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"Dyad's Blessing, Dyad's Curse"

By EsmeAmelia

Chapter 46

There was no sex after the kisses, but there was a content, beautiful tiredness during which nothing needed to be said. Ben fell asleep soon afterwards, a relaxed expression on his face, almost a smile. Rey drowsily gazed at him, running her fingers through his hair as she listened to his slow sleep-breathing, a certain giddiness in her soul. Some part of her couldn't believe what had happened, yet she couldn't stop smiling.

My name is Rey. Even with what had happened, she couldn't forget that her identity was possibly in danger. My name is Rey, I grew up on Jakku, my parents saved me from Emperor Palpatine. She took in several slow, deep breaths. My name is Rey, I grew up on Jakku, my parents saved me from Emperor Palpatine, and I'm in love with Ben Solo. Her heart thumped. I'm in love with Ben Solo. She brushed her fingers over his cheek, wanting to repeat the words over and over. I'm in love with Ben Solo, I'm in love with Ben Solo, I'm in love with Ben Solo. Maybe it wasn't smart to fall in love with a man in prison who could possibly be executed soon . . . but since when did love care about logic?

I'm in love with Ben Solo . . .

It felt so good to think that, as if she had finally figured out part of her identity.

I'm in love with Ben Solo.

But as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, there was still a question settling in her mind and twisting her stomach.

How would she tell the others?

. . .

"Rey, don't worry. Mom and Dad will love you. In fact, they already do."

Though her boyfriend was squeezing her hand and giving her that grin she loved, Rey couldn't stop her stomach from jumping. Talking to Ben's parents on the comm was different from actually meeting them in person.

"It's all right, sweetheart." Ben leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Rey took a deep breath, shifting her weight from side to side as she gazed at the big white door of Leia Organa and Han Solo's apartment, some part of her still unable to believe that she was about to meet the war heroes she'd heard such amazing stories about growing up.

Suddenly the door slid open and there were Ben's parents, their eyes shining and warm smiles on their faces. "Rey!" Leia Organa exclaimed, offering her hand for Rey to shake. "It's so great to finally meet you in person!"

Rey swallowed as she shook Leia's firm hand. "It's nice to finally meet you too, Mrs. Organa, Mr. Solo."

"Hey," said Han Solo, cocking his head. "One thing you should know – no one calls me Mr. Solo. You call me Han . . . or maybe Dad, someday?" He shot a sly grin at his son.

"Dad," groaned Ben. "We're not engaged . . . not yet, anyway."

"Ah, but there's a yet," Han said as he offered his own hand to Rey. "You're takin' care of my son, right?"

"As best I can," said Rey, shaking his callused hand.

"Good," Han said with a crooked grin that greatly resembled Ben's. He rubbed his son's shoulder with his free hand. "I know my son's a handful."

Rey felt herself smiling back at him. "He is, but he's a wonderful handful."

"I know," said Leia.

"Well," said Han, "lunch won't be ready for a while – Ben, why don't you give her the grand tour while we're waiting?"

. . .

". . . and this was my room growing up."

Rey felt herself grinning as the door slid open, revealing Ben's childhood bedroom. A large window brought a view of the bustling city outside, surrounded by drawings of Ben and his family in crayon and sketches of various animals in pen, showing the evolution of Ben's drawing skills. There was a desk against one of the walls, letting Rey imagine a younger Ben sitting there and working on schoolwork or drawing.

"Mom and Dad always keep it ready in case I want to make an impromptu visit." Ben said as he entered, sheepishly running his hand through his hair.

"I love it," said Rey, entering the room and wrapping her arms around him from behind and gazing at the toys sitting on the shelves, particularly the various stuffed animals and the toy Millennium Falcon given a place of honor on the top shelf. "It's so cozy." Without warning, she leaped onto the bed with the X-Wing covers, disturbing the toy taun-taun and toy tooka sitting on the pillows.

Ben stared at her for a moment, but then that grin broke onto his face and he leaped onto the bed next to her and they both burst into dazed laughter before dissolving into a kiss.

"Mmm," Ben murmured after they broke out of the kiss, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, "what did I ever do for the Force to bless me like this?"

"I wonder the same thing about myself," said Rey, letting out a happy sigh as she rested her head against his chest, listening to his beautiful heartbeat.

They lay in content silence, relishing in each other's touch. If Han and Leia weren't making them lunch, Rey felt that they could stay like this for hours and drift off to sleep in each other's arms.

Drift off to sleep . . .

Something distant poked at the back of Rey's mind – small, but insisting that something was wrong. No, ignore it, savor Ben's embrace, enjoy her boyfriend's old room. Soon lunch would be ready and they'd enjoy a meal with Ben's parents.

Ben's parents . . .

This isn't real.

She gasped, her eyes shooting open. This isn't real. Her heart started racing. This isn't real. Ben was . . . His parents were . . .

"This isn't real," she found herself whispering.

"Mm, what?" Ben's eyes had closed and he looked half-asleep, a smile on his face.

"This isn't real," Rey said louder, pushing herself to a sitting position. "We're dreaming."

Ben's eyes opened and his mouth curved downward. "No, we're not dreaming." He reached up and stroked her arm. "This is real."

No matter how much Rey wanted to lie back down with him, she found herself shaking her head. "No . . . no, Ben, don't you remember?"

"I remember us," Ben said in a fiercer voice. Suddenly his arms were around her waist, gripping her with that anxious tightness. "This is real and Mom and Dad are alive! We don't need to worry about anything else!"

Rey stroked his hair. "Ben, I understand wanting to believe that, but sooner or later we'll have to wake up."

"N-no," Ben whimpered, trembling against her body. "Mom and Dad are alive, they're alive, they're ALIVE!"

. . .

Rey opened her eyes in the real world to Ben's devastated face staring at her, his eyes wide and glistening in the early dawn light, his body still trembling as it had in the dream.

"Why?" he gasped. "Why did you wake us up?"

"I didn't mean to . . ."

Ben shot up to a sitting position, a tight sob escaping. "We could have stayed there just a little bit longer!" He punched the mattress as if it was the mattress's fault that he woke up. "Just a little bit longer . . ." He broke down crying, burying his face in his hands.

Rey felt her chest tightening as she sat up, gently wrapping her arms around him. "Ben . . ."

"Don't. I know that world never existed. Maybe the Force decided to torment us by showing us what could have been if I hadn't . . ."

Rey gathered his face in her hands, wiping his tears with her fingers. "Ben, even though that wasn't real, this is." She kissed his lips in a tender manner, concentrating on sending him love through the Force. "This is real, Ben, this is . . ."

Ben vanished.