The frigid Sunday morning had transformed into an unseasonably warm day. The St. Matthew's campus was buzzing with students, who were outside enjoying the weather. No one seemed to notice the extra security posted by the front gates. No one except Rey Kenobi and her best friend Finn.

The pair had found a spot away from the student horde, taking refuge under the large fountain. Rey didn't want to be overheard and the fountain provided enough noise to prevent eavesdroppers. Plus, she had always enjoyed the unique statues in the middle.

"I doubt we'll see many more days like this," Finn stated. After everything he had been through in the past twenty-four hours, he was grateful to be outside with Rey. It was far more appealing than being trapped inside Leia Organa's office.

Christ, he never wanted to go back in there.

"Are we really talking about the weather?" Rey snickered. She had been quietly sketching on a notepad for the past two minutes.

"I suppose so," Finn replied. He tried to see what his friend was making but she angled the notepad away, like she was embarrassed to show him.

"Okay. Promise not to laugh?" she said, showing Finn the final drawing.

"I see," he said while taking in the lines and contours of the sketch. "So, that's a lightsaber?"

Rey nodded. "It's a metallic handle… or hilt, rather. I don't know how it works exactly, but I'm certain that I'm supposed to find one. The blade resembles a beam of light, but the weapon handles like a sword."

"Hmm," Finn said. He watched closely as Rey continued to sketch. She added in a flickering blade.

"It goes like this." As she continued, Rey started humming the melody to Take Me Home, Country Roads. She wasn't sure why the tune was stuck in her head as of late.

"And you believe that every angel carries these weapons, or is it just the Archangels?" Finn said after a beat.

Rey grinned from ear to ear. Her best friend was taking everything better than she expected. Finn's eyes hadn't glossed over yet. More importantly, he didn't think that she was crazy.

"Archangels carry them, like the ones we faced out at Cherry Lake," Rey answered.

"Geez," Finn said with a grimace. It suddenly dawned on him just how lucky they were. Both he and Rey had escaped that night without any injuries. Things could have gone very differently.

"I thought angels were supposed to be the good guys?" he continued.

"I know. Trust me, I'm right there with you," Rey replied. The young prophet had so many questions herself. There was so much to learn about her abilities and what they truly meant. She had plenty of experience dealing with Archangels, however, and they seemed to be raging assholes.

Finn cleared his throat. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Truthfully, he was never sure if God existed. Despite being raised in a Catholic household, Finn was always skeptical. But after everything he had seen and witnessed, angels and demons seemed like the only plausible explanation. So, it stood to reason there would be a God, and that Heaven and Hell were real.

"I'm going to need to delete my browser history," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Rey hummed.

"Oh, nothing. I'm sorry, but something is bugging me. How does it know where to stop?" Finn asked, taking another look at the lightsaber.

"What?" Rey said, responding with a raised eyebrow. She didn't understand the question at first.

Finn pointed to the tip of the blade which ended in a rounded point. "If it's made of light that can cut through anything, how does it know where to stop? Wouldn't the light just continue forever… or until it bounced into something?"

"I'm not… sure," Rey answered. "Maybe it has something to do with the inner workings?" She chewed on her bottom lip. Rey didn't know enough about the swords to be certain. She needed to ask Ben, once he came back.

Suddenly, the prophet felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. How long had she and Finn been sitting there?

"Crap," Rey said, letting the notepad tumble from her hands. Standing abruptly, she looked toward the horizon.

"What?" Finn asked, looking puzzled by the outburst. "What's is it?"

"It's Ben," Rey said, clutching her chest. Her pulse was racing now and beads of sweat formed along her forehead. "Something's wrong. He should have been back by now!"

The clear sky over Cherry Lake offered an unobstructed view of the mountains. The noon sun created sharp contrasts over the picturesque setting. Ben Solo circled high above the shimmery water, taking in the gorgeous view. His large frame and twenty-foot wingspan cast a distinct shadow on the lake and shoreline below.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The lake was quiet and a cool breeze swept through his hair. It was the kind of view he hoped to share with Rey one day. Thinking about her brought a smile to his lips.

"One day," Ben murmured. One day while he still had the chance.

While passing over the campgrounds, Ben started whistling. If the Hellhounds were here, they were staying underneath the dense forest canopy. He continued to scan the area, gliding in effortless arcs. Much like a hawk, Ben took advantage of the thermals—warm columns of rising air—using them to control his descent.

From the lower vantage point, he could see fresh piles of mud. The darker soil was the last thing that Ben wanted to find.

"Damn," Ben said, clenching his jaw. Banking around for a third pass, he dropped lower still.

There was movement underneath the nearest evergreens. Ben shaded his gaze and focused on the large plumes of dirt and mud. It reminded him of the wheels of a pickup truck, spinning in the mud and getting nowhere. But this was multiplied by a factor of a thousand.

Ben's gaze widened; he could see their menacing silhouettes now.

"Shit," he cursed.

Dozens of Hellhounds were lined in a row, like an infantry. There were so many, Ben couldn't count them all. The beasts climbed over each other, fighting to get their turn to dig. Several deep trenches were carved into the ranger's trail. Ben was certain there were more Hellhounds in those pits as well.

When he came around for a fourth pass, several beasts left the cover of the canopy. They ran toward the water's edge and started barking at him.

The sunlight had an immediate effect on the Hellhounds. It singed their fur and flesh, creating a horrible smell. Trails of smoke followed their every movement. The beasts didn't seem to mind, or notice—which was perverse. Sticking to the shore, they followed the former Archangel.

"Great," Ben said, sizing up the odds.

The school wasn't in immediate danger, but that didn't ease his concern. Most of the hounds here would perish soon, especially if they went into the sunlight. That wouldn't stop the Dark Entity from sending more, though. With enough time and persistence, the beasts would eventually burrow underneath the gates of St. Matthew's.

Ben hated to admit it. Yes, Armitage Hux was right. He could already hear the deacon gloating.

It wasn't like Ben to back away from a fight, but there were too many Hellhounds to face alone. Even with a lightsaber in his hand, the odds were stacked against him. Ben shook his head and tried to clear an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps it was nothing. With a quirk of his brow, he gave his wings several strong flaps, flying higher again.

He had missed this: using his wings. The feeling of the wind whipping through his hair was indescribable. But it was time to go. Ben had completed his objective, and he worried about shedding feathers. Using his wings caused that to happen. It was likely that one day soon he'd lose the gift of flight altogether. His lifelong friend and confidant, Gwen Phasma, had certainly expressed her worry over the possibility.

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He banked once more, orienting himself with St. Matthew's. When his eyes opened again, he caught a glimpse of something unexpected. Next to the snarling Hellhounds by the shore was a figure wearing a purple robe and hood.

"Son of a bitch," Ben said, craning to see over his shoulder. "Where the hell did he come from?"

Ben couldn't see the stranger's face, but he could tell that the person was small, no taller than a ten or eleven-year-old. The mysterious cloaked figure raised a hand. Whoever it was appeared to be tracking his flightpath along the horizon.

"What the hell?" Ben said in disbelief.

He knew that children could be possessed for short stretches, but that was an incredibly rare occurrence. Could it really be a child? The cloaked figure said something, but he couldn't make it out. It was barely audible over the growling beasts. Suddenly, the Hellhounds retreated, taking cover underneath the canopy.

Grabbing his lightsaber and clutching it tightly, Ben made an evasive maneuver—turning over and back to fly in the opposite direction. He was now gliding toward the mysterious figure.

It couldn't be a child, he thought. Not if it was commanding Hellhounds.

And that was when a pair of loud, reverberating 'thuds' ripped through the canopy. It sounded like large cables snapping under enormous pressure. Two over-sized, spinning bolas cut through tree branches and headed straight for him. The round spheres were made of steel, as were the chains which connected them.

Ben flapped his wings, furiously fighting to gain elevation—but the arcane weapons closed the gap. They followed him in an arcing pattern as if they had a mind of their own.

"Shit," Ben called out.

They had to be under someone's control. There wasn't enough time for the former Knight of Ren to react. The first bola hit him hard, knocking the wind out of him. Ben tried to cry out, but he couldn't make a sound. The chain coiled around his waist and left arm, squeezing tightly in place. Its weighted ends whipped around and bashed his ribcage and kidneys.

The second bola came in and wrapped around his legs, which proved to be too much.

Ben lost altitude. His lightsaber tumbled from his fingertips as he plummeted toward the lake. Hitting the water with a thunderous 'splash,' a sinister voice entered his mind. It was a voice he had not heard in a long time.

"At last… The Fallen One."

Panic-stricken, Rey raced across the campus grounds. She knocked over several students in the courtyard, but she never slowed her pace. Rey couldn't stop to apologize; her legs wouldn't let her. One name played over and over in her mind:

Ben.

Rey was so worried, it caused her vision to tunnel. She barely noticed entering the orchards, and it was a miracle she didn't trip on the uneven terrain. There was a stitch of pain along her side, but she blocked that out too. Everything else was blurred except for the path ahead. She was so distracted that she lost track of Finn—even though he was running right beside her.

"Damn it, Rey," he huffed. Finn had no trouble keeping up with her strides, but she had yet to explain the issue. "Just wait a second!"

"I can't," she breathed.

One minute they were sitting next to the fountain talking about lightsabers. Then, without warning, Rey gasped in horror. She looked to the sky and shouted Ben's named. The prophet had a clear vision of him falling into Cherry Lake.

Ben Solo was in trouble.

Rey didn't know if it was too late or not. Had she taken a moment to stop and think, she could have stolen one of the teacher's cars. Cherry Lake was more than a mile away.

"We're not… going back to the lake?" Finn said in disbelief. He tried to focus on his breathing as Rey started to pull out in front. Finn had seen Rey run in gym class, but she was never this fast. "Oh, you can't be serious!"

The school boundaries appeared over the last grassy slope. Rey could see the side gate right away, which had been cleared of moss. That should have tipped her off that something was wrong.

"Wait, Rey," Finn shouted, trying to get her attention again.

Finn spotted the thick lock and heavy-duty chain, which wasn't there the last time. It was then he noticed the golf cart coasting along the perimeter. They weren't going to be alone for long.

He grabbed Rey's arm, forcing his friend to come to a sliding stop. Coach Phasma slammed on the brakes, swerving the golf cart and narrowly missing her students.

"What the hell?" Phasma shouted, leaping out of the cart. "Where did you come from!?"

The woman, who measured six feet and 3 inches, towered over her students. She looked visibly shaken, as were Rey and Finn.

"Oh, wonderful," Coach Phasma said dryly. She held up her hand, making sure that Rey and Finn remained in place. "Ms. Kenobi, why am I not surprised?"

Rey's lips parted. Her racing heartbeat thrummed in her ears. They had to say something. She had to get around the rigid instructor.

"Ben Solo is in danger," Rey blurted out. Her own voice was so shaky that she barely recognized the sound of it. "He's at the lake—"

"I know," Phasma interrupted. The coach took a deep breath, still recovering from the scare. "Professor Solo can handle himself."

"You don't understand, it was a trap. All of it. They were waiting for him," Rey snapped. She didn't know how else to explain it; how to make Coach Phasma understand.

To her surprise however, Gwen Phasma swallowed hard. The physical education instructor was usually difficult to read, but her stoic exterior faltered. She wondered if Rey was telling the truth. Could Ben be in trouble at the Lake?

"I assure you, Professor Solo will be fine," Phasma replied. "You, on the other hand, just received a week of detention from the headmistress. You're not going anywhere."

Finn cleared his throat. He got the feeling that Rey was about to argue, which would escalate and undoubtedly lead to more detention.

"How could you possibly know that?" Rey scoffed. It was Sunday and the conversation with Leia had just taken place. "Where the hell did you come from anyway?"

Phasma removed her reflective shades and took a long look at Rey. "I volunteered to put locks and chains around any perimeter gates. We can't have students sneaking out again. We can't have a repeat of Cherry Lake."

Rey narrowed her gaze. "Did you hear what I said about Ben?"

"Professor Solo," Phasma corrected again. She was getting irritated now. "You should address him as such, Ms. Kenobi. And you can't go to the lake. Don't you think you've caused enough trouble for your classmates?"

Finn shook his head in disbelief. It was his turn to glower at Coach Phasma. He didn't like the way she was speaking to Rey. Phasma was the only coach on staff he couldn't stand. She took her job incredibly seriously, and she had no problem pitting the strong against the weak in dodgeball.

"Come on, Rey," Finn said. He gave her a small pat on the elbow. The hidden gate that he and Poe had used for years was no longer a secret, but that wouldn't stop them. He was determined to get Rey back to Cherry Lake, even if it meant sneaking through the extra security by the school's main entrance.

"You have to let me go," Rey said, standing her ground. Her voice cracked but her fiery gaze never left Phasma's. At this point, she didn't care if another instructor discovered the truth about their relationship.

The coach sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Rey. You know I can't."

Finn glared at Phasma one more time before turning to leave. His attention had already shifted to the main entrance. It would be tricky, but he was certain he could get Rey off campus.

"Hang on," Phasma said, moving closer to Rey. She wanted to make sure only Rey could hear what she was about to say.

"I know what he means to you… what you mean to him," Phasma started.

Rey raised her brows. The coach spoke in a nurturing tone, like she cared deeply for Ben. Rey wasn't aware that Ben Solo and Gwen Phasma were friends. Could he have confided in her at some point? How else would she have known about their relationship?

"The sheriff's department has the freeway shut down. I'll call. They can help him better than we can. Trust me, Ben can take care of himself. And he'd kill me if I let you leave," Gwen admitted.

Coach Phasma backed away and put on her signature sunglasses. Her demeanor became cold and distant again.

"Finn, take Rey and return to the dormitories. I don't want to see either of you near the perimeter," she said. As the coach spoke, she reached for her cell phone.

Friday. Five days later…

The Croton Bay Café was empty in the afternoons. Maybe that's why Leia Organa once found it so relaxing. She could have the entire patio to herself. No annoying millennials talking on cell phones or clicking away on laptops. Just her, a freshly brewed cup of tea, and the Hudson River ferries. Something about the view was so peaceful.

It was one of the few places that the headmistress frequented, but that was before Rey came into her life. Leia hadn't felt the need to visit the café in months. And now that she was back, sitting alone, it didn't feel the same.

Leia's exhausted mind hummed. She couldn't appreciate the setting. Her breathing exercises did little to calm her frayed nerves. The headmistress hadn't slept much in the past week, not since her son disappeared. His absence was a shadow that loomed over every thought she had and every conversation at work.

Something was terribly wrong; she could feel it in a way that only mothers could.

An annoying glare refracting from the rippling waters of the Hudson River made Leia look away. Growing impatient, she drummed her fingers along the tabletop.

What the hell was taking them so long? she wondered.

The waitress finally arrived with a tray, setting it in the middle of the round table.

"I hope your guest arrives soon," the waitress said cheerfully.

"Ah, perfect. Thank you, Michelle," Leia replied.

The pregnant waitress smiled before toddling off. She hoped that the tea would cheer up her long-time customer.

A slight breeze came in from the bay, making Leia shield her eyes completely. In that moment, the headmistress realized that she wasn't alone anymore. The heavy presence next to her could only be that of her brother.

Adjusting his robes, Luke sat down in the seat next to his sister. He was silent for a beat, taking in the sights and sounds.

"I love coming down here and watching the leaves change," Luke said wistfully. "There is a certain smell to autumn, an aroma I've never put my finger on. It reminds me of the farm where I was raised. Isn't that strange? How does a modest Kansas farm smell like a bustling east coast city?"

Leia's heart sank. Luke sounded different in a way she found troubling. Her brother had never sounded so melancholy before. And he almost never talked about his former life.

"My son hasn't returned in five days," she replied hoarsely. "No word from Ben. None whatsoever. I fear the worst."

Luke shook his head. "We didn't take Ben and he's not dead. I don't know where your son is, and frankly, you might be better off with him gone."

Leia made a clicking sound in disgust.

"He's still your nephew, Luke. You're going to have to give me a better answer than that 'I don't know' bullshit. You've been watching over St. Matthew's for weeks now."

"A piece of me is always with you, so yes, I tend to keep an eye on the school. But you make it sound like I'm omnipotent. There are some things Archangels don't know. Death doesn't magically give you the answers to the universe. It only answers one question in particular," Luke stated.

"That's not good enough," Leia snapped. Her fingers squeezed the handle on her cup of tea. "You promised—"

"I keep my promises," Luke interrupted. "Always have. I've always looked out for Ben. I protected him during the toughest transition of his life. Even when he threatened to destroy everything that we hold dear—I protected him. I protected Kylo Ren when I shouldn't have."

Leia sighed heavily. The waitress was nearby, wiping down tables. She waited for Michelle to finish before she continued.

"He's moved past that dark phase," Leia replied. She wasn't in the mood to rehash past arguments. "Ben adjusted to life at the school."

Luke frowned. He had warned Leia about her son—five years ago. He wasn't Ben Solo anymore. He was someone else, but she fought him on that point.

"If you don't have him, then where the hell is he?" Leia continued.

"Doing something reckless to keep you and your school safe, no doubt," Luke answered.

Leia sighed. "I want it to stop. The attacks on my students. The attacks on my school. Hellhounds and Archangels—all of it."

"Then you need to surrender the prophet," Luke said, finally taking a sip of tea. "It's the only way. St. Matthew's has a bullseye and both sides know she's there. You're not doing the girl any favors by keeping her in the school or keeping her in the dark."

"No. That's completely out of the question," Leia said.

"Ben and Rey fought three Archangels at the lake—just three. Now that the Knights of Ren know about the prophet's existence, they will return with greater numbers. The same thing goes for the Hellhounds, I suspect," Luke replied.

"Don't you have any control over your angels?" Leia asked. Her tone conveyed her growing frustration with her brother and the situation. Luke stated things so matter-of-factly, like every choice was cut and dry. The headmistress couldn't give up on her favorite student simply because it was the easiest road to travel down.

"They're not mine," Luke corrected. The Knights of Ren were a constant pain in his ass, a nuisance he hoped to corral one day. "I can exert some control over them, yes, but only temporarily. Your school is well protected, so that buys us time."

"Us?" Leia snorted. She wasn't used to her distant brother referring to their relationship in such a close, personal way.

Luke cleared his throat. "After all this time, you continue to struggle with the stark reality of our connection. I understand that it's difficult to discover that you have a twin brother—after he's already passed away. After his liver saved your life. That would be tough on an adopted teenager. But you lived a long life, Leia. You've been given second chances; most people don't get those. Most people would beg for the gifts you were born with."

Leia glowered at her brother. "My son came first. That's how it is for every responsible parent. If it meant sacrificing a calling or destiny, then so be it." She had sacrificed plenty.

Luke shook his head. "Don't you see? The burden passed to the next gifted one. And like you, she was a mother. Like you, she was scared. She tried to deny her destiny and look what happened. Look where all roads lead."

The headmistress raised her brows.

"Her daughter found her way into your school," Luke huffed. "It's not a coincidence. Rey has a strength that's worthy of scripture. She can't run from it. She can hide, sure, but for how long? Her considerable power comes with a cost. A debt which has been left over from generations."

"Generations of failed prophets," Leia sighed.

Luke nodded. "She must be trained properly… and by the right teachers. That can't happen at St. Matthew's—you don't have the staff in place."

"How long can we keep her at the school?" Leia asked. The headmistress sounded deflated. Ben wasn't going to like this, but she could cross that road once they found him again.

Watching the lines on Leia's face, Luke scratched his beard. She cared deeply for the girl, that much was apparent.

"The Knights of Ren are formulating a plan to break into your fortress, but I can derail those efforts. It's easy to get them fighting amongst themselves. But again, that simply delays the inevitable."

"The Sanctuary will hold. It has to, especially if we work together," Leia said, trying to convince herself. Deep down, however, she wasn't sure if the defenses would be enough. St. Matthew's hadn't faced these kinds of odds in some time.

"But for how long?" Luke chuckled. "Every fortress crumbles. What were you planning to do after Rey Kenobi graduated, anyway? Were you going to keep her locked up in a tower on campus for the rest of her life?"

"Of course not," Leia grumbled. Her brother made an infuriating point. The headmistress hadn't looked beyond the school year. There must be something more they could do for Rey, a way to give the girl a normal life. Perhaps something they hadn't considered?

"I didn't come here to argue or pick a fight," Luke continued. "The prophet came to St. Matthew's for a reason. I believe you were supposed to find her. It's fate, Leia. You were meant to offer her guidance. With your background and unique perspective, Rey could succeed where so many others have failed. Where her mother failed… where you failed, too."

Leia swallowed hard. She hadn't been very kind to Rey lately, a fact that she had struggled to face. Growing anxious, her fingernails drummed along the side of her cup. Fuck. Could the headmistress undo the damage she had caused?

"You're asking a teenage girl to give up her future and dreams for a calling," Leia said softly. "Foregoing family, friends, and a career for your perception of the greater good."

Luke's expression hardened.

"You care for the girl. She reminds you of yourself, and maybe that's why this is so difficult. But you think you're protecting Rey, when you're really putting her in jeopardy. Her powers cannot be suppressed or abandoned. There's no running from it—not this time," he said.

"I need some time to think," Leia started, "some time to talk with her. If Rey knows the truth, maybe it will make things easier. I honestly don't know."

Luke nodded and placed his cup back in the saucer. "I can give you time, but not much. I will look closer into Ben's disappearance, too. If I can help there, I will."

"Thank you," Leia said, sounding relieved.

The Archangel didn't respond. He stared off in the distance, looking beyond the bay. Leia could tell that he was getting ready to vanish.

"Wait," she pleaded. "There's something else I need to ask."

"It's about St. Matthew's itself and the ground it was built on," Leia began slowly. She reached for the leather bookbag by her feet, extracting an old folder from the school archives.

"It's one of the few Sanctuaries left on Earth," Luke answered. He paused as Leia set the folder out in front of them.

"What's this?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Looking puzzled, the Archangel began flipping through the folder's contents.

"You claim that it's fate. Maybe so. What can you tell me about the school's founder, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Leia asked.

That Friday Night…

For the fourth night in a row, Rey found herself lying alone in Ben's bed. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the way he held her. Fuck. She missed him dearly. The pillow still smelled like him, so she held it against her chest.

Rey had broken into Ben's cottage every night that week. Part of her didn't care if she got caught anymore. The bed was cold without him, which wasn't a surprise. The whole cottage felt cold and dark, like it had been abandoned.

Maybe it had.

Rey's eyes welled. She knew that Ben wouldn't be home, yet she tortured herself by returning. Why didn't she sense the danger at Cherry Lake? She could have insisted that Ben stay behind, that it was too risky for him to go alone. She could have put her foot down.

What was the point of having these powers, if she couldn't save someone she cared for? Rey cursed under her breath and squeezed the pillow tighter. Why couldn't the vision have come to her sooner?

"Ben," she whimpered.

Once again, there was no answer. Their connection had been silent since his disappearance. Rey missed that feeling; it was like a constant flicker of light dancing near her soul. But she would sacrifice the Bond if it meant getting Ben back in one piece.

A loud noise came from downstairs. It sounded like someone had kicked in the front door. Rey sprang out of bed, nearly tripping and colliding with the dresser.

Her heart pounded. Rey stayed very still, waiting to hear a second sound. She knew she wasn't alone. The intruder had to be a man. Rey could tell from the way he was stomping around and bumping into things.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. What was she thinking? What if they had heard her speak?

A deep groan came from the living room. Rey moved carefully, being mindful of each step. She didn't want the person downstairs to know she was there. And that's when she felt it again: the flicker.

"Ben?" she called out. Rey stumbled down the staircase, recognizing the figure next to the fireplace.

"R… Rey," he shook.

Ben Solo shivered from head to toe; his lips were blue and his skin was ghostly white. He was soaking wet, like he had been caught in a torrential downpour. His shirt was gone and his pants looked like they been run over by a woodchipper. Ben hunched over the fireplace. He was trying to start a fire, but his fingers couldn't manage to hold onto the match.

"Oh my God," Rey cried. She grabbed a blanket from the couch and threw it around Ben's broad shoulders.

She was by his side immediately, taking the matchbox from him and starting the fire herself.

"T-thanks," he chattered.

The living room warmed as Rey wrapped her arms around Ben. The exhausted warrior dropped to his knees, but Rey did her best to cradle his fall. The pair held each other right there, refusing to move from the roaring fire.

Rey nuzzled her cheek against the top of his head. "You're home. You're safe now."

Ben winced a few times, as her fingers found the bruises and wounds along his back and sides.

"You're hurt," Rey breathed. She moved the blanket away from his shoulders, enough to inspect his back.

"Please... leave it," Ben said, pulling her closer. He just wanted to hold her now. "I'm sorry, Rey. So sorry."

Rey carefully rubbed his arms, trying to generate some heat. Her hands pressed into the sharp contours of his biceps and forearms. She wanted to make sure that this was real—it was.

"Ben… where have you been?" she asked.

"I…" he stammered.

Ben's pupils dilated. His shallow breathing hitched. Images of fire and searing heat flooded his thoughts. The pain… the pain was unbearable. One thing got him through that nightmarish experience: the thought of escaping and finding Rey again.

"Ben?" Rey asked, pulling back enough to look in his face. His lips had finally returned to their usual, inviting hue. There was even some color in his cheeks again.

"Ben!" she called again, shaking him out of his trance.

"Rey," he growled.

Suddenly, Ben's eyes turned darker and filled with lust. He was on top of her, his lips finding hers. Rey squealed into his mouth. Her fingers found his slick mane and she held on for dear life. The pair rolled around on the carpet, fighting for position.

Ben ended up on top, pinning the woman he loved.

"Fuck, I've wanted this," he hissed. "I've needed this. I thought I would never see you again."

His hungry lips came down before she could respond, finding her neckline. Rey moaned loudly. Her legs wrapped around Ben's naked torso, pulling him against her hips and stomach.

"Fuck me," Rey gasped. Her head was swimming in a blissful fog.

Ben slammed one hand in the carpet to steady himself, while the other slipped underneath her shirt.

"Patience," he said. "We have all night."

"Oh God," Rey said, digging her nails into his forearm. A familiar heat was building between her legs. Having his weight on top of her felt amazing.

Ben's fingers worked underneath her bra. He brushed a thumb over her nipple first, enjoying the look of ecstasy on her face. Rey trembled all over. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as his thumb made contact again.

"Ben… what's gotten into you?"

He answered by pinching and pulling on her nipples. Rey cried out; she had never experienced anything so good before.

"Ben," she sobbed again.

"My name... is Kylo Ren," he said, finally pushing her shirt over her head and arms. His mouth descended on her right breast before she could protest.

A/N: We're about to get some... How about that new trailer, eh? :D