She was melting, lazily falling deeper into soft, cool sheets. Bare skin was comforted by smooth silk, wrapped so luxuriously in contrasting materials: sheets, and skin. Leia was half wrapped up in the bedclothes, half wrapped up in Han. She rested her head on his chest, strong muscles making for a firm pillow. In the afterglow of ecstasy, Leia could only smile as she recovered, slowing her panting to match with Han's sure heartbeat. She had one hand resting on his abdomen, and she moved it now, fingers tickling a path up his stomach muscles, chest, then trailing along his jaw.

Morning light was beginning to filter through the window, peeking between the twisted blinds. When she and Han has first arrived on Veridian, she'd had her doubts, but she had to admit that she'd been immensely enjoying their time on the quiet planet. It carried enough resources for Han to slowly piece back together the Falcon organ by organ. Additionally, it's location and distance between Hoth and Bespin was hopefully just enough to throw the Imperials off their trail. They'd lasted a few months here already. Han has assured her just the day before that it wouldn't be long until they could hightail it to Bespin, get the rest of the Falcon's repairs done in a jiffy, and hurry back home to the fleet.

But as the weeks had worn on, Leia wasn't sure anymore if she did want to make it to Bespinanytime soon.

Han's baritone voice chuckled, rumbling in her ear, "'M starting to think you don't mind me unshaved after all."

Leia laughed if only to agree. "I suppose. But I'm not tolerating this for long."

"Hm? You don't think I should grow this out?" Han stroked his chin, struggling to fight a smirk. "Maybe let it grow another centi … "

"Oh, stars, Han! No, please don't."

"But you like the stubble."

"Yeah, flyboy. I like the stubble. Nothing more."

"Mmhm," he groaned. "I've heard that before."

"Oh, hush!" Leia shoved him, but dissolved into silent laughter. "You keep running that mouth and I'll stop kissing it."

"Like you have the self-control …"

Leia wasn't about to concede that he was certainly correct, but she didn't have to anyway.

She smiled and moaned beneath her breath as she felt his rough hand trace its way up her bare side, running up her ribs. He turned his face into her loose hair, exhaled, and warmed her face with his breath.

"Alright, sweetheart."

The mattress shifted around her, and Leia batted away the sheets to watch Han rise, retrieving his shirt and pants from the floor. She bit the corner of her lip as she watched him, hoisting herself up on her elbows. "Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, you'd keep me in bed all day if you could, wouldn't you?"

"Hey, it was your idea."

Han smirked, and he leaned over to kiss her once more before closing his pants. "I've gotta' figure something out if we wanna' get out of here sometime.

"What would you say if I told you I would rather stay in bed here all day with you rather than return to the fleet?"

"I'd say we're in trouble if I've corrupted you that much."

"I thought you would be proud."

Han didn't respond with further wit, but quickly redressed and hurried to wash up in the refresher. From her spot in the bed, Leia watched him, studied the outline of his body and the subtle ripples of the muscles in his arms as he went about his routine. Unsuccessfully stifling a yawn and hiding it behind one hand, Leia told him, "Just hurry back, please. I get so bored here, all alone."

"You trying to guilt me now?" Han turned to face her, pointing a razor in her direction. "You've got a pretty important job here. You get to hold down the fort and do all the research to tell me what to do."

"Still boring. You know I prefer the field when the intel is slow."

"You really do enjoy the sight of blood, don't you?"

Leia's eyes flickered mischievously.

"Don't you worry too much about me, Your Highnessness." Fully dressed and clean, Han sauntered back to her, and took her into his arms for a kiss. "I'll be back before you know it." He grabbed his jacket and favorite blaster before he went out the door. "Let me know if you find anything."

"And call me if you need backup."

Over the time of her disconnection from normal living, Leia had forgotten about so many of the first world problems that came with living in the higher echelons of the galaxy. She rolled her eyes as the news program she'd been watching went on another break to repeat the same few advertisements. The usual Imperial propaganda followed by a commercial for an arousing line of men's aftershave, and the hottest vacationing spot in the Core. Leia swallowed another yawn before the last commercial ended and returned to the scheduled program. She turned the volume up on the holoscreen in a half-hearted attempt to assure she'd stay awake while she turned over on the couch and closed her eyes.

Since shortly after Han had left on his scouting trip, Leia had been plagued with a bout of dizziness and nausea– the third time this week. The nauseous spell only grew stronger, and Leia almost fell over when she sprang from the couch to race for the refresher. Han had noticed a couple days before when Leia had spent nearly half the day with a pail in her arms, and she didn't doubt he'd assigned her the role of "holding the fort down" because of it, though she'd insisted she'd started feeling better.

Until it started up again the next day.

Leia didn't realize she'd been falling asleep until she woke up from her nap, the afternoon weather forecast playing on the screen in front of her. She groaned, stretching out her arms, and nearly turned back over when the same commercials started to replay.

'When you are just starting your family, nothing is more important than the moment you find out.'

Before she could spare the screen a glance, Leia recognized the commercial for First Sign's ever trustworthy brand of pregnancy tests. The company's selling point was their claim that their product could detect the tell-tale hormones within the same week of a missed period. The same commercial had played countless times since Leia had turned the holoscreen on, and the repetition of the the video- the tears and happy smiles from all the newly expectant parents- it bothered her even more than the ridiculous infomercial that kept playing twice in a row whenever it came on.

She sat up to change the channel, and her stomach lurched, the nausea returning right on cue.

Han had witnessed her first day of misery, comforting her throughout the day as she'd slept through most of it, a pail always at her side. Then, she'd dismissed it as food poisoning- she still didn't quite trust the frozen food packets Han kept stored on the Falcon. At least, Han hadn't argued the point. The second occurrence had made Leia wary as the nausea had started strong in the middle of the night, then slowly faded throughout the day. And now it was back. She'd suspected, considered the probability that it wasn't food poisoning but–

"Ha!" Leia laughed to herself just as the nausea began to fade. She'd been rigorous about taking her birth control during her time with the Rebellion; it was practically a ritual of hers when the time came around to renew it. As far as Leia was aware, the brand which Mon Mothma had been swearing by for 19 years hadn't yet failed– as far as Leia knew. And now wasn't the time to lose faith.

Besides, Mothma had found a contraceptive for the men, and Han would choose that over a hounding from the Rebel leader any day. The idea that both their contraceptives has failed them was preposterous, and enough to amuse Leia.

But, if only to put to rest her niggling fears, Leia decided a test certainly couldn't hurt.