Chapter XI

~ Unedited~

A/N Note:Thank you so much for all of your supportive messages . They truly gave me the motivation to continue writing and to surpass most of my current problems. I wanted to thank you all for voting and commenting it means the world to me. To see that people really care for me beyond my writing is something truly special for me. I mad this chapter longer than the usual lengths as a gift to you guys for being so understanding. Excuse all the error I'll fix them later. Don't forget to vote and comment. I love you all!!

Poe's POV:

It was just Finn and I cleaning off BB-8 while everyone else ran around carrying tons of blasters.

"So how did it feel being reunited with Rey," I asked.

Since the moment Finn and I had reunited he talked non-stop about Rey. He had gone ballistic once he woke up and discovered Rey had been captured by the Knights of Ren. He had tore his stitches upon in effort to try to leave and find her. He was the only one I knew that cared for her more than anything. He constantly worried if they were forcing her to succumb to their will or worse torturing her to give in to joining them.

"Somethings different around her Poe," he seemed in pain coming to the conclusion she wasn't the same Rey he met months ago. "She's not the same girl with a heart full of hope and kindness. She's colder and distant now."

"You have to understand that she's been through a lot. She found out the depth of her relationship with Kylo and imagine all she's  witnessed within that base. Plus you know how close she grew to Solo,she saw him as a father and to witness his death brought on my his own son just imagine how she hurt she felt. "

He gently sighed and tried his best to avoid my comments even though he knew I was right. I was always right.

"She's been avoiding me Poe," he spoke with a painful tone. "I might be stupid, but I knew we had something. I feel something special for her, I can't exactly describe, but I know she felt it too. Something that strong doesn't just disappear."

I could just see how hurt he was without Rey. He had been waiting for the moment to be reunited with Rey. He had an entire image planted in his head of that special moment, but instead of leaping into his arms, she treated him coldly.

"Just give her some time, she'll be her old self sooner than you think," I gave him a soft pat on the back and went off to let my words really sink through. I just hoped he didn't pressure into making any irrational decision that could any way affect our preparations. He might trust her, but I wasn't sure was reliable. Her actions made me hesitant into confidently speaking around her.

It pained me to see one of my best buddies suffering all because of a girl. The only interest I was out to protect were Finn's not Rey's.

Finn's POV:

The only person I could openly talk to about my relationship with Rey was Poe. If I dared sharing my feelings without anyone else, they would probably all judge us and I didn't come here to be badly talked of,but Poe was the only one who honestly tried sympathizing with me. Although there were moments where he need to thoroughly lecture me such as this moment.

"You have to understand that she's been through a lot. She found out the depth of her relationship with Kylo and imagine all she's  witnessed within that base. Plus you know how close she grew to Solo,she saw him as a father and to witness his death brought on my his own son just imagine how she hurt she felt. "

He was right, but I couldn't shrug this feeling that something was wrong.

"She's been avoiding me Poe," I cried. "I might be stupid, but I knew we had something. I feel something special for her, I can't exactly describe, but I know she felt it too. Something that strong doesn't just disappear."

God sometimes I felt like such a baby.

"Just give her some time, she'll be her old self sooner than you think," he advised before parting along with BB-8.

A part of me wanted to believe that she would return to normal but another part knew the reality of the situation. Rey had experienced something during her time in the First Order base, something traumatic that had forever scarred her. She'd never return to be that same optimistic Rey. I needed answers so I could stop torturing myself. I had to find her.

Last I saw her, she was getting her hands to work with Chewbacca, but she was no longer with him. I asked around, but no one new a thing of her.

"Wait sir," I called out.

A man in a long brown robe stopped in his tracks and swiftly turned around. The man had dark grey hair and a mid long beard. Creases were outlined in some parts of his face and his clothes were not in the best conditions, but they looked familiar to what the Jedi used to wear. Could he be a Jedi? As I continued to study the man I learned one his arms was robotic just as the way Luke Skywalker was described. I was afraid of even speaking now.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." I did my best efforts to escape, but the man called out after me.

"Wait don't go, I need to find my sister. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Whose you sister?", I asked.

" General Organa."

He was Luke? The famous Luke everyone told stories of? Why did I expect a grand entrance from him, but instead he simply arrived out of the blue. What was the point in searching for him if he was eventually going to show up?

He patiently waited for an answer while I just stood there with my mouth wide open.

"S-sorry, I just expected you to be different you know with like the majestic kind of entrance."

"It's alright. I really need to speak with my sister."

"Um yeah, I think the General is helping the pilots. I saw her walking in that direction." I pointed to where all the other  pilots stood finishing the last minute touches to their crafts. "Here,um, follow me."

I began walking in the direction I had previously pointed in expecting him to follow along. At first he just stood there,but soon I heard his footsteps following after mine.

Together we searched around for the General, but at the same time I wanted looked around for Rey. I knew helping him was my main priority but so was settling my feelings with Rey. I asked a couple guys if they knew where General Organa was and they all said she had gone to check up on Chewbacca and Rey. Sure enough she was discussing with Rey while the furry beast untangled himself from wires that trapped his legs. I wanted to let out a giant laugh but the man walking behind me and the looks on both the General's and Rey's faces made be regret doing so. I was right, something was wrong.

All of a sudden I saw General Organa burst out in anger and rush towards out direction, but once she saw Luke she stopped dead in tracks and wore an expression of pure shock.

"Luke, is that really you?" She immediately ran into her brother's arms and made sure she wasn't imagining him. "You came back. Where have you been, we've been searching for ages." Out of the blue she pulled away from his embrace and gave him a loud punch on his non-robotic arm.

"Owww," he cried.

"That's for making me worry about you like crazy."

The wide smiled on her face soon faded and was replaced with a look of sadness.

"Han is dead," she whispered.

"I know."

"I've lost my son forever," she whimpered.

"Not yet. I need to speak with you Leia, privately." He looked in my direction hinting I should be on my way. Message received. I started making my way in Rey's direction. She paced around back and forth nonstop.

"Rey we need to talk."

"Not now Finn, I want to be alone," she harshly spoke.

"No Rey, it's time you learned of my feelings for you," my words seemed to have hit her as a surprise as her eyes full of guilt came in contact with mine.

"No don't do this Finn, you now there can't be anything between you and I," she cried.

"And why not Rey? I know that before you were taken something special was beginning between us. I love you Rey and I think deep down you do too." There I finally said it.

I waited for her to say something anything, except those next words.

"I can't love you Finn, I can't love anyone." She avoided meeting my eyes now and instead attempted to pretend I never confessed my feelings to her. She was about to leave when I took a hold of her wrist.

"I know something happened to you Rey. You're not the same girl I met on Jakku. You can keep pretending nothing happened during your time captive, but you know as much as I do that's a lie. You have people who care about you just like I do and we want to help you, but Rey how can j protect you if you won't even tell me what's wrong. "I only hoped my words had sunk in deep to make her understand that she wouldn't be able to live in. Lie forever.

"I'm not pretending nothing happened Finn," she briefly hesitated as she searched for the right words to speak next. "I'm simply choosing to ignore it. You might not understand, but that's okay because I'm not expecting you to. Just as you can't expect me to share my deepest secrets with you."

"Fine." I released her wrist, but before leaving I made sure to let her know my feelings for her hadn't changed. "Just know I'll be there to protect from the battle coming our way and if it's come to the point of giving my life for you and I wouldn't hesitate to do so." I've said enough for now.

Rey's POV:

When did the world become so disordered. Chaos followed me where I went. General Organa probably thought I was some arrogant girl who lied to relieve myself from guilt. Finn, on the other hand, most likely thought I had lived some traumatic experience and I was too afraid to share. At least that was half true. I felt horrible and pity for him once he declared himself to me. It was the last thing I currently wanted. I loved him, but not the same way I loved Ben. I saw him more as a brother whom I could trust in.

I felt my heart ripping further as I walked away from him. He declared his love and basically said he'd give up his life for me and all I could say was I sorry but I can't love. What was wrong with me? I had an amazing guy willing to sacrifice himself for me, but my heart still belonged to the man who killed the man I saw as a father and toyed with my feelings. I've clearly gone mad.

I was originally hoping to take a walk and cool down before I went back, but my plan was set aside when I began seeing people running in all sorts of directions. There was mothers who cried out in fear and roamed for cover.

"They're here! They've come to kill us!" they shrieked.

It was time. The Resistance would not be crushed today, not as long as I were alive. I hurried along to warn the rest and retrieve my lightsaber. I found Finn and Poe and quickly told them to spread the word. They were most likely to land any moment now, but no one had seen them coming.

I rushed over to General Organa's quarters as fast as I could, I only prayed she'd be here. It would only be so long until people waited for her command to begin our side of the attack. It didn't seem they were patient since have the pilots had taken off and those on land began taking cover behind anything they could. All that could be heard were the loud noises of shoots being fired from all sorts of directions and the first loud thumps of people falling. Once I located General Organa, I was left paralyzed. There was a man standing next to her, a man who had been my guardian since my earliest memory of childhood. I didn't have to see his face to recognize him, his aura alone gave him away. He was much older now, his once hold hair was now a withering grey and his bright skin now seemed dull.

I seemed to interrupt whatever conversation they had going on and both turned to face me instead.

"Rey," he lightly whispered. "You haven't changed a bit."

This was no time for a reunion, we were under attack.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. I'd love to stay and chat but there's sort of a battle going on out there and we need all the help we can get."

I headed back out to join that battle I do longed to participate in. It was unexpected when Luke came by my side with his lightsaber in hand.

"You said you needed all the help you can get," he loosely shrug his robe off. "Well count me in. Meanwhile we'll have some time to catch up."

I was to concentrated in discovering Kylo' s location to bother paying any attention to him. Sure I wanted to catch up, but now was certainly not the appropriate time.

I closed my eyes and used the force to sense where Kylo Ren stood. Sure enough he was in the center craft staring straight at me from one of the nearby windows. It didn't need to see his facial expressions or know of his emotional state to know he'd kill me if he had the chance. Only one of us would come out alive today.

~E