The Feeling

The first time he felt it, they were having breakfast.

A strange, quick twinge in the force made him look up from his data pad and his morning cup of hot chocolate to look across the table at his wife. It was something so small and so delicate, he thought he was mistaken. Something he'd never felt before, almost as if a presence from the other side of galaxy was calling to him. Calling very softly.

He reached out in the force to try and grasp what it could be, but the presence melted away, disappearing as suddenly as it had arrived.

His wife was too busy stirring sugar into her caff to notice his change in disposition.

"Mara?" He asked, keeping his voice level.

"Hmmm", she answered, adding another spoon of sugar into her cup.

"Did you feel that?" She stopped and looked at him. "Feel what?" She asked bringing her far too sweet caff to her lips and blowing on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

"Something strange. Like a pang. I felt it in the force just now".

"I didn't feel anything". Her green eyes widened in alarm. "What is it? Something bad?" She slammed her cup down too quickly and spilled her drink. "Kriff", she muttered.

No, she obviously hadn't feel it.

"I don't think it's anything to be alarmed about. It was just...something I haven't felt before". He called a cloth over to wipe up the spilled caff.

His wife eyed him suspiciously. "You may be Grand Master Jedi, Luke Skywalker...but for all your talents, you are a terrible liar".

He gave her a cocky smirk and reached for her hand. "But I'd never lie to you Madam Skywalker. It was just a small feeling. Nothing I'm sure".

She gave him a sideways glance and looked like she might argue, but he was too quick.

"Karrade will be waiting for you and I have students to teach". He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. "We need to leave now if you want a lift in my new speeder". He grinned over his shoulder, as he picked up their jackets and bags.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you?" She asked as they reached the door.

"Always". He kissed her again, taking her hands in his and leading them purposefully towards the elevator, his Jedi Master persona in place for the day.

The second time he felt it, she was asleep.

It was a few days later, but he recognized the presence straight away.

It was clearer this time. Not by much, but he could almost make out a small existence. It was so small, he had to focus all of his force sense to pick it out, but it wasn't particularly hard. The presence felt warm and glimmered slightly every now and then, again calling softly to him through the force.

The hardest part was trying not wake Mara. The force bond they shared was so strong she would be able to feel his concentration even in her sleep and with her head rested on his shoulder, while they watched Leia give her recent speech at the senate in front of thousands of cheering citizens, she would definitely feel his focus shift in the force.

He gently moved his arm from around her shoulders to stroker her hair. It probably wouldn't work, but he hoped that in sleep her mind would fix on the feeling of his hands in her hair, rather than him steadily building up his shields to block her out.

As he gently pushed some lose strands from her face, she sighed contently and the strange presence flickered in the force. He stopped. The presence dimmed.

He moved his hand across her cheek, down her neck and gently stroked her collar bone, building up his shields to keep her from waking. The presence flickered again, a dim golden glow in the force.

"Having fun Farmboy?" Mara asked sleepily, moving away from his shoulder and yawning.

"You're awake", he said sheepishly. The presence dimmed again and disappeared.

"Yep. Were you trying something whilst I was asleep?"

"No", he said too quickly, then winced at his eagerness.

"Have I told you that you're a terrible liar?" She smiled knowingly at him and moved across his lap to kiss up the side of his jaw.

"Yes. Yes you have", he sighed. She didn't need to know they were thinking of different things.

"Come to bed?" She asked through heavy lidded eyes. He smiled the farmboy smile he knew she loved and grabbed her around the waist. "Lead the way".

He would contemplate the presence in his morning meditation session.

But that was not to be.

In the middle of the night, with her husband's arm draped around her stomach and his head in the crook of her neck, Mara Skywalker snapped open her eyes.

Something was wrong, so very wrong. She was too hot, her body temperature rising with each passing moment, her skin aflame as if her had been struck with force lightening, causing a thin layer of sweat to form and she felt nauseous. The room was spinning and the thin stream of blue light flickering beneath their bedroom door from R2's overnight recharging made her eyes ache.

Luke was still asleep, snoring softly in her ear. She closed her eyes and leveled her breathing, determined not to wake him, but the nausea remained.

It was no good, she was going to be sick.

She removed Luke's arm from around her waist as gently as she could and detangled herself from the sheets, the room still spinning.

As her feet hit the floor, she felt bile rise in her throat. No longer caring if Luke woke up, she bolted to the bathroom, clasping one hand to her mouth whilst the other fumbled for the light of the fresher. She doubled over the toilet and threw up.

Luke, who had awoken only moments after her, feeling the heat radiating from her body and her queasiness through the force, rolled on to his back. He hadn't dared show his wife he was awake, she hated feeling vulnerable and wouldn't thank him for worrying about her.

But he smiled. The presence he had been feeling through the force for the past couple of days was back, brighter than before and glimmering gently. He had a suspicion that the presence was what had woken Mara up and was also the sole causing for her vomiting in their fresher.

He closed his eyes and felt through the force to her. 'Are you alright my love?'

'I don't feel well', came her distressed reply.

He rose up from their bed and made his way to the fresher. He opened the door to the sight of his usually lovely wife leaning her head against the wall.

He knelt down in front of her, taking her hands and kissing them. She opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile.

"Do you feel better?" He asked.

She nodded. "I think so. It's probably something I ate, the salad at lunch didn't taste great".

As Luke gave her a glass of water and helped her back to bed, he sent a small nudge to the presence through the force. 'Don't make Mama sick little one. She doesn't like it'.

As they settled down to go back to sleep, Luke wrapped his arm back around Mara and rubbed her stomach gently. The presence glowed a little brighter, reaching out for him.

'Daddy's here', he sent through the force. 'I've got you'.

The next day, whilst meditating with his students, he felt Mara probe at his shields.

'I'm busy love', he sent her, determined not to break his peace.

'This is important. I need you now'.

She must know.

'I have students, Mara. I can't leave them. I'll meet you later'.

'Luke!'

He sighed and broke his concentration.

His change in attention brought his students out of their focus, most of them looking at him in confusion.

"My apologies, I'm afraid today's session must end earlier than usual. But take this as an opportunity for further learning. Return to your rooms and meditate on your own. Use the force to maintain your own inner peace. Once again, I am sorry".

As his students filled out of the Academy's Grand Hall, he reached for Mara.

'Where are you?'

'At home, are you coming soon?'

He sent a quick reply and hurried to his speeder.

This time, the presence was no longer a small glimmer in the force. It was a tiny golden ball that he could feel without trying, similar to Mara's force presence, except her's was brighter and hotter. Something he could feel with no effort at all.

As soon he passed through the door, Mara was in his arms, wrapping her hands into his hair and kissing him passionately.

When they broke apart, laughing and gasping for air, he looked at her. Really looked at her and in that moment he knew he had been right.

She was glowing, warmth seeped out of her every pore, illuminating her through the force.

"What is it Mara?" He asked. "What is so important that you made me cut my lessons short and leave my students mid meditation?" He already knew what the answer would be, but wanted to hear it from her lips al the same.

She cupped his face and looked into his eyes. "I think you know", she smiled and took his hand, his real hand and placed it on her stomach.

The little ball of glowing light responded straight away to his touch, glowing brighter and warmer against his hand.

He couldn't keep the grin from his face as she told him.

"Did you know?" She asked him, once their celebration of laughing and kissing had finally brought them to be lying in bed, arms and legs entwined and heart beats gradually decreasing.

"Will you be angry if I say yes?" She lifted her head up from his chest and stroked his hair away from his face.

"No, I know you are more powerful and I thought that once I had knew, you must do too".

"I didn't know for sure", he offered.

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing herself closer.

"Do you know what it is?" She whispered.

"Perhaps", he said smirked. "But I won't tell you".

The look of shock and anger that crossed her face made him laugh out loud, but before her angry would ruin this blissful moment he thought he should diffuse the situation.

"We should tell Han and Leia, they should be the first to know".

"Leia will be an Aunt", she smiled.

"You should tell her", he pulled her to her feet and helped her into the jumpsuit that had found its way on to the floor. "She'd like to hear it from you".

"Is it a boy?" Mara couldn't help ask, as they made their way towards the speeder a few minutes later.

"I said I wouldn't tell and I keep my promises", he smirked back at her.

"I'd like to know and it's not fair if you know and I don't".

"It'll make it more special for you".

"Stop it Farmboy!" She scolded, hitting his arm. "We are in this together and what you know I should know".

"Maybe later", he said, opening the door to his speeder for her. "If you're good". He winked and shut the door.

After spending the night celebrating with their family and friends, the Skywalker's arrived to a beeping R2 and hundreds of messages from well wishers.

"How did this get out?" Mara asked, staring at the messages on her data pad. "We've only known a few hours".

"Good news travels fast I suppose", Luke joked, patting R2 fondly.

Mara put down the data pad and padded over to him. "Will you tell me now?" She asked, quietly. Luke knew that she hated being in the position, it wasn't once she found herself in often, but she put aside her pride for this.

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to his chest so she could feel his heart beat.

"It is a girl".

Now he is looking at her, holding her mother's lightsaber, with his father's eyes and his mother's dark hair and all he can feel is her presence. Her light and her warmth surround him as her mother's once did, reaching for him through the force as did many years ago.

All he wants to ask her is 'Why are you here? How are you here?

It was supposed to be a secret. We hid you away from Him. We were terrified he would find you.

She is holding out Mara's lightsaber, his father's lightsaber. His lightsaber.

Your mother died to keep you safe. Why are you here?

The feeling will not leave him as he looks at her, true she doesn't look like his wife. She doesn't have fiery red hair or bewitching green eyes. But he can feel her through the force, - she is strong and powerful, as all Skywalker's are.

She has grown up and wants to become a Jedi.

Rey.

So I'm not really sure about the ending but I love the idea of Rey being Luke's daughter and if she is then Mara has got to be her mother right? If it's anyone else I think I'll cry!

Thanks for reading xx