Beyond - Legends Life Sucks and Then You Live On (AU Luke, Mara, Callista: COMPLETED! 1 March, Chapter 7)

Thanks everybody for reading. I hope to get this done soon, but as you can see in this post I have a whole bunch of loose ends to tie up if we are going to have a Happily-Ever-After. And since I never ever outline a story I have no idea what is going to happen. It is like when I play chess with my son. I just move pieces around randomly since I absolutely hate the game. My son says, "I see what you are doing! I know your strategy." I am like, "No you don't!" How can he know my strategy...I have no strategy. It drives him crazy. I will move a piece at random. He is sure there is a reason for that move so he spends 10 minutes trying to figure out the reason for my last move. There is no reason!!

I guess what I am trying to say is I will take any suggestions as to how to end this story.

~JL~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
At the end of the evening Mara and Luke had two exhausted little boys on their hands. They had played nonstop until dinner. After their meal Mara put in a children?s holo into the projector for the kids to watch. Less than halfway through the film she discovered both boys asleep.

She went to the galley and found Luke drinking a hot chocolate. ?They are both asleep. I set up the second bunk in Darik?s room for Ben. Can you help me bring them to the cabin??

Luke smiled brightly. ?Sure.? They went to the recreation room and each picked up their sons slowly and gently so not to awaken them. They were carried to the room and tucked into their bunks. Mara made sure the nightlight was on and softly closed the door. She turned to see Luke staring at her with a besotted look on his face.

?What?? she asked.

Luke?s smile widened. ?I am just amazed at how good of a mother you are.?

A teasing smile touched her lips. ?Are you amazed because you didn?t think a former assassin could be loving, or did Darik astound you with stories about my incredible parenting skills.? She chuckled as she turned and walked toward her cabin.

?Definitely the latter?I always knew you were loving.? Luke proclaimed as he followed her. ? In fact you are the most lovable former assassin I know.?

She turned and gave him a faintly amused expression. ?Skywalker, are you flirting with me??

A surprised look crossed Luke?s face?as if he just realized that was exactly what he was doing. ?I?m sorry Mara. It?s been a while since I had a good day.?

She laughed. ?Don?t be sorry, you turn such a cute shade of red when embarrassed.?

A wide smile bloomed across his face. ?Darik said you thought I was cute.?

She looked at him in stunned disbelief. ?He said what??

Mara didn?t think it was possible, but Luke?s grin grew wider. ?He told me you said he was cute like his father?I assume you were referring to me.?

The color deepened in her cheeks as she shook her head. ?What else did he tell you, or do I even want to know??

He looked up at the ceiling in thought. ?You may not want to know.? He then burst out in laughter.

Mara tried to be mad at the man, but she couldn?t. It was good to see him happy again. Her features soften and she laughed with him. ?Come on in,? she gestured to her room. ?Let?s talk.?
.
.
.
Luke and Mara sat on opposite ends of her bed swapping parenthood stories. Although Luke knew it was probably not a good idea, Mara had brought out a bottle of wine that they were now sharing. He hesitated to take the alcohol for a moment remembering what happened the last time they were alone drinking together, but then he realized he really didn?t mind what happened. In fact, he wouldn?t mind if it happened repeatedly.

Mara?s head flew back in laughter as one of Luke?s comments. ?You were Mister Mom in your household??

Luke shrugged. ?As a baby, Ben seemed to have a propensity to vomit on Callista whenever she held him. She didn?t find it as endearing as I did.?

Mara smirked. ?I find Ben puking on Callista very endearing.?

?I meant I didn?t mind it when Ben did it to me.? Luke said with a chuckle. He took another sip of his wine and then looked at his beautiful companion over the e

 

Luke shrugged. ?As a baby, Ben seemed to have a propensity to vomit on Callista whenever she held him. She didn?t find it as endearing as I did.?

Callista has that effect on babies, doesn't she.

Great update. More soon please!

 

They're on the right path now! .

As for how this should end, something along the lines of a honeymoon would be nice.

 

I put that in just for you. She just never seemed like the mothering type to me. She was always mopping around about her loss of the Force and never appreciating the fact that she has a hot farmboy in her bed. That seems like a "me, me, me" personality.

 

And since I never ever outline a story I have no idea what is going to happen. It is like when I play chess with my son. I just move pieces around randomly since I absolutely hate the game. My son says, "I see what you are doing! I know your strategy." I am like, "No you don't!" How can he know my strategy...I have no strategy. It drives him crazy. I will move a piece at random. He is sure there is a reason for that move so he spends 10 minutes trying to figure out the reason for my last move. There is no reason!!



I guess what I am trying to say is I will take any suggestions as to how to end this story.
As long as it ends well, you'll hear no complaints from me

In fact you are the most lovable former assassin I know.?

She turned and gave him a faintly amused expression. ?Skywalker, are you flirting with me??

A surprised look crossed Luke?s face?as if he just realized that was exactly what he was doing. ?I?m sorry Mara. It?s been a while since I had a good day.?

She laughed. ?Don?t be sorry, you turn such a cute shade of red when embarrassed.?
Now who's flirting with who?


?As a baby, Ben seemed to have a propensity to vomit on Callista whenever she held him. She didn?t find it as endearing as I did.?
*falls off chair laughing*



?Gods Mara, this is going to be more complicated than I thought.?

She put her hand on his shoulder. ?Not if we go slow and let the children adjust. As for the adults?we need to find out if Callista is going to change her mind and request joint custody. We would need to find a way to keep Talon connected with Darik.? She gazed into his eyes. ?Luke this is going to be a very slow process.?
Maybe slower than Luke and I would like - but definitely a good process! Ben could find out how happy his dad is when mommy left - and love Mara because of that. And he might find out that he doesn't miss mommy as much as he should (as she never was much home anyway - like I didn't miss my poor dad much when my parents divorced) - and get bad conscience over that - and Luke could comfort him that it's ok

As for divorce papers - formalities!

 

I want to know Leia (and the media's) reaction to Mara having a baby with Luke before he married Callista - and not telling him about it. Han might be pragmatic about it, particularly since he heard it from Talon, who is good at putting things in a way that won't piss off the non-diplomatic type tempers, but Leia? And her precious "little" brother? Is the media going to find out? (I mean, how will they not, but when?)

Is there a PM list for this?

 

Leia doesn't know yet about Darik. Luke just found out when Ben was getting a heart operation two months earlier. It was at that time Luke first found out Ben wasn't his son, then he discovers Darik is his son. Then Callista runs off with her lover. So a lot of stuff was dumped on Luke. I figure the only thing Leia doesn't know is about Darik. I think she will forgive her brother for not mentioning anything about Darik since he has only been hiding the fact for two months...plus that information might be a bad thing to be let known while he is getting a divorce. I would think they would keep the media out of it if they could. As for the boys...I think they need to feel them out and decide when to talk to them. The hardest thing is what to tell Ben. Personally, I don't see any reason to tell him Luke is not his father. But that's just me. Why alienate a boy from his dad. He already lost his mother.

 

Ack! I thought I had reviewed!! Sorry, gal! I love how you have L/M talking again, and how there must have been love burning there all along, it just got lost along the way. Of course Luke would want to wait for divorce papers, Mara too, but I love how he made it clear that he's not really on the rebound since it's been over for so long. Callista is a gigantic dummy, but that's okay because I certainly don't want her with my farmboy!! LOL!!

Great update and can't wait to see how the rest of this unfolds!

 

I want to thank everybody for reading and taking the time to review. I appreciate it!

~JL~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


They were nearing the end of the four-day flight from Yavin 4 to Coruscant and for the first time in months Luke had found himself laughing, upbeat and looking forward to what the future held. It had been a very long time since he'd felt this way.

When Ben wasn?t playing with Darik he was up on the Wild Karrde flight deck totally mesmerized by all the buttons and lights. Luke was impressed with the tolerance Chin had for the little boy?s questions. ?What?s this do, what?s that do?? Usually a 6-year-olds inquisitiveness would become old and annoying after the tenth or twentieth question, but Chin and Talon patiently answered all of Ben?s inquiries. Talon commented that he was highly impressed with Ben?s ability to learn and recall the large amounts of information presented to him.

?He?s probably going to grow up to be a pilot,? Karrde had remarked.

Luke smiled inwardly. Ben might not share Luke?s genes, but he did have similar likes and dislikes and an obsession with flight was one of them. In that respect he definitely was his father?s son. Ben wanted to fly just as much as Luke did at his age. Ben wouldn?t become a Jedi, but Luke could see him as a graduate of the New Republic Fleet Academy. Perhaps he would go on to command his own Star Destroyer one day.

The long days of flight also allowed Luke to get to know Darik better. The boy had Luke?s looks, but his mother?s discipline and methodical personality. Luke noticed that Darik watched people intently; he listened to them and appeared to scrutinize the situations around him. Often Luke would catch Darik staring at him intensely as if he was trying to solve a mystery.

And the boy had incredible strength in the Force. One day Luke covertly reached out mentally to the boy to gage his Force potential and he found himself almost physically shoved back by Darik?s startled response. The last time that happened was when Luke tested Kyp Durron. Having two Force strong parents definitely increased Darik?s strength in the Force. He would one day be a powerful Jedi.

Luke was pleasantly surprised that Ben apparently taken a liking to Mara. He would find his son following her around, asking her questions about her work as a smuggler and the different places her and Darik had visited. ?it was almost like he was desperate for a mother-figure in his life. Luke realized he would need to talk to his son about the current situation. He didn?t want Ben to think Mara was going to replace his mother?although Luke knew Mara would be a much better role model for his son than Callista ever could. Still, he should discuss the divorce with Ben.

Luke saw his chance to speak to his son alone after their mid-day meal. Darik had not finished eating and Ben was walking back to the room the two boys shared.

?Ben,? Luke said as he intercepted his son in the corridor. ?I would like to talk to you privately for a minute.?

A concerned looked crossed the boy?s face.

Luke laughed. ?Don?t worry, you?re not in trouble.? He thought for a moment. ?Did you do something that I should know about??

Ben shook his head innocently.

?Okay, it?ll just take a few minutes,? Luke said as he guided his son into his cabin and shut the door.

Luke sat down on his bunk and motioned for Ben to join him. The little boy sat next to his father and Luke put an arm around him and gave him a hug. Luke looked down at his son. ?How do you like being on the Wild Karrde??

His son smiled. ?It?s great. I like Darik and Captain Karrde and his Pilot Chin are teaching me to fly the ship!?

?That?s great.? Luke said with a smile. ?How about Darik?s mother? Do you like her.?

The boy nodded. ?She?s nice.? He looked up at his dad. ?Do you like her??

Luke nodded. ?Yes I do, very much.? He hesitated in thought. He wasn?t sure how to put this. ?Ben, you know mommy and I are getting a divorce, but do you understand what that means??

He lowered his head and nod

 

Awwwwww. Kids are smarter - or at least more aware of what's going on - than adults give them credit for sometimes. Love to see what's going to happen.

Oh yeah, I got PMed twice for this chapter.

 

Kids are always more aware that adults think.

I'm so glad Ben has taken to Mara. Great chapter!

 

I want to thank Hazel in helping me write the mush. I am bad at descriptions. Thanks! There is an epilogue after this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Luke smiled at Darik?s comment about Mara loving him. He held his arms out to his children. Darik stood and hugged Luke. ?Come here Ben,? Luke said as he motioned to his other son. Ben smiled as he embraced his father.

Luke held them both tightly then gradually released them giving each boy a kiss on their foreheads. ?I love you two very much.? He looked up at Mara. ?And I love you too.?

Mara blushed and looked away.

Luke stood and looked at the two boys lovingly. ?You guys may want to have time alone to think or talk about what?s happened.? He opened the door to his cabin. ?Why don?t you two go to your rooms or play in the cargo hold for a while. I would like to talk to Darik?s mom privately.?

The two boys gave each other knowing looks. ?I think they are going to kiss.? Darik said with his face scrunched up in disgust.

?Gross,? Ben agreed as he exited.

?And you better not ride on Sturm?s back again,? Mara called out.

The two boys glanced to each other. ?I told you she could hear really well.? Darik whispered to his brother.

Luke closed the door and then turned towards Mara with a self-satisfied grin.

?Darik makes some interesting observations.?

She rolled her eyes and sat on his bed with her back to the bulkhead. ?He?s just like his father. He doesn?t censor his thoughts. He just blurts out whatever pops into his head.? She raised an eyebrow in his direction. ?That?s probably why your sister is the politician and not you.?

Luke sat down next to her. ?So are you saying what he said isn?t true.?

She gazed at him in irritation. ?There?s truth to it. You are the father of my son.? She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. ?Every time I look at him I am reminded of you. I love him more than anything in the world and I realize I wouldn?t have him without you. How can I not have feelings for the father of my son? You gave me my greatest gift?my greatest joy.?

Luke sat for a moment deep in thought. There was so much he wanted for the boys but he wasn?t sure if Mara felt the same way.

?Mara, is there a way that the boys can be raised together?? Luke asked.

?You could join the Wild Karrde crew,? she said halfheartedly.

?Or you and Darik can join me at the Academy,? Luke ventured. ?Darik should train as a Jedi. He?s very powerful in the Force.? He paused for a moment. ?You could finish your training.?

He could see her stiffen at the very suggestion. ?Why does it always come back to that? The training. I tried the training...I didn?t like the training.? She gave him a hard look. ?Have you ever considered that Darik might not want to be a Jedi? He may dream about becoming an engineer or a veterinarian?and not a Jedi engineer or Jedi veterinarian. And did you ever once consider that perhaps I don?t want my son?s life always in danger??

Luke was stunned momentarily. He never once considered the possibility that Darik would not train as a Jedi. He rubbed his temple trying to work out some of the stress. ?Why can?t anything be easy??

Mara turned to Luke. ?Darik has to forge his own destiny. It?s not preordained that he will follow your footsteps.? She gestured in a sad way. ?If Darik wants to train as a Jedi, I won?t stop him. Force knows he idolizes the Jedi and if he?s anything like you he will always run into harms way to save the day.?

She got up off his bunk. ?I told you this will take time. Give it time.? She opened the door to his room. ?We should be at Coruscant in a few hours. You might want to get packed.?

Luke just nodded. He hoped things went well with his sister.


~Coruscant~

Mara, Luke and the two boys took the shuttle down from the Wild Karrde. Talon said he needed to do a quick run and would be back in about three weeks. Mara knew he probably signed up for any cargo mission available in order to avoid any awkward conversations with the Solos.

Wh

 

Lady. Girl. You don't know HOW much I needed the grin that is on my face tonight. I love it and I'm so happy L/M are happy and will be a family with their new baby on the way. I also love the moisture farming joke--OMG.

SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU.

 

Best moisture farming joke. Luke really is the best moisture farmer. Look at his effect to women around the world. Can't wait for epilogue. Guess you didn't want to go into sludge views - though they can be funny.

Hey ginchy! Do a 'shine!

 

JL, stop confusing me!!! I read the epilogue over at LJ and it spoiled this for me.

Though, the moisture farmer joke made up for it

 

Yay!!! Love it!

And you're welcome, I'm always happy to help.

?I?m pregnant again! How do you do it! I?m on repress meds. I was on repress meds when Darik was conceived also! Are your swimmers doing some Jedi Mind Trick on my reproductive system??

 

Mara's pregnant again? Lol! I guess it's the will of the Force.

And that moisture farming joke...

 

Thanks everybody for reading. I'm glad I was able to turn around my angst filled first chapter and give it a happy ending.
Some people wanted Luke and Mara to have more babies...maybe they do have them and Winter is babysitting the Skywalker brood during the events in this chapter.

I have been feeling ill, so I wanted to get this final chapter up before I get sick and my muse goes into a coma.

Thanks for reading and taking the time to review.

~JL~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~Coruscant: three months later~

Leia, we got a delivery.? Han said as he signed for a package from a delivery droid. ?It looks like a hologram projector from Luke. It says ?Honeymoon holos??

Leia gave her husband a skeptical look.

?I?m sure your brother is not going to send you anything racy,? Han laughed. ?Besides, they brought the boys with them.?

They sat on the couch and turned on the Holo and the first thing Leia noticed was how happy Luke looked. She never saw him that cheerful when he was with Callista. The holos went into a slideshow mode. Leia and Han watched the family hiking and swimming on the beaches of Chandrilla and then sightseeing at Coronet City and Bela Vistal on Corellia.

Leia sat back and smiled. ?They look so happy.?

Han put his arm around his wife. ?Luke and Mara deserve this happiness.? He smiled at Leia. ?We should plan a second honeymoon.?

She gave him a sultry grin. ?Why don?t we start now??

Han kissed her tenderly. ?I heard our bedroom is a great place to visit this time of year.?

He picked up Leia off the couch and carried her to the bedroom. Leia was laughing happily. ?Gods I love a scoundrel!?
.
.
.
~Coruscant: 2 Years Later~

?Leia,? Han called out. ?We got more holos from your brother.?

Han went over to the dining room table where Leia was sipping some caf. He put the projector on the table and turned it on.

?Look how much the baby has grown?? Leia gasped. Han gazed at the image of his niece Jessa. The little girl had bright red hair like her mother but had Luke?s goofy smile. She was in a one-piece swimsuit with little floatation devices around her upper arms. It looked like she was on the beach. The next holo was of Mara in a bikini.

?Wow, Mara lost all that baby weight.? Leia remarked.

Han looked closer. ?That?s some bathing suit.?

Leia frowned. ?Don?t be looking at my brother?s wife that way.?

Han gave her an innocent look. ?I was just admiring the swimsuit and thinking how much better it would look on you.?

?Scoundrel.? Leia said as a smile crept on her face.

The next holo was of ?Grandpa Talon? standing in baggy swim trunks with the Ben and Darik smiling brightly next to him.

?Oh no!? Han yelp as the next holo came up of Chin in a very tight micro swimsuit. He was on the beach with Darik and Ben and it looked like he was in the process of throwing a ball to the boys.

Leia covered her eyes with her hand. ?That suit doesn?t leave much to the imagination.?

Han gave his wife a fake glare. ?Don?t be looking at another man?s swimsuit like that.?

Leia laughed her eyes still covered. ?Just let me know when it is over.?

?Okay, it?s over.? Han said. Leia looked back only to cover her eyes again.

?Force, is that my brother in a C-Ring square-cut swimsuit??

Han let out a hoot. ?Luke, she married you already, you don?t need to tempt her with the merchandise.? He grinned at Leia. ?Do you think I would look good in that type of suit??

She gave him a heated gaze. ?You would look good in anything?or nothing.?

Han?s eyes went wide. ?Oh really.? He turned off the projector. ?Why don?t we go to the bedroom while the kids are still at school and I will model some outfits for you.?

She stood up from the table and took her husband?s hand. ?Why don?t you model the ?nothing? first.?
.
.
.
~Coruscant: New Republic Fleet Academy, Graduating Ceremony 34ABY~

One thousand graduating seniors stood at attention on the Monument Plaza parade field. Their uniforms were crisp; shoes polished to a high shi

 

You're so mean to Callista.

I liked the epilogue. I like Luke and Mara having a child who doesn't become a Jedi. My diary for next year will be about Luke and Mara's daughter who decides not to be a Jedi. It's really interesting to explore as everyone assumes that Luke would want his kids to be a Jedi. In short, I like it.

 

YAY! I'm so glad that everyone got a happy ending except that body-snatching loser who didn't know a good thing when she had it.

I wonder if Ben ever found out that Luke wasn't his bio dad?

I love the snippet of their lives, and how normal everything was for them. They deserve that and more!

 

Dawwwww! You know I love this ending. And Callista got what she deserved.

 

Thank you Thank you Thank you for turning the angsty beginning into such a happy ending.

 

I've been reading the novels, though I haven't read the latest one. No time these days. Darik has inherited his mother's razorsharp hearing.

It's a jailbait trap!

That'll stay with me - and totally change that scene whenever I watch it now.

Feel better! Don't get sick!

 

I loved that story! It's good that ben had Han and Talon around - I don't think Luke and Mara would single Darik out, but still, not having the Force when your brother is one of the most powerful Force users...

And do I see a sequel? Callista is really creepy...

 

Sorry for absense - I got my copy of Apocalypse and since it was 440 pages SW, it outconquered fanfic. But not in quality! And that says something, as it was very good too!


Talon commented that he was highly impressed with Ben?s ability to learn and recall the large amounts of information presented to him.
Computer brains...


?I would like to talk to you privately for a minute.?

A concerned looked crossed the boy?s face.

Luke laughed. ?Don?t worry, you?re not in trouble.? He thought for a moment. ?Did you do something that I should know about??
Kids!


?I know this is tough on you and you miss your mom.?

?No,? Ben whispered.
Yessness!!! I knew he wouldn't miss her!



The man never fixed the computer. When you were visiting Aunt Leia the computer broke every day and he?d make a lot of noise trying to fix it.?
I know this is awful but it just made me laugh!


"Well, he was banging on something old and broken that probably couldn?t be fixed ,? Luke muttered through grinding teeth.and this made me fall of the chair...


He had an incredible urge to go back to Yavin 4 and burn the mattress, sheets and anything else Callista or her lover possibly touched.
You should, Luke, really, you should...


You do realize that I am only 14 years your senior.?

She smiled. ?You started young?anyway,
You know, I've always had that feeling too.


Ben is a great kid. He?s without the Force, so maybe he needs a man in his life that he can relate to. Han or I fit the bill. Also he wants to be a pilot. I wouldn?t mind having him around when Darik visits.?
You have a wonderful ability of mixing complete crazy comments and situations with absloutely wise and true moments!


So when am I supposed to start spoiling them??




?Ben, are you okay with having a new brother?? Luke could tell his son was overwhelmed by the news. He had a dumbfounded look to him as he tried to process what was being said.

?Do I have to give him half my toys?? Ben asked.
*falls of chair again*
Even if I didn't know you're a motehr yourself, you'd be revelaing yourself by this. Ok, you could a a grandsister too, but...


And when Mom is around you she feels different. I can tell she loves you almost as much as me?so you must be my daddy.?
Awwwwww...... From the mouth of children....


The two boys gave each other knowing looks. ?I think they are going to kiss.? Darik said with his face scrunched up in disgust.

?Gross,? Ben agreed as he exited.



?Darik makes some interesting observations.?

She rolled her eyes and sat on his bed with her back to the bulkhead. ?He?s just like his father. He doesn?t censor his thoughts. He just blurts out whatever pops into his head.?
Trust Mara to push away when it's not her who's setting the tempo


He turned on his side and was alarmed to see the other side of the bed empty. ?Oh no, no.? He looked around his bedroom in panic. ?Mara!?

The tension melted from his body when he saw his beautiful companion walking out of the ?fresher wearing his bathrobe.
Loved how you let them slip to teh same bedroom - and then this almost-panic to take the worst sugar off the moment.


What woman would agree to marry a man she?s never dated??

?Okay,? Luke said slowly. ?Lets go see a holo and then get married on the way home.?
*falls off ´chair third time*

I think we should get to know each other better first.?

?Your right,? Luke moaned as Mara pressed her body against his, ? we need to get to know each other much better.?
*groans from floor*


?Dammit Skywalker!? She screamed as she walked out of the bathroom in her underwear and waving something in her hand. ?I?m pregnant again! How do you do it! I?m on repress meds. I was on repress meds when Darik was conceived also! Are your swimmers doing some Jedi Mind Trick on my reproductive system??
Good grief, I've always thought he'd have super-powe