A/n: Sorry for the delay in posting. I was out of town most of Saturday, and there was part of this chapter I had to rework. I will be out of town the next two weekends with (gasp) no computer access. It may be a few weeks before I can post again. Thank you for reading, following, and reviewing.

Rey was giddy with excitement. Leia had dismissed them from the meeting with the instructions that they had no tasks other than to memorize the detonation code. Beyond that, they were free to explore and relax on Maz's private estate. Three days! Three whole days to really be with Ben and enjoy the beauty of Takodana.

They joined her friends at the back door of the house. Despite the events of the previous evening, Ben and the others were still struggling with each other's company. They all filed out into the garden.

"Let's go take a walk in the forest," Rey suggested. She loved being among the lush green of the trees. The others agreed and they started off.

The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Birds were singing and small furry creatures scampered through the trees.

They were deep into the forest when a shadow began to grow in Rey's mind. She tried to ignore it, but the further they walked the more the sense of danger grew. She stopped and looked at Ben.

"I feel it too."

He squinted into the trees around them.

"What is it?" Rose whispered.

"I don't know," Rey answered quietly. "We can sense something...something watching us."

They were all scanning the trees now, trying to catch site of the danger. Suddenly a pack of six enormous canines burst from the forest and surrounded them. They were covered in shaggy, grey fur, and had amber eyes and long snouts full of razor sharp teeth. They growled and snarled at the group, pacing around them.

"They've been hunting us," Ben breathed.

"What are they?" Rey asked.

"Wolves of some sort," Poe replied.

One of them lunged at him, knocking him to the ground with its front paws on his chest and its teeth inches from his throat.

"No!" Ben yelled.

He ran at the animal, ramming his shoulder into its side. It rolled off Poe, who scrambled to his feet. Rey went for her lightsaber, but suddenly found herself flying through the air, her arms and legs flailing uselessly. She landed on a large tree branch high in the air, and something was holding her there. She looked around. Finn, Poe, and Rose were also in the trees and seemed to be struggling against invisible bonds. Ben was on the ground, facing the wolves alone. His lightsaber was flashing and swirling. He had lifted them all to safety.

"Ben, no! There's too many of them! Let me down! Let me help!" Rey screamed.

She was trying to tamp down the overwhelming terror. Ben had absolutely no intention of bringing her down out of the tree, she could feel that. The others were yelling similar things to him.

He would send a few of the wolves flying into trees with the Force, but they kept getting back up and returning to the fight. He slashed at them with his saber, but they were too fast for him to land a fatal blow. One wolf latched onto his forearm.

"No!" Rey exclaimed.

She had to do something. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and reached out towards the animal's mind. It felt so foreign, all instinct and raw emotion. Rey began to soothe and relax the creature. She opened her eyes. The wolf she was working on had released Ben and was shaking its head as though it had water in its ears. Rey compelled it to go sit on the perimeter of the fight.

Rey went from wolf to wolf, calming each one and sending it away from Ben. It was getting easier each time. Once they had all been dealt with, she sent them away. They melted back into the forest, docile as doves.

Ben brought them down out of the trees. As soon as her feet hit the forest floor, Rey ran at him. She poked him in the chest.

"Ben! Solo!" She accentuated each word with a poke to his sternum. "Don't! You! Ever! Do! That! Again!"

Ben's strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his chest, trapping her hands between them. She tried to push back, but he held her tight. He could stop her hands, but he couldn't stop her words.

"We fight together! You understand? Together! You could have been killed!"

Rey dissolved into tears.

"I'm fine, Rey. I'm fine. Shh, hush now, I'm fine. That was amazing. You were incredible."

Rey pushed away and this time he released her. She pulled his sleeve up to find deep puncture wounds on his forearm. She placed one hand on each side of his arm and closed her eyes. She reached for her Light and let it flow out through her hands. When she took them away, Ben's arm was completely unblemished. He stared at her in amazement.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"I...I didn't. It was just...instinct. You were hurt."

Ben pulled her back into a hug and kissed her forehead.

Poe cleared his throat.

"Look, you saved us, and I am beyond grateful, but she's right. You can't just stick your team in the trees and try to do all the fighting yourself. We've got your back, man, but you have to let us protect it."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"They would have killed you if Rey hadn't intervened," Rose said.

Ben was speechless, staring around at them all with disbelief and confusion. Something seemed to dawn on Poe.

"No one's ever had your back before, have they?"

"No, not until Rey," Ben answered. "I mean, I've fought alongside others, the Knights of Ren, Stormtroopers. None of them really cared if I lived or died, though."

"Like I said yesterday, you're one of us now. We've got your back, and…we care."

Poe stuck out his hand. Ben took it without hesitation and they shook. Finn offered his own and Ben shook it as well. Finn slapped him on the back and grinned.

Rey was crying silently now. This was more than their grudging inclusion from last night, this was true acceptance. She knew Ben could sense it too.

"I've just got one question," Ben said. "How were you going to help me without weapons? Rey and I were the only two who were armed."

Poe shrugged, "You didn't need a weapon to get that thing off me, did you?"

Ben chuckled. "No, I suppose not."

They made their way back towards the house. Finn and Rey trailed slightly behind the rest.

"He's really powerful, isn't he?" Finn asked in a low voice. "Putting us all up in the trees, holding us there, and fighting the wolves all at once."

"Um...yeah, he is, yeah."

"You are too, right?"

"Well... Luke said I was."

"How did you beat him on Starkiller? You hadn't had any training."

"Well, he was wounded for one thing. That hit from Chewie's bowcaster should have been fatal; it would have been for anyone else. Plus...well...killing Han nearly tore him apart."

"You were right, Rey. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about him. You were right, he has changed."

Rey smiled at her best friend. There was nothing else he could have said to warm her heart so.

Up ahead, Poe was talking animatedly to Ben. Finn jogged to catch up with them and joined in the conversation. Rose slowed so Rey came even with her. She hooked her arm through Rey's and smiled at her.

"Well, I guess there's nothing like being attacked by a pack of hungry wolves to bring people together."

Rey laughed. "No I suppose not."

Ben's deep laughter echoed back to her and Rey sighed with contentment.