A Matter of Trust

In a world falling to pieces, two strangers meet and find hope in each other.

Damerey Creations Week - Day Four

Prompt: Dystopian AU

Poe Dameron slowed the old truck down as he neared the abandoned service station, the brakes squealing loudly as he turned toward the small building. The road that used to lead to the station had long since disappeared and he could see no sign of recent activity, so he had hope the rumors that there was still plenty of fuel here were true.

As he pulled up close to the pumps, BeeBee whined next to him. A moment later, Poe spotted what his dog had seen. A horse?

Tied to a post next to the building stood a little red horse with a blonde mane, wearing a makeshift rope halter and saddle. It was skinny and tired looking, but its head lifted up and its eyes watched them warily as he pulled up. Poe stopped the truck and set it in park, turning off the ignition as he gave the building another look. He stepped out of the truck, letting BeeBee jump down after him, then headed for the gap in the front of the building where doors used to be, keeping his hand on the butt of the pistol on his hip. Carefully, he peered inside, grateful there were enough windows that the interior wasn’t dark.

Immediately he saw the shape of a person towards the back. He or she was about his height, skinny, and covered from head to toe in clothing the same color of the sands outside. They held a long staff in their hands, their posture defensive. At their feet were two canisters, and Poe’s nose told him they most likely had gas in them.

He raised his hands, palms forward. “It’s okay,” he told the scavenger. “I’m not here for you.” He paused, recognizing that the figure did not relax their stance at his words. He nodded toward the canisters. “Any more of that left?”

“Yes,” the figure rasped. “But these are mine.”

The voice sounded feminine. “That’s fine,” he told her, keeping his voice level. “I don’t want them. I’ll just take as much as I can of what’s left.”

The girl seemed to consider him for a moment, then she nodded and stepped forward. A pair of huge brown eyes looked at him from a narrow, freckled face. “So, I can go?”

“Of course,” Poe told her, stepping to the side. He glanced down at BeeBee, who had been standing quietly beside him. That alone told him everything he needed to know about this girl; BeeBee was distrustful and defensive of people he didn’t know, but was showing no aggression or fear, only curiosity. Taking a chance, he continued talking.

“What do you need that for?” he asked, indicating the canisters. “I’m assuming the horse outside is yours?”

Shifting her staff, she paused a moment. “Barter. For feed.”

“For the horse?”

She nodded.

“It must be difficult protecting it,” he continued. “I’m sure most people see it as food.” It had to have been at least three years since he last saw a horse. Some people in the wastes still used them for transport, but as it was hard to keep them fed and watered, most had ended up as food themselves.

“I manage,” she growled. She raised her staff again.

“No worries,” Poe quickly told her. “I have no interest in taking the horse,” he assured her. “In fact,” he paused. “I’d like to offer you a deal.” He nodded back outside toward his truck and the dozen or so small tanks in the back. “If you help me fill up those containers with gas, you can come back with me for food and protection for however long you need it.”

She frowned. “Why do you need so much?”

“The group I live with,” he started. “We’re traveling west, to the mountains. There are rumors of areas of regrowth up there. We aim to find one and settle.”

“Group?” she asked, almost as if the word was foreign to her. “How many?”

He thought for a moment. “Probably about forty of us now?”

His answer almost seemed to scare her.

“How long has it been since you’ve been part of a community?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Never?” Then she amended. “I mean, not since I was left, shortly after the Happening.”

“You were left?”

She shrugged. “Or they died. Either way, they never came back.”

“How old were you?” Poe asked, sympathy filling him.

“Five. I think.”

“You’ve been on your own since you were five?” He was more than a little shocked. He had been seventeen during the Happening, but he still didn’t know how he would have managed without his father. For several years, it had been just the two of them, until they had run into an old friend of Kes’, Han Solo, and his wife. That had been the beginning of The Seekers. His tribe. His family.

Again, she shrugged. “I’ve been a part of groups occasionally,” she told him, her body relaxing once more as she settled into conversation. “But never for long. They always want something more than I’m willing to give. They say they’ll watch your back, but expect you to do all the work or put out in exchange. They say they’re your friend, but when push comes to shove, they leave you behind like everyone else.”

There was pain in her words but also a resignation that saddened Poe even more. It was obvious she had lost her faith in her fellow human beings, and he couldn’t really say he blamed her. Since the Happening, humanity had gone from bad to worse.

“Well, I know you won’t trust me if I tell you my tribe won’t do that if you decide to stay, so for now I’ll just promise you a good meal and a safe place to sleep. What happens from there will be completely up to you.”

She licked her lips and glanced outside. “What about her?”

The horse, Poe realized. “Well, we don’t have horses in my group, but we do have some livestock. Goats and sheep and a couple of milk cows. She’ll be well cared for.” He stepped forward cautiously, holding out his hand. “Is it a deal?”

Swallowing nervously, she looked at his hand, then down at BeeBee, who was wagging his tail tentatively as he watched them. Then she took his hand. He squeezed it softly, not surprised at the strength he could feel in the graceful looking hand. And trying to ignore that strange spark that seemed to hit him at her touch. She also looked surprised, her eyes widening as they met his. She had green in them, he realized, then he let her go as she pulled away.

“Okay,” he said, stepping back. “Let’s see if we can get all these tanks filled and get the hell out of here.”

******

Rey didn’t know how to feel, so she tried to just focus on the physical work before her. Tasks involving exertion and muscle were not unknown to her, and her body, though undernourished and weaker than it should be, fell into the work easily.

The automated pumps had stopped working long ago, so Rey showed the man how she had opened up the panels in the ground to expose the fuel tanks and used a manual pump to fill her little containers. She had been taking fuel from this particular spot for the last year or so, keeping it a secret from everyone. Riding out here on Flax not only kept her away from most people, but she always got a good price for the gas on the trade route. It was harder to feed Flax than herself, but she couldn’t imagine doing any of this without the Arabian mare. She was Rey’s independence, and she was also a companion that could be trusted, unlike the people she had known.

The man was obviously used to hard work as well, as his muscled frame and calloused hands told her, and they worked quietly and efficiently together, taking turns with the pump and hefting the heavy full containers into the back of the truck. He did not converse with her, only talking when necessary, and she told herself she was glad, as she wasn’t one for conversation, but if she thought hard about it, she rather wished he would talk more. She liked his voice. Really, she liked everything about him. His brown eyes showed compassion and sympathy, but he didn’t look at her as if she was something to be pitied. Despite the fact that he wore a pistol on one hip, a large knife on the other, and had a dog that she felt could rip her throat out if he gave it that order, she wasn’t afraid of him. There was a strange intensity around him that should have made her feel anxious, but instead it almost soothed her.

She wanted to trust him. Oh, how she wanted to trust him, but she wouldn’t let herself. She had given her trust, her affection, and her loyalty, to people in the past. And every one of them had betrayed her. Left her behind. Used and abused her. No more.

When every container was full, the man gave her a brilliant smile. It made her feel warm inside, and she was almost tempted to smile back.

“We did it,” he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he grinned. “This will get us into the mountains and beyond, I’m sure of it!”

Rey just nodded.

“Let’s go,” he told her and headed for the cab of the truck. “If you don’t feel comfortable tying your mare to the back, you can ride on the bed and lead her. I’ll drive slow.”

“How far away are your people?” she asked as she untied Flax and led her to the truck.

He looked toward the western horizon and the low sun. “They’ll be setting up camp soon and I have the tentative GPS coordinates for it, so not far.”

“GPS?” Rey had heard of them. “How did you get it to work?”

“One member of our group is pretty handy with technical stuff,” he told her with another grin. “She’s figured out how to work around the EMFs.” He opened the door to the cab, then stopped and focused on her again. “I don’t know your name.”

“Rey,” she said softly. If she was going to be staying the night with his people, the least she could do was tell him her name. “What’s yours?”

“Poe,” he told her, his expression soft. “Poe Dameron.” He nodded again, then hefted himself up into the cab.

Rey jumped on the back of the truck and held Flax’s lead loosely in her grip. Should the mare stumble or the truck speed up for some reason, she wanted to be able to drop the rope so she didn’t get pulled out of the truck. But neither happened, as Poe was true to his word and drove slowly, and Flax, though obviously tired, trudged along behind without any problem.

Rey watched as the sun lowered, then set in the west, leaving a brief flash of bright orange before it sank. There were predators that came out after the sun set, both human and non-human, and she felt her nerves flare. She was almost always is some kind of shelter by dusk. She was about to ask how much further when a flash caught her eye. They were driving toward a group of several lights, and within moments she could hear the voices of the people behind them. Poe stuck his arm out of the window and waved as several people ran toward them.

“Did you get it?” “How much did you get?” “Is that a horse?”

Poe stopped the truck and got out to waylay the group, and Rey realized how young most of them were. “Hey, hey, hey! Slow down,” he told them. “Yeah, I got more than enough, and the horse is a visitor here along with her rider, so let’s let them settle in, okay?” A man slightly older than the teens came up to them and Poe indicated the truck. “Why don’t you park this over on the far side of camp,” he told the man. “We don’t want it near the food supplies or where anyone sleeps, just to be on the safe side.” The man nodded and hopped in the cab just as Rey jumped down from her seat. She stood as the truck drove off, then Poe came up to her. Gently, as if he was handling fragile glass, he took hold of her elbow. “Come with me,” he said softly.

She and Flax followed him around the edge of the camp until they reached a rounded tent and some pens. Inside the pens were about a dozen sheep and goats, plus a few chickens. Two brown and white cows stood in the next pen over, calmly eating from a trough. Poe pointed to them. “You can put your mare there,” he told her. “I doubt Bessie and Irma will mind sharing.”

Rey looked at Poe, her eyebrows raised.

“Hey!” he said, raising his hands. “Don’t look at me! I didn’t name them!”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed.

Poe laughed with her, and she could tell it was genuine. “Go on,” he told her when they stopped to catch their breath. “Get her settled and let her eat and rest. When you’re done, come over to the big fire over there, okay?”

Rey nodded. Giving her another soft smile, he turned and left her.

Taking a deep breath, Rey led Flax around the sheep pen and toward the cows. As predicted, they barely looked up from their food as Rey took off Flax’s saddle and halter, and Flax hardly looked at them as she drank deep from the water filled tub in the corner, then began to eat what looked like haylage from the trough. Rey spent a little too much time rubbing the mare’s sweaty coat with her fingers, delaying her own time to eat and rest. But finally, she knew if she didn’t go over to the fire, someone would come looking for her.

It's just for tonight, she told herself. Tomorrow, she and Flax could take their two small gas containers and leave.

******

Poe was about to head out and find Rey when the young woman walked into the firelight. She had removed her head wraps and for the first time he saw her brown hair, which was tied tightly back into three buns down the back of her head. He stood to greet her, then guided her over to the other side of the fire.

“Rey, I’d like to introduce you to Leia Organa.” Leia stood, smiled at Rey and held out her hand. Rey took it, looking very self-conscious. “She’s the leader of this makeshift tribe,” Poe explained.

“Welcome, Rey,” Leia told her warmly. “We have plenty to eat, so please take whatever you like. And you have an option for where to sleep. Han and I have space in our tent if you wish, or you can sleep out here by the fire if you want.”

Rey blinked, acting a bit disconcerted. “I’ll – I’ll sleep out here, thank you.”

Leia nodded and sat back down. Poe placed his hand at the small of Rey’s back and gently escorted her over to the table on the side where bread, stew, and a few odd vegetables sat. Rey looked astonished.

“How?” she whispered, looking at Poe.

“Some of it we acquired by trade, but most we produce ourselves. Can you imagine if we had a bit of land?” He smiled and nodded. “What’s not eaten tonight can be warmed over tomorrow or fed to the dogs.” BeeBee wasn’t the only dog in the group, and most were trained to both guard and hunt. Not that there was much to hunt in the wastes, but small game did seem to be making a comeback effort since the Happening. The meat in the stew was rabbit tonight.

Rey chose her meal carefully as Poe also filled a plate, and then she followed him back to the fire and sat next to him while they ate. Quiet conversation swirled around them, and Poe could tell both the food and the relaxed atmosphere was making Rey tired. Bedtime was early, and most everyone drifted off to their beds not long after the meal was finished and the food put away. Rey was staring at the refrigeration truck, run by a very rare and valuable gas-powered generator, with wonder. She had brought the old, ratty sleeping bag that had been tied to the back of her saddle with her, and as she set out her bed not too far from the fire, he retrieved his own bedding. Because of his foray to get gas today, he was exempt from night watch tonight; everyone who was comfortable with weapons and defense was on the rotation. He lay his bedding near Rey’s, but as he watched her settle, he got up and went back to one of the mobile homes, this one used by Maz, their resident historian and cook. He brought back a pillow.

Rey took it with a soft smile, her eyes still full of wonder. It made him unusually happy to see her enjoyment at the simple creature comforts they were able to share with her. “Goodnight, Rey," he told her as he settled into his sleeping bag.

"Goodnight, Poe."

When he woke the next morning, she was already gone. And so was his dog.

Poe felt panic. He had been hoping to talk her into staying with them, but if she was already gone, maybe he wouldn’t get that chance. However, he was quite confident she hadn’t stolen his dog, which meant she probably hadn’t left, yet; Bee would have returned to him if she had left. He got up and headed for the livestock pens. He saw Bee standing outside the fence looking in and he couldn’t deny the relief he felt when he saw Rey, but then he started to panic again when he realized she was kneeling down by her horse, who was laying on the ground.

The little mare was lying sternal, her legs tucked under her, and she was looking around calmly. Rey’s eyes looked at him as he came to the fence, her fear evident.

“Is she okay?” Poe asked.

Rey shrugged. “She seems to be. She’s not acting uncomfortable and her gum color is okay, so I don’t think she’s colicking, but she won’t get up.”

“She’s tired and feels safe here,” Leia said as she came up to stand next to Poe. “Give her some hay, Rey. See if she eats.”

Rey stood and grabbed some haylage from the feeder the cows were eating out of. Poe knew that the shredded haylage was fed because it was easier to store while they travelled. The areas that were able to irrigate and raise hay were few and far between, and it was fairly expensive, but the livestock they had were ‘easy keepers.’ Rey’s mare would need more if she was staying.

Rey put some of the feed in front of the mare, and Flax began happily eating right away.

“See?” Leia said. “She just wanted breakfast in bed.”

Rey laughed a bit, but she still looked worried. “But you’ll be leaving soon.”

Leia shrugged. “I think it will be okay to stay here for a couple of days. We could all use the break from traveling for a while.”

Poe looked at her, smiling to himself. He knew what she was doing. Like him, she wanted Rey to stay, and the best way to get her to was to make her comfortable here. Let her get to know the others. Give her the same hope for a better future that they all had.

Make her a part of the family.

“Are you sure?” Rey asked, still uncertain.

Leia nodded. “Yep,” she confirmed. “In fact, I think you should rest more, too, Rey. My tent is dark and cool. Han and I will be out and about all day, so why don’t you move your bed in there and sleep some more? Or would you like to eat a bit first?”

Rey ended up having a bit more stew, then she indeed went into Leia and Han’s tent and slept. All day and into the night. Poe was on the midnight shift of the night watch when he saw Rey slip out of the tent and head for the privy, then she wandered back into the area around the fire, which they kept burning all night. He joined her as she sat, looking around her thoughtfully.

“What time is it?” she asked as he sat next to her.

“Almost three,” he told her.

“I slept that long?” she gasped.

He nodded. “You needed it. You found a safe place and your body took advantage of it.”

She sighed and looked at her hands in her lap. Bee came over to her and nudged her until she started petting him. She looked back up at Poe. “Flax?”

“Is up and acting normal,” he told her. “She’ll be ready to go in a day or two.”

Rey nodded, still stroking BeeBee.

“Come with us, Rey,” he said softly.

“And what do you want from me, if I stay?” she countered.

He shrugged. “You’re good with animals. I’m sure Finn would love help taking care of them.”

“And that’s it?”

He tilted his head at her. “That’s it. I mean, if there’s something else you’d rather do?”

She shook her head and looked away. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“I think you’ve already proven you can pull your weight, but even if you couldn’t, you would not be a burden. We’re a team here. Those that can take care of those that cannot, so we can all make it.”

Rey looked at him again, her eyes flashing in the firelight. “I wish I could believe you,” she whispered.

“I know trust is hard for you after all you’ve been through,” Poe told her. “But I’m asking you to trust me. To trust us.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Two days later, when the convoy finally pulled out and continued on their journey west, Flax was in the trailer with the cows, and Rey was in the front passenger seat of Maz’ mobile home.

******

Rey really hoped she hadn’t made another mistake in judgement.

Too many times she had trusted. Too many times she had cared. Too many times she had let herself get comfortable with certain people in her life. And every time she ended up alone, heartbroken and wondering why she kept wishing that this time it would be different.

She had been with The Seekers, as Poe liked to call them, for two weeks now, and she could already feel herself hoping once more.

This tribe was everything she could have ever wished for. They all believed in the same goal, they all got along, they all did their part to keep everyone happy and the group self-sustaining. There were so many people with the same mind-set, and yet everyone was completely different. It was fascinating to Rey.

There was Beau, the mechanical one. He spent most of his time making sure every vehicle was running well and efficiently. There was Kaydell, the one who had made a mini-greenhouse out of one of the old buses and was growing a variety of vegetables and fruits. Snap, Poe’s right-hand man and the one in charge of security. Several other men and woman made up the security team, and they trained regularly under the watchful eye of Leia’s husband Han Solo, a former military man.

Rose, who became one of Rey’s favorite people to spend time with, was a delightfully tiny woman with amazing intuition and a talent with electronics. She was the one who had found a way to make the GPS work again, and had also developed a new two-way radio system that worked up to ten miles, allowing the group to stay in contact with members that were out hunting or scouting.

Then there was Finn, the one Rey worked the most with. He was in charge of the care of the animals, and he also trained the dogs. Rey had asked where he learned it all and he had told her it was all from trial and error. “I was a child during the Happening,” he told her. “My parents died and me and my sister were on our own after that. She was killed by a roaming gang two years ago, and for a while I was ready to end it all; I had nothing left. But then Poe found me.”

“Poe found you?”

“Yeah,” Finn smiled. “He found me and brought me to the Seekers. I’ve never looked back.” At Rey’s astonished look, he added, “Leia says Poe brings home ‘strays’ all the time.”

Rey had spent too much time contemplating Finn’s words. Though she hadn’t worked directly with Poe since the day he brought her to the tribe, he managed to find time to be with her at least once a day, either during a meal or when she was tending Flax, and his attention had flattered her and made her feel special. Knowing she wasn’t the only loner he had brought back with him made her feel a little less unique, and she didn’t like herself for feeling that way. Both she and Flax were becoming healthier and gaining weight, and there wasn’t one person she didn’t get along with. She was happy here, and she had Poe to thank. Yet, she couldn’t help but want more from him alone. She was selfish in her desire for his undivided attention and she knew it, but it didn’t stop her from wanting it.

“Stop getting attached to people,” she had told herself the next evening as she was riding Flax. Every night when they stopped to camp, she made sure to give Flax, who still rode in the trailer so the convoy could move fast, much needed exercise. The little mare was becoming stronger and more energetic. She carried her blonde tail in a graceful arch now, and her head was always held high. She had also developed a ‘fan club’ of sorts, with most of the youngsters in the tribe visiting the mare and petting her silky coat. Flax ate up the attention, but she, at least, still seemed to favor Rey above all.

As Rey rode out this evening, watching dusk fall, she gave a thought that it would be so easy to pack up her belongings and ride off. No one would probably notice she was gone right away, and after a cursory search for her they would most likely move on without her. She had never told anyone that she was staying long-term, after all.

It was the night of the start of her third week with the Seekers, while Rey watched Poe, Finn, and Snap playing some kind of game with a ball they were kicking around on the ground, that she made up her mind. She and Flax were strong enough to head out on their own, now, so tomorrow they would leave. She was getting too attached to everyone here, especially Poe, and she couldn’t even imagine the pain she would feel when they got tired of her. Because they would. Everyone did.

She didn’t sleep much that night and was up before the sun the next morning. She made sure Flax and the others were fed, and as they ate, she saddled up her mare and loaded her meager belongings in the saddle bags. She was about ready to mount, tears already forming in her eyes, when a voice sounded behind her.

“You’re leaving?”

Poe’s tone was one of disbelief and sorrow.

Rey sighed and let her head drop down so that her forehead rested on the saddle. “I have to,” she breathed. “I don’t belong here. I don’t belong anywhere.”

“How can you say that?” Poe asked, his voice soft but harsh. “I thought you were happy here. I thought you cared about us. About me.”

“I do!” she argued as she turned to face him. “But that’s why I have to leave. Don’t you understand? I care too much. It will kill me when you don’t need me anymore!”

Poe moved forward, his expression angry now. “We have never needed you here, Rey!” he insisted. “We want you here!” He reached out to place his hands on her shoulders. “I want you here.”

Rey bit her lower lip and forced herself to look away from his intense gaze. She shook her head slightly and felt the first tears slide down her cheeks.

“Rey, please,” he pushed. “Please, believe me when I tell you that you do belong. That you are part of this family now. That we never want you to leave.” He sighed and Rey looked up at him once more. “Rey, trust me when I tell you that you have made my life better, just by your presence here. Your smile, your laugh, the way you handle the animals, the way you talk to the children. You have been through more hell than most of us, but you still have such an amazing heart. It shines, Rey. It glows with love. Let it shine! Let it accept love in return.” He paused, reaching up to gently wipe away her tears. “Trust me. Please. I promise I won’t let you down.”

She swallowed and looked away again. “Trust,” she whispered. “It’s so hard for me.”

“I know,” he told her. “Stay.”

She took in a shuddering breath and met his eyes with her own once more. Nodding, she said softly, “I’ll stay.”

Smiling that brilliant smile of his, Poe wrapped his arms around her. Rey let herself sink into his hug, holding him tightly in return.

******

It was another week before they reached the mountains. The barren peaks and crags were slightly depressing, but Poe had to remind himself that what they were looking for wasn’t in the foothills. They needed to go further up.

The roads were pretty much nonexistent, most having been washed out from the horrible storms that came in the months following the Happening, and nobody around to rebuild. Rey ended up riding Flax ahead of them, doing reconnaissance to ensure they could get all their vehicles over the rough terrain. They had to stop for two days when a torrential rainstorm made the track they were on impassible due to mud.

They ran into a couple of settlements. The people there were much friendlier than those down in the wastes, probably because they hadn’t had to deal with the lawlessness and callousness of the people below. Despite their friendliness, they thought the Seekers were crazy with their hope of finding any kind of oasis further in the mountains. But the tribe moved on.

Then one day, while they were stopped for lunch, he could hear hoofbeats on the hard road up ahead, moving fast. He stood to stare up the road, and soon Rey and Flax came racing around the hillside. For a moment he began to panic, but then he took note of the smile on Rey’s face, and the fact that Flax’s tail was flagged high in excitement and not tucked in fear.

As Rey sat deep in the saddle and Flax slid to a stop, Poe realized she had something in her hand. She held it up high above her head so that everyone could see.

It was a tree branch. A tree branch with full, green leaves on it.

No one argued as everyone rushed to their vehicles and pushed forward once more. Soon, they had reached the valley where Rey had found the tree. There were a few mature ones, but several young saplings were growing strong along a dry creek bed that obviously filled up when it rained. They followed the creek, which branched off into another creek, this one with running water. Rose immediately tested it and declared it safe to drink. By dusk, they reached a valley where the creek met up with a larger body of water, and a small river flowed from that.

It was green. It was alive with birds and small mammals. It was protected and hidden and perfect.

The Seekers settled in that valley, then began to explore the surrounding areas. Within weeks, buildings began going up. Though it was late in the growing season, Kaydell began planning gardens of all sorts. The livestock now had places to graze and plans were made for areas to grow feed for them to get them through the winter without having to travel back down the mountain to buy any. One of the groups exploring found a herd of wild horses a couple of miles away, and Rey and Finn immediately set out to catch a couple of young ones to tame and train.

As fall began to creep closer, everyone enjoyed the changing color of the leaves, but they were also grateful the pines stayed green and full. Winter looked to be harsh, but their shelters were now secure and the valley promised to protect them from the worst of the weather. In late October, Rey’s period stopped. Kalonia, the resident medic, informed them that she was the third woman to become pregnant since they had settled in the valley. The healthy air, the healthy food, the lack of stress… it was inevitable.

In mid-December, the snow came. Rey had never seen snow, and she wasn’t the only one. She spent a lot of time walking and riding a now fuzzy Flax in it. While she said she preferred warmth, she told Poe that she found more than enough beauty in the winter to put up with the cold.

Poe joined her on one of those walks one late afternoon. The sun had been shining brightly on the snow when they had started out, but now it was sinking over the western hills, causing the snow to turn pink, then purple, then a deep blue as dusk took over. The Blue Hour, he had heard some of the older members of the tribe call it. It was his favorite time of the day.

Poe followed Rey to the top of a hill overlooking the village they had created. He came up behind her when she stopped, wrapping his arms around her and gently rubbing her still flat belly through her coat. They had created life, not only with this burgeoning town, but with their own bodies, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring.

“Rey, do you trust me?” Poe asked softly in her ear.

“Of course, I do,” she answered without hesitation.

“Do you trust that I love you?”

“Yes,” she said. “Do you trust that I love you?”

“Absolutely,” he replied.

With a sigh, she leaned back against his chest and smiled.

In the midst of a world gone mad, they had found home.

THE END