***Author's Not***

Okay, so this chapter has a lot of dialogue, just so you know. Lots of plot progression, and a good bit of character/relationship development, as well as comic relief; I know it's been pretty heavy thus far. I know you all want more lemon, and there will be, next chapter, but I don't want to rush that aspect and have it come off as sloppy. Just a smidge more patience, and you'll see some massive fireworks between Ben and Rey.

Rey was the first to wake; she wasn't even sure if it was day or night. All she knew was that they were alive, unhurt, and safe. At least, for now. As they slept, Ben's head had shifted to rest on her's. She smiled to herself; when he was resting like this, he looked sort of...sweet, she mused. She gently unwound their fingers and made to sit up. Rey stifled a gasp as her body screamed in protest. Okay...maybe not unhurt. But not as hurt as they could have been. Rey rolled gingerly to her feet to assess the damage. Not the worst crash she'd been in; at least it felt like nothing was broken. She removed her tunic, looking down at torso, wincing at what she saw. True, Ben had healed the terrible slash on her torso, but now there were angry, mottled bruises spreading across her body. In some places, it seemed hat the bruising went all the way to the bone. Well, it could be worse, she thought. I could be dead.

Rey turned at the sound of movement behind her, and found Ben watching her with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. He looked almost...sad. "I'm okay, Ben," she said quietly as she replaced her tunic. "It's just a few bruises." At this, his eyebrows winged up.

"'Just a few bruises?' Rey, I've seen 'just a few bruises' and this isn't that. You look like you pissed off a Wookie," he chuckled. "Take my word on that; I grew up with a Wookie. I'm used to their tempers."

Rey chuckled, bemused. He never talks about his past, she thought. Sometimes I forget that this is the man who killed his own father. He certainly doesn't act like he's capable of such a thing. I'd at least like to know why he did it. Even if I did know, I don't think I'll ever be able to trust him. Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw Ben stiffen, and she knew that he had heard every word she'd just thought. She locked eyes with him, and he looked away, flushing. She felt confusion, shame, loss, and no small amount of guilt rolling off of him. Her brow crumpled; most of the emotions she sensed coming from him, she understood, but confusion? That, she did not understand.

"I have to see what kind of resources there are out there," she told Ben. "I'll be back in a while. Try to rest, okay?" With that, she limped her way out of the cave.

"Well, what did you expect, Kid?" Ben lurched in surprise; he glanced at the cave mouth where Rey had just disappeared, and saw his father standing there, leaving ever-so-casually against the wall. "Surprised to see me again, huh?" Han's eyes sparkled with humor.

"Are you trying to scare me to death, Father?" Ben grumbled. "Is this some kind of sick revenge?"

Han rolled his eyes, "Don't be so melodramatic. You and I both know what really happened on that bridge. Just remember, Kid; women always figure out the truth. Always. I like her, by the way. And, more importantly, Chewie likes her."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll be sure to get Chewie's opinion once he's done tearing my arms off..."

"Arm. Don't you mean arm? I mean, you've only got one full one."

Ben shook his head. "Very nice. Thanks. You had to go with the one-armed joke, didn't you?"

"Come on, Kid. Pull the stick out of your ass. It was funny, and you know it," Han laughed. "So. What's the plan? Don't sit there and tell me you don't have one; I know you, Kid. You're always planning something."

Ben raised his eyebrows innocently. "But, Father, I've only got one leg; I can't stand and tell you I don't have a plan..." Ben grinned mischievously.

Han doubled up with laughter, "There's the Kid I know! Alright, then; what's the plan?"

"Well, obviously neither of us can do much until we've healed up some. So, I figure we'll take a few days to rest, then get to work trying to find some way off this rock. I told her I'd go with her to D'Qar, and I meant it. I can't go back to the First Order; it would be instant death for me if I did. Not to mention Snoke or Ren would be able to pull all the information from me regarding Rey. No; I can't go back, and I don't want to. I haven't felt so like myself since..." Ben paled and looked away from his father, fidgeting with the improvised blankets. "Well, let's just say I haven't felt in control of myself since the day I turned from the Light." Ben cleared his throat to get rid of the lump that had formed there. "I thought I'd become an...informant...of sorts for the Resistance. I have plenty of pertinent information that I could give. If they'll have me, that is."

Han nodded, "That sound like a pretty good plane, Kid. Huh. You should have limbs cut off more often; gives you time to think."

Ben chuckled. "I'm glad to have the approval of a dead man...In all seriousness, though; is this going to be a regular thing? You showing up and giving me surprisingly pertinent advice...For a dead man, anyway."

Han walked slowly over to his son, and knelt beside him. He took his son's face in his hands and looked him in the eye, "Ben, I'll be here for as long as you want me to be, for whatever reason you want me to be. I will never leave you, if you don't want me to. Just because I'm dead, it doesn't mean I've stopped loving you. You are my son. Nothing will change that. Nothing."

Ben's eyes welled up with tears, and they trickled down his cheeks at his father's words. Just then, he sensed Rey returning, so he said thickly, "Rey is coming, Father. I don't think she'd quite understand yet."

Han smiled softly at his son, "I understand. Just remember: I'll always be here when you need me," His voice echoed through the cave as Han faded and vanished.

Just then, Ben heard Rey scrambling up the path towards the cave, dragging what sounded like a bag of scraps; he hurriedly tried to brush the tears from his face with his hand.

"Well, this place isn't quite as desolate as I thought. It's certainly not nearly so bad as Jakku. I found a river at the bottom of this canyon here. It seems that whatever rock these canyons are made of, it acts as a natural filter, cleaning the water, so it's perfectly safe to drink. I thought we could take a trip down there tomorrow and wash up; we're losing the light just now. But we definitely need to wash; we're both pretty rank. Also, I found some herbs that might be good for healing. If not, they smell good; they'll at least be useful to season this reptilian thing I found at the river. I know, it's nothing I'm used to eating, either, but it's big, and it looks..." Rey faltered as she finally glanced over at Ben. "Ben? Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

Ben smiled weakly, "I'm fine. So. Reptile, huh? It's food, anyway, and our emergency rations won't last very long. What's with all the scraps? Did you stop by the shuttle?"

Rey grinned and nodded with enthusiasm as she set about making a fire with scraps of wood she had found while exploring, "I thought we might be able to make use of some of the components that we either won't need to repair the shuttle or that are too damaged to use on the shuttle, but might still be useful for other things. I have a project in mind, but I don't want to talk about it just yet, in case it doesn't work out."

She set out the herbs she had picked, testing each one for various properties; the ones that burned her skin, she tossed outside the cave, as they were most likely poisonous. Some, however, soothed her bruises when she rubbed the herbs on them, and these she set carefully aside, mentally marking where she'd found each one, and the properties of each so she could find them again. The herbs that smelled wonderful, but seemed to have neither adverse nor beneficial effects on her wounds, Rey set in another pile to be used for cooking.

At long last, she set about skinning and cleaning the reptile. It looked like a giant lizard. She took out her hunting knife, and made small incisions in the flesh of the creature, just large enough to stuff with the cooking herbs that she had gathered. Finally, Rey took out a decent-sized slab of slate that she had found and cleaned at the river and placed it near enough to the fire that it would heat enough to cook their meal, and placed the prepared carcass on it. Before long, the smell of cooking meat wafted through the cave, causing Rey's and Ben's stomachs to rumble loudly.

They both laughed, and at last, Rey decided the meat was done cooking, and she cut off large chunks for both of them, "Careful, it's hot," she warned Ben as she handed his slice over.

"It smells wonderful, Rey. Thank you," Ben bit gingerly into the meat he had been offered, and his eyes slid shut in bliss. "This is incredible, Rey. Who knew you could eat like this while stranded on a desert planet and the First Order is searching every corner of the galaxy for you?
Rey snorted out a surprised laugh, "Wait; was that a joke? Wow. I think there must be something wrong with you; you've suddenly sprouted a sense of humor." They both dissolved into a fit of giggles that had them clutching their stomachs and wiping tears from their eyes. "It's good to laugh. I guess I didn't realize you were capable of laughing."

"I'm capable; I just forgot how for a long while."

Over the next few days, Ben and Rey fell into a comfortable routine. In the morning, they would wake, and Rey would leave the cave to hunt and gather useful supplies, and Ben would rest and converse with his father's spirit while she was gone. Upon her return, she would skin, clean, and prepare any animal that she had managed to find, and they would talk through the evening as she worked on her mysterious project. As the days slowly passed, both of their wounds healed (much faster thanks to poultices Rey made with the herbs she had found). Ben discovered his elbow and knee ached less and less as the days went by. But more than that, they both found, to their very great surprise, that they were beginning to develop quite the accord. They felt, perhaps, that they were becoming friends, though neither could quite forget that they had been mortal enemies, barely two weeks before.

***Author's Note***

Hope y'all liked this chapter. I'm particularly enjoying writing the Han's Spirit/Ben interactions. I hope the comic relief was enjoyable. Thanks for reading, as always; another chapter will be added very, very soon!