Han Solo approached the honeymoon suite with trepidation. He knew he had to go in there, but he dreaded facing Leia's wrath, especially when he was innocent. Summoning a level of courage he had not reached since chasing the stormtroopers on the Death Star, Han keyed open the entry.

To his surprise, the living area of the suite showed no signs of destruction. Apparently, Leia had controlled her anger enough to spare innocent furniture and artwork. Of course, that probably meant that she was saving it all up for him. Shuddering at the thought, Han scanned the room for any abnormality or ominous sign. Everything appeared fine, however.

Then, he noticed two backpacks on the sofa. Leia must have made all the preparations for the trip in his absence. Checking his pack, he found water, rations, scanning equipment, and a set of tools. She had even set out his hiking boots. Wondering briefly if she were angry enough to poison his food or water, Han banished the thought and retrieved his hiking clothes from his suitcase.

He quickly changed into the appropriate attire for the mission and carefully concealed his blaster. He may have to look like a honeymooning hiker, but he was determined to be a well-armed one. Checking his nerve, he then called in his most lighthearted tone, "Sweetheart, I'm home!" Why did I say THAT? Am I trying to get myself killed?

"I noticed."

Surprised, Han turned to see a bemused Princess Leia standing in the doorway. Had she been watching him all this time? How much of him had she actually seen?

"See anything you like, Princess?" he ventured. Nothing like testing the waters…what's the worst that could happen?

"As a matter of fact, I do see something I like," she replied, looking him straight in the eye.

Stunned into absolute silence at the suggestiveness of her statement, Han could only wonder how many different personalities this woman had. Before he could muster a coherent response, Leia crossed the room, donned her own backpack, and brought him his.

Motioning for Han to turn around, Leia took a moment to enjoy the view. The sight of Han in hiking shorts was a novel one, and Leia carefully inspected his lean, muscular legs and firm backside. Though she would have never admitted it before, she had always taken secret delight in watching this man's body in motion.

Gathering her courage, Leia slipped the strap of the pack under his arm and slowly moved it into position on his shoulder. Her hand intentionally brushed against the length of his arm, relishing the feel of his taut muscles against her fingertips. She was keenly aware of Han's response to her touch, the sudden rush of heat rising from his body.

Realizing that she was dangerously close to the point of no return in their relationship, she hesitated. Was love really enough? Did he feel the same way about her? Her heart rate leapt violently out of control, and she was momentarily paralyzed by the strength of her feelings.

At that moment, Han moved his left arm back to assist her. She smiled then, reassured that she was not in this alone. Strengthening her resolve, she slowly lifted the second strap into place. Turning him around, she lifted her hand to his face and caressed his cheek. She then dropped her gaze, took his hand in hers, and led him from the suite.

Han was confused. Something had changed between them while he was gone, but he had no idea what. Was Leia simply acknowledging their friendship, or did she want something more? The last time he saw her, she was extremely angry. What in the world had changed in these last few hours?

He wanted to ask her, but he was hesitant to break the silent communion between them. Her tiny hand fit perfectly in his, and that connection between them generated feelings of contentment, understanding, and pure emotion. It was as if he had finally found a home to call his own.

They walked together in silence, drinking in the beauty of the natural world around them. The atmosphere was a magical one, weaving a spell around the couple as they headed to the falls. Han's thumb lightly caressed Leia's hand, savoring the chance to freely touch even a small part of her. The two of them broke physical contact only to get water or food, but, even then, they sought the comfort of each other's gaze.

When they reached the overlook for the Datokerrin Falls, they put their packs down, and stared in awed silence at the rushing water. Leia wrapped her arm around Han's waist and rested her head against his chest. Han placed his arm around her shoulder, lightly stroking the skin there. They stood there for the longest time, mesmerized by the power of the river and bathed in the cool mist that drifted from the falls.

Every part of him felt energized, attuned to this woman and this place. He wanted to kiss her then, to feel her come alive under his touch. He knew without a doubt that she would allow him to meet her lips and that she would respond in kind. His intuition told him, however, that she wanted to initiate the contact in her own time. He could wait, would wait…forever, if necessary. Right now, all that mattered was that he held her in his arms and that they belonged to one another.

After a few minutes, the couple reluctantly turned away from the spectacle. Having a mission to complete, they veered from the main hiking trail and trekked to the coordinates they had been given. Han used the scanning device to locate the object they had been seeking, and then began removing the rocks and other debris that concealed it.

Leia served as a lookout, though she occasionally neglected her duties for a chance to watch Han in action. His movements were not smooth, but they were efficient and remarkably powerful. She wondered what it would be like to experience that power first hand, to be consumed by energy and heat, to be electrified by movement and touch. The distant cry of a wild animal startled her out of her reverie, and she chided herself for her lack of discipline. If she ever hoped to make her fantasy a reality, she had better pay more attention to their security.

Eventually, Han uncovered the defensive shield surrounding the data, and called Leia over to perform the security procedures. Leia carefully began entering the codes, paying special attention to Alliance protocol. Her brow furrowed in concentration, for if she made one misstep, she risked losing not only the data, but also her own life.

Han remained alert to the world around him, but his thoughts were drawn to Leia. He admired her unwavering determination and her deep commitment to the Rebellion. She was a beautiful woman, but he was more attracted to her spirit, courage, and strength of character. She was talented, intelligent, and terribly frustrating, yet she possessed a soft side, a vulnerability that she trusted to few people. He wasn't sure why she had ever bestowed that honor upon him, but he was insanely proud that she had.

Leia worked intensely for a standard hour before she finally defused the last security trap. She extracted the box from its hiding place, but was careful not to open the container. Leaving those security codes in place would give the data some protection should the mission be compromised. Everything had gone smoothly thus far, so she saw no reason for concern. Still, they always had to be careful. Han arranged the rocks in a natural looking pattern, while Leia placed the container securely in her pack. She then assisted Han with his task, being careful to scan the surroundings for interlopers.

When they had finished their work, Leia guided Han to a spot she had noticed earlier in the hike. She led him to a secluded outcropping, a large rock that offered an incredible view of the falls. Han scrambled up the rock first, and then pulled her up to join him. They both enjoyed the majesty of the view, drawing energy from its dangerous beauty.

Leia seized the moment then, cupping his cheek and turning him to face her. Both of them opened themselves completely, conquering their deepest fears and lowering the barriers that had kept them apart for so long.

It was incredibly freeing, this open flow of emotions. Leia reached out and traced Han's lips slowly with her thumb. Seeing the desire in his eyes, she trailed her fingertips along his jaw line, then down and around his neck. She pulled him to her then, touching his lips gently with her own. It was a careful exploration, a soft, almost teasing, touch.

Han responded in kind, grazing her lips with a feather-light caress as his hands came up to frame her face. Reassured and excited by his tender response, Leia buried her hands in his hair and opened her mouth to him. Han then took the initiative, deepening the kiss and sparking a frenzy of desire in them both.

Neither of them could get enough, it seemed. Each kiss was more passionate than the last, heightened by the sensation of hands engaged in the joy of exploration. Fingertips burned tantalizing trails across naked skin and rubbed soft clothing against heated bodies. There was no thinking; no analyzing…there was only feeling and passion, the explosion of emotions long repressed.

When they finally paused out of sheer desperation for air, Han kept his gaze locked on Leia. His vocabulary seemed terribly inadequate to express what he felt; yet he knew he needed to speak. Words were the foundation of Leia's reality, and she could not be entirely sure of herself until she heard them.

"I love you, Leia," he said, trying to convey the depth of his emotions with his eyes and the reassuring touch of his hands on her shoulder.

Overwhelmed by her feelings, Leia began to cry softly. She had not heard those words since her father had spoken them years ago. She had first resigned herself to the fact that she might never hear them again, and had later convinced herself that emotions would only interfere in her cause. Han's admission, though thrilling, had overloaded her senses and evoked feelings of grief, sadness, happiness, and love all at once.

Han gathered her in his arms, allowing her to release her emotions. He stroked her hair gently, offering kind thoughts and soothing her with his voice. When her tears finally subsided, Leia pulled away from his chest and lowered her gaze, her confidence failing.

"How can you possibly love me?" she whispered. "I'm difficult, demanding, bossy, and critical."

"How can I not love you?" he replied, lifting her chin so that she could see him. "You're fire and ice, beauty and truth, passion and intelligence."

Unconvinced, she looked him with apprehension.

Sensing the need to lighten the mood, Han added, "Plus, you're a smuggler and a thief—definitely my kind of gal!"

Noting the twinkle in his eye, she rose to the challenge and exclaimed with mock indignity, "What do you mean I'm a smuggler and a thief? I'll have you know that I'm a respected leader of the Alliance!"

"Well, Sweetheart, it's like this…. You distracted me with those constant arguments and stole my heart. What's worse, you smuggled in crazy notions like decency and loyalty to other people. Before I knew it, I was riskin' my butt to save that wet-behind-the-ears farm boy and passing up big bucks to haul you around on one mission after another. I even had to pretend like I was married to you once—that about killed me."

"Oh, really," she said with a hint of nervousness. "Was being married to me that bad?"

"It wasn't you, Sweetheart, it was me. I had the worst symptoms…my heart pounded so hard I thought my chest would explode. If that wasn't bad enough, my hands started getting' all shaky and clammy. I never felt like that before."

"Hmm. It's funny you should mention that, because I had similar symptoms."

"You did, huh?"

"Yes. My pulse started racing, seemingly without warning."

"That's terrible," he stated sympathetically. "This pulse?" he asked, leaning in and kissing her neck.

"Um…yes," she said, struggling to form words as his lips touched one of her pulse points. "Do…ah…do you see what I mean?"

"Yeah…your heart rate is racing out of control as we speak. Have you had any other symptoms?"

"I…uh…."

Leia started to speak, but Han dragged his lips from her neck to her ear. He nibbled on her earlobe, and then whispered her name. The sound of his voice caused Leia to shiver uncontrollably.

"Ah," he said. "You're shivering as well. That's a bad sign."

"Oh, no. Is there anything you can do for me?" Leia asked, momentarily recovering her faculties.

"I'm not sure…does this help?"

Han blazed a trail of tiny kisses along her cheek and nose. As she closed her eyes in response, he kissed each eyelid reverentially.

"That does feel better," she replied. "However, I think there's only one thing that will save me now."

"What's that?" he asked.

"This," she said, pulling him forcefully toward her and kissing him full on the mouth.

After a long, sensual kiss filled with sweetness and promise, Leia drew away for a moment.

Eyes brimming with emotion, she said simply, "I love you, Han Solo. I always have, and I always will."

Han greeted her admission with a big lopsided grin and a passionate kiss. They spent the rest of the afternoon discovering new symptoms and experimenting with possible remedies. There was no hope, however. They were both afflicted with the incurable disease of love.