A/N: Hey, friends! Thanks for continuing to read! Same warnings apply, please tread with caution.

"How was your appointment?" Vader finally asked the boy when the pair arrived home. Luke gave him a small smile as he took off his coat.

"It went really well," he said. He looked at his shoes, still smiling. "I really like her."

Vader reached out and cupped the boy's chin, gently tilting up his face to meet Vader's gaze. Although his son couldn't see it, Vader offered him a small smile back.

"I am very glad," Vader affirmed, running his gloved thumb over his son's chin. "She will take good care of you. I have no doubt you will begin to feel well soon." Luke smiled, bringing up a hand to overlap Vader's.

"I think so, too." Father and son exchanged pleasant gazes, and then Luke shifted his eyes down for a moment.

"Would you want to come with me?" The boy asked.

"Where?"

"To tinker with my ship." Vader's mouth almost gaped- tinker? One of Luke's favorite activities? Now? Force, the boy hadn't so much as entered the hangar in months. Did he really want to partake in an activity that made him happy again?

Force, this therapist was good.

"Yes," Vader accepted, wanting a front row seat to see his son happy again. "What prompted your interest?" Luke sighed as he cast down his gaze again.

"Mebal and I were talking about things that make me happy," he explained. "I realized how long it's been since I've done a lot of those things. I figured fixing up the ship might be good for me, and maybe it would help if you did it with me?"

Vader set a hand on his son's shoulder, running his thumb over his shirt.

"Child, I will do anything I possibly can to help you," Vader promised. Luke offered him another small smile, reaching for his father's hand.

"Follow me," he encouraged. "I've got some ideas."

It was hours before Luke looked at the chrono and realized how long it had been since they started tinkering with the ship. Force, he knew time flew when you were having fun, but not this fast.

Or was Luke just not used to having fun anymore?

When Mebal asked Luke to describe his comment about not finding joy in the world around him, he felt a chord strike in his heart. Flying- oh, how he missed the anticipation of take-off, the exhilaration of twists and turns, and the fulfilled feeling that never failed to fill his chest when he landed. But over these past few months, he couldn't seem to find the motivation to jump in the cockpit. He was just so tired, all the damn time. When he wasn't tired, he was anxious- all he could think about was Ziggora and how to hide the secret from his father. But whatever he was feeling, it felt like it would last forever.

Luke almost wished he could just close in on himself and stay hidden for the rest of his days, never having to worry about himself and his secrets being exposed to the outside world, especially the secret of Ziggora.

But this session with Mebal gave him some much-needed relief. Maybe there was a way to manage this, to carry this heavy burden- maybe he wouldn't feel this way forever.

"What did you speak about with the therapist?" Luke's father asked as he changed a tool out and began to work on another part of the ship. Luke shrugged.

"Just why I was there," he explained casually. "And what we're gonna work on. But she showed me something really cool."

"Which was…?" Luke smiled.

"A concept called yin and yang," he said. "It's this symbol, a circle that has both black and white swirling around each other, and each side has a small spot of the opposite color on it. It shows that we can't be whole without those very different from us." Luke bowed his head. "It made me think of me and you."

His father finally looked over to Luke, then reached out a hand to graze Luke's cheek with his gloved knuckles, making up for the words he couldn't conjure. Luke smiled.

"Did she tell you about her personal traumatic experience?" The atmosphere became a little still, and Luke nodded.

"Yes," he said quietly, almost as if trying to keep it confidential from the air.

"Did that help you to feel more comfortable?" Luke half smiled at the floor, appreciating how hard his father was trying. He wondered if that was a factor in his father's decision to choose Mebal as Luke's therapist.

"Yes," Luke affirmed. "It made it easier to talk to her."

"Good." His father switched his tool again and continued his work, and Luke realized he had paused his own. He grabbed a tool and mimicked his father, pressing some awry wires back into place. Stars, this was it, this is what he'd been missing out on.

Father and son continued to tinker for another standard hour until a yawn escaped Luke's mouth. He felt his father smile a little.

"We should stop," his father declared. "You are tired." Although Luke wanted nothing more than to continue, especially now that he had a good rhythm, he couldn't deny how exhausted he felt from today. The anxiety from earlier definitely had taken a toll on him, and the fun he just had with his father took a significant amount of energy as well. He yawned once again.

"I could use some sleep," he confirmed. He smiled at his father, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around his middle in a hug. He looked up at him like a youngling, still smiling. "Thanks, I had fun." His father reached down to smooth his hair back.

"I enjoyed myself as well, young one." He stroked his hair again. "How do you feel?"

Luke couldn't help but smile a little at his father's continued shaky support as he gently stepped away from the embrace, for he made it sound like Luke was recovering from an illness. It may not have come out the way it was intended, but Force his father was trying his damndest to help Luke.

"I feel...good," he decided. He remembered his goal of being more open with his father- he was just thankful this was a positive emotion and not a negative one he had to confess. "I feel happy."

Luke swore he could feel his father smile again. He brought up a hand to cup Luke's face in once again and ran a slow thumb over Luke's cheek.

"I am glad," his father said. Luke gave him another smile, then stepped away.

"I should go to bed," Luke told him. His father stepped aside and allowed Luke to lead the way out of the hangar.

The two walked down the hallway to Luke's quarters, and Luke pressed the button to enter as soon as they arrived. He turned to his father one last time, grabbing ahold of his gloved hand.

"Goodnight, Father," he said, squeezing his hand. His father returned the pressure, then ran a thumb over Luke's hand.

"Goodnight, son." After the two exchanged one last pleasant look, Luke turned to enter his quarters.

Although Luke fell into the mindset of preparing to be alone, he looked up to see an unlikely sight: Han, cuddling with Kho on the bed.

Luke's face broke out into a wide smile at that and stayed put when Han noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Wh-" Han stuttered, immediately backing away from the cat. "I, uh…didn't know you were coming. Here." Han held out the cat to his friend, and Luke couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're fine, Han," he assured, still smiling. "I think she likes you." Luke could see a string of protestations poised on Han's lips, but they died after Luke raised his eyebrows at him playfully.

"Alright," Han finally acquiesced. "I guess she's alright." Luke couldn't help but continue to laugh at his friend's stubborn nature and ever-so hidden soft spot.

After Kho saw Luke take a seat on the edge of the bed, she trotted over to him, rubbing against his hand in a silent request to be pet. Luke agreed and pet her readily, scratching behind her ear on her favorite spot. Kho purred loudly, and Luke felt the tension in his muscles melt away. Stars, he loved this cat.

"So, how'd the meeting with the shrink go?" Han asked as he sat up with a grunt. Luke smiled at Kho as she continued to purr, almost assuring him he wouldn't be judged.

"Really well," he said. "Her name's Mebal, I really like her." Luke bowed his head with his next words. "She was actually assaulted, too."

Luke felt his friend stiffen in awkwardness, clearly unsure of what to say. Luke smiled at his friend's reaction.

"It's really okay, Han. If we don't talk about it, I'm never gonna be able to deal with it," he assured. Han nodded, though with confusion still painted on his face.

"Right," he said, clearing his throat. "So, uh, she got jumped, too?" Luke nodded.

"Yeah, it made it a little easier to talk to her about everything," Luke said. "But what about you? What did you do today?"

"Ah, gave Chewie a call," Han said. "Checked up on him."

"How is he?" Luke asked as he continued to stroke Kho's arched back.

"He's alright, he's back home with his clan," Han explained. Luke smiled lightly to himself, happy to have the majority of his own family so close.

"Good for him," Luke remarked. "I bet he's happy."

"Probably not as happy as I've seen you in a while," Han said as Luke felt his eyes scan him. "I haven't seen that smile for a minute." Han shoved his shoulder lightly, giving him a smile, to which Luke returned. "What's makin' you feel so good?"

Luke continued to stroke Kho as she purred, and couldn't help but feel like he was expressing his own contentment as well.

"My father and I worked on my ship for a while," he said.

"What, a party without me?" Han jested, making Luke smile even wider. The two friends shared a laugh, then Han set a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"It's good to see you smile, kid," Han said seriously. Luke finally brought his head up to face his friend.

"Don't get all mushy on me," he warned, repeating Han's old words. His friend laughed, nudging his shoulder again.

"You can't blow my cover like that!" he protested. After another laugh, Luke gave Han a toothless smile.

"Thanks, Han." His friend wordlessly rubbed his hand over Luke's shoulder.

"Well, I better hit the hay," Han drew out as he stretched. Luke must have looked nervous, for Han's expression immediately morphed to concern.

"You want me to stay?" Luke cast his gaze down to his shoes.

"If you want to," he said. Han reached out with two fingers to tilt Luke's face towards him.

"You know I will," he affirmed. Luke bowed his head as Kho shifted into his lap, nodding. "I'm here, kid. Go get your jammies on, then we'll get settled." Luke chuckled, grabbed his friend's hand, and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks." Han offered him another smirk, patting his back.

"I gotcha, kid."

Luke rose to go change into his nightclothes, then rejoined Han on the bed when he came back. Han plopped down, rocking the mattress below them.

"Ahh," he said as he got settled, kicking up his feet. "There we go." Luke couldn't help but smile at his friend.

"Long day?" he asked with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Han looked over to him, feigning offence as he rested a hand over his chest.

"Hey, you don't know what I do!" he protested.

"Right, the usual shavit?"

"Busy shavit," Han argued. Luke raised his eyebrows, but couldn't help but smile again.

Han gave him a wink, then nestled under the covers himself.

"Alright," he drew out. "You need anything, just give me a poke, yeah?" Luke nodded.

"Thanks, Han." With this, his friend rolled over.

"'night, kid."

"Goodnight."

Kho took after Han, nestling close to Luke as he flipped over with his back to his friend. He stroked her tenderly, eliciting pleased purrs from her now-healthy-sized body.

"Stay with me?" he asked her softly. Kho immediately rubbed up against Luke's hand, seeming to nod her head. With one final smile and scratch behind her ear, Luke laid down his head, closed his eyes, and let himself slip into the deepest, most peaceful slumber he had experienced in a long time.