The beeping of the navicomputer wakes Rey from a much needed rest. She did not realize she had fallen asleep but wakes up to find herself resting against Finn's shoulder. Rey yawns louder than she means to and Finn chuckles beside her.
"Welcome back, Rey. I'm so glad you're here. I missed you like crazy," Finn says softly, wrapping an arm around her with a big squeeze.
Rey sighs with a smile as her hand squeezes his hand gently. She leans her head into his neck and cuddles close to her dear friend.
"I missed you too, Finn. I'm so happy you're alright. From your injuries, I wasn't sure if…" she pauses, unshed tears threatening to spill over.
"Nothing can keep me down for long!" Finn teases.
She giggles and feels her heart warm up. Sitting up, she looks over at a suave-looking pilot chatting excitedly with other Resistance members.
"Who is that?" Rey asks inquisitively.
Finn looks over and smirks with a chuckle.
"That's Poe Dameron. He's a pilot and a commanding officer. I rescued him from Kylo Ren when I first defected from the First Order," he explains.
Rey's smile drops at the sound of Kylo's name. Her body ignites with all the previous emotions she thought she had pushed away. Her mind instantly goes to him and unknowingly opens up their bond. However, she is so distracted she has no idea he is with her now. Seeing the look on her face, Finn refrains from sharing more and pulls Rey into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Rey. I didn't mean to say his name. I know you haven't had the best experiences with him. I don't know a single person who has," Finn says gently.
"I have," she whispers.
Finn is taken aback by her words and looks at her with concern and confusion. His hands hold her shoulders as he finds it difficult to hold her eyes with his.
"What? How? Rey, he's a monster. There is nothing good about Kylo Ren. You're lucky you were able to get away from him alive," he says with shock in his voice.
"He's not a monster. He's just...lost his way," Rey begins to explain.
"He's 'lost his way?' I'm sorry, I just don't believe a man like him could be some lost little Bantha. He's done horrible things, Rey. How can you defend him?" he asks, pure confusion splashed across his face.
"How do I defend you, Finn? You were a Stormtrooper. You felt conflict during your first battle - you said so yourself. If you can be redeemed, why can't Ben?" she counters.
Finn pauses at her words. He looks into her eyes and sees something new in them...something he has seen in Poe's eyes whenever he has caught the pilot looking at him. Finn takes a deep breath and takes Rey's hand in his.
"I'm sorry, Rey. I'm just having trouble understanding. How can Kylo...Ben...how can someone like him have anything good left in him when he's hurt so many?" he asks gently.
"It was never him. Snoke controlled him from the very beginning. He was always a voice deep inside Ben's mind. Snoke is the one who made him do all of these terrible things," Rey begins.
She looks at Finn, thankful he is at least trying to understand and listen.
"But Finn, you have no idea what Ben has been going through. All his life, he has been trying to prove himself worthy of a family to only have no one truly love him in return. His conflict stems from thinking no one cares about him and he is worthless. I know because...this is the same thing I have felt all my life," she finishes, tears trickling down her cheeks.
Finn sighs and pulls her close for a big embrace. Rey hugs him back and lets the tears flow freely. He holds her until her body stops shaking. Pulling back gently, he brushes the few remaining tears from her cheeks. He takes a deep breath before speaking.
"You love him…" he breathes.
Rey looks into his eyes with a start. She pulls back slightly, confused by his words and feeling her cheeks become flushed.
"I...I…" she stammers.
"It's ok, Rey. You can't help the way you feel," Finn replies gently.
He stands up and pats her shoulder softly.
"But just know, Rey. If he does anything to hurt you or any member of the Resistance, I won't hesitate to get even with him," he continues with a slight chill to his voice.
Finn offers a tiny smile before slowly moving away from Rey. He heads over to Poe and pulls the pilot into a large hug, holding him as close as possible. She watches and finally senses the familiar tingle of her bond with Ben. But before she can turn to look for him, the bond fizzles out and ends.
"Ben...I'm so sorry…" she whispers.