CHAPTER 11:

Han held his hand up to the side of his head to block the intrusive blue light shining in his eyes.

"What are you two doing in there?"

He blinked against the light, "Isn't it obvious?"

The intruder turned his light on the princess, guiding it from the top of her head down to her chest. Leia's countenance pinched, but she managed to hold her tongue.

"Put your hands up and come out slowly," the intruder waved a blaster in their direction.

Han silently cursed himself for being caught off-guard. He began to slip his hand underneath his tunic.

Leia raised her hands in the air, and she shifted her position so that Han couldn't do anything stupid, "We'll cooperate."

"Of course you will, Sweetie," the intruder shook the light. "Now come out slowly."

The princess' eyes shifted to her right, stealing a glance at her angry companion. Then, with her hands still held up, she began to climb to her feet. As she stepped up from her kneeling position, her foot caught in the folds of her petticoats and she fell forward. Han jumped up.

"I said slowly!" the intruder's voice shook as he yelled and a blaster bolt screamed out.

"No!" Han shoved Leia back to the floor, landing hard on top of her.

"Han!"

Still pinned under Solo, Leia twisted around. She stretched her fingers out, curling them around the blaster that lied at Han's side. Before the intruder could get another shot off, Leia lifted her arm and fired, hitting her target dead on. The torchlight the dead man once held clattered to the floor.

"Han?" the princess grabbed the fallen torchlight and shined it on him. "Han!"

Leia shined the light on Han's face, and he groaned, "Get that outa my face, Your Worship."

"Are you hurt?"

Han rolled off of her, "Just my pride."

Leia sat up, "I would think it impossible to hurt…" She stopped and grabbed his shoulder, "You're bleeding."

Han shrugged her away and slowly sat up. He glanced at his shoulder and started to brush away the shards of glass imbedded in his skin. "Good thing we finished off the wine."

"No, don't," Leia pulled his hand away. "Let me."

The princess pulled herself up to her knees to get closer to Han. She then carefully unbuttoned his tunic, taking care not to jerk the garment too hard in fear of disturbing Han's wound. Her slow pace and intense concentration gave Han the rare opportunity to study her. Although her breasts were almost eye-level, he was more fascinated with how her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks as she blinked. He noticed how her top two teeth rested against her plump bottom lip, and her mouth opened slightly as she worked. Her touch was light and sensual, though Han was certain she wasn't trying to seduce him. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the sweet scent of her skin and hair.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Huh?" his eyes popped open. "No."

Leia's eyes scrunched at the corners as she tried to figure out whether or not he was telling her the truth. Han wasn't one to admit he was in pain, so she figured she did hurt him. She supposed avoiding discomfort would be impossible, but she still felt a tinge of guilt for causing him further pain.

"Okay," she sat back on her haunches, "I'm going to remove your tunic. I'll be as careful as I can."

Han opened his mouth to protest. He certainly didn't need any help undressing. After all, it was a minor wound, just broken glass. However, he closed his mouth and nodded. When would Leia ever offer to undress him again?

Leia slipped his wounded arm out of sleeve of the tunic but left the rest of it on, leaving Han slightly disappointed. She pushed the short sleeve of his undershirt above the wounded area. Then, with the care and steadiness of a surgeon, the princess carefully plucked out the larger pieces. Biting his tongue to hinder any reaction to the pain he felt, Han watched her as if she were an exotic creature. Her bottom lip once again pressed against her top teeth and her brown knitted together.

"Here," she handed him the torchlight. "Hold this up like this." She demonstrated what she wanted before returning to the task at hand.

Once Leia finished removing the larger, easier pieces, she glanced around for something that would help with the smaller shards of glass. She reached up to the shelf above her head and retrieved a bokili opener. The slender, pincher-like tool was perfect for removing the tiny splinters embedded in Han's skin. When she finished, Leia grabbed the hem of her dress and raised it to his wound.

Han placed a hand on Leia's, "No, don't."

"The wound needs to be cleaned."

"But the dress is so beautiful," Han squeezed her hand. "I don't want you to ruin it."

"Han, be reasonable," she pressed her lips together, but when he didn't seem as if he was going to relent, she sighed. "Okay." She lifted her dress and ripped a piece off of one of her petticoats. Then she carefully wrapped Han's wound with the soft material.

Han examined her handiwork, "Nice work, Your Worship. Looks like you've done this all your life."

"I've done it too many times," she mirthlessly smiled. She met his hazel eyes for a moment. Then her attention fell upon the dead intruder, "What about him?"

"Don't think there's anything more to be done for him."

"Staying here doesn't seem like an option, Han."

Han rubbed his chin, "I can't argue with that."

"You're going to need to change your shirt."

"No time for that," Han slipped on his tunic.

Leia shook her head, "The blood stain is noticeable. You can't go around looking like that." She exited the pantry. "I'll pick something out for you."

"I better like it!" he warned, but her attention was focused on the dead man. Han placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of him. You go on and find me somethin' proper to wear."

Leia silently nodded and then went on her way.

Han shook his head and ran his teeth over his bottom lip as he watched her trot off. He walked over to the fallen intruder and used the torchlight to examine the princess' handiwork. Such a precise shot from an awkward position! Han had to wonder where a princess learned to shoot like that. But Princess Leia Organa had proved time and time again that she was no ordinary royal brat.

His mind reeled over the events of the day and marveled at the chameleon princess currently in his charge. (Or was he in hers? At the moment, he wasn't sure.) In her sleep, she resembled a loicqui doll with her slightly parted lips and soft expression, and he wanted to make sure she wouldn't break. Awake, she was a ball of fire, demanding and in control. And brilliant. Her plan to rescue Chewie and Luke almost rivaled ideas of his own. Almost. One minute Leia looked like a wayward teenager on the verge of a rebellious fit, and in the next, an elegant woman with poise and composure. Despite knowing her for a little over a year, he still hadn't figured her out. But it had been fun trying.

Han slid the body of the dead man into the pantry. It was unlikely they'd be bothered again, but it was best to hide any obvious telltale signs that they were there. He glanced in the direction where Leia disappeared. Maybe he should go find her. He could only imagine what humiliating outfit she'd pick out for him. Han then noticed the intruder's blaster pistol. He bent over and retrieved it.

"Oh, Sith," Han groaned. The blaster was set on stun. If Leia found out…He quickly switched the blaster's controls. It was best she didn't know. Han then sat himself down at the table in the middle of the room and decided to wait for her return.

Princess Leia moved through the house as if it belonged to her. Despite the dark, she had no problem finding her way back to the staircase. As she climbed the stairs, the unpleasantness that occurred moments before vanished from her mind, and she imagined that this holiday house belonged to her. It would be a luxury to call any place home. Leia's springy steps slowed as her real home, Alderaan, seeped into her musings and guilt flooded her heart. She didn't have a home or a family because of her failings. She should have been smarter. She should have come up with an answer that would have saved her home planet without betraying the rebels. No matter how many times her mind replayed the interrogation sessions Lord Vader and Governor Tarkin treated her to, she couldn't think of a proper response.

"Don't move!"

Leia gasped. Standing before her at the top of the staircase was a large man with a small blaster pistol pointed at her.

"Are you alone?"

Leia's large dark eyes shifted to the right before returning to the man.

"Answer me! And you better not lie to me!"

"No," she whispered. "I'm not alone."

"How many?" he approached her.

Leia took a step back, "Just my friend and me."

"Don't move!" the man reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back up to the second floor. "Where's your friend?"

"Downstairs," she muttered.

"I'm not stupid!" the man leaned his face close to hers. "Where downstairs?"

"Why don't you just take what you want--?"

"Take what I want?"

"You're a thief, aren't you?" Leia scowled.

"I'm security!"

"Security?" the princess looked the large man up and down, but his clothes gave no hint to his occupation.

"We're responding to a silent alarm, the alarm you set off!" he started to pull her down the stairs. "Now, where exactly is your friend?"

"In the kitchen," Leia grimaced.

"Come on," the security guard tightened his hold on her arm and aimed his blaster pistol forward. "I'm sure my partner has found your friend already."

Leia allowed herself to be dragged along, her stomach churning with each step. Not only was Han about to be taken by surprise, she most likely killed a security guard. It was in self-defense, well, she wasn't going to let the security guard shoot Han. Nevertheless, she doubted this guard was going to be sympathetic.

As they neared the kitchen, Leia inhaled deeply, "Han! We're not alone!"

"Keep your mouth shut unless I say otherwise!" the security guard yanked her arm hard, and she yelped.

Han jumped to his feet and readied his blaster when he heard the princess yelp. He hurried closer to the kitchen entrance, taking cover behind the door jamb, "Leia?"

"You better not try anything or Leia will be the one to suffer," the guard called out. "Show yourself!"

Han cursed as he tucked his blaster in the back of the pants. Holding his hands out to the side, he stepped into the doorway. The security guard prodded Leia forward with his blaster pistol. She kept her head down, but her eyes were raised and held steady on Han.

The guard's looked around, "Arnie?"

"Who's Arnie?" Han bit his lip. "I'm Han."

Leia grimaced. The security guard thrust his blaster into her back, pushing her toward Han. Then the guard raised the blaster to Leia's temple, "My partner. Where is he?"

Beads of sweat prickled Han's forehead, and he hoped that his nervousness wasn't visible in the darkened room. "Obviously not here."

"Arnie?" the guard called again. "Arnie!"

Leia winced. Han's eyes discreetly widened and retracted in warning. He saw the princess' chest rise and fall as she pressed her lips together.

"What now?" Han asked.

The security guard chewed the inside of his cheek and shifted his weight between his feet, making Han even more nervous. If only the security guard gave him an opening or opportunity to turn the tables. But the pistol the guard pressed against Leia kept Han from doing anything that would risk her life.

"Why don't you just arrest us?" Leia asked, and Han glared at her.

"I'm security, not the police."

Han's angry glare melted into confusion, "Then why don't you pretend you ne'er saw us and let us go on our way?"

"Because then I wouldn't be doing my job."

Without warning, the security guard twisted Leia's arm hard and forced her into the nearest chair. Then he pressed the nozzle of the pistol against the princess' temple. Leia's eyes closed, and Han's heart skipped a beat.

"If you have any weapons on your person, now would be the time to carefully put them on the table." He pushed the blaster harder against Leia's head, "And I do stress carefully."

Han clenched his teeth as he pulled his blaster from behind his back, slamming it hard against the table, "Happy?"

"Only if that's you're only weapon," the guard narrowed his eyes on Han.

Han's eyes fell upon Leia. She opened her eyes and arched her brow, giving Han the slightest shake of the head. He looked away as he retrieved the stolen pistol from his boot.

The security guard leaned forward to get a better look at the weapon. "That's Arnie's."

"Who's—"

The guard's voice bellowed, "Where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The guard aimed his blaster pistol on Han, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"It's not his fault!" Leia started to stand, but the guard roughly shoved her back in her seat.

"I'm guessing that you killed my partner," the guard switched the controls of his weapon. "Your life for his."

"He didn't kill anyone!" Leia's voice commanded the attention of all.

"Leia…"

"I did it!" she looked between the two angry men. "He, Arnie, tried to kill Han. I couldn't let him do it."

"Whaddya mean?" the guard grabbed Leia by the chin and looked into her eyes. "Arnie would never kill anyone!"

Leia's brow and voice lowered, "He fired on us!"

"Arnie's pistol is always set to stun," the guard pressed his pistol against her chest. "He's a Risihinadi."

"A what?"

Leia closed her eyes, "Risihina is a religion. Risihinadis will not take a life no matter how small."

"Then why is he a security guard?"

The security guard clenched his teeth together, "Security guards don't set out to kill anyone."

Han shrugged, "But it's a dangerous job, and killin' might come up some time or another."

"Arnie never intended to kill you!"

"Then how come his pistol is set to kill?" Han asked as he slowly edged his way toward his own blaster.

"Don't move!" the panic and anger in the guard's voice rose. Without taking his eyes off of Han or his weapon off of Leia, he retrieved his dead partner's pistol. "How do I know you didn't switch it?"

Han shrugged again, "What motive would I have to do such a thing?"

The security guard looked at Leia, and Han bit his lip.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"I…I don't know," Leia glanced at Han.

"In the pantry."

The security guard picked up Han's blaster and tucked it into the band of his pants. Then he grabbed the back of Leia's neck and dragged her to her feet.

"Look, it was an honest mistake!" Han held his hands out as he took a step closer to Leia and her captor. "She wouldn't have killed him if he didn't shoot at us."

"Stay where you are!" the guard waved the blaster in Han's direction before returning it to Leia's temple. He then continued dragging the princess toward the pantry. With his left foot, he kicked the door open.

"Oh, Arnie!" he lamented. Then the guard shoved Leia hard against the shelves, knocking boxes and cans around them, "How could you!"

"Stop!" Han yelled, and to his surprise, the guard loosened his grip on the princess.

Leia's large dark eyes found Han's, and he had to look away. Her pain, her guilt…it was a mistake. "She couldn't have known his blaster was set for stun!" He said it for her benefit as much for their captor.

But the guard didn't seem moved by Han's words. Han wished Leia still appeared younger than she did at the moment. Maybe he shouldn't have been so fast to have her change her disguise. But all that was water under the bridge.

"Pull that chair out over there," the guard directed Han as he dragged Leia out of the pantry. "Put it next to the stove."

Han glanced around. Stove…he was certain he had seen one of those in his life time, but in the dark amongst so many archaic contraptions, Han was at a loss. He slowly dragged it in hopes the guard would give him some indication where he wanted Han to put the chair.

"Come on!" With Leia still tight in his grip, he dragged the chair the rest of the way.

Han glanced around at the various machines, and for the life of him, he still couldn't figure out what the stove was or its significance.

"Sit down!"

Han did as he was told. Then the guard pulled some plasti-cuffs from his belt. "You, Leia!"

Han shuddered at the familiar use of the princess' name but managed to keep his mouth shut for once.

"Leia, secure his legs to the legs of the chair, and the ties better be tight." The guard pressed his pistol against Han's chest while Leia did as she was told.

While Leia secured Han's left leg, she noticed a small silver utensil lying under the chair. She wrapped her fingers around it and tucked it into the bosom of her dress.

"What's taking you so long, Sweetheart?" the guard kicked at her side.

Han's stomach gurgled over the guard's choice of pet names for Leia and his rough treatment of her, "Back off of her! She's never been good at lacing her own boots."

The guard glanced at Leia then at Han, "Now why would a fine lady ever wear boots?"

Having finished securing Han's feet to the chair, she sat back on her knees and held her hands to the side, "Obviously you don't get off-world too often. Boots are all the rage on Coruscant."

The guard snorted, "Yeah, like you ever been to Coruscant." He then trained his blaster on Leia, "Get up, slowly now!"

Han held his eyes half-closed, hoping the princess wouldn't trip on the petticoats of her dress again. To his relief, she rose with the royal dignity innate in her bones.

"Okay," the guard grabbed her arm and pushed her onto Han's lap. "Wrap your arms behind him."

"I don't understand," she held her hands to the side.

"Here," the guard moved her left arm over Han's shoulder and then wrapped her right under his other arm. He pulled a plasti-tie off his belt and secured it around her wrists.

"Ow!" she complained. "It's a little tight."

"Just makin' sure you're not getting out of it. I hope you understand," the guard pulled another plasti-cuff off his belt. "You, slip your arms slowly around her waist."

Han did as he was told, and the guard made sure that his arms were entangled with hers before he secured them. He then bent down and tied Leia's ankles to each other underneath the chair.

"This is kinda cozy," Han purred into Leia's ear.

"Not for long," the guard smirked. The guard moved over to the stove and began banging it on it until several hoses began to wildly hiss.

"Let me guess," Han narrowed his eyes on the guard. "That's not oxygen you're releasing into the air."

"This way, the owners of the house can claim the insurance on this old house," the guard smiled, "and my hands are clean."

"Not if you leave us here."

"Happy death," the guard gave the pair a small nod and mirthless smile as he left the house.

Han sighed and pressed his mouth against Leia's ear. The heat of his voice tickled her ear, sending a chill down her spine, "Guess there could be worse ways to go."