How was it that he already loved them so much? How was it that his entire world now balanced on their hearts? How was any of it possible?

First, Han had fallen for the petite, powerhouse princess. Madly and hopelessly, he'd hit rock bottom for her, simultaneously cursing himself for ever even hoping he could be with her. But then he had gotten her and the dream was dreamt: they wanted kids. Now, they had some. Three of them. What had he ever done to deserve any of this?

Han settled Evern into his crib with Eile and he turned to pick up Eissa before her cries woke her brothers up again. Leia had fallen asleep and Han wanted to make sure she got all the rest she needed. Also, he figured this was the perfect chance to work on his father skills. He would have to learn fast. "Hey, there, sweetheart," Han whispered and began to rock her. "You're okay. You're alright. There's no reason to cry. You need to go to sleep right now like everyone else is. It's bedtime. That's what everyone's supposed to do at bedtime."

Eissa didn't seem to understand this, though, and her wails continued. Han continued to rock her as he brought her downstairs. He came to the kitchen where a few of the older adults were still up and fetched a bottle from the counter. "Here . How about a late night snack, huh?" He put the bottle to her lips and moved it along her gums until she got the hint and started sucking on the plastic nipple. "There we go."

Bail smiled at the father and he told his son-in-law, "Looks like you've already got a hang on fatherhood."

"Hmph! Hardly. I'm working on it, though."

"Yes. You're doing very well. For the first night home, that is."

"Well, I had a few weeks at the hospital to practice. Ha! It's a bit different to see them out of the incubators, though." When he said that last part, Han dipped his head to kiss his daughter's forehead.

For a long moment, Bail was content with just watching the new father and so he did, smiling at the sight of father rocking daughter to a silent, steady rhythm. The memories came back to him and he could remember being in Han's place twenty years ago. What a shock it had been when life just suddenly happened and Bail, seemingly out of nowhere, found himself a father to Padmé and Anakin's daughter. Rushing home amidst the chaos of the galaxy crumbling, there had been an odd thrill rushing through his veins. He'd hardly had the calmness to record a brief message for his wife and explain as best he could that she needed to be prepared for Leia coming home. He hadn't been prepared. Just like with every other new father in the entire universe, parenthood had come with a shock and one far past the late nights and overall exhaustion. Having a child, having a daughter, that was to be his from then on, had rocked Bail's world.

It had had the same effect on Breha, too, he remembered. In the message he had sent her before arriving home, Bail had tried to explain as much as he could in vague and cryptic words in case someone was listening in or ever found the recording. Upon arriving home, Bail realized that either his words had been too cryptic or he just had been too fazed to actually explain anything. He'd entered the palace, welcomed back by all the staff. Carrying Leia in a small basket, he met his wife in the foyer where she stopped and creased her brows while she stared at him. "B," she'd said, afraid. "What has happened?"

"Something horrible," Bail told her. "Something horrible has happened to the galaxy, to dear friends of ours. But to us . . . my dove, something wonderful has happened."

Breha's frown deepened. He took her arm and hurried through the palace to the balcony outside their room. He told her to sit and she did. "First, tell me the bad news," she asked of him. "And all of it. There have been rumors about Palpatine and Padmé. Are they true?"

Taking a seat beside her, Bail nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid they are. Well, some of them. Forget what anyone has told you about Padmé. Let them think what they think, but it's all a lie. Anakin Skywalker has turned to the dark side and he hurt Padmé. That's how she died."

"She really is dead."

"But the child didn't die."

"What happened to it, then? Who will care for the child if both parents are dead?"

Bail smiled lightly at her and he held up the basket, slowly peeling back the layers of blankets. "We will, my dove." He removed Leia from her basket and held her out to his wife. "We have a daughter now."

"Was it still this scary when you adopted Leia?" Han asked, still rocking Eissa. Did he realize that she was already asleep? Bail chuckled. "Just as much," he promised Han. "Breha and I wanted to adopt a baby girl, but we hadn't been planning on adopting that day. Or adopting a Force-strong child. When I brought Leia to Alderaan, we were both terrified. I don't think I handled it nearly this well. Your enthusiasm is admirable, Han. Especially considering all the surprises you and Leia have gotten."

"All the surprises are alright with me," Han said. He looked down at his daughter and smiled, taking the bottle out of her mouth. "I wouldn't want my life, my family, any other way. The surprises are well worth it. It's worth everything just to finally get our family."

Thinking of his daughter and Han's lost child whom they'd named after Breha, Bail could only nod for a moment. "I understand that," he said, thinking of all the ones he and Breha lost. "I understand the shock that comes first . . . and the relieved joy."