Chapter 2: Some Friends You Are

"You're marrying him?!" Poe Dameron yelped. An instant uproar from the rest of the former Resistance community blasted into being.

They were all gathered on the Millennium Falcon, staring at Rey as she, hand-in-hand with Ben, announced that they were to be married. Engaged.

In the weeks following Ben Solo's return to the Light and the First Order's fall, many of Rey's friends and colleagues in the Resistance had tip-toed around him. They had grudgingly accepted his help in gathering supplies and building a functional base. They had looked away whenever they had caught him and Rey kissing. Tolerated him when he held her hand. But this? This was a bridge too far. A bridge to nowhere, in fact. How could they trust him with the heart of their Jedi hero, the Last Jedi, their victorious cause's pride and joy?

Rey sensed the dissent, but nevertheless tried to plow on in planning her wedding. "I will need a Maid of Honor, of course. Would anyone like to volunteer?" It had occurred to her, and the thought had first made her laugh, that she actually didn't have many friends who were girls. She supposed Leia counted, but the deceased General had been more of a mother to her (and, she pinched herself, was soon to be her mother-in-law). And she was getting to know Rose still. So Rey was grateful when the technician readily volunteered. "I'll do it."

Ben now took the floor. "And there needs to be a Best Man. Any volunteers?"

Dead silence. Everyone looked at Ben, and Ben looked at them. Nobody moved, much less raised a hand. There was a widespread shuffling of feet, people giving each other blank yet pressured looks in search of somebody - anybody - to volunteer who wasn't them. All eyes eventually shifted over to Poe, who suddenly seemed uncharacteristically self-conscious at the deference that was due him.

"What's everybody looking at me for? No way am I standing up there next to... uh, Finn?" He turned desperately to his best friend, expecting the former stormtrooper to save him. Finn shook his head rapidly, though the motion seemed to pain him. "I'm an even poorer choice!"

A sudden sniffling made everyone look up, to find that Rey was crying. Hot, angry tears poured down her cheeks, as she glared from one offending person to another. "Go ahead! Bicker! Some friends you are! I know none of you approve of my relationship with Ben, but I thought you would have the decency to accept my choice! If you won't support us, maybe we should just elope. I will never forgive this! Never!" And burying her face in her hands, she ran back into the Falcon's living quarters, sobbing. Ben launched himself across the room to go after her, even as he was sorely tempted to add his own thoughts to the mix. Why, he had half a mind to ignite his lightsaber and cut every last one of these snobs down. He knew damn well none of them liked him because of what he had done, and certainly didn't trust him. And perhaps rightly so. But couldn't they at least have the decency to swallow their pride and do this for Rey?

Striding down the hall, Ben sensed a presence behind him. Could hear the footsteps pursuing him. "Ben!" The call of his name was done a little tentatively, clumsily, as if the caller was getting used to the name. Turning on his heel, Ben saw that it was the former stormtrooper, FN-2187, jogging up behind him. He looked almost embarrassed.

"I... I'll be your Best Man. If you'll have me." FN-2187 looked down at his feet.

The last time these two men had shared a moment, it had been on Jakku, when Ben had noticed the trooper refuse to open fire on that village. The irony was not lost on Ben. His former employee, offering to stand at the altar with a former employer. A former employer with whom he had a complicated history. Evidently, this seemed to be on the younger man's mind, too, for he suddenly qualified:

"I'm not doing it for you - we have too much history. I'm doing it for her. She's like my baby sister. So, if you hurt her..."

Ben actually smiled. "Thank you for taking care of my fiancé, FN-2187. Being there for her when I couldn't be."

"It's Finn," Finn corrected, perhaps a little too sharply, for he now sheepishly scuffed at his boots. A brief pause, and then: "Can I see her?"

"She should be in her room," and Ben directed Finn to Rey's living quarters. The former Supreme Leader had slept in there with her a few times before - platonically, of course - so he knew where it was. Finn tentatively knocked, and when no response came forthwith, he merely resolved to go in himself.

The room was darkened, pierced only by the light from the now open doorway. It fell over the young woman, curled up on her bed, facing the wall.

"Rey?"

She stiffened at the sound of Finn's voice, drawing further into herself. Her pointed silence could split stone. Finally, she muttered, "If you truly loved me as a sister..."

"I would get off my butt and be Best Man. And I am. I just told Ky... Ben that I would. I'm sorry."

Rey slowly, gracefully rose from the bed and turned to face him, staring at him. She seemed almost surprised. Finn couldn't bear to look at her, mumbling a justification. "Rose is going to be Maid of Honor, and we're... it only makes sense..."

His ramblings were cut off when Rey strode forward and wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you, my friend."

All was forgiven.