Han held Luke firmly against his chest as the boy cried in misery and desperation, burying his face in Han's clothes as the turbo lift sped down to the hangar.

Leia stood by herself in shock as she processed the last words of Darth Vader, of Anakin Skywalker. Slowly she placed a hand on Luke's shaking back as he continued to cry, tears streaming down his face as Han kept a tight hold on Luke, both relieved to have Luke back with him, and saddened by the trauma Luke was going through.

***

Lando and Wedge flew down the opening of the Death Star, heading for the core of the massive battle station.

"There is it, get ready to fire!" Wedge called.

They flew to the center, the reactor right before them. Without hesitation Wedge and Lando took their shots before making their retreat.

***

The reunited trio quickly boarded a shuttle, being ignored by the Imperials around them that were trying to get away.

Han quickly took the pilot seat while Leia allowed Luke to slump into the nearest seat before sitting on the floor next to him. Leia pushed away her own shock, the only thing that mattered was getting out alive to honor Anakin's sacrifice.

Luke held Leia's hands tightly, crying as Leia gently held Luke close, comforting him as a mother would comfort a weeping babe.

***

Anakin looked towards the large window, sensing Luke and Leia escape as he stood over the broken body of Sidious, his tormentor, the man who'd taken everything from Anakin Skywalker. Well, almost everything.

Anakin smiled as the stars seemed to glow with a new light he had never seen before, it was truly beautiful, just like her.

"It's alright now Padme, they're safe." Anakin whispered in relief, just as a the Death Star blew, but Anakin was not afraid, he had no fear and felt no pain. He had saved his children, and now he could be with his wife, Padme.

***

Luke cried out when he felt Anakin's death, it was too much for the broken down boy as he fell unconscious, the weight of his father's death crashing down and shattering Luke's world.

Leia felt it too, holding Luke's limp form securely, wanting to be there for him. "We're almost there Luke, just hold on." She said softly, trying to give her strength to Luke.

Han piloted the shuttle to the rebel medical frigate, getting clearance once the rebels knew who was piloting the Imperial shuttle.

Once on board Luke was taken to receive immediate treatment. Leia also had Han checked up, luckily he hadn't been seriously hurt, the worst being bruises and long deep cuts. Luke however, had slipped into a coma.

***

Leia sat by Luke's side, holding his pale hand in her own. It was truly aweful, to see Luke like this, pale, sickly and unresponsive.

It had been weeks since the destruction of the Death Star. With the deaths of Sidious and Vader the Empire was in turmoil, the Rebellion growing stronger each day.

But, none of that was a comfort as Leia bowed her head. For weeks Luke had been in his coma, from what the medical droids reported, Luke had been abused and tortured so badly on both physical and mental scales that it was lucky for him to be alive at all. But, it was also unlikely he'd ever wake up.

The thought terrified Leia as she used a new Force technique Obi-wan's books had shown her, Force Healing, to try and restore Luke's body and mind. But with every day that passed, Luke never showed any signs of improvement.

Leia pressed her hands against Luke's chest and forehead, summoning her strength as she used Force Healing again for another hour, trying to fix Luke's body, but to no avail as Leia finally stopped. "I'll do it some more tomorrow." She decided, having been doing this every day for the past weeks.

A gentle hand was laid on Leia's shoulder as Han pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, watching Luke hopefully.

"Is he getting better?" Han ventured to ask after a long while of silence, placing his hand over Leia's and Luke's.

Leia slowly shook her head. "He's just so broken Han, I don't think I can fix him." She whispered, idly hoping Luke would wake up that very minute, but nothing happened as Luke remained still, save for the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Han shook his head. "Luke's safe now, he's getting the best treatment we can give him, he'll be alright Leia, I'm sure."

Leia turned to Han, tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to believe Han, but she could not bring herself to do that. "I've felt it, an inkling of what he's gone through ever since Bespin, it was so terrible Han, what Sidious did to him..."

Han nodded slowly taking Leia into his arms tenderly. "I know Leia, but we have to hope. We need to have hope for Luke, he won't let us down."

Leia shook her head and leaned against Han's chest. "How can you be so strong with everything happening?" She asked tearfully, sobbing as Han tightened his embrace around her gently.

"I just know, Luke would want us to be strong." Han said softly, looking at his best friend mournfully, yearning to hear Luke's voice again.

***

Leia fell asleep, her arms folded out on the edge of Luke's bed with her head resting on them. Everything was quiet.

And then Leia startled awake. But she wasn't in the medbay.

It was cold, and dark, reminding Leia of when she first saw Luke, crying in the corner of that cell. Would she find him again?

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and then she saw him. "Luke?" Leia asked, but there was no sound coming from the form of a young man laying on the ground as Leia slowly came forward, frightened of what she would find.

Kneeling beside the still form Leia reached out, the Force strong around her, giving her more light to see Luke's blue eyes looking up to her. But with the light Leia saw so much more.

Blood stained Luke's lips and chin, red dots of blood freckled his cheeks and forehead. His hands seemed as though they had been dipped in blood, and his clothes were in the same manner.

Luke watched Leia with sad, tired eyes, the eyes of someone who wanted to give up.

Leia could not think of what to say, seeing Luke seemingly soaked in blood, it was so aweful, her voice was gone.

Luke, somehow, was the first to speak. "Why can't you let me go?" He whispered softly, his voice calm, yet afraid, passive and sad.

Leia frowned. "What?" She asked softly, her voice cracking.

Luke's expression never changed as he spoke again. "This, this isn't all mine." Leia knew he was referring to the blood that soaked his clothing and stained his skin.

"What do you mean?" Leia asked, confused as she forced herself to remain calm, though her heart began to beat loudly against her chest.

Luke swallowed the lump rising in his throat. "I, killed people... Leia I killed those rebels, I slaughtered them..." He whispered, Luke's face twisting in agony at the memory, at the thrill he had felt, killing the people who had been his allies.

Leia shook her head, grabbing Luke's hand in her own swiftly. "That wasn't you, you told me you'd never hurt us, that Sidious would make you hurt us. That wasn't your choice."

Luke bit his lip. "But it was, I wanted to do that... and then, I, I hurt Han..." Luke sobbed, crying softly. "There was so much blood Leia, I hurt him so much." The boy sobbed at the memory, of his fists beating into Han, of Han's blood staining his hands.

Leia shook her head even more vigorously. "No, no, you couldn't have stopped it, you didn't hurt Han as badly as you think."

Luke breathed in, trying to control his emotions as he looked back up to Leia. "I still did it, Leia, I want to go... I can't live without him, without Father, a-and... I can't live with, this blood on my hands..." Luke squeezed his eyes shut against the pain of his actions as Leia looked at him in shock.

But no, Leia hadn't gone through all that just to let Luke throw his life away.

Leia gently moved Luke's body so that his head and shoulders rested in her arms, there she held him for several minutes, rocking him slightly while thinking of the right words to say before she spoke.

"Luke, Anakin, our father, he died so you could live. So we could live, please, don't disgrace his sacrifice by dying now." Leia implored gently.

Luke closed his eyes, thinking on these words before looking up to Leia fearfully. "I can't go on without him." He whispered, having become far too reliant upon his father and the protection his father had given.

Leia pulled Luke closer, gently resting her forehead on his in a comforting manner. "Han and I, Chewie, Wedge, we're all here for you Luke, we will help you. You don't need Father as much as you think you do, you're stronger than I could ever hope to be." Leia said softly, feeling light return to Luke.

Luke slowly nodded, Leia was right. He could, in the very least, try to live with what he had done, what Sidious had done to him, but most importantly, what Leia and Anakin had done for him.

"Thank you Leia." Luke whispered, Leia smiling down on him lovingly as the vision faded.

***

Luke woke with a startle, afraid as he tried to get a bearing and understand where he was when a firm, gentle hand was placed on his shoulder and the gentle voice of a man he knew spoke.

"Easy Kid, easy. You're alright." Han said gently as Luke looked up to the smuggler.

Luke slowly calmed down as Leia woke up from her slumber. "Luke!" Leia exclaimed, getting up as her hand grasped his.

Luke gasped as he caught his breath, slowly panic left him, replaced by the feeling of being safe, a feeling he had seldom felt for so long.

"Han." Luke whispered, his voice hoarse but working as he looked up to his friend.

Han smiled softly and wrapped Luke in a tight, loving embrace, surprising the young man. "I missed you Luke, I missed you so much." Han whispered, relief and joy thick in his voice as he held Luke close, almost afraid if he let go Luke would disappear.

Finally though, the emotional smuggler release Luke who looked up to him with tears in his eyes. "I'm so, sorry Han." He said softly, but Han only shook his head and squeezed Luke's shoulder gently.

"You have nothing to apologize for, I'm just glad that you're back, Kid." Han said with a smile.

Luke smiled softly before Leia hugged him tightly, Luke returning the embrace, suddenly not regretting his choice to return, he could continue his life, with Han and Leia.

Leia smiled with joy as she pulled away from Luke, placing her hands on either side of Luke's face, looking into his eyes as life returned to them. "We love you so much." She whispered softly.

Luke smiled as well, resting his forehead against Leia's, feeling happiness, contentment and joy as Chewbacca suddenly came in, roaring in such a joyous volume that even frightened Leia who jumped slightly before turning to the Wookiee.

"Chewie!" She scolded before laughing as Chewbacca came right for Luke, roaring and whining so happily.

"Hey Chewie." Luke greeted with a smile as Chewbacca gently hugged Luke, aware of the human's fragile health.

Then there was the sound of bleeping and an excitable voice as Artoo and Threepio entered the medbay. Artoo beeped and whirled in so much joy his circuits may have come very close to crashing as he greeted his beloved master.

"Artoo! Threepio!" Luke exclaimed, a smile growing even larger as his droids came to greet him.

"Oh Master Luke we were so worried!" Threepio said with a joyful voice as Artoo beeped and blared in overwhelming happiness.

Han and Leia laughed as Luke reached over and patted Artoo's domed head.

All was right again, everything would be alright.

Luke would need months and then some to fully recover physically and mentally, but he had his friends, he wasn't alone, he would never be alone again.

The End

Author's Note.
I teared up while writing this chapter, *sniff* stayed tuned for an epilogue and then a big ol Author's Note at the end cause I love writing those! Thanks for reading! Comment your thoughts, vote and point out typos, and as always, may the Force be with you.