Fic: It's Just Pretend, Chapter 3
Title: It's Just Pretend
Author: kaladhwen, aka Mia, aka Alliana, aka...well, you get the idea.
Fandom: Star Wars, post-NJO
Rating: PG, pretty much.
Characters: Jaina Solo, Kyp Durron, OC
Genre: romance, humor
Keywords: K/J, romance, humor
Summary: Jaina is forced to take interesting steps to avoid unwanted attentions from a visiting politician's son.
Author's Notes: Yay, my first SW EU story I've written all by myself. The Steiners are mine, everyone and everything else belongs to Lucas.
Thanks to sparrows_girl and kasdie for betaing and offering encouragement and feedback, as well as others in my FanForce. :) Also posting this on the JCF here.
Previous chapters on LJ
It's Just Pretend
Chapter Three
Rune had stared after her stupidly the day before when she made her escape. However, for the next two days, Rune was not stupid, and followed her. Everywhere.
When she showed up the next morning for a Jedi meeting, Rune was nearby and came to say hello. He seemed sober this time, but Jaina ducked into her meeting quickly. She really didn't want another incident like the day before.
Once the meeting started, they discussed the dwindling number of Jedi and recruiting and refining training and other mundane, administration type topics. Kyp wasn't there, and Jaina guessed he was off doing those Jedi errands he'd mentioned the night before. She kept glancing over at Kyp's usual seat in slight boredom but managed to make it through the meeting, which went by like any other. Except that Rune was there waiting when she got out. She managed to pawn him off on Alema and hurried to her workout in the gym before Rune could follow her.
All through her workout, she kept glancing around to make sure he wasn't watching her again, or that he hadn't found her. It hurt her concentration, which only got her upset, and she finally ended a few minutes early and went to shower. Thankfully, there was still no sign of Rune. She wouldn't have been surprised if he'd managed to worm his way into the women's changing room.
He found her at lunch, though. Jaina thought she was safe, eating amidst a crowd of people in the huge café / restaurant attached to the government building. She thought he would never spot her there.
She was wrong. Jaina was absorbed in working out details for the painters while she ate when she felt a flicker through the Force. She frowned and tried to figure out what had caused it. Too late, she realized Rune was only a few yards away from her table and closing in fast.
Jaina groaned inwardly. She thought about ducking down in her seat, or getting up to switch tables, but by the time she ran through her options, he was already there.
"Hello, Jaina. Ready to give me my...tour? The best sights on Denon?" He greeted her by trailing his finger down her arm. There was far, far too much implication in his touch. Jaina jerked it back, staring at him in astonishment. With her lunch suddenly unappetizing, she got ready to leave.
"Where are you going? You haven't finished your lunch yet."
"I'm not hungry anymore," she said, her voice hard. As much as she wanted to slice him to pieces with her saber, they were in a public place and she would get in trouble. A lot of trouble. She glanced back to see if he was following her and saw that, to her relief, his father had just joined him and he wouldn't be following her.
Jaina let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and went to go hide somewhere quiet for a half hour until her next appointment. Her brainstorming ideas for her apartment had been interrupted and she needed to make final choices in the next several days.
Her next meeting was with some heads of military. Even though she had announced she was going to resign, she was still a decorated officer and they requested her input on use of the squadrons and the relationship between the Jedi and the government.
She stopped short in her tracks when she got there. Rune was outside in the hallway. At least he was with his father who was talking to a politician; but he was still there -- and gave her a long look that let her know it was by no accident. Jaina figured that the only reason he hadn't shown up to her workout in the gym before lunch was because it wasn't on the meeting list, which Rune must've somehow gotten hold of from his father. Jaina slipped into the meeting room quickly.
Her mind was distracted all through the meeting. Afterwards, she purposely lingered in the conference room until everyone had long gone. She was becoming familiar with Rune's presence and she could sense him waiting nearby. Her teeth ground together. Didn't he have anything better to do? And why was she hiding like a scared little girl??
She marched to the door and punched the open button. Once in the hallway, Rune saw her and immediately started for her. Jaina crossed her arms.
"What are you doing here?"
He blinked innocently. "Waiting for my father. But now that you're here..." His expression changed and he reached for her.
Jaina scowled, stepping back. "I don't like what you said at lunch."
Rune gave her a look. "I haven't been drinking. You said I could ask anything when I wasn't drinking."
"I said you could ask, I never said I would grant it," Jaina said very irritably.
Rune tsked at her. "Careful, Jaina. You wouldn't want my father to hear the Jedi have been inhospitable -- or difficult -- when we were promised anything we needed."
Despite his easy, almost diplomatic manner, his eyes glittered dangerously, maliciously for a moment that stopped Jaina's snappy reply in her throat. Had she -- imagined that?
"Come on. Denon is boring, why don't you--"
"I'm busy this afternoon."
"No you aren't. I know you have no meetings this afternoon."
She stared at him in astonishment, her brow furrowing. How in the galaxy did he know that? The meeting list was distributed by aides to those who needed to know, but who was attending those meetings wasn't necessarily listed.
"I didn't say I had meetings. I only said I was busy."
"You're always busy." He pouted.
"I'm a busy girl," she retorted, arms still crossed.
He smiled and put a hand on her waist. "You could be busy with me."
Sith, every thing she said, he turned into a pick-up line! Even if they were bad ones. "I don't think so, Rune. I'm busy this afternoon. Busy. I already have plans."
"With who?"
"None of your business."
"I'm making it my business. I want to spend time with you."
"Rune, I'm sorry, but I can't. And I'm flattered by your offer, but I'm not interested. I don't know how to speak any more clearly."
"You'll be interested if you just give me a chance. What are you doing this afternoon. Flying? I could come with you. Are you going shopping? I could buy you something."
"I have plans with my boyfriend." Jaina no longer felt bad about fibbing. Girls used this excuse all the time.
"Why don't you introduce me to him?"
She fought back a sigh. "I really have to go, Rune."
"What's the matter? You don't like me?"
Kriff, she was trying to be polite, drawing on every ounce of diplomacy that resided in her body thanks to her mother. "Rune, you are everywhere I go," she explained very slowly and succinctly.
He reached for her. "Oh, that's just coincidence--"
Jaina shuddered and took yet another step back before he could grab her. "How can you have conveniently been outside every single meeting I've had today at its beginning and end?"
"I go with my father where he goes. It's not my fault he's there."
"But you haven't always been with your father every time I see you."
He grinned and moved in again. "Seeking me out in a crowd, are you? I like that in a woman."
Jaina was ready to forget protocol and the rules and just deck him one, when Tahiri came walking into sight. Jaina's eyes widened and she pounced on the opportunity. "Tahiri! There you are! I've been looking for you!" she said just a little too enthusiastically.
Tahiri stopped, looking a bit confused, but smiled. "Hey Jaina. You were?"
Jaina hurried over to Tahiri and put her arm around her friend's shoulders, guiding them away from Rune. "Yes, of course I was. We're going over the stuff for my apartment, remember?"
"We are? But last week you said--"
Jaina interrupted her with a fierce look that said to just follow along. Some sort of large gathering had just gotten out because people began pouring through the hallway they were in.
Rune frowned. "Hey, wait a minute. I thought you said you were spending the afternoon with your boyfriend."
"...He's coming too."
Tahiri gave her a funny look but didn't say anything. Jaina guided her down the hallway, using the mass of people to hide them and get them away from Rune as fast as possible.
~~~~~
That night, alone in her apartment, Jaina collapsed onto the couch after a relaxing bath. She didn't think she could take another day of running into Rune like that. Who knew what he would try next? But she had Jedi things tomorrow that she couldn't skip.
Tahiri had been very curious to know what was going on, especially that line about a boyfriend, but Jaina explained she was only trying to get rid of some annoying guy and asked her to keep quiet about it. Tahiri had agreed, reluctantly, but made Jaina promise to tell her the details soon.
Her comlink went off and Jaina reached for it on the table by the sofa. "Jaina Solo."
"Jaina," her uncle greeted. "How are you?"
"Hi, Uncle Luke. I'm doing okay, just relaxing before bed. Why the late call?"
"I wanted to update you on a few things," Luke told her. "Good news first. The meetings and talks with Steiner went well, but he's hard to read. He has been asking a lot of questions about the Jedi, though. I'm hoping that's a good sign." He didn't sound too sure.
Jaina sighed a little. "And there's bad news too, right?"
Uncle Luke paused slightly. "There's a semi-formal affair two nights from now, a reception of sorts. I believe it's a precursor to an announcement to welcome Braxis Steiner onto the council. Everyone who's anyone in the New Republic government is apparently invited."
"Stang."
"I wish I knew what Cal was thinking. Today we got word that Steiner's brother has been found and confirmed dead." Luke's voice was grim.
Jaina sighed again, more heavily this time. "How did he take it?"
"He excused himself early from the meeting we were in and he's been in his quarters since then."
"Any word on how his brother died?"
"No, unfortunately. Or that could be a good thing, in case the Brigadier remnants try to send out false information and claim he was killed by a lightsaber. We're trying to get hold of his brother's body so that Steiner can bury him properly."
She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. Jaina knew too well what that experience was like. "That's good. I hope he finds some peace."
Luke's voice softened somewhat. "I believe he's suspected his brother has been dead for some time, so hopefully this won't come as too much of a shock to him."
She nodded again. "Thanks for updating me, Uncle Luke."
"Of course. We still need to be on our best behavior, because there's no telling what the Steiners believe about the Jedi. Did Rune mention anything to you?"
"Not about the Jedi." She grimaced. He'd certainly mentioned a lot of other things to her. She briefly contemplated telling Uncle Luke about what had happened.
"All right," he said. "I need to go help Mara get Ben out of the bath. Thanks for your help, Jaina."
Or maybe she wouldn't mention it now. Maybe she'd tell him later, if she couldn't fix this herself. "No problem, Uncle Luke."
"Oh, and about the reception in two nights -- don't forget to bring a date. See you tomorrow."
"Night." Jaina clicked off her comlink and then froze. A semi-formal event. Date. That meant... Rune...
She had to avoid him at all costs, or he would probably ask her to be his date, and then she'd be kriffed. Seriously kriffed.
-----
[If you're following this story, please comment (you can even leave it blank) cause I'd love to know who's reading this. :-D]
Author: kaladhwen, aka Mia, aka Alliana, aka...well, you get the idea.
Fandom: Star Wars, post-NJO
Rating: PG, pretty much.
Characters: Jaina Solo, Kyp Durron, OC
Genre: romance, humor
Keywords: K/J, romance, humor
Summary: Jaina is forced to take interesting steps to avoid unwanted attentions from a visiting politician's son.
Author's Notes: Yay, my first SW EU story I've written all by myself. The Steiners are mine, everyone and everything else belongs to Lucas.
Thanks to sparrows_girl and kasdie for betaing and offering encouragement and feedback, as well as others in my FanForce. :) Also posting this on the JCF here.
Previous chapters on LJ
It's Just Pretend
Chapter Three
Rune had stared after her stupidly the day before when she made her escape. However, for the next two days, Rune was not stupid, and followed her. Everywhere.
When she showed up the next morning for a Jedi meeting, Rune was nearby and came to say hello. He seemed sober this time, but Jaina ducked into her meeting quickly. She really didn't want another incident like the day before.
Once the meeting started, they discussed the dwindling number of Jedi and recruiting and refining training and other mundane, administration type topics. Kyp wasn't there, and Jaina guessed he was off doing those Jedi errands he'd mentioned the night before. She kept glancing over at Kyp's usual seat in slight boredom but managed to make it through the meeting, which went by like any other. Except that Rune was there waiting when she got out. She managed to pawn him off on Alema and hurried to her workout in the gym before Rune could follow her.
All through her workout, she kept glancing around to make sure he wasn't watching her again, or that he hadn't found her. It hurt her concentration, which only got her upset, and she finally ended a few minutes early and went to shower. Thankfully, there was still no sign of Rune. She wouldn't have been surprised if he'd managed to worm his way into the women's changing room.
He found her at lunch, though. Jaina thought she was safe, eating amidst a crowd of people in the huge café / restaurant attached to the government building. She thought he would never spot her there.
She was wrong. Jaina was absorbed in working out details for the painters while she ate when she felt a flicker through the Force. She frowned and tried to figure out what had caused it. Too late, she realized Rune was only a few yards away from her table and closing in fast.
Jaina groaned inwardly. She thought about ducking down in her seat, or getting up to switch tables, but by the time she ran through her options, he was already there.
"Hello, Jaina. Ready to give me my...tour? The best sights on Denon?" He greeted her by trailing his finger down her arm. There was far, far too much implication in his touch. Jaina jerked it back, staring at him in astonishment. With her lunch suddenly unappetizing, she got ready to leave.
"Where are you going? You haven't finished your lunch yet."
"I'm not hungry anymore," she said, her voice hard. As much as she wanted to slice him to pieces with her saber, they were in a public place and she would get in trouble. A lot of trouble. She glanced back to see if he was following her and saw that, to her relief, his father had just joined him and he wouldn't be following her.
Jaina let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and went to go hide somewhere quiet for a half hour until her next appointment. Her brainstorming ideas for her apartment had been interrupted and she needed to make final choices in the next several days.
Her next meeting was with some heads of military. Even though she had announced she was going to resign, she was still a decorated officer and they requested her input on use of the squadrons and the relationship between the Jedi and the government.
She stopped short in her tracks when she got there. Rune was outside in the hallway. At least he was with his father who was talking to a politician; but he was still there -- and gave her a long look that let her know it was by no accident. Jaina figured that the only reason he hadn't shown up to her workout in the gym before lunch was because it wasn't on the meeting list, which Rune must've somehow gotten hold of from his father. Jaina slipped into the meeting room quickly.
Her mind was distracted all through the meeting. Afterwards, she purposely lingered in the conference room until everyone had long gone. She was becoming familiar with Rune's presence and she could sense him waiting nearby. Her teeth ground together. Didn't he have anything better to do? And why was she hiding like a scared little girl??
She marched to the door and punched the open button. Once in the hallway, Rune saw her and immediately started for her. Jaina crossed her arms.
"What are you doing here?"
He blinked innocently. "Waiting for my father. But now that you're here..." His expression changed and he reached for her.
Jaina scowled, stepping back. "I don't like what you said at lunch."
Rune gave her a look. "I haven't been drinking. You said I could ask anything when I wasn't drinking."
"I said you could ask, I never said I would grant it," Jaina said very irritably.
Rune tsked at her. "Careful, Jaina. You wouldn't want my father to hear the Jedi have been inhospitable -- or difficult -- when we were promised anything we needed."
Despite his easy, almost diplomatic manner, his eyes glittered dangerously, maliciously for a moment that stopped Jaina's snappy reply in her throat. Had she -- imagined that?
"Come on. Denon is boring, why don't you--"
"I'm busy this afternoon."
"No you aren't. I know you have no meetings this afternoon."
She stared at him in astonishment, her brow furrowing. How in the galaxy did he know that? The meeting list was distributed by aides to those who needed to know, but who was attending those meetings wasn't necessarily listed.
"I didn't say I had meetings. I only said I was busy."
"You're always busy." He pouted.
"I'm a busy girl," she retorted, arms still crossed.
He smiled and put a hand on her waist. "You could be busy with me."
Sith, every thing she said, he turned into a pick-up line! Even if they were bad ones. "I don't think so, Rune. I'm busy this afternoon. Busy. I already have plans."
"With who?"
"None of your business."
"I'm making it my business. I want to spend time with you."
"Rune, I'm sorry, but I can't. And I'm flattered by your offer, but I'm not interested. I don't know how to speak any more clearly."
"You'll be interested if you just give me a chance. What are you doing this afternoon. Flying? I could come with you. Are you going shopping? I could buy you something."
"I have plans with my boyfriend." Jaina no longer felt bad about fibbing. Girls used this excuse all the time.
"Why don't you introduce me to him?"
She fought back a sigh. "I really have to go, Rune."
"What's the matter? You don't like me?"
Kriff, she was trying to be polite, drawing on every ounce of diplomacy that resided in her body thanks to her mother. "Rune, you are everywhere I go," she explained very slowly and succinctly.
He reached for her. "Oh, that's just coincidence--"
Jaina shuddered and took yet another step back before he could grab her. "How can you have conveniently been outside every single meeting I've had today at its beginning and end?"
"I go with my father where he goes. It's not my fault he's there."
"But you haven't always been with your father every time I see you."
He grinned and moved in again. "Seeking me out in a crowd, are you? I like that in a woman."
Jaina was ready to forget protocol and the rules and just deck him one, when Tahiri came walking into sight. Jaina's eyes widened and she pounced on the opportunity. "Tahiri! There you are! I've been looking for you!" she said just a little too enthusiastically.
Tahiri stopped, looking a bit confused, but smiled. "Hey Jaina. You were?"
Jaina hurried over to Tahiri and put her arm around her friend's shoulders, guiding them away from Rune. "Yes, of course I was. We're going over the stuff for my apartment, remember?"
"We are? But last week you said--"
Jaina interrupted her with a fierce look that said to just follow along. Some sort of large gathering had just gotten out because people began pouring through the hallway they were in.
Rune frowned. "Hey, wait a minute. I thought you said you were spending the afternoon with your boyfriend."
"...He's coming too."
Tahiri gave her a funny look but didn't say anything. Jaina guided her down the hallway, using the mass of people to hide them and get them away from Rune as fast as possible.
~~~~~
That night, alone in her apartment, Jaina collapsed onto the couch after a relaxing bath. She didn't think she could take another day of running into Rune like that. Who knew what he would try next? But she had Jedi things tomorrow that she couldn't skip.
Tahiri had been very curious to know what was going on, especially that line about a boyfriend, but Jaina explained she was only trying to get rid of some annoying guy and asked her to keep quiet about it. Tahiri had agreed, reluctantly, but made Jaina promise to tell her the details soon.
Her comlink went off and Jaina reached for it on the table by the sofa. "Jaina Solo."
"Jaina," her uncle greeted. "How are you?"
"Hi, Uncle Luke. I'm doing okay, just relaxing before bed. Why the late call?"
"I wanted to update you on a few things," Luke told her. "Good news first. The meetings and talks with Steiner went well, but he's hard to read. He has been asking a lot of questions about the Jedi, though. I'm hoping that's a good sign." He didn't sound too sure.
Jaina sighed a little. "And there's bad news too, right?"
Uncle Luke paused slightly. "There's a semi-formal affair two nights from now, a reception of sorts. I believe it's a precursor to an announcement to welcome Braxis Steiner onto the council. Everyone who's anyone in the New Republic government is apparently invited."
"Stang."
"I wish I knew what Cal was thinking. Today we got word that Steiner's brother has been found and confirmed dead." Luke's voice was grim.
Jaina sighed again, more heavily this time. "How did he take it?"
"He excused himself early from the meeting we were in and he's been in his quarters since then."
"Any word on how his brother died?"
"No, unfortunately. Or that could be a good thing, in case the Brigadier remnants try to send out false information and claim he was killed by a lightsaber. We're trying to get hold of his brother's body so that Steiner can bury him properly."
She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. Jaina knew too well what that experience was like. "That's good. I hope he finds some peace."
Luke's voice softened somewhat. "I believe he's suspected his brother has been dead for some time, so hopefully this won't come as too much of a shock to him."
She nodded again. "Thanks for updating me, Uncle Luke."
"Of course. We still need to be on our best behavior, because there's no telling what the Steiners believe about the Jedi. Did Rune mention anything to you?"
"Not about the Jedi." She grimaced. He'd certainly mentioned a lot of other things to her. She briefly contemplated telling Uncle Luke about what had happened.
"All right," he said. "I need to go help Mara get Ben out of the bath. Thanks for your help, Jaina."
Or maybe she wouldn't mention it now. Maybe she'd tell him later, if she couldn't fix this herself. "No problem, Uncle Luke."
"Oh, and about the reception in two nights -- don't forget to bring a date. See you tomorrow."
"Night." Jaina clicked off her comlink and then froze. A semi-formal event. Date. That meant... Rune...
She had to avoid him at all costs, or he would probably ask her to be his date, and then she'd be kriffed. Seriously kriffed.
-----
[If you're following this story, please comment (you can even leave it blank) cause I'd love to know who's reading this. :-D]