Shayavi awoke to the feeling of Poe's mouth nuzzling the curve of her neck. She'd been asleep on her side with Poe behind her, his arms wrapped tightly about her torso. She could feel the roughness of his short beard as he drug his chin along her skin, his lips warm and soft as he peppered her with lazy kisses.

"That tickles" she murmured.

"Good tickles, I hope?"

"Mmm hmm."

Poe turned her face towards his so he could see the smile on Shay's lips; the lips he devoured time and time over through the night and still couldn't get enough of. He closed his eyes and answered his craving once more, caressing her mouth with his own. There was no heat behind it; just a simple need to feel her again.

Shay's smile grew as their kiss ended. Poe was an absolute vision in the morning. His hair was a tousled mess, though Shay swore he never looked more handsome. She brushed aside a few of the dark curls that found their way down his forehead, admiring the gentle way he gazed at her as she did so.

"Admit it" he said. "You're obsessed with my hair."

"So what if I am?"

"You'll get no objections from me."

"Good." Shay shifted onto her side to face him. Their fingers entwined comfortably as they lay in silence. Now that there was nothing left to question between them, it was like a flood gate of affection had opened. They were free to be as they wanted with each other, and the feeling was beyond satisfying.

"Still tired?" Poe questioned.

Shay detected a hint of pride in his tone. "What do you think?"

"I think the answer is a solid yes." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Probably as tired as I am."

"Let's stay here all day then" she said. "To hell with briefings and work."

This garnered a laugh from him. "Damn, you really are addicted."

"How couldn't I be?" She leaned forward and kissed him, solidifying her point.

If it was possible to be drunk off your own emotions, Poe was beyond intoxicated. If he could have his way, he'd never leave Shay's bed, unless it was to run away and leave the war and the galaxy and all its problems behind. He knew this was his lust talking, in addition to his newly-professed feelings for Shay and the high from their night together. For as euphoric as he felt, he needed to remember his duty with the Resistance.

For the time, however, he shoved all of that heaviness to the back of his mind. He lowered his eyes down Shay's neck to the chain that remained on her chest.

"What is it?" Shay asked, seeing a change in his eyes.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Just admiring you." He reached out and ran his finger along the chain, down her naked skin to the curve of her breast where the band rested.

"If you want it back..." Shay began, but Poe was already shaking his head.

"No, no. It suits you." He looped the chain around his finger and pulled her into him. "Plus? I don't want you to forget what I told you."

"I don't think I could ever forget that."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "That's my girl."

He nuzzled his nose against Shay's before tasting her mouth once more. Shay was still smiling at his last comment, even as Poe's tongue dipped inside her mouth and their embrace entered the level of impassioned frenzy it had the night before.

That's my girl.

The words played blissfully over and over in Shay's mind as Poe shifted on top of her. He reached down and lifted both her legs over his shoulders and lined himself up to her wet center once more.

That's my girl.

In between Poe's guttural moans and Shay's gasps of pleasure, the happiness those words brought her was all she could think about. Eventually, her mind went blank of all thought as Poe brought her body back to a blissful state of ecstasy. When they finished, she and Poe shared a shower together before getting ready for the day. Neither really knew where they were going, but staying in bed for over twelve hours made them both subconsciously guilty.

As Shay dressed in her usual attire, Poe began to dress in the clothes he wore from the night before. "We're gonna need to swing by my place before we emerge into public fully" he joked, sniffing his shirt. "And maybe sooner than later."

"That bad, huh?"

Poe tossed the shirt at her, which she immediately grabbed to avoid it messing her hair. She inhaled and shrugged. "Smells fine to me." She tossed it back and patted him on the stomach. "We can still go back to your place, though. I'm interested to see it."

"Trust me, it's not all that interesting." Poe yanked the shirt over his head and smoothed back his hair. "Total guy pad. You'll probably hate it. By the way, what time is it?"

Shay made a face at him for changing the subject so quickly. "A little past noon" she said, pulling her hair back into a messy knot. "Why?"

"Is it just me - or does it seem odd that no one's called for either of us?" Poe asked her. He was so used to being summoned to his role within the Resistance each day that when Shay told him it was past noon - and no one sought either of them out - it made him wonder if something was really wrong.

"It's a little weird...though I'm more surprised that BB-8 hasn't tried to come find you yet" Shay teased.

Poe gave her a guilty look as he put on his boots. "He, uh...He kinda knew where I was going last night when I left him..."

"Oh he did, did he?"

"We're best friends! We tell each other everything." He stood, eyeing her with his smart alek grin he wore so well. "But don't worry...I don't kiss and tell."

Shay rolled her eyes and grabbed her key card. "I'm sure you don't."

She followed Poe out of her living quarters and down a series of hallways to the pilots' quarters. It looked very similar to the section of the base where she and the other mechanics were stationed, aside from one difference: it smelled faintly of oil.

In fact, as Poe led Shay deeper into the pilots' wing, she realized the area was way more lived in that her own; like a locker room where everyone has made themselves comfortably at home. Outside various doors sat pairs of dirty boots and banged up helmets. They passed by a jacket that was draped over a makeshift hook outside another door that smelled strongly of battery acid. She made a face at the jacket as they passed, wondering if it could even be salvaged.

"Home sweet home" Poe announced cheerfully. He lined his card up to the panel on the wall and the door whooshed open to one very happy, very chatty orange droid. "Hey buddy" Poe said, kneeling down to greet him. "Miss me?"

Shay watched their interaction with her usual endearment, but it was the rest of Poe's living area that caught her interest. It was much cozier than she expected it to be, but still had obvious elements that a man lived there. A few clothing items were tossed here and there, but the place wasn't messy. It had a well-worn appearance; a sign that Poe had been with the Resistance a lot longer than others. The layout was rather simple: dark blue bed linens, gray walls, and plenty of framed photographs.

Shay wandered slowly around the room as she looked at the pictures. Some were of Poe and other pilots, none of which she recognized. Others were of family - or so she guessed. She gazed upon one particular picture with intrigue. In it stood a naturally pretty woman with olive skin and dark wavy hair. Her arms were draped about a small boy who stood in front of her, with the same olive skin and the same dark wavy hair. The woman was smiling, and the little boy wore a crooked, almost-bashful smile. She knew without question it was Poe and his mother.

A small amount of self-consciousness crept through Poe as he went and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder at the photograph.

"She's beautiful" Shay said, glancing back at him.

Poe agreed, but stayed silent. His eyes remained focused on the photo, remembering that day as if it were yesterday.

"And you were adorable" Shay added, placing the frame back on the small table.

"Were?"

"I'd say you've upgraded to handsome."

"Ahh. I suppose that's acceptable." He snaked his arms about her waist, propping his chin on her shoulder. He inhaled Shay's scent, a mix of something clean with a hint of floral. It calmed him. She calmed him. "You don't seem immediately turned off by my place" he said with caution. "That's a good sign."

"It's like a real home...not empty and cold, like my place."

He laughed against her neck. "You just moved in!"

"I still don't have anything." She turned in his arms to face him. "You forget: I have exactly two bags to my name, and one is nothing but tools."

Poe thought about this and realized she was right. Though…with a little a magic, he might be able to change that. His mind was already starting to formulate a plan when Shay squeezed both his arms, bringing him back to the present.

"So...Food?"

He grinned. This is a woman after my own heart. "Food sounds amazing."

"Please tell me its better here than on board" she joked.

Poe made a face and motioned for her and BB-8 to exit first. "I can promise you a lot of things, but that might not be one of them."

The mess hall at the base was much louder and much busier than the one on board the Transport. It was the first time Shay had seen that many Resistance members all in one place. The scene was, of all things, incredibly encouraging: it didn't seem so much like they were on the losing side of the war, even though Shay knew better.

Poe walked in side-by-side with Shay, his eyes going right for the spot his crew normally sat. A few of them were still there, in their usual spot near the far end of hall. They didn't see him right away, which was exactly what he was hoping for. With one eye on them, he turned to Shay. "I just remembered something I needed to tell General Organa" he said, leaning in to her to kiss her cheek. "Be sure to let me know if the food's good."

Shay saw his grin for only a moment before he was off, heading away from the mess hall and on to find the General. She could only shake her head in amusement as she continued into the throng of people assembled before her. The scent of something aromatic filled the air, causing her stomach to rumble. She looked around, once again feeling very green and very new. She tried to locate where someone went to get the food when she heard a familiar voice calling to her. When she turned to see who it was, she was surprised to see none other than Catlin rushing forward, her blue eyes wide with shock.

"You're alive!"

Her friend flung her arms around her so tightly that Shay thought the air would be squeezed right from her lungs. "Of course I'm alive" she told her with a laugh.

"Oh we were so worried though!"

"It's going to take a lot more than one mission to end this party" Shay told her, hoping to ease her worries.

"Shay! Don't even talk like that." Catlin held her out at arm's length, inspecting her fully. "So what happened with Commander Dameron?"

It was Shay's turn for her eyes to go wide. "Huh!?"

Cat folded her arms over her chest. "I saw you and Dameron when you first walked in. We've all been waiting for you to show up and we nearly choked on our food when we saw him kiss you."

"It was a peck on the cheek" Shay argued, albeit feebly.

Cat remained standing there, arms over her chest, eyes judging her.

"We went through something difficult together on the mission" she explained, which was completely truthful. Nevermind the night they just spent together, but Cat didn't need to know about that just yet. "We care for each other now. I don't know how else to say it."

Catlin's face fell. "We heard that you were you…" she winced a little, as though she didn't want to say it out loud. "That you were tortured. Was that true?"

Visions of the cell where she and Poe were kept came rushing back to Shay's mind in an instant, turning her stomach over in a way she wasn't expecting. Apparently, it was also evident on her face because Cat's worried expression turned into a look of sympathy.

"You were, weren't you?" Her eyes went round again. "Oh Shay…"

It was Shay's turn to hug Cat now, especially since she didn't know what else to do. She didn't want to talk about it, not with any of the other mechanics. It wasn't something she thought was discussion over food, or discussion at any time. What she and Poe went through was private…for now, at least, and she didn't want to speak of it unless it was with him. "It's over now" she told Cat. "I feel fine. Everything's good now."

Catlin seemed satiated, and Shay was grateful she didn't ask any more questions. She was able to distract her by asking where she could get some grub, and Cat quickly moved on to showing her where everything was. She also asked about all the things she missed while gone, which was enough to keep Cat focused on something other than the mission to Lahsbane. For the time being, it seemed, she wouldn't have to think about the darkest part of her first Resistance mission.

"Just hear me out…."

"Every time you come to me with that line, I'm inclined to believe I shouldn't" Leia told him.

Poe followed behind as they walked between her offices. "Just give me 24 hours, that's all I'll need."

Leia set a stack of papers down on her desk and sighed. "Dameron, you just got back from a mission" she said, leaning back against the desk. "A mission that almost turned very, very ugly."

Hearing the words caused his jaw to clench. It stung just knowing how close they'd come to disaster, but to hear it made the sting a little worse. "And I'm not discounting that fact" he said, easing back on the passion in his voice. He looked at the ground and exhaled, then tried another tactic. "It's for Shay. All of it. It's not because I want a few days off or anything like that, you know I'm with you 100%."

Leia began to chuckle, the lines of her face crinkling as she stared at him.

Poe felt like he missed something. "What, uh…..why the laughter?" He saw a twinkle in her eyes, so he had to have missed something.

"I'd be more inclined to grant you the time off if you just admitted you need it" she said with a shake of her head. "You're the only one here who I'd even consider giving a day off because of your schedule."

"Really?" He stood up a little straighter. "I mean…Yes, exactly." He smiled, and Leia smiled back. "I agree, General."

"So…" Leia's face turned a little more serious. "Pantora."

"It's so she can get a few more personal items." He leveled with her with a strong gaze, as she'd done with him so many times in their past. "And….she told me she didn't get to say goodbye to her family when she left. I think we ought to give her the chance to do that."

Hearing this, Leia frowned. "I didn't know this."

He figured she hadn't, especially after what Shay had told him. He waited for Leia to digest it, not wanting to push her into making a decision.

"I wish she had told me, I would've given her more time" Leia admitted sadly.

"I told her as much." Poe could see the decision being mulled over in Leia's mind from where he stood. If there was even a glimmer of hope that he could take Shay back to Pantora, he didn't want to waste it. "24 hours, General" he said. "That's all I'm asking for."

With a nod, Leia stood. "Take 48."

Poe's eyes widened. "What? Really?"

"You need to get a new reaction" Leia told him as she rounded her desk. When she met his gaze, she made sure to give him a good-humored smirked. "And you need to get going."

Poe saw her point to the door and realized his 48 hours with Shay began now. "Right! Of course. Right away." Before he left, he went around the desk to where Leia stood and grabbed her face and planted a big kiss on her cheek. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll make this up to you—"

"—Poe Dameron, if you don't leave this office right now—"

"—GOING" he called as he hurried to the door. With one final look back, he smiled. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome" she said, and watched with great amusement as he hurried out of the room. As she sat down at her desk, she let out a happy sigh, a lingering smile still on her face.

My little pilot is finally growing up.

In the time that Poe was speaking to General Organa, Shay was able to finally eat something. When she finished, she felt rejuvenation in her level of energy. She was rearing to go, ready for anything. And it wasn't just lunch that was helping her feel re-energized; she still had that blissfully euphoric feeling from being with Poe. Whenever Shay truly allowed her mind to drift back to the night before, she felt herself smiling like an idiot in disbelief.

All of this contributed to a newfound source of vigor. As such, Shay decided to head to the hangar to inspect all the ships in Black Squadron. After the mission to Lahsbane, they likely needed one final cleaning of the pollen that gunked up in the exhaust valves. She didn't want to neglect this fact, and since she had the extra energy, she went straight from the mess hall to the hangar.

Since Shay knew where the hangar was at the base, it didn't take her long to get there. She started to lay out the equipment she would need to start work on the ships when she heard hurried footsteps nearing. When she looked up, it was Poe who was jogging towards her.

"Hey! There you are" she said, happy to see him.

"I should say the same to you" he said with a smirk. "Took me long enough to find you."

Without warning, he cupped one hand behind Shay's neck and pulled her towards him. His embrace was punctuated by the depth of which he kissed her, his giant smile a permanent fixture on his face as he looked at her.

"I have a surprise I think you're going to love."

Shay cocked her head. "Okaaaay..."

Poe could feel the excitement in him brimming over. "I spoke with General Organa, and already received clearance to do this, so it's a done deal."

"Okay, okay, just tell me!" Shay said punching him lightly on the arm. His excitement was contagious and the way he was looking at her was making her even more eager.

"We've got 48 hours off together, and we're spending it on Pantora."

Poe's dark eyes, so large and expressive, were now sparkling. Shay stood there, blinking, processing what he just told her. "Poe..." She was suddenly at a loss for words. "How...?"

"I told the General you weren't able to see your father before you left to come here" he said, taking pride in her awed reaction. "I hope that was okay?"

"Okay!?" Shay flung herself against him, her arms encircling his neck as tears filled her eyes. "Of COURSE it's okay! It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me!"

Poe could finally exhale. He closed his eyes and hugged her tight, reveling in how excited she was. When she finally pulled away though, he saw the water that had filled her eyes. "Shay?"

She shook her head, half laughing, half crying. "You're just..." She had to look away as she wiped her eyes, feeling embarrassed at her own reaction. "You have no idea what this means to me."

Poe hooked a thumb under her chin and drew her gaze back to him. "I just thought it was important you visit with your family. I wanted that for you." He smoothed back a bit of her hair as he smiled down at her. "These days, you just never know..."

His eyes turned sad now, and Shay understood what he was saying. He lost both his parents to war. This gesture was to give her a chance to see her family one more time; to say what she needed to, in case something were to happen. It was a harsh reality, one she hadn't considered until now. Until their mission on Lahsbane.

Love erupted inside her, and Shay clutched Poe even closer. Her hands sunk into his hair as she clutched him, never wanting to let him go.