jedi_librettist | Your prison is walking this world all alone

Ben leaned against the wall, waiting to land. He hadn't expected to feel a tiny hand grab his leg and a small voice to say "Dada, don't go."

He turned and knelt in front of the child. "I have to, Ani. You'll understand when you're older. I wish I didn't but..."

"Unca Bai says you stay."

Unca Bai

He hadn't expected the kid to talk up, he hadn't even noticed the kid hanging around. Vaguely, Solo wondered how much Ani had overheard, but supposed it didn't matter much - he was too young to understand any of it, really.

"Ani, I..." Ben hesitated, trying to find the words to explain to a toddler why he had to leave. "I wish could stay."

Well, there was no way the kid was going to accept that. He sighed.

"I've got to bring us in for landing," he announced, making his way to the cock-pit. Leia would be there as soon as the doors opened.

Ben stood and stared at the door. He tried to send Ani to his brother as they landed. He took a deep breath and opened the door. And froze when he saw his mother.

"Ben." Leia sounded near tears as she stared at her long missing and now found son. A quick glance found him to be just as tall as his twin, though with a far thinner frame. He would need to get a full medical, find out what was needed to get him on the right path, that was what logic was telling her. Though logic was being ignored by the sheer feelings of joy that her son was back. She held open her arms in his direction, hoping that he might come forward.

"Welcome home. We've missed you so much."

"Mom..." he said quietly, his voice choked.

He hung his head, letting his hair fall forward to hide his face. He didn't move right away, both too stunned to react and too ashamed to accept her affection. But finally, he convinced himself to go to her. At least he'd have this to remember before she sent him away again.

"I missed you, too."

Leia hugged him tightly, still unable to believe he was there before her.

"We looked everywhere... I could hardly believe it when Bail said he found you."

Ben stiffened, not used to being held tight like this. He lifted his arms and wrapped them gently around her. Part of him wanted to yell at her that clearly they hadn't looked everywhere because here he is. The rest of him just wanted to try to pretend the last fourteen years never happened.

Little feet ran down the ramp and a tiny body crashed into him. "Dada, who this?"

Leia pulled back just slightly at the voice. Her eyebrows raised as she looked between the child and her son.

"And this is...?"

Ben knelt and picked up the little boy. Seeing them together like that, it was obvious they were related. He hesitated, not meeting her eyes.

"Mom, this is Ani." He took a deep breath. "Solo."

Leia blinked. That was... not what she had expected to hear. She smiled.

"Hello, Ani," she said with a bright smile. "I'm your Grandma Leia."

Ani beamed at her and then hid his face against Ben's shoulder.

Ben bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder. Surely his brother wasn't planning to stay on the ship the whole time. It was too much.

As if he heard heard his brother's thoughts, Solo made his way out of the ship. He saw Leia standing close to Ben and wondered what the hell Ben had said about Ani to explain him. Not that he would ask, not yet. He shrugged, and gave a wave in his mother's direction.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Your brother," she said to Ben, "always has a habit for never greeting properly."

Ben turned to see where his mother looked and then shrugged his shoulders. He made a mental note to always greet his mother properly.

The toddler filled the silence by asking why "Unca Bai" hadn't joined them.

"Because he's very rude," Leia answered Ani with a serious face, even if her tone was gentle and filled with a good deal of humour. Evidently, Solo did hear them because he rolled his eyes.

"Because he's not interrupting a conversation," he responded, walking over. "But if I'm being hailed, I might as well."

Ben blushed when his son giggled at his mother. He could hear the joke in his mother's words but the subject was a bit too serious for him. "Mom, don't..."

He felt himself breathe a little easier when Bail joined them. "He was asking for you."

"The kid? And here I thought he didn't like me." He rolled his eyes.

"Bail. Be nice," Leia scolded.

"No, Bail's right." Ben shook his head. "Ani cried whenever he was alone with him a week ago."

Ani pouted. "Him not Dada."

Leia laughed a little. "It seems Ani has made his preference for company clear, then." She smiled at the little boy, and gave a hopeful smile. "I hope I get included in the likes list?"

Solo snorted. Like she wouldn't.

Ani narrowed his eyes at her. "What Grandma mean?"

Ben's jaw dropped. "Mom, I... He... I'm sorry..."

"I mean I hope you end up liking me," she said, still smiling. She glanced at Ben, and gave a look to reassure him. She did have experience with dealing with young and very opinionated children - she survived him and his brother, after all.

Solo was just amused.

"But what it mean?" the child persisted, tugging on Ben's hair.

Ben sighed and removed his hair from his son's grip, glaring at his brother. "It means she's your Dada's mom. She's my mom, Ani. And it's not funny, Bail."

"It's a bit funny," he responded with a shrug.

"He's not a joke." Ben held his son tightly and angled him away from his twin. "You know this isn't funny."

"Dada!" Ani squirmed in his arms and babbled something in what sounded like Mandos.

Ben froze and nearly dropped him. He'd met a few Mandos and it had been a generally unpleasant experience.

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