Author's Note: I still do not own Star Wars, nor am I making any money off this. Please beware: dramatic R-rated lemonade for the next couple of chapters. I'll be smoldering in the Reylo dumpster fire if y'all need me. Thanks for reading, lovelies! xx

Field of Vision

Chapter Six

The blood in Ben's veins turned to ice under his mother's stare; he doubled over like he had been punched in his gut and suddenly the heavy weight of all his past misdeeds brought him crashing to his knees. He glanced sideways at a sullen-looking Rey, immediately suspecting she had everything to do with this surprise encounter.

"But I always welcomed him home again because I missed him beyond reason." said Leia, approaching her son. "My son, I've missed you more than anything in this galaxy." Ben looked wide-eyed up at his mother, speechless and afraid. He wasn't ready for this yet.

Rey could only stand by and watch the reunion, secretly proud to have been instrumental in making it happen. She'd suffer the consequences of meddling later.

"Mother," her name was but a breath on his lips.

Immediately, Leia embraced her broken son, cradling his head against her body as he reached for her. Rey stepped back to give them some space, wiping the tears from the corners of her own eyes.

"I'm sorry," was all he managed to say. His voice was muffled against her clothing, but Leia heard him loud and clear. His shock at her sudden appearance delayed any of the typical emotional reactions he thought he should've experienced at this point. But, he repeated himself louder this time as he clutched her coat tighter. He was desperate to be free from the shackles of his past mistakes, offenses committed against his family, but especially her. He knew he didn't deserve anyone's forgiveness, but a part of him still hoped.

"I love you, son," was all she said in return. "I'm so glad you finally came home."

"I can't—I don't deserve to be here," he said quickly, trying to bottle up his feelings again before they spilled over anymore.

Being a caring mother was easy for Leia, especially when she saw her child in pain. But, when that same child refused to be reasonable, is when General Organa emerged. She reached for her son's hands and squeezed them, masterfully utilizing the Force to lift him back on his feet.

"Darling, I'm here to warn you; you're still being tracked by the First Order…"

The gears of Ben's mind slowly began turning, trying to comprehend all that his mother was revealing to him. She had been watching him—longer than he suspected, too. She had known about the dyad in the Force connecting him and Rey for some time, but now she knew about their little pit stop in Tattooine. What else did she know?

"But my ship—,"

"According to our source, General Hux had the tracker placed in your lightsaber. He knew it was the one thing you wouldn't give up, even if you had to let everything else go." Leia supplied a solemn answer to a question he didn't realized he'd asked.

Ben's silence was a palpable force to be reckoned with. The air vibrated with a furious ring around him as he began to pace the garden path, sending chills up Rey's spine. He wondered how Hux's treachery was accomplished without him realizing.

The housekeeping droid. Ben's fury rose as he finally realized how Hux had swindled him. It was infuriating and embarrassing that he was the last one to learn he'd been duped.

"Rey,"

"Was tracking you at my request," finished Leia sternly, overpowering her son's rising temper. "I could sense your desire to escape the First Order. But I knew you weren't safe yet."

Ben looked thoroughly betrayed. He cast a miserable glare at Rey standing nearby in the shadows. "So, you're just doing her bidding now? And what about our night in the jungle… didn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it did! I meant every word I said."

Leia smiled knowingly at Rey, who turned away blushing.

"And all of those moments that the Force connected us… were only that?" Ben asked, turning to look directly at his mother. "You didn't have any part of that?"

Leia laughed. "I didn't know about any of that until Rey revealed her visions to me."

Ben mulled their words over; weighing the truth.

"My boy," Leia began, returning to hold Ben's hands in her own, "Since the day you were born, you've done things on your own time, your own way. And coming home again would be no different. You're ready, son, now show me what you've learned."

Her words finally cracked him. Ben's emotions finally unraveled as he could no longer fight what he knew was the light inside calling to be released. He couldn't help but feel everything stirring inside him; his guilt over killing his father, destroying Luke's Jedi academy and nearly all its students, turning into every foul thing the galaxy could ever mold him into, and now this; misplaced anger towards the girl he loved. Rey was his equal; the matter that filled his empty void. And he owed her absolutely everything.

He was mad at himself, not her.

Ben apologized more tonight than he had in the past decade of his life. Yet, there was still so much to make up for, and knew that his apologies alone wouldn't be enough. Rey kept her distance from the mother and son pair, feeling out of place in this family scenario. She knew there were some things she had to keep from Ben in order to get him here, but Rey didn't regret any of it.

"You've got your head in the right place now, kid. I'll see you very soon." Leia said as she leaned forward to kiss him. Ben leaned down to hug his mother once more. This sadness was familiar, like how they used to say goodbye before she left for long diplomatic missions.

"Wait, where are you going?" He asked.

"First, I'm going to take this," she indicated the lightsaber still attached to his belt. "And then, I'm going to run it like your father ran spice. Send it far across the galaxy to keep the First Order away from you."

"Ma," Ben tried to protest, but he knew it would be no good against his mother's legendary stubbornness.

"Don't. I've made up my mind, and I think you should too." Leia took the saber from her son's belt before he could protest any further.

"You should make a new one anyway. Match your new look," she said with a gleam in her eye. "Speaking of which, I've left something for you in the hall. You'll know the spot."

A single speeder turned down the hillside, stopping at the Organa-Solo residence, presumably Leia's ride out of here. Rey hurried to embrace Leia before she departed, receiving her own spoonful of motherly advice whispered in her ear. Ben didn't like how they giggled together.

"You're leaving already?" Ben asked. His voice was small, like that of a child's. His mother came back to hold him tight one more time. She didn't want to leave him, not like this, but she had to. It was her duty to keep them safe.

"I can't explain right now, son," Leia whispered, holding the palm of her hand against his cheek. "But rest knowing that you are loved so much. I will see you again in a few days. Wait here for my return."

Ben took her hand in his, staring into the smiling eyes of his mother who already forgave him fully and completely.

xx

Once they entered the privacy of his childhood home, Ben rounded on Rey. Aided by the darkness of shadows he was once able to control, his figure loomed large over her like a predator about to devour its prey.

"How did you do that?" He yelled aggressively and the sound echoed in the high ceiling of the foyer. His face flushed red, even in the darkness.

Rey eyed him stoically, expecting this reaction the moment the front door closed. She didn't say anything to feed his anger, just waited as the shadows converged around them.

Pointing in the direction of the garden where his life unraveled yet again, Ben continued to roar, "How did she know we were here?"

Realizing he was getting nothing out of her, Ben stormed away from Rey and then came back again as though he were going to resume shouting. Concerned for the tattered rug beneath his pacing feet, Rey crossed her arms patiently, waiting for him to calm down. Ben occasionally glanced back at her as though she might finally throw him a bone and explain herself.

Still, nothing.

During his pacing, beads of sweat descended from his temples, leaving glossy tracks down his skin. It reminded her of that day in Snoke's throne room, when she thought Ben had turned for her. His words were more manipulative then, almost like he was incapable of saying what he wanted. His hair had been dirty with sweat, blood, and grime from the fires they started then.

Ben continued pacing for another minute, quietly stewing in this thoughts before suddenly hurling himself towards her, pointing an accusatory finger at her chest.

"You…" Ben shouted weakly; he was losing steam. He huffed in defeat, pulled off his shirt and threw it to the ground in some sort of half-baked tantrum. Behind tangled locks of hair, his fiery eyes locked with hers; there was nothing else he could say or do that would change what had already been done. "…impress me."

This was it. Ben had finally been broken hard, and Rey almost wasn't ready for the rush of emotion that came with his inevitable repair.

"You've been keeping secrets from me," said Ben as he closed in on Rey fast, causing her to back away just as quickly. His tongue darted out between dry lips, just enough to moisten them in anticipation. She couldn't help but whimper in her excitement as the back of her body met the solid wall.

Rey reached out and pressed her clammy palms against the heated skin of his huge chest as they collided. He was anything but gentle as he grabbed her by the underside of her thighs and hoisted her up against the wall. He grunted at the abrupt contact of the softest parts of her body slamming into his as they crashed together. Ben's affections were feral, consuming Rey in a way she'd never experienced before.

"How many more secrets will you keep from me," he asked, his lips mere inches from hers. It was a challenge from the depths of his darkest desires, to which she willingly fell prey.

Rey's heart was racing, feeling her own heat rise. His dark scent, heavy with arousal was interfering with her ability to process what was finally happening between them.

"Only one, if you're lucky," she answered, desperate to kiss him again.

But suddenly, Ben's expression turned serious, like a switch had been flipped on his entire demeanor. The raging bull became a docile lamb. Gently, he touched his forehead to hers, breathing her in deep and summoned an enveloping calmness that cast the surrounding shadows out, giving way to the beams of moonlight pouring in.

"I owe you so much… I'd be a dead man by now if it weren't for you. Thank you, Rey from Jakku."

Their eyes connected, dark mirrors into each other's soul. Rey could see the agony that once lived there, causing him to admit this truth. But now it was something much greater that he embraced. His redemption lie yet ahead of him.

"I…," Rey struggled to admit it now, but she loved him ever since he bared his soul to her in a little stone hut on Ahch-To. She licked her dry lips, eyes flitting from his eyes to his mouth, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

"I know," Ben answered, smiling.

Broken from his former darkness, Rey sought to fill the void with light. Emboldened by his newfound freedom, Ben carried her into his old bedroom, balancing the haste of satisfying their desire with his fear of messing this thing up. Ben set her on her feet again and tangled his fingers in the base of her hair, pulling her into a languorous kiss.

Here in the halls of his childhood, they knew they were finally safe. His mother's arrival confirmed that. They were safe from the clutches of the First Order, and safe from the galaxy's prying eyes that forever seemed to kept them on edge. No more running. Now they could face each other, unafraid. Despite his haughty display of sexual prowess in the entry hall, Ben was actually scared senseless. Standing before him was a beautiful woman, his equal in every way, the second half of their dyad in the Force, yet he felt unworthy. This woman was a putting him through a trial unlike any other he'd faced before. Nearly every time they dueled with sabers, she'd won. His losses were always humiliating defeats, and yet he savored the intensity of every moment they were bound together in the struggle. She was the ultimate pursuit.

"What is it?" She asked, sensing the fear rise in him, it was the same little fear he harbored from a year ago during their early connections.

"You scare me," he said, "I tell you things I can't even admit to myself." He had never done anything like this before.

Rey took a single step back from him, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on his as she began to undress. "We can work on that." She would banish this fear now, and forever.

Utterly transfixed, Ben watched Rey step out of her boots and undo the wraps around her arms. He exhaled a heavy breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding in. Her eyes were bright and unwavering from his, dark brown and beautiful in the moonlight. She took control without him even realizing it, making him take several submissive steps back as she advanced on him. Ben stumbled backwards into the edge of the bed and willingly went down on his back.

"Will you have me yet?" He asked hesitantly, admiring the vision before him.

xx

Ben pulled her down slow, watching the shadows and narrow streams of light coming in from the window play off her bare skin. Rey felt every inch of him begging for release beneath her. Anxious fingers began removing each other's remaining clothing in a shy attempt to revive what they started in the jungle.

He kissed her hungrily, as though his very life depended on it. His hands dismantled her attire, in which every garment removed from Rey's skin felt like another liberation. He slipped his tongue into her ready mouth, tasting the sweetness of his prize. As their minds suddenly caught up to what their bodies were doing, neither knew if this was what they were supposed to be doing, but was both light and dark and far less innocent than anything they'd done before.

He crashed into her embrace, barely giving gentleness a consideration, but Rey savored the weight of him pressing down against her. His hand slipped down between her thighs, testing and exploring the slick, new warmth he discovered there, asking for her permission. Rey wrapped her legs around his waist and begged the universe they wouldn't get interrupted again.

"I want you, Ben. All of you; the light and the dark," she demanded, grabbing fistfuls of his long wavy hair as they kissed, giving in to the maelstrom together.

Rey gasped as he entered her, gripping him tight as the pain of her departing virginity subsided. It hurt in the best way possible, the way he filled her and made them whole. The feeling of their unique bond coming to fruition left them breathless and light-headed, better than anything they've felt before.

"Rey…," Her name was a hundred questions rolled into one as his arms trembled with the effort of being patient. He realized he'd hurt her, but by the Maker, he didn't mean to.

"It's alright," she declared, eager for more. Her body had sufficient time to learn the feel of him, savoring the brief new pain with the pleasure of committing themselves to one another.

Hidden instincts suddenly made themselves known, encouraging Rey to rotate her hips to meet his and deepen their connection. Ben's hunger intensified in response, manifesting in a low groan. He buried his face in the bend of her neck, delivering kisses that turned into playful bites as he continued to rock into her, but Rey still held all the power.

Rey felt as though they were swimming, riding waves on a restless, salty ocean. Their bodies moved faster to catch the building wave while trying to keep their heads above water. He proved himself worthy as he loved her at the crest of a wave. His lips uttered truths and sweet promises while his hands worshipped her body, leaning down to suckle on her breast for the life she gave him.

Soon, Rey felt her own wave building, higher and higher, and begged him to crash with her as it peaked. Ben groaned loudly as he felt her secrets clench suddenly around him, submitting him further under her will. His carefully guarded control broke in a way Rey didn't realize she craved until now. His swift thrusts, in and out of her flesh made Rey feel like her body was on fire. Her name was a plea on his lips, begging her for more. Heartbeat hammering in its cage, Ben made love to Rey longer than he thought himself able, as if his desire refused to be satisfied.

"Open your eyes," Ben urged Rey before she was swallowed up by the peaking wave, bringing her pleasure down on Ben like a white hot brand.

With wonder, Ben watched her eyes open wide, bright as a sunrise as she met his. Her swollen lips parted and her cheeks were flushed pink with the heat of their union, and Ben knew he had never seen her look more beautiful. Their bond felt stronger than ever before, causing Rey's body to seize his with pleasure yet again. Not long after, Ben unraveled, groaning loudly as he finally gained his own earth-shattering pleasure.

They crumbled together; melting heavy into the bed as they settled into the realization of what they've just done. Ben wanted to die this way, wrapped in her power over him, but only after they've shared a lifetime of living the life they were destined to live together. Ben pulled out slow, joining her in chorus of a final, shared moan. The ocean waves were reduced to a river's stillness, reflected in each other's steady breathing. Exhausted from the past 30 hours spent awake and on edge, Rey found herself tucked into Ben's side where they rested, lulled into sleep within minutes and completely unaware of the universe outside their door.