Content: I always wondered what happened after that 'he's my brother' kiss at the end of RotJ. Surely, Han would have had a few questions...

Note: While this can be read on its own, I wrote this as part of the 'Empty Spaces' series. Chronologically, it takes place between 'Resolution' and 'Aftershocks.'

'He's my brother.'

For the first few minutes, he had been elated. He kissed her and wrapped her in his arms. They watched with matching grins as the remnants of the half-finished battle station hit the atmosphere with sparks and whistles, like fireworks.

The moment couldn't last. It was too perfect. In Han's experience, if something looked too good to be true…

'Wait,' he said.

Leia had turned around and looked up at him inquisitively.

'Why would you guys keep that a secret? If you and Luke are brother and sister, why didn't you ever tell me?'

It didn't make sense. Luke had never even met Leia before the Death Star. He hadn't even know her name.

Leia's smile remained intact, but a shadow fell across her eyes.

'There's a reason,' she assured him. 'And I promise to tell you. But not now, okay? Just…Can we just enjoy this now? Please?'

His first inclination was to protest, to demand the truth. He felt like he had been fumbling in the dark, trying to find his footing since he woke up in Jabba's Palace a week ago. But she looked so happy. Gods knew they both deserved one moment of peace.

'Fine,' he acquiesced. 'Keep your secrets for now. I think we probably have a celebration to get to.'

The smile lit up her eyes again.

That was twelve hours ago. Han watched as the fires of the victory party cooled to embers with a half-empty tumbler of Corellian brandy warming in his hand.

Maybe he should just let it go. Could he? The battle was won, the war was nearing an end and his friends had lived through it. He had gotten the girl. And his best friend was no longer competition, he was…

No.

It just didn't make any sense.

He ran a hand over his face and looked around him. Lando and Chewie were regaling a captive audience from the Rogue Squadron with stories of their liberation of the slaves on Ylesia. Han smirked as victories were exaggerated, escapes became narrower and details were forgotten with each retelling. If the story seemed far-fetched, the Rogues didn't notice. They were drunk on adrenaline and victory and anything seemed possible.

Han remembered what that felt like.

Where were they? The so-called Skywalker siblings were nowhere to be seen.

'So this lanky, redhead comes running up with a blaster—

'Hey, Calrissian!' Han interrupted.

'Hold on, Han.' Lando put up a finger. 'And she just looks down the barrel of this piece at this Hutt. The blaster was twice the size of her arm—

'Lando!'

'And she just says, "Remember me? You son-of-a—

'LANDO!'

'HAN!' Lando turned to him, 'What's the idea? I'm telling a story here!'

'You seen Leia?'

'She left with Luke about half an hour ago.'

A chorus of jeers and nudges erupted from the Rogues.

'Better keep your eye on your girl, Solo!' Jansen called out. 'Skywalker's a war hero, you know. Wouldn't take much for him to steal her away!'

'Oh yeah? And what am I? Who do you think blew up that deflector shield, Jansen?' Han challenged.

The Rogues hooted at that.

'Alright, alright,' Lando interrupted. 'Go find your girl, old buddy. They looked like they were heading for the village.'

Han mock-saluted him. 'Hey, don't forget to tell them the part where "that redhead" double-crossed you and sold half your fleet to the Rebellion against your will!'

'Oooooh!'

The squadron dissolved into laughter.

'That was cold, Han!' Lando protested.

But he had already disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

'—until tomorrow?'

'Believe me, I don't want to tell him either. But it's not going to get easier if we wait.'

Han heard Leia sigh in response. The darkness hid him as he neared Luke and Leia on the bridge outside of the hut where they had been quartered for the last week.

'I just don't want to see him look at me like I'm…'

'Like you're what?' Luke asked.

Han scuffed his boots loudly on the sodden wooden planks to announce his approach.

'Wondered where you two had gotten off to,' Han said as casually as he could.

Leia jerked in surprise.

'Hey Han,' Luke replied. 'Is the party starting to wind down?'

'Yeah, just a bunch of pilots left, jerking-off to old war stories.'

Luke's laugh was forced. 'It's what they're best at.'

Leia studied the rope railing. Her face was drawn and pale.

'What's going on with you two?' Han asked. He had never been one for pretense and one too many drinks had demolished any trace of his already-lacking diplomatic skills.

Leia shot Luke a look of arch meaning.

'What?' Han demanded.

'Leia and I are twins,' Luke said bluntly. 'She says she told you as much earlier.'

'Yeah, how is that possible?' Han asked. 'And why wouldn't you tell me? It's your business, I guess, but why keep it a secret?'

'Because we didn't know,' Leia said simply.

'I only found out when I went back to Dagobah,' Luke clarified.

'You have known you are brother and sister for a week?' Han repeated.

'I only found out last night,' Leia said.

'Last night…Oh…'

'Yes,' she affirmed.

Well, that explained a lot. But not everything.

'Okay,' he said. 'I'm trying to follow this. Your Jedi mentor on Dagobah told you that you are Leia's brother. How do you know that it's true? I mean, you two didn't even know each other until three years ago!'

'It's true, Han,' Leia said softly. 'Think about it. We were both adopted. Our birthdays are on the same day. We…'

'We just know it's true,' Luke supplied.

Han let out a low whistle. 'Well, if you're right, that is amazing. I mean, what are the odds that you two would even meet?'

The twins exchanged tight smiles.

'Less than you'd think,' Leia said.

'What is that supposed to mean?'

'Well, there's a lot we don't know still, but a lot of it has to do with our father,' Luke said.

'You know who he is?' Han asked.

'Vader,' Leia whispered.

'What?'

'Vader was Anakin Skywalker,' Luke explained. 'He didn't know…'

Luke continued, but Han's alcohol-soaked brain was processing this information all wrong. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Nothing was making sense. Everything seemed out of place.

He remembered Luke telling him about his lightsaber the day he first met him. How he inherited it from his father. He was going to be a Jedi, like his father, Anakin Skywalker, the hero of the Clone Wars.

And Leia… he thought of Leia screaming out in her sleep, held down by invisible, gloved hands as she was tortured and then forced to watch as her civilization was destroyed.

He had heard that mechanical, metered breath as he was bent over an electrical fire back on Bespin. He felt that empty stare on his back, pitiless and unyielding, as he cried out in pain.

Vader. The weapon of the Emperor. The man who had pursued him, Leia and Chewie across the galaxy. The man who had manipulated Lando, had tortured him and Leia, brutalized Luke and had stolen nine months of his life.

His vision swam back into focus and he saw her.

She held on to the thin rope of the bridge's railing and stared blindly into the darkness below.

'Leia?' He asked.

She shook her head slightly and clutched the rope with white-knuckled fists.

'Hey!'He stepped forward and lifted her chin. When she finally looked up, her eyes spilled over.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

'Hey.' He wrapped her in his arms. 'What are you sorry for, Princess? You didn't do anything wrong.'

She relaxed into his chest and cried. Her body shuddered with muffled sobs.

'Oh, Leia,' he sighed. 'I'm so sorry, Sweetheart.'

He kissed the top of her head.

They never could catch a break, could they? Poor Leia. After all she had been through, it was a testament to her strength and courage that she was still standing at all. She deserved so much better than this.

'It'll be okay,' he murmured. 'It's gonna be okay now. He can't hurt any of us now. He's gone. Right, Luke?'

Han looked over to where Luke was standing uncomfortably, looking uncertain of what to do.

'Um, yeah, he's… he's dead,' he stammered.

'See?' Han said. 'Listen to your brother!'

Leia looked up at him with a watery smile.

'I never have before, why start now?' Leia joked lightly.

'Hey!' Luke protested.

Han looked from one twin to the other and back again.

'Damn,' he muttered.

'That just about sums it up,' Luke agreed.

'This going to sound crazy…'

'Try us.'

'It kinda makes sense.'

Leia's eyes narrowed. 'Tread carefully, Solo.'

Han had to hold back a grin. That was the Leia he knew.

'No! I just mean… Of all the people I have met in the galaxy, and you know, I've been around… You two are the most naïve, stubborn idealists I have ever met. It makes sense that you would be related.'

Luke put his hand to his mouth to hide his smile.

'Must get it from our mom's side,' Leia deadpanned.

Han snorted and Luke lost his composure completely. Leia shook her head before dissolving into giggles herself. He pulled her close and tried not to think about the sobs he heard between the gasps of laughter.

He kissed the top of her head again. He meant what he said. They would be alright. They deserved to be alright.