Chapter 23: Detenté

Finn bounded into his midday guard shift, still high off the night of lovemaking he had experienced with Emmary.

"Good morning, my beautiful Knight!" he crowed, dropping a kiss to her lips in greeting. Emmary returned it softly.

"Hi," she murmured, her voice deflated as she sank down onto the edge of the bed, fiddling with the hem of her hospital gown.

Finn frowned. "What's wrong?" His eyes widened. "This doesn't have anything to do with how I was last night, is...?"

"No, no!" Emmary yelped, smiling weakly. "You were amazing, really! I just..." She took a breath. "Rey came barging into my room this morning."

Finn didn't know whether to frown or smirk at that, even as his insides clenched. "Barging? Rey doesn't really barge anywhere..."

Emmary let out a strained laugh. "She did today! She unloaded on me, yelling at me that I was using you..." Her teeth clenched. "I've never been so affronted, I -"

"What?" Finn's voice had grown deadly cold. Emmary snapped her eyes up to his, panicked.

"I would never use you, Finny..." She flew to him, caressing him, kissing him. "I... I love you!" She nearly drew both hands to her mouth in astonishment that she had said those three little words to him.

Finn's eyes were dark as coal. But his tone was crippling with affection when he responded, "I know."

She gazed at him, concerned over the anger swirling around his aura.

"Finny...?"

Her voice died in her throat as Finn suddenly grabbed her and kissed her so thoroughly, her lips became bruised. When he yanked away at last, Emmary looked scandalized.

"Stay here," he ordered shortly. "I'll be back as soon as I can!" And he sprinted from her room.


Finn came upon Rey working with Chewie on the Falcon. Glancing up, her greeting smile quickly melted away as he bore down on her.

"Finn, what?..."

"'Scuse us, Chewie." And grabbing her by the arm, Finn hauled Rey none-to-gently down into a hidden smuggler's corridor on board.

"Finn, ow! You're hurting me!"

He ignored her. Slamming the false wall into place and releasing Rey's arm, he rounded on her.

"What did you say to Emmary?"

Rey frowned. "Emmary? Who's Emmary?"

"Tazla Ren - her real name, if you even bothered to think about her as a person, which you didn't!" Finn spat through his teeth. "I dropped by for my guard shift this afternoon and she's nearly in tears telling me how you lit into her -"

"Because she's screwing you!" Rey cried. "And not just in her bed!"

Finn stilled. "That is none of your business!" he hissed. "Do I ask you how Ben satisfies you in the sack?"

Rey's eyes bulged. "There's no need to be vulgar..."

"And, actually, while we're on the subject of Ben... I accepted him, you know? I accepted your relationship with him -"

"It took you a hell of a long while!" Rey snorted. "And only after pistol-whipping me within an inch of my life!"

He squirmed at the low blow. "That was out of line."

"Bull," she scoffed. Finn blinked back hot tears.

"I thought we had put that behind us. You forgave me! And this is how you repay me?"

"I'm trying to protect you!" Rey cried. "That slut is going to break your heart, and-"

SMACK!

He slapped her so fast and so hard, Rey almost missed it, her own hand flying to her stinging cheek. Finn's face was twisted murderously.

"Don't you ever... call her that again," he growled, his voice seated down in his throat so low, he nearly coughed.

Rey glared at him, tears streaming. "Well... I'm just glad I didn't marry you. Does Emmary know she'd be getting involved with a wife beater?"

Finn's eyes nearly popped. "I would never hit her!"

"You don't seem to have a problem hitting me! Are we keeping count, Finny? That's twice now!"

Finn staggered back as if she had shot him with a blaster, and for the first time, it seemed to dawn on him what he had just done. Rey blinked back more tears, her cheek turning an angry red.

"I'm telling Ben... He's going to eat your liver!" And she wriggled past him out of the smuggler's hold.

"Go right ahead! Your hubby doesn't scare me!" Finn bellowed at her back.

"FUCK YOU!" Rey screeched over her shoulder.


He drifted back to Emmary's room wracked with guilt. Being with her, hearing her gentle voice soothed him more than anything else ever could, and Finn wasted no time in signing up to take on the night shift for guard duty. Not only was this to spend more time with the love of his life, but it was also done to avoid facing the other most important woman in his life.

Emmary asked him what happened, of course. As much as it ate at him, Finn had never lied to her before, and he wasn't about to start now. She seemed stunned that he would lose his temper like that, but also heartened that he was already feeling so overcome with remorse.

"My God, I'm a monster, Em!" Finn moaned, burying his head in his hands. "I nearly killed her the first time I saw her and Ben kissing, and our friendship barely recovered from that! And now this..." He snapped his gaze up to her, eyes wild. "You know that I would never, never hit you, right? It's abhorrent! It's obscene!"

Emmary slowly ran her thumb over his knuckles. Kissed his fingers. "I know. Rey's not my favorite person either right now, but I know what she means to you. You have to fix this now and only hope you didn't squander your last chance." She eyed him pointedly.

A knock at the door made them both jump. Finn froze in utter terror when he saw Rey, looking unsure if she should step into the room. The color in her left cheek had faded to a salmon pink, but the outline of Finn's handprint was clearly visible.

"... Can I come in?"

Looking at each other, Finn and Emmary both nodded. Gliding into the room, Rey pulled up a chair, seating herself quite close.

"I talked with Ben today. I learned quite a bit about our little Knight of Ren here and... Emmary..." She fixed the other woman with a broken stare. "I owe you a heartfelt apology. I let my protectiveness over Finn ground me in some preconceived notions about you, and that was ignorant. I want you to know that..." she breathed deeply. "That I don't regret saving your life on Mustafar that day. The Force was telling me in that moment that it wasn't done with you yet... and now I think I know why." She glanced between Finn and Emmary's clasped hands. "Furthermore, if there ever comes a day when you wish to marry Finn... you have my deepest blessing."

Emmary blinked back tears. "Thank you, Rey. And thank you... for saving my life."

Rey grinned at her. "I've never had a sister before." The Jedi turned to Finn slowly. "As for you..."

But before she could say anything further, Finn was falling to his knees at her feet. Clutching at her white robes, he tore his blaster from its holster and offered it up to her. "Rey... you'll never forgive me, I know, so... Do it. Take your revenge. It's no less than what I deserve."

For a long, on-edge moment, Rey stood still. Fingers closing over the cool metal of the blaster, she turned it over in her hand and examined it. And then...

She tossed it aside. Sinking to her knees, she tipped up Finn's chin with her finger.

"Revenge is not the Jedi way. But forgiveness is. You and I... we've come too far to fall apart now."

Finn broke down, weeping. Lovingly, Rey cupped his face, chastely kissing away his tears. Sobbing, Finn threw his arms around her, kissing the cheek where he had slapped her, kissing the scar from the pistol-whipping that seemed oh so long ago.

"Once again, I forgive you. Poe can't say he has the same good fortune, but that business is between me and him. However..." and she eyed him hard. "I told Ben what happened... and he wants blood."

"And he shall have it," Finn warbled. "I'll go down to the jailhouse first thing and be his punching bag for as long as he wants!"

Rey couldn't help but smile. "No. You won't settle this like men. You'll settle it like Jedi." So saying, she pulled a metal hilt from her belt and offered it to him. Eyeing her in confusion, Finn took it and ignited it. A plasma green blade greeted him.

"You're... giving me a lightsaber when I don't deserve it? After I...?"

"Ben has his," Rey said shortly. "Don't ask me how I got it to him, and hopefully, Poe won't ever realize it went missing. My advice?: sign up for guard duty at the jailhouse - you boys can keep things private. Have it out, but you are not to duel to kill. I will not be made a widow, nor will I lose my best friend and future godfather of my children! And for the love of the Maker, don't go overly wild in wounding each other - we can't add to Dr. Kalonia's workload!"

Emmary laughed nervously, her bright eyes fixed on Finn.

"Also," Rey warned. "If you ever..."

"Never!" Finn croaked, his tears gushing in a torrent and turning his face away in utter shame. "I will never, never lay a hand on you again, Rey! My God, I... I love you!"

Rey smiled. "I love you too. All is forgiven. Now go in peace."

Finn shakily set the saber down on the nightstand. "I need the restroom." Kissing Emmary's temple, then Rey's cheek, he hurried out into the hall. Once he was gone, Emmary took Rey's hand.

"Should we really be turning our significant others loose in a lightsaber duel?"

Rey just smirked. "There won't be too much harm. If I know those boys, they'll just whack at each other until they tire themselves out. Besides... I think their meeting on Starkiller Base deserves a rematch."

Emmary went white. "Do I want to know?"

"I don't think so."