A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and to those larkers who have been reading as well. Here is the latest instalment in my little detour through the Star Wars universe. I hope you continue to enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it so far. And in case anyone is wondering, I don't own any of this. On with the show.

Unexpected Detours - part 3

Han woke alone in his cabin again. He had woken alone every morning for the past ten days. 'Actually,' he amended mentally, 'I've been waking up alone ever since I got myself tangled up with this lost cause they call a rebellion.' He had gone to sleep alone every night too, but the difference now was what happened in the time between dusk and dawn. Each night since their safe arrival on Hoth, his sleep had been disturbed as the ramp to the Falcon hissed open. Then, for a brief moment, her figure would be framed in the light outside his doorway as she entered his quarters. The silence would be broken as she shuffled out of her clothing before climbing into bed beside him. His body was well-tuned to that sound now, eager for the caresses that it knew would soon follow. They rarely spoke during their late-night interludes. They would make love and then fall asleep in each other's arms. He already knew that Leia preferred to sleep with her back to his chest, his body spooned around hers, his arms circling her protectively. He was amazed at how well he slept with her next to him; amazed that the first couple of nights he hadn't woken when she had climbed from his bed.

He knew how she liked to sleep, but he didn't know why she left each morning. Well, he was sure that if he confronted her she would offer some excuse about propriety and appearances or any number of things that didn't really matter in the long run. But Echo Base was a full-time operation. There was very little chance that someone hadn't noticed her boarding the Falcon each night and even less a chance that someone hadn't noticed her hurrying away every morning. She was fooling herself if she thought otherwise and Han couldn't believe that Leia was a woman who was easily fooled.

After the fifth night, he had expected her departure and woke when the mattress shifted as she attempted to rise from the bed. He had tightened his arms around her then, whispering in her ear, asking her to stay. She had refused him, fighting against his embrace. He remembered vainly trying to still her flailing arms and legs, demanding to know why she was running away from him, but she had continued to fight him silently. He had thought the battle won. Her body was held fast against his with one arm while the other was wrapped around her shoulders. Her feet kicked ineffectually at his shins and he sought to capture them with his leg. It was at that moment of distraction that her fist had connected with his nose; more the back of her hand than her fist, but the result had been the same. He had released her, screaming at her in pain and outrage. She had hastily dressed, tossing a towel his way to quell the bleeding. A mumbled apology were the only words she had spoken to him that night. A quick "I'm sorry" just before the door closed behind her.

He still remembered how angry he had been that day. All he had wanted to do was spend the rest of the night sleeping with her in his arms. Most women hated it if a man didn't let them spend the night. But not Leia. She had given him a broken nose because he had wanted her to stay. He had avoided her completely that day and had endured more than a few questioning stares at his swollen nose and the bruises beneath his eyes. He would have changed the lock pad on the Falcon to keep her out if Chewie would have let him.

She had come to him much later that night. He had waited for her, staying awake until long after the hour that she would normally venture into his ship. He had been determined to confront her with her actions of the previous night. After several hours of waiting, he had given in to his body's need for sleep. It was then that she had returned to him, the chrono in his room telling him that he had only slept for a short time. When she had slid beside him, he had remained flat on his back, unmoving to her presence in his bed.

After several minutes of silence, he had shifted to turn on the light at the side of his bed. She had moved before he could, straddling him and pulling his hand back from the switch. In the darkness, she caressed his face. She kissed his forehead, his temple, his mouth, whispering "I'm sorry's" between each kiss. She kissed the bruises beneath his eyes and even the bridge of his abused nose. Her hands held his face as she continued to kiss him so tenderly he had thought he might weep, thought for a moment that he had as the first salty tear splashed on his cheek. He had tucked her head against his chest then and held her as she cried quietly in his arms. It had been the first night that she had come to him and they hadn't made love. They had slept in each other's arms, but he had still woken up alone.

Han had grown tired of her game. He had difficulty falling back asleep after she left each morning. His body missed her warmth and his mind raced with thoughts of how to alter their routine. The foul mood he woke to carried with him throughout the day now. Yet, every night, despite his best intentions, he failed to turn her away.

Leia didn't know why she couldn't make herself spend an entire night with Han. At first, she had tried to tell herself that her late-night arrivals and early-morning departures were in the interest of discretion. Closely examined, she knew her excuse was flawed. She knew that were she concerned with keeping up appearances at the base, she wouldn't be going to him night after night. She also knew that she could easily disguise her leaving his ship in the morning as a mission assignment or briefing or some other errand on behalf of the rebellion. She knew that it would be easier to explain her presence on the Falcon at 0900 than at 0500 were she to encounter anyone on her daily trek back to her quarters. But she didn't know why she continued to leave. And she couldn't explain why she returned each night.

'Well,' she thought to herself, 'there is the sex.' She had to admit that the sex was good. More than good. She hadn't believed that she would ever enjoy a sexual relationship again. Now she was drawn to him night after night. She also had to admit that she was drawn to him for more than just sex. She was drawn to the safety his arms offered her each night; the hours of dreamless sleep as she slept in his protective embrace; the warmth of his body as it chased away the chill that had settled deep inside her, long before they had landed on this frozen planet. She had developed a need for these things from him. A need that had grown so desperate within her that she had braved his refusal after breaking his nose just for the opportunity to have her craving satisfied. But she was never satisfied. Like an addict, she returned to him night after night. Like an addict, she ran away from her addiction in the light of day.

But she wasn't an addict. She didn't have an addictive personality. She had never been one of those girls who struggled to refuse the delicacies offered by her kitchen or the not-so-delicacies offered at Imperial Court. She had known that sometimes you had to deprive yourself of certain things because it was what was best for you in the long run. She wasn't addicted to Han. She knew that she could back away from him if she had to. But she didn't know if she should back away. She didn't know if she should stay. She didn't know what was best for her in the long run.

Caught between her thoughts and her data pad, she failed to notice the booted feet approaching her until she nearly walked into the man attached to the boots. Somewhere deep inside her, she recognized the man as Han before her eyes traced the Corellian Bloodstripe of his trousers to his trademark holster.

"Hey, Leia," Han reached out to steady her after almost knocking her off balance. "You should pay better attention to where you're going."

"Well, maybe I should. But then the same could be said about you."

"True," came Han's drawn out answer, followed by his lopsided grin. "But then again, maybe I meant to run into to you. Maybe I wanted to see what it felt like to have a little contact with you in the light of day for a change."

Leia quickly glanced around the hallway, shushing Han at the same time. "Will you keep your voice down? Some of us care about our reputation."

"Right, sister, your reputation. I'd hate to break it to you, but they've been talking about us for months now. The fact that you're now avoiding me like an Ammuudian plague has probably raised more eyebrows than anything I could have done."

Leia silently processed his retort, seeing the truth in his words. She had been avoiding him and it had nothing to do with her reputation. She truly didn't care what the others thought. Well, she did want their respect, but because she was a leader and a leader should have the respect of those she led. She couldn't imagine that an affair with anyone, even Han, could cause her to lose their respect. 'Especially, Han,' she added silently. 'The men respect him and his abilities more than they respect me.' She had been avoiding him these past days. She could easily admit that to herself. But only because she didn't know how to deal with this latest development in their relationship. She hadn't had to deal with a man in a romantic relationship in a long while. And that last man had been nothing like Han.

"Well, your highness, are we going to continue to tango in the hallway, or do you think we can take up this conversation later? How about dinner… on the Falcon, so we can keep your reputation in tact."

She chewed silently on her lip in response. She wasn't ready to have that conversation - 'you mean argument' - with Han yet. The one she had been avoiding by avoiding him - 'at least in the daylight.' She also knew that he would see through any excuse she offered and wouldn't respond well to a negative response. 'Well, Leia,' she shored up her inner defences, 'you knew this was coming. Might as well get it over with sooner rather than later.' "Sure, Han, that sounds nice," she answered aloud. "What time should I come by?"

A/N: That's all for now. Sorry it's a little short. Don't worry, their dinner date should be posted shortly. Thanks for reading (and reviewing, I hope.)

Scarlet.