Title: Jacen Didn't Forget
Author: Princess Leia Solo
Rating: G
Spoilers: The movies, The New Jedi Order series up through Balance Point
Summery: A short story derived from the last few paragraphs on pgs. 20-21 in "Balance Point". Jacen remembers his parent's fight.
Disclaimer: None of the people or places in this story belong to me… if they did, do you really think I'd be spending my time to write Fanfiction?? I'd be off in some exotic place with all my money ☺
Author's Note: Please R&R, and try to be as nice as possible. This is my first posted fic and if I get enough positive reviews, maybe I'll post some of my other stuff. Enjoy! Also, I apologize for any spelling errors, English or Star Wars
Distribution: Fanfiction.net….anywhere else, just ask. I'll probably say yes ~.~
Jacen Didn't Forget
Jacen Solo walked into his childhood home, which was a large apartment in the Imperial Palace on Couruscant. His mother, Ambassador Leia Organa Solo, sat at her desk at the far side of the living room. She looked up when she heard her son enter, and smiled.
"Welcome home." Jacen smiled and walked to where his mother sat. He'd been on Yavin 4 for the past few days contemplating what had happened to Chewbacca and all the evil surrounding them. He decided that he belonged with his family, so he got in his ship and came home.
"It's good to be home," he said softly after he and Leia had embraced. She and Jacen walked to the couch and sat down. "Jaina and Anakin should be here within the next few days. They both had things to finish up."
"I understand. Your Uncle and Aunt arrived earlier today. Mara's doing pretty well considering."
"Yeah, I guess. I think that she needs to take a break. She's working really hard to keep her illness under control."
"I can't even imagine how hard that's got to be." They both sat in silence for a few moments, not addressing what they both where thinking about. Jacen elected to speak and get the ball rolling.
"Mom, where's dad?" Jacen asked softly almost frightened to hear the answer.
Leia knew this was coming. She looked down at her hands, entwined with one another. Ever since the battle had died down and Han wasn't needed as much, he'd kind of become wrapped up inside himself, distant. Leia hadn't accepted anything that was happening, let alone said it out loud. She looked back up into her eldest son's eyes. He was just as scared as she was. "Your father is at some bar in Dometown. He wouldn't tell me which one he was going to."
"Did you try to stop him?"
"Yes. He won't listen to reason, Jacen. This has all but destroyed him."
"It's affected us, too."
"Yes, but not to the same extend. He and Chewie were partners, copilots, long before we met. They had such a deep bond. Your father feels like he's lost a brother. I hope he can get through this."
"He can. With our help…"
"He doesn't want our help. I've tried. I don't know, maybe tomorrow morning you can talk to him. Maybe he'll listen to you." The two regarded each other then Leia wiped away a tear that had begun to form at the corner of her eye. "Well, I'm sure you've had a long day and it's getting late."
"Yeah, I'm pretty tired." Jacen and Leia stood, but he looked at her again with sad eyes. "Mom, I can stay awake if you want to talk."
Leia gave Jacen a sad smile. "I'm fine. Thank you, though." Leia gave her son a kiss on the cheek then said, "Now, why don't you get some sleep so you can be rested for tomorrow and whatever the day may bring.
"Good night, mom."
"Good night, Jacen. I love you."
"I love you, too." Jacen went up the steps leading to all of the bedrooms of the apartment.
As Jacen was getting ready for bed, he heard the main door open then slam shut. He heard his mom start to talk and went to the top of the stairs to see what was going on. What he saw was his father staggering with an almost empty bottle of something in his hand, stubble on his chin and cheeks, and his clothes dirty enough to make it look like he got into a few bar fights that night.
"Han, let me have the bottle."
"No! Just leave me alone," he said was a strong edge to his voice.
"You know I can't do that. You're not well, Han. I love you too much to just sit by and watch you drink yourself to death. I understand what it's like to loose someone you love…"
"No you don't!" he said louder than the tone they had been using.
"How can you say that? Have you had so much to drink that you've forgotten that my entire home planet was destroyed? But I kept going. I didn't do anything that could get me killed."
Han gave her a look of criticism. "You still playing that card, Leia? It's getting pretty pathetic."
"Don't you dare…"
"Oh, don't give me that."
"It's true though. You have more people to help you with the loss of Chewbacca than I did to deal with the loss of my whole family and most of my friends."
"I don't want to do this right now."
"Well, to bad, because I'm going to continue until you understand what I'm saying."
"Then tell me what you're trying to say."
"I'm saying that you need to move on. Mourn Chewie, but don't kill yourself in the process and don't take your anger out on me or our children."
"Our children are off saving the world, sweetheart. They aren't even here to mourn Chewie."
"You're wrong. Jacen is upstairs right now, getting ready to go to sleep, and Jaina and Anakin are on their way here. We can help you."
"Whatever. You know, you Jedi can go do your thing, while I'm going to go do mine." He raised the almost empty liquor bottle in a mock salute and started to walk away.
"Don't you walk away from me! You come into my home more drunk than I've ever seen you and you expect me to just ignore you and go about my business?"
"That about sums it up."
"Well, I can't. I won't." Han turned away, and Leia stepped closer to put her hand on his rough cheek and turn his face back to face hers. "I love you, Han. The kids love you, too, don't you see that? You have a family here. Me, the kids, Luke, Mara, we're all here for you. Don't you understand that you have more here with you than most people?"
"I don't care!" Han yelled. He used his free hand to shove Leia away from him. She had to grab onto the arm of the couch to keep from falling. "It's all such a sad story, isn't it? I know what it's like to have nothing. I've had nothing. For years Chewie was all I had. Now he's gone. If I hadn't have take that job in that Cantina, Chewie wouldn't be dead."
"But I would be. And so would have the rest of the galaxy," Leia countered. "We'd all be dead if you hadn't helped General Kenobi and Luke. Han, we don't know what would have happened, but…"
"But what? Huh, Leia? But what? But if we hadn't come for you, we would never have met? Luke wouldn't have become a Jedi? Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin wouldn't have been born?"
"Don't tell me that you're sorry about that!"
Han started to turn away and as he did, he muttered something under his breath. Leia grabbed his arm and turned him to face her once more. "What did you say?"
"I said that it all would have been easier if we had just left you in the Death Star with your father."
Tears sprung to Leia's eyes clouding her vision. "You don't mean that." Han didn't answer. "How can you be so cruel? This is NOT the man I fell in love with and married. This is NOT the father of my children."
"If you love me, sweetheart, you've got to love all of me."
Leia slapped him across the face, but Han barely flinched. "Get out of my house."
Han stared at her for a long moment. "Fine, but you know that I'm right about everything." As he started to walk away, Leia felt hot tears start down her cheeks. She could taste the salt on her lips. It was almost like Han had eyes in the back of his head, because without turning around he said, "Don't waste your tears on me, Leia. I'm not worth it." With that, Han Solo walked out of his apartment, headed towards the nearest bar.
Leia stared at the closed door then ran up the stairs. Jacen stepped aside, but didn't say anything. Leia walked past him and went into her and Han's room. If she had seen Jacen, she didn't act like it.
Leia lay down on the bed sitting in the middle of the room. Han's presence was strong in this room and she used the room, sometimes, as a refuge when Han was away. It was a place where she could think and feel him near at the same time. Now, though, it brought more tears to her eyes and she started to sob.
Jacen crept to the door of his parent's bedroom. Without even putting his ear to the door he could hear her sobs and cries, but more than that, he could sense her pain through the Force. He hoped his mom could find a dreamless sleep in which she could escape all the horrible words. He knew that neither of them would speak about what had just happened, and he also knew that his father was so drunk that he probably wouldn't remember anything, but only be confused when he woke up in an empty bar the next day. He sent blankets of love to his mom, then headed to bed, worried that with the death of one Wookee, his whole family would fall apart.