***Author's Note***

Okay; last plot-heavy chapter, I swear. I wouldn't do this to you unless it was important, but I swear that every single thing that happens in this chapter is massively important to the storyline.

"Get up, sleepyhead. You're going to miss everything. Wake up, Ben." Rey leaned in close and laid her lips first on his forehead, then on the scar she was responsible for, then gently on his lips. Ben smiled as she kissed him.

"You know it drives me crazy when you do that," he complained, laughing.

"I know. That's why I do it," she replied, grinning mischievously. Ben groaned as he seized Rey around the waist and flipped her onto her back, nuzzling her neck.

Kylo Ren woke with a start. He was slumped against a wall, covered in dust. Kylo stood gingerly, testing the severity of his injuries. Not too bad, he concluded, as he stretched. The old man could have hurt me far worse, if he'd wanted to. Which begged the question; why had Luke let him walk away with so few injuries? It was an insult to his power; that's what it was. Kylo Ren felt his rage bubbling up inside of him. How dare Luke Skywalker mock the Master of the Knights of Ren!?

"Well. That went well, don't you think, Kid?"

Kylo Ren froze. He knew that voice. That was a voice he'd heard every day since he'd been born. At least, until Kylo Ren had begun his training. He shivered as he removed himself from that thought. It can't be, he thought. You're dead.

"Yeah, that's what they tell me, Kid. Dead and gone. So, ask yourself: why am I here?"

At last, Kylo turned to see the spirit of his father, Han Solo, standing before him. "You must be here because you think you have some kind of sage advice for me, now that you're dead."

Han Solo watched his son in silence for a moment, a great sadness emanating from his opaque form. He half-smiled, "Well, maybe I do." Han chuckled; "Who would have thought? Me, joined with the Force? I would have said you were nuts. Well, I've got to admit; it's not the craziest thing I've ever done. Anyway, enough about my afterlife. What about you? What's troubling you?"

Kylo Ren stared in shock at his father's spirit, wondering if he'd gone mad. "The girl," Kylo replied, "why can't I kill her?"

Han smiled and shook his head slowly. "Ben. You're asking the wrong questions. The first question you should ask is: Do you want to kill the girl?"

Kylo Ren's eyes narrowed under his mask. Did he want the girl dead? He searched his feelings, and to his astonishment, found himself shaking his head in the negative. Apparently, he did not want the girl dead.

Han nodded in satisfaction. "So; what is it that you do want? Don't forget; I'm part of the Force now. You can't lie to me." Han's eyes sparkle with humor, even though he is only a spirit. Kylo Ren finds himself revisiting some of the dreams he's been having lately.

Rey was sleeping soundly beside him as Ben sat up in bed. She stirred, and he glanced sheepishly at her. "Sorry," he heard himself saying. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Rey smiled sleepily, "Don't worry about it. I'd rather be awake, if you are." She sat up, and Ben leaned slowly in to kiss her. At first, it was not anything terribly serious; just another good morning kiss, then Rey shifted to deepen the kiss. Her tongue wrestled with his, and he tasted her sweetness on his lips. He lowered himself so suckle on her bare nipple, chuckling slightly as her back arched to allow him better purchase.

Kylo Ren snapped suddenly back to the present. "No," he admitted shakily, "I don't want her dead. I want her for myself," he added in astonishment. "So, what do I do now?" he asked his father.

Han laughed, like his son was missing something obvious. "You go after her of course. Honestly, what sort of almost-prince are you?"

Kylo Ren scowled in response and turned in the direction which the girl had fled. He stretched out his hand to sense where the girl had gone. What Kylo found stilled his blood, and froze him to the marrow. His Knights had already found her, and were engaged in battle with her. No, he thought frantically.

Kylo's feet pounded into the soft ground beneath him as he raced through the rain forest to find his scavenger. He was uncertain of what he was doing, or what he would do when he reached her, but he didn't care. All Kylo cared about was the thought of Rey laying motionless on the forest floor, and never seeing her defiant glare again. No; he could not allow it. Kylo Ren fed the Force into his movements in order to grant himself more speed. As Kylo sped towards the girl's Force signature, he felt it waver; she was in pain. No, he thought. This will not happen!

Finally, he sensed she was near; but something was wrong. She had stopped. She intended to die, rather than be taken alive. His heart stilled in fear. This was insane. He hardly knew the girl; and, yet. He knew that if she died, any chance he had for happiness, for redemption, was gone. Finally, he sensed she was just ahead. He skidded to a halt as he heard a distinctively feminine screech of pain. He halted just in time to see one of his Knights slash her viciously from her left hip to her right shoulder, and then wave his arm carelessly to send her catapulting into a massive boulder.

Kylo Ren roared with rage when he heard a sickening crunch as Rey smashed into the boulder. Kylo lit his light-saber against his own Knights; "Who was it that misunderstood my instructions? I said the girl is mine!" As his Knights turned to him, Kylo realized that he no longer cared. His Knights could turn on him if they wished. As long as the girl survived, it was enough. Kylo Ren closed his eyes to savor the final vision he had seen of his morning with Rey, knowing it would never be. Accepting his inevitable death, Kylo charged at the five remaining Knights. With one quick block, a slash, a roll, and another slash, Kylo quickly dispatched two more of his Knights.

Enraged, the three remaining Knights closed in on Kylo. He had trained them himself, so he knew what moves they would make. Still, they were surprising; one lunged at his knees as another lunged at his gut. Kylo Force jumped over the two Knights, intending to take them from behind. Instead, he found himself instinctively throwing up his left arm to defend from the attack that came the moment he landed. With a scream of pain, Kylo felt the light-saber come down on his left arm, severing it just below the elbow. As blood gushed from the new wound, Kylo rammed his light-saber into the offending Knight's heart. The remaining two Knights converged on Kylo. They engaged in a fierce battle with him, during which Kylo suffered many more wounds. Finally, it was Kylo Ren and one remaining Knight. They circled each other like snarling dogs. Finally, the last Knight lunged, and Kylo blocked it neatly. Kylo spun around, bringing his saber up to slash at the spine of his opponent. Thinking the battle won, Kylo turned to nurse his many wounds; however, he heard one final swoosh of a light-saber, and one final blast of blinding pain as his right leg was severed neatly at the knee. Kylo screeched in pain and fell to the sodden ground as his faithful Knight rose over him to administer the final blow. Kylo Ren lurched upwards as best he could, and managed to plunge his light-saber into his opponent's gut. As Kylo yanked his saber from his opponent's corpse, he knew the battle was over for him. Kylo Ren pushed what was left of his energy towards the girl; at least she will be safe, he thought, as he slumped to the ground and knew no more.

***Author's Note***

I really, really hope you don't hate me. I swear, this was all necessary. I'm so sorry if some of you are mad at me, but I promise it will make sense as the story progresses. There will be heavy angst in the next chapter, and probably a good deal of lemon-y goodness. Thanks for reading!