'Oh my god!' Rose said as Rey announced the news in the salon the next morning.

'I know,' Rey said.

'Well I like him,' Rose offered. Rey smiled at her gratefully.

Rey's grandmother looked up for her knitting.

'I've only seen him from behind so far, but I like what I see!'

'Granny!' Rey admonished.

'Well I do!' Maz insisted and returned to her knitting.

'I think this is the one,' Rose said.

'I think so too,' Rey agreed excitedly.

The phone rang and Rose answered it.

Rose's, how may I help you?' She grinned at Rey.

'It's for you,' she said holding out the receiver. Rey took it from her.

'Hey,' she said.

'Hey back,' Ben replied.

'Where are you?' She asked.

'Just out for a walk. Wow.'

'What?'

'I see the most beautiful girl.'

Rey looked out of the window and saw Ben on his mobile looking at her from across the street. She grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. She hung up the phone.

'I'll see you later,' she called out as she left the salon. Rey ran across the road and bounded into Ben's arms.

'I missed you,' he said into her shoulder.

She giggled.

'It's been about an hour since I left you.'

'I missed you all the same.'

They walked hand in hand down the street.

'What will we do after the wedding, Ben?'

'I figured I would move out here.'

'Really?' Rey said.

'Yeah, I feel inspired here. I think I'm going to try and write that book I've always talked about but never got around to.'

'I think that's a fantastic idea.'

Ben brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

'Come back to the hotel with me,' he said, with a sultry look.

She was powerless to resist.

Later Ben made a call to the only two people he wanted at his wedding.

'It's good to hear from you, Ben,' Jyn said as she answered her mobile.

'It's good to hear your voice, Jyn.'

'So, what's up?'

'I'm getting married.'

'What?'

'I'm getting married and I would like you and Cass to be there.'

'Start from the beginning,' Jyn said.

Ben chuckled.

'Okay, so remember that article I wrote…'

Ben laid out the story in its entirety.

Jyn was silent.

'Say something,' Ben said.

'I'm...I'm just stunned but I'm happy for you, Ben. Truly I am and of course we'll be there. When is the wedding?'

'In 37 hours.'

'Of course, it is. We'll be there.'

'Thank you, Jyn. Also, ahhh, I wanted to say that I'm sorry.'

'For what?'

'For what happened between me and you. I know now I've been in denial about the part I played in the breakdown of our marriage and I want you to know I'm sorry.'

'I'm sorry too,' Jyn said gently.

She heard Ben sigh.

'This, this girl is really important to you, isn't she?'

'Yes, she is.'

'We'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early, oh and Ben?

'Yeah?'

'I'll have a car waiting out the back of the church for you just in case she decides to run.'

The day of the wedding arrived. Ben and Rey had spent the night separately.

Rey woke up with a knot in her chest. The same knot she had felt on every other one of her almost wedding days. She shook the thought away. This was Ben. He was the one. This was just normal jitters.

Rose came over and helped her get ready but everything felt wrong. By the time they arrived at the church Rey was shaking all over.

Rose squeezed her arm.

'You don't have to do this,' she whispered.

But Rey wanted to. She desperately wanted to be married to Ben. So, she smiled and pretended everything was fine.

'I'm just cold,' she lied.

They went into the church and Rose walked down the aisle first. Rey took some deep breaths. She saw Ben and he smiled at her. She suddenly felt calm and ready. Relief spread through her.

In the pews, Amilyn pulled out a disposable camera and took a quick snap. The lens flare temporarily obscured Ben's vision. He blinked and looked away from Rey.

Cold dread instantly spread through her, she frowned and started to back up.

'She's running!' someone shouted.

Ben looked up in terror.

'Rey, no!' he shouted as she sprinted for the doors.

'Lock them!' Ben shouted.

Two men jumped up out of the pews and slammed the doors shut just as Rey reached them. She looked around desperately as Ben started down the aisle towards her. She mouthed I'm sorry as she headed for a side door. Escaping out into the air, Rey took a deep breath. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, throwing down her bouquet and veil away and slipping out of her high heeled shoes.

Ben chased after her and he would have caught up with her had Kylo not been driving past at that exact moment. Rey flagged him down and got into the passenger seat.

'Drive!' she yelled at him and they sped off leaving Ben looking helplessly after them in the middle of the road.

Kylo took Rey to a hotel outside of town at her request. He stayed because she asked him too and held her while she cried for two hours straight.

'What's wrong with me?' she sobbed.

'Nothing,' Kylo insisted.

'I'm crazy.'

'No, you're not.'

'Then why do I keep doing this?'

'Rey, your parents left you, Kenobi's never really been a father to you, is it any wonder you have commitment issues?'

Rey blinked up at Kylo.

'Have you always been this intelligent?' she asked.

Kylo laughed.

'Yes, you were just too dumb to notice.'

'I'm sorry about what I did to you, Kylo.'

'Hey, it's okay. It's all in the past now. In fact, I met someone. Her name is Shira and I think she might be the one.'

Rey gave Kylo a watery smile.

'That's great I'm happy for you.'

She sighed.

'Now if I could just figure out why I keep picking the wrong guys.'

'Rey, are you sure Ben is wrong for you?'

'What do you mean?'

'Did you cry like this after you ran out on our wedding?'

'No,' Rey confessed.

Kylo smiled.

'I think that's your answer.'

'But I'm so screwed up, he deserves better.'

'Well get unscrewed up and then go get him.'

Rey smiled at Kylo, then leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

'I never deserved you,' she said between sobs.

'Yes, you did, but it doesn't matter now.'

'Do you really think there's still a chance he'll have me?' Rey asked.

'If you're quick,' Kylo replied, kissing her forehead and getting up to leave.

'Get some sleep.'

'I will, thank you, Kylo.'

'Anytime, baby girl,' he said using the pet name he always called her when they were together.

'Anytime.'

Ben returned to London. He didn't try to contact Rey again.

Out of sympathy, Jyn let him have his old job back and he was eternally grateful for the distraction it awarded him.

His heart ached and his soul pined for her. Alcohol helped to dull the pain, but Ben was no fool, he knew it was just a temporary fix. He knew his heart would long for her until his bones were nothing but dust.

He took long walks in the evening and thought about her. He tried so hard to forget but her image was burned into his mind. He realised there was no forgetting Rey now. She would always be a part of him.

Two weeks later, after one of these walks, Ben entered his apartment and his heart swelled when he sat Rey sitting on his couch with his cat Vader curled up on her knee. He checked himself. This girl wasn't to be trusted. He had to keep his guard up.

'I assume that my doorman is now also one of your many admirers,' Ben said dryly.

Rey's heart contracted. He was still mad.

'You could make breaking and entering into a new career,' he said coldly.

'I'm just making friends with your cat,' Rey said.

'Yeah well, Vader has always been a bit of a traitor,' Ben glared at his jet-black companion.

Vader meowed and rubbed his head against Rey's hand.

'So, you're still angry about what happened,' Rey said.

Ben walked past her to the kitchen and started angrily tidying away dishes. She winced as he clashed the plates against each other.

Rey sighed and stood up.

'Ben you knew who I really was.'

'Didn't help did it?' he said angrily.

'I didn't,' Rey said.

'What?'

'I didn't know who I was, I had to find that out before we could…' she trailed off.

Ben came towards her.

'Why didn't you just tell me that?'

'I didn't know. I had no idea how lost I was. I've spent this time learning who I really am. This is what I've found out. I don't want to work in a hardware store anymore, I want to build and sell my own products, I don't want a big fancy wedding, and I hate all types of coffee. It's disgusting! And I want you Ben Solo. I want you so very badly.'

Ben smiled down at her. He leaned in to kiss her but she pressed a finger to his lips.

'Hold on there's more,' she walked across the room and picked up a box.

'These are for you,' she said handing the cardboard rectangle to Ben.

He opened it.

'Used trainers?' he said questioningly.

'I'm handing in my running shoes... to you,' Rey said with a smile.

Ben swallowed hard.

'This is serious,' he said.

Rey nodded.

'And there's more, would you sit down?' she asked.

Ben sat and watched in stunned silence as Rey got down on one knee in front of him.

'Ben, you're the most amazing man I've ever met and I know we'll have to take the good times with the bad and I know that at some point one of us or both of us will want to get out of this thing but I also know, with my whole heart, that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.'

Ben felt tears prick his eyes as Rey let out a shaky breath.

'Ben Solo, will you marry me?'

'Yes, I'll marry you, Rey Johnson.'

She jumped into his lap and kissed him. Ben was the first to reluctantly pull away.

'Okay, down to business. You're a flight risk. I gotta lock this date in fast. How does a midweek wedding this week sound?' Ben asked.

Rey laughed.

'Sounds perfect.'

'Good. I'm not going to let you out of my sight until then,' he murmured, kissing her again.

'I'm not going anywhere,' Rey uttered against his lips.

On a blustery Wednesday afternoon, Rey Johnson and Ben Solo were married on a secluded hilltop surrounded by a dense forest near Rey's hometown.

Rose Tico- Hux, Armitage Hux, Jyn Andor and Cassian Andor were the only attendees apart from the surly Reverend Tarkin.

Rey wore a white silk dress with beaded detail straps, that flowed over her curves and trailed the floor behind her.

There was no fear, anxiety, or apprehension of any kind in her heart. This was real. She loved Ben Solo with everything she had and she knew with unwavering certainty, they would be together forever.

When the Reverend confirmed they were husband and wife, they kissed passionately and Hux discreetly handed Rose a twenty-pound note.

Later, in the honeymoon suite at the only hotel in Alfriston, Rey and Ben lay tangled together, naked and perspiring, after many hours of vigorous consummation.

'Wow,' Rey whispered.

'I never believed in soulmates until now,' Ben murmured.

Rey beamed up at him.

'Promise me something, wife,' Ben said looking at her lovingly.

'Anything, husband,' she purred back.

'From now on, if you need to run away, we do it together,' he said leaning close to kiss her gently.

Rey smiled and put her forehead against his.

'From now on, the only running I'll ever do, is straight into your arms, Ben Solo.'

The End