"You gonna be okay?" Poe asks Finn that night.

Finn's chest tightens. "Are you all right?" he asks instead.

"Wait, what?"

"We're in your old home. In your old room. Isn't that—"

"I'm fine. Memories are just… memories." Poe sighs. "Finn. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Finn asks, staring straight up at the ceiling. It's metal, and it's night, so it reflects nothing.

"Um, because you had feelings for Rey, and now she's snogging Ben?"

"I want Rey to be happy. If Kylo Ren makes her happy, yeah, I'm a little concerned, but I'm also happy for her being happy. I'm a little concerned though. A little concerned."

"A lot?" Poe suggests.

Finn groans. "I mean, I know she can see into his head and everything, but it's still weird to me. He tried to kill us not long ago. At least, he tried to kill me. And he killed his father."

"I know." Poe's voice is saturated with empathy. "Believe me, I know."

Finn drags himself up, turning to stare at Poe's haggard face. His heart jumps, but Finn doesn't understand why.

"You changed your mind about the First Order," Poe reminds him. "Maybe he did, too."

"Do you really believe that?" Finn demands.

"I don't know. I hope so." Poe bites his lip. "Either way, I still kind of want to punch him in the face."

"What did you think when I told you I was rescuing you?" Finn asks Poe.

Poe cackles. "I think I was just so ecstatic you weren't leading me to my execution. Life's taught me not to hesitate at an opportunity." He keeps laughing. "I'm just trying to picture you, now, with Kylo Ren telling you this is a rescue."

Finn guffaws. "It was pretty bizarre."

"I also thought you were being brave," Poe blurts out. "I was pretty impressed."

Finn stops, a laugh still throbbing in his throat.

"I mean," Poe says quickly, his eyes shining and his face inclined forwards in earnestness. "Kylo Ren—Ben—had something to look back to, a light to guide him, in Rey, in his family. You had nothing, and you did it anyways."

Poe thinks I'm brave? Even with the stormtroopers, Finn was never singled out for courage. Scolded for empathy, yes. Praised for potential, yes. Courage? No.

Because he never wanted to kill for them, even before his friend fell, his blood staining Finn's helmet.

"Go talk to Rey," Poe encourages him. "I can tell you want to."

Finn grabs Poe's hand. "Thanks. Buddy."

Poe glances at the hand and back at Finn. He smiles.

Finn creeps out into the house, heading for Rey's room. Poe relegated Ben to the room upstairs. He knocks.

"Hello?" Rey opens the door, her hair loose for the first time that Finn's ever seen. BB-8 peers out from behind her. "Finn!"

"Hey, little gossip, Poe misses you," Finn jokes, nodding at the droid, which promptly stings him. "Ow!"

Rey smirks as she lets him in. "Are you… okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine." Finn takes in her eyes, the way the hazel irises glow, the tinge of rose in her cheeks, and sighs. She's so happy. "Can he hear us?"

"A Force bond doesn't work like that," Rey answers, her lips twitching in amusement. "Besides, I asked him to give us privacy."

Finn grins. "Yeah? Well, tell him that I've said if he hurts you, if he goes all Dark Side again, I will kill him."

BB-8 sticks out its stingers as if to echo that sentiment.

Rey snorts, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"What'd he say?" Finn asks.

"That I'd probably kill him first."

"Can't argue with that," Finn reasons, and he wraps Rey up in a hug.

'Thank you," Rey whispers. "For all you did. For coming back for me on the Starkiller, for fighting for me there. You're my first true friend, Finn."

He smiles, his heart still hurting, but the way she's looking at him—it's the same way she looked at him on Jakku, even after she knocked him down with the staff: not as a stormtrooper, but as a person. She saw him like no one ever had before. Maybe that's why Kylo Ren—Ben—fell in love with her, too.

"There's something you should know," Rey begins.

"What's that?"

"I'm not the only one with the Force. Well, Ben and I aren't." Rey peers at him. "You have that power too."

He doesn't believe me, Rey complains to Ben as she lies on her bed, unable to sleep. Why doesn't he believe me?

He does. He just… he probably needs some time. To adjust to the news. It's a pretty big shock.

Rey frowns, rolling over on her side and realizing with satisfaction that it doesn't hurt. Seher really knew what she was doing. I had no trouble with that.

Well, you're unique. Snoke even sensed you awakening. So did I.

It is you. Rey closes her eyes, remembering the snowy woods, the biting cold, and the shock, the amazement, on Ben's face. He'll need a teacher.

Ben pauses. I'm sure Luke will be happy to take him on.

He wasn't all that happy to take me, even. Though he did seem to be expecting me, somehow. I guess he knew he couldn't run forever.

Guilt gnaws at Ben, and Rey sighs. She doesn't know what she can say to alleviate it, because surely part of Luke's reluctance is indeed from his failing his nephew. Maybe it would help if he knew about Snoke's manipulation. That it wasn't all you.

I don't want to pretend it wasn't my fault, Rey. It was.

Rey groans. He's right, and she's strangely proud of him for taking responsibility.

They talk until Rey finally falls asleep as the first streaks of violet appear out the window.

"What have you found?" Phasma demands as she enters Hux's chambers.

He sweeps his hands towards the files resting on his table as if inviting her to inspect herself.

Phasma pours over them, frowning. "So you're saying this Dark Force user… this Sith lord, is Snoke? And that he cheats death by being other Force users to his control, to do his bidding, so he can focus all his energy on keeping himself alive?"

Hux scowls. "No. You're saying that." He swallows. "And the files seem to be suggesting that. They come from the later Emperor himself."

"But they say the Emperor killed this Darth Plagueis."

"What if he didn't die?" Hux says, face reddening as if infuriated with how mad he knows this all sounds.

Phasma knows Snoke is ancient, older than the Empire was by hundreds of years, perhaps a millennia. Cold permeates the room, seeping under her armor and chilling her skin. "Then how is it possible for us to take him down?" she demands. "If this is even true?"

"Kylo Ren has left," Hux reminds her. "If the Supreme Leader can no longer bend him to his will—and if the rest of the Knights of Ren are also dying out—he may begin to weaken."

"I suppose we should be grateful to Ren, then," Phasma says, watching as Hux's eyes flash and knowing he'll never say it. "What's our next step?"

"No news from the General," Poe reports. "Looks like we're stuck here for at least another day. I told Seher you're better, Rey."

She nods, igniting her lightsaber and waving it around temptingly at Finn.

"What is going on?" Poe asks.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?' Rey asks innocently. Ben buries his face in his hands.

"Tell me what?"

"Finn has the Force."

"I do not!" Finn splutters, eyes darting to Poe. "If I did, I would have lasted a lot longer when we were dueling on the Starkiller base!"

"You were untrained," Ben says in a monotone.

"So was she!"

Rey snaps her lightsaber off and looks to Poe as if begging him for help.

Finn has the Force. Poe instantly knows it's true, even if he hates admitting Ben is right. Rey is right. Think of it like that. "You do have the Force."

"Not you, too!" Finn shakes his head, grunting in disgust.

"What the hell?" Poe demands. "Why is it so hard to believe that you might be a little bit special? I mean, you betrayed the First Order. You set a precedent there—look at him." He gestures to Ben. "Finn, I can tell, and I don't even have the stupid thing!"

"Then how can you possibly tell?" Finn retorts, glaring at him, jaw working, and Poe realizes what's eating at his friend.

"Stop doubting yourself," Poe insists. "You need to stop that, Finn. You give people hope. You inspire them. You're brave—"

"I'm not," Finn interrupts, pointing to Rey. "She knows. She knows I tried to run."

BB-8 squeaks out an indignant message. "See?" Poe asks. "Even BB-8 says you need to face it. You have the Force."

"Finn, you tried to run," Ben says carefully. "I… I—you know what I've done. Parts of it. Better than maybe anyone, except Rey now. I wanted to run, too, but then when Rey got shot—"

"Why does it matter to you, though?" Finn demands. "I'd think I'd just be more competition. I'm not important."

"See, that's exactly it!" Poe shouts. "Because you are important, you're important to all of us—well, two of us and a droid at any rate—and we want to see you live up to your potential. Not even just to help the Resistance—although you can certainly do that even more than you already can with the Force—but because we care about you." And I love you.

Finn gapes at all of them as if he can't believe they all care enough to be mad at him. He shakes his head, and Poe wants to scream.

Until Finn shoots his hand out, and Ben's lightsaber, on the table next to him, starts to wobble.

Poe sits on a rock by the edge of a lake, watching as Rey, Ben, and Finn practice with their lightsabers. Blue and red flash and sizzle.

"If any of you get hurt, I'm not carrying you to town!" Poe hollers as Finn barely ducks a blow from Rey that comes so close Ben intervenes. "Take his nose off, Finn!"

Ben glares at him. Poe smiles.

Turning back to the water, Poe studies the periwinkle reflection of the mountains, the verdant shimmer of the trees. He remembers all the times his mother and father swam with him, Mother laughing, splashing him…

When she died when Poe was eight, he hid his tears from his father, until Kes found Poe huddled on this very rock, crying.

"There's no shame in crying," Poe's father told him, wrapping his arm around his son.

His entire life, Poe's just wanted to make them both proud. He knows he has, but still he wonders. What would they think of him disobeying General Organa? What would they think of Finn? And Ben… his mother always talked of getting him and Poe together. It never happened, until Poe was slammed to his knees on Jakku, a prisoner without any hope, until Finn saved him.

Enough. Poe shakes his head clear of these thoughts and pulls his shirt over his head.

"Um, Poe?" Finn calls. "What are you doing?"

Poe grins, kicking off his shoes. "Swimming." He wades in, diving under. When he surfaces, spewing water, he watches as Finn shrugs and tosses Ben's lightsaber back at him. When Finn takes his shirt off, Poe sinks back under to cool his face.

Finn grabs his arm and pulls him back up, smirking. "I made sure your jacket won't get wet."

"Good." Poe swims out farther, turning to see both Ben and Rey staring at the water, at them. "What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know how to swim!" Rey calls.

Oh, right. Jakku.

Ben's anxiety stems from an entirely different source, Poe knows. He swims forward. "We'd be happy to teach you! Rey," he adds.

Rey hesitates before stripping her gray arm coverings and yanking her shoes off. She holds her hand out to Ben, who slowly takes off his Kylo Ren armored shirt and boots. Not that Poe didn't expect her to encourage him to join them.

He'll never really join them, Poe thinks, observing how he stands back.

Poe slogs back nearer to the shore with Finn. Rey's eyes are wider than Poe ever thought possible as she splashes in, swirling her hands around in the water.

"Never knew there was this much water in the entire galaxy?" Finn jokes.

"I lived on Ahch-To, but I've never been in so much water," Rey murmurs. She sinks further, falling backwards and kicking frantically to keep herself upright.

"Whoa, calm down there," Finn says, grabbing her. "Like this. Smooth strokes." He demonstrates.

Finn lets her go, and Rey steps back and promptly flounders. Poe reaches for her, but Ben grasps her first, and he smiles, and Poe sees General Organa in his smile.

When Poe's father comforted him by this lake so many years ago, when they dove into the water, all Poe thought was how he wanted his mother back.

Maybe the General can still get her son back. Maybe. Poe isn't sure, and he can't separate this maskless man from the one who taunted him, who mercilessly struck down Lor San Tekka.

Poe hears Finn laughing, and he falls into the water, falls into the longing for the impossible.

The sun glows red against the deepening blue of night, their teeth are chattering, and the woolamanders are calling by the time they head back.

Rey tosses her soaked top to the side and drags a blanket through her hair, a giddy smile on her face.

Rey, you left your shoes.

Her face flushes as she reaches for her sodden top. You can come in and drop them off in a minute.

Now, she corrects, staring at the top and dropping it back onto the floor. You can come in now.

Her back turned, she hears the door open and feels Ben's shock.

"I'm so—I'm sorry, Rey, I thought you said—" He's flustered, and Rey almost feels guilty.

Almost.

"I did. Say that." She turns to face him, her face red and her freckles probably popping.

Be's mouth drops, his own shirt and cloak clutched in his hands.

What was I thinking? Mortified, Rey blinks back the sudden sting of tears and covers herself with her hands. "I'm sorry."

"No—Rey—" He crosses the room, lifts her chin. "I'm not mad. You're—you look—I just—what—"

"I love you," she says, by way of explanation. "I'm sorry—I've never—before—I've never—"

"Don't be sorry, Rey. I was just—surprised."

"I love you," she says again, partially because she's only just realizing it and saying it again helps reinforce the fact that she can't deny: she loves him. Truly loves him. He can see into her mind and she into his, and they're forever connected.

"I know," he whispers. "I love you." Searching her eyes for an okay, Ben reaches for her hands, still covering her chest, and lifts them away as he kisses her, more deeply and powerfully than ever before.

It's awkward for both of them, but also fulfilling in ways Rey couldn't have imagined. Entangled in each others arms, their bodies and their minds merged, Rey feels known and understood and treasured.

They talk for hours after, Ben periodically reaching out to caress strands of her hair. They talk about Jakku, and Ben reveals that he saw her before he knew her. "In a dream. You were there."

"Really?"

"Yes. And when I saw Lor San Tekka in the village, I knew there had to be a Force user nearby. Lor San Tekka's no Obi-Wan, he doesn't use the Force, but he knows it well, and he was a good friend of my mother's father. Adopted father." Ben looks at her, face edged in regret, and Rey realizes what happened to this man.

"Poe tried to shoot me to save him," Ben confesses. "That's how we captured him. I thought him brave, even then. He didn't have to give himself away."

Rey shakes her head. She's not delving into Ben's mind right now. Whatever he wants to say, she trusts him to speak aloud.

"The last thing he said to me was that I couldn't deny 'the truth' that was my family,'" Ben whispers. "I tried."

"In the end," Rey says, her hand on his face. "He was right."

"Maybe."

"You have to talk to them, Ben."

For your sake if for no one else's, he thinks to her. At the same time, memories flood him, of smiles and laughter and his mother hugging him.

"I wish I'd realized it sooner." Ben bites his lip, and Rey realizes he's thinking about Han.

"You've realized it now, and that's what matters most." She props herself up on her elbow. "If you saw me in a dream… what does that mean?"

Ben shakes his head. "I have absolutely no idea."

"We can ask Luke."

Ben swallows and nods.

Rey kisses him again.

"I can't believe you chose me," Ben says, fingers tracing their way down Rey's neck, across her shoulder.

Rey wraps her arms around him, pulling him closer and then on top of her again.

"Are you ready to face your mother?" she asks when they finish, panting.

He glances at her. "No."

"I'll stay with you, if you want," she offers.

"Maybe." He smiles, but it's sad. "Did she make you your outfit?"

"I don't know who made it. Someone at the Resistance Base." Rey sits up and tosses him a saucy look. "Who made yours? Because it's not very well made, I can tell you that."

"It served me well." He musses her hair.

"How?" Rey teases, getting up and grabbing the top. "Good grief, it's heavy." She slips it over her head. It dwarfs her, the top covering her to the middle of her thighs and the long, flowing parts dragging on the floor. "The seams aren't even—"

Ben's laughing too hard for her to continue. "You look ridiculous."

"Hm." She giggles and climbs back into the bed. Hints of gold filter in through the window, softening the silver and blue.

And she falls asleep, her head resting on Ben Solo's shoulder, his head nestled against hers, both unaware that Luke, Leia, and Chewie plan to land on Yavin 4 within the hour.