The Dream Continued

Han watched Jabba's sail barge explode with a fiery rage. He looked to the woman next to him. Her eyes looked different than the last time he looked into them. There was a new sort of sadness fogging them. But her eyes weren't the only thing making him cringe. That outfit Jabba put Leia in made his skin crawl. In any other situation he would have found her attractive, especially in that outfit. However, he knew what happened to pretty women Jabba got this hands on.

Han looked back at the many times he visited Jabba's palace. Jabba always had pretty girls. He would chain them up by the throat, a detail that always bothered Han. Jabba would sell his slave girl to the highest bidder for the night. These memories disturb Han now more than ever. He now feels an overwhelming sense of guilt. He had never said anything against this disturbing form of business before because it was never his problem, or his girl. Now everything changed.

Leia sat down and hugged her legs to her chest in an effort to conceal her almost bare body. She never wore anything that showed her ankles let alone something that showed all her curves so elegantly, leaving virtually nothing to the imagination. Han could sense how uncomfortable Leia was. He took off his shirt and draped it over her. He sat down next to her while covering her small near naked body.

"Everything is going to be okay. You are going to be okay," Han whispered to Leia. She didn't answer him only stared blankly into the distance.

Out of respect, none of the other look at Leia. She has had enough eyes on her in the past few days.

...

Luke, Lando, Chewie, R2, C3PO, Han, and Leia took off leaving Tatooine behind them as a distant memory. Leia slipped away from the group the first chance she got. All of her friends knew that she had left but decided it was best to say nothing of it. Leia escaped, to distant part of the Falcon, she wanted to get away from people and there prying eyes and prying questions. She was still wearing Han's shirt, gripping it tightly holding it close to her with a death grip.

Han found some old cloths for Leia to wear, knowing she would be much more comfortable out of her current attire.

"Here," Han said passing Leia the outfit.

"Thank you," she faintly replied taking the clothes. Leia stood up and started to leave the room to change.

Han grabbed onto her arm lightly as she moved to pass him. "Leia, please tell me what they did to you?" Han pleaded.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine," Leia denied.

"No you aren't. It's okay to not be okay. Please tell me what happened so I can help you."

Leia was shaking under Han's grasp. "Nothing. Nothing happened I am fine." Tears were now streaming down her face. "I'm fine. Nothing happened." She was trying to convince herself more than him.

"Bull shit! Please Leia! Just tell me, did he touch you?" Han begged on the verge of tears himself.

"What?! No, no. No! Nothing happened I'm fine. Please leave me alone." She was hysterically sobbing now. "No, nothing happened."

She slid down to the floor still sobbing. She brought her knees up to her chest and grabbed on to them. She started rocking herself trying to protect herself from knowledge of past events. Tears started to fall down Han's face watching the woman he loved break down.

Han sat down with her. He wrapped his arms around her only for her to push him away screaming, "No don't touch me!"

"Leia honey, it's okay you can tell me what happened. You are safe now. You are safe with me."

Leia looked up into his eyes. She did feel safe with him. Her crying slowed down and she took a deep breath. Leia held Han's hand and sat in silence for a while.

Eventually she started to talk, "He... He made me change into the bikini in front of everyone. At first it was just harassment. That I could handle. It's not the first time men have yelled degrading things at me. But..." Leia paused to breath.

Han rubbed her arm in an effort to comfort her and coax more information out of the woman. It was his way of reminding her that she was safe.

"He had a chain around my neck so I couldn't move. I tried but... But I couldn't he would choke me. I swear I tried to fight.. I tried" Leia started crying harder.

"I know you did. I know you did. It's not your fault, you are incredibly brave." Han told her trying to comfort her.

Leia continued through her tears. "He said that I was the entertainment. He made me dance for everyone. Then he...he had an auction."

Han's worst fears were realized. He hoped and prayed that hadn't happened to his beloved but it was all in vain. Han felt responsible. She put herself in harms way for him. She faced unspeakable horrors because of him. It was all because of him.

"There were three of them. They all paid to... To spend the night with me. I begged them to stop... I fought... I promise I fought them."

Leia leaned over to embrace Han. He held her while she cried, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

After a while Leia began to speak again. Her voice was so soft Han could barely make out what she was saying, "I have been tortured before, by Vader. I never gave in. I never told him the information he was after. Darth Vader was never able to break me. He took a small piece of me but he never broke me. This time it was different. They didn't just take my virginity but so much more. I feel some how different, and I don't know if I will ever be able to be the same person again. They took a big part of me. I'm broken now. They actually broke me..." Her weak voice trailed off. He had never heard her speak in a weak tone before. It frightened him. She was still the incredibly strong woman she always has been, maybe strong even now. However, he had never seen so much pain. He wished he could take her pain and that haunted look in her eyes.

"No, don't you ever think that. You are not broken. You are in pain now but you will be okay again. You are not broken. It would take a lot more than a couple of bastards to break you. You are an incredibly strong woman and I have always admired that. I love you," Han squeezed her slightly still holding her into a comfortable embrace.

"I love you too," she closed her eyes and allowed herself to cry in the safety of his arms.

Leia, with a jolt opens her eyes. Leia felt happy having dreamed of Han and people she cared and loved. Wishing that had been reality instead of where she is now. She felt the loose cold chain on her naked shoulder, giving her a chance to move away from her master. Leia slowly gets up from Jabba's belly, moves as far away as the chain would allow.

Leia lays directly on her stomach, extends her legs out straight, but curls up her right leg and raises it and arms bent upwards, places her hands under one of the pillows and lays her head turned to the side looking away from Jabba.

Her chain, runs down the side of her back. Not paying attention to the positions of her skirts. Leia closes her eyes as she falls back asleep.