Title: A Few More Minutes

Author: mavjade

Genre: Slightly AU, Mush! (I'm not kidding, it's very mushy, something I don't usually do. My muse was obviously in a strange mood!)

Characters: Ben/Jysella, with Luke, Mara, Corran, Mirax

Timeline: Sometime in the future.

Authors Notes: I was inspired for this fic while giving a breathing treatment to a one month old at 3 in the morning. The muse strikes in the strangest places sometimes.

~*~*~*~

Luke looked around the room at his family that was gathered in his home. His sister, Leia, sat in the corner with his two year old grandson sleeping in her lap; he looked more like his great aunt than any other member of the family. His niece, Jaina, sat on the floor with her legs crossed and eyes closed as her husband, Jag, sat behind her in a chair running his hands through her hair. Luke's wife, Mara, was sitting beside him having a conversation with Jaina and Jag's daughter--their great niece--about some new holovid he was sure Mara knew nothing about.

Others were scattered about drinking what was left of the Whyren's Reserve and discussing things of little importance. It was a time to celebrate being together, not to be having discussions of things that would matter tomorrow.

Standing, looking out of the tall windows and gazing into the night sky of Corsucant was Luke's son, Ben. He seemed lost in thought, almost sad as he watched beings come and go. Luke knew Ben would rather not be here, that he would rather be with his wife and soon-to-be-born daughter, but he had been threatened with great trouble if he did not attend. This had not come from his mother or even his aunt, but from his very own wife. Ben, like his father, had the occasional bout of overprotectiveness and Luke figured that Jysella had grown tired of his worrying and sent him to be with family, including her own.

Luke got up from his place on the formcouch, giving a sympathetic smile to his wife as he passed, and approached his son.

"They'll be fine, son," Luke said as he placed his hand on Ben's shoulder.

Ben jumped just a small bit, having not been paying attention to anything but his own wandering thoughts. "I know, I just..."

"Worry. I know the feeling well. You were not born under the most pleasant of circumstances."

Ben laughed. He definitely knew that to be true and that his birth made his daughter's pale in comparison. There was no war, his wife was not dying from an unknown disease, but things had not been smooth from the beginning and he worried that things would continue to go wrong. Not that he thought he could actually do anything should something bad happened, but he would feel better if he was there nonetheless.

"If you wish, your mother and I will keep Kayden and you can go be with Jys," Luke said.

"No, she would kill me if I came back earlier than she thought I should. She may be confined to the bed but she still has ways to get me back."

This time, it was Luke's turn to laugh, "I don't doubt you for a second. She's just like her mother, and yours."

"We must all be gluttons for punishment," Ben laughed.

"Must be," Luke agreed. "Now instead of sulking in the corner, why don't you join everyone and at least try and have some fun?"

"Fun? Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

Mara walked over to hear the tail end of the conversation and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist from behind, "I'll have you know that your father has been known to have fun,"--she stopped in mid-sentence to kiss her husband's neck--"On occasion."

"...and I'm sure I don't want to hear about it, either." Ben said walking away from his parents' display of affection. " I think I'll go talk to the in-laws, it might be a little bit safer. I hope."

Luke laughed, "You really do take pleasure in torturing our son, don't you dear?"

"It's payback for all those years he and Jys were teenagers. I think I might have been scarred for life."

"He'll get his, eventually. They'll have two teenagers at the same time."

Mara began to laugh, "And I'm sure they will both be just like the two of them. Too bad we have to wait so long for such revenge."

"Now, now dear, revenge is of the Dark Side." Luke smiled showing he was just teasing her.

"I'm sure if Obi-wan would have had children, he would have told you differently. There is nothing dark about a little parental revenge."

"Yes, dear."

~*~*~

"I'm sorry it's so late," Ben apologized to his wife as he sat on the bed beside her.

She was being held in the Temple infirmary due to the risk of her pregnancy. She had been confined to bed rest for four weeks, and to limited activity for most of her pregnancy. Not only was she getting tired of not being able to move around very much but also of the hovering that her family was doing. She insisted that everyone partake of the Corsucant Freedom Day celebration as planned, even though she would not be able to attend.

"Why be sorry? I'm not. I got to lay here and relax without you or my father asking if I was alright every five nanoseconds," Jysella smiled as she rubbed her very pregnant belly. "Did you have fun?"

"Not without you, my dear," Ben replied.

"Don't lay it on so thick, Skywalker." She laughed as she hit her husband on the arm. "Flattery doesn't become you."

Ben laughed, "Okay, okay. Perhaps, I'll save that for when you are actually giving birth."

"You've been discussing this with your mother again, haven't you?"

"You know me so well, but am I wrong?"

"No," Jysella said, "You are probably right. Force only knows how well this will work out."

It was not often Jysella Horn-Skywalker let her insecurities show, but when she did Ben knew exactly how to comfort her.

He climbed in the bed with her, pulling her into his embrace. One hand on her belly, the other wrapped all the way around her. "Everything will be just fine," he whispered. "Nothing is going to happen to the baby, or to you. I won't let it. Our child will be born healthy and happy. She will have a huge family that loves her very dearly no matter what. She will have everything she needs and could ever want. The Force will guide her, and us."

They knew that their baby would have problems, but just what they would be was still unclear. Jysella had been getting foreboding feelings a few months into her pregnancy but nothing could be found. It wasn't until many months later that they figured out that she was not growing correctly. Scans, medicine and Force healing could only do so much. It was all up to the Force as to what would become of her.

"Thank you, Ben," Jysella said with tears streaming down her face.

"Anything for you, my love."

"What happened to waiting to lay it on so thick?" She joked again.

"I wasn't being sarcastic, I mean it." He turned her face so that she could look into her eyes. "I would do anything for you, or our children.."

Jysella smiled, "I know. Thank you."

Ben smiled, "Get some rest, my love. I have a feeling we will both need it in the coming days."

~*~*~

"She's beautiful," Corran said as he looked through the glass into the newborn nursery at his tiny granddaughter.

"Did you expect anything less?" Mirax asked him.

"No, but I do think I'm too young to have two grandchildren."

Mirax laughed at her husband, "You? What about Mara and I? We are far to young to have any grandchildren at all."

"Absolutely," Mara said, sliding up next to the other couple. "You and Luke are lucky to have such fine young women tending to your every whim."

Corran laughed, "Because you both tend to our every whim so well. Mirax, would you get me something to drink?"

"Get it yourself, flyboy. I'm looking at my granddaughter."

"Yep, every whim," Corran said to Luke who had just joined them.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Never mind. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes, she is. She is so small but I have a feeling that she will have a big personality."

"A feeling or a feeling," Corran asked.

"Just a feeling, "

~*~*~

"She is so small," Jysella said as she slid her pinky into her daughters hand. "Too small."

Ben slid his finger into his daughter's other hand, "She is perfect."

Jysella smiled at her husband who once again knew just what to say.

"Momma! Daddy! Can I see the baby now?" Asked an excited voice from the door way.

"Of course buddy," Ben said as he picked up his three year old son. "But you have to be careful."

"I be very careful," said Kayden with a very serious look on his face.

"Kayden," Jyeslla said as her husband walked back over to the small bed where their daughter lay, "meet your little sister."

"She's small. Is she sick?" Kayden asked.

"No, but the Force has a special life for her." Ben found it hard trying to explain to his young son that his sister might not be like him, that she could have special needs.

"She is very special, like you, but in a very different way," Jysella said. "We will just have to wait and see what the Force has in store for her, but I know you will help and love her."

"I get to help?"

"Of course you do buddy," Ben said. "You're a big brother now."

"Yay!" Kayden looked back at his little sister, "Hi Kayla. I'm 'ur big brother, Kayden. I gonna get to help you. With momma and daddy, Granpa Luke and Grama Mara, Grandpa Corn, Gamma Mirax, Aunt Leia, Uncle Han..."

Ben smiled as his son listed the family that would surround his baby daughter. He did not know what path lay in store for her for her but he did know that every person, and more, that his son listed would be there to support their child. That after many years of fighting in a struggling galaxy, finally, family came first and even though there may be a time when the fragile peace was broken, he knew that their family would do anything for his children.

Feeling that his wife was looking up at him, Ben looked up to see Jysella giving him a strange look. "What?" he asked.

"I'm just wondering what you are thinking over there," she replied.

"Just how lucky I am, to have such a wonderful family."

Jysella tilted her head toward the window where her parents and Ben's were looking on smiling and waving. "Yes, we are lucky."

Ben laughed as he saw their parents looking eager to meet their new granddaughter. "Should we let them in?"

"Just give us a few more minutes. I want to enjoy it just the three of us for a little longer."

"If we wait too long I think your mother might break the window and crawl in," Ben said as he walked over to his wife, Kayden being held between them. "But don't worry, we have a lifetime to enjoy."

~Fin