DAY ONE

The war had raged on for far too long, until finally, the Resistance crumbled, leaving the First Order in charge of the Galaxy. Those still with the Resistance had split up, going into hiding wherever they feel safest. For Ben and Rey Solo, it had been Chandrila. Finn and Rose had also gone to Chandrila, refusing to leave their best friends sides after they had all been through so much together.

Ben and Rey had been married for five years now, and three years ago they had been blessed with triplets – two sons with dark hair and hazel eyes, and a precocious daughter who had her Daddy wrapped around her tiny fingers. They had a good life – a small home on the beach, with a yard the kids could run and play on, and they tried to ignore the fact that their world was controlled by a vicious military junta that could come for them at any moment.

It had worked for them – until today.

"Ben? Could you stay with the kids while I go to the market?" Rey appeared in the doorway, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her husband, a datapad in hand as he sat on their back porch, reading a holonovel.

"Of course, be careful?" Ben looked up at his wife, love shining in his dark eyes for the mother of his children.

"You know I always am," Rey said, stepping onto the porch and leaning down, her lips meeting his in a loving kiss. "I love you," she said softly.

Ben reached up with one hand, his thumb skimming over her lips softly. "And I love you, my light. Come back to us soon."

Ben looked up from his datapad a standard hour later, his brow furrowing as he felt something ripple through the Force, his bond with his wife going numb. Standing up, the datapad forgotten as it crashed to the floor, Ben clutched at his heart, his eyes wide with panic as he searched through the Force for the tendril, the thread, he associated with his wife.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he found it, following it to Rey's presence within the Force, stopping as it just… faded? What was going on? Mentally beating on it proved futile, and Ben's heart started pounding in his chest, his breath coming in gasps. Rey was there, she was alive… but she was gone.

Ben hit the button on his commlink that would contact Finn, trying to stay calm and just stay balanced, even though the Force was thrumming with his anger inside him.

There is no emotion, there is only peace. There is no emotion, there is only peace.

His friend's voice crackled through the comm finally, making Ben jump slightly. "Ben? Whatcha need?"

"Finn," Ben said, his voice tight and full of stress as he answered. "I… I need you to come watch the kids for me. Something… something happened to Rey. I need to go to her. Now."

Finn's voice was tense as he responded, "Already on my way. Keep calm, Ben."

"Easier said than done, Finn. But I am trying."

As their kids came running up to him, talking about a bug they had found in the yard, Ben tried his best to hold it together for them. He wouldn't worry the children. Squatting down so he was the same height, Ben acted like he was hearing the most exciting story in the Galaxy, the smile on his lips purely there for his triplets' sake.

Because inside, he was anything but calm. He felt the same terror he had felt the first time Rey had been injured with the Resistance after he had left the First Order. Was any of the turmoil worth it if all it brought them was pain and suffering?

Finn burst through the door without knocking, the triplets immediately going to their Uncle Finn. Ben didn't wait another moment longer before rushing out of the house, his long strides making short work of the walk to the market just down the street from their home. He sent out the Force ahead of him, sensing for both danger and Rey.

His heart sang as he caught sight of his wife – still as beautiful as the day he had first seen her on Takodana. She was sitting on a bench outside the market, staring out at the ocean beyond the marketplace with an almost serene expression on her face.

"Rey? Sweetheart, you had me so worried!"

Ben sat down on the bench next to his wife, his large hand reaching out to take hers as he searched her face for a moment. Rey looked at him, her eyes lacking the normal light they had when she looked at him. What was going on?

Ben's heart started racing, a cold fear starting to creep through his veins as the Force almost rang out with discord. Something was terribly, terribly wrong with their Bond, and it took his beath away momentarily.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Rey said, her eyes looking back at the ocean.

"It is, yes. Rey… what… what's going on?"

Her hazel eyes met his, and she pulled her hand away from his, confusion causing her brows to knit together.

"I'm sorry… do I know you? You obviously know me from somewhere. I admit, I am terrible with names." Rey laughed, a sound that normally brought great joy to Ben. This laugh, however, was wrong somehow, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest, his breath coming in gulps.

What is wrong with my wife? Why doesn't she recognize me? Oh Maker – the kids! How will I explain this to the kids?

The life that they had started together five years ago was slipping away by the second, and Ben didn't know how he could fix it. He felt the panic start to take him over, his heart beating so fast he was certain it would just clench up and stop, his breath coming in pants as he tried to gain control.

He had to, for Rey. His Rey. His Light. His Everything.

"My name is Ben. Ben Solo." Ben's eyes never left Rey, surely she had to remember something of all their years together? It couldn't just be… gone. Like their life together never even happened – could it? Surely she'd remember their children… Ryden Luke, Braxis Han and Leia Rose had to be etched onto her heart like they were on his, right?

Ben wanted to cry, the tears pooling at the sides as he bit his bottom lip and swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. He had to stay strong. He had to figure this out.

"Rey, what's the last thing you remember?" Ben asked her softly, watching for the familiar light in her eyes that she always got when they were together. As she looked at him, her brows furrowing as she thought, Ben didn't see that light, his heart still pounding away painfully as he fought off the panic.

"Um, sitting on this bench. Looking at the ocean. It's familiar. Comforting. And then you showed up, Ben, is it? You have kind eyes, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yes. My… someone close to me tells me that a lot." Ben said softly, somehow knowing that telling Rey she was his wife would do nothing but frighten her, and if she ran off in terror, her memories gone, he would be in even more danger than they were in every day from the First Order.

"Rey, I know this seems, well, perhaps a bit sudden, but… would you like to have dinner with me?" Ben looked into Rey's eyes, hoping that if he got her alone, in some romantic little restaurant… maybe her memories would return and they could just go home and play with their children like they did every other night.

"I am a bit hungry, why not?" Rey said after a moment's thought. "I'd like to get to know you, Ben Solo. Your eyes are kind, but sad."

If only you knew why, my light. If only you knew why.