Summary: On Leia�s 20th birthday Han gives her the best gift ever.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of The Star Wars Saga.
Rate: PG-13
Category: Romance/Drama
�Princess,� Han said.
�Captain Solo,� Leia said.
�You know that Luke�s birthday is in four days,� Han said.
�Yes,� Leia said.
�Isn�t yours the same day,� Han asked.
�Yes it is,� Leia said.
�Chewie and me were going to have a little party for him nothing to big if you want you could come,� Han said.
�Thanks�I�ll try to make it,� Leia said.
Neither Luke nor Chewie knew that Leia was invited which was good since she didn�t show and Han became a little sad. But didn�t show that to Luke or Chewie he just gave Luke his present and played some card games and ate real food. Han hadn�t realized how important Luke was to him until that night when he saw how much Luke likes his present. Luke and Chewie were asleep so Han decided to give Leia her present. He went to her quarters and beeped on her door and she answered and gave her best to keep her posture. She welcomed him in the room and gave him a slight smile and told him to seat down anywhere. Her eyes were puffy and red and he could tell she had been crying. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid and she had her usual white outfit on.
�I could come back,� Han said.
�No�you want something to drink,� Leia asked.
�Sure,� Han said.
�Good I�ll make me my fourth and him his first,� Leia mumbled hoping he didn�t hear but he did.
�Princess are you sure you want me to stay,� Han asked as she came with two drinks.
�Yes�please call me Leia we�re not on duty,� Leia said.
�You know you�re almost drunk,� Han said concerned.
�Nope�I�ve drank this stuff since before I was 15,� Leia said.
�Fifteen so your what now 20,� Han asked.
�Yep,� Leia said softly.
�Happy Birthday Leia,� Han said handing her a small box.
Leia looked at the box as she put down her drink then took it from his hands and bit her lip while looking at him again. She gave a small smile when she started to open it and Han smiled back. The wrapping was off and now she was holding a velvet box and she opened it to find a necklace. It was a gold chain with a charm that looked Corellian but she could have been wrong, she took it out of the box and gave him another smile.
�Han you didn�t have to,� Leia said.
�I know�I bought Luke a new blaster and when I saw this I thought you might like it,� Han said.
�It�s beautiful thank you,� Leia said.
�I�ll let you return to what ever you were doing,� Han said.
�Han thank you�it seems you�re the only one who remembered it was my birthday,� Leia said.
�Luke remembered,� Han said.
�I know but you�re the first person,� Leia said and he understood.
�Leia it�s still early�if you want we could leave base and go somewhere,� Han said.
�I don�t know,� Leia said.
�It�s your birthday forget the rules and just have fun for one night� Han said.
�Give 10 minutes to change,� Leia said.
Han took his seat again and watched her as she left into the part that was her bedroom and could her go through her closet. He sat and waited wondering what happen to the Princess Leia he�d met two years before. For the first time he was seeing her for the person she hide from everyone else. She was showing him that she too got lonely and on days like this you needed a person to be with. She walked out a little over ten minutes later with black pants and a sleeveless dark red shirt that clung to her in the right places, she had on her belt that cared her blaster and the necklace he gave her was around her neck. She didn�t look like the teenager he had seen and met two years ago for the first time he was seeing the woman she�s become.
�Ok let�s go,� Leia said putting the last pin in her hair.
�Remember this is your birthday night out so I get to chose where we go,� Han said.
�I�m in your hands Captain,� Leia said and Han smiled back.
It wasn�t hard to get out of the base as they started on their night out for her birthday. Han looked around not knowing where to take her he just needed a few minutes to think. He knew that neither of them was dressed for any of the places she was used to, but then again she wouldn�t like any of the places he was used to. Then he knew just the place he wanted to go to, it was a good place to eat and you didn�t have to be rich to get in and it wouldn�t have any of the scum he used to hang around with.
�Come on this way,� Han said.
�Where are we going,� Leia said.
�To get something to eat,� Han said.
The place was outside where the moonlight showed over the water that was their left and Han smile when he saw the look in her eye. He took her to a table and ordered them something to drink and a little something to eat while he noticed her looking around and looked at the water. He then saw her happiness go to the pain he saw in her eyes earlier today and knew why she was crying.
�Leia it�s not your fault,� Han said and Leia looked at him.
�I know�it�s just I feel guilty that I can have fun and they can�t,� Leia said.
�Is that why you put yourself so far away from everyone,� Han said.
�Yes,� Leia said biting her lower lip again.
�He�s be proud of you�but you need to let go and start to live,� Han said.
�But all I know is work,� Leia said.
�Then I�ll teach you,� Han said as their drinks were put on the table.
They talked a little about anything and Han found it really easy to talk to her about almost anything. She told him about how she came to be in the rebellion and he in return told her about how he came to get hired by Luke, but left out Lando and Bria. After that he took her hand and started to drag her around the city showing her everything he knew about the planet but still kept a low profile. And for the first time tonight he saw her happy with only a little pain in her eyes, but a smile that made up for it. He had to agree this was the most fun he had had with a woman in years and in a small way he wished it would never end but knew it had to.
�Thanks this was the best gift anyone ever given me,� Leia said.
�Your welcome Leia,� Han said kissed her hand and left.
Leia watched Han walked down the hallway and until he turned the corner and she couldn�t see him again. She then went inside her quarters and fell on the couch and touched the necklace he had given her and let a small smile fall over her lips. She had seen Han in many different ways, but a gentleman was not one of then until tonight. She found herself falling for the smuggler who she had sworn she�d always hate.
Next Chapter: The Kiss