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Chapter 24

"Can we do this more often?" Leia asked as they rode in the backseat of the transport, heading towards their Chandrila apartment late at night after a long day of traveling.

He nuzzled her head that was leaning on his shoulder. "What, have our anniversary more often?"

"No," she chided. "You know what I mean."

He let his hand that was wrapped around her shoulders trail slowly down her arm. "Oh," he said as if it just hit him. "You mean find a cozy little retreat and lock the door for a whole week."

She wouldn't have put it that way, but… he wasn't wrong. "More or less."

He groaned with immense satisfaction at the thought of taking more vacations with her.

"We did a lot of other fun stuff too," she insisted. "We had some nice walks down the river and spent time shopping…"

He let his head move down further, leaning his forehead against hers. "And after that…"

She sighed, a lazy grin appearing. "Let's do this more often."

"Okay, sweetheart," he happily agreed, right as they pulled up in front of their building.

"How was he?" That was the first thing whispered out of her mouth as she walked into their apartment, dropped her case, and saw her brother appear from around the corner. She had already talked with Luke and Chewie throughout the week and received positive updates, but it wasn't the same as being there.

"He was good as gold," Luke assured with a proud nod.

"Nightmares?" She questioned.

He shook his head. "Only the one I already talked to you about." He took another step towards her and held her arms in his. "You know, I can teach him to…"

She cut him off with a finger to his chest. "Don't get into that right now. Han doesn't need that."

"Alright, I'll drop it for now," Luke was true to his words and brought her in for a hug.

"Hey, Luke," Han greeted as he came in with the rest of their cases. "How's the kid?"

"He tried to stay awake for you," Luke moved away from Leia.

Han put the cases right in the entrance and straightened up. "I'm glad he didn't. It's late for him."

Luke just shook his head at his one time scruffy, nomadic friend. "When did you become such a responsible father?" Luke teased.

"Hey!" Han smirked back at him and pointed a finger. "I've always been responsible. I've saved your reckless ass more than a few times over the years, kid."

Luke couldn't argue with that. "So how was your trip?"

Leia sighed thinking about the past week of glorious peace. "Wonderful," she cooed.

"What did you do for the whole week?" Then he thought better about his question. "Or don't I want to know?"

Han answered with the negative. "You don't want to know."

Of course, Han would take that opening Luke gave him, but he felt his cheeks redden when Leia didn't immediately counter or reprimand him.

"That's it, I'm going to bed." Luke waved them off as he made his way towards his guest quarters. "I'll see you both in the morning."

"Goodnight Luke. And thank you," Leia called after him.

"Night, kid."

Both tired parents peeked in on their very missed, sleeping child before heading to their own bedroom. They left their cases to be opened and sorted another time and found themselves desperate for sleep as they crawled into bed.

It was a few hours later when something stepped onto Han's chest and startled him awake.

"Ben…" He blinked his eyes open to the boy who just climbed over him to reach the middle of their bed.

"Hi, Daddy!" The kid was way too awake and enthusiastic for it being the middle of the night.

"Hey, kid," Han said, his voice an octave lower with sleep. Han turned over to his side facing Ben and held an arm out for a hug. "We missed you, buddy."

"I's missed you," the little boy said falling into the sideways hug as his body fell over his father's.

"You like spendin' time with Uncle Luke?" Both Han and Leia had been reluctant to leave Ben, but both knew Luke was the best person for the job. With Luke's skills to calm the nightmares and with Chewie taking over for him when needed, it all seemed to go well.

Ben nodded. "We had ice ceam every night!"

If that was all it took for Ben to have a successful week, Han was okay with that.

"What's that chatter coming from the other side of the bed?" A groggy Leia asked, rolling over.

"Mommy!" Ben launched himself to her own chest.

She sucked in a breath as he landed on her and then wrapped her arms around her baby. "Oh, sweetie. I missed you so much."

"I fells asleep," he muttered as the excuse for not being there when they arrived home.

"I know, bubba." She rolled towards the center of the bed so his body laid down beside her. Her loving, generous eyes met his with their own caress as she ran her fingers through his hair. "And now you should go back to sleep. It's still too early."

"I'll try," Ben promised as he curled up again, now ready to fall back to sleep in his parent's bed. His hand went immediately for her braid and pulled it forward over her shoulder.

Leia winced as the tug reached her scalp.

Ben suddenly remembered something. "I's gotta get my Ewok first," he kneed Leia in the stomach as he climbed over her to get down from the bed and pattered out of the room.

"Ow…" Leia let out a belated groan.

She heard a laugh from the other side of the bed. "Welcome home."

"General," she heard her title from down the hallway. "There's a First Order ship approaching. She says her name is Rey and he has updated clearance codes."

"Give it clearance," Leia hastily and enthusiastically replied. "She can land anywhere she wants. They've earned it."

The lieutenant took in her orders and turned back towards the control room.

Leia tried her best to refocus on her twin standing beside her. "Here's a spare room." She opened the door to the proper military space. "You didn't bring much."

Luke walked in without any other items. "Don't need much." He glanced around the bland room.

"Han and I are down the hall."

"And Ben?" He asked.

Leia sighed, knowing why he was asking. "He's in the other wing." She took in the man before her. "I wasn't worried about you and Han reuniting…" She breathed. "But I am worried about you and Ben."

Luke's eye twitched. "Me too."

That was not the hopeful reassurance she wanted to hear from her brother.

He nodded towards the hallway. "Go on. I'll be fine."

She gave him a thankful nod as she closed his door.

And so Luke Skywalker was alone, once again. He needed this time. After seeing Han and then Leia after so many years, so many events had passed, and so many open wounds left unhealed. It was like reacquainting with ghosts that he had personally killed because neither of them were the same as before Luke took away their son and birthed Kylo Ren. Alone on that island, his guilt ate him raw, warped him into a slip of the man he used to be. Cut out the legendary, he was now only Luke Skywalker.

And now Leia expected him to face his biggest failure head-on. Look into the eyes of Ben Solo. Another ghost he killed. He wouldn't blame Ben if he turned his back on him, refused to see him, or even tried to strike. All would be appropriate responses for the pain he caused his padawan.

Ben Solo was supposed to be his greatest success, the future of the Jedi order. With Leia refusing to complete her training, he immediately set out to convince her son, with stories, with gifts. His legacy was to live on in Ben Solo.

Luke paused. He heard himself, heard the words that were going through his head. Ben Solo, Kylo Ren, his padawan… But above all that, this man was his nephew, his blood. He cared for this man as family, as much as he did for Leia. Shouldn't that fact be a more important driver of his motives than anything else?

He held his head limp at his neck. His nephew deserved better from him. Both he and Leia deserved better. And Luke found a wisp of determination still inside of him, a token of the hope that young Luke Skywalker put all his faith in. He held onto that feeling.

His hips bent backward, finding the metal bed frame brush his legs as he sat down. His feet left the floor and came to cross under him. Hands on his knees, shoulders relaxed, eyes closed, mind…open.

As they flew overhead, he saw both of them standing nearby, a hand at their eyes to block the light as they watched the ship dive towards the ground.

"Landing gear," Rey called to him and he pressed in the sequence of buttons on the console.

When the ship was grounded and the engine's off, he turned to Rey as they both just stayed put in their seats.

"I guess this is our stop," he said, gauging her reaction.

She didn't have one, just stared straight ahead at the back of the hanger where they landed.

"Rey…"

"Thank you," she cut him off. "Thank you for teaching me."

He didn't know how to reply to that. So he didn't. He watched as her face turned towards him, a quiet resolve in her expression.

"I've always felt it inside of me." He knew by 'it,' she meant her raw power in the Force. "But now it's awake."

He turned his eyes down. "You've only just begun to explore your potential."

She knew she had more in her. "I need someone to show me my place in all this."

He let his eyes slowly rise to meet hers as he delivered his offer and promise. "I… can teach you."

He was relieved to see her head nod with approval, that was the answer she wanted. "I would like that."

With their new understanding satisfying both of them in ways they never expected, he made to rise from his seat and she immediately assisted him.

They managed to get him standing with limited pain and he hobbled towards the exit ramp with her under his arm, again supporting some of his weight.

"I saw my Dad."

"Yes, I saw him too," Rey nodded. "Does this mean Luke Skywalker is here?"

Ben took in a heavy breath before his terse response. "Probably."

Rey stopped them at the top of the ramp, turning one last time towards him before they were in the presence of anyone else. She kept her right hand in his as it clutched around her shoulders and her other hand only traveled from his back to his waist.

"You're not alone," she stated the fact with the same compassionate conviction she did that night in his room.

He felt his right fingers gently press into her shoulder, his thumb brushing back and forth, as he met the newfound devotion in her eyes with his own. "Neither are you."

And with that, she lowered the ramp. They only just made it to the bottom before his Mom started increasing her pace to meet them.

"Ben Solo," she chastised, watching as he limped towards them. "You didn't tell me you were injured!"

"I thought I'd surprise you," he answered with a straight face.

She huffed, shaking her head before all her worries melted into relief. "Oh, my boy." She brought her hand to his face. Her words paired with the exquisite beam in her eyes. "I am so proud of you."

Under normal circumstances he would have rolled his eyes and brushed off her affection, but not today. He let her pull him into a fierce embrace that he reciprocated, letting her words soak into his skin like the first rain after a drought.

"And Rey…" She turned to the girl who had temporarily stepped back, giving her a proper hug while Han went to his son.

Han stepped up, his eyes matching his wife's. "You did it, kid." Han took the back of Ben's head in his palm and pulled his son into his arms. "Couldn't be more proud."

Ben felt his eyes mist but held off as his father pulled back to look at him again.

Leia stepped beside Ben and did what she did best, took charge.

"Come on. Let's get you to the med bay. You too Rey." She called to a droid who was passing by. "Tell the medics to ready two stations immediately."

Han stepped around Leia's back to greet Rey with a warm smile and side hug. "Proud of you too, kid."

Meanwhile, Leia's focus was back on Ben. "Do you need help walking?" She kept going before he could answer. "You can lean on my shoulder."

Ben stopped her with a look. "Mom, I'll crush you."

Han laughed. "She's tough as nails. All 5 feet of her."

Leia ignored his teasing. "Han, help him."

Han gestured for her to step aside while he held up half of Ben's weight on his shoulder. "Let's go, kid."

The three of them followed Leia through the nearly empty base to the med bay where they immediately found two beds for Ben and Rey to sit on. Leia and Han stood nearby as the medics applied some more intense healing bacta on Ben's calf that would help it heal faster. Rey's cut was only a scar now as the bacta had done its job.

"You're sure you're both alright?" Leia asked once again.

Ben turned his head around to see Rey sitting on the other bed and they both nodded. "We're fine, Mom." He felt warm, almost happy. Rey was still here. And he heard his Mom and Dad say the words he never thought he would hear from their mouths again. But a shadow lingered.

Rey broke her eyes from Ben to meet Leia's. "Has the resistance arrived at the Supremacy yet?"

Leia shook her head. "They're due to arrive soon. In fact, I should be getting back…"

"Mom," Ben said before she could move. He met her gaze. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course," she said, turning to Han who left the room a moment later with Rey behind him.

Rey gave Ben one more reassuring nod as she disappeared.

Leia took up the spot where Rey had just been sitting, on the second bed right across from Ben. "I think I know what this is about." She addressed him with the seriousness and complete attention she felt this conversation deserved.

"Luke's here." There was little to no emotion in his voice.

"Yes," she confirmed with her words and a head nod, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "He landed just before you."

Ben slowly let his head lower. He stayed silent. Deep in thought. Searching for answers, but coming to no conclusions. "I…" he finally began. "I don't know how I feel about that."

She took a breath, reaching her hand over to rest on his knee. Anchoring him to her and to the support she was offering. "Sweetie, you are certainly allowed any feelings you have towards Luke. Don't think I begrudge you for one moment."

"I don't know how I feel anymore," he admitted, lost himself.

"That's okay," she assured him. "I have mixed feelings too. He made egregious mistakes that no one can excuse. But he's my brother and I choose to forgive him."

He knew she would. His Mom always had such an understanding nature, a kind heart.

"But…" Leia continued, dipping her head and bringing it back up. "You need you to know how much guilt Luke has held all these years. He's punished himself more than any of us could."

"Mom…" Ben didn't particularly want to hear about Luke's feelings right now.

She held up her other hand, palm facing him. "Alright, I'll stop now."

There was one more piece of information he needed to hear from her. "You're lightsaber…"

"What about it?"

He drew his head up to watch her expression as he spoke. "I called both sabers to my hands. But yours… It came directly to me with such a force."

She didn't look too surprised, but she did take a swallow as she heard this and sat back up, her hand dropping back into her own lap. "I wondered…"

"What?" He prodded her.

She went back in time. "I clearly remember constructing it, using all the skills I had learned to craft it and strengthen it. But…"

"But what?" He prompted as she paused.

"But each time I concentrated enough to be able to mold the weapon…" Her head tilted towards her son. "All I could think about was you."

He suspected that was why, but hearing it confirmed, holding a manifestation of his mother's love for him was truly moving.

"You were my reason," she quietly admitted as the words washed over him. "You were what I was fighting for, always."

She was fighting for a better, more just galaxy for the next generation, and he was her next generation. "I guess the Force has chosen for us," he said as he gave her a smirk. "I am my mother's son."

She met him with her own grin and let him sit there for a moment longer before opting to give him some time alone. "I need to get back to the control room. And you should get some sleep."

He nodded at her before bringing his eyes down again. "Go, I'm fine."

She slid herself off the edge of the bed and back onto her feet. Her hand moved to his chin, raising it up. "I missed you."

Ben's eyes squinted at her. "I was only gone for about a day."

She knew it was irrational, but she repeated. "I still missed you."

He kept his eyes on her generous ones, slowly melting under that look he remembered so well. He exhaled, tilting his head further into the palm that held his face, reveling in the touch he was so starved and feeling her next words, whispered in her kiss to his forehead, resonate in his soul.

"Welcome home."