Back To The Beginning [Star Wars EU Fanfic]

Chapter Twelve

One of my favorite things about the EU is that Lando introduced Luke to a foreign, exotic drink called Hot Chocolate and Luke drinks it all the time and Threepio is constantly worried that it's going to poison Luke one day.

Luke's eyes popped open. I wonder if being a Jedi is really worth it, he thought, You get awful cramps from your dreams.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked over at Mara. She was so beautiful to him. What could she possibly be hiding that would change the fate of the whole galaxy? 

On impulse, he leaned down and gently kissed her cheek. Pulling on a robe, he went into the kitchen to get some hot chocolate. He felt small presence creeping up behind him, and to give his son some fun, Luke decided not to notice him.

"Raaaarrrwww!" Ben screamed as he leaped onto Luke's back. "I got ya, daddy!"

"That you did, little Jedi," Luke smiled and shifted Ben up to his torso. "Now what are you doing up this early? It's barely sun-up!"

"I heard you get up and I thought you'd wanna hear the dream I had a while ago. I 'ready told Jayabut I think you wanna hear it too."

Luke turned around and shifted Ben to sit in his arm. "Well, let's go sit on the couch and you can help me finish this hot chocolate while we hear about this vision." 

Luke carried Ben into the living room and sat his son next to him on the couch with his own mug of hot chocolate, much bigger than any mug Ben had used back home. Sooon enough, the little boy had a milk mustache, and from his pleased grin, Luke had one as well. Once their chocolate was all gone, Ben related his story. Luke listened intently, deep in thought as Ben finished.

"Daddy?" Ben asked quietly. His small voice was quavering more than he had when he woke up, and Luke quickly reached out with the force to boost Ben's emotions.

"Yes Ben?"

"Are you scared about us not getting home?"

"Ben, I already told you. We're going home very soon. Your mommy and I know everything that we have to do to get home, but we're just scared to do it. But you shouldn't worry about that. Why don't you go wake up your sister and I'll start breakfast."

"What about mommy?"

"I think I'll let your mother sleep in a little bit longer this morning. She had a hard night last night...but I'm sure you know all about our conversation, right?"

Ben quickly covered his mouth and turned several shades of red before running towards his sister's room.

Luke laughed and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

**************

"Leia? Hey Leia? Coruscaunt to Leia? Anyone in there?" Han was waving his hand around in front of Leia's face, but she simply stared ahead with a blank, frustrated face, not answering Han's call.

"Mom? Come on, Mom, snap out of it!" Jacen shouted in her direction.

Leia quickly blinked and loooked up at her husband and kids gathered around the breakfast table. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed, "I guess my mind was somewhere else."

"Jacen, You never yell at your mother, no matter what. You hear me?" Han sternly told his eldest son.

Jacen smiled. "Yeah, sure, whatever dad."

"Hust eat your breakfast," Han waved off. He leaned to Leia. "It's been, what, twenty years? and they still think I joke all the time." He whispered.

"Oh yes, Han, I was very convinced at that "father's tone" in your voice." It took all of Leia's years of diplomatic training to keep from cracking up like Anakin and the twins were. 

"Seriously, Han, I think that they wouldn't listen to you if they thought you were so solemn all of the time. In fact, they probably love having a father just like you."

"Well," Han grunted, "At least someone in our family has a good father. Have you realized that no one we're related to was raised by their real father?"

Mara was taken from her parents by the Emperor at an age too early to remember her parents. Han was taken in by a poor foster family who gave him the best that they could on Imperial Corellia. Luke was raised by his Aunt and Uncle-if they really were that- and not told a thing about his parents except that they were dead. And Leia had been split from her twin and grew up believing that Bail and Breha Organa were her real parents, only to discover the truths after their horrific deaths.

Leia shot back from her husband, "Well at least your father wasn't a monster who destroyed hundreds of lives!" The tears had started to fall, and Leia ran from the roof.

"Wow," Anakin broke the following silence, "Has Mom ever yelled at you like that?"

"No. I think something's wrong. I'm going to try and find out, you kids finish the dishes." 

Han got up and started to leave. About halfway to the door he added, "I'm really being serious this time!"

The grins on the kids' faces turned to frowns as they picked up their dishes and headed for the sink.

**************

Leia was crying uncontrollably in the master bedroom of their suite. Han slowly entered and silently sat by her on the bed, tenderly stroking her not-brown hair. Leia melted into his arms, and her cried eventually died off.

"I'm sorry, Han," She said through sobs. "I don't know what came over me. Lately I've been have all of these strange feelings and dreams, and I don't know what any of them mean, but they all have something to do with Anakin becoming Darth Vader and I've just started to hate him even more as I see this kind little boy and this monster who takes over his life, it's just awful..."

"Whoa, Leia," Han stopped her. "You've been having dreams too? Like said that he's been getting a lot of them too, even Ben is starting to have these weird dreams."

Leia noticed his arm around her shoulders as Han bit his lip and looked out the window.

"It makes me feel like something important is about to happen."

"Yes," Leia agreed. "But I doubt any of us are ready for it."