Rey smiled as she smudged the grease on her working pants. This was the better part of her day, sitting outside of the shop, sun shining down on her face as she worked away on the one car that she loved more than anything else. Everyone knew the name.

The famous car that made the Kessel run in twelve seconds. Many mistakenly said fourteen. But she had been lucky enough to hear the story from the man himself.

Han Solo was a war hero. Thirty years ago, before she was even born, Han Solo, along with Luke and Leia Skywalker had freed the planet of the tyrannical rule of Sheev Palpatine and the twins' own father, Anakin Skywalker.

Although the majority of their population had died in the rebellion against dictatorship, Rey understood the importance of what these three people had achieved. They had created a safe haven for people on Earth once more…and she was lucky enough to not have been forced to live a second under the command of the Imperium.

Hearing the stories of the famous Skywalkers and Han Solo during her time in the orphanage had a child of only eleven years old thinking about something else than scavenging parts of automobiles and selling them. It got Rey thinking of how important democracy was, and yet fragile all the same.

A sense of justice overwhelmed her one day, a day in which she decided that she would protect people from injustice for the rest of her life. That is what motivated her to study hard and get into law school.

Ironically, the day she decided on her future career was the same day she met the most important people on this planet. She had been out scavenging, again, when Matron Minerva thought that she was in bed.

The orphanage had been strict about sleeping schedules being respected. And although the place had been secured, Rey always managed to sneak out at night whenever it suited her. Finn would always tell her not to do it again, that one of these days, she would get caught. But that was just Finn. He was the worrier, her only friend in the orphanage.

Rey remembered the last day she sneaked out at night to scavenge for parts to sell. People paid well for them, and using the money, Rey would get herself and Finn real quality food…food Matron Minerva would never give them.

*** 11 years ago ***

"Come on, Rey! You promised!" Eleven year-old Finn hissed at her late at night when he saw her getting through the window and behind the bars.

She was skinny enough to fit. Matron had a thing about giving her the least amount of food for being a troublemaker, hence why the need to scavenge. Finn wasn't against what she was doing per say, but he was afraid of getting caught.

"I'll be back sooner this time." Rey promised, and shushed him when he started to protest.

She had an eye on the infamous "Solo's Auto Repair" shop. She knew the Han Solo…knew about the Falcon. She had studied the shop, and figured that if she managed to pull this off tonight, from the money she would get, Finn and her would be set for months.

Rey had a calculated plan when she sneaked in. Disassembling parts from the Falcon was a crime for which she would be severely punished if she was caught, so she had to be careful. Not only was Han Solo the man he was, but his wife, Leia Skywalker-Solo was Madam President of the New Era herself.

But something did go wrong. Something she hadn't expected. Rey dodged the traps she had analyzed beforehand, but there was one alarm she didn't know about. One that was triggered manually. And as soon as she heard it, she froze on the ground, near the car, half her body underneath it.

She saw black boots and a young man was approaching from the sound of his voice…a very masculine tone.

"Get out from under there!" he called out.

Rey realized she was not going to solve anything by staying under there. Raising her head, she placed her hands on the cold ground, pulling herself to her feet.

As soon as she laid her hazel eyes on his own scowling green ones, her heart stopped. He was older than her, his jet black hair flowing from the current produced from many doors which had been opened to the outside world.

His nose was prominent, much like Han Solo's, and those ears, it was like the hair was dressed precisely in a manner to conceal them. One would say those two characteristics would cross him off her own personal list of finest men she's ever seen. But his alabaster skin made him look godly…translucent…he was almost like a Roman sculpture…princely looking…an emperor.

Rey knew who he was. The sixteen-year-old son of Han Solo and Madam President Leia Skywalker-Solo, Ben.

She knew she was only eleven, but the young man before her took her breath away and for a few seconds, Rey understood what the other girls in the orphanage felt when they set their eyes on boys they liked.

Her mind was fuzzy, her heart was beating rapidly, her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults and her legs, well, they could barely keep her standing. All she could think about was racing towards him, touch his chin, feel that beautiful skin underneath her palm, touch his full lips…but then he opened his mouth.

"Dad! We got a thief!" His dark voice called out before Rey had a chance to say anything in her defense.

Crossing his hands over his chest, he turned to look at her with a small smirk when he saw the look on her face. She was in so much trouble. She had tried to rob the Solos for God's sake! The Solos! The most loved and appreciated family on this entire planet! Not to mention their own heroes…

Small barking could be heard and before the young girl could register what was happening, a puppy jumped into her arms, starting to lick her face.

Getting over the shock quite quickly, a huge smile plastered on her face and for a moment, Rey forgot about the entire problem in front of her. She was just happy to have a lovable puppy in her arms. She had always wanted one herself.

"Chewie! Get off her!" Ben roared, adding softly, "Stupid mutt." and much to Rey's chagrin, the puppy obliged and jumped out of her grasp, whimpering slightly at the loss of contact.

After moments of having admired his looks, Rey started shooting dagger, defiantly. It was like, she couldn't care less that she was the one trespassing. Ben Solo was not at all what she expected him to be.

She heard footsteps from the back and her eyes slightly watered. If they decided to call the police, not only would she be totally humiliated and hated for trying to rob the Solos, but Matron would get Unkar Plutt to give her a beating she would never forget. No rations for days, and they would keep her locked up in the basement.

"Ben, how many times have I told you to leave Chewie alone? He already has issues adapting to the real world." The man called Han Solo stepped inside the garage with a yawn, seemingly not bothered at all that the alarm had gone off…or that his son had yelled out the word "thief".

Chewie went to stand next to Han, the man ruffling his fur in affection, as Rey stared at the man before her, with her mouth agape. He was THE Han Solo, and she was finally meeting him in horrible circumstances.

When he finally noticed her presence, Han raised a brow and put his hands on his hips, glancing from the Falcon, to her.

"Who are you, kid?"

"She's a thief!" Ben exclaimed.

"No! Please…" Rey responded almost immediately, while Han rolled his eyes at Ben's comment.

The man then looked her up and down, no doubt inspecting her ragged clothes. She was very thin, due to lack of proper nutrition. The two were now looking at her, expectantly.

"I…I need money to survive."

"Survive? Are you homeless?" Han asked her.

"I am staying in the Jakku Orphanage! I'm sorry…"

"I'm sure you are." Ben snapped.

"Ben! She's just a kid who made a mistake." Han told him. He then stepped forward and examined the old mustang. "No damage here." he said and clapped his hands together, staring at the trembling young girl.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Han said, "You're coming with us! Some hot tea for you…and I sure as hell need a beer."

"I don't think I can."

"I wanna know more about that orphanage of yours. And you do owe us a good explanation. Let's get going now." Han insisted, showing Rey the way of the garage.

Ben had not moved an inch. His eyes were blazing with fury at the sight before him. His father smiling at the young thief, pretending like nothing was wrong.

Of course a stranger would make a mistake and would be instantly forgiven but whenever he did something wrong…he never heard the end of it from his mother, whenever she decided that she actually wanted to be a mother that is, and his father would show either indifference or give him that look of complete disappointment.

This girl was a nobody, a scavenger, a thief, and with a few words, she had managed to capture his father's attention…something he never succeeded.

"You planning on standing there the whole night, are you, boy?" Han asked him, as Chewie jumped around Rey's legs, eager to be picked up by the child in her arms again. With a smile, Rey obliged.

Kicking some dirt under his feet, sixteen-year old Ben rubbed at one of his ears before putting his hands in his pockets and stomping off after them in anger.

On the way to the Skywalker-Solo mansion, Rey held Chewie in her arms, all the while looking up at the tall boy who showed nothing but disdain towards her. What was his problem? She did break-in but to show so much hatred towards a girl who was only eleven?

…

Ever since that night, Rey felt as if she had been adopted into the family. Never officially of course. Han and Leia's marriage was more on paper than anything else. They always claimed how they had never really meant to be parents. They already had their hands full with Ben.

The idea of officially adopting Rey into the Skywalker-Solo family had been tossed for many years until she got into high school. Madam President Leia had become a surrogate mother to her and would have wanted her to have the family name…but with the way she and Ben were never getting along, they decided they didn't need any more trouble.

But that doesn't mean they didn't take care of her.

When Han invited the eleven year-old for tea at their mansion that night, he discovered her talent and passion for fixing cars. He had laughed and told her how he never met a girl like her before.

Ben had wasted no time to throw in a mean comment, as he watched their interactions from the sidelines. But Rey didn't care. Han had offered to become her teacher, told her that he would pull some strings and have her out of the orphanage for a couple of hours a day to study mechanics under his supervision. Rey had been beyond thrilled at the proposition. Bonding with the Solos and staying around old cars all day? It was a dream!

And that was not all. Leia's good friend, Androma Niima had been interested in adopting a young girl for a long time. Androma was a kind woman, part of Madam President Leia's team. Perhaps a little old to be thinking about raising a child, but she had the means and the love to do it, especially since she hadn't had the chance to have a family of her own.

That was how she became Rey Niima…finally, a last name she could show off to the world. She was no longer "Just Rey". Androma gave her the best education possible, under the guidance of Leia, and Rey had thrived.

The best school, the best grades, and her future was bright, just like her personality. Leia often called her 'Rey of Sunshine', making Ben scoff whenever he heard it. Getting under his skin was becoming one of Rey's favorite hobbies, but by the time she finished high school, she was tired of all the resentment between them.

Unbeknownst to Androma, Han and Leia, Rey would often spend her time watching Ben Solo on TV whenever he made one of his speeches in the name of the New Era. Leia insisted on getting him an internship in her bureau as soon as he finished high school, and after pursuing a law degree, he earned the position of Presidential Councilor.

Many complained that his attitude and political beliefs were not fit for a man of his status. Some even said that the only reason he got that job was because he was Madam President Leia's son.

Rey was certain that the latter was a lie. She had spent plenty of time at the Skywalker-Solo mansion over the years to know how hard Ben had been working when he was in college. She admired him, even if he was often rude to her. In a way, she wanted to be like him.

So, with the proper grades, education and glowing recommendation letters, she managed to get into Valvurn Law School as well, pursue the degree she had wanted since she was a child, but also spend enough time helping Han at his auto repair shop.

Clients were numerous. Of course everyone wanted to have their car looked at by specialist and war hero Han Solo. And they all had a chance to see the Falcon…an old and rusty Mustang

On her 20th birthday, tragedy struck. Androma Niima, her mother for a total of eight years had collapsed. There was nothing the doctors could do for her. A heart attack had taken away the woman who had spent the last eight years of her life nurturing her, caring for her and investing into her future.

Devastated and heartbroken, Rey had spent that week in the Skywalker-Solo mansion, Leia not wanting to hear a refusal from her lips. She got settled into the guest bedroom she had grown accustomed to and cried herself to sleep, holding on to the ragged doll she had from the orphanage.

The night of her birthday, Ben had returned home from a very important trip on behalf of the presidency. Han and Leia were in the hallway to meet him, and their gazes dropped to the black velvet box he had in his hands.

"What happened to that big party? Scavenger scared away your guests, mother?" Ben asked with a chuckle, as the front door slid shut behind him automatically. The maid and close family friend, Maz Kanata, stepped forward to take his coat and shushed him.

Maz was more than just a maid. She had been babysitting Ben ever since he was born, and Leia was off on her political duties. She had more than gained the right to scold the young Solo whenever he was behaving inappropriately.

Frowning, Ben gave her the coat and glanced over at his parents' distraught faces.

"What happened?" he murmured, concern stretched on his face, realizing that this was no joking matter.

Rey woke up in the darkness of the guest bedroom, her eyes puffy from all the crying. She was still wearing the green dress Androma had bought for her. Running her hands through the delicate material, fresh tears started sliding off her cheeks again.

When she heard movement outside of the bedroom, footsteps approaching, she closed her eyes, unsure of what else to do. She couldn't talk to anyone for a while. She needed space.

The door opened, light streaming inside and Rey turned her head to the other side, keeping her eyes shut. She heard the footsteps approaching the bed. Whoever it was, the person didn't turn the lights on, to her relief. It wasn't just because the light was bothering her. It was also because she couldn't bear the thought of someone seeing her tearstained face.

Her breathing hitched when she felt a large hand run through her hair in a caress.

Rey's heart stopped when she realized who it was. There was only one person in that house with hands that big. And then she heard his whisper. It was faint, but she heard it.

"I'm sorry."

When the footsteps had backed away and the door slowly shut, Rey got off the bed to turn the lamp on, only a dim light bothering her eyes in the still pretty dark room. The movement had knocked over something.

Looking down, Rey noticed a black velvet box sitting on the rug at her feet. A present? For her? From Ben?

Rey picked it up almost at once, her hand smoothing over it, and opened it gently to reveal a silver charm bracelet. Rey gasped and a small smile adorned her face, more tears streaming down her face when she saw the charms.

There was a car, shaped just like the Falcon. Another charm shaped like a tool…representing her talent for mechanics. Turning the next one in her palm, Rey recognized a balance scale…representing her future law career. The fourth charm was easy…the sun. 'Rey of sunshine', the way Leia loved to call her.

Just two more charms were left. The rest of the bracelet had small diamonds hanging from it. The two final charms confused her greatly. There was an R. She was certain that came from Rey. But there was also an S.

Rey stopped questioning the confusing charm and held the bracelet tightly to her chest, letting more tears fall onto the sheets. Everything was too difficult to bear.

The next morning, Leia had asked her to move in with them in the mansion and have that guest bedroom as her own. After much deliberation, it was settled and Leia made the announcement that same morning. Ben was drinking his usual black coffee.

When Maz had stepped forward to hug Rey and say, "Welcome to the family, dear.", Ben had slammed that cup on the table and left the kitchen without saying a single word.

*** Present day, year 2100 ***

"You got her fixed just right, kid! Good job!" Han praised her work.

The Falcon had never looked better. One of a kind.

"They don't make them like these anymore." Rey commented, rubbing her hand over the hood. The paint still held on even after all these years.

"Yeah. That's why I trust you to take good care of it. She really is the last of her kind." Han nodded in agreement, wiping his hands on a rag.

Han was a traditionalist and despite the advanced technology in the year 2100, he refused to adapt. The technology was minimized even in the Skywalker-Solo household, after a long battle between Han and Leia, in which surprisingly, Han won.

Leia was barely around the house these days…too busy with her political campaign, and eager to be selected for another term as Madam President of the New Era. She had held on to the position for thirty years, ever since the end of the war.

The legal and political systems had changed over the years, allowing Leia Skywalker-Solo the possibility to have as many terms as she wanted, as long as the people wanted her in return.

Rey knew that it was very anti-democratic, and the people knew it too, but this was an exception, because of what the Skywalker and Solo names represented. This was the New Era and with only one million people left on the planet, they wanted to make sure that they would keep the peace, for the sake of humanity. And Leia was the perfect person to achieve that.

After she was gone, democracy would reign once more. But there were whispers…whispers that Leia's own son, Ben Solo sought the position of President of the New Era himself, and that he planned to have it for as long as he lived…just like his mother. But he would never get the same support Leia had. What made him so confident that he would achieve the goal?

Rey often wondered what was going on in that brain of his…underneath that luscious black hair that reached down to his shoulders. Whatever his secret was…he sure knew how to keep his hair intact and absolutely gorgeous, and Rey often imagined herself running her hands through it.

She had always been attracted to him. There was no question about it, ever since she was only eleven. But there was also the part of her that hated him for his behavior.

After the charm bracelet that was left on her bed two years ago, Ben Solo had not shown anything but the usual mockery and indifference towards her. Rey had never even worn it…too afraid that he would mock her for that too. He was cocky enough as it was. If he saw her wearing the charm bracelet…she would never hear the end of it, surely.

"Have you seen Ben today?" Han snapped her out of her thoughts. Rey dropped the screwdriver she was holding and cleared her throat.

"No. I thought he had a meeting." she responded and picked up her tool once more.

"Nah. He's actually going to go to Valvurn again." Han stated, and at the mention of the law school, Rey's heart skipped a beat.

"Why? He was done with that place years ago." She asked, realizing that being in her final year, Rey had a very high chance of seeing him there again.

Han shrugged. "Leia told me that Luke wants his help with something…I really have no idea what it's about."

"So, he is going to be assisting in courses? My courses?" Rey asked, feeling a certain dryness in her throat, which made Han smirk.

"Don't worry, kid. I don't think he's going to be bothering you much."

Rey resumed her work, getting underneath the Falcon, when she heard Han exclaim, "Ah, speak of the devil!"

Cursing silently under her breath, Rey looked to the side to see that the TIE model car had pulled up in front of the auto repair shop. It was all black with just one red streak over the hood. The model was brand new, no wheels, floating in midair, up to date with all the new technology, and of course, automatic driving and parking.

'The Silencer' was what Ben called it. Rey scoffed when she first heard the name coming from Han's amusing lips. Who was he trying to intimidate?

Ben got out of the car and addressed Han with total arrogance, "Dad."

"Son. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Han asked, with a joking tone.

There was no response, and Rey frowned as she kept her body under the car, only her legs to be seen. What was he doing?

Suddenly, the three slams on the hood had her jumping and hitting her head in the process. Groaning, Rey slid from underneath the Falcon and rubbed at the side of her head, her eyes finally able to see the small smirk formed on Ben's face.

He was dressed casually, all black, his favorite color…nothing special, nothing new.

"Not scavenging for parts again are you, sweetheart? We had that little problem once." Ben said, reminding her once again that he had not forgotten nor forgiven the way they met eleven years ago.

His comment was loud enough for his buddies in the car to hear, and have them grin unkindly. Rey recognized 29-year-old Armitage Hux, the spiteful ginger whom she couldn't stand because of his hatred for the lower class.

And then there was Bazine Netal, famous model, hanging around Ben Solo in an on-again off-again relationship, constantly hoping that he would pop the question and she would get to be part of the legendary Skywalker-Solo family.

Turning back to Ben, Rey defended herself by saying, "I am actually in the process of fixing your family's legendary car. I would talk you through the procedure but you wouldn't get it. Your talents consists of preparing all of your mother's speeches, whereas I am capable of restoring the Falcon to what it once was. My talent is better appreciated by everyone."

Ben's face remained stoic at her response, but at least the laughter from the Silencer had died down, but Han couldn't help himself from laughing. Turning his angular face away from her, Ben focused only on his father this time.

"Dad, I am going to need the mansion tonight."

"Is that right?" Han asked, wiping a tear from his eye from all the laughing.

"I am throwing a party." Ben responded, already bored with the constant need for explanations.

"Is this a work thing for your Mom or…?"

"No. I am inviting some friends."

"Ah! A party for The First Order…in my house." Han grumbled and returned to inspecting the Falcon.

Rey knew about The First Order. In Ben's years at Valvurn Law School, he had created this group along with Hux, group of people with the same political beliefs as him. Rey didn't exactly know what it was all about but there were rumors.

Her best friend who went to Valvurn as well but specialized in History and Philosophy of Science, Rose Tico, heard from a reliable source that they were not just a group of friends discussing political beliefs…they were a movement. For dictatorship.

"Our house!" Ben snapped. Even though he had his job and a flat in the capital of Orimia, he still stayed in the Skywalker-Solo mansion for the most part of the week.

Han sighed and rubbed his forehead, not realizing that his hand was dirty from grease and oil. He really was not in the mood to get into another battle with him, because he was much like his mother. It was rare that they lost arguments.

"Fine. But I do have one condition."

"What's that?" Ben asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Rey gets to attend this party of yours and she can bring her own friends."

"Absolutely not!" Ben snapped, before Rey herself could protest. The last thing she wanted was to spend a night, being surrounded by those First Order jerks who would do nothing but eye her and whisper behind her back.

"Actually, I'll be ready! Just need to pick out a dress." Rey stated, making Ben's eyes widen at the news.

She didn't know what came over her. Maybe it was the desire to push his buttons again. Show him that she was not going to be bossed around or looked down at by him.

"Great!" Han exclaimed with a smile, and took Rey's screwdriver to continue the work himself. Giving him a small smile in return, Rey turned to leave the auto repair shop, when she felt a strong hand grab a hold of her arm.

She turned around and collided into Ben's chest, letting out a small exhale.

"Don't do this." Ben hissed in her face, pulling her closer.

The contact was unbearable, because it got her thinking about something else entirely. Her lips parted and so did his. Whenever they were together like this, there was a great amount of heat radiating from them both. It made her feel alive, her eyes getting blurry, starting to imagine her hands going up and down his biceps, then his chest.

She had had dreams of pressing her lips to his lush ones, and him kissing her back with as much fervor.

But of course, these were just dreams, and she would always wake up sweating. She wouldn't admit her attraction to this man to anyone. Not even Rose. She couldn't. If word got out, the humiliation would be too great. She would have to face Bazine…and that wouldn't go well at all. It was like she had marked him…and would never let go.

Rey finally looked up into his eyes and saw annoyance…but also fear.

What was he hiding? What didn't he want her to know? What didn't he want his parents to know? She knew that this party was her only chance to find out what he was up to.

"Oh, I'm doing it." She whispered defiantly and pulled herself from his grasp with great effort, marching away from him.

…

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter, guys! Let me know what you think!