AN: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing!

"Dyad's Blessing, Dyad's Curse"

By EsmeAmelia

Chapter 60

Ben stared down at the helmet for several moments before he gained the courage to approach the bed. "How . . .?"

"One of our smiths reshaped a pilot's helmet and repainted it," said Rey. "Do you think it will do?"

Ben swallowed as he picked up the helmet. It felt lighter than his old mask - lighter and more delicate, as if it would break if he handled it too much. He slowly eased it onto his head, finding that the blast shield tinted the world a few shades darker but not as dark as his old mask did.

"How is it?" Rey asked.

"It doesn't feel as secure as my old one did," Ben admitted, finding that his regular voice was speaking. "And, okay, no voice synthesiser, but I guess I can live with that." He let out a sigh as he removed the helmet, not wanting to tell Rey that he still felt exposed under that helmet. "It will have to do."

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Rey, as if she forgot that she was technically supposed to be guarding a prisoner.

The door slid open and in stepped General Finn, eyeing Ben warily before speaking. "Just letting you guys know that we're about to take off - you might wanna strap yourselves in." He cleared his throat. "Also, someone wants to see you."

No sooner had he spoken than D-O came rolling in at top speed. "Friend!"

Despite the circumstances, Ben had to smile at the little droid. "Hey, D-O!" he exclaimed.

Awkwardness flowed from Finn as he licked his lips. "Well, Rey, you let me know if you need anything. Are you sure you wanna stay in here for three days?"

"I'm sure," said Rey. "You said yourself that you'd feel better if someone guarded him."

Finn exhaled through pursed lips. "We could use your piloting skills," he said in a feeble voice - Ben didn't need the Force to sense that they'd already had this conversation.

"Poe and Chewie can get us there," said Rey.

"Well . . . all right," said Finn. "I'll be back later with lunch. Let me know if you need anything else."

"We will," said Rey.

With that, the general stepped out, the door sliding shut behind him with a hiss, once more trapping them in the room. After putting the helmet back on the bed, Ben found himself glancing around at the double bed, the table, the seats around the table with built-in safety restraints, the drawers and shelves, the adjacent closet and refresher. Though the room was larger than his prison cell, he wondered how being stuck in here for three days would affect both of them. "You chose this?" he whispered.

Rey gave him a small smile. "Yes. Finn and Poe said they would feel better with someone guarding you and I volunteered for the job." She gently took his hand. "Come on, we don't want to go flying around the room when the Falcon takes off, do we?"

. . .

Once they were in hyperspace, Ben undid his safety restraint and leapt to his feet, dashing into the closet.

"Ben?" Rey asked, undoing her own safety restraint. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see if there's anything of ours in here," Ben called from the closet. "Yeah, I know the Falcon got stolen for a while, but maybe they didn't take all our stuff."

Rey found herself holding her breath as she looked down at D-O, who merely craned his head as if he didn't know what to say either. Though the Falcon had been hers for a year, Rey hadn't gone looking in all the closets. It felt . . . wrong to do so, as if she were invading the family's privacy. Besides, Leia had the first right to search the Falcon . . .

. . . but did she?

Why couldn't she remember Leia ever getting on the Falcon?

Maybe it was too painful for the general to visit her dead husband's ship.

"Found something!"

Rey gulped as Ben emerged from the closet carrying a small box, holding it as if it contained priceless treasure. "What's in it?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Ben, slowly making his way to the bed, never taking his eyes off the box even as he sat down. "Let's open it together."

Rey sat next to him, D-O rolling up to their feet. "O-Open!" the droid exclaimed.

Ben inhaled once, twice, three times before he gained the courage to remove the lid. Sitting on the top was a pair of well-worn, well-wrinkled light blue pajamas, which made Ben suck in a sudden gasp.

"What?" Rey asked.

Ben's eyes were welling up as he picked up the pajama top. "These were my dad's," he whispered. "I-I . . . I gave them to him as a birthday gift, back before . . ."

He buried his face in the pajama top, burying a sob. Rey gently rubbed his shoulder, trying to send him soothing thoughts through the Force. "You know, these look like they would fit you now. Maybe Finn or Poe or Chewie could wash them and you could wear them tonight."

Ben sniffled as he looked up. "M-Maybe . . . let's see what else is in here." He put the pajamas on his lap and pulled out a set of silver hair clips. "Mom's," he choked out, wiping his eyes. "D-Dad would help her put them on before important senate dinners and parties . . ." He trailed off, looking at Rey. "I think she'd like you to have them - if you want them."

Rey cocked her head, her heart unexpectedly thumping. "I don't usually wear stuff this fancy, but if you think she'd like me to have them . . ."

"I do," said Ben, placing them in her hands, "and I want you to have them."

Now Rey felt her own eyes welling up as she stared down at the beautiful hair clips, feeling like she was holding a piece of Leia - her master, her friend, the closest thing to a mother she had since her parents left. She would find a time to wear them, she promised herself.

Meanwhile Ben was staring down into the box, tears streaming down his face. "It can't be . . ." he whispered, seemingly to himself.

"Wh-What?" D-O asked, rolling back and forth.

Ben reached in the box and pulled out a well-loved toy Wookiee with tufts of fur missing and a couple of visible stitches. "D-Dad gave him to me for my first birthday . . . I called him Chewie Junior . . ."

With that, he broke down crying, clutching the toy to his chest as if he were still a child. Rey wrapped her arms around him, wishing she knew how to soothe his pain, wishing she knew the perfect thing to say, but maybe there wasn't any perfect thing to say.

. . .

That night, Rey and Ben lay in the double bed together, Ben wearing his father's pajamas and clutching Chewie Junior, not caring who would ridicule him for sleeping with his old toy. In fact, he remembered his counselor telling him that holding something soft could be good for mental health - maybe this would even help him not have nightmares.

Rey was rubbing his sleeve, a mischievous smile on her face. "They're so soft," she gushed before looking in his eyes. "By the way, I never told you when you were in the hospital, but you look cute in blue."

"I remember Mom saying that to Dad," Ben said through a sigh. Then, eager to change the subject for fear that talking about his parents would make him cry again, he asked, "By the way, have you noticed something?"

"What?"

"We don't have those memory lapses when we're together."

Rey licked her lips. "You're right, we don't. Maybe it has something to do with the dyad being complete when we're together?"

"Maybe."

Rey ran her fingers through his hair. "I just realized something too."

"What?"

"This will be our first night truly together, not linked through the Force. We don't have to worry about disappearing."

It was strange to think about since they'd spent so many nights linked, but he realized she was right. "We don't have to worry about disappearing," he murmured. "I like that."

Rey kissed his lips, letting him savor her taste. "I like that too."