Part 13: Such A Long Time To Be Gone...

It takes time to straighten out chaos. For Mary Jane Skyler, that time brought her many changes in her life.

Over the several hours after the shootout between the men of Deke and Carlos, Mary had been taken to the downtown Mobile precinct for more questions which lasted through the early morning and into midday. The local police and Federal agents bombarded Mary with questions and endless recounts of the events leading up to the present. Pretty soon she was rehashing the same events up to the shootout so often that when yet another Federal agent asked her to go over it again, she reached her sanity limit.

"How about I just write all of this down on paper and make copies for y'all?"

The agent went about his questions humorlessly.

Finally, Jeremi Owen waltzed into the briefing room where they kept Mary. He might as well have been wearing shiny armor. He bent down on one knee in front of her and her blood froze for a second.

"You ready to get out of here?"

Mary felt a mix of relief and a small amount of regret and stumbled to reply, "I...ok. What time is it?"

"Just past noon. You've been here for seven solid hours. I called your mother. I think she's gathering a welcoming party for you. She kept Ben home from school. I'm sure she has some food for you."

"Food? What's that? Oh yeah, that stale McMuffin I attempted to eat this mornin'. I was hoping we could have lunch together."

"I was thinking more like breakfast in bed in my new temporary residence."

"They got you an apartment already?"

"No, I have to do that. In the meantime, they put me up in the Ritz-Carlton downtown."

"Oh my."

(I take it that's a fancy place.)

"You better believe it," Mary muttered.

"What was that?" asked a confused Jeremi.

"Oh, nothing."

"Still talking to Mara? She's still here?"

(She isn't going anywhere else anytime soon.)

"For now," Mary answered. "Breakfast in bed sounds nice, but I need to take a rain check. I want to see my family first. Ya know, after I thought I was never gonna see them ever again last night."

"Understood. I can drive you."

"Wait, my car! It's still at Carlos's house."

"No. When we infiltrated it last night they were already gone. We found your car in his garage covered with a tarp. The tags had been trashed, but I knew it was yours."

"How?"

"Grateful Dead cd in the player."

"Oh yeah."

"Anyway, I got a young recruit to drive it to your house with an escort so he could come back here. I think I made his year by asking him to drive a black Mustang. Oh, and the government will pay for new tags."

"How generous. Well, I'm hungry. Let's go."

They left the small room and headed to the exit. Along the way a man came running around a corner obviously late from lunch. He didn't look at where he was going and he ran into Mary.

"Excuse me, I'm sor–" He stopped in mid sentence when he saw who he bumped into.

"Mara!"

"Actually, it's Mary again. Hey Doug."

"Hi. Mary. I heard about what happened to you last night. That must have been awful."

"Please don't make me rehash it again."

"No, I suspect you've already repeated it several times with our police and the Feds involved. They've got me running tests on that drug you were given last year. They're just bringing in the Doc now."

"Dr. Markham?" Mary confirmed and Doug nodded.

(Don't think he'll be an official doctor for much longer.)

Doug replied to Mary, "Yes." He looked at Jeremi. "Are you the Fed who was undercover with Deke's group all that time?"

"That's me. Who are you?"

"Doug Tanner. I work forensics here." He looked down to notice Jeremi and Mary's hands intertwined. "Well, I see that I'm interrupting you two. I guess I'll see you around, Mary." Doug had the intention of walking away from the sight of Mary with someone else. Mara felt his heartache and called out to Mary.

(Stop him and give him some encouragement, Mary. He feels dejected.)

Mary let go of Jeremi's hand and called after Doug. "Hey, I wanted to thank you for your help. Mara actually did get a clue from the pictures."

Doug brightened and asked, "Really? What clue?"

Mary held up her left hand as if she were being sworn in at court. "I'm left handed."

Realization came across Doug's face as he cried, "You were hit on the left side. Of course. Brilliant. I didn't even think of that."

"You can't think of everything."

"Or have everything," he said while eying Jeremi.

Mary looked at Doug with a dash of pity and said softly, "I'm sorry it didn't work out with us, Doug. There's someone out there for you. You never know, a person who you thought was a bad penny may be a shiny one."

"What about you and Luke?"

"Well, sometimes a bad penny actually is a bad penny. That's the risk, Doug." She reached closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You'll be all right."

Doug smiled and got the hint. "Thanks, Mary." He slowly turned and left to go back to his work.

She rejoined Jeremi by the hand and he smiled at her and glowed.

"What?" she asked him innocently.

"Are you sweet like that to all of your exes?"

"Oh, you ain't seen me and Luke together yet."

He nodded wordlessly and they continued to walk hand in hand toward the exit. Through the precinct, Jeremi received a scattering of praise from officers for his work undercover. He took them modestly. They turned at the last corner that led to the exit and saw the sight of Dr. Steve Markham getting processed after being arrested by two uniformed cops. He had already worn the look of embarrassment from being involved with Carlos. Upon sight of Mary coming around the corner his face went white from fear.

"Mara. Look, I know how this looks, but you don't understa–"

"Shut it, Doc! It's Mary Jane now."

"You...you've returned. And Mara is no more?"

"Can't say that. She's still here. You just have to deal with me now."

He could not hide his relief and Mara detected it.

(I don't believe he thinks you're much of a challenge, Mary.)

Mary approached the Doctor as the cops were taking off his cuffs. "Why are you relieved that it's me and not Mara? You don't think I have anything to say about your deception over me and the fact that you helped put me in a coma?"

"That wasn't intentional."

"Maybe not. But your drug didn't help matters any."

Jeremi came from behind Mary to grab her shoulder. "Come on, Mary. This isn't a good idea."

Dr. Markham smiled devilishly and said, "Don't bother. Mary Jane doesn't have the guts to exact revenge. That was Mara's way, not yours, Mary."

Mary's anger made her form a fist in her left hand and she ran up to the doctor and swung it across his face. "Don't be too sure," she cried.

(Nice hook.)

Learned it from you.

(Don't make me your role model.)

Maybe for some things.

The two cops scurried to catch the doctor from Mary's blow and they carried him off around the corner and disappeared.

Jeremi faced Mary head on and cried, "Mary, are you all right?"

"I am now. But, ow, that hurt." She shook her hand to expel any excess pain.

"I'm sure. Is it out of your system now?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just admiring. Sweet and innocent one minute and tough and full of rage the next. Sounds like someone else I knew who was in control of your body."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Besides, I thought you wanted control of my body now."

(If you start speaking like that, I'm going to scream from inside your head.)

Mary wisely didn't say anything else and Jeremi took her home. There already were several cars and one rusted vehicle that had once been a truck parked in front of her driveway. Under the carport was her black Mustang.

"Nice to see it's in good condition."

"Another day and it would have been repainted. Maybe a bright green."

"Ugh. Thank god you got to it in time."

"You know, I'll understand if you'd want another car. All the memories of Deke giving it to you..."

"No way. I'm keeping my Mustang. It's because of those memories, Jeremi. Something to remember Deke with."

"I can't argue. I have an old tattered blanket that my mom gave me and I will never part with it."

They went inside together and were greeted by a group of people welcoming her home safe. Emma had been busy inviting all of her family, friends, and neighbors and made it into a welcoming party. Mary had never felt so honored in her life before that moment. Among the guests, her joy was elevated by one in particular. Standing in the doorway that linked the family room to the kitchen was her purpose.

When Mary spotted Benjamin Skyler, she hesitated.

That's really him, right?

(Yes, Mary. No Force illusions this time. Go to him. He needs you.)

No. I need him.

Mary made a beeline towards her son as she opened her arms to him. He did likewise to her. Mary cried out, "Oh, hun, I'm sorry if I seemed distant the last few years."

"A few?"

"Ok, several. Since you were born, in fact. After what your father did what he did, I didn't know what to do. I was too afraid to leave or stay. I was confused." She pulled him in front of her. "But, now I'm not. Things are gonna be different."

"Cuz you got a new guy?"

Mary laughed, "Well, yeah, but that's not all. Things are gonna be different with us. Between you and me, Ben. I'm gonna pay more attention to you."

"You ain't workin' at that club no more?"

"No. I'm done with that place. No more danger or adventures."

"What'll you do then?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But, I promise it'll be somethin' on first shift so we can spend more time together. Would you like that?"

"Well, daddy–"

Mara could feel Mary's heart sink at that word. Mara tried to give her reassurance through the Force that Mary incorrectly thought that Ben would choose his father over her. It didn't work.

"Your daddy what?"

"Well, he was planning on taking me hunting next week, and I–"

"Hunting?" Mary stood straight up and demanded, "Where is that rat Luke?" She started walking among the crowd without noticing Benjamin was tailing her trying to get her attention. She reached the kitchen and spotted her ex.

"Of course, he's in there stuffing his face." She approached him as he entered a whole deviled egg into his mouth. "What do you mean takin' our son hunting with guns at age eleven?"

Luke could only reply for the moment, "Miph phumph umph phoof."

"Please say that again without egg in your mouth."

Luke swallowed and said plainly, "I thought it'd be a hoot. By the way, welcome back, Mary. I'm guessin' Mara is off far away into space by now."

"No, she's nearby. What makes you think I'm lettin' him go hunting with you next weekend?"

"Hey, my daddy taught me when I was his age."

"Your daddy also shot his best friend accidently during one of those hunting expeditions."

"Heh...guess your memory's back. And hey, he only went to jail for six weeks. By the time Bubba got out of the hospital he dropped all charges."

"I don't care, Luke. He ain't going hunting."

"Mom!" cried Ben.

"No, hun, I don't want you touching a real gun."

"Good, cuz I don't wanna."

"Now, don't talk back to–what?"

"I've been trying to tell you. I don't want to go hunting. I never wanted to go to paint ball. I thought we could go to Fun Time instead."

"Fun Time?"

"Yeah, we can race go-carts."

Mary was forced to laugh and she asked, "Well, why didn't you say so, honey?"

(He did try.)

Did I ask for your input?

(You got it anyway.)

Benjamin explained, "Didn't you realize that I was doing all those things with dad because they were things you hated me to do? I was just tryin' to get your attention."

"Oh," Mary said feeling blushed in embarrassment.

Luke became annoyed. "Spike, you mean to tell me you hated all those things we did together? I thought you at least liked paint ball."

"I was never good at it, daddy. Plus, those things hurt when they hit you."

"Well, that hurts, Spike."

"And, daddy, my name is Benjamin. Spike's a dog's name."

Mary had never been so proud of her son more than that moment.

(Never heard him talk like that before?)

Nope. Never before now.

(You just witnessed his first step into adulthood.)

Scary.

(Yes, it is.)

The party lasted until mid afternoon and people started leaving. Luke had already left in a huff from his son's comments to him. Jeremi tried to introduce himself to Luke, but only received an unceremonious grunt as a greeting before he left in his rust bucket.

"Lively fellow," Jeremi commented.

"You don't know the half of it," Emma added.

"Hey, ya think you can put him in one of your mysteries?" Mary asked. "He could be the one who gets killed with tons of suspects."

"I think I can arrange that."

Cassie came up to Mary hesitantly with something on her mind. "I overheard you say you ain't goin' back to the club no more?"

"Nope. I need to broaden my horizons."

"Any idea as to what you want to do?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. Daddy's about to need a new trainer come fall. He's got a snot-nosed college kid doing it now, and he has to go back to South Alabama this coming semester at the end of this month."

"Training? As in horses?"

"Unless you want to train Daddy, and I ain't saying that's an easy job neither."

"Well, I got no experience at it, Cass."

"You can learn. You have a passion with those horses. I seen it. You got a helluva lot more heart than that college kid has in it. What d'ya say?"

"Cassie, that'd be my dream job. Thank you."

"Great. I'll have daddy call ya this week."

After Cassie left, the group was reduced to Mary's immediate family and Jeremi. The new couple sat on the family room couch cuddled together. Emma looked on and asked her daughter, "So, how does it feel gettin' everything you wanted?"

Mary supplied with, "And I didn't even know what I wanted before my coma. Luke did such a job in messin' up my confidence that I didn't know what to do."

Emma suggested, "And Mara Jade changed all that?"

Mary considered, "I wouldn't say she changed me. I did all the changin' myself. Mara did point me in the right direction."

"Is she still with you? I mean...in here?" Emma pointed to her head.

""Yeah, she is. She's quiet now. Bless her heart. She's been through some tough times that you guys don't know the half of. She once was tryin' to kill her husband."

"You do that everyday," Emma joked.

"Nah, this was years before they were married. And she was to kill him as part of a contract on him. She was an assassin, ya know. They married a decade or so later, but soon after, she was poisoned and didn't know if she was going to live or die. She had her son, who in effect, saved her life. Literally. Then the real kicker was when her own nephew poisoned her–"

Jeremi exclaimed, "She was poisoned twice?"

"Yep," Mary continued, "'Cept, she didn't survive the second poisoning. That's how her spirit came here into me. My Lord, that was a month and a half ago."

"Seems like longer," Emma reflected.

"Sounds like Mara hasn't had any breaks in life."

"Oh, she has. Her husband and her son. But, since she's been here, she was always afraid she'd never see them again."

Jeremi stated, "Maybe she'll get what she wants soon."

Mara uttered sincerely, "I hope so."

That night, after all had gone to bed and Mary kissed her Knight a good night and they made plans for future breakfasts in bed, Mary tried to fall asleep while she was still wired from the day's events. The main reason for her lack of sleep was her feeling of frustration seeping from Mara Jade.

"Mara," Mary whispered, "are you all right?"

(What? Me? I'm fine. I'm just watching you have your happy ending while all I can do is comment on the sidelines. I'm kriffing fantastic!)

"I know, hun."

(I never asked what was in it for me because usually the question gains you nothing. There was a time in my life when I didn't care what the reward was. Now that I know what I've lost and the cost I paid to lose them, that reward is worth more to me than any amount of money or credits in the universe.)

"So, your problem is that you don't know why you're still in my mind and not on your way to your galaxy by now."

(Thank you, Ms. Obvious.)

"I just wanted to be clear." Mary sat deep in thought a moment and stated, "I guess you have to believe you're in your own galaxy."

(And how do I do that? I can't exactly die again.)

"Maybe your Force will tell you something?"

(Mary, you are something else.)

"Well, look who I'm sharin' my mind with. You, Space Girl, are the most intelligent woman I ever met. And you're fun, too."

(Wish my husband could hear you say that.)

"Well, stop wishing and do it! Ain't that part of your philosophy?"

(Tell me you're not quoting back Jedi credo to me.)

"No. I'm just sayin', Mara, maybe it's time you find your purpose. Maybe that will send you home."

(Maybe. It's definitely something to think about.)

Mary yawned. "Let's think about it tomorrow. It's too late to be thinkin' this deep."

(You're right. You've been through so much in the last twenty-four hours, I 'll let you sleep.)

"Thank you." Mary allowed a pause before she softly added, "Mara, remember that you were there for me saving my life in every way possible. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. We can work on this together. We're a part of each other now, Space Girl."

(You don't know how much that means to me, Mary. No matter what you tell yourself, Mary, believe that you are special.)

It was too late. Mary had already succumbed to sleep. Mara followed soon after.

And they dreamed.

The sudden brightness hurt. The quiet serenity was eminent. Nothing could hurt the past here. Nor the future. Nor the present. Time was all one here. The convergence. Infinity at the apex.

She walked aimlessly though fog. She was floating to her purpose.

The main event had been solved. Time for reward. She hovered to stop at an expansive gate. The patron beside it was guarding. He looked up at her and uttered a strange phrase.

"Formatia trans sicere educatorum."

Willingly, she entered. She needed knowledge. Up ahead in the distance, there was a shimmering light. She approached it, noting that it shone upon a small table. A dinner plate was set on the table. The covered dish was best served cold. She lifted the cover to the meal.

It was the finest the Empire could offer. Remembrance refilled her soul. How long ago had she obtained it? How many missions had it been on? What could make her sacrifice it to her purpose? She reached for it and touched its cold metallic skin. The beacon was still active. She held it carefully.

Then came the voices. One by one. Each one different. Yet, each message the same. Save for one.

Palpatine, "Remember to remember..."

Deke, "Remember to remember..."

Luke Skywalker, "Remember to remember..."

Ben Skywalker, "I remembered to remember...the blade."

She looked up with blade still in hand.

Mary stated, "The message is not yours to follow. It is for you to believe.

"Ben," she stated. "Ben will remember. Ben will remember the blade. Ben will remember the blade. Ben will remember the blade. Ben will remember the blade. Ben will remember the blade. Ben will remember the blade." On and on she went, repeating.

Then she stopped. And believed.

"He did remember the blade."

Suddenly, the room dissolved into blackness. She was in Death's home. The Sunless Sea. Was she to be greeted? Was she to finally have peace? She looked down at her borrowed body and found it to be transparent. Fading. She felt herself floating into a vast empty space. The feeling sustained itself for what seemed like an eternity.

Until, just as suddenly as it started, she found herself solid in a confined area. Beeps and whistles were heard.

Then came a voice. So real. So...there.

She opened her eyes.

"GA Stealth X Five-Alpha...are you there? Come in. This is Hapan Fleet Ops."

"Y...yes?" she spoke. She could talk. So real.

"You alerted us. Is there a problem? We usually don't like surprises, even from allies."

"I..I'll have to get back to you. I'm a little dizzy."

"Probably you hit a hyperspace pocket. Hit one and you can become disoriented. Do you need medical assistance?"

"No. I'm all right. Just a little stunned."

"Understood. Oh, wow. Your ship's ident code just came in. Is this for real? Are you Mara Jade Skywalker?"

The name repeated back at her was recognized by the outsider. "Yes. But...please, let me get my bearings first."

"Anything you need. Ops out."

She looked around at the cockpit of the Stealth X. Her hand was on the throttle. She breathed and felt air coming out from her mouth. She lifted her hand to her hair. She noted the color. Red-gold. She also noted something metallic on her finger.

Her wedding ring.

She looked down at her waist and saw buckled to her belt, her lightsaber.

She almost laughed in relief. "It's real. This isn't a dream. Mary...I did it! We did it!"

She paused so she could hear herself proclaim, "I'm back. And I'm alive!"

Epilogue

Mary Jane Skyler knew as soon as she lifted her head up from her pillow the next morning. She was herself completely. Perhaps for the first time ever in her life. She didn't have to ask her mind to check for an additional voice. She knew it was no longer there.

Damn, why did I have to be so convincin'?

She lifted her small frame from her bed and went over to her long mirror. The figure looking back at her was Mary Jane Skyler in full detail. Yet, it was a different version of herself than she remembered before her coma. Eleven years ago she had allowed the actions of a dim-witted scum of a man take away her dignity. Her self-confidence was replaced with pity for herself. She had to get a job with Russian mob boss to feel alive. She had a son who she hardly knew.

And then came the coma.

And therefore, Mara Jade.

Mara helped Mary gain her dignity back. For that, Mary would always be truly grateful.

That sparked something that Mary needed at that moment. She went over to her portable stereo and chose a compact disc specifically. She pressed play.

As Box Of Rain began, Mary looked back at her reflection. Her true self. She then answered her own question. I was convincing to Mara how to leave because that's what friends do for each other. It was Mara's turn to be happy again.

She smiled and said aloud, "I am kriffing special."

She started singing along as she dressed. The smell of her Mama's bacon beckoned her. The song was almost over when she hit stop. Walking down the hall, she sang the last line to the song a cappella.

"'Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.'" She paused at the entrance to her kitchen with a small tear in her eye. She muttered, "Thank you, Mara Jade Skywalker."

THE END...OF VOLUME II

COMING SOON...

VOLUME III - THE PURPOSE OF MARA JADE SKYWALKER