Thank you all for reading!

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Poe looked at the clock on the wall next to his office door and leaned back in his chair. Four o'clock, and still no Rey. Granted, it was Saturday and her day off, but unless she was out of town (which was rare), she was always at the barn in the afternoon, even if only to clean tack or read a book out in the pasture with the horses. And she was never this late. He wiggled his back against the heating pad in his chair, relieved to not feel the sharp twinges he had been experiencing yesterday. In fact, he felt good enough to ride and had been expecting to this afternoon, hoping to head out with Rey and BeeBee, who almost always went hacking on Saturdays when they weren't showing.

He decided he should maybe head out on his own, knowing a quiet ride would only help his back, when Finn wandered in.

"I wonder where Rey is?" he asked. He looked at Poe. "She didn't say anything yesterday about having other plans today, did she?"

Poe shook his head. "Not to me, but I was on the phone when she left." He shrugged. "She probably would have mentioned it to you, though." Rey had become good friends with most of the staff at the barn. She claimed she didn't have any real friends, as most of her fellow dressage riders tended to look down on her because of her horse… and the fact that she beat them and their six-figured warmbloods more often than not with her $700 Thoroughbred.

"I wonder if she finally said 'yes' to that guy that was asking her out," Finn mused.

Poe felt his back tense up. "What guy?"

Finn shrugged. "She was telling me the other day about a guy in her Ethics class that keeps asking her out," he said. "She said he was nice and funny and it's been a long time since she's dated anyone, so she was considering it."

Poe didn't know what to say. He wanted to do the right thing and comment on how he was glad Rey was getting out and enjoying herself away from the barn, that she was finding companionship outside of the horse world, but he would be lying. So, he simply nodded. "Oh," he breathed.

Finn was looking at him with narrowed eyes. He tilted his head and continued. "Of course, I'm sure she wouldn't have to think twice if you asked her out."

Poe's eyes widened and he looked at Finn, feeling panic surge. "Uh-uhn," he shook his head. "You know very well I don't-"

"That you don't date students," Finn interrupted. "I know, I know!" He sighed. "But it's not like you're teaching school and she's underage." He folded his arms in front of his chest. "I know plenty of other trainers who dated and even married their protègès," he continued. "Hell, Debbie McDonald married her trainer." McDonald was a former Olympic dressage rider and current coach and Poe had ridden under her watchful eye when he competed in his Olympic games.

"And Bob was recently accused of molesting two of his students when they were teenagers several years ago," Poe argued.

"No one can accuse you of that!" Finn pushed. When Poe started teaching, he had made it a policy that he was never alone with minors, which was easy as busy as his barn was. "Besides, Rey is not a minor!"

"She's still almost thirteen years younger than me, Finn!" Poe was starting to get angry. He had long ago come to terms with the fact that not only was Rey his student but she was far too young for him. It didn't matter that he had fallen hopelessly in love with the hazel-eyed beauty very early on in their acquaintance. Her humor, her intelligence, her talent. Some man was going to be a lucky son-of-a-bitch someday, but it wasn't going to be him.

Finn waved his hands at Poe. "Big deal!" he griped. "She acts like she's ten years older than she is," he continued. "And she's already in love with you," he added softly.

Feeling his heart speed up a bit, Poe denied Finn's claim. "She has a crush on me, Finn. Big difference." He grimaced. "Do you know how many of my students have a crush on me? It's almost mandatory for young equestrians to fall for their trainers."

Finn shook his head, a small smile on his face. "It's more than a crush, mate," he said. "I just wish you both would wake up and realize that."

Poe gave his friend a glare just as his cell phone began ringing. Sighing, he picked it up, noting that he didn't recognize the number.

"Poe Dameron," he answered.

"Mr. Dameron, hello," a woman's voice said. "My name is Leia Organa, I'm Rey Skywalker's aunt."

Poe instantly stiffened. Leia Organa was well known, being one of their state senators, but the fact that she introduced herself to him as Rey's aunt made him realize immediately that this wasn't a professional call.

"Of course, I know who you are, Senator," Poe responded cautiously. He saw Finn become alert out of the corner of his eye. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm actually calling you for my brother, Luke," the woman continued. "He texted me just a short time ago when he remembered you and BeeBee." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Rey was in a car accident yesterday on her way home from the barn." She said it quickly, firmly, but Poe heard the catch in her voice.

Poe felt his heart flip in his chest and he leaned forward in his chair. "Is she okay?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

"She's at Sapphire Lake," Leia continued, speaking of the largest of the three hospitals in the area. "She's still in the ICU and only her father is allowed to be with her as of right now." Another pause as Poe sucked in a breath. "She has a broken wrist and a couple of fractures in her hip that will heal just fine, but she suffered some head trauma. Her damn truck is too old to have side airbags," the woman grumbled. Poe knew that while Rey's aunt was wealthy, and her father quite well-off as well, she herself lived modestly, working part-time to afford BeeBee and a few night classes, and getting sponsorships from local businesses to pay for her dressage habit. Poe suspected her aunt often quietly supplemented those sponsorships. Rey had been proud to be able to afford her pickup on her own.

"Her brain still has some serious swelling," Leia continued, "and they are keeping her sedated until it goes down." Poe heard her sigh.

"Ma'am?" he encouraged her.

"They are worried she may have damage to her occipital lobe, but they won't know for sure until the swelling goes down and she wakes."

Poe swallowed. "What does that mean?"

"That part of the brain is in charge of vision," she continued. Her voice softened. "It's very possible Rey could wake up blind."

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