8 years later

Rey watched Ben as he slid his suit jacket back on. Now he was walking toward her and there was no escaping him. The terror of hearing his voice after so many years made her knees shake. She took the chance to examine him, looking for anything to distract her from her anxiety. He walked with more confidence now. When they were kids, it seemed like Ben never settled into his body. He wore his skin like clothes too big for him. Now he fits into his body and commands it with a like fashion. Rey heard whispers about him joining the army for some years. If that was true, she knew that would change him both physically and mentally

When they stood before each other, an awkward silence grew. They both seemed to be examining each other. Their eyes searched for clues of the person they once knew.

Ben took a deep breath finally and slid his hands in his pocket. "It's been a while."

Memories flooded Rey's mind without mercy. His voice was exactly the way she remembered it. Only now there was a hint of experience. In flashes, she could see him inside his car from the passenger seat, singing along to Pink Floyd. "How have you been?" she asked.

"I'm good. I was in the army for a while. I got discharged from a bullet in the leg a couple years ago."

"The army?" The rumors she heard were true and she should have known as much. Behind the experience of his eyes was something bitter only war could bring.

He shrugged and glanced around the room as he spoke. "After mom passed... I felt like I wanted to dedicate myself to what she loved so much."

Rey's stomach twisted. She didn't know Leia died. "Ben, I'm so sorry."

He held his hands up to stop her sympathy, shaking his head. "It's alright. How could you have known?"

Rey cleared her throat to swallow the sarcasm in his voice. She didn't know if he meant to hurt her by the comment but it stung her like a slap to the cheek.

"How are things for you?"

Did he truly care? "I'm good, playing in Funny Girl at the moment."

He nodded and she could feel his irritation. Her feelings began to mirror his.

"Ben, what are you doing here?" she finally asked.

Ben looked at her, his expression showed the familiar anger she had seen before. The army only increased the foulness of his temper. She could see it even though this is the first time she's seen him in years. "Poe invited me. He ran into me yesterday and told me to come."

Rey narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You ran into him?"

"I went to see your play," he said. "Poe was there and he saw me."

"So you saw my play?" Rey didn't know whether to be annoyed or flattered.

"Yeah." His answer was too simple for her. His answers were always too simple for her.

"Why?"

His exhale was sharp and he rolled his shoulders in frustration. "I don't know, I was curious."

Rey decided to drop the subject. She knew why he went to her play. He wanted to know if she was successful. He wanted some sort of closure after all the years apart. Did the anxious, naive girl actually make it in New York? Is she different or the same?

Was he different? Rey could see his physical maturity. She could feel the anger he had when they were kids.

What was even more perplexing was her emotions towards him as they stood there. She could see he had changed, as most do, but there was still an attraction to him. He was beautiful, he always was. She felt a pathetic truth ring inside her brain. Even after all the years, he was the best thing she ever had. She had searched for him in the arms of every lover. All failed to compare to what he gave her.

He took a step closer, demanding Rey's close attention. He hovered over her like a giant. Was he always so tall? "Can we go somewhere quiet?"

8 years ago...

Rey opened her eyes to the early morning sun. It took her a while to remember where she was, exactly. She looked to her left and saw Ben sleeping, his midnight hair hiding his eyes. She looked down and then remembered what had happened the night before. She lifted the blankets in a panic, searching for blood on her comforter. She expected a lot of blood, not quite like the horse head scene in the 'Godfather', but a microscopic version of that.

She tried not to wake Ben in her search. She lifted the seats until she found a small circle of blood. She felt a little queasy. The thought of blood didn't even occur to her last night. She was so drunk with lust all her anxieties about sex completely faded away.

She remembered the video she watched of how a woman's hymen breaks. The woman used a stocking and a vacuum hose. The thought made her sick then and even more so now.

She crept out of bed and Ben didn't move an inch. She stood and felt no pain. There was a little bit of aching. She felt a little different, like something was inside her still. It wasn't a bad feeling. It was different.

She took a shower, letting the hot water hit against her. She couldn't believe what had happened. She wasn't a virgin anymore. She started laughing. How was she supposed to feel? It was such a monumental step. Something that is such a big deal to everyone. She couldn't stop laughing, even when Ben walked into the bathroom. He was completely naked and staring at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, confused at her hysteria.

She laughed louder. "Yes, I'm okay."

He walked closer to the shower and opened the sliding door. Seeing his girlfriend in such a fit of giggles, he started to laugh as well.

"Ben, we had sex," she laughed.

"I know, I was there."

She waved him in the shower and kissed him under the hot water. She felt so happy she thought she would burst. He slapped some shampoo on her head and lathered her hair, massaging her scalp. She rubbed soap over his chest and noticed a purplish mark on his collar bone. Did she do that? Of course she did, who else would have? She rinsed out her hair and Ben put conditioner on the ends of her hair.

"So..." Ben began. "Did it hurt?"

She watched him as he lathered soap in his hand. "Did what hurt?"

He rolled his eyes with a smile. "You know what I mean, I want to know if I... if I hurt you."

His hands rubbed her shoulders and trailed down her arms. "It hurt but not like I thought it would."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it was like a pinch. Then it was just... I don't know. It was uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, I had a huge dick inside me for the first time."

Ben laughed, his cheeks turning a little red.

"It was uncomfortable but... I wanted you to keep going."

"Did you..." His eyes averted hers. He focused on his hands, lathering them with soap. The color red flamed behind his cheeks and neck.

"Are you asking me if I had an orgasm?"

Ben's neck turned red now, flushed with embarrassment. "I'm only curious. I read that girls usually don't the first time they have sex."

She felt a flutter of joy in her chest. He actually looked up how girls feel during their first time. It was because she scared the shit out of him.

"So did you?"

"I don't know."

He stared at her, disappointment taking over his face.

"That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It happened so fast."

"Fuck." He couldn't meet her eyes. She wish she lied to him about it.

"Ben, please. We've never had sex before. All the research in the world won't help us like practice will."

"Practice?" He was smiling a little bit now.

She could see he was anxious to redeem himself. "Yes, we need lots and... lots of practice."

He kissed her then, his lips traveling all over her body as the hot water splashed on them. He only cared about her pleasure then and she was sure it was because last night hurt his pride. The shower ended with Rey moaning, clenching Ben's hair. She wanted those showers to go on forever

The theater downtown was lit up like Christmas. Ben parked the car two blocks away and they walked, arm in arm towards the glittering theater. The night was cool with a fresh smelling breeze whistling between them. The streets were full of well-dressed people making their way towards the theater.

She held onto Ben's arm, feeling so happy it was almost sinful. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about the ballet. He never attended one before. He was happy to be with her, though, and she felt special because of it. The stars were out and twinkling above them. Whatever planets aligned to give them such a perfect night, she would forever be grateful.

They had balcony seats that we're beside the aside, which Rey always preferred. They sat together, his firm hand was on hers. She enjoyed watching people find their seats. Each we're anxious and excited for the show to begin.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar face.

She gripped Ben's arm and he looked at her, concerned. "What?" he asked.

"Finn is here," she whispered. She felt if she said his name too loud, he would somehow hear her.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was seating at the balcony too but on the opposite side of the theater. He had a woman beside him that Rey had never seen before. She should have known he would be at the ballet. He was a theater boy too. He didn't seem to spot her yet, she was thankful. The woman beside him had short black hair and a round face. She was too far to notice anything else.

"Who is that he is with?" she whispered to Ben.

He shrugged in reply to her question. "Don't let it ruin the night. He doesn't even know we are here."

She ran through her memories, desperate to know if she ever mentioned this ballet to Finn. She wanted to invite him to attend with her father but couldn't remember if she actually did or not. The situation made her anxious and she did not know why.

"Will you relax? You've seen him at school every day, why is this different?"

"I don't know I have a bad feeling."

He squeezed her hand and smiled to reassure her. "Everything is alright."

The lights began to dim and everyone clapped as the musical director walked onto the stage. Rey found herself looking over to Finn more than she should. She wanted to know who that woman was and why she was with Finn.

The ballet began and Rey got distracted by the twirling women. Ben was being attentive and it was impossible to read if he was enjoying himself or not.

Rey watched Snow White, the only danger in white, appear on the stage. The music rose as they all watched her dance. She was delicate and innocent, anyone could see that. The prince was hiding and watching her dance. When they met, they seemed to flow into each other's dance without effort.

A hard tap on her shoulder pulled her eyes away from the performance. A man stood next to their seat. "Sir," he flashed his light in Ben's face, "may we speak with you for a moment?"

Rey's heart began to race but Ben stood up without making a scene. Rey stood to follow and for some reason, she looked over to where Finn was sitting. He was staring right at her. It was unmistakable. She knew then that her feeling of dread was not misplaced.

When they stepped out of the theater's doors, there were two policemen waiting for them."What is the meaning of this?" Rey asked, immediately defensive. She tried to pretend she was naive, but knew in her heart what the policemen were there for.

"Are you Ben Solo?" one of the policeman asked.

"Yes, that's me," Ben replied. He didn't seem scared or worried. He was hiding his emotions. Rey was showing enough emotion for both of them.

"You're charged with assault and battery. We have to place you under arrest."

When Rey saw the handcuffs, she panicked. "No, there has been some sort of mistake! You can't take him, please!"

"Ma'am, all due respect, but we have to take him in. You can come with us to the police station."Ben stood still as the policemen read him his rights, his jaw clenched. Rey was inches away from having a full fledged panic attack. "Ben, it's okay. I will come get you at the station. Don't worry."

He looked at her. "It's alright. Call my mother, make sure she doesn't tell my father."

Rey was going to cry but she didn't want Ben to see. She swallowed her tears away and nodded. Rey knew she would never forget watching the police escort him out of the theater. It was a perfect night. It was their perfect night. She knew Finn did it that very night on purpose. She cried her eyes out as she walked towards the car. She would get her tears out of the way and then she would be strong.

She called Leia as she drove. Ben's mother was a soldier still. Nothing made her emotional. She was completely rational and told Rey she would meet her at the station. Rey never drove so fast in all her life. She wondered what Ben was doing in the backseat of the police car. She knew his anger. The last thing that needed to happen was for Ben to hit someone else.

When she arrived to the station, Leia was already there. Rey hugged her and Leia reassured her that everything was alright.

"It was Finn, he was at the ballet. He did it on purpose."

Leia nodded. She knew the entire situation and kept everything hidden from Han. "There is nothing we can do to change what happened. Now we need to go inside and see if we can get him out."

Rey took a deep breath and Leia's smile was weak. There was worry in her eyes, but she didn't let that stop her from being strong. Rey wanted to be like her and upset that she wasn't. They waited twenty minutes for someone to tell them what was going on. Rey paced the lobby floor without let up as Leia sat in a chair with incredible patience.

"Mrs. Solo?" A name called.

They both looked up and an officer was holding a clipboard in a doorway. He had hair as white as snow and many wrinkles on his face. "Yes, that is me." Leia answered.

He motioned them to follow him. He led them into an office. It was exactly what you would think an office would look like at a police station. It was brown, ugly and small. The inside reeked of cigarettes and who knows what else.

He offered them to sit down and sat his overweight body behind the mahogany desk. He lifted a pair of glasses off his desk and put them on his face. He looked down at a paper in his hand. "My name is Officer Palpatine, are you the boys mother?" He asked Leia.

She nodded. "Yes I am."

He cleared his throat, a sound that repulsed Rey with every fiber in her body. She was so angry towards this man and didn't know why. "Okay, well, he assaulted a kid and broke his nose, ruptured his eardrum and broke a rib."

Rey swallowed hard. She didn't realize how hurt Finn was from the fight. The only visible thing hurt to her was a broken nose.

"With his history of assault, the judge wants him to stay here for at least two days until the hearing. The kid who is pressing charges, Finn Trooper, is suing him for the damage."

Leia took a deep breath. "Tell me the best thing to do here. I do not want my son in jail. Is there bail?"

The man flipped through some more papers. "The bail is $1,000 but you can't pay it until tomorrow. Here are some papers about the incident report. We are going to talk to him about what happened. In those papers are the court date and what time you will need to arrive."

"Can we speak to him?" Rey asked and the officer looked at her. He seemed to forget she was even there.

"No but he will get a phone call later."

Leia heaved a heavy sigh. "If there is nothing else you can do, I guess we will see you tomorrow. Thanks, officer."

Rey walked out of the station, furious. Now that the sadness had faded away, she was only left with anger towards Finn. She knew he was still angry, but did not expect him to press charges. After all, it was him who got Rey so upset. Ben was protecting her.

"Relax, Rey. There is nothing we can do about it right now. Whatever you do, do not confront Finn."

Rey threw her hands in the air with frustration. "How can I stay calm?" Rey's voice lowered as anger boiled her blood. "What a jealous little cunt," she mumbled under her breath.

Leia stood and let Rey continued to curse under her breath. Even though the night air was cold and it was getting late, she didn't interrupt Rey.

"I could kill him. I could go over to his house and strangle him. Now Ben has to stay in jail all night. He's alone and you know as well as I, that he's pissed. He must be fuming."

"The best thing we can do is be here to get him tomorrow."

"It's my fault he is in there!" Rey yelled, pointing her finger against her own chest. "If I hadn't fought with Finn in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. Ben was trying to protect me."

Leia crossed her arms, like a general standing before her soldier. "You can't blame yourself for the past. It's done. It's over with. My son is a hot-headed, stubborn fool. He is in that cell because he couldn't control his anger."

Rey took a deep breath, trying to push the anxiety and anger away from her chest. "What am I going to do about Finn?"

Leia thought for a moment and asked a simple question. "What does your heart tell you to do?"

"Punch him in his face."

Leia laughed. "Naturally. Now what does your brain say?"

"It tells me..." Rey rolled her eyes, not wanting to answer with truth. "I should think about how Finn is acting out of anger, like I want to right now."

Leia nodded and walked closer to Rey, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Which do you think you should listen to?"

This made Rey smile and she was grateful for Leia being there.

How could she sleep knowing Ben was in jail? How could she sleep knowing that Finn is sleeping in peace? The thought made her skin crawl. Still, she needed to be strong like Leia told her to. She would be there when Ben got out. She would always be there for him.

Sorry for how wack the police scene it. I don't know what the fuck happens during an arrest haha. So I kind of guessed. How do you like Palpatine being an obese cop ahahahah

I know this is all a bit cliche and self indulgent twaddle, but I'm a drama queen what can I say