Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, George-o Lucas, blah blah blah, he owns Star Wars. Blah, blah, no money being made, blah. Please don't sue blah blah blah.
This picks up where 'Love Changes Everything' left off. So, it's kinda imperative that you read 'Love Changes Everything' before you read this.
To Paul, for helping me become a true fan. Also to Kathy Tyres (sp?) for writing "Balance Point" and making me extremely happy!!!
*****************************************************
Coruscant, Southeast Administrative District, 2415h.
Han Solo wandered around the twenty-third level of a commercial building, in search of the 200-flavor ice-cream store advertised outside the building. Surely they'd have the kind Leia wanted.
Leia's eating habits during her pregnancy were bizzare. Yesterday in the middle of their lunch break, she'd announced that the only thing she could keep down was a zambizi-flavored milkshake topped with squid. The day before it had been g'fagen beans. Now Leia had woken up just dying for a Peanut Butter Pickle ice-cream.
Who ate Peanut Butter Pickle, anyway?
Han rounded a corner, and the ice-cream store's neon green sign called to him like a beacon, making his pace quicken. He almost ran to the store. His joy was crushed, however, when he noticed through the transparasteel windows that the lights in the store were off. A sign on the door said the store closed at 2300h.
He sighed, closed his eyes, turned around and leaned on the storefront. He had been to just about every ice-cream store in the district. Those that were still open gave him looks of disgust when he asked for Peanut Butter Pickle ice-cream.
Slowly, Han opened his eyes. Across the corridor was a twenty-four hour laundramat. The only beings in there were a rusted-out droid and two humanoids sitting upon a row of washing machines, apparantly having a great deal of fun. Han had to look twice before he recognised one of the humans as his brother-in-law Luke.
What was Luke doing at a laundramat in the middle of the night? Han crossed the corridor and entered the laundramat. Luke saw him coming. "Hi Han!" he yelled. Han forced a smile. It was late, he was tired.
"Want a fry?" Luke asked him. Han shook his head and regarded the scene in front of him. On a washing-machine between Luke and the unidentified female lay several scattered playing cards, hamburger wrappers, a few frenchfrys, and ketchup stains here and there.
The woman lay back on the washing machines so she could see him. "Hey!" she said. "I know you!"
Han instantly recognized her as Lenore Gilbert, Leia's obstetrician. "Hello," he said slowly. "What are you two doing?"
"My laundry," she answered. "It's dirty."
"Do you always do your laundry in the middle of the night?" he asked.
Lenore and Luke exchanged puzzled looks. "What do you mean?" Luke asked.
"It's 2415h!" Han exclaimed.
Lenore put a hand over her mouth and laughed. Luke smiled. "I guess your laundry's done," he said to Lenore. She jumped off the machines and ran to a nearby dryer. Grabbing a suitcase that lay on the floor, she threw the contents of the dryer into her suitcase. Luke began arranging the cards in front of him. "So Han," he began. "What brings you out here at 2415h?"
Han grimaced. "Leia wants ice-cream. Nobody has the kind she wants."
"Really? What kind does she want?" Lenore called from the general vicinity of the dryers.
"She wants the most disgusting, impossible to find ice-cream in the whole galaxy. Peanut Butter Pickle." Han answered.
Luke stared at him in disbelief. "YUCK!" he yelled.
"You're kidding! I love Peanut Butter Pickle! It's my favorite kind of ice-cream. I have a fresh carton at home." Lenore answered.
"YUCK!" Luke yelled.
"Where did you get it?!?" Han asked desperately.
"The store across the way. They're closed now, but you can have mine if you want."
"YUCK YUCK DOUBLE YUCK PUKE MY GUTS OUT YUCK!" Luke yelled. From a desk near the front, the droid gave them the nastiest look possible of a droid.
Han ignored both Luke and the droid. "Thank you a million times over."
She shrugged. "No problem. I'm going home now, so if you want it, come on." She walked towards the exit with Luke and Han on her heels.
"YUCK!" Luke yelled once more for the record.
====================================================
"Here it is!" Lenore exclaimed, pulling the frosty carton from the empty deep freeze. "The best ice-cream in the entire galaxy."
"You're crazy." said Luke, leaning against a countertop.
Han took the carton from her. "Thank you a million times over."
"No problem." she answered. "Tell Leia hi for me."
"I will." Han yelled from the front room, on his way out the door.
"BYE HAN!" Luke yelled.
"BYE LUKE!" Han yelled equally as loud. They heard the front door close behind him.
"I can't believe you like that stuff." Luke said.
"What do you have against Peanut Butter Pickle?" she asked him.
"Well, it's not the peanut butter, and it's not the pickle--"
"Then stop making fun of it!"
"--it's more the combination of the two that makes it absolutly disgusting!" he finished.
She rolled her eyes. "I happen to like it, thank you very much."
Luke laughed. "Okay, whatever floats your boat."
She smiled. "I'm not being rude, I would offer you something to eat, but unless you like cold cereal in the middle of the night, I haven't got anything."
"You don't have any food?" he asked incredulously.
"No, I was going to go get some but I haven't had time."
"Let's go now." he suggested.
"Now?"
"Yeah, now."
Lenore stared at him. "You're crazy. Everything is closed."
"No, there's a place around here somewhere that's open, and I think there's a couple others around the district. Come on, it'll be fun!"
She sighed. "Alright."
==========================================
They were the only people in the store.
Yet another rusted droid sat behind a cash register. (Didn't anybody keep their droids in repair?) Another poorly maintained droid waxed the tile floor on a different aisle. Luke and Lenore pushed a hovercart down a well-lit, bland aisle, searching for a suitable bag of Usa spears.
Lenore stood staring at a sack of Medmoy Usa spears. "New, Low-fat spears with Wonderful Flavor!" the bag advertised.
She threw them in the cart. Who cared how much fat they had as long as they were cheap and tasted good? "What next?" Luke asked her.
"Ummm... Eliva beans."
"Kay..." They pushed the cart over to the aisle with the floor-waxing droid.
"Isn't it just typical that they're all the way at the end of the aisle?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.
"I'll race you down there." Luke challenged.
Normally, Lenore would have argued, saying they'd get thrown out. Considering the late hour and the long day she'd had, she agreed.
"Mark... Set... GO!" Luke called, and they took off top-speed down the aisle. Lenore wasn't exactly the athletic type, and naturally Luke was winning. They dodged the droid. She pushed herself just a little bit farther, started gaining on him. Suddenly Luke's feet flew out from under him and he tumbled to the floor. Lenore did her best to stop herself, but the freshly-waxed tile floor prevented her and she slid into him and toppled over.
"Oh dear... are you okay?" she asked. He started laughing and nodded his head. Lenore couldn't help herself and started laughing just as hard as him. They sat there for a good three minutes, just laughing.
Finally Luke calmed down enough, stood up, and offered her his hands. She grabbed them and started to pull herself up.
Fate and the slick tile floor prevented her. Lenore lost her footing and fell down again, pulling Luke on top of her. They immediatly stopped laughing. "Uh..." she began.
He stared down at her, probing her with those beautiful blue eyes...
He was so close...
Before she knew it he was kissing her, soft and gentle. Lenore's heart raced. She wished she had the power to stretch time, and make the moment last longer than it did. All too soon he rolled off her and stood up. "Let's try this again." he said, and again held out his hands. Lenore grabbed them and pulled herself up.
"Okay," he said as if nothing had happened. "Eliva beans..."
=============================================
They walked the lonely streets of Coruscant with Lenore's groceries. Luke held her hand gently as if it were the most natural thing in the galaxy.
In Lenore's kitchen he helped her put her groceries away. "Are you working tonight?" he asked.
Tonight? It took her a moment to realize it was early morning. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm done at the medcenter at 1800h, and then I've got to be at the pub at 1900h."
"When's your lunch break?"
She paused to think. "Um... Eleven fourty-five."
"Okay if I meet you?" Luke asked.
"Sure." she answered. They finished the groceries in silence.
Luke handed her the last empty bag. "Do you have to be there early?"
"Yes, 0645h. Another busy day..."
Luke smiled. "Well then, I'll go away and let you go to bed." They left the kitchen and walked toward the door.
Lenore walked him out into the hallway and towards the lift. While they waited he took her in his arms again.
"Luke?"
"Hm?"
"Do you have a comnumber I can reach you at?"
Without releasing her, Luke rattled off the numbers of his comlink. The lift arrived, and Luke kissed her goodnight before leaving.
When he was gone Lenore stumbled dreamily back into her bedroom. She grabbed a piece of paper off her dressing table and scribbled down the numbers. When she finished she lay back on her bed and smiled.
She was asleep within minutes.
============================================
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Lenore's first concious thought was that the cold milky substance dripping on her face tasted rather good when it ran down into the corner of her mouth. It was quite a while before she fully realised the possible implications of something dripping on her face.
She jerked awake and sat bolt upright in the bed. Leia Organa Solo stood over her, holding out the melting carton of ice-cream that had been donated to her last night.
"Hi." she said.
"Um... hello..." Lenore began. "What are you doing here?"
Leia smiled. "Came to return your ice-cream. It was very good, thank you." Leia left the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. Lenore followed.
"How did you get in?" Lenore asked.
"You left the door unlocked. Not very smart when you're living in this district of Coruscant. Tell me something, do you always sleep fully clothed?" Leia asked as she put the ice-cream in the refrigerator.
Lenore looked down for the first time and realised she'd forgotten to change. She blushed. "Well, no, I was out kind of late."
Leia grinned. "So Han tells me. Did Luke stay long after Han stole your ice-cream?"
"We, uh, we went to the grocery store."
Leia gave her a puzzled look. "The grocery store? What possessed you to do that in the middle of the night?"
"I don't know, Luke said it would be fun."
Leia laughed. "I don't pretend to understand him."
Lenore yawned and stretched. As she leaned back she happened to notice the chrono on the wall. It read 1015h.
She let out a curse. "I'm late for work!"
"No you're not." Leia said calmly, sipping from a mug of coffiene.
"I was supposed to be there three and a half hours ago!"
"Relax! I called you in sick."
"LEIA!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, I came in at seven and you were sound asleep and your alarm was going full-blast. I figured you needed your sleep, so I called you in sick. Don't get to excited, you have to be in at 1300h."
Lenore collapsed into a chair and sighed. "Thanks-- I suppose."
"You're welcome." Leia took another sip of her drink. "Oh! I forgot, while you were sleeping some delivery people brought you a present."
Lenore was puzzled. "What do you mean, a present?"
Leia pointed towards the door. "I didn't know where you wanted to put it, so I just had them drop it there."
Lenore got up and crossed the room to the holovid. She reached behind and made sure the proper power connections had been made, and then hit the 'ON' button. A popular soap opera sprang to life.
"It works!" She yelled.
"Yay!" Leia said.
Lenore searched the room for the remote control. She found it lodged between two cushions on her couch. Running back to the holovid, she adjusted it so it could be easily seen from the couch. She then bounded back to the couch and took a seat next to Leia.
Leia took the remote from her and began flipping through the different stations. She stopped at a certain station. "I love watching how stupid these people can be."
"What is it?" Lenore asked.
"You know, one of those talk shows where they have different people come on and 'talk' about their problems, usually sexually-related problems."
"Oh! Yes I remember these. My sister was on one once, at home."
"You're kidding!" Leia exclaimed.
Lenore smiled. "No, my sister had a boyfriend and she cheated on him. The boyfriend decided he wanted his fifteen minutes of fame, so he called up one of the talk shows and told them about it. In the end my sister ended up getting back together with the boyfriend. Didn't do much for business, but it was fun."
"Did they stay together?"
"No, they broke up six weeks later. He was cheating on her the whole time."
Leia laughed. "What business didn't it help?"
"My father's. He owned several Cetbal mines and he left them to my brother when he died."
"I'm sorry." Leia said.
"For what?" asked Lenore.
"Your father."
"Why? Everybody dies sooner or later."
They remained silent for a long time, laughing occasionally at the stupidity of the subjects of the talk show.
Eventually the show ended. Leia flipped it off. Lenore stretched again. "What are you doing for lunch?" Leia asked.
Lenore's eyes got wide and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I forgot! I'm supposed to meet Luke! He's going to be waiting for me at the medcenter."
"Really? You didn't tell me you had a date." Leia said teasingly.
"It's not a date! We're just meeting for lunch!"
"Sure y'are. I'll bet y'are."
"Really! It's not a date!" Lenore said, a bit too defensivly.
Leia smiled. "I'm just teasing you. I'll call Luke and tell him to meet you here."
"No, that's okay, I'll call him myself."
"If you want, I'll even be nice and disappear." suggested Leia.
Lenore looked at her, confused. "Why would I want you to leave? You can stay, if you want."
"I just thought you might want a bit of privacy, that's all." said Leia, rising to leave.
"To do what, eat?"
Leia just smiled.
"LEIA! What are you suggesting?"
"Nothing, nothing at all, I didn't say a word." she said sweetly. "What's on your mind, Lenore dear?"
Lenore glared. "You know what you meant."
Leia laughed. "I'll be on my way. Call me, k?"
"Yeah, sure, bye." Lenore called after her.
======================================================
The months flew by. Lenore spent almost every evening with Luke. He became her best friend. Every day after one of her jobs she would hurry over to his apartment, or him to hers, to talk.
One evening about 2000h they were sitting on his couch watching the holovid when her comlink beeped. "Yes?" she said into it.
"Doctor, one of your patients is in here, in labour, we need you as soon as possible." said the droid.
"Okay, I'll be right there." she said, switching it off.
"It's Leia." Luke said calmly.
Lenore didn't even ask. She'd gotten use to his Force abilities over the months and had given up trying to understand. "Do you want to come?" she asked.
"And do what?" he asked.
"Deliver the babies. That's something I haven't quite mastered yet." she joked.
He laughed. "Oh boy! Count me in!"
"Seriously. You could stick around, maybe sit on Han if he gets too nervous." Lenore said.
"Okay, I guess." Luke said. "Let me put my shoes on."
Fifteen minutes later Lenore walked into Leia's birth suite at the medcenter. "Hey, Leia!" she said enthusiastically. "How are you feeling?"
Leia stared at her. "How the hell do you think I feel?"
"Good point." Lenore said, beginning her examinatioins. "Hello Han."
Han looked more nervous than anybody she'd ever seen. "Hi." he said quickly.
========================================================
"Push, Leia!" Lenore said for the umpteenth time that evening.
"I AM!" Leia yelled.
"It's okay, Leia, really, we can get through this!" Han said.
"Who's 'we'? I'm the one working here!" yelled Leia.
"Leia, I need you to--" Lenore began.
"If you tell me to push one more time I will personally mutilate you!" said Leia maliciously.
"Alright, alright! Just once more, and I think we'll have the first one out." replied Lenore.
Leia tightened her grip on Han's hand, took a deep breath, and pushed with all her might. A wail escaped her. Almost...
From the business end of the bed a small cry. "It's a girl!" exclaimed Lenore.
Han squeezed Leia's hand. She glanced at him. There were tears in his eyes. "A girl, Leia!"
Before she could reply another contraction seized her. "Alright, on three, take a deep breath and push, just like the last one..." Lenore began. "One...Two...Three!"
Leia complied. Ten minutes later another infant wailed.
Time seemed to slow, and tears of joy sprang to Leia's eyes as she held her babies for the first
time.
==============================================================
Two weeks later, Lenore hurried to Luke's apartment after work. Leia was still on maternity leave, so Luke and Lenore had agreed-- reluctantly-- to fill in at a ritzy diplomatic reception. Lenore was definatly not looking forward to this. The only good things coming from it was a new dress and time with her love.
She found him in the front room of his apartment, sitting on the sofa listening to music. "Hey Luke!" she exclaimed.
He turned slowly. "Hey," he said.
"Sorry I'm a little late. I delivered a premature baby this afternoon--" she paused to kiss his forehead-- "and then at the last minute a patient calls up just positive she's going to deliver. After that was sorted out I had to just run to catch my train but of course I missed it. I had to stand around and wait for another----"
"Let's not go." Luke interrupted.
The abrupt change of topic threw her off guard. "What?" she asked.
"To this whatever you call it tonight. Let's not go." he repeated.
"But Luke, we promised your sister we'd go." Lenore said, confused. What was bugging him tonight? "What do you suggest we do otherwise?"
Luke stayed quiet.
Lenore sat on the couch next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Marry me." he said, bluntly.
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "What did you say?"
"Marry me. Now."
Lenore sat speechless for a few eternal seconds. "Now?" she said after her voice returned.
He turned and focused on something in the distance. "Yeah, now. Let's just... I don't know, let's just do it."
"Luke, I-- are you sure this is what you want to do?"
He looked right at her. "Yes. Yes. I'm positive."
It was Lenore's turn to look away. After a few moments she answered him.
"Okay, let's go."
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Sorry it took so long to post this. I promise the next section will be out soon, so keep looking! Thank you for reading, now write a review!
Copyright 2000 by May Solo.
This picks up where 'Love Changes Everything' left off. So, it's kinda imperative that you read 'Love Changes Everything' before you read this.
To Paul, for helping me become a true fan. Also to Kathy Tyres (sp?) for writing "Balance Point" and making me extremely happy!!!
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Coruscant, Southeast Administrative District, 2415h.
Han Solo wandered around the twenty-third level of a commercial building, in search of the 200-flavor ice-cream store advertised outside the building. Surely they'd have the kind Leia wanted.
Leia's eating habits during her pregnancy were bizzare. Yesterday in the middle of their lunch break, she'd announced that the only thing she could keep down was a zambizi-flavored milkshake topped with squid. The day before it had been g'fagen beans. Now Leia had woken up just dying for a Peanut Butter Pickle ice-cream.
Who ate Peanut Butter Pickle, anyway?
Han rounded a corner, and the ice-cream store's neon green sign called to him like a beacon, making his pace quicken. He almost ran to the store. His joy was crushed, however, when he noticed through the transparasteel windows that the lights in the store were off. A sign on the door said the store closed at 2300h.
He sighed, closed his eyes, turned around and leaned on the storefront. He had been to just about every ice-cream store in the district. Those that were still open gave him looks of disgust when he asked for Peanut Butter Pickle ice-cream.
Slowly, Han opened his eyes. Across the corridor was a twenty-four hour laundramat. The only beings in there were a rusted-out droid and two humanoids sitting upon a row of washing machines, apparantly having a great deal of fun. Han had to look twice before he recognised one of the humans as his brother-in-law Luke.
What was Luke doing at a laundramat in the middle of the night? Han crossed the corridor and entered the laundramat. Luke saw him coming. "Hi Han!" he yelled. Han forced a smile. It was late, he was tired.
"Want a fry?" Luke asked him. Han shook his head and regarded the scene in front of him. On a washing-machine between Luke and the unidentified female lay several scattered playing cards, hamburger wrappers, a few frenchfrys, and ketchup stains here and there.
The woman lay back on the washing machines so she could see him. "Hey!" she said. "I know you!"
Han instantly recognized her as Lenore Gilbert, Leia's obstetrician. "Hello," he said slowly. "What are you two doing?"
"My laundry," she answered. "It's dirty."
"Do you always do your laundry in the middle of the night?" he asked.
Lenore and Luke exchanged puzzled looks. "What do you mean?" Luke asked.
"It's 2415h!" Han exclaimed.
Lenore put a hand over her mouth and laughed. Luke smiled. "I guess your laundry's done," he said to Lenore. She jumped off the machines and ran to a nearby dryer. Grabbing a suitcase that lay on the floor, she threw the contents of the dryer into her suitcase. Luke began arranging the cards in front of him. "So Han," he began. "What brings you out here at 2415h?"
Han grimaced. "Leia wants ice-cream. Nobody has the kind she wants."
"Really? What kind does she want?" Lenore called from the general vicinity of the dryers.
"She wants the most disgusting, impossible to find ice-cream in the whole galaxy. Peanut Butter Pickle." Han answered.
Luke stared at him in disbelief. "YUCK!" he yelled.
"You're kidding! I love Peanut Butter Pickle! It's my favorite kind of ice-cream. I have a fresh carton at home." Lenore answered.
"YUCK!" Luke yelled.
"Where did you get it?!?" Han asked desperately.
"The store across the way. They're closed now, but you can have mine if you want."
"YUCK YUCK DOUBLE YUCK PUKE MY GUTS OUT YUCK!" Luke yelled. From a desk near the front, the droid gave them the nastiest look possible of a droid.
Han ignored both Luke and the droid. "Thank you a million times over."
She shrugged. "No problem. I'm going home now, so if you want it, come on." She walked towards the exit with Luke and Han on her heels.
"YUCK!" Luke yelled once more for the record.
====================================================
"Here it is!" Lenore exclaimed, pulling the frosty carton from the empty deep freeze. "The best ice-cream in the entire galaxy."
"You're crazy." said Luke, leaning against a countertop.
Han took the carton from her. "Thank you a million times over."
"No problem." she answered. "Tell Leia hi for me."
"I will." Han yelled from the front room, on his way out the door.
"BYE HAN!" Luke yelled.
"BYE LUKE!" Han yelled equally as loud. They heard the front door close behind him.
"I can't believe you like that stuff." Luke said.
"What do you have against Peanut Butter Pickle?" she asked him.
"Well, it's not the peanut butter, and it's not the pickle--"
"Then stop making fun of it!"
"--it's more the combination of the two that makes it absolutly disgusting!" he finished.
She rolled her eyes. "I happen to like it, thank you very much."
Luke laughed. "Okay, whatever floats your boat."
She smiled. "I'm not being rude, I would offer you something to eat, but unless you like cold cereal in the middle of the night, I haven't got anything."
"You don't have any food?" he asked incredulously.
"No, I was going to go get some but I haven't had time."
"Let's go now." he suggested.
"Now?"
"Yeah, now."
Lenore stared at him. "You're crazy. Everything is closed."
"No, there's a place around here somewhere that's open, and I think there's a couple others around the district. Come on, it'll be fun!"
She sighed. "Alright."
==========================================
They were the only people in the store.
Yet another rusted droid sat behind a cash register. (Didn't anybody keep their droids in repair?) Another poorly maintained droid waxed the tile floor on a different aisle. Luke and Lenore pushed a hovercart down a well-lit, bland aisle, searching for a suitable bag of Usa spears.
Lenore stood staring at a sack of Medmoy Usa spears. "New, Low-fat spears with Wonderful Flavor!" the bag advertised.
She threw them in the cart. Who cared how much fat they had as long as they were cheap and tasted good? "What next?" Luke asked her.
"Ummm... Eliva beans."
"Kay..." They pushed the cart over to the aisle with the floor-waxing droid.
"Isn't it just typical that they're all the way at the end of the aisle?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.
"I'll race you down there." Luke challenged.
Normally, Lenore would have argued, saying they'd get thrown out. Considering the late hour and the long day she'd had, she agreed.
"Mark... Set... GO!" Luke called, and they took off top-speed down the aisle. Lenore wasn't exactly the athletic type, and naturally Luke was winning. They dodged the droid. She pushed herself just a little bit farther, started gaining on him. Suddenly Luke's feet flew out from under him and he tumbled to the floor. Lenore did her best to stop herself, but the freshly-waxed tile floor prevented her and she slid into him and toppled over.
"Oh dear... are you okay?" she asked. He started laughing and nodded his head. Lenore couldn't help herself and started laughing just as hard as him. They sat there for a good three minutes, just laughing.
Finally Luke calmed down enough, stood up, and offered her his hands. She grabbed them and started to pull herself up.
Fate and the slick tile floor prevented her. Lenore lost her footing and fell down again, pulling Luke on top of her. They immediatly stopped laughing. "Uh..." she began.
He stared down at her, probing her with those beautiful blue eyes...
He was so close...
Before she knew it he was kissing her, soft and gentle. Lenore's heart raced. She wished she had the power to stretch time, and make the moment last longer than it did. All too soon he rolled off her and stood up. "Let's try this again." he said, and again held out his hands. Lenore grabbed them and pulled herself up.
"Okay," he said as if nothing had happened. "Eliva beans..."
=============================================
They walked the lonely streets of Coruscant with Lenore's groceries. Luke held her hand gently as if it were the most natural thing in the galaxy.
In Lenore's kitchen he helped her put her groceries away. "Are you working tonight?" he asked.
Tonight? It took her a moment to realize it was early morning. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm done at the medcenter at 1800h, and then I've got to be at the pub at 1900h."
"When's your lunch break?"
She paused to think. "Um... Eleven fourty-five."
"Okay if I meet you?" Luke asked.
"Sure." she answered. They finished the groceries in silence.
Luke handed her the last empty bag. "Do you have to be there early?"
"Yes, 0645h. Another busy day..."
Luke smiled. "Well then, I'll go away and let you go to bed." They left the kitchen and walked toward the door.
Lenore walked him out into the hallway and towards the lift. While they waited he took her in his arms again.
"Luke?"
"Hm?"
"Do you have a comnumber I can reach you at?"
Without releasing her, Luke rattled off the numbers of his comlink. The lift arrived, and Luke kissed her goodnight before leaving.
When he was gone Lenore stumbled dreamily back into her bedroom. She grabbed a piece of paper off her dressing table and scribbled down the numbers. When she finished she lay back on her bed and smiled.
She was asleep within minutes.
============================================
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Lenore's first concious thought was that the cold milky substance dripping on her face tasted rather good when it ran down into the corner of her mouth. It was quite a while before she fully realised the possible implications of something dripping on her face.
She jerked awake and sat bolt upright in the bed. Leia Organa Solo stood over her, holding out the melting carton of ice-cream that had been donated to her last night.
"Hi." she said.
"Um... hello..." Lenore began. "What are you doing here?"
Leia smiled. "Came to return your ice-cream. It was very good, thank you." Leia left the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. Lenore followed.
"How did you get in?" Lenore asked.
"You left the door unlocked. Not very smart when you're living in this district of Coruscant. Tell me something, do you always sleep fully clothed?" Leia asked as she put the ice-cream in the refrigerator.
Lenore looked down for the first time and realised she'd forgotten to change. She blushed. "Well, no, I was out kind of late."
Leia grinned. "So Han tells me. Did Luke stay long after Han stole your ice-cream?"
"We, uh, we went to the grocery store."
Leia gave her a puzzled look. "The grocery store? What possessed you to do that in the middle of the night?"
"I don't know, Luke said it would be fun."
Leia laughed. "I don't pretend to understand him."
Lenore yawned and stretched. As she leaned back she happened to notice the chrono on the wall. It read 1015h.
She let out a curse. "I'm late for work!"
"No you're not." Leia said calmly, sipping from a mug of coffiene.
"I was supposed to be there three and a half hours ago!"
"Relax! I called you in sick."
"LEIA!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, I came in at seven and you were sound asleep and your alarm was going full-blast. I figured you needed your sleep, so I called you in sick. Don't get to excited, you have to be in at 1300h."
Lenore collapsed into a chair and sighed. "Thanks-- I suppose."
"You're welcome." Leia took another sip of her drink. "Oh! I forgot, while you were sleeping some delivery people brought you a present."
Lenore was puzzled. "What do you mean, a present?"
Leia pointed towards the door. "I didn't know where you wanted to put it, so I just had them drop it there."
Lenore got up and crossed the room to the holovid. She reached behind and made sure the proper power connections had been made, and then hit the 'ON' button. A popular soap opera sprang to life.
"It works!" She yelled.
"Yay!" Leia said.
Lenore searched the room for the remote control. She found it lodged between two cushions on her couch. Running back to the holovid, she adjusted it so it could be easily seen from the couch. She then bounded back to the couch and took a seat next to Leia.
Leia took the remote from her and began flipping through the different stations. She stopped at a certain station. "I love watching how stupid these people can be."
"What is it?" Lenore asked.
"You know, one of those talk shows where they have different people come on and 'talk' about their problems, usually sexually-related problems."
"Oh! Yes I remember these. My sister was on one once, at home."
"You're kidding!" Leia exclaimed.
Lenore smiled. "No, my sister had a boyfriend and she cheated on him. The boyfriend decided he wanted his fifteen minutes of fame, so he called up one of the talk shows and told them about it. In the end my sister ended up getting back together with the boyfriend. Didn't do much for business, but it was fun."
"Did they stay together?"
"No, they broke up six weeks later. He was cheating on her the whole time."
Leia laughed. "What business didn't it help?"
"My father's. He owned several Cetbal mines and he left them to my brother when he died."
"I'm sorry." Leia said.
"For what?" asked Lenore.
"Your father."
"Why? Everybody dies sooner or later."
They remained silent for a long time, laughing occasionally at the stupidity of the subjects of the talk show.
Eventually the show ended. Leia flipped it off. Lenore stretched again. "What are you doing for lunch?" Leia asked.
Lenore's eyes got wide and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I forgot! I'm supposed to meet Luke! He's going to be waiting for me at the medcenter."
"Really? You didn't tell me you had a date." Leia said teasingly.
"It's not a date! We're just meeting for lunch!"
"Sure y'are. I'll bet y'are."
"Really! It's not a date!" Lenore said, a bit too defensivly.
Leia smiled. "I'm just teasing you. I'll call Luke and tell him to meet you here."
"No, that's okay, I'll call him myself."
"If you want, I'll even be nice and disappear." suggested Leia.
Lenore looked at her, confused. "Why would I want you to leave? You can stay, if you want."
"I just thought you might want a bit of privacy, that's all." said Leia, rising to leave.
"To do what, eat?"
Leia just smiled.
"LEIA! What are you suggesting?"
"Nothing, nothing at all, I didn't say a word." she said sweetly. "What's on your mind, Lenore dear?"
Lenore glared. "You know what you meant."
Leia laughed. "I'll be on my way. Call me, k?"
"Yeah, sure, bye." Lenore called after her.
======================================================
The months flew by. Lenore spent almost every evening with Luke. He became her best friend. Every day after one of her jobs she would hurry over to his apartment, or him to hers, to talk.
One evening about 2000h they were sitting on his couch watching the holovid when her comlink beeped. "Yes?" she said into it.
"Doctor, one of your patients is in here, in labour, we need you as soon as possible." said the droid.
"Okay, I'll be right there." she said, switching it off.
"It's Leia." Luke said calmly.
Lenore didn't even ask. She'd gotten use to his Force abilities over the months and had given up trying to understand. "Do you want to come?" she asked.
"And do what?" he asked.
"Deliver the babies. That's something I haven't quite mastered yet." she joked.
He laughed. "Oh boy! Count me in!"
"Seriously. You could stick around, maybe sit on Han if he gets too nervous." Lenore said.
"Okay, I guess." Luke said. "Let me put my shoes on."
Fifteen minutes later Lenore walked into Leia's birth suite at the medcenter. "Hey, Leia!" she said enthusiastically. "How are you feeling?"
Leia stared at her. "How the hell do you think I feel?"
"Good point." Lenore said, beginning her examinatioins. "Hello Han."
Han looked more nervous than anybody she'd ever seen. "Hi." he said quickly.
========================================================
"Push, Leia!" Lenore said for the umpteenth time that evening.
"I AM!" Leia yelled.
"It's okay, Leia, really, we can get through this!" Han said.
"Who's 'we'? I'm the one working here!" yelled Leia.
"Leia, I need you to--" Lenore began.
"If you tell me to push one more time I will personally mutilate you!" said Leia maliciously.
"Alright, alright! Just once more, and I think we'll have the first one out." replied Lenore.
Leia tightened her grip on Han's hand, took a deep breath, and pushed with all her might. A wail escaped her. Almost...
From the business end of the bed a small cry. "It's a girl!" exclaimed Lenore.
Han squeezed Leia's hand. She glanced at him. There were tears in his eyes. "A girl, Leia!"
Before she could reply another contraction seized her. "Alright, on three, take a deep breath and push, just like the last one..." Lenore began. "One...Two...Three!"
Leia complied. Ten minutes later another infant wailed.
Time seemed to slow, and tears of joy sprang to Leia's eyes as she held her babies for the first
time.
==============================================================
Two weeks later, Lenore hurried to Luke's apartment after work. Leia was still on maternity leave, so Luke and Lenore had agreed-- reluctantly-- to fill in at a ritzy diplomatic reception. Lenore was definatly not looking forward to this. The only good things coming from it was a new dress and time with her love.
She found him in the front room of his apartment, sitting on the sofa listening to music. "Hey Luke!" she exclaimed.
He turned slowly. "Hey," he said.
"Sorry I'm a little late. I delivered a premature baby this afternoon--" she paused to kiss his forehead-- "and then at the last minute a patient calls up just positive she's going to deliver. After that was sorted out I had to just run to catch my train but of course I missed it. I had to stand around and wait for another----"
"Let's not go." Luke interrupted.
The abrupt change of topic threw her off guard. "What?" she asked.
"To this whatever you call it tonight. Let's not go." he repeated.
"But Luke, we promised your sister we'd go." Lenore said, confused. What was bugging him tonight? "What do you suggest we do otherwise?"
Luke stayed quiet.
Lenore sat on the couch next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Marry me." he said, bluntly.
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "What did you say?"
"Marry me. Now."
Lenore sat speechless for a few eternal seconds. "Now?" she said after her voice returned.
He turned and focused on something in the distance. "Yeah, now. Let's just... I don't know, let's just do it."
"Luke, I-- are you sure this is what you want to do?"
He looked right at her. "Yes. Yes. I'm positive."
It was Lenore's turn to look away. After a few moments she answered him.
"Okay, let's go."
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Sorry it took so long to post this. I promise the next section will be out soon, so keep looking! Thank you for reading, now write a review!
Copyright 2000 by May Solo.