"Princess," the woman smiled broadly, reaching both hands out to shake Leia and Han's. "Captain. It's wonderful to see you here." Walking stiffly in her tight, black skirt, and coral blouse, she moved to sit behind the desk in her office and Han and Leia both took seats before her. "I am so excited to be able to work with you both. It's an honor."
Leia smiled respectfully but shook it off. "Thank you, but we'd like if we could just forget the titles while we're here. This is important to us, but we wouldn't like to be treated differently than any of your other clients."
"Of course . . . "
"Leia."
The woman nodded. "Leia." She reached out her hand again and told Leia her own name. "Bethema Noradder. So." She folded her hands atop her desk. "You're here to adopt, correct?"
Leia finally stopped biting her lip for just a moment to sigh and toss her head back. "I hope that went well," she prayed aloud.
Han rolled his eyes at his wife, laying his hand over hers. "Sweetheart, we live in a palace and we already have kids. Six of them. I think it'll be fine."
Leia, on the other hand, was not feeling as optimistic. "You never know. There are plenty of other families that don't have any kids at all. We're probably not a huge priority on the agency's list."
"That's not even close to true. It doesn't matter if we ask to be treated normal; we're royalty and that's how we're going to be treated. If you want normal treatment, we can always go to one of Coruscant's agencies."
Leia's eyes bulged. "No! No, going to Coruscant would just be a huge headache. Besides, you know why I really want to do this here."
"I get why this is so important to you and you know I want this for you-"
"Han, this isn't just for me. It shouldn't be-!"
"I know and it's not like that." Han took both of her hands in his. "At first, it was, but we talked about it and I want this as much as you do. Or, at least, almost. This is important to me, too. For you, it's because you want to have the chance to do what Bail and Breha did for you. For me, I want to have the chance to do what no one ever did for me."
Leia's gaze, already soft, practically melted and Han knew that she understood him too. They understood each other and how deep this went. It had been started by Leia, though. Already having six kids and sealing the cap at that, Leia had started saying that they should have one more, that they should adopt their last one.
Leia had been adopted, of course, and it had only seemed natural to do for an Alderaanian child what the former Alderaanian queen and viceroy had done for Leia. They had taken her out of a precarious and dangerous situation and taken her into their loving home for a better, happier, and steadier life before she was to take on the destiny assigned to her. That had always meant the world to Leia even before they'd told her the truth about her parents. Bail and Breha Organa had adopted her, loved her, raised her, cared for her just like parents. Despite the lack of common blood, Alderaan had accepted her as a princess and as a senator. They'd supported her and admired her and held her in the highest regard even though she'd passed the title of queen to Aryn. Leia longed to return the favor the planet that, along with the Organas, had adopted her.
"We're going to get this," Han assured her, shaking and squeezing her hands. "We got the family that we have today. We're going to get this, too. You know how I know? 'Cause I'm not going to give up until we do and you better not either."
Han's miniature speech won a smile from Leia and she got up to move around the table and fell into his arms. He took her in gladly and held her tight, chasing away all her doubts and anxieties. "I love you so much, flyboy," she said, her voice muffled as she spoke into his chest. "For holding me up."
"I'd never let you fall, Princess," he promised her. "We'll get this, Leia. Have faith."
