Beyond - Legends Lightsabers and Lullabies (L/M, Ben) Family Missing Moment *COMPLETED 6/28*

Aw! That was so funny, but sweet still.

Ben clutched at a pair of Mara's underpants and pulled it on top of his head." "Nah-nee."

Neither parent could hold back this time. Luke was nearly rolling on the floor, cackling in amusement.

"Very becoming, son," he managed to spit out. "But that looks better on your mommy."

Mara floated the undergarment off Ben and dropped it onto Luke's head. "Oh, I don't know." She pulled Ben onto her lap. "What do you think, Ben? Daddy looks pretty cute, too."

i loved that! lol! good work!
post soon? please?

 

I'll have to remember to print this out and stick at the end of Destiny's Way.

 

Hey!!

I love ur fic!! Ben is just 2 cute!!! BTW- I loved ur story so much that i requested every1 at the MJFC go read it. I know a story is funny when i practically fall outta my chair...okay so i did. ...and I hit my head on the door thing on my computer cabinet.

...But it's ok!! I just wonder what kind of underwear it was.

I personally think red lace underwear would be the funniest.

 

The impetus for me to write this came from reading one of the reviews of Destiny's Way here at TF.N, where it's said that 'people don't really want to read about diapers or teaching Ben to walk or talk...'

[face_outraged] Are you kidding?! That's my biggest gripe about the EU! We never get to see everyday life! We never get to see the characters enjoying normal family life! That's exactly what I want to read about. I'm having 'evil villain, destructive war, another destroyed planet' burnout, quite frankly. I like stories like yours.

Mara gave him a sharp glare, then jerked as Ben yanked a handful of her hair. "Ow!" She extricated the red-gold strands from Ben's fist, then held him out to her husband. "Here, now you can hold him."

One of my very favorite parts of this story. That's about the point that I hand my niece and nephew over too.

"But the fact remains, he's a Jedi child and he's going to be constantly exposed to dangers such as lightsabers and blasters and even the occasional vibroblade, which a certain Jedi I know still tucks in her left boot.

LOL! So very Mara. I doubt she'd ever give up her holdout blaster or vibroblade. I think they're her security blanket.

"You were being a family." Tionne favored all of them with a gentle smile, her large mother-of-pearl eyes shimmering with geniality. "As it should be."

EXACTLY!!!! And are any of the profic people listening? ARGH!

It was very sweet of Luke to try to teach Ben how to say 'mommy'. I love your interpretation of Skywalker family life.

 

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

Rogue_Princess - Thanks. I tried to show how parenting can go from laughing-out-loud fun to heart-stopping panic in the blink of an eye -- even for middle-aged Jedi Masters. Next post will be Saturday morning.

RebelMom - I've done that same thing with other people's Missing Moments stories.

JainaPadmeJade - Ouch! Hope you weren't hurt. Should I have posted a 'Not Responsible for Accidents' message at the beginning? Thanks for the endorsement at the MJFC.

And I'll let you use your own imagination as to what kind of underwear.

Gabri_Jade - To be fair, the reviewer was complaining that Ben wasn't present. He just didn't want the same kind of scenes that we want.

That's my biggest gripe about the EU! We never get to see everyday life!

I totally agree. Though there was that great scene in 'Star by Star' where Mara burns Luke's breakfast, and he pretends to like it anyway. But those kinds of scenes are few and far between.

So very Mara. I doubt she'd ever give up her holdout blaster or vibroblade.

Me, either. But she does use her lightsaber more now that she's a Jedi. Have you noticed that all the book covers have Mara wielding a big blaster instead of a saber?

I have written a couple other little 'missing moments' tales for the Skywalkers, and I have a feeling the pro authors will leave plenty of opportunities for more.

Thanks again, all of you.

 

I just found this and my isnt this story a gem!!!! Oh i just love the 'undergarment' scene!!! Sigh.. wish i had a holorecorder too!!!

 

it's ok Jedi-2B!! I'm always clumsy.
I don't know how i came to be a dancer...i'll trip over my own feet.

No prob for the support! I know what it's like to post and post and not get replies, so i always try to reply to the stories that drew some emotion outta me.

Love y'all!!

 

I totally agree. Though there was that great scene in 'Star by Star' where Mara burns Luke's breakfast, and he pretends to like it anyway. But those kinds of scenes are few and far between.

I loved that scene. But you're right, there aren't enough of them.

But she does use her lightsaber more now that she's a Jedi. Have you noticed that all the book covers have Mara wielding a big blaster instead of a saber?

Yes, I have. *sighs* It's a step backward, if you ask me. Like Anakin said in Onslaught, Mara wouldn't be caught dead without a blaster; but that doesn't mean that she automatically reaches for a blaster first these days. Is she a Jedi Master or isn't she? Of course she'll use her lightsaber more often. I think that sometimes the profic people forget that Mara has changed greatly since her Emperor's Hand days. One of the many reasons I love fanfic so much.

 

Great story Jedi-2b! Although I don't read any NJO stuff myself (killing Chewie just wasn't the way to get me hooked! ) this is a wonderful vignette of that "Alternate Universe"!

I love your interplay between Mara, Luke, and Ben!

Keep up the good work and more Luke/Mara wonderfulness!

 

Oh, a few new readers. Yeah! Thanks once again, everyone, for taking the time to reply.

Sash - Welcome! I'm glad you found this, too, and glad you enjoyed it.

JainaPadmeJade - Good thing this isn't Naboo. We don't banish people for being clumsy.

Gabri_Jade - I just read that Troy Denning is going to do a post-NJO paperback trilogy. Dare we hope he'll include some more good M&L scenes?

Rivad_Bacar - Welcome to you, too! There are some good parts to the NJO, and some not-very-good parts. Just like any other series, I suppose. But glad you liked my little protest to there not being enough good parts.

 

Here's another section. Not as exciting, but ... hey, they have to eat, don't they?

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The family easily found the dining hall by following the increasing din of noise. As they entered, Tionne immediately approached them with an anxious expression on her face. "Is everything all right? We sensed distress coming from all three of you."

"Oh, simply your typical Skywalker calamity," Mara replied. "Ben decided he wanted an up close and personal look at Luke's lightsaber."

"Oh, my." Tionne looked apologetic. "We forgot to tell you what a fascination he's developed for anything that looks remotely mechanical."

"Well, he gets it honestly," Mara admitted.

"From both of us," Luke added. "But, Tionne, we've never had any serious problems with the trainees toying with lightsabers, and I fully realize that I have you and Kam to thank for that. Now, however, I regret not paying more attention to how you were able to cultivate such discipline."

Tionne let an amused chuckle escape. "Ah, so now I get to be the teacher, Master? Come get a tray, and I'll try to explain over dinner."

"Try not, Tionne," Mara put in. "We need you to DO."

The group got into the serving line, where Syal Antilles and Kam were dishing out portions of the evening meal to the queue of hungry students. Ben pulled out of Mara's grasp and followed Jysella Horn to a nearby table. Keeping a careful eye on her son, Mara accepted the tray of food from Kam.

"What's this?" she asked the older Jedi, pointing to a bowl of dark red vegetables. "Why is no one else getting this?"

"That's Ben's dish," he replied with a chuckle. "Neebo beans ? one of the few things lately that he'll eat well."

"Ah, so that's why everything is labeled 'knee,'" Luke said.

"Probably. His vocabulary seems to center on whatever his favorite food is at the moment."

When Luke and Mara reached the dining table, the Melodie student Sannah had already strapped Ben into a step-up seat. The young teen was settling into what appeared to be her customary seat to Ben's right. Jysella was perched on the other side of Sannah, delighting Ben with her repertoire of silly faces.

Mara claimed the chair to the left of Ben, and Luke and Tionne took places next to her. Ben was already reaching for the bowl of beans as Mara set it in front of him.

"Nee! Nee!" Ben said, delving into the dish with his fingers.

"Ben, spoon," Tionne called, passing a small utensil to Mara.

Ben adamantly shook his head. "No. No spoo."

Tionne cast a glance at Mara that clearly indicated she would leave the matter to the stubborn boy's mother. Mara wasn't about to pass up this opportunity to practice her mothering skills.

"Here, Ben, use the spoon."

"No." The toddler plucked a slippery red bean out of the bowl and crammed it into his mouth.

"Look, Ben, see how I'm doing it." Mara scooped up a single bean with the spoon and popped it into her own mouth. She struggled not to make a face at the vegetable's bland flavor.

"They taste like fiberboard," Tionne whispered to Luke, giving him a surreptitious smile. "But Ben loves them, and they are rather nutritious."

Mara pressed the utensil into her son's hand, then smirked over her shoulder at her adult companions as Ben balanced a pair of beans in the spoon and shoveled them into his mouth. Apparently this was as far as he was willing to go in appeasing his mother, as he promptly dropped the spoon to the floor with a clatter while simultaneously grabbing a fistful of his dinner with his other hand.

Sannah extended an open palm toward the spoon, and it flew into her webbed fingers. "He's just playing, Master. I can help feed him, if you like."

Mara looked into the lively yellow eyes of the petite girl, sensing her eagerness to assist. "I suppose that would be all right," she replied, her reluctance somewhat tempered by the smeared red stain now covering Ben's face.

Just as Mara turned toward her husband, Tionne was nodding in the young Melodie's direction. "Sannah has been a trem

 

Wonderful! It's plain to see you're quite familiar with all the pitfalls and perils of motherhood. It's quite fun to see Mara reduced to a bit of helplessness in the face of toddler stubborness.

Lovely post!

 

Hey i loved it!! Although i fel so bad for Mara, she doesn't even know how to handle her own kid. Well I still thought some parts were funny and I hope when i return I'll have a new update to laugh at!! See y'all soon!!

 

its really sad to think about it, poor Luke and Mara will be like Han and Leia, having to get to know their son for such a short time and then having to leave again....... *sniffle*

 

Dare we hope he'll include some more good M&L scenes?

Hope springs eternal, and I've been rather pleased with what I've read of Troy Denning's work so far. Maybe he will.

"They consider it their duty to demonstrate to the trainees how to be normal."

*grins* Syal and Myri have certainly inherited their parents' attitudes, haven't they?

Guilty expressions suddenly crossed the faces of both Luke and Mara. "We used to strap him in his baby seat to watch when we sparred," Luke muttered.

Whether it was the best thing to do or not, that's very Luke and Mara. And if you put me in their place, I'd probably have done the same thing.

Scampering around a corner, he paused until he was sure they were following, then took flight once more.

Wow, Ben actually waited to see if they were following him! *mutters* My brother never waited...just ran like a little wild savage... This is such a fun story, Jedi-2B. I really do love reading about the characters simply living life.

 

LadyPadme - I'll let you in on a secret. Much of Tionne's advice came right out of a very dog-eared Dr. Spock baby care book. (Substituting 'lightsaber' for 'sharp knife,' etc.)

JainaPadmeJade - Mara Jade, former Emperor's Hand and Imperial assassin, bested by a one-year-old! I think Ben could inherit stubbornness from both parents, though.

Have a good trip, wherever you're going.

Jedi_Liz - Hopefully they won't be separated from him for as long as H&L were from their kids. After all, the war's slated to end in November.

Gabri_Jade - "We used to strap him in his baby seat to watch when we sparred," Luke muttered.

Whether it was the best thing to do or not, that's very Luke and Mara.

I thought it sounded like something they would do. I doubt they would want to waste a precious minute of not having him with them.

Wow, Ben actually waited to see if they were following him! *mutters* My brother never waited...just ran like a little wild savage...

Looking at it from Ben's angle, he probably wanted to make sure they didn't disappear. I'm guessing your brother hadn't been separated from your parents for the last three months.

Thanks, everyone, for the compliments. Next post Monday morning. (Unless I get some computer free time tonight).

 

I agree with Liz.. it must be tearing them up inside, the knowledge that they have to leave all too soon

 

It's great seeing Luke and Mara be "normal" parents. they aren't perfect. I also hope to see a little more family time in the books.

 

Sash and RebelMom - I'm sure it's tearing them both up inside. So they have to make the most of the few days that they have with him.

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Here's an earlier than planned (and longer than usual) post to end the weekend. We've already seen the 'lightsaber' half of the story title, so can you guess what's next?

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"I don't know what to do," Mara grated out when the Skywalkers finally made it back to their room. "How can we have been surrounded by children all those years at the academy, and still be the galaxy's worst parents?"

"We are not," Luke countered. "He's just developed a lot since we last saw him."

"Tionne and Kam don't even have children of their own," Mara continued, ignoring Luke's protests, "and they know more about child-rearing than we do."

"We've only had that one incident with the lightsaber, Mara, and nothing bad resulted. We would've figured out how to keep him away from sabers on our own, without asking them."

"Maybe," she conceded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I can just imagine the holoreporters' headlines, though ? 'The Jedi Masters Skywalker, in an effort to keep their son safe from Yuuzhan Vong, Peace Brigaders, and the Calamarian flu, have hidden the child in an undisclosed location. However, following in the Skywalker tradition, they allowed him to cut off his right hand with a lightsaber.'"

"Mara, that is not a bit funny."

"Nah-nee," Ben put in, tugging on his mother's pants leg.

"Ben, your mother is just plain scary sometimes. Any rumors you hear to that effect are true."

Ben looked at Luke with curiosity in his eyes, then looked up at his mother. "Nah-nee," he said, raising his arms. "Up."

"Yes, you're a brave little Jedi," Mara cooed, lifting up the boy onto her lap.

Sitting down next to Mara, Luke began stroking the top of Ben's head. "Yuck!" he exclaimed, picking at a gooey substance in the child's hair. "What is this, mashed neebo beans?"

"Uck, nee," Ben jabbered, poking his own fingers in his hair and then sticking them in his mouth. "Nee ... nee ..."

Mara took a closer survey of the rest of her son. "He's a mess all over." She touched the tip of Ben's nose with her fingertip. "Somebody needs a bath."

"Yeee ...!" was the chattered reply. "Baa ..."

Luke wrinkled his nose. "And quickly. He smells worse than the inside of a tauntaun."

Mara gazed coolly at her husband over the top of Ben's head. "You strip. I'll gather."

Luke pulled the child onto his own lap and began removing his soft padded boots. Mara rummaged through the supplies that Kam had left in the crib and pulled out a diaper and a nightshirt. Freed from the constrictions of his miniature Jedi tunic and leggings, Ben slipped to the floor and darted around the room that much faster ? running, climbing, examining everything.

"You know, this sink isn't very big," Mara called from the refresher. "He's barely going to fit into it.

Picking up his squirming boy, Luke peered over her shoulder. "We'll make do," he said. Laying Ben on a towel spread out on the floor, he hurriedly removed the soiled diaper. "Whew!" he exclaimed. "I think those beans went straight through. The least Tionne could have done is 'fresher train him before we got here."

Filling the basin with tepid water, Mara stood back smirking as Luke finished the disposal duties. "Aren't fathers supposed to train boy babies?"

"I always thought you just find someone like Winter, and let her take care of it."

"Well, no matter how much of an undertaking it is, I hope we're with him full time when he's ready," Mara replied wistfully, stepping aside so Luke could lower the kicking boy into the water. The kicking, unfortunately, didn't end when Ben's feet hit the water. He loved splashing water everywhere; it soon became obvious that by the end of the bath nothing in the refresher would remain dry, including his two parents.

"Whoa, kiddo! Mommy and I didn't need a bath. Hold him a second, Mara," Luke said, as he slipped off his tuni

 

Oooh! First reply again! It must be the Force telling me when you're putting up posts!

That was so much fun...and as the mom of a 3 year old, all this diaper/bathtime/bedtime stuff isn't so far from the back of my memory...it's written so well!

I love the way you balance this ambivalence of Luke and Mara, wanting this to be an enjoyable family vacation, while noticing how much attention and teaching that Ben needs and wanting to be able to do it themselves while not wanting the spoil the visit. It's so true how parents get torn like this!

And that lullaby was so funny! I laughed out loud at Luke's bit to Mara.

Wonderful!

 

that was a very fun post, especially Luke's attempt @ singing a lullaby.

 

"I can just imagine the holoreporters' headlines, though ? 'The Jedi Masters Skywalker, in an effort to keep their son safe from Yuuzhan Vong, Peace Brigaders, and the Calamarian flu, have hidden the child in an undisclosed location. However, following in the Skywalker tradition, they allowed him to cut off his right hand with a lightsaber.'"

LOL! I LOVE that part! I can see it so clearly, especially the look on Luke's face when Mara says that.

"Coward," Mara snapped.

"It'll probably be easier to get him asleep without me here anyway. Less temptation to play with daddy."

*giggles*

"I almost gave up and put him in a sleeping trance," she murmured quietly.

*Gabri pauses, suddenly enchanted with idea of putting energetic little children into sleeping trances* Wow....I suppose it wouldn't be especially ethical, though....

It's so sweet to think of Luke singing Ben to sleep. And I'm with LP: I laughed out loud at Mara's verse too. Just adorable.

EDIT: Hmmm, the markup codes don't seem to want to work. How bizarre.

 

Ack! I missed three posts! Loved them both! The underwear incident in the first one was great. It was also interesting to see Luke and Mara realizing how much more Ben is doing, and learning how much they need to pay attention to things--like hanging lightsabers.

The second post, I loved seeing the daily life of the Jedi students. (And the non-Jedi students.)

"He wants to be independent," Luke reasoned. "He wants to make his own decisions. They just don't always coincide with our decisions."

Mara reached over and squeezed Luke's hand. He was probably right, but that didn't make her feel any better. Her son was no longer a helpless infant, and she found herself constantly second-guessing how to straddle the fine line between indulging him and disciplining him. Very good way of explaining it. I'm going to be hitting that point before too long. *looks pointedly at her own son* I'm interested to see how Mara and Luke react to it.

Third post. However, following in the Skywalker tradition, they allowed him to cut off his right hand with a lightsaber.'" ROTFL!!!!! I loved the lullaby, too. Sounds like something my husband would sing.

Well, I best be off! It's hard to type with a squirming baby sitting in your lap. Time to give my little munchkin Anakin his own bath. (That scene brought a lot of memories...Anakin may not be as old as Ben, but he sure knows how to bathe Mommy at the same time!)

Wonderful posts!

 

Who wouldhave thought that the ex emporors hand would actually end up saying something like "Family is a strength, not a weakness.." Luke is a poet!!! A funny one at that.... sigh.. what i would give to me in maras shoes.....

 

Our oldest son used to climb out of his crib and get into bed with us. He did it enough to finally break the crib.

Lovely as usual.