Chapter 35

Leia could not believe what she saw upon entering the house. It was as if someone had taken the inside of her palace on Alderaan and somehow shrunk it and transferred it into their new home. The walls, the pictures, the furniture – everything looked and felt the same. Even the intangible elements of her old home were there. The love that had seeped through the walls and all elements of her palace was still there, but this time it came from a different source. Instead of coming from her father Bail, the love in this home came from her husband.

Leia was not usually an openly emotional person, but this time she could not stop the barrage of tears that fought to escape from her eyes. She sat down on the floor and wept, incurring the concern of her wonderful husband.

"Leia – Leia, are you all right?" Han asked, brow furrowing in genuine apprehension.

Unable to force her lips to form words, Leia stood up and wrapped her arms tight around her husband, wishing that she never had to let go. This was the single most beautiful and pure act of kindness that anyone had ever done for her. She had expected to feel some sadness because of the home's strong resemblance to Alderaan, but, on the contrary, she felt elated. This way, she was able to cherish and remember her memories of life on Alderaan, and pass them on to her children. She had always known there was something special about this man named Han Solo, but never in a hundred eons would she have thought that he was even remotely capable of so much love and devotion when she had first met him. She especially would not have believed that he held those feelings for her.

"You're not upset, are you?" Han asked.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Leia laughed. "No, Han. I'm so happy," she said, kissing him softly.

Han rewarded her with one of his unique grins. "Well, that's good. I thought you were going to freak out on me there for a little bit."

"No," she replied, starting to gain control of her voice. "Han…how did you know? How did you know what my palace looked like?"

"Well, Sweetheart, I had some help," he grinned as he pulled out holos of her old home. Leia gaped at them as she ran a finger across the only pictures she had seen of the palace in over four years.

"How did you find those, Han?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I still have connections. I told them that my wife was really interested in Alderaan, and they sold them to me for a pretty reasonable price."

"How much? Wait…maybe I don't want to know."

"No, you don't. And anyway, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. Smuggler's secret, ya know?" he replied with a wink.

"I have a hard time believing that's a rule, but it doesn't matter. You're way too good to me, Han. There's no way I deserve all this."

"Why wouldn't I do all this for the woman I love? C'mon, let's go see the kid's room," Han said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all the emotion Leia was showing.

"Of course."

Han turned to the left and led her down a hallway that held five doors, two on either side and one at the end. He took her hand and brought her into the second door on the right. Immediately she saw the crib and bassinet, and she was amazed at the sense of reality they gave her. She was really going to have a baby. Before now she had consciously known that she was pregnant, but the idea that she was going to be a mother and have a baby had not quite sunk in. This room was a catalyst for her realization of what was going to happen in the future.

Still gripping with her newfound sense of reality, she saw the mobile of Corellian ships gently turning above the crib, and the pale yellow on the walls. She wondered if they should find out whether the baby was a boy or a girl, so they could decorate the room more appropriately. As she mulled over that thought, she saw a rocking chair that sat in the corner, with a side table that held several of Han's tools. Evidently he had already tried the chair out.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the baby's closet. She opened the door, and was surprised to find the outfit that she had bought in Corellia Land was already in there. Han had certainly thought of everything.

"Well, I guess I don't have to have a baby shower anymore. It looks like you have everything covered already."

"Not likely, Sweetheart. I used to have a couple of acquaintances that had kids, and this is nothing. When they had their kids with them they used to bring bags of stuff around with them so big you could probably have fit the kid inside, and that was just their travel stuff. I never really hung around them too much 'cuz I thought they were crazy. I said I would never be like them, and, well…here I am."

"Wait…Han; don't tell me there were actually smugglers who brought their kids around with them!"

"No, they were buddies I had before I became a smuggler. Don't worry – even smugglers aren't that crazy. I don't think too many people would be dying to hire a guy who brought his kids around with him."

Leia chucked. "No, I guess not," she said before sitting down on the rocking chair.

"Gettin' comfortable, I see," Han jibbed. "You don't want to see the rest of the house?"

"Of course I do. I'm just resting, that's all," she responded.

After a minute, Han grasped Leia's hand and pulled her up. "Let's go. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to sit there after the baby's born."

"You mean you will," she said, happy Han had been able to help her bring levity to the situation.

"Probably," he agreed.

He led her around the house, showing her the kitchen, the living room, and, of course, the master bedroom. Leia couldn't believe how enormous it was. It had a closet sufficient for all her outfits (which was quite an accomplishment) and a large refresher with a luxurious-looking bath. The center of her attention, however, was the huge bed. She nudged Han and winked at him slyly, kissing him quickly before flinging herself onto the mattress. It was extraordinarily soft, and she was about to close her eyes in complete relaxation when Han jumped on the bed, joining her.

She was so happy, she didn't even roll her eyes. "Thank you, Han. This is the first time since Alderaan that I've actually had a home."

"Hey, it was nothing. Do you think I wanted us to stay in that apartment for the rest of our lives? Hell, no. Of course I had to give you your own palace."

"Our own palace, you mean. I like the sound of that better," she responded before leaning forward and kissing him avidly. She may have loved her new home, but nothing could compare to the love she held for her husband.