Rey watched in amazement as Ben reappeared before her eyes lying in the same place, he had disappeared just moments before.
'I thought I had lost you,' Rey sobbed as she held out her hand and helped him to sit up.
'I thought I was lost,' Ben replied, touching her cheek. 'My mother, she came to me and gave me the last of her life force, it regenerated me somehow.'
Rey hugged him close, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Marvelling in the feel of him.
'Is it over now?' she asked.
'Yes,' 'Ben replied, hugging her to him and burying his head in her shoulder.
Rey pulled away and searched his eyes.
'Can we go somewhere? Away from here? Just me and you?' Rey asked.
Ben smiled at her.
'I know just the place,' he replied.
One month later…
'You don't want that one,' said the old lady pointing to the hissing, spitting animal in the makeshift cage at the end of her market stall.
Rey squeezed Ben's hand. He understood immediately that Rey wanted to adopt the poor unwanted animal.
'We'll take it,' Ben said.
Rey smiled up at him.
The old woman looked at them both as if she thought they were mad.
'That loth-cat is a menace, if you take her, you'll be sorry,' she warned.
'We'll see,' Ben said with a crooked grin.
Back home Rey tried to coax the skittish creature out of its cage. Crouching down she reached out her hand. The animal backed away from her, swiping a paw at her outstretched fingers.
Ben felt Rey's disappointment.
'She just needs time,' Ben said. 'We all do.'
Rey huffed and kneeled down on the floor. Ben chuckled.
'Always so impatient,' he said leaning down to kiss her forehead.
'I just hate to see any living thing in pain,' she replied gently.
A million thoughts travelled through his head. All the times that Rey has reached out to him and he had bitten her hand instead of taking it. He had been a fool not to realise what was right in front of him.
'You have a good heart, Rey. In time she'll see that just as I did, but for now, why don't we use a little mental persuasion.'
Ben crouched down next to Rey and held out his hand towards the animal. Suddenly the Loth-Cat came out of its cage, sat down and cocked its head at them. Two black balls of glass observed them curiously.
Rey held out her hand once more and the animal sniffed at her before letting out a little chirp.
Ben felt Rey's heart leap at the positive contact.
'What should we call her?' Rey asked.
'How about chirp?' Ben asked.
'Chirp!' said their new house guest.
'I like it, and I think she does too,' Rey stood up. 'Do you want some food little one?'
The cat hissed and returned to its cage. Ben shrugged.
'We just gotta take it a day at a time,' he said.
'That's okay, I can wait. I'm good at waiting,' Rey said. Ben came towards her and pressed a kiss to her lips, brushing his fingers lightly across her neck.
'But this time, you won't be waiting alone, I'll be there every step of the way,' he murmured.
Rey looked at her arms.
'I have four new scratches today,' she observed.
Ben stopped preparing their lunch and walked over to her. He placed his hand on her arm and closed his eyes. Rey felt as if a warm wave of water was washing over her entire body.
'All gone,' she heard Ben say. She opened her eyes and smiled at Ben.
'It's handy having my own healer,' she said looking down at her injury free skin.
'Agreed,' Ben said smiling back at her.
Chirp slowly came out from under the table and looked at them.
'Don't move,' Rey whispered. Ben froze in place.
Chirp tentatively moved closer to them until she was pressed up against Ben's leg. Ben picked some meat up off the counter and dropped it. Chirp caught it in her mouth and meowed for more.
'Progress!' Rey said excitedly.
Ben dropped some more meat for Chirp to catch.
'Maybe she is finally realising she shouldn't bite the hand that feeds her,' Ben suggested.
'Let's hope so, she's ripped three of my tunics this week,' Rey moaned.
'You look better in mine anyway,' Ben said with a smirk.
'Ben come see!'
Ben entered their small bedroom and smiled at Rey who sat crossed legged on the floor with Chirp curled up on her lap.
'She came over all by herself! I didn't even need to use mind control.'
'That's wonderful honey, I'm so proud of you.'
'I'm proud of us all,' Rey said beaming up at him.
Chirp purred softly and Rey put a hand over her heart. She let out a contented sigh.
'I finally feel like we are a family.'
Ben crouched down and took her hand in his bringing it to his lips and placing a soft kiss against her skin.
'That's exactly what we are,' he agreed.
When Rey awoke the next morning, her first thought was of Chirp. Then she felt something heavy on her chest. She looked down to see Chirp curled up on top of her. Tears sprang to her eyes.
'There's my baby,' Rey murmured stroking the cats spotted fur and eliciting a purr from Chirp.
Ben turned to look at them both and smiled.
'Morning ladies,' he said. At the sound of his voice Chirp's ears pricked up and she opened her glassy black eyes and blinked at him.
'Awww, blinking is a sign of love for loth-cats,' Rey said.
Ben reached out a hand and stroked Chirps head. She leaned into his touch.
'It feels good to gain her trust, it makes me think that there's hope for me,' Ben confessed.
Rey kissed him.
'You are good, Ben. You are worthy.'
Ben swallowed hard and nodded at her, tears forming in his eyes. Chirp walked over to him and brushed her tail against his nose making him sneeze. They both laughed.
'I think that's her way of saying get up and feed me,' Rey giggled.
Ben shook his head as he got out of bed.
'Another hungry little mouth to feed,' he joked.
Rey laughed and messed up his hair. She watched with delight as Chirp trotted out of the room in Ben's wake.
'I think we're going to be alright,' she said to herself.
Two weeks later…
Rey walked into the kitchen to see Ben kneading dough vigorously. Chirp was in her usual place balanced across his shoulders asleep while he worked.
'I don't know how she can sleep up there and not worry about falling,' Rey said.
'Because she knows I'd catch her,' Ben replied.
Rey smiled.
'I love the feeling of harmony in our little home,' she said as she poured herself a glass of water.
'It's more than I ever allowed myself to hope for,' Ben replied. He stopped kneading the bread and walked over to the table. Chirp jumped down onto the surface to rub her nose against Rey's and stick her tongue in her mama's water glass for a drink.
Ben took Rey's hands in his.
'I've been thinking about this and before, I was worried that we couldn't handle it. I was worried that we wouldn't make good parents but now, I think we can do anything we set our minds to.'
'So, you're finally coming round to the idea of children in our future?'
'I am.'
Rey smiled with delight. Chirp looked at them both and blinked.
'We love you too, baby girl,' Rey said reaching over to scratch behind one of Chirps ears.
'How about when the time comes, we adopt an unwanted child?' Rey asked.
'I think that's a wonderful idea,' Ben agreed.
'What do you think, Chirp?' Rey asked.
Chirp meowed.
'I think she approves,' Ben said with a smile.
'It just shows what a little love can do for an unwanted creature,' Rey said with tears in her eyes.
Ben wiped her tears away.
'No one in this house fits that description anymore, Rey, thanks to you.'
He leaned forward and kissed her gently, the bond between them sang and Chirp leaned forward to headbutt them, wanting the attention back on her.
They all laughed and Rey began to feel excited about their future together. A future filled with laughter and hope and most of all, love.