CHAPTER 19:

Han felt Leia's chest slowly rise as she took in the sight before her, "I…I can't believe it."

Han released his hold on the girl and allowed her to examine his surprise closer. The princess' upper teeth grazed her bottom lip as she approached the large basin big enough for two average-size male humans brimming with a lush blanket of bubbles. She held her hand over the foam and smiled as the soapy suds stuck to her palm. The steam rising off the water clung to her face. Leia's other hand reached up and touched the crystal mobile that hung over the sudsy water, the prisms refracting the light from the dim lanterns lining the partition walls. Her gentle touch sent the light dancing around the makeshift room, and her eyes widened in awe.

Leia turned her attention to the man leaning against the partition with his arms crossed over his chest and his left leg crossed over his right. She tilted her head, "It's beautiful. What…"

"I thought you might like to take a bubble bath," Han raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. "A real relaxing, bubble bath. Not like that one with the Doni."

The princess's nose wrinkled at that memory. She looked back down at the inviting bubbles and then back at Han, "Captain Solo," she pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin, "If you think just because you have liquored me up—"

"Liquored you up?" Han's smile faded.

"Yes," her hands flew to her hips. "Liquored me up! And just because I said I was enjoying your company does not mean I am going to climb into either your bathtub or your bed with you!"

"What!" Han's brow knitted together, "Where'd you…." He rolled his eyes, "Now who has the inflated ego!"

"Obviously you!" she leaned forward.

"Look!" Han angrily snapped, "I was just trying to be nice! I thought you might like a nice hot relaxing bath after all you went through!" He pulled himself to his full height. What was he thinking? He had to be crazy. Why was he jumping over hoops to please her? Han walked over to the bathtub and began to pull off of his shirt, "Well, if you excuse me, I'm not going to let this water go to waste!"

"Why are you being nice to me?" Leia tugged his shirt back into its place.

Han sighed in exasperation. "I don't know!" he yelled at her, and she flinched. Han turned away from her, "I just thought…aw, I don't know! Why can't you just accept I'm being nice to you?"

Leia was rendered speechless. Was this the same Han Solo who did anything and everything possible to upset her? Perhaps so, but it was also the same Han Solo who had rescued her, sort of, and cared for her over the pass couple of days. She tugged on the edge of his vest until he faced her. Han's hands clutched his belt and he refused to look at her. She jerked on his vest until his eyes fell on hers. And there was that look again…Leia ran her hands up the edge of his vest as she blinked back the jumble of emotions he invoked in her. Fear, loss, regret, delight, esteem, elation, fear… The girl's hands let go of Han's vest, and they slowly slid under it around his chest. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his body and tightened her hold on him.

Han was taken aback. He definitely wasn't expecting that. He held his hands out to the side for a moment, and then when he could no longer resist, he wrapped his around her small frame. Han's chest rose and fell as his anger and frustration melted away. And then there it was again, that unexplainable desire, the desire to keep her safe. One of his hands rubbed large ovals on her back while the other cradled her head. Han sighed. He wanted to protect her, he wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh, and he wanted to do nice things for her. And nothing scared him more.

Han placed a kiss on top of Leia's head and pulled back, "The water's getting cold."

Was that disappointment in the girl's eyes? Leia looked down at the inviting water, "I suppose you're right."

Hands in his back pockets, Han began backing toward the door, "I'll…uh…be out here. I can launder your dress while you bathe if you want."

Leia nodded and looked down at the ground.

Han raised a hand out, "You can leave it by the door. There's Chewie-size towels right there." Leia followed his finger with her eyes and took note of a pile of towels folded in the corner of the room.

And then Han moved to leave, and Leia's heart began to pound against her rib cage. Whether if was fear of nightmares or how small and alone she felt when Luke snapped at her or just everything she had gone through in the short month that passed, she just didn't want to be alone.

"Han?"

"Don't worry," he smiled. "I'll be just outside so no one disturbs you."

But that wasn't comforting enough for Leia, "Don't go…"

Han's eyebrows rose and his mouth pulled up to the right, "You want me to stay?"

"I…" she looked down at the bubbling water. "There looks like there's room enough in here for two."

Han's eyebrows rose, but then he hid his surprise with a quirky smile as he pulled on his chin, "Yep, definitely room for two in there." Then he leered at her, "Whaddya have in mind?"

Leia sighed, "Not what you have on your mind." She shook her head and then put a foot into the water.

"Whaddya doing?" Han moved to her.

"I'm taking a bath," she smiled at him and jumped into the sudsy tub completely dressed.

"I think you've had too much to drink," Han laughed.

"I don't think I've had enough," she countered obstinately.

"Oh, you definitely have had enough," Han placed his hands on the edge of the large basin and leaned over her.

"Who are you? My father?" she narrowed his eyes on him.

"Nah, I'm definitely not your father," he looked her deep in the eyes.

Mesmerized by those hazel eyes, Leia had to force herself to look away. A sweet smile played upon the girl's lips, and she tilted her head to the side, "You know? You are a rather good looking man."

"I knew you'd come to your senses."

Leia nodded, "Yes, good looking enough. But you could use a few improvements."

"What?" Han was indignant.

"Yes," Leia pulled herself up on her knees. "I think I can help you out."

Now Han was completely confused, "Help me out?"

Leia nodded, "Come closer." Han leaned closer to her, "Closer!" And he did as he was told.

Leia played at examining his features, scooped up more than a handful of suds, and plopped them on top of Han's head. Her serious expression mocked his shock, "Mmm…that's much better."

"It is, is it?" Han blinked away the bubbles blurring his vision. "Well," he drawled, "you could use a little improving yourself?"

"What did you have in mind?" Leia coyly smiled up at him.

Han plunged his hands into the water, collecting a more abundant load of suds than Leia did, but just as he was going to extract them from the tub, Leia grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into the tub with her. Han fell in head first. He rolled over, and only his legs were dry as they hung outside of the tub. But Leia was quick, and she ripped off his boots before she shoved him the rest of the way into the water.

Then the princess fell into a fit of laughter as Han worked at clearing the soapy water from his face, "You find this funny?"

This caused Leia to laugh even harder. She nodded, held her stomach, and calmed herself down, "Yes, as a matter of fact I do." And then she laughed even harder than before.

The girl's amusement was contagious, and Han found himself laughing along with her. As he recovered some control of himself, he rested his arms on the lip of the basin, "You know what's really funny?"

"What?" Leia asked in between giggles.

"This!" Han grabbed her tiny feet and pulled her under the water.

Leia re-emerged, mouth opening and closing like a fish as she tried to push her hair out of her eyes, "I can't believe you just did that!"

"No?" Han smiled wickedly, "Then maybe you'll believe this!" And he dunked her again.

Leia pulled herself up, water sputtering from her mouth. She pushed her hair from her face. "How dare you!"

"How dare I?" Han raised an eyebrow. "Like this."

He reached under the water for Leia's feet once again, but this time she's ready. She pounced on him, knocking Han back against the edge of the tub. He caught her hands and began struggling with her. But she was stronger than he anticipated, and she managed to dunk him under the bubbles.

Han emerged to find her leaning back against the other side of the tub and loudly laughing, "Oh, you're going to get it."

Leia squealed as Han, wearing a mischievous smile, approached her with wiggling fingers. She slipped under his hands, but Han's attack was relentless. She screeched and yelped in between giggles as Han continued his assault.

"What are you guys doing?"

Han and Leia froze and looked up at the intruder. Leia released her hold on Han as Han released his hold on her.

"Luke?" Han and Leia moved to either side of the tub.

"I thought…" Luke shook his head and then looked at Leia. "I heard you screaming. I thought you were hurt."

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine," Leia's chin rose. Behind her Han made gestures to indicate otherwise. Sensing movement, Leia snapped up Han's hand without looking back. "Will you knock that off?" she glanced back at him over her shoulder.

"Yes, Your Worshipfulness."

"Oh!" Leia whipped around and landed square on Han's chest, plunging him under the sudsy water once again. Han wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down with him, and the pair rolled around as they tried to best the other.

"Will you two knock it off!" Luke yelled as he held his hands up against the splashes. Han and Leia disengaged from each other and turned their guilty faces up to Luke. He sighed, "What has gotten into you?"

"Alderaanian oplume wine," Leia stated with a straight face. Han burst out laughing, and Leia was quick to join in. They looked at each other and laughed even harder.

"I can't believe you guys!" Luke reprimanded, "It's a wonder you haven't woken up the whole ship."

"Hey, it's my ship, and I can wake up whoever I want!" Han reasoned, and the guilty pair fell into another fit of hysteria.

But their amusement was loss on their young friend, "Hey!"

Both Leia and Han stopped laughing and looked up at a very cross Luke. The silence between them was broken by a hiccup emitted from Leia.

"Now see whatcha did?" Han's brow furrowed as he chastised Luke, "You scared hiccups into her!"

Leia hiccupped again and the two resumed their snickering and giggling.

"Are you drunk?" Luke sternly asked Leia, but her eyes were closed and she didn't respond. He turned to Han, "Did you get her drunk?"

"Of course not!"

"You did," Leia said between giggles and hiccups, "You liquored me up!"

"No," Han grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes, "You got that wrong. You liquored me up."

The princess blinked a couple of times, trying to recall exactly who started this. She bit her lip, "I did (hiccup)?"

"That's right," Han nodded and then looked at Luke, "She's a bad, bad influence on me."

"You're both a bad influence on each other," Luke scoffed. Then he reached his hand out, "Come on. You need to go to bed."

Leia crossed her arms and hiccupped, sending Han into hysterics again. "I," she looked at Han, "don't have (hiccup) a place to sleep (hiccup)." She bopped Han up the side of his head.

"Hey, Your Worship!"

"Well," Luke moved closer to the basin with his hand still extended to the girl. "Maybe we should find you a place."

"I've got that covered," Han rose and grabbed Leia underneath her arms. He lifted her out of the tub and climbed out himself.

"I told you (hiccup)," she jabbed him with a finger. "I am not going to (hiccup) share your bed."

"Like you wouldn't share my bath?" Han leered at her.

Luke held his breath, waiting for the fireworks to explode. Instead, Leia burst out laughing, igniting Han's merriment once again. Luke's patience waned. He stomped over to the pile of towels and picked two up. He then shoved one into Han's hands and then opened up the other and started to wrap Leia in it.

"I can take care of myself (hiccup)!" she snapped as she ripped the towel from Luke's hands. Unfortunately, the force of her actions combined with her inebriation knocked her off of her feet and flat on the floor.

"That's obvious!" Luke rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Kid," Han stumbled a bit as he moved to help the princess to her feet, "lay off her, will ya'?"

Leia shook off Han's help, "Why (hiccup) are you so angry with me, (hiccup) Luke?"

Han managed to pull Leia to her feet when she wasn't paying attention, "He's just mad cos you stole his light saber."

Luke's mouth dropped open and then clamped shut, "I am not!"

Hiccup!

Han held Leia up with one arm and waggled a finger at the aspiring Jedi, "Me thinks thou protests too much!" He and Leia burst out laughing again.

Luke turned on his heel with all intentions of evacuating the makeshift room but at the last moment changed his mind, "I was worried about her!" He yelled, sobering his friends. "I felt…" His angry blue eyes pierced Han's, "Something bad could've happened to her."

"I (hiccup) can take care of (hiccup) myself!"

Han pulled Leia out of the way and leaned in toward Luke. His voice was low and menacing, "I know! I saw some bad things happen to her!"

Han and Luke stared each other down as Leia wiggled her way out of Han's grasp. She bent down, retrieved the large towel, and wrapped it around her. Then the princess stood in between her two friends, "You two are unbelievable! (hiccup hiccup) I'm the one who got us out of the detention block on the Death Star (hiccup) because you two bumbling idiots didn't think of a way out! Hiccup! I don't need either of you interfering in my life!"

Han and Luke looked down at the sodden girl. Han's hands went to his hips and his eyes narrowed on his target, "You don't, do you?"

"No! Hiccup!"

"No?"

Luke put a hand on his angry friend, "Han…"

"If I recall right," Han thrust a finger at Leia's chest, "this whole get together was in honor of you!"

"No one (hiccup)—"

A loud roar interrupted the heated dispute in which the three friends were engrossed, and Luke's, Han's, and Leia's eyes widened to the size of Deanian saucers as a very angry Wookie charged into the room.