A/N: Here we go again! For your eyes only, I've decided to be easy on the movie quotes, and that's why I'm planning to make this story as backstage as possible. Hope you don't mind. :)

2. Home

"We are there!" My voice echoed along the corridor through the ship, and soon after, the furry head of Chewbacca appeared in the cockpit.

"No problems to land her?"

I shook my head before lulling the Falcon back to sleep, surrounded by the damned sand mounts that procured my home-planet. "She's a darling."

He nodded. "Well then, come to the briefing?"

I nodded and smiled when I realised my friend was in a lighter mood. "'Course."

Chewie and I made our way to the main room of the ship, where Leia and the droids were already sat. I took a seat next to 3PO, and smiled Leia good day.

"Where's Luke?" Her brown eyes automatically locked to mine.

I smiled devilishly. "I do not know, your Highness."

She snorted. "Do stop to call me that, Tani. We're not in competition anymore."

I smiled wider. "We've never been, my dear friend. Everyone knows I could eat you alive anytime I want."

"You wish."

"Unfortunately, Leia, I'm afraid she's right." I snapped my head right, just to see Luke rushing to us and taking his place next to me. "Have I missed anything?"

"Nope, Farmboy, we were waiting for you." His kind smile directed itself at me, and I nearly sighed in relief. How I had missed that smile!

"Very well then." Leia pushed a button and a holographic map of Tatooine appeared in front of us. "Tani, might you please point out where we are now?"

"Here." Luke and I said at the same time, and our fingers pointed out the canyons in which I had landed, not so far from the place my father had met him so long ago.

Leia nodded. "Alright. We're not too far from Jabba's lair. R2, copied?" The droid emitted a bleep we all took as a nod, and she carried on. "Okay, so, 3PO, R2, you'll leave as soon as possible, once Luke has recorded his message. Chewie and I will wait until tomorrow morning." I nodded and she closed the map again.

"Come on, R2." Luke got up, smiled to me one last time before heading to his quarters, the little blue mech behind him. It reminded me of another Skywalker, dressed as such, walking exactly the same way...

I sighed and got up as well, heading to my own quarters to change.

Tatooine was a hot planet, after all.

!-!-!-!-!

An hour later, R2D2 and C-3PO left the Falcon and headed slowly to the east, out of the mountains and towards the plain in the middle of which the Hutt lords had built their palace.

I met up with Luke when I got out of my room.

My eyes widened immediately.

He was no longer wearing his usual beige outfit, but a full Jedi tunic, black as night, his new laser sabre at his belt, his black gauntlet hinting on his injury.

But overall, he looked properly just like his father.

I gaped.

"Like what you see?"

My thoughts snapped back into darkness, and I closed my lips onto a sneer. "You wish."

"I do, I admit."

I smiled. "You look stunning. A real Jedi Knight."

He beamed. "I'm sure you'll look just the same once you agree to wear those as well."

I snorted and crossed my arms onto my beige cotton tunic. "I'd rather die."

"No, you wouldn't." He walked passed me and then turned around. "What are you planning to do, anyway? Looks like you're going somewhere."

I sensed myself blush. "I thought it'd be a good idea to... You know, we're not that far from... Never mind."

He huffed. "Tani... If you want to see your father's house one last time, it's not weak at all. Can I accompany you? It's been a while since I walked this earth."

I nodded. "I think it'd be better for me if I had someone who could carry me back to the ship once I've fainted, yes."

He chuckled and walked to me to take my hand.

A minute later, we were out into the sunlights and heat of our last home.

Our childhood. Our lost hopes.

How childish!

!-!-!-!-!

My father's hut was indeed not a mile away in the canyon, and Luke and I, protected by our status and outfits, weren't disturbed by the Sandmen.

The door creaked when I taped the code, and a wave of old air and dust rushed to me.

Luke passed first.

"You can come, there isn't any corpse in here."

I smirked and entered.

I had to take a deep breath of air before recovering.

Nothing had changed since my fourteenth year.

Ten years ago, I had left this place. And it hadn't moved an inch.

The same chest in which Dad kept his old trinkets of the Republic stood in the same spot as it had been when I was little, the same armchair, now eaten by moths, laid in a corner, an old rag had been left on the desk as if it was yesterday I had been repairing a robot, and the door leading to the bedrooms was still open on darkness.

Luke headed to the control panel and managed to bring the lamps back to life.

I walked, as silent as a ghost, into that old and dreaded corridor, heading straight for what had been my room.

I pushed aside the rusted door, and entered.

The bed was now covered in thick dust, as were all the furnitures, but apart from that, I could have left it a week prior.

Dad hadn't moved a thing. As if this room had become some sort of sanctuary.

"Tani? Are you alright?"

Once Luke asked, I realised I was shaking from head to toe. Tears escaped my eyes and when I whirled around to face him, I started to sob.

His arms were around me at once, and I sobbed, and sobbed again, in this embrace I had so missed.

I cried because I had been a foolish girl and awful daughter, but also because of that: I had missed Luke's arms around me.

!-!-!-!-!

Once the tears wore out, I dreaded the moment Luke would walk away from me, but he didn't. His right hand continued stroking my hair, his left arm was still holding me firmly against him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him even closer.

That did it.

Suddenly realising the situation, Luke walked back several paces and cleared his throat. "Well, now that you're better, I shall just-"

I shook my head and walked to him again, slowly and carefully lifting a hand to his scarred face, caressing the skin I had longed to touch for so long.

"Luke..."

His hand caught mine and he sighed deeply. "I can't, Tani. Not now."

A new stream of tears threatened to escape my eyes, and I turned around.

Yes, I was angry. If he didn't love me still, why on Earth had he taken me in his arms?

This trail of thoughts should have made its way in his mind too, because not a second later, his hand grabbed my arm and whirled me around, just before his lips finally touched mine.

It wasn't a long kiss, not a passionate one either, it was just a kiss of reminder.

A kiss that meant "Yes, I haven't forgotten."

Luke pulled back again, and smiled a little. "Shall we head back?"

I smiled back and nodded, incapable of speaking.

I think my heart could have burst of joy.

A lighter moment between our two star-crossed lovers, but still...

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