My favorite head canon yet: the whole sequel trilogy was a vision that Rey and Ben share before they even know the other exists. Enjoy!

The desert was a lonely place for a girl waiting for her family. It was only temporary, though.

Rey wiped sweat from her goggles and strapped the day's finds onto her speeder; parts and pieces of this and that, maybe worth two portions all together once they were shined up. Two portions meant energy for more scavenging. The next big find could be awaiting her tomorrow. She tried to smile at the thought.

The sun was sinking low over the horizon. The desert wasn't the most hospitable place after dark. After a night of rest, she would sell her finds to Unkar Plutt in the morning before heading back out.

Jakku wasn't a walk in the park, but it was home for now.


Rey woke with a start. Screaming, her own screaming, threatened to rip her soul from her body and tip her mind into the insanity she'd long feared would come from her prolonged solitude. When the sound had died away, a raw pain burned her throat as her ears rang. The phantom scream still sounded in her head. Chest heaving, Rey sat up and sucked in a deep breath of dry desert air.

What a nightmare. They weren't uncommon, yet this particular dream felt as real as she felt now. It was as if she'd lived for months, maybe even a year, out of this body and in another place. The pain and joy and even physical pain felt so real. There was family and purpose, and its sudden absence left an ache in her chest.

As she recovered, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She wasn't alone.

Flinging her legs over the side of her thin mattress, Rey lunged for the staff she kept against the wall. An intruder! Burglar, most likely. This wasn't the first time someone tried to rob her in the night. It wouldn't be the last. Food was scarce in these parts, and people were just as willing to steal as they were to work hard for their share.

Rey padded through her home, the overturned AT-AT others overlooked once it had been stripped of useful parts. It may have been built for sinister intent, but today it was a lifesaver in dust storms and scorching heat. The dust on the ground was somehow comforting in its familiarity. And she would protect the little scavenged home at any cost.

"I'll give you one chance to leave," Rey said to whatever was lurking in the darkness. "You won't find anything here but trouble. Go."

There wasn't a sound in the metallic shell. No one crept behind her sparse scavenged furniture or outside. When she was satisfied that her fear had been leftover from the eerie dream, Rey settled heavily back into her nest of thin blankets, the staff still in her hand.

What a nightmare.

With a huff, Rey fell back against her blankets and closed her eyes. Her relief was short lived. Something in her body jolted and Rey gasped for a breath. Was this really happening? A heart attack, at her age? Humans were certainly susceptible to illness and injury, but she'd generally been healthy as a gundark. Now she'd be eaten by hungry desert creatures. Dust to dust, she thought in morbid clarity. She closed her eyes and waited for death. It was something that didn't feel foreign to her. Almost like she had died before? Rey's thoughts raced. What timing to die just moments after dreaming about dying!

The electric feeling surging through her body didn't pass, but when Rey kept breathing, she calmed somewhat. So her life wasn't over yet. Then what was that? Rey squeezed her eyes shut. It had finally happened. She was losing her mind. The sun baked her brain.

A soft sound from the room caught her ear. She leaped to her feet once more. "Who's there?" She squinted into the darkness and held her breath.

A tall figure loomed before her. Rey gritted her teeth and grunted as she swung her staff with all her might. The staff passed through the intruder like there was nothing there. Rey drew the staff back again and let it swing. It made contact with the wall with a clang that shook her whole body. The figure stood in the same spot, completely unaffected.

"This is a dream," Rey spat to calm herself. "This isn't real. You're not real. You aren't here. Get out."

The figure took a step closer. "Don't be afraid."

Rey brandished the staff. "This is my dream. I can control it. You're in my home. Leave now." She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a mantra to calm herself. "You're sleeping. It's just a dream. You're asleep. Only a dream." When she cracked an eye open, the tall shadow was still there.

"You're… Rey?" it spoke.

Rey hesitated. She'd never heard the voice before, yet it was familiar as a song. It passed through her ears, but maybe it had originated in her mind? She squashed down the panic blossoming in her gut. Backing up a few paces, she reached blindly behind her for a lantern. She ignited it and expected the shadow to be cast away by the light. Instead, the shadow illuminated into a familiar image. A man's face stared back at her. She knew it better than her own reflection. A name formed at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't grasp what it was.

"You saw it, too?" The man, young, but a few years older than her, ran a hand through his long dark hair. "The Force showed us the same vision."

Ben. Flashes came back to her. Power that flowed from his hands and mind, obeying his commands. A long black cloak. His bare hand extended toward hers as she sat by a fire. Legions of soldiers in white armor at his back. A blue light saber in his hands as he bared his teeth. A warm gaze and a chuckle.

She squeezed the staff tighter and tried to ground herself. This sure felt real, but hadn't everything in the dream felt real?

"This isn't a dream," Ben said. "This is something else. I'm not sure what." He took a few steps, then reached out to something and grasped thin air. "Can you see my surroundings?"

"You're in my home. How did you get here?" Rey asked, her brain swirling and the feeling of wrongness still enveloping her whole body.

The man shook his head in wonder. "So this is a dyad." A smile tugged at a corner of his lips. "This is… this is a lot, but this is great!" Now he was beaming.

Dyad. The term sounded familiar. There had been a lot to digest in the dream, including this man, dozens of others, new places, new ideas, and more. Rey stumbled backward, her legs hitting her bed. "What?"

"A dyad. In the Force." Ben stared at her in wonder. He gingerly touched his bottom lip.

"I'm not in the force."

"It's not a group. It's… energy. I studied the Force with L… Master Skywalker. You will, too, if the vision is true." His expression darkened. "Wait. That couldn't have been a vision. My fa- Han Solo."

Han Solo. A warmth tingled in Rey's chest. The dream was solidifying. Yes, Han! Wait. Suddenly she brandished the staff in front of her. "You killed Han Solo!"

His voice was nothing but a whisper. "I wouldn't." Ben's face was pale. "No. That part can't be right." He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

It was too much. Rey's knees locked and she fell back onto her bed. There was a man in her home and he'd stepped straight out of her dream that didn't feel like a dream. She sucked in a shaky breath. "I don't feel so good," she mumbled. Her teeth chattered. Oh, no. It was happening again, she thought desperately. The panic was vibrating over her scalp and stealing her breath. Her heart pounded out of time again and Rey groaned softly. Surely this time she would die.

Ben looked up in concern. "Rey. No, no. It's okay. You're safe."

"I… I can't." She pressed her hands over her face and gave in once more to the darkness and horror. Suddenly the feelings washed away. A deep calm replaced the frantic panic and she fell into a peaceful sleep.


The desert birds were singing their usual songs when Rey awoke.

She hadn't slept so soundly in years. Light spilling through the window illuminated the dust swirling slowly through the air. Her dried flowers offered their small dose of beauty. Yesterday's finds were secured in a trunk at the foot of her bed. A pair of leather gloves were abandoned on a small table.

Gloves. Dread zinged through her senses. The feeling that something was alive in her, tingling in every finger and toe, exploded forth. So it hadn't been a dream. There had been a man there with her, and something had awakened in her.

"Ben," she whispered.

The memory of the strange dream that Ben kept calling a vision was playing in rapid fast forward in her mind. The blurriness of last night was gone and the whole story was manifesting in pieces and parts like a memory in her brain. It felt like she'd had too much to drink and the events of the night were forming together slowly. Han Solo. Leia. Finn. Ben.

The air around her shifted and Rey ceased to feel alone. Suddenly he was there again. Ben's hair was tousled and he looked as though he too had just stirred from sleep. Rey squinted. He was there, but it also seemed like he was just in her head.

"Don't be afraid," Ben said softly. "Do you feel better?"

Rey swallowed hard. "This is real? You… came here from my dream?" She reached out and touched a tuft of his hair. When she felt it tickle her fingertips, she drew her hand back as if she'd been burned. The feeling buzzing in her body surged and she shuddered. No, her life would never be the same. Something new was definitely awake in her now.

Ben reached out as if to touch her hand, but hesitated. "I… think we should meet face to face." He leaned forward and rested his face on his chin. "Where are you? I'll come to you."

The words were out of her mouth before she even thought about it. "I'm on Jakku."


A small crowd at the Outpost watched in wonder as a sleek silver ship landed amid the rows of trashed freighters and old Imperial ships. At first the whispers tried to anticipate who the pilot could be. The curiosity turned to how much the ship was worth. When the chatter turned to whether they could ransom the crew, Rey snapped at them. "Go away, you filthy lot."

They snickered. Unkar Plutt, a blob of a creature with a nasty disposition, scoffed at her. "Who made you queen of the outpost?"

Rey barely listened. She turned her attention back toward the ship. A tall man strode down the ramp and briefly surveyed the pathetic landscape. He wore a black jacket and black pants with a blaster strapped to his thigh. Her heart thudded out of time. Ben.

Unkar Plutt hobbled over to him before he could reach the crowd. "This is Niima Outpost," he boomed. "You can pay your docking fee to me." He looked over Ben's shoulder at the ship. "That'll be… well, what do you have on you? Imperial credits still work here."

"Leave me alone," Ben said darkly. He flicked his hand and the plump alien fell quiet.

Rey held her breath. She needed to learn how to do that.

Suddenly Ben was looking right at her, a small smile at his lips as he quickened his pace. The crowd moved out of his way, their grips on their weapons tightening. Outsiders rarely came to Jakku. When they did, it was rarely for wholesome reasons. Ben's tall form and focus hinted a mission of some sort. The villagers immediately disliked him.

The distance between them wasn't great, but it seemed like miles and miles as Rey watched him make his way to her. The roiling under her skin intensified. No, maybe she'd never feel normal again, but she already knew she would miss the absence of the strange sensation. It screamed Ben. Her loneliness was long forgotten.

"You're real," Ben said as he reached her. His voice was a low purr. He reached out to hug her, but thought better and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "On Jakku, of all places." His amber eyes flicked over her face as if he were memorizing every freckle.

She chewed idly at the inside of her lip, trying to ignore the leering villagers. "That's something I forgot to mention. I don't have anywhere for you to stay. I don't have food. I'm afraid this isn't the most accommodating spot in the galaxy." She cast a glance at the crowd.

"We're leaving here." Ben jerked a thumb back to his ship. "You have no reason to stay, remember?" he added softly. A frown tugged at his lips as he lowered his voice. "Your parents. The dagger."

A knot in her stomach made her double over. That was right. Her parents… her grandfather… dark energy… the Sith throne, all waiting for her in her future. Kriff, why couldn't the whole dream manifest itself? There was simply too much to grasp onto and absorb all at once. But her parents… She retched into the sand. Villagers grumbled and jumped back.

"Rey," Ben's voice came as he rubbed her back awkwardly. "You're not alone. That's why I'm here. I'm… we're supposed to help each other."


Rey had no idea where Ben had taken her when he whisked her away from Jakku and everything she'd ever known. He'd been all curiosity and excitement, asking her about her life and her experience in the Force. Rey was halfway certain his chattiness was mostly to distract her from the darkness of the vision. She appreciated it.

When Ben drew the ship out of hyperspeed, Rey gasped. The planet below was green and blue, lush in every way. I didn't think there was this much green in the galaxy, her own voice echoed in her head. Rey blinked a few times. The strange dream was beginning to feel more like a memory than something dreamed up in her mind. She looked to Ben. He was already looking at her. His smile put her back at ease.

Boasting beautiful lakes and greens of every shade, the planet offered a breathtaking sunset to welcome them. Ben seemed to know the land. He led her to a cottage and chatted easily while he cooked a meal fit for a queen. Rey watched in wonder. Who knew Ben cooked? She hesitated. Yesterday she didn't know this man. Now they had an entire shared history – future? – together. This Force was a strange thing, she thought.

Worrying about the vision didn't matter when there was meat and fruit and drink to enjoy. Rey greedily tasted everything Ben put before her. She stuffed herself and only felt slightly guilty at the impression she was making. Ben only smiled.

After dinner, they sat across each other on the water's edge, a fire burning serenely between them. Rey breathed deeply and wished she could bottle the moment. Things were perfect. Almost. At the back of her mind, she couldn't stop the creeping panic about Ben Solo's fate. His utter joy and palpable relief made Rey wonder if he'd seen the end of the dream. He died. For her. The thought made her stomach drop. Plus, if he hadn't seen that part of the vision, then he surely hadn't seen when she kissed him. Heat flooded to her face and she pretended it was from the flames. Did he know the extent of their relationship? Disappointment bubbled up. Was she the only one who remembered the way Ben chuckled after she kissed him? She cleared her throat, hoping he didn't pick up on her awkwardness.

"You see that bright star?" Ben said, pointing to the east. "That's Jakku's sun."

"All this time I could have looked up and seen your star?" Rey blurted. "Maybe I wouldn't have felt so alone if I knew that." Her cheeks burned even hotter. "Not that you would have known. A prince doesn't have much time to think about scavengers on distant planets."

"A prince?" he bristled.

"I mean, your parents are kind of legends."

"I'm not a prince." He offered a lopsided grin. "Sorry to disappoint. My mother is a princess of a planet that was destroyed in the last war. I'm not prince of anything."

Rey shrugged and played with the glass bottle she'd carried to the fire from the dinner table. "I never thought I'd meet royalty," she teased.

"I never thought I'd meet a nobody from nowhere that shared my soul," Ben snorted in return. "A dyad. Kriff. The Force works in mysterious ways." He poked at the logs for a moment, his brow furrowed. "I guess we have the chance to change what happens."

Her heart leapt, but she quickly squashed her expectations. There was so much darkness in front of them. "Yesterday I was a scavenger," she said slowly. Was she trying to convince Ben, or herself? His place was set, but she still didn't quite understand her place in the story. Good, evil, scavenger, royalty, rebels, soldiers. Where did she fit in? "Tomorrow I will scavenge again," she said quietly. "I've never fought anyone or left Jakku or even seen a fire stick. You're asking too much."

"You mean a light saber?" Ben said with a chuckle. He pulled a metal handle from his belt and offered it to her. "Here." He touched his cheek and chuckled again. "You'll learn to use one at some point anyway."

She gingerly took it. Rey pretended not to remember the scar she inflicted on his fair skin. She flipped the switch and squinted as a blade of bright blue light sizzled before her. "I recognize this," she breathed. "But it was red."

"Not yet," Ben sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

Rey nodded, still slowly moving the blade back and forth. She spelled her name in the air before flipping the switch again. Best not to singe anything on the first experience.

"You aren't afraid of me?" Ben asked. His voice trembled.

"No. You saved my life." She hesitated and looked up to Ben's face. She sucked in a breath, her eyes wide when she realized what she'd just revealed.

"I saw it," Ben answered before she needed to ask. He smiled. "We'll change it. I think that's why the Force showed us." He pursed his lips. "My uncle tried to kill me. Luke. It hasn't been a month since I left the temple. The Knights of Ren? I've only just made contact." He ran a hand through his hair again. "Until yesterday, my life was a mess. But that vision? I haven't felt this balanced in… I don't remember a time." He looked up, his dark eyes meeting hers. After a moment, he exhaled and tousled his hair.

A nervous habit, Rey remembered. Ben was always touching his hair when he wasn't certain. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed. "N-nothing."

"You're nervous." She wrinkled her nose. "I… feel it." She settled next to him. "This is the Force, right?"

"Sure," Ben said, swallowing hard and leaning away from her. "Along with other things you can't explain. Feelings." He stared determinedly into the fire, his fingers tapping frantically on his knees.

Rey giggled. "Ben. I'm making you nervous?"

He floundered for a moment before blurting, "You kissed me."

"Well, I was just dead, so maybe my judgment wasn't the greatest," she deadpanned. "And you were about to die, anyway."

"Oh." Ben pursed his lips.

"Ben!" Rey scoffed. "I'm kidding." She leaned over and nudged her shoulder against his. "I'm not saying I wouldn't do it again. Under different circumstances," she added. "No one has to be dying." Her heart tripped in her chest and she could practically feel the stars twinkling in her eyes. Yes, the Force was one hell of a drug.

"Oh." He swallowed again. "Do.. you want to go inside? I can show you your bed." His face paled. "Because you didn't have one on Jakku, you said!" he blurted quickly. "Not to – I meant – I didn't mean–" He trailed off and ran a hand over his face. "Sorry. I don't spend a lot of time with people lately." Ben abruptly stood and strode to the water's edge.

For the first time in her life that she could remember, Rey broke into a fit of giggles. "I don't remember you being this bashful."

"I don't remember you looking at me like that," he snapped defensively over his shoulder. "This is a lot to process." He gestured to the sky. "A dyad and falling to the dark side and all of this patricide? It's a kriffing soap opera in space."

Rey giggled. "And a space prince."

Ben turned, a determined glint in his eye. "If you call me a prince one more time, I'm going to toss you into the lake."

"A prince would do no such thing."

A smirk on his lips, Ben tore off toward her in an instant, but Rey was quicker. Laughter pouring from her mouth and echoing across the quiet night, she ran along the beach, his footfalls not far behind.

"You'll have to do better than that, Highness!" she taunted him.

"Don't think you're not going in the water. I don't care if you can't swim!"

A few hundred yards away from the cottage, Ben was right on her tail. He caught one of the long panels of fabric that tailed behind her in his grip just as a boulder caught Rey's foot. She tumbled into the sand, bringing Ben crashing down with her. Chest heaving, Rey's laughter faded only slightly as Ben rolled to his side to shift his weight from her.

"Are you okay?" he breathed, his eyes scanning her.

"I guess I have to go into the lake now." She brushed sand from her hands and collapsed back into the sand with a giggle. "You'll have to drag me, Your Grac-" Rey's words were muffled as Ben leaned over and kissed her.

Something burst to life between them. It flowed like fire in her veins and a blooming sun in her brain. The hairs on the back of her neck and arms raised. Flashes of feelings and memories and conversations and an entire lifetime passed between them.

Ben pulled away in alarm and touched his lips. "What was that?"

"Don't leave," Rey whispered, reaching out and catching the front of his shirt in her fingers. "That's how it was the first time."

"This is the first time," Ben replied numbly, staring at her lips for a moment.

Rey's lips crept into a sly smile. "Well, I don't intend for it to be the last, Your Princeliness."

Ben chuckled and Rey kissed him again. He was alive. Ben Solo was alive, and they had their entire lives in front of them to right the wrongs.