Fic: "Fast as I Can" (17/20 J/Z AU)
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen
x-x-x
Day 385
Someone left Zekk a comm message of uncontrolled laughter. The next message, from a very smug Peckhum, asked if he had read the latest Coruscant Uncovered. By the time Zekk had picked up a copy, his neighbours were grinning as they waved, and a stranger had clapped him on the back.
JAINA SOLO’S MYSTERY BOYFRIEND FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.
Although they had only a blurry holo-image of Jaina and Zekk from outside the Rogues’ landing bay, and not even his name, the Uncovered assured readers that Zekk was “all Jaina talked about,” and a load of other rubbish. Amongst other things, an “insider” claimed that Jaina had “never been happier” and that she had been “making a real effort to clean her life up.”
Zekk knew better than to listen to the tabloids. Hadn’t Jaina given a flat denial to the vast majority of tabloids’ ideas, let alone details?
Zekk knew better.
x-x-x
Day 386
Jaina Solo, Zekk realized the second he saw her, had only taken a break from the warpath. She stormed into the Flash, and paused only when she saw Zekk with a customer. She scowled at Mique, and had drained half her brandy before she even sat down. The fingers of her right hand were tight around the glass, even though Zekk knew the bones were still sore sometimes. He had never thought of her as dangerous before, but she was starting to make the customers nervous.
“Please get your girlfriend out of here,” Mique muttered next to him. “I will pay you an extra half hour if you do it before Beryl runs.”
“She’s not my - ” Zekk glanced at Beryl. “Good point, he’s never done well with Jaina.”
“Personally, I think she’s hot.” Mique shrugged. “But all yours, man. I don’t have the patience for your game. Takes too long.”
Zekk told Mique exactly where he could put his assumptions, then braced himself for the hurricane. At least he knew her temper today wasn’t reserved for him - Jaina had no qualms about tearing his head off in public, and hadn’t even when they hardly knew each other. Still, he expected that - regular day and time, or no - he’d be hearing about it.
“I’m being as calm as I can,” she almost snapped, when he approached her. “I really, really am; I can’t help it if Beryl’s a Thezaela chicken.”
“You’re scaring customers,” Zekk told her. “Finish your drink quick, and we’re getting bounced.”
She gave Beryl a deliberately black scowl, but drained her glass. “I can’t sit still right now anyway.”
“You never can,” he pointed out. “Now come on.”
Perhaps being on the move did help somewhat, because Jaina seemed to have a tighter leash on her temper outside. “Sorry, I just - I only just came from that sith-spawned rag’s office, and it hasn’t helped.”
“What are you talking about?” Zekk was, for his part, bewildered.
“The Coruscant Uncovered. I’ve been ripping into their editor since I found the article. I couldn’t find the writer, but hopefully I’ve put the fear of the Force into the tabloid.”
“But really, what?” Zekk pulled her to a stop. Her pacing was starting to make his head spin.
Jaina looked strangely nervous. “You didn’t see the article?” She started pacing again. “They wrote this - front-page story about - us. They snapped some holos, and made this whole…epic romance thing out of it.”
“Oh,” Zekk said. “That?”
“Kriff, you did see it,” Jaina groaned. “Look, I’m sorry. They won’t retract it, or anything, but I promise I’ll get them off your case somehow, if I have to go and have tabloid babies with - I don’t know, with Kyp - he’ll think it’s a laugh.”
Jaina’s frustration was catching. “Why are you so upset about this? You’re in the tabloids all the time. You forward them around as jokes.”
“But it’s not - ” Jaina stopped. A fraction of her anger was shifting. The look in her eyes informed Zekk that they were supposed to be on the same page.
“You’ve been married to and impregnated by half the tabloid cast, been to any number of rehabs, and been on the verge of the Dark side every other month,” he pointed out.
“But this is - you.”
He reared back. “A street rat, you mean?” he retorted before thinking.
“Actually, that was you being stupid,” she snapped.
“Thank you so much.”
“Why do you do that?” she demanded. Before he had a chance to respond, she had reined herself in. “I was born into this mess. It sucks that I can’t get post-mission counselling without the whole galaxy finding out and saying it’s because I’m suicidal, but I’m used to it. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. It’s just one article now, but if they ran with it - Do you really want your life splayed across the data sheets?”
“They’re used to you flitting between relationships,” Zekk dismissed. He was no longer quite as upset. “They would never stick with it, especially when it’s supposedly a - a healthy relationship. Besides, they’d never get over you and Kyp.”
“I think the tabloids have a better opinion of my readiness to commit than I do,” Jaina said wryly, seeming to relax. “At least they think I’m carrying a constant torch for Kyp. I don’t even have a favourite restaurant, and I never cook. I’m not even domestic enough to be committed.”
Zekk asked what had to be asked. “What about Jag? You’ve been seeing him for - what, a year?”
Jaina waved a hand. “That’s not committed. It’s just…all the politics, the parties we have to go to, that sort of thing. We mock Very Important People over Alderaani wine, and rescue each other from power marriages.”
He looked away. “That’s enough for some people.”
She snorted in a way that he did not think would meet with her princess mother’s approval. “Some people, maybe. My dad kidnapped my mom to talk her out of that kind of commitment.” When Zekk looked at her, she shrugged. “Anyway, I’m as likely to end up dead, or a spinster. Do you think I’ll be safe from the tabloids in a Jedi nursing home?”
“Maybe up until you take the home’s hover bus for a joy ride.”
“Hover bus?” she said, affronted. “By the time I’m done with it, it’ll be a smoother ride than my mom’s old political shuttle, and definitely faster.”
“Which will be great comfort to you, I’m sure, when you suffer a nervous breakdown and face criminal charges.”
“I’ll just tell them it was all your idea. You can be the bad influence for once. What?”
Zekk had been staring at her. He stopped. The grin, however, refused to disappear. “You’re going to make me poor with your bail, aren’t you?”
Jaina beamed; It looked - from what he could remember - like her father’s grin. “Nah, I’ll just threaten to go Dark, and you can play good cop. Wanna try it on a tabloid editor now?”
Part Eighteen
I cannot even start to believe that this fic is almost done. I'm still on, um, part 1 of the possible sequel? I should probably decide if I'm actually writing it, though it's tempting to just judge from your guys' reactions after I finish this one :\ :p
Reviews = food&love.
x-x-x
Day 385
Someone left Zekk a comm message of uncontrolled laughter. The next message, from a very smug Peckhum, asked if he had read the latest Coruscant Uncovered. By the time Zekk had picked up a copy, his neighbours were grinning as they waved, and a stranger had clapped him on the back.
JAINA SOLO’S MYSTERY BOYFRIEND FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.
Although they had only a blurry holo-image of Jaina and Zekk from outside the Rogues’ landing bay, and not even his name, the Uncovered assured readers that Zekk was “all Jaina talked about,” and a load of other rubbish. Amongst other things, an “insider” claimed that Jaina had “never been happier” and that she had been “making a real effort to clean her life up.”
Zekk knew better than to listen to the tabloids. Hadn’t Jaina given a flat denial to the vast majority of tabloids’ ideas, let alone details?
Zekk knew better.
x-x-x
Day 386
Jaina Solo, Zekk realized the second he saw her, had only taken a break from the warpath. She stormed into the Flash, and paused only when she saw Zekk with a customer. She scowled at Mique, and had drained half her brandy before she even sat down. The fingers of her right hand were tight around the glass, even though Zekk knew the bones were still sore sometimes. He had never thought of her as dangerous before, but she was starting to make the customers nervous.
“Please get your girlfriend out of here,” Mique muttered next to him. “I will pay you an extra half hour if you do it before Beryl runs.”
“She’s not my - ” Zekk glanced at Beryl. “Good point, he’s never done well with Jaina.”
“Personally, I think she’s hot.” Mique shrugged. “But all yours, man. I don’t have the patience for your game. Takes too long.”
Zekk told Mique exactly where he could put his assumptions, then braced himself for the hurricane. At least he knew her temper today wasn’t reserved for him - Jaina had no qualms about tearing his head off in public, and hadn’t even when they hardly knew each other. Still, he expected that - regular day and time, or no - he’d be hearing about it.
“I’m being as calm as I can,” she almost snapped, when he approached her. “I really, really am; I can’t help it if Beryl’s a Thezaela chicken.”
“You’re scaring customers,” Zekk told her. “Finish your drink quick, and we’re getting bounced.”
She gave Beryl a deliberately black scowl, but drained her glass. “I can’t sit still right now anyway.”
“You never can,” he pointed out. “Now come on.”
Perhaps being on the move did help somewhat, because Jaina seemed to have a tighter leash on her temper outside. “Sorry, I just - I only just came from that sith-spawned rag’s office, and it hasn’t helped.”
“What are you talking about?” Zekk was, for his part, bewildered.
“The Coruscant Uncovered. I’ve been ripping into their editor since I found the article. I couldn’t find the writer, but hopefully I’ve put the fear of the Force into the tabloid.”
“But really, what?” Zekk pulled her to a stop. Her pacing was starting to make his head spin.
Jaina looked strangely nervous. “You didn’t see the article?” She started pacing again. “They wrote this - front-page story about - us. They snapped some holos, and made this whole…epic romance thing out of it.”
“Oh,” Zekk said. “That?”
“Kriff, you did see it,” Jaina groaned. “Look, I’m sorry. They won’t retract it, or anything, but I promise I’ll get them off your case somehow, if I have to go and have tabloid babies with - I don’t know, with Kyp - he’ll think it’s a laugh.”
Jaina’s frustration was catching. “Why are you so upset about this? You’re in the tabloids all the time. You forward them around as jokes.”
“But it’s not - ” Jaina stopped. A fraction of her anger was shifting. The look in her eyes informed Zekk that they were supposed to be on the same page.
“You’ve been married to and impregnated by half the tabloid cast, been to any number of rehabs, and been on the verge of the Dark side every other month,” he pointed out.
“But this is - you.”
He reared back. “A street rat, you mean?” he retorted before thinking.
“Actually, that was you being stupid,” she snapped.
“Thank you so much.”
“Why do you do that?” she demanded. Before he had a chance to respond, she had reined herself in. “I was born into this mess. It sucks that I can’t get post-mission counselling without the whole galaxy finding out and saying it’s because I’m suicidal, but I’m used to it. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. It’s just one article now, but if they ran with it - Do you really want your life splayed across the data sheets?”
“They’re used to you flitting between relationships,” Zekk dismissed. He was no longer quite as upset. “They would never stick with it, especially when it’s supposedly a - a healthy relationship. Besides, they’d never get over you and Kyp.”
“I think the tabloids have a better opinion of my readiness to commit than I do,” Jaina said wryly, seeming to relax. “At least they think I’m carrying a constant torch for Kyp. I don’t even have a favourite restaurant, and I never cook. I’m not even domestic enough to be committed.”
Zekk asked what had to be asked. “What about Jag? You’ve been seeing him for - what, a year?”
Jaina waved a hand. “That’s not committed. It’s just…all the politics, the parties we have to go to, that sort of thing. We mock Very Important People over Alderaani wine, and rescue each other from power marriages.”
He looked away. “That’s enough for some people.”
She snorted in a way that he did not think would meet with her princess mother’s approval. “Some people, maybe. My dad kidnapped my mom to talk her out of that kind of commitment.” When Zekk looked at her, she shrugged. “Anyway, I’m as likely to end up dead, or a spinster. Do you think I’ll be safe from the tabloids in a Jedi nursing home?”
“Maybe up until you take the home’s hover bus for a joy ride.”
“Hover bus?” she said, affronted. “By the time I’m done with it, it’ll be a smoother ride than my mom’s old political shuttle, and definitely faster.”
“Which will be great comfort to you, I’m sure, when you suffer a nervous breakdown and face criminal charges.”
“I’ll just tell them it was all your idea. You can be the bad influence for once. What?”
Zekk had been staring at her. He stopped. The grin, however, refused to disappear. “You’re going to make me poor with your bail, aren’t you?”
Jaina beamed; It looked - from what he could remember - like her father’s grin. “Nah, I’ll just threaten to go Dark, and you can play good cop. Wanna try it on a tabloid editor now?”
Part Eighteen
I cannot even start to believe that this fic is almost done. I'm still on, um, part 1 of the possible sequel? I should probably decide if I'm actually writing it, though it's tempting to just judge from your guys' reactions after I finish this one :\ :p
Reviews = food&love.