'ello, peoples of the earth!

So, I'd expected to have this up yesterday, but stuff happened, and by stuff, I mean I got sick. I'll leave out the gory details for you. Ugh.

But now, I have returned and brought a new chapter with me! Hope y'all enjoy!

The First Time You Interrupted A Meeting

"I'm just worried about him, Han. I thought he would be able to walk by himself by now."

Han slung an arm around Leia and rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "He'll be fine, sweetheart. He's just a little slower than most, that's all."

The object of discussion was blissfully unaware that his parents were talking about him. Ben babbled gleefully as he played with a small ball on the floor. He pushed too hard, and the ball rolled away and hit the wall. In his haste to get to the toy, little Ben crawled too fast and fell.

Leia moved to help Ben up, but he recovered and continued crawling after the ball.

"Hey." Han turned Leia around to face him. "He's been doing well in practice. Just give him a little more time."

Leia exhaled. "I suppose you're right."

Han smirked. "When am I not?"

Leia snorted and turned away to grab her jacket. "When are you ever? And don't say the Death Star."

"Wasn't going to."

Ben pushed himself up and watched his mother curiously as she moved about the living area, gathering some last-minute items for her meeting. The ball sat, ignored, in the middle of the floor.

When Leia had finished, she turned to Han. "Come and get me, or send somebody, if he starts walking on his own. I want to see as many of his first steps as I can."

"What about the meeting?"

Leia threaded a hand through Han's already graying hair and pulled him down so she could peck him on the lips. "Don't be silly," she said. "My son is more important than any meeting."

Han grinned and returned her kiss with a peck on her cheek. "Hope all goes well."

"So do I." Leia left Han's side and approached Ben, who still watched his parents from the floor. Kneeling, she picked him up and hugged him. "Be a good boy for your father, alright?"

Ben didn't answer. Instead, he poked his tongue out.

Leia shook her head at her son's silly habit as she put him down. "I'll be back soon." With that, she stood and headed toward the door to the family's quarters. There she pressed the button to open the door and was gone.

Han watched her leave with a small smile on his face. He would never admit it, but he hated watching her leave for a meeting as much as he knew she hated watching him leave to go on a supply run. "Your mother's something, isn't she?" he said to Ben, now crawling toward the couch.

Ben just squealed.

"All right, all right. Don't start making a racket." Han pulled Ben to his feet, holding tightly to his small hands. "Come on. Let's see if we can get you walking by the time your mother gets back."

Ben babbled in baby talk as Han gently nudged him forward. Slowly but surely, Ben put one foot forward, then the next. "Ba, ba, ba," he squealed.

"Would you stop that?"

A ping sounded at the door, announcing a visitor to the apartment. Han glanced over his shoulder at the door. "It's unlocked!"

The door hissed open to reveal Luke, who, with his tousled golden hair and rumpled clothes, looked in need of some serious cleaning up. Leia would've scolded her brother. Han just grinned. "Hey, kid," he said. "Back already?"

"Obviously."

Han gently set Ben on the floor before heading to greet Luke properly. "How was Corus — ow!" He slipped and fell over the ball Ben had been playing with earlier. Falling flat on his back, he narrowly missed bashing his head on the steel floor, too.

Luke was at his side in seconds. "Han?"

Han groaned in response. "I'm gonna have a bruise there later," he grimaced, rubbing his hand over his backside.

"Take it easy for a second and make sure you're not going to have a bruise anywhere else," Luke advised, ever the rational one.

"Ba, ba, ba!"

Both men's heads whipped around just in time to watch a smiling Ben toddle through the open door. Han could only stare in shock before reality hit him: the reality that Leia would kill him if he lost Ben. "Second's up!" he said, pushing himself to his feet. "After him!"

Han tore out of the apartment, Luke right on his heels. "You didn't tell me he was walking now!" the younger man shouted as they sprinted down the corridor, keeping their eyes peeled for the dark-haired toddler.

"Because he wasn't!" Han yelled back.

Eventually the men came to a split at the end of the corridor. Han checked both sides for any sign of Ben. Having no luck, he facepalmed. "I'm a dead man, Luke."

"Wait."

"What!?"

"Shh. Listen."

Han listened. Nothing. "I don't hear any—"

"Ba, ba, ba!"

Now he heard it. Han pointed to the right. "That way!"

After a moment, Han saw the boy. Ben gleefully toddled down the hall, perfectly confident in his new walking abilities. Han put a finger to his lips, signaling Luke to be silent, then crept toward Ben, carefully so as not to scare him. When he was within touching distance, he knelt next to Ben who had decided to stop and put his fingers in his mouth. Who knew what germs he might've picked up from running around the base? "Gotcha!"

Just as Han lunged, Ben took off again. Han pounded his knee as he got up and took off after his son, cursing in Corellian. He and Luke followed Ben directly into a brightly lit room, where the toddler screams drowned out the quiet voices of—

Oh no.

Han found himself face to face with half the Council, including Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and Leia. However, instead of him, they were all focused on little Ben as he ran up to his mother. "Ba, ba, ba!" he squealed, pleased with himself. He lifted his arms.

Leia granted Ben's silent request and kissed his cheek. When she looked up, her eyes widened when she saw Luke and Han, who sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Surprise," he said, hoping to talk his way out of trouble.

Leia turned to her fellow Council members. "If you would…"

Mon interrupted with a wave of her hand. "This meeting is adjourned," she said, shutting off the hologram display. "My congratulations to your son, Leia."

"Thank you." Quickly Leia approached Han, grabbed his arm with her free hand, and walked him and Luke out of the meeting room. Outside, in the corridor, she knelt to the floor and embraced her son.

Han knelt beside her. "Can you stop worrying about him now?"

Leia turned to stare. Han didn't see the tackle-hug coming, but it came, and he found himself on the floor for the second time that day.

But this situation, he mused as he slid a hand up and down Leia's back, was one in which he didn't mind being on the floor.

Luke cleared his throat. "Han…"

"Not now, kid."

Luke tried again. "Leia…"

"In a minute, Luke."

"Ben's running away again."

The couple on the floor immediately sat up, and true to Luke's word, Ben was halfway down the hall. Leia shook her head as she smoothed her skirts and took off after him. Han and Luke were right behind her.

The chase was on.

Again.

So now I have this headcanon that Ben Solo liked to stick his tongue out a lot when he was little. Can't you tell?

If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! See y'all next time, and may the Force be with you always!