Rey panted as she struggled to keep up behind Kylo, attempting to compose herself the few times he glanced back at her. She hadn't gotten much exercise since she'd been elected Senator of the Azalea system, and she'd certainly not been half as active as she'd once been when she lived on Jakku. Her endurance just wasn't what it used to be.

Kylo, on the other hand, seemed to make light work of traversing the terrain, his long stride making his black cloak appear to float over the red sand.

As they neared the village, Kylo slowed, and Rey caught up to his side. He turned his face down towards her, keeping his gaze ahead on the town in front of them.

"Keep in tune with the Force, it will allow you to sense any danger," he said, glancing momentarily at her. They continued on a few silent paces before Rey spoke.

"I don't sense any danger," Rey said matter-of-factly, his vague advice turning over in her head.

"No. But you may," he said as they passed between an open set of low gates, the apparent mark of the start of the village. Small groups of people and creatures milled about the village, and each seemed to take notice of the two strange hooded figures that had entered their town.

The sand in the town was more compact and stable, forming a makeshift road. Rey was relieved she no longer had to plod through the thick sand of the open desert.

As Rey looked around, she noticed that there were no trees, no greenery, and she felt as if she were right back on Jakku.

As they continued through the village side-by-side, Rey eyed the signs that marked the small buildings and huts. They were all written in Basic Aurebesh, but none of them read "fuel." Why is it so hard to find flight fuel on these planets? She thought bitterly.

Kylo stopped, and Rey moved in front of him, trying to see his shadowy face under his hood.

"Those are fuel cannisters over there," he said through his scarf, nodding to a booth without a sign across the road. He turned and headed towards the market stall.

Rey was about to follow but stepped quickly backwards as an animal towing a large cart of produce trotted swiftly past, raising the dust in swirling red clouds. She squinted, pulling the neck scarf tighter over her nose and mouth to keep the dust out as she crossed the road.

As she approached Kylo's side, the short male Blarina behind the market stall began speaking to Kylo in a raised voice. "Sixty credits, and no less," he declared.

"That fuel is worth no more than two decicreds," Kylo countered, pointing an accusing gloved finger at the dusty, cracked barrels behind the man.

"Suit yourself," the Blarina growled, glaring up at Kylo. "I saw your ship land over there, that isn't a cheap design. I doubt you don't have the money," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

Kylo cussed at the man as he trudged away, shooting him one final glare from over his shoulder. Rey didn't need to use the Force to sense his anger.

"Why didn't you just buy it? You yourself said we're out of fuel," Rey said, looking up at him as they walked further into the village.

"I'm still not going to be ripped off," he muttered bitterly, scanning the stalls as they passed. "I should have crushed him. I would have if I didn't have to avoid attracting the attention of the First Order," he continued, his voice dark.

"You do realize he's just trying to make a living, don't you?" Rey inquired indignantly. "Perhaps if you weren't so ill-tempered he would have offered you a better price."

Kylo shot her a cross look, but Rey averted her gaze so she didn't meet his eyes.

They continued on for a short while in silence. The town seemed to grow more populated as they ventured on through its open market areas and shops. Soon enough, they both stopped, looking over at a sign above a large stall, behind which stood an aging human male. Rey lifted the drooping front of her large hood to read the Aurebesh letters: "Fuel - Top Quality."

Kylo's body posture grew tense as he approached the stall, preparing for another argument.

"'Top Quality?' I doubt that. Let me see it," Kylo demanded as they reached the stall, nodding his head towards the large metal canisters stacked behind the man.

The man frowned at Kylo, seemingly taken aback at this sudden accusation. "What kind of craft are you needing it for?" He asked. His voice sounded as cracked and dry as the desert sand itself.

"Not one you'd be familiar with," Kylo snapped. "Now let me see the fuel."

Rey shot Kylo an angry look, stepping closer to the stall table. She couldn't take his rude and brash behavior any longer. She lowered her hood as she looked at the man, whose weary eyes came to focuse on her.

"What are you—" Kylo began, but Rey cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. She lowered her scarf to her neck, revealing her whole face.

"I'm sorry, he has forgotten his manners, apparently," Rey said, shooting Kylo a condescending look. "What he means to say, is that we've come a long way to find fuel, and we just want to make sure it's the right kind before we buy it," Rey said, her voice polite, warm. She felt Kylo's confounded stare on the side of her face, but she didn't bother to turn and look at him again. "Would you mind if we got a look at it?"

The man blinked at her for a few moments, his jaw dropping slightly, before he quickly nodded his head once. "Y-yes miss. Of course, miss," he said, turning around and lifting a cannister from the stack behind him.

He set the metal barrel onto the stall table with effort and popped open the lid for them to see. Rey glanced up at Kylo, his dark eyes still focused down on her. Her eyes flickered from him to the barrel expectantly, and he blinked, turning to observe the fuel with a critical frown.

As Kylo observed the fuel for a few moments, tilting the barrel slightly to get a better look, Rey gave the man a friendly smile, and he returned one to her.

Rey sensed more eyes upon her, and she turned to her right, seeing that the men at the booths next to hers were all silently staring at her, seemingly frozen in place.

Rey faced forward again, tugging at the hem of her cloak thoughtfully. Why are they all staring? Do I look that funny in these giant clothes? She wondered, suddenly self-conscious.

Rey looked up at Kylo next to her, who she noticed was glaring in the direction behind her. Puzzled, she flipped her head back around, but saw that no men were looking in her direction any longer. She looked back up at Kylo confusedly.

"What is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

His fierce expression cooled as his dark eyes lowered to hers.

"Does the fuel suit you, sir?" The man behind the stall asked, a faint timidness in his voice.

Kylo opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, glancing quickly at Rey. "It will do," he said with a quiet sigh.

After Kylo had reluctantly paid the fifty credits for the fuel, the man loaded the fuel in a cart, tugging it around the table. "Not ideal to drag through the thick sand out there, I know," the main said, laughing nervously. Kylo's expression remained deadpan as he took the handle, beginning to pull it away from the stand, but the man spoke again. "She is lovely, your wife. But a woman like that doesn't belong out in a rough place like this," he said, and Kylo and Rey both froze in their tracks.

They simultaneously spun around, shocked at the vendor's unmitigated assumption.

"She's not my—"

"We're not—he isn't—"

They both tripped over their words in their state of bewilderment. Kylo tensed, staring threateningly at the man, who shrunk back behind the table.

"Oh, my apologies, sincerely, I didn't mean...," he trailed, and quickly turned away, seeming to busy himself with the inventory behind him.

Rey blew out an astonished breath, on the verge of releasing an uncomfortable laugh. She watched the man, avoiding looking over at Kylo.

Out of her peripheral vision, Rey watched as Kylo abruptly turned on the heels of his boots and began pulling the fuel cart behind him, quite hastily at that. His feet pounded heavily into the compact dirt, his agitation evident simply in the way that he moved. Rey decided it best to remain following behind the cart, to maintain distance between them.

As they moved back through the quieting town, Rey again felt the stares of men on her, and she self-consciously pulled her scarf up under her eyes and returned her hood to her head.

By the time they had reached the edge of the town, the sky had grown darker, the sun still setting. Rey hoped that Kylo would slow his pace once they reached the thicker desert sand, but her remaining spirits sunk as he maintained almost the same pace as before, only minutely struggling to keep the cart in pace behind him. Rey attempted to control her labored breathing as she slowed her own pace, allowing the distance between them to grow greater and greater.

The sky was a deep, dark maroon when Rey had finally reached the command shuttle. She walked around one of its tall, bat-like wings, finding Kylo unravelling the ship's fuel line to attach it to the cannister on the cart. His hood and scarf were off of his face, and Rey lowered her own.

Kylo glanced up at her momentarily as she came around the ship, but he remained silently focused on his work.

"Can I help?" Rey asked, stepping towards him.

He frowned as he looked up at her. "No."

Rey lowered her eyebrows and folded her arms, wondering why he still seemed to be in such a sour mood. "What you said before, about how the Force allows you to sense danger...how can I do that?" She asked suddenly.

Kylo stopped what he was doing and straightened himself, swiping the dirt off of his pants in a frustrated manner. He looked annoyed, but also very tired. "It would be great if I could just work on this," he muttered.

Rey ignored him, deciding to press on. "Do I have to really concentrate, as with Force healing?"

Kylo stared at her a moment before rubbing a hand against his forehead. "You're not going to stop, are you?" He said, his question sounding more like a statement. "Perhaps I should just leave you behind on this godforsaken planet. You're used to living in the desert, aren't you, Scavenger?" Rey was surprised that his tone was more light, even teasing.

"I'd rather be stuck in this claustrophobic ship than have to live in a desert again," she said. She watched as a small, wry smile formed momentarily on Kylo's mouth at her statement as he returned to hooking the fuel line to the cannister. He turned a pump on, and the dark liquid fuel began snaking up the hose into the fuel tank of the ship.

Sensing his lightening mood, Rey wanted to press further. "Where did you learn most of what you did about the Force?" Rey questioned, watching him intently. "Was it from Snoke?"

Kylo straightened, folding his arms across his chest thoughtfully. The growing wind tossed his dark hair across his forehead. He lowered his dark brows as he seemed to consider her question. "Well...yes. Much of it came from Snoke...and...some from Luke." He opened his mouth to speak again, clearly hesitating. His dark gaze shifted away from her. "I learned a lot from my mother."

Rey watched as his features seemed to grow more somber, seemingly lost in thought as he focused down at the sand. She debated or not whether she should question him again, and as usual curiosity got the best of her.

"Do you ever miss her, your mother?" Rey asked quietly.

Kylo's eyes slowly rose to hers, a subtle but troubled emotion crossing his features. He furrowed his brows, his features hardening as he dropped his gaze back to the ground. "I don't know her anymore," he suddenly snapped, his voice disturbed. He avoided Rey's attentive gaze as he plodded past her through the sand.

"I wasn't asking Kylo Ren," she called after him defiantly. She watched as he stopped in his tracks, looking back at her alarmingly. She opened her mouth, hesitating. "I'm asking Ben."

Kylo turned towards her, exasperation flashing across his face. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Rey took a step towards him, watching his expression closely, concernedly.

"Don't you miss her?" She breathed, knitting her brows together.

Kylo's features from agitation into fleeting anxiety, then surprisingly, his expression faded into disconsolateness. He took a step towards her, his mouth trembling. "Yes," he finally breathed. "Yes, of course I miss her," he said quietly, seeming to search Rey's eyes.

Rey was overcome just at the transformation of emotions that had flashed across his face, much less this admittance. With growing realization, she recognized that this was Ben speaking to her in this moment.

"How is she?" He asked abruptly. But he seemed to bite back his words almost as soon as he'd released them, as if regretful at having asked the question.

"She's...uh," Rey's mind raced, wondering whether or not she should tell him the truth. But before she had a chance to respond, Kylo interrupted.

"No, do not speak," he said, shaking his head and holding a hand before him. "I am no longer her son."

Despite his biting statement, Rey was astonished that she'd managed to break through Kylo's harsh exterior, even if just for a few moments. She'd seen in him the same vulnerability, the same fleeting humanity as she had before when he'd first interrogated her on his ship, after the battle on Takodana.

Rey realized that despite his longstanding separation from his family, despite his training with the Dark Side, at his truest core, Kylo Ren was still, and always would be, Ben Solo.

OHH shiiittt, looks like Rey is figuring out how to work Kylo's own emotions against him! I wonder what other things in him she AWAKENS...

And yeeah, Rey, the men were staring at you for your clothing...I loved in TFA how oblivious Rey was of Finn's affection for her, and how he initially saw her as a damsel in distress, when in reality she's a seasoned fighter who doesn't need no man/ her hand held. Now it's becoming more clear that Finn and Poe aren't the only ones to admire Rey's independent nature—among other things, to quote Snoke.

Also, yes, the chapter title is a play on "Breaking Bad." I just couldn't resist, sue me.