It had been two days since the end of the war. Poe had been going crazy with all the council meetings and responsibilities he had to face following the end of the war. It was up to him and Finn as acting generals to place commanding officers in charge of the settlements they had decided upon. The planets that the Resistance had been protecting offered housing to many of the Resistance's troops, which had been a blessing in disguise. They also offered food and supplies that they needed to care for their wounded, another blessing in disguise. Now it was all just a matter of deciding what leadership was to be set into motion and how the government would rule.
The people needed freedom. That had been the goal from the beginning. They did not want one governed rule. That was what the First Order had set out to establish. Instead, Poe had the idea that there be several sets of governed law that ruled over small territories. There would be laws set into motion, securing the people's freedoms and rights and treaties would be established between each government to connect the people. That way everyone had a choice to their beliefs and their freedoms. Many officials and commanders had agreed with this settlement and Poe, as general, had set the action into motion. It was a lot to handle. Much paperwork and many meetings and group councils to attend. But Poe was satisfied with the outcome.
Aside from that, Poe had to watch over Rey and wait for her to wake up so that he could speak with her about her child. They had to find out where the child would be raised and how it would be raised. It was certain to be Force sensitive with two Jedi's for parents, one being a former Sith. If Ren had ever been a Sith, Poe wasn't sure. But nevertheless, this child was both a Skywalker and whatever Rey's lineage was. Poe sighed. He knew was Rey's lineage was. He'd tried to deny it but deep down, he knew. Rey was a Palpatine. He'd seen it that day on Pasaana. When she'd destroyed the ship that they thought Chewy was on. She'd used lightning, just like Palpatine.
Grimacing, Poe buried his face in his hands. Nobody knew about the child except for him and a few others. He knew that if the council found out, they'd argue that the child was too dangerous to be kept alive. Especially if they found out it was a Palpatine and the sole heir of the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren. The odds were just too dangerous to argue with. The people wouldn't feel safe, they would want the child destroyed. Poe couldn't let that happen. For Rey's sake and the baby's. It was an innocent child, it had done nothing wrong. It didn't deserve to be labeled for its lineage. Just as Rey did not deserve such a tainted name.
With a sigh, Poe made his way into his room. He took off his jacket and threw it on the bed then walked over to the dresser with a sigh. Another thing that bothered Poe was that he couldn't get Zorii out of his head. Poe looked in the mirror and groaned at his worn down expression. His eyes were sunken in with dark circles surrounding them and his hair was messy, untamed, and unwashed. He couldn't understand why Zorii would even want to be near him. He hadn't bathed in days. He was sure he smelled horrid. Poe sighed as he pulled a fresh pair of clothes from his drawer. He needed a shower. Not only would it sooth his nerves but it would make him a lot easier to be around for everybody else.
Zorii had visit him several times in the hospital while he watched over Rey. She was just as concerned for their little heroine as he was. He had assured Zorii that Rey was strong and would make it through this. She was a Jedi after all, but Zorii was still worried for Rey. Poe knew that because Rey was pregnant, Zorii held a soft spot for the girl. Zorii loved children, babies especially. Rey was almost ten years younger than either of them and the pregnancy was hard on her. He hadn't meant to tell Zorii about Rey's pregnancy and felt awful about revealing it, but he was also glad that Zorii looked out for Rey.
Poe entered the bathroom and turned on the water then waited for it to get hot. It wouldn't get very hot because they were limited on their hot water supply, but warm water would be better than nothing. After laying his new clothes on the sink, Poe stepped under the stream and sighed. Thankfully, it was hot enough to help his muscles to relax. The tightness in his shoulders and neck seemed to be relieved as he scrubbed what little shampoo he could spare into his hair. Poe enjoyed the moments of peace. The only bad thing about the shower was that it cleared his mind and allowed him to think. He didn't want to have to think about his problems.
Part of him wished Leia hadn't made him General. Poe wanted nothing more than to speak with her one last time. He had loved Leia like a mother. Poe smirked. Perhaps she would have been able to help him with his feelings for Zorii. Surely she wished she'd had that chance with her own son. Of course, she and Rey had been very close, so perhaps Leia had gotten somewhat of a chance to be a mother figure of sorts to her daughter in law. It was then that Poe realized something. The baby that Rey carried was Leia's grandchild. Their general would have been a grandmother had she lived to see the end of the war. It hurt Poe's heart to know that she'd never had the chance to see her grandchild.
The fact still remained that the child would be revealed when Rey's baby bump started showing. The council would not be too happy that he had hidden it from them. Who knows what's they'd do. It would crush Rey to know that her child could be in danger. Poe growled and dug his finger nails into his scalp as he scrubbed away the dirt. He had to protect her. At all costs. He had to protect Rey and her unborn child. She was like a younger sister to him. He'd always felt protective of the young girl. She was so small and cute. Poe smiled slightly to himself. It was hard to believe that she had been so intimate to be in the family way, but Poe would always see her as a younger sister. No matter what. He couldn't let anything happen to her.
Poe hurried to finish up in the shower and get dressed so that he could head down to the infirmary. It was then that he heard a knock at the door. Hurriedly, Poe threw on a pair of pants and walked to his bedroom door. It slid open to reveal Zorii standing there without her mask. Poe's eyes widened as he met her big olive green eyes. She was wearing a long burgundy dress with a shawl to match and gold laced cuffs on her arms. Her auburn, brown hair was done in a long braid down her back with gold ribbons. Poe marveled at her beauty. When she saw him, her eyes widened and he realized that he did not have a shirt on. Because she wasn't wearing her helmet, Poe could clearly see the shock that quickly turned into amusement in her eyes at seeing his bare chest.
Since he didn't have his shirt with him, Poe gave her a nervous laugh and shrugged. Zorii raised an eyebrow with an amused yet satisfied look in her eye. He turned and walked into his room then pulled the towel from around his shoulders and began to dry his hair. Zorii followed and Poe tried to hide his nervousness. "So uh... what brings you here?" He asked, masking his voice as best he could. Zorii smiled as she sat down on his bed and picked up his jacket. She laid it across her lap and brought the sleeve to her nose. "It still smells exactly like I remember it. Cinnamon and leather. What better suited for a spice runner?" Poe let out a bellowing laugh. "Indeed."
Though Poe was not proud of his past, there were some good memories. Most of them were with Zorii. They had shared many good memories together. Poe pulled a shirt over his head and walked over to Zorii's side. She smiled softly and Poe picked up his jacket and laid it across her shoulders. Zorii blushed and bit her bottom lip. Poe sat down beside her. "So, what's going on?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing. She wouldn't have come by just to pay him a visit. Zorii grinned mischievously. She leaned closer and pumped her eyebrows up and down. "She's awake." Poe jumped up and let out a small holler in triumph. He turned to Zorii. "Then what're we waiting for?!" Poe asked and reached out and grabbed her hand.
The two hurried out of the room, laughing and running down the hall, like they were two children on Christmas. Zorii's laugh was like music to his ears. Sure he'd heard her laugh back when he had been a part of the gang, but not like this. He'd never seen her so happy. And to be honest, he couldn't remember a time when he had been this happy himself. Poe smiled as Zorii ran ahead of him. "Come on slow poke!" She called as she pulled him along with her. Poe followed all too willingly and laughed with her. It wasn't long before they reached the hospital wing, both breathless and grinning ear to ear.
Rey, who was being forced to eat by Beaumont, looked up and blinked. "My goodness, you two. I'dev thought a herd of wild animals was barging down the hall." She said with a grin. Poe smiled and Zorii released his hand so he could approach Rey. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?" Rey smiled slightly. "I'm feeling a bit better. I got a little sick a bit ago and threw up everything I'd eaten, but I think it's just because I'm weak." Poe frowned. It was time to tell her. He looked over to Zorii who nodded and exited the room. Poe looked at Rey and sighed. He sat down beside her and clasped his hands together. Rey tilted her head. "What's going on?"
Poe looked at the ground, at a loss for words. "Rey. There's something I have to tell you." Rey looked at Poe with her wide, innocent eyes and he almost lost the courage to tell her. Not that it was a bad thing, but he didn't know if she'd wanted anybody to know about what happened between her and Ben. Poe swallowed and Rey tilted her head. "What is it?" She asked, her voice sounding rather frail. Poe sighed. He reached out and took her hand then covered it with his other hand. "Listen Rey. I know that this has all been very hard on you, with the loss of Ben, and the defeat of the emperor." Poe took a deep breath. He hadn't faltered on Ben's name. He was proud of himself for that.
"I know that you've been very weak and this is going to be a lot for you to take in, so I want to to be prepared." Rey nodded hesitantly. She met Poe's gaze and understanding entered her eyes. She sighed, looking down to her hands and he could tell she was meditating. She was mentally preparing herself for whatever he may have to say. When she opened her eyes, Poe saw determination and satisfaction. "Alright. I'm ready. Whatever it is you want to tell me, I can take it." She said with a slight squeeze to his hand. Poe sighed and nodded. "Rey, your pregnant." He said with a smile and met her gaze. Poe gave her hands a soft squeeze. "Your going to be a mother, Rey!"
Rey's eyes widened and her hand flew to her stomach. She let out a ragged breath and blinked. Poe could almost see the wheels inside her head turning. "How is this possible? We never..." Then her eyes widened and she shifted her hand across her abdomen and gasped. She looked up to Poe with wide eyes, full of confusion and yet, understanding. "When Ben saved me, he laid his hand on my stomach." Rey pulled Poe's hand forward and pressed his hand against her side. "Right... there! Do you feel it?!" Poe's brows snapped downward but he felt something. Almost like a little kick. But that was impossible! She wasn't that far along!
Shaking his head, Poe slowly pulled his hand back. "So what are you saying?" Rey scrunched up her lips and nose in thought. She didn't quite know what she was saying. Rey sighed. "I'm saying, that Ben and I didn't have this baby the natural way. This baby was borne of the Force. When he gave me his life, his life force and my life force combined created new life!" Poe stared at Rey, dumbfounded. "Is that even possible??" Rey looked down, slightly in doubt but nodded. "It has to be. There is no other way this could've happened." Poe snorted. "Well there is..." Rey's jaw dropped. "And you are saying?" He shrugged. "You never know. I'm just weighing the possibilities." Rey grunted. "Well that is not one of them."
Poe gave her a small quirky smile. "Are you sure you two didn't just..." Rey gasped and smacked his arm. "We wouldn't have even had time for that you sicko! We were to busy saving the galaxy!" Poe laughed and Rey giggled as she pulled her pillow out and started hitting him over the head with it. Poe grabbed her wrist to stop her and Rey called the pillow off another bed to her other hand using the Force. Poe growled. "That's cheating." Rey raised an eyebrow. "Well then, it's a shame I don't care." She said and she brought the pillow to his face. It erupted and hundreds of feathers went flying. "See what you did? You made a big mess!" He said, laughing.
Rey laughed too until her eyes widened and she made a beeline for the bathroom. Poe grimaced when he heard her throw up and walked into the bathroom. He reached over and pulled her hair back away from her face as she retched into the toilet. When Rey finished throwing up, she remained, leaning over the toilet for awhile longer to be sure she was done. Poe quickly fastened her hair with an elastic and pulled out a wash cloth then soaked it with warm water. It took several minutes before Rey sat up and wiped her mouth. Poe handed her the wash cloth and she pressed it to her forehead. "Thanks Poe." He smiled.
Several minutes went by before he was able to get Rey settled down and calm her stomach. When they did, Poe helped Rey back to her bed and sat down beside her. Rey smiled. "I really do appreciate your kindness. Especially after everything that has happened with Ben." Poe frowned. "What are you talking about? Your my friend, of course I'll be here for you." Rey looked down as an ashamed look entered her gaze. "I kept so much from you and Finn about Ben's and my relationship." Poe shook his head and smiled. "It's alright. It's your life. You're allowed to love whom you love." He said and squeezed her hand. Rey smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Do you love her?" She asked, taking Poe by surprise.
It took all his willpower not to stutter when he spoke. "Who?" Rey giggled. "You know what you are?" Poe sighed with a smile. "What?" Rey raises an eyebrow with that smug smile still in place. "...difficult. Really difficult. You're a difficult man." Poe rolled his eyes. "And you... are a stubborn woman!" He said as he tickled her stomach slightly. Rey laugh and pushed his hands away. "Okay! Okay! But really, do you love her?" She asked and Poe groaned. He looked up at her through the corner of his eye. "And you say I'm the difficult one." He sighed. "I care for her, yes." Rey tilted her head. "Then why don't you tell her?" Poe shuddered. "Because! It's not that easy." Rey stifled a laugh. "But it doesn't have to be that hard either."
Poe grumbled. "Why do you always have to be right?" Rey giggled. He could tell she was enjoying his perturbation. Rey grinned but her expression became serious. "Why are you so hesitant?" Poe sighed. He needed someone to talk to, but he didn't want to put his problems on Rey, she had enough of her own. "She wouldn't have me." He said simply. Rey waved a dismissive hand. "You men always think you have us figured out." Poe raised an eyebrow. "We don't?" Rey rolled her eyes. "Far from it Poe Dameron. Women are not some puzzle that you can put together with one guess. You have to put it together piece by piece for yourself to discover what it is." Rey leaned forward. "Now, answer my question. Do you love her?"
"Yes." Poe looked at the ground and sighed. "Then what's holding you back?" Rey asked, her expression all too innocent. Poe frowned but her question did make him think. What was holding him back? He knew that he loved Zorii, he had for a while now. So what was keeping him from telling her? The fear that she would reject him? So what? If she rejected him then at least he had tried. If was worth a shot if it meant he could have the chance to spend the rest of his life with her. Poe smiled to himself. If she would have him, that was exactly what he intended to do.
Looking over at Rey, Poe gave her a sheepish smile. "Rey?" She tilted her head. "Yes?" She asked. "I think I'm going to ask her to marry me." He said with the widest grin he could muster. Rey smiled excitedly. "Really?" Poe nodded. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and pulled out the chain with his mother's ring. "I'm going to ask her with this." He said, showing off the silver band. Rey's eyes widened. "You even have the ring?" Poe nodded and held it up. "It was my mother's. I've been carrying it for years, waiting for the right woman. The woman I would marry. Little did I know she's been under my nose the entire time." Rey grinned. "I'm really happy for you, Poe."
With a grin, Poe tucked the necklace back into his shirt. He gave Rey a small smile. "Thank you, Rey." He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. Rey lifted a hand to her cheek. "What was that for?" Poe grinned. "For helping me realize my feelings and encouraging me to follow them through." Rey smiled. "My pleasure." She smiled. Poe grinned. "Now you should get some rest, young lady." Rey rolled her eyes but and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm fine. I'm not even tired." Poe put his hands on her arms firmly and made her lay down. "You need to rest. If not for you, sleep for the baby. Too much activity isn't good while you're so weak."
Rey nodded. "Alright. I'll do it for the baby." Poe covered her up and she sighed. Rey pulled the blanket up to her chin and snuggled further over the covers. She blinked as tears entered her eyes. "I miss him, Poe." Poe felt his heart ache for her. Her sorrow was so deep. At least she had found little comfort in knowing she had bore him a child. Whether it be a son or a daughter, Poe knew that Ben would have loved the child, just as Rey would. If what Rey said was true, then Ben would have been a good father. They would have been good parents. Poe brushed the hair from Rey's face and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I know. I'm so sorry, Rey." Rey sighed and nodded. She lifted a hand to her stomach. "A.. At least I have something to remember him by." Poe smiled gently and nodded as she drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note:
Hello! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. Especially the shirtless scene, I was trying to incorporate a little bit of the Reylo scene in there. But otherwise I enjoyed writing it. I like the Poe and Zorii ship but I feel like it would have been better if we'd at least seen her face. But nonetheless I based her looks off of the actress's. Keri Russell is a great actress and I love her movies. So I hope I portrayed Zorii in a way that you all like! Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought, or vote for his chapter if you enjoyed it! Thank you!!