A/N: I was going to wait a little longer to post this chapter so I could sort of build the suspense, but I was so excited that I literally couldn't wait any longer. I've had this chapter (well, drafts of it, at least), written for literal months because I was so excited about it, and here it is!

I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

"Ben?"

The figure was hard to make out in the darkness. He whirled around, his eyes wide. He was covered in grime and maybe even some blood from a cut on his cheek, and the shuttle he'd come in on lay behind him in a smoking, useless heap.

But it was him. It was Ben.

Rey stumbled through the brush and flung herself at him. He was surprised, but he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed like she was life itself. Rey clung to the fabric of his tunic, blinking back tears.

"Rey, I'm so sorry."

"You came back." It was the only thing she could think to say. "You came back."

"I couldn't leave you alone again," he whispered.

Rey smiled, warmth spreading from her chest at the realization that he'd remembered what she'd said so long ago before she'd left him. Her last desperate plea to keep him with her had worked. It had just taken some time.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the bright tether that tied them to each other once more. When she'd felt it flare up again, she almost hadn't believed it. But she'd raced outside when it stayed open. She couldn't quite explain how she'd known, but she had. Ben had finally come home. "I never thought I'd feel this again, either."

Ben's hand tangled in her hair and his thumb massaged her scalp. "I'm sorry about that, too."

Rey pulled her head off his shoulder and studied him carefully. "Please stay."

The look on his face was one she couldn't read, and his end of the bond was quiet. He was silent for too long and panic welled up in her throat.

"We can work this out now that you're here. We can go talk to your mother right now. And Maz! Oh, Maz was so happy when she heard about you. If you could just stay for a little while-"

Ben wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to him.

"Rey…" he whispered into her hair. "I'm staying wherever you are, for as long as you're there."

Rey breathed a sigh of relief. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. His chest moved as he exhaled and Rey could feel his breath, warm on the back of her neck. Rey took a deep breath of her own, balling up the back of his tunic in her fists. There was no way she was letting him go again.

"There's a lot I need to say to you-"

"Later," Rey whispered. "We can talk about everything later. Right now, I just want to be happy you're alive."

Ben laughed and hearing his laughter was so comforting that Rey laughed, too.

"I missed you," she mumbled into his shirt.

She felt Ben's smile widen. "I missed you, too."

She was so close to him, so close. They were alone. She could tell him now. She could tell him the real reason she didn't want him to leave, the real reason she hadn't come after him with a band of Resistance soldiers. Her heart beat faster with the thought of it.

"Ben…"

She lifted her head off his shoulder and his body tensed, like he was worried she'd changed her mind. How was she going to do this? How was she going to find the words? She pulled back far enough to see his face, his eyes. The look in them was too much for her, but not in the way it used to be. There was so much warmth there, so much gentleness. They darted around her face in anticipation, looking first between her eyes, then at her lips.

"Ben," she said again.

Every word she could say, every word she wanted to say, seemed caught in her throat. Why was this so hard? If he wanted to, he could pull the thought from her head. But he didn't. He seemed deliberately withdrawn, as if he wanted to hear her say what she was thinking.

"I…"

"Yes?"

Rey opened her mouth to force the words out, regardless of how scared of them she was. Then, Ben's eyes darkened.

Rey frowned. "Ben?"

But his eyes weren't trained on her anymore. They were glued to a spot above her head. She followed his gaze.

"Ben, what's-"

Finn stood behind the two of them in the clearing, the rawest look of betrayal marring his usually kind features.

Ben let her go, and before she could blink, Finn had raised a blaster and fired it over her head. Ben shoved her out of the way and she tumbled to the ground, caught by surprise.

"Finn, no!" she screeched, but even as she threw her hand up, she knew she was too late.

The blast stopped anyway. Rey could've cried in relief. She whirled to face Ben to see that he had a hand raised to cover his face. He'd reacted faster than she had.

She turned back to Finn and called the blaster to her, doing her best to ignore the shock and hurt he wore as she did. "Finn, please, listen to me before you do anything else."

"Is this where you disappear to every day? Is this what you do?"

"No, Finn, of course not-"

"I was worried about you, Rey! Everyone back on the base is worried you're missing! There's a search party out for you right now! And that's on top of the hordes of people out looking for him!"

Rey's gaze flicked back to Ben. His face was an impassive mask now that the initial surprise had passed, but Rey could still feel his fear churning just beneath the surface.

"Why is he here?" Finn asked when she didn't respond. "Why are you with him?"

Rey backed up and pulled Ben out of the line of the blaster bolt still suspended in midair, prompting him to let it fly. It hit a tree in a shower of sparks. Luckily, it didn't catch fire.

"I can explain everything if you promise to just listen."

She stepped in front of Ben, shielding him as completely as she could so Finn couldn't try and shoot him again with another possible blaster.

"What are you doing?" Finn shouted, jumping forward as if to grab her. "He'll kill you!"

"No! Finn, he won't."

She threw the blaster aside and took a deep breath, attempting to stay calm.

"He's come here to make peace, Finn. He's come here to apologize."

Finn didn't look relieved. "How did he even know where we were?" Understanding flickered in his eyes and his face fell further. "You. You told him, didn't you?"

"It isn't like that," Ben started from behind her, but as soon as he moved, Finn lunged forward and yanked Rey away. There was shouting while the three of them scuffled.

"Rey!"

"Get away from that monster, Rey, before he-"

"Finn! Finn, stop! Stop!"

She pulled herself out of Finn's grasp and scrambled back to Ben, placating him before she turned to her friend. "I will take Ben back to the Resistance, Finn. We will all figure this out there. Together-"

"He's not going anywhere with us!" Finn shouted over her. "We're not leaving until he's dead or in cuffs."

He pulled a comm from his pocket. "I need backup."

Rey's heart stopped. "Finn, don't!"

"I'm on the south side of the base, about 75 meters into the jungle. Kylo Ren is here."

Rey whirled, her heart in her throat. The look on Ben's face only made her feel worse; he looked terrified. He stared at Finn, then at her, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. "Rey," he stammered. "Rey, I-"

"I won't let them touch you. I told you I'd take you to your mother, and I will. I will. Not anyone else. I won't even let them get close."

Still, she stepped back until she was flush against him, acting as a wall between him and anything that might come out of those woods now that the whole Resistance knew he was here. Then it hit her: she'd have to face down the entire Resistance to keep Ben from getting hurt.

She had to get Leia.

But she didn't even have time to think. Everything that happened next happened so fast that Rey couldn't remember all of it when she tried to recall it later. Out of nowhere, she felt herself being pushed away from Ben. Everything blurred as she was passed from person to person, eventually landing at Finn's feet. Rey was so startled by it all that she couldn't even cry out. Finn picked her up, holding her around her waist to keep her arms pinned to her sides. It gave her full view of Ben. A stun bolt from a blaster whizzed toward him and hit him square in the back. He collapsed and Rey flinched as his head collided with the dirt.

"Ben!"

One of the Resistance soldiers sat on him as they cuffed him. Finn spun her around. He looked over her worriedly, holding tightly to her wrists despite her attempts to break away from him.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No! No, of course he didn't!"

More men swarmed Ben, shouting and jeering, and Rey's heart sped up.

"Let me go." He did nothing. "Finn, let me go!"

"Rey-"

She wrenched her hands out of his and shoved through the throng of people, her heartbeat in her ears. Ben was sprawled in the center of the circle, the gash at his cheek bleeding again along with a few more wounds. She threw herself over him, snarling at the men who'd beaten him.

"No one will lay another hand on this man. Do you understand? Not a finger."

"He's a criminal!"

"A murderer!"

"A monster!"

"He's under my protection!" Rey roared over them all, stunning them into silence. "I am to take him to Leia or to Luke, and I am not to leave his side until he's there."

"Who says?"

Rey spun and spat, "I say."

Finn broke through the crowd, then. He wrapped a hand around her upper arm and tried to haul her to her feet, but she threw her arms around Ben's shoulders and refused to let go.

"Rey, let's go."

"I'm not leaving him, Finn."

"Rey-"

"I said no."

"Rey, stop!" he shouted, pulling hard now. "What are you doing?"

"Saving his life!"

Finn froze. Everyone did. Rey turned back to Ben.

"Ben?" she patted his cheek. "Ben, wake up. We're going to your mother. I'm taking you to Leia."

"Rey-"

"Finn, not now," she growled. "I'll explain it all later."

Finn gaped at her. Then he turned and stormed off without another word. Rey stared down all the men who'd trapped Ben and her in a circle, and they gave her room.

"Come on, Ben. We're going to go see your mother."

He stiffened, and she felt fear flare through their bond for the first time since he'd shown up. Her grip on his shoulder softened. His eyes opened and landed on her, and she tried her best to smile. But then he wouldn't look at her. He scanned the people surrounding them. The people who wanted him dead. The Force around her darkened.

"Hey, look at me."

He turned his head just enough for her to see the tears in his eyes.

"It's going to be okay. I promise."

He didn't seem to believe her, but he staggered to his feet with her help and she led him through the trees back to the base.

When Maz saw the pack of Resistance fighters stampede out of the hangar, she had her suspicions about the reason. Rey had run out not long before the chaos, a look of hope on her face that Maz hadn't seen from her in awhile. She almost didn't let herself believe it, but what else would it be? No one else on the base seemed to know what was happening, but everyone was anxious to find out. Maz planted herself near an unmanned X-wing and waited.

After what seemed like an eternity, the whole group returned, led by two new people.

Rey, with Ben Solo at her side.

Maz had never seen the boy look so terrified. He seemed jumpy and on edge, and he had every right to be. But she'd also never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at Rey. Even without him telling her so, Maz already knew; that girl was his whole world. His moon and his stars. And the only reason he'd come back was for her.

And Rey. She hadn't had this much life in her since she'd returned to base all those long weeks ago. She clung to Ben like if she let go he'd disappear and everyone who approached them was immediately turned away. It was clear she was looking for someone specific.

Maz's heart soared when she realized it was Leia.

Maz hurried over to the pair, smiling widely the whole way. "Rey! Rey!"

Rey turned to her and beamed, her eyes shining. "Maz!"

"What did I tell you?" Maz looked Ben up and down as she approached. "I knew he'd be back given time. You should have more faith in me. I know a thing or two."

Rey knelt down and Maz embraced her, smiling widely when she said, "Thank you."

"I did nothing but listen and offer an old woman's perspective."

Rey laughed. "That's all I needed."

Maz patted her cheek as she pulled away and stood up. "And you." Ben looked shocked she was addressing him. "I told you long ago that this would happen and you didn't believe me. Yet here we are."

"Here we are."

"You have a lot to answer for."

He nodded. "I know."

Maz softened, reaching out to grab his hand and squeeze it. "But I'm happy you're home."

Ben did the last thing Maz expected him to do; he smiled. His eyes had wandered over to Rey who was scanning the hangar for Leia.

"Me too."

Maz was so shocked she forgot how to speak. But once she recovered, she beamed.

"Maz," Rey said. "I was looking for-"

"Leia? Come, child, I know exactly where she is."

Maz turned to lead the way, and as she did, she caught a glimpse of Ben. He was pale again. She pretended not to notice when his hand found hers and squeezed. Maz didn't blame him for his terror. In his position, she would have felt the same way. He could see what hell was coming for him, and the only way he could face it was head-on. She couldn't quite place her finger on why, but she had a bad feeling about this, too. She led them down the hall to Leia's quarters just the same.

But as they got closer, the feeling of dread that settled over her became potent and hard to ignore.

"Rey, maybe we shouldn't do this."

Maz turned around to see Ben hovering near the wall. Rey's mouth opened and shut wordlessly. She looked between Ben and Maz, asking Maz for assistance with her eyes. When Maz did nothing—what could she do?—Rey stepped up closer to Ben.

"Ben, it's okay. I'll be right there the whole time-"

"Rey, really. I don't think I can do this."

"Ben, I...you have to talk to her. You can't stay here without her knowing. If I let you go…" She moved even closer and lowered her voice, "If I let you go, they'll kill you. Leia has to decide this."

Silently, they held each other's gazes for a long while. But Maz knew they weren't just staring. She could see in their eyes they were having a whole conversation she couldn't perceive. She stared in wonder for a beat before realizing herself and looking away. This was an intimate moment, one that she had no part of. Eventually, the pair walked back toward her.

"We're ready."

Maz nodded at Rey and continued.

Too quickly, they were outside Leia's rooms.

"Just through that door," Maz said.

As Rey started to walk past, Ben at her side, Maz stopped them.

"Maybe it would be best if Leia had some warning, first."

Rey frowned. "Maz, Leia's been waiting for this for years."

"I realize that," Maz said. "But this will still be a shock. She didn't think she'd ever see him again."

Rey looked up at Ben for a split second and they both nodded. Rey took his hand again and moved towards the door. "I think she'll be overjoyed. She doesn't need a warning."

Before Maz could say anything else, Rey had opened the door and slipped inside, Ben in tow. Maz went in after them, staying near the door.

"Leia?" Rey called, craning her neck to see in all the rooms. "Leia, there's something you need to see."

Ben looked like he'd forgotten how to breathe. He stood straight and still like he'd been frozen in place, and his eyes were wide as they darted about the room. If Leia hadn't walked out at that exact moment, Maz would've taken him by the hand and run.

Leia's eyes moved slowly from the floor to Rey's face, then Maz, before finally settling on her son. Her eyes widened and the datapad she held clattered to the floor.

"Rey?" she said, but her question came out more like a breath than words.

Maz thought Ben was going to be sick, and Leia looked like she was going to faint. If Leia's heart had been in poor condition, Maz would have been concerned it would fail.

"I brought him home, Leia. He's home."

A hopeful smile appeared on Rey's face. But she was too hopeful. The look on Leia's face didn't match hers.

Slowly, Leia stepped up to Ben, her eyes scanning him up and down. This was the first time she was seeing him up close in years, Maz realized. And he looked awful. Thin and pale and unkempt. Leia reached out to touch him and Ben tensed, his hand tightening around Rey's, though his eyes never left her face. Leia's fingertips ghosted over Ben's scar, her eyes flickering with something Maz—astonishingly—couldn't read. She held her hand there, hovering at the side of his face, and for a moment his eyes shone with the hope that Rey's smile did.

But then Leia ripped her hand away like he'd burned her and Ben's face fell into a mask. He knew what was coming even before Maz did. Leia pulled a comm from her pocket and it crackled to life.

"Send me personnel. Four or five at least. I have a man who needs to be escorted to the brig."

Maz's heart sank.

"What?" Rey whispered.

Leia turned and pocketed the comm, horror and resignation warring on her face. Rey followed after her and gripped her shoulder, turning her around.

"You're just going to send him to the brig? They'll kill him."

Leia shrugged Rey's hand off, but Rey refused to relent.

"He'll die before they even get him there!"

"Rey, it's my decision!" Leia whirled on her, eyes alight with a mix of anger and pain. "I am the general, not you! This man is dangerous and he must be incarcerated."

"He's your son!"

"He's a criminal! And you've brought him—an enemy—onto our base." Leia's voice broke and a tear streaked down her cheek, but she quickly composed herself. "You've compromised the safety of my fighters, and I will not allow it for a moment longer."

Rey looked like she didn't know whether to scream or cry.

"You can't do this! Leia, he's your son!"

Leia didn't seem to be listening, she was moving towards her cot in the other room.

"You've been waiting for him for so long! And now that I've brought him back to you, you're going to kill him?"

"Rey, stop."

It was Ben. The first words he'd said since they'd walked inside. He took Rey by the shoulders and pulled her back, and she stared up at him, teary-eyed.

"It's going to be alright. She's doing what she has to do."

"But you're her son-"

"And she's my mother. And I've hurt her and torn apart our family and if she never wants to see me again, I'd understand. Because I'm the one to blame here, not her. She's doing what she needs to do to keep people safe."

Rey was truly indignant now. "You're not going to hurt anyone! You've come here to make peace!"

To his credit, Ben didn't grow frantic. He didn't shout or scream or even raise his voice. He ran his hands down her arms and closed them around her fingers. "She doesn't know that for sure. And she has more people to think about than herself."

Now, tears came to Rey's eyes. She knew this was it, that like it or not, Ben really was going to the brig, and there was nothing she could do about it. "This is my fault."

"You know that's not true."

"I should have told you to leave. I shouldn't have let you stay here."

Ben placed a hand at the side of her head and swiped at her tears with his thumb. "I wouldn't have left even if you'd told me to. I made the decision to come back." He brushed some of her hair back from her face. "I couldn't leave you alone."

Rey looked ready to break. Leia was already breaking in the corner, the cracks in her facade opening into gaping crevices. Ben, though, was more serene than Maz thought was appropriate. His eyes never left Rey's face and something akin to a smile played at his lips. For someone who seemed to be looking death straight in the face, he was calm.

"I'm sorry," Rey whimpered.

Maz could hear the men stampeding towards them through the door. They were getting close.

"You didn't do anything but make me a better person. Don't apologize for that."

They were right outside.

"Rey-" Maz started.

The door flew open and people flooded the room. More than just the four or five Leia had sent for. It appeared everyone wanted their chance at Kylo Ren.

They crowded around Ben and shoved Rey to the side. Even as they swarmed him, his eyes never left her face. He never looked afraid. He didn't fight them, didn't beg for his life or his freedom. He surrendered completely.

But Rey? Two of the men split off just to keep her contained.

"Let him go!" she shrieked over their scuffling. "Please, don't!"

But even if they'd agreed with Rey, they still had to follow orders. They kicked Ben in the back of the knees and sent him sprawling, securing him with more force than Maz deemed necessary.

"Stop! Stop!"

Rey was in tears, nearly in hysterics, but they didn't seem to care. They hauled Ben to his feet and he spoke softly to her as they dragged him out.

"I'm okay, Rey. I'll be okay. I promise. You'll be fine."

The only time he struggled against them was as they pulled him out the door. Maz saw his eyes widen. "Wait," he said, then louder, "wait!" He planted his feet long enough to look Rey in the eyes and say, "I love you."

Then he disappeared into the hall. Rey froze, her face blank. After a beat, she fought with new vigor and ripped herself from the grasp of the two fighters who were holding her. She charged at the door, almost making it outside before the door slid shut.

"No!"

She beat at the closed door as if it were the cause of the problem before she was caught and dragged back.

Maz looked back to see that Leia had watched the whole spectacle through her fingers. Now, instead of confusion and shock, there was heartbreak on her face.

"You!" Rey shouted, still kicking and fighting the Resistance fighters who clung to her arms. "You did this to him! You killed him! You just killed your son!"

Leia leveled a stare at her, her features set, firm and unflinching, though her eyes told a different story. "Take her to her room and station guards at her door."

Rey went limp. Maz's eyes widened. Even she hadn't seen that coming.

"No!"

"If we don't she'll visit the prisoner and she could release him. Make sure she's watched around the clock and she doesn't leave without an escort."

"Yes, ma'am, General."

As the guards dragged Rey towards the door, kicking and screaming, Leia sank to her knees.

"How could you do that to your own son? He came back to you and you sent him to die! Do you hear me? He's going to die and it's all your fault!"

The door shut with an ominous sense of finality. Leia let out an awful sob and Maz's stomach twisted.

"Leia," she started.

"Just go, Maz. Just go. I want to be alone."

Maz took a few steps toward her.

"Maz, I said to leave," Leia barked.

Maz took a step back and Leia sighed.

"Don't tell anyone else what happened in here, and my quarters are off-limits until I say otherwise."

"But-"

"Go."

Maz reached up to open the door, the hope and joy she'd felt only minutes ago now so faint a memory she wasn't even sure she'd really felt them.

"I'm sorry," she said as she left.

But all the apologies in the galaxy couldn't erase what Leia felt, and Maz knew it.

A/N: So, it ended on a low note, but it's okay! When you're on rock bottom, you can only go up, right? The gang's all back together, there's some rifts in relationships, and there'll be a lot to flesh out in the coming chapters, but that's okay! Ben said he loved Rey! Rey came so close to telling him she loved him! It's all good!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. If you did, let me know what you thought! Thank you so, so much for reading! Every single one of you is loved and appreciated! Until next chapter!