Han and Mara's Day of Fun

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, George L. does. This is just for
fun.
Rating: G
This is a story about Han and Mara and how they spent a day before
her wedding. Set sometime shortly after VOTF and before Union.

Han and Mara's Day of Fun
By: Patrice K.

The day started off like any other day on Courscant. Mara woke up in
her apartment, got dressed, had breakfast and started to catch up on
the work that was left from before her little detour on Nirauran. As
soon as she had got settled in there was a knock at the door. She let
out a frustrated sigh and heaved herself up. Mara wondered who it
could be since Farmboy was still on Yavin IV sorting out the details
in the new Academy plans.

She was somewhat surprised to find Han Solo standing beyond her
door. "Solo, what are you doing here? I have work to do and you just
interrupted me."

Han didn't even blink at her attitude. "I'm here to keep you company."

She raised her eyebrows and backed away a step, "Excuse me? I don't
think I heard you correctly." To keep her company... Of all the stupid...

"You heard me Mara. I promised the kid I wouldn't let you get
lonely." He graced her with his most charming smile. Luke had been
worried sick that she would be unhappy while he was gone. Han savored
the rare opportunity to deflated Luke's ego and told him that Mara
would be just fine. But he insisted that he look in on her. Han
sensed that there might have been an ulterior motive behind the
request. He thought that Luke wanted them to get to know on another
better before the wedding so Han didn't protest too much. Now here he
was asking Mara to spend the day with him.

"I once survived a month in the wastelands of Ryloth when the Heat
Storms were at their peak so I think I can go a couple of days here
by myself. So, why don't you go back to you apartment and be the good
little homemaker that you are." On the outside Mara put up her
accustomed tough front, but inside she had to admit she was glad he
was here. Even though she and Luke had only been engaged a short time
she had been depressed to find her bed and apartment empty again.

"I'm not leaving until you agree to spend the day with me. We can do
anything you want." He gave her a hopefully look while she debated
the idea. "Come on, we'll call it `Han and Mara's Day of Fun'."

In spite of herself she started to succumb to his silly charm, but
she wasn't going to give too easily. "I have a lot of work to do,
Solo."

"It's Han, and it can wait. Come on. Let's go." He grabbed her hand
and began pulling her out the door.

"Sooolooo," she whined.

"Jaaaayde," he whined right back, but he stopped tugging on her.

"We can do whatever I want?" She looked to the side and rubbed her
chin, pretending to give it serious thought. A small smile appeared
on her face. "That does sound like fun. It's been awhile since I've
had my way-a whole two days." She turned back to him, her smile
growing, "You might regret this offer by tonight, Han."

Han snorted, "If the kid can keep up with you then so can I. Besides
Leia is every bit as energetic as you so I have a lot of practice
with feisty females." With that he pulled her all the way out of the
apartment, barely giving her time to get her lightsaber and lock the
door.

***

The first place Mara insisted on going was the Imperial City Shopping
Center. She didn't like shopping anymore than he did but she wanted
to rub in the fact that he was under "orders" to do whatever she
wanted. She had to laugh out loud at the sight of the former smuggler
and New Republic general "holding the purse" with a half dozen other
bored men.

Meanwhile Han was wondering how many pairs of shoes she had tried on.
His conclusion was all of them and that she was now on round two. He
tried to get upset at the situation but found that he couldn't. It
made him feel good to see how Mara had changed since her engagement
with Luke. He knew that they were perfect for each other and would
have a wonderful married life together. Mara was smiling and laughing
now, something that wouldn't have been thought possible just a few
years ago. Luke had really opened her up.

Han also knew that Mara had done the same thing for her fianc?Luke
was happier and more alive than he had been in years. The troubled
life of a Jedi had weighed down on him and the lippy redhead had
helped alleviate some of that weight. That redhead was looking at him
strangely now, as if she knew what he was thinking. He gave her a
smile to reassure her and she returned it.

Two pairs of shoes later she decided to move on to clothes. And after
two hours of "That looks great Mara", "Too bright Mara", "Luke will
love that", and one "Do you want to look like a Corellian
streetwalker?" they finally broke for lunch.

***

Lunch for Han consisted of a Zippy burger and a Zippy order of fried
mush. Mara had a Zipper-Duper meal complete with collectable action
figure. The figure was for some new holo-film they had never heard
of, but the little man looked suspiciously like Han. The only real
difference was that the figure had a force-whip in one hand and had a
big brown hat on his head. Mara emphatically pointed out that they
both wore the same cocky expression.

"So are you looking forward to married life?" Han asked over the
screaming children populating the restaurant.

"Yes, actually I am. I wouldn't have thought it possible to care so
much for someone, but now the thought of living with out Luke is
unbearable." She stirred her congealed, non-dairy, gelatinous Zippy
shake. "He gives me the excitement that I need in my life, but also
the quiet calm that comes with being a Jedi Master. It's a wonderful
combination."

"You're one of few people to see that. Most think he's just a Jedi
Master. I think even he started to believe it after awhile."

"I think you're right. His use of the Force wasn't helping matters.
That's one of the things we really talked about on Nirauan." She felt
a bit guilty bringing up something that she had decided not to
discuss with anyone, but Han didn't say anything about it. She took
another sip of her shake and frowned in disgust. "What the hell is
this stuff anyway?"

Han laughed, "I don't think we want to know." They both laughed at
the ridiculousness of their choice of eateries. The screaming kids
had not quieted down and if anything they got louder. They hurried to
finish their meal. "I know I'm happy about your marriage."

Mara looked at him somewhat suspiciously, "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, you get to chase after the kid when he gets in trouble. I've
more than paid my dues rescuing his butt. It's someone else's turn
now. Besides I'm getting old and my back can't take that kind of
strain anymore." He stared at her then tried to maintain a serious
expression.

Mara just laughed at his attempt to maintain severity. "I'll have you
know I've done my share of Luke-rescuing too." She threw one of her
asteroid shaped bread rolls at him.

He caught it as it bounced off his vest. "I know. Who hasn't saved
him? Kid's in trouble more than he's on Courscant," Han added.

The remaining minutes of lunch were spent adding up their respective
rescuing tallies. Han ended up wining by three points. And as they
left the restaurant they didn't notice the poor mother of the
screaming kids get cold soup dumped all over her head.

***

Mara wasn't sure how she wanted to spend the afternoon, so Han
suggested target practice. He knew she liked blasters as much as
lightsabers and sure enough she loved the idea.

"That sounds great Han, but I've got a more creative way to
practice." Han looked at her with some trepidation but finally
agreed. If Mara thought it would be fun then there was no way it
couldn't be.

As it turned out Mara's idea was indeed quite a bit of fun. Instead
of standing at a targeting range they were going to play Paint
Blasters. The idea being that you go to a secluded area and try to
shoot each other with colored balls of paint instead of low intensity
stun bolts while attempting to reach the other persons safe zone. If
you got hit a certain number of times then you were considered out of
the game.

"So, Solo what's the verdict? You like this or not?" They were
standing in the entrance way to the artificial forest adjusting their
gear. She liked it because they would not only get target practice,
but aerobic exercise and also use camouflage skills.

"As long as you don't use the Force I'll enjoy it."

"Ah, is the big, bad General afraid of a widdle Jedi," she teased. He
pointed a finger at her and started to comment when she
interrupted, "I'm just kidding. I won't use the Force if you won't."

Han just glared at her before storming off to his safe zone leaving a
smirking Mara to go to hers.

The play was intense as to be expected between two sharp shooters
like Han and Mara. They each had a couple of hits but the game
continued on. This was a game designed for teenagers but they were
having the time of their lives. Neither had had the time or
opportunity for something as frivolous as this when they were kids,
and they were making the most of it now.

Han was crawling towards Mara from behind. He at least had her on the
defensive now as she was now guarding her territory. They had gone
back and forth most of the afternoon and stayed close to the border
zone. If he could just make it a few more meters to press the end
button he would win.

Mara, meanwhile, hid behind a fallen tree listening and waiting for
the absolute quiet to be broken. She closed her eyes to help her hear
better. She could feel the soil underneath her and the heat from the
floor below that. Fans in the room caused a slight breeze to run
through the forest and right now she was caught in one of the drafts.
So immersed was she in the sounds of the forest that even without the
Force she was able to hear individual leaves move on the trees.

Han continued to creep up on her. He didn't want to shoot her because
that was far more risky that the clever stealth maneuver he was
executing. She had a couple more hits to spare before she `died', but
he had only one left.

The breeze swept her way again and at that moment she turned and shot
Han faster than lightning on Ithor. She got him centimeters away from
his target and she couldn't be happier.

"I beat you. I beat you. I beat you!" she gloated. Walking over to
him she saw that he had his head on the soil, dramatically giving up
in defeat.

"How did you do it? I didn't make a sound. Not a peep!" He was
stunned by her victory and he felt she owed it to him to explain.

"No, you didn't make a sound. But did you forget that you were
wearing that awful cologne today? Does Leia like that stuff or do you
just wear it when she's not home?"

Han groaned as he got to his feat. "You've got to be kidding me!" How
could he have lost on account of that?

"It stinks Solo!"

"I'll have you know that it's very expensive, imported from Naboo,
and yes, Leia loves it."

"I just hope you never gave Luke a bottle as a Life Day present."
With that she walked away swaying her hips and humming a victory tune.

***

They ate dinner at a rowdy swoop cantina that Leia and Luke wouldn't
be caught dead in. Both enjoyed the opportunity to be back in the
type of place they knew so well and had frequented so often in
younger days. It was fun to reminisce about mutual smuggling
acquaintances and drink strong liquor for a change, but neither would
want to go back to that life.

"Was it hard to give up single life?" Mara asked somewhat timidly
over a glass of Corellian whiskey.

Han paused for a moment. "It was hard to give up the past, yes. But
the future and the present are far more precious. My family is the
best thing that has happened to me." He waited until he had the
younger woman's attention. "And that includes your fianc?If I
hadn't met Luke and Leia I would probably be dead by now. Either from
a bounty hunters blaster, Jabba's wrath, or Maker knows what." He
paused again. "The solitary life is terrible and you know that for a
fact. No one to care for, no one to come home to, no home."

Mara nodded. "I know. I couldn't go back to those days and I don't
want to. I never thought of having a family, but now the prospect
makes me...giddy." Mara should have been embarrassed but she wasn't. "I
want to thank you for all that you and Leia have done to make me feel
welcome and wanted. It's made dealing with the pressure of the media
easier."

"You are part of the family now, Mara and don't ever forget that."

She smiled and took his hand, "I won't."

TBC

Thanks for reading. I'll post the next part soon. I got the opposite
of writers block and could decide which idea was best to continue.
So, when I figure that out I'll continue. It's shouldn't be too
long :)

Patrice

Disclaimer in Part 1

Part 2

Han and Mara walked along the brightly lit streets of lower Courscant
seeking a speeder service to take them back to the palace. The
advertisements along the buildings ran from the juvenile to the
explicit, prompting one to wonder how they could be in the same area.

Suddenly a middle-aged woman jumped out at them crying and
shouting. "Hey, lady, slow down. You'll blow a server at that rate,"
Han said.

Mara sensed that the woman was in great distress as was evident by
her physical behavior. "Madame, what is the problem? Are you hurt?"
Mara reached out to put her hand on her shoulder and sent comforting
thoughts to her.

The woman finally calmed down enough to tell them her problem. "My
little girl is lost. She wandered off when I wasn't looking. She
knows better than that. I told her time and again to hold my hand at
all times, but she let go. Why did she let go? Please you have to
help me!!" She was starting to become hysterical again so Mara
stepped back in to help.

"We would be glad to help, but you're going to have to calm down.
Now, where was she last? Can you describe her?" Han and Mara listened
intently while she gave them the details.

Her daughter, Jules, was five years old and looked like her. They
were walking back from a family friend's house when they stopped to
window shop. Jules had become interested in one of the displays of
pittins at a pet shop and that was the last time she had seen her
daughter before she wandered off. The mother thought that Jules had
caught up with her when they moved to a new shop window, but
apparently she hadn't.

Now the mother was frantically searching the local stores and
alleyways, asking everyone she came to if they had seen her daughter.
She had been elated when she recognized the retired General Han Solo
and immediately came over to ask for his help. She figured that if
anyone around here could help he could. His companion, while she
didn't recognize her, also seemed competent and willing to help.

"I'm so grateful for your help. If something has happened to her I'll
never forgive myself." She didn't need so say anymore; both Han and
Mara knew what could happen and the consequences. After exchanging
comlink frequencies they left the mother to search one side of the
street while they took the opposite side.

***

Twenty agonizing minutes went by while Mara searched the Force for a
small presence similar to the distraught mother. She had gotten a
feel for her after their brief talk and was certain that she could
locate Jules.

Han, for his part, kept his eyes out for any suspicious looking
persons who could have done harm to a young child. He also looked for
things that could have potentially interested a child, all the while
remembering the awful day that Jacen and Jaina had gotten lost at the
holographic zoo. He knew exactly how the mother was feeling and
his "hero genes" made him determined to find the missing girl. This
wasn't a space battle, but it was every bit as important to him.

Mara looked his way and gave him a triumphant smile, "I think I found
her!"

***

Mara had indeed come through. Jules was safe and sound, thank the
maker, and sitting contentedly on the floor of a quiet, Rodian
incense shop. She was amusing herself with the shop pitten, a black
and brown fuzzball. The shop owner had called the police to report
the child missing and she had been looking after her till someone
came to pick her up. The only problem was that Jules didn't want to
leave. Mara informed the mother of the good news while Han tried to
talk her out from under the table.

"Come on sweetheart, don't you want to go home to your mother? She
loves you very much and is very sad that you were lost."

"I wasn't lost. I followed dee pitten, Mr. Captain." She looked up at
him with her dark brown eyes giving him a look of complete innocence.

"Following pittens may be fun, but it isn't a safe thing to do. That
little furball could have jumped down a hole and what would you have
done? Gone after him?" He paused and climbed under the table to sit
with her. They stroked the pittens long ears together. "I'm sure your
Mama knows you weren't doing anything wrong, but you should always
hold on to her hand, especially on the streets at night."

Mara had been watching Han and Jules and was somewhat envious of the
ease with which he talked to her. She knew that he was a father and
had experience with children, but still, to see the tough pilot and
gunslinger pet a furry pitten and talk in that funny "Daddy" voice
gave her pause. Mara hoped that when she and Luke had children she
would fall into parenthood as easily as Han seemed to have done.

If that two-bit swindler could to it then she certainly could, she
thought to herself.

Jules finally came out from under the table when her mother came to
pick her up. Her mother, after almost hugging and kissing the child
to death gave her a stern lecture about how dangerous what she did
was. Jules listened and apologized to her mother, the shop owner, and
Han and Mara for causing all this trouble.

"We're just glad you're safe, sweetheart," Han said.

"Right," her mother replied. "Now, thank these nice people for their
time and help."

"Thank Mr. Captain. Thank you red-hair lady."

"Mara," the red-head informed her with a soft smile.

"Thank you again," the mother told them as they were going their
separate ways. "I don't know how to repay you for your kindness."

"It's sorta what we do, so no reward is needed," Han told her. Mara
smiled at his response. `This from the man who wouldn't open a door
for someone without being compensated. My, how we've both changed.'

***
"Well, that certainly made the evening more interesting," Mara
commented as they resumed their walk back to the palace.

"Yeah, that sorta stuff seems to follow this family. You better get
used to it."

"At least married life won't get boring," she snickered.

"No, if it's anything like mine and Leia's it will just get better
and better."

The rest of the walk was spent in easy, contemplative silence.

***

"Goodnight, Mara." They were standing outside her apartment
again. "Hope you can tell the kid I did my job okay."

"Yes, Solo. You kept me company very well." She gave him a playful
jab in the arm. "Thanks. It really was a great day," she added more
seriously. "I'll be sure to thank Luke for having the idea. Now, you
better get back home before Leia gets worried," she joked.

"Alright, I can tell when my welcome is worn out. Bye, Jade."

"Bye Solo." Turning, she went into her apartment feeling much better
than she had that morning.

***

The next afternoon Luke returned from Yavin IV. Mara was in a great
mood when she met him at their door and he himself was glad to be
back together with his bride-to-be.

"So...did you have a good time while I was gone?" he asked slyly.

"I told you long ago that you can't be devious, didn't I?"

"You might have mentioned something to that effect."

"We both know that you set up the thing with Solo." He didn't say
anything back, worried that she might think he had been wrong to do
it. "You can stop worrying, Luke," she continued when she picked up
on his thoughts. "We had fun and I didn't get lonely." She walked
over and hugged him. "And I'm woman enough to admit that I was lonely
yesterday. So, thank you for sending the nerf herder over."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you guys got to have fun for a change and
get to know each other better. You have a lot in common you know."
They broke their hug but still stayed close to each other. "Well, you
didn't really answer my question. What did you do yesterday?"

She smirked at him and said, "A little of this, a little of that.
Nothing to interesting. Did some shopping, had lunch, save the
universe... You know, the usual." With that she left to get ready for
bed, tossing a small action figure into Luke's hands. He smiled when
he saw the cavalier expression it had.

"Well, at least you had fun."

The End.

Hope you enjoyed. I didn't feel the need to make it longer than that.
It's a simple story so I kept it short.

Patrice