Father's Day Submission #2 - by Epcot Expert

The following story was submitted by Epcot Expert in response to the Father's Day Challenge.

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Father's Day Submission by Epcot Expert

"Where does he live? I want his head on a plate!" Han yelled as he stormed into their apartment on Coruscant. "I'll blast him faster than he can say our daughter's name again, or better yet, I'll call Chewie and have him rip this kid's arms out of his sockets!"

Leia laughed a bit as she walked from the kitchen. "Han, calm..."

"No Leia, I will not calm down! Who does he think he is?"

"Han," she said as she made her way up to him and stopped when she was close, putting her hands onto his firm chest and pushing briefly. She looked up into his familiar eyes, which were filled with the rage she knew so well from the days before Bespin, and even after that, "she'll get over it. Calm down."

"But Leia!" he cried, the anger beginning to subside. "Do you understand what he did to our little girl?"

Leia smiled, amused with his argument, "Yes, I do, but that does not give you any reason to kill him. She can take care of herself."

"I think it gives me every reason!"

"Han, listen" she spoke with a calm voice. "I'm going to go back and finish making dinner. You go talk to her, Ok?"

"I have to talk to her? Isn't that your job while I go out and kill the boy who broke her heart?"

"No. You know Jaina. The only one who is going to calm her down is you."

"I guess," he said, looking down at her and grabbing one of her hands as he spoke, "but you promise that if she wants we can kill him?"

Leia brought her husband down into a quick kiss, "I can't promise anything. Just go talk to her."

Han sighed, "alright." As Leia made her way back to the kitchen, Han walked through the apartment. They had lived there since the twins were born 16 years previous, and there were more memories that lived in every piece of it to match those he saw in the Falcon. He remembered the first time his daughter had walked, or the first time Jacen had called him dad. It was all here, and as he grew closer to Jain's room, he realized that these were really the moments he loved the most. The moments where he was their protector and their father. Where he could help them and teach them about the galaxy he spent so long trying to figure out.

Through the door he could hear the quiet sound of sobbing from the other side. He knocked slowly, "Jaina?"

No response.

"Jaina, can I come in? It's dad."

He heard movement on the other side of the wall and slowly the door opened. He towered over her, much like he did next to his wife, but when he saw her face it was like something broke. He wasn't angry anymore. His only concern was her.

"Mom told me what happened."

"She did?" she asked, trying to wipe away her tears.

"Yeah" Han continued, making his way through the door and closing it behind them. "You ok?"

Jaina sniffled, "I don't know dad." She sat back down on her bed, leaving her father standing in the doorway. Han sighed and followed her, sitting next to her.

"It's not the end of the world you know."

"It sure feels like it. Dad, how could he do this to me?"

Han put an arm around her shoulder and rubbed it. "Well I'm not him, but I'll tell you a story."

Jaina laughed, "this isn't another one about how you and mom had arguments for three years that shook the bases of the Rebel Alliance, is it?"

He laughed right along with her, "You bet it is. It's important for you to hear these!"

"Whatever you say dad," she responded, shaking her head back and forth. "Go on. What's the story?"

"Well Jaina, back during those times when your mom and I had arguments for three years that shook the bases of the Rebel Alliance, there were times we helped each other too." He looked away from his daughter and smiled, as if looking at a holofilm, the memory displayed on an invisible screen. "There was this one time that I remember your mom being completely upset. It wasn't long after a battle that took the life of one of her best friends."

"I thought the Empire took away Alderaan?"

"Well yeah Jaina," he continued, "they did. But they took a lot more than that."

"Did they take anything from you?"

Han sighed, "Yeah. They even took from me."

"What did they take?"

"Lots of things, but this story is about your mother, ok?" he asked.

"Oh, alright dad," she said, a bit confused. "So there was a battle and mom lost a good friend?"

"When I found her she just kept repeating that it wasn't fair and that it was the end of the world all over again."

"Kind of like how I feel right now?"

"Exactly like how you feel right now" he continued, pulling her closer. "In fact, she was acting a lot like you are right now"

"I thought I'm like you, not mom" she continued, folding her arms across her chest.

Han laughed loudly, "You are Jaina, or at least I like to think so. But apparently when you're upset you're just like your mom. Then again, you're a lot like her when you're angry too. Or just all the time. You're a perfect mix of us, making you one of the best girls in the galaxy."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. It might be my job to tell you that, but if some guy out there isn't able to see that too, then he isn't worth your time. Plus, when your mom was all upset, I would sit with her just like I am with you now, and you know what?"

"What dad?"

"She was wrong. Her friend made a terrible loss, but it wasn't the end of the world. Look at everything your mom has now. She's got me, of course" he said with a smile that made his daughter do the same, "and Jacen and Anakin and especially, she's got you."

Jaina's smile widened. "Thanks dad. I love you" she said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

Han rested his chin on the top of her head, his own arms wrapped around his daughter. "I love you too Jaina."

They stayed like that for a minute, but when they did part, Han saw something in her eyes. "So dad. Now that I'm over Erik, can we go see if Uncle Chewie will rip his arms out of his sockets for us?"

Standing, Han laughed as he opened the door, "You know, nothing sounds better. Maybe you are more like me than your mom."

"Is there something wrong with that?" she asked, following him into the hallway.

"No, nothing at at."