"Hi everyone!" Tag strolled in, leading Dalsuna in by an arm. Miranda looked up from her datapad and looked over her brother. He looked somewhat more cheerful than a few days earlier, but otherwise a little embarrassed.
    "Dal, Tag!" she rushed up to both of them and threw her arms around them. They had been gone more than a day, nothing had been heard from them for nearly forty hours.
    Dalsuna grunted, making a wheezing noise, "Squeezing... too tight--can't breathe--need--oxygen..."
    Miranda yelped and let go, releasing her brother and Tag. She backed away, looking down at them, something she was accustomed to being slightly over six feet tall. Tag was five feet exactly while Dalsuna stood a fist height lower than Miranda. "Oh.. sorry, Dal," Miranda turned to talk to Indy who was wondering the whereabouts of her husband. Tag looked around the room and smiled, finally turning back to Dalsuna.
    "Sorry I got called away, yesterday," she sighed.
    "That's alright, I got a chance to explore the ship," he shrugged. "Your--" Miranda interrupted his sentence by wraping her arms around him again and squeezing. "Hey," he yelped. He pushed her away and examined her, inclining his head. "Why the wet eyes?" he inquired as he noticed her tears.
    "Just... happy to see you alright," she smiled, shrugging.
    Indy grinned, "What, Miranda, you didn't think Tag could take care of him?"
    "I...well...I don't know," Miranda stuttered.
    Tag frowned at Miranda, "Accident-prone as I may seem, I'm better at my many jobs than that."
    "I knew Tag would watch over him, but he hasn't been himself," Miranda sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She kept it long, down to her elbows. What had given her a childish appearance was the overly large red bow at the back of her head that tied most of it together.
    Tag led Dalsuna to a couch, forgetting proper ettiquite and the world around them, the pair collapsed onto the couch. He wrapped an arm around her, drawing her near.
    "Mmmmm....warms me up after where I've been," Tag mumbled. Dalsuna sighed, thinking things over. Much had happened in two weeks. Things about her confused him. But again, he had never had many relationships that had gotten this far. His work never really allowed him much time. Miranda had did her best to keep him out of his office when it came to social events, but even that wasn't enough at times. He really needed Tag. He had thought what would happen if she had disappeared from his life. He had to protect her. Nobody else could, after all, she was slightly accident prone, she even said it herself, he thought.
    "What's wrong?" she asked, looking up at him.
    "Just," he paused, losing his entire speech again, "I...I'm not sure anymore, I guess I'm confused again. Call it paranoia," he sighed. Tag reached up and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him warmly.
    Miranda sighed watching the couple converse quietly. She remembered that she was alone now, it bothered her that she could set others up with dates and friends, but she couldn't set herself up, "Wish I could find someone," she grumbled. Indy stepped up beside Miranda tossing a sideways glance at her. She threw an arm around Miranda's shoulders, another stretch, Indy was still quite a bit shorter than Miranda.
    "I know I certain Jedi Master who could use a date from time to time. Actually, I know several."
    "Indy--don't go setting your cousin up with anyone, 'cause he'll blame me," Tag groaned.
    "Who?" Miranda asked with a confused look.
    Indy giggled, "I wouldn've set you up with Nylan....but...."
    "I don't know," Miranda said skeptically.
    Indy grinned, "Have you tried hitting on Alex or DM?"
    "I'm not... really," she paused, making a face. She had issues--ones that she wasn't willing to discuss with others at the moment. They'd wait till later, she decided, "interested in the guys right now. I've... got stuff to do," she said slowly, chosing words carefully. Indy nodded slowly.
    Tag dozed off, tired after a long flight and the lingering effects of bacta immersion. Dalsuna leaned over and kissed Tag on the cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
    Tag opened an one eye "About what?"
    Dalsuna sighed, "Things--everything, my failures... my recent... problem."
    Tag kissed him warmly, "We've been over this....don't worry about it."
    "I can't stop worrying about it," he complained.
    Tag sat up and hugged him, "By the Force, Dal, nothing that's happened to me has been your fault."
    He paused, looking into her mismatched eyes, "I...you...we don't know that for sure, how do you know?"
    "Because.....I'm me, Dal. I know these things," she sniffed.
    "So precise with your Jedi senses," he said mockingly. He smiled as she smiled gently, she reached up and touched his face.
    "It's not just my Jedi senses.....Quite frankly, I barely use them. I know it's not your fault because they were my problems, and I had to solve them myself. They had to do with my past, and that's not something I need to drag you into."
    Dalsuna smiled, shaking his head, "Your problems become mine when they threaten you, all in the name of love, my dear," he looked at her warmly. Tag sighed heavily as he smiled, "Because I love you."
    "Dal," she said trembling, she buried her face in his neck, crying for the first time in years.
    "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, so I have to protect you," he said, drawing her near. It made sense, he thought. Maybe it was the real explanation all along, he mused. He looked down at her, pulling her away a moment to ask what had pained her so much, "I, wha--?" he looked over at Indy, "What did I do?"
    Tag stared at him with wide mismatched eyes, "I never asked anyone to take on my burdens for me. Nylan did because it was his duty. Del and I....that was more a relationship out of necessity and common intrest. But you.....my burdens, you take them willingly. I've never experienced something like that."
    He looked down at her again, millions of different things he could say, "If I didn't, I'd be less worthy of having you," he said. Tag hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. "but I still don't deserve you," he chuckled bitterly.
     Indy walked up behind him and rapped him lightly on the head with her fist,  "You dolt, you're the only man she'll ever need."
    "The only man she'll ever need couldn't protect her from her own family," he shrugged.
    Indy snorted. "You mean Chaos? Knight, he's my responsibility."
    Dalsuna narrowed his eyes, "Yet the responsibility became partially mine when he tried to take my only love away from me."
    Tag sighed heavily. "What my cousin did was driven by the Dark Side's misguidance."
    "I can't find it in me to forgive him, however," Dalsuna looked up at the ceiling.
    Tag smiled, "Someday, maybe, just maybe, you will."
    Dalsuna frowned, lowering his gaze back to the woman he loved, yet felt in his bones that he didn't deserve. He kissed Tag anyways. He pulled away, she smiled at him. "I don't know what you see in me...really," he went on.
    "I see a strong, intelligent, caring man who is more than worthy of a simple pilot like me," she said batting her eyelashes.
    Dalsuna snorted, "You're not simple."
    Tag flushed, feeling her face warm, "No, I suppose not....I wish I was."
    Mike cleared his throat from the doorway to the officer's lounge on the Imladris. A few people greeted him enthusiastcally. He grinned, waving the praises away.
    "Yes yes, you can all start to worship me," he said arrogantly. Indy ran over and hugged her husband.
    "I've missed you," she whispered.
    Dalsuna looked over at Mike, not knowing what to say. He had saved him from a number of things this past week. What was there to say? Dalsuna lowerd his gaze to the ground.
    Tag whispered to Dalsuna, "You have to stop with this depression thing."
    Dalsuna closed his eyes, "I'm trying," he sighed.
    Tag kissed Dalsuna tenderly, "I'll always be here."
    "I know," he said, smiling weakly.
    "You still tired?"
    "I...don't know," he mumbled, taking a deep breath. "It's been...a tough few days."
    Tag nodded slowly, "Aye, I know. I'm really sorry I had to go to Hoth yesterday."
    "I'm...still in one piece," he smiled wryly.
    "No thanks to my absence, though," she said ruefully. Dalsuna leaned over and kissed her. She smiled. "What was that for?"
    "Pick a reason...I'm sure there's a good one," he smiled lopsidedly. Her embrace tightened.
    "Remind me to never let go," she whispered.
    "I'll try to," he said, starting into a round of coughing. She pulled away, looking concerned. "I... need a drink... that's all, just a little dry."
    Tag nodded slowly, not quite believing him, "I'll get you something. What do you want?"
    "Water is fine," he said, eyeing Mike's droid as it entered the room. There weren't a lot of droids in the officer's lounge. Mostly serving droids. There were a couple white protocol droids in one corner, but Mike's astromech was the only one of it's type. He looked back at Tag, " Just trying to avoid the harder liquor."
    Mike looked at his droid curiously. He hadn't called it in. Why was it here? he wondered. Dalsuna was wondering the same thing. It hadn't made any noises.
    Tag stood, walking over to the bar. She poured some water into a glass and poured herself a mid-sized glass of Corellian Whiskey. The astromech rolled over toward Tag, a side panel opening to reveal a blaster rifle. Tag beamed at Dal, not noticing the droid, "I shouldn't have had time to develop a taste for this, but I hav--" she jumped when she spotted the droid. "Mike! Call off your friggin' droid before I shoot it!"
    The droid raised the blaster and aimed. Dalsuna rose to his feet. "Tag, get out of the way."
    "Deactivate now Hawk!" Mike rumbled. The droid refused to obey the command. Tag hauled out her blaster and shot the droid. Hawk sparked, but kept on tracking her.
    Tag stared at her gun, "Wait a sec, this is Shada's ion cannon!" Tag fired again at the droid.
    Indy drew her blaster and started shooting Hawk, "Sorry, Mike."
    Dalsuna took three strides and shoved Tag out of the of way. She hit the floor and rolled. Hawk fired a shot before blowing up under the fire of Indy's blaster. Dalsuna grunted as he was thrown backwards as he was hit in the chest.
    "No!" Mike cried. Tag scrambled over to Dalsuna's shocked form. He blinked, looking for words. Miranda was also there in a moment.
    "Dal!" Tag screamed. He hit the wall, sliding down it and falling over.
    "Oh frig!" Indy spat.
    Dalsuna looked up at Tag, eyes widened with shock and pain. Tag touched Dalsuna's face, "Hang in there."
    "Did I screw up this time?"
    "Oh, Dal, no," she cried.
    Dalsuna coughed weakly. Indy hurried over to Dalsuna and pumped a sedative into him before finding a bacta patch.
    "Tag?" Dalsuna muttered, vision starting to fade.
    "Yes?"
    "Do something for me?" he whispered, growing weaker.
    "Anything," Tag rasped.
    "Marry me?" Dalsuna passed out, pain to much to bear, even with the sedative taking effect.

    "Oh dear," Tag cried, falling away from Dalsuna's dying form. Mike and Indy were doing the best they could with their healing powers. In moments, Indy had the contents of a medical kit strewn around her as she tore open bacta patches and slapped them on Dalsuna. Dispite their best efforts, he began turing pale and cold.
    "Dalsuna Losoda, you can't leave me," Tag cried. Miranda glanced over at Tag, her eyes just as wet as the other's.
    Mike began channeling some healing energy into Dalsuna, drawing on Indy for additional power.
    Tag grasped Dalsuna's hand, "Don't leave me, don't leave me," she repeated over and over.
    Miranda remained kneeling nearby, unable to help with the Jedi, or the medical procedures. Tag looked over at Miranda, her face bloodless and her expression terrified. For the first time in her life, she was truly afraid.
    Indy finished healing the wound. Miranda wrapped her arms around Tag. "I'm scared too," she moaned.
    Dalsuna screamed in pain as he came to. Indy jabbed him with a needle, administering a pain suppressant. Dalsuna started coughing again, as the suppressant took hold.
    "Where's that drink, dammit?" he wretched. Mike chuckled, waving a hand over Dalsuna, checking him over again.
    Tag smiled, wiping her tears from her face, "I'll get it," she hurried off to get a fresh glass of water.
    Dalsuna tried to sit up, only accompishing the task with the help of his sister.
    Tag returned, kissing him on the forehead, "The answer is yes." He looked up at her, confused, lost.
    "Knight--you asked her to marry you," Indy reminded.
    "What the hell shot me?" he prompted, remembering why he was laying on the floor.
    "Mike's droid, Black Sun, I suspect.....or Imperial Intelligence. In anycase, it was reprogrammed."
    Dalsuna shook his head, suddenly remembering what he had asked, "You will Tag?"
    "Tag looked back at Dalsuna as she put away her blaster, smiling, "You knew the answer before you ever asked it."
    "Well you know me... always wanting a confirmation," he said weakly.