Yes, I know. It's been a couple days since I updated. Exams will be the death of me, I swear. Sooo glad they're over ;) Hopefully, updates will be more often :)
"In three months, they've found nothing," Anakin sighed, repeated what Luke and Leia already knew. "They should've let us continue the search. We were headed in the right direction. We were already there."
Leia sighed, rubbing the prominent bulge of her stomach. "Father, you don't know if you were exactly in the right place. You just could've been in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Not likely," Anakin disagreed. "The Force willed Luke and I to find them, or them to find us. The Force wants us to find that clan. I can feel it."
Luke broke his previous silence. "Eventually, we'll be called upon to go back. When that day comes, we'll go right back to where we ended. Everyone else had no prior knowledge and information like us. Until then, however, we'll wait."
"Wait?" Anakin sighed. "I hate waiting. They could be planning something dangerous. Dangerous to all of us. That would explain…" He trailed off, shooting a meaningful glance at Luke.
"Explain what?" Leia asked, getting the sense that she was out of the loop about something. Something important.
Anakin waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about, Leia."
"It's when you say that that I worry most," Leia sighed.
Anakin laughed. "You sound like your mother."
Leia raised an eyebrow. "And not without reason. We both know you, Father."
Luke chuckled. "We all know you."
Leia turned on her brother. "You shouldn't be talking, Luke. You're exactly like him."
"I hate to interrupt this wonderful family moment," Han started from the doorway. "But Leia has an appointment."
Leia stood quickly. "That's right. Thank you for reminding me, Han." She turned to face her father and brother, a grin lighting her face. "We'll be finding out the children's sexes today."
"Congratulations," Luke said with a grin, "Let me know as soon as you get back. I want to know whether to expect nieces, nephews, or one of each."
Leia nodded, taking Han's hand and leaving them to continue talking.
The doctor stared in concentration at the screen. To Han, it all looked like a bunch of random black and white shapes. Apparently, you needed practice to determine what the picture meant.
Finally, the doctor turned to the impatient Leia and Han. "It seems as though you'll be having a boy and a girl." She pointed to two of the shapes, as if they were supposed to immediately get what they were, now that they knew what it supposed to be.
Leia smiled widely, looking up at Han and squeezing his hand. The doctor turned off the screen and left the two to talk privately. "A son and a daughter, Han."
Han was still staring at the now blank screen. It felt so much more real now. It hadn't hit him, even as he watched Leia's stomach grow. Now, he knew that in a matter of months, he'd the father of a son and a daughter. Slowly, a grin spread across his face.
On the way back to their apartment, they were already talking about names. They both figured it was never too early to name their children.
"I think we should give her a strong name," Leia told Han, "a name of purpose."
Han paused before speaking his thought, wondering how Leia would take it. "There's always my mother's name."
Leia glanced at Han in surprise. "Jaina?"
Han nodded, glancing at Leia also. "Yeah. What do you think?"
"Jaina Solo." A smile crossed her lips. "I like it, Han."
Han sighed in relief. "What about him?"
Leia pursed her lips in thought. "It has to sound good with Jaina."
"Aw, so he can't be Han Jr?" Han mock pouted.
She rolled her eyes at him, smacking his arm. "You're too full of yourself. We are not naming our son after you."
"Then let's name him after Chewie," Han offered, unable to make the suggestion without laughing.
Leia joined his laughter. "Jaina and Chewbacca Solo doesn't sound very good."
"Poor Chewie; he'll be so disappointed."
True to her word, Leia commed Luke when they got back home. Deciding to share the news with her parents also, Leia invited them for dinner.
Halfway through the meal, Luke could stand the suspense no longer. "Alright, I can't wait any longer. What're you expecting, Leia?"
Leia laughed. "A son and a daughter."
Padmé grinned happily. "That way, you get the best of both worlds." She glanced at Luke and Leia, nodding in agreement with herself.
Anakin congratulated his daughter and son-in-law. "Is it too early to ask about names?"
"Actually, no. Well, at least not for her," Leia answered, placing her hand on her stomach. "We're naming her Jaina, after Han's mother. About him…we're just not sure yet. We want something that'll sound good with Jaina."
"I'll keep my ears open for good potential names, then."
"You know, it'd help to know how you came up with our names," Leia told her parents, looking from her mother to her father.
Padmé took the liberty of answering. "Well, at the time we didn't know I was having twins, but we had a name set in case I was having a boy or girl. It was simple, really. I picked a name from Naboo for you, and your father chose a name from Tatooine for Luke."
Leia nodded slowly. She turned to Han. "Are there any good Corellian names for boys?"
Han thought back to his years on Corellia. "I remember a lot of boys I went to school with were named Jacen. It was quite the popular name."
"Jaina and Jacen Solo," Leia murmured to herself. She nodded. "They sound good. Really good, actually." She turned to her family. "Don't you agree?"
Padmé nodded reaching over to briefly squeeze her daughter's hand. "Beautiful names. They sound just perfect, Leia dear." Anakin agreed with his wife.
"I like them," Luke told Leia. "But, with Jacen's Corellian name and blood, you better watch out. From what I know about Corellians…" He trailed off to look pointedly at Han.
Leia sighed dramatically, making Luke grin. "I willingly went into this marriage knowing that my children would be like him. I'm sure I'll regret it once they're born and all over the place, though."
Han scowled at the twins. "I can see that I'm outnumbered. Fine. I won't even argue."
Leia laughed, grabbing his hand under the table. "I still love you, Han."
That night, after her family had left for their own apartments, Leia sat on the bed, a hand on her stomach. Han exited the 'fresher, grinning at the sight. Leia seemed to be whispering to her stomach.
"You know they can't hear you, right?" Han said, startling her.
"Doesn't stop you, does it?" Leia shot back quickly. Han laughed, sitting down next to her and placing his hand over hers. "I can feel them…" Leia trailed off, shaking her head. "I can touch their minds. It's…extraordinary, Han."
Han sighed dejectedly. "Must be a pretty cool feeling."
Leia looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, Han… I'm sorry…"
He shook his head, cupping her cheek. "Naw, you are the one carrying them. You should get special privileges." He kissed her softly. "I love you, Leia. You know that?"
"Of course," Leia murmured, moving her hand on her stomach to hold his. "I love you, Han."
Han lowered his head to kiss her stomach. "And I love you guys." Leia lifted her free hand to run her fingers through his hair, a content smile on her face. She had never known how much joy love could bring. Not until she met Han. No, not until she actually got to know Han, and fall in love with him. She'd never thought that she'd be here, but she was glad to be.
Han and Leia both jumped in surprise when there was a kick from within her. They shared shocked looks before Han moved their hands to the place where the kick was, awaiting another. Sure enough, moments later there was.
"Hi," Han murmured to Leia's stomach. "Jaina… Or Jacen?"
Leia smiled, still in awe over the feeling of the children moving within her. It just made it much more real, the fact they were actually tiny lives living inside of her. It was a lot to wrap her head around. Concentrating, she brushed the mind of the child that, she assumed, was kicking. Of course, there was no response, but she could feel the presence.
Anticipating it before it happened, Leia moved Han's hand to where the other child kicked. He grinned at her lopsidedly. "Looks like they're both anxious. They must be anxious to get out, just like I'm anxious to see them. Only a few more months," Han told the babies.
"You're going to be such a wonderful father, Han," Leia whispered, stroking his cheek.
Han chuckled. "I don't know why. I have no experience to draw on, not even my own."
"I can tell," Leia insisted. "By the way you talk to them, and how much you already love them. It's easy to see."
Han kissed her forehead. "I'm sure you'll be a better mother than I'll be a father, though. You can always just look back on your childhood."
Leia raised an eyebrow. "My childhood training to become a Jedi? Other than that, I can't remember anything. I'm as new to this as you, Han. But, we'll figure it out. Together."
He smiled in relief, almost, leaning forward to kiss her. Leia returned the smile, wrapping her arms around him and reveling in his warmth.