Through the Darkness || Finn&Rey

Chapter 54

My heart feels as if it is going to pound through my ribcage. What is happening to her? A sickness embeds itself into my stomach and my body feels weightless, like I am levitating down into the abyss of desperation.

"Rey..." I plead, holding her in my arms, she whimpers. Her eyes are squeezed shut, she is shivering, yet beads of sweat are speckled across her forehead. "Rey, what's wrong? What's happening?" I beg in distress.

She struggles but is able to open her eyes, her lips are shaking and her eyes are shining with tears. "Finn," She squeaks my name in disbelief, reaching for my cheek.

"I'm here," I place my hand over hers, and hold her clammy skin against mine.

"We need to go back," she says between sharp breaths.

"To the restaurant?" I ask searching her face.

"No, Base," she breathes heavily. I blink in confusion.

"What? Yeah, okay, we can go back, but not now. What happened, did someone hurt you?" The words fall out on top of themselves and the worst case scenario slips from my lips causing my blood to run cold.

"No, no, we need to go back, something is wrong,"

"What do you mean?" I don't understand her.

"I can feel it, Finn, we have to help them,"

"You're not going anywhere like this," I say firmly as I brush aside the hair that sticks to her forehead.

"For once please just listen to what I'm saying." The roar of adrenaline makes it hard to hear her.

"I don't understand," I admit as she continues to take shallow breaths. Sitting up in my arms she takes hold of my other cheek, looking me in the eyes; hers are bloodshot and filled with tears.

"Finn, listen to me: Luke, Poe, everyone they're all in danger,"

"How do you know?" Her hands are sweaty on my face.

"I know a lot of things that are too hard to explain, and I feel things more than I knew I could." I nod, momentarily forgetting that she has power beyond my comprehension. "Do you trust me?" I nod, "Then believe me, the Resistance needs us,"

"Okay, I believe you," I see her shoulders relax but she is still in a state of extreme shock. "I don't want you to get hurt," I whisper, wrapping her tighter in my arms; hopefully it will help her stop shaking.

She looks at my lips for a few seconds before meeting my eye again. "This will pass, but what is coming won't," I crease my brows in worry. My fingertips start shaking against her back as my body calms. The sickness embedded in my stomach intensifies and my heart feels heavy with a weight I haven't felt since I planned to save Rey from Starkiller.

"What is coming?"

"It's enough to cause disturbances in the force, whatever it is... It has already begun," she closes her eyes at the realisation.

"You can't fly like this." She opens her eyes a burning fury in them.

"I rode my quadjumper the day after I got those scars, Finn, I know what I can handle," she breathes heavily, wheezing slightly, and it only makes me more worried. Dammit she is stubborn, and feisty.

"Come with me." I state, not letting her answer before I scoop her in my arms, her arms hold my neck and her legs wrap around my waist, my arms act as a seat as I carry her to the bathroom.

I run the shower with her still attached to me. As I put her down she wobbles on her feet so place my hand on her back to stable her. She opens her mouth to protest, "Don't." I put my finger to her lips. With my free hand I lean to test the water, adjusting the faucets. "It'll make you feel better." I take my finger away and she looks at me with an unsure expression. "It always worked for me after a brutal simulation and I panicked myself into a state of shock." I test the water again heat starts to run through the shower head.
"Be careful," I warn seriously, "Don't have to it too cold or you'll lose consciousness, and don't have it too hot either, or you'll pass out from that too." I adjust the temperature a final time.

"Finn..." she whines.

"Rey, I listened to you, now you need to listen to me," I grasp onto the hem of her shirt and she let's me begin to pull it up. I try my best not to focus on her body, and the way she instinctively takes a shaky step towards me, and how desperately I want to kiss her. I lose my self-control the moment I help her to pull the material over her face and glance at her almost naked form. The way her sun damaged skin is blotchy and her small bust bounces the slightest amount as the fabric is tugged off her arms. I quickly meet her eye, and she gives me a knowing look. "Get in." My voice breaks a little, I kiss her forehead. I turn around to let Rey undress fully, and she then closes the frosted glass door of the shower. I sit on the tiles and lean against the vanity, facing the wall that the towels are hung on.

A few minutes pass. "Finn, are you still there?" Rey says quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the gushing water.

"Yeah, are you alright?" I query, leaning forward to stare at the glass.

"I just wanted to make sure you were still here," she responds and then turns the faucets off. She steps out and takes a towel; I look at the tiles below my feet as a distraction.

"You're going to pop a blood vessel is you don't blink soon," Rey laughs, and I realise I had focused all my attention onto the ground to prevent myself from looking at her. I relax my tense shoulders, and blink a few times.

"Okay, can we go now?" She asks, I see her feet enter my line of sight and her little toes wriggle. I look up and she's wearing the same clothes as before. Her hair is wet but still in the buns, her sickly pale complexion has dissipated and she looks a lot like herself again.

"Okay," I say lacking conviction, she offers me her hand, and I try my best not to rely on her strength to pull me up off the tiles.

Her safety is my priority and I feel myself wiring up to protect her as she grabs her staff and her bag. We leave the room and I quickly grab my own rucksack, snatching the wildflower and carefully stuffing it inside.

I leave multiple notes at the front desk when I notice the gray droid is in power saving mode. One for Fletcher telling him we had to leave; not being able to come up with a good enough excuse I just say someone was in danger, but we were grateful for dinner. Another note to the tailor to apologise and say Rey and I won't need our uniforms. The last was an overall thank you for the hotel's hospitality.

Rey grabs my hand and leads me through the streets that have quietened down now.

By the time we reach the ship and cargo dock, I am already feeling the burn of exhaustion. It was a long day, the extra work and our date have left me needing some decent rest.

Rey lowers the ramp of the Falcon and we board the freighter. We rush to the cockpit and Rey immediately starts to flip switches and press buttons and I do as much as I can to help.
The uneasy feeling of the ship rising from the tarmac makes my stomach churn even more.

Rey continues to pilot the Falcon into Lightspeed occasional having to take a moment to breathe deeply and focus her mind. I watch the stars blur past so quickly it is disorientating. Once autopilot safely takes control Rey sits back into the chair, her hands cupping her face.

"What is going on, talk to me?" I offer and she removes her hands, rolling her head to face me.

Her lips tug in a tight smile, but she chooses not to tell me, "Do you still have your blaster?" She changes the subject. I stand up and grab my bag from the door. I drop it on the chess table and rummage through it, remembering that Poe was the one who packed it up for me. I find it buried at the bottom, wrapped in a shirt, the weapon Han kindly gave to me is buried inside as well.

"Yeah, I've got it," I inform her and sit on the couchattached to the table.

"Finn," she twists around to look at me. "Don't let your emotions control youractions," I nod, we don't need a repeat of the morning in our old room.

"You can't either," I tell her and she laughs.

"I promise I won't,"

"I promise too," I assure her.