The next few months were so busy and full that Poe felt they went by as fast as the legendary Millenium Falcon at lightspeed.
While he remained Commander of all the fighter squads in the Resistance, Leia put Snap in direct command of them, which allowed Poe the freedom to do more than your average fighter pilot. Namely, he took command of the Resistance's Intelligence division, a small but very dedicated group of people and droids. He helped establish a spy droid network with Threepio in control. Though the golden protocol droid still told anyone who would listen that he was not programed for espionage, he had proven time and time again that he was good at it.
It was Threepio that found out about the possible location of Luke Skywalker, and the existence of the map that showed the way to the mysterious planet Luke had apparently found and was now hiding on.
Poe found himself off-world more often than not during those crazy months, watching as the First Order seemed to gain more and more of a foothold in the oblivious galaxy. Leia still had close friends in the senate who kept her updated on the activities in the government, and Korr Sella, one of Leia's most trusted Commanders, made sure Leia was appraised of anything the government either wasn't aware of or tried to ignore, like more and more Centrist support of the First Order. Poe checked in with Korrie on a regular basis, making sure she still felt safe in her position. After all, she was not spying; everyone on Hosnian Prime knew who she worked for.
The few times Poe had a chance to spend time on D'Qar, always at Leia's insistence ("Rest, recuperate. I can't afford to have you drop from exhaustion, Commander"), he spent half of his time with his pilots, and the other half with Rey. Or at least watching Rey.
She was in training to be a Jedi now, and while she still flew missions with his team, she spent at least an hour or two every day with the General, learning how to use those special abilities of hers. Levitating objects, 'calling' them to her from distances, jumping and climbing with more power than a human naturally had… Poe found it fascinating to see how much Rey could do. He had always known that Leia had the ability to use the Force, but had never seen her do so. But now he was awed by not only his General's ease with this mysterious power, but by his new pilot's quick study of it. He shouldn't be surprised, of course. Rey had learned how to be a fighter pilot in record time, too.
Because he was gone so much, Rey always seemed extraordinarily happy to see him when he was on-world, and it was a feeling that Poe reciprocated. The uneasiness that had developed between them after their drunken make-out session was eased, and the friendship that had been there from day one strengthened once more. Of course, that didn't mean there wasn't any tension between them. Oh, no! Poe still desired her with an intensity that scared him, but because he didn't want to scare her, he kept it in check. He often suspected that, though she was always so happy to see him when he was there, her feelings for him had finally changed. That she no longer saw him as anything other than her friend and commanding officer.
But then there were the times he would catch her staring at him, her countenance much more serious than normal, a fire in her gaze that sent a pleasant chill up his spine. Then she would blink and seem to become aware she was staring. Her expression would turn embarrassed as she looked away, glancing at him once more with a look of yearning so strong it humbled him. As much as he loved his team, as much as he loved and respected Leia, it was Rey he missed the most when he was gone.
It was the day that Leia called Poe into her office to ask him to go back to Jakku that Poe knew something big was about to happen. Of course, he couldn't have imagined just how big at the time.
Lor San Tekka was an old acquaintance of Leia's, and rumor had it he had the map that would lead to the mysterious planet Luke resided on. Poe was tasked with finding Tekka and bringing that map back to the Resistance. His last known location just happened to be on Jakku, though the village he lived in was a long way from Niima.
Poe was getting his belongings together in his quarters when Rey appeared, softly knocking on the frame of his open door.
"Hey," he said, but the smile he had ready for her quickly faded when he recognized her troubled expression. "What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath. "You're going on another mission for Leia?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "Yeah. We may have a lead on Luke's whereabouts."
She seemed startled by his words, but then she frowned. "I wish…"
He tilted his head. "You wish what?"
She swallowed nervously. "I have a bad feeling about it, but I can't tell you why and I wish I could." She shrugged. "I don't want you to be distracted wondering why I'm worried, but I couldn't let you leave without saying something." She looked miserable.
"Hey!" he said, stepping toward her and grasping her shoulders gently. "I'll be extra careful, I promise." He gave her a soft smile and a gentle squeeze. "You'll be interested to know I'm going back to a place you're very familiar with," he continued, determined to change the subject.
She frowned, tilting her head at him. "Jakku?"
He nodded. "Of course, I won't be anywhere near Niima, but I can probably stop by if you want me to pick up anything."
She scoffed and smiled at his sarcasm. "Yeah, I don't think so. Just bring yourself back safely."
"I will," he said firmly, focusing on her beautiful eyes. "I've got too much waiting for me here." He paused and pursed his lips. "Do you worry about Beau as much when he goes off-world?" he teased, trying to hide the jealousy he felt.
She rolled her eyes. "First of all, when Beau goes off-world, he's not going into danger. And second, we're just friends." Poe had known she was spending more time with Leia's glorified secretary, and he also knew the young man was very attracted to Rey. However, Rey never seemed as invested in Beau as he was in her. Hearing Rey say it out loud made him feel better. However…
"You could do a lot worse, Rey," he said, becoming serious.
Her lips tightened. "He's handsome, he's smart, he's funny, but I could never look at him that way," she said. "Not when you look at me the way you're looking at me right now."
"Rey," he started, but she stepped forward, bringing her lips to his, silencing him.
He let himself sink into her kiss, the first they had shared since that night on the hillside. Yes, she was still too young for him, and yes, he was still her Commanding Officer, but he was so tired of fighting his feelings for her. And it was pretty obvious now that she still had those same feelings for him.
He took his time kissing her, letting his tongue tangle with hers as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. After a long time, she pulled back, only to wrap her arms tight around his middle and lay her head on his shoulder, hugging him close. "May the Force be with you, Poe," she whispered.
"It is," he told her confidently. "As long as you're on my side, the Force will be with both of us."
XXXXXX
The next several days were probably the most nerve-wracking that Rey had ever experienced.
Every day before she started her training with Leia she asked about Poe. Every day Leia would answer, "Nothing yet. It's still early." But after the 4th day, Rey could feel the change in her mentor; Leia was beginning to worry.
On day five, the rumor that the First Order had captured a 'rebel pilot' was spreading. No other information was available, but Rey was convinced it was indeed Poe. When Leia asked her if she was sensing anything, knowing her feelings for the Commander, Rey admitted that she had felt that something bad was going to happen even before he left D'Qar. The night before, she had dreamt of horrendous pain, and though she hadn't seen or felt Poe distinctly in the dream, she was sure it was coming from him.
"At least that means he's still alive, right?" she asked.
Leia shrugged, her expression weary. "I've experienced Imperial torture," she said softly. "If the First Order is continuing with those techniques, Poe may be wishing he was dead."
That night, Rey attempted to do something she had never tried before. She tried to search for Poe in the Force. She already knew his Force presence was strong, and she knew her connection to him was also strong, but all she felt were intense feelings of pain.
The next day, Rey was prepared to jump in her X-Wing and head back to a planet she never thought she would set foot on again, but Leia refused to let her go. "There's nothing you can do, Rey, if you could even find out where he is. Have faith in his strength and determination. Don't give up on him, yet!"
On day seven, Rey was just leaving her quarters after another mostly sleepless night when she felt a surge of excitement from Leia. Almost immediately, her commlink chirped. She grabbed it up. "Yes?"
"Come to Command, right away," Leia told her. "I have a mission for you."
Rey ran all the way, ignoring the startled and curious looks of the other Resistance members as she passed them. She ran down the stairs into the bunker, found Leia, and walked swiftly over to her. She couldn't hide the hope she was feeling, and Leia's soft smile only made it grow.
"Ensign, I want you and Sargent Rosetta to take a shuttle to Jakku, a settlement called Glacken. Are you familiar with it?"
Rey nodded. "I've heard of it."
Leia smiled again. "Commander Dameron is waiting there for pickup."
Rey couldn't stop the cry of relief.
"He escaped with the help of a defecting stormtrooper. They were shot down and he ejected his companion, but managed to 'sort of land' the TIE they stole. His words. Fortunately, he was found fairly quickly by, of course, a scavenger."
"Of course," Rey laughed.
"Go get him," Leia told her with another smile.
Rey nodded and turned to head out, smiling at Riva Rosetta as the tech moved to follow her, and she heard Leia continue talking to other members of her staff behind her.
"Get everyone in our network on the lookout for BB-8. Poe said he put the map in his droid and sent him away before he was captured. We need to find him."
Rey and Riva headed up the stairs and out of the bunker. Leia's overheard words ran through Rey's head. Without a doubt once they got Poe back safe, he would be volunteering to help look for his droid, no matter what his physical condition might be. Not only did they all know how important that map was, but Poe loved BB-8.
Rey turned in the direction of the one ship she knew was ready to go. The Aeolian was a plain looking shuttle of unknown age or origin. It was the perfect ship to visit a backwater (or would it be backdesert?) world such as Jakku to pick up a spy. Nobody would notice it. Once aboard, Rey ran the pre-flight check while Riva asked flight control for permission to take off. Permission was granted immediately, so as soon as the engines were at full power, off they went.
The hyperspace trip to Jakku was a little over three hours. Rey and Riva used that time to change into civilian clothing, and then spent an hour or so playing a half-hearted game of sabacc. After that, Rey began to pace in the small space while Riva tried to nap in the copilot's seat. When the alert sounded informing them they were coming up on their destination and Rey rushed to the pilot's seat, Riva smiled at her.
"Anxious to see Jakku again?"
Rey hadn't even given a thought to the fact that she was going back to the planet that Poe had found her on almost a year earlier. She looked Riva in the eye. "Anxious to see Poe."
She could tell by the tilt of her lips that Riva was about to say something sarcastic, but then her eyes narrowed and she cocked her head at Rey. She opened her mouth to ask something, but then shut it and simply nodded. Rey knew rumors about she and Poe had circulated around the base for months, but since the only time they had ever been alone together had been that night on the hillside, and she was pretty sure nobody had seen them, the rumors remained just rumors.
After today, Rey was quite okay with everyone in the Resistance knowing her true feelings for Commander Poe Dameron.
She hoped Poe was okay with it, too.
The Aeolian dropped out of hyperspace and the bright yellow orb of Jakku was in front of them. Rey quickly got to work on the ship's computer, inputting the coordinates to Glacken, which she had determined at the beginning of their trip, and then sent the ship in the direction the computer told them to go. There was no need to contact planetary control for permission to land here; there was none.
Soon, they were swooping low over the barren desert, the small village of Glacken a barely-there dark spot on the glowing sands. She landed a couple of hundred yards away, knowing the residents probably wouldn't want any extra sand kicked up on their shelters. Her heart racing now, Rey quickly ran through the shut-down procedures, her fingers flying over the controls. She glanced at Riva, who gave her another solemn nod, then got up and rushed to the hatch.
As the ramp dropped down, she could see him standing by one of the tents, his hands on his hips, his head held high. He was wearing the same civilian clothing he had left in, sans the jacket, and she couldn't tell for sure but he looked unhurt. She skipped down the ramp and walked swiftly toward him, and as she did so she saw his eyes close and his arms drop to his side. His body seemed to droop in relief, but then he opened his eyes and began walking toward her.
As she got closer, she could see the evidence of the torture she had dreamt about. His shirt was a wrinkled mess with sweat stains under his arms. His hair was windblown and chaotic. A fresh cut was visible on his right cheek, another on his lower lip, and his left temple was bruised. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked exhausted. He moved with a certain amount of caution, as if he was in pain, but as he got closer, that familiar and beloved smile lit up his drained face, the laugh lines around his eyes deepening.
Rey couldn't stop a soft cry from escaping, not sure if it was a laugh or a sob, and she broke into a run the last few feet. He opened his arms and caught her, hugging her close, burying his face in her neck.
"Fancy meeting you here," he mumbled against her skin.
She laughed, bringing her fingers up to run them through his hair. "You know I'll always come for you, right?"
He pulled back, his grin taking on a wry twist. "Oh, I hope so, Sunshine. I hope so."
Rey felt her face heat as she repeated her words in her head, but then she didn't think at all as he brought his lips to hers.
XXXXXX