-Vow-
They tell no one on their return that they've married. Kyp wears their wedding bands on a chain around his neck, under his shirt. But during a family dinner, they tell her parents that Jaina is pregnant. Han is pleased beyond words. Leia is a little more reserved, Kyp being the baby's father tempering her joy a bit. Kyp doesn't mind, though. She'll get used to him, because he's not going anywhere.
"So when are you two getting married?" Han asks. He and Leia have known for weeks that they're engaged; the ring Kyp gave her would have been a pretty big clue, even if they hadn't already been told.
"As soon as I talk to Luke about it," Kyp says. He looks to Jaina and she beams, nodding, unable to speak because she's got food in her mouth.
"Good," is all Han says.
Word quickly gets out that Jaina is pregnant, because hiding a life form from the Jedi is a little difficult, compounded with the sudden, severe bouts of morning sickness Jaina is afflicted with. When Master "Solo" misses a council meeting, Kyp approaches Luke to ask him a question. Jaina's uncle has some of his own.
"How is Jaina?"
"Miserable and somehow elated at the same time," Kyp tells him. "Cilghal is working on a treatment for her nausea. She should be better soon."
Luke's blue eyes study him. "Han told me he's a little unhappy you're having a baby before getting married. He said he and Leia had enough of that with Jacen and Tenel Ka."
The younger man snorts. "We're working on the marriage part. We're engaged, this just took us by surprise. Which is what I want to talk to you about. I know you're thinking about stepping down as Grand Master soon. Jaina and I would like you to marry us before you do."
Luke smiles. "Kam is leaving the Council first. And I'm not leaving anytime soon. But I would be honoured. When were you thinking?"
"Soon. We don't want anything fancy. Jaina says she did that already. Something with just the Jedi, maybe next week?"
Nodding, the Grand Master smiles. "Tell Leia your plan. We'll keep her reined in this time."
Kyp feels his eyelid twitch, and Luke bursts out laughing.
True to Luke's word, Leia keeps things simple. The ceremony is held a week later, in the new Temple's audience chamber. The only non-Jedi in attendance are Han, Zekk's wife Taryn, and Queen Mother Tenel Ka, who technically left the order shortly after Allana's birth.
Han doesn't walk Jaina down the aisle for this one. The bride and groom, dressed in matching sandy brown robes, walk together to meet Luke. He hands them each half of a larger crystal, which Jaina remembers vaguely from Luke's own wedding nearly thirty years before. Has it really been that long? she wonders.
Kyp gazes at her with love in his eyes as they make their vows for a second time. No one else knows that they're already married. This is the important one, anyway, the one Jaina wanted but couldn't have because she'd been marrying Jag.
It hits her, as she holds the crystal, that this is the third time she's vowed "'til death do us part" with Kyp. The first was on Borleias, during that damned picnic. Funny how Jag had tried so hard to keep them apart, and here they are. She said it on Naboo, and she says it again now.
They join the crystal halves together. Then they exchange rings, properly this time, and Luke pronounces them united.
Kyp pulls her into his arms to kiss her, and Jaina feels as if she could fly.
Later, she changes into the blue wedding dress for the after party. As Leia is styling her hair, her mother says, "I've never seen this dress before."
"I bought it while I was married to Jag. Just before we separated, actually."
"And you're wearing it for Kyp?" Leia is skeptical.
"He's seen it. He likes it."
Her mother finishes with her hair. "And when did he see this dress?"
Jaina chews on her lip for a moment, then says, "When we eloped on Naboo."
She meets Leia's eyes in the mirror. Leia sighs, rolling her eyes, and says, "I owe your father twenty credits."
"What?!"
"When you suddenly rushed off to Naboo, with that poodoo excuse about research, your father bet me twenty credits you'd come back married. I said you'd never do that to your mother." Leia gave her a look, but then smiled.
"We wanted it to be just the two of us," Jaina said. "A bigger thing later, but… When we learned about the baby, it just seemed like the thing to do."
Her mother sits down beside her on the bench. "We're not angry, if you're wondering. I'm not really surprised you two chose to elope. A big ceremony like you had with Jag isn't really you or Kyp."
Jaina nods. "Kyp and I haven't really had much time to just... be me and him. So we took a few weeks off."
"You should go have a proper honeymoon now," Leia says. "I'm sure you enjoyed Naboo, but you combined business with it. Go do something with just the two of you that doesn't involve Jedi anything."
"That'll never happen," Jaina laughs. "There's not escaping that for us."
"Try."
"There is no try," she retorts with a grin.
Jaina twists her wedding ring around her finger. "Kyp says Dad was annoyed about the baby."
Leia shakes her head. "No. Not annoyed. Han's just protective. He had to know the two of you are intimate; you moved in together, after all. But with the baby, he had to confront the idea head-on. Fathers don't like that."
"I was married to Jag."
Her mother's smile is wry. "You should have seen his reaction, back when you were twenty and we vacationed with Jag, when you two were sharing a cabin. He was really not happy about that. Han just sometimes still sees you as a little girl. I'm not sure he's ready for you to have one of your own. Or boy."
"I'm going to be thirty-seven, Mom, in just a couple months."
"I know. It's also Kyp, you realise. I know I haven't been pleased with him in the past, but Han sees Kyp like a ... wayward younger brother. I think Han still sees Kyp as the kid he rescued from Kessel sometimes."
Jaina rubs a hand over her stomach. "Kyp pretends that it drives him nuts when Dad calls him 'kid', but he secretly loves it."
Leia reaches up, tucks a few strands that have come loose from Jaina's hair back in place. "I don't think I've actually said it, but I'm happy for you two. I didn't want you to marry Jag. I didn't like who you were with him. Kyp, on the other hand, brings out the best in you."
"Well," Jaina says slowly, "there have been a few times we've brought out the homicidal in each other, but..."
Leia arches a brow, and Jaina shakes her head. "Long story. Old stuff. Part of him bringing me back from the dark was dealing with my rages. He gave as good as he got. Let's just say there's never been a lack of passion between us, no matter the direction it goes, and leave it at that."
Her mother gives an unladylike snort. "Come on. I'm sure our husbands are waiting for us."
Jaina hugs her mother. "Thank you," she whispers. "I love you, Mom."
Leia returns the embrace. "I love you, too, sweetheart."
When Jaina emerges finally, in her sea-coloured gown, Kyp can't help but stare. He's already seen her in it, but she still takes his breath away. She has since at least Hapes, when he saw her in the red dress. Before that, even. When she stepped down from her X-Wing, having tracked him to a nameless ball of ice in the Outer Rim, and took her helmet off, sweaty and rumpled from days in the cockpit, part of him fell for her then and there.
Han grins and elbows him. "That look on your face is why I've always rooted for you, ya know," he says. "She deserves to be looked at like that."
"I've always loved her," Kyp murmurs. "I just couldn't say it."
His father-in-law smirks. "Shoulda said it years ago," he says. "Water. Bridge. Go say it now."
Kyp smiles slowly, as Jaina comes closer. "I think I will," he agrees, and goes to his bride.
