So here we are with chapter 8 folks. I do hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, thank you to all of you who've left a review. I greatly appreciate it and I am always interested in what you think about this story.
Thank you Darksidefan5 for your awesome Beta skills. You are a lifesaver.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, George Lucas and Disney do. I just play in their sandbox, making sand-pies.
Aboard the Finalizer…
Three weeks have passed since one of the Knights of Ren, Zekk, brought Kylo Ren information on where the Resistance was hiding. Yet it wasn't the confirmation of where the Resistance was hiding that has weighed heavily upon Kylo's mind. Kylo Ren couldn't escape the image that plagued him; so, he released all his anger and frustration out on his enemies; the Dathomir Witches and Night-sisters. Only two of the Night-sisters survived the mass campaign and were willing to join him in defeat instead of dying. Now, the whole planet was under First Order rule.
Looking towards the planet below, Kylo Ren stands with his hands behind his back. The image returns to the forefront of his mind, causing him to close his eyes in an attempt to erase it but it just becomes more vivid. Becoming more frustrated, and angry, the air around Kylo Ren becomes charged.
"Supreme Leader. Ren!" The familiar voice of the red-haired general calls out, his black boots squeaking with every step of his approach.
"What now, General Hux." Kylo Ren growls out, turning to face the man. The air around him losing some of its charge thanks to the small distraction Hux is providing his mind.
"With Dathomir now under control, I think it's best that we return to hunting down the Resistance scum." General Hux holds out a data-pad. "I've begun preparing our strategy on bringing Tatooine under our control."
Kylo Ren glares at the data-pad for only a moment and the small device begins to crackle and short circuit. This causes Hux to drop the thing before it can explode in his hand. It lands on the floor and lets out several dark puffs of smoke.
"I told before, General," Kylo states, glaring at the smarmy man. "if we were to attack Tatooine, the whole planet would take up arms against us. Possibly even join the Resistance in their fight against us. We will wait, in the system, to capture any who send them aid. Perhaps even capture a few of their own emissaries and learn of their plans."
"So, plan on doing nothing? Even after sending the Calrissian girl into a catatonic state from one of your Knights over enthusiastic interrogation? She gave us the information we needed! The time to strike is now!"
Just as Kylo Ren is about to force-choke the general, something very faint brushes against his mind.
"You heard me, Hux! My order stands!" Kylo Ren yells out as he stomps away and off of the bridge.
Heading towards his personal room, he attempts to reach out to it with his own mind. He feels it begin to flee from his reach within the Force, but he persists on trying to figure out what it is that touched his mind back on the bridge. Getting closer and closer to the source of what touched his mind, Kylo is suddenly taken aback as whatever it was disappears entirely. Then, to his surprise, he feels his own mental use of the Force thrown back at him. This causes Kylo Ren's feet to stumble and he nearly trips which has him using a hand to brace himself against the wall of the gray corridor he was walking down.
Taking a deep breath, Kylo tries to reach out once more, using the Force to search for what just escaped his touch. But he finds nothing. So, he pushes himself away from the wall and begins walking in earnest towards his quarters.
Once he is inside of his room, his mind fills with the image that just won't leave him be. Searching within himself for the small fragment that connects him and Rey in a Force-Bond, he finds it and shoves against it.
"You're mine!" Kylo Ren shouts out, flooding the bond with every bit of energy he can use.
Tatooine, Jundland Wastes…
Inside of the home that once belonged to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rey is meditating in the middle of the sparse living space.
Since the Resistance's arrival on the desert planet, Rey was given leave to stay in the old Jedi's home by Leia. The older woman had hoped that Rey may find something to help with her training. Another reason why Leia offered the home to Rey was to give the young woman some time away from everyone. This included Poe as well. So far, Rey had only seen Poe a handful of times over the course of the past two months.
Poe. That was another thing that Rey had to figure out as well. Especially with what was between them.
The air around her begins to grow dark and heavy. Immediately Rey realizes that the Force-bond has come alive. Its only ever flared up during sleep, not during waking hours. Not since their escape from Crait.
A harsh shiver runs down her spine as a set of finger tips trail down the side of her neck.
"Leave me alone." Rey demands, trying hard not to let herself be pulled into the bond. But she's pulled in to it anyways.
The touch that had seemed so tender turns rough as her arm is taken in a vice like grip and she's jerked up from the ground.
"Let go!" Rey shouts, eyes flying open. She finds herself practically face-to-face with an agitated Kylo Ren.
"No." Kylo Ren tells her before surging forwards so that their lips collide. Taking advantage of Rey's momentary shock, his other hand grabs the waistband of her pants and pulls her closer to him.
Rey brings her hands up and pushes hard against Kylo Ren's chest to put some space between them and break the unwanted kiss.
"No. You're mine!" Kylo grunts out, shifting his hands so that he has a firm hold on Rey. One hand splayed against her upper back, and the other digging into her lower abdomen. "You belong with me, not the pilot!"
"No!"
Rey struggles against his hold before calling upon the Force to shove Kylo Ren away. Though Rey's actions do more than just send him away physically – she is able to sever their connection with a blow so powerful that it knocks her off her feet and into the wall behind her. Her head collides rather solidly with the stone and Rey's world goes black before her body hits the floor.
~~SW~~
In the evening hours, Poe is finally able to break away from training several new recruits while using an old flight simulator from the Clone Wars. Heading towards the storage lockers, worry begins to creep into Poe's mind over what Finn had said during the morning brief. Rey apparently wasn't looking too well. For a girl who was already thin enough from growing up without any food security, Rey was even thinner now than when Finn first met her on Jakku. Finn had also noted that she was sporting dark circles under her eyes and she had lost any semblance of a healthy pallor.
Poe had felt a flash of anger at General Organa for not sending someone to bring Rey back to base.
Opening his assigned locker, Poe decides that he's going to head out and check on Rey himself. He pulls on his brown leather jacket and secures the holster for his new blaster at his waist. Poe knows he doesn't have much time, so he quickly packs his duffel bag with some spare clothes and an extra blaster. He makes sure that he has a Bota bag filled with water hanging around his neck, and another filled one placed in the duffel. Then he closes the door to his locker and heads towards the mess hall's small kitchen to swipe some food to take to Rey.
Once he's snuck several small containers of food into his bag, Poe quickly makes his way towards the bunker doors before they are closed for the night. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough.
"Kriff." Poe mumbles out, keeping himself hidden behind an old Z-95 Headhunter.
"Poe?"
Poe spins around to see Rose looking at him with a thoughtful gaze.
"Rose." Poe says, quickly giving her one of his charming smiles, but stumbles on what to ask her. "What has you out here?"
"I'm fixing his old girl." Rose replies, gesturing at the fighter that Poe is hiding behind. "I'm amazed that General Organa's smuggling friend could even find one of these. Most of them were either lost during the Clone Wars, refurbished, or scrapped out for parts. I'm still trying to rig together enough usable parts to make a suitable engine for it. Now that ARC-170 starfighter, over in bunker 3, is all set and ready to go. Pretty sure the general is going to assign you to fly it."
"Maybe. But I really don't want another person in the cockpit with me."
"Unless it's Rey." Rose teases. "You're sneaking out to see her, aren't you?"
Poe rubs the back of his neck and replies. "Yeah. I'm worried about her, Rose. And I haven't-"
"seen her for nearly two weeks." Rose finishes his sentence for him and gives him soft smile. "I'd be worried and anxious too, if it was Finn. Come on, let's get you out of here."
Rose places her wrench on a supply crate and heads over to the large control station near the large doors. She quickly enters in the numerical sequence needed to lift open the door only three feet before momentarily halting the process.
"Tell Rey that we miss her." Rose tells Poe as he tosses his bag through the opening.
"Thanks, Rose. And can you-"
"look after BB-8 while you're gone. I'll keep him busy with helping me work on these old fighters."
"Thank you. Truly, Rose." Poe says, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze.
"Go on! Before the suns fully set."
"Right."
With that, Poe crouches and quickly rolls his body through the small opening. Once he is outside, the door closes with a thud behind him. Taking hold of his duffel bag, Poe sets out towards the old Kenobi homestead. By the time Poe arrives, the first of the twin suns is just starting to dip beneath the horizon.
Poe reaches out to touch the controls for the door and notices right away that the door isn't locked.
'Something isn't right.' Poe thinks, grabbing for his blaster.
Blaster in-hand, Poe reaches out to touch the control panel and the door opens. Cautiously, he steps inside and sets his duffel bag against the wall, next to the door. The door closes behind him and it takes a minute for his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. Already Poe can feel the air within the home feels different than the outside, almost as if it is heavy with an electrical charge. His eyes scan the room for any possible threats that could be lurking within the small building. However, when his eyes reach the open living area he notices a body-sized lump on the floor.
"Rey?" Poe calls out, hurrying to the young woman lying on the floor. His blaster is still in his hand, ready to fend off any intruder. "Rey!"
Rey lets out a small groan as Poe gently shakes her shoulder, but she doesn't wake.
"She over did it." A voice says all of a sudden.
Startled by the new voice, unfamiliar voice, Poe quickly takes up a defensive posture and points his gun towards the newcomer. He isn't sure what he was expecting to see, but a glowing blue image of Luke Skywalker wasn't one of them.
"Skywalker." Poe mutters out, surprised to see the old man.
"Dameron." Luke says with a cheeky smile before making his way to where Rey is lying. "She over extended herself with using the Force."
"Is that even possible? I thought the Force was like an unlimited energy source. Or at least that's what Leia says." Poe remarks, putting away his blaster and focusing his attention back on Rey.
Luke lets out a chuckle while his eyes move from Rey to Poe and then back to Rey. "I should have taken better care at trying to train her. If I had, she would be able to keep Kylo Ren from over-powering her."
"Is there a way to break their connection in the Force?" Poe asks, his eyes focused solely on Rey. When he doesn't get a response, Poe turns and sees that Luke is gone. "I must be losing my mind. Seeing and talking to a dead person."
Being as gentle as possible, Poe places his hand on Rey's forehead and isn't surprised by how hot it feels against his skin. Removing his jacket, Poe tears half of his sleeve from his shirt. He pops the cork to the Bota bag hanging around his neck, and dampens the fabric. When the material is damp enough for Poe's liking, he places it upon Rey's forehead. He doesn't have to wait long for Rey to respond.
"Welcome back, Rey." Poe says softly, watching as her eyes flutter open. He can't help but smile at seeing her hazel eyes focus on him.
"Poe?" She groans out as she attempts to get up off the floor. However, her body still feels weak and her legs buckle as she tries to stand up. She isn't surprised in the least to feel Poe catch her before she can fall back to the floor.
"Let's get you sitting down before you hurt yourself." He guides Rey over to the half-circle bed, which doubles as a sitting place. "And here I thought only ridiculously high-heels were the only thing that would cause you to lose your balance."
Rey glares at Poe for attempting to make a joke, but he doesn't seem to notice her displeasure.
"Better get some light in here." Poe comments, noticing that already the first sun is now gone and the second sun is dipping beneath the horizon.
"Let me." Rey replies, reaching out with the Force to manipulate the few lanterns that she brought with her the very first day.
"That's one way to do it." Poe pulls his Bota bag off and hands it to her. "Here, drink."
"Thanks."
"You hungry?"
He doesn't wait for a reply and heads over to where his duffel bag is sitting. He pulls out several metallic containers and carries them towards the small kitchen. He quickly opens a few of the containers. Using the tops of two containers, Poe begins placing several pieces of Bantha jerky, half of a Bura fruit each, and some colorful, local tuber-like vegetables for a meal. Being as careful as he can, he carries the two lids to where Rey is seated.
"It's not much of a meal, but it's all I could scavenge from the mess halls' kitchen. Everything else that I wanted to bring with me needed to be kept cold, and I wasn't sure if you even had a cooling unit here." Poe says, picking up a purple tuber, giving it a look of disgust, and dropping it away from the rest of the multi-colored tubers. He does this to all of the purple tubers that he finds on his dish.
"I don't." Rey replies carefully while chewing on a chunk of Bantha jerky.
The pair continue eating their meal in relative silence. Even when Rey takes the purple tubers from Poe's dish and he takes the yellow tubers from hers, they are quiet. They even pass the Bota bag of water between them. It's when Rey takes a bite from the Bura fruit that Poe starts laughing at her facial expression.
"Yeah, they take some getting used to." He states, taking a bite out of his half of the Bura fruit.
"How can anyone enjoy eating this?" Rey asks, setting her half of the fruit on Poe's lid.
"It's an acquired taste, I guess. It's one of the few fruits that can grow on nearly any planet, except maybe Hoth. It also happens to be one of Leia's favorite fruits."
"Well she can have it."
"Here." Poe rips off a piece, closer to the center of the fruit. Then he presses the piece against Rey's lips. "Try this piece from it."
A light flush appears on Rey's face and she slowly opens her lips. With the piece of fruit now in her mouth, she closes her lips. As she chews, Rey can taste that the fruit is now sweet instead of being sour like before; yet this isn't what is fully registering in her mind. A good amount of Rey's attention is centered on Poe and his thumb, which is pressed against her lips.
"Taste better?" Poe asks, leaning closer towards Rey.
Rey nods her head slowly and swallows down the fruit. She isn't surprised when Poe closes the gap between them to kiss her. It doesn't last very long, just enough to be tender and sweet.
"I'll clean these up." Rey suggests before taking the now empty lid from Poe's hand. "Go have a turn in the fresher."
Rey takes their empty lids to the kitchen and sets them aside as she places the extra jerky and tubers into another container that has the same items in it. With that done, she places the other containers of food into one of the shelves. As she does this, she can hear Poe shuffling around in his duffel bag. Then a pair of hands place themselves against her hips and a soft kiss is placed just behind her ear.
"Make sure to lock the doors while I'm getting clean, love." Poe whispers before heading back to the refresher.
With the sound of the sonic shower turning on, Rey finishes putting the last of the food containers away. Moving to the side door first, Rey enters in the locking combination code into the control panel. With that door secured, she heads towards the front door, which Poe had entered in earlier.
As she begins entering the code, Rey gets the feeling that something or someone is watching her. Turning to look around the room, she doesn't see anything to warrant the feeling of being watched. The feeling then disappears and it leaves Rey feeling confused. She reaches out with the Force, and the only thing she can feel besides herself is Poe. Taking a deep breath, Rey finishes locking the front door before heading back to what was once the pantry, but is now her sleeping room.
While Poe is still in the refresher, Rey quickly changes out of her clothes and settles on using a pale blue colored, thigh length tunic to sleep in. Sitting down on the sleeping pallet, which she had made out of the old one that used to be part of the mattress that resides out in the living space, Rey waits for Poe to exit the refresher.
As she waits and settles her mind, Rey unknowingly slips into a trance. She even misses the moment when Poe steps out of the refresher.
"I miss actual showers with running water." Poe states, heading to place the holster for his blaster near the large pillow of the sleeping pallet.
Not getting a response from Rey, Poe moves so that he is kneeling in front of her. He notices Rey's eyes are glazed slightly and that she isn't paying attention to her surroundings, even as he snaps his fingers in front of her face. As carefully as he can, Poe gently reaches out and cups Rey's cheek. This startles Rey out of her trance state.
"You alright? Rey?" Poe asks, worrying that maybe he should take her back to the bunkers so medical can check her over.
"I'm fine." Rey replies before getting up from the pallet.
Poe watches her head into the refresher and he lets out a sigh. He reaches for the two, brown colored linen blankets that are wadded up at the other end of the sleeping pallet. He methodically evens the blankets out across the whole pallet before folding them down. Then Poe crawls on to the makeshift bed, placing himself closer to the two doorways. He sits down, with his back half leaning against the wall and half against the large pillow.
The door to the refresher opens up and Rey steps out.
"Hope you don't mind." Poe alludes, gesturing to the opening between him and the wall.
They've laid together before, the first time being aboard the Falcon after her emotional meltdown, and nearly every time they've been able to find time to be alone together since then. This is their usual sleeping position during those times.
"Of course not." Rey replies with a smile before stepping over Poe's stretched out legs and settling down into the bed. Using the Force, she reduces the light coming from the nearby lantern till it becomes just a faint glow, causing the room to go mostly dark.
Poe doesn't hesitate for a moment, reaching down to pull the two blanket up and lying down next to Rey. He turns so that he is lying on his side and isn't surprised when Rey wiggles so that her back is pressed against his chest. Recognizing the movement, Poe drapes his right arm over her waist and his hand rests against her stomach. Feeling the stiffness of Rey's back against his chest, Poe leans in and presses a gentle kiss against the back of her neck.
There is silence between them and just when Poe thinks that Rey has fallen asleep, she begins to talk softly.
"The Force-bond between me and Kylo Ren opened up this afternoon. I told him to leave me alone, but he wouldn't."
Poe presses another kiss against the back of Rey's neck and lets his thumb rub soothing circles against Rey's stomach. He stays silent, knowing that Rey will continue to tell him what happened.
"He was able to haul me up from my meditative position. I told him to let me go, but he wouldn't. He pulled me towards him and kissed me." Rey confesses, moving slowly till she is facing Poe.
"Did he hurt you?" Poe asks, trying to mask the surge of anger he has towards Kylo Ren. So he tries to preoccupy his thoughts by tucking a strand of lose hair behind Rey's ear.
"Not really, but Poe, that's what scares me. He was able to physically touch me this time. So far that hasn't happened when we've connected." Rey says, placing her hand against his cheek. Her thumb brushing back and forth over the stubble that is starting to come back. "Then he kept going on about how I am his and not yours. I could feel his possessiveness towards me and his aggression towards you through the Force. It's like he knows about how close we are with each other."
"Maybe the bond between you both isn't as closed off as you thought?" Poe offers out in suggestion to Rey.
A small part of him is hoping to one day be able to beat the snot out of Kylo Ren for his harassing Rey through the Force-bond they share. Yet all Poe wants to do is focus on taking care of Rey and offering her what little protection he can offer her. He knows that she'll always be able to protect herself, being a Jedi and all, but she shouldn't have to do it by herself.
"Since Crait, it's only been active during sleep. Right?" Poe asks, pulling Rey closer to him as he shifts from his side to his back.
Tucking her head against his shoulder, Rey gives Poe an answer. "Yes. It's what causes the nightmares. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop it from happening again. And now we are able to physically touch each other. Poe, what happens if he's able to connect while I'm attending strategic planning, or while we're moving our base?"
"We'll figure something out, love." Poe whispers while pressing a kiss against Rey's forehead. "I may not understand how the Force works, or how to become a Jedi, but you don't have to face this alone. You've got Finn, Rose, Leia, and nearly all of the Resistance on your side to help you."
"And I have you." Rey closes the gap between them and gives him a lingering kiss.
"That you do."
Returning the kiss, Poe shifts so that he is half lying over Rey. He's never gone farther than kissing, cuddling, or actually sleeping with Rey. The only time it has progressed towards something serious is when Rey chooses to initiate the advancement. Even then, they haven't done more than kiss and cuddle. It hasn't bothered him when Rey has pulled away from him or asked him to stop, which has happened only once before. This time, instead of stopping him, she wraps her arms around him and clutches at his back.
As much as he'd like to continue and take things to the next level with Rey, he decides to end their mild make-out session before it becomes too heated. Slowly, Poe moves off of Rey so that he is back to lying on his side again.
"As much as I'd like to keep going, we better get some sleep." Poe whispers, giving Rey one last kiss.
Rey snuggles close to Poe, tucking herself as close to his body as possible. One of her hands takes hold of his, and she lets a smile appear on her face as his other hand finds its place at her waist. It's one of the things that Rey enjoys when she shares a bed with Poe. He'll always have an arm draped over her or a hand resting at her waist as they sleep.
Eventually the pair fall asleep. Yet, neither one feels a faint brush against their minds as they rest.
~~D~~
There is a familiar sweetness in the air as Poe breaths in deeply. Opening his eyes, he finds himself staring up at the branches of two birch trees. Slowly he turns his head and sees that he is lying across the width of a hammock. His legs are dangling over the edge with the toes of his boots touching the grass beneath.
Hearing a stun bolt being fired off nearby, Poe carefully sits up. On the other side of the yard, Poe sees his father, Kes, kneeling next to a young boy of about 8 standard years. In the child's hands is a stun blaster, along with one of Kes' hands. Neither of them have noticed that Poe is watching them from across the way.
Upon standing up, Poe hears the familiar beeps of his droid and several giggles coming from behind him. While turning towards the sounds, he catches a glimpse of the house his grandparents once owned on Chandrila. This leaves Poe feeling a bit confused before completing his turn to see the large crop of Vizian Berry bushes. BB-8's beeps echo out from the rows before the droid comes rolling out of the field.
As Poe attempts to call out, BB-8 lets out a series of beeps before darting back into the rows of bushes. More giggling comes out from the crop, so Poe decides to go in search of the source.
Slowly, Poe makes his way through several rows before coming to a stop. He looks up the row and down the row, but sees nothing. Moving on to the next row, he does the same thing and still he sees nothing. Everything goes quiet around Poe till several giggles come from behind him. Turning around, Poe loses his breath at the sight before him.
Standing only six feet behind him is a little girl, with dark wavy hair and deep brown eyes, looking up at him.
"Hello, little one." Poe says softly as he kneels down on the soil.
"You found me, Papa." The girl replies with a very familiar smile. Rey's smile.
Just as Poe opens his mouth to say something, the sound of an infant crying pulls his attention away. He rises up to feet and the surrounding area changes in the blink of an eye.
~~R~~
Rey opens her eyes and finds herself lying down in the stone hut back on Ahch-To. A giggle from outside causes her to bolt up. There is a long moment of silence before she hears it again. Ambling up and out of the hut, Rey searches for the source. It becomes like a trail, with the echoes of child-like laughter growing louder as she nears another hut on the other side of the encampment.
"Hello." Rey calls out before stepping through the doorway.
Suddenly Rey finds herself standing upon a gangplank, inside of Starkiller Base.
"No." Rey gasps.
Something lets out a string of giggles from directly behind her and Rey turns around to look. Her eyes go wide as she takes in the little boy standing before her. He has brown hair that goes wavy near the tips. But it is his bright hazel eyes that draw Rey closer towards him. Something about him feels familiar to her.
"Who are you?" Rey asks.
The boy gives her a sad smile before running away from her.
Just as she begins taking a running step to follow the child, the scenery dissolves around her till it reveals a sea of yellow grass in front of her.
"Rey?"
Spinning around Rey comes face-to-face with Poe.
"Poe?"
"What are you doing here?" They say at the time to each other.
Before either one can give a reply the sound of a child's laughter causes them to turn away from each other and towards the sound. Standing across the expanse of yellow grass is the same young boy that Rey and Poe had seen earlier.
"What is he doing over there?" Poe mutters out and begins walking towards the child.
Rey and Poe are halfway to the child before something begins to shimmer behind the boy. It continues to become more solid and what finally appears is a fully formed Snoke. He reaches out to place one of his hands upon the child's head.
"No!" Both Rey and Poe shout as they start running.
Then, both Snoke and the child begin laughing, jovially at the pair. The laughter becomes so loud that it drowns out any other sounds.
Poe and Rey to come to a complete stop only several feet away from Snoke and the child. This causes the laughter to stop, and both the boy and Snoke stare directly at them.
"He's mine!" Both Snoke and the child say at the same time, and with the same voice.
"Let him go!" Rey calls out, while Poe reaches for his blaster, which isn't at his waist.
Snoke and the child look at the them with curious looks upon both of their faces. The child's face keeps looking at Poe and Rey with contemplation, but Snoke gets a smirk on his face.
The hiss of a lightsaber igniting is heard, followed by a grunt of pain.
Looking to her right, Rey sees the red blade of a lightsaber sticking out of Poe's chest.
"Rey?" Poe mumbles out before falling straight down once the red blade is extinguished.
"Poe!" Rey screams as she moves towards him, arms held out as if she about to stop his fall to the ground.
However, a pair of strong arms take hold of her and begin dragging her towards where Snoke and the child are waiting. As she screams and tries to break free from the person who is holding her, the manic laughter of the child and Snoke once again fill the air. The farther she is pulled away from Poe's body, the more she allows tears to flow down her face.
"Poe!" Rey cries out once more, hoping to see some kind of movement from him.
"You are now mine." Kylo Ren's voice whispers in to Rey's ear before her world goes black.
~~SW~~
Rey and Poe wake up simultaneously, both flushed and out of breath.
Poe is first to notice a faint outline of a figure standing near the door and immediately goes for his blaster just as Rey uses the Force to flick on the lights.
The shadow figure is illuminated, and Poe doesn't hesitate to fire several shots at the fading ghost of Kylo Ren. In a moment, the only evidence of the man's presence are the black scorch marks on the pale sandstone wall.
Poe immediately gets up off of the pallet and charges out of the room, thinking that Kylo Ren may have used the Force to speed his way out.
Rey, however, is still having trouble trying to catch her breath since waking. She tries to slow her breathing, using the slow meditation style that Luke taught her back on Ahch-To. It helps somewhat, but her heart is still beating heavily in her chest. Feeling as if the walls of the small room are closing in on her, Rey stands up so fast that the world around her spins and her knees begin to shake. Before they can give way, a pair of strong arms wrap around her, which causes Rey to start fighting against their hold.
"Easy, Rey. It's just me!" Poe tells her in a semi-calm voice. "It's just Poe."
"Poe." Rey gasps out, immediately ending her fight to break free from his arms. Then the rush of adrenaline fades away, leaving her body shaking from its departure.
"That's right." Poe says, pressing his forehead against hers while looking directly in to her eyes. "It's just us here. No one else. I've checked."
"Poe." Rey sobs out as images from the nightmare push themselves to the forefront of her mind. She clutches at his shirt and tears flow down her cheeks.
"I'm right here, love." Poe gently presses a kiss to her check before guiding her head to rest against his shoulder. "I'm right here."
Reviews are welcomed, loved, and very much cherished. So please leave one.
Selene