Woo hoo, everyone liked the kiss :D Such a perfect Valentine's Day post. Thank you all so much for the great reviews, I appreciate each an every one, you guys are the most awesome readers :)

Here's more...it's short, but the next chapter will be interesting ;)

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"Is Luke here?"

Chewie growled a negative while shaking his head and continuing to scrub some part of the Falcon clean. Leia couldn't identify the lone part, but she was surprised by the sight. She didn't think they ever cleaned anything on this ship. She had always suspected that it was the dirt and grease that held the Millennium Falcon together, and that it might crumble into a thousand spare parts if anyone ever took some soap and water to it.

"Where could Luke have gone?" she asked.

Chewbacca shrugged and pointed upwards with one furry paw, growling a few unrecognizable syllables.

"What was that?"

He repeated himself more slowly.

"Ask Han?"

He smiled through sharp teeth and grunted approval.

Leia was getting better at understanding the Wookiee, which buoyed her spirits. "Where is he?"

An accompanying string of growls and barks joined his gesture towards the ceiling.

She stared, momentarily lost, then comprehension struck. "The top hatch?"

He shot a short, pleased bark of laughter her way. The words were lost on her but the sentiment was clear.

"Thank you, Chewie." She smiled affectionately then headed down the corridor. She stepped inside the lift and it ascended as the hatch opened above. The cool, night air hit her right before she popped through the spiraling opening, head swiveling to find Han. The light disappeared from beneath her feet and all she saw was the brilliance of the stars above. It took her eyes a moment to adjust and then she saw Han seated on the hull, leaning back with a bottle of ale in his hand. His brow had risen in surprise at the sight of her.

"What're you doin' up here, Your Worshipfulness? Slumming?"

Defenses rose immediately, jaw set, lips firmed. "I'm looking for Luke."

"Not here." He took a swig of ale.

"I see that," she replied testily. "Would you happen to know where he went?"

"Last I saw, he was chatting up some girl at the compound," he drawled.

Startled, she had no response beyond widened eyes. Luke never spoke to her about women…she had never given that aspect of his life a thought before.

"Jealous?" He smirked.

"Hardly," she answered dryly. "Good for Luke," she added with a breezy air.

He picked a bottle up from beside him. "Want one?" He held it out to her.

She thought to say no, paused, considered it then decided, what the hell? "Thank you." She took the bottle and placed her palm over the cap.

"I'll open it for you."

With a click and a hiss, the cap came off and she gave him a triumphant, little smile before taking a sip. One side of his mouth lifted to a half-grin of appreciation and it sent a small spurt of satisfaction through her. Smiling, she pocketed the cap and threw back a bigger sip.

"Have a seat."

She weighed the possibilities in her mind. Chances were, she would regret it if she did. But, somehow, she always made the decision that kept her in his presence. Carefully, she made her way to where Han was sitting and sat down beside him, deliberately leaving space between them. Demurely, she crossed one leg over the other and held the bottle with both hands.

"Were you expecting company?"

He eyed her strangely. "No, why?"

"You brought three ales."

He laughed shortly. "They were all for me."

"You were going to drink all three?"

"Three's nothin'." He downed the last of his bottle, placed it to his left, and grabbed the next one.

Leia thought that if she were to drink three ales she would be quite intoxicated. She stole a glance at Han. His head was tipped to the sky, longing evident in his gaze.

"You always wish you were up there, don't you?" she asked softly.

His lips jutted outward thoughtfully. "Not always. Sometimes it's nice to just look."

"Like tonight?"

"Yeah."

She liked him when he was like this, calm and easy. But, he was like the wind; she never knew when he would gust and spin into a violent tornado.

Her thoughts fell back on the kiss…as they often did. He had been avoiding her since then, which made her feel both better and worse. Why did she have to feel so drawn to him?

"Why'd you come on this supply run, Your Worship?" he asked suddenly.

"I had to get off Nimbla IV. I was going stir crazy supervising. I felt useless." A half-truth. "As soon as my father arrived, I decided to take an assignment."

"Why this assignment, Princess?" His voice was low and gruff with a hint of a challenge, but his eyes remained on the stars.

Stalling, she gulped down some ale. "I've had good relations with these suppliers before. And the timing worked. And since Luke was coming…" She trailed off and glanced at Han, who seemed to be glowering at nothing.

A thread of tension seemed to ignite suddenly in the air and Leia sighed quietly, nervously. What was this spell he seemed to have over her? She contemplated leaving but he spoke again.

"How long've you been working with the Rebellion?"

"Since I was fifteen."

"You were just a kid." He snorted. "Not that you're much more than a kid now."

She stiffened and glared at him. "I assure you, I was very mature for my age."

A sarcastic breath spurted from his lips. "I believe it. You act like you're a hundred years-old now."

Mild irritation turned to a low, simmering anger. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "You're too serious."

"I have to be."

"Not every minute."

"War is serious."

"Doesn't mean you can't relax and unwind once in a while."

"Isn't that what I'm doing now? Or, I was. Until you began insulting me." She gave him a pointed look.

"I didn't insult you. Trust me, if I was lookin' to insult you, you woulda left by now." He grinned without humor.

She stared at him a moment, trying to decide his intentions. As usual, they remained a mystery. "I have a great deal of responsibilities. What am I supposed to do? Take a vacation when the entire galaxy is at stake?"

He sat up suddenly and placed his bottle aside. "You don't have to take a vacation. I get it, you have a job to do and that's your priority. But, what do you do for fun, Princess?"

She could think of no answer to that. "I don't have the luxury of 'fun.'"

"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity."

Her lips pressed together and she shook her head in frustration.

"I mean it," he insisted. His tone shifted to beseeching. "Everyone in the Alliance is at war, everyone has responsibilities. But, you know what? They all make sure to have a good time once in a while. That's what life's about."

"And how do they do that?"

"They play cards, or listen to music, find something to be happy about and have a little party. They joke around, have some laughs." He gestured suddenly towards the building that was a kilometer away from them. "Luke's doin' it right now by trying to get it on with some woman."

Taken aback at his reference, she blushed and lowered her eyes. When she looked back up at him, he was still watching her with an indignant expression. With sudden resolve, she sat up, chin raised.

"So, you're saying I don't have fun because I don't 'get it on' with some man, as you so eloquently put it."

He blinked, seemingly startled. Then, one corner of his mouth raised and he laughed shortly. Still smirking, he shook his head slightly. "No, Princess, I'm not saying that." He laughed again and threw back the last of his ale.

Leia thought that perhaps she had won this particular round and she downed the rest of her ale with a small, self-satisfied smile. Placing the bottle aside, she raised her knees and placed her arms around them.

"In all seriousness," she began quietly, "I find it difficult to relax and enjoy myself when there is so much to be done and it's all so important." She waited, eyes averted, worried he would make some snide comment.

He was quiet for a moment before answering. "How's that working out for you?"

Her gaze rose to him curiously and she was relieved to note that he was not being flippant. "What do you mean?"

"Let me guess. You feel stressed most of the time."

She shrugged as if it were obvious.

He leaned closer to her with a knowing look. "You think that's good for you? Don't you think if you released some stress it would make you more effective? A person can only work so hard until they break." His expression became more serious. "What good'll you do anyone if you fall apart?"

His words struck a nerve, but she wasn't ready to let him know that. "I'm not going to fall apart."

His chin rose. "Yeah, you're tough. You push yourself to the limit. But you're only human."

Why his characterization of her as 'tough' pleased her, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she was happy to know that she had proven herself to be unlike the spoiled princess he initially assumed her to be. At any rate, she took it as a compliment.

"I've been fighting for this cause for years. It means everything to me. I have to give it everything I have. There's no room to slack and no room for mistakes."

"People make mistakes."

"Well, I can't afford to."

"What makes you so special?"

She sighed, frustrated. "It's not like that."

"Then what's it like?" he asked, head tipped back in a smug posture.

She scowled at the stars and said nothing for a long moment. Finally, she turned towards him and spoke with quiet vehemence.

"It's not that I think I'm special. It's that I have to remain focused. I can't become distracted."

"And you've been like this since you were fifteen?"

She didn't answer him, only cast a sour look in his direction.

He continued without a response from her. "Seems like a wasted life to me."

Gaping, her stare was acidic and her words came out a shocked, angry whisper. "How can you say that? How can you think that a life dedicated to fighting for justice is a waste?" Shocked outrage spewed through her.

His expression hardened. "It's a waste of a life if you don't find any pleasure in it. You won't win this war in your lifetime. You gonna die without doing anything but fight?"

"I will take great pleasure in taking down the Empire."

"And what if that never happens? Then what?" His tone had become extremely hostile and Leia found herself brimming with anger.

A low hum began to vibrate the hull of the ship and they both looked towards the lift. Luke's blond head appeared, a glowing smile on his face. He stepped out and sprung towards them, a bounce in his step.

"Hey, Kid, you get lucky?"

Luke flushed and his eyes lowered to his feet, but not before a small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

"You did, didn't you?" Han crowed.

Leia wanted no part of this conversation and was pleased to have an excuse to escape. She stood, eyes avoidant of both men, and strode to the lift. As it began to lower, her ear caught their last words.

"What's wrong with her?" Luke asked.

"Maybe she's jealous," Han suggested in a teasing tone.

She dug her fingers into her palms. Maddening. Simply maddening.