OUR LAST LITTLE ONE

"Good morning, Mr. Solo," a nurse droid greeted Han as he was let into the NICU.

"How's the little guy doing today?" Han asked as he began scrubbing his hands with antibac soap.

"He's rather testy, but that's a good thing. Han Jarik is certainly a fighter."

"He gets it from his mom," Han said, his voice teasing and his smile mirthful.

"Come sit down and I'll bring him to you." The droid disappeared as Han sat in one of the easy chairs for the parents of babies there. Han thought there'd been some mistake; the chairs were in a medcenter and were actually comfortable. He'd been certain that that was not permitted. But he wasn't going to argue.

"Here he is," the nurse droid said, handing the tiny, complaining bundle to Han.

"Hey buddy, what's the problem?" Han said gently to his fourth child. Despite the baby boy's tiny size, he'd grown tremendously since he'd been born two months ahead of schedule. As he developed, it was clear that his features were more that of Han's than Leia's. He had hair now; it was a light brown color. Han vaguely remembered his being lighter when he was younger.

Han had been told that cuddling Jarik against his bare skin was beneficial in helping a premature baby to grow, so Han undid the buttons of his spacer's shirt and held his infant son against his chest. Jarik calmed immediately. Han gently stroked his back and it didn't take long for the baby to fall asleep.

"You have quite the touch," the nursing droid said approvingly.

"What can I say? I kinda like the little guy."

"He certainly responds to you."

Han closed his eyes. He knew Jarik would be his and Leia's last child. He was well into his 40s and he did not want for Leia to have to go through what she did with this last pregnancy. Nothing had been said, but he and Leia were on the same page.

He let his mind wander back in time to the births of their three older kids. Having twins on the first go round was more than a little unnerving; they were complete amateurs. But that didn't take away from the happiness he and Leia had shared becoming new parents. It was, to his mind, something of a natural extension of the love they shared. The twins taught them to be parents. Nothing could have prepared them for how tired they were, and how much they loved their children.

Then, a mere twenty months later, Anakin entered their lives. He'd been the only one born without surgery, and without Leia using any pain meds. Unlike Jarik and the twins, who popped out earlier than anticipated, Anakin was fully developed and a joy to behold. They were even more tired, but they had a rhythm going. They'd been baptized by fire with the twins and had more knowledge of how to deal with infants.

A long break, and then Jarik.

To think there was once a person named Han Solo who, if told he would so very much want to be a father, would have split a gut laughing. Han had a vague memory of him, but that had all changed when he meet Leia Organa. And it hadn't taken long after he decided he wanted to marry her that he also wanted to have children with her. That was shortly after nearly being unceremoniously killed in a trash masher on the Death Star.

He smiled at the memory. He had told Luke, "Either I'm gonna kill her or I'm starting to like her!" He'd figured out pretty quickly which it was. But it would take quite some time for Leia to realize it. Han wondered if the person Leia was before they knew each other was now but a vague memory.

And that made their newest son all the more precious to them.

How, Han thought, cuddling his son close to his heart, can you so instantly fall in love with someone you've just met?

Then he thought back to Leia, and the answer became clear. Han couldn't describe it, but it was real all the same.

Han went back in time to their first kiss. It was seared so hard into his memory that it was as clear to him today as it had been when it took place. He could feel her trembling as he leaned in closer, his voice growing lower and softer, and the softness of her lips as he applied his to hers, gently bending her small body back, their arms wrapped around each other.

He never wanted it to end.

There was a rude interruption by a certain droid, followed by a number of even more annoying instances, such as being frozen in carbonite, the needs of children, the insistences of work, but they always came back to each other, with caring and tenderness and passion. The two had had more than a few shouting matches over the years. But they, too, had ways of reminding Han and Leia to never take their love for granted.

And holding this little boy, who like his brothers and sister were conceived in love and nurtured from there, made it feel like sunshine streaming over him.

The medic in charge of Jarik came over to Han. "He's been gaining weight very well and we've been able to remove the oxygen cannula. I would say there's a very good chance of him going home within the next week, two weeks at longest."

"That's good," Han said. "Much as I appreciate your hospitality, I really do prefer my own chair."

Han kept Jarik's tiny body close to his. Lost in thought, he was mildly startled when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder.

Han smiled up at Leia. "He looks very happy," she said to Han. "When I first met you, and someone said to me that you were a potential candidate for Father of the Galaxy, I'd have burst blood vessels from laughing."

"From the looks of it," Han said, "he's got the best mom he could ever ask for."

"Please make sure you tell our other kids that," she said dryly, but laughter gurgled in her throat.

"They don't know how lucky they are." Little Jarik began to stir, his tiny hands grasping at the air. He'd recognized his mother's voice and blinked his eyes open.

"Let's see if I can talk him into some dinner." Han gently handed Jarik to his mother, who began feeding him. Jarik hadn't been strong enough to latch on when he was born, but now he sucked hungrily and noisily. That was one of the things he needed to have down in order to go home to the House of Solo in all its noise, mess and love.

Leia caught Han's expression, which was dreamlike.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him quietly.

Han paused for a moment. "I was just remembering how we'd started all this way back when. My life didn't turn out at all like I'd imagined. And for that, I'm forever grateful."

"As am I," Leia said softly. "As am I."