Author's note: After three frustrating days, the system finally allowed me to upload this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but it couldn't be helped. Enjoy!

As he was leaving Leia's room, Han was approached by a young lieutenant.

"Captain Solo, sir. General Rieekan has requested your presence in the briefing room."

"Tell the general I ain't goin' anywhere til I get some shut-eye," Han said, walking past the young man without hesitation. The last few days had taken a toll on the smuggler, and he couldn't stomach the thought of another meeting with the Alliance brass.

"But, sir," the young man persisted. "The general said it was urgent. You need to report immediately."

Turning quickly toward the young soldier, Han replied, "I don't hafta report anywhere, junior. I ain't a part of this rebellion."

Flustered, the lieutenant stammered, "You…you have to go. The general said it had to do with the princess."

The mention of Leia caught Han's attention. Turning once more, he asked, "What about the princess?"

"Well, sir. I don't have much clearance, so he couldn't give me many details. However, he said that your testimony was needed to protect the princess and that you were supposed to bring the box."

Confused, Han asked, "What box?"

"I don't know, sir. He said that you would know what he was talking about. You are to meet him ASAP."

Wracking his brain for a moment, Han finally realized what the general meant. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Tell the general I'll be there soon."

"Yes, sir."

Han left the lieutenant and quickly made his way to the Falcon. He didn't need the Force to tell him what was going on here--Major Eleisoeve was making his move, seeing the perfect opportunity to discredit the princess. Malad might have gained his position by stepping on other people, but Han wasn't about to let Leia be his next victim.

Upon reaching the ship, Han began searching frantically for Leia's backpack. He was sure he'd left it near the medbunk, but he couldn't find it anywhere. His frustration mounting, Han began throwing supplies everywhere trying to locate the missing pack.

As Han was about to reach his breaking point, Chewbacca entered the room and yelled, What are you doing, Cub?

"I can't find it, Chewie," Han said worriedly.

What's so important that you'd tear up the Falcon?

"I need Leia's backpack. Have you seen it anywhere?"

It's in your cabin. I moved it so I could clean up in here. What's going on?

"I've got to get something to General Rieekan. Malad's makin' a power play and Leia's his target."

I will come with you, then. Major Eleisoeve is not to be taken lightly.

"Thanks, Pal, but I'd feel better if someone were watching over Leia."

And who will watch out for you when the major renews his vendetta? You don't think he's forgotten, do you?

"I can handle myself, Chewie. Besides, I've got Rieekan on my side for this one. It'll be okay."

Alright, I will check on the princess, Chewie whuffed, his reservations apparent from his tone. Call me if you need help.

"You bet," Han said, turning to leave.

Han, Chewie called. You love her, don't you?

"Yeah, Chewie, I do," he admitted, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Then I will guard her with my life."

"Thanks, Chewie. I owe you."

Chewie watched Han go, thinking to himself, No, Han…I owe both of you.

In one of those rare moments of dreamer's clarity, Leia realized that she was asleep and dreaming of him again. She remembered that he had been a frequent visitor during her slumbers of late, a fact which had disturbed her greatly during her waking hours. Often, those dreams began as a continuation of one of their verbal sparring sessions, the combatants unleashing words in a barrage of cover fire intended to protect some elusive part of themselves.

In these dreams, however, words simply did not have the potency they possessed in the waking world. Insults did not wound, and accusations seemed to disintegrate before meeting their intended target. No matter what she tried, he kept coming toward her, successfully evading all of her carefully built defenses. Even more frightening was the fact that she wanted him navigate her defenses, needed him to come closer. Sometimes she faced him resolutely, determined not to succumb to those feelings. His touch was met with forced indifference, his kiss rebuffed with unresponsiveness. Leia could successfully force him away in those dreams, but his absence always left her empty, bereft.

Most of the time, however, those dreams ended in hot, passionate embraces. It amazed her how many different ways they came together in those dreams. Sometimes, he stoked the fire slowly, planting soft, teasing kisses on her body, whispering her name and stroking her deftly with his hands. At other times their war of words exploded into another type of battle entirely. Meeting as equals, they devoured each other with fervent kisses, ravaged each other with constantly seeking hands. In some of the dreams, she was the aggressor, stalking her prey ruthlessly and kissing him with an urgency that left him speechless.

This dream, however, was distinctly different from the others. Han was protective, caring. Passion still burned in his eyes, but that emotion was dwarfed by the love that marked his entire visage. One of his hands held hers, softly caressing her skin with his thumb. His other hand stroked her hair lovingly, his touch causing her whole body to tingle with delight. He stood up then, his lips descending upon hers ever so slowly. His touch was tender, his mouth brushing gently against hers. Leia thought she might die from the exquisite feeling of his lips on hers.

"I love you, Leia," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Leia began to respond, but the words died on her lips when he vanished before her very eyes.

"Han," she screamed, but the darkness allowed nothing to escape its grasp, not even the terrified sound of her voice.

Leia awoke with a start, her heart pounding furiously. Her eyes darted frantically around the room, desperate to find him. The soft hiss of the closing door nudged her senses, bringing her fully to consciousness. Realizing that she was safe in the medcenter, Leia relaxed into the pillow and tried to make sense of her tangled feelings. Who had she been so anxious to find, and what had she been dreaming about?

She closed her eyes, willing her body to calm and her head to clear. She ignored the lingering pain of her injuries and allowed her feelings to guide her. Memories of the dream kiss washed over her then, her body reacting with an unfamiliar, yet powerful, desire.

Why was she so attracted to him? She had been dreaming of him for months now, and the sensual content of the dreams had always disturbed her. Still, she had studied enough psychology to know that dreams were simply the mind's method of working out problems. The fact that she had experienced so many problems with Han since he had rescued her was, no doubt, the cause of his frequent visitations.

As for the sexual nature of the dreams, she convinced herself that it was simply a normal part of life. Before her capture, she had experienced a dream about intimate relations with a surprisingly scruffy-looking stormtrooper. That certainly did not mean that she had feelings for the minions of the Empire. Besides, her sleeping mind had probably deduced that the only way to shut Han Solo up was to take him to bed.

She laughed self-consciously at that last thought and immediately regretted her actions. Her sore shoulder began to throb, and her head began to pound in response. She resisted the temptation to call for more pain medication, wanting time alone with her thoughts. This last dream had been different than all the others, and she could not dismiss it as easily. Han had been gentle and caring, emotions radiating freely from his soul and infusing her with a warmth she had not felt in ages. Had he really said that he loved her?

Leia shook her head slowly. "Dream Han" might have been open with his emotions, but she didn't think that the real Solo was even capable of them. Han was funny and loyal, but he was also self-involved and far too casual about the women he dated. He was always quick to brag about his latest conquest, especially, it seemed, if he thought he could annoy the 'Ice Princess' with his embellishments.

A few months back, they had even talked about the concept of love, taking advantage of one of the rare occasions when they had been companionable for an entire evening. Han and Luke had accompanied her to the base showing of classic holo film The Sun Conflicts. Set in an ancient war, the movie had enough action to keep the men happy, but enough romance to keep the few women on base involved in the story.

As they were eating dinner after the movie, Han mentioned that he didn't believe in all that "happily-ever-after nonsense." He said that the main characters might have had a passionate fling, but that they would have never remained together. When she asked him why not, Han had replied, "Simple…they're too different."

Intrigued, she had pressed on, wanting to know more about him. "I take it you don't believe in love," she had said.

"Nah," he replied. "I think it's like the Force—one of those hokey ideas we make up to help us feel better about the universe."

Luke started to intervene at that point, but the two of them just ignored him, immersed in their own private conversation.

"How did you become so cynical?" Leia asked.

"I'm not cynical, Your Worship, I'm just realistic. Have you ever known someone who was really in love?"

"Of course, I have," she replied automatically, searching her mind for examples. "It's just rare, precious."

"Have you ever been in love?" he ventured, his voice taking on a sultry tone.

"No," she replied, defensive. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Just like the Force, huh? Ya know, I've been around lots of women, and I'm sure I've never seen it."

Amused by the flash of jealousy in her eyes, he continued, "Relationships aren't miraculous, Princess. You have fun and move on to the next challenge when the fun is over. Anyone who says otherwise is just kidding themselves."

For some reason, she had been incensed by his comments, but Han had actually displayed the presence of mind to quickly steer them away from the topic. Soon, they were playing cards and laughing with Luke, serious ideas forgotten.

Han was definitely not the type to fall in love, she reasoned, her mind returning to the present. Still, she remembered the look on his face as he stood in the doorway of the Falcon's tiny med room. He was physically affected by her well-being, his haggard appearance magically transformed by joy and relief. His movements toward her were unsure, almost clumsy, as if he could not believe that she was really alive. However, he soon regained his usual grace, taking her hand and stroking her forehead with a tenderness that seemed so out of character.

Fear had welled up inside her, then, her body at war with a mind struggling to comprehend the situation. The last thing she remembered was arguing with Han and now he was acting as if he loved her. It didn't make sense at all, and Leia craved control.

Relying on old rules that did not fit this confusing new game, she visibly hurt Han with her tone. Before she had the chance to make amends, however, she had been whisked away to the medcenter and had not seen him since. She wondered if Han had been her mystery visitor, and it surprised her to realize how much she wanted him to be with her. Shaking off that feeling, she decided that she had probably just missed another intrusion by the medical staff.

She still worried about the memory loss, however, and was frustrated that no one could explain what happened. The Alliance Council had come to her with questions and the doctor had described her condition, but no one seemed to know exactly how the memory loss had occurred.

She felt as though she had been placed in the middle of a holo film without the benefit of a script. All the characters were acting strangely, and she couldn't even understand her own reactions. What had happened on Ord Mantell that had so completely altered her reality?

On the other hand, maybe nothing significant had happened, and her memory loss was simply causing her to misinterpret the data. That explanation seemed to make more sense that the idea of Han falling in love with her. He was simply worried about her, that's all. They were friends, she reasoned, and she knew that she would be terribly upset if she thought he might die. Her mind was probably just projecting her dreams into reality, desperately trying to fill in the large gaps left by the accident.

At that moment, the door hissed open, and Leia turned her head, secretly hoping to see Han standing there.

It took all of her diplomatic skills to hide her disappointment as Chewbacca entered the room.

Hi, Little Princess, he whuffed softly.

"Hi, Chewbacca," she replied, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "How are you?"

I'm fine. How are you feeling?

Leia couldn't understand him completely, but she knew that he had inquired about her health.

"I'm a little tired, but I'm feeling much better, thanks. Where's Han?" she said casually, trying not to sound too interested.

He had an important meeting to attend, but I'm sure he'll be here soon. He loves you, you know.

Chewbacca's long response was difficult for her to follow, but she understood that Han was tied up with some meeting. She couldn't quite follow the part about his feelings, however, and she wondered about his health.

"He's not sick, is he, Chewie?" she asked, concern evident on her face.

No, Princess. Everything is fine. He pronounced his words slowly, making sure that she understood his meaning. It was probably good that she could not translate what he had said about Han's feelings, as it was not his place to tell her. However, he did not want to add to her stress.

"I'm glad," she said, relief flooding her face as she struggled to suppress a yawn.

Get some rest, Princess, Chewie urged, clearly seeing her exhaustion.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Chewie gently said, Close your eyes, Leia. You are safe here.

Feeling completely secure, her eyes closed involuntarily as her body's demands once again took precedence.

As she drifted off to sleep, her protector smiled at Leia and wondered how the man who loved her was faring.