A/N: Thanks for sticking with us, folks. Your comments and feedback really mean a lot. Sorry about the break in posting - half of our duo was on medical leave for a while. This story is over half-way finished and our goal is to update weekly. Thanks for reading!!

Chapter Nine

"What's for dinner?" Han asked his wife as he came into the kitchen.

His hands were dirty from Force only knows what, Leia thought wryly to herself as he washed them in the sink. "Nerf steaks," she answered as she poured the side dish from its pot into a bowl. The steam rose and filled the kitchen with the aromatic smells of home cooking.

"Mmmm, smells good," Han said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I think I'll keep you after all, Princess."

Leia leaned into his embrace, "That's nice to hear…from a scruffy-looking nerfherder." She turned in his arms and winked. "Now go. Get of here. You're in my way," she said as she playfully slapped at him with her towel. "Jacen and Anakin are being way too quiet. You should probably go see what they are up to."

"You're right. I wonder where Chewie is? The last time they were this quiet, they had him tied up for hours before we found him," Han said as he grabbed a grava bean.

The doorbell rang and Leia glanced toward the door with a brief look of concentration, "It's father. You go check on the boys. I had forgotten about the 'Tie Chewie Up' incident," Leia said. She wiped her hands on the towel and opened the door, smiling up at Anakin, and pulled him inside into an embrace, "Hope you're hungry. I think I got a little carried away with dinner."

"It smells wonderful," Anakin said as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

"Here, let me take your robe," Leia offered.

He shrugged out of his robe and handed it to her. "Where are the kids? It's quiet in here."

"I know. I have Han checking it out as we speak. Jaina is sick. She was up all night coughing and keeps asking if you're here yet."

"Well, I won't keep her waiting then," Anakin said.

He went to Jaina's room and tapped lightly on the door. "Jaina?"

"Cub in Grabpa!" she said hoarsely.

Anakin opened the door and looked down at the little girl who looked amazingly like his wife…and his mother. "Hi, there pumpkin," he said as sat on the side of the bed.

"Ah-CHOO!" Jaina sat up in bed and sneezed all over her grandfather. "I'b sorry."

"That's all right," Anakin smiled, handing her a tissue.

Jaina looked up at him with watery eyes, "Mom says I hab the flu and I hab to stay in beb."

"Your mother is right. It is best to rest when you are sick. It makes you heal faster." He reached for a cup of warm liquid on the night stand, "Here. Why don't you drink this?"

She made a face, "It sbells terrible."

"Come on, drink," he said as he tapped the cup. "It will help you feel better."

Jaina sipped the offensive liquid reluctantly. "It hurbs to swallow," she gave the cup to him and sank back into the bed.

"I have something for you," he said. He withdrew a small shiny hydrospanner from his pocket and gave it to her.

"Wow. My owb hybrospanner. Thanks, grabpa," she said turning the tool over in her hands. "Will you sit wib me?"

Anakin settled beside her and leaned back against the headboard. "Of course."

She smiled, snuggling against him, until her whole body was suddenly shaken by a violent fit of coughing. "Shhh…" Anakin pushed a sweat-soaked strand of hair away from her face and rested his hand on her forehead. She grew still, drifting into the peaceful sleep of a healing trance, the hydrospanner still clutched in her hands.

Anakin watched her slow and steady breathing. This is what it must feel like to raise a child, he thought sadly. He had wanted nothing more than to raise a family with Padmé and yet he had missed all of this with Luke and Leia. It was Palpatine's greatest crime, in his mind.

In hindsight, it must have been the reason that he was drawn to Mara. She was the same age as his children would have been, when he believed them to be dead. And yet he had allowed Palpatine to destroy even that small bright spot in the darkness that had been his existence.

His mind wandered involuntarily back to a night twenty-five years earlier when the girl in the sick bed had been older with red hair…

He closed his eyes and shook off the familiar pang of regret. Just as with his children, he could not risk dwelling on the mistakes of the past. He had learned that hard earned lesson a long time ago. Despair was as much a part of the dark side as anger. At least he had his grandchildren, and he would make sure he treasured every moment with them. He leaned down and kissed Jaina's forehead . Rising slowly, so as not to disturb his granddaughter, he left the room silently.

Leia looked up from setting the table as Anakin entered the dining room, "How is she?"

"Sleeping," he answered. Luke had come in while he was in his granddaughter's room, "Hello, son."

Luke smiled, embracing his father quietly.

Leia propped her hands on her hips and grinned at Anakin, "So, what did you bring Jaina this time?"

Anakin looked at her innocently, "Why do you ask?"

"Because you always bring her something," Leia smiled.

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly, reaching for a glass of water.

"You're going to spoil her rotten."

"It's the least I can do. I should have been doing the same for you. You were my little girl. It's probably best I wasn't around. You would have been absolutely spoiled rotten," Anakin winked at his daughter.

"Yeah. Like she's not now," Han said with a smirk as he came into the room with Jacen and Anakin in tow.

"Oh, be quiet," Leia quipped with a smile.

"It's true. Even Jabba couldn't take the highness from Her Highness here," Han said as he went to get a Giza ale from the refrigerator. He leaned down to peck Leia on the cheek.

Luke coughed loudly from the table.

"Jabba?" Anakin frowned. "The Hutt? What are you talking about?"

Luke looked at Han and shook his head in warning.

Han stood there. He must have opened up a case of slugs. Damn it, there's always a case of slugs with this family, he thought in exasperation.

Anakin looked to Leia. "What is he talking about?"

Leia glanced at Luke, who answered with deliberate calm in his voice, "It's nothing, Father. Jabba just….took Leia as his slave when we went to Tatooine to rescue Han."

"Slave? Did you say slave?" Anakin asked, his voice rising.

"Yeah, Mom even had to wear a metal slave outfit," Jacen interjected. "Dad said-"

"Okay, Jacen," Han interrupted. "Come on, boys. I'm sure there's something we need to do in the garage."

"Are you saying that Jabba the Hutt, a slimy Hutt…." Anakin's voice had dropped to a menacing baritone, "had you chained up as a slave? I swear to both suns of Tatooine, if I had known…"

"Whoa, Father," Luke interrupted. "Jabba is dead. Leia killed him herself. You would have been proud," he clapped his father on the shoulder.

Anakin sat down at the table. "I'm sorry, Leia. I didn't mean to lose my temper, it's just when I think… I would have loved to see Jabba being choked with his own chain," he stopped and drew in a heavy breath. "Anyway, it's over now and he's dead now."

"Yes, it is and he is," Leia answered gently, squeezing his hand. "And you couldn't have always been there, regardless. Now," she looked at Luke, "should we wait for Mara before we eat?"

"Um, no," Luke shifted uncomfortably. "She had to leave for a few days. Something for Karrde."

"What?" Leia startled. "I thought Karrde-"

"I know, I know," he answered. "A last-minute thing. Supposedly."

Luke felt his father's gaze and met it hesitantly.

"All right," Leia looked slowly between her father and brother. "I'll just go get Han and the boys, then."

Anakin regarded Luke and nodded in understanding, "Well, do you want to talk about it?"

Luke swallowed, looking down at the table, "What is there to say?" He traced a grain line in the wooden table top with his finger. "You know how Mara is. She's stubborn as a rancor, won't budge a meter until she's ready-"

"And she is loyal to a fault," Anakin finished. He reached across the table and patted Luke's hand. "She will come back, son. She just needs time."

Luke looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected his father to defend her sudden mutiny.

"And when she does," Anakin continued, "I will try to talk with her, if you want. It is probably something I should have done a long time ago. She can't be anymore stubborn than your mother." Anakin shook his head.

Luke smiled in gratitude as the rest of the family piled into the dining room.

to be continued.....