Chapter 3: A brother's bond.

Han sat watching his brother-in-law sleep. It had scared him beyond belief when Luke had gone for the slave. That was not the man he'd come to love so much. That was someone with no control, someone who wished nothing but suffering on those around him. It had been what the ex-smuggler had needed.

He could recall every second, yet those seconds seemed to stretch on for years or were gone too quickly. He remembered watching Leia fall. His Leia, his princess, the features that kept him mesmerized with their beauty contorted into agony as she was hit.

He'd slid down the wall as the tears slid down his face. He hadn't wanted to. He'd wanted to get up, to pull them off Luke, to let the Jedi go to his twin and save her. But then Luke had screamed. It had frozen his blood. Han's whole world had collapsed, but Luke was left in his own world still, left to watch the life drain from it. He didn't get the luck of having his life ripped apart. He had to suffer that happening to his soul.

It was then Han had known. She was gone. All his hopes and plans for her rescue had died. Along with something else. He'd thought it was his heart, his care for anyone. But then Luke had gone for that damned slave. Had tried to kill him! Had thrown everyone into the walls with the Force!

And of all the people in the world to feel care for first after her death... Vader! Watching Luke, he'd wondered if this was something like what the kid's father had gone to pure evil because of. And he'd cared. He'd felt sorry for the Sith!

But he'd refused to lose Luke, too. Refused to let him go down that road, to make the same mistakes as his father. He'd told the kid as much, when he had been waiting for the Force choke, or the shove that would have broken his neck. Instead he'd got through to him. The dangerous warrior standing in front of him had collapsed into grief, leaving him with the farmboy from years ago, sobbing against his chest.

Hard to believe that had been three days ago.

He'd managed to get Luke into their quarters, which despite the privacy had been the worst thing possible. Luke had seen a holo of Leia and quickly become an emotional wreck. He'd collapsed onto the floor, crying and screaming for Leia to come back, not to leave him.

Han had screamed himself. Screamed for the sithing medic! He'd never seen his friend like this and had been starting to fear some sort of break down. As the medic was called Antilles had burst into the room, fussing over Luke.

Maybe fussing wasn't the word. He had helped, he had found out what Luke was trying to ask for between the kid's cries. The damned holo. That was all he'd wanted. Han had nearly thrown the thing at him in his urgency to help his brother.

Luke had been quiet after that, eerily so. He'd allowed the medic to check him over without complaint and had soon fallen asleep after the medic had given him some tranquillisers.

That had been three days ago and Han hadn't left his side for anything but the 'fresher. Wedge was in most of the time, too. He'd been there the only time Luke had woken up so far. Still dazed from the drugs, the Jedi had called out for Leia, not understanding why she didn't come. He'd only known it hurt and that he couldn't feel her.

Han hadn't been able to keep looking at Luke. He'd felt sick as Wedge had explained and the life in Luke's eyes had given out. He'd felt sorry for the pilot as Luke had turned away from his friend, curling up around the holo of his twin. He hadn't let it go, even when he slept. It was one of Han's, his favourite, but if it helped the kid, forget the holo, he'd give the Falcon at the moment.

Han himself had grieved the first day Luke slept, but most was still locked away. It seemed to wait for a time when he wasn't doing anything, so he'd kept himself busy looking after Luke. If he admitted it he knew he was running. What was happening to his brother scared him; he didn't want that to happen to him.

He wanted to tell Antilles to leave so he could just keep busy, but had stopped himself in time. At first he'd been shocked. He hadn't realised Wedge and Luke had been so close. The pilot was as devoted to the kid as Han himself was and the general wasn't going to stop that anytime soon.

"Han?" the whisper startled him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he smiled warmly as he met blue eyes.

"What Luke? You okay?" he brushed aside the loose blonde hair on the man's forehead, suddenly feeling very desperate to show his care of him.

"It hurts, Han! Why does it have to hurt so much?!" the whispered despair went straight to Han's heart. He got up to sit closer to the kid but only succeeded in making him think he was leaving, too. Trying to tell him otherwise did not seem to penetrate the panic Luke was suffocating himself in so Han chose a different approach. After all, actions spoke louder than words.

Getting into the bed, he put his arms around the Jedi, holding him close as the man sobbed against him. Kissing the top of the blonde's head, he reassured him until he felt the man fall into a restless sleep. Han settled down around his brother and cried himself to exhaustion. Only then did he allow himself to rest.

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Authors note: Hope you liked this one. back to Luka again next chapter. as always, pleaes review. till the next chapter. seeya!

A.Jade

xxx