Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the mistakes as this is un-beta'd.

Note: Here's the final chapter. Thank you for all love for this story, you lot are the best!

Different Galaxy, Same Old Story

Chapter Eight

About a week later…

Leia found Han's hospital room empty when she arrived that evening after work. One of the nurses on duty quickly informed her he was down the hall in the washroom, having a bath.

"On his own?" Leia asked with slight concern. She didn't think he was physically up to that just yet.

"Currently alone, yes." The nurse replied cryptically. Leia gave her a look that obviously demanded an explanation as the nurse quickly supplied one: "He was rather resistant to any help. I did try."

Leia snorted in understanding. She was sure the nurse had tried. And the reaction by the sounds of it, had been very typical of Han's behaviour since he'd woke up. Though everyone that had visited Han in the last week (and that had felt like practically everyone Han had ever known – besides the noticeable absence of his mother), all that had come had commented on the apparent speed of his recovery. But of course it wasn't speedy enough for Han. He was becoming increasingly frustrated with himself at not being able to do everything straight away.

"I was just going to check on him." The nurse added after a moment's pause.

"I'll go. I'll try and persuade him to behave." The nurse gave Leia a rather suggestive look.

"Well I'm sure you can be a lot more persuasive than me."

"Knock, knock." Leia called softly as she entered the washroom and found Han sitting in the tub, his back to her. He turned to look over his shoulder, hissed in pain, and then faced forwards again.

"Is it that time already?" He asked.

He was referring to the little routine they had gotten into in the last week. She tended to come at around the same time every evening when she had finished work. Usually he was more than pleased to see her. He sounded anything but that tonight.

"Afraid so." Leia replied light heartedly. He didn't respond. She could see the clear separation on his back of the parts he was able to reach and had washed and the parts that still eluded his grasp. She leant down to kiss him on the cheek, whispering seductively in his ear as she did: "Want me to scrub your back?"

"No thanks." Was the grumpy retort.

"Come on, I'll make it worth your while…" Leia reached for the body-scrubber he held in his hand but he pulled it away from her.

"I said I'm fine." He reached round to try and get at his back again. The action made him wince in pain to such a degree he was almost gasping for breath, the agony painted all over his face.

"What is the point of hurting yourself by trying to do too much too soon?!" Leia demanded. Han wasn't the only one that was angry now. His response came in a tight and raised voice:

"Too much?! Is it too much to expect to be able to take a fucking bath without any assistance? Christ! You're worse than the nurses. You treat me like a fucking child!" Han threw the scrubber into the bath with such force that a load of water splashed over the side and hit Leia, who was now sitting in a chair next to him. She jumped in surprise both at the splash of water and at his words.

"Okay." She said as she stood from the chair.

Han could hear the upset in her voice and sighed in frustration. The very last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. After everything she had done for him she certainly didn't deserve what he had just said to her.

Leia made her way to the door.

"Leia, wait, please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm an idiot, ignore me."

She didn't respond but as she got to the door she didn't leave as he had expected. Instead he heard her flick the lock and pull a chair under the door handle to make extra sure no one else could come in. She then walked to stand next to the bath once more. He watched, wordlessly and in shock, as she slowly began to remove her clothing. First her shoes, then her skirt and blouse, her bra and underwear too, until she was standing completely naked in front of him, tying up her hair on the top of her head.

Despite how angry he was feeling just a moment ago he couldn't help but almost gawp at her. It had been so long and she was so very, very beautiful that some natural reactions were inevitable. A certain part of his body was definitely beginning to wake up.

She stepped forward and began to climb into the bath with him.

"What are you doing?" He could hear how shaky (and a little pathetic) his own voice sounded.

She lowered herself into the water carefully until she was on his lap, facing him, with her knees either side of his thighs. She was raised out of the water so it only came to her bellybutton and Han found himself, quite without thinking, reaching forward to run his hands all over her top half to keep her warm. It was also quite a good excuse to touch her of course. She saw him marvelling at her body as if it were the first time he had seen it. If this had been a ploy to lift him out of his mood, it was working.

"I'm being a complete asshole, aren't I?" He asked quietly.

"Kind of. But I think you're allowed to be at the moment. I know how frustrating this must be for you – to have to learn how to use your body again. I sympathise but I can't empathise. I have no idea how that feels. What I do know is that your recovery so far has been nothing short of miraculous. But that doesn't mean you can't say when you are struggling. That you can't tell me when you're in pain. It's not going to scare me off, I promise. You're stuck with me now."

She accompanied her words with a gentle stroke to his cheek. She felt him swallow nervously under her wet fingers. It appeared she'd hit the nail on the head with her assumption of his feelings. She couldn't blame him for thinking so little of her. Her behaviour before the accident was not exactly a shining example of her strength of character.

"I suppose if you were willing to stick around while I took a six month long nap…"

"And you were willing to stick around while I was the nightmare I was before the accident…" Han smiled at her as her hands found his face once more. "I think it's what you do when you love someone." He leant up to kiss her but she stopped him at the last minute: "See?!" She suddenly exclaimed.

"See what?"

"That's the second time I've said those words to you without a car coming crashing round the corner and knocking you out. I think the curse is officially lifted!"

He stared at her in dumbfounded shock for a moment before bursting out laughing at the absurdity of her joke.

"I love you." He told her seriously a few moments later.

"I know." Was her perfect reply. After a few more moments of comfortable silence she suddenly asked: "Do you remember the first time you saw me naked?"

"Of course I do!"

"You said my body was perfect." In any other situation Han would have teased her at how self-confident (read arrogant) she sounded. Not in any way the same unsure and shy girl whose body he had seen for the first time that night all those months ago.

"It was. It still is. Even if you could do with a couple burgers in you." He told her as his fingers danced over the ribs that were slightly more pronounced than they had been the last time he had seen them. A clear testament to the fact she hadn't been looking after herself as well as she had been him the last few months.

"Well why don't you focus on that." He looked at her in confusion. "My perfect little body all up on yours. Focus on that instead of what you, and you alone, perceive to be the humiliation of someone who cares about you trying to look after you."

"You telling me to just sit here and stare at your naked body?"

"Basically."

"I think I can do that."

"Oh good." Leia replied sarcastically.

She reached for the scrubber and this time he didn't try to stop her. She shifted forward on his lap, reached behind and started to wash his back. Han's own arms wrap her back as his head came to rest on her shoulder. He heard her breathy laugh and felt her give an extra little wriggle in his lap. The latter causing an involuntary moan to escape his mouth.

"Really hotshot?" She teased in response to the growing arousal she could feel against her.

"You are wriggling around in my lap, what do you expect?"

She moved back to look at him – a naughty look at that.

"I expect you to show your own personal nurse some equally personal gratitude." She answered, reaching down to give him a devouring kiss.

/

A few weeks later…

"Alright, alright, alright, you drunken lot, listen up!" Lando exclaimed as he stood from his seat and tried to engage the noisy and distracted crowd.

The whole group of them were gathered in their favourite booth at Dak's bar to celebrate Han's release from hospital the day before. The honouree of this little gathering sat in the middle of the booth, a rather intoxicated Leia perched precariously on his knee as she leaned over to talk to Winter on the other side of the table. Winter, as always, was sat wrapped around Tycho. Luke, Wedge, and a few other Squadron boys were also crammed into the small area all chatting loudly and completely ignoring Lando.

"I said shut it!" Lando bellowed and the group finally obeyed. "That's better. Thank you. Right I thought someone better say a few words as to why we have all been dragged out here on a Wednesday night…"

"Can't hack the pace Lando? You used to be up for hitting it on a Sunday not so long ago!" One of the squadron boys heckled. Lando simply gave him the middle finger in response.

"As I was saying… I think we should all raise a glass to this lucky bastard right here…" Lando said indicating to Han. "Lucky for not only having the prettiest girl in the room bouncing up and down on his lap…" Lando winked in Leia's direction.

"Thanks very much!" Winter commented as Luke looked a little uncomfortable about the open innuendo involving his sister.

"Joint prettiest, joint prettiest, obviously, Winter that goes without saying. But anyway… he is also the only son of a bitch in the world that can take a speeding car to the chest and get up and walk it off like nothing has happened… albeit six months later." Wedge and Squadron boys cheered. Han noticed Leia grip his hand a little tighter and got the impression she was no longer holding onto him purely for balance. "Now whilst we've all had a lovely, peaceful, quiet time while you were out…" Lando paused for a moment, suddenly seeming rather emotional. "We're all bloody glad to have you back!"

"Here, here!" Luke hollered and everyone else began to cheer.

"Now to demonstrate that fact – let's all get absolutely wankered!" Lando's declaration was met with another round of cheering as the booth slowly emptied to go and get more drinks.

"Soppy shit." Han said quietly so only Leia could hear. Despite his words she could tell what Lando's little speech had meant to him.

"There just all very happy to have you back. Nothing wrong with that."

"Not as happy as you though, right?" Han teased, the flirtatious glint very obvious in his eye. In response Leia leaned forward and kissed him. The kiss was bordering on indecent for a public place and coming from Leia who, before the accident, would not so much as look in his direction when out in public in case someone found out, well it was clear the last few months had certainly caused a turnaround in her feelings. "You're drunk." He told when the kiss finally ended.

"I'm not!" The strong denial absolute proof that she was.

"Well in that case you should be." Han reached forward and gave Leia one of the drinks Wedge has just brought to the table. "You've got six months of socialising and drinking to catch up on." Leia downed the drink in one without as much as a grimace. "Good girl." Han was clearly impressed.

He looked out onto the dancefloor and saw Winter and Tycho dancing. Once again they behaved as if no one else were in the room. He chuckled to himself. He didn't think Leia could ever get drunk enough to do that. And quite honestly he was glad. There were certain things that should be left for the privacy of the bedroom. He had certain moves he was very happy that only Leia would get to see from now on.

"It's nice to see some things haven't changed." He told Leia pointing to Winter and Tycho. Leia smiled.

"I've never seen her so serious about anyone before… I think she might have found the one she wants to grind against for the rest of time."

"That's sweet." Han laughed, pulling Leia closer to him and kissing her forehead. "I'd happily grind against you for the rest of time." He whispered breathily in her ear.

"Shut up!" But the comment earnt him another solid kiss.

As they pulled apart Luke and Lando made their way back towards the booth and took their seats opposite.

"You know as happy as I am for you two it's still a little weird for me to see you together." Luke said.

"Awh don't worry Luke, we still love you!" Han mocked, reaching over the table to squeeze one of Luke's cheeks. Luke shoved him off but was grinning.

"I see you're back to normal."

"You know now that your lovely sister…" Lando began, turning to face Luke but was suddenly interrupted.

"For god sake Lando! All the soppy-ass speeches in the world are not stop me kicking your ass if you don't stop coming on to Leia!" Han exclaimed. For a moment the whole table sat in uncomfortable and unnatural silence before Han burst out laughing. The others soon followed suit. Everyone knew the likelihood of Lando ever ceasing to flirt with a pretty girl was near impossible.

"Let me finish, let me finish…" Lando rambled. Leia was definitely not the only one a little tipsy tonight. In fact for possibly the first time ever Han was the most sober one at the party. "All I was going to say was now the gorgeous Leia has officially taken you off of the market I need to get myself a new wingman."

"I hope you're not suggesting Luke!" Leia giggled and Han joined in. Luke blanched a little.

"What's that supposed to mean? Why is that idea so funny?"

Leia didn't get a chance to reply as at that exact moment Wedge came bundling into the booth, climbed over Lando and pulled Leia to standing position before dragging her back out. As he passed Luke he pulled him up with his spare hand, dragging both siblings to the dance floor to join Winter, Tycho and the other Squadron boys. Wedge did all of this without uttering a single word.

A few moments later Leia felt a hand on her waist and turned to see Han standing behind her, leaning on his stick for support. Although he'd continued to make unbelievable progress over the last few weeks, he still needed the stick when standing for any length of time – for now. She knew he'd be off of it no time. And, at last, Han had started to realise just how speedy his recovery was going compared what could have been and was learning to go with it. Leia wouldn't go as far as to say he was being patient with himself but he was certainly better than before.

Just goes to show what a stern talking, butt-naked, and sitting astride a man in a bath can do.

"Have you come to give me a whirl old man?" Leia joked, reaching both arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her. "Where's Lando?"

"Two guesses." She looked over Han's shoulder to see Lando at the bar talking and laughing with some petit blonde. Some things truly do never change.

"You know he's definitely not in need of wingman."

"Never was." Han laughed.

As the next song began to play both Leia and Han noticed Luke downing a number of shots with Wedge at the dancefloor's edge. Once finished he began approaching them, arms flailing wildly at his sides in what they thought was supposed to be dancing.

"Woo! This is my jam!" Luke declared as he pulled Leia into a swaying embrace.

Han took a moment to look around. Winter and Tycho were still all but getting it on as if they were entirely alone. Lando was still chatting up endless girls at the bar. Wedge and the Squadron boys were still downing drinks they all knew they'd regret in the morning. Luke still couldn't handle his liquor, and Leia was still humouring her drunk brother with a roll of the eyes. All was as it was before. At least it would have been if Leia had not turned to look at Han and given him a wink that was casual, flirty and yet somehow managed to convey all the love he now knew she felt for him. The same love he felt for her. Scrap all being as was before. All was now exactly as it should be.

End