His eyes are absolutely riveted to Rey when he steps out of the 'fresher attached to his room. She'd changed into the most tempting thing he's ever seen. It's a pale pink slip that only just goes to her thighs and dear gods does it cling.

"Do you like it?" she asks shyly.

"Uh huh," he says dumbly.

"I've never had something so soft before," she admits. "Your mom said every woman should have nice things to sleep in."

That helps cool his ardor; the last thing he wants to think about is his mother.

But then Rey smooths her hands along her body, and he can't help it. He has to touch. Going to her, he pulls her into his arms, sliding his fingers down her back. The way her heated body feels through the silk makes him groan.

He'd changed into just his sleeping pants, and as her hands trail along his naked flesh, he's extremely glad he did.

"I love your chest," she admits with a throaty voice.

"I love the feel of your hands on me. When you touch me, gods, Rey."

"I know, it's like I'm on fire and in the ocean at the same time."

He nods in agreement. "I missed you. Too much," he says as he pulls her closer. The feel of her nightgown against his bare skin is exquisite.

"I know … I know."

Then the time for talking is done as she winds her arms around his neck and he slants his mouth against hers, thrusting his tongue into her mouth hungrily. Force, she tastes perfect; he could sip from her lips for an eternity.

His hands wander down and without really thinking about it, he's grasping her by her round, pert bottom, pulling her tight against him in one quick tug. Moaning into her mouth, he kneads at the flesh, marveling at how she fills his hands. He'd never really focused much on this part of her before, but he's discovered that he likes it, very much.

Her lithe body writhes against him and she growls, "Bed."

He's beyond grateful that he'd already found his release, otherwise that word alone might have done it.

Grinning, he grabs her by her lush behind and lifts her. Instinctively, her legs wrap around his waist and he nearly drops her when he feels her heat against his rapidly hardening cock. There's only thin fabric between them and it's impossible not to think about sliding home.

"Soon," she croons and even through the haze of lust, he realizes she's heard his thoughts. Part of him wants to ask how soon, but another, more rational part of him knows they have far too much yet to say to each other. He won't make love to her until there's perfect trust between them.

But right now, he's still going to kiss her and get his hands on those breasts again.


Finally having found his bed, her nightgown is down around her waist and her breasts are pressed against him as they kiss furiously. Stars, the passion she inspires in him leaves him breathless and panting.

Then he almost cries out when she grasps him firmly through his sleeping pants. She starts to stroke and, Force, it feels good. Too good. So he pulls back from her and stills her greedy little hand.

"Wait. Wait," he begs.

"But you feel so good in my hand," she whines.

"If you do that, you'll make me come. Again."

She grins wickedly. "That was the general idea."

"But you haven't."

She shrugs and the confident siren begins to slip, revealing the nervous girl underneath. "I just want to make you feel good."

"I want that, too. But I need to make you feel good, first."

Her hesitation is all he needs to know she's not ready for that. And he's not sure he's ready for her to actively pull his release from him, either. The last thing he wants is for her to regret anything they do together and he kisses her softly.

She kisses him back, but when he pulls back to look at her face, she won't meet his eyes.

"Oh, Rey, what is it?"

"I'm sorry. I thought … I thought I was ready."

"No … no, don't apologize."

"I just … I don't know what to do with what's inside me. I want you so much, but I've never done any of this before." He'd been fairly sure this was all new to her, too, but the confirmation makes his heart sing. He'd worried that his future self had already shared in Rey's delights.

"You know I haven't either."

She nods, then smiles softly. "I'm glad. I like that we'll only ever be each other's."

The surety with which she talks of them spending their lives together makes him pull her close and wrap his arms around her tightly. "I love you."

"I think I've always loved you; I just didn't know it yet."

"I know exactly what you mean."

He helps her pull up her nightgown, watching her breasts disappear regretfully.


They're snuggled together under the covers and he's completely blissed out on her. She's so warm and soft and everything he'd ever dreamed of. More than that, because he never could have imagined her.

He knows they should sleep, but he's not ready to slip into his dreams, away from her. "Tell me something about me, us, from the future."

She ponders for a moment then admits, "I stole your ship."

"Oh really?" he asks in an amused tone.

"Then I set it on fire."

"What?"

"I was having a bad day," she defends.

"Well, clearly," he deadpans.

She goes up on one elbow, making little patterns on his chest.

"Things were always hard with us. We were on opposite sides of a war."

"There's another war?"

"Hopefully not now."

"Does my mother know?" he asks worriedly. If anyone can avert another war, it's his mother.

"Yeah, I told her. She's looking into it."

He's torn. He wants to know more about how this war started but he also wants to know more about his relationship with her in the future. His curiosity about them wins out. "How did we meet?"

She snorts. "You chased me down with your lightsaber and kidnapped me."

"Oh." He has the urge to apologize, but he can't even imagine doing that to her. How can he apologize for something he'd never do, and yet obviously did?

"That's alright. I sliced your face open."

"What?!" he asks in horror.

"Ours … ours wasn't a happy story. Until now."

He's troubled by the violence she's only just begun to share. He's not sure he could ever forgive himself if he finds out he truly hurt her.

They lapse into silence and Ben's heart is heavy. How much has she been through? How much did he put her through?


Waking with Rey still in his arms has fast become one of his very favorite things. He likes when he wakes first, allowing him to watch as her chest rises and falls gently. She's so peaceful and he knows she's safe.

Her lifetime of pain, that she's only hinted at, upsets him. It makes the dark roil in his chest when he thinks of her on that harsh planet. Then true panic sets in and he's shaking her awake.

"Rey!"

"Huh, what?" she asks groggily.

"I'm sorry, but I have to know something."

Her eyes become more alert and she nods.

"You, you'd be a little girl, now. Is she on Jakku? We have to go rescue her. Today, now."

He starts to untangle himself from her and she stills him with a hand, shaking her head. "No … no. She's gone."

"Gone? How?"

"The dyad. When I came back, it was like she'd never existed. At least that's what I think happened. Luke wasn't sure."

"Which Luke?"

"The one from the future. He said that because we share a soul, the Force would correct itself, that there couldn't be one and a half souls on the same plane."

His head feels in knots and he realizes he doesn't know how she came back. Obviously, it was the Force, but he's never heard of time travel before.

"Anyway, the first thing I did when I got here was check. No one had ever heard of a girl named Rey."

HIs pounding heart begins to calm. He never would have forgiven himself if he'd allowed little Rey to suffer for the months he's known Rey.

"How did you travel here?" he asks.

Her eyes grow sad. "That's a long story."

"I have time," he presses.

She sighs out heavily. "Yeah, okay. Let's get up, get dressed. No convoluted Force business without a cup of caf."


While Rey is taking her shower, Ben goes in search of his mother. He wants to know more about this war and what his mother is doing to deal with it.

She's at the breakfast table, sipping on tea when he finds her.

"Good morning, Son." She seems relaxed and serene and he almost hates to bother her. But then she looks at his face. "You seem troubled."

"Rey … she told me about the war."

"Ah. Yes, this First Order."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yes. A group of fanatics, founded by the dregs of the Empire. I'd expected something like it before now, honestly."

"So, it's really going to happen again."

She looks at him with real fire in her eyes. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"There's something going on on Kamino. I think it involves them."

"Your father told me. But what did you sense?"

"Just unease, and the orchids. They were … they were afraid."

"Black orchids can be harbingers. There's a bit of suspicion surrounding them because of it."

"I … I need to know. I know it's silly to worry about plants, but …" His hands flail.

"It's not silly. I'll find out what the Senate archives have to say about it."

"Thank you," he responds softly. "Where's dad?" he asks, changing the subject. He's had too many mornings where he woke up to find his father already gone.

"Oh, he's still sleeping." Then Ben makes a face when his mother winks at him.

He's extremely relieved he missed this aspect of his parents' marriage when he was a boy.


After breakfast, he'd again taken Rey to the conservatory. She'd wanted to check on her orchid, and it seems to be the place they go when they want to talk.

While she mists her flower with water, Ben asks, "So … you were going to tell me how you came back." To me.

Rey lets out a slow breath and puts down the mister. "Let's sit," she says, leading him to a wide bench.

Seated, she takes his hand and hesitates. There's sadness throbbing in the Force and he almost wants to tell her she doesn't need to tell him. But now that he's considered it, he desperately needs to know.

"When you died … I … I didn't handle it well." Grief is spilling out of her and he wants to find a way to calm her, but all he can do is squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"What happened to you?" he asks, stroking her hair with his other hand.

"I slipped into a dark depression. I wasn't eating … wouldn't see my friends. I think I was just waiting to die, honestly."

"Rey, no …" he breathes out.

"I can't explain what it did to me to have lost half of my soul. It was like I was ripped open and bleeding out every single day. We never had time, just a few snatched moments of beauty in the midst of trying to kill each other."

"I tried to kill you?" he asks, shocked. He can't fathom ever wanting to hurt her, never mind kill her.

Her eyes clench shut in pain. "No … no. You never did. But I … I was trying to kill you."

"Oh," he says flatly.

"You have to understand, you were dark! I wasn't just fighting you; I was fighting the whole dark side!"

"It's alright … it's not going to happen now." But he's wrongfooted now, not sure what to think of this revelation.

She shudders. "No. It's not. I won't let it," she says with surprising ferocity. She looks away, lost to memory for a moment. "Anyway … Luke … he didn't make it through the war."

Both his father and his uncle were victims. "And my mother?" he asks fearfully.

Her eyes fill with stark pain and she shakes her head. "I was so alone. Everyone was gone."

What must it have done to her to see all these people again? No wonder she was so strange when she first arrived at the temple.

"What happened?"

"Luke … he watched over me, saw how I was fading away. And he … he sacrificed himself to send me here." Tears well in her eyes and he's forcibly reminded of how she would sit and stare at nothing back at the temple.

Then his thoughts catch up with him. "Wait, I thought he was already dead?"

"He was. It was his Force ghost. He sacrificed his being, his essence, forever, to give me, us this chance."

After his uncle kicked him out of the temple, learning he'd wanted him dead, the nine years of confusing distance, Ben has no idea how to process this revelation. The enormity of it is beyond his comprehension and he stands, pacing around the conservatory.

"But why?" he finally asks.

"Regret, I think. It took him a long time to accept what he did to you. He tried to hide it, told me a very different version of events at first. But he knows he's the one who sent you spiraling into the dark."

"No! It was Snoke!" He's not ready to accept that his uncle simply ceased to exist, even in the future.

She gets up and stands in front of him. "It was everyone. They all failed you. Including you."

"I don't … I don't know what to do with this."

"Well … Luke said to me that if I'm successful, it won't matter. Your uncle is at the temple, safe and sound."

"Did you tell him? About what he did?" About giving up eternity.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "It seemed … cruel. I told him I found an old holocron with how to travel in time. I don't think he believed me, but he didn't press."

Ben feels like his head is going to explode, and suddenly everything feels like it's closing in on him.

"Let's get out of here," he says, rather desperately. He takes her hand and all but drags her from the conservatory.

"Where are we going?" she sputters.

"Anywhere but here."


A/N: Thank you, ArtemisBare, who always has me in stitches. She frequently makes me laugh out loud with her comments.

Thank you, Readers! Day 18! I know I'll have to stop starting on Friday as we'll be out of town, but I sure am having a blast! Thank you all for reading, following, favoriting, and your incredibly insightful, hilarious, and generous reviews!