'ello, peoples of the earth!

Well, obviously I'm late. School will do that to you, I guess. I'll be on time next chapter; I promise.

Good news is: I'm back! So I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter!

The First Time You Held A Lightsaber

"Can I hold the saber, Uncle Luke?"

Luke eyed six-year-old Ben warily. "Are you sure you can handle it, Ben? I think your parents would have my head if you cut your hand off."

"Don't be silly, Luke," Leia said from the couch, where she was seated next to Han. A little smirk grew on her face. "We'd have your head if Ben cut off so much as a finger."

Luke turned his gaze to Han, who shrugged at Luke's helpless expression. "Sorry, kid. Can't help you there. I don't think I'd really want to, either."

Finally accepting that he would get no help from his sister or his brother-in-law if an accident happened with the lightsaber, Luke turned his attention to his nephew, who was tugging on his arm. The movement opened Luke's cloak so the silver cylinder on his belt was exposed. "Please, Uncle Luke?" he begged. "I promise I'll be extra careful!"

"Well…" Luke was obviously uncertain, and rightfully so.

Leia quirked an eyebrow and leaned forward to dissuade her son, but Han put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. "Sweetheart, I'm sure everything will be fine. Luke knows what he's doing."

Leia bit her lip as she considered. Finally, she leaned back into the couch – and Han's arm. "Fine. But only for a few minutes."

Ben and Luke's faces lit up.

"And he can't turn on the blade. I'm not risking him cutting his head off."

At that, Ben deflated a little, but Luke patted the boy's shoulder. "Your mother's right to be concerned, you know. This blade can cut through anything."

Han's eyebrows raised in concern and alarm when a wild look came into Ben's eyes at that idea. He sat up, ready to intervene if he had to. "Ben, if you even think about disobeying your mother—"

"I won't, Dad," Ben stubbornly replied. "Uncle Luke, can I please hold it now?"

Luke glanced up at Leia, who nodded to give her permission. Then he unhitched the lightsaber from his belt. "Careful," he warned as he handed the saber to Ben.

Ben took the lightsaber and held it tightly in his hand, staring at the silver cylinder with awe and wonder. Han crossed his arms over his chest as he observed his son. "Look at you," he said. "A real Jedi!"

"Maybe when he's a little older," Luke laughed. He watched as Ben waved the saber around, thankfully keeping both hands on it. Not once did the youngest member of the Solo family reach to turn on the button that would ignite the blade.

Han did not miss Leia's frown as she watched their son, and he gently stroked her hand. She looked up, and he smiled, hoping that she would smile back.

She did, but her smile didn't quite reach the corners of her eyes.

"Ow!"

Both Han and Leia jumped at the shout, concerned that Ben had actually cut off a limb. However, both uncle and nephew were laughing. Ben was sprawled over Luke's knee, giggling madly. The lightsaber was on the floor, forgotten. "Bet I could take you on in a fight, Uncle Luke!" Ben cried. He reached up and grabbed the lapels of Luke's yellow flight jacket, trying to pull him down.

"Oh yeah?" Luke's hands attacked Ben's sides, prompting the young boy to screech with glee as he wriggled out from under his uncle. He jumped up and wove between two chairs; Luke chased after him.

Leia raised a dark eyebrow at the two boys. Han saw the sparkle in her eyes that said she was about to giggle – until she saw the lightsaber on the floor. Then both her eyebrows raised in alarm. "Luke, look out—!"

Luke tripped.

The blue laser shot out from the hilt. The momentum of Luke's fall pushed the saber, still ignited and humming, toward Ben, who was crouched behind the couch. Leia's eyes grew wide as Han jumped up to go and get him. "Ben, be careful!"

Han and Luke saw it at the same time.

Ben's hand was extended in front of him. Sweat beads began to form on his forehead as the effort of holding the saber in place began to take its toll on him. While Han could only stare in shock, Luke sprang forward at once. Once he had the saber hilt securely in his hand, he said quietly, "You can let go now, Ben."

Ben released his hold on the saber. By this time, Leia had gotten up to see what was going on, and Ben ran to her. "I'm sorry, Mama," he said penitently, pushing his damp hair out of his eyes. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," Leia murmured, wrapping her son in a hug. "I saw."

Luke reattached his saber to his belt. "Can I speak with you two for a moment?" he asked, glancing from Han to Leia.

"You are speaking to us," Han said, attempting to laugh off what had just happened.

Leia didn't like that; Han could see it in her set jaw as she patted Ben on the back. "Run along to your room for a minute."

For once, young Ben didn't argue. He immediately trotted off to his room, mumbling a goodbye to Luke as he went. Luke sighed as he watched his nephew go. "You know what this means, right?" he asked.

Leia bit her lip. "I didn't think it would happen so fast."

Han glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye. "Well, I don't know what either of you are talking about," he put in, "so if someone could explain, that would be great."

"He's Force-sensitive." Leia was growing more agitated by the second, and Han could see he wasn't helping much. "I thought you knew this."

"Calm down, sweetheart." Han slung an arm around Leia's shoulders. "I did. I'm just not sure why you look so upset about it."

Leia shook her head. "I just … I wasn't expecting Ben to suddenly know how to use his powers."

"He doesn't," Luke interjected, "and he needs someone to show him how to use them. The New Jedi Order is almost completely set up. If you would like, I can take him to the new Temple when I leave for—"

"No."

Han had never seen Leia like this. He'd seen the brown fire in her eyes before, but typically it was directed at him. Not at Luke. Never at Luke. The twins didn't fight. They were just that much in tune with each other that it didn't happen.

Han had no idea what to think.

Luke tried again. "Leia, please."

"No." Leia turned away. "You need to go."

"You can't wait forever."

"I believe," Han interrupted, "that she just asked you to leave." He prepared himself to forcibly escort Luke from the room. He'd grown close to the kid, but if Leia was upset, Han would go to the end of the galaxy and back to make her happy.

Getting Luke out of the vicinity would not be a problem.

Luckily, Luke took the hint and headed for the door. "Just think about it."

Han could hear the tears in Leia's voice as she ordered her brother to leave once more. "Go."

Luke left.

As soon as the door hissed shut behind the older twin, Han reached out and spun Leia around. "C'mere, sweetheart."

She didn't fight him as he gathered her into his arms; eventually soft sobs wrenched themselves from her throat. Han didn't ask questions. Instead, he held her tightly in his arms, occasionally stroking her hair, until her tears subsided.

Then, and only then, did Han venture to ask what was wrong. "Can I ask why you're upset now?"

Leia looked up. "I'm not ready to let him go, Han."

"Let who go?"

"Ben." Her voice was thick.

"Why would we — oh." It finally clicked. Luke had other Force-sensitive students to attend to and train. He could not stay on the base to accommodate his sister's desire to keep Ben close to her. Ben would have to leave his parents – for a very, very long time. Luke had told them a properly trained Jedi had to go through ten to twelve years of instruction.

When Han looked back down, it seemed almost as if Leia had watched the pieces slide into place. "Now you see."

"Well…" Han looked for a loophole. "We don't have to let Ben go yet. We can wait a little longer."

"Luke says we've waited long enough. He thinks if we wait any longer, then Ben will be more vulnerable to the dark side."

Han brushed a strand of hair behind Leia's ear, sending her a cocky smile. "Since when did you ever let Luke tell you what to do?"

Leia took a shaky breath. "Han, it's not like that. He's my brother."

"And that means you have to let him make decisions for you? I mean, you never let me do that."

That got a laugh out of Leia. "You know what?" she said, standing up a little straighter. "You're right. Ben doesn't have to leave unless we want him to."

"Exactly." Han kissed her forehead, happy that she had read him well enough to know that he, too, did not want to send Ben into the unknown quite yet. "Better?"

"Much." Leia stepped back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go deliver our decision to my brother."

Han grinned. By "deliver our decision," he knew she meant "tell him off." "You do that, sweetheart. Let me know if he doesn't listen."

"I will." Leia smiled at Han over her shoulder, letting him know that she would be just fine.

In which I try to write another cute chapter but things get really angsty really quickly. #sorry not sorry

If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! May the Force be with you always, and I'll see y'all next time!

Well, if you don't kill me. Cause if you kill me, there won't be a next time, unless I decide to come back and haunt you. Ehehehe.