The creators of the universe must have hated women, Jaina concluded. There was no other reason for her to go through this. Her ankles were swollen. Her stomach extended at least four parsecs past her feet. Her back hurt. She was always tired.
Her eyes narrowed as the man who had caused this predicament entered the main living area. Jag had two bags in his hands. Jaina watched as he took the bags to the kitchen. He walked back into the room and sat next to her.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
Jaina glared at him, "How do you think? Your child is using my bladder as her own personal springboard."
He attempted to bite back a grin. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"
Jaina resisted the urge to slap that grin off his face. For some reason, everyone found it so wonderful when the baby moved around inside of her. At first, it was, but after the fifth time she'd felt a foot in her lung, Jaina had changed her mind. She had pointed out to everyone else that if they had a foot in their rib twenty hours of the day and someone bouncing off their bladder, they might feel differently. So far, only her mother and Syal had agreed with her.
"No." she snapped. She tried to ignore the slightly hurt look in his green eyes, but failed. She snatched his hand and squeezed it, "I'm sorry."
He motioned for her to turn. Jaina obliged and moaned in delight as he began to knead her aching muscles. Jaina quickly forgave him. He gradually moved from her lower back to her neck and shoulders. He dropped a kiss on the side of her neck. She tilted her neck to give him better access.
[i]Grrrgg[/i]
Jag chuckled, "What does the little princess what for dinner?"
"Hmm, I think she wants nerfsteak with fried tubers and...melon," Jaina replied slowly. She no longer had a say in what she ate. If her daughter didn't like something, she would throw nausea at Jaina before she could swallow another bite of the offending cuisine.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll be right back," Jag told her, dropped a kiss on her cheek and rose to go into the kitchen. He appeared a few minutes later with a plate of food and cup of juice. Jaina grinned and took the plate. "Thank you."
Jaina listened to Jag while she ate as he talked about the recent developments with Corellia. In his determination to be a leader for the people, he tried to take interest in planet leaders. Given Corellia's history, he felt he should give them the upmost attention.
Jaina paused as she absorbed his last comment, and then said, "They want you to go to Corellia."
"I told Diktat Threka no," Jag responded. "I'm sending Ambassador Riitir."
"He can't expect you to drop everything for him; Corellia isn't the only planet in the Empire," Jaina pointed out, setting her empty plate on the low table in front of the couch.
Jag waved his hand dismissively as he replied, "I don't care about that."
"Oh?"
"I refuse to miss the birth of our child," Jag said quietly.
His comment held enough sentiment to cause her rapidly changing emotions to bring tears to her eyes. She swiped her eyes with her palms in slight frustration. "The medics say it will be a month and a half before she comes."
"These things never go as planned. Davin and I were the only ones who arrived on time. Cherith, Cem and Wyn were all early. Chak was two weeks late," Jag pointed out. "I'm not going to risk it."
Jaina pursed her lips, "I guess."
Jag leaned back on the couch, pulling Jaina to lie against him, "I know there may be times when I have to leave for extended periods of time; I'm not going to miss the most important event of my life."
Instead of responding, Jaina buried her face in his chest. She knew that she and Jag would undoubtly have to leave their daughter at some point; their jobs guaranteed that. She hoped that at least one of them could stay. She was determined to give her daughter more attention than she had received from her parents.
Jaina took one of Jag's hands and rested it on her stomach. She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force to brush her daughter's presence before falling asleep.
"Mom," Jaina called as Leia stepped off the ramp of the [i]Millennium Falcon. [/i] Leia embraced her daughter tightly.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Okay," Jaina answered. Leia and Jaina walked toward the hanger's exit; already in deep conversation.
Han approached Jag, "Hey, kid. How's the Empire?"
"Going well enough," he answered, and then gestured towards Jaina. "She's been anxious to talk to Leia."
As Jaina's due date grew closer, she'd become a mess of nerves. Jag had suggested that they ask Leia to come to Bastion sooner than planned. He'd hoped that she would be able to calm Jaina's anxiety.
"Had to make a stop on Hapes," Han said, glancing back up the ramp. Allana came rushing out. Han walked to the ramp control and closed the [i]Falcon[/i].
"Where's Jaina?" Allana asked Jag.
"She's with Leia," Jag responded. Allana thanked him and then scampered where Jag pointed.
"How's Jaina doing?" Han asked once Allana, Leia and Jaina were out of earshot.
"Good," Jag answered carefully.
Han raised an eyebrow, "She can't hear you. How is she really?"
"Moody," Jag stated. "She's fine one second and then the next she's ready to kill me."
Han laughed and clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder, "Sounds like her mother. Pregnancy makes women a little crazy, kid."
All Jag could do was nod in agreement as he and Han left the hanger, each carrying luggage bags.
"Oh and Jag, don't tell Leia I said that," Han said with a wink as they exited the hanger.
"Of course not," Jag promised.
Later, after dinner, they all sat in the main sitting room of Jaina and Jag's home. They lived in an actual house, close to the capital buildings. It was a decent sized house with its own private docking bay.
"Gramma says you're having a girl," Allana asked.
"Yes," Jaina told her niece.
"What's her name?"
Jaina exchanged a look with Jag, "It's a surprise."
"Oh," Allana said.
"Do you know what it is?" Han asked.
"Oh yeah," Jaina responded with a smirk. "We came up with it months ago."
Jag took Jaina's hand and kissed her knuckles, staring into her eyes. "We want to wait until she's born."
Jaina smiled softly at him, remembering the day they had first felt their daughter. As they were transported back, Han, Leia and Allana seemed to disappear from the room.
"Allana, it's time for bed," Leia told the girl, noticing the distracted state of her daughter and son-in-law. Allana scowled, but slid off the couch. She mumbled goodnight and Leia took her to one of the guest bedrooms.
Han picked up the remote for the holo from its spot on the caf table. He flipped from the family-friendly sitcom that had been playing to a smashball game. The noise jarred Jaina and Jag back to the present.
"The Astros are actually winning," Han said with surprise.
"You're kidding," Jag responded, leaning forward. The two of them started to debate the various problems the team was having. Jaina closed her eyes and leaned against the couch. She ignored the conversation around her. She and her mother's bond had strengthened these past few months. Anytime Jaina had had a question, she found herself calling Leia.
"Jay?"
Jaina turned towards her husband's voice, opening her eyes. His green eyes stared at her with concern. "You fell asleep."
Jaina blinked her eyes in surprise. She hadn't realized it. Her father was staring at her with a look of concern.
"Come on," Jag said, taking her hand and helping her stand. Jaina nodded to her father and followed Jag upstairs, barely lucid, to their bedroom. She slowly removed her tunic and pants and slipped an old shirt of Jag's over her head. Jag had already pulled the covers on the bed. She laid down and was asleep within minutes.
Allana's laughter echoed through the garden behind Jaina and Jag's house. Jaina and Leia were seated on a bench talking.
"Jag certainly seems excited," Leia was saying.
Jaina grinned ruefully, "Ecstatic."
"You're nervous," Leia stated.
Jaina nodded, looking out at the garden. She gave a small smile as she heard Allana shriek excitedly as Han chased her around the garden.
Her parents and Allana had been on-planet for two weeks. Allana treated the visit like a miniature vacation. She'd let out a cheer when Leia had told her that she didn't have to attend lessons during the first couple of weeks of their stay. Allana had previously been with her mother Tenel Ka on Hapes for a month undergoing "princess boot camp," as Han called it. The break was welcome.
"Is the baby's room ready?" Leia asked.
"Yes, that crib Tenel Ka gave us finished it," Jaina answered. "It was Allana's."
"The bassinet from Syal is beautiful. Is it Corellian?"
"I believe so. She said she used it with Jag and his siblings."
Leia reached next to her and pulled out a box from the bag at her side. "This isn't much, but your father and I wanted you to have this."
Jaina took the box and opened it. She gasped at the contents as she pulled back the paper wrapping. She ran her fingers over the soft, dark blue blanket in the box.
"This was Anakin's," she breathed.
Leia nodded, tears filling her eyes, "Your father found it when we cleaned out the cabins in the [i]Falcon[/i]. Anakin must have left it there-"
"After Creish Station," Jaina whispered. "Thank you."
Leia embraced her, "I thought she should have something from one of her uncles."
Tears rolled down Jaina's cheeks. The gesture meant more to Leia than she could possibly know. Jaina's only regret regarding her pregnancy was that Anakin, Jacen, Mara and Chewbacca weren't there to share it with her. She added Chak, Davin and Cherith to that list.
A couple minutes later, Jaina pulled back and wiped her eyes. She placed the lid back on the box and placed it next to her. They sat there for another hour, talking quietly.
Jaina frowned. She was starting to feel odd. She placed a hand on her stomach and flinched.
"Jaina? Are you okay?" Leia asked with concern.
Jaina ignored her. She felt her muscles contract and then relax.
"I know that look," Leia said. "That baby is on her way."
Jaina nodded vaguely. She grabbed the box with Anakin's blanket in it as Leia called Jag on her comlink. She then shouted for Han and Allana.
Leia wrapped an arm around Jaina's waist, "Jag will meet us at the medcenter. It's time to meet your daughter."
"I am never letting you touch me again!" Jaina ground out as another contraction ripped through her body. She was leaning forward on the bed, clutching the sheet with one hand and Jag's hand with the other.
Jaina fell back on the bed as the contraction ended. She rolled her head to the left to look at Jag, "Why won't she come out?"
Jag's response was cut off by Jaina's yelp as another contraction hit. He supported her back with his arm as the contraction ended.
The medic examined Jaina and then said, "It's time to push."
Jaina nodded and then looked at Jag, "This is it. Ready?"
"No," Jag answered.
"Me either," she responded and gripped his hand as another contraction started.
Jag held on to Jaina as she pushed, stopped and pushed again. Jaina had no idea how long she'd be pushing. Her thoughts were focused on her daughter. The baby's mind was mixture of fear, nervousness and terror. She tried to send calming thoughts her daughter's way.
"Okay, Jaina, this is it," her mother's voice called.
Jaina's vision turned to white. She couldn't hear her mother's coaching. She couldn't see the bright lights of the room. She couldn't feel the medic talking. She couldn't hear Jag's words of support. She could only feel the life trying to escape her body.
Jaina's vision and hearing returned in a rush of color and sounds. A baby's wail echoed through the room.
"Oh Jaina," her mother breathed as she saw the tiny squirmy infant. "She's beautiful."
Jaina looked at Jag. His eyes were filled with unshed tears. Amazement and wonder filled his face as the medic placed the baby into Jag's arms. He cradled his daughter to his chest.
"Hello, angel," he whispered.
He lowered the child to her waiting arms. Jaina stared in amazement at the baby in her arms. She had a small swatch of black hair. Her skin was soft and smooth. Her eyes were blue-gray; it would be six months until her eyes turned their real color. Jaina leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Hello, Lillian Marissa Adana Fel."
"That's quite a mouthful," Leia commented.
"We couldn't settle on one name," Jag said, stroking his daughter's cheek with her finger. "Each fit her perfectly."
Jaina held onto Lillian for a couple more minutes before she was taken to be examined. Leia and Jag left the room to tell Han and Allana the good news. Jaina laid down, completely spent, after the afterbirth process was complete and she was cleaned up. Her eyes drifted closed.
Sometime later, she had no idea how long, a nurse entered with Jag and Lillian in tow. Jag handed her the baby and the nurse instructed Jaina on how to feed Lillian. The nurse left the room a few minutes later.
Jaina stared in wonder at the baby in her arms. She was amazed that Lillian was finally here. She had poked and prodded her insides. She had made Jaina sick and exhausted. She had put Jaina through an agonizing 40-hour labor. Jaina decided she would go through it all again if she had to keep her baby in her arms.
She looked up at Jag, who was watching the scene with an indescribable look on his face.
"Come sit with us," she called softly. Jag gently climbed in the bed next to her. Jaina leaned gratefully into his chest. She looked down at Lillian and saw she had fallen asleep. Jaina carefully lifted the baby to her shoulder and tapped her back. The baby let out of soft burp. Jaina lowered the baby to lie in her arms.
"She's absolutely perfect," she said.
"Yes, she is," Jag responded. Jaina looked up at him. He lowered his face to her, lips almost brushing hers.
"I love you."
She pressed her lips to his; giving him a slow, soft kiss.
"Mmm, I love you, too," she murmured. He shifted so she could settle against him. "And you, little Lillian. We love you very much."
Marissa- of the Sea
Adana- Earth