SO WHERE WERE YOU?
Chapter 10
Winter Fete was due to begin at sunset. Leia and Han had spent the day hanging the evergreen garlands with spices, one of the symbols of Winter Fete, all over the apartment.
"I bet you're not enjoying this at all," Han kidded Leia, whose eyes sparkled like those of their children. "I mean, what was better than the last one we had on Hoth?"
"Oh gods, that was miserable. I mean, we were only losing major battles, the food was wretched, and we both got sick. What's better than that for a holiday?" Leia said, rolling her eyes.
"I think there's been some substantial improvement since then," Han said, smiling as he hung another garland. He was nearly knocked over as their three children were screaming and running throughout the apartment. "Then again, we didn't have three kids hopped up on sweets."
"Han, my love, I regret to inform you that they haven't been given any sweets. Yet," Leia remarked. "We have that pleasure to look forward to later on."
"I can hardly wait. What time are Luke and Mara coming?"
"I told them 1300. With any luck, they'll be here by 1600." Luke had many wonderful qualities. Punctuality was not one of them. Han had often stated that it was a good thing that Luke was a Jedi knight, because he would make a terrible businessman.
"I need to put the nerf roast on soon," Han advised. "It'll take a few hours to cook it." Nerf roasts were common on Coruscant, but the best ones were the large ones that could be cooked slowly for maximum flavor.
"I got a muji and kavasa fruit salad," Leia told him. "I'll toss a green salad as well. Luke and Mara are in charge of the pie."
"Last year, they forgot the pie," Han reminded her.
"I'm sure they'll remember this time," Leia said, "but just in case, I've got a chocolate lava cake."
"You know, if they decide to have kids, I'm getting back at them for every noisy toy they've given our kids," Han grinned wickedly.
Jaina wandered into the living room. "Where's Grampa? He's spozed to come!"
"I'm sure he'll get in touch with us," Han said, using a non-answer for an answer. The tournament was supposed to end the night before, and he had been too busy (with Leia) to watch it on holovision. He hadn't yet heard from his father.
"He hasta come," Jaina insisted. "He said he would."
"Go play with your brothers," Leia said to her. "Daddy and I have to finish some things for tonight." Like wrap your presents, Leia thought wearily. She had yet to wrap a single gift; she and Han had taken turns the last two nights so that they could finish shopping.
As Han and Leia hung the last of the decorations and started working in the kitchen, they could hear a ruckus emanating from the kids' room.
"As long as they don't kill each other, it's fine," Han said.
"It's all fun till someone loses an eye," Leia remarked dryly.
"And then, it's hilarious." Han flashed a wicked grin at his wife.
Leia rolled her eyes again. "When that happens, you get to take them to the medicenter."
"Why do I always get the glamour jobs?" Han grumbled, but there was a smile on his face.
"Because, you're the father," Leia told him.
Han's comm went off. "Hey Dad," he said, picking it up. "Lose your shirt?"
"Nope. Won a new one from your friend Lando. He tried, I'll give him that. He's probably crying in his ale right now."
"Don't feel sorry for him," Han said, laughing. "He's probably found some arm candy to keep him company by now. So where are you?"
"Transport lands in about an hour. Then I need to go shopping, get the kids things."
"You don't have to do that," Han told him. "They already have enough toys for ten kids, and we're running out of apartment."
"I want to do this." Gods, Han thought, this man was stubborn, possibly at least as stubborn as his wife.
"Fine. But nothing that makes excess noise. Luke and Mara are going to be punished should they ever decide to reproduce."
"Those were your favorites as a little one. We gave you a toy starship when you were two, and it made every kind of noise possible." Jonash laughed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and next thing you'll say is that I simply got a life sized one when I got older."
"Well, didn't you?"
"Lando didn't tell you the story? I'm shocked. But, I've got a dinner to prepare."
"See you soon, son," Jonash said before he signed off.
Leia smiled at her husband. "Sounds like you guys are doing all right together."
"Yeah. Still getting used to having a father, but I kind of like it."
"I think if he'd had the chance, he'd have been a good one."
Han contemplated that. "At least now I know what happened to him all these years. By the way, he won the sabacc tournament."
Leia wrapped her arms around his waist and tipped her chin up. "Looks like he'll be getting that flat he's been talking about."
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In spite of having gone shopping, Jonash still arrived prior to Luke and Mara, and he had a bag full of goodies for the family. Once the two salads were prepared, Leia retreated to the master bedroom to begin wrapping packages. She didn't mind it and had learned how to be a creative with it from one from her governess when she was young.
Han had let him in, and the kids all came out of their bedroom shrieking happily at the sight of their grandfather. Jonash grabbed each one, supplying generous hugs and kisses.
"Be careful, guys!" Han warned them.
"Oh, they're just fine," Jonash assured his son. "I don't break that easily." Finally, the kids got up and began trying to drag Jonash into the living room. Han checked in on some of the vegetables he was slow roasting. Jonash called to him, "Where's that lovely wife of yours?"
"In the bedroom, wrapping," Han called out. "She's the queen of the gift box that looks too good to open."
"I'd offer to help her, but the last thing I wrapped was your mother's engagement ring."
Han looked at the pile of presents Jonash had arrived with. Clearly, he'd gone to one of the wrapping kiosks to have his done. They were as plentiful as food stalls during Winter Fete.
"Don't feel bad. I didn't even wrap Leia's," Han called out, finally deciding that the roast and vegetables were in good shape, and joined his father and kids in the living room.
"How did you propose to her? Every version of the holotabloids says something different."
"After the victory at Endor," Han answered, a faraway smile on his face. "In a glen in the forest."
"Well, that's kind of romantic, and obviously, she accepted," Jonash gave a wistful smile. "My Jaina, I was so surprised when she said yes. Sure, we'd been together a while, but I was so nervous when I asked her that she'd come to her senses and say no." It was clear to Han that his father felt about his mother the same way he felt about Leia. Han's only hope was that nothing would ever happen to Leia as it did to the first Jaina Solo. Han was not a worrier by nature, but Leia's visibility in the government made her a target. She'd get threats here and there. But she insisted that she was going to live her life as a typical working wife and mother and not be preoccupied with who got pissed off at her, because in her line of work, sentients would have to line up and take a number. The government sector had a lot of security in the forms of various species, energy walls and electronics, and Leia didn't worry about making the walk to work and home.
Han did, but she assured him she was quite safe. He didn't always think about it consciously, but it was something, a small disquiet in the back of his mind.
He wondered how Jonash lived with knowing he couldn't save his wife, Han's mother. It wasn't that Han blamed him; in fact, quite the contrary. His father simply didn't realize that there may well have been nothing he could have done. But that, as Han knew, didn't erase that vague feeling of guilt that surfaced every so often.
But both realized that this was not a time to mourn, but a time to rejoice.
The eight bell chime went off, indicating visitors. He pressed the talk switch.
"This can't be Luke and Mara!" Han exclaimed. "Because Luke and Mara are always at least three hours late!"
"We cut it in half this time," Luke announced, laughing. Han released the various security measures as they made their way to the Solos' apartment.
"Now you get to meet the Jedis," Han told his father.
"Should I be afraid?" Jonash asked sarcastically.
"No. But if they say 'a Jedi's strength floooooooooooooooooooooooooooows from the Force, you're allowed to smack 'em."
Jonash laughed as Han gave ingress to his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law's strikingly pretty girlfriend. It was hard not to notice Mara Jade.
"Meet Luke and Mara," Han said to his father. "Luke would be the ugly one."
"Thanks a lot," Luke said, but laughed. This was how he and Han usually interacted.
"And this ugly guy here is my father, Jonash Solo."
Mara and Jade were momentarily speechless. Han stepped in. "Yeah, I thought he was dead, too. But he's alive and well and taking up space and air."
"Let's see how you look in twenty-five years," Jonash snorted at his son. "Luke, Mara, a pleasure."
"What're you drinking?" Han asked Luke and Mara.
"Alderaanian ale," Luke informed him.
"You're in luck. We have it. You know where to find it. Mara, you?"
"Emera wine, if Leia won't mind."
"Leia won't mind. I got her two cases on my last trip to Nenmo's."
Luke smiled at Jonash. "See the abuse I have to put up with?"
"Welcome to my life," Jonash said to the young man. "I understand you two are Jedi. I thought they'd all been wiped out."
"Almost," Luke said to Jonash. "We've found some Force sensitive kids and we're training them at our Praxium. We keep asking Han and Leia if we can train their kids, but they think they should wait till they're older."
"How about we don't go near that," Han remarked dryly, grabbing a second ale for himself. "I'd like to have some fun tonight."
"Agreed," Luke and Mara said in unison, laughing.
Once again, the kids knew that their uncle and putative aunt were there and came racing out of the bedroom.
"Did you bring sweets?" Jacen asked, his eyes eager as he asked Luke.
"I don't know," Luke teased the young boy. "Did I?"
"Forget the sweets. Did you guys bring the pie?" Han called out.
Mara and Luke looked at each other. "I thought you brought the pie," they said in unison to each other.
"You lucked out. Leia got dessert," Han informed them.
"C'mon, Unca Luke, les' play!" Anakin beckoned him, yanking Luke's hand. Mara accompanied them, and they were soon involved in Grand Theft Star Destroyer.
Jonash looked at Han, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Nice family you got there. You've done good, son. Wish I could take some responsibility for that, but I can't."
"I think Leia should get credit for it," Han told her.
"Indeed she should."