The roast porg was amazing.

"Mmm!" Finn enthused. "Now this. This is what I'm talking about."

They both picked hungrily from the plate of assorted meats and snacks sat on the low table between their sofas.

"Yeah, right." Rey confirmed, mumbling through a mouthful. "I've missed these little guys. They were the best thing about Ahch-To, hands down. What a shit hole. You were so lucky you missed that."

Finn rolled his eyes. She never stopped moaning about the coldest, wettest most miserable island in the known or Unknown Regions.

"Try the Gungan eggs," Rey suggested, pointing at a bowl of translucent orange spheres, each the size of a marble.

"Seriously? Are they real or synthetic?"

"Dunno. Whatever. They're tasty."

"If they're real, that's very illegal."

"Yeah, I guess. But, you know..." Rey shrugged. "Gungans."

"Say no more." Finn chuckled and took a spoonful. "Messa no wanno be eeeato," he mimicked before swallowing the mouthful, causing Rey to spit her synthetic (maybe) Ewok cutlet onto the floor.

Nothing like crapping on Gungans to put everyone in a good mood. Finn recognized this as a good time to ask about a reference. Finding a decent job wasn't going to be easy, and a word from Rey Skywalker could open all kinds of doors.

He put down his plate and cleared his throat. "Rey. I've got a favor to ask you."

"Oh. Hey," she looked into his eyes.

"I was thinking. I might strike out on my own. Go my own way."

"You and your ideas," she said softly, a smile on her lips.

"Yeah, big ideas. And if I do, a good word from you would be very helpful, you being a legend and all that." A bit of flattery couldn't hurt.

"I'm always here for you," she breathed.

"Great. Thanks for understanding." Well that had been easier than expected.

She giggled and it felt like being warmed by the sun as it peeked out from behind dark clouds on a stormy day.

Finn studied her face as she rested her chin in her hand, looked away then returned to his eyes with a quick, shy glance. There were times when he couldn't help but be taken back to the Falcon, all those years ago, when they'd sat alone and talked and laughed for hours as the ship hummed around them, speeding away from Jakku, to the stars. He remembered them buzzing from the excitement of taking huge, daring steps into a world that seemed terrifying and thrilling and how comforting it was to have someone to share the experience with. They'd drawn strength from that bond as they embarked on an adventure without limits, reborn, breaking the ties that had confined them in the sadness and isolation of their old lives. Sometimes he dreamed of going back, to choose different words, to set things on a different course, with her, with everything. He wished they could be that free again, just the two of them and the stars.

He needed to warn her about the path she was on while he had the chance. Put all his cards on the table, no cheats, no scams, and let them fall where they may.

"Rey," Finn took a breath and held her gaze. "You've got to leave this. It's killing you."

"You're so right," she sighed.

"And it's killing me watching you do this. Watching you slip away into the dark. I've seen enough. I can't do it anymore," he held his head in his hands.

"It's ok."

"It's not. You're losing yourself," he insisted, "I know you feel as if you don't have a choice, as if the entire galaxy depends on you, but you can leave it all. Come with me."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," she laughed.

"What? No. Rey, listen to me." He was pleading with her now. She had to see. It was now or never. "You know the dark has always been in you. All this shit, the killing, the fighting, it just makes it worse. Stop. Please."

"You bad boy," she smiled.

"Rey?"

Like a punch to the gut, the realization drove the breath from him. She wasn't talking to him. She wasn't looking at him. She'd heard nothing that he'd said. She was talking to someone else.

Ben. Of course. Ben and his fucking Force ghost.

Keep it together, boy. Finn studied the ceiling of the Beltane taking deep, even breaths as she continued to sigh and giggle and talk in gentle murmurs to the ghost between them. He'd let himself get drawn into her for a moment, let his guard down and received a kick in the balls as usual. He was an idiot, a fool that needed reminding of a few basic facts. She is who she is. She'll never change and it's not his job to fix her. She'll never shake off Ben. Solo was an evil, manipulative bastard when he was alive and death hasn't improved him. Finn knew he needed to do what was right for himself and that was to get out of this situation. He focused on calming himself and let his eyes drift along the swirling lines of hand-painted text that decorated the ceiling. They were probably inspirational if you knew the language.

"Sorry, were you talking to me?" Rey asked, snapping his attention back to her.

"No," he said, "Yeah. But it doesn't matter."

"Ok. I was talking to Ben. Couldn't really see you through his ghost. You looked a bit serious."

"It was nothing," Finn shook his head.

Rey threw herself onto the sofa beside him and fixed him with a look.

"FN. Darling FN. My rock," she grinned, and Finn had the impression of being sized up by a hungry, toothy predator.

"Let's get away somewhere," she said. "Get away from the Council and all that crap. A weekend away. We've earned it; you almost died just now."

The hell? She never did this. She was always about the mission.

"Uhh, well," don't fall into the trap, dude. Refuse. Make an excuse. "Ok. How about Kashyyk?" Finn, you are pathetic.

She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh."

"Ok. Bespin?"

"I was thinking Canto Bight. It's lovely right now."

Finn grimaced. Seriously? She knew he had no good memories of that place.

"Oh come on. I bet you'll hardly recognize it. I fancy somewhere classy and relaxing. I go to cantinas and it's all taking selfies with fans or hacking off limbs, nothing in between."

"I don't have anything to wear," he protested. "I'm not going casual again. I stood out like a sore thumb last time."

"No problem," she said confidently. "You're not with that Tico tramp now. I've picked something out for you already. It'll be waiting in your suite. I booked that too."

"Wait, what?"

"You'll look fabulous," she assured him. "You better if you're going to be standing next to me." She laughed, then added, "Or somewhere behind me. You know."

Yes, he did. Another weekend of trailing behind her, trying to minimize the wreckage.

"You know my opinion of mixing you with casinos."

"It'll be fine. I just fancy letting my hair down."

'Letting off steam' and 'letting my hair down' had encompassed a variety of carnage over the past few months. Finn liked the sound of this less and less.

"Pleeeease, FN," she leaned in and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Ok," he sighed. What was the point in fighting it? It didn't change anything; he was still getting out, and there were worse ways to spend his last few days than an all expenses paid trip to Canto Bight, in style. It might even be enjoyable if he could shake her off and explore by himself. There was the possibility of banishing a few old ghosts, dispelling some bad memories. "If you go low profile and take it easy on the slots."

"Oh, definitely low profile. I don't want to be bothered. And don't worry about the slots," she said dismissively, "I'm never touching one of those fucking machines again."

Finn shot her a dubious side-eye.

"Don't worry," she insisted, "I've got you to look after me, keep me on the Light side. Good old FN, keeping me grounded," she grabbed his arm and snuggled up. "Even though I'm a living legend."

Gods, if they could just get through the weekend without any Force Lightning and extensive property damage, it would be a miracle.

Finn grabbed his glass and threw back the last of the Merenzane.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he whispered to the swirls of letters of inspiration on the ceiling of the ship as it sped through the stars.