Published February 14, 2023. Happy St. Valentine's Day!

CONTENT WARNING: This is the point in the story at which the rating goes up to Mature or 18+, since there will be actual sexual content. As a general rule, I don't go into detail about the physical mechanics, because what really matters are the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects that it represents. Also, there is some possessive language, because that tension between selfishness (the dark side) and selflessness (the light) is something Ben and Rey will continue to wrestle with. If you read it and think the rating or tags should be different, please let me know!

"Communion"

No life is happy without mystery, and the greatest of all mysteries is love. Great are the joys in marriage, as there is the lifting of progressive veils, until one is brought into the blazing lights of the Presence of God. Whether the marriage is happy or unhappy, whether life is sweet or bitter, makes no difference to the heart that aspires to a more and more purified love. It may even be that the waters of life become more purified by running over the jagged mountain streams of suffering. ~ Fulton J. Sheen, Three to Get Married

After many expressions of thanks and promises of future visits, all the offworld guests were loaded back onto the Millennium Falcon. Ben and Rey held hands as they waved goodbye to the departing ship. When it was gone, they were left in the loud silence of Ahch-To at night, a dull roar of wind and waves.

"Thank you for this," Rey said to Ben. Her expression was earnest, but then she smiled slyly and cocked her head. "It wasn't all bad, was it? Some of it was good."

Ben smirked, but he nodded in agreement. "Pretty good." He leaned over and rested his chin on her shoulder. "But we're not done yet."

"Hmm." Rey started to lean into him, but a beep from R2-D2 reminded them that they were not quite alone. They both straightened up and glanced at the astromech, who beeped an inquiry about what they were going to do next.

Ben cleared his throat. "Actually, Artoo, I don't think we need you anymore tonight. Will you please go power yourself down?"

R2-D2 asked for clarification about where to go.

"No, that's just for Rey and me," Ben answered.

The droid was a bit miffed at this: it had been Ben's housemate for the past five years, not to mention a good part of his youth.

"Rey and I just need some privacy for a while."

What for? R2-D2 asked impertinently.

Sensing Ben's growing annoyance, Rey answered, "For organic stuff. You wouldn't find it interesting anyway. We'll wake you up when we need you. Alright?"

At her word, R2-D2 relented, and started making its way to the hut that Ben had converted into a shed.

"Thank you, Artoo! I'm glad to be living with you again!" Rey called after it. Ben snickered at her efforts to be diplomatic, even with a droid. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Everything." He shook his head, smiling. They could keep standing there while he tried to find words for everything going on inside him, or they could get to the part of the night he had been most impatient for. "Are you ready to go home?"

Rey squeezed his hand, her eyes shining with anticipation. "Yes."

She let him lift her up in his arms and carry her up to the Jedi village. She kept her eyes on his face, at first admiring his smile, then puzzling over it. There was something secretive, or mischievous, about it, which was not exactly how she would have expected him to be at this moment.

He stopped in front of a hut, but it was not the one he had lived in for the past several years. It took Rey a moment, and a glance around the huts, to get her bearings. Then she realized, there had not been a hut in this spot for years—not since—

"We touched hands here!" she gasped. "How—"

"Chewie and his family helped," Ben explained.

"This is what you were working on?"

"Well, the caretakers wouldn't let me put an addition on a hut that was still standing, but they were open to building something new. I figured, if we're going to raise a family, we'll need more space."

"Oh, Ben." She put her arms around his neck in a hug. "You could have let me help," she chided. She felt woefully inadequate, and almost hurt that he had not given her the chance to help. It would have been fitting for them to build their home together.

"I thought about it," Ben acknowledged. "I would like to build something with you, and you can make any changes you want. But you had enough to sort out offworld … and you've given up so much to be here … I wanted to be able to provide something."

He used the Force to open the door without letting go of his precious burden. When he stepped inside, Rey gasped at what she saw.

Each of the ancient huts had essentially the same minimalist layout, with a cone-shaped structure, a stone bench to serve as a bed, and a firepit in the center. Ben's dwelling had been the exception, with crates serving as makeshift tables and chairs. Rey expected something similar here, but it could not have looked more different.

For one thing, this hut was larger than the others, with a base shaped like an oval instead of a circle. The room was illuminated with candles lining the stone shelves and the perimeter of the floor, their glow dispelling the shadows. On one side, the wall featured a hearth and chimney, where a fire burned behind a foldable metal grate. In the center, there was a low wooden table, surrounded by mats woven from the tall island grass. Their wedding gifts were piled neatly on the table, and Rey's few bags were lined up against a bare section of the wall, next to a metal door.

The stone bench had been replaced by a real bed, long and wide enough to accommodate Ben's considerable size. The wooden frame held the mattress up high enough to fit a few small storage containers underneath. Red and blue flower petals had been sprinkled across the sheets and pillows, and a thick, soft quilt was folded at the foot of the bed. The gap between the bed and the curved wall left enough room for a small table, where someone had left a pitcher and two cups.

"You did all this?" Rey cried.

Ben blinked; even he was taken aback by the ambiance. "I asked Maz and Lando to get it ready just now. This is … a little more than I expected," he admitted.

"What's behind the door?" Rey asked curiously. All the other huts had only one room.

"Um, we upgraded the water system—so I was able to put in a toilet and sink. So you don't have to go to the outhouse if it's raining."

She cackled, as incredulous as she was delighted. "You thought of everything!"

"Well—I didn't think of the flowers or candles," he muttered, embarrassed but on some level pleased.

He crossed the room and lowered Rey onto the mattress, letting her test it out. "Do you like it?"

She let out a whoop of laughter, throwing herself back and splaying her limbs across it. Flower petals from her hair and the sheets scattered as her head hit the pillows. "It's wonderful." She would have been happy to sleep together and consummate their marriage anywhere—a grassy field, a sand dune, or even a stone floor—but to be so luxuriously comfortable in the privacy of their dwelling was truly a gift.

Seeing her stretched out across the bed did something odd to Ben. Part of him wanted to throw himself on top of her; another part hardly dared to step closer. A selfish part of him wanted to know and claim ownership of every part of her; a generous part of him wanted to give her everything, including his very self, and even things that he did not yet possess—things that did not yet exist.

Rey absently brushed her hand against her face, and felt the ring on her finger, the first of the many unexpected gifts of this night. She sat upright, examining it again. "I can't believe you got your mother's ring for me."

"Finn and Rose helped with that. I can't believe you made one for me." Ben sat on the edge of the bed and held up his own hand next to hers. "There is more jewelry that she left behind. I thought about waiting and giving them as anniversary presents, but I think they're rightfully yours now that we're family."

"I can wait. It'll be … like presents from your mother as well as you." Rey slipped her ring off and kissed it before putting it on the bedside table. Then she swung her legs off the bed and stood up, turning her back toward him. "Can you help me take this off?"

There was a momentary pause as Ben worked through his confusion—the dress was not complicated, and Rey was perfectly capable of undoing it herself—before he realized that she was not expressing a need, but a desire. Then he obediently came up behind her. They both struggled to keep their excitement at bay as his he untied the sash, and then lifted the long swaths of fabric it had held in place, leaving the white base dress underneath.

Several different memories replayed in their minds. Since the day they had met, Ben had shed layers of protection before Rey, revealing more of his true self to her. Now he was shedding the very last of those layers, and she all of hers. From tonight onward, there would be no more hiding from each other, a prospect as liberating as it was frightening.

Rey turned, and seeing that Ben was uncertain what to do, she took the sash and excess fabric from him. "Is there someplace I can put this?"

"Um—yeah." He pointed to a section of the wall with a row of wooden pegs, from which hung their cloaks and a laundry bag.

Rey went over to the wall and hung up the fabric. When she glanced behind, she saw that Ben also had his back turned to her and was starting to undress himself. She smiled as she turned away, realizing that he was as nervous as she was.

"Do you want some help?" she asked, half teasing and half serious.

"No, I got it; I'll be over in a second."

Rey crossed her arms, grasped the fabric at her shoulders, and pulled her dress up over her head in a smooth motion. She hung it carefully on one of the pegs on the wall. Then she paused, feeling a number of unexpected and even contradictory emotions as she looked at what was before her and sensed who was behind her.

Was this really happening? Were they really doing this? Could they come together as if they were truly one being, physically as well as spiritually? For so long it had seemed impossible—and yet, at times, it had felt inevitable, like a gravitational pull.

When Rey had nothing left on her, and had taken her hair down from its braid, she hugged herself before looking over her shoulder at Ben. He was turned halfway toward her, his posture uncertain, holding his clothes in a bundle at his waist. He only looked at her fully when she looked at him. When she met his gaze, his expression became reassuring, though no less solemn.

His eyes never left hers as he stepped up to her again, until he was standing just behind her. He reached past her to put his own clothes away. When he drew his hands back, he placed one on her shoulder, and with the other, he guided her chin toward him until their lips met.

This, at least, was familiar; this was the action, these the feelings, that they had grown used to over the last two years. As they kissed, Ben turned her by the shoulders until she was facing him. Their hands moved to each other's face, neck, shoulders, their forearms resting on each other's chest.

It was only when they parted for air, and after they met each other's eyes, that they finally looked at each other in their entirety.

"Gods, you're beautiful," Ben rasped, lifting his eyes back to hers.

She smiled, resting one hand on his chest and trading his abdomen with the other. "So are you."

He slid his hands from her shoulders down to her sides, just barely skimming over her curves, as though afraid to touch what had for so long been untouchable. "Is this really okay?"

She held his gaze and said, "Hold me. All of me."

This command also harkened to specific moments in their past. The first time Ben had carried her, every inch of his body had been covered; his touch had been cold and clinical; his arms had been the last place she wanted to be, which was why he had put her to sleep first. But now they stood before each other, fully awake and completely exposed, and Rey's eyes remained open and trusting as she leaned back and fell into Ben's ready arms. He lifted her up easily and shifted his arms under and around her to cradle her against his chest.

For a moment they hardly moved, just felt the warmth of the other's skin and the rhythm of each other's breaths and heartbeats, marveling at the love, trust, and respect that now existed between them.

Rey felt more vulnerable, but also more safe, than she had ever been. She shivered slightly, both chilled without her clothes and aroused by being held with nothing between them. As Ben was standing with his back to the fire, the only heat she could feel was from his body, and she wanted more of it.

Holding her, Ben was struck by the realization that he was now responsible for this woman, for her safety, her happiness, her future. She had chosen to place them all in his unworthy hands, believing that she could trust him with them. That knowledge was humbling, but also strangely empowering.

"What are you smirking at?" Rey demanded.

"I'm not smirking," he said at once; but he could not stop himself from smiling, looking her up and down in wonder. "It's just strange. I used to think of you as mine. At least, I thought you should be. Then, I spent years trying to convince myself that you weren't mine, that you would never be mine. After all that, it's hard to believe this is real—that you're truly mine. Completely, irrevocably, voluntarily mine."

Rey laughed. "Don't let it go to your head. Remember, it works both ways. You," she declared, sliding her arms around his neck and pulling herself upright, "are mine."

His smile widened as he bowed his head so their foreheads and noses touched. "Yes I am." He shifted his arm behind her back to press her torso flush against his. She clung to him, her chin now resting on his shoulder. After a moment their breaths synced, their chests pushing against each other in turn.

Ben walked slowly to the bed, but instead of setting Rey down on the mattress, he knelt on it and continued to hold her in his lap. She felt the tenor of his thoughts: You're not alone. I'm here. I love you. I'm yours, and you're mine.

"My Ben," she whispered.

"My Rey," he answered.

They remained there for a long while, slowly getting to know each other's body, acclimating to this new kind of intimacy. It was heady, finally seeing and touching each other, discovering more ways they were alike and unalike. Rey trembled as her hands traced the size of his muscles. Ben gasped as he discovered how soft she was. Every now and then their eyes met in mutual awe. Was there anything so natural yet extraordinary, sacred yet humble, as a human being's body?

At different moments they both whispered the words they had used in their playful sparring: "I yield. I surrender." But this time there was no jest, no teasing. With every word, every look, and every touch, they laid claim to each other, marking out their domain, asserting their exclusive privilege, declaring their total commitment.

Finally, Ben placed his hand on Rey's stomach. The gesture brought them back to Exegol, when he had transferred his life force to revive her—but now, instead of saving a life, they were going to risk creating a new life.

"Are you ready?" Ben asked.

Rey nodded. "Are you?"

Instead of answering, he pressed her: "Are you sure you can handle it?" There was a note of levity in the question, but also serious concern, and a deep-rooted fear. Can you accept all of me, the real me?

Rey looked at him with eyes already glassy with tears, affectionate, pleading. He saw in her face the same emotions he felt through the Force. She was ready—and more importantly, she wanted—to receive him in every possible way.

Ben could not bring himself to name his fears, but he pressed her hand to his temple and let her see them for himself. As much as he wanted her, he was still afraid, worrying that he might hurt or disappoint her. What if he couldn't figure out how to make it feel pleasant, or even tolerable, for her?

Rey cradled his jaw in her hands, as if to silence him. Looking directly in his eyes, she spoke with simple but unquestionable authority. "Stop worrying. You belong here. I want you here." She placed her hand over his heart. "I trust you. Now trust your instincts."

Her thoughts ran deeper than these words, and Ben knew that she was right. He had to stop questioning himself. They had made their vows, pledged themselves to each other, and committed themselves to this relationship. He had to try to do his part.

But he realized something else, too, possibly for the first time in his life: he did not need to be perfect. If he messed up—either now, or in the future—she would forgive him, and they would try again. He had never had that kind of confidence in another person's love or the possibility of reconciling and having another chance.

With that, the last restraint on his emotions broke. He kissed her, this time making no effort to hide his hunger, and she responded just as passionately. It was a moment of surrender for both of them, in more ways than one. He surrendered to the Force as he never had before, letting it guide his actions. The bond between them felt more alive than ever, pulsating with warmth and energy, as they moved in harmony with each other.

It was that kiss that made their bodies unquestionably ready for each other—they could feel it physically as well as sense each other's thoughts. They both panted as their lips broke apart.

"You said I'm your home," she reminded him.

"That's true."

"You also promised to show me how much I'm loved."

"I did."

"So show me." He felt her open her mind and her heart, at the same time she lay down and spread her limbs out wide. "Come home."

Any lingering self-doubt melted. Even if Ben had not wanted her for his own sake, he could hardly have denied her this.

"I'm coming, sweetheart," he said, leaning over and lowering himself.

At the last second, their eyes locked, and their expressions looked almost exactly as they had when they first touched each other's skin, in this very place, full of awe and trepidation, aware that things would nevermore be the same.

Rey gasped softly now, just as she had then; but the sound was matched by Ben, whose eyes were wider than she had ever seen them.

Then they seemed to slide into place, like the right key for a lock. It was as if they had been made to be there—like they were fulfilling their true purpose, their destiny.

Through the waves of hormones and explosions of chemicals inside them, they still looked to each other, gasping in amazement and smiling in reassurance. Ben lowered his face to hers and whispered, "I'm home."

"Welcome." With her arms around him, Rey squeezed him as tightly as she could and whispered, "I'm so glad you're here."

The Millennium Falcon was about halfway back to the Resistance base when Finn suddenly froze. Maz also paused, and breathed deeply as the feeling washed over her.

By now, Rose had known them long enough to recognize that they were sensing something through the Force. "What is it?" she asked in concern.

Finn could not speak while he was experiencing it, and when the feeling subsided, he struggled to articulate it. "I felt … something."

"Something in the Force?"

"Yeah, but not like I've felt before. It wasn't—it's not a disturbance. Kind of the opposite. It's like … a weight just shifted into its right place. Like something evened out. It feels … balanced."

"Then the circle is complete." They both looked in surprise at Maz, who seemed unsurprised and pleased. "The Force finished what it started. It brought balance to them, to the galaxy, and to itself."

Rose and Finn exchanged glances, mystified and a little disturbed by what she was implying. "You're talking about Rey and Ben?" Rose clarified. "They're that important?"

Finn's concern was more practical: "Are you saying I'm going to sense every time they …"

"I think not," Maz assured him. "It is what they have achieved that we feel now: the beginning of a new era."

Ben and Rey both cried, at different times, over the course of the night, overwhelmed by the closeness they had never known and barely imagined was possible. Their tears mingled, and they laughed through them and kissed away the wetness on the other's cheeks.

While their lips were occupied, they sent their thoughts to each other, as repetitive and unrepeatable as each movement they made with their bodies.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

I know. I know. I know … you.

Yes … you do.

All their lives they had wanted to know and be known, to love and be loved. The Force had answered their longing with this gift, more precious than anything in the galaxy: a being with a heart to love them, a mind to know them, and a body to serve and protect and create with them.

Coming apart almost felt like when the Force ended their moments of connection, as though something full of life and energy had tapered off—like a circuit being broken, or a channel being plugged. Still, they held each other close, touching and stroking each other's skin as they recovered.

Ben had not thought it possible for a being to feel so happy. What was more, he had not believed himself capable of making anyone else so happy. No one had ever looked at him the way Rey did that night, with such adoration. Seeing her blissful expression, feeling her ecstasy through their bond, and hearing her sigh his name, whisper her assent, and make a dozen incoherent sounds—all of that, even more than his own joy and pleasure, made him eager to be one with her again.

And then he had the delightful remembrance that there was no need to rush, because Rey was not going to leave—at least not for a long while yet; and if she ever did, she would always come back to him. They were going to be together from now on. His mind clung to this knowledge, as his body clung to her, even while the high of their union faded.

"How do you feel?" Ben asked. He was not fishing for compliments; he wanted to know if she felt alright.

Rey blinked at him. "You can't tell?"

"I have a general sense."

She was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Would you like to know?"

"… Yeah, that's why I'm asking."

"I mean …" She brought his hand to the side of her head, and he heard her mental invitation: Do you want to see for yourself?

Ben blinked. He had not deliberately probed her mind in years. "May I?"

"If you want. You showed me how you've felt about me, so it's more than fair."

So he placed his hands on either side of her head, rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and looked inside her mind.

For the first time, Ben saw himself the way Rey had come to see him: she genuinely thought him beautiful, strong, steadfast, understanding, sometimes amusing, often awe-inspiring. She felt deep pride, admiration, and gratitude toward him, as well as love and respect.

He felt her emotions, or at least their echo in her memory: the triumph when they fought side by side in Snoke's throne room; her hope when he came to her aid on Exegol; her joy when she woke up in his arms and finally kissed him; her consolation when he comforted her in the mine and its aftermath; her fun when they played games or sparred on the island; and the myriad emotions when they "negotiated" where and how she would live, when they made their vows, and when they finally came together on this night.

On Jakku, Rey had experienced near-constant hunger and thirst. Those most basic of needs had trumped every other need and desire. After leaving her home planet, she had come to recognize different kinds of hunger, her need for love and friendship and intimacy. For years she had longed for Ben, both physically and emotionally. Now, she felt satisfied in a way she never had before.

Ben pulled back and looked at her with new amazement. Rey smiled at him and stroked his cheek. "For the first time in my life … I feel full. Content. Like I have everything I need right now, and no fear of going without later."

"Oh, Rey." Ben pulled her close against his chest again. She smiled as she snuggled against him, and her next thought was clearly audible: You've made me the happiest woman in the galaxy.

"I couldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it," Ben murmured against her skin.

He felt more grateful for their telepathic bond than ever before. It may have caused some problems and discomfort early on, but now it gave them a precious means of communicating and understanding. Most couples did not have the benefit of sensing the Force, let alone being connected by it. Even among Force bonds, their dyad was special. Their hearts and minds could be as naked to each other as their bodies, and could be united just as easily and intimately.

Rey sensed his thoughts, and it gave her a new, intriguing idea. "Could we do it at the same time?" she wondered aloud.

Ben raised an eyebrow at her, curious. "Do what?"

"You know—be connected that way. Physically and mentally. We've done one or the other, but not both at once."

Ben considered this. "I don't see why we wouldn't be able to." He looked sideways at her. "Do you want to try?"

"Yes."

"Now? Or maybe when we've had more—"

She cut him off with a long, deep kiss, and then said simply, "Now. Please."

So, after a few minutes of preparation, he entered her body, and she entered his mind.

If either of them ever wanted to describe the experience to someone else, they would have been hard pressed to find adequate words. All boundaries dissolved; the distinctions between them were gone. As different as they were, somehow their differences coexisted within a single entity. It was not that their thoughts and emotions were the same, mirroring each other, but rather like they were a single person. Their bodies—flesh, blood, and bones—were one. Their minds—thoughts, dreams, consciousness—were one. Their souls—spirit, life-force, whatever they might be called—were one.

For most of their lives, they had never known how to love themselves. Now, the other's love was their own love. Ben felt and shared Rey's love for her friends, for the vulnerable, and for him. Rey felt and shared his love for his family, and for her.

It was the most intense experience of their lives. Either kind of union was overwhelming in itself; to experience both at once was even more draining.

Somehow their bodies and minds must have known when they needed to separate, because they did so without meaning to. At that moment, the strange fusion ended. Ben and Rey lay side by side, still holding each other, breathing heavily, marveling at each other.

"Ben …" There were no words to express everything; she could only say his name.

He caressed her cheek and said simply, "I know."

He had explained to her what that phrase meant in his family. Often, it was true in more than one sense, and such was the case now. No man and woman had ever known each other as intimately as the two of them.

They did not even need to speak to ask how the other felt: as they cuddled and recovered, they could feel the other's exhilaration and exhaustion as palpably as their own.

"We should probably sleep," Ben murmured.

"Probably," Rey admitted.

He smiled at her reluctant tone. "Don't worry, Rey. This is just the beginning. We'll always be together." He hugged her to his chest and turned to lie on his back, pulling her on top of him and pulling the blanket over both of them. "You rest now. I've got you. I'll keep you close."

She relaxed against him. "Thank you."

"No, Rey. I should thank you. Thank you … for letting me come home. For giving me a home to come back to."

She lifted her head enough to see his face, looking at him from under heavy eyelids. "Thank you for being my home."

"You're welcome."

She settled herself on top of him, and he stroked her hair and murmured to her while she dozed in his arms. Despite her drowsiness, she still sensed his thoughts and emotions. He was content, and grateful, but there was also a slightly dark vein in his thoughts: he was smug, triumphant, in a way he had never been before. And no wonder: his deepest desire, which had once seemed forbidden, had been satisfied.

He spoke aloud, his tone darkly humorous. "My own scavenger … the great Jedi … Rey Solo. Mine at last." He lifted her hand to his lips, kissed it, and held it tightly, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Mine forever."

Though half-asleep, Rey heard and understood his words enough to smile. "Forever," she echoed in an almost inaudible murmur. She was pleased by the prospect, and she accepted this as her fate.

"Forever," Ben whispered again. This time it was not only an acknowledgement, but a promise, an echo of their wedding vows.

Author's Notes

Dear Readers: I'm sorry for the long wait between updates! Thank you for your patience!

Although I had a lot of this chapter's content already written out and waiting to be posted, I wanted to make sure I gave adequate thought to everything in it. As part of this process, I read Three to Get Married by Fulton J. Sheen, the book quoted at the start of the chapter. Although some parts of it are a bit dated, he beautifully articulates many insights about the spiritual dimensions of love, sex, and marriage. I can't list them all here, but many of them shaped my approach to writing this, so if you want to know more, go read it!

I decided to title this chapter "Communion" because a) One definition is "The act or an instance of sharing, as of thoughts or feelings;" and b) In Christian (or at least Catholic) theology, the sacrament of Communion mirrors the marital act, and marriage itself mirrors the covenantal relationship between God and humanity, as well as the relationship of the Trinity.

The next chapter will probably be only a partial update, because I want to reorganize and expand some previous scenes. To do that, I'll be placing a new chapter earlier in the timeline. Updates may also be less frequent than they used to be, but rest assured, I have big plans for our heroes' shared future!