A/N: It's another two-fer day! So stay tuned cuz the next chapter will be up in a jiffy. This is the longest chapter yet, but I tried splitting it and didn't care for that. For the sake of pacing, we'll just leave it long like this. Your guys' reviews are so encouraging and awesome. Thank you muchly.


Rey


Rey thought she might have trouble concentrating in Command after the breathtaking, bewildering thing that had just happened. It turned out to be a futile worry. This was no meeting with herself, Ben, and Leia, but rather a gathering of almost everyone who held a meaningful rank in the new rebellion. Focus came easily and sharply. No time for secret tender memories here — only the terrible architecture of war.

When they entered, Leia spotted them and motioned for them to come forward. Others shifted out of the way to make room and they approached the large holographic strategy table, taking a position beside the general. Poe, Finn, and Rose were also among the various commanders standing in the center circle of the crowd.

Nobody paid Ben much attention, which was surprising. Sentiment towards him had shifted slightly in the weeks since his arrival, but not enough to warrant a warm welcome in a place of sensitive covert planning like this room at this time. Their lack of objection to him now seemed as warm as Rey could have ever imagined. Either they'd more or less accepted his role or they were far too distracted now.

It turned out to be the latter.

Leia was ready with her grand plan of attack. Poe reported on what he'd learned about the First Order Base on Naboo. This revelation hit Rey with sickening impact. She had of course heard of the famous paradisiacal planet from the traders and offworlders who stopped at Niima Outpost for refueling before heading into the Unknown Regions, and she had dreamed of one day visiting the turquoise lakes and rolling countrysides. But knowing that the First Order had deliberately used that very reputation to shelter them from perceived attack, putting both the planet and the lives of its peaceful residents at risk, made her feel suddenly ill.

She tried not to think about Ben's own role in choosing that site.

I didn't, Ben assured her telepathically.

Clinging to this truth, she made herself relax.

The First Order had seized almost a quarter of the city central and converted it into an enormous terrestrial base, so the Resistance couldn't very well go in, guns blazing, without compromising the lives of innocents.

"Chewbacca and Rey will go in with the Falcon," Leia explained, motioning to a city map where a public hangar illuminated a different color from the rest of the map. "We've acquired a shipping order which will allow them to enter the blockade and land at this commercial docking bay. Kylo, Finn, and Rose will be aboard as well. Once on the ground, they will infiltrate the base — Rey, are you confident you can get in?"

Rey nodded. "We can do it."

"How?" one of the other commanders asked.

"It doesn't matter," Leia said dismissively. "We'll trust them to do what they do best. Once inside, Rey and Kylo will find their way to Hux and his Knights as quickly as possible. Meanwhile Rose will hack into the nearest terminal and initiate one of Finn's broadcasts, only this time he will deliver it live rather than as a recording. The idea is to galvanize as many stormtroopers as we can, not only on the base but hopefully throughout the galaxy. Rose has been working on expanding her slicing technique to include various galactic news networks as well — did I explain that correctly?"

Rose nodded. "If we can broadcast publicly, hopefully that will rally some of the other worlds teetering on the brink of rebellion."

Leia pressed forward. "If there is chaos on multiple fronts, they won't know where to focus their efforts. As that's happening, Poe will lead an attack on their blockade, with the intention of punching a hole through which we can send down support troops to evacuate the neighboring city blocks. It's a dangerous assignment — you'll be trying to draw out their fighters to give our groups on the ground more time."

Poe issued a series of commands to several fighter unit leaders, outlining what they would be doing. He didn't seem nervous about the suicidal nature of his assignment.

Despite all that had happened, Rey experienced a stumbling sensation of worry for him. Finn and Rose would be with her, for the most part, and while that did not make them safe at least she'd know what happened to them. Until they separated, of course. Then the only person whose fate she would be able to track was Ben.

The conversation shifted to other tactical strategies and Leia gave out other assignments. Rey let her thoughts turn inward, to her sudden fear for her friends and the task at hand. A storm cloud of anxiety rolled through her as she glanced across to Rose and Poe…and Finn.

Ben's hand brushed against her own, discreet but intentional. He could feel her dread, but she wondered if he could understand it. All this business plotting the possible deaths of the people she loved — she'd rather go back to just a short time ago when all that mattered was the feel of Ben's mouth on hers and the flames that ignited between them.

She blushed and forced herself to focus again.

"We implement this plan tomorrow morning," Leia concluded. "Get as much sleep as you can tonight. I'm tremendously proud of all of you. The galaxy is a brighter place because people like you are willing to fight for it, no matter the odds. Tomorrow, they will rise and fight with you, ridding ourselves of tyranny once and for all. We can do it. We will do it. Don't lose hope when everything looks dark — cling to the light, trust in the light. And may the Force be with us."

It took a moment for everyone to disperse after the meeting ended. A feeling of camaraderie and the specter of death's shadow seemed to bind them all to one another. Eventually, they did go, however. Various commanders and leaders organized their units and led them off to go over more detailed strategy. Others moved on to make whatever personal or tactical preparations they needed. A subdued sense of hope went with them.

Everyone felt it in the air: this would be the last time they attacked the First Order. The final standoff. Either they would live to see the dawn of a new era, or they'd die and finally be released from the fight.

Leia turned to Ben and Rey, brow lifting. "I got to see a bit of your practice session this afternoon, and I admit, I'm surprised you both emerged unhurt. I'm glad I didn't know what it was going to look like before I approved it."

Ben's mouth twitched a little. "So am I."

Her expression softened into a smile, putting her hand on her son's arm. "How are you both?"

"We're fine," he replied.

Rey wondered, by the curious expression that danced just beneath the surface of the seasoned woman's features, if she sensed a shift between them.

Leia's eyes met hers. "Ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes," Rey said quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly. She averted her gaze before Leia could see the deceit.

But of course she saw. She was far too practiced in the art of observation and unspoken signals. Leia motioned to Finn, who had lingered behind when others began to depart. He came immediately.

"Finn, I think I called this meeting too quickly after Poe's arrival to give these two a chance to freshen up after their duel. Would you mind accompanying Ben to the washroom? I need to steal Rey for a moment."

Finn blinked in surprise, but to his credit did not hesitate. He nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Rey saw the inquisitive glance he tossed her way, and knew without telepathic aid that he was confused that they had not already washed up, as he'd specifically left them to do earlier.

Leia had already turned her attention to Ben. "Go with Finn. I'll have her back to you by dinner. "

Ben and Rey looked at one another briefly, a faint smile ghosting across her lips as he pivoted to follow Finn away. Leia's careful observation loomed in her periphery, moderating any further reaction she might have had. So instead of watching him leave and indulging in that crazy, surreal memory of an hour before, she turned and faced the general fully, prepared to accept whatever this was.

"I won't take much of your time, as I'm sure you want to wash up as well. But I wanted to talk. Do you mind?"

Rey laughed a little. After sending her son and Finn away with only the briefest explanation, Leia was now asking for permission? As if she needed it. "Of course not."

Mischief glittered in Leia's eyes too, and it was clear she knew full well where the humor came from. "Let's walk. I find that conversation flows best at walking speed."

So Rey followed her out of Command and down more vacant passages.

"How are you feeling about all you've learned since leaving us to find Luke?" Leia asked not long into their walk, casting aside any pretenses at light introductions. She wanted to get to the heart of the matter quickly. Efficient, as always.

Rey released a long breath as her mind traced back along the many, many events that had taken place since that first flight. "I feel as though I've been trying to drink an entire ocean to satisfy my thirst," she confessed. "But it's all so much to take in."

Leia grinned. "I like that. It's true, for what Luke told me about the Force is that it is as deep as it is wide, and understanding even a small part of it takes the work of a lifetime. But you seem to be doing well. Do you feel more confident about your place in all this?"

"I…I think so." At least, she knew what her objective was in tomorrow's war game. And she knew that for whatever reason, the Force had raised her up to be a balance against Ben's own imbalance. "I accept that I have a purpose, though I'm not always sure what that is in the grand design. After this war."

"Does that frighten you? The not knowing?"

"No." It might have worried her once, fearing that without the Resistance to give her some meaning she'd drift around the galaxy trying to figure out what to do with her Force gifts. But not anymore. Now she felt a sort of all-encompassing peace. Whatever the future held, she knew it included Ben. They would discover their purpose together.

But that wasn't what prompted Leia's question, she knew. So she gave the general the answer she really wanted. "What frightens me is the unknown of tomorrow itself. That I could lose the people I love."

Understanding filled Leia's countenance as she nodded slowly and kept her gaze trained ahead of her. "Ah, the fear we all know far too well in these dark times."

Yes, Leia would be more intimately acquainted with that than anyone. Rey thought of the people Leia had lost throughout her life, beginning with her parents and all she loved on Alderaan. So much grief. So much pain. Suddenly Rey was glad she had confided this worry, knowing she had found the right person to guide her through it.

"Loss is an inevitable part of life," Leia said, sighing. "Cruel though it feels at the time. Impossible as it is to endure. Sometimes it hurts so much you think you cannot draw another breath. Often, you don't even want to. But your heart keeps beating and your breath keeps flowing and days keep passing, as if in mockery of your pain. It goes on and on, until one day it has become so much a part of you that you stop feeling the sharpness of it. You will always carry it with you — that's the lie, you know. That you'll get over it one day. That you'll heal. You won't. Not really. But you'll find that you can go on anyway, as if you were healed. As if you were whole."

Surprisingly, Rey felt something familiar stir within her at these words. She knew them already. The wound her parents had left her with had followed the same path Leia had just outlined. She'd never gotten over it. Ben had once admonished her to let go, to kill the past, but she hadn't been able to, and neither had he. There was no healing, only living on after.

"I don't want to go through that again," Rey heard herself breathe.

Leia stopped, taking Rey's hands in hers. "But you will, my dear. If not tomorrow, someday. If not Finn, then Rose. If not Ben, then Poe. Eventually, all of them. It is no pleasant fate to be the last survivor."

Something haunted Leia's expression — ghosts of adventures past and people gone. The longing in her eyes made Rey want to hug her. She resisted this impulse, feeling instinctively that Leia did not want it.

"The love for them does not diminish after any amount of time," Leia breathed softly. "It remains untarnished, untouched by decay. That's what we're left with when they're gone. At first it feels like a painful reminder, a worthless trinket, but soon it becomes the greatest gift. Let that love define you, but don't let it make you a slave to fear."

Rey thought of her friends, the first she'd ever had, and the family she'd gathered unto herself like so many scraps of salvage. Her love for them had at first irritated, then baffled, then exasperated Ben before it finally inspired regret in him. She'd defended her choice through it all, and she stood by that defense now. Her life was better for the people in it. Losing them would hurt, but it did not diminish the joy it had brought her in the moment.

But if they could just not die tomorrow…

"You don't get to keep anyone," Leia told her, as if sensing this wish. Her voice was sharp. "You can't cheat death, you can't conquer it, you can't master it. You make peace with it and trust in the Force. That's all you can do."

Like Rey with her future. She didn't know what was to come, but whatever it was she would accept. She must now do the same thing with the fate of her friends. There was a certain irony, Rey realized, that this conversation should take place after so recently admonishing Ben to give up his fear of potential loss. But that was about convincing him to trust her and trust whatever it was that burned between them, and this was about the very real possibility that her favorite people could die tomorrow.

"I understand," she told Leia after a while. The initial panic within her had resolved into aching acceptance. "At least I can enjoy what time I have left with them to the fullest, and consider the days that might come after as gifts."

Leia nodded, letting go of her hands and smiling a small, proud, sad smile. "That's it. That's how you face it."

Silence hung between them for a few moments as the two women searched each other's gaze, warmth and deep affection flowing between them. Rey felt at home with Leia, as at peace with her as she was in Ben's arms. This felt good. Felt right.

"I'm grateful to have been part of all this," she said, motioning vaguely to the base. "It has been the greatest adventure of my life."

Now Leia laughed, the heavy feelings between them fading with the sound. "Don't say that, you'll end up doing crazier things. Trust me."

They resumed walking, and this time Rey recognized it as looping back to her room. "Which ship will you be on tomorrow?"

"None of that, now. We're enjoying what time we have left, remember? And if we're pretending this is the end, I have to tell you, I'm so proud of how you've grown over this last year. Especially in the last few weeks. There's been a real change in you. What's that owed to?"

So many reasons, Rey hardly knew how to list them. Still, she let out another slow breath. "I've…learned a lot of new things. Things that have changed the way I see the Force. The way I see the galaxy, really. It isn't as black and white as I thought. The Force isn't all darkness or all light. There's so much in between."

Leia's brow lifted a little. "I can see why you get along so well with my son. I think Ben has always needed someone to show him a place where he could be whatever muddled shade he is naturally. I regret I failed to recognize it and do that for him when he was young. We were only ever taught to dwell in the light."

"I know," Rey said quickly, hoping to absolve her of guilt. "I thought that way too. So I don't think I'm showing him that place as much as we're discovering it together."

They'd arrived at Rey's room and stopped at the door. Rey wasn't quite ready for this conversation to end, as she'd not been ready for her moment with Ben to end. But she was quickly coming to realize that things rarely went the way she thought they should. So she drew herself up and braced for Leia's goodbye.

"I'm so pleased you followed your gut and went to him when he needed you," Leia said. "Your influence brought him here, and because of that I've been able to be with him again. Do you mind if I steal him for a while after dinner? I'd like to have a final conversation with my son before we go off to destroy a tyrannical empire."

Rey laughed, again recognizing Leia's manipulative tactics and again admiring them. "Of course I can't mind that."

Leia grinned. "I thought not. Thank you. And remember, don't be afraid about tomorrow. Trust in the Force."

The older woman leaned in and swept Rey into a fond embrace — invoking the memory of their first embrace, when neither knew who the other was except by sheer instinct and that faint knowing that came with the Force. When Rey recognized the heart that hurt with hers as belonging to Han, the father-figure she'd just lost. They'd clung to each other then, in pain, as they clung to each other now, in peace.

When Leia finally parted from her and she went in to freshen up, that peace lingered. It swirled in her, joining her many other feelings fluttering around like desert moths in the pit of her stomach.


The mood was strange throughout the base that evening. The mess hall was quiet, but not somber. People spoke fondly of good times, reflecting on home planets and various customs, the events that had brought them together to the rebellion, the jokes they now shared. They talked and laughed in a subdued, nostalgic way. A sense of camaraderie filled every heart.

If anybody feared for their life, nobody showed it. Rey realized that throughout all her worry, the one she hadn't thought about was herself. Pondering this, she concluded that she didn't fear her own death at all. And because of Leia, she feared those of her friends less.

Ben was already seated beside Finn and Rose when she arrived. He looked up, and she knew he had hundreds of questions about what had taken place. These she silenced with an enigmatic smile. From that flow of connection between them came a rush of warmth and burning desire, echoing to her from him. Her smile grew.

"So who won today, by the way?" Rose asked when Rey sat down. "It was hard to tell."

Finn looked up from his food in realization. "Yeah, one minute Kylo looked like he was winning, and then suddenly it ended. Did you yield?"

"No…" Rey trailed off, not sure what to say. She scrunched up her face in mock confusion, as if she couldn't remember what happened. As if she couldn't remember the fire and the wanting and the way Ben's face had been so very close to hers.

"Rey won," Ben told them. "I yielded."

"But you were clearly winning," Finn protested.

"She tricked me. It was a ploy." His gaze flashed to hers in such a way that she felt a sudden heat flush through her. "I had no choice but to yield."

"Ha!" Finn punched the air. "That's my girl! I knew she could kick your tail twice."

Rose grinned too. "Sorry, Kylo."

"He's still the better swordsman," Rey murmured. "But I think we'll be able to handle ourselves tomorrow."

"No doubt," Finn agreed. His elation faded into sober reflection. "Not sure I feel quite ready, but I guess we don't have much of a choice."

Rose's hand strayed to a crescent medallion resting against her shirt. "I wish Paige could be here to be part of all this. She was always so calm before a big day. We'd sit outside and listen to the birds."

"She was your sister?" Ben asked. He'd become more comfortable around Finn and Rose throughout their various missions around the galaxy, though not necessarily more conversational. His interest surprised them.

Rose revealed a shy smile. "Yeah. The greatest big sister anyone could have. I miss her."

The others glanced at one another, none of them able to comprehend the experience of growing up with a sibling.

Rey smiled wistfully. "You know, nobody was very religious on Jakku. At least not outside the sacred villages. Everything about the Force…it was all just a fairytale people used to pass time or try to convince themselves life was better elsewhere. Not something real. I didn't believe in any of it myself."

Ben and Finn both snorted in amused dismay.

Her grin grew. "I know, I know. Ironic. But now I know better." Here she turned her attention to Rose and pressed importance into her next words. "Now I know that death is not the end. Not even close."

Rose's eyes held hers, trapped, full of wanting and believing, starting to glisten as the impact sunk in.

Rey moved her hand onto the other girl's, gripping it tight. "It's not. You'll see her again. I know that."

A traitor tear slid down Rose's cheek and she brushed it away, embarrassed. Her smile grew wide and pleased. "You know, it's really cool to be friends with someone who has the Force. The rest of us can just sorta hope for stuff. You can know. Anyway, now I'm not really sure what to hope for tomorrow." She laughed a little. "I guess it's a win-win. If we succeed, that's awesome. If we fail, I get to be with Paige again. I see no downsides here."

Finn shook his head. "That might be the most cheerful way to look at all of this. I don't think I have anyone waiting for me on the other side, but at least I'd see you guys there."

Rey leaned over to bump her shoulder with his, grinning. "Yeah, that's me too."

Poe arrived, setting his food down on Finn's other side, frowning a little. "Is it okay if I sit?"

They all looked at him, mostly surprised. He hadn't directly spoken to Rey since the incident and clearly still felt awkward about how to proceed. Still, she was glad just to have him and nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course you can, you don't need to ask."

She glanced at Ben, checking in to his emotions. Strangely, he did not react to his antagonist's appearance at all. Sensing her, his eyes turned from Poe to hers. They held no irritation, no hate. Nothing at all. Poe might have been any other random rebel fighter. She blinked, brow furrowing in puzzlement. Where had all that resentment gone?

The ghost of a smile flitted over his face before vanishing again. Her confusion entertained him. Why?

"I wonder how many stormtroopers will turn," Rose mused, drawing Rey back to the conversation.

"All of them." Finn grinned confidently.

Poe laughed. "I'd like to see that. Too bad I can't be on the ground with you guys."

"You're way better in the cockpit. We need you up there looking out for us," Finn assured him.

"I just wish I could be the one to take out ole Hugs personally." His gaze drifted to Ben. "Any chance you guys could save him for me?"

Ben met the glance without malice. Without warmth, too, but at least there wasn't hostility. "Doubtful."

"I think his history with Hux goes way deeper than yours." Rose motioned to Ben. "So he gets first dibs."

Rey joined in, feeling lighter now that the last awkward pieces of her world had fallen into place. "But if you see him in the sky trying to make a sneaky escape, do it."

They joked around for the rest of the meal, their conversation straying from topic to topic with increasing enthusiasm. Ben remained ever quiet, joining in only a little more often than usual. Still, he was clearly more at ease now than at any time previous. The others noticed.

Leia arrived when the mess hall had mostly emptied except for their table. "My A-Team," she greeted affectionately. "What, no Sabbac tonight?"

"Maybe later," said Finn.

She shook her head. "Not too much later, I hope. I need you all rested and in top form tomorrow."

"With all due respect, General," Rose murmured, "I think it's going to be tough to sleep tonight."

Leia considered her, then nodded. "Perhaps you're right. Well, save me a seat. I think a little Sabbac is exactly what I need."

Rey stiffened with surprise, as did Finn and Rose. Poe looked at them all in amusement. "What, you guys didn't know she could play? She's scary good. I bet she could put ole Kylo here to the test."

Ben's gaze drifted to his mother, who gave him a wicked grin. It softened, however, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Guess we'll find out later. Ben, take a walk with me outside? It's a beautiful night."

He looked immediately to Rey, no doubt wondering if this had anything to do with her own private conversation with his mother earlier. But she was distracted by the fact that Leia said outside. Ben hadn't been allowed outside since he boarded the Falcon on that moon. He was considered too much a flight risk, she guessed. But Leia must have thought it didn't matter now.

Ben stood, running a hand through his abundance of soft, dark hair. "Alright."

Leia led them away and out of the mess hall, dwarfed by her tall son towering over her as he followed.

Rey watched them go, tracking their departure while trying to stifle the curiosity raging within her suddenly. When she glanced back at her friends, she found all eyes on her.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"He's different," Finn said.

"Yeah," agreed Rose. "He's totally relaxed."

Rey shrugged. "Tomorrow's the day he's had his eyes on since they betrayed him. Preparations are over. The time has come. When else is he going to relax?"

"Never," said Poe softly.

Finn seized this. "No, but really, never. He's been changing a lot since you brought him here, but even since we started running missions with you guys, I've never seen him as the kind of guy who could be this chill. It's like he's…not angry anymore. At all. Is that possible?"

"Yeah, it is." She'd allow this. They could know that much.

Rose smiled a little. "I think you're a good influence on him."

"I'll second that," agreed Finn.

Rey glanced back at the door where he'd disappeared, a little pleased that her friends could glimpse the change taking place within him. They could not know how deep it ran, but something within them felt it. She smiled.

Rose was watching her closely. "You're kind of different too," she decided.

Poe gave a silent nod at this.

"I am? How?"

"You're more emotional," Poe muttered. "It's like everything is closer to the surface now."

"Do you…" Rose paused, eyes shifting from a scrutinizing squint to wide-eyed realization. "You love him."

Finn's head whipped around, body jolting upright in his chair. "What?"

Rey struggled to find a response, clawing after the right words which remained just out of reach. She couldn't. Was Rose right? Was that the word she'd been searching for to define the profound, intimate things she felt for Ben? Her searching silence stunned them further.

Poe seized the back of Finn's chair, dragging him away from the table so he could scoot his own next to Rey's. Beside her, he grabbed her hands. "Rey, tell me Rose is wrong. That's not true."

Finn scrambled around the other side of the table and sat next to Rose, leaning forward to catch the answer.

Rey blushed and yanked her hands out of Poe's grasp. "It's none of your business, quite frankly."

"You do?" Finn cried, turning a shocked expression on Rose.

"I don't know what that even means," Rey protested, folding her arms across her chest, feeling suddenly very hot all over. "I love all of you. That's no secret."

"This is different," Rose pushed. "Isn't it? It's different with him."

Utterly different, yes. What she felt for him did not much mirror what she felt for the others. Again, she failed to find a response.

Poe shook his head. "No, Rey, no. Look, I get it, Rose is right, things are different with him. He has this whole Force thing that kind of makes you two unique. I understand. But you don't really have…romantic feelings for him, right? Because you…you deserve a lot better."

At this, Rey frowned. "We're not going to have another conversation about brainwashing, are we?"

"Do we need to? I still think he's manipulating you."

Rey swung an accusing glare on Finn and Rose. "Do you also think that?"

They shook their heads and in unison replied, "No."

"You're outvoted," she said flatly to Poe.

His eyes flashed with a strange fevered light. "That guy is seriously broken. He's got huge issues. And he's killed a lot of people in cold blood. You need someone stable and sane. Someone who can support you, not someone who needs fixing."

Rey stared at him, confused and annoyed, until comprehension snuck into her awareness with a nudging whisper. Her eyes widened. "You think that's you."

A rush of rosy hue suddenly pinked his tan cheeks and he swallowed. "Well…yeah, I mean, I do."

Finn and Rose exchanged glances, eyes wide, riveted to the conversation even though it was clear this ought to be happening without them.

Rey fought between the urge to put Poe at ease, to make this less awkward for him, and the urge to put him decidedly in his place. "I don't think you get to decide what I need, Poe," she said softly.

His own voice dropped too, becoming gentle and urgent. "Rey, please. I want so many better things for you than him. This is where you belong — in this life, with us. Not whatever he intends for you. You're smart and strong and resilient, you are the most incredible woman I know. I just want you to be happy and taken care of for once in your life. Is it wrong of me to wish that for you?"

Rey stirred with compassion, remembering how close they'd grown over these months. Her affection for him was deep, despite the strain of the last few weeks, but it was not what he wanted. She took his hand this time, electing to restore the connection she severed. "Of course it's not wrong, Poe. You're my friend, and I care about you. Please don't worry. I'm very good at taking care of myself and knowing my own mind."

"I'm not—" he started.

She cut him off, pressing her words as delicately but firmly as she could, "I decide my fate — only me. Not you, not Ben, not them or Leia or anyone. I'm the only one who ever has and ever will say what I need. Right now, I need my friends. Tomorrow, I need the Force. Beyond that, I don't know."

Perhaps she should have told them about the kiss, to put these notions out of Poe's head once and for all, but she didn't want to. That was too new and tender and private to expose to them. She wanted to keep it guarded within her as long as possible. Rose could harbor what suspicions she had, but until Rey knew for certain what she felt she couldn't verify those suspicions.

Poe withdrew her hands from hers, reluctant resignation spreading through him. She turned her gaze to Finn and Rose.

"I'm not saying no to what you suspect, but I'm not saying yes either. Understand?"

Rose glanced at Finn, who returned her look. Slowly, they nodded.

Finn stood suddenly. "If we're done traipsing around on Shocking Revelations World, let's get back to what really matters. Come with me to get the Sabbac cards?"

Rey blinked in surprise. Poe and Rose made no motion to follow, so she did. Of all of them, the one she wanted to be with most was Finn. She wasn't going to squander the opportunity.

As soon as they left the mess hall he turned and hugged her, hard. She felt the familiar weight of his arms, the feel of his body, the smell of him. She smiled and hugged him back.

"Look, I don't know if Rose is right — that seems like a crazy big development, crazier than you just teaming up with him for the sake of this war. I mean, he's not the psycho we all thought he was but I'm not sure he's the greatest guy ever yet either. But if it is, or if it isn't, know that I'm always with you. Whatever you choose for yourself, I stand by it."

She squeezed him so hard, loving him with every fiber of her whole being. "I know you are. You always have."

When they parted, he was grinning a little. "Yeah, I'm basically the best."

"You are," she agreed. "Better than anyone I know. My favorite."

They started walking again, warmth flowing between them. Finn laughed suddenly. "If you do end up with Kylo Ren, that will be the most insane conclusion to this whole war."

She laughed too. "Yeah, it will be."