Chapter 9: It's Quiet Uptown

"Mmmm... Hmmm... Uhhh... Ohhh... Huhh..."

The graying light was streaming in through the curtains of the Ticos' bedroom back on base, revealing Rose as she enthusiastically bounced up and down on her husband of only a couple weeks in a passionate display of making love. After their travels on their honeymoon, the exhausted new bride and wife had been surprised and delighted when Finn's kisses and wandering hands had woken her up; she had only been too happy to oblige his lust for her and need for some early-morning sex.

Dipping her head to kiss him thoroughly, Rose squealed and laughed in surprise when Finn suddenly flipped them both so that she now lay under him. Growling, her husband picked up the pace of his thrusts, putting his mouth to good use peppering her jaw line before eventually lavishing her plump breasts, taking one pebbling nipple between his teeth.

"Oooh... Oh, Gods, Finny, I'm so close, don't stop..." Rose squeaked breathlessly.

"Me... too..." Finn growled. "Force above, I love you... Rosie..." She could feel him shaking against her, and knew he really was on the edge. Sure enough, as he had done every night of shagging during their brief two weeks of marriage, Finn began to pull out like the gentleman he was.

This time, however, his beautiful and fierce wife wasn't having it, as she clamped down her thighs muscles around his torso.

"Rose... no..." Finn groaned. She just squeezed her powerful leg muscles tighter around him.

"Yes..." she hissed, rocking furiously against him. "Let's make a baby, Finn. I want your child deep inside me."

"Oh..." Finn groaned, thrusting faster, if also weaker. "You're so beautiful... Rose..." Another feeble slam, and then:

"ROSE!" Finn's body seized as he ejaculated hard within her soaked walls. Only then did his wife release him, Finn rolling off of her and the pair cleaning themselves after that hot, raw fuck. Turning his face back to hers, Rose softly kissed him, eyes shining brightly.

"I love shagging you," she sighed.

Finn chuckled. "Glad to have the ringing endorsement." He pecked her lips once. "Come on, love, get dressed. The mess hall breakfast hours are almost up."

The Ticos arrived for the morning meal rush with only minutes to spare. Entering the mess hall, Finn glanced up at the happy cry as Rey pelted the remaining distance and threw her arms around him.

"Welcome home!" she trilled, stepping out of his arms and turning to Rosie, the two girls air-kissing on both cheeks and all smiles.

"We missed you too, honey," Rose giggled.

"When did you get in?" Rey babbled, looping an arm through Finn's and guiding her friends to her table.

"Last night, late - very late," Finn huffed as he swung his leg over the bench and took a seat. "The night watchman had to clear our ship at the landing platform."

Plopping beside Rose, Rey clutched at her best girlfriend's arm. "Tell me everything! Where did you go? Was it romantic?"

"Absolutely," Rose's eyes twinkled. "The Hanging Gardens on Naboo are to die for, Rey - just darling! The waters were so blue..."

"... and meadows as far as the eye could see!" Finn chimed in.

"Any particular place strike your fancy?" Rey queried. "Once the new government is established, you won't want to stay here to raise a family!"

"Solaris is beautiful, especially in the summertime," Finn took Rose's hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. "It would be a lovely place to settle down... wouldn't it, sweetheart?"

"Oh, of course," Rose buttered her roll with her free hand.

"Speaking of which," Rey jumped on, glancing down at Rose's flat belly. "Am I going to be an Auntie soon?"

"Patience, patience," Rose clucked. "Though... we have been trying." Next to her, her husband blushed, his grin dopey.

A lulling silence reigned for a moment. "Well... it was a lovely wedding," Rey sighed. "And that's saying something, since I had never been to a wedding before." Her heart twinged internally as she silently added, Except my own.

"What, so there were no nuptials on that rock you call a homeworld?" Finn chortled.

"Don't be cute," Rey scolded matronly, reaching around Rose to swat at her best friend, though her scowl was playful. "But no."

Finn hooted. "I should say not!" Then his gaze dimmed as he expressed, more somberly, "I hope that someday... we can be a part of your wedding. That is, if you ever decide to get married again."

Rey smiled sadly. "You're sweet," she reached a hand down the table and squeezed his. "But I doubt that I'll ever remarry, Finn."

Adem appeared just then, carrying a tray. "Morning, all," he greeted dolefully. "Lovely day." He took a seat directly across from Rey.

The Jedi took her eyes off her plate and smiled. "Hey, Adem."

Lifting her head just then, Rey's brown eyes narrowed at the pair just now entering the mess hall. Moments later, there was a thundering of feet as Poe broke away from Neek'o to tackle his best friend with a roar of delight.

"How was the trip?" the pilot boomed, plunking down at Finn's left, Neek'o following him.

"Wonderful! We saw everything!" Finn grinned. "But it's good to be home."

Neek'o sent Finn a friendly smile from around the thin strands of hair hanging into his eyes. "You must be tired. There's still plenty to do, though."

"Yeah... what did we miss...?"

As the men started chattering, Rose bent to retrieve a fork... and noted how Poe's fingers were laced through Neek'o's under the table. Popping back up, she whispered clandestinely to Rey at her right:

"Poe and Neek'o are holding hands... What's that about?"

Rey rolled her eyes hard as she took a bite of her bantha-milk oatmeal. "Don't start," she swallowed. "They've been thrashing about like a pair of wamp rats ever since you lovebirds left. Lovey-dovey eyes, the whole bit - it's getting on my nerves!" Lowering her voice, the Jedi gossiped, "They snogged first at your wedding reception, you know."

"What?!" Rose softly squeaked, gripping her arms. "Details!"

Rey shrugged. "I just saw them kiss, that's all. Frankly, Neek'o can have him - Poe's not exactly a stellar snogger, as I know from experience..." Glancing down the table, Rey's gaze happened to lock with Poe's. Freezing for a parsec, the pilot nodded curtly, a gesture Rey returned before turning back to her oatmeal, her mood sullied.

That evening saw the end of a long day on base. By the time he dragged himself into his apartment, Poe just wanted to collapse in a chair, in bed, anywhere and sleep for a day cycle or two.

"I'm home!" he called a greeting to Neek'o, stooping to kiss him quickly when his partner poked his head out of the fresher.

Neek'o noticed the bags under his eyes. "Long day?" he followed Poe into their bedroom.

Poe smiled wanly, flopping on the bed and making room when his boyfriend snuggled up to join him. It had been a whirlwind romance, to say the least, since the Ticos' wedding, and though it had frightened Poe at first, Neek'o had been unfailingly kind and patient.

It was a stark contrast to the attitude of a certain Jedi, whose frosty greeting of him still - nearly three months after Kylo Ren's death - had eaten away at him today more than it ever had.

Sighing heavily, Poe sat up against the headboard, crossing his arms in deep thought. Neek'o burrowed closer, frowning in concern. "What's wrong, sweet thing?" - a pet name that Poe secretly rather enjoyed.

The pilot ran a tired hand over his face. "Do you remember just after we met, and I told you that my scars were from an accident with some power converters and an open gas line?"

Neek'o perked up, grinning. "Excellent cocktail story, that."

Poe chuckled tightly. "It would be... if it were true." At Neek'o stilling against him, he winced with shame. "I haven't been completely honest with you... about what happened the night before you and Adem arrived on base."

Neek'o was now eyeing his lover warily. "Then what did happen?"

Poe breathed deeply. "I killed Kylo Ren that night."

Neek'o lit up like a Yuletide tree. "Is that all?"

Hardly, Poe thought. "At least... I thought - I think I did."

Neek'o's expression flip-flopped again. "You think or you know?"

Poe stared down into his lap, studying his hands folded there. "The night before you came... Kylo Ren invaded the base. My subordinates alerted me, and I caught him in the arms of the Jedi. I shot him in the back, and Rey held him as he died. And then, in a fit of rage, she electrocuted me with Sith Lightning."

Every muscle in Neek'o's face appeared slack-jawed. There was a long silence. Finally:

"That ice-cold bitch! OK, I'm sorry, but this actually explains a lot! I used to think that whenever she acted like she had a stick up her..."

"Must you be so crude...?"

"... that it was because you two used to have a thing or something, like you fucked her and then -"

"What? Gods, no!" Poe gawped. At his partner's raised eyebrow, he conceded, "We did kiss once, many months back."

"What the kriff for?" Neek'o bawled.

Poe shrugged. "I must have been drunk. I was drunk, in fact."

Neek'o snorted. "Clearly. So wait, back up - the Supreme Asshole eats it while expiring in the arms of a beautiful maiden with no soul because... why? Was she in love with him, then?"

"More than that," Poe groaned. "Apparently, they had a Force Bond that allowed them to see each other in secret. They even got married - without telling anyone."

"It would be romantic if it wasn't so sick," Neek'o brooded darkly. "Ungrateful wretch! She should be thanking you, for ridding the Galaxy of Kylo Ren!"

"Enough with the language," Poe chided. "You know Rey about as little as I do."

"Why are you defending her? I repeat: you killed Kylo Ren!"

Poe froze Neek'o with a haunted look. "Did I?" Neek'o studied him warily. "Or did I kill Rey's husband, an innocent man named Ben Solo? Was Kylo Ren already dead, and I just refused to see it?" Staring down at his hands again as if he saw something monstrous there, Poe whimpered, tears swimming and threatening to spill. "Neek'o... I did something very wrong..."

Neek'o now appeared truly frightened, even as he started to piece it together. "Are you saying that Ben Solo... was Kylo Ren?"

Poe nodded numbly. "He was General Leia Organa's son. Only a few people knew about it; I was one of them." He folded into himself. "Did I doom that girl to being a widow and murder someone innocent? I never gave either of them a chance to explain!"

"If I'm following what you're saying correctly, Ben Solo hardly sounds innocent," Neek'o pointed out dryly. "As Kylo Ren, he made lots of terrible choices - choices that wouldn't have been washed away in a day even if he was on the base that night to, I don't know, defect. Turn to the Light Side?" The darker-skinned man flopped back into the pillows. "This is why I never paid much attention to all the Jedi and Sith and Force stuff. Too heady for me. Still... I'll concede, as someone who knows how you can shoot first and ask questions later..." (a potent pink bloomed on Poe's cheeks) "... maybe you were too quick on the draw."

"And now I can't take it back," Poe mumbled. "She won't even talk to me! Rey made it very clear she doesn't want anything to do with me ever again!"

"And you're surprised by this because...?"

Poe burst into tears. "I just want to say I'm sorry!"

There was a long silence broken only by the sound of the pilot's sobs. At last, Neek'o stole an arm around his shoulder, rocking him gently as he stared off, biting his lip in thought.

"Then maybe you should," the ex-Stormtrooper said at last. "Maybe you now understand why Rey could love someone who was once the enemy because you do now, too." Neek'o gestured to himself. "That's why you feel guilty, among other reasons." A silent Poe didn't dispute him. "Tell Rey that you want to talk. Then leave the ball in her court. Maybe she'll surprise you with how she answers."

Poe shook his head heavily, as though it was water-logged. "It's too late."

"Is it?" Neek'o challenged. "In my experience, darling, it's never too late, and I'm living proof. So is Adem. Hell, so is Finn, and he's your best friend. And if Rey truly thought it wasn't too late for Ben to change... maybe she'll think it isn't too late for either of you to change each other - for the better." When Poe stayed deathly still, actively hanging on every word, Neek'o grinned and patted his shoulder, satisfied. "I'll fix you a drink?"

"Coreillian whiskey... would be lovely," Poe gratefully choked out. And his partner left him alone to his thoughts.

The very next morning, Poe hovered at the edge of the hangar bay, unsure whether to approach the waifish Jedi girl currently halfway under a troublesome Bespin cruiser. From what he had heard from Finn, Lando had given Rey a job fixing up ships run-down from the final, furious battles of the war. Every few minutes, Rey would emerge to chat animatedly with Adem, who had been leaning against the hull for at least the past hour cycle, making small talk.

Remembering what Neek'o had said, Poe took a sharp breath, steeled his nerves. "I must be out of my mind," he mumbled, and strode towards the Bespin cruiser as Rey rolled out from under it.

"Hey, Rey."

Adem and Rey's chittering abruptly ceased and Rey slowly turned to eye Poe warily. "Hey." Her voice was cool.

Clearing sensing the tension and glancing curiously between the two of them, Adem's icy blue eyes narrowed. "Everything all right, Rey?"

"Yesss..." Rey drew out slowly, not taking her eyes off the pilot. "There's no problem, Adem, don't worry."

"Um..." Poe scratched at the back of his neck. "I was hoping we could talk in private?"

After a long moment, Rey nodded, face leery. Adem graciously ceded the floor, hands raised peacefully. "I won't overstay my welcome."

Turning to him, Rey's eyes appeared stricken for a parsec, as if unsure whether she wanted the handsome Stormtrooper to go. Adem just smiled at her soothingly. "It'll be OK, Rey. Meet you with Finn and Rose for supper?"

Biting her lip, Rey nodded. Adem looked buoyant. "Brilliant. See you then." And he strolled away.

As soon as Adem was gone, Rey rounded on her commanding officer, arms folded and her face in a permanent scowl. "What do you want, Poe?"

"Well... I have this... astromech here." As both a peace offering and a starting-off point, Poe had brought along with him a rusty and dilapidated yellow-and-green astromech droid, which now rolled forward on unsteady treads. Its beeping seemed off when it chirped a greeting. "I was hoping you might be able to take a look at her."

Frowning at him suspiciously, Rey knelt next to the robot, examining it. "Let's see what we've got here... Hmm... the opto-fusillator is busted... and the copper wiring to its sound system has been compromised..." She glanced at the droid's treads. "And its contact-tracers are practically falling off! She'll be a labor of love, this one."

"I'll pay you in credits," Poe smiled hopefully.

At this, Rey stiffened. "I don't want your blood money, Dameron." Her voice was dangerously low and as chilly as the winter wind.

However, at this, Poe saw an opportunity and he seized it. "I should at least compensate you in some way!"

Rey stood, eyeing him distrustfully. "What did you have in mind? Not a warm night in bed, I hope, because I doubt Neek'o would appreciate cheating, and frankly, I don't want to shag you..."

"No, no, nothing like that at all!" Poe cringed. His face relaxed back into something hopeful. "I was thinking... a walk, perhaps? We could talk? Tonight, after your shift."

Rey peered at him dubiously for several long moments. Though her brown eyes relaxed, her expression remaind doubtful as she stated flatly, "My rotation cycles off at 0700. Pick me up here. We can go to the far landing platform."

Poe nearly sighed with relief. "Brilliant. See you then."

As he started to walk away, Rey called after him, "Who should I give the droid to once I'm done with her?"

Poe smirked back over his shoulder. "Keep it. It was abandoned, about to be sold for parts." And he sauntered away, terrified and exhilarated at the same time.

Poe's stomach felt incredibly tight when he circled back around to collect Rey from the hangar bay at the end of her shift. She appeared spent, but filled with accomplishment, as the yellow-and-green astromech droid did happy doughnuts at her feet, good as new. Smiling nervously, Poe gestured to the hangar bay doors, looking out at the setting sun and jungle beyond. "Shall we?"

Rey nodded tightly.

It was a long walk to the far landing platform, one not often used and that would therefore ensure privacy, and despite this, neither Jedi nor General spoke. Finally arriving on it and settling themselves down at the edge, Poe surveyed the spectacular view as he pulled a long bottle of liquor from his bag. Rey eyed it nervously, recalling along with him another night very much like this one.

"You aren't going to get me drunk and have your way with me, are you? My needs have been met just fine, thanks -"

"By who?" Poe sniped back without any bite. "Adem?"

"No!" Rey stared, though even in the fireball of late evening, he thought he saw her cheeks flush fuschia. "Adem and I are just friends."

Poe didn't challenge this any further as he tugged the whiskey cork loose with his teeth. Throwing his head back, he took a long pull from the thing. "Don't worry, Jedi, this is mostly for me. Eating crow almost always requires something to wash it down with. In other words, getting plastered." Still, he held the booze out to her anyway, and when she didn't take it, he set it down between them. "You can have some if you want."

Rey eyed the bottle like it was a thermal detonator, but when Poe turned away to face the horizon, he noted how she eventually took a dainty sip out of the corner of his eye. Wiping her mouth, Rey passed the bottle back to him.

"OK: talk," she prompted.

Poe's tongue chose this moment to get stuck on the roof of his mouth. All the rehearsing of what he thought he could possibly say went out the window, to be replaced by a deep-seated terror as she stared him down. He bought himself time by taking another long swig from the whiskey bottle. The alcohol burned his throat, and his eyes watered... though, he found, not entirely on account of the strength of the stuff.

A single thought popped into his head. "I killed your husband." His voice was a raspy croak.

The very air seemed to still along with Rey. "Yes, I know," she appraised him coolly, still not entirely certain if this was a trick. "I was there."

"I killed your husband, Ben - not Kylo Ren... that night." Poe dared to meet her eyes. "Isn't that right?" At her slow nod, he sipped from the bottle again, forked it over to her. He had a feeling she'd need it. Just as he predicted, Rey took a hearty gulp from it. Her large brown eyes swam with tears. "If you brought me here to relive the worst night of my life, well then, sorry, but I don't know why you bothered..." She squirmed in what looked like an intent to get up, but Poe's voice - strangled - stopped her.

"Ben wasn't there to invade the base that night... was he?" Not quite up off the ground, Rey rocked back on her heels, drawing her knees up to her chest in a pathetic attempt to hug herself. A sob bubbled up, and she barely kept it in, shaking her head. "No..." she moaned. Head snapping to glare at him, fire burned in her eyes just as strongly as the alcohol and anger now burned through her blood. "You and Snap set him up! I heard the story Wexley planted out there: that you had a gun, and how he claimed that I was dead! That you shot me!"

Poe moaned and dug his fingers into his scalp, head between his knees. "We both know I shot you... but not to kill you. Snap only said that to twist the knife in right befoe you and Ben's connection broke."

Rey regarded him hatefully. "You tortured Ben, and me. You tortured us." Her teeth bared. "You killed my love."

Poe nodded contritely, guiltily. "I see that now."

"Oh, do you?" Rey's voice raised a few decibels. "Why? Because you've now gone a couple rounds in bed with a Stormtrooper? Think sleeping with the enemy is fine and dandy once you've gotten a taste of it?"

"Please don't bring Neek'o into this," Poe warned. "You're not wrong... but pleae don't bring him into this. This is about you and me."

"You're damn right it is," Rey snarled. She scoffed in disgust. "I can't believe I ever actually let you kiss me..."

"As I recall, you kissed me back that night!" Poe's tone laced with annoyance.

"You were drunk -"

"Not exactly a faithful wife then, were you?"

"I wasn't married then," Rey corrected the record. "And I only kissed you back to protect Ben - both then and the night you tortured us about our Bond."

Poe grew quiet, staring down the neck of the bottle. "Yeah," he sighed heavily. "I came to figure as much." A elongated pause, and then he floated: "Was I at least a decent kisser?"

"Oh, shut up," Rey scoffed, glancing away. A beat, then: "You were decent enough that when Ben got wind of that first time, he was in a jealous rage for the better part of a day cycle after."

Another stretch of quiet. Then Poe asked, "Can I ask a personal question?"

"You might as well after that set-up," Rey huffed resignedly.

"When did you and Ben get married?"

"The night after the Stormtrooper battalion attack; we were alone in my room. No witnesses," Rey huffed impatiently. "Now what do you want, Poe?" She cocked an impatient eyeborw. "What did you come here to say?"

The tears streamed down Poe's cheeks. "I came to ask for your forgiveness." His voice was incredibly small.

Studying him in almost disbelief, Rey finally regarded him sadly. Looked at him like he was a fool. She shook her head. "Murderer..." she rumbled. "If you think I'n going to forgive you... after what you did to Ben - what you did to us - you'll be asking for a very, very long time -"

"I'm asking for your forgiveness for the things I made you do," Poe clarified. The alcohol had really loosened his tongue; he was surprised he was still managing to be this coherent. "Like using you as a pawn to win a war. Get revenge on Kylo Ren. You don't need to forgive me for what I did to Ben. I know you never would. It's probably better that you don't."

The night was still for many, many long moments - an eternity, it seemed - before Poe raised his bloodshot eyes to Rey, beseeching. She was regarding him with something that almost resembled pity. As Poe watched, a single tear blazed a pathway down her cheek.

"I don't know if I can..." she whispered, pained. Poe hung his head, defeated. "...but I will anyway."

He glanced up again, shocked. Rey was staring at him, crying profuesly now. "I forgive you. For what you did to me. But I won't forget."

Poe nodded, his countenance - and his conscience - lighter. "I can live with that," he mumbled. He offered her his hands. "Friends?"

She studied him for a long time. It seemed absurd that she would befriend the man who had killed her husband - something that she hadn't absolved him of with her forgiveness - and yet...

Rey nodded, expression blank, and shook Poe's offered hand. "Friends," she murmured softly.

Poe smiled with profound gratefulness, hastily wiping at his eyes. Lumbering to his feet, he swayed for a moment, hand to his head, feeling woozy. "Whoo... that Alderaanian liquor does things to you."

Rey actually laughed. "You mean to tell me you took this from Leia's personal stash?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Rey," he winked.

She giggled, and for the first time, she smiled at him. "Clearly. Think you can get home to Neek'o all right?"

"Sure," Poe waved her off. Then he paused to give her a genuine smile of goodwill. "Good night... Mrs. Solo." Satisfied at the warm blush that stained her cheeks, he lumbered off.

Rey watched him go curiously, and for the first time since Ben's death... she felt a little lighter too. The yellow-and-green astromech wheeled up to her, chittering with a thousand questions that would no doubt last long after the astromech accompained her back to her room for the night. "Yes, GeeBee," Rey affirmed. "Poe and I are friends."