Beyond - Legends Irreconcilable Differences - Leia Vignette - Post-ROTJ

Irreconcilable Differences
Leia Vignette
Post-ROTJ

Author's Note: I'm warning you--I really think I'm stretching it here. About a week ago, I really couldn't sleep, and this story randomly came to mind. Above all, I hope my story is plausible, because that means a lot to me. If you really don't think this would ever happen--do let me know. Personally, I don't see this happening to dearest Han and Leia, but I've always enjoyed writing what I don't see for their futures. I also need so much more experience with different aspects of Leia's character that I constantly find myself writing Leia vignettes.

I originally wrote this for the Han/Leia WR's challenge thread. I squeezed in the three requirements: a blaster, bacta, and a back-rub--but I hadn't gone along with the main objective: Han and Leia are forced to spend a night together. Oops. That's why I posted this seperately; why I posted it at all, though, I haven't a clue. I don't like it much, but I'm bored, I can't sleep, and I've nothing better to do.

(Oh, and a big thanks to Sunshine for being my faithful beta, heehee.)

- - -

The sound of the suite's door opening pierces my ears; I know it's Han, even without the Force. Call it intuition, I guess.

My intuition also tells me that tonight, he'll be sober and perhaps even mildly coherent. I wonder idly if it's better to argue with a sober or drunk Han. A sober Han can actually argue, but a sober Han also has a tendency to misconstrue every little thing I say. A sober Han knows my weaknesses; he has a way of making me forget what it was I wanted to argue about in the first place.

On the other hand a drunk Han is frightening. He's never struck me--thankfully for him, he's never tried--but he becomes verbally violent. He says things I know he doesn't mean, and he also seems to enjoy throwing things across the room: pillows, chairs, silverware, or anything else within his reach.

I still haven't found the time to repair my lightsaber.

My Force senses heighten, and I realize he's walking towards me. He radiates pain, suffering, and guilt, but a very large part of me doesn't care one single bit. How can I honestly find it in myself to care for a man who--

"Leia," he says brusquely, approaching my small desk. Since I evicted him--two standard weeks ago, the same night as the lightsaber incident--I renovated our--my--suite into more or less an office. I told Mon Mothma and the High Council I'd be working at home for a little while, until "things" were "sorted out between my so-called husband and myself."

After that, I locked myself away. I haven't exactly seen my alleged husband for two weeks, or so he thinks. He hasn't come round the suite lately, but have seen him--drinking or already drunk--with friends and New Republic officials. Han still enjoys spending time with many of the Alliance generals, and they seem to delight in his company, too. But I know, from watching from afar, that after the generals leave and the party dies down, Han sits at the bar, drowning himself in liquor.

And this just hasn't been a recent thing. He's been doing it ever since... Ever since I decided to run in the galactic presidential election. For some reason he took the news quite drastically, and things went spiralling downwards from that day forth.

"What do you want?" I reply tersely, making no effort to turn around in my chair to face him.

I'm startled when he places his strong hands on my shoulders and tenderly begins kneeding them. Ordinarily, I would revel in this massage--Han's hands, although rough appearing, are strangely soft and gentle--but this isn't something I can take tonight. A mere massage isn't going to make up for the past two hellish weeks I've endured.

So, I tense up my muscles, hoping he'll receive the message. Thankfully, he not only understands, but complies and removes his hands. I allow my body a few moments to calm down and my mind a few more moments to rid itself of once appealing thoughts.

"Leia," he repe

 

Oh. My. God.

Puggy, that was so heart-wrenching! I'm so torn after reading that story. Part of me wants to say that Han would NEVER betray Leia, but then the other part of me remembers that Han still has a bit of scoundrel in him, and that a red-blooded male might slip in a moment of loneliness and despair.

Still having a hard time deciding--you really threw me for a loop when the infidelity thing came up. I almost stopped reading then, but it was a sort of morbid fascination paired with the great writing that kept me glued to the screen till the end.

Hmmm...sixteen and three months, eh? How many times have you been divorced, sweetie? This seems almost too realistic a divorce scenario even if I hate to admit it's plausible that it could happen to Han and Leia.

Great work!

 

We know that this would never happen, but if it did I swear that is how it would go. Nice job Puggy. I wanted to cry for both of them, yell at both of them for being so stubborn. Nice work!

 

Bad, Bad Puggy! (not the story.. YOU!) *sobs*

 

Puggy, hon, you know my feelings about this fic.

I tried to stop her, folks. I sobbed, I ranted, I raged. My editing of this fic was mostly me venting out my extreme hatred for Leia.

I mean, I seriously hate Leia.

It's wonderfully written and well-thought out and you even managed to get most of the elements of the challenge in there (*streamers*)- but Han and Leia break up.

Hence, my abhorrance of Leia.

I think the reason I detested Leia so much is because she still loved Han and she knew he loved her too, and she still filed for divorce. I can't STAND when that happens. The reason my world works is because I am a firm believer in amor vincit omnia- that love conquers all. Real life might prove me wrong, but oh well.

Leia, a team of dedicated and highly-trained professionals could've saved your marriage! *holds up Love Fern* You let it die!

Please, please don't be offended by this. Your Leia was absolutely perfect- her actions are very characteristic (it just kills me to say that. It does.) , and your writing was great, and i'm guessing that it's good that you managed to get me so incensed.

Passionate reactions are GOOD.

BTW, I love being your beta, dear. It makes me feel special.

 

Wow! [face_shocked] I'm still reeling from that one...hmm...nope, still in recovery!

Puggy...brilliant Job! . It was a very different story but great nevertheless.

Leia...was soooo perfect. You have portrayed her just as I remember her. She's an angry, cold, ice princess on the outside but a broken woman on the inside.
The conflict of emotions Puggy...amazing! Wow! [face_shocked] Leia's anguish, her anger over Han's infidelity, her heartache over losing Han. I can go on and on.

I think the part I found the most engrossing was where she blames herself-somewhere towards the end. She blames him outwardly, but inside she feels guilty. She feels responsible for his "straying".

This is so much like a real life situation Puggy and you've showed us a different side to the Han/Leia fics. And a deep look at Leia's thoughts in a situation as complex as this. She's a complex character-aren't we all -and you've worked magic with her.

Very well done indeed. Very moving, very sad and yet...beautifully done.

Hugs,

Humaira

 

*has tears in eyes*

Damn.

That was a good fic. I need something happy to cheer me up, now!

 

Ouch.

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

That was really tough to read.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. I think you've definitely nailed Han -- he'd keep trying to seek her forgiveness until the bitter end, but if she really insisted then he would give her what she wanted, no matter how much it hurt him to do it.

And I think you've captured very accurately the way Leia might react and feel in a situation like this, given your premise..... But I'm just not sure I can buy into the premise. I realize a lot of the EU has created a Leia who's rather cool and aloof and career-driven at the expense of her family, but I've always been troubled by it and the same goes here. I guess what I mean is: if Leia got to this point, then this is how she'd be. I just have real difficulty accepting that her character could ever get there. (Does that make any sense at all? ).

Anyway, great vignette!

 

*pelts Puggy with marshmallows, sobbing*

That was so sad!

*starts sobbing again*

 

Oh, this was so sad. I kept wanting them to reconcile in the end. At first I couldn't see this happening, but Han did go on drunken binges after Chewie died, so you never know what a person might do. You have a wonderful writing style, Puggy. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

*still crying*

*sniffle*

Hey, Puggy, you know what would make this all better? If you wrote a reconciliation sequel Go on... you know you want to...

 

Oh, Puggy, that was sooooo good! Yeah, ha ha, I think I'm messed up like you. I love Han and Leia, but there is something twistedly delightful about breaking them up. Maybe I'm a closet angst junkie, who knows. Great post, though! I'm glad this wasn't canon, but as a fanfic it was wonderful! You really nailed Leia, good job.

 

Puggy, That was so heart-wrenching, but very nicely done.



J_Girl

 

Two things to say and then I'm off to read my new Potter book (for real this time):
1) You are one hell of a writer Puggy.
2) WHY?!?!?!??!

 

LadyPadme: Part of me wants to say that Han would NEVER betray Leia

Part of me, too--a large part. But I like to take risks in my writing, heh. Thanks for the compliments, by the way.

Hmmm...sixteen and three months, eh? How many times have you been divorced, sweetie?

Well, first there was Anthony, who left me for my ex-best friend Jess... And then Greg, who said, "Things just aren't working out," and then... Heh, actually, I've never even had a boyfriend. Oh--and by the way, on Tuesday, I'll be a whole sixteen and four months. *Giggles*

starwarsfan68: I agree it would never happen, but for me, part of the fun of fanfic is writing the stuff no one can imagine ever happening.

GreatOne: What can I say? It's fun being evil once in awhile!

Sunshine: *Falls off her chair laughing* I love the fact that you hate my Leia, because that was so not the reaction I had expected from you.

Jedi_Humaira_Blaine: Thanks for your kind words!

I think the part I found the most engrossing was where she blames herself-somewhere towards the end. She blames him outwardly, but inside she feels guilty. She feels responsible for his "straying".

As I said, I don't have relationship experience, but I would think a lot of wives would feel responsible--especially Leia. I mean, this is the woman who will forever blame herself for the destruction of her home planet, despite the fact that, deep down, she knows there was nothing she could have done.

She's a complex character-aren't we all -and you've worked magic with her.

That's why I adore writing Han/Leia--they're both so complex, and you can just keep digging deeper and deeper into who they really are and put them in situations that explore the other parts of their characters. (By the way, I think I take fanfic way too seriously, lol)

crystalrain: *Hands you a tissue* No crying! I hate making people cry.

Hey, Puggy, you know what would make this all better? If you wrote a reconciliation sequel.

When you mentioned that, I thought about what a sequel vignette would be like... I dunno. I think more outrageously unbelievable than the premise of this vignette would be Leia taking Han back, especially after she made such a big deal of it all.

Darth_Lex: But I'm just not sure I can buy into the premise. I realize a lot of the EU has created a Leia who's rather cool and aloof and career-driven at the expense of her family, but I've always been troubled by it and the same goes here. I guess what I mean is: if Leia got to this point, then this is how she'd be. I just have real difficulty accepting that her character could ever get there. (Does that make any sense at all?)

I agree--for me, even the premise was tough to swallow. I thought about what you said about Leia turning cold... One thing, in my opinion, the EU never explored was Leia post-war life. Here she is, being thrown from one lifestyle to another: from a warrior back to a politician. Plus, on top of that, she's in a relationship. I think, somewhere during her adjustment, there would be a tiny chance of Leia "slipping." She's always been naturally work-oriented, and throwing Han into the picture might knock her off balance. I very much appreciate your comments--and don't worry, you made perfect sense.

Kirana: *Dodges marshmallows*

Jedi-2B: Thanks for reading!

StonedRose: Thank you!

I think I'm messed up like you. I love Han and Leia, but there is something twistedly delightful about breaking them up.

I have no idea what's wrong with me, LOL! I hate it in the EU when they're broken up, and sometimes I get mad when other fanfic authors do it... But I just have the most fun splitting up my favorite couple, haha.

J_Girl: Thank you very much!

RogueSticks: To answer your "two things to say":

1) *Blushes*
2) Because... Heh heh.

Hope you're enjoying Harry Potter, Sticksy!

 

I hate very few things in life (it is against my religion to do so), but I must admit I hate fanfics where Han and Leia break up. It obviously is something that can really happen, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I can handle ambiguous endings, where the reader/viewer gets to decide the ultimate ending. This explains why I like films like "Gone With The Wind" and "Random Hearts". But, I do not like sad endings one bit, which explains why I will never watch the film "Sommersby" again. I do love your writing though Puggy (and wish you would write more for "Assassination of the Heart"), but I just can't love this particular story.

 

ahhhhh!!! SOO SAD!!! WHY?
your an amazing author Puggy! WOW! Its an amazing fic!!! WOW! Good job on the H/L characterisations!!!

DM

 

I'm w/ Jedi Blaine, still reeling too! Well I absolutely refuse to believe that Han and Leia would *ever* have any problems that they couldn't work out (altho that could just be b/c I'm a hopeless romantic) this vignette was really well written and realistic- you've done it again!

 

You thought I would like this Leia? Pugs, buddy, what were you thinking?

However, this remains a fantastic piece of writing, darlin'. Even if I do hate it with every fiber of my being.

 

Solo_Fan: I adore sad endings, but I hate ambiguous ones, LOL! I was so mad when Rhett left Scarlett, even though I knew the moment I put in the DVD it would happen. And when I watched Random Hearts, I told my mom the ending was awful. I like "this is the way it happens" endings. *Shrug* Dunno why, though. Thanks for saying you like my writing... I do appreciate it.

DarthMason: Thanks! I don't know what it is, honestly, but I love writing sad stories.

Miska: You know, I consider myself a hopeless romantic, too, believe it or not... I guess maybe I enjoy "spicing things up," per se? LOL. Thanks for reading.

Sunshine: I thought you'd have sympathy for Leia--boy, was I ever wrong! *Giggles*

 

Wow. That hurt to read, almost. Everything was so painfully realistic that I could see it happening all before my eyes, and all the little, delicate touches were right on target. I knew something was wrong with their relationship from the beginning of the story, and it kept me hooked, wanting to find out what had gone so wrong. And the fact that they still love each other hurts.

The little things were all there--Leia wanting to change her name, the beautiful charm (and it really does sound lovely), the picture of them on their honeymoon... your writing was so poignant and visual that I saw the whole thing unreeling in my hand, whether I wanted to or not. However painful the subject matter was, you dealt with it terrifically.

 

WOHA! Extremely good written story as much angst in it as much mush in the others. My fav. is Leia and you write her very well. I really enjoyed reading. If it would be a request programme I would ask you a sequel with a happy ending, but our fate is in your hands?

Zs.

 

That was awesome! I love the Han and Leia relationship but that was a really good break-up vignette. I almost cried! It was really good except for the whole them breaking up part.