Memories Chapter 3-2

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Anakin watched as the girl's yellow eyes lit up with pleasure as she chewed on a piece of the nerf steak Mara Jade had placed in front of her. She consumed the food with an almost animalistic intensity, barely taking the time to chew before she would swallow whatever bite she had placed in her mouth.

"You must have been really hungry," Jaina said with a touch of amazement to her voice.

Anakin looked at his sister for a moment, before turning his attention back to the girl.

"Hey," he began, a niggle of worry for the girl worming its way into his chest. "Let up a little. You might choke."

"It's all right," Mara Jade said. "I'm just glad that she's eating."

The girl picked up her empty plate and held it out towards Mara Jade, saying, "More please."

To Anakin's amazement, Mara Jade calmly took the plate away from the girl and spooned out a few more servings of protatoes and another slice of nerf. Then she handed the plate back to the girl, who once more dug into the food. He looked once more towards Jaina, and noticed the amazement that was on her face as well.

Anakin frowned and shook his head slightly, before asking, "Well it is dinner time. So tell us, who are you?"

"I don't remember," she calmly replied.

All three of them just stared at her, and Anakin arched an eyebrow at her.

"I forgot who I am," she continued. "It's called amnesia, lubed, huh?"

Anakin's frown deepened and he picked up his knife by the blade and then stretched out over the table and whacked the top of her head with the handle.

"Ouch!" she screamed. She then rubbed at the top of her head where Anakin had hit her. "Hey, why did you hit me?"

"Because it's obvious you're lying to us," Anakin responded. "Now, answer seriously."

"But it's true!"

Anakin started to smirk and jabbed at his chest with a thumb as he responded, "If you have amnesia, why do you remember me?"

She leaned forward, over the table, a scowl creasing her features. "I just remember that I had a grudge against you. That there's something I can't forgive you for. But I don't remember anything else!"

He barked a short, sharp laugh. "My, what a convenient form of amnesia you seem to have. Is that even possible?"

"Yes, it is," she replied. "So, I can't help it."

She started growling at him, and leaned even closer over the table. Anakin responded instinctively, leaning forward as well, even as he wondered if she would attack him again.

Then she made her move. Her hand shot out, but rather than striking at him, she grabbed the last banja cake from off of his plate.

A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she leaned back into her seat and exclaimed, "Here I go!" Then she popped the cake into her mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing it.

Anakin stood up, slapping his hands onto the table top. "Hey! That was the last banja cake!"

"You..." Anakin began. The girl looked at him, and then squeaked in surprise. She quickly stood up and darted towards the living room, and Anakin screamed after her, "Hey wait up!"

Then he started chasing after her.

"It's already gone," she called out towards him.

From behind him, he could hear Mara Jade and Jaina laughing at him over his behavior.

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After dinner, Anakin, Jaina and the girl were seated in a circle on the floor of the room where Anakin had laid her down earlier. As the two girls watched, Anakin calmly emptied the contents of the girl's portfolio, laying the items out in neat piles in the center of the circle.

The girl glared at Anakin and said, "It's not nice to look through a girl's wallet, you know."

Anakin just shrugged, and continued pulling out its contents, after a moment, he replied, "I'm just looking for something to tell us who you are. An identi-card or something."

Anakin pulled out a few more items, and then allowed his eyes to flicker between the two girls as he said, "Looking in a girl's wallet is interesting. It's almost as if you all just pick up random things to shove in here."

Jaina arched an eyebrow at him. "Have much experience looking through girl's wallets?"

Anakin frowned at her, and laid down a handful of credit chits. After he had laid them down, Jaina reached over to ruffle through the pile, and pulled out a flimsie with several still holos on it. She held it up to show the others. "Hey, look an image."

Anakin leaned over to look at it, and sees several images of just the yellow-eyed girl. She appeared sad, alone. Anakin looked at her. "You couldn't get anyone to take a picture with you?"

"I took that after I lost my memory," the girl responded, a frown flickering onto her face.

Anakin harrumphed and flipped through the wallet again, finding it empty. "No identicard, no comlink, nothing. I guess that settles it, we need to contact security.

The girl yelped in fear, and darted behind Jaina, saying, "No! Don't do that!"

Jaina looked at him, confusion on her face. "Why would we do that?"

Anakin's gaze flickered between the two of them. "Because it's security's job to deal with missing people."

"I don't know," Jaina replied as she raised a finger to her mouth and began to chew on it.

"But I want to stay here."

Anakin focused fully on her. "Why? Especially if you have some type of grudge against me."

"Because," the girl began as she lowered her head. "You're like a signpost for me. I forgot so much, but when I saw you, I remembered something. It's a start."

Jaina cut in and said, "I think I agree with her, Anakin. I say we let her stay with us for a while."

Anakin began to shake his head. "I still don't think I like it."

The girl growled and stood up. Then she dashed forward and slammed her fist down on top of Anakin's head before retreating back behind Jaina again.

"Ow!" Anakin exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"Well," the girl began. "I saw your face and got mad again."

He frowned as he rubbed at the top of his head. "I still say we call security. Let them deal with her."

"And I say that we let her stay," Jaina argued as the girl stuck her tongue out at Anakin.

"Well, this is my apartment isn't it?"

"Mine too," Jaina responded, her face darkening the more Anakin argued with her.

A cough from the doorway drew all three of their attention, to find Mara Jade leaning against the door jamb, an amused expression on her face as she said, "If you want to get technical, this is my apartment. It's the one I held prior to me and your uncle getting married."

Jaina pointed towards their aunt. "Then we can let Aunt Mara make the decision."

Anakin frowned at Jaina. "Good, because there's no way Aunt Mara will let her stay." He grinned up towards Mara Jade. "Make the decision Aunt Mara."

"Fine," Mara Jade sighed. "My decision is that we let her stay."

"What?" Anakin exclaimed as the two girls stood up and danced. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl had stuck her tongue out at him again.

He turned his attention back to Mara Jade. "Why, Aunt Mara?"

"It's simple. She's either a Jedi trainee or the family of one, and she's in obvious need. The two of you are both Jedi trainees and as such need to be able to help people like her. If we called security, they'd put her in a detention facility or maybe one of the guest rooms of the Temple until they could find out who she is, if we bypass that, then she can stay here, and I'll keep an eye out on the security calls to see if anyone is reported missing."

She turned away and started walking down the hallway, calling out over her shoulder, "Besides, she obviously remembers you, Anakin. So if you're around she might remember more."

Then she was out of sight, once more at the front of the apartment. Anakin sighed and glanced where the two girls were, noting that they had once more sat down. The girl stuck her tongue out at him again.

Anakin looked at Jaina, saying, "It took her less than a second to make that decision. And she said yes. I still can't believe that she would say yes."

Jaina laughed at him. "You're still thinking of her as Aunt Mara the smuggler. That was Aunt Mara the Jedi Master you just dealt with. Besides, she's my Master, why wouldn't she side with me?"

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