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“What are we even doin’ here, Leia? Your last day was today and this speech isn’t even important anyways.” He wouldn’t have accompanied her if he wasn’t worried sick that she’d go into labor any second, even though the doctors were pretty sure she had at least another two weeks.
“Because, Han, today is my last day and it’s not over yet. I promise you, tomorrow, I will stay in bed all day and make you wait on me hand and foot. This won’t take more than a few hours and I don’t feel like cooking and I really don’t feel like eating any more Corellian stew. Besides, we’re already here. The hard part is done. And of course this is important or they wouldn’t be having it.” She snapped. He swallowed several burning retorts, knowing from unfortunate experience that ticking off very-mad-and-pregnant-Leia Organa-Solo was a bad, bad idea.
“Yes, dear.” He agreed complacently as the elevator doors slid open. He put his hand to her back to steady her as they walked into the crowded entrance hall. Leia usually like to mill around at these things, but Han steered her straight towards their assigned table right away and she didn’t argue. After helping her into her place, he went after some drinks.
When he returned to the table, she had one hand pressed into her swollen belly and the muscles in her jaw were working like she was trying chew something Luke had cooked. Her free hand was balled into a white-knuckled fist and her eyes were fixed on her watch.
“Sweetheart? What’s wrong?” He asked, quickly setting the drinks down and pulling his chair close to hers. He put one arm around her and covered her fist with his other hand, bowing his head close to hers. She relaxed her hand and jaw after a moment. “I thought you said that the contraction you had at home wasn’t a real one.”
“Well, there’s nothing to say that this wasn’t also a false contraction; I’ve been having them on and off like this for the past three days. Or, hey, maybe I’m in labor.” She joked, reaching for the lemonade Han had brought for her. She glanced at the terrified expression on his face. “Only kidding.” He shot her a look that fell somewhere between ‘sarcastic grin’ and ‘inwardly terrified’. “I’m fine, really.” She soothed, patting his hand awkwardly. He straightened up and slid his chair back just slightly from hers, reaching for his brandy and downing it in one go.
The hall began to fill with people and they were joined soon after by General Rieekan and some ambassadors from who-the-hells-even-cared-anymore. The first course was served, and just as Han’s heartbeat was getting back to normal, he felt Leia’s hand on his leg, squeezing for all she was worth. His eyes darted to her face. The other hand had a firm grip on her fork. She took a deep breath a moment later and released her death grip.
“Is everything alright, sir?” Startled, Han turned to the other side. A waiter was bent next to him.
“What?”
“The food, sir. Is it not to your liking?” Han glanced at the practically untouched salad on his plate and then around at the nearly-empty plates around the table.
“No, no. It’s just fine. Not…too hungry, I guess.” He said, leaning back so the waiter could take his plate. “Are you alright?” He hissed to Leia.
“Well, let’s just say it’s a good thing my maternity leave starts tomorrow, because I have a feeling this baby will be here by then.” She whispered back. Han felt all the color go from his face.
“I think I need another glass of this ale. Solo, you need a refill on that brandy?” Rieekan said amicably from around the table.
“Yes, please.” He said quickly. “Actually, no. No.” Not if my kriffing wife is going into kriffing labor. Son of a sith lord, Solo. He vaguely heard Leia ask Rieekan to get her a glass of water.
Rieekan seemed not to notice Han’s sheer panic and headed off towards the bar with a few of the ambassadors in tow.
“Okay, sweetheart, let’s go.” He said, standing.
“Go where?”
“Where? To the grocery store, Leia. You’re gonna have our baby and we’re going to the store. Where the hells do you think we’re going?”
“Han, it’s going to be a while. They’re more than 20 minutes apart and hardly last 25 seconds. We might as well stay here. If we go to Medical now, we’re just going to be sitting in tiny little room for hours. Now sit down. We have three more courses and the speech to get through yet.” She replied. If he’d been thinking straight, he’d have picked her up and carried her. Even with the added weight of pregnancy, it would have been no trouble to sweep her into his arms and walk out. But for some stupid reason, his go-to response when panicked now was listen to Leia, she knows what she’s doing.
She didn’t have another one until they were nearly through with the soup. The next one came about halfway through the entrée. Another came just as they were clearing up the plates and getting settled for the speaker.
To someone who hadn’t studied every inch of Leia Organa up close, it would have appeared that she was experiencing absolutely no discomfort at all, a look of mild content on her face. However, Han had studied her, and even if he hadn’t been able to read the pain in her posture and eyes, he would have guessed something was up from the vice-like hold she took on the nearest part of his body she could get her hands on: his knee, his thigh, his elbow, his hand.
If Han had had any intention of listening to the speaker, it was completely gone now. He was analyzing every motion Leia made, every breath she took. There were two contractions during the speech and finally, General Rieekan leaned up to whisper in Han’s ear.
“Is everything alright, Solo? You keep grimacing. Something in the soup disagree with you?”
“No, no. ‘M fine.” Han choked as Leia dug the pads of her finger into his leg. He glanced at his watch. It had only been 8 minutes since the last one and they were lasting about 30 seconds now. He clapped briefly when everyone else began to, but quickly returned his arm to its station around her shoulders. The lights came back up and the waiters swarmed in to serve the dessert. Leia declined any and Han ate all of two bites of cheesecake. One more contraction.
Finally, finally, the host for the evening stepped up to thank everyone for coming and people began to stand up and leave.
“I am probably going to regret asking you this, but are you do you want to go home or is it time for Medical?” Han asked quietly as Rieekan said goodbye to the ambassadors.
“Actually, that closet over there might be our best option at the moment.” She said. He balked and she began laughing. “I’m teasing, hotshot.” She giggled. He blew out the breath he’d been holding.
Han practically had to pick Leia up out of the chair. When she was finally upright, he wrapped his arm around her possessively, supporting as much of her weight as possible without making it obvious to the other guests.
“I don’t think we should go back to the apartment.” She said, reaching quickly for the hand that was at her hip. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he hailed a hovercab.
“Coruscant Medical. Now.” Han instructed the driver as soon as the door was closed behind them. Her contractions were coming in earnest now, less than 5 minutes apart. She didn’t bother trying to hide the pain anymore, cringing into his shoulder as another wave swept over. “Almost there, sweetheart. You’re doing great.” He whispered into her hair, placing a few kisses on the crown of her head.
“My hair…” She gasped. “Take the pins out.” He began quickly fumbling for the pins. In short order, her hair was tumbling down her back and he was shoving a handful of pins into his jacket pocket. In between contractions, she quickly braided it and swiped some of her make up off with the never-used handkerchief in Han’s jacket pocket.
As soon as the cab was stopped, Han handed the driver a handful of credit chips that would cover their fare as well as reward him for his speed. Everything after that was a whirlwind, and the next thing Han knew, he was watching as Leia was wheeled off down the hall to get looked over.
“Han!” He turned quickly at the sound of Luke’s voice.
“Kid. Thank the stars. How’d you know?”
“She called upon me. And even if she hadn’t I would have sensed it eventually. He’s anxious to arrive.” Han had little patience for his brother-in-law’s cryptic ramblings tonight. “Here. She asked me to go by your apartment and get her bag and something for you. I wasn’t really sure what you’d want, so I just grabbed the clothes off your bed.”
“Great, kid. Thanks.” He grabbed his clothes and ducked into the men’s ‘fresher to change out of his suit. Leia would probably rail him later for not hanging it properly, but that didn’t really matter. When he reemerged a moment later, Luke was speaking with a doctor.
“You must be Mr. Solo. Come with me, your wife’s water just broke.” The man said. He vaguely remembered Leia saying something about broken waters and the relationship between that and contractions and the birth, but he couldn’t think straight anymore. “Come on back. She’s just about ready.” By ‘ready’, Han assumed the doctor meant ‘dressed’ or ‘in bed’ or ‘examined’.
But he didn’t.
When Han entered the room, he saw Leia on a table that he’d only expect to see inside an interrogation chamber. There were people and monitors and equipment everywhere and he felt distinctly overwhelmed and very insignificant for a moment as people rushed around him. He snapped out of it, however, when he heard her gasp his name.
“We’re almost there, Mrs. Solo. You really waited until the last minute.” Said the nurse at the end of the table.
“Told you, sweetheart.” He teased. The nurses all turned to look at him for a second.
“Han!” She shrieked again. He started to back away, wondering if he’d broken some unwritten rule of labor and delivery. No senses of humor are allowed in the delivery room or fathers are not allowed to speak at any time. Her hand shot out towards him and knocked into his ribs before latching onto one arm and yanking him closer. The only one who can make insulting remarks is the woman who is expelling a human being from her body. Probably that.
Her hand slid quickly down his wrist to grip his hand with a strength that belied her small form. He found a damp cloth next to her and swiped it across her dripping brow.
“You’re doing great, sweetheart.” He whispered into her ear. Her entire being was trembling with the exertion. Han continued to mumble encouragements to her.
“One more time. Just one more and it will all be over.” The doctor coached. Han wouldn’t have thought it possible, but she squeezed even tighter.
“Almost there, Leia. Almost there. It’s almost time to hold our little baby.” He felt his knees go weak at that thought. It was almost here: the moment he’d been both dreaming of and dreading since that morning in the kitchen.
She had been making kaf and he’d hugged her from behind, pressing kisses into her neck. ‘Han, we did something last night.’ ‘I remember, sweetheart. I was there.’ He’d smirked, continuing his affections. ‘Close your eyes.’ She’d said. She turned in his embrace and brought his hands around to her belly. He’d felt her reaching out to him in the force, her ethereal presence somehow touching his mind. There was something else with it this time, however, something that was both foreign and familiar, and as it moved in his mind, he felt a flutter beneath her skin. ‘Leia… is this… is this what I think it is?’ ‘I think so. Our child.’
She cried out in pain, bringing him abruptly back to the delivery room, and suddenly, the commotion was broken by the piercing cry of a tiny infant. Han pressed his lips into Leia’s sweat-drenched forehead. “I love you.” He whispered. Her cries of pain gave way to gasps of exhaustion and tears of joy as their son was placed on her chest. Everything else fell away as he looked down on his little family. Leia’s hand left his to reach up and brush his tiny cheeks.
“Hello, little one.” She whispered. Han felt his eyes welling up with tears and there was a lump in his throat he couldn’t possibly swallow. He gently traced the edge of the child’s face with his thumb. It was staggering to believe that this tiny little baby, this living, breathing human being, was created because of his and Leia’s love for each other. He and the maddening, annoying, crazy, uptight, beautiful princess from the detention center had created the life that was screaming and squirming on Leia’s chest.
One of the nurses took the child to be cleaned quickly and Han gently kissed Leia and dropped his forehead to meet hers.
“You did it, sweetheart.” He whispered, their tears mingling on her cheeks.
“We did it, Han.” Their tender moment was interrupted by the nurses coming to move Leia to a more comfortable bed.
“Here, Dad. Why don’t you take the little guy while we get Mom taken care of?” The doctor asked, passing Han the tiny baby wrapped in a blanket with a little green hat on his head. Han had been worried for some time that he wouldn’t know how to hold a baby, but as the doctor settled the small bundle in his arms, he felt like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Time froze for a moment and Han stood in the center of the room in a state of suspended animation holding his son. A shock of dark hair poked out from under the hat and Leia’s brown eyes looked up at him. My son. Our son.
Han felt a pair of eyes on him and he looked over to the bed. Leia was beaming at him, looking more beautiful than he’d ever seen her.
The infant started to whimper slightly.
“He’s probably hungry.” The nurse told Han, who quickly relinquished the child to Leia.
Luke came back for a few minutes to congratulate his sister and brother-in-law and promised to comm. Chewie as soon as he got back to the jedi temple. Leia fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and Han declined the nurse’s offer to take the baby to the nursery. He was sitting now in an armchair pulled to Leia’s bedside, their fingers intertwined on the bed next to her hip. His other elbow was propped on the arm of the chair and his son was sleeping silently in his protective embrace.
Han could barely remember his family on Corellia. He’d spent much of his youth on his own, doing what he could to stay alive. It hadn’t been until he’d rescued Chewie from the Imps that he’d finally had even one being in the galaxy who cared whether or not he lived or died. Even then, it had taken until his tenure with the rebels and their princess to know any semblance of family. Now, looking between the sleeping faces of Leia and their child, he realized he had a real family. A woman who was eternally bonded to him, and a child, flesh of his flesh.
The silence of the room was broken by the crying of a baby from the next room. Leia, whose body was now set to rouse at the slightest sound of infantile distress, fluttered her eyes open. When she realized it wasn’t her child, she tightened her fingers around Han’s and shifted in bed to look at him.
“We never did decide on a name, you know.” She said quietly, looking into the innocent face of their son.
“Proof-Leia-slept-with-Han Solo is probably out of the question?” He asked teasingly.
“Most definitely.” She said, smiling. “Although, that might prompt the heads of the noble houses to finally accept that we’re in this for the long haul.”
“So you’ll consider it?”
“No.” She replied quickly.
“Well, since we eliminated the obvious one… we talked about Bail. And Ben.”
“Ben. He wouldn’t make a bad Ben.”
“The old fossil was kinda responsible for getting us together, crazy as he was.”
“Benjamin Organa-Solo.” Leia said. The idea of their names belonging, together, to another person like that was enough to make Han smile like a kid on Life day. He yawned and decided it was time to put Ben in his bassinet.
“I love you, Leia.” He said, returning to his chair.
“I know.” Mumbled sleepily. The Solo family slept.