Summary: Finn and Poe help Rey move in. Unfortunately, it looks like the break with Kylo may not have been as clean as she'd thought.

#########

Finn and Poe helped her move the rest of her things on Saturday. There wasn't much – Kylo had unceremoniously thrown everything into three cardboard boxes and the duffel bag.

At least he didn't put the bath stuff in with my laptop, thought Rey, an image of her Elitebook drowning in shampoo flashing through her mind. They stacked the boxes in the kitchen, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work.

It turned out that Poe actually had a power washer. He brought it up on the conditions that, one, she'd let him clean the windows and, two, that she'd help Finn snake the drains.

"Fair's fair," he said, as he and Finn manhandled the thing out of the freight elevator. "This whole damn place is a health hazard. I offer you the benefit of my years of experience of removing filth from strange places."

"TMI, Dameron," said Rey, following close behind with a mop and bucket (the latter the size of a washing machine), borrowed from the paint locker in the basement. Poe smirked.

"Seriously, you'd never believe the stuff I've found in cars," he said. "One time I found this four-inch-high plastic Goofy jammed in the gear box. '86 Volvo station wagon. I guess they had resourceful kids."

"Goofy, again?" said Finn. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that story..."

Rey smiled, and made a mental note to tell Finn and Poe how much she loved them. Repeatedly.

"This way guys," she said. "This won't take long."

#####

Three hours later, Rey was very, very glad she'd lit off the bug bombs the previous night. The bottom of the tub was coated in dead spiders, there was a pile of dead - thank God - centipedes under the bathroom sink, and the cluster of unidentifiable eggs under the loose tiles near the toilet looked as though they had recently hatched.

Hopefully it got that too, whatever it is, thought Rey, plunking down on the floor outside the bathroom door. She was exhausted. Her t-shirt was soaked with sweat – the giant fan that Finn had borrowed from the building cleaning closet was barely helping - and her ratty pair of jeans was blossoming with bleach stains.

"Finn, is the 'fridge working yet?" she yelled over her shoulder. Finn had the most HVAC experience between the three of them, and, having done his best with the plumbing – everything flushed, and the drains were much faster – had decided to give the old refrigerator a go.

Rey pursed her lips. Refrigeration was one of the blind spots in her practical engineering skill set. For electrical anything and engines, she was your go-to girl, but 'reefers' were another story.

"Nothing yet!" Finn growled, glaring at the mess of pipes and wires in the back. "I think the coolant tank might be busted."

"What kind of coolant?" Poe yelled, turning off the power washer and removing his safety glasses and face mask.

"R-12," said Finn.

"Well, shit," said Poe. "You can't even buy that anymore."

"Lucky I brought ice," said Rey.

It was an old trick that Rey's Mom had used when their power got turned off. A dead freezer lined with bags or blocks of ice could keep food fresh for days. Rey was planning to spend the night and, knowing that the appliances were of questionable reliability, had planned ahead, picking up 10 pounds of ice chips at the grocery store as well as milk, eggs, water, and an assortment of protein bars. She would do a major shop later.

"Good call," said Poe. He set down the washer and surveyed his work. "I think that this is about as good as it's going to get."

"Nice job," said Rey, smiling.

It really was. Underneath who knows how many layers of peeling paint, the wood was old, but quite strong. The glass was clear, if scuffed and rather delicate in spots. Poe had patched the larger holes with plaster sealant and cracked the windows open, letting in air and the sound and smells of the city. Wind whistled through the half-abandoned buildings. Sirens sounded in the distance. Someone a few floors up was frying chicken. Pop music blared from somewhere on the street below. The creaks and aches of old wood and steel surrounded them.

Rey grabbed two bottles of water and joined Poe at the window.

"Hell of a view," he said.

"Say it," she said, smiling faintly as she passed him a bottle. Poe smiled and nudged her shoulder.

"You did good," he said. "Welcome home."

######

Rey ordered pizza when the sun was low and the apartment smelled more like bleach than bird droppings. Finn and Poe sat on Rey's air mattress and helped her unpack. They had brought a couple of bookcases that they'd found at a thrift store. They were part of a set, which included a chest of drawers. They were planning to bring it all in later, but for now the bookcases added a touch of 'Rey' to the place. It made the move seem real.

This is really happening, she thought. I'm home. This is my home.

It still felt strange.

"We'll have to get the rest of your books later," said Finn, digging through the second box after a distressing lack of Rey's favorites emerged. Rey clenched her jaw.

"Well, now I know for certain that leaving was one of the smartest things I've ever done," she said, after digging a smashed perfume bottle out of the remains of her favorite shampoo. "Have you guys seen my iPod anywhere? It should still be on the armband."

Poe shook his head.

"I can't find your running shoes either," he said.

"What the hell would he have even done with those?" grumbled Finn.

"They're probably on eBay," said Rey. "You'd be surprised what you can get for Asics in 'Good, Used Condition'."

"What, $50? Hardly seems worth it."

"Maybe if it was in a lot. That'd explain where all the fun underwear is," said Rey. Surprisingly, the words held more anger than pain. A vast improvement, in her opinion. "Or he just kept it."

"Yuck," said Poe. "Wouldn't put it past him. Want me to check eBay? I know his account name." Rey shook her head.

"No," she said. "I think – I just need a clean slate, you know? Except for my books," she said quickly, seeing Poe's frown. "He doesn't get those."

"Absolutely not," said Finn.

"Ok," said Rey, taking a deep breath. "One more box to go."

It was the only one she hadn't opened. It was rather dense and quite heavy, and for the life of her she had no idea what might be in it.

She pushed down the flutter in her chest - It's over now, you're out - and cut through the packing tape.

"Rey, I found your iPod!" said Finn, still up to his elbows in one of the larger boxes.

No response.

"Rey?"

She couldn't quite stifle her sob.

Finn crawled over to where Rey was crumpled across the box. Her shoulders shook as she clutched a smashed picture frame to her chest. Slowly Finn drew her arms away.

Finn recognized it immediately. Rey and Kylo were in each other's arms, standing in the middle of a field, awash in sunshine and green beauty. They were wrapped up in the same blanket, gazing into each other's eyes, laughing as the wind tugged at their hair, tried to sweep them away. The way Rey was clinging to Kylo, it looked as though he was the only thing keeping her on the ground.

Poe saw Finn's expression and crept over, getting a good look in the box in the process. It was half full of broken glass and the splintered remains of picture frames, some still containing photographs of various phases in Rey and Kylo's relationship. The other half was nothing but shredded paper and slashed, stained strips of cardboard and leather – All that was left of Rey's missing books.

"Fuck," said Poe, his voice shaking.

Finn swallowed, words failing him.

"Hold on," he said. He grabbed one of Rey's old blankets and wrapped it around her shoulders.

They sat with her until the shaking stopped.

Rey insisted on spending the night alone. She didn't quite have the words to explain – she only knew that it was important. Finn and Poe eventually accepted it and helped her dig out what she'd need for the night.

They still made her promise to call in the morning.

######

After they left she shuffled through her evening routine. Take a shower. Set the alarm. Set out her workout clothes. No coffee machine…I'll get some after my ru – oh -

Kylo had her shoes. Or he'd thrown them out, or sold them.

Shit, not again… Rey gripped the sink as a wave of hurt swept through her. She glared at the pale, blotchy face in the bathroom mirror.

I'm going anyway.

######

Her night was surprisingly restful. It was an old building, so the night was full of wind moaning in empty spaces, groaning boards and the low thump (and sometimes screech) of water in old pipes, but it didn't bother her.

Maybe because it was so different.

Kylo's apartment had been silent. The insulation and soundproofing was top-of-the line – usually the only noise was the central air conditioning, or the muzak playing in the plush hallways. Or when she slid open the slider to get some fresh air. Or clattered a few pans while making dinner. Or turned a page while reading.

Or spoke.

It's over.

Rey turned over on her side and curled around her pillow. The old walls rocked her to sleep.

######

At six-thirty in the morning, three blocks away from her building, Rey began to regret her decision. Almost.

I could have at least worn my walking shoes…

She had woken up at 6, stretched, thrown on her workout clothes, chugged some water, and headed out for a run. In her oldest pair of ballet flats.

She'd reasoned that anything she wore in this weather would be destroyed beyond question. And, well, she was making a point.

Fuck you Kylo.

So she wore her thickest pair of workout socks, threw on a windbreaker, and headed out.

Of course it started raining fifteen minutes later.

One car-eating mud-filled pothole later she gave her shoes up for a total loss and turned around.

Thank God there's no one around, she thought. Well, it's before 7 on a Sunday. A shoeless girl in a reflective yellow jacket, running alone on the sidewalk, swearing a blue streak and carrying a pair of flats would have definitely attracted attention. Of course, it was only a matter of time. She was about ten minutes away (it might as well have been 30, seeing as she couldn't feel her feet), when she heard a bicycle coming up behind her.

She tensed up as it slowed, and braced herself to run.

"Hey, are you ok? ...Rey? Is that you?"

"Oh God – Hi..." she said.

"What happened?" asked Luke, his voice sharp with concern.

"Nothing," said Rey, keeping her voice as level as she could. "I just got caught in the rain."

"Ok," said Luke, cocking an eyebrow. He pursed his lips, thinking. They both jumped as thunder and lightning cracked almost simultaneously.

"That's almost on top of us," he said. "Want a lift?"

"…What?"

"A lift," he said. "You can ride up here." He tapped the handlebars. "Or here," he said, pointing at the crossbar between the seat and said handlebars. "Maybe that's a better idea," he mused. "It's a bit more stable…"

Rey swallowed. But then the storm was on top of them. She put her shoes back on, braced herself and stepped up.

"How do I - ?"

"Sit sideways, like this…" He maneuvered her so that she was sitting in front of him on the frame.

"Oh geez…" The bike wobbled as she lifted her feet off the ground.

"There you go," said Luke. He reached for the handlebars. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she said, her breath catching. She was bracketed between his arms, and all but leaning against his chest. It's like riding sidesaddle on a horse, she thought suddenly. "Eh, please don't drop me?"

"I won't," he said, and kicked off from the curb.

Rey yelped and grabbed his jacket as they lurched forward.

"Sorry!" she said. But she couldn't let go.

"It's ok," he said in her ear. "It's all balance." Rey gulped and leaned a bit further back and –

- He was right. Rey hadn't ridden a bicycle in ages. I guess it's true that you never forget. Her heart slowed into a gentle thump as she sank into the bob and weave of the ride. It was…different, riding like this. When she biked solo, she knew how to compensate when she was about to hit a rock, or make a wrong turn. Here, she had to be aware of the warm weight at her back, to feel the shifts and jolts as they moved, the subtle changes in angle and speed. It wasn't like riding on the back of a motorcycle. She wasn't exactly a passenger.

It got easier when Rey settled her arm more firmly around his waist. Slowly, she relaxed as her senses grew attuned to the subtle shifts of muscle and breath.

Rey felt him doing the same.

"Can we go faster?" she asked.

Luke laughed, and shifted gears.

They took the freight elevator when Rey turned down Luke's offer to carry her up the stairs. Her feet weren't frozen, after all. She did take his arm in the hallway, grinning like a loon the whole way.

He gave her the name of a good athletic store - 'Roadrunner' - after she explained part of the reason for her lack of appropriate footwear. He didn't press her for the rest – Her 'I just had to go run' was apparently enough. They were arguing the pros and cons of trail versus city running when they made it to their end of the hall.

"Luke…Thanks," said Rey, jangling her keys awkwardly. "Really. You were -"

"Anytime," he said. He took a deep breath. "Rey, do you – "

Her phone went off inside her apartment. Finn…

"I'm sorry, I really have to take this," she said. "That's Finn - he's a friend – I promised I'd call this morning."

"No worries," said Luke. "If you ever need anything…"

"You too," said Rey. "I'll be - " The phone rang insistently.

"Thank you!" she said, and backed into her apartment. She threw her socks into the living room as she picked up the phone. "Finn! I'm sorry, I didn't call yet because it's Sunday and you guys usually sleep in until – Finn?"

"Rey, have you got internet yet?"

"Yes…"

"Pull up your email, I'm sending you something." Rey plunked down on the floor and opened her laptop, frowning.

"What's up, Finn?"

"I wanted you to hear this from us. Ok, there." Rey's email pinged.

She opened the attachment.

"Rey?"

"Yeah, I'm here Finn. This is for real?"

"Yeah. I just found out," he said grimly. "I guess they wanted to break the news over the weekend."

Rey swallowed.

Finn had sent her a press release from his employer, First Order Incorporated. They had bought UIC, and would be assuming control Monday. There would be 'personnel redistribution', and 'corporate restructuring'. Read: layoffs.

Rey was now, for all intents and purposes, working for the First Order.

And the head of the 'restructuring initiative'?

Kylo Ren.