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"So how are Poe and Rey?"
This question - apart from it being relatively easy to answer - had been the most innocent, purest, totally curious question ever asked. That was, until the most innocent, purest and totally curious droid took it differently.
BB-8 had been contemplating the context of this question that one time when he was doing routinary mechanical checks on the Black One. Out of all the questions to ask, Finn, his newest human friend, decided to pick that. It shouldn't be surprising really, that he was going to ask that - Poe and Rey, no matter how much they wanted to spend longer hours in the Medical, had other obligations to the purpose of the Resistance that didn't give them the luxury to sit down and talk. Thus, this left BB-8 seeking company from the other friend who shared the same sentiments with him.
A "Friend" was a rather loose term. BB-8's initial attachment to Finn were more of mistrust, transforming into shared companionship over time. They both took off in the wrong foot; BB-8 having seen Finn in his master's most treasured jacket back in Jakku and Finn lying about his alliances with the Resistance to Rey (BB-8 knew it the moment they met).
But after spending time in the Medical to each fill the absence that they both long, the droid grew to be more trusting and open. It was obvious Finn admired Poe and Rey, who both happened to save him from the First Order. To Finn, it was like the fastest prayer ever answered - the two times he asked for a pilot while he was on the run, they both came rolling in his life.
"I owe Poe my life," told Finn, "if not for him, I wouldn't have gotten away from the First Order."
BB-8 beeped in agreement, the little screen flashing the astromech's thoughts.
"And Rey too," Finn added, "of course. She saved us. You and I both."
This had put BB-8 in a somber mood, as he recalled his eventful adventure in Jakku. He beeped a low sound, and Finn joined him in the moment - both lonely, both longing.
"They saved me. They saved us."
The astromech nodded, saying the exact same thing as flashed in the screen.
"I wouldn't know what I would've done without them."
Another nod, another same exact sentiment.
"I miss them."
Finn wasn't sure how droids actually express sadness. He wasn't entirely convinced they were able to grasp the concept of emotions; but if he ever wondered in his entire life how droids would do so, in the middle of cleaning up the mess back in the Starkiller base - well the little droid be damned if that was not the saddest beep he ever heard in his entire life.
(At least next to the sound of his own health monitor - which in the worst case of sadness, could mean that he was dead.)
BB-8 in his purest intentions, rolled over immediately closer to Finn. He wobbled slightly when he did and when he stopped, the former stormtrooper decided that having to share this to BB-8 had been the best thing that ever happened in the whole of his stay in Medical - and it was then at that moment that BB-8 extended his claw as if it was an effort to hold his hand.
Finn did not need to see the portable screen to understand what BB-8 meant. He was certain that cold metallic hardware was not built to mean companionship or even share warmth, but he took it anyway.
Somehow, he was comforted.
BB-8 pre-heated it of course.
And that was the start of their amazing friendship.
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It sounded like mechanical whirring - continuous, rhythmic - and it made BB-8 snap out of his daydreaming state at once. He retracted his own tools to eliminate the cause of noise until he came to the realization that the sounds were not coming from the Black One's well-maintained machinery but from somewhere else.
Someone else.
His synchronized internal clock registered the time to be 23:56:43:01 and in common human behavior, this normally translated the end of any day's work. He knew he came alone in the hangar to work on the fighter and when that specific thought process completed, his health subprogram system triggered a signal.
Gently, he roved around the base, peeking at dark corners and hoping that he wouldn't stumble upon a Teedo or something that would put him to harm. This was the Resistance base after all, and safety, including droid welfare, rights and safety, was among their top priorities as an organization.
BB-8 successfully tracked the sound's coordinates; revealing to him a scenario that would have prompted anybody to flee. And the astromech wanted to do just exactly that - except for a different reason altogether.
Identification: human, female, registry: Jessika Pava, Resistance pilot; Associations: Poe Dameron, Blue Squadron, Big Boned Human Male (new, 1)
Identification: human, male, registry: Unknown; Association: Jessika Pava
He did a quick assessment and odds returned him 14.37 percent, triggering his flight mechanism. But BB-8 was concerned for Poe's pilot friend and squad member - she sounded like she was crying. Although he had seen Rey cry and it didn't match the vocal pattern with what he registered from Jessika, BB-8 decided that the female pilot needed help!
Ignoring his fear, he rolled over quick to where the male stood; who in the middle of holding Jessika quite tightly, didn't see the droid coming.
BB-8 zapped the intruder right in the middle of his legs.
The Unknown Male wailed so loud it made BB-8 run for cover, the sound of colorful string of curses the last thing he heard as he escaped.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-----
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"Hey Beebs," Jessika called out to the little droid, who in his fear of being found was stealthily working in silence in the rear of Poe's X-wing.
Upon seeing his visitor, BB-8 moved to Jessika in haste followed by an array of beeps.
"I'm okay, he wasn't really hurting me," the pilot said, sitting by the floor in the hangar where BB-8 was working. Patting the droid's head with mock affection, she added, "And I know. That's why I call you exactly that."
The little astromech gave an indignant beep, shaking his domed head as he did so.
"He wasn't hurting me!" Jessika asserted, holding her hands up in surrender, unsure whether to laugh or cry at BB-8's antics. "We were just having an emergency meeting," quoting her fingers in the air as she explained.
"Besides," she prompted, "don't tell me you haven't seen Poe and the jedi pilot bangin'. You do power down in his quarters, right?"
Poe: IDENTIFICATION: Poe Dameron (77338418)
Jedi Pilot: IDENTIFICATION: Jedi (2238), Pilot (887376), Jedi + Pilot (12)
ASSOCIATION: Rey (98.22%), Luke Skywalker (2.78%)
Bangin': REGISTRATION: explosion, destruction, war, death
BB-8 hunched back in shock once his thought process completed, reeling as he analyzed further this newly acquired information. His companion didn't seem to notice this rapid change of demeanor that has occurred in less than a minute, and chatted away as the droid absentmindedly listened, studying the new found knowledge in his head.
"Where are your masters by the way? Why are you alone in here?"
BB-8 was so appalled at the revelation, it took him a time to answer. It didn't matter as unknowingly to him, 27th droidspeak language did not cover everything he needed to learn in human behavioral communication.
As if on a state of shock, BB-8 answered the pilot's question as best as he could. Jessika only snickered.
"Emergency meeting, huh?"
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The next time BB-8 visited Finn, the ex-stormtrooper was more than happy to see him.
Hi, Friend Finn.
The message flashed on the portable screen as BB-8 beeped a greeting to the happy trooper in the bed. "Hey, friend droid."
BB-8 tilted his head in recognition and asked him a question. Finn was only very eager to reply, "The medical droids tell me I am having progress, and that makes me happy."
Nodding his head in affirmation, and promptly changing the subject, he called for Finn's attention. The latter laughed at him.
"Why do you call it a report?" Finn asked, giving the droid a smile to encourage him. "Okay, let's hear it!"
This was how BB-8's report flashed on the screen:
Poe and Rey:
- often (26d), working in the hangar fixing the Falcon and the Black One: fixed the hyperdrive, manual configurations, blaster recharge, machine conditioning, defragging in flight mechanism programming
Finn only rolled his eyes. He continued listening (reading).
- often (54d), eating meals three times a day, exception of the following: cendol, kiwiberry, pink meat
He realized why BB-8 called it a report - because in essence, it was. He thought that BB-8's subprogramming for information gathering was rather robust, and it gave the Resistance an edge to vital reconnaissance missions. Finn found some things rather interesting as he pictured Poe and Rey, his two newly trusted companions, getting along as he expected based on BB-8 encounters with them.
- (new) bangin' in late hours, beginning 2200 in the last few days (6d)
Finn also realized why the medical droids told him that BB-8's reputation around the droids in the base closely followed that of him having extra vast information capacity.
R2-D2 would call it simply a gossip, but he was too busy to care (he has other important business).
BB-8 did seem to know a lot.
Quite a lot.
So much so, that he almost wished he didn't ask. He hoped that Poe and Rey would get along - but not that much. Or at least, he didn't need to know that much.
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Finn did miss a lot - that was true. Life around him moved on as he recuperated. As the days passed, BB-8 still came to visit to entertain him with stories; although obviously, the droid's "report" lingered too much in his mind. He wasn't sad, no, not really - he did have feelings of affection for Rey, but at this point it could have been misplaced. He thought it might have been more out of gratitude, with a little dose of affection. After all, she was the first girl he met, and it didn't hurt at all that she was pretty, and strong and cool, and independent and she saved his life.
Okay, maybe a tiny little bit.
But Poe was a good man. He really was. He didn't see Finn as someone who people like Poe mostly identify the likes of him, a stormtrooper, as one. Poe trusted him. Though short that adventure had been, Poe risked his life and when they met again back in the base, the surge of relief seeing each other again - alive and whole - was phenomenal. Unbelievable, even.
Remembering all of these suddenly felt like that piece of the missing puzzle finally clicked in.
They got together well, so well together that in fact, it was almost like it was too familiar. Too familiar in the whole time he was out - and if that was the case, that must mean...
They know each other from before.
They must know each other from before.
They both wanted to go back to Jakku, after all.
Poe wanted to get BB-8 back, but BB-8 was with Rey and Rey DID say both of her and BB-8 was waiting for someone.
That was it!
How could - how could he not know? He was their FRIEND! They went through life and death together!
Inevitably, this was how the confrontation went down:
a) Finn and Poe
"You could have told me, Poe."
"What is?"
"I mean, I didn't want to come between you guys, I just -"
"Finn?"
"Look, it was all an innocent crush okay? If you'd tell me you left BB-8 in her care back in Jakku and wanted to get them and protect them from the First Order, I would have supported you."
"What?"
"I believe in romance. I believe in love. I would've been okay with it, I just wish you could have told me sooner."
"...WHAT?"
b) Finn and Rey
"I finally understood now, why you wanted to go back to Jakku."
"Finn, it's okay now."
"And I'm so sorry. I was so insensitive. I told you in your face that he died. And it was horribly selfish of me, to escape without thinking how you felt, Rey."
"Finn?"
"But of course you didn't believe that he died, that's why you wanted to go back, right? That's love right there. Pure and true."
"What?"
"That cute boyfriend? I mean, you know, Poe. I didn't know, I'm sorry."
"WHAT?"
"I would have come back for him too."
"...WHAT??"
That probably went well as it could.
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The misunderstanding - caused by a troublesome chatty little droid - was also resolved by that same no longer innocent, no longer that much pure, but still totally curious astromech.
BB-8 beeped so loudly in the hangar, upon seeing Poe and Rey alight the Falcon, coming back after the pair had gone to a mission with Luke Skywalker.
"Beebee-Ate," Rey calmed the droid, "I am fine. Very much, thank you."
When the droid turned to Poe asking the same question more aggressively, Poe told him he was all dandy and peachy - and then it dawned on him.
"Why are you asking us if we're hurt? It was a simple mission - just there close in the forest."
BB-8 explained what he learned in frantic beeps.
"Bangin'?" Rey asked, and Poe wanted to dig a hole in the spot.
"No, Beebee-ate, we didn't explode or tried to destroy each other," explained Poe in an exasperated voice, but seeing the slight wobble of his droid, decided to not agitate him further. "Where did you get this idea?"
His eye focus shifted to a pilot hanging somewhere in the hangar and Poe really considered drilling a hole for himself to slide on. He just wanted the best things for BB-8. His droid didn't deserve this.
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When Rey had fallen asleep, Poe decided to personally retrieve his droid from the hangar.
He had been bidding his time. He wasn't planning on revenge, but he wanted to see for himself the kind of evils Jessika Pava diffused in the hangar air. Also, he needed to further protect BB-8.
Needless to say, he got what he want.
"Pava!"
Her attention called quite rudely, Jess only laughed, obviously having heard the turn of events from too chatty of a droid.
"I'm letting this go for now, but consider this a warning."
Jess flipped her hair and had the nerve to stick her tongue out. "Come on, Dameron, chill. It's just a joke."
Poe shook his head, although he did allow himself a small smile. The urge not to let Pava win was too much, though. "Then leave the poor droid out of it," he said. As an afterthought, he added, "and Rey."
"Shocking. We know Rey wants to be 'in' the joke."
If BB-8 had ears, he would've covered it; but he could only motion for his little buddy to follow him away from the clutches of the diabolic mind lair of the other pilot. With friends like these, who allowed the First Order to exist?
"Stop corrupting my droid!"
"Give him more credit, Dameron, the droid is smarter than you think."
Poe muttered something like "idiot" under his breath - to keep from giving BB-8 ideas.
BB-8 on the other hand, heard it altogether and concluded that Jessika Pava complimented him. She thought he was smart. To this, unknowing of the mess he created, he nodded to himself for a job well done.
Mission accomplished.