NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 9

The night nursing droids checked in on the patients in their care.

The one that checked in on Minister Leia Organa Solo would not have been surprised to see her charge sound asleep, but that her bed was also occupied by a tall man who was also fast asleep.

The minister's vitals were all within normal limits, and while co-ed sleepovers were not regular, she was not about to interrupt them. It looked as if both of them could use it.

01123581321345589144233377610987

Leia managed to have no more fever spikes in forty-eight hours and was released. The night before, they'd taken out her IV lines and she was able to take a water shower. She was surprised at how weak she'd felt but Han had joined her. The shower in the medicenter was small, about the size of the one on the Falcon, but Leia had never appreciated one more. Han had washed the bacta off of her skin and out of her hair. She'd slept very well.

What was most amazing, however, was the lack of holorazzi. A few diehards were present, but Han glared at them and cursed them in several languages. Leia was trying not to laugh.

"I don't know what Mon Mothma did, but it sure as hells worked," Han commented with a smile. "In addition to offering to take care of the kids, she said she'd chase off the media psychos."

Leia smiled at him. "I have a feeling she enjoyed this."

"Way too much, probably. Ready to go home?"

"You know it, Flyboy."

01123581321345589144233377610987

The apartment was decorated with flimsies featuring 'Welcome Home Mommy!' and flowers, animals, and hearts. Leia was nearly mowed down by her three very happy and enthusiastic children, all so relieved to see their mother.

"Okay, guys, Mommy's still tired, so let's go easy on her," Han urged Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. Chewie had given Leia what was a mild hug by Wookiee standards. The kids led Leia to the sofa and began piling it with blankets and pillows from their rooms, and there were more hugs and kisses between mother and kids than had occurred in recorded history.

"I was scared, Mommy," Anakin said quietly, trying to snuggle in close to his mother. "I was scared you died."

"No, honey, I knew I'd come back to take care of you." Leia had no reason to tell them how close she'd come. She was also grateful that her children were still too young to understand the Force. They were frightened enough without being able to see things they couldn't comprehend.

Jaina brought her mother an asteria water. "So you won't get thirsty," Jaina explained, all five year old earnestness.

Jacen brought his two pittinlings, Krag and Marsune, and placed them on his mother's chest. "They missed you, too," he told her. Leia liked animals; she'd enjoyed pets as a child and pittins had been among them.

"Did you miss us, Mommy?" Jaina asked Leia.

"You have no idea," Leia said to them. "I thought about you the entire time, how much I wanted to get better so I could see you."

The eight bell chime went off. Han pressed the talk button. "Threepio, that'd better be you!" Threepio had been instructed to food shop for the family.

"Sorry, it's us," Luke said, laughing. "Okay if I come up and see my sister for a few?"

Han released the doorways so that they could enter the complex. "Looks like your saviors are here," he told Leia.

"Don't tell them that," Leia ordered him. "Their heads are swollen enough as is." They both laughed. Leia was, of course, grateful for their efforts. It didn't solve the problem of the bacta shortage, but she was going to put that near the top of her agenda once she returned to work.

Naturally, the kids were thrilled to see Luke and Lando, so it took several minutes for them to be released.

Jacen narrowed his eyes and stared at his uncle. "Your head's not all swollened up."

"Huh?" Luke seemed momentarily clueless.

"Mommy said that you were gonna get swollened heads!" Jaina remarked gleefully.

"Oh, thanks a lot," Luke said, leaning over to kiss his twin on the forehead. "See if I stick my neck out for you again." Both twins laughed; the easy banter that largely characterized their relationship was intact.

"You look great," Lando said as he sized up Leia.

"You're lying, but I'll take it where I can get it," Leia kidded him back. "Seriously, both of you, thank you. Lando, when did you shave your mustache off?"

"About five days ago. I don't know. What do you think?"

"Not bad at all," Leia said.

"Hmm. Maybe I better grow it back. Listen, I just wanted to see how you were before I head back to Bespin," Lando said, kissing her hand. "There's places to see and sentients to do."

"Let me guess, there's a sabacc tournament," Leia said archly, stifling a yawn.

"Ah, lady, you know me too well," Lando said. "I'm glad you're better."

"So'm I, but I think I'd better get back home," Luke said. He looked at his sister. "And don't scare me like this again!" Leia laughed, as did he.

The eight bell chime sounded again.

"Threepio! Where're the groceries?" Han demanded.

"I have them with me, Captain."

Threepio was admitted, and to everyone's surprise, a droid who looked very much like him was accompanying him.

"Mistress Leia, Captain Solo, I would like to introduce C4PL." If droids could have blushed, Threepio would have been bright red. "C4PL is a protocol droid, and we met at a...cooking class."

C4PL was equally bashful. "It's nice to meet everyone. I would love to cook a meal for you. I have over six hundred thousand recipes from all over the galaxy at my disposal."

Han nodded. "Have at it."

01123581321345589144233377610987

The meal prepared by C4PL, who instructed Threepio in ancillary tasks, was nothing short of divine. Dinner was Alderaanian everything, and Leia ate ravenously, which relieved Han. She had lost weight during the past week, and she was small to begin with.

"Mistress Leia, Captain, do you require any more this evening?" Threepio asked them. "I must escort Ceely to her home. She also works for a family with three children."

"No problem. Thank you for the delicious dinner," Leia said, smiling at the pair of droids.

"The pleasure was mine," C4PL said, and they ducked out.

Leia looked up at Han, brow furrowed.

"I wonder what they do when they're together," she murmured.

"I don't even want to go there," Han said. "I'll get these kids bathed and then you can read them 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub' to them."

01123581321345589144233377610987

Shortly after the children were tucked into bed, Han and Leia retreated to their room. Leia was exhausted, and Han was as well; he hadn't fully realized how much the previous week had taken out of him.

Leia's head was on Han's chest near his heart, her arm draped over his waist, his over her shoulder. He knew he had nearly lost her, and he was bound and determined that it would never happen again. He didn't care what he had to do, and the legality of his actions didn't matter to him.

"I was really scared," Leia said softly.

"You weren't the only one," Han told her, kissing her temple. What he didn't say was that if she had died, his soul would have gone with her.

"You know that we have to do something about the bacta problem," Leia said. "But right now, I'm just happy to be here with what matters most."

Han had many things to say to her, but they could wait.

"I could never have done it," Leia said, raising herself to kiss her husband. "Not without you by my side."