Author's Note: I know there are those out there who have had to suffer through watching a loved one pass away from an illness. If this is triggering for you, read down to the sentence "Standing, she walked hurriedly towards the doorway, hoping Ben was behind her." and then skip to the end. I'll summarize the highlights for you.

Chapter 15

Rey walked quickly towards the manor, pulling Ben behind her, too bemused to wonder at his allowing her to do so. When they entered the house, Ben pulled her to a halt. Glancing around she noted several servants wandering about doing their daily tasks.

"Rey-" Ben started.

Rey turned and put a hand over Ben's mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. Rey's thoughts were in a jumble, her heart racing, but she managed to shake her head. "Now is not the time. We need to get to your uncle."

Ben raised a hand to her wrist, removing her hand from his mouth. As he lowered his arm, he slid his hand down to grasp her hand, pulling her into the nearest room. Rey followed in a daze, trying to make sense of the thoughts running rampant in her head. Their kiss had been so much more heady than she would have expected from a touch of the lips and she didn't know how to feel now that the spell that had temporarily ensnared them had been broken.

Ben shut the door behind them, speaking softly to a servant outside the door as he did so. He turned towards Rey and considered her carefully. Rey clasped her fingers together and began fidgeting to calm her nerves.

"Ben, he may be dying-" Rey began, trying in vain to get Ben to his uncle.

"Luke can wait," Ben said, interrupting her. He took a step towards her. Rey felt pulled in two directions, resisting both the urge to step towards Ben and the urge to step back. Instead she stayed rooted to the spot as Ben slowly walked towards her.

Rey swallowed, wondering if he meant to keep kiss her again, her heart flipping at the idea.

When Ben reached her however, he merely grasped her hand and pulled her over to a settee, sitting and pulling her down as well. He gripped her hand, reaching out his other to cup her cheek. Rey felt as if she had been running through the countryside, her heart racing and her breath coming in quick bursts.

"Are you alright?" Ben ask, his voice soft, concern etched onto his features as his eyes wandered across her face.

"I-" Rey blinked several times, caught off guard by the question. She frowned as she considered her answer. Certainly, she had never expected a kiss from Ben to wreak such havoc on her body and mind, but she also found the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"Yes," she said after several long moments.

Ben loosed a breath, his shoulders relaxing as his thumb grazed her cheek. Without warning, Ben pulled Rey to his chest in a hug, his long arms wrapping around her back and waist, pulling her nearly onto his lap. Her cheek rested against his chest and she could hear his heart beating rapidly. It did her good to know that it was not only she who had been affected. After a moment, she slid her arms around Ben in return. Rey could only guess at the impetus behind this hug, but felt herself calming nonetheless. Though her heart continued to race, the surprising sense of security she found in Ben's arms helped quiet her soul.

After some time, Rey pulled back. Ben's arms tighten, attempting to stay her retreat, though as she continued to push against his chest, he let her go and leaned back, his manner guarded.

Rey studied Ben. Behind his eyes she could see a war of emotions though she could only guess what he was thinking. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was slightly tousled. Rey pressed her lips together to avoid smiling as she realized this disheveled look on her normally very restrained husband was quite charming.

As Rey replayed their conversation in her mind, one thing about his line of questioning confused her.

"Why did you wonder if I was alright?" she asked.

Rey saw Ben's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, his hands going up to smooth down his hair as he glanced away from her.

"Do you regret what happened, just now in the garden?" he asked, not answering her question. "Do you regret kissing me?"

Rey frowned, still confused, and shook her head. "No."

Ben's eyes flicked back to hers, clearly surprised by her answer.

"Why should I regret it?" Rey asked quietly, wondering if perhaps it was Ben who regretted it.

Ben regarded her a moment, before answering. "You said you wanted to be friends."

Rey's eyebrows rose. "And we cannot be friends if we kiss?"

Rey felt her heartrate slow, a sense of clarity wash over her as she realized what Ben was thinking. "I was not lying when I said I wished for a companion in my marriage, but," she paused, swallowing against a dry mouth as she forced herself to look Ben in the eyes. "I will also welcome a marriage of love as well as respect."

Rey willed her cheeks to cool as heat flooded them. It had not escaped her notice that Ben's mere presence was enough for her blush these days and she wasn't certain she liked this effect he had. Ben, meanwhile, continued to look at her in complete astonishment.

Rey looked down, brushing her hands down her skirt, as she often did when she was nervous.

"I think it best we save this conversation for another day." She added it to the ever increasing list of things she and her husband had to speak about before they could successfully move forward in their marriage. Looking up, she continued, "Your mother begged us to come quickly and I do not think it would be wise to delay. We know not when Prince Luke will breathe his last."

Standing, she walked hurriedly towards the doorway, hoping Ben was behind her. She threw open the door and walked quickly to the stairs and down the long hallway to Prince Luke's wing of the manor. As usual, there was a thick air of sickness polluting the rooms. Rey knocked quickly at the door to Luke's bedroom and entered quietly. Luke looked pale, Leia using a rag to wipe his face as he turned his eyes towards the door.

Leia, noticing Luke's gaze, turned towards Rey and gasped, placing a hand over her heart as she stood and rushed over.

"Ben, you came."

Rey turned to find Ben standing just outside the door behind her. Rey stepped further in and off to the side to allow Leia, tears in her eyes, to hug her son. Rey could see that it was with great difficulty that Ben retained his composure. There was an unsureness about the way he held himself and Rey wished she could ease his discomfort. He awkwardly patted his mother on the back as she wrapped her arms around him.

Leia pulled away, turning to look at Luke, who was still regarding his nephew. Rey watched Ben swallow as he returned his uncle's look. Leia grabbed Ben's hand and pulled him towards the bed.

"Ben, please speak with your uncle."

Ben stood awkwardly next to the bed.

Luke coughed, a sheen of sweat now on his brow, his breathing labored.

"You look well, Ben," he rasped.

Ben frowned. "I cannot say the same for you, uncle."

Leia let out a heavy sigh and Rey whispered sharply, "Ben!"

Luke lifted a hand. "It's quite alright."

Rey fidgeted before going to sit in a chair next to where Han stood pacing, looking drawn, circles under his eyes. Leia remained where she was, watching her son and brother closely.

"I failed you, Ben," Luke rasped, stopping to cough. "For that I am sorry."

"I'm sure you are," Ben said, bitterness dripping off his words. Rey saw his hands clench as his shoulders tensed.

"Why have you asked for me?" Ben asked. "To purge yourself of guilt? So you can die knowing it was my fault we remained estranged?"

Luke let out a hollow laugh. "No. Whatever guilt I have in our estrangement, you also share. It was not only I who severed all connection." Ben scoffed as Luke continued. "I tried to make amends, but you refused to see me. That you see me now is only a testament to how far gone I really am."

Rey glanced at Leia, who was pressing a hand to her mouth, her eyes closed as tears leaked out the corners. Her heart ached for this family. Though she had only been a member of it for a short time, she felt a kinship with Ben's family. It was certainly closer than she had been with Mr. Plutt. To see them all in such pain in these last moments with Luke made her pray she could do something to help them. She prayed Ben would see reason and let his uncle die in peace, with forgiveness.

"Then why?" Ben's voice was strained, though with anger or misery, Rey could not tell.

"If I die without at least trying to reconcile with you, then you will carry bitterness with you throughout your life and it will poison you." Luke glanced over at Rey. "It will poison every relationship you hope to have. It will leak onto your family, your children, your grandchildren."

Rey swallowed nervously at the mention of children, though she could not help the hope that rose in her heart at the thought she might one day be blessed with a family of her own. She wondered how Ben felt, whether he wanted a large family, or merely one son to fulfill whatever obligations he has to provide an heir to the estate. That thought did not sit well with her.

Luke coughed violently then, Leia rushing to his side to pat his back, to offer him water. Rey watched Ben looking down at his uncle. It did not seem as though it were anger which caused him to shake. She wondered if he had not thought about the particulars of his uncle dying, if perhaps seeing him here now has made his imminent death real.

In a moment of instinct, Rey stood and walked over to Ben, grasping his hand and leaning against his arm, her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her in surprise, his body relaxing slightly, and turned back to Luke when she nodded her head.

Luke lay with his eyes closed, his breathing becoming more labored.

"Perhaps I should leave," Ben said, not unkindly. "My presence seems to be making things worse."

"No," rasped Luke, his eyes opening.

"You are dying, uncle," Ben said, bluntly. "Whatever else you may think of me, I do not wish to hasten your death with my presence."

"Quit speaking and listen." The rasp and labored breathing leeched the harshness out of Luke's tone, but his eyes glinted hard. "It is true that I failed you when you most needed help." He glanced over at Leia. "I drove your son away, into the hands of Snoke." Leia shook her head, but Luke turned back to Ben. "I spoke harshly in anger. I never intended to disinherit you. I let my anger at myself, and my failure to provide the help you needed, turn towards you. For that I am sorry."

Ben's jaw ticked, his mouth moving as if he were chewing on his words. His hand grasped Rey's almost to the point of pain. She glanced up at him, noting the reddening of his eyes, taking it as a good sign that he was here and he was starting to feel an emotion other than anger. Rey gently squeezed his hand back, giving him an encouraging look when he glanced down at her.

Looking back at Luke, Ben said nothing, but nodded his head at his uncle.

"That's all you're going to do?" Leia spoke harshly towards her son.

Luke weakly put a hand on Leia's arm. "It's quite alright. More than I expected really."

He coughed again, shudders wracking his body as his lungs began to rattle. Rey turned her head into Ben's shoulder, horrified at witnessing Luke's death. When he calmed, he looked at Ben once more.

"Don't hold onto your anger and bitterness – "

Luke choked off, his body shuddering as his coughing shook him. Rey noticed then that his lips and fingertips had started to turn blue. A doctor arrived just then and Rey realized Han must have called him.

She and Ben stepped away from the bed as the doctor pushed through them, gently persuading Leia to step aside.

Han walked over, looking grim. "Come outside. There's no need to witness this."

Ben and Rey followed Han out into the hallway.

"You can go to the drawing room and wait. We'll send word – "

Ben shook his head. "We'll wait here."

He looked down at Rey, a question in his eyes. Rey nodded. Yes, she would stay.

Han ran a hand down his face, nodding and looking weary. He pointed to a settee settled across the hallway, facing the door to Luke's room. It seemed a very odd placement and Rey wondered if they had placed it there for her and Ben to wait. Ben nodded at his father and then pulled Rey over to the settee. They sat down, Rey leaning against the back of the settee and Ben leaning forward with his hand over his eyes, his other hand still holding onto Rey's.

Rey wanted to say something, something to ease the strain between his shoulders, but could think of nothing. When death is involved there is really no consolation to be given, except your presence. That Ben had not outright refused his uncle's words in the end gave Rey hope, though she wondered if Ben would come to regret not giving his forgiveness readily. She had no idea what he was thinking now. Was he angry? Frustrated? Sad? Some strange combination of all three?

They sat in silence for a long while. Rey, having no clock or watch by which to tell the time, could only guess at how long they sat there, watching the changing shadows cast by the sunlight through the window. It felt like an eternity, neither one moving, save Ben absently rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand. Were her hand free she would have rubbed circles between his shoulder blades, hoping to help ease the tension.

The hallway was silent except for the faint sound of their breathing, broken only by the hacking cough on the other side of the door. Each time the coughing subsided Rey braced herself to hear that Luke had at last gone. And each time the coughing renewed Rey winced that his suffering should continue.

Finally, after a long silence, the door opened and Leia stepped out, tears dripping down her face as Han gently pulled her forward.

Ben and Rey both stood. Han nodded grimly at them. Ben inhaled sharply, looking around as if he wanted to run, running a hand down his face. Rey, unsure what to do, touched his arm. He pulled away sharply, though when he looked at her it was not anger she saw in his eyes. He shook his head and then started down the hallway, walking so quickly he was nearly running. Rey stood, looking between Leia and Han, who had how wrapped his wife in a hug as she sobbed, and Ben, with no idea what to do.

A/N: Summary: Ben follows Rey and allows his uncle to speak. He never says he forgives Luke out loud, but he nodded his head when Luke apologized for his part in their estrangement. After Luke dies, Ben is visibly agitated and rushes away.

Thanks so much for reading! Your reviews last chapter gave me life! :)