Well, here we are at the end! I'm not sure if people will find this ending sad or heartening. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks to all who have read and sent me a note! Enjoy!

UPDATE: I have written a continuation of this story called Belonging. Check it out if you would like to see what happens next!

Chapter 13: Homecoming

4 Years Ago- Undisclosed Location

She was already up by the time he cracked his eyes open, the dip on the far side of the bed a physical manifestation of the distance between them.

His first thoughts were that she could have just left, but then he glanced at the com on her nightstand. She wouldn't leave without that, he deduced.

He didn't know how he managed to actually sleep at all after the day they had. He was fairly confident she never closed her eyes. Although he could never verify that, as she laid with her back to him all night, barely moving but mind working overtime.

He was right, she didn't leave yet. She emerged from the 'fresher a moment later, bringing with her an energy he couldn't find in himself. She was fully dressed and doggedly on a mission, so it seemed.

His voice came out groggy and deeper than usual as he rubbed his eyes, trying to bring the life back into them. "Ya already showered," he said, more of a statement than a question as her soggy hair, now in a neat plait, and clean face showed he was right.

She nodded to him anyway, continuing her determined path to her com and collecting the few things she brought with her into their temporary hotel room. She sat on the edge of her side of the bed to scroll through any messages.

With her back to him, he couldn't read her. Even when she was facing him, he still couldn't read her nowadays. He was suddenly transported back 2 years ago, when their unimaginable troubles climaxed.

Her hysteria when she sensed something went terribly wrong: "Han. I can't find Ben. He's lost in the Force. I can't find him Han!"

His anger when they were finally confronted with what happened: "Luke, Kriff, what're you sayin'? I don't believe it. Ben would never do that. He's my son!"

Her feelings of family betrayal: "I thought he was your nephew before he was your experiment! There's good in him Luke. I thought you knew that."

When the dust had settled, he blamed himself and she blamed herself. She was angry. He was angry. She was hurting. He was hurting. But they were doing it alone.

And after what they discovered the previous day, their entire world again shifted.

They met with one of her trusted contacts who had new information for them. A new name echoed along the thread that used to be their son holding a new position at the right hand of the Supreme Leader. Kylo Ren was born. Ben Solo was dead.

Since Luke got word to them about what happened at his academy, they had proceeded with hope, working day and night, separately and together, to track him down, to bring him home.

But this time was different. Han felt a change in the wind, a point of no return. The wound was raw, too deep and too raw. Unable to be healed.

While she focused on her com and nothing else around her, he got up and readied himself in the 'fresher, emerging a moment later to find that nothing had changed.

With nothing else to do to keep himself busy and push off the inevitable conversation, he placed his hands on his hips and spoke. "Leia…"

"We need to find Luke," she stated plainly, obviously waiting for him to speak just so she could cut him off.

That was not what he expected her to say and he wasn't prepared for his forceful retort. "Luke got us into this in the first place!" His anger at himself, the world, often came out in angry rants targeted at his brother-in-law.

"And he's the only one who can help Ben now!" Leia answered with just as much force.

"Ya know what," Han felt the ire rise in him, as it had so easily in the past 2 years. "That kid has less guts than I gave him credit for. Kriff, he runs away. Can't face his own family after what he's done. Leaves someone else to clean up his mess…"

"You can't place the blame for the rise of the First Order on Luke…"

"Oh yes I can…"

Leia had given him enough time to wallow in his own grief. She needed to call him out. "Han, stop it. I know don't actually blame Luke, you blame yourself!"

That hit it. The wound was too raw and she called it what it was. Digging a knife into a gaping cut.

"But you shouldn't blame yourself." Seeing his wounded face, she only backed off slightly, still keeping the direct edge in her tone. "It's not your fault."

It was going to take more than her assurance for him to believe that. Han rolled his head, moving his palms to cover the helplessness on his face. Maybe this was the moment when the news from the previous day finally sunk in, but he found the words so easily leaving his mouth. "He's gone."

Her head immediately shot to his, fire in her eyes. "My son is not gone."

He felt his chin drift up to look at her. She exuded an optimistic confidence that he wished he could feel. Instead, he was drained, eyes looking back to the past because he saw no hope in the future.

"Have you already given up on him?" Leia's words bit him, hard.

He stuck out a finger at her. "Don't you put words in my mouth I never said."

"It's what you're thinking though isn't it?" She stung again.

Han shifted his weight, started to pace the room. What else could he do? "If you can't reach him with your Jedi mind thingy, what do you expect me to be able to do, huh?"

"Han, you're his father." She said immediately, as if that was the answer. She paused, waiting for his pacing to stop and for his eyes to meet hers. "Every time I look at you, I see him." And she did. How could she not? "He's our son and he needs to come home."

He didn't have any more fight in him, not for this current spat or for the continued fight it would take to reach their son. "Leia," he sunk himself on the bottom edge of the bed, his body and soul both sinking. "I can't take much more of this."

And that statement seemed to solidify a decision neither of them wanted to make.

Silence followed, a heartbreaking silence.

It seemed like their entire life together played out in front of them. Times of atmospheric breaking highs and the falls that followed.

There was nothing left to say.

She slowly stood. Took the last of her things on the night table and placed them in the small sack she brought.

His heart stopped beating. "You're goin' back to the Resistance base?" He almost whispered.

She nodded, keeping busy with her task. "They can help find Luke." She draped a scarf to cover her head and the bottom of her face, only her eyes visible. "You know how to find me."

It was another statement. He stared at her, lips turning down of their own accord, and nodded.

She stepped towards the door, feeling like her life was held in slow motion, like she was floating in the ocean, moving against the tide pulling her back.

Han counted each step as he watched her. He swallowed, he needed to say something, to tell her something, to make sure she knew something.

She opened the door.

"Leia, I…" he croaked out before his voice stopped.

She turned, gazed at the man sitting hunched over at the corner of the bed. His eyes red, bloodshot, elbows resting heavily on his knees, hands twisted in each other's grasp, mouth hanging open without a sound coming out.

She knew what she wanted him to say. What she wanted to hear.

But he found himself silent, nothing would come out.

She gave him enough time. She had other things to put her focus into. And those goals could not be accomplished by staying in place.

Her head dipped down as she turned back to the door one final time and walked onward.

And with her departure, she took his whole world with her.

He muddled around the Falcon, making final preparations. As always, Chewie had it mostly taken care of, but Han was at a loose end as he waited for their clearance to go through. So he pretended to be deep in concentration, up until the time came.

There was a mass of Resistance fighters that halted their own flight preparations to see the Falcon off. Huddled around the base of the ship, they spoke amongst each other about the next battle plan, the strategy, and making off-hand jokes to keep them optimistic in their dire reality.

Han spoke with some of them. His signature swagger on display, projecting the confidence he wished he felt. Where was she?

He scanned the crowd.

Finn, his battle gear clutched tight, approached. Sharing a brief rundown of what they would be facing, Finn boarded the Falcon.

He scanned the crowd.

Admiral Ackbar gave him the signal he was supposed to wait for. The signal that told him all was a go.

He desperately scanned the crowd.

Chewie called from the top of the ramp. Everything was ready for liftoff.

His feet seemed rooted to his spot on the ground at the bottom of the ramp. "Yea," he called back to his copilot. "I'll be there."

He turned once more, eyes scanning, senses tingling. He knew he didn't have time to seek her out. Finally giving up, his head dipped down as he turned back to the ramp and walked onward.

"Han!"

He turned back. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was just his subconscious making himself believe he heard her voice calling out to him. His heart sunk for a moment believing this was the case.

But then he saw her emerge from the side of the horseshoed crowd, looking almost as desperate as he felt.

"I'm so sorry," she uttered out of breath from her haste. "I thought you were leaving an hour from now and when I realized that…"

"Leia," he exhaled a heavy sigh of relief and stopped her from speaking. He reached out his hands as his own legs brought him closer to her.

She stepped up just as quickly. Neither hesitated as their bodies collided with the force of their magnetic movement, his arms wrapping around her shoulders and her arms snaking up his back, head pressed to his chest, eyes shut tight, holding on securely as they swayed in their embrace. Each were lost in the other's caress, barely aware of the hush that fell around them.

He nuzzled the side of her face, treasuring the skin to skin contact. "Leia I…" He halted, hesitating.

One eye cracked open and observed over her head. "They're staring." The huddled masses stood transfixed, curious, heartened.

He felt rather than heard her chest rumble in amusement. He was only momentarily disappointed when she pulled her head back just enough so she could look at him, their lips merely a breath apart.

She let her tongue peek out of her mouth, wetting her bottom lip, as she observed him under hooded eyes. "So?"

He didn't need any more encouragement to close the space between them and revel in this homecoming. Their lips met in a warm kiss full of deep affection. It was as if time lifted. They went back 30 years, before they were a family of three, before they were married, before the war ended. They were just Han and Leia, one, together.

Their kiss was long and gentle. Reassuring. Comfortable. Calming.

Their lips had to break sometime, but that didn't mean they had to let go quite yet. Her eyes stayed closed, savoring this moment, as her arms pulled in so she could trail her hands up his chest and feel the warmth emanating from him.

She eventually opened her eyes to see his locked on her.

Neither could breathe as the other's gaze seeped into their pores. It seemed like their entire life together played out in front of them. Times of atmospheric breaking highs and the falls that followed. But there was no doubt that the highs outweighed the lows. Here they were, together, on the other side. The same passion and connection, bruised but not broken, after all these years.

"Leia, I…" She felt his warm breath as he finished his whispered sentiment. "Gods, I love you, Leia." His voice all but breaking as he ran his fingers across her cheek. "So much."

She heard his words and let them wash over her, like a salve to her soul. Nuzzling her cheek in his palm, she mirrored his action with her own hand and gently tipped his chin down to meet her in another short but sufficient kiss.

A burst of wind caught them by surprise as the Falcon's engine revved, ready for departure.

He stepped back, keeping her hands in his as long as possible before they inevitably had to part. The pair's eyes exchanged one last silent message of hope before he uttered his final words to her.

"And I always will."