CHAPTER 9: LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER…
Han paced the carpet of the suite he and Leia had been assigned, obviously agitated. Leia looked at him for a moment, studying his profile. Suddenly she saw a lot of her daughter's features in her husband, and a lot of his temperament. Like father, like daughter, she thought, of the two, both stubborn and cocky, but both with a sensitive heart.
Han stopped suddenly, and looked at Leia strangely. "Problem??"
She shook herself out of her reverie. "No, just stray thoughts."
Han grimaced. "What does she think she's playing at?"
Leia gave a laugh. "I don't think even she knows the answer to that one." She looked at him again, noticing his look of hurt. "She's hurt Han, and she's trying to deal with it in the way she thinks is best. Though I never expected her to react like this."
"I'll talk to her."
"What about if she has a go at you like she did with me?"
Han looked at his wife grimly. "She won't."
Leia sighed. "You two always did get on better than I did with her."
Han stepped to her side and embraced her. "You know, she gets on with you more than you realise."
"You saw what happened."
"That was something that probably needed to happen a while back. You two need to talk."
"Again?"
"Look, I'll go see her, ok?"
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"Need a hand?"
Jaina raised her head quickly at the voice, banging her head on the hull above her. She swore loudly, drawing a whistle of surprise from the man standing near the X-wing that she was working on. Crawling out of the cockpit, she dropped to the floor to stand face to face with her father.
Han raised an eyebrow. "Havent heard that phrase in a long time, and not from you. Learned it from the Rogues?"
She gave a cocky smirk. "No, I heard you say it quite a few times, as I recall."
He sighed. "Like father, like daughter."
She looked at him defiantly. "Too right."
"We need to talk."
"Sorry, but I need to get these done."
"Going out?"
She had a sudden urge to walk away, but found that her legs wouldn't obey her. "Something like that."
"Lets go talk."
"Dad…"
"Now"
She knew better than to argue with that tone. He walked away, and she followed, quickening her step so that they walked side by side. Neither spoke until they reached a secluded spot in the palace grounds. She swallowed on a dry throat. This wasn't going to be good.
She stopped by a tree, and he turned to her, anger in his eyes. "One question, and I expect an honest answer. Why?"
"Why?"
"Yeah, why did you act like you did when you and your mother were.."
"For Sith's sake Dad."
"I saw what happened. You were completely out of order."
"Yeah? Like you were when…"
She didn't complete the sentence, but the damage had been done. Han raised his head. There wasn't anger in his eyes any longer, but in its place was a sadness. How could you be this way?
She returned his look with a glare, but it wasn't heartfelt. The only thing she felt was pain. "Don't give me that look, Dad, ok? I'm gonna go, cos I cant take this."
She walked away, her steps quickening into a run, away from the pain and despair. Of course, she knew that there was no escape from them.
Han paced the carpet of the suite he and Leia had been assigned, obviously agitated. Leia looked at him for a moment, studying his profile. Suddenly she saw a lot of her daughter's features in her husband, and a lot of his temperament. Like father, like daughter, she thought, of the two, both stubborn and cocky, but both with a sensitive heart.
Han stopped suddenly, and looked at Leia strangely. "Problem??"
She shook herself out of her reverie. "No, just stray thoughts."
Han grimaced. "What does she think she's playing at?"
Leia gave a laugh. "I don't think even she knows the answer to that one." She looked at him again, noticing his look of hurt. "She's hurt Han, and she's trying to deal with it in the way she thinks is best. Though I never expected her to react like this."
"I'll talk to her."
"What about if she has a go at you like she did with me?"
Han looked at his wife grimly. "She won't."
Leia sighed. "You two always did get on better than I did with her."
Han stepped to her side and embraced her. "You know, she gets on with you more than you realise."
"You saw what happened."
"That was something that probably needed to happen a while back. You two need to talk."
"Again?"
"Look, I'll go see her, ok?"
*********************************************************************
"Need a hand?"
Jaina raised her head quickly at the voice, banging her head on the hull above her. She swore loudly, drawing a whistle of surprise from the man standing near the X-wing that she was working on. Crawling out of the cockpit, she dropped to the floor to stand face to face with her father.
Han raised an eyebrow. "Havent heard that phrase in a long time, and not from you. Learned it from the Rogues?"
She gave a cocky smirk. "No, I heard you say it quite a few times, as I recall."
He sighed. "Like father, like daughter."
She looked at him defiantly. "Too right."
"We need to talk."
"Sorry, but I need to get these done."
"Going out?"
She had a sudden urge to walk away, but found that her legs wouldn't obey her. "Something like that."
"Lets go talk."
"Dad…"
"Now"
She knew better than to argue with that tone. He walked away, and she followed, quickening her step so that they walked side by side. Neither spoke until they reached a secluded spot in the palace grounds. She swallowed on a dry throat. This wasn't going to be good.
She stopped by a tree, and he turned to her, anger in his eyes. "One question, and I expect an honest answer. Why?"
"Why?"
"Yeah, why did you act like you did when you and your mother were.."
"For Sith's sake Dad."
"I saw what happened. You were completely out of order."
"Yeah? Like you were when…"
She didn't complete the sentence, but the damage had been done. Han raised his head. There wasn't anger in his eyes any longer, but in its place was a sadness. How could you be this way?
She returned his look with a glare, but it wasn't heartfelt. The only thing she felt was pain. "Don't give me that look, Dad, ok? I'm gonna go, cos I cant take this."
She walked away, her steps quickening into a run, away from the pain and despair. Of course, she knew that there was no escape from them.