Luke sighed, it had been four months since the destruction of the Death Star and he was feeling depressed. It had nothing to do with Obi-Wan's death (no he had come to terms with that), or his constant on-the-run life now that he was the most wanted rebel in the galaxy. No, he was depressed because in a week it would be his birthday. This would be the first birthday he'd have without his Uncle Owen or his Aunt Beru. His first birthday without his aunt's dune cakes that she made especially for his birthday. He sighed again.

"Come on kid, puck up I'm sure she'll come around sooner or later!" Luke looked up at his friend Han Solo, pirate, smuggler and the galaxy's best sabacc player. 'what is he talking about' thought Luke. "Listen kid, if you're having women problems just come to me, I know everything there is to know about women. I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other and I've seen a lot of strange things but the one thing you can count on is that no matter where you go, all women are the same!" Luke continued to looked dumbfounded.

"Han, I'm not having women probl-" But before he could say anything more Han interrupted him. He seemed to enjoy doing that, especially around Leia.

"Kid, we've been on this sith-forsaken base ever since we left Yavin and in all that time I've never seen you so much as hook up with a woman, so I'm guessin' you're having women problems right?"

"Wrong!" Luke was having a hard time keeping his temper in check. Perhaps he should go talk to Chewie, sure he won't understand a word without threepio or Han to translate for him but at least he won't have to listen to this! Before Han could shove his foot even deeper into his mouth Luke got up and stalked out of the Falcon's lounge. He needed to get away for a while, needed to clear his head, perhaps he could talk to Leia.

Leia sat in her office depressed, her father was dead, Alderaan was gone and it would be her birthday in a week. Her first birthday without her father. She and Luke had spent the first month after the battle of Yavin grieving together for their lost loved ones, her father and Alderaan. Luke's uncle, aunt and Obi-Wan. They'd found comfort together, but not in a romantic way, no, it was beyond that...it was confusing so she didn't think much about it, she was just glad she had Luke and he had her. She jumped when she heard the knock on her door.

"Come in." She was relieved to see that it was Luke, she wasn't in the mood to meet any members of High Command or that...nerfherder! By the Force he was annoying! She mentaly shook herself of those thoughts. "What can I do for you Luke?"

"Nothing" he replied. "I just kinda needed someone to talk to and Han was...well being Han. I neede-" Again he was interrupted, it seemed that Han was rubbing off on her. He had to suppress a smirk, it seemed he'd been hanging around Han too long too, his mind was in the gutter.

"You needed someone civilized to talk to. Yes, I can understand, it can't be healthy to be surrounded by so much testosterone, that walking carpet is one thing but Captain Solo-" emphasizing what she thought of his self-imposed rank. "-he shouldn't be allowed near any civilized system, unless we want the collective intelligence of the galaxy to drop several hundred points!"

Again he had to surpress a smirk, she always knows what to say to cheer him up. "Yes, well I was just feeling kind of...well...depressed." Leia shot out of her chair as if it had suddenly caught fire. There were a number of things she wouldn't tollerate, one: having the rights of sentient beings violated. two: stand by and watch the empire destroy the galaxy her father had fought so hard to save and three: have her friends become depressed for any reason. No-way, not this princess!

Leia ran around her desk and embraced Luke in the tightest hug he'd ever likely feel. She realized that in some way she was once again taking comfort in Luke due to her own depression while he took comfort from her. After a few minutes she let go of Luke and lead him by the hand to the small sofa she sometimes slept on when she just couldn't be bothered to leave her office.

"Luke tell me what's bothering you." She was genuinely concerned. She couldn't in good conscience leave a friend feeling this way.

"Well, I'm just missing my uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, this is the first year when they won't be around for my birthday." He looked at Leia and saw her shock.

"It's your birthday? Today?" Luke was confused and then it dawned on him, she must have thought he meant today.

"No, no. It's next week...ironically enough it's on Empire Day. Strange isn't it, the most wanted rebel in the galaxy celebrated his birthday the same day as the Empire." He began to laugh, but suddenly stopped when he noticed Leia wasn't laughing...infact she wasn't doing anything, she looked even more shocked than before. 'Oh no, I hope I haven't driven a wedge between us or something!' He was really getting nervous now, especially when five minutes had passed and Leia still hadn't done or said anything except look shocked. Then suddenly...

"You have your birthday on Empire Day?" Yep he was sure of it, he'd weirded her out. Maybe he should have just admitted to Han that he WAS having women problems, no matter how stupid his philosophy on women was.

"Uuhh...yeah...listen if I've offended you or anything I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" Interrupted again. Seemed to be a sport in the making.

"What!? No! No, I'm not offended, heavens no! It's just that well...I have my birthday on Empire Day too!" To say Luke was shocked would have been like saying Darth Vader liked black. The look on his face was a near mirror image of what Leia's had looked like mere moments ago. Infact if you had compared the two it would have been down-right frightening!

"What a coincidence this is!" Luke shook his head after hearing those words, he didn't believe in coincidence.

"Nothing ever happens by coincidence Leia." She frowned at him not understanding, so he continued. "Obi-Wan explained a few things about Jedi beliefs to me after we left Tatooine. The Jedi don't believe in luck, superstition or coincidence. The Jedi only believe in the will of the Force. He didn't really explain it much but I got the gist of it, our being born on the same day must mean something!"

Leia could only just hold back a burst of laughter. Sure she knew the Jedi didn't believe in coincidence but that didn't mean that there was some cosmic secret to them sharing a birthday.

"Luke not everything has to have some hidden meaning behind it, so we were born on the same day, so are millions of other people around the galaxy." Luke knew what she said made logical sense but something in the back of his mind didn't quite believe it. It was almost like the feeling he got just before he blew up the Death Star. This meant something, he knew it, but he wasn't going to tell Leia that, she'd just dismiss it as paranoia. He already had Han believing he was paranoid whenever he took his X-wing out and told him about one of the 'hockey-supernatural feelings' he had, he didn't need Leia to subscribe to that way of thinking too.

So they left it at that. However neither of them noticed the smirking smuggler who's just happen to be passing by when he overheard the 'kid' and 'her worshipfulness' talking. He had some planning to do!

So Empire Day finally came. Luke and Leia had decided to get each other a present, without the other knowing of course. Luke was on his way to Leia's office with her present when Han suddenly came round the corner, grabbed Luke by the shoulders, spun him 180 degrees clockwise and pushed him towards the mess-hall. Luke had to wonder why. The maintenance crew had reported this morning that the mess-hall needed to be repaired due to some drunken brawl between the off-duty ground-crew and pilots from Echo Squadron.

When they reached the doors Luke noticed that not only had he been dragged here, but it seemed Mon Mothma was leading a confused looking Leia (who was holding a medium sized package) towards the mess-hall too. Something didn't smell right to Luke Skywalker and he didn't need the force to tell him that. However he didn't have time to think or even ask questions when Han pushed both Luke and Leia through the mess-hall doors and...

"SURPRISE!!!" Both Luke and Leia's eyes widened as they saw every member of the base standing around a table that stood in the middle of the room with a huge cake on it. They looked at each other, mouths gaping then looked back at the people in the room. Leia was the first to return to some semblance of normalcy. She thanked everyone for this surprise and informed them that they hadn't suspected anything.

Luke soon followed after he'd noticed the large banner at the back that said "Happy Birthday Luke & Leia" He looked back at Han and smiled at his friend knowing he'd had a large part in this. Then he remembered the gift he had for Leia and held it out for her, Leia at the same moment had remembered hers for Luke and so they both swapped.

Opening his Luke saw she'd gotten him a model X-wing complete with removable R2 unit that was painted the same colour as R2D2.

Leia opened hers and she gasped. She looked up at Luke with tears in her eyes. She had no idea how he'd gotten it but she didn't care, she just knew that he was the sweetest kindest person she'd ever known!

Wondering what had brought tears to the eyes of the near unmovable Leia Organa everyone leaned forward or got on tip-toes as if it would give them a better view of what was in the box. She didn't keep them waiting long.

She put her hand in and carefully removed the holo-album that Luke had given her. It wasn't the device itself that made her tear up but the first image that had appeared as she opened the box. It was of her father, Bail Organa. She looked at the image of her now deceased father, then pressed the button to show the next holo. It was of a younger Bail Organa with a little girl perched on his shoulders, a young Princess Leia to be exact. She went through the entire album, the holo's were of her family that had died when the Death Star had destroyed Alderaan. When she'd finally after almost twenty minutes reached the last holo ever taken of herself and Bail Organa together she looked up at Luke, tears streaming down her face and in the softest most reverent voice anyone had ever heard her use she asked the only thing she could.

"How?"

Luke smiled gently and looked at Mon Mothma he then said. "I had a little help." He once again looked at Leia and continued. "I knew how much you missed your family so I thought about what I could get you that would remind you of them whenever you got lonely or depressed. I was stumped for most of the week until I almost ran into Mon Mothma and had to explain why I'd almost run herover and why I was in such a hurry."

At that Leia looked to Mon Mothma who had decided to speak up.

"When Luke told me he was looking for a gift for your birthday, something to remember your family by I was instantly reminded of something your father had given me only days before you left Alderaan on your mission for the Death Star plans. It was a copy of his most treasured possession, his family holo-album. Holos of you, your aunts, your mother and of course Bail himself. He told me he never travels without it and thought you may like one of your own for your birthday. He told me how devious you are when it comes to finding your birthday presents so he asked me to look after it for him but sadly he never got the chance to give it to you himself."

Leia was now openly crying and hugging Luke fiercely, thanking him between her sobs for what he'd given her. She didn't question why Mon Mothma had given it to Luke to give to her or why she hadn't given it to her after Alderaan was destroyed. However she didn't know that Bail Organa had almost nineteen years earlier told Mon Mothma that Leia was the daughter of Padme and Anakin Skywalker and also had a twin brother, Luke living on Tatooine. She didn't believe it was her right to tell them about their connection, not right now anyway, but maybe one day in the distant future when she believed they were ready.

Meanwhile, flowing in the ethereal essence of the Force, one Obi-Wan Kenobi was smiling at his padawan and his twin sister believing that now they would both truly be able to move on from their grief, for soon they would both be shaping the galaxy in ways neither one would believe possible. As he faded back into the netherworld of the force to contemplate his next move he whispered 'May the force be with you children of Skywalker'

AUTHORS NOTES

Well this is my first Star Wars story. I'd been wondering lately when I was watching the original trilogy how they'd ever not suspected anything about being twins until the end, they must have KNOWN they shared a birthday after over three years of working together. So I decided to write a situation up, ok it's probably not unique or ground breaking but I don't care...I wanted to write a star wars story about this situation and by the force I have!