Following on from "Terrendoc" Han and Leia have been forced to leave the planet they called home for the past 20+ years and move to Terrendoc where Han owned a property without, until very recently, his wife's knowledge. Will this prove a make or break move for the couple?
Hey, this is Han and Leia, plus this is my sandbox so whatever hole I may bury them in, I'm sure to find a way to dig them back out of!
Just so you know this was inspired – if you can call any of my writing inspired – by the picture of young Carrie and not quite as young Harrison dancing together circa late '70's/early '80's? I don't know the date, so my apologies to the photographer, but I do love the picture, and for me they will always be the Han and Leia I fell in love with in The Empire Strikes Back.
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As it was, Han and Leia's exit from Coruscant had been more of a whimpered affair than expected.
They had said their goodbyes in their own time and in their own way to their family and friends and slipped away quietly when it had been least anticipated.
Using one of the many false registrations Han had employed during his smuggling days, the 'Millennium Falcon' left the atmosphere unnoticed and without any of the drone footage or news reports Leia had so feared.
It appeared Han had been right; Leia had become yesterday's news.
Terrendoc SpacePort proved a revelation, clearing the Falcon to land in Hangar One Nine with the minimum of fuss and even less expenditure.
Hiring a landspeeder, Han was quietly pleased with himself. He, or more precisely the Falcon, had made good time and their arrival on Terrendoc gave them the afternoon to make their way to their new home. The directions seemed simple enough, follow the only road out of town until you reach the end then stop.
Jorj chattered the whole journey, reporting his observations; indicating things he would like to see more of; enquiring about the names of things he hadn't seen before.
Leia, for the most part, had been silently assimilating her surroundings as well as shouldering the weight of their decision to move.
On arrival, Jorj's eyes travelled up and up and up the imposing three storey wooden structure before him, then turned to his parents. "Is this where we're gonna live now?" He asked, astonished.
"Welcome to..." Han looked at the homestead's nameplate, hanging limply by one hook.
"Woe Betide." Leia intoned.
"What's that mean?" Jorj asked, curious.
"Means it needs re-naming." Han mumbled, ushering the boy up the porch steps. Leia's eyes were everywhere; on the dead plants in their planters, the dust devils clumped by their side, the cracked window pane. "Been empty a long time." Han pointed out, keying in their security code. Then twice more when nothing happened. "Damnedest thing! I'm sure that was the code I was given."
"Why don't you just blow on it? I expect it'll fall down." Leia whispered in his ear.
"It's not my fault." He said to her, biting back the temptation to add they wouldn't be here but for her.
Jorj chuckled, turning the knob. "Hey look! It just opens!"
"Well, would you look at that! No security, just an old fashioned door latch." Han shook his head and took the lead into the house.
Jorj squeezed in next, his eyes wide. "Wow! Look how big it is!"
The door, with the old fashioned door latch, opened to reveal a wide entrance hall with rooms off to either side and dominated by a sweeping staircase leading to an upper balcony and what Leia guessed would be two master bedroom suites, before rising to a third level housing two, maybe three more rooms. Even through the dark, dusty ambience Leia could see how this would make a stunning family home...with a little imagination and effort, both of which she intended to employ with relish.
Not that she was ready to show Han her enthusiasm just yet.
Jorj, meanwhile, raced off to investigate.
"Be careful Jorj." Leia shouted after him, her voice echoing around the hallway.
"Can you imagine? No locks!" Han exclaimed.
"Imagine!" Leia muttered, expecting to hear Jorj scream on finding a squatter in their living room.
"This place is huge!" Jorj squealed as he ran past them toward the room opposite.
"Jorj, slow down!" Leia shouted, again her voice lost in his excitement. Taking her hand, Han led them through the doorway Jorj had just entered.
"Is this where we're gonna eat dinner?" Jorj asked, eyes wide. The large, empty space could easily be either a living or dining area, and Leia's mind worked overtime seeing light, bright drapery and soft furnishings, tastefully mixed with classic, timeless furniture.
"Maybe. Best leave the specifics to the women-folk." Han suggested. He tipped a wink toward Leia who was circling the room, her face giving away nothing.
"Whatcha thinkin' Mommy?" Jorj queried.
"That this is about the yukkiest colour I ever saw." Leia replied.
"That's 'cos you aint seen the other room yet." Jorj declared. Leia cocked her head in Jorj's direction and Han laughed as he covered his son's mouth with a hand.
"Mouths of babes." He shrugged.
"Hmm." Leia grunted and wandered out across the hallway and into the other room.
Han dropped to one knee to look Jorj in the eye. "Listen kiddo, it's real important Mommy likes it here. So, how about we look beyond the décor and think how great it could be once we put our own stamp on it, huh?"
"Sure thing Daddy." Jorj nodded enthusiastically.
"You two coming?" Leia called, one foot already perched against the bottom stair. Jorj was gone before Han had risen to his full height, racing up the stairs two at a time. "I'd remind him to take care but what would be the point with you guiding his every step." Leia raised an eyebrow.
"Just pointing out that the decorations are at least a decade old." Han said following her. "I mean, seriously, can't you just see yourself at the top of these stairs wearing a gown of absolute pure white while our guests await your arrival down there?"
"It's a lovely staircase Han, reminds me of home." She patted his arm, almost simperingly in Han's opinion. He paused a moment to reflect and consider whether maybe he was trying just a little too hard.
"Mommy! Daddy! Come look at this!" Jorj jumped up and down excitedly on the first landing. Leia climbed the stairs to the next level, following Jorj into an enormous room he had clearly chosen as his own.
"It's got it's own 'fresher an' everything!" Jorj exclaimed. The room matched the size of the living space downstairs and was obviously intended as the master suite. "This'd be big enough to put the whole Falcon in!" Jorj beamed and spread his arms wide to demonstrate. "An' Daddy said I could have any room in the house!"
"Oh did Daddy?" Leia queried, turning in time to catch the finger pressed to Han's lips.
"Now, what I actually said was..." He started. Leia strolled past him to the bedroom opposite and Han sighed inwardly; this was not going to go the way he had thought. Jorj grinned widely and offered his father both thumbs upwards. Han smiled weakly and slowly followed Leia into the other bedroom. "I never said he could have any room." Han clarified. Leia's wry expression told him she doubted that was wholly the truth.
"You know how excitable Jorj gets. You think letting him have the room at the top of the stairs as his own personal playground is a good idea?" She questioned.
"Put like that, obviously not. But since I never agreed to that in the first place, I can't be held completely responsible." He responded. Her blink was slow. Measured. Disbelieving.
"What's up here Daddy?" Jorj asked, squinting up the second staircase.
"There's three guest rooms and a family 'fresher." Han replied, feeling pleased with himself. "I figured Jaina and Jacen could take those rooms when they come stay with us."
Leia regarded him then queried. "You expect our heavily pregnant daughter to climb two flights of stairs?"
"She's not gonna be pregnant forever." Han countered.
"No. Then she'll have a baby in her arms and a toddler by her side." Leia pointed out.
"Okay. Fine. We'll go back to Coruscant then. Oh no, wait, we can't!" He shot back.
"I knew you resented us leaving." She accused sharply.
"Resented us leaving?" He repeated her words. "Are you kidding me? I've hated that planet ever since we first moved there, a fact you know all too well. If anyone resents us having to leave, it's you."
Leia opened her mouth, bit back her retort and sighed, conceding with a soft smile. "I know. I'm sorry. You know what would help?"
"A picture of Coruscant on the wall? A hand painted mural maybe?" He suggested with a curl of his lip. Leia laughed and held her hand toward Jorj. The boy slipped his fingers through hers and allowed himself to be tugged into the bedroom again.
"You know, if we put your bed here against this wall then your Falcon-desk would fit under the window and you'd have a real viewport to look through when you're flying." She offered. "And this wall would be great for all your toys and books then over here we could store all your clothes..."
Jorj followed her train of thought. "Can I still have a 'fresher all of my own?" He queried.
"You know what buddy, you can have anything you want." Han agreed, dropping into a crouch before his son. Leia cleared her throat, pointedly. "Within reason."
"Good. 'Cos that one over there's got a big dead bug in it." Jorj stated, slipping his mother's grip to imagine his room with all his stuff in it.
"Big dead bug, huh?" Leia arched an eyebrow at Han as he stood tall again.
"You want me to go..." He let the question die on his lips already knowing the answer.
"Then you need to go get some of our stuff from the Falcon while Jorj and I make some calls." She told him.
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The two shadowy figures at the door told her it wasn't Han she'd heard knocking on the woodwork. The joyful skip she'd employed down the first level of stairs slowed and her caution was evident in the way she opened the door, even if not so obvious by the blaster hidden in her sleeve.
An elderly couple greeted her with bright smiles.
"You the new uns?" The old man asked.
"Am I the who?" Leia queried.
"The new ones?" The woman said. "We'd heard someone was moving in."
"Oh, I see." Leia relaxed. "Yes. Hello, we're the Solos." She cringed, thinking the name might spark some recognition. If it did the couple showed no sign.
"Gambe." The woman said, her head bobbing at the man. "This is Gum."
"Very nice to meet you. Le...Leliha Solo." Leia smiled and indicated herself.
"You here all by yourself honey?" The woman asked.
"My husband's at the SpacePort collecting some essentials. Our son's upstairs deciding if he needs to move his bed another quarter klik to the left." Leia explained. When they remained in place, she continued. "I'd invite you in but we only got here a short while ago ourselves and the furniture doesn't arrive until tomorrow." They still remained standing. "Hopefully when my husband returns we'll have some cream." She laughed but they still stayed motionless. "And some caf."
"There's a store in town." The old man, Gum, told her.
"Thank you. We'll go take a look, soon as my husband returns." Leia smiled.
"You need a duster buster." Gambe said. It was a statement, not a question.
"I have a company coming tomorrow." Leia assured them.
"Go fetch the duster Gum." Gambe instructed the old man.
"No, really, I don't want to impose." Leia argued.
"No trouble." Gambe insisted. "He'll go getcha that cream too."
By the time Han returned, the couple had gone room to room, made their suggestions to Leia as to how the house used to look, placed a bowl of what Han called 'dead leaves' in the fire surround and left taking their duster droid and the remaining caf and cream with them.
"Who were they?" Han asked again.
"I already told you, Gambe and Gum. Married couple, I suppose. They turned up here and just wouldn't take no for an answer." Leia answered.
"Country hospitality I guess." Han shrugged and surveyed the track marks the droid had left behind. "Duster droid did a good job."
"I got somebody coming first thing in the morning. What time did you say the furniture was arriving?" She queried.
"Relax, would ya? I got it all under control." Han insisted.
"That's when I worry. What time?" Leia repeated.
"The earliest slot I could get. Promise." Han assured her.
"The time?" Leia demanded.
"This aint Coruscant honey. Time's kind of a relative term." He explained.
"H-an!" She snapped.
"Best I could get was sometime after two. It's not my fault!" He held his hands up defensively. "Besides, you yourself said you hoped they weren't too early on account of the floor guys you got coming."
"Hmm...I did say that." She considered.
"Look." He placed his hands gently on her upper arms. "We know where everything needs to go, so all we got to do is direct traffic once they do get here right? So, why don't we go check out that store in town and head back to the Falcon for the night?" Before she had chance to respond, he turned and called out to Jorj. "Hey, Jorj, you about done up there son?"
"Coming Daddy." Jorj shouted back, small feet bounding down the stairs two at a time. "I left Hoo in my room. He likes it there already."
"That's great buddy." Han said, acknowledging the importance the rock played in Jorj's life. They exited the property as they had arrived, as a family, and puzzled over what to do with the door.
"We could just leave it how we found it." Han suggested.
"It just feels so...odd, after Coruscant. It was like that on Alderaan, nobody ever locked their doors at night." Leia commented with a light laugh.
The comparison gave Han an idea. It would take a little time and some planning, but where Leia was concerned, time and planning was always going to be worth it.
The ride to the store gave Jorj another opportunity to observe the local landscape, and Han the chance to let his plans start to take shape.
"How long do you think it'll take us to get the house straight?" He queried with Leia, while Jorj chattered away in the back.
"Straight the way you like it or straight the way I like it?" She asked, a wry smile on her lips.
"Couple of months you think?" He offered, ignoring her jibe.
"Maybe. Nearer three or even four, especially if we want to replant the garden." She replied.
"Do we want to replant the garden?" He asked.
"Yes. We do." Leia clarified.
"So..say six..which'd make it around late summer here.." He mused. "How about we throw a party? You know, like a Home Welcoming?"
"All right, who are you and what have you done with the real Han Solo?" She scowled. Han's distaste for all things 'party' was the stuff of legend.
"If you'd rather not..." He started.
"Don't you dare try to back out now!" She grinned. "We'll have to be careful with the timing though, Jaina's due date will be about then."
"Home Welcoming and Naming Day in one. Saves the cost of two celebrations." Han said smiling to himself and he heard Leia groan as they pulled into a space beside a row of shops. He stretched as he climbed from the landspeeder's cockpit.
"Who's got the shopping list?" Han asked, already knowing the answer.
"I got it Daddy." Jorj replied, jumping from the 'speeder.
"Did you write it down or you got it all up here?" Han queried, tapping his forehead.
"Up here and I writ it down." Jorj replied, checking his pockets.
"Wrote. You wrote it down." Leia corrected gently.
"Which he'd know, if he was having regular schooling." Han pointed out.
"It was just a slip Han, and his lessons will resume as soon as you connect the relay like you promised." Leia chided.
"Hey, I spent the afternoon shifting all that stuff we left at the house for the robbers to steal." Han argued. Leia's glare told him to stop finding excuses.
"Look Mommy! Toys!" Jorj was at a window, pointing inside.
"Don't you have enough toys already?" Leia suggested, hurrying to his side.
"There might be room for maybe..one..more. I still got some birthday money left." Jorj said after some consideration, his big eyes appealed up at his mother.
"Why don't we get what we need first and then think about more toys after your bedroom has been delivered?" Han suggested.
"O-kay." Jorj sulked, one foot kicking at the disappointment beneath his feet. Leia's big eyes appealed up at her husband.
"Not you too!" Han exclaimed, quietly.
"Would one small toy really hurt?" She asked, just as quietly. Han followed where her eyes were looking to a small stuffed Wookiee. Then his eyes caught sight of something behind the soft toy, somewhat obscured but quite discernable and he grinned, broadly. Leia followed his eyesight and gasped. "Jorj Bailey Solo what have I told you about looking at naked ladies!" Leia demanded, grasping the boy's hand and marching him from the shop window.
"That my eyes'd catch fire an' burn right outta their sockets." He quoted. "But they haven't yet Mama."
Leia scowled at Han's laughter.
"Well, would you prefer that he looked at naked guys instead?" Han goaded.
"What about the unreasonable expectation?" Leia countered. "Women do not look like..like..well, like they do on those puzzle boxes!"
"Some look a whole lot better." Han grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her.
"That is not helpful Han!" Leia snapped.
"Oh, come on Ley, give the kid a break. Look at it this way, it's educational." Han said. The hand on Leia's hip said otherwise. "No, hear me out. At least when he gets to see one in person, he'll know where all the pieces go. Isn't that what all you women want, for a guy to know where things are as well as what to do with 'em?"
Leia muttered something that told Han she couldn't argue the point and he smiled to himself as they pushed their way into the local grocery store. A plump woman at the counter beamed a smile at them.
"I'll handle this." Han offered, hitching at his pants and swaggering over.
"Good afternoon, you must be the Solos." The woman said.
"Does our reputation precede us?" Han smiled back.
"Gambe stopped by earlier. Said you'd be comin' over." She placed a hand on her chest. "Nyrie. Nyrie Latimer."
"A pleasure to meet you Nyrie." Han replied.
"Leliha." Leia stated, her eyes darting to Han. "My husband, Hanlolo and our son, Bailey."
Jorj looked up, puzzled, then returned his attention to a large tank by the door.
"Glowfish." Nyrie offered.
"Pardon me?" Han asked.
"In the tank, they're called glowfish. I can see your son's taken by them." Nyrie explained.
"Are they naked?" Leia mumbled under her breath.
"A lot of the children like them and it keeps them occupied while their parents shop." Nyrie said.
"Are there many children locally?" Leia asked while Han picked out a few items from his mental list.
"There's a couple live in town, mostly they're on the outskirts though. You're up in the old Peabody place aren't you? Nobody's lived up there for well over a decade now." Nyrie chattered away.
Jorj watched the fish, his mouth imitating their pop-pop-pop as they swam past.
"Whatcha thinkin' buddy?" Han asked in Jorj's ear.
"I'm thinkin' I like glowfish. Can I buy one Daddy? I still got my birthday money." Jorj answered. The boy had been determined to spend every last credit he'd received for his last birthday and reminded his parents at every opportunity that there was still money with his name on it.
"These glowfish, how much are they to buy?" Han asked Nyrie.
"They come in pairs and they're five each. But you do get to pick your own." Nyrie replied.
"Five each huh? How much do you got son?" Han queried.
Jorj thought back to the money he'd had and the money he'd spent which left...his face sank, not enough. "Seven. An' a half." He sulked again.
"We're teaching him financial responsibility..." Leia answered Nyrie's unasked question.
"You think you can keep your room tidy for a full week, son?" Han asked, to which Jorj nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I tell you what, you keep your room tidy for a week and I'll go half of the bill for two glowfish." Han offered.
"Can I take 'em now Papa?" Jorj begged.
Han frowned in mock consideration and tilted his head at his son. "I got your promise now?"
"Cross my heart Daddy." Jorj agreed, demonstrating.
"...Sometimes it's more successful than others." Leia added to Nyrie.
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With their purchases made and their son clutching his newly chosen pets, the family returned to the Falcon for the night. Eager to show his new pets to his whisperkits Jorj raced through the ship, fish swishing in their container.
"I'm just saying..." Leia continued. "What's the point in trying to show him how to be financially independent when you go and treat him on the basis that he may or may not keep his promise!"
"It was a few credits, Ley. Give the kid a break." Han insisted.
"It's not the amount, it's the principle." Leia pointed out.
"Well, we're also teaching him to be truthful. You want to explain 'Leliha, Hanlolo and Bailey' Solo?" He countered.
"That was for our protection." She argued while Han stowed their foodstuff in the galley.
"Hanlolo Solo? Couldn't you have come up with something that didn't sound quite so false?" He queried, hands on hips.
"I thought it was close enough should I call you Han by mistake." She explained.
"Daddy! Daddy! Dude's gone missing. She's not where I left her." Jorj ran back, his face wet with tears.
Leia eased the fish from her child's hands and placed the container on a countertop. "Where did you last see her sweetheart?" Leia asked.
"She was on my bed." Jorj snivelled.
"What have I told you about leaving those things outta their cage?" Han growled.
"I was petting her." Jorj defended.
"And she's not under your bed?" Leia queried to Jorj shaking his head. "You know what I think? I think she's maybe gone to find somewhere to have her babies."
"Can't she have 'em here?" Jorj asked, his voice squeaking with emotion.
"What I mean is, she'll have found herself somewhere warm and quiet where she can give birth and know her litter are safe." Leia clarified.
"Probably under our bed." Han groaned.
"Shall we go look for her?" Leia asked. A search of lady Dude's favourite spots revealed nothing until, as Han had so sarcastically suggested, she was found safe and well under Han and Leia's bunk along with her litter of baby 'kits.
"Wow! Look how many she had!" Jorj exclaimed.
"Not too close sweetheart, we don't want Daddy Dude to see you as a threat." Leia reminded. Jorj had dropped to his stomach to watch the litter suckle at their mother's teats. His ankles were crossed, something Leia noticed Han did on occasion when he was working on the Falcon.
"Is that my shirt she's got?" Han scowled.
"Could be anything." Leia chided.
"So it could be my shirt!" Han shot back.
"When can I play with them?" Jorj asked.
"Not for some time yet." Leia answered.
"Longer still if that's my shirt she's given birth on!" Han threatened.
"Perhaps if you didn't leave your clothes lying around..." Leia left the sentence unfinished.
"Will my glowfish have babies?" Jorj asked, rolling onto his back.
"Not if I have anything to do with it." Han replied.
Leia pursed her lips at Han before answering. "We'll just have to wait and see sweetheart, but first I think we need to give them some food." She offered Jorj her hand and smiled when he quickly accepted it. "You coming Han?" Han eyed his shirt once more then decided not to risk trying to remove it while Daddy Dude's teeth and claws were so close.
With the fish fed, dinner eaten and dishes put away, Leia read Jorj his bedtime story and stayed holding his hand until he was deeply asleep. Then she roamed the ship in search of her husband, finally finding him in the cockpit slouched in his chair.
"Mewling 'kits got on my nerves!" He complained, not entirely convincingly.
"That all?" Leia queried, running her fingers through his unruly hair.
"Plus I didn't want to wake up with 'Dude' sitting on my face, chewing on the only good eye I got left!" He moaned.
"That all?" She repeated, moving to sit across his lap.
"I spoke to Jaina. She got upset." He said.
"We're doing the right thing." Leia stated, slipping an arm around his back so she could rest her head against his chest.
"She knows that, s'why she got upset." He told her.
"Did you speak to Jace?" She asked.
"Left a message. Said we'd call tomorrow once the relay was set up at the house." He replied, letting a hand settle at her hip.
"You haven't forgotten then." She queried. He could feel her smile through his shirt. He liked it.
"I haven't forgotten. Just like I haven't forgotten our promise to one another." He reminded.
"Which one was that?" She shifted her head to look up at him.
"First night. New home. Every room." He waggled his eyebrows.
Leia chuckled. "You better have enough of those extra strength viritily capsules for the both of us then!"
"Maybe we should just do it in one room this time." He suggested.
"Our bedroom." Leia agreed.
"Slow. And real meaningful like." He concluded.
"I'm up for that." She smiled and they fell silent, the steady thrum of his heartbeat lulling her towards sleep.
"Jaina wants to come visit." Han blurted.
"I hope you told her 'no'. She shouldn't be travelling after her bleed." Leia replied.
"I told her. Don't know if she'll listen though, she sounded pretty determined." He added.
"Soon as we get to the house I want that relay up and running so I can call her and make sure she understands." Leia stated.
"I got it on my to do list." Han said. "You want me to put that ahead of fixing up the caf pot in the kitchen?"
"I want it ahead of everything!" She demanded.
"Your wish, my lady." He answered, laying his cheek against the top of her head. It had taken him a while to get used to the tickling of Leia's hair, now he found he craved the sensation. "You tired? You know, too tired to..fool around?"
"Han Solo, you have a one track mind." She teased.
"Two track. I gotta eat sometime." He grinned.
"What happened to saving yourself for the first night in our new home?" She queried.
"I figured on you doing all the hard graft. You know how I love watching you." He suggested and encouraged her to stradle his thighs and rise onto her knees. "Thought I could show you how I learned to put the 'man' into 'manual'." He grinned again, the outside of a finger ghosting the inside of her thigh.
"Is this how you used to teach all those rebel recruits back in the day?" She asked, teeth nibbling at her bottom lip.
"A couple. Maybe. But mostly I was waiting for the right recruit to come along. One with the kind of raw passion only I could ignite." He replied.
"Did you find them?" She tried not to pant, without much success.
"Oh yeah! And she was well worth the wait." He told her, a finger repeatedly stroking the fabric of her panties. Her eyes were closed, the level of concentration on her face had always intrigued Han. Watching as he drew her towards climax was a revelation to him and more than once he'd found himself wondering if he was doing something wrong. Or if, in fact, he'd been doing something wrong all those years before he had met Leia. Slowly his fingers ceased their activities and as her growing excitement slowly quelled, Leia opened her eyes, puzzled.
"Han...what is it?" She asked, realising he was looking at the co-pilot's chair. "Please tell me it's not Jorj."
"It's not Jorj." Han spoke, barely moving his lips.
"Then what?" She queried, turning to see what he was looking at. "Dude!"
The whisperkit mewled at Leia. Han curled his lip at the creature.
"What are you doing in here?" Leia cooed, rising from Han's lap and lifting the ball of fur into her arms. He purred at her touch. "You didn't pee on the chair again did you?"
"It better not have!" Han growled eyeing the fabric while the 'kit hissed at him. "Yeah, keep that up and you'll be booted out an airlock!"
"Perhaps if you spoke a little softer around him, he wouldn't feel threatened. Also, if you called him 'him' not 'it'." Leia chided.
"And what do you mean 'again'?" He queried.
"It was only once and you never even noticed." Leia dismissed.
"Mine or Chewie's?" He scowled, realising too late his mistake. After some considerable time and even greater debate, Chewie's chair had been replaced with one that better suited the contours of a human co-pilot. Leia let the faux pas pass.
"It doesn't matter. It was once, we cleaned it up and you never even noticed. Not even the fact the cockpit smelled fresh, for the first time in forever." She told him. Leia cuddled the whisperkit and tickled his neckfur, turning to take him back to his family. Han groaned at himself.
The chair – Chewie's chair – had been a bone of contention between Han and Leia for far too long by the time he finally relented and allowed it to be removed and placed in storage while a more suitable seat was installed into the Falcon.
It wasn't just because it had been Chewie's chair, it was because it's outsized shape and perspective enhanced the quirky reputation of the ship. To Leia it was uncomfortable, impractical and unsafe. Their war of words had lasted for so long, Han had forgotten when it had even started by the time he came to replace the chair. Strolling back through the ring corridor, he found Leia sat at the dejarik table still fussing Dude who was nibbling on some scraps.
"I'm sorry." He said, simply. They still squabbled from time to time but had made a pact that no matter how big a deal either of them thought a particular issue to be, they would never let it come between them the way it might have once.
"I miss him too sometimes, you know." She said, stroking the 'kit.
"Yeah, I know." He agreed, sitting by her side. "And I did notice the smell. Or the lack of it. I figured it was something I'd have to get used to."
"You don't have to be..I don't know..'Han Solo' all the time, you know? Not with me." She said.
"I let the sensitive side o' me show too often and I get called out for being soft." He accused.
"I guess we both have our faults then." She offered him a wry smile. The 'kit finished his snack and rolled onto his back for a tummy tickle. Leia complied without complaint.
"Jorj sure does love his pets." Han commented, risking a quick tickle himself.
"I'm sorry I made a fuss about the glowfish." Leia apologised. "Of course you should treat our son from time to time, we both should. He has precious little to look forward to."
"You kidding me? That kid's got it made." Han said, lightheartedly. "With his innocent outlook on life, he's never gonna go through the angst we had to."
"Not entirely true but I think I understand what you're trying to say." She smiled and lifted the whisperkit from the dejarik board. "Here, let Dude know there's no hard feelings while I go get the sanitiser for the table." She passed the 'kit to Han who reluctantly cradled the beast, eyeing him suspiciously. Dude stretched a paw toward Han's chin, soft fur meeting stubble, then withdrew.
"You're not such a bad ole thing, are ya?" Han said, softly. The 'kit mewled again. "Yeah, you're probably thinkin' the same thing about me! But listen up and listen well, I'm still the head o' this household and while you may have gotten my wife and my son wrapped around your furry little paw, one step outta place an' I can still drown the lot o' ya!"
The whisperkit mewled again, nuzzling Han's hand for a tickle.
Yeah! That ball of fluff had him sussed. There was a greater chance of Jorj marrying a Princess than there was of Han harming Dude or his family.
Then again, it wasn't like something just as unlikely hadn't happened before. Han smiled as Leia returned to cleanse the dejarik table before they all retired for the night.