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"Falcon, come in."
The vibration of the telepad against her chest wakes her up. The first thing she does is check. Check that she's alone in the room. She tugs the respirator from her throat and instantly barks into a coughing fit.
"I'm here," she types,
"How goes the mission?"
She hesitates. "I still haven't found out what the weapon Snoke's building is. He's keeping it under lock and key. I advise caution with the fleet."
"Noted."
"How goes the fighting?"
A few moments before the screen flashes. "A lot of good heroes die everyday. They knew the risk. As you know the risk. Get the information about the weapon. We're running out of time. Falcon?"
"Yes?"
"Stay close to Kylo Ren. And be careful."
"I will . . ."
"What are you doing?"
To her credit, she doesn't jump. Not even she meets his eyes. "I'm playing a game on the telepad . . ."
"Denere . . ." That practiced expression. Absolute stillness. "I'm not talking about the game." He lowers himself to the bed, studying her face. "You're supposed to be resting. At least put the respirator back on."
She really is glad to see him. Even now. After thinking for so long that he was gone. That he'd finally given up, and he wasn't coming back. And Han Solo . . . his own father. She isn't sure whether to be sad for him or hateful.
"Is my family well?"
"Last I checked."
"And when did you check?"
"An hour ago."
"Oh . . . thank you."
"Don't thank me princess." He seems very sure about that. Won't meet her eyes. Almost as if he doesn't think he deserves it. "Don't thank me. You forget, it's my fault that you're here, and not at home. It was the least I could do."
There was a time when they would lock eyes and it felt like you could light the hottest fire on the flames. Her rage. His confusion. Now there's . . . something other than anger in her bones. Something more befitting of a wife to her husband. Nonsense.
"Anyway . . ." He clears his throat. "I've arranged for you to leave . . ."
"No."
He raises a dark eyebrow. "No?"
"I'm not leaving you Ben."
"Denere . . ."
"I'm not leaving you," she repeats. "I won't let you send me away just to protect me. That's not your choice to make."
He's facing away from her, leaning against the wall. His entire frame is heavy.
"I love you," he whispers.
She shakes. "Please don't say that . . ."
"Do you want me to lie?!" She jumps as he grabs her arms, forcing her to stare into the intensity of his burning eyes. "Do you?! Do you have any idea what it would take for me to leave you?!"
"Do you have any idea what it would take for me to leave you?!" She shouts back. "You force your way into my life, to make me care about you in ways that I shouldn't care about anyone, and now that's it? I'm just being cast aside?"
"I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to," he hisses back.
"Oh yeah? Well here's the thing big shot, you're not doing anything because I'm not going anywhere!" She's already standing before the sentence is out of her throat.
"Woman for goodness sake . . ." He tries to grab her as she stands up but she shoves him off.
"Don't patronise me Ben. I got hurt. I didn't get my legs cut off."
"Don't you see?!" They both Jump as the machinery crushes under the might of the Force. "Denere . . ." She didn't notice until he brushed the tear from her eyes that she was crying. "I won't fight you. Under any circumstances, you know I'd stay with you, but you didn't see your body a few hours ago. You didn't see the marks, you didn't see what almost happened to you. I'm not letting it happen again. There's an escape pod targeted to a remote moon not far from here, by the time it lands we'll be out of range. Either you get on the pod, or you'll force my hand, but either way, by the end of today, you're not going to be here."
"Until we reach the end of our days - together we will be, forever."
He smiles if only a fraction. "I'll never forget the hate in your eyes when you said that."
"I never knew you."
"But I always knew you. And you deserve better than this."
In the end he always knew. She was too wilful. Too certain. Too bent on one course of action. Before she could even move, he spreads out his hands. It wasn't difficult. She wasn't concentrating. She collapses against him as he holds her in his arms. Closely. Fiercely. She was his. She was always meant to be. How did she do this? How did this woman make him feel so much pain?! He was the one that was supposed to change her. Make her turn to the dark side. Instead he finds himself lost, confused. Questioning all of this.
He lifts his wife into his arms. He has to move fast. Before he changes his mind. "Goodbye Little spitfire."
