the trouble of picking a song?? Just use all three LOL I'm sure they're all lovely. melts!! Loved the way they just got lost in each other--sweetness!!!! -----signature----- My alters= Alida Maritin, Mara Jade, Deanna Troi. I'm not short on taste . They're mutually blessed soulmates of some hawt nummy... let me stop! Irish, ginchy= click, Squggles!
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 6/30 6:30am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	Loved it! -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Irish_Jedi_Jade Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 6/30 6:58am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	very sweet and beautiful! loved it...but what's with these "spectral figures" and "possession?" We'll have to find out! Hugs, Irish -----signature----- Biology homework has me down...the only prescription is plot bunnies and more cowbell!!! Let the dancing begin!!!!!!!
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DaenaBenjen42 Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 7/9 9:17pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29)
	JediFalcon: Thank you... more coming soon. Jedimaster_JainaSolo: Thank you. Jade_eyes: Loved the way they just got lost in each other--sweetness!!!! Thank you, muchly, Jade_eyes. VaderLVR64: Thank you. Irish_Jedi_Jade: Am not going to spoil you on the spectral people. Thank you. PM List for Ever and Always MirandaFair jackyyy17 RedGold frankieskywalker Jedi_Luck Master_Vicky VaderLVR64 JEDIFLYSWATTER Irish_Jedi_Jade maramijade Jade_eyes Julia-Wan If you would like a PM for this story and you are not on this list, or wouldn't like one and are on it, please let me know. -----signature----- "Say it with me now. Postcard. Zoo. Not. Shopping." master to jackyyy17, micky-nikki & Trimaj e-sis: BrightFeather & BrentusofGath All cats are leopards after dark.
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DaenaBenjen42 Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 7/12 6:40pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 6/29) - Date Edited: 7/12 7:27pm (2 edits total) Edited By: DaenaBenjen42
	To one side of the dance floor, a translucent woman couldn’t help but smile as she watched Mara lead Luke back to the head table after the dance they’d shared. They still looked cute together… a tug on her skirt, and the woman looked down at the child standing next to her. “What is it, Little Princess?” The child pointed with a little finger. “I liked that.” The woman smiled and bent down to look her in the eyes. “I like it, too. Want to stay a little longer?” The child nodded with a big grin. “It’s fun here.” “Then we’ll stay.” ~~~~~ As they left the stage, Elsie noticed Dark Star sitting at the foot of the steps, calmly watching everyone. She bent down and petted the black feline on the head, and Dark Star leaned into her hand. “You saw ‘em too, huh?” Chris snorted. “Elsie, she’s an animal. Of course she saw them.” “True…” Elsie glanced back at the stage and smiled when she saw the band setting up. “Want to dance, sweetie?” “You just want to talk to a ghost and not make a scene,” Chris said with a chuckle. “Don’t you?” “No, I really do want to dance with you… and not cause a scene. Not causing a scene is a bonus.” “Hmmm… Lead the way, then.” Dark Star was treated to Elsie leading Chris onto the dance floor with a smirk. The cat thought the two of them were just like her companion and her companion’s mate. They were always doing stuff like that… ~~~~~ Out on the dance floor, Han smiled at Leia. “Do you remember?” Leia smiled back at him. “Always and often.” She looked over his shoulder, and suddenly couldn’t help but frown. “I can’t believe he brought her.” Han blinked down at Leia, confused at the change in subject. “Who?” As Leia motioned with her head and they turned, Han saw what she meant. One of the Rogue Squadron pilots was dancing with someone he recognized. Someone Leia had cause to dislike. “Oh… Been a long time, hasn’t it?” “Not nearly long enough.” “You’re just saying that because she’s a good pilot.” As Leia silently glared up at him, Han winced. “Or not…” Elsewhere on the dance floor, Chris was leading Elsie in a turn, and she could barely contain her mirth at the byplay between Han and Leia. “I would so like to know what that’s about…” Chris nodded as he pulled her close. “I would, but I think it’s best left between them, don’t you?” “So true,” Elsie agreed. As they passed by the woman who still wasn’t mingling, Elsie took over leading and turned her attention to the ghost. “Hey.” The woman-ghost blinked, startled at being directly addressed. “Huh?” Elsie smiled, understanding that reaction perfectly. Most ghosts were used to being ignored, and to be addressed suddenly could come as a shock. “Find me later, we’ll talk. Sound good?” Slowly, the woman nodded. “All right…” Chris nudged Elsie’s hand and she looked at him. “What?” “Look down.” Elsie stared at him a moment, then followed his direction… and saw the little girl. “Oh… hi, there… Is she yours?” The woman shook her head. “No. Not mine…” ~~~~ Moira frowned as she read the data on the datapad, then looked at Ranko in question. “Why are you giving this to me? It’s a bit out of my jurisdiction.” She handed the datapad back to Ranko. Ranko glanced down at the datapad tiredly. “Moira, aside from the fact that it is not anywhere near Corellia, it is in your jurisdiction.” “How, exactly?” “It’s a Jedi matter, and you are, or were, Jedi.” Moira looked at her with an expression of stupefication. "A big ship in the region of Belsavis is a Jedi matter?" "No. The people who want to do something with it are a Jedi matter." "Then why aren't you giving it to the Jedi themselves?" "Moira, I am trying to prevent a potential disaster, not create a whole new one. If I wanted the Jedi to know, I'd have told Mara myself." Ranko glanced over to where Luke and Mara were sitting. "And I'd rather keep them both out of it." Moira studied her intently for a long moment. Before, when Ranko had told her something about future events, she had been unable to do anything about it. And now, if she was understanding it correctly, this was something she could fix. An opportunity, as it were, to set something right. "Ranko..." "What?" "Was it really that bad?" "Worse." "Give me that datapad." As Moira took the datapad back, she made a choice. If she could do something about it, she would. "So you'll do it?" "Doesn't seem to be much choice, does there?" Moira read the information again, then frowned in thought. "What is this about a Force ghost?" "That's why I'm not telling Luke about it." When Moira stopped and looked at her dubiously, Ranko shrugged. "Just be glad I'm giving you the bare boned version of it." "Bad, huh?" "Very." Moira tapped the datapad's hard casing with her finger. "Well, at least there's a bright side to this." "There is?" "Um-hmm... I get to talk Fosco into going on a mission with me for a change." At that, Ranko had to laugh. ~~~~ Dawn couldn't help but stare at the cute guy. He just kept drawing her attention and she couldn't figure out why. Melinda leaned over to her. "Do I need to tell your husband that you are oggling a trainee?" Dawn turned and looked at her with an expression of confusion. "What?" "That trainee. You were staring at him." Dawn paused, then nodded slowly. "Something about is bothering me about him, but when I try to reason it, it's almost like I'm reaching with the wrong hand for the answers... And you kind of just did, Mel." "No, I didn't." "Comlink." Dawn glared at her until Melinda's eyes widened with realization. "Who is on monitor duty that, at one point in time, used to stare at anyone in a short skirt and go 'gaahhhh'?" [I feel so loved,] Vincent suddenly said over the comlink, a teasing tone in his voice. [I haven't done that in thirty years or more, you know.] Dawn rolled her eyes, and had to fight the urge to laugh. "To anyone but me... no, you really haven't. Love you for that, hon." [What seems familiar about him?] "If I knew that, I wouldn't have been staring at him." Dawn turned back and looked again. "Mel, does he remind you of that actor from that really bad He-Man movie? General appearance, I mean." Melinda looked for a long moment, then had to nod in agreement. "He does... weird..." Dawn stood up. "Well, I'm not going to cure my case of confusion just sitting here. Be right back." Melinda watched as Dawn went over to talk to the man. ~~~~~ Dawn walked slowly up to the man as he talked to another trainee who had also been invited to the wedding, and studied him. He seemed... well, she could see that he had potential. What that potential was, however, wasn't yet clear. "Hello," he said when she neared enough for him to notice her. Dawn nodded in greeting. "Hello... I was wondering if we could talk for a moment?" He blinked, not having expected her to phrase it liked that, then put out a hand, which she shook. "All right..." "My name is Dawn... Yours?" "Dolph." Dawn suddenly realized that her He-Man assessment hadn't been that far off after all... ~~~~~ When Dawn returned from chatting with the guy, Melinda noticed that she seemed upset. "What's wrong?" "I was right." "Huh?" Dawn motioned back to the man she'd talked to. "About him... Only the thing is, do I tell Master Skywalker about the loose cannon he's training, or do I let it be?" "I still don't understand, Dawn." "Picture that guy in a Skelator mask... I know it sounds ludicrous, but work with me here." "A Skelator mask?" Melinda considered the serious expression on Dawn's face for a long moment, then glanced over to where the guy was standing. She imagined him in one of those masks and laughing maniacally... and had to supress a shudder at the implications. "Oh my..." "You get it now?" "I think so... creepy when he looks happy right now." "Very," Dawn agreed. Melinda watched as he started talking to other guests, and then looked hard at Dawn. "Tell him." A hand settled on Melinda's shoulder, and she startled and looked up to see Elsie staring at her with a restrained fury in her eyes. "What?" "It is not our place to tell the man about his mistakes, may they be past, present, or future. All we can do is give hints and spar a little." Elsie glanced toward the man they'd been talking about and sighed. "And the event you're thinking about?" "What about it?" Dawn wondered. Did Elsie know something she didn't? "There's a possibility that it won't happen. Certain things are different here, even if I'm not certain what." "That doesn't make any sense, Elsie," Melinda muttered. "Wasn't supposed to... think about what we know about this universe's timeline, and then reconsider that man over there. Everyone has a potential, good or bad. At the moment, he's both." Dawn and Melinda stared at her. It took a minute, but Dawn finally found her voice. "Are you trying to say that he won't go all grievy, turn to the dark side, develop a grudge against the Skywalker/Solo family, and blow things up with droids to gain power?" "Depends on his and other's choices. The Jehar, specifically... But... Dawn, you know I don't get visions like that. I see possibilities, yes, but... Well, as Suna always says: What will be, will be." "Since when does Suna quote Doris Day?" Elsie turned and stared hard at Dawn. "Look, you're the one who wants to mess with a non-critical event that is just a possibility. If Suna were here, she'd make you read The Time Machine again, and you know it." "How is this non-critical?" "Think about it..." Elsie motioned to another trainee on the other side of the room. "That's Brakiss over there." "Huh?" Dawn wondered as she looked around to find who Elsie had indicated, and stared as she saw a young man laughing at something someone had said. "What in the heck?" Elsie shrugged. "If you want to worry about anything, then go ahead and worry about him." Dawn blinked in realization, and turned back to regard Elsie with wide eyes. Then she noticed the translucent woman in the orange dress standing next to Elsie and looking on with what seemed to be puzzlement. "We're pre a lot of things, aren't we?" "Yes," Elsie said simply. "Gantoris is still dead, however..." She glanced at the translucent woman, who snorted in disbelief at that last one. "What are the three of you so glum about?" Ranko asked as she joined them, a curious expression in her eyes. "The potential of certain trainees to go dark," Elsie told her. "These two were going to have an ill-timed talk with the Jedi Master." Ranko paused and scanned the hall for anything familiar, and raised an eyebrow at what, or rather who, she found. "Ah... No need, Ladies." "What do you mean?" Melinda asked. "I had a talk with Master Skywalker about teaching methods of students..." Ranko shrugged. "I was concerned about the same thing, really... and he's different here. He's not under dark side influence like he was in the cannon, and... well, he keeps a tighter watch on his students, from what I can tell." "He doesn't happen to send his students to Hoth if they piss off the education director repeatedly, does he?" Dawn asked wryly. Ranko laughed at the reminder. "No... and I only sent people to Antarctica because of repeated stupidity, you know. Oh, and orders from the NSA." "You sent my husband, he who tolerates cold temperatures like most people tolerate lukewarm water, to the coldest region on the planet and he thought it was fun. I don't see how that was discipline or to his disadvantage, Ranko." Dawn blinked and tilted her head to listen, then laughed. "All right... so the people you sent him with were overly whiny the entire time." Ranko smiled serenely. "I never said there wasn't a way to torture someone with something small." "Here, here," Elsie muttered in agreement. "But getting back to Master Skywalker's students... Don't worry about 'em. He's got Mara to keep him on the straight and narrow. I did suggest therapy for Brakiss, though." "What?" three voices asked simultaneously. "Just didn't tell him why." "When did you have that talk with him?" Elsie asked. "When we were all sparring, after Mara got done showing me the right way to use a lightsaber. He wanted to learn some MA moves that he'd seen us use on the world ship and didn't recognize." Elsie chuckled. Only Ranko... "So how'd he do?" "Better than Lill did the first time I tried to help Ethan teach her to fight on two legs instead of four." "Not that that's hard," Melinda interjected. "Actually, he picked up the moves pretty fast, then showed me some of theirs, and then I got to show him how a sword was different, and then he beat me soundly in his specialty." "You had fun, then..." "Yep... I just wish I were able to shift right now, because I would have loved to have added that element to the match." Dawn frowned as Ranko yawned suddenly. "You still can't?" That was really odd... she never yawned like that. "Not without a lot of pain, no... Ariel thinks it has to do with the thundershock and being really low on power or something." Ranko turned and noticed Peter coming toward them, and smiled. "Shall we dance?" "I was just coming to ask you that," Peter told her as he held out his hand. "Shall we?" Ranko took his hand and they joined other couples on the dance floor. Dawn glanced at Elsie. "She seem exhausted to you?" "Frankly, her bio-shadow has been making me wince for a week, but I didn't want to mention it," Elsie said while following them with her eyes. "You know how Ranko is when she pushes herself." Dawn nodded. "I do. Should have thought to open myself up and look, though... So who are they?" She motioned to Elsie's translucent tag alongs. Elsie smiled. "Don't ask, Dawn. Really. Go dance or something, all right?" Dawn stared at Elsie, then at the woman-ghost, then at the small child-ghost who was staring up at her. "Right..." She turned on her heel and walked away. "Why'd you stop them from telling the Sleeping Prince about his students?" Elsie glanced at the ghost and sighed. "Because he sort of already knows." She paused and raised an eyebrow in question. "Sleeping prince?" "Old habits die hard, and the first time I saw him in person, he was unconscious." Melinda looked between Elsie and the thin air she was talking to. "Elsie?" "It's your fault, Mel. You wanted the singing." "And now there's a ghost?" "Two, actually... " "What does singing have to do with it? I thought it was good." ~~~~~ As Peter led her to a chair after the last dance before the band had to take a break, Ranko yawned again. "Oh, wow. All of a sudden, I don't feel so hot." "Tired?" "Yeah..." She let him guide her down into a chair. "Wow... I haven't been this tired in..." "A long time?" Peter asked her as he pulled a chair up next to her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. She nodded, blinking her eyes blearily. "You pushed yourself. After the discharge." "I know," Ranko mumbled as she tiredly watched the party go on around her. "Peter?" "Yes?" "When we get home, I could go for some golf." Peter blinked down at her for a moment, not really having expected that. "All right... But don't you hate golf? Something about it being stereotypical of your profession?" "Don't care. Want to play golf." "Why?" "After all this... want to be bored." Peter nodded. That worked for him, too. A minute later, he glanced down at her and noticed that she'd fallen asleep. Good. ~~~~~ Elsie started to walk away from the table that Melinda was sitting at, but had to stop. She wanted to stay here and pretend that she'd never seen the woman or the little one from the stage. She knew Mara had been through a lot, and really didn't want to add one more thing to the pile. What good would it do? "I can't do this," Elsie said finally, glancing down at the child. "I just can't ambush them with this and expect them both to take it well." She held up a hand to stop Melinda from saying anything, then looked over to where Luke and Mara were sitting at the head table, watching and chatting with people occasionally. "They've been through so much..." The woman-ghost got in her eye line and looked at her sternly. "This is my call." "No, it isn't. You're not the one who has to walk over there and reopen a wound that never closed to begin with, thereby causing more damage than there all ready was." Elsie began to shake her head, and had to blink when her eyes began to sting from unshed tears. "I can't do that." "Look at me." Her tone made Elsie jump and look straight at her. "I am only going to say this once, all right? Sometimes, to help close and heal a wound, you have to make it just a little bit bigger and clean away the detritus. Sure, it hurts, and yes... this will be hard, but... Sometimes that is just how it is. Life is hard, Elsie. No more, and no less than that." Elsie nodded slowly, liking this woman for the courage she was showing in voicing her thoughts. "And if it goes against my beliefs to inflict pain and suffering? I may not be a doctor, but I do hold to the Hippocratic oath to do no harm." "This will not be harmful." She attempted to nudge her, and sighed when her hand went through Elsie's shoulder. "I really wish I could touch things." "You promise?" Elsie suddenly asked after a long moment of silence. She looked down at the little girl who was watching them quizically, then she looked at Elsie again. "Yes. I promise." Elsie took a deep breath and looked over at Luke and Mara again. Watching them, she suddenly understood what She was trying to say. Sure, it was going to hurt a little, but... maybe, just maybe there was a silver lining to all the darkness. "Let's do this, then." Melinda watched as Elsie walked off and suddenly respected her sister more than she had before. She made a mental note to go home more often. Visiting once every five years just wasn't enough. TBC... -----signature----- "Say it with me now. Postcard. Zoo. Not. Shopping." master to jackyyy17, micky-nikki & Trimaj e-sis: BrightFeather & BrentusofGath All cats are leopards after dark.
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JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 7/12 8:27pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/12)
	good update so umm more? -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 7/13 3:12am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/12)
	Intriguing update. Wonder who the woman is Leia doesn't like LOL!! Glad the Rangers helped with the trainees also--they think of everything -----signature----- My alters= Alida Maritin, Mara Jade, Deanna Troi. I'm not short on taste . They're mutually blessed soulmates of some hawt nummy... let me stop! Irish, ginchy= click, Squggles!
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Irish_Jedi_Jade Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 7/13 10:37am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/12)
	Oh so intriguing as always!! daena you've got such a knack for making confusing situations so funny and hooking! HUGGLES! Irish -----signature----- Biology homework has me down...the only prescription is plot bunnies and more cowbell!!! Let the dancing begin!!!!!!!
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DaenaBenjen42 Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 7/14 9:28pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/12) - Date Edited: 7/17 10:36pm (4 edits total) Edited By: DaenaBenjen42
	JediFalcon: Yep… more… Thank you. Jade_eyes: It’s more that they’ve had three weeks to think about stuff too much... Thank you, Jade_eyes. Irish_Jedi_Jade: I try. Thank you. Chris was sitting at a table, watching as Elsie intervened and talked to Dawn and Melinda. He'd been hesitant to let her do it alone, but she'd raised a good point about trying it on her own as an acid test. She was right, of course... Something landed deftly on his lap and he jumped a bit, startled by the sudden contact. Glancing down, he found Dark Star sitting there, looking up at him. "Hi there..." He petted her head, and she curled up on his lap. "What brought you over here, hmm?" They were sitting there for a couple minutes, before Elsie's voice made him blink. "Chris, have you... oh. You have." She reached down and scratched behind Dark Star's ears, and the cat looked up at her. They held eye contact for a moment, and then Elsie nodded. "You're right. I know you are." "Elsie?" Chris asked, curious about why she was talking to a cat like that. At least it wasn't flowers she was getting clues from again. That had been... somewhat unnerving... and they never sang for him like she said they did... Elsie bent to kiss him, then she smiled. "I love you, sweetie." Chris watched her walk away, then looked down at Dark Star. "You know... I honestly forgot what she was like when on a case... It really has been too long..." ~~~~~ Mara wasn't at all surprised when Elsie made her way to their table and seemed really annoyed. Not that being annoyed was unusual for Elsie. She always seemed annoyed for some reason. "Is something wrong?" "No, but..." Elsie glanced to her left. "You realize this is their wedding, right? You do? Good, then I am not to blame." Elsie turned back and smiled at Mara. "I'm blaming what I'm about to do on Mel. She's the one who wanted singing, and now there's weirdness." Luke frowned. Had she really just talked to thin air? "How's that?" "The last time I sang in public, there was a ghost." Elsie motioned to her right. "And now there's a ghost that knows you. Says her name is Ailee?" Mara turned to Luke, who appeared as surprised as she felt. "Ailee?" "Yes, and she keeps referring to Luke as a sleeping prince. Seems that him being in a state of unconsciousness for more than a week leaves a lasting impression." Elsie glanced to her right in puzzlement. "What about Duracrete?" Luke suddenly had to chuckle. "Oh, that is definitely Ailee. I was trying to forget all about that, but thanks..." Elsie looked at him wryly. "Well, I was trying to not have a ghost incident, so I think we're even." Elsie looked her right again and listened, then shook her head. "Dunno about that, Ailee... and no. I'm not doing the talky-through channel thing... Too much potential for causing a scene if it goes wrong... So you're stuck with relay." Mara frowned. "Talky-through channel thing? What is that?" "That's where Ailee takes me over, I let her, and she talks to you directly. I would, but I'm under orders not to as I'm fresh off a vacation due to stress. And we're at your wedding reception. I'm pretty certain you don't want to spend four hours calming me down if it goes wrong." Mara nodded slowly, processing it all. "Oh... Like what happened on the World Ship?" "That was minor, and I've walked through old battle field sites worse than that... And yes, Ailee, that's why I won't do it... That, and because Dawn still teases me about screaming in broad daylight. We don't need to add 'screamed in the middle of the Jade/Skywalker wedding reception' to the list of things she can rib on." "Screamed in broad daylight?" Luke wondered. This got more intriguing all the while, didn't it? Elsie sighed. "Yeah... My breakout, when we found out I was a seer, happened on a beach in broad daylight during a birthday party when I was five. Everyone was having fun and running around in the sand, and then I started seeing dead bodies everywhere I looked. Dead bodies that weren't actually there. Or were there, had been there, but were buried under sixteen feet of sand... What Dawn teases me about is screaming bloody murder and scaring the crap out of everyone there." Mara looked at Elsie thoughtfully, somewhat more than perplexed. "And she teases you still?" "In a way, it's funny... and hers was worse. Happened at the site of a former concentration camp, and we never, ever talk about it in front of her. I can put up with the jibes if it helps her to deal." "Ah..." Mara looked at the space where Elsie kept glancing and didn't see anything. "How come I can't see her?" "She's not a Force ghost, and had no Force potential. That's my guess, anyway." Mara nodded for a moment, then something occurred to her. "Wait... if she's here and she's a ghost, that means she died, right? When did she die? I just saw her not that long ago... was it ten months? I think it was." Elsie glanced to her right in question and listened... "Oh." Mara startled as she felt a sudden tinge of apprehension and turned to her husband right as Elsie looked at him with a deadly, icy calm in her eyes. "Maybe it would be better if your husband told it, seeing as Ailee doesn't actually remember much, other than seeing his 'big scared, beautiful blue eyes' and pain." Luke winced at the directness, as well as the reference. Ailee had commented on his eyes, once... He looked at Mara. "You remember the rescue, right?" Mara couldn't help but wonder where this was going. "Yes. There was a big ruckus that sounded bad..." "She was there. After the ruckus, I found her in a side room after all the noise. She was half conscious and bleeding severely. I..." Luke shook his head at the memory, then continued. "I didn't even recognize her at first... she looked so different than she had the last time I'd seen her on Yavin IV. I wouldn't have, either, if she hadn't called me a sleeping prince. Then she mumbled something about a needle in a haystack and passed out." He sighed heavily, then glanced at Elsie. "I didn't have time to do a thing. Anything at all." "You wouldn't have been able to do anything," Elsie told him after glancing to her right. "According to her, that is." Mara stared at him, suddenly realizing that the stop he'd mentioned... Saccoria... made sense now. Ailee had been Saccorian. "Oh." "And Ailee?" Luke suddenly asked, knowing it was somewhat silly to talk to thin air, but needing to say it anyway. "Thanks." "'For what?'" Elsie asked, gesturing to thin air. "I'll do relay. That's what she said." "For trying to make a bad situation better and making Mara laugh." He nudged Mara's arm. "You remember, right? Duracrete wall?" Mara had to resist laughing all over again at the memory. "I think it was you being all offended that did it, but yes. I remember." Elsie looked at Ailee again. "Who was the... oh. You know he aware then, right? Oh, good." "She found that out later," Luke helpfully put in. "Who would have believed it while I was still laying there frozen?" "Ailee wait... what?" Elsie glanced down at the floor, then at Mara, then at the floor again. "You sure that's a bright idea? ...Post-traumatic stress, for one thing." Mara was really puzzled. What did post-traumatic stress have to do with anything? "This is confusing, hearing only half a conversation, but... what are you two talking about?" "Ailee wants me to relay something that I'm not certain is such a good idea, but she is, and... Oh, hell... Really?" Elsie sat down, put her laptop on the table, and opened it. She glared to her right and shook her head. "We are at their wedding, you know... No, little one. It's a big person thing, and nothing you did. Honest." Now Luke was the one blinking as he felt Mara startle internally at the mention of a little one. "Um... Elsie? What was that?" "Tell you in a minute. It's complicated." Luke turned to Mara, who looked away from him with unease. "What little one?" "Luke?" Elsie interrupted, getting him to focus back on her and off of Mara for the moment. "Don't. If I have to say it again, I will break out the duct tape. Don't think I won't." "But..." Luke frowned at her. "What is duct tape?" "It hurts when pulled off, great for quick fixes, and makes an excellent gag in a pinch." Elsie did something with the computer, then looked directly to her right. "Now what is it you want to say? I'll input and they'll read. Sound good?" Mara was having trouble understanding, but... Ailee had brought... "I want to see." Elsie paused, then turned and regarded Mara with a smile. "When I'm done playing typist here, I'll set that up. I have this special memory pad interface for stuff like that, because my investigation leader got tired of being left out of seeing things I saw while on cases... And Ailee didn't bring her, Mara. She just kind of came a long, or so I understand." Mara blinked in curiosity. "It's a girl?" "Yep." "Who?" Luke wondered again, unable to stop himself. Elsie sighed. "Patience, dear sir. You find out all the best stuff that way, you know? ...Awfully talkative little thing, too." Elsie glanced down with a smile. "Hush. We're taking turns, and then it will be yours and we'll ask 'em, all right? ...Good." She turned to her right again. "All right. You may fire when ready." They waited while Elsie transcribed, only pausing to ask a question about something they'd never heard of that sounded like a medication. Then she hit a button and turned her computer around so they could see. Mara had to stifle a gasp as she read what was there... That really was Ailee, no doubt in her mind about it. "...even if I had been drugged into thinking my name was 'Sugar.' Don't ask. Has to do with a stupid, chauvinistic imbecile... I'm glad he's dead." Was it wrong to be in total agreement with her? Luke was left even more confused and wondering why there would have been a need for a healing agent. "Um... I had a makeshift healing agent on hand because they let me keep my medical supplies. That... still doesn't make sense to me. It really, really doesn't. There was heavy bleeding from what they put her through, and she could have died without it..." That explained some, but not all... Mara frowned at one part... "Mara, there was a box in that place that should be among the evidence. You'll want it, to be able to perform a proper burial. It was tucked into a corner of the room where I was held." Proper burial? And what did she mean by a side effect? "Oh and there's something you'll want to know... the healing agent has a side effect. I'm not certain you'll even want to get pregnant right away, but... Well, put simply you won't be able to. For, at my guess, six months to a year from the time I used it. Sorry, but it was all I had on hand... I just felt you needed to know that, in case the doc who did your work up missed it, and I don't think he did, if he was looking for other things." Huh... That explained some things... Luke turned to Mara. "You said it was bad, but..." Mara regarded him somewhat less than calmly, though she really wanted to look away. "I did." Elsie got Luke's attention. "You kinda don't want to go there... Ailee? I told you this was a bad idea." Mara looked at Elsie, face calm but eyes full of turmoil. "It has just been a while and it's a lot to take. I'm... sort of fine about it now." Elsie raised an eyebrow. She quite ovbiously wasn't fine, but if she wanted to say so... "Good, because the little one wanted to have her say and find out what her name is. Ailee's been calling her Little Princess because she wouldn't accept any name if it wasn't from you." Luke stared at Elsie, suddenly understanding why she'd threatened to gag him. "Oh." Mara thought about it. A name? She was supposed to pick a name? What was it Ailee had said about a haystack... "Little needle in a haystack... How about Neesta? I like that one." Elsie glanced down, smiling. "What do you think, hmm? Neesta work for you?" She blinked and had to stand up to watch as an invisible little person ran around. "Guess it does. She's jumping for joy... Oh, and dancing." Luke was staring at Elsie in shock. Of all the things to happen today, he really really hadn't been expecting that. "We had a..." With gentle hands, Mara got him to look directly at her. "No. Were going to, Farmboy. I..." Elsie sat back down and sighed. "This is why I didn't want to do this... Ailee, who by the way wants to smack you both a good one, just so you know, says it wasn't your fault, Mara... That, and something about being drugged to the point of not rememdering her own name, and... it was that bad? I saw flashes, but... Oh." Elsie listened for a moment, then her eyebrows went up. "How long were you there? ...What do you mean you don't know?" Elsie's eyes bent wide, and then she stood up again to look for something. Spotting the person she wanted, she marched off to get them. Luke and Mara watched her go, then Luke returned his attention to Mara... who wasn't looking at him. "Mara..." "What?" Luke laid a hand on her arm. "Remember what I said before we left for the run? I don't blame you. Not for one thing, not at all... And Ailee is right." Mara finally looked at him. "About what?" "There was a box in the room where I found her, tucked in a corner and covered in a smock." Remembering what Ailee had said about it, Mara tilted her head in curiosity. The part about a proper burial had struck a cord. "Where is it now?" "My apartment. It was something I couldn't just hand over to law enforcement, not without knowing what it was. Plus, the Force directed me to it, or I wouldn't have even noticed it." Mara nodded, intending to say something, but was interrupted by Elsie returning with an unfamiliar man in tow. Instead, she blinked. "This is Moira's son, Darvis. He's with the Coruscant Planetary Police Force. I figure, if anyone were to be able to find out when a New Republic medic went missing, it's him. Or Moira, but I couldn't pull Moira away from girl talk if I tried," Elsie explained. "I don't usually do this for ghosts," Darvis told her. "Why not? It can be fun at times..." Elsie suddenly frowned. "They have a what in their apartment? Ailee!" Mara frowned at that sudden change in composure. "What now?" "She says the smock was hers and she hated it... and the box was a quick fix. That is what she did with Neesta." Elsie made a face. "I didn't need to know that, Ailee." Luke's jaw fell open in shock... so that's why he'd been led to it. "No way." "At the risk of my sounding like I'm from another dimension... Way. Very way. Apparently, that's what she was carrying her medical supplies in when... Well, you can guess... What do you mean they're lucky that there was a stacis field for the live bacta patches? ...Oh. You're right. Very lucky there was one of those." "Do you always talk to ghosts like this," Darvis wondered. Elsie rolled her eyes. "Please, Darvis. The woman who trained me to use my ability so I wouldn't have a psychotic break was a ghost herself." Elsie sat back down at her laptop and punched in some information, then showed him. "Ailee provided me with her identification number, and I found this." Darvis viewed it, raising an eyebrow at her. "Am I supposed to be able to read that?" Elsie blanched and sent it through the translation program, and then Darvis nodded. He pulled out a datapad and spent a minute consulting it. "New Republic Medical reported her missing... and then nothing until her body was recovered three months ago." He glanced at a very uncomfortable-appearing Luke. "By you." "Um... okay, Ailee. I'll repeat it. 'It felt like years. How long is a while in police talk?'" Darvis chuckled. "Awfully impatient, isn't she?" Mara nodded, smiling. "You have no idea. None at all." At that, Elsie's eyes went wide, and suddenly she was giggling. "Ailee, I don't think trying to hit them both on the head is the best course of action! ...Sure, it makes you feel better, but they can't see you, so it's not fair. Darvis?" "Eight months." Mara couldn't help but look at him in astonishment. "That long? But we saw her around then!" Elsie nodded after a long moment. "She says it happened not long after that... and, like she said before, she never made it to her duty assignment, so they probably thought she went AWOL... And Mara?" "Yes?" "The smock that was hers? She wants you to burn it." "Why?" At Elsie's stern expression, Mara nodded slowly. "Oh. I'll do it." "Good." "Where's..." "Off on the dance floor, having a celebratory dance with Biggs." Darvis looked at Elsie in question and she nodded. He smiled, nodded to Luke and Mara, and left the table. Luke startled as Elsie pulled something out and began setting it up next to her laptop. "Biggs is here?" "Did you think he'd miss your wedding?" "And he's dancing with my daughter?" Elsie chuckled as the way it sounded. "In his defense, she appears to be three years old and is very short... So, so cute, though." Elsie finished setting up and held her hand over the pad in concentration. When she was done, Elsie turned the screen around so they could see it. "I should warn you, here. Ailee is, for some reason, wearing an orange dress. It's a little jarring at first." First, she showed them her first memory of Ailee from the stage, then of Neesta standing beside her, wearing what appeared to be a ship suit. Mara couldn't help but stare. "Oh... wow." The little girl did indeed appear to be about three years old, and had dark green eyes and reddish-blonde hair. Elsie sat back and glanced to her right again in question. "I didn't think of this before, but... did someone teach her to speak? Because she sounds a lot older than she appears, and I know she's not that old. Wouldn't have been that old, which ever it is... You did? Oh. Good job, then." "I want a holo of that," Mara breathed, taken with the image of the child. Then Elsie showed them Biggs and Neesta dancing, and Luke couldn't find his voice at the sight of the friend who had died during the attack on the first Death Star. Mara reached over and took his hand in hers as Elsie set the recording to repeat. "She looks so happy..." "She is, right Ailee?" Elsie waited for an answer, then nodded. "Ailee says, and I quote, 'She's the happiest kid I've ever met. Much like the two of you, and reminds me of you, Mara, when she laughs, and you, Luke, when she's quiet.'" Elsie frowned. "Shouldn't that be the other way around? ...Oh, right. Bad first introduction involving a coma. Got it... Oh, and 'the both of you when she smiles, which is often.'" Elsie listened for a moment, then suddenly had to snort in laughter. "Oh, and she also says that she still finds the Halcyon guy adorable... Cuter now that she sees him with the woman who must be his wife... Her name is Mirax, Ailee. And it's Horn, not Halcyon... He was under cover at the time. Yes, yes, he really was... because he was gonna go off and find her, actually." "How do you know that?" Luke wondered suddenly. "Pop culture thing," Elsie reminded him, and he blinked. "You remember? We embarrassed the heck out of ourselves with our incredible lack of tact about your time line? There's probably a lot that I shouldn't know that I know because of that... Oh, and word of warning, since the invisible medic here brought it up... Don't give Brakiss the dark cave test." Luke studied Elsie for a long moment, taking in the seriousness of her expression. "Not that I was going to, but... why?" "I can't tell you everything, Master Skywalker. Just warn. And if you do, confine him. Don't let him run off. It... would be so bad you have no idea." Elsie turned to look out over the crowd, eyes calculating and missing nothing, then she turned back around and looked at him again. "But I'm not going to have to worry about that, am I? Ranko said you changed your methods." Luke looked at Mara in question and saw the interested expression. "No, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Learned my lesson the first time." "Second," Mara told him with a slight smile. "And if you ever end up in a coma again, I'm letting Dark Star alone keep you company at night and teaching her how to use the commlink alarm." Luke suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Dark Star since before Elsie had called them out on the dance floor. "Speaking of the black furred one, where is she?" Elsie motioned to another table. "Over there with Chris, watching us. Chris because I'm fresh off the vac order and doing something power related, Dark Star because... she still really won't let Mara out of her sight... What? You mean that's normal behavior for that cat? Wow, and I thought my dog was weird when he wanted to sleep in the empty fish tank as a puppy...." Mara leaned closer to Elsie. "What did she say?" "That Dark Star wouldn't leave Luke, either. She really followed him all around the temple on Yavin after he woke up?" "Oh... Actually, she followed him around before he woke up, too, but I didn't really tell Ailee that." Mara blinked when Elsie turned and looked to her right in astonishment. "What now?" "It's a good thing she's dead, or she'd probably hurt herself laughing on the floor like that..." Elsie looked back at Mara thoughtfully. "Though, I don't know... Do you think a ghost can get the hiccups? ...Oh. I set her off again. Sorry about that..." Mara chuckled. "She probably needed it." "And what's her deal with coffee, anyway? She can't get any sustenance from it, but she keeps imagining up a cup. It's weird." Luke frowned. "Really?" "Yeah. She went through three cups while Chris and I were singing, and just now, she was on her tenth." "Coffee is your slang for Caf, right?" Mara asked. "Yes, it is. Sorry." Mara leaned closer to Elsie. "The entire time she was on Yavin, she was drinking caf left and right, and explained at least once that she was on an eight-cup restriction." Elsie looked down at the floor. "Ah. That makes sense, actually... Figures you'd know a medic that would be a poster child for Coffee Drinkers Anonymous or fit to appear in a Starbucks Ad..." "Starbucks?" Han's voice suddenly asked from behind Elsie. Elsie turned to see Han and Leia pulling out chairs to sit down. "What's that?" "Caf chain at home," Elsie told him. Then she reached for her laptop and smiled at Mara. "I'll get you that holo, Mara." Mara nodded and watched as Elsie left the table with her computer. "What was that all about?" Leia wondered. "She didn't have to leave." "She just needed to tell us something," Luke told his sister with a smile. Then he looked at Mara. "So... Do you think we should pay our respects, or just leave now?" Mara smiled. "We could leave now. Leia? You mind if we leave?" "Not at all." Mara frowned at Leia's tone and glanced at Han. There was something going on there... "Unless you'd like us to stay..." "It's fine, Mara," Han told her, shaking his head. "Well, all right..." Mara turned to Luke and took his hand. "Lead the way." Leia watched them go, and had to shake her head. "Maybe we should have made them stay a while longer..." "We didn't stay for our own reception, Leia. Why should they?" Leia smiled and turned to look at him. She'd been angry all evening long, but this was Han. She knew he'd dated before they'd really gotten together, but that was long ago. It no longer mattered... much. ~~~~~ Peter had been expecting her to collapse all along, and he'd been right. She'd pushed herself to a point beyond exhaustion and was now leaning against him, with his arms around her, and snoring lightly. Dawn passed by their table, and stopped when she saw them. Then she frowned. "How long has she been like that?" "Ten minutes or so... about time, too." Dawn came closer and put a hand on Ranko's arm. Then she winced. "Oh. I get it. Her reserves finally gave out." Peter nodded his assent. "Not that she had any... you know, after. She did say that she felt charbroiled for a good long while." "Still does." Peter frowned at the pain lining Dawn's eyes. "Dawn?" Dawn slowly pulled her hand away. "I'm fine... Met a precocious five-year-old on the dance floor. Nice kid." "What five-year-old?" Peter curiously asked as he glanced around. "One you can't see. Or maybe she just looks five... I don't know... So how are we..." "Do I have to think of everything today?" Elsie asked as she passed by the table carrying two cups. "Dawn, go invisible or something. Peter, you've got a shadow cloak. Use it. Jeeze, you two trained in covert ops. It is not that hard to get our sleeping commander out of here... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to give a man some caf and confuse his wife..." Peter frowned as he watched Elsie walked away, then looked at Dawn. "She does have a point... Where's Miranda?" Dawn blinked, then laughed. "Why? So she can cause a heat wave in here as a distraction? We don't need Miranda for this. It's just an invisible, sneak, teleport." "Invisible, sneak, what?" Iris' voice asked as she joined them, Moira at her side. "What are you planning? An offensive?" Then she noticed the snoring woman practically in Peter's lap. "Why is she...?" "You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Dawn told her. "This has to do with her being language-scrambled, doesn't it?" Moira suddenly asked. "Yes." "You need help with her?" "No." "All right, then," Moira took a firm hold on Iris' arm. "It's not important. Let's go find my son, Iris." "But..." "Find Darvis now, medical later... You are taking her back to the apartment, right, Peter?" Peter nodded. "Yes." Moira smiled, then practically dragged Iris away. Dawn looked at Peter, almost laughing at Moira's antics. "We have just got to visit these people more often..." ~~~~~ Corran and Mirax were talking when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Frowning, he turned to find a woman standing there with two cups in her hands... Were those caf? "Can I help you?" The woman smiled and set the cups on the table. "I can't really explain this, because I don't understand entirely, but... These are from Ailee... She wanted you to know that everything is fine now, Mr. Horn." She glanced at Mirax, nodded once, and left them as quickly as she'd come. Corran watched as the woman in the gray dress walked away, then looked at the cups of caf. After a moment, he smiled and handed one to Mirax. Mirax accepted the cup from him, then tilted her head in question. "What was that about?" "I'm not certain." Mirax nodded slowly, then took a sip. "All right..." ~~~~~ They hadn't actually left the building when they'd snuck out. Instead, they'd gone to the roof to look out over Imperial City. Mara smiled as she leaned back into Luke, savoring the moment. "Mmmm..." "Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?" Luke asked, remembering the last time they'd been up on a similar roof, her telling him to not get himself in over his head. He'd gotten into plenty of trouble since then, but it was the thought that counted. "A lifetime and a moment ago," Mara agreed as she tiled her head to look at him. "Wasn't that long, really. A year, maybe two. But it does feel like a lifetime." Luke smiled and they returned to city-gazing. Then he frowned, thinking back on the evening... "Mara?" "Yes?" "Why didn't you tell me?" Mara turned her head so she could look at him again, and saw genuine curiosity, not judgement. "I was going to tell you... at the dinner we never got to have." Luke blinked, thinking back to that long-ago, nearly forgotten conversation. There had been a force impression... "You..." "Found out after we talked," Mara told him, her voice unsteady. "And then... after... it hurt too much to think about." "But you thought about it a lot." "Yes... Often... You're not mad, are you?" "Why would I be?" Mara smiled and kissed him on the lips. "I love you." "More than there are stars in the sky?" Mara blinked at him, then smiled again. "Yes." "And waves crashing on the sand?" "Oh, yes. Way more than that." Luke smiled down at her and then kissed her on the nose. "Glad to hear it." Then, together, they watched the evening traffic for a long while. They were together, and now was for them alone. There would be time enough for the rest of it later... TBC... -----signature----- "Say it with me now. Postcard. Zoo. Not. Shopping." master to jackyyy17, micky-nikki & Trimaj e-sis: BrightFeather & BrentusofGath All cats are leopards after dark.
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 7/15 3:25am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/14)
	Superb update. So Ailee was all mixed up in that whole horrific thing Mara went through?? Great scene there at the end -----signature----- My alters= Alida Maritin, Mara Jade, Deanna Troi. I'm not short on taste . They're mutually blessed soulmates of some hawt nummy... let me stop! Irish, ginchy= click, Squggles!
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 7/15 6:49am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/14)
	Melinda looked between Elsie and the thin air she was talking to. "Elsie?" "It's your fault, Mel. You wanted the singing." "And now there's a ghost?" "Two, actually... " "What does singing have to do with it? I thought it was good." Loving this story! -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 7/15 6:03pm Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/14)
	That was superb and emotional well done -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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Jade_Pilot Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 7/20 7:24am Subject: RE: Ever and Always (L/M, angst/romance) (update 7/14)
	Very creative!! LOL Moment: "I'm not doing the talky-through channel thing..." Well done! -----signature----- I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. - Rita Rudner
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