star ▪︎ poe dameron

twenty-four

The next morning I woke up on the couch after only a couple of hours rest. Poe and I ended up talking most of the night and only went to sleep early that morning. 

With help from Kes, we got ready to go again and collected the fuel needed to get back to The Resistance Base. 

"Come back any time, you're always welcome here." 

"Thank you. It was lovely to meet you!" I waved goodbye as we went off and back towards our ship. 

---

Back in the jungle, Poe and I briskly walked towards the starfighter - we didn't want to waste any time getting back home. 

"Do you think he liked me?" 

"Who?" 

"Your Dad, of course!" 

"You're kidding, right?" I stared at him blankly. "He loved you!" 

"You really think so?" 

"Oh, I know so." 

---

It was a few hours later when we finally made it back home. 

We were immediately overwhelmed with floods of people all helping us and asking us hundreds of questions. As we tried to make our way through the crowd I caught eyes with  Hayden, who was glaring at Poe and I, and then with Connix. 

"You're back, we all missed you!" 

I beamed at this comment, not used to people even knowing who I was, let alone missing me.

"Sorry to sound rude, I would love to talk more later, but where's my Mom?" 

"Up in Headquarters." 

"I swear she practically lives there." We laughed and I thanked her, dragging Poe with me and up towards where we needed to go. 

On the way, I was stopped by somebody screaming my name and pulling me into a bone-crushing embrace. I tightly hugged her back before pulling away, and I could see tears forming in her eyes. 

"Ayla, you have no idea how good it is to see you!" 

"I- I thought you were dead, we all did. I was so scared." She chocked on her small sob before pulling me close again. 

"Hey, it's ok." I stroked her ebony hair. "We're ok!" 

"No offence, but you don't look it. You look terrible, to be honest with you." 

"Yeah? Well, you try and crash land after escaping The First Order and see how you look after." 

"Wait hang on, what happened out there?!" 

"It's a very long story that I'll have to tell you all about. But right now we need to talk to my Mom." I gestured to Poe, who had stayed silent during our reunion, and then glanced back at her.  

"Oh my goodness, Poe, I'm so sorry I barely saw you there!" 

"It's ok, I know you have favourites." He joked, but I could tell Ayla felt bad by the look on her face. 

She pulled him into a hug as well and Poe froze in shock for a second before hugging her back, just as I had done moments earlier. 

"I really am sorry, I missed you too." 

"Don't worry about it, it's good to see you again." 

"How about we all go up to Headquarters together, yeah?" I suggested.