A/N: I wrote this piece for my dear friend queenb9728. She requested a Solo family one-shot and this is what I was able to come up with. I am pleased with how it turned out and I hope you all like it as well. Please review! I love getting feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Star Wars

Leia's Fear

Leia Organa Solo sat bolt upright in her bed, sensing something was not right in the Force. It was that darkness again. That unknown darkness that had been haunting her home for months without any explanation. Gasping, she tapped the body lying next to her. "Han." A muffled grunt was the only reply she received.

"Han." She hit him harder with a pillow. "I feel it."

Suddenly, a terrified scream sounded from down the hall. That finally got through to Han and he sat up, blinking his eyes and looking around. "Again?"

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Ben.

"My baby!" Leia cried, immediately throwing off the covers and bolting into the hall. Behind her, she heard a surprised grunt and a loud thud as a still half-asleep Han fell out of the bed in his haste. Ordinarily, Leia would have checked to make sure he hadn't hurt himself, but in that moment her maternal instincts completely took over and all she could think about was getting to her son.

Mommy is coming.

Arriving at Ben's room, Leia threw open the door to behold the sight she hated the most in the galaxy. Her baby, curled on his side in fetal position, screaming in complete and utter terror. Ben's cheeks were wet with tears and he was trembling.

"Oh, Ben…" Leia swept into the room and approached her son, sitting down beside him on the bed and pulling him into her arms.

"Momma," he whimpered, burying his face against her chest and choking on his sobs. "Make them go away."

"Make what go away, sweetie?" Leia asked, kissing his mess of black hair and rubbing soothing circles on his back as he hiccupped. She still wondered from whom he got that trait, as he really didn't look like either her or Han. Sometimes she pondered if her mother had black hair. Or perhaps Han's parents. There was no way to know.

"The voices," Ben whispered. "So many voices…"

Leia's heart ached and her mind was weighed down with worry. She had once believed that there was nothing worse than seeing her child in pain and suffering. She had been wrong. There was something worse...it was seeing her child in pain and suffering and not being able to do anything to stop it. That was the worst feeling in the world.

"Are these the same voices as before?" She inquired gently, unsure of what else to say. Movement in the doorway alerted her to Han's presence and Leia turned her head to cast her husband a desperate look. He nodded, full of silent understanding, and quietly walked over to his wife and son, lowering himself down on the bed.

"It's always the same voice," Ben told them, still not moving his face from against his mother. "Calling me. It wants me to do bad things. I don't want to listen…I try to block it out but I can't. I'm so scared."

Leia opened her mouth to say something, but then she realized she had no idea what to say. What was the appropriate response to hearing your child say that? Meeting Han's gaze, she found reflected there what she herself was feeling. He didn't have any words either. When neither of them said anything, Ben pulled away and looked up at her, his beautiful brown eyes wide and scared, looking to them, his parents, for reassurance.

"Momma, papa, what's wrong with me?"

Realizing she had to say something, Leia shook off the feeling of dread that had seized her and forced a smile. Reaching out she caressed her son's cheek.

"Nothing is wrong, my darling." She said. "It was only a bad dream."

"But it seems so real." More tears spilled over Ben's eyes and Leia brushed them away with her thumb. She wished she could do something to ease his suffering.

"Sometimes dreams can feel very real," Han chimed in and Ben looked to his father for the first time since he had come in the room. "But they're still only dreams. It's all in your mind. Nothing can hurt you."

Ben sniffed and wiped at his eyes, clearly trying to collect himself. "You're sure?"

Han smiled his dashing rogue smile, affectionately ruffling his son's hair. "I'm positive, kiddo. Everyone gets bad dreams. Trick is not to let them get to you. You got to tell those monsters they can't tell you what to do and most importantly, that they don't scare you."

"Really?"

Han nodded.

"And most of all," Leia added. "Know that we're always here for you and that we will never, ever let anything happen to you."

"That's right." Han said, putting an arm around Leia.

Ben looked between both his parents and then, seeming content with what they had told him, lay back down in his bed and got comfortable. Smiling down at her son, Leia pulled his covers up around him, tucking him in before standing. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, baby. We love you."

"I love you, too." Ben murmured sleepily, and then sleep claimed him.

Sighing, Leia filled up the kettle with water and set it on the stove. There was no way she would be able to go back to sleep after that so she might as well get a head start on the day. She was nearly distraught with worry. Leia had been sensing something off in the Force for months now, but over the past few weeks it had gotten significantly worse. Something was wrong inside of her son, but she didn't know what. Part of her wondered if she should reach out to her brother, but another part of her didn't want to risk her worst fears being confirmed.

"This is the fourth time this week." Leia said, sensing Han's presence behind her as he entered the room. "It's getting worse." Turning, she tried to convey her desperation through her expression.

"I've been sensing a disturbance in the Force for months now. An unknown darkness that's descending on everything." Leia told him.

"Maybe he is sensing the same thing," suggested Han, stopping to lean against the counter. "He has that Skywalker blood. He must be Force sensitive like you and Luke."

"No, Han, you don't understand. It's almost like the disturbance I sense is coming from him. From our son. Something dark…unstable…"

Han approached her and took her face in hands, placing a soft kiss against her lips. She leaned into his touch. "I'm sure it will pass, Leia. It's probably just a phase."

She jerked back and gave him an incredulous look. "A phase, Han? Really? Like he's a teenage boy going through puberty? He's nine years old!" She hissed.

"Early bloomer?" Han suggested unhelpfully.

Leia shot him a dark look. "Is everything a joke to you? Your son is suffering!"

Han let out a breath of frustration and spun away from her, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "You think I don't know that?" He snapped. "But I don't know what you want me to do, Leia. This Force stuff has always eluded me. I can't understand it enough to possibly know what he needs."

She walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He needs his father. He needs you to be his father."

"I am his father!"

"Biologically, yes, but Han, you're never around. And if you think that Ben isn't affected by that, you're greatly mistaken."

Han groaned. "Leia, he doesn't need me. Let's face it, we have nothing in common. From the day he was born he has always been different. Studious…quiet…gentle…hell, basically everything I'm not. I love him, but we can't relate to each other. He's better off without me."

Leia recoiled in shock. "Han, how can you say that?"

Han sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant…" He trailed off, clearly unsure of what he was even going to say.

There was a moment of silence before either of them spoke again. "Have you mentioned it to Luke?" Han asked, sounding exhausted.

Leia shook her head.

"Don't you think you should?" He prompted.

"I don't know," she admitted, still shaking her head.

"Well, if it's the Force that's bothering him, maybe Luke can help him lean to control it? Teach him the way of the Jedi?" Han suggested.

"Not if he's dark." Leia whispered, feeling the sting of tears in the corner of her eyes. Han was by her side in an instant, pulling her into his arms. Leia let him hold her, not having the energy to be strong anymore.

"Our boy can't be dark, sweetheart. He comes from the light."

"My father was dark." She murmured against his chest. Han rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Not in the end," Han offered. "He saved Luke. He was…good."

Leia almost laughed. "Yeah, after ripping the galaxy apart. I'm sorry if comparing my son to him doesn't make me feel better."

"I wasn't trying to draw comparisons. I was trying to use him as an example. If someone as corrupt and…er, well, evil as your father could be saved in the end, then someone as sweet and good as our Ben can't possibly be dark. Listen, I'm not saying you're imagining what you're feeling, but maybe you're interpreting it wrong."

"Maybe you're right. He's such a sweet boy."

"He is," Han agreed. Then he leaned down and kissed her head. "Talk to Luke. Then we can decide where to go from there."

Leia nodded and pulled back to look her husband in the eyes. Han smiled down at her lovingly and gently touched her cheek. "It'll be okay."

"I hope you're right," she said. "I really hope your right."

Eventually, Han convinced her to try and go back to sleep. Leia indulged him only because she knew it was really him who was exhausted and that he wouldn't go back to bed without her. She lay next to him quietly and as still as possible so as not to disturb him. But her mind was anything but quiet and still.

She saw visions of the future…more death and destruction than she would have ever thought possible. And at the center of it all, a tall, darkly clad figure in a black and silver mask.