A/N: The last few chapters have been a handful of drama, huh? Here's some hope for you... and some funny one liners ;)

I like to bring my stories full circle somehow, so in the coming chapters you're going to recall bits from earlier subplots. Enjoy!

~XXXI. Saving What You Love~

~i. Drunk In Love~

I love this feeling, But I hate this part. I wanted this to work so much, I drew up our plans on a chart. Cars are flipping, I'm in hot pursuit. My character's strong but my head is loose. She hits like ecstasy. Comes up and bangs the sense out of me-

"Really Ben? The Wombats? How apropos," Phasma teased him.

She picked up the album cover from the coffee table and examined the sleeve, breaking him from his absorption of the tune blasting from his record player.

"What? They're stuff's catchy."

"And British," she added.

"Yeah, and? I can't listen to them because they're British? I listen to Radiohead too and they're British. Aren't you're grandparents from your mother's side from the UK too?"

"Calm down, I'm not saying you can't listen to them, listen to whomever you want. Hux listens to his Irish river dance music from time to time."

"Babe! That's supposed to be our little secret!" Hux's face almost flushed as red as his hair.

Ben laughed at this revelation.

"I love all kinds of music," he assured his friends.

"You do, yes," she nodded.

It was true, Ben had a versatile playlist. One moment he could be listening to The Temptations, the next Chevelle, then finish a playlist with Whitney Houston.

"All I'm saying is, it's kind of ironic that you're listening to them right now given your mood lately. Or maybe it's a coincidence, who knows what you're thinking. And this song too of all things."

"God here you go again finding double meaning to lyrics," Ben rolled his eyes at her.

"It's not really double meaning when the lines 'she really wants to make it work, and I clearly want to let it start' are so blatantly obvious," she laughed at him.

"Fine," Ben quickly turned off the record player and hit the tuner to the radio. "Let's listen to some good old fashioned garbage then."

He wasn't a fan of radio music. That's not to say he hated new songs. He liked a couple current artists, but the radio overplayed everything. Don't even get him started on the commercials.

A familiar R&B song roared to life on his speakers.

"Hey, Beyoncé is not garbage!" Hux recognized the singer of the tune immediately.

Ben and Phasma looked at one another and burst into laughter, they would have never guessed that Hux of all people listened to Beyoncé.

"I swear sometimes I don't know him," she teased about her boyfriend.

"Turn it up, it's the perfect song to drink to!" Hux hollered from the kitchen.

"Seriously dude?" Ben said before turning the dial a couple notches.

"The title speaks for itself, 'Drunk in Love', duh," Hux chuckled as he walked over and settled on the couch next to his girlfriend. He may have already had a few beers in him than his friends. The man was riding a nice buzz, unfazed by Ben's moodiness that day.

Ben and Phasma rolled their eyes, settling into their seats and listening to Hux's secret love for this singer on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The three of them had similar taste in music - the rock genre mainly - but Hux also had an affinity for rap and the occasional hip hop more than Ben and Phasma. For a man who used way too much gel on his clean cut hair and starched all his slacks and collared shirts, no one would ever guess that he occasionally let loose with rhythmic music.

After the eventful dinner at Ben's parents' house a couple of nights ago, his friends decided it would be best to keep him busy and not mope around too much. He never talked about his situation with Rey after the day of court, and the most he'd ever spoken about it was over dinner at his parents' house. They didn't push him. Not until he was ready to talk. If he was ever ready to talk.

Ben's phone rang and he got up from the couch to go to the computer desk to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Ben, Sabine here."

"Hey Sabine. What's going on?"

Phasma recognized the attorney's name when he spoke it aloud. Curious, she got up and walked over to the kitchen, leaving her boyfriend to enjoy his upbeat dance music.

"Good news. We're about done with the papers to process your annulment."

He wouldn't really call that 'good news', but Sabine didn't know.

"So everything's good? Is it official?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not yet. Apparently, there was a form you and Ms. Andor missed. Don't worry, the packet was big. This was a random page where we needed both your signatures. I called her attorney and I can send her the signed copy once you fill it out. Is that alright?"

"Uh, yeah sure." He said plainly.

"Great. I'll email you the page. Fill out your portion, send it to my office then I'll send it to the other attorney. Hopefully by Monday you and Ms. Andor will be finished with all this."

"Alright, Sabine. Thanks."

"Have a nice weekend, Ben."

*click*

"Everything alright?" Phasma appeared beside him.

Ben was absently staring at his phone when she spoke up. He turned to her blankly.

"Yeah," he shook his head from his thoughts. "Just got to fill out a form that Rey and I forgot to sign and send it back to my attorney."

"It's not official yet?" she was a tad surprised.

"Not yet. But once we sign this it will be," he said dully.

As much as she and Hux were giving him space and allowing him to cope his way, Phasma was itching to talk to him. She knew Ben regretted the whole thing. Getting the annulment, not the marriage thing. She knew he felt something for Rey, but she also knew he was too mulish to admit anything. She was desperate to reach out to him.

Ben sat at his computer chair, checked his email and printed said form to fill out. Phasma watched as he wrote in the basic information – his name, the date, and several boxes to check off. Then she saw how he hesitated, hovering his pen above the line where he was supposed to sign his name to accept the document. He was struggling to land the pen to paper, his hand shaking in midair. He took in a deep breath and forced himself to just sign the damn thing and finally move on. But before his pen could touch a hard surface, Phasma snatched the paper away from him.

"Hey what the hell?!" he said incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"I'm saving you from making another wrong decision."

"What the hell are you talking about it, Phasma?" He asked in frustration.

"Ben," she sighed before she began. "Don't do this. You're making a huge mistake."

"Phas," he grunted. "This whole thing was a mistake from the start. We're finally getting the chance to fix it. Now give it back. Sabine's expecting me to send it to her right away."

"This doesn't fix anything if you still want to be with her," Phasma tried to reason.

"Look I appreciate your help. But I need to fill that paper out and sent it back to Sabine as soon as possible," he flatly spoke.

"Ben!" Phasma screeched. He was being extremely difficult. "How can you be so casual about something as important as love?!"

She walked over to the kitchen island, placed the form down and slumped onto a stool. Why was he being so stubborn? Why couldn't he just admit his feelings?

"What are you talking about?! I didn't love Rey!" his voice roared throughout the loft. He wasn't afraid to argue with Phasma about this. Enough was enough.

"Yes you did! You were in love with her!" Phasma screamed, slamming her hands on the counter. Ben's denial reached her last bit of patience.

"Getting drunk, hooking up and accidentally getting married doesn't really equate to love," he retorted.

"You say that, but six months went by and you two eventually did."

"No, six months of sobriety showed us that we clearly made a huge mistake!"

"You didn't need alcohol to feel inebriated around Rey, buddy. You were drunk in love," Hux said coolly as he walked to the refrigerator to grab a snack for himself and beers for everyone. "Don't underestimate the power of Beyoncé," he lightly teased.

"Dude shut up!" "Babe be quiet!" they both yelled at the redhead.

"Jeez, gang up on me why don't you," he laughed, unfazed by their raised voices and proceeded to find a snack, whistling to himself.

"And no I wasn't," Ben grumbled to Phasma. He slouched further into his seat.

"Yes you were, Ben. Why is that so hard to admit?" Phasma said calmly as she went back over to sit next to him, grabbing a chair from the breakfast table. "The giddiness, stolen glances, the butterflies. I know you felt that."

"That doesn't mean it was love," he crossed his arms. After a moment, "Does it?"

Phasma chuckled at him. There it was, vulnerable Ben.

"Hux is right. You didn't sip a drop of alcohol for six months, but you saw the world through rose colored glasses when you were around her. That's why you're still in pain. You miss her."

Ben didn't respond, but he certainly nodded. It was the first time he openly acknowledged anything about his feelings for Rey in front of Phasma. This was her chance to get through to him.

"Why don't you go to her and tell her you miss her."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me."

"Ben, this is Rey. You know her more than me. If even just an ounce of hope in you knows she felt something, then you and I both know she does want to talk," she pointed.

"What if it's not meant to be? You know, me and Rey?" his doubts were surfacing again.

"Do you think you two are meant to be together?" she asked.

She expected him to retort, but his response surprised her.

"I mean, I want to believe we are…" he said timidly.

It was the first ever sign of hope that came from Ben.

"You do?" she asked grippingly.

He thought for a moment about what he said. Then he looked up at his friend.

"Yeah, I mean with all the shit that happened to us. Getting double booked, hooking up, getting married – it seemed like a string of bad luck at first. But then I thought… maybe this was a sign that we're meant to be in each other's lives."

Phasma cracked a smile on her lips, proud of Ben for finally coming to grips of this whole ordeal.

"Well if it's meant to be then stop doubting," she patted his arm. "Just trust yourself."

Hux came over to the pair with three uncapped bottles of beer in his hands.

"Here ya go, man," he offered the beer to his friend while he bit into an apple. But Ben didn't take it. He was still lost in thought with what Phasma said.

"Ben? Hello?" Hux waved a hand over his face.

He shook himself out of his catatonic state and looked at Hux confused.

"Uh, is he ok?" he asked his girlfriend, handing her a bottle as well.

Phasma signaled to her boyfriend to pause for a moment as she was trying to get through to their friend. This was the furthest she's ever gotten him to talk about Rey.

"Ben."

Still muddled in the head, he managed to look at Phasma.

"Do you love her?"

"What?" he said nervously.

"No. Enough with the bullshit. Do you love her?"

Ben heavily sighed. "Phas-"

But she cut him off.

"Do. You. Love. Her?" She said again.

He glanced between his two friends, paused a bit then slowly nodded.

Hux, finally caught up with things, looked over at his girlfriend and they both smirked. Phasma then turned back to Ben and smiled.

"Then go tell her."

~ii. The Chase~

Ben left Phasma and Hux at his loft, intent on finding Rey and telling her once and for all everything he felt in Vegas, the six months they lived together – everything. He wasn't sure where she'd be, so he thought the first place to look was at her office. Even though it was a Saturday, knowing Rey she probably went to work to busy herself. Fortunately, he remembered where it was from when he bumped into her and they had their 'almost date'. Ben was hoping after all this that he would be able to take her out on a real date. Especially since they never got to go on their first one.

He took an Uber to her office in Mid-City and arrived at the front of the building about fifteen minutes later. Recognizing one of the girls at the front desk, he walked up to her.

"Excuse me," He said nervously.

She looked up at him.

"Well if it isn't Ben," Jannah smiled at him. "The roommate," she smirked.

Weird, Ben thought. He assumed she would yell at him. Then again, maybe Rey didn't bother to tell anyone at work about their separation. If she didn't, he was thankful. It would make the next thing easier for him to ask.

"Jannah, right?"

"Aw, you're a sweetheart for remembering," she giggled. "How can I help you?"

Before Ben got a chance to ask for Rey's whereabouts, her other assistant Jess stepped out of the elevator and walked over to them.

"Ben! Hello!" she greeted him excitedly. "Are you here to pick up your mother?"

"My mother?" he was so confused.

"Yes, Leia Solo is here. She's at Rey's office. You can go there if you want. Third floor, door at the end of the hallway on your left," Jess said.

"Thank you," he replied hurriedly.

Ben made a beeline towards the elevators to the third floor and took Jess' directions to find her office. What he found when he reached the door was a surprise. Instead of seeing Rey, his mother was the lone occupant in the space.

"Mom?"

"Ben!" Leia was just as surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here? This is Rey's office."

"I know that, son," Leia chuckled. "That's why I'm here. Did you forget that she and I are working together?"

"No, I know that," he argued. "What I'm saying is why are you here and where is Rey?"

"Well I'm here because she let me use her office while she's out. Can't get much done at my own office when many of the information I need is on her files. After all, I'm collaborating with her company, not the other way around," she informed him. "I've been working with Jess and Jannah all day if you must know."

"Wait… what do you mean she's out?" Ben caught the first part and only that.

"She's not here, son," Leia said simply. "And may I ask why you're here?"

Ben shut the door behind him before taking a seat in front of the desk to face his mom.

"Because I want to talk to her," he shared.

"About what, Ben?" Leia asked, though she obviously knew why.

"Mom," he whined.

"Nope," she shook her head, leaned back on the chair and crossed her arms. "I'm not telling you a thing until you talk to me first."

"Augh, you make things so difficult," he grunted.

"I'm a mother, that's what I do," she smirked at him. "Now… talk."

"Are you really going to make me say this?" he tried desperately to get out of this conversation.

"You can leave if you want, but you'll not know where to go." Leia was good at keeping the ball in her court.

"Fine. I'm trying to get Rey back. Are you happy?" he flailed his arms in the air.

Even if this was a very important quest, he was still riddled with embarrassment telling his mother about his feelings for a girl.

"Not quite," she said simply.

"Huh?" he didn't expect that response.

Leia got up from the desk chair and walked over to Ben. Even standing, the woman was so short she only hovered barely a foot over him. She looked at her son dead in the eyes and for a moment it was as if they shared an unspoken conversation, seeing each other and understanding everything.

Then she pinched his shoulder real hard.

"Ow!" Ben cringed at the contact, grabbing at his left shoulder.

"That's for lying to me and your father about this whole thing."

She pinched his other shoulder this time.

"Ow! Mom stop it!" he tended to the other one.

"That's for hurting Rey and letting her get away."

Ben waited for her next strike. He didn't have any more shoulders, so he was a bit frightened by where she'd harm him next.

This time though, Leia stepped forward and placed a delicate kiss atop her son's head.

Okay, now Ben was really confused.

"That being said, I'm happy that you've finally come to your senses, sweetheart."

Ben smiled at his mother.

"So… where is she?" he asked politely.

"Oh, I don't know, hon," she simply replied, walking back and sitting at the desk.

Ben let out an annoyed growl.

"Why torture me then?" he scowled.

"Because I'm your mother, I thought I already clarified my actions?" she grinned at him.

"Ugh this is not how I thought it would be," he buried his face in his hands.

Leia sighed, deciding to give her son a break.

"I spoke with Rey a couple days ago. She was a bit overwhelmed with everything too, dear. So, I suggested she take a break. Some time off to cool down and clear her mind," she told him. "I wish I can tell you more, but she called me the next morning and told me she'd be taking a couple personal days off. She offered me the keys to her office as well as Jess and Jannah's assistance until she returned."

He slowly nodded, accepting the reason for her absence. Leia frowned at her son's disconsolate expression.

"She was adamant in actually going somewhere. I'm sure she's just staying in bed and resting. Do you know where she's living now?" she suggested.

"I guess I could try Rose's apartment."

That wasn't a bad idea, and a good place to go next. He thanked his mother and hugged her before leaving.

"Ben dear," Leia said before he stepped out.

"Yeah mom?"

"You better not lose her this time," she winked at her son.

"I won't," he smiled at her.

Next stop: Rose's apartment.

~.~.~.~

Smack!

"Ow! Why is everyone hitting me today?!" Ben grabbed once again at his shoulder.

Smack!

"Rose please! I come in peace!" he begged. He wasn't sure his bruised shoulders could take any more hits.

"Sorry, I just needed to get that out of my system," Rose said, stepping aside to let Ben enter her apartment.

He walked inside and turned to her once she closed the door.

Smack!

"PLEASE STOP!"

"Sorry. Last one," she promised.

She motioned for them to sit at the couch.

"Wait, how did you know where I live?" she wondered how he even thought to show up at the right place.

"Rey's mail got forwarded from this address. I just took a shot."

"Makes sense," she believed him. "But what if it was Hobbie's address?"

"Well then it would've been a win-win anyway. I'd have junk-punched him the moment I saw him."

Rose giggled. "Finn and Poe would be so devastated if you did that without them."

Ben settled on the couch and fidgeted nervously for a moment.

"Um, is Rey-" he started to ask but she cut him off.

"If you're expecting me to know where she is, you're shit out of luck because she's not here and didn't tell me where she was going."

"Wait, she actually left?" Ben was surprised. He could have sworn what his mother said about her just staying at home would be correct.

"Yeah, it shocked me too. Thought she was going to mope around here for a few days when she told me she was using vacation time. But this morning she had a backpack ready and left me a note saying she'll be back soon. She's never that vague."

"Well… shit."

"My thoughts exactly."

Ben could not catch a break that day. This could be sign, he thought. Maybe it was the universe telling him that it was too late for him and Rey. Or maybe the universe was telling him they were not meant to be together. Perhaps he should stop this ridiculous trek around Los Angeles for someone who clearly didn't want to see him or be found.

"It was real you know…" Rose muttered.

"Huh?" he furrowed his brows at her words.

"All of it. For Rey… these past six months were real for her. She told me."

Ben didn't reply, but he nodded blankly at her words.

"Was it real for you?"

It was quiet for a moment before he answered her.

"It was."

Then Ben did something that he nor Rose expect himself to do. He poured his heart out.

"From the moment we met, I felt something with her. I really did. I can't explain it. And I barely said two words to her. Then when you came out of the bathroom and knocked me over with your straightener -which by the way, nice swing," Rose chuckled at his remark, "-I swear you knocked the sense into me and at that moment I was forever hooked on Rey," he confessed to her best friend. "I still am."

Rose giddily smiled at his words.

"Damn you, Ben Solo. Now I feel bad for hitting you," she lightly joked.

Rose didn't need an explanation. She knew Ben enough to know he was genuine just like Rey. She thought he and Rey were perfect for one another because of that. Which was why as hard as it was, she felt like she had to tell him this next thing even though she knew it would hurt him.

"She was supposed to get married you know. To her ex."

"I know, she told me," he said. "And I know I ruined that dream for her in Vegas."

"I don't know. I mean I know it's not every girl's dream to get blackout drunk when she ties the knot," she made them both laugh. "But it is every girl's dream to marry the one she was meant to be with."

"Are you saying she was supposed to be with Hobbie?" Ben started to feel crushed. He could have sworn Rose was on their side.

"No of course not, he's a moron," she corrected that notion immediately. "What I'm saying is that maybe she didn't see it at first. But at the end of it all she realized that she did have the wedding she wanted because she got to marry you."

"I'm not so sure I made things better for her," he sadly replied.

"Ben," she got him to look up at her. "She was supposed to marry Hobbie on the day of your annulment."

He. Was. Speechless. Why didn't she say anything? Why did he not know about this until now? FUCK. This just got harder.

"What was supposed to be the happiest day of her life… still ended up being her worst. And I'm not talking about Hobbie."

He looked at her and was on the verge of tears, but he bit his cheek to hold them back.

"You could've turned it all around for her that day, Ben."

"You don't know that…"

"Poe does. He told me and Finn. Rey confessed to him that she was hoping that by the time the court date rolled around that maybe something good would come between you two. And that her supposed wedding date would finally stop haunting her because that would be the day you two decided to be together and not get the annulment. She's a dreamer, our little Rey," Rose shared.

A silent beat passed between them.

"I fucked up, didn't I?" he said to her.

"Don't sell yourself short," Rose patted Ben's shoulder and gently smiled at him. "You both did."

He sadly chuckled at her remark.

"I'm running out of places to go. I was sure she'd be here."

"Why don't you ask Poe? He and Rey talked a lot that weekend. I'm sure she may have said something to him or maybe he suggested something to her," she offered to help.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," he said. "Is he at the Cantina?"

"Yup. I'll go with you. I need a drink with all this drama!" she giggled. "Plus, Finn is there so he can take me home after."

They got up from the couch and Rose promptly ordered a ride for them. Luckily, she lived in a very busy area, East Hollywood, so the driver was only three minutes away.

As they waited outside for the Uber to approach her building, Rose turned to him.

"Hey Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"If you break my best friend's heart again, I'll junk punch you myself," she smugly grinned at him.

"Duly noted," he chuckled.

~.~.~.~

Ben and Rose arrived at the Cantina about a half hour later. Finn was at the bar with Poe and Kaydel, the three were engaged in a light conversation. When they spotted the group, they hurried over and Ben went straight to business.

"Poe! I need to talk to you."

"Hello to you too, buddy," he chuckled.

"I'd watch it Poe. Lover boy here doesn't have the patience for teasing," Rose said to him. She greeted her boyfriend and Kaydel before taking a seat at the bar.

"You in a hurry to be somewhere?" Kaydel asked him.

"Yes, and I think Poe can help me," Ben said.

"What can I do you for, brother?" Poe offered cheerfully.

"Where's Rey?"

"I knew he'd ask that," Finn chuckled. Poe and Kaydel nodded in agreement. "Is there a reason you're looking for her?"

"Aw come on, you guys know why," Ben was feeling embarrassed again. He already involved everyone today, but his personal feelings were still something he wanted to keep private.

"Not until you say it," Poe sing-songed teasingly.

"Jesus did my mother put you guys up to this?" he rolled his eyes, avoiding the situation. They all laughed.

"Rey told us how she felt, it's only right that you tell us how you feel too. So we know you're not going to hurt her again," Finn explained.

Well he already looked like a complete maniac to his friends running around all day. Why not be a love-sick maniac while he was at it?

"I didn't want to hurt her in the first place, Finn. I love her."

"EEEEEP!" Kaydel and Rose squealed, hands over their mouths, grinning from cheek to cheek.

"And the truth comes out," Poe coolly said, crossing his arms and smiling at his friend.

"About damn time," Finn high-fived Poe.

"So… will you help me out?" Ben politely asked them.

All too soon, the smiles faded from everyone's faces.

"I wish I could help you man, but she didn't say anything to me. And there was nothing in our talks that I could think of to help you find her," Poe said apologetically as he wiped down the counter in front of him.

Ben's desperation reached its end, his acceptance of failure started to overtake him.

"We're sorry, Ben," Rose patted his arm. "We really wish we could help you."

He nodded understandingly. He knew all about wanting to be alone, and with Rey not telling anyone, he accepted that she wanted her space. This was a dead end.

He turned to his oldest friend once more.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" He knew it was an empty question to ask Poe, but he had nothing else in him.

They all noticed his sullen expression. But no one was able to help him. Rey ghosted everyone.

"I don't know, Ben," Poe sighed in frustration. "If you were sad and wanted to be happy again, where would you go?"

Suddenly it all became clear. It was as if Poe revealed the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. Well, it helped him find his answer at least.

"You're a GENIUS. Thanks buddy!" he hollered.

Ben dug for his phone in his pocket and struggled to turn it on.

"Shit, my phone died. Can I use your phone?" he asked Poe.

"Yeah, use the wall phone at the front," he instructed him. "Kay, can you help him out?"

She nodded and gestured for Ben to follow. He wasted no time and hurried over with her to the front of the restaurant to make a call.

"He thinks I'm a genius," Poe bragged happily.

"Like we need another reason for your ego to grow," Rose rolled her eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he teased his friend.

"Yeah, yeah smarty pants. How about you pour me another beer then?" Finn chuckled.

"Make that two!" Rose requested.

Poe chuckled and started to fill their mugs. Then a horrible thought occurred in his mind.

"Dear god I hope Rey didn't go back to Vegas!" he said in sheer terror.

"Well you were a genius for 30 seconds," Finn joked.

"That's a new record!" his girlfriend chimed in.

It took a minute for Ben to remember the number he needed to dial, but when he did, thankfully he got an answer right away.

"Hello?"

"Hux! It's me Ben."

"Hey man, where are you?"

"I'm at the Cantina. Phone died. Using the bar phone. Are you still at my loft?"

"Yup. Was waiting for you to come back. If you don't mind, we ate like half your snacks in the pantry. Needed to tame my buzz."

"I don't care," he dismissed, "I'm going to need you and Phasma to come down here."

"Yeah sure. We'll leave right now." Hux was a bit concerned hearing Ben like this. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just been running around all day. Oh and before you go, can you grab something for me?"

~.~.~.~

While they waited for Hux and Phasma, Ben caught everyone up to the current status of their annulment. Naturally, Kaydel and Rose cooed at Ben's resolve to find Rey and they were all pleased to hear that the annulment was still not final. There was still hope. When the couple arrived, Poe, Finn, Rose, and Kaydel were sitting around the bar casually. Ben on the other hand was tapping his hands and feet erratically.

"Hey guys, got here as soon as we could, what's going on?" Hux wondered.

"I don't know. I said something brilliant and the man went crazy," Poe humble-bragged.

Ben shot up from his seat, causing everyone to turn to his direction.

"Whoa, Ben. You're jumpy. Are you alright?" Phasma asked him.

"No, yeah I'm fine. Just got a lot going on up here," he pointed at his cranium.

"Take a breather before you pass out," Phasma suggested.

"No thanks," He said.

"Ben, you're scaring us," Rose said aloud. "Are you okay?"

He looked at everyone, took a deep breath like Phasma asked, and spoke up.

"I'm sorry. I just- I don't have time to explain. I don't want to waste any more time."

"You're not making any sense, but okay?" Phasma replied.

"Can I borrow your car?" he asked Hux.

"You don't seem like you're in the right state of mind to be driving," Hux was concerned.

"I am. I just need to go somewhere."

"Where?" Hux asked.

"He's trying to find Rey," Poe reminded everyone.

"No shit, Sherlock," Finn slapped the back of his head. "Hux meant if Ben knew where she was. I thought you were a genius?"

"OW!" Poe slapped Finn back, the two men lightly bantering. Kaydel and Rose tried to pry them apart.

Ignoring them, Ben asked Hux again.

"I really need your car, man."

"Do you even know where she is?" Phasma asked.

"I do."

All side conversations ended abruptly. They all once again gave their attention to Ben.

"You do?" Rose said.

Everyone was surprised. Rey didn't tell a single person where she had gone.

"Yes," he said simply. "Hux, did you bring what I asked?"

His friend nodded and fished out the picture frame Ben asked him to grab from the bookshelf and handed it over. Poe didn't know it was Rey's when he packed her things, so it stayed behind. When Ben found it on the shelf that night, he didn't have the heart to ask Poe to come back for it. He kept it instead, the last reminder of Rey in his loft.

"Is that Rey's?" Rose recognized the photo immediately.

"You think she's there?" Finn wondered.

"Yes, I do," Ben was confident.

"How do you know?" Poe asked.

"Because he just does, you guys," Kaydel smiled at Ben. She wasn't close enough as any of them were with each other, but she knew a grand gesture when she saw one.

Ben looked at Kaydel and the two shared curt nods. He appreciated that someone was on his side. "Thank you," he mouthed to her. She winked at him encouragingly.

"Where is that?" the photographer in Phasma wondered aloud.

No one knew where Rey had taken that photo. She went there alone and never shared the location with anyone.

"No idea. But I'm going to find it."

"If you take my car, how are Phasma and I supposed to get home?" Hux wondered.

"We'll take you guys home," Finn offered.

Hux nodded, but he still wasn't sure that Ben was in the right state to do this alone.

"Let's us go with you at least, buddy," he offered.

"Yeah, we'll all go together. Help you bring Rey back," Rose agreed.

"Please you guys," he begged. "I need to do this myself."

"We just don't want anything bad to happen to you, Ben," Phasma was still worried about him.

They all looked at him with great concern. He knew they meant well, but this was the most important thing he was going to do. And it needed to be done his way.

"I need to go to Rey," he firmly stood his ground. "And I have to do it alone."

They weren't sure if this was a good idea. They weren't even sure if Rey would actually be where Ben thought she'd be. But Kaydel once again glanced at the group and encouraged them all to trust this man who was putting his heart on his sleeve. This was a grand gesture. Ben was finally going after what he wanted.

When they all nodded in agreement, Hux fished his pockets for his car keys and handed them over to his friend.

"Go get your ex ex-wife."

A/N: The song Ben listens to is "Greek Tragedy" by The Wombats. Did anyone catch my Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference? ;) Also, if you didn't already notice, I take quotes from the SW movies and movie with the same name and incorporate them in dialogue.

A/N: Preview of next chapter: The Lighthouse

"You found me."

"You are hard to find, Rey."

"You're hard to get rid of," she softly smiled.