Beyond - Legends 'Comfort & Joy', L/M

Title: Comfort & Joy
Author: ginchy
Timeline: 6 ABY, 20 ABY
Disclaimer: I don?t own these characters, but I love them.
Notes: I am addicted to holiday L/M fic. Thanks to JediMara77 for looking this over!

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[i]6 ABY:[/i]

Luke Skywalker leaned back against his seat and sighed. It was cool inside of the cantina, the chill of the ice and snow outside permeating even the festive atmosphere of the room. He pulled his thin jacket in closer around him as he held his left hand over the steam from his cup of caf. At least the right hand didn?t need warming, he thought darkly and sighed again.

?Another sigh kid and you?ll be riding home in one of the smuggling compartments of the [i]Falcon[/i].? But the corner of Han Solo?s mouth was upturned as if to soften his words.

Luke shook his head and suppressed another sigh. ?Sorry, Han. Really, I am. I just? I guess my mind?s somewhere else tonight.?

?Yeah,? Han said, taking a long pull out of his bottle of ale. ?Know what you mean.?

Han?s eyes took on a faraway look and Luke knew that he was thinking of Leia. She was back on Coruscant while he, Han and Chewie had investigated a possible Imperial stronghold on Kestos Minor. Stronghold had turned out to be too strong of a word for the handful of ex-patriots holed up in a warehouse on the edges of a populated citycenter. Luke had almost felt like it was a wasted trip until one of the men, fervent and over-eager, had pulled out a detonator and aimed it at an unassuming crowd.

In the confusion and aftermath only one person lie dead?the Imperial with the detonator. But to Luke that was one death too many and he began to wonder when it would all end. When the Imperials would stand down and when some type of peace could be reached.

?I guess I?m just wondering when it?s all going to end, Han,? Luke burst out, the image of the man with the bomb still fresh in his mind. ?We keep going to all these backwater planets and finding?what? A man who was willing to blow himself up? For what? A dying Empire.?

Han regarded him over his bottle. ?You just answered yourself, kid. The Empire is dying. Eventually--? He left the rest of that statement unspoken, pointing the bottle at Luke. ?And when did our roles reverse? Usually I have to drink a couple of these to tune out all your optimism and hope.?

Luke sighed. ?I just can?t see the good we?re doing? I?m doing? anymore. I thought that by becoming a Jedi I would be able to help the galaxy but so far?not much has changed.? He looked around the cantina at the smattering of strange decorations on the walls. He assumed some holiday was upcoming on the planet because the décor looked out place on the walls, and hastily tacked up. But the patrons around them didn?t seem to care as they merrily drank and chatted, unaware of the danger they had faced earlier.

?Maybe you?ve changed,? Han said, finishing his ale and sitting it down on the table. He stood and clapped Luke on the shoulder. ?Look, kid?what happened today wasn?t your fault. The guy was unhinged. And you gotta think, there was a whole crowd of people there who made it because we?you?were there.?

Luke took stock of the words and looked up into Han?s face. ?You?re right,? he said after a moment. ?Thanks, buddy.?

Han squeezed his shoulder. ?Look I?m gonna go and check on the [i]Falcon[/i]. Chewie said it would only take a half-hour to de-ice.?

?I?ll be right there.? He turned and watched Han leave, then regarded the people around him. Han was right. They had kept a crowd of people safe, even if that one loss was hard on his conscious. He had thought that being a Jedi would be somewhat different than this. He was constantly in situations where he didn?t know the complete outcome, just doing the best he could before moving on to the next crisis.

He looked down at the table and traced a crack in the grain of the wood. He just wished there were more that he could do. Taking a gulp of

 

FIRST post!

I love how you weaved this story together! It makes me wonder how many times they may have almost met in the past.

Bravo!

 

Awesome! It's like another Choices of One close call. See the Force was trying to bring them together even back then.

 

Loved this viggie.

Luke and Mara not meeting but remembering that later

 

I loved the Force tugging at them, even back then.

blankey sweet

 

I agree with Jedi_Lover - what a close call and sweet that was-almost meeting that way

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Luke just wants an excuse to cuddle in public (And you don't hear Mara complaining, either)

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Blankie and toe curler, in a mutual fashion LOL

ginchy - don't ever, ever leave us again! Huggles!!!!!!!

 

Absolutely loved this! And IMO it beats CoO with lightyears! I could almost physically feel their loneliness and cold in the start - and the casual way they cross paths here is so heartwarming! Awesome!

 

I loved this one. The imagery and writing are wonderful - it really puts you in the scene. You can see how long the Force was trying to pull them together. The time between Palpatine's death and joining Karrde's organization had to be so rough for Mara. It's nice to see her get a little relief from an anonymous benefactor here.

 

Awww! I absolutely loved this! The ending was very sweet. How I love holiday mushy fics!

 

Oh, so sweet! I love the way they are on the way to convergence, following that same crack in the counter, feeling the echoes of each other. And then, the convergence itself. Good things come to those who are willing to wait, indeed. Beautiful and gentle.

Thanks for the holiday cheer!!!

 

Luke buying everyone drinks like a boss!

I can feel the holiday spirit in you fic, it's great! But what wouldn't I give for snow on Christmas...

 

Very sweet!

 

How very sweet. Just the right touch. You need to write more often ginchy, you're so good!

 

Wow, that was great! I love how they just barely missed each other amd then years later they remembered.

 

What a sweet almost-meeting! I love it! I wonder if in their conversation later they realize they were at the same place at the same time... I also ADORED seeing Han have such a place in this fic. Fantastic. Fun holiday vignette!

 

Thanks for reading, everyone!!

Jade_Pilot: Thank you, lady!! Glad to see you get first. Hee! I love the idea of almost meetings. So romantic.

Jedi_Lover: Thank you!! I still need to read CoO?. LOL

earlybird-obi-wan: Thank you for reading!!

Hazel: hee. I love the blankey part, too. Thanks!!

Jade_eyes: I love cuddly Luke. And the blanky part was just too funny. You know Luke?s always cold and needing to snuggle with his honey. Thank you, gal!! And thank you for your excitement over EoA. I hope I can deliver? eep!!

kataja: Thank you, lady!! I just love the idea of them having an impact on each other before they even met.

JediMara77: I can?t even imagine how tough that time was for Mara. But it helped to make her the woman she was. Thank you, girl!!

Briannakin: Girl, I cannot get enough of holiday L/M fics. L/M and Arbor Day?? Bring it on!! Thanks!!

divapilot: I?m glad you caught them tracing the same crack at the table. I love little thiings like that. I?m so glad you enjoyed. Thank you!! And PS: I MISS YOU!!!

Mondra: I love the idea of him buying a round. I?m glad you could feel the holiday spirit. I wanted it to read that way. Thanks so much!!

JadeLotus: Thanks, lady!!

CurtisZidaneZiraa: Thank you so much!! That?s so sweet. I will be starting a novel length fic on 1/30?. I hope everyone will enjoy it, too!

JainaSoloYJK: Thank you!!

Luna_Nightshade: I like to think they did? and then maybe it touched off a shared memory in their bond. And Han! I don?t write him nearly enough because he?s so hard to peg down, but I adore his and Luke?s friendship!! Thank you!!

 

I'm a bit late to the party, but that was really, really lovely. I don't usually like the close-calls of Luke and Mara almost meeting, but here it was very natural and believable. And super sweet of course.