Permanent Mark

Chapter Eight

Rey tumbles in her sleep, clutching her pilot doll to her chest. The nightmares have returned. She cries out.

"Ben!"

Leia immediately bolts down the hall, having left her door ajar, knowing this might happen. She pulls the child to her but can't seem to calm her.

"Han!" She calls out.

"Han!"

Han appears, half asleep but aware of poor Rey's panic.

"Give her to me. I did this with Ben, remember?"

Han scoops her up and leaves the room with her. Rey is still thrashing but he holds onto her tightly. He goes to Ben's bed, hoping it will calm her.

"Rey... Rey....it's okay" he whispers. "Ben isn't here but it's okay....wake up..."

Rey opens her eyes to a face that resembles her Ben. His voice has that same baritone.

"Ben?" she asks, confused.

Han's smile is also so much like his son's.

"No, hun. It's me, Han. I'm sorry it's not Ben."

She burrows her head into his chest. It's not Ben but it's close enough.

"Han....thank you for waking me."

Han sighs, recalling so many nights when he'd hold a screaming ebony-haired boy. He knows he's never been a great father but he became an expert on calming the nightmares of his son. Until the young boy became an older boy and had informed him he was too old to be held. He was about this age, too. But he sensed no hesitation from this young girl.

Maybe girls were different. Even his wife, who had been nineteen when they met, seemed comfortable with being held by him when afraid.

Han knew he had charm with the opposite sex. He'd always been a sucker for them. He guessed maybe even the youngest of them.

This girl had wiggled her way into the heart of the Organa-Solo clan.

He held her until she became heavy in his arms, then laid her down.

He looked up then to see the eyes of his wife, looking rather beautiful in the moonlight coming through the window. He smiled.

"She's getting to you, Han Solo."

He looked down at the young girl and covered her, positioning her pilot doll under her chin.

"Yeah, she's something alright. You look so pretty standing there, Princess."

Leia is surprised at her husband's kind words. She blushes for the first time in years.

"You think she might be okay in here? Maybe she should just sleep here now?" Han asks, looking down at Rey, concerned.

Leia reaches down, smoothing Rey's hair back.

"I have a set of comms. We can leave one to an open channel so we can hear her if she needs us." Leia whispers.

Han looks confused. "We'll just leave our door open, like earlier."

Leia walks up to Han, lifting his shirt to feel his bare skin with her hands. Something about seeing him take care of sweet Rey had reminded her of how much she loved this scoundrel.

"I think we better close our door, don't you?"

He flashes that crooked grin that melted her years ago.

"Well hello there, my princess girl."

Leia silently takes his hand and leads him back to their room.