Chapter 27

Home is the Heart

Home was such an interesting word. It could be a word, it could be a place and it could be a feeling. Whatever it was it was new to Remi. Sure she had always called the Renegade her home. It was where her family was but she had come to realize that family could be so much more that, home could be much more. She was an orphan girl whose father had been a rebel spy and her mother who could never find peace after he was gone. Remi had also felt like she could never measure up to what home could be. Instead she had taken what she could find and create one. What she didn't realize was that someone else has made her his home.

She had never expected it, never thought it could happen to her but she had. He had awakened feelings in her she didn't know she had what she could have. He was home, the home in her heart and in truth she wasn't sure how to really handle it. This led to her current state of mind and she found herself sitting in her cockpit on her own in the middle of the night.

She sat with her knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around them staring out into the star before her. They were on their way back to the resistance, back to where it had all started. She sighed as she looked down at her hands that held the disk. On it was vital information. She didn't know what was on it, wasn't sure she cared enough but whatever it was it was, it was enough for the resistance to send their best pilot after her, important enough for the first order to want to hunt her down. She was worried. She knew that now a very high price would be on her head and that anyone connected to her would be in danger. She was at a cross roads and wasn't sure how to proceed. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts and worries that she was startled when someone rather unceremoniously dropped in the copilot seat beside her.

"Couldn't sleep again?" Poe asked her as he turned to watch her as she still watched out the window not turning to face him.

"Something like that." She still fidgeted with the disk she held in her hand. Over and over she turned it around in her hand unconsciously until his hand was suddenly on hers stopping

her movements.

"Hey, look at me." He said to her quietly and she finally slowly turned to meet his soft brown eyes, eyes that she could get lost in and filled her with a feeling of being safe. "Are you okay?" She took a deep breath and pasted on a fake smile.

"Yeah of course I…."

"Come on Remi I thought we were past that." She stopped for a moment as turned to look away but he stopped that too by placing a finger to her chin turning her face back to his. "Don't do this, sweetheart tell me what you are thinking."

"I'm sorry I'm just…."`

"Scared, nervous, unsure?" She nodded her head slowly.

"Among other things." She felt him finger the disk that was held between them.

"And what other things?" He asked her. Stopping his movements and gently pulling the disk from her hands. "You worried about this?"

"I don't even know what's on it. I get a message; I pick up the package, gather the intel and then send it off. I don't ask questions and I don't want to know." She looked down at his hands as he held it up.

"But you believe in the cause, believe in the rebellion, right?" He asked but seemingly already knowing the answer.

"Of course, the things I've seen there's no way I couldn't. I don't regret doing what I do…"

"But?"

"But…I do regret not giving Stilts and Nixy a choice in this. Because of what I do I have put a target on their back as well as anyone else who means anything to me." She started to get emotional and tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her holding her in place, grounding her.

"Okay, listen to me because I'm going to say this once. We can keep them safe, we can keep you safe, we are here for you. You are resistance and we take care of each other….I can take care of you."

"Poe I don't need…"

"Yes you do. You say you don't but you do." She looked at him, really looked at him before she voiced what she was thinking.

"I'm scared. I'm scared of losing all of this. Of losing…"A tear leaked from her eyes that he caught.

"Hey listen to me. You're not going to lose anything. You have a home, you have a family and you have me. I'm not going anywhere." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and caught her eyes so that she couldn't look away. "I'm not going anywhere Remi. I promise you that." She started to cry and he pulled her to him as she found the spot to where she fit, tucked up under his chin, head resting against his chest so that she could listen to his strong steady heartbeat. Here she felt safe, here she felt like home and for now that was enough. Home was enough and when they finally made it back to the resistance, when she had finally landed her ship, and walked the halls of the base she felt it. When the General finally approached her, a voice she knew well but a face that was somewhat new, she felt it and when the General final pulled her into a long awaited hug she felt it. But the welcome home from her lips are what really made her feel it because she knew it was the truth and for now that was enough.

A/N Thank you, thank you for all who have read, favorite, followed and reviewed. It really means the world to me. Like most of my stories I do end them but always with an end loose enough that I can come back to continue if I ever want. For now Poe and Remi's story is done but they will always live on.