Han woke to the sound of babies crying and for the briefest of moments it was the sound of his own twins, then realisation dawned and he recognised the dulcet tones of his grandchildren.
Slipping from the bed and pulling on a pair of sleep pants, he padded from the bedroom and tiptoed up the stairs to the guest bedrooms.
Hushed murmurings from inside was doing little to quell the sounds and, fearing they might wake Jorj, Han pushed on into the bedroom shared by Jacen, Tilly, Anais and the owners of the wailing lungs.
"Da-ad!" Jacen exclaimed, doing his best to hide Tilly's embarrassment as she tried to coax one of the twins..Ren most probably, Han decided..onto her nipple.
"Sorry! Not looking." Han declared a hand in front of his face. "Just figured I'd pick this little one up before the crying upset her."
"You couldn't maybe knock first?" Jacen demanded.
"I'm gone."' Han assured him. "Oh, you might wanna try the other side honey. Jacen always favoured the left breast. I don't know why."
Then he was gone, carrying a wide awake Anais down to the kitchen.
"There. That's better away from all that noise isn't it little one?" Han asked, depositing the infant into a high chair and bending to look her in the eye. "You feel like a little something to eat?"
Anais pulled a face, displaying two perfectly formed top front teeth.
"Hmm. Wonder what it is you do eat." He mused, then swung to the refrigeration unit and glared at it's contents.
"Try the jar with the cream cap." Leia offered, squeezing his rear as she kissed his cheek.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"Does a wife need a reason to kiss her husband?" Leia queried.
"She does when she's fondling his butt at the same time." He suggested.
"The jar." Leia reminded and dropped into the chair beside her grand-daughter.
"This one with 'A, Breakfast' on it?" He queried, grabbing the jar and adding. "Figured that was a little too obvious."
"That's the one. Full minute in the warmer's how she likes it best." Leia smiled at the babe. "Good morning beautiful."
"Ga. Mah!" Anais said, puckering her lips.
"Hmm. That was nice." Leia said, accepting the sloppy kiss.
"Hm." Han grunted. "When I tried that she turned her face away."
"Maybe she's not keen on your stubble." Leia offered.
"Sure doesn't take after her grandmother." Han scoffed. "Who, I might add, couldn't get enough of me last night."
Leia blushed, pursed her lips and held her hand out for the jar when the warmer beeped. Small feet pounded across the hallway and down the stairs. Moments later Jorj burst into the kitchen.
"How much longer are they gonna be here!" The boy moaned, jumping into his breakfast chair.
"Jorj, don't pout." Leia admonished and started feeding Anais.
"All they do is cry!" Jorj groaned.
"Jorj, listen to your mother." Han said.
"Jorj, what if I said you didn't need to do any schoolwork today?" Leia asked, opening her mouth in unison with Anais.
"What's the catch?" Jorj asked, a suspicious frown across his brow. Han tried not to chuckle.
"No catch." Leia promised, eyeing her husband. "Your Dad and I just thought you'd been so good lately you deserved a day off to go to the beach."
"For real?" Jorj exclaimed.
"But only if you don't pout." Leia reminded.
"I won't Mom. Cross my heart." Jorj demonstrated.
"Glad that's settled. Pancakes or waffles?" Han asked Jorj.
"Cereal and some fruit." Leia answered for him.
"Pancakes or waffles?" Han mouthed, signing the words for his son's benefit.
Jorj's eyes darted between his parents. His mother seemed consumed with scraping the last of the goo from the jar for his baby niece to dribble down her chin, so Jorj risked mouthing the word 'waffles' back.
"Cereal and some fruit." Leia repeated. "But nice try buster."
"How about one waffle, light syrup and some fruit?" Han asked. "He has been real good in his studies recently."
"Well. All right then." Leia agreed. "But no swimming until it's fully digested."
"Mom means it's gotta be good and gone down." Han explained.
"Those two sure do have a set of lungs on them." Jagged Fel commented on entering the kitchen and slipping Lei into a high chair.
"Tell me about it!" Jorj grumbled.
"Jorj." Leia reminded.
"But babies only cry 'cos they want something like feeding or changing or comfort." Jorj added, recallinig his mother's words from the night before.
Han did laugh then. "You want waffles Jag? I got a sack-load of frozen from Jace's cafe."
"That'd be great." Jag agreed.
"And what about you honey? You want waffles?" Han bent forward to gaze into Lei's eyes.
"Jaina prefers her to have something a little more..health conscious. We have some pre-prepared meals in the refrigeration unit." Jag offered.
"Hmm." Han grunted and swung into the unit again. "This okay, it's marked 'L, Breakfast'?"
"Ooh, she loves that one." Jag answered, accepting the container and snapping it's lid open.
"Jaina feeding Jorja?" Leia asked, laying segments of local oranges in front of Anais who grabbed the fruit and rammed it into her mouth. "One piece at a time sweetheart."
"Yeah. She's got her big sister's appetite when it comes to feeding time." Jag replied.
"Didn't we agree on one?" Leia asked as a plate with two highly sticky and fruit laden waffles were placed in front of Jorj.
"That's not what you said last night." Han goaded.
Jag coughed a laugh and Jorj looked puzzled but tucked into his waffles before any could be removed from his plate.
Once breakfast was consumed and cleared away Han, Leia and Jorj dressed and headed down to the beach while the remaining Solos and Fels made their own arrangements for the day.
Marking their territory with a blanket and a huge sun umbrella, Jorj bounced with excitement at the prospect of diving for hidden treasure with his father while his mother, as usual, advised caution and sprayed him prodigiously with sun screen before finally letting him loose on the beach.
"You too flyboy." She told Han.
"Oh man!" Han groaned as she sprayed.
"Last time you were sunburnt for a week." She reminded him.
"Last time, I crashed my 'speeder and was in hospital for a week." He countered.
"Where in addition to your other injuries, they treated you for sunburn." She said, replacing the cap on the sun spray. "There you go. Play nicely now."
Her smile was teasing, but genuine.
"I'd rather stay here and play with you." Han grinned.
"Not sure Jorj would approve." Leia said, her eyes on her boy who had already found a rock pool and who knew what poor creature to torture. She waved her padd at Han. "Besides, I have correspondence to catch up on. Go on, I'll come play with you both later."
With a quick kiss, Han's long legs bounded down the beach to his son's side and Leia smiled. Jorj was getting tall. Long, lanky legs led to a lengthening torso. Nine years old, he was as tall as her already..well, almost..and well on his way to matching his father's height.
The first five years of Jorj's life had been the hardest. He'd had to fight for every breath when he was born; learning to walk and talk had been an arduous task that Leia had taken on as her own personal challenge. Now he was growing but had reached an age of mental maturity he was likely to own for the remainder of his days, and a small part of Leia longed for him to have been born a girl. The years were moving too fast. One day she would be alone, save for the boy with his father's looks and she was afraid that might be too much for her to bear.
Leia took a long steadying breath and settled herself beneath her sunshade. Those thoughts were for another day. For now, as she opened her padd, she had thank you's from a number of guests at their recent house warming and anniversary parties including Winter, the Calrissians, the Antilles' and some rather intriquing mail from her publisher under the heading 'proposal' which she read with interest.
This was something which affected them all and Leia felt needed to be discussed and agreed upon as a family. A number of scenarios sprang to mind, not all of them bad, and before she realised it Leia had drifted off to sleep.
She was woken by something damp and faintly rubbery caressing her cheek. Opening her eyes, Leia squealed and batted the seaweed away from her face. Han's laugh had been a roar, then he apologised to her and explained that it had been at Jorj's insistance that he had played the prank.
"Oh, was it!" Leia had growled, scowling fiercely at her boy who was doubled over with laughter.
Han tossed the seaweed aside and sank onto the blanket beside her. "He also wants to know when you're gonna come play with us." He said, waving Jorj to carry on without him. "I was wondering the same thing too. Kinda." His lips began a slow exploration of her neck, just beneath her ear.
"Didn't you get enough of me last night?" She queried.
"I could ask you the same thing." He mumbled, easing aside her swimsuit strap.
"Han...I don't think we should leave Jorj by himself." She gasped, Han's lips finding a particularly sensitive spot.
"We gotta give him some personal responsibility Ley. Besides, he's not by himself." Han said.
"Who's he with?" She asked, confused.
"That artist guy, the one who made our nameplate." Han answered.
"Wha...? What's he doing here?" She asked, pulling away from Han.
"I dunno. Drawing I guess. Says he comes down quite often to sketch. It's a public beach Ley, what do you want me to do?" Han requested.
"I don't see him. I...I don't see either of them." Leia pointed out, pushing Han out of her way. Something cold settled in the pit of her stomach.
"What do you mean you don't see them, they were just right..." Han looked up, shading his eyes as he scanned the area. The same cold feeling chilled Han's insides. Without another word both were on their feet calling Jorj's name as they spread out across the beach.
"I don't understand!" Han called to Leia. "I was only gone for like a minute!"
"Jorj!" Leia screamed at the ocean.
"He knows not to go in on his own." Han shouted over to her.
"But he wasn't on his own! Remember?" She shouted back.
Han looked out at the blue. It was perfectly still, barely a ripple disturbing it's surface.
"He wouldn't." He muttered before plowing into the waters and calling for Leia to stay right where she was. Leia watched for a moment, then resumed her search of the nearby rocks and pools. Han resurfaced twice for air then dived back into the sea. His final emergence saw him shake his head as he approached Leia.
"There's..nothing." He panted. "Just..sand..and..seaweed..and..shells.."
Leia didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream or quite what to do.
"We're gonna find him." Han promised, grasping Leia's arms. "And if that guy's hurt him in any way, so help me Leia..."
"Hey! Hey there. Help me!" A voice called. "Hey! Help me, would you? Please!"
Han and Leia turned to the sound of the voice. To the man from the art shop, struggling with the crumpled body of a child in his arms.
"Son of a Sith!" Han cursed, climbing over the rocks toward where the man stood. Leia followed, slipping on a particularly slick craggy outcropping. Her ankle twisted but at least didn't snap.
"What have you done to him you sick bastard?" Han barked.
"Nothing. I swear!" The man, Jaizun, replied. Han snatched his son, cradling the boy in his arms.
"He slipped, bumped his head. That's all. I swear!" The man assured Han.
"He's not breathing." Han noted, trying to find somewhere flat to lie his boy.
"He was under water when I found him." Jaizun said, dropping to his knees to help.
"How long?" Han demanded. "How long was he under?"
"I...don't know. A minute. Two maybe." Jaizun replied.
Leia stumbled to Han's side. "Wha..? What happened?" She begged.
"He fell. That's all I know." Jaizun told her.
Han was already administering mouth to mouth rescucitation. Between breaths he rubbed at Jorj's chest. "Come on buddy! Breathe goddamn you, breathe!" Han ground out between his teeth.
Leia held her breath, a hand at her mouth, as Han started mouth to mouth again.
And again.
And again.
With a spluttering cough, Jorj vomitted water then fell back into father's waiting arms.
"Way to go kiddo!" Han commented and scooped the boy into his embrace. "We gotta get him to a medical centre." He looked down at Leia's ankle, already blackening from her own misfortune.
"Go. I'll follow." She told him. His eyes held hers for a moment more. "Go!" She commanded and he was off, clutching his son to his chest and clambering over the rocks to sprint up the beach and toward the 'speeder they had waiting outside their home. An arm snaked around her waist which Leia shrugged off angrily.
"Only trying to help." Jaizun explained.
"I don't need your help." She growled.
"No?" He too looked at the angry bruise and her rapidly swelling ankle joint. "You're lucky that thing aint broke."
"You're lucky you're not!" She countered. "What were you doing with my son?"
Jaizun cocked his head to one side. "Hey. Whatever it is you're thinking, I aint that guy."
"Secluded spot. Young boy. You explain it then." She said, tempering her breathing.
"The kid wanted to catch some fish, wanted to take them back for 'dude', whoever that is. I said he should look in the rockpools, I never said he should go looking all by himself." He replied. "You, by the way, woulda known that if you hadn't been so busy cavorting with your husband."
"Don't you dare!" She barked, eyes flashing fire.
"I seen you both. Him nuzzlin' at your flesh an' you..." He didn't get to finish his sentence before Leia's hand swiped him across his face, hard. The energy she put into the slap tipped her off balance and her already painful ankle flared ribbons of burning fire through her knee and on up into her hip. "There's a truth in my words, otherwise you wouldn't have felt the need to take a swing at me." He pointed out, wrapping an arm around her waist again. "Same as there is when I tell you you do need my help."
Furious with herself, Leia not so much accepted as allowed Jaizun to support her back to her belongings on the beach.
"You got family back at the house. I'll go get help." He offered. He was gone so long Leia wondered if he'd had second thoughts and just left her there when she saw him hurrying back. "No one home. Place is all locked up." He said, breathing heavily. "Nobody locks their home around here, otherwise I coulda gone inside and called for assistance."
"You don't have transport?" Leia asked.
"I got all the transport I need." He replied, hands indicating his feet.
Leia had endured considerably more physical and emotional pain in her life, though at this precise moment she was struggling to remember when.
"I have to get to that medical centre Jaizun. I have to be with my boy." She pleaded.
"S'not five minutes since you was slapping my face." He said, a hand at his jaw. Leia looked away, abashed.
"I know and I'm deeply sorry for that." She looked up at him then. "Don't make me do it again."
Jaizun laughed and shook his head. "Never could resist that sass o' yours." He considered their options a moment. "I'm not as strong or as fit as that husband of yours. But I can give it a go if you promise not to complain if I need to pause a moment or two along the way."
"I could probably..." She started, trying to rise on her one good leg.
"No. You couldn't." Jaizun said, steadying her. He pulled up the blanket and gave it to her, indicating she should wrap herself in it, then lifted her into his arms.
"What about the shade?" She queried. His expression said it all. "You know what, I'll ask the kids to get that later."
Carrying Leia, he made his way back to the property pausing only twice to get his breath and to adjust Leia's positioning.
They were relieved to see a landspeeder at the side of the house and further relieved when Jaina appeared on the porch, a puzzled frown across her brow. "Mom?" She queried.
"Long story. No time." Leia answered as Jaizun set her down on a chair. "I need a bacta bandage from the bathroom cabinet and a ride into town." Jaina watched as her mother lifted her injured leg onto a table. "Now Jaina!" Leia commanded. With a quick glance at Jaizun, Jaina hurried back into the house.
"Always knew you'd be the one to take charge. Even before the Rebellion." Jaizun noted.
"My family...they don't know about us." Leia advised.
"Us? Never expected a couple of furtive fumbles to count as an 'us', Leia." He grinned.
"Here, it's Leliha. Leliha and Hanlolo Solo. Got it?" She stated.
"Ahuh. Maybe. Once." Jaizun said, bending to examine Leia's ankle. "But, see, that medical centre's gonna want your kid's medical records and I'm guessing he's not registered under any made up name back where you come from." He straightened to admire Leia where she sat. "I read your books by the way. You're good."
"I just brought the one bandage and I got you a wrap too." Jaina was saying as she stepped out onto the porch. "Where'd your friend go?" Jaizun had bolted on Jaina's return.
"He's not my friend." Leia said, accepting the bandage. "He just happened to be on the beach same time as us."
"Dad still down there?" Jaina asked.
"No. There was an accident. He's taken Jorj to the medical centre." Leia replied, securing the bandage around her ankle. "Which is where I need you to take me. Right now."
"Accident? What kind of accident?" Jaina queried.
"The kind that could wreck all our lives. I have to get to that hospital. Urgently." Leia snapped.
"I'll get the girls." Jaina said, sensing her mother's deep feelings of turmoil. Further discussions could wait, for now they just needed to move.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
With an infant on each hip, Jaina followed her mother along the hospital corridors to the emergency admissions department.
Getting the reception staff to disregard her state of dress, the bandage at her ankle and her lack of footwear had been Leia's first hurdle. And one for which Jaina couldn't be certain hadn't required the employment of a little use of the Force, either.
The second hurdle was negotiating the unfamiliar corridors without screaming for everyone to get the goddamn hell out of her way. Leia suceeded in doing so only by reminding herself that these people, who weaved their way across her path, were nervously waiting for news of their own loved ones.
Rounding a corner, they found Han sitting on a padded bench, staring into space. After what seemed like an eternity, but was in fact only a few seconds, he looked up at them. He didn't rise, Jaina noted, as they approached. Leia stopped directly in front of him, misty eyes looking down at him for answers.
"They..er.." He started, clearing his throat. "They closed the blinds to work on him. That was like, I dunno, ages ago feels like."
Leia ran her fingers through his hair, drawing him to her chest. His arms circled her waist, each cradling the other while Jaina took a seat beside her father. Lei eagerly slid to the ground, toddling to the end of the bench and back using the seat as her support.
"Have they said anything?" Jaina asked, watching her father's head shake.
"Jaina, maybe you should take the little one's home." Leia suggested.
"But..." Jaina started.
"Jorja'll be needing her next feed soon and I bet Lei's about ready for a nap with all the walking around she's doing." Leia added, her intention clear. "If you could, on the way home, we left some stuff on the beach. It would be so helpful if you could collect it and take it back to the house for us."
Han was a proud man. Proud of his heritage; proud of all that being a Corellian stood for. If Leia could save him the embarrassment of breaking down in front of his daughter, then that's what she would do even if the extra support for herself would have been greatly appreciated.
Jaina understood what her mother was saying and, with the assurance they'd call the minute they knew more, she and her daughters left.
Leia continued to hold and caress her husband until she felt him relax, then took the place Jaina had vacated and waited patiently until Han found his voice.
"They..er.." He cleared his throat again. "They put a tube down his throat...I..I can't remember why now, an' they've got him on oxygen. He..um.." Han heaved a deep sigh. "He's not gonna make it Ley. They know it an' that's why they're not saying nothing. He was under too long." He closed his eyes against the pain. "Never shoulda taken my eyes off of him, not even for a second!"
"We have to remain positive." She said softly when he fell silent.
Han rubbed at his forehead before turning a weak smile on his wife. "How's the ankle?" He asked.
"Bacta's taken the edge off." She replied, arching an eye at his hospital gown. "What they got you in for?"
Han snorted a brief laugh. "I was frightening the nurses just in my swimshorts."
Leia smiled and leaned against his arm for comfort. They didn't have to wait long before a medical droid ushered them into a family room.
It never ceased to amaze Han how medical centres the Galaxy over behaved in exactly the same way - move the family out of the eyesight and earshot of other families while they hear that their loved one is dead or dying or hanging on by a thread. Be a shame for fee paying folks to know their hard earned credits couldn't pay for decent medical treatment for their mother, father, wife, husband, son...
Leia watched Han pace without getting angry. She knew how much he was hurting even without the waves of undiluted agony washing her way through the Force. She wanted to be of comfort, but their life together had taught her that Han needed to work through things his own way. At least he wasn't punching seven bells out of a wall or drinking himself into a stupor!
When they were finally joined by a medical professional, their worst fears were realised.
"Your son is a very sick boy." Doctor Lallin intoned. She sat, wearing that expression of heartfelt apology that doctors the Galaxy over seemed to have perfected. Her eyes trailed to Leia's ankle. "You appear to be in need of some assistance yourself." She noted.
"It's nothing. The bandage is helping." Leia said. "Please, we'd like to be with our son."
The doctor held up a finger and called for a droid. "I'd like you to fetch me a footbath of bacta." Lallin requested, eyeing Han and Leia's feet. "And two sets of shoe covers."
The droid wheeled out of the room, that expression settling once more on the doctor's face. "Your son's medical history is quite...complex." She commented.
"You have his records?" Leia queried, glancing at Han who was still pacing.
"Your husband gave me the name of his physician on Coruscant. Curious thing, the names registered as his parents don't seem to match yours." Lallin said.
Leia sighed. "So, you know who we are. Are you going to refuse to treat our son? Because I have to tell you I will report you to the Intergalactic Medical Council for breach of ethical protocol."
"Terrendoc may be a backwater community to the authorities on Coruscant but it's not populated by fools. Even without documentary evidence I would have recognised Han and Leia Solo, heroes of the Rebellion and of the New Republic. That I, and others like me, choose to play along with your charade proves where our loyalties lie." Lallin said, adding with a smile. "And I would never refuse to treat a patient, especially the son of the heroes of the Rebellion and of the New Replublic."
Leia breathed a sigh of relief.
"I say it only because in requesting your son's records, I may have revealed your whereabouts to those who would do you harm." Lallin said.
"We have a friend on Coruscant who can handle that. Thank you though, for the heads up." Leia smiled.
"Anything for heroes of the..." Lallin started.
"Enough with the 'heroes'. It was all a very long time ago now." Leia interrupted.
"As you wish." Lallin smiled, gathering her thoughts. "Your son received quite a blow to the head which in turn resulted in a subdural haematoma, it's a collection of blood between the skull and the brain. On rare occasions they heal by themselves, but surgery is the recommended option."
"Are you asking for our permission?" Leia queried.
"Actually, where there's a risk to life we don't need to seek permission." Lallin corrected. "But with your son's medical history, I felt you should be made aware of dangers."
"Han, will you sit down and listen to this." Leia said, weary of his pacing.
Lallin waited until Han eventually settled himself before continuing. "Any surgery carries a risk. Risk that the patient may not survive; risk of infection to the affected area, but when that surgery involves the brain, it naturally raises the stakes. Assuming all goes well Jorj can home within a few days. If not, he's likely to require weeks, possibly months of rehabilitaion. That's something I realise he's faced before, but I also wanted you to be aware of what might be to come."
"What about the..er.." Han shuffled uncomfortably. "He was under water for around two minutes maybe, I dunno, maybe a couple more."
"His lungs are clear. But we'll continue to admister a broad spectrum bacta-based antibiotic and keep his airways cleansed with filtered oxygen." Lallin clarified.
"How soon before you can operate?" Leia asked.
"He's stable, but we'd like to see him maintain that condition for a little while longer first." Lallin said.
Leia nodded, absorbing the information. "Can we sit with him?" She queried.
"Let me take you through." Lallin smiled.
The Doctor led, Leia followed, Han behind, to the suite where Jorj Solo lay in his induced coma. Leia sank into a seat beside her son, her eyes soaking up his features. "Hey baby. Mommy's here." She said softly to Jorj, her fingers scooping the hair out of his eyes. "And she's not going anywhere, not ever again." She added.
Han made a noise and a backward step toward the door.
"Han?" Leia queried, looking up at him puzzled.
"I can't." He told her.
"Can't?" She questioned, not understanding.
"I can't be here. I just can't, that's all." He said and backed out of the room.
Leia pushed to her feet and hurried after him. "What do you mean you 'can't be here'. He needs you Han!"
"Needs me? It's because of me that he's in here! He doesn't need me Ley. Nobody does. Nobody ever has." He argued, without stopping.
Leia halted and watched him march from the building. She didn't have time for this. They both needed her but Han was a grown man, Jorj was just a baby in a growing boy's body. His need was the greater. It was no more than she had been taught in triage.
"You're wrong. I need you." She said under her breath.
Sadly, she returned to her son's side. Hoping that the man she knew Han to be would come back to her.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Han jumped into the landspeeder and drove.
His first plan was to drive as far away from the medical centre as he could.
His second, was to head for the Falcon and fly as far away from the planet as he could.
He opted to go home.
He'd shut the engine down and been sitting at the wheel a while when he felt the house watching him. Judging him. Same way every damn person in authority had judged him the whole of his goddamn miserable life.
Yeah! Well he showed them they didn't own him and neither did that house! He was gonna march on in there, get his stuff and get out of there before anyone could say anything to try and stop him.
Han Solo took orders from only one person, himself. Always had. Always would. And not one damn person in this whole damn Galaxy was gonna change that. Not some soppy kid in a hospital bed with a tube down his throat and up his nose and in his tinkler, and not some doe-eyed, long haired, goddamn beautiful temptress he'd been planning on leaving behind for the past..what..thirty, forty years now. No Sir-y, bob!
Han climbed from the cockpit and strode into the house.
Jaina Solo-Fel looked up at him from the stair she sat on, released her hold on her eldest daughter Lei and let her toddle, arms held wide toward her grandfather.
"Well, would you look at that!" Han glowed, dropping to his knees and holding his hands out for Lei to catch before she lost her balance and fell.
The infant clutched Han's fingers, squealing with excitement. Han lifted the little girl into his arms and cuddled her to him. Lei was less impressed. Her new found ability opened up a world of possibilities for her and the old man with the scratchy face was holding her back.
"When'd she start doin' that?" Han asked, joyously tickling Lei's ribs.
"Couple of days back she found her feet. She only just now found the courage to take off by herself though." Jaina answered.
"There'll be no stopping her now." He said and moved to sit beside his eldest, Lei scrambling to get out of his embrace. "You here all by yourself honey?"
"Jacen, Tilly and their offspring have gone into town. Something about a property they wanted to go look at. Jag wanted to talk 'haulage business' with Poe, so the girls and I dropped him off while you were at the beach." She replied. "Where's Mom?"
Han sighed and finally let go of Lei's hand so she could practise her new skill. "She's at the hospital with your brother." He told her.
"Then why aren't you?" She queried with a frown. When he failed to answer her right away, Jaina pushed to her feet and swept Lei up into her arms. "Kriff Dad! Why do you do this to her every time?" She demanded.
"Do what? I only came home to get some clothes." He lied, pulling on the hospital gown he was wearing.
"You could have called if you only wanted clothes." She accused. "Tell me you weren't sitting out there planning your escape."
"I wasn't." He lied again, standing.
"Damnit Dad even Lei could sense the lie behind those words." She barked. Lei's bottom lip trembled and Jaina soothed her infant with a cuddle and some kisses.
"For a half a klik, no more." Han confessed. Jaina grunted her disbelief.
"What is wrong with you?" She asked, angrily. "You can face down a battalion of stormtroopers but you can't face a small boy with a battle of his own to fight? Don't you know how much Mom needs you? How much Jorj needs you?"
"It's because of me he's even in there." He pointed out.
"It was an accident Dad, just an accident." She said.
"I was making out with your Mom when I should have been watching my boy." He told her, shaking his head.
"You need to get yourself back to that medical centre because if you don't, I doubt Mom will forgive you this time. And even if she does, I know I won't." She declared.
The words shocked Han. The venom behind her statement chilled his very soul. Without another word, he took the stairs to his bedroom and pulled a bag from the top of the wardrobe. I know I won't. The words echoed in his ears.
He studied the empty insides of the bag then, with an intake of breath, packed himself a change of clothes.