Title: Dreams of All
Author: DaenaBenjen42
Characters: Han, Leia, Solo kids…
Timeframe: Post-TTT, AU
Genre: Drama
Notes: This was written for the H/L Queen Challenge. The prompt: #8 "The dream of the child is the hope of the man." (A Winter's Tale, Mercury, Made in Heaven, 1995)
He had just finished another reading of The Little Lost Bantha Cub when he noticed that the twins had fallen asleep. Han put the datapad down and smiled as he watched them sleep, content with how innocent they seemed when they weren't running all over the place. Had his early life been like that, before? He couldn't clearly recall.
Jacen rolled over onto his other side, mumbling something Han couldn't quite make out, and Han stood up. Carefully, he arranged the blankets so the little boy was snug and warm, and then moved to cover Jaina up the rest of the way.
He paused in the doorway and watched them some more, wanting to believe that life could always be simple and innocent for them. He knew it couldn't be, that it wasn't ever that way, but…
Sighing, he left the door cracked open and went to join Leia in the family room where she was reading through datapads, preparing for the next day's meetings. He sat down and watched her for a few minutes before she looked up at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
She studied him for a moment, then read her datapad some more. "If you say so."
"It's just… Do you ever wonder what they're dreaming about?"
Leia set her datapad down and turned her attention to him, smiling soberly. "All the time, Han."
Han moved closer and sat down next to her on the couch. Smiling, he placed the three datapads still on the couch out of her immediate reach on the caf table. "Enough reading up for now."
"I was trying to be prepared," she playfully reminded him, not really protesting as he placed a loving hand on her belly. Her very rounded and pregnant belly. "Han…"
"What?" he asked as he felt the baby kick underneath his hand. "Active tonight, isn't he?"
Leia smiled as she placed her hand over his. "Usually is. And I wonder what this one is dreaming, too…"
He held her hand, content to sit with her in the semi-silence of the evening, only just noticing that soft music was playing. Loud enough to hear, but quiet enough to not wake the twins. "Probably something nice."
"Probably… seems very awake right now, though."
He felt another kick or jab and nodded. "That he does." Han cocked his head to listen to the soft music for a moment. "What is this song? It sounds familiar?"
"It's called 'A Tale of Winter,'" she informed him, then put a hand to his cheek. "Why were you wondering about dreams, hmm?"
"Well, you know… Sometimes the dream of the child is the hope of the man," Han offered, and studied her reaction. She was smiling curiously at him, genuinely intrigued. "Was just ruminating on what their lives are going to be like."
"Ah… Eventful," she murmured. "Life is like that."
"It is." Han traced a shape or two on her belly, and then looked her in the eye. "Do your feet hurt tonight?"
Leia shook her head. "Not yet. Why?"
He stood up and held out a hand. "Dance with me?"
"Here in the living room?"
"Yes." She nodded, took his hand, and he helped her up off the couch carefully. Then he took her in his arms and they danced in slow circles to the soft music, both wanting to stay in each other's arms all night long.
~*~*~*~
Leia sighed in contentment as Han rubbed her feet. The day had been long, and she had been on her feet for most of it. When he had volunteered to give her a foot rub, she had taken him up on it. "Keep doing that…"
"Don't intend to stop until the swelling's gone down," he muttered. "And then, I am calling Winter and telling her to cancel your appointments for tomorrow."
"Can't do that, Han. There are things to attend to."
"And? You are due at any time, Leia."
The seriousness in his tone gave her pause. He was right, even if she didn't like it. "But…" The glare he shot her at that word made her stop and really look at him. He really was upset over something, and it probably wasn't just her feet. "Han?"
"What?"
"I can't take the day off tomorrow. There really are things to attend to." He waited for her to explain with raised eyebrows, and she sighed. "There is something that needs to be handled delicately with a delegation."
"So delegate."
"It was delegated to me specifically."
"Ah… I'm not giving you a choice in the matter. Your health is important, Leia."
She looked at him, holding her foot and glaring at her with that quiet intensity and wanted desperately to smile. It was ridiculous. The whole thing was. "How about I take the day after tomorrow off? Will that satisfy you?"
"It might. Promise?"
Leia nodded. It was a promise she could keep… especially to the man she loved who gave marvelous foot rubs.
~*~*~*~
Dinner was waiting for her when she got home the next night, more tired than she really wanted to admit. The first thing she noticed as she set foot in the door was the lack of noise. She followed the wonderful smell of cooked food to the kitchen where Han was putting the finishing touches on a dish. "Where are the twins?"
"At Luke's for the evening," Han answered as he turned around and looked at her. "It's just us tonight."
"Why?" she wondered as he joined her in the doorway to the kitchen.
He put a hand on her belly and smiled warmly into her eyes. "I wanted to spend the evening with you and Luke wanted to spend more time with the twins."
"Ah." She motioned with her head to the prepared food. "Smells wonderful."
"Go sit down and dinner will be served," he said, directing her to the adjacent dining room. She started to open her mouth to say something, but he shook his head. "No arguing."
"Wasn't going to."
"Um-hmm…" He bent to kiss her. "Welcome home. Now go sit down and rest your feet."
"What about the rest of me," she asked him playfully.
"The rest of you, too," Han replied, still smiling. "How'd it go?"
"Same as always," Leia told him as she moved to heed the advice to sit at the table. It really had been a long day…
~*~*~*~
Han joined her at the table and they ate in silence for several minutes. He could tell she was tired from the not very well hidden dark circles under her eyes. "Was it that bad?"
Leia blinked at him, confused momentarily at the subject being brought up again. "No. Just complicated."
"Hmmm… Did you cancel all of your appointments for tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She smiled at him. Things were definitely turning out all right if she could smile at him like that. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Loving me enough to tell me to slow down."
Later that night after dinner, she fell asleep in his arms. He couldn't have wished or dreamed of a better evening.
fini…