Work Text:
"Three"
A Bloodstripes Story
It was late, and the home was quiet. It was a peaceful quiet, but eerie all the same. Leia was so used to noise that the silence was a bit nerve wracking. She sat up in bed, reviewing a secure collection of briefs by the glow of the lamp next to her. The low light strained her eyes, but she preferred it to the overhead fluorescents.
Next to her, Han lay sprawled out on his stomach, half asleep. Wedged between them was two-year-old Jacen, who Han had not taken back to his bed after the third time he'd woken up fussing. Leia didn't blame him. It was less hassle to soothe Jacen without having to get up and wind down the long hallway, and this slumber wouldn't last.
Jacen was adjusting to the presence of a newborn, and Leia knew it was confusing and over stimulating for him. She looked down at him, thinking about removing his thumb from his mouth.
She let it stay, and then lowered her chin to check on the baby. Billee was tucked against her chest in a sling, fast asleep. Her lips still moved slightly, mimicking nursing. Leia smiled at her, and then finally glanced over at Han.
He peered back at her through one open eye, and yawned.
"Why're you working?" he grumbled. "You're on maternity leave."
"Why are you so sleepy?" Leia whispered back. "Did you have the baby?"
Han grinned. He let his eye fall closed, shrugging.
"Ain't no one stoppin' you from sleeping," he retorted. He waved one hand at her lazily. "Give her to me."
Leia shook her head.
"She's cozy here," she demurred, "and warm."
"Mmmhm, I bet," Han murmured.
Leia slid her index finger neatly across the document in front of her.
"This is just document review," she said after a moment, her eyes gliding along the pages. "It isn't work. I am on leave. That does not mean I can disconnect completely from galactic events."
Han grunted. He shrugged. Next to him, Jacen stirred. He shifted, and put his arms over his head, smacking his lips.
"Dada?" he asked, eyes closed.
Han patted Jacen's stomach.
"Yeah, buddy, right here," he said.
Jacen yawned and went quiet. Leia pursed her lips, and looked at the door.
"Where is Vada again?" she asked, feeling a bit sheepish
She was always on top of where Vada was; she'd always been an excellent supervisor, close enough that Vada talked to her, but not invasive of her privacy, especially as she got older. It was just that – with Billee only a week old, and Jacen in his toddler prime, the past few days had an exhausted haze to them.
"She's at an art disco," Han muttered. "Or…somethin'."
Leia arched a brow.
"Uhh," Han thought. "It's like this thing in an old night club but it's an art show." He shrugged. "Least, that's what she said."
"You think she's lying?" Leia asked.
"Nah," Han answered. "Doesn't seem like she really lies to us. Or she's just real good at lying," he snorted.
Jacen rolled over and grabbed at Han's shoulder. Han lifted his arm so the little boy could snuggle in.
Leia smiled.
"She's not lying," she promised him.
"What makes you sure?" Han asked, though he agreed – they gave Vada plenty of freedom; there wasn't really a need for her to lie. Leia was more likely to make decisions about what she could or couldn't do – Han's template for adolescence was not a good one – but Leia always considered each request on its own merit, and Vada had never come home late or done anything dangerous.
"She wouldn't tell you she was going to a night club as the lie," Leia snorted.
"She's with Pru and Kitto," Han said, pushing Jacen's hair back. "D'you know those two are dating?"
"Mmmm. Called that when they were ten," Leia murmured.
She skimmed through some more pages of her brief, and paused, her head tilted. Billee shifted, and Leia glanced down to check on her. She reached in to adjust Billee's head, making sure her nose and mouth were clear of skin and fabric.
"Did she say what time she'd be home?" Leia asked.
Han shook his head.
"Before the sun's up," he said flippantly.
Leia nodded. They had not really given Vada a strict curfew. She'd always come home at a reasonable hour so far, which told Leia she was mature enough to decide how late was too late, and they were fine to leave it at that unless it became a problem.
Leia leaned back, turning to the last press release in her file. She read over it idly, slowly. She felt a little anxious about Vada being out while the rest of them were tucked away in here in the bedroom. It seemed exclusionary, though that was silly, of course; Vada was a teenager, and she was out conducting a social life of her own accord. There was no reason to feel guilty, as if she'd cast Vada out in favor of her new babies.
"Hmm," Leia hummed, her gaze sharpening as she read through the final press release.
It was a neat, polished little missive announcing Leia's retreat for maternity leave, and the healthy arrival of Billee Isla Solo, including a rather amusing quote from Leia, on the origin of Billee's name – What is the significance of it, Your Highness? – Well, you see, I just rather liked it.
Leia frowned towards the end of the article. She'd authorized the release. When Jacen was born, she hadn't given anything to the Media, and the curiosity over the next few months had driven her insane. This time, she placated them immediately, and it mostly worked; interest sated, they left her alone.
"Han," she murmured, agitated. "Will you do me a favor?"
Han grunted positively.
"Go get my comm."
Han squinted at her, then, looking disapproving, got up slowly and extricated himself from Jacen's grip. The toddler sat up sleepily, blinking, his hair sticking up in every direction.
"Dada?"
"He's coming right back, Jacen," Leia murmured.
Jacen swung his head towards her, blinked thoughtfully a few times, and then lay back down. He inched over towards Leia, pressing his face into her leg and winding his arm around her knee. He rubbed his face against her and seemed to fall back asleep.
Han returned a moment later with the comm and handed it to her.
"It's late," he pointed out.
"Yes, I'm aware," Leia said, taking it.
She placed a call to a switchboard that put her in contact with the on duty watch officer in her department. She identified herself, and then provided her private code for verification, and then spoke with the woman on the other line.
"Haarcy, who drafted this press release on Billee?" Leia asked gently.
"The editor of Politik Review," was the prompt response. "We provided the key details and they drafted the article."
"Connect me to the editor," Leia requested.
"Your Highness?"
"Connect me to the editor of the Politik Review, Haarcy," Leia said firmly.
The woman seemed flustered. She agreed, and then after some time, Leia's comm began to ring with a different tone as it was reconnected. Han watched her with his head tilted, unsure what was going on.
The comm jingled, and Billee stirred. She made a few soft, fussy noises. Leia lifted her arms slightly, gesturing for Han to take her.
"She's not hungry," Leia mouthed.
Han came closer and leaned forward to delicately extricate Billee from the sling, maneuvering around Leia's hands and her comm. Leia let the scarf fall against her breasts, and Han held Billee to his shoulder soothingly. Every time he held her – Jacen too – he felt a twinge of regret that he'd never seen Vada this little.
A moment later, the comm picked up. Han swayed Billee, curious.
"This is Gretza Alloi."
The editor sounded bewildered. Leia let her introduction hang for a moment.
"Gretza," Leia said. "This is Leia Organa."
The line went quiet. Then, in a faint voice, the editor said:
"This is…who?" her voice went up in a disbelieving squeak.
"Leia Organa," Leia said pleasantly.
There was a stunned exhale.
"Hello…Your Highness," the editor responded.
"Evening," Leia responded.
She could sense the other woman's apprehension over the line. Outside of strictly controlled press conferences, Leia never interacted directly with the press. The first thing this woman would be thinking was that she was in massive amounts of trouble.
"I am reaching out regarding the announcement you ran for my daughter Billee's birth," Leia said.
"What's going on?" Han mouthed at her.
Leia just looked at him placidly.
"Ahh," the editor said nervously. "I – Your Highness, we were given the details by your office with instruction to publish – "
"Yes, yes this isn't an injunction or an accusation," Leia said swiftly. "There are inaccuracies in what was printed."
"Oh," the editor breathed, more concerned now than intimidated. "I am so sorry. Please, by all means, what was the inaccuracy?"
Leia cleared her throat.
"Billee Isla Solo is the second child of Princess Leia Organa and her husband, Han Solo," she read.
There was silence on the other line. Even Han kind of gave her a funny look. Billee squeaked; Han swayed a little more. Jacen sat up and grabbed Leia's elbow, annoyed at the disruption. He tugged on her; she smiled patiently.
The editor coughed politely.
"I'm…my apologies, Your Highness," she said uncertainly. "I was under the impression you had a toddler, a boy, and…Miss Billee."
Leia thought it was funny that she referred to an infant as miss. She also seemed fascinated that everyone may have missed a pregnancy somewhere in there.
"I have three children," Leia said firmly. "My oldest, Vada, is sixteen. Please run an amended announcement including her at the earliest possible convenience."
"Oh," the editor said again. "Ohh. We only meant to indicate that this is your second child with Han Solo," she defended. "We—"
"I understand what you mean," Leia said patiently. "However, Han and I do not make that distinction. I adopted Vada years ago. She refers to me as her mother. I do not want her excluded from an article about our family."
Han had frozen, staring at her thoughtfully.
The editor cleared her throat.
"Yes, Your Highness," she agreed. She took a moment, and then said: "Billee Isla Solo is the second child of Princess Leia Organa and her husband, Han Solo. The two also parent Solo's child from a previous relationship – is that a well suited retraction?"
"No," Leia corrected firmly. "Do not make a distinction. List Billee as our third child. Is that clear?"
She sensed the editor considering that with some surprise. Then, after a moment, she took a deep breath.
"Yes, Your Highness," she agreed. "We will put out the correction in the morning."
"Thank you, Gretza."
The editor said a quick, faint goodbye, and Leia killed the call, setting her comm aside. Jacen tried to crawl into her lap, and she gently tucked him against her side instead, reaching out for Billee.
"Hand me Miss Billee back," she said, amused.
Han did, catching Leia's eye intently if he did.
"You didn't have to do that," he said. "Y'know we…I mean, Vada woulda known what she meant. I know what she meant. That Billee," he gestured, but didn't finish.
"I did have to do it," Leia countered. "I'm not comfortable with Vada being excluded from the numbers. She may alternate between calling me LeeLee and Leia and Mom, depending on her mood, but I've raised her. We've raised her."
Leia began unwrapping Billee's sling, and tossed it aside to the cradle at the bedside. She held the baby against her shoulder, and shrugged lightly.
"I certainly don't want any inkling out there that we consider her not one of ours, when we tell her all the time that's not the case."
Han sat down next to her, leaning closer. He smiled affectionately, dipping his head, pressing his lips to her cheek, lingering.
"Kriff," he whispered. "I love you, Sweetheart. Thank – "
"Don't thank me, Han. I love Vada."
"I know," he murmured, "thank you for loving her."
"It's never been hard to love her," Leia said, kissing his cheek right back.
Han smiled. He got up, and came back around the bed to pull the quilts back, and settle in for good. Jacen brightened, and crawled over, resuming his spot draped around Han's arm and shoulder.
"Where Vady?" Jacen asked, pouting.
Han yawned.
"Out. Bein' young," he said, tickling the bottom of Jacen's feet.
Jacen giggled.
"Don't rile him up," Leia murmured.
Billee kicked her feet irritably, her lashes fluttering.
"Shhh," Leia soothed. "We are having a quiet night, sweet girl."
Leia relaxed down in the bed, yawning herself. She'd relinquish Billee to the cradle in a moment. When she was soothed a little, and when Leia felt like getting up – if she ever felt that way.
There was a soft knock on their door.
"Yeah?" Han said gruffly.
The door inched forward slowly, and Vada hesitantly poked her nose around the corner.
"I heard you up," she said, stepping half into the room. "Just wanted to say I'm home," she said, waving.
She had smudges of glittery paint on her face, and streaks of yellow neon in her hair, no doubt leftover from the disco. She kept shifting her weight, and Leia figured that her feet must be sore; the chunky platform boots adorning them were ambitious.
Han sat up a little, nodding.
"Yeah," he said again. "Thanks, 'preciate it," then, joking, he added: "pretty early night. Goody-two-shoes."
Vada thrust her thumb over her shoulder.
"I mean, I can go snort some spice, if you like," she parried.
Han snorted.
"Go to bed."
"Vady?" Jacen piped up.
"I'm a dream, Jace-Jace," Vada said quickly. "You're sleeping."
Leia grinned at her gratefully. Vada nodded her head a few times, tilted it, and then started to back out. She paused, and then came forward again, pointing at Leia's arms.
"You want me to put her in her thing?" she asked, turning to gesture at the cradle.
Leia arched her brows.
"Actually, that would be nice," she said, relieved at the thought of not having to get up.
Vada dropped a bag outside the door and hobbled over, wincing. Her feet were definitely killing her. Leia made a mental note to lend her some wraps and cushions to keep boots like that from blistering her heels, or squeezing her toes.
Vada gently took Billie, and carried her over to the cradle, a little bounce in her step.
"Hi Billl-li-laa," she sang softly, blending the names together. "Sleep reeeeallly well, okay?" she coaxed.
She made affectionate kissy noises at her, then crept back from the cradle, and nodded at the dozy Jacen.
"What about him? Want me to carry him back to his room?" she offered earnestly.
Han shook his head.
"Nah, he's feelin' jealous, he's stayin'," he said.
Leia nodded in agreement. Vada gave them a little salute, and tiptoed out of the room. Leia sank down in the pillows, rolling to her side. She put her hands under her cheek and gazed at Han pointedly.
"I was offended, Han," she confided. "I wasn't just sticking up for Vada. I don't want anyone minimizing me, either. She and I have a good relationship. No one gets to cheapen that by implying it's lesser than what I'll have with Jacen and Billee. They don't get to tell me I'm not her mother."
Han smiled at her. He reached over, Jacen between them, and rubbed her hip warmly. He'd long since abandoned his fears that Leia would realize what a huge thing she'd taken on with Vada and run from it, but it was still always a relief to hear her so staunchly defend and include Vada.
Jacen sprawled out between them, flinging his legs and arms out. Han rolled his eyes and tucked Jacen's hands back down gently. Even if Billee slept well, it wouldn't be too restful of a night with a two-year-old sharing their bed. She didn't mind – it had taken them a little too long to have Jacen. Billee had come along much easier, and Vada, of course, very suddenly, before either of them was ready – but all said, Leia really did consider herself a mother of three.