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#MaytheFourthBeWithYou #Always

Love never dies, once it is in you.

He had this all planned in his head. He would start by addressing his visitation rights with the boys. Qi'ra had been canceling on him lately and he was willing to pick another day that worked better for her schedule. After solving that issue, he would ask how she was. He would listen for a time while she told him about her life with their sons. She would do everything she could to make him jealous and regret not seeing those two every day. And he would surely feel some sadness over that fact.

When she exhausted every detailed story, he would mention that he had something important to tell her, something that she needed to know.

She would be curious, but let him proceed.

He would tell her that Leia and himself had become close, much closer than either of them expected at this stage. They were in a serious committed relationship and he wanted to tell Qi'ra in person.

Qi'ra would put on a straight unemotional face. She would act surprised and ask some questions about Leia. After it sunk in, she would suddenly remember a story about something Vinn did that she forgot to tell him earlier and then find an excuse to leave.

And that would be the end of it. Qi'ra would pretend like it didn't bother her. Leia was ready to send her a message later that night with a few words of her own and that was that.

But the baby put a whole other spin on it. They had already been divorced for close to three months, so even with the math they were in the clear. But Qi'ra and children together in the same sentence was a mix that he couldn't prepare for. She hadn't wanted any more children of her own, but that didn't mean she would feel okay about Leia, one of her good friends having one with her ex-husband. It was an awful situation and he honestly wouldn't blame her for being angry.

He was already twitching in his seat when Qi'ra entered the cafe with an air of bravado. "I'm sorry I'm late. I just stopped by to see Luke and Leia."

He stood until she sat in her seat. "No problem. I got you some kaff, cream and sugar."

Qi'ra sighed and stared at the cup in front of her. "I'm only drinking black coffee now, but I guess this is fine." She took a sip and barely hid her disgust. "Why did you pick this place? It's out of the way. Did you not want to be seen with me?"

He tilted his head and grimaced at her. He knew she was trying to rile him up, but he wasn't going to let it happen. "What I want to see is Fernik and Vinn. You've canceled their last two days with me. If Fridays don't work, we can pick another day."

She brushed him off, not thinking this was a serious discussion they had to have. "Fridays are as good as any other day. But you said you are living in a small dingy apartment without enough room to turn around in. They're your children Han. It's not fair to them to…"

"Qi'ra," he interrupted. "I've never taken them to my apartment. We go out to dinner and to a holo or another activity they want to do."

"Well you're not keeping them overnight!" She shot back.

"I'll get a bigger place eventually with enough room for them."

He was glad she didn't have much to say after that. "You want something to eat?"

She looked towards the posted menu. "I'll have a slice of their cake."

He ordered her the dessert and got himself a second cup of kaff before sitting back down in silence. No amount of passing time could make their next conversation any easier.

He downed half of his coffee before pushing it in front of him and leaning on his elbows. "I'm actually looking to move back into the downtown area." She looked up from her dessert. "It's closer to the Falcon's hanger."

She scooped up another bite. "How can you afford a place downtown?" She shook her head. "You better not be planning on neglecting your payments for Fernik and Vinn."

Han would have let his anger at that statement rise, but he suppressed it for the weight of the moment. Of course he would continue to support his kids. He lowered his head, pulling himself back to the reason he was where. "I can afford it. It's easier when two salaries go into it."

"Which one of your 'friends' has agreed to go into this with you?"

He shook his head. "It's more than a friend."

She caught on. Dropping her fork onto the plate, she looked straight at him. "Who?" She asked steeling herself for the punch.

He stared back at her. "Leia."

No other name could have given her more of a shock. "What? Leia!" She didn't believe him.

He continued, keeping his eyes directed at her. "We started seeing each other after we both separated." He didn't feel the need to elaborate.

Qi'ra found laughter bubbling in her stomach. "You two hate each other!"

"Not anymore." His deadly serious voice made her question her original disbelief.

She couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. "Han, I expected you to rebound, but… Leia?" She came down for a second, remembering a new fact. "She's pregnant, you know." Qi'ra said, as if that would change his mind.

He nodded. "I know."

Realization dawned. There was no more laughter in her voice, just pure shock. "Not with…" Her eyes popped out of their sockets and he could tell her blood pressure was heating up. "Oh no…"

He kept his firm posture while allowing his true sympathy for her to seep through. "I'm sorry, but you needed to know."

"No, no, no…" She tried to force herself to not believe it. "It can't be true! I bet the child is Isolder's and she's just using you…"

"No!" He cut her off firmly. "Isolder doesn't know anything about this."

Qi'ra tried again. "She's sneaky, Han. I wouldn't put it past her!"

He cut her off again. "Qi'ra, I came to tell you, not to ask for advice." She didn't have anything to say after that.

She kept her eyes on the table, her lips tight and pursed. "I won't say I wish you every happiness."

"You don't have to."

"Right now I wish you would both fall off a cliff."

He ignored her harsh words. He was done with her. There was no need to argue anymore. Taking the last sip of his kaff, he made to get up.

"Do you love her?" Her words made him sit back down.

"Yes, I do." Honesty and complete truth, she deserved that much from him.

"More than you loved me?"

"I'm not answering that."

She snapped her face to his. "Because you love her more than you ever loved me…"

He wasn't going to let her have that, she wouldn't play the victim. "Qi'ra, we never gave each other what we needed. We weren't good together."

"And she is better?'"

"She is what I need."

Qi'ra pushed her cake in front of her signaling she wasn't eating anymore. "I don't want her around the boys, not my children." Her words cut through his protective heart.

He stayed calm. "You're angry, I know that. But that is something we can discuss later."

She stood and walked calmly towards the door.

He followed, opening the door for her and stopping her before she could make it to the speeder. "Please don't tell the boys. I want them to hear it from me this Friday."

She looked him in the eye, hands folded at her waist and mouth held tight together. "I'm not making any promises."

She was angry, in her calm, cool way, she was angry. Without another word, she turned a cold shoulder and walked away.

There was nothing else he could think of to say. "Goodbye Qi'ra. I wish you the best."

He got into his speeder and watched her turn out of the parking lot. He was feeling extremely relieved at the moment. They did this the right way.

He pulled his comm out of his pocket and touched the now familiar number. "Sweetheart. It's done."

"How is she?" he heard Leia ask with her oh so caring voice.

"You know what? I don't think we need to spend any more of our time worrying about Qi'ra's feelings in this."

Leia took a pause. "You're right. We told her and now we can focus on our future." A much more pleasant subject for them both.

He started the motor. "I'm comin' for ya Sweetheart! See you soon."

It was late. There was no movement outside on their street. Businesses had long since closed and everyone was at home and tucked into their beds for the night, sleeping, dreaming, refueling for the dawn that reliably came. Their block of the city was dark and still. The darkness bled through their bedroom window where the lights were also switched off. Leia laid facing away from the wall on her stomach, hair plaited for the night, arms stretching across her pillow. Her left hand connected with Han's limp one in the middle while he breathed heavily from his position on his back, also fast asleep.

Across the galaxy, there was still movement to be seen in the penthouse of a building in the system known as the Hapes Consortium. A man walked through his front door, his regal robes only playing the part of the status he once held. He was drunk, not with liquor, but drunk on anger, fueled and hazed by what the emotion was doing to him.

He stammered into his institution of an apartment. It was late, but it didn't matter. He didn't have anything pressing to do the next day. The people he once called his friends, the society people he used to be a part of was dwindling. No meeting scheduled for the next day.

He felt a buzz as a message came through on his comm. He became interested in the unrecognizable number. Pressing a button, he listened.

"Isolder, this is Qi'ra. I know it's been a long time and it's unusual for me to reach out, but I have some news that involves you…"