The roar of the ocean subsided beneath the cliffs of Chandrila, soothed and satiated in the wake of the passing storm. The rhythmic rise and fall of waves against the cliff face hushed in the distance as Ben and Rey clung to each other.
Rey closed her eyes, ear pressed against Ben's chest as she listened to the soothing drumming of his heart. His hands clamped around her back, holding her close.
"What are you doing here?" Ben's voice was heady and desperate as he stroked her hair.
"I came with Finn on a story—I didn't even know who he was interviewing until we got here." She tucked her head beneath his chin. "Your mother banished me from the house for asking too many questions about you."
He chuckled. "I bet she did."
The surface of the pond shimmered in the salty wind as Rey glided her fingers over Ben's torso. There were goosebumps on his arms, and even now he tried to steady himself from shivering.
How long had he been walking the grounds out here? She felt a rush of guilt, knowing she'd been the reason he'd sought to punish himself in the bitter cold and rain.
"Rey." His voice was hushed against the rush of waves. "I'm so sorry."
"Shhh." She hugged him tighter. "I should have let you explain."
"You were right to run."
"Don't say that."
"When I think about that night, what I did to you …"
"Please." She reached up on her tippy-toes, pressing hurried kisses between whispered breaths. "Please stop. I forgive you."
He started at the words and she wondered if anyone had ever said them to him before.
"I forgive you, okay?"
He nodded, but even now she could see that these thoughts hadn't left completely. She wondered if they ever would, or if he would live with the guilt of his actions forever.
She focused on the rippling water, at the lotus flowers dancing on the surface, trying to think of a way to reassure him. Rey had no idea how any of this would pan out. Their whole relationship, or whatever it was, had been built on deception, contrived by Snoke. He must have thought she would hurt him, that he would ruin her, but somehow they'd found each other, despite everything, Rey had found her home with him.
That's something she would never give up.
"I'll stand with you, Ben." She kissed him again. "No matter what happens from here, I'll stand with you till the end."
He met each one of her kisses, deepening them with every shared breath. When they pulled away, at last, something had changed in his expression. She waited for him to speak, but he just nodded, brushing his fingers below her bottom lip, as if savouring the curve of her chin, the angle of her jaw, lengthening falling strokes down her neck. Rey shivered, heat radiating as his fingers trailed down her skin.
"Did my parents tell you the truth?" he asked.
"No, it was Maz. If you can believe that?"
He shook his head, bemused. "Now I've seen everything."
She smiled. This evening a brush of stubble shadowed his chin. His hair was messy, tossed by wind, rain and sea salt.
At what point had he become so beautiful to her?
She thought back to the first night he'd stood in her doorway, a monster of man, dwarfing the light. He'd reminded her of the night with his piercing eyes and scowl. How he'd refused to look her in the eye even as he'd taken her that night.
He was not what she expected. And, he still wasn't. With every moment, she had a new understanding of him and the sacrifices he made for her.
That he was still making.
"I know you're Poe's source."
Ben raised his eyebrows, and she was happy to surprise him.
"I've been trying to find a way out for years now. It was Lor's idea to act as the middle man—" He stopped, unable to meet her gaze.
"You've been carrying this alone for so long. You don't have to now."
He dropped his head to hers, wrapping her in close again. They moved in unison, swaying between the shadows, their waltz emerging into something more urgent with every dance of their lips. Ben's hand splayed across her back, pulling her into him to feel — - everything, the unsteadiness of his breath, the heat pressing into her. The way he burned for her, it drove her to feel things … to do things she never had the courage to do before.
She released a moan at grasping fingers hungering after her, they'd tunnelled beneath her top, finding bare skin, rubbing and pressing her ever closer.
"Is there somewhere we can go?" she asked, breathless.
"My old bedroom. We can sneak in..." He cupped his hands over her backside as his tongue ravaged her mouth, a promise of what was to come.
Ben always moved with fiery intensity and this charge was no different. It was an attack on her senses, the outside world slipped away, as every surge of desire drove down her body.
It was the reason she hadn't heard the footsteps, or noticed the tiny gut-instinct that warned her they were being watched …
A branch snapped, followed by a muffled curse and Rey pulled away from him, lips raw and red, heart dropping at the sight before her.
Finn was standing less than three metres away, mouth agape.
"Rey," he said in the tone of one who was trying to get her to back away from a wild animal. "What's going on?"
"I'll tell you what the hell is going on." Poe stormed from behind him like a scorpion ready to strike, teeth clenched and anger burned into every line of his brow. "She's with him — Kylo Ren!"
The walk back to the house was bad enough. The night was closing in, with painted streaks of pink disappearing into grey. Rey clasped Ben's hand, a reminder that she wouldn't let go. Even after Poe had called him out, he'd said nothing.
Once inside, Rey and Kylo sat on a mahogany and ivory chaise lounge, huddled together like they were standing trial, while Poe stood before them, dialling his phone.
"Poe, would you put the damn phone down and just listen!" Rey had tried to keep the panic out of her voice to little avail.
Poe ignored her, bringing the phone to his ear.
"Hello, yeah, put me through to Detective Wexley." He glared at them both. "Yeah, I'll hold."
"Just listen first!" Rey shouted, tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. She wanted to jump to her feet and throw his phone out the window, except Ben had placed a steadying hand over her knee as if sensing her thoughts.
Poe pointed at her. "You have been lying to us the entire time! Why would any of us listen to you!"
"Oh, Poe, stop it!" Leia snatched the phone out of his hand. Poe's face turned a shade of purple, but he didn't retaliate. "Pull your head in and listen for once."
"Did you know about this then?"
"We knew he was working for Snoke and we also know he's been working with you to bring Snoke down for the last five years."
"I was working with Lor San Tekka and he's dead." The floorboards creaked beneath his feet as he paced the room. "Your son is the one who fucking murdered him! Or did he fail to mention that?"
Ben stiffened, and Rey weaved her fingers through his, squeezing them.
"San Tekka hadn't worked for the First Order for over a decade. He had nothing on them. That's why he asked Ben to help. Everything you got from Lor came from Ben at great risk to himself. For Christ's sake, Poe! Do you think he ever wanted this—" Leia's voice cracked under the weight of her words, and with perfect poise she walked back to Han's side, shaking her head in a way that prompted Han to rub the sides of her arms,
"Well, it's all for nothing anyway, the First Order has the USB drive and we have nothing." Poe flung himself onto the couch, exhausted and deflated. He rubbed his temples as though he were pushing away the beginnings of a migraine. "We had everything we needed on that drive, didn't you think to make a backup?"
"There was no time," Ben growled. "And if you knew he had it, why didn't you come and get it earlier?"
"Are you going to start with me now, Solo?"
Ben bristled beside her, his palms sweaty in her own. She gave his hand a soft squeeze again: Are you okay?
He returned the gesture. Yes.
She relaxed against him and let her gaze roam around the room. Finn avoided looking at anyone, focussed on picking at his thumbnail with a loud scratching sound, Han and Leia whispered to one another in the corner, and Poe tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. The rhythm of excess rain overflowing from the eves passed the time and everywhere there was a steady stream of sound except the place beside her.
Rey turned to him and Ben did not meet her gaze.
"You don't need the USB drive."
Everyone looked at Ben, his voice raspy like he hadn't spoken for days.
Rey felt like the blood in her veins had solidified. "What are you saying?"
Leia met her eyes, and Rey saw the same expression on her face, a silent realisation of what was about to happen.
"I'll turn myself in."
"No!" Rey cried.
"Tonight even, but first—" he pulled his hand out of hers. Rey tried to cling to it but her fingers closed on nothing as he repositioned his hand on top of her own. "I need to make sure Rey's safe."
"We're not doing this," she hissed at him. "This was never the plan."
"It was always my plan," he whispered beside her, low enough that the words were only for her.
An empty future spanned out before her, one where she went on being alone while Ben whittled away behind bars. He'd tell her to go and live her life, to forget she ever met him, that any of this had happened...
No! He wasn't going to do this. She reached out to the one person she believed could help her. "Leia, please! Tell him not to go this way!"
"You won't get a fair trial, even if you testify against Snoke. They will malign you and twist every detail of your case."
"It doesn't matter," Ben said resolutely. "If I come forward, then maybe some of the others will. You once told me I needed to face up to my mistakes—"
"Not like this," Rey whispered, choking back tears.
"Sweetheart." He brushed a finger across her cheek, but she turned her face and moved away from him.
Rey noticed Han skulking out from the corner, one hand in his pocket the other twitching at his side. Rey raised her eyebrows at him and he returned the look with a half-smile.
"There may be another option—" he muttered, and all eyes were on him. "You could run away. Both of you could."
Ben began to shake his head at the words but Han rushed to finish what he wanted to say before his son shut him down. "Apart from the people in this room, no one knows that Ben Solo and Kylo Ren are the same person."
Ben leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and clasping his hands together.
"Except Snoke."
The words dropped like breaking glass on tiles, stirring the room. Leia and Poe began arguing across the room, Finn alternated between defending each of them against the other, while Han moved between them, avoiding their wild gesticulations as he tried to pour a glass of whiskey.
"It could work," Han said as he passed them. "Lando and I could make it work."
Ben gave his dad a half-smile and turned back to Rey, no less resolved.
"My parents will take you somewhere safe tonight. We can arrange to pack up your apartment too but you shouldn't go back there—"
Rey was speechless, unable to steady the swell of emotions tearing at her heart. On one hand, she was overcome by the way that all his plans revolved around getting her to safety, but there was another part of her that was furious. He was cleaving from her, deciding her fate. She'd face Snoke herself if this is what it came down to.
"I have one more thing to organise and then you can go with them. You'll be safe with them, at least until Snoke is brought to justice."
"And who's to say the police aren't going to want to speak with her too?" Poe interjected.
"Dameron," Ben growled, his fists locked together, blood draining from the knuckles. The anger was still there, Rey thought; no matter how much he tried to control that part of himself, it would never truly leave him.
"You may be the best reporter on the Herald but you're still an arse."
Poe stiffened but didn't retort.
"I need about an hour," Ben continued, speaking to Finn instead. "Will you stay with her?"
Finn nodded, straightening at the question as though he were a soldier called to duty.
Ben reached for Rey's hands again, taking them in his own, so large they swallowed them up. "Promise me you won't run away this time."
She clenched her jaw like a vise. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she needed to say...
"Promise me!" Every muscle in his body tensed waiting for her answer.
Slowly, she nodded. In doing so his shoulders relaxed and for the first time since Poe had arrived, he smiled.
"Thank you." He leant forward, kissing her chastely on the forehead. Rey savoured the warmth of his lips on her skin, the smell of his bay rum aftershave and the touch of his fingers enclosed over her shoulders—but then the lounge squeaked and her body levelled out as his weight left the chair which felt hard without him sitting beside her.
Poe walked them to the door and the last thing she saw was Ben and him talking together. While she couldn't hear them, there was no anger in their expressions and at the end, they shook hands: a pact.
The emptiness of the room swallowed Rey. She perched on the edge of the lounge, legs bouncing up and down, as she leant over and grabbed a magazine from the coffee table.
Top ten sex secrets revealed. How to choose the right mascara. My boyfriend works for the mob!—She flicked through the pages, glassy-eyed. She looked up at the door to Finn. He had thrown his full concentration on peeling a small apple sticker that had gotten stuck on his leather jacket. He didn't look up at her, but Rey could sense his awareness of her.
Had she disappointed him too? He was the last person Rey had ever wanted to lie to, and yet he was the one she had lied to the most.
Poe cleared his throat. By this point, he had slumped into the armchair again, arms folded, chewing on his lip, dark eyes roving between Rey and the wall clock. It ticked loudly, the sharp mechanical tap setting her nerves on edge.
Rey sat with a straight back, knees pressed together and ankles to the side. It was the way they taught ladies to sit in old black and white movies. For some reason she chose to adopt it now, feeling haughty and aloof. It gave her the illusion that she was the one in control... and not Poe.
He was watching her, he'd never stopped. Studying the way she held herself, how she pretended to read, every minute movement did not go unnoticed
When she looked up, the glare between them was palpable, like a black band of smoke reaching from one to the other.
We both want the same thing. She forced herself to take a steadying breath.
"I wonder if they have any cards here." Finn began idly opening drawers of the buffet.
"Yeah, good idea," Poe conceded with a tired voice.
"Here." Finn grabbed a deck and settled next to Rey, dealing them out. The lounge didn't dip nearly so much as when Finn sat beside her.
"So, who goes first?" Poe asked. "Do you want to start, Rey?"
She startled, surprised by the kindness in his tone. It was another angle perhaps? Or maybe he'd just grown tired of fighting.
"Sure." Rey took the pile of cards Finn had sorted for her. She had no idea what they were playing.
Rey fanned the cards out in front of her, staring mutely. Was this all she could do now? Sit here and play a stupid game of cards while Ben risked everything to keep her safe.
She began sorting them from highest to lowest when they slipped through her fingers like rain. Her eyes pooled, as she looked at the blood-red numbers smeared messily across the rug.
"Peanut." Finn slung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close.
"Poe, I know I kept this from you." She wiped her runny nose with the sleeve of her jacket. "But Snoke has been manipulating and blackmailing Ben since he was a child. He couldn't escape, he—his back…it's covered in scars. He barely sleeps, he—"
She rubbed the tears away, breathing heavily to keep the tide of emotion at bay. It wasn't helping to have Finn stroking her hand with his thumb in gentle circles.
"Damn it." She wanted to manage this without falling apart.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
"He's turning himself in, Rey. I can't change that. He'd always meant to do it."
"You can't know that…"
"I don't know how long you've known Ben for but there's one thing I can tell you about him—"
He paused for effect. She didn't give him any.
"He never changes. Once his mind's set on something, he follows through with it obsessively.
Why do you think he got caught up in all this in the first place? Because he decided he wasn't going to come back home. Most kids, they get over this stuff, you know? They realise, 'shit, I stuffed up and now I'm going to come back home again.' Not Ben. He had to keep going…"
Poe let out an exhausted sigh.
"I don't see what's wrong with a bit of follow through," Rey said stiffly.
"That is because you're blind when it comes to him. Ask yourself, how far will he go to make this right? I mean, do you even know where he is right now?"
No. She didn't know that. Why hadn't she thought to ask? Surely, he wouldn't do anything too foolish.
But this was Ben she was talking about. And — shit. "What's he doing?"
"I have no fucking clue, but I'll tell you now, he's going to throw himself under the bus for all this. At least—" He leant forward, voice low. "I might have something that will help when he does."
He placed a phone at the centre of the coffee table went into the voice recorder. "This came in earlier today. It belonged to Lor San Tekka. Here." He pressed play. "Listen for yourself."
"I'm not hiding anything. If the First Order is to burn, Kylo Ren will burn with it."
"Ben — " An older man followed, Lor she assumed. His voice was full of tenderness and regret.
"Snoke has a hit on you."
"That old bastard's had a hit on me since I left the First Order."
"But this time—" Ben's voice failed.
"Snoke will send you after me." Lor guessed what he would say. "And Kylo Ren never misses."
"Maybe it's time I started."
"No," Lor answered. "Not this time. If Snoke discovers you're the leak, then any chance we had of destroying the First Order is over. You need to protect your position, play the game. It's not worth risking everything for—"
There was a strained silence. "You will need to do it, Ben."
Rey's breath hitched in her chest. She could picture him there, struggling with the choices laid before him.
"We have to see this through. Who will be next, your father? Your mother? The reporter? This girl Snoke's toying with in front of you? The bastard will never stop until he's removed everyone you've ever cared about."
Poe turned it off and all three of them stared at the phone in silence.
"Shit," Finn said at last.
"It will help. I'm not sure how much, but it will help."
Rey couldn't stop staring at the screen, the home screen was a picture of an old man with white stubble, and a young child on his lap, arms flung around his neck with raven black hair.
How was she supposed to let him take the fall for everything?
"Is there any way we can keep him out of this?"
It was Finn, and Rey could have kissed him for it.
"He's the only one who's willing to speak out against Snoke. If we had the USB drive, then maybe we would have enough evidence to bring him down and keep Ben out of it for the most part … but, Rey, he's not gonna get out of this scot-free."
Just then the phone rang, and they jumped at the tinny mechanical sound.
"Well, that's freaky," Finn said.
They each moved closer, reading the name of the incoming caller: Pick up.
Poe reached his hand out and pressed answer like he was testing a live wire.
"Who is this?"
"I need to speak to Rey. It's urgent," a scratchy voice came from the device.
"Who the hell is this?" Poe barked.
"Rey. Now!"
Poe and Finn looked at her and she shook her head in confusion.
"Look, buddy, she doesn't know you and ..."
There was a click, and the phone went dead.
"That was weird. Wasn't that weird?" Finn asked.
Poe retrieved the phone, examining it in a new light.
"Should we call him back?"
Rey was about to speak when someone hammered on the front door.
"What the fuck is going on?" Poe hissed, rushing to the window with Finn. "Can you see anything?"
Finn peered out into the black night. "Nothing. It's too dark."
The hair on the back of Rey's neck pricked as she joined them at the window. It was like staring into a black mirror, remnants of the rainstorm had left leaves and grass splattered on the window, dark shadows of eucalyptus trees thrashed their canopies above, but apart from twisted shapes and shadows, they couldn't see anyone out there.
The phone dinged again, this time with a message: Open the door.
Poe raised a finger to his lips as he looked back to Rey and Finn, hand outstretched towards to door handle, waiting. "Who's out there?"
Finn had clasped Rey's hand on the way to the door. He was nervous; she could tell by the clammy collection of sweat piled in her palm.
"Will you stop holding my hand!" She attempted to yank it back. His gesture had been a small thing, but she'd had enough today. So far, she'd been forced to wait, listen and surrender her own will to that of others.
Yes, they were trying to protect her but come on! She scowled at them both. She was an adult who had lived on the streets as a kid, had her life sold and become a target of the First Order. She was Skywalker's Martial Arts only female black belt 9th dan, and she was done!
"What are you doing!?" Finn hissed as she ripped the door open.
To their surprise, a man shorter than herself blinked in the doorway, his oversized Adidas jumper attempting to add bulk to a small frame. He looked to be the same age as Rey, and just as scared.
"Err … is this the Solo residence?"
Rey yanked him inside by the collar, slamming his chest against the door frame. "Who are you?"
"Dom," the man choked out. "I work with Kylo."
"You work for Snoke?" Finn stormed up beside them both.
"Yes."
Rey smashed him against the door frame again and he grimaced.
"No! It's not like that. I have a way to help you."
Poe yanked on a red and yellow cable tie they'd used to fix Dom to the chair.
"Is that tight enough for you?"
"It's great," Dom said through gritted teeth. "Perhaps a cup of tea when you get a chance?"
Poe's fist clenched and Rey flashed him a stern look. "Go get him a drink."
"You've got to be kidding me?" Poe scoffed, but as if seeing something in Rey's expression, he nodded and disappeared down the hallway, grumbling about it all the way.
Finn stepped in next to Rey, arms folded. "Talk. Fast."
"Four years ago, I was testing out a new program I'd created to bypass bank security settings. I figured I'd try a safer target first, so I tested it out on the First Order's software, I got caught and Snoke offered me a job…:
Dom laughed bitterly. "And when I say 'offered'…"
"You mean he blackmailed you?" Rey asked.
"Yeah, fucking freak had his knights come after me on the same day. A few teeth later, and six broken bones—thanks to your boyfriend—here I am."
Rey nodded, trying to figure out whether he could be trusted.
"I'd been trying to get out, you know? Swiping intel on Snoke when I could, but it was difficult. I didn't have much standing amongst the knights or Snoke. I got a few things, the odd case of fraud, blackmail."
Poe returned with a cup of water.
"One night, Snoke had left his laptop on and I'd come close to pulling all the intel on the Resistance bombing. That's when I realised it had already been erased. Every single incriminating piece of evidence against the First Order. Gone."
He paused, smiling at Rey. "That's when I figured out what Kylo had done."
Finn exchanged a glance with Rey. "You're talking about the flash drive?"
"Snoke knew Kylo had been working against him for a while now. Why do you think he's been playing all these mind games with him?" He looked at Rey. "Why do you think he brought you in? As soon as he suspected what Kylo was up to he removed every shred of evidence from his laptop. What he didn't count on was that Kylo had already skimmed most of it. That flash drive's got everything. The only proof anyone has that ties Snoke to the Resistance bombing." Dom paused, his crooked smile overtaking his stern features. "And I know where it is."
"Where?" Rey and Finn asked at the same time.
"Snoke's personal firebug, Armitage Hux, took it on the night of San Tekka's hit. Kylo's been trying to get it ever since. He figured Hux must have given it back to Snoke to get in his good graces, but—" he smiled grimly—"Hux isn't like that."
"Where is it then?" Finn asked
"He keeps it on him. He knows Kylo's probably going to search his place at some point. So the only person who has a chance of getting it off him is the girl he's booked in with tonight."
Poe grabbed a handful of nuts from the coffee table. "And who might that be?"
He turned to Rey, a sparkle in his green-blue eyes. "Her."
"No way!" Finn cried.
"Yeah," Poe added, a moment too slow. "She's not going back."
"Rey's the only one who can switch it. Look, in my left pocket." Dom leaned over to the side, attempting to point a finger down towards his back pocket. "I've made a replica. All she has to do is switch it, get it out of there, and you'll have all the evidence you need."
Poe rubbed his chin, an eyebrow cocked in Rey's direction.
"It's too dangerous." Poe added. "I imagine."
"You imagine?" Rey scoffed at him, she knew as well as he did how much getting this drive meant to him. This story had become his life, just as much as it had become hers "This Hux guy, is he big?"
"Not at all, he's a pasty rat-faced git, who's probably never done a day's hard work in his life," Dom laughed. "He wouldn't be difficult to overpower."
The tension in the room was palpable, unsaid words hung like atmospheric electricity. Poe's teeth clenched together, something like a grim smile curled onto his lips, while Rey had leant back her armchair, refusing to take her eyes off Dom.
"I checked the books, you're on in an hour."
She checked the clock. It wasn't really a question of whether she would go. She'd decided as soon as Dom had mentioned the drive.
But, still, the whole thing made her nervous. She had promised, after all.
"What's in it for you?"
"Escape. Revenge. Resolution. Take your choice." Dom shrugged his shoulders, the frosted tips of his hair falling across his forehead. He shifted his gaze between Finn and Poe, watching for their reaction. There was more … he just wasn't saying it yet.
But that hardly mattered.
"Fine." Rey got to her feet, ignoring the horrified looks on the faces of her friends. "Untie him. I'm going back."