Once again Leia lay awake in her quarters at base. It was the middle of the night and she spent half of it tossing and turning. After what seemed like forever, she decided if sleep wouldn't come she just as well could get some work done. Turning on the light, she picked up her datapad and started to work but her thoughts very soon turned back to Han, where they've been ever since the bounty hunter, or even before that. If she was completely honest with herself, she knew her thoughts were on him since she first met him.

But it was harder now. Unlike all the days since they met, he was now avoiding her. He stayed absent from meetings she took part of, whenever they accidently meet he just ignored her. At least he tried to. She did see the look in his eyes every time their eyes met and before he turned into the other direction or just walked past her as she wasn't even there and she wasn't fooled.

It took her about three days, before she decided to confront him, but when she arrived at the Falcon, Chewie told her he wasn't there. Leia being Leia she made sure he was there before going to see him. When Chewie told her she couldn't go up the ramp, she just ignored the big Wookiee and tried storming past him. Chewie usually was very gentle with the princess and if it came to Han and Leia, he always was a big supporter and wanted nothing more than them getting together but he already had a huge argument with his friend about this, so he just picked her up and carried her away from the ramp, putting her down, waiting for her to burst. He waited for her to yell at him but it didn't happen. She just looked up at him for a moment, before nodding to herself and she turned around and left.

When Chewie reentered the Falcon, he found Han sitting next to the entrance on the floor, his elbows resting on his knees, face buried in his hands. Chewie grumbled something.

"Don't…just don't start this again Chewie! It's best…I just…I just need a few more days to get the Falcon ready and we…we're leaving." With that Han got up on his feet and left to sit in the cockpit. He sat down, looking over the hanger until his eyes found her. She was sitting on one of the equipment boxes, looking up at the Falcon. For a moment, it seemed as she was looking directly at him, asking him with her eyes why he was avoiding her, but then she looked down to her boots, shoving some snow to a little pile. She was waiting for him, he knew. Sighting to himself, he just leaned back and watched her. I'm sorry.

Leia waited till the hanger was almost empty and the gates were shot. Han watched her the whole time, forcing himself desperately not to go to her and just…What exactly would you do Solo? You have to leave, going down there would only make it worse. Leia again looked up at the Falcon, for it seemed the hundredth time, the pile she started shoving earlier was now a little perch for her to rest her feet on it. He could see she began shivering, probably cold from sitting there for so long. Gods princess you're killing me. He sighted, deciding to end this, he turned and reached for a switch to close up the ramp. He heard the mechanics work and eventually the hiss of the ramp closing. He kept his eyes on Leia the whole time, seeing the disappointment in her eyes, he got up to leave, but before leaving the cockpit he turned to get a last glimpse at her. She was still sitting, sadly looking at the closed-up Falcon. Come on sweetheart, go to bed. As if she could hear him, she stood, wiping her hands over her cheek and turned to leave.

And now she was sitting on her bunk, her eyes dwelling up with tears once again. Screw him!

She cursed, throwing her datapad to the other side of the room. She didn't even watch it hit the floor nor did she see it break into pieces, she just lay back down, burying her face into her pillow, letting go off a desperate cry.

….

"Well your highness, I guess this is it."

"That's right…"

"Don't get all mushy on me. So long princess!"

…"Han!"

"Yes your highnesses?!"

"I thought you've decided to stay?!"

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."

"Han we need you!"

"We need?"

"Yes."

"Well what about you need?"

"I need? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You probably don't."

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?"

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!"

"Yes you're a great help for us, you're an actual leader!"

"No! That's not it! Come on,… ahhh come on!"

"You're imagining things!"

"Am I? Then why are you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee!"

"I can arrange that! You could use a good kiss!"

And off he went. Those last words ran through her head over and over again, as she sat on her bunk in her room. After they closed up the gates, there was nothing she could do, except wait and hope it would turn out alright. Why didn't she just tell him then how she felt about him? She loved him and she should have told him. She thought about how things would have turned out then. She would have told him and then what? I would have pulled him to the side to kiss him, no matter what his reply would have been. He was right…I was afraid of him leaving without giving me a kiss. But I didn't want it to be a goodbye kiss. Why did he decided to leave anyway? He said it had something to do with the bounty hunter and his behavior certainly changed since then. Maybe he wants to keep me safe, but he has to know that I only feel safe with him around. Come back to me Han! I need you!

She silently pleaded with him. Leaning down her bunk to look under it, she reached for a box and pulled it out. Inside she went through the few personal things she had left since Alderaan, until she found what she was looking for. It was a holo of her and Han, taken by a security camera outside the lookout on Yavin. They were laying on the floor, sleeping. She was snuggled up to his side while his hands were holding her close.

She confiscated it the same morning it was taken. Walking through the security center on her way back to her quarters, she noticed it coming up on one of the screens. The cameras were programmed to rotate and take a picture every five seconds. Lucky for her, she just entered the room, before anybody else could see them. She decided to delete the pictures, before she got caught. But before she pushed the button, she picked out one angle and printed it out. After the mission was completed she acted as casual as possible, leaving to get to her quarters to freshen up to join Han in the cantina for breakfast.

Sitting on her bunk now and looking at the holo, her throat tightened and tears ran down her cheeks. What if he is not coming back? I…I…I wouldn't…Stop it Leia! He is going to leave anyway! Don't get too caught up! Sure, I want him come back…but that's it! I'll only end up hurt. When he and Luke…oh gods Luke! How could I forget about Luke? Feeling guilty and irritated for Han messing her up like this, she vowed to herself not to let him get to her like that anymore. If he wants to leave, let him leave! There is always Luke…On Luke I can count on. He is not just running away like a coward!

And with that thought, she stored the holo back into the box and lay down on the bunk.

…..

Okay, I think that's the point to let "Empire strikes back" take over.

That's it for this story. I hope you liked it and thanks for reading and your support!