AN: I as per usually cannot begin to explain how sorry I am for not updating, I've had exams for the last few weeks so I had no time to do important things like write fanfiction. I am also planning a Supernatural fanfiction so my ideas are all being used up at the moment. I am lots of kind reviews but I really would appreciate if people could leave reviews just to see what people think! Anyway this chapter comes with and angst warning. You've been warned! Muahahahah.

"C'mon Ben, I have good money on you"

Ben heard the words through the loud cheering as the taste of blood flooded into his mouth from his split lip. He shakily got to his feet, holding his shaking fists in front of him. He didn't want to hit her. He couldn't. Someone screamed her on as her fist made contact with his jaw and made a large crunching noise, as Ben once again fell to the floor.

He had to get away.

He would die.

And it wouldn't be at the hands of Anosie.

The tears poured from her eyes as she dropped to her knees. Ben was her best friend, and she had split his lip and probably broke his jaw.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry"

Ben knew Anosie only ever apologised if she was told to, but no one was telling her to do anything besides make sure your friend bleeds. Her hands were shaking when she pulled him into her arms, crying over his limp body. Ben only opened his eyes when he heard her muffled screech, getting quieter and quieter. A man had his foot pressed down on Anosie's throat. Her face was going red and hands clawed at the man's boots. Ben heard her weakly scream,

"RUN!"

He felt a searing pain in his back before the darkness swallowed him.

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Ben's eyes shot open to stare at the dark ceiling, his loud breathing the only audible sound in the apartment. He rolled over to see the clock on the small oven, 2:00 am. It had been months since the incident with the First Order members in the snow, but Ben had nightmares every night since. Ben had never been scared of nightmares due to the fact that, even when he was younger, he knew they weren't real. But these were real, they had happened. He had pushed his memories so deep inside his mind that he almost forget about them, almost.

Ben still didn't know if he was safe. Fear constantly scraped at the back of his mind, like nails on a chalkboard. He was on the verge of paranoia, and he hated it. Ben wanted to be powerful, he wanted to make a name for himself not be the guy living in constant of the outside world. But he wasn't even that afraid that people would go after him, no, he knew that if he left Rey alone they would go after her. Rey didn't even mean that much to him, but he only had her and Phasma. He was not willing to give Huxley Arbertin the title of friend, all the ginger ever did was take the piss out of him. They had both been through thick and thin together, and, as hard as Ben found it to believe, Hux was once a not extremely heartless person. The First Order had changed all three of their lives, and it certainly not did not change them for the better. Ben became slightly addicted to alcohol and smoking, Phasma became much more ruthless and violent, Hux became crazed with power but all of them had been broken both mentally and physically.

Ben felt the sudden urge to grab a cigarette and sprint outside, until he heard the padding of bare feet on the floor.

Rey was standing in a tank top and pair of shorts that didn't leave a lot to the imagination. Ben squinted his eyes to see her in the dark as she poured herself a glass of water. He sat silently watching her until he saw her reach for a small bottle sitting on the counter that he was sure wasn't there when he went to sleep.

"Rey?" Ben said propping himself up onto his elbows.

"Ben?!" Rey said scrambling to hide the small bottle of pills. "I didn't know you were awake"

"Rey why are you taking those?" Ben wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation depending on what type of pills Rey may or may not have just swallowed.

"Oh, it doesn't matter" She replied as she quickly walked back to her bed.

Rey gasped as she felt an arm wrap around her waist as she landed not-to-elegantly on Ben's lap.

"I need to know what you just did" Ben whispered sternly in her ear.

"They help me sleep" Rey said shamefully. "They stop the nightmares"

Ben didn't know what to do. Rey just admitted to taking sleeping pills, which were definitely not prescription after Rey told Ben she has a deadly fear of doctors. Ben was so tangled in his own thoughts he didn't even notice that Rey had started violently sobbing on his shoulder. Ben in response, as if a natural reflex, gently wrapped his arms around her small frame and began to cradle her.

"I wouldn't call us friends, I don't know what to call us" Ben said sighing.

"Why don't I just call you Ben and you just all me Rey"

"I would like that very much"

The not-friends Ben and Rey sat holding each other until they both drifted to sleep, the only sleep in weeks in which neither had any nightmares.