"Are you sure about this?" Leia whispered.

Two weeks had passed since the startling discovery of Leia's pregnancy, and Leia had made her decision. Her and Luke currently stood preparing to enter the main hangar where all the pilots of staff had gathered upon their request.

Luke nodded his head as he reached out to link hands, giving hers a reassuring squeeze. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life," he assured her.

She smiled back at him before assuming her usual confidant stance, shoulders squared and head held high. Only then did they step forward to greet the waiting crowd, silence falling over the hangar at their approach. Han and Chewie stood at the front of the crowd, noticing their joined hands before giving them a knowing look.

"Thank you all for taking time to be here today," Leia began. "I know these are trying times we live in, and it is my hope that this announcement will bring some much needed light and hope to our lives."

She took a deep breath, casting one last glance towards Luke, to which he nodded his head in reaffirmation, before continuing. "I'm sure that at least some of you have noticed that Commander Skywalker and I have grown closer recently and have been spending more and more time together."

The pilots nodded, mumbling amongst themselves, making it clear that most if not all had noticed this.

"We all know you're together," Han called out. "You're not exactly good at hiding your feelings for the princess, kid!"

Chewie roared in agreement.

A chorus of laughter broke out among the crowd. Luke ducked his head to hide the flush of his cheeks. Leia couldn't help but smile. She had to agree with them on that. Luke wore his heart on his sleeve. Not that it was a bad thing. On the contrary, it was one of the things she loved about him. And she reached up to kiss him on the cheek to express that exact notion. Judging by the way he looked at her, his eyes shining with love, she knew that he understood.

"Luke and I are indeed together, and we are pleased to announce that there will be a new member of the rebellion in the coming months."

The room was once more engulfed in silence as the full meaning of the announcement washed over them. Leia couldn't help but stiffen, fear rising within her. Luke gave her hand a gentle squeeze, shifting slightly so that he was a bit closer.

However, their shocked silence soon gave way as cheers rang out, the sheer volume of their applause filling the hangar. Leia felt herself relax, and Luke lessened his grip on her hand. Staff members and pilots came forward to congratulate them, not even bothering to contain the joy that was evident not only on their faces but in their voices.

Leia did her best to smile and appear every bit the happy expectant mother. She was happy, or at least a part of her was. However, there was a part of her that couldn't help but be reminded of the truth of the situation. That the baby wasn't actually Luke's. It was a secret that she and Luke had decided to take with them to the grave. No one else would ever know who the real father was. No one else could ever know. She wouldn't allow it.

She had to admit that she felt guilty about it all, especially the idea of dragging Luke into it. Technically she hadn't dragged him in at all. His willingness to stay with her despite it all was honestly astounding. She would have understood if he hadn't wanted anything to do with her. A lesser man probably would have ran off and abandoned her, but not Luke. He truly was one of a kind. And she honestly didn't know what she would do without him.

"Might I just say a hearty congratulations to you Mistress Leia and Master Luke," Threepio said.

Artoo let out a string of happy beeps before the two droids shuffled away to make room for the next well-wishers. And before long, Han and Chewbacca stepped forward for their turn.

"You sure didn't waste any time, kid," Han joked as he reached out to ruffle Luke's hair. "What'd you do, sneak off with her as soon as we got off the Death Star?"

Luke let out an awkward chuckle, reaching up with his spare hand to scratch at his neck. "Something like that."

She knew that Han was just teasing, as he was well known to do, but still she felt a bit uncomfortable with how close it was to the truth.

Han chuckled as he slapped Luke on the back. "If you ever get tired of changing diapers and being nagged by her worship over here, you come find me, alright? We'll have some fun."

Leia scowled with disapproval at the nickname. She never did like it when he called her that. And maybe she did nag him a bit, but it wasn't that bad. And besides, she nagged Han more than she ever did Luke. Unlike him, Luke didn't need to be nagged.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Sure, Han."

Some of Luke's pilot friends from Rogue Squadron came to congratulate him next. "So, does this mean you're going to put a ring on her finger? Make her Mrs. Skywalker?" Wedge elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

Luke swatted his arm away. "Maybe, I mean, I'd like to one day. That is, if she'll have me." At that, he cast a quick, nervous glance over at her, as if he thought she'd reject the idea.

Leia just smiled. "I'd love to be Mrs. Skywalker some day."

Luke's face practically lit up at that, like she had just made all of his dreams come true. And perhaps she had. Luke Skywalker truly was too good for this galaxy, and definitely too good for her.


Later that night, after everything had calmed down from their announcement, Luke and Leia returned to their room. They had decided that it was better for them to share a room rather than each having their own, as it would no doubt make it easier for them in the months to come. Luke was lying in bed, wearing nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms, his mind lost in thought as Leia finished getting ready in the refresher.

She had been in there for a while, and Luke had reached out with the force more than once to check up on her. She was still feeling nauseous, mostly whenever her medication wore off, but otherwise was doing well. Thankfully, she had been eating better and getting more sleep. Still, he couldn't help but worry about her. It never went away, and a part of him suspected that it wouldn't until the baby was born. Or perhaps it would only increase when that happened. Then he'd have to worry about both Leia and the baby.

He was going to be a father. It hadn't entirely sunk in yet. A part of him couldn't help but wonder whether he could actually do this. He didn't have much experience with kids, having grown up an only child with no cousins to play with. He never even had a father himself. The only person who had even been remotely like a father figure to him was Uncle Owen. Their relationship had never been all that great. There were many things they fought about over the years. Owen was always strict, and wasn't afraid to punish him when he did something wrong, which often seemed like everything.

If there was one thing he knew, it was that he didn't want to be like him. He might not be the baby's biological father, but he swore that he'd do his best to make sure it had a happy upbringing, that it would know that it was loved and wanted. He would never raise his hand to physically harm the child, no matter what happened or how bad it acted.

He tore himself from that train of thought in time for Leia to slip out of the refresher, now dressed in only a thin, white nightgown. Her hair was undone and left hanging in long loose waves that spiraled down her back and to her waist. The sight of her took his breath away, and he was reminded of the first time he had ever seen her laying there in her cell. She was so beautiful. There were no words to properly describe her.

And the way she glowed with the force. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about it that drew him instinctively to her. Noticing his gaze, Leia's cheeks flushed pink as she crossed over towards him and climbed into bed with him. Luke gave her a few minutes to settle in before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close against his chest.

It was strange sharing a bed with someone, though not necessarily in a bad way. In a way, it was nice to have someone there, to hold in your arms and wake up to in the morning. After having lost so many people in his life recently, it was a comfort to know he wasn't alone. He might have lost one family, but he had gained another where he least expected it.

"Did you really mean what you said?" Leia asked. "About marrying me, I mean."

He shifted her around so that they were laying face to face. "Of course I meant it. I'd marry you right here and now if you wanted."

Something in her eyes softened as she lowered her gaze. "I wouldn't want you to feel obligated to do so, just because of my… situation."

Reaching out, he cupped her face in his hand, gently urging her gaze back to meet his. "I'm not doing anything out of obligation. I'm doing this because… I'm in love with you, Leia. I have been ever since I first saw you on that hologram. And I've fallen even more in love with you every day since we met."

Her eyes, which had started to mist with unshed tears, widened at his proclamation. "You… You love me?"

Luke nodded his head. "I've seen both you at your worst as well as at your best, and I can honestly say that there isn't a single thing about you that I don't love. I truly and deeply love you. Nothing in this entire galaxy could convince me to leave you, not willingly anyway."

She bit down on her lips, pressing her eyes closed tightly as if trying to fight against the urge to cry. The hormones had made her a bit more emotional than she usually was, something that she hated with every fiber of her being. She had been forced to be strong for so long that she had convinced herself that to let herself cry was a sign of weakness. And Luke considered it his duty to prove to her wrong in that aspect.

"I love you too, Luke." She reached up to wipe away the stray droplets of water that had managed to fall. "And I would be honored to be your wife."

Not able to hold back any longer, Luke leaned over to close the distance between them and claim her lips under his own. His hands couldn't help but wander down the sides of her waist, tracing her delicate curves that had yet to change, and she let him do so. Still, he was careful about the way he touched her, just as he had been every time they were intimate with one another.

At first he thought it was just because she was apprehensive to be with him, but now he understood that it was because there were scars, both internal and external from her experience on the Death Star. The last thing Luke wanted was to cause her to remember him. That was another thing Luke considered to be his duty. To make her forget. He knew it was unlikely that she would ever forget it entirely, and he didn't expect her to. He just wanted to replace the one bad memories with enough good memories to outweigh the bad.

It wasn't long before all remaining articles of clothes were off and their bodies were joined together. And they made love to each other until they were both too tired to go on, eventually falling asleep in the safety of each other's embrace.