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"MO--ommmmmmmmmmm!" Jaina Solo shrieked, managing to draw out the single syllable until it was almost undistinguishable.

"Jacen!"

"It's not me, Mom, it's Ani!"

"Anakin! Don't torment your sister!"

"It's not me, Mom! It's her!"

"Mom!! It's not me, I'm just minding my own…."

Leia Organa Solo dropped her head against the back of her sofa with a sigh, closing her eyes to drown out the squabbling of her children down the hall. A shadow fell over her face and she opened her eyes, looking up into her husband's eyes, ignoring the smirk tilting his lips.

He opened his mouth, when Jaina screeched again. "MOom!!!"

Leia started to rise, but Han held her shoulders fast and kept her seated.

"Is Anakin using a lightsaber?" he called to Jaina.

"What?" Jaina sounded confused. "No!" she called back.

"A blaster?"

"No," she answered.

"Is he hitting you or drawing blood in any way?"

"Dad!"

"Are you bleeding?" Han would not be swayed.

"No," Jaina called back, annoyed.

"Then work it out yourselves!" Han called, winking down at his princess.

Silence reigned for a moment, before the usual squabbles began again, quieter than they had been before, however.

"And that's how you deal with children, Your Worship," Han said, leaning down and pecking Leia's upside down smile.

"Thank you." She grinned up at him in relief. "I don't know what's gotten into them today."

"You mean they don't always act this way?" Han widened his eyes, feigning surprise.

"Nerf," she said, pulling him down with her on the settee.

Han nuzzled her neck. "Dinner's almost ready," he whispered.

Leia gave a quiet groan. "Do we have to get up?"

"Nah," he kissed her. "Little heathens can fend for themselves."

"Mmmmm…" Maybe they could have a few moments, she hoped, leaning into the kiss.

"DADDDDD!"

The kissing couple jerked apart, Han imitating Leia's earlier pose by rolling his head back onto the back of the settee, and groaning.

"Dad! Jaina won't give my datapad back!"

"This one is mine, nerf! You can't write your girlfriend on it."

"No, it isn't! And I'm not writing a girl… Dad!! Jaina's teasing me!!"

"Don't tease your brother!" Leia called automatically, listening while Jaina ignored her and kept making cracks about a little girl Anakin had befriended in school.

Dropping her own head beside her husband's and sliding a look to him from the corner of her eye, Leia said, "Looks like it's your turn, Dad."

"And just what are you going to do while I'm in there with the screaming trio?" Han didn't look ready to budge.

"I'm going to walk down to Luke's and see if he'd like to come for dinner. We have more than enough, and we haven't seen much of him since he came back … What with the peace treaty and the kids coming home and Mara—it'll be good to see him."

"Why don't you just com him?"

"Dadddd!!! Mom?! Jaina still has—give it back!!" Anakin screeched from the direction of the children's bedrooms.

"Dear Eleri, I think you're super wizard…" Jaina read aloud from Anakin's letter in a sing-song voice.

"JAINA!"

Leia quirked one eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah," Han pushed himself up with a long suffering sigh. "Go get your peace and quiet, and your brother, then, Princess. I'll deal with this lot."

Leia stood and ran a hand over her hair, making sure it wasn't too mussed from Han's wondering hands.

"All right, all right, what's the problem?" she heard him addressing the children, as she walked out of the door, a Noghri bodyguard slipping out behind her quietly.

The walk to Luke's was peaceful; the only screaming children belonging to others. Seeking to announce her presence, Leia cast out for her brother in the Force, frowning when she realized he was shielding himself. And not just with his every-day shields, no—this… What was he doing?

She'd not seen much of him since he'd returned with Mara and the Caamas Document in tow, muttering something about telling them more about where they'd found it and what they had been doing later. Later came and went, and still she had not seen her brother, and had barely spoken to him except to tell him of the peace treaty and receive his enthusiastic hug in response.

"What are you up to, little brother?" Leia whispered, arriving and pressing his door announcer, reaching once more for his presence.

A pique of surprise bled out from the tightly woven shields of the Jedi Master, and Leia frowned. Turning her ear towards the door, she could faintly make out quiet murmurings… Who was in there with him?

"Leia!" the door slid open, and there was her brother, hurriedly wrapping her into an embrace.

"Luke," she leaned into his hug, squeezing him before stepping back to look at him. "How are you?"

"Ah—fine, fine," Luke jerked is head slightly, almost as if he wanted to glance back over his shoulder, but didn't, brushing his hair back from his forehead, instead.

Leia showed him a confused smile, standing in the doorway of his apartment. Looking at him, she noticed that the front of his tunic was buttoned incorrectly, as if he'd thrown it on quickly, and missed the first button. His hair was sticking in odd angles, not helped by the hand he'd just run through it.

"Oh… Were you sleeping?" she asked, wondering why she was still hovering in his doorway.

"What—oh, um…" Luke appeared lost for words.

"For gods' sake, Luke, let her in," Mara Jade said, appearing behind Luke almost as if out of thin air, smiling over his shoulder at Leia. "Hello." She gave a small smile.

"Mara." Leia smiled, skirting around Luke and walking into his suite. "I thought you'd be back on the Wild Karrde by now."

"Karrde gave me a little time, the peace treaty, and all," Mara answered, following Leia further into the room.

"That's nice," Leia said, meaning it, thinking that it probably would be nice for Mara to have some time off. But did a woman like Mara ever vacation?

Leia sat on Luke's settee, looking up at the man and woman who stood now, inches apart from one another facing her. She narrowed her eyes at Mara's attire. The trousers were definitely hers, Leia recognized the stylish, yet practical cut that Mara often wore, but the shirt… It was a bit too large, and white—gapped open at the collar. It almost reminded Leia of one of Luke's old shirts…

Her hair, too, was different than she normally wore it, not in a braid, but loose, slightly mussed, as if she had been running her fingers through it.

She… or someone…

Leia's eyes widened.

"…. to drink, Leia?"

"What?" she asked.

"Do you want something to drink?" Luke asked again, edging towards his kitchen.

"Oh, uh, yes, a quick one would be nice," Leia answered. "I was actually coming to invite you to dinner, Luke… You're more than welcome as well, Mara." She extended the invitation.

Mara nodded, looking back into the kitchen. Luke walked out with three mugs, handing one off to Mara as he passed.

"Here you go," Luke leaned down and handed the mug to Leia carefully. "It's hot."

"Thanks," she said, taking a small sip. It was hot. "So… What have you two been doing today?"

"Uh…" Luke's cheeks were tinged red. Leia smiled to herself, suspicions confirmed.

"Just talking," Mara answered for him, eyeing Leia over the rim of her cup. "Figuring out how all the monumental changes of the past few weeks will affect our lives."

Monumental indeed, Leia thought, taking another sip of her drink. She put it down on the occasional table. "Well, I don't really have too much time," she said, eyes flickering to the chrono on the wall, "but I do hope you'll both come up. Han said dinner should be ready very soon."

She stood and smiled at Mara, before raising up on her toes to kiss Luke on the cheek. Is that lipstick on his ear?

Luke looked at Mara, before walking Leia to the door. "Uh, yeah… we'll be up there… in, um… just a few."

"Good!" she said, stepping out into the hall. "Don't be too long."

Luke's door slid shut, and Leia grinned, hurrying back up to her apartment almost faster than her guard could follow.

"Hey!" Han said, when she burst in. "Where's the fire, Princess?"

"It's just… Han, you'll never believe…"

"Anakin and Eleri," Jaina taunted her brother, running into the main room right on his heels.

Leia frowned. She cocked a brow at Han in an 'I thought you were taking care of this' look.

Han shrugged.

Rolling her eyes, Leia scolded her daughter. "Don't tease your brother. He can be friends with whomever he chooses."

Jaina frowned at Anakin's smirk, following him into the dining room were Jacen already sat.

"Well, is Luke coming to eat?" Han asked, just as the door buzzed. He opened it quickly. "Kid! How are … Mara? How nice to see you." Han turned and gave Leia a quizzical look, before his eyes widened.

Noting his dawning comprehension, Leia nodded.

Han grinned. "Come in," he said heartily, ushering the couple in. "Hope you're ready to eat. I made my specialty."

"You cook?" Mara asked, stepping in beside Luke. Leia noticed her hair was once again in perfect order, pulled back in a tight braid. Too, she was wearing a different shirt, one of her own, this time.

"Of course I cook! Haven't you told her, Kid?"

"Han cooks," Luke said to Mara, grinning.

"You don't say," she replied.

"Well, come on, the kids are dying to see you," Leia said, taking Luke's arm and leading him into the dining room. The lipstick was still on his ear, matching the color now gracing Mara's lips.

Joyous cries of "Uncle Luke!" came from the kids as he came into the dining room, each of them rising to give him a hug. "Did you know Anakin has a girlfriend?" Jaina asked, after giving her uncle a kiss on the cheek.

"Jaina… Don't tease your brother," Leia reminded, sitting in her chair and waiting for everyone else to follow.

Her daughter frowned, but brightened when Mara sat next to her. "What are you doing here, Mara?" she asked. "I mean…" her eyes widened.

Mara smiled at the girl. "I'm here with your uncle," she said, before looking at Luke pointedly.

"Uh… yeah, actually, that's why we're here. We have something to tell--"

"Here were are," Threepio said, walking into the room, bearing a tray of Han's Corellian stew.

Leia sighed, frustrated. Once everyone had their bowls filled, she looked at Luke. "Something to…?" she prompted.

"Tell you," Luke finished. "Um.. You know that Mara and I have been friends for a long time… Well, while we were away, we realized that there was more to our friendship than we had previously known or realized, and… I've asked her to marry me."

For a long moment, silence reigned over the table, before Leia burst out with, "I knew something had changed when I saw her lipstick on your ear!"

"Ewwwwwwwww!" the boys cried.

"Don't tease your brother, Mom!" Jaina ordered, shaking her head in disapproval.

Luke went red and wiped at his ear, while Mara bit her lip, and Han laughed.

"Well," Han said, raising his glass, "this is great news!"

"Yes, congratulations," Leia said, a bit embarrassed over her earlier outburst. But a wave of love in the Force from her brother quickly assailed that and she grinned at them both. "Welcome to the family, Mara."

Mara smiled back at her, turning when Jaina tapped her arm. "You know, it's funny," the little girl began, "because Anakin has a new girlfriend, too…"

"Moommmmmmmmmmm!"

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Just some family fluff. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to the wonderful Jedi Trace for the germ of a story idea here and to all of you for all of the kind reviews!