Thanks so much for continuing with this story! I'm away for the next week, but I hope to continue with the daily updates!
She was up earlier than usual. Subconsciously, her inner alarm knew this was a day to be up and ready early. Today was the day. Today was the day Han Solo was finally getting off planet.
The intermediate week had gone well, quickly, but it gave them time to settle into their new routine. Rayah went to her child care center weekdays, giving both parents time to dedicate back to their professions. Luckily, the little girl seemed to enjoy the toys and company she found there. She wasn't yet engaging with the other children, but then again not many one and a half year olds did. She enjoyed her symbiotic play and especially liked the snacks that they provided.
Leia would drive her most days as she went into her office and sometimes Han would pick her up early if his work allowed it. They were comfortable, working out their life planning together.
She hadn't had any more nightmares, thank gods. Nothing in her work sent a trigger, which was a great relief. She was also feeling relief that Han had inadvertently stumbled upon this aspect of who she was. She held this inner turmoil deep, never letting a crack in her exterior allow it to be seen. But if they were to move forward with their relationship, he needed to know. He needed to know the ugly parts of her life and the weakness she still bared late at night.
Him catching her at her weakest moment wasn't what she hoped for. She assumed that future Han and Leia worked through this, but she wasn't confident the roguish Han Solo from Hoth was ready for the baggage she brought. He might just up and run. That sounded more like the Han Solo of his past.
But the fact that he was still there the next morning with a cup of kaff and a hug meant that she hadn't scared him off. It meant that he was ready for her, all of her.
And so on this morning, a week after those events, she was not surprised to find him also up with the sun, sitting in their kitchen, a data pad in one hand and a cup of kaff in the other.
His eyes rose from his concentration to greet her with a charming smirk. "You're up early."
She moved her bare feet towards the chair opposite him, placing the nursery monitor on the table. "I didn't want to miss it."
"I'm not leavin' for another hour." His voice lowered like he was building up to something.
"Okay," she played. "So should I just go back to bed then or…"
"You're gonna miss me." His flirty statement was true. He knew it and she knew it. But she wouldn't admit it to the cocky nerf sitting confidently back in his chair with his ankle over his knee.
She laughed a musical lilt. "I'll do nothing but pine for your presence until the moment I set eyes on you again."
He hummed in satisfaction as he lifted a crock of black liquid. "Kaff?"
"Thank you."
She watched as he poured the drink into a nearby mug that had clearly been waiting for her.
The warm steam and scent did wonders for her alertness as she inhaled the aroma before taking a heavenly sip. "You brew a mean pot, Han Solo."
"You're gonna be lost without my kaff for the next few days."
"I'll manage," she insisted. "I do know how that thing works now."
He leaned forward. "Knowledge and execution, Princess. Two different things."
She mock scoffed at the accurate insult. "Is the hour up yet? Can you leave right now?"
The blue monitor sounded off increased activity. Both their attention went to the girl propped up on her stomach with her arms and sleepy eyes looking around.
"I'll get her," Han said as he pushed himself up from his seat. He pointed a finger at Leia as he walked out. "Not leavin' yet, Princess. So no need for any blubbering or emotional goodbyes."
She sighed. "I'll try to restrain myself while you go into the other room."
When he left, she felt her smile widen. The truth, she was going to miss him. Not just miss the comfort of having someone else there to co-parent, but miss him. His humor, his presence in the morning, their nightly talks.
And she would miss moments like this.
"Hey, little princess."
She watched him through the monitor as he stretched a loving arm into the crib.
"I get to wake you up today."
His quiet, delighted voice pulled at every one of her heart strings. She felt another tug when she saw their daughter's response.
"Dada." The little girl's eyes lit up as her lip curled, showing her front teeth.
"Yeah?" The holo image went out of focus for a moment while his arms reached in to lift the waiting girl. They had moved out of the monitor's visual range, but she could still hear their one sided conversation.
"You know Dada's leavin' for a few days. So, you'll be here with Mama."
He paused. She could just picture little Rayah snuggling into his chest as she gradually woke up.
"Dada will be back real soon, okay." Another pause. "I'm not leavin' you."
Of course he would feel the need to reassure her. His father abandoned him and he wouldn't be doing that to his child.
The sound through the monitor stopped, so she quickly shut it off before the sound resumed as her family joined her in the kitchen.
She twisted her body and greeted them with a bright smile. "Good morning, honey,"
Han looked taken aback. "We already saw each other…" He paused for a dramatic realization. "Oh you were talkin' to her!"
She cocked her head. "Was I?"
Now she was the one who had him off balance. He took her in for a moment before clicking his tongue behind his teeth and sliding Rayah into her mother's lap.
"Hi, sweetie!" Rayah's baby hands reached for Leia's hair, grabbing hold of a lock and moving her fingers between the strands. Leia leaned her head down and placed a kiss along her hairline.
"Can you get her some breakfast while I get dressed?" Han requested as he moved his pajama clad legs back towards the entrance.
"I think we can handle that."
She stood with her daughter as Han disappeared. Rayah was happy to sit in her high seat and wait for her wafer treats, quickly munching on them as they practiced some new words.
"Can you say, cracker?" Leia prompted to hear a reply of, "Ak-er."
"Good job, baby. That's your crackers!"
Rayah's new words were cracker, Chewie, tauntaun, bye, and Falcon. Leia was surprised how quickly she picked up on new words and remembered them. She wondered how much future Leia delighted in these new developments. Of course, future Leia had probably immersed herself in child development research so she was fully prepared for this and knowledgeable enough to know if her child was hitting the right milestones. She made a note to herself to check up on that, make sure Rayah was growing at the normal pace.
It didn't take Han long to shower and change into a semi clean shirt and jacket. His holster strapped around his waist and his blaster from their safe safely tucked inside.
He took his place at the table and grabbed the breakfast bar that Leia offered as she switched places with him.
Moving back into her bedroom, she leisurely paced herself in the 'fresher and closet, giving Han plenty of time with Rayah. She expected that they finished their breakfast by now and they were probably in the nursery picking out clothes for the day.
She found that she was really good at anticipating him, knowing his next move, knowing what he was thinking, predicting his moods. It was a development that seemed to come so naturally, like she blinked and here they were already in perfect sync and completely entwined in each others lives and futures.
As she smoothed the last strands of hair in place and made sure her outfit was tidy, she walked into the nursery. Sure enough, there he was with a little girl half dressed, dancing in the middle of the floor.
"You need pants, Rayah," he informed her.
"Ants…" she repeated as her legs twisted here and there, bopping along to her own beat.
"That's right," he assured from his spot in the closet picking out a pair. "All princesses need to wear pants."
"Ants!" She cheered and Han presented the blue stretchers that complimented her pink top with blue sparkle trim.
Han noticed her in the door. "See, your Princess Mama wears pants too."
"Aaaaaants!" Rayah squealed as she ran to Leia, arms stretched out to her mother.
"Hi sweet girl," Leia greeted her daughter with a grin as she lifted her to her hip, sans pants.
Han stood by. "Well, I guess today's a no pants day."
Leia held Rayah close as she kissed her on the cheek. "Tell Dada it's a girl's day. We don't have to wear pants if we don't want to."
She could tell by Han's face that he was trying to process whether she was serious or not.
"Don't think about it Han," she chortled at him as she bounced her happy little girl.
She changed the subject, noting the waning time.
"Do you have everything?"
He tossed her bottoms over the edge of the crib. "Took a couple things down to the Falcon yesterday, so I'm all set."
She didn't doubt that. Han Solo could survive with only the clothes on his back and his blaster at his side.
"Chewie's excited?"
Where Han and the Falcon went, so did Chewbacca. This was no exception.
His face looked like the answer was obvious. "That Wookie on a flight mission? Oh yeah, he's ready."
"I'm glad he's going with you."
He scoffed as he rose his arms. "You think I can't handle myself?"
"I know you can't handle yourself," she answered without missing a beat. "Hence, I'm glad he's going."
Her eyebrows raised, imparting the joke.
He pursed his lips as he contemplated the legitimacy of her joke. Instead of responding in jest, he raised his hand to scratch the side of his head.
"I guess it's time I get goin'," he realized their minutes together were dwindling. "Chewie's pickin' me up."
She felt the reality of the moment settle in her chest. "Shall we walk you out?"
At his nod, she led them through the hallway, the living room, and to the entry way. She turned to face him.
"Can you say bye to your Dada?" Leia positioned Rayah in her arms to face the father.
Han reached out to take his daughter in for a proper goodbye.
"Bye-bye, Rayah," he muttered, propping her on his hip and using his other arm to give her a hug. "You be good for mama." His chin jutted forward to press a lasting kiss on her forehead. "Don't forget about me. I'll be back."
Leia came to their side. "Rayah, say bye-bye."
It took a moment of her lips moving back and forth before the clear sound rang through. "Bye-bye."
Han grinned, a sad grin, regretful that she was uttering those adorable words to him. He planted one more kiss on her forehead and gave her hair a ruffle.
Instead of handing her back to Leia, he set her on her own two feet. She suspected that was strategic as he drew all his focus now to Leia.
His arms stretched to her shoulders. She took a step closer so his elbows bent, her chin lifted to meet his gaze.
His fingers dug into her upper arms and kneaded the skin beneath her sleeves. "Later, sweetheart." His soft devotion was punctuated as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
She met his eyes as he pulled back. "We'll miss you." She changed the wording, realizing that was't what she wanted him to hear. "I'll miss you."
He definitely caught her rephrase. He brought a gentle hand to caress her cheek and jaw. "I'll miss you too."
She caught something in his eyes, a hesitancy that didn't fit with the moment. "What is it?" She asked.
He knew exactly what she perceived, and he opened his mouth to share it. "It's not rational, but… I'm kinda worried that gettin' back out there will feel like home again." He paused as he looked at the space around him. "More like home than this place has felt like over the past weeks."
She heard him. He was a good man, clearly represented by the fact that this hypothetical was weighing on him. She understood his merits, he spent his entire adulthood in open space without anything to tie him down. That comfort from freedom didn't change from two weeks of having a family thrust upon you.
"I trust you, Han," she shared genuinely as she brought her digits up to rub his jawline. "You'll figure things out."
Her hand guided his face down to her level. She watched him watch her with fascination and anticipation at what she was going to do next. When he was close enough, she lifted onto her toes and tilted her head, bringing her lips to his in their own sweet caress.
It was a short moment, and then she pulled away, lowering her heels back to the ground to watch his face turn airy and euphoric.
His eyes opened. "Well now I might not leave…"
Her hands moved to his shoulders, massaging gently as her smile grew. "That's so you don't miss us too much."
He took the lead this time, leaning forward only to be met by her fingers on his lips.
Deterred, he looked at her questionably.
"And so you come back." She pushed him back to full height with her promise of later.
Only slightly disappointed, he basked in her promise. "That's a dirty trick to play."
Rayah took that moment to make herself known at their feet. Leia leaned down and scooped their daughter into her arms. "Go on, Han. Have a good time and we'll be here when you get back."
She thought that summed everything up quite well. He must have agreed. He stepped backwards, offering them both a final smile and salute as he made his way into the outside world.