Chapter 35

It had been a long few days and the Healer had said that Stephanie was doing much better and could possibly be released at the end of the week.

Gracelin had been released from the med center the same time as Padme. Jaina, Kristea, Leia, and Nomica had stepped up and helped out as much as they could.

Leia would watch Padme so that Gracelin could go see Stephanie. Jacen would try to get to Padme before she would start crying. Gracelin hadn't been taking things well at first. But as Stephanie progressed so did Gracelin.

Maria had made a few short trips to see Padme and Stephanie. She didn't fully understand but she knew that Stephanie was sick. Gracelin had been glad to see Maria take such and interest in the girls.

Gracelin sat in the NICU at the med center. She hadn't slept much and exhaustion was trying to take over. But she was determined to be with her daughter as much as possible.

Jacen was to meet her up here but he hadn't shown up yet. He had been trying to be strong for Gracelin and she appreciated it. He had had Padme for the last few hours and was taking her to his mother.

Healer Da'Tuva came in the room and saw Gracelin sitting in the rocking chair. "How you doing?"

"Good, I guess," her eyes never leaving her daughter.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Gracelin only shook her head in response. She waited for the Healer to hand her Stephanie.

Gracelin saw how much her daughters looked a like. They had the same nose and the same shaped eyes. She also saw how they were different and their own individuals. Padme's hair was a dirty blonde with lots of curls. Stephanie had light brown straight hair.

Padme had blue eyes, but a lot of babies do at birth. Gracelin could clearly see her husband's eyes on Stephanie. They were brown but what she found fascinating were the blue flecks she saw in them.

She wondered how two little people could look so much a like and yet so different at the same tie. She was pulled out of her wonderment by the Healer.

"Is Jacen coming today?"

"Yes he should be here any minute." Gracelin looked away from her daughter. "Everything is okay, right?"

"If Stephanie does well tonight we want to release her tomorrow." Healer Da'Tuva watched as Gracelin's face split into a smile.

"That's wonderful news." Gracelin watched her daughter watch the world around her. She didn't notice the Healer leave or Jacen come in.

"Hello," he said as he kissed Gracelin's cheek. "They're letting us hold her today, that's good."

"We might get to take her home tomorrow."

He smiled at Gracelin not knowing what to say. He looked down at the baby in his wife's arms.

"Are you ready to go home, Steph? Have you missed your sister? I know she missed you." He squat down to her level.

He began playing with her hair. "I know I missed you and so did Mommy. Your Aunt and Uncle are worried about you. And Grandpa Han is just dying to teach you how to fly the Falcon.

Gracelin chucked at him. They were finally going to get to take their baby away from the med center. Take her home, with her big sister and be the family they should be.

The day had been long and tiring for all four of them. Both girls were asleep in the cribs in the room they shared. Their parents stood at the foot of the cribs watching them sleep. Jacen wrapped his arms around Gracelin.

"We're all home." He kissed the top of her head.

"And it's good to be here." She whispered as she snuggled deeper into his embrace. "I love you, Jacen."

He tightened his arms around her. "I love you, too, Gracey."

Gracelin smiled at the use of the nickname. "I remember the first time you called me that." She put her arm around his waist and led him out of their daughters' bedroom.

"Really?"

"Yep, I was working on y speeder and you kept bothering me." Her voice gave off aggravation but her face showed other wise.

"I don't remember that," he played innocent.

"Yes you do. I was working on the speeder and every time I would try you would…"

"Gracey, calm down, I remember. I'd pull you from under. But if you would've wait until I was finished talking then I wouldn't have had to pull you from under."

Gracelin just smiled and rolled her eyes at her husband. "Right."

Jacen went into their bedroom as Gracelin followed. Both began getting ready for bed. Gracelin was grateful not to have to worry about a comm call from the med center tonight.

Gracelin placed one baby monitor on her night table and the other on Jacen's. She smiled when she heard light breathing coming from the speakers on both monitors.

She stopped to watch Jacen get ready for bed. He walked out of the fresher in his black sleep pants. She hoped that one day she could get her body to the shape it once was. She knew that training at the Academy would definitely help.

"You're beautiful, Gracey." Jacen said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "And I don't want to hear otherwise."

Gracelin raised her eyebrow, "Reading my mind again, are we?"

"No, you were projecting again. And it doesn't matter. You're beautiful and perfect." He pulled her to sit in his lap. "And our daughters are perfect because you are."

She blushed, "I'm anything but perfect."

"To me, you are the essence of perfect." He said as he nibbled on her ear.

"We'll you must be telling the truth because you know your not getting any."

"I know that and that's not why I say it."

"But I know you're counting down the days." She smiled and got up to crawl into bed, knowing her girls would be hungry in a few hours.

"That hurts Gracey, that you'd think that."

"I don't think that, Love. I know."

"What? Have you been reading my mind?" Jacen asked confidently.

"No didn't have to. The past month you've been clearly projecting it." Gracelin shut off the light but not before seeing a slight blush come to his cheeks.

A/N: i'm sooo sorry about this taking so long. I kind of got caught up with another story. I need to learn not to have two stories at once. I'll try to be better about updates.