Four Years Later…
Jaina stepped out of the limo, and pushed down her oversized Chanel sunglasses, hoping they would camouflage how hungover she was. The last thing she needed was her parents lecturing her on her poor life choices. They always claimed they were truly concerned with her welfare, but Jaina was fairly certain they were more worried about how it would reflect on the family reputation. God forbid Solo Development ever be associated with even a hint of scandal.
Jaina sighed, then looked up at the ultra-exclusive fifth avenue post-war building in front of her. She hadn't been back here in almost four years, but it still looked exactly the same. For some reason, she hadn't expected that and felt a flood of nostalgia followed by overwhelming regret. If the ghost of her brother was to be found anywhere, it would be here.
She felt her stomach turn and blamed it on the shots from last night. Pulling a small flask discreetly out of her tote bag, she took a large swig, barely reacting to the bite of whiskey as it warmed her throat. A little hair of the dog usually helped.
After Jacen had disappeared four years ago without a trace, Jaina and Anakin had been immediately shipped off to private boarding schools. Anakin to the prestigious St. Albans in Washington, D.C., and Jaina to New Hampshire to attend the equally illustrious Phillips Exeter Academy. The kidnappers were still at large, so they had not been allowed to tell anyone where they were going and adopted new last names at their new schools.
While her parents had remained in their penthouse apartment, school breaks were always spent on extravagant European vacations or at their Hamptons house. But this year was different. She had just- barely- graduated, and was finally moving back to the city. Her mother had somehow managed to get her an early acceptance to Brown- she could only imagine how much money that had taken given her dismal academic performance and overall bad behavior- but Jaina had turned it down.
She wasn't particularly interested in going to college but had turned it down to piss off her mom more than anything.
"It must be nice to be back," the limo driver said, interrupting her train of thought, as he exited the car and stood next to her on the curb.
"Home sweet home," Jaina answered, voice dripping with sarcasm. She quickly softened it with a smile, when she saw his obvious concern.
Tycho had known Jaina since she was a little girl, had not only been her parents' personal driver for years but was also married to their housekeeper, Winter. The couple had taken the Solo children on countless trips to the toy store or to get ice cream, and Jaina was quite fond of him. Sometimes, when she had been little, Jaina had dreamed what her life would have been like if Winter and Tycho had been her parents, instead of the Solos.
"Are you ready to go in, Miss Jaina?" Tycho asked gently.
Jaina really wished she could have a cigarette to calm her nerves, but she resisted the urge. Better to get it over with.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Jaina said with a brave smile, moving towards the building with Tycho a step behind her.
"Miss Jaina," Winter exclaimed, immediately wrapping Jaina in a fierce hug the moment she stepped out of the elevator and into the grand foyer. "My darling girl, it's so good to have you home."
Jaina smiled at the woman who had basically raised her. Winter looked exactly the same as she had since she was small, her long white hair tied back in a neat bun, clear blue eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Not for too long, Winter," Jaina warned. "I'm only here because apparently mom gave Tycho strict instructions to bring me directly here from the helipad. Otherwise, I would have gone straight to the Alderaan."
Jaina's parents had tried to convince Jaina to move home when she came back to the city, but she had flat out refused. The last thing Jaina wanted was to live with her parents- who managed to somehow be absent and overbearing at the same time. Leia and Han had finally relented and arranged for her to have the penthouse suite in their flagship hotel, The Alderaan. Only a few blocks away, it was still a little close to her parents' apartment for Jaina's liking, but she figured it was the best option she was going to get.
"Are you sure you still want to do that, dear? Living there all by yourself?" Winter asked sympathetically. "You know you can always change your mind. Anakin will be here, and me and your parents-"
"I'm sure, Winter," Jaina said hastily. "Honestly, I won't mind the solitude."
Winter sighed, "I know, you're all grown up now. I just miss my little Jaya."
"Trust me, Winter, if I thought my mom would ever allow it, I would steal you and bring you with me," Jaina said, smiling.
"Well, at least you'll be in the city, so I will get to see much more of you," Winter answered cheerfully. "You might as well make yourself comfortable, your mom must have been caught up in her board meeting. Otherwise, I'm sure she would have been here to welcome you back."
"Yeah, right," Jana said with an eye roll. "I wouldn't be surprised if she forgot I was even coming home today. It's fine, Winter, really. I'll just-"
"Jaya, you're here," a male voice called excitedly.
Jaina turned around and smiled, to see her younger brother Anakin excitedly enter the room. At sixteen, he was a good foot taller than Jaina, and practically towered over her. He had the same brown hair, lopsided grin and patrician good looks as Jaina, but while her eyes were a soft chocolate brown, his were a brilliant blue.
"Ani," Jaina said, with a smile and a quick hug. "God, can you seriously stop growing already? You're a freaking giant."
"Maybe you're just shrinking. I mean, you are getting old," Anakin joked.
Jaina laughed and then noticed the small blonde girl who stood awkwardly in the doorway, smiling at her nervously.
She turned back to her brother, with a raised eyebrow. Anakin blushed, then grabbed Tahiri's hand and pulled her forward.
"Sorry," Anakin mumbled to Tahiri, then turned back to his sister and cleared his throat. "Jaya, I wanted to introduce you to my friend from school, Tahiri. Tahiri, this is my sister, Jaina."
"It's always nice to meet a friend of Anakin's," Jaina answered with a mischievous smile and laughed as Anakin and Tahiri both blushed. "So you live in New York?"
"No, I'm from L.A.," Tahiri answered. "but my dad's doing a movie here, so I decided to tag along."
"Well, you picked the perfect time to visit," Jaina said. "My friend Zekk owns a club downtown and he's throwing me a party for my birthday next weekend. And you both are invited."
"Really?" Tahiri asked, eyes lighting up. "I would love to go, thanks so much!"
"Just don't tell mom or dad," Jaina warned Anakin. "They'd kill me if they knew."
"Don't tell us what?" A voice broke in from the hallway.
Jaina rolled her eyes, then turned around, a false smile pasted on her face.
"Mother, you're finally here," Jaina said. "I was starting to think you forgot about me."
Don't be silly, Jaina," Leia chided, pulling her only daughter into a hug, trying not to feel hurt when Jaina stiffened and failed to return the embrace. "I could never forget about you."
Leia sighed as Jaina merely rolled her eyes, and pulled further away. It seemed like every time they saw each other, Jaina pulled away a little bit more. Leia knew that she had not been around as much as she should have when the children were young, the demands of business and society not allowing her to be present as much as she might have liked.
But since Jacen had disappeared, it was like Jaina had become a stranger. Leia worried about her constantly and had no idea what she could do to pull Jaina back from the dangerous road she traveled down. Between the drugs, the partying and the questionable choice in friends- but the more she had tried the more Jaina had rebelled.
"I could never forget about any of my children," Leia said firmly.
Anakin looked uncomfortable, as Jaina rolled her eyes again. Leia immediately regretted saying anything, knowing that Jaina hated it when she brought up Jacen.
Leia was convinced her son was still out there somewhere, alive. As his mother she would know it if he was dead, she would feel something. Han and Anakin indulged her theories, but Leia could tell they didn't really believe Jacen could still be alive. The police had been clear that the odds that he lived through the kidnapping, to begin with, were slim. Especially since no ransom had ever been demanded. And each year made it less and less likely that he was out there somewhere.
But Leia refused to give up hope, and Jaina could never forgive her for that.
"So, was there a reason you had Tycho bring me here, Mom?" Jaina demanded. "Or is it just some last-ditch effort to convince me to stay here. Because I'm not-"
"Don't worry, Jaina. Your father and I know that you're not going to change your mind. As much as we would love to have you here," Leia interrupted. "But as I am sure you can appreciate, there are certain conditions to you living at the Alderaan."
"What do you mean, conditions?" Jaina asked suspiciously.
Umm, I think that's our cue to exit," Anakin cut in, nervously. "Come on, Tahiri."
"Right," Tahiri said, as Anakin started to drag her out of the room. "It was nice to meet you Jaina. Mrs. Solo."
When the two teens beat a hasty exit, Jaina turned back to her mother expectantly.
"First off," Leia started calmly. "When we go to the Hamptons, we would like you to join us. It will be nice to have some time together as a family while Anakin is home for the summer."
"That seems reasonable," Jaina said grudgingly. "I wouldn't mind spending some time with Ani before he goes back to school."
"Great," Leia said with a smile.
"Is that it?" Jaina asked, trying to hide her relief. She had been expecting some type of trickery, and if all she had to do was promise to lounge by the pool for a few weekends, she was getting off easier than she had dared hope for.
"Not quite," Leia said carefully. "There is one other condition. The tabloids already know that you are back in the city, and it's going to be impossible to have the low profile life you did in New Hampshire. And because you won't be living in this house where we have advanced protection, your father and I have hired a professional to ensure your security."
"Absolutely not," Jaina answered angrily.
"Jagged Fel has excellent references, and your father assured me that he is a consummate professional," Leia said. "It isn't that big of a deal, really, he will just be with you whenever you're in public, could possibly be in danger. He has a room at the Alderaan so it won't be an inconvenience-"
"So you want me to just say yes to your spy following me around?" Jaina asked, outraged. "For Christ's sake, you have him living in the same building as me. Are you that desperate to keep tabs on me, Mother?"
"Jaina, your safety is our top priority," Leia answered. "We are not trying to spy on you."
"Yeah, right," Jaina spat.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way, but the fact remains that this condition is non-negotiable," Leia responded. "Jagged and your father are already at the hotel checking security and will meet you there. Unless, of course, you would rather just move back here…"
"Fine," Jaina finally said, throwing her hands up in the air. "You win, Mother, like always. And now if you're done, I better go and meet my new personal paid stalker. Tell Anakin I'll see him later."
Jaina, wait-," Leia started, but her daughter had already stormed out of the room, heading for the elevator. Leia sighed. She had hoped this summer would be a chance for her and Jaina to repair their relationship, but so far they were not off to a great start.
"You will never believe what my parents did," Jaina complained, her phone pressed to her ear.
Tycho had just dropped her off in front of the Alderaan and Jaina had immediately done two things. First, she lit up a cigarette. She definitely needed one after dealing with her mother. Second, she had called her best friend Alema Rar to blow off some steam.
Jaina had met Alema her first year at Phillips Exeter, and the other girl had quickly become Jaina's favorite partner in crime. Alema was a perpetual rule-breaker with access to way too much money and parents who didn't seem to care what she did. Sometimes even Jaina was wary of Alema's more outrageous behavior, but she couldn't deny that Alema was always a good time and the life of the party.
"Chained you up in the basement so you can never leave the house and have fun?" Alema guessed.
"Close," Jaina answered. "They hired a bodyguard to follow me around all day. I mean they have him staying in the suite one floor down from me! I guess I should just be happy they aren't forcing me to shack up with him so he can spy on me while I sleep."
"That might not be a bad idea," Alema mused. "A steamy affair with your sexy bodyguard- I mean it's right out of one of those porno movies. It could be super hot, Jay."
"Yeah, right," Jaina snorted. "Knowing my parents they probably got some boring guy, old enough to be my dad, who's just going to follow me around and try to make sure I have zero fun. So I can 'get my life on the right track'."
"I don't know, I mean your dad's kinda hot-" Alema answered.
"Seriously, you need to stop with that. It's creepy," Jaina snapped.
"So does this mean we aren't going hard for your birthday next weekend?" Alema asked.
"No way," Jaina answered. "I only turn eighteen once. And I'm sure we can give my parents' spy the slip."
"Ok, good," Alema answered. "Because I already got the party favors and you know I can't resist a Saints and Sinners theme. I look super hot in red."
Jaina laughed, "Speaking of hell, I better go meet my new jailer."
"Good luck, babe," Alema answered. "Maybe I'll stop by in a bit for some martinis. We can plot how to get rid of the bodyguard."
"Sounds perfect," Jaina answered. "I am definitely ready for a martini. Or five."
"That's my girl. See you later, bitch!" Alema said before hanging up.
Jaina sighed, then flicking her cigarette, and walked into the main lobby of her new home.
Jaina stepped out of the elevator that opened directly into the penthouse suite. Her new home. She grudgingly admitted her mom had done a pretty good job when it came to the interior decorating. It was elegant without feeling pretentious, stylish yet accessible.
Leia Solo might have been a terrible mother, but she had always had a great sense of style.
Jaina steeled herself as she heard murmured voices coming from down the hall, where she assumed the master bedroom was located. Sighing, she threw her Hermes bag down on the coffee table, mentally counting down the minutes until she could hit up the hotel bar.
"Dad, it's me," she called as she headed down the hall. "The prodigal daughter has finally returned."
"Hey, kid," Han answered, emerging from the bedroom with his trademark lopsided grin firmly in place. "I didn't expect you so soon."
Jaina rolled her eyes, "Please, Dad. Pretty sure Tycho texted you as soon as he dropped me off. To be honest, I wouldn't put it past you and Mom to have a tracker on me."
"Come on, and give your old man a hug, huh?" Han answered, purposely ignoring her tracker comment, which Jaina noted suspiciously.
But when Han grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug, she let herself close her eyes and enjoy the fleeting emotions she felt in her father's arm. While she thoroughly enjoyed discomforting her mom with her less than savory life choices, she always felt a pang of guilt at disappointing her father. Even though he had been equally absent in her childhood, for some reason it had always been so much harder to hate him for it.
"I've missed you, honey," he said, pulling back to look into her eyes. "I know you might not believe it, but me and your mom are so happy to have you back home."
"Although there are strings attached, as always," Jaina answered wryly. "Typical Mom."
Han sighed, "Jaya, your mom-"
Jaina spun around, pulling free from his arms as she interrupted him quickly. She did not want to have this conversation once again. "So where is this honorable Jagged Fel, anyway?"
"He's in the bedroom, double-checking the security set-up," Han answered, trying not to show his disappointment at Jaina pulling away from him.
"Great," Jaina said, scowling. "Now I have to worry that there's a creepy old man right downstairs watching me sleep."
"Jaina, this isn't about invading your privacy it's about keeping you safe. And besides-"
"Sir, I believe the area is secure enough for the short term. Although I would like to review the hotel surveillance system, if that's convenient," a third voice broke in, disrupting her father's next statement.
Turning towards the voice, Jaina found herself staring into the most piercing green eyes she had ever seen.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to interrupt," the man said quickly, his sharp eyes taking in the obvious tension.
"Who are you?" Jaina blurted, unable to reconcile the young man in front of her with the surly old bodyguard she had envisioned.
"I'm Jagged Fel," he answered stiffly. "You must be Jaina Solo. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."