It's finally here! A sequel to my first Reylo fic, "Bound To You, Even in Your Dreams. I was planning on finishing this before The Last Jedi because I wanted this to be speculative of what could have happened. But I just couldn't get around to it. And honestly watching TLJ just made writing this alot easier. Although this is technically an AU, this story does contain some spoilers from The Last Jedi, just to warn you. And if you haven't seen The Last Jedi, GO SEE IT! IT'S FREAKING AMAZING!

"Did you enjoy my gifts?"

Ren's words echoed in her head, as she glowered at the cocky bastard before her. Shock and rage coursed through her, with a hint of worry.

"Considering that you invaded my home and rummaged through my belongings, unannounced and uninvited, I can't say that I appreciate your gesture!" she snapped.

At that, the knight tilted his head ever so slightly. Amusement still plastered over his face.

"Pity. And here I thought bringing you a little piece of comfort from your former home would ease the troubles that you're bound to be facing with Luke Skywalker as your mentor." Ren responded, no hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Well it's hard to show appreciation towards sentimentality from a monster like you," she barked.

Suddenly the amusement on Kylo's face vanished completely. His stance became rigid and his arms fell to his side. Eyes hardened in an almost threatening manner, causing Rey to take a small step back. She figured that she must have hit a nerve and knew it was wise not to provoke him too much, considering how unpredictable the man could be. Instead she thought it'd be better to change the subject.

"How did you find us?" she asked, her tone quite demanding.

"You mean how did I find you?" he shot back, almost accusatory.

Rey shook her head. "You were searching for Luke Skywalker, weren't you?"

Ren let out an amused huff. "Skywalker is no longer a top priority. At least not to me. He's now nothing, but a hindrance. Just a shell of his former self. A man who'd rather wallow in self-pity after his failed attempts to bring back his own new order of Jedi, using the same out-dated teachings and doctrines that led to the destruction of the former one."

"The destruction that YOU were responsible for!" Rey sneered.

Kylo glared. Though his anger wasn't directed towards her.

"And who told you that bit of information? Was it Skywalker?" he questioned.

"Why does it matter"?" she responded.

"Oh it matters very much to me, Rey! Especially given that you're making such bold claims from a very dubious source and accusing me of a crime that I may or may not have actually commit." Ren replied smoothly.

"So you're denying it then." Rey snorted.

"Oh, I'm not denying it." Ren countered, almost curtly. "I'm simply giving you a different perspective."

"And why would I be even remotely interested in hearing anything from the perspective of a murderer?" Rey retorted.

Ren's eyes hardened and he fixed her with a slight smirk.

"You seem to have no issue with hearing from Skywalker's perspective."

At that Rey boiled with rage at Ren's cruel statement.

"How dare you compare Luke Skywalker with the likes of you! He saved the galaxy, where you and the First Order tried to corrupt and destroy. He brought balance to the force, where you tried to shroud it into darkness. He's a hero and your a disgrace!"

Tense silence fell between the two upon Rey's outburst. Kylo's expression turned neutral, no amusement nor anger could be traced. Rey continued to sneer at him. Resisting the urge to run up and strike the smug bastard where he stood. But Luke had told her that it wasn't the jedi way to strike first. Though given Luke's broken connection with the Jedi code and way of life, she didn't feel that his words had any merit in the moment. Still she stood her ground and waited for Kylo to react.

The knight suddenly took a small step forward before he spoke once more.

"What did Luke tell you, exactly? The night I destroyed his temple, did he tell you why?"

"I know everything I need to know about you!" Rey proclaimed, jumping into a defensive position.

"You do?" Ren asked smoothly as he continued to stride towards her, before pausing and taking note of her defiant, hateful expression. "Oh you do!"

Rey was a bit taken back by Ren's response. It almost came off as mocking, but Rey could swear she heard curiosity in his voice. Suddenly Ren advanced towards her again.

"Or at least you think you do." Kylo said almost smugly.

"What?..." a confused Rey questioned.

Kylo continued his stride toward the conflicted girl as he went on with his story.

"He sensed my power as he senses yours. And feared what I would become….what I could do."

Suddenly visions of that night at Luke's temple appeared in her mind, where she saw young Ben Solo asleep on his cot only to be awoken by a green hue and the sound of a lightsaber igniting. Turning around and spotting his uncle holding his saber over Ben with a deadly look on his face. Panicked, the young Ben reached for his grandfather's lightsaber with the force igniting it just as Skywalker lunged towards him and strike. Ben deflected the attack with his own saber, before reaching out and using the force to crumble the hut down on top of them both.

The vision ended, and a distraught Rey nearly lost her balance from the shock of the memory. Denial and disbelief coursed through her as she looked up at Ren, who now stood before her with a sharp gleam in his eyes.

That can't be true. Luke Skywalker attempting to murder his own nephew. His sister's son. His family. That didn't sound like the Resistance hero and venerable Jedi Knight she heard so much about.

"Liar!" Rey screamed in rage.

Kylo advanced towards her again, a hint of menace in his strides.

"Am I?" he asked, though it didn't feel like a question.

"Stay where you are." Rey shouted, pointing her lightsaber towards him.

Ren ignored her.

"Tell me Rey, why would I lie to you? Or better yet. How could I lie to you?"

"Get back!" Her shouting was becoming more urgent.

"You've been in my head. You've seen my thoughts. You can even see them now. We're connected Rey. You and I. You can't hide anything from me. And I can't hide anything from you."

"Stay away from me!"

"Why are you so willing to deny the truth of who Skywalker truly is or what he's done? Were you so desperate for a family that you're willing to find one in a man who would has done nothing but toss you aside just like your own family did, and wouldn't hesitate to kill you when it becomes clear that he can't control your power!"

At that, Rey finally snapped as she let out an almost animalistic roar in anger, before lunging to towards Ren. All of Luke's teachings ignored at the moment as Rey charged with the intent to strike. Kylo was a bit taken off guard at Rey's sudden attack, but even then he still saw it coming. Quickly dodging a blow aimed for his neck, he attempted to maneuver behind her to apprehend her, but she was faster than he anticipated. Whirling around and swinging her saber towards his face, which he dodged careful to not make the same mistake twice. He had been adamant about not drawing his lightsaber, not wanting any harm to come to her. But her skills with a saber improved from the last time he dueled her, making it harder to evade her attacks. However she was still a novice compared to him, and her emotions were getting the better of her. Making her attacks unfocused and sloppy. It was just a matter of time until she slipped up and made a mistake with her form.

Rey was charging at him again, face contorted with rage and hatred with a single minded intent to kill the man before him. Perfect.

In one fluid motion, Ren moved to the side once more dodging her attack. However, this time he grasped her arm and jerked her backwards. The motion catching Rey off-guard as she lost her balance and stumbled backwards. Ren continued to pull her backwards until he rback came into contact with his chest. His long leg wrapped around her smaller one, effectively locking her in place. The hand that he grasped which contained the lightsaber she held, that he quickly deactivated so she wouldn't and snatched from her, was forced behind her back. Meanwhile Rey used her free arm and leg to fight off her attacker. Stomping on his foot and elbowing him hard in the chest. But the knight merely grasped her other arm and forced it behind her back man, then maneuvered his hand so that he could hold both her wrists at the same time. Leaving him with a free hand that still held on to her lightsaber.

Rey thrashed around, kicked, even attempted to use the force to push him off. Ren brushed off her attempts of escape as he held her close, her back against his chest.

"That's enough, Rey!" he spoke, his voice firm, yet tender.

"Bastard! Let go of me!" Rey screamed, her voice beginning to strain.

"Enough!" he exclaimed, his voice booming before bringing it down to a whisper. "Calm down."

Ren's command did nothing to stop Rey's struggles as she continued to fight and resist. Of course the more she fought the tighter Ren held her. Suddenly the knight knelt forward, his mouth only a breath away from her ear, as he whispered.

"Calm. Down. I don't want to hurt you, Rey!"

There was something about his words that urged Rey to listen. They sounded….sincere. As if he truly meant what he said. She felt that it was in her best option to do as he said. Fighting him like this only proved feeble. Taking a deep sharp breath, she forced herself to calm down. Feeling her body relax against him, Ren loosened her grip but didn't release her.

"Now, listen to me Rey." Kylo began, keeping his voice low and calm. "Luke Skywalker and the jedi are not who you think they are."

Rey turned her head as far as she could to try to meet Ren's gaze as he continued.

"After Luke's attack, I went to the others for help. I explained to them what he had just tried to do. Only a handful believed me. But the rest thought I was lying. They called me a traitor for trying to kill their master and attacked me. The ones who believed me fought by my side. All I remembered from that night were the bodies and the fire that burned all around me."

Rey stood there once more in disbelief. Not only Luke Skywalker, but even the students had turned on Ben Solo. This couldn't be true.

"No...I…..I thought the Jedi were supposed to be just and fought for peace. I don't understand." Rey spoke in a shaky voice.

Ren rested his chin gently on top of Rey's head, taking a deep breath (taking in her scent in the process).

"There's a lot you don't understand Rey. Like I said, the Jedi aren't who you think they are. For all their talk of peace and compassion, they were never truly above murder and betrayal. They offer you nothing, but an emotional void never to be filled and a doctrine that never held up. Your place doesn't lie with them."

Rey snorted. She understood fully well what Ren was trying.

"And where does my place lie exactly? With the Dark Side? The First Order?"

"No." Ren replied softly. "With me."

Rey scoffed as she continued struggling in his grasp.

"Murderous Snake! I will never join you! Not after everything you've done."

Suddenly Ren's grip on Rey tightened to the point where it was becoming unbearable, causing Rey to grimace. He knelt down towards her ear again and whispered.

"Everything I've done, Rey?" he asked her, his tone dark with a hint of mischief. "Or something I did?"

Rey froze. She wasn't quite sure what Ren meant by that, but she had an idea. Especially as she recalled Han Solo's last moments as he plummeted to his death. She just couldn't understand how someone could do that to their own father. And she had to know.

After moments of even more tense silence Rey finally asked.

"Why did you hate your father?" her words sputtered out of her mouth. Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her feet.

In a flash, the knight spun her around so that she could face him. He grasped both of her arm in front of her, the saber still in his hand as he looked her in the eye. A dark, questioning look on his face.

Rey bit her lip almost nervously, but continued asking.

"Why did you hate your father? Give me an honest answer."

Ren remained silent. The questioning expression on his face, vanished and instead replaced with a look of indifference. This hurt Rey more than anything else.

"Your father loved!" she cried out. Tears streaming down her beautiful, yet angry face. "He gave a damn about you."

"I didn't hate him." Ren finally confessed. A completely honest answer, he felt he owed her that much.

"Then why?" she screamed out, growing hysterical.

"Why what?" he prompts. Tilting his head slightly as he leans down closer. Urging her to meet his gaze. "Why what? Say it!" he practically dared her.

Rey did the best she could to stop the tears pouring down her face and control her breathing.

"Why did you...why did you kill him?!" she choked out. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. You're parents threw you out like garbage." Ren stated matter-of-factly. A bit too harsh on his part, he had to admit. But as of now, it was better to be blunt and straightforward with her about this, then to sugarcoat.

"They didn't!" she bit out, clearly in denial.

"They did." he counters with the truth. "But you still can't stop needing them. It's your greatest weakness. Looking for them in what? In Han Solo? Now in Skywalker? The two men would have disappointed you the most. And already have."

Rey couldn't hold it in anymore. Her emotions all unravelled at once and her walls fell apart

"I just wanted a family." she wheezed out, no longer attempting to hold back her tears. "Why can't you just understand?"

And then she broke.

Kylo cooed at her as he gathered her in his arms and rested her head on his chest. In a shockingly kind and thoughtful gesture that he never thought he was capable of. But here he was cradling the weeping girl in his arms as comforted and shushed her crying. He couldn't recall the last time someone held him like this or when he felt like this. He felt alien at first, but for Rey's sake adapted.

"I do understand Rey." Ren replied almost almost off-handedly while he stroked the girls hair. "But it's time to move on"

Rey looked up at him. Eyes red from crying with a pleading look.

"Why Han-" she began to ask, but Ren softly shushed her.

"Let the past die." He softly proclaims. "Kill it if you have to. It is the only way to become what you were meant to be."

Rey lowered her head. Unsure of what to make of Ren's revelation. Until she felt gloved fingers slip under her chin, tilting her head up to look at the man.

"And I can help you. I can show you what you are capable of. How powerful you can become. Together we will shape our destinies. And along the way…"

Rey felt something thin and slightly prickly being placed behind her ear. She realized it was a flower. The ones that Ren had brought to her.

"You will find your belonging." Ren stroked her cheek almost lovingly before resting her head on his chest once more.

Rey wanted to pull back, but found that she just couldn't bring herself to do so. And relished the feeling of being embraced by another.

"But there is a matter of business that I must attend to that " cannot allow you to get involved with." Kylo stated suddenly, his tone becoming more serious.

Before Rey could realize what Ren had meant, she felt the wave of the force clouding her mind before succumbing to unconsciousness. There the knight lifted he in his arms and carried her back to the hut. Once inside he laid her on the makeshift bed she made for herself on the ground as he pulled the blanket he had supplied for her.

Gazing down at the girl who had slept so peacefully, her was face still stained with tears. He bent forward and cleaned her face with a bit of cloth he found lying around. He looked next to her and found her doll and flowers he had brought laying next to her. He picked them up and placed them in both of her arms.

He had considered bringing her back to his ship, but thought against it. Kidnapping her again would just put more of a strain on their already complicated relationship. No, the next time she would come to him willingly.

For now though, he had unfinished business. He exited the hut quietly not wanting to wake his sleeping desert rose. He shut the door back, and turned around to sense a familiar force presence. The moment he pinpointed it, he smirked and slowly made his way there. During his journey he encountered strange bird-like stubby creatures that inhabited the island. He wondered if they were carnivorous. If so then the he would really have no issue feeding them the remains of his uncle after he strikes him down with his own father's lightsaber.