Cassidy woke up in her comfy bed to the shrieking of he alarm. She woke up, had break, went to school, had lunch, came home, and had dinner. But all Cassidy could think about was the hazel eyed, crooked nose boy. The whole family was sitting in the main room. Her mother and father sat in their chairs while Cassidy and her sister laid on the floor doing their home work.

"Cassidy you're such an amazing big sister. Lysa has been struggling with this subject and i haven't heard a single complaint for you while you help her." Her mother praised. "You are going to be an amazing mother some day soon."

Cassidy rolled her eyes knowing exactly how this conversation was going to go. She didn't even get a chance to respond before her father interjected.

"Our baby girl is going to be too busy in the office to be laying on her back popping out brats. "

Never marry a man that doesn't want children right away." Her mother lectures.

"She will have her hands full making partner to marry this imaginary husband of yours."

That's how this argument always goes. Her parents argue over her future. Father wants her to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer to join his firm. She never could understand why it was so important to work there. The firm was huge with over a thousand employees and they only had one client. Yes, this one client was a humongous business that extended throughout the galaxies. Her mother was an educated woman who tended to lean to an old fashion point of view. She wanted grandchildren right away. Though they had different goals for Cassidy there was one thing they could agree on. Neither of them cared about Cassidy thoughts on the matter.

"Did I used to know anyone named Ben?" Cassidy interrupted. "Black hair? Funny nose?Maybe from a childhood vacation trip?"

"Not that I recall" Her father paused in thought.

"Did this mystery boy spark an interest in my darling daughter's heart?" Her mother teased. "Do I hear wedding bells?"

"If he's a mystery than he has something yo hide." Her father pointed out. "You don't want to get mixed up with those type of people."

That started another playful argument between her parents about her future.

"I'm going to bed." Cassidy sighed as she gathered her stuff and headed up the stairs.

Cassidy got under the blankets and closed her eyes. Her last thoughts were of the boy in her dreams. Would she see him again and find out how she knew him or was it all just a fluke? Could the cabin give her any more hints? She contemplated these things as sleep pulled her in.

Cassidy looked around as her family sat around the bonfire. They all had a plate in one hand and were talking about Cassidy future. Cassidy recognized the conversation from over two years ago. It was the day she knew she would have no say in how her life would go. She put the food down on the sand and walked out towards the ocean. Glancing to the left she saw the same endless shore line. Everything still looked the same. But there was only one was to find out.

Starting off in a sprint, Cassidy ran towards where she remembered the forest. After a couple of hours of running Cassidy skidded to a stop in the sand. Right in front of her was the same small stream cutting through the land. On the other side was the forest she visited the night before. The same icy cold chill hit her foot as she walked across. Once on the other side the same dead silence surrounded her. She continued her cautious wandering around the woods. How was she suppose to find the clearing? Last time she had just stumbled across it. The only thing she knew was that it was deep in the forest. So that is where she headed.

It had to be sheer luck. Nothing else could explain it. How else could she just stumble on the same place twice? Whatever it was, Cassidy stood at the edge of the clearing for the second time. Glancing up at the large boulder there didn't seem to be anyone sitting on top of it. Sneaking around, Cassidy tip toed over to the cabin door. Sadly it was still locked. Curiosity was getting the better of her when she put all her weight into slamming the door with her shoulder. But all she got from it was a shooting pain in her arm when the door didn't budge one bit. Cassidy bit her lip and rubber her arm trying to snuff out the pain.

"How are you here?"

Cassidy spun around to find herself nose to nose with the very teenage boy she had been thinking about all day. "Blast it." She too a step back into the door. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

The boy didn't even acknowledge her response. "How are you here?"

Cassidy tilted her head in confusion. "I walked here." She pointed her thumb behind her. "What's in there?"

"How are you here?" The teenager growled out.

"I" Cassidy pointed at her eye. "Wall-ked" She slowed the word down as her fingers imitated a person walking pass them.

Her sassy remark didn't have the desired effect. The boy gripped her shoulders and pushed her into back into the door. "How are you here?" He sneered in her face.

"He y Man" Cassidy grabbed the back of his arms and pulled her knee up to make contact with his groin. The teenage boy instantly release her as he fell to the side cupping himself. "Never" She pointed at him on the ground. "Touch me without my permission."

She stepped around him back into the opening to give each other space. The boy slowly got to his feet and stepped off the porch. He eyed her up and down in assessment. It seemed Cassidy had hurt more than just his dangly bits. He didn't speak. It was almost as if he was challenging her with his silence.

Cassidy rolled her eyes deciding she didn't like this game. "Ben, right?" His eyes snapped up to glare at her. "Obviously we got off on the wrong foot." Ben stayed silent. "My name is Cassidy. I'm from over there." she jutted her thumb out towards the woods. Her introduction was only met with more silence and she was getting more irritated by the second. This was going nowhere. So she decided to lay it all out on the table.

"Have we met before?" She asked point blankly. "Do you know me from somewhere?"

The Ben blinked at the weird question. "Have you ever been to Alderaan?" He finally broke the silence.

"No" Cassidy looked around. Is this Alderaan?"

"No" Ben chuckled under his breath.

"so it is safe to say we have never met before?"

"I have never seen you before in my life."

"But that doesn't make sense." she said under her breath. "These are suppose to be my memories." Ben narrowed his eyes barely able to hear her. "Okay" Cassidy tried to collect her thoughts. "Where are we right now?" She pointed both fingers to the ground. "Where is this place?"

Ben looked at her in silent contemplation. She could tell he was questioning how much information to give her. She couldn't blame him. They were strangers to each other. There was no way in chaos she trusted him enough to take him to her beach.

"This is the place I go when I sleep. It's where I come when I want to be alone." She definitely hear the emphasis on that last word.

But she decided to ignore it. "Okay. But physically where is this place in the waking world?" She specified. "Maybe we met here when we were kids or something."

"Not possible." He waved her off. "This is private property. The only people that would come here are my father and I."

"Oh" Cassidy felt defeated as she aimlessly walked around the clearing. Ben's eyes never left her as she plopped down with the boulder behind her. she leaned against it as she pulled blades of grass out of the ground. Finally she met his eyes.

"I've been coming here when I sleep everyday for the last four years." She confessed for no particular reason.

"Why is this the first time I've seen you?" He demanded in a question.

"Well I just found this place yesterday." Cassidy answered. "I usually start at a beach. My family would visit this every year when I was younger."

"How did you get here?"

"I walked." Cassidy rolled her eyes at the question. "Well technically I ran... for hours. Normally when I run I stay on the endless shore line. But yesterday I ran into something I had never seen before." She paused a moment. "A stream and on the other side this forest."

"There are no streams in this forest." Ben corrected her.

"Yeah and there are no streams on my beach." Cassidy snapped back.

"So you crossed this 'stream' and ended up here?" Ben continued where she had left off. Cassidy nodded. "Show me this stream."

"Why would I do that?" At this point Cassidy was just being stubborn. She didn't liked to be bossed around.

"So I can close the connection."

Cassidy jaw dropped. Why was he so quick to get rid of her? I mean yeah he was a totally a pompous prick. If they had met in the waking world she never hang out with him for more than a few seconds. But he was the first different thing, (person, this was a living breathing person.) she had seen in four years. Even if he didn't want her around she still had this new forest to explore. No, she wasn't letting go that easily.

"If you want it" She shrugged feigning disinterest. "than find it yourself."

"You have to go back sooner or later. " Ben narrowed his eyes at the challenge.

"No I don't" Cassidy lifted her hands up to cup the back of her head and leaned against the boulder. "All i have to do is stay here until I wake up."

"This is my place." Ben barked at her. "You are trespassing."

"Oh come on. Loosen up." Cassidy chuckled under her breath. "I'm assuming you are completely alone here. Aren't you bored? Don't you want some company?"

"I train here."

"Train?" Cassidy arched a brow. "First time I saw you, you were napping on this rock."

"I was meditating." He corrected. "I can double my training if I work during the day and meditate when I'm asleep."

"What are you training for?"

Ben opened his mouth only to immediately shut it again. "You ask alot of questions?

He turned his back to her and headed in a random direction into the woods. Cassidy huffed in annoyance. She closed her eyes and listened to his footsteps drift away into silence. About an hour later Cassidy opened her eyes to the sound of Ben stomping back into the clearing.

"No luck?" She smiled.

Ben grumbled something under his breath and walked back into the woods in a different direction. Cassidy shook her head in amusement. Maybe if he ever asks nicely she will show him the right direction. But that would never happen. A eerie creak caught her attention It sounded like it had come from the cabin. Was someone or something moving around in there? Why was it locked? What was in there?

Another hour passed by as Cassidy continued to stare at the cabin window for any movement. Her concentration was broken when she heard the same stomping getting closer.

"Hey" Cassidy jumped up and dusted herself off. "What's in the cabin?" Be ignored her as he set off in a new direction. The next time he came back she jumped in front of his path. "I need you use your restroom."

"No you don't" He walked around her and back into the woods.

The next time he came through the clearing she blocked his path again. "Come on man." Ben only rolled his eyes. Cassidy stepped in front of him every time he tried to side step her "I really need to pee."

"Then piss your pants." Ben shoved her out of the way.

Cassidy noted that he had picked the right direction this time as he faded into the forest. He would definitely find it this time. That meant she only had a little time left to find out what was inside that cabin. Marching onto the porch she kicked the door with all her might. Bit it didn't even splinter. She tried a few more time with zero progress to show for it. That's when she decided the best way to get in would be to break the window and unlock it from the inside. Pulling the shirt off her back, she wrapped it around her fist. She might not get physically hurt here. But she would still feel the pain. With one final pull back of her hand she blinked.

Cassidy was staring up at her wall back in her bed, back in her room. She turned her head into her pillow and screamed. The day went by in a blur. Right after dinner Cassidy ran straight to her room and wen to bed. It took a little longer to sleep since it was still early. But the next time she opened her eyes she was standing in front of the fire on her beach. Before even figuring out which memory was playing out she was running toward the forest. A couple hours later she was jumping over the stream and into the forest without hesitation. She just assumed this place would take her to where she wanted to go. It was like the trees heard her as she walked into the clearing.

Ben was sitting atop the massive boulder 'meditating' again. She quickly climbed, unconcerned about the noise she was making, to the top. Once there she stretched.

"Hey there Benny boy." She stepped in front of him. Miss me?" Her snarky smile didn't last long when there was no response. "Ben?" She crouched down and waved her hand in his face. "Wake up" She snapped her fingers at him a few time.

It was like the first time they met. He seemed to be in a deep trance. Looking around, Cassidy stretched over to the side and grabbed a skinny stick a few inches long. Gingerly she traced the arch of his nose, pass his lips, and down his throat. No response. She tried tracing the shell of his ear slowly working towards the inside. Still no response. After smacking his arms with the stick a few time she threw the stick over the edge and gave up. For an hour Cassidy alternated between sitting, standing, and laying on the boulder. At some point she sat facing Ben mimicking his posture with her legs crossed and hands on her knees imitating his meditation. But that didn't last long. In the end Cassidy found herself on her back with her feet in Ben's lap.

"For someone that doesn't like to be touched you sure have an issue with personal space." Cassidy sat up on her elbows while Ben picked up one of her feet by her big toe and set it down to the side. She giggled as he did the same to her other foot. He looked at her unamused. "I could find it. " He stated. "I searched for hours and couldn't find the link you described."

Cassidy gave him a side ways smile and shrugged feigning disinterest. Internally she was screaming with relief.

"Are you done meditating now?"

"Yes" Ben scratched the sides of his head with both hands. "Your presence is a distraction i can't seem to block out. "

"Did you ever think there was a reason for all this?" She snapped in offence. "Maybe I'm suppose to be here."

"Absurd" Ben climbed down to the ground. "This is just some kind of fluke in the force." Cassidy landed next to him. "It will correct itself sooner or later. "

"And if it doesn't?" She asked.

"It will"

"But it might not." She countered.

"I would be able to speed up the process if I knew where the link in our minds were located."

Cassidy skipped ahead ignoring his last statement. "You got anything to drink around here." She sneaked a look at the cabin.

"This is not reality." Ben pointed out. "There no need to eat or drink here. "

"Yeah but that's not why you do it." Ben looked at her in puzzlement waiting for her to continue. "Sometimes I like to sit down and play out a holiday feast. My family and friends are sitting around me. There is a smell of spice in the air. The room is warm from all the cooking. I take a bite and it's the best pie I've ever tasted." She glanced at Ben who looked like a little drool was running down his chin. "I though you could share a dish with me and I could return the favor."

Ben snapped out of his stupper realizing she was waiting for a response. "Not interested."

"Gah" Cassidy whined "You're such a bore." She spun around basking in the sunlight. "Why can't you just accept our current situation and make the best of it?"

"Because there is no benefit for me in our current situation." Ben barked causing Cassidy to stop mid-spin. "You seem ecstatic for the company. But I want solitude. I need solitude to train. I Can't Train With You Bothering Me."

Cassidy posture sunk at the declaration. She knew he didn't really like her. But the fact that the only other real person here despised her company. was a hard slap to the face. Cassidy sat on the ground pulling her legs into her chest. What should she do? It wasn't really fair to Ben for her to be here when he truly didn't want her here. Maybe she should go back to the beach. At least she would be surrounded by people that wanted her there. But those people weren't real. They didn't speak their minds or go off script. She didn't want to go back to that. But again it wasn't Fair to Ben. He had his own plans and goals. There had to be a way to benefit them both. There had to be a middle ground.

Cassidy looked up at Ben. He was scratching the back of his head uncomfortably looking everywhere except for at her. "What if i could make you an offer?"

Ben continued to look away from her "Offer?" He coughed awkwardly. "What could you possibly have to offer that I would want?"

"I could..." Cassidy had to think of something quick. "I could help you train."

"You" He looked unimpressed. "You are going to help me train?" His voice took an arrogant turn. "How?"

The tone in his voice rubbed her in all the wrong ways. She stood up and straightened hr back to look right at him. "Well it seems to me that you suck at meditation."

That simple statement had Ben cringing. "You don't kn-"

"You said so yourself you cant meditate around me. Something about me being distracting." She placed a hand on her hip is it arched out to the side. "The way I see it that sounds like a you problem. Shouldn't you be able to block me out or something? Are you so weak you can' block out cute little ol' me? "

She could hear the grounding of his teeth from where she stood. "And how does this little revelation help me train?"

"Isn't obvious?" Cassidy strutted towards him. "The best way to learn to block me out is to build up your tolerance. The only way to build up your tolerance or whatever is to keep me around."

Ben's eyes went wide with the truth of her words. What exactly are you proposing?"

Cassidy couldn't stop the wide, crazy smile from spreading from spreading on her face. She had him now. "I hang out with you while you meditate and work up a tolerance and when you wake up we spend the rest of the time talking."

"Talking?"

"Yeah" Her excitement was boiling over. "Talking. We got a deal?" She offered her hand.

Ben stared at the offer in contemplation. He hated how this woman had him under her thumb. But she did have a point. The only way he was going to get stronger was by challenging himself. He took the hand in his. "Deal"

"Yay" Cassidy clapped in victory. "Seeing how you already meditated while i was here for an hour i'd say it's my turn." She took him by the wrist and pulled him on to the porch. "How about we go inside, have a seat, and get comfortable."

She waited at the door expectantly waiting for Ben to open the door. Ben looked around the bare porch and poof two rocking chairs appeared. Cassidy exhaled loudly as she begrudgingly accented the offering. After they were both seated Cassidy was ready to jump right into it.

"So you live on Alderaan?" She asked to get the ball rolling.

"I was born there and spent my childhood there." Ben answered shyly.

"Why don't you conjure up something for us to drink? Your favorite beverage from home."

A small table popped up in front of them with two tall glasses of multicolored (Light yellow, pink, purple, and blue layered on top of each other) slush.

Ben picked them up and handed one to her. "It's called galaxy lemonade."

They both brought their glasses to their lips and sipped simultaneously. Cassidy hummed in satisfaction and a small smile crept up on Ben's face

"You don't live on Alderaan anymore?"

"No" Ben answered. "I moved when I started training."

"When did you start training"

"Ten."

"That sounds kind of young to move away to train."

"Not really." He took another sip. "Some start as early as seven."

"How old are you now?"

"Fifteen"

"Do you have any hobbies?" Cassidy tried to change the subject.

"No"

"what do you do for fun?"

"I Train"

Cassidy had to stop her self from face palming. "So you have done nothing but train for five years?" Cassidy was shocked. But Ben didn't see anything wrong with it. "what are you training for?"

"That's confidential"

"Where are you training?"

"A temple." He was a bit too quick to answer.

Cassidy felt like he had purposefully avoided the question. "A temple where?"

"Confidential"

"Okay" Cassidy thought carefully. "Can you tell me when you complete your training?

"That all depends on my discipline."

A slightly uncomfortable silence settled around them as they sipped their lemonades.

Ben cleared his throat. "What was your name again?"

"Seriously dude." Cassidy busted up laughing. "It's Cassidy."

"How old are you?" Ben repeated her earlier question.

"I'm fifteen too." She smile at the initiative he was taking.

"You said something about a beach. Is that where you live?"

"I'm actually a city girl." Cassidy explained. "The beach is just the place I start when I sleep."

"Across the stream?"

"Yep" She popped the p.

Ben cleared his throat and took another sip. "What do you do when you wake up?"

"I go to school. Spend time with my family. Get into mischief with my friends." Cassidy explained.

"Friends?" He questioned. "Do you have alot of friends?"

"A decent amount." Cassidy considered her answer. "About five or so close, long term friends. What about you? What do you and your friends get into?"

"I'm too busy training to have friends." All his answers seemed not to bother him in the slightest.

"But you do have classmates, right?" She reworded her question. "Kids around your age that you train with?"

"Oh course"

"But you don't consider any of them your friends?"

"We are teammates."

"Oh" Cassidy couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. She couldn't imagine her life without her friends. They were the ones that made her laugh. They held her when she cried. They had her back in a fight. They would even carry her when things got too difficult. Everyone deserved a friend. She glanced back at Ben as he stared out at nothing. Even Mr. Sour Puss deserved one friend. "Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?" He looked over at her in confusion.

"Miss your home? Miss being a normal kid?"

"What I am training for is one of the highest honor." Ben stood almost knocking down the table.

"Such a high honor you can't even tell me what you are training for?" A bit of sarcasm leaked out.

"YES" The porch tremored for less than a second.

"Okay calm down." Cassidy put her hands up in surrender. "It was just a question. No judgment here." There was a little judgment.

Ben was still fuming in front of her. His hands were fisted at his sides and he was breathing heavily. Cassidy was on the edge of her seat ready to fight or flight. She has never got seriously injured or died in her dream world. She has no idea what would happen and had no plans to find out. Ben closed his eyes and slowly a sense of calm descended over the both of them.

"Wow" Cassidy breathed out as she slouched in her seat while Ben physically relaxed all his muscles. "What was that feeling?" She sat back while Ben took a seat.

"There is no emotion, there is peace." Ben answered. "It's a part of the training."

"There is no emotion, there is peace." Cassidy let the new saying roll around in her head. "So your saying you can't have peace if you have emotions?"

"Emotions could judgment." Ben explained. "he good for the individual conflicts what is good for the collective."

'But if the world was at peace than people would be happy. Happiness is an emotion. What is the point of peace without emotions?' Cassidy thought to herself. She decided to bite her tongue on the matter. There was no point in riling him back up again when he just calmed himself down.

The tips of her fingers and toes started to tingle."It's almost time I wake up." She took one last sip of her drink before setting it down. "See you tomorrow? Same time? Same place?"

Ben nodded in acknowledgement.

The next six months Cassidy and Ben would see each other every night. Every night Ben would be able to meditate a little longer with here, even when she would yell and throw things at him. Most of the time he would open his eyes to find twigs and pebbles in his hair. Once during his meditation Cassidy noticed she couldn't conjure anything while she was in the forest. That only served to increase her boredom. Now Ben could meditate for 5 uninterrupted hours. Sadly that only left 4 hours to hand out and talk. It was also a challenge to talk about Ben's life. Anything to do with training was confidential. Since all Ben did when he was awake was train and eat that part of the conversation died quickly. She asked him about his family. He told her he had a mother, father, and uncle. But when she wanted more details he would clam up. He mainly contributed to the conversation with describing Alderaan landmarks he had visited and delicious dishes native to Alderaan. On a super positive note Ben had truly come around to enjoying her company. He might even consider her a friend. He had taken a genuine interest in her day to day activities. He would stare in admiration as she talked about her day. He would ask how her sister was doing with one problem or another that she had brought up. He knew all her friends by names. He would laugh at her quips and stories about her adventures with her friends.

Ben's POV

"He fell on his ass?" Ben laughed.

"Landed right in the mud." Cassidy was laughing so hard she was grabbing her stomach as she tipped over to her side.

"I wish I could have seen that." Ben joined her on the ground.

When his laughter subsided he looked over at Cassidy. What he saw shocked him. Cassidy had sat up and had a serious look on her face.

"What if you could?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

"Could what?"

"What if I could show you?" She turned to look at him.

"I don't understand."

"Listen, We will meet here again tomorrow. Then I will show you what I am talking about." She smiled and the warmth of that smile was like basking in the golden rays of sunlight.

In the blink of an eye she was gone, woke up. Now alone a gust of wind viciously blew his hair into his face. He turned to face the direction the wind was chasing. It was the cabin, sucking in the air from all direction. It groaned and creaked as the door opened. He could feel the pull calling to him. It had been a while since he went inside. Not since Cassidy and he had been meeting up He had no need for what the cabin contained inside. Ben shook his head and the door slammed shut.