TITLE: "My Sassy Princess"
AUTHOR: Maiden of Endor
RATING: K
GENRE: Romance/Humor
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the copyright of Star Wars! Just for fun. 'Nuff said. (Title borrowed from a song of Bob Marley entitled "Waiting in Vain".) The Stairway to Heaven Bar and Lounge was my idea.
SUMMARY: That night, Han, Luke, and Lando went to a bar to have some fun, while Leia is left home alone (actually, she's not alone; she's with C3PO.). Leia stayed up all night and waited for Han to come home. (In case you're curious, Chewie's on vacation, and will soon make an appearance in the future chapters of MSP.)
CHAPTER IV- Waiting in Vain"Military provisions will be soon sent to the rebel base in Hoth. In two months' time, we will be able to go there and engage in full combat with the Storm Troopers. So far, the base is still intact, and nothing worse yet has happened." Leia's authoritarian voice echoed off the halls of the conference room while she discussed about the situation in Hoth. The Rebel Alliance held a secret underground base there, and it was a perfect place, what with the snow as an excellent camouflage. They prepared long enough for combat with the Empire's soldiers, and after a long wait, the time given for preparation was worthwhile.
Leia looked at the wall clock, and decided that it was time to dismiss the meeting. "Well," she started, "I think we had enough for this day. You're all dismissed. Have a good day." The rebel generals and officers stood up to their feet and started to file out of the conference room. Soon, the hall was filled with noisy chatter of people who discussed their plans for the night.
"Good men, I know a place where we could sit back, relax, and spend the entire night," said Lando Calrissan, who was in the company of Han and Luke. The three of them planned to go out for dinner that night, and, add to that, to check out the nightlife in Cloud City. They talked about their plans excitedly as they walked the halls of the Rebel Alliance Bespin Headquarters.
"I would love that!" Luke Skywalker smiled, his thoughts filled with good food, good music, and endless hours of bonding with his newfound friends. "At last, after a month of staying here in Bespin, we can finally go out and have some fun."
Yeah, and I can finally take a break from dealing with Ice Princess 24/7, Han Solo thought to himself as he breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what's the most popular watering hole here in Bespin?" Han asked Lando.
"Ever heard of this lounge called Stairway to Heaven? Let's all go there tonight!" Lando suggested. Stairway to Heaven was the most popular hang out in Bespin for rebels and its citizens alike. Aside from being able to eat out, people could go there and dance and sing all night to their hearts' content. And check out the pretty girls in the party scene, as with the case of the men.
"Of course! I've heard about it!" Luke exclaimed. "I would love to go there."
"So do I," Han said under his breath.
"Let's all go out now, men!" Lando exclaimed happily. The three of them headed out for the exit. As they went out, Han spotted Leia, who was alone and probably waiting for a cab to take her home back to the apartelle. "Your highness!" Han called out to her. Leia turned her head towards Han and approached him. "Are you going home?" he asked her. Maybe I can convince her to eat dinner with us. I know she doesn't feel that angry anymore towards me.
"Yes. I'm just waiting for a taxicab because I plan to go home early tonight." Leia replied smilingly.
"We'll be eating dinner at Stairway to Heaven. Would you like to come with us?" Luke asked.
Leia thought about the offer for a moment before she made up her mind. I feel a bit embarassed about hanging out in the company of Han at such an hour. It was not in her nature to go out at night and spend hours in noisy places like lounges and bars, save for important occassions like royal balls. Being a prominent political figure, she didn't want people to think of her as a wild party girl. "Thanks for the offer, Luke, but I'd rather stay at home and have a good rest," she said, declining the offer.
"Okay, if that is what you want," Lando said to her. "Let's go!"
"Goodbye your highness!" Luke waved at Leia.
The men waited as Han hailed a cab. Soon, a cab stopped in front of them. Leia watched wistfully as the three went inside before the speeder cab zoomed off. It wasn't long before Leia found her own ride to take her home.
Looking out the window during the car ride, Leia thought to herself, I won't be missing Han's presence tonight. At last, I can finally experience some peace and quiet.
"Man, this is the coolest place here in Bespin! I love it in here!" Han exclaimed as he, Luke and Lando toasted their wine glasses. After arriving at Stairway to Heaven, they proceeded to eat dinner at the restaurant section of the lounge. Upstairs were the sing-along rooms, where groups could sing in private, and a large dance hall, which was situated at the topmost portion of the building.
"After eating dinner, what do we plan to do?" Luke asked. "Go dancing or sing along?"
"Forget the sing along sessions, I'm not a good singer!" Han said jokingly.
"Admit it, Han. You wouldn't want to dedicate a love song to Her Royal Highness, eh?" Lando teased him. He stood up and reached for a wine bottle, while he said, his voice in a romantic tone, "I dedicate this song to Princess Leia Organa! I love you babe! Mwah!" Lando even pursed his lips into a kiss. Luke laughed hysterically along with Lando. Lando sat down and did a high five with Luke.
"Haha. Very funny!" Han said mockingly and rolled his eyes.
"So, are you trying to get into her good graces?" Lando asked Han as he took a swig of whiskey. "I mean, if you and Leia are an item?"
Where in the world did they have the connotation that we're a romantic couple? Han thought. "Oh, come on, matey! Stop kidding me like that! I don't have any feelings for her!" Han replied. "Besides, she's not my type." Han cringed as he thought about Leia and her difficult attitude, and how he has to deal with this everyday. He sipped his wine glass, as if wanting to forget that he would be seeing her again later on as he goes home to the apartelle.
"Hoot! If I know, what comes out of your mouth is not how you really feel inside your heart!" Lando exclaimed.
"You love to tease her because you really like her!" Luke added with a naughty smile on his face.
"As the saying goes," Lando continued. "The more you hate, the more you love!" He and Luke blurted it out in unison, attuned to what the other one was thinking.
"Hey, I was about to say that!" exclaimed Luke. "Seems like we're in the same wavelength!"
Han was already annoyed to death at the topic of their discussion. "Can't we talk about other things, for a change? I had enough about her!"
"Alright, alright, change topic." Lando said. "Why don't we go upstairs and check out the dance hall?" he suggested.
"That would be a good idea," said Luke. The three stood up from their seats and went to make a beeline for the elevator, which would take them to the upper floor, to where the dance hall was located. As the elevator door opened, they stepped inside, along with other people. The elevator door closed and started to go upwards.
Luke took the time to tell Lando discreetly about how the other rebels in their group are secretly crushing on Leia. Out of Han's earshot, he whispered, "Captain Solo's one lucky guy. If he only knew, some of the other rebels are envious of him because he gets to share a house with Leia."
"You're right with that, Skywalker," Lando replied in a hushed tone. "He probably wasn't aware of the fact that Leia's a heartthrob with the other men in the Alliance. Just the other day, one guy told me that he'll give everything just to be in Han's place, so he could have Leia's attention all to himself."
"If he approaches Han for advice about how to get closer to her, he'll be telling him to forget his lifelong dream," said Luke.
"He'll be ranting about how Leia is a total bitch goddess," Lando whispered back.
Han's attention was drawn to the suspicious-looking conversation of Luke and Lando. "Are you talking about me again?" he asked, frowning. When will these two ever stop? If they want, both of them could collaborate in writing a book entitled, "The Truth About Han and Leia: Are They Really Lovers?" That would be a big hit! Ack! Han tried to brush away such a thought running through his mind. He looked at Lando and Luke for a long time, and soon, the guilty look on their faces gave them away.
"Hehe. Guess you were right," Luke said apologizingly.
"Don't you know that whispering in somebody's presence is a sign of untrustworthiness?" Han reprimanded both of them.
"Sorry, matey, we won't be doing this again," Lando muttered.
The elevator stopped moving. The door opened, and the three men stepped outside to be welcomed by the ear-splitting loudness of the music blaring from the dance hall.
"I'm tired of playing cards, Threepio. Why don't you help me find something to eat? I'm so hungry!" Leia complained to C3PO, the protocol droid. Back in the apartelle, Leia played four rounds of Crazy Eights with their droid companion out of boredom. Two hours had already passed, and Han hasn't gone home yet.
"Mistress Leia, the only food we have here is the food in the ref. Go take a look and find something to eat," Threepio replied in his droid accent. Leia stood up and took an exasperated breath as she went to the fridge. She opened the fridge door, and, to her dismay, found nothing that will satisfy her hunger, except for a jar of cookies, a pack of marshmallows, and a rectangular container written with the words "This is mine! Do not eat!" Leia recognized the handwriting as that of Han's. On impulse, she grabbed the container and placed it in the microwave oven. Closing the oven door, she turned a dial and waited for the food to be heated. So what if that belongs to Han? Leia thought. I'm really hungry! She felt regretful at declining Luke's offer to eat with them. Maybe I should have tagged along with them instead of choosing to stay here at home, even if I know that Han would tease me all night.
As the food was finished being heated, Leia took it out of the microwave oven and brought it to the table.
"So, found something to eat, your highness?" Threepio asked her.
"Yes, thankfully," Leia said with a smile. She removed the top of the container and was delighted to find out that it contained white pasta. Yum! Now I can have a good dinner. She stood up again and went to the fridge, and took out the jar of cookies, along with a bottle of water. Leia returned to her seat and proceeded to enjoy her dinner.
After she ate, Leia fixed the table, brushed her teeth, and sat in the sofa. Threepio approached her and asked if he could go upstairs to visit Artoo, who was staying in Luke's pad. Luke also lived in the apartelle where Han and Leia were living, and was only three floors up from them.
"Mistress Leia, can I visit Artoo, my good friend?" Threepio asked.
Leia gave her consent. "Sure you may." With that, Threepio walked towards the door and waved goodbye at Leia before the door closed.
Oh great, now I'm all by myself here, Leia thought. She saw the remote control lying in the center table, and thought that she could find something to watch on the telly. She reached for the remote control and, with a press of a button, the telly turned open.
For the next few minutes, Leia fumbled around with the different television channels and found no show that caught her interest. All she saw was an action show, a game show, a variety show, and a weepy drama series involving two lovers named Leina and Hans. Shocked at how the characters' names resembled her and Han's name, Leia got curious about the story and watched the said drama for one hour. The story was all about a rich girl named Leina who fell in love with a space pirate named Hans. The girl's family opposed their relationship, and because of this, Leina eloped with Hans. Later on, Hans found out that Leina was infected with a life-threatening disease, and before long, the show ended with Leina dying in the arms of Hans, saying, "I'll meet you in heaven. And I'll always love you", before she breathed her last. As Leia watched the actor who played Hans cry over the death of his lover, she didn't realized that she was moved to tears with this poignant scene. She only knew that she was actually crying when she felt her tears slide down her cheeks. Surprised with the way she was touched by that scenario, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief she found inside her pocket, and when the show was over, Leia turned off the telly.
I can't believe I cried over that, Leia thought to herself. Exhausted, she lay down on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow. But anyway, there's nothing wrong in being mushy from time to time, she assured herself. But of all names, why does Leina and Hans has to sound like... Leia and Han? Oh, forget it! she told herself as Leia tried to brush away the thought. You're being carried away by a silly melodrama.
Her thoughts drifted further. I wonder what they are doing now? Maybe Han is checking out the girls in the bar, tall girls who have long blonde hair and big breasts, girls who wear skimpy clothes. Why do beautiful, but brainless girls easily carry men away?
Leia turned to her side. Sometimes, I wonder if I am beautiful enough. There are times when I wish that I would be taller, my hair would be blonde, and I would be incredibly sexy. Maybe finding a boyfriend for me would be easier if I was born that way. She thought about Han kissing a sexy, seductive blondie he just met, and felt her heart ache at the thought. Why can't he see me in a new light? Not just a comrade that he treats as if I'm his little sister, but as a grown woman? She realized that she felt jealous about Han turning his attention on other women. Leia tried to deny about what she felt by thinking, but there's no reason for me to feel this way. Who am I in his life, anyway? And who am I to seek for his special attention on me? We're both nothing to each other!
She felt her heart ache even more and tried to fall asleep, which came easily for her. By the stroke of midnight, the door creaked open, and Han was surprised to find Leia asleep on the sofa. She waited for me all night? Han asked himself. Maybe I shouldn't wake her up. Han hurriedly went to her bedroom and grabbed a folded blanket. Then he spread the blanket and draped it over Leia, doing his best not to stir her awake. Han felt touched with her gesture, and at the same time, hurt with the fact that he didn't even thought about her, whether she had already eaten dinner or not. She waited in vain for me while I was out there in that bar, kissing a girl I've just met.
A/N: Are Han and Leia slowly developing feelings for each other? How long will they continue to take each other for granted and fight with each other all the time? Find out in the next chapters to come! Send me your reviews please! Thanks for taking the time to read my story!