Luke lay, half propped up, on a medical med in one of the huge Rebel's huge Star Ships. Thoughts whirled around in his head. Thoughts of what he'd just learned in the last hour; thoughts of what he'd just been through. Overwhelming thoughts.
Suddenly someone burst through the door. That someone turned out to be an ecstatic Princess Leia.
"Luke!" she cried, rushing forward. "Luke! You're alive! You're alive and here, with us! Oh, this can't be real. It's too good to be true! Oh, God, I don't know what I'd have done if you'd died."
She fell on her knees next to his bed, crying. "Oh, Luke, you're alive," she whispered. And then she took his head tenderly in her hands and kissed him long.
Luke kissed her back with all he had. He was beyond happiness at that moment. He had just come back from the dead, and now this beautiful princess was holding him gently in her arms.
"Leia," he whispered, "Leia, thank you for rescuing me. I would have died if not for you. Thank you."
"Oh, Luke!" Her warm tears fell on his shirt. "Luke, I would never leave you! Ever! I would always come back for you. Even if it was only to bring back your body. You know that, don't you?"
She looked so lovingly at him and his heart was deeply moved.
"Of course," he said softly. "It's just, I felt so close to death, and then you came, like an angel, and brought me out of darkness. Thank you, so, so much."
Leia gazed at his beaten face through her tears, and gently kissed him again. "I really can't believe you're alive," she murmured. "When I saw you falling, I felt like I was there, falling with you. Falling, and dying. Like I was a part of you."
"I would have died if you hadn't saved me."
She shook her head, as if to remove the thought of Luke, dead.
"Luke," she said, suddenly urgent, "Luke, I heard your voice, in my head, calling my name. I don't understand how, but I heard you, and I knew you were in trouble. That's why I came back. Of course, we shouldn't have left in the first place, but everything was happening so quickly, and they were shooting at us, and...oh! I'm just so sorry we left you!"
Luke was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Leia," he said, holding her face with both hands, "I was calling you. Through my agony, I was calling you with every breath I had left. And you came back."
Leia stared at him. "You were? How could I hear you?"
"There is no way you could have heard me physically. It must have been the Force." He gazed at her, eyes full of wonder.
Leia just started crying again, thinking of how close Luke was to dying.
Luke brought her close, trying to comfort her. Then he slowly sat up, and bringing her face to his, kissed her so, so, gently and tenderly, giving her everything he had. When they pulled apart, she looked deeply into his eyes.
"I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered. And she rested her head againt his shoulder. Luke stroked her hair.
At that moment, the door opened again, and a nurse sticked her head through the doorway. "Master Luke," she said, "it's time for your hourly check-up."
"Please, just give us a couple more minutes," Leia requested.
The portly woman looked from the weepy-looking princess to the shining Luke.
"Well, I think you've already had some time, don't you think?"
Leia opened her mouth, but Luke cut in. "You can do the check-up, but can this lady stay, please? She's been ever so good for me. I've recovered a great deal!"
"Yes, of course. She can even just stay where she is, by your head."
So, the examination was done, with good results.
The woman smiled brightly. "Your young man is going to be just fine, miss. No possibility of dying anytime soon."
"Good," sighed Leia, relived.
Luke smiled and thanked the nurse. "Oh, and before you leave, could you perhaps move me to a larger bed, please?"
The nurse looked surprised, but nodded and said, "Yes, I think we could. Is this one too small?"
"No, not too small, but a larger one would be more comfortable."
The lady nodded and said, "I'll see what I can do."
When she had left, Leia looked at Luke with a question on her face. "Why do you need a larger bed?"
Luke smiled at her. "Well, you looked like you wanted to lie beside me, so I thought I'd ask for a bigger bed."
"Oh, thank you," Leia said, suddenly shy.
She looked up as the nurse came back. "We'll just bring Master Luke to his new room in that wheel chair over there, okay?"
The two nodded. Leia said, "I'll push him, if that's all right."
"Yes, of course," the woman said, just as Luke said, "Yes, I'd like that, Leia!"
So Leia helped Luke out of the bed and into the wheel chair. Then she slowly pushed him, followed by the nurse.
Into the new room they went, and that's where the woman left them. "Call me if you need anything!" she said over her shoulder.
After Luke was safely in the bed, Leia got in next to him. Sighing, she snuggled up against his chest.
He held her close; it was awhile before either of them spoke.
Hugging him tightly, Leia felt another tear roll down her nose.
"I just can't believe you're really alive!" she whispered in his ear. "You're face is the best thing I've ever seen in my whole life." She stroked it tenderly.
"As yous is to me," he murmured.
Leia cuddled in his arms. "Luke, I love you so much. I could never let you die; I love you too dearly. You're the one person in the galaxy would I love this much."
Luke stared at her when she said those words. "Oh, Leia!" he cried. "Leia, I love you more than anything, or anyone! I thought, hoped, that you might care for me, but, do you really love me?"
"Of course!" she said. "I've always felt close to you, Luke. Closer than most people. I mean, I felt like I could feel what you're feeling, or thinking. Like I'm connected to you; part of you. And I've always loved you!" With this, she leaned forward and kissed him.
Luke felt overwhelmed with happiness. She loved him, actually loved him. He wanted nothing more.
He took her in his arms, and brought her very close to him. He nestled her up against himself, and whispering, "I love you," in her ear, he closed his eyes, ready for sleep. And in that position, the two lovers fell asleep in eachother's arms.