Chapter 46

Meanwhile Han was on the way back to the apartment that he shared with the love of his live: Leia Organa, who had become an important part of the government of the New Republic and of course he was proud of her accomplishments so far. He was happy that the long mission was over now, so he could return home and of course he never had been a very sentimental guy but one way or another he did have to admit to himself: He had missed Leia a lot during the long time that he had been away from home and maybe that meant he also would be ready to settle down soon. At first it kind of seemed a crazy thought to begin with: Han Solo, the famous smuggler becoming a family person after all those years of adventures that he had with his navigator and good friend Chewbacca but Leia entering his life had definitely changed him as a person for the better.

He continued to think about all of that for some more minutes, as he kept looking at the huge skyline of Coruscant, the Capitol City of the New Republic and the taxi that he sat in continued to draw closer to its final destination. He admired Leia for her patience in this complicated area that is called politics, personally he would never be able to take part in this debates in the Senate that probably went on for hours, forced to make compromises with stubborn senators that slowed you down just because they liked to throw their weight around in the Senate Chamber. In his old days as a smuggler during the war against the Empire he shot people that caused with his blaster, because that had been the easiest way for him to break through any barricade that blocked his way when he was doing business in this dangerous line of work.

But these days where over now, The Republic had been restored after defeating the Empire but that didn't mean that things were alright because one way or another there was always some kind of problem waiting to be solved for the newly formed government of the New Republic. A few minutes later the shuttle finally landed on the roof of the apartment, Han grabbed his baggage which stood next to his seat and then made its way towards the entrance and the former Smuggler couldn't wait to finally hold his wife in his arms again.

Padme couldn't help but still think about the last conversation of Luke and his father right before he died and she had to fight hard, to keep any tears that threatened to flow down at bay and she sighed for a moment. Of course that didn't went by Leia unnoticed and with a little concerned expression on her face she asked her mother after some hesitation: "What's wrong mother? " The former Senator hesitated for a moment to reveal what's bothering her but she finally replied:

"I just wished that your father would have been able to see everything that you've accomplished so far and I'm sure that he would have been proud of both of you." She tried her best to force a smile, even if she knew that she definitely wouldn't fool her children with that but the former Queen also thought to herself: There isn't any use to hold on to the past, of course Anakin would have been a very good father but being the troubled soul he was with the whole drama that happened in his life it sadly prevented us from having a happy family life.

She tried her best to shake off those thoughts as she decided to change the topic: "So tell me a little bit more about how you and Han met?" Padme finally asked her daughter as she reminded herself again that she had promised herself to try and move on with her life, no matter how hard that would be to do in the end but there was no use in drowning her depression while the lives of everybody else went on around her.

Leia felt so sorry for her mother, knowing very well that she didn't want to switch places with her under any circumstances. She concentrated back on the present as she answered back: "The first time we met wasn't under the best circumstances, he and Luke freed me from the Death Star where the Empire had imprisoned me after I had successfully stole the plans of the this new killing machine of the almighty enemy of the Rebel Alliance.

I have to admit that I hated his guts at first because he behaved like a macho, but over the time as I got to know him a lot better we grew a lot closer and I never thought in my life that I would marry this man in the end but he has also changed a lot in the past years." She couldn't help but smile a little as she remembered their first kiss: I think that my feelings were never that torn before between feeling disgusted and walking on Cloud Nine, as I never wanted this moment to end even if I had despised him that much before that one special moment.

"I have to admit that we didn't get along with each other that well at first, because I thought that he was very arrogant at that time and he hated the fact that he would always call my not by my name but instead by the stupid nickname "My Worshipfulness". Soon enough I discovered that there is a gentle and caring side behind this macho behavior of his, we grew a lot closer over the years and I realized that this was the man that I wanted to spent the rest of my life with, so because of that I said yes to his proposal when he finally asked me to marry him." As Padme listened to every word of her daughter's story she couldn't but smile brightly and be happy for her.

Of course she was looking forward to meet Han in person really soon, because after it was for the best when a mother had the opportunity to look at the man who her daughter was married to at first hand because she wanted to make sure that he would never dare to break her little girl's heart. I couldn't me more proud as a mother, seeing first-hand what a beautiful young woman she has become over the years when I sadly wasn't by her side to watch her grow up.

AN: Thanks to- Redder 45 for adding me to her/his favorite authors list, adding this story to her/his favorite stories list, adding this story to her/his story alert subscription, adding me to her/his Author Alert subscription. Thanks to- Force Sensitive for adding this story to her/his story alert subscription, Thanks .5851 for reviewing this story, Thanks to- zzzxxc1 for adding this story to her/his story alert subscription. Please read and review