Author's Note: OK, so moving along. May try to crank out another bit tomorrow. Rose and Rey bonding ahead… Oh yeah, and I just had to add "karking" to my Word dictionary.

Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Something else.

Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.

A short time later Rose lands the shuttle easily in a section of Tatooine that is rocky and mountainous but also mostly deserted. R2 beeps nervously when he observes the terrain, fretting about Jawas and restraining bolts and getting sold. Poe is a little twitchy at letting someone else take the controls, but he sits in the co-pilot's seat, ready to help Rose if she needs him but not intervening. After they land and Rose and Finn go to the back of the shuttle, Rey squeezes his shoulder and murmurs, "Admirable restraint, Commander."

He huffs out a laugh. "Was I that obvious?"

"Probably only to me, if it makes you feel any better." She smiles at him. "Now who is this contact, and why did you look so happy about it?"

"You'll have to meet him to understand. I've known him since I was a kid, but I haven't seen him in almost twenty years. I can't wait to see if he recognizes me." Poe grins. "And no, I'm not telling you who it is until he gets here. Come on." He stands up and beckons with his head.

When they join Finn and Rose, Poe gives them a quick rundown on Tatooine. He warns them in particular about Jawas and Sand People, Tusken Raiders. With regard to the former, R2 and BB-8 need to be with one of them at all times. On the latter, Poe's main concern is Rose being protected, but he makes it clear that no one is to go anywhere outside the ship alone.

Finn expresses incredulity. "I understand Rose needing someone with her, but – "

Poe shakes his head. "Finn, the Tusken Raiders are vicious, they are brutal, and they don't travel alone. There may not be that many left these days, but the intelligence says there are at least some. We are armed and in pairs at all times. The Jawas are not violent, but they'd swipe a droid at the first opportunity. Tatooine is not a friendly place. And none of this is really up for debate. Pairs. Droids never off the ship alone. Are we clear?"

Rose and Rey look surprised at Poe's hard line on this, and Finn nods a little begrudgingly. Feeling the need to help Finn understand, Poe adds, "Finn, this isn't a statement on whether or not you can handle yourself. Though I'm fairly sure, for the record, that Rey could kick both of our asses." Rey snorts, and he shoots her a quick smile. "This is about prudence, not pride."

Finn nods. "Sorry, Poe. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"No problem, buddy." He turns to Rey and Rose. "Rose, Rey, can you stay here and keep an eye on things? I'm going to take Finn and walk the perimeter."

Rose nods, announcing that she wants to go run a diagnostic and heading back to the cockpit. Rey, on the other hand, bristles as Finn had a moment before. Poe senses irritation rolling off of her, and he looks at Finn. "Finn, can you go grab your blaster? I'll be there in a moment."

When Finn leaves, Poe turns back to Rey. "What's wrong, Rey?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Her words are clipped, and she crosses her arms over her chest. "And don't try to read me or interpret my feelings right now."

"Sweetheart, I don't have be able to sense anything through the Force to see that something just pissed you off. What gives?" Poe mirrors her stance.

"Why am I the one to stay here?" Her brow furrows. She knows he values her skills, but she assumes, maybe after she had nightmares, that he's going to start coddling her the way Finn and Chewie try to.

"Because Rose is our weakest link, and I want our strongest fighter here to protect her and the ship." He is trying to be patient, but both Finn and Rey are starting to rile him a bit. Her face softens, but he finds himself a little irked. He stays focused on Rey. "But Rey, and I'm going to say the same to Finn, I am the one in charge here. You know I value your friendship, your skills, and your input on pretty much anything, but I also don't want to have to explain every order I give, and you and Finn both questioned me right out of the gate. I'm being patient this time. I won't be every time. I need to know that you're going to do as I tell you, especially if things go sideways like they always seem to."

Rey blinks in surprise. She's used to amiable, loyal, dedicated Poe Dameron. This version, the Leader, makes her realize that he's far more layered than she's been giving him credit for. She uncrosses her arms, and she approaches him carefully.

Once she's right in front of him, she says, "I'm sorry, Poe. You're right. We were both out of line just now." She feels a flash of embarrassment. "We spend so much time, all of us just as friends, that we forget sometimes that we're in a chain of command. Don't be too hard on Finn about it, all right? I think it's hard for him – going from being completely controlled to this, a situation where he can make choices. He's trying to find his place, his balance, you know? Even with my isolated life, I think I can navigate the nuance at least a little better than he can. My life had almost none, but a stormtrooper's existence is literally devoid of nuance."

Poe nods. "Fair enough. I'll talk to him about this, but I won't be too hard on him." He tilts his head and looks at her in a contemplative way. "And I'm not sure what I felt from you a minute ago, but Rey, you also need to know how much I trust you. I am not going to start treating you like you're made of glass. Finn and Chewie mean well, but I do know how frustrating it can be to be underestimated."

"I was mad because I thought you were leaving me here to protect me, that maybe you'd decided to go protective on me because of last night." She shuffles her feet a little, looking down at the floor. She feels like an idiot and can't help but feel like the way she reacted was akin to a petulant child, likely reminding him of how much more mature he is. She fears it will push him away, not pull him closer, which is where she realizes that she wants him – closer.

He frowns, and he notices that her cheeks have gone pink. Poe immediately steps up to her. In a soft voice, he says, "Sweetheart, look at me." She shakes her head and keeps her eyes on the floor, and he tentatively reaches towards her eventually using two fingers under her chin to tip her face up to his, the distress and embarrassment suddenly rolling off of her in waves. He's shocked when he sees tears in her eyes. "Rey, what is going on?"

"I'm a mess. A complete and utter mess. I'm an untrained sort-of-Jedi who no one has ever wanted. I make impulsive decisions, I stole ancient Jedi books, I lost my lightsaber, I went to Snoke's ship believing I could turn Kylo, but in the end, I'm just a nobody. I'm nothing." A few of the tears roll down her cheeks.

Poe blinks, but then his mind goes into high gear. While he knows he needs to find Finn and go check the area around the ship, he also knows she might shut down if they don't talk about this now. He reaches up and taps the comms they all put on. "Finn, you there?" When Finn answers, Poe says, "I need a little time. Just stay inside at the ramp, I'll be there in a little while."

Poe then looks at Rey, gently taking her arm and turning her, then moving his hand from her arm to her lower back, guiding her towards their bunk. Once they go in, door shut behind him, he levels her with a look as she wraps her arms around herself. He approaches and cups her cheek with one hand, wiping away some of the tears with his thumb. "Rey, sweetheart, you gave me a lot to unpack there. First, you're not nothing, you're not nobody. I don't know why you'd ever think that. It's laughable."

She leans into his hand, and he goes on, "On the other things, if you think you're the only person to ever make an impulsive decision, you're insane. I mean, have you met me? And you didn't 'lose' your lightsaber. It was broken in a fight with the jackass you cared enough to try to help. I do get that it was that – trying to help because you believed it was right."

"You wouldn't have done it, Poe." She keeps her eyes cast down.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't have, but Rey, the guy ripped into my head without mercy or remorse. I'm not going to feel a huge amount of sympathy or charity towards him, no matter who is parents are." He shrugs. "I'd like, at some point, to understand why you did it, though, to understand why you thought it would work."

She nods, but in her head she screams no at the idea. She's terrified that if he finds out about the forced connection with Kylo, Poe will turn his back on her. She looks up at him, and she's startled by the amount of concern in his eyes. She raises her hand to cover his on her face, entwining their fingers.

Poe can feel fear coming off of her, but more than that, when she covers his hand with hers, he can feel that she's shaking. He knows he needs to go meet Finn, but he wants desperately to make her smile again. "Now, last thing. You stole ancient Jedi books? Really? I mean first, ancient Jedi books are a thing?" He lifts an eyebrow at her. "Where did you steal them from? And where do you store such things? And can you read them, I mean are they in Basic or something else? I have questions, Rey. Many, many questions."

She can tell from his expression that he does want to know the answers to his questions but is also teasing her. She has to bite back a smile, and she primly replies, "Yes I stole ancient Jedi books, yes they're a thing. I stole them from the inside of the Force tree on Ahch-To, I store them in a drawer on the Falcon, and R2 is trying to help me because they're not in Basic. I'd ask 3PO, but he's rather annoying."

He huffs out a laugh at the last comment, and she can't stop her smile now. He shakes his head. "Only 'rather' annoying?" She smirks, and he adds, "I want that story too, sweetheart, but I need to go check the area with Finn."

He starts to pull his hand back, but she holds it tight in hers, turning her face sideways to press a kiss to his palm. Despite how chaste the movement was, takes a deep breath at the feeling of her lips on his skin. She looks at him. "Thank you, Poe."

He pulls their joined hands towards him and echoes her gesture, pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "Anytime, sweetheart." They finally drop hands, and she heads for the door to the room. Before she can open it, he catches her arm with a light touch. "And Rey, by the way, if you want to see another Force tree, there's one I can show you."

She stares at him, surprised. "What? You know where there's a Force tree besides the one on Ahch-To?"

He grins and reaches around her to open the door. "I do. Grew up climbing it." He presses another kiss to her temple as he passes her to go meet Finn. Against her skin, he murmurs, "And also, whether or not you were wanted before, you are certainly wanted now."

Rey watches him go, scolding herself for how much she finds herself enjoying the view. She blinks. When did she start thinking about anyone like that, much less Poe, who is fast becoming what she'd call her best friend? She shakes her head. She's kidding herself. The man is nothing if not nice to look at. Over half of the women at their base seem to spend their lives watching him. She also realizes that a lot of those same women, who Poe seems oblivious to, give Rey dirty looks when he's with her in the mess or in the sparring room.

She contemplates the fact that she didn't even notice how karking pretty he is until today. Of course, she noticed his eyes the moment she met him on the Falcon – how could she not? But as much as she thought they were pretty, what she really could see and feel was that they were kind. Rey goes to common room and sinks down on the floor, sitting cross-legged, intending to try and meditate. She can't focus, though. Her feelings are all over the place. Then, suddenly, an idea occurs to her. "Rose!"

Rey jumps up and nearly runs to the cockpit, where she finds Rose running some diagnostics on the shuttle. "Rose?"

The little mechanic looks up at her, smiling. "Hey Rey, you all right?"

"How do I know if I like someone?" Rey blurts out the words, her cheeks going pink.

Rose blinks a few times before grinning. "You mean someone like Poe Dameron?"

If possible, Rey's cheeks blush even darker. "What? No! I mean, maybe? Force, Rose. I don't know! I don't know how to navigate any of this. I mean, we slept together last night – "

"You what?" Roes sounds outraged. "What did he do?"

It's Rey's turn to blink, suddenly confused. "Why? Is that bad? He just, you know, helped me sleep?"

Rose is suddenly taking deep breaths, her own cheeks red. "Twenty kilos heavier and nearly a head taller or not, I will kill him."

"Rose, explain!" Rey's brow furrows. She's completely bewildered by Rose's reaction. "How is keeping me company after a nightmare so awful? I asked him to stay with me. I was so upset, and he did, no questions asked. What did he do wrong?"

Relaxing immediately, Rose shakes her head. "Oh Rey." She sighs. "All right Rey, first things first. 'Slept together' may sound innocent, but it means something other than just sleeping, at least most of the time." When Rey still looks confused, Rose adds, "Sex, Rey. We slept together usually means people have sex."

Rey's eyes widen. "We didn't do that!" Wrapping her arms around herself, Rey adds softly, "Rose, I wouldn't even know how to start that. I don't even know if I want – " Rey pauses, blushing. Rose looks a little disappointed, but Rey just goes on, "Well, maybe more that I don't know if he wants that, wants me that way."

Rose's face softens, and she places a small hand on Rey's arm. "Rey, let me address the last part first. Yes, I'm pretty sure that he wants you. His eyes follow you everywhere, he can't stop looking at you. And it's not weird or creepy, it's soft, it's admiration, it's care. He notices you, and as far as I can tell, outside of a minor flirtation here and there over the years – nothing serious ever – he doesn't notice people, at least that's what Paige told me, and trust me, the pilots all knew what was up with each other. It's all about the cause for Poe. He is all about the cause. But he's different with you."

"Why me? Why would someone like him want me?" Her voice is quiet and unsure.

"Rey, why would someone like Finn want me?" Rose shrugs. "The heart knows what the heart wants. It's rarely simple and even more-rarely logical." She tilts her head and looks thoughtfully at Rey. "Maybe it's that you don't know or care about the Poe Dameron Mythology."

Confused again, Rey says, "The what?"

Rose chuckles. "Best Pilot in the Resistance, son of two Rebellion heroes, heavily recruited by old family friend Senator slash Princess slash General Leia Organa. He's a legend. The pretty factor doesn't hurt, but I honestly think the reason that more than half the women and at least a few of the men want him is that they are enamored with the image. You only see the man. And for what it's worth, Rey, I think he sees you as you first, Jedi second, you know? Because if anyone knows what it's like to be categorized unrealistically, it's him."

Rey thinks about it. "So, back to my original question."

"How do you know?" Rose asks. At Rey's nod, Rose goes on, "Are you nervous but comfortable all at once? Does your heart beat faster when he's nearby? Do you notice things like the way he smells or think about whether you prefer it when he shaves or not or what he likes or what calms him down? Stuff like that."

"Oh." Rey says. "He smells kind of clean and earthy all at once. And he touches people far more than I'm used to, but he also likes to be touched. When he's worried or upset, he calms down if I just bump his shoulder or leg. And I like it when he doesn't shave every day."

"Um, Rey? You definitely like him." Rose grins. "Definitely. And I agree. He looks really good just a little scruffy."

Rey's eyes widen, and she tries to absorb what Rose told her. She stands. "I'm going to go wait for them. Call me if you need anything or see anything on sensors, all right?" Rose agrees, and Rey turns to go. Before she leaves, she turns back. "And Rose, two things." At Rose's nod, Rey says, "One, thank you. And two, Finn wants you because you're you. You're fire and dedication and kindness and brilliance all in one, and you saw past the former stormtrooper stuff. He'd be stupid to not want you."

Rose tears up a little, and Rey reaches out and squeezes her friend on the shoulder. "He's lucky, Rose, so lucky that he met you."

Rose stands up and hugs Rey, who pulls her in tight. Rose mumbles, "Never thought I'd feel like this again."

"Like what?" Rey leans back.

"Even vaguely like I have a sister again. I miss Paige so much that it hurts sometimes. It'll never, ever be all right, but this makes it just slightly better." She sniffles a little, swiping at her eyes.

Rey hugs Rose again before stepping back and swiping at her own eyes. "I'm honored that you'd think of me that way, Rose." She squeezes Rose's arm. "I'm going to go change. If the perimeter looks clear, I'm going to see if I can get Poe to spar with me."

Rose smirks, eyes drying. "Is that what they're calling it now?"

"Rose!" Rey protests. "Stop."

"Call him Commander. That'll get his attention if you say it right." Rose persists.

Rey rolls her eyes. "Leaving now."

She has to laugh when Rose yells after her, "Use the big sticks. Maybe that'll give him the hint that you like him too!"