A/N: Well, this is it. One last time I want to thank all my readers! If you have been a follower of this story but have yet to comment, don't be shy! Let me know your favorite part! I had so much fun writing this, and it came easier to me than anything else I've ever written. I really don't know if I'll ever be able to top it, but I'll keep on trying! So, without further ado, welcome to the finale of El Halcòn!

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FIVE WEEKS LATER

Rey sank down onto the couch in her aunt's living room, pressing the END button on her phone and taking a deep breath. She still didn't have all the answers she had been seeking these past few weeks, but today was the first time she had gotten any, so she should feel some relief.

Holdo had been right about the press, and about her 'heroic' return home. After two uneventful flights, she had arrived in Sheridan late at night, and was unsurprised to find both her uncle Han and Finn waiting for her at the airport to take her home. The oddity of sleeping in her own bed that night was made that much worse by the simple fact she had gotten used to sleeping curled up in Poe's arms and she missed it. As exhausted as she was, she didn't sleep well that night.

The press found out she was home safe two days later. Rey had gotten good at ignoring her phone and the phrase 'no comment' became her mantra. There was no way she was telling anyone other than family and friends her story. Not until it was over, anyway, and she didn't believe it was.

She gave it a week, then she was the one that started making calls. The DEA. The DOD. The Navy. She tried to contact Holdo but was constantly put on hold and forgotten. She tried to contact Snap, but was told he was still out of the country. She sent e-mails and left voice mails and called over and over again, asking to talk to anyone in charge of the operation in Ajan Kloss. And over and over again, she was denied, rebuffed, ignored, or told "I don't know who or what you are talking about." The fact was, Rey was getting the run-around so much that she was almost ready to believe Poe Dameron didn't exist and had been a figment of her imagination.

The ring she wore around her neck was a constant reminder that he was real.

She was also paying close attention to the news coming from South America. Ajan Kloss had essentially become a war zone for the past few weeks, with the two largest drug cartels at each other's throats, but it was winding down. Just two weeks ago, it was announced the Luis Dominguez had finally been killed in one of the many attempts on his life, but not before Felipe Ricardo, the head of his rival cartel, had bitten the bullet himself. Slowly but surely, the Dominguez and the Ricardo cartels had destroyed each other. Two days ago, the Ajan Kloss government, in a surprising move, had taken control of both compounds, arresting anyone who was still left, insuring no one could take over either operation. Rey idly wondered if Poe had expected such a dramatic end to his two-year long performance.

She really wished she could ask him.

Leia Organa walked into the room, raising her eyebrows as she saw her niece on the sofa, phone still in hand. "Anything?" she asked. She was the only person Rey had even mentioned Poe to, and even then, she had not told Leia much.

Rey shrugged. "I finally got a call back from someone in the DEA, SAC Erso. I think she's his direct supervisor?" Rey frowned. "Anyway, she said that all she could tell me was that as of six days ago, Poe Dameron was no longer employed by the Drug Enforcement Agency." She let her head fall back to rest on the back of the couch. "At least I finally got an acknowledgment that he exists."

Leia looked at her for a while, then pursed her lips. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Rey lifted her head to look at her. "What else can I do?" she said, her tone more than a little desperate. "If he doesn't want to be found, then there's nothing else I can do." She left the thought that he didn't want to be found by her unsaid. She gripped the ring around her neck. "At least I know he's okay, right?"

Leia sighed. "How about you stop thinking about it for a while and enjoy some food and sun and friendship?" Christ the King Catholic Church had begun planning a huge outdoor get-together for Rey shortly after her arrival home five weeks ago, and today was the day. It was supposed to be a celebration of Rey's safe return home, but Rey knew that Father Craig and Deacon Calrissian would use any excuse for a party. The end of summer was near, and outside social activities would be limited by cold in the near future. "We're already late," Leia added.

Rey nodded at her aunt and stood, smoothing the skirt of her turquoise and blue sundress. She wore her hair down and had put on a bit of makeup, something she didn't usually do. She had on a pair of strappy sandals with low heels and had even worn a bra for the occasion. The slightly padded undergarment actually gave her a tiny bit of cleavage. She felt feminine and pretty for the first time in weeks, but she knew she was just going through the motions; there was no one here in Alderaan she wanted to impress.

She and Leia left the house together, walking the few short blocks to Jakku Park, where half the town was already gathered and the smell of grilling hamburger and brats filled the air. While Rey's house was a few miles out of town, she had spent a good deal of time at Han and Leia's house these past few weeks because her cell phone reception was spotty at home.

Once at the park, Rey was immediately kept occupied as person after person found her to let her know how happy they were she was safe and how proud they were to know a person who survived such a traumatic experience. Rey just smiled and nodded, doing her best to change the subject to something else. When Tobias Beckett stopped to talk, she was more than happy to ask him about the alpacas he raised and sold. Eventually, she began to enjoy herself. She ate a bit, laughed a lot, and was reminded how much she loved this town and its people.

She had been on her feet mingling for a good two hours when she finally found the table where Finn and Rose were sitting and joined them. She watched with a smile as their oldest child, five-year-old Paige, ran around being chased by their new puppy, a beautiful black and tan coonhound named BB. Finn had brought him home to his family last week after they had expressed how much they missed Rey's dogs, whom they had been taking care of while Rey and Finn had been gone.

Suddenly, Finn scooted next to her. "Hey, Peanut, I don't want to get you worried, but," he paused.

Rey looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What?"

He sighed and glanced over his shoulder. "There's a guy I don't recognize standing over by the old cottonwood. He's been watching us for a while now." He paused. "Watching you."

Finn's protectiveness warmed her, but as his words sank in, her heart started racing. She stood up sharply and looked in the direction of the old cottonwood on the edge of the park.

"Rey?" Finn stood with her, then followed her as she moved over to try and see past several people standing in her way. She finally saw him.

He was leaning against the tree, hands in the pockets of his grey cargo pants, the dark blue collared Henley he was wearing form-fitting and stylish. He was clean shaven, and his hair was shockingly short, with a shaved undercut that left just a bit of curl on the top. He wore sunglasses, but as he noticed her looking at him, he casually removed them and put them on top of his head.

He looked nothing like José Dominguez.

Rey felt a smile spread across her face and she heard Finn ask, "You know him?"

"Yes," she said softly. Then she glanced at her friend. "You do, too," she grinned, then she started walking toward the cottonwood.

He stood up straight from his lean when he saw her heading his way, and the ever so slight tilt to his lips turned into a full curve. She walked faster, and when he started walking to meet her, she felt her feet carry her into a run. She threw herself at him and he caught her without hesitation, his arms wrapping around her so tight she swore she could feel all her broken pieces put together once more. She buried her face in his neck and let her tears fall. Happy tears this time. God, he smelled good, she thought with a laugh.

Finally, she felt his hold on her loosen and she stepped back just enough to see his face. "You clean up good," she told him with a grin, her eyes scanning his face, drinking him in.

Poe grinned back. "I wasn't sure you'd recognize me," he told her.

"My heart did," she responded, her voice catching.

He brought up a hand to wipe at a tear. "Jesus, I forgot how beautiful you are."

She swallowed. "I saw you get shot!"

"Through and through," he told her with a shake of his head. "I made it look worse than it was." He grinned again. "Still hurt like Hell, though."

She smoothed her hands up his arms and then down his chest. "Where have you been?" she whispered. "No one would tell me anything until today, and then they said you left six days ago."

He nodded. "I had to make a quick trip back to Ajan Kloss to help out a friend."

She tilted her head questioningly.

"I helped Snap get Karé out. We're both invited to the wedding, by the way."

Rey grinned again. "I am so glad!" She gripped his arms. She just couldn't seem to stop touching him, but as he hadn't let her go of her waist, she supposed he didn't mind. "When did you get here?"

"Last night," he told her. "I had a job interview this morning," he continued. "With the Alderaan County Sheriff's Department."

Rey felt an equal amount of shock and joy flow through her at his words. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "It went well, but I guess it's the Sheriff himself that will be making the final call."

Rey laughed. "Well, I happen to know him very well," she said. "I'll put in a good word for you."

"I would really appreciate that," Poe told her with a grin of his own. "Because I really, really want this job." She saw his gaze dart down toward her chest and she looked down to see what he saw. His ring, which hadn't left her neck since the helicopter that carried her to Bespin, was nestled between her breasts, easily visible thanks to the low cut of the sundress.

"I guess you want that back, huh?" she asked a bit shyly.

He continued to stare at the ring. "Actually, I think it looks perfect right there," he said softly. Then he looked up and met her eyes, his face earnest. "At least until I can put it on your finger." Her breath caught, but before she could respond he tilted his head and continued. "Is there still a mandatory six months of counseling before you can marry in the Church?"

Rey took a deep breath and licked her lips, very aware of his eyes dropping again to watch her mouth. "Actually, if you find an amenable priest, it can be four months."

"Let's find an amenable priest, then," he answered, raising one eyebrow.

"What's the rush, Dameron?" Her heart was racing.

"I'm not getting any younger," he told her. "And I seem to recall you showing a desire to have babies a while back. I don't want to wait any longer than necessary to get started."

Rey felt a giggle well up inside her. "You're serious?" She knew he was, but his nod confirmed it. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, to all of it." He moved toward her and she met his kiss, reveling in the feel, the taste, the smell of him. All too soon, though, he pulled back. She opened her eyes to see him looking past her.

"Uh, we have quite the audience," he told her roughly.

She looked over her shoulder to see pretty much everyone in the park watching them avidly. Han stood with his hands on his hips, a frown on his face. Leia sat next to him, a small, knowing smile on hers. Both Finn and Rose stood with their mouths slightly open, and more than half of the others looked similar. Rey looked back at Poe, laughing.

"I guess I better introduce you," she told him, then reached up to cup his cheek, running her thumb along the scruff that was already making itself known. "Mi Halcón."

He brought up his own hand to cover hers, turning his face to kiss her palm. He looked back at her, his eyes serious. "I love you so much, Rey Skywalker."

Rey's heart jumped at the words she has so longed to hear from this man. Her friend. Her lover. Her hero. She had so much she wanted to say in reply, but she decided to keep her response simple.

"I know."

THE END

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A/N: Thanks everyone! For those of you who follow my post-TROS series, my next story will be back in that canon-verse. I wanted Poe and Rey to have a few years of peace, therefore this one takes place well into the future! Please look for Lothal starting Monday!