This story is just something I felt like writing while I was bored and
watching Frasier reruns. I must admit the show heavily inspired the
plot of this little fic while I provided the details. If you're a fan
of the show you may recognize the episode I'm talking about. This
isn't betaed and is just a silly little thing so don't take it too
seriously. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm only here to have some fun. Neither Star Wars nor
Fraiser belong to me. Resemblance to other work is unintentional.

Rating: G

An Evening at Home
By Patrice K.

Luke tried to get his courage up. 'I'm finally going to go through
with it. I'm single, she's single. There's no reason we couldn't
date. But what if she says 'no'? What if she says 'yes'?

'For star's sake! I'm a grown man I can ask a woman out for a date.'
His courage in place he walked over to Mara as she exited her meeting
in the palace.

"Hi Mara, how was you meeting?"

Slowing down to let him catch up to her, Mara said, "It was fine
Skywalker. No big deal." He had caught up to her by now. "If I didn't
know any better I would have to say you were stalking me." This was
the third time he had met her this way.

"Well, I have something important to ask you about." She stopped
walking and let him speak. "See, I've know this woman awhile and I
really like her."

"What's her name?"

Luke took a deep breath and said, "Ma-Miranda." His brain took the
pause following to inform him he was an idiot of galactic proportions.
He had wimped out and used the name of a neighbor of his. Trying not
to give anything away he waited for her to respond

Mara smiled, and tried not to laugh. "Ma-Miranda. I haven't heard of
that name."

"It's an ethnic name, her friends call her Miranda."

He looked absolutely adorable to her at this moment. "Does she like
you?"

"I'm not really sure. I've been thinking of asking her out on a date."
He looked into her eyes at this point.

"You better do it soon because if she's wonderful enough to get you
affections she won't be available long." She was very happy her friend
had decided to seek out romance. It had been a long time since he had
dated anyone. She wanted to see him happy again and he looked happy
now.

"I've been foolish for waiting as long as I have."

"Well, what are you waiting for flyboy, go and ask her out."

He would make up for the 'name' disaster now. He stood a little
taller. "Actually I don't have to go anywhere."

"You don't?" Mara asked.

"No," he looked deeply into her emerald eyes. "I don't have to go
anywhere because...I can call her on my comlink." Now his brain said,
'Alright, you're on you own, buddy boy."

He picked up his comlink, 'I may as well go through with this,
otherwise I'd look stupid.'
He punched in the numbers while Mara looked on expectantly. "Hello,
Miranda, I was calling to see if you were free this evening....You are?
That's great....Would you like to have dinner with me at my
apartment....You would?... 8:00 sounds wonderful...I'll see you then... Bye."

"See, Skywalker that wasn't so hard." She shifted her bag onto her
other shoulder. "Well, I'd love to chew the dust with you but I have
some errands to run. Have fun on your date." With that she walked
away.

"Wasn't so hard... that's easy for you to say." Luke mumbled under his
breath.
*******
Miles away in a hanger, an X-wing comm unit wondered why it had just
been asked out on a date.
*******
'Sitting at home in an old bathrobe playing cards with Artoo is
definitely not the best way to spent an evening.' He desperately
wished he had had the courage to ask Mara out, but he just couldn't
have dealt with the rejection if she had said "no".

Suddenly there was a buzzing at his door. Getting up he opened the
door to reveal Mara holding a freshly baked fruit pie. "Mara what are
you doing here?," he asked. He stepped back to let her in.

"I thought I'd bring over a little desert for your big date."

"You didn't have to do that, really." He felt guilty that she had gone
to the trouble to do that for him.

"Knowing how you cook she'll need something decent to eat," she joked.
Mara started walking towards the kitchen, "I'll just put it in the
kitchen with the rest the food. I'm sure you've got lots of stuff
cooking so I won't stay long."

Hurrying after her he said, "No, you don't have to do that. I'll take
it." Before he could stop her she open the door to the kitchen and
gasped.

This was exactly what Luke didn't need. Looking around Mara said,
"Luke, there's barely enough here for one person and it looks like
mostly leftovers." She turned around to look him straight in the eye.
"Is this your idea of a romantic dinner?" She examined his attire more
carefully then said, "And in rags no less."

He looked down at himself and gave a confused, almost hurt look.
'Rags! I've had this since the end of the Rebellion.'

She didn't pay any attention to him as she hunted around in the
refrigeration unit. "I think I can salvage what you've got started and
make it look a little less like space rations. Do you have any elba
sauce?" Before he could try and answer she found it herself. "Ah, now
we're in business," she said smiling at him.

Having cleared the counter she set to work chopping the vegetables.
Luke was at a loss for words. He just stood there opening and closing
his mouth like a simpleton. 'Ok, what just happened here? I was in the
middle of a quiet evening at home and then suddenly the 'Master Chef '
comes in and takes over my home.'

Mara took a moment to look up at him. "Now, you go upstairs and make
yourself presentable. Wear that blue jacket of yours." To herself she
added, 'No woman could resist you in that.'

Before Luke turned to do as she said he saw her smile and heard her
ask, "What would you do without me, farmboy?"

'I'd probably die without you,' he thought. The door closed behind him
and he could hear her chopping behind it. Walking up the stairs to his
bedroom he suddenly realized that he was getting ready for a phantom
date. Laughing to himself, he figured he'd go along with Mara. She
seemed to be happy and he certainly wasn't going to burst her bubble.
*******
Coming down the stairs Luke was greeted to a stunning display of
candles and pillows he didn't even know he had. Soft music was also
playing in the background mixing with the sweet smells from the
kitchen. 'How long was I upstairs?'

Mara came out of the kitchen bring a tray of finger foods with her.
"Much better farmboy. Everything's just about done in the food
department." Seeing his reaction to her decorating she said, "You like
it? I bet you didn't even know you had this stuff."

"You can say that again."

"I'll be out of here in just a bit. I just need to get the roast out
of the oven." With that she disappeared into the kitchen again.

The comm his door buzzed for a second time that evening. 'What now?'
He wasn't sure he wanted to know who was at the door. Luke opened the
door and a package was thrust into his arms. "This was delivered to my
apartment by mistake. We're going to have to do something about that
you know, it's getting very old."

"Hi, Miranda. How are you" Luke thought, 'Can this get any worse.'

Mara chose that moment to come out and greet his 'date'. "So, you must
be Miranda. It's nice to meet you." The two women shook hands. <She's
nice Skywalker. Not great, but nice>, she sent him telepathically. He
just gave her a mental 'sigh' in return. "I'll get you two some wine
while you get settled, then I'll be gone."

After Mara had left to fetch the bottle of wine Miranda said, "Look, I
don't know what that was all about, but we need to talk to the doorman
before the end of the week. Ok?"

"Ok. I'll talk to him."

"That's fine with me. Bye, Luke." And with that she was gone.

"Where did she go?" he heard Mara ask.

He turned around and answered her. "Uh, she came by to say she can't
make it tonight."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Luke. I know you must be disappointed."

"It's ok, Mara."

There was a slightly awkward silence between them. Mara broke it by
saying, "I guess we better start cleaning up then."

"Mara?"

"Yes Luke?"

'Why does my name sound so much better coming from her?' He walked
closer to her. "We don't have to clean up just yet." He took hold of
one of her hands. "Have dinner with me."

"Me?"

"Yes...I mean you went to all this trouble. I feel guilty enough as it
is. You should at least enjoy what you spent all that time setting
up." He gave her a pleading look that always got him what he wanted.

"Ok, I'll stay...if you really want me too."

"I do."

He led her over to the table and helped her sit down before serving up
her wonderful dinner. Looking at his best friend he heard his brain
say, 'You old son of a gun. I never thought I'd see the day when you'd
be having a romantic dinner with Mara Jade.'

'Oh, be quiet,' Luke replied.

THE END

That's it. Hope you enjoyed.
Patrice K.