Shifting on the bed, Erinn rolled onto her back and looked to the ceiling above her, her eyes wide as she tried not to think about everything that had happened that day. She was struggling to sleep; yet Ben was sound asleep next to her. He had started with his arm around her, but Erinn had soon rolled away. She was dressed in nothing but one of his thin jumpers, but it went all the way down to her mid thigh as it was far too big for her.

Pushing herself from the bed, Erinn moved and knew that sleep would not come to her that evening. She looked to Ben and moved down to gently sweep his hair from his face as he slept. She said nothing as he rolled over and pressed his cheek further into the pillow. She smiled to him and pressed her lips to his temple.

Moving away from him, Erinn left the room and closed the door softly behind her. She pulled the jumper down her thighs and yawned, pressing her hand over her mouth as she wandered bare foot down the corridor. She had been in Ben's home multiple times and knew her way around, but she had no idea where to go.

She just knew that she needed to escape his stifling room and sit somewhere to get some fresh air. She moved to the small sitting room Ben often used and sat with her in. She would pick a book from Leia's bookshelves and sit on the floor to read it. Ben would sit behind her, growing restless as she rested against his thighs.

Opening the door, Erinn startled as soon as she saw that she was not alone.

"I am sorry, General…I shall…"

"Please," Leia stood up and shook her head, opening her arm to invite the girl in. "Erinn, you have no need to leave."

Erinn remained self-conscious as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Leia remained stood and looked at Erinn's attire, doing her best not to smile in amusement as the girl held a hand on her arm and awkwardly dropped a hip in a feeble attempt to make the jumper longer.

"Thank you," Erinn said and moved to the seat across from Leia, sitting down and leaning forwards as she draped her arms over her kneecaps.

"You are up late," Leia noted. "I trust that you have trouble sleeping after what has happened today?"

"Yes," Erinn said. "I miss mother already. I…I worry about what will happen to her. My father is not a nice man. He has never raised a finger to my mother, or me, but I know what he is capable of. I know that he does not appreciate traitors. We are nothing but traitors to him."

"I know," Leia said, unable to offer the girl any comfort. She had no idea what would happen to Marinet. She did not quite understand how her words could make this any better. "But your mother is a strong woman, Erinn. I only knew her for a short while, but I saw the strength inside of her. And she gave that strength to you. I can see that too."

Erinn scoffed and shook her head. "Do you think so?" she asked back, looking to the ground. "I do not feel strong. I feel destroyed…I…my mother is the only thing I had. She kept me happy when my father would have seen me miserable. I…there is only one other person I rely on as much as her and I have to watch him go off soon."

Leia sighed and she leant forwards too, doing her best to make Erinn look her in the eye as she moved a hand to her kneecaps and pulled at the material of her trouser leg.

"You know why Ben needs this, Erinn," Leia urged her.

"I know," Erinn sniffed and looked up, a tear slowly falling down her cheek as Leia felt her own eyes widen and water up. "And I know that this is for the best. Ben…I think that I love him."

Leia felt her heart swell as this girl confided in her. Had she even told Ben that? Had she even whispered those words to him? She had no idea, but she knew that her son felt the same way.

"I know that I love him" Erinn contradicted. "Whenever I see him I feel my stomach churn, but not in a bad way," Erinn quickly added on. "I feel happy…and…it is as though nothing else matters when he is there. I know it is pathetic. I know that I should be strong like mother, but I do not feel it. I feel as though everything is crumbling and I do not know what to do."

Leia wiped her own tears from her eye and she moved towards Erinn, standing up and moving to stand next to her chair. She moved her arm to wrap around Erinn's waist. She stiffened for a moment before allowing herself to lean against Leia.

"You do not have to anything, Erinn," Leia promised her. "You are safe here. You…Ben does not have to go yet, Erinn. He can stay for as long as you need him to. Delaying his training will not do anything."

"No," Erinn said and she knew that she had spoken too quickly as she bit her tongue and looked back to her lap. Erinn took a deep breath and knew that Leia sensed her worry.

She did not want to bring up what had happened in the forest earlier that day. It had been a slip. Ben had gotten angry and he had lost control. It had happened once. He had never done that before.

"Erinn," Leia spoke in a low voice and the girl shook her head.

"No," Erinn said. "It is nothing."

"I am no fool, Erinn," Leia declared. "I can see that you are avoiding my gaze and your cheeks have gone red. I am a mother, Erinn. I have a talent for these things."

Inhaling, Erinn turned her body to the side of the chair so that she could look at Leia in the eye. She held Leia's gaze and Erinn wondered what Ben would think. Would he understand why she had to talk about this? Would he see this as a betrayal? It was nothing but concern. Erinn was concerned for him.

"We were escaping the airbase," Erinn began, silently hoping that Ben would never find out about this. "We were cornered by one guard…Ben…he wiped his mind. He used the Force."

Leia's gaze continued to grow with shock at what she had just heard. Leia did not know that her son knew about the Force or how to use it. He had never told her or showed her. He had kept this in his own mind. He had done nothing but hide from Leia and Han.

"I did not know he could use the Force," Leia said.

"He can," Erinn said.

"And is that what is bothering you?" Leia wondered.

"Not exactly," Erinn mumbled. "He…he did something afterwards. He used the Force to strangle the guard. He…he continued to strangle him and I made him stop. I don't know what would have happened if he kept on going. He…I doubt that he would have killed him…"

Erinn shook her head at her own lie. She didn't believe what she had just said. She knew that Ben would have kept going. She knew that he would have killed him, but she didn't want to admit that. She didn't want Leia to know.

"I worried that this would happen," Leia mumbled and stood again as Erinn watched her begin to pace. "He is volatile. He has a temper…but I never thought that this would happen…never…"

"He is good," Erinn defended him. "I know that he is good, but he scared me. I have never seen him look like that. Please, do not…I don't want him to know that I told you."

Leia pursed her lips, unsure of whether she could make that promise to her or not. She knew that she should try. She was a kind girl, and Erinn did not deserve to lose Ben when she was looking out for him.

"I cannot let anything happen to him," Leia said. "He is not his grandfather. I know that he is not his grandfather. Ben is a kind and considerate young man, but we both know that he has a temper, Erinn. His grandfather had the same temper."

"But he is not him," Erinn quickly agreed. "He just needs to learn. He is inexperienced…not evil. I have lived with evil. Ben is not that."

Nodding, Leia cupped her chin in her fingertips and stood by the fireplace in the room. She looked into the flames whilst Erinn stood up and knew that she should go back to Ben before he discovered that she was missing.

"I know that you love him, Erinn," Leia declared. "And he loves you…but…I think he should go sooner rather than later. He will return…he will find you wherever you may be…here…another planet…but I know that Ben loves you enough to be with you. Nothing will happen to either of you."

Erinn gave a small smile to Leia before she wiped her eyes to clear any moisture from them. Leia moved to the girl and squeezed her shoulder tightly, giving her a reassuring nod and urging her to go back to Ben whilst she thought about everything she had just heard.

Moving down the hallways, Erinn found herself back where she had spent the rest of her evening. She pushed the door open and shut it, only to see Ben propping himself onto his elbows to look at her. She remained with her back against the door, her hands holding the doorknob as Ben glanced over to her, his eyes narrow and his face full of confusion.

"Erinn," he spoke lowly. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Erinn declared, noting how his sheet dropped to his waist as he fully sat up to sit against the headboard. Erinn admitted that she was grateful that he was wearing his simple black top. "I went for a quick drink of water."

"Right," Ben mumbled and moved to pat his bed.

Erinn wandered back over and Ben couldn't help but note her bare thighs as his jumper rode up her legs. She kept quiet as she pulled the covers back and climbed into the bed again. She rolled over onto her side and Ben opened his arm towards her and she pressed herself against his side. She moved her own arm over his waist, her head resting just beneath his chest as she closed her eyes.

"You are still stressed?" Ben asked. "Ignore that, I know you are still stressed. That was a silly question."

"No," Erinn promised him. "It…I'm just struggling to sleep."

Ben shifted against her side. "I can help you," he whispered and Erinn looked up to him with her narrowed stare. "I can use the Force to help you sleep and to calm your thoughts."

Erinn was slightly unprepared for that declaration and she didn't entirely know if she wanted Ben in her mind. But what did she have to lose? She could feel her head pounding and she knew that sleep would make her forget.

"If you can," she told him.

Ben moved the hand he had around her waist up her arm to her head, his hand cupping her cheek as she continued to stare to him. He closed his eyes and concentrated, doing his best not to look her in the eye so that she could not distract him. Only when he felt her weight completely fall against him did he peel an eye open and see Erinn's face pressed against his chest.

Moving to adjust her on the pillow, Ben pushed her hair from her face and kissed her on the cheek and allowed her to sleep as he returned to rest by her side.

…..

Marinet Hux was prepared for whatever insult her husband intended to throw her way as she made her way through their stately home and towards his private study. Andrew led the way whilst Marinet was flanked by two guards, her head held high as her hands remained by her side. The smell of the house was enough to make her want to wretch.

It was cold and she could smell the fear which radiated through the walls. Everything about the building made her feel numb and painful inside. But she was not scared. She had spent the first few years of her marriage being too scared of her husband, but not anymore. Now she was more concerned for her children.

Opening the door to Brendol's study, Andrew stepped in first and Marinet swore that her son puffed his chest as he stood taller and swept into the room.

"Father," he greeted the man sat behind the desk. "I did as you asked."

Brendol stood up as a guard pushed Marinet into the room, almost causing her to trip over her long skirt as she turned her head over her shoulder to glower at him. She then turned her attention to her husband and she would have smirked had she thought it appropriate. He had not changed at all.

"Marinet," he spoke her name. "What a lovely surprise."

"Oh, I can imagine," Marinet assured him. "And how charming of you to have me sent back here, Brendol. Honestly, I can think of nowhere I would rather be."

She saw Brendol's gaze darken and he nodded at the two guards in the room as Andrew remained stood to the side, his hands behind his back as he looked at his mother, silently urging for her not to be so defiant. The guards' left and the clicking of the door echoed through the vast room. Brendol moved from behind his desk towards his wife, standing in front of her.

They both continued to stare at each other, neither one relenting. Brendol opened his mouth, a short breath leaving him before he thought better, snapping his mouth shut and raising his hand to his wife. His palm made contact with her cheek, sending her to the floor as Andrew took a step forwards out of instinct. He stopped as soon as he realised what he was doing and placed both his feet together, his face impassive and his eyes moved between his mother and father.

"Where is Erinn?" Hux demanded from his wife. "Do you think that I want you back? You have no use, Marinet. You have given me what I need."

Marinet looked to Andrew and she bit down on her cheek as she remained knelt on the floor. "Our daughter wants nothing to do with you," she declared. "She will not be brainwashed like our son."

"Andrew learned what he had to," Brendol sniped to his wife. "He is much more obedient than Erinn."

"Erinn knows what is right," Marinet struggled to the push herself to her feet as she spoke. "And I do not know where she is. She was not on D'Qar with me."

Narrowing his gaze, Brendol turned to look to his son and a moment of annoyance ran through him as he wandered to sit back behind his desk.

"You would never let her leave," Brendol declared. "You know where she is, Marinet, and I shall find out from you. Do you think that you will have special treatment because you are my wife? You are a traitor…and you know how we extract information from traitors."

Andrew felt a bead of sweat drop down his forehead as he removed the hat which sat on his head and Marinet looked slightly worried at her husband's threats. She had been immune to them before, but now she felt something else.

"She said that Erinn had gone to Jakku," Andrew suddenly declared. "She said that she had fallen in love with a mechanic. Apparently she should return to D'Qar, but we have no way of knowing when."

Looking over to his son, Brendol cocked one brow and tilted his head, doing his best not to look too disappointed with his son. He could see the emotion in Andrew's eyes. He could hear it in his words. His son was still loyal to his mother. He was still trying to protect her.

"Send me to Jakku and monitor the airspace around D'Qar," Andrew said, coughing once and trying to sound authoritative. "If we find out that she is lying then do what needs to be done."

Marinet's mouth gaped open as she looked to her son and Brendol laced his fingers together on his desk, peering over the top of them as he regarded Andrew with intrigue. Perhaps there was another way to make his son see that traitors were not tolerated.

"Fine," Brendol agreed, leaning back and looking between the pair of them.

There was no denying that Andrew was the spitting image of Marinet. Both of them had fiery red hair and the same coloured eyes. There was hardly any of Brendol in Andrew.

"But if you do discover she is lying then you shall extract the information from her, am I clear?"

The room fell silent and Marinet did her best not to sneer at her husband for what he had just said. Andrew tried to remain emotionless, reminding himself of all of his training at the Academy. Traitors were not tolerated. Emotions were not needed. Family could be turned against.

He gulped and tried to hide the momentary disgust he felt for his father as he nodded. "Of course, father."

"Good," Brendol nodded. "Prepare your men to leave in the morning. Take Marinet to a cell."

Nodding, Andrew grabbed his mother's elbow and began to steer her from the room, only to stop when Brendol spoke again, his voice low and deadly.

"I only hope we do find Erinn, Marinet," Brendol declared, his gaze set firmly on his wife. "For your sake."

….

Erinn finally opened her eyes and the sun was streaming into the bedroom she laid in. She was still on her side with the sheets pulled up to her chin. She closed her eyes again before rolling over, her arm flinging open to an empty space. Peeling one eyelid open, she noted that Ben's side of the ben was empty. The sheets were ruffled, but he was not in them.

It was only a minute later when the door opened and he walked in. He was dressed for the day in a light blue jacket over a simple black top and black trousers. His hair was ruffled and he was carrying a tray in his hands as he closed the door with his foot.

"How did you sleep?" he asked as he moved towards the bed and Erinn sat up, still slightly disorientated.

"Peacefully," she responded. "What is this?"

Sitting down on the bed, Ben placed the try in between them as Erinn smelt the familiar aroma of her childhood favourite food as Ben held a hand out to the plate beneath them.

"Well, I remember you said that you liked happy-patty, even though it is for children, and so I thought that you could do with something."

Erinn smiled at hearing that and she moved to grab the fork by the plate's side before diving into the food. She held a hand under the fork so that the didn't drop anything and she placed it in her mouth, chewing delicately as Ben picked up his own fork.

"When did you learn how to cook?" Erinn questioned him.

"I happen to be a very good cook," Ben informed her, chewing on his own food. "But you have never bothered to try my cooking."

"Ben, you could burn water," Erinn counteracted and he chuckled, glancing down to the bed sheet beneath him as Erinn sipped on her water.

"Fine," he declared. "I had some help. My mother was with me."

Erinn froze then, recalling the conversation she had held with Leia the previous night. Had she said anything? She couldn't have. Ben seemed to be in amicable mood. He would not be sat here laughing and joking with her if he had been told what she had done. He didn't pick up on her sudden worry as she finished her half of the meal.

"Erinn," Ben said, his tone turning serious as she looked back to him and held her glass of water in both hands.

Ben continued to watch her, just thinking about how much he would miss this. He would miss being close to her. He would miss seeing her at every opportunity, falling asleep beside her and seeing her when she first woke up. He would miss running his hands through her waist long dirty brown hair. He would miss how her cheeks tinted red whenever he kissed her. He would miss the feeling of her body moulding against his.

But he would be back before he knew it. He would never be gone for long.

"I was speaking with mother," he declared. "She thinks that I should go as soon as possible to my Uncle Luke. Of course, I asked her to keep you here. I do not think it would be safer for you to run away…and be on your own…the chances of your brother coming back here is slim. He already tried and failed."

Erinn nodded. She was not entirely shocked that he had been told this. Leia would want him to learn before he became out of control.

"I see," Erinn said. "But if I stay here then I endanger your parents, Ben."

"No," Ben promised her. "You are more in danger fleeing here than you are staying. Please, Erinn. Mother has people at the base keeping the airspace clear. If they hear anything then you can hide. You hid yesterday-"

"-Only because of you," Erinn retorted. "Ben, I cannot rely on you or your family to protect me forever. I…I cannot put them-"

"-Erinn," Ben interrupted her. "Listen to me: you are in no danger here. Please, just stay here for my sake. Just trust me. Trust my mother. She was not convinced, but I persuaded her. She is fond of you, Erinn."

Erinn was shocked to hear that. She had argued with Leia before, but Erinn wondered if that time had been forgotten. It must have been if she now had favour with the woman.

"Is there any use arguing with you?" Erinn wondered back.

Ben smirked and shook his head as he moved to lean over, his forehead resting just above hers as his lips found hers.

"Not really."

...

A/N: Once again, thank you so much to anyone showing an interest in this story! There will be some major things coming up which will slowly see a shift in this story. But do let me know what you think!