*Author's Note*
Hello and welcome to my new story! I've never written a Damerey fanfic before, so this should be interesting. I have lots of ideas and I know where I want to go with this, but I'm not quite sure how I'll get there yet:) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter!
Chapter 1
As Rey exited the Millenium Falcon, she watched as Finn was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled away. Her heart broke for him, and she felt as if it was her fault. He had come to Starkiller Base for her after all, and he ended up severely maimed by the feared and dreaded Kylo Ren. The thought of that man made Rey shiver, so she turned her attention to the bustling Resistance base for a distraction. But, her thoughts immediately went back to Finn. She could only hope that he would be able to heal and recover normally.
She made her way down the ramp and was immediately approached by BB-8, her trusty friend that got her into this whole mess. She appreciated him though, for she wouldn't have met Finn, Chewy, and Han Solo without him. Her thoughts dwelled on Han. She only knew him for a short time, but she began to look to him as a father. Shaking him from her thoughts, she turned her attention to the BB-unit patiently waiting for her to address him.
"You look great BB-8!" she told him, squatting to his level. He beeped a thank you in response, and commented on his antenna. "Yep, it's perfectly straight," she made a show of checking it to make sure. "Does that mean you've been behaving lately?" she joked with the droid. He started to reply, but was cut short by a handsome man wearing an orange pilot jumpsuit, adjourned with dark features and a thick head of curly, dark hair. As he approached, he spoke to the droid first.
"Hey buddy, did you find yourself a friend?" BB-8 beeped in response.
Rey looked up at him from her squatting position and quickly stood up. She suddenly felt very conscious of her appearance. The dirt and grim on her skin, dried blood caked on her arms and forehead, and her three-bun hairstyle coming loose. Before she could say anything, he stepped forward and held out his hand.
"I'm Poe Dameron," he introduced himself. He had a playful expression on his face, almost like he was excited to be in her presence. She stuck out her hand slowly.
"I'm Rey," she smiled slightly. His hand was calloused, yet warm and gentle.
"Oh I know. I've heard lots about you. Both from Finn, and BB-8 here," he gestured to the droid that was looking up at the both of them. "Thank you for saving him, by the way. I know he can be a handful sometimes," he joked, causing the droid to burst into angry yet playful beeps. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Poe held his hands up in defeat.
"Oh, BB-8 has been great company," she chuckled, giving the droid a wink. Turning her attention back to the man in front of her, she explained, "I've heard a lot about you as well. In fact, it's an honor to be speaking with the best pilot in the Resistance," she smiled as Poe blushed.
"I heard you're pretty good too. I may have some competition!" He raised his eyebrows, giving her a playful look.
"Oh, hardly!" she laughed. Her smile was infectious, and he too found himself laughing.
"You know, being the best pilot in the Resistance, I do have-" he began but looked over Rey's shoulder and was stopped by the sight of General Organa approaching the pair. Rey, confused as to why he stopped mid-sentence, pivoted on her heel and locked eyes with the General. There was an immediate connection between the pair, and Leia quickly approached, pulling Rey into a hug. As she pulled back, she gripped Rey's upper arms.
"I believe we have much to discuss. I see you've already met Poe," she smiled, gesturing towards him. He was still standing behind Rey, yet he didn't know why. Sure, there was probably much better things for him to be doing, but he wanted to continue his talk with Rey. She intrigued him. He'd heard so much about her from Finn and BB-8, and he was eager to learn more.
"Yes I have," Rey said as she turned her neck to look back at Poe. They shared a soft smile, and Rey quickly looked away as her cheeks turned a warm shade of pink.
"I hope he didn't give you too much trouble," Leia proposed. "Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him," she joked as she held her arm out for Rey to take. Rey gladly obliged, feeling as if she could trust this woman. There was something about her that emanated warmth, comfort, and even hope.
"Now if you'll excuse us, Poe. Rey and I do have important manners to discuss," Leia dismissed him, turning and taking Rey along with her. "Oh, and BB-8," she addressed the droid, "Come with us. I hope you don't mind, Poe."
"Of course not, General," Poe replied. "And it was nice to meet you, Rey." he called out to her retreating form. She turned slightly and craned her neck around to briefly look at him.
"It was nice to meet you too, Poe."
"Well first of all, welcome to D'Qar," Leia attempted to break the ice as she made her way towards the chair behind her desk. BB-8 waited outside the room, while Rey was seated in a chair opposite of the General's desk, hands folded. Leia cleared her throat, uncertain of where exactly to begin with her. She already knew so much about the force-sensitive scavenger from Jakku of all places. She didn't want to be too formal, so she took the chair and moved it around so that it was next to Rey's, rather than having her large and bulky desk create a barrier between them. She decided to start with some light conversation.
"So the Falcon has been on Jakku all this time?" Leia chuckled softly. Rey gave a slight nod, relaxing into her chair a bit. "Who would've thought. I always hated that hunk of junk, but Han was desperate to get his hands on her again," Leia recalled. She swallowed, knowing that Han was a sensitive topic for both her and Rey. Leia reached for Rey's hand, developing it within her own. Rey was surprised at how cold the General's hands were.
"Can you tell me about Ben?" She asked, her voice audibly deeper. Rey looked into her eyes and saw sorrow and it was clear that the General was holding back tears. Rey had heard that name once before, right before Han was murdered by that monster. She quickly connected the dots. Ben was Kylo Ren, before he was corrupted. And he was also Han and Leia's son.
"He interrogated me, knowing that I had seen the map. When he couldn't get what he wanted, he went into my mind," Rey paused, remembering the horrific pain that she felt as he pushed deeper into her mind. Leia's face was sympathetic as her mouth formed a straight line.
"He did the same to Poe," she nodded, mentioning him to hopefully put Rey at ease. She had witnessed their conversation earlier, and quickly noticed how comfortable Rey seemed around him. "Rey, how did you escape him?" She was curious. She could feel that Rey had a strong connection to the force.
"It's difficult to explain," Rey began. "I don't know how, but when I ordered the Stormtroopers to release my restraints, they simply did it. It was as if I was controlling them," she proposed with a puzzled look on her face. Saying it out loud sounded ridiculous to Rey, but she was put at ease when she noticed Leia nodding as if she understood completely.
"Tell me what happened next," Leia commanded lightly.
"I found Finn, Chewy, and Han. We had split up, and then Finn and I found Han and Kylo Ren. We tried to get to him but we were so far away," Rey swallowed hard, fighting the tears. Leia stroked her hand.
"It's alright, Rey. There was nothing you could have done. Han would never have left without trying to get Ben to come home," Leia confessed. He was so stubborn.
"After Kylo Ren-" she paused. She didn't want to say it, so she moved on. "Finn and I panicked and made our way outside, but Kylo Ren caught up with us. I was pushed back, and fell unconscious. I don't know how long Finn fought him. I fought him too," Rey shuddered, remembering their fight vividly. "He tried to get me to join him. He said that I needed a teacher to show me the ways of the force. That's when something came over me. I don't know what it was, but it was this new strength. Just when I thought he had beaten me, I attacked," Rey confessed.
Leia listened in shock. She knew how powerful her son was, especially in lightsaber duels. "I had the chance to kill him, but I didn't," Rey spoke. She didn't understand why she let him go. He was a monster and killed Han Solo, yet she let him go.
"Do you have Luke's lightsaber?" Leia asked her, taking the topic away from her son. She could tell that his connection with Rey only puzzled the girl.
"Yes, it's on the Falcon," Rey spoke. "Speaking of, the Falcon seems to have quite a lot of damage. They must have had a rough landing," Rey confessed.
"I'm not surprised," Leia sighed. "Rey, I would like to continue our conversation, but I know you're probably worried about Finn," she proposed. She needed to figure out what to do next. Rey clearly needed a teacher, but there was still no way to find Luke. They only had a small part of the map. Besides, she had a meeting in half and hour and needed to gather herself before.
Rey nodded quickly. "Yes, I am. He'll be okay, won't he?" Rey asked, worry etched on her face. Leia was uncertain, for she hadn't had a chance to check his diagnostics. From what she heard, Ben had sliced him up the back. She knew how dangerous that could be.
"I haven't had a chance to check," she confessed. "Why don't you go visit him. BB-8 can take you, and afterwards he'll show you to the room I have arranged for you. I will send someone to show you around the base later. I'd personally do it, but I have a meeting shortly."
"Thank you, General," Rey nodded as she got to her feet.
"Please, call me Leia."
Rey smiled softly. "Thank you, Leia," she corrected herself as she opened the door. BB-8 was waiting outside for her and she greeted him.
"BB-8, take Rey to see Finn, and show her to her room afterwards," Leia commanded. The droid beeped in response and motioned for Rey to follow him. As the pair made their way through the base, Rey was thankful for the little droid. There were so many twists and turns in the hallways that she was sure she'd get lost without him. She was getting dizzy as she attempted to remember their path.
After what Rey guessed to be about five minutes, she found herself following BB-8 passed rooms that she could tell were clearly used for medical purposes due to the various equipment present in them. The droid led her to a door that was closed, yet not latched. BB-8 nudged the door open and let out excited beeps as he darted into the room. Rey peeked in and saw Finn laying unconscious on a medical bed, as a man in an orange jumpsuit with dark curly hair sat in a chair beside the bed, back facing her. He turned at the sound of his droid, eyes darting up to meet Rey's. She was still standing at the door, not quite sure if she should enter. She figured he may want to be left alone. She knew he was close to Finn.
"Hey," he breathed out with a small sigh. Rey swallowed, his short response confirming that he probably wanted to be left alone.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she said. She was puzzled by the fact that she felt flustered. "I'll come back another time," she stated before turning on her heel to leave.
"Wait," he chuckled, standing up and making his way towards her. "I wouldn't mind some company."
"Oh," she quietly said, a little embarrassed by her quick judgement. She stepped forward then, looking at him briefly before looking towards the floor and making her way past him and towards the bed.
"If you'd like to be left alone, I can go. I've been here for a while," he admitted. Rey turned towards him and noticed a warmth in his cheeks. He brought his hand to his head and ran his fingers through his curly hair. Rey stared for a moment, swallowing slightly. He was hoping she would like his company. He'd been thinking about her ever since their first, and only, conversation.
"No of course not," she replied. "You were here before me anyways," she smiled slightly. At this, Poe walked closer to her and stood beside her as she turned back towards Finn. He looked so peaceful, and much younger than usual. She stared at him as she recalled their adventures. She hadn't been with him for long, but they'd already faced so much. She was broken from her trance when Poe spoke up.
"A lightsaber, huh?" he asked her.
She turned her head towards him slightly. "Yes," she confirmed. She wondered how he knew this. She and Chewy were the only ones who were with him, and she had only told Leia.
As if he could hear her thoughts, he responded, "News travels fast here. I bet Chewy probably spread the news." Rey huffed slightly, amused at this. "I also heard that you battled Kylo Ren too," he claimed. She could sense some bitterness in the way he said his name. Then, she recalled what Leia had mentioned in their conversation. He had been tortured too.
"I did. We were just lucky we escaped," she confirmed. She didn't want to share the part where she hesitated to kill him. Not to Poe, who she assumed had great malice towards that monster.
"I'm glad you escaped. BB-8 would've been devastated," Poe nudged her with his shoulder, hoping to add more lightness to their conversation. They both let out small laughs.
"Commander Dameron and... Rey is it?" Poe and Rey turned quickly. Rey nodded. "I'm Doctor Kalonia," she introduced herself to Rey.
"Doctor!" Poe exclaimed, before turning towards Rey. "We should probably get out of her hair," he proposed quickly before grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room. She let him drag her a ways down the hallway before she stopped him, pulling her hand back.
"What was-" she began.
"We don't exactly get along," he sighed softly, giving Rey a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him slightly but decided not to poke. She could tell he didn't want to discuss it. "Anyway," he began as BB-8 joined them. He nudged Poe's leg, causing him to question the droid.
"Her room? Well what room has she been assigned?" he asked the droid. "Oh," he said disappointedly.
"What? What's wrong with my room?" Rey questioned.
"Nothing's wrong with it," Poe stated as he ran his fingers through his hair. Maybe he does that when he's nervous, Rey thought. Or uncomfortable?
"I'll bring you to it."
"Thank you, Poe," Rey smiled. She noted how kind and welcoming he acted towards her, something very different than what she usually experienced on Jakku. The pair, followed by BB-8, only had to walk a short distance before Poe stopped at a door and punched in the code that BB-8 provided.
"General Organa put you close to the medical bay," he commented as the door opened. "My quarters are on the other side of the base," he added, looking put-off. Rey considered this to be the reason he wasn't excited about her room earlier, but she quickly dismissed the idea.
"Wow, this is great!" Rey smiled, entering and standing in the middle of the room. Poe looked at her with astonishment. This room was in no way enviable, everything being extremely cramped and dark. There was a bed with a very thin mattress and a small dresser, and the door to her refresher was opposite the bed. He didn't even want to imagine how sad that would be. He began to think of how privileged he must be. He received much better accommodations due to his ranking.
Rey turned to him and noticed the look on his face. He bit his lip to try to hide his indifference towards the room. "I've never had my own room before," she said sheepishly. This struck Poe hard. He had always had his own room. Growing up on Yavin IV as an only child, he realized he really was privileged. He cleared his throat.
"Right, well it's not too bad in here," he lied. "Anyway, I'm getting pretty hungry. I'll probably make my way to the mess. Do you want to come?"
Rey looked at him for a second before replying, "I think I'll pass. I want to freshen up and get used to my new room," she politely declined. It wasn't a total lie. She did want to spend more time with him, but the desire to curl up in her new bed and reflect on the past few days was too tempting to pass up. She couldn't remember the last time she rested.
Poe would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. "Alright, well I'm sure I'll see you around sometime," he commented.
"I'll see you around," she smiled at him. He paused briefly as he stared at her, and then quickly turned on his heel and exited her room. Rey went towards her bed and sat. She felt extremely dirty, but didn't have much time to dwell on this before her body gave into the comfort and she collapsed on the bed in slumber.
*Author's Note*
And there's the first chapter! I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a review! I'd love to know your thoughts, and hear some suggestions about where you want this story to go. The second chapter should be up within the next two days. Thanks!