The waves lap across my legs as the ocean ripples under the force of the antigravity boosters. I sit up quickly scurrying away from the approaching ocean. I hope Chewie is on a mission that doesn't include me, and this is a coincidence. I stole quickly back up the sand, grabbing my shoes and bag. The Falcon lands on the shore but I do not turn around.
"Finn!" Poe's desperate cry makes me stop in my tracks. "Finn, please we need your help," I turn to look at him, slightly annoyed that my friend understood why I needed to leave but came to drag me back anyway. However, I can't ignore the way I relax at seeing him again.
"I can't go back, Poe, I'm sorry..." I turn on him, but he is by my side before I can take another step.
"It's Rey," I furrow my brow, ignoring the way my heart fluttered in response to her name, maybe she wants me to return. Maybe she's hurt… That's when I feel a strange anxiety crawl deep into my skin.
"What about her?" I brush some sand off me bare foot.
"Kylo Ren got the map, he'll go looking for Luke, but Rey will get in the way," Poe rushes out his explanation and I begin to feel the same distraught emotions as when I witnessed Kylo Ren carrying Rey's unconscious body on board his command shuttle.
I am in the cockpit of the Falcon as Poe and chewie start the hyperdrive ignition process before I had time to put my shoes on. BB-8 is beside me, leaning against the wall for support.
"How did they get the map, only BB-8 had it, didn't he?" I look towards the droid
"Uh-" Poe hesitates, "-One of the rookies had disabled BB-8 temporarily," The small droid drones quietly. Lowering his head in remorse, I reach out my hand and place it on his domed head, "and he stole the piece from his storage draw the night after you left, we found out this the afternoon," I stay silent, unable to think straight as Poe dumps the news on me.
"If someone has the map where are we going?" I ask, dreading returning to the resistance base.
"To Luke's island, there is ghost copy of the route in the memory drive, we can key in the coordinates..." I nod, even though he is not looking in my direction.
Some time passes before I ask: "How did you find me?"
"Open your bag," he calls to me over his shoulder as he pilots the Falcon through Lightspeed, I unzip the rucksack, Poe's jacket folded neatly on the top. I leave it in there.
"No the side pocket," I see a small flap, lifting it up to expose another zip, which I slide open. It reveals a small pouch I hadn't noticed before; inside I see a small black rectangle with a small flashing red light.
"What is it?" I ask, turning it in my fingers.
"A tracker, The General wanted me to put one on you, just in case..." He trails off.
"The first order found me?" I offer a conclusion to his thought.
"Yeah, or if you ran into some trouble," I don't know why General Organa would be so considerate, but it humbles me. "I slipped it in when we said goodbye," I smile in disbelief,
"Did you really?" I say with mock disgust, to which Poe turns somewhat to face me, noticing my smile his lips twitch up too.
Chewie grunts and groans; Poe translates, "He said, we'll be landing soon, Rey usually climbs up the cliff face,"
"Thank you," I say to both of them, Chewie happily groans and Poe nods.
"You're the only one she'll listen to, we had to get you," I shrug off his comment, choosing not to argue I'm the reason she left.
I walk through the corridors of the ship, arriving at the ramp as we come out of Lightspeed. We land on another beach; this one has pebbles as a shore. The ramp lowers; I find my feet on the slippery ground before it has fully touched the ground. Poe calls me back before I go too far.
"Wait... Here." He passes me the tracker; I nod and pat his shoulder. He tells me to find Rey and Chewie will look for Luke.
I rush to find her, jogging up the uneven path and steps; occasionally the jagged rocks graze across my arms, cutting my skin. I am running with no direction at all to somewhere she could be in danger with no defence and no weapon, but I do not turn around to retrieve my blaster. I am almost at the top; I don't know what I'd do if Kylo Ren is already here, I have nothing but my body to protect her. I told her we defend each other, and it's time to prove to her I meant it.
"Rey!" I shout once I burst onto the jagged surface of the island. "Rey," I frantically call again. I search, calling her name every few moments, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter. The rock covered hills make it impossible to have a clear view of more than a few hundred feet in front of me. I ascend up a large hill, "Rey," I call,
"Finn?" I hear an unsure and cautious reply from somewhere above me, I cringe at the anguish in her voice, desperately continuing to search for her.
"Rey..." my whimper echoes against the rocks.
"Finn…" her voice is hesitant, and I trek further up and around a pile of rocks. Finally I see her.
I can't quite describe how it felt to see her… Relieved and every word associated with it. I'm thankful that she is alive. I feel as though I have been released from the vast emptiness I'd felt since she left. Such a deep reassurance flows through me because I feel strong when I am with her she brings a courage out of me I had not realised I possessed. However, I did not have time to mentally process all of this; all I can comprehend is that she is physical here.
Her hair pulled into the familiar three buns, her face has smudges of sweat and dirt. I run to her. Her confusion is evident as I stand directly in front of her, having not yet surveyed around to see if there are any viable enemies.
"Rey-" I take her face in my hands, and she flinches away in surprise, "Is he here? Has he come for you?" I say frantically, she tilts her head, her eyes squinting. I look away from her, searching the terrain surrounding us, there are rocks in order from smallest to largest placed in a strange semi-circle at our feet but no one else is here.
"Who are you talking about, Finn? What are you doing here?" She asks bewildered, her breathing is heavy and she is noticeable uncomfortable, but I don't have time to let my feelings be hurt by her distant and cold disposition towards me.
"I don't have time to explain, do you trust me?" She blinks and I don't know if that is a yes or no. I slip my hands from her face and down her arms, she retracts from my touch. My hands grip her waist and I slip the tracker silently into her pocket, unbeknownst to her. I do not take my eyes from hers; she nods. I flicker my eyes to her hand, then back up to her, "Come on..." I quickly turn from her and run out the way I came. I have to twist my head around to make sure she is following; her steps are silent on the uneven ground, and it astounds me.
I slip and stumble down the face of the island. I can see the Falcon at the bottom of what seems like an endless amount of steep, unsteady steps. Rey sees our transport and stops suddenly. I quickly turn around my forehead creased with urgency "Rey, we have to go..." She shakes her head; my jaw goes slack and my head starts to ache.
"What about Luke?" I sigh.
"Chewie is looking for him." My answer is rushed.
"He'll be meditating. Chewie won't be able to find him," Rey is eager to go back for him I can see it in the way she twitches; but I need her to understand.
"It's Kylo Ren, he got the plans. He's coming; he's probably here; searching. Rey, he'll take you too, or kill you if he finds you..." She stares at me begging for forgiveness before she does the unthinkable. Rey turns on her heels and runs back up the cliff face without another word.