A/N - Another short chapter! Enjoy!

Rey knew that she shouldn't do it, but she couldn't stop herself from slipping out the back entrance to the base and into the surrounding woods. Being in nature was the only thing that had brought her peace in the last couple of months, and now that she needed it most, she was under orders to stay inside.

But after the events of the past few hours she didn't give a damn what she was or was not supposed to do. Not anymore.

Reaching a small pond, she sat among the roots of a large tree as she surveyed the area around her. The water was pristine, clear, not even a ripple disturbing the glass surface.

She folded her hands beneath her, resting her head upon them as she sprawled out on the ground, content to lie amongst the trees and find solace in the beauty of nature.

Soon enough, a figure crept into sight. Rey's head shot up as Leia came to stand before her. To her surprise, the older woman simply took a seat next to her on the ground.

"You have to stop taking off like that."

"I can take care of myself," Rey told her. "What are you doing out here, General?"

"Looking for you," Leia responded simply. "So, Rey. What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to tell him?"

Rey froze beneath the older woman's gaze.

"You… you know?"

"About your connection with Ben?" Leia finished with a smile. "Of course. I know that look in your eyes. I wore it once, when I met his father. Loving someone you shouldn't is no easy feat."

"There's still good in him," Rey told her desperately. "He treated me well, he… he taught me how to read, made sure I had food. He would never hurt me."

"I know," Leia replied simply.

"And you would allow him to be killed in this attack?"

Leia shifted in distress but her eyes were sad and resigned.

"That is not my intention, but he chose his loyalties a long time ago. We are on separate sides of this war. There is nothing that I can do about that now," she admitted. "But maybe you can."

She shook her head, hating the fact that she had the urge to cry again.

"How? If I join him, I forfeit my life. If he tries to join us, Snoke will strike him down. Even if he succeeds, he won't be accepted here. And if we remain on opposite sides… I'll lose him. I don't know what to do."

"I didn't say that it would be easy," Leia told her, rising to her feet. Rey followed numbly.

"I don't know when he'll be back," she whispered.

"He won't be away for long."

"You don't know that."

Leia stopped abruptly and turned to face her in the dwindling daylight. The strong resemblance she bore to her son tugged at her heart.

"I do know it," Leia said firmly. "There is more of his father in him than he knows. He won't be able to stay away for long."

"I… I love him," she confessed, and Leia smiled, taking her hand.

"I know that, Rey. And I know that he loves you too."

Leia released her as the two began to move again through the woods.

"Ben was always distant from others, even as a child," Leia continued. "I didn't know if he would ever be capable of loving someone, not more than his power. You may be the first thing he has ever chosen over his legacy. The first sign of disloyalty he's ever exhibited toward Snoke."

Rey was silent for a moment.

"But he hasn't chosen me."

"He's chosen you more than I've ever seen him choose anything else. He saved you. That means something," Leia paused for a moment. "You are also going to have to do something about Finn."

"Finn?" She asked in confusion.

"He's in love with you."

Rey frowned. Leia was right, she had to make it clear to Finn that there would never be anything between them. She hadn't been fair to him lately. Telling him no, while still leaning on him to help get her through the past few months.

Guilt and self hatred twisted through her stomach. Finn was going to hurt again because of her.

She knew now, though, that even if she never saw Ben again, he would always own her heart. There could never be anything between her and Finn.

"That woman that held him, she was awful to him in there, wasn't she?"

Leia seemed hesitant to confirm her words, but she had never sugarcoated anything for Rey before.

"She was, and Finn is convinced that it was the same for you."

"I've told him it wasn't."

"It's easier for him to think of all of the people in the First Order as monsters."

Rey frowned as she glanced up at her.

"Even though he was a stormtrooper?"

Leia sighed.

"What was done to him in there was something awful, Rey. We will never know the extent of the cruelty he experienced, of the abuse that he took. No one comes out of that completely normal - his hatred and resentment are understandable."

Rey swallowed heavily. She hated the awful situation that they were stuck in, hated the fact that she would have to choose between Ben and the Resistance.

Most of all, she hated the fact that she was becoming increasingly worried and fearful of Finn.

A/N - Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, and predictions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

~ Elizabeth (FanOfDeliciousFlavour)