It was decided that no matter the weather conditions, they would set out in the morning. They were taking a risk, but wanted to try and make a surprise attack. Luke seemed fairly certain that he knew what he was doing, and after all these years, the rest were inclined to trust him.
Chewie was holed up in the cockpit, not having a spot to sleep in the small ship, while Luke rested on a cot in the hold and Han and Leia went into their temporary cabin.
Han was torn between wanting Leia to stay behind on the ship with Chewie, and having them stick together. It didn't matter either way because she refused to be left out of the action. Chewie wasn't happy himself, but they needed to be able to get out quickly and, as Han had argued, no one likes a wet wookiee.
Leia was curled up in the bunk, waiting for Han to come out of the fresher. Even though tomorrow was looming, she felt more relaxed than she had in days. It wasn't even that Luke and Chewie were here now, but more so that they were actually going to be able to do something.
She stretched and let out a loud yawn. When she opened her eyes, she found Han standing in the doorway with a crooked smile on his face.
Leia couldn't help but smile back as she asked, "What are you staring at?"
"You're adorable," he said as he walked over to his side of the bed, laid down, and pulled her into his arms. "I can't wait for all this to be over. I hate this ship, this planet, and being outsmarted."
She rolled over and kissed him. "I thought you might be used to it by now as I frequently outsmart you."
Han gave her an indignant look. "That hurts, sweetheart, I think we match each other pretty well. Although if you really want to play statistics here, I would say you weren't exactly on your A-game this time. But I won't say it because it might hurt your feelings."
Leia, who was about to kiss him for his first point changed her mind and punched his shoulder instead for his second remark.
She ignored his exclamation of pain and pulled out of his embrace. Sitting up in bed, she said, "Excuse me, Han, but I would argue that neither of us were altogether at our best. We may not have made the best choices once in the woods, but I was the one who got us there in the first place and then got us out. I don't recall you doing very much besides following me."
"Sometimes, sweetheart, it's hard to do anything but follow you because you never let anyone get a word in."
"Are you calling me bossy?"
Han was about to retort when a voice called at them from the other room.
"Can the two of you stop arguing for just a few seconds? We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow and I'm trying to meditate."
Han and Leia glared at each other for a moment before breaking out laughing at Luke's words.
Han pulled her back down into his arms and whispered to her. "Your brother is real strange, you know that sweetheart? I'm just grateful you never slow down enough to meditate."
Leia chuckled softly. "Yes, well anytime I do have free time, you pull me into our bedroom or a dark corner somewhere."
"Time well spent, I think." He kissed the top of her head.
She sighed contentedly. "Can't argue with that."
"You know, it might not be any of that meditating crap, but I can make something real relaxing if you like. If you want to let out some steam before tomorrow."
He was smooth and before she realized what he was suggesting, he had rolled them over so that he was on top of her and there was no denying what he wanted to do. Leia looked up at him with an expression of excitement, bemusement, and hesitation.
She whispered up at him, "If Luke thinks our arguing is interrupting his meditation, we're not going to get away with this. The ship is so small!"
"I'll be real quiet, I promise."
He waggled his eyebrows at her, causing Leia to giggle, and bent down to kiss her. She didn't even try to resist as she clung to the back of his head. The kiss deepened and Han reached a hand to slip under her nightgown when there was a pounding at the door and loud growls heard from the front of the ship.
Luke spoke through the door. "Don't even think about it."
Chewie barked his agreement, causing Han and Leia to break apart.
Grumbling to himself, Han rolled over onto his back. "I never should have let them onto the ship. They can go sleep outside in the hurricane for all I care."
Leia rolled onto her side, leaned up on her elbow and looked at him sympathetically. "Well, if all goes well tomorrow, we'll get out of here, ditch this ship, and get back to the Falcon. And I promise you'll have plenty of time to make up for it. Alone."
She smiled at him to show further assurance, but he frowned in response and turned away from her.
"What's wrong, Han?"
"I don't like 'if.' When we get back to Coruscant, we're announcing the pregnancy, so no one will try and send you off on anymore of these trips."
Leia smiled at him and spoke firmly. "If I'm not going anywhere, you're not either. I think it's about time we enjoyed some peace and quiet time." She patted her stomach. "Especially before the baby comes."
Sensing that Han was still feeling uneasy, Leia gently ran her fingers through his hair. She felt her eyes start to droop at they lay in silence, listening to the rain patter on the ship above them, when Han broke the silence.
"How'd they know?"
Leia answered with her eyes still closed. "Hm? How'd they know what?"
"About you being pregnant."
Han wasn't sure she heard him because her eyes were still closed and she was very quiet, but after a few moments she opened her eyes.
"I honestly don't know. I've been trying to figure that out as well, but I come up with nothing. Barely anyone from home knows, but those who do wouldn't be spreading it around."
She didn't say anything more, and Han didn't answer, but her thoughts were now keeping her awake. Han's question reignited a thought that she had been mulling before, but due to a few distractions had forgotten up until now. The fact that the men had known she was pregnant startled her and she wondered if maybe one of them was force sensitive. That would not only explain how they knew of her pregnancy but also that her and Han were on the planet.
Then again, she figured that she might be able to sense it, or if she didn't pick it up, Luke definitely would have known and mentioned it to them.
She was shaken from her thoughts when Han began snoring softly next to her. Wrapping an arm around him, she laid her head down on his chest. She wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring and she figured that at the moment there was no point dwelling on it. Leia fell asleep a few minutes later, confident that whatever it was they were going up against, they would fight it together.
Leia did not immediately respond to the buzzing of the alarm clock, telling her she had to wake up. She had been having a wonderful dream where she and Han were on some beautiful planet, not unlike the one they were on now, minus all the rain. They had been lying on a big blanket on a beach somewhere, looking up towards the sun and holding hands. Every so often, Han would sit up and kiss her on the lips, then he would reach down and kiss her stomach twice. She had been a little alarmed by how big her stomach was, not knowing how one baby could get so big, but otherwise the scene had been relaxing, centered in happiness and love.
Her mind fought to stay within the dream, desperate to ignore the blaring beeping, but then she heard Han calling to her as well. She only fully awoke when she felt his arm reach over her and throw the alarm clock off the dresser.
Opening her eyes, she found Han sitting up, rubbing at his eyes, and looking thoroughly confused. Leia knew how much he hated waking up to an alarm, but today, timing was everything and there was no point in risking sleeping past the time they wanted to leave.
Han went into the fresher first, so Leia peeked her head out to see if Luke was awake. He wasn't in the hold, but she could hear him and Chewie talking in the cockpit. After taking her turn in the fresher, she quickly dressed and braided her hair.
She emerged from the cabin to find Han holding out a cup of kaffe to her which she took gratefully. She tried to refuse the ration bar he gave her because the food was bland and it was too early to be eating, but she didn't want to argue with the way Han was looking at her and she forced it down. She just hoped that her morning sickness wouldn't kick in.
After, they joined Chewie and Luke in the cockpit, both of whom looked far too happy and alert at this time in the morning. Glacning outside, she noticed it was still pouring, but not quite as bad as it had been.
Luke handed each of them camouflaged rain jackets and boots, he apparently had come prepared for such a storm. They threw them on, hers obviously meant for someone much bigger than her, but as long as it kept her fairly dry, she wouldn't complain. She wanted to laugh at Han when he threw the hood over his head, but he was looking so determined and quiet, she didn't want to push him. They muttered goodbyes to Chewie before heading down the ramp.
Leia thought she heard Han grumbling, but she couldn't make out what he was saying because the rain drowned out all other noises. It was dark, but she was still able to make out Luke's shape ahead of her. They had decided to move slowly, even if it was frustrating to do so, in order to not risk being separated. She felt Han grab her hand and pull her closer to him before walking.
They moved easily through the town. There was no one up or around at this hour and in this weather. The hiking trail proved to be difficult though because the rain had made it very wet and very slippery.
Leia was about to give up hope of ever making it up the trail, and sensed that Han felt so to because she he hadpulled back, but Luke didn't hesitate. It seemed that the boots he had brought were designed for this sort of thing, so even though it wasn't easy, they were still able to walk up the hill. She would have been impressed by her brother's planning, but found that she couldn't focus on anything else but walking at the moment. By the end, Han was nearly dragging her through the mud and rain, and she knew that if the rain weren't so loud, she would be able to hear the slew of swears he was sure to be grumbling.
When they reached the clearing that led into the direction of the woods they wanted to take, she almost breathed a sigh of relief. They stopped only for a moment, waiting for Luke to get a feel of the place. He started walking again, and Leia went to follow him, when Han pulled her back for a moment. Sensing this, Luke stopped too, but didn't turn around.
She tried to look up at Han, but the rain was blurring everything. She could barely make out his face, except for the soft glow of his familiar hazel eyes. He didn't bother to speak though, just took her in his arms and kissed her. The kiss was long and deep, and she felt herself being lifted off the ground. He put her down, but remained holding her close, and even though she couldn't breathe very well, she didn't struggle.
Leia understood why he was doing it, but she didn't want him to worry so much. As he placed his hand on her stomach and gently rubbed it, she took his other hand and gave it a squeeze signifying that she felt the exact same way, then pulled him towards the woods.
Because of all of the trees, the rain wasn't as bad as it had been on the trail, but it was still hard to see. Han's grasp on her hand was firm and her hand was starting to ache, but Leia wouldn't let go for the life of her. She knew that he was doing it in a means to keep her safe, but she suspected that it was also a comfort for him.
It seemed like they had been walking forever when Luke pulled up short. She nearly slammed into him, but Han's hold on her kept her upright. In the short distance, she could make out the shape of the hut her and Han had escaped from days before.
Her senses were tingling, but not necessarily in a negative way. She quickly checked to make sure her blaster was still on her and felt Han do the same.
With a promise that when this was all said and done, she was going to take the longest hot water fresher and bath she possibly could with her husband on their return to Coruscant, Leia took a deep breath and waited for Luke to give the signal.
