Han had to restrain himself from running to his ship when they got to the shipyard. He felt like it had been an eternity since he had seen her. His arm still around Leia's waist, he guided them to walk a little bit faster. Since she was significantly shorter than him, she noticed his eagerness.

Heading directly towards the Falcon, he was met with some resistance as Leia pulled away from him. She stopped walking and looked up at him.

"Please tell me we are not heading for the ship we seem to be heading for."

He looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Leia pointed at the Falcon sitting only a few feet away. "That is not your ship."

"What's wrong with her?" He looked offended.

"Oh gods. You came in that thing?"

"Hey, she might not look the part, but she has it where it counts."

"We'll never get off the planet."

Exasperated, he shrugged her off and headed for his ship. Han sensed that she was following him, but ignored her and put in the passcode. The ramp descended and he walked up as quickly as he could. Standing in the center of his ship, he took a deep breath. Just being there felt like home.

Leia pushed past him and began her inspection. Han watched as she walked around the hold in complete silence. She made no indication of her thoughts as she walked down the hallway and looked into Chewie's room, then looked into his cabin.

She disappeared for a few minutes, but Han had no time to sit around waiting for her opinions. He wanted to make sure everything was ok with his ship. Walking into the cockpit and sitting down in his pilot's chair, Han felt truly relaxed for the first time in days. He wished more than anything to take her into the air and fly far away from Alderaan, but he was reminded just why he couldn't just at that moment.

"You've flown this thing before?" Leia's voice was dripping in sarcasm.

Han thought her voice sounded a bit more shrill than usual. It might have been because she was standing in the cockpit of his ship and not talking about it in a very nice way. He swiveled his seat to look at her. Leia's arms were crossed tightly at her chest, a scowl on her face.

"What's the problem, sweetheart?"

"Your ship doesn't look like it will stay together much longer, never mind get into the air."

Han rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should give her a chance before judging so quickly. She's the best ship you'll ever fly on. I guarantee it."

"Well, in that case," she paused dramatically, "I doubt her even more." She went to sit in the chair next to his. "I should have known from the way you refer to the ship as a female. Only a very particular type of person does that."

Han swiveled away from her, but there was pride in his voice. "A pilot?"

"A very particular pilot." Her tone was smug.

"Yeah, well, it takes a very particular type of wookiee to sit in that co-pilot's chair and you ain't him." Han gestured to one of the seats behind them.

Leia stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"With all these insults you're throwing at her, consider yourself lucky you even get to be in the cockpit. Or on the ship at all!"

Leia rolled her eyes, but got up and sat in the seat diagonally across from his. "Better?"

Han didn't turn around. "It will do."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Han staring out of the window, Leia looking all around the cockpit. Perturbed at his annoyance with her, she broke the silence.

"How did the Falcon come into your possession anyways?"

Han still did not turn around. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

"It doesn't matter how I got her, it's that I got her."

Leia sighed. She thought it was very hypocritical of him to be so insulted by her jokes when he did it to her all the time.

"As your fiancée, I think it pivotal-"

"If you were my real fiancée, maybe I'd tell ya. And if you were really my fiancée then maybe I'd even let you sit up front. Though no wife of mine would ever dare insult my ship!"

Leia was sure her eyes were going to get stuck up in her head from rolling them at him all the time.

"Yes, your type of woman would probably love this ship. I suppose since I am pretending to be just that type," her nose crinkled a little in disgust, "then I should offer more effort to appreciate it."

"Her."

"I can't quite go that far."

"Don't bother pretending then. She can tell the difference between someone being genuine and someone faking it."

"I never said the act was for the ship."

Han still refused to turn around. "Ever the diplomat."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"I never said there was, Your Highness." Finally he turned his chair to look at her. "I'm just sayin' we're different kinds of people."

Caught off-guard by the seriousness of his tone and the way he was looking at her, Leia stood up abruptly.

She answered, "I guess you're right. Anyways, Captain, I think it's about time we headed back to the castle."

"Any chance we can take her for a ride first?"

"No."

"It will help you get used to her."

Leia turned away from him and started for the door. "I'll take my chances another day. This weekend, in fact. Right now, all I want to do is talk with General Rieekan and go to bed."

Han smirked. "Excellent idea, princess. Your bed or mine."

Her face reddened and she scowled at him. "I meant to sleep. In separate beds. Now, if you will please listen for once, can we go back home?"

Sighing, Han stood up from his chair, gave one last longing look and followed Leia out of the ship. He stopped to lock the Falcon and found Leia sitting in the hoverlimo with limbs crossed tightly in severe agitation.

Pleased that he got her back for talking bad about his ship, Han gave her his brightest smile as he sat down opposite her.

As the hoverlimo began to move, Han turned from the window to look at her. "Whatcha thinkin' about, sweetheart?"

"Nothing you would understand."

Not bothered by the hit, he pressed her. "Try me."

"I have an important meeting scheduled with General Rieekan this evening and I'm just trying to plan everything out that I want to say."

"We have an important meeting, you mean. Can't just live in the moment, huh?"

Leia sighed in exasperation, but finally met his gaze. "General Rieekan is very busy, so it is important that I figure out exactly what I want to say in as prompt and efficient manner as possible."

They both went silent. Han was perfectly content to keep it like that the rest of the way back, but Leia, of course, disagreed.

"I think you will like General Rieekan."

"Enough to convince me to join up?" Han's voice was sarcastic.

"I never said that."

"You meant it."

"I don't understand your aversion to the Rebellion. You believe in what they are fighting for, you show obvious passion for your ship, and friendship to Chewie."

"Why is it so important to you that I join?"

"You would be very valuable to the Rebellion."

He smirked. "Like I am to you?"

"I would hardly say you are valuable so much as you are useful. If we are being honest, and I assume it is safe to say that we are, then I think really anyone who is male and quick with a blaster could do this job."

"Your father disagrees."

"Ah, yes, but he is not me. Still proves my point."

Han shrugged. "Sure, but things wouldn't be so interesting without me."

"You do bring a certain character along with you."

Han's smile widened.

"I never said that was a good thing. Infuriating, frustrating, incredibly crude, and somewhat ignorant. But not good."

"You'd miss me."

"Unlikely."

Both felt like they had won the argument. Leia from believing she had had the last word and Han from the growing pink blush on her face. For the rest of the ride, they sat in comfortable silence. Han was looking forward to going to bed when he remembered they still had to have the meeting with the general.