CHAPTER 13:

"So what took ya' so long to find us?" Han asked as Luke led them into the woods.

"I knew where you were."

"And?"

"I was making preparations."

"For what?" Leia asked.

"Well, we can't go straight back to the Falcon," Luke shrugged as he carefully moved through the low brush. "Try not to rustle things too much. We don't want anyone to follow our trail."

"What preparations did you make?"

"A place to stay until morning," he looked over his shoulder. "Leia, be careful. You're leaving a trail."

"Yeah, well if you were wearing the amount of petticoats I am, you'd leave a trail as well," she spat as she tried to squeeze her skirts tight to her body with no success.

"Let him, Leia," Luke responded.

"What?"

At that moment Han scooped Leia into his arms. Before Leia could protest or give a good fight, Luke turned his large blue eyes upon her, "Keep watch behind us. They are following."

Leia closed her mouth, and though she held her body rigid in his arms, she allowed Han to carry her along. She turned her head over his shoulder and kept an eye out for whoever Luke expected was following them.

Frozen where he stood with the princess calm in his arms, Han's eyes gazed into Luke's. How did Luke know he was going to pick up Leia? More importantly, how did he manage to get her to go along with it? Luke turned away, breaking the connection before Han could get a proper read on his friend. He glanced at Leia, whose attention was still focused on what lied behind them, and then continued on close behind Luke. Maybe Han had become that predictable and Luke understood the reason for his action. And Leia, well, if she was going to listen to anyone, it would be Luke. Despite the fact that Leia was in his arms, a twinge of jealousy pinched Han's stomach.

"Try to step where I step," Luke ordered. "And stay close."

Han grunted, but Leia interrupted him, "They're coming, but I think they're still too far to see us."

"Then we better pick up the pace, Kid."

Luke continued on, disturbing the foliage around him as little as possible. With each step he considered Han's size and the fact that he was carrying Leia. Luke knew Han was keeping Leia's garments as controlled as possible, and since neither was at the other's throats at the moment, he also knew Leia understood the gravity of the situation.

The princess rested her chin on Han's shoulder as she kept track of the progress of their pursuers. This day had to be absolutely the worst in her life. She bit her lip as an image of Alderaan nagged at her consciousness. Well, it definitely wasn't the worst, but it ranked high. Her left arm snaked around Han's neck as she tried to push the day's events from her mind. To no avail; the non-Humans, the faces of those who lost their life paraded through her mind. She didn't even know their names.

Well, one name she did know. Arnie. Leia couldn't claim that shooting him was an accident. She aimed Han's blaster and fired at the man. Just like she did at the kind guard. When she thought that Arnie shot Han, instinct took over. It scared her to think about how scared she was when she thought Han was…Leia shuddered.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" Han asked with a sincere tone.

"Of course," Leia huffed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Cold?"

She bit her lip. Why was she being so snippy with him? "I guess," Leia lied. "A little maybe."

"I'm not enough to keep you warm?" he touched his nose to her ear.

"Obviously not," Leia's tone dripped with regality. Maybe he deserved her snippiness.

"Sorry I don't have a coat or something to give you."

"That's okay. I'll survive."

"I know."

Leia remained quiet for a while. How long had she known Han? Almost a year? Maybe a little more. It made sense that she would be affected by his…well, if his health was compromised in any way. She felt the same about Luke's life, but that seemed easier, more straight forward. They were friends, close friends with no complications. Everything about her relationship with Han was complicated, though she didn't understand why. Luke would say that it was because she didn't want to understand why, which is why she didn't discuss her relationship with Han with Luke.

But Han was a friend, a friend who went to extraordinary lengths to save her life. And he did it even when she didn't deserve it.

"Sorry about hitting you," Leia whispered in his ear.

"I'd say I'm sorry I felt you up," Han smirked, "but I'm not."

Leia smiled in spite of herself, "Didn't think you would be."

"You know me so well."

"I don't see them anymore," Leia said.

"They're still there," Luke answered, and Leia had to wonder if Luke heard her conversation with Han.

"How much farther?" Han asked.

"We're here," Luke announced.

"Where?" Han asked as he let Leia's feet fall to the ground.

"Here," Luke stepped around the large trunk of an old oilet tree.

Exchanging glances, Leia and Han followed Luke. On the other side of the oilet tree was a small opening at its base. Luke crawled into the opening, prompting his companions to do the same. The small area was tight and smelled earthy, but it was dry and large enough to accommodate the three of them. Luke had covered the ground with a blanket of some sort and had stashed a little bag of provisions in the corner.

"Not bad," Han commented as he opened up the bag. He pulled out a water pouch. "Want some water, Leia?"

"Please," she knelt down beside him.

Luke glanced out the small opening before he joined his friends. He ate a couple of ration bars, but Han and Leia seemed satisfied with just the water.

Luke smiled at Leia, "That's a really pretty dress."

"Thanks," Han answered.

Leia pulled a face and then responded to Luke's confused countenance, "He picked it out."

Luke raised his eyebrows as his mouth stretched down, "Good taste. I wouldn't have thought that color would've worked with her skin tone."

"Yeah, that fake tan makes it work."

Leia shook her head and repositioned herself, spreading her skirts so that her legs weren't constrained, "Don't you two have something better to talk about?"

"You should see the undergarments I picked out," Han smugly smiled, causing Luke to spit out pieces of ration bar.

The princess sighed and stood up. She reached for the clasps on the back of the dress.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Luke sputtered.

Han's eyes were as wide as his mouth.

"Trying to put an end to this conversation," her fingers fumbled with the ties.

"No, really," Luke stood up and held his hands in front of him. "That's not necessary."

Leia's brow arched and she smiled triumphantly, "Then I suggest you two find another topic that has nothing to do with me."

"Well, considering we're all here because of you—"

"Han!" Luke sat down and motioned Leia to join him.

The girl's smile faded as she adjusted her skirts so she wouldn't trip. She wrapped her arm with Luke's, and their fingers automatically entwined together. Han unwittingly frowned before turning his attention to the contents of Luke's bag. He pulled out a ration bar but didn't open it.

"So how'd you escape the Imps?" Han asked.

"Wasn't too hard," Luke shrugged. "I think that smoke detonator you set off confused them long enough to figure out what was happening."

"Brilliant, you'd say?" Leia nudged Luke.

"Yeah, made things a lot easier for me."

"Ha!" Leia narrowed her dark eyes on Han. "If it wasn't for me, Luke wouldn't have escaped."

"I wouldn't say 'wouldn't have'."

"We would have all escaped together and in style if it weren't for your stupid smoke detonator."

Luke looked at Leia, "It was your detonator?"

Her smile was large and smug, "Hid it in my hair."

"Then I would say it was brilliant," Luke returned her smile.

"You would," Han muttered as he shoved the unopened ration bar back into the bag.

"What?"

"You guys must be tired," Han changed the subject. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll keep watch."

"We've all had a long day," Leia pointed out. Then she looked at Luke, "What are the chances that they'll find us here?"

Han pulled a face, but in the dim light, no one noticed, "It really depends on who they are."

Leia pressed her lips together, "You think they're Imperials?"

Han opened his mouth to answer, but then he noticed she was addressing Luke.

"Most likely, they're the local officials," he guessed. "I was monitoring the local newsfeed before I went to get you. There was no mention of the Imperials getting involved."

"Nice of you to take your time getting to us," Han rolled his eyes.

Leia frowned, "He arrived in time."

"Well, if the Imperials weren't interested in the mysterious explosion of a vacant villa, they will be soon."

"Maybe," Luke chewed his bottom lip.

Han glanced at the small hole they climbed through. He pressed his lips together and inhaled, "I don't know if you noticed, but there's only one escape route."

"I know," Luke avoided Han's eyes. "It was the best I could do."

"If they find us…"

"I know."

Leia's eyes shifted between her friends, "Maybe we should keep moving."

Han reached for his blaster, but it wasn't there. "I'm not sure we'd fair much better out there."

"That's not very reassuring," she frowned.

"I wasn't goin' for reassuring." Han looked at Luke, "Got any other weapons besides your light saber?"

Luke pulled a blaster out of his holster, "Just this."

Han took the weapon and then looked at the princess.

"You keep it," she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're a better shot than I am."

"I don't know about that," he commented but slipped the blaster into his holster when he noticed the pensive look on her face. His tone softened, "You did what you had to."

Leia raised her eyes to his, revealing both her surprise and guilt. He pressed his lips together and looked away.

Luke sat up straight, his blue eyes wide and bright even in the dim light, "Oh, no."

"They're closing in on us," Leia whispered.

Han frowned, "How do you know?" Then he heard the approaching voices and something else not human, "Sith! Now what?"

"Maybe this place wasn't the best place to stop," Luke amended.

Han raised his eyebrow and glared at the boy, "You think?"