Author's Note: Thank you again to those who are reading and commenting! Your responses truly motivate me to continue.

Inspired by the movie Hancock. Rated M for future chapters.

Hero

Chapter Three

Rey had been partially right. Entering the Resistance base, the trio was met with wide eyes and gaping mouths. All stood at attention, bowing heads to their General but casting sidelong glances toward the only force user most had ever laid eyes on. Trained and ready to go, they were prepared to do as their General requested. Their resolute duty, however, did not entirely ease their concern.

It wasn't Ben they feared, Rey assured herself. It was the quite possible backlash they would receive from the First Order. If word got out that the Resistance was housing the government's Most Wanted, their standoff would inevitably turn into all-out war. The First Order was simply waiting for a reason to allow exactly that to happen. Still, it was their duty to try. Ben Solo was an innocent, whether he had inhuman abilities or not. Whether any of them believed the propaganda, or not. If General Organa believed it, then the Resistance would believe it as well. Rey just wished, with all her might, that each one of them staring would look away.

Surprisingly, they did.

"We will not be discussing any motions until Luke has returned," Leia instructed as they paraded through the base. In quick pace, they passed the control room, the strategy room, the med bay, and the kaffé. Room after room and hall after hall left Ben bewildered by the enormity of the underground bunker. It wasn't until they passed the barracks that Rey was confused. Where would Leia take him?

As if reading her thoughts, Leia answered. "You'll be staying in my quarters. They are the most secure."

That meant Leia would be returning home, and inevitably, so would Rey. It didn't feel right leaving Ben Solo alone on base. Even though she trusted her comrades with her life, could she trust them with his? With an unarmed man who posed a bigger threat to them than anything, even without malicious intent? All it would take was one nervous traitor to report to the enemy and they'd all be finished…

"You'll be safe here, Ben," Leia assured him, leading him through a set of double doors. Leia's quarters were not lavish by any means – nor should they be, in a military stronghold. But they were very comfortable, to say the least. Equipped with its own kitchen and washroom, plus a bedroom separate from the sitting area, one would find little reason to leave. That, Rey assumed, was Leia's intention.

"You'll remain here until we return. You are not to leave. You are not to engage with anyone else on base. Is that clear?"

Ben's chest puffed. Obviously, he was not used to taking orders. His day had taken a turn he had not expected, all because he decided to save a meager human from peril. Rey looked at him with pleading eyes, and somehow, mercifully, Ben's frustration quelled and he nodded a singular, curt nod.

Leia made to leave, and when Rey followed, Ben caught her hand. He floundered a moment, visibly embarrassed by his forwardness, or possibly his weakness. But he asked anyway. "Stay."

"Absolutely not," Leia said indignantly.

Rey could almost hear him in her mind, quietly pleading. Please.

Rey turned back to Leia, who crossed her arms in expectation. "I'll stay in the barracks. He shouldn't be…" She faltered at the word alone. "It's because of me he's even here."

As much as Leia hated to admit it, Rey was an adult. She could make decisions for herself. And by the assertion in her voice, Leia could tell that decision had, in fact, been made. After another reminder of the do's and don't's of their stay, Leia exited, albeit unwillingly.

Left alone in the quarters, the silence fell like a heavy, unnatural, palpable thing. Rey was acutely aware of the lingering hold Ben had of her hand, and when she cleared her throat, so was he. Sheepishly, he ran a hand through that thick hair of his, and Rey ushered herself into the kitchen to hide her blush.

"You must be starving. I know I am."

Rey rifled through the cabinets, drawers, and ice box, scouting their options and scratching her head. All the assertion of her adultness flew out the window. She was not big on cooking. If it was something she could boil in water or reheat, she was solid. As far as preparing an adequate meal, she left that to her guardians. Now, it was her turn to be embarrassed.

Ben's long arm curved around her from behind, reaching for the vegetables she'd been staring at helplessly. Darting to one side, Rey gave Ben room, and he quickly picked a selection of ingredients. In no time at all, they were seated at the small tabletop, pouring over platefuls of beef stew and rice.

"My favorite," Rey purred between bites, too busy tucking in mouthful after mouthful to worry about her manners. "How'd you know?"

Ben paused, a forkful in midair as he wondered for himself. "I had no idea."

They ate in silence, Rey making note to slow herself here and there – it was so hard and the meal was so delicious. Ben only broke it once both plates were clear. "So. What is the plan?"

Rey froze, save for her eyes darting about the living quarters. After agreeing to stay with him, she hadn't thought much beyond that. A needling sensation in her gut made her wonder if he expected more from her; more of a "thank you" than she was willing to give. Outwardly judging him by his towering height and toned form from years of fighting, Rey imagined he could easily take whatever he wanted…

Thankfully, Ben clarified. "You think you can help me. I'd like to know how."

Breathing an inward sigh of relief, but also berating herself for going to such an immediate dark place, Rey rested her elbows along the edge of the table. "Simple. We get the people to believe in you again."

Ben nearly laughed in shock. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms incredulously. "For one, that will be impossible. Two, what good will it do?"

"Not impossible," Rey argued, standing to collect their dishes and deposit them into the sink. "You underestimate the sheep, Ben Solo."

"Sheep?"

Rey corrected herself. "Herd mentality. They follow the First Order because they have to. Not because they want to. Most sympathize with the Resistance, especially after we help them, their friends, their loved ones, etcetera." Standing in the kitchen's doorframe, she spread her hands apart as if clearing the view. "Imagine how they would feel if they had a force user protecting them as well."

"They'd feel intimidated and turn me into the Order," Ben snorted, rising from his seat at the table just to sit on the lounge. He seemed too big for it, out of place in the comfort of the room like he hadn't felt such a thing in far too long.

"That's not what I think," Rey insisted, plopping down beside him, close enough for their knees to touch. "Do you want to know what I think?"

His look said it all, and Rey could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again. "I think, if you strip away the First Order's threats, the people are more scared of them than they are of you. I think most of them – no, all of them – are holding on to hope. We just need to steer that hope towards us."

"You mean, the Resistance."

Rey nodded enthusiastically. "If we can get them to believe in you – believe that they can follow the force to peace – then we'd have the numbers we currently lack to successfully counter the First Order. If we can do that, the Resistance can win."

It was easy in theory. Some people were brainwashed into agreeing with the First Order. Others did so out of fear. But in reality, it was the First Order causing chaos: not the Resistance. Not force users.

"And how do you expect to accomplish all this?"

Rey bit her lip, knowing he wasn't going to like what she had to say. "Surrender to the Resistance. Publically. Let them know you are here, and you side with us."

Rey's plan was not as well received by Ben Solo as she'd thought. Their discussion promptly ended following her request, Ben excusing himself to Leia's bedroom. Rey wanted to kick herself. At one point, she'd tried to draw empathy from Leia for how quickly Ben's world had changed in just under one day cycle. Now, she'd thrown that empathy to the wind and inundated him with a request that, quite possibly, could mean his death.

Rey knew full well what a public surrender would mean, not only for Ben, but for the entire Resistance. In an instant, all eyes would be on them. The First Order would amplify their efforts tenfold in finding their bases and, subsequently, finding Ben Solo. Perhaps even General Organa. Their heads would be on stakes. But there was one thing she was confident in: the people of Hanna City. No, the entire population of Chandrila. They would not adhere to the First Order's call for a mutiny against the Resistance. Not when they had the galaxy's last force user in their grips. Not after all the good they'd done for those same people.

They could broadcast from underground along every available comm channel. Make their announcement and keep their heads down. Alert all bases to be on standby. Then, the real work would begin. They had to appeal to the masses, for sake of Ben Solo. They had to show that they had the advantage, and it was in the hands of a force user. They had to see the good. Had to rally them all to proactivity, to action. Numbers – the Resistanceneeded numbers. If a thousand, a hundred, hell, even one person joined the cause, then it was one more than they had before. They'd start with Hanna City, then all of Chandrila.

All Rey needed was for Ben Solo to agree.

Forgetting about her promise to Leia, Rey never made it to the barracks. After Ben disappeared behind closed doors, Rey switched on the datapad docked inside the table beside the lounge. For all that she knew about force users through her Resistance training and from history books, she still had questions. She knew they were powerful – enough to hold their own against the First Order and Snoke countless times before their eventual defeat. But what could they do? What advantage did Ben Solo give the Resistance, exactly? And if the rumors were true about Snoke, what exactly were they up against?

A quick search rendered a number of results – all certified, scholarly articles by reliable sources. Most of them were written by members of The Church of the Force, a now defunct organization that had once served the ancient Jedi Order. Their members, not actual force users themselves, were brutally executed in the wake of the Battle of Chandrila by General Hux and his First Commander, a menacing woman by the name of Phasma. Their crime: aiding and abetting dangerous beings; fostering conspiracy and sedition against the government; treason. All untrue, yet no one was allowed to say otherwise. The Church members weren't even given a trial, not that anyone outside of the First Order would preside. Without force users to protect them, their deaths were inevitable.

Time and time again, the articles were taken down by the First Order, but they always managed to make their way back to the comms. The Resistance was to blame for that, thanks to their persistence and strong, reliable security that enveloped not only the comms, but the bases themselves. They were privileged to know and use technology garnered from none other than Luke and Leia. Their lineage was drenched in the blood of war, and good came from it in the form of data and progressive tech collected over time. It was thanks to them that the Resistance had what numbers they had in the first place – thanks to their connections, the friends they made over the years, and beyond. It was hard to meet someone, on-planet or off, that was not at least an acquaintance of the Skywalker twins. Even harder to find someone to say anything negative, outside of the First Order. Thus, brave supporters came out of the woodwork, bringing their knowledge and expertise. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough against the vastly wealthy First Order who controlled taxation and government funds.

The first article Rey perused was entirely informational. The abilities a force user possessed varied depending upon the magnitude of their sensitivity. The range was astounding: mind altering and control, physical manipulation, healing, teleportation… the possibilities were limitless. Having them listed before her made Rey realize her understanding of force sensitivity was not as thorough as she'd thought. Her mind drifted back to the afternoon, hours ago, when she'd fallen from Junari Point. By all reasoning, Rey should have been dead; her neck broken by the water's impact. What powers had Ben used then, to assure that didn't happen?

Pushing the thought aside with a shudder, Rey moved on to the next article: more historical than informational. The origin of force sensitivity was skeptical. Most believed it was as old as time; that it was one with the galaxy, and the galaxy was one with the force. The central idea behind the force was in its balance – a yin and a yang, the dark and the light. Apparently, it was easy to tread either way, but in the balance, the gray, was where force users were meant to reside. Because of this, they were meant to be born in pairs. Brothers and sisters. Star-crossed lovers. Every last one of them, tied to another by a single thread of fate. That string stood the test of time, defied death, and could never be broken, and the source of their powers was channeled through it. One could not live without the other...

"If this is true…" Rey muttered to herself, her thumbnail between her teeth. "Then he can't be alone. It wouldn't be possible…"

A chill shivered up her spine and, instinctually, Rey snapped her head up to find Ben leaning against the doorframe of Leia's room. His eyes fixated on the hologram hovering above the datatable, pupils darting along the lines of text. Clearing her throat, Rey gestured to the article.

"Is it true?"

Ben shrugged. "You'll be relieved to hear I have no idea."

Rey frowned at his statement… but she imagined that old habits died hard and couldn't be expected to shift in the course of just one day. He probably believed most people would be dismayed to know another force sensitive could still exist somewhere in the world. But Rey was hopeful… more so for one option over the other, star-crossed one; not that she would admit it.

"If it is true," Rey continued, "then whoever it is would have to be close. It says here that when separated, a pair of force sensitives lose their power. They become human." Ben seemed unfazed by Rey's discovery, and it made her want to conk him on the head. Rising from her seat on the couch, she crossed the dark room over to him, wishing she hadn't dimmed the lights to see the hologram better. That way, she could've seen his face more clearly; maybe read his doubtful expression more accurately. He must not have heard her right.

"This could mean you aren't alone in the world. You could have a sibling out there! Or-or…" she fumbled over her words, but inevitably, he deserved to know. "You could have a significant other of some sort. And they'd have to be easy to find, if it says distance diminishes your abilities."

His stare was hard, and even in the dim illumination of the hologram, she could see resentment flash in his eyes. "What makes you think I would want to find them?"

Rey blinked. "Wouldn't you?"

Ben wouldn't answer. He didn't need to, if Rey thought about it. All he could focus on was how he'd been abandoned; left alone in a world that hated him. And all Rey could wonder was who, if anyone, could Ben Solo love if he hated all else?

"We're alike, you and I," Rey said, her voice as quiet as a sigh. Ben turned his sights to the floor at her assumption, as if the sound of it was ridiculous – or maybe it hurt to hear. It wasn't the easiest thing to believe, that a human and a force sensitive could have anything in common. But to Rey, it was. "I've lost memories, too."

That made Ben Solo meet her gaze again, but it was Rey's turn to look away. It was hard enough to think of her own story without staring into those eyes – the deep, dark ones that seemed to bore into her soul. She returned to her seat on the lounge, idly scrolling through the article as she spoke. "It was maybe a decade ago, give or take. That's how long ago I can remember, at least. Before that; nothing. All I can recall was waking up here, in this very base, with Leia and Luke watching over me." Rey smiled to herself, despite the tears that threatened. "I was orphaned by war. Your people's battle, actually. My guardians took me in; gave me a place and a purpose… even when they didn't have to. They weren't anything to me – not family, friends, nothing. They were simply… what did you call it? In the right place, at the right time?"

Glancing over her shoulder, Rey was surprised to see Ben more alert. His crossed arms were unfolded now, and he stood as if stuck in indecision: unsure whether to walk away from the weight of her past, or toward her in comfort. Why now did it seem so hard for him, when the decision to save her life just hours ago came so easily?

"No one claimed me, either," Rey admitted, and finally, her voice strangled in her throat. "I was abandoned in the Battle of Chandrila, they said. Found in the rubble, left to die. I never did find any pieces to pick up; any that fit."

If Ben Solo was good at anything, it was at being quiet. Inhaling and exhaling, methodical and cleansing, Rey switched off the datapad and stood. Whispering a hushed goodnight, she was nearly to the door when Ben finally spoke.

"I'll surrender to the Resistance," he murmured, right before Rey closed the door behind her.

Author's Note: Please let me know what you think! Special thanks to Jinga, Woodwork, and kyloxreytfa! Love you guys!