The next few days passed quickly.

Chewbacca the Wookie did not speak Basic, but he certainly understood it. And while the heat of the day made him miserable, he seemed determined to repay Camie's hospitality. He gave Camie's blaster rifle a thorough cleaning and helped Camie repair a hand blaster that even Fixer had given up as a lost cause. Finally, he helped her tuneup her landspeeder.

At first, Camie had been intimidated and even a little frightened of the Wookie. He was large, and Wookies were said to be even stronger than Tusken Raiders. She did not relish the prospect of having an arm torn off from inadvertently insulting him.

As they worked, however, they fell into a kind of rhythm … the Wookie clearly knew his way around machinery and even without speaking the same language he was able to teach Camie a trick or two that even Fixer had not shown her.

Listening to the steady hum of the landspeeder's engine, Camie smiled at the Wookie. "Thank you, Chewbacca. I doubt it ran any better when it came off the assembly line."

Chewbacca threw back his head and barked out a laugh. He had dragged the droid Threepio into the garage to translate for him and growled at it. "Chewbacca says that you do excellent work yourself, Mistress Camie. He was very favorably impressed with your workshop."

"Thank you, Chewbacca." She ran a hand through her sweat-stained hair. "I could really use some water, how about you?"

Chewbacca growled some more. "Chewbacca is concerned that he has used more water than you can spare, Mistress Camie."

Camie smiled at the Wookie. "Luke's help with the Vaporators helped increase my harvest. I've got enough to spare, Chewbacca."

Chewbacca growled again. "Chewbacca says that you may call him Chewie." The droid's head swiveled and somehow managed to look offended. "Why can she call you 'Chewie' when I cannot?"

The Wookie barked … which somehow sounded more intimidating than his growls. "Why, yes I do like having my arms attached … Oh. I understand. Mistress Camie, you may certainly call him 'Chewie' while I will continue to refer to the Wookie as 'Chewbacca.'"

"Now that we have that settled, let's get that drink," Camie smiled and led them back into the house. Leia nodded to them as they came in and motioned to an earpiece that she was wearing. She was obviously in communication with Luke or Lando or perhaps someone else in the Rebel Alliance …

Camie decided not to pursue that thought.

It was not her war.

She poured the Wookie a large glass of water and a smaller one for herself. Chewie drank his carefully, with a delicacy that she would not have expected of such a large creature. He growled softly. "Chewbacca wishes me to inform you that he has spent a considerable time on Tatooine with Master Solo and is thankful for your all your hospitality- especially for the water that you have so freely given."

Camie nodded her head in acceptance of the Wookie's gratitude. Water was more precious on Tatooine than credits. It meant something to her that someone (other than Luke) understood the importance of that. "What did you do on Tatooine, Chewie?"

The Wookie looked uncomfortable. He whined softly.

Then Camie remembered. "He's a smuggler. An unrepentant scoundrel ..."

"They worked for Jabba the Hutt." Threepio did a double take. "Oh my."

"And you did something to anger him," Camie realized.

Chewie looked away and nodded.

"Not the smartest move if you wanted to live a long time." Camie's parents paid a "tax" to Jabba as a price for doing business … kriff, for living on Tatooine. As Camie grew up, she had heard her parents whisper their fears that someday Camie might attract the attention of the Hutt's agents … it was rumored that Jabba has a taste for pretty humanoid women. She'd even had nightmares about that once or twice.

Not something I have to worry about now.

"You'll get him back." Camie shrugged her bleak thoughts away. "You're going to get him back.

Luke Skywalker never fails his friends."

..**..

When it was time to pick up Luke, Leia and Chewie went with her.

"Camie and I can take care of ourselves, Chewie," Leia told the Wookie with some exasperation as he crowded into the landspeeder with them.

The Wookie growled at her.

"Yes, I know there are Sandpeople out here. And krayt dragons. But Camie grew up here and I'm not exactly helpless myself."

The Wookie barked at her.

"What do you mean Han would never forgive you if I got into trouble without you? You're not much better than he is for staying out trouble, Chewbacca."

The Wookie grunted and motioned for Camie to drive.

Hiding a smile … and a pang of painful nostalgia at the thought that it hadn't been that long ago that she had ridden in this same landspeeder with Fixer, Biggs, and Luke on some youthful adventure that had seemed dreadfully exciting at the time … If only I could go back to those days … if only for a little while …

She shook her head angrily. You can't be a little girl anymore, Camie. Stop wishing for things you can never have.

Luke was waiting for them at the same ridge she had dropped him off at.

No sooner had Camie brought the landspeeder to a halt than Leia leaped out of it and ran into his waiting arms. "Luke!"

They held each other for a moment and began to speak quietly to each other, looking at each other as though no one else existed.

Camie fought back a bitter wave of jealousy. She may love that Han Solo, but Luke is obviously important to her too. As she is to him ….

She felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder. A soft whine filled her ear. It was obviously a question.

"I'm okay, Chewie. It's just ..." She looked at Luke and Leia again. "I … Fixer and I were like that." She chuckled wryly. "He wasn't the most handsome man on the planet- and he had an ego like a small moon sometimes- but he … I … we had something that I've never had with anyone else. And I probably never will again … I thought I was okay with that. But ..." She let the words trail off.

Now I want it again … She looked at Luke Skywalker as he walked back to the landspeeder holding one of Leia Organa's hands. And I know I'll never have it … not with Luke. His heart already belongs to someone else.

"Camie." Luke smiled at her. "Thanks for coming back to get me."

"I said I would. Did you do … whatever it was you came out here to do?"

"I did." He helped Leia back into the landspeeder … the Princess making her way to sit in the back with Chewie. "I thought about what you said to me too ..."

"About …?" She felt herself blushing and hoped her tan was dark enough to hide it.

"About … him."

"Oh." Camie started the landspeeder up and turned around to head back home. "I'm glad I could help, Luke."

She listened to Luke happily chatter with Leia and Chewie all the way back home.

..**..

Luke spent some time alone with R2D2 in Camie's workshop. When he returned, his face was immeasurably calmer than it had been when Camie left him behind to go to Old Ben's cave. They ate a a late night dinner.

"Lando is in position," Leia told Luke.

"We'll send the droids in with the message first," Luke replied. "Who knows? Maybe Jabba will be making a deal."

"Maybe," Leia said dubiously, "but something tells me that I'm going to need make sure my disguise is foolproof." She cast a knowing glance at Luke and then looked over at Chewbacca. "Come on, Chewie. You can help me put the finishing touches on it."

The Wookie shrugged and went back to finishing his meal.

Leia kicked him under the table. "I said, come on, Chewie." She glanced at Luke again and then back at the Wookie.

Chewbacca whined in understanding and rose to his feet. He tousled Luke's hair in passing, and gave Camie's shoulder a comforting squeeze before he left.

"Well, that was subtle," Camie said in amusement.

"Yeah." Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Camie ..."

"Yes, Luke?" She looked over at him, feeling a fluttering in her stomach that she hadn't experienced since the first time Fixer asked her out.

"You've been such a great help to us. I hope you know how much we all appreciate it."

"Oh." Came felt her face fall, and then turned away as she absentmindedly brushed her hair. "It's okay, Luke., I was glad to help out an old friend." She sighed. "Whatever happens with Jabba, I'll probably never see you again, will I?"

Luke was silent.

"You'll fly back out to that Rebellion of yours and I'll still be here on Tatooine." She looked back at him. "You belong out there, Luke. I think you always did- that's why you felt such an urge to leave us all behind."

"I wanted to leave Tatooine behind- not the people I cared about." Luke reached out and took Camie's hand in both of his. "I hope you know that. You're important to me." He coughed suddenly. "I mean, you and Fixer always were important to me. And you still are. That hasn't changed. It never will."

"I'm glad, Luke." She felt her throat tighten. "I'm very glad."

"I'll come back, Camie."

She looked up at him, feeling a sudden hope.

"When Han is saved … when the Rebellion is over ...I'll come back and let you know what happened."

She sighed. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Luke."

He managed to look mock offended. "You doubt me?"

"You're a Jedi Knight, Luke. The Galaxy is a big place. Tatooine is just one world ..." She smiled at him. "And I'm just an ordinary woman. You've got princesses to save, smugglers to rescue … Empires to overthrow. It won't be that long before you forget all about me."

Luke shook his head. "I'll never forget you, Camie Loneozner." He smiled at her. "No one who meets you will ever forget you."

She smiled at him. "You're sweet, Luke." She got up from the table. "You should get some sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you."

She kissed his forehead. "Be happy, Luke."

"Camie-" He reached out to take her hand again.

She gently pulled free. "Goodnight, Luke." Don't make this any harder on me than it has to be, Luke. You're not for me. I'm not for you. It's just the loneliness talking to both of us.

He sighed and let her go. "Goodnight, Camie."

And she smiled at him one final time like the girl she had been and then went back to her lonely bed.

Eventually, sleep came.

Author's Note: I admit I kind of wonder when Leia got around to telling Luke that she was in love with Han. Having watched the original trilogy not that long ago, Leia was certainly very "handsy" with Luke through the first two movies. There are lots of hugs and kisses for a guy she just met … even in ANH when she's only known him for a few hours.