This is a long one, folks! Since I combined 2 of my regular chapters to make one, ensuring this story won't take eons to post, the two chapters in this combination were both major chapters, so you're getting a doozy here. Also, while it's not earning it's rating yet, there is a tiny bit of spice in the first part; fortunately, our Poe is a gentleman.

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Buffett's Cantina wasn't really a cantina. It was just an extra room that was attached to the commissary that Lieutenant Buffett was in charge of. It had a few old tables and chairs, an even older musician droid called Twizzler, and of course a bar, with its top made of wood from the local Gwavana trees.

Buffett had gotten permission from the General shortly after they had established themselves on D'Qar to open the Cantina, and Leia, knowing more than a few species would benefit from a place to 'let loose' from time to time, agreed. It was open most evenings after Buffett was finished with his shift in the commissary, and was usually full of Resistance volunteers who weren't on duty for the few hours he served drinks. And Buffett knew his drinks. He knew how to mix the most innocuous ingredients to create the most profound beverages, with as much or as little alcohol as you wanted, and he knew a great deal about how alcohol could affect different species, warning them off of certain drinks or 86ing them if need be.

Poe wasn't a big drinker. In fact, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd truly been drunk. But he spent a lot of time in Buffett's with his pilots, especially after missions that had gone bad or had created an extra amount of adrenaline. After spending the last several hours in the Command Center with Leia, trying his best to keep his cool as he listened to Rey and the others come under attack by superior fighters, he really needed something to take the edge off. It didn't help that Leia had lectured him after they knew all their pilots had safely jumped to lightspeed, reminding him that getting personally involved with someone under his command was risky and that if he was going to fall in love that he best learn how to keep his emotions under control when that person was under fire.

"What if you had been up there with her?" Leia had asked him. "What if you became so focused on her safety that you ignored your own? Or that of the other pilots?" Leia had sighed. "I'm not telling you to not start a relationship with her, but you need to make sure your feelings aren't compromising your position as leader of my flight squadron."

Poe had kept his mouth shut. He knew that telling Leia he wasn't falling for Rey – again – would not make any difference. It was a lie, and Leia knew it. But he also knew she was right. He had to let Rey become her own person, and if he got too protective of her, not only would it be detrimental to the success of the Resistance, but harmful for Rey's growth as a person. She was still so young and still finding herself after so many years trapped on Jakku. He couldn't obstruct her in any way.

But that didn't mean he couldn't spend time with her after her experience. Not only did he need the settle his nerves, but he wanted to make sure Rey knew how to wind down after such an event. He didn't expect her to get drunk, obviously, but if he could show her how to loosen up and maybe talk about her experience to him, she would be able to keep mentally healthy. Alcohol might help her or it might hinder her. There was only one way to find out.

Buffett's was packed wall to wall and was standing room only. Almost every pilot in the Resistance fleet was there, trading stories with Jess and Suralinda, and the crowd noise was so loud you couldn't even hear Twizzler over it. Poe looked at Rey. "How about we grab something to drink and go someplace quieter?" He had to shout for her to hear him.

"Where?" Rey yelled back.

"I know a place," he told her, then shouldered his way toward the bar, Rey staying close, one hand on his back. Buffett, who didn't seem at all perturbed by the madness around him, smiled and came right to him. Having a higher rank than anyone else in the room meant Poe would get served first.

"What can I get you, Commander?"

"A Starfire 'skee for me and a Loloberry Surf for Rey." He glanced at her. "You'll love it." He turned back to Buffett. "And a bottle of Sunberry Wine."

Buffett nodded at Poe, winked at Rey, and moved to fulfill the request. Rey pushed her shoulder into Poe's arm. "That's an awful lot," she said.

"We don't have to drink the wine. I can take it back to my quarters for later if we don't." He smiled at her. "But I think you'll like it."

Buffett came back quickly with their drinks and the bottle of wine, then immediately began helping someone else.

"Let's go," he told Rey, ignoring the calculating looks they were getting from some of the others in the crowd. He pushed toward the door, Rey again right behind him, and finally they were back out into the soft D'Qar evening. Glancing at her once more, he headed toward the edge of the base, slipping between a mech shed and the base laundromat, and following the path that led up the hill behind it. It was dusk and there was still enough light for them to see by, but full night was coming. Poe wasn't worried, as he had his glowstick with him, but he also knew both moons would be rising soon, providing enough light for them, especially as he knew for a fact that Rey's night vision was almost as good as his own.

They reached the top of the hill and Poe turned to look back down from where they had come. Rey also turned, and he watched as one of her rare, amazing smiles appeared on her face.

"This is wonderful!" she said, her voice a bit breathy. "You can almost see the whole base from here!" She looked at Poe, her eyes bright in the fading twilight.

Poe smiled back, then sat down on the soft grass, careful not to spill his drink. As he set the bottle of wine next to him, Rey sat down cross-legged on his other side. "I'm surprised you haven't found your way up here before now," he told her, taking a sip of his drink. "You seem to go out on walk-abouts by yourself quite frequently."

She glanced at him, then looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I overheard that this place was for… well, intimate rendezvous."

Poe frowned. He had never heard that. "Whose intimate rendezvous?"

Rey glanced at him again. "Well, more than one person, but your name was included."

He started laughing and Rey focused on him, a small smile on her face. He shook his head. "I don't know what you overheard, but I've never rendezvoused with anyone up here, and I don't know of anyone else who has, but I guess anything is possible." He looked around as he took another drink. "It's kind of rocky. I wouldn't think it would be comfortable."

Rey giggled, and when he looked at her again, he thought that maybe there was a bit of relief in her smile. He nodded toward her drink. "Try it. But go slow. You won't taste the alcohol, but it's in there. Drink too fast and you'll regret it."

She nodded, then took a sip. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she took another one. Licking her lips, she looked at Poe. "It tastes just like sweetened loloberries."

Poe shifted, trying not to focus too much on her lips. Or how they would taste with Loloberry Surf on them.

"Tell me about Yavin IV," Rey said suddenly, taking another sip of her Surf.

Poe looked at her, surprised. "Are you sure you want to get me started?" He loved nothing more than talking about Yavin, but no one in his acquaintance had ever been interested.

She smiled. "Yes, I do."

And so, he told her about his home. The little house he grew up in, learning to fly with his mother in her A-Wing, learning about wilderness survival and self-defense from his father, and learning about love from several unrequited crushes through his teenage years. He talked about the Uneti Tree and woolamanders and how during the rainy season it was so humid you never felt dry. He told her about anything that came to mind, spurred on by a question here and there from her, while the smaller of D'Qar's moons rose.

They finished their mixed drinks and without thought Poe opened the bottle of wine and filled their now empty glasses, and as the second moon rose, he told Rey it was her turn, and she told him stories of her years scavenging, about the ships she had become so familiar with, and the people she had met, their languages and customs all so different and fascinating. She may have lived most of her life alone in a demanding environment, but she had learned far more than Poe had given her credit for. No wonder she had adapted so easily.

They were well into the bottle of wine when he found himself staring at her face, his eyes tracing the smooth, graceful lines that were currently being highlighted by the two glowing moons. She was staring at those moons, her eyes huge and luminous.

"Beautiful," she whispered.

"Yes," Poe replied, not looking away from her.

She blinked, then turned to look at him. She was so close, her lips just centimeters away. He wouldn't have to move hardly at all to…

Before he could even finish the thought, her lips were on his, soft and sweet, just as he had imagined earlier. He leaned in, adding pressure to the kiss, then carefully opened his mouth, letting his tongue taste her gently. Slowly. With a sigh, she opened her own mouth, and soon their tongues were tangling in an erotic dance that made Poe's blood sing. Force, it was even better than he had ever imagined.

Suddenly, Rey moved, getting up on her knees and straddling his lap, her hands gripping his shoulders firmly. He reacted without thought, wrapping his arms tight around her, pulling her closer. He groaned as her center settled down over his crotch and his growing erection. She wiggled her hips, a soft moan emanating from her mouth, and his tongue dived deep once more, tasting a hint of loloberry underneath the wine.

The wine.

Thinking about the wine made his fuzzy head clear a bit. What the hell was he doing?

He pulled back. "Rey?" he gasped as she tried to follow him. He grasped her shoulders gently. "Rey, stop."

She did so, pulling back and looking at him with a confused expression. "Why?" she whispered harshly.

"You're drunk," he said. "I'm drunk." He took a deep breath and let it out. "This isn't the time or place for this. You're…"

"I'm what?" Her voice was a bit more steady now.

"You're not thinking straight. You're…" he licked his lips. "You're not ready."

She stared at him for a long time, then her eyes shifted away from his and she pushed herself off of him. "You don't want me." There was no expression in her voice.

He huffed a laugh. "Yeah, that's not it." He ran a hand over his face, trying to get his body under control. "You're under my command and you're drunk and you're inexperienced… and this just isn't right."

She wasn't looking at him. She was staring down at the base, her eyes blinking rapidly. "You don't want me."

How could she believe that? "Rey…"

"It's okay," she interrupted him. She pushed herself up onto her feet a bit unsteadily, and he was once more assured he had been right in stopping. "I understand," she told him, looking down at him, but not meeting his eyes. "I'm young and inexperienced, as you said. That's not your thing." She nodded and licked her lips nervously. "I'm so sorry to make you uncomfortable, Commander. It won't happen again." With that, she turned and began walking down the hill.

"Rey!" Poe scrambled to his feet, grabbing up their glasses and the mostly empty wine bottle as he did so, and began to follow her. The moons were indeed bright enough to light their path, but it was still dark and he was still intoxicated, so he walked carefully, keeping her in sight but not trying to talk to her. As she reached the bottom of the hill and slipped back between the two buildings, she turned toward the pilot's quarters. Poe had a private room in the same building, so he silently followed her. The base was shockingly quiet, and though he didn't know the time, Poe figured it was well after midnight.

They reached the residence and Rey glanced back at him before entering the building. He continued to follow her to the door to her quarters and she stopped before pressing the entry pad. They were both silent for a long while.

"Goodnight, Commander Dameron," she said softly. Though she used his formal title, the tone of her voice was intimate. "Thank you. I enjoyed tonight." She finally looked at him, and he could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I did, too," he told her. He wanted to say more. To apologize. To try and explain that while he did want to make love to her, he just… couldn't. But he was really having a hard time believing his excuses himself, so why would she believe him? "Rey, please know that I am your friend as well as your commanding officer, and that you can tell me anything. You can trust me."

She smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I know." She took a deep breath and looked down. "I'm sorry I… expected more." She looked back up, her expression almost lost. "Goodnight." She pressed the door pad and it slid open. Without another word, she slipped inside and the door closed behind her.

Poe stood there for a long time before he headed to his quarters, wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

XXXXXX

Rey felt the shift in her relationship with Poe after that night as if it was a physical thing. By all outward appearances, nothing had changed. Poe still talked to her like he used to, he still teased her during briefings and still offered up protective comments and reminders over the comm when she was on patrol. He still called her Rey rather than by her new commissioned rank of Ensign.

But he didn't join her for meals anymore. He didn't touch her shoulder or arm or the small of her back when they walked somewhere together. He never let themselves be alone, always leaving the room in a rush when he realized that was about to happen. And when he looked at her, there was an emptiness in his eyes that matched the emptiness in her heart.

She had ruined their friendship by kissing him that night. It was all her fault. Karè had been wrong. Poe had no interest in her romantically. He was not in love with her.

Rey tried her best to keep busy. When she wasn't flying, she was working on the ships with Rose, or learning about other operations on the base. She befriended Beaumont Kin, a new volunteer, who had a penchant for Jedi history, and found the things he told her fascinating. She had heard stories about Luke Skywalker and the Jedi her whole life, of course, just as she had heard stories about the Empire and Darth Vader, but knowing most of those stories were true had been mind-blowing.

And when she learned their General, the creator and leader of this militia she had joined, was a daughter of Darth Vader, and sister to the mythical Luke Skywalker…

It was just a little more than a month since the 'incident on the hill,' as Rey had taken to calling it in her head, when Leia sent half of Poe's squadron to Patrona. The First Order had decided they hadn't wanted to pay for the specialized bacta the small Outer Rim planet was known for and had razed the village they had acquired it from instead. Those that had survived where planning on heading to Hosnian Prime to speak to the Senate, most of which was still denying the First Order was anything to fear. Leia wanted to make sure the group made it to the Hosnian System without any problem. Once there, friends of Leia's, who supported her Resistance, would take over their protection. Poe was ordered to protect them until they made it to hyperspace, just in case the First Order had heard of their decision to speak to the Senate and tried to prevent them from leaving Patrona.

Rey was on tenterhooks the whole flight to Patrona, but she honestly wasn't sure if it was her foresight coming into play, or her nerves about actually flying with Poe for the first time since her early days with the Resistance. She focused on her breathing, trying to calm herself, not wanting to give any warnings unless she was sure the threat was real. As they arrived at Patrona, she felt herself calm and she did not feel any urge to run, so she assumed it was just her nerves about flying with Poe.

Poe and Snap flew down to the surface to meet with the survivors while the others kept up a patrol route in orbit, and soon the transport appeared, flanked by the two X-Wings. The rest of the squadron followed suit, following the transport until the hyperspace coordinates were set. Poe talked to the pilot of the transport continually, his voice soothing and confident, and when the heartfelt "thank you" came from the pilot just before they made the jump, Rey felt her heart rate slow to a normal pace.

Mission accomplished.

Suddenly, Rey felt that calm that had enveloped her shatter.

"Poe!" she called out, disregarding propriety by not using his rank. "They're coming!"

Without any hesitation, Poe's voice came over the comm, no longer soothing. "Heads up and eyes sharp!" He swooped around to face the planet again. "Form up!" The five ships moved into formation behind his X-Wing. "Stay with your wingman and make the jump to the rendezvous point as soon as I give the word." More quietly, she heard him say, "I wanna see what they sent for this."

What they sent was an Arauitens-class Command Ship, a relic from the Imperial Navy that had obviously been refitted and updated.

"Aw, Kriff!" Poe's exclamation was echoed by a couple more curses from his pilots. "Break off!" he called as several TIE fighters appeared from the Command ship's hanger bay. "Make the jump as soon as you're clear!"

Rey followed Jess as she peeled off, but her eyes followed Poe as he and Snap swooped up and away. She focused on her own ship and Jess', and within moments the TIE's were on them. Shouts and warnings flew over the comm as they engaged the TIEs. Rey had taken out two and Jess had destroyed one when she heard Karè's steady voice over the comm. "Jumping now."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the flash of two fighters entering hyperspace. "Poe?" she heard Snap ask.

"Go!" was Poe's response, and Rey barely registered another X-Wing jumping. Two more TIEs were dogging her and Jess, but then suddenly Poe appeared above and to their right. One of the TIEs blew apart and the other broke off. With a growl, Rey moved her ship up with the intent to circle around after the remaining TIE. "Stay with your wingman, Ensign!" Poe's voice demanded.

With a huff, Rey obeyed.

"There's another squad coming," Poe said, his voice steady. "Let's get out of here."

Rey keyed in the coordinates for the rendezvous point, a spot in the middle of nowhere where the pilots could converge and make sure they weren't followed before they made the final jump to the base.

"Jumping!" Jess called, and Rey watched her ship slide into hyperspace as she pulled her own lever, looking over her shoulder at the last second at Poe's ship. He better damn well be following, she thought. Then she was in hyperspace, the crazy kaleidoscope surrounding her almost tranquilizing in its familiarity. She closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths.

Poe should have jumped with Snap. He was supposed to jump with his wingman. Instead, he had come back to help her and Jess. Because that's what he did, without fail. Help anyone in need when he could, even if it was two of his best pilots during a dogfight. Force, she hated him as much as she loved him.

The alert sounded that told her she was near her coordinates, and she cued the ship to pull out of lightspeed. Snap, Karè, Tallie and Jess were already there. She looked over her right shoulder, the seconds taking forever. Finally, Black One was next to her.

"Whew!" Poe exclaimed. "That was a rush!"

"Feck off, Dameron!" Snap complained, but Rey could hear the smile in his voice. "Freaking adrenaline addict!"

"Aren't we all?" Karè asked, and Rey couldn't miss the affection in her voice.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, checking for any damage to their ships that hadn't been noted before the jump, then when they were sure no one had predicted their route and followed them, they jumped to base.

The six of them all met in the ready room where they made their official report to Leia. After asking a few pointed questions, Leia reassured everyone by telling them the Patrona survivors had made it safely to Hosnian Prime. "Looks like the First Order was just a little too slow this time," she said softly. "You're dismissed."

Everyone began to shuffle out of the room, looking forward to showers, food, sleep, alcohol, or a combination of. Rey glanced at Poe, who was watching her with an unreadable expression, then stopped when Leia called her name.

"Can I have a word with you, please?"

Rey nodded and turned back toward her General. Though she wasn't looking at him, she could feel Poe's gaze still on her. He was the last one to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Rey stopped in front of Leia. "Sit down," the older woman told her, motioning to one of the chairs that sat around the long, worn table. "I have a couple of personal questions for you."

Swallowing nervously, Rey sat.

"First, what's going on with you and Poe? He won't tell me anything."

Rey took a deep breath. "It's my fault," she said in a rush. "I made advances on him when we were both drunk and now, he's uncomfortable around me. He probably thinks I think he encouraged me, but he didn't! It's all my fault and I've ruined our friendship and he won't even let himself be alone in the same room with me and I miss our friendship and it's all my fault." She ran out of breath.

"Are you finished?" Leia had a smirk on her face.

Rey felt her face heat as she nodded.

"First of all, it's not your fault, Rey. Poe does care for you, I know this for a fact, but he thinks he's protecting you by not becoming involved with you."

"Protecting me? From what?"

Leia laughed softly. "Himself?" She shook her head and sighed. "He's being stubborn and single-minded and I have faith he will eventually come around. Don't give up on him, Rey."

Rey grimaced but stayed silent. She didn't want to give up on Poe, but why continue to focus on a man that didn't want you?

"In the meantime, you've become good friends with Beau, haven't you?"

Rey nodded.

"Maybe that's a good thing."

Rey frowned. "Oh, I don't feel even a fraction of that attraction for Beau," she argued.

"Yeah, but Poe doesn't know that." Leia's grin was downright naughty.

Rey couldn't help but giggle.

"Next question," Leia continued. "I know you were on Jakku by yourself and you've called yourself an orphan, but what do you know of your parents? Do you remember them?"

Rey was a bit surprised by the change in subject, but she took a deep breath, more comfortable with this question than the last. "I don't remember my father at all. I barely remember my mother. I was maybe five when she left me in the care of so-called friends. I'm not sure if they got word my mother wasn't coming back or if they just got tired of waiting, but it was less than a year later when they sold me to Unkar Plutt."

Leia frowned and folded her arms in front of her.

"She told me she would come back for me, and that she would bring my father with her, but…" Rey trailed off, shrugging.

"And that's who you were waiting for when Poe found you." It wasn't a question.

Rey nodded. "Why are you asking about them?

"Your foresight, Rey. It's an extension of your natural control of the Force, and it's powerful. Have you always had it?"

Rey nodded slowly. "I once ignored the feeling of something being wrong when I was searching through the wreck of a Star Destroyer. My line broke and I fell almost fifty feet. I could have died, but I landed on a pile of old hoses. I was still pretty beat up." She paused. "You think I can use the Force? Like a Jedi?"

Leia nodded. "I know you can. And in my experience, strength like yours is usually hereditary, which is why I was asking about your parents." She paused. "I'd like to train you."

Rey stared at her. "You mean you're a Jedi, like your brother?"

Leia smiled. "No, but I did train with him. I knew my path was meant to be different, so I didn't complete my training, but I know enough to teach you the basics." She tilted her head, giving Rey a small smile. "If you trust the daughter of a Sith Lord and the mother of the Master Ren."

Rey's shock continued. "Kylo Ren..?" she whispered.

"Is my son, Ben Solo." Leia's expression turned mournful for a moment, but then she stood tall. "It's a long story, and I'll tell it to you some day, but for now, let's concentrate on you. If I can get you started on your training, then when we finally find Luke, he can complete it." She held out her hand toward Rey. "What do you say?"

Biting her lower lip, Rey took Leia's hand. "I hope you know what you're doing."

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