A/N: Thanks for reviewing!

Continue toward the goal in sight no matter what the cost, emboldened by this chance, I'm not afraid to get lost

Bringing someone back from the Vergence Scatter was exhausting, it turned out, so Rey dozed a bit on the trip back to Coruscant. Ben sat next to her on the seats in the common area and let her lean against him. She might have slept if it weren't for the nervous energy radiating off of him. It fed her own worries about bringing him back to the Resistance – to the New Republic. She hadn't told anyone of the goal for this mission, and only Poe may have guessed the truth of it. Perhaps Rose was right and Ben should go elsewhere until she could join him.

Sitting up abruptly, she studied his expression, aware he was doing the same to her. She swallowed, having perhaps forgotten what it was like to be truly seen like this, like he understood her every thought. "Ben," she forced out. "Where do you want to go?"

"Finn told me that he's helping stormtroopers overcome their programming, and was hoping I might assist him," he said slowly.

She frowned, surprised. "Why?"

He looked away, his mouth working in that way of his. "I am familiar with the infrastructure of the First Order and could be very useful to the effort of dismantling it. I… think he means for me to be an example for the reformed troops. That anyone can choose to be on the right side."

"Did he say that to you?" she demanded, bristling at the idea of the burdens and choices of Ben's life being used in such a utilitarian manner.

To her surprise, he turned back to her with a fond expression. It was suddenly very difficult to keep her train of thought and she flushed. "No, Rey. But my circumstances are not unlike theirs, being groomed to serve Snoke from a young age and never really allowed to consider that there were any other options."

He took a deep, shuddering breath and she bit her lip as she watched his chest stretch his shirt.

"I still don't know if I believe that there are. I… I knew, after you – after what happened on the Death Star wreckage. I knew I couldn't be that person anymore and I was so very tired of trying. There was no reason to stay, and I thought I might have a reason to leave. So I went after you but I didn't think beyond that. I never considered what would happen if this all ended, if we won." He spoke slowly, as if articulating his feelings were an unfamiliar exercise.

She took his hand and waited for him to look at her again. "Neither did I. None of us did, I think. It's been a difficult few weeks as we're all trying to come to terms with a new galaxy and a New Republic that won't let the remnants of another empire fester in the dark. After we defeated the Final Order, we all went to Coruscant to start fixing things. We took a lot of prisoners with us, but Finn told us that we couldn't just imprison everyone who was part of the First Order or the Empire. That capturing anyone who didn't help us against them would lead to half the galaxy in our prisons. We needed to give asylum, not punishment.

"It wasn't a popular opinion at first. People were hurting and wanted someone to pay for what happened. But Lando talked about his place in the Rebellion. It made a difference, hearing his account of turning, and then we heard from Jannah and her company of defectors. Some of the Resistance still left, but the rest started the work of helping everyone, even those from the other side."

She paused, caught up in the memory. "I went to Tatooine for a while after that. I think… I hadn't let myself grieve for you, or even process what had happened. But I think seeing all of these people from the First Order welcomed without a fuss and I… At least when we were on separate sides, I could tell myself we were apart for a good reason. That my friends would never accept you and I'd have to choose between the right side and being with you. But seeing how much my side valued defectors from yours…" She swallowed hard. "I realized that we could have been together without sacrificing my friendships and I couldn't bear the constant reminder of how easily you could have fit in with my life rebuilding the Republic. So I fled."

He reached up to touch her cheek and she realized she was crying. "Rey… You went to Tatooine? What… Why?"

His voice was so gentle but so skeptical that she laughed. "I don't know, I just thought I could honor your family in some way."

It was clear that he was sympathetic for her emotional state but also dismayed by her logic. "But, Rey, you know my grandfather was a slave there. His mother was murdered there. Uncle… Luke" – he stuttered slightly on the word – "had a fine enough upbringing, from what I've heard about it. But he always wanted to leave. My namesake was in exile, watching over him. And my parents – " He had to pause and take a breath. She squeezed his hand in support. "My father was imprisoned in carbonite by a gangster and my mother was enslaved in her rescue attempt. It was not a place that any of them would return to, and certainly not somewhere to go to honor my family," he told her firmly.

She smiled. "Maybe I just wanted something familiar."

Abruptly, he pulled her close. She obligingly pressed herself against his chest and sighed as she breathed in his scent. "Rey, you should never be scraping by in a desert ever again. There are so many more beautiful planets in this galaxy that you could live on, if you insist on exiling yourself."

She giggled. "You're objecting to my choice of location instead of my choice to leave?"

"Yes," he insisted, and she laughed outright. "I understand the impulse to leave," he continued in spite of her reaction. "But at least Luke had the sense to become a hermit on a water planet, where there was plenty of life around him. No one would choose to live in endless desert if they could help it."

"Where would you choose to live?" she asked, trying to say it casually despite wanting very much to know the answer.

His arms tensed around her and she could hear his heartbeat flutter. "I don't know," he murmured.

He was silent long enough for her to sit back to look at his face. "Ben," she prompted gently.

"I… I've always accepted whatever happened to me, believing that it was the will of the Force. I tried not to consider how my choices could have an impact. I certainly never expected to get anything that I wanted."

His expression as he stared at her made heat rise in her cheeks. She was suddenly reminded of the first few moments after they had defeated the guards in Snoke's throne room – and the way he'd looked at her. She had been afraid of it then, seeing his desire clearly written on his face. Now, well. Maybe afraid wasn't the right word anymore.

She reached up to touch his hair, then his cheek. He caught her hand and turned his head to kiss her palm, holding her gaze all the while. It felt very difficult to breathe. This wasn't like how touching him and talking to him in the Netherworld had been – now it felt like when she'd accidentally brushed up against a live wire in an old wreck. "Ben," she whispered, his name coming to her lips unbidden.

"Rey," he answered breathlessly.

The Falcon abruptly dropped out of lightspeed and shook a little as it adjusted to moving into, presumably, the atmosphere. Realization that they were nearly to their destination broke the spell and Rey reluctantly moved back a little from him – not too far, of course. She was flushed, avoiding eye contact, and trying to remember what they had been talking about. Clearing her throat, she smoothed her clothes absently. "Well, looks like we're here. I'm sure Chewie could fly you somewhere else if you'd rather not stay."

"I'll stay," he told her resolutely, looking at her until she met his gaze again, and her heart pounded at his sincerity. "I'll stay," he repeated, and she reached up to touch his face once more.

But then loud approaching footsteps interrupted her. She snatched her hand back like she had on Ahch-To, at once both appreciative and resentful of Finn's noisy approach. Ben leaned back a little, getting away from her, and she hoped desperately that he had not also been reminded of Ahch-To and how she had pulled back first.

"You guys ready?" Finn asked, glancing between them and clearly aware of what he had interrupted. She nodded, as did Ben a moment later. "Good. We've told Poe we're coming, but don't expect a welcome wagon. Let's be discreet here until we've talked to Lando."

Ben stiffened and she glanced over at him. She had mentioned to him that Lando was here, after all, but perhaps he hadn't contemplated that reunion until now. "It's not too late to bail out," she told him gently.

Blinking, he focused on her again. "Yes, it is," he asserted and she inhaled sharply at what he was implying.

He got to his feet before she could respond to his statement, and she followed him and Finn to the cockpit. It was always breathtaking, seeing the horizon-long city come into view. It wasn't someplace she would want to live forever, as crowds made her nervous, but it was lovely to see. Rose and Chewie piloted them expertly down to the building where the new Republic was being built and she took Ben's hand reassuringly as they landed. If they were foolish enough not to accept him readily here, then she would be happy to take him elsewhere.