My X-wing lands faster than I expected it to, and before BB-12 has even assessed the damage, my feet have already hit the pavement. I throw my helmet to the side.
I'm running, looking for him. I swing my eyes around, and we see each other. I push aside my sadness and run towards him.
We meet in the middle of the pavement in front of the Resistance base. Poe grabs me in a hug, and spins me around. My hands are around his neck, and my face is buried in his chest,
We stand like that for a couple seconds before he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine.
I don't push him away, or even react. I stand there, my arms still hanging loosely around his neck. Both of our eyes are trained on the grounds.
"I was so...worried Wren." He says to me.
"I know. But you have to trust me. I'm skilled and I know my way around the cockpit." I whisper to him. "And you were worried about me? You're the one that flew into the oscillator." I let out a dry laugh.
I glance up at Poe and see that he's already looking down at me.
He leans his head down ever so slightly, and when we breathe, we can feel each other.
I raise myself on my tip toes and our lips press against each other's. Slowly at first, hesitant, but eventually we get the rhythm.
After a minute, I pull away. I turn my head on Poe's chest so I'm facing the front of the Resistance base. Poe runs one hand through my hair, and presses his head to the top of mine.
I see my mother watching us among the Resistance members who are celebrating. Nobody is really paying attention to us. She smiles at me, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. And in that instant, I know she felt it too. Dad's passing.
I give her a halfhearted smile. She gives me a knowing look, her eyes shifting between Poe and I.
I begin to blush and shut my eyes.
"My mother saw that." I say, looking up at Poe.
"General...saw that?" He asks me. I nod. Poe breathes out a puff of air.
"I'm in trouble aren't I?"
"No." I say. I lean away from Poe and reach for his hand. He gives it to me, and I intertwine our fingers. "I think she approves."
"Well that's good." Poe and I turn to face the crowd in front of the Resistance base. People are hugging and cheering. But people are also mourning. In the back, I can see someone being led off on a medical stretcher. A girl exits the Falcon, and her eyes scan the crowd. I watch my mother turn to her. They step towards each other and embrace. I wonder how they know each other.
"We're...safe." I whisper to Poe.
"We're safe." He responds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, the Resistance holds a funeral for everyone they've lost. One loved one is allowed to stand and speak. My mother is the one who does it for Dad.
Through the entire thing, I stay silent. It's an effort to keep my tears at bay.
As mom speaks about Dad, and their life during the Empire, Lula takes my hand and squeezes it. She insisted that she be here for me. I'm grateful.
On my other side, sits Poe. His arm is loosely slung around the back of my chair, but I can tell he's tense.
At the end, my mother leaves, tears in her eyes. She is strong though. She doesn't let them fall.
I, on the other hand, begin to bawl as soon as everybody leaves the secluded room. It's in the back of the base, and not many people will come here.
Lula stands up, and I let her go.
"You'll take care of her?" She asks Poe.
In response he wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer. "Always."
I listen to the door close, and then it's just me and Poe. Alone.
I'm crying into his shirt, and I know I'm getting it wet, but I don't care. I just lost my Dad.
As I cry, I think about what I've lost. My Dad. My brother. My droid. But I also think about what I've gained. I've gained a new best friend. I've gained a partner. I've gained a new sense of purpose.
And we sit like that, for Force knows how long. Poe wrapped around me, and me, curled into him. It would be blissful if not for the loss. But loss stops for no one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sit around the holotable in the conference room. I'm staring off into space when someone walks up to me. I turn and see Mom.
"How are you holding up?" She asks me. From the corner of my eye, I see Poe, who was leaning against the wall, slightly lean forward to catch what we're saying.
"I-I'm doing as well as can be expected." I say. Mom is silent. She opens her mouth to say something when C3PO interrupts her.
"General? Excuse me, General?" The golden droid asks. Poe walks over to us, obviously interested. BB-8 whirs at his feet. "R2-D2 may contain some much needed good news." 3PO continues.
"Tell me." Leia says. Her face is yearning for something good to hold onto.
R2-D2 rolls forward, and projects a huge chunk of a navigational map.
"Uncle Luke." I whisper under my breath.
BB-8 rolls forward, then turns to Poe. He beeps at his owner expectantly.
"Yeah all right buddy. Hold on." Poe turns around, and digs through the holotable for the chip Tekka gave us. He finds it and BB-8 holds out his multi-reader. Poe drops the chip into it, and BB-8 rolls over to R2.
The two droids align themselves, and the pieces fit together.
"Oh! The map! It is complete!" 3PO says in amazement.
"Luke." My mother says. I smile at her, my attention temporarily diverted from the map.
"Oh my dear friend. How I've missed you." 3PO says, placing his hand on R2's head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As it turns out, the person on the stretcher yesterday was Finn. Poe and I both go to visit him. He looks...peaceful. Serene.
We don't stay for long though. Today, that scavenger girl, Rey, and Chewie and R2 are leaving to find Luke.
Poe and I walk up the Falcon. I gaze at it lovingly.
"You sure you don't want to go?" Someone asks me. I look around and see that Rey was the one speaking to me.
"I'm sure. Uncle Luke and I were never really close. He wasn't really around, and he paid no attention to me when he was." I say truthfully, sticking my hands in my back pockets.
Rey shrugs, and continues loading up the Falcon. Before they leave, Chewie comes out to give me a big hug.
He growls out an apology about leaving but I shrug it off.
"Go. Find Luke. Bring him back. Help us win this war Chewie." I say. The Wookiee nods and then tromps back up the ramp. I watch him leave, sadness in my eyes.
My mother clears her throat next to me, and I turn to look at her.
"Rey." She says. "May the Force be with you."
The scavenger smiles, a painful smile, and then walks back up the ramp. The Falcon closes, and gets prepared to take off.
Poe walks up next to me, and slides an arm around my shoulder.
"I'll miss them." I say.
"Me too."
And then the three of us watch as the Falcon jumps to light speed. I sigh.
"May the Force be with us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hehe Poe and Wren. Do I stan? Yes 😚
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