Beyond - Legends When Will You Realize - MMM Holiday Fic - Luke/Mara - Thank you for Best Canon

Title: When Will You Realize
Author: BigFatty
Timeframe: Shortly after VOTF
Characters: Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade
Summary: Someone has some holiday realizations to deal with.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything related to it. Don't sue.
Notes: Part of the MMM challenge. Also, the fact that I'm writing L/M is completely the fault of ginchy and gabri_jade. Thanks ladies for helping me find the courage to finally write these two whether you knew it or not.




Mara angled into the speeder with a sigh. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as Luke started the engines of the sleek vehicle. She felt his eyes on her, but did not move or respond.

?C?mon, it wasn?t that bad. Was it?? he asked softly.

?I suppose it could?ve been worse,? she answered. She thought about opening her eyes, but listening to how loudly Luke was revving the engine, she knew it was going to be one of those rides where Skywalker tested the limits of safe driving. ?Apparently I?m not the only one who wanted to get out of there.?

?Not quite,? Luke answered with a smile evident in his voice. ?I just want to try and get the shantili sauce stain out as soon as possible before it becomes permanent.?

Mara was pushed back into her seat as Luke quickly pulled into a traffic lane. ?Have a special affinity for those pants??

?No. I only have one other nice pair of slacks. And if Leia finds that out, she?ll take me shopping again,? he answered as he banked in and out of lanes passing slower vehicles.?

?You?ll get no sympathy from me, Farmboy. I swear she was nearly salivating when making plans to go shopping for a wedding dress with me.?

?She means well.?

?I know,? Mara sighed. ?But if I were thinking clearly I would?ve told her that I wanted my present to be a night free of wedding talk.?

?You didn?t like what the kids made for you as a present??

This caused Mara?s green eyes to snap open and stare at him as if he turned into a pink Ewok. ?How am I supposed to like something when I can?t identify it?? she answered causing Luke to chuckle.

During the present giving portion of the festivities, the Solo children had given her what could only loosely be called an art project to show their excitement about her joining the family. She stammered out a ?Thank you? while trying to hide her confusion and discomfort from the kids. She looked over to Luke for help on how to handle the situation, but he just sat next to her with that infectious smile on his face. Through their bond she felt a taste of the joy he was trying to shield from her, which made her think aloud, ?Why were you shielding from me when the kids gave me their present??

He shrugged and again switched traffic lanes before answering, ?I didn?t want to overwhelm you. I know spending time with my family can be stressful for you, and add in the fact that it?s a holiday and I thought that if I didn?t shield from you, you might? I don?t know.?

?Be suffocated with all the holiday, feel-good, sugary goodness??

?Something like that,? he replied softly.

She reached over and ran her fingertips through his hair. ?When will you realize that you can?t scare me away? You?re stuck with me.?

?I?ll believe it after you make it through all the wedding plans with Leia without one or both of you getting hurt,? he replied, only partly joking.

Mara let out a short bark of laughter as Luke eased them into a spot outside his?their?apartment building. As they entered the turbolift, Mara could sense excitement rising with Luke. ?What?s going on?? she asked eyeing him warily.

?Nothing,? he answered while avoiding eye contact.

?You?re lying.?

?Fine. I?m just excited about giving you your present.?

?Well, you did hint that the first thing you were going to do when we got inside was take off your pants. Sounds like the start of a good present to me.?

He laughed quietly, ?If I?d known that?s all it took I could?ve saved myself a la

 

eeeeeeeeeeeeee, I'm just a big happy pile of goo here!!! Oh, man. Boy am I grinning even more now. And, heck yeah, I'll take the blame (I would say the credit) for pushing you towards more L/M. You do them so, so well! Oh, I loved your Mara, and how stand offish she was, but how she's still learning how to feel loved. And all her little quips--especially about Luke's pants had me LOL!!

And what a terrific idea for the Sabre to be Luke's holiday gift to Mara. I love it! Excellent MMM!!

 

Oh, Squggles! A glorious missing moment. I also want to give Gabri and ginchy the credit for starting you off into L&M-ness.

If you ever even think of writing L&M again... please do... often... soon!!!!

 

Ohh, having the Sabre be a gift from Luke is just perfect.

Don't ever hesitate to write L/M. Ever. You've taken the first step, and you better not stop there!

 

I love MMM this was great fun and a wonderful idea!

 

Oh wow... *melts*

What a great way to introduce the Sabre. The banter was just perfect - you write them both so well. Luke's love for Mara is so evident and beautifully shown throughout.

Wonderful mush!

 

That was adorable. I loved Mara's confusion about the kid's gift and how Luke didn't want to shopping with Leia. LOL. I thought what he gave her was the best gift but hers was just as good - time together.

Great job.

 

I'm always happy to help convert someone to writing L/M, even if I didn't realize I was doing it.

Okay, first of all: If I didn't already know it, I never would have guessed that this is your first time writing L/M. Seriously. You really got the right feel for their interaction - affectionate and loving, certainly, but more snarky than mushy, and with the right dose of straightforward practicality. There was never a moment where I was thrown out of the story by something uncharacteristic by either. Great job there. On to specifics:

She thought about opening her eyes, but listening to how loudly Luke was revving the engine, she knew it was going to be one of those rides where Skywalker tested the limits of safe driving.

There's the straightforward practicality. I've always figured that driving with either of those two would be something of an exhilarating experience. They'd surely have learned to tolerate the flying quirks of the other very soon, because both of them like to push the envelope.

Mara was pushed back into her seat as Luke quickly pulled into a traffic lane. ?Have a special affinity for those pants??

?No. I only have one other nice pair of slacks. And if Leia finds that out, she?ll take me shopping again,? he answered as he banked in and out of lanes passing slower vehicles.?

?You?ll get no sympathy from me, Farmboy. I swear she was nearly salivating when making plans to go shopping for a wedding dress with me.?

?She means well.?

?I know,? Mara sighed. ?But if I were thinking clearly I would?ve told her that I wanted my present to be a night free of wedding talk.?

Good detail, to describe Mara being pushed back by Luke's driving. And this is a great exchange between them. Very in character without pushing either of their thoughts on Leia (or Leia's own demonstrated attitudes) into near-parody, as I've seen happen many a time.

?How am I supposed to like something when I can?t identify it?? she answered causing Luke to chuckle.

I get art like that on a regular basis from my own niece and nephew. One of my aunts, who teaches first grade, suggests saying, "Tell me about your art" rather than "What is it?" That little tip has come in very handy since Rachael and Paul were born.

?Well, you did hint that the first thing you were going to do when we got inside was take off your pants. Sounds like the start of a good present to me.?

I LOL'ed. That's our Mara. Straightforward and unsentimental.

?You don?t have any tips on how to get this stain out, do you??

?I don?t do laundry,? she answered.

?Don?t do laundry, don?t cook. What am I getting myself into?? he muttered as he moved towards their bedroom.

LOL again. Back when I was a restaurant hostess, there was this great regular customer that I just loved. She was a little Chinese woman who barely passed my shoulder (and I'm only 5'2") and probably didn't hit 90 lbs soaking wet who would often tell us the story of her courtship with her husband. She said she was very upfront with him, and told him flat out: "I don't cook, I don't do laundry, I don't clean, and I don't do windows. I'm just cute." When I knew her, they'd been happily married for twenty-five years. I see Luke and Mara much the same way. (Just substitute "deadly" for "cute." )

?These are ship schematics, but I haven?t seen this design before.?

?You shouldn?t have. It?s custom.?

Mara looked up from the datapad, confusion evident on her face. ?What am I missing??

?I want you to look over the schematics to make sure everything is up to your specifications.?

I think that every time I've seen fanfic tackle the topic of the Sabre, Luke's presented it to her complete. I like this better, and I think it's more realistic. I can easily see Luke designing it entirely before showing her, but I doubt he'd have it constructed without getting her input.

?When will you realize that you are worthy of being loved??

Good parallel with Mara's earlier, "When will you realize that you can't scare me away?"

M

 

This is your first Luke and Mara fic?

If I hadn't have known it, I'd say you were a pro.

All of the Luke and Mara elements are there.

Clever humor in their banter. Check.

Mara was pushed back into her seat as Luke quickly pulled into a traffic lane. ?Have a special affinity for those pants??

?No. I only have one other nice pair of slacks. And if Leia finds that out, she?ll take me shopping again,? he answered as he banked in and out of lanes passing slower vehicles.?

?You?ll get no sympathy from me, Farmboy. I swear she was nearly salivating when making plans to go shopping for a wedding dress with me.?

?She means well.?



The playful threats. Check.

?You know it?s too late to back out now.?

?Or what? You come after me? I think I can take you in a fight,? he challenged.

?Oh it wouldn?t be me,? she answered before a wicked grin appeared. ?I?d send Leia after you.?


Mara's unwillingness to realize his love for her. Check.

His question sounded again in her mind: When will you realize you are worthy of being loved?

Part of her hoped the answer was never. She did not want to be accustomed to this kind of outpouring and take it for granted. She didn?t want his generous acts to become mundane no matter how large or small they were.


And lest we forget, the mush. Check!

Turning back to him, she shook her head trying to wrap her mind around the idea. Finally, she whispered, ?Thank you, Luke.? Not allowing him the chance to respond, she leaned her body into his for a kiss.

This fic allows you into the club, girl. Welcome! Will be watching for more.

 

During the present giving portion of the festivities, the Solo children had given her what could only loosely be called an art project to show their excitement about her joining the family.



?Well, you did hint that the first thing you were going to do when we got inside was take off your pants. Sounds like the start of a good present to me.?

lol

I was wondering about that too

Mara looked up from the datapad, confusion evident on her face. ?What am I missing??
?I want you to look over the schematics to make sure everything is up to your specifications.?
?Why do I need to do that??
?Because this is going to be your ship.?
Mara sat for a moment in stunned silence. She could sense Luke waiting patiently for a reaction, but she instead turned her focus back to the schematics. To the side of the ship?s blueprints she saw small notes written giving details about the vessel?s features like engine speed, maneuverability, and the size.

Awesome I love the way you worked the Jade Sabre into this

His question sounded again in her mind: When will you realize you are worthy of being loved?
Part of her hoped the answer was never. She did not want to be accustomed to this kind of outpouring and take it for granted. She didn?t want his generous acts to become mundane no matter how large or small they were.
Focusing once more on the datapad, she looked at the schematics with fresh eyes. She made note of several details that showed Luke?s attentiveness to his work for her?how the captain?s char was slightly smaller than standard, how the engines were a new model she told him she was impressed with, how the cargo hold was large enough to stash a sizeable load in addition to an X-wing.
He did all of this for her. It made her amend her earlier thought: just because something was extravagant didn?t mean it couldn?t be born from love.
Turning back to him, she shook her head trying to wrap her mind around the idea. Finally, she whispered, ?Thank you, Luke.? Not allowing him the chance to respond, she leaned her body into his for a kiss.

Aww, that was really sweet, Fatty I loved the Luke and Mara interaction throughout and Mara's sort of revelation there at the end.

Great job

 

Aww.... so cute, wonderful and Mushy!!
Great idea to use the Sabre as a present for this!

?I?ll believe it after you make it through all the wedding plans with Leia without one or both of you getting hurt,? he replied, only partly joking.
LOL! Loved that line! You did their banter so well!
Please, please, please keep doing L/M!

Great job!

 

That was great stuff, Fatty. If this is what you do first time up, I can't wait for you to feel comfortable writing these two.

 

Great little story! You manage to write a lovely mush here and at the same time get so many details just right! I loved so muh in this; from Mara's ?How am I supposed to like something when I can?t identify it?? to the fact that she's not giving Luke a concrete thing (and then suddenly worries about that LOL) You write Mara is slightly more "edged" than actually abrasive (if you understand what I mean...)- and I really like that! And Luke is perfectly sweet!
Wonderful job!

 

ginchy: I'm so glad you liked it. It's very easy to get in touch with this kind of Mara, since she and I have a lot of similar emotional charactersitcs. And who wouldn't think taking off his pants would make a good holiday present? Thanks so much for your influence!

Jade_eyes: If I ever get a plot for these two, I'll definitely feel more confident in writing it and posting it here.

DarthBerryStraw: Thank you very much

walker-of-minds: Thanks!

path-seeker: I'm a huge fan of banter, so it's always nice to hear that I can write it well. Thank you.

dianethx: Thank you very much.

Gabri: First, I think this is the most detailed reply I've gotten to a story ever, and consequently the longest reply to a comment I've received ever. Thank you so much for reading this and leaving that kind of commentary. I love how you think riding with either of them would be "exhiliarting", becuase the word I'd use would be "horrifying". They both do push the envelope, and I always imagined that it would drive the passenger crazy to have to sit through that kind of flying. As for Leia, I agree about teh extremems in her character when it comes to Luke and Mara's wedding. It seems she's either a total wench who is hell bent on Luke either staying single or only marrying someone she picks out, or she's like a thirteen-year-old with her daddy's credit card going to the mall alone for the first time. Surely there's a happy medium. And with the art, since I astarted being a substitute teacher in elementary school, there have been many instances where I've had to find ways to politely ask, "What is that thing?" to young ones. Thanks for sharing the story about the little, Chinese woman. She sounds like a hoot, and I can easily get how that's a near perfect analogy for Luke and Mara's relationship. I agree with you on Luke's presentation of the Sabre (obviuosly). I believe he would only build it with her approval not only out of love, but also because he wouldn't want to hear her jokingly (or not so jokingly) complain about screwing up some minor detail. Thank you so much for picking up on the little nuances I left, and inferring some that I didn't realize I wrote. Big internet hugs to you, my dear.

madman007: I'm glad I passed the Luke/Mara writing test. Thank you for the acceptance into their club and I'll do my best to write them some more in the future in full stories and not just in my drabbles.

Yobi: Thank you very much and I'm so happy that you liked it.

mavjade: I'm glad you liked the banter. It's one of my favorite things in any story of a relationship. And I'll do my best to keep writing them. As soon as I get another plot bunny.

Klimt_of_Tornesdal: Thanks so much.

kataja: I do understand the difference from "edged" and "abrasive". Thank you for understanding that.

 

Beautiful story! I love how neither of their gifts to each other are material things, in the sense that they are big, clunky presents to open. Hers is a gift of her undivided attention, and his is a gift of his thoughtfulness and creativity in designing the perfect ship for her.

I've never read a fic about how Luke presented the Sabre to Mara, but this is exactly like I would have imagined it.

Loved the scene of them driving home from the Solos, and Luke nearly giving her a heart attack with his driving. [face_grin

The best part of this, though, is how they are growing closer together. The difference between being valued (which is extrinsic -- what can you do for me?) and being loved (which is intrinsic -- how can I make you happy) is really touching.

 

divapilot: I very much understand what you mean by the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic. It's a subtle but long-lasting change in a relationship and I'm glad you saw it in the story.

 

?Or what? You come after me? I think I can take you in a fight,? he challenged.

?Oh it wouldn?t be me,? she answered before a wicked grin appeared. ?I?d send Leia after you.?

Mwahaha!

This was a really lovely fic all-around. I love how Luke gave her the ship, and her thoughts about not wanting to take his love for granted. Beautiful work!

 

With a soft smile, Luke asked, ?When will you realize that you are worthy of being loved??

That was possibly the most amazing telling of Luke giving Mara the Sabre EVER. Wow....I am just stunned! Absolutely beautiful, so real....Their banter was so on key, but it was subdued in a good way--we can't all be eternal wellsprings of wit, especially after visiting the in-laws!

Beautiufully done! I'm so glad you ventured into L/M, you're a natural and it's beautiful!

Huggles!
Irish

 

amidalachick: Thank you very much!

Irish: I'm glad you liked the way I had Luke give Mara the Sabre. Thank you so much for your kind words.

 

I really like your take on this scenario - that Luke would have the specs there for her to look over, for one thing, because he wants to make sure that this is exactly the ship she wants; and Mara's reaction, which is picture-perfect, how her first instinct is to step back and question why, to label it as excessive.

Lovely character moment - beautiful work.

 

High praise coming from an author like yourself. Thank you.

 

How in the world did I miss this one? I know I'm behind on my reading but I didn't even know this existed!

I love this little snapshot of L/M. Everything from Mara's confused reaction to the kids' gift to Luke fear of Leia's tenacious shopping/planning skills made me smile. Thanks for the warm fuzzies!

Zonoma

 

For someone who has never attempted to write Luke and Mara before, I'd say you've got a firm grasp on the chemistry between this couple, as well as their individual personalities. Superbly done!

 

Z: I don't know how you missed it, but I'm glad you found it. And you're welcome for the fuzzies.

VaderLVR: Thank you very, very much.

 

*bumps*

VaderLVR's above comment thoroughly seconded! This is awesome!

I especially liked Luke spilling food on his pants in the first place and the Solo kids' present.

Great job!