Epilogue

Two years later~

"You nervous?" Luke asked Han and Leia as they stood outside of the apartment, waiting to be let in.

They both turned to look at him, as if his question was rhetorical. Han looked extremely tense; he was adjusting his shirt collar, as if it suddenly felt tight around his neck. Beside him, Leia was smoothing her dress and her necklace, making sure they laid flat against her skin.

"Your father's going to have a fit, Luke," Han muttered. "He'll give me a lecture."

Luke laughed. "It's okay, they'll be happy for you."

"Your father will threaten me."

"He'll be your father soon too," Luke reminded him good-naturedly, enjoying Han's nervous state immensely.

Han grunted in reply. He shot Luke a dubious glance. "This is what comes with dating the daughter of ex-Darth Vader."

Luke just chuckled in response.

Leia took a deep breath and smiled at Han. "They'll be happy for us, Han. Father will give us his blessing."

They faded into silence then, listening as footsteps approached and the door opened.

Padmé was standing there, holding a towel in her hands. Her hair was loosely tied back, and she had a streak of what looked like powder on her cheek. She had aged a little in the past two years, mostly in a gray streak here or there, and a few wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. A large smile spread across her face when she saw them.

"This is a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed, moving sideways to usher them in. "Please, come in."

The three entered the familiar apartment, which was looked messier than Luke remembered. There were clothes in piles on the chairs, as well as random items lying here and there on the carpet, one of the main issues of having a toddler.

"I apologize for the state of the apartment," Padmé said, hastily picking up and transferring some of the clothes away from the seating area. She motioned to the couch and chairs. "There's no question that he's Anakin's child. It's like having a terrible toddler on steroids."

Luke chuckled and sat down on a chair across from Leia and Han. He thought of his own childhood, and the amount of trouble that he had gotten into. There was no doubt that his younger brother was just as bad, if not worse.

Leia glanced around the apartment curiously. "Where are Father and Jinn?" she asked Padmé, as if to relieve her nervous tension.

"Anakin's trying to get him washed up," Padmé answered, and she sounded weary. "Jinn managed to worm his way into the kitchen today, and wrecked havoc with the powdered sugar."

Luke laughed. That would explain the white smear on Padmé's cheek.

Leia smiled. She was extremely fond of Jinn and all his misadventures. The two had bonded a lot over the past two years, and they got along very well. Jinn adored his older siblings; they were like the two older relatives that could dote on him and spoil him whenever they visited.

"Jinn's a blessing, though," Padmé said, smiling. "Though I'll admit he was unexpected, I don't know what life would be like without him." She laughed. "He's the one who keeps life interesting for the both of us. Force knows he keeps us on our toes; his misadventures seem to grow daily."

"I guess life would have been even more chaotic if you had raised us," Leia replied, laughing. "Twins?"

For a brief moment, Luke's thoughts drifted to what life might have been like if both Padmé and Anakin had been there to raise them. He could only imagine the chaos that might have ensued. He knew that he himself had been a reckless child, and judging from what he knew of Leia he assumed the same of her. It was a humorous thought: imaging the state their parents would have been in.

Padmé laughed. "I have no idea if I would have been able to. I can't even imagine that." She looked at them, still smiling. "You two were good, though, as children?"

Luke met Leia's sideways glance, and they both grinned.

Han snorted. "They get into enough trouble now as it is."

Just then, a small splatter of footsteps pattered through the carpeted apartment and a small boy appeared at the door. He was dressed in dark pants and a sandy tunic top, with a strip of fabric around his waist. He was not wearing shoes, and his face had suspicious smears of white on his chin. He grinned widely when he saw them, small dimples appearing on his cheeks. He had the wild blond curls of his father and the dark brown eyes of his mother.

"Jinn," Padmé said when she saw him. "Can you say hi to your brother and sister and Han?"

The boy's smile widened and he ran over to Leia's open arms. She gave him a big squeeze, which he quickly squirmed out of after a few seconds.

"He'll be a charmer when he grows up," laughed Han, ruffling Jinn's curls. "You planning to make all the girls chase after you, Jinn?"

After obediently giving Luke a hug and squirming out of that one as well, Jinn then held raised his hands to Leia, who scooped him up and set him on her hip.

"How's my little brother?" she asked him, wiping the remaining powder off his chin. "What did you learn today?"

Jinn held up a hand, moving his fingers slowly. "Powder tastes good," he answered, with a toothy grin.

"Did you try to eat some?" Leia asked, laughing.

Jinn just smiled and bashfully hid his face in her shoulder.

Luke laughed. Jinn looked so much like their father that it was almost eerie, and it seemed as if he had also inherited Anakin's energy and aptitude for getting into trouble, as well as his talent of worming his way out.

Luke raised his head and was surprised to see that his father had entered and was leaning against the wall, smiling as he watched them interact. He, like Padmé, looked a bit older, now with some gray streaks, but he also seemed happier. His eyes had wrinkles in their corners.

"You got him cleaned off?" Padmé asked Anakin, who smiled and shook his head.

"Mostly."

Hearing Anakin's voice, Leia and Han looked up from Jinn; apparently they had not noticed his entrance until now.

"Hello, Father," Leia greeted him with a small smile. Their relationship had improved greatly over the past years, and although they were still slightly reserved around one another, they were able to hold polite conversations and feel comfortable addressing one another.

Anakin nodded in response, smiling at her and Jinn. He moved to greet the other visitors, offering his hand to Han, which Han accepted firmly, and giving Luke a warm smile and a brief hug. Although he seemed quiet, Luke could tell that he was happy that they were there.

"I was just telling the kids about the adventures with powdered sugar," Padmé informed him with a small laugh.

Anakin smiled in return, wiping the streak of power off her cheek with his thumb. "Oh yes," he said, smiling. "And what about the bubbles episode?"

Padmé's smile faded. "Let's not get into that one," she said.

Luke shared a quick smile with Leia, who looked vastly amused.

"Please sit," Padmé said, motioning towards the couches. "You must be tired. I hear the Senate had a long day yesterday."

Leia placed the wriggling Jinn down on the floor, before seating herself beside Han and Luke on the couch. Jinn crossed the room and clambered onto his father's lap, settling himself contentedly in the crook of Anakin's arm.

"Yes," Leia answered. "We just came back from another mission last night."

"Where from?" Padmé asked her.

"Dantooine," Leia replied. "They helped us hide our base there for a time, so we have good standing with them."

"That planet's pretty sympathetic to the Republic," Padmé said, seeming curious as to why they had been sent there.

"Mon Mothma wants to strengthen the good relationships with the Republic's closest supporters, and make sure that the other planets in the system have good connections," Leia explained.

Luke smiled at Padmé. "Mother, you should try politics again."

Padmé shook her head good-naturedly, glancing at Anakin and at Jinn, who was curled up against him. "I don't know. I think there's a lot to handle at the moment."

Anakin smiled at her. "If it's what you really wanted," he said gently. "I know you miss it."

Padmé's eyes softened. "Maybe later."

"Your mother used to hold the Senate in awe," Anakin informed Luke, Leia, and Han.

Padmé gave him a sarcastic sideways look. "When I wasn't bickering with the Separatists or with Chancellor Palpatine."

"They secretly admired you," Anakin told her, the sides of his mouth curving in amusement.

"But I didn't quite get enough spotlight as someone else I know," she teased.

Anakin laughed. "I didn't ask for that, and besides, half of the stories they told weren't true."

"We should read one to the kids at one point," Padmé said. "They'd get a kick out of that."

"Those stories are embarrassing."

"I took vast amusement in reading them," she pointed out.

"Mmm," Anakin replied, giving up the argument.

They settled into a short, comfortable pause, and after a moment it was Leia who spoke.

"Han," she said, glancing towards Han's direction.

Han smiled and leaned forward on the couch. "Leia and I have something to say," he announced. "We have good news. …Well-"

Leia gave him a look, to which Han grinned teasingly.

"We're…" he glanced at Leia, who smiled encouragingly. "…Engaged."

Padmé's face lit up with happiness. "You're…!" She beamed. "Congratulations!" She stood and gave Han and Leia a hearty hug. "When's the wedding?"

"We don't know quite yet," Han told her. "We're waiting until things calm down a little bit."

"Han's been itching to ask her for weeks," Luke told Padmé, a grin on his face.

"Hey, kid," Han said. "I was waiting for the right time."

Leia turned toward Anakin, who had not gotten up because of Jinn on his lap. "Father?" she asked. "Do you approve?"

Anakin smiled. "Han already asked for my blessing," he said.

Leia turned to Han in incredulity. "You did?"

Han grinned. "A few weeks ago, yes. Before we left on our last mission."

The joy on Leia's face made Luke smile and his heart warm. Leia kissed Han firmly on the mouth. When she pulled away, she asked him in disbelief, "Then what's all this about Father giving you a lecture?"

"Probably because I already have," Anakin said, chuckling.

"Had to make you surprised," Han replied.

"And you gave your blessing?" Leia asked Anakin, her eyes soft.

Anakin was silent for a moment. "Leia, do you need my blessing?"

"I would like it," she replied. She met Anakin's eyes, conveying her peace of mind and heart.

"Are you happy?" he asked her quietly.

Leia smiled and nodded.

"Then I will give you my full blessing," he replied gently.

Luke could see Leia's eyes water a bit, but she managed to keep her emotions under control. Han was beaming, and his smile stretched from ear to ear.

"Ani," Padmé said. "You're making me cry." She wiped a tear from her cheek.

Anakin just smiled at her, and then turned his attention toward Jinn, whose eyes were beginning to droop tiredly. His eyes soft, Anakin gently shifted him so that Jinn was upright and his head rested against Anakin's shoulder. Jinn murmured something sleepily, and his arms snaked around his father's neck, clutching at Anakin's tunic.

"Are you staying for dinner?" he asked Luke, Leia, and Han.

Luke glanced at Leia and Han. "We didn't want to intrude for too long."

"You're very willing to stay," Padmé replied. "Dinner hasn't been started, but an engagement's plenty of a reason to celebrate together."

"We can't guarantee there will be dinner," Anakin said.

Luke glanced at him curiously.

"The last one caught on fire," Anakin explained to his son. "…I regret to say that neither your mother nor I inherited any cooking skills whatsoever."

Luke chuckled.

"We'd love to stay," Leia said. "And we'll help with dinner."

Padmé's face lit up. She looked happy that they had agreed to stay, and relieved that Leia had offered to help with dinner. "Of course." Padmé stood from the couch, and Luke, Han, and Leia followed her lead. Padmé then glanced down at Anakin, who now had a sleeping Jinn on his shoulder. Anakin was watching his son with a gentle look in his eyes.

"I'll go put him to bed," Anakin said finally to Padmé, who nodded, her eyes soft.

Luke watched as his father stood, holding Jinn tightly against his chest, his hand protectively on his son's back. Luke felt a touch of warmth at the sight. Their family had become one again, just like he had hoped it would be, just like he had always dreamed it would be.

As Anakin disappeared into Jinn's room, Luke turned and headed off to the kitchen, where his mother, Leia, and Han had disappeared. He smiled.

The future was bright.

I just wanted to take the time to say thanks so much for all the reviews and the support. You guys have all been fantastic, loyal, and extremely encouraging! For someone new to this site, it's been so nice to have a warm welcome.

Point number two: in addition to reviewing this epic epilogue, I wanted to ask you guys what you would think of me writing a sequel. I'm not sure what it would be about, but I've kind of fell in love with these characters and I don't want their adventure to end quite yet. So any ideas and feedback would be greatly appreciated. You can either review what you think or you can PM me. ...I'm currently working on a new fan fiction (see my profile for a hint :D), but a sequel for this story might happen in the near future. So let me know!

Once more, thanks so much for all your support!

Best wishes, SphinxScribe