Above All Else
a Star Wars story
by Hermione Eveningfall
"They didn't agree on much. In fact, they rarely agreed on anything. They fought all the time, and challenged each other every day. But inspite of their differences, they had one important thing in common: they were crazy about each other."
~The Notebook, film version
Luke Skywalker lay on the couch in the Jedi Acadamy's library one particuarily miserable afternoon. He glanced closely at the open binder on his blanket-covered lap, attempting to read the statuses of his current padawan learners. Rain beat against the windows, making a repetitive pitter patter, which seemed to at least somewhat block out the other sounds going on throughout the building. He sighed wearily, massaging his forehead as the loud voices of his sister Leia and her husband, Han, broke through the walls from a room down the hall.
"Are Mama and Daddy ever going to stop fighting, Uncle Luke?" a small voice asked, and the Jedi Master glanced downward. Lying on the rug, two children paused in their current activities to glance up at their relative. Jacen and Jaina Solo, his twelve-year- old neice and nephew, were twins. The third Solo child, two-year-old Anakin, curled at his Uncle's feet, chewing on a round rubber ring. Anakin's favorite past time, currently anyway, was biting things. He was going through the typical teething process, and was in more than enough pain if he did not have something hard to gnaw on. Jaina, who was a brilliant inventor, tweaked part of her new contraption with a pair of pliers. Her long, dark brown hair was tied back with a ribbon, which was a sure sign that she was in deep thought as she spoke.
"It's been going on for hours," Jacen groaned, shutting the book he was currently reading. "I'm bored, Uncle Luke! And I wish it would stop raining so we could go outside!"
"Fiend!" Anakin shrieked, which meant something along the lines of, "I want to go outside and find some nice hard pieces of bark to chew on. This rubber teething ring doesn't help much at all!"
"Oh stop it, both of you," Jaina growled. "Uncle Luke isn't feeling well, so don't cause trouble, Jacen! You know what Mama and Daddy said!"
"Epag!" The twins looked up at their brother, grinning.
"I think he means something like, he's sorry and that yes, he agrees with you," Jaina explained, standing and going to lift her brother into her arms.
Luke had to smile at Jaina's concern. He'd been coming down with a cold for the past day or so, and it took quite a bit to convince Leia that he was well enough to allow the family to visit. If it were any other day of the week, he would allow his powers of natural healing to get him through the class lectures and other activities, but the weekend was a time for him to rest and recuperate if he felt less than perfect. Which, unfortunately, was more often than he liked. "Be careful with Ani, Jaina," he warned, as she remembered to keep support on his head.
"I know," she insisted, kissing the infant on the cheek. "Oh Uncle Luke, does baby Ani really have to be sent away? I'll miss him terribly."
Luke looked at her, and nodded. "You and your brother were sent off when you were his age. I would have insisted that he be sent sooner, but your mother wouldn't hear of it."
"I remember," Jacen admitted, stretching out on his back, gazing up at the high ceiling of the room, and placed his arms behind his head. He sighed heavily, and Luke frowned. He hated seeing the children so restless, and wanted to kick himself for having decided to let his guard down this weekend.
"I'm sure this will all blow over soon," Luke replied, hoping it was true. With the amount of arguments and fights Leia and Han went through since they married, it amazed him that the two still felt as strongly about each other as they did. "What is that you're making?" he added, trying to change the subject and end the tension between the two siblings. Jaina had put Anakin on the floor beside her, so she could go back to work on the metal object she'd been working with earlier. He wiped his suddenly runny nose with a tissue he pulled from a box on the floor by the couch, and groaned softly.
"It's a new cage for one of my lizards," Jacen explained, for he kept a collection of unusual pets. Many of which his mother despised, but only allowed if he promised not to let them out of their cages and roam about. "Because it kept getting out of the other one."
Jaina nodded, holding up the shoebox-sized metal container.
"You smug bastard! How dare you call me that!" Leia's voice suddenly shrieked, and both twins gasped, staring at each other.
"You didn't hear that," Luke grumbled, coughing and cringing at his sore throat.
"What's a bastard?" Jacen asked, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Never mind," Luke replied, allowing Jaina to crawl onto the couch with him , bringing Anakin with her, after he finished with the binder.
"How are you feeling, Uncle Luke?" she asked, reaching over to feel his forehead with her small, slightly rust-covered hand. "You look like you could use some ice cream or soup. Oh, Ani, no! Don't chew on it!" she cried, as the baby latched his sharp teeth onto the one metal pole of her invention. Jacen began laughing as she struggled to release the "cage" from the baby's grasp. When she did, Anakin began wailing until she returned his teething ring. He scowled at her for a moment, but then gave a coo of appreciation before beginning to gnaw on it. "Well," Jaina breathed, "I guess it's getting time for lunch, isn't it?"
"Nunc!" Anakin shrieked, which probably meant something like, "As long as there's something hard that I can bite into."
"Mmmm!" Jacen licked his lips. "Yes, I am getting hungry, Uncle Luke."
"We can bring you something if you'll let us go to the cafeteria," Jaina told Luke. "Mama said you should lie down most of the day."
Luke chuckled. "Well, I don't want you two wandering around this place alone. I'll come with...with..." he paused, feeling an all too familiar sensation behind his eyes. "HuhKESHHHHH!"
"Bless you!" both twins told him, giggling. Anakin stared at his Uncle, and then began giggling at the sudden, strange noise.
"With you?" Jaina finished his sentence, and Luke, after blowing his nose, nodded.
"Yes, with you. Your mother would chop my head off with my lightsaber if she knew I let you walk around by yourselves."
"If you're sure you're okay," Jaina replied, sliding down to the floor, and aiding her Uncle off of the couch. Then she went to pick up the baby, bouncing him slightly while they waited. Luke wrapped the blanket from his waist around his shoulders, shivering slightly with chills. Jacen hopped to his feet, instantly dashing ahead for the door. With a free hand, Jaina touched Luke's, just out of curiosity.
"You're really cold," she gasped, and this didn't surprise Luke at all. He'd been running a bit of a fever most of that morning, hence why he spent most of the day lying down.
"You're saying I should have gone with Isildor and spared you the trouble? You know, I should have at this point! Why can't you remove that stick from your behind, and loosen up a little!" Leia's voice shouted, and Han's reply of, "I'm the one with a stick up my behind?!"
"Come on," Luke encouraged, shaking his head as he urged the children past the room that contained their very heated parents. "HuhKESHHHH! EhKSHHHHH!" he sneezed again, his head throbbing afterwards.
"Bless you," Jaina told him...Jacen was too far up the corridor to add anything. "I really wish you weren't sick, Uncle Luke. Then we'd be able to play more." She smiled, her dark eyes shining.
"Oh?" Luke asked, grinning back, slightly mischeviously. "Who says we can't play?" To Jaina's confusion, he insisted that Jacen take Anakin for the moment, but then she understood.
Jaina yelped as she felt the ground slipping out from under her, and began laughing as she floated through the air from Luke's use of the Force. She folded her arms, whisteling and doing a summersault, spreading her arms so she looked like a bird. "Jacen, look!" she cried, and her brother stopped walking, staring at her. "I'm a bird!"
"You're not," Jacen teased, holding Anakin tightly in his arms. "You're my sister! Ow!" he cried, when Anakin yanked a lock of his hair.
"Say I'm a bird!" Jaina replied, as she continued to float through the air on the way to the cafeteria. Luke felt slightly drained after using his Force energy, but his niece's pleasure kept him at it for the time being. He used to float her about the room all the time when she was younger. "Say it, Jacen!"
"What kind of a bird?" he asked.
"A big pink one with tan feather's mixed in."
"Bund!" Anakin giggled, which meant something along the lines of "I could imagine my sister as a pretty bird."
Luke laughed, lowering Jaina to the floor after a few moments. Then he pulled her into a big hug, which she returned just as enthusiastically. "You're my little bird," he told her, and she nodded.
"Do you think," she asked, as they continued walking normally, "that I'll be able to make people fly when I learn to use the Force?"
Jaina and Jacen, with the approval of their parents, were to attend Luke's academy for real the following year. As mentioned before, Anakin would be stationed on a remote planet for several years, just to make sure he wasn't easily tempted by the dark side. It was a strategy all potential Jedi dealt with...well, Luke was an exception. He hadn't begun his Jedi training until he was almost twenty years old, much to Master Yoda's protesting.
"We'll have to work on it," Luke replied, and they entered the large, spacious cafeteria at that moment. "Now you both know ice cream isn't possible until you've each had some real food, right?" Luke gave them each a serious look, and both children nodded in understanding. "Good. Go and help yourselves to anything you like... I'm going to get a bowl of soup and I'll join you at a table. Make sure you find something soft for Anakin."
"Naugh," Anakin argued, and Jaina shook her head.
"No, Anakin, you're too young to be eating hard food yet. You'll choke on it. But some nice mashed peas and carrots would do!"
Jacen wrinkled his nose, following his siblings along the tables of food.
As they hurried off, Luke broke into a fit of coughing at that moment. He actually felt a little worse since he got up from the couch, and paused when a light wave of nausea passed through him. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against one of the large poles supporting the ceiling. "Are you quite all right, sir?" an all too familiar voice broke into his head, and he glanced up.
"Mmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine 3PO. thank you. I just felt a little dizzy, but I'm fine." Luke smiled, trying to look as confident as possible, and made his way to where the large pots of soup sat. He poured himself a bowl of chicken broth, shaking his head when he could barely detect it's scent.
"Might I do anything to help, sir?" the droid asked.
"No, but..."
"Over here, Uncle Luke! Hello, 3PO!" Jacen called when he began searching for the twins, and found them sitting at one of the window booths. They were watching the rain splatter along the jungle scenery, nibbling on sandwiches. Jaina took breaks from her own lunch to feed Anakin small spoonfuls of mashed carrots, which he did not seem to like much. Luke sat down beside Jacen and across from Jaina, clasping a hand to his forehead when the throbbing headache grew worse for the moment.
"Perhaps if you wouldn't mind, I'll take Master Anakin, sir." 3PO suggested.
Luke glanced at him, not sure if leaving an infant with 3PO was the best thing to do, but he wanted to make sure the twins were able to enjoy their lunch as well.
"Fweepo!" Anakin reached out his pudgy hands for the droid, and Jaina grinned.
"Yes, Master Anakin. Do come with me and I will see to your care."
"Thanks, 3PO. You can bring him to Han and Leia when he's done...I'm sure they're worried about him."
Jacen leaned towards his sister, and whispered, "If they're not still fighting by the time he gets there." Jaina shushed her brother, giving him a warning look.
"In deed I will, sir." Threepio carried the infant away, and both twins waved as he disappeared through the door. When they were gone, Luke suddenly grasped his forehead, the throbbing pain returning.
"Are you okay?" Jacen asked, noticing how his Uncle gritted his teeth, his eyes squeezed shut. "Maybe you really should go back and lay down."
"Or maybe we could send for the healer," Jaina suggested, chewing on her nail anxiously.
"No, no,"Luke breathed, slowly opening his eyes. "I'll be all right." He took a small spoonful of soup, hoping he could keep it down without too much trouble. The warm liquid soothed his throat almost instantly, and he sighed with relief. The steam pouring from the bowl cleared his nose a tiny bit as well.
"What's your favorite ice cream flavor, Uncle Luke?" Jaina asked, after she'd finished her first half of sandwich, and was sipping from her glass of milk.
"Hmmm?"
"I told Jacen my favorite was chocolate marshmallow! His is mint. He thinks yours is vanilla, but I told him I didn't think so."
"My favorite ice cream flavor?" Luke hadn't given it much thought. He didn't eat ice cream very frequently, and only started when he came to Coruscant for the first time. They didn't really serve that type of treat on his home planet of Tatooine, so he hadn't experienced it as a child.
"Chocolate, I suppose," Luke finally replied, turning away so he could cough hard into his fist. Jaina and Jacen watched worriedly, sighing with relief when he stopped. "I'm sorry," Luke croaked, his eyes watering, and he coughed once more.
"I'll get a glass of water," Jaina announced, dashing off. Jacen patted his Uncle's back comfortingly. When Luke was finally able to take a good breath, Jaina had returned with the water.
"Thank you," he whispered, gulping it down gratefully.
"We need to bring you back to bed," she told him, frowning. "You sound worse."
Luke sniffled, hating to agree, but it was certainly true. "Can you two live without ice cream today? I know I told you you could have some after lunch." He realized he himself had hardly taken down any of his soup.
"No," Jaina insisted. "I just want you well, Uncle Luke."
Luke took her hand across the table, squeezing it affectionately.
"Jacen, can you give me a hand, buddy?" he asked, and Jacen took his Uncle's arm, helping him down from the seat.
"I have your other arm!" Jaina chirped, and the twins helped support Luke while he walked. The trip to his bed chamber took a fairly long time, as he was so weak.
"There we go." Jaina pulled the covers up to Luke's neck, once they got him into bed. Jacen carried the black boots to a corner, and sat down on a chair beside the bed.
"HuhKESHHHH! HuhESHHHHH!" Luke sneezed, and she instantly placed a fresh tissue over his nose.
"Blow," she ordered sternly, and though surprised for a moment, Luke obeyed.
"Jacen," he whispered afterwards, "Can you let your parents know that we've relocated? I know I said I didn't want you walking around here alone, but..."
"I'll go with him!" Jaina insisted, and Jacen shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. You stay and take care of Uncle Luke. I can take care of myself." He scurried out of the room, after giving Luke a hug.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia had finally finished their argument. Han had quieted his wife at last by pressing her against the wall and kissing her passionately. "That's what works every time, flyboy." She teased, shoving him onto the bed moments later.
They now lay in each other's arms, knowing they would have to relieve Luke of the twins soon.
"We never do fight for long," Han agreed. "I wonder why we do so much, do you think about that?" his voice was quiet and gruff, making Leia shiver with pleasure as she nestled close to him.
"I think it's just something we grew accustomed to, and it feels odd not getting into spats every so often. Besides, we've learned how to push each other's buttons. We've known each other for long enough!" she traced a heart shape over his chest, heaving a contented sigh.
"Do you even remember what we started yelling about?" he asked, and she shrugged, shaking her head.
"Not really, no."
Han snorted, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you," he replied, and kissed her again. Just as their lips parted, they heard a few raps on the door, and sat up straight.
"Who is it?" Leia called.
"It's me, Jacen!"
"Jacen?" Han asked, quickly putting on his shirt, and following Leia off of the bed. The couple hurried across the carpeted floor, opening the door and stared at their son. "What's wrong, son?" he added, and Leia felt her heart sinking.
"Luke. It's Luke."
"What happened, Jacen?" Han asked, and Jacen shrunk back a tiny bit.
"We had to put him to bed...he was coughing an awful lot at lunch, and felt really dizzy."
Han swore under his breath, receiving a warning nudge from Leia, who took her son's hand. "Take me there," she breathed, just as Han added, "I'll find the medi-droid. Darn kid's too proud for his own good."
"We'll meet you in Luke's room," Leia called as he disappeared down the hallway, and then followed her son in the opposite direction. "Jaina is with him, I hope? And Anakin?" she asked as they climbed a flight of marble steps.
"Yes...well, 3PO is looking after Ani right now, but Jaina is with Luke." Leia stared at her son. "3PO is with Anakin?" she exclaimed, not sure she liked that. "Yep. He'll be fine, Mama. 3PO is a good babysitter. He babysat us, remember?" she sighed, nodding in understanding. "So you and Daddy have stopped fighting then?" Jacen asked as they began the long treck down another set of corridors.
"We never fight for very long, dear, and they're rarely ever serious. We just have little spats every now and again. It's just something your father and I have always done...we never mean any real harm by them."
Jacen blinked, wondering how two people who loved each other so much, could make fighting a daily ritual. Then again, he thought back to how much he loved Jaina, and remembered all of the fights they got into over the years. Mostly over stupid things, though, but nonetheless.
They finally reached Luke's room, where Jaina lay beside him, smoothing his forehead. "Luke." Leia gasped, and her brother opened his eyes, managing a smile.
"I guess you two made up at this point? I don't see any blood shed." He coughed, watching Leia dash over to his side. She felt his forehead, frowning deeply.
"You're burning up, Luke. Han went to fetch the healer... perfect timing, too."
Luke sat up, his eyes narrowing. "Leia, I don't *need* a healer. I just have a...HuhESHHHUH!" he snapped forward, startling Jaina and causing her to yelp. When she recovered, she fetched him another fresh tissue, placing it into his hand.
"Just a cold?" Leia rolled her eyes. "Put your pride aside, Luke. I've seen how sick you've been since we got here Friday morning."
"I...HuhKESHHHH!"
"Bless you!" chirped Jaina, just as Jacen clambered onto the bed with her.
"HehKUSHHHH!" Luke groaned, feeling defeated. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the dizziness and nausea swirling through his body in waves, and the stinging soreness of his throat.
Han eventually returned with the healing droid, smirking at the glare his friend gave him.
"We'll let you alone then. Come on, kids, Uncle Luke and the healer need some privacy."
Jaina gasped. "I-I don't want to leave Uncle Luke, Daddy! Can I stay, please?"
Luke sniffled, glancing at her lovingly. "I don't want you catching whatever it is I have, love."
"But I'd rather have it, oh truly I would! Besides, we've already been around you all weekend, so it's likely we'll be sick anyway. Can I, Mama, Daddy? I wont make any trouble, I promise!"
Luke grimaced as the droid pricked his finger, squeezing a few drops of blood onto a tiny sandpaper-like strip.
Han and Leia looked at each other, and shrugged. "Jaina, as long as you stay out of the healer's way, I suppose it would be all right."
"Thank you," Jaina told her mother, climbing down from the bed and sitting in the chair Jacen had been in earlier.
Han, Leia and Jacen sat waiting in the general council room in silence, gazing at each other. "I wish I knew how to help Luke," Leia breathed.
"What is wrong with him, Leia? Did he ever tell you?"
Jacen gave a small sigh, leaning his chin in his palm, gazing out the window at the dark, cloudy sky. He swung his long legs impatiently, humming to himself in a soft voice. Fifteen minutes had gone by since they'd left Luke alone with Jaina and the medi-droid, and they felt terribly worried.
"He's not really sure," Leia replied. "Han, you know we don't understand much about our past...at least, not much yet. Supposedly though, Luke told me his guardians knew he'd been born rather sickly, and he just hasn't gotten over it very well." She closed her eyes, feeling her throat choke up with tears. It killed her that her twin brother had to suffer, a young man who was so kind, so caring, and loved life so deeply.
"Don't Jedi have healing powers, Mama?" Jacen asked, confused as to why this was happening.
"Your Uncle chooses not to use the Force so strongly on the weekends. He uses that time to rest and relax. And of course when he does that, he does get sick." She sighed, and smiled softly when Han reached over to take her hand, squeezing it comfortingly.
"Don't feel guilty, Leia. It's not your fault. It was just the luck of the drawl, or...well, bad luck of the drawl."
"Oh, Han." Leia breathed, and he instantly drew her into his arms, allowing her to burry her face into his chest.
"Mama?" Jacen asked, watching as her shoulders trembled slightly, showing that she cried softly. "Mama, don't cry. Uncle Luke will be fine. He always is."
Han gave his son a look, and Jacen wet his lips, nodding. "Go and check on your sister," he urged, stroking Leia's hair, and Jacen obeyed, leaving them alone. He found Jaina running down the hallway, her hair loose and flowing, and she threw herself into her brother's arms, crying softly herself.
"What is it?" Jacen asked, nearly stumbling backwards with surprise.
"Uncle Luke has the flu," she breathed, "and it's pretty bad. The droid gave him medicine, and he's basically passed out cold."
"Mama's crying too," Jacen told Jaina, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.
"Why?" she sniffled, gulping quickly.
"She's worried. So try not to look too sad when you go in. Actually, Daddy told me to go and look for you, but you've come here. I wouldn't go in there yet. Can we go back to Uncle Luke's room or not?"
Jaina shrugged. "I don't know. The medi-droid didn't really say we could or couldn't...I just had to tell Mama and Daddy. He's left now, though, but told me he'd be back in a few hours to check in Uncle Luke's fever."
"Is it still high?"
"Yeah." She wiped her eyes, sniffling. "The medicine's supposed to help, but I don't know."
"Let's go get ice cream," Jacen suggested. "That way we won't bother Uncle Luke, and we can let Daddy comfort Mama."
"We should tell them, first," Jaina told Jacen, and cracked open the door to the council area. "Daddy?" she asked, and both parents looked up, surprised to see both children there at the same time. "Uncle Luke has the flu," she added, and Leia gulped down another set of tears. "But he's sleeping now. Can Jacen and I go and get ice cream from the cafeteria?"
Han cleared his throat, nodding. "As long as you two stay together. I don't want you wandering around alone, all right? Luke shouldn't have let you go by yourself earlier, Jacen."
"But I was fine, Daddy. I'm twelve, and..."
"Still a child." Han finished. "Just stay together."
"We will," the twins promised, and rushed out.
When they reached the cafeteria, it felt strange to be entering it alone. "Eventually, we'll be able to do this every day," Jaina whispered, as they went up to the counter where the ice cream station was located. They ordered cones, and went to sit down in the booth they'd chosen earlier.
"I can't wait until we can live with Luke all the time," Jacen added, taking a bite of his ice cream. Jaina giggled.
"Jacen, do you want a taste of mine?" she asked, and he gave her a look.
"Oh no you don't," he told her. "You're not going to do that again."
"I won't," she insisted, and he appeared skeptical.
"Fine." He leaned forward to take a lick, and Jaina smeared some around his mouth. "Oy!" he yelped, and couldn't help but laugh also. "You promised!" he licked his lips, and she leaned across the table to help. "Ugh, I don't want your germs!" he giggled as he pushed her back gently.
"Gotcha," Jaina giggled, shrieking as Jacen did the same thing back to her.
"Pay back." He stuck out his tongue, and she did the same, shaking her head. "That *is* good, though." He finished licking the stick ice cream off from his mouth, and continued eating his own. Jaina giggled, nodding.
"Isnt it?" she asked. "Remember that time Daddy snuck up behind Mama and stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth?"
Jacen grinned. "Yep, and she chased him around the kitchen with a spoon...she was so furious! But then they both started laughing, and he allowed her to shove some back at him."
"It was all over his face," Jaina replied. "They did spray us with the sink spritzer when we intruded. That was a fun day," she sighed longingly. "Oh, I wish Uncle Luke would get better soon!"
"He will. Maybe we should put on a skit or something for him when he wakes up...it'll make him feel better."
Jaina perked up. "Oh, what shall we put on?" Jacen thought for a moment, chewing on his nail contemplatively. Then he leaned across the table, and began whispering his idea into his sister's ear.
"You look a tiny bit better," Leia announced, as she and Han entered Luke's chambers around dinner time. He sat in bed, leaning against the headboard.
"I still feel terrible," he croaked. "I'm so groggy. That medication nearly killed me." He rubbed his forehead, coughing hard into his hand. "Where are the twins?" he added, noticing they weren't with their parents, and Leia sat beside him.
"I'm not sure...they checked back once after getting ice cream, and then they went into the play room. I haven't seen them since! I couldn't imagine what they're cooking up."
"Hmmm. Leia, can you hand me that box of tissues please?" Luke asked, pointing to the nightstand, and she did so.
"I'll be right back." She kissed him softly, leaving Han to sit on the opposite side, and went into the small, but private bathroom. Luke pulled a few tissues from the box, and blew his nose loudly.
"Not such fun weekend, huh, junior?" Han asked.
Luke gave Han a look. "Oh, lots of fun. I am glad you were able to come...to...UhKUSHHHHH! HahESHHHHH! HuhkSHHHHHH!"
"Bless you!" Leia returned with a bowl of cool water and a rag. "I'm going to try to bring your fever down."
Luke scooched back under the covers, so he could lay somewhat flatter on his back. Leia began to blott his forehead and cheeks, before turning to Han. "Could you go and look for Jacen and Jaina? I don't know where they've gotten to."
"I don't have to," Han replied, and pointed to the door. Leia glanced over her shoulder, and saw Jacen standing in the doorway.
"We have a surprise for Uncle Luke," he announced, and Luke raised his head slowly.
"Mmmm?"
"What kind of a surprise?" Han asked, not sure what to expect from their two.
"HehCHUUUUH! HuhESHHHH!" Luke sighed, shivering a little.
"Jacen, I don't know if Uncle Luke is really up for this right now. Maybe when he's feeling a little better," she suggested, and Luke shook his head, smiling.
"No, no, it's all right. I'll be all right." He coughed, and Leia sighed.
"You're impossible, Luke. Really." She nodded, and Jacen entered. Leia reluctantly eased her brother into a sitting positon, frowning when he began coughing.
"Introducing," Jacen began in a very dramatic voice, "The beautiful, brilliant, Jaina Lynn Solo in her amazing poetry act!"
Han snorted as Leia eventually sat on his lap, and she nudged his arm with her elbow. "You should feel that way about your daughter," she whispered into his ear, and he whispered back, "Oh, don't get me wrong sweetheart, I do. But if that's Jacen's way of wooing women later, we'll have to teach him a few things." Leia giggled, kissing his cheek. "Oh shush," she replied, and both of the stuck their tongues out at each other.
"Good evening, good evening everyone!" Jaina swept into the room, dressed in a sky blue robe and a crown of paper stars on her head. She carried what appeared to be a fake scroll of sorts, tied together with her red hair ribbon. She nodded to Jacen respectcully, and gave him a small tap on the rump with her scroll. "If you please," she ordered, and he instantly scrambled away, climbing onto the bed. Luke put an arm around his nephew, allowing him to get as comfortable as possible. "For your enjoyment, I would like to act out a special poem, that Uncle Luke told us all the time before bed." She cleared her throat, and held her head up. "Before I begin, I will need a volunteer from the audience.
She pointed to Jacen, who pretended to look surprised. "Would you be so kind, sir?" she asked, and Luke smiled weakly as Jacen slid down from the bed. He put on a "warrior's" helmet, and used his practice lightsaber as his weapon.
Leia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud as her daughter began receiting the lines from "Jabberwoky".
"Twas brillig and the slithy tothes, did gyre and gimble in the wabe! All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths now outgrabe." Jacen pretended to mount some sort of pack animal, and dug his heels into the animals sides, pretending to be trotting through a calm and quiet forest. He held his lightsaber in the air, as though it were a sword.
In a deep, masculine voice, Jaina continued as he stopped before her, dismounting and bowing. "Beware the jabberwok, my son!" she stepped down from her stool. "The jaws that bite, the claws that snatch!" she made claws using her fingers, and raised her arms as though preparing for an attack on him. Jacen's eyes widened and he cowered in mock fear. "Beware the jubjub bird, and shun, the frumious Bandersnatch!" She turned to her parents, and said, "You're supposed to make a sound like a vicious bird squawking as he comes past you," she whispered, and Leia gave her a wink. Luke was grinning as Jacen obeyed his "father", re-mounting his pack animal and taking it around the bedroom. As he passed by Han and Leia, they both began squawking madly, and he instantly brandished the lightsaber, it's blue blade glowing. Luke sacrified one of his pillows, to make it look as though he'd truly killed the creatures- feathers flew all over the place.
Once the feather's cleared...Luke had to spit out several... Jacen pushed the button on the lightsaber, and the blue glow disappeared. "He took his vorpal sword in hand; long time he manx me foe he sought...so rested he by the TumTum tree.." Jacen dismounted again, resting against his father's legs, and wiping a hand across his forehead with a "Whew!"
"And stood a while in thought. Well, um...sat a while in thought." Jaina corrected herself, rolling her eyes a little. "And, as in uffish thought he sat, the Jabberwok with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tugly wood...and burbled as it came!"
A shrill whistle and several bleeps cut through the air, and Artoo suddenly appeared, shaking and making quite a racket. Jacen instantly hopped to his feet, brandishing his lightsaber once again, and prepared to go into a duel with the bot. Luke, Han and Leia were roaring with laughter as Artoo rolled around the room.
"One, two! One two! And through, and through, the vorpal blade went snicker snack! He left it dead, and with it's head, he went gallumping back!"
Just as Jacen pretended to stab Artoo, the droid purposely shut itself down, declaring it's defeat, and Jacen jumped up and down with excitement. He was just about to drag Artoo back towards Jaina, when there was a slight knock on the door.
Jaina lowered her hands, her eyes blinking in surprise. "Who is it?" Leia sniggered, and went to open the door. "Oh, hello, Threepio."
"I do not mean to interrupt, Mistress Leia, but I've come with a bit of concern for young Master Anakin."
Her eyes widened. "What's the matter?" she asked, and opened the door all the way, so the droid came into full view. What caught her sight then, made her gasp.
"I do believe," Threepio continued, stumbling through the door and into the room, "that Master Anakin has become quite attached to me."
Jaina's mouth opened wide with shock at the sight, and soon, everyone began to burst into laughter. Anakin had sunk his four sharp teeth into the droid's metallic arm. In the midst of his laughter, Luke began coughing, and Jaina instantly climbed onto the bed to soothe him as best she could.
"I do not find this situation the least bit funny if you please," Threepio replied, exhasperated.
When Leia managed to stop laughing, she nodded. "I'm sorry, Threepio. Let me help you."
Han sniggered as she soothed the baby into releasing his grasp, though it took quite a bit of effort. "Naughty Anakin! Threepio is not a chewtoy." She scolded lightly, kissing the child's cheek.
"Fajip!" Anakin replied, which meant something along the lines of "Well, he was the closest thing that was hard enough! And he tasted delcious."
"HahESHHHH! HuhKESHHHH!" Luke sneezed, accepting a tissue from Jaina, who sat closest to the box.
"Bless you," she chirped.
"We should let you rest, actually," Leia told him, but Jaina frowned.
"But we haven't finished yet!" she protested, and Leia gave her daughter a warning look.
"Your Uncle needs peace and quiet, love. I'm sure he'd love to see the rest of the play later. We'll be here until Monday."
Luke hated seeing disappointment in his niece's face, and he offered a hug, which she accepted eagerly. "I love you," he whispered, and she nodded.
"I love you too, Uncle Luke."
"How about you and Jacen finish the play tomorrow after breakfast? I'm just going to rest for now."
Han stood, taking Ani into his arms, and made the baby squeal with delight as he raised him up and down. "Okay," Jaina agreed, kissing her Uncle on the cheek.
"There now," Leia encouraged, shooing her children out of the room. Once Han left with them, she turned back to Luke. "Is there anything I can get you?" she asked, as Luke blew his nose and cleared his throat painfully.
"No, Leia," he replied. "I'll be fine."
She bent low to kiss his forehead. "I'll be back to check on you later." She watched as he closed his eyes, and then left the bedroom to join her family in the corridor. Jacen and Jaina were in the midst ofa clapping game, while Han made funny faces at Anakin. "Chift," Anakin murmered, meaning "Daddy's just being silly, Mama," when Leia shook her head with a smile.
It was hard to believe she and Han fought so horribly earlier that day. But no matter what arguments they did get into, they both came back to their unconditional love for their children, for their family, whom they placed above all else.
The characters' names and places do not belong to me. They are the original property of George Lucas, and the expanded universe characters of Jaina and Jacen belong to Kevin Anderson, author of the "Young Jedi Knights" series.
Based off of Nicholas Sparks' "The Notebook", with the characters Noah and Allie's relationship. Or at least somewhat, obviously.