A/N: I do not own the characters in this story.
A reference is made to the book, Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Sorry, I don't remember the author.
CHAPTER 3:
Han Solo's arms were still wrapped tightly around the princess, and both of them were staring at the place from which the motorcycle fell. His heart pounded hard and loud in his throat. He had almost lost her, and the fear of losing her pierced his gut in a way he never felt before. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't remember ever feeling so scared for someone else's life other than Chewbacca's. When did his attachment to this irritating, sharp-tongued girl begin? Sure, he was concerned for her safety on the Death Star. After all, he did risk his life to rescue her. But that was just a job, right? Not even the job he signed on for, he reminded himself. And he was paid well for saving her, but that fact didn't sit well in his stomach.
Still keeping her in his embrace, Han turned Leia around so he could get a better look at her. He held her face between his shaky hands, and peered into her face. She was paler than usual, and her large brown eyes were blank, indicating that she was just as shocked as he was over the almost fatal accident. He brushed her hair out of her face. Once he was certain she wasn't hurt, he pulled her tight against him and held her there. And she didn't pull away. Instead, her arms found their way around his body. Han's hand rested on the back of her head, and he was suddenly afraid to let her go. At that moment, he resolved to return every credit that he had received for rescuing her from the Death Star the second they got back to the base. That would make Chewbacca happy. Chewie never wanted to take the money in the first place. Han guessed that they could get the money to pay off Jabba through other means.
Leia slowly pulled herself out of his hold. She was on her hands and knees in front of Han. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, but a smile cracked her face, "I guess I don't have to worry about entering the motorcycle into the inventory report."
Appalled, Han was about to snap at her about her lighthearted attitude over the almost-accident. But then, this was Princess Leia Organa, fearless leader of the Rebel Alliance. She had been in more perilous situations than this. He decided not to reprimand her and to just be happy that she was sitting in front of him and attempting to make light of the situation. Han sighed, "I guess not."
Solo climbed to his feet and then helped the princess to hers. "As I was saying before you decided to drop the bike over the ledge," he smirked, "I think there's a short cut."
Leia followed Han over to the rock formation and peered into the large crevice Han had been examining when she was struggling with motorcycle, "How can you be so certain this is a shortcut?"
"We rode around the rocks," Han explained. "From my calculations, the base is directly straight through these rocks."
The princess' eyes roamed the complicated rock formation. The "rocks" in the rock formation looked more like boulders, smooth weathered boulders whose height rivaled the temples on Yavin IV. "I don't know," she slid her bottom lip under her teeth. "How can you be certain we'll be able to climb our way out of it? Those structures look awfully tall."
"That's because you're so short," Han quipped. "Besides, there looks like places we can walk between the rocks."
But Leia was more concerned with the climbing they'd have to do, "Shouldn't we go back the way we came from?"
"We could, but that sun is going to be overhead pretty soon." Han placed a hand on his hip and pulled at his chin, "The rocks will provide some shade." He looked at her, and Leia thought she saw concern in his eyes, "You're already getting sunburned."
"I don't know," Leia hesitated.
"Okay," Han shrugged. "You go back the way we came. I'm gonna take the shortcut," he threatened, but they both knew it was an empty threat.
Leia rolled her eyes, "Don't make me regret this decision." She followed him into the complex structure of the rock formation.
Han occasionally stopped and scrutinized their surroundings. He was right about the shade. The towering formations of the rocks formed overhangs that partially blocked out the sun's relentless assault on them. Han glanced back at Leia. She kept her brown eyes on their surroundings but not in the same way he was. Her lips were parted as her eyes roamed around, and it looked to Han as if she was in awe of the scenery. His brow knitted over her reaction to their situation. He figured she'd be fuming and determined to let him know how he ruined her day. He was thankful that she wasn't yelling at him, but he was taken off guard by the absence of her usual sulking-snobby-princess attitude.
Solo sighed. He definitely didn't understand her, but all of a sudden he wanted nothing more than to understand her. And this thought scared him. Maybe it was time Chewie and he got back to open space. He watched her as she scrambled over the smooth boulder he had just conquered. Although her short stature made it difficult for her to climb the large masses of stone that were easy for him, she didn't complain or ask for assistance from him. He was a little disappointed that she didn't want his help, but he admired her determination. Even though she held her own in this situation, she looked so small, and Han felt a strong desire to keep her safe. That desire told him that he and Chewbacca had stayed too long, but he wasn't sure he could leave at the moment.
The princess stopped and pulled herself up to her full stunted height. She glanced over at her companion as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the edge of her T-shirt. He had a very odd, un-Han Solo-like expression. Her brow furrowed, "What's wrong?"
"Huh?" Han shook his head, "Nothing." He tried to squelch the smile she incited. "Need a break?"
"No, why?" she asked suspiciously.
Han nodded, "Well, I do." He found a shady place under a rock. Although it was still hot in spot he picked, it was a nice respite from the sun.
Reluctantly, Leia joined him. She was tired and wanted to take a break, but she wasn't going to show Han any sign of weaknesses.
"I wish we brought some water with us," Han lamented.
Leia's eyes widened and resumed their normal shape, "I wish someone would have checked the fuel gauge before we left."
Han rolled his eyes, "Can we let that go, please?"
She stared at him for a few long seconds, "Fine."
"Thank you!"
They sat in silence. Han stole glances of the princess. She swiped at her forehead with her T-shirt again and then hugged her legs to her chest, stuffing her fingers under the toes of her boots. She looked tired but not angry. Maybe there was a slight chance that she was enjoying his company. Or, most likely she felt that she had no other choice than to tolerate his company since they were pretty much stuck with each other.
Then Leia lied back and closed her eyes, giving Han the chance to stare at her openly. He started with her face. The smudges and sweat marring her face made her appear younger than she normally carried herself. Her expression was relaxed, and there was an air of innocence about her. Leia stretched her arms out to the side, giving Han a chance to study her small hands. It took all his restraint not to reach out and take that small hand in his. Her skin looked soft and her long fingers were smooth with none of the calluses that spoil his own fingers. He wondered what her hands would feel like on his face. Han's eyes then roamed to her body. Her attire gave him a gander of her feminine curves that most of her usual clothing hid. The edge of her T-shirt had crept up, exposing the skin of her stomach. Han's head screamed, "Look away", but every nerve in his body couldn't stop him. He reached over, grabbed the edge of her T-shirt, and slowly pulled it back into place. The back of his hand rubbed against her skin, and an electric shock ran through him as he felt her skin react to his touch.
When he pulled away from her, she was looking at him. Han inhaled and waited for her to start yelling at him. But all she did was look at him with uncertainty and an edge of fear. What was she afraid of? Han shrugged, "Didn't want you to get sunburned on your stomach."
For a few seconds she said nothing. Then she pulled herself into a seated position, "Thank you."
"Uh," his brow knitted together. "You're welcome."
"We should probably get moving." Leia stood up. "I don't want anyone to notice we're missing."
"Yeah," Han muttered as he stood. "Wouldn't want that," he was certain she meant that she didn't want anyone to notice she was missing with him, and that hurt him.
The princess watched Han as he regained his footing and notice the shadow of pain cross his face. She thought maybe he injured himself during their hike, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
Leia tilted her, her large dark eyes stayed pinned on him although he refused to look at her. She didn't understand why his mood changed. Maybe he wasn't so certain about this shortcut and was worried he had gotten them lost. She took a cleansing breath and released it. She didn't feel like they were lost. Leia caught up with him and grabbed his hand in the same way she held Luke's. Han looked down at her hand, and for a moment she was certain he'd pull away. Instead, his fingers closed around hers even though he still refused to look at her.
The princess allowed Han to assist her with the more difficult climbing maneuvers. The narrow walkway created by the separations between the large boulders ended abruptly, forcing the pair to pay more attention to their footing as they crawled and pulled their way up boulders only slightly smaller than snow speeders. Han insisted that Leia climb ahead of him, telling her that her small, light stature would allow her to move faster than he could. In reality, he wanted to make sure that he was behind her if she fell. He wasn't certain he could catch her and keep his hold on the smooth rock, but if she did fall, his body might soften her landing. Again, he was perplexed over his self-sacrificing attitude. When did he decide her life was more important than his? He knew her involvement in the rebellion wasn't the reason. He could care less about their hopeless cause, but he couldn't truthfully say he didn't care about her. She was a friend, right? Han watched Leia pull herself up a jagged stone. Did she consider him a friend? Han frowned as he pulled himself up on the perch next to Leia. They fought too much to be friends.
"Wow," Leia whispered as she caught her breath.
Han's eyes fell upon the sight that enthralled Leia. Below them was a small lake with the clearest water he had ever seen. Through the reflection of the sky, he could see the smooth pebbles underneath the water. Although most of the tiny lake was exposed to the sun, a piece of it was shaded by the shadows of one of the rock formations. Small growths with green waxy leaves surrounded the water. The strange purple blooms exhumed a pungent earthy smell. It was the most inviting sight that Han could ever remember seeing.
He smiled at the princess, "Well, Your Worship? What are we waiting for?"
Han started climbing down as fast as he could, ignorant of the princess' apprehension. She took the descent at a slower pace. By the time her feet touched the ground Han had his shirt off, and he was seated in the dirt pulling off his boots.
Leia watched Han as he hastily undressed. It was the first time she could recall seeing his bare chest. The perspiration on his skin caught the light in a way that mesmerized her. The fit muscles of his back moved like a well-oiled engine as he struggled to pull off his left boot. He stood, unbuckled his blaster holster, and dropped it carelessly on the dusty ground. He began to unzip his pants when he noticed the princess staring at him wide-eyed and flushed.
Han flashed her a lop-sided grin, "Like what you see?"
The princess quickly turned away from him, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm going swimming." Han laughed, "What are you waiting for?"
"Han, we don't know if the water's safe. There could be predators in there," she refused to turn around.
"What are you talking about? You saw it. It's the clearest water I've ever seen. There's nothing hidin' in it," Han snorted. "Come on."
"I don't think so," the princess turned to face Han. "Oh!" she dropped her eyes at the sight of Han in his boxers. "Would you please put your clothes back on?"
"Can't swim with all those clothes holding me down," Han waded into the water. "Better strip down yourself. Can't swim with those boots on."
"I don't think so, Captain," the princess crossed her arms over her chest.
"Aren't you hot? It feels good. Nice and cool," Han said. Leia quickly shook her head. "Well, you could use some cleaning up."
"And what do you mean by that?" she looked up at him but found it hard to focus on his face.
"Your face is smudged with dirt," he laughed as her hand flew to her face.
Leia carefully walked over to the edge of the water and peered at her reflection. She grimaced at the sight. She cupped water between her hands and splashed it on her face. It felt refreshing.
"At least take your boots off, get your feet wet," Han suggested.
Leia eyed Han for a moment. He was standing in water up to his chest. She bit her lip. The water did look cool. The princess sat down in the dirt and pulled off her boots and socks. She rolled her pants up and took several uncertain steps into the cool water. Han was right; it did feel good.
"Come out deeper," Han encouraged her.
"I…I can't."
"Whaddya mean you can't?" Han started wading toward her. "Take your pants off."
Leia's fists flew to her hips, "I don't think so, Captain."
Han rolled his eyes, "Why do you have to be so uppity?" Han waded out of the water and sauntered over to his blaster rig, pulling out a knife. He walked over to Leia.
"What do you think you're doing?" Leia took a step back away from him.
Han caught a piece of her cargo pants between his fingers, "Hold still."
"Han! Let go," she protested, her anger rising. "What are you doing?"
Solo took his knife and cut away at the material of her pants near her mid-thigh. He continued the job until she was left with one exposed leg.
"How dare you!" she yelled. "You've ruined a good pair of pants!"
"Just hold still, Leia," Han started redesigning the other pant leg. "I promise I won't hurt you." Once he was finished, he stood up and admired his work. "Now you're ready to swim."
"What if I don't want to," she glared at him.
Han gazed at her. In his eyes, she looked….scared. "It's hot. Of course you want to swim."
"Don't tell me what I want!" Leia yelled, taking a step away from him. "You know nothing about what I want!"
Han was taken aback by her outburst. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He placed his hands on his hips, glanced back at the water and then at the perplexing girl. Her chest rose and fall as she recovered from her outburst, but the skittish look in her eyes remained. Han wanted to lay into her with the same gusto she yelled at him, but the look in her eyes…. "Sometimes…I think I do," he quietly said without a hint of sarcasm.
The princess took another step back, her large eyes tearing up, "What do you know about me?"
Han sighed and took one step toward her. He was careful to keep his voice non-threatening, "I know…I know that you are brave, committed, selfless…maybe a little too selfless." She rolled her eyes, but Han continued, "You're caring, though you don't seem to care much about me. And you work yourself to death because you don't want to face your own demons."
"That—"
"And," Han cut her off, "You jump through hoops for the High Command, take on such tedious jobs as inventory, and play the dutiful princess in an attempt to lessen your guilt about Alderaan."
Leia gasped and a silent tear escaped against her will.
"Alderaan wasn't your fault, Leia," Han whispered.
Leia stared into Han's concerned eyes, feeling completely overwhelmed by him, by his intuitive mind, by Alderaan. She took a few more steps away from him before she completely turned away. Han felt like going to her; he didn't mean to make her cry. He just wanted her to know…know what? Know that maybe he understood her just a little? That he saw through her uppity, regal attitude? Han watched her for a moment as he wrestled with his guilt. He wished they were friends enough so he could comfort her, but he didn't think she'd be very receptive to the guy who just pointed out all the things she would rather not deal with. Leia's hands grabbed the top of her head and her chest heaved with the silent tears she could no longer hold back. Han stood there feeling helpless, but then he turned back to the lake. He splashed his way into the cool water, diving under and wading around until he settled for floating on his back.
Leia pressed her hands on top of her head as hard as she could in an attempt to control her emotions. At the moment, it seemed impossible. Her anger raged. How dare he presume he knew anything about her! What gave him the right to analyze her? She sniffed and expelled a long sigh, but her tears still flowed. How could he, of all people, know anything about her? She reigned in her tears using slow, steady breaths. She blinked a few times to clear her vision. Was she that transparent? Or did he pay that much attention to her? At that moment, Leia wanted nothing more than to get away from him, go to somewhere where he couldn't follow. He hit too close to the mark, and that scared her.
But there was nowhere to hide. Leia wiped her tears and prepared herself to face Han. She was certain he was feeling smug, getting her to break down like that. She lifted her chin. She resolved to face him with as much dignity she could muster. She wasn't going to let him win. Slowly she turned around. Her eyes narrowed on her target, and she waited for him to strike. But she didn't find the cocky, stuck-up scoundrel she expected to find. Han was floating on his back with his eyes closed. She sniffed and took one last swipe at her face with her T-shirt.
The princess took slow, cautious steps toward the water. She looked at Han again. He seemed to be enjoying himself, oblivious of her presence. She was relieved and waded into the water until it reached her knees. Leia bent over and splashed water on her arms and the parts of her legs that weren't in the water.
"It feels much better if you get all the way in."
Leia glanced up. Han was still floating on his back, and his eyes were closed. She watched him for a few more seconds and then returned to splashing water on herself.
"You're practically in the water," Han called. "You might as well get in."
The princess stood up, "I'm fine where I am, thank you."
"Aw, come on!" Han swam towards her. "You know it's not safe to swim alone."
"What?" Leia asked, "You're not alone. I'm right here."
"Yeah, that's my point."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
Han's face fell into his comfortable lop-sided grin, "You're way over there, and I'm here… swimming by myself. That's not very safe for me."
Leia crossed her arms over her chest, "Then I suggest you get out."
"Or," Han looked around conspicuously, "maybe you could join me. Make sure I don't drown."
The princess shook her head, "I can't be your lifeguard, so I suggest you get out."
Han gave her a hurt look, "What? You'd let me drown?"
Leia looked away, "It's not that. I don't want you to drown—"
"But you wouldn't save me," Han said. Did she really hate him that much?
"I couldn't…" Leia's eyes fell upon him.
"Why not?"
She pinched her bottom lip between her teeth and hesitated. She stood there, sizing him up, "I…I never learned how to swim."
"What?" Han waded over to her. He couldn't believe it, "How could you grow up near all those lakes and rivers and never learn to swim? Didn't you have tutors? Nannies?
Leia crossed one foot over the other, "I did. I had tutors for political science, literature, fine arts, arithmetic, languages, and even self-defense."
"But no one ever taught you to swim?" Han asked incredulously.
Leia's eyes went far away, "I guess they didn't think it was important." She looked back at him with a forced smile, "I really didn't have time anyway, with all the classes…"
Han was dumbfounded. Maybe growing up with all the privileges Leia did wasn't as wonderful as he imagined it. Perhaps that was why she always acted so prim and proper. She didn't know how to be a kid. He warmly smiled and held a hand out for her, "Well, it's about time you learn how to swim."
"I don't think so," she shook her head.
"Why not?" Han took a step towards her, "I'm a great teacher."
Leia raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure you are."
Han held his hands up, "Really. I'm just offering you a swim lesson. No funny business, okay?"
She mulled over his offer for a few seconds, "Just swimming. No funny business?"
Solo placed one hand on his heart and held the other up, "You have my word."
"The word of a smuggler," Leia smirked but waded towards him.
Han managed to look as innocent as humanly possible, "I'm an honest smuggler."
Leia snorted, "An honest smuggler?"
Han took her hand, "There are a few of us out there, you know. Not many, but we do exist."
Leia laughed and allowed him to lead her further into the water until it reached her waist. She resisted his gentle pull, "Han…"
Han stopped and took her other hand, "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." Ever.
When they reached a point where the water was up to the princess' chest, Han stopped. "Okay," he instructed. "Let your legs float behind you."
Leia followed his directions but was overcome with panic. She grabbed on to his forearms and pulled herself as close as she could to him. Han laughed, "Don't worry. I got you." The girl relaxed and let her feet float behind her. "Now kick your feet. Make big splashes." A bolt of excitement zipped through his body as Leia did as she was told. Han moved to stand next to her, supporting her weight by placing his arms underneath her body, "Now pull the water with your arms."
Leia was doubtful that his teaching methods were working, but she humored him because he seemed to be enjoying teaching her, and not in a leering-Han-Solo kind of way. Han held her up, moving with her as she pulled herself through the water. Then he let go. At first, she floundered around as panic began to set in. But she wasn't going to give up. She swallowed down her fear and pulled herself through the water with ungraceful strokes and sloppy kicking.
Han jumped up and laughed, "You did it!" He pulled her out of the water and spun her around. She laughed, too. He pulled her close, ready to plant a sloppy kiss on her. But then he remembered who she was and his promise of no funny business. He didn't want her to take his excitement the wrong way. He put her down, "Good work. Now you can swim."
The princess' smile melted away as Han paddled away from her and resumed floating on his back. His eyes were closed and he looked content. Leia sighed. She was enjoying his company, the attention he had just lavished on her. She didn't understand his abrupt change in attitude and reluctantly admitted to herself that it bothered her. She tried to push it from her mind as she practiced her new skill. Paddle, paddle, paddle, rest. Paddle, paddle, kick, rest. But swimming was tiring, more so for someone who hadn't quite mastered it. Leia stopped practicing and returned her attention back to Han.
"Would you teach me that?" Leia called out as fast as she could before she lost her nerve.
Han dropped his feet and treaded water, "What?"
"Can you teach me what you're doing?" she asked a little quieter.
His smile was radiant, "Sure, Leia." He swam over to her and positioned himself behind her. "Okay, lean back. I've got ya'." He placed one hand under her shoulders and the other under her head. "Now push your stomach out. Arch your back a little. And keep your feet up."
Leia followed his directions the best she could. When Han felt that she was mastering the skill he'd remove his hands but let his hands hover under her just in case she sunk, "Now close your eyes."
The girl hesitated, but then she decided she trusted him enough to close her eyes. Her body gently bobbed with the movement of the water. The sun was warm on her face, and her body was cool. She felt weightless, free of the constant pull of gravity. She felt detached from the world, from everything that weighed her down. No wonder Han was spending most of his swimming time floating on his back. She smiled as she tried to decide which she liked better: riding a motorcycle or floating on her back.
All of a sudden, Leia became aware of Han's absence. She plunged her feet down and tried to reach the bottom of the lake but couldn't find it. Her arms flailed despite her effort to keep calm.
"I'm right here, Your Worship," Han grabbed her around her waist and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and fought to catch her breath. "You okay?"
Leia nodded and then looked into his hazel eyes, "You were wrong about one thing."
"Huh?"
"When you said all those things you know about me," she bit her lip. "I do care about you."
Han's eyebrows rose in surprise. He couldn't believe she just admitted that she cared about him. He smiled at her, "Well, I'm glad." Although he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, he decided it was best not to push anything. He turned her around, "Want to practice floating on your back some more?"
Leia nodded, and Han, feeling pretty good inside, spent the rest of their swimming break holding her up.