Han was curled up on his side against the wall in the cooling unit, knees bent close to his chest, trembling violently and trying to keep warm. Trouble was, he was running out of body heat.

He was also well aware that he was running out of time in spite of his attempts to convince himself otherwise. Even Han Solo couldn't survive the cold forever.

He'd decided he was probably stashed away in one of the lower level emergency rations storage units. So unless there was an emergency, it was unlikely that anyone would find him. At least not before it was too late.

He'd long ago lost feeling in his feet and hands, and the numbness had been steadily spreading from his extremities toward his core. His body was tense and shaking while breathing had become more and more of a struggle as his throat ached with every icy breath he took. The hunger pangs had subsided, but he was desperately thirsty.

The urge to sleep had become strong, but he knew that if he lost consciousness now, there was a good chance he wasn't going to wake up again.

It was difficult at that point not to see that as a good thing. If he just let go and went to sleep he wouldn't have to be so cold anymore. All of the pain could go away…

No, he couldn't give up. He clenched his eyes shut and once again pictured Leia, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin, the ones he needed to hang on for. He needed to hold his family again, tell them how much he loved them.

If any good could come of his encounter with Nesla, it was the reminder that he was incredibly fortunate that his life had turned out the way it had, and he was going to make sure that he and Leia made their relationship a priority once again. His family was worth far too much to him.

Lately he had been fixating on the bad, only to forget about any of the better moments. They were more subtle these days, but still had given him reason to know in his heart that Leia did care about him, in spite of his accusations.

He recalled a night not too long ago when he'd fallen asleep on the couch while watching a smashball game. In his semi-conscious state he'd faintly felt someone placing a blanket over his body, becoming aware of exactly who it was when he'd felt her warm lips press gently against his temple and whisper in his ear, "I love you."

He'd been too tired to even acknowledge her at the time, but the warmth of the memory provided him momentary relief from his current state and a solid reminder of what she felt for him, even if she had been preoccupied recently.

Stay awake, Solo. She'll come for you. She always has. Don't give up on her now.

But how exactly was she supposed to find him? Was she even looking for him? If she hadn't found him by now, it seemed fairly likely that she never would. All those times she'd saved his life, and he had to get himself into trouble just one time too many. She wasn't going to make it in time and it was his own fault for walking out on them.

He wondered if they'd ever know what had happened to him, and if they knew that he still loved them with all his heart and hadn't meant to disappear.

The cold was suffocating, and he was overcome with the helpless feeling that there was nobody in the galaxy who would come and save him. He hadn't felt so utterly alone since he was a kid, and ever since he'd met Leia he thought that he wouldn't ever have to feel that way again.

He had never wished that he had the Force, but he found himself wanting to be able to call out to his loved ones and tell them where he was and that he needed their help.

He knew that they would never hear him, but he needed to at least in his own mind say all of the things he wanted say to them before it was too late. And maybe, by some miracle of the Force, they'd at least know how he felt.

I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry, kids. I'm sorry I left the other night, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you how much I love you. I hope you understand that I didn't mean to leave you alone.

I love you, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin. You're the most precious gift a man like me could have ever received and the greatest kids a father could ever ask for. You made me part of a family for the first time in my life, and there's no way you could ever know how much that means to me. Be good to your mom. I know it's in your genes to find trouble, but try not to make her worry about you too much.

And Leia. You've heard me tell you I love you at least a thousand times, but there is no way you could ever possibly know how much. I know things haven't been perfect lately, but there are no words for what I feel for you. You're the most incredible woman I've ever known, and you loved me more than I ever deserved and made me truly the luckiest man alive. You gave me Jacen, Jaina and Anakin. I'm grateful for every moment we ever spent together and I'm sorry there won't be more of them. It's my fault, not yours.

I know you're strong enough to go on without me. I hope that you'll always remember that I love you more than anything, and I'll always be with you.

He felt the warmth of a tear as it ran down his cheek, and he wondered how much longer he'd be able to stand the cold. He pictured his family one more time, and with his eyes closed he felt the sweet release of sleep begin to overtake him.

A/N – Sorry for the slow update, but this scene was tough to write and I went through it a bunch of times before deciding to finally post. Perhaps a bit melodramatic, but I went with it anyway. I understand I may have made some of you hate Leia in this story, but hopefully you won't hate her so much by the end. Thanks for reading and review if you have time.