Hi there! So sorry for the long wait. Happy 4th to my fellow Americans!

Chapter 15

Jakku's tortuous sun had finally dipped below the horizon, granting a slight respite from the heat. Despite the climate-controlled environment of the ship, the dust and heat of the desert planet had permeated throughout the Millennium Falcon during the day.

Ben sat in the cockpit looking down at the navicomputer, deliberating on their next destination.

"Before we go…"

Ben's head snapped up quickly, looking to the doorway to see Rey, her light footsteps having masked her sudden approach. He remained quiet and met her eyes, patiently waiting for her to continue.

Having gained his undivided attention, she chewed her lip a moment before continuing, "There's something...something I need to do first."

On the Falcon, the trip to the Goazon Badlands took only several minutes compared to the hour or so it would have taken on her old self-built speeder. At the helm, Rey, with Ben's help, gracefully landed the ship only yards away from a mostly buried Imperial AT-AT. A sad silence enveloped the cockpit as they both gazed out onto the sands, seeing nothing but the ruined relic for miles in any direction.

Rey led Ben towards the metal peeking up from the sand. He followed her towards a hatch on the belly of the walker and helped her hand-shovel the sands that had gathered in front of it in her absence. He watched as she disarmed several tripwires before entering the door. She was both shocked and proud that her electroshock tripwires had kept fellow scavengers from moving in and stealing the few trinkets she owned. Ducking considerably, Ben clambered inside after Rey into the darkness. The air inside was stagnant and dry, albeit a little cooler than the open desert in which it laid.

Rey looked around the interior of her former home as Ben stood as upright as he could behind her, looking around as well. The interior of the weapon-turned-dwelling was sparsely furnished, even compared his Spartan quarters on the Finalizer.

Slightly hunched over, Ben moved around her to a metal panel near her makeshift kitchen. He glided a large hand lightly over the thousands of purposefully etched marks and shuddered before looking back towards her, eyes full of sadness for her.

In reply she looked down at her feet, kicking a stray bolt into a corner. Rey did not want his pity, but felt some relief at someone else finally understanding the depth of the loneliness that her life on Jakku had been. He was at her side in an instant, enfolding her into those long, strong arms that she so dearly loved. Standing there, in the place she had felt the most alone, she now felt safe, cherished, and most of all: loved.

"You'll never be alone again, Rey. I promise." he said quietly and lightly squeezed her closer, as if for emphasis.

Rey sniffled once and wiped her eye of the tear that had begun to form. Still pressed against Ben's chest, she craned her neck up to meet his gaze and smiled slightly.

Rey's smile grew wider before she replied after a moment, "I know. You are my family now."

A rare, toothy smile lit up Ben's own face. She had only seen him smile like this once before, on Exegol. She stood on her tip-toes and sunk her hands into his hair, drawing him close for a deep kiss.

Distracted as they were with each other, they failed to notice the abrupt and angry sounds of a storm that had come upon them. They were finally interrupted when the comlink on Rey's wrist alarmed loudly and Chewbacca bellowed into the frequency.

Sandstorms swept across the Jakku desert quickly, but were sometimes known to linger for hours. The winds they brought could whip the sands so hard as to rip the flesh from your very bones. Rey replied to Chewie's alarm and acknowledged the fact that they would be stuck within her former home for the time being.

To pass the time, the couple eased into the hammock Rey had made years ago from netting and fibers that she had salvaged from within the innards of the AT-AT. It only barely held the two of them, with Ben having to hang his long legs over the sides at either end. Rey was tucked against his chest, both his arms holding her firmly and her legs curled between his. He stroked her hair absentmindedly, and Rey closed her eyes as she was lulled to sleep by the dull beat of the winds against their metal shelter.

Ben looked around the shelter thoughtfully, taking in the sights of the life his scavenger Jedi had made for herself. He caught sight of something familiar and flexed the fingers on his right hand, easily manipulating the small object into the air and towards him. The hand that had been stroking her hair stopped, reaching up to take the round object from the air. It was a helmet, one similar to the one that Resistance pilots wore today, but worn with age. Rey blinked up, fixing her eyes on one of her few worldly possessions and smiled sheepishly.

A small frisson of energy creeped up Ben's hand as he turned the helmet in his hand. He squinted, as the image he suddenly was seeing was much brighter than the dimness of the room he was physically in. A young girl sat cross-legged before him, adjusting the wobbly helmet on her small head and resumed reaching her hands out in front of her as if she were steering an invisible ship. The girl giggled lightly and then began making acceleration noises and the occasional laser shot at some imagined enemy. She was lean, much too lean, and her knuckles were raw and dirty from another long day's scavenging. Her age could not have been more than seven or eight years. She was young, too young to know such a life. And yet, she created happiness in this life, however small and imaginary.

Ben blinked rapidly and adjusted his eyes to the returned dimness of his surroundings. He dropped the helmet next to the hammock and gathered the young woman in his arms closer, pressing his mouth to her hair and closing his eyes. Her spirit had always burned this bright, even in the face of a lifetime of hardship. He was both envious and awed by her resilience. If he had had the mental fortitude that Rey did, he would never have fallen to the manipulations and hollow promises of the darkness.

The hours ticked by, and it wasn't long before they both fell asleep. The howl of the wind died down and the still silence caused Rey to wake. Disoriented, she opened her eyes and looked around wildly, thinking she had finally woken up from the dreams of another life, of adventure, of love. She calmed quickly when the steady heartbeat of the man beneath her centered her mind and assured her that she had not awoken from the dream of her new life. Content, she closed her eyes once more, letting the peacefulness wash over her.

Several more hours later, they ventured out into the Jakku dawn from the belly of the walker. Cradled in her hands, Rey held the old Rebel pilot's helmet and the doll she had made of fabric scraps from the same pilot's orange jumpsuit. Ben followed her as she led them to an area of shade cast by the foot of the AT-AT, and settled the two items next to a small and shriveled green spinebarrel flower. Rey lovingly brushed one of its fragile stems and miraculously, Ben thought, it did not break. Rey began to dig in the sands in front of the flower, using her hands to shovel. Ben bent down to help her, but she stopped, looking at him with a grave yet determined face, and shook her head. He straightened back up, waiting and watching her dig a hole where she gently placed her two possessions and again covered them with sand. She had no bodies to bury, nor any marker with which to carve her parents' names. Instead, she simply buried their memory with the pieces of her old life, commemorating them with what little happiness she had conjured in her life on Jakku. They had left Rey, but had left her in order to give her the most precious thing they were able to offer - her life away from the clutches of the Emperor. The lives and sacrifices of Adix and Betina would not live on in the history books, but were now woven into the fabric of her and Ben's new life.

Descending into the atmosphere of Takodana, Rey couldn't help but be mesmerized once more by the vast, green beauty of the planet. They flew low over a large glassy lake and watched as the towering visage of a rebuilt castle came into view at the lake's edge. Ben had transferred the last of his funds that he had 'inherited' from Snoke's vault to Maz in repayment for the First Order's destruction of her castle. It seemed that she had used the credits well - and quickly.

Ben and Rey walked hand-in-hand up the well trodden path towards the castle. Memories, both happy and terrifying, made Rey take a deep, stabilizing breath and nudged the small blaster that was still strapped to her thigh. Han, she thought, had now given her two gifts. The blaster had been the first, but later he made the greatest sacrifice for his son, further cracking the black darkness Kylo Ren had enveloped himself in. Rey shook her head, forcing her thoughts to shift and focus on the present.

Traces of rubble from the First Order's destruction crunched under foot when they made it to the pathway that led them to the door of the massive building. They looked up, wondering at the display of hundreds of flags, much newer than the ones that had previously been draped on their building's predecessor. It seemed that the old pirate queen had been happy to replicate much of the old decor, although the statue of herself was absent, or perhaps it had not been built yet.

They were about to enter when the tall, narrow double doors suddenly slid open, revealing a small, orange figure peering up at them.

"And so they return!" Maz bellowed, quickly taking Rey's free hand in both of hers. "Dear child, you have found the truth."

It was not a question, but a statement. Ben was the next recipient of her shrewd gaze, although she still held tight to Rey's hand.

"No funny business this time, Solo. I just had the floor finished."

Then, without waiting for them to say anything, Maz turned on her heel and dragged Rey along, with Ben not far behind. She ushered them to a table already laden with food and motioned for them to sit. They had barely sat down before Maz began to question them.

"Where's my boyf-"

A loud wookie roar interrupted her and she turned slightly, throwing her hands in the air and shouting back, "Chewbacca!"

Chewie enveloped her in a giant hug, and for a moment, Maz disappeared beneath his fur. She fussed over him for a moment before motioning him too to sit down at their table.

Finally, it was their turn to speak. They recounted their journey in detail, stopping often for questions from Maz. To her credit, she did listen thoughtfully, occasionally waving over an employee to refill their drinks.

The wizened woman watched them carefully. She watched the way they told the story together, so in sync that it was as if it were rehearsed. If one shifted, the other shifted as well, like an invisible string held them close. Maz smiled inwardly as she watched while Ben smoothed his hand around Rey's back, squeezing her gently when she spoke of her newfound parentage. The whispers of a mysterious and powerful dyad had made their way to her ears. Never in her centuries-long life had she come across two bonded through the Force and soul as they were. Ben and Rey's bond was solid and clear to anyone who cared to look.

Rey took a long gulp of her drink once she finished the lengthy story. Retelling had been nearly as exhausting as experiencing it. Maybe she was just tired and the thought of a planet-based room with a real bed and full-sized shower called to the ache in her bones.

The table was silent, the three travelers now eagerly partaking in the food that had been set before them. Maz leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping her cheek in silent contemplation.

"So, when's the wedding?" She asked nonchalantly, her expression amused, yet serious.

Ben had just taken a large bite of a fried nuna leg and upon hearing the question, sucked in sharply and began to choke. Rey's face turned red, and she looked at Ben in horror. In an instant, Chewie thumped Ben on the back swiftly, causing the food to dislodge and allowing him to take a breath of air. He regained his composure, still coughing a bit, and rubbed his back where a bruise the shape of a wookie's fist was undoubtably forming. He looked to Rey's wide eyes, the red of her cheeks now fading to a blush of pink. Both of them turned to look at Maz, then back to each other, unable to form a reply.

"I-, er, we never talked-" Ben stuttered over the words while wringing his hands, then turned to Rey and anxiously asked, "Do you want-"

"Is this your version of a proposal?" Rey laughed awkwardly, ducking her head before glancing shyly up to meet his eyes.

"Stars, Ben! Where's that scoundrel Solo charm?!" Maz yelled, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Ben's pale face blushed pink, and he swallowed nervously. He had always known that what he and Rey shared would be a life-long connection. The issue of marriage had never occurred to him. Why make the fuss of a ceremony and an exchange of words when their souls were already bound as one?

His embarrassment began to shift towards anger. Why did that little orange demon have to put him on the spot like that? Their bond was private and he did not wish to parade it about for the entertainment of others.

Rey sensed the sharp decline in his mood and was about to place her hand over his when he abruptly stood up.

"I need some air," he grumbled before swiftly walking down a hallway that led to stairs to the second floor of the castle.

Rey felt dejected and looked down at her hands in her lap, feeling the stares of both Chewbacca and Maz on her. Without an explanation, she too stood up, rushing down the same hall Ben had fled to.

Well my friends, we are coming to a close. I plan on the next chapter being the end. I may add an epilogue, too...I can't decide. Thank you for reading - please leave me review to tell me what you think!