Title: Tales From Jakku
Category: Movies ยป Star Wars
Author: Ziggurat Rolsovitch
Language: English
Rating: M

Day 2

Upon waking Rey was made very aware of the warm sun glaring in through the big windows and although she might want to go back to sleep after the long journey had worn her out. Judging by where the sun was Rey supposed that it was late in the day.

As she rolled over she came to the realization that Ben wasn't next to her and she patted the spot where he'd been. It wasn't even warm. He must have been gone for quite some time. It occurred to her then that she was completely alone. Sitting up she knew that he wasn't anywhere in the room.

"Ben?" She knew it was hopeless, but part of her hoped that he would answer.

He didn't.

She was completely alone in place and she was struck with the terrifying idea that perhaps Ben had decided that he wasn't going to take care of her after all and had just left her. Left her like the parents that abandoned her at Luke's academy.

With all her might she shoved the blankets off of herself and quickly started to search around the bridge to see if he were somewhere here. He wasn't. She rushed towards the exit and then down the spiraling stairway... out into the burning desert.

The light was blinding after being in the dark corridor and she had to raise a tiny hand to try and block it out.

"What are you doing?" A gruff voice came from off to her side and she turned to find Ben there working under some sort of contraption.

The only reply he got was a sort of sniffle and he paused in the midst of his work and slowly pushed out from under the frame to look at her. He worried maybe she'd hurt herself, but he only found her sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

"Ben... I thought you left me..."

"Left you...? I... oh... no... Rey..." Initially he had wanted to get angry and tell her to stop being such a crybaby, but he saw her face... that sad little face and his heart broke with a familiar sort of pain. He knew that sort of pain. He saw it reflected back at him whenever he looked into the mirror and so that was why he held out his arms. "Come here."

She flung herself into his arms without a moments hesitation and he let out a little huff of air with how hard she slammed into him. Tougher than he expected. She smacked his chest a few times with tiny little fists and he frowned faintly at the strong reaction, but he understood and he let her get it out of her system.

"You're mean, Ben! Don't ever leave me like that again!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Rey." He hugged the poor girl tightly and gave his best attempt at comforting her. "I won't ever leave you, sweetheart. I promise."

They stayed like that until she gradually calmed down and he sensed some form of embarrassment as she moved away from him. Good. It was too hot out here in the desert to stay close for too long.

"What were you building?" Rey still tried to clear her eyes of the tears, wiped the mess on her face and calmed her breathing as best as she could manage.

"Well... Uncle Luke... was a moisture farmer... it gave me the idea to build a moisture vaporator so we don't run out of water... and... we won't have to rely on trading for portions. We can grow our own food. Do a little hydroponic gardening." He moved back underneath the frame to continue his work.

"Ohhhh." Rey tilted her head to the side. "Ben... I think you're really smart. I don't care what the other students at the academy said."

"Thanks-..." And then he processed the entire sentence after a second of thinking it through and frowned. "Right."

"Can I help?"

"I guess so... you can start by handing me that bonding tape."

They continued to work together and Rey noticed that Ben didn't seem so afraid anymore. He was bursting with energy and that made her feel better about the whole situation. If Ben wasn't afraid then she felt like she had nothing to fear herself.

The work continued until the night fell and as much as she would love to continue working on their project together he wouldn't have it. Initially Rey didn't take his warnings of how cold it got at night, but tonight it was especially obvious. It was absolutely freezing. She thought maybe she should start listening when he said something because he was usually right.

He spoke in lengths about working on some way to insulate the bridge so that they could keep warm at night, but for now she had to rely on him for warmth. Her hands and her toes were freezing and she so curled her hands into his shirt tucked her feet between his thighs to keep warm.

He shivered and then a scowl twisted his mouth up.

"Your feet are like ice!" He complained and yet he let her keep her feet there. He knew that she needed to be kept warm. The last thing he needed was her getting frostbite.

"It's cold." Rey whined and he let out a huff.

"I know, I know. Just bare with it for now. I'll figure something out." Sighing he closed his eyes and focused on keeping her warm throughout the night.

Things might not be perfect, but after a good night's rest and a little tenacity he felt a little more hopeful than he did. There was a little light in this darkness after all.

End Day 2