Winter sat alone at the table by the window at the Maz's bar. She takes a sit of her gin and tonic, watching a group of men who were obviously glaring at her. Her heart pound, hoping to god Leia would show up any moment now.

"Do you want another?" Winter jumps at the voice emerging.

"No, Mara. When Leia shows up we'll be leaving presently."

"You want me to talk to Maz about the men? We can have them scattered in a moment."

"No it's fine. At this point I can handle these boys." Winter teases. Mara chuckles, picking up the empty glass. Winter hands money over to the waitress for her drink. "Perhaps I shall step outside and wait."

"Let us know if you need anything." Mara says before walking away from the table. Winter stands, grabbing her purse from the table. She waves to Maz as she leaves the bar. She stands in front of the bar, lighting a cigarette. She turns her attention to the same group of men exiting the bar. She sighs, hoping they walk past her but they don't.

The five men surround her, blocking her escape. She doesn't look at them in the eye, continuing to smoke her cigarette.

"Where's your kraut?" one of the men ask. Winter sighs, knowing this was going to come. Winter looks up, finally making eye contact from the man who raised the question.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Winter answers, staring at the brunette who was obviously leading.

"Like hell you don't. Everyone knows you've been fucking that damn kraut." He responds. Someone spites at her feet. "You know what they do to women in Europe for fucking krauts?"

Winter grits her teeth, knowing full well what many towns did to their women who were involved with German soldiers.

"Of course, she knows. She treated those women who were traitors." One of the other men speaks up.

"What are you? Some Nazi sympathizer? Well knowing you Winter, you probably let some of those fascists have a go at you." The brunette raises his hand to brush her cheek suggestively. Without hesitation Winter raises her cigarette and butts the lit cigarette into the man's palm. He yells out in pain before Winter flicks her cigarette at him.

One of the others grabs her by the throat, slamming her against the brick wall of the bar.

The men stop in shock as the small figure shoves their way through the group to the woman. The man holding Winter is greeting with the woman's palm crushing into his nose. He recoils in pain, letting Winter go. Winter smiles in relief as Leia takes her place next to her best friend.

"Is there a problem here?" Leia inquires. The brunette, still holding his burnt hand speaks up.

"Stay out of this Organa. We're teaching this traitor a lesson."

"You seem to forget that while most of you were continued going to college and had parents pay your way out of conscription, Winter and Tycho both served overseas for our country." Leia takes Winter by the arm and shoves through the group.

"Leia, they will come after you for this."

"Luckily, their ring leader is quite convinced he will marry me one day. I should be safe for the mean time." Leia acknowledges.

"Isolder still has no clue about you and Han?"

"None, whatsoever." Leia chuckles. "Is this a common occurrence?"

"For Tycho it is. He constantly gets cornered and harassed. Nothing he can't handle, normally results in physical altercations, but the navy taught him more than school ground fighting ever can." Winter sighed "It only started happening to me once some ex-soldiers realized I was the nurse who helped treat the women who were tortured by their people."

"Winter…."

"You never saw any of it Leia, you were gone before any of it happened. I was in Ste Marie, I remember the townspeople dragging women out of their homes by the hair. Some women were clutching screaming babies to their breasts as they kneeled in front of the town hall. They sheared off their hair as if they were animals, they cut it so close most of their scalps were bleeding."

"And as a nurse you couldn't let them continue to suffer."

"As a woman, I couldn't. They did what they could for themselves and families to survive. I couldn't help but have sympathy for them." Winter sighs, her thoughts going back to the women crying in the square.

"I know. We would see some of them standing along the highways and often with small children. Many of the men I travelled with took pity and often gave them army rations." Leia goes silent, thinking about what had occurred earlier. "If you continue to have problems, let me know."

"Leia, I don't need favours from you. Especially if they come from your father's friends."

"Winter, if you have problems let me know." Leia reiterated.

"I thought I was supposed to be the older sister figure."

"I thought we both knew I am more responsible than you."

"Not so sure about that anymore. I'm living in a respectable boarding house, you, an unmarried young woman is living with two men; one of whom is unattached."

"Han is not unattached." Leia responds, immediately regretting her answer. Winter perks up at her words, the white-haired woman's eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Oh? Han and You are an item now? Are you?"

"I don't know if item is the right word."

"You two fuck yet?"

"WINTER." Leia exclaims, shocked by her friend's question. Winter shrugs, lighting another cigarette.

"I'm just saying, I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. It's a pragmatic question."

"No, we have not…done such things." Leia affirms, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Sweet innocent Leia." Winter smiles at her response. "When it comes time, let me know. I can teach you a few things. Han probably has French letters."

"French Letter?"

"English Hoods is the other term."

"Oh. I see." Leia nods, her blush deepening. She knew of the precautions of pregnancy.

"Are you embarrassed?"

"No, I'm not embarrassed. I'm just not used to talking about such things. Mother gave me a brief overview of what would happen. But we never discussed it in detail."

"Well, if you have questions. You know you can come to me. I mean I know your aunts will talk to you about that sort of thing once you and Han decide to settle down." Winter shrugs her shoulders. Leia stops, surprised at her friend's talk of settling down.

"Wait, Settling down….with Han…" Leia trails off, Winter stops and turns to her friend.

"Or not, if you don't want to settle down with Han."

"I've never really thought of it."

"You've never thought of it?"

"Well, have you ever thought of settling down with Tycho?" Leia asks, knowing Winter was very much against marriage.

"Of course, I have. Even though I never have to intention of marrying him, I could never see myself with anyone else. I know it's early but, you don't feel that way even a little bit with Han?"

"I haven't had time to think about it. I never thought of it because I never thought it would happen since I came home." Leia cuts herself off, she had no intention of telling Winter that she gave up the idea of settling down when the fist nightmares started plaguing her nights.

Authors Note:

I am back from my trip. I had lots of inspiration on it as I went to London and France for 3 weeks (Visited many of the war memorials while there) So I will be posting regularly over the summer. Sorry about the grammatical errors.