Finn had been waiting for Rey and Poe in the mess hall and we he saw them walk through the door a small look of surprise fluttered over his face has he saw Poe's arm wrapped around Rey's shoulders. The moment was fleeting and he all but jumped out of his seat. "She's awake! Rose is awake!" he shouted. Rey let a big smile overtake her face. "That's great Finn! How is she doing?" she asked. "She's alright. Still sore and doesn't remember everything very clearly but the medic said that should come back to her the more she recovers." Finn said. Rey was happy to see Finn so excited and happy, the past few weeks had been difficult for him.
sat down at the table and Poe brought her a tray of food and sat next to her at the table. Finn sat across from the two and talked nonstop about Rose and her condition has he stuffed his face with food. He must have skipped lunch as well, Rey thought laughing to herself. She continued eating and her mind began to wander to her lesson with Ben this morning. Had it really only been this morning? She thought. It felt like it had been months ago and Rey had to admit that she was missing him. Rey wanted to see him again and soon. She felt something so different around him. Like the world would disappear around her and there was only him. Only Ben.
"Rey!" Finn said loudly looking at right at her. Rey jumped and let out a small smile. "Sorry I was in my own world. What's up?" Finn eyed her curiously. "We were just talking about how fast the resistance is growing. We maybe ready to go after the First Order again soon, and hopefully we can finally take out Kylo Ren." The way Finn had said, "Take out Kylo Ren" made her stomach drop and her small smile disappear. She quickly recovered her emotions though and hoped that no one noticed the small change. "That's great Finn. Just let me know what I can do to help." Finn smiled back at her, happy to see that she was eager to end the First Order as much as he was. "You got it Rey!" Finn began cleaning up his tray and moving away from the table. "I'm going to go check on Rose. See ya later!" He said waving and leaving the hall.
Rey thought no one had caught her slight change in emotions when Finn brought up ending the First Order but more importantly Kylo Ren, but Poe had. Rey hadn't noticed that Poe had been watching her carefully as Finn had been talking to her. He saw the anger, fear, and sadness run through her within a few short seconds before she composed herself enough to respond to Finn. Poe wondered why she might have these reactions to Finn's statement but couldn't come up with anything, until he realized that this was still all so new to Rey. She had just begun with the Resistance not even 4 months ago and her life has totally changed. Of course, she would be angry and sad at the tasks she was now being asked to do. Of course, she was scared. She feared Kylo Ren and the First Order. This made Poe angry inside. He would protect her he vowed to himself. He wouldn't let that dog get anywhere near her to hurt her. Rey was to pure to innocent to let someone like Kylo Ren corrupt and ruin her. Poe smiled at Rey and was thankful that she returned that smile. "Well I think I'm going to head to my room to sleep." Rey said. "It's been a long day and I'm exhausted." Poe felt a little sad at that but didn't let it show. "Absolutely!" He said. "I'll walk with you." The two of them cleaned up their dinner and headed out of the mess hall.
Poe stood with Rey outside of her door talking about what they could do tomorrow on the ships they had been working on today. Rey opened the door to her room and was about to walk in to retire for the night. "Night Poe. I'll see you in the morning." Poe didn't want to miss the opportunity and quickly wrapped Rey up in a hug standing just outside the open door. Rey was to shocked to say or do anything. Before she could get her bearings, she felt that familiar tug in her mind and the room went silent around her. She looked to her right inside her room and saw him. She saw Ben. He was standing there dressed all in black with his hands at his sides and his face was as hard as stone. She could she Ben clench his fists at his sides making his arms shake. She had to get rid of Poe and talk to Ben. "Thanks Poe. Goodnight." She said gently has she put her arms on his biceps and pushed him away. "Night darlin." Poe said with a wink and then walked away. Rey shook her head she couldn't understand what was happening around her. Never mind that now, she though. Rey quickly entered her room and shut the door and was standing face to face with a stone-cold Ben.
Ben could feel the rage boiling in his body. He wanted so badly to kill that pilot. How dare he touch her. She was his. He had seen it in the vision when they touched hands so long ago. She would stand by his side and he was still going to make that happen. Rey was his and would always be his. He vowed that when the day came that pilot would not make it out alive. Ben tried his hardest to keep his emotions in check. He knew Rey would not respond well to what he wanted to do. When he had appeared in front of her and saw that filthtouching her he wanted to walk straight through the force bond and end is tiny life.
"Ben?" Rey asked softly, drawing him out of his thoughts of murdering the insignificant pilot. He looked at her and softened the moment he saw her eyes. She was looking at him concerned. "Are you alright?" she asked. Ben couldn't help but snigger at her question, "Not as well as you apparently." He said. That confused her. "What?" she asked, and Ben just stared at her. "Poe?" Rey said, and Ben rolled his eyes and turned away from her. "Ben, Poe is just my friend. That's all he will ever be." She said softly to him walking closer. "That didn't seem like friendship." He snapped back. "Seemed well on its way past friendship." That made Rey angry. "What do you care?" she retorted. Ben spun around with fire in his eyes. "What do you mean what do I care?" He said through gritted teeth. "I didn't think that was a confusing question Ben. What do you care? Why does it matter to you at all whether or not I am with someone like Poe?!" She shouted at him now. Her blood was boiling and coursing through her veins lot hot fire. Rey could feel the force around them. It was so strong and electric it was almost tangible. "I care because you are supposed to be with me, not some irrelevant resistance Pilot." Ben wasn't shouting at her. He was much more quiet. His voice was deep and filled with rage. She could feel that he was ready to explode with how angry seeing her with Poe had made him. She couldn't understand why but she wanted to reach out to him and show him that she didn't want Poe.
Rey didn't realize how close they were until she looked down and realized they were nearly touching. Her closeness had surprised him as well, but he had to admit that with her so near he could feel the calmness take over him. Her light called to him like always. "Rey." He said. Ben brushed the back of his gloved hand against her cheek. He couldn't help himself, he had wanted to touch her again ever since the night in her hut. Rey didn't pull away and she self-confessed that she didn't want to. He was so close to her and her heart was beating fast and loud. "Ben." She said back.
Ben cupped her cheek with his hand, his fingers touching the side of her neck and hair. His thumb brushed her cheek repeatedly and Rey closed her eyes and leaned her face into his touch. She couldn't resist. There was something about him that soothed her soul. It brought her peace. It brought her balance. "I don't want Poe, Ben. I told you that night on the Falcon. I don't want anything, but you and I wasn't lying. I haven't wanted anything but you since we touched that first night." Said admitted to him while blushing furiously. Ben couldn't take his eyes off her. She was too beautiful, and he didn't ever want to look away. He was aching to get closer to her, to feel her against him. He wanted so badly to kiss her in that moment but wasn't sure how she would react which caused him to falter. "Rey. That's all I want too." Ben said softly. "Then come here Ben. Join me. Join us." Rey said hopefully. Ben let his hand drop from her face, "I can't." he said turning away again.
She instantly felt the warmth leave her skin on her cheek and she missed it dearly. "What do you mean Ben? You can come back here and help us fight." She said. "You are asking me to do the same thing that you refused to do Rey." Ben said still facing the wall. That irritated her. No, she wasn't she was asking him to fight for the light. To fight for the good side. "That's not true and you know it. The First Order murders and kills thousands of innocents." She said back angrily. "And what does the resistance do Rey?" He shot back. She looked at him bewildered that he could even ask such a question. She folded her arms across her chest and then narrowed her eyes at him. "Not that." She said irritably.
"No?" Ben asked. "You don't think that they would take hostages or prisoners if they thought they had first order intel? You don't think they are as ruthless as the First Order?" Ben kept going. "You are only blinding yourself Rey. You fight for a side that calls itself good, because it fights for the light. When, in reality, it just fights for its own cause. They can be just as cruel and just as callous as the First Order Rey." He finished.
Rey was confused by this. Was he really comparing the First Order who destroyed planets and systems just for not swearing loyalty, to the resistance that has fought to help free the people for a tyrannical government. He was out of his mind. Never once had she seen anyone in the resistance treat a prisoner the way the first order treated prisoners. She looked back into his eyes. "Are you really that far from the light Ben?" She asked quietly. Ben could hear the sadness, and disappointment in her voice. Something inside of him broke. Ben looked at her and was starting to clear the distance that they had let come between them when suddenly she disappeared.
"DAMMIT!" Ben yelled. Grabbing his light saber and igniting the crimson blade. He began destroying the training room he was in. There was nothing, but the pieces of target droids and dummies incinerated all around the room. Ben sat on his knees panting to catch his breath. He felt so confused at the emotions inside of him. He wanted to run to Rey, wherever she was. He wanted to hold her and fight for her, but he knew that was an impossibility. Surveying the training room Ben realized it was in shambles and so was he.