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This Old House

by: Darry

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DISTRIBUTION: Corellia Archives, but I'll happily share

SPOILERS: ANH, ESB, RotJ, but who hasn't seen them?

RATING: R

FEEDBACK: God yes!

SUMMARY: POV, humour. I meet my first SW hero and unpack at the same time

DISCLAIMER: Meesa don't own anyone but meesa. Meesa have no money. Meesa never have no money. Meesa living offa Ramen Noodles. Please leave meesa alone.}

I woke at dawn, just as I had since I had arrived at the house; the bed was situated so that the sleeper had no choice but to awaken to the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"Make some curtains," I reminded myself for the zillionth time.

Before doing anything else, I threw a cd into the Discman, and Coolio began blaring through the headphones. Heading out of the bathroom, I pulled on my boxer shorts, kakhis, socks, shoes and a light colored shirt of rough material I had found in a chest of drawers. (I still hadn't gotten that blood scrubbed out of my own shirt. Cleaning is not an easy thing to do with so little water.)

While having a breakfast of bantha milk, I sat down next to yet another unassuming-looking crate and began inspecting its contents. It was full of odds and ends, most of which I couldn't identify.

I turned and set my cup on a bench behind me.

*****

He appeared in his home on Tatooine, manifesting as he usually did: as he appeared at his "death". He expected the house to be deserted, empty, cleared out by the Jawas, Sand People or other local scavengers. Instead he discovered the place not only intact, but also occupied.

A dark-haired woman, wearing one of his tunics, was bent over a crate, rifling through it. She had not seen him appear. He debated on how to approach her. Although he did not "feel" anything threatening from her, prudence dictated that he first discover her intentions... Squatting and petty larceny, he concluded, although she seemed to be very meticulous about it. She also appeared to be singing.

"Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk..."

She held a small semi-transparent crystalline object up to the light. "Interesting", she said. "Whatever the hell it is."

"It's a power cell," he said to her matter-of-factly, but she appeared not to hear him. She replaced the object in the box. Next, she pulled out what looked like a rat's tail, tied at two places down its length. Force! Had he really saved his Padawan braid? This too, she held up to the light and inspected closely.

"Oh dear...you'd think a culture as advanced as this would have found a cure for split ends." He frowned. What was she talking about? "Should have used some conditioner, Mr. K."

"What?" he exclaimed.

Apparently, she still didn't hear him. She placed the braid on a box next to the crate, stood, stretched, and turned to retrieve the cup on the bench.

*****

I had not expected company that morning, least of all the spectral landlord.

"SHIT!" I yelled, angry and frightened at the same time. I yanked the headphones from my ears, glaring at the man in front of me. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"I am sorry," he said. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here." He inclined his head at the braid of hair. "I certainly didn't expect you to recognize that."

"Uh, yeah...well..." I looked around sheepishly.

"Who are you, young lady? And why are you here?" the old man asked.

"Good questions!" I waffled. "A long story."

The old man moved to another chest, his image appearing to sit. "I am patient; begin."

I laughed derisively. "Yeah, well, I guess you would be...Uh, perhaps you should tell me why you're here."

The figure looked around the room. "It's MY house." He looked back at me, smiling slightly. This was not the direction I wanted the conversation to turn.

I waved my arms, encompassing the room. "It was your house. You left, and the locals thought it was abandoned. They were too scared of you to steal anything."

"How do you know that?"

"Another long story." I looked down at the empty cup in my hand. Time to change the subject. "I'm still hungry." I moved to the small refrigeration unit and rummaged around.

"You're avoiding the question," said Ben.

"No shit," I replied, almost under my breath.

"Well then, let's start with an easy one. Where do you get food and water?"

"The Sand People give it to me."

"Oh?" he sounded skeptical. "And why would they do that?"

"Because I take care of them. If they're sick or hurt, I heal them."

The old man regarded me carefully. "Interesting. Did they bring you here then?"

"Yes." I think he hoped I would say more, but I didn't. There was a long pause.

"You know who I am, don't you?" he said.

"Uh-huh." I nodded with a mouthful of milk. Shit, what now?

"Another long story?"

I nodded again.

"What's your name?"

"Darry." I sat down on the bed, facing him.

"Well, that's a start," he said with a smile.

"Why are you here?" I asked. "I was under the impression you only showed up when you needed to."

"Indeed," he said, surprised. "And I do need to, although I wasn't expecting to have company. I haven't been here for a long time." He looked around. "I should've cleaned up I guess."

"Oh, I've seen worse. And don't worry, I haven't thrown anything away. I know how important some of this stuff is."

"Yes, that is interesting. How much do you know, exactly?"

"All of it- " Oops. Probably shouldn't have said that. "I mean, I don't know what half of this stuff is, but I know about you and everyone else... important to you and to this place. Tell me, I know where I am, but I don't know when I am. Seeing you like... that...gives me a little more to go on, but what's happening out there now?"

Blue eyes twinkled at me. "'Like that'?"

I felt myself blush. "Well, you know...dead."

"Ah. Well, would a date mean anything to you?"

I shook my head. What date? How would I recognize a date, for crying out loud? What would he say- a long time ago? Stardate 10447.6?

"All right, how about an event?"

"That would be better." Provided it was filmed, I reminded myself.

"I'm here to keep an eye on someone before he attempts to tangle with a..." he paused looking for the right word. "...gangster."

"Right. I know what's going on now." I sat and thought for a moment. "And I'm gonna just sit here until that little fracas is over." I thought some more. "In fact, I'm gonna sit here for awhile, if that's O- uh, all right with you." I added hastily. "Just tell me when everything out there is neatly wrapped up, and I'll leave."

"I fear it may not be that simple," Ben said as the sound of a whining engine, growing louder, could be heard outside the house.

"Oh hell," I said.

Ben stood, looking toward the door, then back at me.

"What?" I asked accusingly. What the hell was he looking at?

"That tunic suits you."

I looked down at myself, realizing that it was his shirt I was wearing.

"Uh, thanks...SHIT!"

He was gone.

* * * * *

I turned to look for a place to hide. There was only the tiny bathroom and how long could I stay in there? There was no time, anyway. A figure in black stood in the doorway. I froze, holding my empty cup and blinked.

The figure took a step nearer, looking at me more closely.

I took a step sideways. Then I took another, and another. The man opposite did the same. We circled one another. Luke said nothing, just stared with a slight smile on his lips.

I took a deep breath, and eloquently spoke,

"Hiyoudon'tknowmebutIknowyouinfactI'vebeeninlovewithyouforareallylongtimeandI'veimaginedthismomentsomanytimes
andnowIdon'tknowwhattosayandIprobablysoundlikeacompleteidiotdoyouknowyou'retallerthanIexpectedyouwouldbe
wouldyoulikesomthingtodrink?"

"Sure, I'll have what you're having," he said, looking at the cup in my hand. I seemed to notice it for the first time. Had he actually understood all of that? Oh no.

I backed to the refrigeration unit, opened it without looking, and grabbed for the milk container, never taking my eyes off the man standing before me. I filled the cup without looking at it and handed it to him.

He accepted it and nodded to me. "Aren't you having any? This is your cup after all."

I blushed. "Uh, I've only got one cup." I hoped that was true; I hadn't noticed any others in the cabinet. Obviously Ben had done little entertaining.

"That's all right," said Luke. "I'll share." He turned and walked over to the bench next to the crate I had been rifling through. As I watched him move across the room, I circled out of the small kitchen. Then I gracefully banged my shin against a chest lying next to the table.

"Fuck," I muttered, just audibly, and grabbed my leg.

"Are you all right?" Luke asked, trying not to smile. He sat on the bench, and glanced down at the crate. "Do you know who lives here?"

"Yes," I said and then immediately wished I hadn't. I finally broke my gaze and looked down at my leg, which had turned red in one spot. I rubbed at it.

"Hmmm. Well, judging from the greeting I received, it would appear you know me, too." I blushed again.

Remembering something, I looked up and past him, out one of the windows. The suns were approaching the position at which I was expected to meet with a "patient". Luke looked over his shoulder and then back at me.

"Someone's coming." He stood. I grabbed my pack and headed toward the door.

"Gotta go," I said and made to open the door. He moved past me and pushed the door closed.

"I think you'd better stay here. It might be dangerous. It could be Sand People," he cautioned

"It IS Sand People," I said simply. "I'm their healer. And as much as I would like to stay here with you..." I giggled nervously. "I have to take care of a new mother. Will you let me out, please?"

He stood there staring at me. A bantha could be heard lowing in the distance. "Who are you?"

"Later," I said. "Door?" He dumbly opened the door and moved aside. I stepped out into the heat and the sand.

Normally, the bantha and its rider would be waiting for me just outside the house, but today they were stopped about a hundred yards away. I looked around. A speeder was parked between the side of the house and the vaporator. I smiled and turned back toward my escort.

* * * * *

The speeder was gone when I returned. Feeling somewhat disappointed, I climbed down the bantha's flank and dropped to the ground. My pack was tossed down to me along with provisions. My escort and his mount both called farewell and turned east into the darkening desert.

The door was not bolted and there was a lamp burning in the far corner. In addition, there were several pieces of equipment left on the bench under the windows that had not been there previously. Encouraging, I thought.

"Hi honey, I'm home," I called. I didn't receive a reply. I stowed my provisions and pack, and began to undress. It then occurred to me that I had had two unexpected visitors that day, and it might be wise to wear something more than my undershirt and a pair of boxer shorts as was my usual custom during the evening. I walked over to the dresser and somewhat guiltily began going though more of Ben's clothes. I found a long soft undertunic that would cover a bit more and do nicely as desert evening attire. I changed in the bathroom and emerged into the main room.

"I'd forgotten about that old thing."

"Jesus Christ! Stop doing that!" I yelled at the figure sitting in a chair near the door. "Can't you whistle or something before you show up?" My pulse rate slowly began to descend to normal.

Ben smiled at me. "Sorry,'" he said in a tone that suggested he was anything but.

I sat down at the table that was covered with my latest attempt to make speakers for my Discman. It wasn't a pretty sight. I had long since abandoned eating at the table and by the looks of it, Luke had wisely decided to use the workbench. I had a sneaking suspicion of what he was up to.

"So, you're in love with our young Jedi," Ben began. For a moment, without volition, my eyes flicked to Obi-Wan's braid lying on the bench where I'd left it. If Ben noticed this, he chose not to comment.

Probably just as well, I thought. How would I explain the blush that reddened my cheeks at the misunderstanding? Instead I said, "He's all right, I guess," trying to hide a smile.

"You're not a very accomplished liar."

"D'you know how I can make this pile of nuts and bolts into a way of playing the music I have here?" I attempted to change the subject.

"Yes." A long pause ensued.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Will you tell me how to do it?"

"If you tell me who you are and how you got here."

I sighed. Why not? I could really do with the speakers and I was pretty sure that Luke would have his hands full making a new saber.

I stood and retrieved the cup from where Luke had left it (clean) on the counter in the small kitchen. I filled it with water and sat down at the table again.

"OK, what do I do first?"

Ben stood and moved to sit on the bed facing the table. "First, undo everything you've done."

I took a deep breath. "Like I said, my name is Darry. I'm from a planet that isn't even in this galaxy." I busied myself with unattaching wires and power couplings.

"You were on the way to making a nice incendiary device," he observed.

I winced. "Shop was never my strong subject."

"What was?"

"I'm really a healer. Honest."

"Attach this wire with that flat piece of metal." He pointed.

"I was hiking in the desert. I fell and knocked myself out on a rock or something. When I came to, I was lying in the sand not far from here."

"How did you know where you were?"

I thrust my finger toward the ceiling. "Only one sun around my planet."

"But how do you know Tatooine? How do you know me?"

I shook my head. "That explanation is worth more than speakers."

He sighed, shaking his gray head with a smile. "Very well, explain how you were rescued by the Tuskins."

Not taking my eyes off my work, I said, "After awhile a Tuskin stumbled out of the desert toward me. It was pregnant and in labour."

"Ah. Now attach this."

"That?"

"No, this." I obeyed. "Continue."

"Hold your horses," I said impatiently and took a sip of water. "You're as bad as Luke."

"I used to be." Ben leaned back and stroked his chin, his eyes twinkling at me again. "He likes you, you know."

"Are you crazy? He doesn't even know me."

"You aren't Force-sensitive, are you."

"No, why?"

"Because he's radiating feelings for you. It's almost as though he's been waiting for you."

I tried not to smile. "No sh- I mean, really?"

"You should tell him how you feel."

"What? I'm not telling him that."

"Have no fear, your feelings will be returned," he remarked.

I took a deep breath, intent on changing the subject. "At any rate, I helped deliver the Tuskin's...baby. By the time I had done this another Tuskin had found us. The one I had helped told the other what happened and from then on they have watched out for me."

He pondered my story.

"And all it cost me was my favorite bandana," I muttered under my breath.

I continued, "They brought me here, thinking that this place was more suited to my needs than living in the city would be. It's closer to them, for one thing. I go to them when they have need of me. They have their own healer of sorts, but they still come to me. I guess that since I helped one deliver a child, that held some importance."

"It does," agreed Ben. "Only one other is allowed to attend a birth. That may be why they are so grateful that you were there. A parent is not permitted to look upon its child's face."

That explains a lot, I thought.

"Attach the blue box to the orange wire." I did. "Now attach your machine. It should work," Ben said.

I picked up my cd case and started leafing through it. What to play? Carole King? No, that's morning music. Boston's Greatest Hits? No, too raucous. Soundtrack to Empi-no- just plain no.

Aha! I pulled the cd from the case and popped it into the player. I was delighted to hear Miles Davis emanate quite clearly from my new speaker.

"What is that?" Ben asked.

"Jazz."

I turned the volume down. It had gotten dark outside, being much later than I realized. The nighttime desert sounds mingled nicely with the trumpet aria.

"Very romantic," Ben said, standing. "Leave it on." He shimmered and disappeared.

"WAIT!" I cried.

My call, the desert orchestra and Miles were all swallowed up by what sounded like a 747 landing outside my door. I glanced up out a window and saw a ship descending next to the house.

I quickly unplugged the Discman from the speaker and plugged in my headphones, dimmed the light, and climbed into bed. Then I tried my damndest to pretend to be asleep. Hell, it never worked on my parents, so why should it work now, but it was worth a try.

I turned Miles down real low and heard someone speaking outside, once the noise abated. Great, I thought. Now who? My answer was not long in coming. I opened my eyes a crack and looked at the door. Beeping sounds became louder as the door was opened and two figures entered. One was Luke. The other was short, round and rolling. Swell, a know-all droid.

I surreptitiously watched as Luke plugged a long cord from a hand-held power unit into R2. Next, he turned and inspected the house. He looked at the table and the speaker that "I" had constructed. I squeezed my eyes shut as he turned toward me. When I heard the door opening again, I risked opening my eyes. He went out and returned with a metal case that he placed by the workbench he had previously used. R2 beeped for attention. Luke turned and unplugged the cable from R2 and shut down the power unit. R2 beeped again.

"Goodnight, R2," Luke said quietly and the little droid powered down.

I kept my eyelids lowered, but had the sneaking sensation that the fool-him-into-thinking-I-was-asleep game wasn't working. Luke opened the case and began to unpack equipment. Then he yawned and stretched and removed his jacket. Underneath he wore a grey tunic-like shirt. This was tucked into black pants, which were themselves tucked into black FM boots. He laid the jacket across the table away from my speaker and sat on the bench to remove his boots. Then, he walked past me into the small bathroom. I have no idea if he looked at me or not; I had closed my eyes.

While he was out of the room, I sat up and looked around. He had unpacked a bedroll from the case and had unfurled it on a rough mat I used as a rug.

Shit! Was R2 still "on"? How could I tell? I fell back down against the pillows, and turned up Miles, thinking about what Ben had said. I closed my eyes when I heard movement next to me. The bed shifted under the weight of someone sitting down. I forgot to breathe. I felt, rather than saw the arms reaching up along either side of my face and removing the headphones from my ears. Did this guy really think I'd fallen asleep with my headphones on, as I had done often enough in the past? Yeah, right.

My lungs reminded me I was human and I coughed rather unglamorously. I finally opened my eyes and found myself looking into a pair of darkened blue ones.

"Rather presumptuous, aren't we?" I finally asked.

"I'm sorry; I was going to ask you if I could stay here tonight. I'll sleep over there." He turned his head and nodded toward the bedroll by the workbench.

I grabbed him around the neck and yanked him down on top of me.

Somewhat to my surprise, Luke didn't protest. He leaned into me, his chest pressing into my breasts. My fingers slid into his silky hair as he raised one hand and brushed it over my cheek.

"Who are you?" he whispered, a slight smile on his face.

"My name is Darry," I whispered back.

"Darry," His lips brushed mine, feather light. I smiled back at him. Again, a kiss, this time deeper. Hands and mouths explored necks and shoulders- growing accustomed to each other's taste and touch. He turned on the bed, lying on his side next to me. One hand slid lightly over my belly, pushing the blanket down over my hips.

Needing to touch more skin, I moved my hands down his back and tugged his tunic from his waist. My fingers danced along his back. He caressed one of my breasts through the fabric of my clothes, and I sighed into his mouth.

I tugged his top over his head. He pulled us both into a sitting position and I raised up my arms, letting him shimmy the tunic off of me. As he lowered his head to my breasts, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly as we sank back on the pillows.

Starting between my breasts, he left a trail of kisses over my chest and stomach. His hands slid to the waist of my Marvin the Martian boxer shorts. He arched a brow at me as he drew them down my legs, and I flushed in both pleasure and the knowledge that he was absolutely puzzled by me.

Naked I turned and lay on my stomach, swinging my legs behind me like a little girl while I watched Luke rise and remove his remaining clothing. Then I turned over as he, smiling, rejoined me on the bed, sinking back into my arms.

Outside, the stars twinkled brightly in the night sky. Damn, I should've left Miles on...