Chapter 7

Padmé arrived at home, Obi-Wan in tow, just after noon. She'd ventured into the city, something she hated doing normally, in order to make rather important purchase.

"Lunch is ready, Mistress Padmé," Threepio reported as she and Obi entered the foyer of the house.

"Good," she said, knowing her young son was hungry. "Please take Obi into the kitchen and get him started," she ordered the droid. "I'll be right back."

Obi went along with Threepio, telling the droid all about the sights he'd seen in the city, as Padmé headed upstairs to the fresher. She took the pregnancy test she'd bought out of her handbag and set it on the counter in her and Anakin's fresher, and for a moment simply stared at the package. As anxious as she was to know one way or the other, she was afraid to do the test. What if I'm pregnant?? How do I deal with another baby when Obi is such a handful? Padmé frowned, knowing that she needed to be strong and face whatever came; knowing that Anakin had accepted the possibility of another child made it easier to do so. Deciding to wait for Anakin to come home, Padmé left the test on the counter and went downstairs to see what Obi was up to.

Jedi Temple

"So how was your first day, Han?" Anakin asked as they met in the corridor outside the classrooms.

"Pretty good," Han replied, secretly relieved to have survived his first day of teaching Jedi padawans. "They're an active bunch, that's for sure."

Anakin nodded. "Yes they are," he agreed. "But at least you get to go home and have a break from them," he reminded him with a smile.

Han laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true," he replied. "Although right now I don't have a home to go to," he added.

"No? No luck apartment hunting?" Anakin asked.

"Yeah, I found something, but the place isn't available for another couple of weeks," Han explained. "So I'm living in hotels for the next two weeks."

Anakin frowned. "That sounds rather expensive," he replied. "We have a guest room in our house you can stay in until your apartment is available."

Han was surprised by Anakin's offer, but the thought of saving himself a small fortune in hotel bills was very appealing. "You sure it wouldn't be putting you out?" he asked.

"Not at all," Anakin replied. "Of course, I have seven children, so there would be no escape from younglings," he added with a smile.

Han laughed. "Hey, I love kids," he said. "So no problem there. Thanks a lot, sir. I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome," Anakin replied. "Now come on, you can help me gather up the kids."

Leia sat with her arms folded tightly over her chest all the way home. The fact that Han Solo was going to be teaching them things she felt they already knew was bad enough; but now he was coming to live with them. And that really stunk.

"So why he can't get a place of his own?" Leia asked her father.

Anakin sighed. "I told you why," he replied. "He can't get into his apartment for two more weeks."

"There are plenty of hotels," she retorted.

"Do you have any idea what that would cost him?" Luke put in. "I like Han. He's cool."

Leia frowned. "He's arrogant and annoying," she said. "And I can't believe he's going to be living in our house for two weeks."
Anakin said nothing in response. Luke, however, had no trouble speaking up.

"Leia, just get over it," he said. "If I didn't know better I'd think you like him," he added.

"Oh yeah, that's likely," Leia said, rolling her eyes.

"Leia likes Jami," Shmi blurted out.

Leia shot her sister a dirty look, which didn't go unnoticed by Anakin.

"I had a conversation with Remiko, by the way," Anakin told Leia.

She turned at once to look at him, almost afraid to ask. "Oh no," she said. "Please tell him me you didn't hurt him."

"Don't be absurd," Anakin replied. "I did give him an assignment, however," he told her.

Leia frowned. "What kind of….assignment?" she asked warily.

"I told him that if he wanted to date you he needed to prove himself worthy," Anakin replied as he made the final approach to the house.

"How?" she asked.

"By writing a three thousand word essay," Anakin replied.

Luke laughed. "Good one, Dad," he said.

Leia wasn't as amused. She said nothing, however, knowing she would be pushing her luck to do so. Instead she stared out the window, already composing the essay in her head that she would text to Jami as soon as she had the chance.

Padmé had just finished making dinner when the sound of her family returning home was heard in the front foyer. She felt a twinge of nervousness as she remembered the pregnancy test upstairs, and decided to put it off a little longer until dinner was over.

"Mommy!!" the youngest two children said as they ran into the kitchen to hug her. Soon she was surrounded with hugs as Ami and Ani threw their arms around her.

"Hello," she said, kissing each of them on top of the head. "How was your day?"

"Good!" they replied.

"Hi Mom, is dinner ready?" Qui-Gon asked, wandering into the kitchen next. He was followed closely by his twin, Shmi, who came and gave Padmé a hug.

"Yes it is," Padmé replied. "So go on upstairs and get washed up," she told them. "Shmi take Ani," she added as she carried a large platter into the dining room. As she entered the room, she was met by Anakin and a young man she didn't recognize.

"Hi Angel," Anakin said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and then taking the plate from her. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Han stepped over to meet the lady of the house as Padmé looked at him with curiosity.

"Padmé this is Han Solo," Anakin said. "He's the new instructor I told you about. Han, this is my wife, Padmé."

"Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Skywalker," Han said, holding out his hand.

"Same here," Padmé replied. "Will you join us for dinner?" she asked.

"Han's going to stay with us for a little while," Anakin told her. "His apartment isn't ready yet, and he needs a place to stay. I didn't think you'd mind," he concluded.

Even if Padmé had, she had too much class to say so. She smiled. "Not at all," she replied. "Welcome, Han."

"Thanks a lot," Han said. "I really appreciate this."

"Not at all," Padmé said as the children ran into the room, all talking at once. "Let's sit down kids," she said as they made their way to the table. She looked around, doing a brief head count and frowned when she saw that Leia was missing. "Where's Leia?" she asked Anakin.

Anakin looked around. "She came home with us," he said.

"She's upstairs pouting," Shmi reported as she sat down. "She's mad that Daddy's making Jami write that big essay."

"What essay is that?" Padmé asked as Anakin pulled out a chair for her.

"Just a little assignment I gave the boy," Anakin replied. "A way to help him prove himself worthy of dating Leia."

"Little?" Luke laughed. "Try three thousand words," he told his mother.

Padmé's eyes widened. "Three thousand words??" she asked. She looked at Anakin. "Tell me you weren't serious," she said.

"Of course I'm serious," Anakin replied. "This boy needs to prove himself, Padmé. If he makes an effort to do this, then he's worthy. If he can't be bothered, then he isn't."

Padmé shook her head at his draconian methods.

Han had to keep from laughing, pitying the poor boy who had dared to show interest in the daughter of Anakin Skywalker.

Later that evening

The youngest of the Skywalker children were in bed when Luke knocked on the guest room door.

"Come in," Han called.

Luke entered the room, noting that Han had stuff all over the place. He smiled, liking him more.
"All settled in?" he asked with a grin.

Han looked around. "Uh…not quite," he replied with a smile. "Have a seat," he said, removing a large pile of clothing from a chair.

"Thanks," Luke said, sitting down.

"You have a great family," Han said.

"Thanks," Luke replied.

"You're a lucky guy, Luke," Han continued. "I hope you know that."

"I do," Luke replied. "Leia and I didn't always have both our parents," he told him. "We didn't meet our dad until we were five," he told Han. "My mom though he was dead."

"No kidding," Han said. "It's hard to believe that your dad was once Darth Vader," he said.

Luke shrugged. "I guess," he said. "Darth Vader was never anything but a loving father to me," he explained.

Han smiled. "That's pretty cool," he said. "He was my hero when I was a kid," he said. "I remember hearing about his exploits in the Clone Wars."

"Yeah, I've read about them," Luke replied. "My dad's an amazing man, no doubt about it."

"You're lucky to have parents like yours," Han said. "My parents were both losers."

Luke frowned. "Really?"

Han nodded as he shoved some clothing into a drawer. "I took off when I was a little younger than you are," he explained. "I've been better off without them."

Luke didn't know how to reply to this, and said nothing. "Han, have you ever …liked a girl?" he asked.

Han looked at Luke. "Yeah, sure," he said. "Why do you ask? There somebody you want to set me up with?" he asked with a smile.

Luke laughed. "No, nothing like that," he replied.

"You like a girl?" Han asked.

Luke shrugged, and a blush came into his cheeks, telling Han that he was right.

"Who is she?" Han asked.

"Just a girl," Luke replied. "I can't talk to my dad about it," he said. "She's a padawan like me, and I think he'd disapprove."

Han nodded. "So why are you telling me?"

"I need some advice," Luke replied. "I have no idea how to even talk to this girl without making a total jack ass of myself."

Han laughed. "Somehow I don't think it would be like that, kid," he said. "You're a pretty confident guy."

"Most of the time," Luke agreed. "But not with her. I just get all tongue tied and end up babbling like an idiot."

Han nodded, thinking back to the class he'd taught earlier. "Is she in your class?" he asked.

Luke nodded.

Han rubbed his chin thoughtfully. As much as he appreciated the young man confiding in him, he didn't feel as though he ought to be the one to have this talk with Luke.

"Luke, I have to be honest with you," Han said at last. "I think you should be having this conversation with your dad," he told him. "I'm honored that you'd trust me this way, but I think your dad is the one who should be answering these questions, not me."

Luke smiled, liking Han more. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "He's been fishing around for information for weeks now," he added with a grin.

Han laughed. "You mean he can't just read your mind the way you read mine?" he asked.

"Sometimes," Luke replied. "But not always."

"That would really suck if he could read your mind all the time," Han commented.

Luke laughed. "Yeah, it would," he said. He stood up. "Thanks Han," he said. "I'm glad you came to teach us. It's nice having a fun teacher for a change."

Han smiled. "Thanks kid," he replied. "Goodnight."

Anakin entered the bedroom with a yawn. Padmé looked up from where she sat at her dressing table. "Everyone in bed?"

Anakin nodded as he sat on the end of the bed. "Leia's mad at me, again," he informed her.

"Well that is a little extreme," she replied. "Making that boy write an essay so he can date her."

Anakin pulled off his boots. "I don't think it's extreme," he said. "If anything he's getting off easy. I could have challenged him to a lightsaber duel," he told her with a smile.

Padmé shook her head. "You're terrible," she said.

Anakin laughed as he stood up. "I know," he relied, coming up to stand behind her. He watched her reflection in the mirror. "You okay, Angel?" he asked. "You seem edgy."

Padmé glanced up at him briefly. "Go look in the fresher," she said. "I bought something earlier."

Anakin frowned, and then did as she asked. He picked up the pregnancy test and brought it back into the bedroom. "You haven't done it yet," he pointed out.

"No," she said. "I was waiting for you to come home," she said, standing up. "I'm scared, Ani," she admitted.

Anakin smiled. "I know," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "So let's get it over with. You'll feel better once we know one way or another."

Padmé nodded. "Yes, true," she replied. She took a deep breath. "Let's get it over with."