Author's Note: Hello, friends! If the last chapter confused you, please go back one chapter and read the edit I made to clarify in the author's notes section at the top of the chapter. Answers were always meant to follow, but that chapter alone was over 6k words. I have to break it up because this scene is over 3k long.

I also made an episodic movie crawl for this fic, in case you like extras while reading fics like I do! If you want to follow me, my tumblr is the best place for that. You are able to see writing updates as well as a hoard of Reylo posts in case that catches your fancy.

Trailer/Crawl (no spaces): www . youtube . com [forward slash] watch?v=IcRX74lEpHw&t=1s

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 13

Ajan Kloss

REY

Mud, grass, and mix of sticks and leaves clung to them. Rey held the remnants of her shredded pants around her waist as best as she could as he drove them back to the Falcon. By the time they reached the Falcon, Rey had started to fall asleep. Stopping halfway along the journey, Ben had carefully pulled her to his lap, holding onto her as he drove back to the old base.

Instructing her to throw her arms around his neck, Ben carried her like she was his bride, which she supposed was true given they'd said they were married. Given the lack of creed to any one planet, they'd both agreed they were husband and wife. Rey didn't think the world would honor their choice, but the galaxy hadn't been part of their bond.

All the way to the Falcon, she remained in his arms. He only set her down when he scrubbed his hands a bit and moved to collect a few things from the closet in their quarters. Stuffing a thin bag of a few clean clothes, Ben collected Rey and took them back to the speeder. Dozing in and out, Rey shook awake when he pressed a gentle kiss into her grimy hair. Looking around, she saw they were at the bathing pool.

Neither spoke a word, but his tenderness surprised her. Helping her strip, Ben placed her on a mossy rock and aided her in taking the remaining garb off, his shirt on her body was the last thing he bothered with. Finally, he ripped his own clothes off, and they stood there, naked and together. Taking each other's hands, Ben scooped her up, brushing a light whisper of a kiss against her mouth as he walked them into the pool.

The jungle around them reflected in the clear water, but as Rey parted with Ben, opting to submerge underwater, her movements distorted the scenery. Small ripples grew into splashes. Standing in the waist-deep water, Rey brushed her hair back, the water dripping over the smooth planes of her body. As she scrubbed the mud and grime off her body, Rey's breasts moved, and her hair clung around her shoulders, jaw, and neck as she rubbed the back of her neck. Only when her torso was clean did she open her eyes to look at Ben.

Those dark, dangerous eyes stared absently as she froze. His gaze flashed up to her own gaze once he realized he'd been caught. An innocent smirk stretched his mouth. "Sometimes I can't believe I almost never got to see this."

Rey crossed her arms, a feeble attempt to hide herself. The man, by now, had committed her each and every curve, scar, and feature into his memory. However, the way he watched her made her belly tickle and her toes curl. Biting her lip, she relaxed her arms when he walked closer to her, leisurely stealing a kiss from her as he molded his arms around her. Pulling away, they were both breathless. "Almost never got to see what?" she asked, focus waning when he took her earlobe between his teeth and sucked.

"You, Rey." Ben brushed some of her hair back. "All of this."

Rey's brows knitted together. "Why do you talk about me being naked so much?"

Ben laughed and pushed away from her, so he could submerge and get some of the mud off of him. When he decided he was satisfied with the progress, he turned around and sat back down when she was.

"Although you naked is one of the highlights, I meant a more figurative you. After I…" Ben sighed, rubbing his face as he took her in his arms. "After I put on that helmet, I never thought a life would ever be possible."

Rey stared down at her hands. Mouth hanging and eyes narrowed, the scavenger shook her head. "I never knew such loneliness, Ben. I don't totally understand what happened back there…"

"I have a few theories." After a moment, Ben closed the space between them and hauled her in his arms. Pressing his lips to her cheek, he reached around to the other side of her face and angled it so that she met his soft hues. "Rey, you spent three years running from the Force. Finn wanted you both to start the next generation of Jedi. Padme and Anakin think you should help lead a new order."

Tears stung her eyes, but before the cold could sweep her away again, Ben took her mouth and rubbed her back. "You've seen what my grandfather did firsthand. Anakin was also tricked. The entire Jedi Order failed to see what was happening right under their noses."

"Rey?" Ben grabbed both sides of her face, thumbs wiping her eyes before any teardrops fell. "I know a little about having a dangerous grandfather."

"And everyone thinks it's a good idea to put me in charge of something like an Empire."

Ben sighed, refusing to let her shirk away from him. When she started shaking, he explored her mouth. The gentle coax of his tongue made her sigh, and her nerves soothed. When he pulled away, he brushed her mouth with his thumb. "It won't be like an Empire or the First Order."

"But it could go that way!"

Pulling his head back, Ben searched her face. Eyes narrowing, he quietly replied, "But it won't. Not with the right people."

Rey scoffed, shoving away from him, but closed her eyes and found the wind ease the knot in her throat. Opening her eyes, Rey's lip trembled. "And you think we're the right people?"

"We're the only ones who can do this, Rey."

"Us? You only just defected from the First Order, which you led, when you came for me against Palpatine," the scavenger fought. A stray tear beaded and fell down her face. "And me?" she continued, breathless. "I'm a Palpatine." When Ben moved toward her, she held out her hand and stepped back. "Listen to me, Ben! I can change my name and stop using the lightning, but he's in my blood." Ben caught her hands in his, and she stilled. Her breathing went erratic until he kissed her wrist. "No matter where I go, I can't run from that."

"At the lake, you said you needed me for my leadership skills. You had to have known this was our path, Rey."

Rey scrunched her face and shook her head. "It was only a joke, Ben. I was caught up in seeing you again. Jokes always helped me deflect the truth when Desren or someone else asked about the Force or what happened with Palpatine."

"What's the truth, Rey?"

Holding still, the scavenger studied Ben's eyes. Bringing her palm to his cheek, she exhaled. "Luke Skywalker was a Jedi master, yet even he couldn't mend the Force."

"He had to deal with me, Rey."

Gulping, Rey took his hand and brought his fingers to her lips. "Ben, what if we start this Gray Order and we grow old in a time of peace, and the people we hand this all over to come along and start the process over? If the Jedi Order fell once, does that mean the Light is always doomed to fall asunder to the Dark?"

"Rey, you're looking too far ahead."

Drawing her head back, the scavenger scowled at him. "Maybe someone should!"

Ben's smile infuriated her, but she couldn't let go of his hand. "We can't know the future. We may be a powerful dyad, Rey, but not even we have the ability to know what happens next." Pulling her into his lap, Rey straddled him, but kept her head back. A gentle chuckle eased from his bobbing throat. "We can do this."

"It's just us, the man who led the Jedi Order into ruin, and a senator who helped put my grandfather into power."

"If not us, then who?" Ben's face twitched as he sighed. "The galaxy, in only three years, has slipped back toward the Dark, Rey. Doing nothing is no longer an option. My uncle should prove running doesn't work."

"Ben...I started this story only wanting my family back." Rey's features broke, and she sank into him. "I hardly know who I am anymore," she whispered in his wet hair. Ben's arms wrapped around her back and pulled her in until their chests touched. "I feel like I'm being torn apart."

"Rey, a lot of what you feel is because of me...actions I did without knowing how they'd affect you." A shudder starting in his chest shook them. Ben cupped the back of her head and stroked her hair. Rey absently looked at the jungle behind him. "It doesn't matter that I didn't know about us until it was almost too late. I will spend the rest of our life together giving you the family you deserve." His tears dropped against her bare shoulder, slowly trickling down her back until they disappeared into the water rocking around them. "I wish I could undo everything and simply turn back time to get to Jakku as me , but I can't."

"How can we have a family and lead a new order all at once?" Rey lifted her hands over his back, gently rubbing up and down as she kissed his shoulder. "Any child of ours is bound to be dangerous. It was arrogance that brought the Jedi Order to its knees and arrogance that made you idolize your Dark grandfather's legacy, Ben."

Shaking against her, he pulled back and took her face between his hands. He kissed her, his pace as agonizing as it was slow. Rey wiped his face of the warm tears still falling. Sniffling, he pulled back and shook his head. "So let's put our namesakes to rest."

"Then we're just ignoring the problem. That's just a different form of arrogance, isn't it?"

There was a shocking rush or energy raging in Ben's chest. When she brought his face up to meet his hues, she saw a quiet violence simmer in them. Against her, his fingers twitched. "If we can't leave our past behind us, but also can't be new people, Rey, then what can we do?"

"For better or worse, we have to accept our family legacies. Someone must accept responsibility. It's high time." Rey rested her forehead against his throat. "That's why we shouldn't do this. Our families have both proven we shouldn't lead. And while I know this order wouldn't start out like an Empire or First Order, it sounds like we'd be rounding up all the tools for someone to do so in future."

"Rey, if we don't do something about all the Force sensitive people out there, then someone else will." Ben stilled her by lightly sliding his hands over her rear in the water. When she gasped, he quirked a faint smirk. "Not that I mind discovering more about you...about us…" he trailed. Rey held her fingers over his bobbing throat, waiting for him to continue. "But let's take this slow. When you took off, I felt my power go with you, like you bled my part of our bond nearly dry. I'm not sure if I'm right or not. All I know is that we can't afford to lose control again."

The scavenger kissed his temple, looking away. "I don't know what came over me. I can't even think about what could have happened…"

"It looks like you were right, though." Ben examined his hand, and his easy grin fell. "You're not the only one with an ability." He kissed the pulse faintly beating at her neck. "It all happened so quickly. I didn't have time to realize how the shield went up. We should follow my uncle's advice and explore this dyad in terms of the Force, rather than focusing on one side or the other."

"I would rather have yours than mine…"

Ben laced his fingers between hers and kissed her chin. The water pushed her toward him as he adjusted them slightly. Brushing his wet hair out of his face, Rey returned his smile. "Everything is as it should be, Rey. I couldn't protect my parents, but now the Force has given me a way to keep you safe."

Sighing, Rey rubbed his back idly. "I think you have this ability to keep you safe from me...I almost lost you back there."

"It's like you said before. I'm hard to get rid of."

A laugh passed between them. Rey arched her back until her half her head and ears submerged. The bassy, deep sounds pressing and pinching underneath the shiny reflection of the water tuned everything out. When she hummed, her ears tickled from the sound vibrating and distorting under the water.

You're so beautiful, Rey.

Tensing, the scavenger instinctively moved her arms to cover her chest, the unexpectedly cool air pinching her nipples until they were hard. Ben moved his hands and slowly untangled her limbs to restore the view he previously admired.

Don't hide from me.

Opening her eyes, the scavenger bit her lip as he hunched over her and took one of her nipples into his mouth. Sucking, he took the nub between his teeth and rolled it around, driving her wild with need. The water left her feeling weightless as it carried her while he licked her skin. "Ben…"

I've wasted too much time to hold back anymore, Rey. I should have taken your hand back in Snoke's throne room. That is my single biggest regret.

"Instead, you traded me for leading the First Order." As she spoke, her words rumbled in her ears.

All that I am is yours.

Ben hauled her back up, and a curtain of water poured down her as it seeped from her hair and over the planes of her body. Gasping, she shivered against him. He took her mouth, but the moment she pressed him for more, he withdrew. "I'm sorry I took you so roughly back there, Rey."

Shaking her head against his, her mouth twitched to a small smile. "I'm surprised that I am not."

"I don't fully understand what happened. As soon as the shield dropped, our bond overwhelmed me, and we connected in a way I've never known before. You thought I died because you couldn't feel my presence in the Force. All of what you felt poured into me, and I think I lost my mind in a similar way when I was still Kylo Ren. I almost couldn't control myself."

Rey kissed the bridge of his nose and chuckled. "When our connection went silent, I wanted to die. It was like before, but stronger. More volatile. Existing without you has become impossible."

"I felt it, too." Ben shuddered against her. Reaching for her wet hair, he curled a thick strand in his fingers. "I was so desperate to feel you again. I was lost in those few seconds in the shield."

"We'll train together, so that neither of us again consumes too much of our power, Ben. There has to be a way to get this right."

Nodding, Ben reached for her face and rubbed her cheek while scanning her features. "Rey, I need you to come to terms with our future with the Force. I can't do this alone. I don't think we should lead the charges for the Jedi, but I think it's what my grandfather wants. The Order lasted for a thousand years before it fell. Maybe we just need a new way of running it...making sure it sticks this time."

Rey shivered. Fear had driven her to the brink. The thought of leading anything frightened her. She held so much weight of the Force, and she knew that, with it, accountability must also be enacted. "I know I play a part in all this, but I'm still searching, Ben. The Force surely wouldn't give me this much power without a purpose, but I'm terrified of living in Palpatine's shadow."

Ben rubbed her arms, the friction between his palms and her damp skin warming her until he relaxed the shiver rocking her body. "Rey, you're nothing like him. Your parents died so you wouldn't end up like him. They're galactic heroes, Rey. They spared you from him." Trailing his fingers over her jaw, he sighed against her. A wide smile creased his cheeks as he took her hands. "If you don't trust yourself, do you at least trust me?"

Rey's brows furrowed, sinking toward her nose. "Of course, I do."

"I don't know if we'll ever deal with a rogue Jedi seeking to start a new Galactic war, but, Rey, we're together and alive for a reason." He took her hand and moved it over his heart, thumb rubbing her wrist. Swallowing, Ben searched her eyes. "You destroyed the sith, but that doesn't mean the Dark side won't rise if given the chance to do so. If we're to finally bring balance to the Force, it starts with us. I'll never see my mother again, but I think I can help make sure her legacy lives on. I want to be a part of that, Rey." He brought her hand to his mouth, placing several quick kisses on each of her folded fingers. "Like you need to preserve the Falcon to keep dad's memory around you, I need to carry out what she started. Maybe I could feel her the way you feel Han every time you step foot into that ship."

Rey searched his eyes for a moment. The way the afternoon light hit the pool, his dark hues resonated with a life she'd only seen a few times in their time together. Inhaling, she released the breath slowly, inviting a wave of calm over her. "Alright, then. I don't like it, but when you put it that way, it makes sense."

"Thank you, Rey." Pulling his hand away from her hair, Ben molded his arms around her and sank his face in the hollow of her neck. Each time he breathed on her, he tickled her wet skin. When he started nuzzling her skin, the scavenger laughed, and the sound carried all around them. "We'll deal with all of the details after we figure out our bond. I'll let them know, so we're able to focus on one thing for as long as we can."

"We can't stay here too long."

"I know, but we have a little bit of time. Uncle Luke said you're aware of two more kyber crystal locations. We'll make that a top priority once we figure out what we're gonna do with the ex-stormtroopers."

Rey smiled. "And you still need to finish your new lightsaber."

"Let's get to work."

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