Three's Company

Leia actually seemed interested as her father's spirit told her how he and Obi-Wan got captured and taken to General Grievous. She silently took a mental note on the mention of R2-D2 and took another sip of her soft drink. Leia nearly spat her drink through her nose when he told her the part about running, and falling, through the elevator shaft with two grown men hanging on to him.

"So he said to me, 'Anakin Skywalker,'" Anakin slumped over as he imitated General Grievous's husky voice, "'I expected someone of your reputation to be older.' Then I gave him a defiant look and said, 'I expected you to be taller.'"

He continued on until he reached the part where he was reunited with Padmé. "Then she told me she was pregnant."

Leia sat up on the couch. "It's a good thing Luke isn't here, or else he'd grill you with a million questions, but I want to know for his sake. What was our mother like?"

Anakin sat in the chair he'd occupied earlier. "Her name was Padmé Amidala. A galactic senator who was into politics, sandy beaches, and flashy wardrobes. The exact opposite of what I was into. I swear, I never saw her wear the same thing twice. But I guess it was all right since I never had to pay for anything. Besides, her clothes always looked their best crumpled on the floor."

"What?"

If Anakin were alive, he would have blushed. "You didn't hear that."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Let's not start acting like Jaina and Jacen. And yes, I did."

"Okay, fine. I did say that. Anyway, I wish I'd thought to tell her not to wear that cinnamon roll hairstyle again. Just in case we had a girl, I didn't want the child to think that style was fashionable."

"Hey! I'm offended by that!"

"Why?"

Leia waved her bottle at him. "Because that's the style I was wearing when you captured me over Tatooine!"

"Case in point. It leads to nothing but trouble. Even that noose hairstyle you wore on Bespin was better." Leia grimaced at him. "Besides," Anakin said, "you're not wearing either style anymore, so what's the big deal?"

"Whatever. Moving on." She took another sip. "When do we get to the part where you turn to the Dark Side?"

"Why?"

"For Jacen," Leia suggested. "Besides, you said it was complicated."

"Which is part of why I don't want to get into it."

Leia opened her mouth, but no words came out. She heard her bedroom door slide open. A groggy Han Solo stumbled into the living room. He yawned, scratched his belly, and glanced at Leia. "Hey," he started before yawning again. "Leia, what the hell are you doing out here?"

"Nothing. Just having a drink."

"A drink? This late at night? You'll be running to the refresher all night."

"So I've been told." She took another sip.

Han stepped closer to her. "Whom have you been talking to out here?"

"Hmm?" Leia raised her eyes to him with her lips still attached to the bottle.

"I heard you talking. It was a one-sided conversation, but you're not the kind of person to hallucinate. Were you and Luke engaging in one of your semi-mystical Jedi twin things again?"

Leia lowered the bottle and swallowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Han wasn't convinced. He stepped over to the chair and prepared to sit.

"Han!" Leia called to him.

Han straightened. "What? What is it?"

"Uh, don't sit there. Come sit beside me." Leia lowered her feet to the floor and rubbed the empty spot beside her.

"No thanks," Han said. "You're just a little too weird for me right now." Han prepared to sit again.

"Han!" Leia called again. This time, without thinking, she waved her hand towards the chair. It slid from under him and across the room. Han fell to the floor as if he were drunk. Leia set her bottle onto the coffee table and dropped to Han's side. "I'm sorry," she said as she helped him to his feet. "I shouldn't have done that."

Han rubbed his back. "You think?" He decided to take the couch spot she offered earlier. "Why the hell did you do that, anyway?"

Leia looked at the chair. Anakin looked away and shrugged. "Um, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Leia sat beside Han. "Well, that chair is occupied."

"What?" Han looked at the chair, then back at Leia. "I don't see anyone."

Leia shrugged. "It's one of those Jedi things you hate so much."

Leia reached out with the Force and pulled the chair back to its original position. Anakin held his feet up and exclaimed, "Wheeeee!"

Han noticed Leia turn away and giggle. "What are you doing? Which Jedi thing is it?"

Leia's expression became serious. "I told you. Someone is in the chair."

"Oh, yeah? Who?"

Leia appeared to think about it. "My father. The real one. The reason I'm subject to those weird Jedi twin things in the first place."

Han looked back at the chair again. "Yeah. Right."

Leia sqeezed her knees against each other. "Han, have you ever known me to lie? Why would I make up such a thing?"

Han shrugged. "Well, considering how you reacted the last time you saw him . . ."

"Oh, Han, that was over ten years ago. I've grown so much since then."

"Really?" Han looked her up and down, but his eyes finally settled on her chest. "Where?"

Leia didn't understand at first. Then she realized what he was looking at. She gasped and covered her chest with both hands. "Han, please! We have a guest! My father, even!"

"Where? I don't see him."

Leia's knees clamped tighter. Her legs bounced as if she were impatient. "Is something wrong?" Han asked. "You look jittery."

Leia thought about it for a moment. Then she jumped up and ran off. "Don't do or say anything stupid! I have to go to the refresher!"

Han leaned against the armrest. "Good advice."

Anakin sighed. Though he knew Han wouldn't hear him, he said aloud, "She was talking about you!"