Author's Note: Hi! If you're reading this story, and also reading my other story, which is "Let's Shake Oz A Bit", this message is for you. So I'm taking my Wicked fan fic on hold because I cannot do two stories at a time. I'll be focusing on this story at the moment, then after writing this, I'll continue with "Let's Shake Oz A Bit." By the way, thanks for the favorites and follows! xoxo
CHAPTER 6: THE START
The sun outside peeked from the window of their room. Han lazily got up, his eyes almost dazzled by the bright light. Dark circles formed behind his eyes. Luke and Mara, on opposite sides of the room, are still fast asleep.
"Hmm... Lazy chickens", Han's eyes unconsciously searched for Leia's side of the room.
'She already got up! Now what is this woman up to, this time', he thought.
He stood and went to the kitchen. The breakfast was served on the table - hotdogs, bacons, eggs, rice, noodles and various kinds of stuff.
"Oh, you're awake. C'mon take a sit", Leia smiled.
Han's face became curious, but then he took his seat while Leia gets utensils across the table.
"Eat while it's still hot. You don't want to eat cold noodles, do you", Leia started as she herself sat on her seat across Han's.
He shrugged and did the 'okay-fine-whatever' face. Then he picked up the fork.
"I'm really sorry about what I've said last night. I didn't mean to- " Leia was cut by Han's stare.
"It's fine. I don't really mind that at all", he assured her.
She forced a smile and looked down.
"Wooh oh oh oh. What is this I see?", Leia grumped upon hearing his brother's voice with a teasing tone.
"Am I ruining a date or something?", Luke asked with a grin.
"Oh. No, not at all. C'mon, Luke. Have a seat!", Han tapped the seat of the chair beside him.
"I don't think Han. My sister will be angry if I ruin your date", Luke smirked and looked at her sister.
Leia, who thought that if Luke would not join them, she would just feel the irritable awkwardness with Han, and that is not bearable compare to Luke's teasing, so she spoke up.
"No. Luke, sit. I prepared the breakfast and it would be rude to ignore and keep the food waiting", Leia said as if she is a queen making her orders.
Luke curiously sit beside Han and went for the bacon and eggs.
"So, is Mara Jade awake?", Han asked.
"Hmm. She likes to sleep a lot", Luke unethically answered with his mouth full of bacons.
Heavy steps were heard from like a robot's metal legs followed by small heavy footsteps.
"I am sorry to interrupt Ma'am, Sir. But this Ewok here would like to inform you something about the queen's orders," C-3P0 said.
"The queen was informed that the hero who saved Endor from the Empire has taken a visit, so she said that it would be a pleasure if you, Miss Leia, would be toured in the wonderful places here in Endor", he continued.
"Oh man! Sis, you'll be traveling throughout Endor! Mara and I, need to come!", Luke said.
"Of course, I don't have a choice, Luke", Leia answered.
"What about you, Prince Han?" C-3PO asked.
"Of course, the hero's boyfriend needs to come too", Luke teased again.
"Shut up, kid!" the smuggler annoyingly said.
The gang, which includes Leia, Han, Luke, Mara, Chewie, C-3PO and R2D2, were walking in like a garden with beautiful trees and flowers everywhere. An Ewok, who is somewhat their tour guide, accompanied them, while C-3PO does the translating.
Luke is with his fiance and they were several steps ahead of Leia, which made the smuggler relieved because she felt safe from all her brother's teasing. Han is a few steps behind Leia, stopping at a plant, curiously touching the green leaves that turn yellow when held.
"This is awesome", Han gazed at the leaves.
Leia, somewhat heard what the Prince said so she went beside him and tested the leaf that captured Han's attention.
"Oh, Han. I don't think that is…", Leia was interrupted by Han's loud 'ouch' and his hand inflated then turned red. Sweat covered his face and for a moment, Leia felt worried for the prince.
She called for the attention of the others and all of them went home.
"The plant touched by Prince Han was actually a forbidden plant", said C-3PO.
"It is only found here in Endor and only appears during these times", he continued.
Leia is still worried. By looking at the Prince's closed eyes and damaged eyebrows that say he's in pain, she could not get out off his side.
"It's getting late guys, I need to get some sleep", Luke announced.
Luke, Mara and C-3PO went outside the room, leaving Han, still sleeping in the bed, and Leia sitting beside him.
After like 3 minutes or so, Leia felt an irritable awkwardness because of the room being so quiet, so she started entertaining herself while watching out for the sleeping prince.
She started singing…
When the world is blowing in your face
And the whole world in on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
All the memories 5 years ago went back in just a stanza and a 4 line lyric of a song.
Leia unconsciously closed her eyes and a tear escaped from her left eye. The tear wet Han's blanket.
Leia let out a heavy sigh. Sadness still covered her heart.
"Stop crying…", Leia was startled by Han's murmur. She was unconscious that her sneezing awoke the sleeping prince.
"Stop crying, please. Leia", Han said.
"As if you care", Leia tried hard to get to her I'm-strong-no-I'm-not-weak self, but it didn't work. Tears just escaped out of her eyes and she hates herself for revealing this soft side of hers to the prince.
"Don't try to be always that tough. Showing others your weaknesses do not mean you've lost your dignity and you're weak, it means you're coward enough to let others see that particular side of you." Han said.
Leia sniffed and steadied her sit beside Han, while the prince rose and decided to just sit beside Leia.
A heavy sigh came out of Leia again before she started speaking.
"You remember that question you asked me when we were at the party the other day? The one I refused to answer?", Leia asked.
"Uh. Yeah. It's the one where I asked you why you became a smuggler after being a former general of the alliance", Han said almost whispering, though excited that Leia is finally opening up this personal side of her to him.
"Five years ago, the Empire was destructed by the Alliance. I ruled that Alliance. Our last big battle happened here, in Endor," she paused for a second or two, but continued afterwards. "We built large spaceships, we were so ready for the battle. On the last minutes of the battle, before the final destruction of the Empire, I was inside our headquarters, but I still heard the large explosion from the outside. The explosion was so loud and powerful, I nearly thought it happened near the headquarters, but we were far from the place. So I started to feel worried, with the members of the team, especially to Robert."
"Robert?", Han asked.
Leia let out a bitter laugh. "Robert was my best friend. We knew each other since we were kids. He was trained to be like a soldier or something, although he has the brains for a general. And as for me, well, I was the one who was trained to be the general, next to my father."
"Ah. Oh yes", Han said.
"Yeah, after hearing that large explosion, I went out of the headquarters, only to find out that the battle ended. We won. I was really happy that time, the people would finally be free, and peace would be felt in the galaxy again."
"Uh, yeah. But why are you sad with what happened five years ago?", Han asked.
"Just as I was being so happy after our team has won, well I was also kinda looking for Robert to congratulate him, he was just the commander of the soldiers who battled against the Empire. But what I saw was…", a sob stopped her. She put her hands on her face and cried.
"It's okay", even if Leia hadn't finished what she was telling, from all these, Han already knew what happened next.
He made the very best that he can to comfort the smuggler but he has no idea on how to do the comforting properly. All he did his whole life was play and be a pain in the head to his father, well sort of.
"They said he let the others leave the spaceship first before himself because he knew that it's going to explode. But as he was going to step out, others said that the spaceship exploded, with him", she let another sob out. But then she continued, "I did not believe them because Robert said he would take care of himself and win the battle alive."
Leia cried again, her face now red and eyes now worn out.
Han does not know what to say.
After crying, Leia finally got to his normal composition. "I'm fine now. Thanks, Han."
He smiled and the question that he was thinking to ask the whole time finally slipped on his mouth.
"What were you singing a while ago, again?", he regretted everything that slipped out of his mouth, but well, it kinda happened, so he convinced himself to just bear with it.
Leia smiled, but she still answered his question. "Oh, it's just a song I really wanted to sing to Robert. But he is gone now, so I lost the opportunity to do it. I'll go now."
Leia finally went outside Han's new room for the night, and now headed to where they slept the last night. As she was walking in the hallway, a flashback appeared in her vision.
'That day, she went inside the burned spaceship to look for Robert himself, only to find a burned body with a silver necklace attached to the person's neck that has a pendant with words carved in it. RL BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. It was the necklace she gave to Robert.'
After this, the flashback ended.
Meanwhile, Han was staring at his blanket murmuring something.
"I'm so sorry Leia", he said while holding the same necklace that Leia found on the spaceship the day Robert died.
Author's Note: Whew! Too much for not updating for sooooooooooo long. I hope I made it up to you guys with this long chapter. Lol.