Bitchin' Mara Jade

Chapter Five

Luke woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of pouring rain battering against his window. He was staying in his room at the school. He had had too much work to do and he was hoping to find Mara at some point but he couldn't. He'd gone to sleep not knowing what was going on with her. It must have definitely have been him that had upset her. He sighed and turned around to face the wall, only to find someone was in his bed, cuddled up to the pillow on the other side. Mara. She wasn't there when he went to bed around midnight, she must have snuck in later. More content, he lay down closer to her and inhaled the scene of her hair. Her hair smelled lovely as it always did but her clothes smelt of cigarettes and something else. A man's aftershave? It wasn't his. He shrugged it off as nothing. She'd probably went to vent off somewhere. He was just glad she was there.

When morning came again she was gone and only a post it note in the shape of a heart was left.

It read: I love you. I hope you have a good day. I didn't talk to yesterday because first of all I was in a bad mood and didn't want to take it out on you and two, I was busy after I calmed down. Don't wait up for me. I don't think I will be back until after midnight. All the best. Your Mara. xxx

Luke sighed. What was going to be keeping her until after midnight began to worry him. When Mara had secrets that was when one had to worry.

*

It was Saturday and Luke was grading homework as he sat at the dining table in his family's home. "What are you doing Uncle Luke?" a child's voice asked.

He turned and looked at his nephew Ben. "I'm correcting mistakes."

"Do students makes a lot of mistakes?"

"Some more than others." Luke responded dryly.

"I want to be a teacher like you so that I can make sure no one makes mistakes and keeps you busy again!" Ben said determinedly.

"That's a noble reason to become a teacher." Luke smiled. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Ben nodded and Luke got out of his seat. "Come on then."

They walked around the garden for a while, Ben talking to Luke about elementary school. "My teacher is incompetent." he said, sounding annoyed. "He is nothing like you! He made us sing songs!"

"I'm sorry you're not enjoying your elementary school experience."

"And his desk is a mess! It irks me." Ben said, folding his arms.

"Well sometimes we have to keep at stuff we don't like but if you really want to be a teacher I"m sure you'll do better than that."

"Oh I will! Oh I will!" Ben said determinedly. "When I get you as a teacher I'll be able to tell you how to be a good one."

"I am sure you will." Luke chuckled as Ben peered into the fish pond.

"Why is the fish dead? Did mummy forget to feed it again?"

"It was the cold that did it." replied Luke.

"Unbelievable. We feed it! And it dies! A wasted investment."

"Why don't we get you a cat if you want a pet?" Luke suggested.

"A good idea. It will be my minion!" plotted Ben.

"What are you two up to?" Leia's voice could be heard. Luke turned around to see his sister. She was standing next to another woman who had beautiful golden hair with blue eyes. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a cobalt blue blouse.

The woman smiled at Luke as Ben ran to his mother to inform her that he'd be getting a cat. "We'll discuss this later. Luke Molly is here, say hello."

Luke did a double take at that. Molly? His ex-girlfriend? 

"Come on Ben. It's almost dinner. Let's go see grandpa." Leia said to her son.

"Grandpa! He's out of hospital!?"

"Yes!" Leia said as she and Ben walked away.

"Molly. How are you?" Luke asked politely.

"I'm wonderful Luke. How are you?"

"Busy."

"You know Leia is going to kill you for suggesting about the cat, right?"

"Actually. I heard her and Han talk this morning about getting him a goldfish. A cat isn't much different."

"Still as clueless as ever. So umm.... I'm working in Missoula now. I thought I'd come by to see you."

"Oh well it was nice of you." Luke replied.

"Leia told me you've not.... you've not....well that you're single. That was a bit more forward than I'd hoped."

"I think I heard my mother calling on me. Excuse me Molly." Luke uttered and made his way to the house.

*

"Why is she here?" Luke heard Ben ask Leia while he played snap with his grandfather. They were in the kitchen and Molly was showering upstairs.

"Because she's got the hots for the Luke."

"I didn't break up with her. She broke up with me." Luke responded. "She's going home in the morning."

"No she isn't." responded Leia. "She has water damage in her apartment."

"My ass!" Anakin remarked.

Padme smacked him gently. "Don't be rude."

"Anyway Molly is too late because Uncle Luke has a girlfriend."

Silence fell int the Skywalker home. All eyes were on Luke. Luke straightened his posture. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're desperate. Desperate people don't turn rich successful women like Molly down unless they have a girlfriend."

"Your nine years old, you're not meant to know things like that." Padme scolded her grandson.

"It's true!" Ben said adamantly. "When will we get my minion cat?"

"We'll talk about that later." Leia assured her son. She turned to Luke. "Look. If she's offering herself to you, take her back. You can't be angry at her all her life because you wanted to stay and she didn't."

"I'm not angry at her. I'm just not going out with her again. I'm much too busy."

"Luke. Are you gay, son?" Anakin asked him.

"No." Luke replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You know I wouldn't judge. I'd be happy as long as you are."

"I'd tell you if I was."

"It's official. I burned the dinner. I'm sorry ladies." Han Solo's voice came from nowhere - he was Leia's husband.

"Did I hear that dinner was burned? Oh no." Molly's voice uttered as she walked into the dining room. "Then we'll go the nearest place we can get food. I saw a new restaurant open in the town near the school. We could go there? When restaurants just open they have discounts. I'll pay."

"Oh no. Luke will pay. Won't you Luke?" Leia asked pointedly.

"Ummm yeah." Luke uttered, his thoughts turning to Mara. No word for her, except post-it-notes on the pillows in the morning and she hadn't gone to any of her classes the day before. What was going on?

"Earth to Luke?" Molly asked. Suddenly she was in front of him waving a hand in his face. "Shall I drive you or will you drive me?"

"Uncle Luke has a better car." Ben said suddenly and ran up to his Uncle. He didn't like Molly at all. "We can go in his!"

"We?" asked Molly confused.

"Yes. Mummy, daddy, grandma and grandpa will go in mummy's car. Uncle Luke, you and myself will go in Uncle Luke's car. He fixed it up." Ben said.

"Oh did he?" Molly asked. "Aren't you sweet?"

"No." Ben said, his eyes going dark.

"Why don't you go get my keys then." Luke suggested, thankful for Ben being there. It was going to be one hell of a weekend if  Molly was about. He wished Mara was there. Mara knew exactly how to deal with people. He let out a sigh.