I felt good after going to see Father. A little more of the Dark Lord's image dropped away to show me the man behind. I began to love him. I was ready to forgive him a week after we arrived on Bakura. I got to know him as Anakin Skywalker and not as Darth Vader.
The only problem that I had was with my mother. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that Mother had left me on Alderaan with Bail.
Luke had finally asked me why I was avoiding Mother. I told him the reason. I was still hurt.
Han knew something was bothering me as well. He caught me at a rare moment when I was alone in our quarters.
"Leia, something is bothering you."
"You think?" I asked back, pained.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I turned and buried my face into his clothes. He wrapped his arms around me. "Sweetheart." He held me until I had cried all my pain into his shoulder. Looking up at him after a while, I sniffed. He smiled his cocky smile. "Are you finding this difficult still?"
I nodded and placed my forehead on his chin. He wiped my eyes with the back of his had. After he did that, he leaned down and kissed me.
I let him. In fact, I was the one who deepened it. The com-link beeped. We ignored it for a few seconds and it stopped. My arms moved from his waist and up through his arms and around his neck.
The com beeped again. This time, Han pulled away from me. "It's not fair!"
I answered the com. It was Mother. "Leia, we need to talk. I'm sorry about what I did. Can you come?"
AN: This is the end of this story, 'Beneath the Mask: The Man.' Thanks for all your encouragement.