Hello again. So I decided to do another story. This writing fanfic really is addictive. Especially with all the comments. Anyways so this story will be what I know some of us wished, or all, that Han Solo had lived. It is an AU of course. I hope you all enjoy!

Pain. He could feel pain. And he was cold and wet. He coughs, wincing at the pain this simple movement caused. He was having trouble drawing breath. And something tasted like metal in his mouth. He feels something cold move around his leg. It takes a moment for his dazed mind to realize it was a piece of ice. Opening one eye he sees something blurry and moving. It stings as it enters his now open eye, so he closes it again. His body was numb, he could feel pain in his chest but only cold from the rest of his body. His head followed along the course of his chest. He coughs again, this time more violently. So this was death? Damn! All those religious types had lied to him. That or he was being punished. Punished most likely.

It was getting harder to breathe. He realizes part of that was because he was lying face down in water. His brain was clearing, though he still couldn't understand where he was, or what was happening. His instincts told him he needed to get out of the water and roll over. So with all the energy he could muster he drags himself from the icy river and farther up onto the mud covered shore in front of him. He manages to roll to his side, only to feel an intense pain shoot though him. He curls in on himself but that only made the pain worse. And with the pain came an overwhelming bout of hacking and coughing. It is as he is spitting a substance onto the ground from his mouth that he realizes why he had tasted something like metal when he had awoke. It was blood. Again confusion washes over him and he rolls onto his back, gasping for breath, only getting a little, not nearly enough oxygen. The pain in his body was moving down now, a tingling, stinging sensation, one that also made him body shiver uncontrollably.

He wasn't dead. He should have been but for some unknown reason he was still alive. For now anyways. It all comes back to him then and if he hadn't already been shivering he would have given a shudder then. Ben, holding the light sabre out to him. Hope that finally he was getting his son back. Then the searing pain as the blade of light pierced through his chest. Disbelief. Ben thanking him. Relief that even in the end he could help his son. Love, forgiveness, then nothing but falling followed by darkness.

So then what had happened? He blinks, his eyes still a bit blurry, though he wasn't sure if that was from any possible head trauma or tears. He did feel quite dizzy. He feels it coming and manages to turn on his side enough so that the blood and water and whatever else was coming back up was spewed away from him. He stays on his side, his eyes closing as an uncontrollable wave of pain and dizziness washes over him. He doesn't realize he passes out until a voice brings him back to his senses.

"Han…Han Solo you mustn't give in. You are still needed."

He opens his eyes and for a split second he swears he could see the old man, Obi-Wan Kenobi, standing before him. He was dying. He must be. Only Luke could see the old Jedi. But then he sees a blinding white light. For some reason he knew he needed to go towards that light and so he reaches a hand out to it, starting to drag himself through the muck, mud and small pieces of ice and snow. The light was getting closer, there was a roaring sound in his ears, though that hadn't stopped since he'd woken up. He tries to call out to it, but unable to drag enough breath in, no sound emerges. He finally can do no more, and the light was too bright, it hurt his eyes and head. So he lays his head back down, the ice cold mud under his cheek feeling wonderfully soothing. He can feel his body giving up. Not enough oxygen. Too much work trying to get to the light. It was all just too cold. He wanted to sleep. He wanted the pain to stop. He was just so tired. And so he allows his body to rest. To hell with what Ben Kenobi wanted. He was too old for this crap. And he needed to help his son. And if his death helped his little boy no longer be confused or in pain, well then he would die. It was what he was meant to do. With a soft little smile to his lips, he allows the darkness to overtake him and falls into unconsciousness.

Rey helps Chewbacca to get Finn strapped into the med bunk on the Millennium Falcon, looking sadly at the young man who had risked his own life just to save hers. He was all she had left, now that Han was gone. She would do anything to make sure Finn was alright. They needed to get out of there though, before the planet blew up. So she quickly turns and heads into the cockpit, where Chewie was already setting in the course on the nav-computer. She sits down in the pilot's chair, a twinge of pain running through her heart as she thinks of whose chair this was. Han…a man she could see as a father figure. A man she wouldn't really get to know. But she had no time to think of that now. For now they needed to get out of here.

"Wait! He is still alive. Rey, follow your instincts. Find Han Solo."

A voice Rey had never heard before suddenly speaks to her, followed by a vision of a dark river and something moving on the side of it. Blinking, Rey looks around quickly, startled by it all. Unlike her last vision, she didn't feel the same fear. No this fear was one that urged her to find what the voice had told her to, not to run away. Reaching over she grabs one of Chewbacca's huge paws, stopping him from completing the input into the nav-computer. At his questioning growl, Rey looks at him, her eyes wide. "He's alive! I know where he is!"

Turning back to the controls she quickly switches them over to her side and manual and turns the Falcon to the right, moving into the canyon made by the rupturing of the planets core. She knew she didn't have much time, and she could hear Chewbacca's protests and questions about what she was doing, but she ignores all that and does like the voice had said, she follows her instincts. Soon she sees a large river looming in front of them. It looked like the one in her vision so she lowers the Falcon closer to the water, skimming it as her eyes rake back and forth across the viewport in front of her. "Just look for movement, Chewie. Any movement, on the sides."

A rumbling growl of question from Chewbacca makes her frown.

"I know. But he's here. Somewhere."

Another question.

"Han. He's alive. He survived. Just trust me okay?" She glances at the Wookie who reluctantly nods before following her orders and looking out over the view in front of them.

Flying the Falcon around a bend in the river, where the banks had become much higher and steeper, Rey suddenly hears a roar from Chewbacca. "What?! Where?!" She knew his eyes were much better at seeing in the dark and so she at first doesn't see what he was pointing to. It isn't until the lights fall on the prone figure lying on the shore that she sees what Chewbacca sees. She slows the Falcon down, lowering it to the water. It was a tight fit but luckily the Falcon fit between the two banks of the river. "Go get him. Hurry!" They could both feel the ground shaking under the landing struts of the ship. She would remain here while Chewbacca rescued Han.

Chewie for his part, had wanted to just up and leave. But something about the way the girl had looked at him, much like Leia had before so long ago on Bespin, told him to trust her. It was probably just a fool's hope but he wanted to believe her when she said Han was still alive. So he had had followed her orders, looking along the sides of the river. He saw the body first. He almost missed it. If not for a soft blue glow standing beside the body, he would have. But he had seen him and he knew Rey had been right.

Jumping up from his seat even before the girl had landing the Falcon, he races out of the cockpit and to the ramp, slamming his fist into the release button. He is out before it even hits the ground, sinking up to his knees in icy water. But he didn't care. He could see Han now, not moving. Rushing over to him he kneels beside Han's body and flips him over, wiping the grime from his mouth and nose. He growls at his best friend, no response. The ground beneath his knees gives a massive shake and he hears Rey call for him. He gathers his friend in his arms and rushes back into the water to the ramp. He climbs on board, rushing to the lounge sofa and placing Han onto it. He roars for Rey to go, hearing the ramp shutting against the Falcon's hull behind him. He is suddenly thrown into Han as the ship pitches to one side. He straps Han into a safety harness as Rey yells for him to help. He then gets up and runs for the cockpit to help the young girl in their escape.

Rey was trying her best to keep the Falcon from falling down into the crevice that had just opened up under the back landing struts. She had just managed to tear the Falcon away from the fiery grip that was threatening to engulf it. She doesn't look at Chewbacca as he takes his seat beside her. No words were exchanged as both battled to fly the ship through what now seemed to be a planet trying to drag them down with it as it collapsed around them. Trees, rocks, everything was coming at them. But thanks to Rey's flying ability they were able to make it out into space, the ship rocketing towards the other Resistance fighters that were speeding away. Just before they are able to enter hyperspace, the ship is buffeted by the explosion behind them. The First Order's massive weapon was destroyed. And hopefully all of them with it. Especially that Kylo Ren.

With a sigh of relief, Rey leans back in her seat, her eyes closing. They were alive, all of them and they were going home. Or at least what she hoped would now be her home.

Chewbacca growls softly to her, patting her on the shoulder before he gets up to check on Han and give him what medical attention he could. Rey follows, setting the ship on auto-pilot for the moment. They had a few hours before they would reach their destination. She moves into the lounge and sees Chewie leaning over Han's body. "Is he…?" She could bring herself to say the word. Chewbacca glances at her, then shakes his head. Han was alive, but just barely. His pulse was weak and erratic. Chewie knew he needed immediate medical attention if he was going to survive. Barking a few things to Rey, he moves Han's body to the captain's cabin, setting him down on the very dusty and unused bed. Chewbacca thinks to himself that he was really going to have to get this ship back to the way it had been. But for the moment his attention was all on Han.

Rey brings in the medical supplies that Chewie had requested. "This is all I could find. Most of it looks expired." She nods to the Wookie's grunt and then goes to find some clean towels, and hopefully a clean blanket or two. When she returns she hands them to Chewbacca, watching as he finishes removing the soaking wet and still a little ice covered clothing covering Han's body. She winces a little as she sees the hole in his chest. How anyone could still be alive after that she didn't know.

Chewbacca takes one of the blankets and places it over Han's body. The man was starting to shiver, a good thing he hoped. He then asks Rey to see if she could find some warm water in the galley. He didn't think there was any in the Falcon's reserve tanks so he was hoping she could find a bottle or two in the galley and heat it up. When Rey returns with a pot of slightly steaming water he woofs his thanks to her before dipping a cloth into it and beginning to gently clean his best friend. He casually asks Rey about Finn.

"He still won't wake up, but his vitals are holding steady. I checked his bandages. The bleeding has slowed down." Rey says before asking what she could do to help. She nods as Chewie instructs her on what to do and she begins helping him. She wasn't sure this was going to help the Captain but at least it was something she could do to keep from driving herself crazy over worry for both Finn and Han. And soon they would be back to the Resistance and hopefully this wouldn't all be for not.

So there is the first chapter done. Hopefully you all enjoy it. I don't know where this story is headed at the moment, but for now, it's just about Han being alive. Keep the reviews coming. And chapter two will be up soon. I promise.