Thanks so much for all your notes! This is a chapter I'm sure many of you have been waiting for... enjoy!

"You ready, Leia?" He called into the 'fresher from the bedroom. "Chewie's here."

He heard a shuffle from the other side of the door. "It almost sounds like you're excited," she teased, her voice muffled behind the wall.

"Excited to see you in your dress, oh yeah!" He made sure that point was highlighted before he turned sour. "Excited for this whole thing… not really."

His eyes scanned her bedroom. The bed was made that day, so it must have been the cleaning droid's day to tidy up. He also remembered leaving a few pairs of boots outside his closet that had disappeared, probably put back where they belonged. The bedroom lights were only dimmed, quite an atmosphere if this bedroom ever saw some action again. The dark of the night seeped in through the window panes, signaling it was time for most people to go to sleep.

But not him, not tonight. He had a wealth of 'excitement' ahead of him, but the only part of that evening he was in any way looking forward to was seeing her in her dress and holding her hand the entire night.

This was a public event where they were playing the parts of Senator and Mr. Organa-Solo. He was free to hold her hand, wrap his arm around her waist, kiss her cheek… However, the line between acting as the Organa-Solos and simply living in their new relationship status was growing ever thinner.

And so he wasn't really acting in a part, he was going on a date with the woman he loved. But he still hated the idea of a classy event where he had to share her around.

Leia was having fun with his half mocked grumblings. "How disappointing," she pouted just as the 'fresher door slid open to reveal… a goddess. "And here I got all dressed up for someone."

Dressed up wasn't the word he would use to describe that outfit. It wasn't like the modest, traditional gowns she wore to work, flowing and beautiful. No, this was an evening dress tight against her hips and down through her legs, only allowing her to move because of the slit that went clear up to Mandalor. The black fabric cinched at her waist and hugged every curve as it wrapped around her neck, leaving her shoulders deliciously exposed.

Her hair made the outfit even sexier, a massive twist of braids and curls that wove through the back of her head and all the way down over her left shoulder.

He didn't know how long it took for his voice to work again. "Kriff, sweetheart…." He felt his breath knock out as the amber pendant caught the light, delicately placed at the crown of her head and the chain woven into a hair piece. "Is that…"

She raised her less than coy eyes up. "The pendant, yes. Directly where everyone can see it." She was standing there so casually, as if she wasn't the most gorgeous creature in the world. He suspected she knew what she was doing to him as she pretended not to notice his ogling and instead slipped her long black gloves up her arms.

He stepped closer so she had to meet his eyes. His hands hesitated for a moment before trailing his fingertips from the skin of her shoulders all the way down the soft silk gloves to her hands. "You look…" There were no words. So he showed her.

His fingertips danced back up her body to palm her bare back, pulling her up to him as he lowered his head down. He made his tribute to her, caressing her upper lip then her lower lip then deepening his caress to satisfy his growing need to kiss her senseless.

He restrained himself, no help from her who seemed content to let him linger even longer. Her hazy eyes and light head let out a sigh as he moved back. "If you say so," she cooed.

As he gave her some space, she straightened her gloves and made her way over to her vanity to take a last minute inventory of herself.

"How late do we have to stay?" He asked, standing in the reflector's sightline.

"Late enough."

"Well, that's not helpful," he groaned as she smacked on some lip tint and smiled at herself in the reflector. "You're feelin' good about this?"

"I really am."

He could tell. She was in a good mood the past few days. Work things were going well for her and he liked to think their relationship progress had something to do with her joyous energy as well.

"Work has been going much better recently," she confirmed as she closed the lip tube. "I have a better grasp on major issues and feel like I can contribute again."

"Anything I need to know about tonight?"

She released a deep breath as she stood to her full height, turned to him and shook her head. "Just be yourself. Nila assured me that these are not people you have been introduced to and can therefore be ignorant about everything."

He could be himself, and acting ignorant… "My specialty." He raised his elbow and turned to the side. "Princess."

She took the cue and let her lips curl up as she took his arm.

As per Leia's plan, they arrived fashionably late so the pre-dinner cocktails were already having their effects on the guests. They slipped in without any great fanfare, but that didn't last long. After they both had a drink in hand, Leia walked them into a group of people she was briefed to make herself know to.

"Administer Sigual," Leia expertly charmed.

The man seemed beside himself as he turned to find her standing there addressing him. "S-Senator Organa…" He held out his hand to her and bowed over to kiss her offered hand.

Leia acted like this man didn't just almost choke on his drink. "May I introduce my husband, General Solo."

"Heya," Han mumbled, embodying himself as his hands rested against his belt, his stance placing him directly behind Leia.

"General," the man pulled himself together. "It is a pleasure."

There were other people in the group, including a few Leia remembered from her days in the Imperial Senate. All were on the side of justice in the end.

By the time the bell rang for dinner, Han was already talked out and two drinks in, but Leia seemed to just be getting started. He didn't think he could count the number of people who came up to greet her with a, 'Senator Organa' or 'Princess.'

He stuck to her like glue and participated when he could. Leia let them linger longer with a group when the subject of the Five Sabers piloting race came up. Han weaved his way around his ignorance of the outcome of the past few years, but he was ready to walk away from that conversation when someone was convinced Marshella Dawd was the greatest pilot in history. There was no way Han could respect that opinion when Gal Gifrot was clearly superior.

He placed his empty glass on a serving droid's tray as he walked beside her into the embassy's dining room. "You still go by Organa?" He inquired into her ear. "Just curious. I never asked."

"It's Organa-Solo legally, but I use Organa professionally." She kept her eyes forward as she answered. "That's what the other Leia chose and it's what I would have chosen too."

It didn't bother him, he knew how special the Organa name was to her. But hearing that she put Solo on the end… that… he liked even better.

The food turned out to be a bleak affair. The presentation was more substitute than the cuisine, in his opinion. But Leia seemed to still be enjoying herself. She spoke to their seat mates about matters ranging from international trade, military provisions, centralist power, and the rights of citizens. She did it in a way that even he found half interesting. Or maybe he just found her interesting, found her commanding, intelligent presence a beacon of light that shined on everyone she graced with her attention.

Before, a voice in his head would whisper, 'she's too good for you,' 'you don't belong in her world,' or 'she'll never love a man like you.' As many of those thoughts still plagued him, the worries broke off day by day. She was too good for him, but that didn't stop her from choosing him. He didn't belong in her world, but that didn't seem to bother her. And he was growing more confident in her love for him. He was certainly feeling his love growing for her.

After dinner he excused himself to use the facilities. Stepping away quickly, he rejoined them in the first room they had cocktails in. This time, the floor had been cleared and music was playing from the sound box along the wall. She was seated on the far wall, back straight as she sat on the edge of a modern looking sofa. He watched the curve of her legs through her dress as they tucked to the side.

He caught her eye, her gaze easily breaking from the conversation she was engaged with in favor of lingering on him. He didn't waist any more time and moved towards her. She slid to the right as he sat down on her left, his arm immediately finding its place on her lower, bare back. He didn't realize it upon first glance, but her dress also left no piece of her back to the imagination. As he got comfortable, leaning back into the sofa, again being himself, Leia made the surprise move to lean back with him, their shoulders touching as her hand came to rest on his thigh.

He waited a few minutes, an appropriate amount of time for other couples to start filling the empty space with their swaying footwork. He leaned into her ear, catching her between conversation topics.

"You wanna dance?"

As he slowly moved his head back, she slowly turned hers to him. "I do."

He stood, reaching out his hand to take her gloved one. He led her to the dance floor where there were now many couples swaying together.

Taking her right hand in his left, he brought his right tightly around her waist. They were so close she had to wrap her arm around his back to rest on his shoulder. With the ease that came from being around her, he stepped forward and then to the side, guiding her with a simple rhythm.

His first steps must have been a success because she whispered, "I didn't know you could dance so well."

"I get by," he shrugged cooly. "We did dance before, Princess."

"Yes," she remembered their past mission too. "But I guess I was too focused on not getting killed that I forgot to notice your fancy footwork."

So was he. If he would have concentrated back then on what she felt like in his arms, they might have had an entirely different story.

Just when he thought this moment couldn't get any better, her head fell against his chest, resting her cheek against his clean shirt. His chin automatically dropped to rest against her head as they continued to sway.

"You're really good at this," he whispered.

He felt her smile. "Thank you."

His own lip curled. "I've seen you twist people around your little finger in wartime, but I think you're even better at this, politicking and charming."

"I think you have me beat on charming abilities," she chuckled against him. "But thank you. It's not easy and it can be extremely frustrating. But then again it can be oh-so rewarding."

She was happy here. "I'm glad." And he was happy she was happy.

They swayed together.

"Rayah's probably asleep by now."

"I was thinkin' 'bout her too." Han said against her crown. "Kinda hard not to."

"That's what makes you a good father." He heard her hum as she tilted her head up and he tilted his down, their faces almost touching. "It's one of your best features."

"Really…" He preened. "Since we are still considering this a date… what else are some of my best features?"

She pretended to think, her eyes floating to the top corner of the room before coming back to his. "You're reliable…"

"That makes me sound like a pet," he half complained.

She continued. "You feel things deeply…"

"That makes me sound needy."

Paying him no mind, she grew her list, this time with a spark in her eyes. "You're the sexiest looking man in the whole kriff'in galaxy."

His ego grew two sizes as he pulled her closer, his voice dropping. "I'm glad you finally noticed, sweetheart."

They were too close now, oppressively so. As he came down from his ego high, he realized just how close. Judging by the hitch in her breath and the clouded look that overcame her, she was feeling it just as much as him.

Her lips parted every so slowly. "And you're the kindest and most loyal man I have ever met." She swallowed, her jaw bobbing. "That's what I love about you."

Her words lingered in the air, floating through his brain in an echo as he seeped in all the glory of those syllables coming from her lips. She opened her mouth to say something else, but it was lost as he pressed his lips against her. It only took a moment before she pushed back with a force. He drank in the warmth she offered and gave twice as much as he took.

She broke their caress before it completely took on a life of its own. But he was still feeling the dazzling afterglow and a yearn pulsing through his veins. "Leia…"

"Hum…"

"Can we leave now?"

Snaking her arms under his and to the back of his shoulders, she pulled herself up to reach his ear. "I think we have to."

"Um hum," he squeaked, the blood in his head completely gone as it pooled in other parts of his body.

She sunk back into her own body as she turned to leave him standing there in the middle of the dance floor. Once his legs were working again, he found her over at their host's side. No sooner had he made his way there than she was turning in the opposite direction and taking his arm up along the way. A thrill ran down his spine at the notion that she was just as affected as he was.

Something was going to happen. He wasn't sure what, but the anticipation felt like it was culminating to something quite special.

"You drive," she ordered as he moved to pace beside her, walking quickly through the halls of the building, past security, and towards the exit.

"Where are we going?" He asked, his eyes analyzing her in his peripheral vision.

"Falcon," she informed him. "It's closer. And it doesn't have a child there." She added the additional context with her own grin.

Her message was received, loud and clear. With the dexterity of a tiger he pounced, crashing his mouth to hers and bending her backwards at the waist.

With equal fervor, she pushed back wrapping her arms around his neck and kicking her feet off the ground when his height was to much for her.

She quickly broke off in favor of taking very large strides for her short legs towards their parked speeder and slamming the door as she slid inside.

He was close behind and started the motor as soon as humanly possible. She was taking both gloves off even before the speeder set in motion, carefully removing the ring and then setting it back on her bare finger. He reached for her hand and held it tightly as they sped through the city buildings on course for the hanger. She was right, it was much closer than their apartment. How convenient.

Parking the speeder in front of the most glorious looking hunk of junk, he took her hand as they power walked to the hanger. Somehow, he found the access panel and palmed in the code while her hands traced up and down his sides.

He fumbled up the ramp as she pawed him before stumbling inside, holding her waist in his arm to keep her from tumbling over in a drunken haze.

She found her feet and used all her weight to back him against the inside wall. Her hands trailing over his belt buckle while her lips never broke with his.

She pulled his shirt out of his waist band and threw her head back, her neck stretched to its full length, her lips a feather's width away from his.

"Han…"

Her panting breath against his mouth sent a tremor down his spine. His hand moved to her neck, grazing the vulnerable part with his able paws. His fingers wrapped around to her nape where they deftly worked on the fastening keeping her entire dress up. The fabric peeled from her body like a casing releasing a treasure, the top material pooling at her waist as he dove in for another passionate kiss.

He felt her fingers against his chest and then the distinct sound of tearing textiles reached his ears while a cool rush of air met his bare chest sending goose bumps all along his body. She still wasn't content and instead focused intently on pushing his jacket and shirt off his shoulders. He helped her by flipping their position so she was the one backed up against the wall and his arms moved backwards as his clothes dropped.

It took a mighty heave from her to push him back. He stood there in the middle of the hall, shirtless and almost pant-less, staring at the most beautiful woman in the world. She made sure his eyes were fixated on her before she let her dress slide the rest of the way off her hips and pool to the ground.

"Gods, sweetheart…" He came at her again, his hands now free to explore every inch of skin that was bared to him. His lips started behind her ear and traveled with their own mind.

At some point, he heard another clang as his pants hit the ground.

"Shi…" he tried to move, but his boots were still on and his lowered pants made moving a problem.

He held his hand out to her. "Don't move…" The boots weren't coming off by just standing on his heels. "Stay right there…"

"I'm not going anywhere." Her husky reply made his hands move that much faster.

By the time his first shoe was off, she was already going against her word and was walking towards the back of the ship.

"Wait for me!" He cried after her as the second shoe finally released.

He met her halfway to his cabin and caught her around the waist, his lips latching like a magnet to her neck. She was giggling as they made their way past the threshold, the dim lights of the captain's bunk gently illuminating the scene. It felt like his heart was beating through every vein in his body. The anticipation was palpable and erotic, but so was every moment with her by his side.

She turned to him, hand spreading across his chest and body molding to his. "Han…"

"What?" He whispered, his forehead rolling against hers as he reveled in the feeling of her fingers on him. His hands wrapped around to cup her back, stroking the smooth skin cloaking her.

She didn't speak. She didn't need to say it. He knew.