*******************************

Anakin slipped into his light jacket and turned out the small desklamp in his room. He looked once out the window and saw that the courtyard was still. Grabbing the decoder from his bed, he quietly opened his door and peeked out.

It seemed safe....but you could never be too sure.

No sooner had he put one foot outside the door then he heard giggling and footsteps, as though someone was being chased. He jumped back into his room.

The laughter came closer, then passed his room and stopped down the hall toward Jacen's room. He dared another look out and saw Tenel Ka pressed up against the wall holding her hands up to Jacen, warding him off. He was smiling and closing the distance between them.

Anakin smiled to himself. He was glad to see his brother and Tenel Ka together. He lowered his eyes for a moment as a wave of sadness hit him. He thought about Tahiri and wondered if she was alright. He hoped that she would make her way back to him soon.

"Jacen...no...," Tenel Ka whispered as she continued her giggling.

Anakin rolled his eyes, wishing they'd hurry up. He waited for a moment then stuck his head back out. They were backing into Jacen's room. He heard the soft swish of the door close and the safety lock activate.

"Finally.." he said. He slipped out of his room and made his way toward the exit. Keying the alarm, he deactivated the code and disappeared into the dark of the night.

***************************

Tenel Ka sat quietly next to Jacen in the family lounge sipping a cup of stim tea. Jacen had spiced it up with a little of his father's Corellian brandy. She enjoyed the nutty aroma and leaned back into the seat thinking over the day they'd shared together.

Jacen had taken her to some of his favorite places, like the Imperial Zoological Gardens. He'd excitedly pointed out some of the rare species that he'd been able to find with his force abilities and save from extinction. After that, they'd shared a picnic lunch behind the Imperial City Amphitheatre in the woods and talked for hours. Mostly just catching up. He told her of all the things he and Jaina had done since they'd last seen her, of how his mother was gently nudging him into politics. She'd shared the exhausting political training she'd been enduring under the scrupulous eye of her grandmother. When he asked if she was "seeing anyone", she told him no one, but that her parents (mostly her grandmother) hoped she would settle on someone.

They'd talked about alot of things. But somehow they managed to steer clear of the one thing that she knew they both wanted to know.

She shook her head as she sipped more of her tea. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jacen staring at her. He had put down his tea and pulled his leg under him, his head leaning casually on his hand. He smiled at her.

"Jacen, why are you staring at me."

He didn't answer, he just kept staring at her.

Tenel Ka sighed. "Jacen, please don't make me resort to torture."

Jacen nodded and leaned toward her gently taking her drink and placing it on the table. Tenel Ka watched his slow movements and felt her cheeks warm as he came near her. He looked up at her, his eyes questioning. Tenel Ka reached out and touched his shoulder. Jacen closed his eyes at her touch. She leaned into him and kissed him. Jacen sighed and encircled her waist. Tenel Ka pulled him closer as she ran her fingers through his hair.

After what seemed like an eternity, they parted. They sat like that for long moments, just leaning their heads together.

"Well," Jacen said softly. "You'd better get moving."

Tenel Ka frowned then leaned back. "What are you talking about? Why?"

Jacen leaned back and smiled. "I'm giving you a head start."

Tenel Ka looked away, then as realization dawned on her, her lips curled up into a smile.

"Alright, I'll take it." She slowly stood up, smoothing out her reptile dress and tugging it down a little.

Jacen watched her seductive movement and smiled. He glanced at her. "That'll cost you ten seconds."

Tenel Ka turned and headed for the hallway. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder at him and threw what Jacen could only interpret as a challenge.

"You'll need more time than that to catch me."

Jacen dropped his mouth open dramatically, then launched himself off of his seat at her. She screamed and ran down the hall. She laughed as she passed Anakin's room, squealing as she felt his hands grab her shoulders from behind. He pushed her against the door to his room, tickling her mercilessly.

"Jacen...no...!" she laughed, trying hard not to raise her voice.

"No? No what? What's the matter, does it tickle?!" he laughed with her, enjoying the game as much as she was.

He stopped and let her catch her breath. Tenel Ka tried to slow her breathing as she watched him. Jacen leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again, taking her breath away. She carefully put her arms around his neck and placed her booted feet atop his. He reached out and keyed the door to his room. He walked them in, enjoying the smell of her as she smothered his face with kisses.

"You know we'll have to get married now?" he said as he walked them into the room.

*****************************

Anakin wondered who it was who'd known he was going to come here tonight. His brow creased with a frown of frustration as he leaned against the wall glaring at the entrance to the special R&D department door that refused to respond to his cryptic codes.

"Had to be Jaina. Had to be..." he mumbled to himself. He knew his brother was much to preoccupied with Tenel Ka to care. And he knew that Jaina would not have told their parents. So that left her.

Anakin banged his hand against the wall. He turned and trudged off back to the apartments. "Have to figure out another way. Have to get my machine back."

Just then, he felt a tug through the force. A familiar one. He froze in place and strained to focus in on the source. Just as he got close it stopped. He looked around worriedly, fearing that someone had overheard his thoughts. "That's impossible. I would have known." He shrugged and turned back for home.

*****************************

Jacen sat upright in his bed. He'd felt as if someone were trying to strangle him. He tried to calm himself as he felt Tenel Ka stir beside him. He glanced down at her as she slept. He smiled as he watched her. She moved a little then settled back into a sound sleep. He'd never seen her so peaceful. But then he'd never seen her sleep either. *Maybe she always looks like this.*

He pulled her closer to him and tried to push the images of a raven haired woman with violet eyes from his mind.

*Must be the brandy*

******************************

Shira laughed as she felt Jacen's panic. *Don't worry....* she thought. *We'll meet soon. Sooner than you think.*

She went back in search of the younger one and continued to plant the seeds for persuasion. He would finish with his little experiment soon enough, and then she would make her move.