Although Leia's quarters appeared more Spartan than perhaps they were before, the essentials seemed to have been put neatly back in place-and that had to be a good sign.

The fact that Leia hadn't responded to the chime of her door again and Rey knew she was there wasn't such a good omen.

Even though she had worried about getting caught prying into systems she had no business sifting through, she was relieved now that she had retrieved the code accessing the general's quarters. The panel she'd broken the night before had already been replaced. Rey had to admire that even in the wake of near annihilation at the hands of the First Order's Starkiller, the heart of the Resistance seemed to be running as efficiently as ever.

Maybe Leia was fine.

She'd looked tired earlier today in the command room and Rey had still sensed that not-quite-right static emanating from her but no one else had seemed to notice. The general had been quietly issuing orders, reviewing what had been lost the day before, and sending messages to the scattered remnants of the Republic for reinforcements.

Maybe Leia was just avoiding her.

But she'd made eye-contact with Rey when Rey had given the room a brief status report on repairs to the Millennium Falcon, had nodded and given her a quick smile when Rey had added, "But she could be in the air today if she had to."

Maybe she was just overreacting.

"Are you going to make a habit of breaking into my quarters?"

Rey started at the voice, narrowly avoided a squeak of surprise.

So much for natural-born instincts.

"Sorry," she offered, following in the direction the voice had come from. "I tried the chime but you didn't respond. I thought-"

All the reasonable, valid explanations suddenly slipped from her mind as she stepped through an open doorway and realized where she was.


She'd only read about rooms like this.

A day's scavenge could buy you a few minutes in a fresher on Jakku.

She'd never seen this much pure water in her life.

Her mind was caught somewhere between being horrified at what a waste of resources this was and completely captivated by way the water in the ceramic tub rippled against Leia's skin.

"You thought you might find another scene like last nights'?"

Rey nodded absently.

"I'm sorry about that. Sorry for what I said . . . if I frightened you . . ."

Leia stared down into the water. Her hair was wet and tucked behind her ears. When she spoke, the water lapped at her shoulders and the top of one knee.

"Rey?"

Rey skimmed her hand over the top of the water, dipped her fingers just enough to trail through it, utterly mesmerized at the sensation.

"Not a lot of water on Jakku from what I've heard."

"No."

Rey's index finger grazed over the damp skin of Leia's knee.

"There's nothing like this on Jakku."

"There aren't many of these on this base either. One of the little indulgences I allowed myself when designing these quarters. Most of the rooms just have showers."

It was only when the general started to ramble on about water efficiency that Rey realized what her hand was doing and quickly pulled it away to wipe at the tail of her tunic.

Her face felt like it was on fire and it took more self-control than she'd like to admit not to turn and run from the room.

She wasn't sure how she could join the Resistance and also, somehow, never see its leader ever again.

"Give me a minute?" Leia suggested, looking a little flushed herself.

Whether Leia was angry at her or it was the heat of the bath, Rey couldn't be sure.


The minute was more like ten and when the older woman emerged, she was tying the belt of a long robe over her standard issue sleepwear-a tank top and boxer briefs made of some non-descript waffled fabric.

Rey remembered a staffer giving her the same yesterday-along with a uniform-and dropping them on a cot she'd been issued in barracks she hadn't been back to since.

Leia's hair was still wet and Rey realized for the first time just how long it was, falling to skim her lower back, how much darker it looked now-wondered how heavy it must be.

Rey shifted her weight from one foot to the other, prepared herself for whatever lecture about personal space Leia was about to give her.

What she didn't expect was for Leia to look at her wryly and say, "You aren't getting into my bed with those boots and sandy clothes."

Leia pulled back the covers on the bed for emphasis.

"I won't send these sheets to the laundry again tomorrow morning."

Rey grinned; she wasn't going to be sent away, would get to spend at least another night with Leia safely beside her.

Rey frowned. What was she supposed to wear if not her clothes?

"Top drawer. They won't be a perfect fit but they'll do."

Rey hoped Leia couldn't actually read her mind, but she also hoped her face wasn't that easy to read either.


She toed off her boots with as much grace as she could muster, peaked back over her shoulder to see Leia settled under the sheets, her attention on the data-pad in her hand and not on Rey.

Rey tugged her leggings off and replaced them with the sleep shorts she'd found; she stripped her tunic off with equal speed, quickly replacing it with the tank top.

It was a little less than she was used to wearing but it was certainly more than Leia had been wearing earlier. Not that she'd really seen anything. The water had obscured almost everything.

And not that she should want to see more of the other woman.

But she couldn't help but think back on how soft the skin on Leia's knee had been, how soft and warm Leia would be tonight if she curled against her the way she had last night.

Last night.

Any unfamiliar, selfish flicker of attraction was snuffed out at the memory of how Leia had cried herself into a fitful sleep. But if having Rey next to her meant that she'd rest again tonight, even a little, Rey would gladly do it, but . . .

Was she supposed to just crawl right into the bed? Did Leia want her to hold her? And did she even do that right last night?

Maybe Leia just wanted someone in the room with her, needed some sort of buoy against the loneliness.

Should she tell Leia she was finished changing?

She was certain she shouldn't leave her clothes lying on the floor. She picked them up and held them against her chest.

Leia's attention shifted from the report to her. She smiled and Rey wanted to reach out and touch the tiny little lines that feathered at the corners of her eyes, wanted to feel lines etched-at least in part-from laughing instead of baked in by a remorseless sun and unrelenting toil.

Leia patted a spot on the bed beside her, said, "Please," and Rey dropped her clothes back onto the floor.


Even with the overheads out, Rey could see Leia's outline in the soft light the computer terminal cast across the room. She could follow the curve of her shoulder, her hip, as Leia lay with her back towards her.

Rey's fingers threaded through Leia's hair, curling a strand around her index finger then releasing it. She felt a blunting of the restless aura that surrounded Leia, drew another strand through her fingers.

"I don't usually sleep with it wet."

Rey stopped, drawing her hand up to her own chest.

"I didn't say you had to stop."

Rey propped herself up on one elbow and smiled down at Leia even though she knew it was too dark for her to see. She concentrated on circling another long strand around her finger then running her thumb and index finger down the length until a bead of water flowed out onto her thumb.

She sucked the water from her thumb into her mouth.

She could have sworn she saw Leia shiver.

"It feels nice."

She was sure she saw Leia's back move as she laughed and said, "It isn't too bad from my end either."


Some internal clock told Rey that they'd been lying there for almost two hours, exhausted but neither one quite asleep.

"Am I doing it right?"

Rey wasn't sure she had spoken out loud until Leia asked, "Doing what right?"

Her voice was the slightest bit slurred as if she might have been on the edge of sleep and Rey regretted the question even more.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

Maybe Leia wasn't the only one who needed a buoy. But wouldn't two drowning people only sink faster?

Leia turned to face her.

Her voice had a panicked edge to it that made Rey want to cry as she said, "Rey, this isn't—"

But then she stopped, stopped and laid her hand on the side of Rey's face and there was that tugging at her chest, the brush like a breeze at her mind.

"Come here."

Leia's voice wrapped just as solidly around Rey as her arm did around her shoulder.

Leia laid back and guided Rey's head towards her chest. She settled Rey's arm over her stomach.

"Just put your arm where it feels comfortable."

Rey's arm tightened around Leia, finding a place just beneath the curve of her breast to tuck her hand.

She could hear Leia's heart beating, could feel the rise and fall of her breathing and the little circles her thumb was tracing on her bare shoulder.

When Rey mimicked the motion, her thumb caught the underside of Leia's breast. She whispered, "You're so soft," before she could censor herself and felt Leia's breath catch then release in a laugh.

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

Leia's hand shifted to find Rey's thigh, hitched it over her own to settle them closer together.

"Close your eyes."

"When I close my eyes, I see . . . I don't know if they're nightmares or visions . . . memories. I see horrible things-and beautiful things."

"Which am I?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Fair enough."


They were in much the same position when the chronometer buzzed and pulled Rey from a deep sleep.

She didn't open her eyes, just felt Leia shift to reach for the alarm then settle back down.

She felt Leia stroking her hair and lay as still as possible.

"I know you're awake."

She opened her eyes to see lighter, hazel eyes staring back at her. It almost didn't seem possible that they were the same eyes she had faced just a day before.

"You don't have to go on this mission, you know," Leia said suddenly, seriously. "Take the

Falcon-she's yours." Rey started to protest, but Leia shook her head. "Han would have wanted it."

Leia sat up, starting to push the sheets away, turning her back to Rey.

"You should get as far away from here as you can. Go to the outer rims. You're a smart girl; you'll be fine there-"

Rey raised to her knees, pressed herself tightly against Leia's back and wound her arms around her until Leia was quiet.

"All I have are questions," Rey explained.

She dropped her chin to Leia's shoulder.

"I need answers and there's only one person who can give them to me."

She felt Leia sigh, resigned.

"I don't know what Luke will tell you about your history or your family. But our connection," her voice wavered. "It feels different than what I feeI with Luke . . . or even Ben."

Leia's hands clasped over Rey's.

"I don't know who you are, Rey, but you don't have to be anything beyond who you are right now."

Rey let one hand fall to Leia's hip; the other moved to sweep the curtain of hair out of Leia's face as she promised, "I'm going to bring your brother back to you."


As the ramp closed behind her, Rey was as certain that she'd fulfill her promise to Leia as she was that the dress the general had been wearing when she told her goodbye was indigo.