Title: Then the Tears Came

Author: Princess Leia Solo

Rating: G

Spoilers: Vector Prime.......I think that's it.

Summery: Just something that popped into my mind after seeing the Wynnona Rider and Richard Gere movie "Autumn in New York". Leia has some news to tell Han.

Disclaimer: None of the people or places in this story belong to me. It'd be nice if they did......does anyone know of any SW characters for sale??? No, okay.....I'll just sit here and try to earn enough money to buy Star Wars books and action figures.

Author's Note: Please R&R, and try to be as nice as possible. My friend didn't really like this story that much, but then again, he's not much of a romantic and was to focused on the details of the Star Wars universe, even though I could probably justify my story just fine if I took the time. I'm done ranting.

*Mara's been cured. Chewie is dead. Everything else is the same, but I'm going to mix it up a bit.*

Distribution: Fanfiction.net....anywhere else, just ask. I'll probably say yes ~.~

Then the Tears Came

The petite woman sat in the uncomfortable chair in Dr. Sarb's office. Her chestnut color hair was up in tight braids and she was still in her senatorial clothes. She was looking at her hands, noticing that they were shaking.

When the woman looked up at Dr. Sarb, her dark brown eyes were filled with worry and tears. More than anything she wished she had informed her husband about the situation and that he could have been there with her.

"So, the medication's not working?"

The doctor shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't think of anything more that we can do. I can give you a stronger prescription, but there's no guarantee it'll do anything."

"Okay, I'll do it."

Dr. Sarb looked at her with concern. "Ambassador, I would really recommend telling your husband or your brother about your situation. It'll be easier for you to have support."

Leia Organa Solo looked at the doctor for a second, "I don't think that'd be smart considering what's going on in my life right now." Dr. Sarb leaned forward urging Leia to continue. "My children are Jedi Knights and need support from me. As you know, Chewbacca died and Han is still grieving, as we all are. Mara just entered remission with her illness, although we're not sure how. And the New Republic needs me. What will happen if I tell them about this? Everything will stop and focus on me. I don't want that. It's not going to help any of them."

"But is it going to help them if one day you are so sick you can't get out of bed let alone go to work or out to lunch. If you don't tell anyone, then your husband and/or your brother will just overreact. Trust me. If you tell them, it'll be much easier for you."

Leia nodded her head then stood. "I will consider what you said. Please have copies of my files, if you could, in unmarked folders, with no indication it's from here, sent to my office. Thank you for your help."

"Contact me if you need anything."

"I will."

Leia turned and walked out of the building, into the busy streets of Coruscant. She started the short walk to the apartment building she lived at.

As she neared the building, she saw Mara coming out of the apartment building. The two friends/sisters-in-law embraced then pulled apart.

"It's so good to see you," Leia said.

"Yeah, cause it's been how long? Five days?" Mara responded with sarcasm.

"I know, but it's still good to see you. Where's Luke?"

"He should be here in a few hours. He had to finish up a few things on Yavin then he was just going to take his X-Wing and meet me here." Mara looked at Leia for a second then asked, "Is everything okay with you?"

"Actually, I planned on contacting you to ask if you and Luke could come over. After dinner. I need to tell you both something."

"Sure, we can make it. We'll come over around 8 o'clock?"

"Sounds good. See you then."

"Bye." They went in their separate directions, Mara heading to the hanger bay, Leia going into the apartment building.

Leia took the turbolift to the suite floor and got off. When she got to her and Han's apartment, she slid her key in and opened the door.

Han heard the door open and went to greet his wife.

Leia saw Han and forced a smile. They embraced warmly, Leia savoring it as though it'll be the last time she'll ever be in his arms. Han pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Leia melted in his hazel eyes and feared what would happen once she told him the bad news. She gave him a sad smile and said, "And you say you have no Force power. Seriously, though, I need to talk to you." She led him over to the couch and they sat down.

"Luke and Mara are coming over after dinner so I can tell them what I have to tell you." Leia took a deep breath. Han reached over and took her small, shaking hands in his.

"It's okay, honey, just tell me." Han knew that whatever she had to tell him was really important.

"Han," Leia started. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but love and devotion. "I'm sick. Really sick." Before Han could say anything, the details came pouring out of Leia, hoping she could get it all out so Han would understand. "It's not really a disease or an illness. I have a tumor that is lodged in between my heart and lung. Even with all our technology, they can't operate or try to shrink it. I'm on medication to try and stop its growth. The first round didn't work. Now I'm on heavier medication, but it's not guaranteed to work, either." Tears started slipping from her eyes and she looked at hers and Han's entwined hands. She looked up at him and said, "Han?"

A tear slid down his cheek and he kissed Leia's hand. "Oh, Leia. Oh, God!" Han pulled her into his arms as she continued to cry. As they both cried. "How could this happen?" he asked softly. "Nothing like this was or is supposed to happen!"

Leia looked up at Han and said, "I'm sorry."

Han couldn't believe what he just heard. She was sorry? "Oh, princess, what in this galaxy could you be sorry for?"

"For not being strong enough to tell you earlier. I've known about this for about five months. You're the first I've told. With Chewie's death and everything, I didn't want to burden you with..."

"Burden me? Sweetheart, you've never been a burden to me and you never will be. I'm going to help you fight this no matter what!"

"I know you will, but Han, if a solution doesn't present itself soon, I'm going to die."

Han wrapped her in his arms once more and said, "I love you."

"I know. I love you, too." They kissed softly, then just laid in each other's arms, waiting for Luke and Mara to arrive.

Soon enough, Luke and Mara knocked on the door, waiting to hear what Leia had to tell. When Han and Leia answered the door, they put smiles on their faces and greeted their guests.

Han and Leia lead Luke and Mara over to the sitting area. Luke and Mara on one couch, Han and Leia on the other.

"I can sense this isn't good news," Luke said softly, looking at his sister intently.

"No, it's not," Han said.

Leia took a deep breath and took Han's hand. It was hard to talk about it. "I have a tumor lodged in between my heart and my lung. I'm on some medication, but other than that, there's nothing they can do. If the tumor grows at a steady or quick rate, I don't have much time. If it doesn't grow, I have a lot longer."

Whatever Luke and Mara thought the news was going to be, it was far from what the news was, and their faces showed it.

"How can that be?" Luke asked at the same time that Mara started to cry for her friend and sister-in-law. They both stood and sat closer to Leia. "There must be some mistake."

"No mistake, Luke," Leia said. "If you use the Force, you can feel that it's there."

Luke shut his eyes to concentrate and before he opened them, a tear slipped down his cheek. "This isn't right! First Mara gets sick, and then we all lose Chewie, now this. All the years of good luck are catching up on us, and it's destroying our family." Luke got up as did Leia and they hugged.

"We didn't have enough time," she whispered.

"You're not gone yet," he replied.

"I know," she said as she pulled back. "But in the long run, we should have had more time."

"If we hadn't been split up, things would be a lot different. You might not have met Han, and I might not have met Mara."

"A lot of people would be alive."

"But a lot of people would be dead."

Leia nodded in understanding. Next Mara stood up and hugged Leia. "I know what you're going through. Contact me if you have any questions or if you just want to talk. I'll be here for you."

"Thank you." Han and Leia walked Luke and Mara to the door. Leia looked at Luke and smiled. "I love you."

Luke gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, too. And you know I'm always here for you." Leia nodded.

Luke and Han hugged with a slap on the back. "Take care of her," Luke said.

"You know I will," he said.

"Yeah, I know."

Stepping back, Han put an arm around Leia's waist. They said their good-byes and then Luke and Mara left.

When they got back to their apartment, Mara and Luke went and sat on the couch. Mara put an arm around Luke's shoulders and said, "Hey. Want to share your thoughts?"

He smiled at his wife and said, "I don't know how to do it. I did it for 18 years, but now I don't know how to do it."

"Do what?" Mara asked softly.

"Live without my sister." Mara pulled Luke into her arms. Then the tears came.

*I know, pretty cheesy, but I like cheese, so I'm fine with it. ~.~

Please try to pretend that her getting sick like this could be incurable in this wonderful world of Star Wars. It's just a little story I whipped up in a few hours after I saw a movie ~.~ Thanx for reading.