It's been ten years and you haven't aged much. The only difference is the laugh lines at your eyes, but you are still ruggedly handsome. You still make my heart race despite the years and time apart.

And here I'm hiding in the corner, watching you.

You've walked the room, talking with your former squadron, your soldiers, your friends. All awhile, I've hidden.

No one told me that you'd be here. No one warned me that my heart may break. I swore that you had moved on, moved to another planet. Now here you are.

When we were young, we were reckless and in love. And now, I watch you escort, a much younger blonde on your arm.

And I grab the nearest glass of champagne, and throw it back. I can't hide in this corner forever and I should have known you'd be here. My hands shake as I flatten out my emerald green dress and step out of the alcove. I square my shoulders and hold my head up hide, as I watch eyes fall on me.

I want to hide. I want to run. Oh why did I come here? Ten years away and now here I am back in the limelight.

You can see my scars, my battle wounds from wars past. The needle marks from a torture droid. No point in hiding them now. Because ten years has aged me unlike before.

I know I'm thinner and you can see my bones. But I put one foot in front of the other, trying to mask my trepidation. I let the training in me show grace and pose as I begin shaking hands and saying hello to old friends.

I feel your eyes on me as I move about the room and I avoid them. I can't meet them because if they do you'll be able to read me and I'll break. You always could.

Ten years alone. Ten years without you. Ten years living but not really living.

I look around and see you've made it through the crowd to me and now we really have everyone's attention. Your escort no longer attached to your arm.

I hug my body and look everywhere but at you.

But then I hear you breath, "Leia."

And my brown eyes meet yours. I melt a little and time turns back to when we were young.

"Hello," is all I can manage.

"It's been…."

"Ten years."

You nod. "I thought you were…."

"I have a knack for hiding."

You nod, again.

I start to move away, and your hand is quick to stop me. "Don't."

My brown eyes meet yours again, and I see the pain and the agony. And it suddenly is hard to swallow or say anything, so I do the only thing that I know how to and that's nod.

"A dance?"

"I really shouldn't. I'm not here…"

You nod, as I realize upon closer inspection that your hair has greyed a little. My heart is racing and I swear you shouldn't be standing this close. I can smell the way you've always been and I feel my knees buckle, but they don't give out.

Your hand is still on mine. And I want to be back in my alcove away from you and all the eyes still on us. We were always the rumor. We were the gossip.

And now on the marble floor, it's validated.