Author's Note: I still don't own anything, nor am I making any money off this. Sorry for the long wait—I had a bad case of writer's block! Please leave a review if you're enjoying the story so far. FYI: Incoming smut right outta the gate. And language. As always, thanks for reading, lovelies! xx

Field of Vision

Chapter 10

The clear path from the cell block to her quarters on base looked promising, and without a single anti-Kylo Ren Rebel found to spoil the journey.

"Am I really allowed to be out of that cell?" Ben asked, feeling more skeptical of his perfect escape by the minute.

"Yes, Ben! Your mother gave me the code!"

His expression flattened, trying to comprehend this mathematical anomaly. He thought his mother made it clear he was to stay in that cage until she figured out what to do with him.

Each day presented its own struggles for Ben to gain some level of acceptance from the Rebels who hated him. If he stepped one foot out of line now, he knew he'd shatter any fragile progress that had been made. Rey pitied him, sensing how deep the conflict ran.

"The only thing is… you have to be back by morning to make it look like you never left."

Satisfied that he finally learned the caveat to his freedom, Ben gave in. They held hands as they ran in the shadows between rows of towering X-wings and quiet shuttles towards safety. The rising moon was beautifully full and illuminated their risky path through camp. The further he ran from his cage with Rey by his side, the more Ben felt like he could breathe again. But they weren't safe just yet. They heard heavy footfalls approaching her quarters, nearly stumbling into each other in their haste to get inside the narrow doorway. The automatic door shut swiftly behind them just in time, and the room kindly offered them the first semblance of privacy they've had since their arrival. Rey heaved a great sigh of relief, laughing as they slumped together against the closed door. Her laugh was infectious, eager to have him to herself again. Once they settled inside the refuge of her quarters, Ben got the strangest vibe that he'd been here before.

"Pipes," said Ben matter-of-factly as he pointed to the objects in question. Two walls in her quarters were lined with row upon row of utility pipes and electric tubing.

Rey turned and stared at Ben, waiting for him to elaborate as she kicked her boots off.

"That's what I stared at to avoid looking while you were naked, tossing and turning that night."

Suddenly, it dawned on Rey that he had indeed been in this room before. It felt like a lifetime ago since that night he was summoned by their Force connection and witnessed her nightmare. Rey remembered how afraid she was, but he had been there with her the entire time, subjecting himself to the same shadowy menace he could only surmise was an alternative version of himself… that is, if he chose to remain a loyal plaything of the Dark Side. He was disgusted by the darkness he confronted, facing a crossroads within himself and where to go next. When Rey slipped up and allowed her secrets to be known, they knew the invisible line between them was finally in danger of being crossed. That's when he became a friend and not an enemy. If only they'd found the courage to cross that line sooner…

"Would you have done anything differently? I mean, if you could?" Rey asked.

Ben softened at her question, thinking back to that pivotal night. "Just one thing," he said.

"What?"

Dimples formed on either side of his mouth as he began to smile. He leaned closer until his nose brushed softly against hers, the heat of his breath on her skin caused a shiver of anticipation to run through her body as he spoke, "I would've stayed."

Without missing a beat, Rey pushed him backwards onto the double cot bed. "Let me get a closer look at the damage," she said, lowering herself to straddle his lap. Ben groaned as he landed abruptly on the cot, his opportunity to kiss her stolen for now. She was toying with him.

An expression of patient lust crossed his face as she settled on top of him, feeling her greedy fingers tug at the edges of his shirt. Ben raised his arms to allow her the satisfaction of disrobing him. His heavy scent permeated her room, a forest fire tainted with summer sweat, and in her hunger to taste his salty skin, Rey's lips followed the path of her hands across his chest. He only flinched once when she accidentally pressed too hard on a large bruise, but he didn't care. But her heart sank as she remembered that the men who attacked him were supposed to be friends.

"Anything break?" She asked, cringing.

"Not yet."

Rey dismissed his foolishness, leaning forward to finally kiss him. They had been starved of each other's touch, living the past few days with secrets that were dying to escape. Ben hissed in pain as she sucked on his raw split lip, unaware that while she kissed him she was funneling enough life-force energy into him to heal his wounds more thoroughly than Bacta ever could. Then, the pain was suddenly gone as he felt the skin from all his open wounds close up.

With a delayed realization of what she'd done for him, Ben kissed her back harder. Satisfied he'd been given more than enough grace from her already, Ben took hold of her wrists and gently pulled her away.

"But I'm not done yet," Rey started, but Ben silenced her with another heated kiss, firmly keeping her hands from touching him.

"Leave me with a few bruises more," he said, his voice deep with want. He undid the buckle on her belt, fumbling for the edges of her shirt.

They were like thirsty bodies in a desert after days without intimacy. That sweet, familiar burn spread through her belly, settling in her toes as his hands roamed everywhere across her body all at once. Unwilling to waste the precious little time they had together, she stepped off his lap to remove her culottes. Ben groaned impatiently at her absence, but she was soon back tugging open the closure of his pants to pull out his stiff cock. He pushed his pants down, just enough out of the way, then Rey slid down on him filling that void and making them whole again. They moaned in unison as they joined, quenching their thirst at last.

This, he thought, was every bit worth getting beaten for. His breath was hot on her neck where he nuzzled his face, teeth grazing along her skin, sending shivers down her spine before he nipped into her, hard. Uttering a single, surprised gasp Rey wanted to tell him not to bruise her and keep their encounters a secret just a bit longer. But instead, she pulled him in for another needy kiss as the pleasure spun through her. People were going to find out sooner or later.

"Tell me more about what you would've done," she said, breaking their heated kiss. "Had you stayed."

Ben grinned at the memory of that night, leaning back on his elbows. He thought about his answer carefully. What he wanted to say at first was not what he thought she wanted to hear.

"First, I would've done everything in my power to convince you I wasn't the brute from your nightmare…" His hips moved slow under hers, pulling back just enough so it felt like he was drawing out before rocking forward into her again, "But I would've given you everything you wanted… If you'd let me." Rey moaned at the sharp tease, wanting more. She bit her lip and arched forward, rotating her hips to match his tease.

"That all?"

Ben smirked again, enjoying this game.

"I wouldn't have not touched these," he said as he leaned forward again. His large, warm hands encompassed each breast, briefly taking one hardened nipple in between his teeth and drawing a breathy moan from her, "not after you'd been showing these off to me for hours." Ben wrapped a thick arm around her waist as he turned, tucking her lithe body underneath his and spreading them out on the cot, "and then I would've fucked you with everything I had."

She rolled her hips and he sank in deeper. His heart thundered in his chest as he poured his feelings of gratitude, fear, and affection for her into each thrust. He thought it was irrational, this love he held for her; it made him question everything he'd once known, when he still went by another name. Now, she was the only thing that made any sense.

"What I would've given for one more minute with you," Rey panted, tangling her fingers in his dark hair. She pulled him closer to the brink of losing control, listening as his breathing went ragged. The room itself began to tremble from the power of their bond. Pipes began to clatter in place against the wall and the cot underneath them seemed to dance across the floor. She savored the chance to dive deep into their bond, feeling every one of his thoughts wrap like a blanket around her.

Fragmented words, as they always were when they were intimate, but strung together created a song for her.

Harder. Again. Soft. Safe. Messy. Healed. Beautiful. Future. Together.

Throwing caution to the wind, Rey's fingernails dug deep into his shoulders, crying out as they broke into their pleasure together. Quickly, Ben captured her mouth with his to soften her cries so as not to be overheard for real this time. As their bodies and their breathing settled, he let his fingers dally over her parted, sanguine lips.

"I would've stayed for this."

xx

Per Leia's request, Rey dutifully returned Ben to his cage the following morning. She woke them in the early hours, mainly out of habit, but also because she hoped everyone else was still asleep and his return would go unnoticed. Sleepy eyed, Ben and Rey redressed in a comfortable silence, occasionally peppering kisses on each other's bare skin before it was completely covered again, then reluctantly retraced their steps back to the holding block. Ben wasn't pleased about having to wake before the birds only to return to a cold and cramped cage, but knew it was part of the deal. At least now he could try to catch a few more winks.

Ben stood in the middle of the cell doorframe, his huge body preventing it from closing. "Will I see you later today?" He asked, his dark eyes hopeful as he stared back at her.

"Yes. Soon." She leaned forward on her toes to kiss him goodbye. Ben sensed that she was keeping something from him, but he didn't prod. She'd kept secrets from him before and ever since Chandrila, he knew better than to underestimate her.

Upon securing Ben in his cell, Rey did not return to her quarters. Instead, she wandered off into the jungle to meditate. Worried, Rey couldn't possibly go back to sleep because she knew how much work there was still left to do. It was all she could do to keep Ben from discovering it last night, hidden in the recesses of her mind. Rey had learned of Leia's plans only the day before, and part of her was deeply saddened because she already knew how it was going to end.

xx

Around midday, Rey finally returned to Ben's cell. Rounding the corner of his cell block, she didn't expect to catch him in the middle of exercising. Ben was shirtless as he did push-ups in the narrow space, pushing his sweat-covered body upwards and clapping his hands together in between each rep. He knew she was coming, having learned the specific cadence of her walk ages ago, but that didn't stop him from pushing. He was definitely showing off now, but she appreciated the view; the long lines of his body, the muscles clenching and flexing in his thick, glossy shoulders, the black hair on his crown bouncing every time he pushed up from the floor. She could watch this all day.

"Impressive," Rey said as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall opposite his cell.

"What would be more impressive….mfph…. is if….mfph…you got me outta here…" Ben answered, grunting in between push ups.

"Be careful what you ask for," Rey volleyed back. There was a mischievous gleam in her eye that Ben didn't like one bit.

He ceased mid-exercise and looked up at her from the concrete floor. "What do you mean?"

Rey didn't answer him, just kept pushing for the next task. "C'mon. Time to get cleaned up."

xx

Rey was his benevolent savior once more, releasing him from his prison only to be thrown into the fire. They were on their way to see Chewie.

The dyad pair walked in sync past a small gathering of Rebels sitting around a campfire. The men were chatting and eating their lunch while taking a break from the constant work that needed doing before the next big mission. Rey sent a friendly wave to the group as Poe, Beaumont, and Snap ceased their chatter and eating their food. They did not supply a friendly return. She eyed the three men stained with black eyes and colorful bruises. But Rey might as well have been invisible as the Rebels all stared aggressively at Ben, gauging the threat.

Beaumont tapped Poe's arm excitedly as they all glared back suspiciously. Poe noticed exactly what Beaumont had; Ben didn't sport a single bruise or open gash anywhere on him. He looked brand new compared to them—like yesterday's tussle had never even happened.

Finn didn't look up or acknowledge Rey's presence at all, continuing to ignore what was clearly causing a rift between them. Poe and Beaumont exchanged nervous glances, as Snap decided to throw subtlety out the window and unfasten the safety strap to his blaster's holster, keeping his hand obviously ready to draw his weapon.

Rey was beginning to feel the cold, icy shoulder from her friends and didn't like it one bit. Something had to give, and soon.

Brazenly making eye contact and nodding his acknowledgment of them, Ben's expression was impossibly smug as they passed in silence. The Rebels did not smile nor wave back, just glared harshly. Ben was immensely satisfied by seeing his "attackers" bruised up and scared of him, when all he did was show up clean.

"Remember, you're trying to get them to LIKE you," said Rey disapprovingly, elbowing him hard in the side.

xx

Finn finally looked up just as the pair left the vicinity, and was unnerved by their closeness.

"You don't think they're... like... doing it, you know?" Finn asked Poe with an edge in his voice. "I heard sounds coming from her quarters last night."

Poe dropped his canteen and stared deadpan at Finn. He didn't want to imagine that while eating.

"Now why are you so concerned about what Rey may or may not be doing with that asshole when you're dancing around not one, but two girls?"

Finn turned away nonplussed, watching the backs of Rey and Kylo Ren disappear behind a shuttle.

"I'm just concerned for her, that's all," Finn defended himself, "She's like a sister to me."

Poe paused to listen, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, buddy. Me too."

"Did you see his face? He didn't have a single cut or bruise on it! I know for a fact we beat him to a pulp yesterday. He was bleedin' all over the place!" Beaumont couldn't comprehend what they'd just seen. It left everyone around the campfire feeling uneasy.

Poe stared after them, flustered by it all. He'd messed up again in Leia's eyes and didn't feel good about it. And now, he was letting his anger with Kylo Ren affect his friendship with Rey. But something wasn't normal about him. He suspected Rey had something to do with it, but didn't want to chase that rabbit. After all, he was the one that struck first. This was yet another reminder of what he had already lost.

xx

Chewie was stuck in a bind as his upper half was squeezed inside the Falcon, making repairs to the ship. His engineering skills were vital to the success of the entire fleet, but he made sure he was always the one to repair the Falcon. He trusted very few others to successfully work on the prized ship, and a Wookiee's rage was certainly something to be reckoned with whenever something went wrong.

Rey and Ben waited by the base of the ladder, hoping to catch the busy Wookiee's attention. Ben felt uneasy about confronting his godfather again. Every once in a while his shoulder would twitch with a sort of phantom pain as a reminder of how thoroughly he was knocked out. And the palm-sized scar from Chewie's near-fatal blaster shot would often flare in pain to remind him of all his sins committed against his family.

"Chewie, can we talk to you for a moment?" Rey asked loud enough for him to hear. It was the most innocent of questions and upon hearing Rey's voice, Chewie was ready to agree, climbing down from the hole in the Falcon until he saw the figure of his murderous godson standing next to her. Chewie roared his blatant displeasure, refusing to come down.

"Please, Ben said he really wants to talk to you," said Rey, attempting to barter with Chewie. Ben shot her a look of utter betrayal. This was her idea, not his.

"Chewie, I promise I won't go anywhere. I'll stay right here."

"I don't have time for you pups," Chewie retorted, his growl reverberated in the metal hull.

Fed up with the stubbornness of Wookiees he was all too familiar with, Ben scoffed and pulled at Rey's arm as he turned to leave. "Sure enough. I told you he couldn't be bothered to talk to me." Ben's calloused tone floated up to his godfather's ears, sending him further.

Suddenly, Chewie clamored down the ladder and roared. He threw the wrench angrily down to the ground, and turned away from Ben, unable to look at him. He was torn to see what had become of the boy he once loved as his own son. A Wookiee's memory was long and sometimes unforgiving; capable of recalling a great deal. He remembered everything about this boy that made Han and Leia happy, and him too. From the day he was born, to the day he left with Luke, and every growing moment in between. Chewie had been there. And his pain at the loss of his best friend and co-pilot, Han, was so complicated. He almost preferred to just hit the boy again.

"Why did you kill Han?" Chewie asked, the pain of his roaring response echoed in Ben's chest.

Suddenly Ben felt like a child again, small and limited by what he could do to cope with the emotions he was once again struggling with. He shrunk away from the Wookiee. His godfather asked the one question Ben dreaded answering. But of course, it was the only question worth asking.

Finally, Chewie turned around. Tears were streaming down young Ben's face as he looked up into his godfather's deeply tortured face. They were mirror images of loss and conflict, deep and desperate pain with astounding amounts of hope left within.

"Dad already knew…. He just knew. Chewie, I promise I didn't trigger it," Ben sobbed pitifully, feeling his knees give out under the weight of his regret and his godfather's scrutinizing gaze. After all this time, Ben finally realized why his father came for him. "He did it to save me from myself."

It was almost harder to face Chewie again than it was facing his mother on Chandrila. Growing up, Chewie was often there for him, especially when his own parents weren't.

"But it didn't matter, did it—," Ben choked up, but Chewie interrupted him, scooping the boy off his knees and into a Wookiee hug.

"It did matter, little pup," said Chewie, planting Ben on his feet again, tenderly remembering how he used to swing from his furry arms as a little boy. "It mattered that he wanted you back. We all did."

Ben broke down into sobs again, angry with himself that he couldn't keep it together. "I don't deserve any of this," he said as he buried his face in his godfather's furry embrace. Memories of feeling safe and protected in his godfather's furry arms flooded back to him, longing to return to a time before he'd even heard of the Dark Side. Chewie ruffled his black hair, growling quiet, affectionate Wookiee-speak to his godson like he used to when he was much, much smaller.

"Look how big you've grown," Chewie commented, punching Ben full strength in the arm, knocking him off balance. "Strong boy. Proud."

Ben rubbed his arm, grinning with tear-stained cheeks. The tension now officially broken between them, Chewie started to mess with Ben and played with him like he used to. Happy to be around something familiar again, Ben went along with it, play wrestling with his Wookiee godfather. By the end of it, somehow Chewie had Ben suspended upside down and nearly broke more of his godson's ribs when he squeezed too tightly. Much to Ben's relief, Chewie's parental musings were soon satisfied, and they moved on, giving Ben the task of helping him work on the Falcon.

During the entire emotional exchange, Rey had remained in the distance, once again witness to the unraveling of Kylo Ren while Ben made up for all his sins. She was glad he was at least able to face his family again, despite everything. She knew he was finally ready to move on to more difficult things.

xx