Alright friends! This is the last official chapter, although there is a lengthy epilogue I will post tomorrow. I think this is my favorite flashback!

Chapter 26

"Han! If you make us late again, I'll…"

"What? I'm ready," Han answered coming out of the 'fresher with a prestigious, belted wrap draped over a new dark blue shirt and pants set.

Leia looked him up and down. She twirled a finger, asking him to spin for her.

He gave her a look before spreading his arms out and complying.

She clicked her cheek in approval. "You look like my father."

His face fell instantly. "That's it, I'm changing." He turned back to the fresher, but her hand caught his belt and pulled him back.

"You will not," she said confidently, turning him back towards her. "You look great."

Han brought his hand to the high collar and pulled it to give his neck more room. He was clearly uncomfortable, but he was doing this for her. "Ben's dressed?"

She nodded and started to untie her robe. "Yes, I got him ready while you were in there… getting pretty."

He tried once again to walk past her and into the 'fresher to change, but she stopped him again with her giggles at his antics.

"Hey we made a deal," she said when he stopped in front of her. "I get you for the first half of the night and…"

"I get you for the second," He picked up. "Don't worry. I remember. It's what's gonna get me through this."

"Alright." She patted his chest and moved away. "Now be good while I get my dress on."

She dropped her robe as they spoke.

"Leia…" He actually had to cover his eyes. "Don't do this to me."

She continued to step into the dress and pull it over her arms. "We're on a time crunch, now zip me up."

He peeked and saw that most of her body was now covered, so he moved to her back and zipped the rest of her gown closed, hiding the tantalizing skin in the process.

"How do I look?" She asked turning fully towards him.

He groaned again and refused to answer. The white fabric of her dress cut extremely low as it draped over her breasts and the flowing material from her waist to the floor was just light enough to be able to make out her shape underneath. "I'm gonna have to keep my eyes shut the entire evening if we both want to make it through this without embarrassing ourselves."

Leia gave him a wicked smile. She knew just how good she looked in this dress and she was going to use that to her advantage. "Well, you'll have a 3-year-old to keep your attention on as well."

Leia took one last look in the reflector and made her way out of their bedroom. "Ben, sweetie. Are you ready?"

Ben jumped up from his spot on the sofa and joined his family. He was dressed in identical garbs as his father, except donned in a lighter gray. "I's ready."

"Okay, Solo boys," Leia clapped as she addressed the two people staring back at her. "The gala is starting about right now, so we are right on time for our entrance. There will be a lot of high profile senators and ambassadors and a few representatives from systems outside the republic. My job, our jobs," she gestured to the entire family. "Is to charm them, so give them that smolder Han and Ben, just being yourself is cute enough."

She paused to think if there was anything she was missing.

"They promised there would be food that Ben liked and we can be out by Ben's bedtime." An excellent excuse to leave the party early. "Are we ready, my men?"

They were ready and they managed to enter the elegant ballroom at exactly the right time, not too early but not too late. Leia took Han's arm in hers and held her son's hand as they entered.

Ben's eyes dazed with the splendor. This was the first time he was allowed to attend a big event with his Mommy and Daddy. He watched from his spot beside his Mommy as all the people circled around her and they talked on and on. He couldn't take his eyes off of all the fancy people with fancy glasses and their fancy clothes sitting at fancy tables. When one guest tried to talk to him, he pulled himself back behind his Mommy's white dress, clinging to her leg.

Leia continued her conversation with the dignitary as if she didn't have a clingy child hiking up her gown.

"This is Ben," Leia introduced him twisting to the side so the guests she was speaking with could see him for a split second before he hid again. It didn't matter, the guests were enchanted.

"And you must be Mr. Organa," the one guest held his hand out to Han. "A pleasure."

Han bristled. This was the fourth time that happened this night. Usually, by the third time, he decided to just go with it. "Nice to meet you," he replied shaking hands.

Mr. Organa spent the rest of the evening splitting his time between being at his wife's side, talking to a few of the people he recognized, and holding Ben when he got antsy. He was mostly engaged in the latter.

"What do you think, kid?" Han asked his son as he held him on the sidelines of the party.

Ben kept his feet tapping as he listened to the music and watched the fancy people dancing.

"Do you see your Mommy?" Han asked him as they scanned the crowd.

Ben pointed to the far end of the floor where she was obviously dazzling some important person with a much too exuberant laugh for it to be real.

Han looked at the time. "Mommy hasn't eaten yet or taken a break." The night was more than halfway over and she hadn't been off her feet the entire time. "Let's go steal her away."

Leia was having a dreadful time trying to keep engaged in her conversation when she felt him at her knees again.

"Mommy."

"Excuse me a moment," Leia said, having no problem asking for an out.

The little face looked up to her. "Daddy said you need to eat."

"He did, did he." She straightened up, scanned the crowd, and found him over at their table with three plates ready. She turned back to her conversation partners and again excused herself as she walked with Ben over to their table.

"You work too much, Princess," Han said as they approached, holding her chair out for her.

"Thank you, Mr. Organa," she grinned as he groaned. "My half of the night remember."

"Fine." He said sitting himself down and making sure Ben was in his chair between them. "But when that dress comes off," he whispered, plugging Ben's ears with a hand on either side of his head. "You're Mrs. Solo."

"Fine by me, hotshot."

They dug into their meal and had a polite conversation with an old friend, General Rieekan, who was seated next to them. Ben managed to find a few things he found edible and ate the minimum he was required to. He found himself sitting on his father's lap as the General told them a story, talking just as much to Ben as he did to Han.

Leia took another bite of her final course when she felt a presence over her shoulder.

"May I have this dance, Princess?"

She saw a familiar hand reach out to her. "Ben?"

"General Rieekan said he'd keep an eye on him."

She glanced over and saw Ben sitting on his own, seemingly enraptured by General Rieekan's stories.

She turned back and swung her legs to the side of the chair, her eyes fixed on her dashing husband. "I suppose since you look so incredibly sexy…"

He grinned as she stood and took his hand. "Even compliments from you are not enough to get me into these more than required."

He led her to the dance floor where there were still many couples swaying together.

Han took her right hand in his left and brought his right tightly around her back. They were so close she had to wrap her arm around his back to rest on his shoulder.

Leia sighed as she tilted her head up and her husband tilted his head down, their faces almost touching. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Han hummed and stroked his fingers around the small of her back, feeling the skin that was showing. "Absolutely."

She raised her eyebrow. "Oh great. Then you'll be glad to hear we're having another one next week…"

He knew she was kidding. "If I get to dance with you like this and I get the second half of the night, I'll risk it."

Now she hummed with pleasure. "I'm glad to hear it."

He was content to gently sway for a while as their foreheads rested against each other.

"You never did tell me if you liked my dress."

"And I won't tell you now," he answered cryptically.

"Why's that?"

He leaned forward even closer so only she could hear. "Because if I start describin' how hot you look, I might be forced to pick you up and carry you out of here to start my Mrs. Solo time. And then I'd probably forget Ben…"

He was cut off by her lips on his, sweet and promising. "Well then," she said breaking quickly. "I won't ask."

He grinned back at her and readjusted their hold just as he felt a tug on the back of his pants.

Han turned but didn't let go of his partner. "'Scuse me, kid. You tryin' to cut in?"

Leia smiled at the little man and moved to crouch to his level. "Do you want to dance, bubba?"

She lifted him in her arms and spun him around until he giggled.

"Hey kid, she's my wife." Han stood to the side with mock dejection, watching as they slowed down and Ben curled up against Leia's shoulder.

"She's my Mommy," he said, his eyes getting heavy as he yawned.

Han moved to his family and went back to holding his wife, hands meeting around her back, now with their son between them, all content to sway gently to the music. "Fine. We'll share her."

He was up early, quickly dressing to check in at headquarters where his Mom was still working. She had been up all night, monitoring the progress as her Resistance successfully overtook the Supremacy. The few vessels that came to its defense were quickly taken care of and, thanks to Ben and Rey's work, there was no way the occupants could escape.

She ordered her teams to disarm and hold all passengers while they flew the ship to Chandrila where the occupants would be unloaded and the ship dismantled. A few of her contacts planet-side got word to her that after the Hosnian system was no more, the systems in the Republic were sending new representation to form a shadow government in Chandrila in preparation for the fall of the First Order. She was given a list of names in the new alliance and her lips turned into a brilliant smile. These were her people, rising to take charge. A new democracy was on the horizon.

This would not be the final battle, Leia knew that well from experience. But this was the beginning of the end. The fall of the Darkness and the rise of the Light.

She saw him enter the room in her peripheral vision and gave him a quick smile before administering another order to her team.

"Come here, Ben," she waved a hand to bring him further in the room. She took a step away from her leadership position in front of the holo, grabbed a large mug probably filled with kaff, and walked towards her office.

"I don't want to take you away from your work," Ben said as he walked with her.

She dismissed him. "I need a break."

He saw how her body was fading, melting under the pressures of the day and night. "You should get some sleep."

She chuckled at his absurd statement. "You sound like your father."

He stepped into the office after her and shut the door behind him. "Where is he?"

His mother waved her hand around in the air and took a healthy sip of the substance that was fueling her as she spoke, sitting down at her desk chair. "Around, making himself useful."

"And Luke?"

She settled further, closing her eyes and sighing as her weary legs relaxed. "Taking time to meditate somewhere nearby."

Ben nodded, still standing in front of her.

Leia's eyes reopened to focus on her son, leaning forward in her chair. "He told me you're planning to teach Rey."

Ben swallowed, confirming. "I am."

He was relieved to see her lips turn up before she spoke. "I'm glad."

He was happy she was happy, but why was she happy?

"Rey took very quickly to you," Leia continued, her eyes taking on a knowing glint. "And you took surprisingly quickly to her."

"A dyad in the Force," Ben confirmed with as straight a face as possible.

Leia could almost laugh at her son's forced stoic face. "If you say so." She didn't stop the conversation there. "But if you ask me, I see a much more normal… familiar… primal connection as well."

Of course, she was going there. "Mom…"

"Alright, I'm done." She stopped almost as quickly as she started, knowing what his reaction would be but saying it anyway. "But just know that I am so happy to have you here, your father too. And we'll be here to support you whatever you choose to do next."

Subconsciously, he knew that, but it was nice to hear it vocalized. He nodded at her, grateful.

Leia gave Ben his marching orders and he set off with a holopad of the hanger locations and personnel assignments. He walked out onto the base with the full light of day dripping down on the activity. Ben stood himself at a central location so as to be seen. As the fighter pilots started to return, they landed and came to Ben to get their next orders.

His Mom was a smart woman. She knew this assignment would force him and her Resistance fighters to interact. He was hesitant at first and so were they. But news spread quickly here.

The pilot he knew of as Poe strutted up to him with a bold swagger. "Hey, Ben," He started, getting the other man's attention with his tight face. "You and Rey are the ones who took out Snoke, right? Made it so we could take over the ship."

Ben let his eyes soften from the hard stare they had grown so used to. "That's right."

The pilot nodded his head, taking in that information. He raised a hand and slapped the other man's arm. "Good work." And with that, he was off, running to his next job.

There were more interactions like that. "Thank you," "Nice job," and more personal introductions followed as the Resistance base remained abuzz.

Rey eventually appeared from her bunker. Looking much more rested than last night. He felt the rest of the base fall away as she walked closer.

Finn found her first, giving her a great hug. He couldn't tell what they were saying, other than the fact that Finn seemed relieved that she was alive and safe.

Ben met her eyes again, over Finn's shoulder. He watched as Rey said some parting words to her friend that had him running off and Rey once again on her path.

She was luminous, the light she always seemed to emit was even stronger today, rivaling the light of day. She was back in her old white wrapped scarves and pants with a leather belt holding it together at the waist. Hair in three neat buns down the back of her head.

She reached him before he could fully take all of her in.

"Good morning," he called when she was near.

"How are you?" She asked giving him a luminous grin as she stopped beside him.

He thought about that and answered as his father would. "Better now that you're here."

She bared her teeth in a chuckle before tapping the holopad. "Does your mother have an assignment for me?"

Ben thought back to his conversation with her this morning and didn't even look at the holopad before saying, "She certainly does."

"What is it?" Rey asked innocently, no idea the context of his words.

Focusing back on the holopad, Ben quickly searched the records and found a note that she was to report directly to General Organa.

"Right, I'll see you later then." Rey left with a nod.

Ben found himself standing still for a moment before pumping his legs to follow her.

She felt him come up beside her and met her swift pace. "You don't trust me alone with your mother?"

"I don't trust her alone with you." He made sure the emphasis was on 'her.'

"Oh, does she have embarrassing stories to share? Isn't that what families do?"

When had he become so comfortable with her? He blinked and there she was, fully entwined in his life, in his future. "She has a whole trove of stories, but nothing you need to hear."

"Tell me something," she asked, now curious.

He thought for a moment and then decided on a story that would make her laugh. "Well when I was almost four, I went to my first big gala event with her and my Dad."

"Did little Ben embarrass his parents?" She asked playfully.

He shook his head. "Not at the event. However, when we got home I threw up all that fancy food all over my fancy costume. My Mom was up with me the entire night. I remember Dad was furious."

She let out a chuckle at the scene as they kept walking.

When they arrived back at her office, his mother was still slouched in her desk chair with her head resting on one of her arms and her kaff mug empty. This time his father was also there, sitting on the desk with one leg bent and one leg on the ground. He was looking just as weathered as she.

"Rey, I'm glad you're here." She turned her chair away from her husband to address the young girl. "Can you temporarily join the ship maintenance crew? We're short on personnel as it is, but now we need to keep doing these minor repairs so we can keep X-Wings at the ready to support in the coming days."

"Of course, General," Rey nodded.

"Leia, please," the older woman insisted giving her last smile of the day to Rey and rising to her feet.

"And now that you saw Rey," Han announced, standing behind his wife and placing his hands on her arms. "You are going to bed." He quickly started guiding her towards the door before she thought about one more thing she needed to do first.

"I'm going," she insisted, putting one heavy foot in front of the other. "Admiral Statura is in charge now, so go to him if you need anything."

"Get some rest," Ben said by way of a response.

"I am!" She assured again with a bite. Her words were paired with a comforting wave coming through the Force as she rounded the door.

Han watched from the side as Leia gave a few last notes to Admiral Statura and eventually found her way back to him, walking past in her zombie-like state towards her quarters.

"What did you do when I wasn't around to take care of you? Work yourself into the ground?"

His admonishment was light, but her answer was morosely honest.

"I was miserable. Work consumed me and let me escape." She wasn't one to sugar coat anything.

He swallowed. "And you're the strong one…. I was worse."

"I need you with me," she admitted quietly. She fell into step with him, her hand reaching out to take his as they continued walking. "More than I ever knew."

"You better get used to it again," he said as a promise. "You work too much, Leia," Han warned for the 3,000th time in their life together.

"I know."

He was ready for another fight, but gladly took the acknowledgment she gave him. "You gotta slow down." He took it one step farther.

He heard her exhale before another surprising acknowledgment. "I know."

He disentangled his fingers from hers and moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders. He then felt her arm follow his lead and rest at his waist. "What're you thinkin'?" He asked, skeptically.

Her mind spun with all the thoughts that were rambling through her head. Important thoughts, and non-important thoughts. Strategy related maneuvers and thoughts about how thirsty she was. Thoughts about the past… and thoughts about the future.

"This war is not yet won." Not a very uplifting place to start. "There will be more dead before the First Order concedes."

He sighed, his eyes growing sad. "Yeah, you're right about that."

"And then the new group of planet representation that is now meeting in Chandrila will need to bind the galaxy together in a new order. A new democracy."

"Yeah," Han sighed beside her. "A lot to be done."

She waited a moment, took a few more steps into the quieter part of the hallway before speaking again. "I think they're ready."

"Who's ready for what?"

It could just be her tiredness talking, but she didn't think so. This had been her goal for more years than she could count, and it was finally time. "I think the next generation is ready to take my lead." She felt Han's reaction through his hand on her shoulder. "The rising diplomats, fighters, leaders. They're ready to pick up where we left off, learn from our mistakes and make their own mistakes."

Han was hesitant. He heard her talk about stepping back before, but she was always pulled back in. "You have a lot of faith in them," he decided on.

"I should. I trained many of them myself." She thought of the countless young diplomats she had taken under her wing while working in the Senate, the brave smart people she met when visiting other planets. They were all on the list of the new government's alliance. She thought of Poe and the skills he had shown with military strategy. They were the future.

He felt his tongue trace his lip, his voice lowered as he asked slightly above a whisper. "And where does that leave you?"

Of course, she had an answer at the ready. "We should first focus on Ben and Rey, making sure they find a place in all this."

Han's eyes scrunched in confusion at their names paired together. "Ben and Rey?"

She nodded nonchalantly. "Ben is going to train her and I think he's falling in love with her, but that's not what we were talking about…"

"Wait, what?" Han exclaimed stopping them from any further progression.

She tugged him back into their steps. "I can't talk about that now, I'm not entirely sure my lucid brain isn't playing tricks on me."

Han certainly stored that information into the back of his head to ask about some time.

"About our future." She brought them back on track. "I had a thought," she raised her head and tilted to look at him. "The new government is going to need a massive rehabilitation campaign with representatives traveling around to reengage planet leadership in the new order. Like we did with the New Republic."

"You're the ideal candidate," Han affirmed.

She agreed. "Ambassador at large…" They came to the door outside their quarters. Before he could open the door, she stepped in front of him. "But I need a ship."

He smirked, catching her drift. "And a pilot."

She eyed him and shook her head in quick motions. "I can fly myself." She emphasized the word 'can.'

"Well," he looked down the hall one way and then the other, finding it lifeless. "I know where you can find yourself a top-notch ship."

"Fast?" She asked.

"The fastest," he assured her with his eyes growing as he bragged. "Made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs."

She clicked her tongue on her teeth. "Ooo, Impressive."

"Only thing is, this ship comes with baggage."

"What kind of baggage?" She asked back, knowing where this was going.

"Comes with a pilot." His feet moved a fraction closer to her so his arms could easily reach back around her waist as her arms came to rest on his shoulders. "Handsome guy but it's a package deal."

She pursed her lips in contemplation of this offer. "And what type of payment does this pilot accept."

He smiled at that, his forehead resting against hers and quickly twisting to bring her cheek to his. "Favors…" he whispered in her ear, his head still rocking against hers.

"What kind of favors?" She pressed him in her words and pressed her fingers further into his shoulders.

He trailed his forehead back to center before answering. "Ones you're more than capable of giving."

She let out a lazy giggle, releasing some of the exhausted tension that had been building up. She ducked under his chin to rest her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she held on tight.

NOTE: I asked if people would like a sequel and after a few positive responses, I had a brain spark of what I would include in a sequel.

I also have another story I started where Han and Leia have amnesia a year after the Empire is defeated and think they are back on Hoth. It focuses on their challenges adjusting to their new life without the Empire and the significant changes in their personal life since their verbal sparring on Hoth...

I think I am more motivated to write the sequel for this story first, but let me know your thoughts and help sway me one way or the other!back!