Ben joined Beru in the kitchen, and soon the smell of ramen noodles was in the air.
Presently, Luke came back, and smelling the noodles, took a detour through the kitchen. "Who's that for? It smells great."
"I'm making some soup for Ocean and Elissa." Beru replied.
"No thanks!" Elissa called, forgetting she was trying to make Cosima believe she was sleeping.
"Don't you like it?" Cosima asked.
"Yeah, just not now. Do you want it?" Elissa asked.
"Well," Cosima couldn't hide the look in her eye, this food apparently appealed to her.
"Cosima wants it!" Elissa called loudly.
The fairy blushed and put a finger to her lips. She then called out, "I didn't say that."
Elissa couldn't help but smirk.
When the first bowl was ready, Ben took it to Ocean.
Elissa got another idea. "On second thought," she sniped, "maybe I will have some. At least that way Ocean isn't getting the special treatment."
"You were the one who snubbed the offer in the first place." Cosima reminded her.
"Keep out of this, will you?" Elissa said.
"Girls, please..." Beru objected.
"That's enough out of you." Luke was starting to lose his temper.
Luke..." said Beru.
"I tried, but you brought me into it." Cosima countered.
"Oh, bite me." Elissa huffed.
"Elissa, you are unbelievable! Sorry, Cosima, but she is driving me up the wall." Luke said, and stormed off.
In Ocean's room, "While you're eating this," said Ben, handing the elf a bowl of soup, "I have good news." he said mysteriously, as if he had a secret he was dying to tell.
The elf looked doubtfully at him.
"I think this is just what you'll want to hear." he smiled brighter.
The elf looked questioningly at him and began eating without interest.
"Elissa is just fine, she is physically thriving." said Ben.
Really?" Ocean looked hopeful. Yoda nodded. "A full recovery she has made, but rest she still needs.
And she has not been very cooperative about that." Shmi added.
The elf's dull expression turned to one of profound relief and joy, and tears started to roll. "I was afraid we might've - " Ocean's voice trailed off and she fell to eating, as more tears rolled.
"I had the droids monitor and care for her during the night," said Ben, "and I did research on hypothermia myself. It's an interesting subject, but all you need to know is you and Luke are not responsible for what happened, Elissa is."
"How?" Ocean wanted to know. "She wasn't the one causing the storm."
"She got herself lost in it, because she couldn't face coming back here." Ben replied.
"You mean she - actually tried to freeze to death!?" Ocean said with a shudder.
"No, she stayed in the mall until it closed. Then she just got lost trying to find a place to hide out." Ben assured her.
"Oy." Ocean looked relieved again, but only for a moment. Then she looked around anxiously. "Oh no, Felicity...! You should've got me up in time to - "
"No, Elf," Ben said, "you and Luke and Elissa are all taking the day off. Santa assigned someone to help Felicity today."
Ocean nodded, and then the soup began disappearing rapidly.
Ben grinned, relieved to see Ocean coming back to herself.
Beru came in. "How are you feeling, Ocey?" she asked.
"Better now, thanks. Is Elissa having this too?"
"I offered her some, but she refused. Luke stormed off too, so I ended up making only two bowls, one for you and the other for Cosima."
Wait, Cosima's here?"
Yes. She brought Elissa's substitute for school today."
Ocean still coughed a bit, but not nearly so much, and unlike Elissa, she welcomed Shmi's, Yoda's, Ben's and Beru's company. Her demeanor did an about-face once she was assured she hadn't come close to killing Elissa out there, and no one was condemning her for the storm.
As Ben was in the middle of explaining the stages of hypothermia, Luke came in, looking put out. "There you all are. That girl could teach a class on rudeness 101!"
"Luke, really." said Ben.
"Elissa?" Shmi asked.
Beru nodded.
"Calm down, Luke," Ben began, I'll talk to you about it once Ocean's done eating."
Sorry Ocey." said Luke.
"That's okay, I'm almost done. What's up?"
"Know what Elissa did?" Luke fumed."
"What?" Ocean asked.
"She just told our guest to bite her!"
"What - the actual - heck!?" Ocean exclaimed.
I heard it too," said Beru.
"Oh, stardust...!" Ben scowled. He looked about to clobber something. "Stay put, I'll try talking to her again." with that, Ben hurried out
"Sounds like Elissa's on the warpath with everyone today." said Ocean.
"Yes, that's about it." Shmi said.
"Angry is Elissa, her pride hurt, her ego bruised,. Handle it gracefully she cannot." said Yoda.
Ben marched into the visiting room where Elissa lay on the couch, and Cosima sat quietly looking out the window.
Startled out of her daydream, Cosima turned to look at Ben. "Is something the matter?" she said quietly.
Ben looked back at Cosima, then at Elissa, who was by now completely under the blanket. "Is she sleeping?" he asked.
I think so." Cosima whispered.
"All right, we'll let her sleep. I have something to talk to her about later." Ben said quietly, but he looked grim.
Actually, could we go somewhere and talk for a bit?" Cosima asked.
"Just you and I?" Ben saw Cosima nod, and said, "Yes, follow me." He lead her into the meeting room.
With everyone else gone, Elissa got up, threw the blanket aside, and wandered toward the meeting room, and pressed an ear against the closed door.
She stood there for about five minutes, then finally gave up. Ben and Cosima were talking too quietly for her to get much of anything out of the discussion.
"Elissa?"
Oh, no! It wouldn't do for her to be caught eaves-dropping.
"Elissa? Where are you?"
It was Beru.
Quickly, Elissa scurried away from the meeting room door, down the hall where the washroom was, then slowly retraced her steps out, returning to the front room couch. "Sorry, just had to go to the john." she said.
Beru looked perplexed, but nodded. "would you like any more to eat or drink?"
No, thanks, I think I'll just get more rest." Elissa replied, and settled down on the couch and beneath the blanket once more.
So Elissa went back to sleep, and the day wore on.
Ben came and went every so often, but every time he showed up, Elissa would either be sleeping for real, or pretending to sleep.
Finally, Ben couldn't wait any longer. It was well into the afternoon, and he wanted to get things cleared up before Felicity was home from school.
Elissa startled and pretended to try going back to sleep when Ben touched her shoulder.
"How are you doing now, Elissa?"
"Still tired. Just let me go back to sleep."
"You can rest later on, but this can't wait any longer." he said. "I am not through with you yet, Elissa Ellen Baker Elf!"
Elissa shuddered beneath the blanket, knowing she was in deep.
"I was going to let you know how the others felt after all the - mischief - you got into. Elissa, don't hide your head. Look at me...!
The small elf could only dare to uncover her head a little, but still couldn't bring herself to look at Ben.
"Look at me, Elissa. Don't turn away." he repeated.
She slowly rolled her head in his direction, but her eyes flickered and darted anxious glances all about.
Ben had to settle for this, knowing the elf was definitely as afraid as she was angry at him. So he began.
"Sheev's violin is an instrument given to him by his mother."
Elissa gaped. "You mean, that was destroyed too?"
"Don't pull the innocent act!" Ben said in disgust.
"It's not a freaking act!" Elissa cried out desperately.
"You need to apologize to Sheev in person, and pay Phantom for the materials he had to get and use for the repairs."
"But I didn't - "
Ben continued.
"Luke's light saber is very important to him as you know, and when you broke every light saber except Ocean's, then forged a note to make it look like a vain admition from her, that was particularly low."
I didn't break any light sabers!" Elissa objected. "I only put them on the floor!"
"And what about that note?"
"Yes," Elissa admitted. "I did write the note." Her voice deepened into a faltering frightened tone. "But I didn't do anything other than take the light sabers out of storage and put them all on the floor."
"Oh? Why stop there? Your note said you couldn't destroy Ocean's light saber."
"No, it only said her light saber was above the rest."
Then, Elissa suddenly looked dismayed. "Oh, no." she mouthed.
"Elissa," Ben said, now is a good time to start telling the whole truth, Elissa." Ben said.
Elissa's mouthed moved, but no words came out.
"Why not start with what made you so angry in the first place?" Ben suggested. "What did Luke do to make you want to go near his light saber? Or anyone else for that matter?"
"Luke isn't nearly as cool as he is in the stories and movies we have on Earth. He's little more than Yoda's errand boy."
Ben's eyebrows raised. "I would watch my mouth if I were you!"
"I always thought Yoda was a little irritating and goofy, but he's a big stick in the mud in person, and not even swamp-dwelling is a good excuse."
"Elissa Ellen - "
"And Ocean is just plain nasty."
"So nasty," Ben countered, "that she brought you in from the cold last night."
"Well anyway, hers was a beautiful light saber, and she wouldn't get in trouble if she took the others and put them where they don't belong. You'd let her get away with anything."
"Because of your forgery, Ocean nearly did destroy her light saber to spite you. We, specifically Shmi, did not let her get away with that." Ben corrected.
"But I didn't destroy - " Then something dawned on Elissa. "She was going to destroy hers?"
"Yes." Ben replied.
Elissa smirked. "Too bad she didn't go and break it later on."
"Why would she? You have been so abominable toward her, that thought wouldn't have entered her mind otherwise."
"Me?" Elissa retorted. "Ocean never liked me from the first time she set eyes on me!"
"And what have you done to earn her friendship?" Ben asked.
Elissa only continued. "That isn't the point. Of all people, she should have. It's one thing if you don't like that I belong to a unique and special group of people,"
"Everyone does belong to some group or other, Elissa. It's called demographics. - " Ben explained.
"but Ocean's either in deep denial or else delusional." said Elissa. "She acts as if being an elf if somehow wrong."
"No, Elissa. You came here, believing in a lie. It is your not being able to get over who and what you are that has become an issue for you. I don't know what caused you to go from self-awareness to an unhealthy pride, thinking being an elf makes you superior, but when you tried to project that lie on Ocean, we brought her back and she set you straight. That, is what you won't forgive her and ultimately us for."
Elissa remained silent, her lips pursed, eyes narrowed.
Ben continued. "and you're not the only one who's gone that route. This kind of pride can manifest itself in different ways - vanity, hatred, obsession, I once knew a padawan named Andrew. He was a good student but for one thing. He was focused on being a blind person rather than being the best Jedi he could. He would often mention his blindness, both when he did well in his training, and when he expected someone else to do something for him. In the end, I had to dismiss him because of his attitude. He also belonged to what he called 'the blind community" and this was a group of people who put so many things in terms of blind Vs. sighted. They would call people like you and me "sighted people" or "sighties" and call themselves 'blindies'. It drove other padawan away from him. Then he claimed they disliked him because he was blind.
Elissa smirked. "That just sounds - " she trailed off, not sure what to say next. Then she got an idea. "Felicity isn't like that."
"No indeed." Ben said to her. "And if she started to be, Ocean would be among the first to try and snap her out of it. But you are doing the same thing as young Andrew, only your obsession isn't blindness. It's that you happen to be an elf. Neither you nor Andrew asked to be in either demographic, but when you can't get over it and simply be the best person you can be, all sorts of negative things can come from that."
There was a pause, but Elissa only blinked in response.
Ben continued. "As for the kitchen disaster," Ben continued, "I am not sure who you were trying to humiliate, but it happened to be Luke who broke those dishes."
Elissa had heard that disaster, then seen K2 haul Luke out of the broken glass mess, and the thought of it still made her laugh. Try as she might, she just couldn't help it. She looked away from Ben to hide her laughing face.
Ben was provoked beyond his limit, and before he could stop himself, he slapped Elissa across the cheek. "DO - YOU - UNDERSTAND - ME!?" he shouted.
The little elf took in a sharp breath from surprise and fear, and began trembling uncontrollably.
"What the...?" Ocean started awake and sprang out of bed. She left her room and took off toward the sound of shouting.
In the visiting room, Ben continued. "You think that's funny. It was a very expensive joke, and it is one you will pay for. I'll add up the total for the ammount of damaged dishes and send you an invoice."
"Okay, fair enough," Elissa agreed humbly.
"As for me, I see it's useless trying to get you to understand the gravity of this situation. So - "
"What I don't understand is why you even bothered to save me if all you were gonna do is treat me like dirt." Elissa muttered irritably.
Ocean only peered in for a moment, then beat a hasty retreat back to her own room and under the covers.
Ben heaved an exasperated sigh. "If I can't get through to you, perhaps you need a more direct encounter, with those you have treated like dirt, because you thought you were so much better."
With that, he left the main area for the meeting room.
Soon, there came an announcement from him over the com.
"May I have your attention please?
There is a meeting in the visiting area that will get underway as soon as everyone arrives. Please stop what you're doing and come to the visiting area as soon as possible."