Disclaimer: I did not write this to make money, these characters are the property of George Lucas and Co. Thank you Dianora for helping me with the editing and spell checking! SIGNS OF SPRING Monique Robertson Pre-dawn winds fiercely ripped around the surface on the ice planet of Hoth. The murky gray of the rising sun fought for and eventually started to gain territory over the frigid darkness of night and brought with it the promise of a new day, of hope. Hidden inside a large cavern, most of the Rebel Alliance personnel were just starting to stir out of their thermal cocoons as they braced themselves and made themselfes ready for the endless tasks that would make up the coming day. One particular rebel, Princess Leia Organa had paced herself into exhaustion as she waited for the goddess of fate to deal her hand to the two men closest to her. To the two men who had been stuck out in that endless night with only the most rudimentary of supplies for protection. Folding her arms around herself, she bent her head and yet again cursed the universe for expecting her to endure yet another personal loss. And it was personal. After Alderaan, Leia never expected to be able to feel alive again. So much had been taken from her that she beleived that she had nothing left to give except loyalty and duty. The images of Luke and Han flashed before her eyes and she winced. She had been so very wrong about her capacity to feel, her ability to love. And finally, to her innermost self, she addmitted that she did loved them both. For her to admit her love for Luke was easy, they had almost immediatly shared a close emotional bond between them that was almost eerie in it’s strengh and intensity. It was always there, like a warm balm against her battered soul. Han however, was an entierly different matter. The emotions that he evoked in her were tumultuous, fierce and confusing to say the least. He could make her angrier than anyone she had ever known. He could make her laugh herself silly and although she would never show it to him, he also had the power to upset her to the point of tears. He wasn’t her type, they were literaly world apart in social upbringing, but yet.... When he held her, when he wrapped his strong arms around her in either comfort or celebration she felt safe, at peace, cherished. The emotions he made her feel frightened her as much as they lured her towards him. She knew that he desired her physically, that had been fairly evident on the few occasions when he had held her close. And although she had little or no sexual expereince to counter his, the real threat from Han Solo came from the man that he kept hidden behind that arrogant swagger and cocky demenor. Usually the cynical smuggler ruled Han Solo’s persona, but every now and again she caught glimpses of the generous and caring man that he really was. This last selfless act of going out into the Hoth night to rescue Luke only confirmed what she had suspected about him for so long. Underneath that tough hide of his hid the man to whom she had recklessly given her heart. She only hoped that if she ever saw him alive again that she would have to courage to ask him to stay for an entirely different reason then a loyalty to the Reble Alliance. Bending her head with the force of her greif she realized belatedly that she had not forgotten how to pray. ********************* Just as worried for his co-pilot and bond-friend, Chewbacca watched mournfully as the tiny princess paced a rut into the icy floor in front of the Falcons’ docking moors. Finally, he saw Leia grab one of the Falcons’ struts and lean against it as shudders of fatigue and sorrow rolled over her small frame. Woofing softly to catch her attention, he gently took her startled form into his arms and sat down on the landing ramp. Cradling her as he would one of his own cubs, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. She protested at first but then looked up into his soft and compassionate eyes and gave in to his strength, burying her head against his furry chest. The tears that she had held locked inside of her silently fell and she clutched at him tightly until a tidlewave of exhaustion engulfed her. Unable to sleep at all, Chewbacca sat there with her until dawn. Breaking out of a silent reverie, he noticed General Reeiken walking towards him and growled softly in greeting. Noticing the Princess in the Wookiee’s protective embrace the general sighed in relief. “I looked for her at her quarters and figured that she must be somewhere around the Falcon.” He ran a distracted hand through his hair and shook his head “I hope to the gods that they both come back all right. She’s lost so much already and I know that Luke and Han mean a great deal to her.” A tired grin lit his face “though I’d probably have to drag that confession out of her about Han.” Chewbacca gave the general a sad but toothy grin and nodded in agreement. The prickly relationship between this small but stubborn Princess and his best friend had been a source of much amusement to the Wookiee over the past several years. He just hoped that Han had survived Hoth’s bitter night. At this point the site of those two bickering again would be a welcome one. An Alliance soldier came towards them with a datapad and caught the generals attention. “Sir, the speeders are ready to go.” Reeiken nodded “send them out immediately.” He glanced over at Chewbacca and his small charge “can you let her sleep for a bit longer? It’s going to be at least a half hour before we know anything and she needs the rest.” Chewie barked a soft affirmative and tightened his arms around Leia slightly. Han had been in some pretty bad situations before but the thought of the two frail humans out in the bitter wastelands all night long with such insufficient provisions frightened Chewbacca more than he cared to admit. The general gave the flight officer permission to proceed and moments later the newly re-fitted speeders flew out into the brilliant light of the new dawn. *********************** Han Solo sat back agianst his seat on the emergency transport shuttle and released a weary sigh. ‘Just barley made it through that one Solo’ he thought to himself caustically. ‘Wonder what I’ll do for my next stupid stunt.’ He shook his head at himself, as a general rule he tried to avoid suicidal heroics but this was the second time that he had put himself in front of death to save Skywalkers hide. He glanced over at the kid and noticed that he looked much better since the medics had hooked him up to a thermal life support system. Han rubbed his head tiredly but allowed a sense of accomplishment to sweep over him. He’d done it, he’d gotten them both back alive. He wondered if he’d get another medal from her highnessness. The thought of Leia wiped the grin off of his face and he wondered if she had worried about him last night. He knew she’d worry over Luke, he thought disgustedly, ‘she fusses over him like a momma bird with one chick.’ Han considered the situation for a bit and then started to feel more hopefull ‘well I did rescue the kid, that ought to count for something.’ The image of Leia thanking him very nicly kept him warm for the rest of the flight back to base. ********************* Touching down on the landing platform, the emergency shuttle was immediatly surrounded by medical personnel as they swarmed over the still form of Commander Skywalker and hurried him off to the med center. Leia had walked towards the proceedings with growing concern and started to head in the same direction until she heard the very distinct voice of Captain Solo grouchily demanding the right to get to the med center on his own steam. She could see the dismayed looks on the medical personell from where she was and she watched as Han stumbled down the landing ramp. He didn’t get far as Chewbacca had been waiting next to the landing pad for the past 20 minitues and he grabbed the Correlian in a Wookiee hug as soon as he saw him. “Hey Chewie take it easy here, I’m all right.....Put me down!” Chewbacca finaly released him and then stood back to make sure his friend was still in one peice. *Rrrworrllll waiirrragghh?* he asked with a concerned tone. “Yeah, I’m ok. Probably have a slight case of frostbite but I was able to get the shelter up pretty quickly and that Alliance issue thermal generator worked amazingly well to keep us warm. I’m going to check on Luke and I’ll let the doc look at me, quickly mind you, but then I’m coming back to the Falcon to crash.” A shudder of releaf went through Leia at his words accopanied by a tumble of confusing emotions as she hurried toward them. ‘Now what’ she thought to herself. Innerly debating for a moment she finally settled on the direct approach. Bolstering her courage as he spotted her walking toward him, she plastered a cheerful smile on her face. “Han, I’m glad you and Luke are back safely.” As she got closer to him she noticed that he was trembling with fatigue and part of her stiff facade melted. She gently put a hand on his arm and was alarmed at the unusuall coolness of his skin “Han, don’t you think you should let the doctors decide whether or not you should stay at the med center for a while? You could have suffered something more serious than a mild case of frostbite.” Surprised by her concern and the tender caress of her hand he started to reply with a teasing comment on how worried she must have been about him, and then he looked in to her eyes and saw the dark circles of fatigue under her eyes and the teltale signs of teartracks down her fair cheeks. Tossing caution to the winds, he said nothing for a moment and then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly in a life-confirming embrace. Startled by his action, Leia stiffened in his arms for a moment but then fiercely returned his hug. They pulled apart after a long moment and looked at each other, not sure what to say to the other and yet desperatly needing to somehow express the emotions that raged within them both. An akward silence settled over them and Han finally sighed and kissed Leia softly on the forehead “think I could get an escort to the Med Center?” Leia smiled at him, and placed her hand on his arm “I think I can manage that.” They started off toward medical and Chewbacca followed slightly behind the pair, grinning to himself as Han casually draped his arm around the princess as they walked. He didn’t know if his friend knew it or not, but Han was definatly down for the count where Leia was concerned. It was going to be interesting to watch these two in the coming months as their uneasy courtship progressed. Chewbacca knew that he and Han had to pay Jabba off, but he would bet his very last credit that his friend would find some excuse to get back to the Alliance as soon as possible. Chewie grinned at himself as he remembered the terror and absolute confusion that he himself had gone through when he had met Malla. His heart had told him that she was his chosen-one, but it had taken them over five years before they had finally settled down to wedded bliss. He guessed he couldn’t blame Han for still fighting the inevitible, it had only been 3 years after all. Lauging to himself, Chewbacca caught up with the pair and wound a strong, hairy arm around them both as they walked toward medical.