AN: Thought I'd try something different with the writing style for this chapter. So, yes, it's on purpose. Enjoy?
It took Leia until the day of for her to remember that she'd never away from the twins before. She'd been out to town, strolled around Reecee's street markets, gone shopping with one baby strapped to her chest and the other balanced on her hip. But the farthest trip she'd taken without the twins was to the refresher. Han had recognized the sorrowful look in her eyes as he passed her while she made up her face before their mirror. He addressed it, gently tugging on the sleeve of her robe. "You sure you want to do this tonight? It can wait."
Leia shook her head, composing and regathering herself as she finished the last touches of her makeup. Her hair was braided back in a typical Bilbringi plait, loose, curly wisps of dark hair framing her face. Past that, Han had to admit he likely wouldn't recognize Leia under the cerulean, silver-flecked scales that covered her natural peachy skin tone. Her delicate lips bled a nearly violet shade. Her shoulders, arms, and legs were all covered in more dry, coarse, blue scales, purposely dehydrated. She was to play the part of an Aquara refugee, residing quietly on Reecee away from the Empire's stronghold; her kind, just like any other non-human species, was not respected by Imperials and their laws. But for the night, the helpless refugee just wanted to enjoy a quiet night out on the town with her Twi'lek lover. Han had colored himself a gentle shade of light green to match the lekku prosthetics Dundu had helped him craft. They hung as low as his rear where they perked up just a bit. He'd reshaped his brow line to appear higher and more separated, obscuring his own identity from Leia.
Leia pulled on the corner of her lip with her front teeth, shaking her head as she pushed away from the vanity. "The longer I wait, the harder it will be. I might not ever let them go if you give me another day."
Han's smile was bittersweet, mostly understanding. "Yeah. In that case, we better get going."
She nodded her agreement, gave herself one last look in the mirror, then followed Han out to the living room. There, Isab was already on the floor, trailing a toy speeder between the twins who watched and anxiously reached out to grab it. The woman looked up at Han and Leia, ran her gaze up and down both in turn for a few long moments, then nodded once, firmly, apparently satisfied with their disguises. "Good. I can't know you!"
Leia approached her babies slowly, mindful that they wouldn't recognize their mother under all the makeup and prosthetics. When she knelt before them, she could practically feel their confusion, but then it cleared and Jaina was reaching for her. Leia's brows shot up, but she was too relieved to dwell on the miracle. "Ah!" the baby girl gasped. "Ah!" Leia echoed as she swept her daughter into her arms. "Hi, Jaina. Hello, my precious baby girl! Mommy and Daddy are going out for a little bit. We'll be back soon, but I need you to be a good girl while we're gone. Do you think you can do that? Make sure you and Jace behave for Isab? Yes? Alright, you do that for Mommy." She squeezed her close, kissed her cheek and just held her like that for a moment. Then, Han was reaching for her, demanding his turn, and Leia repeated the charade with her baby boy.
"Thank you so much, Isab," Leia was saying as Han began pulling her towards the door. "We really appreciate you doing this for us. I know two of them are a handful. If you need anything call us. There are bottles in the cooling unit. They aren't used to the pureed food yet, but Jacen is more receptive to the ganga fruit one. Jaina hates them all, but she can have—"
"Okay! Okay!" Isab swatted her hands and shooed them out the door. "You kiss night. Go way. I have babies."
Leia couldn't fit another word in before Isab had shoved her and Han both out the door. Flustered, Leia looked back to Han who seemed to share in her surprise. "We couldn't get anyone else?"
"What's wrong with Isab? She has kids of her own, too."
"Isab hardly knows any Basic."
"Then, let's hope there aren't any situations she'll have to describe when we get back."
Arm in arm, they ventured down a more crowded street closer to Reecee's cities. Rather than bustling with markets and anxious shoppers and squealing children, this one was considerably more relaxed, occupied with spots for fine dining and retail stores and a class of people who worked more "modest" jobs. Even this area hosted a sample of the planet's diversity, and Leia and Han— in their Aquara and Twi'lek guises— fit well among the rest of Reecee's citizens. The small Inner Rim planet held a discreet reputation for its diversity, known for their welcoming attitude towards aliens and almost every non-human species. For many Inner Rim dwellers, Reecee was a sacred haven among the Core's Imperial stronghold. The same Imperial laws were in place but greatly reduced in severity under the leadership of older politicians who had likely been colleagues of Leia's father's before the fall of the Republic. Due to its unique culture among the iron thrones of Imperial Moffs, the Rebel Alliance had been in debate longer than Leia could remember over starting a greater movement on the planet. The benefits were apparent, but another more pacifist half of the Rebellion feared for Reecee's safety and vulnerability. Leia herself still struggled with the argument, often finding herself lying in the middle of the debate rather than one side or the other. For now, all she knew was that it was safe enough for her and her family.
It was early in the dark evening, many streets like this one now playing host to young lovers and couples looking for a night to escape their worries— much like Han and Leia. Han guided her through the crowds, brought her to a small restaurant hidden by an alley with bright yellow lights hanging in the windows. They took two menus to a booth in the back, sipped on Avishan's finest wines in tall, clear glasses, and laughed over how long it had been since either of them had done something so normal.
"This isn't as good as Alderaan's," Leia lamented, shaking her head over her glass. "But no system has figured out Alderaan's secret to our wine."
Han asked her about her childhood, asked what the city was like where she had grown up, what her favorite places had been, what she missed the most. He was surprised she didn't fight the nostalgia trip, but she quirked a brow, lips pursed— Han tried to recall how many refills of the sweet pink wine she'd had so far— and demanded he answer any questions she had about his childhood if he was going to 'interrogate' her on hers, as she put it. With a genuine, amused laugh, Han nodded, and took a long sip of his own drink.
She talked about Aldera, the capital where her family's palace home had been located. She divulged the Organa family's greatest secret to him— their vacation home in the mountains. She described ever detail from the artisans who filled the streets of Aldera to the histories behind each of the most important holidays. Once or twice, she would forget a detail, forget the word to something or where something had been, and Han would see the tears glimmering just behind her eyes. Then, she would recall, exhale in great relief, and repeat the insignificant thing to herself three times, four times, then laugh as she cursed herself for ever forgetting. Han ached at the thought that there very likely would be a day she did start to forget and wouldn't ever remember.
But neither were in the spirits to dwell on such mournful things, and Leia ended her vibrant description of her childhood with a story about her and her best friend when they were young, and snorted when Han asked what Leia thought the girl, Winter, would think about him.
Han took his turn, swallowing another glass as he began to recall the boisterous streets of Coronet City. His earliest, most solid memories were from the months following the fall of the Republic and the Empire's rise. He recalled the chaos that filled Corellia's streets, the violent protests and fighting that had resulted in so much death. He remembered being alone then, mastering his skills at stealing from stores and cutting open pockets to collect change. He knew Leia would be overwhelmed with sympathy if he continued on this track for much longer, so he told her everything he remembered about the streets, how not all of it was so bad, and how he remembered seeing so many people standing together for good, brave people filling Corellia's streets and yelling for their freedom. He recalled the unity it brought to Corellia and his people, and how it had secretly made him happy to feel that again when he'd first been introduced to the Rebellion.
He tried to stop there, tried to avoid continuing on as the story would lead to his kidnapping as a young child by a pirate named Shrike. But Leia insisted, biting back an innocent laugh as she showed him a pouty smile. So, Han went on, and he told her things he was afraid of telling her, and Leia listened until she could tell it was getting hard for him. She apologized, and Han insisted she needn't; he'd never talked to anyone save Chewie about these things, and it was a relief. But he didn't say anything more, and Leia didn't ask him to. All she said was, "Is it wrong that I'm kind of glad you ended up where you did because it shaped who you are and eventually brought you to me?"
Han considered for a moment. He understood what she meant. He realized that if Alderaan were still in space, she would have been out of his life before he knew how much he needed her. But he looked at her with as much seriousness as he could muster and said, "Yeah."
She could see through him, and she giggled. "But I'm serious. We went through hell and back just to meet, but you're worth every scar."
"No, I'm not."
"Would you say I am?"
"Leia, you've been through all nine Corellian hells. I've only been through one."
"That's bantha fodder and you know it. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're here now."
Their booth was in a dark corner of the restaurant, and Han was tempted to take her there, but he gathered enough wits to swallow hard and raise his hand for the bill.
He took her to a holofilm, bought two tickets for the back row and made sure they were the reclining ones without the armrests. Leia's blue scaly cheeks flushed silver and Han grinned.
The film was in Aqualish which Leia seemed to understand, but Han couldn't make out a word, so he interpreted the body language of the lovers on screen and wrapped an arm around Leia's shoulders at just the right moment.
When the credits started rolling up the screen, they stretched, and Leia wiped at her eyes as they headed out. "You like the movie?" he asked.
"I liked everything about this night."
"I did too. We might have to do it again sometime."
"Sometime. We'll see how tonight went and if we'll be able to get a babysitter again."
"Leia, they're six months old. How terrible could they have been in just a few hours?"
"I don't think they'd be terrible, but they can be a handful."
"That's just 'cause they don't know how to sass back yet.
"I think the twins are close to saying their first words."
"Yeah? What do you think they'll say?"
"Jaina keeps making that 'm' sound, and I'm trying to get her to say 'mama'."
"What about Daddy?"
"Probably not for a while."
"Why not? Why can't they say 'daddy' just as soon as you get them calling you 'mama'?"
"I don't mean that I'm discouraging it. It's just logistics. It's harder for babies to pronounce that sound this early. Whereas 'mama' is likely to come more naturally."
"Naturally, you do all the hard work and you get your benefits, I s'pose."
Leia grinned. "Naturally." She pursed her lips. "We could try to get them to say 'papa'?"
Han frowned. "Nah, I don't want them to call me that."
"Specifically 'daddy'?"
"Papa makes me sound old."
"Oh, come on! I called Bail 'papa'"
"Exactly! He was old enough to be your grandfather!"
Leia rolled her eyes, shoving him across the sidewalk.
Han asked her, "What else should we teach them to say first?"
"Yes and no are pretty important."
"Mm, not 'no'. We'll wait to teach 'em 'no' until they're… five."
"That has to be some form of child abuse or neglect."
"What could they possibly need the word 'no' for until, like, age five?"
"What about teaching them personal space and consent?"
"... Damn. Okay, new plan. So, we teach them 'no' and then 'mama'."
"Hey, now!"
Well and ready to return home to their children, Han and Leia made their way back to the village. All was quiet in the middle of the night, one of the few visible lights coming from their home. Leia smiled involuntarily, the pace of her footsteps suddenly increasing. "Alright, calm down, Princess. We don't want to wake up the twins." He may as well have whispered the warning to himself as Leia excitedly continued on, at the door while he was still a few paces away. Han smiled, though, because he knew the feeling; he was just as anxious to see Jaina and Jacen as Leia was. He followed her inside, but the second they opened the door, they were greeted by the sound of infant wails and screaming. At once, Han found himself on alert, and he saw the same adrenaline rush hit Leia. Before he could say anything, Leia was hurrying to their living room. First, Han saw Isab. The woman was beside the couch, crouched low and near the furniture as if for safety. She held onto the arm for balance, her free hand fiercely clutching a hefty tool; she pointed it at the center of the room. In the center of the room sat the twins, both Jaina and Jacen's faces red and wet with tears. They sat side-by-side, surrounded by datapads and holo chips and jagged, sharp pieces of broken pottery. From what Han could tell in a quick glance, neither of the twins were hurt. He cursed himself for pausing, but Leia was already stepping around the shards, reaching her arms out to the twins and cooing to them anxiously. Han figured she had the children taken care of, and he whirled to face Isab. Her pupils were dilated to an alarming size, shadowing her bright eyes, and she chattered incoherently in her native tongue— vulgar, harsh sounds that reminded Han of the high-pitched war cry of Yavin monkeys. As Leia scooped Jaina and Jacen into her arms, Isab raised her tool and jutted it forward, body violently tremorring. Han was quick to seize the weapon in one hand, restraining Isab with the other. But the woman was strong, and her muscles went rigid as she fought back. She made no action to harm Han, but fought his grasp, jumping and flailing as she screamed. "Wachawi!" she gasped. "Wachawi! Kukimbia!" Han tugged on the took in her hand and she willingly gave it up, sagging out of his good, then gathering herself up and hurrying to the door. A small jar sat on a table near the door, and Isab grabbed it, smashed it against the ground, crying, "Wachawi!" before practically falling through the door and scrambling out.
Han watched the door, considered following Isab for a moment before he turned back to Leia. She was balancing both fearful twins on her hips, soothing their cries and gently bouncing them. Han asked her, "Are they okay?"
"Maybe a scratch or two, but they aren't bleeding that I can see." Her voice shook just the slightest bit, and Han decided he needed to stay with her, help her settle herself and calm the twins. Then, they could figure out what the hell they'd just walked into.
He grabbed her two bottles of milk from the cooling unit, then took out a pan to scrape up the shards on the floor. By the time he'd cleaned up the broken pottery, Leia had gotten the twins to calm enough that their wet faces were now focused on bottles. They sat on the floor across the living room between Leia's legs, hiccuping between sips from their milk. They seemed to gravitate towards Leia, lean on her comfort, and she provided, stroking their cheeks, brushing back their curls, and murmuring comforts to them in baby talk.
Han sighed in relief. "I think it's time for bed."
Leia nodded and picked up Jacen as she rose. "You two aren't ever staying up this late again."
Han took Jaina who raised her little hands out to him, and he followed Leia to the nursery. They settled quickly, hardly putting up a fight as their parents laid them in their crib. The couple stumbled on tired feet to their own bed, keeping both the twins' and their door cracked open generously.
"Kriff." Han fell heavily into bed beside Leia, wiping at his eyes. "What the kriffing hell just—"
Leia frowned, disappointed that she had no answer. "We'll talk to Isab in the morning."
"Woulda' been nice to talk to her now."
Leia didn't respond to that.
"She was pointing weapons at our kids!"
"It was not a weapon."
"Fine. A sharp, pointy, metal object."
"Look, Han, I'm just as frightened as you are, but it's Isab! There has to be some reasonable explanation for this."
"Hm, yes. A reasonable explanation for her to be pointing a sharp, pointy, metal object at our children."
"Han, I'm tired. We'll figure this out tomorrow, okay?"
Han nodded, forcing himself to take an even breath. Before lying down, he checked on Jaina and Jacen in their crib once more, made sure they were sleeping peacefully, and pulled the crib just a bit closer to his and Leia's bed.
AN: If you would like a clue, I'm willing to give you this much. Try a Swahili translator.