Epilogue (Part One)

3 years later

Memories

Padme was awakened by a small hand shaking her shoulder with all her might. She opened an eye and rolled over. There stood her three-year-old daughter, teary-eyed and clutching a blanket.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" She asked, sitting up and holding her arms out. The small child ran easily to her and jumped into her lap. She broke into tears and sobbed, leaning against her mother's chest. The crying awoke Anakin, who sat up.

"Lila, baby, what's wrong?" He asked, scooting closer on the bed to be nearer to his wife and daughter.

"I-I had-d a b-bad d-dweam," she hiccuped through tears.

"Do you want to sleep with us tonight, honey?" Padme asked softly in a soothing voice, shifting Lila to be in between her parents. Lila nodded vigorously and snuggled in readily. Soon after, she was sound asleep, snoring softly.

"Remember when Luke did this? I think he was like four or something?" Anakin asked as Lila subconsciously slid her hand into one of his own.

"Yes, and remember the time Leia convinced you there was a mynock under her bed?" Padme laughed softly, running her fingers through Lila's blonde hair. Anakin felt a flush creep up his neck and onto his cheeks, though his wife couldn't see it in the darkness. He chuckled.

"Yeah, I was freaking out because I couldn't find it and I thought there was a loose mynock in our apartment. What was she? Six?"

Padme laughed and said, "Yes, I do think she was six." Lila opened an eye and scowled lopsidedly.

"Shhhh!" She said, pressing a chubby finger to her lips. Anakin smirked.

"Sorry, baby."

'M sweepin'," Lila replied, closing her eye once more. Anakin and Padme exchanged amused glances then laid back down, careful of their sleeping three-year-old.

...

Baby Blessings

"There's two? Since when was there two?" a very surprised Han Solo asked, running his fingers through his scruffy hair in disbelief. He paced the floor of the hospital room, his breaths short and fast.

"Han, honey, calm down," Leia Skywalker-Solo commanded softly from the hospital bed, her voice tired. "I just gave birth to two kids. I do not, will not, deal with a panicking husband right now." Han glanced up.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he replied, walking to her side and sitting in the chair by her bed. He looked at the babies in his wife's arms, swaddled in powder blue blankets and wearing soft hats to cover their bare heads. "C-can I-I -," he began hesitantly. His breath hitched and he was unable to go on.

"Hold one?" Leia finished for him, shifting gently in her bed. Han nodded numbly, gently picking up the nearest baby from Leia, the girl. The tiny baby opened her eyes a fraction and whimpered, wanting the warmth of her mother.

"Shhh, shhh," Han soothed, cradling the child in one arm and pulling his jacket around her with the other. The tiny girl hushed and closed her eyes once more, snuffling blissfully when once more, the warmth surrounded her. "What should we name her?" he asked quietly, smiling at his sleeping daughter.

"I was thinking Jaina, after your mother," Leia said softly, reaching out a hand to squeeze her husband's. Han nodded, unable to speak, tears coming to his eyes at the thought of his mother.

"T-that sounds great," he choked out, his voice catching in his throat. "And the boy?"

"I've always wanted to name my son, if I ever had one," Leia smiled, "Jacen. I don't know why, but I just liked the name."

"Jacen," Han repeated, tasting the name, "I like it. It fits." Jaina squirmed in his grasp and started to cry, which prompted Jacen to join in. "Uhh, Leiaaaaa," Han said, cringing as piercing wails cut through the once-quiet air.

"Relax, honey. They're just hungry," Leia said, gesturing for him to give her Jaina back.

Once fed, the twins were much quieter. Leia had given Jacen to Han this time, cuddling Jaina close to her chest. Han smiled as Jacen's brown eyes lit up when they recognized their father. Jacen reached out and grasped Han's offered finger with a tiny, chubby hand. Then suddenly a strange odor rose into the air, causing Han to wrinkle his nose. Before he could ask what it was, however, Leia cut in.

"He needs to be changed, Han," she said, her eyes sparkling mischievously at Han's horrified expression.

"I - wait, what?" he stuttered, running his hand through his hair, a habit. Leia rolled her eyes and laughed.

"You have a lot to learn," she said.

...

Sometime Soon

"Tell me again. When are you due?" Luke Skywalker pleaded, clasping his hands together and falling to his knees in mock seriousness. Mara Jade-Skywalker, his wife, rolled her eyes.

"I've told you a million times. In two weeks," Mara replied, exasperated. Luke stood and placed his hands on her swollen stomach, and she smiled and placed her hands over his. She kissed him on the cheek then walked away, leaving a stunned Luke behind. Luke sat down on the bed and picked up a datapad. He read for a while and Mara soon joined him with a 'pad of her own.

Mara snuggled close, folding her legs underneath her when Luke raised an arm, inviting her to lean on him. They read in peace for a while, until Mara looked down over her belly to her lap.

"Um, Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think you'd better take me to the hospital," she said, sitting up.

"Why? You're not due for two more weeks, as you've told me a million times." Luke said sarcastically, setting his datapad down.

"Luke!" Mara shouted.

"What?!"

"My water broke!" she snapped, doubling over as a light contraction rippled through her.

"Mara?"

"That's gonna get a lot worse," Mara choked out, clutching her stomach and falling to the floor. "It's too late to go to the hospital. Nice goin' hubby," Mara snapped, crying out as another contraction ripped through her body.

"What should I do?" Luke asked, his breath coming in short bursts.

"C-call a m-idwif-fe," Mara gasped out, sweat beading on her forehead. Luke ran to do as asked.

After being banished to the spare bedroom for several hours after the midwife arrived, Luke had grown tired of pacing and listening to his wife's screaming. He barged out of the room and ran down the hall to the master bedroom and threw open the door, and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Mara was sitting on the bed, holding a baby wrapped in a grey blanket with a hood.

"Luke," Mara said softly, "the midwife was just about to go and get you. Come and meet your son." Luke crossed the room and crawled into the bed beside his wife, peering down at the baby, barely visible under the bundle of blanket.

"Hi, Ben," he said, in awe of the tiny child

"If you won't be needing me, I'll be going now," the midwife, an elderly woman with grey hair, said quietly, gathering her things in a black leather bag. Luke glanced up.

"Yes, that'll be fine. Thank you so much for your help," Luke replied, getting up and pressing some credits into her hand. The woman smiled and thanked him, then left. Luke returned to Mara. "Can I hold him?" Luke asked. Mara nodded tiredly, passing Ben to her husband. Luke pushed back the hood of Ben's blanket and studied him. His eyes were closed, but he knew they'd be blue like his own out of pure instinct. What little hair he had was flame-red, courtesy of his mother. "He's beautiful, Mara."

Mara didn't reply.

"Mara?" Luke looked over at his wife, having trouble tearing his eyes away from Ben. Mara's eyes were closed and her head was resting against the wall, fast asleep. "Oh, Mara." Luke sighed and pulled a blanket over her, then settled back, still holding Ben. He was content to allow his wife to sleep while he held his newborn son.

...

Oh, Luke. Kind and caring yet oblivious to many things. When will you learn?

Yeah, I went with old canon instead of new canon. I'm not a real big fan of the new canon and Jaina Solo is one of my favorite EU characters, so naturally, I had to include her somehow. The new canon stuff is too much like the original trilogy. Did you know that George Lucas had a sequel trilogy all planned out but when he sold Lucasfilm, Disney threw it all out the window? Ugh, I can't stand Disney. And why on earth did they have to ruin Han Solo by making the Solo movie? Ugh, now I'm getting off track. Sorry. Disney just makes me so angry...okay, I'm finishing my rant now.

Well, here ya go, guys. Part one of the epilogue! And it's a long chapter too! Hope you enjoyed! If I can get a couple reviews about this chapter, that'd be great!