I haven't played in this Universe in quite some time – so long ago that when I last had anything to share, I made my disclaimers to GL. Well, I guess everything doesn't belong to him now, he just has enough money to buy anything that he doesn't own:) To be honest, I really feel that these OT characters belong truly to the actors that gave them life, especially as the GFFA has expanded over the years. No matter how many new releases, I will probably always play in the OT or some AU of my own creation surrounding the OT. Who am I kidding? I might not be back to play here for a while after this. And although I promise that I do not own any of these characters, I definitely can't give credit to a company that broke up my favourite 'ship. But seriously, no funds have been earned and no harm intended by borrowing these characters for a few short pages.
This stand-alone story is a little dive into that time after ANH ends. A little delve into how Han and Leia might have begun to progress their relationship from newly acquainted into the clearly more developed friendship (filled with UST) that we saw at the beginning of ESB.
Finally, for anyone, who has been reading my more recent longfic, I promise I haven't abandoned it. I just have had some conflicting ideas (like this) that I find easier to flesh out and move on than to fight and avoid. Sorry for the far too lengthy author's note. On with the story.
A Walk in the Woods
The rebel alliance members moved with urgency around her, but Leia couldn't make her feet move to join them. Her mind swirled and the organized chaos of the latest rebellion relocation was just exacerbating her agitation. Turning suddenly, she reversed her course, heading away from the hanger and into the lush green jungles of the Yavin moon.
'If we can take the time for galaxy wide recruitment in the form of an over-the-top ceremony, then there is certainly time for me to take a walk to quiet my thoughts,' she reasoned.
The dampness of the forest enveloped her immediately, the sticky humidity almost instantly bringing beads of perspiration to her temples. She welcomed the heat; she had been chilled down to her very core since the moment Vader had boarded her Corellian Corvette. Removing her flak jacket and tying it around her waist, she pushed further into the jungle. Its dense foliage enveloped her, closing her off from the mechanical intrusion of the rebel force.
Anger energized her steps and she moved quickly along the barely discernable path. She was angry at the leadership – angry at how they had used her, turning her into a figurehead, a symbol for what the rebellion was championing. 'The last princess of Alderaan.' She embraced her anger as tears pricked at her eyes. Her anger was aggravated by how quickly they had put together their plan; how seemingly excited they were to finally have a figurehead for their cause. Other than their initial brief condolences, no one had approached her once the battle had been won. Not a single member of the leadership had gone so far as to even give her so much as a pat on the shoulder. She didn't want their pity – maybe she didn't even want their sympathy, but she at least wanted them to acknowledge her loss. They couldn't seem to do any of these things.
'But yet, they have no problem asking me to dress up and smile and show the galaxy that all is right. That we are winning. That the win outweighs the losses. Easy enough for them to say!'
She felt the sorrow pushing through again, but tamped it down. Focusing her thoughts instead on her indignation, the warmth surrounding her and her footsteps along the path.
Han Solo had noted the sudden reversal of the princess's direction and followed her petite form with his eyes until she disappeared from his view as she exited the temple. He paused briefly to ponder her destination, until finally giving in to his curiosity and tracing her path. As he emerged from the stone archway, the sun briefly blinded him. Eyes adjusting, he scanned the horizon until he picked up a glimpse of white tank top and headed in that direction.
Leia breathed deeply, enjoying the living smells that surrounded her. Bird and insect sounds and calls filled the air, creating a quiet symphony that starkly contrasted the staccato banging of the evacuation. She wasn't entirely sure of the time that had passed, but she felt the calming of her mind that the natural surroundings had instilled in her.
"You plannin' on stickin' around permanently?"
Leia jumped as a newly familiar voice called out to her, intruding into the relative silence of the forest.
She turned as his lanky form strode into view. "I was looking for a little solitude and privacy. I guess you hadn't noticed," she answered in clipped tones.
He stepped closer, invading her personal space as was his typical fashion. "Nice! This is the thanks I get for chasin' after you in this Kriffin' steam bath, just to make sure that you're okay."
"Who asked you to?" she yelled back. Turning, she pushed through the foliage on a course perpendicular to her original path. Leaves and branches blocked her progress, but she brushed past them carelessly, anger rising up to replace her calm once again. She could hear the tall Corellian, cursing as he forced his way behind her. She smiled inwardly as she heard a loud thwack, imagining that his size was hindering him more than her along this more congested path.
Suddenly, his fingers wrapped around her bicep, yanking her to a stop.
"C'mon," he growled. "This is insane. We're heading back to the base."
Outraged at his manhandling of her, she pulled herself free and pushed along her original course, running when she could despite her hampered visibility. She wasn't sure why she was running, she knew he was right and that they should return to the base. But, when she thought of returning, an irrational oppression filled her and she just pumped her legs faster.
Cursing under his breath, Han chased after the petite phoenix moving in and out of his sights. His ankle tangled in a high root and he tripped, but his quick reflexes enabled him to catch a low branch before he landed flat on his face. Releasing his foot, he pushed forward, until suddenly he found himself free of the underbrush and balanced precariously on the edge of a sharp drop off. Wavering slightly, he grabbed hold of a nearby branch, and steadied himself.
Hoping he had erred in his direction, he looked to his left and right, his eyes searching for the beacon of her white top. Not finding anything, he renewed his grip on the branch and steeled himself as he leaned over the edge. He blew out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding as his keen eyes found the chasm floor some 15 meters away. Pulling himself upright and back from the edge, his breath caught again as his eyes picked up her sprawled form on a ledge just 4 meters below him.
"Leia!" he called, his voice breaking slightly. He exhaled forcefully again as she stirred in response to her name. He saw her struggle to rise and then heard her call out in obvious pain.
"Wait! Don't move. I'm coming to get you."
The ledge he stood on jutted out forward, almost providing a full ceiling to the lower ledge where she laid. Thankfully, her ledge stretched a good meter and half outward and nearly double that backward which was why it had broken the princess's fall.
Han pushed back into the dense foliage until he found a fallen vine to his liking. He pulled his vibroblade from its holster in his boot, and freed the vine from the tangled branch that must have pulled it from its previous great height. Coiling it roughly, he traced his steps back to the edge of the dense jungle and tied it tightly around a slim, but sturdy tree. For added measure, he also wrapped it twice around a second neighbouring tree and then returned to the ledge.
Tossing the length of vine over the ledge, he lowered himself to his stomach to reassess his landing zone. He was happy to note that the vine had sufficient length although he knew he wouldn't need it to get down – it was the climb back up with a wounded princess that he was more worried about. Satisfied that he had the proper location to lower himself without landing on the injured person he was trying to save, he turned around. He lowered himself slowly, grabbing hold of the vine and then dropping the short distance that remained.
"Leia, here, let me help you." He knelt beside her. His eyes roved her body, taking quick inventory of the dirt and scratches that covered the back of her shirt and the exposed skin of the arm closest to him. Her other arm was underneath her and gently, he grasped her waist and helped her to an upright seated position. She winced as the slight movement jarred her left arm and in that moment, he knew it was likely broken. "Ok, easy, let's just make sure that it's just your arm that's hurt."
An ominous rumble came from behind him, but Han ignored it, knowing that if he rushed to make the climb back up, he might cause her further injury.
"How's the rest of you? Anything besides your arm hurt?"
She wondered how he knew it was her arm that she had injured, but simply shook her head silently in answer. He was methodically patting down her limbs, applying gently pressure along the sides of her thighs and calves.
"This okay?" he questioned, rotating her right foot slightly and then with slightly greater movement, watching her face for any reaction. He repeated the action on her left foot as another, louder rumble filled the air.
"A storm is coming," she stated flatly, barely audible over the sound of the wind howling above them.
"I know," he answered, tugging the belt from his pants. If she wasn't still slightly dazed from her abrupt fall, then she might have questioned why he seemed to be removing his pants. "We should have enough time to climb back up and then the trees will shield us."
She had heard from other rebels about the infamous storms of the jungle moon. That they would essentially come up from nowhere and that their fierce winds and waterfall like downpours would drive them to shelter for hours. She had heard, but still, it hadn't prepared her for the fury that approached. Han's back was facing the oncoming onslaught and he continued on, oblivious to its imminent arrival.
"Okay, sweetheart, let me see that bum wing," he yelled above the wind. She bit her lower lip in response to the pain brought on by her arm's movement, but continued to look over Han's shoulder, fascinated by the scene playing out before her. A wall of water seemed to be moving straight toward them, a crazy parody of the beautiful waterfalls of her homeland. Sheets of rainfall marched forward, a liquid army moving forward in battle. The wind picked up impossibly so, loosening her braids as her hair became a wild thing, possessed.
Han secured the belt around her wrist and then looped it around her neck. "Leia," he yelled, leaning closer so she could hear, "I need you to wrap your arms around me and hold tight. I'm going to pull us up outta here."
Tearing her eyes away from the approaching maelstrom, she yelled back: "There's no time!"
Han turned to the approaching storm, grimaced and then looked up to see the vine he had lowered blowing sideways well above him. He stood, thinking he could jump to grab it, and the strength of the wind caught his tall frame fully. He staggered briefly against its strength before gaining his ground. Immediately, he lowered himself back to a crouch, cursing again.
"There's no kreffin' way we can climb out in this! We're gonna have to ride this thing out right here. C'mere, let's get you under some shelter while we can."
Keeping himself low to the ground, he grabbed her around her ribcage with one arm, while half crawling, dragging and frog-walking them until her back was pressed against the cliff wall. He then turned to sit beside her, his back against the rough stone too. Finally taking in the powerful majesty of the storm, he thanked the gods that the wind wasn't driving the water directly at them.
The pair sat in awed silence as massive sheets of rainfall fell where they had previously sat. Near darkness had fallen in the storm's wake, broken by the occasional intrusion of atmospheric electricity. The sharp sound from the lightning snapped over the rolling growl of the background thunder while the water falling lead a chorus over both.
Leia's hair continued breaking free of its restraints until finally, Han felt that he was shrouded in it. A particularly wild grouping whipped against his face and he cursed, pushing away from the wall. Carefully, he turned and rose to his knees and captured the offending strands. A triumphant smile graced his features as he twisted and returned to his earlier position, her hair held tightly in his fist. He glanced over to her, to make sure that he wasn't pulling too forcefully on her hair, only to find her biting her lip in an attempt to hide her smile. He thought about answering her smile with a snarky remark, but changed his mind, choosing not to try to yell over the cacophony that surrounded them.
It was at this time that he noticed that she was shivering. The temperature had dropped drastically with the arrival of the storm. Their clothes previously dampened by the smothering humidity were now just simply cold and wet. Shifting the fistful of hair to his right hand, he carefully shifted until his left arm was wrapped around her. She sat rigidly beside him, but he shifted again, pulling her closer. Leaning down so his lips were near her ear, he spoke: "Relax. You're freezing. I'm just trying to keep you warm." He felt the tension leave her then and he returned his attention to the storm.
More time passed and eventually the sky began to lighten, the storm began to quiet but the rain continued to fall relentlessly. He estimated that nearly an hour had passed – his internal clock keeping time and the stiffness of his limbs confirming its estimation. He shifted and she stirred, straightening. He had released his grip on her hair when the wind had died down and it cascaded down her shoulder in a winding river of brown.
"I don't think we should try climbing out until the rain dies down a bit."
He looked down at her, waiting for her to confirm her agreement with his assessment. She remained silent for several moments, staring instead at the falling rain.
"I'm sorry," her words were spoken so softly that he almost missed them.
"Sorry for what?"
"For this," she held her good arm out in front of her, indicating their current predicament. "It was foolish. I shouldn't have wandered off in the first place and I certainly shouldn't have rushed off when you caught up to me. I don't know what I was thinking and I'm sorry I got you into this."
"Thinking? Princess, I don't think you were thinking at all." She might have taken his words as harsh if his tone hadn't been so soft. "I think you were feeling and it's about damn time. You haven't stopped thinking since I met you and you certainly have reason to stop for a minute from what I can see."
Tears pricked at her eyelids and she blinked rapidly to chase them away. The kindness in his simple words were almost her undoing but she took a deep breath and swallowed her emotions completely.
"I'm still sorry that I got us into this. But I am grateful that you are here with me and that I'm not alone right now."
Han was surprised by her quiet admission. He shifted again, this time pulling her closer to him. His hand on her arm brought his attention again to the coolness of her flesh. This time, with the new lightness that had returned to their surroundings, he noticed the jacket tied around her waist.
"Hey, your highness, all this time you've been sittin' here freezing while your jacket's been keepin' the ground warm."
She looked down at her waist and noticed the sleeves knotted there, unsure how she could have forgotten about it all this time. She began tugging at the sleeve awkwardly, until Han moved to help her. He quickly untied the fabric and she shifted as he tugged it out from beneath her. He held it out and she slid her good arm into the sleeve and he wrapped it behind her and draped it over the shoulder of her injured arm.
The pair settled back against the cliff wall, Han with his arm across her shoulders, keeping her close to his warmth.
"I really am sorry I got us into this," she spoke after several moments passed.
"Don't," he said. "Don't try to turn all your attention on this. This isn't a big deal…. We ride out a rain storm and then head back to the base. I don't know about your rebel friends, but Chewie will be waiting for us so other than your bad arm, no harm in this little adventure. Nothing to apologize for and nothing to blame yourself for."
She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow questioning. "You wouldn't be here if I hadn't ran this way so how can you say there's nothing to apologize for?"
"No," he interrupted her before she could continue. "Like I said, don't focus on this. You're just trying to dwell on this instead of why you came out here in the first place. Listen. I get it. You've been to every one of the nine hells in Corellia so let's talk about that. Or don't talk to me, but use this time to figure out how you feel while you have the time. But just don't worry about this little break we're taking on the side of a cliff. It's nothin'."
She felt her eyes well up as he spoke. He didn't know the half of what she'd been through and yet, it seemed like he did. She closed her eyes, and the images bombarded her consciousness. Her planet – her home – obliterated. The people, her people – her family – gone. She tried to hold it back but a sob escaped. She felt his hand caress the side of her face and press her cheek against his chest. She was now almost completely enveloped in his warm embrace but the images continued. Pushing past Alderaan (how could anything get past Alderaan?) but the images kept churning and her tears began to flow freely. Needles, black-gloved hands pulling at the pristine white fabric of her dress, darkness pushing into her conscious thought, each image and feeling spinning in a whirlwind with such intensity she thought that she might burst for lack of her ability to contain it.
Han's arms tightened and she felt the intensity ebb, his strength filling in the gaps where hers had failed. Her sobs eased into tears and he continued to stroke her cheek. Finally, her endless tears seemed to finally dry and she hiccupped softly as they subsided. Embarrassed, she wiped at the clearly evident dampness on the front of his jacket.
"Better?" She nodded, feeling a little heat in her cheeks.
"Good. But, listen to me, sweetheart, that's just what I think you needed. And y'know, anytime you feel like you need to talk…. Or even do this again…. Just let me know. You don't need to run off a cliff to get me to give you a hug."
His last comment and lopsided smile were just what she needed to bring a little balance back to their friendship.
"Okay I will," she answered. When he cocked an eyebrow at her, she continued: "I promise."
"Good, now I think in about fifteen minutes, we should be good to get out of here."
Thank you for joining me on this little foray. If you've enjoyed it, please let me know. If you feel there are some areas for improvement, please please please let me know. SS.