Rey landed the X-wing a healthy distance from the base. The last thing she needed right now was an enthusiastic and concerned greeting party. She was hoping people would be sufficiently distracted by what was going on in the sky to notice them sneak in the back. She popped the cockpit and carefully lifted herself out, trying not to put too much weight on poor Ben's legs, considering one of them was broken. He didn't stir as she clambered onto the surface of the ship, so she figured either she had done a pretty okay job, or he was simply too deep into unconsciousness to feel anything.
This was a small mercy, as Rey was much less graceful in extracting his body from the X-wing than she had been loading it. She winced as she lifted him a little too quickly and knocked his head into the ship's canopy.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she said nervously as she lowered him down to her level, moving him into a horizontal position. She pushed his hair away from his brow. How innocent he seemed now, how completely normal—not an aspiring dictator haunted by the murder of his own father, but just a boy who had made a mistake. There would be much to discuss, much to forgive, that Rey knew, but she could see the promise even now, in his sleeping face. She had been sure of it all along: Ben Solo was not beyond redemption.
Rey kissed him tenderly on the forehead. "Sorry about that. I swear I'll be more careful."
She would have to be, if she didn't want to alert someone to their presence. Of course she'd have to face them at some point, but she was so spent that she didn't think she had the energy to explain herself eloquently, much less explain Ben. Without Finn or Poe here to back her up—and she wasn't even certain Finn would do that, or Poe, despite his blind reassurances—she wasn't ready to face the music. She needed rest, and so did Ben. If she could just sneak them in and find a place to curl up and sleep till the rest of the Resistance returned, they'd be in a much better place to defend themselves.
The task proved not to be too difficult. Those who had remained behind to man the base were clustered in one area, talking among themselves and calling in commands and advice to the fighters in the sky. Rey kept to the treeline, staying in the shadows with Ben touching her hip. No one was guarding the entrance to the caves, and silencing her movements with the Force Rey slipped into the cool darkness, carrying Ben to safety.
The cave system didn't go too deep, but Rey was determined to put as much distance between them and the entrance as she could. But she didn't get far before she had to stop in her tracks. Leia's robe lay empty where the General had last been, where she had reached out to her son one last time. Rey swallowed the hard lump in her throat and wove her fingers through Ben's unknowing ones.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving him. I couldn't have done it without you."
She felt a ripple in the Force as though in response.
Blinking back tears, Rey resumed her task of finding them a nesting place. There were several cots against the back of the wall, and while they weren't exactly hidden, they were the best she could do. Their discovery was inevitable, but at least she could make Ben comfortable for the time being. She settled him down on a cot, relieved that she could finally let go of his weight, and pulled the blanket up to his chest. She had to laugh as she smoothed the wrinkles out of the blanket on his chest.
"Look at me. It was hardly any time ago that you were trying to convince me to join you, and now here I am, tucking you in." She knelt beside him and laid her cheek against his shoulder. "If this is joining you, I guess it's not so bad after all." And without meaning to, without realizing it, Rey fell asleep.
Author's Note: Oh my goodness, I did not expect the reception this fic has gotten so far. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and encouragement! I felt a void in the story after I saw TROS and needed to mend it - it seems like a lot of you needed that too! I'm so happy I can help heal the wounds of the movie and I hope you keep enjoying this sweet little story! :)
