"I need cover! Christ, I need cov—"

There was a great boom followed by deafening static in Poe's ears when Lieutenant Davies' comms went dark. He held his breath as a cloud of black smoke billowed from Davies' plane, visible through the clouds at twelve o'clock. The plane's nose dipped toward the ground and angry red flames erupted in the cockpit as the aircraft began to drop rapidly out of sight. Three. That's the third guy to die today. Well, third one of our guys. Poe's mouth was bone dry, a stark contrast to his sweating brow. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest and it was becoming difficult for him to breathe normally, but he forced himself to remain calm. He could do this. He could outfly anyone, even if his partners had not been so lucky.

Poe didn't have time to think about the men they'd just lost. He couldn't think about how young Davies had been—a kid. He couldn't think about how scared he'd been, how abundantly clear it was that the boy had never been cut out for this in the first place. No, he couldn't afford to have such thoughts. Not now.

So after the briefest glance at his fallen comrade's doomed aircraft, Poe focused on the German pilot who'd just taken Davies down. The dark enemy plane had been moving stealthily, unpredictably. The white cross logo on the back end of it got closer and closer to Poe and he realized that the German pilot was slowing, attempting to flank him now. In his rearview he noticed that the three other remaining German planes were gaining on him and getting into formation. He was in a precarious position.

Of the six men in their squadron that morning, only Poe and two others remained. He looked to his right and nodded at his fellow pilot, RAF Squadron Leader Snap Wexley. "Wexley, you ready to try that maneuver we were talking about yester—"

"Roger that, Dameron," Wexley cut in immediately. "Let's make these bastards pay. Muva, form up." Wexley's commanding voice betrayed not a hint of nervousness as he hailed the other lieutenant.

"Roger." Poe could see Oddy Muva to Wexley's right, flying just ahead. The quiet pilot made up for all of the bravery and tact that poor Davies had lacked. Poe felt good about their chances.

He looked at the photograph of Rey that he'd taped up amongst his dash controls. Her eyes were as striking as ever, serene and grounding. With a deep, steadying breath, Poe felt his hands meld to the yoke, attuned himself to the responses of his plane, and gave himself over to the adrenaline of the fight.

Rey hated gauze. It had seemed like an innocuous thing before—white, soft, simple. But since she'd been in Hawaii she'd rolled and stocked what must have been thousands of sheets of the stuff. And for what?

There wasn't much need of it—or any other medical supply for that matter—as far as she could tell. Pearl Harbor seemed as safe and peaceful as New York had been, maybe even safer. The only patients they'd seen in the hospital had been soldiers nursing a hangover or suffering from a cold due to the abrupt change in climate post-transfer.

The slow days at work wreaked havoc on Rey's restless mind. She craved distraction—anything to keep her from thinking of Poe. She needed busy days with back-to-back patients, examinations, and procedures. Instead, she and the other girls spent hours stocking and organizing everything from bedsheets to surgical tools to the damned gauze, and then simply sat around. The final hours of her shifts for the last few weeks had been filled with nothing but idle gossip. The quiet monotony was driving her mad.

But the other girls didn't seem to mind. Here in Pearl Harbor, the nurses were even more outnumbered by Navy and Air Force men than they had been on the mainland. The sunny, laid back environment seemed to lend itself to romance, and love was in the air. Well, for everyone except Rey.

"Last night, he showed up at my front door with a bottle of wine and a blanket and took me out by the water. I'm telling you, I never knew he had this side to him," Jess gestured to her neck as she spoke. Folding down the collar on her nurse's coat, she revealed a vivid purple hickey to the circle of listening girls who burst into giggles at the sight of it.

"Well of course, honey," Natalie returned, nodding seriously. "We redheads all got a little freak in us."

Jess snorted in response and waved her hand dismissively at Natalie's statement. "Still," Natalie went on. "You and Hux. I never would have thought. He bores me."

"He's not boring. He's just serious. Maybe he's a little quiet, I guess. He doesn't speak unless he's got something to say. And when he does, he's . . . intense. I love it." Jess sighed wistfully, finishing another gauze roll and securing it with a piece of tape.

"I could see that." Natalie cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "To think, you used to be hung up on that awful Kylo. Hux is a much better choice, hon." She patted Jess on the back as if to congratulate her on her improved taste in men.

Rey wasn't sure why, but the statement irked her. She looked up from her work to see Nat and Jess both scowling at one another in horror at the notion that Jess had ever found Kylo attractive. But what had once seemed unthinkable to Rey now made sense. Jess might have been better off with Kylo after all. She thought back to gentle but commanding man who'd tended to her on the rail platform back in New York. Had it really been a month ago?

Kylo was even quieter than Hux, and far moodier. But she'd seen a tenderness in him that day that she'd never witnessed in the arrogance of Armitage Hux. Then again, she was probably just being defensive because Kylo was Poe's closest friend, the one Poe loved best. She felt a natural, loyal inclination to protect him because it was what Poe would have done, what Poe had apparently been doing for his whole life.

"Give Kylo a break, won't you?" she said quietly. Nat and Jess's laughter stopped short and the girls turned toward Rey in surprise.

"Not this again," Nat said, her voice tinged with frustration. She turned to Jess and sighed dramatically. "Rey's been best friends with Kylo ever since he fixed her busted foot the day Poe left."

"I'd hardly call us best friends," Rey snapped. "I've barely seen him since that day. I just think you two should lay off a bit."

Jess's face softened. She laid down her work and stepped over to Rey. "I'm sorry, Rey. It's just that he's not the easiest person to get along with. When we're with the guys he doesn't even talk to us. He's always in a poor mood, you know?" Jess laid her hand over Rey's in a gesture of comfort.

"A poor mood, is it? Well some of us might have good reason to be in low spirits lately, don't you think?" She ripped her hand away from Jess and began filling a nearby box with the gauze and bandages she was unpacking, rolling, and folding.

"Rey, wait. I'm sorry." Jess reached for Rey's forearm but she brushed her off, lifting the box as she walked briskly toward the adjoining room.

"It's fine. I'm going to work in storage. I need some quiet."

"Rey!" She heard the concern in Natalie's exclamation but ignored her, passing out of the sun-filled patient holding room and into the nurse's lounge. A cluster of tables and chairs filled the small room. It was windowless aside from the small window situated in the exit door. To her right was the door leading into the storeroom.

Rey was surprised to see that the normally-crowded lounge was empty this early in the morning. One of the tables held a radio which was playing a Cole Porter song at low volume. After a moment's consideration Rey decided to work in here rather than the dreary storeroom. It was quiet enough, with nothing but Porter's baritone and the birds outdoors to keep her company.

Rey set her box down on the nearest table, noticing that day's newspaper on it as she did so. She felt her chest tighten with anxiety. News had taken on a whole other significance now that Poe was overseas fighting. She'd been interested in the possibility of war before, but now the stakes were higher. Rey ordinarily read the paper every morning, first thing. But today she'd been running late after yet another sleepless night, fraught with nightmares of Poe's demise. She'd had to sprint out of the house that morning to make her shift on time, and her own paper was left sitting on her sidewalk, forgotten.

She shoved the box of medical tools away impatiently to make room as she unfolded the newspaper on the table, hurriedly taking a seat. The headline made her dizzy with fear but she swallowed hard and read on.

"DEATH TOLL ON THE RISE AS GERMAN AIR STRIKES PRESS FURTHER INTO BRITAIN"

Underneath the headline there was a large photograph of a village laid waste. One of the buildings had been decimated completely—not by a bomb, but by a crashed RAF fighter plane.

Rey clinched her fists to keep her hands from shaking. She refused to let her imagination get the best of her. This didn't mean Poe had been hurt. Logically, she knew that if something had happened, she would have been notified before the newspaper. After taking a calming breath she began to read the story.

"Tensions are high in England today after yet another devastating air raid. The German Blitz continues to bombard London as well as several surrounding cities and towns.

"While authorities have been vigilant in their efforts to preemptively alert citizens and evacuate them to bomb shelters, inclement weather and thick fog have given the Germans the element of surprise in recent attacks this week.

"With dozens of homes and businesses destroyed and hundreds of civilians killed or injured, the Royal Air Force has been under tremendous pressure to answer hostility with hostility. But the Nazi flyers are proving a challenge, and the British military, already depleted after numerous deployments to the French front as part of the British Expeditionary Force, are finding themselves outnumbered and outgunned.

"Many here at home and abroad believe it's only a matter of time before the United States offers aid to our oldest allies. While Roosevelt's administration is still reluctant to declare war, this reporter has it on good authority that several intrepid American pilots have volunteered their skills to help eliminate the Nazi threat from Europe.

"But at what cost do these brave men answer the call to arms? When will America send her sons to aid their countrymen and allies across the sea? Only time will tell."

Rey sighed. As usual, there was nothing in the paper to ease her mind. She tried to convince herself that there was no way that Poe was one of those RAF casualties. He was safe. He had to be. And wherever he was, she was willing to bet that Poe would have gotten a kick of out the article. "Intrepid American pilot." "Brave man." Rey couldn't help but smile. The last thing he needed was an ego boost.

One way or another, Rey was hopeful that she'd receive news from Poe today. While she had written him at least twice a week since his departure, he had replied once a week—exactly three times. Rey had so far received all of these letters on Fridays. Today was Friday. She reassured herself with the notion that there would be a letter from him waiting in their brightly-painted mailbox when she got home from work that afternoon.

This also meant that she would spend her evening writing a reply. While her friends usually went out with the officers on Friday nights, Rey had spent hers inside the quaint military housing cottage that she shared with Natalie and Jess. Phasma had told them they'd be getting another roommate soon. But for now, Natalie had a room to herself while Rey and Jess shared one. Ordinarily, Rey liked the company of her two closest friends. But on Friday evenings the solitude allowed her to write without the prying eyes of the other girls. It was one of her favorite parts of the week.

Any other time that she tried to write, it was nearly impossible for her to do so in peace. Rey knew that her friends meant well, but the constant worried glances and the way they spoke to her in those over-sweet voices made her feel like a beaten puppy. She knew her recent somber mood was out of character; her friends had never seen her so preoccupied. Rey had always been fiercely independent. Her upbringing hadn't left her much of a choice. She didn't like relying on others, because doing so had never worked out for her in the past. This extended to her relationships with men. She'd always made it a point not to get too attached. Rey had never been found waiting by the phone for a boy, never crying into her pillow over a betrayal. But she knew that fretting over whether or not a guy liked her was quite a different from wondering whether the man she loved was alive or dead.

Of course, her friends didn't understand this. How could they? Their boyfriends were a ten-minute walk away. The biggest threat to their safety involved getting too much sun over the weekend on the North Shore. While Rey thrashed around in bed, kept awake by nightmares, Jess was down on the beach pinned under Hux, the happy recipient of unsightly love marks on her neck. When Rey was struggling with the wording in her bi-weekly letters to send to Poe thousands of miles away, Natalie was worrying over how to sneak out of Finn's barracks unnoticed, giggling and half-drunk from their adventures the night before.

Rey was disturbed from her thoughts by a beam of brilliant Hawaiian sunshine as the lounge's exit door swung open, whining on its hinges. Phasma entered, her tall frame dominating the small room, her short blonde hair tousled by the island wind.

"Kenobi," she acknowledged, inclining her head at Rey in greeting. Her eyes scanned the newspaper open before Rey and her face fell.

"Oh, Rey—"

"I'm fine," she interrupted quickly. "Really."

Phasma smiled sadly at the younger woman for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I've just come from Skywalker's office. There are no more new recruits to clear for combat until next week. I think we can adjourn for the day a tad early. You, uh, look like you could use a bit of rest."

Rey scoffed but didn't argue. She folded the newspaper and tucked it under her arm. "Lieutenant," she saluted Phasma quickly, grabbing her bag off of a nearby chair and slinging it over her shoulder before heading out the way the head nurse had come.

Arriving at her house, Rey walked up to the mailbox with her heart in her throat. She opened it tentatively, holding her breath in anticipation of what might be inside.

Empty.

It's okay, she repeated to herself over and over, walking up her front steps in a daze. She opened the screen door before turning the key in the front door lock. BB waited on the other side, jumping up and down and barking excitedly. Normally, the little dog's presence warmed her heart, but today it was all she could do not to cry at the sight of Poe's beloved pet, blissfully ignorant of his owner's plight.

Reaching down to scratch behind BB's ears, Rey realized that for the first time since they'd moved to Oahu, she'd walked home without Jess and Nat. She'd never felt more alone.

"Come on, man! You can't stay cooped up in here like a damned hermit anymore. It's weird," Finn announced. He tightened his grip on Ben's arm and pulled harder.

"Actually, people have several different ways of dealing with anxiety." Hux was already standing in the open doorway lighting a cigarette.

Ben felt unexpected gratitude. Hux didn't ordinarily come to his defense at times like this. He shook free of Finn's grasp and backed away indignantly. "Thanks, Hux. I—"

"But this method is undeniably detrimental to your health." Hux exhaled a cloud of smoke as he finished, shrugging apologetically when Ben glared daggers at him.

"This means nothing," Finn said with feeling, picking up that day's newsprint from the table behind Ben. "Poe's too good to be taken down by a couple of Nazis!"

Ben made no reply, staring determinedly at the wall in front of him.

"Well we've no way of actually knowing that," Hux observed matter-of-factly. Finn promptly balled up the offending newsprint and threw at forcefully at Hux's face. Hux ducked just in time, the ball of paper whizzing over his sheen of red hair and out the front door.

"Exactly," Ben agreed, gesturing at Hux. "I've only gotten one letter from him. It was two weeks ago."

"Oh for Christ's sake," Finn scrubbed his palm over his face in frustration. "You can't expect the man to be writing you love notes every day when he's over there fighting for his life."

"Hm, 'love notes' . . ." Hux took another puff from his cigarette before holding it out the open door and tapping it lightly, the ashes falling into a little pile on the front stoop.

"Well, what are you on about over there?" Finn demanded, turning to Hux.

"I'll bet he's written more than one letter to Rey. She may even have gotten one today. Clear this whole business right up just by talking to her, can't we?" He turned to Ben and Finn with a triumphant grin.

It was the first time Ben had even considered accompanying them. Finn and Hux were walking over to collect Natalie and Jess to bring them to the outdoor cinema at Waikiki Beach. Some horror film. Really just an opportunity for them all to feel one another up in public, Ben thought with dismay. The last thing he wanted to do with his Friday evening was to be the fifth wheel on Finn's and Hux's dates. He knew Rey wouldn't join them at the cinema, and he wasn't going to stay at her house after asking about Poe. The outing meant an evening of suffering through a silly movie just for a quick update about Poe on the way there.

Still, the thought of news about his friend, and receiving that news from Rey . . . it gave him a glimmer of hope, of happiness. He hadn't felt much of that recently. He'd only seen Rey a time or two in passing in the month they'd spent in Hawaii. She hadn't been at any of their group outings since they'd arrived. He imagined that like him, Rey had spent the past few weeks worrying about Poe.

They were all friends, of course. It would be selfish and wrong to assume that Finn and Hux weren't also thinking of their friend. But Ben felt like Rey was the only one who truly knew what he was going through. They were the ones closest to Poe, the ones who stood to lose the most if he . . . fell. Ben suspected that Rey was feeling just as alone as he was. Maybe he owed it not just to himself, but to her as well, to join Finn and Hux that night.

He looked up at Finn who stood over his bed, staring down at him expectantly. "Well?!"

"Fine. I'll come."

"Terrific," Hux said in a bored voice. "Can we get a move on then?"

"Hiya, boys," Natalie greeted them enthusiastically, standing up on the tips of her toes to receive a quick kiss from Finn. She took a step back into the house and waved them all inside, giving Ben a puzzled smile as he walked past.

Ben saw Jess standing with her back to them in the kitchenette, mixing up what he assumed to be cocktails for them all. "You're going to need a heavier pour for mine. I'm no lightweight like your friend Red in there." Hux hugged Jess from behind before pointing at Natalie with a teasing smirk.

"What can I say? I'm a cheap date," Natalie shrugged, nestling closer to Finn who had taken up residence next to her on the coach.

"I'll fix your drink right away, sir!" Jess turned to Hux and gave him the most sarcastic and exaggerated salute Ben had ever seen before picking up a nearly full bottle of rum from the counter and pressing it against Hux's chest. "Strong enough for you?"

"Hm. Nearly," Hux rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his dry sense of humor never wavering for a moment. "But I think you'll need to save some for your guests."

"Right. Nat, Finn? Care for a drink? This is fresh from this morning." Jess held up a pitcher of bright yellow liquid that Ben surmised must have been fresh pineapple juice. He felt out of place and honestly a bit thirsty. He decided a drink was exactly what he needed.

"Um, I'll take one," he muttered from the corner, clearing his throat into the silence that followed his request. Jess looked up, apparently noticing him for the first time.

"Oh, goodie. He's graced us with his presence." She set down the pitcher and turned to Hux, her hands coming to rest on her hips in an attitude that Ben had come to recognize as a signal of an impending outburst from the fiery girl. "You know, I think we're going to get more than our fill of Frankenstein's monster at the cinema tonight. Why is he here?"

Hux sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking straight into her eyes. "Jess, relax. He's been worried about Poe. He wanted to come along and ask Rey if-"

"You know, you oughtta stop being sour at Kylo just because he rejected you," Finn interjected unhelpfully. Natalie burst into a fit of nervous giggles that she failed to hide behind her hand and Jess wheeled on Finn with murder in her dark eyes.

"Rejected me? You don't know the first thing about it, you moronic, wisecracking . . . asshole!" She strained against Hux's hold on her forearm as if she would pounce on Finn at any moment. For his part, he sat calmly next to Natalie with his arms folded, facing Jess down with a mocking smile on his lips.

Their conflict was interrupted when Rey appeared unexpectedly, making her way down the hallway that led to their bedrooms with BB cradled in her arms. "Ask me if I what?" Ben turned at the soft sound of her voice. She looked haggard, unrested. Her hair was disheveled and she was still in her nurse uniform. It was very wrinkled. Ben noticed the dark circles under her eyes as she leveled him with an unflinching stare. "Ask me if I what?" she repeated, her ordinarily musical voice toneless and dull.

"I think I have a pretty good idea what he's here to talk to her about," Jess began, shaking Hux off and stepping toward Rey. She laid a hand protectively on her friend's tiny shoulder. "I don't think it's a good idea. Kylo dredging up all of these worries isn't going to do her any favors. I think you should go." She was facing Ben now, her face so stern it almost made him laugh.

He didn't know what to do. He stood in confused silence, trying not to meet Rey's eyes, but they bored into him insistently until he returned her gaze. The pain reflected in the caramel-colored orbs almost knocked the wind out of him. He felt a kinship with that pain. He decided he wasn't going anywhere, and opened his mouth to say as much when Rey beat him to the punch.

"I can decide what conversations are and aren't appropriate for me, Jess." She shifted BB to one arm and gave her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Kylo, we can talk here." Rey nodded at Ben before setting BB down on the carpet and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Ben smiled gratefully and pulled a chair out next to her. Before he could sit, Jess materialized beside him and glared forcefully at Rey. "We're going to be late for our movie if we don't leave now, and I'm not leaving the two of you here sulk yourselves to death. It's not good for you."

Natalie squealed excitedly from the couch. "Rey, looks like you're coming to the movies!"

"Excellent. She can protect you when you're frightened, Nat," Hux announced.

"That's my job," Finn protested. He laid his arm nonchalantly over Natalie's shoulders.

"Yes, and I'm sure you can do it well hiding your own face in your jacket like you did when we saw that Dracula film last year." Hux finished pouring himself what appeared to be a very stiff drink. He winked at Finn before sipping it innocently.

Finn predictably erupted in indignation but Ben wasn't paying attention to them anymore. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Rey looking more and more tired and disinterested by the second. But he needed to talk to her. He was running out of time and patience. "Fine. We'll come if it will shut you up, the lot of you," he snapped.

Rey looked up at him and for a moment he thought she would protest. But she nodded weakly instead. He tried to offer her a grateful smile but she was already staring in another direction, lost in thought.

As she stood slowly and said a dismal goodbye to BB, Ben realized he was lucky to be getting her out of the house at all. She certainly didn't seem very inclined to a long conversation. He wondered if they would even be able to broach the subject of Poe's silence. For the moment anyway, it seemed very unlikely.

The others filed out of the door, chattering and laughing. Rey followed silently, pulling her hair into a bun to keep it out of her face in the beachy winds. Ben watched her, noticed that the usual sheen of her chestnut hair was somewhat diminished, that her normally immaculate nails were chipping varnish.

She was so different. So quiet, almost meek. That was never a word he would have associated with her before. The sight of her like that unsettled him somehow. He felt a peculiar urge to reach over and pull her close, wrap her in a comforting hug. She certainly seemed to need one.

But no. That would be strange, untoward. Too familiar.

Ben sighed, failing to mask the concern that was apparent by his knitted brows and the stolen glances he kept casting at Rey. She was a mess. It seemed to be a good thing he'd come along after all.

Rey felt better than she had in weeks. The wind whipping through her hair was almost chilly without the sun to warm her, and it was invigorating and refreshing. The thick fabric of her uniform suddenly felt very restrictive. She wanted to feel the wind against her skin. She decided to take it off. She would only dirty it sitting in the damp sand anyway.

Underneath she wore a camisole slip dress that was more than a little revealing on its own. But they were on the beach, after all. Some of the moviegoers were still in their swimsuits from earlier that afternoon. Surely her dress wouldn't draw much attention.

She unbuttoned her uniform and shrugged out of it, folding it once over and then laying it over her arm as they walked down the shoreline. Jess looked at her oddly. "Rey, when I said I wanted you to have fun, I didn't mean you had to strip to your nightie in public."

"Just getting comfortable," she replied. She broke away from Jess's scrutiny and moved closer to the water, eager to feel the cool tide against her feet. Kylo was near the ocean, too, staring straight ahead and walking a few paces behind the others.

Rey fell in step beside him, sighing contentedly. She was glad that he'd convinced her to come. This was the only social gathering she'd been to in at least a month, and it was a good one.

The moon was full and appeared somehow larger here than it had back home. Its reflection on the water was an awe-inspiring sight, the giant silver sphere lighting up the beach with an ethereal glow. The smell of the sea air and the pleasant give of the sand beneath her toes relaxed her.

They were coming up on the outdoor cinema now. An enormous white tarp had been erected between two poles that usually held a volleyball net aloft. Tonight, they supported the projector screen. The film projector was set up a few dozen feet back, projecting the movie title and the starting time onto the screen, a bright beacon in the otherwise darkened beach.

The audience had already begun forming, people sprawled out on blankets and beach towels. Jess laid out a large quilt in the sand and set a picnic basket onto it. It was a big quilt but it barely accommodated everyone. Rey sat between Kylo and Nat, crossing her legs and settling in comfortably.

Jess opened the basket to reveal a canteen and some glasses. As she portioned out the contents the sweet smell of rum and fruit juice wafted over to Rey in the ocean breeze. Great. They're all going to get piss drunk. She sighed. The thought of drinking was tempting; after all, it would probably get her mind off of her worries for at least a little while. But Rey worried that it could have the opposite effect, that she could drink too much and fall into a dark melancholy, sullying the evening for everyone.

Jess handed out the glasses one by one, and when she waved Rey's in front of her face, Rey hesitated for only a moment before taking it. The chilled liquid had cooled the glass, condensation already forming on the outside. The cold against her fingers was inviting, luring her to drink the refreshing contents and wash her troubles away.

She stared down into the glass for a moment before looking over at Kylo out of the corner of her eye. He had set his own drink to the side and was looking up at the screen. The film was starting. Rey shrugged at no one in particular before bringing the glass to her lips, relishing the burn of the rum as it slid down her throat.

The movie was a bust. Not that Ben had expected much from a Frankenstein sequel, but it really didn't have much in the way of a plot, and the overacting that seemed to accompany horror films made his stomach churn. The others had seemed mildly entertained at outset, but after the first half-hour and a couple of drinks, Hux and Jess had hurried away into the darkness of the sand dunes seeking privacy. Natalie and Finn had snuggled up together on the blanket beside them and Finn had promptly fallen asleep. Natalie followed not long after.

So Ben was left with Rey, who he thought ordinarily would have found such a movie to be dull and uninteresting. But in the hour since the movie had begun, Rey had consumed three of Jess's famous rum cocktails, and she was staring, enraptured, at the screen. The film was at its climax, Frankenstein's creature and his grisly bride cornering their victims. Rey's eyes were wide with fear and wonder, and she was leaning so far forward that Ben thought she might tip over.

The monster on-screen turned a corner and surprised the woman hiding from him, and the music suddenly increased in volume to accompany the scare, hitting an alarming note that reverberated through the audience on the beach even amidst the sound of the crashing waves. Rey shrieked, spilling her drink down the front of her dress and turning toward Ben in alarm, clutching his arm desperately.

He chuckled in spite of himself. "I can't believe you're actually scared of this nonsense," he teased, peering down at Rey who was hiding her face against his upper arm.

She pulled back a bit and peaked at him sheepishly. "You must be really brave not to be afraid of it." Her voice was barely audible over the eerie music playing with the film, and the roar of the ocean nearby. Ben leaned in closer to hear her better but stopped when his eyes fell on Rey's dress. The front of the thin, white slip dress had been completely saturated with the spilled beverage. The material was now plastered to her body and was mostly translucent. He could clearly see the delicate flesh-colored lace of Rey's bra against her pale skin, and she seemed completely unaware of this fact as she gazed up at him.

"Um, Rey," he began awkwardly, picking up her forgotten uniform from the sand behind her.

"What?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Here," Ben said gently, handing her the uniform before gesturing quickly at her chest. He turned his face away in embarrassment, but he could feel the flush burning his cheeks. Rey set her empty glass down looked at the front of her dress in dismay. She shook her head at her own clumsiness before shrugging into the uniform.

"Thanks," she mumbled grumpily, standing. She dusted away at the sand bits that had inevitably found their way onto the quilt and her legs before turning and walking away unsteadily.

"Wait!" Ben called, scrambling to his feet and following her. "Rey, what's wrong?" He reached for her arm as she stumbled through the sandy terrain but she pulled away fiercely, whirling on him with a storm brewing in her eyes.

"Just let me go, please! I'm acting like a fool. I-I drank too much again," she stammered. Ben could see the tears forming in her eyes. He took a breath and was about to stop her but she continued. "I knew this would happen. It's why I should have stayed home, why I always stay home now. But I just . . . I couldn't be alone with my thoughts tonight." Her voice broke on the last word, a powerful sob escaping her full lips as she turned her back to him.

She looked incredibly small then, standing next to the water, silhouetted against the brilliant light from the moon's reflection, her small shoulders shaking. She seemed fragile next to the greatness of the ocean, the sounds of her crying carried away on the sea breeze. It tore Ben's heart in two to see her like this, and every cell in his body cried out to him to comfort her in some way, but he didn't know how. So he stood next to her on the beach, the wind tossing his hair around his eyes. He hoped that his presence alone might offer her some small modicum of reassurance that at the very least she wasn't alone.

After a moment she seemed to collect herself somewhat, turning back to him with a sigh. She stood up straighter and looked him in the eye before looking down at herself. She hadn't bothered to button up her uniform and in the open gap her rum-soaked dress was still visible. "This is pitiful," she declared, shaking her head. "Poe would be ashamed of me. I'm supposed to be strong for him. He's the one who has real problems, over in a place like that. And I can't even hold it together here. You must think I'm an idiot."

"Not at all-" Ben started, but she went on as if she hadn't heard him.

"I know he's only been gone a month. I know that isn't a very long time. But that's not why I'm so upset."

Ben was silent, waiting for her to continue. He jammed his hands down into the pockets of his pants to avoid reaching out and laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I haven't heard from him since last Friday, and I always get a letter from him on Fridays. Today, no letter came. And . . . and then the news." She didn't finish her thought, but didn't need to. Ben had seen it as well. What Rey had said was what he'd been dreading to hear. He had hoped that the night would bring word of Poe's safety and wellbeing. Instead his worries were reflected in Rey, and there was good reason to be worried.

But he didn't tell her so. Poe had asked him to take care of Rey, and feeding her anxiety wasn't the way to do it. For as long as Ben could remember, Poe had taken care of him. He had stood up to bullies for him, let Ben sleep over in his small bedroom when fights with his father were at their worst. He had helped Ben talk to girls and motivated him to get in shape and put on some muscle to join the Air Force. Hell, Poe had basically taught him to fly.

Now, it was Ben's turn. Rey was the thing that Poe held dearest and Ben was going to protect her and be the strong one for once. She had friends, but they didn't understand what she was feeling and she needed someone who did.

It only took one step with Ben's long, lanky stride to close the distance between them and wrap Rey in a hug. At first he felt her stiffen in his embrace—clearly she hadn't been expecting it. But after only a moment she slumped against him, pressing her face to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, her sobs shaking them both, her tears warm against his skin as they bled through his shirt.

"Sshh," he softly quieted her, stroking his hand down her back. "It's alright, Rey. I'm worried for him, too. We all are. But he's safe. I know it. I trust in that. He promised to come back, and he will."

"I love him, you know," she said shakily, her voice muffled against him. "I love him and I was too stupid to say anything. What if I'm too late? What if I didn't ever get a chance to say it?"

"Don't talk like that," Ben replied seriously. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and stepped back so he could see her, looking down into her face. "You will get to tell him, and he'll be so happy, Rey. Wait for that. Hang on to that."

She smiled weakly and nodded, reaching up with both hands to wipe at the tears on her cheeks. Some of her hair had come loose from her bun in the wind and strands were sticking to her damp face. Her eyes were puffy. Through it all, an uninvited thought crept into the recesses of Ben's mind.

She's beautiful.

He shook his head viciously as if he could dislodge the offensive notion from his brain. It didn't matter what Rey was because she was the love of his best friend's life, and she needed help. "Come on," he said to her with a cheerfulness he didn't feel. "You need to get some rest."

The sunlight was blinding in its brightness and it seemed to exacerbate her already throbbing headache. Rey groaned loudly and turned over, facing the wall and pulling the covers up over her head. At her feet, BB stood up, stretching and yawning before walking up near her head and sniffing inquisitively. He was clearly ready to get up, but Rey wasn't sure she could manage it.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been truly hungover. It had probably been years ago, when she used to drink with her friends in secret when Unkar Plutt was away on business. Back then they would sneak cheap wine and drink themselves into a giggly haze at sleepovers. The next day she would sometimes feel thirsty and achy. This was infinitely worse.

Her head pounded like she'd been hit with a crowbar the night before. Now that she thought about it, that wasn't wholly impossible. Her memory of the previous night was patchy at best, but she did know that she'd wound up crying and acting like a fool, and that Kylo had talked Nat into walking her home before the film was even finished. She supposed she must have been irritating him quite a bit, which was no surprise. Considering the state she was in, she must have been sloppily drunk the night before. Her hair was matted and her dress was sticky and stained.

She craved a shower and maybe a swim in the ocean to clear her head. Dragging herself out of bed, Rey trudged out of her room and into the living room. BB bounded lightly ahead of her, his tail wagging. She envied his boisterous energy but couldn't even fathom matching it. Judging by the sunlight that she could see through the sliding glass doors that led to their backyard, it was nearly noon, but to Rey it felt like the crack of dawn. The house appeared to be empty. She supposed Jess and Nat must have gone to lunch.

Her mouth was so parched and dry that even swallowing hurt, so Rey moved to the kitchen to make herself a glass of water and feed BB. But when she stepped into the room she saw an envelope and a piece of paper sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. The envelope looked familiar, and Rey strode over to it with her heart in her throat. BB trotting behind her, his claws clicking on the tile.

A note was hastily scrawled on the paper that accompanied the envelope, written in an unfamiliar hand.

Rey,

This arrived for you yesterday but was left in my box instead by mistake. I didn't see it until late in the night and didn't want to disturb you. I brought it over first thing today, but Jess said you aren't feeling well. Hope it brings some good news, and sorry you didn't get it from me sooner!

Aya

Aya was their neighbor one house over. She was a navy nurse and a Hawaii native, sharing her military housing with a couple of other nurses Rey hadn't met yet. Rey had mistaken Aya for Jess one day, as both women had long, black hair that they wore in braids to work. Rey's mistake had led to an awkward introduction and the beginning of a quick friendship. She was glad of that now, wondering what might have become of her letter if Aya hadn't known who Rey was.

Setting the note aside, Rey reached down and picked up BB, setting the little terrier into her lap for support. He curled up against her lovingly as though sensing her apprehension. She lifted the letter with shaky hands. Rey knew that the letter's existence alone could be a good sign, but some nagging part of her still worried at the contents. After carefully ripping open the envelope, Rey unfolded the letter on the table before her and began to read.

A/N: I hope the posting of this chapter finds you all well! Hope you enjoy 3