MBellicose: Well you don't have to wait long, cause this chapter is all about them meeting! Feathers: Thanks for the review and for being intrigued with the story! Yeah, Finn is a Grim Reaper and is able to be corporeal. There will be parts in the story told from his perspective, and you will be able to learn more about exactly what he is and what he does and how he came to be. There is a backstory to him, and also him and Rose will be plot B of the story. Characters are a lot more intertwined than what is initially shown, but all will be revealed eventually. Tortured, super human Ben is such a good description of him. lol. And Ben and Kylo's relationship does progress and I'm so excited to write what I have in mind for the two of them! When all hell breaks loose, they will have to rely on each other... maybe even become friends... ;) Lastly, yes, they do meet in this chapter. hehe. Bendemption: I know the supernatural aspect of it can be weird, but I'm glad you're at least giving it a chance. At least for a little bit. There is an explanation for the supernatural elements. I also love reading long chapters, but I try not to write them. lol. Which is why I split this chapter into two, so the next one is mostly written. I try really hard to find a good balance between information and dialogue. I love reading dialogue more than long paragraphs, but I need to set up character personalities and the plot before I can get to writing really long conversations. And I can't forget those mystery boxes! There sure is a lot of them. :)

Some of you – or most of you – will find that Ben is not a super nice person in this chapter... or the next one. But he does get better. He just feels like he's going insane and wants answers. And Rey... poor Rey, she is very confused in this chapter and doesn't know what to make of Ben. Her thoughts are all over the place.

I apologize for any mistakes in the chapter. I'm tired and have strep throat and need to catch up on sleep!

Happy Reading!

Chapter Three: Meeting

When Rey glanced at the digital clock on the desk, it read 12:32 p.m.

She'd been sitting in the office in the same spot for four hours. It was difficult sometimes to keep track of time in her condition. With her body never aching or becoming stiff, she could stay in the same position for… well, she supposed forever. The longest she ever went without moving a single finger was about two days.

Rey blinked, her eyes still on the photograph of her and Ben. It was a copy of the original, of course. Like she would risk something happening to the real thing. No way.

The original was safely sealed in plastic and stored in her trunk back in the apartment. She brought the duplicate with her to each job that allotted her a desk, sometimes passing the time by just staring at it. Now, most employees had their phones to occupy their idle time, but Rey never cared much for the Internet or social media. She would much rather daydream and gaze at the photo.

Those who commented on the snapshot thought it darling that her and her husband would do an old time portrait, dressed in antique clothes. They all assumed her husband was alive since she still wore her gold wedding band. She didn't have it in her to correct them.

With a big gulp of air, Rey stood, willing herself to pull it together. She spread out her things on the desk, filling the drawers with post-it notes, pens, and her planner. The photo took up residence beside her laptop. Her fingertips brushed over Ben's face.

Benjamin was a common name. And Solo was not an unheard of surname. There was Bobby Solo, the Italian singer, and that American women's soccer goalie – what's her name? Hope? Whatever was happening here was just happenstance. Nothing more.

But could she call her boss Mr. Solo? She would think of Ben every time she did, and that might take a toll on her after a while.

God… maybe she really should just quit.

But having two secretaries quit for the same boss in the same day might give Mitaka a heart attack.

Rey groaned.

She'd start looking for another job over the weekend and hopefully be out of this place in a week. Two, tops. She could stay for two weeks. It was doable. Until then, there was no reason to be less than sufficient at her secretarial duties. Pride and all that.

Rey brushed the wrinkles from her pencil skirt and walked out of the office. The skyscraper had two floors dedicated as food courts, offering a wide enough variety of meals for even the pickiest of eaters. Rey figured she should stock up on snacks, just in case her boss' blood sugar got low.

The expansive eatery was packed with people thanks to the lunch rush.

Looking over the options, she realized she'd forgotten to read over the email Mitaka had forwarded her that listed her boss' food preferences. To remedy that, Rey got a mix of junk food, and granola bars that appeared healthy. It did say vegan on the package.

While perusing for an actual meal, the smell of pizza made her mouth water. Rey licked her lips. Pizza was a real weakness of hers. That, and fries. Maybe some food would help distract her from being so nervous.

She picked up two slices of thin crust pepperoni and cheese. A classic.

With her tray filled with all sorts of goodies, she waited in the checkout line. She glanced beyond those who were ahead of her and passed the register, not seeing any available seats. It wasn't too concerning; eating back in the office wasn't a big deal. She should probably be there when her boss arrived, anyway.

The line was painfully slowly moving. Rey started tapping her heel with impatience. To pass the time, she unlocked her phone and opened the email from Mitaka. Her stare narrowed on the text. A dress code was mandatory for all secretaries and legal aids that worked with Mr. Solo: skirts must go passed the knees, no sleeveless shirts or V-necks, and heels could be no more than two inches high. Makeup must be minimal – no lipstick – and hair had to be pulled back into a low bun.

Rey's eyeballs almost bugged out of her head. She was a traditionalist when it came to her own modesty, but even she could recognize oppression when she saw it. And she was already in violation of most of the stipulations.

Who did this guy think he was? He didn't have the right to tell a woman what they could and couldn't–

"So you're my new secretary," a low, achingly familiar voice said from behind. "Mitaka pointed you out to me from where we're eating."

Rey clammed up. Didn't breathe. Wondered if she were somehow having a stroke.

The man moved so he could stand in front of her. "We have an extra seat if you'd like to join –" he stopped talking the moment she lifted her eyes. His face, his hair, his tall and broad build – everything about him was exactly the same as she remembered. Except his eyes; the sunglasses he wore hindered her from seeing them.

He was the one to take a step back, eyebrows raised. "You…" he whispered.

Rey blinked, feeling the panic growing in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't concentrate on anything else: not the noises around her, not the smells of food, not the people waiting in line and telling her to move forward.

Ben was here… standing in front of her... consuming all of her senses.

Her tray crashed to the ground, her hands no longer having the dexterity to hold onto it. Ben was taken aback, hopping to the side and dodging the slice of pizza that had gone in the direction of his shoes.

And then Rey was running.

She zipped through the cafeteria and jumped into the elevator as it closed, the people inside startled by her sudden appearance.

She wheezed for air, her throat closing up and her mouth running dry. Her heart was starting to beat harder and faster, adrenaline levels rising, her brain firing off every negative thought like a machine gun.

One of the strangers asked if she was all right. The lift dinged. She darted onto her floor without answering.

Ripping the door almost off its hinges, she darted about the office and gathered up her things.

She'd finally lost it, her brain conjuring up ghosts out of the well of her loneliness. She couldn't bear to be haunted by his image for the rest of eternity, knowing that he was just a mirage she couldn't touch.

She had to get out of there. Maybe Finn could help her–

In the doorway blocking her escape stood Ben, his hair disheveled and his breathing labored as if he sprinted up five flights of stairs just to get to her. But delusions didn't need to traverse stairs and didn't get out of breath.

Unless… unless they had a body. Unless they were actually real.

He stepped inside, the door closing behind him. An apparition wouldn't have been able to touch the door.

Oh my God….

First, Ben took off his sunglasses, tossing them on the nearby couch. Next, he peeled off his gloves, leaving them on the floor. Then, with a careful stride, he approached her. Rey backed herself against a bookcase, sweat beading all over her body.

Her memories of him had not done his beauty justice, and she found that she couldn't look away. Those eyes… she remembered those eyes all too well. Even now, with just a stare, he could still peg her in place with just a look, willing her to stay.

"Lorraine," he muttered in reverence.

And just like that, Rey's panic subsided, her confusion seized, and everything just floated away. Something warm and passionate and homely was left behind, her name falling from his lips having formed a string between their hearts. They were connected on a level that transcended all rational thought, that only lived in the realm of mortal fiction.

She had missed that feeling, had missed experiencing it with him.

He was so close now. She mapped the moles on his face, finding them to be exactly where they should be. He licked his lips, and Rey knew, she just knew and accepted that she wasn't going anywhere.

Studying his eyes, something rippled across them, like smoke or a shadow, the odd occurrence causing his amber stare to darken. It was so subtle, that if she were not mere inches from his face, she would've easily missed it. But it didn't frighten her; quite the opposite, in fact.

It drew her in.

Rey snapped out of her trance when Ben cradled her face, heat blooming in her veins from his touch, gathering deep within her abdomen. Her eyes watered as she craned her head up, and then his mouth was upon hers, lips warm, soft.

Real.

She shouldn't be doing this. She should be getting on her hands and knees and pleading for him to still love her after everything she'd done. She should explain.

But God how she longed for this, the feel of him on her lips, against her body. She was so touched starved for him, that talking would have to wait.

Rey relaxed at the edge of the cliff she'd been teetering on for the better part of a hundred years and fell.

()()()()()

Dopheld Mitaka was waiting for Ben by the time he pulled his black Rolls-Royce Cullinan into the designated parking spot in the garage below the building.

Once he turned off the engine, Mitaka gave Ben a skittish smile as he opened the door for him. "Mr. Solo," Mitaka said in greeting, shaking Ben's hand with cold, wet palms. "I hope your move hasn't been too taxing."

Ben grabbed his bag from the back seat before locking the car. "It was fine." He could tell Mitaka expected him to expand upon the statement, but Ben wasn't much of a conversationalist.

"Well," Mitaka said, trying to cut through the awkwardness as they moved to the elevators, "on behalf of the office, we're all very excited that you decided to transfer here. It'll be nice to have the head of the department readily at our disposal."

"Because I came here to make your lives easier."

Mitaka paled, stumbling over his words. "That's… I didn't mean…. It was just quite shocking to learn that you'd be moving to New York so quickly. We only got the news last week."

Annoyed that Mitaka forgot to press the button for the elevator, Ben stepped around him and did just that. "That's when I decided to leave LA."

"You… you made the decision to come out here and move across the country all within the span of a week?"

"I don't like to wait when I know what I want to do."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. "May I ask why?"

Ben's grip was vice-like on the handles of his messenger bag as he stepped into the lift. "No."

Mitaka looked away, cleared his throat, and pressed the button for their floor. As the elevator made several stops, becoming more and more full, Mitaka somehow braved talking to Ben again. "Are you hungry? There's an eatery on the 27th floor that offers a large selection of food. I can have something brought up to you. Or I can have your secretary order something from the city."

Ben was about to reject the offer, but right at the mention of food, his stomach twisted with hunger pains and he could feel the beginnings of a headache starting to form. With how large he was and in order to maintain muscle mass, he made sure he never went more than a few hours without at least a snack or protein shake. But with that woman's untimely visit in the morning and Kylo being the annoying bastard he was, eating had been the last thing on Ben's mind.

And the dum dums he consumed on the way to work only went so far.

Pressing himself into the corner to allow more room for the other passengers, Ben asked, "What does it have?"

Mitaka opened his mouth, and then faltered. "Oh, uh… well… I think it has pizza."

Ben sighed. Clearly the man had no idea. "Just show me."

Trying to save face for his gaffe, Mitaka quickly said, "Your secretary could get something for you –"

"How can I order something when I don't even know what's offered?"

"Of course. Fine point."

Already emotionally compromised from the morning he had and the hunger he felt, Ben realized right as he entered the cafeteria that he hadn't clearly thought the decision through.

The place was bustling with people. Then again, he should've realized it was lunchtime.

Emotions were going to be a problem, whether they were his own or someone else's. By this point in his life, Ben was quite good at shielding himself from experiencing another person's emotional state. Still, things tended to slip through the cracks every now and then – which fucking sucked cause he could barely handle his own feelings, let alone someone else's without the aid of context.

He would have to keep up his guard.

Scoping out the options, Ben decided to go with a gourmet sandwich on whole wheat, not really in the mood for anything heavier.

After paying, Mitaka guided them over to a table, introducing him to some of the employees that worked in the advertising and writing departments. Ben really wasn't in the headspace to sit down and make small talk. Back at the headquarters in LA, he always took his meals in his personal office. Alone.

But then his stomach gurgled and his hands started to shake and he knew he needed to eat as soon as possible before he got so light headed that he teetered. He sat down in an open seat and proceeded to inhale the sandwich, the others at the table falling into their own conversations and leaving him alone.

That was until Mitaka softly elbowed him in the side to get his attention. Ben glared at him, but Mitaka was looking at something straight ahead, unaware of Ben's ire. "Oh. There's your secretary," he said, pointing across the room. "At the far end, waiting in line to checkout. White blouse, black shirt, brown hair."

When Ben's eyes found the woman, he paused right as he was about to put the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. Kylo stirred, his interest peaking along with Ben's. It was difficult to get a proper view of her through the crowd, but he could sense something was... different about her.

Mitaka was still talking. "... impressed with her interview and –"

Ben gathered his coat and shouldered his messenger bag as he shot to his feet, leaving his sandwich and Mitaka behind. He worked his way through the sea of tables and people, sights set on the woman. Kylo jumped beneath Ben's skin, wound up with anticipation, both of them eager to meet her.

He came up behind her, ignoring the ire of those behind him who thought he cut in line. Peering over her shoulder, he saw she was reading something on her phone.

Ben took a few deep breaths before speaking. "So you're my new secretary." The woman visibly jolted, but otherwise remained frozen. "Mitaka pointed you out to me from where we're sitting."

Still, the woman didn't move. Why he felt compelled to talk and be near her, Ben wasn't sure. Striking up conversations with strangers wasn't something he did often.

Ben pivoted around her, trying to get in her line of sight. "We have an extra seat if you'd like to join –"

He finally saw her face.

"Lorraine," the name tore through Ben's mind.

"Mine," Kylo growled, like a predator finding its prey.

Hypnotized, the sounds of the cafeteria faded away, the heightened rhythm of his heartbeat the only noise in his ears.

As he held her gaze, he was momentarily shocked by an energy that passed between them, an energy that was so familiar and binding, it was like nothing he'd ever felt before. As her wide eyes looked up at him, it was like she was searching among his soul for a string, grasping onto it and anchoring it her own. Connecting them together.

The moment shattered as Lorraine dropped the tray of food. Ben dodged a slice of pizza. When he looked up, she was already near the eatery's exit.

Ben ran after her, not giving a shit who he pushed out of the way.

"She isn't yours," Ben told Kylo in rebuke.

Ben missed the elevator by mere seconds. Impatient, he took the stairs.

"I'm the one who was right about her being real," Kylo argued with desperation. "I'm the one who kept the faith that we would find her. I believed in her when you didn't!"

"That doesn't mean you deserve her."

"Yes, it does."

By the time he made it to his office, he was out of breath, face beading with sweat. When he swung open the door, Lorraine was across the room, clearing the desk of her things.

As their eyes met, that feeling came back, stronger and more potent. Even Kylo was drawn in, the shadow blending in with Ben's consciousness, looking through his eyes and feeling what he felt. For once, they were of one mind and one goal, united in desire.

Ben felt like he was about to pass out. It was a lot to be experiencing all at once.

He took off his glasses and gloves, not caring where they ended up. He neared her, slowly and carefully.

Her name left his lips, his brain lighting up in an intoxicating new pattern, sectors of his mind that had been previously dark were pierced with an arousal that was habit forming. The need to have her was so sharp and unexpected, that he had no way of protecting himself from it.

And it was clear that Lorraine was just as fixated on this encounter as he was.

Say something, Ben told himself.

They were close now, almost chest to chest. Lorraine's lips parted, drawing his eyes to what he wanted. The idea of speaking died away, his mouth heralding a different mission that did not involve words.

His hands came up to the sides of her throat, and then cradled her jawline with his thumbs. As he dropped down, he eased his head to the side….

His lips touched hers and he held it there, both of them frozen by the shock of contact. The kiss was soft and slow at first, the warm velvet pressure rocketing through his veins and thickening his blood with a carnal drive that was as beautiful and enchanting as a new day sun.

The make out session quickly turned fierce, both of them needing more, searching for the end to their beginning. His arms wrapped around her waist and her hands tangled in his hair, her fingernails scratching his scalp and making him gasp. They fought to get closer to each other, to smother whatever loneliness and insecurity had taken root throughout their individual lives.

They both fumbled for the privacy of his office, the door just beyond her desk.

Once inside, he bunched her skirt up around her waist and palmed her firm bottom, her thong allowing him to feel her silky skin. He gave each cheek a squeeze before he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around him and her core hitting right against his erection. They both gasped at the contact, pausing for only a second before he sat her on his empty desk.

They were both frantic as she helped him unbuckle his belt and unzip his fly, their lips not wanting to part. His cock popped out at attention, his pants an afterthought as they fell around his ankles. She stroked him from the base to the tip and he bucked into her hand, his tongue delving deeper into her mouth.

Her strokes became frenzied, his jerks uncoordinated.

With her being too low on the desk, he lifted her again and shuffled them over to the wall. She grunted from the pressure of being between him and a hard place, and he was about to apologize when her lips abruptly silenced him, drawing him back into a world where only the two of them existed.

Moving the strip of underwear aside, he plunged two fingers inside of her hot, wet core, massaging and pumping and making her whimper like an animal in heat.

"More," she demanded, voice guttural.

He pushed her panties further to the side and with one fluid motion, sheathed himself completely inside her. They moaned simultaneously, though he was by far the loudest. As he started to pump, a low noise formed in her throat – not quite a purr, but not a growl either.

She grabbed his face and their tongues battled for dominance and nothing had ever felt this good. Nothing should feel this good and right. It was alarming, whatever this was that was forming between them.

No. Not forming. It had always been there. This was more than just sex, and Ben would know. He'd been buried balls deep in so many women and none of them, not a single one, had he ever felt this connected to.

Him and this woman were a match, a set, a twin energy that neither of them understood, but both needed in order to feel complete.

Both of them crested at the same time, her moans the sweetest melody to have ever graced his ears.

()()()()()

The seconds that ticked away into minutes came and went with mollifying alacrity as Rey came down from the high. This was what belonging felt like – in Ben's arms.

With their breaths intermingled, Rey buried her face in the crook of Ben's neck, nuzzling closer. Always wanting to be closer.

Ben's hands remained firmly on her rear, his manhood still twitching inside of her… where it belonged.

Rey drew back and searched his face as if trying to assess how any of this could be possible. Like maybe it was all just a dream… but no. Her dreams had only ever been filled with memories. And this certainly wasn't one of those.

"I can't believe you're here," she said, palms going to his cheeks. "That we've found one another. And I know things are complicated–"

"Complicated?"

She paused, but only briefly. "Yeah…. Because of everything that... happened."

Ben didn't just look confused. He looked downright lost. "Happened?" He slid out of her as he placed her on the floor and pulled his pants back around his waist. "Have we met before?"

Rey frowned and adjusted her skirt, ignoring Ben's seed seeping past her thong and down her inner thighs. "Don't you… don't you remember?"

"Remember what?" He stuffed his shirt below the waistband and buckled his belt.

Rey chuckled nervously, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "This is hardly the time to joke around –"

Ben moved so quick, Rey didn't even have time to be startled. He grabbed her left wrist, examining her hand with wild eyes. "Are you fucking married?"

Rey glanced at her wedding band, then back at Ben's reddening face. "This isn't funny, Ben." She tried to pull her arm away, but his hold didn't budge.

He tugged her forward, close enough for her to feel his breath across her cheeks. "I agree. Cheating on your husband isn't a joke."

Every part of her went on pause while her thoughts played catch-up. "I… You think–" Rey's voice downgraded to a whisper. "But… you called me Lorraine."

"Because that's your name."

"And how did you know that?"

"I…" He faltered, as if not knowing how to answer. He dropped the hold he had on her wrist. "I just did."

Rey stepped back.

He didn't know her. He didn't remember her. Which begged the question: was this even Ben? Or was it a copy of him sent to further punish her for her past transgressions? Was God really that cruel?

Of course he was. She was still alive, unable to die and be at peace. Her very existence was torture at this point. And Ben – her Ben – would never have forgotten her. No matter what.

But then her brain brought up a very good point: how did he know her true name?

This had to be Ben, then… right? How else would he know something like that? But why did he know her name and not the memories associated with it?

Too many questions, all of them contradicting. She just… she needed a moment to breathe.

Going for the door she said, "My name is Rey."

The man followed her. "No, it's Lorraine."

"And how would you know if we've never met?" she asked, quickly going through the desk drawers and putting the rest of her office supplies into her bag.

"You basically just admitted it five seconds ago," he stated, as if it were obvious.

Her trembling hands dropped the planner on the floor. She hastily picked it up.

"My name isn't Lorraine."

"But it is!"

Right before closing her leather satchel, she saw a sliver of the picture of her and Ben. It squeezed at her heart, causing the muscle to hiccup.

She shook her head and looked right at him. "You don't know that because we've never met."

"But when I called you Lorraine, you didn't–." He stopped talking, running a rough hand through his hair. This conversation was getting them nowhere, and he must have realized that. "How do you know me, then? If we've never met before, why were you talking to me and apologizing like we were close?"

"I was mistaken. I thought you were someone I knew from a long time ago."

He neared her, standing on the other side of the desk, eyes intent. "How long ago?"

"Does that matter?"

"Are we talking a hundred years ago? 150? 200?"

Rey blinked. "I – Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because I've been having hallucinations of a woman who literally dresses like she could be straight out of a Jane Austen novel, and somehow, she looks exactly like you."

Rey hadn't been expecting that. "You've been… you've been hallucinating me?"

Could it be…. Could this actually be Ben?

His eyes narrowed, palms on the desk so he could lean in towards her. "You know why, don't you? You know why I've been hearing your voice and seeing you everywhere I go. Why? Why has this been happening to me?"

"I don't know."

He slammed a fist against the hard metal top. She yelped out of fear. "Yes, you do. And you're going to tell me everything you know."

There was a pull in his voice, beckoning her to give into his demand, his eyes gluing her stare to his.

Rey opened her mouth... "I don't know anything."... and resisted him.

Ben straightened, like he'd been anticipating her to say something entirely different.

The door opened. It was Mitaka.

"Oh. Sorry, I was just–." Mitaka looked between the two of them, the tense atmosphere apparent as he tried to decipher what was going on. "Was I interrupting something?"

Rey said no as Ben said yes.

As it grew quiet, both of the men locking eyes with each other, Rey took it as an opportunity to hurry to the door. Mitaka held it open, allowing her to leave. Just as she stepped out into the hallway, she stopped when Mitaka inquired about her well-being.

She gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine. Really. But you should know that I won't be coming back." Her eyes betrayed her as she glanced at Ben, the fire in his gaze like a threat. Like he was silently telling her that they weren't finished. "I'm sorry for the suddenness, but I quit. I hope you can find someone else more suitable for the job."

She left before either of the men could do or say anything to stop her.

A/N

Well, Rey is a bit overwhelmed. But will she actually get a moment of peace back at her apartment? Or will a certain someone track her down and demand answers? Guess we'll find out next chapter!