THINGS THAT GO 'BUMP' IN THE NIGHT

"Ahh gods Mara." He groaned as he moved within her tight heat.

It never faded, never diminished. Their time together had been filled with this insatiable passion and as many times as he took her, he still craved her more and more.

"Yes! Oh yes!" She moaned lowly and lifted her hips to meet the intensity of his need.

A rough hand gripped her hip and held her in place as he lifted above her body, gloriously drenched in the sweat of their lovemaking.
"Gods Mara," he screamed out. "Oh gods!"

"Daddy?" The tiny voice broke through the thick air and both Jedi froze in horror.

"Luke!" She hissed between clenched teeth.

"Oh Force."

"Get off! Move Jedi." She quickly rotated and in an agonizing moment Luke was forced from her body and toppled onto the bed.

He watched in shock and aching need, as her beautiful body was quickly covered in the thick lavender robe the girls had given her for her last birthday.

"Mommy, are you okay?" The small towhead bobbed quickly to his mother's side, a look of deep concern upon his face.

"Of course sweetheart." She cooed with a soft smile just for her special boy. Lifting the lad in her arms she kissed his temple and inhaled the sweet aroma of her child.

"You were..." he looked to his father with a distressing scowl upon his face. "You were hurt. I heard you. Daddy," with this a chubby finger pointed accusingly at the blonde man in the middle of the large bed. "Daddy was hurting you, mommy."

"Oh Force." Luke grumbled and covered his head with both hands. "Ben, daddy wasn't..."

"Mommy." He squealed and circled the lovely woman's neck tightly, hugging her with all of his might. "Oh, my mommy."

Luke groaned once more and then moved, with a sheet protecting his privacy, to the duo by the bed.

"Ben, daddy would never hurt mommy. He loves her too much to ever..."
"Mommy," two startling blue eyes looked up with such love and devotion that Mara felt her heart constrict within her body. "I won't let daddy hurt you." Placing two tiny hands aside her cheeks the youngster melted his mother's heart.

"Ben!" Luke was losing his patience and wanted very much to make his son realize he would never hurt his mother. "Daddy..."

"I know you will." Mara interrupted to Luke's surprise and dismay.

"Because you're my little Jedi aren't you?" Rubbing her nose next to the boys, she sent all of her love and appreciation through their bond.

"Mara!" Luke yelled, his face turning red. "This isn't funny."

"I love you mommy." Little lips smacked against her cheek and she sensed Luke's frustration growing by the second.

"I love you too." She whispered and cuddled the boy closer.

"Ben?" A voice sounded from the door. "What is wrong?"

"Lars nothing is wrong. Go back to bed." Running his fingers through his hair, Luke reached for Ben but was firmly rebuked by his son.

"You woke me up Ben." Lars moved to his mother's side as she sat upon the bed with her precious bundle in her arms. "You okay Ben?" Climbing up next to his mother, he reached out for his twin to ascertain the problem.

"Daddy was being mean to mommy." Ben accused, a heated glare he could only have inherited from his mother upon his face.

"Daddy was?" Azure eyes looked up in bewilderment and Luke felt the situation quickly getting out of control.

"No I was not." He defended and grabbed the sleep pants he had discarded with haste earlier.

"Yes you were." A definitive nod from his five-year-old son caused him to groan aloud.

"Mara..." He prompted and gave her a pleading look.

"What did daddy do?" Lars looked at his father from the corner of his eye, a suspicious glint in the deep blue pools.

"He was..."

"Alright!" Luke yelled and reached down for Lars. "That's enough."

The smug look upon Mara's face told him he would receive no help from her and the thought of his young sons sharing tales of his intimate moments with their mother was more than he could bear.

"Come on boys." He ordered and lifted Lars up into his arms. "We're going back to bed."

"No." Ben crossed his arms defiantly and refused to leave his mother's lap. "I won't leave mommy."

"Ben." Luke looked down and shook his head as his wife pulled the boy closer and kissed his head tenderly.

"My protector." Mara smiled as the lad snuggled closer to her heart.
"Mommy." Lars reached down from his father's arms intent on getting the same attention his brother was receiving. "I want mommy."

"Don't we all." Luke breathed in exasperation.

"Careful farmboy, that's what got you into this trouble to begin with."

"And thank you for all the help you've given to get me out of this trouble."

"Anytime."

Just then a cry came from the next room and Mara sighed heavily. She had never intended on a large family, but she wouldn't change a thing about their life together, even if it meant she got very little sleep.
"I'll go." Luke offered, his face softening as he heard her thoughts.
"No. She'll need to be fed." Kissing her two sons on the forehead, she started to rise.

"No mommy. Don't go." Ben whined gently and she chuckled at the resemblance to his father.

"Sorry sport, but your baby sister needs to be fed. Besides," she knelt beside the two crestfallen faces. "I think daddy has something he needs to talk to you about."

"Huh?" Shock registered through the Force as Luke realized what she was referring to.

"Come on Master, I explained your avarice behavior to your daughters. It's your turn."

"Mara." Drawing out her name in the same whine his son had just mimicked, he begged through the Force to be let off the hook.
"No can do." She quipped and kissed his cheek.

Luke noted that Ben gave him another dirty look when he circled Mara's waist.

"Take them back to their room and get it over with." Moving to the door, she turned once more. "And don't wake up Win-Cor, he's not feeling well and needs his sleep."

Luke nodded in acquiescence and then turned back to the two identical faces staring up at him with skeptic caution.

"Just one kid who doesn't have her stare. Is that too much to ask?" he mumbled under his breath as he stepped back to the bed. "Come on boys, I'll explain everything to you once we get back to your room."

"I'll wait for mommy." Ben harrumphed dismissively.

"No you won't." The rise of Luke's voice gave the boy warning. "Look at me Ben." Waiting for his mirror image to meet his gaze, Luke gathered his strength and added a firm note to his voice. "I am your father and you will obey me. Do I make myself clear young man?"

Silence met his inquiry and the famed Jedi Master was forced to suppress a chuckle as Lars elbowed his brother and sent a strong message through the Force that his father picked up.

"Alright." Ben jumped from the bed and moved past his father. "But I don't have to like it."

"Just like his mother." Luke whispered to himself and then stretched forth his hand for his other son.

"Nope." Lars replied to his father's offer and leapt from the bed with glee.

Turning, he watched as two blonde heads ran from the room and down the hall to their bedroom. Sighing, he followed suit and went over in his mind how he would explain everything to the boys.

Walking down the hallway, he peeked in on his toddler son, whose dark head was barely visible beneath the pile of covers Mara had added on her way to the nursery. A gentle smile touched his face as he allowed the sweet signature of the little boy to wrap around him. Stepping into the semi-circular room, he walked quietly to the bed, which still had Willasa wood rails lining the sides so he wouldn't roll out during the night.

Two storm-colored eyes opened slightly and blinked before a chubby hand lifted and rubbed at the corners of the sleepy orbs.

"Da-dy?" He questioned and shifted in bed.

"Shhhh, go back to sleep little Jedi." Luke whispered and stooped to kiss the disarrayed locks.

"Wuv you." The sleepy toddler yawned and Luke felt his heart expand with paternal love.

"I love you too." Placing a hand to his son's forehead, he felt the warmth beneath and noted that Mara had already picked up on the youngster's illness. Sending forth a wave of healing power, he placed a mild sleep suggestion so that the tike would get all the sleep he needed.

"Daddy." A whisper came from the doorway and Luke smiled before he turned. Small feet patted against the wood floor Mara had specially designed for their home on Yavin.

"What's this Princess? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Lifting the beautiful girl into his arms he couldn't restrain the broad smile she always brought to his face.

"Daddy the boys are trying to be mean to you." She placed her head on his shoulder and gently patted his back in comfort. "I can feel it. Do you want me to take care of them?" The same eyes that had just peered up at him from his toddler son now held his gaze with protective love. He nuzzled her deep auburn locks that curled down her back and hugged her closer.

"No sweetheart, I think I can manage your brothers. You should go back to sleep. Your cousin's birthday party is tomorrow. You don't want to be too tired to play all the games do you?"

A perfectly curved brow arched and he laughed lowly at the traits his children had each inherited. Two blue-green eyes, the most unusual blend of color, even more intense than her beloved uncle's mixture, peered up at him with skepticism.

"You better take care of the boys, daddy." She said with a sigh and Luke had the feeling that his daughter was placating him.
"Okay, but it's back to bed for you."

"I'll stay here with Win-Cor." She was immediately out of her father's lap and sliding into the bed next to her brother. "He needs me."
"No sweetheart, he's getting sick and you might..."
"Oh daddy, I'm a big girl."
"Pad..."
"You should just let her stay. She's stubborn." His oldest daughter interrupted from the doorway.

"Oh?" He teased and lifted his daughter from the bed. "Now what are you doing up?"

Emerald eyes, identical to her mother's, gazed up at him and he cherished the vision.

"Everybody is up." She surmised and brushed back a thick dark curl from her small porcelain face.

"I know and you're mother is going to blame me. So you two get back in bed before I get into trouble."

Both of the girls, merely a year apart in age, giggled at their father's analysis and allowed him to lead them back to their respective rooms.

"Good night, Princess." He kissed the sweet girl, his first-born child and the one who would always hold his heart in her hands.

"Night daddy." She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too Qua." The nickname always made the little girl smile and she turned back in her bed and buried herself deeper into the blankets. "Oh and daddy." She called and he stopped as he reached the door.

"Yes."

"Don't let the boys gang up on you."

"Yes, Master." A flitter of girlish giggles met his ears and he smiled as he left the room.

Both blondes sat upon the nearest of the twin beds and turned to him as he walked into the room.

"Where did you go?" Lars asked with a tilt of his head.
"I stopped in on your brother."

"Is he feeling better?" Ben inquired with obvious worry.

"He will be soon." Luke reassured the twins. "So, I, um, guess we need to talk."

Both brows furrowed immediately and it was plain to see that he had tarried too long. Ben had obviously shared all with his twin and now both were assuming a protective air toward their mother.

"I won't you both to listen very carefully to me." Pulling forth a child's chair in the shape of a Wookie, he tried to situate himself as best he could. "I love your mother and would never, never do anything to hurt her."

A sideways glance from Ben to Lars told Luke that neither boy believed him.

"What Ben saw, what he um....well, what he um heard....or rather...um...." Reddening at the thought of his earlier activities Luke swallowed hard. "You see, well, um....your mother and I..."
"You were making mean sounds at her." Ben pointed out and Luke squirmed uncomfortably.

"I-I-I..."

"Ben said you were bumping mommy hard." Lars added and Luke felt his stomach turn.

"I wasn't 'bumping' Lars, I was..."

"And she was screaming."

"Yes but not because..."

"She told you to stop because you were killing her." Ben crossed his arms and his deep blue eyes stared down his father with anger.

"Oh gods." Luke breathed and buried his head in his hands. "Look boys, what...um.." he swallowed nervously. "what that was....was...um....well....it's like this."

Two round faces looked up at him, waiting for a plausible explanation to what he had been doing to their mother.

"You see, your mother and I...we um, well, we love each other very much and when two people love each other very much then they, well, they....um...th-they, um, they...kiss and ..."

"We know you kiss mommy, daddy, we see you do it all the time." Lars interjected with a shake of his head.

"Yes, well, um, we do that because we like to show our love to each other. So..." pausing to find the right words, Luke ran a hand along his neck nervously. "...we also show our love by um, uuuhhhh, to-touching a-and um...um...."

Wicked laughter filled his signature and he could sense her evil smile through their bond.

"Touching?"

"I'm doing my best. Would you rather be in here?"

"I'd rather be 'touching'."

The blonde man adjusted himself in his seat as her signature flamed to life within him.

"Daddy?" Lars called impatiently.

"Oh, um, yes....I um, where were we?"

"You were touching mommy." Ben answered succinctly.

"Oh, um, yeah." Releasing a deep breath, he called upon every bit of courage within him. "Okay boys, this is what...no, I mean, um, y-y-you have to understand....no, I mean...well, what I mean is that....boys when two grown ups love one another then they...th-they do something that m-m-makes them feel good, u-u-uh, I mean feel closer." Exhaling loudly he ran a hand along his face and met the gaze of both boys. "Mommies and daddies make love." He half smiled to himself as he finally managed to say the words. "That's what your mommy and I were doing."

Ben and Lars turned and looked at one another, silently exchanging their appraisal of their father's dissertation. As if on cue, they simultaneously turned back to their father and asked their question in unison.

"What's making love?"

"Huh?" his face fell. He had been congratulating himself just a second before and now two sets of azure eyes held him in their gaze and forced him to go some place he didn't want to go.

"What's making love?" Lars questioned again.

"Oh, it's um, well, what I said," he nodded curtly and crossed his arms against his chest, hoping that posturing would curtail the discussion.

"What?" Ben looked to his twin in confusion.

"I don't know." Lars shrugged.

"Is making love the bad stuff he did to mommy?" The whispered inquiry made Luke wince.

"I don't know. But I don't think daddy is doing it right if it makes mommy scream."

"Wait, wait, wait." Luke interrupted with apprehension. "Now listen, both of you, daddy knows exactly what he's doing."

"It's a birds and bees discussion Skywalker, not an illustration of your prowess in bed."

"I'm trying Mara!" his voice rose in frustration and the blonde lads covered their mouths and giggled at their father's outburst.
"Try not, Jedi. Do."

"Funny how she only listens to Yoda when it's convenient for her," he muttered to himself.

"Alright, okay, I'm going to do this again. Now, listen."
"We are." Ben whined and Luke's eyes widened as he recognized himself in the boy.

"Good, that's good Ben," he reassured. "So, um, okay....um, well, let's see....making love is something grown up married people like to do and when ..."

"Why?" Lars tilted his head to the side in contemplation.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Remember we talked about how much married people love one another and so they like to touch."

"Oh."

"And they can touch in lots of ways. So when daddy was on mommy and...oh stars," he mumbled once more and wiped his forehead. "And Ben thought I was bumping her, well, that was just daddy's way of touching mommy while they made love."

"Do you always bump her?"

"Uh....uh...ye-yes I guess I do Lars." The room was heavy and tense and Luke knew he would rather be fighting the Emperor again than facing his two sons in that moment.

"But she doesn't like it daddy." Ben placed a small hand next to his mouth and whispered in a conspiratorial manner to his father.
Luke grimaced at the gesture and wondered if Han or Jinnak had ever received lovemaking tips from their sons.

"Yes, um, she does Ben....but, well, you know your mother....she likes to tease me and act like she doesn't."

The boys nodded in understanding and Luke breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his stroke of genius.

"How else do married people touch?" Lars asked before his father could relish his success too long.

"What?" Blue eyes widened at the question and the Jedi Master felt as if he would never escape.

"How else do big people touch?" The boy repeated.

"Oh, well, um....they sometimes hold each other...and um...kiss...and..."

The boys sighed in exasperation and Luke knew he was not satisfying their curiosity.

"I guess sometimes they rub against..."

"Boys, what your father is trying to say, is that every couple touches each other differently and as you get older you'll figure out all the ways. But it isn't something little boys have to worry about because last I heard you both thought girls were gross."

"You said it." Lars made a face and shuddered at the thought.
"Except for you mommy. You're not gross." Ben chimed in.

"Well good, I'm glad to hear it." She moved to the special beds, each shaped like a ship, and bent to kiss the tikes on the head. "Now come on, it's getting late."

"Okay." Lars beamed up at the beautiful woman he adored and leapt into her arms.

Luke lunged forward and supported his wife from behind as the full weight of their son torpedoed into her.

"Thanks." He whispered into her ear and she sent him a playful shove through the Force.

"Good job, mighty Master." She snorted as she pulled back the covers and eased into bed.

"Hey, they're too young to be having that discussion anyway," he returned and snuggled up close to her, pulling her into his arms.
"Oh really?" she challenged. "The girls weren't much older when I had to explain your behavior to them."

"Why is it always my behavior? Huh?" A long perusal of her revealing negligee sent a shiver up his spine and he felt the growing need her proximity always stirred in him.

"Need I say more?" she asked as she slid a shapely leg up his thigh and caressed the hardened member between his legs.

"Keep that up and we'll have to explain your moaning sounds again." Seizing her in a demanding kiss, he moved atop her body and began to explore the silken curves he loved.

"Well I'm very good at 'the talk' so I have nothing to fear."
It was a challenge and he knew it.

"I was not afraid Mara," he looked down into her startling eyes and tried to maintain enough control to counter her effectively.
"Sure you weren't farmboy," she giggled and kissed his neck softly.
"Mara I ...ahhhhh....I was not...ohhh gods....afraid."

"Yes. You were. But I'll forgive you. The first time I explained it to Ma-Laun I was a little unnerved."

"You did what?" Pushing back he furrowed his brow and flipped through his memory trying to bring to mind the scenario she mentioned.
"You remember. When she walked in on Jinnak and...."

"Oh right." A sly smile touched his lips. "Right after they were married."

"Mm-hmmm."

"I'd forgotten about that." A low laugh rumbled through his chest and Mara smoothed back an errant lock from his eyes.

"Stars Mara, think of all that's happened since then. I mean, she'll soon be old enough to..."

"Watch it Skywalker." Mara warned and shoved the man off of her as she sat upright. "That nephew of yours will have to get past Jinnak and Macor before that happens and they're both keeping a close eye on him."

"Oh really?" He smirked. "And to think, I've been telling Jacen it was Ma-Laun's tough Master he would have to watch out for."

"If you know what's good for you, Luke Skywalker," she thrust a finger into his face, "you'll tell your Padawan to mind himself instead of giving him advice on how to get around me."

"I can't help it if he's in love with your pretty Padawan," he chuckled and took her hand to his lips. "I know how the Kenobi women can affect a man."

Mara narrowed her eyes and studied her husband. He was playing with her and she knew it, but the redheaded Jedi was not about to be outdone.

"You better keep that in mind then because I've seen your daughters affecting a few of the boys already."

"What!" He bellowed. "What the hell are you talking about Mara?" His face was flushed and he missed the amused look upon his wife's face. "They're little girls! No one better....I mean who..."

"Jacen showed an interest in Ma-Laun at an early age," she chimed sweetly.

"But that's different." He insisted.

"I just hope that whoever takes an interest in our daughters doesn't have Master's like you. I don't want anyone telling the boys how to get past us and move in on the girls."

"That'll be a dead Jedi." Luke mumbled and knit his brow with worry.
"Oh Luke." Mara laughed and reached out to pull him back to her. "You are so cute when you're protective."

"I am?" He beamed and allowed the caresses of his wife to sooth his frustrations.

"Mm-hmmm."

The kiss between the two lovers deepened and Luke moved his hand up her negligee, eager to continue their earlier adventure.

"Mommy." A tiny voice sounded beside their bed.

Luke bolted from his wife and looked around nervously.

"Mommy, I huwrt." The blue-green eyes were filled with tears and Mara's heart broke at the sight.

"Oh sweetheart," she cooed and lifted the toddler into her arms.
Luke moved next to her and stroked the boy's hair as he rest his head on his mother's shoulder.

"He's burning up." Mara's voice rose in concern.

"I'll get the..." A cry penetrated the night and interrupted Luke as he stood.

"Can you see if she's okay?" Mara asked, never lifting her eyes from the boy in her arms.

"Sure. I'll be right back."

"Daddy." Green eyes peered up from waves of black. "My throat hurts."
"Come her princess." He lifted the girl in his arms and cast a knowing glance to his wife. "Looks like the party tomorrow will be minus the Skywalker clan."

"Looks that way," she returned and swayed her young son gently as Luke brought their daughter to their bed.