The bunk was a disgusting mess of blood and other bodily fluids, but in the middle of the mess sat the most beautiful scene General Carlist Rieekan had ever seen.

When he came into the medroom, his eyes were immediately drawn to the bunk where Leia sat with the tiniest babies Rieekan had ever seen cradled in her arms.

Even her dress was a bloody mess, hiked above her hips, soaked with blood and water, but Leia didn't seem bothered by that part of the mess nor any other. When she noticed Rieekan, she smiled pleasantly, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Hello, Mommy!"

Leia laughed wholeheartedly.

Rieekan approached her, putting out an arm as he surveyed the exhaustion in her features, hidden behind her joy. "How are you? Are you feeling okay?"

Leia nodded. "I'm exhausted, sore, but I'm fine. I just want to be sure the twins are okay."

"Of course. Is it alright if I take them?" the general asked as Denun entered behind him with a stretcher. Reluctantly, Leia nodded and passed him the nest of towels holding her babies.

"Take them straight to the medward," Denun ordered sternly as she and Luke gently lifted Leia onto the stretcher. "I have to check them over."

Luke squeezed Leia's hand, smiling at her as Denun pushed her out of the Falcon. "Then, this little, happy family can finally be reunited."

To that, Leia's smile softened and Luke was sure she was going to cry again.

This would be the first time Han would see Leia since Bespin. That wasn't scary at all.

He stood in the corridor just outside Leia's room in the medical ward, trying to fathom the mere idea of being a father. Lando, Chewie and Luke stood with him, four set of eyes staring at the door.

"Okay, this is kind of creepy," Luke said. "You should go in now."

Han turned to look at him, his mouth still hanging open. "The last time I saw her, I never would have even considered this."

"But you told me yourself that you're happy! Look, Han, I know it's insane to think about, but Leia's in the same place you are. She's still trying to comprehend everything, too. Trust me; she's no more prepared for this than you are."

"But she's known this for nine mo-"

Luke shook his head, smiling. "No, Han. Trust me. You two are on the same page. You need each other's help to figure this out. Now, go in," he nodded towards the door. "She needs you as much as you need her right now." Luke gave him an encouraging push and Han started for the door.

Inside the small room, Leia was reclining on a medbed, dressed in a patient's gown and her hair, sweaty and damp, was pulled back in a pony. A nurse stood beside her, checking her vitals and speaking to her. Leia gave the nurse a small smile and nod before she caught sight of Han. Her gaze ran over him quickly before flicking back up and when their eyes met, she gave a smile that took over her face and lit her eyes brighter than Han had ever seen them. "Han," she cried softly, her voice so mellifluous.

"Hey, there, Princess." He strode to her side and leaned over her to drop a tender kiss to her temple. Leia's eyelashes fluttered, then she reached up to push him back so she could look at him. She studied him carefully, caressing a hand along the side of his face, one thumb rubbing at the familiar scar on his chin. "I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered.

Han cracked a smile. "And I'm glad that you're safe." He dropped his gaze. "When they were lowering me into the carbonite, Leia, all I could think about was- what was going to happen to you. What Vader might do. What idiot Lando might have allowed. I was so worried-"

"Shh." Leia gently pressed a finger to his lips. Her features were relaxed, completely tranquil. "Hush, flyboy. You don't need to talk about it. I'm fine. You're fine. Everything's just . . . "

Han smiled back at her again. He placed his own hand along her cheek and finished for her, "Just great."

Leia gave him a soft laugh.

"So. I'm really . . . "

She nodded. "You're a father, Han! What do you think about that?"

"I think- I think we've got a lot to figure out."

"Yeah. Look, Han. One of the nurses will be bringing in our beautiful babies, but before you get to meet them, I just thought I should say that-" Leia paused. She gave her head a little shake and said quickly, "I don't want things to be different between us."

"What?" Clearly, Han was baffled.

Leia explained, "Han, what happened on the trip to Bespin was amazing and I am so glad that I got stuck on the Falcon with you."

Han chuckled.

"We found a good spot on that trip. We found a place where we can be comfortable with each other and admit that we love each other. I don't want to lose that, Han. Of course, we're parents now, but I don't want that to change things anymore than it has to. I don't want either of us to feel like we have to take a step we're not ready for just because we have kids. Han, I don't want to jump ahead and lose what we found."

Han nodded, slowly drawing away from Leia, bringing his hand back to his own lap. "I agree."

"I'm serious, Han. I want you to be there with me. Maybe even as a father, but I don't want to ruin what we have going."

"I know what you mean, Princess," he assured her. "I don't want to ruin that, either."

"We need to figure out this first. Our new lives with the twins." Her eyes wandered over his body and she added, "Or if you even want to be a father."

"Sweetheart," Han frowned. "I just got you to admit you love me. I ain't leaving you anytime soon. Which means that I'm here for the babies, too. As- crazy as this is."
Leia's smile this time looked to be of relief. "Good. Because they're my package deal. You get me, they come with."

Han nodded once; internally, he still struggled to wrap his head around the fact that there were now two babies in this galaxy to which he was the father. He forced his gaze to remain steady on Leia while he responded, "I think I'd like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now, what did we get? Boys? Girls?"

"Princess," a voice said from the door. Han turned to see an older woman coming in. Before her, she pushed a cart that held two babies. His babies. "Are you ready to hold your children again?"

Leia pushed up from the bed, struggling to sit up. "Yes. Thank you." Han helped her sit up against the bed and she quickly nodded her thanks.

The woman came to Leia's other side and slowly handed the twins over to her. Leia took them both into one arm. With her other hand, she tickled at their faces. Han leaned forward and Leia giggled. "Come here so you can see them. They are yours, after all." Leia gestured with a nod to the bed she sat on and Han sat on the edge beside her. Now, with a perfect view of his children, Han took in the sight to make sure it was real. Tucked in Leia's arm were two miniscule humans. Both had a head of dark hair, though one's was much thicker than the other's. They had tiny mouths and chubby cheeks and eyebrows that were merely peach fuzz.

One of the twins fussed a little and Leia awkwardly rocked her arm, ducking her head to drop a kiss on the child's forehead. "It's alright, baby," Leia cooed, her eyes so soft as they focused on the babies on her arm. "Mommy's here again. I'm back. I've got you. And now Daddy's with us, too!"

Suddenly, him being a father was a real, tangible thing and his mind glowed with curiosity as he reached out to touch the babies. Their bodies were warm, their skin soft. He took in a sharp breath as he realized that his hand was nearly two times wider than either of the babies' bodies. Leia laughed at him. "Go ahead, Daddy. They're yours too." Han stroked a finger along one of the babies' cheeks and the mouth opened, yawning. With the mouth, the eyes squeezed shut tightly before opening widely. Dark irises flashed at Han and it amazed him even though they didn't really focus on him. Han nearly gasped aloud. Its skin was so soft, smooth and warm, covered in fine hairs. Its features were so small and delicate, but Han swore the child looked just like Leia. Somehow. He wasn't sure how to describe it.

"Han," a voice broke through his thoughts and Han stirred to realize that Leia was now talking to him. Han looked to her. "That's your daughter. I named her Jaina."
"Jaina," Han echoed. "Like my . . . "

"I couldn't stop thinking about you after Bespin. I remembered the story you told me about what you thought you remembered your mother's name was. I thought you would like that."

Han dumbly nodded, his eyes stuck on his daughter once again. His daughter! "I do."

Leia brushed a finger along the other baby's cheek, introducing Han. "And this is your son. His name is Jacen."

Han turned his gaze to study his son and he said, with a smile, "Hi, Jacen."

"Do you want to hold one of them?"

Han, terrified out of his mind, lifted Jacen as carefully from Leia's arms as he possibly could. That also meant very slowly. Awkwardly and slowly, Han brought the baby closer to him until he was holding Jacen to his chest. He kicked in his blanket a little, but remained content. Leia just smiled, cuddling Jaina close to her chest while she watched Han.

Until she remembered another matter that required discussing.

"Han, there's something else I want to talk about pertaining to the twins."

Worriedly, Han looked back to her. "What is it?"

"Well . . . " Leia looked down at the baby in her arms for a short moment. Jaina was falling asleep again, her features so content in the middle of slumber. Overwhelmed with love for her child in that moment, Leia could only smile It was then that she remembered why she was doing this. And who it was all for: her babies.
Leia continued, "A couple months ago- while I was trying to figure out what I'd do when the babies got here- I was thinking-" She broke off.

"Leia?"

When she found her voice again, Leia held Han's gaze confidentially. "I really don't want to raise our kids on a base."

For a moment, Han's eyes flicked back to Jacen while he maintained an awkward hold on his son. "Okay, um, to be completely honest, Leia- I hadn't thought any of this through."

Leia laughed. "No, Han, I really thought this through. I don't want to raise my children on a military base; when we're moving so often and they'd be the only kids and for so many more reasons." She sighed shortly. "I rented out a home on Naboo. I have a good friend there who found me a place."

That caught Han's attention in an indtant. "Wait- you were planning on taking a leave of absence from the Alliance to raise the twins?"

Leia gave a small smile and shrugged. "I'm still planning on it, actually. Whether or not you come with."

"Well, sweetheart, if I'd known it only took knocking you up to get you to take a break, I would have done it a long time ago."

Leia raised brow. "No, you wouldn't have."

"Yeah, I wouldn't've," he smiled as his gaze fell back down to focus on his son. "But I would love to stay with you and help out with these little guys."

Just a little surprised, Leia glanced up for a moment to look at Han- who was still focused solely on their son- and smiled.

Han seemed to fall into a trance. The room fell quiet while the new parents admired their bundles of joy. It was a long few moments before Han spoke up again. "They are beautiful," Han told her.

"I know. After all, they came from me," Leia grinned at him.

Playfully, Han scowled. "Hey! I helped make them."

"You sure did, flyboy." Leia looked back down to Jacen who was asleep, content, in her arms. "We sure did."