Han's eyes snapped open. He tried to hold onto whatever it was he'd been dreaming about, but like most dreams, it was gone by the time the fogginess of awakening was gone. The faint orange light of the rising sun was peering through the windows and Han wondered what they were going to do with themselves today.
He wiped at his eyes with his left hand, realizing his right arm was pinned under someone. Fully expecting to see Leia, he looked down to see his youngest son snuggled up to his side and drooling all over his t-shirt. He thought of the night before and had no recollection of how the holomovie ended or when he'd fallen asleep.
He lifted his head just enough to scan the bed, finding the rest of his family sound asleep. He smiled when he saw Jacen sprawled on his back in the middle with Jaina facing him, on her side with Leia curled up behind her with an arm over her daughter's shoulder. Apparently the whole family had been far too exhausted to bother staying up for the entire holomovie.
He wanted to stay in the bed with his family, knowing that these sorts of moments were all too fleeting, but Han needed the 'fresher more than anything at the moment, and he carefully moved out from underneath Anakin and replaced his own body with a pillow that the young boy accepted as a suitable substitute without waking up.
After leaving the 'fresher, he quietly walked into the living area and sat down on the couch, holding the necklace in his hand and wondering if any more memories were going to come after him.
"Hey."
He jumped at the noise even if it was only Leia's quiet voice coming from behind him. "Hey. Sorry, I hope I didn't wake you up."
"You didn't. Jaina rolled over and accidentally whacked me in the face."
"Yeah, tonight we should probably actually put them to sleep in their own room."
She came over and sat down next to him, unable to keep from pretending she didn't know how he'd been affected by his memories the other night. "Han, are you all right?"
It took him a few moments to answer, his eyes still fixated on the golden pendant in his hands. Taking a deep breath, he finally replied, "I just didn't think I remembered her."
"Your mother?" she asked, bringing her fingers up to brush his hair back gently over his ear.
"Yeah. I thought I never had anybody. When we were at the beach yesterday, I remembered being there with her. I remembered her picking me up and bringing me down to the water."
"It's nice to know you had someone, even if it was only for a little while."
"Is it? I feel like it was easier thinking that there never was anyone. Then I can't think about exactly what I missed out on."
Her fingers continued running through his hair for a few silent moments before she spoke again. "Han, when I lost Alderaan and my father, you know how much that hurt."
He looked up at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I know what happened to me doesn't compare, but-"
She shook her head and gently interrupted him, putting her hand on his knee. "Let me finish. I'm not saying you don't have a right to be upset." She moved closer and put her arm around him. "I'm just saying that as much as it hurt I would rather have had it for a little while than to never have had it at all."
He looked at her, enjoying the feel of her hand rubbing soothingly up and down his arm. He leaned over and hugged her tightly. "I love you."
She kissed his ear and he felt her warm breath as she replied. "I love you, too." When he leaned away she kissed him gently and then spoke again. "How about tonight we try and have some Mommy and Daddy time. Maybe set the kids up with a holomovie and when they go to bed we can have our own dinner out on the terrace."
Han smiled. "I definitely like the way you think."
"Mom?" Leia turned and saw Jacen standing in the doorway.
It suddenly occurred to Han that his oldest son might not have told them everything about where he had gotten the necklace. "Hey, buddy, come here for a minute," Han said gently.
Jacen wiped his brown eyes and walked to the couch, taking a seat in between his parents. "You see this?" He was careful to keep any accusatory tones out of his voice as he held the necklace up. He did not expect to hear anything that would make him upset with his son.
Jacen nodded, looking a little nervous.
Han reached up and mussed Jacen's hair. "Don't worry, kiddo, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know where you got it."
Jacen looked back and forth between his parents. "I don't know, I just found it. You know, when you and Anakin were still in the 'fresher."
Han eyed him skeptically. "So it was just lying there on the ground and you picked it up and that's it?"
Once again, Jacen looked nervously back and forth between his parents. Leia spoke up this time. "Sweetheart, it's all right, we're not going to be mad at you. Daddy just needs to know where you got it."
After taking a deep breath, he spoke. "There was this old lady."
"She wasn't tryin' to sell this to you, was she?"
He shook his head. "No. She gave it to me."
"She just walked up and gave it to you? Just like that?" Han asked.
"Well, she kinda acted like she knew me. She said I still looked so young and said something about my mother and how that," he indicated the necklace, "was mine."
None of this seemed to make any sense and Han and Leia remained quiet while they tried to come up with an explanation.
In his nervousness, Jacen spoke up again. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers but she really wanted me to have it and then just before you came out she made me take it and just disappeared."
Han put an arm around his son reassuringly and pulled him into a half-hug. "It's okay, buddy, we're not mad at you. We just wanted to know where it came from, that's all."
Jacen was visibly relieved when Han released him. "It was nice of you to think of giving it to Mom, too."
He shrugged. "Well, I never get to give her anything good like you do."
Leia hugged Jacen up against her side. "Sweetheart, I told you, I don't need you or Daddy to give me presents for me to know you love me."
"Really? Cuz sometimes Daddy says you're mad at him so he has to go out and buy-"
Han's hand clamped down over his son's mouth, efficiently cutting off the end of his sentence. "All right, all right. Why don't you go brush your teeth now, huh?"
Jacen smirked before hopping off the couch and trotting off to the children's bedroom.
Leia turned to Han. "So you're teaching our kids that if someone is mad at them then they should buy them something?"
Han shrugged. "Not every time, but you gotta admit, it doesn't hurt."
"Well, no, I suppose it doesn't," she agreed.
Remaining quiet once again, Han held the necklace up and looked at it, running his thumb over the etched numbers.
"Han, what do you think that date means?"
"I know what you're thinkin'. Seems about when I would've been born, right?"
She nodded. Han had a decent idea of how old he was based on what Shrike would say. He knew how old he was when he had escaped and decided for future purposes to use that day as his date of birth, always having felt that it was when he was truly born into the universe, no longer a slave. "This is the day after tomorrow. And you're even a little younger than we always thought."
"See, I knew I was too good lookin' to already be forty-three."
She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Don't get too carried away. You only get to be forty-two again for a couple more days."
"I think I want to try and find this woman who gave Jacen the necklace. Do you mind if I go out alone for a little while this morning?"
She shook her head. "No, of course not. Are you sure you'll be all right alone?"
"I'm not a little kid anymore, sweetheart. I think I'll be all right."
"Mom!" Jaina yelled from the next room. "Anakin keeps kicking me and I'm trying to sleep!"
Leia sighed. "Now I'm more concerned if I'll be all right."
"Sorry, honey. I'll be as quick as I can," he kissed her forehead before standing up. "Gotta make sure I'm back in time for our date tonight," he said with a wink and a smile.