She sneaks in through the kitchen door, her feet aching from running barefoot on the dry grass. She pauses as she hears footsteps; not realizing it was the housekeeper.

"Oh, Moira. I thought you were mother." The young woman sighs in relief, placing a bundle of Lilacs onto the table.

"What are you doing down here?" The older woman asks raising her eyebrow at the younger woman.

"Went into the garden barefoot and didn't want to get caught. Is there a vase I could put these in?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Of course." Moira shakes her head and reaches to a shelf, containing the vases. She grabs a crystal vase and hands it over.

"Thanks Moira." She says, taking the vase from the housekeeper and fills it up with water.

"Leia, remember to cut the steams off."

"Of course, would I ever forget?" She asks, bringing the vase to the table. She looks for a sharp object near to her, spotting a knife. She grabs the knife and saws off the ends. "There, all done." She smiles to herself, putting the jagged edged Lilacs into the vase.

The older woman shakes her head as Leia pushes past to upstairs. She heads for the dining area, placing the flowers onto the large oak table.

"Lelia!" She hears her mother yell out.

"I'm in the dining room." She calls back, centering the vase to the middle of the table. Leia hears her mother enter the room by the sound of her heels taping against the hardwood flooring.

"Oh, Lelia. Those are beautiful. Did you get them yourself?"

"I did. I was out reading and decided to pick a few for you."

"That was very thoughtful of you." Breha smiles and kisses her daughter's cheek. "Did you go in your barefeet again?"

"Of course not." Leia lies out of politeness, knowing her mother has already noticed.

"Go and wash them. Your aunts will be here any minute." Breha chuckles.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have come back at all." Leia jokes, making her way up the stairs.

She fills the tub to her ankles as she balances on the rounded side of the tub.

She was dreading tonight, men surrounding her to tell her about their exploits while deployed overseas. Having them tell her that her service was less important than theirs because of her sex. She had learned very shortly upon returning home men only cared about other men's experience in the war and not her own.

She pulls her feet out of the tub, deciding her feet were going to be as clean as they would get. She dries her them off before heading back downstairs, trying to sneak into her father's office before being noticed by her aunts. She hears their voices as she sneaks down the stairs.

"What do you mean you do not know what she'll wear?" The eldest sister, Rogue questions.

"She has not discussed it with me, so I have not asked." Breha responds.

"She won't wear her uniform will she?" The middle sister, Celly asks.

"I hope not, they are so ugly." Rogue states.

"Lelia will wear what she wants. She will look beautiful in anything she decides to wear." Breha interjects. Leia stops, deciding she cannot step away from this conversation.

"Lelia, dearest how are you?" Celly asks as she steps into the living room.

"I'm fine thank you." She responds. "And yes, I will be wearing my uniform."

"They just are so dull Darling. I'm sure we could run you into town to get you a new dress before the dance." Rogue offers. Leia shakes her head,

"Thank you, that won't be necessary. All the men will be wearing their uniforms and so shall I." Her two aunts go quiet. Leia looks over at her youngest aunt, Tia who had been silent this whole conversation. "Now please pardon me, I need to speak to father."

Leia leaves for her sanctuary, her father's office. She opens the door, and sees her father sitting at his desk.

"You can't hide from your sisters forever. I hope you realize that." Leia sighs, closing the door behind her.

"I do realize that thank you. I've just elected to ignore it." Bail responds, putting down his pen and leans back in his chair.

"Well you are doing a wonderful job." She says, seating herself in a chair across from her father.

"I've had many years of experience my dear."

"It had obviously paid off for you."

"So, are you off to the dance tonight?" He asks, changing the subject.

"Do I have a choice?" She questions back.

"Well as my daughter, no you do not have a choice. However, It gives you a night to wind down and have some fun."

"Please, I've been home long enough to wind down." Leia huffs.

"Your time in the hospital does not count." Bail responds, going back to his paperwork. The room goes silent as Bail continues to work and Leia being unsure how to respond to him.

"Well, I'm going to go get ready. See if your sisters realize what I'm doing." Leia stands.

"Good luck with that." Bail laughs as Leia leaves the office. She makes her way back up to her room. She notices her uniform lying on her bed, pressed and brushed.

"Lelia, what on earth would you like to do with your hair?" Tia asks, barging into the room.

"I was going to pin it up, get it out of the way." Leia responds, Tia nods and steps into the room.

"Let me do it for you."

"It's really not necessary aunt Tia."

"No, let me." She responds walking to the vanity, grabbing the hair pins sitting in a porcelain bowl. "Come sit." Leia sighs and reluctantly sits in front of the vanity, letting her aunt do her hair. Tia takes a step back, looking at her niece's hair.

"I have just the thing!" She smiles and leaves. Leia turns around to find her aunt gone, meaning she would be back with the others. Before she could start plotting her escape, Tia returned with Breha's curling iron.

"Tia, I said just to pin. Whether it is a bob or a ponytail."

"I know but it a celebration and you deserve to look beautiful." She smiles. "You may have served, but you're also a lady.

"Well it will take a little for it to heat up and I'm just a little too impatient. I think we should just keep to the plan." Leia explains, really not wanting the hot iron near her hair.

"Oh, it's already hot. Rogue heated it up shortly as you returned to your room." Tia explains, starting to separate her hair.

"How convenient." Leia mutters, now understanding that her aunts had plotted for this to happen. Leia stares at her aunt through the mirror. She had felt sorry for Tia, her lover had gone AWOL during the Great War, leaving her pregnant. Only for her son, Nial to be killed during the North Africa campaign; Tia was the only one of her aunt's to be touched by the war and yet never took the time to grieve.

"How it is looking?" Rogue asks snapping Leia out of her thoughts as she enters the room. "Oh Leia, you are going to look so beautiful. Here Tia, if you curl the front I'll start on the rolls."

"Rolls?" Leia questions her aunts, starting to regret he decision to grow her hair when she had returned.

"Do not worry dear, they won't hurt." Rogue assures her.

"Who's worried…" Leia bites her lip.

"Don't do that Leia, you look like a pouting child." Tia scolds her, finishing up the front. Celly comes into the room and looks at the young woman.

"I know just the thing." Celly reaches for the rouge sitting on the vanity.

"Not too much." Leia pulls away from her aunt, making her hair slip through Rogue's fingers.

"Leia, sit still." Rogue scolds, grabbing the hair again and beginning to roll it once again. Celly begins to dab the rouge on Leia's cheeks.

"How about some eye liner?" Celly asks.

"I'm fine with just the rouge." Leia says.

"Hmmm, just a little bit." Rogue injects, making Leia realize she had no say in the matter.

"And some mascara." Tia pipes in. "Oh and go with a red lipstick for her, it would just look wonderful. Leia sits silently, fuming as she allows her aunts to poke and prod at her. Just hoping this night would be worth it.

Authors note:

Thanks for reading. Had to rewrite this chapter a couple times, just couldn't quite get it right. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think, as constructive criticism is always welcome.

Xoxo Tamorasky