Content warning for this chapter: heavy alcohol usage and depression.

Chapter 3: The Misguided Master

Flames of a burial rose into the night. A man, young but aged by his experiences, watched as his father's body was cremated.

When the fires died down, the man, Luke, took a slow walk through the woods, hearing the cheers and merriment of sweet victory. The war was over, the Empire had fallen to pieces.

Walking over root and under branches, Luke paused mid-step when the crack of a twig caught in his ear.

"Who is there?" he asked.

Nothing. He took one step forward and another sound of movement stopped him from continuing on.

A girl with straw for hair walked out of the bushes. Her skin was grey and the rags on her body were brown and matted.

"Who are you?" Luke questioned.

"I'm a Seeress. You are very in tune with the Force, Skywalker."

Luke took a step back, reaching for his sword on his belt, the blade flickering green for a moment.

"How do you know who I am?"

"I may not have physical eye-sight but I have ears. The whispers around the land speak of you, Skywalker. A legend anew. They will speak your name for generations of heroics and bravery."

Luke swallowed. Once, in his youth, that destiny would have been appealing. But now… Now he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"If you're a Seeress, I feel like you're stating more easily telegraphed things," Luke said.

The Seeress nodded, taking a deep breath and holding up her hand towards him. "A prediction you want, a prediction you will get."

Luke didn't think he wanted to know the future. Knowing was dangerous in a way. From what he gleaned from his father's past, knowing and seeing a part of the future was a high contributor to his fall to the dark side. But the Force is likely to give premonitions either way so he couldn't really complain about a verbal explanation instead of a vague picture.

"Your sister will bear a son, more powerful than your father. More powerful than you," the Seeress said, slow to hammer in the weight of her words. "Perhaps the strongest human to ever wield the Force in these lands."

Luke was ecstatic but also concerned. Leia would have a son, a child of her own. He wasn't surprised in the slightest considering how much lovey-dovey bickering Leia had with Han. It was only a matter of when, not if. The boy being powerful, however, that gave him pause, but also resolution to prepare. The boy would need Luke's guidance, as all the Jedi were gone but he.

"Is that all?"

"The boy will be the downfall of peace itself. Pain and hatred shall reign; the darkest giving away to a bleeding and cracked kyber crystal."

Luke's stomach sunk to his gut. Leia's son? The unborn child would eventually be the perpetrator of death and destruction? "What? But… No. I won't let that happen. What would cause his downfall?"

The Seeress gasped for breath. "I cannot see. So many contributing factors blur all the edges together. The solution to his rising darkness is clear in its path, the light—his equal—rising to meet it."

There was a chance for the boy then. The light will guide him home.

The Seeress was gone.

Luke swallowed this burden as he made his way back to the camp.

A man with a greyed beard groaned as his phone vibrated on his bedside stand. Dread filled him, wondering if it was the First Order coming to collect their dues.

This month's rent wasn't just late; it wasn't going to be paid at all.

He reached for his phone and didn't even look at the caller ID. "Hello?" he muttered out, half-dead still.

"Luke?"

He sat right up. "Leia?"

"Oh good. It's been some time."

Luke gave an empty chuckle. "I'll say. What's going on with you?"

"I have wonderful news. Han is awake."

Luke's breath caught in his throat. "H-He is?"

"Yes. He's still recovering but he's about ready to start walking around again. The doctor said he's fine functionally; a miracle."

"I'll come visit then. What time?"

"I took the next few days off to help Han so any time is fine."

"I'll be there in an hour then."

"I'm pregnant."

One simple statement sent both Luke and Han's worlds crashing to pieces.

Luke could sense the sheer panic radiating off of Han. Leia could too.

"Leia," Luke said, trying to hopefully snap the stunned Han back to reality. "That's wonderful! Congrats! I cannot wait to meet him."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "Him?"

Han finally spoke, his throat harsh. "Him?"

Luke nodded, his bangs swaying freely. "Him."

Han smiled a big, wide smile. "A boy. A son." He stood up and took Leia's hands, kneeling before her on the throne. "We're gonna have a son."

Leia returned the smile, running her hand over her stomach. "A son."

Han looked up into her eyes and his face fell. "How… How am I gonna do this? I know nothing about all… That."

Luke laughed and slapped Han's shoulder. "Oh don't worry I think Chewie will handle raising the kid just fine."

Han took mock offense to that. "I don't see you being father of the year."

Leia's laughter took away Han's attention, leaving Luke to stew in his thoughts. He didn't expect Leia to be pregnant so soon after the war. He didn't expect the birth of her son so soon. He thought he had more time to prepare. He still had time, but he would have to leave them sooner.

The boy would not fall to the dark side, not as long as Luke had any part in helping him hone his power.

Rey heard the familiar buzz of Kylo's phone on his desk. It rang twice in the last few days and Kylo was ignoring it. He would pick up for other calls, but not others.

Rey still had bile in her throat. Seeing Kylo made her eyesight bleed red and her gut twist.

What kind of a man puts his own father into a coma?

It truly baffled her. What kind of a monster did that? And he was obviously walking free. Leia seemed to be more forgiving, but Rey was not. Kylo, Ben. Whatever he was, clearly wanted nothing to do with his own damn family.

Selfish royal prick.

When lunchtime came, Rey slammed the bag of food down with no ceremony.

"Your food, Your Royal Highness," she said in perhaps the most iced-over tone she could muster.

Kylo looked up, actually startled before looking back down at his files. "Thank you."

Rey didn't say anything, opting to go back to her own desk and try not to snap a pen in half.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Kylo pick up his phone and dial a number.

"Come on pick up," Kylo muttered, jabbing his finger on the screen after the audible dial tone and voice mail rang. He slammed his phone back down on his desk and sighed, running his enormous hands through his tousled hair.

Rey snapped her head back to her own work, aware that she had been gawking at her boss. Her asshat of a boss.

"I'm going out in a few hours once I'm done, just so you know," Kylo's voice cut through her concentration. "Then I will return by four."

Rey nodded, not looking up from the file in front of her. "Fine by me."

He would not have the satisfaction of her calling him by name.

"Why are you leaving so soon?"

Leia's question pierced Luke's heart from the doorway. His rucksack with few possessions, books to scribble in, maps, a spare change of clothes, a leather canteen, and a compass was all he needed.

The re-construction of Alderaan was complete, with Leia in her third term. The Force swirled around Leia and her unborn child, bright and hopeful, like a little star dancing across the everlasting night, shining, hopeful.

Screw prophecies, this boy would be fine with the proper love and care.

"I have to go. Being a Jedi, well, I have a lot to see. The Empire destroyed the main temple, but they couldn't find all the other smaller ones."

Leia frowned. "You sure?"

Luke gave his most confident, beaming smile. "I am. Don't worry, I'll be back, I'll be thinking about rebuilding the Jedi anew, a temple close to here. I'd imagine your son will need some guidance when he's old enough."

Leia looked away. "That's what I'm afraid of. I have this…" She waved her hand up in the air before landing on the swell of her belly, "Connection with him, but I fear I won't know entirely what I'm doing with it."

Luke put down his notebook before walking over to hug his sister, mindful of the bump in the way. "You're gonna be fine. The Force will guide you, and your son will be fine. Just fine."

Was he saying that to reassure Leia, or himself?

"Thank you, Luke," Leia said, smiling.

He nodded, taking a glance at the baby bump. "So, what's his name?"

Leia raised an eyebrow. "You know it's bad luck to give the name of an unborn child in this place."

Luke laughed. "Did that stop Han from knowing?"

"Of course not." Leia rubbed her swollen belly. "My once-only hope was my inspiration. His name is Ben."

"I look forward to meeting Ben Solo when I return."

Luke made his way to the ward where Han was kept. His phone buzzed and it was from the last person he wanted to speak to right away. His day was finally, finally looking up and he'd be damned if he was going to let one shit situation interfere with his visit with his best friend.

He went in and immediately Han recognized him. Luke sat down in a chair next to the hospital bed and gave Han a grin.

"So, how is it being back from the dead?"

Han let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Believe me, I've been through worse."

"Like that time Chewie ran over your hand?"

"Something like that."

The two laughed, falling back into their old routine as friends.

A knock at the door and Luke turned to see Amilyn.

"Oh, Luke. I didn't expect to see you today. Leia is on her way over."

Luke's phone buzzed again in his pocket. He got up to answer it.

"Hey Amilyn," Luke said. "I should take this."

Amilyn stepped out of the way and closed the door behind her.

Luke looked down at the caller ID.

First Order Investments.

Luke held his breath as he waited outside the cave. Deep within, the Force sang, vibrating through thousands of kyber crystals. He fidgeted with his thumbs, then stared back at his leatherbound book full of scribbled notes. This was the right place and it was a smart idea, he told himself over and over in mantra. Ben was old enough to get his kyber crystal. He was well beyond capable and strong enough to be a master by now, but the prophecy lingering in the back of Luke's mind made him pause.

After this maybe he would have to seek out the Seeress again. Maybe.

It all depended on a cracked kyber crystal.

Ben emerged from the darkness, a colorless kyber hovering in his palm. He stared at it with awe and accomplishment. It was perhaps one of the few times Luke witnessed a full-blown smile on the boy.

"I heard it, Master Luke," Ben said. "It was calling out to me."

"Congrats, Ben. Now for the tough part, putting it together." Luke put a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder, his anxiety sated for now at the coloress kyber in Ben's palm.

As master and padawan made their way back to the temple through the woods, Luke stared at the kyber for longer than necessary, expecting red at any moment. He pleaded for any other color. Blue, yellow, violet, or even green.

Luke stopped himself mid-stride and took a deep breath.

"Master Luke?" Ben called back to him, having noticed he stopped. "You alright?"

Luke exhaled, meditating for a few moments before finding the proper words. "I'm fine, Ben."

He really, really needed to stop fretting over some silly prophecy. It was driving him batty. It had been what, seventeen years since he heard it from the Seeress? Seventeen years since the end of the war. It was just words spouted out of an eyeless woman that was vague.

"You sure?" Ben pushed, always sensitive to other's emotions.

Luke forced a smile. "Absolutely."

Han recognized Amilyn from her odd purple locks alone. She too was dressed in strange clothing much like Leia's and Rey's.

"It's good to see Leia smile again," Amilyn said, taking a seat by the hospital bedside.

Han nodded. "She would smile more if my son wasn't being a dumbass."

"What do you remember before going into the coma?" Amilyn was strange in her posture, her shoulders tense in anticipation.

"Well, I certainly do remember my son supposedly being head over heels in love with that new girl, Rey. Now he's going by his other name and Rey has nothing to do with him." Han chuckled to play it all off as a joke, but Amilyn wasn't smiling.

In fact, her eyes were wide. "You remember our previous life, don't you?"

"Previous life?"

He definitely was not in some fancy-ass castle in a magical forest anymore.

"Like, you mean when I called you Amilyn and not Lady Amilyn and you would scrunch your nose up—Like that!" Han pointed to Amilyn who indeed, was scrunching up her nose. "So you know that this shit is not normal."

Amilyn sighed. "Yes. We're under a curse. By who, I do not know. My suspicions are Snoke considering he owns everyone's livelihoods in this town. Rey doesn't recognize Ben as anyone but her asshole boss and Ben… Well. He's under Snoke's thumb. Again."

Han ran a hand over his face. "Figures. My son really is an idiot and needs Rey to save his hide."

Amilyn nodded. "You and I are the only ones who know. I don't know if Snoke still remembers, some days he acts like it but other days he seems genuinely unaware. Could he be a good actor? Maybe. Still, I'm very cautious."

"As you should be with that asshole."

She sighed. "Leia doesn't remember either. She would know what to do. I don't even remember the terms of the curse."

"I'm as clueless as you are."

Han never was a fan of magic and curses and do not get him started on the weirdness of the Force. Seeing Ben at the age of seven being able to lift up his four-hundred-pound Wookiee best friend with little struggle nearly gave Han a heart attack.

A random curse that ripped them all away from their lives in Alderaan was perhaps the weirdest, most heart-attack-inducing thing to Han.

"All I know is I've been inside Snoke's office," Amilyn said. "And Ben's sword is behind a glass case."

"Do you think we could get it? Maybe Ben will remember if he gets his hands on his own kyber crystal-thingy."

Amilyn bit her lip. "He has the tightest security in this world. I work underneath him and it's almost impossible for me to ever get inside his office without scrutiny. Only Ben and Armitage go in and out regularly."

Han flopped back against his pillow. "Well, then, once I can walk more than ten feet, I'm getting inside that office somehow."

The forging of the sword was complete.

The blade, silver and with an older style of crossguard, rested on the anvil. Ben had spent countless hours hammering at the metal, spent hours by the fire to stoke it. The boy—no, he was eighteen now, not a boy anymore—was pouring every fiber of his being into his weapon.

Luke couldn't have been any more proud.

And mildly terrified.

Ben reached for the sword. The Force was singing with excitement.

Luke held his breath as Ben's fingers curled over the hilt and the glow enveloped the entire blade in a blinding blue.

He released his breath. No cracks. No cries. No red. No bleeding.

"Congratulations Ben, or, should I call you Master Ben?" Luke joked. He hadn't undertaken the test to be a Jedi Master, but with how in tune and how strong and sure Ben was in the Force, Luke wondered if the test was even necessary.

Ben smiled, a rare sight still. "Thank you, Master Luke." He gave the sword a test swing, the glow trailing in its path.

Luke should be relieved. Should be. Instead, he was still unnerved.

That night, Luke went to the nearby tavern and paid for a drink, not even taking one sip of the alcoholic sludge. Alcohol plus the Force made things… Off. Disorienting. Muddled.

He found the local bard in the corner, humming her tunes while carelessly strumming her lute along.

"Got a price for some old tales?" Luke asked, presenting his coin in his palms.

The bard gave him a lazy eye. "Depends on the tales."

"A seer. Know where those are?" He slid the gold coins into her palm.

She strummed a note. "O' the Seers of Old be rare and few. Some call upon the Force to seek, but where they go, nobody knows. Last one called upon, across the seas, to realms beyond us."

To other realms. A dead-end for sure.

Luke sighed, thanked the bard, and returned to the temple. He passed by Ben's rooms and a thought occurred to him.

Ben was a man now, and he needed his own space.

Would he ever return to his mother though?

Rey groaned as she leaned her head on the bar counter.

Maz took the empty glass of coke she downed for cleaning.

"Rough day huh?" Maz said.

"Ugh, I'm just so… So done with that prissy, selfish, anger-issues asshat," Rey complained. Paycheck be damned, her mind demanded all the rants about how much she despised her boss. Kylo Fucking Ren can go drown in the fucking ocean for all she cared.

Maz smiled at her. No, it wasn't just a smile, it was that know-it-all shit-eating grin.

"You and many others in this town."

Rey raised her head up from the counter to lean on her hand instead. "And I cannot spend any more time in Leia's home. I've overstayed my welcome."

A ring of the bell and suddenly:

"Sorry, excuse me, watch the train I'm testing something, sorry!"

Rey turned around to see a tiny woman with silky black hair halfway down her back modeling a scarlet dress with a ridiculously long, ruffled train in the back. She picked up her skirts and climbed up onto a seat next to Rey at the bar.

"Hey, Maz. The usual please?" the woman said, plopping her matching scarlet purse on the counter.

"Of course Rose."

Rey turned to face Rose, eying the elaborate dress. "Nice dress. Not sure it's one I would wear to a pub in the middle of the afternoon."

Rose beamed. "Well, clients want weird stuff sometimes and I need to test the durability of this type of tulle I ordered off-brand on the internet."

"What's the verdict?"

"I'm not buying from these guys anymore. Fraying at the edges after only a few hours of wear. This will go into the Goodwill bin instead."

Rey wondered if she could just buy the dress off of her if it wasn't going to be used by anyone else. It was a gorgeous dress, even with flaws and all in the ruffles.

"Goodwill shopper here, we thank you for your masterpieces," Rey said. "Sorry. Rough day and the day isn't over yet."

Rose looked at her with a spark of recognition. "Oh! You're Rey right? New girl in town?"

"Yep. One assistant to His Royal Assness, Kylo Ren."

Rose laughed. "Ha! Amen. Just paid rent to his boss this morning. Upped the cost by three-hundred without telling me or Paige. Greedy dick, that Snoke."

"Ugh, is it too much of consideration to let tenants know that their rent went up?"

"A burden? No. Considerate? Yes." Rose sighed. "At this rate, we're going to need a third roommate. Paige and I cannot keep going on like this."

"Well, I am in need of a more permanent residence, if you need a third roommate," Rey proposed, sitting up straighter.

Rose's shoulders relaxed in tension. "Oh, you would be a blessing. How soon can you move in?"

"Tonight. I have to go back to work for a few hours but I can certainly move in afterward."

"I'll call Paige and my landlord then. What's your full name again?"

Rey held out her hand to shake. "Rey Niima."

Rose took it. "Rose Tico. Wannabe seamstress and local mechanic at Tico's Garage."

Rey climbed the mountainside, the steep green hills covered in odd little fat birds fluffing and squawking about. She leaned on her wooden staff for support, trying not to slip on the slick stone steps.

At the top of the hill, stood Skywalker. His robes torn, his hair tawny and greyed.

He turned around and stared at her with a rather dead look in his eyes.

Rey swallowed. "Master Skywalker. Leia sent me to retrieve you. We need you to help end this war with the Knights of Ren."

Skywalker turned away. "There is nothing you can do to convince me to return."

"Master Skywalker…"

"I won't return, not with my own hands created the very menace that is leading the Knights of Ren."

Rey stepped back in shock. "What?"

"I trained Ben Solo, who became Kylo Ren."

"And?" She crossed her arms. "Wasn't it also a master who trained Darth Vader? A master is not responsible for the choices a student makes."

Skywalker turned around, looking at her up and down, before brushing past her.

"Go away, kid."

Rey huffed. "We're not done yet!"

Kylo parked his Silencer outside a worn-down warehouse and leaned his forehead against the steering wheel.

This was perhaps one part of the job he loathed.

And he hated it even more right now.

Getting out with a sigh, he made his way to the front door and knocked.

He normally by protocol, would have his assistant with him in case things went awry, but he couldn't bear to bring Rey into this. It was his issue and no one else's.

What could Rey do, besides be a grounding presence?

Snoke said not to get attached to the girl, but Kylo couldn't help it. There was something oddly familiar despite the fact she seems to hate his guts. Not that he blamed her, he was hated by everyone for good reason.

The door opened, and his uncle faced him. Luke's hair was frayed and flying about, a poor attempt at combing his locks. He wore clothes he would wear out, which meant he went somewhere today. That would explain the ignored calls.

"Ben," Luke said with a hint of disbelief.

Kylo didn't bother to correct him. He would correct everyone else, but for whatever reason, his family would cling to the past with his old name. He hated it with all the pressure in the world to pull at his shoulders.

"May I come in?" Kylo asked.

Luke stepped aside and Kylo walked in. The place was run down but nonetheless kept somewhat tidy, save for a desk full of messy papers strewn about. The assistant was fired.

Luke closed the door and that was when Kylo broke the silence.

"We both know why we're here, so let's cut to the chase. You owe. You owe a lot."

Luke ran his hand over his face. "Yeah, I know."

"I don't think," Kylo's tone hardened, "You do. Twenty-thousand dollars in debt and you haven't even made last month's rent. Not to mention the interest accumulated. I have gone over your file ten-times over, searching for every single damn loop-hole and now you're out of options Luke. In order to pay off your debts at this point, we will have to repossess this property."

"And yet you felt the need to come to tell me this in person instead of a phone call. This isn't about the debts, Ben. We both know it isn't."

"I'm doing this as a begrudging favor to so-called family." Kylo gritted his teeth. "Believe me you're better off hearing this from me than Snoke or Hux."

Luke sighed. "I suppose I should thank you—"

"No. I don't need your thanks. I don't need anything from you."

"I deserved that remark. Ben please about—"

Kylo's temper snapped. "There is nothing, fucking nothing to say! Do you think you're gonna save my soul? That you actually fucking care? Do I need to remember that for one fucking second you considered throwing me away the same way my parents did? Guess that's just the benefit of being a Skywalker-Solo, always giving up at the first sign of trouble. You didn't even care, your sister threw me at you when she couldn't deal with me anymore."

"Ben, listen, I know that I messed up. That I alienated you. For all that, I'm sorry. But you're being manipulated by Snoke. He doesn't care; he is using you for his own gains. It's not too late."

"Yes," Kylo said with finality. "Yes, it fucking is. It was too late seven years ago. You either pay the rent this month tomorrow at the current interest with the increased three-hundred per month or I have no choice. Goodnight."

"Wait, Ben, do you know—"

Kylo was out the door, unable to bear to hear any more pathetic attempts to pull him away from the only place that gave him the validation and support he needed. Stomping into his car he drove off, going over the speed limit and not giving a damn.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He parked in front of the First Order building and made his way to his office. Nightfall had come already.

He couldn't work. Couldn't even think.

His old cabinet had a clear view of a bottle of whiskey.

The darkness came in the night.

Luke woke up, seeing red in his vision from the nightmare, again. A red, cracked kyber crystal.

Earlier that day, training had gone awry. Ben perhaps used too much of his own strength against a newer padawan, causing minor bruises to appear on their arms and calves. Luke patched the boy up and sent him on his way, but Ben was definitely an issue.

The red of Ben's sword cut through his dreams, haunting Luke.

He needed some air.

Putting on his robes and grabbing his weapon just in case, he marched outside of the temple. No sleep for the past few nights left his bones aching and his eyes stinging.

Luke remembered when he faced his own father, a warrior cloaked in black, kneeling at the side of the Emperor. A dark impulse hit him at the first threat against not his own person, but Leia. The dark side called for him to kill the threat right in front of him. His own father.

"Strike him down and take your father's place at my side!" the Emperor urged on.

Luke stopped himself before dealing the final blow, backing away and lowering his blade.

Now, a mere twenty-three years later, Luke questioned whether he was just stupid lucky to be alive. Were it not for his father, he would be good as dead. But were it not for his father, none of this would have happened in the first place. The temple wouldn't have fallen, the Jedi wouldn't have been extinct, Alderaan wouldn't have been taken over. Leia's parents would have lived. So many ifs.

The red of the blade from his dream shook him to the core, the screams of Leia echoing around in his head. And the corpse of Han on the ground.

Glancing at Ben's hut through the trees, Luke swore he saw red. Panic rose in his chest.

Making swift but quiet steps over the tree roots, he came upon the door, cracked slightly ajar—the lock still not fixed from last night's storm, and pushed it open.

Leia's scream rang in Luke's ears. The end of her life. The end of everyone's lives.

The blade was next to Ben's sleeping form. Red. Red. It had to be red. Just like the Seeress said.

The darkest impulse from the night he battled Darth Vader called upon him again. He could save them. He could save them all.

The green of his sword, already in his hand, made him stop. There was no red.

Shame flooded his being. Luke swallowed, staring at his grip with sheer horror. He had to step away, leave the boy be. Put down his weapon just as he had all those years ago.

His own nephew stared at him, terror in his eyes. The eyes of just a boy whose master had failed him.

On instinct, Ben reached for his sword, the bright blue clashing against Luke's green.

"Ben no!" Luke screamed.

His words were lost on Ben's ears—and he supposed it wasn't due to lack of hearing. Ben heard it all but saw another.

The hut collapsed, and Ben Solo scrambled out of the wreckage.

When Luke came to, he pushed aside the debris to find the temple in flames.

The next time Luke saw Ben Solo, he was a knight, cloaked in black, with a volatile red blade used to cut down innocents.

Leia sighed as she put down her phone at the empty dinner table, only receiving a dial tone.

If her son didn't want to deal with her, then he would have been smart enough to block her number by now.

One day he would pick up, just not today.

Rey already left for the day, having grabbed her few things and moved into an apartment with a lovely pair of sisters.

Thus, the table in her home remained empty once more, but not for long. Han would eventually be able to come home.

And, maybe her son as well.

Leia looked around her house. How long has it looked like this? Too many years, ever since Ben left and Han was in a coma.

Time to redecorate.

Luke sat on his rock, his sword, glowing green in his hand.

The Force swirled with a presence he hadn't felt in nearly twenty-nine years.

"Why are you here," he snapped.

The Seeress didn't flinch in her tone. "Because prophecies come to pass sometimes."

"Well, it passed. Congrats, your prediction was a miracle. By my own hands. Mock me for my failures to prevent it from coming true."

"As I've said all those years ago, the circumstances of which the boy fell were blurred. Many factors played into it."

"And? Doesn't make up for the fact I played a hand in it. For one moment, one moment I destroyed my own nephew's trust." Luke looked down at his sword.

And tossed it down the slope, where it landed at the feet of one Force-sensitive orphan.

Rey lost track of time in her moving endeavors. She barely settled into her tiny room with the few things she had when she saw the time on her phone. Almost seven. She grabbed her keys and scrambled out the door, driving down the road in the dark and almost flying out of her car in the parking lot.

She expected a verbal lashing when she opened the door to Kylo's office and was willing to give her half-assed excuses when she stopped at the sight before her.

On the floor, leaning against his desk, tie undone, eyes red and puffy, was Kylo Ren. In his grip was a half-finished bottle of whiskey. He rolled his head back to look up at her, his hair falling into his face.

"Kylo?" Rey said to him. "Are…" She swallowed, unsure how to deal with this mess of a human being before her.

"Rey…" He slurred, blinking. "I knew I shouldn't have drunk so much; alcohol makes things weird and fuzzy and disorienting to me…"

Rey slowly kicked off her heels and got on her knees next to him.

"You okay?" Rey asked, distracting him with her voice while she reached for the bottle. He released his grip on it.

"I'm… No. I'm not. I'm not okay. I'm a monster. My parents don't want me. My uncle didn't want me. I'm just a miserable piece of shit who put his own father in a coma for years and broke his mother's heart."

He hung his head, avoiding her gaze.

She let him continue.

"I don't even…" He let out a hiccup. "I don't even fucking remember how I did it! I don't even know how, I just… Know I did. What kind of a monster does that? Forget what terrible sin he has committed and pretends to himself that nothing fucking happened? My mother hates me, surely. Who knows when he will wake up! Never."

He leaned against her, and oddly, Rey wrapped her hands around him, letting him sob into her shoulder.

"I don't even deserve you to be in my life," he whispered.

Rey had no idea why she was doing any of this. Didn't know why she was comforting someone a few hours ago she was shit-talking in a pub and calling him His Royal Highness. Her heart ached for him, her heart truly, truly ached. She understood a little now. Here was Kylo, deeply insecure, and feeling unwanted and hated himself like no other.

All she could do was be a shoulder to cry on.

A/N: Welp didn't expect this chapter to get overly depressing lol. Angst with a happy ending ahoy.