A/N Once more, thank you all for reading and thank you for the wonderful feedback. I'm so glad you could join me on this journey!

Rey sat next to the firepit behind the little house on Yavin IV watching her 'family' as they ate and drank and laughed. Finn, Rose, Temiri, Kes, and Chewie had all joined her for dinner tonight, and their presence was a balm to her soul. The babies had both worn themselves out with all the excitement this evening and were both asleep inside the house, and Rey felt her own exhaustion seeping in.

It had been a little over two weeks since the war with the Traagmol had officially ended. Reconnaissance had made sure the remaining alien invaders had gone all the way back to Wild Space where they had come from, but the Resistance volunteers were still at Naboo, ensuring the New Republic fleet was good to go on without them; then they would be resigning themselves from the New Republic and coming home.

Rey had observed New Republic Intelligence officers interrogate Mikaela Dean the morning before she left to go back to Yavin. When the woman refused to talk to them, Rey had stepped in. As she had predicted, the ever so subtle redness to Rey's skin on her neck and face, not to mention the hickey that was still very much visible, sparked the woman's anger, and she began to curse Rey and call her a 'Jedi whore.' Rey had felt Poe's anger growing in the room next door, but she had made her husband promise to not interfere, and he kept that promise. Soon, Dean was talking about her beloved uncle, who had been a member of the Sith Eternal and a liaison between the Sith and the Traagmol. Rey didn't need to ask to know that the man had died on Exegol. She had walked out then, knowing the woman had said enough to warrant a lifetime in prison.

Earlier today, Rey had sent messages out to her students that classes would resume in a week's time. She knew that when Poe and the others finally made it home that he would not be wanting to go anywhere for a long while; their trip to Kennera could wait a few weeks. In the meantime, she had been happy to realize she could connect with him through the Force even more easily than before this whole shitshow had started. She often 'touched' him throughout the day. Sometimes she felt his acknowledgement, which told her he had been thinking about her and therefore recognized her touch. Other times she was just happy to feel his emotions as he continued to work on finalizing his time as the leader of the Republic military. Occasionally, when they managed to find themselves asleep at the same time, they shared some rather interesting dreams. The one she had liked best had started out as an obvious memory: she was practicing with Luke's lightsaber on Ajan Kloss under Leia's watchful eye when she noticed Poe standing next to her mentor, watching her intently. That's when the memory changed course. Leia had noticed Poe's focus and smiling, had turned and walked away. Rey, panting and sweaty, had watched as Poe walked to her, took her hand, and led her into the forest. A far different kind of exercise had commenced.

Rey smiled as she recalled that dream. It had been pleasant, for sure, but not as good as the real thing.

Suddenly, the Force tugged at her and she stood up quickly. Everyone else around the fire stopped what they were doing and looked at her. She smiled and started walking toward the base. She heard Finn say behind her, "I'm guessing I know what the means!" and she heard everyone else get up to follow, Rose staying behind to keep an eye on the babies.

They were about half way to the landing field when dozens of lights flashed in the night sky above them as ships dropped out of lightspeed. By the time the small group had reached the landing field, they had been joined by the rest of the Resistance crew that had stayed behind. One by one, the ships came in, finding their familiar landing berths that had sat empty for so long. Even the Organa herself came down, landing in a spot that had been specially cleared for her just off the main field. But Rey ignored the Resistance's flagship, because she knew the person she wanted to see wasn't on her.

The familiar orange and white X-Wing settled itself towards the back of the field, right next to Red Five, and Rey headed for it.

BB-8 reached her first, as usual, and she dropped down on her knees to give the droid a full-on hug. His beeps expressed his joy that the war was over and his excitement about being home. She listened to him with a delighted smile; he was her first 'child,' after all. Finally, he slowed down and turned his head to look behind him. Rey looked up to see what he was looking at.

Poe Dameron was walking toward them, looking far more comfortable in his flight suit than he ever did in uniform. A small smile played on his lips as he casually strode in their direction. BB-8 beeped a simple, "I'll see you at the house," and then proceeded to roll happily along toward home. Rey stayed on her knees for a moment, looking up at her husband as he stopped in front of her.

"I just thought you should know I had my monthly last week," she said with a small smile of her own.

"I know," he told her, his smile smug.

She rolled her eyes and jumped up gracefully, moving to stand in front of him. "Of course, you do," she grumbled. Somehow, she must have conveyed that bit of information to him in a dream.

"Number three can wait," he told her with a wink. Then he glanced behind her toward where BB-8 had disappeared. "Or would it be number four?"

Rey laughed, then stepped forward, reaching up to wrap her arms around her husband's shoulders as he proceeded to wrap his arms around her back. "Welcome home, General," she whispered, and then they kissed.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

- Jimi Hendrix

The End

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It may be a week or two before I can start the next story in this series, but please be on the lookout for Exegol! See you soon!