The Journey Home

by Virtie333

Summary:

Rey Skywalker didn’t want to move from her comfortable home in Philadelphia to the wild frontier, but it was her father’s last wish that she start a new life in Oregon. Traveling with her adopted siblings Finn and Rose, as well as the mysterious guide Poe Dameron, Rey finds adventure and romance on the journey home.

Notes:

Well, here it is. I'm truly not expecting a whole lot from this one, because it is very different from what I've done before, but it truly was an experience to write and I hope some of you will get as much joy from it as I have!

This was simply called my 'western au' before it got a title. When I was young and reading every book given to me, I became absolutely enthralled with Dana Fuller Ross' Wagon's West series. I have also always been fascinated with the American Civil War. When I started out this story, with the intent to write my characters following the Oregon Trail, I decided I wanted to make Poe a Civil War vet. Of course the majority of emigrants on the Oregon Trail travelled BEFORE the Civil War took place, so I had to do some extra research in order to ensure this story could happen in the time period I wanted. I tried to make is as historically accurate as possible, but obviously I did take some creative liberties here and there. Being Catholic, I also spent a lot of time learning how Catholics of this era managed their faith on the Frontier. The two priests I mention later in the story are actual historical figures.

Taking the four main (hero) characters from the sequels and putting them in the American West was an experience, as not one is a white man. All of them would have experienced difficulty, and I hope I conveyed that accurately in this story without making it preachy and still keeping it entertaining.

Because this story ended up being so long (almost 50k words!), I have decided to post a chapter twice a week, so you'll see a new update every Thursday (as usual) and every Monday.

Please, let me know what you think and I hope you have as much fun in this world as I did!

Chapter 1

 

April 1868

Springtime in Missouri was actually quite lovely, Rey thought as she looked west across the green meadow that was just beginning to glow with the rising sun. Too bad they weren’t staying. She took a deep breath of the chilly air, then turned back toward the group of wagons behind her, narrowing her eyes as the sun blinded her for a moment. There were nine wagons with canvas covers total, each with six to eight oxen corralled nearby grazing on the new spring grass. In twenty-four hours, those oxen would be hitched to those wagons, and they would all be crossing that grassy field, heading west toward the Pacific Ocean.

It really hadn’t been Rey’s choice to travel all the way across the United States. She had actually been quite content in Philadelphia, the only place she’d ever called home. But Father Luke had wanted to leave the city of his birth and travel west to join his sister and her family in Oregon. Leia had left Pennsylvania over twenty years ago, and she and her husband Han Solo had made a good life for themselves on the 500 acres they had acquired in the fertile Willamette Valley. Last year, their neighbor, who had traveled with them years earlier on their journey west, had passed away, leaving them his 500 acres. Leia had written her brother and asked him to join her in Oregon; she gifted him with those 500 acres. “It’s time you retire,” she wrote. “Bring some of those children you spoil, too!”

So, Father Luke Skywalker, a priest from the diocese of Philadelphia, retired and made plans to travel by wagon train to Oregon the following spring. He asked Rey, one of those ‘spoiled children’ he had officially adopted from the orphanage he sponsored, to come with him, as well as Finn and Rose. Finn, the son of a runaway slave who died giving birth to him, had also been adopted by Father Luke at a young age. He was like a brother to Rey. Rose had come into their lives a few years ago. The daughter of a Chinese prostitute and an unknown white man, she had come to the orphanage when her mother passed away when Rose was sixteen. She and Rey had become friends almost immediately, and when she turned eighteen, she began working as a housekeeper for Father Luke. Unlike Rey, she and Finn were excited about leaving the city that had never shown them much love. 

Then, just after Christmas, Father Luke had a heart attack. 

He lingered for three days before finally going home to God, and during that time he not only made sure Rey was officially documented as his heir, but he made her promise to go ahead with their plans to travel to Oregon. “Start a new life,” he told her. “Away from this wretched city.” Rey could not refuse.  

Though younger than both Finn and Rose by a couple of years, Rey took over what little there was in Father Luke’s estate and continued on with the arrangements to travel west. The wagon and oxen had been purchased already and were waiting for them in Independence, and when the time came the three young people traveled by train from Philly to Missouri. 

They had arrived last week, but they had not been greeted with much warmth from the man who was in charge of this particular train. Kylo Ren was a first-generation Oregon native who now made a living by taking people back and forth from Missouri to the west coast. He had grudgingly accepted that Rey would be traveling in the wagon purchased by Father Luke Skywalker with two others now that the priest was deceased, but that had been before he realized Rey’s companions were a black man and a Chinese woman. 

“The others won’t like it,” he had grumbled when Rey argued that they had already paid for the wagon, supplies, and the fee that would allow them to be a part of the train, which would offer them protection along the route. “You’ll have to stay at the back.” Rey didn’t like the decision, but she didn’t argue. After all, she was just a woman; she didn’t have much more standing in this world than her two friends. 

It didn’t help that she was uncomfortable around Ren, his scrutiny of her being far too forward for her liking. She decided that staying at the back of the train and avoiding the other families traveling would not be a hardship. 

Taking a deep breath, Rey moved toward the wagon that would be her home for the next several months. Rose and Finn were already getting the morning fire going, getting used to a routine they would be able to maintain while on the road. Finn had gotten a pot of water from the nearby well and as he placed it over the fire said something that made Rose laugh. Rey smiled to herself; she had known Finn was smitten with Rose for a while now, but she wasn’t sure how Rose felt about him. Seeing her laugh now, though, her cheeks rosy in the chill morning air and her eyes bright, Rey thought that maybe the feeling was mutual. 

Movement off to her right caught her attention and she looked over to see a horse and rider making their way out of the camp. With his back to her, she couldn’t see his face, but she recognized the horse immediately. The beautiful buckskin stallion had caught her eye on the day of their arrival, and she had been told he was owned by one of the guides for their train. There were three guides, all men who had made the journey across the continent more than once. Two were older, gruff men who had been original settlers in Oregon years earlier. The other… 

The other guide was the rider of the beautiful stallion, and he was more than a bit mysterious. Ren called him ‘Dameron,’ and said he was from Mexico and didn’t speak much English, but Rey had caught the man smiling a couple of different times, even shaking his head once, while listening to others talk, and his reactions matched what was being said. When one of the other guides said something about ‘that greaser,’ Dameron had rolled his eyes. He had turned away, but not before noticing Rey watching him. He had winked at her before leaving. She was quite convinced he knew exactly what was being said but was perfectly okay with the other men thinking otherwise. He obviously wasn’t worried about Rey spilling his secret, either. 

As Rey watched the man ride out toward town, she couldn’t help but think that his winking at her, as forward as it was, didn’t leave her with the same feeling of distaste that Ren’s leers did. There was something about the guide that made her feel safe and comfortable. Maybe it was her upbringing around so many children of different ethnicities, not to mention being raised by a man that never saw the color of skin, but Rey trusted this Dameron far more than she did Ren or the other two guides, and she was curious to learn more about him. 

With a six-month journey ahead of them, she hoped she would get the chance to do so. 

******

Chapter 2

Notes:

Thank you all for being here!

Let's meet Poe, shall we?

The sun was setting on their last night in Missouri as Poe rode BB around the camp one last time. Tomorrow, just after dawn, they would be heading home. 

It wouldn’t be the first time Poe had crossed the continent helping protect and guide a wagon train, but hopefully it would be his last. In fact, he hadn’t initially planned on ever doing it again after his last run just before the war, but when Leia had asked him specifically to come and see her brother safely to Oregon, how could he refuse?

Poe had made his first trip on the Oregon trail twenty-five years previously when he was only five years old. His parents, the half-white/half-Mexican Kes and the half-Mexican/half-Cherokee Shara, had met and married in Texas just before the Revolution there, and after that war had made their way to Indian Territory, hoping to live a quiet, peaceful life there. Poe had been born among the Cherokee and Seminole that had been moved from their native lands in the Southeastern part of the country and grew up speaking several languages. In 1840, after hearing about the almost mythical land in Oregon Territory, the Dameron’s had sold what little they had to buy a wagon and a team of oxen and traveled west. 

On that train in 1840, they had met and befriended Wedge and Nora Antilles, who with their son Temmin were travelling to Oregon at the behest of their friends Han and Leia Solo, who had gone the year before. That friendship led to employment with the Solos after arriving in Oregon, Shara as a housekeeper and Kes as a horse wrangler. The Damerons took the jobs with some trepidation, knowing the Solos were wealthy and already had an impressive reputation, but their employers turned out to be kind and generous. When Poe’s mother passed away from smallpox in 1847, Leia had stepped up to help Kes in raising his son, making sure Poe was formally educated with her own son, Ben. 

When Poe reached adulthood, he set out to ride back east, intent on helping guide even more immigrants across the vast reaches of the North American continent. He helped guide five trains along the Oregon Trail, and had just arrived in St. Louis to help with his sixth and last in April of 1861 when word of the attack on Fort Sumter reached them. Several men that had been planning on heading west decided against it, and instead headed back home to fight. Poe held no real allegiance to either side; the U.S. government had been none too kind to his mother’s people, after all. But his distaste for slavery led him to the closest Union command. Within hours, he had enlisted as a spy for the United States Government, eventually working under the command of Brigadier General Grenville M. Dodge. Though faced with a great deal of bigotry because of his heritage, Poe made several close friends during the war, and became one of General Grant’s most trusted informants, earning the rank of Sergeant. 

At the war’s end, Poe travelled wearily back home, determined to settle and stay in Oregon for good. 

When Han and Leia’s neighbor and close friend Ben Kenobi (their son’s namesake) passed away, leaving them his land, Leia sent word to her brother, asking him to finally join them on the west coast. When Father Luke Skywalker had agreed, Leia asked Poe to meet her brother in Missouri and see him safely to Oregon. 

“He’s no youngster anymore,” Leia had told Poe. “And I know he’s planning on bringing others. He’s adopted two orphans that I know of, Rey and Finn, and though they are grown now, I am assuming they will come with him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he invited others.” She had looked at him with pleading eyes. “I know the trail is well-traveled, now, but I also know of the unrest with several of the Northern Indian tribes, and you have good relations with the Cheyenne and Shoshone. Can you keep them safe?” 

So, Poe had travelled back east, leaving just as winter was starting, making it quickly over the mountains before the snows caught him, then travelling as far south as he could to avoid the frigid winds on the Northern Plains. He had arrived in Missouri in March, meeting up with the leader of the train Skywalker had signed up with, Kylo Ren, shortly afterwards. He had taken an immediate dislike to the man, who had started talking to him like he was a deaf child, fully believing he understood little English. Poe let him believe that, speaking more Spanish than English, and doing the same to the two old coots Ren had already hired as guides. Ren obviously didn’t like him, but he knew another guide, especially a younger, strong one, would benefit his train. Poe had rented out a room at a boarding house run by an Irish couple (who themselves dealt with plenty of bigotry) and waited for spring. 

When the three young people arrived in Independence claiming to be Skywalker’s ‘family’ and informing Ren that Luke himself had passed away over the winter, he had been more than a little stunned and saddened. He had met Father Luke briefly on a visit east during the war and had liked and respected the priest, and he also knew how devastated Leia would be, knowing she would never see her brother again. He learned that the white woman, who called herself Rey Skywalker, was Luke’s adopted daughter and official heir. Her ‘brother’ Finn was only a few years older than her, stout and strong and obviously willing to defend her and the other woman with his life. He was a man Poe would happily have on his side in a fight. The other woman looked to be of Chinese descent, but she spoke perfect, unaccented English and looked to be as bold and opinionated as Rey. Poe decided to keep an eye on them from a distance, not letting them know he was there specifically to escort them west; he had a feeling the independent and hot-headed Rey wouldn’t like the idea of a babysitter. He sent word to Leia, knowing she may have already gotten a letter from Rey about Luke, but wanting to make sure. And to let her know he would be bringing Luke’s ‘family’ home.

As dusk fell over the wagons, Poe rode BB to the trees where he had made his camp, away from the others but within sight of the Skywalkers. He took off BB’s saddle and bridle and as the horse began grazing, Poe groomed the sweat marks off of his back. BB had been born and raised in Oregon. Poe had ridden the stallion’s mother, a Cherokee bred horse, on his last two trips back and forth to Oregon, but the mare had been living safely in Oregon during the war, for which Poe had been grateful; the war had not been kind to horses on either side, and the gelding he had ridden out for that last trip had died during the first winter of the war. BB had been born just before Poe’s last trip east and the war, and was ready and waiting for Poe to train him under saddle when he finally came home to Oregon in 1865. They had become the best of friends since then, and Poe trusted the horse with his life.  

As Poe finished with his grooming, the horse lifted his head and looked toward the camp. Poe heard soft footsteps and knew BB was watching someone walk up to them. He looked over his shoulder, casually dropping his hand down to the gun holstered on his hip. When he saw who it was, he knew his weapon would not be needed, but the tension in his body did not lessen. 

Rey Skywalker stopped just within the circle of light created by his fire, her eyes huge and luminous as she looked at him. She smiled softly, and Poe felt his heart start beating just a little too fast. This woman was far too attractive for her own good, he thought. He would need to keep a close eye on her to ensure Ren or the others didn’t get too forward with her. She licked her lips nervously. 

“I don’t mean to intrude,” she said, her voice deep and soft. “We wanted to invite you to our camp for supper.” She shrugged, her shoulders moving ever so slightly under her plain calico blouse and wool shawl, gesturing behind her to where her adopted siblings were at their wagon. Her dark blue skirt, made from the same material as her blouse, was also simple and sturdy, and though she was naturally slim, he could tell her figure was slightly highlighted by a corset. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly in a bun at the nap of her neck and she wore a cross around her neck. A good Catholic girl, he quickly reminded himself. He needed to stop ogling her like she was some soiled dove, making her living by exchanging intimacies. Though an orphan, she had been raised as a lady, and it would be good to remember that. 

Poe shook himself, realizing she was still waiting for an answer. “I would like that,” he said softly. “I’m Poe,” he added with a nod.

She smiled, her expression showing no surprise that he was able to speak perfect English. She took a step toward him, reaching out her hand. “Rey.” 

He stepped closer, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. 

“I know.” 

******

Chapter 3

Notes:

Okay, now we've met our heroes. Let's head out. Wagons ho!

The sun was high in the Eastern sky when the Ren Caravan finally started out for their trip west the next morning. 

Though Ren and the guides helped as much as they could, it took longer than planned for everyone to eat a quick breakfast, load up the last of their belongings, harness up the oxen, and hitch them to the wagons. Through it all, Ren continued to lecture on how everyone would need to get faster and more efficient. “The longer we take to get moving in the morning, the longer it will take to get to where we’re going.”

The Skywalker wagon was the first to be ready to go, but unfortunately, they had to wait until everyone was finally ready and moving, then pulled in behind them all. Rey was frustrated by the delay, but tried not to lose her temper. It didn’t help that the oxen were slow, meandering along, unhurried, even after they started. 

“I wish we had horses,” Rey groused quietly for the umpteenth time as she walked along next to the wagon. She could walk faster than them! Finn, who was closer to the front of the hitch of oxen, guiding them gently with a long whip, just looked back at her and snorted. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Rey knew all the reasons they were using the big, calm steers rather than horses. They were stronger, less inclined to overreact should something frightening happen, and cheaper to replace should one die. And Rey did have to admit, she was already becoming fond of these animals, as their individual personalities started to make themselves known. Two were red, two were a dark chocolate brown, and two were mostly white with large red patches. Rose had even named them all: Jingxiu, Li Tieguai, Yang Su, Dòngbīn, Qingfu, and Zhang Guolao, named after six of the eight ‘Immortals’ in Chinese culture. Though her mother had practiced the Catholic faith later in Rose’s life, and Rose herself had been baptized and confirmed when she was twelve, she had still learned a great many stories from her mother’s homeland. 

By mid-morning, the train had reached one of the main roads that would take them all the way through the northeast corner of Kansas and into the new state of Nebraska. The original trail was so worn that it had become a decent, well-used road in the areas that had become more populated. Rey had been told just last night that it would become less smooth after they passed Topeka, but would remain fairly easy to traverse well into Nebraska. Which was a good thing, as rain would most likely become a common issue as spring progressed, and the harder packed the road the less likely it would become a mud pit, slowing the wagons down even more. 

As they continued on, and the road’s dust was kicked up and blown about by the stiff wind coming from the north, Rey actually wished for some rain. She and Rose walked side-by-side for a while, chatting about nothing, walking close enough that Finn could hear them and interject if he so chose. They had agreed to take turns directing the oxen, leaving the other two to decide if they wanted to walk or ride in the wagon, but for now they seemed content to all walk; riding in the noisy wagon wasn’t the most pleasant thing as it bounced around on the road. 

Conversation decreased as they marched on. Poe had ridden back and forth up the line several times during the first hour or two of the journey, keeping an eye on everyone and stopping to advise or help resettle belongings that had come loose or refit a yoke on an oxen so that it didn’t rub the animal. Eventually, he settled back to follow them, trailing the whole caravan so he could see it all. Rey remembered back to the night before and his admittance that he knew her name. She hadn’t questioned him at the time, as Rose had called over to them, telling them supper was ready, and Poe had followed her back to their fire. His confession had made her feel odd, but not in a bad way. It was actually a nice feeling, the fact that he had already known her name. It was most likely because someone had mentioned her to him, but the idea that he might have asked about her crossed her mind, and it wasn’t an unpleasant thought. 

He had talked little the night before, only mentioning about the road and the possibility of severe storms the further west they went. However, it was very obvious that he spoke excellent English with no discernible accent. It was when Rose apologized for her cooking (which Rey didn’t think she needed to do, as the soup was excellent, but Rey knew Rose usually liked to add more spices and was limiting herself so they would keep for the journey) and Poe told her it was amazing and that he was used to the bare minimum while traveling thanks to the war, that Rey realized just how much this man was keeping from his employer. 

“You fought in the war?” she asked softly. Both she and Rose had tried to volunteer in a hospital in Philly that treated soldiers with war injuries, but they had been deemed ‘too pretty,’ and sent away. Even some of the nuns at the orphanage she had grown up in were turned away. Apparently, women were not to be trusted around helpless young men. Rey had helped with a local group of young wives in gathering supplies and making bandages, instead. She and Rose also joined Finn in going to meetings where abolitionists continued to speak against the scourge of slavery. 

Poe looked uncomfortable, but he nodded his head. “Yes. I worked for Grant. As a spy.” 

Finn nodded. “I bet you were good. Nobody notices people like us.” 

Rey wanted to argue, to say something like “I do,” but it wouldn’t change the fact that Finn was right. If she hadn’t been raised the way she had, if she had been born into normal Philadelphia society, she would have been one of those people. 

Poe had left right after finishing his meal of soup and bread, once more telling Rose it had been delicious. He had nodded to all of them, and his glance toward Rey seemed a bit more focused. But that could have been her hopeful imagination. 

“Are you thinking about Mr. Dameron?” Rose asked suddenly.

Rey looked at her, startled. How had she known? She glanced back to ensure Poe wasn’t close enough to hear them. “How?” 

Rose grinned. “I saw the way you were looking at him last night,” she said, sounding proud. 

“You mean the way you look at Finn?” Rey countered slyly. 

“Shhhhhh!” Rose hushed, which only made Finn glance back at them curiously. 

Rey laughed as Rose nudged her with an elbow. They walked silently for a while. “He is handsome,” Rose continued softly. “But we really know nothing about him. He could have a wife and a dozen children back in Oregon.”

Rey frowned at her. 

Rose shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe he’s got more than one wife and is looking to make you the next one.”

Rey scoffed. “Why would you say that?”

“Because of the way he looked at you last night.”

Rey felt her face heat. “No, I mean why would you suggest he’s got more than one wife?” 

“Don’t all mountain men have more than one wife?” she continued. “Like Indians?” 

“Rose, that is… improper.”

“Well, it’s what I’ve read.”

“And everything you read is the gospel truth? Besides, he seems quite modern and civilized to me.” She paused. “In what way was he looking at me last night?” 

Rose just laughed. 

******

Chapter 4

Notes:

Thank you all for being here! There may be only a few of you, but your enthusiasm for this story keeps me excited about it, too, so thank you! 💙💙💙

For four days, the wagons traveled steadily along the road through Kansas. Every morning, the small group of nine families got a bit faster in getting ready and on the road. However, it was slow going those first few days, as everyone tried to settle into the routine. Delays inevitably happened, and Poe was pleased with the fact that the other two guides and Ren all seemed to know what they were doing and handled each situation with competence and efficiency. 

At least three times a day, one of the oxen threw a shoe. Both he and one of the guides, Bill Parker, knew how to tack shoes back on, so the delay they caused was minimal. However, by day four, the stops became longer, if only because it was harder for the group to get themselves moving again. Everyone was exhausted; it would take more than a week to get everyone fit enough to travel comfortably. Or as comfortably as possible, anyway. 

Since the caravan started on a Wednesday, it was a short week of travel, and Sunday would always be a day of rest, whether they were near a town or not. Saturday, they stopped and made camp a little early, as they had arrived at the town of Olathe. Ren informed the group there were several churches in the farming town for those that would like to attend the next morning. Poe rode about the group as they settled the wagons into their familiar large circle. While one large fire was usually created in the middle area, every family had their own fire as well. These people were still getting to know each other and though some had already seemed to develop a friendship, especially the younger children, they all seemed to want to keep to themselves more often than not after camp was set up. 

Poe was quite aware that every family but one avoided the Skywalker wagon. Ted and Lorna Adams, an older couple whose grown children had long ago started their own families, were the only folks that had visited Rey’s wagon since the train had set off. Poe had been grateful to see it, since he himself had avoided the Skywalker’s since the night when he had shared supper with them. He wasn’t sure why, other than that Miss Skywalker made him uncomfortable in a far too pleasurable way. 

Once everyone seemed settled, Poe turned BB toward town. Ren called out to him as he rode by, “Sober up by your shift tomorrow night!” 

Poe ignored him, but scoffed to himself. Ren assumed he was going into town to spend his weekly earnings, which he had been given yesterday, on booze and women. In fact, Poe was checking out something specific, but it was a saloon he visited to get the information he needed. One drink and he was on BB once more and heading back to the campsite. He rode directly to the Skywalker wagon. 

Rey’s eyes lit up and a small smile appeared on her face when Poe stopped at the wagon and dismounted. It was a beautifully warm evening, and Rey and Rose had pulled up the canvas sides to the bonnet on the wagon, allowing air to move through the tightly packed space. He knew the women slept in the wagon at night while Finn slept underneath it, but even with just two of them, there was very little room inside to lie down. 

“Are you joining us for supper again this evening, Mr. Dameron?” Rey asked. Finn had made sure Poe knew the offer to join them was open every night.    

“I…” Poe paused. He didn’t know why he hesitated. It wasn’t like he was alone with Rey; nothing untoward would happen. “I can’t tonight. I’m on first watch.” It was a lie. The men of the camp rotated on the night watches, and he wasn’t scheduled again until midnight tomorrow night. He immediately felt guilty as Rey’s expression fell. “I just wanted to let you know that there is no Catholic church in this town, yet. They are in the process of building one, but the priest is currently elsewhere, so there is no mass tomorrow.” Poe knew none of the other families were Catholic. 

Rey nodded, then looked back at her companions, who were both watching from beside their fire. She looked back at Poe. “We expected that. We know how hard it will be to find any church, much less a Catholic church, the farther west we go. We went to mass last Sunday, so that will have to hold us for a while.” 

Poe nodded. He should have done the same, but since the war he had been less inclined to attend mass. 

“Are you Catholic, Mr. Dameron?” Rose asked. 

Rey looked back at her friend, frowning, but then looked back at him, and he could tell she was curious about his answer. 

“My parents raised me as one, yes,” he told them. “But I admit I’ve fallen away from the faith.” 

Rey gave him a soft smile. “The Church will always be waiting for you to come back when you’re ready,” she told him. “It doesn’t matter how far you stray.” 

While normally he would brush off such sentiments, her sincerity made him take her words seriously, and he nodded. 

“We’ll have our own prayer time in the morning. I have a copy of the Treasury of the Sacred Heart that Father Luke gave me. And we pray the rosary. You’re welcome to join us whenever you feel ready.” 

“I’ll… consider it.” Poe was surprised that he meant it. Oh, wouldn’t his father be thrilled if he was back to practicing the faith by the time he got back to Oregon? The question was, did he want to come back because he missed it? Because he never truly stopped believing? Or because doing so would make the woman in front of him happy? He took a deep breath, then tipped his hat at Rey, glancing at Rose to include her in the gesture. “Have a nice evening, folks. And enjoy your rest tomorrow.” 

“Goodnight, Mr. Dameron,” Rose said as Finn nodded in response to Poe’s comment. Rey continued to look at him, her expression soft but her gaze intense. He could almost see her mind working behind those amazing, jewel-like eyes of hers, but he had no clue what she was thinking. 

Nodding one last time, he turned back to BB and led the horse away. He stopped not too far from the Skywalker wagon, just outside of the circle, and began to make his own camp. He took off BB’s tack and picketed him so he could graze, then made a fire of his own. His employer supplied him with food, and he had stocked up on bacon and flour just that morning, so he made a quick meal as the sun set. He sat back against his saddle, which was set up on its pommel, creating a sort of back rest, and watched the rest of the people settle in for the night. He could just barely see the Skywalker fire from his position. He always camped in sight of the Skywalker wagon. 

All the families ate their dinner, and then while the women cleaned up and the children ran around playing tag among the grazing oxen, several of the men gathered together to talk. Gossip, Poe thought, though they would deny it if one were to call it that. More than once, even in the fading light, Poe could see one or more of the men looking in his direction. He wondered how often he was the subject of their nightly discussions. Of course, they cast almost as many looks toward the Skywalkers. Though Rose and Finn intentionally kept to themselves, letting Rey do all of the communication with Ren and the guides, the rest of the travelers still exhibited dislike and distrust toward them. It disgusted Poe, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. 

Except stay alert. Watch. Protect. 

And do his best to not become too attached to Leia Solo’s adopted niece. 

******

Chapter 5

Notes:

💙💙💙

The luck they had with the almost perfect weather changed the second day of their second week on the road. Up to that point, every night had been clear and still, with a bit of frost on the ground in the morning, leading to sunny, breezy days in the mid-60s. On Tuesday, all that changed. 

The day was warmer than the previous days, almost hot, and the wind was stronger as well. Around mid-afternoon, a line of dark clouds appeared on the western horizon, almost looking like mountains in the distance. Rey watched in awe as the line grew larger, darker, and closer. She was guiding the oxen when the first rumble of thunder sounded, and she immediately looked back toward where Poe was riding, trailing them as usual. He saw her look and rode his buckskin up to her, walking him alongside of her. 

“It looks like a front is coming in,” he told her. “A whole line of storms like that mean a big change in the weather.” 

“Are they dangerous?” she asked. She had heard stories about how common tornadoes and giant hail were on the prairie. 

He shrugged. “Wind, rain, maybe a bit of hail. Nothing too violent.” He looked back at her, one eyebrow raised. “Trust me, you’ll recognize the dangerous storms when they come.” He looked back at the clouds as the sky grumbled again. “This one is just bringing in cold.” 

At that moment, Ren called out a halt. He rode his dark bay horse down the line of wagons, making sure everyone could hear him. “Let’s get up to the higher ground just ahead,” he told them. “Then make camp. Better prepare for a cold, wet night.”

Poe glanced at her, then directed his horse up the line. He and the other guides began to coax everyone up the slight rise in the road, then off the trail to a level area, where they began to form their circle. The sky growled at them more and more as the oxen were quickly unhitched from the wagons, grained, and released in the confines of the circle. Rey watched as several of the men, under Ren’s orders, got the firewood that had been gathered by the children throughout the day from the small cart hitched to Armitage Hux’s wagon, and began to set it for the center fire. But instead of starting it as usual, they put a heavy canvass tarp over it. The wood in the cart was also given an extra tarp. 

“We’ll light the fire after the storm passes,” Ren was saying. “We can make a canopy over the top if it’s still raining.” 

The rain started almost as soon as he finished his statement. Rey and Rose clambered into the back of the wagon, pulling a reluctant Finn in with them. “You’re not sleeping outside tonight!” Rey argued. “It’s not as if we’re liked around here anyway,” she added as the rain started pouring down in sheets. “There are already rumors.” She pulled the canvas together, closing the open back, leaving only a small hole to look out of. And look she did. For Poe. 

She spotted him, wearing a long slicker, his hat low over his brow, still riding his horse around the camp, checking every wagon and making sure everything was secure. The wind was coming up, and Rey felt some spray from rain splatter on her face, but still she kept watch, even as he disappeared from sight. Eventually, he and his horse came up right behind the wagon. She pushed herself up so that her face was even with the small opening. 

“Mr. Dameron!” she called out. “Please, come in out of the rain!” 

He was dismounting as she said this, and as soon as his feet were on the ground he turned to her. She could barely see his face as the collar of his coat was up high enough to almost meet his hat, but she could tell he was smiling. “No worries, Miss Skywalker,” he told her, speaking loudly to be heard over the rain. “BB and I are used to rain. You best get used to it, too!” He turned away, lifting the tongue of their wagon up so he and his horse could leave the makeshift corral. She watched him walk away from them toward a small stand of trees next to the road, where he proceeded to remove his horse’s saddle and bridle. 

Rey ducked back, already feeling the chill air the storm was bringing flow through the opening. Still feeling uncomfortable about leaving Poe in the rain, she sighed and closed up the opening completely, then moved to sit next to Finn where he and Rose were already seated on one of their trunks. Odds were good they wouldn’t have a fire of their own tonight, which meant cold cornmeal and jerky for dinner, and it would be uncomfortable with three of them sleeping in the cramped wagon, but they would just have to deal with it. 

It was a long night with very little sleep to be had. The rain lightened just after dark, and it finally quit completely after midnight, but a heavy drizzle continued, so Rey and Rose refused to let Finn leave to sleep outside in the mud. Morning came, and while the temperature remained above freezing, the damp air made it feel much colder than it was. Rey was surprised once she finally opened the back canvas of the wagon to see a small one-person tent by the trees she had seen Poe settle next to the night before. BB was standing hipshot next to it, wet but relaxed, his head low and his eyes closed. Poe was obviously in the tent, which she assumed he had waited to put up after the worst of the rain was over. It made her feel only slightly better. 

Finn squeezed past her, opening the canvas enough for him to step out onto the built-in stairs. “Excuse me,” he muttered. While she and Rose had a chamber pot to use if needed in the wagon, Finn was still expected to use the great outdoors, and he wasn’t welcome to use the area usually set aside for the white men in the train to use. She watched as he made his way toward the trees that Poe had camped next to, the hood of his coat up to protect him from the soggy air. 

Rey and Rose took advantage of Finn’s absence to take care of their own needs. They had not changed into their nightdresses the night before, because of the chill more than Finn’s presence, so they changed their underwear this morning. Rey decided to go without her corset, shrugging at Rose. “It’s not like I need it anyway.” Rey didn’t think she had much of a womanly shape, and a corset didn’t really help. She was skinny and her bust was small, and while the undergarment was something she was used to, it was much easier to move and do physical activity without it. 

“I wish I didn’t,” Rose grumbled good-naturedly. While she was much shorter than Rey, she was curvy where a woman was supposed to be. Her exotic features also gave her a uniqueness that Rey envied. Rey always joked that it was lucky Rose was as sweet and kind as she was, else Rey wouldn’t want to be friends with such a beautiful woman. Rose would just laugh and roll her eyes. Except for that time that Finn had verbally agreed with Rey about Rose being beautiful. Then she had turned beet red. 

Rey left the wagon, noticing that Poe was up and about, his little tent put away and his horse saddled but not bridled. He was sitting under the largest tree eating and BB was grazing next to him. Rey gave him a little wave and he nodded back, then she turned to find Finn, who was collecting their oxen and bringing them back to the wagon for their grain. As promised, a tarp had been set up on poles to act as a canopy over a small fire in the middle of the circle. Several people were warming up food and themselves around it. 

As Rey helped Finn feed the oxen, he said to her, “I think I can get a little fire going, too. Our wood stayed dry overnight.” Rey knew that they most likely wouldn’t be welcome at the main fire, especially as small as it was. She nodded and he left to find an extra tarp in the wagon they could use as a shelter, and soon he had a small flame going. Rose came out with the porridge mix and she added water to it as she put it on the fire. Rey put a pot of water on as well for coffee. There was a slight breeze that made the heavy mist blow about, and they all sat side-by-side with their backs to it to protect the fire. As they talked among themselves, Ren walked up to them.

“The road is still in good condition so far,” he told them. Like Poe, his coat collar was up high and his hat pulled down low in an attempt to keep as dry as possible. Rey knew that he usually slept underneath Armitage’s wagon in good weather; she wondered if he had been invited inside overnight, sharing it with his business partner and Milicent, Armitage’s wife. Scandalous, she thought sarcastically. “We’ll leave as soon as everyone is ready and go as far as we can. The road may get worse as we go, but we might as well make some headway today.” 

He spoke directly to Rey, essentially ignoring the other two, and while they were all used to this from him, it was rare he talked this much or stayed in their presence this long. She nodded at him. “Thank you,” she told him. “We’ll be ready soon.” 

He nodded back, tipping his hat as he turned away to go back to the Hux’s wagon, where his horse waited. 

“He’s sweet on you, Rey,” Finn grumbled. 

“Oh, Lord, I hope not,” Rey muttered. The last thing she needed was a man she didn’t even like trying to court her. One that wouldn’t even acknowledge her family. 

“Rey would rather Mr. Dameron be smitten with her,” Rose grinned. 

Rey expected Finn to grumble at that, too, but instead he cocked his head. “I would be fine with that.” 

 

******

Chapter 6

Notes:

Let's add some fuel to that slow burn, shall we? 😏

It took ten days of travel to reach Nebraska, and Poe thought that was actually very good time, especially since the rain was almost non-stop after that front moved through, making the roads a little harder to traverse than usual. Far better than the early days, he thought, remembering back to the first time he made this journey as a child. There had been no roads, then, just a barely discernable wagon track through the grass. And no cities or towns to speak of, though they occasionally ran into small settlements trying to establish themselves. And of course, there was much more of a chance of running into the native tribes back then. Now, the majority of the Indians were restricted to government reservations, except for the tribes in the Northern plains. The Cherokee and Lakota and Arapaho were all still fighting for their freedom, and Poe couldn’t help but hope they won, though he doubted they would.  

They were moving more north than west now that they were in Nebraska. Once they reached the Platte River, they would turn west again. They would follow that river almost all the way to the mountains. The rains picked up again Friday night, and travel on the following Saturday was miserable, with several parts of the road flooded and the oxen tiring quickly as they had to not only pull the heavy wagons but themselves through the mud. When the noon hour came, Ren called a halt for the day. Though the rain had gotten lighter by that point, the ground was saturated and it would take a while for the road to be traversable again. Everyone was exhausted so nobody complained. 

The train made its way off the road and circled, setting up camp just as another downpour started. The oxen, once free of their yokes, found places in the thick grass to lie down, chewing their cuds contentedly; they knew how to relax immediately, Poe thought with humor. Most of the women and children stayed in their wagons out of the rain while their menfolk worked. Poe noticed that both Rey and Rose helped Finn, despite the rain, and Lorna Adams helped her husband, Ted. The other two guides made up their little canopy tent next to a stand of bushes and Ren disappeared inside the Hux’s wagon once more. Poe, as usual, made his way out of the circle, planning to set up his dog tent within sight of the Skywalker wagon. 

“Mr. Dameron!” 

He stopped and turned his head at the sound of his name, BB almost running into him as he followed closely behind. 

Rey was standing on the bottom step leading up into her wagon. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in where it’s dry? There is no place that isn’t muddy out here!”

He smiled at her. “I’m not going to melt, Miss Skywalker. I promise.” He shrugged. “At least it’s not as cold as it’s been.” The temperature today was downright balmy compared to what it had been. It was May now, and summer was right around the corner. 

Rey nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then winced. “Please, if you ever need better shelter, don’t hesitate to ask us.” She looked around at the other wagons; most of the men were done and had joined their families under cover. She looked back at him. “I just have a sense that, given the opportunity, most everyone here would just as soon see us left behind. You’re the only one who I trust to not let that happen.” 

Poe frowned, wondering if she knew something he didn’t. While he knew Ren and the others weren’t fond of the Skywalkers, he hadn’t heard anything about leaving them behind. Of course, why would they tell him, someone else they didn’t really respect? Hell, Ren still spoke to him as if he could barely understand English. They had no clue who he really was. 

“If that should ever happen, Miss, I promise I’ll see you safely to Oregon myself.” It wouldn’t be easy, not having the security of the convoy, but they could do it. 

Rey smiled softly and nodded, then wincing again, slipped inside the shelter of her wagon. 

The rain stopped just before suppertime. Fires were started just as a brilliant sunset lit up the western sky. Once more there was laughter and singing as the travelers moved out and about in the open once more, ignoring the mud as best they could. Tomorrow was Sunday. They could rest here one more day, hopefully without any rain. 

Poe set up his little tent, but when the camp settled for sleep and the skies stayed clear, he lay next to his fire outside, as he preferred. He could still feel the dampness of the ground under his blankets, but it didn’t bother him too much; he hadn’t felt dry in days. 

He missed his bed. He had to admit it. He shared a little house with his father back on the Solo property, just outside of Aldera, and while he had spent a great deal of his life on horseback traveling about the country, he would always be happiest and most content in his bed in that little house. If all went as planned, this would be the last time he would have to leave it, or at least leave Oregon. He still had hopes of settling in a house of his own with a wife and family. Almost immediately, his mind’s eye envisioned Rey Skywalker, and he tried to push the image out of his brain. As kind and independent and unbiased as he knew she was, she was also officially related to one of the most powerful families in the Willamette Valley, and he was still a man of mixed blood, with no land of his own, working for that same family. 

He would never be worthy of her. 

He fell asleep to the image of her smile nonetheless. 

When he woke just before sunrise, he was pleased to see that the sky was still clear. The roads should dry well enough today in the sunshine that they should be able to continue on tomorrow, he thought. In the meantime…

He rose and checked on BB, then ate some jerky rather than start a fire. He watched as the camp woke up, paying special attention when Finn, who had moved back to sleep under the Skywalker wagon, started up their fire, and was joined by his sister and Rose shortly after. He knew how very capable Finn was, and he also knew that the man would protect the two women with his life, if need be, so Poe didn’t feel the need to always be on the alert when he knew Finn was up and about. Finn seemed to feel the same about him; it was an unspoken agreement between them. 

Poe grabbed up his bag. After all the rain these past few days, he had no clothing that didn’t have mud stains on them, so it was time to do some washing. They had passed over a tiny creek before making camp yesterday, and he could see a stand of trees downstream, so he guessed that little stream had created a small pond in that area. If he was quick enough, maybe he could clean himself up. Not a full bath, of course, but he would need one of those soon, too. 

He reached the trees and smiled when he saw a decent sized body of clean water. It appeared to have grown larger with the rains from the past few days, and the mud was thick around more than half of it, but there was some firm ground on the far side behind a group of bushes, so that’s where he went. He immediately pulled off the shirt he was wearing, then pulled the two dirty shirts, his other pair of trousers, and his underwear out of his pack. He didn’t have a washboard or tub, but he was still able to scrub his clothing sufficiently. It was while he was scrubbing his upper body, shuddering at the cold water, that he heard a screech. He stood quickly, looking over the top of the small group of bushes he had tucked himself behind.

Rey Skywalker was standing almost knee deep in the mud. She had pulled off her blouse, most likely with the intent to do what he was doing and wash it, but she hadn’t thought to avoid the muddy parts around the pond. Now, she was stuck. 

“Drat!” she cursed as she looked around her. For what, he wasn’t certain. She made a noise of frustration as she tried turning around to go back the way she had come, but she was having a difficult time pulling her legs out from the mud. 

Poe couldn’t help it. He laughed. 

She turned startled eyes to him, her mouth dropping open as she brought the blouse in her hands up to cover herself. She was still wearing her chemise, though he did notice she was missing her corset, so she wasn’t completely indecent, but it was still a scandalous place for a lady like her to be in. He squatted down to rinse off his upper body, talking to her as he did so. “I can avert my gaze and head back to camp to find Finn to come help you, or I can help you if you prefer.” 

“I can get out myself!” she said, and he couldn’t help but grin at the exasperation in her voice. He heard her huff and puff and groan, then a soft splat, as if something small had hit the surface of the mud. “Oh, blast,” she hissed, then sighed. “Help, please?” 

He chuckled, then stood again. Leaving his wet clothing with his bag, he walked around to her side of the pond. She had managed to turn around somewhat, with one knee up and that foot halfway in the mud in front of her. Her blouse was in the mud now, and her arms were outstretched a she balanced herself. She had nothing to brace off of to pull herself out. He moved in a step or two, his boots already super muddy anyway, and reached for her with both hands. She reached back, grasping his hands with her own. She braced off of his strong grip and managed to pull herself out of the deep mud. He backed up, keeping a tight hold of her, making sure she didn’t stumble and fall, and she did indeed trip as the mud released her foot. She fell forward, and he let go of her hands to grab her underneath her arms. 

“Oh!” she gasped as her hands came down on his bare shoulders. He pulled her close, backing up some more so that they were both out of the mud completely. She fell against his chest as she followed. He stopped, but didn’t let her go. He told himself it was to ensure she was steady on her feet, not because he could feel her breasts, uncovered except for the thin layer of cotton, against his bare chest. Her face was close to his now, and she looked at him, her mouth and eyes both wide with surprise. She blinked and licked her lips, but did not pull away. 

He should let her go, he thought. But he didn’t. “Are you alright?” he asked softly. 

She nodded. “Thank you.” 

Finally, he let her go and backed away. Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. He moved past her, reaching out to grab her blouse, then handed it to her. She took it from him, and he noticed her cheeks were starting to stain, as if she was just now realizing how unseemly this situation was. He nodded toward the area he had washed his clothing. “That area over there is almost mud free,” he told her. 

“I just wanted to… wash,” she whispered. “I reek.” 

He laughed. “No, you don’t. Now, if you had come along before I had washed, you would have passed out.”

She looked him in the eye, her expression suddenly bold. Her eyes dropped down to his chest. “I might anyway,” she said with a smirk. 

He snorted. “I doubt it,” he said gruffly. “I think it would take a whole lot more than my bare chest to shock you.” He couldn’t help but glance down at her chest, noticing her nipples peaking underneath the chemise. He met her eyes with his own once more. Her color was still high, but she didn’t look away. The tension was palpable. 

“Rey?” 

The distant shout from Rose broke whatever spell had been created between them. Poe turned instantly to retrieve his wet clothing. He pulled out a mostly clean undershirt from his bag and pulled it on, then grabbed up everything and headed back toward the camp. 

“Good day, Miss Skywalker,” he said softly as he passed her. She had her muddy blouse up to her chest again, hiding what had been pressed so intimately against him just moments ago. He nodded and walked on. Rose, who was carrying a basket with what he assumed was dirty clothing, was almost to them now. Her eyes were wide as she looked back and forth between him and Rey. He nodded at her politely and continued toward the camp. 

Fuck. He was in so much trouble. 

******

Chapter 7

Notes:

💙💜🩷

The weather for the next several days remained decent for travel. Though it was often cloudy, any rain was light and brief, so the road stayed easily traversable for the most part. Every few miles they would run into boggy spots that still retained mud from the heavy rains the week before, but in most of those areas the wagons were able to go around, creating little side roads. The country was shockingly flat with very few trees, and Rey was actually glad for the clouds most days, as the sun was already getting very warm as summer neared. When a group of trees became visible, it most likely meant a town or settlement of some sort was there. Even if the trees were natural, having grown up around creeks or other bodies of water, most towns were also built close to those same bodies of water. Water meant life, and out here it was quite sparse. 

Settlements and towns were also becoming less and less common the farther north they went. 

It was late morning when Poe rode his horse up to ride alongside Rey as she walked by herself. Rose was walking with Finn as he guided the oxen, and Rey had just let herself fall behind to give them privacy; Rey hoped more than ever that the two would admit what they felt for each other and marry once they reached Oregon. 

She was startled when BB was suddenly next to her. She watched as Poe dismounted and started to walk with her, leading the horse. He was looking ahead toward the front of the train, frowning. Rey continued to look at him. He had said very little to her since their meeting at the pond several days earlier, and she worried he was avoiding her intentionally. While Rose had asked several times what had actually happened between them that day, Rey had simply told her ‘nothing untoward,’ which was mostly true. She wasn’t going to tell Rose that she had been physically excited by a man for the first time in her life. How she had wanted to touch more of his tawny skin. Feel him pressed against her. Have him touch her… 

“What’s wrong?” she finally asked when Poe continued to walk along without speaking. 

He resettled his hat and grimaced. “Nothing,” he said softly. “I just don’t like the feel of the air today.” He looked off to their left, toward the west, but Rey couldn’t see anything other than an almost cloudless blue sky and miles and miles of prairie. “We should reach Fort Kearny by tomorrow,” he continued. “Then we’ll be heading west again, along the Platte River.” 

Rey recognized the name. “When do we cross it?” she asked. 

“Not until farther west, almost to Wyoming.” He looked at her finally, giving her a soft smile. “There are bridges now,” he told her. “When I was a kid, it wasn’t that easy. A lot of people and animals drowned crossing both forks of the Platte back in the day.” 

“I thought there were ferries, even back then?” Rey had read up on the route as much as she could before leaving Philly.

“Yeah, and the ferry men charged a lot of money,” Poe nodded. “Most people couldn’t afford them. They would try making their own rafts, or even caulking their wagons and using them to float across, but it was dangerous business all the way around.” He glanced at Rey. “Now, both crossings of the Platte have bridges, so the river isn’t so dangerous anymore.” 

“What about Indians?” Rey asked. “Wasn’t there a battle at one of those bridges not too long ago?” 

He nodded. “In Wyoming. But the tribes are much farther north now, in Montana and Dakota Territory. I don’t think we’ll run into any free Indians on this trip.”

“Free? What do you mean by free?”

He looked at her for a long moment, his expression serious as he seemed to decide how much to tell her. “Free as in not being forced to live like prisoners on a Government reservation.”  

Rey blinked, both startled and grateful for his honesty. She had never really thought of it like that. She had heard that most Indians now lived on reservations, and she had assumed it was their choice. But why would it be? Why, when they had once been able to travel far and wide across this whole land, would they want to be confined to reservations? She glanced at Poe again, aware he was still watching her carefully. She suspected he had Indian blood, as well as Mexican, but she didn’t know for sure anything about his past. Had he once been a ‘free’ Indian himself? Did he have family that was now living, against their will, on a reservation? 

She took a deep breath, looking ahead once more. She saw both Finn and Rose glance back at them. “Change is a difficult thing,” she said softly. “Especially when it’s forced upon you.” She licked her lips and looked at the ground in front of her. “I can only imagine what it’s like for them.”

They walked along silently for a while, but then Poe spoke, his voice deep and soothing. “You didn’t want to come on this journey, did you?” 

Rey shook her head, but didn’t look at him. “I loved it in Philadelphia. I was taking classes at Women’s Medical College, deciding if I wanted to continue on with that course of study, and I was happy.”

“You wanted to be a doctor?” Poe’s voice was incredulous. 

Immediately, Rey went on the defensive. “You don’t think women can be doctors?” she said, looking at him sharply. 

Poe shook his head. “It’s not that,” he told her. “It’s just…” He shrugged. “There is a long line of very strong, very intelligent women in my life,” he told her. “I guess it should be no surprise to have you added to that list.” 

She felt a smile slowly take over her face. “Thank you.” Suddenly, she was bumped roughly from behind. She turned, laughing, as Poe stopped BB with a soft tug on his reins. 

“Oh, Lordy! I’m sorry.” 

Rey kept laughing as she reached out to pet the horse, who immediately dropped his head down to let her. “It’s alright.” She looked at Poe, who still looked decidedly embarrassed. “I actually wanted to be a veterinarian,” she told him. “But there is very little formal education for that in the United States, and none for women. I worked with a veterinarian for a while, and he was trained in France. He’s the one that suggested I study human medicine and go from there.” 

Poe stared at her. “I… I’m impressed, Miss Skywalker. Very impressed.” 

Rey could see the truth in his eyes, and the warmth. She felt her face heat under his intense scrutiny, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling. 

“You may find more opportunities out west for that kind of work if you’re still interested,” he told her. “Women seem to have a bit more respect and power on the frontier.” 

“I understand my aunt is quite remarkable. That people look at her with as much respect as her husband.”

“She is very remarkable indeed.”

Rey felt her eyes widen. “You know her?”

He looked embarrassed for a moment. “Everyone in the Willamette Valley knows Leia Solo.” He looked over toward the train, and Rey suddenly realized they had been standing still for too long and were getting left behind. 

They both turned and started walking fast to catch up, and as they did so Rey realized that Ren was watching them from his horse about half way up the line. His expression was not pleased. She looked at Poe and saw a matching frown on his face. He nodded to her and touched the brim of his hat. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, Miss Skywalker, but I should get back to work.” 

Rey nodded, not wanting him to get in trouble with Ren. She continued on toward Finn and Rose at a quick walk as he mounted BB behind her, but she couldn’t help but smile to herself. For the first time, she was truly looking forward to the future and what she might find in Oregon. 

And knowing Poe Dameron would be there with her at the end made it that much more inviting. 

******

Chapter 8

Notes:

Thank you for sticking with me!

It's been a bit of a rough couple of weeks, with lots of ups and downs. I've applied for a few part-time jobs; I really don't want to work more (I'm exhausted enough as it is), but I don't even make enough for rent and all my other bills now, and I really want to go to Celebration in 2027, so I need to start saving. One particular job could be a true blessing, especially if it can turn into full-time (better pay and I'm not on my feet all day like I am now), so please keep your fingers crossed for me!

It amuses me to find so many of you played the Oregon Trail game. I never did, believe it or not! However, whenever I would get on-line to do research for this story, mention of that game inevitably popped up. LOL

Now, let's find out how our heroes deal with a prairie storm.

Poe moved back into his regular position behind the train, watching as Rey jogged a little bit to catch up with Finn and Rose. He glanced toward the front of the line again, just in time to see Ren turn his horse away, his expression sour. Poe wondered if the man was mad because Poe had taken time to talk with one of the travelers, or if it was the particular traveler Poe had been speaking with. Poe was very much aware that Ren watched Rey with an uncomfortable intensity. 

Poe looked over to his left, toward the west, and noticed almost immediately that there was now a small, white puffy cloud that hadn’t been there before he had dismounted to walk with Rey. He grimaced. The air felt heavy and humid, the sun hot, with a stiff southeastern breeze. The ingredients were perfect for a storm. The fact that they hadn’t had any yet was a miracle, but he decided that it had stayed too cool, with the days staying more or less cloudy and quiet since the spring rains had slowed. But today the heat was sufficient to create something that could turn out to be more than a little dramatic. 

It wasn’t long before Ren called a halt for the noonday meal. The wagons were driven with the first five wagons stopping side by side and the last four doing the same a short distance behind them. The oxen were unhitched but their yokes were left on as they were led to the stream the train had intentionally stopped close to. As the men did this, the women prepared a cold meal. When the oxen were hitched back up but allowed to lay down to rest, everyone settled in the shade to eat and talk. Ren did a regular check on every family, making sure no one was ill or injured. Poe noticed he dawdled with the Skywalkers, who had settled down to eat with Ted and Lorna Adams. He felt a tinge of what he knew was jealousy when he saw Rey smile at him and nod at something he said, but it was a brief smile. A polite smile. 

He watered BB, then sat in the horse’s shade to eat some jerky, his eyes straying west again. The tiny little cloud had already grown substantially in the thirty minutes since he had noticed it, and more little cotton clouds had popped up on either side of it. 

The wagons moved on shortly before two in the afternoon, and the cloud Poe knew was going to be a storm was taking shape. The underside was becoming dark while the top was reaching up, towering high above the prairie, and it was expanding. He rode forward, past the wagons, heading for Bill. The older man was also watching the building storm. He looked at Poe as he stopped BB next to his horse, his eyebrows raised. “You think it’s gonna get bad?”

Poe just nodded. While he talked with Bill enough now that the man knew he could speak English well, he still didn’t talk much, preferring to keep any opinions or complaints to himself rather than rock the boat. But Parker seemed to respect him much more now than at the start of the drive, and Poe felt more comfortable with him than he did with Ren or the other guide, Mike Petty. 

“At least we can stop early today if we have to,” Bill continued. “We should still make Kearny by noon tomorrow.” 

Ren rode up to the them, his expression severe. “What’s wrong?” 

Both Poe and Bill looked toward the oncoming storm, not saying anything. Ren looked over, his eyes widening. “Shit,” he said softly. How could Ren not have noticed before now, Poe wondered? Had he been so focused on watching Rey that he hadn’t been paying attention to the weather? Poe scoffed inside his head. Rey was indeed a distraction. “Let’s keep going as long as we can. It’s too early to stop now. Maybe it will miss us.” 

Poe looked at the cloud, which was becoming quite the giant now, the crown reaching up toward the sun, but not quite enough to block the light. Yet. It wasn’t going to miss them, he thought. It was too big and was still growing. He turned BB and headed back down the line of wagons. Most of these families were from the east, he thought. They’d probably been through thunderstorms, but nothing like what they were about to see. He looked ahead, unsurprised to find Rey watching him. He rode up to her and the others. 

She glanced at the storm, then at him, quirking her lips in a smirk. “That’s not going to be pleasant, is it?” 

Poe couldn’t help but huff a laugh at her question. “No,” he told her, looking at Finn and Rose. “No, it’s not. Ren wants to keep going as long as we can. He hopes it will miss us.”

“It doesn’t look like it’s moved,” Finn said. “Just gotten bigger.”

“Sometimes they don’t move for a while,” Poe explained. “They build and build and gain strength. Then they barrel forward like a raging bull. They almost always move west to east out here, but some can surprise you.” 

“What you’re saying is that when it moves, it will come right for us.” Rey’s voice was soft. 

“Yeah.” 

He rode back with the Skywalkers, watching the rest of the families as they all began to take note of the giant cloud, which was starting to grumble now. Lightning could be seen more and more often, the brilliant streaks beautiful against the now dark cloud. The sun disappeared and the rumbles became louder. It was coming. 

“All right, folks!” Ren shouted up ahead. “Let’s circle up!”

Poe looked around. There was nothing here. No trees. No water source. It was not an ideal place to camp for the night, but he could not deny he was relieved Ren was stopping them now. Kearney was close, and they should catch enough rain with this storm if everyone put out their water barrels. 

Quickly, everyone began to move into the familiar nightly circle, but the wind began to pick up, bringing the smell of rain and growing vegetation along with it. The rain began, with large, cold drops, before the oxen were unhitched. The women ran for their wagons as the men worked as fast as they could. Well, all but Rey, Rose, and Lorna. The wind died suddenly, but the rain intensified, and then hail came with it. At first, the stones were tiny, the size of peas, but they got larger. Poe turned BB loose with the oxen, something he rarely did, taking off the horse’s bridle and saddle and throwing them under the Skywalker wagon. He grabbed Rey’s arm and tugged her toward the back of the wagon, where Rose was already pulling Finn inside. As Rey moved under the canvass, she gripped Poe’s hand and pulled him with her. For once, he didn’t argue. The hail stones were the size of apples, now. 

He managed to squeeze himself into the small center area among the Skywalker belongings, pulling the canvass shut behind him. The roaring sound of the rain and hail on the soft roof of the wagon was loud, and drips of water began to fall from several areas where the force of the rain caused it to leak through the canvass. The material was tough and probably hadn’t leaked at all yet this trip, but this was a force it had yet to encounter. Rey and Rose began to move things around to ensure their foodstuffs stayed dry; some of it was stored in permeable bags, not crates. 

Lightning struck nearby, making them all jump, but the rain seemed to decrease immediately after. Then the wind came up again, violently pushing and pulling at the canvass, making the heavy wagon rock. Rose squealed when the wagon rocked so hard Poe was almost positive it was going to tip over. Finn wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, the panic on his own face palpable. Rey was facing away from Poe, but she reached back and he grasped her hand, squeezing her fingers firmly. She was shaking, her eyes tightly shut. 

On and on, it seemed to go. The thunder rolled almost continuously now, and close lightning strikes were frequent. Poe worried about BB. He should have released the horse outside of the circle, but then the animal would be running around in a panic, trying to escape the hail. Hopefully, he hadn’t jumped out or found a gap that hadn’t been closed well in everyone’s rush to get in the shelter of their wagons. 

Finally, the wind died down. The rain became a soft patter, and the thunder, though still constant, was getting more muffled. The storm was moving on. 

Rey turned her head to look at Poe, shifting her body a bit from where she was sitting on one of the many crates. “Are they all going to be like that?” she asked, her voice shaky. 

Poe took a deep breath. “Not all,” he said. “But I’m sure that’s not the only bad one we’ll see.” 

Rey was still holding his hand and Poe became aware of just how close they were to each other. Regretfully, he pulled away. “I need to check on BB,” he said softly. 

Rey’s eyes widened. “The oxen?”

“Probably just hunkered down and waited it out,” he said. “That’s why they’re best for this job.” With a sharp nod to Finn and Rose, and a quick smile to Rey, he turned and pulled open the back canvass to assess the damage. 

******

Notes:

To be continued...