a/n: This chapter will make much more sense if you've read 'Care to Wager?'. Some of the dialogue involves that story.

Standard disclaimers apply.

Clandestine Moments ---

VIIII. The Music Box

Behind the closed door a slow song perfect for dancing emitted from a shelf-sized music box made by an Alderaanian craftsman that had been long forgotten since the days of the planet's destruction. It was a finely craft music box made from a dark wood that had been carved into a picture of flowers and a palace only truly captured by the ones that had lived to remember it.

The music box was as old as the owner herself, and the sweet melody contained therein drifted out to familiar ears. She embraced the song with all the longing that her tears would let her cry from dry eyes. Yet she was grateful that her music box, her most cherished childhood treasure had withstood the destruction of Alderaan in a thoughtful move by her father when he had packed it in her traveling bags just before she had set out for another round of Rebel going-ons disguised as diplomatic charges.

In the middle of the room Leia stood with her husband, both of which had an infant child in their arms. It was naptime for Jaina and Jacen but their tiny eyes had refused to close. The weary parents had finally resorted to walking around with the children when Leia had remembered her prized possession sitting unused on the shelf.

Opening the lid had started a trinkling of a song that the princess hadn't heard in years. She had sung along softly the unspoken words, swaying gently in time in a long forgotten rhythm that Breha Organa had danced to with her adopted daughter long long ago.

Han had joined in the rocking motion, hoping that his wife's idea caught on with the twins.

"They should know something of Alderaan," Leia said, sighing deeply. "If I don't pass on my culture and traditions then who will?"

"By that standard, does that mean I get to teach them all about smuggling and the finer aspects of Sabaac?"

"Sabaac is not a culture," Leia said dryly.

"No, but it's a Han Solo tradition," he grinned. "We all owe our lives to the Falcon, and if it weren't for Sabaac then I wouldn't have the Falcon at all. And if I remember correctly, you didn't think the game was all that bad when we played…"

Leia's cheeks darkened slightly at the mention of the fateful card game.

"That was a long time ago," she protested.

"All the more reason for a repeat," he leered.

Jacen let out a cranky gurgle, pulling Han back to the current task. He put a quieting hand on the child's back, rubbing comforting circles there. Immediately the boy's whimpers turned into content cooing, and Han visibly relaxed. Years of smuggling had never trained him for the position of father, and the nine months leading up to their twins' birth had been so busy he'd forgotten to take the time to learn about parenting before actually attempting the job.

"You're getting better at that," Leia said quietly.

"If you can do this parent thing then so can I," he grinned. "After all we've been through, a couple of babies aren't such a difficult thing."

"You would think."

Jaina flexed her tiny fingers against Leia's chest, prompting the new mother to look at her daughter. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head in an attempt to comfort the child into sleep. They had been carrying around the wakeful babies for far longer than needed.

"Are you sure that music box ever put you to sleep?" Han asked with a skeptical look.

"My father said he used it many times to help me nap when I wasn't much older than these two."

"They seem quite resistant to its powers."

"Do they?" Leia asked while looking at Jacen as he let out an infant-sized yawn.

"It's working," Han whispered gladly, peering down into his son's fading eyes.

Leia smiled, looking down at Jaina and noting that her eyes were already closed in sleep.

"Should we go put them down?" Han whispered so as not to wake the twins.

"No," Leia answered, still dancing to the soft music. "I think I'd like to stay just like this a little longer."

Han nodded and they continued to dance.

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a/n: Thanks to all of you who have been cheering this series on. I appreciate everything that you guys say and it brightens my day just that little bit more when I get your reviews. And I was quite surprised that you guys enjoyed the dialogue in 'Sanctuary' as much as you did.

Seriously, thanks. And go read stuff by suezahn (Susan Zahn) if you haven't discovered her masterpieces yet. She's brilliant. Encourage her to write things.

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.