Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me (sigh...)

Author's Note: Well, this is the end folks! (Another sigh...) Please let me know what you thought. I'm kicking around some ideas and I hope to post something new soon, but meanwhile I've going on vacation so I wanted to post this before I left. Thanks to everyone who read this and especially to those of you who took the time to review! I appreciate you more than you know. Now, on to what you're waiting for...

Chapter 16

Leia opened her eyes to find Han staring intently at her. She smiled and then winced, her very breath seeming to sear her lungs.

"Take it easy," Han instructed, reaching a tentative hand out to smooth her tousled brown hair.

"Where are we?" She asked, though she obeyed his order and remained still, aware of the soft mattress and blankets but not sure exactly where they were located.

"The lake retreat."

"How did we get here?" She closed her eyes. The last she remembered she had been fighting against the clone and Luke had pulled her away just before an explosion... She felt the impact again but she managed to conceal the real hurt from Han.

"Well, I walked, but mostly, Chewie carried you," Han explained, not seeming to notice Leia's discomfort. "Guess he was worried about you or somethin'. Don't get too full of yourself, though, your highnessness," Han continued. "Lando carried your cousin the Queen almost as far, and with Pooja holding on to him the whole way too. I didn't know he had it in him."

"Where's Luke?" She smiled, feeling the pain recede again.

"He's fine," Han informed her. "He's resting too." She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, he's out on the balcony," Han admitted. "Artoo had something to show him."

"And Ryoo?" Leia asked as she sat up, gently swinging her legs down and waiting for her breath to catch up.

"Pretty beat up," Han said. "But Sabé and Pooja have taken real good care of her." Leia slipped her arm around Han's shoulder and gently kissed his forehead.

"Thanks, General," she smiled.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm needed on the balcony," Leia informed him. "You can come if you want."

"Dang Jedi," Han muttered, but he followed anyway.

xXx

Luke smiled as Leia approached him on the balcony. He hugged his sister gently, once again careful of her wounds. How often will we have to go through this...

He didn't ask how she felt. He knew. "Nice trick, using that lightsaber," he said instead. She smiled, blushing slightly at the praise.

"I've been working on that since you started my training. I'm just glad it worked. I think...I want to build my own, soon." Luke smiled again, expressing both his relief and appreciation for Leia's growing skill as a Jedi.

"Artoo has insisted we watch this," he explained to Han and Leia after a quiet moment when they just enjoyed each other and the absence of anyone trying to kill them

. "He says he's been trying to show us this since we got here. And now I finally let him get a word in; had to shut Threepio off first, of course." Leia smiled.

"Of course. What is it you're going to show us, Artoo?" She sat on the stone bench, Han's arm supporting her and Luke beside her, supporting her in his own way. The squat droid beeped excitedly a few times before settling back and projecting his precious secret.

There before them stood two young people, on that very balcony, before a Naboo holy man. The sun shone over the water, momentarily blinding Luke and Leia. The young Jedi reached out his left hand, and Luke noticed the prosthetic right hand glinting in the light, but then all Luke and Leia could see was the gentle hand clasp of Anakin to his bride, all loss and pain forgotten.

Padmé wore the soft white gown so favored in traditional Naboo weddings and her loveliness made Leia's heart ache. Padmé's eyes never left her husband's. Words were softly intoned and then they kissed. The holy man walked away but they stood there together to watch the sunset, together against the uncertainties and doubts of the future. And their love blinded the Skywalker children.

Artoo ended his projection with a warbled question. Luke recovered his voice first.

"Thank you, Artoo." Artoo beeped, and unlike Threepio, he knew when to go, so he backed away, leaving the trio alone to stare at the water. They stepped forward, to the spot where Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie had chosen their path.

"You mean that little droid knew all that this entire time?" Han demanded. No one answered so he closed his mouth, letting the issue drop for the time being.

"They guided us," Luke broke the stillness. "I heard her voice." He turned anxiously to Leia, desperate that she should believe him. Her eyes softened and she smiled gently as he insisted, "She led me to you."

"I know, Luke. I know. He spoke to me."

"And you listened?" Luke asked, incredulous. She grimaced.

"There is still much I don't understand, Luke. Maybe things I will never understand. There are many things I haven't faced, yet. But I have...forgiven Anakin Skywalker."

Han tightened his arm around Leia and kept quiet. Luke smiled; slipping his arm around Leia's other side. Before he could speak again they heard their names. They turned and Luke knew that Leia saw them, too.

Yoda and Obi-Wan had assumed their familiar stances and they nodded gravely to Luke and Leia. Their father, shimmering next to Obi-Wan, displayed no such gravity. His smile of pride and anticipation beamed on them and Leia felt her breath catch. Focus...Leia...Luke...

Luke and Leia closed their eyes, and there they saw her. She stood beside Anakin, shimmering white and out of focus but there just the same, a non Jedi Force signature, a presence they would always feel though they could not see her. Her voice touched their minds and they could hear her gentle, "Thank you". They could almost see her hand clutch their father's and they could feel the peace surround them.

"Thank you, mother!" Leia whispered and Luke stared in wonder at what the Force had wrought. Padmé smiled, a light to rival the sun of Naboo, and when they opened their eyes, she was gone.

"Work to do, you have," Yoda spoke, Master to learner. His eyes gazed on Luke before turning to Leia. "Much to learn, have you," and Leia bowed her head, accepting the responsibility.

"This work will begin soon," Obi-wan added and Luke nodded. He thought he understood.

"We will help as we can," Anakin assured his children, his eyes and smile warm. "When you are at peace – you will know." With so many things yet unsaid Luke hated to allow his masters to leave but he stifled his protests and the three apparitions disappeared together, leaving Luke and Leia to question each other.

"Um, Leia, Luke?" Han broke the stillness. "I'm still here." Leia reached out and squeezed Luke's hand before turning her full attention to Han.

"We know you're here, Han," she assured him.

"Well, what just happened?" He gestured expansively in the direction Luke and Leia had been transfixed upon moments before.

"Didn't you say you don't like it when I explain things..."

"You mean that was a Force thing," Han interjected. Luke laughed.

"Yes, that was most definitely a 'Force thing', my friend."

"Fine, let's just leave it at that," Han decided. Leia leaned against his shoulder.

"So, I was thinking," she began.

"Uh oh," Han said with a sigh, "Here we go again."

"As I said," Leia continued, frowning at him, "I was thinking, what if we get married right here? I mean, you do want to marry me, right?" She grinned up at him, amused by his obvious shock.

"Better do what she asks, Han," Luke smiled. "And don't keep her waiting too long, you know how she gets." Leia tried to hit Luke but he moved away quickly.

"The answer you're looking for is 'yes'," Luke prompted as he moved away toward the house. Han shook his head, as if recovering his senses.

"Well?" Leia demanded in her most regal princess tone. And all the hope and fear and triumph of the past few years filled her eyes and voice. The thought of marrying here, surrounded by close friends and rediscovered family, where her lost parents had pledged their own hearts...

"Well!" She demanded again. "Are you going to marry me, you nerf-herder?"

"Yes, your worship," he said seriously before he grinned and then, much more pleasing, silenced his princess before she could say anything else.