Rating: PG

Type: Vignette

What Does It Want?

Luke wasn't certain who it was who actually lost the bet, either him, or Wes Janson. Apparently Wes had lost to Han in sabaac, and because of that, he ended up with babysitting duty, but Leia wouldn't agree to it unless Luke was there to help. He and Wes had decided to each take a kid, and surprisingly enough, Wes chose Jaina because she was sleeping. Luke shook his head, watching as the other man lounged on the couch, helping himself to all the food in the refrigeration unit, while he focused on feeding the other baby. Jacen was basically content to just feed on his bottle, unless Wes laughed too loudly at Hidden Holo. (A show which he claimed he had the idea for, but it was stolen from him while he was out saving the galaxy. The nerve.)

Wes laughed particularly loud at an exploding 'fresher, and beamed at Luke. "Did that to Cracken once."

Jacen released the bottle to look at Wes, and Luke had to wiggle it in his mouth to get him to take it again. "I believe it."

"You know how rich I'd be if they hadn't stolen the idea from me?" Wes complained, folding his arms.

Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes. "The galaxy thanks you, Wes."

Jacen looked up at Luke, reached his pudgy little hands up, and started tracing Luke's fingers with his own. This broke his concentration again, and Luke had to keep reminding him of the bottle, while listening to Wes' monologue of how he'd done that, planned that, would have executed it much better....

Then Jaina woke up.

It took Wes a moment to realize she was awake. "Is the refrigeration unit acting up?"

Force help the man's wife. If he ever found one. "Jaina's crying."

Wes frowned. "Can it wait for a commercial?"

Luke shook his head. "Only if you'd care to tell Leia that."

Paling, Wes immediately got to his feet and headed toward the nursery. Once he was out of earshot, Luke chuckled, which distracted Jacen again.

A moment later he appeared again, holding a screaming Jaina at arms length. "What does it want?"

"She wants to be held better," Luke said, putting down Jacen who had now lost complete interest in his bottle.

Wes lifted her up, turning her to face him. "How do you want to be held?"

Jaina kicked her feet, screaming louder.

"Not like that, apparently," Wes said, looking to Luke for help.

"Hold her close," Luke said, tickling Jacen's chin who was standing up against the couch, sucking on his knee.

Wes pulled her closer, holding her awkwardly against his stomach. "Like this?"

Luke lifted his arms up, demonstrating. "Hold her up against your shoulder."

"Like this?" Wes asked again, now holding her up higher.

"Yes," Luke said, nodding. "Now pat her back."

Wes tentatively patted her back, but she only cried harder. "Now what?"

Sighing, Luke moved Jacen from his knee and got up, coming around Wes. "We play peek a boo."

"Peek a boo?" Wes asked, sounding horrified.

"She loves it," Luke covered his face with his hands, held it, then said, "peek a boo!"

Jaina was silent for a moment, giving him a smile around her tears. Laughing slightly, she curled her hands into fists, then started crying again.

So Luke played peek a boo with her a few minutes, until she started giggling, and Jacen started crying.

Luke rushed to lift him up, patting his back and bouncing him slightly. Jacen always got a little jealous whenever he noticed that Jaina had all the attention. He was usually too much off in his own little world to catch on to it right away. It was no wonder Jaina was a little more spoiled, and Luke had fought back a grin when Wes had chosen her.

Jacen climbed up him a bit, grabbing his hair and running both hands through it. Luke turned his head to watch Wes, noticing he had a hold of Jaina's left hand, and was dancing with her around the room.

Apparently 'peek a boo' was unacceptable.

As soon as he had gone around the entire room, Wes dramatically dipped her, bringing her up quickly and eliciting a giggle. She grabbed his cheeks, and then pressed her mouth against his cheek for a moment. "Ugh," Wes said, moving her away, holding her at arms length and rubbing his cheek. "What was that?"

"Has it been too long for you to recognize it?" Luke teased, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Wes demanded, confused.

"She kissed you."

Wes made a face. "That's disgusting."

Luke shrugged. "Better than biting."

He held her out further. "Why do people have kids again?"

"Keep the family name?" Luke offered.

Wes yawned, pulling Jaina close again as she started to whine. "Not good enough."

"Brings joy into their lives?"

Jacen tugged hard on Luke's hair, causing Luke to wince. Wes gave him a very pointed look, then rubbed his still wet cheek. "Right."

Luke pursed his lips, thinking for a moment as he placed Jacen down. His nephew whined, grasping Luke's pant legs and pulling himself up. Reaching down, Luke offered his fingers to Jacen, who held onto them, happily standing. "Women love them."

Wes tipped his head to the side, giving Jaina and Jacen considering looks. "Really?"

Nodding, Luke started to walk slowly with Jacen. "Most of the ones I know anyway."

The other man was still skeptical. "Not any I've met."

"Oh?" Luke asked, looking up. "And I thought you knew Inyri Forge."

"She said that?" Wes asked, too distracted to notice Jaina sucking on his shoulder.

Luke shrugged. "Maybe."

"What did she say, exactly?"

"Can't remember, exactly...."

Wes frowned, then suddenly held Jaina away from him again, his nose wrinkling up. "I think something died," he said, waving his hand in front of his nose. "In her clothes."

"You've just reminded me," Luke said, a sly smile forming on his lips. "I believe it was something about there being nothing more attractive than a man changing a diaper."

"You expect me to believe that?" Wes asked, disbelievingly.

Luke placed Jacen down, letting him crawl. "Why not?"

Wes shook his head. "Because it doesn't make sense." He offered Jaina to Luke. "You do it."

"In a moment," Luke said, just as he heard a knock on the door. "We have a visitor." He crossed the room and headed over to the door to answer it. "Inyri," Luke said as soon as he opened the door, loud enough for Wes to hear. "What a surprise."

"Yeah, right," Inyri said moving past him. "Have to check on the poor kids Solo let Janson loose on." She smiled at him. "Though I guess, at the least, you're here."

"Thanks for your confidence," Luke said dryly, following her into the living room. "I'll change her now, Wes."

Wes flashed Inyri his sloppiest grin. "That's okay Luke, I've done this a thousand times."

Inyri raised an eyebrow. "You mindtricking him?"

Luke shook his head. "Nope."

Digging through a bag, Wes pulled out an assortment of clothes, wipes, and diapers. Studying for a moment, he poked out his tongue, thinking hard. "Uh, Luke, on Tanaab, we have....special forms of diapers. And none of these look like them."

"You sure you're not doing some Jedi thing to him?" Inyri asked, giving Wes an odd look.

"Positive," Luke assured her, coming over to Wes and handing him a diaper. "Sorry, Wes, I didn't realize that about Tanaabians."

"It's okay," Wes said, taking the diaper from him and, with another flashy grin for Inyri, proceeded to change Jaina.

Five minutes later he proudly lifted the baby up, watching Inyri carefully. "All finished."

Inyri coughed. "Her diaper's on backwards."

"Shows what you know," Wes said defensively, hugging Jaina to his shoulder. "She likes it that way."

She spread her hands. "Don't blame me when she leaks on you."

Wes smirked. "That's why she likes it that way....for Han."

Luke laughed. "Better try again, Wes, or Han will have you sitting for him tomorrow night too."

"That's okay," Wes said, eyeing Inyri. "I don't mind kids." Jaina climbed up him again, giving him another long, sloppy kiss. Wes fought back a disgusted look, trying to turn it suave. "That's a kiss, you know."

"That's nice," Inyri said, disinterested.

"Jealous?" Wes asked as Jaina finally released his cheek.

Inyri snorted. "Hardly."

"You can admit it," Wes told her, strutting over and draping his arm across her shoulders. "You can't resist a handsome guy like me."

"Yes, I can," Inyri said, removing his arm from around her shoulders. "I'm only here to check up on a bet."

"Bet?" Wes asked, balancing Jaina's weight in his arms.

Inyri nodded. "We have one going on how long you're going to last. Hobbie says five minutes, Tycho ten, Wedge a half hour..."

Wes frowned. "It's been two hours."

"I know," Inyri said, smiling slowly. "I've won."

Luke was fairly certain that anyone but Wes Janson might be offended that there was a bet going on how long he was going to last watching a couple of babies. Particularly if someone picked only five minutes.

Wes, however, looked cocky, his eyes bright. "You bet in favor of me, Inyri."

"Yeah, well," Inyri colored slightly. "You know what they say...it takes one to know one."

"What?" Wes asked, confused.

Inyri smirked. "I just figured that you'd like to be around people your own mental age."

Wes glared. "They're nine months old."

Looking sheepish, Inyri shrugged. "Also that five minutes was taken.'

"You still were in favor of me," Wes said, draping his arm around her shoulder again. "Secretly, you wanted me to last."

"Why would I care?" Inyri asked, removing his arm again.

"Because," Wes said, winking at her as Jaina planted yet another sloppy kiss on his cheek. "You like me."

Inyri shook her head. "If I liked you, Wes, I would have chosen earlier to relieve you your suffering."

Wes smirked. "You've just said you would have bet five minutes first."

"Make of it what you will," Inyri said, raising her chin. "But it doesn't mean anything."

He shrugged. "You can claim slip of the tongue if you want," he said, then lowered his voice, "or just slip it to me..."

Glaring, Inyri placed her hands on her hips. "If you weren't holding that baby, you'd be dead."

Wes held up his free hand. "Easy, Inyri...there's more than enough of me to go around."

Jaina squirmed then, and Wes held her away from him, revealing a wet spot on the front of his shirt.

Inyri laughed. "And obviously not enough of Han Solo."