Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update. I've been through some rough situations that I'll tell you by the end of the chapter.

Thank you for the kind reviews in the last chapter! They've really lightened my day up after what I've experienced recently. I'll answer them after my notes ;)

Remember to leave your opinions, and let's get going!

Chapter 10 : Presences

Five hours had passed, and tears were still dripping down Rey's cheeks. Her sobbing had stopped, but her feelings were still mixed about their decision.

"It's the right thing to do. The Resistance will be safer without him popping up in my mind, and I'll be more focused in the fight ahead of us."

Then why there's a part of you that doesn't want it to stop?

She closed her eyes, trying to forget all of this.

"Why Force, why?" She asked, her voices echoing through her quarters.

She'd already put the Bacta patch he'd given her. It had a First Order insignia in it, so Rey had to remove it with something. Do to her not wanting to head to the refresher in her state of mind, as well as her reasonings to avoid making Finn more concerned about her, she'd used her own tears to clean it. And by each tear that dropped in the simbol, the more she remembered him.

She'd felt something coming from him. Hesitancy, turmoil, indecision. She couldn't figure out which one of those it were, but she knew one thing clear :

She felt the three of them.

And she wanted to just let go.

Darkness raises, and Light to meet it. So that meant she was the Light that contrasted his Dark. But he still had the good inside of him. She knew it was tearing him apart like a rash, and even then, he kept it locked away as best as he could.

She knew he could be turned. What she'd seen when they touched hands on Ahch-To proved it. And she would be the one to save his soul. It didn't matter if Snoke had or hadn't manipulated the vision. She had a goal and she had promissed herself she would do it.

But closing the Bond would cut her from any chances of rescuing Ben Solo.

So this was the dilemma. Save her friends or save him?

Keep the spark alive or attempt to create a fire?

That could burn itself away into the shadows?

The idea of redeeming him was strong, but like Leia had told her, they couldn't risk taking high chances. The Resistance needed to gather it's strenght back together, while at the same time giving hope to the rest of the Galaxy.

Hope that one day, maybe one day, would redeem him.

The decision had been taken. She had to do it.

Once the Bond was finally closed for good, the Last Jedi would help those in need and restore the peace to the Light.

Well, at least she hoped she was a Jedi.

Wiping the tears away from her face, she got up, checking if the patch was firmly put, and headed out of her room, preparing to fake a trustful expression in her face. As she stepped out, she heard the other room's door opening, revealing a sad but calm woman. She was looking down, and by the looks of it she hadn't realized Rey was next to her.

She walked closer to the mechanic, pressing her lips.

"Hey."

Rose looked at her, her eyes still flooding with sadness.

"Hey." She said, looking back at the floor. Rose had been a no one for most of her life, only checking on pipes and fixing the cables aboard Resistance ships. It was nothing truly special, and her missions to Canto Bight and to the Supremacy were a failure. So why was the Resistance's greatest heroine talking to her?

"Do you need any help?" Rey asked, crossing her arms.

"No, thanks. I'm fine. I just... *sigh* feel useless."

"I feel the same way."

Rose raised an eyebrow to the Jedi. How could heroes feel useless?

"I'm sorry for your loses." Rey said, stepping closer. Rose felt as if she was being cornered by the woman in front of her.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for Han. He looked like a great guy" Rose knew that Rey had been with Finn on Starkiller Base, and that she'd most likely witnessed the former Rebellion General's death in the hands of the cruel Kylo Ren.

"Thanks."

The two remained quiet, and Rose was feeling an urge to just rush away from the heroine next to her. But then she remembered that Jedi could use the Force, so that could mean...

"Uh, Master Jedi?" Rey widened her eyes at Rose's calling. She was barely an apprentice to Luke, so why was she calling her 'Master'?

"Can I ask you a favor? Please?" Rose asked, curiosity filling her mind. Maybe, just maybe, it was true.

"Of course. What is it?"

Rose gulped, and said :

"My sister passed away during the evacuation of D'Qar." She momentarily closed her eyes, shaking away the painful memories of the happy times she'd had with Paige.

"I know. Her sacrifice saved us all."

Indeed it had. Rose focused her gaze on Rey, and continued :

"I've heard that when a person dies, she becomes one with the Force. You can feel the force, can't you?"

Rey bit her lip, getting curious as well "Yes, I can. Why?

Rose held her hands together, and took the courage to take a step forward, facing the Jedi.

"Do you think you can, somehow, feel her? See if she's ok?"

Rey almost gasped. She'd never attempted such a thing. Moving objects was the best she could do, and she had no control over the Bond yet. This was entirely different.

Or maybe it wasn't. Master Luke had taught her how to feel the Force back on Ahch-To. How to balance the Light and Darkness of the planet, and how to let it flow through her.

She could try to use the same method now.

"I'll do my best" She replied, smiling "Give me your hands."

Rose froze. She was actually going to touch a Jedi.

Trembling, she raised her hands, and Rey took them in her own. She held them close, diving into the Force, using Rose's feelings as a guide. She was troubled, much like she was, but her feelings were her compass.

Focusing more, she tried to look at each corner for a presence, but it was in vain. There was nothing.

"She isn't there, is she?"

Rey opened her eyes, seeing a tear fall down Rose's right eye. Her lips were shaking, and Rey felt as if she herself was going to cry.

But then there was something. A spark of determination. A small yet powerful presence. It wasn't strong with the Force, but it was something.

And it came from... Rose?

No. Something with Rose.

Rey saw a necklace in the mechanic's neck, and asked :

"Can I see your necklace?"

Rose took the object out of her head and gave it to Rey "It's from my homeworld. My sister had one just like it, and when combined the two would from a full moon."

Rey smirked, knowing what to do. She took Rose's hand alongside the necklace, and closed her eyes. She searched thbrough the Force, following the presence she'd felt before, and then, it struck her. A wave of sorrow and regret, but full of happiness, pride, joy and care. She looked at Rose smiling, and it appeared as if the young mechanic had felt the same.

"She's ok. She loves you so much Rose. She'll always be with you."

Rose gave her a big smile, with tears of joy leaving her face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so much Master Jedi!" Rose said, and without thinking, hugged Rey. The former scavanger was surprised, but hugged her back. Rose seemed to get aware of what she was doing, and backed away.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so thankful for this, Master Jedi!"

"You can call me Rey." She said, grinning. Rose looked down, happiness eminating from her face.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks Rey."

"You're welcome." Rey said, and feeling as if Rose needed it, she hugged her again. Rose froze in place, not expecting this from a Resistance heroine, but even so, she returned the favor.

"Now come. Finn must be dying of worry for you."

"For me? He's not my butler or something like that!."

Rey chuckled, and headed to the common room with Rose, joining the other Resistance members. Finn noticed the two young women, and got closer.

"Rose, are you feeling better?" He asked, putting a hand in the engineer's shoulder.

"I am, thanks for asking. Rey helped me to get alive."

Finn looked at Rey, and smiled. Rey returned the gesture, happy "Did Poe manage to clean his necklace?"

Finn sighed, but playfully "Took some while for him to remove the whole thing, but it looks brand new now."

"What was so important about it in the end?" Rey asked. A voice came from behind her, and Rose jumped, getting scared by Poe's sudden appearence.

"This necklace has my mother's wedding ring. It's all I have left from her. I'm just waiting so that one day I might find the love of my life and give it to this person." The pilot ran his fingers through the ring, as if he was caressing it.

"Well, good luck in your search." Finn said, crossing his arms. Poe looked at him, freezing mentally. Rey felt a small shift in his presence through the Force, but couldn't figure out what it was because Poe quickly said :

"Yeah, thanks man." He passed through Finn, tapping the former stormtrooper's shoulder, but Rey could sense that there was something different about that touch.

"C'mon, let's join the others at the table." Rose said, snapping Rey out of her thoughts, and she and Finn followed the mechanic to the table. In the couch sat Leia and General Ematt, with Commander D'Acy and C'ai Threnali managing the hologram in front of them.

"Rose, glad to see you here. Are you ok?" General Organa asked.

"Yes, General. Don't worry." Rose was still a little shaken by the events that had taken place two weeks earlier, but thanks to Rey she could feel more relaxed knowing that her sister was at piece in the Force.

"Good. We need all the bravery we can have, and I know you have the guts for it." She said, pointing her cane at Rose. The mechanic grinned, and Leia shifted her gaze towards Rey "I need to speak with you later, alone."

Rey's eyes widened. Did Leia have a special assignment for her?

The General turned her attention to the hologram, and said :

"We'll activate the signal in orbit of Sullust. Hopefully it will be strong enough to reach our allies. We need new power cells and fuel, and because we can't get near any major world without drawing attention of the First Order, we'll stay only half an hour. If we don't find anyone, we jump again, but let's hope someone hears us. We are in an alarming need of supplies."

Rey bit her lip. She remembered her talk to him. She didn't know if he had already issued the order for his men to quit the search for the Resistance. But do to the incident on Dantooine of a man acting off his chain of command, she feared that someone would disobey his rule sooner or later.

The fact that he crossed her mind coincided with Leia staring at her, serious and raising an eyebrow, and that made Rey feel a shiver in her spine. Maybe it wasn't a special assignment after all.

The General stood up, taking her cane "That's all for now. May the Force be with us."

The Resistance members returned to what they were doing, which couldn't be much do to the Falcon's size. Leia walked towards Rey, and said :

"Come to my room, now."

Rey felt a cold sensation, but followed the older woman. The two entered Leia's quarters, and the General activated the soundproof system. She turned to face Rey.

"I feel as if you're not being fully honest with me, Rey."

Rey opened her mouth. She didn't keep anything from Leia, except for...

"About what, Leia?"

"What happened when you were with Luke and when you faced Snoke?"

Rey sit, replying :

"I already told you. Luke refused to train me and to believe there was any good in Ben, so I got there and tried to bring him to the Light. He killed Snoke, but instead of redeeming himself, he took control of the First Order."

Leia sighed, holding her cane firmly "There's something more to it, isn't there?"

Rey thought for a moment, short enough for Leia not to find it suspicious. Could she tell her about the Bond? The shock would be too big for her to handle it.

"Yeah, lying is a better option." Rey thought, and said :

"There isn't Leia. I swear..."

Leia rolled her eyes, and weakly hit her cane in Rey's head. The young Jedi looked at her, disbelieved. Leia ignored her look, and spoke :

"Cut the crap Rey. I'm no Jedi and I wasn't trained in the ways of the Force, but I can still feel it. I sensed his presence here about two hours ago, and yesterday as well. Tell me the truth now."

Rey gasped. She knew Leia had the Force, but didn't know she was strong to this extent. But if she could use it to pull herself from space back to the Raddus, like Finn had told her, then she shouldn't be surprised she could sense presences. Rey lowered her head.

"When I was in the island, I found out I had a Force Bond with Ben. We can't see each other's surroundings, but we can interact with objects through it, and use some Force abilities as well. That's how I found out how he turned to the Dark Side, and why I sensed the good in him and went to Snoke's ship. He also gave me the Bacta patch I'm using right now. We're short in medical supplies." For some reason she felt more relaxed when the words left her mouth. It was good to talk to someone about the Bond that wasn't him.

"I noticed that." Leia said, putting her hand in Rey's lap "Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?"

She gulped, and spoke :

"I didn't know how you would react. I thought you were going to isolate me or something. I also needed to learn more about this Bond, but it only reappeared yesterday."

"I'm not going to isolate you or something extrem as that, but you have to tell me more. You didn't leak any of our plans, did you?" Leia asked, concerned. Rey turned, answering :

"No, of course not! I would never do that to you guys, you're my family!"

Leia smiled, swinging her cane. They remained in silence for a moment, until Leia talked again.

"What do you know about this 'Bond'?"

Rey bit her lip "When I confronted Snoke he said he was the one who had created it. But now that he's dead, the Bond is still bridging our minds, so we think there's more to it than Snoke's influence."

"We?" The General asked, getting curious.

"Yes, we." Rey made an urge not to bring him up to her thoughts too much "We've talked about the Bond, and we've both agreed that it must stop." Rey felt the same pain she'd felt when she'd told him those exact same words "He agreed to draw the Order's attention while I try to make us not attack them while we search for ways to close the Bond."

"Well, don't worry because we're not attacking the First Order any time soon with the Falcon alone." Leia chuckled "How are you going to find a way to close it?"

"I've taken some books from Luke's island. Ancient Jedi Texts. Maybe they have something that can help us."

Leia nodded, not surprised. She had seen some old books in one of the Falcon's drawers, and she doubted those were Han's. He'd never been one interested in reading.

But a thought crossed Leia's mind. Maybe this Bond could work to the Resistance's advantage.

"Rey, I'm not going to tell anybody about this Bond. It's a secret between you and me."

"Thank you." Rey said, holding Leia's hand.

"But I think you shouldn't close it just yet."

She quickly let go her hand, and stood up. As much as a part of her wanted the Bond to continue to exist for some reason, she knew it was too dangerous.

"Leia, are you crazy? This Bond threats the entire Resistance, if there even is one by this point! We're the last survivors, and I don't know if he is being honest with me. He could be using me from what I know!" Something deep inside her told her that it wasn't true, and that he was being loyal to his word. But even so, caution was needed.

Leia got up, propping herself with the cane "I know Rey. But think the other way around : You could use him instead."

A strange feeling popped up in her chest, as if it were betrayal. Why was Leia proposing this?

"Leia, I gave him my word. We won't attack him until-"

"You've said it yourself that we can't fully trust him, Rey!" Leia said, cutting Rey's reply off "Trust me, I don't want to this this either. I do still have hope that one day he will come back to us, but right now, willingly or not, he's the enemy, and an opportunity like this to learn about the First Order's plans is too big for you to let it pass by. Rey, this could be the key for our survival! And besides, you won't be attacking the Order directly : you will simply trick him to tell you about their plans. You can be our spy."

Rey processed what Leia had said. She was right, this was a chance to predict what their enemy would do, and it would help in their quest to overthrow the First Order. But still, she had made a promise to him. Should she break her word?

"Leia, I-I... I don't know..."

The older woman smiled, and started heading to the door. But before leaving, she said :

"I'll leave it up for you to decide. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do. If in the end you think that breaking the connection you have with my son is the best course of action, then do it. But think about what we could learn from this Bond. It might be worth the risk."

Rey stared at Leia, her mind getting tormented. Should she close it and save her friends, or leave it open and save her friends?

And... Betray him?

The door opened, and Leia stepped out.

"I'm sure you will make the right call. Don't feel yourself pressed, Rey. Be calm until you make your decision." And with that Leia left, probably heading to the common room to discuss plans with Commander D'Acy.

She gazed at the wall, troubled. Leia had a good point, no doubt. But could she do such a thing as lying to him? She knew she'd disappointed him when she hadn't joined him after Snoke's death, but then they didn't have a common goal. Now they did, and if closing the Bond was what they thought was the right thing to do, then they would do it.

But that didn't explain the pain that came to her chest when she thought about it.

She wanted to scream. She headed to the door and checked if the soundproof system was still on, and after confirming it was, she let out a loud and sad yell.

She tried to calm herself, remembering Leia's words. She didn't have to accept her offer, but even then it was too good for her to deny it. The Resistance would need everything they needed if they were to succeed in this war, and the Supreme Leader would certainly be the person with most information about the regime.

And even then, she was being torn apart. But she had time to think about it. Rey looked up, staring at the ceiling, imagining his face, and then said :

"Ben, what is going on with me?"

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I wanted to deveçop Rey's use of her Force powers, and sensing Paige's presence in the Force seemed like a good way to do so. After all, it's not always that we need action, right? Poe's necklace has his mother's wedding ring, and I got that information from the Visual Dictionary for the Last Jedi. I liked his mother in the Shattered Empire comics, and c'mon, anyone that teams up with Luke becomes instantly awesome.

And last but not least, now Leia knows about the Bond. I wanted to start this story with Leia already knowing about it, but I thought that making her finding it out just later on and giving Rey that plan to keep it open would give better story elements for the overall narrative. Now we just have to wait and see what Rey will do now.

We'll stick with Rey and the Resistance for the next couple of chapters, so expect more internal struggle for Rey and some side things with Finn, Poe and Rose. I promise there will be less Porgs this time, though ;)

I have an important message for you guys by the end of the chapter. But first, let's answer your reviews :

Abby Pickard : When it comes to Force Bond chapters I'll try my best not to make them rushed, unless the situation requires it to be. I'm really happy you liked it! Maybe my headache was just playing with my mind after all. I'll do my best so that the incoming chapters will be as good as the last one, and thank you for your kind words for this story and for me! I highly appreciate it!

MythStar Black Dragon : Because I'm stupid and I don't know how to drive a plot forward. JUST KIDDING. I hope... Ahem! Well, they are not sure about how they feel about the Bond, each other and the situation as a whole. How they'll begin to open up to one another, you'll have to wait and see...

Tessawrites94 : Really? I've seen some similar plot ideas like the one I've put it in here, but in most cases they were only insignificant lines or scrapped ideas, so I got curious if this was to happen, and honestly, it's what I think Kylo and Rey would agree to do, even though the two of don't want it to end, in a way. Well, here's a new chapter for you! And I'm happy you were able to understand their emotions with my writing.

.Thinker : I'm glad you think so! I hope the next ones are as well!

Marianita-chan : Well, come aboard, because FF has been bugging with me as well. Sometimes my reviews don't get posted or my chapters don't get published. *sigh* Let's hope one day most of it is fixed. Thank you for loving this story, and well, I'm excited as well!

Now, to the message. So people, I know it's a bad thing, but I might take longer to upload new chapters. Allow me to explain myself :

1- From this point forward, this story is going to expand it's dimensions and possibilities. I wanted to make a Reylo fic, obviously, but also one that could detail the state of the rest of the Galaxy after what happened in Episodes VII and VIII. This is supposed to be like TCW, but written and with loads of Reylo. The focus of the story will still be in Kylo and Rey, but there will be chapters that will flash out what Leia, Hux, Finn, Rose, Poe and the rest are up to. Again, don't worry, most chapters will be Reylo centric.

2- I live in Brazil, so it's not a safe place, and Monday I was robbed in front of my home. They took my phone and wallet while pointing a gun to my back. After that I got into some trouble with my family and... Let's say I'm traumatized, and I'll need some time to recover physically and mentally. I don't want you guys to pity me or to be sorry for me, I just want you to comprehend and to be a little patient.

I'm really sorry if the decision I've reached doesn't please you. It's just that I need to think about what I've been doing recently, and how the robbery affected me. I'm a little bit better now, but I still get nightmares from that night. I'm going into full details here, you don't need to worry about me or to know about my personal life. What matters is the story.

Chapters 11 and 12 are already sketched and half written, with ideas that go up to chapter 17 already being saved and developed. This story is about to expand to a level that I personally haven't seen any Reylo fics reach, and I hope you like it. As a question for you guys, I'll ask : What characters and planets from the other movies, TV shows, comics, books and games do you want to see? Because hell, I might surprise some of you.

Remember to review. I love getting your opinions and I'll always do my best to reply them. Ask questions if you will, and leave any kind of opinion, be it good or bad, it doesn't matter for me. Your thoughts help me to develop the story forward!

Again, thank you guys for reading, and remember :

May the Force be with you.

Always.