AN: ok, first off, thank you for all the faves and follows and reviews :) not had that much time to write any AN's just cause I was focusing on updates!! But I do appreciate all of you guys! Shout out to Leona2016 and Lais89 for always being there with a cool reviews! You guys are awesome xx

So there was a lot of drama with Ben in the other chapter...so really hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D

"What was all that?" Rey barged through the cell door. It was ironic, how they had swapped places, when only days ago she'd been in a cell on his ship.

Ben slowly turned around to look at her, a questioning look on his face.

Rey came closer to him. "Why are you keeping quiet?"

"What would you have liked me to say?" he retorted calmly.

She scoffed. "Anything, Ben!"

"It was all true," he shrugged, "all their accusations were valid."

Rey looked away. "I know that." Her voice had quieted down and when she looked back at him, she seemed calmer. "Why did you go for Kylo?"

Ben let out a humourless laugh. "It doesn't matter, Rey. What these people want is a scapegoat, they want revenge, my name didn't matter at all."

"It would have mattered," she countered.

"Why? Because it reminds them of the man I killed?" He had leaned in towards her a bit aggressively.

She just stared into his eyes, not pulling back. "Why do you always insist on reminding me of that?"

"Because it's the truth, Rey! Because it is what I've done!"he bit back.She flinched when he said that, causing him to pull back.

"That doesn't mean," she said through gritted teeth, "that you need to keep reminding me of it."

"Perhaps it does because you can't seem to be able no to flinch whenever we talk about it!"he accused.

"Because it's never going to be easy, Ben!"she accused.

"You said you have forgiven me!"

"Yes, I have, but that doesn't mean I am ok with what happened, it doesn't mean I understand it any better!" Her voice had died down by the last word and her face had contorted with pain as she grabbed her side and winced.

Ben took a step closer. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she dismissed him, grunting. She waited for a minute to gather her strength before she exhaled loudly and looked at him. "The fact that I forgive you, doesn't change the past." Any remnant of anger was gone, her voice was kind and gentle. "But it does change everything else, Ben." She took a step closer and reached out for his hand. She was surprised to touch cold metal. She looked down at his hand-cuffed hands. "They restrained you?"

Ben shrugged. "It makes them feel safer."

"Why are you not fighting this?"she asked looking back up at him.

"Because they are your friends, Rey," he said, his voice gentler as well. "And you don't want to choose and I don't want to make you."

Rey sighed. She was about to say something when Poe shouted from the other side. "Ready to wrap it up in there?"

On the other side of the door, Poe had sent the other two guards away whilst he had been standing watch, in order to give Rey and Ben some intimacy. Poe wasn't really sure when he had jumped on board with the two of them, but now that he was on it, he would do whatever he had to.

He'd seen one of the generals walking towards him when he'd called out to Ben and Rey.

"Now, what exactly is going on here?" The general stopped a few feet in front of him, her four guards standing tall behind her. She was younger than the other generals, and she looked almost royal, dressed in a satin blue dress and with her golden hair falling down her shoulders. She seemed surprisingly demanding for how beautiful and precious she looked.

"I'm just guarding the prisoner," Poe said with a sly, innocent smile.

She offered him a fake smile before she furrowed her eyebrows at him. "General Dameron, I doubt very much that you were sent to guard the prisoner."

"And why is that?" Poe asked still smiling politely at her.

"Because I know that two of my guards were sent to do this particular job and at the moment, we are unable to locate them." She smiled and asked, just as innocently as he had done, "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to them, would you?"

Poe clenched his jaw. "I'm afraid not. But if that was all-"

"Actually," she interrupted him, "there is something else, I want to see the prisoner!"

"He will be back in the trial room in just a few minutes. You can see him them."

The woman chuckled lightly but her green eyes narrowed on him. "You wouldn't be staying guard whilst he escapes, would you?"

"No." Poe's answer was short and blunt, he had tired of this woman.

"No," she mused, "you wouldn't. But, you would stay guard so that Rey would have time to speak to him, wouldn't you?"

Poe's eyes widened. How did she know? Who was this woman?

"General Dameron," she spoke again, her voice like silk, "I want to see this prisoner and I want to see him now." She took a step closer, "and if you don't move," and another step, until she was so close to him she could whisper, "I'm afraid I will have to go through you."

Poe leaned in as well. "I would like to see you try."

"I don't think any of that will be necessary," Rey said as she stepped out of the cell with Ben following behind her. She than handed the broken handcuffs to one of the guards and said, "These won't be necessary anymore," in the coolest tone she could muster. Rey didn't usually use her "leader voice", but when she did, people rarely questioned her; these guards were no exception. She actually remembered that it had been Ben who'd pushed her to be more confident as a leader.

Flashback( 5 months after their meeting on Leda)

Rey sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh.

"Long day?" Ben asked without looking from the papers in his hand.

Their Force bond had become something so natural, so normal, that it didn't surprise them anymore. But maybe their comfortability with one another had come from the intimacy they had shared on Leda as well.

"Your mother has left behind really big shoes to fill," she complained.

He looked up from his papers. "So, general Rey?" he teased.

Rey rolled her eyes. "No, that's Poe. I'm more of his co-general."

Ben raised a questioning dark eyebrow.

Rey shrugged. "I'm the one that knows stuff about the Force and does the heavy lifting, rocks and things."

Ben chuckled and set his papers aside. He got up from his desk and poured himself a glass of something, a darkly coloured beverage. "What's the problem?"he asked as he leaned back against the drinks cabinet.

Rey thought he looked distractingly handsome tonight, so unusually relaxed, almost playful. She grimaced. "I'm just not cut out for this."

"To be an intergalactic hero that has managed to best the almighty Kylo Ren in a fight?"he teased, looking at her over the rim of his glass.

Rey huffed. "You were not a worthy opponent, Solo. If I am to be named an intergalactic hero, let it be because of putting up with our Force bond."

Ben raised his glass to her. "Touché."

Rey laughed and she could feel her shoulders ease and her body loosen up. "Thank you."

Ben waved it off. He sat his glass down and returned to his seat. Rey was happy when he didn't come over to sit next to her; it would have been too distracting.

"Now," he said, "why do you think you're not good at this?"

Rey looked up, trying to find the words she needed. "I just...I don't know how to lead a rebellion. I know that I want to fight for it but I don't know how to be the face of it."

He smiled. "You already are. Rey, you are the image of the Resistance, and not just because you bested me in a fight. You also found Skywalker and brought him back. These people already look up to you because of who you are. You just have to assess and use that."

"Like control them?"she joked because she didn't really know how to react to all the amazing things he had just said about her. Her legs felt wobbly and she was happy she wasn't standing.

Ben smirked. "Only when they don't obey you," he laughed, but then added, "you just have to guide them Rey, use your leader voice."

"My leader voice?"

"Your leader voice."

Rey laughed, but then her laugh faded into a smile and she just stared at him. All charming and handsome and kind; so very kind to her.

End of flashback.

AN: The much needed fluff after the drama! Also yes, felt too bad for Poe so he is getting a love-hate story too hihi hope you like it xxx