Joint Story: The Sequel - Chapter 25

He could feel her warm breath against his shoulder, heat radiating from her body beneath him.  Having wanted this for so long it was difficult to comprehend what had just happened, and it had been even better than he imagined it could be.  After a few moments of just wanting to remain within her forever, he lifted his head and looked down at the beautiful face looking back at him. 

Her brown eyes reflected the awe and love he was feeling, and he couldn’t help but lean down and place a few more gentle kisses against her lips.  When he finally pulled away again, her quiet voice broke the silence.  “I’m sorry.”

For a brief, terrifying moment he wondered if she had regretted what they had just shared and he wasn’t sure he could handle it if she did.  But her face and the fact that her fingers were still playing with the sweat dampened hair at the back of his neck told him that he had nothing to worry about.  “For what?”

There was the slightest hint of a smile in her lips when she replied, “For not doing this sooner.” 

His body relaxed and he let out a slight laugh and smiled as he bent down to nibble on her ear and whisper, “It’s all right.  I know exactly how you can make it up to me.”

Her body wrapped around his again pulling him tightly against her as they went about making up for lost time for the rest of the evening before finally falling into an exhausted sleep. 

When he awoke with her warm body in his arms he had to wonder if it had only been a dream until she stirred and smiled at him and kissed him good morning.  “So,” Leia began.  “What are we going to do now?”

“We still have another week of marriage counseling.”

She leaned up against her hand.  “I think I’ve had enough of marriage counseling.”

His eyebrows raised.  “Is that so?”

She nodded.  “You know, after we watched that holo, I remembered the rest of that night.”  She paused, waiting for a reaction, but not getting any before continuing.  “I remembered when we went to that room and all I wanted was to do, well, this, with you.  And then I remembered when you wrapped me up in the blanket and put me to bed.  Why did you do that?”

The pain and frustration he had felt that evening had now been completely evaporated after the previous evening, but he certainly remembered the rush of thoughts that had run through his head.  “Leia, I have wanted this with you for a long time.  But if it happened… when it happened, I needed to know that you wanted it just as much as I did.  That you wouldn’t regret it for one second, and that your head was clear and this was you making that decision.”

Her hand came up to cup his cheek and already he was thoroughly enjoying even the slightest bits of physical affection from her.  “I think this is what I really wanted all along.  I’m sorry it took me so long to admit it.”

“Just don’t deny it ever again.  I’m a patient man, but I’m not that patient.”  He reached over and felt the smoothness of her hair as he gently stroked it.  “I do love you, though.”

“I love you, too,” she said with a smile that he knew he’d never get tired of seeing.

“So, then maybe we should forget about this counseling thing and stop treating our marriage like the biggest mistake of our lives.  Go back to the Alliance, get on with our lives and just see what happens from there.”

It seemed like an extreme statement to make.  And for a moment he wondered if she would panic, but instead she smiled and leaned in close to him and whispered, “I think I’d like that,” before pulling him in for another kiss and then continuing their trend of making up for lost time. 

When their need for food and showers became too overwhelming to bear, they finally left the sanctuary of the captain’s quarters and decided to go break the news to the counseling group.  For the first time since they’d been on that planet they walked hand in hand, smiling and laughing as they went.  Why had they waited so long to do this? 

The day’s session had already been underway for more than an hour, and when the couple entered the room they were greeted with a knowing smile from Ava along with a few similar ones from other members of the group.  One notable exception was Lohree, who was looking at Leia like she was trying to strike her dead by sheer force of will.  Han gripped Leia’s hand a little tighter. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Solo,” Ava said.  “So good of you to join us.”

“Actually,” Han said, “we came to say that we won’t be joining you.”

“Is that so?” Ava asked, but Han could tell she knew exactly where this was going.

Han nodded and said, “We completed our special assignment, and it turns out you were right.  We’re going to give this marriage thing another shot.”

“I’m so happy to hear it,” she replied.  “I am glad any time a couple from my group has a change of heart.  I had a good feeling about you two.”

“I’m starting to see that, too,” Leia said as she looked up and smiled at Han.

“Well, you need nothing further from me.  You are free to go.  And I sincerely hope that I never see you again,” she said with a smile as she reached out to shake both of their hands.

“Same here,” Han said and then pulled Leia along with him out the door.

“That was fun,” she said as soon as they were alone again in the hallway.  “Can you give me a second?  I just need to go use the ‘fresher.”

Han nodded as she disappeared around the corner. 

It didn’t take long for him to hear another female voice behind him.  “Hey,” she said, and Han turned to see a disappointed looking Lohree looking up at him.

“Hey, yourself,” Han replied, suddenly incredibly grateful for walking out on that woman the previous night.

“What happened?  Your wife would barely look at you before.  You can’t possibly believe that things are going to be any different.”

“Actually I’m pretty sure they’re going to be a lot different.  You don’t know her like I do.”

“I know what I see.”

“So do I,” Han said, this time not talking about his own marriage.  “Look, I know you and your husband are miserable but we’re different.”

“No you’re not.  You’re just like the rest of us.  Your wife is going to go right back to being cold and distant.  You have no idea what you’re missing with me.”

Before Han could respond he heard a familiar voice behind him.  “I think you need to step away from my husband.”

Han turned to see Leia giving Lohree the kind of icy glare she’d have given him not so long ago.  It was almost humorous to see Leia acting jealous over him, and he decided it would be fun to see what she was going to say.  

She slid up against his side and took his arm, ensuring that both women knew who he was really with. 

“Maybe you should let him decide,” Lohree said and both women looked up to Han.

Han simply put his arm around Leia’s shoulders and pulled her even closer.  Lohree’s skin became visibly redder. 

“You know she won’t keep you satisfied.”

Before Han could protest, Leia stepped forward and stated simply and clearly, “You, of all people, have no right to say anything about anyone’s marriage.  Anyone who knew you for ten minutes would know exactly why you married your husband, and I’m sorry that you’re so unhappy, but that’s your own fault.  And I intend to keep him completely satisfied.”

To illustrate her point definitively, Leia turned and pulled Han down into a deep, long kiss.  He complied without objection, pulling her body flush against his and feeling her hands gripping at his hair.  If this was what it was going to be like to be happily married to Leia, he wasn’t going to complain. 

Somewhere in the midst of the kiss Han could hear Lohree indignantly stomping back into the room, but he and Leia had forgotten where they even were.  Eventually Leia finally pulled away and Han kept her close when he said, “You sure told her.”

Leia simply laughed.  “I guess we need to go back and explain to Chewie.  And then we need to get back to the Alliance.”

“You know, they’re not expecting us for another week.  And I know this hotel room we spent a night in but didn’t get to spend our wedding night properly.”

Her eyes lit up.  “If we’re not careful I think we might hurt ourselves with all of this making up for lost time.”

“I’m willing to take that risk.  Now let’s go, Mrs. Solo.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him as they walked off.

Story Submission: Not a Bad Bit of Rescuing by TooOldForThis

The following was written in response to this post.  TooOldForThis has taken on the #2 contender:  In the Cockpit on the Way to Yavin.  Enjoy!

Not a bad bit of rescuing

By TooOldForThis

“Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh?  You know, sometime I amaze even myself.”

Leia looked at him skeptically.  “That doesn’t sound too hard.   They let us go.   It’s the only explanation for the ease of our escape.”

“Easy?  You call that easy?”

“They are tracking us.”

“Not this ship, sister.”

 “Who are you anyway?” Leia asked.

“Han Solo.”

“And what is it exactly that you do? “

“I’m in business for myself.  I haul freight….. Of various kinds.”

“Hmm.   And how did you and Luke end up coming to rescue me?   Did someone pay you?”   Leia could think of no other reason that two total strangers would end up on the Death Star, attempting her rescue.

“Well, no, not exactly,” Han explained.   The old man contracted me to take him, the kid, and the droids to Alderaan.  I didn’t know anything about you and I didn’t ask any questions.    But then we got here and there was no Alderaan;   Just that space station.    We were about to turn around, but it got us in a tractor beam and well, one thing led to another.”

“Guess your ship isn’t as fast as you claim,” Leia snickered.   “How did you find me?”

Taking offense, Han looked at her pointedly and replied, “It’s plenty fast, sweetheart. “    Leia raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.     “Anyway, the old man went to disable the tractor beam so we could get out of there and while he was gone, the R2 unit discovered that you were being held and the kid knew all about you and talked me into going after you.  So here we are.”

“Here we are,” Leia mused.   “Well,  I suppose I should thank you for that. “

“Yeah, you should.  And you’re welcome.”     Han busied himself with the Falcon’s controls and they sat in silence for a few moments.

Finally Leia said, “So, you really don’t know anything about me?”

“Well, I do now.   I know you’re a princess and you don’t like being told what to do,” he said and gave her a crooked smile.

Leia stared at him.   “I am Princess Leia Organa…  of Alderaan.”

Han’s jaw dropped.    “Of Alderaan?    So your home planet just got…. “

“Yes,” she replied as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.   She continued staring out the cockpit window. 

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Leia couldn’t keep the tears at bay any longer and they spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks.  She brought her hands to her face to hide it.   Princess Leia Organa did NOT cry, especially in front of some stranger.

Han reached over and took the hand closest to him.   “Come here, ” he said as he stood up and pulled her out of her seat.   He put his arms around her and gently stroked her back.  “It will be okay.” 

They stood together for a few minutes, and then Han pushed away from her slightly, tilted her chin up and gently wiped the tears from her face.   “Listen, you WILL be okay.    I’ll get you to your rebellion and then you can work on getting them back for what they did.   Okay?”      

Leia looked at Han’s face.   Despite her feelings of sadness and loss, she believed him when he said she’d be okay.     She continued to look at his face and wondered what it was that made her feel like that.  What was it that gave her a sudden sense of calm?  She didn’t even know this man.  

Han tried to lighten the mood.  “You know.   You’re the first princess I’ve ever met. ”

Leia laughed.   “Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve never met anyone like you before either.”

Han found that he liked the sound of her laugh.   “No.   I doubt that you have,” he replied.  “It must have been fate that put us together.”

“I’m not a big believer in fate.”

“Actually, neither am I, ” he said with a smile.    They were still standing face to face, Han’s arms around her and Leia’s hands on his chest.   “But I do like to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me. “

“And what opportunity is that?”

“This,” he said softly and leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

Leia was surprised, but as soon as his lips touched hers, she felt a tingle spread through her body.   She had a vision of herself and Han, lips and bodies pressed together.   They were both shirtless and her arms were wrapped around his neck.  His hands were roaming her body, his fingers brushing across her breasts.  Her tongue was in his mouth, exploring his taste.   She could feel his hardness pressing against her belly and she wanted to be rid of the rest of their clothes.   She reached down and unsnapped his pants.  She heard him groan and he reached down and lifted her up.  She wrapped her legs around his torso while they continued to explore each other’s mouths.

Han dropped her on his bunk and leaned over her, moving his tongue over her nipples and then creating a trail down her stomach and below her belly button.    He unfastened her pants and started pulling at her panties with his teeth.

Leia gasped and pulled out of the kiss.  She blinked her eyes and stared at Han.   She wasn’t sure what just happened, what she had just seen; had just felt.    

Han moved the back of his hands across her cheek and smiled.  Her lips were sweet and he found himself wondering what the rest of her tasted like.   “It was nice meeting you Princess,” he whispered.  “Feeling better.”

For some reason, Leia couldn’t shake the feeling of calm and desire she felt for this man.  “It was nice meeting you too, Han.  And yes, I’m feeling better.”

“Good.”  He kissed her cheek and let her go.   She sat back down in the pilot’s seat and Han sat down also.

Leia brushed aside her emotional breakdown and the strange vision she’d seen when Han kissed her.  She got back to business.  “At least the information in R2 is still intact.”

“What’s so important?  What’s he carrying?”

“The technical readouts of that battlestation.  I only hope that when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found.  It’s not over yet.”

“It is for me sister.  Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you either, Princess.  I expect to be well paid.  I'm in it for the money.”

Leia was speechless.  Hadn’t he just held her in his arms a few moments ago and placed his lips on hers.  Now he was sitting there saying that he wasn’t in it for her.   Unbelievable.  She should have known that her first impressions of this man were right on.

“You needn’t worry about your reward.  If money is all that you love, then that’s what you’ll receive.” 

Luke enters.  “Your friend is quite the mercenary.  I wonder if he really cares about anything.  Or anybody.”

“I care.”

“So, what do you think of her, Han?”

“I’m tryin’ not to, kid”

“Good.”

“Still, she’d got a lot of spirit.  I don’t know.  Whaddya think?  You think a princess and a guy like me…”

“No”

Han smiled.  If only Luke had seen them a few moments earlier.

Story Submission: Inappropriate Thoughts by Lady Peter

The following was written in response to this post.  If you couldn't guess by the pic above, Lady Peter has graciously conquered the Garbage Masher scenario.  Enjoy!

Inappropriate Thoughts

By Lady Peter

I'm going to die here. Trapped in a garbage compactor, drowning in muck. With total strangers.  

"Oh Stars, please don't let me die a virgin."

The dark-haired one gave her a strange look, and Leia had a horrifying thought: what if she'd spoken aloud? But that couldn't be possible. And why had she even thought such a silly thing?

-------------------------------------

In the years to come (because she didn't die there), Leia came to learn that you had all kinds of strange thoughts when you really believed that death was imminent. Sometimes she thought about her family, or the important things she hadn't gotten a chance to do, but just as often she found herself thinking of her breakfast that morning. That was my last meal? Really? Huh. And sometimes she'd think about sex, like that time in the garbage compactor on the Death Star.  

-------------------------------------------

So anyways, the darker one gave her a look before going back to his attempts to lift her above the rising tide of garbage. And the blond one (he'd said his name was Luke, right?) was trying to raise someone on his comlink, while the wookie seemed to think he'd actually get that maglocked door open by force of will. That left her and Brown Hair to fend for themselves. 

Maybe it was his hands on her hips that had made her think it. She felt suddenly aware of her sexual self, the one who'd been bottled up inside since she'd entered the Senate, waiting for a chance to escape. At an especially inappropriate moment, apparently. Completely unbidden, an image jumped into her head of herself looking coyly up at the faux trooper and saying, "I've never been with a man before. How quickly does that armor come off?" She actually had to suppress a gurgled laugh at that, as well as an unexpected surge in her belly.  

Now she found herself looking at him surreptitiously while she struggled to keep above the sludge. Any thought was better than the one that lurked below her odd sexual fantasy: that after preparing herself to be martyred to her cause in a military execution, she was going to be crushed to death by a garbage masher in an inept escape attempt. Given the choice, she would have picked execution. Rather than acknowledge that awful thought, she sized up her second rescuer. He filled out his purloined armor better than the blonde one, seeming a bit taller than average, though it didn't take much for anyone to tower over her. And she thought he must have some military training: although the armor looked all wrong on him, the way he handled a rifle was a dead giveaway. 

Another slip down the pile of trash interrupted her thoughts. "Get on top!" he barked at her. She gave some rejoinder and accepted his hands around her waist again. His armor felt foreign and unpleasant against her, but she still found herself stealing glances back at him.  Despite his sharp tongue, there was something appealing about his face, she decided. What color were his eyes? She couldn't quite tell. 

What would he do if she actually propositioned him? Would he laugh at her? Probably. But maybe he'd put his arms around her. Maybe he'd lean his face close enough that she could see what color his eyes were. And then maybe he'd kiss her, a real kiss, not like the ones she'd suffered so far from the boys she'd known back at-. Stop. Think of something else. His lips were actually quite nice, when he wasn't using them to be insulting.

Now the walls were truly threatening to close in on them all. Another wave of panic, like the one that had made her beg the stars not to let her die a virgin, came over her. This time she looked at Brown Hair openly, wanting to beg him to make it not true, not happening: make them all not be about to die. He looked back at her, and his expression was not reassuring. But it was honest. It seemed to say: I'm sorry we screwed up. You don't deserve this- none of us does. It might've been interesting knowing you. His open gaze pulled her in until she didn't notice anything else any more. His eyes were hazel.

The sound of renewed yelling broke the spell and she looked around. Everything was moving again, but in the right direction this time. It looked like Luke (yes, she was sure that was name now) had made contact with whoever (Thripio?) and gotten the compactor reversed. She laughed and cheered like the rest of them, and even gave Brown Hair a hug. Just as quickly as the assurance of death had come, it was gone. She was completely task-focused again, and she forgot all about her flights of fancy while wrestling garbage in the lower levels of the Death Star. 

It was only days later, when she saw her new friends (friends?) walking towards her at the metal ceremony that the memory returned to her mind. And when Solo winked at her, she had a sinking feeling that maybe her plea had been spoken aloud, after all.

Story Submission: Argument Interrupted by Amara Z

The following was written in response to this post which I had actually forgotten existed until Amara sent this story.  Sexy time warnings apply.  Enjoy!

The South Corridor, Hoth

3 ABY

Han Solo had had it. As he stared into the face of the young Princess of Alderaan, he had just had it.Even as the words still echoed through his head, he couldn’t believe she had said it. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Was she kidding?

She stared back up at him with a look of confusion on her face, playing it so innocently bewildered and he still couldn’t believe it. She could try to fool the other members of the base and the High Council with that look. Hell, she could even try to fool herself. But there wasn’t a chance on this whole ice cube they called a planet that she was going to fool him. Not with that look. She could pretend all she wanted, but she understood damn well what he had meant. He knew it and couldn’t take it anymore.

Something in him snapped at that point and spurred him into action. Not one to put thoughts before actions, as he was prone to do, he easily clamped a hand around her wrist and started dragging her not so gently in the general direction of the dorms.

Leia’s protests came quickly. “What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed, but Han continued without answering her. She tried to dig her boots into the icy floor and pull free from his grasp, but couldn’t stop his forward progress no matter how hard she tried.

Han came to a stop suddenly for a couple of reasons, catching Leia by surprise. First, he had to get his bearings. In his anger he hadn’t paid close attention to where has was going and glancing around he realized they were close to Leia’s quarters. Second, Leia was yanking on his arm so hard and protesting even more he thought she might actually start yelling and draw attention to both of them.

Wheeling on her, his tight lipped scowl had her forgetting her desire to escape. Normally that much anger from him would have someone backing away from him.But not Leia. She held her ground. 

“Look, Your Worship, we need to hash this out once and for all,” he replied.  He held up a finger silencing her before she could say anything. “And you know it.”

“I am not about to go anywhere with you, Captain,” she replied and made another vain attempt to break free.

Han watched a young Rebel walk by and Leia’s gaze followed his. “Do you really want to continue this

conversation out here where everyone can hear?”

Leia’s eyes dropped to the floor for a moment. When they met his again she gave the briefest of nods indicating her acquiescence to his demands. And when he resumed walking, she followed without resistance. Han took her the rest of the way still hanging on to her wrist. It must have of seemed odd to others, but no one said anything.

Even though Leia followed him without a word, it didn’t mean she wasn’t livid beyond all words. By the time they neared her quarters, she had a good head of steam going. She glared at the back of Han’s head imagining all the horrible things she could do to him. The worst jobs in the Rebellion would be his by the time she was done. If he stayed that was.

They reached her door and he stopped, stepping aside so she could palm them in. Standing next to him, she gave him a baleful look as she opened the door and could tell from his expression he had plenty on his mind. That was fine if Han had some things to say. So did she and he was mistaken if he thought he wasn’t about to get a tongue lashing beyond his imagination.

The door slid open and Han entered first holding her by the elbow to draw her in after him. With a quick wave of her hand, she palmed the door shut and swung around towards Han, ready to tear into him over his behavior.

What happened next caught her completely by surprise.

Han pulled her roughly to him and into a deep, fiery kiss. She hadn’t experienced anything like this ever. Han held her tight to him kissing her so hard and deep it was as if he was trying to pour all of his passion into her and make it her own. For a time it took all of her ability to breathe and even reason away and was several moments before she could form a coherent thought.

As the kiss broke and she came up for air, all Leia could do was stare at Han and she struggled to find the right words to say. Her lips still tingled from the feel of his and she had to admit it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. How could she protest when part of her mind, her body wanted to ask for more?

“What did you do that for?” she whispered, her eyes meeting his.Han studied her face carefully, noting her wide eyed expression, her pupils dilated to the point the normal brown color was almost black. He leaned in closer. “Something to remember me by, Princess,” he whispered.

It wasn’t going to be enough. Not for either of them as they stared at each other. They both knew it wasn’t going to be enough. In an instant, Han grabbed Leia again. Pushing her against the door, he pinned her to it and continued what he had started, bending his head down to kiss her. His kisses were almost a passionate plea as his lips moved against hers; his tongue gently probed, testing the waters. And Leia couldn’t help but reply.

She shifted slightly, deepening the kiss, making it her own, spearing her tongue past his. She felt his leg press along the inside of hers, a taut, hard pressure, brushing up and down against it. She felt the strangest urge, an odd itch to run her hands under his shirt and find his skin. More than anything she wanted to feel all of him, the pressure of his whole body against hers. Her hands fisted into his hair, drawing him even closer. His hands found her waist and when he lifted her up, pulling her flush against him, she didn’t resist. Instead she looped her arms around his neck.

Han groaned at the feel of her body in his arms, the pressure of her tiny weight on him. It was a dream it had to be. Surely he would wake up any minute but when Leia pulled him even closer, he knew it wasn’t. Leia was really in his arms and wanting him as much as he wanted her.

He made his way to the bunk with her, nipping her mouth, neck, anywhere he could reach, fully expecting her to object at any second. But when the protests didn’t come, he took the last few steps.

They fell to the bunk together in a heap not really paying attention to how they landed. They were too wrapped up in kissing each other and trying to get at each other to be concerned with whom was on top or what position they needed to be in. For now it was enough to be close and get as close as possible. At some point his jacket slid down his shoulders and he rose above her, kneeling on the bed so that he could easily yank it off. As he loomed over her, looking down at her, Leia could feel that urge to touch him rise again, that itch she had to feel his skin under her hands and feel every bit of him and was confused by the sensation. His hands roamed over her and she could feel the heat from them, the desire radiating from them even through the quilted material of her suit. Overwhelmed by the urge and the sensations he was bringing up in her, she gave into it. She thought it odd her hands were shaking as she moved them to the fasteners of his shirt, but ignored the reaction and began to undo them, revealing the skin and body underneath. She heard him release a shaky breath and her eyes met his. They were clouded over with a haze of growing desire. And she continued on. Han decided to help and tugged his shirt tails free and they made quick work of the rest of the garment, tossing it aside.

They looked at each other then, their thoughts almost passing between them. Han continued to caress her, enjoying even that much contact. But he needed more. He reached for the zipper on her snowsuit. Her hands joined his, helping to unzip it. His blood rushed as he caught a glimpse of what was inside, a hint of her skin and lace of undergarments. He pushed the suit off her shoulders wanting to reveal of all of her and his gaze locked with hers as he did. She was beginning to shake and he could see the thoughts coming back into her eyes, filling them with doubt and uncertainty. She was beginning to think again and he couldn't have that.

Wanting to remove all of her concerns, he bent down over her, taking her face in his hands and stealing her breath away with a kiss. By the time he was done, he wanted no doubts, no regrets. He wanted them both to fully understand exactly what he had meant.  He started a flurry of kisses and caresses, never letting her rest or stop for even a moment. The rest of their clothes peeled away methodically, ruthlessly, until there was truly nothing between them and they were completely skin to skin and open to each other. He normally would have hesitated when he moved to enter her. She was ready that much he could tell, but he might have asked if she was sure. But this was not a time for doubt or hesitation. He wanted to take her to a nameless place free of thought and meant to do exactly that. He only stopped as the first moment of connection sunk in. And as he took her, she pulled him close and held him tight, giving her implicit permission. He kissed her deeply and kept going, driving them both off the edge together and her hips arched into his as they fell into sheer, mindless pleasure.

With Leia's body still quaking, they collapsed to the bunk with a gasp, too stunned to move. After several long moments of recovering and contemplating what in the Sith had just happened, Han started to move first. He pushed to sitting and took a spot just down from her hips, to lean against the bulkhead. He angled himself so his feet dangled off the bunk. He sat there studying Leia, wondering what she was thinking. Did she get his point? Was she regretting any of it? She was sexy as hell laying there naked, tendrils of hair falling loose from her braid and the thought crossed his mind how much he'd love to stay in bed with her the rest of the day. It was hard to tell and even harder for him not to talk about what had happened. He had meant it when he said they need to hash this out. He let out a breath.

"Now you see what I mean?" he asked, his voice low and gruff.

"Yes," was her quiet reply, but she didn't look at him. She paused to daintily pull the sheet across her body, tucking it over her breasts. "And while I’d admit that there is attraction between us on some level, it doesn't change anything."

Han's mouth dropped open. After all of that, after what just happened between them, she was going to say that? He was certain it had been quite an experience for him and was pretty sure it had been for her too. And this was how she was going to react?

"How can you say that?" he said and shook his head, it dawning on him what she might be thinking. "If you think this is just a one night stand, Leia, you're wrong."

"It's the middle of the day, Han."

"You know what I meant.” He could see it instantly in her eyes, the walls she kept so tightly around her already going up again. The progress he had just made with her, he had made in opening her up to him was slipping away before his eyes and moved towards her quickly, scrambling to keep to it from totally disappearing. He reached out for her, wanting to reassure her, but she was pivoting off the bed before he could get a good hold on her and leaving him a second too late.

Leia had to move. She couldn't stay with what he was about to say. She stepped towards the bulkhead of the bunk not looking at him. She couldn't. She knew he might say that type of thing. Had known it somehow and what she had been afraid of all along. There was no way she could let him see the regret she was certain would be in her eyes. Let him see how easily she could give into him again. It would be far too easy to return to him, to let him convince her. She took her time tucking the sheet around the rest of her body, making a show of it, giving her the time she needed to collect herself.

“This isn't just a fling for me. It doesn’t have to be if you don’t want it to,” he told her.

"You're still leaving, aren't you?" she asked as she finished covering herself. She finally turned to face him and his eyes darted away from her. There was too much resignation and guilt flooding through him to look at her.

"Yes."

Leia nodded and waited for him to look at her. She gathered herself up into a more regal stance. "And I have my duties. Responsibilities to myself, to my people, to the Alliance. I have a war to help win." Her shoulders rose with the deep breath she let out. "So from where I stand, nothing has changed."

He knew with those words things were a done deal. There was no more convincing her today that things could be different, that they could be more. Not at this point. There was a softness, almost sadness in his eyes as he stared at her. "I think we may be missing a good opportunity here, Leia."

She considered his words for a moment, but didn't say anything before moving towards the refresher. She needed to get back to work and that was her main goal and purpose as always. She paused at the edge of the refresher and held there, glancing back over her shoulder at him. "Maybe. But facts are facts, Han. And no amount of wanting in the galaxy is going to change that." She disappeared into the refresher without another word leaving Han alone and shaking his head. As he collected his clothes he wondered if she had gotten his point at all. And wondered exactly what would it take to make a crack in her armor once and for all.

Joint Story: The Sequel - Chapter 24

Zyra and I found this photo on our last Star Wars image search 

and we both found it completely hilarious.

On another note:  I've debated on how to handle this chapter and had some pretty good (and devious ideas) but I went with as I had written it a few weeks ago.  Hope you guys enjoy.)

Joint Story:  The Sequel - Chapter 24

There was so many things Leia wanted to say.  Watching that holo of their wedding had...affected her.  She longed to be the person she had seen on that film.  Like a young girl wishing to emulate a famous actress in an award-winning play, it was a dream to strive for but something that felt grossly unattainable.  Could she ever kiss Han like that?  Would he ever say those kinds of words to her while in a sober mind?  She may never know.  She had ruined it.  Everything she had said the night before was coming back to haunt her, every word a hard slap in the face from the emptiness of their meaning to the devastating affect they had had on Han.  He was gone again.  Unable to locate him after he left the class, she had returned to the Falcon alone.


She went through the routine of the evening by herself, every second, every movement spent in anticipation of his arrival. By the time she had showered and slipped on her sleeping clothes, she had given up any hope of seeing him.  She climbed into her - his - bunk.  Excitement, guilt and anxiety was slowly turning into hurt, anger and apathy.  This was why she hadn't wanted to succumb to him, this-

Her vicious thoughts were cut off by the sound of the Falcon's ramp lowering followed by the sound of quiet footfalls pacing across the interior of the ship.  Her heart had leaped into her throat and she held her breath as she tried to get some bearings as to where he might be.  She heard the clinking of glasses and the banging of cabinet doors. He was in the galley.  What to do now, she wondered.  Her anger, the hurt of the loneliness he had left her in had vanished, like some fair-weathered friend in a dense storm.  The only thing left was guilt, her regret and it clung to her in silent resignation willing her to finally give in to that what she had been hopelessly fighting all this time.

She climbed out of bed and headed toward the galley, not even bothering with a robe.  When she came around the corner she spotted him.  He stood in profile to her, he was facing the cabinet and sipping on his drink.  He did not turn to greet her, though it was obvious that he knew she was there.  He smelled like a cantina and something flashed through her as she imagined what he might've been doing while she had sat here and stewed waiting for him.  But it was not anger, it was a possessive jealousy that spurred her on even more.  She wanted to be the one that he ran to when he ran away from all else.  She no longer wanted to be his pain, to provide it like spoiled food to a starving man knowing that he was helpless to refuse it.  She took one more step so that she was in the galley.   

"Han, I'm sorry."

He didn't turned to look at her, he didn't even acknowledge her at all as he poured more whiskey into his glass.

She continued, "I'm sorry for what I said last night.  I'm sorry for whatever torture I've put you through, I didn't mean to.  Honestly, I don't know who that person was in that holorecording.  I wish I could meet her.  I can see why you...loved her.  But that isn't me.  That isn't the me that fate has allowed."  She paused, then added, "I think it's the me that could've been, if everything..." Had turned out differently, she said to herself.

He didn't say anything.  His gaze remained trained on his glass of whiskey on the counter.  Hedid not drink from it, opting to stare at the amber fluid and perhaps get his inebriation vicariously through quiet study.  She got the feeling that he had given up on her and something deep within her, low down at the floor of her belly twisted at the thought.  Why had she been pushing this man away, he that was the only one to bring that part of her forth?  That girl in the holo all full of life, energy and happiness.  That girl that didn't even have the right to exist anymore, that part of her that Leia had sequestered away in the corner of her being like a disobedient child.  It had not felt right to feel such joy, except...

"Han."  Her voice was a desperate whisper, it reached out to him just the same as if she had physically grabbed for him.  He showed no reaction, not even a flinch and the implications of that demonstration of willpower tore through her like a blaster bolt. "Han, can't we go back?  Can we erase what I said last night?  I don't think I meant it.  I mean, I know now that I was lying to myself.  Please."  She wanted him to turn to her, to take her in his arms and do what he pleased with her - with his hands, his lips with every fiber of his being.  But his only response was to take a sip of his drink. 

Whether he was tired, or angry or just plain in the mood to toy with her, she could tell that he was content on making her work for it - for him.  Perhaps, at this juncture, that was his right. She swallowed.  Leia Organa had never wanted to work so hard for something in her entire life.  But for all her training, for all her natural inclinations to do with ease that which others held as impossible, this was something she did not feel so sure about.  This was an occupation she had not spent any time considering or studying.  The art of seduction.  Perhaps that's why it took a drug and a drunken night for her to get Han Solo into her bed.  Surely anything else that she had wanted so badly would've been conquered by now.  But not him.  He was the one thing that had not come easily to her, would not come easily for her.  And for all of his complaints and claims that he sat waiting as some jilted lover on the banks of of a river of rebuff and denial, he seemed just as unsure of the delicate path forward as she was.

His hand moved upward for him to take another drink and she grabbed his wrist, stopping him.  He finally (finally!) turned to look upon her.  His eyes were calm, serene, accepting, as someone who has been promised over and over some rich reward yet has come to accept that reward would never come.  She took the glass from his hand and placed it on the counter and took a step toward him so that one breath closer and she would be in his arms.  Drink me, taste me is what she tried to convey as she positioned herself between him and the whiskey.  His arms did not encircle her but a hint of curiosity - and perhaps hope - brushed across his features.  She concentrated on that emotion, that flicker of something that contradicted his solemn facade.

She ran an unsure hand up his chest, settled a moment on his neck, stroking the soft flesh there before she ended up cupping his cheek.  The gesture felt right, gentle and loving with a hint of reverence, reverence toward something that she held a deep desire to cherish and to own.  He closed his eyes and brought his hand up to cover hers.  Twisting his face he planted his lips on the palm of her hand and kissed it.  The innocent gesture sent an electric thrill winding down her core and ending up with a warm flare in the center of her body.  She grabbed his face with both hands, while in her mind's eye she saw herself do similar in the holo and she closed her eyes and watched it play out once again.  Then, in perfect imitation, all gentleness gone from her touch, she brought his mouth down to meet hers violently releasing every pent up sliver of passion that she had worked for so long to avoid.

His reaction was immediate as if they had choreographed the move years ago.  She was in his arms, the length of their bodies pressing tightly against each other.  She could feel every vein pulsing beneath his skin, his need pressed against her belly, his mouth invading her with desire and pleasure and overwhelming her senses to the point of collapse.  Surprised by the intensity of it, of her actions and his reactions, she drew back.  He misread her, she could tell by the look on his face, a look she swore she would never be the cause of again.  "No," she said, placing her hands on the sides of his face.  "I just...need a breath."

His face relaxed, his lips pressed together tightly as he looked down at her.  "I love you, Leia," he said. 

They were his first words to her that evening and the only words that she wanted so desperately to hear.  But he had said them as one states an ultimatum.  He said them as if drawing a line in the sand between the past and wherever they were to move forward.  She had never seen him so serious.  She had never been more frightened in her entire life.  For him it was a line in the sand, for her it was jumping into some unknown chasm that promised everything yet could be nothing at all.  Then, in one quiet moment, like that little girl she remembered on vacation in the mountains of Aldera as she followed her father off a high-dive cliff, she closed her eyes, held her breath...and jumped.

"I love you, too," she replied as her eyes opened.  Her hands were still on the sides of his face and he took each one in turn and kissed her open palms.  His smile was so innocent, so radiant that she thought she could see the reflection of it on his face, doubling its effect.  She smiled back and that was all that he had needed, the only signal of which he was waiting to proceed.

He drew her up against him once more, earnestly and possessively.  The counter of the small galley was at her back and as their kiss deepened he picked her up and sat her on the counter, settling between her knees as he knocked the whiskey out of the way.  From this new vantage point she was eye level with him and she doubled her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.  He groaned, the tortured groan of which she had never heard the likes of before but somehow inherently knew its meaning.  The ache inside of her blossomed in response as he ran his hands up the sides of her thighs.

His hands continued up and under her night shorts and panties sliding behind her to cup the cold, soft flesh there and urging her forward, thrusting himself against her in demonstration of his need, his intent, his only desire.  She grunted in response, her thigh muscles like liquid compliantly spreading to accommodate his form.  His mouth left her lips, allowing the sounds of her desire to escape freely as he assaulted her neck and his hands moved to ghost up beneath her shirt and find her breasts.  She clutched him, clutched his head to her breasts and moaned.  He pulled back, picked her up, her legs wrapping around his torso as they kissed fiercely like the young lovers they now were and he carried her, very deliberately, to the Captain's Quarters.  He set her on the bed so that she was standing on the mattress before him.  Once again, more slowly this time, tortuously slow, he assaulted her breasts now at his eye level, while somewhere in the back of her mind she felt her sleep shorts gliding down her hips until she was stepping out of them, doing whatever it was that was necessary for him to do more.  He moved down her belly and below with his mouth, pressing his moist lips against the thin fabric of her panties.  He remained there, the heat of his breath sending a hot thrill of pleasure up her body and rushing through her brain like a cool breeze.  She ran her fingers through his hair, absently thinking that it would hurt if she fell from here as her knees wobbled unsteadily beneath her. 

"Han," she said breathlessly.

He worked his way back up her body, his lips blazing a trail that his fingers eagerly followed.  "Yes," he whispered back as he kissed and sucked at her neck.

She tilted her head, granting him full access to that part of her body that he wanted to conquer now.  She moved her legs, holding on to him as she stepped down off of the bed.  "I want-"  She started, now looking up at him.  She wanted to undress him, pleasure him, and own him as he was doing to her.  But she had no idea where to begin.  She was not nervous, merely overwhelmed.  It was like looking at the control panel of a starship for the very first time and not knowing which button or lever to manipulate first.

Han helped her decide by wordlessly removing his shirt.  She watched as her hands ran up the length of his torso, fanning out as they reached his chest.  Han sucked in a ragged breath in reaction to her innocent touch.  She was really doing this, it was still an incredible reality that she found hard to accept.  When she heard the clasp of his trousers click open and the distinct sound of a zipper traveling southward, she decided it was all very real indeed.  Her hands had made their way to his neck and she drew him down for another searing kiss.  When they parted his posture straightened and he ran his thumb over her swollen lower lip.

His trousers were still open, hanging on his hips.  He held her gaze as she took her hands and slid them down his body, taking the loose fabric along with them.  When she straightened back up, he stepped out of the puddle of material beneath him and she realized vaguely what they were about to do, what was about to happen.  Of course she had known where this course was taking them, physically, but only now did she think of it as something else.  She had never done this before, she would be giving him that.  And without having done it before, it was a blind gift, a blank check.  What if it was for more than she could cover - emotionally?  What would this mean when they returned to the Alliance?  Would they be a couple?

"Hey, you still with me?"  He asked, looking down at her.  In his face she could tell that he had sensed the change in her mood. 

"Yes, I...I don't know," she answered honestly.

"Do you want to stop?"

Did she?  No matter the consequences, no matter what the future held, she knew with certainty that she did not.  She shook her head.  "No," she said confidently.

He hesitated no further as he went about undressing her and what he did with his hands - his mouth - she had never thought possible to share such a thing with another.  It was right that she had fought this, she decided, that she had at least approached it with some cautious trepidation,  for it was more than an act of a man and a woman succumbing to the very basest of desires, it was opening herself up to another in a way that made the embarrassment of her mere naked body a silly, schoolgirl concern.  This was more than the exposure of naked flesh, so much more.  Her body was his, he laid claim to it in every way that he desired, bringing forth a pleasure that she had never imagined possible, leaving her with wanting only one thing in the entire universe - more. 

He climbed back up her body as her muscles quivered with the aftershocks of what he had just done.  She bent her knees and held him cradled against her as he gently kissed her mouth.  This was the moment that she would give herself to him in the most intimate way possible.  She could feel him ready and waiting pressing against her as he kissed her.  Never before had she felt so vulnerable yet so safe in all of her life.  He slid his hand down between them and glided himself against her, teasing at her entrance.  Her hips pushed up against him, her body aching for some fulfillment that she mentally held some vague notion of but couldn't quite understand.  How could she want something with such certainty, such clarity of thought and desire, when it was something she had never experienced before?  It was if her entire insides ached to be pressed outward by his fulfillment of her. 

And then he was there, pressing himself into her slowly, in answer to her unspoken need and the pain she felt was reflected on his features as he pulled back to look at her.  He dropped his head down to rest in the crook of her neck and he groaned against her skin as he moved to fully enter her.  Her fingernails wrenched against the soft skin of his back as she fought through the exquisite agony that slowly dissipated into a nebulous bud of promised pleasure.  His hips moved against her as the slick skin between them aided the motion's ease.

She breathed out in wordless sounds of surprise, enjoyment and earnest encouragement, her own hips moving in time with the rhythm and pace that he was setting.  She felt something twisting and growing inside of her, some pressured buildup of release that had her begging him not to stop.  He groaned in response to her pleas, driving himself deeper inside of her, loosing all rhythm or pace and letting go to some other kind of movement that drove them both toward that same desire for release.  When she cried out at the moment she had attained it, he shuddered deeply in response.  His hips answered with several erratic thrusts and then they were still, save the ragged breaths brought on by their shared exhaustion.