Leia stirred a little as he brushed the strand of auburn hair from her sleeping face, caressed her cheek, watched her sleep, moving her head against his warm palm with a soft sigh.

"Han…" she murmured, and for a moment he feared he had woken her, but instead a dreamy smile played on her lips and her body wriggled for a moment beneath the crisp white sheets.

This drew another smile from him, playful but protective. She was dreaming, about him, and it sounded as though she were thoroughly enjoying herself, as he did when he dreamt of her.

But something whispered at the back of his consciousness, at the edges of his perception, something frightened him from the depths of his soul. Something was telling him that they should not have any secrets from one another any longer, not now they were promised to one another.

The whisper grew into a murmur, and he fought to ignore it, but still it persisted. He stared at her stunningly beautiful face, serene and devoid of all anxiety, tried to block the murmur out. But the little voice laughed at his ineffective endeavor and, voicing his darkest fear, it whispered,

She still doesn't know, does she?

When Leia's eyes opened, she found herself staring at empty bed space, and she looked at the bedside chrono for fear she had overslept.

But the chrono read seven. She had not overslept. In fact, she was awake half an hour early. So where was Han?

She got up, straightened her nightdress and pulled on her robe.

Where would he be so early? Lately he hadn't been getting up until late morning because of his recuperation and the medication he'd been given to aid and compensate. Seven in the morning had been a time of day he hadn't seen for months.

"Han?"

No answer.

She walked past Luke's room. He was still asleep – she could tell without checking. Han…Han was a different matter. She could very rarely tell just where Han was. Her link with the force was not yet strong enough to find him through the barrier of arrogance that usually surrounded his mind.

When she reached the living room, she found him on the sofa, stretched out and fast asleep, a datapad in one hand.

"Han?" she said quietly.

His eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright.

"Leia!"

"Easy," she laughed, shaking her head. "It's just me."

That only seemed to fluster him more.

"Sorry."

She took another step toward him and he took another step back.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Uh…I remembered late last night, after we went to bed; I had work I needed to do. I must've fallen asleep halfway through it."

She had the distinct feeling he was lying.

"You haven't had chance to get any work; you've been ill for months."

She could see the panic register in his eyes although he kept his face unreadable.

"I…It was from before. You know I had a conference before we left."

You're good, Han, but what are you hiding?

"It was a briefing, Han, they don't hand out assignments."

"No, Rieekan asked me to out the mission brief down in writing."

That was it. He had her. That was a perfectly valid excuse, even though they both knew he was lying.

"Oh, Kest," Han muttered, and Leia realized he had glanced at the chrono.

It read about quarter to eight.

"I'm gonna be late."

"Late?" she said. "For what?"

"Medic appointment? I get to have my final checkup today."

"Oh! Right!"

When she didn't move he said,

"You're driving? I'm not allowed to until the doctors give me the go ahead."

"Oh!"

And she ran back into the bedroom.

"Han?"

The voice startled him.

"Luke?"

He turned to find Luke standing in another doorway. How had the Kid managed to get over there?

"Yeah, Kid."

"What's the matter?"

Han's expression darkened and Luke sensed a deep feeling of unease and suppression roll down about his consciousness. Han was evidently unaware anything at all about his appearance had changed for his voice was light, if a little strained.

"What makes you think anything's the matter?"

Luke motioned to the lightsaber clipped to his belt and raised an eyebrow.

"Jedi, remember?"

Han stared at him defiantly for a moment longer and then dropped his gaze.

"Ask me again sometime, huh?"

"You admit there's something wrong?"

Han nodded.

"And you give me your word to tell me sometime?"

A cocky grin plastered itself across Han's face, almost convincingly.

"Smuggler's honor."

At that moment, Leia walked back in looking remarkably neat for someone who had dressed in less than five minutes.

"Alright, Han, I'm ready."

"Good. Uh…Hey, Luke?"

Luke turned and looked at him.

"Yes?"

Han shrugged.

"You wanna come along for the ride? Get anything you need while we're downtown?"

Leia stared at him.

"What?" she said before she could stop herself.

Han's head turned sharply and she realized instantly that she was in grave danger of upsetting him.

"I mean…I thought…"

Han narrowed his eyes and looked back to Luke.

"Well?"

"Yes, I think I might come along."

Han's grin somehow looked relieved.

"Alright. Well, I'm late as it is."

"Yes," said Leia, watching them both as they walked out ahead of her. "Let's go."

"Well, I think you should stay on the medication for another week or so, but I see no reason for you to return here."

Dr L'Jhad washed her hands in the small sink by the window and turned to face him, smiling.

"Great!" Han sighed.

Leia, seated beside the examining couch Han was sitting on agreed with a similar comment. Luke said nothing. He was just as surprised as Leia that Han had asked them both to accompany him into L'Jhad's exam room.

"Just the last tests as usual. Blood contents, blood pressure, those things, alright? Then you can put your shirt back on and go home."

"Sure," said Han, nodding. "No problem."

Leia sat in silence while Doctor L'Jhad checked Han's blood pressure which was, she was happy to announce, normal. His pupils were responding as they should, and his eyesight was phenomenal as usual. His hearing was fine, as was his breathing. And sensation in his back seemed to be returning.

"Ah, that's cold!"

The problem came when L'Jhad moved to administer an antibiotic before she came to draw blood.

She dabbed a disinfecting anaesthetic onto the inside of Han's elbow. Then she stretched the skin to make the vein more prominent.

Then she picked up the hypodermic needle.

"Alright," she said. "Antibiotic first. This might hurt a little."

But Han only half heard her words, hearing fully instead a different voice.

'This will hurt, General Solo. A great deal. You may even cry out'.

The needle looked to Han about twice as big as it should, and he watched her turn the needle upside down and tap it, expelling some of the liquid and any air bubbles that might have collected, and swallowed hard.

The end was sharp and looked as though she could push it right through his arm if she so pleased.

Once she turned it needle down again, a drop of the antibiotic had become suspended from the end of the needle. Han could see everything in the room through it, contorted and twisted.

"Ready?" she asked.

'I've always wanted to make you scream.'

She didn't wait for an answer.

Han froze completely in fear. That needle was going to be agony – he knew it! He had to get away! But there was nowhere to go, nowhere to run to!

'Lytisil Verithinine.'

L'Jhad managed to get within about two feet of Han when suddenly, Luke jumped to his feet and rushed forward.

Han fainted.

When Han next heard voices, he couldn't remember just what it was that got him in this state in the first place. He could remember up to the needle, but beyond that was a blank.

His eyes flickered open and he saw three concerned faces staring down at him.

"What happened?" he asked. "Am I still at the doctor's?"

"Yes," Leia's voice answered him.

Then Luke's voice answered his first question.

"Han, you fainted."

"I…I what?"

"You fainted," said L'Jhad. "Fear of needles, Han?"

"Are you crazy?" he laughed, stirring to find he was lying on the examination couch. "I'm not afraid of needles!"

"I'm sorry but it seemed to be the most logical explanation; you broke out into a sweat, you grabbed the sheet and your knuckles went white, your breathing became erratic and you got dizzy before you fainted."

Han frowned and looked at Luke.

Luke shook his head.

"I don't know, Han," he said. "I could feel you were afraid, definitely. I just couldn't tell why. The needle would make the most sense."

"It can't be the needle," Han reasoned, getting a little angry now. "I was fine before. Why now!"

"Calm down," L'Jhad said placatingly, resting a hand on his shoulder to prevent him sitting up. "There's a reasonable explanation for it all, I'm sure. Has your medication been making you dizzy?"

"Yes," said Han.

Luke flinched. Leia saw. Was he lying?

"Han," she said. "Are you sure it's your medication?"

Han glared at her and Luke so fiercely that Luke averted his gaze and Leia took a step back.

"I'm positive," he said through gritted teeth.

"Then I'll change the medication," L'Jhad said hastily. "That should stop the problem."

"Good," said Han harshly, snatching his shirt up.

He hadn't heard that voice again. He couldn't have. Could he?