Kylo was there with her. His face was inches from her own, his breath fanning her cheeks. Tired eyes opened and closed slowly, his fear drowning her. Kylo touched her cheek, whispering words of comfort. Rey leaned in to his touch realizing how much she missed it. She closed her eyes feeling the warmth from his body. The smell of him consumed her. Had the past few weeks been just a horrible nightmare? Was she now awake?

Rey opened her eyes and watched helplessly as Kylo melted into fog. She tried to reach for him, but she felt nothing but air. She sat up suddenly, around her the darkness loomed on everything. The hard ground below her caused her body to groan and hurt. Hux had thrown her into the cell after her third attempt at escape. She had given up her dream of escape and was now trying to find a way to free the servants. All of them, Maz, Finn, Poe, Rose and Chewbacca remained in the dining room. She saw them every night, yet they never moved. Hux had them under some kind of spell, and if she did not help them they would die. Escape was no longer an option.

She cried every night in her cell for the loss of Kylo and her grandfather. She had no idea what had happened to Obi-Wan, and with him not coming to get her Rey feared the worst. Even now, the tears appeared in her eyes. She had lost the strength to keep them at bay, so they ran freely down her dirty cheeks.

Rey leaned against the wall of the cell as her dream played back in her mind. Kylo had been there with her, she was so sure of it. He had been a tangible thing, awakening all of her senses. It could not have been just a dream. But, she was here and he was somewhere else.

"Kylo," she whispered, broken.

What was happening to him? Was he being tortured? Was he already dead? Rey felt a pressure push against her chest making it hard to breath. She covered her mouth as she let out a sob of anguish. She wanted him back. Fear drowned her in his absence, and Hux's anger was growing worse by the day. Her eye was already blackened from his anger.

The sound of footsteps approached her cell, and Rey swiftly dried her tears. She would never give Hux the satisfaction of seeing her cry. It was time. Every morning he came to get her from the cell. They would go to the dining room for breakfast and then he would put her to work doing anything he thought needed done. Mostly it was housework. She had a feeling his job was to keep her busy. For how long, she did not know, but every day she feared would be her last.

Hux watched her from the other side of the cell door, his eyes roaming down her body. Rey never made eye contact with the man. He made her want to scream, but she swallowed it down. It would gain her nothing but another punch. Hux opened the cell door, motioning for her to step out.

"Come," he said, sickly sweet.

Rey walked slowly from the cell, her eyes staying on his hands. She shook slightly when she had to turn her back on him and walked up the stairs. He was right on her heels, making as much noise as he could, for he knew how much he scared her. They walked into the dining room without incident. Rey took her usual seat facing the unmoved servants. He wanted her to sit there, to look at them in the state they were in.

She barely ate, but he said nothing about it. As he stuffed his face she stared at Maz. The teapot lay on her side, her face staring at Rey. She begged her eyes to blink just once.

"You will be cleaning the East wing today. That should keep you busy until tonight. As always, please try not to escape. I would hate to take it out on the servants."

"Will you release them?" she asked, softly. She asked every day, and he always said no. Rey needed them, needed Maz's reassurance and Finn, Poe and Rose's friendship. The loneliness and helplessness of her situation was too much.

Hux turned back to look at the servants, a sneer running across his face. "You care too much for such rubbish. They are better in that state than they are alive." He turned back to her, his sneer still visible. "Do you think I am an idiot? They will fight against my hold on this castle and will help you escape. They remain where they are."

"Please. None of that will happen, I swear," Rey said pleading.

"Enough!" His yelled, slamming his fist into the table. He stood from his chair and walked to the servants. Rey sucked in a breath as he grabbed Maz and walked back to the table. He sat the teapot on the edge of the table in front of Rey and came and stood behind her.

Rey's eyes grew wide in fear as she stared at the teapot. Just a sliver of movement on the table and she would shatter on the ground. Hux hovered over Rey, bending down to speak on her ear.

"When I tell you no I do not mean for you to argue with me. You ask me every day will I set them free. I would hate to see this teapot take a tumble."

His hand slowly reached over Rey's shoulder towards the table. Her instincts kicked in and she grabbed for the teapot right as he shook the table. Rey barely grabbed Maz in time. She cradled the teapot to her chest, soft sobs leaving her mouth.

"Put the thing back where it was and get to your chores. Let us not have this conversation again," Hux whispered.

Rey stood to her feet, moving swiftly to the wall to get some distance between her and Hux. She laid Maz back on the floor, her hand staying on the teapot longer than she should have, but she needed to calm her nerves and the only way to do that was to allow herself to see that Maz was okay.

When she composed herself she walked up the stairs to the East wing. This was Kylo's private quarters, and she felt his presence in everything. When she entered his dark room she walked towards his bed. She remembered watching the doctor try and save his life the night he saved her from the militia. She remembered the night he had kissed her, the night he had brought her to this bed.

She sat down heavily, her chest burning again. His smell was all around her in every thing. Rey laid down and buried herself in his sheet, and it was as if he were there with her. She could feel him close, could even hear him. He was angry, so very angry. His anger and rage surprised her and she slowly sat up. Something was happening. Kylo was in her mind, or at least that is what it felt like.

"Kylo," she whispered in the dark room.

His scream was the only response. Rey gasped, grabbing her head as a wave of pain shot through her. Kylo was hurting. She could feel it flowing through her like a bolt of lightning. He was scared, just as scared as she was, but the pain was worse. Rey opened her mind to him, reaching for him with invisible hands. He was there, but just barely. Covered in deep darkness, she could barely see his profile.

"Kylo, I am here," she screamed, but her words were muted by another presence. This presence caused her to shiver. It was all around her, yet she could not see who it was. Kylo reached for her, but the gap between them was as wide as an ocean. When something grabbed her arm she tried to scream, but the darkness choked her. She was drowning in pain and anger… in darkness.

Rey came to with a start, sitting up and looking around the room. When had she fallen asleep? She hurried to the door and looked out into the hall. There was no one there. She slipped out of Kylo's room and went to the next room. Her mind could not shake what had just happened. Kylo was in trouble, there was no doubt, and that had been no dream. She had been with him somehow.

This was the room with the rose. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Kylo had scared her from this room and she has fled the castle. Both of them had been different people, angry and hardheaded. Now, she stood among the ruins of the room and felt as if it were a grave yard. Rey turned in a slow circle, looking at the destruction of the room. This was sacred ground, where no one should be. The rose sat under the large window, a new glass case shielding it.

Rey walked towards it, its last two petals hanging on, though one of the petals was barely attached. As if her presence disturbed the rose, it bent towards the bottom of the glass case. The petal barely hanging on detached itself from its home and floated to lay with the other dead petals. It sizzles and turned black with its own death. One petal remained.

Rey touched the glass case as softly as she could. It felt cold to the touch, which sent a shiver down her spine. When the last petal fell Kylo and the servants would remain in this nightmare. Without him here, Rey had no idea how to help them.

"Can you hear me, Kylo?" she whispered, hoping for the connection she felt twice already.

Her eyes closed as she quieted her mind and listened for him. She reached out, past the room… past the castle. She reached her mind out beyond Jakku in search of him. All she found was silence. There was no trace of Kylo where there once used to be.

"What is this?" Rey gasped and turned to see Hux in the room with her, his eyes on the rose. He walked towards her, his hand already outstretched towards the rose. Rey remembered how frightened Kylo had been when he thought she had touched the rose.

"It—it is nothing," she said, stepping in his path.

His ice-blue eyes raised to hers, anger flashing within them. "Out of my way," he said.

Rey did not move. A sudden urge to protect the rose overcame her fear of the man in front of her. She defiantly raised her chin, shaking her head no. Rey opened her mouth and spit in Hux's face. It was the only distraction that came to mind. And it worked. His eyes grew big for a moment, as if he could not believe what she had done. Rey prepared herself for the assault. This was going to hurt.

Hux grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her from the room. She yelled out in pain and tried hitting his arm, but he maneuvered around every hit. She lost her footing, but that did not stop Hux. He dragged her through the second story hall, yelling and screaming his angered words.

When they reached the stairs Hux let her go. Rey had only a moment before his foot kicked her in the stomach sending her down the stairs. Each step felt like a knife to the ribs. She covered her head to protect it, which left the rest of her body exposed. By the time she landed at the bottom of the stairs she felt every inch of her body scream in pain.

"I will kill you!" Hux screamed from the top of the stairs.

Rey raised her head in time to see Hux taking the stairs two at a time. His assault on her was not done yet. She laid her head back down, waiting. A plan took shape in her mind, for she would not go out without a fight. She waited. And waited. Finally, he grabbed the back of her head and she turned to strike.

Rey meant to scratch those ice-blue eyes from his head, but what happened shocked them both. The moment she touched his face a light began to grow behind her palm. His eyes went wide in shock. His mouth opened to a painful scream as he dropped to his knees beside her. She hung on, watching the light in his eyes go out. The moment they rolled into the back of his head she released him.

Her eyes stared in shock. What had she just done? Her shaking hands felt for a pulse. It was there but barely. Rey moaned as she crawled away from the man's unconscious body. She used the banister to get to her feet and remained there for a few moments as she stared at him. She raised her hand to her face, yet they looked like her normal hands.

"Rey?"

Rey jumped as someone called her name. She gasped as the servants entered the foyer. They walked dazed and confused, but they were awake again.

"Maz?" Rey breathed.

Her pain forgotten, she limped towards the teapot, candelabra and clock. Happiness exploded from her as she fell to her knees in front of her friends.

"You are okay!" she whispered.

"How long have we been out?" Maz asked.

"A few weeks."

Everyone turned their eyes towards the unconscious man. His hold on the servants must have ended when she knocked him out.

"Rey, you look a mess," Rose said, worry in her voice.

"I have been better, but I am okay."

"What do we do with him?" Finn asked, pointing at Hux.

Rey thought for a moment. They needed to place him somewhere that he could not escape until she could figure out what to do with him, and he probably knew where Kylo was.

"We will put him in the cells, interrogate him for information on where they took Kylo," Rey answered.

At the mention of Kylo Maz's face fell. She looked worried for her master, as well as she should be. "Rey…"

Rey knew what she was about to say, and did not want to hear it. She got to her aching feet and went to Hux. Grabbing both of his feet, she began to pull him towards the cellar. He was heavier than he looked, and with the beating her body took it was a slow go, until Chewbacca relieved her and picked the man up. He carried him down to the cellars and threw him into one of the cells.

"Something happened when I touched him. Some kind of light attacked him from my hand."

"You have a power inside you, Rey… a light. It will combat against darkness. That is how you protected Kylo from the darkness. You poured your light into him and he accepted it. Hux is far too gone to the Dark Side to accept the light, so it worked as a weapon. Keep that in mind, child. You may need to use it again one day."

"I do not even know how I used it the first time."

"Rey, go and get yourself cleaned up. You look as though you have been awake for a week… and the bruises…"

Rey nodded her head and left the servants to watch over Hux. "When he wakes up come and get me, okay?" she said, tired.

"Of course," Maz answered.

Rey slowly climbed the stairs, her body screaming at her. She thought of going to her room, but instead she walked towards Kylo's room. She slid into his bed, surrounded by the sheets that smelled so much like him.

"Kylo, please," she whispered, closing her eyes. She reached her mind out again to the same results. There was only silence, emptiness. Maybe she had made it all up, and it really had been a dream. She fell asleep with his face in her memory.

"Reyyyyyy!"

She sat up, suddenly. For a moment, Rey could not place where she was, but she remembered she was in Kylo's room. Something had woken her up, someone screaming her name. A loud bang came from the first floor causing her to jump in surprise. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the searing pain running up and down her body.

Rey tore the door open and ran for the stairs, but skidded to a stop when she saw what was below her. The servants were scattered all around the room, some even unconscious again.

"No!" Rey breathed, her heart pounding against her chest.

Hux walked through the room, his face red with fury. He had gotten out of the cells and a war had raged while she slept.

"Get. Down. Here… now!" He said, his body shaking in anger.

His hands were covered with gloves. She noticed most of his body covered in clothing. He was prepared for her this time. She took the steps as slowly as possible, but she could not run from her fate. Rey stumbled on the last steps, but Hux was there. He grabbed her and dragged her to the middle of the room. Suddenly, the servants floated into the air and hovered over them turning slowly in a circle.

"You have condemned them all," he said, spittle falling from his mouth.

"No, please," she begged, receiving a slap across the face.

Rey fell to the ground and struggled against Hux. He jumped on top of her, his hands going around her neck. Rey reached for the only skin uncovered, but his face was too far away. She was desperate for a breath, feeling the life draining from her body. Hux squeezed harder, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a sneer. The veins popped out of his forehead. She was at the mercy of a monster.

The world around Rey became dark as unconsciousness drew her under. Her hand fell to her side, the strength gone from her body. This was not supposed to be how her life ended. She closed her eyes and thought of Kylo's face. He was smiling at her like he did the night he kissed her for the first time.

Hux's hold on her throat loosened enough for her to take a long breath. She fought for more air, and more air came to her. Her blurry eyes shot open wide as Hux stumbled to his feet. He looked down at his chest and Rey followed his eyes. A large red stain grew at his chest, spreading down his shirt. He looked up at Rey, surprised and shocked in his eyes. He took a step towards her, but never made it any further.

Something punctured through his chest, something blue. A lightsaber. Hux fell to his knees, his eyes growing glassy with death, and standing behind him was Obi-Wan with a lightsaber in his hands. Hux fell dead beside Rey, but her eyes were only on her grandfather. She watched him raise his hand and slowly lower the servants from the air. He looked stronger than she had ever seen him. This was not the feeble man she knew.

"Awake," he said. All the servants began to wake as he bid them.

Rey looked around, shocked at what she was seeing. Her grandfather had awoken the servants.

"G—Grandfather," Rey whispered.

He bent down before her, touching her cheek lightly. "Forgive me for not acting sooner. I had to stay hidden until I was fully recovered, which took longer than expected."

She moved swiftly, throwing her arms around his neck. He was alive and well… and here. He held her with a strength she did not know he had. When she leaned back and looked into his eyes there was something different about them, something wise and strong.

"You are hurt," he said, choked.

"I will be okay," she said, smiling. "H—How did you do that?" she asked, talking about the servants.

He helped her to her feet, laughing softly. "Before I grew to an old man I was a Jedi Knight. A very good one might I add."

"I—I was able to use the force earlier."

He touched her cheek again, pride swelling in his eyes. "You take after your mother. She was strong in the force just like her daughter."

"Obi-Wan, it is time," Maz said, walking towards them. Her head was bent low, her face deep in despair.

"Time for what?" Rey said, her eyes moving back and forth from her grandfather to Maz. "What are you talking about?"

"Rey, we need to leave," he answered, low.

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. He wanted her to leave? What about saving Kylo? She could not abandon him.

"What? I am not leaving. Grandfather, Kylo needs me," she said, panicked.

Obi-Wan places his hand on her shoulder, his face matching Maz's. They both looked defeated. Had they given up hope?

"Rey, we must leave. It is too dangerous here and I promised…"

"As did I…"

"Promised what?" she said, loud. Her body shook with the force of keeping her tears at bay. Obi-Wan and Maz exchanged looks, both nodding.

"When Kylo saved me from the wreckage he brought me back to the castle for one purpose. He asked that I give him three days to return. If those three days came and went it meant he was lost to us, that Snoke had him. Rey, it has been weeks."

"Ben knew a day would come when Snoke would come for him. He made me promise I would release you if that ever happened. Obi-Wan is right, the days have passed without a word. He is… he is…"

Maz could not finish her sentence as a sob escaped her. Rey closed her eyes, begging her mind to find him. If she could prove he was still there they would stop this foolishness. She searched and searched but came up with nothing.

"He is not there, is he?" came Obi-Wan's quiet voice.

Rey's face crumbled. "He was there before. I cannot find him anymore," she whispered, slowly falling to her knees. Beside her, Maz softly cried as the servants surrounded them.

"Snoke has finished his work. Ben is his," Maz cried softly.

"No!" Rey said, standing to her feet. "I will not believe it! I refuse to give up on him. He needs me, grandfather."

"Rey, if he ever returns he will not be the same person you remember. The curse will win, if not the curse then Snoke. I made him a promise to get you away from this place, and I love you too much to lose you too."

"Rey, you must listen to him. You must leave us while you still can. This is no life for you," Finn said, softly.

"This is the life I have chosen," she yelled.

Obi-Wan walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her. He shushed her cries softly, speaking words she could barely hear and made no sense. Rey clung to him, her heart bleeding. Suddenly, she felt so sleepy. It became hard to hold her eyes open. She blinked a few times, but that only made it worse. It was becoming harder to remember where she was, or why she was there. The room turned black, then turned to nothing. A fog blew inside her mind covering her thoughts and what made her feel so sad.

"He wanted me to tell you that he loved you. That he would always love you, and that he is sorry it had to come to this," Obi-Wan whispered in her ear, yet for the life of her she could not remember who Obi-Wan was talking about.