Beyond - Legends ~~Paternal Instinct~~ 20 ABY, L/M, some H/L/Solo kids, OCs *DONE! EPILOGUE 12/14*

Eeek! Where's Ami!?!?!

 

Really loved the description of Luke's and Ami's routine and she falling asleep in Mara's arms, as well as Mara making Luke promise he wouldn't tell.

It's sad that Ami's father is dead but it is coherent with the story and her being alone.

I'm guessing that last bit was Ami having a nightmare, maybe based on a memory.

 

!! I was half expecting the message from Mynce to say what it did but still

 

Aahhh! What's going on!

 

Yeah, what IS going on?? I would expect nightmare..but maybe Ami is some unknown princess....
And I expected Mara to stay away from Luke/Ami until Ami returned to her planet..Glad to be wrong..

 

Book-Geek: You'll see...

Hazel: Thank you! Isn't it wierd how something completely ordinary isn't very interesting in real life, but once it's in Star Wars it's suddenly interesting?

Jade_Eyes: Got you thinking, did I? Hope so!

Lady_Misty: Muwahahaha!

wbsaw: Well, Luke invited Mara over and betwwen being uncomfortable around the kids and wanting to spend time with Luke, the latter won out and Mara went. Besides, Ami's so cute no one can resist!

More coming soon!

 

~9~ (second half)

Luke tumbled from his bed and ran out the door. He was in Ami?s bedroom in seconds. There
was no real danger- only the residual feeling of it -but fear, pain, despair, and loneliness nearly
made him stumble. Quickly he looked at the bed.

Ami was not there.

Brief panic gripped Luke before he sensed her in the pile of tangled blankets beside the bed.
Quickly he knelt next to her.

Ami was sitting up on the floor, favoring her arm, though she didn?t seem to be hurt. ?Papa!? She
wailed. ?Papa, no! Papa! Papa!? She was crying, screaming, wailing, tears pouring from her
blue eyes, staring at something that wasn?t there.

Once he was certain he could move her, Luke reached out to pick her up, trying to soothe her
with the Force. ?Ami?.Ami, it?s all right.?

Ami responded to Luke?s voice and shook her head, retreating into a corner. ?No!?

Luke stayed where he was, puzzled by this behavior. Ami had never spoken before, let alone
tried to hide from him. He continued sending thoughts of peace and calm, still keeping his hand
outstretched. ?Ami, it?s me. It?s all right.?

Ami stopped in mid-cry and looked at him, slowly seeming to understand. She sniffled and
hiccupped. ?Wh?where??

?Ami, don?t you remember? I brought you to Coruscant so they could fix your arm.?

?Papa?? she asked hopefully.

Puzzled, Luke gently probed her mind to find out what was going on. In a flash, he saw things
as she had seen them. A blond-haired, blue-eyed man?kindness?then fear, running, loud
noises. The girl was hidden?the man went to fight?blaster fire?the man fell and did not
awaken?

Luke flinched and in the space of two seconds, he understood.

Ami?s father had been killed in front of her?and he had looked like Luke.

Force, she thinks I?m her father! Luke?s heart had been aching for this girl since he had first
found her. Now it broke completely and he sadly shook his head. ?No, Ami. I?m not your father.
But I do care about you very much, and I want to help you. Will you let me??

Ami sniffled and looked at Luke?s outstretched hand for a few moments, then launched herself
at him, locking her arms around his neck. ?Papa?th gone,? she sputtered, then began to cry
again.

The Jedi Master picked up the sobbing girl and sat on the bed, gently rocking back and forth.
?Shh?shh?? Ami?s feelings of loneliness and despair continuing to assault him, and he fought
against them. He remembered finding his aunt and uncle in the burned-out ruins of the farm and
how small and alone he had felt. ?I know?I know-?

Luke?s voice broke. He wanted to cry with her, but knew that if he gave in and let his own
emotions out, Ami might never calm down. He took a deep breath and let the Force wash over
both of them, encasing them in a safe bubble of caring and security.

Almost immediately Ami?s cries faded to a quiet weeping, then a sniffling. ?I g-got n-nobody,?
she whimpered.

?No,? Luke said firmly but gently. He shook his head. ?No. You?re not alone any more. You?ll
never be alone again. I promise. You?re safe now,? he continued, stroking her hair. ?You don?t
have to be afraid any more. You?re all right now. You?re all right.?

Ami buried her face in Luke?s shoulder, crying quietly. Soon the tears stopped. Then she was
sniffling. Then she got the hiccups.

Sitting on the rumpled bed, holding the tired little girl in his arms, Luke felt something stir inside
him. He didn?t know what it was, but it made him feel protective of the girl, not wanting anything
to happen to her?and he didn?t want to let her go. He brushed her damp hair back from her
face and held her a little closer. Almost before he knew what he was doing, Luke began to hum
a quiet tune that he remembered Aunt Beru singing to him when he was hurt or afraid. His heart
warmed when Ami began to respond, nuzzling into his chest and clinging to his tunic.

And then she was asleep, her mind and spirit as quiet and even as her soft breathing.

Luke didn?t know how long he held Am

 

I think it's because it humanizes the characters and helps the reader relate to them.

*

Oh, Jaina, that was lovely!

The way Luke tended to Ami and remembered his own family was so very him. I completely see this happening exactly how you describe it.

 

Trying really hard not to cry. Poor Ami! I want to reach through the computer and hug her tightly!

 

D'awww! Ami's voice and memories are starting to return.

Luke is the best one to have rescued her !!!

 

Poor Ami!

I hope that Luke can adopt her.

 

Hazel: Good point! And thank you!

Book-Geek: Don't worry...I kind of cried myself while writing it.

Jade_Eyes: Yup!

Lady_Misty:

Part Ten up soon!

 

~10~

At first Luke was uneasy when he awoke the following morning. Ami slept late, which wasn?t
surprising, but Luke wondered how much she remembered. Would she remember all that had
happened the previous night or would she forget and relapse?

Ami waited until late morning to awaken and was quiet all through breakfast. Luke felt her
sadness but knew there were questions to be asked and answered. Once they were finished
eating he sat her down on the couch to speak with her.

?Ami, do you remember last night?? Luke asked quietly.

Slowly, Ami nodded.

?Do you remember what happened??

Again, Ami nodded.

?Why did you scream??

?Bad dream,? Ami replied quietly.

Luke nodded. He had figured that. ?Were you remembering something that happened before I
found you??

Ami?s eyes filled with tears and she nodded again. ?Papa?he?he ?thaid ta hide and he wath?
comin? back, but?he fell an? didn? get up?? she looked away and buried her tearful face in the
fur of the Wookiee, which she was holding yet again. Her voice matched her tiny stature and
she spoke with a lisp. ?I ?fought you were P-Papa, but?? She sniffled.

Luke gathered her close, shushing her. ?It?s okay. You don?t have to talk about that any more.
And you?re safe now,? he added. ?There?s nothing to be afraid of.?

* * * * * *

Ami was quiet for some hours afterward but then the questions began in earnest. Ami asked
Luke what his name was, how he had found her, and what was going to happen to her.

Luke explained things as best as he could and smiled when Ami asked what a Jedi was and
later, what the Force was. She seemed to accept his explanations and all was quiet for a while.

They spoke for well over a half hour, Luke taking mental note of everything. Ami was confused
as to how she?d gotten to Coruscant and why her arm still ?didn?t work?, so Luke explained that,
too.

?But how come dey didn?t fikth my arm yet?? Ami wanted to know.

?Remember how I told you that you were sick when I first found you?? Luke asked.

Ami nodded.

?Since you were sick, the medics couldn?t do what they needed to fix your arm. They have to
wait until you get strong again,? he explained.

Ami frowned. ?Why??

Luke sighed. He didn?t want to frighten the girl by stating she needed to have an operation done
in order for her arm to work properly, but at the same time he didn?t want to lie. ?They need to
give you medicine so they can fix your arm. The medicine doesn?t work unless you?re strong.?

?Oh.? Ami seemed satisfied with this answer. ?I wanna get thtrong quick,? she declared soon
after.

Luke gave her a hug. ?You will, Ami. You keep thinking that, and you will.?

* * * * * * * * *

Knowing that Luke wasn?t her father didn?t diminish Ami?s opinion of him?not in the least. Ami
continued to cling to him throughout the afternoon, though not out of fear. She still didn?t smile
or laugh, but the gratitude was evident on her face. She knew what Luke had done for her. And,
perhaps due to Luke?s mental reassurances but perhaps not, she felt?safe.

The poor girl jumped about a foot in the air when the door buzzed late that afternoon. Luke
smiled reassuringly at her as he got up to let his family in.

?Uncle Luke! Uncle Luke!? True to form, 11 year old twins Jacen and Jaina were the first to enter
and nearly tackle their Jedi uncle in a double giant Wookiee hug.

Luke absorbed the impact easily and laughed. ?Hey! Jacen, Jaina. How are you??

?Astral!? ?Great!? came the near-simultaneous response. They dashed into the apartment and
bounced onto the couch, as was their usual routine.

Han Solo, former smuggler and ?retired? General of the Alliance, was the next one in. He gave
his trademark lopsided grin and briefly hugged his brother in law. ?Hey, buddy. Long time no
see.? Indeed, between helping Lando with his latest financial venture and occasionally flying
cover for the Rogues, Han had been so busy in the past two months he?d bar

 

Ami's progress is very plausible and well detailed. I too see Luke as a kid magnet for the reasons he and Leia stated. In addition, such persons are the most loving and lovable to adults, as well. !!

Hmmm. I can see both his and her points on adopting but I agree more with Leia's feelings/opinions.

 

That was so sweet! I loved Ami with Anakin ans the twins.

Great update!

 

Luke's reasons are valid as far as the whole 'she thought that I was her father.' but her home planet is a mess and it might be safer for her to be away from that permanently.

 

Loved the Solo kids and Ami interacting. And Luke may say he's not going to adopt Ami, but he's just lying to himself.

 

Jade_Eyes: Thank you!

Hazel: Thanks! I enjoy writing these characters.

Lady_Misty: You know Luke; always afraid to make commitments...

Book-Geek: Like I said, I really enjoy writing about the Skywalker/Solo clan. They're fun! And as far as Luke goes, he's just being...Luke. He's overly-optimistic that Mynce will improve, and to him that justifies his opinion.

Next post should be up later today! I'm even surprising myself with how fast this is being written...

 

~11~

Thanks to the urgent nature of the situation on Mynce- and Leia uncharacteristically pulling a
few strings ?the matter was pushed ahead of several others, and ready for debate by the start
of the second week since Luke?s visit. As Ambassador Fereen?s messages and Luke?s official
report were viewed, it became clear to the Senate that Mynce was a world is desperate need of
assistance. After only two days the matter was ready to be voted upon.

The vote on whether to send aid in the form of resources was nearly unanimous. The issue of
inclusion into the Republic took a bit more deliberation. Not all were convinced that welcoming
Mynce into the Republic would make any difference in the long run. That vote was taken twelve
full hours after the first. All the Senators, representatives, and especially Leia returned home
that night exhausted, but the motion was passed.

Mynce was to begin the process of joining the Republic.

On the planet itself, this news was met with a combination of relief, indifference, and suspicion.
The disturbing part was how divided the opinions were along the equator. The Northerners felt
mostly relief and indifference; they didn?t care who they belonged to, as long as their needs
were met. The Southerners, while they recognized the need for assistance, were wary of highly
organized governments?they were too much like the Empire. But as long as they were getting
fed, they decided to remain quiet and see what happened?for the time being.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ami continued to improve over the next week. She put on more weight, had more energy, and
fought the sling. She didn?t talk much more and still didn?t smile, but did begin to reliably tell
Luke when she had to ?go?, which came out as ?Gotta go da ?frether.? She gave Luke more input
on what she did and didn?t like, though there wasn?t much in the way of food or clothing she
didn?t like. Like Jaina she preferred pants over dresses, but never wanted to wear a pink shirt
and overalls in combination again. Luke could understand why.

The toy Wookiee ?Tarfful? became Ami?s constant companion. She carried it with her
everywhere. She even wanted to take it in the bath, until Luke explained that Wookiees didn?t
like getting wet. So ?Tarfful? would stay in the bedroom at bath time.

Ami began doing more things during the day. She?d play quietly with the stuffed animals, often
just talking to them. Her favorite thing to do was color. Luke had gotten her some paper and
markers and she drew picture after picture. Most of them were sad; of experiences she?d had.
But it was a way for her to let out her feelings out without talking about it.

Luke was learning quite a bit. He had finally worked out regular snack-times. They were twice a
day; the first was mid-morning, the second was mid-afternoon after she awakened from her nap.

He was also learning things in the hygiene department such as that while his thick sandy hair
needed nothing more than a comb once a day, Ami?s baby-fine locks took quite a bit more effort.
They tangled if there was so much as a breeze and were a nightmare to straighten out. Luke
had managed to trim Ami?s bangs so she could see but the rest still hung unevenly. Out of
necessity he tied it back during the day so her hair wouldn?t get in her cereal bowl or soup.
Midway through that week Leia visited again and taught him how to braid Ami?s hair. That
helped quite a bit. Ami seemed to like having her hair braided, especially in two braids.

As the week drew to a close Luke realized that it was nearing to the time to take Ami back to the
medical center to see if she was strong enough to have the operation. The thought made him
uneasy. He wasn?t afraid of taking her out of the apartment. He had done so on the second day
of the week to take her clothes shopping and she had behaved well. He was uneasy because
he knew Ami didn?t like the medical center. After lunch he took her over to the couch and sat her
do

 

Listen to your girlfriend and heart, Skywalker, and start filling out the paperwork to make Ami your daughter! Very nice chapter!

 

Me thinks those two (Luke and Mara) need to give in to some longings.

Yes, Luke should definitely adopt Ami and marry Mara. And then Mara's dream can come true (that last one, not the nightmare).


Great chapter!

 

happy wriggling - go with the dream of getting married, mara LOL

 

Aww!

Those two need to listen to the Force.

 

Book-Geek: Hee-hee, thank you!

Hazel: Yes, but you know how stubborn they both are.

Jade_Eyes:

Lady_Misty: They sure do.

Thank you guys for reading! More will be up soon!

And the PM list is still going. If you'd like to be added, let me know!

 

~12~

The following morning Luke was contacted by the medical center to bring Ami in for a pre-
operation checkup. Luke decided to bring her in right then so, assuming she was well enough,
the operation could be performed as soon as possible.

Ami was understandably uneasy when she found out where they were going, but didn?t whine or
fight. She wanted to bring Tarfful the toy Wookiee, but Luke reasoned he might get lost. Ami
resorted to once again clinging to Luke, which she hadn?t done in at least five days. She was
quiet during the trip and after they arrived, not showing interest in the toys or holobooks in the
children?s? waiting area. Luke, after assuring Ami he?d stay with her the whole time, filled out the
necessary forms for the medical staff and turned them in.

A friendly female medic in colorful scrubs strode into the waiting area and checked a datapad.
?Appointment for J?caan??

Luke stood up. ?Right here.? He gave Ami a reassuring smile and took her to follow the medic.
He didn?t need to take her hand?she couldn?t let him go.

?Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, isn?t it?? the medic asked in surprise.

Luke sighed, wishing his face weren?t so recognizable. ?Yes.?

The medic looked from Luke to the girl. ?I didn?t know you were a parent, Master Jedi.?

?I?m not,? corrected Luke quickly. ?I?m her guardian until she?s well enough to return to her home
planet. This is just temporary.?

The medic seemed disappointed, but nodded. ?Oh! Excuse me, Master Jedi. This way, please.?
She walked into Exam Room 3 and checked the datapad. ?OK?Ami??

Ami nodded hesitantly.

The medic smiled. ?Hi. We?re just going to give you a little checkup, okay??

Ami said nothing, but looked up at Luke, silently asking if it was all right to trust this woman.
Upon seeing Luke smile and nod, she gave the medic another nod.

?Then the first thing we need to do is weigh you and see if you?ve grown any.? The medic
pointed out a combination scale and height measuring apparatus for Ami to stand on, which the
little girl did quickly.

The medic checked the datapad, the scale, and the height measurement device and smiled
quickly, tapping in some notes. ?Okay, you can get off now.? She looked up at Luke. ?Has she
been eating well??

Luke nodded. ?Oh, yes. Like a hungry Bantha.?

The medic chuckled and nodded. ?I can see that. When you first brought her in she was several
kilograms underweight, but now she?s almost up to the average weight for her height. She?s also
grown almost three centimeters. For two weeks, that?s excellent.?

Luke felt relief and smiled at Ami, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze. ?Good.?

The medic finished entering the data into the datapad and patted the top of the exam table.
?Okay, Ami. Up you go.?

Ami hesitated, but walked up to the table. She tried to climb, but her poorly-healed arm made it
all but impossible. Luke finally lifted her up so she could sit down.

?Let?s see how your arm?s doing,? said the medic. She turned to Ami and ran a small scanner
over the arm that had been infected. After about a minute she nodded and pulled back. ?Mmm-
hmm. That?s healed up nicely.? She continued by listening to Ami?s heart and looking in ears,
eyes, and mouth. ?Looks good in there?? she turned to Luke. ?Has she spoken yet??

?Uh-huh,? said Ami.

The medic raised her eyebrows in surprise. ?Oh.? She hadn?t expected Ami herself to speak up!

Luke chuckled. ?Yes, she?s been talking. She has a bit of a lisp, but no other problems.?

?She?ll grow out of the lisp,? assured the medic, taking more notes. ?It?s normal for a child her
age.?

Ami seemed embarrassed. She watched the medic type into the datapad and finally spoke up.
?Um?c-can I athk a queth-ton??

The medic looked up and smiled. ?Of course, hun. What?s your question??

Ami crossed her ankles and swung her legs back and forth. ?Uh?Wh?when are you gonna
fikth my arm??

?Really soon, Ami. I just need to do two more things. First I need to take a sample of your blood,
and