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Things are about to get interesting...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was never overt. The fact that Leia noticed when it was not even obvious irked her and left her feeling out of countenance.

Her eyes slid aside for perhaps the hundredth time before she wrenched her gaze back to the task at hand. Out of her sightline now, Han stood beneath the belly of his ship, working on some piece of equipment he had removed from the underbelly. Ensign Flaster stood, leaning back against the landing strut, making casual conversation with him.

They never got too close, never actually touched. But it was in their prolonged glances, their flirtatious smiles.

They were sleeping together.

Every time Leia thought about it, her insides became ablaze with a frenzied, irrational resentment. Her jaw stiffened and her muscles grew taut just knowing they were nearby.

She couldn't deny that these were feelings of jealousy. But she would never admit it to anyone else.

With a heated sigh through her nose, she focused all her attention on the screen before her. It had become her responsibility to assign a pilot for each upcoming mission. She examined the grid and began to fill in the assignments. When she reached the slot for her mission to Bisari, she hesitated, contemplating.

At that moment, her ears were assaulted with a shrieking laughter and her eyes instantly flew to the source.

Flaster was now standing next to Han, laughing heartily at some joke he had just told. He was chuckling in return and both their eyes were brimming brightly.

Leia couldn't hide the scowl that soured her visage. Her lips compressed tightly and she thrust her eyes back to the screen. Resolute

now, she inputted Han's name for the mission to Bisari. Afterwards, she stood staring at the screen, angry at both him and herself.

She had thought that over time this attraction would dampen. But it had done quite the opposite. Instead of dissipating, it had grown and flourished, as if it were a living thing, nourished and thriving. At moments, it felt uncontainable to Leia, as if it might pour from her body in a gushing frenzy for all to see.

Ensign Flaster only fueled that fire, reminding her of how difficult Han was to ignore. She had tried to avoid him. Often, he sought her out, sending her emotions into a turmoil. Other times, she would break down and finally succumb to her desire to be near him, while simultaneously ensuring that they were never alone together.

Fortunately, Chewbacca was almost always around, and Luke was often present as well. She had grown quite close to Luke and he seemed to have abandoned his former infatuation with her. She now considered him her closest friend. She had grown rather fond of the Wookiee as well. He was oddly protective of her, often taking her side over Han's, which surprised her.

It seemed as if they had formed some sort of small, surrogate family unit. Of course, Han was the wild card who refused to acknowledge that he might be a part of anything. He accepted them grudgingly, always reminding them that he was not here to stay.

Regardless of how things fell with Han, the small group was an oasis of sorts for Leia. She was otherwise lost, adrift in a constellation in which she did not belong. Those in High Command accepted her as one of their own, but she did not feel as if she truly belonged. She couldn't quite pinpoint why. Perhaps it was because she was the only one without a military background and always felt the need to prove herself, to show them that she was more than simply a princess, a figurehead.

To the troops, she was a member of High Command, as well as royalty. They would never be at ease with her.

But, to Luke, Han, and Chewie, she was simply a friend. She came as close to simply being herself as possible. And, at a time when she had lost her entire life, their friendship was everything.

Even if Han did complicate things.

"Whatsammatter, Your Highnessness? Trouble with the peasants?"

Han's voice from behind startled her and she jumped a tiny bit then turned to glare at him. Why did he always have to start things off on an unpleasant note?

"Nothing is wrong," she replied tightly. Her heart rate sped up and not just because he had snuck up on her.

He grinned lazily. "I dunno. You look pretty tense to me. Something must be on your mind."

Leia forced her expression to remain aloof and unaffected.

Something dawned in his eyes. "Maybe it's me that's on your mind."

She aimed one eyebrow at him. "If it were you on my mind, surely I would be cursing." She added a saccharine smile.

He chuckled then lowered his voice seductively. "Or maybe you'd be moaning with excitement."

Leia felt her face burning instantly. Her eyes wanted to turn away but she forced herself to remain locked on his gaze, unwilling to admit defeat. "The thought of you does not get me excited. Merely annoyed."

He snickered and she was thankful when he turned his eyes to the screen in front of her. "You doin' the pilot roster these days?"

"Yes," she replied stoically, trying to regain her composure.

"What ya got for me, Your Worship?" He leaned closer to examine the data.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief now that there was some distance between them.

"Bisari?" Han sounded surprised. "With you?" He looked up at her, forehead crinkling.

She swallowed the discomfort shooting through her and maintained a dispassionate air. "Is that how it worked out? I don't remember."

He turned towards her, hands on hips, grin spread widely. "I think you did it on purpose." His chin rose in challenge.

She pursed her lips. "You're delusional."

"Oh, I'm totally in touch with reality. Looking forward to the mission, Sweetheart." He winked and swaggered back towards his ship.

Something dipped nervously in her stomach as she watched him go. For once, she was too unnerved to admire his departure.

Why did he flirt with her like that when he was involved with someone else?

Because he's just teasing me. He's not at all serious.

Leia turned back to her console, feigning acute interest. Did she even want him to be serious? She shrugged mentally, too afraid to examine the question closely.

Anything that might happen between them would be a mistake. Even if she were to become involved with him, she would be just another tumble to him. The idea just seemed wrong to her.

However, that did not stop her from thinking about it.

OOOOOOOOO

Han peered out the viewport, watching Gretza depart the hangar. The young Ensign was cute, smart, and had a pretty good sense of humor. He enjoyed her company. And she was a great distraction to keep his mind off Princess Leia.

Sitting in the cockpit of his ship, he awaited the arrival of Her Royalness with mixed feelings. As always, he was pleased to have a reason to spend some time with her. But, at the same time, he was always left feeling frustrated around her, both sexually and mentally.

Gretza was a great way to take care of the sexual aspect of his vexation. But sometimes, while in bed with her, the Princess would flash through his mind and he would feel a sharp longing to have her in his bed instead. Once in a while he felt a glimmer of guilt for using Gretza as such a diversion. Then again, it was just sex and that had always been his main goal with women.

It angered him that he couldn't get Her Holiness out of his head and he was aware that it often caused him to be unduly hostile towards her. She responded in kind and it left them at each other's throats more often than not. Intermittently, they shared brief moments of accord.

As far as the mission to Bisari went, there would be no distractions. And once they left the ship, it would be just the two of them. He was both looking forward to it and dreading it.

Light footsteps sounded from the access corridor and Han knew instantly who they belonged to. He spun his chair around to greet his passenger.

"How timely of you," he drawled when she appeared in the doorway.

Princess Leia's eyes narrowed slightly and her jaw set, instantly on the defensive. "I hope this bucket is actually up and running today."

"Don't you worry," he sneered, irritated at the slur aimed at his precious ship. "She's good to go. Still the best ship around."

"Only when it's around a garbage pit."

They hadn't even taken off yet and he was already growing furious with her. He stood and approached her, eyes steely. "Just remember. You assigned this ship to yourself." He folded his arms across his chest.

Her cheeks seemed to color slightly, but he wasn't quite certain.

"That just happened to be the way it worked out," she replied hotly.

"Well, do me a favor." His lip curled. "Next time, work it out a different way."

"Trust me, I will!" She spun and stomped from the cockpit.

His eyes trailed her, various unpleasant feelings roiling through him. He was able to identify just a few: anger, frustration, and lust. The rest were far too confusing to sort out. He simply didn't understand the ways this woman affected him. He only knew it was like no other.

Dropping into his seat, he growled to himself. Yeah, this was starting out just great.

OOOOOOOOOO

They had been travelling on foot for some time and Han was tired but refused to admit any weakness to Her Lord and Majesty. With a pack strung across his shoulders, he mustered the energy to continue. The Princess carried her own pack, just as heavy as his, and did so without complaint. For that matter, he didn't think he had ever heard her complain about anything. Well, except for him.

The journey to Bisari had been fairly quick and Han let the Falcon down in a deserted area. They now had quite a trek to the valley for their reconnaissance mission. It was fortunate that the woods through which they roamed were sparse enough to allow them to proceed with ease.

Since the altercation in the cockpit, they had spoken minimally and Han didn't currently have the energy to trade barbs. Overall, he was feeling ornery.

Abruptly, she stopped walking and he was two meters past her before he realized it and turned back.

"What?" he asked, a bit more harshly than intended.

"I would like you to walk ahead of me for a bit." There was something almost shy in her expression, which confused and surprised Han.

"Huh? Why?" He was irritated and genuinely perplexed.

There was an almost diffident air about her as she stiffened her shoulders. "Can you simply do as I ask?"

He traversed the first meter to glare at her more closely. "Now you're too good to even walk with me, Your Holiness? The local wildlife don't care about your royal status, I guarantee ya."

She took a deep sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," she snapped. Her eyes fell to the ground and her cheeks colored slightly. When her gaze met his she seemed resigned. "I need to…" she sighed again. "Relieve myself."

For an extended moment, he just blinked at her. When her meaning hit, he chuckled, long and loud.

The Princess' expression grew more pinched but her gaze was unflinching.

"Why didn't you just say you gotta pee?" His laughter finally trickled off but a huge grin remained.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Would you please just walk ahead? I will catch up with you shortly."

"Hey, I'm not gonna take off without you and leave you to the elements. Go right ahead and do what you gotta do. I'll be right here."

"I am not going to…'do what I gotta do' with you watching me."

Han laughed again. "Don't worry, Sweetheart, I'm not gonna watch. I'll turn my back."

"And I'm supposed to trust you to remain turned around?" She planted her hands at her hips, drawing her camouflage poncho closer around her so that she no longer appeared so amorphous.

"Don't worry, Your Worship, I don't get off on watching women pee," he huffed with disdain.

They stared each other down, now both indignant, unwilling to back off. The silence drew out and finally Han spoke.

"Look, either do your business and I'll turn my back, or let's get moving and you can keep your full bladder."

He watched her internal conflict as it played out in her eyes. Finally, her arms dropped to her sides.

"All right. Fine. But, if you turn around, I'll be bringing you back to the fleet in a body bag."

He let out a low laugh again and watched as she made her way towards a large tree. She turned back when she was beside it.

"Turn around!"

With one last titter, he did an about face and stood patiently with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Were women always so ridiculous about these things?

Then again, most women wouldn't be traipsing about the woods like this. He certainly couldn't imagine that there was another princess in this galaxy who might.

It was tempting to tease her about turning around, just to rile her further, but Han didn't feel up to enduring her wrath for the rest of the day.

She had been quiet for just a bit too long. "You okay, Your Worship?"

"I'm fine!" she called from somewhere behind him.

He rocked impatiently back and forth on his heels until he heard movement approaching him through the brush. "Ya decent?"

"Yes."

Her voice came from close behind him and he turned to find her looking a bit less tense.

"Everything come out okay, Princess?" He sent a simper her way.

The tension returned, but only for a moment. She ignored him, removed her canteen from beneath her poncho, and took a long swig. Han figured she must have had to pee for quite some time, resisting the urge to drink. He was surprised when she offered the canteen to him. He had his own, but her well-bred manners probably insisted that she do the polite thing. He took a quick sip, nodding acceptance and finding that the implied intimacy of sharing a canteen warmed him a bit. Damn her.

"C'mon." He gestured for them to continue and they regained their footing through the tall, twisty trees that contained giant flowers that bloomed in all colors, signifying this planet's spring season. Han's eyes followed up the spiral of tree trunks, finding the view somewhat breathtaking.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked softly, stopping to gaze at the vision spiraling above them.

Han stopped beside her and was momentarily entranced by the look of wonder on her face. With her eyes so widened and filled with awe, lips slightly parted, she appeared softer, sweet and relaxed. The sun angled through the high branches, casting highlights in her dark hair and adding a shine to her eyes. It made her look startlingly beautiful and he had to force his eyes away, a sharp pang hitting him square in the chest.

"Yeah." His voice came out hoarse as he stared hard at the ground. He was relieved when she began walking again and he fell into step beside her.

The mood had mellowed, more restrained now than strained. They plodded along for a seemingly endless time before she spoke again.

"How come you've stayed with the Rebellion all this time?"

He flicked his eyes in her direction but hers were on the ground and her face betrayed nothing. His mind quickly played through possible responses.

"Somethin' to do." He shrugged, even though she wasn't looking at him, and kept his gaze straight ahead.

"Is that the only reason?"

"Money's good." This was not a line of questioning that he wished to pursue.

"You should just join the Alliance, take an official rank."

An indignant spark flared through him, even as a small part of him enjoyed the fact that she was asking him to stay. "This ain't my fight," he countered harshly. "I'm here for the money. That's it."

She was silent briefly and then her voice contained a hostile timber. "How much longer will you be using that excuse?"

He stopped short and took her by the arm to halt her. The gaze she aimed at his restraining hand was haughty and frigid. "Excuse? Listen, Sweetheart, I don't need an excuse. It's the truth."

Wrenching her arm from his hand, she turned her chilly glare to his. "Hmph," she huffed. "I think that perhaps you've gotten attached to a few people." For just an instant there was a trace of a question in her eyes, but it quickly turned challenging.

He grunted disdainfully, burying the twinge that her words brought on. "I don't get attached."

"Oh, really?" One eyebrow rose archly. "So, you're not attached to Luke?"

He frowned. "Okay, I like Luke. But I don't stay cause of him."

"Who do you stay for?" she demanded.

What was with her today? "No one," he insisted. "I do what's best for me."

"So, what's "best for" you, is staying with the Rebellion, fighting for a cause you don't believe in?" Her cheeks had now reddened with anger and her eyes were blazing.

"Hey, I'm not fighting for anything. I'm just makin' a living." He spun and started walking, wishing she would just stay behind. But he heard her shorter legs rushing through the brush to catch up. "Besides," he added loudly. "I'm planning to leave real soon."

She didn't respond and Han was happy to put an end to the conversation. What the hell did she care, anyway?

They continued on for several hours, pausing only to drink from their canteens. A mountain appeared in the distance, the width of which seemed never-ending. When they came to the base, they craned their necks to peer at the top.

A side-to-side glance did not reveal an end where they might travel around it.

"Should we go around or up?" he asked, unhappy at the prospect of either option.

She sighed. "I would like to say around. But in which direction?"

"Should've studied the map more closely," Han muttered.

"Did you actually admit to making a mistake?" she asked with disdain.

He flashed her a dirty look and stroked his chin, running the options through his mind. With a deep breath, he shifted the pack on his back and made a decision. "East. Let's go east."

"Why east?"

"You got a better idea?" His question, for once, was sincere.

A flash of uncertainty flew through her eyes and then she shook her head, looking slightly defeated. "All right. East."

They spun to the left and continued walking.

"Doesn't look like we're makin' it before sundown," Han said matter-of-factly.

The Princess made a soft sound of acknowledgement.

"Guess we'll have to sleep in the tents. Of course, if you don't feel like setting yours up, you could always join me in mine." The taunting grin spread across his features as she flashed her eyes his way, acid burning twin holes in his. He snickered gleefully, always happy to get even the slightest rise out of her.

The air around them had grown somewhat disappointed and resigned and, after a time, Leia suddenly grabbed him to a stop by the arm. He halted with a frown, on sudden alert.

"Shhh," she breathed quietly, pointing towards the trees to their left.

Han followed her gesture and found a delicate-looking animal with long legs gnawing at the grass near the base of a tree. Its fur was light brown with pink tufts along the nape of the neck, huge eyes, and a long, tapered snout. It was skittish in demeanor and they both watched silently. A glance at the Princess showed her smiling gently.

In an instant, the animal's head came up, it sniffed, and sprinted off through the spiraling trees.

The Princess sighed, almost inaudibly. "I miss nature," she whispered. Her gaze was wistful.

Han puzzled over the statement. "Nature's everywhere."

There was some impatience in the glance she spared him. "Not on a ship." She started walking again.

At her side in one long stride, he realized she was right. It wasn't something he normally gave much thought to. "You spent a lot of time outside at…on Alderdaan?" This was a touchy subject and he was hesitant to broach it.

"Yes," she sighed wistfully. "Mother and I often had tea in the gardens."

He looked askance at her, pain obvious in the torment of her eyes. A wave of sympathy passed through him, something he rarely felt. For some reason, it made him want to keep her talking.

"The gardens were nice?" he asked in a low tone.

Her smile was slightly dreamy. "Mm, beautiful. The gardens stretched out until the lake, and beyond that, the view of the mountains. It was so peaceful. Whenever I was stressed or upset, a walk in the gardens always calmed me, helped me to think straight."

"Huh."

Her gaze fell on him questioningly. "What?"

He shrugged with a bit of diffidence. "Kinda how I feel about the stars."

There was a trace of surprise in her tone. "Really?"

This was probably the most serious conversation they had ever had and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah. Sitting in the cockpit, watching the stars helps me think things through. And when I'm planetside, looking at the night sky." His eyes remained straight ahead.

After a moment of silence, there was a hint of a smile in her voice. "Perhaps we are not so different after all. Both are nature."

Han shot a glance her way and saw that she was, indeed, smiling softly. He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

"You've traveled the galaxy. Which is the most beautiful place you've seen?"

The question surprised him. He had seen more planets than he could count but had never compared them in such terms. He thought about which was the most profitable, which the most dangerous, and where he might be best be able to make himself scarce. Never in terms of aesthetic appeal.

He wondered about it now but came up empty. "I dunno," he finally replied. "This place is pretty nice."

"It is," she agreed.

"What about you?" he asked, genuinely curious now. "What's the most beautiful place you've seen?"

"Alderaan," she answered without missing a beat. Her expression was stoic.

The conversation ended there, as she said no more and he could think of nothing further to say. There was a peacefulness between them as they continued their journey. It left him with an odd sense that something had been stirred up between them, but the feeling was vague and difficult to define.

The sun was beginning to set, the coming darkness just a shadow descending upon them. Han suggested they start setting up shelter and they moved into the cover of the trees.

Once the tents were set up side-by-side, they sat with their canteens and ate ration bars. They were bland and dry, but the easiest food to carry and consume quickly on such a mission. It was almost fully dark so Han removed a glow rod from his pack, ignited it, and placed it on the ground in front of them. He flashed the Princess a quick grin.

"Kinda romantic, huh?"

Her relaxed expression turned taut and she focused her gaze on the light, swallowing the last of her rations and placing the wrapper into a trash compartment in her pack. Without a second thought, Han tossed his to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Her tone was supremely hostile.

"What?"

She picked his wrapper from the ground and held it up to him. "You can't just throw garbage on the ground!"

His brow drew down defensively. "What's the big deal?"

"You have all the breeding of a bantha," she growled. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

The rhetorical question sent a surge of anger through him. He laughed with a biting edge. "Nah, they threw me to the hell-cats and left me to sink or swim."

He could see by the uncertainty in her eyes that she didn't know what to make of his statement. Han scowled and took a swig from his canteen, wishing it were ale. He replaced it to dangle from his pack then crawled into his tent, uncertain with whom he was more angrier, the Princess or himself.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Leia lie awake, as she often did. Inside her tent, she rested her head against the thin pillow. After walking through the woods all day, she was surprised to suffer from one of her frequent bouts of insomnia. She had been sure that the combination of fresh air and physical activity would knock her out.

Then again, she wasn't normally sleeping so close to Han, only two thin pieces of fabric separating them.

He was the most maddening man she had ever known. Scratch that, she thought. The most maddening being. Anywhere. Ever.

So, why couldn't she banish him from her mind?

One minute, he infuriated her. The next, his crooked grin entranced her. Damn this unrelenting attraction! Even now, she couldn't keep herself from imagining him appearing at the opening to her tent, hair in scruffy shambles, eyes staring at her, molten and intense.

He always caused her emotions to run the gamut. She played over his last words of the night in her mind. She wasn't sure if the comment about his parents throwing him to the hell-cats had been a flippant remark or if there was some truth behind it. It was impossible to tell with him.

It was probably best not to know. After all, he had said he would be leaving soon.

The thought filled her with regret. It was impossible to deny that she didn't want him to go.

Feeling suddenly melancholy, she called out above the dim sounds of nocturnal life surrounding them. "Han?"

In the space of several breaths, he was silent and Leia suspected he had fallen asleep. Finally, his deep voice boomed in the night, sending a rush of warmth through her stomach.

"Yeah?"

"What will you do when you leave the Rebellion?"

He hesitated and she wondered if her were sleepy or merely avoidant.

"Got some debts to take care of. First order of business."

"Gambling?" she asked with mild surprise.

He laughed, a balmy thunder. "No. When I gamble, I win."

Luke had mentioned that Han had debts to pay, and Leia had always been curious. "So, how did you amass these debts?"

"You really wanna know?" His voice was now devoid of emotion.

"Yes."

He was slow to start and she couldn't help but wonder if he were going to make up some wild story that was far from the truth.

"I was runnin' a shipment," he began in a restrained cadence.

"Of spice?"

"Yeah." He almost sounded sheepish. "Anyway, so we came out of hyperspace, close to the drop off point, and up ahead were Imperials. They threatened to board us, so I dropped the shipment, flew towards them, and surrendered to be boarded."

"Sounds as if they were waiting for you."

"Yeah, I've thought about that."

It seemed easier somehow, talking in the dark, separated by their tents. Conversation between them was rarely so fluid.

"What did the Imperials do?" she asked.

"Nothin' they could do. They searched the whole ship and came up empty." He laughed shortly. "They seemed kinda pissed off about it."

She smiled wryly in the darkness, picturing their frustration. "Then what happened?"

"Well, I had to beat it outta there, cause it'd look suspicious if I hung around. Went back later to find my shipment but it was gone." He sighed. "I had marked the coordinates, thought I was pretty clever…didn't quite work out the way I'd planned."

"It could've been worse," she said quietly. "You could be in an Imperial detention center right now."

"True."

They remained silent for a time and Leia wondered what he was thinking, pictured him lying there, eyes closed, lips parted.

"So, you owe money for the shipment?"

"Yeah." His voice had soured.

"To whom do you owe this money?"

"Jabba the Hutt."

"A Hutt?" Now she was alarmed.

"Yeah. I take it you're familiar."

"Not personally. But, of course, I have heard stories of their dealings in various outer rim territories." Huttese Crime Lords were infamous. Their criminal activity had been addressed on the Senate floor, but no action had ever been taken. From what she knew, they were ruthless and cruel beyond imagining. The thought of one going after Han made her feel a bit ill. "You need to be very careful."

"You worried about me, Princess?"

His voice was devoid of the mocking tone she would have expected to accompany such a question. In its place was a touch of surprise mixed with something that sounded like pleasure.

Abashed, she struggled for words. "Well, I don't wish to see you dead." Her heart was suddenly galloping.

"Thanks, Sweetheart," he drawled. "That's what every man longs to hear."

Leia didn't know how to respond. She could never be sure if he were joking or not. She waited, trying to regain her bearings.

"And what will you do after your debt is settled?" she asked, still breathing a bit too fast.

"Go back to smuggling," he replied in a tone that implied the answer was obvious.

"You enjoy such a life?" she asked dubiously. "Running from place to place, with nowhere to call home?"

"Isn't that what you do?" he queried snidely.

A few beats passed before she realized he was right. "Well, yes. But it's different."

"How's that?"

"I don't have a choice."

"You think I do?" His voice had grown hard.

"I'm running from the Empire. My home was destroyed and I'm wanted in pretty much every system."

He made a derisive sound that Leia chose to ignore. "You could get a normal job, settle down somewhere."

"A normal job," he muttered disdainfully.

"What's wrong with that?" Why did he always make her feel defensive?

"Normal's boring. And the Falcon's my home. Only one I need."

After pondering her next words, she settled on an air of disinterest. "Well, you could always return to the Alliance. It's certainly not boring." She held a breath, waiting for his response.

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke reluctantly. "Why would I wanna do that?"

"It's a steady income," she suggested, appealing to his dedication to the pursuit of money.

"There're plenty of other options out there." His tone was almost challenging.

"You're a natural leader," she supplied, in an attempt to appeal to his sense of vanity.

His voice grew sulky. "I ain't coming back to the Rebellion, Your Worship. And I'm not interested in leading anyone."

Somewhat stung, Leia said no more. A lull settled over them and, instinctively, she knew there would be no more talk tonight.