"I knew Luke Skywalker," the older woman told Rey. "Grew up with him in fact." The woman smiled, revealing a beauty that age had not taken away. "Wormie- that's what we called Luke- Biggs. My Fixer, and me. We all grew up together. I'm glad to see that someone from his family came back to look after the old place." She looked at Rey. "Was he your father?"

"No." Rey shook her head. "But he was my family. Luke, and his sister."

The old woman smiled. "Leia. I met her once. And her Han. And the Wookie Chewbacca." She smiled. "That was so long ago ..."

Rey smiled at the woman, fighting back tears. "Thank you again for the food, Camie. I wasn't expecting to find fresh fruit on Tatooine."

Camie Loneozner smiled. "Oh, sweetheart. Once I found out there was someone living at the Old Lars place I knew I had to come over. I see you've been working on the Vaporators. When you get them working, be sure to call on me. Marstrap Hydroponics can use all the water you can provide."

"I'll see what I can do," Rey promised. Working on the Vaporators gave her something to do other than grieve what- and who- she had lost. It pleased her to think that her work could also prove useful to this new home of hers. She thought Luke would be pleased by that. "And … Wormie? You have to tell me the story behind that."

Somewhere, she could fancy she heard Luke grumbling …

"I will," Camie promised. "But that's a story for another time. Matthew? Matt, are you done offloading the produce into Rey's garage?"

"Yes, Mother." Matthew had been working while the old woman chatted with Rey. There had been something familiar about him in the Force … familiar, but different. "All done."

"Then come on over and say hi. Rey won't bite, will you, dear?"

"I've already had breakfast, so no," Rey said with a smile in her voice. Something about Camie gave her more peace than she had known since Ben … No. I can't think about him now.

Matthew Lonezner was a large man. He was dressed in the desert style that was familiar to Rey from both her own home world of Jakku as well as Tatooine. He was also wearing a hood and had gone to work unloading Camie's speeder without so much a wave in Rey's direction.

"Rey Skywalker." She expected it to sound strange to her ears, but it felt more natural- more right- each time she said it. The only thing that would have sounded better was Solo …

But that could never be. Not now.

Rey didn't hold her hand out. It was not a common custom on Jakku, and she hadn't felt the urge to do so with anyone else since Ben …

Matthew Loneozner lowered his hood…

And Rey gasped.

His hair was a sandy blond. His eyes were as blue as Luke's … His skin was tanned, not pale.

But everything else … everything else was Ben Solo.

"Please to meet you," Matthew Loneozner said.

Even his smile belonged to Ben.

Ben? Rey asked through the Force, straining to feel their bond ….

But there was nothing …

Until there was something … something like an echo …

Matt blinked. He cocked his head. "Did you hear …?"

"Matt, honey? Are you all right?" Camie asked. She placed a hand on his forehead, worry etched on her older features.

"I'm fine ..." Matt murmured, looking again at Rey. "Have we met? I feel like I know you ..."

Rey bit back her tears. Something was wrong here. She didn't understand it. "I think this is the first time we've met, Matt. I am pleased to meet you, though. So pleased to meet you ..."

***...***

The Loneozners left after that.

"Am I going mad?" Rey asked herself. "He's Ben … except he's not. I don't understand. I don't understand..."

"There's no reason you should, dear. But I CAN give you answers."

Rey blinked as she felt a shimmering in the Force … a woman that she had never seen before … never heard … stood before her as a shimmering Force Ghost. She was beautiful, and Rey saw Leia in her features … and Luke as well. "Who are you?"

"I am Padme Naberrie Amidala." The woman smiled. "Ben is my grandson."

"You said 'is.'" Rey pounced on the word. "Is it true then … is Ben alive?"

"Yes … and no."

Rey frowned. "That's helpful."

"Forgive me, Rey. I know that you have been so much in your short life … I do not mean to add to your pain and confusion." Padme sighed soundlessly. "But I have been gone a long time. I would not be able to speak to you like this if not for Ani and my children assisting me."

"Ani … Anakin Skywalker?" Rey felt a shiver down her spine. "You mean Darth Vader."

"I mean Anakin Skywalker!" There was steel in Padme's voice. "My husband returned to his true self before death."

"Forgive me, Padme," Rey apologized. "I am just … upset."

"Understandable." Padme calmed down. "You are right in your intuition. Matthew Loneozner IS Ben Solo … and not."

"I am still confused," Rey confessed. "Wouldn't Camie know her own son?"

"Oh she does. She does." Padme softened. "She found 'Matthew' in the desert … alone, without any memory of his prior life. She named him Matthew because she thought of his presence as a gift … for he has become the son she never had. Her neighbors know that 'Matthew' is not her true son, but they will not betray her. As yet, she doesn't know you well enough to trust you with the truth."

"But why does he look different …?"

"The differences are slight, but necessary. The Force has the power to restore life … or a parody of it as your grandfather knew before he stole energy from the bond you shared with my grandson. But life is growth … and change. He's still a Skywalker … still a Solo. He is still Force Sensitive … but his genetic profile does not match Ben Solo's exactly. A medical scan would determine that 'Matthew' is related to Ben Solo, but it would not prove they were the same person. It was the only way he could return."

"But his memories …. he doesn't remember anything?" Rey felt the tears sting her eyes again. "He doesn't remember me."

"No, Rey." Padme's voice was gentle, sympathetic. "He doesn't. You have the power to restore those memories … if you choose."

"If I choose?" Rey asked. "Of course I'll … oh."

"You understand." Padme nodded her head sympathetically. "'Matthew' does not remember his life as Ben Solo … or Kylo Ren. The crimes that he committed … the evil that he has done … that was done to him … he does not recall. He can live his life without ever knowing what he had been ..."

"He can be at peace," Rey whispered.

"Yes. He can be at peace for the first time in his life."

"But he won't know what we were to each other."

"No. If you touch him … if you awaken your bond … then 'Matthew' will recall everything that Kylo Ren did. All of his crimes and atrocities ..."

"He'll remember murdering his father," Rey whispered. "It tore him in half. It almost destroyed him. I can't do that to him. I can't let him suffer like that again ..."

"I know you face a terrible choice, Rey. That is why I asked my family to send me to you. I loved Ani with all my heart … we each broke promises to others so that we could be together. Losing him killed me. And yet … if it would have prevented him from becoming Darth Vader, I would have wished this for him."

"You love my grandson. The two of you share a bond that shook the heavens. I cannot tell you what your choice should be … all I can do is tell you that you do have a choice."

An ethereal hand covered Rey's.

"And you will never be alone."

..**..

She had to leave.

There was no other way. She had to leave. She had to leave Tatooine and never return. She could not stay close to Ben … she did not trust herself to refrain from telling him everything … from awakening the bond between them.

Ben was alive.

He did not remember her, but he was alive.

That was enough. That would have to be enough.

She could live as long as Ben was alive.

Even if he wasn't hers- even if he would never be hers- he was alive.

That had to be enough.

BB8 was ecstatic to be leaving. He was practically humming as he readied the Millennium Falcon for departure. They were finally heading back to the Resistance … back to Poe.

Rey paced back and forth, waiting for the Falcon to be ready to go …

And then he was there.

"Rey … Ms. Skywalker."

Ben … no, Matthew.

He had come back for her. Even though he did not recall anything about himself … something in him came back to her.

"Matt." The name tasted wrong but she forced herself to say it. "It's late. What are you doing here?"

"I went to bed when we got home. I went to sleep. And I dreamed." Matt's eyes were blue, but she had seen that thoughtful look in Ben's before. "I remembered you."

"You dreamed about me, Matt," Rey said gently. She turned away. She couldn't look at him. "You just met me and had a dream about me. It happens all the time. It doesn't mean anything."

"That's not true." He wasn't angry. "I know this ship."

"It's the Millennium Falcon. One of the most famous ships in the galaxy. Of course you know it."

"No. That's not why I know it, is it?"

"Matt … let it go. I'm leaving. You'll never see me or this ship again."

"Rey ..."

And it was his voice. Ben's voice.

"I'm going, Matt."

"I'll follow you."

It was a promise. A calm promise.

"You don't even know me. You don't know who I am, Matt Loneozner. Stay here with your mother."

"She's not my mother." He was regretful as he said it. "She's kind. And loving. And I care for her deeply. But she's not my real mother. I don't know who is, but I know that Camie isn't her." He looked at Rey. "You know. You know who my mother is. You know who I am, don't you?"

Rey said nothing.

"Don't you?"

"Matt, let this go. Please."

"I can't."

"You have to. If you follow me- if I let this happen- you will be miserable. Stay here. Find someone to love. Have a family. Forget me. Forget you ever met me. All you can do is make yourself miserable if you follow me. Let it go. Let me go."

"I can't." He took a step towards her. "I know you're trying to protect me- somehow I know that. But I can't let you just fly away and never see you again. Even if you're right- I can't walk away from you. I am nothing without you. I would rather die than live without you …"

"I can't watch you die again!" Rey screamed. "Don't you understand? I can't lose you again! I am trying to protect you, Ben Solo!"

She gasped.

"Ben Solo …." Matt frowned. "That name. I know that name … I know that name. Rey ..." He held his hand out to her as he had done so long ago.

But this time … this time his hand was bare.

"Please, Rey."

"We can't do this. You'll hate yourself. You'll hate me. Please … let me go."

He looked at her at her in silence for a moment.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said softly. "If you truly want to go, then go. I won't follow you." He sighed. "But I think … I think I'm in love with you and always have been. And I'll accept any burden if it means that I can have you in my life ..."

He turned to walk away.

"Matt … your real name is Ben Solo." Rey bit her lip. "And if you take my hand, you'll remember everything you lost … the good and the bad. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of staying. I'm afraid to go. I've just felt so terribly alone since I lost you …."

His eyes- and she decided that she could get used to that blue- sparkled in recognition as he turned around. "You're not alone, Rey."

And he took her hand.

Their bond flared to life. He fell to his knees as his memories flooded back into his mind.

She took his face in her hands. "Neither are you, Ben. Neither are you."

And she kissed him.

Author's Note: So "Matthew" means "Gift of God". I wasn't surprised that Ben died in RoS, but I was happy that he got redeemed. The Han/Ben scene was a nice throwback to TFA. I came up with several ideas for a way for Ben to come back once he died, but once I looked up the meaning of "Matthew" I decided that the Force just sent Ben back because he deserved it. The blond hair was from the famous "Matt the Radar Tech" sketch on SNL. I gave him blue eyes because I originally envisioned him coming back looking like Anakin, but decided that Rey still deserved Ben Swolo. :D