SOMETHING MISSED
Chapter 1
It was the usual morning rush at the Solo household, what with trying to get three kids off to school and two parents off to work, not to mention the care and feeding of Jacen's motley zoo of pets.
Han and Leia thought getting infants ready had been a struggle, but it had nothing on three school aged kids, two aged nine and one seven and a half.
"Anakin, where are you shoes?" Leia demanded, noticing that her youngest child was still unshod.
"I dunno," he said between bites of toast with the forest honey that Chewie always brought back for them.
"Then I suggest you find them," she told him.
"When I finish my toast."
"Now! We have to leave in five minutes!"
Jacen was writing on his datapad. Leia gave him The Look. "You said you finished all of your homework last night."
"I did. Well, most of it."
"Hurry up." At least he has shoes on, Leia sighed. "Jaina!" she yelled. "Get in here!"
"I need my purple sweatshirt! Where's my purple sweatshirt?" Jaina shouted back, possibly loud enough to be heard even through their apartment's ultra thick and sound baffled walls.
"I have no idea! Anakin, what did I say about your shoes?"
"Uh...to find 'em?"
"Wow, you were actually listening. Get on task right now!" She took his plate with the remaining toast from him. "You get it back once you have your shoes on!"
"But I'm hungry!"
Han strolled into the kitchen, his hair still wet and slicked back from the shower. "Okay, which child needs hurting, which child needs more hurting, and which child needs the most hurting?"
"Daddy! I can't find my purple sweatshirt!" Jaina yelled again.
"You probably left it on the Falcon!" Han shouted back. "Find something else!"
"I can't! It won't match my clothes!" Han glared at Jacen. "What're you doing?"
"I just had a little bit of homework to finish," he said, a guilty look crossing the younger version of Han's features.
"All right, no holovision tonight until you've finished everything and I've checked it!" Han severely informed the boy.
Jacen gave a look that could have shattered glass.
Leia was packing her datapads into her work bag. "Han, can you check on Anakin? He's supposed to be looking for his shoes."
"He's looking for his shoes every morning. I'm ready to take the nail gun to his feet," Han groaned as he headed off for the kids' room. From the kitchen, Leia could hear him tell Anakin to put down whatever he was doing and find his shoes.
"Not that you could find anything in that room," Han muttered. "Jaina!" Jaina was still occupying the children's 'fresher. "Get moving!"
"I have to change my clothes!" she shouted. "I can only find the pink sweatshirt so I have to change everything!"
"Get a move on!" Han retorted, heading back to see if Anakin had made any kind of progress. "Your mom and I need to get to work and you'll be late for school!"
Leia felt rather sick and was not looking forward to the day, and having three disorganized children was not helping. She tried a few sips of kaf, and immediately made a beeline for the 'fresher. Sure enough, the little that remained in her stomach made its way out. She was dizzy and sat on the floor with her head between her knees. She could hear Han hustling the kids, who finally appeared to have gotten some results after much threatening.
"Leia?" she heard him call out. "Leia! Where are you?"
"In here," she called out weakly.
Han headed to the fresher to find her on the floor. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I just got sick, it's nothing. I'll be fine in a minute."
"You're sitting with head between your legs and you'll be fine in a minute? Not likely. You should take the day off."
"Not a chance."
"Well, let me get these kids off to school, and I might even still make it on time. I swear, the kids' school should have our own category. Press one if you're going to be late, press two if you're going to be absent and three, if this is the Solo family..."
"It's okay, I can take them."
"No." Han kissed her and announced to all the kids that they'd better be in the speeder pronto or face dire consequences, such as no holovision or games later on. Finally, the apartment was quiet, save for the sound of some of chinchellerees of Jacen's on their exercise wheel.
Leia stood up, brushed her teeth again, washed her face, and reapplied some cosmetics. Makeup was something she used little of but on days like this, it was necessary if she was to not look like a corpse. Her stomach complained at her, but she had mountains of work and what felt like hundreds of meetings.
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The day dragged on forever. By the time her last meeting broke up, she was too exhausted to do any more work. If she could escape from the building, she might, she figured, get in an hour of napping. She had been very tired lately. Work had been even more overwhelming than usual, or she was just too worn out. Either way, the end result was the same, and she was not going to be available for a postmortem with Mon Mothma. She knew where the service exits were and decided she'd take advantage of them.
The apartment was mercifully quiet, save for Jacen's pittins, who came around to be petted. Leia liked the pittins the best out of Jacen's menagerie; they had soft, silky fur and made soothing noises not unlike those of a newborn baby. She fell into bed fully dressed and went to sleep immediately.
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Han and the kids returned, once again establishing that life isn't worth living unless it's lived at the top of your lungs. Han noticed Leia's work bag and handbag hanging from a dining room chair, but didn't see her. He was relieved that she'd taken his advice.
He entered their bedroom to find Leia still in her work clothes; her shoes were the only items she'd removed. She looked exhausted. He decided not to wake her and closed the door behind him so as to keep the noise level down to a dull roar.
"Homework, guys," Han called out to the kids, and was rewarded with groans. Jaina stuck her middle finger at him.
"Stop that! Where'd you learn that?" Han demanded.
"From you and Uncle Lando," Jaina said sweetly.
Busted, Han thought, but I'm still the father.
"It only happens when we're playing sabacc, and you're not supposed to be watching!" Han informed her. Her brothers giggled. Jaina rolled her eyes. "Now, homework, and no more complaining!"
The three sighed tragically and sat down at the dining room table with their datapads. Han headed to the kitchen to start dinner. He had a very nice waterfowl and planned to stuff it with grains and spices. The kids would eat it, save for Anakin, who was the King of Pasta and subsisted on noodles, cheese and for breakfast, toast with forest honey. Most kids, Han observed, would have included a sweet or two among their favorite foods, but not Anakin.
"I'm not eating that! It's disgusting!" Anakin howled as he watched Han remove the waterfowl from its wrapping.
"You won't eat anything but pasta and cheese," Jaina muttered at him. "You're gonna stay short forever."
"Am not!" Anakin protested.
"Are too," Jacen said, glaring at his datapad. "Dad, I need your help!"
"Lemme get this bird done and I'll give you a hand," Han told him as he began preparing the bird.
"I'm not eating that!" Anakin wailed. "It's gross - "
Han turned to him, face taut, his index finger pointed.
Anakin decided it was a good time to shut up. The three went back to their homework.
"And none of you are done till I check it," Han reminded them. "Jacen, that means you, too."
"I can help you with math," Jaina said to him.
"I don't think so," Jacen answered her.
"You're blocking me out," Jaina told him.
"Maybe I don't always like being in your head."
Oh, the joys of Force sensitive children, Han moaned as he prepared the stuffing for the bird.
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"Leia," Han shook her gently. "Wake up. It's dinner time."
Leia's eyes flashed open. "What time is it?"
"1900, give or take a few." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?"
"Tired," she admitted. "Better since I took a nap. I came home around 1600. How're the kids?"
There was a loud crash in the living room, with shouting accompanying it.
"There's your answer," Han said, shaking his head.
"At least all systems are normal," she said, taking Han's hand and heading for the table.
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"This is very good," Leia said to Han.
"Then how come you're only nibbling on it?" Han asked her.
"My stomach's still a little off."
"Mom, if you're gonna puke, run!" Jacen said to her.
"That's so gross!" Anakin said, wrinkling his nose.
"Seriously, Mom. If you feel sick, how about not doing it while we're eating?" Jaina said.
"I said I was a bit queasy. I made no mention of vomiting," Leia informed her children sharply.
"You did this morning," Jaina informed her mother.
"That was this morning. This is now," Leia explained in no uncertain terms.
"Jacen, it's your night for the dishes," Han let his older son know.
"Great," he muttered. "I hate the dishes."
"We all hate the dishes," Jaina said to her twin. "Why can't we just get the kind you throw out?"
"Because your dad and I like real dishes," Leia commented.
"Anakin, showers," Han told him.
"Can't I take one tomorrow night?" Anakin whined.
"Sure. You can take one tonight and then take one tomorrow," Han said, giving his younger son an evil grin.
"You're mean," Anakin said to him, sticking his tongue out at his father.
"Very mature, Ani," Jaina assessed.
"Leia. Go lie down. Or soak in the tub. I'll deal with the house monsters," Han said to her.
"Oh, that's real nice, Daddy," Jaina chided him.
Han repeated The Look and the pointed index finger.
"Okay, I get it." Jaina headed for the bedroom.
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Leia had considered soaking in the tub but it seemed to be so much work. She put on a pair of sleep shorts and a soft T that had once been Han's until she stole it from him. She kissed each child goodnight and settled on the sofa with Han.
"Homework, showers, bed. Why is this harder than a suicide run?" Han said, cuddling her close. "I didn't know what exhausted was till I became a dad."
"When they were newborns, I thought we'd get more sleep as they got older," Leia said. "Now they don't wake up at night, but they seem to sap even more of our energy."
"Maybe because we're getting older with them?" Han said, kissing her temple. "I found two more grey hairs this morning. I'm afraid to look in the mirror and find how many more I've gotten between now and then."
"You're the hottest 45 year old guy in the galaxy," Leia gently teased him.
"Only the hottest 45 year old?" Han pretended to be hurt.
"Okay, the hottest guy in the galaxy, no qualifiers," Leia said.
These were the times the couple cherished most, those moments when the kids were asleep (or at least being quiet), and they had the chance to just sit by each other, saying very little, just feeling each other's presence.
"How're you feeling?" Han asked her softly.
"Better than this morning. At least my dinner is staying put."
"Glad to hear it. But don't overdo it. I know you, sweetheart. You run yourself ragged."
Leia had nothing available to object to that statement.
"I think it's time we both went to bed," Han said gently to her, helping her stand up, his arm over her shoulder, hers about his waist. He'd always said that they were a perfect fit.
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