Chapter 29: Welcome to the Fire

Rey woke to the shrill chime of her alarm. With a groan, her hand flopped around reaching for where her cell was. Only she couldn't. Her body was trapped in a pair of thick warm arms.

"Ben."

No response.

"Ben."

Nothing.

"Ben Solo, if you don't wake up, I'm going to kick you out of this bed!"

"Five more minutes," he grumbled into her hair, his arms tightening around her.

"No," she struggled against him. "I have to get up. I have classes to teach and I need my tea before that."

"Not my fault you demanded three rounds last night," he huffed.

Rey bit back the smile threatening to overtake her face. It was true they had only gotten a couple hours of sleep due to her insatiable need for him. Once they started having makeup sex, she couldn't stop craving it. It was as if she was truly alive for the first time in her life. Everything was more heated, more urgent. It was intoxicating.

But she couldn't think of that now.

"It doesn't change the fact I still have to get up," she wiggled around to shove against his chest.

Finally he relented, allowing her to fetch her phone and silence the alarm.

"Come back to bed," he demanded, his dark eyes watching her as she walked to the bathroom.

"No, you get up and come with me," she countered. Ben made an exasperated face, but didn't argue. Smiling because she knew she could hold out longer than he could, Rey shut the door and hopped in the shower.

Neither of them had bothered with showering the evening prior. Just like they hadn't bothered to get dressed. Rey had scoured the studio floor to make sure they hadn't left any hints of what they had done. She wouldn't be able to face Luke if he knew how they had desecrated his academy.

Just as she was lathering up her hair, she felt a pair of hands snake around her hips and over her stomach.

"Ben, what are you doing?"

"Saving time and water," he replied, reaching around her for the body wash. "Mmmm, vanilla and peaches."

Rey giggled. "Not your usual scent profile?"

"Not even close."

As she continued to get clean, she felt his eyes burning into her back. At first, she assumed Ben was trying to figure out if they had time for another round but when he didn't make a move, she glanced over her shoulder to find him simply watching her.

"Ben? You're staring."

"Just waiting for you to come to your senses and leave," he responded, softly.

Rey turned around, cupping his face in her hands, as the warm water splashed across her back. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "That's not to say I'm not mad, because I am, but… "

"But?" he questioned.

"But," she continued, "when you told me about your grandfather and how much this place connected you to him, I understood. I can't fault you for feeling like Luke ignored you and disregarded your wishes. From your perspective, it must have seemed rather suspicious that I just showed up out of nowhere and that your uncle would let me move in."

"If I had known then what I know now," he started, but she interrupted him.

"It was before us," Rey confirmed. "You aren't that man anymore."

"I'm not," he vowed, taking one of her hands and turning it over so he could kiss the underside of her palm.

"From now on though, we talk about things, alright?" Rey told him. "Even if you think I will be upset, you need to be honest with me."

He nodded. "Of course."

"That's all I ask," she kissed him gently. "And maybe some more makeup sex."

"I think I can live with those terms."

Kylo drove Rey into town, holding her hand the entire way. The air between them was nearly cleared and even though he still had a great deal to prove, he wasn't consumed by his fear of losing her. They were meant to be. No matter what Snoke and his peons had planned, he'd deal with them. They weren't getting between him and Rey. He wouldn't let them.

"Rey?"

"Yeah?"

"About the file," he began, remembering his promise to be honest with her about all things. "There was a hard copy I kept in my desk at home."

"Was?"

"Hux and Phasma took it," he explained.

Rey furrowed her brow. "Why would they want information on me?"

"For Snoke."

"Your boss?" she asked, confused.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself as he prepared to tell her why it was significant to his employer. "The night of your birthday party, I told Phasma and Hux I was planning on retiring. They didn't agree with the decision. I think they took the file out of retaliation."

"Retaliation? What does that even mean?"'

"My contract with Snoke is up at the end of the year," Kylo informed her. "And if I know him and how he works, he'll try to use you against me to get me to sign another contract and remain with the First Order. He'll probably be at the Gala."

"Wait what?" Rey stared at him. "You're retiring? Why?"

He licked his lips, wondering if it was too much to tell her. Be honest. Rey chooses for Rey, he coached himself.

"For you," he clarified. "I don't want to be traveling when I could be home with you. The ring, all the promotional events and the training hours aren't worth it, if it means I'll never see you."

"But Ben," Rey squeezed his hand, "what will you do?"

"I have a plan, don't worry," he chuckled. "I'm thinking of reaching out to one of my contacts about starring in a video game."

"Really?" she seemed surprised by his answer. "Is that something you're interested in?"

"It is if it pays the bills and keeps my travel to a minimum so I can spend time with you."

"Ben." Her tone was unsure, as if she wasn't pleased by his plan.

"All my life no one has ever put me first, Rey. No one, until you," he said. "You don't treat me like a mistake or an obligation. You treat me as a person. And now that we're together, all I want to do is have the freedom to do the same and prove to you I can be a better man. I want to be there for you, to put you first."

It was quiet as he pulled the Vanquish into the only available spot by Kanata Kaffeine. Turning the vehicle off, Kylo shifted in his seat to look at his girlfriend. Rey was faced away from him but in the passenger window reflection he saw her tears.

"Sweetheart, are you crying?" He panicked. "Rey, I'm sorry. I should have told you about my plans to retire. I just thought-."

"No, no, it's not that," she interrupted him. "I just..." Rey trailed off, glancing up at him through blurry eyes. "No one has ever loved me as much as you do."

Kylo's heart broke for his girl. His sweet, darling girl who gave so much of herself to everyone and who still couldn't understand how precious she was.

"Rey," he unbuckled his seat belt so he could reach across the gearshift to gather her up in his arms. "Sweetheart, I love you so much, more than I can say. You have to know that. Please know that."

"I do," she nodded into his chest, gripping onto his shirt. "I know you love me, Ben."

"Good, that's good," Kylo soothed her, rubbing her back and whispering how much he loved her over and over again until she quieted.

"Sorry," she sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"We've has an intense week," he told her, tucking an errant strand of hair from her face. "You're allowed to cry on my shoulder anytime."

"Thank you."

"Let's get your tea, shall we?" he suggested.

They entered Kanata Kaffeine hand in hand, saying good morning to several regulars before standing before Rose and Maz at the counter.

"Good morning," Rose greeted them cheerily. "The usual, I assume?"

"You assume correct," Kylo replied, stuffing his usual tip into the jar.

"I assume you two had an interesting evening," Maz commented, glancing between the couple. Rey went scarlet, while Kylo struggled to keep his own reaction from showing. "Ah huh, that's what I thought," Maz winked at them.

She gathered up the dirty dishes from a side counter, taking them to the back, a knowing smirk on her lips the entire time. Once she was out of earshot, Rey faced Kylo.

"How does she know?"

"That woman knows everything," he responded, shaking his head. "She's always been that way."

As if she knew they were discussing her, Maz came back out, wearing the same grin. "So," she started, eyes on Rey, "Rose tells me you're leaving us for your dream job."

"Yes," Rey smiled brilliantly. "I start at Cloud City after the holiday."

"Congratulations, child," Maz smiled warmly. "I'm happy for you, for both of you," she added, as she took in Kylo's proximity. "I'm sure your parents are delighted you're finally speaking with them."

"Mom is already using Rey against me and Dad seems to have found another fan," Kylo muttered.

"Mom and Dad, eh?" Maz raised her eyebrows. "Well that's certainly something I haven't heard come out of your mouth in a while."

Kylo didn't respond. He knew Maz was pleased. She didn't need to rub it in.

"You two will come to visit, right?" the coffee shop owner asked.

"Of course!" Rey immediately replied. "I told Luke I'd be back to help teach classes every now and then, once we are settled."

"Lovely," Maz grinned. "Then I wish you both the best." Rose handed over their beverages. "On the house, kids," Maz waved her hand at Kylo, not allowing him to pay.

"Thank you, Maz," they chorused back, taking their leave.

"You can thank me by inviting me to the wedding," she called after them.

Both Rey and Kylo went red, as the elderly woman cackled and neither one spoke of her assumptions on the drive to Ahch-To.

Maz's comment wasn't the only trying part of Rey's day. Her announcement to her morning classes was received well. Since the early kickboxing session was primarily made up of middle-aged females, they were all delighted to find out Ben would be their new trainer, even if it was only for the next four months. Rey squashed her jealousy by looping an arm around Ben's waist and eyeing each of her pupils.

He teased her mercilessly about it as they went to her apartment to sleep. They even skipped lunch. By the time Rey's afternoon alarm sounded, she was feeling much better,

Until Temiri.

When it came to the afternoon sessions, the reaction to her departure was slightly different. Telling her students had been harder than speaking with Jyn or Luke. Her pupils, young and old had become constants in her life and it was difficult to face their disappointment. Though everyone appeared happy on the surface, she sensed some had reservations about the fact Master Luke's nephew would be taking over her classes.

Her unofficial favorite student took it personally when she shared her news with his class. While the other students and parents congratulated her on her opportunity to work at one of the best companies in the world, Temiri flared at Ben with pure loathing. The young boy instantly blamed him for Rey's choice to accept the position at Cloud City. In fact, Temiri made a point of shoving his shoulder into Ben when he left to wait out front for his mom to pick him up.

"He'll get over it," Master Luke assured her, as Rey watched the scene.

"I'll talk to him," Ben surprised them both by saying.

He followed the boy outside, while Luke and Rey watching curiously from the waiting room. For a few minutes, the two sat together talking, Temiri stiff and not facing Ben. Then, the boy whipped around to look at his new instructor. Rey couldn't make out what they were talking about, but whatever it was, it had Temiri's attention. Ben sat with her favorite student until his mother arrived a few minutes later.

When he returned inside, both Rey and Luke were waiting expectantly for him. "Well?" Rey asked.

"I took care of it," he grinned.

"What did you do?" Luke joked. "Bribe him?"

"Sort of," Ben admitted. "I told him that if he wanted to, he could stay here and do his homework. Then I'll drive him home in the Vanquish. I figured it would keep him out of trouble and give his mom a break."

"Ben Solo," Rey grinned. "You secret softie."

"Don't advertise," he pretended to hush her, as Luke rolled his eyes and walked out to the zen garden. "I have a reputation to uphold, after all."

"Ok," she laughed and made a zippering gesture across her mouth.

"Let's go," Ben shook his head at her, placing a hand gently on her lower back to direct her upstairs. "You need more sleep before you work at the bar tonight."

"More sleep," Rey asked, once they were upstairs, "or more sleep ?"

"Don't tempt me, sweetheart," he groaned.

She wasn't sure when she became so sex crazed, but she couldn't get the thrill of their activities out of her head. Regardless of all the big changes happening around her, the pleasurable experience was playing on repeat in her brain.

As it was, they did actually sleep. Rey didn't want to disappoint Leia by showing up tomorrow yawning and requiring more than a normal serving of caffeine in order to make it through the evening. The few extra hours did feel good, not as good as what she actually craved, but still nice. Ben wrapped himself around her, the same way he had that morning. Despite their conversations over his confession, he was still reluctant to give her too much space. Rey didn't mind.

Rogue One was busy, as it usually was on a Friday night. Word of Rey's career change had made its way through the regulars like wildfire. She saw dozens of familiar faces and received a massive increase in her tips, as the patrons she had waited on over the last two months gave her their well wishes. It made her decision to leave that much harder. The long hours and chaotic schedule were not hard to deal with when she worked with wonderful people like Jyn and Cassian and when she had such generous customers.

Kaytoo put things into perspective for her, when he made a comment about her getting tipped for leaving. In his opinion it was because people were glad she was leaving, since he was the superior bartender.

"Let him have this one," Jyn advised her, shaking her head. "I think he's going to miss you."

Rey smiled, agreeing with her manager. Towards the end of her shift, she marched over to the tall imposing blonde, and hugged him.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he questioned, baffled by her show of affection.

"I'll miss you, Kaytoo."

"I'm sure you will," he snarked, peeling her arms off of him. Once freed, he stalked off to the backroom.

"Told ya," Jyn laughed, shaking her head as she watched the blonde disappear.

"He doesn't know how to deal with his feelings," Cassian agreed, chuckling.

"Didn't you tell him I was planning on coming back to guest bartend?" Rey asked.

"Nope," Jyn snickered, as she poured the final drink before they announced last call. "And we're going to leave it that way."

"You're cruel, mi amor ," Cassian shook his head, closing out a tab.

Baze and Chirrut were escorting the last of the patrons from the dance floor, when Kaytoo finally reappeared. Kylo was sitting in his usual spot, drinking the whiskey Cassian poured for him. When he commented to the blonde bartender about his absence, Kaytoo mentioned needing to check the inventory since the others couldn't be trusted. Rey, Cassian, and Jyn all knew better.

Once Rey finished up with her end of the night items, Kylo asked, "Ready to go home, sweetheart?"

"Home," she smiled up at him.

It had a nice ring to it.

The next day was a flurry of activity. From the moment they woke in Kylo's apartment, to when he was shoved out of his own bedroom by Miia Mali, he was reminded this event was a marathon, not a sprint. The stylist arrived promptly at four o'clock to begin getting Rey prepared for the gala.

Miia had served his mother loyally for years. Despite her rather eccentric personality, she was the best in the business. Like his mother, Miia was short, though she was a bit more on the stout side. Her white hair was piled on top of her hair in a great bun and her lips were always stained blood red. Today she wore a black collared dress with white go-go boots, as though she was about to be filmed for a sixties themed music video.

"You," she pointed a pale finger at Kylo. "Out! And you," she turned her attention to Han, who was sitting idly in the living room reading the newspaper. "Get ready!"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, Han Solo," the petite woman snapped. "Get going!"

"It's a tux, Miia," he argued. "Not a ballgown. I can be in and out in five minutes."

Apparently that was absolutely not what the woman wanted to hear. She screamed at his father and when she noticed Kylo chuckling by the kitchen, she fixed him with a glare. "You too, boy."

Kylo's laughter died in his throat when he caught the serious expression the small woman was shooting his way. This time it was Rey's turn to laugh from where she was peeking out his bedroom door. He assumed the sight of the two Solo men being bossed around by such a tiny woman was amusing.

"Get back in that room, girl!" Miia barked, sending Rey hurrying inside. She leveled her eyes at the men in the living room. "When I get done with the girl, you both better be presentable or we will have words. Capice?"

Han smacked his lps together with a dramatic hand gesture, while Kylo merely nodded.

They went to the guest bedroom, Kylo grabbing his garment and taking it to the bathroom while Han commandeered the space for himself. Kylo tried not to burst into his own bedroom each time he heard Rey gripe or snap 'Ow' at Miia. He didn't need to be hit by two women before the gala.

As he was buttoning up his crisp white dress shirt, Kylo heard a knock at the door. "Son, you decent?" Han grumbled from the hallway. "I need help with the tie. Never could get these things right."

"Come in," Kylo told him, shaking his head at his father's constant inability to deal with his mother's dress code. Han would have shown up in wrinkled jeans and his old pilot jacket if Leia would permit it. Needless to say, she wouldn't. Ever.

"Do you know how to do yours?" Han quipped, edging where Kylo's tie was laying out on the sink counter.

"Yeah, Dad," he sighed. "I've been tying my own for years now."

"Uh, right," Han responded awkwardly. Kylo fixed the black tie for his father, stepping back when Han was completely dressed and ready for Miia's inspection. "Sorry, I was around for this kind of thing," Han apologized after a long pause between them. "I wasn't there to teach you how to do things like this, things you might need when you met the right girl."

"It's fine, Dad," Kylo insisted. "You're here now."

And surprisingly, he meant it.

If Rey could forgive him for keeping such a huge secret from her, he could learn to forgive his father for leaving. As Rey had pointed out, he wasn't the same man he had been before. The same could be said for Han Solo. Kylo had never seen him try so hard before. Maybe this was a turning point for both of them.

"I hope Rey is faring better than us," Han chuckled, quickly changing the subject before things got uncomfortable. "That woman scares me almost as much as your mother."

"Miia or Rey," Kylo chuckled.

Han pretended to think about it for a moment before smirking, "Both."

"Boys," a shrill cry came from the living room.

"Here we go," Han rolled his eyes.

Kylo followed his father out but when he reached the end of the hallway he froze. Rey was a vision. She was dressed in a simple black gown, which fell off her shoulders, displaying her tanned skin with a hint of cleavage. Her hair was down in soft curls around her angelic face and her makeup was minimal, only enough to accentuate her natural beauty. And those eyes—

—he could see an explosion of gold flecks across her green irises.

Breathing was difficult when she looked as lovely as she did just standing there smiling at him.

"What do you think?" she asked expectantly.

Kylo couldn't come up with words to describe what he thought. His mind had short-circuited at the sight of her. All he could think was how much more stunning she'd look in white.

With a veil and flowers in her hands.

Walking towards him.

"Hey, kid," Han slapped him on the back. "That's your cue."

He came to his senses, pushing away the vision. It was too soon for those thoughts. They had to get through the gala and the impending confrontation with Snoke first. Then he could think on their future and how long was long enough to wait before asking his girlfriend to become a permanent fixture in his life.

Kylo went to her, taking her hands. "Rey, you are beautiful," he told her, instantly knowing it wasn't enough. No words were enough to describe how she looked.

"Thank you," Rey flushed, her eyes dropping for a second. "You look rather dashing." She reached up to straighten his tie, when Miia rushed forward and smacked her hand away.

The growl that escaped Kylo wasn't missed, but Miia didn't cower away. She merely adjusted the tie herself before telling all three of them to stop fooling around with sentiments and get to the gala.

"Don't ruin my masterpiece," the stylist yelled, as she waved goodbye them.

Han waited for her to disappear before joking, "We all know she's talking about me."

Rey had never seen anything like the glamorous ballroom Leia chose for the gala. The chamber was large enough to fit Ahch-To in its entirety though with the lighting design, it still managed to feel comfortable and welcoming. The pink and purple hues were dim, casting an intimate glow about the room. Tables were situated along the back and sides of a wide dance floor, which was arranged by a stage for the auction and band. It was a practical set up, though Rey hadn't expected any less from Senator Organa.

She turned to ask Ben about where they were sitting when Leia appeared. "Good, you're all here," the host for the evening greeted them briskly, as she looped an arm through Rey's. "I need to steal you away for auction prep. You two," she inclined her head to the Solo boys, "try to stay out of trouble."

"Will do, Princess," Han saluted her.

Leia rolled her eyes muttering something that sounded like 'scruffy nerf herder,' which wasn't a thing so Rey assumed she heard it wrong. "The bar is open," Leia grumbled, pointing to the corner of the room.

"That's where we'll be then," Han replied. "Say goodbye to your girl and let's have a whiskey," he suggested to Ben.

"See you later," Ben leaned down, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I'll be the one in the dress," Rey smiled.

"I'll be the one outbidding everyone else," Ben promised.

He stared at her until Leia dragged Rey behind a curtain off to the side of the room. Once Ben was gone from her sight, Rey noticed the senator was leading her towards the stage. The entered a closed off area which housed a few dressing rooms and tables. The backstage area had several assistants and nine other women dressed in floor length gowns, like Rey's, though none of their dressed exposed their midriff or shoulders to the extent Rey's did.

"Ladies," Leia called their attention. "This is Rey, my future daughter-in-law. She's going to be taking up slot number ten to close out the evening." Everyone gave a curt nod of understanding before getting back to whatever it was they were doing prior to the interruption. "I'll leave you to it," Leia squeezed Rey's shoulders. "You're going to be great."

With that, Senator Organa left Rey alone and wondering what on Earth she had gotten herself into.

By the time Kylo and his father had acquainted themselves with the bartender, the gala was in full swing. The room, once empty save for them and the employees, was now bustling with people dressed in their finest. As the guests paraded around, Kylo asked for a refill and excused himself from the bar, which was rapidly becoming the most popular spot in the place.

Han didn't want to be bothered with introductions and opted to venture off in search of their table. Kylo chose to lean back against a hightop, off to the side of the bar, sipping his whiskey as he scanned the competition. There were several eligible bachelors in attendance, all of whom he assumed would place a bid for Rey and all of whom he'd beat one way or another.

As he surveyed the room, his eyes locked on a familiar duo. If the fiery red hair of Armitage Hux wasn't an indicator of where Kylo's managed was seated, the statuesque blonde standing aside of him would have been. Phasma stood taller than normal in heels. When she caught Kylo staring at her across the room, she raised her glass in a mock toast.

Taking her gesture as an invitation, Kylo crossed the room in a few determined strides. "Fancy seeing you two here," he greeted them, though his tone demonstrated how unsurprised he was. The First Order had somehow managed to not only score invitations to the event, but an entire table.

"And you, Ren," Hux took a sip of his gin, while Phasma sat down at their table.

"Last I checked, neither of you were on the guest list," Kylo commented. "Who is your benefactor?"

"Me," a calloused voice interjected.

Kylo felt the blood in his veins run cold. He pivoted around to face Anthony Snoke, the owner of the First Order and the man who currently possessed Rey's file.

"Good evening, Kylo Ren," the older man sneered. "I must say, this is a pleasant surprise. I would have thought you were far too busy with your community service to attend. After all, you've been so dedicated to serving your time you haven't stopped by the gym once."

Kylo swallowed, hearing the unspoken jab loud and clear. "My mother invited me," he replied evenly. "She thought it would aid my come back from a PR perspective."

"Politicians," Snoke scoffed. "They would know how to manipulate the public eye better than anyone."

Clenching his fists at his side, Kylo remained impassive. Snoke wouldn't bring up the file right away. He wanted to draw this out, tortue Kylo while he had his undivided attention. It was all a game to him. Kylo needed to wait until the owner spoke of his leverage to understand how to combat the threat.

"Are you here alone?" Snoke questioned, his eyes flitting about the room.

"No."

"Ah, a date then? Where is she? I'd love to meet her," Snoke's lips curled upwards, reminding Kylo of a snake preparing to strike.

"She's assisting my mother with the auction," he answered. "She'll be joining me for dinner."

"If you win, you mean," Snoke pointed out.

Gritting his teeth, Kylo felt his restraint wavering. The double meaning of his owner's words wasn't lost on him. "It would be foolish for anyone to go up against me."

"Indeed," Snoke smirked. "I feel the same. When I set my sights on something, I become utterly focused on it. Take yourself for example," he explained. "When I found you, I saw what all trainers live to see — raw untamed power and beyond that something truly special, the potential of your bloodline. Now I feel I was mistaken."

Kylo didn't respond, seething beneath his carefully schooled mask of indifference.

"Look at you," Snoke hissed, "ready to give it all up for a girl whose own parents couldn't even stand. You would waste your talents on pursuing this… this whore. You'd forsake your title and the First Order for her!"

At his side, his fist clenched, itching to let loose a punch, aching to end the man who played with him like a cat toyed with a mouse.

"Yes," he replied, glaring at Snoke.

The owner of the First Order stood astonished, watching as his prized fighter grinned smugly. Kylo felt his chest swell with pride at the fact he shocked Snoke into silence. Deeming their interactions complete for the evening, he made to leave.

"You are rather sure of yourself, young Solo," Snoke quipped.

Kylo froze, his back turned to his employer. "If I were you, I'd hope your girl," he spat the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, "is as sure of you as you are of her."

There it was — the threat he had anticipated since Snoke appeared.

"It would be unfortunate if Ms. Niima was to become aware of your less… honorable actions, wouldn't it?"

Kylo inhaled deeply, reminding himself Rey already knew his past. She knew about the file, knew about his parents — she knew it all. There was nothing Snoke could divulge that he hadn't her told her himself.

And yet…

He saw her broken expression as he admitted his sins, heard her voice as she told him she had forgiven him but was still mad. Would Snoke turn her against him? Would Rey lose faith in him the way everyone else had?

Kylo stalked off, needing to put distance between himself and the meddlesome man.

"Have a nice evening, Kylo Ren," Snoke's snickering echoed long after Kylo had walked away.

Backstage Rey nervously twisted her hands in front of her. Leia had just completed her introductions, thanking all the attendees for their support and welcoming them to the gala. She reviewed the agenda for the evening, starting with the auction, moving onto dinner and dancing and ending with the winners of the silent auction, which was situated in the back. All the proceeds were going to the Resistance's newest project in Chandrila.

The other girls were all confident, heads held high as they awaited their turn to take the stage. None of them had given Rey any mind, which hadn't bothered her in the slightest. These girls were unlike her, posh and polished from head to toe. It was clear they had never worked a day in their lives. They had never felt hunger or wondered if they had a safe place to sleep at night. No, these girls weren't anything like her.

Despite their differences in status, Rey didn't feel any disdain for them. They had simply been born into a different life. If she disliked them based on their fortune, it was just as bad as them disliking her for her poverty. The whole thing was childish and served no purpose, so Rey focused on the auction.

Leia wanted her to go last, which sounded good initially, until Rey realized she had to wait idly in the wings for all the other girls had gone.

She watched each girl be called out onto the stage. She heard Leia introduce them, start the bidding and eventually each girl was ushered off the stage to her waiting date for the evening. Seating arrangements were adjusted and the next girl was called up to start the process all over again.

It seemed to go on for hours, but the backstage clock told Rey it was actually less than an hour before Leia finally called her up.

Rey took a deep breath and proceeded out into the audience's view, begging anyone who was listening to not let her fall in her Louboutins.

Leia gave her an encouraging smile, starting the bidding at one thousand dollars, double the starting price for any of the other girls.

Ben was already on his feet when his mother announced the starting price, raising his hand to confirm his bid. Rey smiled through the haze of the bright spotlights when she saw him. He towered over everyone else, easily sticking out amongst the other men in the crowd.

"Two thousand," an older gentleman with a white beard bid.

"Two thousand to Governor Ryder Azadi," Leia announced, beaming at the sudden increase.

"Twenty-five hundred," Ben parried.

"Three thousand," a brown-haired man near the back stood.

Rey didn't recognize him but she did recognize the people he was sitting with. Hux and Phasma were watching her with wary eyes. Aside of them, a man she knew could only be Anthony Snoke sat, his hands folded in front of him as he openly stared at her. She felt a chill run down her spine.

"Three thousand to Yogar Lyste," Leia declared.

"Thirty-five hundred," Ben countered.

"Four thousand," Yogar opposed.

"Five thousand," Ben glared daggers at his fellow First Order fighter.

"Six," Yogar continued, unphased by Ben's agitated state.

Rey watched from the stage as Snoke grinned maliciously. From her conversations with Ben regarding the man's methods, she recognized his attempt to further unhinge Ben, casting him as an unbalanced fighter and damaging his career indefinitely. She couldn't allow that to happen. Even if Ben chose to retire, it needed to be on his terms, not Snoke's.

She wasn't sure what to do given her position on the stage. Her first impulse was to alert Ben, but the more rational side of her knew he probably was already aware. After years of suffering Snoke's abuse, Ben would surely recognize the ploy. Still, Rey couldn't help but glance over at the Senator for assistance.

Leia was barely keeping up with their bidding war, her eyes frantically bouncing back and forth between the two men.

Ben tensed, his body rigid, hands balled into fists at his sides. He appeared ready to strike at any minute and just when Rey thought Snoke had pushed him to the brink, he hollered, "Ten thousand dollars."

The murmurs which had broken out across the room during the bidding war hushed. Leia went silent, eyes wide as she stared at Rey, then at her son. Yogar glanced across the First Order table to Snoke, who was clearly backing him. Unable to provide direction with so many eyes poised on him, the owner of the fighting club, bowed his head respectfully to Ben, signaling they were pulling out. They did not offer up another bid.

"Ten thousand going once, going twice… sold to B-Mr. Kylo Ren of the First Order," Leia announced proudly. She hugged Rey and escorted her to the edge of the stage, where Ben met them.

"She's all yours," Leia said, handing Rey off to him.

"Hey sweetheart," Ben smirked at her as he took her hand. "Come here often?"

"I'm here with my boyfriend," she played along, allowing him to guide her back to where he and Han were seated. His father was messing with a cellphone, brow furrowed in intense concentration as he attempted to learn how to work the device. "What's with that?" Rey asked, pointing at Han.

"My mother gave him her number and he's trying to figure out how to Facetime her," Ben made a face. "Anyway, this boyfriend of yours. Is it serious?"

"I love him," Rey stated. "So yeah, I'd say it's pretty serious."

"You know what else is serious?" he queried, his eyes darkening. "My desire to get you home and-."

"I believe congratulations are in order, Ren," Armitage Hux appeared in front of them, flanked by Phasma and Snoke. Rey glanced up at Ben, uncertain how to proceed. Hux held out his hand, but Ben made no move to shake it. "Bad form," the redhead muttered, moving aside to allow the owner to take his place.

"Ah, young Rey," Snoke crooned. "Come closer, child, let me have a look at you."

Rey felt Ben stiffen next to her, his arm around her waist tightening as he subtlety shifted her backwards and took a step forward. Snoke pretended not to notice.

"I was discussing with Kylo how disappointed I am with the fact he is throwing his career away for someone of your… standing. I've never been one for attachments, you see, so I don't understand what all the fuss is about, but then I saw you on stage. Your energy, your light… I understand now," he explained.

She felt another chill. The way he was staring at her made her skin crawl.

"Still, I do not tolerate failure and losing my prized fighter to you is simply something I cannot allow. Of course, once I tell you the truth about Kylo Ren, perhaps you won't want him any longer."

"You underestimate Ben and me," she snarled.

"Closer, I said," Snoke sneered.

Ben started to put his arm up in an effort to keep her back, but Rey pushed him away, going toe to toe with the owner of the First Order.

"You believe Kylo cares for you. Has he told you why he agreed to complete his community service at Ahch-To? Has he told you my plans for adding the studio to our circuit?"

Rey didn't move a muscle, glaring at Snoke as he spoke of all the things she and Ben had already discussed.

"Did he tell you about the file he kept on you to ensure you wouldn't get in the way?"

She remained silent.

Snoke's gaze flickered behind her to where Ben stood, then back to her. "Did he tell you about his father? Why he hadn't spoken to Han Solo in so many years?"

This time, Rey flinched. The pain of what Ben had endured, all the blame he had thrust upon himself and knowing how this cruel man held it over him made her sick.

"Ah," Snoke chuckled darkly. "He is more like me than you are willing to admit."

"No," she hissed.

"Yes," Snoke snapped, but his voice wavered. It was clear he wasn't used to being defied.

"Ben Solo is nothing like you," she cried.

"You have the passion of a true fighter," Snoke commented. "You could join us alongside Ren and become great."

"Never," Rey denied him. "Ben and I are done with you."

"Oh?" Snoke raised an eyebrow, a smug expression on his face. "But perhaps I am not done with either of you."

Hux stepped forward and Ben immediately moved up to be beside Rey. "Thanks to you inviting us to your birthday, Rey, we were able to capture some of Ren's more defining moments."

He held out his cell phone which played a video of Ben punching out the drunken guy who had been harassing Rey. "If Ben chooses to retire from the First Order instead of re-negotiating his contract with us, I'll have no choice but to release this footage. I'm sure the court would love to see how you've been spending your community service hours."

"You bastard," Ben shouted, starting after Hux. Rey held him back, pressing both hands to Ben's chest to keep him from following through on his intention to strike the redhead.

"Your choice, Ren," Phasma stated. "You can stay employed with us and get rid of the girl, or you can end up behind bars."

"I doubt that," a new voice entered the conversation. "Ben won't be the one behind bars. You three will be, for blackmail."

"Mom?"

Rey saw Leia step forward into their little huddle with a diplomatic grin on her face. She angled her phone down so they could all see it had been set to record. Han appeared next to his wife, filming the entire interaction on his phone as well.

"See, Han, I told you it was easy to use," Leia said conversationally. "All that's left now is to back-up your video to the cloud, so you never lose it." She gave the First Order trio a pointed glare.

Snoke, Hux and Phasma all froze, their faces blank as they realized the had been caught.

"Mr. Snoke," Leia continued, using a sugary sweet voice Rey was sure meant anything but sweet. "While I appreciate your generosity to the cause, I must ask you and your colleagues to leave. Felonies are not something the Resistance tolerates. I'm sure you understand."

With a huff, Snoke glowered at them all, before he stormed off, the rest of his table following behind.

Turning to face Ben, Rey found him smiling, a real true smile. He looked as if the years with Snoke had been erased from him, the heavy burden removed from his shoulders. "Ben?" she searched his face.

"Excuse me," Ben said to his parents, "but I believe I owe my girlfriend a dance."

And with that, he led Rey out onto the dancefloor. The only worry on either of their minds how long they needed to stay at the function before they could go home together.

A/N: Thank you to my beta, abyssalspark for all her help and encouragement.