Thank you for coming back after so long. It took me far longer than I'd imagined to remember how to write again.

There's gonna be another part simply because this ended up being so long lol. I've written like 80% of the final part so that should be up pretty soon.

Everything damn fucking hurts.

It's my first coherent thought to rise from the white noise. Stars, I simultaneously need to puke and eat a whole battalion's worth of rations. I don't move yet, but allow the pain throughout my body to pulse and subside.

Why do I hurt so much?

I backpaddle through the haze. Exegol…Lightning…Crash…

Ah, yes. Breaking a 5-metre fall with your ribs does that.

The rest is a blank.

There's a shout in the distance. Although it's distant, the voice is somehow familiar, and I open my eyes. I'm greeted by the sterile whites of a med room and a flicker of fear blossoms in my chest.

Shit, was I captured?

I quickly look to my wrists for restraints but find nothing. The fear begins to dissolve, but I still have no clue where I am. I hear feet outside the room and attempt to sit u-

"Fuck!" The word bites but is barely audible.

I freeze for a second as I allow my body to air its grievances. Slower, I try again and manage to prop myself up against the pillows. The static is starting to clear, thank the Maker, but my memory is not returning. I guess I'll just have to wait until someone turns up.

A woman speaks just outside the door, "Don't wake her, Dameron."

...

…He's alive.

The door opens far too slowly to reveal a bare-foot and out of breath Poe. The sight of him clears the rest of the haze while a bright feeling bubbles its way through my chest.

We speak at the same time.

"You're here." I am elated that we have both survived Exegol, against the odds.

"You're alive." Poe's voice, however, is barely a whisper, and his face is haunted.

He stands motionless in the doorway as I look at him puzzled.

"Of course, I am. You think a little fall could kill me?" I joke.

Poe still doesn't move but simply repeats himself.

"Kess, you're alive," his voice is scratchy, like he's been crying.

A chord of worry pulls in my chest, and all I want is to spring out of bed and wrap myself around him. Given the radiating pain still lingering in my chest, I go for the next thing.

I slowly reach out my hand towards him. "Poe? What's wrong?"

He's suddenly in motion. Poe takes my hand between his palms and sinks into the chair beside the bed all the while never taking his gaze from my face. As we stare at each other for a moment, I realise that he has been crying and my brow scrunches up in concern.

Gingerly, I place my other hand on his cheek and quietly ask, "Poe, tell me. What happened?"

Poe takes a deep breath and leans into my palm before lowering his gaze to our intertwined hands.

"I watched your X-wing explode into a thousand pieces with no sign of a parachute…Kess, we all thought you were dead," he says quietly.

A metallic taste, like blood, settles in my mouth as the news of my apparent death sinks in. I want to respond but my tongue has gone dead in my mouth. I simply can't find the words, so I squeeze his clasped hands and wait for him to continue. Multiple breaths pass before Poe's ready to continue.

"I- I thought you were dead. I thought that after everything, we had won only for me to lose everything…for me to lose you."

Poe leans forward to set his elbows on the bed and bring his forehead to rest upon our hands, as if in prayer. It's only as I notice his hot tears trailing down our fingers that I realise that my eyes are stinging.

"And Kess," his voice cracks at my name, "It was unbearable. I wanted- I wanted to burn down the entire First Order for daring to even touch you."

I see Poe's jaw clench and can feel the shiver of his hands against my skin. Again, all I want to do is wrap my arms around him but still, I let him finish.

Poe's voice shakes, "But afterwards, when we returned in triumph, it became so much worse. Because I had let you go. Because it all meant nothing without you. Because I had failed you."

We sit in silence for a moment as the weight of his words sink in. My tears finally fall and something like guilt is throbbing against my sternum. Thank the Maker, at least this time I know what to say. I bring the hand that had drifted to Poe's shoulder up to his chin and make him lift his head to meet my eyes.

"Never," I say, "in all the time that I have known you, Poe Dameron, have you ever failed me. Never. Do you understand me?"

He just shuts his eyes.

I speak again, more sternly, "Never, Poe, do you hear me?"

Poe doesn't respond, but nods slightly.

"I'm sorry things turned out the way they did, but look at me, Poe. I'm still here."

Poe just grasps my hand tighter.

I brush away the few tears that still cling to his face. "Poe."

He finally opens his eyes and I whisper out the words, "I'm still here."

Poe smiles slightly and the world feels a little bit more right. We sit in silence for a while, just gazing at each other, before a question arises out of something he's said.

"Wait, so did we win? Did we take out the fleet?" I say.

Poe looks at me in confusion, "You don't remember?"

I shrug, "I remember an explosion that blew out my chute, and then hitting the ground hard. The rest is black. I don't know how I got here."

He shakes his head in surprise and disbelief for a second. Poe then releases my hand in order to cradle my face between his palms. His face is covered in the hugest grin.

Out of instinct, I smile slightly back, "What? What is it?"

"Yeah, we took out the Exegol fleet. And the whole First Order… Kessandra, we won the war."

I'm dumbfounded.

I open my mouth, but my lips form silent words and nothing come out. Poe continues to smile but also raises a single finger to the air, asking me to pause. I just stare back at him as he tilts his head slightly towards the door.

"Can you hear the music?" Poe whispers, and I turn my attention beyond the quiet of the med wing.

Faintly, but clearly, the song of strings and the low beating of drums can just be heard. Above them both, a muted chorus of singing, clapping, and laughter finds its way to us. In that second, it truly sinks in.

We won?

I clap a hand to my mouth and Poe excitedly nods in response.

"The war is over, Kess. We won."

In spite of the pain that still loiters in my chest, I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. He hugs me back and laughs quietly as he holds me. We sit, intertwined, as I try to understand what has happened. The thoughts keep spinning and whirling through my head as I struggle to fully comprehend what they mean. Suddenly, two things become crystal clear to me.

I don't want to leave Poe's side ever again. I need to get out of this room.

"Let's get out of here."

Poe pulls back in order to look me in the face.

A snort slips out of his mouth, "You're serious?"

I roll my eyes. "Of course I am. If we just won the war, then I'm not staying in this room a moment longer."

A twinge of concern appears on Poe's face. "Kess, you're injured. You need to rest."

I lightly push him back and go to push the blanket back before pausing. Subtly, I check something. Ah yes, I'm wearing pants. Good first step.

Poe places a hand on my shoulder before I can try to move again and looks at me seriously.

I place a hand over his, but don't back down. "This is a night that will go down in history. I'm not missing it for a few cracked ribs."

He looks close to relenting but not quite convinced, so I smile and speak softly, "I'll be alright, Poe. You'll pick me up if I fall, right?"

I can see the smile in his eyes, and I know that it's going to be fine. With every passing breath, I feel a little more like myself and so, I do what comes naturally: order Poe around.

"Alright, you go find us some shoes while I get up. Also, don't let the nurse-bots see you, you remember how that went last time we tried to sneak out." I laugh as he sits back slightly and rolls his eyes.

Poe stands and gives a mock salute. "Yes, right away, boss."

I watch with a smile as he disappears out the door. Slowly, I begin the process of pushing back the blankets and placing my feet on the ground. Thankfully, although my whole body is aching, only my ribs are really giving me grief. Sure, everything's going to hurt like I've been run over by a tank tomorrow, but that's not my problem right now. I lightly stretch as I better survey the extent of the damage.

"You look about ready to run a marathon," Poe's voice is gently mocking as he closes the door behind him.

"You know, if there was something in reach, I'd be pegging it at your head right about now."

"If you're dealing out threats like that, maybe I should keep the shoes."

"Would you just shut up and get over here and help me."

"Anything for my favourite girl."

I roll my eyes at the endearment, but it blossoms a warm but equally longing glow inside my chest. Poe sits at the chair and gently pulls one of my feet into his lap. I stare at him in comfortable silence as he tenderly puts my shoes on. For a couple of breaths after, we sit like this with his hands resting on my calves before Poe evidently remembers our plan.

With a shake of his head, he slowly places my feet on the ground before standing. "C'mon party animal, isn't there somewhere we're supposed to be?"

Poe extends his hands as an anchor, which I use to pull myself to standing. I sway slightly, and quickly one of Poe's hands goes to my hip to steady me. In one way it works, and the horizon stops moving. On the other hand, my knees feel a little bit weaker, and I might be blushing. Ignoring the heat in my cheeks, I nod my head to signal that I'm ready. Poe releases my hand and steps so that he's standing beside me. In the process of doing this, the hand steadying me draws a caressing line across the small of my back in order to rest upon the other side of my hip. Shit, I'm definitely blushing now. I glance at Poe and see that he's grinning back at me. He did that on purpose. Jackass. Nonetheless, the pressures of his hands are more than welcome as Poe drapes my closest arm across his shoulders.

"You comfy, Kess?" His tone is teasing.

I shake my head in joke annoyance. "Shut up, let's go."