Author's Note: Hello Readers, as you may have seen on my Tumblr, it's been a rough few weeks. I lost my Grandfather on April 22. So, instead of writing this love story, I was writing a eulogy. In such a strange time, only ten people were allowed at my grandfather's graveside service. But it was wonderful and healing to write and speak those words for him and I'm in a much better head space as of now.

On top of everything, I'm moving. After 13 years in the same home… and Kriff, we had so much stuff!

But despite all of this, I'm happy to say that we are back! I just know that with finishing this move and unpacking everything, my chapters are going to be slower to write. I appreciate all of your patience and concerned notes. They meant a lot. Let me know what you think about our space couple's latest adventure here, I need all the encouragement I can get as I finish writing their happily ever after. Every review means the world to me!


The air in the World Between Worlds held an unnatural chill, a sharpness that was unlike anything she'd experienced on any planetary surface. Rey filled her lungs with that uncomfortable, prickling cold with every gasping breath.

But Ben was all strength and warmth beneath her lips, a perfect contrast to the cold, black of the In-Between and to the Darkness still streaking through her blood.

The kiss, much like every kiss between them, seemed to take on a life of its own. Rey wanted nothing more than to taste every inch of him, show him just how much she loved him. She'd started to do just that, pressing her hips hard against him and she could feel, through his robes, that he wanted her just as much.

Her hands roved over the hard muscles of his stomach, circling around to explore his waist and then lower, grabbing and kneading greedily. She tried not to think of how much she'd hurt him, of how her own darkness had almost consumed them both as she pressed herself against him. His breaths grew uneven, rasping in little pants that made her ache even more for want of him.

He pulled away from the kiss and sighed her name against the skin at her neck. It sent a shiver down her arms, gooseflesh erupting it its wake.

She felt its echo through her core, settling right between her legs and she moaned - a needy little sound that surprised her as it left her lips and she pulled at the sleeves of his tunic, needing him close, unable to stand the thought of being separated again.

At that moment, Ben froze, pulling back with wide eyes and staring off into the beyond.

"Please save that thought for later, Rey," he said, the thickness in his voice only stoking that desire for him. "But we have to leave here," he continued, the urgency in his tone gradually replacing the lusty roughness until his last word snapped her completely back to reality. "Now."

He stood staring into her eyes, curling her hair around his fingers, giving her the time to sense what he had.

It didn't take long.

As soon as she pulled her attention from him and cast about with the Force, something bristled the hair at the back of her neck. An eerie fog had begun to creep closer to the edges of her senses. It was like a thunderhead drifting toward them on electrified air, the darkness ready to explode, to drench their comfortable embrace and tear them apart. She could sense their sinister intentions. She could scent it on the breeze.

Black as midnight and primed with power.

The Dark Side.

Rey pulled quickly from Ben, grabbing onto his hand, her voice sounding more desperate than she intended. "Focus on the mirror cave. Meditate in balance like the Father said."

He nodded once, fixing his gaze on her. "Malak will be there."

She met his eyes. "Yes, he will."

"We could come through someplace else, take him by surprise…"

"No." She shook her head. "There's no need for that." Rey had already sensed glimpses of their path, like guiding lights in a spaceport, the feelings were sending her toward some destiny she was now ready to face.

Because Rey knew this time, she was ready. She had Ben and their Bond. She had the other half of herself. But unlike before, she knew this time she would not lose sight of who she was. Who they were.

He nodded and she squeezed his hand, feeling the strength in each long finger as he knit them between hers. Then, she did as the Father had instructed and focused on neither light nor dark, but that place in the Force that belonged to everyone.

"Balance." Ben spoke the word more to himself than anything else, and she felt his touch in the Force as he reached out alongside her.

It was a new sensation, one that she'd never experienced when training with Leia or Malak. With Leia, she'd been afraid when her energy went cold, afraid of the attraction she held to the darkness and she'd forced herself into a space of pure light so small and tight, it blocked any chance of the Dark Side seeping in. She'd been wrong to do that of course, and now, with a new perspective she could see everything she'd been missing.

The Dark Side was all rage and pain, pure power, yes, but restrictive in its own way.

This… this was different.

Without trying to fit into one energy or the other, she felt a freedom as she cast her senses about. She sought to anchor herself in the Force, to pull from the light and dark, to truly see the balance around her. Even here, in the World Between Worlds, she could sense it. The new life constantly exploding into existence across every system of the galaxy kept in check by the slow dimming of that same life as death inevitably claimed those souls. Life and death, peace and violence.

Light and dark.

And Ben met her there, as he always had.

The Bond flourished in this space, as their minds hung in the balance together. Rey felt their connection surge, his memories becoming hers just as it always did when…

And it hit her then. The truth of the Bond. It was stronger, it had always been stronger, when they were closer to balance. The Bond, their souls were meant for this.

A warmth of contentment washed over her through their connection as Ben's hand seemed to melt around her own. He undoubtedly felt it too. This was easy, this was what they'd been created for.

And when they both focused on that space of balance in that endless web of Force and sent their thoughts toward the mirror cave someplace far away, she felt no surprise through their connection when they began spinning toward that place. Gravity did not exist as they twisted and fell, weaving and snaking through time and space in the stomach-churning grasp of some unseen entity.

The sharp, cold air of the World Between Worlds grew thick and moist, the weightless twisting sensation replaced by solid ground under her boots.

But she had no time to revel in the joy of feeling Ben, finally real and solid at her side. Because just as she was about to rejoice in that very thought, a familiar voice echoed across the walls of the cavern, stealing this moment from them.

"You have failed, apprentice."

The electronic sound grated uncomfortably against her senses, every muscle in her body seizing as if she'd suffered an electric shock. It was only when she felt Ben's hand give a light squeeze that she dared open her eyes.

Moonlight was spilling through the small cavern entrance overhead, reflecting off the water and glinting about on the rippled cave ceiling overhead. It was eerily silent, no waves breaking, no Porgs shuffling about as they would have been up above. Just thick, impenetrable silence.

And Malak seemed comfortable to let the silence loom between them. He was just as she'd left him, face unreadable, boots fracturing the glassy surface of the shallow water as he stood motionless.

His gaze was as sharp as durasteel as he stared at them from the other side of the cavern. "So, you've fallen for his deceit, apprentice? You've sacrificed your power for a pair of pretty eyes?"

Rey's body reacted much differently to Malak's presence now, steadied by Ben's presence. There was no racing heartbeat, no cold sweat announcing her unease. There was only a calm sense of determination. He was her anchor in this, and she was deep in the balance now.

"No Malak," Rey said. "I failed by ever listening to you. I let my desperation drive a hunger for power." Rey's voice faltered, but speaking her failures out loud, hard as it was, would ensure she would not turn down that path again. "But the Force is not an instrument to wield. I was wrong to think it was. We are here to put things back into balance."

Rey could swear his eyes twinkled with something akin to amusement.

"Oh Rey, so fickle. So quick to change allegiances. Your grandfather would be disappointed."

"Good," Ben snapped, now stepping forward into the space between them. "Palpatine is dead, and you will join him soon."

Malak took two steps forward before dipping his chin to level an icy cold glare at Ben. "Palpatine was half dead to begin with. I'm sorry to disappoint you Solo, but as you can see, I am not. I'm stronger than I've ever been and have the power of generations of Sith at my command. I'm sorry to say that whatever this is," he drew an invisible line with a gloved finger between the two of them. "Ends now."

A flurry of movement and Malak had his saber ignited and was already leaping at them.

It was so tempting to reach for the pure power that Rey knew was there waiting under the veil of her rage and loneliness. But she had a different option now, a path to choose that had been there all along, but one that she'd been too blind to see. A path that she and Ben could walk together.

So Rey palmed her staff, ignited it and waited for Malak to come to her.

The blow from his saber, fueled by a pure rage, crashed down onto her with the Force of a frozen tidal wave. Her blade vibrated from the blow as she tightened her grip to keep it from slipping from her hands. His power sheared through her defenses, prickling her skin as it flowed over her like a cold shower of biting sparks.

Ben, who'd also been taken by surprise by the quickness of the attack was fast to recover, now pushing Malak back with a shield of Force energy. He was a shining light beside her, reaching about for balance as he used both light and dark to weave layers of protection around her. She felt him there, sensing his intention and bolstered his power through their connection.

Malak's eyes widened as he stepped back to steady himself, studying the swelling net of shimmering energy before him. The woven energy shield expanded to encapsulate both she and Ben before it steadied. Like a pearl, out of place in the slimy mantle of a clam, the energy glimmered in the dank gloom of the cave, its light reflecting in the furrows and creases of the cavernous walls overhead.

Rey hardly dared to breathe as she maintained a delicate balance with Ben, sensing his emotions and his hold on the Force, and matching it as his perfect mirror. A pressure began to build in the air, like an electrical charge slowly filling the space and she could sense the presence of those who had come before. Like a soft light filling the edges of her vision, their energy coalesced. There were no voices of encouragement from the Jedi this time, just an undeniable feeling of solidarity and support. She felt an urge then, to call Malak toward her, to pull him into the balance with them.

Thankfully, it was only a fleeting thought, because as she studied his cruel expression, a pang of fear sliced through the peace. What was she thinking? This was a Sith Lord. She couldn't let him poison the Force. No, he needed to be destroyed.

So, she doubled down on their shield until it pressed closer to Malak, finally forcing him to take a step back.

The Sith Lord was unimpressed, recovering quickly as Rey sensed another wave of cold energy that went far beyond what Malak himself was capable of wielding. She watched him close his eyes, causing whispers in her mind to surge to the surface, and she knew he was pulling from the In-Between. How it was possible, she wasn't sure. But when he lunged forward with his saber, it cut through the layers of protection Ben had knit together like a hot knife through Bantha butter.

She glanced at Ben, saw his brows lower in focus and knew he was wondering how Malak had done it. Together, as two pieces of the Prime Jedi, they should be able to dispatch Malak quickly. What was wrong?

But before either could puzzle this any longer, Malak struck hard across Ben's shoulder, leaving only enough time for him to raise his saber to parry. Ben's white plasma blade spat in protest as though angered by the audacity of Malak's scarlet weapon.

Rey charged then, unable to hold back the rage at seeing Malak come so close to Ben. A fierce, primal instinct to protect him surged from someplace inside of her and she was cutting hard blows down over Malak's head, forcing his weapon up to block.

Immediately, she felt a warmth at her side, ready to balance her anger with love and support. Ben didn't say a word. He didn't have to. She felt him as her perfect half, helping her align herself to where she knew they needed to be.

This was the power of the Bond and before she could slip too far into Darkness, she was wrapped in Ben's Force, anticipating his next move. As a dyad, she could see Ben's intentions, his next strike that would come from Malak's weak side. And in the span of just a few milliseconds, Rey readied herself, positioning her own body to stop Malak's retreating steps.

It worked.

Just as Ben's saber sliced through the air into Malak's side, and he was made to strafe to avoid the blow, Rey was there to cut off his retreat. Malak froze, sweat beading on his forehead as he willed all of his rage, all of his Force to push back against Rey. But her own crimson saber pointing to Malak's neck would not be overpowered, not with the strength of the Dyad and not with the fate of the Force itself teetering on the edge of a precipice.

The only sound for several seconds was the Sith Lord's breath grating through his voice modulator.

Rey? Ben's questioning voice came through the Bond.

She eased the saber back a few inches, realizing what she was doing. Killing Malak would not solve anything. How would his death restore balance? But if he lived, he would only bring suffering to everyone she loved.

Malak stood frozen beneath her blade, wrapped in the power of the Dyad, unable to move. But his grey eyes darted between she and Ben, glinting with a brutal promise of retribution.

No, he could not be allowed to live.

But she would not execute him either.

There was a third choice.

Rey lifted her eyes to Ben's, her decision now made and she felt, through the Bond, that Ben had been thinking the same thing.

If they were able to travel through the In-Between, perhaps they could open the gateway long enough to push Malak back through. It would only buy them time. Of course, the Sith could eventually find their way back through, but time was exactly what they needed right now.

The Bond between them had transformed in the moments since returning to Ahch-To. Where before it had manifested to Rey as a thin, glimmering thread, requiring her full focus to sense and use to communicate, now it had flourished into a torrential river of thoughts and feelings. She was overwhelmed by the strength and weight of each of Ben's emotions, feeling them as if they were her own.

And when he turned his focus to balance, to the gateway, it was as though her own mind shifted automatically with him, like a sailing skiff blown along by the breeze of his thoughts without any conscious effort. And she used her own Force to strengthen his intention, focusing all of her energy on breaking through.

Something snapped, a rush of Force energy rippling through the underground cavern as she felt the mirror give way, a gash forming in its solid surface. A gateway.

Malak said nothing, his wide eyes and uncharacteristic silence speaking for him as she and Ben dragged his rigid body through the opening with the Force. Malak must have known there was no fighting back, perhaps he could feel the overwhelming pressure of the Dyad around him and submitted, though this was unlikely. The truth was he was probably fighting as hard as he could, but the dual nature of their Force, their balance, was too much for anyone to fight. Even a Sith Lord.

There was no resisting a Dyad. Especially now that they knew what they were, and were beginning to get more practice working together.

One last heave and Malak was hauled through to the In-Between and again, Rey's thoughts merged with Ben's to heal the gash in the mirror to close the portal.

She was breathing heavily by the time she felt the seams of the gateway meld together and knew with some certainty that they'd done it. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Ben Solo staring at her with a familiar wide-eyed expression. It was the same look he'd given her after she'd pulled Anakin's saber from the snow on Starkiller Base. An expression of awed respect.

She could hardly fathom how things had changed so completely since then. Because now, as Ben looked at her like that, she felt no fear, no disgust at the darkness staining his Force signature. She felt only the stirrings of an insistent warmth, like flames licking at her insides, fueling a fire for him that seemed to only grow stronger.

And somehow, even with generations of Sith so close in the In-Between, the remains of the Sith Fleet primed to destroy her friends, and the weight of generations of Jedi expectations on her shoulders, she felt that the problems of the universe could wait.

Everything could wait just one more minute, so that she could steal another kiss from the man she loved. A kiss and maybe something more…

But their lips had hardly touched when they were interrupted by a heavily modulated voice calling from the entrance of the cavern above.

"My Lord, is everything alright down there?"

Rey couldn't help but put a voice to her frustration in the form of a groan.

Ben cupped her cheek as he planted one more chaste peck on her lips.

"Let me guess," Rey said in a whisper, interrupting the words she could see forming on his lips. "You were going to tell me to save that thought?"

"Honestly," Ben said, "I'm not sure how much longer I can save it, myself."