Author's note: Another chapter is ready! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 9

Rey rifled through the drawer, counting shirts as she pulled them out. It was only a week; she should be able to fit everything in her Team USA duffle. It was huge. She didn't want to mess around with checking a bag; it would only waste time.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was nervous about going home. She'd been concealing her real job for so long; she hoped Rose wouldn't be angry with her. She didn't want to spend her first trip home in nine months fighting. She did enough of that here.

Rey tossed the sweatshirts and sweaters into her bag, then she went into the bathroom to collect any toiletries she didn't have at home. Shimmering blue fabric caught her eye, her New Year's Eve dress. Don't even go there, Rey scolded herself. She could still feel the ghost of Poe's lips on her cheek. There were more than a hundred people at that damn party; why did she have to run into him? She couldn't forget the look of stunned surprise on his face. What the hell was that? Why had he run off like his pants were on fire?

Not long after, she saw him sneak off with Zorii. She didn't feel like partying after that, so she went home and drank alone. She was such a mess. She really needed to get out of here. He was screwing with her head.

She kicked the bathroom door closed and marched back to where her bag was propped open. In the middle of organizing her little travel case, someone knocked on her door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Poe."

Rey looked up at the ceiling and groaned. Really? The universe really had it out for her today. She dropped the case and went to answer the door, hanging onto it with one hand, blocking any entry. He was dressed in a suit, but the shirt was open at the neck. The gold chain she'd seen for the first time on Christmas hung from his throat. Rey forced her eyes up. "Hi."

"Hi." Poe rocked on the balls of his feet; if Rey didn't know better, she'd say he was nervous. "I spoke to Leia. She said you're leaving for the week?"

"What, that's a problem?" If they really needed to train…

"No, it's great." Rey watched as Poe looked around, trying to get a glimpse into the loft. "You haven't been home since you got here." Unbidden, Poe ducked under her outstretched arm. "They probably think we've got you under lock and key."

"Come on in," Rey said. Her eyes widened in panic; her loft was in a terrible state. She wasn't necessarily a messy person, but she hadn't cleaned in a while. Most of the time she was just too tired.

"I haven't been up here in a while," Poe said, still looking around. "Not since Jannah. She had mirrors up all over."

"Yeah, I took them down." Rey started snatching up wayward pieces of clothing and trash. "It's kind of a mess. I wasn't expecting any company."

Poe walked over to the mantlepiece; he tilted his head curiously at the photo that was taped to the art frame. It was old and creased from where it had been folded. It was Rey, slightly younger, down on all fours, her nose close to the ice like she was smelling it.

Rey smiled. "I told my sister once that I loved the smell of the ice. It became this thing; somebody got a camera."

Poe frowned. "I've never thought about it."

"I'm not surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

A honk echoed from outside. "Poe!" It was Zorii.

"I'll be right there!" Poe shouted. He turned back to Rey. "What did you mean by that?"

Rey paused, wondering if she should be honest. But Poe was her partner; he deserved the truth. "I just think you'd skate even better if you let yourself enjoy it a little."

Poe blinked in shock. "Wait, what's this? I come up here to say, 'have a nice trip' and you're giving me pointers?"

"You brought it up," Rey shot back.

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did!"

"No…" Poe sighed, pulling something out of his suit jacket pocket. "I came to give you this." He held up a thumb drive.

"What's that?"

Poe grinned. "It's our greatest hits. It's a video for your family. Of us skating." Poe spent most of the day working on it, much to Zorii's chagrin. But Rey would be gone for a week; he had plenty of time to make it up to her. In fact, they were heading into town as soon as he was done here.

Rey accepted the drive. "Thanks," she replied, frankly surprised he'd go to all that trouble.

"Look, I know it's almost a year away, but my dad booked some extra rooms in San Jose, and we'd love them to stay with us." There was a high demand for hotel rooms during competitions; Kes learned early in Poe's career to book sooner rather than later. Poe had gone to Kes weeks ago about getting rooms for Rey's family; he thought they'd want to be there.

Rey blinked. "My family?"

Poe's brown arched. "Yeah, to the Nationals. They're coming, aren't they?"

"I don't know."

That only confused Poe more. "Look at all you've done. They must be really excited."

Rey started panicking again. Poe assumed she'd told her family about all this. Of course, he did.

Zorii's voice cut through Rey's thoughts. "Babe, it's a 7:30 show!"

Rey seized the opportunity. "You better go."

But Poe wouldn't be swayed. "Why wouldn't they come?"

"They're coming. Zorii's waiting." She tried to guide Poe to the door, but he was stubborn.

And he figured out her secret. "How do you know if you haven't told them?"

"I'm gonna tell them."

Poe gave her a look. "When?"

"Now, this week!"

"Are you sure?" Why would she hide what she was doing? Poe couldn't understand it. Was she ashamed? That didn't seem likely. Rey loved skating. She complained a lot, but Poe could tell she loved what they were doing. Her smile didn't lie.

"I'm sure."

Poe crossed his arms over his chest. Zorii honked again, but she could wait. This was more important. "Really?"

"Poe, believe me, I'm dying to tell them." She tucked the thumb drive into her wallet for safekeeping. "Thanks again for this."

Poe shrugged. "It was kinda fun, looking at how far we've come."

"Now I know you're lying."

"I don't lie!"

"Poe, even Captain America lies sometimes. White lies aren't a crime."

Poe only knew who that was thanks to Rey. She'd made him watch some of the recent superhero movies; some of them were actually quite good. That reminded him of something. "You're gonna miss movie night."

Rey looked surprised. "Movie night? I just thought that with Zorii here…"

Poe chuckled. "She's even more snooty about movies than I am."

That didn't surprise Rey based on the little she knew about the woman. "Well, maybe we can do a double feature when I get back."

"Yeah, yeah, that'd be great."

There was another set of honks; Poe looked at the clock. "I gotta go. Um, have a good trip, Rey." He stared at her for a long moment; Rey thought he might hug her or something. But he simply nodded and hurried out. She heard his feet on the stairs, then a car door slammed.

Well, Rey thought as she returned to her packing, that was interesting.

"Welcome to Minneapolis, ladies, and gentlemen. We thank you for flying with us."

Rey yawned and stretched; she had plenty of room since she took Kes' advice and upgraded her ticket. She swiped her phone out of airplane mode as they taxied to the gate; she had several messages. She texted Rose back to let her know that she landed safely and would be home soon. The flight was on time, so she should have no trouble catching the Greyhound bus back to her small town. Rose had offered to come get her, but Rey knew her sister was needed at the bar. She didn't mind taking the bus.

She was surprised to see a message from Poe. There were several in a row. Hey. I guess you haven't landed yet. I bet it's colder there than at home.

She frowned at her phone. She checked the time; it was one hour later in Connecticut. Poe left with Zorii before she did. Going to a show, whatever that meant. So why was he texting her? She looked at the timestamps; they'd come in at varying intervals over the last hour. Maybe he just wants to know he doesn't need to break in another partner, she thought. As she waited for the rows ahead of her to empty, she tapped back a reply. Just landed. The pilot said it's 15 degrees out.

It was her turn to deplane; she got her duffle out of the overhead bin and headed down the aisle and across the gangway. In the few minutes it took her to reach the gate, Poe had replied. I'm glad you landed safely. That was followed by a sun emoji with a smiling face. She laughed.

You never struck me as an emoji guy. Poe certainly wasn't one of those people who used abbreviations in his texts. He was too much of a nerd for that.

I'm a man of many talents. Rey rolled her eyes. Against her better judgment, she wondered what he was doing that he had time to text her. He never texted her, though she supposed there wasn't much of a point. They spent more time together than apart. She tucked her phone into her pocket; the airport was crowded, because of the holiday. She didn't want to run into anyone with her overstuffed bag. She felt her phone vibrate again; she ignored it. She walked up to the Greyhound desk and bought a ticket for the bus. She'd timed it perfectly, the bus left in an hour. It would take another hour to get to the bar.

She flopped down in a plastic chair and got out her phone again. There was another message from Poe. No smart reply? I'm disappointed.

Rey's fingers flew over the screen. I was walking to the Greyhound desk. Do you walk and text at the same time?

Three dots blinked at her. Greyhound? As in the bus? Why are you taking the bus?

This was not a conversation she ever expected to have with Poe Dameron of all people. Because I'm too young to rent a car, Rose is busy at the bar, and the bus drops me off across the street. Not that it's any of your business.

It took longer than she expected for a reply. The dots flashed, then stopped, flashed, stopped, and flashed again. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just surprised. I've never taken a bus anywhere.

Rey chuckled to herself. She couldn't imagine Poe on a bus and told him so. He replied with a series of emojis that were both rude and amusing. It's getting late here. Good night, Rey.

Good night, Poe. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and fished out her book. She was halfway through The Hobbit; she hadn't been lying to Poe when she said she was enjoying it. She hadn't expected to, but Poe was clearly proud of his gift. She thought she should give it a chance. Maybe after she finished it, she and Poe could talk about it. She might see what other things he would recommend for her to read.

Rey hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and stepped off the bus. She tugged her coat tighter around her; it was well below freezing. It got cold in Connecticut, but not like this. How could she have forgotten cold like this? She felt it all the way to her bones. She shivered as she hurried across the street and into the bar.

Beau was the first one to spot her. "Rey! Rey!"

Patrons, people she'd known for years, started calling her name and slapping her on the back. Rose appeared out of nowhere and threw her arms around Rey's waist. "Rey! You're home!"

Rey smiled as she hugged her sister. "Made it safe and sound. Not to worry."

Rose's smile was warm; she was clearly thrilled. "It is good to see you."

"Good to see you too. I missed you." She looked up. "I missed all of you." Everyone cheered. It felt good to be home. People started shouting questions. There were too many voices; Rey looked around helplessly.

Rose decided to help. She kept her arm around Rey's waist. "Everyone! My sister's home! Let's welcome back our soon to be favorite hockey analyst!"

Everyone cheered, but Rey blanched. How many people had Rose told? "Um, hey, Rose?"

"Let her through! She can't even get to the bar because of you lunatics," Rose said, ignoring Rey completely. Rey felt herself being tugged to the bar as patrons shouted more questions. Some people asked what New York was like, others asked about hockey players she was supposed to have met. Everyone seemed so happy for her; guilt churned in her belly.

"Um, Rose?" she whispered, louder this time.

"Yeah?"

"How many people did you tell about my job?"

Rose frowned. "What did you expect me to do? You just disappeared!"

"I didn't disappear," Rey countered.

"That's debatable. How long until we see you on TV?"

Rey cringed. "Could you, uh, cool it with the TV?"

"What? Why?"

"Is Crosby the whiner we all think he is?" someone yelled.

Rey answered her sister in a stage whisper. "I'm not working for the Islanders."

Rose frowned. "Well, if you're not working for Islanders, what are you doing?"

"Let's go outside and talk about this." Rey didn't want to confess in front of all these people.

"We're all family here," Beau said, looking at her expectantly. There was a chorus of agreement around them.

Rose patted her back. "Tell me now."

Rose could be every bit as stubborn as Rey; maybe it was better to just rip the bandage off. She took a steadying breath. "Well, it's actually pretty interesting. I've been, uh, doing a little figure skating."

One of the old guys at the bar piped up. "Finger painting?"

Not everyone heard her, but Rose did. "Figure skating?"

Two minutes later, Rose and Rey were out back sitting side by side on a wooden picnic table. Silence reigned for several long minutes. Rose looked disappointed; Rey could barely look at her. "Why would you lie, Rey? I don't get it."

Rey shrugged. "I didn't want to disappoint you if it didn't work out," she confessed. "But these people, Rose, they think we can go all the way."

"All the way to where?"

"To the Nationals." Rose looked confused; Rey realized her sister had no idea what she was talking about. "The national championships, Rosie. Maybe even the Olympics."

Rose's eyes got huge. "Wow. Rey, that's…wow." She grinned. "Are you good? Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a hockey player. How good could you be?"

"Do you think I'd spend fifteen hours a day, seven days a week, for some consolation prize? I'm talking about an Olympic gold medal."

Rose thought about that for a minute, then her eyes lit up. "Oh my god, is it that guy? That guy you were telling me about on the phone!" She jumped up, gesturing wildly. "It is! You're mixed up with that guy!"

Rey groaned and buried her face in her hands. Why did she let anything about Poe slip? Rose was too nosy for her own good. "It's a great opportunity," she said trying to sound reasonable.

"It's figure skating," Rose reminded her.

"And I like it!" Rey cried. "It's a hell of a lot harder than hockey, I can tell you that." Rey had been like Rose once, looking down at figure skaters. She realized that she'd been very, very wrong. "This is gonna be different," she vowed. "The costumes, the music, it's all gonna be different. You'll see."

Rose grinned. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Rey nodded. "I really am. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I thought about it. I wanted to. I guess after lying about it for so long I didn't know how to tell you."

"Rey, if you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

Rey smiled. "Thanks."

Rose grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's get you a drink. I wanna hear all about this guy!"

Rey sighed as she followed her sister back inside. How the hell was she going to explain Poe Dameron?

Leia was surprised to find Poe at the rink. With Rey gone, she expected him to take some time off. Especially with Zorii staying at the compound. There wasn't much he could do without his partner. Still, he seemed more relaxed than she'd seen him in a while. Almost like he was enjoying himself as he glided over the ice.

Poe looked up; he blinked when he spotted Leia. "Oh. Hi. I didn't think anyone would be here."

"It is your building," Leia reminded him with a wry smile.

Poe ducked his head, his cheeks flushing. "You know what I meant."

"It's nice to see you skate for fun."

"It's been…god, I don't even know how long it's been." He leaned against the railing. "Before she left…Rey said something…and I've been wondering if she's right."

That made her curious. "What did she say?"

"That I'd skate better if I let myself enjoy it."

"Ah." Leia nodded wisely. "Our young Rey is wiser than her years."

"You agree with her?" Poe's heart dropped. If Leia thought that…then what was he even doing? Why was he doing this? He imagined Rey disappearing from his life; that made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

Leia smiled gently and cradled his cheek in her palm. "Poe, you are a very gifted skater. I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

"I'm sensing a but."

"It's okay to enjoy it too. You're lucky. You've finally found someone to share it with."

As Poe walked back to the house, he thought about what Leia said. It was true that skating had felt more like a job the last few years. How could it not with Kes hounding him all the time? Poe used to love it. When had the joy gotten sucked out of it? He couldn't remember. Before Jannah certainly. They'd worked so hard, but there was no joy in it. They tolerated each other.

Things were different now. Even Poe could see it. He and Rey tried to become friends as well as partners. Seeing her grow and learn on the ice reminded him of how much he loved skating. Sure, they were competitive on the ice, but it wasn't mean spirited anymore. It was fun. When he watched back some of the footage while he made the tape for Rey, he was surprised at how much he smiled. He couldn't remember doing that while training for Sochi. That had been all business. But that wasn't who Rey was. She just brought the joy out in him..

She'd become his own personal sunshine. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud. He had a reputation to protect, after all.

He found Zorii in Kes' office, working on her laptop. "Did you want to go out for dinner?"

Zorii looked over her screen. "Sorry, babe, I need to have this report ready by morning. I would be zero fun."

"Oh, okay." Zorii's visit didn't mean she stopped working. They'd spent probably a total of two days together in total since she arrived. She was a bit of a workaholic.

She scrunched her nose. "What are you wearing?"

Poe looked down; he'd totally forgotten he was wearing the hockey jersey Rey had given him for Christmas. "This? It was a gift from someone."

"Was it someone trying to play a prank on you? It looks used."

Poe frowned. "I like it." It was warm and cozy. Sure, some of the stitches were frayed, but that only gave it character. It meant a lot to Rey; that was all that mattered to him.

"Suit yourself."

Poe left her to her work and ate a quiet dinner with his dad. It was Friday night; he and Rey usually met for movie night around eight. There was no reason he couldn't watch a movie by himself. He walked up to the projection room and scanned the shelves, trying to choose something. It had been quite a while since he'd chosen something solely for his own amusement. Nothing jumped out at him. On a whim, he got out his phone. Rey was probably busy, but it never hurt to try.

There was a lot of noise on the other end of the line. "Congratulations, you learned how to use the phone."

He couldn't help smiling at the sound of her voice. He missed that. They'd texted a few times since she left; it seemed that Rey's sister was very curious about him. "It's faster than texting." The sounds began to die away. "Where are you?"

"At the bar. Rose roped me into helping tonight."

"Aren't you, um, bad at that?"

"You clearly don't know how persuasive my sister is."

"Siblings aren't really my area of expertise."

Rey chuckled. "True. So, what made you use Alexander Graham Bell's invention for its original purpose?"

"You know who Alexander Graham Bell is?"

"I grew up in Minnesota, not Mars, Poe."

"Okay, okay. The truth is, I'm here trying to choose a movie and I have zero ideas."

There was a long pause. "You called to pick out a movie?"

Now that she'd said it out loud, he felt pretty stupid. "Nevermind," he said hastily. "Forget I called."

"No! No, it's fine. I needed a break anyway." There was some scraping in the background, then a sigh. "What are the parameters?"

"Parameters?"

"Animated? Live-action? Drama? Comedy? Ya gotta give me something. I'm assuming you're not watching this alone?"

"Actually…Zorii's working on some report. It's just me."

"Oh." She sounded surprised. "In that case, I was going to suggest this for us, but I've already seen it. I think you'll like it though. It's a Disney movie, but it's not a musical."

"We can wait until you get back."

"If you like it, we can always watch it again. Home video is designed for that, you know."

"What's the movie?" Poe moved to the animated films.

"Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The main character is a super nerd like you."

"Gee, thanks." He plucked it off the shelf. "We've got it."

Poe heard yelling in the background. "Shit, I've got to go. Rose's calling. You alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the assist."

"I'll be home late tomorrow. See you bright and early Sunday?"

"First one to the rink picks next week's movie."

"You're on." They hung up; Poe slipped the disc into the projector. Rey would be back in less than twenty-four hours. Then they could get back to work.