Thank you :)

OOOOOOOOO

Han stared out the Falcon's viewport at the beams of light streaking past. The night before last still rankled him, nagging with questions he wasn't certain he wanted answers to. He leaned back with a sigh.

What had he seen in the Princess' eyes? She had stared at him with such awe. Han didn't think anyone had ever looked at him like that before.

Her reaction to his impromptu celebration had been unexpected. He had thought she would smile with apprec iation, perhaps tease him for being a sap while he scoffed.

But that look…

It unnerved him. If he was really being honest with himself, it scared the hell out of him. a Han

It seemed as if this flirtation had become a bit too much. He still wanted her. But she was young, most likely inexperienced, and if he got involved with her, she would expect more than just a good time. She was no spacer, no bar girl…she was a princess, a strong, intelligent woman.

And passionate…very passionate.

Based on her fiery spirit, her temper, and her fortitude, he got the feeling that in matters of love she would be no different. She would love as fiercely as she fought.

Love? He would need to banish that word from his vocabulary. And fast.

But he sensed an untapped passion inside her. Part of him burned to be the one to bring it to the surface. Just thinking about it stoked a fire inside him.

Best to put the thought out of his mind though. He had already learned with Gretza that sleeping with someone where you're stationed was a bad idea. And if he slept with Leia, he instinctively knew it would not be casual for her. He wouldn't be able to stay on after he ended it. And he wasn't quite ready to leave the Alliance.

The thought nudged fresh questions in the back of his mind, questions he was not ready to deal with. He hauled himself from his seat and went in search of Luke. Maybe he could beat the kid at sabaac and get his mind off things.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Leia wasn't sure what had happened. For some reason, ever since Founding Day, Han was avoiding her. He had done this unbelievably thoughtful thing that had moved her greatly and now he acted as if he barely knew her.

The few times they had crossed paths, he had grunted something indecipherable as he passed her by with nary a glance. Leia was confounded.

As she oversaw the equipment being loaded onto the cargo transport in the hangar, her eyes couldn't help but slip aside in the direction of the Millennium Falcon, hoping for a glimpse of Han. He had only returned that morning from the second scouting expedition in search of a location for a new base. She had not seen him since his arrival.

"Leia!" An affable, familiar voice called from behind her.

She turned to find Luke striding towards her, face split in an enthusiastic grin. With an equally pleased smile, she greeted him.

"Luke, I'm so glad you're back." And your impossible friend, as well, she thought.

He stopped just short of making physical contact. They shared an easy, open friendship, but he always kept a respectful distance in front of others.

"Good to be back."

"You'll be debriefing us at 0200 hours?" she asked, wondering if Han would attend.

"Yeah. We have one more expedition scheduled. I think to Hoth."

She grimaced at the thought of what she knew of the planet's frigid climate. Forcing her gaze to remain steady on his, she asked the question that was at the forefront of her mind. "Will Han be attending the debriefing?"

Luke laughed shortly. "No. He said something like he would rather be picked apart by Jawas and sold for parts."

She rolled her eyes and forced an expression of amusement, yet felt a keen sense of disappointment.

"I'm kind of excited about going to Hoth," he continued.

"Really?"

"I've never seen snow." He looked like a small child ready for a snowball fight.

"Well, you won't be disappointed," she said wryly, wishing she could see his reaction when the time came.

"Han's not that excited about it."

"He wouldn't be," she replied derisively.

"He said that if we build a base on Hoth, he's leaving for good."

Irritation lanced what little spirit she currently had.

"But I don't believe him," he added with an optimistic smile.

She didn't return his smile, only strove to change the subject. "When are you leaving for Hoth?"

"I dunno. I guess we'll get the assignment after the debriefing." A sudden light hit his eyes. "You should come with us!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said carefully.

Luke gazed past her shoulder and raised a hand. "Han!" He gestured him over with a wave of his hand. "C'mere!"

Waiting for his approach, Leia turned her eyes to the floor. She heard his footsteps and when he was abruptly standing next to her, she refused to acknowledge him.

"What's up, Kid?" he asked roughly.

Already feeling defensive, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey," Luke said with way too much enthusiasm. "Tell Leia she should come with us to Hoth."

Leia felt her expression grow more pinched, mouth becoming lower and smaller. It took a moment for him to respond and she could feel his eyes on her. Her gaze bolted up somewhere around Luke's throat.

"I dunno," Han growled. "I would think Her Highnessness must have better things to do than to trudge through sleet and snow."

"It'd be like old times," Luke insisted.

"You consider that a good thing?" Han countered wryly.

"I have too many responsibilities here," Leia finally piped up, brimming with discomfort.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Han turn towards her and plant his hands at his hips.

"Busy ordering around the peasants?" he asked with a sharp edge.

Her eyes shot to his, found him glaring darkly. Their gazes warred with each other for several beats then Luke spoke tentatively.

"Well…maybe another time."

She looked back at Luke, cheeks burning. "Yes. Another time."

It was clear in his blue eyes that he sensed the tension yet didn't understand it.

"Okay," Luke said awkwardly. "Well…I'll see you guys around." He turned and walked towards where the other members of Rogue Squadron were gathered.

Leaving Leia and Han alone. Not knowing what else to do, she turned and looked at him. His eyes were impassive but his jaw was pulled taut. She had no clue what she might have done to garner such a reaction.

"Your Worship," he said by way of dismissal before stalking away.

She watched him go, hurt, angry, and confused.

Why should I be hurt by his slight?

She had no answer, but the question remained. With a sigh, she returned to her duty yet couldn't keep her gaze from sliding Han's way.

He stood near his ship, a rolling cart in front of him. Some mechanism on top of the cart held his attention.

Her irritation only swelled when she caught sight of Ensign Flaster walking in Han's direction with a determined gait. She didn't need their flirtatious interactions to be thrown in her face today.

To Leia's surprise, Flaster walked right past him, tossing a scathing glare his way. Han didn't seem to notice her presence.

A tiny burst of pleasure splintered through her. Had their affair come to an end?

She knew the thought shouldn't be so pleasing to her, but she couldn't deny that it was.

Perhaps that was the reason for his foul mood. It might have nothing to do with Leia at all. He could simply be taking his bad mood out on her.

Luke's suggestion came to mind. What if she did go with them to Hoth? The thought was tempting. It would get her off this ship and away from the current boring routine. She would get to spend some time with Han. And Luke, of course. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to scout the location personally.

As she pondered the idea, she couldn't keep her eyes from wandering to Han, who never looked up from his work.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Side by side, Leia and Luke climbed the Falcon's boarding ramp. She had wavered back and forth about this journey before impulsively making the decision at the last minute. In the main hold, she dropped her travelpack to the floor. Luke kept his pack hoisted on his shoulder.

"I'm so glad you decided to come. Surprised, but glad."

Leia smiled. "Well, I am pretty tired of being stuck on this ship. It makes me feel useless."

"You're never useless."

"Thank you. But I feel more productive if I'm actually out there accomplishing something. Planning, strategizing, supervising…it's not very exciting and it doesn't feel productive. Taking action is far more satisfying. And this will give me first-hand knowledge of the site, I won't have to rely on reports. I won't even have to read reports." The thought made her grin more broadly.

Rapid footsteps approached and they both looked up to see Han enter and grind to a halt. His eyes narrowed.

"What's she doing here?"

Leia's spine lifted, her chin rose. Luke hesitated for a brief moment.

"She changed her mind, decided to come." Luke's tone held some defensiveness.

Han hooked one thumb into the belt of his holster as Chewbacca arrived behind him.

"Just great," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Chewie roared a pleasant greeting and Leia forced a smile in return, now regretting her hasty decision. But she would be damned if he made her back down.

"What's wrong, Solo?" she asked in a hard voice. "Afraid someone will be telling you what you can and can't do?"

He laughed snidely. "You can try an' boss me around, but it ain't gonna work, Sweetheart."

Oh, he was so arrogant and argumentative! She kept her cool. "Yes, that's because you're like a child going through your terrible twos stage."

His jaw tightened and she had the distinct impression that there was something going on that she wasn't aware of. This was beyond his normal sarcasm and flippancy. There was a sharp, biting anger behind his words.

"Coming from someone who's barely more than a child," he drawled.

"I was more mature as a child than you are now," she declared. She heard Luke sigh loudly but they both ignored him.

Han laughed without humor. "I don't doubt it. After all, you had a lot of servants to boss around."

Her face grew warm and, for an irrational moment, she wanted to call him some choice swear words that princesses didn't typically use. She decided to put an end to it. "Whether you like it or not, we are all here to do a job. Let's simply do it without all this carrying on."

"Yeah, well, this isn't what I signed up for," he complained.

"This is exactly what you signed up for. An expedition to Hoth."

"Yeah, but not to chauffeur a pampered Princess around." With that, he quickly stormed from the hold.

Leia avoided the gazes of her human and Wookiee companions as Chewie gave a soft, sympathetic hoot.

Luke placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to get settled in," he said quietly, hand squeezing in solidarity. "I'll take your bag."

She nodded, eyes still averted. She heard the rustle of him grabbing her pack then waited as he and Chewie left her alone.

Where was this rancor coming from? She resented the remark about her being pampered. He knew very well that she took no special privileges or treatment, that she worked as hard as anyone else, if not harder.

This had clearly been a mistake. But, she sure as hell wasn't going to let Han Solo intimidate her into backing out.