AN: Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed! I appreciate it very much and hope to be able to respond to you tomorrow or Thursday. To all the guest reviewers that I can't respond to, thank you very much for writing to me! To everyone who wonders when they're going to kiss...well, we're sticking true to the format of the OT and this is pre-ESB...we've got a ways to go yet! Stick with me though-I'll make it worth your while!

Exiting new things are coming to Falcon Ranch today! I hope you enjoy, and I'd love it if you left me a review at the end!

Chapter 7

The Newest Member

Sarah had taught Leia to knit, and she was practicing the craft by knitting a scarf in the flickering firelight the Friday evening following Han's return from the cattle drive. He was checking over the new holsteins, three of which were ready to calve.

Luke, CP, and Chewie were spending the evening in town, celebrating their payday and a successful cattle drive.

"One of the girls decided to drop her calf tonight," Han announced.

"Oh dear...when the hands are in town, too," Leia added. "Will you need my help?" she asked.

Han thought for a moment. "Probably not, but you never know. I wouldn't mind the company out in the shed," he said. Leia nodded and set her knitting aside, extinguishing the lamp to save precious kerosene.

Leia took her shawl and apron from the hook and followed Han out the cabin door. He had a small tin lantern in his hand lit with a tallow candle, and dim light shone through the circular design punched on the shade and chimney. Tiny dots of light jumped around on the grass in front of them, mixing with the flashing lights of the fireflies.

After their giddy reunion and financial success earlier in the week, Leia somehow felt closer to Han, felt like things were finally working out between them. She wasn't ready yet to give herself over to him fully, but she no longer felt the need to shut him out for fear of him leaving.

As they approached Yavin Ridge, Han took her by the elbow and guided her down the gentle grade, and he didn't let go even when the ground leveled out and dim light from the lanterns in the cattle shed became visible.

The massive doors that swung open to the South Pasture were barred shut, and the small herd of cows that Han had for the winter were sleeping or standing lazily in the pen that took up much of the room. The hayloft was at the far end, with a few individual stalls underneath. It was from one of these stalls that Leia could hear a cow pacing and grunting uncomfortably.

"She must be close," Leia commented.

"Gettin' there," Han agreed, leading them down the narrow space between the shed wall and the pen fencing. He hung the lantern on a peg that protruded from a support beam and leaned against the fence. Leia leaned up alongside of him. "Hiya, Gertie," he greeted. "She's got another hour or so, I'd say."

"I've never seen anything being born," Leia admitted. "Aside from the chicks that hatched a few months ago."

"It's somethin' to see," he assured her. "It ain't pretty, exactly, but when it goes right, it can be...special, I guess."

They were silent for a bit, watching the cow pace uncomfortably. Han pushed himself up over the fence, dropping carefully into the straw on the opposite side of the fence. He checked Gertie over, rubbing her nose gently and comfortingly. Leia leaned against the rail, crossing her arms casually as she peeked in at the expectant mother.

"Just a little while more," he soothed quietly in the low, gentle tone of voice he took on when working with his animals. Leia could have sworn that Gertie calmed at his voice, despite her obvious discomfort.

Han leaned into the corner of the stall and propped one hand on the fence rail, one hand falling dangerously close to Leia's.

"You never saw a baby bein' born? Naw, I guess there never woulda been call for that sorta thing," he quickly corrected.

"Right. There were always midwives, and I had no siblings or cousins," Leia confirmed. "Have you seen the birth of a baby—other than a farm animal?" she asked. Han's features grew a bit darker and she wondered if she'd hit a nerve. He cleared his throat after a moment, and scraped his hand over his jaw.

"Yeah, once. Long time ago. My maw. I was…'bout twelve. My pa was out plowin' fields when the baby started comin' way too fast. There wasn't much I could do, and...ah, well," he paused momentarily, his voice tight and low. Leia reached out and put her hand over his. "She was gone real quick. And the baby...her too," Han finished.

"Han...I didn't know. I'm sorry," Leia whispered.

"T'salright. It was a long time ago," he placated. "Got a lot smarter since then. Lot tougher, too." His hand clasped around hers.

"I...I was born in an orphanage," Leia said, feeling she needed to give up one of her own closely-held secrets in exchange for the information he'd just given.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Well, I don't, I suppose. But my parents adopted me when I was still very, very young—less than a month old. They adopted me from an orphan train. The documentation they received with me said my mother had died in childbirth. I suppose that doesn't mean I was born at the orphanage, but I must have been born nearby, for them to have found me so quickly," Leia presumed.

"Guess that makes sense," Han reasoned. Gertie mooed loudly and they both chuckled. "Just a little while longer," he soothed, gently running his hand over the cow's swollen side. "Quick, put your hand right along here," Han said, gesturing to the velvety skin of the cow near her back leg. Leia stepped up onto one of the fence beams and put her hand alongside Han's.

"Is that the calf?" she asked, feeling movement beneath her palm.

"Sure is. He's a jumpy little feller already," Han teased.

"What if she's a girl?" Leia asked playfully.

"Could be, I guess. If she's a girl, she'll probably have big brown eyes like her momma," Han said with a wink. Their hands brushed, and Leia smiled gently as the calf moved beneath their palms. "Don't think we'll have to wait too much longer to find out."

"If it's a boy, will you sell it with the rest of the cattle in the fall?" Leia asked.

"He probably won't be big enough, and you don't get much for Holsteins. If he's a good, strong boy, he'll probably be used as a stud. If she's a girl, we'll keep her for milking," Han explained.

"Oh, good. I might get attached to the first thing I ever see come into this world, and I'd hate to think it would be headed off to the stockyards in nine months."

Han chuckled. "I think this little one will be on Falcon Ranch for a very long time," Han promised. "Speaking of which, here he comes now."

Very soon, the little calf was lying beside its mother in the straw being licked clean, squeaking in its attempt to moo.

"You turned off from farm life after watching that?" Han teased, kneeling down beside the mother and baby. He looked carefully over the calf as Gertie finished cleaning it.

"On the contrary. I thought that was quite magnificent. I can see why it's called 'the miracle of birth,'" she said.

"Yep," Han agreed, pulling the calf into his lap. "Let's see here...looks like we got a girl. What should we call her?" he asked, looking down into her dark eyes.

"Squeaker seems appropriate," Leia giggled as the little spotted calf wriggled and squeaked in Han's arms.

"Sounds alright to me. What about you, little lady?" Han asked, rubbing the calf's ears. She squealed happily and flopped herself onto the floor.

"I'd say she likes it."

"She sure does. I know something you'll like even better, Squeaker. Gertie's got some supper for you full a' good stuff to help your moo come in good and strong," he coaxed, pushing the calf towards Gertie's udders.

It took a few moments of fumbling, but she was soon suckling greedily while Gertie looked lovingly at her calf.

"You'll have to think up a few other names," Han mentioned, picking himself up off the ground and dusting the straw off his pants. "I'd be surprised if Ella hadn't had her calf by Sunday night, and Maisie, too. Maisie's got twins, I'm almost sure."

"How exciting."

Han climbed over the gate and took the lantern off the peg.

"I'll be back in the morning, girls," Han promised the cows as they left the new little family in peace.

"They'll be alright overnight?" Leia asked.

"Yeah. She didn't reject the calf, and she's eatin', so they'll be fine 'til chores," he assured her. He offered his arm and Leia wound her hand through, snuggling closer against the chilly night air.

She liked the feel of Han's muscular arm beneath her hand and against her cheek. The smell of straw lingered on his clothes and the image of him cradling the little calf floated through her mind, and along with it, what he might look like with her baby in his arms...