Fame and the Force

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

When Leia woke the next morning her head was pounding like someone was beating a hydrospanner on her skull, and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with dried out, alcohol soaked rags. Blinking, she opened her eyes to a steaming cup of kaf sitting on the nightstand next to her so she clumsily reached for it, very nearly tipping the container over before her fingers found the handle.

"Are you feeling better?" Han's voice asked from somewhere in the room.

"Too loud," Leia whispered, struggling to sit up. She noted that Han was perched at the foot of the bed, fully showered, shaved and getting dressed in rather formal clothes. "Talk softer."

"I'm speaking in a perfectly normal tone of voice," Han replied, looking down to fasten a cuff link to his sleeve.

"Why are you dressed so nicely this early in the morning?"

Han sighed. "Leia, it's 09:00. Luke is getting married in two time-parts. We're the Honor Attendants, in case you've forgotten."

"Oh, my!" Leia gasped, eyes wide. "It's Luke's wedding day! I'm not ready!" She stood to go to the refresher, then swayed unsteadily. "I believe I'm hung-over."

"Yeah, I'll bet you're hung-over, Sweetheart" Han said dryly, picking up a bottle of pain tablets from the dresser and handing them to her. "Take a shower then maybe last night's events will come back to you."

By his clipped tone, Leia knew something was wrong. "What happened last night?"

"You mean besides coming home plastered, trying to shock your Jedi twin brother over to the dark side by taking Mara to a stripper joint, and almost getting arrested for solicitation? Besides that?"

"There's more?" she asked in horror.

"Yeah." Han stood up, his face tight with tension. "You also might've called me Han Solo in front of all the guys, an' only two actually knew I was Han Solo."

Leia put both hands across her mouth in shock. "No..."

"Yes, you did." Han gave a short, humorless laugh, his eyes hard. "So then, Luke had to explain things while I got you washed up and into bed. Thanks a lot, Sweetheart, for outing me in front of almost everyone. You should've just waited until toasting Luke and Mara at the reception, 'cuz then you could've outed me in front of absolutely everyone."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry doesn't shove the Wishing Wraith back in the ol' booze bottle, does it?"

"I don't know what to say," Leia whispered, unable to move from the side of the bed. It felt like something had frozen her feet to the floor. Betraying his trust and telling his secret felt like yet another strike against her. How many times would he forgive these mistakes and horrible lapses in judgement before he decided he'd had enough and move on with his life, without her? "You must hate me."

"I don't hate you," Han responded. "I could never hate you, Leia, because I love you too much." He shook his head in dismay. "What I hate is knowing everyone's now aware that Evin Daysun is Han Solo. It makes me want to jump on the Princess and disappear into the Unknown Regions for the next sixty or so years."

"Han..."

"Leia, please!" Han snapped toward her. "Call me Evin from now on, okay? Maybe then all the Jedi Students won't find out my shit-poor secret today. Maybe." He spun on his heel and marched out of the bedroom, leaving Leia still rooted to the same spot, struggling to hold back her tears.