Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I just want to go to school without being followed by an army of armed men!”

Rey Skywalker frowns in disappointment in the Oval Office. For the past two years she has studied abroad at Oxford. During that time, she has been accompanied by no less than four Secret Service agents at all times. While being the daughter of President Luke Skywalker came with challenges, trying to fit in as a normal college student had proven more difficult than expected. 

In her freshman year, she was barely able to make any friends as most of the other students were intimidated by her bodyguards. Then there was that one time she was in the dining hall and an accident in the kitchen caused an abnormally loud sound which resembled an explosion. Next thing Rey knew, she was surrounded by Secret Service agents shielding her from potential harm and trying to assess the source of apparent danger. 

But the absolute worst was last year when Rey was finally asked out on date by one of her classmates. While at dinner, her date (unfortunately) surprised her by having a friend show up unannounced. Her Secret Service detail did not respond well to the unexpected visitor and tackled him on the spot. Rey’s date ended up avoiding speaking to her for the rest of the year. It was the most mortifying experience of her life. 

“Please dad,” she sighs, “Can you call off the men in suits?”

Her father sits on the couch opposite her with a warm smile on his face. “Rey, you know they are just there for your protection.” 

“Yeah, but what good is protection if I can’t live my life?” 

“We’ve been over this, I’m not going to let you attend school without any security.” Luke gazes off into the distance as a concerned look grows over his face. “The press can be quite persistent and with the growing threat of the First Order, I don’t like the idea of you out there without any safeguards.”

This year, Rey has returned to the States to finish her degree at her father's alma mater, Force University. The prospect of another two years of undergraduate studies being followed around like a prisoner is not something she was looking to repeat. 

“Yeah well...I can look after myself,” she huffs, getting up and walking out of the Oval before her father can get in another word.

Poe Dameron straightens his tie as he swipes his ID badge at the White House’s security checkpoint. He’s been in the building countless times, but today was different. It was Poe’s day off when he received a call from Cassian Andor, Director of the Secret Service, asking him to come to the White House immediately. Poe had spoken exactly three words to Director Andor prior to receiving the phone call — “Thank you sir,” when he shook the Director’s hand and was appointed Special Agent status in the Service ten months ago.

“Hello Bill,” greets Poe to the duty station officer. The Director didn’t give him much instruction other than get to the White House as soon as possible, so he figured his assignment would be waiting for him here. 

“Dameron? Aren’t you off today?”

Poe nods. “Yes, but the Director called me in.”

“I see.” says the senior agent as he works his hands over the the computer in front of him looking for Poe’s assignment. Bill’s reaction is the second indication today wasn’t going to be normal. “Well Dameron, all I have here is that you are to report to the office of the President’s Secretary.” That’s definitely not normal.

“Alright...thanks, I guess,” manages Poe with the best half smile he can muster. As he makes his way through the hallway to the office, his mind starts racing. Am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong? His last assignment was protection detail for a visiting delegation from Hoth. Everything had gone smoothly, no reason to think anything was wrong. Right?

When he arrives at the office he introduces himself to the secretary. “Hello, I’m Agent Dameron. I was told to report here?” 

The secretary gives him a friendly smile. “Yes, of course Agent Dameron. Just one moment please.” She gestures for him to take a seat (and he does) while she picks up the phone on her desk and makes a call. Poe waits in the office for another ten minutes before the door adjoining their room to the Oval Office opens and Director Andor appears in the doorway.

“Agent Dameron.”

“Yes sir?”

“Thank you for coming,” says the Director (like it was much of a choice?) as he motions for Poe enter the Oval. Poe takes a deep breath. This was certainly not what he had planned for today. The only easy day was yesterday . 

“Mister President. This is Agent Dameron.”

Poe stands up straighter as if in attention. The last thing he wants is to make a fool of himself while meeting the President for the first time. “Agent Dameron,” states President Skywalker with a smile and extended hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you Mister President. It’s an honor Sir.” Poe shakes the President’s hand and tries to project as much confidence as possible. 

President Skywalker is a legend. As a first-term junior senator, Skywalker blew open a massive corruption scandal on capitol hill involving bribes, cover-ups, and back-door favors all orchestrated by the once powerful Empire Industries. Over the years, he continued to fight for equality and justice in both domestic and foreign policy. He was whip smart, spoke 4 languages fluently, and possesed just the right balance of confidence and humility that made him a natural leader. When Skywalker finally ran for the office of President he won in a landslide vote. Poe even surprised himself when he voted for the man despite not being very political. 

“So, I’m sure you are wondering why we asked you here Agent Dameron?” 

“Yes Sir?”

“My daughter...” the President begins as he lets out a tired sigh, “..will be starting her junior year at Force University this month. In the past, she has been very resistant to Secret Service protection and admittedly I probably haven’t handled it well.” The President drifts off for a moment while Poe remains silent. “Anyway, in an effort to compromise, I’ve agreed to forgo the usual protection detail and will be assigning a single agent to oversee her security.”

Poe takes a deep breath as he’s pretty sure he can guess what’s coming next. “I’ve reviewed your file Agent Dameron and your record speaks for itself. Director Andor also speaks very highly of you. I would like you to be the agent overseeing my daughter’s security at university this year.” 

Poe’s brain still short-circuits at the request. Is it even a request? He has never been attached to protection detail for anyone in the First Family before. And how would Director Andor speak highly of him when this was only the second time they have met? Also why would the President choose him for this detail? Surely there are more experienced agents available?

“T-Thank you Sir.” Poe stutters, still trying to get his head around what is happening. “It-It would be an honor Sir.” 

Because really what was he going to say, “no thanks, I don’t want the job” when it is being offered by President Luke freaking Skywalker himself? Just the thought of being primarily responsible for the President’s daughter’s safety was a bit nerve-wracking. Poe had never personally met the young woman he just agreed to protect and knew only three things about her. Rey was her name?  

First, she was the only daughter of Luke Skywalker. Second, she was adopted at a young age. Third, she had some run-ins with some aggressive paparazzi while in England. And now, according to what President Skywalker just told him, he’s also learned she isn’t a fan of Secret Service protection. 

Director Andor must have picked up on Poe’s internal dialogue when he chimed in, “We will go over all the details, but you will still be supported by a full team of agents. The only exception being that you will be the only one in the direct protective detail.”

Poe shakes himself back to the present and nods. “Understood Sir.”

“Thank you Agent Dameron,” says President Skywalker extending his hand once more. When Poe takes it, the man looks directly at him and adds, “Do what you can to be as unobtrusive as possible…” Poe nods once more while President Skywalker still holds his hand in the handshake. “...but under no circumstance are you to compromise my daughter’s safety, no matter how much she doesn’t like it.” 

“Yes Sir. Understood Sir.” 

President Skywalker finally releases Poe’s hand and turns back to his desk. As Director Andor ushers Poe out of the Oval Office, he can’t help but wonder which is more intimidating — being given a direct assignment by the President of the United States or being asked by a father to watch over his daughter.

Three days before she needs to be on campus, Rey is eating breakfast in the White House Residence. Luke had to get an early start to the day and wasn’t able to join her for breakfast. Nothing unusual about that. In the four weeks she has been home, she has barely been able to spend time with her father. The joys of your dad being President. 

Her morning thoughts are interrupted when Artie, the Residence’s steward, enters the common room with a giant smile on his face. “Good morning Miss Skywalker. How are you today?”

Ugh. Rey almost forgot, Artie is a morning person. Yes, it was only 9:30AM, but she was still working on her first cup of coffee. On any given day, Rey would normally down 2-3 cups before being anywhere near productive. Today was no different. She had managed to shower and change into a pair of jeans and T-shirt, but her hair was still damp and hanging at her shoulders. She was also barefoot and sitting atop her folded legs. 

Morning people are one of the few mysteries of this universe she will never seem to understand. “Still a bit tired Artie. How are you?”

“I’m very well thank you for asking. Your father asked the Secret Service to brief you this morning on your new security detail while at university this year.” 

Of course he did.  

Somehow, her previous conversation had convinced her dad to ease up on the army of men in suits. (One of the few times she managed to convince him of anything.) Luke hadn’t indicated, however, what “relaxed” changes actually meant. The steward motions to the door he just came through. “Would you like to discuss the changes with the Secret Service now or should I reschedule?”

“Ugh” moans Rey as she puts her head on the table. This is pure torture. Morning meetings before coffee and Secret Service protection. Two of her least favorite things. Picking her head up off the table, Rey sighs and replies, “Let’s get it over with.” She reaches across the table and stuffs two strips of bacon in her mouth while quickly picking up her phone to glance at her messages.

A set of footsteps enters the room and she’s greeted by a warm voice. 

“Good Morning Miss Skywalker.” 

Rey looks up to see a man in a suit standing in front of her. She practically chokes on the rest of the bacon she was chewing and fidgets in her chair to unfold her legs and sit up properly. 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The man is younger than most of the other Secret Service agents she has met. He must be in his early thirties with dark curly hair cut short enough to follow regulation but kept long enough to where she can guess that was his preferred style. He has deep brown eyes, the hint of a five-o’clock shadow despite it being 9:30 in the morning, and a relaxed but serious look on his face waiting for her acknowledgement. 

“Umm...”

Shit what was that? 

She wants to crawl underneath the table and hide. Why did she agree to do this in the morning before finishing her coffee? Taking a deep breath, she tries again. 

“Er...Hello?” 

The man gives her a polite nod. “Agent Dameron, Miss Skywalker. I was asked to brief you on your new security protocols this morning.” He looks at her with a slightly puzzled expression; clearly she was not what he was expecting. “Is now still a good time for you?”

Rey shifts in her chair and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear while trying not to be impolite and scream hell no . 

“Yes, absolutely Agent Dameron.” She motions for him to sit down at the table. “Please.” He eyes the chair for a moment before nodding and taking a seat. 

This wasn’t her first security briefing and it doesn’t surprise her when he begins going through the same normal boring do’s and don’ts of Secret Service protection. Clearly someone read the Secret Service manual because Agent Dameron was reciting security procedures like he was reading it out of a textbox. This is exactly what she was afraid of...more buttoned up, no-fun Secret Service agents ruining her life. She frowns in disappointment. Agent Dameron pauses for a moment, clearly noticing her discontent, but chooses not to comment and continues anyway.

After another five minutes and unable to listen to the same monotonous speech any longer, Rey interrupts him. “Can we just skip the mundane details and get down the specifics?”

“Pardon?” he asks. 

“I already know all this stuff,” she says while finishing off her second cup of coffee. “So just tell me, no nonsense. What is different this time? What does my father consider ‘relaxed’ security?” 

“Oh. I see…” Agent Dameron trails off. “Like you are probably accustomed, there will be a full security team helping to monitor your apartment, the university campus and anywhere else needed.” He pauses for a moment and looks a bit nervous before continuing, “But as far as your direct protective detail is concerned, I will be the only agent assigned to you Miss Skywalker.” 

What?

A hundred thoughts race through Rey’s mind. Her father actually agreed to less security? This Agent Dameron is going to be following her around from now on? Why him? What happened to her previous Secret Service lead Tom? Her internal conflict is matched by a look of bewilderment on her face and an awkward silence that fills the room.

“Is everything okay Miss Skywalker?” asks Agent Dameron. 

Rey shakes her head trying to snap out of her own thoughts. “Y-Yes, sorry.” He tilts his head as if examining her and something in her stomach shifts. Must be the breakfast she just inhaled. “Just a little surprised is all,” she adds.

“Right,” he responds. “Well, if you have any questions or if there is anything you need, let me know and I will do my best to accommodate.” 

Accommodating and the Secret Service? Based on her experience, those are two things she has serious doubts ever belong together. Something about Agent Dameron’s demeanor though makes part of her think maybe this time will be different. She can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling. “Will do,” she says, glancing down at her phone to ease the tension.

“Great.” He checks his watch. “I need to go coordinate with the advance team now, but I will see you Saturday when we head to campus.” He stands up, pushes his chair back under the table, and notes politely, “Miss Skywalker.”

“Rey”

“Sorry?” 

She stands up to meet him. “Please, call me Rey.” She gives him a weak smile. “Since we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other going forward...please call me Rey.” He looks back at with a contemplative gaze. His brown eyes are searching hers and for a split second she considers ducking and hiding under the table because she remembers how unkempt she must look - damp hair and barefoot.

He eventually nods in agreement “Rey.” 

“...And your name?” she asks shyly as he begins to leave. “If you don’t mind me asking?”

He turns back around and pauses before responding. “Poe...Poe Dameron.”

Her smile grows slightly at the edges of her mouth.

“Nice to meet you, Poe.”

Chapter Text

Rey rushes into the kitchen to fill up her to-go mug with coffee from the Keurig. It’s the first day of the start of classes for the semester and she doesn’t want to be late. 

Most of the weekend was spent moving into her apartment on the edge of campus, a one-bedroom suite in a modern luxury apartment complex. The apartment would not have been her first choice of living arrangements as Rey was never one to indulge in the finer style of living, but it was the compromise she had to make in the name of security. Truthfully, the bullet-proof glass, additional security cameras, and 24/7 building security made the apartment feel more akin to a fortress than a home. 

As she grabs a granola bar from the pantry her phone vibrates. Rey puts the granola bar in her mouth to free her hand and checks her phone. Speaking of security, it’s a text from Agent Dameron, rather Poe:

[Agent Poe Dameron]: Good morning Miss Skywalker. I’m ready and waiting in the lobby.

“Ugh,” she moans, putting the phone away, unwrapping the granola bar, and taking a huge bite before heading out the door. Morning classes were never her favorite and somehow she ended up with 9:00 AM classes Monday, Wednesday, AND Friday this semester. The Friday class was the worst of them: International Relations, a three-hour lecture block she was only taking because it was necessary to meet the university’s pre-law requirement. 

The sound of the elevator arriving on the ground floor causes Rey to shove the last bit of her granola bar into her mouth and dispose of the wrapper in one of the lobby trash receptacles. It’s not until she makes her way further into the lobby that she spots Poe. Gone is the buttoned-up suit-wearing Secret Service agent she met a few days ago. 

Instead, Poe is wearing navy blue jeans, a well-fitting button-down shirt tucked into his pants, a grey blazer, and black ankle boots. He looks good. Like really good. If she didn’t know any better, she could have easily mistaken him for a graduate student or even a faculty member on campus. Swallowing deep in her throat, Rey is snapped back to the present by the sound of his voice.

“Miss Skywalker, is everything alright?” 

Shit.  

She must have been staring at him for a good three seconds because he’s looking at her inquisitively as if something is wrong. 

“Uh..yeah. Just, you know, mornings.” She waves her hands in front of herself abstractly hoping he would fill in the blanks and spare her the uncomfortableness of having to think of a better excuse. “And please, as I said before, call me Rey,” she adds with a timid smile.

Poe nods. “Right, sure thing Rey.” He motions towards the door. “Shall we?” 

“Yes, of course.”

When he holds the door open for her, she takes a deep breath and exits the building. If her stomach turns a bit, well that is probably just because she’s only just inhaled a single granola bar and downed a cup and a half of coffee in the last 5 minutes. 

“There you are sweetie, come on we’re going to be late!” a cheerful voice calls out. 

“Rose!” exclaims Rey, quickly making her way to a young Asian woman standing a few feet away.

Rose grabs her arm and nudges Rey to walk alongside her as they begin to take a brisk pace. “Let’s go!” 

Ever since they met in freshman year abroad at Oxford, Rose Tico has been one of the few people in Rey’s life who seemed unbothered by her family status and treated her like a “normal” person. The two were practically inseparable, much to the chagrin of her former Secret Service detail who actually labeled Rose a “bad influence” in one of their reports. Truthfully though, Rose wasn’t so much nefarious but simply encouraged Rey to live her life on her own terms and not according to whatever unrealistic expectations were brought on by being the Luke Skywalker’s daughter. 

Rey, of course, didn’t exactly need extra encouragement as she was already fiercely independent and strong-willed – at least that’s how her Aunt Leia put it. Nonetheless, in a world where most people try to be something they are not, Rose Tico was a welcome reminder that Rey was fine just the way she was. 

“How was your summer?” she asks with a pleasant smile. “Did you manage the move back okay?”

Rose grins. “Fantastic. Finn and I…”

“So you two finally...?! I need ALL the salacious details” interrupts Rey barely able to contain her excitement. Rey’s other best friend, Finn Calrissian and Rose had been stuck in a perpetual will-they won’t-they dance since freshman year and no one was rooting harder for the two to finally get together than Rey. 

Rose swats at her playfully with a wide smile. “Hush now, we have to get to class. I’ll tell you about it later!”

“Yeah okay.” 

“Speaking of which,” Rose says looking around. “Where is the wall of men in suits that normally follow you around?”

“Oh yeah...new thing with my dad, it’s just Poe this year,” Rey says with a quick nod of her head over her shoulder. She didn’t even bother to check whether Poe was even following them since they left her apartment building; Rey just kind of assumed he was. 

“Who?”

“Agent Dameron, Poe” repeats Rey, this time turning around and pointing to him. Sure enough, Poe Dameron was walking several feet behind the two women - far enough to give them space but close enough to keep an eye on things. 

Rose turns around and her jaw drops. “Damn girl, how’d you twist your dad’s arm to send you the hot secret agent man?!”

Fucking hell.

Rey quickly grabs Rose’s arm and hurries them along further. “I didn’t,” she starts in a more hushed voice. “I just asked my dad to loosen up the security this year.”

“Yeah well, you better thank him because damn, I wouldn’t mind someone like that watching my ass all day long.”

“Rose!” Rey hisses, color rising to her cheeks out of embarrassment. “Didn’t you just say you and Finn finally got together?!”

“Yeah,” she says with a smile, “And I’m pretty sure he would agree with me that there are men and then there are men if you know what I mean.”

“I’m sure I don’t,” Rey says hastily, wishing she was literally anywhere in the universe but here having this awkward conversation right now. God, she really hopes Poe isn’t able to overhear them. It’s the only thing that would make this whole exchange even more uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well maybe you should,” winks Rose. 

Fortunately, Rey is spared from having to continue the conversation any further when the two arrive at their destination. Quickly dashing inside the lecture hall, they make their way to the appropriate classroom. 

The class was a bore, although most are the first week of the semester. Professor Ackbar assigned them a month of reading in advance and went over expectations, grading policies, and other details of the syllabus. This was Rey’s first semester having Ackbar and according to several classmates who had him last semester, the elder professor was tough but fair. 

As she gets up to leave the classroom, Rey spots Poe waiting in the back. No doubt he had been sitting there throughout the lecture. 

“Where are you off to now?” asks Rose.

“I have an appointment with Maz,” she replies.

“Alright, I’m off to see Finn. I’ll catch up with you later for dinner?”

“Sure thing.” 

Making her way to the exit, Rey turns to Poe. “I need to go see my academic advisor,” she says as a way of an explanation. 

He nods politely. “After you.” 

Sage Hall is practically on the other side of campus so they have a decent walk ahead of them to get there. Much like before, Poe falls in behind Rey, trailing her at a close but noticeable distance. The more she walks, the more self-conscious she becomes about him following behind her. A team of men in suits was intimidating but this is just a weirder. It feels like she is being stalked or something, especially since she knows he’s back there.

Rey stops, turns around, and asks him sharply, “Can you please not do that?” 

“I’m sorry?” he asks, clearly confused at her rigid tone. “Do what?” 

“That - following me around like that.” 

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t follow me like that,” she says with her hands on hips. “It’s too weird.” 

“Okay?” he replies hesitantly, clearly still confused at what he might have done wrong. “I’m just doing what I did earlier?” 

“Yeah and that was fine because Rose and I were talking, but when it’s just me alone here, you following me around like that is unsettling and a bit creepy.” 

Poe nods. “Alright, so what would you...”

Rey sighs, cutting him off. “Can you just walk alongside me like a normal person? That isn’t a problem is it?”

“If that’s what you would prefer, sure.”

“Good,” she says turning around and continuing on. 

Poe takes a few quick steps to catch up and follows alongside as she asked, albeit maybe a quarter step behind. Rey sighs, not bothering to say anything further. They walk the rest of the way to Sage Hall in silence.  

“Rey dear, come in come in!”

Maz Kanata had been Rey’s academic advisor since she started at Force University. Her office was on the small side with books, trinkets, and other knick-knacks piled up all over the place. If it wasn’t for the fact the elder woman had been at the university for over 30 years the janitorial staff would have probably taken issue with the state of the place. Leaving Poe outside and closing the office door, Rey squeezes past a few boxes and plops down into one of the well-worn chairs on the other side of Maz’s desk that was clearly older than her. 

“Thanks, Maz, how was your summer?” she asks with a pleasant smile. 

“Very good thank you, and yours?”

“Good”

“Excellent,” replies Maz in a tone that doesn’t quite match her words. “Thank you for coming in today, I wanted to talk briefly about the form request you sent over the other day.” 

Rey sits up in her chair. “About dual majoring?” 

Maz nods. “As you know, dual majoring is not easy, especially trying to start now in your junior year.”

“Yes, but I meet the GPA requirement and have already enrolled in an extra course this semester.”

“I understand,” sighs Maz, “But it will undoubtedly mean even more work the following three semesters if you wish to graduate on-time with your peers.” A thoughtful silence fills the tiny office as Maz’s studies Rey intently. “Have you considered changing majors instead of doing the dual major?”

Rey sighs with a frown. “I um, I don’t think that would really go over well with my family.” 

Like everyone else in the Skywalker-Organa-Solo family, Rey had entered university as a pre-law Political Science major with her path already walked by countless others before her in the family. After undergrad, she would go to law school then clerk for a judge, work in a DA’s office or something similar before maybe, eventually running for public office herself. Just one problem: Rey had no interest in going to law school or becoming a politician. 

Over her freshman and sophomore years, she went along with the plan because who the hell actually knows what they want to major in and do when they are an 18 years old freshman? But as she took more classes, it became clear that the law and politics was not her place. 

Rey loved books, stories, and writing. When she lived at Oxford the last two years, she would go with Rose on weekends to see different plays at the West End theatres. Her passion now was writing and although she hadn’t decided where she wanted to take it professionally, maybe fiction, non-fiction, or possibly even journalism, Rey knew she didn’t want to waste her opportunity while still at university. 

Unfortunately, she didn’t think the rest of her family would be understanding of her desire to not study politics and forgo four generations of family tradition while trying to pursue some unfounded writing career. So here she sat, in Maz’s office, attempting to get final approval for her application to pursue a dual major. This way she could both keep her family happy and give her writing dream a shot. 

“I see,” Maz acknowledges somewhat somberly. “Well if you are sure that’s what you want…”

“It is.”

“...Then I won’t stand in your way.” Maz nods reassuringly. “I’ll sign the paperwork and have it submitted this afternoon for you. You can probably expect an email from the dean of the college of History and Literature by the end of the week going over a few additional items.”

Rey smiles. “Thank you, Maz. I really appreciate it.”

“Yes yes, alright, now off with you girl,” Maz waves. “I’m sure you have better places to be.” 

Thanking Maz again, Rey stumbles over a few books on her way out of the office.

Save the misunderstanding with Rey earlier, Poe thinks the rest of the day goes pretty smoothly. Some students and faculty take an extra gander in Rey’s direction, but nothing completely unexpected or noteworthy. After the trip to her advisor’s office, he accompanies her to the library and another class before returning to her apartment. 

Poe is unpacking his single suitcase in the empty apartment that was set aside for him to live during this assignment when he receives a call over the radio: 

“Dameron you there? Liberty is heading out to dinner.” 

Ugh. He had told Rey to text or call him if she needed to go anywhere. He picks up the radio and responds, “Copy, I’ll be right down.” Grabbing his jacket, and retrieving his firearm from the safe, Poe dashes out of the apartment and to the elevator. When he reaches the lobby, he spots Rey with her hands on her hips and giving one of the front-desk security guards an annoyed look. 

“Everything okay?” he asks calmly.

“No,” Rey huffs. “They won’t let me leave to go to dinner without you.”

“Yes?”

She folds her arms impatiently. “Yeah well, I’m just heading to the pizza place two blocks from here to meet up with Rose. It’s no big deal.”

“Sorry, it is a deal,” he says as respectfully as possible. The last thing he wants to do is piss her off more. “You know I have to accompany you when you leave the building.” 

She nods, seemingly accepting the situation. “Fine, let’s go then.” She walks off briskly and out the front door, leaving him in to quickly sprint to catch up to her. 

The pizza place isn’t much to look at. Your typical corner pizza joint with only enough space inside for ordering food and a few outdoor tables around the side and back for seating. Rey spots Rose sitting at one of the tables and quickly sits down opposite her. Not wanting to be any more of a bother, Poe positions himself a few feet away. The two women are also joined by an African American man sitting next to Rose who Poe identifies as Finn Calrissian from the file he read on the first daughter’s friends and close associates. He’s not being creepy, its literally his job to know these things.

Eventually, two large pizzas arrive at their table and the group begins to eat. He notices the group look over in his direction a few times and talking to themselves before Rey gets up and makes her way over to him.

“Hey”

“Hi?”

“So look, sorry about being kind of a bitch earlier,” she says timidly. “It’s been a long day and I was hungry. I um...I get cranky when I’m hungry.”

He gives her a polite smile. “Not a problem.”

“Anyway…” she continues bashfully, looking down at her shoes . “We always order way too much food.” She motions over to their table. “Why don’t you join us for dinner? ” 

“Oh that’s alright, I’m okay,” he responds hastily.  

“Oh come on Poe,” she sighs with her hands back on her hips. “You’ve been with me all day which means you haven’t eaten anything. I feel bad and it’s the least I can do.” Her lips curl into a short smile in a way he finds a little too cute. 

Definitely not. Nope. Get that thought out of your head right now Dameron. 

Seemingly unable to come up with a good excuse to not accept Rey’s hospitality, Poe nods his head and accompanies her back to the table. He sits down in the only available seat, the one next to Rey. “Finn Calrissian,” the African American man says holding out his hand.

He returns the handshake. “Agent Poe Dameron”

“Pleasure. Thanks for joining us, Poe. This one...” he says nudging Rey under the table “...always orders way too much food.”

“Hey now,” she laughs, “It’s not my fault you can’t handle pepperoni, sausage, ham, and chicken on your pizza!” On cue, Rey takes a slice of the meat-lovers pizza and shoves it straight into her mouth, taking a huge exaggerated bite in front of Finn. Poe stares at her for a second, somewhat in disbelief at the woman next to him.

“Oh don’t let her fool you,” Rose says noticing his surprise, “She will eat us all under the table three times over.” Poe is slowly starting to realize that as Rey continues to inhale what’s left of the slice.

“Rose!,” Rey laughs, mouth half-full. 

“Alright, changing the subject,” chuckles Finn, “Poe, how long have you been looking after Rey? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” 

“Today was actually my first day on Miss Skywalker’s detail.” Poe winces at the slip-up. He knows she prefers he drop the formalities, but over a decade of habits are hard to shake. 

“How was being back on a college campus?” chimes in Rose cheerfully, “Was it everything you remember?” 

“I wouldn’t know. I never went to a college like this.” 

“You never went to college?!” Rose asks incredulously. 

“Rose!” hisses Rey. “I’m sorry,” she says turning to him, “sometimes Rose speaks without thinking first. You don’t need to answer that.” 

Unless he’s mistaken, is she...blushing? 

“That’s quite alright,” he smiles politely. Turning back to Rose, he responds, “I enlisted in the Navy when I turned 18 and took online courses a few years later to complete my degree.” 

“Navy? Was that what you were doing before the Secret Service?” asks Rey. 

“Yes.” 

“So you’re a sailor?” she grins. 

He nods. “Something like that.” 

More or less…

“So how old are you then Poe?” inquires Rose. “You don’t look that old.”

“ROSE!” exclaims Rey, not holding back and swatting her best friend’s arm. “It’s impolite to ask someone their age!” 

“That’s only women,” chuckles Finn.

Somehow when Rey invited Poe to join them, she didn’t mention the part where her friends were going to give him the third degree. He finishes chewing a bite from a slice of pepperoni pizza and takes a breath. A couple of college students were far and away not the most demanding interrogators he’s had to deal with. 

“I’m 32.”

“That’s not that old,” remarks Finn.

“Interesting…” Rose trails off. 

Poe looks between the three friends who are eyeing each other and having some sort of unspoken conversation. 

Eventually, the discussions steer towards their various classes and other school-related topics. It all becomes a little awkward if he’s being honest, him just sitting there as Rey and her friends converse around him. Poe makes an excuse that he needs to check-in with some other agents and excuses himself from the table. It’s not entirely a lie. When he finishes calling-in, he takes his previous spot just out front, a few feet away from their table.

Fortunately, a few minutes later, the trio seems to be saying their goodbyes and Rey approaches. “Heading back home now.” 

The two walk in silence back to the apartment building. Poe is mindful to walk alongside her per Rey’s previous instruction earlier this afternoon. He holds the front door open for her and she pauses, opening her mouth to say something before changing her mind and heading inside. She rapidly presses the elevator button a half dozen times before turning to him while they wait.

“Sorry about earlier with Rose and Finn.” she apologizes sheepishly.

“Not a problem Miss…” Poe catches himself this time. “Not a problem Rey.” 

A short smile grows at the edges of her lips as the elevator door opens. “Coming?” she asks, stepping inside as he hangs back in the lobby.

“I need check-in with the front desk,” he replies, motioning behind him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rey nods. “See you tomorrow Poe.” 

Chapter Text

Poe unlocks the door to his apartment and sets his keys down on the counter. One day in the books. He takes off his jacket and hangs it in the closet. When he enters the 5 digit code into the safe above the coat rack, the door pops open. Removing the Glock from the small of his back, he clicks the magazine out of the gun and sets them both in the safe before locking it again. 

Taking a deep breath, he returns to the bedroom and finishes unpacking the rest of his suitcase which is still on the bed from earlier. Just as he finishes, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

“Hey Dad,” answers Poe after seeing the caller ID. He sets it on speakerphone. “What’s up?” 

“Nothing mijo, just calling to see how things went today?” 

Poe moves the suitcase off the bed and collapses down with a sigh. “Fine.” 

“Ha,” chuckles Kes over the phone. “You remember what fine means right? Freaked out…”

“...Insecure, neurotic, and emotional. I know Dad.” Poe shakes his head. “No really, it was uneventful, which is a good thing. How are you doing?” 

He can hear Kes shuffle something in the background before responding. “I’m great, don’t worry about me. Samantha came today and everything went as planned. I don’t know why you insisted on her coming daily, really it’s not necessary anymore.” 

“Good to hear. It just makes me more comfortable to stay on the safe side.” 

“Speaking of which...” continues Kes, “I assume you still want to go back?”

“Yes.”

“Then this is a good litmus test for if and when that time comes.” 

A silence comes between them on the phone, neither quite sure what to say next. They switch topics to talk about how bad the Nationals’ relievers are this year until Kes lets out an audible yawn. “Well, I guess I should pack it in for the night. I’m not getting any younger after all.” 

Poe nods subconsciously despite the fact he’s talking over the phone. “Sure thing Dad.”

“You stay safe and look after that girl. What’s her name again? Rey?” 

“Yes,” he answers suspiciously. They had already spoken at length on the details of his new assignment before he started.

Kes’ voice rises slightly when he adds, “I saw a picture of her in a tabloid in the supermarket a week or two ago. She’s cute.” 

Of course... Leave it to Dad to insinuate something about the very off-limits, against regulation, way out-his-league, much younger First Daughter. Good to know some things like Kes’ persistent teasing about settling down and finding a woman never changes. 

“You’re insufferable,” Poe says shaking his head with a smile. 

A similar Dameron-grin no doubt spreads across his father’s face. “I love you too mijo.” 

“Love you Dad. Good night.” 

Poe reaches over to the phone and ends the call when he notices an unread text message that must have been sent while he was on the phone:

[Rey Skywalker]: Forgot to mention, I like to run on mornings I don’t have class. Is 9:30 okay?

Poe sends a response:

[You]: No problem. 

Sinking back into the bed, he sets the phone on the nightstand and yawns. Maybe he should take his Dad’s advice and call it a night as well. 

Poe is in the lobby at 9:25 AM the next morning. It’s a cool 55 degrees Fahrenheit outside but he still opts for shorts with a long sleeve pullover. He begins to scroll through email on his phone which mostly consists of the usual daily status reports that get sent out, nothing of real importance. Either way, it’s not like Force University campus is a hot zone for criminal activity. 

“You’re actually going to run? With me?” 

Poe looks up to find Rey Skywalker standing over him. She’s wearing tight leggings and a half-zip long sleeve Nike running top with her hair pulled back into a bun. It takes him a second to register her before standing up.

“Yeah?” he responds. It’s as much an answer as it is a question.

A big grin grows across her face as if she knows something he doesn’t and he quickly squashes the thought of how nice her smile is in the morning sunlight coming through the lobby windows. 

“Okay,” she laughs, heading to the door with him in pursuit. “The last Secret Service guys would normally just follow me in a car, but I’m cool if you’re game.” The brisk morning air whips across their faces as they exit the building. Rey begins stretching and Poe follows her lead. 

“I’m going to be running a 3-mile loop around the campus,” she states. 

“Okay.”

She points at him, “And don’t you dare run behind me like a creeper either.”  

“Understood,” he laughs. 

Ten seconds later they are taking off down the street. Rey initially sets the pace at a light jog which Poe matches running alongside her. They run in silence for several minutes with her occasionally glancing over in his direction. Eventually, she increases the pace and he quickens his strides to keep up with her. 

Poe never really considered himself much a runner. While certainly competent enough, he definitely wouldn’t be running any marathons by choice. He was quickly discovering, however, the more they ran that Rey was very much a runner. Like a really really good runner. Her long toned legs and tight muscles made it look effortless. Also, since when did he take notice of her toned legs and tight muscles? Nope, definitely not going there. He shakes his head and instead focuses on keeping pace which she again increases a bit faster. 

Sweat begins to pool across his brow as they continue to run further and further. He tries to steady his breathing from getting too erratic. 

“You good over there?” She asks. “We got about a mile left.” 

He looks over at her and she has a giant grin on her face. It looks like she isn’t even breaking a sweat. She is enjoying this way too much and he is suddenly starting to realize why her last Secret Service detail would accompany her on runs in a car. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help him much here and in no way is he about duck out now. Really how would that even go? 

Uh, Rey can you slow down because you’re too good a runner and I’m an idiot clearly in way over my head after stupidly agreeing to this? 

Hells no, he’s committed now. 

So naturally, Poe lies. 

“Yeah,” he answers, very much trying not to respond in complete sentences so she doesn’t see how out of breath he is quickly becoming. 

They run further and his leg muscles slowly begin to burn. He’s huffing now despite his best efforts to keep his breathing under control. Meanwhile, Rey is still practically gliding effortlessly next to him. She doesn’t say anything as they press on; the big stupid grin on her face says plenty. 

When they come around the bend with the apartment building in sight, Poe practically rejoices. Unfortunately, he hoped too soon.

“Sprint to the finish,” announces Rey as she takes off full speed in front of him. 

“Ugh” he groans out loud. 

Note to self: your job is actually to look after and protect this girl. Dying of a heart attack from literally running after her is not part of the job description. 

Mustering whatever energy he has left, Poe sprints after her despite the fact he’s already a good 5 yards behind at this point. When he makes it to the front of the building she’s waiting for him with a big smirk on her face. 

“Not bad sailor. I’m impressed.” 

He’s full-on panting now as he raises his arms above his head in an attempt to get more blood and oxygen flowing to his lungs. 

“Thanks,” he says shaking his head. Jokingly he adds, “You weren’t so bad yourself.” 

“Haha, very funny.” she laughs as they walk inside. “Seriously though, I am impressed. I didn’t think you would be able to keep up.”

“Why, were you trying to get rid of me?”

The expression on her face shifts to something feigning innocence. “Let’s just say I may have given some of your colleagues’ headaches in the past.” 

“Why does that not surprise me?” he grins. 

She checks her phone as they ride up in the elevator, quickly typing something. When it arrives at her floor, she exits, but not before turning around. Her face is flush from the run and strands of her hair are struggling to break free of the bun she had tied it into earlier. Her mouth opens and then closes as if she was going to say something until she finally settles with a simple “Later.” 

Poe nods and Rey lets the elevator doors close. He knows she has a class at 1:00 PM this afternoon so they both need to shower and change. Some ice might also be a good idea as well.

As the elevator arrives on his floor, a suddenly terrifying realization hits him: 

She’s going to want to run again on Thursday.

Tuesday’s afternoon class went well. It is one of the few PolySci classes Rey was actually interested in taking: Politics and Media. Professor Mothma, who teaches the course, spent years as a media consultant working for many different politicians including her father’s most recent presidential campaign. Rey was pretty sure she surprised the woman showing up on her class roster this semester.

It was during her father’s campaign that Rey really began to despise the media. Most of the animosity came with her being conscripted into the campaign to help present her father as a family man. Not that Rey didn’t love her father, she absolutely did, but the talk and strategic planning that went with portraying the perfect image of a presidential candidate was so fabricated it was hard to stomach. Things didn’t get any easier after the campaign either as once she had entered the public spotlight it soon became hard to leave it. 

She still vividly remembers the first time she was ambushed by paparazzi from the Daily Mail during her freshman year at Oxford. She shoved one of them out of the way and broke their camera. That stunt earned her a stern reprimand from the White House chief of communications as well as having to issue a public apology. Afterward, she was even approached by a PR firm offering to help build her public image and grow her to celebrity status. The exact pitch they used was “you could be the next Kylie Jenner.”

If there was one thing Rey disliked more than politics it was the idea of being a celebrity. Add to that the prospect of being a celebrity just because she is someone’s daughter? That would be a hard pass. Over the next two years, her relationship with the press didn’t exactly improve but at least she had avoided committing any more felonies on camera. 

Wednesday was a different adventure. Two more classes followed by a lengthy study session in the library which was partially interrupted when a group of freshman girls recognized Rey and stopped by to talk and get their picture taken with her. She didn’t really see the big deal, but the girls seemed excited nonetheless. Like it or not, benign the daughter of Luke Skywalker came with some parts of celebrity status that she just couldn’t shake.

Thursday morning Rey went on her run and was extremely surprised when Poe once again joined her. Not that he was out of shape or anything, (quite the contrary actually) but a runner he was not. Still, she appreciated the effort and if she was being honest, it was nice to have someone to run with for a change. 

Rey’s decision to mainline caffeine for Friday morning’s International Relations class proved the right move. The three-hour lecture block was just as boring as expected and they were given 100 pages of reading and a 10-page paper to write by next week’s lecture. So much for taking it slow to start off the semester.

By the time Rose texted her that they were going to Takodana Pub for dinner Friday evening, Rey was already looking forward to unwinding after a long and stressful week. Takodana was one of the most prominent establishments just off the edge of campus. They served good, cheap college pub food along with alcohol to the students 21 or older. Fun game nights such as trivia and karaoke kept everyone entertained and coming back. 

“I’m exhausted,” exclaims Rey, sinking into the booth opposite Rose and Finn. 

“Tell me about it Peanut,” sighs Finn. “I know people say this year is supposed to be the most difficult but Professor Antilles seriously assigned us a huge packet of 50 differential equations due by next Tuesday.” He face-plants his head on the table.

“Could be worse,” says Rose. “I heard Kaydal say her computer science class has to write an entire calculator program by Monday.”

The waitress comes and Rey orders a bacon cheeseburger with curly fries, earning her a notable grin from Finn. The trio swap stories and commiserate about their week some more until their food arrives. Music plays in the pub background as they eat with some of the more inebriated students beginning to dance. 

“Rey Skywalker? Is that you?” 

She looks up to see Kyle Ren approaching their table. 

Kyle was probably the second most recognized student at Force University after Rey. He was a senior attending the school on a full Division I basketball scholarship who also happened to be a PolySci major and straight-A student. A rare breed of both athletics and brains, Kyle had NBA scouts from across the country attending games despite the fact he was being cagey about whether he would declare for the draft. 

“Hi Kyle,” she says while straightening her face into a pleasant smile. 

“How’s it going? Mind if I join you?” He’s already shuffling into the booth next to Rey before she can respond. 

“Yeah sure,” she mutters, not wanting to seem rude. 

He’s looking at her with a grin on his face that makes her very self-conscious. She ducks her head and takes a sip of her iced tea.

“Do I have catchup on my face or something?” she asks.  

“No you’re good,” he hums still watching her intently. 

“Um, these are my friends Rose and Finn. Not sure if you guys have met...” She introduces them to quell the awkwardness. 

“Hey,” he says nodding quickly in their direction before turning back to Rey. “So how was your summer? I didn’t realize you would be back here stateside this term?”

“Yep” 

“That’s cool. How was your first week of classes?”

“Busy."

Before she can expand any further he cuts in. “I’ll say. Seriously, I have so much work already I’m practically drowning.” He sighs and reaches over and takes a curly fry from her plate. Her mouth pops open in surprise and she holds back saying anything. “Add that to two-a-day practices and weight training and I already have almost no free time.”

Rey stares at him incredulously as he continues to ramble on. The familiarity with which he joined them is a little unsettling. While not necessarily strangers, (they did share a summer term class together between her Freshman and Sophomore year) she wouldn’t exactly call him a friend, more of an acquaintance. Looking across the table she spots wide-eye expressions on Rose and Finn’s faces. As her eyes drift, she sees Poe sitting at the end of the bar watching them with one of his stoic unreadable expressions.

“So Rey , what do you think?” asks Kyle. His emphasis on her name snaps her out of her daze. 

“Huh sorry?”

“What do you think about coming to our game next Saturday?”

“Game?” 

“Yeah...Basketball game? Next Saturday?” he says nudging her arm. “I can get you good seats at center court if you’d like.”

“Um maybe, I’ll think about it.”

“Cool well let me give you my number just in case.” He holds out her hand and she slowly gives him her phone. “Feel free to call or text any time,” he says typing in his number. 

She nods with a slight smile. “Thanks.” 

Kyle grins. “Cool, well I’ll leave you guys to it.” He gets up and exits their booth with as little fanfare as he arrived, opting to join what looks like a group of fellow basketball players at the bar. 

Rey turns back to Finn and Rose and sighs. “Can you believe that guy? What was that?” 

They look at her with mischievous grins on their faces. 

“What?”

“Oh come on honey, don’t tell me you don’t know what just happened here?” laughs Rose. 

“What?” 

“He’s totally into you!”

“Who Kyle?” her face scrunches a bit. “I barely know the guy.”

“I think that’s the point Peanut,” winks Finn. 

The three pay their bill and begin to get up to leave. 

Okay, so maybe Kyle was definitely more than a little friendly and maybe he was in-fact interested in her. Admittedly, t’s not like he was the worst looking guy around. He also at least wasn’t a complete brain-dead basketball jock. She shrugs on her coat with a pensive look on her face.

“You okay?” asks Poe when they reach the door.

“Um yeah, fine. Just a little tired,” she smiles weakly. “Long week.” 

He nods and holds open the door for Rose, Finn, and Rey as they leave Takodana Pub.

Chapter Text

The following week goes by so fast Rey barely has time to catch her breath. 

Between classes, studying and other activities, she is caught off guard by the time Friday comes around and Rose suggests they attend the basketball game on Saturday. With the exception of ultimate frisbee, neither Rey nor Rose are particularly big sports fans. Basketball at Force University though is less of a sport and more of a religion. In the past ten years, the team has won four Division I championships and made it to the Final Four three other times. 

Game days aren’t just a university affair either, it becomes an entire community event for the surrounding town. People flock to bars just to drink and watch the game with like-minded fans while restaurants are booked well overcapacity. Given there probably isn’t much else to do on Saturday with the game going on, Rey agrees to go. Besides, after two years abroad, she has technically never been to a game in person. Might as well get in the authentic college experience.

Frowning and looking in her closet, she unfortunately doesn’t really have much in the way of branded Force University apparel. There are two old t-shirts she got freshman year during orientation which are now partially faded. She also has a long sleeve pullover and a sweatshirt one size too big. The sweatshirt is definitely out of the question for a public outing.

Deciding on a pair of comfortable jeans and tucking in the pullover, Rey heads off to Koth Fieldhouse to meet up with Rose and Finn. Poe follows silently by her side. 

Other than the usual pleasantries, he had remained the stereotypical silent Secret Service bodyguard type she had grown used to over the years. Even when he accompanied her on morning runs this week they didn’t speak much.

Rey found Rose and Finn loitering outside the fieldhouse wrapped around each other kissing. Well now. Looks like her two best friends’ fledgling relationship had officially graduated to public displays of affection. 

“Ahem,” she coughs inconspicuously as they break apart suddenly. 

Finn looks like a middle-schooler who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Rose, meanwhile, is far less bashful. 

“Rey!” she smiles, as if interrupting your friends making out was completely normal, “You finally made it, do you have the tickets?”

Raising an eyebrow, Rey gives Rose the “ we are definitely going to talk about this later” look. 

“Yes...I have the tickets.”

“Sweet, let’s go!”

Rose loops one arm inside Finn’s and her other inside Rey’s and they begin to head inside the arena. 

As expected, the fieldhouse is jam-packed. Force University was playing Sith State today, one of their most fierce rivals. Although she obviously didn’t watch the game, the gossip last year was surrounding a fight that broke out between the two teams over a flagrant technical foul. Needless to say, there is no love lost between the schools.

Once they get through the front doors, Rey sees them.

Shit.

Paparazzi. A group of 3 stringers by the looks of it. Rey tries pulling up her jacket and ducking her head behind her arm, but it’s no use. The bloodsucking photographers spot her in an instant. 

This is exactly one of the reasons why she was hesitant to come to the game today. While there were strict rules preventing the paparazzi from following her while on campus and attending classes, basketball games were open to the public as well as the media, paparazzi included. 

Rey grabs Rose’s arm a bit tighter and tries to ignore the incessant flashes of their cameras as they walk to the ticketing gate. As much as it pains her to admit, attempting to ignore the paparazzi while going about her business was really the most effective strategy in most cases. Unfortunately, this proved not to be one of those cases. 

One of the other problems with attending large scale events is that they are, well, large scale events with lots of people. So while three lowly stringers might not be a big deal, it soon becomes a lot more with all the fans from both teams in attendance also snapping photos. The joys of everyone having their own iPhone right? Looking to her left, she can see Rose and Finn also getting more annoyed with the attention. The expression on her face starts to waver and she is about to say something until another voice steps in first…

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Poe, who was following behind the trio, quickly steps in front of her and between the paparazzi and other spectators who had stopped to take photos. 

“I think you all have enough photos for the day,” he states calmly. Probably much calmer than if she had stepped in. “How about we let Miss Skywalker and her friends enjoy the game yes?”

He holds his hand out, guiding them off as if he were ushering little children.

“Who do you think…” says one of the paparazzi as he takes a half step closer.

“Secret Service,” interrupts Poe as he opens the inside of his jacket revealing what Rey can only assume to be his badge. Since he started on her detail, Poe had consistently dressed in civilian clothes rather than suits, one fact Rey was quite grateful for. 

“Now,” he continues in a calm, but definitely more serious tone, “I’m going to need you to take a few steps back and let Miss Skywalker and her friends enjoy the game like everyone else. Okay?”

The other fans disperse instantly and after a few moments of grumbling, the 3 stringer paparazzi begin to wander off as well. No doubt they will be back at some point, but at least for the timing being, all is clear. 

Poe turns around to the trio with an unflappable expression on his face as his eyes meet hers. 

“Everyone okay?” he asks. 

“Yeah,” mutters Rey, a bit speechless. 

“Yeah, thanks man,” answers Finn.

Poe nods in silent confirmation and steps back behind them. 

When they arrive at the ticketing entrance, Rey retrieves their tickets and hands one to Finn and Rose. As they pass through the gate, Poe shows his credentials to the attendant and she lets him through. Rey frowns. She had forgotten to even ask if she should have gotten a ticket for him as well. He ends up standing several yards back at the end of the aisle of bleachers while Rey, Rose, and Finn take their seats.

“Sith State is supposed to be really good this year,” comments Finn as they watch the players warming up on the court. “I was watching SportsCenter earlier this week and they profiled Sith State’s new walk-on freshman, Malgus. The analysts say he drives a lane as if he’s LeBron. That’s him there I think, number 25.”

“Finn, honey, you know Rey and I could care less right?” 

While they watch the teams warm-up, Kyle Ren spots them in the audience and waves.

“There’s your boyfriend,” snickers Rose. 

“Oh stop it,” sighs Rey, swatting her friend’s arm. “Whatever his intentions, I can tell you the feeling is not mutual.” 

If anything, she had gone out of her way to avoid Kyle and his over-enthusiastic antics from the other day at the pub. When Rose convinced her to come to the game today, she purposefully didn’t reach out to him for tickets despite his offer. 

Once the game started, it was a fairly even for the most part with Sith State maintaining a modest 2-6 point advantage. The fan seating separated the two respective schools into distinct sections on the fieldhouse and made for fun back and forth cheering. Finn really started to get into the revelry, cheering after every score and complaining about the referees missing fouls. Regardless of her indifferent feelings about him, Kyle was easily the best player on the court for Force University. When the first half concluded with them down 32-29, he had scored 19 of their 29 points by himself.

“I’m hungry,” announces Rey to her friends. “I’m going to get something from the concession stands. Do either of you two want anything?”

“Oh, can you get some of those cheesy nachos?!”

“Yeah, and maybe some skittles and Cokes?” adds Finn. 

“Sure.”

“You want one of us to come with you?” asks Rose.

Rey shakes her head as she gets up. “Nah, that’s fine. Save my seat.”

Truthfully, she could use the escape. Being stuck inside the arena with 17,000 screaming fans gets tiring after a while. Especially when she has minimal interest in the game being played on the court below. As she leaves the arena proper, Poe falls in step next to her without comment. 

Finding the closest concession stand, she waits in line patiently. 

“Thank you,” Rey comments seemingly out of nowhere to Poe in an effort to break the silence of waiting in line alone.

“Pardon?”

“Thank you for earlier,” she repeats, turning slightly to face him, “with the paparazzi.” 

His eyes grow wider in understanding. “Oh right. No problem.”

“I usually just handle those situations myself.” 

“In the future, would you prefer I not step-in then?” he asks curiously. 

“No, that’s fine,” she answers awkwardly. “I didn’t mean it as a jab, I just meant...thanks. “

He nods as the line inches forward and they are now the next customers to order.

“Also, sorry for not getting you a ticket,” she adds.

“Don’t worry about it,” he chuckles. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Should I get you a ticket in the future?” Rey looks embarrassed and admits, “Normally my last Secret Service detail would coordinate all public outings so I um...I have no experience with how this is supposed to work.”

“Hmm,” ponders Poe with a contemplative expression on his face. “I think for school events we should be okay. External events would probably be best coordinated on a case-by-case basis.”

“More importantly,” his mouth inches up into a short smile as he gives her a knowing look, “if you could make plans more with more than 12 hours notice, that would be preferred.” 

“Fair point,” concedes Rey with a slight smile of her own. Her mouth opens to say something else when the worker behind the counter calls out loudly, “Next!”

She approaches the counter and stares up at the menu. “Can I get two orders of cheesy nachos, two jumbo-packs of Skittles, three Cokes, and…” She turns to Poe and asks timidly, “Would um...would you like anything?”

“I’m good.” 

She gives him an accusatory look. 

“Really I’m fine.”

“...and one water,” she concludes to the concession stand worker. 

As the worker returns and places the two Skittles, three Cokes, and one bottled water on the counter, Rey picks up the water and hands it to Poe.

“I told you, I’m good.”

“Just take it”

He looks between her eyes and the water held in her hand. His brown eyes are piercing in the decision he’s currently weighing.

“Stop being difficult and just take it,” she laughs rolling her eyes.

He grins. “Fine, how much do I owe you?”

She waves her hand at him dismissively as the two orders of cheesy nachos are placed on the counter. After paying, Rey suddenly realizes she’s facing a different problem now. 

“How about you carry those Cokes and we call it even?” she asks sheepishly. 

“Sure.”

He scoops up the cup holder in his right hand while Rey takes both cheesy nachos in her hands and heads to one of the counters off to the side to grab some extra napkins. In the process of getting more napkins, she begins to snack on the nachos. While she stuffs the cheesy carbs into her mouth, Rey spots Poe watching her with an incredulous look on his face.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What?!” She laughs. “You want some nachos too?” 

She holds up one of the servings to him. 

He shakes his head with a grin. “No Thanks. You couldn’t pay me to eat that junk.”

“What?! This is the best. You’re just jealous!”

“Right.”  

They head back inside the arena and the second half of the game has already started. Rey sneaks down the row of people to get to her seat and hands Rose and Finn the two cheesy nachos she was carrying before turning back to Poe waiting patiently at the end of the row in the aisle. He hands her the drink carrier with their three cokes. 

“Thank you,” she says, mouthing the expression wildly because she knows he can’t hear her over the cheering inside the arena. He nods and makes his way to the back of the ring where he was previously standing.

The second half of the game proves to be as competitive as the first with both teams jockeying back and forth despite Sith State still maintaining their lead. Things finally start to break in Force University’s favor when Kyle drains back-to-back corner three-pointers to even the score at 76 apiece with 10 seconds left, forcing Sith State to call a timeout. The whole stadium, fans of both schools, are on their feet screaming as Sith State inbounds the ball.

“COVER MALGUS!” yells Finn as Rey and Rose look at each helplessly with smiles on their faces. He’s beyond fully invested in the game now. A meteor could be barreling towards Earth and it still wouldn’t be enough to divert his attention. Men and sports right?

Sure enough, the point guard receives the inbounds pass and immediately one-bounce passes it straight to Malgus who is a step ahead of the defender covering him.

“NOOOOO!” screams Finn.

Malgus drives the lane and just when it looks like one of the defenders is going to successfully stop him, Sith State executes a perfect pick-and-roll with their center sliding into position. Malgus spins and throws up the left-handed layup which bounces once off the backboard before going through the net to make the score 78-76. 

The crowd goes wild and Finn is about three seconds away from pulling out his own hair as Force University calls a timeout with 1.7 seconds left on the game clock.

The extra downtime does nothing to calm Finn, he is officially on the warpath. “IDIOTS! I don’t know why they didn’t double team Malgus! Everyone knew they were going to run a pick-and-roll!” 

“It’s okay,” Rose says, patting him on the back trying to get him to settle down. “Wait, didn’t you say this was just a preseason exhibition game and the season doesn’t officially start until November? ”

“It doesn’t matter, we need to crush them!” he exhales.

The two women exchanging knowing looks, shrug, and try not to laugh too hard. 

Looking down at the Force University bench, Rey is surprised when she sees Kyle looking up in the stands in her direction. Shouldn’t he be focused on the game? She swears she sees him wink just as he turns and the players’ huddle disperses back onto the court. 

Players run around the court and the stadium is screaming once again waiting for Force University to inbound the ball. With 1.7 seconds left, there really isn’t any time to actually run a play. Even Rey knows that. 

Kyle sprints from the back corner to center court. The player inbounding the ball throws it before he even arrives such that Kyle is able to catch it right at the top of the key, a step or two behind the three-point line. In the same motion as his catch, Kyle throws up the ball toward the basket. An audible gasp is heard through the arena and in the time it takes the ball to travel from his hands to the basket you could hear a pin drop save the buzzer of the game clock indicating time had expired. 

Swoosh.

The ball falls perfectly into the basket. Nothing but net. 

The crowd erupts somehow even louder than before. 

Final score: Force University 79 - Sith State 78.

“AAHAHAHAHAHAHAH”

The trio jumps up and down screaming, hugging each other and clapping along with every other Force University fan in the building. Rey included. 

Winning is still winning after all. Who likes to lose?

Down on the court, the rest of the team and even some fans sitting court-side rush onto the floor and surround Kyle as they all go absolutely nuts cheering in celebration. 

After several more minutes of jubilation, Rey, Rose and Finn begin to make for the exit. She is taken back, however, when Kyle comes sprinting up the stands towards them out of nowhere.

“Rey. Hey Rey?”

“Oh hi,” she answers.

He has a huge smile across his face and he seems to puff his chest out a bit when he speaks. “Did you see that shot? Amazing right?!”

“Yeah, it was a good shot.” 

“Hey a bunch of us are going to head over to Takodana Pub for an afterparty celebration. Do you want to join us?” 

“Um, thanks, but I already have plans with Rose and Finn,” she lies, shifting her feet nervously. 

“We do?” asks Rose. 

Rey raises her eyebrows and shoots her best friend a look intended to kill.

Rose laughs. “Oh right. Sorry, I totally forgot. Caught up in the excitement and everything. Plans. Right. Big plans.”

Please earth swallow me whole, is all Rey can think as her face heats up even more.

Kyle seems oblivious. “Okay well if you change your mind you know where to find us.” He turns and begins to head back down to the court before swinging around a final time. “Or you also have my number, don’t hesitate to call,” he winks. 

Thankfully, he returns to the celebrations of his teammates on the court and spares Rey an awkward response because really? Could he be any less obvious?

She points to Rose who opens her mouth to say something as they continue to make for the exit. “Don’t even.” 

When they get out of the main arena, the crowd is packed person-to-person with everyone trying to leave. The delay in talking with Kyle has now caused them to be stuck in the horde of people pushing and pulling as everyone tries to make for the exits. 

“Ouch,” Rey shouts as one fan headed in the opposite direction pushes past her and shoulder-checks her quite hard. 

“Here.” 

Looking to her right for the familiar voice, Poe moves next to her and then takes a step in front, holding out his left arm and shielding her from the incoming crowd. 

“Stay with me,” he says calmly despite the mosh of people pushing and shoving. 

Rey looks to her left and takes Rose’s hand, who takes Finn’s. The four of them begin to snake into a single line with Poe in front leading and semi-shielding Rey, who holds onto Rose, who holds onto Finn. 

When another fan bumps into Rey again, she reaches out and grabs Poe’s forearm for support. Her hand squeezes his forearm and he looks back, their eyes meeting for a second before he nods and continues to lead them. Eventually, he gets them outside the fieldhouse and into the parking lot. 

Rey releases her grip on Poe’s forearm. “Holy crap that was crazy!”

“I’ll say,” sighs Finn.

“Someone make a mental note that if we come to another game we either need to leave early or leave late to avoid the rush.”

“Oh so you want to come to another game now?” teases Rose.

“No...that’s not what I was saying. I’m just saying...just in case.” 

“Thanks,” Rey sighs, changing the subject and turning to Poe with a weak smile. 

“No problem.”

“Alrighty,” Rose announces while taking Rey’s arm with a grin. “What’s our big plans for the evening then?”

Rey groans. Her brain hadn’t gotten that far yet.

Chapter Text

September turns to October on Force University’s campus. The leaves begin to fall, pumpkin spice flavoring makes everyone crazy and Rey is buried under mountains of work. Keeping up with classes that are of no interest to her is quickly becoming more difficult than anticipated. 

She had thought International Relations would be her hardest course this semester but Constitutional Law was also a gigantic pain in the ass. Professor Krennic was a terror who would drone on about ‘ the good old days’ and how millennials could never understand the greatness of their forefathers. He was an originalist who taught the class framed within that belief. Often criticizing loose constructionism and various progressive court decisions, Krennic wasn’t shy about letting his conservative viewpoints be known.

Beyond his inability to present material in a neutral fashion, Krennic was also one of those professors who seemed to care very little about coursework students were given from other professors. His assignments usually required Rey to spend extensive time in the library referencing obscure case rulings.

On the other hand, American Government Institutions was probably her easiest PolySci class just by nature of her own experiences. For once, it pays to be the daughter of a politician. 

Politics in Media turned out to be surprisingly more challenging than Rey imagined. Two years of dealing with the media as the daughter of the President didn’t quite cover everything. Furthermore, Professor Mothma started the class by going all the way back to the 18th century and studying how the media, namely print, helped shape the origin of the nation. 

Developing a routine over the first month-plus of classes proved invaluable. There were daily study sessions that mostly involved Rey and her peers spending an hour a two a day trying to figure out what the hell they were assigned to read in the first place. Reading dense text was done as close to after classes as possible that way she was still in the proper headspace. Writing assignments were for the afternoon and early evenings after study sessions and when the material was hopefully more clear, leading to better work. 

The missing piece to this routine was the one class Rey was genuinely excited about taking for her new double major: International Fiction. The assigned reading was actually quite enjoyable but keeping up with her PolySci classes left little time planned for her to finish the assignments.

So here she was, slouched over her desk at 9:00 PM on a Thursday night trying to get this test completed and submitted before the midnight deadline. “Ugh,” she moans as the Blackboard LMS website portal takes forever to load. 

Professor Jinn teaches the class like a Master’s thesis in so much as they get assigned a ton of reading and then the “tests” end up being three very open-ended questions about the material. That is when he doesn’t assign 50-page papers of course. She should have at least written down the questions last week so she could get started early. But no, Rey had to procrastinate the one class she actually really wants to do well in.

Unfortunately, it seems the universe is not on her side when the Blackboard portal finally times-out with a generic error. She tries refreshing the page again. 

Spinning...spinning...spinning...

504: Gateway Timeout.

Please contact university technical services for assistance.  

She refreshes the page once more. Same error. Refresh again. Same error. 

“Ugh nooooo,” whines Rey as the website won’t load. 

Opening a new tab, she confirms her internet connection is fine and she can access other websites. It’s just this stupid Blackboard portal. The one site she actually needs in order to complete her assignment. Rubbing her temple, Rey contemplates what she should do. Professor Jinn is nice, but it’s highly unlikely that he would give her an extension despite the technical issue. They did have two weeks to complete the test and it was her own fault she had procrastinated to the last minute. 

Frowning, she checks the time. 

9:13 PM

There is one thing she could do. Unfortunately, it might be her only way to get this done. 

Packing up her Macbook into her backpack, Rey slides on a pair of shoes and throws a coat over her Force University sweatshirt. When she exits her apartment, she looks down at her phone. No point in calling him, It will just be easier to just ask him in person. 

Hopping on the elevator she goes down 2 floors. Walking through the hallway she finally arrives at his apartment. Rey takes a deep breath and knocks on his door. She hates the idea of asking this of him but technically these were his rules, not hers. 

Ten seconds later the door opens and Poe Dameron appears on the other side. He’s wearing jeans, a black t-shirt and only socks on his feet. 

“Rey.” He looks surprised to see her. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to go to the library.”

“Okay?”

“Right now. I um…I have an assignment due tonight.” 

Poe’s eyes widen, finally catching up — he needs to come with her. “Sure, no problem. Just uh...” He leans outside the doorway and takes a look down the hall. “Just come inside and out of the hallway for a minute while I put on some shoes. We can be off in a minute.” 

Rey nods sheepishly. “Sorry for bothering you so late.” Ducking her head out of embarrassment, Rey steps into his apartment. She knows she must look ridiculous. She didn’t even bother to change out of her comfy leggings and oversized sweatshirt. “I honestly wasn’t expecting to need to go out tonight.”

“It’s no problem.” He’s sitting at a small table sliding into a pair of Timberland ankle boots. 

Looking around, Rey can see he hasn’t brought much into the apartment. The walls are barren and other than a few pieces of furniture there is nothing at all personal about the space. She frowns, suddenly feeling guilty. The only reason he has to live here is because of her. The last place a 32-year-old man probably wants to live is a college apartment building. 

After putting on his boots, he steps toward her and motions to the door to her left. “S’cuse me.” 

“Oh right.” Rey steps out of the way so he can get into the closet. 

She watches him throw on a leather jacket and retrieve a gun from a safe above the coatrack. Turning around, he slips the weapon behind his back and out of sight. “Do you have everything you need?” he asks. 

Rey looks down at her feet and fumbles with the straps of her backpack. She can’t remember the last time she felt this embarrassed. “Yep.” 

Zipping up his jacket, he holds out his hand for her to lead the way. “Alright, let’s go.”

They make the 15-minute walk to the library mostly in silence. When they arrive close to 9:45 PM, the library is all but empty. Who wants to be stuck here late on Thirsty Thursday right? (Not that Rey was much of a drinker. She also had that damn 9 AM International Relations class tomorrow.)

Settling into one of the study rooms, Rey takes her Macbook out of her backpack and tosses the latter on a chair. With a little luck, she should hopefully be able to connect to the university network and access the Blackboard portal. Poe sits on the opposite side of the table, not directly across from her but one seat to the left.

“Sorry again for dragging you out here so late,” she mumbles as her computer connects to the wifi. 

“Really, it’s no problem.”

Once online, Rey navigates to the Blackboard LMS and much to her relief she is able to access the site. “I have to get this test done by midnight and the stupid site wouldn’t load back at my apartment.” Logging in, she pulls up her test and begins working on the first question.

“I get that. You wouldn’t believe the technical issues I had trying to complete assignments from overseas. Internet connections on military bases aren’t exactly reliable.” 

Rey pauses and looks up at him for a moment. “You were deployed overseas?”

“Yeah…” he answers hesitantly. “Why?”

Rey shakes her head and focuses back on her work. “No reason.”

It honestly wasn’t that surprising to hear Poe was deployed overseas, many in the military were at some point in their careers. Admittedly, Rey didn’t know much about him other than what Finn and Rose and coaxed out of him during their first week of classes. Their relationship was more professional than personal. Still...

“What was that like?” She asks nonchalantly. “Taking classes while overseas?”

“A pain in the ass. The worst part was easily the time zone difference.”

Rey finds herself wanting conversation despite the work she needs to complete. The partial distraction is helpful to stay focused and occupied. 

“I bet. What did you study?”

“Oh, um…you would laugh at me.” 

Rey looks up over the top of her laptop and grins. “Try me.” 

Poe’s face slowly expands into a grin of its own. It’s a nice smile that accentuates the shape of his jaw; a full day’s growth seemingly making him look more handsome. Stop it. 

“History,” he sighs.

Rey laughs. “No way.”

“I told you that you would laugh!” Poe says, still grinning as he crosses his arms over his chest. “What can I say...I like military history.” His brown eyes fixate on her own. Were they always so warm?

Rey blushes, quickly dismissing that thought and ducking her head back down behind her computer to focus on her work. Definitely need to be focusing on work. 

She works in silence over the next hour, occasionally glancing up at Poe who mostly fiddles with his phone. Every once in awhile he’ll get up and pace the room for a few seconds before sitting back down.

A little after 10:45 PM, he gets up and leaves for several minutes. When Poe returns, Rey is surprised to find him holding two bottles of water, offering one to her. “Here.”

She looks up at him speechless. Having someone look out for her in this way is wholly unfamiliar. “Um, thanks.” 

“No problem.”

“I think I’m almost finished here,” states Rey as her fingers continue to fly across the keyboard. “Should be able to get this submitted before midnight.”

“Ah the dreaded enemy — time,” chuckles Poe.

“Pardon?” 

“The strongest of all warriors: time and patience.”

Wait what?

Rey looks up, tilting her head at him curiously as he takes a drink from his own water bottle. 

Noticing her staring, Poe asks, “Something wrong?” 

“Tolstoy. That is Tolstoy right?” 

He nods. “Yes? War and Peace .”

“Poe Dameron, you are a surprise you know that?” A sly grin grows across her face similar to earlier. It’s hard to believe he would have actually read it... “I would have never pegged you for a romantic who has actually read War and Peace .”

“Yes well, I don’t know if I would exactly classify War and Peace as a romance.”

“What would you call it then?”

Poe shrugs. “An exploration of the impacts of war and social class structure?”

Rey laughs deep in her stomach. “Alright, I’ll give you that.”

They both sit there staring at each other awkwardly in silence, neither quite sure what to say until Poe taps the desk twice. “Well, I’ll let you finish.”

“Right, yes.”

Focusing back on her work, it takes another half-hour before she finally completes the assignment and successfully submits it. 

It’s nearly midnight by the time she packs up her laptop and they walk back to their apartment building. Rey knows she’s tired when she doesn’t even bother with the elevator close door button. She is one of those OCD people about pushing it to get the elevator moving faster. 

“Thanks again for coming with me tonight,” Rey mumbles, yawning half-way, as she rides up with Poe. Scrolling through her phone, she remembers and adds, “Oh yeah, don’t forget we have that ASPCA event on Saturday.”

We? When did it become we?

“Sure thing.”

When the elevator stops on his floor, Poe exits. “Have a good night,” he says softly waiting for the doors to close and take her up to her floor.

Too tired to respond, Rey simply nods. 

Poe watches as Rey interacts with a few members of the press who were invited to the event. Today, they were at an ASPCA Adoption Center where she had agreed to help film a new commercial for the organization. This was one of many appearances he learned Rey liked to organize to support local charitable causes. He had to admire her tenacity to use what little fame she had for good. 

It was weird watching her expertly navigate questions and extol the work the ASPCA was doing to find homes for these animals. Whether Rey admitted it or not, she handled everything with all the grace of an experienced politician. It was a stark contrast to the woman who showed up at his apartment a few nights ago. Wearing leggings, an oversized sweatshirt, and looking every bit her 20-years, that Rey was almost like a different person. 

That Rey was a bit shy, silly, and dare he say cute in an authentic kind of way, seemingly always managing to disarm him. The one constant between the two versions of the same woman was her smile. A smile that always seemed to light up the room. A smile that made you want to share in her joy. A smile Poe reminded himself not to be distracted by. 

That was easier said than done of course when she wasn’t sitting on the floor playing with an over-energetic corgi. They had finally finished filming for the commercial and the press had departed. 

Poe watched as Rey giggled at the dog running in circles chasing a toy. A half-hour later, Rey and the director of the center approach him. She has the corgi nestled in her arms. 

“I need to talk to Robert.” She motions to the director standing next to her. “Can you watch BeeBee here for me?”

Poe looks between Rey and the dog whose ears shoot up in excitement upon seeing a new face. 

“Um...sure?”

“Great, thanks.” Slowly, she hands the corgi, BeeBee, over to him. Once the dog is settled in his arms, she walks into the office with Robert. 

Poe looks down at BeeBee who’s panting, tongue out, face full of excitement. He sighs. How did he end up in this situation? He’s a damn Secret Service agent, not a dog sitter. Walking over to one of the play areas, Poe sets BeeBee down and the corgi runs in circles before returning with a toy in his mouth.

“You want to play?” chuckles Poe, reluctantly taking the toy. He tosses the toy and BeeBee bolts after it. They go on like that for several minutes with the corgi seemingly having boundless energy despite also playing with Rey for the past hour. It takes a while, but eventually Poe discovers rubbing BeeBee’s belly and behind his ears, gets him to settle down and lay in his lap. 

Several minutes later, Rey exits Robert’s office. “Sorry, ran into some technical difficulties." When she sees BeeBee sitting on his lap a huge smiles grows on her face. "Aw look, he likes you!”

Poe is about to nudge BeeBee off his lap so he can stand, but once the Corgi sees and hears Rey he forgets all about Poe and bolts towards her. Clearly, we know who BeeBee likes better.

“Yeah, well that one is a never-ending ball of energy unless you play with him.” 

“That’s because you are so cute aren’t you!” Rey picks up BeeBee and plants a half dozen kisses between his ears.

“You good to go then?” asks Poe rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

Rey looks up and smiles at him brightly. 

“Yes and BeeBee here is coming with us! I just adopted him!”

Chapter Text

Poe waits patiently by the car outside the apartment building. His vehicle of choice was a reinforced Mercedes S Series, a car Rey would hopefully appreciate as a bit more discreet than the usual large Secret Service SUVs that were often used to transport diplomatic protectees. 

Today would be their first trip off campus since the semester had started. They were headed to Lars Homestead, a sprawling farm 20-minutes from campus complete with haunted hayrides, animal petting, a corn maze, pumpkin picking, and more. According to Rey, it was one of the more prominent seasonal Halloween attractions for students at Force University. Unfortunately, all Poe saw was a giant security risk. 

Most of the grounds had open sightlines in every direction and there would be hundreds of patrons ranging from families with kids, to young adults, and everything in between. 

Of course, he wasn’t about to tell Rey she couldn’t go with her friends. His job was to give her space and look after her to the best of his abilities. Unless there was a clear threat, he’d simply have to adapt and overcome. 

He stands up straighter when he spots her pushing open the doors of her building with BeeBee in tow. Poe smiles to himself at the sight of them together. Morning runs with Rey had turned into morning walks with BeeBee. The corgi spent much time dragging her, and by extension him, around to explore every corner of Force University’s campus. 

While BeeBee was technically Rey’s dog, somehow Poe had also become his second parent. During the first week she had adopted him, she was so nervous to leave BeeBee alone that the dog ended up coming with her to most places. As a result, on more than one occasion Poe found himself on dog-sitting duty while she had a test or study group or something else that required her full attention. Several days later, a non-insignificant number of his clothes now had orange and white dog hair attached to them. 

That wasn’t even the craziest part. 

Oh no. 

Poe knew he was well and truly screwed when he started carrying extra plastic baggies and hand sanitizer for their walks to help to clean up BeeBee’s excrements. Because after thirteen years in the Navy and nearly a year in the Secret Service, all of his considerable skill and experience is now spent literally picking up dog shit. 

Upon spotting Poe, the corgi barks playfully and drags his mom faster to the car. 

“Easy Bee!” laughs Rey, still holding onto his leash as they come barreling towards him.

Poe bends down and offers BeeBee his hand, which the dog then proceeds to slobber kisses all over. 

“Alright there.” Poe extracts his hand after a few seconds and reaches inside his jacket for the hand sanitizer. The dog barks playfully once more.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t love it,” giggles Rey.

Looking up, he is temporarily taken aback by the sight of a wide grin on her face. Nope. 

“Yeah... Yeah...” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Despite his begrudging complaints, the corgi has really grown on him. What can he say, there is something about those literal puppy dog eyes that get him every time.

“All ready to go?”

“Yep.”

BeeBee gives another bark of approval.

Chuckling, Poe holds open the passenger side door. Rey gives him a quick look before climbing into the back seat without comment. He makes his way over to the other side of the car and slides into the driver’s seat. Checking his rearview mirror, he notices she already has her seatbelt fastened and BeeBee is resting comfortably in her lap.

The first half of their drive is spent mostly in silence until Rey’s phone rings. 

“Oh hey Dad,” she remarks, picking up the phone and spotting the name on the caller id. 

Dad...as in Mr. President. 

Poe’s hands instinctively tighten around the steering wheel and he tries to focus on the road ahead to give her some privacy. Admittedly, privacy is hard to come by in a four-door luxury sedan that isn’t equipped with a separator panel. What follows is an awkward one-sided conversation between the first daughter and her father. 

“I’m good. The semester is a lot of work, but that was to be expected.”

“No dad, I don’t need a tutor. I’m perfectly capable of handling the coursework on my own.” 

“Sure, if I need help you will certainly be the first person I ask.”

“Yes, I’ll be back at the White House in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.”

“Right now? I’m headed to Lars Homestead to meet up with Finn, Rose, and a few other friends.”

“Rose and Finn are great. Thanks for asking.”

“Who Poe?” 

He glances up at the rearview mirror at the sound of his name only to find Rey looking in his direction. 

“Yeah, he’s with me.” 

“Yeah...um...he’s working out fine,” she mutters in a low voice.  

Great. Just great. She’s talking about him to her dad who happens to the President of the United States. Fantastic.

“He’s uh...driving right now.”

Once again their eyes meet briefly when he peeks up through the rearview mirror. She looks about as uncomfortable with the conversation as he feels.

“Um...Okay.”

“Alright, I will. Thanks for checking in. Love you. Bye.”

Poe can hear the relief in her voice when she hangs up and leans back in her seat. The rest of their drive is spent in quiet until they finally arrive at Lars Homestead. Much to his chagrin, she hops out of the car immediately and lets BeeBee stretch his legs.

“Rey,” he states pointedly, also climbing out of the car. “Next time, can you please stay in the car until I’ve had a chance to canvass our destination?”

She stares at him over the top of the car’s hood.

“Sorry, I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

He walks around to the passenger side next to her. She’s holding BeeBee’s leash while he jumps up and down anxious to explore the new surroundings.

“It’s not a huge deal now, but in the future yes?”

“Sure thing.” Her eyes shift to her feet and she ducks her head. “By the way...my dad says ‘hi.’”

“Oh...uh...okay?”

Poe only met President Skywalker that one time. Was it a good or bad thing the President remembered him? It’s hard to imagine the President of the United States spending any time reading through his weekly duty reports. They were mostly inconsequential status updates about going to classes, study groups, watching Rey hang out with friends, etcetera. None of it was terribly exciting by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe President Skywalker was getting daily briefings about his daughter from other agents? Maybe the director? It’s probably best not to spend too much time overthinking it. 

“I’m sorry, that was weird right?” cuts in Rey.

They are walking through the parking lot now toward the main gate. 

“Pardon?”

“My dad. Saying hi. That was weird right?”

“Well. I...uh...don’t know. You obviously know him better than I do…”

“Yeah…” 

Rey’s friends are already waiting for them at the main gate when they arrive. The group for the outing consisted of Rey, Finn, Rose, her sister Paige, Kaydel Connix, and her boyfriend Beaumont Kin. They were all students at Force University, but Poe still ran background checks on them at the start of the year as part of his overall security review. 

Paige was a senior who would be graduating this year with a degree in economics. She was a bit more of a realist compared to her sister Rose, but the elder Tico still knew how to have a good time. Kaydal was a junior like Rey and a computer science major. They apparently met freshman year in the mess hall and have been friends ever since. Kaydal’s boyfriend Beaumont was also a junior and a chemistry major.

Poe flanks the group as they walk through the farm. 

BeeBee leads the way, dragging the group all around the homestead. They start with checking out all the different farm animals and then head off to do some pumpkin picking. Beaumont handles the wheelbarrow while the rest of the group chooses their different pumpkins. The selection mostly ends up being large pumpkins suitable for carving. A few smaller fruits (yes pumpkins are technically a fruit) are thrown in the mix to be used as a decorative flourish. 

They finish pumpkin picking in the early evening and the group stops for dinner at one of the many food trucks parked around the homestead. Poe orders a simple hamburger and remains several paces behind the group. 

Rey was more carefree with her friends here off-campus and away from prying eyes. She was more like the shy, silly, cute optimistic young woman he had come to know over the last few weeks and less like the buttoned-up President’s daughter. Occasionally, one of the other farm visitors would recognize Rey — a young girl would ask for a photograph or a polite comment would be made — but it was never anything of significant consequence. And certainly nothing that required intervention similar to the preseason basketball game last month. 

After dinner, they made their way to the corn maze. In hindsight, calling it a maze was probably not accurate. A labyrinth was perhaps a more apropos description in this case. Nearly two acres of the farm had been carved out for the attraction and the corn stalks were at least eight feet high. Poe agrees to take BeeBee off Rey’s hands for a bit when she needs a break. The loveable corgi doesn’t seem to mind and follows along cheerfully.

As the group makes their way through the winding pathways, the conversation between friends shifts towards their personal lives. 

“So Paige,” Rose teases, “are you still seeing that guy from Boston College you met last summer, what was his name again?” 

Paige shoots her sister a look. 

“His name is John and no, I’m not seeing him anymore. We broke up last month. Long-distance relationships don’t work.”

“No new baes then?” 

“No, absolutely not. I’m keeping my head down and focusing on graduating in the spring.”

Kaydal playfully bumps shoulders with Rey. “What about you hun? Any handsome hunks catching your eye?”

“Oh, you bet there is,” snickers Rose with a grin. “Why don’t you tell her about Kyle Ren?”

Finn also laughs aloud. “Yeah Rey, what’s going on with you and Kyle Ren?”

“Nothing!” she blushes, holding her hands up defensively. “He’s asked me to hang out with his stupid basketball team a few times, but I told him I wasn’t interested.”

“Mmmm that’s not quite how I remember it.” 

“Yeah,” nods Rose. “If memory serves me correctly, you made up excuses as to why you couldn’t go. You know, there’s a big difference between telling him you aren’t interested and blowing him off.” 

“Whatever, I’m not interested.”

“Well if you and Paige here are single and looking to mingle, I recommend you get on Bumble,” suggests Kaydal with a smile. “My friend Larma tried it out a few weeks ago and has been having tons of fun.” 

Paige laughs. “Yeah, that sounds exactly like what I need, another dating app.”

“Bumble is different, you would make the first move, not the guy.” 

“Yeah, I don’t know Kaydal…” Rey sighs. “You know dating is hard enough in my situation and I got my hands full with two majors and BeeBee.” 

Turning around, she searches for a moment before finding Poe with her dog. He nods cordially when their eyes meet and BeeBee barks happily at the sound of his name. 

The rest of their time at Lars Homestead is uneventful. With the sun going down, it takes them another thirty minutes to find their way through the maze. They finally hit up the haunted hayrides when it is fully dark outside and he’s surprised when he finds Rey more amused than startled at the performers in costumes attempting to scare them. Keeping BeeBee calm throughout the ride ends up being the hardest part of the job. The loveable corgi bounces up and down and barks at nearly every attempt to frighten them. All told, it’s nearly 10pm by the time they are back in the car and returning to Rey’s apartment. 

“Thanks for being so cool with today,” she remarks after nearly the full trip in silence. 

“Sure, not a problem.”

“I hope the day wasn’t too boring for you.”

“Boring is good,” he laughs. “Trust me, I’ll take boring any day.”

“Yeah, well—”

Rey is interrupted when his phone rings over the car speakers. Looking at the center console dashboard a familiar name pops up on the caller ID. Just great, he thinks, perfect timing. 

“Sorry, I need to take this...if that is okay?”

“Sure thing,” she nods, settling back into her seat and pulling up her own phone. 

Popping in a Bluetooth earpiece, he presses the answer call button on the steering wheel. 

“Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

Poe watches Rey’s head pique up ever so slightly. 

“Mijo how are you?”

“I’m good, is everything okay?” He checks the time on the car dashboard. “Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”

“Oh relax Mijo, I’m fine.” His dad lets out a rough cough over the phone. “I just wanted to check-in. You busy?” 

“Kinda yeah.” 

“Still looking after the girl?”

Poe rolls his eyes. It’s a really good thing he didn’t take this call on the car speaker. 

“Yes.”

“Is she with you now?”

“Yep.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you then. I just wanted to check-in and see if you were still coming over for Thanksgiving?”

“Yes, that is still the plan,” he answers while turning down the street to Rey’s apartment building. Technically it’s his apartment too he supposes, he has been living there for the past two months. 

“Great, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll see you next week then?”

Poe pulls the car up to the side of their building entrance. Putting a hand over his earpiece, he looks in the rearview mirror at Rey. “One sec,” he murmurs softly. 

“Sure thing,” she smiles. 

He removes his hand from the earpiece.

“Yeah Dad, I’ll see you next week.”

“Great, talk soon. Love you Mijo.”

His cheeks warm and he glances up in the rearview mirror to find Rey watching him. “You too Dad...bye.” 

Poe clicks the end call button on the steering wheel and shuts off the car. Quickly unbuckling his seatbelt, he hops out of the car, and dashes around to the passenger side. After a short sweep, he opens the door for Rey to exit the vehicle. BeeBee is out first, landing on the sidewalk and pulling her with him. 

“Easy Bee,” she laughs as BeeBee barks cheerfully, happy to finally be out of the car. 

Heading to the trunk, Poe retrieves the two pumpkins Rey had picked out for herself and the pair make their way into the lobby. 

“So that was your dad?” she asks curiously. 

Poe glances sideways in her direction as they wait by the elevator. 

“Yeah, he was just checking in. Wanted to know if I was going to be around for Thanksgiving.”

“I see.” She enters the elevator first when it arrives. “Do your parents live close by?”

“It’s just my dad...and he lives in Bethesda.”

Rey bites her lip, clearly catching the underlying tone of his voice. “Oh, I’m sorry...I didn’t mean...” Unsure what to say next, she waves her arms aimlessly

“It’s quite alright,” he smiles meekly. “Mom passed a while ago.” 

When the elevator arrives on her floor, he follows along inside to her apartment and sets the pumpkins he had been carrying for her on the counter. 

“Anything else you need tonight Rey?” he asks, already halfway back at the door. They spend 12 plus hours a day together, normally he likes to let her have some space in her own apartment.

“No, I’m good, thanks.”

She lets BeeBee off his leash and he quickly bounces around the living room. Poe swears that dog must have a supply of unlimited energy. As if on cue, the corgi arrives at his feet, nipping at his heels.

“Alright, well I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Bending down, he rubs BeeBee between the ears. “And I’ll see you later too Bee.”

“Bye Poe,” calls Rey with a grin as he leaves her apartment. 

Chapter Text

Rey wakes surrounded by luxury. Dad always lets her stay in the Queen’s Bedroom when she sleeps over at the White House. The historic guest room might be ostentatious, but the mattress and bed linens are top-notch. Glancing over at her phone, she sees it’s already well past nine in the morning. 

Ugh.  

It was Thanksgiving and Rey knew she was in store for a long day. The annual Presidential pardoning of the turkey — a ceremony she thought was wholly ridiculous — would take place around noon followed by a short speech from her father touting recent accomplishments and new opportunities on the horizon. Later, they would have dinner with the extended family including her Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, Cousin Ben, and potentially whoever else Dad decided to invite. 

Two years ago, the Senate Minority Leader and his wife showed up to their Thanksgiving dinner at Dad’s request. The goal was to break bread, mend fences, and possibly find some common ground despite their differing political views. It only took a half-hour for the whole dinner to go completely off the rails. After that mishap, Aunt Leia made Dad promise to run any dinner invites past her in the future. 

Rolling out of bed, Rey changes into a pair of leggings and a hoodie before heading to the main residential area to go for a run outside. She nearly makes it out of the residence before being greeted by an unfamiliar face. Ugh. Right. No Poe. He had been off her detail since she arrived back at the White House yesterday for Thanksgiving break. Rey didn’t think much of it at first, but now as she goes for a run followed by a team of three Secret Service agents in an SUV, she can’t help but notice the difference. 

Most of their morning runs together were spent in silence, making idle conversation, or more recently running after BeeBee. Still, there was something cathartic about the ritual and she finds herself missing Poe’s company just the same. 

Finishing her run and arriving back at the White House, Rey spends the next forty-five minutes getting ready for the day ahead. She showers and changes into a navy blue pleated polka dot midi dress accented with a white collar and cuffs. Several additional minutes are spent styling her hair up into a half pulled-back ponytail. The simple yet sophisticated look should be more than appropriate for the day’s events while also keeping her reasonably comfortable. 

Aunt Leia is sitting out in the residence common room when Rey comes looking for a quick bite before turkey pardoning festivities. The elder woman is like a mother to her, filling in the obvious shortcomings of a single father like her Dad. For instance, it was Leia who first took Rey to get her ears pierced after she was adopted. When Rey started requiring fashion advice, Leia was the one who took her shopping. And when she came of that particular age, you can be damn sure it was Leia to have “the talk” with Rey and help her through her first few months. 

Oh, and on top of all that, her father’s twin also happened to be a former two-term senator now turned Secretary of State. 

“Morning Aunt Leia, how are you?” greets Rey, sitting down at the table across from her and plating two slices of cantaloupe. 

“I’m well dear, but I’m not sure if it still qualifies as the morning.”

“As long as it’s before noon, it’s morning.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely,” Rey nods with a grin. She settles on two links of sausage to go with her cantaloupe and a cup of hazelnut coffee. Dinner was going to be served around four and if the last few years had taught her anything, it was that the White House staff went all out on Thanksgiving. Leaning back in her chair, she turns to her Aunt. “Have you spoken with Dad yet today?”

“Yes, we had the daily briefing in the Oval and a few other meetings earlier this morning. I believe he’s currently finalizing today’s speech.”

“I see,” Rey sighs. 

As much as she loves her father, sometimes his job is a real pain. It’s hard enough being an adopted only child, but when your dad is the President, it makes everything more difficult. Quality time has been limited to dinner last night and a half-hour greeting shortly after she arrived back at the White House. 

“So Rey, how are you?” Picking up on her mood, Leia changes topics. She was always empathetic like that. “Last we spoke you had planned to take-up an English major in addition to pre-law. How is that going? I take it you still haven’t told your dad yet?”

“Yeah, no, not yet” frowns Rey. “To be honest, I’m still not sure when and how I’m going to tell him. You know how he gets when the topic of me going to Harvard Law comes up. Just the thought of Ben and I following in your footsteps and the ‘legacy’ that could bring makes him so happy.” 

“Rey, sweetheart, the only thing that truly makes your father happy is seeing those he loves also happy.” Aunt Leia reaches across the table and places a hand above her own. “You aren’t Ben, you don’t want a career in politics. You are only going to end up making yourself miserable the longer you keep up the illusion.” Smiling warmly, Leia gives her hand a final squeeze. “When you’re ready, tell your father.”

God, Rey loves her Aunt. 

“I will,” she nods, smiling timidly and squeezing Leia’s hand in return. 

Maybe not today, but someday, she will tell Dad. 

“Good,” nods Leia in confirmation, “Now enough dour talk, how is the rest of your year going?”

Rey opens her mouth to answer, but at that exact moment, Artie comes in with BeeBee fresh and pampered from a morning spa treatment. The steward can only hold back the energetic pup so long before he sprints towards Rey, begging to be let into her lap. 

“Hey Bee! I missed you too,” she laughs, bending over to rub the corgi behind his ears the way she knows he absolutely adores. “Unfortunately I need to look prim and proper for Dad today, so that means you can’t rest in my lap until later okay?” Bee barks merrily as if he understood every word she said. “Did you have a good time with Artie while I slept in though?” Another happy bark. “Excellent!” 

“Will there be anything else you require Miss Skywalker?”

“No Artie, I’m good, thanks.”

“Anything I can do for you Madam Secretary?” the steward asks, turning to Leia. 

“No thank you, Artie, as my niece stated, we are quite well here.” 

“Very good. Madam. Miss.” And just like that, the residence steward excuses himself just as swiftly as he came.

“Well I guess that is part of an answer to my question,” laughs Leia, admiring Rey happily playing with her puppy. 

“Yeah…” Rey takes another sip of coffee as BeeBee finally settles down and lies at her feet. “Adopting Bee wasn’t exactly planned, but when I went to the shelter last month and saw him, I just knew I had to have this little guy in my life.” She bites her lip and tilts her head. “Do you think Dad is upset that I adopted him?”

“Absolutely not. You are an adult, you can make your own decisions.”

Rey nods and breathes in deeply, letting the compliment warm her. 

“In any case,” Leia continues, “Other than this bundle of joy, is the rest of your year going well?”

“Yes, surprisingly so if I do say so myself.” She sits back in her chair and folds her hands in her lap. “Obviously classes are more difficult and there is more work overall with two majors now, but Dad cutting back my Secret Service detail has really made things a lot easier.” She smiles contently. “I can actually go places and do things and have a life. It’s honestly refreshing.” 

“Good, I’m glad.” 

“Yeah, I even started writing a new original story. It’s nothing big,” She cuts in quickly noticing her Aunt perk up with a million questions ready at the tip of her tongue, ”I’m mostly just outlining and working on the overall narrative, but I figure if I want to give this writing thing a real shot, I have to start somewhere.”

“Rey, that’s wonderful!” Checking a buzz on her phone, Leia’s expression turns more serious. “Well, I think that’s our cue. We best start heading down to the Rose Garden. I’m sure Han, Ben, and your father will be on their way in due time.”

“Right.” 

Rey takes one more sip of her coffee before also getting up. “C’mon Bee, let’s go.” The puppy wags his tail happily as she puts on his leash and they make their way out of the residence. 

Poe places another skinned potato on the side of the sink. Eight should probably do the trick. It was just dinner for him and Dad, but he wanted to make sure there was enough for leftovers. Retrieving a final vegetable from the bag, he begins peeling it with a hand tool. The skin around his fingers was callousing, but he continued peeling away. There was just something soothing about the simplicity of peeling potatoes by hand. 

The turkey was already stuffed and cooking in the oven. The 15-pound bird was way more than either of them needed, but again, the leftovers would be good for Dad. 

“How’s it going in there?” Comes the elder Dameron’s voice from the living room. “Need any help?”

“No Dad, I’m fine,” he chuckles. “I promise you, I won’t burn the place down.” 

Once finished, he begins placing the skinned potatoes in the pot of water on the stove and waits patiently for it to boil. 

He can’t even remember the last time he really cooked a full meal. It was probably before he moved into his temp apartment on Force University’s campus. Not that he’s complaining about the accommodations of course. His one-bedroom unit had all the amenities you would expect in a modern luxury apartment building: a full kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, a full shower/tub combo, and even a small outside hanging patio. 

(Albeit, he could never afford to rent such an apartment on a meager government salary.)

All this being said, the idea of cooking a full three-plus course meal just for himself seems a little overblown. Nowadays, he cooks most of his meals ahead of time when he’s not eating out. It’s just simpler that way, Rey’s schedule can be unpredictable at times. 

Rey.

It’s kind of crazy how upside down his life has become just due to this one assignment. While looking after the First Daughter may not be the most challenging job from a security standpoint, it has definitely been the most taxing on a personal level. Everything about his life has been upended...and it’s not even the first time that has happened in the last two years. 

As the pot of potatoes comes to a boil, Poe takes it off the stove. He drains the water, adds in several ingredients, and begins mashing them with the hand masher tool. These make-ahead mashed potatoes were one of his favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Pretty much anything that didn’t require precise preparation was a big win in his book. One turkey was good enough.

Speaking of which, he’s checking the bird in the oven when Kes calls again from the living room. 

“Hey, Mijo your girl is on TV.”

Huh? My girl?

Closing the oven and setting the potatoes in the refrigerator for later, Poe washes his hands and joins his father in the living room. “What’s this now?”

“Isn’t that your girl there?” 

Kes is pointing at the TV which is tuned into CNN broadcasting the annual Presidential turkey pardoning ceremony. Sure enough, standing off to the side and behind President Skywalker, is his daughter and Poe’s charge. She’s wearing a nice white polka-dot dress, short flat-wedge heels and is smiling pleasantly through service. 

“Uh…” he stutters. “Don’t say that Dad, she’s not my girl. She’s my protectee.” 

“Okay fine, but that is her though right?”

“Yes Dad, that’s Rey.”

“Yep, I was definitely right about her being cute,” laughs Kes mischievously. 

Poe’s face heats up (from the oven earlier) and he rolls his eyes. “Oh come off it.” 

His hands go to his hips as he watches the pardoning conclude and President Skywalker begins to make an address.  The President touts recent accomplishments in rebuilding infrastructure, new funding for school programs, and a commitment to renewable energy. The leader of the free world also briefly speaks to the continued threat terror organizations such as the First Order pose and the work still needed to be done to expand voting rights across the country. Throughout the speech, Rey stands ever-present off to the side of her father with a smile spread across her face. 

After spending every day for the last three months in her company, it’s weird seeing her on TV. The change highlights just how quiet the last two days have been without her. As the ceremony ends, Poe can’t help but smile when that adorable pup BeeBee wags his tail and follows Rey obediently back inside the White House. 

Rey’s entire family is present for dinner. Dad sits at the head of the table with Aunt Leia and Uncle Han to his right. 

Han and Leia’s meeting was something of a rom-com meet-cute while Leia was at Harvard Law. Her car had broken down on the way to class and Han, working at an auto body repair shop at the time, was called to help tow her car. After haggling with him over the price of the tow and the cost of repairs, Han would wind up asking her out on a date. Leia declined his first request, but Uncle Han was persistent and eventually got her to agree to go out with him. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Rey sits to Dad’s left with her cousin Ben seated next to her. Ben was several years older than her and in his final year at Harvard Law. Unlike her though, he actually wanted to get into politics and had been taking odd jobs over the years working for his mother. Last summer he even interned at the State Department. 

Fortunately, Dad didn’t invite any other guests to dinner so it was just the five of them. After an hour or so of chit-chat and getting caught up with the different happenings in everyone’s lives, the conversation turns to more serious topics. 

“While we are all here, I was hoping to talk a little about next year,” starts her father. “As you all know, next year is an election year.” Right, as if she could forget. “Over the next few months, things will be picking up with my reelection campaign which means speeches, debates, town halls, and other events. To kick things off, we’re going to be doing a cover shoot with Time magazine next month and you all are included.” 

“Sounds good Uncle Luke” nods Ben. 

“That’s because it was my suggestion,” teases Aunt Leia. “I thought it would be good to start the campaign centered around the message of family. Fortunately, Michael agreed.” 

Michael Yoda was Dad’s campaign manager. The man was in his 70s and had been retired for several years before agreeing to help lead Dad’s first presidential campaign four years ago. He was one of those old-school beltway insider types but his age and experience gave him a unique perspective beyond the usual grift of modern politics.

“Rey,” her father turns to her with a smile, “I was hoping you could possibly take a little more of an involved role campaign this time now that you are older.” As if sensing her natural hesitation, he continues quickly. “I wasn’t thinking anything too big as I know you still have school, but maybe a few appearances on your own or at a campaign stop or two could really be helpful in getting out the younger voting block.” 

And there it is, the ugly part of politics Rey hates where nearly everything boils down to a cold, perfectly calculated chess move. She knows Dad doesn’t naturally scheme to such a degree, he’s not like most politicians who are only in it for the money and power, but unfortunately, if you want to do some good, sometimes you have to play the game. 

“Sure thing Dad,” she smiles meekly. “Happy to help any way I can.”

“Thanks, sweetheart. And if there are any events you’d like to promote as part of the campaign, such as your work with the ASPCA, we can talk about it with Michael and maybe arrange something okay?”

“Sounds good.”

“What about me Uncle Luke?” laughs Ben. “Do I not count for rounding up the youth vote anymore?” 

“Nope,” cuts in Rey with a grin, nudging shoulders against him playfully. “You gave that up when you decided to follow your mom into politics. Now you’re just another Washington elitist like the rest of them.” 

“Hey now, I’m not a Washington elitist!” chimes in Uncle Han. 

This is very true. Uncle Han runs a private high-end custom car garage. His pride and joy was his completely customized silver 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra which he had dubbed “The Falcon.” Naturally, a falcon decal was the main attraction on the hood. 

“Okay fine, yes, you don’t count. But these three definitely do!” she giggles pointing at Dad, Ben and Aunt Leia.

The Skywalker-Organa-Solo family laugh in unison around the table. It was the small moments like these that Rey truly cherished. Eventually, Dad would need to return to work that needed his attention, Aunt Leia would do the same, and similar to her, Ben would return to school, but for now, they could just be a normal family teasing each other around a Thanksgiving dinner table.

Rey zips up the small suitcase she had packed for the extended holiday weekend. Now that Thanksgiving break was over, she would be returning back to her apartment on campus today. As great as it was to spend the holiday with family, the constant hustle and bustle of the White House wore her down. She was looking forward to going home and things getting back to normal.

Rolling her suitcase along the residence hallway, she is greeted by a familiar face.

Tom, her old Secret Service lead quickly approaches, offering to take the suitcase off her hands. “Oh, let me help you with that Miss Skywalker!” A 20 year veteran of the Secret Service, he was a bit of a stickler for the rules while he was on her protective detail, but overall he was a nice man.

“Hey Tom, thanks, but it’s okay I got it.” 

“Very well,” he nods, continuing to walk alongside her. “I’m going to be leading your escort back to Force University today. I assume the rest of your belongings are in order?” 

“Yes. Artie was just taking BeeBee for a walk and should meet us outside.” 

“Great.”

“So how are you Tom? It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Very well thank you for asking,” he smiles. “How about you Miss Skywalker? Are you having a good semester?”

Rey nods. “Yes. Things are a bit different this year coming back from Oxford and obviously, you are probably well aware of the changes in security, but I am doing quite well.” 

When they arrive outside, Artie is waiting with BeeBee. “Yes indeed. You’re lucky, Dameron is a good agent, there is possibly no better man to run solo security in the Service.”

“Oh really?” Her head piques while she takes BeeBee’s leash and Tom holds the car door open for the two. “I was under the impression he hadn’t been with the Secret Service for very long?”

“True, he hasn’t, but he was a SEAL before he joined us.”

Rey practically trips over herself climbing into the car. 

“Wait...what?” 

“Oh...You didn’t know?” 

“No…” 

“Yeah...Dameron was a Navy SEAL before he joined the Secret Service, and from what I’ve heard, a fairly accomplished one too.” 

Tom awkwardly stands beside the passenger door waiting for her to climb into the car. “Everything okay Miss Skywalker?”

“Yeah…” she mutters, still a bit stunned before finally joining BeeBee in the backseat.

Chapter Text

Rey sits alone in the science department’s observatory. While the library was her go-to place for studying, the observatory’s unobstructed view of the campus was her preferred location to write. There was something about the vista, the closeness of the stars on a clear winter night, which made her imagination soar and the words flow from her fingertips. If there was ever an evening she needed to produce verbose prose it was definitely tonight. 

True to form, she had procrastinated her final assignment for International Fiction until the last minute and now she was trying to play catch-up. The task was incredibly open-ended: write a short story about something personal in your life. It could be about a relationship with a friend or family member, a particular event in your life, or even a wish you might have about the future. Rey chose to write her story about an orphan girl setting out on an adventure to find her biological parents. 

Her protagonist, Olivia, begins the story bequeathed a small case of her birth parent’s belongings when she turns 18. Using the paraphernalia as a starting point, Olivia travels across the country attempting to re-trace the movements of her birth parents in hopes of better understanding who she is and possibly find her parents. Throughout the story, she meets several companions such as a plucky girl named Beatrice who helps repair her car when it breaks down, and a boy named Frank who ran away from an abusive home and joins Olivia on her quest. 

The conclusion of her story sees Olivia unable to find her birth parents, and while it’s definitely cliche, the implied lesson is that family and belonging is what you make of it, that the journey really was about the self-discovery and friends Olivia made along the way. 

When Rey was younger, she thought about her biological parents often. It was natural, she figured, growing up in an unconventional home with a single dad, that she wondered about such things. When she was about 12, Dad even paid for a private detective to use the records from her adoption to provide answers about her lineage. Unsurprisingly, the truth turned out to be far less fanciful than her imagination. Rey’s mom was a teenager who had accidentally gotten pregnant and instead of having an abortion, she left her child in a convent with nuns. Not long after her birth, Rey’s biological mother would then fall in with the wrong crowd and succumb to a drug overdose. 

It had been years since she thought about her own origins, but the message of family and belonging she wants to convey in her short story still resonates today in the love she shares with Dad, Leia, Han, and Ben. Admittedly, Rey’s desire to have Olivia go on this quest also might have something to do with her love for grand adventures. The Lord of the Rings is her all-time favorite story after all. 

With any luck, Rey would hopefully finish fleshing out the end of her story in the next hour. The observatory had a strict no pet policy and so Bee was stuck back at her apartment. She could only imagine what kind of trouble the lovable corgi was getting up to in her absence. 

Trying not to think about it too much, Rey puts her head down and focuses on writing. Unfortunately, it’s almost 11pm by the time she finally completes the ending to her short story. So much for finishing within the next hour huh?

Rising to her feet, she stretches her legs and begins packing up her laptop and notebook. Beyond this assignment, next week would feature finals for her last two classes: International Relations and Politics and Media. She was more than prepared to ace the latter while the former she dreaded with the passion of a thousand suns. Her grades this semester for International Relations haven’t been all that great and with the final exam accounting for 35% of the total grade there was still a lot of room for volatility. 

Rey shrugs on her coat and backpack before making her way down the stairs from the observatory. Waiting for her at the bottom of the landing — for the past six hours — sits Poe. He had graciously agreed to give her space to finish writing since there was only one entrance and exit to the observatory

“Hey.” She greets him with a timid smile. Staying out this late wasn’t exactly her plan, but she supposes that’s the price of procrastinating once again. “Ready to go?”

“Yes,” he nods, quickly jumping to his feet and following her through the hall and out of the building.

Since arriving back at campus two weeks ago they had mostly settled back into their usual routine. He would join her for morning runs, help with walking Bee, remain otherwise unassuming while she buried herself in schoolwork trying to finish out the semester. It’s why she was surprised, but not disappointed when he is the one who strikes up a conversation on the walk back to their apartment building.

“Did you finish everything you needed to get done tonight?”

“Yep.” Rey pulls the zipper of her coat all the way up as her breath makes a white cloud in front of her face. “And I have to admit, it’s probably the best story I’ve ever written, and that includes work for a class or even just on my own.”

“That’s great.”

She glances over at him for a second and bites her lip before speaking again. “Would you like to read it?”

“Umm.” He runs his gloved hand across the back of his neck as they continue walking along. “I’ll read it if you want me to, but I wouldn’t want to impose unnecessarily.” She watches a white cloud exhale from his mouth. “So...do you want me to read it?” 

“I wouldn’t mind.” Stuffing her hands in her jacket, she shivers for warmth. The observatory was on the complete opposite side of campus from their apartment building and the temperature had dropped precipitously since earlier in the evening. “Would be good to have a second pair of eyes to let me know if I’m overly biased about my own work.”

“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that. If you say it's your best work I believe you.” His gentle smile turns a bit mischievous and he quickly adds, “I mean there is approximately zero chance I would tell the daughter of the leader of the free world that her work wasn’t good.”

“Hey now!” Rey smacks him playfully across the shoulder. “You’d really lie to me like that?”

“Absolutely.”

She smacks him across the shoulder again, this time earning a laugh from him in return.

“Agent Dameron if you ever lie to me I will kick your ass up and down this campus. Do you understand me?”

“Yes ma’am,” He chuckles, giving her a faux salute in the process.

Rey smacks him on the shoulder a third time. “And don’t call me ma’am!” 

He shakes his head as they continue their walk home. The levity of their conversation and his fake salute has her thinking back to Thanksgiving and a topic she had been avoiding for the last two weeks since they had been back. 

“Hey um, Poe...I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.” 

“Okay...What’s on your mind?”

She glances over in his direction and takes a deep breath. “Well, I sorta backed into some information about you over Thanksgiving...I promise I wasn’t being a stalker or anything like that, but I was talking with my old Secret Service detail lead, Tom, and he mentioned you were a SEAL?” 

Rey watches him take a deep breath before finally responding. 

“Okay?”

“Well...that was just...um...surprising because you said you were in the Navy before joining the Secret Service?”

“Last I checked, SEALs are part of the Navy.”

Rey furrows her brow. He’s being coy with her for some reason. “I believe the exact phrase you used was ‘something like that’ when describing yourself as a sailor.” 

He shrugs wordlessly. 

“Come on Poe!” Rey rolls her eyes. “You’ve been in charge of my protection for almost five months now and that is a pretty big detail to lie about!”

“Okay first, I didn’t lie. I simply omitted details. Second, it’s not a big deal, there are plenty of other agents in the Service who are former military, even SEALs. Third, it’s not relevant to the task at hand. How does my being a SEAL change anything with regard to your security?”

Now it’s her turn to shrug wordlessly. 

“Exactly. It doesn’t.” He sighs and takes a deep breath. His voice shifts to something different, something low and distant. “Look, I just...I just don’t like talking about it, okay?”

“Okay fine.” There is obviously more which he is keeping from her, but it’s also clear he doesn’t want to share. “Just Poe...” — she bites her lip — “don’t lie to me okay?” 

He nods slowly “Of course.”

They walk in silence for another 15 minutes before finally arriving back home. 

It was Friday night and Rey had taken her final exam of the semester yesterday. Now it was time to let loose. She still can’t believe Poe let her come out tonight. Well, perhaps “let” is too strong a word; he’s not her keeper or anything. Still, the fact he didn’t object to her going with Finn and Rose to this party seems celebration-worthy in its own right. Her old Secret Service detail never let her go anywhere near social engagements that could end in disaster. 

Perhaps that's why she has never been to a real college party in her two and a half years at university. Tonight, however, she was determined to change that statistic. Some big greek frat house was throwing an end-of-semester party on campus and that’s why Rey, Finn and Rose now find themselves standing in the foyer of a literal madhouse. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea honey?” inquires Rose. 

“Absolutely,” nods Rey with a grin. “We’re going to eat and drink and enjoy ourselves like normal irresponsible college students!”

“Alright, what are we waiting for then!” Not wasting any time, Finn quickly pushes through the crowd toward the food setup in the kitchen. 

“Rey!” 

Looking to her left, she searches the crowd for the voice who called her name.

Oh shit.

It’s Kyle. Of course, he would be at a frat party.

“Rey, you’re here!”

“That I am.”

“I thought you didn't come to these things?”

“Trying something new,” she shrugs.

“Awesome!” he says in a voice that is way too interested. “Well if you want I can show you around, there is food over there and drinks—”

“—Thanks,” she interjects quickly, “but I’m hanging with Rose tonight.” Rey grabs her best friend's arm and promptly drags her off in a different direction.

Over the past few weeks, Kyle had become increasingly more persistent in his not-so-subtle attempts to ask her out on a date. She didn’t know which was worse: that the guy couldn’t take the hint she wasn’t interested or that his behavior was at this point borderline creepy. In any case, she tries to put him out of her mind and enjoy the evening. 

The trio catches up with Kaydal and Beaumont who are equally happy to be done with the semester. They play Jenga with a large version of the game made out of specially carved wood and Finn easily schools them all despite already having downed three drinks. Occasionally a fellow party-goer stops and interrupts them to score a quick conversation (and usually a photo) with Rey, but for the most part, their group keeps to themselves.

Passing through the living room on their way to score more food, they are unfortunately interrupted by a loud and all too familiar voice.

“Rey Skywalker!” calls Kyle. 

Two dozen heads simultaneously turn in her direction and all she wants to do is run and hide.

“You want to play beer pong?” He motions to the ping pong table in front of him where he just defeated one his basketball teammates. 

“Uhh...no thanks.” 

“Common Rey, are you scared because I’m the best?”

“Puh-lease Kyle,” she laughs, “There is no planet in this universe where I am scared of you in any capacity.”

“Okay, well if you are so confident, how about a wager then?”

Rey tilts her head. “What kind of wager.”

He smiles mischievously, “If I win you go out with me?”

Seriously does this guy ever give up?

“Alright well, that is never going to happen so what do I get if I win?” 

“I don’t know, what do you want?”

She eyes him apprehensively. “From you? Nothing.” 

“Fine,” shrugs Kyle, “But I have to warn you, we play real beer pong here. That means no pansy-ass six-cup bullshit; we play ten cups with a full re-rack after six cups. Think you can handle that?”

Never one to back down from a challenge, especially one from a self-centered jock with boundary issues, Rey makes her way over to the ping pong table with a smirk. “Just set it up.”

As the table is set out with plastic cups, Finn and Rose huddle around her with nervous looks on their faces. “Peanut have you ever played beer pong before?” 

“Nope, but I know the basics.”

“If you haven’t played, why the hell did you agree to this then?!”

“Because,” she laughs with a grin, “The look on his stupid face when he loses to me and at the same time realizes I will never go out with him will be priceless!”

Rose looks just as concerned as Finn. “But sweetie, you’ve never played beer pong!!”

“Common guys, how hard can it be if Kyle is supposedly the best at it?”

Neither Rose nor Finn look any less worried. Really though, what do they have to be worried about? They’re not the ones who would have to go out on a date with Kyle if she were to lose. And since that cannot, under any circumstance happen, losing is most definitely out of the question. 

“Alright, are you ready Skywalker?” Kyle stands at one end of the table that has now been fully set up for their game.

She turns from Finn and Rose to take her place at the opposite end of the table. Ten cups are arranged in a triangle in front of them. She picks up the ping pong ball from the small glass of water. “Ready.”

He bounces his own ball on the table a few times and paces back and forth. “You know Rey, I am an expert at getting balls into holes…” A self-satisfied grin spreads across his face. “Are you sure you want to continue?”

Wow...a sex joke. How original. Now she definitely needs to kick his ass to wipe that smug look off his stupid face. 

“By all means, if you’re the expert, you can shoot first.”

Kyle bounces the ball toward her and it lands inside a cup with an audible splash. Removing the plastic party cup from the arrangement, Rey raises it high and downs the drink. Beer was definitely not her favorite, especially cheap crap like the Bud Light they were using, but she is more than willing to tough it out if it means kicking his ass. 

Back and forth they go, taking turns making and missing shots. Finn and Rose cheer her on and despite having to re-rack first, Rey is actually able to hold her own. The score is tied up as they near the end. True to the spirit of the game, their accuracy wanes the more drinks they consume. 

“You doing okay over there Mr. Expert?” she taunts, seeing him stumble while trying to remain upright. 

“Yeah.” He bounces his ball on the table but it lands to the right of her three remaining cups. “I’m good.”

Squinting her eyes and steadying her hand, Rey takes aim for a moment before releasing her ball. It lands just inside the rim of one of his remaining cups with a thud. 

“Good,” she smirks, “I wouldn’t want you to drop out now just because you can’t hold your liquor.”

A flash of anger spreads across his face and he takes another shot, draining his ball into one of her cups. “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.” 

“Do not ever, ever, call me that!” 

Rey downs another cup of beer and closes her eyes as her head spins. This is probably the most alcohol she has ever drunk in her life (which may have something to do with her technically being underage) and she is already dreading what she’s going to feel like tomorrow morning. Thank god the semester is over right? 

They trade several more shots, all misses until Kyle lands another point. A few shots later, Rey also scores a point, evening them out at one final cup apiece. 

“Any preferences on dinner cuisine?” he boasts.

“You're not going to win, so no,” she retorts quickly. 

As he lets go of the ball, Rey watches it hit the table and move ever closer to her last cup. Oh this cannot be happening. She cannot lose! Fortunately, the gods above seem to be looking out for her and the ball hits the rim of the cup before bouncing off to the side. She sighs in relief and lines up her own shot. 

Her eyes are watery and her hand shakes. Furrowing her brow, she desperately tries to take aim. This would be a lot easier if she didn’t have a throbbing headache and the music playing in the background wasn’t so damn loud. Or maybe it’s just her… Taking in a deep breath, Rey closes her eyes. 

“Let’s go Skywalker, I want to make us dinner reservations for tomorrow before it gets too late.”

God, he really is a smug asshole isn’t he? 

Rey exhales slowly; her eyes pop open and she releases the ball from her hand. 

The next ten seconds happen in slow motion. Her ball sails in the air and lands just inside the rim of his last cup. She stares in disbelief. The crowd watching their game erupts in cheers and shouting. Next thing she knows Finn and Rose are sandwiched around her, hugging her tight. Best of all, the dejected look on Kyle’s face is even more satisfying than she could have imagined.

“YES!!!!” she yells, jumping up and down while still sandwiched between her best friends. 

The frivolity of her victory lasts several more minutes or hours, honestly, she’s kind of lost the ability to accurately sense the passage of time. When it is finally time to leave, however, both Finn and Rose have to help her walk toward the exit. Her world is literally spinning in seven different directions but she doesn’t care in the slightest. She beat that bastard at his own game!

Poe is waiting for them at the front door. “I called for a car that will be here shortly.”

Bless him. 

She can’t even imagine walking the 15 minutes back through campus to get home. 

“Poe, did you see me?!” She asks, still hanging onto Finn for support. “Did you see me kick Kyle’s ass?” 

He smiles and wow that’s nice she thinks absent-mindedly. 

“Yes, I think the whole house saw.” Placing a hand to his ear, he turns away for a moment and looks out the front door. “Alright the car is here,” he nods, “let’s go.” 

Finn and Rose continue to lend her an arm (and a shoulder) while they make their way outside to the SUV waiting for them. Poe holds open the door while Rose gets in first, followed by Rey, again with help, and then Finn. Once the trio is in the back, Poe hops in the front passenger seat. They head to drop off Rose and Finn at his apartment first since it's in the opposite direction. Rey barely lasts 10 minutes though and soon she dozes off in the backseat.

“Rey? Rey?” 

She finally stirs awake when shaken by a firm hand on her shoulder. Ugh. What is it now? Blinking and trying to ignore her throbbing headache, she looks up to find Poe leaning over her in the backseat. “Hey there...we’re home.” 

“Mmmmmm.” She closes her eyes as her head falls back against the seat. Even just the thought of moving hurts. “Where are Finn and Rose?”

“We dropped them off about 20 minutes ago.”

“And you didn’t wake me?”

“They said to let you sleep,” he smiles and dammit why does her brain have to once again note that it's a nice smile.

“Mmmm what time is it?”

“A little past midnight.”

She dozes off again until he nudges her once more.

“Rey...are you...um...coming inside?” 

Forget tomorrow morning. Even if the look on Kyle’s stupid face was worth it, part of her already regrets challenging him to that stupid game of beer pong. 

“Yeah…” 

She slowly slides herself upright and Poe holds out his hand. Grabbing his forearm, she pulls herself forward and out of the SUV. He quickly reaches forward and steadies her other arm as she fully exits the vehicle and plants two feet on the sidewalk.

“Woah, easy there.” 

“Yeah, Yeah...I’m fine.” Nodding, he lets go of her arms and she tries walking towards the entrance of the building. Nope. She makes it one and a half steps before stumbling forward. 

Surprisingly, he’s quick to her side, offering his arm again. “Here...” 

Her eyes meet his and she wishes she didn’t have such a throbbing pain in her head so she could speak actual words right now. Instead, all she can do is take his arm and pull herself closer to him as they slowly make their way inside her building together. The five steps in front of the doorway are the trickiest, but once they get in the lobby and then in the elevator, he releases her and she rests against the wall. 

The ride up the elevator to her floor feels like it takes a week. Since when was her apartment the penthouse of the Empire State Building? She flinches at the elevator’s bing of their arrival which rings far too loudly in her ears. Taking Poe’s offered arm again for support, they take their time plodding down the hallway until finally arriving at her door. 

“I got it.” He reaches for a key to open her door.

“Thanks,” she murmurs with her eyes shut. 

When he gets the door unlocked, he holds the door open for her. “Not a problem. Are you going to be okay from here?” 

Rey holds onto the wall as she staggers her way into the apartment. Resting her head against the opposite inside part of the doorframe, she turns to face him. “Yeah, just...I don’t normally do this…”

“What’s that?”

“Get drunk at parties,” she moans, closing her eyes again.

“Hey, it happens to the best of us.”

She’s too tired to open her eyes and her speech is now slurring. “Thankss though, for beings sso cool about it.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

Rey smiles. “I did kick Kyle’s ass though didn’t I?”

Poe laughs. “That you did.” 

Hearing their voices, BeeBee comes running in from the back room and nips at her ankles. The lovable pup has way too much energy for her right now. Opening her eyes, Rey searches for the right words. “Poe, would you mind…” Her voice trails off with exhaustion. Thankfully, he is quick to fill in the gaps.

“Of course, I’ll take Bee for the evening.” The corgi barks way too loudly for this hour (or it's just her again). Laughing once more, Poe reaches down to scoop up the pup. “Get some rest...I’ll see you tomorrow Rey.”

“Okays…night Poe. And thanks.” 

She watches as he nods and shuts the door between them. 

With significant effort, she somehow manages to lumber into her bedroom, change, and climb into bed. Tomorrow is unfortunately already here. Needless to say, it’s probably a safe bet that there won’t be any running later in the morning.

Poe is seated at his small kitchen table enjoying eggs and toast for breakfast. Bee sits happily at his feet eating out of the bowl Poe had set out for him. Despite it being a Saturday, the little pup insisted on being walked promptly at 8am this morning. So much for sleeping in after a late night huh? At least the good news was he didn’t need to be concerned about having to go anywhere any time soon. It was just after 9am in the present and Rey was most assuredly still asleep based on her condition last night. 

Unfortunately, the bad news comes closer to 9:30am when his phone blows up with a plethora of text messages, most of which from Director Andor. The last text even includes a web link that needs no further explanation. Poe clicks it anyway and of course, they have goddamn photos as well...

TMZ.COM EXCLUSIVE: REY’S REVELRY REVEALED!

First daughter Rey Skywalker (20, pictured above) celebrates at a college party by downing drink after drink in a game of beer pong.
Drugs rumored to be involved too?

Chapter Text

Rey wakes up to the sound of her phone. Ugh. She should have really turned off her alarm. With her head still spinning from last night, she swipes aimlessly at her nightstand to turn the damn thing off. It’s only after waking up further, and a few failed swipes, that she realizes the sound is not her alarm, but rather her phone ringing. Pulling the device with her into bed, she only briefly glances at the caller ID before answering.

“Daaaad,” she yawns, “what’s up?”

Poe sits next to Rey waiting outside the Oval Office. They might as well be children waiting outside of the principal’s office. After the story broke on TMZ, it was subsequently picked up by all the gossip tabloids as well as several of the major news outlets. Shortly thereafter, he was instructed to immediately return with Rey to the White House. Needless to say, this was definitely not how he saw today unfolding. 

Rey was equally out of sorts when he showed up at her apartment just after 10:30am. Admittedly, part of her disorientation was probably because she was exhausted and partially still hungover from the previous night. He did his best to apologize for the situation, but she was insistent that no apology was necessary. Sensing they could both use the pick-me-up, he stopped off to get breakfast before they made the 2-hour drive back to the Capitol. 

Their trip back to the White House was mostly quiet. He kept replaying last night in his head wondering if he made the right decision to let Rey go to that party. Maybe he should have stepped in when she agreed to play beer pong? No , he told himself. This was her life and if she wanted to go to a party, hang out with friends, or play beer pong that was her decision. He isn’t here to judge her or tell her how to live her life — his job is to support and protect her. 

When they arrived back at the White House, he expected to be immediately dressed down by the Director. Instead, Rey was called to a meeting with her dad — that’s President Skywalker to the rest of the civilized world — while Poe’s only directive was to continue serving on her detail...for however long that lasts anyway. 

He is brought back to the present when the door to the Oval opens. Several men and women file out of the room, some of whom he recognizes as various members of congress including the Speaker of the House. 

“Rey, sweetheart,” calls Secretary Organa-Solo appearing in the doorway. “So good to see you, come in!”

Standing up, Rey heads into the Oval and embraces her Aunt. Poe hangs back ready to wait for her return until also being called into the room.  

“You too Agent Dameron,” motions Secretary Organa-Solo. 

Exchanging a nervous glance with Rey, he follows both women in the Oval.

This should be...interesting.

President Skywalker is seated behind the Resolute desk signing paperwork as they enter. Secretary Organa-Solo takes a seat on one of the couches. Rey follows suit and sits next to her Aunt on the couch. Unsure what to do, Poe stands at the back of the room. When the President finishes with the paperwork, he hands it to his secretary who promptly leaves the room.

“So…” President Skywalker stands up and makes his way over to sit on the couch opposite Rey. “Can you please tell me what the hell you were thinking?”

“Dad I can explain…”

“What explanation could you possibly have for drinking underage when your birthday is only a few months away?”

“Dad, it was just an end-of-semester party. It’s not a big deal.”

“No big deal!” President Skywalker stands, walks back to his desk, and retrieves a paper print-out of the TMZ article. “They have photos of you!” He tosses the print-out in her lap and sits back down. “They’re saying there were drugs at this party too! Please tell me you did not smoke any weed or anything? Lord knows I’ve heard stories of what kids put in brownies these days!”

Poe purses his lips and holds his tongue. He really shouldn’t...

Rey angrily tosses the paper to the side. “Dad, of course not! I would never!”

“Campaign season is about to start in earnest and an alcohol and drug scandal is the last thing we need right now. Sweetheart, do you have any idea how reckless this was? You could have been hurt, had a bad reaction, or—” 

Feeling a mix of anger and defensiveness on Rey’s behalf, Poe can’t stop himself from interjecting. 

“—Sir, if I may...” He steps forward and immediately regrets his decision when President Skywalker, Secretary Organa-Solo, and Rey all stop and turn in his direction. His eyes shift briefly to Rey’s before returning the President. Yep, he totally just interrupted the President of the United States mid-sentence.

Well, no turning back now.  

“At no point in the evening was Miss Skywalker in any danger.” 

“Oh, really Agent Dameron? Well since you are here, maybe you can explain why the hell you let my daughter even attend this party in the first place?!”

“Mr. President, sir, it was a college fraternity party.” He squeezes his hands together behind his back and presses forward. “I assessed the risk to be fairly low and given Miss Skywalker would be attending with her friends, I was confident everything would be okay.”

Whatever anger President Skywalker had been holding back out of love for his daughter was not equally restrained in his exchange with Poe. 

“Okay?! Okay?! Does any of this seem okay to you?!” he yells.

Poe refrains from responding for several seconds until it becomes painfully clear the leader of the free world was not asking a rhetorical question and was expecting an answer.

“Sir...as I noted, Miss Skywalker was perfectly fine.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “Yes, she was partially inebriated later in the evening, but she possessed all her faculties, and when it came time to leave I had a car shuttle everyone home. As to the claims of drug usage, I did not see any on the property while we were there.”

Six months of BUD/S (SEAL training) and years with the teams do not prepare a frogman (SEAL) for this. Seriously, what the hell is he even doing trying to argue with the Commander-in-Chief? (Is that even what he’s doing?)

“You didn’t see any drugs? My daughter was perfectly fine? There are photos god damn it! ” President Skywalker shakes his head, seething mad. “I have half a mind to reassign you to our embassy in Iceland!” 

And there it is. 

Since the story broke on TMZ, the one constant Poe expected was that he would be reassigned. The prospect of being removed from Rey’s detail was surprisingly unsettling. He began this assignment mostly indifferent to the task-at-hand, but now, looking back, it’s—

“—No!” Rey shouts, suddenly jumping to her feet. “You can’t do that! Poe has been the best protective detail I’ve had since you took office! You can’t take him off my detail!”

The room goes silent.

Secretary Organa-Solo raises her eyebrows as a short smile breaks across her face. 

Rey stands defiantly above her father (the President of the United States) with her arms on her hips.

Poe doesn’t dare speak. Or move. Or breathe. He doesn’t even so much as look in either Rey or President Skywalker’s direction; instead, he chooses to look forward as if at attention. 

He can hear the President audibly sigh before finally turning to him and speaking.

“You may leave us, Agent Dameron.”

“Yes sir.”

Poe turns and heads for the door. After a decade in the Navy and nearly a year in the Secret Service, he can’t remember a time he was happier to be dismissed. 

Rey sinks back into the couch and crosses her arms over her chest as Poe leaves the Oval. She might not be related to Dad by blood but they sure do share a temper. Glancing to her right, Aunt Leia still seems to have a bemused grin on her face. At least someone is enjoying themselves, right?

“Look sweetheart,” starts her father with a sigh. “I know I promised you more freedom with this new protective detail, but things like this” — he motions to the print-out next to her — “cannot happen. Not with the campaign swinging into full gear.”  

“I know Dad. I just didn’t think it would be a big deal and I certainly didn’t expect this to happen.”  She bites her lip and takes a deep breath. “You see, there was this guy—”

“—Oh lord help me,” Dad chuckles.

“—It’s not like that...well, he certainly wishes it was...but eww, no, never in a million years.” She smiles for the first time all day. “I rejected him and then beat him in beer pong, so I have to assume one of his frat buddy friends took the photos on their phone and sent them to the tabloid. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“It doesn’t matter. There is nothing we can do about it but move forward.”

“Your father is right,” nods Aunt Leia. “We are glad you are okay, truly, but we need to look forward.”

Rey nods in understanding. This can only mean one thing.

“What do you need me to do?”

She had seen enough of these situations over the years to know what damage control looks like. No doubt she will have to endure a stream of image-restoring activities to make the press forget all about that time she kicked back and actually enjoyed herself for a night. 

“To start, you’ll need to release a statement through the press secretary. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed; in fact, it would be better if it wasn’t,” quickly adds her father. “Just something short and sweet saying that you, like many other college students, celebrated the end of the semester and while those festivities may have been exuberant in nature, you unequivocally deny any drug usage.” 

“Got it.”

“Good.” Dad leans back, looking relaxed for the first time all afternoon. “You’ll then be joining us for the Time Magazine cover shoot coming up—”

“Of course.”

“—and finally Michael thinks it would be best if you went on a morning TV program to talk about your work with the ASPCA to help promote donations during the holidays. Perhaps even bring BeeBee with you, yes?”

She smiles just thinking about how Bee is going to react the first time she brings him to a TV studio. “Sure, I can do that.” 

Dad rises to his feet and extends his arms out. “Great, now come here.”

Rey stands and embraces her father.

“I love you, honey.”

“Thanks, dad.”

He releases her and remains standing in place for a moment. “Are you still planning that holiday trip with your friends you asked me about?”

“Yeah, I was thinking we would go after the Time Magazine cover shoot next week if that is still okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” he nods. 

Rey begins to head for the exit until remembering one very important detail. 

“One last thing.” She turns back around to her father and Aunt Leia. “Poe...er, I mean Agent Dameron…?”

Dad sighs. “He’ll...stay with you...if that’s what you want.” 

She bites her lip and pauses for a moment. 

“It is.”

Dad nods wordlessly with a short smile.

Leia remains seated on the couch as she watches her brother return to the other side of the Resolute desk. 

“Well that could have gone better,” she states pragmatically. 

“If you have something to say just say it,” comments Luke without looking up.

Leia sighs. “All I’ll say is that you and I talked about this at the beginning of the year when you agreed to my suggestion concerning Rey’s reduced security detail. I told you there would be times exactly like this and what do you do? You fly off the handle at the very first one!”

Her brother looks up from the desk with a mournful expression. “I know, I know. Just everything with this upcoming election has me stressed out...and voting isn’t even for another 11 months!” Luke frowns and returns to his paperwork. “Everyone in this town might be in it for themselves, but you and I both know what will happen if Senator Hux manages to get elected.”

“Yes, but you don’t give yourself enough credit. We’ve done great work here and the people love you.”

“Tell that to Hux’s supporters who are coming for my head.” 

Leia shakes her head with a smile. She loves her brother, but he’s always the idealist. He doesn’t need to have everyone in the country love him, just enough of the majority. 

Rey walks with BeeBee around The Ellipse after dinner. It had been a long day and Bee, like her, was more than happy to get out of the White House. As Dad instructed, she had worked with one of the press aids earlier in the afternoon to craft her statement concerning the TMZ article. The Press Secretary unceremoniously released the statement at the evening briefing and took no further questions on the matter. With any luck the news cycle would run its course and move onto whatever celebrity gossip they normally cover. 

Bee barks merrily and drags her over to a tree where he begins to relieve himself. 

Rey smiles and turns to Poe who had been walking with them. “He certainly looks happy doesn’t he?” 

“That he does,” nods Poe. 

The two hadn’t spoken much since the awkward confrontation in the Oval Office.  

“Between Bee being stuck inside the Residence, me having to deal with the press, and you getting into an argument with my Dad, I don’t know which of the three of us will be happier to leave this place for a few days.”

Poe smiles quietly as Bee finishes his business and they continue to walk along.

“Thank you for that...by the way,” she comments after a beat. 

“For what?”

“For what you said earlier today...with my Dad.” She looks at Bee as he struts down the walkway. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh. Well...I’ll be sure to send you a postcard from Iceland whenever I get reassigned,” he laughs with a melancholy expression on his face.

Rey shakes her head. “Nah. I um...I spoke to my dad after you left. You’re kinda stuck with me for the foreseeable future.” 

Poe tilts his head with a grin “Is that so?”

“Yeah…I-I meant what I said about you being the best protective detail I’ve ever had.” 

She wanders over to an open bench and sits down. Poe remains standing until she motions for him to take a seat as well. Bee climbs into her lap and for a while the three of them sit in silence watching the sun set across the National Mall. 

“I know this probably doesn’t make much sense, but you have no idea how suffocating this all can be.” Rey sighs and runs her hands between Bee’s ears. “Dad expects me to go to Harvard Law after I graduate despite the fact I have no interest in becoming a lawyer. I feel horrible, like I’m letting my family down, about not wanting to do all this pandering for the upcoming campaign. And then the one time, the first time, I try to have some semblance of a normal life, some jackass sends what should be completely harmless photos to a tabloid and now I’m being judged and labeled as an alcoholic by strangers on the internet.” 

She pauses for a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in.

“Sometimes...sometimes it feels like all I’m doing is treading water and I’m mere moments away from drowning. It’s exhausting.” 

An unreadable expression lines Poe’s face when she looks over at him and she suddenly feels guilty about dumping all her baggage at his feet. He’s been nothing but kind and supportive since the day they met. He doesn’t need her shit. 

“I understand.” 

She looks up and their eyes meet. 

There is another beat of silence as the sun drops further below the horizon and the sky darkens. 

“My own father wasn’t exactly thrilled when I first joined the Navy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he nods with a grin. “You could maybe say I was a bit rebellious in my youth. I ended up enlisting shortly after my 18th birthday.” 

Rey puts a hand over her mouth feigning shock. “Agent Dameron!”

“I know.”

“How...” She pauses for a moment, unsure whether she should continue,” How about now, are you and your father close?”

Poe looks off into the distance before answering. “Yes…” He turns back to her with a short smile. “The point is I think we all feel that way at some point in our lives, like we’re just trying to stay afloat. Leaving the Navy was my big adjustment. I certainly felt like a fish out of water for the longest time.”

Keeping eye contact, Rey tilts her head curiously. “How did you find your place afterward?”

“Well...I’m not sure I’m fully there yet to be honest.” He sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. “When I was a SEAL, the teams were my life. They were my family, my brothers, and I’d do anything for them. For me, I think finding that same purpose, people who need me, has helped fill that void.” He offers her a meek smile when his eyes return to her own. 

Feeling a heat in her cheeks, Rey ducks her head and rubs Bee’s belly in silence. 

“I’m not sure I’ll end up so lucky,” she mutters quietly. “I still have this final year of Dad’s term left which is going to be consumed by the reelection campaign. Then, should we win, I’ll still have to deal with another four years of this.” 

“Rey.” His voice is gentle, comforting. “This might not mean much coming from someone who hasn’t spent their whole life in the political spotlight, but from what I’ve seen, you’re smart and kind and have loyal friends in Finn and Rose. I have no doubt that whatever happens out there”—he motions in the direction of White House—”you’ll find your place.” 

Rey looks into his warm brown eyes, swallows, and speaks softly. 

“You’re one too...you know?” 

“One what?”

“My friend.” 

She bites her lip, worried she crossed a line with such an honest admission; and it was an honest admission to be sure. It’s hard to make friends in her situation and despite the fact this was literally his job, she truly considered him a friend. 

“Thanks,” he mumbles before breaking out into a short smile. “You’re not half bad yourself.”

They stare at each other for several moments before Rey playfully bumps their shoulders.

“Alright come on, let’s get this little guy”—she motions to Bee—”back home before he complains that it’s nap time.”

Chapter Text

Rey sits in front of the mirror in the makeshift dressing room surrounded by a veritable army of attendants. There was her general stylist Amber, hairstylist Lucy, and make-up artist Kelly, as well as their half dozen or so assistants all swarming about the room. She had spent the last three hours slipping in and out of wardrobes testing different looks ahead of this Time Magazine cover shoot which was set to begin in the next half hour. If it were even remotely possible, she might just try to sneak out the back and avoid the entire affair. 

What she thought was supposed to be a simple photo shoot for the magazine cover with the rest of her family had turned into so much more. The main story was still about Dad, his career, first term as president, and a preview of the upcoming election, but the magazine editors also wanted to do mini-profiles on the entire family; Rey included. This meant a full two-page photo shoot spread just for her along with an interview with one of the magazine’s journalists. So here she was, dressed in a modest navy blue midi dress having her hair straightened while Kelly carefully applied her eyeliner. 

The only person in the room not part of the production was Rose who graciously agreed to accompany her throughout the endeavor. They were supposed to pick up Finn after this and head to Vermont for a few days of skiing before Christmas. Unfortunately, that plan would be delayed a few more hours until she was able to wrap up here. 

“All finished,” announces Kelly as she steps out of the way for Rey to take a better look at herself in the mirror. 

She looks pretty good for being dressed in carefully calculated political attire. Aunt Leia may be able pull off a pant-suit with ease, but Rey was never a fan of the traditional Washington beltway power-look. 

The shoot with her family takes far longer than expected...or maybe she should have expected it to take long and that was the problem? Dad arrived late (as always) wearing a slick suit. Ben was equally dressed to the nines with his mother in a dark purple pant-suit (as expected). Uncle Han somehow managed to be the rebel of the group and got away with only sporting a button down and jacket without a tie. It took thirty minutes just to get one pose finished mostly because Ben was huge and the photographer kept changing his mind on where to put her cousin. They took three subsequent alternative photo-sets as well, which thankfully went a little quicker than the first. The magazine would send the different options to Dad’s campaign to approve for the final cover. 

Once the photos with the family are complete, Rey heads back to the makeshift dressing room to change into a green sleeveless above-the-knee dress for her solo photo shoot. Lucy rushes to curl out her hair into beachy waves while Kelly makes several alterations to her makeup to better compliment the new look. 

Rey frowns, turning side to side in the mirror checking herself out. Growing up the daughter of a politician, she had become accustomed to the modest attire and muted colors common among Washington politicos. Everything about this current outfit makes her nervous from the bright green of the dress to the amount of her skin showing to her matching green heels. 

Exiting the dressing room and heading back to the studio, her ensemble of assistants arrives while the photographer and lightning technicians are still making final adjustments. Poe is also there waiting with Bee, the latter looking not too keen about the current situation. Not that she blamed him. The young puppy had been stuck in the corner with Poe while she was doing the shoot with her family. Needing a break herself, Rey is quick to make her way over to the adorable corgi.

“Hey Bee!” She bends down to rub the puppy between his ears in the way she knows he likes. “I just have a little more to do here and then we’ll be gone okay?”

He barks playfully and tries to jump into her lap.

“Woah, down boy,” scolds Rose, also walking over. “Honey, c’mon, you can’t ruin that dress before the shoot even starts!”

Rising to her feet, she straightens herself out. “Ugh, fine. I feel so ridiculous though.” 

“Nonsense! You look amazing. Stunning. Beautiful.”

“Okay, whatever...”

Rose gives her a look. “Really! You’re going to have to beat the guys away after this photo shoot!”

“Ha, alright, stop it now!”

“Poe help me out here,” Rose asks, turning to him with a grin. “Rey looks hot in that dress right?”  

Fucking hell!

“ROSE!” 

Her best friend simply shrugs with a smile.”What? It's true!”

Rey ducks her head and buries her face in her hands. She can literally feel her face heating up and turning bright red. Glancing in Poe’s direction, he appears equally flabbergasted, folding his arms across his chest and stuttering. 

“Uh...Um...”

“See, you have him speechless!” jokes Rose.

Oh for fucks sake!

She wants to run and hide. No, that would only add to her embarrassment...plus, she’s wearing heels. She wants to disappear. Yes, that’s it. She wants to immediately disappear. Peeking once more in Poe’s direction, he still looks uncomfortable. His gaze alternates between her and the floor and there is a noticeable color in his cheeks. Breathe , she tells herself. It’s no big deal. Her eyes equally shift between him and literally anything else in the room. 

“You uh...don’t have to answer that...” she mutters. 

Poe nods. “I…uh…”

The extreme awkwardness of the moment is interrupted when one of the production assistants cuts in to tell her they are ready to begin. 

Unlike the photo shoot with the rest of her family, this one goes by fairly quickly. The photographer has her try out a few different poses including a few with BeeBee who manages to mostly behave himself. When the photographer is finished, the magazine journalist pulls Rey aside for the short interview. 

“Amila Ancill,” the columnist says, shaking her hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Skywalker.”

“Please, call me Rey.”

“Rey it is!” Reaching into her purse, Amila takes out her phone. “Do you mind if I record this conversation? It will just help my notes for later when I go to write this up.”

“Uh, sure,” Rey nods, “That’s fine.”

“Fantastic. Perhaps to get started we can take a step back and talk about when your father first came into office. You were a senior in high school at the time and I’m curious what was your first reaction to his decision to run for President and what was your reaction when he won?” 

Smiling pleasantly, Rey recites her carefully crafted response.

“I was not surprised when my father won, to be honest, his record prior to becoming President speaks for itself. To answer the first part of your question though, I was fully supportive of his decision to run for President. As you can imagine, it's a big decision and so we spoke about it as a family prior to his official announcement. Nothing is ever perfect, but we get through it together. I’m very proud of the work my father has been able to accomplish on behalf of the American people and I hope they allow him to serve on their behalf for a second term.”

She watches as Amila scratches a few quick notes, too short to be full sentences, into her notepad before asking a follow-up question. 

“That must have been hard for you though right? Finishing your final year of high school, graduating, and then going to university right as your father took the office of the President couldn’t have been easy?”

“Not to sound too much like an old soul,” Rey laughs, “but I don’t think those years are easy on any teenager, regardless of whether your father is President or not. I’m just like any other young woman my age trying to figure out my place in the world. Obviously, dad being President brings unique challenges, but everyone’s circumstance is both different and the same.”

“Let’s talk about some of those unique challenges for a moment if you don’t mind.” Amila nods while finishing scribbling more into her notebook. “Over the last three and a half years you’ve had some run-ins with the press, most recently this article on TMZ.”

“Yes?” She asks pointedly.

“Well, I’m just wondering if you would care to comment on those situations and if you have any regrets now that your father’s term is almost over? Are you happy with his decision to seek a second term in office?”

Geeze, this woman is not pulling any punches with regard to her questions. Truthfully, though, Rey expected this question to come up. Half the reason she was doing these press engagements was to help with damage control from the TMZ article. 

“Thanks for bringing that up Amila,” she smiles through gritted teeth. “I think it's really easy to look at someone in my situation and get the wrong impression. Yes, my father is President, but I’m also a regular college student like anyone else. I go to class, hang out with friends, do my own laundry, and yes, even go to parties. Just like many other college students, I make mistakes and can get carried away, but that is part of growing up.” She takes a deep breath before continuing her speech. “I do want to make one thing clear, there were no drugs at that party that I was aware of, and if there were, I certainly didn’t partake.” 

She sighs and relaxes a bit in her chair now that the hard part is out of the way. 

“With regard to your final question, I fully support my father’s decision to run for a second term. We discussed it as a family and decided this is what was best. As I stated, I think he’s done great work for the American people while President.” 

Rey has to stop herself from smiling too much at how pleased she is with her own response. Practice really does make perfect. Like any good journalist, however, Amila is quick to pivot to a different subject playing off the last.

“Let’s talk about that second term for a bit, shall we? Senator Armitage Hux will be running against your father in the upcoming election and he has been quite critical of your father’s decision to scale back the national defense budget in favor of what he says are radical liberal policies. What are your thoughts on that?”

Great. A political question. She loves these. 

“Honestly Amila, I can’t and won’t speak to specific policy agenda, you’ll have to talk to my father or the campaign directly, but what I would say is that I share my father’s vision that this country can be a better place for all Americans.”

“Alright how about a question about the rest of your family then?” Amila leans in with a grin on her face. “There are rumors that if your father wins a second term, your Aunt Leia may explore running for President after him. Some are calling your family the next Kennedy’s.”

Rey quirks an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“Well, what do you think about that?”

“I can’t speak to rumors, especially when I don’t know where they come from.” She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts. This definitely wasn’t one of the questions she expected to be asked in this interview. “My Aunt is an amazing woman and I know her immediate focus is finishing out this term strong, getting my father reelected, and hopefully having the opportunity to serve the American people in his cabinet once more.”

“Fair enough,” nods Amila.

The rest of their conversation is mostly insignificant and ranges from various topics such as personal interests, hobbies and goals for the future. Rey tries to provide interesting answers, but by the time the interview is over, she’s mentally drained. All she wants to do is change out of this dress and meet up with Finn so they can finally start their vacation. 

Poe sits next to Finn in the ski lift opposite Rose and Rey. 

They arrived at the Killington Grand Hotel Ski Resort in Vermont yesterday evening. Expecting moderate rustic lodging, Poe was blown away by the hotel’s ostentatious decor and amenities. They were booked three large suites complete with a full kitchen, jacuzzi, and a majestic mountain view overhang deck. Finn and Rose shared a room while Rey and Poe took one apiece. Overall, the suite was at least two times larger than his already too-large apartment back on Force University’s campus. In addition to the obvious skiing attractions, the resort also had multiple full-service restaurants, a luxury spa, gym, theater, and several shopping outlets. 

Not wanting to waste any time, the trio (and thus by extension him as well) immediately set out early this morning to get time on the slopes before it got too crowded. Surprisingly, all three of them were big park rats and insisted on starting on one of the black diamond trails. He could only mumble a quiet “sure” when Rey asked if that was okay. 

The truth was he hadn’t skied in nearly three years. His last time on the slopes was a winter terrain training course while still a SEAL. Hopefully, he remembered enough of the basic mechanics as to not completely embarrass himself. 

When they arrive at the top of the trail and the lift operator lets them out, Rey, Finn and Rose are all quick jump out and begin prepping for their descent. Poe follows suit with a little more trepidation as he tightens his gloves. 

“You good?” Rey asks, sliding over to him. 

She’s fully decked out in snow gear with a large winter coat, scarf, hat and sunglass goggles. If he didn’t know better, he wouldn’t have even recognized her underneath all those layers. 

“Yeah,” he lies.

The group sets up at the start of the trail in a straight line.

“Last one down buys dinner!” jokes Finn as he pushes off down the mountain first.

“Hey wait, get back here!” shouts Rose as she quickly follows.

Looking over at him, Rey gives him a small hand wave. “Ready?”

“After you,” he shouts.

“Alrighty, see you at the bottom then!”

Despite her face being fully covered, he can tell by the sound of her voice she’s grinning from ear to ear as she pushes off down the trail.

A second later, he’s sliding down the side of the mountain behind her. 

Things start off pretty well. Although he was accustomed to skiing in full tactical gear with 40 pounds of equipment on his back, he is quick to adapt to the more recreational setting. Unfortunately, however, that comfort doesn’t last long. When they hit a second trail, Rey, Finn, and Rose are racing down the mountain even faster than the first. He’s unable to even stay within their sightline by the time they reach a third trail around noon. Rey, in particular, is having a blast when she then suggests they then try one of the double black diamond runs next.   

“Common, let's do it!” she goads with a huge smile.

It doesn’t take much convincing to get Rose and Finn’s onboard and soon after he finds himself skiing down the double black diamond trail after the trio. Similar to before, Rey and her friends race ahead of him out of sight. Everything seems to be going smoothly until his smartwatch vibrates. 

Shit.

Doing his best to find a place to pull to a stop, he checks the device. Sure enough, the notification is from Rey. He had given her a basic panic button wrist device to press in case they were separated and something went wrong. Taking out his phone, he quickly calls her while pulling up her GPS location. 

“Rey?” he asks when she answers. 

“P-Poe hey.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I...uughh…” He can hear her groan over the phone. “I fell while taking a turn, I’m...ouch...” 

Shit.

“—Stay where you are,” he interjects, “I’ll be there shortly.” 

“Okay.”

Her GPS position is a few minutes ahead of him. Putting his phone away, he quickly (and carefully) races down the mountain. When he finally arrives, he finds her  sprawled out on the ground at the end of a sharp bank. Untangling himself from his skis as fast as he can, he makes his way over to her

“Hey,” she winces with a weak smile. 

“What happened?

“I was taking this turn too tight and my legs kicked out while I was trying to pick up speed.” 

“What hurts?”

“It’s my knee.” She points to her left knee and tries bending the appendage to show him, only to immediately grimace in pain. “It feels like it’s on fire.”

For fucks sake...

“Alright stay still,” he mutters, trying to keep his composure, “You might have torn your ACL.” 

Rey throws her head back and groans while he calls for help. 

This is just perfect. In the span of five weeks he’s let her get photographed drinking underage and now possibly suffer a serious ligament tear. Whatever words of encouragement she may have said to President Skywalker to spare him from reassignment probably won’t be effective when she’s literally hobbling around on crutches for a few weeks. Yeah...he’s totally screwed. 

Several minutes later they are surrounded by a team of emergency Ski Patrol personnel who are loading Rey onto a board attached to the back of a snowmobile. Poe hops on the back of a second snowmobile and follows them down the mountain. When they arrive at the main lodge’s medical center Rey is taken to see a doctor for examination. Forced to wait, he texts Finn and Rose to tell them what happened (turns out Rey already texted them while she was waiting for him) and the duo gets there at some point later having taken the long way down the mountain.

Time seems to pass by unbearably slow while they wait for news. It’s roughly an hour later when the doctor who took Rey reappears and finds them in the waiting area.

“Are you Miss Skywalker's friends?” 

“Yes,” Rose nods with a determined look of concern. “I’m Rose, this is Finn and that’s Poe, her Secret Service bodyguard. How is she?”

“Hello, I’m Doctor Kalonia,” the woman smiles. “She’s well, if you come with me you can see her if you like.”

Finn and Rose are both quick to follow Doctor Kalonia down the hall. Taking a deep breath, Poe tries to temper his nerves and follow behind them at a more reserved pace. The last thing this situation needs is him freaking out. The doctor leads them to a small patient room near the end of the hall. Upon entering the room, the first thing he notices is a bright smile on Rey’s face. That’s good at least. Unfortunately, the rest of her looks a little worse for wear, lying on a bed with her leg propped up in a brace of some sorts.

Rose is the first to rush to her bedside. “Rey, honey, are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.”

Finn is also there, holding her hand. “When I heard you fell I was so scared. What happened?”

Rey shrugs with a grin. “You know me, always trying to go faster and I ended up taking a turn too sharply.” Her eyes drift beyond her friends at the bedside to the back of the room where Poe is waiting. She smiles meekly as their eyes meet. 

“Are you really going to be okay?” asks Rose.

“Yep,” she nods, turning back to her best friend. “Doctor Kalonia says I lucked out and it’s only a sprain.”

Thank fucking god!

“You may have been fortunate but that doesn’t mean you can be reckless.” The elder doctor gives Rey a stern look. “You need to stay off that knee for at least three days. No exceptions!”

Finn’s face drops. “Damn, well there goes our vacation.”

“Nonsense,” Rey huffs. “We’ve been planning this vacation for weeks, we’re not calling it off just because I can’t ski. You and Rose can still hit the slopes and there are plenty of other activities we can do together while we’re here!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! Listen, why don’t you and Rose head back and we can go to dinner later?” 

Finn nods. “Alright. You sure you’re okay?”

“Definitely”

Poe watches as Rose and Finn exit the room. He almost follows them out until Rey calls his name. Her voice is softer, strained. 

“Poe.”

He turns back around to find the cheerful appearance she displayed earlier gone. Her face crumples into a frown and her hands grip the sheets of the bed. Taking a few steps forward, he approaches the side of her bed, resting his hands on the rail.

“Yes?”

She looks up at him with an unreadable expression on her face. Her eyes bore into him and for the first time, he notices how light they are — more hazel than brown. 

Why the hell are you noticing that now?

“Please tell me you haven’t called my dad yet?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet. I was waiting to get the prognosis from the doctor first.” If he was going to have to tell President Skywalker his daughter was injured, he at least wanted to have all the facts. “You know how your father is, he’ll probably—”

“—Don’t!” Rey interjects quickly. “Please don’t tell him.”

“Rey…”

“Please!” She reaches up and grabs his arm, just above his wrist at his forearm. “Please,” she repeats, squeezing gently. “Please don’t tell him. If I stay off my leg I should be mostly fine by the time we have to go back home. I don’t want him freaking out again over nothing.”

This is such a bad idea. Protocol dictates he should report this incident. On the other hand, Rey is an adult and technically in charge of her own medical decisions. If she didn’t want her father knowing something that was well within her right. There is even a law about it if he’s not mistaken. (Admittedly, imagining using the law as an excuse as to why he didn’t inform the President his daughter was injured makes him laugh.)

Sighing, he shakes his head with a short smile.

“Fine, but you better follow the doctor’s advice and stay off that leg. If we return to the White House and you’re still on crutches, it will be the end of both of us.”

She laughs at that, releasing his forearm, settling back in the bed and smiling again for the first time since Rose and Finn left. “Alright, alright!”

He takes a step back from her bed. “I’ll be outside while you finish up with the doctor.”

“Wait.” Her gaze shifts from between him and her propped-up leg. “You can stay...shouldn’t be long anyway.” 

Nodding slowly, he takes a seat in a chair in the corner of the room while Doctor Kalonia reviews the last few self-care instructions with Rey before discharging her.

Chapter Text

“Oooh, this is exactly what I needed,” Rey moans as she settles into the padded recliner and lets the hot warmth of the towels cleanse her skin. 

“Mmm tell me about it,” concurs Rose. 

The ladies had decided to take to the spa for the day and were enjoying some quiet relaxation after their massages earlier in the afternoon. It had been three days since Rey’s incident on the slopes and while the swelling in her knee had diminished to the point it looked less like a bowling ball, she was still forbidden to put any weight on the joint. 

The slowness of her healing and reliance on others had really begun to stress her out. She thought after being discharged from the medical lodge, she would hobble around on crutches for a few days and be back to normal in no time. It turns out, even a sprain was still a pain in the ass to deal with.

The trip back from the lodge to her suite felt like it took an hour. Despite leaving for dinner 10 minutes early, she ended up reconnecting with Rose and Finn 10 minutes after they had planned to meet. Even coming back and relaxing in her suite was a drag. She had to keep her leg iced and elevated while Bee ran around her room desperate for attention. The following days weren’t much better. Her knee was on fire any time she wasn’t icing it and despite her insistence that Rose and Finn enjoy the slopes, she still felt like she was missing out. 

Poe ended up impacted the most by her predicament, something she felt horrible about. She was a fiercely independent person and over the past few days, Rey had come to rely on him more than she would have liked. He was her Secret Service bodyguard, not a damn servant or butler or whatever. Nevertheless, he was always quick to lend a helping hand whenever she asked for his assistance, including more than a few times when she did not. He even went so far as to take care of Bee for her, walking him, feeding him, and playing with him in the snow while she couldn’t. 

Trying to put all of that stress out of her mind, Rey attempts to focus on the calming melody and soft sounds surrounding them. With any luck, she will hopefully be cleared to walk again in the next day or two and then things can go back to normal before she has to return to the White House for the holidays. 

“So...any big Christmas plans Rose?” Rey asks in an effort to take her mind off less pleasant topics. 

“No,” Rose answers, “Just the usual Christmas with the family this year.”

“Really? I thought you and Finn would be spending the holidays together?”

“We will, the day after Christmas. You know how over-the-top Finn’s dad can get about Christmas; we both figured it would be a lot less pressure if we didn’t do the whole formal meet-the-parents thing for the first time on the day itself.” Rey watches as her best friend sighs and leans back further in her recliner. “Plus, Mom and Dad have been hounding Paige about not having a job lined up after graduation yet and I promised I’d be there to at least help ease the tension.”

“I can definitely relate... I was talking with Aunt Leia over Thanksgiving break and I’m contemplating telling my dad that I don’t want to go to law school after graduation next year.” 

Rey takes a deep breath and stares up at the ceiling. A few weeks ago, that was her plan at least. Then the TMZ article broke and her father officially announced his reelection campaign. Now, she was second-guessing whether this was in fact the right time to broach the subject. 

“What are you thinking about doing instead? I know you said writing, but after this semester do you have any other ideas?”

“Believe it or not, I was thinking of applying to a summer internship program with the New York Times. I know, I know...” she chuckles before Rose can comment. “You’re thinking I hate the press, why would I want to join them?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Rey shrugs with a smile. “Well, you’re definitely right, I do hate the press, but that’s mostly just the paparazzi and celebrity gossip stuff. After spending this last semester focused on writing fiction, I want to try something different. I figure it might be a cool experience to chase big stories, possibly travel, and try out journalism as a career.”

“Please let me know when you have that conversation with your dad,” laughs Rose. “I can just imagine his face when you tell him you don’t want to go to law school and be a politician and instead want to be a journalist. Politicians and the press...talk about mortal enemies!” 

“Hey!” Rey leans over and playful swats her best friend who feigns a pain in her arm. “I said I was considering journalism, I haven’t committed to anything yet!” 

“Okay, okay!”

Laughing and settling back in her chair, Rey closes her eyes and tries not to think too much about having that conversation with her family. 

BeeBee barrels forward, tugging Poe along who firmly holds onto the dog’s leash. If not for said leash, he would have easily lost Bee diving into snow mounds. Despite the fact they had been at the ski resort almost a full week now, the young pup still runs around like it's the first time he’s ever seen snow. 

A lot of Bee’s restlessness could also probably be attributed to Rey’s situation. Over the past six days, Poe had come to be the primary caretaker of the corgi while Rey rested and recovered. Bee may love spending time with him, but it was very clear the adorable puppy was a mother’s boy through and through. The good news on that front was earlier this morning Doctor Kalonia had cleared Rey to be able to put weight on her leg. Although she was still instructed to take it slow and limit herself to only necessary movement, it was welcome news for both the First Daughter and Poe alike.

To say the vacation had not gone according to plan, would be an understatement. While Rey put on a good face for Finn and Rose, he knew it was killing her to be cooped up the entire week. She moped around her hotel suite the last few days bored out of her mind with not much to do beyond watching TV. The only time she looked remotely relaxed this entire vacation was after getting back from the spa yesterday. Honestly, he wasn’t doing much better. They had spent the better part of the last six months together — nearly every day, twelve plus hours a day — but it was entirely different here. Unlike their time at Force University where she was always on the move going to classes, studying, and hanging out with friends, there simply wasn’t much to do here.

In the past, Poe had tried to give her space, cautious that, despite the small bit of trust (and friendship?) they had built over the past few months, he was still an outsider in her life. The last few days though had changed things as she relied on him more and more. It’s not that he was upset about it, he didn’t mind helping, hell, he even went above and beyond at times when he saw she was too stubborn for her good. Still, it was a bit awkward when he could do little more than sit around her suite (or his own) while she recuperated. 

His phone buzzes, snapping him back to the present. “Speaking of your mom,” he mutters to Bee, seeing the text message on his screen. The puppy barks playfully, having just relieved himself next to a tree. “Yeah, I know. You want Rey.” Another happy bark has Poe laughing as they begin to make their way back to the hotel.

Knocking on Rey’s door as a matter of courtesy, he retrieves his copy of her key card from his pocket. Sliding the card into the magnetic lock, he turns the handle and opens the door. Rey is gingerly walking towards them and at the first sight of her, Bee hastily bounds forward toward his mom. 

“Hey there buddy,” she laughs, bending over as the puppy smothers her with kisses. “Did you have a good time on your walk with Poe?” The corgi rolls over to expose his belly, causing Rey to laugh even more as she rubs him down.

He smiles at the pair having a good time and leans back toward the door. “Anything else you need or are you planning to meet Finn and Rose for dinner soon?” 

Her smile drops as she looks up at him. She rises to her feet while bracing herself against the wall for support. “No,” Rey mumbles, looking away with a frown. “They’re having a romantic evening together since it’s one of our last nights here. They said I could tag along for dinner, but I didn’t want to end up being the third wheel.” 

Pursing his lips, he stands awkwardly for a moment before speaking.

“Do you want me to go get you something then? For dinner?”

She smiles weakly as her eyes meet his. 

“Thanks, that’s alright. You can...um...stay...if you like…I was just going to order some room service and rack up the world’s most expensive pay-per-view bill.” He chuckles as she turns around and begins to slowly wander back into the rest of her suite. “Here.” She nudges the menu of one of the many restaurants at the resort on the counter in his direction. “Order whatever you like, my treat.” 

“Rey…” he starts apprehensively. 

“Just do it and stop being so difficult.” 

While he looks over the menu, Rey begins to meander around the room, play chasing Bee who was growing impatient about not being the absolute center of attention. 

“Should you really be putting that much stress on your knee?” He comments warily. “Didn’t Doctor Kalonia tell you to take it easy?”

“Jeeze, what are you, the fun police? Don’t worry I’m fine.” 

“Easy for you to say,” he mutters under his breath. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing”

Pausing her pursuits of the lovable corgi, Rey returns to the counter and looks at him intently with her hands on her hips. 

“No, what did you say, Agent Dameron ?”

Poe raises an eyebrow.

“I said that it is easy for you to say Miss Skywalker .” He accentuates the formal address, causing her lips to tilt upward into a grin. “You weren’t the one who almost got reassigned to Iceland because of a few paparazzi photos. If we return to the White House with your knee re-injured and me not telling your dad about it, I’m pretty sure he will skip reassignment and call a drone strike on my ass instead.”  

“Relax, just stay close to me okay? I’ll protect you.”

Poe rolls his eyes. “Gee...I feel safer already.” 

Rey playfully pushes on his shoulder as they break out in laughter. “Alright, well since you’re feeling safe, I’m going to order dinner.”

An hour later, Poe finds himself sitting on a couch opposite Rey in her suite’s living room. They dig into the food she had ordered for dinner while an episode of The Great British Bake Off plays on the TV. Not wanting to take advantage of her hospitality, he had ordered a simple roast beef gyro for dinner. The same could not be said for the First Daughter. Glancing over more than once, he watches in amazement as Rey once again displays her unique aptitude to put away food; she had ordered mozzarella sticks, a cheeseburger, french fries, and two (yes two) milkshakes, one chocolate and one strawberry. 

Seriously, where does she put all that food? He’s always been thunderstruck at how she can eat as much as three starving men, yet still be so lean and… Woah now.

Definitely don’t need to finish that line of thought...

“What?” She looks at him suspiciously, catching him staring and breaking him out of his stupor while she works her way through the chocolate milkshake. 

He shakes his head with a short smile. “Nothing...”

“You want some?” Reaching forward, she holds the milkshake out across the space between the two facing couches. “It’s really good.”

“No thank you.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yes.”

Rey shrugs and pulls the milkshake back to her. “Suit yourself, more for me.” Grinning, she exaggerates a large audible slurp through the straw for his benefit. 

Poe shakes his head once more as he leans back into the couch. 

The minutes turn to hours as the evening stretches on. They make idle small-talk when Rey eventually gets bored of whatever is on TV.

“So, any big Christmas plans?” She inquires while flipping through the channels, passing on watching White Christmas.

He had somehow been given several days off around the holiday, during which time she would be staying at the White House. Normally, Poe wasn’t one to enjoy the slowness of home life, idle hands and all that, but even he was looking forward to a few days of rest and relaxation. Since Thanksgiving, life with the First Daughter has been one rollercoaster ride after another. 

“No, just Christmas with my dad. I might end up visiting some buddies from the teams as well if schedules permit.”

“Nice, sounds quiet.” 

“I take it from your tone, your Christmas holiday won’t be relaxing?” 

“I don’t know. Dad usually goes all out on Christmas with the food, the tree, gifts, and everything. Ever since he took office, we do this big elaborate gift exchange with the whole family on Christmas morning since it’s one of the few times we can all be together.” She pauses for a moment, biting her lip before continuing. “This year though, with the reelection campaign and everything else, I don’t know how relaxed any of us are going to be.” 

“I’m sure it will be great.”

“Thanks...”

He was trying to be reassuring, but judging by the small frown on her face, she didn’t look convinced. Silence passes between them until Rey stops channel surfing with Pride & Prejudice playing on the TV. 

“This okay?” she grins.

While he’s never seen the movie before, he is vaguely familiar with the film’s premise. That being said, if you would have told the Poe Dameron of three years ago that his job would have him cooped up in a hotel room with a girl young woman more than 10 years his junior watching one of the biggest chick-flick films of all time, he probably would have called you crazy. Hell, the Poe Dameron of today still might. Nevertheless, who is he to deny her?

“You’re the boss,” he shrugs as his lips bend upward.

The grin on her own face grows into a full-blown toothy-white smile as she leans back into the couch and brings Bee up to sit in her lap. 

Rey stirs awake, or mostly awake anyway. She burrows further into her pillow… Except it doesn’t feel like her pillow...because it’s definitely not her pillow. And she’s not in her bed. Her heart rate increases tenfold and her eyes shoot open, the all too familiar scenery of her suite’s living room greeting her. 

Oh shit.

It’s all coming back now. Dinner. TV. The movie. She must have fallen asleep on the couch. The last thing she remembers is watching Pride & Prejudice and... Still a bit groggy, Rey stretches out, finally noticing a few other details like the fact the TV is no longer on. And Bee is missing. And the extra blanket from her bedroom is draped over her. And...

Glancing hurriedly to the couch on the opposite end of the living room, she is relieved to find a certain Secret Service agent no longer there. She does, however, spot one of the hotel notepads on the coffee table in front of her with all too familiar handwriting scratched on it. Reaching forward, she picks up the notepad and brings it close to her face to read:

Rey,

You looked tired last night so I didn’t bother waking you. Don’t worry about Bee, he’s with me (and missing you already). Let me know what the plan is for tomorrow when you wake up. 

-Poe

She reads the note three times, her face growing warmer after every reading. Burying her head in the couch cushions, she moans loudly. 

Poe must have turned off the TV and laid the blanket over her after she had fallen asleep. 

God, this is so embarrassing. 

When she finally wills herself to get up, she reaches for her phone and shoots off a quick text to Rose. They, along with Finn, had planned to go shopping later today. As it turns out, homework isn’t the only thing she procrastinates, having saved a good chunk of her Christmas shopping until the last minute. When Rose responds in the affirmative to her text, Rey heads off to the shower. 

Still a bit mortified, she decides she can always text Poe later.

“Do you think Paige will like this?” Rose asks, holding up a yellow sunflower blouse.

Rey shrugs with a smile. “I don’t know, she’s your sister.”

“Finn, what do you think?”

“Sweetheart, I am woefully out of my depth here,” he laughs. “I am sure she’ll love whatever you get because it came from you.”

Rose blushes as the two of them share a quick kiss. It had been like this all afternoon between her two best friends: the endearments, hand-holding, quick kisses and other public displays of affection. Whatever happened last night...well...Rey would get the full story from Rose later. 

In any case, the afternoon had at least turned out to be a success on the Christmas shopping front. She was able to get Aunt Leia a new pair of winter dress boots that could easily go with any outfit. Her gift for Cousin Ben ended up being a rustic leather satchel bag, something he could use for school and then work after graduation. Uncle Han was the easiest member of her family to please with a gift. She stopped by a hardware store and bought him a new set of wrenches. 

On the flip side, Dad was the absolute worst person to try to shop for when it came to gifts; Christmas, birthday or otherwise, any time she asked him what he wanted or would be interested in, he would simply shrug and give her a non-answer. This year, she decided to go the personal route, opting for a simple picture frame to hold the private family photo they took as part of the Time Magazine shoot. It wasn’t expensive or elaborate, but Dad could keep them close on his desk in the Oval. 

The trio moves to the checkout of the final store they had planned to visit. While the cashier is ringing up her last few items, Rey’s eyes drift to the souvenir merchandise beside the counter. Noticing one item in particular, she reaches to get a closer look.

“Would you mind adding this as well?” She asks the cashier with a smile, placing it with the rest of her items. “And can you wrap it too?”

Poe stares out the passenger window as the SUV heads down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House. The lights from the National Mall look serene in the evening, illuminating a path toward their destination. The past eight days in Vermont have felt like a lifetime, at least their flight back to Washington DC was short. Better still, Rey had mostly recovered to the point where walking and light jogging were painless. He glances in the rearview mirror, taking note of the First Daughter and Bee sitting comfortably in the back seat. 

Thankfully, their last few days in Vermont had been uneventful. An afternoon shopping with Finn and Rose and a walk along one of the nature trails were some of the more relaxing activities of the entire vacation. (Admittedly, everything is generally considered relaxing after your protectee starts the vacation by getting injured.)

The SUV crosses through the West gate before stopping in front of the Residence entrance. Artie is waiting for them with several other Residence staff to assist in unloading Rey’s belongings from the vehicle. Climbing out of the car, Poe buttons his jacket (he had changed back into a suit prior to the flight back to the White House) before opening the passenger door. 

Bee hops out first, barking playfully and stretching his legs. Rey slides out much slower, adjusting for a moment to all the buzz and activity around the White House, even at eleven o’clock at night. Her gaze finally returns to him and she mutters a quiet “Thanks” before stepping forward and being greeted by the Residence steward.

“Good evening Miss Skywalker,” Artie says cheerfully, “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

She pauses before speaking. “Yeah, actually, can you take Bee up for me?” 

“Certainly.”

She hands the steward the puppy’s leash. “Thank you, I’ll be up in a second.” 

Poe turns around to close the car door and head into the office to give a quick debrief before taking off for the night. With any luck, he’ll be in his car heading home by midnight. 

“Hey, Poe.”

He stops and turns around to find Rey still standing in the driveway watching him.

“Hi?”

“You were just going to leave for a few days of break without saying anything? Her lips bend upward into an impish grin. “Not even a Merry Christmas?”

“My apologies,” he laughs jokingly. “I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Rey.”

Her smile grows brighter and she reaches into the bag thrown over her shoulder. “Thanks...I um...I got you something.” Her hands retrieve a small box encased in holiday wrapping paper from her bag and she holds it out in front of him. “For you.” 

He rubs the back of his neck. “Rey...you shouldn’t have...” 

She shrugs and shakes the box for him to take. “Think of it as a Christmas gift or a thank you gift for putting up with me this past week.” 

His gaze shifts between the box and her eyes, glowing in the backdrop of the lit White House grounds. She had gotten him a gift? It was so...unexpected. Slowly reaching forward, he takes the gift into his hands. 

“Thank you,” he says between pursed lips.

“Open it,” she smiles. 

Following her instruction, he carefully removes the wrapping paper. Once the covering has been removed, he turns the object to see the front of the box. It was a coffee mug. 

Not just any coffee mug though. 

Written on the front of the mug in a cheerful cursive typeface was the phrase: “ I survived the Killington Ski Resort! ”

“I even got myself one too!” chimes in Rey when she sees him read it. 

“Thanks,” he laughs. Looking up, a wide smile is spread across her face and for a moment he’s left speechless, unsure what to say. What do you say when someone gets you a gift and you were totally not expecting it? “This is...great. Thanks.”

She nods wordlessly and an awkward silence fills the chill air between them. The wind howls louder, blowing some of her hair into her face and for the first time, he notices the tips of ears and cheeks are pink...

“You should probably…” he comments quietly, motioning toward the Residence. “Don’t want to catch a cold or keep Bee waiting.”

“Right. Well, um...have a merry Christmas Poe.”

“Thanks. You too Rey.”

Chapter Text

A force presses softly against Rey in bed. Still half asleep, she turns away and ignores it while returning to her pleasant dreamscape. Warmth and love. Freedom. Adventure. The gentle pressure persists, this time at her shoulder and hip. No, not yet. It’s too early. Moaning and curling up into a ball, she wills the interruption to let her sleep. Plush flesh presses kisses to her cheek, causing her to smile. She stirs slowly, reveling in the tenderness...until her senses finally realize the wetness of the action. 

“Mmmm,” she whines, her cheek soaked from the kisses… “Bee, c’mon it’s early!” 

The puppy barks happily and prances on top of her in bed, continuing to lick her face with kisses. He had his own bed in the corner of the room of course, but naturally, hers was the one he chose to occupy this morning. She rolls over on her back as Bee nestles himself into her side. Still a bit groggy, she lazily rubs the spot between his ears while they lay in bed a little longer.

Last night’s festivities were expectedly extravagant. Aunt Leia had been in charge of organizing their family’s Christmas Eve dinner with the White House Residence staff and they did not disappoint. Their dinner spread included ham, chicken, fish, asparagus, corn, noodles, breads, and more. The list was endless in its diversity and only outdone by the desert course. Rey savored the meal, devouring more than her fair share throughout the evening. On more than one occasion, Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, Ben or even Dad would make a teasing comment about the speed and quantity of food she consumed, something usually along the lines of “you’d think we never fed you!”

Giggling to herself, she reaches over to her nightstand to grab her phone. The digital display reads 8:12 AM. Gah. Why the hell did she have to wake up this early on Christmas? Dad was no doubt awake already, he probably wanted to get some work done before they began opening gifts. True to tradition, their presents had been placed under the Christmas tree set up in the Yellow Oval Room. Her Aunt, Uncle and Cousin wouldn’t be over until noon, however, so she would have some time to kill until gift unwrapping.

“What do you want to do Bee?” she asks, gazing down at the puppy resting next to her.

The corgi barks playfully once more.

Right. Probably food. The little mutt was just like his mom in that regard. 

Sighing, Rey slides out of bed and begins to change into a pair of leggings and other appropriately warm outdoor attire. Washington DC might be frigid in the winter, but going for a run with Bee would still be better than staying cooped up in the residence for the next four hours. Fortunately, her knee had finally recovered to the point where running was no longer painful. Once finished, she motions to the pup to follow. “C’mon Bee, let’s go!” 

The Secret Service took several minutes to get organized ahead of her run. Similar to their setup over Thanksgiving, Tom had taken over again as her detail lead while Poe was off for the holiday. She wondered what he was up to over the break? After being stuck together more than usual in Vermont, the past three days without him at the White House was a bit of an adjustment. Heck, even Bee missed Poe, moaning periodically when she would put out food in his dog bowl as if he was expecting something, or someone, else.

She considered texting Poe on more than one occasion over the past few days, but then what would she say? ‘ Hey? What’s up? How is your break going?’ Sure they were friends (friendly?), but that just seemed...well...weird. Shaking her head, Rey retrieves her phone from the pouch in her jacket and shoots off two Merry Christmas texts to Rose and Finn. The latter instantly texts her back a string of well wishes in return, causing her to smile at the knowledge she isn’t the only one failing to sleep in over Christmas.

Poe leans over the stove and turns the eggs currently sizzling in a medium skillet. On the burner next to the eggs is a skillet with strips of bacon followed by a third pan where a few links of spicy sausage are currently browning. Rounding out the main dishes were the tamales he had helped Kes prepare yesterday. It had been a long time since he had a proper breakfast, at least six months since he had started his current assignment with Rey.

While his apartment had a full-service kitchen, scrambled eggs were usually the furthest he went in fixing a morning meal for himself. Even on the days where she didn’t have an early class, he would primarily stick to eggs, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit. 

“Mijo, are you almost done in there?” His father’s voice calls from the dining room, “I have the Torta de Navidad already set out on the table.”

“Yeah Dad, five more minutes!”

Normally, they eat meals in the kitchen when Poe is home, but given that it’s Christmas, the Dameron men have broken out the good set of dishes and opted for the dining room instead. The Christmas season was always Shara’s favorite and although neither Poe nor his father said it aloud, keeping up their traditions for the past twenty years was as much about remembering her as it was a celebration between them. 

Five minutes later, Poe plates the finished bacon and sausage on one plate, the tamales on another, and the eight egg omelet on a third. His father’s face lights up as he brings the dishes out to the dining room. Kes leads a quick prayer of thanks before both men begin to pass the dishes back and forth, filling up their plates and digging into their breakfast. 

“So Mijo, do you have any plans for the final few days you have off?” 

“Why? Are you trying to get rid of me, old man?” 

“No, of course not...” his father chuckles, “But maybe I am trying to gauge how many more days of helicopter parenting I should expect from my own son!” 

“I do not hover,” Poe replies indignantly. 

“Oh, yes you do. Ever since you’ve been home it's been daily checks whether I took my medication in the morning, 30-minute buffer windows for all appointments, and pouting when I do anything more than sit my ass on the couch.” Kes takes a long drink from his coffee mug before continuing. “Take the other day, for example, when I helped you shovel snow in the driveway; you nearly bit my head off.”

“It was freezing outside, you could have gotten pneumonia!” 

“All the more reason why two pairs of hands were better than one!” 

Kes’ face turns serious when his attempt at humor fails to ease Poe’s mood. “Mijo listen to me…” His father pauses, waiting until their matching deep brown eyes meet. “The cancer has been in remission for months, there is nothing more you or I or anyone can do but continue to follow the doctor’s advice and instructions.” 

Poe frowns, still a bit perturbed. Deep down he knows his dad is right, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Work the problem — that is what he was trained to do. No matter how big or impossible the task, every problem can be worked. The Navy taught him that and he believed it. He was not going to lose Kes too… 

A moment of silence passes between the two men before Kes reaches across the table and shakes his shoulder. “Besides…” his father coos with a sly grin materializing on his face, “you should save all that worry for your girl.” 

Oh for fucks sake.  

Poe throws his head back and takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I told you, Dad...She’s not my girl. Do not call her that. Miss Skywalker is my protectee.” He shakes his head as his father laughs. “Jesus Christ, you are as bad as Snap when it comes to suggestions about my personal life, you know that?!” 

“Oh really? What did Snap say?” 

The look on his father’s face is downright devilish. Clearly, Kes is far more interested in the topic of their current conversation than any other they have had over the four days he’s been home for Christmas.

“Nothing,” Poe mutters, choosing to focus intently on getting some more omelet on his fork. “Just some stuff about a friend of a friend he wants me to meet.”

“Excellent! Well, there you go!” 

Poe throws his head back a second time as the two finish enjoying their breakfast.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” The family erupts in laughter as Ben unwraps a pair of silk black neckties from his parents. “I wore an all-black suit to work one time and now you all think it's the only thing in my wardrobe!”

“Take it as a compliment,” Rey giggles, “Not everyone can pull off the emo edge lord look!”

Ben shakes his head with a grin. 

The family had been opening gifts for the past hour with only a few gifts remaining in most of their piles. The majority of the presents had been of the practical or gag gift variety. They had sworn off big elaborate gestures ever since Dad became President.

Knowing her penchant for more informal attire, Rey received a pair of gorgeous teal flat wedges and a complementing casual sundress from Aunt Leia and Uncle Han. Dad had gotten her a new pair of running shoes, leggings, fancy dog food for Bee and...an LSAT study book. The latter was meant to be a bit of a gag gift and Rey did her best to appear appropriately grateful. Whether it was his busy schedule or her own indecision, she still hadn’t worked up the courage to tell him she wasn’t interested in going to law school. 

There are only three or four boxes remaining in her section of gifts when Ben reaches over to push one from him in front of her. “Here, open these next!” She looks down at the set, a larger wrapped box with a smaller one, tiny enough to fit in her palm, laid on top of it. “Go on,” he nods encouragingly. 

“Oh god, I’m terrified.” Rey starts with the larger of the two gifts, slowly tearing off the wrapping paper to reveal a generic brown box with no markings. When she opens the lid of the box and takes a look inside, she can’t help but laugh out loud. “Really, Ben?! Really?!” Her cousin simply shrugs as she removes several items from the container, beginning with a box of Frisco Scented Poop Bags. 

Dad, Aunt Leia and Uncle Han all break out in laughter at the implication, causing Bee to bark in the commotion. 

“Don’t mind them,” Rey chirps to her puppy while rubbing the backside of his ears. “They are just jealous because you’re so adorable!” 

The remainder of the items in the box includes a new bowl, multivitamin supplements, and a Lord of the Rings inspired dog leash that looks custom-made, probably from Etsy. 

“Poop bags aside, thank you, Ben. Dad...isn’t it your turn next?”

Her father opens one of his presents, which turns out to be a 50-year-old bottle of single malt scotch from Uncle Han. Undoubtedly, the two will probably dive into the bottle later this evening. Aunt Leia receives a new DG handbag from Han, probably picked out by Leia herself as Han, god love him, has next to no fashion taste. Ben scores a pair of courtside Celtics tickets sent from one of his friends before it’s finally Rey’s turn to open a gift again. 

There are only two items left in her pile. Reaching over, she chooses the smaller of the two remaining presents as her family watches expectantly. Given the gift’s size (only a few inches long and wide) and weight (maybe a pound), it’s most likely a book of some kind. Tearing off the wrapping paper, Rey is presented with a nondescript black box. She lifts the lid to find a card with a Christmas tree printed on the front placed on top of folded tissue paper concealing the rest of the gift inside. Odd. She picks up the card and reads the handwritten note inside.

Rey,

You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it. 

Hopefully, this can be a small lifeline.

—Poe Dameron

Her hand covers her mouth as her lips tilt upward into a grin which soon becomes a wide smile. Poe had gotten her a gift?! She only gave him the mug four days ago. How did he manage to get this under her tree when he had been off the past several days? Her smile doesn’t fade when she rereads the note another half-dozen times. The first line is a quote from one of her favorite authors, Paulo Coelho. Did Poe know that? She racks her brain for several moments trying to remember if she had ever said anything to him. And what about this second line though? A lifeline? What does that mean?

“What is it?” Uncle Han asks curiously.

“Hang on a sec!” 

Rey sets the card down and peels back the tissue paper. Wrapped underneath is a black notebook. She picks it up and runs her hand over the leather cover before opening it to reveal the gift is actually a dot notebook. 

Poe got her a dot notebook...for writing and journaling. 

She picks up the card, her eyes shifting between his written words and the gift itself. Wait a minute. Her eyes grow wide and cheeks flush in the sudden realization that his note is a reference to their conversation on the park bench at National Mall after the whole TMZ drinking photo debacle. 

Sometimes it feels like all I’m doing is treading water and I’m mere moments away from drowning. 

Those were her words... 

She was complaining about the pressure of being the President’s daughter and the expectation of going to law school. He… It was all so...unexpected. And extremely kind. The notebook couldn’t have cost more than $20, but it might be the most considerate gift she has ever received. 

“Rey, what do you have there?” Ben asks, breaking her out of her stupor. 

“It’s a notebook,” she answers softly, still a little shell shocked, in a good way, at the meaning behind the gift. This is way more thoughtful than the silly mug she got him over their winter vacation.

“Well, who is it from dear?” asks Aunt Leia. 

She pauses for a moment before answering.

“A friend.”

When she doesn’t elaborate any further, Dad begins opening his next gift. Why didn’t she feel the need to be forthright that the gift came from Poe? Well...that’s not important. What is important, she thinks as the family takes turns to open their last few remaining gifts, is that she definitely needs to thank him. 

Once they finish, she carries her gifts back to her room and debates the how of the matter. Should she call him? No, definitely not. It’s Christmas afternoon, he may be busy with family or friends or his significant other. The latter portion of that thought does nothing to abate her nerves. She could text him. Yeah, that would work. Earlier in the week when she was considering texting him it would be weird because she didn’t know what to say. Now, however, it’s easy. She needs to thank him for the gift.

Retrieving her phone, Rey sits on her bed, pulls up Poe’s number and taps the Messenger app. The digital keyboard of her phone slides up and her fingers hesitate for a moment before typing out the message:

Hey Poe! Thank you so much for the Christmas gift! I hope your holiday is going great!

Oh, hell no , she thinks when reviewing it. Way too many exclamations. And “Hey”... who says that? Holding down the back key, she tries a second time:

Hi Poe! Thank you so much for the Christmas gift! I love it!

Absolutely no. Still too many exclamations. The third time proves to be the charm and Rey taps the send button before she has a chance to second guess herself:

[You]: Merry Christmas Poe. Thank you so much for the gift, it was great!

Setting her phone on her nightstand, Rey lays back in bed and stares at the ceiling. Despite it only being three in the afternoon, she feels mentally and physically exhausted on account of having run for the first time in several weeks. Bee hops on her bed and snuggles next to her. It would still be a few hours before she could reasonably have the leftovers from last night for dinner without getting the stink eye. Until then, Dad was already back at work with Aunt Leia. 

Sighing, she reaches over and grabs her copy of George R.R. Martin’s A Feast for Crows . She’s currently about halfway through the novel and committed to fully reading through the entire series of books since the show ended in such disaster. Her immersion in Arianne Martell’s story barely takes hold when the loud ping and buzz of her phone captures her attention.

Hastily reaching over, she unlocks the device and grins, quickly tapping the unread message when she sees who it's from...

[Poe]: Merry Christmas to you as well. Glad you liked it. 

Her fingers fly across the keyboard to send a reply…

[You]: I feel silly getting you that stupid mug now. Really, thank you so much. 

Her cheeks warm when she sees his three dots instantly appear. 

[Poe]: Not a problem. I can always use a coffee mug. And like I said, I’m glad you liked it.

[You:] Tell me though, how did you get the present under our tree? Do you have some super secret ninja skills I don’t know about? 😛

Emojis? Really? Dial it back...

[Poe]: Something like that.

[You]: Let me guess, Tom?

[Poe]: Guilty as charged. 

[Poe]: How is your holiday going thus far?

Rey stares at her screen for several seconds. She’s normally the loquacious one between the pair of them and so to see him actually taking the steps to continue the conversation is surprising. Not at all unwelcome, but still surprising. Smiling, she quickly composes a response.

[You]: Alright I guess. Went for a run for the first time since Killington today. Felt good.

[Poe]: Nice.

There is the profuse Secret Service agent she has come to know all too well. Laughing to herself, she rolls over on her stomach in bed.

[You]: Bee misses you. I think we’re going to need to have a talk about the size of his meals when you get back. The little bugger has apparently gotten used to you spoiling him.

[Poe]: I wouldn’t worry about it. He still adores you. 

Rey looks down at her corgi watching her with big brown eyes and the cutest puppy dog face. 

[Rey]: That he does… How about you though? How is your break going? Are you enjoying the time away?

[Poe]: Yeah, well enough I suppose. I’m spending the holiday with my dad so it’s pretty quiet. 

[You]: That sounds nice. Any good food?

[Poe]: Everything is about food with you isn’t it? 

[You]: You know me too well 😉

Again with the emojis…

[Poe]: Nothing too fancy. Made some tamales last night. 

[You]: What is that?

[Poe]: You’re kidding me right?

[You]: No?

[Poe]: You’ve really never had tamales before?

[You]: No and don’t make fun of me or I’ll get Tom to drive me over to your dad’s house right now and eat all of yours! 😛

Oh, for heaven’s sake! 

She stares in horror at the message she hastily typed and even more hastily sent him. What was she thinking joking about inviting herself over to his father’s house? The seconds drag on for eternity as she watches his three dots bounce across her screen. A good whole minute passes before he finally responds. 

[Poe]: Noted. Listen, I have to go take care of some things before dinner. I’ll see you the day after next, okay?

The seemingly permanent smile that had affixed itself to her face throughout their back-and-forth texting conversation drops slightly. 

[You]: Okay. Merry Christmas Poe. And thanks again for the notebook. 

[Poe]: You’re very welcome. Merry Christmas Rey. 

She takes a deep breath, sighs, and languidly sets her phone back on the nightstand. Bee wiggles up to her and licks her nose while she reaches for A Feast for Crows once more. 

At least Dorne has an actual plot in this book instead of being used as a wasted set piece. 

Poe turns off his car’s engine in the parking lot and waits a beat before exiting the vehicle. It had been nearly nine months since he had seen his brothers. He pushes open the door to the dive bar and instantly spots his former number two at the counter. Smiling, he makes his way over.

“Dameron!” his good friend shouts, spotting him on approach.

“Snap!” The two men embrace for a moment before Poe pulls back and places a firm hand on his shoulder. “How are you brother?”

“Good. Good. Just got back from deployment last week.”

“Fantastic.”

Poe goes around greeting the rest of his former teammates. There is Iolo Arana, a smaller man who was their unit medic, Martin Summer who served as one of the team’s two long guns, and finally Chris Taggart, their communications specialist. 

Iolo slides a beer in his direction and slaps him on the back. “Man it’s great to see you Poe, feels like it’s been forever.”

“Sure does,” adds Chris, “Are you still slumming it in the Secret Service?” 

“Hey, c’mon now!” Poe grins as the group breaks out in laughter. It was a good-hearted joke between his former teammates when he told them he was joining the Secret Service. Martin called them ‘fancy mall cops too afraid to get their suits and shoes dirty.’ 

“What do they have you doing?” asks Snap. 

“Protection detail mostly.”

“Ugh, I hate bodyguard assignments,” complains Martin. “You remember that protection detail in Libya back in ‘18? That shit was a snoozefest for three days straight until insurgents showed up and nearly took us all out. Our principal was so scared he nearly shit himself; I bet that was the last time that pencil pusher thought about leaving the office again.” 

“Yeah, well fortunately, protection detail in the Secret Service has been far less eventful than Libya. I have yet to be fired at while on duty,” laughs Poe before mumbling, “at least with bullets anyway…”

“Oh there’s a story there, isn’t there Dameron?”

“Nah, nothing crazy. Just some drama. No big deal.”

“Aw c’mon man, we just got back from deployment, we’re dying for any juicy mainland drama.” Snap hands him another beer with a grin. “What happened? You get stuck on the President’s detail and forget to open the door for him?”  

Poe punches his best friend in the shoulder while the group erupts in laughter. “No, definitely not!”

“Who do they have you protecting anyway? Have you met the big man yet?” asks Chris. 

“Yeah, I’ve met him a few times.” Poe purses his lips before taking another swig of his beer. He rolls his eyes when he sees Snap, Chris and Martin all looking at him expectantly for more details. “I um...I’m in charge of the First Daughter’s protective detail,” he sputters.

His teammates break out in laughter once more. “You’re protecting the President’s kid? What’s her name again? R-something?”

“Rey. Rey Skywalker.”

“Right, right. Well, good luck with that man.” Snap lightheartedly slaps him on the shoulder. “I’m sure your days are a whole lot easier than ours. Commander Deso has been all over our ass since you’ve left.”

Poe looks down guiltily at his beer bottle as Martin and Chris descend into their own conversation. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles softly, running his hands through his hair. “You know I never meant to make things difficult for you and the team, right?”

“I know,” Snap replies with a short smile. “You had to do what you had to do. I would never fault you for that.”

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel like shit though…

“So Deso rode you guys hard then?”

His best friend nods and hands him another beer. This is number three? Four? Ah, who the hell cares, he’s at the bar to drink damn it. 

“Yeah, but I think a lot of it was him upset that the great Master Chief Poe Dameron wasn’t around to make him look good in front of the rest of command.”

Poe shakes his head with a chuckle. “Such a damn cake eater.”

“Damn straight,” grins Snap.  

The rest of the evening's conversation takes a far lighter tone with the teammates reminiscing about ‘the good ole days’ and giving each other plenty of shit. Expectedly, the topic of Poe’s personal life comes up — a hot subject since he’s now no longer on the teams — and Snap talks his ear off for a good thirty minutes about this friend of a friend who Poe has to meet. Apparently their friend of a friend or whatever showed this woman his picture and now it's this whole thing. As if he was making the situation any better, Snap shoves a photo of the woman in question in front of him. It’s all Poe can do but nod and mumble “pretty” in response.

Fortunately, they were all several beers and a few shots in at that point and pretty drunk, so hopefully, they’ll forget about it come the morning. Their group ends up closing out the place and after saying his goodbyes, Poe catches an Uber back home. He’ll come back and pick up his car tomorrow.

Aunt Leia is seated next to Dad at the dinner table while the pair discuss an upcoming town hall in March. Rey is sipping coffee across from them as she writes in the notebook Poe had gotten her yesterday. They had just finished eating and the discussion had (unfortunately) turned to how to best handle her father’s would-be opponent, the junior Senator Hux from Arkanis.

Technically, Senator Hux wouldn’t secure the official nomination until June, but most of his party has already paved the way for him to coast through the primaries. Without a strong primary challenger within the party, Hux’s campaign strategy has been focused on degrading her father’s administration with harsh rhetoric. In an effort to control the narrative, Dad’s campaign had begun to plan events throughout the spring to drum up support, hence the town hall in March. 

“...be good if you could be there too.”

“Rey dear?” 

“Huh?” she stutters, looking up from her notebook. 

Aunt Leia and her father look at her curiously. “I said, I think it would be good if you could be at the town hall as well.” Dad sets down his cup of coffee with a smile. “I know you have school that week, but you could fly out to Atlanta on Friday after classes and then come back Saturday or Sunday, whichever is better for you.” 

“I’ll um...have to check my schedule and let you know.”

Well, that’s half true at least. They both know she’s going to attend, it's just a matter of coordinating the logistics. On one hand, returning Saturday makes it a demanding quick trip down and back, but gives her all of Sunday to decompress before classes the following week. Coming back Sunday would be less stressful while traveling, but probably means less time to take care of homework or anything else that needs to get done by Monday.

Rey looks down and begins writing in her notebook, weighing the different options as Dad and Aunt Leia continue the conversation.

“I think you should take this opportunity to expand on your education initiatives,” suggests Aunt Leia. “Education, especially higher education, is important to people and your proposal to make state colleges free would provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many to become the first members of their family to attend college.”

“Hearing Senator Hux talk about it is less than reassuring. He called my proposal Communism aimed at helping freeloaders while then turning around and accusing me of being out-of-touch with everyday Americans.”

“Well, we both know that is not true.” 

“Did you hear his latest speech to some of his supporters in Texas? He said if I was such a big proponent of state colleges, why am I cutting backdoor deals to get my own daughter into Harvard?” Dad shakes his head angrily at the insult. “Rey is getting straight A’s, thank you very much Senator Hux, she’ll be accepted into Harvard on her own merit, ” 

“I’m not going to Harvard.”

The words slip out of her mouth so fast she hardly realizes she had spoken them until an awkward silence fills the room. Oh shit. Her eyes grow wide and her lips slightly part as she looks up from her notebook. Aunt Leia has an amused twinkle in her eye as Rey stutters to find words. Dad’s demeanor is far harder to discern. 

“Pardon me?” he asks.

Well ... in for a penny, in for a pound . 

She bites her lip and looks between Aunt Leia and her father before taking a breath and repeating herself, this time with more conviction.

“I’m not going to Harvard Law.”

Looks like Poe was right — she is going to be needing that lifeline after all.

Chapter Text

Rey stares out the car window as white flurries fall. She double-checked the weather, prior to leaving, only to discover the forecast called for cold winds and a light dusting this evening. If she had any sense, she would have canceled right then and there. Who’s she kidding? She should have canceled the second Rose suggested this or the fifty times earlier this week when her courage nearly gave out. Leaning over, she peers at the clock on the center dash. 

“We’re almost there,” comments Poe from the driver’s seat. “Five minutes.”

She nods wordlessly with a weak smile and turns to gaze out the window once more. 

Studying...yes, she should really be studying. It’s a Wednesday and she has class at noon tomorrow. Despite coming clean with her father over the break about wanting to pursue a career in writing, her schedule this semester hadn’t changed much. Dad took the news pretty well, all things considered, but he did ask her to finish both her Political Science and English degrees. The dual major, he insisted, would give her more options down the line. Unable to argue with that logic, she reluctantly agreed. She would only have a year and a half of undergrad remaining, at least she wouldn’t be attending Harvard Law afterward right?

Rey sighs as the car pulls into the restaurant parking lot. This was such a bad idea. 

What the hell was she thinking...going out on a date on Valentine’s?! 

When Rose convinced her to sign up on Bumble, Rey thought she’d just create a profile for a bit of fun to appease her best friend. She never imagined she’d actually use the damn app.

Of course, it’s not like she’s never dated before… Well, at least not successfully anyway. In high school, she had dates to her proms, but they were never anything serious. During her first two years at Oxford, she had been on a grand total of five dates ranging from boring to disastrous; the last one being that incident with the Secret Service. 

It’s also not like she didn’t attract any interest on her own, she certainly did, but based on her experience with would-be interested parties, most of her classmates were more Kyle Ren than anyone she would want to spend time with. Seriously, is a nice guy with a handsome smile too much to ask for? 

She’s broken out of her stupor when the passenger door opens. Poe is standing outside with his hand extended, waiting to help her out of the car.

“Careful, it’s a bit slippery.”

Rey looks between him and the thin white coat of precipitation that has built up on top of the pavement. Yep, definitely should have canceled. Reaching up, she takes his hand and he gently helps her out of the car until both her feet are firmly planted on the ground. Her winter coat is wrapped tightly around the teal sundress Aunt Leia had gotten her for Christmas. 

“Are you alright?”

She blinks and gazes down at her hand, still firmly gripping his own (for warmth). 

“Yeah...” 

Biting her lip, she releases her hold on him and the pair begin to head towards the restaurant entrance. They make it a few steps before her left foot slides unexpectedly across the sidewalk. She flails her arms out to regain balance, and for a moment it feels like she’s about to fall flat on her face...until Poe’s hands reach out and steady her — one at her back and another holding her arms. 

“Woah there!” 

“Sorry,” she apologizes with flushed cheeks, “Didn’t think to wear boots.”

Indeed, despite the weather report, she was sporting the matching flat wedges Aunt Leia had given her with this dress. 

“It’s okay,” Poe nods, pausing for a moment to take stock of the situation. “Well how about…” Dropping his hand on her back, he maneuvers himself next to her and holds his arm out in front of her. “...If you want.” 

Her lips tilt upward into a grin and she quickly loops her arm inside his. “Thanks,” she murmurs softly as they continue to make their way towards the restaurant entrance. 

Rey checks in with the hostess once they are inside. Her date for the evening, Jacob, was already waiting for her at their table. Dropping her coat at the cloakroom, she turns around to find Poe looking at her rather oddly. 

“Everything okay? I don’t have snow in my hair, do I?”

“Uh...yeah, no, you’re good.”

“This way miss,” interjects the hostess, ready to guide her to the table. 

Rey smiles in acknowledgment to the woman but turns back to Poe. “Okay well, I’ll see you in a bit?” 

“I’ll be here if you need me,” he nods. 

She watches him take a seat in the waiting area out front as the hostess begins to lead her through the dimly lit restaurant. Normally, Poe stays within her sightline when they are out in public, but when she told him about her date tonight, he offered to stay out of view in order to give them more privacy. 

It was the little things like that — and the not so little things like his Christmas gift — which had slowly shifted things between them over the past two months. She wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, not that she wanted to, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she liked it...and him. Okay fine, so maybe it was a tiny innocent crush, no big deal. Smiling, Rey tempers down those inconvenient thoughts as she spots her would-be date. 

Jacob stands as she approaches the table in the back of the restaurant. The Italian bistro he had chosen was a half-hour from campus, which was helpful because she still wanted to keep a low profile. The last thing she needs is tabloid photos of herself on a date. 

“Rey,” he greets with an extended hand and pleasant smile. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise,” she replies, shaking his hand in return.

They had chatted quite a bit via text since she decided to match with him on the app, but this was their first time actually meeting in person. He was a 25-year-old software engineer working remotely for a startup based out of New York City. His hobbies included music, movies and reading. By all accounts, he seemed like a decent guy, cute, and punctual. Low expectations are the key to happiness, her brain unwittingly supplies. 

“Please, sit,” he nods, motioning to the chair behind her. 

“Thanks.” 

“If you don’t mind me saying, you are far prettier in person.”

Rey can feel her cheeks flush and she only hopes she’s not turned completely crimson. Dealing with overt flattery is not something she is good at. The last time someone complimented her in such a way was when Rose tried to get Poe to tell her she looked hot in that designer dress and... nope. Now is definitely not the time for that. 

“Thanks. You, um, look…” She pauses for a moment searching for the right word. “... nice as well.” 

Apparently, flirting is another skill she’s lacking.

Or maybe she’s just out of practice? Which honestly raises a whole host of new questions such as was she ever good at flirting? How would she know what good flirting looks like? Does she even want to be good at flirting? And, oh god, why the hell did she agree to go on this stupid date again?

“Thank you.” He hands her a menu and she spends a few minutes perusing the various options in silence. The cuisine was mostly your typical upscale Italian fare which, to be honest, was a little cliche and overpriced for her liking. Given, however, that it was Valentine’s, she compromised on his choice of venue. When their waiter comes, they both order wine and agree to split the calamari as an appetizer. 

“So...how was your drive?” Rey asks tentatively. “Was it snowing when you left?”

Holy hell girl, what is wrong with you? Why are you asking him stupid questions like that? You want him to think you’re charming and funny, not some emotionally stunted person who can only talk about the weather!

“It was fine. Fortunately, there was no snow.” He pauses for a moment, seemingly unsure what to say before asking, “How about you? I hope getting here from your apartment wasn’t too much of a hassle?”

“Nope. All good.” 

“Good.”

God this is awkward. 

If Jacob is feeling equally uneasy, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he steers the conversation to the most boring and safe topic possible, besides the weather. “How are things going with your classes? What did you say your major was again?” 

Her smile falters a bit. She’s pretty sure they previously talked at length about her studies. He teased her that she was taking “soft” majors and she poked fun at him for being a boring egghead stuck behind a computer screen all day. “English and PolySci,” she sighs, “but I’m mostly only taking the PolySci major for my dad.”

The next few minutes devolve into a pleasant, if not repetitive, back and forth discussion about her classes. Jacob makes a few remarks here and there about how her experiences differ from his own, but otherwise, he mostly stays quiet. Rey eventually starts talking about the nonfiction writing class she is taking this semester. Her latest assignment for the class was to pick a nonfiction novel, read it, and write a paper on where the subject of the novel could be expanded.

“I started reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell,” she explains, “The subject matter isn’t really that interesting to me, but I wanted to try something different.” When he simply nods in response, she inquires of him, “How about you? Read anything good recently? Fiction or Nonfiction?”

“Like books?”

“Yeah…” 

What does he think she’s been talking about this whole time? 

“Nah, I’m more of a PlayStation guy if you know what I mean.” He reaches forward and takes one of the five pieces of calamari that were on the appetizer dish their waiter had just brought out. (Seriously, this is just another reason she hates fancy upscale places. For a $15 appetizer, she wants an entire serving dish full of squid, not this tiny little cocktail bowl.)

“I thought you said you liked to read?” He tilts his head and looks at her like she’s crazy. I’m not crazy, right? “On your...profile,” she stammers, trying to recall correctly, “I thought you said you liked to read?”

“Oh right,” he laughs, ducking his head and reaching for another piece of calamari. “I was just checking off random hobbies on the app, you know?”

“Right...”

“Do you play any games?” he asks with a grin. “I just finished Cyberpunk 2077 two weeks ago. It had its issues with bugs and performance, but overall it's not as terrible a game as many made it out to be.”

Fortunately, their waiter arrives to take their entree orders and she is saved from having to come up with a diplomatic response instead of shouting, I know nothing about video games you dope, which you should know if you paid attention to any of our previous conversations or I don’t know...filled out your damn Bumble profile accurately!

Their conversation while waiting for their food continues to oscillate between boring and forgettable. Sure, Jacob was a nice enough guy, but he seems like such a different person than the guy she had previously gotten to know. He wasn’t into reading, didn’t watch any movies that weren’t Marvel or DC, and generally spent most of his time in front of a computer. He was a tech nerd — not that there's anything wrong with that — but she, most definitely, is not. 

Halfway through their conversation, he begins asking about her Dad, the White House, and other government-related stuff. He seems overly excited to learn more, especially when he asks about possibly getting a tour, which only sours her mood further. She absolutely hates it when people try to exploit her for access to her Dad or the government. 

The real buzzkill occurs when she’s telling Jacob about adopting Bee and he admits he doesn’t really like pets; says they’re ‘expensive and messy’. When their entrees finally arrive shortly thereafter, she looks down disappointedly at her plate of Francobolli Ravioli. How had this evening gone so terribly wrong?

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” Rey paces through the restaurant until she finds the bathroom. Releasing a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, she digs her phone out of her clutch and taps Rose’s number. Her best friend was keeping things low-key with Finn tonight and agreed to watch Bee.

“Rey?” Rose asks, picking up on the third ring. “What’s up?”

She locks herself in a bathroom stall, sets the cover down over the toilet, and takes a seat. “It’s a disaster, Rose. It’s all wrong. He’s all wrong, the food is all wrong, what am I even doing here?” 

“Woah, slow down sweetie, what’s the problem?”

“Jacob,” Rey sighs, taking a deep breath before continuing. “He’s nothing like his online profile and we have almost nothing in common. He was just making stuff up to get dates and must have played along or something when I matched with him. The entire night has been a disaster of epic proportions. When he said he didn’t like pets, I couldn’t take it anymore and left for the bathroom.”

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry Rey. I never meant for you to get hurt.” 

“Thanks. I know…” 

There is a lengthy pause on the line until Rose finally speaks. “So, what do you want to do?” 

Rey bites her lip before answering. “I just want to leave.” The thought of staying through the rest of dinner and dessert was of no interest to her. She tried the whole online dating thing, she gave Jacob a real chance, but this just isn’t going to work and she’s not going to apologize for it. “I’m just going to leave,” she repeats, this time more for herself. 

“Okay, well, do you want me to come over then? I’m sure Bee would be happy to see you.”

“Thanks, Rose, but that’s okay. You and Finn should still have a good time tonight.”

Poe had received more than one dubious look from the bistro’s staff while he sat out front waiting for Rey. The alternative approach was to take up actual seating space, but he doubted the manager of this fancy restaurant would appreciate a non-paying patron on what was undoubtedly one of their busiest days of the year. 

Flipping through his phone while he waits, Poe is surprised when he sees Rey heading towards him with an unreadable expression on her face. 

“Everything okay?” 

He stands, watching as she retrieves her coat from the cloakroom. 

“Yeah, let’s go,” she mumbles, nodding curtly in response.

Well, something is definitely wrong. He’s been with Rey long enough to know when something is bothering her. Given it had only been an hour since they first arrived, his best guess is the date did not go well; not that he was going to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole of course. 

She takes his offered arm again as they slowly make their way across the snow-dusted parking lot. Once in the car, he heads back home towards her apartment. The silence in the vehicle is deafening and the defeated look on her face as she stares out the window makes him frown. He hates seeing her like this. 

“Rey?” His voice is quiet, testing, and she doesn’t immediately respond. “Rey?” he tries again, slightly louder this time. 

She turns to face him. “Yeah Poe?” 

“Are...are you okay? Is there anything I can get you?” He ducks his head from the rearview mirror and takes a deep breath. “If you’re still hungry, I think we passed by a diner on our way here. We can stop and grab some food there or somewhere else if you’d like.” 

She looks at him curiously for a moment or two before a weak smile breaks across her face. “Yeah...Yeah, that would be great.” 

“Alright, it should be about another ten to fifteen minutes then.”

Rey nods and turns back to gaze out the window. 

Poe takes another deep breath and tries not to overthink what he had just done. She was upset from her date and probably hadn’t eaten. He was only trying to be a good friend.

Hondo’s was nearly empty when they arrived. The diner looked like it hadn’t been renovated in over thirty years and clearly wasn’t at the top of anyone’s Valentine’s dinner destinations. Hopefully, this was one of those substance over style kinds of places. A woman behind the counter instructs them to take a seat wherever they like and Rey quickly finds her way over to a booth in the back of the restaurant. 

“This okay?” she asks, turning to Poe who was following behind her quietly. 

“Sure.”

Rey shrugs out of her coat, hangs it on the hook next to the booth, and slides into the close side of the table so Poe can sit opposite her facing the door. After two and a half years of Secret Service protection, some things are finally becoming second nature. She smiles timidly when he hands her a menu from the stack placed at the opposite end of the booth. 

“Thanks. Order whatever you want, my treat.”

He gives her a look before responding with a simple “thanks.” 

It would be an understatement to say she was surprised when he suggested they stop to get food. Then again, it was just the latest in the long line of nice things he had done for her recently. Those previous inconvenient feelings simmer in her stomach once more just thinking about it.

When their server arrives at the table, she orders a burger, fries and a chocolate milkshake. Screw proprietary, the portion sizes back at the fancy Italian bistro were tiny and she is starving. Poe, meanwhile, ends up ordering a simple roast beef sandwich. They sit there awkwardly for a few moments after the server leaves until Rey turns to the old-timey jukebox on the wall in their booth. “Any requests?” She asks, reaching over and flipping through the list of tracks available. 

“I don’t know, what have you got over there?”

“A lot of old stuff by the looks of it.” 

Poe grins. “Well, that’s not surprising.”

She rolls her eyes and continues looking through the available songs. “You in the mood for anything in particular?”

“Whatever you want.”

Eyeing a familiar song, she pushes its corresponding buttons on the jukebox. A few seconds later, music begins to play. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” laughs Poe.

“What?!” She had chosen Come and Get Your Love by Redbone. “I love this song. Every time I hear it, I think of Chris Pratt dancing at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy!” As if to prove a point, she grabs the ketchup container on the table and lip-syncs to the lyrics, Hail (Hail), what's the matter with your mind and your sign. Poe shakes his head with a huge grin on his face, which only encourages her further. “Come on now,” she teases, passing him the mustard, “Don’t leave me hanging!” Over the next two minutes, the pair lip-syncs the remainder of the song, laughing throughout at the ridiculousness of their antics. 

By the time the track finally ends, her face is flush and her cheeks ache from smiling so much. Jacob never made her smile like that, her brain supplies unnecessarily. The jukebox switches to a different song and Rey ducks her head when her eyes meet Poe’s. 

“So…Are you going to ask me about it?”

Poe tilts his head curiously. “Ask you about what?”

“Come on Poe…”

“What?”

“The date? Aren’t you going to ask me what happened?” 

She watches him take a deep breath before answering. “Do you want me to?” 

“I don’t know…” Rey pauses, unsure how to untangle the messy web that are her thoughts about the evening's earlier events or her seemingly more complicated feelings about the man in front of her. “He wasn’t...he wasn’t who I thought he was,” she starts, making the decision for both of them. “I don’t think he was a bad guy, but he was definitely disingenuous. When I found out he didn’t like dogs, that’s when I knew I had to get out of there.”

Poe nods silently in response. 

“Nothing to say?” She asks, hoping he at least offers something, anything, to help her get a beat on the fluttering feeling in her chest. 

“Do you want me to say something?”

The edges of her lips bend down slightly. “I don’t know…”

Ain’t that the truth. 

“Look…” Poe’s voice is soft when he speaks. “You know I would never tell you how to live your life, but may I offer some free advice you probably already know?” He waits patiently until she nods before continuing. “You shouldn’t have to compromise yourself for that guy. If he, or anyone else for that matter, can’t accept you for who you are, then that’s their problem.”

Her cheeks flush pink and she ducks her head. 

That was… Well... that was... 

“Thanks,” Rey whispers with a grin.

Glancing up, she watches him swallow and avert his gaze. The air between them crackles with something unspoken as the silence stretches on for what feels like several minutes. “I, I uh…” Poe stutters, clearly trying to find words. Just when it seems like he finally might be able to put a complete sentence together, their server arrives with their food. Releasing a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, Rey digs into her burger. 

The food isn’t fancy, but it hits the spot just right. She steals several wayward glances in Poe’s direction as she eats; trying, and failing, not to overanalyze the situation. 

Ever since Christmas, she can admit she’s developed something of a schoolgirl crush on Poe. It was silly and harmless (or so she thought). He was kind and caring and patient and okay fine, yes, even handsome, but that didn’t mean anything right? He was still her Secret Service bodyguard and at least a decade older than her. Plus, it’s not like he thought of her like that anyway, right? Right?

Displaying no modicum of self-control, Rey reaches over and steals a few french fries from his plate when she finishes her own. 

“Oh, I see how it is,” he laughs.

She smiles and pushes her chocolate milkshake between them. “Here, you can have some of mine.” He gives her a stunned look which roughly translates to ‘ I can’t believe you, Rey Skywalker, the human vacuum cleaner of food, is willing to share with me.’ Her stomach flutters and she bites her lip when he unwraps another straw, sticks it in the milkshake, and tastes some of the dessert. (Maybe a small part of her was hoping he’d use hers.)

They sit in the booth talking about everything and nothing long after she finishes her milkshake. Later, when Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain plays over their jukebox, she descends into another bout of head-smashing lip-syncing, and Poe, once again, reluctantly joins her for a few verses. 

It’s well past eleven at night by the time they end up leaving Hondo’s. And if Rey holds onto him a little closer as she slides over the now ice-frozen parking lot...well, that’s her business. 

Poe locks his firearm in the closet safe of his apartment and rests his forehead against the wall. 

He has a problem.

Yes, it's past midnight, exhaustion is finally catching up to him, and he should really be heading to sleep right now, but no, none of those is his immediate problem. 

Oh no. 

His problem is five foot seven inches with pretty chestnut hair and a smile as radiant as the sun. 

God damn it.

How did this happen? This isn’t supposed to happen. Exactly what this is, is something he’d rather not think about, but unfortunately, he can’t deny things have been slowly changing since Christmas. He should have never gotten her that notebook. It was a step too far.

Fuck. 

Secret Service regulations were clear. His own personal rules were clear. 

He doesn’t actually…

No. 

Infatuation — that’s all this was. She’s a pretty young woman. (There’s nothing wrong with admitting that...he has eyes after all.) They spend twelve plus hours a day together and she’s kind and caring, and quite frankly, he’d be stupid if he didn’t... like her a little bit. Still, this is wholly inconvenient and entirely inappropriate. He needs to get his head on straight. For once in his life, he even thinks he knows what might help. 

Taking out his phone, he shoots off a text to Snap. He’s going to get so much shit for this that he doesn’t even care if he wakes Snap up.

Ignore and override , Poe tells himself. That’s always been the SEAL way of dealing with inconvenient shit. 

Thursday comes and goes so fast that Rey blinks and it's already Friday afternoon. She’s kept herself busy with class and studying partially because she got nothing done Wednesday night, but more so to avoid her own complicated feelings. Of course, that was a whole lot easier when the object of said feelings didn’t follow you around 24/7 with warm brown eyes and a nice jawline. 

It also didn’t help that she casually let it slip to Rose that she and Poe went to the diner after her date with Jacob fizzled out. Naturally, her best friend screamed and proceeded to dance around like a lunatic as if it was something more than a single dinner. 

(Even if it was the best Valentine’s Rey has ever had, she’s not quite ready to admit that to Rose.)

So here she is sitting in her apartment staring at her phone with nothing more than the encouraging words to “go for it” from Rose. Rey must have brought up his contact card at least a dozen times in the last 5 minutes debating whether to call or text him. Of course, doing so would admit that on some level she’s asking him out...which is just… Shaking her head, she rises to her feet, puts on a pair of converse, grabs a leash for Bee and heads out of her apartment toward the elevators. 

She’ll just go to dinner. Yeah, that’s it. She’ll go to dinner, he’ll obviously come, and if they happen to eat together then so be it. 

The elevator reaches the first floor and Rey heads to the front desk so they can ping Poe. She’s done this a million times whenever she needs to go out, there’s no reason her stomach should be turning now. She opens her mouth to greet the front-desk clerk when a familiar voice calls her name.

“Rey?” 

Turning around, she spots Poe standing behind her wearing nice fitting dark jeans, a button-down shirt, and a blazer. 

“Hey,” she manages to squeak out.

“Everything alright?” he asks. 

She can feel her cheeks warm and she swallows deep in her throat. “Yeah, um...I was just...uh...going to go to dinner. You ready?”

“Oh,” Poe blinks. “I uh...I have plans. Jason can go with you though.” He motions to one of the other Secret Service agents standing nearby. 

“Got it, where are you off to then? Some hot date?” She laughs, teasing him with the intent to be funny. 

He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, averts his gaze and answers with a quiet “Yeah.”

Rey blinks.

And then blinks again.

“Oh.”

Chapter Text

“Remember, I’ll be gone this weekend for the President’s town hall in Atlanta.”

“I know, I’m still going to miss you though.”

“Zorii, I’ll only be gone three days,” laughs Poe with a tired grin while talking over speakerphone. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Oh I’ll notice,” she teases playfully. “Besides, I’m allowed to miss you, aren’t I?”

Zorii Bliss was the friend of a friend Snap had been trying to set him up with for months. They hadn’t been together long, three weeks or so if you were counting, but he thought things were going decently well. She was an attractive brunette (because yes, apparently he has a type) he found charming, if not a little high-maintenance. 

“Of course you are allowed to miss me.” Walking into his closet, Poe pulls out two suits and begins to fold them into his suit travel bag. “We can do something when I get back next week, Wednesday probably would be best; Re—Miss Skywalker only has one morning class on Wednesday.”

Truthfully, this whole dating thing was completely foreign to him. Sure, he had been with more than his fair share of women over the years, but he never let any of those past relationships develop into anything serious. (Not that he thought his relationship with Zorii was particularly serious yet.) The life of a SEAL was complicated and he didn’t want any of his former partners dreading whether or not he would make it home alive. With that part of his life behind him though, perhaps Snap was right and it was time to move on.

“Alright, how about I make us reservations for someplace nice then?” 

“Sure, whatever you like is fine.” 

(Poe had begun to defer cuisine selection to Zorri after discovering she was a huge foodie on their first date.) 

“Excellent,” booms her voice over the speakerphone. “I’ll text you the details this weekend!”

Zipping up his packed bags, he places them on the kitchen table for tomorrow. “Sounds good.” 

“Great, you get some sleep, Poe. Have a safe trip!” 

“Thanks. Goodnight Zorii.” 

His phone beeps when the line disconnects. He sighs, walking back into his bedroom and collapses on the bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. 

The flight to Atlanta for President Skywalker’s town hall was just under two hours. Poe drove Rey back to Washington DC after her last class on Friday and the pair boarded Air Force One along with the rest of the First Family (with the exception of Mr. Solo) for the trip down to Georgia. While he was no stranger to non-commercial flights, Poe can now safely say the President’s plane was certainly more comfortable than the back of a military 747. 

Glancing out the front passenger window of the SUV, he spots a crowd of supporters lining the streets and cheering. He was currently in a follow vehicle traveling as part of the President’s motorcade making their way to the Perimeter Mall just north of downtown Atlanta. Rey was riding with her father in Cadillac One ahead of him.

When the motorcade comes to a stop in the mall parking lot, Poe exits the vehicle and walks several paces ahead of Cadillac One. He surveys the large crowd gathered while waiting for the detail leader to give the all-clear for POTUS and the rest of the First Family to be brought out. It was strange not being fully in charge of security where Rey was involved. Then again, he doesn’t envy the agents permanently assigned to the President’s detail. The prep work for this trip, coordinating with the President’s usual agents, threat assessments, walk-throughs, etc., took more time than the two-and-a-half days they had planned to be in the Atlanta area.

Once the all-clear sign is given, the detail leader opens the passenger door of the limo. President Skywalker steps out first to a thunderous applause from the crowd. Despite Georgia being a conservative state, the Atlanta area was notably more progressive, a perfect location to hold an event to rally supporters and maybe even convert a few doubters. 

Secretary of State Organa appears second, followed by the President’s campaign manager, Michael Yoda. Ben Solo exits the vehicle next, and then finally, Rey. 

Stepping forward, Poe quickly positions himself behind (but close to) Rey as she smiles, waves, and moves to greet some of the gathered crowd. Shaking hands and kissing babies definitely isn’t her thing, but she plays the part well; her smile is warm and practiced, even if he knows it not to be quite as bright as her truly happy demeanor. A few onlookers ask for autographs and selfies (the President even agreeing to one) while the press who had been granted special access snap photos of the entire affair.

After the planned 90 seconds of greeting the crowd, the detail leader gives the signal for the President and First Family to proceed inside. “Miss Skywalker, it’s time to go,” Poe advises, stepping forward and motioning toward the mall entrance. She looks up at him and her gaze stills for a split second. 

“Right,” she nods, before turning around to thank the crowd one last time.

As he follows her toward the entrance, he can’t help but feel somewhat despondent at the way she looked at him. The dynamic between them had changed slightly in the three weeks since he decided to keep things more professional and temper his growing soft spot for her. Swallowing, he pushes those thoughts to the back of his mind as they begin to snake through the mall. 

A makeshift stage with seating for a moderately-sized audience had been constructed in the central pavilion of the mall and a TV crew from one of the cable networks was already on-site setting up to broadcast the evening’s event. “This way,” he motions again, guiding Rey toward one of the back office areas where a small dressing room had been set up. 

Her itinerary for the evening had been carefully planned ahead of time: a meet and greet upon arrival, quick sound bites with the press before the event, the event itself, then more Q&A follow-up with the press. He watches quietly from the door as several assistants quickly apply a few additional touches to her hair and makeup. Rey doesn’t need it of course, she looks great (not helping) wearing a modest long-sleeve lavender midi dress with her hair partially tied back. 

Through the hustle and bustle of assistants floating around her, her gaze meets his and for a moment, her practiced smile fades into something softer, more genuine. He offers her a short smile and a nod (as an encouragement?) in return.

A few minutes later, he is following her out toward one of the roped-off press areas. He observes quietly as she effortlessly shifts into First Daughter mode for the press:

“Rey, any comment on the new tax bill your father is proposing as part of his plan for a second term?” asks a reporter from the Washington Post. 

“Sarah, I’ll let my father speak to the particulars during the town hall, but I know he desperately wants to ensure everyone pays their fair share and we have strong programs in place to help those Americans who are most in need.”

“How about climate change?” asks a different reporter. “Your father is proposing billions of dollars in clean energy technology, yet most of the country still runs on fossil fuels. Is this really wise given our already eroding infrastructure?”

Poe watches Rey smile and nod politely before giving her (no doubt) canned response. 

“Climate change is a crisis that affects all of us, there is no running from it. Investing in green, clean, renewable energy is not just the responsible thing to do for our environment, but it will also create hundreds of thousands of new good-paying jobs.” 

“Rey — it’s been several months since the report of your drinking and potential drug use. What have you been doing since then? Did you go to rehab?” 

Taking a deep breath, Poe bites his lip and walks forward half a step. It’s a stupid salacious question from a man working at one of the more far right-wing news outlets. Frankly, he doesn't understand how these guys keep getting passes to events...probably something to do with the First Amendment. In any case, Rey handles the obviously inflammatory inquiry a whole lot better than him. 

(She was great that way, he concluded. Despite her reservations, when she committed to helping with her father’s campaign, she went all the way: studying and preparing herself for policy questions and eventual curveballs.) 

“Well now, that is certainly a question,” laughs Rey, not letting the practiced smile slip from her face and earning a few chuckles from the other (more serious) reporters. “As you know, Jason, those rumors were wildly overblown so no, I have not been in rehab. Like many young adults, I’ve simply been busy with university studies.” 

When their allotted time was finally up, one of the campaign’s media coordinators steps forward to inform them there will be no more questions until after the town hall. Poe follows beside Rey as they begin to make their way to their seats, her disposition wavering ever so slightly. 

“You alright?” he asks quietly so that only she could hear him. 

She turns and looks at him. For a moment, he thinks he did something wrong as he watches her pupils grow, accentuating more of the light in her (gorgeous) hazel eyes. “Yeah, thank you Poe.” A short tired smile grows at the edges of her lips. “Three more hours to go. You ready for this?”

There is the Rey Skywalker he knows. 

Poe motions ahead of them with a grin. 

“After you.”

Rey sits and watches the town hall from a row of seats just next to the stage. The event format was a mix of moderator and audience questions across a wide range of topics. Her father had been answering inquiries for about thirty minutes, but the town hall was still scheduled to run for another hour and a half. With any luck, she wouldn’t have to stick around for too long afterward. The fifteen minutes she spent with the press earlier wore her down enough.

Admittedly, some of her waning energy might have something to do with the fact she had been up since 7am, went for a run, attended two different classes, prepared for a test on Monday with Rose and Finn, and then drove back to DC with Poe only to sit on a plane for two hours before arriving in Atlanta. 

Just thinking his name, her mind unwillingly wanders to the man seated one row back. She had half-hoped this trip would be a welcome reprieve from her inconvenient thoughts, but it appears one glance from his warm brown eyes from across a room earlier was enough to cause her breath to hitch. 

She shakes her head silently. Her crush was silly and she knows it. 

In hindsight, Poe never did anything to explicitly indicate his regard for her was more than friendly courtesy. She was the foolish one who decided to fawn over a few kind actions of a handsome man. (She is also comfortable admitting that yes, despite being more than a decade older than her, Poe Dameron is rather handsome. Rose may have had a point when she said there are men — and then there are men .) In any case, it didn’t do her any good to be upset (and definitely not jealous) when he started spending time with his new girlfriend; after all, his interactions toward her remained nothing but pleasant and professional.

Shifting in her seat, Rey banishes those thoughts from her mind and tries to keep her attention on the town hall questions, which shift from domestic policy softballs to more pointed foreign policy items.

“Hello Mr. President,” starts one of the audience members, “Senator Hux has repeatedly called out the cuts you have made to defense spending during your first term in office. How can you justify reducing our defense spending when terror organizations such as the First Order have only stepped up their violent attacks across the globe?”

Damn Senator Hux. It’s always about the military with him.

“May I ask your name sir?”

“John.”

“That’s an excellent question John, thank you for asking it.” Her father paces comfortably about the stage, pausing for a moment to ensure he has the audience’s attention. “I’m not sure if you know this, but the United States spends more money on military and defense than the next 20 odd nations combined , most of whom are our allies. This is still true even after the spending cuts my administration approved.” She watches him pause again to let his words sink in. “Now, much of the defense spending I redirected were orders of additional, quite frankly, surplus equipment such as drones, airplanes, ships, etc. These vehicles and machines are extremely expensive and truthfully, we can only use so many at a time.”

“Addressing your concern about the First Order...I hear you and assure you that the First Order is a threat we are taking very seriously. Our law enforcement, intelligence services, and military agencies are partnering with our global partners to fight terrorism here domestically as well as around the world. Every resource is at their disposal and the aforementioned cuts in spending will not impact our ability to combat this threat.” Her father smiles shortly and adds a humored jest in conclusion. “Candidly, between you and I, spending money on five additional submarines isn't what we need to address this threat.” 

The levity of his last statement goes over well with the crowd who claps politely when he finishes with his response. 

Dad was always great like that, she thought. No matter how seemingly dry or serious the topic, he could ground his beliefs in enough levity to get his point across without coming off as patronizing. 

She sits and watches the remainder of the event unfold without incident. Even though this was supposed to be a friendly town hall to help encourage supporters (and donators), her father’s campaign insisted on preparing like it was October. The study packet she had to review on the plane to Atlanta was as detailed as it was thorough, and judging by her father’s answers to the questions, his preparation had been extensive as well. 

The same campaign media relations staffer comes to usher Rey to another cordoned off press area when the town hall finally concludes. All of dad’s top surrogates including Aunt Leia, Cousin Ben, and Mr. Yoda (and herself) are gathered around separate groups of reporters eager to get a soundbite that could make for a viral tweet. Poe had accompanied her as well, but she notices him step away when the questions begin. Fixing her face into a pleasant smile for the reporters, she turns to the small group gathered in front of her.

“So Rey, what is next for the campaign?”

“Well Thomas, I believe the most immediate event is an online phone bank happening in two weeks. Beyond that, I know we have plans to do a lot of grass-roots on-the-ground informational rallies and events throughout the spring and summer. I believe a few of those events have already been scheduled and you can find them on our campaign website.”

The circle of reporters hold their microphones, recorders, and cell phones close to capture her every word. There is a hum and buzz of lights flashing from traditional cameras and cell phones as they snap photos of her for their stories. 

“How do you think your father did tonight, Rey? Do you think the American people will be responsive to his message?” asks another reporter.

Really, that was the best question the reporter could come up with?

“I thought he was excellent and I would say the American people already believe in his message of hope for a better future; my father currently has a 60% approval rating so he must be doing something right!”

“What about you Rey? What’s next for you?”

Reaching up, she slowly tucks in a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you mean?”

“What’s next for you?” repeats the reporter. “What is the next campaign event we will see you at?” 

Hopefully none any time soon.

Rey keeps her features schooled as to not let that errant thought slip out. “I’m not entirely sure,” she responds candidly. “As you know I am still very busy with university studies so I imagine that will continue to take up most of my time. Once the summer arrives, however, I’m sure I’ll be around more.”  

She is asked several more questions, mostly around specific policy items, to which she keeps her answers short and within the bulleted talking points she had studied earlier. One reporter tries to inquire about her opinions on the presidential candidates for the other party, even mentioning Senator Hux by name. She expertly side-steps those would-be traps and explains the focus of her father’s campaign is simply about getting their message out to as many people as possible. 

After what feels like an eternity, the campaign media relations staffer finally calls an end to the interviews. Her eyes wander around the venue which has been mostly cleared out of any non-press or campaign personnel. Despite the late hour, the campaign staffers and Secret Service all seem to be moving at a hurried pace. Rey is about to go looking for her father or Aunt Leia when she hears her name being called.

“Miss Sky — Rey.”

Turning around, she spots Poe walking toward her with an indiscernible look upon his face. 

She tilts her head in confusion. “Poe?” 

“Your father is in the green room, I’ve been asked to bring you there immediately.” 

“Oh, okay,” she nods, “Sure...” They walk in silence for several moments before curiosity gets the better of her. “Do you know what’s going on?”

His response is short and to the point. 

“Your father is heading back to Washington.” 

“Wait, what?” Her face contorts into a frown and she lengthens her strides to walk faster. “I thought we were staying in Atlanta for the weekend? What about the other events that have been planned?”

“I don’t know the details, but something came up and he has to go back to Washington. Some of the voter registration events will still happen and if you still want to stay the weekend, we can still make that happen.” His voice shifts to something softer, less matter-of-fact. She looks to her right and finds his (warm) brown eyes watching her reaction. “That’s where I went earlier...when I got word POTUS was leaving, I had to coordinate the details should you want to stay.” 

Before she has a chance to collect her thoughts, they arrive at the green room. Poe holds open the door for her and inside, Rey can see her father, Aunt Leia, Ben and a dozen campaign and administration staffers. She pauses before entering and turns toward him. 

“Thank you,” she smiles timidly, trying to ignore the inconvenient flutter in her stomach.

“Of course,” he nods with a short smile of his own 

Taking a deep breath, she heads into the green room with the rest of her family.

Chapter Text

“What’s going on dad?” Rey crosses the room to where the rest of her family is waiting. “Po — Agent Dameron said you’re leaving?”

Her father turns from his current conversation with Mr. Yoda. “Rey, honey, yes, I have to go back to the capital tonight. Senator Hux’s allies pulled out of our agreed omnibus proposal and are forcing a vote on their amended version of the spending bill. He is accusing me of wanting the government to shut down and only caring about the upcoming election.”

“Well, that is preposterous! Everyone knows Hux and his party have been holding out on the spending bill for weeks because they want to sneak in tax breaks for their rich friends!”

Mr. Yoda chuckles, “You, I, and many level-headed Americans may know that dear girl, but politics is as much about optics as it is substance.” Despite being in his 70s, her father’s campaign manager is wide awake at this late hour in the evening. One might surmise he enjoys the grueling hours of a campaign. “The true narrative won’t matter if the only image playing on people’s TV screens is your father galavanting around the country trying to win votes while the government shuts down.”

“Yoda is right honey, the optics aren’t great.” Dad smiles wearily and rubs his temple. “Congress and my administration agreed on the omnibus bill this morning. This 11th-hour withdrawal of votes is just a bad faith move that is purely politically motivated.”  

“I understand.” She frowns and folds her arms over her chest. “So what happens now? Agent Dameron said something about me staying here in Atlanta?”

“If you want to…” Her father is momentarily cut off when one of the administration’s staff informs them they are ready to head back to Air Force One. “As I was saying...If you want to stay here in Atlanta for the weekend like originally planned, you can certainly do so. Alternatively, you can come back home with us tonight. The choice is yours.”

Remaining in Atlanta would mean attending several ‘Get out the vote’ events tomorrow aimed at ensuring residents are properly registered to vote. It’s an important event, but not something she is particularly excited about...especially if the rest of her family won’t be there. 

“I’ll come back with you tonight,” she blurts out quickly. “There are things I’d like to do back on campus.” 

Well...that is half true at least. Rose and Finn had said something about going to the basketball game on Saturday (something about March Madness?). Perhaps she could tag along with them? 

Her father nods. “Very well.” 

A few minutes later, Rey joins her father, Aunt, Cousin, and Yoda as they are led out of the mall and back to the motorcade. With any luck, they should be back in Washington DC by 3 am. She’ll stay the night at the White House and ask Poe to bring her back to campus later Saturday morning. 

Rey glances at the clock on the wall. 

“It’s almost midnight Rose, what are you still doing awake?” 

“What? It’s Friday night and Finn and I are just catching up on our Netflix queue.” Rose turns her phone toward the TV screen in her living room. “What are you doing Facetime-ing us so late? I thought you had campaign events with your family all weekend?”

“Yeah...about that,” she sighs. “Something came up and so we’re heading back to DC tonight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry hon. Bee certainly misses you though!” Rose swings her phone’s camera around a second time to show the adorable corgi snuggled up on her couch.

“Awww…” she purrs at her sleeping puppy. “Don’t be sorry though Rose. Besides, I was thinking I could come with you and Finn to the basketball game tomorrow. It’s still playoff season or something right?”

Finn’s voice comes booming over the phone’s speaker. “It’s called March Madness, Rey, get it together! And yes, we’re still going!”

“Men, right?” Rose rolls her eyes with a chuckle. “Speaking of which, are you sure you want to go to the game? Kyle will be there.”

“So?”

“So, you two haven’t spoken since that party at the end of last semester—”

“—The one where I kicked his ass in beer pong!” she exclaims with a devilish grin.

“I was thinking of the one where he got a bunch of his buddies to take photos of you drinking and sent them to the tabloids,” Rose finishes with raised eyebrows. 

“Whatever… With everything that has happened recently, I’m so over guys right now. I could use a good distraction like a mindless basketball game I know nothing about.”

Her best friend’s nose scrunches and her eyes narrow. “Wait, why? What’s been going on hon?”

Rey bites her lip and glances away from her phone. Beyond the fact her date on Valentine’s did not go as planned, she hadn’t talked to Rose or Finn (or anyone else for that matter) about the last few weeks. It doesn’t matter, she reasons. Whatever feelings she may or may not have had for a particular person in her life were misplaced at best and inconvenient at worst. “Nothing, just the whole thing with Jacob,” she lies.  “I think I’m done with trying to date until at least 25.”

“Oh come on honey, that’s not fair…”

“It’s fine, I’m over it.” Waving her hand in the air, she decides to change the subject. “Enough about my pitiful love-life, we should talk about summer vacation!”  

Rose sighs. “Rey, it’s only April…”

“I know, but we should start planning now,” she grins, her mind racing with possibility. “Before we know it the semester will be over and summer will be here.” Rose opens her mouth to object, but she continues quickly, “Plus, if all three of us get internships, we’ll need to make sure everything is booked ahead of time so we can take off!”

“Fine,” Rose exhales, “Finn and I will think about it…”

“Good.” 

“Speaking of planning, what are your plans for your birthday in a few weeks? Please, girl, tell me there is a club involved! It’s your 21st birthday for crying out loud!”

Rey frowns. Birthdays can be a touchy subject due to the fact she’s never learned her actual birthday. There was no birth certificate in her meager belongings when her biological mother abandoned her on the steps of the convent. The nuns suspected Rey must have only been a few weeks old, but they couldn’t be certain. As a result, her birthday became the day the nuns found her; a real killjoy for a little girl alone in the world. 

It wasn’t all bad of course. After she was adopted, Dad made sure to do his best to make her feel special, and most importantly, wanted. Still, it’s hard sometimes looking back on those days beforehand, where she was alone and abandoned.

“Dad is throwing a huge party, which means Aunt Leia is coordinating everything.” Rey smiles at the thought of her father trying to plan an event. It would be a disaster, a literal disaster. Thank god for Aunt Leia. “I’ll talk to them. Perhaps we can hit a club afterward or something.”

“Okay, you better!” Glancing to her right, Rose moves out of frame for a few seconds and then returns. “Listen hon, I have to go. Finn is getting tired so we’re going to call it a night.”

“Alright,” Rey nods, “I’ll see you both tomorrow. Bye Finn,” she shouts, loud enough for him to hear over Rose’s speaker. 

“Bye Peanut!” she hears before the Facetime call is disconnected. 

Rising to her feet, she crosses the room and settles into a comfy recliner. Schoolwork can wait another day, she’s exhausted. Seconds, minutes, hours go by as she drifts off. It’s not until she hears a light knock on her door that she stumbles out of her drowsy half-sleep state. “Yeah?” she calls out, not even bothering to get up. 

The door opens halfway and Poe steps into the room. “Rey,” he starts. “Sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to let you know it will be about another hour before we land back in DC.” She nods wordlessly, taking note of his use of her name once again. He pauses tentatively as if studying her, his eyes narrow but also soft. “Your father had the chef whip up some food earlier. I can...I can ask them to make something if you’re hungry.” The edges of his lips slowly bend up into a grin. “I think I even heard something about a triple layer chocolate cake when I was making the rounds earlier.”  

Her stomach rumbles, but not from hunger, and she runs her hand over her rapidly warming cheeks. “Thanks,” she mumbles, “Not very hungry.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Poe shakes his head with a wide grin and she can’t help but smile in return. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Rey Skywalker? Turning down chocolate cake…?”

Rey sighs and closes her eyes. 

Why him? Does he have to know her so well?

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks though.”

His phone buzzes, but he doesn’t check it. Instead, his eyes remain on her as the seconds stretch on and the silence between them becomes awkward. He purses his lips as if searching for the right words before speaking. “I’m sorry if today was uncomfortable or anything…” His eyes dart briefly to the floor before returning to her own. “With your father and aunt, the whole security thing is just...a lot. I know…” he quickly adds, sighing. “I know all this formal security stuff isn’t what you’re used to and I’m sorry. It was never my intention to make things...uncomfortable. Everything should hopefully go back to normal once we get home.”

She takes a deep breath. Her eyes are fixed on him despite the fact she’s pretty sure it just became about 200 degrees hotter in this room. “Normal?”

He nods as his phone buzzes once again. 

Rey purses her lips before managing to respond softly, “I think I’d like that.”

(Nevermind the fact she has no idea what “normal” even is for them anymore. Of course, going back to normal assumes things between them had become abnormal at some point...which means... Gah, why is this all so confusing?! It’s not confusing dork, you’re the silly girl who had to develop a crush on your secret service bodyguard when he clearly doesn’t see you the same way.)

His lips bend up and - is he blushing? She watches as he rubs the back of his neck as the air between them becomes thick the longer the quiet stillness sits between them. The moment is finally broken when his phone buzzes a third time. 

He digs into his pocket, examines the screen, and frowns. Sighing, he unlocks the device. “Sorry,” he mumbles as his fingers trace over the screen.

A sinking feeling begins to claw at her stomach and Rey can’t stop the next words that are out of her mouth.

“Your girlfriend?”

Poe looks up and pauses a moment before answering in a monotone voice. “Yeah…”

Since she’s already put her foot in her mouth once, she barrels forward like a bull in a china shop once more. “What’s her name?”

Because really, what good could come from knowing her name, silly girl?

He glances up and bites his lip. “Zorii.” His voice is shaky and he avoids her gaze, his head turning down as he finishes typing on the digital keyboard and puts his phone away. 

If the air between them was hot and awkward before, it’s downright boiling now. “Well...um...I’ll let you know when we’re about to land.” She nods weakly and he’s out of her room a split second later.

Leaning back into the recliner, Rey closes her eyes and groans. How the hell did she get herself into this mess?  

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m so glad your trip to Atlanta was cut short. I’ve been wanting to come here for weeks!” Poe holds the door open for Zorii as they enter Byrsa Bistro, an upscale Mediterranean and Greek fusion restaurant. She wasted no time moving up their date night when he texted yesterday to let her know he returned from Atlanta earlier than planned. “My friend Lisa recommended we try the Branzino and she also said the Chocolate Mousse for dessert is to die for.” 

“I certainly hope not,” he deadpans with a grin.

Zorii smirks at him over her shoulder as she approaches the hostess. “Hello, I have a reservation for 7 pm. It should be under the name Bliss.” How exactly she managed to get a last-minute reservation was beyond his understanding; even on a Sunday evening, the restaurant is bustling with a full crowd.

“Ah yes, here we are,” nods the hostess. “Bliss, 7 pm reservation, table for three.” Picking up two menus the hostess motions for them to follow. “This way please, the other member of your party is already seated.” 

A table for three? That is strange. She never said anything about someone else joining them.

Zorii takes his hand as they walk behind the hostess. She seems tense, almost nervous. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” 

She glances over her shoulder. “What do you mean?” 

“I thought it was just us tonight?” He eyes her curiously. “What was the hostess saying about a reservation for three?” 

Her mouth opens to respond, but they arrive at their table and the answer to his question becomes obvious in an instant. Noticing his study of the woman seated at their table, Zorii dispenses with introductions. “Poe, honey, this is my mom, Zeva.” Pausing for a moment and squeezing his hand in encouragement, she continues, “Mom, this is Poe.” 

Great. Just great. She had set up a ‘meet the parents’ moment. They had barely even talked about their parents yet. He didn’t have much experience on when was the appropriate time to introduce parents into a relationship, but it’s probably at least some point after the first month of dating. Right? Perhaps more importantly: why didn’t Zorii tell him she was setting this up? Is she afraid or ashamed of what her mother will think of him? Or maybe she thought he’d say no to dinner if he knew? In any case, there is unfortunately nothing he can do about any of this now.

The only easy day was yesterday. 

Fixing his face into a pleasant smile, Poe extends his hand towards Zorii’s mother. “Hello, Mrs. Bliss. It’s a pleasure.” 

“Please, call me Zeva.” The elder woman’s green eyes move up and down his figure, clearly checking him out. “So…you’re the boyfriend my daughter has been raving about?” She nods and turns to her daughter. “I can see what all the fuss is about.”

Poe blinks and rubs the back of his neck as mother and daughter exchange a look and laugh. 

Zeva was the CEO of Kijimi Incorporated, a multi-billion-dollar, multinational conglomerate that had its hands in several different lines of business. She was dressed stylishly in an outfit that probably costs as much as he earns in a month and exudes a sense of calm confidence befitting a woman of her experience and station. “I apologize for interrupting your would-be date Poe,” she starts as they sit and order drinks. “I have to travel out of the country tomorrow for three weeks and my daughter insisted we meet before I leave.” 

This lined up. From what little he knew, Zorii was close with her mom, the two worked together at Kijimi where Zorii was Vice President of Marketing.

“Not a problem ma’am.” 

“And there must be those charming manners Zorii has spoken of.” Zeva smiles, waving her hand at him nonchalantly. “But please, I must insist you call me Zeva. ‘Ma’am’ makes me sound so old!” 

He nods as she orders a bottle of wine, the vintage being one he’s never heard of before and no doubt expensive. Zorii joins her mother with the wine while he orders the house cocktail. They make small talk between ordering their appetizers and main entrees. He sits at the table quietly, chiming in here or there when prompted by Zorii as she expands on what she believes to be his finer qualities to her mother. It’s an odd feeling, watching his girlfriend dote on him in front of her mother, but perhaps that’s what normal couples do.

“So, Poe, Zorii tells me you were previously in the military, is that correct?”

“Yes, that is right. I spent just over ten years in the Navy.”

“But you weren’t just any Navy sailor honey!” Zorii fawns, leaning into him and placing her hand affectionately on his forearm. “Poe was a Navy SEAL mom, the best of the best. Believe it not, that’s actually how we met — my friend Kare is dating one of Poe’s friends, who is also a SEAL, and they introduced us.”

“Well, that is certainly impressive. I wager you have some great stories, no?”

Poe bites his lip. “Not really.” 

“C’mon babe, nothing?” Zorii pouts with a cheeky smile. “You never talk about your time as a SEAL.”

The two women look at him expectedly and he sighs. What do they want him to say? That he spent the better part of a decade running missions across the globe at the expense of his personal life? That he saw and did things no normal human being should have to endure? That despite all the negatives, the truth was he loved being a SEAL? He loved the challenge, the commitment, and most of all, his teammates and brothers. But talking about it? That was something else entirely.

“Apologies, unfortunately, I can’t talk about it...it’s classified.” He looks down bashfully as the waiter comes and sets their entrees in front of them. Technically, he wasn’t lying, all of his missions were classified. 

“I understand.” Zeva nods curtly as she cuts off pieces of her fish. “You still work for the government though, do you not?” 

“Yes, the Secret Service.” 

“I see…”

Her tone is muffled, almost condescending, and it causes him to straighten up in his seat. “The Secret Service is great,” he adds, strangely feeling the need to justify himself. “Sure, it’s not quite the same as being a SEAL, but there are other advantages...like being so close to family and friends. I also lead the protective detail for the First Daughter, so it’s not like I’m toiling away on an unimportant assignment.”

“That’s good to hear, but as you well know, most of the best talent ends up in the private sector.” She wipes her lips with a napkin and sets it down in her lap. “You make what, $140,000-$150,000 a year in the Secret Service? You could earn many times that in either corporate or private security. I’m sure you’re familiar with a private military contractor or two who would love to have a man with your skills and experience on their roster. Or perhaps — if you’d like something cushier — I could find a position for you at Kijimi.”

“Oh, now wouldn’t that be amazing!” Zorii squeezes his forearm again in excitement. “Can you imagine working together honey? We could have breakfast together in the mornings and come home together in the evenings! What do you think about that?”

Poe blinks. “Yeah…um…” He fidgets with his napkin as both Bliss women watch him intently. Zeva is clearly judging him, but he isn’t about to accept her charity. A woman like her — and to a certain extent Zorii too — wouldn’t understand and he’s slowly starting to realize they see the world in a way he never will. “Thanks, but I’m not looking for anything right now. Perhaps sometime in the future?”

“Very well, the offer is open if you decide otherwise.”

After an awkward silence, the next twenty minutes of the conversation devolves into something related to a project Zorii was spearheading for her mother at Kijimi. The discussion is centered around agreements reached with other companies with a focus on ‘maximizing profits’ and ‘minimizing risk.’ Poe doesn’t understand any of it and the entire thing sounds like all the buzzwords you might hear in business school all rolled up together. When their waiter comes back to take their dessert order, he agrees to split the chocolate mousse with Zorii while Zeva settles on a cappuccino and the creme brulee. 

Both women end up barely touching their respective desserts and Zeva is quick to grab the check after their meal. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?”

“We were just going back to Poe’s place for a quiet night,” answers Zorii, standing up when he pulls the chair out for her. “I’ve never been to his apartment so I’m quite looking forward to it.” She smiles and kisses him softly on the cheek.

“I told you, it’s not that exciting,” he grins, his eyes darting between Zorii and her mother after her (light) public display of affection.

“Still, it will be good to see where you are spending all your time when you’re not with me!”

“Well, I’ll leave you two to have fun then.” Zeva follows them out of the restaurant and they pause in the parking lot for final goodbyes. “Poe, it was a pleasure meeting you.” He stands there stiffly, unsure whether to offer to shake her hand, hug or her, or what. 

“You as well Zeva.” 

She nods and turns to her daughter. Guess that answers that question. “Be good dear,” she says, wrapping Zorii in a quick hug. “I’ll be back in a few weeks. Email me if you need anything and do remember to have all our partners ready for the summit when I return.”

“Yes, of course, mom.”

Zorii slips her hand into his as they watch Zeva get in her car and leave. Her head leans against his shoulder and she sighs. “I think that went well...how about you?” 

Did she just sit through the same dinner as him? Did she not hear her mom essentially tell him he is wasting his time in the Secret Service? Did she see him barely get a nod goodbye? He may not be very experienced at this whole meet the parents’ thing, but he’s pretty sure what happened tonight was the opposite of ‘well.’ 

“I don’t know about that. Is your mom always so…” He drifts off mid-sentence, struggling to find the right words and not wanting to be rude. “Is she always so…”

“Pushy?” Zorii supplies as they walk toward her Audi R8 Spyder parked a few spaces away. 

Rounding the passenger side, he looks at her over the hood of the car. “Yeah, I guess that’s one way to put it.”

Smiling, she shrugs. “Yeah, you get used to it. That was quite good. Trust me, if she didn’t like you, you would know it. Mom has scared off some of my former boyfriends, but I knew you could handle her babe!” Zorii opens her door with another shrug and slides into the driver's seat, leaving him speechless.

Rey stares at the blinking cursor inside the blank document on her laptop. This assignment for Professor Jinn was due Wednesday and she was still drawing a blank at where to begin. On top of her schoolwork, she also still had an essay to write as part of her application to the New York Times internship program this summer. Thank goodness she decided to come back from Atlanta. Even though most of yesterday was spent at the basketball game with Finn and Rose, it’s great to have extra time to write, regardless of her productivity. 

Bee comes over and brushes his side against her leg. Bending over, she rubs the soft spot between his ears. “What is it, buddy?” The corgi struts in a circle expectedly, letting out a low whine before brushing against her leg again. Rey smiles. “Are you tired of doing homework too? Do you want to go outside for a walk and take care of business?” He barks and rolls over playfully. “Of course you do,” she laughs. Even at this late hour of the evening, her pup is a never-ending bundle of energy. 

Rising to her feet, she puts on her Converse sneakers and grabs a plastic baggie and Bee’s leash. “C’mon buddy, let’s go for a walk.” They head for the elevators and she presses the button for Poe’s floor. The last time they spoke was this morning when he joined her for a run and she told him she was staying in for the remainder of the day. He probably won’t be surprised to learn Bee wants to go for a walk. It was only 9:30 pm so he was presumably still awake, right? Even at this late hour, the main campus walkways should be lighted enough for a walk. 

Bee prances anxiously at her feet when they arrive at Poe’s apartment and Rey pulls him back out of the way. “Hang on buddy.” She knocks lightly on Poe’s door and a second later he calls out “just a moment” from inside. Waiting for him, she peeks down at Bee growing ever more impatient. “A few more minutes Bee, then we’ll be on our way.”

The door opens and she smiles instinctively. Looking up, she’s greeted to the sight of Poe in nice dark jeans and an untucked plaid button-down. The top three buttons of his shirt are undone and his sleeves are rolled up to his forearms. Her mouth goes dry and she tries not to stare. 

“Rey.” 

His voice is low, wispy, and an odd expression lines his face.

“Um...hi,” she stutters, feeling herself flush for noticing how his tongue moves forward to wet his lips. “Sorry for bothering you so late, but Bee—”

“Who is it, honey?”

A woman’s voice from inside his apartment stops her mid-sentence. Poe frowns, his face is still unreadable. “Oh,” Rey stammers as a sinking feeling floods her stomach, the realization slowly hits her. He’s with… “I didn’t...realize...”  

“Who’s at the door, honey?” The unknown voice nears and Rey watches a woman slide up behind him, lean into his side, and kiss him on the cheek before turning to her. “Hello, how can we…” Their eyes meet and Rey can tell that instant when the woman recognizes her. “Oh, you’re Rey Skywalker aren’t you?!” 

Stunned speechless, all she can do is nod in the affirmative.

This must be Poe’s girlfriend. 

“I’m Zorii,” she states, leaning off Poe for a moment and extending her hand. “Zorii Bliss. It’s a pleasure to meet you! Poe’s said nothing but wonderful things.” 

Rey can’t stop herself from openly staring at the woman. She’s pretty, like really pretty, with brown hair, a slender frame, and curves in all the right places. Her last name, Bliss...she's heard that name before? Don't they run some big company? 'K' something? It’s not until she notices that Zorii’s attire is equally unkempt that it dawns on her. Why she was here… What they were doing… Together... The sinking feeling her stomach bottoms out and she feels nauseous. 

Bee tugging on his leash and bumping into her leg finally breaks her out of her stupor.  “I, uh...nice to...meet you?” Her gawking stare shifts from Zorii to the Bee and finally to Poe. Biting her lip, she can barely maintain eye contact and struggles to put more than two words together. “I was just...um...taking Bee...uh...for a walk and…”

“Rey...” His gaze stays locked on her despite Zorii still on his arm. “It’s…”

“—It’s fine,” she finishes, hurriedly taking a step back from the door. “You’re busy. I’ll just um...downstairs...Jason can go with me.” 

“Rey—”

Turning and striding down the hall with Bee, she musters a half-hearted “See you tomorrow” over her shoulder. 

Featherweight tears form at the edges of her eyes. Silly girl. What was she thinking? Wasn’t she over this by now? Feeling hollowed out, Rey groans. Something about seeing Zorii hits her deep. How could she ever think Poe would see her like that when he has Zorii? She’s just a college student who happens to be the President’s daughter. There’s nothing special about her; she doesn’t even know what she wants to do with her life. Zorii is beautiful and perfect and if her memory is right, a member of the very rich, very famous Bliss family who runs Kijimi Incorporated.

Moaning once more, Rey smashes the “L” button inside the elevator a few dozen (or hundred) times. “C’mon Bee, let’s go.” 

Chapter Text

Rey watches Rose wind up and clumsily toss the ball. Three-quarters of the way down the lane it veers unceremoniously into the gutter. “Darn it,” Rose laughs, taking a seat next to Rey while Finn stands and prepares for his frame. 

Open bowling night at Lucky’s was one of their favorite pastimes. The venue’s short walking distance to campus and cheap food made it a popular destination. While many students of age also partook in the cheap beer being served, Rey and her friends were mostly focused on the amount of pizza they could eat before bowling became too painful. Kaydel, Beaumont, Paige, and her new boyfriend Matt were also joining them. Although not ultra-competitive, they split themselves up into guys versus gals’ teams with Kaydel volunteering to sit out to keep things even. The Tico sisters weren’t exactly the best bowlers, but a little lighthearted competition made for good fun. 

“Watch this babe,” Finn jokes as he prepares to make his approach. Five seconds later, the ball crashes into the pins knocking over the entire set. He pumps his fist. “Yes! Strike!”

Rose rolls her eyes with a grin. “Thanks, hon, well done. As a reward, why don’t you boys go get us some more pizza before Paige’s set?”

“Fine,” he pouts playfully before pointing at them. “But no cheating while we’re gone.” Beaumont and Matt follow him to the food counter to order more pizza, but not before the latter pecks a quick kiss on Paige’s cheek. The eldest Tico blushes while Rey, Rose, and Kydel laugh at the public display of affection. 

The evening’s merriment was much needed. 

The last three weeks have been rough between midterms and the ever-growing pressure of her father’s campaign ramping up. It was only going to get worse too. They were still months away from the party conventions and official nominations being finalized. Keeping up with schoolwork, especially after agreeing to stick with her double major, wasn’t even the hardest part. Despite her procrastination and lack of interest in her pre-law classes, Rey had become accustomed to carrying a heavy academic load.

No. Instead, the real challenge was the logistics of the entire ordeal. She was living on campus during the weekdays for class while the campaign would often have her back in Washington DC on the weekends. More frequent travel, such as the previous trip to Atlanta, would also be expected as the summer approached. Even chauffeured, the constant back and forth was already starting to become tiresome. Her next trip would be Tuesday, though thankfully it will be one of the few unrelated to her father’s campaign. 

Two weeks ago, she had received word regarding her application to the New York Times’ summer internship program. They want her to come onsite and interview as the final step in the process. Rey was beyond excited about the opportunity and had spent nearly every free hour she could spare preparing for the interview. It’s why she was grateful to at least have this weekend to relax and decompress with her friends.

“So…” Kaydel grins, turning to Paige. “Matt seems nice.”

“Yeah,” Paige answers.

“How long have you two been together?”

“Only about a month.”

Kaydel stares at her mischievously until the latter shrugs with a sly smile, “What can I say, things have been going good thus far.”

“One month in and he’s leaving you sweet kisses? That is better than alright if you ask me! What’s next? Long walks on the beach? Distant stargazing together?

“Stop it!”

“Okay fine. Remind me, how did you two meet again? It was on Bumble right?”

“Yep.”

“Nice.” 

“Well at least you’ve had better luck than Rey on that app,” Rose jokes before turning to her. “Who was that one guy you went out a while back? J-something? Joseph?”

“Jacob...and please don’t remind me,” Rey sighs. “It was an absolute horror.”

Rose nods, turning back to Kaydel and Paige to tell her story. “So apparently this nitwit Jacob lied about all this stuff on his profile just to try to get more dates. If that wasn’t enough, he continued to lie in text messages until they finally organize a date—”

“—on Valentine’s,” Rey cuts in.

“—Right. A date on Valentine’s and that’s when Rey discovers the deception.”

Kaydel shakes her head. “Oh my god, that sounds terrible.”

“It was an absolute horror. Worst date ever. Worst Valentine’s ever.” Rey chuckles and jokes, “And that is saying something considering the Secret Service literally tackled the best friend of one of my former dates last year!” 

“Please tell me you at least reported him?” 

“Reported him?”

“Yeah,” Paige nods. “There is a whole process for reporting fictitious profiles and people who abuse the system. The reports get reviewed by real people who will kick bad actors off the platform. It’s one of the reasons I actually really like Bumble as opposed to the usual crap found on Tinder and other apps."

“Oh, I didn’t know that… Either way, I’m done with all that for now.”

“You’re giving up after one bad match? Do you know how many dates I’ve had on apps? You can’t let it get you down.”

“It’s not just the apps...” she murmurs.  

Rose gins. “Oh, you’re talking about—” 

Rey shoots her best friend a look. She had sworn Rose to secrecy when she told her everything a few weeks ago. At first, it was simply a harmless admission of a dinner they shared on Valentine’s. Lighthearted teasing was to be expected, however, as her feelings evolved things grew more complicated. Their... relationship took a different turn when his girlfriend entered the picture, but it wasn’t until Rey came knocking on his apartment door late that night and saw Zorii for herself that it really hit her. 

Poe wasn’t interested in her. And most likely, he never had been.

She practically sprinted out of her building and directly over to Rose’s apartment in a fit of tears. It was stupid and she knew it. 

But it didn’t matter now, it was all over. 

Picking up on the knowing look between the pair, Kaydel coaxes them for more information. “Ooo, who are we talking about now? Some mystery guy?”

Paige quickly chimes in as well. “Wait, what? Who?” 

Rey sighs. 

She probably can’t avoid the subject now, right?

“There was another guy...after… I kinda liked him and even thought he liked me.” 

“Rey!” Kaydel swats her arm playfully, “How come you never told me about this? What’s his name?” 

“Don’t worry about his name… And honestly, there is nothing to tell. Nothing ever happened and I was wrong in the first place. He um...he has a girlfriend and didn’t see me in that way.”

Kaydel pats her on the back consolingly. “Oh, I’m so sorry sweetie.”

“It’s fine,” she mumbles. 

Paige looks at her curiously, picking up on her body language. “You still have feelings for him though, don’t you?”

Rey steals a glance to the back of the room where the subject of conversation was quietly keeping watch. Complicated. The word might be cliche, but it’s probably the most succinct way to describe her feelings. Just plain complicated. 

All the reasons she was initially attracted to him — his kindness, willingness to accommodate to her schedule, his love of her dog, attention to the details of her life and interests, and yes, even his admittedly handsome features — were all still there. In that capacity, her feelings for him hadn’t really changed all that much. No, instead, what had changed was her understanding of his feelings and the cold hard inescapable truth: he had a girlfriend and just wasn’t interested in her in the same way. 

And why would he be?

He’s at least a decade older than her with an already accomplished career. Why would he be interested in a college girl who still has no idea who she is and what she wants to do with her life when he can be with a rich, gorgeous, and successful businesswoman like Zorii Bliss? She couldn’t really be upset or disappointed with him. All she can do now is guard herself from any further heartache.

Rey sighs and shrugs silently, unable to put her emotions into words. 

“Oh, I’m sorry hon.” 

“It’s fine. As I said, there is nothing to tell. I’ll get over it.”

Eventually. 

Further conversation is (thankfully) interrupted when the boys return with two additional pizzas for the group. Rey wastes no time in devouring two more slices as Paige manages to score a much-needed spare for their team. 

“Hello Rey, welcome to the Times! Thank you for coming.”

“Hello, Ms. Wren. Thank you for having me!”

“Please, call me Sabine.”

Rey steps into the office of the managing editor of the New York Times’ DC bureau. She was here to interview for the outlet’s summer internship program. 

“Please, have a seat,” Sabine smiles, motioning to the twin loveseat couches at the opposite end of her office. “I had a chance to review your application, resume, and the short-form assignment we ask all our candidates to complete. Your work had strong prose and presented a nuanced examination of privacy in the digital age. Needless to say, I came away very impressed.” 

“Thank you.”

“To begin, I’m curious why you are interested in this internship? I was honestly surprised when I first saw your application. Why the Times? What about this opportunity appeals to you?”

“Well, a potential career in journalism is definitely new for me, but I’ve always loved stories, both fiction and nonfiction, and I’m a huge reader. It wasn’t until this past year, however, that I really felt…empowered to pursue my interest in writing. Speaking to this role at the Times specifically, I think the opportunity to travel, meet new people, and tell their stories, especially everyday individuals, is just really appealing to me.

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why is that appealing to you? What about human interest stories excites you? Our Politics, Entertainment, and Investigative divisions are usually more attractive to potential interns as those topics generate many of the big news headlines. Given your background, a position focused on politics would seem like a more natural fit.”

Rey takes a breath, preparing her response. She expected this question when she filled out her application and had to include what division she preferred to be assigned. Naturally, the paper assumed she would be interested in politics when they saw her application. That couldn’t be further from the truth of course, but it took some serious reflection on her part to realize why the choice she made appealed to her.

“This role focused on human interest stories stood out to me because it’s something I’ve rarely had myself.” Sabine tilts her head with interest and Rey takes that as a good sign and presses on. “So much of my own story has been defined by my family. Multiple generations of Skywalkers have served in politics all culminating in my father being elected President. People see him and see everything he has achieved, everything the rest of my family has achieved. His father, Anakin, served as a Senator. His father before him was a Representative in the House before serving on the Supreme Court. It’s not just them either. People see my Aunt and see unwavering resolve to public service. Hell, even my cousin is quickly rising up the political ladder. I love them all, but that isn’t me. Not the real me.” She takes a breath, letting the weight of her words sink in. “I was adopted you see, and I guess part of me hoped by telling other people’s stories I could find my own. Who I’m meant to be.”

Sabine nods with a short smile. “I see. So what skills or experience do you hope to gain? What would make this internship a success for you?”

“Two things. First, I want to improve my writing. I think my work has a solid narrative structure, but I feel like I can improve as a descriptive writer. I want to get better at conveying thoughts, feelings, emotions and overall transporting my readers into the story. I struggle with visual imagery at times and I’d love to be able to weave in more eloquent techniques such as similes and metaphors into my work. Second, and this should come as no surprise, I hope to learn whether reporting is something I would be interested in pursuing as a full-time career after graduation. I can’t think of a better way to do that than to actually do the job itself!” 

“Tell me about a piece of journalism you read that spoke to you. It could have been a short article in your campus newspaper, a review, interview, or even a long-form magazine piece, just something that changed the way you thought about a particular topic or person.”

Rey pauses. “Hmm, that is a really interesting question! Let me think about that for a second.”

“Take your time.”

“Several years ago I read this really interesting piece by a technology journalist who spent a year without the internet.”

Sabine’s head piques with interest. “Is that right?”

“Yes. The author had become disillusioned with the current state of technology and the internet. In response, he conducted a social experiment of sorts to see how different his life would be if he did not use the internet for an entire year. This meant no email, social media, streaming, websites, apps, all of it. It was really interesting to read how this decision affected his life. Small things, such as traveling to new places, required him to use paper maps because he couldn’t use Google Maps for real-time navigation. Personal communication was done through SMS text messages, phone and snail-mail. Paying bills, a task pretty much all of us do online, could only be done via postal mail or in-person.”

“Wow, that sounds like a really interesting article. Why did it resonate with you?”

“First, I think it highlighted that while the internet has made our lives easier and more convenient, it isn’t absolutely necessary for everyday life. More importantly, and the primary thesis of his piece, was that the convenience of the internet is only a secondary benefit of the technology. Humans are social creatures and that ability to connect to one another is the real value of the internet. The author wrote extensively about how lonely he was despite the fact he was no longer ‘wasting time’ on the internet. His conclusion was that yes, while there are downsides and challenges with using the internet, ultimately, the internet isn’t an individual pursuit, it’s something we do with each other.” Rey nods with a smile. “For me, that was just a very profound and thought-provoking message.”

“Indeed. Did you change your behavior or actions as a result of reading this article?”

“Well, I definitely became more self-aware of how I use the internet, especially activities that would be classified as wasting time. I try to cut back on that excess and focus on the positive, but I’m just as human as anyone else and still sometimes find myself doom scrolling on social media!”

“Not to worry, I think we’ve all found ourselves doom-scrolling at some point!”

The remainder of the interview is surprisingly quick. Sabine asks her more questions about her goals and life experiences along with more technical questions about how she would handle certain situations. The questions are challenging, but nothing Rey hadn’t prepared for ahead of time. Better still, the natural flow of the conversation made it feel more like a discussion rather than an up-tight formal business interview. Perhaps that was one skill Sabine picked up in her many years working as a journalist. In any case, before Rey knew it she was being thanked for her time with the promise that she would hear back regarding a final decision soon.

Poe flips another page in his book, glancing up every now and again as people come in and out of the ground floor lobby of the New York Times office building. He arrived almost two hours ago with Rey for her internship interview. He knew she was nervous; she had been extensively preparing all week and was fidgety the entire drive over here. 

Hopefully, her interview is going well. 

She seemed excited whenever she spoke about the internship. Not necessarily to him of course, but to her friends. Poe sighs and tries to focus on his book. Ever since she showed up that one night at his apartment several weeks ago, their interactions have been relatively, to put it one way, succinct. He tried to talk with her about it, but that only made the whole situation more awkward. Why he felt the need to explain anything in the first place was another subject entirely. (And one he’d rather avoid.) 

Nevertheless, their relationship settled into its current state, which was probably best described as professional. 

It was odd; he had everything he thought he wanted. 

There was now a healthy distance between them and although she remained busy juggling school and the growing needs of the campaign, he still very much enjoyed working her security detail as opposed to one of the boring Senators to which he was previously assigned. The regularity of her schedule afforded him ample time to continue to check in on his father as he finished up the final round of his chemo treatments. Even Poe’s relationship with Zorii had evolved to a comfortably stable state despite her insistence for more. (His girlfriend’s latest push was a discussion about moving in together, a conversation he couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around.)

Why then, despite all of this, was he more miserable these past few weeks than before?

“Ready to go?”

Poe shakes his head and looks up to find Rey standing, waiting for him. Her interview must have finally concluded. 

“Yes,” he answers, rising to his feet. “Are you all set?”

“Yep.”

She follows him out of the building and he holds the car door open for her as she slides into the back seat. Starting the car, he plugs the address of her apartment building into the navigation. Hopefully, they would avoid rush-hour traffic. It was roughly an hour-and-a-half drive back to Force University’s campus and he knew she had plans later this evening to go see the latest Marvel movie with Finn and Rose.

The first hour of the drive is spent in silence as Rey busies herself on her phone. The quiet is both relaxing and unnerving. This is what they had become. “Would you like to stop off anywhere?” He finally asks, cutting through the stillness. “We can pick up food if you’re hungry.”

Her eyes glance up to meet his in the rearview mirror. She sighs and turns her gaze to the window. “No thanks, I’m good. Not very hungry.”

“Okay,” he murmurs before pausing and tentatively adding, “If you don’t mind me asking, is everything okay? How was the interview?

“It went well.” Her lips bend upward into a short smile and Poe exhales a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “At least I think it went well. Honestly, it’s hard to tell sometimes. They asked a lot of behavioral type questions, things like ‘tell me about time when…’ as opposed to specific journalism or skills related questions.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?”

“Neither really. I prepared for both types of questions, I just didn’t expect the questions to be so skewed in one direction. Based on the reactions and body language of the interviewer, I think I had good answers to her questions.”

“That’s good. Maybe they felt your writing was already strong enough?”

“Perhaps. The assignment they had me complete as part of the application process was definitely no joke. The instructions were to write a story about any topic of my choosing, but it had to be at least 2500 words and written in the New York Times style format.”

Poe nods quietly. This was rapidly becoming the longest conversation between the pair in recent weeks and he found himself interested in hearing more. “If I may...” he trails off, “What did you end up writing about?”

Rey’s mouth opens, but before she can respond his phone rings over the car speakers. Glancing over towards the dash he reads the caller ID. It was one of the home care nurses assigned to his father. He quickly presses a few buttons on the steering wheel to switch the call from the speakers to his Bluetooth earbuds. “Sorry, I have to take this real quick.”

“No problem.” 

“Hi Rachel,“ he answers, glancing in the rearview mirror again only to see Rey turn and gaze out the window, no doubt trying to give him some measure of privacy. “What’s going on?”

“Hello, Poe. I have a bit of a situation.”

He can tell something is off just based on the nurse’s rigid greeting. “What's wrong? Is everything okay with my dad?” 

“Yes, mostly.”

He’s pretty sure two more contradictory words have never been spoken. 

“We just got back from your father’s latest treatment. Everything went well, but he is very tired and I have an emergency with another patient. Is there any way you could come and watch your dad? At least for a little bit?” 

A thousand thoughts fly through his head, but in the background of the call, Poe can hear his father say loudly, “Don’t worry about me, mijo, I’ll be fine.”

Now that his father’s cancer was finally in remission, this week was supposed to be the last of his treatments. Exhaustion was to be expected and the doctor stressed patience and caution as he continued to recover. “Yes, of course. I can be there in…” Poe glances at the dash, quickly calculating an estimate based on the current time and their location. No matter how stubborn his father was, there was absolutely no way Poe was going to jeopardize his health. “...20 minutes or so?”  

“Perfect,” Rachel responds, “See you then.”

Poe disconnects the call by pressing another button on the steering wheel. Breathe, he tells himself. Just breathe. 

“Rey?”

“Yes,” she answers, turning to meet his gaze in the rearview mirror once more. 

“I’m sorry, but we need to make it stop on the way home. It’s an emergency...with my dad.”

In their time together, he had shared sparingly little information about his father with her. It’s why he’s partially surprised when Rey’s expression softens with understanding. 

“Oh my god, yes, of course, Poe. Whatever you need.”

Chapter Text

They drove for another twenty minutes before turning off one of the main streets into a nondescript neighborhood. A few moments later, Poe pulls their car into the driveway of a small quaint-looking two-story detached home. Rey watches him pause after turning off the engine. “Sorry,” he apologizes, glancing over his shoulder. “This should only take about a half-hour.”

“Really, it’s not a problem, Poe.”

He nods quietly and exits the car. She similarly follows suit and exits the vehicle. Walking up the driveway towards the front door, she notices a small well-tended flowerbed in the front of the house along with a US flag hanging from a flag stand on the front porch pillar. Poe unlocks the front door and holds it open for her. Sucking in a breath, she steps into his father’s home. His home. 

Poe closes the door and quickly sweeps past her through the hallway and into the living room. “Rachel? Dad? Where are you guys?” She waits a moment, unsure what to do, before following him through the unfamiliar space. Entering the living room, she finds Poe on one knee speaking to a man sitting comfortably in a cushioned recliner. 

“What do you mean Rachel left?” Poe asks.

“Her other patient was having an emergency and she couldn’t wait any longer so I told her to go.”

“Ugh, Dad you can’t do that!”

“Relax mijo, I’m fine. You and the doctors worry too much.”

So this must be Poe’s father. She can’t help but notice the resemblance. The older man is thinner with grey in his hair, but the pair share similar strong features. One look at the two of them and it’s plain as day they are father and son. The former finally takes notice of her presence while she quietly observes from the living room entranceway. 

“And who is this?” He asks, smiling and sitting up in the recliner.

Poe turns toward her with a weak smile and gives her a head nod in their direction.

Not wanting to overstep, she approaches slowly. Even before their relationship turned tepid, Poe hadn’t told her much about his father. The last thing she wanted to do was intrude on their privacy. 

“Hello, Mr. Dameron is it? I’m Rey. Rey Skywalker.” 

“Of course! Of Course! It's a pleasure to meet you, Rey! Please, come in! And call me Kes!” 

The older man takes a moment to assess her before turning to his son with a grin. “Mijo, ella es aún más bonita en persona!” 

“Dad!” Poe playfully smacks his father’s arm. “English!” He turns toward her but avoids her gaze and mumbles, “Sorry, Kes isn’t used to having company and sometimes forgets his manners.”

Rey blushes.

They don't know.

Kes chuckles. “It’s true, please forgive me, Rey. I can't actually remember the last time my son brought a girl home. Freshman year of college maybe?”

Poe's cheeks flush and he stammers nervously. “Dad! It’s...We...We were on our way back from an appointment when I got the call from Rachel. I didn’t have time to drop Rey off before coming here.” 

She ducks her head to further conceal her own reddened features. Had Poe really never brought a girl home to meet his father? Does that include Zorii too? She sighs. There she goes again, sticking her head (and heart) in places it doesn’t belong. Hadn’t she learned her lesson by now?

“Fine, well now that you are both here, you’ll be staying for dinner, yes?”

“Dad, you’re supposed to be resting. You shouldn't—”

“—I have an entire feast of leftovers in the refrigerator that I cooked the other day.”

“Dad, you can’t—”

“—Relax mijo. I told you I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter.” Kes stands and takes two steps toward the kitchen. “I’m just going to put some of the beans on the stove and heat the rest up in the microwave. Should only take fifteen minutes tops.” 

Poe throws his hands up in the air, but his father walks right past him.

 “Dad!”

“You don’t mind waiting, do you, Rey?”

“I...um...thanks,” she stutters, unsure how to respond. “That would...uh...be lovely.” 

Without another word, Kes leaves them and heads into the kitchen. Frustrated with his father, Poe shakes his head and rubs his temple. He sighs, slowly turns to her.

“I—“

“We—“

They start at the same time, both pausing when the other speaks. 

“You first,” he nods.

“Oh...I was just going to say we don’t have to stay if you don’t want to...” She ducks her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to be rude to your dad. He seemed really excited to have us for dinner.”

“Oh, he is, but trust me that is all you.” Smiling weakly, Poe rubs the back of his neck. “He’s been insufferable ever since I told him my new assignment was leading your protective detail.”

“Why’s that?”

“You know…He’s just proud I have an important job...or something like that anyway.”

“Okay...” 

Something about his tone makes it seem like he isn’t being forthright, but she decides to let it go. Instead, she looks around the living room, studying their surroundings for the first time. Picture frames hang from the walls and there are knick-knacks spread throughout the space. A grey three-seat couch is pushed against one wall opposite a TV that couldn’t be larger than 50 inches. The recliner they found Kes sitting in when they arrived is placed on the perpendicular wall and an end table sits between it and the couch. On the far end of the room lies a grandfather clock that ticks with a distinctive rhythmic sound. Despite the room’s modest size, it has a real homey feel, one of warmth, caring, and love.  

“You grew up here…” 

Her comment is half question, half statement. 

“Yes…”

Turning, she steps closer to one picture frame on the wall. “This is you? Your family?” The photo looks to have been taken some time ago with Poe looking not much older than 13 or 14 years old. He stands between Kes, who appears far younger but still recognizable, and a woman Rey can only assume is his mother. “No brothers or sisters?”

“No brothers or sisters. I’m an only child.” He steps behind her, pointing out each member of his family in the photo. “That’s my dad, obviously, me…” He pauses for a moment before continuing, his voice now lower. “And that is my mom, Shara. She...she’s no longer with us.” 

“I’m sorry,” Rey murmurs, turning around to face him. 

“No, it’s...it’s fine,” he smiles weakly. “It was hard on both my father and myself in the beginning, but we got through it.” 

“You still miss her though?”

Again, her question is as much a statement as it is an inquiry. She can tell by the tone of his voice, simply the way he talks about his mother, how much she meant to both him and Kes. Her own mother abandoned her at a nunnery and yet she still thinks about her (and the rest of her biological family) from time to time. How then must it have been for him? To grow up with a mom who holds you, supports you, loves you, and then to lose her.

“Yes. Sometimes.” 

Avoiding his gaze, she notices another photo on the wall. “This is them as well...your parents?” She takes several steps to her right, closer to the photo. This second picture is older than the first, showing an even younger Kes and Shara in military uniforms. “They served?”

“Yes.” Poe follows her again and smiles as he examines the photo. “My dad was in the Army, 75th Ranger Regiment. My mom was a lieutenant in the Navy Nurse Corps. They met while serving. He was injured in a ground operation and put on a medical chopper to a nearby aircraft carrier for surgery where my mom was stationed. According to Kes, it was love-at-first-sight. Supposedly, he had to pull some major strings to get my mom’s name and contact information. You can only imagine how that looked”—Poe chuckles—“An enlisted army ranger asking after a young naval officer.”

“The scandal!”

“Indeed! It was another six months before they had their first date because Shara still had time left on her deployment.”

“Wow. Your dad was persistent huh?”

“Yes, still is as you just saw. Or as I prefer to describe him, just plain stubborn!”

She peers around the room further, taking in many of the other photos, nick-nacks, and memorabilia. Each one tells a story, a moment in time, of the Dameron family’s life. She has cherished memories of her own, but nothing like this. Noticing the photos transition from including Shara to her being absent, she absentmindedly asks the question.

“When did your mom pass?” Poe's eyes turn toward her and it's a moment before either of them speaks. Chastising herself for bringing up the topic, she mumbles a hasty “I’m sorry,” as the silence becomes deafening. Will she ever learn self-restraint when it comes to him? What was she thinking — obviously you weren’t — bringing up such a topic? Wasn’t it obvious how much his mom meant to them? Was she trying to pour salt into the wound? Why was she even here pretending like the last few weeks hadn’t happened? “I didn’t mean to…”

But Poe surprises her. 

“—No, it’s… It’s different, refreshing almost, to talk about her with someone.” His tone is gentle as his gaze drifts back to the photo she first singled out. “No one really talks about Shara anymore. Even some of our old friends who knew her back in the day avoid mentioning my mom’s name. She passed away when I was thirteen, just four months after that photograph was taken. Breast cancer, stage 4,” he remarks as a way of an explanation. “She had been undergoing treatment for several months beforehand, even surgery. While there were some hopeful signs at first, eventually it became too much.” He pauses, taking in a deep breath. “She made the decision to stop treatment and spend what little time she had left with us. It’s the primary reason I left the navy. I already lost one parent to cancer. I can’t lose another.” 

Well, damn.

Now she feels twice as bad asking about his mom after learning her story. Instinctively, without thinking — always without thinking — she reaches forward and takes his hand at his side. “I’m so sorry, Poe,” she whispers, squeezing it and letting her fingers wrap around his palm. “That must have been so hard. This with your dad must be so hard.” 

His gaze returns her, his hand wrapping fully around her own and squeezing gently.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Rey loses track of the seconds that pass by with their hands and gazes joined; their fingers threading between one another seemingly all on their own. 

“Thank you,” he answers. 

Thump, thump.  

Her heart drums faster and she can feel her face warming. 

...

“ Rey, I—”

“—Dinner’s ready!” 

Kes’ voice comes booming from the kitchen and their joined hands break apart faster than a bolt of lightning. A moment later, the elder Dameron is in the living room. “Are you kids ready for dinner?”

Rey ducks her head and shuffles her feet in embarrassment. 

Wait …

Why should she be embarrassed? Forget the flutter in her stomach and blush on her cheeks, they weren’t doing anything wrong. And even if something had been happening —  which it definitely wasn’t because he has a girlfriend — it’s not like she did anything on purpose. She was trying to comfort a friend.

So you’re “friends” again?

“Papá,” Poe huffs with a roll of his eyes, “no somos niños, no nos llames así.”

“Oye, siempre serás mi mijo!” 

Kes then turns to her and switches to English. “Sorry my dear, you don’t mind, do you? Great. This way.” He quickly takes her arm and leads her towards the dining room. Rey glances over her shoulder at Poe who simply shrugs with a grin. Clearly, there is no stopping his father once he’s made up his mind. How did Poe put it? Stubborn? 

The dining room is smaller than the living room but no less cozy. A medium-sized dark oak table is positioned in the center of the room. Formal floral-patterned dishes are set out in front of four matching white cushion chairs on each end of the table. Above the table hangs a modest iron chandelier and on the far wall sits a matching sideboard buffet. Several dishes appear to already be placed on the table including spinach, a rice dish, beans, and a fourth she doesn’t recognize. Kes directs her to take a seat on one side of the table with Poe opposite her. Kes himself sits at the head of the table. 

“I hope you brought your appetite my dear.”

“You really shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble for me.”

“Nonsense! All I did was heat up some food I had prepared the other day.”

Kes picks up the bowl of spinach and passes it to her. “We do things family-style here Rey, so why don’t you start. This is fresh-cut spinach with a little olive oil and chopped garlic.” She takes a spoonful and passes the bowl across the table to Poe. Kes is immediately handing her the next dish. “This is Guatemalan Rice Pilaf, just simple grain rice mixed with minced onion and tomato along with chopped celery and carrots.” 

The final plate Kes passes to her contains the one dish she didn’t recognize. Fortunately, he is equally hasty in his explanation. “And these are my special Dameron family recipe beef empanadas! I can’t give away the secret, but they are essentially beef rolled together in dough. 

“Looks delicious,” she smiles, taking several before passing the plate to Poe. “I don’t think I’ve ever had empanadas before.” 

“Excellent, you are certainly in for a treat then!”

The three of them begin to dig into the meal and true to Kes’ word, the meal is delicious. “Kes,” she mumbles through a half-full mouth, “this is amazing!” She shovels down another empanada and quickly grabs two more from the serving plate. Forgoing her better manners, Rey continues to indulge herself in the meal. 

Kes seems amused by her overeager eating habits. “I’m so glad you like it. I always say the best compliment you can pay a cook is to eat all their food!” Turning to Poe, he adds, “Is she always like this?”

“Yes”

“Yeah”

Both Poe and her answer simultaneously, albeit she with a mouthful of rice. They grin and stare across the table from one another for several seconds, neither willing to back down as her heart rate climbs once again. She raises an eyebrow. He tilts his head. Finally, the pair break out in laughter and she ducks her head to continue eating.

There you go again...

“So tell me Rey, what is it like working with my son? He barely tells me anything he does at work.” 

“Dad!” Poe reaches across the table and playful swats at his father. “First, technically, it’s classified and second, it’s Rey’s personal life and none of your business!” 

“That’s okay. Honestly, Kes, most of my days are spent in class, studying, or hanging out with friends. You know, normal college stuff.” 

“What about your father? Didn’t I see you on TV with him a few weeks ago at that event in Atlanta?”

“Yeah, I do my part during the campaign, but it’s only a small piece.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Kes comments while sliding the plate of empanadas toward her to offer a third serving. “I saw the way you were with the crowd, they love you.”

Rey smiles and takes one final beef dough wrap. “Thanks. It’s not always so glamorous.”

“If you are talking about that nonsense in the tabloids from a few months back, I wouldn’t worry about it. Some people just can’t help but throw stones at everyone else. I mean really, who here hasn’t kicked back a few drinks or even the occasional recreational herb or two in their youth? I certainly did when I was your age. Wait, how old are you again my dear?”

The grin on his son’s face evaporates and Poe turns beet red “DAD!”

She laughs behind her hand. The thought of a young Kes, or even a younger Poe, drinking and smoking is suddenly the only image in her brain. “Oh, it’s quite alright Poe! I’m twenty Kes. My birthday is actually in two weeks.”

“Well then, happy early birthday!” For some reason, he is looking at his son when he adds, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it special.” 

She turns and looks up to meet Poe's stare. Her lips bend upward with a mouthful of empanada. Poe shakes his head with a grin of his own.

The rest of dinner is equally delicious and entertaining. Kes regales her with stories of Poe’s childhood, much to his dismay, and she shares some of the more entertaining stories growing up in politics. For dessert, Kes brings out a chocolate icing Entenmann's cake. Losing herself in conversation, she nearly forgets about her would-be plans at the movies with Rose and Finn. She excuses herself to use the restroom while the Dameron men clean up dinner and sends her friends a text apologizing that she won’t be able to make it tonight. 

Poe takes another dish from his father, dries it, and sets it on the counter. Dinner had taken longer than anticipated. Frankly, he was surprised Rey was seemingly comfortable staying so late. He would have thought she would want to leave by now in order to make it back to see the new Marvel movie with Rose and Finn as she had planned. That’s not to say he didn’t enjoy himself. Any excuse for Dad’s cooking, even if it is leftover empanadas, is well worth it. And despite his bellyaching during dinner, the conversation and revelry was far more entertaining than he’d ever admit aloud. 

His phone beeps and he pulls it out, checking the notification that appears on his screen. With an amused huff, he stuffs the device back in his pocket. It was Zorii again. She was probably wondering where he is or what he was doing despite the fact he told her he would be busy with Rey today. Ever since he dodged her question about moving in together, Zorii had become weirdly possessive, checking in multiple times a day. What did she expect? If he wasn’t with her, he was most likely working. 

“Earth to Poe!” 

Kes waves a dripping wet dish in front of him. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, shaking his head and taking the plate. “Got lost in thought.” 

“I’ll say,” his father chuckles. “Does it have anything to do with our guest?” When he doesn’t immediately answer, Kes plows right on ahead. “You know she likes you, right?”

“We spend twelve-plus hours a day together, Dad. I’d be in trouble if she didn’t like me.”

Kes raises an eyebrow and gives him a look. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.” 

Unsure what to say, he lets silence fill the room. Teasing is one thing, but this is getting out of hand. Rey doesn’t like him like that. He might have had a tiny infatuation with her at one point, but that was behind him. He has a girlfriend now. Besides, even if she did...even if he did…it’s totally against protocol and completely inappropriate. He’s what, twelve years her senior? She can (and should) do far better than him.

“You like her too,” Kes states after a while. 

He groans and shakes his head. “Dad… I already have a girlfriend, and a life, and—”

His father cuts him off, patting him on the shoulder with a small smile. “—It’s okay mijo. I’m not saying you have to marry the girl, but it’s clear the two of you have a connection. Seems like it would be a shame to let that pass by, don’t you think?” Poe opens his mouth in search of any kind of response, but Kes is already changing the subject. “Speaking of Rey, it’s been a while, why don’t you go check on her. Make sure she’s not lost or anything.”  

Kes takes the towel from his hands and shoos him out of the kitchen.

His father isn’t wrong. For a while now, Poe has struggled with this thing between himself and Rey. A connection as Kes called it. But what does that really mean and what is he supposed to do about it? No doubt the first daughter is an important part of his life, but what are they to one another? 

Stewing in his father’s words, Poe makes his way down the hallway towards the powder room. He stops two doors down when he happens upon Rey standing in Kes’ old office. 

“Hey,” He says, causing her to flinch as he approaches.

“Sorry,” she mutters, “I didn’t mean to intrude, I just saw…” Her voice trails off and she points to a dresser in the office.

Stepping fully into the room, his lips part as he takes in the sight in front of him. Resting on the dresser are a handful of pictures from his time in the Navy. There is one photo of him on his first day enlisting in the Navy, another showing him right as he began SEAL training, a third of him in full uniform after becoming a SEAL, and a final photo of his team that Kes took a little over two years ago when they were all back state-side for the holidays. In addition to his photos, several of his medals are also placed on the dresser, alongside memorabilia from both his father and mother’s time in service. 

This must be recent, he had no idea Dad put all this up. 

Rey glances over her shoulder and points to the dresser. “May I?”. 

Poe nods wordlessly as he watches her step closer to get a better look. Her eyes drift from frame to frame, taking in each of the photos with silent interest. “You look good in uniform,” she says timidly while motioning to the photo of him in his dress whites after becoming a SEAL. “It really suits you.”

He bites his lip and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Thanks.”

“Are these some of your friends from the service?” She signals toward the group photo. Poe shuffles forward half a step and eyes the photo with a wary gaze. It was one of the last times they were all together and before he stepped away to help take care of Kes. 

“Yeah,” he nods, swallowing deep in his throat.

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to push. You all look really happy.”

“No, it's fine.” Stepping forward again, he picks up the frame from the dresser. “Yes, this is my old team. That’s me. That’s my second in command, Snap, alongside the rest of the team: Iolo, Martin, Chris, and…Muran. Yes, we were happy.” Rey watches him closely as he takes a deep breath, studying the picture for the first time in years. The next words out of his mouth come as a surprise, even to him. “Muran is no longer with us. A mission went bad and he died.”

“ Oh … Poe, I’m so sorry.”

“It was an extraction mission for a high-level Agency asset. We were only supposed to be on target for 30 mikes, that’s minutes, but everything went wrong. There was twice the resistance inside the compound than what we were told. The insurgents were able to call for backup before we could jam the cell towers, which only made things even harder as we tried to exfil—that means leave the compoound. It was just a bad op all around. It’s a damn miracle any of us made it out of there alive.” 

A blank expression lines Rey’s face. 

Shit. 

What was he thinking sharing this shitty story about his past with her? She definitely didn’t need to hear this crap. “Sorry,” he mumbles. “I didn’t mean to upset you. There’s a reason I don’t normally talk about this stuff.” 

She shakes her head. “No, it's fine. Thank you for sharing that with me. You can, um...tell me anything you’d like...” 

Poe has rarely spoken about his time in the Navy since his discharge. There were a few stories he shared with his father; Kes could relate having served himself. Other tales were simply not meant to be told. His dad understood that too. Sometimes it’s better not to even ask the questions. Zorii, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She was constantly trying to get him to open up about his past and pushing him to think bigger about his future. He didn’t understand why. Nevermind the sensitive (and quite frankly classified) nature of his previous service, wasn’t he enough for her as he is now? 

He studies Rey’s eyes as a quiet stillness settles between them. At times, she had the most expressive eyes, full of mirth and wonder. Other times, like now, he struggled to understand what she was thinking. Would she really be saying such things if she knew half of what he has seen? Or half of what he has had to do? 

The clock in the living room tolls loudly, the pair flinching in response.

“We should probably go… “ He says, stepping aside to let her pass. “It’s getting late and I’m not sure we’ll make it back in time to meet Finn and Rose for the movie like you had planned.” 

“That’s okay. I already texted to let them know I may not make it.”

“Okay.” 

Poe shuts off the light and follows her out of the office. Rey heads down the hallway towards the front door while he goes to retrieve Kes from the living room. 

“Leaving already?” His father asks.

“Yes. It’s late and we still need to drive back.”

“Alright then, let me say my goodbyes.”

Kes follows him out of the living toward the front door.

“Rey, it’s been an absolute pleasure.” Kes opens his arms into an inviting hug and Rey hesitates for a moment, looking to him for a signal. He nods and shrugs with a grin as he watches them embrace. “You are welcome back any time my dear. Don’t be shy about asking my son to bring you around more often.”

“Thank you, Kes. I had a wonderful time, dinner was fantastic.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

She glances toward him and steps to the side so he can say his own goodbyes. Poe pauses for a moment before hugging his dad. “Take care of yourself old man. Get some rest!”  

They pull apart in a half hug and Kes squeezes his shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. And remember what I said.”

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you Dad.”

“Hablo en serio mijo. Cuídala, ella es especial.”

“Gracias Kes. Eres demasiado bueno,” a woman's voice replies. 

Poe’s jaw nearly hits the floor as his head whips around to find Rey grinning with flushed cheeks. She ducks her head to avoid his gaze. Since when was she fluent in Spanish?!

Kes laughs, giving him a final squeeze on the shoulder. “Oh, I like her! Smart and pretty. Drive safe mijo.”

Chapter Text

“Miss Skywalker! Dinner is ready!”

Rey perks up at the announcement. Her birthday might be tomorrow, but she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to come back to the White House a day early for a well-cooked meal. Despite having a fantastic apartment, she was nowhere near as adept in the kitchen as the White House residence staff. Rolling off her bed, she makes her way out of Lincoln Bedroom toward the main dining area set up in the center of the residence. 

“Miss Skywalker,” the steward nods as she enters. 

“Hello, Artie!”

“Rey, dear, there you are!” Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, and Cousin Ben are already seated at the table along with several of her favorite dishes. Her stomach rumbles at the sight. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. “Your father is on his way up. He was just finishing up a meeting with Mr. Yoda in the Oval.”

“Okay.”

Rey makes her way around the table, kissing her Aunt on the cheek, then her Uncle who greets her with his usual “Hey kiddo.” She playfully shoves Ben’s shoulder last before taking a seat. 

“I’m surprised you’re here. Didn’t think Harvard would let you off that easily!” 

“Com'on Rey! When have I missed your birthday?”

“Well, there was that one time…” 

They descend into laughter as her father sweeps into the room. “Sorry, I’m here. I’m harem” he apologizes, taking a seat at the head of the table. They take that as the single to begin passing around the dishes to be served. The chefs had prepared an eclectic mix consisting of gnocchis, fresh spinach, mashed potatoes, steak, and finally, empanadas . She had really developed a taste for them since her meal with the Damerons. While this iteration wasn’t quite as good as the ones Kes served, it was close enough to sate her craving. “My apologies for the tardiness everyone, Yoda and I were just going over a few campaign details.” 

“Any new updates?” Rey asks curiously. She had mostly tuned out of the latest campaign happenings the last few weeks. 

“A few, yes. It should come as no surprise to anyone here, but Senator Hux unofficially secured his party’s nomination last night. His last opponent, Senator Tarkin, formally announced he is suspending his campaign and endorsing Hux, which essentially leaves him unopposed ahead of the party’s official nomination at the convention next month.”

Aunt Leia huffs. “So the young firebrand did it then?”

“Yes.”

“Any idea who he will select as his running mate?”

“Yoda suspects the party will push for someone more experienced to join his ticket. Tarkin is one option, although Hux might not approve given their debates in the primary. Governor Pryde is another name that has been tossed around since they both hail from the same state. Beyond that, it’s anyone's guess.”

Ben reaches across the table with his freakishly long arms and grabs the bowl of mashed potatoes for a second serving. “So what’s our strategy, Uncle Luke?” 

“For starters, we’re going to be patient. We knew this was the likely outcome.” Her father looks between all of them individually before continuing. “Hux has, and will most likely continue, to attack us with regard to foreign policy. He views my reduction of the military budget in favor of domestic programs as a weakness. No doubt he will continue to push the narrative that we aren’t doing enough, especially with the First Order showing no signs of slowing down.”

“What’s his problem?” Rey stuffs another empanada in her mouth. “Wasn’t Senator Hux’s state one of the largest beneficiaries from the infrastructure bill that just passed?”

“Yes, my dear,” Aunt Leia answers with a sad smile. “But that type of logical thinking assumes Senator Hux cares about the people of his state. The truth is several of his largest campaign contributors are private military contractors. He courted their favor by promising to increase the military budget your father cut and award them fat new government contracts.” 

Rey groans. “Ugh, what is wrong with people?! Another reason I’m not going into politics!”

“I know! Who would have thought you’d turn to the dark side and join the press!” Ben teases, bumping their shoulders. “Come to think of it, can you even work on the campaign now? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

“There isn’t a conflict. I’m not going to be writing about politics, you nitwit!”

Her father nods. “Indeed. I may have had my reservations, but we’re all so proud of you sweetheart.” 

Two days ago she had finally received word from Sabine at The New York Times that she was formally being offered their much-coveted internship. She was at the gym when she got the call and her shout of excitement was so loud it garnered more than a few glances, including Poe who came rushing in from the front. 

“I have every confidence you are going to do great.”

Aunt Leia smiles. “As do I”

“Same kid,” Uncle Han adds.

“Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Aunt Leia and Uncle Han.”

“On that topic, we do need to talk about the campaign while everyone is here.” Her father’s face fixes itself into a more serious demeanor. “The next several events are going to be critical for us to begin solidifying our message on our domestic policy achievements. Yoda’s focus groups clearly show domestic policy resonates with the voting public because it has more of a direct impact on their day-to-day lives. These programs have been core to my platform since day one and we’re not going to change it.”

“Makes sense. So what is the plan then? What do you need from us?” Ben asks.

“We’re going to do a string of events out west. We’ll start in several of our strongholds like Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Diego, but with a focus on underrepresented communities. Afterward, we’ll work our way east with stops in Las Vegas and Phoenix before closing out in Texas.” Dad sighs with a slight grin. “Yoda thinks we might really have a shot at flipping the state this cycle so we’re going to try to hit the Austin, Houston, and Dallas metro areas early in the campaign cycle. I’ll need all of you to pitch in at these different events to help promote our message and show we are serious about bringing change.”

Rey frowns and sets her utensils down in front of her. “When is this trip? I’m planning to go on vacation to Europe this summer with Rose and Finn.”

“This would most likely be sometime in July, but we’re still finalizing the exact dates. Not to worry sweetheart, I wouldn’t ask you to change your plans for me. We can figure out the specifics once all the details have been settled.”

Rey breathes a sigh of relief. “Very well.”

She had been planning this Europe vacation with Rose and Finn for several weeks and was really looking forward to the semester ending. For once in her life, it finally felt like things were starting to make sense. Like maybe she didn’t have to be Rey Skywalker, daughter of the president, and could instead just be herself.

It is a quarter after four in the afternoon when Poe arrives at the White House. He had been off-duty since Rey arrived yesterday. Rey and Rose spent most of the morning preparing for her birthday party later this evening, the pair mentioning something about a spa day. After enduring a similar experience during their trip to Killington Ski Resort, he can safely say he was happy to have been relieved of duty. If nothing else, it gave him more time to check in on Kes. 

Thankfully, his father seemed to improve with each passing day. He was more energetic now that his treatments were complete, opting to run errands by himself when he felt up to it. Poe cautioned patience but was nonetheless pleased to see his father’s recovery going so well. Kes had even brought up traveling on vacation together later this summer. It might be good to get away. The last time they had been on vacation as a family was right before Shara passed.

Poe paces patiently by the car while continuing to wait for Rey and Rose. 

Speaking of plans, their itinerary for the evening was full. Her family had organized the party at a nearby banquet hall with catered food and live music. It was no surprise Rey had insisted the event take place outside the White House. Most of her friends would be in attendance along with her family and whoever else they ended up inviting. Since it was her 21st birthday, Rey and her friends also planned to visit a local nightclub after the party concluded. Add that factoid to the list of reasons he was thankful to have off. They’ll be home by three in the morning if they were lucky, most likely four. 

The doors to the east wing of the White House swing open, snapping Poe to attention. Rey and Rose exit the building along with her Aunt, Secretary Organa. The trio is flanked by several of the Residence staff and Secret Service agents. President Skywalker would be arriving closer to the start of the festivities, otherwise, they would be departing with an even larger caravan. The thought of what security procedures they will and won’t be following instantly evaporates from his mind as the ladies draw closer. 

Oh.

His brain short circuits taking them into view. 

Taking Rey into view.

His mouth runs dry and he swallows deep in his throat. 

She looks absolutely stunning.

The First Daughter is wearing a bright red one-shoulder dress with a hemline coming a few inches above her knees. A pair of modest heels (of some kind) adjoin her feet and she’s applied a matching shade of bright red lipstick. The detail that really catches his eye, however, is her chestnut hair. At some point since yesterday, she had it cut from shoulder length to about her jawline. It waves and curls beautifully at the ends. She looks both cute and sexy and young and sophisticated all at the same time. 

He’s completely besotted.

Stop it! 

What the hell is wrong with him? She was his protectee and a Skywalker, damn it! Wasn’t he over this by now? Never mind the complete inappropriateness of the thought, he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend he likes. Yes. He likes Zorii. She is smart, successful, and yes, also attractive. He shouldn’t be fawning over Rey like this.

Then again…

It wasn’t Zorii who first met his father. Technically, that wasn’t by choice, it was an emergency. True, but he couldn’t deny the fact he had been holding off introducing his girlfriend to his father. It also wasn’t Zorii with whom he shared the story of his mother. Or held hands while doing so. Or let glimpse into his life as a SEAL. No. He had chosen instead to share those personal moments with Rey . 

“Hi, Poe!” Rose calls as a way of greeting, snapping him out of his own headspace.

“Agent Dameron,” Secretary Organa acknowledges. 

He nods politely, his gaze struggling not to stay affixed to Rey.

“Hey,” she finally says softly. 

When their eyes meet, a modest blush paints her cheeks, and her lip curls upward as she fidgets with a strand of hair next to her ear. 

Poe sucks in a breath. 

God damnit. He’s in so much fucking trouble. 

Rey, Finn, Rose, Paige, Matt, Kaydel and Beaumont all kick back a fresh round of shots. The liquor burns in Rey’s throat but they cheer just the same. Music plays loudly all around them and the floor trembles with the beat. Even for a Thursday night, the nightclub is bustling with patrons. They had arrived a short time ago after her “official” party concluded; Finn had taken care of the arrangements, reserving a VIP section for the entire evening. 

“Another round!” he shouts.

Rey waves him off. “No, wait! We should slow down!”

“Speak for yourself,” Paige teases, taking another pull from her nearby cocktail. 

While Rey never had a strong taste for alcohol — beer, wine, and liquor included — you only turn twenty-one once. Perhaps a little self-indulgence is warranted. Finn had gone through the trouble of booking a VIP section with bottle service. What kind of friend would she be if she didn’t show her gratitude? “Ok fine, very well,” she laughs, reaching for a glass of champagne. 

Rose jumps to her feet. “Alright enough of that! We’re at a club, right? Let’s dance!”

“Rose!”

Taking Rey’s hand, her best friend pulls her up and toward the dance floor. She laughs as they navigate around the roped-off VIP section and begin to move to the beat of the music. Neither of them was particularly adept on the dance floor, but they were here to have fun, not win a competition. The rest of her friends quickly join them, the group swaying and swinging to the rhythm of the music. 

While dancing, Rey catches a glimpse of Poe watching them, watching her, from several feet away. Her smile widens, the warmth of previous drinks flooding to her cheeks. She turns to face him and gives him a “hey there” head nod. He’d kept his distance most of the evening, quietly standing vigil while she was showered with well wishes and gifts from family and friends. On more than one occasion, she had let her mind wander back to that evening at his father’s house. The two of them hand-in-hand, alone in his living room. A foolish thought no doubt, but when are wishes made upon birthday candles meant to be logical? The short upward bend of his lips and his acknowledging nod sends her heart fluttering more than the music or dance.

“You should invite him over here.” 

“Pardon?”

“Poe.” Rose playfully bumps her shoulder and nods in the direction Rey had been staring. “You two have been making heart eyes at each other all evening. Just invite him over here and be done with it. No one is going to judge you for grinding up on that. He’s a hottie.” 

“I...I...It’s…” She stammers, thankful the dim lights conceal her blush. “It’s not like that. I, uh, told you, I’m over it.” 

Okay fine . Maybe she didn’t quite get around to telling Rose what happened the other night. 

“Uh-huh. Is that why you turned crimson when he was ogling you earlier tonight?”

Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead and she points to herself. “I...I… Wait! He what?! Ogling me ?!” 

Rose rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “That’s it, come with me!” The younger Tico sister takes her hand and begins to pull her in his direction. What on earth… She isn’t actually going to... “Hey, Poe!” Rose blurts out. “Want to join us on the dance floor?” 

Omg omg omg. 

Yes.  Her best friend seriously did just that.

“Rey would really like it if you joined us.”

Oh. My. God.

If it were possible to die from embarrassment, this would be it. She’s sure of it. Ducking her head and sucking in a breath, Rey can feel her entire face burn from the tips of her ears to her collarbone. She opens her mouth but no words arrive. Forget looking up. There is no way in hell she could meet his gaze after that proposition. 

“Heh, uh, th—thank you?” His voice is warm but thready. “I uh...I think it’s better I stay here. Protocol and sightlines and things… You know?” 

When she doesn’t immediately respond, Rose shamelessly nudges her side to say something.

Damn it! 

Rey slowly peaks up, finally meeting his deep brown eyes. Thump. Thump. It feels as if her heart is beating out of her chest. He stands with his arms crossed — why would he feel defensive? — and a short smile frames his handsome face. She swallows deep in her throat as she battles an internal debate. Is it possible to be both mortified and disappointed? No small part of her would have loved for him to say yes.

Still, mostly at a loss for words, she manages to squeak out a quiet, “ Okay. ”

Neither of them speaks until Rose adds a chipper, “Okay, well, we’ll see you later Poe,” and drags her away back to their VIP section to sit down. Rey finally exhales the breath she had been holding while Rose flags down another round of drinks. “You two are absolutely helpless, you know that?”

“I...I…”

“Honey, how can you not see he has a thing for you too?” Handing her a fresh glass of champagne, her best friend sighs with a smile. “Seriously, honey, I mean this in the best way possible—forget whatever ridiculous reasons you’ve told yourself why it’s impossible. You owe it to yourself to find out where this obvious thing between the two of you will go.”

It’s a quarter past three in the morning when Rey leans against the passenger door window in an attempt to get more comfortable. Her head is throbbing, her mouth is dry, and all she wants to do is sleep. She drifts in and out of consciousness the entire drive back to her apartment until the car pulls up to the curb outside her building.

“We’re home,” Poe announces softly.

“Mmmm.” 

She tries to straighten herself upright as best she can, but everything is spinning. Why did she drink so much? Or did she? It was honestly hard to keep track after a while. The passenger door opens and Poe extends his hand. She looks up groggily before taking it. Warmth spreads from her palm to the tips of her fingers as she pulls herself out of the town car. 

Her balance threatens to give way several times while attempting to climb the stairs in front of her building. “P-poe,” she slurs, leaning against him and grasping for support. God bless him—he’s quick to ensure she remains upright, his arm wrapping around the back of her waist so she doesn’t fall. Thump. Thump. Her heart flutters in her chest as he helps her into the building lobby. She breathes in deeply, his familiar forest tree scent is a welcome contrast to her own which no doubt reeks of alcohol at this point. 

The small recess of her brain that can still process logical thought knows it's ridiculous. Here she is, tired and drunk, yet her thoughts find their way to him. All evening he watched her from a distance, his handsome brown eyes ever-present. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t wished he’d abandon his post and join her for a dance. That part of her hoped he was watching, hoped he liked what he saw, and dared to hope things could be different.

But they weren’t. 

Wouldn’t he have said something if they were? After everything they shared at his father’s house? Her mind drifts back to that moment in the quiet of his living room. Even in her inebriated state, the memory of that night is clear in her mind: his hand firmly around her own, his eyes studying her so intently. God. She could get lost in his eyes. 

Once the elevator arrives, she closes her eyes and rests her head against his shoulder as they ascend to her floor. 

Despite what Rose has told her, perhaps this was it. 

Ding .

The elevator stops and she once again leans on him for support as they shuffle down the hallway. Arriving at her apartment, she fumbles for her key before trying and failing to get the door unlocked. “Ugh,” she groans, her hand unsteady. “Can you…”

“Of course.”

Poe takes the key from her and unlocks the apartment. Then, moving to the side, he holds the door open. It’s only three steps inside, but she pauses, her head and heart spinning.

“T-thank you, P-poe...for tonight.”

He chuckles, his hand retreating to the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.”

She bites her lip and takes a step towards the door...and him. “Glad you were here. I… It wouldn’t have been the same without you.” 

He nods wordlessly. 

Another pause.

“Do you ever think about it?” 

“Think about what?”

“That night at your father’s house. In your living room…” Whether it was exhaustion, the alcohol, or some combination of the two, she feels ten times braver than normal. (Or she simply lacks self-control). Which is why she then whispers, “because I do...” 

An electric charge ripples through the air. Silence follows. Their gaze meets and she finds herself holding a breath. As the quiet continues, she steps closer to him. He remains still, less than three inches separating them. She can see Adam's apple expand and contrast as he swallows. Her arms slowly reach forward and rest on his chest. The warmth of his skin, even through the fabric of his shirt, sets her insides ablaze. 

“Rey…” He murmurs.

Her eyes drift down, then up, down, and up again. She wets her lip with her tongue. His eyes track the movement, but he doesn’t pull away while she slowly leans forward. 

“ Rey… ”

Words escape her as she continues to inch closer. Part of her knows it’s a terrible idea, but she needs to know. She needs to know what this thing between them is. Once and for all. No more games. No more doubt. Consequences be damned. 

“ Poe …”

His breath is hot against her face. Her heart races. She’s like the Millenium Falcon stuck in the Death Star’s tractor beam. There is no escape at this point. Not that she would even want it. Then, in the quiet of her apartment doorway, she does the one thing she’s daydreamed of doing more times than she cares to admit.

Rey presses her lips against his.

Chapter Text

He’s frozen. Completely petrified. 

Any coherent thought evaporates the second Rey’s lips press against his own.

They’re soft , and warm , and feel so …

His brain finally catches up with him.

Fuck.

Poe lifts his head and pulls back, her lips chasing his retreat. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. His stomach turns, his insides swirling faster than a category 5 hurricane. The seconds halt in disbelief and neither he nor Rey dares to move. Or speak. Her breath is hot against his face and still smells of alcohol. The look in her eyes as they slowly break apart only further fractures his heart. 

He watches her eyes drift back down to his lips. A large part of him would love nothing more, but instead, he swallows and steps backward. Tears scratch at the edge of her eyelids as her hands drop from his chest. He barely hears the quiet “G-g-night” she mumbles before escaping into her apartment, the door swinging closed behind her like a 3-foot steel vault. 

Fuck.

Returning to his own apartment, he closes his eyes and rests his forehead against the inside of the door.

She had kissed him.

Rey Skywalker had kissed him. 

This is a disaster. There is no other way to put it. 

Forget for a moment that she is the president’s daughter and a member of one of the most famous families in the country. Forget that she is his protectee, twelve years his junior, and anything between them is most definitely against protocol. And just forget for a moment that he technically has a girlfriend. The first and biggest problem is that she was drunk when she kissed him. 

And him — being the stupid foolhardy man that he is — he liked it. 

Not the part where she was drunk. 

No. 

The part where she kissed him. 

The feeling of her lips against his — delicate, gentle, and a little eager — sent his heart soaring. It had never been like that with Zorii. Ever. (Not that it was bad with Zorii per se, but it was never like that.) Oh, how easy it would have been to get swept up in the moment and kiss her back, but he couldn’t, no matter how much he might have wanted to. Even though she had initiated it, he couldn’t live with himself if he took advantage of her like that. 

He sighs and makes his way toward his bedroom. There will be no avoiding what occurred between them tonight. The quiet smiles, shared glances from across crowded rooms, and early morning and late-night conversations between just the two of them while walking Bee or studying, all now have an inescapable new meaning. The only question that remains is what happens next? Perhaps more importantly, what does he want to happen? All the aforementioned reasons why this thing between them can’t work are still there, he can’t ignore them, no matter how much he finds Rey Skywalker’s smile to be pure sunshine. 

Further complicating this entire situation is Zorii. He likes her, he really does, but it’s painfully clear they don’t belong together. Not when he can’t seem to shake this thing between him and the First Daughter. Regardless of what happens with Rey though, he can’t in good conscience continue things with Zorii. He’s just not that type of guy.

His phone’s display reads five past four in the morning as he sets it down on the charger by his bed. He isn’t going to find any answers to these problems tonight. Better to get some sleep and save the worrying for tomorrow. He’s going to need it.

Hot water cascades from the showerhead through her hair and down her neck and back. Ahhh. Steam rises as it soothes her muscles. That’s so much better. Still feeling slightly weak in the knees, Rey braces her hands on the opposite wall for support. When she woke this morning, the lights were too bright, her alarm was too loud, and her whole body ached as if she collided with a solid brick wall. A drumming migraine tied a giant bow on top of her final birthday gift: her first real hangover. Thank goodness for extra strength Tylenol, right? 

Partying and excess drinking might be a 21st birthday “tradition,” but she is having some serious regrets right now. 

Yes, she did in fact drink way too much. Yes, she stayed up way too late. Both those facts, while valid though, are not the primary source of her internal consternation this morning. No. Instead, the current detail occupying her temporarily limited faculties is what happened after the afterparty. The incident that had unfolded in the quiet of her hallway at four in the morning. The affair that had her questioning whether she dreamt it all up or if it actually happened…

She had kissed Poe Dameron.

More importantly, he did not kiss her back.

The pit in her stomach swells. For three glorious seconds, she knew the feeling of his lips pressed against her own; a sensation was tender and warm. It might have been a dream if it hadn’t turned into a nightmare, crashing down when he failed to reciprocate the affection, his soulful gaze bringing her to the brink of tears as she hastily retreated into her apartment. 

Finishing in the shower, Rey changes into a comfortable pair of leggings and her softest sweatshirt. It was just one of those days. The pain of rejection stung deep and her tears came as soon as the apartment door had closed between them. Sleep brought about by exhaustion served as the only respite for her broken heart. After everything they had been through, after everything they had shared with one another, how could she have been so wrong? She had half a mind to snuggle back into the safety of her bed for the rest of the week, no, the month, than ever see him again. 

Instead, the rumble in her stomach leads her to the kitchen where she begins preparing a cup of coffee. BeeBee is waiting for her by his bowl, wagging his cute little tail and prancing around in circles for food expectedly. She smiles. At least one of them slept well. Several sips into her caffeinated elixir later and after putting out his breakfast, she realizes she is using the mug from her trip to Killington, the mug identical to the one she had given Poe as a Christmas gift. Ugh. Is there no escape? 

Perhaps she should ask her father for a new Secret Service detail leader? Someone without kind eyes, plush lips, a broad chest, and a strong jaw. Someone who doesn’t make her heart flutter when their eyes meet. Someone who doesn’t seem to understand her in ways few ever have. Basically, anyone but Poe Dameron. 

But what reason would she give for requesting the change? And would the change in assignment really be fair to him? Even if she could come up with a good excuse, he would undoubtedly be given a mediocre assignment as a kind of punishment. Regardless of her hurt feelings, that just isn’t something she could abide by.

Rey stares into her pantry. Lucky Charms or Quaker Oats Squares would be her normal go-to when she doesn’t have to run to class, but she settles on Cinnamon-Maple Oatmeal instead. Hot food will help settle her stomach and she doesn’t have the energy for anything more complicated this morning. 

The humming of the microwave preparing her breakfast is interrupted by a firm rapture at her door. Knock. Knock. Pulling out her phone, she checks the front door camera. Ugh! Of course, it’s Poe. Because really, who else would it be? He stands a few feet back from the entrance and faces the camera so she can clearly see it is him. Shaking her head, she pauses while weighing her options.

She could pretend like she was still asleep or perhaps in the shower; any excuse to not answer the door. Sure, that would come across as rude in the moment, but at least she could try to explain it away later. And right now, later sounds like the perfect time. On the other hand, what would she do if he called her cell? It’s not like she can hide away in her apartment forever. Although at this point, why not? Resigning herself to the present, she shuffles toward the front door. Better to get it over with now. Unlocking the deadbolt, she slowly opens the door. 

Poe stands a few feet back, almost in the center of the hallway, wearing nice but casual navy blue jeans and a black long-sleeve Henley that fits just right across his broad chest. Oh. Rey blinks. Shit . There she goes again, getting distracted by things that are decidedly not helping! Taking a deep breath, she greets him with a flat, “Hey.”

“Morning.” He stands awkwardly by the door for a moment before adding, “Can we talk?”

It’s at this precise moment Bee comes running in from the kitchen, most likely after hearing Poe’s voice, and playfully jumps up and down at his feet for attention. She shares an awkward smile with him before he bends down and pets the adorable corgi. “Hey buddy, how are you this morning? Good, I hope?”

She steps away from the door, tacitly giving him permission to enter. “This one already had his breakfast so he’s doing great.” Retreating to the kitchen, she adds thirty seconds to the microwave timer to reheat her oatmeal. 

“How are you then? Feeling well?” He asks, following her through the apartment and settling on the opposite side of the high-top kitchen island. “I mean, are you... You drank a lot last night. Did you sleep well? Do you have a hangover?”

“Yeah, but I’ll manage. Took some Tylenol and this is my second cup of coffee,” she answers, raising her mug in response.

“I see.”

His hands fold and unfold on the countertop and he shifts his weight between his feet. Bee had scurried off to the living room to play with his toys after receiving his attention. The tenuous lull in conversation is interrupted by the loud beep of the microwave. She takes out the bowl of oatmeal, places it on the island, and takes a seat on one of the high-chairs opposite him. “So...um…” she mumbles, poking at her food with her spoon, “what did you want to talk about?”

He looks at her incredulously, but she ducks her head, avoiding his gaze. 

“Last night…” An electricity begins to charge the air, but she dares not speak, not trusting herself with what words might slip out. “After the party when I drove you back home...” 

Rey continues to stir her oatmeal with her spoon, somehow finding herself without an appetite despite her hunger earlier. Perhaps it has something to do with the ever-growing pit in her stomach… 

Poe sighs as she continues to avoid his gaze. 

“You kissed me.”

His voice is flat, giving no indication of his thoughts or sentiments. If the air was electric before, it is downright on fire now with the words spoken aloud. Pausing her idle stir of oatmeal and pursing her lips, she steals a glance upward to find his warm brown eyes studying her carefully. The expression on his face is equally measured, leaving her unsure of what she could possibly say in response to the simple truth laid bare. 

She manages to murmur a simple, “ Yeah… ”

“So you do remember that?”

She nods silently. As potentially easy as it would be to claim ignorance, to claim she was too drunk to remember anything that had happened last night, she wasn’t going to make this situation any worse by falling into that tired old rom-com trope. After all, the whole reason she kissed him in the first place was to determine where things stood between them, once and for all. At least now, based on his…inaction, she knew. 

“Look...I, um...it was…it was…” Poe sighs once more, the kitchen still deathly quiet. “It was nice…”

Wait, what? 

Rey blinks, unsure if she just heard him right. He thought it was nice? Why then did he not—

“—But I think it was a mistake.”

And there it is… 

She inhales deeply, wishing the chair she is sitting in would rise up and consume her. 

“Look… Rey… I— I have a girlfriend and you were tired and inebriated and I don’t want you to regret decisions made in the moment.” He frowns, his eyes shifting between his fidgeting hands and her face. “Even if I wasn’t…with Zorii. Even if you weren’t drinking… This ”— he waves a hand in the space between them—”can’t. You and I… It’s just… We’re just… It’s against protocol, you see. A conflict of interest.” 

For the first time in the last several minutes, his lips bend slightly upward into a sad smile. 

“Besides, you…you’re, well, you. Rey Skywalker. You can do so much better than…” His voice drifts, unable to finish the sentence. 

Me.  

That’s what he was going to say. That she can do so much better than him. 

A tidal wave of emotions spiral inside her. She knows everything he said is true. And the fact he was concerned because she was drunk when she kissed him only further complicates her already complicated feelings. How could she be upset with his rejection when he probably did the right thing? Still, neither by his actions then nor words now does she have an answer to the question that led her to kiss him in the first place.

Does he like her or not?

Biting her lip, she glances up. “I don’t regret it.”

Poe blinks. “Oh.” His eyes flash in understanding and his lips part. “ Oh… ”

The kitchen becomes so silent you can hear a pin drop. Graveyards have more life than the dead air between them. If her stomach was a hurricane before, it is a tsunami now. It feels as if every fiber of her being is on edge; the words left unspoken speak just as loudly as the four she managed to murmur aloud. And still, through it all, she lacks an answer to her question. Taking a deep breath and mustering every ounce of courage that remains in her bones, she tries something new: a direct approach. 

“Listen, Poe. I— I’ve felt this, this thing between us for a while now, since Valentine’s. I even let myself believe that maybe you also… After everything with Zorii though, I convinced myself that I was wrong. I really thought so. But then we were at your dad’s house last week and I couldn’t get that moment out of my head. I just had to know...” 

Again his lips part but no words form. 

She presses on. 

“It’s okay… I understand. It’s like you said, you have a girlfriend and all that stuff and don’t feel the same way. I get it. We can just—”

“—No! That’s not…that’s not what I was trying to say.”

She tilts her head. “I’m…confused. What are you trying to say then?”

He furrows his brow and shifts his weight, standing up straight while attempting to explain himself.

“I, things are… different… when I’m with you.”

She sucks in a breath. What the hell does that mean? That was not at all what she was expecting. 

“Different how? Different good or different bad?”

“Different good, I suppose. Look, you’re… You’re smart and funny and kind and generally great to be around. It’s been fantastic working your detail for these past few months.”

“And…that’s it?”

It feels like she is at war with herself. There is no way he compliments her like that without it meaning something more. Right?! Outside of her immediate family and close friends, she has never received such regards. She watches him rub the back of his neck. A hint of color rising in his cheeks keeps her on the edge of her seat. Literally.  

“Rey, I, I…I can’t .”

“You can’t what ?!"

Silence.

“What, Poe?! What can’t you?” She throws her hands up in the air, confusion, and apprehension turning to frustration. When did it become so hard for them to be honest with each other? Hopping off the chair, she walks around to the other side of the island where he stands, stopping with a safe three feet of space between them. “What are you trying to say? That you don’t feel the same way? That you do? Something else? What? Please, just tell me!” 

Her plea finally cracks his normally stoic demeanor and for the first time, she sees the conflict in his eyes. Oh... Oh. She had seen glimpses of it before, hadn’t she? At the diner on Valentine's, in his father’s living room, and sometimes in the quiet smiles they shared. But never like this. Never this raw. Never this direct. 

“Rey, I, I can’t… We can't .”

Her bottom lip trembles in understanding. Finally, she has an answer: 

He likes her. 

He likes her.

She blinks and takes a half step forward, closer to him. Her breathing is unsteady as her heart rate climbs. The last five minutes have been the longest emotional rollercoaster of her life. A thousand and one thoughts race through her still throbbing head. Damn migraine. When she finally does speak, it’s in a low, soft voice. 

“So…what happens next?”

He takes a deep breath but doesn’t say anything. 

“Nothing?” She whispers, taking another half step closer. She’s in his personal space now and the heat between them is more than palpable. Her head might be spinning, but at this distance, she observes tiny new details about Poe Dameron. Or maybe she had noticed and just not taken note before? Like the crinkle at the edge of his eyes. Or how perfectly his Adam’s apple expands and contracts when he swallows. Or how— Shit. She licks her upper lip and clears her throat. “Poe?”

“ Rey … We can’t…” 

His words say one thing but his actions say another. He remains standing in place despite their close proximity and, did he just glance down, toward her lips? Her heart and head are truly drumming now, but she leans forward ever so slightly. 

“Is that really what you want?”

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, hell, years go by as they stand there unmoving, eyes locked, neither so much as daring to breathe. 

Until he takes a half-step back. Then another.

There was her answer. Taking her own step back, she tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The reservation and dread she felt when he showed up at her door this morning pale in comparison to what she’s feeling now. In many ways, it would be easier if she didn’t know the truth, if she had just misread the situation, if he didn’t feel the same way. But this? Where do they possibly go from here? 

His equally despondent disposition provides no remedy.

She frowns and nods ever so slightly. 

“Okay.” 

Chapter Text

Where was she? 

Poe’s foot bounces nervously under the table and he takes another sip of his water. The display on his phone reads ten past the hour. It wasn’t like Zorii to be late. She practically jumped through the phone the other day when he called the saying that he needed to see her. She was usually the planner between the two of them but given everything that had transpired recently, it was on him to take matters into his own hands.

She will undoubtedly not be very happy with their conversation tonight. Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately depending on your opinion — that cannot be helped. He has always been the one to rip the bandaid off and it's absolutely the right thing to do. It’s what he wants. Still, that doesn’t make it any less easy or make him feel any less guilty. As the SEAL teams always say: the only easy day was yesterday.

And today, tonight, he was here to break up with Zorii Bliss.

How could he not after what had transpired?

He takes another sip of water. God, it feels like a lifetime ago, but the days that followed Rey’s birthday were some of the strangest of his entire career. Neither he nor Rey knew how to proceed after their unreserved admissions in the morning after, so they seemingly settled on attempting to go about their routines as if nothing had ever happened. Morning runs and evening walks with Bee continued. Poe accompanied her to classes, study sessions, and anywhere else she needed to be. He even continued to coordinate her participation in campaign events with her father’s Secret Service detail. Indeed, by all accounts, he was continuing the assignment of leading Rey Skywalker’s protective detail without incident.

But make no mistake, everything had changed.

Their morning runs were no longer a joint endeavor filled with red-faced panting grins and laughter. Rather than match her stride for stride, he trailed behind her a few steps while she went about her workout. On more than one occasion, he even suspected she increased her pace just to keep him on his toes. Walks with Bee were a similar affair. Interaction between them was limited to basic pleasantries and the occasional comment regarding their shared love of her corgi, who seemed oblivious to the chasm growing between his two favorite people. (And why should he? Bee is a dog after all…)

Poe tried not to think about it too much. Ignore and override . That is the SEAL way after all. 

It would be uncomfortable for a time, but he could get over it. Or so he thought. The days dragged on, eventually leading them to the present, the end of the semester. 

Indeed, everything had changed.

Unlike previous periods of friction, there was no ambiguity with regards to where things stood between them. No more could he deny his own feelings as a passing infatuation. No more could he claim ignorance to Rey’s own ardor. And no more could he fool himself that this was just another assignment, that being near her day in and day out didn’t make him a better person, happier, and for the first time since leaving the Navy, fulfilled. 

The more he thought about it, the crazier it sounded, they seemingly had nothing in common, yet despite initial assumptions and the plethora of reasons why it shouldn’t and can’t work, he still found himself drawn to her. Sure, she was attractive physically — be it her gorgeous hazel eyes, radiant smile, or slender waist — but the physical attraction was not the only reason for his interest. Most importantly, Rey had a good head atop her shoulders and a kind heart that was ostensibly, in his experience, rare among individuals in such a privileged station. She was by far the most genuine and caring person he had met during his tenure in the Secret Service (or anywhere for that matter). 

All too often he found politicians, their families, and associates craving power, money, influence, and other trappings to advance their own fortunes rather than serving the people they supposedly represent. It’s almost a shame she has no interest in politics. The country could use more people like Rey Skywalker (and from what he has seen, the rest of the Skywalker family as well) in positions of leadership. 

These qualities, along with her quick wit, love of reading, history, athletics, and, well …the list goes on… 

Maybe it wasn’t so crazy then why he had fallen for Rey.

Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he spots Zorii walking into the restaurant. She leaves her coat in the cloakroom and follows the hostess to his table. 

“Hi.” Poe schools his features into a short smile and stands to greet her. Zorii moves in close and kisses him softly on the lips. Instantly feeling guilty about the conversation he knows is coming, he pulls out the chair opposite his own and motions for her to sit. “You look great as always.” 

The compliment is not empty flattery he tells himself. Her sense of style is always impeccable, mostly due to her varied (read: expensive) taste. 

“Thanks, babe! Sorry, I’m late, I got held up at the office.” She opens the menu and begins pursuing the appetizers. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had!”

“Oh?” He mumbles weakly. “How so?”

Small talk was never his forte but the purpose of tonight made the act feel even more disingenuous. Unsurprisingly, breaking up with a significant other was not something in which he had much experience. Most of his previous relationships, if you could even call them that, (and frankly that speaks plainly enough on its own) were either understood to be temporary flings or ended in a mutually agreed upon parting of ways. 

“Mom just returned from another trip overseas and there is a laundry list of work to be done after our most recent acquisition.” Zorii orders a bottle of wine from their waiter, no doubt their most expensive, along with two appetizers for the both of them. “Oh, and she asked about you as well!”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Asked if you put any more consideration into her employment offer.” Zorii smiles mischievously and adds, “You know, she made the excellent point that the money will make finding a new place to live that much easier.” 

Poe bites his bottom lip and ducks his head. Here the Bliss women are just plowing forward with their own plans, still expecting him to move in with Zorii, all while he is here about to break up with her. 

Talk about awkward. 

Zorii transitions the discussion to further talk about work and the new condos she had been visiting for them. Poe nods politely when she insists he accompanies her next time, all while trying to find a diplomatic way to steer the conversation in another direction. Feeling more guilty by the minute, his patience finally runs its course by the time their appetizers arrive and he decides to take a less tactful approach.

“Zorii, apologizes for changing the subject, but there is something I wanted to discuss with you.” 

“Yes?” She raises an eyebrow, his serious tone drawing her interest. “What about?”

“Well, uh…us actually.”

“Oh, I like where this is going.”

He frowns. “Probably not.” She looks at him expectantly while he nervously takes another sip of water. Clearing his throat, he steadies his voice and looks her directly in the eye.

“I think we should break up.” 

He pauses for a moment and then amends himself.

“I want to break up.”

“WHAT?!,” she blurts out, a full range of emotions playing across her face. “You want to break up…with me?! ”

Nodding hesitantly, he continues with what he hopes is some sort of explanation she will find satisfactory:

“Look, Zorii, I really like you, I do, but I just don’t think we’re a good fit long term. You’re smart, beautiful, and unyielding about the things that are important to you.” Her face softens ever so slightly at the string of compliments and he presses forward. “These last few months together have been great, truly, but along the way, I’ve simply realized we’re at different places and looking for different things.”

“What the hell does that even mean, Poe? I thought you were happy? We are looking at moving in together?!”

“If you listened to what I said at the time, I never actually told you I wanted to live together right now. I said maybe, one day. You know my dad is still recovering from cancer and he may be through the worst of it and getting better every day, but I can’t abandon him now.” 

“What does that even matter!” She rolls her eyes and audibly exhales, her frustration starting to become evident. “You don’t live at your house! You spend all your time living on a college campus like a 20-something co-ed!”

“That’s only temporary because of my current assignment.”

Zorii fumes, her voice low, not at all pleased. “Is there someone else? Please, tell me it’s not someone else.”

Poe bites his bottom again. He doesn’t want to lie, but he also doesn’t want to go into all the details. For starters, he’s still trying to figure this all out himself and trying to explain it will undoubtedly make the situation worse. Secondly, his feelings for Rey notwithstanding, the reasons why he and Zorii aren’t a good fit are still valid. He sees that now. In the end, he decides to take his father’s advice: don’t lie, just don’t tell the whole truth.  

“This is about you and me.” He musters a weak smile in an attempt to soften the blow. “It’s as I said, I just don’t think we’re a good fit.” 

Her brows dip and she frowns. A spectral silence fills the air around their table, both of them seemingly unsure what to say next. Their waiter approaches to take their entree order but quickly diverts to another table when he notices the gravity of their current (none) conversation.

“Fine!” Zorii huffs, standing up aggressively. “You’re loss. I’ll see myself out”. 

She bolts from the table so fast, he barely has time to stand. Sighing, he returns to his seat, signals over to the waiter, and asks for the check. The sympathetic nod he receives in response is unnecessary. Frankly, he feels relieved to have ended things with Zorii that cleanly. 

Now all that is left is figuring out what the hell he is going to do about this mess he’s gotten himself into with Rey.

“I don’t get it!”

Rey looks up from her textbook. 

“You don’t get what?”

Rose frowns, squints, and inspects her notes. 

“It’s these linear regression models. I know marketing is increasingly becoming more data-driven, but I just don’t understand why I need to learn all this advanced statistics stuff. T-Tests, Z-Tests, cluster analysis, forecasting…it's hard to keep it all straight!” Her best friend sighs and reaches for the glass of wine on the coffee table to her right. “More than anything though, I wish this final wasn’t worth thirty percent of our entire grade for the semester. What happens if bomb the final? I’d drop an entire letter grade just because I had a bad day. That doesn’t seem fair at all.”

“I’m sure your professor would say something about life not being fair,” Rey chuckles solemnly before returning to her own work. 

The pair was sprawled out in her apartment living room studying for finals this coming week. Rey still had one paper to finish, a group project to present, and an exam to take. The joys of a double major, right? Rose had insisted on the wine to aid their effort, something about keeping their neurons loose while studying. It was obviously a fib meant to lighten the mood after the week they had both endured, and quite frankly she wasn’t going to complain. 

“Sure, I guess. Professor Smith is kind of a hard-ass when it comes to his tests. Did you know all his exams are cumulative from the whole semester and he never provides any study guides or notes?” Rose takes another sip of wine. “Anyway, enough of my problems, how are you doing?” 

“Fine. I have things squared away for my group presentation Tuesday and as long as I don’t bomb my exam on criminal court procedure I’ll be happy.” 

“That’s not what I meant…”

Rey fidgets with her pencil, tapping it on her textbook and twirling it between her fingers. 

“What do you mean?”

Her best friend gives her a look with raised eyebrows. 

Right. That…

Frowning, she reaches for her own glass of wine. 

The only thing more overwhelming than her end-of-semester workload was the calamity that unfolded with one Agent Poe Dameron. 

The pair had previously discussed the complicated nature of her…relationship dynamic with Poe with Rose often encouraging Rey to “go for it” despite her reservations. Now that she had, however, she isn’t convinced it was for the best. 

The first few days after their candid conversation were some of the most awkward of her entire life. Rose knew immediately something was off between them and ambushed her for details during their first free study hour. Confiding in her best friend, Rey recounted the events that occurred in the early morning hours following her birthday party — namely when she had kissed him — along with the subsequent conversation they shared the morning after. The days that followed were no better and she thought they had finally reached a point where they just didn’t talk about it anymore. 

“I’m well enough.” 

“Have you and Poe talked since the last time…you know…you talked?”

“No.” Rey shakes her head. “Other than basic pleasantries and the occasional comment about Bee, we don’t really talk much anymore. Certainly not about… that . Besides, we…he…he made things perfectly clear the other day. He already has a girlfriend and—”

“—but what if he didn’t?” interjects Rose. “Didn’t you say he admitted that he liked you?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. It’s not like anything has changed. Heck, Jason is on primary duty tonight because Poe’s out with Zorii as we speak.” 

She frowns and scrunches her nose. 

“I’m sorry hon.” 

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” 

And she is too. 

Mostly. 

While the situation with Poe is far from ideal, there is indeed nothing she can do about it. Yes, it is awkward and uncomfortable, but Rey's not going to let her cumbersome feelings for a guy derail her entire life. She’s stronger than that. 

“I’m staying busy and focusing on finishing out the semester, starting my internship, and most importantly, preparing for our vacation in two weeks!”

“Hells yeah, I’m excited too! We just have to get through these damn finals first!”

Rey nods with a grin. Beyond school, she still had one last campaign event to attend next week before leaving with Rose and Finn for vacation. The two-week excursion across Europe cannot come soon enough. All she has to do is survive until then.

Finn drops down in the seat next to her and across from Rose, his tray completely filled.

“Did you guys see they had those carrot cake loaves at the dessert bar?!”

Rey shakes her head with a smile. The campus dining hall’s carrot cake was by far his favorite of the selection made regularly available. Rey herself preferred cheesecake while Rose was a simple girl with simple tastes and often opted for triple chocolate cake. 

“I can see that by the three pieces you have on your tray there,” Rose laughs, nodding at his tray. “Would it be too much to hope any of those are for Rey or I?”

“Fat chance,” Finn grins, bringing his arm around his food defensively. “I earned this after crushing my final anyway.” He continues talking, even after shoveling a large piece of cake into his mouth. “How about you both? How were your final exams today?”

“Fine,” Rose sighs, “I’m fairly certain I passed, which is good enough for me.”

Rey nods. “Same.”

Truth be told, Rey is fairly certain she crushed her final exam on criminal court procedure but she didn’t want to come across as gloating, especially since she doesn’t really care that much about the class in the long run. 

A loud cheer echoes from several tables over and the trio looks up to find Kyle Ren and his friends fist-bumping joyously. 

Rose nods in their direction. “Well someone is happy.”

“Maybe Kyle and his frat buddies got a new order of matching t-shirts with the word ‘jerk’ on it to go with their winning personalities.” Rey nearly spits out the water she was trying to drink upon hearing Finn’s joke. “Seriously, I’m surprised the university lets him and his friends get away with so much.”

“That’s what happens when you’re a straight-A student and star of the Division I basketball team babe. They let you get away with anything. What’s a little drinking and drugs at a frat house on campus? Everyone is doing it, right?”

“Tell me about it.”

Rey frowns. Just thinking about that loser and what he did to get her in trouble with the press last semester makes her angry. Thankfully, she’s somehow managed to avoid his creepy, annoying ass this semester. Hopefully, it stays that way next year when she returns for her final term. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” she nods toward the exit once Finn has finished inhaling all three pieces of his cake. “The campus theater is screening the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy tonight and we should dump our backpacks off at my place before we head over.” 

The trio cleans their trays and disposes of their waste properly before exiting the dining hall. Rose and Finn flank her on her left and right respectively as they begin the short ten-minute walk back to her apartment building where they can drop their belongings. From there, it would be another ten minutes to the campus theater. 

Halfway to her apartment, however, she spots Poe approaching from behind. He had been following at a notable distance, as he had done since their dreadful conversation, but now he is swiftly pacing next to Rose on her left and matching them stride for stride. His voice is steady, but authoritative when he speaks. 

“Rose, I need you to please move to the right of Rey, next to Finn." Both Rose and Rey look at him curiously, but before she can question further, he quickly interjects, “Please, I need you to follow my instructions.”

Rose nods tentatively and moves to her right, around Rey, and next to Finn. This leaves Poe walking side-by-side with Rey to his right. 

Despite taking note of his stoic demeanor, her brain instantly realizes something is wrong. “Poe, what’s going on?” He doesn’t respond, his features remain tight and his head faces forward as they continue to walk along the sidewalk. His silence is doing nothing for her nerves which have increased tenfold in the last three seconds. Glancing quickly to her right, she sees Rose and Finn sharing equally concerned expressions. “Poe?!”

“I don’t know,” he finally replies, motioning in front of them to continue walking. “I need you to stay calm and continue walking, but someone is following us and they are armed.”

“What?! Armed? As in carrying a gun?!” 

“What the hell?” Finn gasps.

“Rey?!” Rose questions. 

She turns to look over her shoulder to get a look for herself, but Poe quickly brings his hand to her back and nudges her forward. “Eyes forward. Please, everyone, stay calm. I promise everything will be alright, just follow my lead.”

Rey sucks in a breath, her heart racing even faster now. How can he expect her to stay calm after telling her they are being followed by a man with a gun? Sure, she’s gone through training on different security protocols over the years, but she’s never been in a situation where she’s had to use any of them. Rose and Finn certainly haven’t needed to worry about anything like this before either. A flood of questions overwhelms her to the point she hardly notices Poe loop his arm in hers. 

“We’re going to take a right at the sidewalk intersection ahead, just after Toshi Hall.” He tugs her in the direction with which he spoke. “Once we do, Rey, I need you, Rose, and Finn to stay back and hug the wall close to the building.” 

“Poe?!”

“Please,” he gently squeezes her arm, “Trust me.”

She glances in his direction and for a brief moment, their eyes meet, exposing concern for the first time. “Okay,” she nods. Rose and Finn also respond in the affirmative. 

Upon hooking right at the intersection, Rey, Rose, and Finn follow Poe’s instructions and take several steps back, staying close to the wall. They hold on to each other, arm-in-arm, while Poe positions himself right at the corner of the turn, close to the wall and out of sight of anyone who would be walking behind them. She notices his hand hovering near his back where she knows his own firearm currently resides. What happens next occurs so quickly, you would easily miss it if you had blinked. 

A man in nondescript dark clothing rounds the corner and sees them waiting. “Now who are…” Poe asks, reaching forward to restrain the man before being interrupted when the stranger deftly tries to evade Poe and counters by throwing a punch (or some other hand-to-hand combat move thing). Fortunately, Agent Dameron is quicker and easily counters the stranger’s counter, grabbing the man’s arm, twisting it behind his back, and pinning him hard against the wall of the building. 

Rey, Rose, and Finn each let out a yelp of surprise and terror. 

“Secret Service!” Poe announces loudly, forcefully holding the man in place. “Who the hell are you and why are you following Miss Skywalker?!” 

“Oh, my apologies, I mean you no harm.” The man being restrained relaxes and no longer struggles against Poe. “My name is Ochi Cohen and my identification is in my wallet, back left pocket.”

“Put your hands on the wall, palms flat.” Poe keeps his forearm on Mr. Cohen’s back and glances over at her curiously as if she should know this man’s name. She shrugs and shakes her head wordlessly. Turning back to Mr. Cohen, Poe pats him down and finds a handgun strapped to his belt. “What is this? Why are you following Miss Skywalker?” 

“Hey, I have a concealed carry permit for that!”

“That still doesn’t answer my question.” Poe pulls out the weapon, checks it, and secures the firearm in his own jacket. Once he seems confident Mr. Cohen is no longer a threat, he reaches into his back pocket for the man’s ID. “Alright, you can slowly turn around. I ask again, why are you following Miss Skywalker?” 

Mr. Cohen slowly lowers his arms, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

“As you can see from my ID and paperwork, I am a licensed private investigator with a fully legal conceal carry permit.”

Poe frowns. “That isn’t an answer to my question. Why are you following Miss Skywalker?”

Silence.

“Who do you work for?”

“I have a strict confidentiality clause with all my clients.”

“You brought a firearm onto a college campus and in the vicinity of the First Daughter. I can have you charged with reckless endangerment and a whole host of other civil and criminal violations.”

Ochi sneers. “Please, spare me your empty threats agent. You and I both know I have broken no laws and have a legal right to carry that firearm. Anything you charge with me will be dismissed as meritless.” 

“It’s against university policy to carry weapons on campus unless you are law enforcement!” Rey chimes in, earning a surprised look from both Poe and Mr. Cohen. 

“I’m going to ask you one more time…” Poe says, turning back Ochi, grabbing his hand and twisting his thumb and wrist in a way that no doubt looks painful based on the expression that quickly befalls the man’s face. “Why were you following Miss Skywalker?” 

“Alright, alright…ugh, fine! I was hired by the Hux campaign to do opposition research. My assignment was to follow the girl and report back with anything useful. That is all, I swear!”

Rey scoffs. Inside the Washington DC beltway opposition research is the term used for digging up dirt on a subject, usually politicians, in order to run negative advertising, make backroom deals, or in the most extreme circumstances, engage in blackmail. It’s ugly work that while mostly legal (save the blackmail), attracts truly the bottom feeders of society. That Senator Hux would be involved in such a practice comes as no surprise, but this is the first time she has had to deal with anything like this herself. Perhaps that is because the last time her father was running for office she was just graduating high school? In any case, judging by the reaction on Poe’s face, he seems equally disgusted with this revelation. 

“Get out of here,” He huffs, releasing the painful hold he has on Mr. Cohen’s thumb and wrist and handing him back his wallet and ID. “Tell your boss I don’t want to see you or anyone else within 10 meters of Miss Skywalker again. Got it?”

The edges of her lips tilt upward into a subtle grin. She knows he’s just doing his job, but she can’t help the warm feeling rising in her stomach thinking about his protectiveness of her. 

Stop it…  

Ochi slips his wallet into his back pocket and holds out his hand expectantly. “My firearm too if you would be so kind?”

Pausing for a moment, Poe pulls the gun out of his jacket, ejects the clip, and checks it one final time before handing the unloaded weapon back to him. Ochi seems displeased but doesn’t comment as he holsters the weapon back on his hip. He takes a left onto Main Street, back in the original direction they had come. Poe suspiciously watches him depart and ensures he is a good two blocks away before turning back to Rey, Rose, and Finn.

“Sorry about the scare. Is everyone okay?

“Yeah…man that was wild.” Finn exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, earlier, how do you know that guy had a gun?”

“I noticed him waiting outside Sage Hall after Rey’s exam where he then proceeded to follow us to the dining hall. At first, I thought he might be a paparazzi of some kind, but when I saw him waiting for us again after lunch I clocked the distinctive bulge of a firearm at his hip.”

“I think I aged five years after that ordeal,” Rose sighs. Turning and bumping shoulders with Rey, she asks, “How about you hon, are you okay? You were the one he was following.”

A plethora of thoughts are racing through her head and she doesn’t immediately respond. Rey has been around politicians for 21 years, but for the life of her, she can’t understand why Senator Hux would try to damage her father’s campaign by digging up dirt on her? She’s already had several public missteps, such as the incident last semester at the frat house, and none of them had made any material difference in her father’s approval numbers. A little PR here and there and the whole thing eventually blows over. What does Hux hope to gain by having her followed? 

“Rey?” Her thoughts are interrupted by soft words and a warm touch. “Rey, are you okay?”

Shaking her head, she looks up to find Rose, Finn, and Poe all staring at her with the latter's hand gently resting on her shoulder. Her gaze moves between them before settling on Poe’s hand atop her shoulder. The contact is soft and gentle, not entirely unwelcome but definitely unexpected given recent events, and it reignites the warmth in her stomach. She finds the hint of concern back in his eyes as he bites his lip and removes his hand — a small part of her disappointed when he does so. 

“Yeah,” she slowly nods. “I’m okay. Thanks…”

Chapter Text

“Snap, welcome home man!”

Poe embraces his best friend who had just returned from deployment along with the rest of his former SEAL unit. Keeping to tradition, they managed to organize last-minute plans to meet for drinks. The timing was fortuitous, in two days he accompanies Rey and her friends on the trio’s vacation. A night of revelry with his old teammates, his brothers, is just the kind of uncomplicated fun he needs before they depart. 

“Thanks, Dameron.”

“Iolo, Chris, Martin — you guys are looking good, tan too. Did command have you boys deployed someplace down south? Warm and sunny sure beats the freezing caves of Afghanistan any day, right?.”

“Indeed,” Snap laughs as they all take a seat at the table with their beers. “But you know we can’t talk about it…”

“Classified, need to know…I know, I know. How are you guys though?”  

“Good. A couple of scrapes here and there but nothing serious. Honestly, more than anything else, we’ve just been busy. It feels like command has us spinning up for a new deployment every other week. In the last month, I think I’ve seen the inside of a 757 cargo hold more than my own wife. Fortunately, Karé knows what she signed up for when she married me, but that doesn’t make it any easier on her or little Norra.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” Iolo nods. “Even when we are home, we’re so busy training and preparing for the next operation that its difficult to find time to leave the base.”

“Damn fellas.” Poe runs his hand through his hair and takes another swig from his beer. “Now I just feel bad about leaving you guys high and dry. I didn’t realize it was that bad…” 

Snap gives him an encouraging slap on the back. “Hey man, never apologize for family. You did what you had to do to take care of your dad. We all know that. Hell, any one of us would have made the same decision in your shoes.”

“Seriously man Snap is right, don’t feel bad about it, there is always another mission.” Chris clanks his beer bottle on Poe’s. “Besides, even the great Master Chief Poe Dameron couldn’t have predicted the trouble the First Order would cause.”

“Is that right? The daily Secret Service briefings I’ve been getting have been pretty consistent with regard to the current threat level. Sure, there has been some uptick here and there, and a little more with my upcoming trip to Europe with the First Daughter, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Ordinary is definitely not a word I would use to describe the First Order.”

“How so?”

Poe flags one of the waitresses and orders another round of drinks for the table. It’s the least he can do for his brothers after they agreed to drive up to DC from Virginia Beach.

“Well, to start with, our intelligence agencies haven’t been able to determine the First Order’s intentions or ideology. What do they stand for? What are their goals?” Snap’s face straightens as he downs the last of his beer. “The primary reason you haven’t seen any change in the threat level is because the First Order rarely takes credit for their operations. Recently, we’ve seen them working through existing terrorist and criminal organizations in a given region, which often masks their operations as regional criminal activity as opposed to international terrorism.”

The table goes silent for a moment as the waitress returns and hands out a new round of beers to everyone. “Thanks,” Martin smiles weakly, waiting for her to depart before turning back to Poe with an equally serious expression. “Compared to many of those other groups, however, the First Order is both extremely well funded and well-coordinated. We have very little insight into their leadership, where they primarily operate from, or how they recruit or fund their operations. And while terror is their main vehicle, they also engage in extortion, kidnapping, and more recently, even cyber warfare through proxies.”

That’s odd.

The Secret Service isn’t one to beat around the bush when it comes to gathering intelligence on possible threats so it’s a bit confusing why he hasn’t heard any of this before? That being said, this new information about the First Order doesn’t necessarily change how he approaches Rey’s security. Heightening security procedures without reliable, concrete intelligence can definitely backfire as it often leads to panic, which serves no one. 

“Just based on what you’ve described, the First Order operations sound more like terrorism for hire than anything else,” he suggests with a shrug. 

“That is the (Central Intelligence) Agency’s prevailing theory. Even so, we’re at a loss at what use they would have for that much money.”

The table goes silent for a moment.

“Damn. Well, it certainly sounds like you boys have your hands full.”

“Indeed,” Snap sighs, taking a pull from his now third beer. “How are you doing, Dameron? How are things going with the Skywalker girl? You said something about traveling to Europe soon?”

Poe sighs. 

“Things are going well, I suppose. Yes, the semester just ended and we’re flying to London in a few days. Rey and her friends have planned a two-week vacation traveling across different cities and tourist sites. It’s meant to be one last hurrah before campaign season kicks into gear and their summer internships begin.” Poe chuckles and shakes his head. “I’ll tell you what though, I’d much rather be outside the wire with you boys than dealing with the mountains of diplomatic paperwork I’ve had to review in preparation for this trip. Every country has different regulations regarding visiting dignitaries and because Rey is the President’s daughter, they are all pretty strict.”

“I can see the headline now: Master Chief Poe Dameron — one of the most decorated frogmen in the (SEAL) teams’ history with over fifty successful deployments — done in by paperwork.”

Everyone laughs hardily and Poe receives more than one playful smack on the shoulder from his brothers.

“Snap, my friend, you have no idea.”

“And I’m glad too.”

“I bet.” 

More laughter and more beer precipitates a change of topic. 

“Anyway enough about work and onto happier subjects: how are things going with Zorii?”

Poe frowns. “Oh, you haven’t heard?” 

“Heard what?”

“My apologies, I just figured Karé would have told you… In any case… Zorii and I broke up.”

“ What?! Are you serious?!” Snap’s eyebrows rise all the way up his forehead and the man looks like he’s about to jump out of his seat. “What happened? I thought you two were doing well based on the last time we spoke?! Damn, Karé is going to be so disappointed when I tell her.”

“Zorii and I were doing well…for a time.” Poe rubs the back of his neck nervously. “After a while, though, cracks started to form. It became clear we had different ways of looking at things, different priorities, different goals. She wanted me to leave the Secret Service and go work in private security. Her mom offered me a job at their company if you can believe it.”

“No way.”

“What did you say to the job offer?” Chris asks. 

“I obviously politely declined.”

“Bet that went over well.”

“I have no idea. We didn’t talk about it much afterward. Despite all our time together, Zorii just couldn’t understand what this”—he motions to his brothers, his teammates seated around the table—”is all about.”

The group nods. Every one of them had no doubt been in a similar situation at some point in their life — an opportunity to take the easier path, to do something less dangerous and make more money, but each of them declined. What they have here, among each other, a brotherhood, is stronger and more valuable than anything money can buy.

“I think I subconsciously knew our relationship wouldn’t last when she started talking about moving in together. I just wasn’t in the same place as her and it took me a little longer to realize that fact and end things.” 

“How did Zorii take it? Not well I presume?”

“She wasn’t happy, that’s for sure.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out.” Snap encouragingly claps him on the shoulder once more. “I guess you just gotta get back up on that horse right?”

“Heh, yeah…” Poe mumbles, fidgeting with his beer bottle in his hand. 

Iolo looks up with a grin, cueing on the subtleties of Poe’s meager response. “Wait a second…”

Chris laughs, seemingly also taking notice of the nonverbal signal. “Hold up. Hold up…Is there already someone else?”

“W-what…?” Poe stutters. “No…”

“Holy shit, your poker face is still terrible Dameron!” Martin roars, sitting up in his chair. “Yes, there is…there is someone else isn’t there?!”

Snap frowns, the look on his face is pure disappointment. “Shit Dameron, please tell me you did not cheat on Zorii?” 

“What?! No, absolutely not!”

It’s the truth. Kissing isn’t cheating. Even so, Rey had kissed him, not the other way around. And he never reciprocated the affection…regardless of how much he may have wanted to.

His response elicits a sigh of relief from his best friend. Karé would have definitely come for him if he did something so untoward as cheat on a partner, especially one who was her friend. Neither Snap, Iolo, Chris, or Martin were deterred, however, and they once again prod him for an answer to their inquiry. 

“But there is something else, right?!”

How the hell is he supposed to answer that question? He doesn’t have an answer himself! Even if he wanted to — which a small part of him is still afraid to admit — it just…cannot happen. 

“No… I don’t know… Maybe…” 

Poe sighs and rubs his hand over his face. 

“It’s complicated.”

Ain’t that the truth. 

Rey finds her way to an empty table near the back of the room — a task that proves quite difficult given tonight’s tonight. The $2,500 per plate swanky fundraiser for her father’s campaign is the last event she is attending before leaving for vacation tomorrow afternoon. Thank goodness. Schmoozing with rich donors is one of her least favorite campaign activities. The people present tonight are mostly beltway insiders, lobbyists, and other political elites, in other words, precisely the opposite type of people her father’s campaign is focused on helping. Even with the best intentions, it’s a real shame money and influence are the only way to get things done in this town. 

Setting down her clutch and taking a seat, Rey slips out of her Jimmy Choo Ankle Strap Pumps. She normally despises wearing heels, but small concessions are sometimes necessary for appearance's sake. The rest of her wardrobe for the evening is equally ostentatious: a custom white David Koma mini dress with full-length sleeves and diamond earrings. Her hair is equally styled, pulled back, and curled up at the top. It’s a sophisticated look that even she has to admit, highlights her slender frame well.

Rey sighs and stretches her feet while watching the attendees continue to mix and mingle now that dinner has concluded. Two and a half hours of smiling, shaking hands, and pretending to be interested in the thoughts and concerns of their guests have worn her out. What does she care about skyscraper zoning permissions in Coruscant? Billionaires having trouble getting approval to construct another overpriced luxury condo building are not her concern. Far from it.

Besides these issues, she also had to endure more than one unwelcome gaze this evening as one of the few attendees below the age of 50. There is something truly unsettling about catching a man more than three times her age leering in her direction. 

The thought alone makes her shiver.  

She’d be lying if she didn’t admit part of her discomfort also stems from last week’s incident on campus. While the whole thing turned out to be nothing serious, the fact she had been followed by a stranger weighs heavily in the back of her mind. Rey caught herself looking over her shoulder on more than one occasion in public and had become more cognizant of her surroundings over the past few days. Poe had taken notice as well. Their gazes would sometimes meet and she would be met with a short smile and polite nod meant to encourage her that yes, everything is okay. It was a silent respite between the two and one for which she was grateful. Regardless of how complicated their relationship has become, Rey can’t deny how thankful she is to have him in her life. And if she is being honest with herself, those feelings are rooted in something more than just her personal safety.

Turning in her chair, Rey spots him along the back wall of the banquet hall. He was dressed in a formal black and white suit, same as all the other Secret Service agents this evening. 

She trusts Poe. 

It’s really that simple.

“Is everything okay dear?”

Rey shakes her head and looks up to find Aunt Leia standing over her with a smile. 

“Yes, absolutely.”

“May I join you?”

Rey nods in the direction of one of the open chairs set around her. She figured Leia would be too busy courting campaign donors with her father to spend time hanging out at the wallflower table. Then again, when wasn’t her Aunt a genuine surprise?

“These things are such a bore, don’t you think?” 

Case and point.

“I’ll say,” Rey mutters.

“Personally, I never understood the appeal of paying thousands of dollars for a plate of food only to get served the smallest portions of food possible. You’d think after thirty-plus years of politics I would be used to this song and dance by now, but no, it’s still one of the few beltway customs that continues to baffle me.” Leia smiles, her gaze set out amongst the crowd. “For what it’s worth, I know your father is happy you came tonight. He’s been dealing with a lot these past few weeks with the campaign and having you here before you leave for Europe tomorrow brightens his day. He misses you when you are away — you know that, right?” 

Unsure how to respond, Rey simply nods wordlessly with a timid smile. Dad was never the loquacious type when it came to his own feelings, instead, he often expressed them in other ways. (Like his previous insistence on a full security detail.) With that thought, her gaze drifts back to Poe standing off in the distance. He really does look great in a suit, her mind unhelpfully supplies. The edges of her lips title upward and she blushes subtly, ducking her head in embarrassment. 

Unbeknownst to her, Leia sees this.

“You know, I was chatting with Rose earlier today while you girls were packing and she mentioned you were having a difficult time these past few weeks. Anything you want to talk about?”

“It’s…it’s nothing…Just the usual end of semester stuff.” She motions abstractly with her hands in the air. “I’m honestly just looking forward to decompressing on vacation over the next few days before my internship starts.”

“I understand…” 

Uncle Han waves in their direction and Leia gracefully waves back. He’s most likely trying to get his wife to rescue him from what appears to be a very dull conversation with one of the other guests. Han, much like Rey, really only attends these functions in support of the family. 

“Have I ever told you about the first time your Uncle asked me out?”

Rey is taken back by the change in topic and turns to find Leia watching her closely with a subtle smile. The only things she knew about how her Aunt and Uncle met were the fairytale stories she heard at functions such as these. Leia was in law school, Han worked at a car repair shop, they met, argued (naturally), and eventually fell in love. 

“Uhh, no, I don’t think so?” 

“Well, you probably know I said ‘no’ when your Uncle first asked me out. Although we had just met, I found him to be arrogant, self-assured, and if I’m being honest, a little rough around the edges if you know what I mean.”

Rey giggles, “So what made you change your mind?”

“It was how Han asked me out that made me give him a chance. Rather than being just another annoying guy trying to secure a date, he took time to learn about me, learn about my life, and my interests. This one time, your uncle unexpectedly showed up at one of my morning Model UN events with coffee and bagels for our entire team, including several prepared just the way he knew I liked them.”

“I bet that went over well.”

“You can be sure of that! The quickest way to any college student, especially law students, is through their stomach.”

“Don’t I know it!”

“Even after Han and I started dating, not everything was happily-ever-after.”

“Really, how so?”

“Mostly due to our differences. Despite our growing affections, we still bickered quite a bit and often didn’t see eye-to-eye on many things. Then there were my parents. Han was notably older than me, and as I said, rough around the edges.” 

Leia smiles coyly and Rey ducks her head again. What is she getting at?

“It took some time for my parents to come around to the fact that maybe this older boy from the rougher part of town was good for their daughter. That perhaps our differences made us better — together. Han pushes me and I push him.” Leia’s gaze shifts from Rey back to Han a few tables away. “We’re there when either of us needs the other. My strengths and weaknesses complement his own. All the reasons it shouldn’t work are exactly the reasons your Uncle and I make so much sense together. And ultimately, that is what love is. It’s about finding that person that understands you so well that he or she enables you to be the best version of yourself.”

Rey bites her lip and wrings her hands under the table. “Okay…What are—”

Before she can finish her sentence, Aunt Leia winks and rises to her feet.

“Enjoy the party, my dear. I’ll see you tomorrow before you leave for your flight.”

It’s a quarter after eleven by the time Rey manages to say her goodbyes, leave the fundraiser, and return to the White House. Artie is standing outside with Bee as Poe brings the car around to the Residence entrance. Her adorable corgi rushes over in excitement when she exits the vehicle, dragging Artie with him.

“Hey buddy, I missed you too! Did you and Artie have fun while I was gone?”

“Indeed Miss Skywalker,” the steward nods, “I was just taking him out for a walk to relieve himself prior to turning in for the evening.”

Bee barks happily and prances over toward Poe.

“I can take him, Artie. The fresh air will be good after several hours at Dad’s fundraiser. Plus, we already have an eight-hour flight tomorrow and the last thing I need to spend more time cooped up indoors.”

“Are you sure Miss Skywalker? You wouldn’t rather change into something more comfortable and rest before your trip?”

“Thanks, Artie, but that is quite alright. I don’t mind walking Bee, really.” 

The steward nods again and passes her Bee’s leash. It’s not until she slips out of her heels and moves to escort the corgi toward The Ellipse bearfoot that she remembers her own escort. 

“ Will you be joining us?” She asks, turning to Poe who had been waiting several steps behind her. “I’m not sure if you have other things to do before tomorrow? I can always ask one of the other agents to accompany us if need be.” 

“My shift technically goes until midnight.”. 

Nodding and pursing her lips, she tugs on Bee’s leash. “Alright, buddy, you heard him, let’s go!” 

They spend the next several minutes walking in silence while making their way to the circular park. Backlights, well-tended flowerbeds, and other adornments make the grounds particularly beautiful at night. Although there is usually a healthy crowd of tourists during the warm summer months, at this hour of the evening, Rey, Poe, and Bee are among the only ones present. Gazing up, she spots darkened clouds lingering above that sign-post the potential for a summer rain shower moving in soon. Best to hurry and take care of business quickly then, neither she nor Poe brought a jacket or umbrella for the rain. 

“C’mon buddy,” she says, gently encouraging Bee. “Can we possibly speed this up?”

The corgi barks playfully and scampers forward, wagging his tail in ignorant bliss. He’s a king in his kingdom within the empty park and determined to enjoy every moment of it. Another twenty minutes of walking around the park has Rey thinking perhaps she should have let Artie take Bee out tonight — the soles of her bare feet now becoming sore against the concrete walkway. She shares in her dog's relief when he finally trots over toward a tree and begins to take care of business.

Sighing and glancing just a few paces behind her, Poe is also patiently waiting for Bee to finish. They hadn’t spoken much this evening beyond the usual pleasantries, but the awkward silence of them both standing there watching and waiting for Bee to relieve himself outweighs any lingering interpersonal tension they share. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Rey asks, turning and tacitly inviting him to join her. Casual conversation about their upcoming trip should be a safe enough topic. “Bags packed and ready to go?”

“Yes,” he nods, taking the hint and stepping forward to stand beside her. “How about yourself?”

“Yep. Artie even helped make sure we have a separate bag packed for Bee here.”

Poe grins. “That’s good. We wouldn’t want him feeling left out.”

“Indeed.”

When the corgi finally finishes by the tree, Rey begins to lead them back in the direction of the White House. 

“I assume you are looking forward to the trip?” 

“Absolutely,” she grins. “It will be good to get away before campaign season really kicks into high gear this fall. Besides, neither myself, Rose nor Finn have ever been to most of the places on our itinerary. Finn in particular is looking forward to skiing in Austria. Rose is more of a traditionalist, not that I blame her, and is most excited about visiting Rome.”

“How about you?” Poe asks.

“Me, I don’t know. I think I’m more excited about the entire experience than any one place.” She pauses for a moment before continuing. “What about you? Which destination on our trip is at the top of your list? You like history, so I’d guess maybe Rome as well?”

“I’m not going to lie, Rome is pretty great,” he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck in a way she finds all too endearing. “That being said, I’m personally looking forward to properly seeing Istanbul, or as it was called for hundreds of years, Constantinople. The last time I was there…well…yeah. Not much time for sightseeing.” 

Right. He’s probably been all over the world as a SEAL, even if it wasn’t necessarily for vacation. Conversely, despite living abroad in England for two years, the extent of her own travel has been fairly limited. She’s visited Paris twice and Ireland a half dozen times during her time at Oxford, but otherwise, her own experience in mainland Europe (and especially Asia or Africa) has been lacking.

“That makes sense.” The easiness of their conversation emboldens her to push the abstract boundaries she had constructed over the last several weeks and poke fun at him. “You aren’t going to go full nerd mode on us when we arrive, are you? Because I’m pretty sure Istanbul is the one place Rose is least excited to visit.”

“What? Blasphemy!” 

“I know, I know!”

Poe chuckles. “For what it’s worth, Kes said the same thing when I told him our itinerary the other day. He eventually came around though when I promised him we’d take our own later in the year.”

Trying not to let her mind drift to the fact he was still talking about her to his dad — no, not her, his work…which is perfectly normal considering said work is taking him away for two and half weeks — she instead inquires about his father’s health.

“How is your dad doing?”

“Better every day, thank you for asking. He’s practically his old self again, which definitely makes me more confident about leaving for extended periods of time and not being able to check-in on him.”

“I’m sure he appreciates it.”

“He does, even if he is the most stubborn person I know.”

“Zorii though,” she teases, “I’m sure she’ll miss you while we’re gone.”

An awkward pause befalls their conversation. 

Oh. 

Rey blinks.  

Shit. 

The words spilled out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop herself. What the hell was she thinking bringing up Zorii? The levity of their conversation had distracted her and now—

“We broke up,” Poe states flatly, stopping her thoughts in their tracks. 

Her head snaps to the right to see him pacing forward, head straight ahead and a neutral expression on his face. Wait. What?! When did that happen? Did he…? Rey bites her lip. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. An unknowable amount of time passes before she asks the question in a soft, shaky voice which trails quieter and quieter:

“Did you…because of… me? ”

He sucks in an audible breath. 

“No... Not entirely.”

Blushing and unable to look at him further, she nods and turns to face forward as they continue the walk back to the White House. 

His answer is so cryptic. Did he break up with Zorii because of her? Yes? No? Sort of? Does that mean he thinks they should…? 

Her mind drifts to her conversation with Aunt Leia earlier this evening describing those early years with Uncle Han and how they make each other better versions of themselves. Can the same be said about her and Poe? It's undeniable he certainly has a way of putting her at ease. These and other thoughts swirl around her head like a maelstrom to the point she barely notices when the darkened clouds above finally give way to a rainstorm of their own. 

Shit.

“Ack!” She shrieks as the downpour begins in earnest. They are still five minutes from the Residence and there is absolutely no chance her dress will not be completely ruined by the rain. Still, Rey has no intention of getting drenched any more than necessary. Tugging encouragingly on Bee’s leash, she picks up the pace from a leisurely walk to a modest jog, the fastest her dress would permit. ”C’mon, let’s go!”

Bee barks happily and is quick to sprint ahead of them while Poe equally adjusts to follow along in a hurried fashion. Rain coupled with exertion has her heart rate climbing and the soles of her bare feet are now really aching despite sprinting on the grass beside the sidewalk. As they round the final bend into the White House grounds, Bee bursts ahead faster, jerking her forward unexpectedly. The sudden change in speed causes her to slip on the wet grass and she falls forward, bracing herself on her hands and knees before tumbling down. 

“Rey!” She hears Poe shout as she grunts, rolls over, sits up, and catches her barings. Bee had also stopped running ahead and is currently nudging her side with his big puppy-dog eyes. Rain continues to pour down, soaking all three of them. Poe’s voice rings out once more. “Shit, Rey, are you alright?” 

“Ugh, yeah,” She grumbles warily. “I’m fine. Just slipped, nothing serious.”

Looking up, she’s caught off guard by the sight of Poe standing over her, eyes wide, clothes drenched and a hand outstretched offering to help her to her feet. His white dress shirt sticks tight to his torso, leaving very little to her imagination. Oh. Her tongue sweeps swipes across her bottom lip in response and she notices Poe’s eyes tracking the movement. When she reaches up to accept his aid, his warm hand swiftly pulls her to her feet. 

Sucking in a breath, she suddenly finds herself standing very close to him when she rises, only a foot and a half of space between them. His eyes dip down, very obviously gazing over her own torso where her white designer dress is similarly fused to her skin and leaving little to speculation. 

Thank goodness she decided not to go braless tonight!

Oh.

Rey blinks at the thought. 

Poe also blinks.

The air is hot and charged, but not from the summer rain shower. He glances down and she does the same — both of them realizing for the first time that their hands have remained joined since he helped her to her feet. She takes a deep breath in, then out, while letting their fingers intertwine. His hand is firm, gentle, and warm to the touch. His gaze is tense but soft when she glances up again and the bangs of his rain-soaked hair flow down his forehead toward his eyes. Her hair has also come undone and frames her face.  

A part of her knows it's a mistake, but she can’t help herself — the edges of her lip curl upward into a short smile and Rey slowly reaches up and brushes his hair to the side. Poe’s eyes flutter shut at the contact and he takes a deep breath before opening them again, a melancholy smile adjoining his face. Her heart is racing and they remain standing there in the rain, face-to-face, for what feels like minutes, hours…possibly days.

What is happening here? Who knows. Quite frankly, she’s not sure what she wants to happen. Their earlier conversation about his split with Zorii comes to mind, but she doesn’t move closer. What does he want to happen? That is the real question she yearns to have answered.

“It’s late,” he eventually mumbles, slowly releasing her hand and taking a step back. “We should probably get back.”

A sad smile still paints his face as the steady sound of rain drums in the background and against their now fully drenched bodies.

Rey nods with a somber short smile of her own.

Well…there is her answer.

Chapter Text

Their SUV speeds down the old Italian street. Three more vehicles are following behind them close enough to continue their pursuit, but far enough to remain legal. It had been like this since they got off the plane in Rome an hour ago — the stories Rey had heard about the Italian paparazzi were clearly not an exaggeration. How they knew exactly when her flight was arriving was a problem for another time. What is most important now is getting to their hotel in one piece. After an eight-hour flight from DC to London, two days of sightseeing across the UK, and then finally another two and a half hour flight to Rome, she is spent. A hot shower and warm bed are definitely in her future. 

They drive for another fifteen minutes before Poe pulls the car up to their hotel entrance. “Shit, you gotta be kidding me,” Finn exclaims as they catch sight of even more paparazzi already lining the sidewalk waiting for them. Poe hops out first and surveys their surroundings before opening the door for Rose, Finn, and Rey to exit the vehicle. Loud shouting, camera flashes, and the sounds of a crowd greet them. Poe and the rest of the Secret Service detail try their best to escort the trio through the crowd, but it’s quickly approaching madness. 

Fortunately, the bloodthirsty photographers remain outside and things quiet down once they make it inside the hotel. The maitre d' greets them warmly and Poe coordinates with him to check them into their rooms: two large adjoining suites for her, Rose and Finn to share and a comfortable single suite down the hall for himself. It takes another few minutes for the hotel staff to retrieve their luggage, but eventually, their group finally finds themselves in the quiet comfort of their own rooms. 

“I’ll let you unpack,” Poe says after doing a security walkthrough of their rooms. “Let me know if anyone needs anything. Everyone has my number and I’ll be just down the hall.”

“Thanks,” Rose sighs, collapsing backward on one of the beds.

Rey simply nods wordlessly with a sad smile. 

He returns with a nod of his own but doesn’t comment further before leaving the suite. 

The trio makes plans to order room service later, once they’ve had a chance to unpack and get more comfortable. Rey retreats to her own suite with Bee while Finn and Rose tend to their own unpacking. 

What a day.

This vacation is supposed to be about rest and relaxation, but the thought of three more days in Rome with such an aggressive paparazzi sounds like the exact opposite. Heck, even the press back home in the States isn’t as bad in comparison. Despite arriving only three hours ago, Finn and Rose seem equally disappointed with their current situation. It’s not just her vacation that is being inconvenienced, it’s also her friends too. This setback on top of the incident on campus at the end of the semester has her feeling doubly guilty. As Bee settles into the separate dog bed she set out for him, Rey takes out her phone and taps her first speed dial. After three rings, a familiar and frankly welcome voice responds:

“Hello?”

“Hey Dad, did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, not at all sweetheart.” She can hear several papers shuffle in the background. He was most likely working in his office. Based on a quick timezone conversion in her head, it was probably around four or five in the afternoon on the US East Coast. “I heard your flight landed safely not too long ago. Is everything alright? We haven’t spoken since you left a few days ago. Are you and your friends having fun?” 

Of course, he knew they landed in Rome. Dad probably has the Secret Service updating him on their every move in real-time if he’s not already tracking them via satellite. She smiles to herself. That last part is meant to be funny, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. 

“Yeah Dad, everything is fine. We’re all good. We spent a few days seeing the different sites across the UK, like Stonehenge, but as you said, we’re in Rome now. We just checked into the hotel and are unpacking before getting a bite to eat.”

“That’s good.”

“There is one thing though…”

“Oh?”

“It’s the paparazzi, Dad.” Rey sighs, taking an exhausted seat on the edge of her queen bed. “They were waiting for us when we arrived at the airport, followed us to our hotel, and were even waiting at the hotel itself. I don’t understand it. Why are they so…insistent on following me around? And how did they even know when we would be arriving? Or where we would be staying?”

She can hear her father sigh over the phone. 

“Rey, sweetheart, you know every country has different laws regarding freedom of the press and this is just one of those things we have to deal with in our situation. Like it or not, fair or not, you can be viewed as a proxy for me when you are there — a visiting head of state. As for your second question, your travel itinerary is obviously kept classified for security, but I have to imagine, or at least hope, that any details about your trip came from the hotel you booked. It’s probably a nice boon for their business if word gets out that the US President’s daughter is staying at their hotel.”

Rey exhales, falls backward on the bed, and stares at the ceiling. 

She hates it when her father is right. 

“What would be your recommendation then? I doubt Finn and Rose are going to be happy with me if our entire time in Rome is spent dodging paparazzi.”

“I suspect not,” He chuckles, “Just take a breath and do what you always do, sweetheart — make the best out of a bad situation. You're like me in that respect.” 

Smiling, she shakes her head. 

“Thanks, Dad.” 

Even over the phone, she can picture him grinning in return. Regardless of their differences or how much the Presidency demands of him, she knows she can always count on him for support. A warm silence fills the line once more before he speaks again.

“Look, sweetheart, I’ll let you go. I know it’s late over there and you are probably tired and hungry.”

“True and true.”

“Don’t hesitate to call or text any time. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

Poe leans back in his chair, slides his fingers over his laptop’s touchpad, and scrolls through his email. They will be leaving Rome tomorrow and he wants to make sure he’s up-to-date on their itinerary as well as any new Secret Service bulletin updates. The evening thus far has been relatively quiet. Finn and Rose were out enjoying a romantic night on the town, something called an Aperitivo, which was Italian for a several-hour-long meal of dinner, drinks, and desserts. When he asked Rey about her plans for the evening, she simply shrugged and told him she didn’t want to be the third wheel and would be staying in with Bee. 

He felt bad for her. 

This visit to Rome hadn’t turned out the way she had hoped it would — the way any of them had hoped it would. They were met with larger than usual crowds and a contingent of paparazzi who seemed determined to follow them around to every attraction they visited.  His efforts to organize the rest of Rey’s security detail were made more difficult and on more than one occasion he had to direct several of the other agents in her detail to assist in escorting them. 

That makes two of Rey’s least favorite things coming to fruition in this trip: paparazzi and extra security. 

Rey though, bless her, she never complained. 

Not once did she let her smile fade while out in public. Not once did she refuse to sign an autograph for a child when they approached her. And not once did she come to him irate about the need to use more overt security procedures or show any outward sign of frustration with the paparazzi who followed them like hawks. 

If that wasn’t enough, similar to her efforts state-side, she used the added spotlight and attention of the Italian paparazzi to highlight worthy causes. Rather than just visiting the usual tourist sites, Rey insisted they stop at one of the city’s orphanages to help raise money and awareness for the church’s mission work. Her actions weren’t just political theater, they were honest and deeply personal based on her own lived experiences of being adopted. Even in the worst of situations, her compassion and resolve seemed limitless. 

Rey Skywalker was truly one of a kind. 

Special. 

He smiles and his thoughts inadvertently drift back to that evening just before they left Washington DC. She was equally stunning that night as well, wearing a form-fitting white dress and gracefully helping to entertain the guests at her father’s fundraiser. No doubt she was bored out of her mind. Of course, the most memorable part of the evening occurred well after the fundraiser concluded…when he and Rey shared a quiet moment in the rain on the front lawn of the White House. 

The image of her still sitting on the grass in her rain soaked dress looking up at him, eyes wide and a short smile on her face,  is seared into his memory. She was gorgeous, and not just physically, but her entire being. Sunshine — that was the only word he found to accurately describe Rey Skywalker. Beautiful and radiant. 

And a part of him hates himself for thinking as much because he knows better. Even if he resigned his assignment as head of her duty and sought another post, he isn’t right for her. He’s too old, too damaged from seeing too much, doing too much. Her family, most notably her father, would never approve. In the end, he would only be a burden and hold her back. 

Despite his brain knowing this and more, his heart still yearns for the impossible. He can deny it no more than the Earth can break free of the Sun’s gravitational field. And in this scenario, she is the sun and he is the earth — destined to revolve around her, but only from a distance. 

Kes had a different opinion when they spoke several days ago. It was the first time Poe had an honest conversation with someone about his feelings for Rey. His father passed no judgment, but simply encouraged him not to close himself off. Kes reminded Poe that the road wasn’t straightforward for him and Shara either, that the best things in life are rarely easy but worth fighting for. 

Finishing with his work, Poe closes the laptop, retreats to his couch, and turns on the TV. He finds the English speaking international BBC news channel running through the day’s headlines. As usual, there isn’t much to note. Politicians in all parts of the world were being idiots, celebrities were obsessing over their social media presence, and every story in between just further highlighted the declining state of TV news into nothing more than another entertainment medium. The only story of even mild interest was the short coverage of the upcoming US election.

Watching international coverage of US elections is always interesting and in this case, it was a short soundbite of Senator Hux talking about the need to expand and strengthen military alliances. That kind of rhetoric plays well to most Americans back home, but people like Poe who have been on the front lines know the real cost. Hux’s bluster isn’t about alliances or security, it’s about money. For never has there been a military action where someone hasn’t profited. Poe and his SEAL team brothers have seen it far too often. Sure, sometimes they do good. Sometimes they make a real difference. But not all the time. And in those instances where avarice and special interests reign, it’s often the innocent who pay the price.

His drifting thoughts are finally interrupted by the sound of a gentle rapture at his door. 

Rising to his feet, he shuts off the TV and checks the peephole.

Of course. 

Poe sighs, straightens himself out, and opens the door. 

“Hey.” Rey stands on the other side of the entranceway with a timid smile wearing jeans, a hoodie and a pair of Converse. “Did I catch you at a bad time? I would have called first, but I figured I would just—”

“—No, that’s fine. What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, um…well… I was getting bored cooped up in my room. Sure, Bee loves the attention, but even he gets tired after a while and watching TV on our last night in Rome feels like a crime. So…” Her anxious rant trails off and she bites her lip, averting her gaze for a moment. “Anyway, I know the paparazzi have been hell these past few days so I was thinking maybe I could…we could…I don’t know…sneak out and go see the sights or something?”

He blinks.“You want to sneak out?”

“Well…yeah,” she nods with (adorable) grin. “I mean it wouldn’t really be sneaking per se, I assume you’d come with me. But yeah, we could, well, you know… sneak out of the hotel and avoid the paparazzi.”

“Rey…”

“C’mon Poe! I’m going to lose my mind if I have to spend the rest of the evening indoors or chased by paparazzi. One night free from the cameras and crowds, that’s all I’m asking. Please. ”

Her request isn’t exactly protocol — they’d have to circumvent much of the security procedures he put in place — but it also isn’t impossible. Evading the paparazzi on their way out of the hotel should be relatively easy if they conceal their appearance and stick to the back entrances/exits. She waits for an answer, her bright hazel eyes staring up at him with hope, the hint of a smile still playing on her lips. How can he deny her?

“Fine,” He sighs with a grin. “Let me get my coat. Are you planning on going out like that?”

The expression on her face is pure sunshine when she smiles and nods in response. 

“We should go down the back stairwell.” He closes his room’s door and points to the other end of the long hallway. “There will only be a few paparazzi at the back entrance so we should be good as long as we avoid being noticed by them or any of the hotel staff. The rest of the detail is off-duty for the night unless I notify them, so we should be good there as well.” 

Rey nods a second time and follows him down the hallway to the stairs. It’s a solid twenty flights to the ground floor but neither complain as they make their way down. He watches Rey pull up her hoodie to help conceal her face while he slips on a black baseball cap. Walking at a leisurely pace so as to not draw attention, they cross through the back of the hotel lobby, past the restaurant, and toward the parking garage exit. This should ideally drop them on the side street where only two or three paparazzi should be waiting. 

“You ready?” 

She looks up at him, mirth in her eyes, and pauses before taking his hand. Her fingers intertwine with his and she steps closer, not just taking his hand, but also guiding it to wrap around her waist. He sucks in a breath. Even through the hoodie, her midsection is soft and warm to the touch. 

Stop it!

“Ready,” she whispers with a grin. 

His eyes grow wide and he pauses for a moment. Her intent is obvious, practical even, but still effective in eliciting a response. His heart skips a beat and he takes another deep breath. This time it’s he who nods wordlessly before they escape out the back of the hotel. 

Rey tucks herself close to him, her breath hot against neck. With their warm bodies pressed together, they slip by the paparazzi without being recognized. To any would-be observer, they simply appear to be a lovesick couple out for a romantic evening stroll through Rome.

And who knows.

Maybe they are…

“Check out this view!”

Rey walks briskly toward the edge of the terrace at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo. While the ancient mausoleum was a sight to behold in its own right, it also boasted one of the best views of Rome's skyline at night… At least that’s what she had read in one of the guidebooks back at the hotel. Early indications are that she was not led astray, the scenery was something else to behold. Lights from the city reflect beautifully over the rooftops and domes below. The sounds of busy streets and crowded restaurants play as a sort of rhythmic ambient music in the background.

“Wow, yeah, that is beautiful.” 

Poe approaches and stands next to her at the edge of the railing. She watches him gaze out over the vista, taking in the view. 

Their walk to Castel Sant’Angelo had been relatively quiet after leaving the hotel. Her heart skipped several beats as they clung to each other to avoid the paparazzi, but once they made it to the next block and out of view, he removed his arm from around her waist. Still wanting him close, she looped her arm in his and kept their hands intertwined. Poe seemed to welcome the contact from what she could tell, or at least didn’t pull away, and so they strolled through the city arm-in-arm for about fifteen minutes before arriving at their current destination. Theirs was a confusing dichotomy, a push and pull she still didn’t understand.

Sighing, she steps back from the railing, and takes a seat on a bench nearby. Tonight feels like the first time during this whole vacation that she has truly been able to stop, take a breath, and relax. Poe follows and takes a seat next to her. 

“Thank you for tonight,” Rey comments after several minutes of peaceful silence. “I really needed this.”

“No problem. It was your idea anyway.”

“Yeah, but I appreciate you going along with it.”

“I assume you are looking forward to leaving tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. Budapest is supposed to be beautiful this time of year. I’m particularly looking forward to touring the different castles — real life castles if you can believe it!” 

“I know,” he chuckles. “I’ve seen them!”

She shakes her head with a grin. “Of course you have! I hear the city also has some really great hot spring baths and that the nightlife is a ton of fun. Mostly, though, I’m looking forward to being able to let loose and not have to worry about cameras following us around all the time.”

Poe sighs. “I’m…I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’ve handled the situation incredibly well.” 

“Thanks.” She pauses and glances to her left; his kind eyes greet her. Their gazes stay locked and a nervous energy flickers in the air. This evening has been the longest they’ve been alone since leaving Washington DC. “Dad texted me this morning quite pleased as well. I have to assume Mr. Yoda has been positively buzzing in his ear over the free publicity.”

Another quiet spell befalls them before he speaks again.

“You're quite good at it, you know.”

“What? Politics?” She chuckles, “Ugh, you know I hate that song and dance.”

“Yes, well…no, not exactly.” Raising an eyebrow, she tilts her head with a confused look. He continues, “Despite your reservations, you would make a great politician for the same reason you’re going to be a great journalist — you know how to connect with people. Empathy, real empathy, is impossible to fake. People recognize it, respond to it, and you…well…you have it in spades.” He pauses and grins subtly before adding in a soft voice, “That and your smile…”

Well now.

She blushes and bites her lip while continuing to stare up at him. His warm brown eyes don’t leave her hazel globes. Neither of them move or say a word. What is there really left to say that hasn’t been said already? Smiling meekly, she shuffles closer to him on the bench and slips her hand in his. Their fingers intertwine in a way that has become all too common at this point. 

Turning back to the skyline before them, Rey rests her head against the side of his shoulder.

“Thanks.”