Chewie guffawed as he entered the room on the Alliance's medical frigate. Han was propped up in bed in a standard-issue med robe, an IV in his arm and sensors hooked up to his chest.
Sure, Han had been to Medical plenty of times, but the only other time he'd worn the robe and stayed in bed for any length of time, he'd been knocked out in an ice cave-in on Hoth and had had no choice in the matter. He always got himself checked out when he needed to – "No use dyin' over somethin' stupid," he liked to say – but he always kept his stay to the bare minimum needed for treatment, and he always stayed in his regular clothes.
Han scowled. "Yeah, yeah, Fuzzball, hilarious. They told me I'm fine, I'm only stayin' 'cause you and Leia ganged up on me."
Chewie and Leia seemed to have formed their own alliance of sorts in Han's absence. Thanks to their weeks traveling to Bespin, Leia was now fluent in Shyriiwook, and the "Little Princess" (to Chewie, all humans were little, so Leia found his name for her endearing rather than demeaning) and the Wookiee made Han get a full workup with Medical before doing anything else. Including flying his beloved Falcon.
Chewie was glad to see his friend in typical form. [Hey, we spent a year getting you rescued. Can't let you crash your ship the second we get back. Besides, you need your strength, Cub. You're a father now, after all,] he teased.
"Yeah," Han sighed, running his hand through his hair with a troubled expression. I'm somebody's father. Kriff. He definitely wasn't used to that yet.
Chewie's expression turned dark, and he growled softly. [You better not be thinking about running, Cub,] he warned. [I may have a Life Debt to you, but I can still kick your ass. Don't think I won't.] Chewie was clearly only half-joking, if that.
Han was taken aback. "Hey, I ain't going anywhere," he protested, putting his hands up defensively. "You think I would do that? Why in seven hells would I run out now?" He paused, shaking his head slowly. "It's just…a lot." Chewie nodded and came closer to Han's bedside. "I don't know what the kriffing hell I'm doing."
Chewie laughed again, more softly this time. Nothing like having a cub to take the swagger off. [Cub, no father knows what the kriffing hell they're doing. Not at first. Nobody tells you, but it's true.] He patted Han's arm, then changed the subject. [So they gave you the all clear?]
"Yep, just want to hook me up to the jukebox here for the night to make sure nothing funny comes up. From the hibernation sickness, I guess. Should be cleared to fly by tomorrow." Han was looking forward to kicking Lando out of the captain's chair of the Falcon for good.
[Good,] said Chewie. He nodded toward the doorway, where Leia had appeared, a baby balanced on her hip. [I should get going. Back later,] he said, moving toward the door.
"You sure?"
[Yeah, I gotta check the water levels in the recycler,] Chewie said with a wink, before turning to greet Leia and the baby. He turned back. [And Cub?]
Han smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. No fucking in the cockpit."
[Right.]
Leia shook her head at Han's vulgar remark, but she was relieved. If Han was making trip-to-Bespin inside jokes, he must be in pretty good shape mentally. After Han and Leia had stopped fighting (as much) and finally got down to admitting their feelings for each other, "checking the water recycler" had become Chewie's standard excuse for leaving so that they could have a private moment. Once, they had made the mistake of enjoying a rather deliciously amorous private moment in Han's seat in the cockpit. The combination of the Wookiee's naturally sensitive olfactory senses and the stress of being cooped up for weeks in the Falcon with two of the most stubborn humans he'd ever encountered made this the last straw. Han and Leia woke that morning to Chewie yelling that they had made the cockpit "stink like fucking," along with an impressive stream of curses in Shyriiwook. They'd mostly confined their activities to the cabin after that.
"Hey, Princess," Han called flirtatiously as she approached.
Leia raised her eyebrow. "Flyboy," she returned.
"Ya want to introduce me to your friend there?" His tone was all breeze and bravado, with little of the intimacy they had come to share. Interesting choice, thought Leia, but I guess I can hardly blame him. She had herself been about to slip into Diplomat Leia mode, her past go-to for awkward situations. There's not exactly a protocol for how to introduce your...lover? boyfriend? whatever…to his four-month-old daughter, whom he just learned existed twenty hours ago.
"Sure. Han, meet your daughter, Lilya." Leia set the baby in Han's lap, facing him, and gently moved his hands so that they were supporting his daughter's back. Lilya wriggled a bit as Leia sat down on the bed beside her.
"Hey, kid, how ya doin'?" Han said, talking to the baby like he was being introduced to some fresh-off-the-farm Alliance recruit. Lilya cooed softly as she looked up at him.
Han's casual stance dropped the minute he looked in Lilya's eyes. The color might not be that deep brown – yet – but those eyes were unmistakably Leia's. The same eyes he'd loved looking into during their weeks traveling together on the Falcon. The eyes that flashed fire at him when they argued. The eyes that had watched him with sadness and love as he sank into the carbon freezing chamber at Bespin.
"Wow," was all Han could manage. He couldn't stop looking at his daughter. She wriggled and cooed again, and he smiled his crooked smile at her, a little tentatively.
Leia almost made a comment about the rarity of Han Solo being speechless, but stopped herself. It was hard for her to believe that this moment would ever come, and now, here it was. The three of them, together. Safe, at least for the moment. She felt her eyes tear up a little, and watched in silence as Han played with Lilya's hands, gently squeezing the baby's fists as she squealed happily.
"Lilya, huh," Han said, eyes still on his daughter. "Surprised you didn't name her Breha," he mused, remembering their conversations about Leia's mother.
"I decided being the child of the last princess of Alderaan was enough baggage, much less having the name of the last queen," Leia sighed. "Breha is her middle name. Lilya Breha" – she paused for emphasis – "Organa-Solo."
Han looked over. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but this was a pleasant surprise. To have Leia add "Solo" to Lilya's name amounted to a public announcement that they had been together, at least within the Alliance. Probably settled a few hundred bets, too. He didn't know what to say.
"She's beautiful, Leia. Just like you." He put his hand on Leia's cheek and pulled her into a kiss, their daughter sandwiched between them.
The baby got increasingly squirmy, and they pulled apart. "She doesn't like to sit still for very long," Leia explained, picking her up and bouncing her lightly.
They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, when they heard a knock. "Sorry to interrupt," called a voice from the doorway.
General Rieekan came in, clearly on a mission. "Solo, good to see you back with us." He shook Han's hand.
"Thanks, General."
Rieekan turned to Leia. "Princess, General Cracken was wondering whether you could meet with him now on the Tatooine intel. He's got a short window before the Bothan briefing."
"Sure." Leia looked at Han apologetically as she got up. "I'm sorry, I need to go – I can take her to Kara's on the way. I'll come back after." Kara was the wife of one of the pilots in Red Squadron and Lilya's caretaker when Leia was working, or off rescuing scoundrels from Tatooine gangsters.
"You want to leave her here?" Rieekan offered. "I need to talk with Captain Solo, and I haven't gotten any Lilya time in awhile."
Leia smiled and handed the baby over, shaking her head. "You mean you haven't gotten any time today. I understand she barely spent any time at Kara's while I was gone." Rieekan had been the head of Bail Organa's Palace Guard before joining the Rebellion, and a good friend of Bail's. He'd run the base on Hoth, and had clearly seen Han and Leia getting together even before they'd been ready to see it. Having lost most of his family in the Alderaanian Disaster, he'd basically taken on the role of Lilya's grandfather, and relished having a baby to spoil again, even if it had to be between briefings and battles. Not to mention that he thought of Leia almost like a daughter, now that his own children and Bail were gone.
"Love to take credit, but it wasn't all me." He looked at Han. "Your daughter is the sweetheart of Rogue Squadron." He took the baby from Leia and made faces most unbecoming a general at the little girl. She crowed with delight.
"All right. I'll be back after I brief Cracken." Leia was clearly shifting into professional mode. She squeezed Han's hand and gave Lilya a quick kiss. "Be good, Sweetpea."
As soon as she left, Rieekan turned his attention to Han while jostling the baby in his arms. "Okay, Solo. You wanted to talk?"