Play It By Ear (Jaina/Zekk YJK fic.) Fait Accomplit February 28th 2005!

Disclaimer: I don't own this, it all belongs to Lucasfilm.

AN: YJK continuation, set directly after the ending of "Crisis At Crystal Reef". I started this years ago after said book came out but never bothered to finish it. So yeah, here we go. The YJKs have just been honored by the NR for saving the Galaxy and it's that night.


Play It By Ear


Night had fallen over the jungles of Yavin 4, the creatures settling in for the night around the blazing lights of the Jedi Temple. Inside, Jaina Solo hugged her pillow as she buried her face in the folds of the soft material. The day had gone on far to long for her, the ceremony seeming to have dragged on forever. Her friends -Tenel Ka, the Dathomirian warrior Princess, Lowie, the wookiee, Em-Teed, Lowbacca's translator droid, Anja, the fighter, her own brothers Jacen and Anakin, the youngest- had been honored by the New Republic for their services rendered. They had virtually saved the galaxy from several schemes to destroy the New Republic and all it portrayed. No small thing, yet it was meaningless to Jaina. Most of it anyway, since a certain someone didn't seem too notice her participation.

She forced herself to think of the last person she'd left out of the group, the young man on which her thoughts seemed to center for most of her waking hours. Zekk. The rogue who was two years her senior with enormous Jedi potential. The one that had come a long way from the lower levels of Courouscant's undercity and the Shadow academy; the young man with his long black hair and emerald eyes who didn't seem too notice her at all.

Jaina fought back a sob, forcing herself to close her eyes and call on the Force to calm her emotions. She wasn't normally weepy or weak, but the day's conversations had simply hammered his friendship feelings towards her home. She managed to calm herself somewhat, but not to the degree she would have liked. She sat up, hugging her pillow to her chest as she bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the hot tears sliding silently down her cheeks. A knock sounded at her door.

"Jaya?"

Jaina took a deep breath, "Yeah?" she called, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking.

"Are you alright? I felt something... Hey, can I come in?"

"I don't feel like talking right now," she tried to keep her voice steady and winced when it cracked, "I need to be alone, Jasa, alright?"

Jacen seemed to think about it and she could feel his indecision through the force. The last thing she wanted right now was her brother's interference.

"Please Jacen?"

She heard him sigh, "Alright, but if you need me, I'll be here."

She forced a smile into her voice for his benefit, "I will." She heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway and closed her eyes, channeling the Force through her as she tossed the pillow aside. She couldn't stay cooped up in her room, not when there were Jedi everywhere who would feel pieces of her emotions. She paused only to clip her lightsaber to her belt before she left the safety of her room and ran quickly into the hallway.

She passed her friends coming the other way, Tenel Ka and Anja were in a deep discussion, or rather Anja was speaking and Tenel Ka seemed to be listening, about something. Zekk was with them, paying close attention and interjecting his own thoughts into the conversation. Jaina adverted her gaze, counting on her wildly flying hair to keep her face hidden as she raced past them. Zekk looked up as she neared, as if sensing she was around, "Hey Jaina, where are you going?" he called.

Jaina didn't answer but continued on her run, streaking past him and then outside and away into the jungle. She didn't look back, but as she hit the foliage the tears came again, his voice echoing in her mind. If he had to ask, she wasn't about to enlighten him. She needed to be alone with her thoughts and fears so she could work through them. If she didn't, she was afraid the emotions tearing through her would eat her alive.

*********

Feedback is always appreciat

 

YJK? YAY! I always wondered what happened after CACR. They never really say if Jaina and Zekk fall in love...

Anyway, the post was so sad! Wonder what exactly Zekk said to make Jaina feel this way.

Jasa and Jaya? cool!

Wonder how Zekk's gonna react to Jaina's walking away.

 

YAY! YOU POSTED! <gives JM a hug> see...and you actually had someone respond before even ME (i wanted first reply! <pouts> )!

UP!
~TJF

 

Thanks bobill! You're keeping up with almost all of my fics, you're such a sweetie! I agree with your comment though, I always wondered what happened with Jaina and Zekk too... *shrugs* so I wrote this and it's been sitting on my HD for going on 4 or more years. And It's not so much what Zekk said, but what he's failed to say and do.

lol, TJF! You're funny, but thank you... I wouldn't have posted this if you hadn't kicked my butt into gear lol!

 

and bump ^

 

short post.. gives Zekk's reaction... then I have to decide if I'm axing the whole Jacen/TK side plot or not...

**********

Zekk frowned when Jaina didn't reply and watched her disappear into the darkness. That was odd, she never ignored him. Something was wrong; he could sense it.

"Zekk?" Anja asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

Zekk started and then looked down at her, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Anja rolled her eyes, "I was wondering what was wrong with Jaina, and I asked you if you knew."

Zekk looked after Jaina again, he sensed a cloud of something that resembled despair in her passing, "I'm not sure, would you excuse me?"

Tenel Ka nodded solemnly, "That is wise, it is of you she is thinking."

Zekk, who had already started walking away, stopped and looked back at Tenel Ka, "How do you know?"

Tenel Ka looked him straight in the eyes, "I just know." She turned and she and Anja continued on to where they were going, leaving Zekk to marvel at the Dathomirian girl's perception. Maybe it was a woman thing. He shook his head to clear it and continued on after Jaina. Stretching out with the Force, he carefully found her life force and broke into a brisk jog to try and catch up with her. Whatever was eating at her was powerful, almost hostile in nature and he started to worry. Jaina. He couldn't let her get away. She was hurting and it hurt him in return, whatever it was he was going to make sure she was alright.

 

Great so far JM! V. angsty, and I love to see Jania/Zekk interaction. I agree, I was interested to see what happned to them after CaCR.

Tenel Ka nodded solemnly, "That is wise, it is of you she is thinking."

That's our girl! So clever.

Nice job, more soon! But get back to work on "From Scratch"! Now!


Teehee. Just kidding!

 

LOL! I guess I just like your stories!

Well, at least Zekk wasn't THAT dense not to realize what's wrong with Jaina! Although I loved the line about women's intuition. I guess us women are just better at realizing things than men!

Hehe, TJF, I beat you again!

 

This is great Jade! I thought it was just a viggie you were working on, but a fic is much better!

I can't wait to see what Zekk will say!

 

Thanks LM and yes, I'm working on "From Scratch" lol! Thank you for your comments, I love TK, I couldn't have a Jaina/Zekk fic without her *grin*

*hop* thanks bobill, I added that line about TK knowing and took out dialogue I didn't think fit... it just worked better Thanks!

I was going to do a viggie, TK, and then it just didn't work! all my Vigs tend to end up as multi-part fics lol!

 

Oh YEA! A new story. It's really good so far. Keep it up!

Jez

 

Thanks Jez! I'll work on the next part (revaming it) and see about posting it later

And off I go to write... back later!

 

Well, it's written, but TJF is looking it over first since I'm not sure about posting on this one... yup, Jade's chicken about writing a Jaina/Zekk romance fic LOL! Ah well, that's alright.

More to come later!

 

YAY!!!!!!!! You WEREN'T joking wher you said you were going to write a J/Z fic!!! YAY!!
I like J/Z fics my second favorite grouping

 

Well welcome to my fic, KSOTF *grins* and nope, I wasn't kidding about writing a fic, in fact, I almost didn't post this. I was going to leave it on my HD and write a new one (I still might write another one) but TJF kicked my butt into gear and made me post it *Grin*

 

I'm glad my Goddess, TJF, forced you to post this I like
*really wishes someone would tie JadeMax to a chair and force her to write more*
Hey do you have any siblings or family that might be willing to tie you to a chair and provide food and stuff for you? 'cause if you do I'd like to talk to them...

 

LOL! I write more than TJF does, KSOTF *grin* and I think my sibblings would rather find some way to keep me away from the computer *laughs* I'm writing 3 SW stories and a half dozen other stories, so yeah, I write more than I should!

Ah well, here's the next post *Grin*

*********

Jaina continued her run away from the temple, unaware that she was being followed. She ran, drawing on the force to keep her going, focused inward. She ran for over an hour before collapsing by a stream. The sun had set during her run and she could see little beyond the few feet into the dense foliage of the jungle. She drew in huge gulps of air, her lungs burning with the exertion. "Tenel Ka wouldn't have had any problem with that run," she said quietly, her thoughts focusing onto something else while she regained her sense of balance and her ability to breathe normally.

She looked around and smiled slightly. Her run had taken her into a part of the jungle she was very familiar with. She pushed herself off the ground, her legs feeling like jelly, and forced herself to walk over to the bank of the stream. She kicked the campfire circle as she passed it, looking beyond to where the tent and supplies she had left last time she'd come here. They were still there and seemed untouched by the elements or the animals. She changed her course, walking over to the cache. She rummaged around in it, lighting a glow rod so she could see and pulled several things from the pack. Fire wood, dry kindling, and a blanket. She started a small fire, setting the blanket down beside it before she pushed herself back to her feet, brushing off her pants. She extended her hands for warmth, rubbing them together as she watched the flames dance. They were turbulent, intertwining and random, like her thoughts. She turned away, walking back towards the bank of the stream and looking to the other side as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Zekk. She bowed her head, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the slowly running water. Why did it hurt to think about him? She hugged herself, absently rubbing her arms as her mind ran round and round. She'd known him as long as she could remember, always had a crush on him, and Jacen had taken great pleasure to tease her at every opportunity. Yet, of late, her brother had backed off the topic, almost as if he knew the pain Zekk's name seemed to cause her.

Zekk would be nineteen next week. At sixteen, Jaina knew she'd never be able to keep his attention. She sighed, not noticing the tears sliding down her cheeks. Anja on the other hand... she bit her lip. Anja was just the kind of girl Zekk would go for. Resourceful and tough, she was an adventurer, having grown up without her parents. Just like Zekk. Her heart squeezed painfully. Anja had more in common with him than she did and they obviously enjoyed each other's company. Anja was a beautiful young woman. Closer to him in age, her confidence, though having been in serious need of rebuilding, seemed to be like an aphrodisiac to both Zekk and Jacen. Jacen seemed to have snapped out of it, becoming once more occupied almost completely with Tenel Ka again.

She shook her head to shake off that thought. Jacen and Tenel Ka would never admit their feelings, they were both too absorbed with everything else to realize it. She sighed, shifting her position to crouch as she picked up a couple of rocks from the bank. Flat on one side, they would skip well. She absently let one fly, and didn't count as the first ripple caught her attention. Ripples. That was accurate. It was how she felt every time Zekk came around. Disturbed. She blinked away her tears, scrubbing her eyes and hugged herself again as she stared back across the lake.

She didn't hear, or sense, the approach of another person nearly a half hour later so engrossed was she in her thoughts. Her only warning was the snap of a twig as someone, or something, drew near her. Jaina reacted instinctively; she spun around into a crouch, her lightsaber leaping

 

bump^ It sank too fast...

 

YEA, a first kiss! I was beautiful.

Jez

 

<swoons> i always loved that part...so mushy

lol, TJF! You're funny, but thank you... I wouldn't have posted this if you hadn't kicked my butt into gear lol!

just returning the favor...after all, where would RotJ be if YOU hadn't kicked MY butt into gear?

Bobill

Kyp_sie: I'm glad my Goddess, TJF, forced you to post this

so am i...





<swoons again> oh i loved that post, JM...

UP!
~TJF

 

I agree with Jez pi, it was beautiful!!!!!

First kiss, it's wonderful! The NJO had better not have as sucky rules as the OJO! Attachment is forbidden, what were they thinking when they thought up of that code?

 

oops...i forgot i was signed in as ML back there...

Bobill: when they made the "attachment is forbidden" rule it was cuz the jedi had very dangerous work, as well as enemies and they couldn't afford to have someone used as leverage against them. also, if that person was killed, the jedi might go Dark...

and hey! i replied before you!

~TJF

 

I like your fic! It's nice to see a Zekk/Jaina story around here. They seemed like such a good patch up. Keep up the good work, Jade!!

 

Thanks guys, I don't have time to reply individually, but I will when I get back from reffing tonight... and I'll see about getting another one fixed up!

Ep2 DVD out tomorrow!!!! *hops around* I'm so buying it when the movie store opens!

 

sorry JM but no matter what your thread may think, you do NOT belong on page 3...tsk-tsk

UP!
~TJF