CHAPTER 16:

Luke lightly jostled Leia, "We're here."

She abruptly sat up and grimaced in pain. She closed her eyes and took in a long, cleansing breath before she attempted to move again. Chewbacca was there by her side, ready to assist her.

"I can walk," she insisted as she put a hand on his arm.

"Just let him," Han ordered as he climbed out of the front passenger's seat.

"Leia…" Luke emerged after Han.

The princess frowned but allowed Chewie to pick her up. She glanced around and noticed that they were behind a tall stone wall that surrounded what looked like a garden that hadn't been tended to in years. A short figure in a cloak and headdress pressed her finger to her mouth as her emerald eyes darted around. Then she waved at the rebels and led them along the stone wall to two doors embedded in the ground next to a humble house.

Luke helped the cloaked woman pull the primitive plank out of its worn grooves. Then he pulled one of the doors open. The woman led them down some duracrete steps into a dank dark room. She then quickly returned to the door, looked both ways, and then shut it behind them.

"A basement," Han glanced around after the woman activated the lights. He frowned at Chewie. This basement didn't seem so safe.

The woman grunted and grabbed Luke's arm, pulling him along. Chewie, Leia, and Han exchanged glances before following. She led them to the far corner of the musty room and knelt down. Her emerald eyes, the only visible part of her, pierced Luke's, and he smiled at her. His hand followed the patterns that hers made on the dusty ground, over and over and over until a solid square stone rose from the ground.

"Amazing," Luke whispered, and he turned and smiled at Leia in Chewie's arms.

She returned his smile, thankful that his worrisome mood moments earlier seemed to have lifted. Luke pushed the stone to the side, and each stepped down onto the lift below. The lift smoothly lowered as the stone returned itself back to its original position, sealing them in.

Han bit his lip as he stared up at the closed hatch. They were taking a huge chance trusting this woman and whoever she was with. They were at these beings mercy, and he didn't even know who they were. Han's eyes sought out Chewie's, and he caught the smile Leia beamed in Luke's direction. He halted his initial response to look at Luke because he knew what he would see, and he didn't want to see it. It was bad enough just witnessing Leia's expression, a beautiful expression he longed to see more often, that wasn't inspired nor meant for him.

The lift stopped with a jolt. Han's eyes widened at the site before him. A long well-lit corridor seemed to go on forever.

"Come," the woman finally spoke, her voice muffled by the indigo cloak she wore, "we go to infirmary."

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"How ya' feelin'?"

Princess Leia opened her eyes. She turned her head to find Han sitting next to the examination table and wearing the most awkward expression.

She favored him with a small smile, "Not so bad, considering."

He looked down and scratched the back of his head with his good hand, "Sorry my shots were off."

Her brow knitted together, "You can't hit your mark all of the time."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Han," her tone commanded his attention. "It's not your fault."

However, her words didn't seem to reach him. Leia rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to block the shot that hit you."

"That's ridiculous," he looked up at her.

She raised both eyebrows, "Just as ridiculous as you're being."

"I'm never ridiculous," Han leaned back in the chair and crossed his right leg loosely over his left, but with one arm in a sling and the other searching for a place to rest, he couldn't look anymore ridiculous.

Leia shook her head and laughed.

"Those painkillers must be good," Han smirked.

"Why would you say that?"

"You laughed."

"If you saw yourself," she openly smiled at him, "you'd laugh too."

"Doubt that."

"Want me to call Chewie and Luke in here, get a second opinion?"

"Fine," he settled on resting his good arm on her bed. "Laugh all you want."

"Where'd Chewie and Luke disappear to, anyway?" Leia glanced beyond Han toward the door.

"Not sure," he shrugged then winced in pain.

Leia winced as well, "No one has tended to your wound?"

"Everyone was worried about you."

She lowered her chin and peered into his hazel eyes, "And no one's worried about you."

He gave her his best baby nerf eyes, "Guess no one cares about me."

"Well, I care," she frowned. "I should get—"

Han's brow creased as he touched her forehead, "How many painkillers did they give you?"

She grabbed his hand, pulling it off of her head but not letting it go, "Not nearly enough. Why would you find it so hard to believe that I care about you?"

He gazed at their joined hands, "Cos you ain't exactly nice to me."

"I'm nice to you when you're not acting like an arrogant gundark," she let go of his hand, "which, I admit, isn't often."

"Me arrogant?" Han pointed his good hand at his chest and twisted his features into mock-innocence.

Leia shook her head again and suppressed the urge to laugh, "Never."

The princess slowly pulled herself to a seated position and examined herself. She was wearing a white linen shift and matching draw string pants. She lifted the shift and glanced at her wounds.

"I don't recall all this," she said, referring to the bandages.

"That's cos you passed out."

Leia grimaced, "I passed out?" She buried her face in her hands.

"When you saw the needle."

"Great."

"Hey, it was a big needle. If it makes you feel any better," Han leaned close to her and whispered, "I'll fake pass out, too."

"Thanks." Leia returned to examining the bandage underneath her right breast. "Is it as bad as it looks?"

"The bregal leek managed to sink a couple of teeth into you, but the rest of the damage is pretty superficial. The doctor gave you some antibiotics. You should be fine."

Han's eyes stayed glued on the milky smooth skin of her abdomen. Not so long ago, it was covered in blood, her blood. The sight was enough to scare him despite all the reassurances the doctor spewed forth. But now, her almost too slim waist and flat belly incited other feelings, and his mind wandered to that kiss.

Han licked his lips and inhaled, "So…what was that kiss?"

Leia pulled her shift back into place, rested her head against the pillow, and gazed at him. Her lower lip slipped between her teeth before she settled on a subtle smile, "I guess I was living in the moment."

"You? Living in the moment?"

She nodded as her eyebrows came together, "Surprising, isn't it?" She then shrugged and lowered her voice, "Guess I'm full of surprises."

Han blinked and his mouth dropped open just a tad. When he recovered, he asked, "You have another surprise in you?"

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" she playfully patted him on the head.

"Han, we found more bacta bandages," Luke swept into the room, holding up the bandages. "Leia! How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she smiled at Luke, and Han simultaneously frowned.

Chewbacca and the doctor strolled in after Luke. Chewie roared.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Your Highness," the Azuran doctor bowed his head.

"Thank you, Dr. Ronajdi."

"I am honored to be of help," he smiled. Then he looked at Han, "Now, Captain Solo, let's repair that shoulder wound."

Han winked at the princess, "My turn."

"Should I move?" Leia started to push herself off of the bed.

"No, I can tend to him where he is," the doctor pulled up a repulsor stool next to Han. "Take off your shirt, please, Captain Solo."

Han sported his lopsided grin, "Better turn away, Your Worship. Don't want to overwhelm you with my…" he waggled his eyebrows, "rippling muscles."

Both Luke and Leia rolled her eyes, "Oh, please."

Chewie barked and warfled. Han shot him a bit of stink eye, but was quickly distracted, "Ow!"

"Sorry," Dr. Ronajdi put the syringe down. "You shouldn't feel any more pain."

"Thanks," Han pulled a face, but the Azuran doctor didn't notice.

Chewie and Luke watched the doctor work without much enthusiasm, but Leia's eyes fell elsewhere. With Han focused on his wound, Leia was free to let her eyes roam over bare chest, and roam they did. An unfamiliar heat rushed through her as she scanned his lean, muscular chest. A man's chest covered in sparse light hair. She had seen other bare chests as she tended to wounds on the battle fields, but none inspired the queer feeling inside her. Maybe because those other chests didn't belong to Han.

Solo glanced up at her and broadly smiled, inciting an embarrassed flush upon her cheeks. But he was merciful enough not to call attention to her actions.

"Your shoulder looks horrible," she commented in an attempt to cover getting caught openly admiring him.

"Nah," he gazed into her large dark eyes. "I've had worse."

"Almost finished," Dr. Ronajdi announced as he applied the final bandages.

Han moved his arm around to test its mobility. There was a dull pain when he lifted his arm, but nothing too bad. Of course, he was shot up with pain killers.

"You must be tired."

"It's been a long day," Luke shrugged.

"Why don't you take an advantage of our accommodations," the doctor held out his hand to the princess and assisted her off of the medical table. "It's not much, but it'll be safe."

Leia bit her lip and looked to Han. He pressed his lips together and slightly shifted his head to the left. Chewbacca, however, didn't hesitate, and he expressed his gratitude with a hardy howl. Since returning to the Falcon seemed out of the question, what choice did they have?

"Thank you," Luke bowed his head. "We could use the rest."

"Bella," the doctor called, and the cloaked woman with the emerald eyes reappeared.

She motioned to the four rebels as if she knew exactly what the doctor desired her to do. She led them into a small room lit by a single hanging light. There was a large cushion that resembled a lumpy bed and nothing more. It took up most of the tiny room. She deeply bowed and disappeared.

Han scratched his head, "This is awkward."

"Of course, Leia should have the bed," Luke shrugged.

"That's not fair."

"Then who?"

The princess' brow knitted together, "Well, it looks big enough for all of us."

Luke and Han exchanged glances, and Han's nose wrinkled, "No offense, Luke, but I'm not too comfortable sharin' a bed with you."

"The feeling's mutual."

"You guys are being ridiculous," Leia shook her head. She threw her hands up, "I'll sleep between the two of you so you're not really sleeping 'together'." She emphasized "together" with a hand gesture.

Both Han and Luke remained silent, and Chewbacca couldn't help but chuckle. He grumbled and left the room.

"Where's he going?" Leia asked.

"To figure out our next move with our hosts," Han translated. "He already rested up while we were havin' all that fun."

"Then it's settled," Leia gingerly climbed onto the middle of the cushion and found it quite comfortable. She looked at Han and gave him a stern look, "You just be sure to keep your hands and all other body parts to yourself, Captain."

"Whadda bout Luke?"

"I don't think I have to worry about him much," she smiled at Luke who smirked at Han. "He has manners."

"Thank you, Leia."

Leia arched a brow in Han's direction, "Your welcome, Luke."

"You guys are making my stomach churn," Han grumbled as he climbed onto the cushion on Leia's right side, keeping an appropriate distance between them.

Luke climbed in on the other side, finding that there was plenty of room for all of them to stretch out and assume comfortable positions without disturbing anyone else. Luke grabbed the blanket and passed a corner to Han. Together they spread it over the entire cushion.

After a few mumbled good nights, the three almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.