Both sat looking anywhere but at each other. Like two teenagers on their first date, neither wanted to make the first move. The fear of laying everything out bare, only to be rejected, was palpable. For two people who so frequently spoke their minds without holding back, this reluctance was something new entirely.

Han cleared his throat and spoke first, "So, where do you want to start?"

Leia, as if a switch had been flipped, turned all business like as she spoke, "Let's start at the very beginning, and look at this logically."

Her emotionless tone immediately riled Han up. Typical, she's gonna treat this like a kriffing meeting. Does she ever let herself feel anything?

Leia continued to speak, unaware of Hans irritation, "So, at some point in the future we have children together. Now, considering the advancements in science, I think we could assume-

I can't believe she is going there, as if this is some business transaction and not our lives. She's clearly grasping at straws to avoid facing up to the fact that we end up together. She can't have found out that we get married yet. Well, I'm not telling her until she starts to admit this is affecting her as much as it is me. This facade has to weaken at some point.

Han, deciding he had listened to enough of her evasion, interrupted her, "No need to assume, sweetheart."

"Excuse me?" Leia looked genuinely puzzled.

This should get her going, "I'm pretty sure we had sex. In fact, I'm positive. I see no reason why we would do it any other way."

Han watched as Leia opened and closed her mouth a few times, no sound ever escaped. There we go, a bit of emotion; much better than the droid act she was pulling. He had been about to add, "Not when we are married," onto the end, but couldn't resist pushing her a bit further. Before letting her find the words, he carried on, intent of finding out just how far he could go with it.

"I'm also positive it would be great, the best, even."

Leia's face evolved from shock to anger. This only spurred Han on. "I bet I have you moaning my name every night, begging me for more. Leia, the things I could do to you would wipe the memory of anyone else from your mind." He leered at her as his spoke, for a little extra irritation.

She didn't take the bait however, and responded, albeit in a shaky voice, with, "You seem overly confident. If I was you, I'd-"

Nope, still not good enough, "Just think of all the positions we could try. Our sweaty, naked bodies sliding against each other. I can just imagine the feel of your hot mouth on-"

"STOP IT! Han, stop it. Stop it!" Her words seemed to blend together. Instead of looking indignant, as she had looked a minute ago, she now looked scared. Han had made her lose her composure. Although his ultimate goal, he found he couldn't take pleasure from it. Not when she looked that distraught.

Well, that's not the reaction I was hoping for! I wanted to get some emotion from her. Anger, I would have expected, not fear. Why is she scared, do I repulse her?

"Does the thought of sleeping with me offend you that much? I know you're probably used to being with fancy princes and posh nobles, but I can guarantee you, they will pale in comparison!"

"How dare you assume that I've... I haven't even..." Leia stopped, her sentence didn't need finishing. They both knew how it ended.

Han felt appalling. He'd wanted her to confront her emotions so badly, to be honest with him and herself. If she could be honest, then he would feel more comfortable sharing his thoughts and feelings. The way she had started talking sounded so pragmatic, as though they were discussing a supply run. Not talking about their future, their children.

As the silence hung thickly, Leia stood and started for the crew quarters, not once meeting Han's eyes.

"Leia, wait."

"I'm just going to the 'fresher, I'll be right back," her voice was quiet, defeated.

"I'll get us some caf." It wasn't much of a peace offering but it was something.


Han dragged himself from the bench and made his way to the galley. Selecting two cups, he started the water boiling. Staring at the work top, he couldn't quite believe how the conversation had gone so wrong. We are supposed to be helping each other through this, not getting at each other. Why do I act like a teenager around her?

Chewie lumbered in, asking if he could smell caf.

"Yeah, buddy. You want some?"

The Wookiee nodded his head in agreement, paused, and then asked what Han had done wrong.

"How do you...never mind. Chewie, I messed up. I pushed Leia too far, I upset her."

Chewbacca wanted to know how this was different from any other time.

"Well, I was trying to wind her up, get her to show some emotion. I was teasing her about how much great sex we were going to have, it turns out she's as pure as the snow outside. I don't get it though, I taunt her about it all the time and she always gives as good as she gets. I figured from her age she would be inexperienced, but not completely innocent."

Chewie couldn't believe that Han couldn't see what was going on, and set about trying to explain. [Leia has never had sex, nor has she been pregnant and given birth, yet she has three children. She's being confronted with the aftermath of three very physical situations without experiencing them for herself. Three things, that when experienced for the first time, can be pretty traumatic.]

Han didn't say a word as he made the drinks. He understood what Chewie meant and felt ashamed he'd not thought of that aspect. Poor girl's probably terrified, and I've just made it ten times worse.


Chewie had agreed to go back to his cabin and give Han and Leia some privacy. Carrying the cups of steaming liquid back to the table, Han noticed Leia was already seated. She nervously fidgeted, wiping imaginary dust off the seat.

Han handed her the cup, which she accepted with a small smile. That was all the encouragement Han needed, "I'm so sorry, Leia. I was being a barve."

"Yes, you were."

"I just wanted to get you to open up; you were starting to talk like we were in a briefing."

"Do you know why that it is, Han? I'm scared, okay? It's the only way I can deal with this. Also, why couldn't you have just said that instead of humiliating me?"

"I wasn't trying to humiliate you, Leia, I thought I was just winding you up, I didn't know..." Han paused; they would go round in circles avoiding the issue. We need to focus otherwise we're not going to get anywhere. "Look, we can't avoid this, the more we put it off, the harder it's going to be. I'm not saying this is going to be easy, but we are in this together. You don't have to be scared alone. We can be scared together."

Leia didn't speak for a while. Han figured she was trying to decide whether to actually trust him. After he had just been so insensitive he couldn't blame her for doubting him. When she did finally speak again, Han released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"Okay, but you don't need to patronise me by pretending to be scared, too."

"You're right, Leia, I'm not scared..." He waited until her eyes locked on his, "I'm bloody terrified!"

After holding his gaze for a while, she spoke, "Tell me." It was a plea. In that moment, Han realised that she needed just as much reassurance as he did. The appeal in her eyes compelled him to spill his heart.

"I'm scared of loving them, only to lose them. I'm scared of waking up alone tomorrow, having dreamed the whole thing. I don't think I can stand the thought of not having this future now. And, I'm...I'm scared-"

"Go on," Leia's voice was soft, encouraging.

Han swallowed his pride. I've got this far, "I'm scared you don't feel the same way."


Leia let a small, affectionate smile slide across her face. I knew he had a heart under all the cold cynicism and arrogant, credits-are-all-I-care-about attitude.

Han instantly misread her expression, "Laugh it up, Princess! You really are as cold-"

"Hey, I'm smiling because I'm relieved! But, if you want to finish that sentence, go ahead." Usually, she would have pushed him for what he had been about to say and a verbal battle would have ensued. Leia was just too relieved to care right now.

"Oh, no, it wasn't that interesting anyway." Han rushed, before continuing, "You're relieved?"

"That we feel the same way. I was worried this wouldn't be affecting you as much as it is me."

Han's tone turned serious, almost hesitant, "Leia, before we go any further, I think you should know something the boys told me," Leia found that she liked the way Han said, the boys. It had a familial sound to it.

Without a word from Leia, Han carried on, "Well, they have a toy Falcon, but there are other modifications on her, so I was asking about them. It's weird that they know things about my ship that I don't. Also, the sensor dish is missing, but that's because-"

"Han."

"Yes?"

"Stop stalling."

"Sorry. There's a modification that you bought me as a gift...a wedding gift."

We get married.

"Leia?"

I marry Han Solo.

"Hey, Princess?"

I marry Han Solo, and we have three beautiful children...but I don't deserve it.

"Look, I know this is a massive disappointment to you, but could you please just say something?"

"No, I'm not disappointed; I'm just having a hard time trying to imagine us together."

Leia could see Han's mental struggle; a lewd joke would have been his usual response here. She appreciated his effort to hold it back, after her earlier embarrassment.

"I know. It's kind of strange being told you are going to fall in love with someone before it's happened." Han recovered nicely.

"I can't help but think that now that we know, things will change. How does someone spontaneously fall in love when they know it's going to happen?"

"Maybe the future will turn out differently, anyway...but..." Han paused in realisation.

"The children, we wouldn't have the children." Leia finished. That thought tore at her heart. There was a long silence, both contemplating this seemingly unimaginable scenario.

Leia took a deep breath and continued, "I think we should just carry on as normal. Well, as normal as possible with our future offspring." She smiled, the past day and a half had definitely not been normal. "What I mean is, we may not fall in love or get married for years yet. There's no point trying to force something right now. If it's meant to be, I'm sure it will happen."

"That makes sense, a lot could have changed before we fell...um, fall in love." Han added.

Leia couldn't bring herself to admit that she was already regarding Han differently, assessing his potential as a husband and father. It was impossible not to. He's probably doing the same about me. I wonder how well I'm doing.

"The kids are something though, aren't they?" Han's deep voice broke Leia out of her reverie.

A wide smile appeared on Leia's features as a burst of pride erupted in her chest. Judging Han's expression, she knew he felt the same.

"I can't believe we have only known them a day and a half, yet..." Leia wasn't sure how to finish.

Han managed to sum it up perfectly, "It feels right. I keep telling myself not to get attached, but when I look at them, it just feels...right."

Although Han was also having a hard time articulating what he meant, Leia knew exactly where he was coming from. It was all so right. It was scary and so far beyond comprehension, but it was right.

"I feel the same, but I'm worried about how we are going to cope when they go back. Have they told you how long they are staying?" Leia was afraid of the answer.

"No, the thought has crossed my mind, too. I know they have to go back, it's where they belong. It doesn't make it any easier to think about, though. I reckon we should just ask them, it might make it easier, knowing how long we have with them."

"We don't even know why they're here. I've been so caught up with figuring out how to take care of them and their existence in general, that I never thought about why they are here." On some level, she was afraid to know. Were they still running from the Empire?

"I have to think that something bad is going on for this to be a better option." Han spoke gravely.

"My thoughts exactly, I wonder how much they have been told." They were only young, but fiercely intelligent and mature at times. I'd like to think I would be as honest as I could be with my children.

"Let's ask them in the morning, it can't do any harm." Han's straight forward attitude made Leia smile despite herself.

"Does Jaina look like you did as a child?" His sudden change of topic threw Leia. Plus, she didn't talk about her childhood on Alderaan. But Han looked so expectant, like he wanted to put together the pieces that made up this family.

Leia thought back, and decided to be honest, "Yes...but, I was a bit more..."

"More...what?" She could tell Han's curiosity was piqued.

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise,"

"Chubby,"

Han laughed...a lot. Leia's glare didn't even dissuade him.

"You promised, Han!" Leia spoke with mock annoyance.

"That was before I knew it would be so funny!" He laughed a bit more before continuing, "You were a fat kid!"

Indignant, Leia playfully punched him in the arm, "I was not fat! I was just a bit chubby. Hey, it wasn't easy growing up as a princess, being waited on hand and foot, with no-"

"Oh hell, Leia. It sounds so terrible!" He was laughing as he spoke, but it did make Leia realise how spoilt the start of that sentence sounded.

"If you had let me finish, I was going to say, having everything done for you and having no other children or siblings to play with doesn't allow for much physical exercise. Anyway, what about you? You said that Jacen looked like you, what about Anakin?"

"Jacen looks more like I did, except I was skinnier." There was a pause in which Leia didn't want to ask why Han was even skinnier than an already thin Jacen. "I think Anakin probably looks like a mix of both of us...well, without your chubbiness!"

"I'm so gonna regret telling you that!"

"Your Chubbiness, oh I like the sound of that! It's even better than Your Highnessness!"

"Han, don't you dare! You call me that, and I'll personally ensure you never have children." Leia quietened towards the end of the threat. Usually, that would be a pretty standard threat, but now it held no hilarity.

Leia's face gave away how much her own threat disturbed her. Han lightened the mood with a lewd joke; it was risky on his part, considering his earlier blunder.

"Nah, you would only end up depriving yourself!" But it did its job in lightening Leia's mood. It may have been the first one of his jokes she had ever honestly welcomed.

They shared a smile. I suppose I could do a lot worse than Han Solo.

"Okay, Han. I don't know about you but I'm pretty shattered. That snowball fight really took it out of me!"

As they stood to make their way to the crew cabin, Han touched Leia's arm, turning her to face him. "Listen, thank you for being honest, it really helps to know that we feel the same way. I was worried that you didn't feel -"

"Despite what people say, I'm not that cold." She smiled to reassure him that other people's perceptions didn't upset her and carried on, "It did feel good to talk about it, maybe we should sit down every night and talk about everything. I have a feeling this is going to get harder."

"Yeah. Listen, I really am sorry about earlier-"

"It's already forgotten, Han." Leia was lying, and she suspected he knew.