Close to Me {Poe Dameron}

twenty-two

AN: For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you all had a great time with a safe celebration with family and friends. For those of you who don't, I hope you had a good day. This next chapter is an emotional one so hopefully it makes up for not posting in a few days. Happy Reading!

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After the friends had finished eating, Kat sent Rose out to start looking at the specs with the rest of the team. She would be able to shift through the files and then move onto the next console fine. They had been working like that for a bit until Rose came running in. "Kat, it's Leia. You need to come now."

Fear coursed through her as she scrambled to get up. "Where is she?"

"Connix took her to her quarters. Something's going on in the Force."

With that Kat took off running. Her heart clenched as dread began to seep in. This couldn't be it. Leia wouldn't leave her. She never did. She was the one person who never abandoned her. She fought to come back when the First Order shot at the bridge. This wasn't happening.

"Mom," Kat said as she came to stand in front of Leia. "Mom, what's going on?"

Leia's far-off look refocused onto her daughter but Kat could tell she was still somewhere else. "It's our last chance to bring your brother home. It's the only way." She held out a hand which Kat easily took.

"What are you talking about? There has to be another way. You don't have to do, whatever it is you're doing."

Leia caressed Kat's cheek and gave her a soft, motherly smile. "Come sit with me. I've almost done it."

Kat helped Leia to her bed, ignoring the tears falling down her cheeks. "What are you sending him?"

"Love, forgiveness, my apology, and a reminder that he still has a place and someone to come back to." She gave as pointed of a look as she could give but it still packed its full punch. "Promise you'll look after him."

She nodded. "I will but you know, you didn't have to go through all of this just to make sure I would."

"Oh, hush, child." Her smile didn't quite make it to her eyes. "I'm trying to have a serious moment. Pass on my motherly wisdom and all that."

Kat gave her a watery smile and squeezed Leia's hand, to tell her to continue.

"I love you both, more than I was able to tell you or perhaps even show you. Some of my favorite memories are of being a mother to you two. You tell him that I love him and I've forgiven him, okay? And that he has to listen to his big sister."

Kat laughed and nodded. "He's going to love hearing that last part."

Leia just smiled. "You're going to be alright after I'm gone."

She let out a muffled sob. "No, I'm not. How am I supposed to go on without you? I'm not ready to take this on."

"Oh, Katerina, you are more than ready. You will take on my role as General and Dameron will be by your side." She squeezed her daughter's hand. "I'm glad you two finally figured things out. The galaxy isn't going to be prepared for you." She smiled again, lifting Kat's hand to her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed just as she lightly pressed a kiss to her daughter's hand before her hand went limp.

"No." Tears were falling at full force now. "Mom?" Her voice cracked as she brought a hand up to caress Leia's cheek but when there was no movement it just hit home what Kat already knew. No longer being able to keep her cries silent, she laid her head on Leia's stomach, sobs tearing through her body as she mourned the mother she knew the longest. She had been orphaned once more and all she had left of her family was a brother who felt so far out of reach.