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Reconciliation
By : LexiLupin
Category: Star Wars (All) > AU - Alternate Universe
Views: 3594 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars; I make no money.
Chapter List
- 1-Reconciliation
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 11-Part 11
- 12-Part 12
- 13-Epilogue
- 11
- 12
- 13
Part XII

"He's waking up…"

"About damn time!"

"Han!"

He cringed against the loud voices, became aware of a slight pain in his head, a more insistent one in his chest… and a warm hand tucked firmly in his…

He coughed violently and opened his eyes, squinting against even the dim light of the med center. As his eyes focused, everything was oddly… sideways. And then he realized that the pain in his chest was from the cramped position in which he was laying, sitting in a chair, leaning over onto the bed… why wouldn't he have just slept in bed?

Oh- someone else was in the bed… he dragged his head up, squeezing his eyes shut to attempt to clear his mind… and then hands were at his shoulders, helping him sit up, and he struggled, twisting around to dislodge his mysterious attacker…

"Zekk!" He froze. "Calm down!"

Stilling, he finally was able to pick out a presence sitting across the occupied bed from him- Jacen, who was staring expectantly at him before shifting his gaze down to the bed and looking disappointed. "What happened?" he asked. "Didn't you reach her?"

Her. On the bed. Jaina.

Right.

Coughing again, he attempted to stand, but found firm hands still pressing against his shoulders. Angrily looking up, his sharp green eyes met the stern blue ones of Luke Skywalker, and he deflated, slumping in the seat.

"No change," he heard another voice murmur; he glanced up and saw a mon calamari female staring at a monitor on the wall above Jaina's head. A wave of dejection filled the room, and he blinked around blearily, recognizing presences vaguely as his mind caught up to the more important fact…

She wasn't waking up.

With a strangled cry, he wrenched himself from the Jedi Master's grip, sudden strength surprising the man, tearing sensors from his body, pulling a drip line from his arm that he had barely registered. "Jaina," he cried, pulling himself up to kneel beside her still figure on the bed. He took her hand again, clasping it between both of his, as he leaned forward, staring at her face, willing her eyes to open. "You have to wake up, Jaina," his voice broke. "You promised; you promised that you'd come back with me…" A hand grasped at his elbow and he pulled away violently, eyes never leaving the calm face. Shaking, he leaned forward, and ghosted a kiss across her pale forehead…

The hand seized his elbow firmly and pulled him away. "That's enough," a harsh voice broke his concentration, and he turned towards the ire-filled face of Han Solo. "You've done enough here, I think it's time-"

"Dad!"

"You let him into her mind for ten hours, and for what?" Han barked at his older son, still attempting to wrench Zekk from the bed. With a sudden burst of Force energy, he sent the man stumbling backwards, yanking his arm free, as he again pulled himself over to the unconscious girl, tears beginning to fall down his face.

He was generally aware of the new outrage this move had caused, but he paid little mind as he touched her cheek and murmured, "You promised me, Jaina; you got what you needed to move on, to heal, and you promised me that you'd be here with me while we healed together."

"Enough, Zekk." New, gentler but firmer hands grabbed his arms, pulling him away from her. He struggled, but the new person had the Force to back him up, and he was quickly subdued.

"Master Katarn," Jacen said hesitantly, "I don't think.."

"It didn't work, Jacen," Leia interrupted softly. "I'm sorry, but whatever has been happening in Jaina's mind for the last four days- for the last ten hours," she added softly, pained eyes meeting Zekk's emerald ones, "it didn't bring her back."

"But we need to-"

"She's waking up." Every eye in the room swung to Anakin, who was standing calmly in the corner- every eye save Zekk's. They whirled immediately back to the figure on the bed and, with a last burst of effort, he tore free from Katarn's grip, loosened by his surprise and broken concentration, and went back to the bed, sitting shakily on the edge and pulling her hand to him one last time, stroking it, murmuring incoherently.

"Come on, Jaina," he whispered, seeing her eyelids flutter. By now, the room had gotten over its surprise, and the bed was surrounded, but they let him alone for the moment. "Come back; they need you. I need you. It'll hurt, but we're all here to help you get over the pain. We love you… I love you."

Jacen recoiled in alarm at the same moment that her eyes shot open and Han once more succeeded in seizing hold of Zekk's arm. "Just what… what right… do you think you have…?" he hissed, his fury too strong to even form a coherent sentence. "You're a monster, you little…"

"Let him go, dad."

The voice was weak and dry, sticking in her throat, but it brought the entire room to a deathly stillness, and prompted Han to release the arm he was clutching, shocked. "Sweetheart…?" he asked, peering at her face as though he might be looking at an illusion. "Are you… okay?"

But her attention was focused solely on Zekk, on those piercing emerald eyes. "So… impatient," she croaked, earning a chuckle, muffled by his tears. Cilghal quickly poured a cup of water and passed it to Jacen, who held it to her lips while she took a few small sips. "I told you… not to say it," she said softly, looking remarkably exhausted for one who had been unconscious for four and a half days, but a smile was touching the corners of her mouth.

He let out a strangled sob and tightened his hold on her hand. "You said not to say it there; I waited." Tears were pooling quickly in her eyes. "It's alright," he murmured, stroking her hand in his. "Let it hurt; get it out this time, don't trap it all inside…" She squeezed her eyes shut, tears already slipping past her lashes and sliding down her cheeks.

Eyes still closed, she tugged weakly on his hand, and he hesitated, glancing quickly at the people surrounding the bed… but this was for her, not them. He slid over next to her and drew her into his arms as comfortably as possible, her head resting against his chest, his arms around her shoulders as he leaned his cheek forward to rest against the top of her head. "Let it out," he murmured again, feeling his own tears escaping and wetting his face.

And for a long time, she lay sobbing in his arms while his silent tears dampened her hair until, eventually, her shuddering breaths slowed and deepened and she fell into a natural sleep. Sitting up after what felt like hours, he lowered her gently back to the pillows before wiping at his damp cheeks with the sleeve of his robe, unembarrassed but exhausted beyond imagining.

As he pulled away, her hand reflexively tightened in his; smiling softly and wearily, he took it and pressed it into Jacen's, who looked up at him and nodded once, eyes grateful. Nodding exhaustedly, he slid off the bed, knees buckling beneath him as his tiredness struck full-force. A hand reached out to steady him, and he looked up into the hard- but slightly less infuriated- eyes of Han Solo. "Get some sleep," he muttered gruffly.

Inclining his head, he made for the door, though a soft voice made him pause. "Zekk." He turned, the room spinning a bit too far and too fast. "I won't pretend that I understand, but… thank you. For whatever you did." Attempting a small smile at Leia, he turned around, too tired to reply.

He left then, vaguely realizing that Katarn, the healer, and Master Skywalker had departed at some point, escaping his notice while he had consoled the crying girl. The latter of the three, however, was waiting for him outside the partition. Without a word, he allowed the Jedi Master to lead him over to a different area of the med center, and he laid down in the proffered bed in relief.

"Rest, Zekk," the man murmured. "We'll talk more later, you and I."

And he was asleep.

X-X-X-X

She was comfortable, more relaxed than she could remember being in weeks. Except for a parching dryness of her throat, and a gnawing thirst, she would have thought that she could remain lying there, warm and safe, for another few days…

"You're awake."

Scowling, she opened her eyes, and an identical pair to her own was gazing back at her. "I was enjoying the moment," she countered, voice raspy. He wordlessly lifted a cup and tilted a straw towards her mouth. Mentally rolling her eyes, she reached up to take the cup from him… but her arms just felt so heavy…

"Relax," he reprimanded. "I'm allowed to dote on you for at least a few minutes." Really rolling her eyes that time, she nevertheless sank back and sucked eagerly on the straw, reveling in the cold liquid sliding down her throat.

A quick glance around confirmed that they were alone. "Where is everyone?"

"Undoubtedly coming momentarily; Anakin will have sensed that you're awake." She frowned and blinked a few times, trying to get a better grasp on time and place, two things that had seemed so irrelevant for the duration she was unconscious… "You remember where we are, right?"

She cocked a brow. "Remember? No. But I can see that we're in the Jedi temple on Yavin, silly. How long have I been… out?"

"About five days now."

"Hm," she exerted herself and sat up slightly. "Zekk said four."

Jacen's brow rose. "Well… it was four when he ah…"

"Joined me?"

"If that's what he did," Jacen shrugged. "But he spent ten hours unconscious with you, and then you both fell asleep, and it's been another six now… anyway, it rounds to five." He fell silent and cast his eyes about before returning them to meet her steady gaze. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

The corner of her mouth twitched, but she fought the smile. "For what?"

"For letting my anger get the better of me," he spoke lowly, seriously. "I was just… so mad… that I couldn't see enough to understand what you wanted, what you needed. And it shouldn't have taken me four days to understand that." His head bowed, but she just smiled.

"Did you really yell at Zekk to get him to come in here?"

Jacen looked up and grinned. "I didn't… yell," he said carefully. "I… forcefully encouraged." For a long time, he studied her face, her tired eyes and soft smile as she lay there thoughtfully. "So… can I ask what exactly happened during those ten hours?"

Her smile turned wry. "It's a long story. Anyway, don't worry about it; not now, anyway. I want to spend a little time being acquainted with the real world again." She paused. "Where is Zekk? Is he still asleep?"

"Yeah, I think so… Uncle Luke put him across the wing, he was pretty beat after you fell asleep again. Not that I blame him; if you made it half as hard as it was for me and Cilghal…"

"Not hard at all," a quiet voice countered from the doorway, and they both turned and saw the person in question standing there, Luke's hand on his shoulder. "I didn't even know what was happening, I just found myself standing in your old playroom…"

Jacen cocked a brow, but Jaina just laughed softly. "Like I said- long story."

Zekk met her gaze and smiled ruefully. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going back upstairs but… I'll be around." The unspoken if you need anything was not missed by the room's other two occupants.

"Wait." Jaina slid off the bed, and Jacen rushed to take her arm, making sure that she was strong enough to stand on her own after so long off her feet. When she did not stumble, he tentatively released her and, after a questioning glance towards Luke, Zekk came forward and met her partway. For a minute, they stood there, staring at each other, and she sensed a lot of things going on behind his eyes- but a lot of very different things than when she had last faced him in this realm. "Good," she smiled finally. "Now go and fix your head." He laughed and nodded; she clasped his hand once in hers and turned, falling heavily into a chair.

They had almost disappeared when she called after them. "Oh, Uncle Luke? You should find some more permanent quarters for Zekk… he'll be staying a while."

"Will he now?" her head shot up as her father's voice rang out quietly from the doorway. Moments later, he approached the open-partition and stopped, standing a couple of meters opposite Zekk. The nervous teen hesitantly met his glare, but there was nothing to be said, and he had the look of someone waiting to be decked- or run through.

Jaina exchanged a look with Luke who nodded slightly and steered Zekk around Han and murmured to his brother-in-law, "We'll talk about it later- and at great length," he assured him. Han looked grudgingly after him a moment before remembering why he was there when Leia darted around him in annoyance and hurried through to the small medical unit, briefly surprised to see Jaina sitting slouched over in a chair, Jacen hovering anxiously by her side, rather than in the bed.

"Mom," she smiled widely and leaned forward in her mother's embrace, Leia kneeling on the floor in front of her. "Dad, Anakin," she peered over her mother's shoulder, happy to see the rest of her family. "Thanks for uh… sticking around…"

Leia pulled back and stared incredulously into her face. "Oh, sweetie," she murmured, taking her hand, eyes damp. "We were so worried…"

"I know," she said softly. "I'm sorry." With effort, she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled into her father's arms. "But I'll be alright now."

"Because of Zekk."

Jaina pulled back and looked up her father, shocked at the almost bitter tone of his voice. She glanced at Jacen, saw him looking away awkwardly, saw Anakin looking casually disinterested, and Leia peering at her concernedly. She sighed, and realized that, as much as she'd like to fool herself, this wasn't a conversation that she was avoiding. "It isn't like that. I'm glad you're all here; I still have a lot of things to work through, and just knowing that you're here next to me will get me a long way."

"I'm just saying," Han muttered, "he doesn't get to break you and put you back together and pretend like nothing ever happened."

Lingering exhaustion shortened her temper. "Do you think I don't realize that?" she demanded. "Does it look like I think nothing ever happened? I hurt dad, and not only physically, and I will for a long time- but so will Zekk. And what may have been only ten hours to you was an eternity for the two of us while we faced that hurt, understood it, realized why, how it could happen- so that we would one day be able to move on. So please dad- the darkness is gone from his mind, from Jacen's… don't make me feel it from you too."

Jacen winced and Han looked mildly abashed. Leia, however, pursed her lips and guided Jaina back into the chair. "I think," she said slowly, "that we all understand… most of that. But my concern- and your father's, I imagine- has more to do with the fact that, less than a week after doing what he did, Zekk tells you that… that he loves you? And that this doesn't particularly… bother you?"

And to everyone's surprise… she laughed. It was a long, delighted sound that served to lessen some of the room's tension. "Oh," she sighed, "why should it bother me? We spent hours linked, our minds one and the same- do you think I didn't already know? That, after sharing our deepest thoughts, our most powerful memories… that either of us can deny that, in some way, we've both loved each other for years? How do you think Brakiss was able to twist Zekk so effectively against me? By playing on his strongest emotions, his greatest fears…"

Her voice cracked slightly and she wiped angrily at hot tears suddenly pooling in the corners of her eyes.

"Brakiss went so far as to alter Zekk's memories, to use the Force to make him give up resistance when he tried to plant ideas in his head about hurting us, hurting me- because Zekk didn't want to believe the things Brakiss was telling him, but it was just enough to start him doubting. And of course, Zekk's actions were his own, but… you know what dad? So were Kyp Durron's."

Han's mouth tightened into a thin line before he visibly exhaled and slumped at the reminder of his good friend who he had viewed almost as a younger brother or a son when he had helped free him from the spice mines of Kessel.

"Anyway," Jaina murmured, "I don't want to talk about this now. I haven't seen you all," she looked at her parents and Anakin, "in two months, and I've missed you."

Some of the tension in the room seemed to break at that, and for a long time, the reunited Solo family talked about trivial things and serious matters, about Leia's duties to which she would have to return soon, about Anakin's schooling on Coruscant and his soon-to-come arrival at the academy with his older siblings. As the afternoon wore on, Jaina or Jacen would open up a little more about their captivity as the conversation allowed, and each time it came up, her stomach would knot a little and she'd close her eyes and take a deep breath.

And each time it happened, a touch from Jacen, a warm brush across that special bond that they had always shared, would make her smile lightly once more, pull her out of painful memories, or let her face them without fear.
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Reconciliation	By : LexiLupin Category: Star Wars (All) > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3594 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars; I make no money.

Reconciliation