Raina's POV.
It was sometime in the afternoon and Raina was teaching Jedi History and Galactic Studies. This was usually Luke's class, but seeing as he was gone she had been teaching it.
"Because the Republic lacked the manpower that was important to fight. The Jedi of the Old Order offered their help in defending the galaxy. They became generals, commanders and captains of the Grand Army, which had been recently formed. The army consisted of Jedi and Clone troopers." She taught.
A padawan raised her hand. "Didn't the Clone troopers become Imperials?"
"Actually, they were already Imperials. Palpatine had secretly programmed them to, on his command, turn on the Jedi and to follow his orders. Some disobeyed him and allied with the Jedi, but most did not." She explained.
"Now as I was saying, the Clone Wars went on for about three years. Some important names you will need to know-"
Suddenly she cut off her sentence.
A unmistakable presence was coming to the door. Excitement filled her.
"Master?" Jacen spoke up, bringing her attention back o the class.
"Oh! Yes! Uh. . .Some. . .important names that you will need to remember from the Clone War are General Kenobi, General Windu, Master Yoda, General Skywalker, Senator Amadala, Count Duku, Chancellor Palpatine and General Grievous."
Just then the automatic door opened and Luke appeared from behind it. The students turned to see who it was and immediately became excited. Luke eyes met Raina's and they both smiled.
She looked back to the class and stood. "I think we'll cut class short today. We'll continue this tomorrow. You are dismissed for the day."
The padawan all stood and bowed as she did the same. As the students walked out the door the door they bowed to Luke and expressed their happiness to see him. Once they were all gone the two locked eyes.
"I told you I would be fine." She smiled.
Luke pushed himself away from the door frame and entered. "Couldn't have done it better myself."
"How was the mission?" She asked.
"It went well. There were some unexpected situations, but it went well." He answered walking to stand in front of her.
"Situations? What kind of situations?" She asked, now slightly worried.
Luke shook his head, but finally relented. "Our last destination was Tatooine." He started.
Raina's mouth made an o shape.
"It was unexpected and I tried to stay emotionally detached, but when we were leaving I felt pulled."
"Pulled where?" She asked him.
"To my home. Where I was raised. I visited the farm and it was a mess. Destroyed by the Imperials and in part by scavengers. Then I visited my aunt and uncle's graves." He explained.
Raina leaned back against her desk, listening to him.
"It was then that I realized that. . .I had never truly grieved their deaths and I hadn't even forgiven them. I had this anger built up inside me. Anger towards my uncle especially. Even as a young boy I never appreciated all that they did for me. The home and family they gave me. For the first time in a long while I actually missed them. And. . .I cried." He admitted.
"Oh, Luke." She whispered.
"You know, Yoda was right. I was looking away so much as a kid that I didn't even stop to notice what I had in front of me."
Raina walked to him and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."
"No. Don't be. I'm glad I went. I'm glad I was finally able to forgive them and to grieve."
Smiling softly, she nodded.
Soon she realized he was looking at her deeply so she tilted her head up at him.
"What? What is it?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing. I just. . .I missed you. A lot."
"I missed you too. . .A lot." She giggled, causing him to chuckle as well.
He leaned down and kiss her softly. His scruff tickled her face.
When they pulled apart Raina giggled again.
"What?" He asked, seemingly confused.
"Nothing. I'm sorry. It just tickles." She giggled softly.
He furrowed his eyebrows and then realized what she meant. "Oh! Yeah. I should probably shave shouldn't I?"
She nodded. "Probably. Although I don't mind it occasionally."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"
She hummed in response. "It makes you look. . .seasoned and mature."
"Well then maybe I'll keep it." He suggested holding her to him.
"No. No. No. As attractive as I find it I will admit I like the clean look better. And Leia would kill you."
He laughed. "Of course. Women." He rolled his eyes, walking away.
She laughed.
Han's POV.
Han arrived at the palace and immediately went to search for Leia. He was informed by her assistant, Winter, that she was still at the capital. He went into their bedroom to rest while he waited, but couldn't. He kept trying to think of how to get her to tell him.
Later that evening Leia came in the room. Standing Han smiled widely at her. She jumped in surprise.
"Han! Oh my stars! You scared me. I didn't know you were back."
He walked to her. "Yeah. We just got back a few hours ago."
Leia smiled and sat down at her dresser. "I heard everything went well."
He nodded coming to stand behind her. He put his hands on the back of her chair, looking into the mirror at her reflection.
"It did. Very well actually."
"I'm glad. I knew everything would go alright. Especially with you, Luke and Lando taking care of things."
Han grinned, but soon became serious. "Leia?"
"Hmm?"
Is there uh something you need to tell me?" He asked.
She glanced at him in the mirror. He could see the worry in her eyes. "No. Why?"
Walking away, he sat down at the end of their king sized bed.
"I just. . .I get the feeling you're keeping something from me. Something. . .important." He tried to hint.
His wife looked up from her makeup and glanced again at him through the mirror. "Why do you say that?"
He shrugged. "I can just tell I guess."
She became silent. He watched her closely as she fiddled with her necklace.
Realizing she wasn't going to crack he sighed. "Leia, you know you can tell me anything right? Anything."
This time she turned her head to fully look at him. She hesitated before answering. "I know."
Sighing again he stood. "Then why don't you tell me what's going on?"
Leia stood as well. "Because I don't know how." She answered truthfully.
"Honey, whatever it is, it won't change the way I feel about you or how I feel about our marriage." He confessed.
Her eyes looked troubled. Taking his wife's hands in his own ,he looked her in the eyes. "If you wait too long to tell me what's going on, I'm afraid I may hear it from someone else, and I don't want to hear it from anyone else. I want to hear it from you."
Leia searched his eyes and then began to blink rapidly. She looked to the side as if realizing something, then looked down.
"Luke told you didn't he?"
Han sighed. "No he didn't. He didn't need to. No one told me, Leia, but I want someone to tell me and not just anyone." He could tell that she was ashamed.
He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face. "You never needed to be afraid to tell me. There was no reason to. Leia, I love you and nothing can ever change that. Nothing. Please, tell me." He smiled gently.
Tears filled her eyes and she smiled back. "Han, . . .we're going to have a baby."
Tears filled Han's eyes and he smiled wider than he had ever smiled in his life. He breathed a laugh of joy and of relief.
"That's the best news I've ever heard in my life!" He breathed happily.
Leia laughed happily as tears fell down her cheeks. Quickly he hugged her tightly and spun her around. The two laughed happily.
Setting her back down on her feet, he kissed both her cheeks then her lips.
"I'm so happy. I don't think I've ever been this happy!" He exclaimed.
"Really?" She asked.
He nodded. "Really. Without a doubt. Leia, I love you so much."
She gave him a soft smile. "I love you too, darling."
They kissed tenderly.
After pulling away he put his hands on her stomach and smiled. "I can't believe it! We're gonna be parents!" He exclaimed.
She giggled and nodded. "We are."
Raina's POV.
It had been a couple days since Luke's return. Today was a Saturday and Luke had invited her out to dinner. Raina had decided to wear a dark emerald green dress.
She had just recently bought it.
Once evening came she and Luke went to eat at one of the restaurants near the palace. Raina was surprised that he chose to eat there, because of how expensive it was. The food was wonderful and they had live music.
"Would you like to dance?"
Raina looked up at Luke, being torn out of her own thoughts.
"Dance?" She repeated.
He nodded.
"Sure!" She accepted.
The two walked to the dance floor and swayed slowly to the music.
Raina had waited a long time to be held in his arms like this again. Laying her head on his chest, she relished in the wonderful feeling. While she relaxed against him, she could hear his heart beating out of his chest. Furrowing her eyebrows, Raina wondered why it was behaving so strangely.
"You look beautiful tonight, Raina."
She heard him say softly. Raina looked up at him, blushing and smiled.
"Thank you, Luke. You look very handsome yourself."
He smiled back. "Thanks. By the way Leia finally told Han."
She smiled widely with excitement. "Really? That's wonderful! How'd he take it?"
"Great. He's extremely happy and very excited. They both are."
She smiled. "I'm glad. They deserve all the happiness in the galaxy."
Luke nodded. "Yeah they do."
Smiling happily, she eyed him.
"So Uncle Luke. . ." She began, making him smile. "How do you feel about it?"
He chuckled. "Happy. I'm very happy. Although I do admit I never dreamed I'd actually be an uncle, seeing as I never knew I had a sister until recently, so I don't really know how to be one. My uncle was the closest thing I ever had to a father and I know that's not usually the way it is."
Raina nodded. That was a bit of a problem . "I see. Well, I remember my Uncle Eliot. My dad's younger brother. He was great. He loved to bring me gifts and spoil me. Without my parent's knowledge he would sneak me sweets every time he came over. Though, I'm pretty sure my father knew." She laughed, causing Luke to do the same.
"Sounds like a great guy."
She nodded. "He was."
"What happened to him?" He asked carefully.
Raina frowned. "He was involved in the rebellion as well and he was killed. He died a commander. A pilot. He was only twenty-eight."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I was about seven years old when it happened and my parents told me that he had crashed his ship on the way to a business meeting on Coruscant. I was sad, but at that age I didn't fully understand death."
"So if you thought he had crashed on the way to a business trip then how did you find out he was a rebel pilot?" Luke asked.
"Ashoka told me."
He nodded in understanding. "I see. So after losing your uncle it was only two years later that-"
"I lost my mom." She finished his sentence.
"Raina, I'm sorry."
Raina shrugged sadly. "It's okay. I learned to deal with death at an early age. And as a wise master once told me it helps to think of the happy memories they left with me and that now they are at peace."
Luke chuckled. "I wouldn't say that the Master is exactly wise. Experienced maybe, but wise? No."
Raina breathed a laugh. "Experience can make one wise."
"It would take a lot to make me that experienced." He joked, making her laugh.
Eventually the song ended and they both sat back down.
"Hey, you know what?" He asked after a bit.
"What?"
"For as long as I've known you I've never learned your middle name. Why is that?" He asked.
Raina grimaced. "Why are you asking this now?"
He chuckled. "Because I want to know. What's your middle name?"
"Luke, please." She begged.
"What? You know mine. I should be able to know yours. Come on. Tell me." He pushed.
"No. Really. You don't want to know mine." She insisted.
"But I do. I doubt it's that bad."
"Luke-"
"Raina" he cut her off in a playfully mocking tone.
Sighing she looked down and mumbled it.
"What?" He asked, not able to hear it the first time.
Leaning forward in annoyance she whispered it where no one, but Luke could hear. "Isa."
"Isa?" He repeated.
Her eyes widened and she hushed him. "Yes! Now let's forget about it."
He laughed as she leaned back in her chair. "Why is it such a big deal? I think it's a pretty name."
She rolled her eyes at him. "No. It's not. It's an ugly name."
"Isa?" He asked.
She nodded.
"You know it means beautiful, right?" He asked.
"Yes I do, but how do you?"
It was my friends name on Tatooine. She didn't like it either." He smiled humorously.
"Exactly. Because it's a terrible name."
He chuckled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at her.
Later that night, they went to the indoor park. It was beautiful. A glass roof aloud the sky to be seen above them, while flora and fauna surrounded them. A stream trickled along the walk way and warm lights lit the path.
Soon they came to a bridge that passed over the stream. They both looked off into the stream and listened to the silence of the park. Raina felt Luke glancing at her and finally he spoke.
"Remember the first time we met?"
She turned to look at him and nodded. "You were wearing a storm trooper uniform and you came in to my cell to rescue me. Only the first thing you did was silently gawk at me." She smiled fondly.
Luke chuckled, while shaking his head.
She giggled at his reaction to her memory.
"You're right I did. You wanna know why?" He asked.
"I always thought it was because you were expecting someone else. A certain princess who I looked nothing like." She teased.
Chucking, he shook his head. "No. Actually it was because I was in shock at how incredibly beautiful you were. I was blind sided."
Raina blushed. "I was very surprised myself when you took that silly helmet off." She smiled.
"I did look pretty silly didn't I?" He laughed.
She nodded also laughing. "You weren't exactly intimidating."
"Our lives have changed a lot since then." He commented.
She nodded. "They have."
"I don't know if I ever asked you this, but when exactly did you start to have feelings for me? Was it on Degobah? Or before that?"
Raina turned around and leaned her elbows on the railing of the bridge. "Before. Long before."
"Really?" Luke asked.
She nodded. "The first time I started to have feelings for you was probably. . .after the battle of Yavin, but when I finally accepted my feelings you actually weren't even around."
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You had left on a mission with. . .Nakari Kelen." She said hesitantly.
Luke thought for a moment then blinked. "You mean you realized your feelings for me and then I came back. . ." He began.
She nodded. "Having feelings for someone else who. . .had been killed." She confirmed.
He looked at her sadly and shook his head. "I'm sorry."
She breathed a laugh. "Why? You can't help your feelings, Luke. Especially past feelings."
"I know, but here I was letting you comfort me when you were hurting too and it was because of me."
Raina shook her head. "Luke, you were inlove with her at the time. You needed to grieve."
"Key words: at the time. I really wasn't inlove with her, Raina. I cared for Nakari yes, but that's all. I was so young and naive I really didn't know what love was." He explained. "If I wouldn't have been so naive I would have noticed you. How caring and steadfast you were." She smiled at his words.
"The first time I began to have feelings for you was also probably after the Battle of Yavin, but I tried to push them away because you were my friend. Then the first day I trained you. . .and we. . .well, we almost kissed I realized my feelings and again tried to push them away. The first time I truly accepted them was after my near death experience on Hoth." He admitted.
"I had almost forgotten about that almost kiss." She giggled at the memory.
He chuckled and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah. Me too."
"It's a wonder we ever got together with everything that happened." Raina mused.
Luke nodded in agreement and came to stand in front of her. "It really is. I'm pretty positive now that it wasn't by accident."
Raina smiled at him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her own around his neck. "I agree. It took a miracle to get us together. We're probably both the most stubbornly stupid people in the galaxy you know that?"
He laughed and nodded. "Probably."
"You know something else?" He began.
"What?"
"I learned something else on my little excursion to Tatooine."
"And what's that?" She asked, smiling up at him.
"For years I've felt like I didn't truly belong anywhere. That I didn't have a home. As a boy I had my home on Tatooine. I may have felt stuck, but I never felt like I didn't have a home to come back to. Going back there. . .I wasn't surprised that I didn't feel at home. It felt familiar, but that's all. The only thing left there for me now are memories." He explained seriously. "What I did learn though, was that. . . I do have a home. A place where I belong. A place where I've always feel welcome and whole and it isn't Tatooine, it isn't Yavin, it isn't Naboo and it isn't Coruscant. My home. . .it's you. It's always been you, Raina." He confessed.
Tears filled Raina's eyes as he spoke. She smiled, realizing what was happening, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.
Looking down Luke pulled away and took her hands in his own. "When I met you my life changed. Everything changed. I changed. I know that our lives have been unpredictable and crazy, but I would go through all it again just to be with you. The good parts and the bad parts. Everyday I thank the Force that it brought us together. No matter how long it took. You are my light, my strength and my encouragement. And I love you more than anything in the galaxy. I never thought I could love someone so much until I met you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Raina. I want to experience every new unpredictable and crazy moment with you right by my side and this may be breaking a hundred years of tradition, but. . ."
He kneeled down on one knee, holding up a ring. Raina gasped. "Raina, Isa, Starlight. With all my heart and soul I ask you. . .will you please do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the galaxy and marry me?"
Raina couldn't believe it was real. He was actually proposing. After six years of knowing him and four years of waiting It was finally happening.
"Yes. Yes, Luke of course I will!" She smiled with tears in her eyes.
Luke smiled widely and stood kissing her with all of his love.
Parting, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was shaped like a flower with a diamond in the center.
"Luke, it's beautiful!" She breathed in awe.
"It reminded me of you." He said softly.
She looked up at him. "Oh, Luke. . .I love you."
"I love you too, Raina. So much."
The couple kiss once more celebrating their engagement.