Archive of Our Own

Foretoken

fore·to·ken (noun) /fôr-tōken/

1. A sign of things to come.
2. Any set of baubles, symbols, or jewelry bestowed onto children believed to indicate the child’s eventual personality traits as well as be a predictor of future events in the child’s life; in some cultures, also serves as a prospective guide to one’s soulmate.

# # # #

She hummed as she weaved the threads together: one bright gold, one emerald green, and one deep burgundy.  She stopped and slid on an Ipan nut bead.  Most beings saw them as coarse or cheap, but Ipan were indigenous to Yavin IV and Shara felt the bead’s connection to home would be auspicious for her child.  She continued weaving and slipping on beads.  Shara wanted the bracelet to be simple and straightforward—not fussy or full of pretention—the same things she wanted for her child. 

Not every child in the galaxy received a foretoken, but most did.  Often, it was a bracelet—woven or made by the child’s family or clan—but sometimes, it was a single charm or necklace or simply a small rock onto which the child’s loved ones etched their hopes for the future.  The materials and symbols of the foretoken were always chosen with care—they had a special meaning to the family, village, or culture, and the foretoken was supposed to imbue the child with the characteristics and hopes for the future that those meanings implied.

But again, not every child received one—and there was a ready market for those who, for one reason or another, did not have a foretoken of their very own.  Some beings made their own.  Others bought ready-made tokens.  A minority went without—claiming that foretokens were a holdover of earlier superstitious nonsense. 

Yet while many beings might not have believed in magic in other aspects of their lives, the foretokens were cherished nonetheless, and more than one rational being clung to their foretoken in times of adversity.  There was, after all, a difference between magic (ha!) and the strange power that foretokens seemed to hold, and many beings believed that those foretokens that came from one’s family held the strongest powers, the truest portents of the future.

And to most beings, foretokens were important because besides all of the ways that the foretoken could supposedly predict one’s future or one’s temperaments or traits, foretokens were also supposed to be ready predictors of soulmates.  It was said that a good foretoken would practically sing out when one’s soulmate was near.

Shara Bey believed in magic, and even without a foretoken on her arm, she still would’ve viewed the galaxy with a sense of wonderment.  But, growing up, she had seen ample evidence of the power of foretokens—especially in regards to soulmates.  There were the Aunties whose tokens had matched exactly, despite growing up on two different planets in two very different cultures.  There were the three war heroes whose foretoken bracelets fit together to create a single beautiful piece.  Then, there were the many beings who’d simply known their soulmates instantly because of their foretoken—a certain charm or pendant shone brighter in the soulmate’s presence or seemed to symbolically represent them.

Plus, Shara had the evidence of her own soulmate as well.  She stopped weaving and looked at the bracelet on her arm—Kes’ bracelet—and the firey red bead winking at her.  She filled with a familiar warmth and happiness as she went back to her child’s bracelet, hoping that some small bit of her contentment would transfer to the child.

Kes couldn’t help but smile as he walked towards his wife.  They’d both been granted leave for a few weeks for the birth of the child, and he had worried that two dedicated soldiers wouldn’t know what to do with the downtime, but now, with Shara humming and weaving in the great room, Kes couldn’t imagine any other kind of life.  We’ll build a ranch here, settle down.  He sighed.  Once the war is over.  He rested a hand on her shoulder, watching her work. 

Shara stopped, her hum abruptly ending.

“What,” Kes asked.

Shara bit her lip.  Don’t know what should go next.  She huffed out, “Shouldn’t be an Ipan bead, but…”

Kes had always been reluctant to believe in the magic of foretokens until Shara had come into his life, but even now, he was always a bit hesitant to believe.  Still, Shara was a believer and this was as close as she was going to come to asking for his help.  He closed his eyes and forced himself to open his mind to the universe.  What sort of bead does she need for the bracelet, he asked.

In a moment, he knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt.  He pointed to his bracelet on her arm.  “That one.”

Shara looked where he was pointing.  She touched the small black-and-white glass bead.  It seemed to sing to her.  Yes.  She reached up and squeezed Kes’ hand. 

She worked the bracelet off her arm and very carefully began taking it apart.  Kes nearly missed it when she said, “Need yours too.”

Kes hummed his consent and slipped Shara’s bracelet off his arm.  Shara picked it up, turning it over in her hand slowly, before pausing at a tiny charm embossed with a starbird.  Kes nodded.  “Yep,” he said. 

She looked up at him.  “You know what that will probably mean?”

“That they’ll be like their mother?”

She laughed and began working the charm off.  Her humming began again, even louder, as she put the new bead and charm on her child’s bracelet.  She started weaving again. 

Kes looked down at the table where his and Shara’s bracelets lay.  They’d traded them when they’d gotten married, and this was the first time since then that they’d taken them off.  His original bracelet, created for him by a number of Aunties and Uncles in his village, was simple: green and brown glass beads on a brown cord.  There were three exceptions: an orange bead, the black-and-white one Shara had just conscripted for their child’s bracelet, and a bright red one—the bead he’d always associated with Shara.  Fiery, just like her.

Shara’s original bracelet, the one he’d been wearing for years now, was so different.  Her father had made it, stringing together dozens of charms on a silver chain, each one a supposed omen or wish for Shara’s future.

Kes remembered the first time he’d seen it—when Shara waved it in his face…

# # # #

The one charm on Shara’s bracelet without any symbol embossed on it was made of Keschel.  It was the most precious charm of the bracelet, considering how rare the mineral was, and growing up, it had been Shara’s favorite too—the only charm that didn’t seem to want to tell her what to do with her life. 

So many of the charms seemed to want to predict her life for her, but the blank one, “the Kes charm” as she called it, wanted nothing other than to be there for her.  And the moment Kes Dameron had reached out his hand and introduced himself, she’d smiled a wide smile, cocked her head to the side, and said, “Oh, I see how it is.”

Kes raised an eyebrow.  “Am I missing something?”

Shara held up her arm and shook her bracelet in the man’s face.

He shook his head and shrugged.  “Uh?”

“Not too bright are you,” Shara asked, laughing.

Kes knew he was missing something, but it wasn’t every day that a beautiful pilot came up and started flirting.  “I do okay.”

Now, it was Shara’s turn to raise an eyebrow.  “That’s the best you’ve got?”

“Look, ma’am, you’re the one who acts like we’ve known each other all our lives.  Excuse me if I have to take a moment to catch up.”

Shara stepped back with a huge grin on her face.  She crossed her arms and tapped her toe against the duracrete.

Kes wanted to be angry but she was so damn cute.  “Yeah?”

“I’m giving you your moment to catch up.”

Kes sighed, but as he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, it had little effect.  “Tell you what, ma’am, how about we go to the mess and have dinner, maybe you even tell me your name, and then you can make fun of me?  Sound good?”

Shara leaned back with a full laugh that Kes felt from his toes to the top of his head.  “Sounds real good, soldier.”

# # # #

By the end of dinner, Shara was more than convinced.  However, it took Kes a bit longer to get onboard with the whole soulmates thing.

She’d told him as they’d finished the meal.  She showed him the charm, explained that she’d dubbed it “the Kes charm” as a child and sat back, satisfied with herself.  Kes pressed his lips together and thought, a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows.  “You think we’re mates?”

“Yep.”

“Based on the fact that I’m Kes and your favorite charm is made of Keschel?”

“Yep.”

“And that’s all?”

“Don’t need anything else,” she said crossing her arms.  “I know.”

Kes chuckled and shook his head.  “Impulsive.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not right, soldier.”

“Yeah, well, you’re gonna have to let me think on this a bit.”

Shara stood up and nodded.  “Fine.  You have a week.”

“A week?”

Shara leaned in.  “Kes Dameron, I’m the best damn thing that is ever going to happen to you.  Just get on board already.”  She walked out of the mess.  Kes sat there in awe for another twenty minutes.

# # # #

It wasn’t that he wasn’t instantly smitten with Shara; it was that Kes always liked to size up situations before jumping in.  Soulmates were great, but Kes trusted what he could see and hear.  Faith and magic were pushing it a bit, and this was all faith and magic.

All faith and magic and…Shara Bey, he thought with a smile as he walked back to his bunk that night.

Two days later, he’d been called out on assignment, and he put thoughts of Shara and soulmates aside.  When he got back from what had turned into a very rough skirmish—they’d lost two Pathfinders—Kes was walking through the main hangar, tired and dirty and wanting nothing more than to go back to his bunk and sleep.  He looked across the way and saw Shara jump out of her ship, which had some new blast marks across it.  Looks like they had it bad too.  Kes grimaced, but then Shara pulled off her helmet.  Her face was covered in sweat, but she was all bright eyes and a huge smile and there was something bigger than life—bright and red and all-consuming—about her in that moment. 

And he knew.

Just as sure as he knew his name and that he was a Pathfinder and that tomorrow the suns would rise on the horizon, Kes knew that Shara Bey was his soulmate.

Kes walked over in a daze, and he would’ve lost his nerve if Shara hadn’t turned around, fixed him with a self-satisfied smirk and said, “You finally figured it out, didn’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am” he said, still a bit stunned.

Shara shook her head.  “If we’re gonna make this work, you’re gonna have to drop the ma’am stuff.”

Kes laughed, stepping forward and wrapping a tentative arm around her.  “I can do that, Shara Bey.”

Shara leaned forward and kissed Kes like he’d never been kissed before.

# # # #

Kes looked at the finished bracelet as Shara put their two bracelets back together.  “It’s beautiful, love.”

She hummed her agreement and looked at her belly.  The child would be coming any day now, and Shara knew, deep in her soul, that the child would be happy, healthy, and the perfect melding of her and Kes.  She picked up the bracelet and studied it, asking, “What do you think their mate will be like?”

Kes plucked the bracelet out of her hand and looked.  The black-and-white glass bead caught the light and seemed to wink at him.  Kes had a sudden vision of a squadron of bucketheads marching in formation.  His shivered and shook his head.  “I don’t know.”  He put the bracelet down, eying it suspiciously.  Kes, it was your imagination.  He turned to his wife and seeing her, all his fears evaporated.  “Whoever it is, I hope they make our child half as happy as you make me.”

Shara laughed.  “Really, Kes?”

He kissed the top of her head.  “One of us has to be romantic.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Says the one who wouldn’t believe me when I said we were mates!”

“I came around, didn’t I?”  He caught her eyes and winked.

She smiled up at him.  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, Dameron.  Go get me some koyo melon.”

Kes smiled, his eyes crinkling, “Anything you want, ma’am.”

# # # #

Nine years later, Kes was kneeling next to his filthy, sobbing son trying to piece together what had happened.  The boy had run to the house howling a few minutes ago, his hands scraped and his eyes and nose red from crying.  “Okay, mijo.  I need you to take a deep breath.  Can you do that?”

Poe nodded, sniffling.  He took a deep breath and held it.

“Now let it out.”

The boy did as he was told.

“Okay, now, can you tell me what happened?”

Poe held out his left arm and Kes saw it.  No bracelet.  “Where’s your bracelet, Poe?”

Poe pointed out into the jungle.  “I was…I was…climbing and…”  He sobbed again and Kes pulled him forward, hugging him.

Over the last year, since Shara’s death, this—Kes holding a crying Poe—had become a familiar occurrence.  Kes shook his head and looked up into the cosmos.  Why can’t you leave the kid alone?

Poe leaned back slightly.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out thread and some beads.  Kes smiled.  It looked like there was a good deal of the bracelet still there: most of the burgundy thread and a little of the gold, a few Ipan nut beads and—Kes breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted his bead and Shara’s.  “Oh, sweetie, a lot of it is still here!  We can remake it.”

Poe pulled back his hand and shook his head.  “No,” he muttered.

“No?”

“Mama made it.”

Kes’ heart broke.  “I know, mijo.”  I remember.  He met his son’s eye.  “What do you want to do, then?  You want to buy another bracelet?”

Poe shook his head.

“Then?”

Poe looked at the bits of thread and beads in his hand.  “No new bracelet.”

“Okay,” Kes said, using his hand to close Poe’s over the beads and thread.  “No new bracelet.” 

Poe looked up at his father, eyes watery and red.  “I didn’t mean to.”

Kes hugged his son again.  “I know, Poe.  I know.”

# # # #

Over the years, Poe had gotten used to not having his bracelet.  There were, of course, the questions—did he already have a mate who now wore it?  Was he part of a religious sect that didn’t believe in foretokens? Why didn’t he just buy a new one?—but usually, once people knew his story, they left him alone. 

Still, Poe would catch himself staring at his left arm sometimes.  It was often accompanied by anger—anger at himself for catching the damn bracelet on the branch of a tree and ripping it off or anger at the universe for stealing what had been a very real link to his mother.  In the wake of her death, his father had told him dozens of times about how she’d put the foretoken together, humming in her rocking chair as she chose just the right Ipan nut beads for Poe.  And that knowledge had helped him through the pain of losing her.  But then he’d gone and ripped her bracelet apart.

Poe felt like this was his punishment.  That’s why he never remade his bracelet.  It wouldn’t be the same.  It wouldn’t be mama’s bracelet.

So he kept the remnants of the bracelet in a small wooden box and tried not to think too much about it.

And he especially tried not to think about how without a foretoken, he was less likely to ever find his soulmate.

# # # #

For the past year, Poe had kept the box with the pieces of his foretoken under the seat in BlackOne—to have a bit of his mama flying with him—but after Starkiller, he took it out.

Staring down at Finn’s comatose body for the better part of a week, Poe made a decision.  He’d known since they’d stolen the TIE fighter together that he was in love with Finn, and in the quiet of the med bay, he’d realized he wanted to do something to show it, make some sort of declaration. 

Finn didn’t have a foretoken, and that was what sparked the idea. 

So, one night, when there weren’t many other beings around, he opened the box, pulled out the thread and took his old jacket, trying not to wince at the burned rip going up the back.  “Gonna make it as good as new, buddy,” he whispered to Finn’s sleeping form.  “Maybe pass on some good luck while I’m at it.”

# # # #

Of course, what Poe didn’t count on was chickening out. 

After Finn woke up, Poe kept wanting to tell him what he’d done.  Finn was so happy that Poe had repaired the jacket, and Poe realized that if he told Finn what he’d used and why he’d used it, he’d be forcing Finn into something.

Just step back and give him some time.

It’s not like we’re really soulmates anyway, Poe thought.  I’d never be that lucky.

# # # #

While the Order tried to quash any discussion of foretokens, Stormtroopers didn’t exist in a vacuum.  They were deployed to all sorts of places, and the locals talked.  After a while, the rumors and stories filtered back to the ships and to the training classes, so it was no surprise that FN-2187 grew up knowing what a foretoken was.

But until he woke up on the Resistance base after Starkiller, he had never cared that he didn’t have one.

But in the weeks after Starkiller, Finn started to feel just how different he was from his fellow soldiers.  Not only was there no family, no childhood memories of games and first loves and all of the kinds of stuff that most of the other beings on base dubbed normal, but he also had this very visible reminder that he was somehow set apart. 

And everyone kept asking him about it. 

“Do you have a foretoken?”

“Do you want one?”

“You know you can buy them, right?”

Finn rolled his eyes as he got up from his table in the mess and turned back to smile at the soldier (ze doesn’t mean anything by it).  “Yeah, but I figure I make my own luck.  Don’t need to waste my credits on a lucky charm.”  Finn watched zir face fall, but he couldn’t help it.  Only a few weeks as a Resistance soldier and Finn was already learning to hate foretokens.

Thankfully, there was someone who understood.

A beautiful, wonderful someone who understood.  And no, Finn didn’t have a crush on him.

Well, maybe a little crush.

Okay, maybe a huge crush.

But who wouldn’t?

Poe Dameron didn’t have a foretoken, and he never asked Finn why he didn’t have one, either.  In Finn’s book, that was simply another piece of proof that Poe was nearly perfect, tucked next to the fact that Poe was kind and smart and dedicated to the cause and beautiful…  Maker is he beautiful, inside and out. 

And who has eyelashes like that?  I mean, really!

Still, after a while, Finn started to wonder.  He knew why he didn’t have a foretoken: ex-Stormtrooper raised by a fascist regime.  But why doesn’t Poe?

So, the next time Poe was out on assignment, Finn decided to ask about it, and conveniently enough, he found himself in the mess with a newly-returned Rey and the girl she was currently making googly-eyes at, Jess.

It wasn’t hard to steer the conversation to foretokens, seeing as how Jess seemed obsessed with Rey’s.

“And you made it,” Jess asked.

Rey nodded as Jess turned Rey’s arm over in her hands.  Finn tried not to laugh at Rey’s blush.  She looked up and caught him.  Finn!

Sorry, he mouthed.  But, he nodded to Jess, who was now leaning over so close her nose was practically brushing against Rey’s wrist.

Jess looked up and realized they were both staring.  “Um, yeah,” she dropped Rey’s arm.  “Sorry.  I’m just surprised you have one.  Seeing as how this one doesn’t.”  She jerked her head towards Finn.

“I made it when I was seven,” Rey said.  “Everyone else had one, and I wanted one too.”

Jess couldn’t help her smile, imagining little scavenger Rey piecing together her bracelet.  Jess pulled out her necklace and rubbed the lucky pendant.

For a moment, Rey was mesmerized, watching Jess’ fingers trace up and down the smooth, polished stone.  Then, she remembered Finn.  “He says he doesn’t want one.”

“Huh,” Jess asked, still daydreaming about little Rey.

“Finn,” Rey said, patting him on the shoulder.  “Says he doesn’t believe in them.”

Jess rolled her eyes.

Finn couldn’t help the defensiveness in his voice, “Poe doesn’t have a foretoken either.”

Jess said, “Well, sort of.  I mean, he had one but it broke when he was a kid.  It was a bracelet or something.  He was able to gather up some of the beads and the thread, but he never put it back together.”

“Why,” asked Rey.

Jess shrugged.  “Something about his mother.  She made it, and…  I don’t know.  I’ve never pushed.  He gets real sensitive about it.”

Finn nodded.  It was a link to his mother and it wouldn’t be the same. 

Rey asked, “Why not buy one then?”

Jess said, “You’d have to ask him.”

“No,” Finn said quietly.

“Hmmmm,” Rey asked.

“Don’t ask him.”  Both women looked at him expectantly.  “First, as someone who gets pestered about his lack of a foretoken all the time, don’t be the jerk who asks.  Second, it’s like Jess said, his mom made the first one.  He isn’t remaking it because if he did, it wouldn’t be hers.”

“Oh,” said Rey quietly.  That makes sense.  She looked at Finn, realizing that his crush on Poe might have some real feelings behind it.

“Good point,” Jess said.  She rose.  “I’ll catch the two of you later.  I’ve got some reports to file.”  She smiled at them both, saving a quick wink for Rey before she left.

“Jess,” Rey said, before she’d gotten too far.  “How old was Poe when he broke his bracelet?”

Jess shrugged.  “Eight or nine, I think.  Why?”

“Just wondering,” Rey said.

Once Jess was gone, Finn turned to Rey.  “Why?”

“Hmmmmm?”

“Why’d you care how old Poe was?”

“Oh,” she said, smiling.  “It just occurred to me that…Finn, how much older is Poe than you?”

“Nine years,” Finn said, and as he watched Rey’s eyes lit up, he realized what she was thinking.  “You can’t think that…”  He shook his head.  “No, Rey.  That’s not how foretokens work.”

“How do you know how they work?”

“Well, um…I don’t…but I know they don’t work like that!”

“Finn,” Rey said, crossing her arms.

“Rey,” Finn said.

She lifted an eyebrow and waited.

He huffed out a sigh.  “Maybe.  Okay, I’ll give you that, but we don’t even know for sure that he broke it when he was nine.  What if it happened earlier or later?”

“I can find out,” Rey said with a devious smile.

“No.  Do not bug Poe about this!”

“I won’t have to bug Poe,” she said, rising.  “Just meet me in the gym tonight and I’ll tell you what I find out.”

“No.  No finding out,” Finn called after her.  “There is no finding out because you’re crazy!”  Other beings were staring at him, but Finn didn’t care. 

There’s no way, right?

# # # #

Except the evidence of Rey’s investigation said otherwise.  Poe had, indeed, broken his bracelet when he was nine years old—the same year that Finn had been born.

Rey was convinced this meant they were soulmates.

Finn was a bit more skeptical.

It’s not like I don’t like him.

Heck, he’s my best friend (besides Rey) and sure, I might have a little crush on him and yes, every time I see him, my world gets a bit brighter and just being near him is wonderful and… 

Oh maker, I’m in love with him.

So kriffing in love with him.

What if he is my mate?

Finn filled with hope, but then he remembered: ex-Stormtrooper without a foretoken.  There’s no way to tell.

KRIFF!!!!

So, Finn nursed his crush and tried not to think too hard about the fact that around the time he was being born, Poe’s bracelet fell off.

# # # #

“You gonna talk about it,” Karé asked, leaning against the back of the booth in a seedy Outer Rim cantina.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Poe said, nursing his drink.

Karé shouted across the bar, “Oy!  Iolo, get over here.  Poe’s trying to be coy!”

Iolo came over, with two drinks in his hands, handing one to Karé as he shook his head.  “Poe, don’t be coy.  You can’t pull it off.  Stick to honest.  That’s what you do best.”

Poe rolled his eyes and took another drink.

“So, what is this about,” Iolo asked.

“Poe won’t talk about it,” Karé said, taking a quick drink and then gasping.  “What in the frag is this, Iolo?”

“Cheapest stuff they’ve got.”

Karé shook her head and took another drink, before gagging and setting it back down.

“I don’t even know what it is I’m not talking about,” Poe murmured.

“Finn,” Karé said.  “Your totally obvious crush on Finn.”

Poe blushed.

“Oh look,” Iolo said.  “He’s blushing.  That’s cute.”

Poe shook his head.  “How obvious is it?”

Karé started laughing.  “If you’re worried that he’s caught on, he hasn’t…yet.”

“Yeah, he’s been a bit distracted with the whole waking-up-from-a-coma thing and all.  But give him another week or two,” Iolo said, downing his drink in one go.

“Wow,” Karé said.

“Want another,” Iolo asked, rising.

Karè shook her head no.

“I’ve been trying to play it smooth,” Poe said into his drink.  “Didn’t want to pressure him.”

“Oh, babe,” Karé said, scooting over and hugging Poe.  “You are playing it smooth.  Well, as smooth as you can be, which isn’t all that smooth, but…”  She leaned out of the hug and turned to face him.  “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice the thread and the beads on his jacket?”

“Oh kriff,” Poe whispered.  “You didn’t…”

“Poe, sweetheart, none of us are going to tell him, about your crush or about the foretoken, but…”  Karé shook her head.  “Why did you do it?”

Poe looked at his drink, swirling it around in the glass.  He finally shrugged.  “Don’t know.  Felt like the right thing to do.”  He looked up at Karé.  “He saved my life and…  I don’t know.  He’s just so amazing and I wanted to pay him back and…”  Poe finished off his drink.  “It was stupid.”

Karé laughed.  “Over the top romantic?  Yes.  Stupid?  No.”

“And you won’t tell him?”

“No, Poe.  Iolo and I will keep our mouths shut.”  Karé sniffed her drink and then set it down.  “But I’ve got to ask, why don’t you just tell him already?”

“Karé, come on.  What are the odds?  Besides, he’s got Rey.”  Poe sighed.  “No, I’m fine just being his friend.  Really.”

Karé shook her head.  “You’re an idiot, Poe.”

“Yep,” he said.  “A stupid, sad idiot.”

# # # #

Leia smiled and looked up from her datapad, scanning the room.  “Dameron!”

“Yes, General?” Poe was like a puppy, eagerly running over to her.  Her smile got even bigger. 

“Have an assignment I think you’ll like,” she said, handing him the datapad.

Poe looked it over and grinned.  “Really?”

She nodded. 

“How long?”

“You can take an extra day there, but then we need you back here.”

“Of course,” he said, already jogging out of command.  “Thank you!”

“Poe,” Leia called after him.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Take Finn with you.  I think Kes would like to meet him.”

Poe blushed and barely managed to call out, “Will do,” before he tripped over his foot and fell out of command.

Snap was there and grabbed him before he hit the ground.  “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Poe said, standing.  “Just got a new assignment.”

Snap lifted an eyebrow.

“Yavin,” Poe said, already backing down the hall.  “Leaving in the morning.  Which means you’re in charge of the new recruits for a few days.”

“Dameron, no!  Don’t make me babysit them!”

“Sorry, buddy!  I’ve got an appointment with my dad.”  Poe couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.  He hadn’t seen Kes since…  Since just after Jakku.  Poe smiled.  Well, things are certainly better now than they were then.

# # # #

Finn fidgeted the entire ride to Yavin IV.

“Would you calm down,” Poe said from the pilot’s seat.  “You’re makin’ me nervous.”

“Sorry,” Finn said.  He put his hands on his knees, but soon enough, he was jiggling his leg again.

“Finn!”

“Oh yeah.  Sorry.”

Poe shook his head.  “What in the kriff are you so nervous about?  Seriously, I know my dad is a war hero and all, but I promise he won’t bite.”

Finn stared at his hands.  But he’s your father.  “Uh, I don’t know…  I just…”  He turned to look at Poe.  “What if he doesn’t like me?”

“Impossible,” Poe said.

Finn snorted.

Poe was genuinely hurt.  “Finn, what possible reason could anyone have to not like you?”

“Uh, ex-Stormtrooper?”

Poe rolled his eyes.  “I think the emphasis there should be on ex.  Nope.  Try again.”

I’m madly in love with his son?  “Uh, I don’t know.  Maybe he doesn’t like guys named Finn.”

“Well, seeing as how I’m the one who came up with the name, if dad has any problems with it, he can deal with me.” 

“Fine,” Finn laughed.  “I’m being silly.”

“Exactly,” Poe said, suddenly realizing that it meant a lot to him what his father thought of Finn.  He stole a quick glance at the other man.  He’s gonna love him, right?

He has to!

I mean, come on, he is the most beautiful being in the entire universe.  How could dad not love him?

“Uh, Dameron?”

“Yeah,” Poe said, still a bit lost in Finn’s profile.

“Uh, shouldn’t you be watching where you’re going?”

“Oh, yeah right!  Kriff,” Poe said as he corrected.  He forced a laugh.  “Forgot where I was for a second.”

“Uh,” Finn said, holding on to his seat.  “That’s not reassuring coming from the pilot.”

“Ha!”  Poe shook his head.  “Have you had a bad ride with me yet?”

“Uh yeah, the very first one.  Remember?  We kind of crashed.”

“We both lived,” Poe said.  “It was the good kind of crash.”

Finn genuinely laughed.  “I didn’t know there was such a thing as good crashes.”

“Any crash you can walk away from, buddy.”

“Good to know.”

# # # #

Once they’d met their contact at the main port, Poe took them back up and over the lush jungle landscape to the Dameron Ranch.

Finn felt his nerves kick up again, but before he knew it, they were landing and Poe was rushing down the ramp towards a man that Finn would’ve known anywhere.  He’s just an older version of Poe without the curls.  He smiled.

“And this is Finn,” Poe said turning and pointing at Finn.

Poe’s father broke the hug with his son and held out his hand.  “Good to meet you, Finn.  I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Good to meet you too, Sergeant Dameron.”

Kes chuckled.  “Kes is fine, son.”

“Kes,” Finn said.

Kes reached around both men’s shoulders, bringing them to his sides as he started forward.  “This one tells me you two have about a day here.  So the important question is, what do you want to eat?”

“Finn will eat just about anything,” Poe said.

Kes looked over at Finn with a raised eyebrow.

“Ex-Stormtrooper.  Didn’t grow up with a lot of variety.”

“Ahhhh,” said Kes.  “Well, we’ll have to rectify that now, won’t we?”  He let go of the boys and motioned for them to go into the house.

“What do you think, Poe?  Nerf steaks with some of Grandpa’s stuffing?”

“Oh yes, please,” Poe said, groaning.

“Finn,” Kes asked.

“Like he said, I’m up for anything.”

“Good,” Kes said, rubbing his hands together.  “I’ve got just about everything here except for the nerf.”  He turned to Poe.  “You mind running into town and getting three steaks?”

“No problem,” Poe said.  He looked at Finn.  You going to be okay?

Kes laughed.  “He’ll be fine.  I don’t bite.”

“That’s what I told him, but…”

“Poe, I’ll be fine,” Finn said.

Poe was already rushing out the door.  “I’ll be back before you know it.”

# # # #

Kes had Finn help him in the kitchen with the meal prep, and when they had everything ready, he motioned towards the great room.  “Let’s get to know each other better,” Kes said, pointing to a chair.  Especially as you seem to be all my son talks about when he comms these days.

“What do you want to know,” Finn asked.

“Well, I’ve heard about the escape from the Finalizer from Poe, but I’d love to hear your version of the story.”

Finn smiled.  “Sure.”  He took a breath.  “I guess my version starts with the fact that I refused to shoot innocent villagers and was most likely going to be reconditioned if I didn’t figure out a way to get off the ship…”

# # # #

Ten minutes later, Kes leaned back, chuckling.  “I really thought Poe was exaggerating about all of that, but he wasn’t.  You really told Kylo Ren to come and get it?”

“Yep,” Finn said.

Kes’ chuckle got louder.  “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

“Well, it didn’t go as well as I hoped.”

Kes stopped laughing and leaned forward.  “Hey, you held your own against an ex-Jedi.  Besides, you’re here now.  That’s what matters, son.”

“Thanks,” Finn said.  What is it with these Resistance people?  How can they make you feel so loved and accepted so soon?

Kes nodded at Finn’s jacket.  “Didn’t that used to be?”

Finn nodded.  “Yeah, I sort of…I ended up with it?”

Kes crooked an eyebrow.

“When we stole the TIE fighter and crashed, I went back to the ship to try to find Poe, and all I found was this,” Finn said, running a hand up the lapel.  “I started wearing it and then,” he smiled, “when I found Poe again, he told me to keep it.”

Kes leaned back.  Poe has it bad for this one. 

He opened his mouth to ask Finn another question when Finn continued, “And then after Starkiller, when Kylo Ren slashed up my back, I’d been wearing it then too, and Poe stitched it back together.”

“Poe?  My Poe?”

Finn laughed.  “Yeah.  He even added some…  Well, I can show you.”  Finn stood up and turned around. 

Kes got up to study the repairs to the jacket.

Finn asked, “See the little brown beads there?”

Kes’ breath caught in his throat.  “Oh.”

Finn turned.  “What is it?”

“He…he used the beads from his bracelet?”  Kes lightly grabbed Finn’s shoulder.  “Turn back around, son.”

Finn did as he was told.

Kes leaned in and studied the repairs.  The thread was burgundy and gold.  Kes leaned back and laughed.  “He used the thread and beads from his bracelet.”

Finn slowly turned around.  “He what?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No,” Finn said, sinking back into his chair.  “Those beads are from his?”

Kes sat down next to him, nodding.  “His foretoken.  Yeah.  They’re Ipan nut beads.  Ipan trees are native to Yavin IV.  Shara thought they’d ground him in Yavanese culture, always bring him home.”

Finn leaned back.  “He used his…”  He shook his head.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Kes said.

Finn turned to him.  “No.  You didn’t know.  I just…”  Why didn’t Poe tell me?

It was at that very moment that the two of them heard the front door slide open.  “Finn?  Papa?  I’ve got the nerf steaks!”  Poe made his way into the main space.  “Finn?  Papa?”  He saw their faces and panicked.  “What’s wrong?”

Kes stood.  He took the package from Poe’s hand and looked from Poe to Finn.  “Um, I’ll start these.”

Poe watched his father go and turned to Finn.  “What’s wrong?”

Finn stood; he hissed, “Outside now.”  Finn marched to the back door and stomped through the yard.

Poe jogged after him.  “Finn?  Finn!  Hey Finn, wait up!”  Poe reached out and grabbed Finn’s arm and spun him around.

“When were you gonna tell me, Poe?”

“Tell you?”

Finn shrugged out of the jacket, holding up the repair and pointing to the beads.  “It’s from your bracelet, Poe!  You repaired my jacket with your kriffing foretoken beads!”

“Oh, that.”

“Yeah, that.”

Poe opened his mouth and nothing came out.  He stood there, terrified, staring into Finn’s angry eyes, desperately wishing some sort of lie would come to him.  “I…uh…I…”

“Well, as long as there’s a good reason,” Finn said, dropping the jacket and storming off towards the back of the garden.

Poe stood frozen, watching Finn go.  No!  No!  Please don’t go!  He finally sucked in a huge breath, grabbed the jacket, and ran after Finn.  “Finn, please wait!”

Finn stopped.  “What, Poe?”

“I…”  Poe shook his head.  “I…”

Finn turned and looked at him.  “Really?  You never shut up, Poe, and now you can’t string two words together?”

“You don’t have a foretoken.”

“Well aware of that, Dameron.”

“And I, uh,” Poe looked down at the ground and whispered.  “And I wanted you to have one.”

“What?”

Poe looked up.  “I wanted to give you a foretoken.”

Finn’s heart broke.  He took the jacket out of Poe’s hands and studied the tiny line of thread and beads repairing his jacket…their jacket.  “You did this for me?”

Poe nodded.

“But Poe, this was your mother’s.  I know how much that bracelet meant to you.”

Poe sighed.  “Yeah, but…”  You mean more.  Poe drew a short line in the dirt with his foot and started talking.  “I was mad for so many years.  I figured me ripping the bracelet apart was a sign that I wasn’t worthy of the future the foretoken predicted or that I wasn’t supposed to have what everyone else had, but then you showed up and…”  Poe looked at the jacket in Finn’s hands.  In a tiny voice, he said, “You didn’t have a bracelet either, and I hoped…”  Poe shook his head.  “I shouldn’t have done it.”

Finn realized they’d both been hoping the same thing.  What if Rey is right?  He said, “You broke the bracelet when you turned nine, right?”

Poe nodded.

“Same year I was born.”

“Uh…the same year you were born?”

“Yeah, Poe.  Your bracelet broke around the time I was born.”

“Well, I mean, we can’t know that for sure.”

“Actually, we can.  I know how old I am.”

“But…”

Finn rolled his eyes.  “Work with me here, Dameron.”

Poe smiled.  “Are you saying…”

“That I think you broke your bracelet when I was born?  Yeah, I think I am.”

“Finn, the odds of that would be…”

“What are the odds that you run into a Stormtrooper who has broken his programming and wants to leave the Order the same day they’ve ordered your execution?”

“Good point,” Poe said.  “So, you think that…”  Poe looked up at him—his eyes full of hope and excitement and fear.

“There are times that I wonder, but…”  Finn realized that he’d believed it for a long time now.  “Yes, Poe, I pretty sure you’re my mate.”

“Oh.” 

Poe didn’t say anything else, so Finn started to worry.  “But of course, if you don’t want me…”

“Of course, I want you!  I sewed my beads into your jacket!”

Finn laughed.  “As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Poe said stepping forward.

As Poe wrapped his hands around Finn, Finn said, “You know, you coulda told me.”

“I didn’t…”  Poe shook his head.  “I thought I didn’t get to have a soulmate, so I figured the next best thing was to make a foretoken for the person I wished was my mate.”

Seriously, Dameron!  How are you this sweet?  “What if we share it?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if it’s our foretoken?”

Poe’s face lit up.  “That, buddy, is a great idea.”

# # # #

Kes smiled as Poe and Finn sat down to dinner.  “Everything okay now?”

“Yeah, papa, we just needed to…”

“I just needed this nerfherder to realize we’re mates.”

Kes blinked.  “Wait.  I thought he sewed the beads on without you knowing?”

“He did,” Finn said.  “But then he didn’t have the guts to do anything about it.”

Kes looked to Poe, who shrugged.  “I…I didn’t want to push him into…”  Poe looked down at his plate.  “I’m just gonna eat my food.”

Kes chuckled.  “Have I ever told you about how Shara and I met, Finn?”

“No, sir.”

Kes smiled.  “I think it’s either Kes or Dad from now on, Finn.”

“Yes, sir…um, Kes.”

Kes laughed and launched into his story.  “So, anyway, I’m standing in a hangar on the Rebel base and this beautiful woman comes over and…”

# # # #

As Kes finished his story and the three of them leaned back, full and happy after a good meal, Kes said, “I guess every relationship needs a Shara and a Kes.”

“I never would’ve figured I’d be a Kes,” Poe said.  Kes raised his eyebrow at his son.  “Not that I’m complaining, but come on!  I figured it would be the ex-Stormtrooper who’d be the shy one.”

Kes got a faraway look in his eyes.  “I’d forgotten about that.”

“Dad?”

“Do you still have the bead and the charm from your bracelet?”

Poe pulled out a cord he’d been wearing around his neck.  Kes nodded and Poe took it off and handed it over.  Kes held the black-and-white glass bead up so it caught the light.  “When Poe’s mother was making the bracelet, she got stuck at one point and asked me what was next, and somehow I just knew it should be this bead.”  He handed the bead to Finn.  “Used to be on my bracelet, you see, the one I wore before Shara.” 

Finn studied the bead and then, he looked up at Kes.  A slow smile spread across his face.  “Are you saying?”

“When she finished the bracelet, she asked me what I thought our child’s soulmate would be like.”  Kes stared at the bead.  “That bead…”  Kes shook his head.  “I suddenly thought of Stormtroopers, which,” he looked up at Finn, “wasn’t exactly the most comforting thing.”

Finn chuckled.  “No, it wouldn’t be.”

Poe watched them with wide eyes.  “You knew?”

“I thought I was just imagining things!  How was I supposed to know you were going to meet a defecting Stormtrooper and fall in love?”

Finn smiled.  “I think this means that you should keep the black and white one, Poe, and you should give the starbird charm to me.”

Poe grinned.   “I think we should wait until the wedding, do it right.”

Finn laughed.  “Are you proposing, Dameron?”

“Maybe?”

Kes gasped.

Finn shook his head.  “Well, if you are, my answer might be yes.”  He stood.  “So, are you?”

Poe stood.  “With all my heart.”

Finn pulled Poe to him and kissed him soundly.

As they broke apart, Kes said, “It must be some sort of Dameron-Bey tradition—jumping into these things real fast.”

Poe turned to his father, his arm still around his fiancée.  “When you have something this good, why wait?”

Kes laughed, got up, and hugged his boys.  “You sound just like your mama, Poe.”

# # # #

Later that night, Kes walked to the shelf where his and Shara’s bracelets sat.  He picked up his bracelet and studied the beads—one red and one orange: his Shara and his Poe. 

He whispered, “You’d be happy to know that his soulmate is a lot like you, Shara.  Well, he’s got a bit more sense, but he’s sharp as a tack and…” Kes shook his head.  “And he loves our boy something awful.  And Poe?  I’m pretty sure Poe was gone on him the moment they met.  Kinda like how I felt about you.”  He could almost hear her laugh.  “And yes, I know you made the first move, but I was smitten the first time I saw you and you know it.” 

He put the bracelet back down and brushed his hand against the charms on Shara’s bracelet.  “I miss you, Shara Bey.”

After a moment, Kes sighed.  “But I just wanted to let you know that I think our boy…”  He smiled.  “No, our boys are gonna be all right.  I just know it.  Like how I knew about you.” 

Poe stumbled into the room, bleary eyed, his hair sticking every which way.  “Dad?”

Kes turned, wiping the tears from his eyes.  “Yeah, son?”

“Everything okay?”

Kes walked over and hugged his son.  “Yeah, just telling your mama about Finn.”

Poe smiled.  “She’d like him, wouldn’t she?”

Kes chuckled.  “The way that boy has you wrapped around his finger?  I’m sure that delights your mother to no end.”  He pushed Poe towards the door.  “Now, come on, it’s getting late.  Time for bed.”

“Night, papa.”

“Night, mijo.”

Kes could hear Poe whisper as he padded back down the hall, “Night, mama.”

Kes stood in the doorway and looked at the bracelets one last time.  “Good night, Shara Bey, wherever you are.”