The Pivotal Moment

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A/N-thank you for reviewing this story!

Chapter Twenty-Home

"I think a better question would be in what universe are we?" Ben laughed quietly. He was just so happy that his Rey was back with him that he didn't care about anything else. He could face anything as long as they were together.

"What do you mean?" Rey touched his face wonderingly. She couldn't quite believe he was real. She had been lost in a timeless void-a world between worlds- until she had heard his voice pleading with her to come back to him.

"There is so much to explain." Ben rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He allowed himself to revel in the inner peace her presence brought him. He wanted to embrace the joy of having her in his arms again. It was a miracle. Ben never wanted to let her go again, but of course reality had to impinge on the happiness of their sweet reunion. And that reality was Finn.

"What's the holdup? Why haven't we taken off…woah!" Finn stared at Rey practically sitting on Ben's lap. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Finn!" Rey's eyes lit up at the sight of her best friend. Then a faint flush bloomed on her cheeks as she realised the compromising position she was in. She hurriedly disentangled herself from Ben's arms-though he didn't make it easy, he kept pulling her back-his irritated gaze was locked on Finn. "Ben, let go." She whisper-yelled at him.

Ben reluctantly released her. He watched her smooth a stray strand of hair off her forehead before she gave Finn the benefit of one of her rare smiles. "Its so good to see you."

Finn looked confused. His dark brown eyes darted to Ben for a second before landing back on Rey. "You only saw me five minutes ago, scavenger." He responded scathingly.

"Scavenger!" Rey flinched at the dismissive way he spoke to her. Like she was nothing. This wasn't Finn she knew. He might be wearing his face and clothes, but she didn't know this cocky stranger. She felt Ben come up to stand behind her, his warms hands settling on her thin shoulders. She unconsciously leaned back into him, and she noticed Finn frown in annoyance. Was he jealous?

"Don't push it, Finn." Ben's tone was biting. He felt no allegiance toward this guy. Not like Rey did. He was struggling to remember that in this universe he and Finn were supposed to be friends.

"There is something not right here, Ben." Finn continued as if Ben hadn't even spoken. A worried frown creased his forehead. "This girl seems to have messed with your head…" His eyes drifted to Rey. "I felt a movement in the force as soon as I saw you and her together. Its strange. I didn't want to say anything…but, Ben, it's not right."

Finn's comment confused Rey. She glanced up at Ben for help, but his attention was focused on Finn. She didn't understand the dynamics between the two men. It was shocking enough that Finn was so concerned about Ben and derogatory about her, but to hear him speaking about the force as if he was familiar with it was bewildering. While Ben jumped to her defence again and tried to dismiss Finn's concerns, she took the time to study Finn closely. Everything about him looked the same, apart from one tiny thing she had missed in her joy at seeing him again-Finn had a lightsaber. A small gasp left her lips as she looked up at Ben in dismay. He heard her soft exhalation and finally met her enquiring gaze.

"He's a jedi." He projected into her mind.

"Wow!" Rey answered him in shock. "What else do I need to know?"

"And you two have only just met in this universe." Ben nearly lost concentration as he was answering Finn out loud and replying to Rey through their force bond.

Finn clicked his fingers impatiently in front of Ben's face. "Are you even listening to me, Ben?" He demanded.

Ben shook his head to clear it. "We don't have time for this. There is nothing wrong with me. Rey doesn't have me under any kind of spell. Let's just get out of here."

"This isn't over." Finn warned Ben as he jabbed a finger in his direction. "And I'm helping to fly this baby, not you." He fired off at Rey. He took the co-pilots seat before she could protest.

Rey watched Ben's face twist into a fierce scowl as he got ready to jump to her defence again but she shook her head at him. Ben's temper was like a slow burning fuse. Rey could feel its simmering coils through their force bond. He had to gain control over it, or the explosion would catch them by surprise, leaving them shattered and vulnerable.

"Just stay calm!"

"The guy just gets under my skin. I hate the way he's treating you…"

"It's okay. I'm fine." Rey did her best to reassure him. "You said he doesn't know me. And he knows you're acting out of character. Of course, he's going to blame me and be a bit hostile. We need to be careful, Ben."

"Always the rational one." Ben sighed.

"That's me." Rey forgot herself and reached for his hand. She noticed Finn eyeing her warily and she hastily dropped her hand back to her side. "We should go." She said aloud for Finn's benefit.

Finn frowned deepened. "You ready to go?" He said directly to Ben, deliberately ignoring Rey again.

"Yes." Ben responded curtly. He reluctantly took his place in the main pilot's seat next to Finn and got ready for take-off.


D'Qar was a verdant planet located in the Ileenium system of the Outer Rim Territories. The planet was the location of the headquarters of the Resistance. As the planet hove into view it brought back a whole host of familiar memories for Rey. During the tense flight, where Finn maintained a hostile silence, Ben brought her up to speed on what had happened to him since the moment he had woken up on Jakku and encountered her counterpart on the desert planet.

"Does this mean my soul is occupying her body?" Rey didn't feel comfortable with that.

"And I'm occupying his." Ben felt exactly the same. The thought of it was weirding them both out. "You can't feel guilty, Rey." He said through their bond when he saw her eyes grow dark.

"I just want to go home, Ben." She whispered disconsolately.

"Where is home?" Ben countered tiredly. "You jumped from your universe into mine so you could save me. And you did. And I jumped to this one because I wanted to save you."

"I don't know…all I know is I can't lose you." Rey's voice trembled as she spoke.

"But I'm not the Ben you came back to save."

It was the first time either of them had admitted that thought aloud. A shudder rippled through Rey when she saw him glance in her direction. His eyes were full of trepidation as if afraid of her response. Rey longed to wrap her arms around him, to show him with her actions what mere words couldn't express. But Finn was there, watching their every move. Words would have to do.

"You are!" Rey declared stoutly. "The Ben who died in my arms on Exegol was fierce, brave and strong. But I didn't get a chance to know him. Not like I know you!" Her eyes were like liquid gold as she met Ben's gaze steadily. He wasn't even making any pretence to concentrate on flying the Falcon anymore. He was solely focused on her face instead. He was unaware of the odd glances Finn was throwing his way. Rey was all that mattered.

Ben had witnessed some of her painful memories on Starkiller base, when during his attempt to interrogate her, she'd unleashed the full power of the force to show him the truth. She showed him again now-hiding nothing, letting him see and feel everything she felt- when the Ben from her world died in her arms.

"You can feel the difference!" Rey pleaded with him in his mind. "You know the truth! I never got the chance to fall in love with him before he was taken away from me. Not like I got the chance to fall in love with you, Ben Solo."

Ben rose slowly from his seat and walked over to Rey as if he was in a dream. He put his hands on either side of her face and gazed deeply into her open and loving eyes. Those beautiful hazel eyes, with their swirls of softest brown infused with green, they were the door to his own soul. When she touched him with gentle hands, he felt like he was reborn. In her he had found his truth and purpose. If she hadn't come into his life when she did, he would have continued on the same dark path as the Ben from her world. His redemption would have come too late. She had given all of herself to him. He had given all of himself to her. With her he was complete. He now knew that love is what makes us who we are, it is the energy that brings us life. Maybe the dyad hadn't been the one with the Ben from her world or the Rey who had existed in his, maybe it was between them all along. It had pulled them together across space and time until they had found each other in the here and now.

"My home is wherever you are." He whispered as he raised her mouth to his. "I love you."

When Ben kissed her, his brain lit on fire and the warmth spread throughout his entire body. He was addicted, he couldn't bare not to be with her, and could barely breathe when she wasn't around. In that moment he dedicated his life to being with her. He knew that if he lost her, he would lose himself. She was the half that made him whole.

"I love you." He murmured against her lips when the kiss was over, testing the words over and over again. "I love you."

Finn's face was grim as he piloted the Millennium Falcon safely into the flight bay. He powered the engines down and stood up, folding his arms across his chest as he waited for Ben and Rey to become aware of him. But they didn't. They remained wrapped in each other, gazing deeply into one another's eyes as if engaged in a silent conversation only they could hear.

Finn was forced to clear his throat. The loud sound pushed their focus back to him, both drunk on love. Finn shook his head angrily at them, before storming off toward the opened ramp.

"Finn!" Rey called after him, feeling shame colour her cheeks red.

"Ignore him." Ben's fingers brushed the bloom on her cheek. "We can get through this. Together."

"Together." Rey agreed as he reached for her hand.

A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.