Ben's birthday was nice. It felt genuine. He even made a point to call his mother and thank her for the gift and for sending Chewie over. In a quiet moment, Chewie found him and shuffled through his pockets to find the little bit of topaz Ben had given him at his father's funeral. He asked if Ben was doing okay, if he was handling things with his father's death, if the change of scenery had been good for him. He even made a joke about how there was always a co-pilot's chair for him. Ben peeked out the window to look at the semi-truck parked in front of the house, emblazoned with Millennium Falcon shipping on the side. It ended up with Ben again in a large gruff hug.

That night, as soon as everyone had gone to bed, Ben set about setting protective spells around the house to specifically deter the demons he had foolishly allowed into his life. He knew now that all his promises with Snoke were false. Every single one was a con to trick Ben to bring Snoke souls to consume and blood to feed on and power to fatten him. Snoke had such pretty words that stroked Ben's ego, stroked his loneliness. He thought they were true. Even a demon could lie.

At last, he set himself down on the back porch and looked up at the sky. The crescent moon was a little bigger tonight.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Rey asked as she took a seat beside him.

"I did," he nodded. He looked over at Rey. "You're not afraid of being out here in the dark?"

Rey shook her head. "I know what you were doing."

He smiled. "I guess it would keep you protected, too."

Rey scooted closer. Ben easily put an arm around her shoulder. "What are we going to do now?"

Ben was silent for a moment. "Keep our routine for a while. Stay inside on Halloween. Wait it out until Thanksgiving break. I need to go apologize to my uncle."

"Chewie?"

He shook his head. "Luke. My mother's twin." He gave her a smile and a squeeze. "I think you'll like him."

"Is he like you or like your mother?"

"Like me. I stayed with him for a while between high school and college. Took a year off and traveled the world with him. It was an amazing experience, but was really rough for the both of us. We didn't end on good terms. I haven't seen him since."

"So what do you have to apologize for?"

"Following demons instead of him."

"Snoke still wants you for your power, doesn't he?"

"Of course. I didn't realize that I had so much power on my own. I didn't realize that I didn't need him." He looked up at the stars. "Coming here was the best thing that could have happened to me." He glanced at her under his arm. She was translucent in the moonlight, and he could see the porch through her legs. "I wasn't expecting to find people I'd care about here, especially who would care about me in return."

Rey leaned against him. "How did you fall in love with me?"

"Your eyes, first," he started out thoughtfully. "Then you were a mystery I wanted to solve. Why couldn't I cast spells on the succulent you gave me? Why could you see my father? Why couldn't everyone see you? What kind of power you had?" He shook his head. "I paid so much attention that I started to notice how you moved, and not just through walls, but how you held yourself and how you worked with your plants. How you're so direct with things. You could have asked what I thought of you, and instead you reached straight to my heart, literally." He gave her shoulders another squeeze. He softened. "I saw you talking with Finn, and I didn't realize at the time that he wasn't here physically, but you were so kind with him. You spoke with him when no one else acknowledged him."

Rey shrugged. "I thought he was new. I...I know my memory doesn't quite work right. I remember giving him his plant. I remember giving Rose her plant. I remember working with my plants. I remember bits and pieces of Maz. I remember seeing Poe around, mainly his cat. But I was numb I think. It's been so long since I...died? I don't have 50 years of memories, Ben. I've been in...limbo?" She moved so her right hand was under her thigh. "But I remember you? All of you. At least I think I do. Especially after the crystals." She dug the crystal from her pocket to let it sparkle in the starlight.

"Tethers," he offered in explanation.

She nodded and looked down. "Do you think you'll ever be able to resurrect Paige?"

"I can't say. I want to."

"Are you going to try again?"

Ben's breath caught in his chest. "Yes."

"Not just with Paige, though."

He shook his head. "Well, yes I'm going to try with Paige again, but I want to try with you."

"Who would die for me?" When he didn't answer, she pressed further. "You can't die, for me or anyone else."

Ben shook his head. "I'm going to try not to."

Rey nodded. "How about Maz?"

"Rey!"

"She loves me!" She stood. "She saved my life, or tried to at least. She's getting old! She'll die eventually! Why not put that to use!"

"She's the closest thing you have to a parent! I killed my father! It haunts me. He haunts me!" Ben suddenly straightened up. "Except...that's why I'm immortal." He frowned, hunching over to rest his chin in his hand.

"She would die for me," Rey said, kneeling before Ben.

"We shouldn't even ask."

"What's the difference between taking Hux's life for revenge and asking for Maz's for love?" She set her hands on his knees. "Because that's what this is about. This is because you love me. And you would rather give your life for me to live without you. I told you it was cruel, for the immortal to love the dead. You don't have to die if Maz agrees." Rey sat back on her heels and looked away. "But you love her, too."