I don't own the characters, settings, etc, I just dabble in their world from time to time.
Gifts
The last rebel soldier exited the cargo hold of the Millenium Falcon, two large crates of prepackaged foods and hot chocolate cradled in his arms. Chewbacca grunted a question at Han, who nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll settle her down for the night." With a growl of thanks, the Wookiee grabbed a box of winter gear and followed the soldiers into the hanger, off to play cards with the usual Thursday night group of pilots. Han generally joined, but someone needed to shut down the ship, and last time, that someone had been Chewie.
Their smuggling run had been a huge success, much more so than the last several. Crates upon crates of packaged food and hot chocolate, a stash of weapons and cold weather gear for the new recruits coming in next week, and even a couple buckets of frozen soup for the cafeteria to heat up and serve a nice hot dinner, instead of the usual packaged rations. Han estimated the base could stretch it another two weeks before he and Chewie needed to make another run, but figured that Rieekan would ask him in about a week and a half. The base was still recovering from last month's shortages, but it seemed they had found a new supplier more willing to give them everything they needed - and more. Maybe there would be less need for him around here, soon.
The thought disappointed Han, but he wasn't sure why. He had all the money he needed to go pay off his debt and do whatever he wanted - continue smuggling for Jabba (if the Hutt would even let him), continue smuggling for the Alliance (which seemed more and more likely as the days went by), live a clean life (yeah right) - but as long as the Alliance needed him he couldn't convince himself to leave, even just long enough to head to Tatooine to pay off Jabba. Something was tethering him here, to this damned cold base on Hoth, and he wasn't sure what it was.
Sure the cargo hold was empty of all Alliance supplies, Han made his way down the corridor to the cockpit. He was not surprised to see a small figure sitting in his chair, hair braided in a simple loop around her head. He supposed it was done that way to allow her to wear a hat, yet he'd never seen her do so.
"Princess," he greeted her.
Jumping in surprise - she hadn't heard him approach - Leia turned to face him. She didn't say anything, just looked at him expectantly. Han jerked his head back towards his quarters and turned on his heel. She followed.
Han held the door open for Leia, and she slipped past with the barest nod of thanks, perching herself on the edge of his bunk. It wasn't often the princess came to his ship, and he smirked at how she already looked ready to leave. Yet at the same time, as her eyes wandered the small room, she looked oddly comfortable. How she managed to look flighty and at peace at once, he wasn't entirely sure.
"You were on Kashyyyk, right?" she asked, breaking her silence. Her eyes finally stopped on him, catching and holding his gaze. He nodded, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed. For several moments they were silent, the same expectant look on her face, as she looked around the cabin once more. Finally, Han smirked, as he sensed her curiosity start to shift towards annoyance.
"Under the pillow," he revealed.
She shoved her hands under the single pillow on his bunk and was surprised to find something soft. Carefully, she pulled it out. Han watched the expression on her face change from curiosity to sheer joy as she realized she was holding a stuffed Wookiee. "Wow..." she breathed, smoothing the toy's fur. "This looks just like Chewbacca!"
Without raising her eyes from the toy, she asked, "This is really mine?"
Han grinned. "When did I ever bring you something and then tell you it wasn't actually for you?"
Reluctantly tearing her eyes off the stuffed Wookiee, the Princess stood and approached Han. "Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso. Surprised, he untangled his arms and hugged her back. "This is the best one yet."
Han blinked. "Princess, you tell me that every time," he laughed.
"Yeah, but I don't think I will anymore. I mean it, this is the best."
"Even if it's made from real Wookiee fur?" he asked. He felt her shake with laughter.
"It doesn't smell like wet Chewie, so yes, even though it's made with real Wookiee fur."
He breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that they were going to Chewbacca's home world, Han had called ahead and commissioned a personalized Wookiee doll in Chewbacca's image. Explaining that - and his need for lots of Chewie's fur - to the copilot had taken a sappy, embarrassing, and completely made-up story about an old Wookiee toy he used to have as a kid and how he wanted a new one. It had not been a cheap toy, and he had been concerned that Leia would think it was weird to have a stuffed Chewbacca.
With one last "thank you," Leia let go of him and slipped back up the corridor and out of the Falcon, the stuffed toy wrapped in her jacket as she made her way back to her quarters. Han headed back to the cockpit, blissfully unaware that he had just given a gift to the first reason he was still hanging around the Rebellion.
Leia was sitting in bed, stroking the fur of the newest addition to her collection, when someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she said absentmindedly.
Luke poked his head around the door and, seeing that she wasn't busy, entered the room. "What's that?" he asked, noticing the large, brown, fuzzy... thing in her arms. She turned it around to face him and the boy's eyes widened. "Where did you get a miniature Chewbacca?"
"Uh... well, uh, Han got it for me," she admitted, with a blush. "He brought him back from Kashyyyk."
Luke's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh, he brings back stuff for you too?"
Surprised, Leia nodded. "Yes, every trip." She waved vaguely toward the shelf over her head, where the other trinkets from Han's trips sat. There was a gorgeous polished rock, blue and green, with her name carved in it, next to a braided cord bracelet, which sat at the base of a strange but beautiful chunk of twisted metal, which had come from a wrecked speeder. I'm fine, by the way, Han had said as she turned it over in her hands, admiring the piece that looked more like art than speeder. She hadn't known it was his crashed speeder, but realized as he said it that he had been holding his left arm awkwardly and had a dark purplish bruise high on his forehead, barely visible under his long hair. It was the first thing he had brought back for her - a memento of the time she almost lost him, and didn't even know it.
"Do you mind?..." She shook her head, and Luke began inspecting the items on the shelf. "He brought me one of these too," he commented, pointing at the bracelet. "It's orange." Hers was white, and she realized with a slight smile that Han had picked those colors based on how each dressed on the base. She wondered vaguely if perhaps Han had his own dark blue bracelet somewhere.
"What did he bring you this time?" Leia asked.
"Not sure," was the response. "I haven't seen him yet. But I asked for a holo of Chewbacca's family."
Watching him, Leia finally realized that Luke seemed to be shivering. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, I've been out all day. Do you know if Han brought any hot chocolate back?"
Leia almost laughed at the hope in Luke's voice. "Better; he brought back soup and hot chocolate. They're going to serve the soup for dinner tomorrow, but I can put in a word about getting you some early if you'd like. For being out on patrol, of course. No favorites here."
The two shared a grin and Leia stood up, carefully laying the plush toy on her pillow. "Come on, let's get you warmed up," the first reason said to the second.