I've been alone too long, Camie told herself as she went back to work. That has to be it. I loved Fixer. I don't want anyone else. I'm just … lonely.

And then the other thought. The one that made her heart ache even more. And even if Luke survives his meeting with Jabba he's going to leave Tatooine and never come back. I'll never see him again. Put him out of your head, farm girl.

Forget him. Forget Luke. Forget the almost-kiss. It never happened.

It did not take her long to complete her chores. Luke had already checked most of the operational Vaporators, and the cistern did not require much adjustment. It was nearly time for the mid-meal when she returned back to the house.

Leia and Luke were arguing when she got back inside.

"Luke … that's insane. You can't go wandering out in the desert by yourself for days!"

"I won't be wandering, Leia. I know exactly where I need to go. There's something I need to do." Luke shrugged. "It's a Jedi thing."

"A Jedi thing? You're going to leave us for days and not tell us where you're going or what you'll be doing. You won't have a com. And we're supposed to do nothing. What if something attacks you- one of those Raiders you told us about … or Jawas or ..."

"Jawas aren't normally big on attacking people. If anything they'd try to sell me something." Luke smirked. "Leia, I grew up here. I know how to take care of myself. We have to give Lando time to work his way into Jabba's palace before we can make our next move. I know you want to go charging up to Jabba's palace with blasters blazing but that won't save Han."

"I know … I know ..." Leia turned her back on him and hugged herself. "I just thought we'd be doing this together."

"We will- I'll be there when you need me. But we all have things to take care of."

Chewbacca the Wookie growled. He looked miserable. The house was relatively cool- but what was cool for a human was apparently not the same for a Wookie with all that fur.

"Yes, Chewie. We'll get Han back. I promise." Luke looked weary.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Camie asked as she made her way back into the kitchen and poured herself another glass of blue milk. She glanced over at the miserable looking Wookie. "Would you like some water?"

The Wookie growled something.

"He says thank you," Luke translated.

Camie nodded and poured the Wookie a glass of water. "I'm guessing that you're not one for blue milk."

The Wookie laughed and drank the water. He said something else.

"No, I'm sure she doesn't have anything stronger," Luke replied. His eyes twinkled as he said it, and Camie found herself wishing he would look at her like that …

Kriff.

This was ridiculous.

"Luke's asked me to take him somewhere," Camie finally told Leia. "I'll know where to find him if anything goes wrong. If he says he has a reason for doing this alone, I believe him. Luke's a lot of things, but he's never been very good at lying."

"Why are you telling her but not me?" Leia demanded of Luke suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

"She's the one with the landspeeder," Luke explained. "And she won't loan it to me."

"Not if he's going to be gone a couple of days." Camie took a deep breath. "Look … the last thing I want is to attract Jabba's attention, but if you want to lay low here until you do … whatever it is that you have to do, that's okay. You can wait for Luke here."

"Camie, we have a lot of enemies-" Leia began. "Not just Jabba. Imperial enemies. You could get into a lot of trouble if they find out you're helping us ..."

"I think we're past the point of me not helping you," Camie pointed out. "If your enemies trace you here, they won't listen to me even if I tried to sell you out."

"You wouldn't do that."

"How do you know that, Leia?" Camie asked her, surprised. She might have expected Luke to say something like that, but the Princess had spoken before he had a chance to react.

Leia smirked softly and glanced over at Luke. "Call it a hunch." The smile dropped from her face. "I know people, Camie. You're too good a person to sell someone out."

Camie blushed softly. For most of her life, the only compliments she had ever gotten were to do with her looks. She was the pretty girl. Her sister was the smart one in the family. Having someone say something nice about her that had nothing to do with her looks … was unexpected. "Thank you, Leia. I meant it. You and the others can stay here till you're ready to do what you have to." She glanced over at Luke. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

Luke looked out at the desert. "We should wait till late afternoon before we go. I'll need three days. So if you come back for me the fourth dawn after today I should be ready."

Camie didn't ask "ready for what" as she had an idea that Luke wasn't going to say anything more. "All right. Let's eat."

"Camie, would you mind if we used your workshop while Luke is away?" Leia asked. "There are some things that I need to take care of. My own preparations." She looked over at Luke.

"Certainly," Camie told her. "I'll get you started right after lunch."

"Thank you."

..**..

After lunch, Luke went to get ready for his trip. The Wookie retired for a nap in an attempt to escape the heat. Leia followed Camie into her garage workshop.

"Very nice," Leia approved. "You have everything I need here."

"Thank you. Fixer was very good at his job. Every spare credit he made went into his tools."She ran her fingers over his toolbox. "I always feel closest to him when I'm out here working."

"You loved him very much."

"I did. I do. I always will." Camie sighed. "Do you need any help?"

"No. I know exactly what to do- and how to do it." Leia smiled. "I've picked up a few things that weren't in my royal education over the years. You do that when you're part of a Rebellion."

Camie shrugged. "I suppose."

"You know. You could join us." Leia smiled slyly. "I think Luke would like that."

"My place is here."

"What's left for you here? I know you loved Fixer- and it seems like he was a good man, but Camie- he's gone now. The Rebellion needs people like you- strong, good people ..."

"I'm not interested in the Rebellion."

Leia blinked in surprise. "But we're fighting for justice- to restore the Old Republic that the Emperor destroyed ..."

"This is Tatooine, Leia. The Hutts were ruling here when the Old Republic was at the height of its strength. The Empire hasn't gotten rid of them, but the Republic didn't try either. For the Core Worlds, the Republic might have good- even great- but for those of us in the Outer Rim … it didn't do much of anything."

"But the Empire-"

"I'm not saying that I support the Empire. I'll help you- and Luke- but it doesn't make any difference to me or my mine if there's an Emperor or a Chancellor on Coruscant."

"If the Emperor destroys the Rebellion you may find out that it does make a difference." Leia smiled. "But this isn't the Senate Floor and neither of us have time for a debate. I'll thank any help that you care to give."

Camie nodded. "Be careful, Leia."

"Careful?"

"I'm taking technician classes, remember? I recognize a thermal detonator when I see it." Camie smirked at the other woman. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Let's just hope I don't have to use it," Leia murmured as she waved to Camie.

..**..

"My landspeeder," Luke murmured in disbelief as they sped across the desert. Camie would have enough time to drop him off at Kenobi's cave and return home before nightfall. No one traveled the desert alone at night- there was no telling when a Tusken Raider party would show up to take advantage of human folly. "I can't believe you bought my landspeeder."

"I got a good price on it after ..." Camie sighed. "I needed one after the accident. I remembered Fixer telling me how he'd worked on it for you and I wanted something that reminded me of him ..."

"Of course." Luke said awkwardly. He looked away. "Camie, if you'd like to come with us ..."

"Leia already gave me the sales pitch, Luke. I told her no." Camie stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him, not wanting to see disappointment or relief on his face. "I'm a Tatooine girl. Maybe you're meant to fly around in an X-Wing righting wrongs, but I'm just a simple woman. I belong here. I've always belonged here."

"Camie ..."

"But maybe you can come back sometime." Why am I saying these things to him? "When you've done what you have to do. Maybe you can come back and visit me?" Visit me? Visit me? Can you sound any more needie Camie?

"I'd like that."

"You would?" Camie turned her surprised eye to him before turning back to the road. "That would be … I mean, that would be nice, Luke ..."

"I think so too." Luke reached over and squeezed her hand. "You can stop up ahead at that ridge."

"I don't see a cave ..."

"I'll have to go the rest of the way on foot. It's not fair. The 'speeder won't make it." Luke smiled at her. "I'll see you on the fourth dawn."

"All right. I'll be back." Camie smiled and reached out to touch his face. She could feel beard stubble on his face. Huh. Wormie has stubble. I wonder what he'd look like with a beard? "Luke … be careful. Ben's been gone a long time. Who knows who or what might have moved into his home. Do you want me to go with you … to make sure?"

"I'll be fine, Camie." He took her hand in his and held it for a moment. His hand was rough like hers. She wondered fleetingly if he wished it was Leia's hand he was holding. "Thank you for everything- for the ride, for giving my friends a place to stay. I'm in your debt."

"We're friends, Luke." She reluctantly pulled her hand from his. "You don't owe me anything." She smiled at him. "I'll see you on fourth dawn."

"See you then." Luke smiled and looked into her eyes for a moment.

He wants to kiss me, Camie thought to herself. I want him to kiss me.

But he didn't.

He got out of the landspeeder. "Goodbye, Camie."

"Goodbye, Luke."

And the thought of the kiss that didn't happen haunted her all the way home.