Chapter 14-

A while later, Rose noticed the ship's comm was switched to the 'on' position. She made the choice not to tell Rey of the possibility that Kylo Ren had heard their entire conversation from earlier, and simply switched it off. Glancing over at Rey in the pilot's chair, she noticed her friend seemed lost in her thoughts. And no wonder. Possibly having feelings for your enemy certainly complicated matters. She had so many questions. May as well ask some.

"So," she said, breaking the silence that filled the cockpit, "where are we going if not back to the base?"

Rey jolted out of deep introspection and glanced quickly at her friend. Straightening up in her seat, she started checking the controls and monitors in front of her, trying to avoid further direct eye contact.

"You're going back to the base," Rey stated. "After you drop us off, take the Falcon back to the Resistance. I've already pre-programmed the return coordinates into the navicomputer for you."

Rose was confused. "You want me to just leave you somewhere with no ship?" she asked. "How will you get back without a ship? And- and what about him?" she added, pointing back toward the crew quarters which currently contained the wounded leader of their opposing force.

"Don't worry," Rey tried to reassure her. "As soon as I'm ready to come back, I'll signal you with one of these." She held up two beacon bracelets, similar to the ones Leia had given her nearly a year ago when she went looking for Luke, and handed one to Rose.

However, Rose couldn't hide her worried expression. "So you'll just be stranded wherever we're going? With him?!"

Rey reached over and placed a hand on her friend's knee, offering her most reassuring smile. "Trust me. It'll be okay. Besides, Leia will need you there as soon as possible." Finally, Rose nodded in acceptance. Rey took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm going to check on our... prisoner," she announced with a wink.

Bracing herself for their impending interaction, she made the short walk back to the crew quarters. When they first met, their every encounter had been fraught with yelling insults and accusations at each other, followed often by fighting of some kind. But now, it was different...unsettling in a way that left her on edge and anxious, as if it was all building to some inevitable flashpoint.

When she entered the crew quarters, the first thing she noticed was the empty bunk. Whirling around, she felt herself starting to panic. Where was he? Just then, she heard the swish of the refresher door open. Ben stopped abruptly, one hand on the door frame, when he saw her standing there. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then she looked down at the floor when she felt her face heat up. That quick glance at him standing there, shirt ripped right down the middle, revealing his muscled chest, affected her instantly. It brought to mind one of their early Force bond connections when he had appeared shirtless in his own quarters.

"I-," she stuttered, "I just- I just came to see if you were all right."

He dropped the hand bracing himself on the door frame and took a step forward, immediately regretting it. He grimaced in pain and grabbed his left side. Rey rushed to him and threw her arm around him to help him make it back to the bunk.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Rey scoffed. "Obviously. Here, put some of your weight on me."

"I'm too heavy," he said, half-heartedly resisting her efforts. She seemed so slight next to him.

She stopped and glared up at him. "Will you please just let me help you?"

He could see the exasperation in her face and finally nodded his head in assent. She resumed her efforts and they finally made it to the bunk. He carefully sat down on the side of it and caught his breath. The short walk had drained more of his strength than he had anticipated. She made sure he was securely seated, then left to get him a cup of water.

"Here, drink this," she told him. He made no move to take it, and she rolled her eyes. "Stop being so stubborn and just take it." She practically shoved it into his hand.

He felt the unfamiliar urge to...smile. "I'm not used to being ordered around," he muttered, bringing the cup to his lips for a drink to hide the hint of a grin.

She smiled slightly and moved to retrieve the first-aid kit from a nearby table. "I'll ignore that comment seeing as you're injured," she replied playfully. "As long as you do what I say." This time he did smile- just the tiniest little smile- still hidden by the cup. No one had ever challenged him in such a way. It was actually...enjoyable.

Memories of his parents bantering back and forth, teasing one another, popped into his head. It was embedded into their relationship and seemed to be one of the ways they showed affection. He remembered his father often purposely saying something to rile his mother up. He liked her "spirit", or so he said. He also remembered his father once telling him, "I knew your mother was the woman for me when she called me a 'flyboy' and told me to jump into that garbage chute!"

Rey returned to stand in front of him and took the cup from his hand. "Let me check that blaster burn. We probably need to change that bacta patch again." Without thinking, she grabbed the ripped edge of his black shirt to pull it out of the way so she could tend to his worst wound. He grimaced and flinched. She jerked her hand back. "I'm so sorry," she offered apologetically. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," he replied. 'It's just a little sore."

She snorted a huff and then bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

He furrowed his brow. "What?" he asked. "Is my pain funny to you?" He was a little hurt at her seeming delight in his misery.

"No! No...I'm sorry. Really, I'm not laughing at you," she explained. "It just struck me funny is all. After all you've gone through, you're lucky to be alive, and all you can say is you're just a 'little sore?' Um, I should think so." She ducked her head to recapture his gaze. "Do you forgive me?" she asked teasingly.

It was a loaded question. Was she just referring to this moment? Or something more?

"Depends on how gentle you are when you rip this old patch off," he replied.

She smiled, and he noticed that mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and had to admit- he liked it.

"Cross my heart, I'll do my best," she promised, using her fingers to actually criss-cross her heart for added emphasis.

Conceding, he leaned back on his hands to grant her better access to his injury. He knew she had applied the current patch, but he had not been very coherent when first brought on board. Now, though, he was fully aware of how close she was, working so carefully to see to his wound. While she worked, he observed her. She was trying her best not to hurt him, concentrating by biting her bottom lip. When she touched his chest in an effort to remove the old bandage, he flinched. Not in pain, though. Their eyes met and locked. She felt it too, then. Any time they touched, it was electric.

"Did I hurt you?" she questioned quietly, without removing her hand. He shook his head wordlessly, so she resumed her task. All too soon, she was finished and backing away to admire her handiwork. "The bacta seems to be working. The burn looks less angry than it first did. I just wish we had more patches," she said in dismay.

"It's fine," he assured her. "And...thank you… for this...and for... coming to find me." He really was no good at this whole gratitude thing, but felt the need to try anyway.

She stepped closer, stopping only when she was standing right in front of him seated on the side of the bunk. Any closer and she would have been sitting on his lap. That image made his cheeks turn to fire.

"You're welcome," she said softly, still not taking her eyes away from him. It felt like there was more to be said, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Rey took a deep breath, and then so did he. Anticipation hung heavy in the air between them. Cautiously, she reached out her hand, and he followed its path with his eyes as she moved to place it over his hand that was resting on his leg. He inhaled quickly as that charge jolted through him at her touch. She started to speak.

"Ben, I-"

"Rey!" It was Rose's voice coming over the comm. "We're getting ready to come out of hyperspace."

At the unexpected interruption, Rey snatched her hand away and stepped back in embarrassment. She hastened over to the comm panel and replied.

"On my way," she said. With what he thought was a look of disappointment in her eyes, she gave him one last glance and took off toward the cockpit.

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Kylo sighed deeply when Rey moved out of sight. Every time she was around, he said and did things he could not explain. She unnerved him...distracted him from his usual laser-sharp focus. This time had left him totally discombobulated. What would he be like if she was around all the time?

A series of beeps drew his attention back to the doorway. There stood R2D2, one of his family's deeply devoted droids. The sight of the little astromech stirred up bittersweet emotions. He swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. Artoo rolled further into the room stopping right in front of him.

"Artoo," he finally said. The droid's head spun and clicked as more beeps sounded in greeting.

"Yes, it has been a long time," Kylo replied sheepishly. Did droids hold grudges?, he wondered. This one had been Luke's sidekick for as long as Kylo could remember. From the time Kylo could walk until he left the Jedi temple in anger and shame, Artoo had been a constant fixture, inconspicuously observing from the sidelines.

Another few beeps sounded as the droid posed a question that Kylo was rather surprised to hear come from him. It was a simple question. "Are you going home now?"

Kylo was dumbfounded. He hung his head and considered the question. Eventually, he would have to answer it. He'd been asking himself the same one ever since he first lifted off in his old ship, the fiery structures of Luke's temple academy burning to ash behind him.

He looked at the little droid and said sadly, "Where is home anymore?"

A sorrowful, little groan came from Artoo, echoing the current state of Kylo's heart. In a moment, his projector light switched on, displaying a holo-image right next to Kylo on the bunk. It was a recording of a time long ago when his parents, Chewie, Luke and Lando had gathered to fondly reminisce about their days fighting against the Empire. He remembered it well. He had been about seven at the time and listened raptly, entranced by their tales. The parts about his father making near-impossible flying maneuvers in dire situations were always his favorite since he had planned on being a great pilot like Han Solo. It had once been his greatest wish. He looked away. It hurt too much to remember.

He heard another click and beep and then Rey's voice.

"Chewie, I have to go to him," she said. This was a newer recording. She was bustling around in preparation for something. She paused in her efforts to explain herself to the Wookiee. "I saw his future. It was good and bright."

It dawned on him then. She was talking about him.

"Luke was wrong. Kylo's fate is not set in stone. He doesn't have to stay on the Dark Side. He needs to know someone still cares about him...that there's still a chance."

Chewie growled in response. "So you care about him? Even after all he's done?"

She looked up at the mighty Wookiee and said simply, "I do."

Then the image dissipated and Artoo spun around and rolled out the door. For a moment, Kylo could only sit and stare at the wall, fighting back the tremble in his bottom lip. Too many emotions- surprisingly, none of them anger, for once- were swirling like a maelstrom inside making him feel like he might crumble.

Just then he felt the ship lurch, signalling its exit from hyperspace. The sudden movement caused him a bit of pain. He eased himself up to a standing position and headed for the cockpit. Time to see where she was taking him.

The going was slow, each step placed carefully as he braced himself on the wall as he walked. He was concentrating so intently on avoiding pain that he was not paying much attention to his surroundings. But no matter. He knew the way by heart, just like he knew every single nook and cranny of his father's old ship. The Falcon was practically another member of the Solo family.

Family.

Kylo recalled his last time on board and felt a twinge of pain in his heart. Starkiller Base- before...before his father's...death. He paused and looked around. That day the ship had truly shown her age, having obviously been neglected for years. Now, however, he noted, it was clear someone was taking care of her again. She looked clean, organized, and repaired. His father would have appreciated knowing the Falcon was being looked after.

In just a few more steps, he could see the door to the cockpit. So many memories flooded his mind, but he forced them out. As he stepped inside, one of the occupants turned to look at him.

"Oh!" exclaimed the unfamiliar one sitting in the co-pilot's chair. "You're...up." She looked a bit unsure of his presence.

Rey turned to find him standing behind the passenger chair, holding himself up with obvious strain. He still looked pale. His ordeal had taken more out of him than he would ever admit. She jumped up and moved to help him settle into the seat.

"Here, let me help," she said. This time he didn't resist. "You should be lying down resting," she added in concern.

Rose was observing the pair closely, completely befuddled by this whole situation and the duo's mysterious relationship. When and how had it even happened? Kylo was looking up at Rey, their eyes locked in something unspoken. Rose could feel the palpable tension between the two. Did they even realize how transparent their actions were? Rey's desperation to rescue him was starting to make more sense.

"Is that where we're going?" he asked, glancing past Rey out the viewport. Growing larger by the second was a planet covered in blue with a smattering of green indicating a water planet with only a minimal amount of land. "The island," he added softly, looking back at Rey in surprise, "the one in your dreams."

She nodded silently, surprised he remembered from their first interaction in Starkiller Base's interrogation room.

Rose had no idea what they were talking about. They seemed to be speaking of things only the two of them knew, one of which was, interestingly, her friend's dreams. "Um, care to clue me in?" she interjected. "We're coming in fast and need to find a place to land."

Kylo and Rey both looked a little sheepish, as if they just realized they were not alone. Rey quickly settled back into the pilot's seat and checked the controls. Rose turned around in her chair to get an even better look at this Supreme Leader.

"Hello. I'm Rose, by the way," she declared, trying to sound unaffected by his rather imposing presence.

Kylo was somewhat taken aback. When was the last time he had been introduced cordially to someone who wasn't a simpering sycophant? How should he reply? He nodded once in acknowledgment, but couldn't decide exactly how to respond. 'I'm Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, Master of the Knights of Ren, Heir to Darth Vader' sounded a tad presumptuous.

Luckily, Rose saved him the trouble. "Don't worry. I know who you are," she said from her seat while punching buttons on her console.

'At least someone does,' he thought to himself.

The two women began chattering about landing procedures so he just sat back and tried to be comfortable.