TWINS: IT COULD BE GENERATIONAL
It had been less than twenty-four hours since Jaina's and Jag's wedding. Tenel Ka had left the festivities with Jacen and Allana early, since Tenel Ka had begun feeling poorly. She'd gone to bed immediately but was unable to get comfortable, not surprising since she was carrying twins.
Jacen was taking care of Allana, giving her breakfast and answering her million and a half questions. Allana was a bright, perceptive child and never stopped asking questions. She woke up asking and went to bed doing the same. Normally, Tenel Ka appreciated this attribute in her daughter, but she wasn't up for it right now. Fortunately, Jacen had nearly endless patience, a prerequisite for being a veterinarian.
Tenel Ka was doing some Force meditation, trying to alleviate her discomfort. Her pregnancy with Allana had gone well, but twins had changed that landscape completely.
"How's it going?" Jacen asked Tenel Ka.
"I wish it was going much better, but I feel terrible."
"Let me guess: meditation's not working too well."
"It's helping. I just hope I'm not in labor yet. These guys have nearly a month to go."
"My mom says twins usually come early. Jaina and I were three weeks ahead."
Tenel Ka took a deep cleansing breath.
"You having any contractions?" Jacen asked her.
"I can't tell yet. It's not like with Allana, when I felt it more clearly."
"What's the Force telling you?"
"Get ready to be a mom again."
"Maybe we should go to the medicenter."
"Too early. They'll just send us home."
"Yeah, but twins are kinda high risk."
"Let's just see how it goes over the next few hours. I'm a lot more comfortable in our bed than the horrible ones in the medicenter."
"I'm gonna take Allana to the waterfowl pond but we won't be gone that long."
"She'll like that."
"I'm taking my comm, so call me if anything changes."
Tenel Ka smiled. "I wonder if these guys are going to be as talkative as Allana."
Jacen winced. "Scary thought."
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Jacen and Allana were tossing bread to the waterfowl, the ducks, pelikki, and mariellos greedily grabbed on to the bread bites, dive bombing each other in their pursuit of free food. Some of them on the shore were chasing each other, which amused Allana no end.
,
He'd felt it in the Force: the twins would be here soon. He needed to make arrangements with Elon and Kalaka, their newest hire. Jacen was going to need to hire another veterinarian soon, he realized. He'd known it for a while but he had a life that required every ounce of energy he had and some he didn't. Sometimes things got pushed to the side.
While Allana squealed with delight at the waterfowl squawking and chasing each other, Jacen placed a comm to Elon, who was at the clinic. He managed to speak with both he and Kalaka. Kalaka had a friend from veterinary school but wasn't very happy in her position; she suggested they bring her friend Susla in. Jacen said that if Elon liked her and approved of her work, then they could hire her.
His next comm was to his mother. She sounded groggy when she first picked up her comm, but assured Jacen to let her know when she was needed. Leia had more than a little bit of experience having twins and being one herself. She'd been incredibly helpful with Allana.
Leia had once told him she'd been afraid to have children. This was mystifying to Jacen, who thought she was a wonderful mother and grandmother.
Several of the pet parents from Jacen's practice greeted him, some walking their pets. Jacen always petted and hugged the animals. The Living Force was strong in him and always calmed any animal. That carried over to the pet parents. There was a reason his practice was overloaded.
Allana sometimes appeared in the office with her father, and she seemed to remember everyone. It was a pleasant day in the park for the young father and daughter.
Before Jacen's comm could go off, he ordered Allana to say goodbye to the waterfowl and get home because Mommy was going to have her babies. Allana was excited about the prospect of siblings. Jacen wondered how reality would temper that. The little girl with her red-gold curls and soft grey eyes bounced excitedly during the walk home.
They reached the entry to their apartment building when Jacen's comm went off.
"We're on our way up," Jacen assured his wife.
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Han and Leia were enjoying a quiet early afternoon after yesterday's wedding. Jarik and his friends were out building racers, as usual, leaving the apartment to the couple.
"I'm glad it's over," Leia said, reading the news. Han was checking out his favorite blogs and comics. Periodically, Han would chuckle or say, 'idiots.'
"Likewise," Han said. "Kids should be off to their honeymoon right now."
"I loved our honeymoon," Leia said, smiling at the memories.
"That was my favorite part of the wedding," Han said, winking at her and giving Leia a lecherous grin. "Especially the naked part."
"That's still your favorite part," Leia said, her eyes mirthful.
Han chuckled. "That's your fault."
"I accept the blame with pleasure." She smiled. "Ready for something to eat?"
"I could eat."
"How about some Corellian spiced breakfast biscuits?"
"You know I can never say no to 'em."
Leia went to the kitchen to start removing the ingredients from the cupboards when the house comm went off.
"Jacen," she told Han as she picked up. "Jacen, honey, what's up?"
"Tenel Ka's in labor. We think."
"How far apart are her contractions?"
"About twelve minutes apart."
"Hmm. She's not ready for the medicenter yet. How about I come over and get Allana?"
"We'd appreciate that. Thanks Mom."
Han looked up from the smugglers' blog he was reading. "Is it time?"
"Soon. I'm going to fetch Allana. She loves to bake, so how about we make the biscuits when I get back?"
"No problem."
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Leia arrived at the apartment.
"My mommy's gonna have two babies!" Allana announced excitedly to her grandmother.
"I know. But Mommy needs to have time to herself so that she can have her babies," Leia said, picking the child up. Allana felt heavy to her; she remembered when she'd lug her forty pound kids around with no problems. Now, she was older, and more or less out of the habit.
"Hey Mom, thanks for coming," Jacen said, giving his mother a quick hug.
"Of course I'm here. I'd be a terrible mother if I wasn't," Leia said to her son.
"Mom, you'd never be a bad mom," Jacen assured her. During Jacen's addiction woes, Leia had been what she always was: a rock. "And you're a rockin' grandma. Just ask Allana."
Leia went to the bedroom and found a very pregnant and very uncomfortable Tenel Ka working on her breathing exercises.
"How are you feeling?" Leia asked her quietly.
"Fat and having some pain," Tenel Ka stated matter of factly.
"Anything I can do for you?"
"No, thank you. Jacen and I appreciate your taking Allana.
"You know that's never a problem," Leia assured her.
Tenel Ka opened her eyes. "It's different when you have twins, isn't it?"
"It's much more tiring, that's for sure. I had to have the twins surgically, so that was rough."
"They're both Jedi."
"Twin Jedi boys. Do you and Jacen have names for them?"
"Garek and Lykos."
"Very nice."
"That's what they feel like to Jacen and me." Tenel Ka winced as another contraction hit her.
"I remember hearing someone call what you're feeling 'contractions.' They should call it as it is. Which is labor pains."
"It does hurt, but I'll be fine. I'm going to do it without medication."
Leia almost said something but refrained. She'd had Anakin without pain meds. She wasn't sure what was thinking but swore that if she ever had another baby, she'd tell them to give her everything they had. And Jarik turned out to be a C-section, which meant that she got her wish.
But if anyone could pull it off, it was Tenel Ka. She was powerful in the Force and Leia felt she'd manage well.
Allana was playing in the living room with her father. "Come on, sweetie," Leia said, taking Allana's hand. "Your mommy and daddy need to work on getting your new brothers in the world, so we're going to go to Grandma and Grandpa's."
"Can I play with Uncle Jarik?" Allana asked.
"I'll comm him and tell him you're coming."
"Yay!" But then she stopped. "Mommy says I have two baby brothers. What if I want two baby sisters?"
Jacen winced visibly.
"I've got this one," Leia assured her eldest son.
"Thanks."
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Jacen was familiar with the birth process; he'd not only been through it with Allana, but saw it in his veterinary practice all the time.
He was amazed. Tenel Ka was totally concentrating on her breathing using her Force techniques. She'd been quiet during Allana's birth until the end, at which point she was screaming.
The med droid stopped by to check on Tenel Ka's vitals. "She is doing very well. I do not think I have ever seen a laboring woman so quiet. She is perhaps Force sensitive?"
"She is. We both are," Jacen explained. "This is her second pregnancy. We have a four year old daughter."
"You will have a beautiful family," the med droid predicted. "I will be back to check on you."
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"I should comm Jacen and see how they're doing," Leia said to Han. She was restless and eager for any news as to how things were progressing.
"Let's wait till they call us," Han advised. "Right now Tenel Ka is probably throwing things at Jacen and screaming that he's never going to touch her again."
Jarik and Allana were playing card games together. Jarik looked up. "Did you do that, Mom?"
"No. Comment." Leia growled. She then glared at Han. "Say anything and you'll find yourself sleeping on the sofa. For a month."
When Leia was out of earshot, Jarik looked at Han. Han, knowing that Leia never made promises she didn't intend to keep, just nodded in the affirmative.
"What are you guys playing?" Han asked Jarik and Allana.
"Go Fish!" Allana said enthusiastically.
"Yeah, and she's killing me," Jarik muttered.
"How about you learn a real card game?" Han offered.
"Don't you think she's a little young for sabacc?" Jarik asked.
"I'm gonna be a big sister! I'm not too young for anything!" Allana said with all the determination a strong willed four year old could muster.
"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Han asked, grabbing a sabacc deck. He owned several. He began explaining the rules to Allana.
"Han, are you teaching your granddaughter about gambling already?"
"Anakin was five when he learned."
"You should have Grandpa teach you some Corellian drinking songs,"
Leia rolled her eyes and shook her head.
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It had become harder for Tenel Ka to concentrate on her breathing, and she cried out here and there. Still, Jacen marveled at her control.
"Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Solo," the med droid greeted them. The droid first looked at the monitors and then at Tenel Ka.
"I think I'm ready to push," Tenel Ka announced.
"I think you are, too," the med droid said. "I will get the rest of the team."
"TK, you all right for a couple minutes?" Jacen asked her.
Tenel Ka shot him a withering look.
"All right, I'm here," Jacen said. "Can I comm my mom?"
"Fine." She grimaced. "But I don't want an audience!"
"You won't have one," Jacen promised.
Leia answered her comm on the first signal.
"You're not eager to be a grandma again, are you?" Jacen teased.
"Are they here?" Leia couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.
"No, not yet. Just starting to push."
"Jacen!" Tenel Ka hissed.
"I gotta go, Mom. Call you when the little guys get here."
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With time to kill, Leia sat down for some sabacc. She wasn't championship quality, but she could hold her own.
Finally, after Han had won three games, Leia's comm went off again.
A breathless and happy Jacen appeared. "They're here! They're here! Our little boys are here!" He moved the comm so that Tenel Ka and the babies were visible. They were tiny, being early and being twins, but they had Jacen's dark hair. Tenel Ka was smiling blissfully at her new babies. Her hair was matted and her face pale, but there was no mistaking her joy at becoming a mother. This time, she and Jacen were older, more solid.
"We'll be over shortly," Han told his son. "Congratulations!"
Han turned to Leia on their way to the speeder. "Twins. This could be a generational thing."
She smiled back at her husband. "Oh gods, are they in for it."