Beyond - Legends ~Reconciliation~ Ben, L/M - AU Story.

Title: Reconciliation
Author: Jade Pilot
Timeframe: Post Dark Nest, AU
Characters: Ben, L/M and some OCs.
Genre: Drama, angst.
Summary: April Ben Skywalker challenge:
What would Ben's life be like as an adult if he had continued to deny the Force?

Include the words: sobriquet, scion, aberrant and felicity


Notes: My thanks to JadeLotus, empress of imagery!

PM List:
mav jade
Meredith Kenobi
VaderLVR64
smiley rancor
padawan lost
ccp
Star angel
Jedi Luck
WyoJedi
Darth Jaded




Chapter #1


?Your father left another message.?

?I know, I just didn?t feel like responding to it yet.?

?Ben, he?s your father. He would really like to hear from you, as would your mother,? said Rachel Enjeris, Ben?s wife for the last 15 years.

Ben sighed as he walked across the living room of their small home and sat down on the faded couch.

?He?s just going to ask whether we?re coming to the dedication of the new Academy, that?s all,? said Ben, frowning.

?And are we?? Rachel looked questioningly at her husband, trying to understand his reluctance.

?It?s just another academy, it?s no big deal,? remarked Ben as he rubbed his hand over his eyes.

?Honey, they?re naming it after him. It?s quite an honor. Besides, I don?t believe for one minute that you really think it?s no big deal,? Rachel responded with her open, honest face smiling.

?No, you?re right. I just?? Ben paused, ?It?s just that ?well, how will it look? The aberrant scion of Luke Skywalker returns to the birthplace of his famous Jedi father, we had so much hope for Young Ben and yet he was such a disappointment to all,? intoned Ben, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rachel walked over to where her husband sat and placed her hands tenderly on his shoulders.

?It will look like Luke Skywalker is surrounded by his family and friends during the dedication ceremony of the Academy bearing his name.? Rachel said as she quickly kissed him on the cheek. ?That?s all.?

?You know what I mean. I have put all that behind me and I have no desire to give the holo news more fodder for their sorrowful tale of Ben Skywalker ? the galaxy?s prodigal son.? Ben shook his head. ?Tatooine, of all places. Why?d they want to go and build a Jedi Academy on such a rotting dust bowl of a planet??

?Well, he did grow up there,? quirked Rachel, ?and just who, may I ask, dubbed you with that prodigal son sobriquet??

?Some stupid holo reporter way back when, like everything that ever went wrong in the entire galaxy was my fault because of my decisions,? moped Ben.

?Careful, someone is starting to sound a tad bitter tonight.?

?Oh, I guess you would prefer a husband with a more felicity of manner,? said Ben, as he stood and playfully wrapped his arms around his wife.

?No, just you, my love,? teased Rachel.

**************************************

Later that evening as Ben helped the children prepare for bed; Rachel watched their growing brood with wonder and decided that no greater father existed on the face of Naboo. With water sloshing over the tub and onto her husband, she laughed as he didn?t even blink an eye, but continued to rinse shampoo off their soapy heads.

How can he not see what a special man he is? She thought. Their life together has been so full of love and laughter, especially laughter since the kids were born. Kids! They almost had enough to start their own smash ball team.

Rachel placed her hand on her growing abdomen and smiled. She remembered the first time she had seen him, staring at her at the lake on Naboo. He had been all knees and elbows that day, skinny and so intense. When he finally got up the nerve to talk to her, he stuttered so badly at first that she had thought perhaps he was a bit slow.

There had just been something about him. Rachel thought. I?d never believed in love at first sight, until that day. Those eyes, that never seemed to leave my face and his soft voice was so engaging. How could I h

 

Excellent. I like that Ben's wife is trying to help him make peace with his family.

 

Excellent, though the use of Earth names disturbs me.

 

Wonderful job. I can't wait to see more.

 

This is great, and I love the whole attempt to reconnect with the elder Skywalkers.


Can't wait for more.

 

Great, J_P!

I love seeing Ben as an older, secure family man, but with his own set of issues as well. It will be interesting to see how this reconciliation works out.

 

How sad that Luke and Mara have never met Ben's wife or children!

I can't wait to see the reconciliation. Great beginning!

 

I hope that eventually Ben will decide to make peace with his family. Lovely response to the challenge!

 

?Not so fast, little one,? Ben chuckled.

Four year old Abigail roared out the ?fresher without a stitch of clothing on, as Ben tried to stop her.

?Catch me Daddy!? she cried, red curls still dripping with water.

?Noody-kazoody! She?s noody-kazoody!? screamed 3 year old Caleb, running after his sister with her pajama bottoms on his head.

?Mo-om!? cried 14 year old Maya, ?I?m on the comm unit with Nathaniel!?

?Yes, first born, and it?s time you got off,? countered Rachel.

Yes, it?s time. She thought. Time to reunite this broken family and begin the healing process.

Force help me!

LOLOL!!! I love it! I love the idea of Ben having a big HUGE noisy family with his wife on Naboo.

Let's hope wife Rachel can accomplish such a task.

bran

 

This is great. Please put me on the PM list?

Um...one thing.

?Ben, he?s your father. He would really like to hear from you, as would your mother,? Rachel Enjeris, Ben?s wife of 15 years responded gently.

I assume that's a typo?

 

A/N:

JediMaster_Jen: Thanks! But, will Ben's wife be successful?

SilSolo: I appreciate your input. I'm still learning a lot, so thanks for your comments.

ZaraValinor: Thanks for reading. Chapter #2 is ready!

Kidan: Thank you! I like writing Ben as an adult. We'll see if
Mara and Luke can relate to him that way.

JL: As always, Thanks! Keep me on task about POV, Master!

ginchy: Thanks for reading. Yes, it is sad, but will it get better or worse?? *evil grin*

VaderLVR64: Always appreciate your comments! I think Ben will have to work out some issues, as well as, Luke and Mara.

ThatJediScum: Great name, by the way. I, too, adore the idea of Ben having a huge noisy family. Thanks for reading.

Meredith_Kenobi: Thanks for your input! Ready for chapter #2?

 

Chapter #2


?That?s it!? warned Ben, as he exited the younger children?s room. ?No more drinks of water. Now stay in bed, you little water sprites.?

?Night daddy,? giggled six year old Emia along with the rest of the children.

Ben entered the master bedroom, shaking his head. ?Surely they must get their liquid consumption rate from you, wife of mine. I don?t ever recall drinking so much before I went to bed,? he mumbled.

Ben could feel Rachel?s speculative gaze as she undid her waist length braid and prepared for her nightly hair routine.

?You want to talk some more about the dedication, or just mope around here like a Gamorrean Mountain bear with a thorn in its paw?? she began.

Ben grimaced as he crawled into bed. ?Have I been that bad??

One look from his wife and he knew the answer. Rachel began to brush out her light brown hair, as he fluffed his pillow and tried to gather his thoughts.

?It?s been sixteen years since I?ve been out of the public eye and I have no desire to re-open that part of my life,? Ben stated. ?It was awful, the constant hounding by the holo reporters and the pressure from government officials. No one could understand why I chose not to follow in my parent?s footsteps.?

Rachel crossed the room and pulled back the covers of their bed as she got in, seemingly relieved that he was finally willing to talk about this subject. ?What about your parents? How did they take it??

?They were devastated when I told them about my decision not to become a Jedi, especially my father. I thought he had stopped breathing for a moment the pain in his eyes was so great.? Ben
looked away from his wife?s face. ?He just seemed to collapse emotionally. And Mom just stood there staring at me, saying nothing. I would?ve preferred her shouting at me instead of the silence.?

?She probably had no idea what to say, Ben. It sounds like they were both in shock,? Rachel submitted, gently.

?I know the galaxy thinks that he is the stronger of the two, but Mom always handled my decision better than Dad did. The final blow came when I told them I had to leave Ossus, to make it on my own. Some place where I wouldn?t be the little lost Jedi,? Ben said disgustedly. ?They never understood that either.?

?But so much time has passed since then. I think they will understand your decisions better now. They probably just want to be part of your life and miss you terribly,? said Rachel.

?Maybe but, well?what about all the people we know here?? he asked. ?The people here don?t even know who my parents are. They just think of me as Ben, the guy who can fix things.?

?There?s more to you than that,? she laughed, snuggling closer.

?Well, I?m also Ben the guy with the adorable wife and Ben the guy with five kids??

??six kids,? added Rachel, patting her expanding tummy.

?Soon to be six kids,? smiled Ben, as he placed his hand on top of hers. ?I?m the owner of an obscure fix-it shop here in this tiny hamlet on Naboo. I lead a small life that I love and want to continue doing so without the notoriety that will come if they discover who I am.?

?You don?t lead a small life, Ben,? she admonished him. ?You have a simple life that?s full, but never small. There is a difference.? Ben started to argue, but Rachel broke in. ?You go look into the faces of those five precious children sleeping in their rooms and tell me you have a small life!? demanded Rachel firmly.

Ben paused a moment. ?You?re right, how could I think for a second that my life is small? My life is simple and full. I have everything I?ve ever wanted.?

Do you? a voice whispered. Then why do you still feel this pang of regret whenever you think of your father and mother? What are you really afraid of?

?These things happened a long time ago, dear husband. Do you think that by going to this dedication ceremony, you would be turning our lives up side down?? Rachel asked.

?You don?t know what those people can be like. The badgering and stalking of the holo news, never being left alone. It was bad enough

 

I can understand Ben's reasoning behind 'getting away' but it's so cruel to Luke and Mara, to deny them their grandchildren. And it's cruel to the grandkids to be denied their grandparents, too! I hope Ben can begin to see that... I think his wife already does.

Great story, you're making my throat ache!

 

I can understand wanting to get out of the spotlight (not that I've ever been in one, but still) but to totally cut off contact with family like that. I don't think Ben understands how that would hurt his parents. I'm sure they would have gotten over his life decision, but to deny them his presence was cruel. His wife makes a good point and I hope he understands it.

 

Damn, Ben's been busy

 

I wanna see more, alot more.

 

Ben entered the master bedroom, shaking his head. ?Surely they must get their liquid consumption rate from you, wife of mine. I don?t ever recall drinking so much before I went to bed,? he mumbled.

Denial.

You don?t lead a small life, Ben,? she admonished him. ?You have a simple life that?s full, but never small. There is a difference.? Ben started to argue, but Rachel broke in. ?You go look into the faces of those five precious children sleeping in their rooms and tell me you have a small life!? demanded Rachel firmly.

Aww! Sweetness.

More more MORE!

 

Great chapter!

I really like the banter between Rach and Ben - they seem to have a great loving relationship.

I feel so sorry for Luke and Mara, never knowing all of these wonderful grandchildren - especially since Ben was their only child. I hope Ben can see the light!

 

Aack! How did I miss this? I'm very sorry!

Poor Luke and Mara... I feel very bad for them that their only child doesn't talk to them!

I can understand where Ben is coming from though... it would be really hard to live with that pressure!

I'm really glad that Rachel keeps some contact with Luke and Mara... it would be even worse if they didn't know they had five, almost six grandchildren... who I just love btw!

. But, then I try to imagine what if in three or four years Nirice left us and never told us where she was? What if we never saw her again? I couldn?t bear not being a part of our children?s lives.?
This is something he really needs to consider, honestly he is being a little selfish. He needs to consider his parents feelings too!

I love the not so little family you've made here and I can wait to read more about them!

Wonderful chapters, Jade_Pilot!

PS- if your doing a PM list, could I be on it?

 

A/N: Chapter #3 up soon.

ginchy: Hold on to your throat, it's going to be a bumpy ride! Thanks for reading!

RebelMom: I agree, Ben doesn't realize how he is hurting both his parents and children, but then love is a complicated thing.

Valley Lord: Well, it's not as if there's a Disneyland-Naboo close by.

SilSolo: Your wish is my command. Chapter #3 is almost ready.

Merefith: I guess we could get into the whole "men and denial" topic, couldn't we?

JL: Your encouragement means so much, master!

mavjade: Thanks! I also love the idea of Ben with a huge family. Hang on, there's rough water ahead!

 

Chapter #3



Luke Skywalker sat slumped on the Corellian leather couch with his arms folded across his chest. The silence in his Coruscant apartment was only broken by the occasionally sigh of exasperation as he stared at the comm unit.

?It?s been six days and he still hasn?t returned my call,? muttered Luke.

Mara Jade Skywalker looked up from her technical data pad and smiled. ?He?ll contact us when he?s ready, Luke? or Rachel will. You know how she keeps us up to date on things, especially the hoard.?

Luke smiled fondly when he thought of his five grandchildren and the new one on the way. Never had he imagined that he would be grandfather to so many. And yet, it was a bittersweet feeling.

?It?s not as if we?ve ever seen them in person,? said Luke frowning. ?I thought that for such an important event, he would?ve made more of an effort.?

?Important to whom?? asked Mara, smirking.

?Yeah, you?re right?Tatooine, of all places. Why?d they want to go and build a Jedi Academy on such a rotting dust bowl of a planet??

?Well, you did grow up there,? replied Mara, lifting an eyebrow.

?Don?t remind me,? grumbled Luke. ?I don?t really care about the Academy being named after me. I was just hoping that they would come to the ceremony and we?d get to see them. He refuses to even let us go there, like the entire planet is off limits to anyone with a lightsaber.?

?Now that may be overstating things a bit, don?t you think? I know you miss him, my love, so do I,? replied Mara softly. ?But, he is a man fully grown and has the right to make his own decisions.?

Luke could feel her hurt through their Force bond, though he knew she would be reluctant to admit it. His heart ached thinking of Ben, now a grown man. Would he even recognize his own son after all these years? Did Ben hate him so much that a simple comm call was repugnant to him? ?When have I ever interfered with him making his own decisions??

Mara arched her brow cryptically.

Luke knew dangerous men had gone into hiding for less.?Don?t give me that look,? he said pointing his finger. ?All I have ever wanted for Ben was his happiness.?

?Luke?? she began.

?I know that when it comes to the Force I may see with tunnel vision and I may not have been the most open-minded father. But Stars!? exclaimed Luke. ?Ben was so young, Mara. He was still a teenager when he left and wouldn?t even tell us where he was going.?

?That was the hardest part,? agreed Mara, nodding her head. ?Not knowing if he was OK, I couldn?t even feel him through the Force anymore.?

?Of course not, he didn?t want anything to do with it?or us,? said Luke, as he stood up and began to pace the room.

?That?s not true, Luke, he wasn?t trying to get away from us, at least I don?t think he was. It?s just that we were a part of the Force that he so desperately needed to escape from.?

?Oh right. That?s why he didn?t tell us about his marriage to Rachel. He didn?t even invite us!? Luke shouted. ?Our son gets married at nineteen years of age and doesn?t invite his own parents.?

Luke noticed that Mara had no response to that. It had been devastating to discover that he had married without telling them. To this day, they had never even met Rachel face to face, or the children. If not for Ben?s wife there would probably be no contact at all.

Mara closed her eyes as if trying to fight for control of her emotions. ?If only we knew why,? she whispered.

Luke stopped in front of the balcony sliding doors and leaned his forehead against the cool transparisteel. He sighed heavily, suddenly feeling the weight of so much regret. ?I shouldn?t have pressured you to go with me.

?What??

?On Borleias, I should have relented and let you stay with Ben when he was just a baby. I had thought with you by my side we?d be stronger, better able to defeat the Vong and the war would be over sooner.?

Mara closed her eyes, nodding. ?And you were right,? she said softly.

?But Ben had to pay the price,? sighed Luke bitterly.

?Yes, he did,? agreed Mara. ?And

 

See, I would get all excited that Ben's on the comm, but you said that it's going to be a bumpy ride, so... I'm more worried!

Oh, what a tough chater to read! I can understand Ben not wanting to have anything to do with the Force, but to cut himself off from Luke and Mara completely... I just can't wrap my mind around that! It hurts ME! LOL, I'm such a sap!

Ben should be glad he's never had or probably never will have to make the choices his parents had to make with him. But, of course, it's easier to blame your parents than to understand them.

And, Luke and Mara certainly aren't getting any younger... eep!

I'm holding on to my throat, just like you said to!

Great chapter!!

 

I missed an update! Could you add me to your PM list so this doesn?t happen again?

?You don?t lead a small life, Ben,? she admonished him. ?You have a simple life that?s full, but never small. There is a difference.? Ben started to argue, but Rachel broke in. ?You go look into the faces of those five precious children sleeping in their rooms and tell me you have a small life!? demanded Rachel firmly.

What a wise woman Rachel is!


Luke could feel her hurt through their Force bond, though he knew she would be reluctant to admit it. His heart ached thinking of Ben, now a grown man. Would he even recognize his own son after all these years? Did Ben hate him so much that a simple comm call was repugnant to him? ?When have I ever interfered with him making his own decisions??

Mara arched her brow cryptically.

Luke knew dangerous men had gone into hiding for less.?Don?t give me that look,? he said pointing his finger. ?All I have ever wanted for Ben was his happiness.?

You had better watch out, Luke! You?re venturing into dangerous territory!

And what will Ben have to say now?? I can?t wait! Evil cliffie!

 

Awww... Lukie!

I'm with ginchy... it also hurts me that Ben has completely shut out his parents!

Though I must say Luke pouting on the couch was kinda cute!

I loved Luke and Mara's banter about Tatooine! It really cracked me up!

Luke knew dangerous men had gone into hiding for less.
So true, so true!

?Oh right. That?s why he didn?t tell us about his marriage to Rachel. He didn?t even invite us!? Luke shouted. ?Our son gets married at nineteen years of age and doesn?t invite his own parents.?
That just broke my heart! I couldn't imagine not having my parents at my wedding!

?But to a Force sensitive child like Ben, it must have been torture. With no one strong enough to shield him from all that perversion and violence?? Luke shook his head, ?I should have listened to you instead of making you go against your better judgment.?
And this broke my heart even further... that Luke completely blames himself . I wish Ben would just try and see it the way they see it, that they did what every parent does... they tried to do what was best at the time. You would think being a parent himself he would have figured it out by now!

?She would have to be in order to survive being married to a Skywalker,? said Mara, as she crossed the room to her husband.
Oh yeah! Those Skywalkers are a stuborn bunch... and it seems that Ben got a big heaping spoonful of the stubornness gene out of the pool!

?Luke, it?s Ben.?


Marvoelous chapter, Jade_Pilot!
I can't wait for more!

And thanks for the PM!

*goes to put pieces of heart back together*

 

I feel for Luke and Mara. I would hate my child doing that to me. And then a cliffie. What's Ben going to say? I hope we'll know soon.