The days following went in a similar pattern, Rey would help Vikki with her ship and Ben would keep an eye on Squeak. It didn't take long for the younger girl to take an interest in what was going on, however, and more often than not her and Ben ended up joining the other two at Vikki's ship. The more they spent time with Squeak, the more the girl opened up; before long she became bright and cheerful, and while she wasn't as chatty as Vikki, the young girl certainly wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
In the end, Squeak wasn't satisfied with just watching; instead, she wanted to get up close and help. Rey gave her small projects to complete, to which Squeak picked up incredibly fast.
"That's amazing, Squeak." Rey marveled as she watched the girl work. Rey had only shown her once, and yet still Squeak had managed to complete her project with near perfect accuracy.
Squeak shrugged. "I just followed the picture in my head from when you showed me."
"Picture?"
Squeak nodded slightly, looking a bit nervous. "Is that weird?"
"Of course not!" Rey hugged the girl tightly, the need to give her all the encouragement in the world overtaking her. "I think it's incredible."
Wither it was days or weeks that passed as they worked, Rey didn't care; she enjoyed it all the same. It was nice, working on a ship that wasn't going to be used either as a bargaining chip for food or in a life or death battle for once.
"Um, I would...I would like to tell you something." Squeak said one morning after everyone had gathered, fidgeting where she stood and playing with her hair. "It's about my name."
"You don't like it?" Vikki asked. "If you really don't, we can find something -"
"Kira." The young girl finally blurted out, interrupting Vikki before she could keep going, "My given name is Kira. Kira Neekos."
"Oh, that's such a wonderful name!" Vikki cheered happily, hugging Kira who gave a small squeak of surprise.
"It's a wonderful name," Rey smiled when Kira looked over at them as if looking for approval, while Ben nodded next to her.
"It's nice to formally meet you, Kira."
While the nightmares came nowhere near as frequently and were far less intense than they used to be, still there were nights where Ben found it difficult to sleep. Tonight was one of those nights; Rey was holding him close as they laid in bed, softly running her fingers through his hair. It was just as the tension was starting to leave and he had begun to wonder if perhaps it would be alright to attempt sleep when a knock came from outside.
"Who would be here this late?" Rey asked as her hand stopped moving.
"Whoever it is, it better be for a good reason." Ben grumbled, refusing to move from his position against her.
I was enjoying that.
Rey laughed, moving so that she could sit up. "I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that later." She climbed over him and got off the bed, taking a few steps before looking back at him. "You coming?"
He sighed and followed after her, sliding his hand into hers as another knock came, more frantic than before. "Alright, let's go."
Once they opened the hatch, they were met with the surprising sight of Vikki standing there holding Kira, who had her arms around Vikki's neck, her shoulders shaking.
"Oh, good I'm so glad that worked." Vikki started before either of them could get a word in, "I didn't know what I was going to do if I couldn't get your attention. I really really need your help with Squeak – I mean, with Kira. I can't...I can't get her to stop crying. I mean, this isn't the first time this has happened, but usually all I have to do is read her a story and she'll fall asleep but tonight no matter what I do she just won't stop and she won't tell me what's wrong and I've noticed how much she's taken to the two of you so I thought just maybe-"
"It's okay, we'll help you." Rey cut in, coming to stand in front of Vikki, with Ben trailing behind her. "Kira," She said softly, placing a light hand on the younger girl's head, "what's wrong?" Kira turned to look at her, her eyes red and cheeks tearstained. She didn't say anything, instead sobbing and reaching over, latching tightly onto Rey instead.
"We'll take her for the night," Ben said, looking over to Vikki, "you look like you should get some rest."
"I really am sorry for dumping this on you." Vikki said, frowning.
Ben shook his head. "It'll be fine. Let us take a turn."
"Al-Alright." Vikki gave Kira one last look before leaving a bit reluctantly.
When they were back inside and sitting on the bed, still Kira refused to release her hold on Rey, instead burrowing her head deeper into her shoulder as she continued to cry.
Should I...?
Ben lifted up a hand, hovering just above Kira's head and looking over at Rey. It would be easy to get the information out of the small girl, especially since he didn't think she would have any guards in place. He had the ability to do it, and Kira was in distress, so why shouldn't he use it?
Only get the surface of it, Ben. It's fine when it's me, but you shouldn't invade her privacy too much. We just need something to work with.
He nodded, before entering into her mind as gently as he knew how.
Kira's thoughts were so loud that it took more effort not to get straight to heart of the problem than it did to gain surface knowledge.
"Little freak!"
"You are the worst kind of person."
The words were Kira's own; no one had said these things to her except herself. There was the vague notion of a bad dream, of something to do with the force –
Ben pulled out of her mind quickly, before completely falling into the temptation of going father than what was needed.
"Oh Kira," Rey whispered, holding the girl tighter, "you're not terrible."
"She's right." Ben said, leaning in closer and placing a hand on top of Kira's head. "You haven't done anything wrong."
"But I…" When Kira finally spoke, it was barely audible between sobs. "I keep hurting people." From the way she spoke, it was clear that the moment with the other kids was not the first time something like it had happened. "I don't mean to, but it just happens. And I know that makes me bad."
"Kira, I'm sure it was just for self defense." Rey tried to reassure the small girl, but she shook her head.
It was becoming clear that the one who made her think this way must have been her abuser, and her bad dream most likely dealt with whatever their fate had ended up being. As much as he wanted to know, Ben resisted the urge to find out. Rey was right; Kira would tell them when she was ready, even if he hated waiting. But this girl, this small innocent child, didn't deserve what she had been through, and he was sure whoever it was got what they deserved. And if not, he would certainly give it to them if they ever met.
It was almost strange; he barely knew the small girl and yet he still felt the strong need to protect her. From what little he knew, what she had been through felt similar to his own and she was far too young to have to face such things.
"It's normal for kids to have outbursts like that." He tried to soothe her, softly stroking Kira's head. "You're not bad, just untrained."
Kira looked at him finally, her cheeks tear stained and still clinging to Rey's sweater. "Are – are you sure?" Her voice was tiny and broken as she spoke.
"Absolutely. You can't be expected to know how to use something without ever being told."
Kira watched him for a moment before she sniffed and looked between the two of them. "Would…would you teach me?"
"Of course we will." Rey said, gently wiping away some of Kira's tears.
Ben nodded. "You shouldn't have to be afraid of this. We can start whenever you're ready."
"…Tomorrow? Before we go to back to Vikki's?" Kira asked, her face finally starting to brighten.
"I don't see why we couldn't start with the basics, at least."
It was different, waking up the next morning with an additional person on the bed. Different, but not necessarily bad; Kira had ended up between them, with one of Rey's arms around her and Ben's around them both. He couldn't help but smile, stroking Kira's head gently before carefully getting up so as not to disturb either of the remaining occupants, before heading outside to start on making breakfast.
Awhile later he heard the sound of small feet pattering down the ramp behind him, and he turned around to see Kira standing there. "Oh, good morning Kira. How did you sleep?"
"I slept ok." Kira fidgeted a bit where she stood. "Um, thank you for last night. You didn't have to, but you did."
"No, we definitely did." He kneeled in front of her, so that they were on the same eye level. "I really do mean it when I say no one should have to be afraid like that."
Kira threw her arms around his neck then, the hug completely taking him by surprise. "You two are so nice to me. I really am really really grateful, since I know I don't deserve it."
"No, you deserve it, Kira. Believe me, you really do." Her words finally motivated him to wrap his arms tightly around her small frame. As he held her there, with her words echoing in his head, he began to finally understand what it was like, having someone constantly insisting things about themselves. This is where Rey had been stuck at with him; the way she was constantly telling him that he wasn't as bad as he kept trying to make himself out to be.
"Are you sure?" Kira whispered.
"Positive. Just because you made a few mistakes doesn't make you a terrible person. You just have to learn from it and keep going." Even though his actions as Kylo Ren far outweighed whatever it had been that Kira had done, all it took was her words to finally be able to put things into perspective. No matter what happened, there was always a way back, a way to right the wrongs that had been done. And if one small girl could like him? He might just be not as bad as he thought.
"How did you get so smart?"
He grinned fondly, looking up to where Rey was smiling as she leaned against the frame of the Falcon's entrance. "I had a good teacher."
"It's funny who ended up teaching who, isn't it?" Rey teased as she joined them at the bottom of the ramp.
"You just love throwing my words back at me, don't you?" Ben said even as he laughed, letting Kira go as he stood back up.
"I have to, because your reactions are always so priceless." Rey grinned, placing her hands on his chest and leaning up to give him a brief kiss. "Good morning, Ben."
Ben smiled, kissing her in return. "Good morning, Sweetheart."
The two of them were broken out of their own little world by the sound of soft giggling next to them. "You two are fun to watch."
"Have you been talking to Eir?" Ben asked, looking over at Kira, but not yet removing his hands from where they had come to rest on Rey's waist.
"No, but I do have a whole catalogue of Vikki's stories!" Kira said with a wide grin, before her stomach let out a grumble. "Oh. Um, can I have some?" She asked, glancing over at where breakfast sat waiting.
"Of course!" Rey said. "You should be able to eat as much as you want."
Ben nodded. "I did make plenty for everyone."
They started lessons after breakfast that morning, a quick one before they headed to Vikki's.
"So it's like that life force thing that Eir talks about. The one flows in everything." Kira said, once the basic concept of the force had been explained to her.
"Yes, exactly!"
Kira scrunched her face in confusion. "But I don't get how it happens. How do you reach out to something you don't know what looks like?"
"You reach out with your mind, to where you can feel it's presence move through everything."
Kira still looked a bit skeptical. "How though?"
"It helps to meditate." Rey took Kira's hands, and gently moved the girl so that she was sitting cross legged on the ground. "Just close your eyes and breathe, until you can feel the world around you. Feel it's presence through out everything."
Now it's really obvious you trained with Luke.
Rey elbowed him in the side.
Oh hush.
"I don't see anything." Kira said after a moment, opening her eyes once more. "It's just a big blank."
For the two of them who had such an easy connection to the force, being faced with someone who dealt more in concrete images was something they weren't prepared for. Perhaps it was time to try something different.
"The few times that you've used it before, what were you feeling?" Ben asked.
Kira looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Probably either really mad or really scared. Are you saying I should focus on that instead?"
"No, not exactly…"Ben shook his head. It was the opposite actually; Ben knew better than most just how bad an idea it would be to let Kira go down that road.
"What he means," Rey said as she placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, "is that it might be easier if you were to pick a memory with a strong emotion tied to it. Using that you might be able to find your connection."
"Do I have to figure one out right now?"
"No, of course not." Rey gave her a reassuring smile. "Take all the time you need."
It was rather ironic, Ben figured that night as he and Rey were getting ready for bed, that someone who's mind was geared so much towards the tangible had such a connection to the force. It reminded him of Hennix in a way, of his constant trying to figure it as if it were a puzzle.
Rey sighed, sitting heavily on the bed. "This is turning out to be more complicated than I thought it would be."
"True." Ben joined her on the bed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close, "But she'll always have the final say in where this goes."
Rey nodded firmly, determination rising inside her, "We will not make the same mistakes."
"Good morning, Kira." Ben greeted her once she had entered the cave. Days later it had become a daily habit; every morning Kira would arrive early, before the food was done and when Rey was still sound asleep in their bed.
Kira had managed to both find her memory and, using it, briefly levitate a small rock. It was slow going, but it was a decent starting point, and while Ben thought she was making good progress, he could tell that Kira was getting frustrated. He didn't want her to start to feel burnt out, and break was good every now and then. Perhaps, he decided, this morning would be a good time to do something he had been wanting to do for awhile.
"Morning." Kira greeted dully, almost as if she was resigned to what she thought were the mornings inevitable events.
"I was thinking, what if we took a break from lessons, today?"
Kira looked over at him sharply, her eyes wide and fearful. "Is it because I'm not any -"
"No! No, it's not that, I promise you." He cut her off before she could finish, placing a hand on her shoulder and moving so that he was at eye level with her. He knew all too well the dangers of leaving her line of thinking left unchecked. "You are doing better than you think you are, believe me. Even the smallest bit of progress is still progress; you are not standing still."
Kira stared at him for a moment, before slowly nodding. "What for, then?"
Ben smiled. "There's a surprise I want to do for Rey. Will you help me?"
Ben was up to something, of that much Rey was sure. Vikki was always a chatterbox, but today she seemed even more so, and Kira was always trying to grab her attention for something or other.
"What are you up to?" Rey asked, opening up their connection to where she could see Ben walking. She couldn't see where he was exactly, but from the direction he was facing, he was most likely headed to Eir's house.
"I'm just going to ask Eir about something, that's all." He stopped walking, and even though he had answered, he refused to look at her.
"What could it possibly be that you needed to get me distracted for?" Rey frowned, crossing her arms as she spoke, watching Ben closely. She didn't like secrets; she had thought there weren't any left between them.
"Rey, I…" He finally glanced at her, his face unsure, before looking away, deciding that it was a mistake to make eye contact. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise." His hand was on his neck, rubbing it slightly.
It's for you. Everything is for you.
She sighed, his words bringing her at least a bit of comfort. "Alright, I suppose I can let myself be distracted and wait for your surprise."
"Thank you." He said, a relieved sigh escaping him.
"Today is a vacation day!" Vikki declared the next day when they arrived. "All work and no play is very, very boring. So today we take the day off! I'm going to hang out with Kira and you two can do whatever it is you do." She waved them off, placing Kira on her shoulders as she began to make her way to her house.
"Have fun!" Kira waved at them with a knowing grin before the two disappeared from sight.
After seeing Kira's reaction, Rey couldn't help the excited feeling that started growing inside her. "Does this mean that I get to know what you've been up to?"
"Just about, but soon enough. There's somewhere I want to take you first." Ben smiled at her softly, taking her hand in his and leading her to where Vikki stored her speeder. "It's a bit further away, so I asked Vikki if we could borrow this."
Since Ben was the one who knew where they were going, he was the one who drove. Rey didn't really mind; he was perfectly comfortable to lean against from her position behind him, and she was free to watch the scenery as it passed. They passed through the mountains, before it opened up onto another forested area.
"It's a bit of a walk from this point," Ben said as he brought the speeder to a stop just inside the trees.
"I'm sure it will be worth it." Rey gave him a squeeze from her spot behind him, before getting off. "I'm already excited to see what it is. Any hints for me at all?"
"I'm fairly sure it's nothing you've seen on such a scale before." Ben said as he followed her off, grabbing the basket they he had grabbed before they had left.
"That isn't much help."
"I know." He grinned, taking her hand and leading her forwards.
They filled the time as they walked with idle chatter, with Rey occasionally trying to get more information where they were going through one means or the other. Ben stubbornly refused; only growing more and more amused each time. Eventually the sound of rushing water reached Rey's ears, and her eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Ben to find him smiling at her, and at his nod she ran ahead; the clearing opening up to reveal a towering waterfall.
It was absolutely massive; with two drop offs and falling from hundreds of feet, with lush, green foliage surrounding it, and a bridge stretching above and across the second drop. It was the largest she had ever seen – even Ahch-to hadn't had anything on this scale.
"This is amazing!" She called back to Ben, a wide smile on her face. "How did you find it?"
"I asked Eir if there were any places of note here and she told me about it. Apparently, it used to be a pretty popular destination before the Empire came."
"I can see why." Rey said as she looked back at the falls. "So, this is what you were talking to her about on that day. I didn't know anything like this could even exist."
"It's not quite an island, though."
Ever since she was a child trapped in the sands of Jakku she had dreamed of an island paradise; she had thought Ahch-To was the closest to that she would ever come but this – "This is better than I ever imagined." She whispered, still in complete awe at the sheer marvel that was in front of them. "I can't believe you still remember that."
"I could never forget anything about you, Rey." Ben took her hand once more, placing a gentle kiss on her fingers, his eyes sparkling as he spoke. "You have bewitched me body and soul and I intend to give you everything you deserve."
"You spoil me too much."
"On the contrary, I don't think it could ever be enough." He held up the basket that he was still holding, "But I suppose a picnic here is a decent start."
"You really have to tell me how you managed to plan all this," Rey said as they ate, "it's really impressive."
"Kira helped a lot, and she got Vikki on board. They were in charge of keeping you distracted enough so that I could talk to Eir."
"And you couldn't just tell me?"
He shrugged. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
"I would call it a success then," she smiled at him fondly, warmth blossoming in her chest as she leaned over so that she could kiss him. "I love you." She whispered against him.
"I know." He said, one hand snaking around the back of her neck to pull her ever closer, so that he could kiss her far more deeply.
"We should head up to the bridge next." Rey said awhile later once they had finished eating.
Ben chuckled next to her. "You realize there is a path up there."
"That may be true," she said, taking his hand and pulling him forwards, "but where's the fun in that?"
The bridge at the top was made of a pristine, polished stone with delicate patterns etched into its surface; the mist from the waterfall setting a sheen upon it that almost gave off the appearance that the designs glowed. Once there, Rey ran to the middle, looking over the edge and watching with fascination as the water crashed down from the drop off in front of her and rushed off the one behind her.
"Does this place have a name?" She asked looking back at Ben, with her arms resting on the railing.
"It's called Mount Nomah." He said as he came to stand next to her. "Long ago, before the Empire came, people would come here for good luck. This bridge was especially favored by couples."
"Couples hm?" Rey glanced back at the waterfall before looking at Ben with a sly grin. "What else do you have planned then?"
"There's…something I still need to ask you." He was suddenly nervous, watching her carefully with one hand clasped around the dice necklace.
"If it's too hard to say out loud, you can always use other means." She placed a hand on his arm before adding with a grin, "Although whatever it is, I'm sure the answer is yes."
He watched her for a moment more, before taking a breath to steady himself. She just hoped that whatever it was he was about to ask would finally be the question that she knew had been bothering him since shortly after they had arrived on Ekair.
"Eir told me there's this custom they have here called 'The Binding'," He finally began after a moment longer, "where two people get a matching mark that binds them together from that point on. I know it sounds a bit redundant considering our bond, but I wanted some way to show the world that we belong. That no one else gets to have you but me. I don't have much else to give you, but if you want it, it's yours, and with this you will have everything, even my name. Unless, of course you want something more traditional -"
"Ben," Rey placed a hand on his cheek, stroking with her thumb where his scar used to be and cutting his rambling short, "I love the idea." All she had ever wanted, even more then her island paradise, was for somewhere to belong, someone to call home. Someone who would take her and love her completely, to never let her be lonely ever again. They had taken the long way around, but she finally had him. She smiled, standing up on her toes to kiss him softly, whispering against the corner of his mouth, "Rey Solo has a nice ring to it."
"I'm glad you agree." He placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her even closer so that he could kiss her properly.
Once they had returned to the village, they made their way to Eir's to talk about the ceremony.
"While other parts of the galaxy treat it as a big, dramatized event, here it is much more private." Eir began to explain, once they were seated at her table and once again offered a cup of tea. Ben was starting to wonder if this was her customary gesture, as all but the first time that he had been inside her house she had offered it.
"Why do I get the feeling that you don't like weddings?"
Eir pursed her lips, which was probably the most displeased look they had seen on her so far, before speaking in a carefully measured tone. "From the few that I have seen, a 'wedding' as you call it, is more for show. You do not even have to know the couple well at all to be invited to attend what should be a momentous occasion. It is in the spectacle that the true meaning, the true grandeur of connecting two beings together is lost. A binding ceremony is much more sacred, with only the couple and the Binder allowed to be present." She finally smiled then, her eyes twinkling. "It is my favorite part of being the village elder."
"Have you done many?" Rey asked.
Eir shook her head. "Sadly, I'm afraid not. My people do not age quickly, and when I took over there were only a few that were of age to think about it."
"Now that you mention it, I did see a mark on Mercy's hand when I went to see her about the cooking supplies." Ben said with a thoughtful look, "I wrote it off at the time, but is that the mark you mentioned to me earlier?"
"It is," Eir confirmed as her smile grew brighter, "I consider it a great honor to have been the one able to bind my best friend to her true love."
"How do you give the mark?" Rey asked.
"It is done with a special, permanent ink that will never fade. Each couple's is unique to them; the shape of which is determined by the nature of their relationship."
"How soon can it be ready?" Rey asked, more than a little eager.
Eir's eyes twinkled with joy. "Since it is not a big show that takes months of planning, it can be done as soon as the morning, and the celebration normally takes place in the evening."
"Let's do it then." Ben is very happily amused at Rey's eagerness, at how she can't wait to be bound together on a physical level.
Rey could hardly sleep that night out of excitement. She could finally say that she was no longer just Rey of Jakku; she had someone to belong to now.
The next morning they headed to where Eir had told them to met before they left her the previous day. As they walked, hand in hand, the trees opened up to reveal a small, short dirt path; at the end of which a gazebo made out of the same polished stone that the bridge at Mount Nomah had been. There were intricate designs interlaced into the stone, and a delicate, intricately woven dome sat upon the pillars. Behind it, surrounded by green on all sides, a small body of water laid.
It was truly a breathtaking sight; the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, shining through the metal dome, giving it a subtle glow.
"It's perfect." Rey marveled, looking around to try and take in every last bit of the scene around them. She faintly heard Ben chuckle next to her as he gently pulled her forwards; even still she knew he felt the same.
Eir was already there waiting for them, looking out at the water. She turned to face them once they were close enough, and invited them to sit facing each other in the middle of the gazebo.
The older woman sat between them, opening up the glass in jar that had been placed in front of her, dipping a quill into it. She took Rey's right wrist, tapping the quill above where the ribbon connecting her to Ben was tied, leaving a single, black ink dot. Eir than took Ben's left wrist and placed the back of it so that it was resting against where she had left the ink droplet on Rey's, and held them together with her own hands.
"Close your eyes and focus on the connection that you share," Eir instructed, "truly feel each others presence as the mark of your binding takes it's form."
They did as they were told, throwing the doors wide open, keeping nothing back, letting the bond flow freely and completely unhindered between them.
"You are already uniquely connected in mind, heart and soul, and from this day forward you will forever be connected in body." Eir's voice was both distant yet nearby at the same time, and as she spoke there was a swirling, almost ticklish sensation playing across the skin where the ink had been placed.
It was only when they felt Eir remove her hands did they open their eyes, to find that a matching delicate, yet intricate blue butterfly laid where the ink had previously been. "Today, two have truly become one."
There was a sigh in all things at Eir's words, as if the force itself was relaxing, of an unspoken tension being released now that the last thing that separated them was gone; the sound as if something clicking in to place.
The celebration was held in the evening, and everyone in the village was there; while Ben wasn't normally fond of large gatherings, this one felt more peaceful, more casual than the few he could remember attending with his mother. It was softer, everyone relaxed and at ease.
And then there was Rey. His gorgeous, stunning, fierce Queen of his heart. She had carved her way into him, and bond or not he would love her with his whole being, his everything belonged to her. Even after the stars turned cold, his love for her would continue.
He could feel the broad smile as he watched her dance around the fire with Kira, not caring if anyone saw. If anyone had tried to tell him a few years ago that this was his future, that he would end up in peace with his other half, he wouldn't have believed it. He would've dismissed it as a fool's dream, of a possibility too good to be true.
Rey held out her hand to him and he took it without hesitation, and he spun her as they danced, before going into a dip that finished off in a kiss. Vaguely the sounds of people cheering could be heard, but he didn't really care. For once everything was right, everything was just as it should be. He was finally where he should be; where he truly belonged.