Her Happiness
by Dark Poltergeist
Summary: After being rescued from Jabba, Han vows to make Leia happy, no matter what the cost…
How long have I been here? What time is it?
Han rubbed his eyes as they slowly opened and blinked blearily at the bulkheads in his cabin on the M Falcon. His sense of self was disoriented, as was his perception of reality.
Is this real? Or am I still dreamin'? And why do I feel like a Rancor chewed me up and spit me out?
He leaned over the bunk's side just in time to retch all over the floor rather than on himself or the bunk he currently occupied.
Kriff! Why in the hell am I so sick?
Then he remembered that until a day ago he'd been a wall ornament in Jabba's palace. He wiped his mouth with his hand, and weakly laid back in the bunk, unable to do anything else. Bits and pieces of things came back to him and he wondered if he was delirious, or maybe even insane? Was he really out of the carbonite? Or was this some macabre dream from his sleeping mind?
He groaned and concentrated on not heaving again, trying to control his body that was alternately shaking from cold and then burning from a fever.
Where was everyone?
"Hey…" he called out, but his unused vocal cords only managed a grunt, and a subpar one at that.
Better shut up, Solo, and see what happens.
8888888888888888888888888888
Han closed his eyes again and found himself on board a skiff, flying away from Jabba's ship as it blew up behind them. His world a blur with eyes open or shut, so he shut them and tried to control his pitiful, sick, body. Leia, Luke, Chewie, and even Lando were there and they were making their way back to the Falcon, he was sure they had said that.
"He's sleeping," he heard Leia say, and felt her cool hand feel his forehead. Then he heard her sigh of disapproval and would have smiled had he been able to do so.
"Lei, it's okay. We'll be back soon. There's better medical supplies on the Falcon and then Chewie and Lando can get him back to the Alliance."
"Luke, he's really sick. I knew he'd be bad, but…"
"Leia, I promise you, he'll be fine."
"How can you know?" she snapped. "What if he…"
"Come here," Luke instructed and then Han heard Leia crying.
Somehow, he managed to crack open an eye and he saw his Princess nestled up against Luke, his arms around her, soothing her as she cried.
How long had it been? Leia should be in my arms, not Luke's!
He groaned inwardly. He was so grateful to be alive, to have been saved by his friends, but he thought that he and Leia had started something special between them.
She said she loved me, didn't she?
His memory was so screwed up. He knew he loved her, he remembered the journey to Bespin and their start on a new kind of relationship, the beauty and wonder that was Leia Organa. No matter what he wasn't so delirious that he didn't remember his feelings for her.
Has Leia moved on?
Han managed to crack open his eyes and he saw Leia was still encased in Luke's comforting embrace as she began to quiet.
Well, damn. If Luke makes her happy …
Han's thoughts stopped abruptly as he suddenly found himself retching, his body trying again to rid itself of the carbonite that seemed to ooze through his every pore. He was vaguely aware of the frantic movement of both Leia and Luke as they split apart and began to work on him, but as the liquid he was trying to expel began to choke him and his feeble attempts at breathing, he felt darkness take him once again…
8888888888888888888888888888
Han groaned, never having felt so miserable in his entire life.
"Shh, it's okay, it will be all right," a confident yet gentle voice soothed as he felt a cool hand stroke his brow.
"Leia?" he croaked and cracked one eye open for a moment to look at her.
"Yes, it's me. You'll be fine. I promise."
"Feel like…shit…" he grumbled and drew a small chuckle from Leia.
"…you…think…is funny?" He managed a scowl, sort of.
"Yes, Nerfherder. If you're complaining you're starting to feel better."
"Not." Han whispered in a hoarse voice and closed his eyes again. "Where…are we?"
"The Falcon."
"I know! But…where?"
"On our way back to the Alliance. We need to get you back to the Med Bay as soon as possible."
"Don't wanna!" He squinted against the dim lighting of his cabin. "Bacta?"
"'Fraid so."
"No!"
"Yes. You've just been rescued and you're not going to screw it up by being a Bantha's ass."
The tiniest bit of a smile touched the corners of his mouth. "..you…just like…bossin' me…around…"
Leia smiled back at him. "Well, there is that." She patted his cheek.
"Is it okay…that I like it?"
Leia raised her eyebrow and chuckled and then leaned over to whisper in his ear. "And I like it when you try to put me in line, sometimes. And I'll never say that again."
"It…gets you…goin'?" His eyes held the smallest twinkle in them, but he saw the smile blossom on Leia's face. "Wish I could…help with that…" he sighed and closed his eyes again.
"We'll have plenty of time for that later, Han."
He was quiet for a few moments. "What 'bout Luke?"
With his eyes closed he didn't see the wrinkle that puckered Leia's forehead in puzzlement. "What about Luke?"
"…think he…loves you…" he ground out and then waited for her answer, keeping his eyes closed so that he could deal with it without falling apart in front of her, of course he could always blame that part of things on his being so sick right now.
"Probably. I love him too."
Han was glad his eyes were closed, he didn't want her to know about the tears he could feel behind them at the confirmation of her feelings for Luke. He suddenly thought that being sick now, at this moment was the best thing he could possibly have happen to him. It gave him a reason to fall apart and she wouldn't blame it on anything but the sickness he was suffering.
I was gone too long, and she's moved on. And there's not a damn thing I can do about it.
Abruptly, he scrambled to lean over the side of the bunk and heaved the small amount of water from his stomach. This continued for several minutes until the dry heaves subsided. When he was able to open his eyes again, he saw a very worried Princess in care mode.
"I just increased the anti-nausea drip, hopefully it will reduce the amount you're vomiting. But you need to understand that you have to continue to do that too, it's your bodies way of getting rid of the carbonite. You'll still need some help but…"
"S'allright, Sweetheart. S'all right." He paused. "'M glad you have Luke," he said as she settled him back in his bunk again.
"He's been great. So supportive. We couldn't have found you without his help," Leia brushed a stray lock of hair away from Han's eyes.
"Hez…good friend…" Han opened his eyes and looked at her, unable to help the words from tumbling out of his mouth. He would fix things later but now he had to say them. "Love you, Leia…s'much…"
Disgusting as he found himself to be in that moment, she ignored that and gently crept into his bunk, draping himself over his shivering body.
"Princess…you don't hafta…"
"Shut up. You're cold."
"…don't wanna…barf all over…you…"
"Let me worry about that."
"No," he objected.
"Han. You need to sleep."
"No," he said, sounding like a petulant child.
"Yes. Let me take care of you."
He closed his eyes and sighed, grateful to have Leia in his arms again. He couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth again, he had to tell her how much she meant to him.
"Love ya…Princess…"
"I know, Hotshot. I love you too."
"I'll make you…happy…no matter what. Promise…" he said, knowing her happiness meant more to him than anything.
Even if you love Luke, I'll make you happy. I'll give you your freedom, was the last thought he had before sleep claimed him.
Leia stared at him for a few minutes, tenderly touching his face, silently thanking any deity that could hear her for his safe return. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but if they could get him to the Med Bay with the Alliance he had a fighting chance at recovery. And he simply had to recover because to Leia there were no other options. In any future she could see any chance she had at happiness involved her confident, cocksure, but tender smuggler.
Seeing that he was sleeping peacefully and needing some rest herself, she pulled the covers over them and settled in, resting her head on his chest. His love had freed her. What other kind of freedom could she possibly need?
Content for the moment, she closed her eyes, lulled to sleep by the sound of Han's beating heart.
8888888888888888888888888888
AN: Just a little Han/Leia story after his rescue from Jabba's. Writer's love reviews and I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading.