GreatOne – Thanks for reading again! I'm sure Leia isn't suffering too much having Han for a husband. ;)
From-Heaven2Earth – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
Arwen Skywalker – Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Here's another chapter!
Chapter 33
Two months later…
The adoption agency was ready to open its doors today. After months of planning, renovating, preparing, and hiring, the day had finally come for the needy children of New Alderaan to have a chance for a real home and family.
Ty was there at the opening ceremony, as he was the little boy who had inspired its creation. He no longer bore the appearance of an orphan – he was dressed up nicely in slacks and a button-up shirt, and had his hair neatly trimmed. The only part of him that resembled the old Ty was his shining blue eyes, and even those had changed. They held a light within them that had been missing before – the light that is attained when a person knows they are loved, and love in return. Ty knew that he had a family and friends who cared about him deeply, and he wanted to help other children attain the happiness that he had found. He had decided that every day after school (he had proven to be a bright boy despite his lack of a formal education), he would help out at the agency. Han, the proud "boss" of the agency, was happy that his little buddy was willing to participate.
As the ceremony commenced, Han would periodically glance over at his wife, whose pregnancy was now visible. It was not obvious, as she was only in her third month, but she now definitely had certain roundness to her belly that had not been there before. Han smiled with the thought of how many times he had had conversations with her belly in the last couple months, a behavior that the "old Han" would have deemed as crazy. He still was not quite certain that his behavior was sane, but he held the conviction that his child could hear him speaking, and wanted him or her to "hear the voice of the most important man in the galaxy" as early in their life as possible. He thought the fact that his wife was carrying their child was fascinating, and he made it well known, inspiring the exasperation of Leia and the ridicule of his friends. He shifted closer to Leia and wrapped his right arm around her, placing a hand on her belly, upholding his role as self-proclaimed protector.
Leia looked up at him, and Han felt an acute yearning for the ceremony to end. He considered it to be boring and useless, but had agreed to attend the government-sponsored event in order to help improve his image. He hated the idea of attending the ceremony for that reason, but he wanted to become more respectable in the eyes of the people for Leia's sake. He was still suffering a backlash from his transgression with the media. Although they no longer doubted that he was the father of the child (it seemed apparent after he and Leia had been caught in an interesting position in the hangar bay storage room), they still talked about his threat of the reporter whenever they mentioned his name. He did not really see the correlation between threatening a reporter and attending a boring function, but he trusted that Leia knew what she was talking about. The part about the ceremony that annoyed him the most, however, was the fact that he was merely attending it, when he should have been organizing it. He hoped that the government would not be as intruding in the agency after it had opened.
Luke, Lando, Chewie and his family, the droids, and many important officials had attended as well. Everyone watched as the X-wings soared overhead in the Alliance's traditional welcoming of something new. The proceedings were now finished, and all that was left was a speech planned by Leia Organa Solo.
Leia ascended the podium that had been used by many officials during the ceremony, but this time, in contrast to those who had gone before her, all eyes were upon her with interest.
"My fellow citizens of the Alliance," she began. "Today we begin a new day, one in which the oppressed children of New Alderaan, and the galaxy, will have a chance to overcome all the wrongs set upon them and find a place of belonging, of love. This organization will enrich not only the lives of the children looking for a family, but also the lives of the lucky families who have the opportunity to raise these beautiful children, to change their lives forever.
"The Empire is dead, and part of its legacy is millions of orphaned or abused children throughout the galaxy. Our role as a peaceful republic is to ensure that these children are taken care of, and by starting here, in the capital, we show the rest of the galaxy who is really important to us…the people. The Empire lusted for power, wealth, and severity, while we yearn for peace, liberty, and love. I hope that all planets will follow our lead in adhering to these ideals and establish agencies of their own.
"I must add that we would not be here today, standing in front of this beautiful establishment, if it were not for the influence of two people whom I happen to love dearly. The first would be my husband, Han, who thought up and organized the agency. Han was an orphan himself, and through his love and experiences will serve to be an excellent leader for this organization. The second would be Ty Bengley, a boy we met on our trip to Corellia. At the time Ty was living on the streets, fending for himself, and he showed us the reality of orphaned children in the galaxy. If we had not met him and discovered what a kind and bright young boy he was, we probably would not be here today. Thank you, Ty and Han, for everything you have done for this wonderful establishment.
"I will conclude with the statement that I hope the people of the galaxy recognize the importance of agencies like this one, and continue to support them in spirit and in their actions. May the Force be with all of us."
Leia stepped down from the podium into a sea of applause, and Han hugged her tightly. The adoption agency was now officially open.
