Those of you who have read 'Echoes of Always' will recognize the middle of this little interlude as EoA's Interlude 1: Birth. While writing 200 I didn't think I was going to include this since so many had already read it. But since 200 can actually stand alone, and I wanted people to know the story of it, I added a 'beginning' and an 'ending' to complete it a bit more. Too, I wanted to see Han and Leia with their niece. Obviously, when I wrote the bulk of this interlude three years ago I had no idea I would be writing 200, so there is no proposal in this 'chapter'. I debated rewriting completely, but I like the way this interlude flowed with the rest of EoA so I'm leaving it alone. I hope you'll enjoy!

Interlude: Birth

Mara had packed a bag weeks ago and left it sitting just inside the closet in their bedroom. Luke had it in his hands and was back in front of her before she could barely blink. "Got the bag! Let's go!" He started to grab her hand. "Wait, you wanted to change."

She looked down at her beautiful gown and nodded, holding onto her stomach as another contraction tightened it. She breathed through it, trying to remember the droid's instructions from the birthing class they had taken a few weeks before. "I will. Just…help me … I'll do it here. Just go and get me something to wear."

Again, he was gone only for a second, running back down the hall with a pair of stretchy maternity pants and one of his large tunics. "This okay?"

She took them without a word, merely turning to show him her back in an unspoken request for help in removing the hands swiftly untied the bow and lowered the zipper until the dress dropped, hanging on her stomach until she pushed it off to pool at her feet. "Sorry that couldn't be sexier, Skywalker." She picked up his tunic to shrug over her head.

He laughed, but it was a weak laugh, full of nervous expectation. "You ready?"

She pulled up the pants and stepped back into her shoes. "Ready," she confirmed, pitching forward toward the door.

Luke lugged the bag and came behind her, stepping out into the hallway. "When we come back, we'll be three."

Mara turned to catch a glimpse of her silent apartment, just as the door slid closed. "Ready or not," she murmured, taking his hand for the walk to the speeder.

.

.

"This is not how I expected to spend our wedding night, Skywalker," Mara grunted, settled now into her hospital bed. She rose up on her elbows, gasping for breath as the contraction eased.

Luke wiped a damp cloth across her brow, removing the accumulated sweat. "Hey, don't look at me. If I'd had my way we would have been married months ago."

"Don't start with me." Mara pushed his hand away, but there was a half-smile on her lips. "I just didn't want to get married while I was still pregnant." She picked up a cup of ice chips and spooned a few into her mouth.

"Looks like we should have waited until tomorrow…" Luke grinned innocently at her, dodging a barrage of ice as it flew at him.

"Cute, Skywalker," she began, her new last name drawing out into a little scream as the next contraction ripped through her body. She pushed back against the pillows again, placing a hand on her belly and rubbing. She reached out with the Force to the unborn baby, soothing her as she had done in the past. Mara bit her lip against a smile as Luke lent his own love and support to his wife and unborn daughter. "I think," she began, expelling a gasping breath, "that she couldn't take your constant nagging any longer and decided to come on out so we could get married."

"Nah. She just wanted to celebrate with us." He leaned in and kissed Mara's cheek, his hand resting lightly on the swell of her stomach.

"Yeah." Her voice was thick and she cleared her throat. She grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"Any minute now…" She bit off a moan of pain as the MD Droid came into the room.

"Looks like you're ready to push, Mrs. Skywalker…"

.

.

"She's… Stars, Mara, you're amazing! She's almost here!" Luke said, encouraging Mara as she pushed.

"I can feel it, Skywalker," she ground out between her teeth. "Now, shut up and let me…" She trailed off in a screaming moan.

The MD droid uttered a soothing tone. Mara just growled at it, straining forward in her stirrups, hands digging into her own thighs. Luke climbed into the bed and supported her back, allowing her to fall against him as the pain became too much for her. He kissed her temple as she gasped for breath. "You're amazing," he murmured.

The droid counted to ten and Mara reared back up, straining again, Luke's comforting presence behind her spurring her through the pain. She grunted and everything seemed to go silent for a moment as the new life came into the world.

.

.

"She's beautiful," Luke whispered, looking at the tiny miracle in a pink blanket wrapped in Mara's arms.

Mara smiled, a true smile that revealed the tiny dimple in her left cheek. "She is."

The baby had Luke's hair, fine and baby blonde, curling in tiny wisps about her ears. She was small and delicate and smelled so sweet. She had scratched her own cheek after delivery when she'd been taken by the droid to be weighed and measured. Luke's eyes watered when he saw the mark, so upset to see an injury on his daughter so soon after her birth.

But time in her mother's arms and at her breast had soothed their daughter and now she looked at them sleepily. Her big eyes were still blue, but somehow Luke knew that they would change to the same clear green as her mother's.

"We still need a name," Mara said, also sleepy, her voice thin and quiet in the darkened hospital room.

"Well, I thought of one," he said. "It means gift…and she is a gift to me, Mara, just like you are."

"So sappy, Skywalker," she cut in, but squashed a happy smile. "What is it?"

"Betrys. Betrys Jade Skywalker," he said, running a soft finger over the baby's delicate cheek.

"Yes," Mara agreed, leaning against him, and closing her eyes. "That's her name."

Luke held his new family in his arms and smiled.

He had never been happier.

.

.

"Let's see her, Kid," Han said, pushing open the door after a perfunctory knock. "I can't keep Her Highnesses out of here any longer. Left Chewie home with the kids since they're too young to visit."

"Move it, Nerf Herder!" Leia pushed around him and came in, looking at Mara with a bright grin. "Are you okay, Mara? How did it go? And," she gasped, looking down at Baby Betrys. "There she is!"

"Those powers of observation never cease to amaze me." Han playfully rolled his eyes at his wife, but Leia wasn't paying attention as she looked at the baby.

Mara tried to hide a smirk. "Would you like to hold her, Aunt Leia?"

"I'm an aunt! Oh, I never thought I would be!" She held her arms out for Betrys.

Han snorted at Luke's red face. He threw his arm around him and slapped his shoulder. "I had faith in you, Kid." He grinned at Mara. "Especially after this one entered the picture."

"Oh, sure," Mara said, somewhat distracted as she eyed Leia with the baby. "I had him in my blaster sights and you knew it was true love."

"So she admits it finally." Han grinned. "Took ya long enough, Mrs. Skywalker." Off Mara's eye roll, he smirked. "And maybe not that far back. But around the time your Headhunter exploded into the Judicator-"

"Around that time what?" Mara looked away from Leia and the baby, truly interested. Leia wasn't paying any of them any attention, too busy cooing over her niece.

"Ah, just looked like Junior here had lost his best friend when that happened."

Mara opened her mouth, but closed it, uncharacteristically without a comeback. She turned her head to follow Leia's steps with the baby instead.

"Stop teasing them, Han," Leia said, sidling up to him. "And hold your niece."

Han took the infant into his arms. He began to rock with her, ever so slightly from side to side. "She looks a bit like Anakin did." He looked at Luke. "What's her name, Kid?"

Mara answered. "Betrys."

"Hi, Bets," he said quietly, smoothing a hand over her head. She stirred, mouth opening and closing with tiny smacks. "You're not so bad, Kidlet. Just don't let these two screw you up too much."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Old Buddy." Luke grinned, leaning over Han's arm to brush his fingers over Betrys's cheek. "She's perfect as is."

"Wait til she's screaming for you at 0300, Kid." But Han smirked again, handing the precious bundle over to her anxious mother. "Looked like you were missing something."

Mara rolled her eyes, but took the baby and kissed her forehead. "Cute."

"Yeah," Han said. "You're right. She is pretty cute."

Leia laughed and wrapped her arm around Luke. "I'm so happy for you. Betrys is beautiful."

"And legal," Han said. "Don't forget that. I was at the wedding and can vouch for the lil' tyke."

Luke groaned. "We're never going to live this down, Mara."

"That's the way of it in families." Leia smiled at Mara and her niece. "Better get used to it."

Holding her new daughter, Mara couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face. Family. She was beginning to think that she could get used to it.