a/n: Hello again everybody! Thanks for your kind reviews, favorites and follows. It's so encouraging to know that at least someone is reading the trash that I add to this site. Here's chapter two!

When she reopened the door, it was only because she had a variety of questions. At least, that's what she told herself. Unsurprisingly, Han was still standing at the door, as if he expected her to open it back up a few minutes after slamming it in his face.

"Hello again," he said smugly.

"I have so many questions," Leia began.

"I do too," Han said, furrowing his brow. "How about you come in?"

Leia shook her head. "This is fine."

"Alright well, I guess I'll ask first," Han started. "How do you know Sia and Arlan?"

"They're family friends, ambassadors to my homeworld," Leia explained. "They actually met on Alderaan. How do you know them?"

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Your Worship, but your ambassador friends are smugglers," Han said. "I met them in my smuggling ring after the Guild was overturned."

Leia put a hand on her hip and pressed her lips together. It was rare to hear Han talk about his past, but she decided not to press. "Han, I know that. Do you think you're the first smuggler I've ever met?"

He just chuckled and changed the subject. "Did you know that tonight is the rehearsal dinner? And have you seen all the activities Arlan and Sia have set up this week? And they're paying for all of it? Is this a wedding or a cruise? This week is gonna be crazy, especially with you around."

Leia ignored him. "Han, I didn't come halfway across the galaxy to spend time with someone I work with. So if you would kindly leave me alone and find someone else to bother, I would be grateful." She closed the door again, this time for good.

The dinner had been wonderful so far. She had once again greeted the bride and groom and had been introduced to a number of family and friends. When the actual dinner came around, Sia stood up and tapped a spoon against an empty glass.

"Hello, everyone," she said in the musically sweet voice that Leia remembered from her childhood. "If you could all take a seat..."

Arlan spoke up next. "Of course, you won't find any nameplates because someone thought it would be a good idea to 'encourage acquaintanceship among our guests.'"

That was the Arlan Han always knew, making light of the situation even when things turned sour for him. Han quickly realized that he knew no one at this wedding except for a certain brunette across the room.

Leia hadn't exactly meant to, but she made eye contact with Han. He may have driven her bantha-shit crazy most of the time, but he was the only person at this party that she was remotely comfortable around. They ended up meeting in the middle of the dining room and slipping into two adjacent chairs. As everyone around them suddenly seemed to burst into conversation, the two rebels looked around.

"I don't think I've ever seen a single one of these people in my life," Han started. "And I've seen a lot of people."

"Me too," Leia agreed. "That's a bit strange isn't it?

Han shook his head. "I don't think so. Arlan and Sia hang out in some cantinas that even I'm a little scared of, but they also attend some pretty high-rolling casino parties."

"Hm," Leia said. She knew that the couple was involved in a bit of illegal activity, but she also knew they were good people. Why were they hanging out with gamblers and smugglers like Han?

The food was brought by a very excitable droid that Leia adored but reminded Han too much of a certain gold-colored protocol droid that had gotten in his way too many times. Dinner went on with barely a word exchanged between the two. The wedding party reviewed the motions of the ceremony as they needed, and everyone else was expected to watch or make polite conversation with the people around them.

"I will admit," Leia said, setting down her fork. "I think I prefer your company to that of Sia's family."

Han turned his head to look at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "It seems like everyone here is much to absorbed in themselves to appreciate a day dedicated to honoring the love of two other people."

Han laughed at that.

Leia continued. "I'll make you a deal."

"Oh really, Princess?"

"Yes," Leia said in her best delegator voice. "I will keep you company in this miserable crowd if you promise to make no snide comments toward me or attempts at blatant flirting."

Han pretended to mull it over for a moment. "Can I make snide comments about other people?"

"Sure," Leia agreed.

They shook hands and Leia immediately regretted it. She told herself that she just needed someone that she knew to help her get through the week, but somewhere inside, she had an ulterior motive, even if she couldn't come to terms with it herself.

They ended up heading back to their rooms at different times, as Han had gone to grab a drink from the bar at the last second. When he arrived back at his room, he wanted to knock on the adjoining door again, but stopped himself. He looked down at the floor, wondering what to do and he saw a piece of paper that had clearly been slid under the door. The note was written in perfect handwriting and signed with two familiar initials.

I hope you had a nice drink. By the time you'll read this, I've already showered and went to bed. Please don't knock on the door. I'll honor our agreement, but only at normal, functioning human being times of the day. -LO

Han smirked at the small note. It was barely even a notice that said 'don't bother me,' but it was one of the sweetest things that Leia had done around him, let alone for him. Before he went to bed, he wrote his own note on the hotel stationary and slid it under the door.

Morning Your Highnessness. Hope you had a nice sleep. Could you do me a favor and knock as hard as you can on the door an hour before today's first activity begins? Thanks. -HS

His penmanship was terrible. That was the first thing Leia noticed about the note. The second was that he expected her to be his alarm chrono so that he wouldn't miss the first activity. She had half a mind to let him sleep in all day and pretend she'd never found the note, but she also didn't want to face angry, overslept Han Solo again. One time on under the blazing sun of a tropical jungle planet had been plenty. ("Why didn't anybody wake me up?" Han had asked angrily. Neither Luke nor herself were brave enough to answer, so they changed the subject, but Han remained angry all day.)

She put down the note on the desk and picked up the itinerary that she'd been given for the week. The first activity was hiking.

As Leia walked down to grab something from the breakfast hall, she wondered when she had last been hiking. She supposed she could consider base scouting hiking, but she used to do it with her parents all the time, the real just-for-fun kind.

When she returned to her room with a bowl from breakfast, reluctant to eat in a room full of people she didn't know, Leia pounded on the door as Han has instructed. After a few minutes, he groggily came to the door. Her mouth went dry.

Standing at the door, shirtless and with his hair sticking out in four different ways, was Han. She swallowed and acted completely unaffected.

"Hiking is in an hour," she said. "And if I am to act as your alarm for the next few days, I'd appreciate it if you could come to the door with more clothes on."

"Sure," Han agreed.

Leia walked away to prepare for the hike, but this time didn't lock the door behind her.

a/n: Please try not to leave without reviewing. Just a few of your encouraging words make my day and make me want to work on the story more. Thanks for reading!