Anakin tried to picture a baby, having one in the family. He imagined a little child who held his parents' complete adoration, a little brother or sister joining their family while the galaxy crumbled around them. The galaxy could lose a hundred Alderaans, he remembered his mother telling him, but there would still be Tatooine's twin suns. In other words, a shining beacon in the darkness, the light at the end of the tunnel. Death, grieving, and suffering gave way to new life, new hope. The galaxy continued to fall apart, shredding itself to pieces, but these greater joys remained.

Now, the warmaster's ultimatum loomed over him, a direct threat on the entire Jedi Order. Yet, from the rubble of Duro rose hope. Hope for his family and for their future.
Anakin and his older siblings had rented a room in a hotel close to the medcenter where their parents were staying. Limited to two beds, Anakin tossed a pillow onto the floor, but Jaina caught his eye and shook her head. "Take the bunk, Little Brother," she insisted. "I'm fine on the floor." But as he shrugged and untucked the sheets on the bed, his sister chuckled to herself. "I guess I can't call you that anymore, can I?"

Anakin had hardly thought about it, and he wouldn't have if Jaina hadn't said something. He was used to it. His big sister had been calling him 'little brother' for longer than he could remember. That's what he was. Little Brother, baby of the family. Anakin laughed. "No, I guess not."

"How does that make you feel?" Jaina smirked, tossing her own pillow to the floor. "Losing your claim as baby of the family?"

He shrugged. "I don't mind."

"But what do you think about it?"

"About it …"

"Just in general," Jaina added. "What do you think about it?"

Anakin smiled. "It's kind of amazing, isn't it? We're … actually going to have a baby sibling."

"Yeah," Jaina nodded in quiet agreement, settling on the floor with a blanket. "It's insane."

"Mom and Dad are really happy," he offered, sensing that his sister didn't quite feel like sharing her own thoughts. "They seem pretty excited."

"Yeah."

" … What about you?"

Jaina seemed surprised when he asked. "Huh?"

"What do you think about it?"

She gave a great shrug, refusing to meet her brother's gaze. "It's a surprise, for sure."

"Except for you, apparently," Jacen laughed as he joined his brother and sister in the room, carrying a box of sugary treats. "You said you had a vision about the baby."

"There wasn't much to it, if that's what you're asking."

Jacen appeared doubtful. "Jay, you had a Force vision and you mean to tell me that it was no big deal? Nothing significant-?"

"The vision's purpose wasn't to reveal something significant to me," Jaina responded. "The Force showed me what I needed to see. It wasn't- dropping me was- a warning."

"A warning?"

Jaina actually chuckled, a typical Solo smirk twisting her lips. "Imagine if I'd just found out, if this whole thing was completely new to me just like it was for both of you. How do you think I would have reacted? A bright and eager smile, a song of congratulations for Mom?"

Jacen frowned. "I can imagine that this might be difficult for you, and I can understand why. But aren't you happy for Mom?"

Jaina fumbled for her words, her mouth moving, but no sound followed the meaningless gesture. "It's complicated-"

"No, Jaina. I think that much is pretty simple. Aren't you happy for Mom?"

"You know that things between me and Mom are- difficult."

Difficult was an understatement, and all three Solo siblings were well aware. Following years of separation from their parents with so few memories of growing up with them, each had dealt with their childhoods in different ways. Anakin had put it in the past, choosing to forget it and make the most of every moment he shared with his parents now. Jacen did likewise. Their sister, however, had struggled for years with that separation, never healing, never forgiving their mother for all the time they never got. It wasn't fair to pin it solely on their mother who had spent their early years fighting to make the galaxy as safe for them as she could. Yet, Jaina had never held any of it against their father. Leia claimed that Jaina was a daddy's girl, but the youngest Solo would always share a knowing smirk with his brother because they both knew better.
"This isn't about you and Mom, though. This is about- our whole family! We're going to have a baby sibling."

Every time anyone said the word now, Anakin would straighten in shock, suddenly alert. Even the thought was still so new and unusual. Never would he have considered it before, the thought, the idea of a baby brother or sister. Not ten years ago, definitely not a year ago, and certainly not now. Not so soon after his parents were beginning to make amends after their nearly year-long estrangement. Not in the middle of a war that was so horrifying, with a future so uncertain. Not when his mother was recovering from such an attack. Not when she was … Well, Anakin figured it wiser not to mention his mother's age- especially to her. But especially not at the same time … He supposed it wasn't his right to tell his parents about that new development.

"I'm not mad about the baby," Jaina insisted, her voice losing all its volume. "But you have to realize what this means."

The hairs on the back of his neck perked up as Anakin caught a whiff of his brother's unease. He seemed to be reaching the very conclusion Jaina was trying to explain, but Anakin didn't want to know. What this means-? What does this mean?

Rather than responding, Jacen waited for their sister to continue.

"You think this is going to be like the kind of childhood we had?" She nearly snorted. "You think Mom and Dad will want to go through that again? Giving up another-"

"I don't think it's fair to assume what Mom and Dad will choose to do." Jacen interrupted her, clearly growing agitated with the turn of thought. Anakin knew he was, but he supposed his sister had a valid point- and when the topic was already a sore spot …

"I'm not mad at them," Jaina repeated. "And I don't want to be. But I know how this is going to go. I don't know about you two, but I know it'll be hard for me to watch."

"That isn't fair to them, Jaina."

"Nothing about being in this family is. There is no better choice. You know that. I know that. Anakin, you know that! We could either yell at them because it's not fair this baby will get everything we didn't, or we could yell at them because at least one of us should get an actual childhood. Actual parents." She shook her head. "I needed time. To think about it. … I wouldn't have handled it well at all if I'd learned along with you two. And Mom doesn't deserve another tantrum from me."

"Maybe, what you need to do is talk to Mom," Anakin suggested. "If you told her how you felt …"

Tilting her head to the side and glancing at Jacen, she said, "He never speaks. He never speaks. Why is it that, whenever he does speak, he only does so to mock us?"

Anakin rolled his eyes and gave up. "Just a thought," he muttered to himself.

"Jaina," Jacen sighed. "You know we struggle with it as much as you do."

"But this whole baby thing doesn't bother you?"

"It's an adjustment for everyone. You think this is easy for Mom and Dad?"

For a long moment, their sister was silent. "The Force didn't grant me that vision to warn me of some terrible future. It was warning I needed. To start to process it, get used to the idea. Don't think that I'm mad at Mom and Dad for getting pregnant. It's great! It's amazing! It's just …"

Without looking up from the his task of preparing his bed, Anakin finished for her, "Not something you want to face?"

AN: Thank you to all you lovely readers! Just a quick update and explanation. I deleted my Tumblr account, so the only way to follow this story is now just- on here. I am still alive and breathing, so don't worry! I am still actively writing, but simply limiting my participation in the community. You can communicate with me by sending a PM via FFN.

Thank you for bearing with me and I hope everyone is still enjoying!