Chapter 46
While Han and Leia were completely stunned, Ty was totally oblivious to the strangeness of what they had just seen.
"What's the big deal? Wasn't that lady just a clown or something?" Ty inquired.
"No, Ty. That was Mon Mothma. She's the president of the Alliance," Leia replied monotonously, still in shock.
"Really?" Ty laughed. "She looks different than she did when I saw her before! She must be really silly."
"Not really, she's just drunk," Han replied.
"Han!" Leia berated.
"It's kinda early for her to be drunk, don't ya think?" Ty asked, much to the amazement of his two elders.
"What do you know about drinking, Ty?" Leia asked, eyes wide.
"Plenty. There's ale, beer, wine, whiskey…" Ty rattled off.
"I mean…how do you know about drinking?" Leia clarified.
"Doesn't everyone know about drinking?" Ty asked, genuinely confused.
"Most seven-year-olds don't know as much about alcohol as you do, kid," Han said.
"Oh, really? I guess I just learned it on the streets," Ty shrugged. "Can we go on the rides now?"
Han and Leia exchanged glances, both feeling remorse that Ty had had such a hard childhood, but they decided that Ty probably didn't want their pity. They instead led him over to the rides, knowing that it was pointless to be fixated on the past.
Han and Ty went on several more crazy rides, and the three of them went on many other less extreme ones. After a few hours the three of them were tired, and decided that they wanted to return home. They walked back, with Ty ahead of Han and Leia. Han put his arm around Leia, and she leaned into him, overtired from her pregnancy. They were all looking forward to heading back to the house, resting, maybe watching a holovid…when a group of tabvid reporters jumped out from behind nearby bushes and shoved cameras in their faces.
"Not you guys again!" Han shouted. "Man, there have been so many recycled plot lines lately."
"Well, maybe they're too lazy to come up with anything new. It's also summer, and a lot of teenagers are really into holovision and holo-mags this time of year."
"That's no excuse."
Leia shrugged. "Just ignore it and wave at the nice tabvid reporters," she said, pasting a smile on her face. Meanwhile Ty was jumping up and down in front of the cameras, making silly faces.
"No, I'm still mad at them," Han claimed, walking away and crossing his arms. "I'm not gonna do what they want me to do."
"Just do it," Leia said through clenched teeth.
"Okay," Han grinned. He walked over to Leia, took her in his arms, and bent her body back in the fashion of an old holovid. He then leaned down and kissed her passionately. Cheers went up from the reporters at this, and they crowded even closer. Ty mistakenly thought that their reaction was because of him (he luckily didn't see them kissing) and excitedly began using his fingers as pretend blasters and pointing them at the cameras, making shooting noises.
When Han pulled back Leia's face was flushed, and she turned even brighter when Han scooped her up into his arms.
"C'mon kid, let's go!" Han called.
"No, the people of the Alliance want me!" Ty claimed.
Han began running away, not waiting for Ty to reply. Ty looked back and forth between the reporters and Han and Leia, and finally decided to go after the couple.
"Hey, guys, wait for me!" he shouted, running after them.
The reporters began the chasing them (fairly slowly due to their equipment), causing Ty to turn around.
"Hey guys - don't chase me!" Ty yelled.
Ty stopped when the reporters didn't yield, but they kept on running.
"Guys, I stopped!" Ty said, but they ran past him. "I'm back here!"
The boy stood still for a moment, perplexed, before running after everyone. He was able to catch up with Han and Leia by sprinting, but by this point he was panting from exertion and the heat.
"Can we go get ice cream?" he asked, nearly keeling over.
"Sure kid, just follow me," Han said, pulling behind a building. They watched as the reporters ran forward, missing their prey, and the threesome took the opportunity to escape. "I know a shortcut to a little place downtown. I had to go there lots of times when Leia was having cravings."
"Watch your mouth, flyboy," Leia said, playfully punching his shoulder. "I'm sure I'll have more cravings, and I can just make them up to annoy you if I don't."
"Oh, great," Han replied.
"Just kidding, darlin'. You can put me down now, you know. You look tired," Leia surmised.
"I'm not tired. You're the one who's tired. I was just trying to do a favor for my pregnant wife."
"I'm not quite a Hutt yet, you know. I'm only three months along."
"Then why were you so tired?"
"I don't know – maybe I'm tired from last night."
Han smirked. "Well, then I take full responsibility."
Leia was about to make a sharp retort, when Ty spoke up.
"Can we please go get ice cream?"
