Poe felt an odd sensation as he made his way up the stairs to Dara's very fancy apartments. He had spent days and nights here with Dara in a chaste and happy friendship. He knocked casually on the door. It was too much to hope that she was here. That she'd open the door and looked shocked, yet happy to see Finn and Poe at her door. Finn seemed to be waiting with bated breath beside him. There was silence. Poe looked around and stooped down. He quickly eased the locking panel off of her door, and rewired it with expert hands. The door slid open. Poe ushered Finn in quickly, his eyes sweeping the corridor. People on Coruscant would recognise him as Princess Dara's consort, but all the same he didn't want to be caught. Poe slipped inside and bumped straight into Finn who stood stock still staring at his beautiful surroundings. Poe closed over the door and put his hands on Finn's shoulders.

"You okay buddy?" He could tell that for some reason that this was a big moment for Finn.

"I… I've never been to a place that's not a base or really run down." Poe finally realised. This was a home. Finn had never had a home. He had been a mindless slave to the First Order. He'd been a number. FN yada yada. But now he was Finn. He had his own clothes, some of Poe's clothes. He had emotions and thoughts that were his own. He had Rey. Poe's hands lingered on Finn's shoulders, perhaps longer than they should have. He moved into the room a little. The velvety, plump armchairs of the deepest scarlet. He sat in the one opposite the front door, and remembered that first night that Dara had taken him home. How she'd walked away and taken off her shoes. Poe remembered the way she walked very clearly.

"Finn you should sit down. You don't look so good." Finn gave him a weak smile and waved him off.

"I'm okay, Poe. Really. I just… I've never seen anything like this planet. I've never seen a house. Never seen a chair that looks like that."

Poe felt a flare of anger for what had been done to Finn. Did he have parents out there who had had their son stolen from them? Were they still alive, thinking of their little baby? Or had they been slaughtered as Finn had been prised from their grasping fingers?

"Sit down, Finn. Experience and armchair with me." Finn finally looked at Poe and gave him a genuine smile.

"An armchair you say." Finn sank into the chair opposite Poe and let out a startled gasp. "I didn't think it would be so soft…" Finn closed his eyes. "I could do with having me one of these." Poe laughed and got up, clapping his hand on Finn's arm for but a second. He threw open the door to Dara's bedroom, still hoping that maybe she'd be here. Maybe she'd be lying curled up in her bed, deep asleep. But her bed clothes were smooth and untouched. She wasn't here. He slumped down on her bed, and stared around him. What had happened that had made Dara run away? She had run away from her mother, and from him. Maybe being apart for weeks had made Dara realise that she didn't love Poe and she couldn't face him. Poe felt devastated. A piece of red paper caught his eye.

There upon the pillow on what had been Poe's side of the bed, lay a piece of red paper with the magisterial symbol of Alderaan.

Poe,

I knew my mother would send you to look for me. Don't. Stop searching for me.

I'm gone. Please try to forget about me. I don't know if I can ever return.

I love you. What we had was real. But I have things that I need to do.

Dangerous things. Things that are too risky for me to involve you in. Please forgive

me.

Your love now and always,

Dara.

Poe stared down at the piece of paper, his hands trembling. She had left him. She had abandoned him to pursue some goddamned heroic crusade. He felt furious. He clenched his fist, crumpling the paper. He was breathing in great pants, his whole body heaving with the effort of containing his rage, his sorrow, his feelings of betrayal. Finn cautiously entered.

"Poe… What's wrong?" Finn's voice was small. He sounded a little bit scared. Poe stood up and hurled the piece of crappy paper across the room.

"She's left. She said not to go after her. Too risky or whatever! I can't believe her!" He started to pace. He was so worried about her. What was she doing that was too dangerous for Poe to help her with? There was nothing in the galaxy that Poe wouldn't do for Dara. Finn stood in front of Poe and stopped him pacing. He seemed hesitant to touch him.

"So what are you going to do?" Poe thought for a moment.

"Report back to the General, and then go after her anyways." Finn didn't question Poe for a second. They had to find Dara. Poe didn't get left behind.

"How are we going to find her?" Finn was being sensible at least. Poe thanked his lucky stars one of them were.

"Dara can't fly, so she would have had to have gotten a public ship somewhere. My guess is she went to Alderaan. She would be able to get more private transport there. We need to be quick. She can't get away from us…"

"Take a breath first." Finn said.

"What?" Poe snapped. He regretted his tone as soon as the word left his mouth. He wasn't angry with Finn, and he never wanted to mistreat him.

"You're…. Uh… You're pretty red in the face. Don't want you having a heart-attack or anything." Poe scrunched his brows and stared up into Finn's face.

"Just how old do you think I am?" Finn avoided his gaze.

"That's besides the point. Calm down." Poe glared at Finn for a second more then took a breath.

"I'm still young…" he muttered under his breath. Poe realised just how close he was standing to Finn, so he took a step back, feeling a little bit hot under the collar, as Poe fleetingly had an image of Finn's naked body flash through his mind. He scratched the back of his head, and willed the distracting image away.

"So we'll head to the hangar bay, and see who she took ship with and where she headed. Should be simple enough." Poe said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, feeling a little bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. He glanced up at Finn and saw him staring after him. Was there something of a forlorn look to his eyes, or was Poe simply seeing what he wanted to see. "Do you miss Rey…" Poe asked. He felt stupid for asking. But maybe he felt a little bit jealous. He had liked Finn so much. But Finn had liked Rey. And then there was Dara. Things were a mess.

"Always." Finn said, and Poe believed him with all his heart. Finn and Poe couldn't be together. Dara wanted Poe all to herself, and who was he to deny her that. But Poe couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards Finn. The level of care he had for him. How much he admired him. When it came to Finn, Poe was a ball of absolute mush. Finn could shape Poe any which way he wanted, but it seemed Finn had the grace to and kindness to be a decent person and not try to influence Poe any particular way.

"We should get going." Poe said. They both seemed to have realised that a moment had just passed between them. The cheerful conversation they had had on the way here did not resume upon leaving.