Chapter 27: Bright Spot

Mara returned to the main living space of their quarters from finally getting Ben to take a much needed nap. She found Luke sitting in the corner of the room with a satisfied smile on his face. He certainly enjoyed throwing his sister off balance, but this was really unnecessary. Did he have to turn everything into a test? As if sensing Mara's thoughts, Luke looked up at her and let her know what he thought. "Leia's a smart girl. She'll figure it out."

Mara rolled her eyes at Luke. He was enjoying this way too much. And Leia was not a person to be trifled with. When she realized just what her brother had been holding over her head, Luke was sure to get an earful from the princess at the very least. "You could have just told her."

"What's the point in having a sister if you can't torment her from time to time?" Luke grinned at her like a five year old when he responded. Yes, he was taking far too much pleasure in making Leia figure things out by herself. Mara wondered if Luke was making up for lost years of sibling rivalry. It was the only remotely rational explanation for his playful behavior on a less than trivial manner.

Finally, Mara threw her hands up in the air in frustration. She just wasn't getting through to him today. He needed to learn better than to play games with his sister in her current condition. "I swear sometimes I think Ben is more mature than you."

"Is that really such a bad thing? I mean…" Luke was unable to continue as he had to defend himself from a Force thrown pillow.

Leia sat in her room, growing more annoyed by the minute with her cryptic sibling as her attempts at meditation proved ineffective. Look inside yourself. Could Luke have possibly come up with a vaguer set of instructions? Leia found herself ready to throttle Luke even if he was her brother and shook her head. Now was not the time to give into frustration. There would be plenty of time to make her brother pay after she proved that she was perfectly capable of figuring things out on her own. Leia took a deep breath to center herself and was about to try once more when Han walked into the room. "Hey, sweetheart. How'd things go with Luke?"

"He seemed rather understanding, but he and Mara know something that I don't. Of course, rather than just coming out and telling me like a normal human being, Luke decided to turn it into some kind of Jedi lesson. All he would say was that I have to look inside myself to find the answer. I've been going through my memories and feelings for hours and I still have no idea what he's talking about."

Han could hear Leia's irritation in the way she spoke and, throughout her tirade, Leia's fist had slowly grown tighter. Her knuckles were now turning white due to the pressure she was exerting. Leia was wound too tight and this was not a good thing given her current state of mind. Han would have to have a few words with Luke the next time he saw the man. Putting his mind back on more pressing matters, Han put his hand on Leia's tightened fist, hoping to help her calm down. "Leia, relax…Maybe you're going about this the wrong way. Perhaps you're supposed to look for something physically inside you, not mentally."

Leia gave him a skeptical look in response. What kind of answer would she find by doing that? Luke surely wouldn't put her through all of this just to make her notice she was sick. In fact, she was sure about it. If there wasn't something physically wrong with her, what useful information could possibly come from scanning her body with the Force? "What would make you say that?"

Han just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't really have a reason for what he said, even if an illness would explain Leia's mood lately. And surely it wasn't a ridiculous suggestion if hours of looking inside her mind hadn't given Leia the answer she was looking for. "I don't know. It was just a shot in the dark. You're the Jedi, not me. I was just trying to help."

Leia took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. Maybe Han's idea wasn't so absurd. It never hurt to try. Any time spent honing her Force skills wouldn't go to waste anyway. "It's worth a shot."

Leia stretched out her senses as if preparing to probe someone nearby and then called those senses back to herself. She felt the lines of the Force pulling her inward. Her senses settled near her abdomen and she noticed a strong bright spot there. It was almost as if…realization dawned on her and she snapped open her eyes. She brought her hand to her mouth as she murmured "Oh my!"

Han quickly rushed over to her. Obviously, Leia had found what she was looking for and whatever it was had come as a surprise. Leia was not someone to be easily surprised, so Han knew this wasn't just something trivial. "Leia, what is it? What did you find?"

Leia opened her mouth to speak a few times, but the words wouldn't come. She hadn't realized just what had happened at the time, but it had. It certainly explained her moodiness since Tatooine, however. It felt right. The Force told her she had definitely found what she was looking for. She would go through the necessary tests to prove it, but they were just a formality. It was true. Leia knew it and she also knew that after she finished up with Han, she was going to have words with her brother. He needed to know better than to hide something like this from any woman and especially his own sister. Finally, Leia regained control of her voice and nervously looked into Han's eyes. Hopefully, he wouldn't react badly to what she had to say. "I'm pregnant."

Shock came over Han's face at Leia's words. Leia was pregnant with what he could only assume was his child. It must have been that night on Tatooine after he was thawed out. Han shook his head as he started pacing. Apparently, everything still worked after months in hibernation. Han stopped and looked over at Leia. He watched her expectant face for a moment as he brushed a hand through his hair. Han knew he had to say something soon or Leia was sure to think he wasn't taking it well. His thought a jumble, Han started rambling and paced the floor once more. "Are you sure?...Of course you're sure, you wouldn't have told me otherwise…Is it a boy or a girl?...No, wait. Don't tell me. Let's keep it a surprise…How did this happen?...What kind of question was that? We were both there. It is mine right?"

Leia chuckled at the distressed man in front of her. The brash smuggler had started to morph into a concerned father before her very eyes. She was thankful that he seemed to be taking things well in spite of the fact he had lost his characteristic cool for a moment and started rambling. Even if he had the audacity to question whether it was his, Han had at least started out on the assumption that the child was his. Leia let his doubts slide, deciding it best to avoid a shouting match and hurtful words that neither of them would mean. She knew Han lover her and that's all that mattered. He was just nervous and, honestly, so was she. A child was not something to be taken lightly. "Yes, it's yours. There's no one else who could be the father."

He hadn't planned on doing this for a while, but circumstances had forced his hand and Han Solo knew what to do with the cards he was dealt. There was only one play that made sense in this case. Hopefully, Leia would agree and, deep down, Han knew that she would. Han brushed his hand through his hair once more and turned to Leia. "Marry me."