Charisma~ Poe Dameron

Shell

"Aria?" Poe lowered himself to a crouch in front of her. Her eyes stared at him, but she wasn't looking at him. He could tell the difference, and right now she was looking at something he would never be able to see. "Aria, baby," he lifted his hands to cup her freezing cheeks. Her jaw chattered under his grasp, and her blue bottom lip wobbled with a mind of its own. 

"What happened?" Finn urged as he stood behind Poe's right shoulder. 

"Finn," Poe turned his head to give Finn a warning. "Not. Now." His words were clipped. 

"No. Now." Finn decided as he pointed towards the ground. "Rey is gone and Ren is somehow still alive even though you and I both saw Aria and Rey stab their sabers through him. So... what happened Aria? How did Ren suddenly go from the brink of death to standing and breathing and watching you walk away?" Finn's voice was accusing and loud, but as Poe looked back towards Aria she didn't even flinch. 

His thumbs moved soothingly along her wet cheeks. He couldn't tell what were her tears or rain water he was brushing away, but he kept at it. 

"Aria?" His voice was gentle and caring as he tried to coax her back to him. Her eyelashes didn't even flutter as his thumbs graced her bottom lash line. "Aria, please, look at me."

"Aria!" Finn bent over and pressed his hands into his knees as he looked over Aria's frozen face. "What happened? Hm? Tell us what happened out there!" He demanded. 

Aria's eyes slowly closed as she inhaled. When she opened her eyes, they moved lazily to look up at Finn. The movement was small, but the single glance screamed. Aria lifted her hand and brushed Poe's hands from her face, then she turned around from both boys and brought her knees into her chest to rest her forehead on. 

As she bent forward, Poe saw the blood that stained the entire length of her back. He stood up next to Finn as the two of them carefully examined the wound. It was about the size of Poe's palm: a ragged, deep tear that showed the muscle just below her flesh. As she leaned forward, the tear pulled vertically making more blood leak from the deepest point of the gash- right in the middle. 

Poe's stomach turned as he saw something white under all the blood. Bone. He turned away from the gruesome sight and covered his mouth to keep any sound or bile from coming out. He looked at Finn's face to watch all the anger and frustration wash away. He slowly stood up and turned to return Poe's gaze. Finn gave the slightest shake of his head before he nodded towards the cockpit. 

Poe dropped his hand before he looked back at Aria. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she reverted into herself. He lifted his gaze to Finn and nodded before he left Aria to go to the cockpit. 

When they entered with Chewie, C-3PO and BB-8, Poe stood just inside the doorway so he could still see Aria's back but she couldn't hear him. 

"Something happened." Finn determined. "I say Aria stabbed her brother, felt bad about it, then healed him like she healed you-" Finn slapped the arm right where Poe was shot. 

Poe's head snapped to Finn. "Rey healed the serpent down in those tunnels." He defended Aria. "She could have healed Ren just as much as Aria could have." He put his hands on his hips as he gave an accusing shrug. 

Finn's eyes narrowed. "Out of the two of them, who's closer to Ren?"

"That's not fair-" Poe pointed a finger at Finn. "Aria didn't choose to have a Sith as a brother, but she has fought everyday to right his wrongs. Why would she heal him? What would that right?" 

"You had the chance to kill him when he lured her in. You had the shot and you took it-" Finn's dark eyes looked between Poe's. "She stopped it. She saved him then... why would now be different?"