AN:
So, um…this is the final chapter. If you guys want to read more I have two other Star Wars stories. One is called The Balance and is how I would like to see Episode IX end. The other is called What Should Have Been and is a "Ben never turned" AU. I wrote both of these before TLJ came out, so I didn't know that Luke almost murdered Ben in his sleep. This is also the last thing that I am going to be posting on this site, I'm moving completely over to AO3 after this. I have my edited version of this story over there as well as a one-shot called In Vain. I don't own Star Wars.
Twenty-three years later
Leia fights like her father, all swings, and spins and dramatic turns.
She's always taken after him. She has his eyes and complexion, a few beauty marks sprinkled across her face and arms, her hair is a darker shade of brown than mine.
But Ben's always claimed that she has my spirit. "That resilience, that drive, that want to help others," he says.
She's also got a lot of spirit from her namesake. Leia lived well into her sixties before an illness took her life, but she lived long enough to meet her grandchild and spoil her rotten. She also gave her her sharp tongue.
I snap out of my reminiscing by the sound of a sharp crack to see Leia completely and utterly horrified while Ben has a bloody nose. "Good, Leia."
"Dad!" She yells, shutting off her saber and connecting it to her belt. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I thought you'd be able to move out of the way."
"No, no, you did well. I'm impressed."
"What happened?" I walk over to my bloody husband. My own nose twinges through the bond, we share some pain, not as much as others who are bonded have. More when one of us is hurt, the other feels discomfort in that area.
"You weren't watching?" He pinches his nose, attempting to stint the bleeding.
"I was distracted." I untie my cloth belt and hold it up to his nose.
"I had her in a sort of headlock with the sabers. She stomped on my foot and turned to elbow me in the face. It worked." He takes the cloth and pinches his nose again.
"I thought that you'd be able to dodge it." Leia cries.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Leia. That was exactly the sort of thing I would expect either one of you to do. I'll be alright." Despite having most of her father's technique, Leia did inherit some of my "scrappier" fighting styles.
"I broke your nose!" She exclaims.
"I'm fine, I don't think it's broken." I can't really see it; the cloth is covering most of it.
"Come on, let's get inside and clean you up." I lead my family inside but not before noticing the students on the balcony, looking down at us. They all scramble once I make eye contact with them.
-oOo-
"I'm fine, Leia."
"Your nose is bruised!"
"I've gotten worse injuries this." He still has that now faded scar running up the side of his face. "I'm honestly just glad to know that you can fight even without your saber. Go, eat with your friends, you don't need to worry over me."
She reluctantly leaves us to go sit at her normal table. In our dining hall we have several small, round tables, and then one large one for the teachers and staff.
"What happened to you?" I look up to see Rose sitting across from us, and Finn taking the seat next to her. Ben and I shush her before looking quickly to Leia who's staring at us concerned.
"Leia and I were sparring, and she accidentally elbowed me in the face."
"Ooh," Finn cringes.
"She's really upset about it, so if you two would please be quiet." I sneak another look at my daughter.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry." Finn starts loading his plate with food. "Other than that, how was your day?"
"Fine, you?" Ben stabs at his vegetables.
"Alright," Finn shrugs. Once all of the Stormtroopers were taken care of, Finn started exploring different fields to find out what he actually liked to do. Turns out, he's pretty good at coding. He and another instructor teach the students how to code various programs and droids. Rose is still keeping strong with her mechanics classes.
Around five years into the Academy's existence, we started getting requests to teach non-Force-sensitive students. Locals around where we built on Dantooine wanted to give their kids an education. So, we provided. We're now just a regular Academy which has a special course for Force-Sensitive students. Honestly, looking back, I'm not sure why we didn't start it like this.
Leia's laugh rings clear through the dining hall. Good. Good. She isn't thinking about Ben.
Had you told me thirty years ago that I would:
a) Leave Jakku
b) Make friends
c) Become a Jedi
d) Fall in love
e) That it would be with a man who I should have hated
f) Ended a war with him
g) Married said man
h) Opened a school with him
i) Had a child with him
I would have thought that the heat had gotten to your head.
But now, looking at my friends in their middle-age, my husband with the smile on his face that makes me melt a little to this day, and my daughter laughing surrounded by her friends, I can't think of any other way I would want to spend my life.
Ben was right.
I never have been alone again.
Review Replies:
Chapter 8:
SapphiRubyCrys: Yipee!
Chapter 10:
SapphiRubyCrys: Yep.
Chapter 11:
SapphiRubyCrys: We can always hope.
Chapter 27:
1310001: I'm so flattered that I'm the reason you read Pride and Prejudice. It's my favorite book, my tumblr is actually pride-and-prejudice-in-space. Yeah, I forgot to mention a bunch of things like the Knights of Ren, but I do hope maybe some of this could happen.
Chapter 28:
Aaron Leach: Thanks!
Maryarey: Same.
viola1701e: They're dead. They don't care. They know that these two don't care. They're just happy that the Force is finally balanced.
jeanvon24601: Years later, but here it is.
Rosel: Thank you.
glitterstar7: Not much more of a story, but I hope you liked it.
The Apocryphal One: We need some sappy.
duke15tam: Thank you.
1310001: Length doesn't matter, I read all reviews. Again, thank you so much. I'm happy to introduce people to the classic.
Guest (Wow! This is going to give me good dreams.): Well, I do hope that your dreams were sweet and filled with Reylo.
SapphiRubyCrys: A very happy beginning.
