Title: Safe In My Arms

Author: Maddy Lake Deep

Rating: PG

Character(s): Luke and Leia

Category: Angst, hurt/comfort

Summary: At the end of TESB. Missing scenes of Leia comforting an injured Luke.

Disclaimer: Don't own any characters in the Star Wars universe…but I wish I owed Luke!

Author's note: Let me know what you think! Thanks to Superblonde for noting a mistake I corrected about Luke's hand and so I reposted this chapter. That's what I mean…constructive criticism is very important to me and I appreciate any honesty if someone finds a mistake. Thank you!

Luke Skywalker gripped a thin pole beneath the enormous tower, holding on as tight as he could with his uninjured hand. How long could he hold on? Shock after shock of pain bolted from where his right hand had been and stabbed his arm. It throbbed immensely. He tried fighting it but as the pain escalated, Luke shivered and a feverish sweat dampened his face. Nausea rolled from the pit of his stomach and for a moment Luke thought he would lose the food he had eaten not long ago. He had to do something or die. Leia was his only hope.

"Leia," he whispered, "Hear me."

It hadn't been long, though it seemed to Luke an eternity until he saw the Millennium Falcon speeding back to Cloud City. Relieved and slumping against the pole, he muttered to himself, "She heard me. She heard…" Unconsciousness wanted to seize him and he fought to stay alert as the ship now hovered beneath him. A hatch opened and he could clearly see Lando Calrissian reaching for him. Luke let go, finding himself caught by Lando and lowered gently inside the ship. He then saw Leia hurry toward him. His weary, pain stricken body fell into her hearty embrace, and then she rushed him off to the medical unit.

Luke feared what would happen now that Imperial ships were attacking them. He stumbled as if the battle to lose consciousness had won; but as Leia held onto him firmly, again he willed his senses to stay alert. Skywalker found himself inside a rather small room and was lowered carefully onto a bunk. As he lay down, Leia pulled a blanket over him. Luke winced from not only the pain in his arm, but the injury throbbing below his left eye. He felt dry and fresh blood snaking down onto his cheek. Again the young man shivered and it seemed he was burning up with fever. His eyes rolled up to see Leia standing above him with a small cloth. Gently, she dabbed the injury and smeared away some blood.

"You heard me," he said in a weak, raspy voice.

Leia smiled. "Yes, I--," she stopped, eyeing him quizzically. "I knew you were in trouble."

He saw her eyes fall down to the bottom of his sleeve. And from what he could see, Leia appeared bewildered and immediately concerned. As she was about to lift his arm, he slipped it beneath his side.

"Luke, I need to see how badly you're hurt."

Luke grimaced from pain and disgust at what he had to do. Reluctantly, the Commander inched his arm out from his side and in clear view. Leia's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Luke—your hand!" Quickly, she grabbed another cloth and soothingly wrapped it around the stump. More blood began its journey down his cheek. With the other cloth, Leia wiped a few crimson trails. After it seemed the blood ceased for a moment, she cradled the left side of his face in her hand. "Luke," she began and shook her head.

Skywalker noticed the tears in her eyes. It hadn't been the only thing he saw—guilt, anger, frustration and even confusion, as if she was torn about something—love possibly? Torn between her love for Han and Luke, or was it something he had been feeling himself, what he secretly felt concerning Leia. As if he had known what she wanted to say, he told her, "I had to come."

"It was a trap."

"I had to do something," Luke insisted and despite the trap Vader planned for him, the injuries he sustained, there had been no regret of helping his friends. "I couldn't stay on Dagobah, knowing you were all in danger." He swallowed hard and winced again.

Leia leaned over him and continued to soothe his face wound with the cloth. With her other hand, she smoothed back limp strands of his sandy-blonde hair. "Han is gone and I thought I would lose you, too."

His thoughts drifted back to when he was clinging onto the pole. He hadn't planned on being there, though anywhere was better than where he had been with Vader. Death taunted and even tempted him to loosen his grip. He could not let that happen no matter how dire the situation was. Luke looked up at Leia again. The way she comforted him; touched his hair, he wanted to be closer and taste her lips. "Leia--," he started and there had been more jolts from Imperial ship blasters. The Princess stumbled away from the bunk and fell against the wall. She then leapt onto her feet again.

Luke expected another attack, but what he didn't expect was a brief kiss from Leia. Before he could react or say anything, she had already gone. For some time, Skywalker laid there. Every now and again there were more jolts, stronger each time they were hit. Not only was the Falcon under attack, but his mind as well.

"Luke."

Who was calling him? He then recognized the insidious voice of Darth stalking his mind.

"Father?" he answered instinctively. It surprised him, calling the menace his father, and yet there was a part of Skywalker that felt drawn to Vader…like any child would feel for his or her parent. That frightened him greatly. And each time Luke heard Darth's voice, he mustered all the mental strength to shove Vader out of his mind. Luke could not stay on the bunk any longer. Despite the pain that continued to assault him, he pushed his weak body up from where he lay. The room spiraled around him but he managed to straighten himself and continue onward.

Luke covered the stump beneath his other arm as he ventured inside the cockpit. Skywalker glanced at Lando, Chewie and Leia as they fought bravely in maneuvering blasts from the angry and persistent Imperial ships. Outside the cockpit, C-3P0 was babbling as usual while R2-D2 answered, beeping loudly. Luke's attention was now drawn to the window ahead and when he slumped down in one of the chairs, Vader tormented him. How much more could he endure mentally and physically? What made matters worse, the hyper drive failed again and a frustrated Chewie stormed out of the cockpit to see what the problem was. Luke shut his eyes and longed to wake up from this nightmare of battling the Empire and now Vader.

When will it ever end?

A glimmer of hope awakened in Luke's weary blue eyes when the Falcon suddenly vanished into light speed. And then he knew once again, R2 had rescued them from what could have been their demise. While Chewie returned to the cock pit, cheering victory along with Lando, Luke swayed in his chair and almost collapsed onto the floor.

Leia sprang toward him. "Luke!" She gently circled her arms around Skywalker's waist and lifted him out of the chair. "Come on, I'm taking you back."

Once they were inside the medical room, Luke sat down on the edge of the bunk.

"You need to lie down," Leia demanded softly.

He shook his head.

"I don't want you fainting like you almost did back in the cockpit. Now go on, lay down."

"Hold me," Luke said, barely audible.

Leia sat beside him and pulled him into another snug embrace. There had been silence between them, an awkward one while Luke found himself lost in his thoughts again. He recalled her kiss. It soothed him and at the same time, he was frustrated about the situation—Leia's feelings for Han. What could he do? Numerous times he wanted to tell her how he really felt. A love so intense that it frightened him, and so he had decided to keep it tucked away in the back of his mind; denying it, pretending he had no such feelings. And yet when he was near her, what he burrowed had clawed its way to the surface, leaving him mentally exhausted.

Leia bowed her head a little, gazing into his eyes until she had Luke's attention. "What are you thinking about?"

He glanced at the Princess secretly, wanting to say he loved her. A frustrated sigh rolled out from his lips.

"Luke, don't worry. When we get back to the ship, you'll get the help you need."

"I know, it's just--,"

She tilted her head and when he didn't look at her, she raised his chin so that their eyes locked again. "What's troubling you?"

This time Luke stared boldly into her eyes and as his lips inched closer to hers, he quickly stopped himself. "Leia—I—thank you for everything you've done for me."

Leia peeked at his face wound. "The bleeding stopped." She gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead. Staring at him again, Leia smiled.

Luke didn't utter another word, thankful to be in her comforting arms. And then the Commander heard her whisper to him…

"Everything will be all right. You're safe now."

End