a/n: onwards!


8 ABY
Coruscant


Han had generally assumed that he'd be telling Bail about the baby again, but when it came down to it, Leia decided against repeating that tradition. She said that was usually only the way things went with the first child, and she didn't quite feel comfortable treating this baby as her first. It felt - repressive; indelicate, somehow. What mattered was that it had been honored, and honored well, and she preferred to tell their inner circle altogether this time. The idea of otherwise planning who got to tell who, and when - officially - was a little exhausting, and in a small gathering of people at their home, she could not only enjoy their reactions privately, she could make it clear to everyone what was being given to the Media, and what was not.

She was keenly wary of Rouge, as she was certain her aunt would want to release an official announcement, complete with all the tidings and trappings such and event for Leia would have garnered on Alderaan. Things were so very different now, though. On Alderaan, if Leia were Queen and wed to someone in an Elder House, or a prince of the blood, her baby would have implicitly belonged to the monarchy and the people - and much of that had been forsaken now. To this day, they often had to gently remind Rouge of such - and Leia did try to balance respect for tradition with the privacy she wanted for herself and Han. She'd said she'd likely allow a christening and some limited ceremony for this baby, for the sake of culture, and Rouge and Bail's contentment, but she also wanted a firm line drawn early, a firm message to the public: her children were off limits.

Leia was slowly easing herself back into the thinking and planning that had come to an abrupt halt last time, and with each passing day she felt less vague apprehension, and more confidence, about it all. She was sure nerves would start to settle in eventually - if she was half as smart as she thought she was, nerves should definitely start to settle in, or she'd be a fool - but for now, there was enjoyment, and still time to prepare.

Listening to the ambient conversation as it drifted down the hall, Leia finished up the high priority call she'd just taken in her neat little alcove of an office. She minimized taking calls in her down time, but these specific financial treaty negotiations had been urgent enough and high-stakes enough that the deputies needed her clearance to offer certain terms, and it hadn't taken long for her to analyze the situation and give her recommendations.

As she dimmed her console, she ducked her head and peered under the desk, clicking her tongue softly at Zozy. He peered back at her with his ears flat back on his head, a reproachful look in his big, sweet eyes. He had decided he did not like the company downstairs, despite usually finding visitors exciting. He seemed to have a threshold of how much he was willing to tolerate, and the ears had started to lie flat around the time Winter and Tycho arrived. In general, Zozy was also scared of Rouge, and that might be adding to his mood.

She arched her eyebrows at him.

"You can stay in here," she allowed. "Don't chew up any wires," she said sternly.

He chirped at her, and rested his head on his fore paws. Leia nodded, satisfied, and pushed her chair back, flicking her hand over the room's sensor as she left to make sure it registered her departure, and turned the lights off. She went down the hall and around the corner to rejoin everyone, smiling as the noise got louder. She caught the tail end of Winter's dramatics as she walked back in -

"- idea why she possibly could have wanted this specific group of people to all gather at her apartment."

Winter turned her head and looked at Leia impishly.

"Do you have any idea, Pasha?" she demanded innocently.

Bail shrugged from his armchair.

"I suspect she might finally tell us," he retorted, and his stress on the word finally was unmistakable. Of course, he'd figured it out weeks ago, but not everyone was as sharp, and he'd been tight-lipped about it.

"I think Carlist knows," Winter sang, tilting her head. She leaned back into the sofa blithely, settled next to Tycho. His arm was draped around her shoulders, and he tilted his head back to share a good-natured look with Leia. "He brought a whole bundle of arallutes."

Leia raised her eyebrows, and looked around - Carlist had arrived after she'd gone to take the call. He looked back at her a little sheepishly, and she shook her head, incredulous - not his best effort in subtlety.

"I thought - flowers are always - I don't know what this occasion concerns," Carlist said, stammering unconvincingly. "No idea. Flowers are a polite gesture in the home - "

"Particularly if one finds herself in need of organic rattles."

Rouge turned her head and gave Winter a piercing look. She cocked her head, and looked back at Leia curiously.

"Is that what this is?" she asked primly. She turned her head suspiciously. "Carlist, how would you know?"

Rieekan held up his hands, panicked.

"I don't know anything!" he swore.

Leia smirked. She came further into the room, and folded her arms loosely, looking around at them all - Rouge, Bail, Carlist, Winter, Tycho, Luke, Pooja, Chewbacca - only one face was missing.

"Where's my husband?" she asked pointedly.

"He's putting the entirely innocent arallutes in a vase," Bail said.

Leia arched her brows.

"Han has no idea where – "

"Leia, do we own vases?" he called from the kitchen, sounding perturbed.

Leia took a seat on the arm of her sofa, smirking at Luke as he moved his arm to give her room. He started to leap up, then thought better of it, and settled back, compressing his lips as if to mime zipping them. Silently, Leia asked after Mara, and Luke responded that she was fine; off planet getting an old friend out of trouble.

"Just leave them," Leia shouted to Han. "They're meant to die over the next few months, anyhow."

Carlist looked about ready to start banging his head against a wall, wary he'd truly given away something that wasn't already – at least implicitly – understood by everyone. Han reappeared a few minutes later, shooting a wicked grin at his old commanding officer, and Winter clicked her tongue slyly.

"How many months?" she asked, and then tilted her head at Leia. "Unrelated, do you think Zozy would take well to a hypothetical baby?"

"What baby?" Luke asked, in such a flawless imitation of consternation that Pooja gave him a startled look, and arched a brow, laughing at him.

"Leia's baby," she retorted, snorting.

Her mouth fell open at her own audacity.

"Damn, Naberrie, steal a man's thunder!" Han griped, pretending to glare at her.

He came to stand beside Leia, and slid an arm around her waist, leaning his thigh against the armrest she was perched on. She reached over and ran her hand over his hip affectionately, biting her lip. She looked up at Han, drawing out the inevitable – and the obvious, until Chewbacca reached out and gave Han a gentle smack in the back of the head.

[Out with it, Cub!]

"Ay!" Han yelped, reaching up to clutch the nape of his neck. He scowled. "You gotta be patient, pal, Leia'n'me are just tryin' to announce that – "

"Han," Winter said sweetly, tilting her head back, "if you extend this any longer, I will make your first your last," she threatened vaguely.

"Hey," Leia murmured. "Not fair to me."

Winter gave her a sharp look, and Leia sighed, her hand coming to a stop at Han's waist. She tucked her fingers into his belt, pulling him close to her side, and looked around before finding her father's eyes. She felt a little shy, for a moment – the last time she had told all the people who really mattered, things had gone so wrong –

"For heaven's sake, what do all of you know that I do not?" Rouge asked, throwing her hands up.

Leia started laughing, taking pity on her.

"Aunt Rouge," she said, shifting her gaze to her. She tilted her head. "Han and I are having a baby."

Rouge gave her a wide-eyed look, and there was a split moment of silence before Winter gave a dramatic, deadpan gasp.

"You are?" she exclaimed.

Bail took a step forward, making a show of shaking his head.

"It's about damn time," he swore, striding across the room to Han. "You know how long I've had to act like I didn't have a clue?"

"Act?" Han snorted. "You don't have a clue, Viceroy."

Bail rolled his eyes, and took Han's hand, clasping it in a firm grip. He turned to the side and gave Leia a stern, paternal look, narrowing his eyes.

"You sure took your time, Lelila," he informed her.

She took a deep breath, and lifted her arms to hug him as he released Han and leaned closer to her.

"Superstitious," she whispered, accepting his kiss on her forehead, and squeezing his shoulders. "Nerves. You understand."

He nodded; that he certainly understood well. Pooja clapped her hands, tilting her head back in relief.

"Ryoo is going to be so happy – all of them are, congratulations, Leia!" she said warmly.

"I told you, Tycho," Winter said loudly.

Rouge shook her head, placing a hand on her hip.

"And just how were all of you aware of all this?" she demanded. "I had no such inkling – are you really, Leia?" she asked, looking earnestly at her niece, and then she even looked at Han, her expression soft. "Han?"

Han put his hand over his heart.

"Would I lie to you, Aunt Rouge?"

"I expect you would, and likely have, but not about this," she smiled, and put a hand to her lips, beaming for a moment – before remembering she was the last to know, and turning a sharp look on her fellow guest.

"Force sensitive," Luke said, answering her first question.

Rouge's eyes flicked from person to person.

[Heightened olfactory senses,] Chewbacca warbled.

"Noticed she stopped drinking," Bail offered.

"Likewise," Winter offered.

"Winter told me that we figured it out," Tycho said seriously.

"Guessed," Pooja said flippantly. "Late mornings. My sister's been pregnant twice."

Rouge finally glared at Carlist, and he pointed accusingly at Leia.

"She told me."

Rouge raised her brows, and Han gave Leia a startled look. She flushed, pursing her lips.

"It was an accident," she hissed. "He – don't look at me like that, Han," she chastised primly, noting the incredulous, but amused, glint in his eye. "The only person I told outright was you, strictly speaking!"

He slid his hand up her back and to the side of her head, pulling her closer and bending down to kiss her temple. He rubbed her shoulder warmly, tucking his other hand into his pocket.

"No one was keepin' it from you, Rouge," Han offered gruffly, shrugging.

"They were keeping it from us," Winter grumbled. "Dragging out our speculation – I was starting to feel like one of the masses – "

Leia rolled her eyes.

"Well, it can't have been so very long," Rouge said, skeptical. She nodded at Leia. "She's hardly gained any weight."

"How far along are you?" Pooja ventured. "If you don't mind me asking."

Leia pursed her lips, sliding her arm around Han's waist.

"More than halfway, actually," she revealed quietly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

Pooja looked incredulous.

"You can't be!" she exclaimed, thrusting her hand out. "You don't look – Ryoo was so noticeable even in the first trimester!"

"Ryoo had twins," Luke said, turning his head slyly to Leia.

She laughed and shook her head.

"It's only one," she confirmed.

"You sure?" Tycho asked. "I've heard stories of surprises. Sometimes they hide."

Leia smirked.

"They can't hide from me," she said smartly. She pointed to her temple. "I can do one better than eyes in the back of my head. I've got eyes in their minds."

Luke laughed.

"More than halfway," repeated Bail, surprised. "I was trying to keep track – well, I suppose I don't know how far you were when you told Han," he trailed off, thinking to himself.

"My wife didn't show hardly at all with our first," Carlist offered. "She was tiny."

Bail glanced over at him, and said nothing. He couldn't remember…Breha had rarely made it halfway.

"I suppose you've also been wearing flowy clothing, to disguise what is there," Rouge murmured. "I thought you had just taken a fancy to a more feminine style of late – "

"You're the only one," Winter snorted. "The Media just decided it was confirmation she was pregnant."

"And hiding it," Pooja added with a grin.

Han looked down at her, and then around the room, arranging his face in a frown.

"You really can't tell? I think it's real noticeable," he said, deadpan. Rouge gave him an appalled look, and Leia arched an eyebrow, turning her head slowly to glare at him. Han went on, blinking innocently: "Then, I reckon, you don't see the bits where it's most noticeable – "

Leia shoved her elbow into his ribs, shutting him up. He grinned, gloating smugly at the annoyed look on Bail's face. Winter gave a short, approving laugh, tilting her head back to look at Han.

"I get it. Breast joke."

"Thank you, Winter," Bail said loudly.

Winter wiggled her eyebrows at Leia. Rouge, busy giving Han such a pinched look it was entirely possible her features would just utterly disappear, pursed her lips and made a disturbed noise with her tongue, her shoulders tense.

"You can't possibly still be," she began, scandalized, lifting her hand delicately. "Well," she said crisply, apparently for lack of a better euphemism.

Winter sat forward sharply, her eyes wide, giving Rouge a piercing, incredulous stare. Her mouth fell open.

"Sith spit," she swore, shaking her head in disbelief and then shooting looks at everyone with drawn out glee. "You think – she thought," she said, settling her gaze on Leia, "you'd be celibate for forty weeks."

Han gave Rouge a long-suffering look.

"I'm not hurtin' her," he protested.

"Winter," Rouge snapped tersely. "The histrionics are a little much – it is not uncommon, among aristocrats, to refrain – too much excitement, you know – "

"Even fragile women aren't that fragile," Pooja snorted.

"Rouge," Leia said placidly. "You needn't worry. Han isn't 'exciting' me too much in the bedroom."

"Yeah," Han. "I'm not – wait," he broke off, frowning, and turned, looking down at her suspiciously. "I'm not?!"

Winter cackled. Leia suppressed a grin, shooting Han a placating look through her lashes – she was just teasing him. A little flirtation never hurt –

"Oh, you blow my mind, dear," she patronized.

"You guys have got to stop," Luke ordered. "Carlist is going to die of shame."

Rieekan was indeed a curious shade of magenta, and Chewbacca snickered at him, folding his arms. Humans were such – prudes. Han reached up and tugged on the end of Leia's braid gently, scowling at her. She leaned over and kissed his forearm lightly, resting her head on his arm.

"Damn glad you ended up with me, aren't ya?" Han asked pointedly. "Things'd be pretty boring if you had to keep givin' up sex."

"I am never going to get used to this sort of vulgar repartee in the drawing room," Rouge sniffed helplessly. "Honestly, Leia."

"Me?" Leia protested. "I am not the only culprit."

[Cub – Lady Organa, what is this nonsense?] Chewbacca warbled. [What do the men do if they are not allowed to be affectionate with their mates for the whole gestation?]

Winter, who had picked up Shriywook alarmingly quickly from merely being around Chewie, translated:

"He asked how the aristocratic men amused their poor, hard-up selves."

"Oh," Rouge said mildly. "They cheat."

She answered, at the same time Bail, and Carlist, also responded – grimly – "They cheat."

"It went unspoken," Bail said bitterly. "It's old tradition – er, old – behavior," he said dismissively. "I never did such a thing."

"Except when you were off knocking up my aunt to get yourself a bastard heir," Pooja said seriously.

Bail rolled his eyes at the memory of the stale rumor.

Han let his hand slide off Leia, holding it up.

"Hang on," he said loudly. "They cheat?" he repeated. "On their wives?"

Leia looked over at him, finding herself quite taken with how offended he was – not that she expected anything less. Rouge gave a protracted sigh, a sour look on her face.

"It's still in practice, across various social constructs," she said. "Especially Elder Houses."

"Arranged marriages," Tycho said abruptly. "Less feeling involved, usually."

Han shook his head, waving his hand harshly.

"I don't care – runnin' around on someone who's pregnant with your kid?" he shot a suspicious look at Rouge. "You think I'd do that to Leia? You'd turn the other cheek?"

Rouge blinked.

"No, I do not think you would do that, at all, as it were," she said firmly, "And I would not." She paused, and narrowed her eyes at him. "I was worried you might go insane without the touch of a woman, since you cannot have one polite conversation without referencing carnal activity."

"Aww," Winter purred. "Aunt Rouge, that's so sweet."

Han looked unsure if he should be offended or honored, and he stared at her with a consternated expression. Then, he took it as it was – a compliment, an indication of Rouge's faith in him, and he snapped his fingers, pointing at her smugly.

"That's gettin' you the first glass of champagne," he said, nodding firmly. He folded his arms. "'Bout time for a toast, you think?" he asked.

His suggestion was met with raucous agreement, and Chewbacca took a step back, reaching out to ruffle Han's hair with a few more growls of congratulations, and then walk back with him to the kitchen to fetch things for a toast.

Luke looked up at Leia and nudged her leg, silently offering his seat on the couch. She shook her head, content on her perch, and he tilted his head at her, asking, silently – can I try…?

She shook her head a fraction, telling him to wait; Han still wasn't able to feel anything, and as she'd said before, she didn't think it was right for Luke to start connecting with the Force when Han didn't have that.

The gathering began to relax, after a moment – move around, offer their private congratulations to Leia.

"I'm so happy," Pooja said, giving her a quick, tight hug. "You'll be a wonderful mother. Do you mind if I tell the family? Or would you rather?" she asked.

Leia grasped her elbows.

"I'd like to tell Jobal and Ruwee," she said. "I planned on calling them a bit later tonight, if you'd like to stay and be there."

Pooja nodded eagerly, knowing her grandparents would be delighted. She beamed, and stepped aside so Rouge could lean in to kiss Leia's cheek, smiling proudly – and Tycho, and Winter, until Leia was face to face with her father again, and she folded her arms across her abdomen, and smiled softly.

"How far, really?" he asked quietly.

"Twenty-two weeks," Leia answered, a little apologetic. "We were enjoying having it to ourselves."

"There's no need to justify your privacy," her father said simply. "It occurred to me you might just never make an official announcement, and leave the world wondering."

Leia laughed.

"We might, still," she murmured. She looked down, and gathered the material of her stylishly loose shirt in her hands, pressing it behind her back and flattening against her skin. She nodded down at her abdomen. "It is noticeable, somewhat," she pointed out. "Several of my more tailored gowns stopped fitting."

She ran her fingers over the swell of her abdomen, and smiled, loosening the fabric again after a moment, and letting it fall.

"And how have you been feeling?" he asked earnestly.

Leia shrugged, tilted her head back and forth.

"Decent, for the most part. The nausea has started to subside."

Bail nodded. He clasped his hands in front of him, and grinned again, his eyes bright. He leaned closer, reached out to touch her under the chin, and lifted her head to him, looking at her intently.

"She would be beside herself with happiness for you," he said quietly. "Your mother."

Leia took a deep breath, and nodded. She knew – and she missed her mother infinitely more, wishing she had her around to help her adjust, and to teach her things only mothers knew. Her father winked at her, and released her chin, stepping back – in time to welcome Han's return with the freshly opened champagne.


Long after their guests had left, Leia stood in the doorway of the room that would soon be a nursery. The room she and Han had picked out months ago, just after they'd moved in. She tilted her head against the wall, and watched moonlight streaming through the window, and let herself think, until she heard Han on the staircase.

He pointedly tapped on the wall as he came closer to her, thus announcing his presence, and stepped up close, sliding his hand up her side, to her shoulder, and pressing a kiss to the back of her head.

"Chewie staying?" Leia murmured softly, her temple resting against the doorframe.

Han shook his head, nudging her ear gently with his nose.

"Falcon," he mumbled – and Leia gave a small shake of her head. Here, and in their old place, they had always reserved a room for Chewbacca, and yet it seemed old habits died hard for him. He so often preferred the comfort of his simple hammock on the ship.

Han pulled her hair back from her neck and kissed below her ear. Leia's leaned back against him, her eyes drifting up to the shadowbox full of arallute petals Han had hung on the wall a few weeks after they moved in. It was the only décor in the fledgling nursery so far, and it lingered on her mind.

"What if I'm not maternal enough?" Leia asked thoughtfully.

Han squeezed her arm, rubbing his nose gently against her shoulder. He tilted his head, looking at her profile, and furrowed his brow. He shifted his weight, lifting his chin a little.

"You're maternal," he retorted.

"Mmmhmm, yes," Leia murmured wryly. "That's what they used to call me, in the Rebellion. Old maternal Princess. Whispered it behind my back."

Han snorted, well aware of the things she'd been called behind her back. Leia feigned confusion.

"Oh wait, that wasn't it."

Han squeezed her shoulder again. He turned his head, kissed her cheek, and wrapped his arm around her chest, hugging her back against him. He rested his temple against hers, following her gaze to the shadowbox.

"You had a hard time with that loss, Leia," he said quietly. "You got plenty of those feelings."

She sighed.

"Yes, but what if I'm not maternal enough," she protested. She didn't sound anxious, just curious, and Han hesitated, resting his chin on her shoulder lightly.

"What's 'enough?'" he asked, quoting her. "You're takin' care of yourself. Doin' stuff you're s'pose to," he said. "What else're you s'pose to do, right now?"

"Oh, I don't know," Leia said, with a shrug. She gestured forward, biting her lip, and shook him loose a little, stepping forward. She looked around the room, and turned to face him. "Nest more?" she asked.

She drifted towards the window seat – her favorite part about this room – and crossed her arms, clasping her elbows in her palms.

"The way you did, with the bunks on the Falcon, and the leather?" she tilted her head back, gazing at the smooth ceiling. "Decorate the nursery," she murmured, looking back down. "Its so empty," she said, taking a slow seat on the window cushions, "and yet…we're half-way there."

Han nodded. He stood in the doorway, watching her.

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. He tilted his head. "Feels like a long way off," he said warily. "'Cept – "

"Way too soon, all at once?" Leia finished for him.

He grinned at her; happy she'd finished his thought. She shrugged a little, cocking her eyebrow.

"It's maddening, like that. I suppose."

Han smirked, and pushed away from the wall. He walked around for a minute, slowly, rubbing his jaw, and then stopped opposite her, nodding.

"Okay," he said seriously. "You got ideas about how you want it to look in here?" he asked.

Leia lifted her hand.

"I want the crib in that corner," she murmured immediately. "Malla reached out, she wants to send a carved carousal," Leia mimicked the motions of a mobile, and then turned a little. "A lullaby chair, over here, I think, and then – open space, in the middle of the room," she went on.

She frowned, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"I guess we'll have to decide if this will stay the nursery, or if it will belong to," she trailed off, pointing to her abdomen. "This one," she mumbled slowly. She arched her brows, and Han put his hands on his hips, giving her a smug look. "Ahhh," she murmured, blushing.

"Yeah, see?" Han said, strolling forward. "You got instincts," he said. "You're thinkin' about it." He reached out to touch her shoulders, bending forward to kiss her forehead, and then stepping to the side, and sitting down next to her.

He slid from the window seat on to the floor, slipping his arm around her leg, and running his knuckles over her shin soothingly. He tilted his head back so he could rest it on the cushion, and look up at her.

"It's just nerves, Sweetheart," he said quietly. "You can shake some of 'em off, now."

She reached over to stroke his hair back and nodded, smiling faintly.

"Maybe it's that the idea of buying all the stuff we need, and setting it all up, makes it so much more," she tugged on his hair a little, looking for the word. "Real. Normal. Human."

"Hmm. I hope we have a human one," Han said seriously.

She poked his head, and her shoulders relaxed. She smiled, biting her lip and looking down at him curiously. He smirked a little, looking down at his palm. He rubbed it tensely, taking a deep breath.

"It all feels surreal," he said, shrugging. "You know?"

She nodded again.

He looked back up.

"Aren't you gonna have a gathering thing?" he asked. He gestured around. "People give you stuff for this?"

Leia looked taken aback, and appalled for a moment, and Han raised his eyebrows, unsure what he'd said. She blinked, and then composed her expression, pressing her lips together.

"That – no," she murmured. "I won't have a shower. That's a…tradition that's rooted in helping new parents offset the financial burden of having a baby," she said. "I never knew a single woman who had something like that, not in my social class," she explained. "It would be…incredibly uncouth to have a shower with the riches we have."

Han blinked.

"Uh," he said. "Yeah, I get that, I guess. The whole thing though, it's kind of," he shrugged. "Y'know, a right?"

"I can still have a celebration without their being gifts involved," Leia said simply. She tilted her head. "The amount of diplomatic gifts I'll receive will blow your mind," she added dryly.

Han wrinkled his nose, and Leia nodded solemnly. She suspected they would start coming in as soon as it was public knowledge she was expecting. Most aristocrats, and obsequious politicians, were quick with gifts – it was a status identifier.

Leia combed his hair with her fingers a little more.

"You'll have to handwrite a thank you note, to each dignitary," she said seriously.

"Me?"

"Well I'll have just had a baby; you couldn't possibly expect me to do it," she retorted, fluttering her lashes.

Han squinted his eyes, trying to decide how to respond to that without putting his foot in his mouth. Leia laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Relax, Han. Tavska will write them. I'll sign personally, that's all," she said.

Han did visibly relax. He turned his head and kissed her knee gratefully, shaking his head.

"Good," he said, deadpan. "I don't even know how to write."

"Hush," Leia said, digging her toe into him. "You're smarter than you let anyone know."

Han grinned smugly. He rested his temple against her knee, and furrowed his brow, thinking about the evening. It had been full of happiness and good cheer and – a lot of Rouge's typical comments, and some interesting bits about Alderaanian tradition.

"You really think we need a nanny? Or somethin'?" he asked.

Leia sighed uncertainly.

"I want to say no," she said. "I want to do it ourselves. Just us," she murmured. "But I…think…we have the resources to seek help, and we might need it. With my work, and – "

"I'm gonna be at home, though – "

"Yes, but you have to have your own adult time sometimes," she said. "I'd need it, if our roles were more – usual."

Han grunted warily.

"And you think me and Rouge should vet people…together," he muttered.

Leia laughed.

"That's one thing we can give Rouge," she murmured. "I already told her no ostentatious public christening, no titles will be bestowed, and so on," she listed. "She knows how to read people, to get a trusted employee," Leia assured him. "And I trust you to do that, too," she added. "Especially you."

Han gave another skeptical grunt.

"S'it really a thing for men to be nannies on Alderaan?" he asked, frowning. "Not that I think it's weird –" he started hastily.

Leia laughed a little.

"Not so much for infants. Infants need nurses; Alderaan usually surrounded infants with women," she said. "However, there was an overarching belief that men didn't have innate instincts like women. That they needed – training. So, yes, a lot of young men did stints as au pairs."

Han ran his hand over her leg a little slower, thinking about it. There certainly seemed to be a lot more out there about assuming women had maternal instincts than assuming men had paternal ones. He rolled his head from side to side nervously, chewing on the inside of his lip.

"Alderaan was a near perfect society, Han, but it was still human," Leia murmured softly. "Pedestalism," she reminded him. "Over-sanctification of women, in some respects."

Her hand stilled in his hair, and she let it fall to his shoulder, frowning to herself. Han tapped on her leg lightly, looking up at her again.

"Do you think Carlist did that?" he asked.

"Yes," Leia answered immediately. "He was a caretaker for my Antilles cousins, for two years before he joined the Palace Guard," she said. "There's a reason he's known me all my life."

Han grinned.

"So 'cause you Alderaanians were so equal, men got all kinds of pre-fatherhood training, and women were just s'pose to know?" He snorted. "That ain't fair."

"Hmmm," Leia murmured.

Han kissed her knee again.

"You know plenty, Leia," he said. "You don't need to worry about a damn thing."

She looked down at him, and smiled. She shifted, and moved off the window seat, settling down next to him on the floor. She looped her arm through his, and rested her head on his shoulder, looking around the empty room.

"I thought blue might be a nice colour for the walls," she said. "That kind of light shade, that's maybe sort of violet – "

"Periwinkle?" Han supplied seriously. "Like that gown you wore to Luke's retirement."

Leia compressed her lips, smirking.

"Yes, Han," she said. "Periwinkle," she quoted, snickering.

"Don't make fun of me," Han said, nudging her stubbornly. "I hear a lot of your discussions with Tavska. And Rouge. And Winter."

"Well, stop eavesdropping, and I might not make fun of you for correctly identifying periwinkle."

Han draped his arm around her shoulder and then wriggled it down her back to her waist, his fingers brushing her ribs.

"Okay," he agreed. "That colour's good for me – want to talk about names?"

Leia hesitated.

"Well, I," she began.

"You got one picked out, don't you?"

"No," she said honestly. She let out a breath. "Sola told me that it's very uncommon on Naboo for anyone to name a child before it's born. That it's considered bad luck. Just a superstition," she said hastily, not wanting him to think she utterly believed it. "Father told Luke that Padmé named us after she saw us, so," she trailed off for a moment. "I was thinking we might…wait?" she offered.

She turned to look at him intently.

"If that's okay with you," she added. "We don't have to stress about it."

"What if," Han began dramatically, "we can't agree, and we get in a big shouting match in the delivery room?"

Leia laughed.

"Typical Han and Leia?"

Han snorted.

"We'll give someone a tie-breaker vote," she said flippantly.

"Who?" Han prompted. "Not your father," he warned, tickling her ribs. "He'll pick something ridiculous. Like Bail."

"Han," Leia reprimanded prudently.

"'Less you want to name it Bail," Han muttered.

"I don't."

He pretended to be extremely relieved, and she rolled her eyes.

"Winter," she suggested. "Winter – "

"Is a worse prankster than Wedge Antilles," Han said, eyes wide. "Luke," he told her firmly. "If there's someone breakin' a tie, it's Luke."

Laughing again, Leia nodded.

"But we're not talking about names," she reminded him.

"Right – bad luck."

"Or something like it," Leia murmured.

"And we're not gonna find out what it is," Han added, giving her a suspicious look.

Leia compressed her lips primly.

"It doesn't matter to us. Health matters," she reminded him.

"Yeah," Han agreed, narrowing his eyes. "You know, don't you?"

She shook her head, and took his hand firmly, lacing her fingers into his and pressing it tight against her abdomen.

"Han, I swear, I don't know," she promised. "I don't know if it will come to me, or if that's something the baby doesn't understand at all, and Dr. Mellis would have to tell us," she said softly. "It really doesn't matter," she murmured. "Right?"

"'Course not," Han said hastily. He shrugged. "I just like knowin' things."

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, so do you!"

Leia shrugged a little. She rested her head on his arm again, thinking about her own preferences – did she have one? She wasn't sure. Given her cultural background, she was trained to want a girl; Alderaan always wanted little girls. They were the heiresses and they were the guardians of bloodlines, because a woman always knew if she had given birth to a child. With men – paternity could always be uncertain.

Part of her wanted a girl. She knew she'd find it easier to relate to a girl throughout the years, even if her own adolescence had been unconventional. Part of her, though, feared the same abuses being visited on any daughter of hers, and wanted, instead, to have the chance to raise better men.

"I think," she started hesitantly. She squeezed Han's hand. "I thought…the first one might have been a boy," she murmured. "I don't know if I knew, or if I was being…I don't know."

Han pulled her a little closer, nodding silently. It was hard not to think of the miscarriage, even in the happiest little moments now. It didn't necessarily dampen the excitement, either; it was just nostalgic. Old pain that had long since been coped with, and settled into the right places in the heart – where it was remembered, but not dwelled upon.

"How much time you think you're going to take?" Han murmured.

He pressed his hand against her ribs gently, fingers splaying over her abdomen.

Leia hummed to herself thoughtfully.

"Tavska technically isn't appraised, though as I've said, she's not stupid," she snorted. "I'll talk it over with Mon and Father – since he'll be my stand in," she said.

"Really?" Han asked. "Not Evaan?"

"No," Leia murmured. "Evaan's Alderaan's senate representative. She doesn't stand in for my duties as Ambassador."

"I suppose I could…ask Solo and Jobal and Ryoo how much time they think is wise," she went on. "My mother," she shrugged. "Well, I don't think she 'took time,' in the traditional sense. Palace full of aides, nurses, servants – and she had a planet to rule."

"You're takin' time, Leia," Han said sternly. "You need it. Hell, we – "

"Of course I'm taking it," she interrupted. "I don't expect either of us to be alone with a brand new baby right away," she added, eyes widening. "To start, I think I'll block off twenty weeks of complete maternity leave. Jury is still out on whether or not I'll be able to stay away," she finished, snorting.

"What if you want more than that?" Han asked anxiously.

"Then I'll take more," she placated. "But I'd like to save the time for if I need it later."

Intergalactic standards required at minimum one year of paid parental leave be afforded to each parent. There was no mandate that stated it all had to be taken at once, nor did it expire.

Han nodded.

"Just don't want you to stress yourself out too much," he mumbled. "Yeah, we gotta take care of the baby and learn that stuff but you're gonna have to recover, too."

Leia ran her hand over his gently.

"I appreciate that, Han," she said.

"I read stuff," Han said gruffly. "That time off can't just be about bein' a mom. S'gotta be about you feelin' better, too. Like yourself."

Leia giggled softly.

"I love you so much," she whispered, pressing her nose against his cheek.

Han smirked.

Leia shifted, stretching her legs out in front of her, and took his hand, running her thumb against the palm for a moment. She pulled it forward and tucked it against her abdomen, moving her shirt so his bare skin was against hers. She waited for a moment, tilting her head, and then looked over at him intently.

Han looked down, raising his eyebrows.

"Feel that?" she asked earnestly, biting the inside of her lip. She hoped he could – it had been driving her crazy that he kept having to wait, and wait, and wait –

Han leaned forward a little, and nodded eagerly, reaching out with his other hand. He placed it next to theirs on her abdomen, staring intently, and then looked up, and grinned.

"Leia," he said, swallowing hard. He shook his head a little, awestruck. "That's unbelievable."

She nodded in agreement, smiling.

"You feel that all the time?" he asked.

She nodded again, and Han lunged at her, still grinning, attacking her with kisses. She squeaked in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him take her gingerly to the floor, tossing her head as she tried to remain dignified – "Han! You can't maul me in the baby's room – "

Han mumbled something incoherent against her neck, and she closed her eyes, dissolving into laughter again – she figured they had a few minutes before Zozy heard them roughhousing and came to investigate. And that, she knew, was just a precursor to all the interruptions they'd face when they actually had the baby.


-alexandra