Ben went into the office early Saturday morning to collect some paperwork, his head throbbed and his throat was dry. He hasn't slept, so his wasn't in the best of moods. Seeing Dr Luke Skywalker waiting for him at his office door did nothing to improve the situation.

'Ben.'

'Luke.'

The men exchanged greetings frostily.

'Ben, I thought you would be in today, I just wanted to talk to you about your student, Rey.'

Ben gritted his teeth,

'What about her?'

'I hear you are giving her extra lessons? I just wondered why her? I've never known you to make the offer to tutor students privately before?'

'She is quite gifted, I think she could make an excellent lecturer one day. Certainly, a good research assistant. I thought I might start grooming her early in case she decided to continue with us as a Post-Grad.' He stated as he unlocked his office door.

Luke followed him into the office much to Ben's annoyance,

'Really? Do you rate her so highly? Interesting.'

Bens head pounded harder.

'Is there anything else? I really must be going I just dropped by to collect a few things.'

'Oh no that's all, I'm just involved in a new project. I would like to take on a new undergrad you know just to help out, let them gain some experience of working with a respected tenured academic.'

Ben clenched and unclenched his fists with his back to Luke.

'I doubt Rey would be able to spare the time. She has her classes and three additional sessions with me a week.'

'Well, I might just make the offer? If she is as clever as you say I'm sure she won't turn down the offer to work with one of the university's most prestigious members of staff.'

Ben wanted to punch his smug face, pin him to the wall and choke him. He wanted to tell him to stay away from her, he wanted to tell him that she was his. Instead he gripped the papers in his hand and swallowed hard.

'Fine. Ask her.'

'Okay, I'm glad it's settled.'

Once he left Ben took out his phone. Still no replies from Rey. He started a text,

If you agree to work with that pompous bastard I swear...

Then he deleted it again. What good would that do? He knew enough about her to know that if he challenged her like that she would likely say yes right away just to drive him insane. The silent treatment was already torture enough.

He collected his papers and locked up his office. He was going to have to do some serious damage control here. He couldn't stand the thought of her working with Dr Skywalker and that meant one thing, swallowing his pride and going to beg for forgiveness.

Rey slept in on Saturday morning. She had decided to ignore her current situation for a few hours and just let her mind rest. She made herself some toast and settled herself on the sofa to watch some senseless television when there was a knock at the door. She huffed and went to answer it. She was greeted by the sight of a delivery boy with a mountain of blood red roses threatening to engulf him.

'Are you Rey?' He enquired.

'I am.'

'Sign here please.'

She signed for the flowers and then struggled to carry them into the house. She placed them on the kitchen table. There was a small card tucked away in the centre of the bouquet. It said simply 'I'm sorry.' Rey looked at the flowers and then at the card. A little piece of her anger ebbed away. She tried to return to the television, but another knock at the door drew her away.

This time a delivery boy with a massive box of chocolate. She accepted them and placed them on the tables by the roses. Another card this time reading 'I'm really sorry.' A little laugh escaped her throat. More anger dissipated. Okay, this was dangerous, she was in real trouble of completely forgiving him here and she had wanted so much to make him squirm and beg for it. She had had an excellent vision of him on his knees...

Another knock. Rey threw up her hands.

'I swear if this is a singing quartet I'm slamming the door in their faces!'

It was Ben.

Rey was startled,

'What are you doing here?'

'Obviously I came to apologise, I'm afraid the singing quartet weren't available.'

Rey tried not to smile, but failed miserably. She gestured for him to come in.

'You're lucky Poe and Finn are at football practice, but then I assume you probably knew that.'

'I did. Look Rey, I'm sorry. I panicked. I didn't know what to do, I knew Finn and Poe could come back at any minute, I knew that I shouldn't have come in the middle of the night like that, everything was wrong but leaving like that was pathetic and cowardly and I'm sorry.'

Rey looked smug,

'How much did that hurt?'

'You have no idea.'

'Well, apology accepted.' She kissed him gently, but he held her and deepened the kiss. Just as she was about to suggest moving to the bedroom he pulled away,

'I have something I need to talk to you about.'

'Okay.' Her pulse picked up a bit. This sounded worrying.

'Dr Skywalker came to see me. He wants to ask you to work with him on a project. Naturally I said he was free to ask you but I want you to say no.'

Rey rolled her eyes,

'So, this is the reason for your grand apology! You just want to keep me from saying yes to his offer. What's it to you if I work with him anyway? I wouldn't tell him anything about you.'

'Rey the only reason he is going to make you that offer to is make me suffer and to try to gather some dirt on us so he can get rid of me once and for all.'

'Oh, so he would never ask me just based on my ability eh? It's all about you.'

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and took a seat on the sofa,

'Rey, you know I think you are clever and perfectly capable of competing whatever dogsbody position he has created for you, I'm just telling you that it's a ruse. Trust me. He wants to use you to get to me.'

'Why shouldn't I say yes? It's a good opportunity for me. And anyway, I can spy on him. I could feed you information.'

Ben considered her proposition.

'No. You don't know how clever he is. He would try to win you over, he would turn you against me.'

Rey softened,

'Ben, I love you, he would have to work pretty hard to make me hate you. You've worked pretty hard at it yourself and you haven't succeeded.'

Ben starred at her,

'Do you really love me?'

'Yes.'

'I don't deserve it.'

'Since when did loving someone has anything to do with what they deserve?'

'I love you too.'

She sat down next to him,

'Do you mean that?'

'Yes.'

She smiled and put her hand on his cheek. He held it in place with his own.

'You still don't get to tell me what to do though. I'm going to say yes and then I'm going to throw him off the scent. I will tell him how much I hate you, and how hard you make me work and what a temper you have and I won't even have to lie for most of this so it will be easy.'

Ben rolled his eyes,

'You know how angry it makes me thinking of you two working together, my enemy and my greatest treasure in the same room? Please don't do this.'

'This is going to be a good thing. If I say no, he will only keep trying to catch us anyway and he would probably succeed. This way I can keep tabs on him. I will be able to keep track of his whereabouts.'

Ben rubbed his head,

'You won't let me talk you out of this will you?'

'Nope.'

'This is going to be sheer hell for me and I can tell you are going to enjoy every minute of it.'

'She beamed at him,

'I haven't the faintest idea what you mean.'

She said innocently.

Rey found she enjoyed working for Dr Skywalker. He let her have quite a lot of creative input and he really was brilliant. A few weeks went by and he never mentioned Ben at all. Then one day she was finishing up some filing and he made a comment that made her see what Ben had been warning her about.

'How do you compare working with me to working with Professor Solo, Rey? I would like to know if we have any similar routines?'

'It's much nicer working with you, for one your office space is so much lighter, I don't know why he insists of keeping his office so dark!' She said trying to keep the tone of the conversation playful.

Dr Skywalker chuckled,

'Yes, it is a dreary office.'

Rey wanted to argue that despite the lighting issue his office was actually very chic and functional but she just nodded in agreement.

'You know, he shouldn't have been employed at all.'

'Oh,' Rey asked innocently, 'why is that?'

'There was a huge scandal at his last university. He was asked to leave.'

Rey's heart quickened,

'Well that sounds worrying, I assume you aren't aware of the particulars?'

'I know some of it, there was a girl. A student. He had an affair with her.' He looked at her pointedly.

Rey nearly dropped the folders she was putting away, she felt the colour drain from her face,

'Are you sure?'

'Quite sure, I have some friends who work at that university.'

Rey felt sick,

'I would be surprised if that were true... Professor Solo really doesn't seem like the type.'

Oh god, please don't let it be true.

Dr Skywalker ignored her,

'The girl was quite taken with him, I understand she really didn't take it well when he broke it off. I mean honestly did she really think the relationship was going anywhere? She was just a distraction, a way to let off steam.'

Rey finished the filing with shaking hands,

'Well I had better go. I have a session with Professor Solo soon.'

'Oh, do you,' he asked innocently, 'Well do say hi from me, won't you?'

'I will,' she managed a smile. 'I will see you tomorrow Dr Skywalker.'

The moment she was out of the room, she slid to the floor and put her head in her hands.

She knew two things in that moment, the Dr Skywalker was definitely aware of their relationship and that he had planted the seed of doubt in her head about Ben.

It was very possible that it was all lies, but what if it was true? What if despite his motives he really has just taught her a valuable lesson?

She looked at her phone, she was going to be late if she didn't hurry up, but she couldn't will her legs to move.

Ben paced his office anxiously. He checked his phone. Nothing. She was ten minutes late. Rey was never late. He clenched his jaw,

What did he say to you? Rey it's lies. Please believe me.

He knew it had been a bad idea to agree to this. What the hell has he said to her?

Twenty minutes later and Ben was slamming open Dr Skywalker's office,

'What did you say to her? She hadn't shown for my session.'

'Ben calm down, perhaps she is just running late, perhaps she just lost track of time?'

Ben brought his fist down hard on Luke's desk,

'I won't let you poison her against me old man.'

'Check your tone Ben, why does it matter so much to you what this student in particular thinks about you? Why is she so special?'

Because I'm in love with her, but you think it's all just a sordid affair don't you? You short sighted old fool...

'She is important to my work and I don't want you messing with her head just because of this rivalry between us.'

Luke looked fierce,

'I really like Rey a lot and I don't want to see her get hurt Ben. This isn't a game. This is a real girl with real feelings.'

'I don't know what you're talking about. Our relationship is strictly professional.'

'Sure it is.'

'I will find out what you did to her.'

'Ditto Professor Solo, ditto.'

The two men stared at each other but then Ben's phone vibrated and he checked it immediately,

I need to speak to you, I need some answers.

Ben turned to Luke,

'I have to go.'

'Of course you do.'

'Say hi to Rey for me' Luke called as Ben left.

The moment her phone started to ring she answered it,

'Is it true?'

'Is what true?'

'Was there another student before me? Did you seduce another student before me?'

'Of course, it's not true and I never set out to seduce you! If I recall you were the one who made the first move...'

'Stop changing the subject!'

'I told you this would happen, I told you what he would try to do. For god's sake Rey, do you really think I would do that?'

'I don't know. I find I know very little about you, I know nothing of your past.'

Silence on his end.

'Well? Talk to me.'

'Okay there was a girl...'

'Oh god I knew it! You bastard! How many of us have you fooled? I've been sleeping with you for weeks! I'm in love with you, you disgusting...'

'Rey! Listen to me! She wasn't a student, she was a lecturer at the same university. We were together for, a few years. Sabrina. Her name was Sabrina.'

'Oh.' Rey sat down. 'Well, that's different... what happened?'

'What always happens eventually she saw through me, but in this instance, she saw right through me to the vice chancellor's son, Armitage Hux. A snivelling little brown nose, coasting on his father's achievements. I didn't take the rejection well and I was asked to leave after I... well after I broke his snivelling brown nose.'

'You punched him?' Rey laughed, 'Why wouldn't you tell me that?'

'Rey! I'm a respected expert in my field! I don't want it getting out that I have a violent nature. Anyway, the past has no place here, all that matters is my future, with you.'

Her heart did a little flip.

'Ben Solo, nothing is ever easy with you is it?'

'No, and I'm sorry for that but I'm trying Rey. For you, I'm trying.'

Rey bit her lip, there really wasn't any point her trying to deny it, Ben was her end game. For better or worse.

'The boys are out...' she hinted.

'Already on my way.' He said before hanging up.