[A/N: This chapter is obnoxiously short but to be honest, I've had some terrible writer's block lately. I have plenty of ideas and concepts and points I want to address but fleshing things out in between has been a challenge. I put this together today and figured I should share it rather than let it sit in my Google drive for another month. Please let me know what you think and if you have any juicy theories/ideas of where you'd like to see things go. I need some inspiration!

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed thus far, by the way. I really appreciate your comments!]

Rey nearly jolted upright at the sound of the chamber door opening. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep, nor did she know just how much time had passed, until Lieutenant Connix and another Resistance member entered.

"Oh, Rey," the lieutenant said, equally startled by the sight of Rey spinning her legs around and over the edge of the bed. "We were trying not to wake you."

"It's alright," Rey replied absently, standing up and stretching out her back. "How long was I asleep?"

"It's only been a few hours," Connix answered, glancing back at one of the beds. "We're taking turns resting given the limited numbers of beds."

"You don't have to go, though," the other woman quickly assured.

"It's fine," Rey said amicably, heading for the door. "I need to stretch my legs anyway."

The Falcon was quiet and Rey assumed many of the other Resistance members had retired to the crew quarters to rest as well. As she walked down the hallway, she passed by the Head and briefly took note of just how badly she needed to bathe. Her skin was sticky with dirt and sweat and her arm was still smeared with blood from her fight on the Supremacy. Some time in a shower would do her good.

As she entered the refresher, she could vaguely hear the sound of Chewie's guttural responses to a softer voice she could reasonably assume was Leia. Behind closed doors once again, Rey paused in front of the mirror. She hadn't taken the time to look at her reflection since her experience in the cave on Ach-To and the sight of her own face was surprisingly unsettling. It wasn't the dirt or blood that bothered her, though, nor was it the thin sheen that covered her face and neck, reflecting light when she turned. It was the answers, or lack thereof, that she'd found in that cave. The subsequent encounter with Kylo Ren that had opened her heart like the cracking of an egg and standing here now, she felt as though she was spilling across the floor for all to see. She felt raw and exposed, betrayed and confused, and amidst it all, heart-broken.

Her eyes glistened with tears as the air around her suddenly stilled and the muscles in her arms tensed. This had happened enough for her to anticipate what this change in the air meant.

"Leave me alone," Rey commanded, her voice wavering faintly.

There was a beat before a familiar voice replied, "You know as well as I do that I have no control in this," Kylo said plainly. His voice was low and held together by a thread. "Neither of us do."

"Why is this still happening?" Rey spun around, her brow furrowed though the unshed tears in her eyes betrayed her formidable stance. "Snoke is dead."

Kylo didn't have a response. Truthfully, he didn't know but he couldn't say he wasn't thankful that their bond still persisted, painful as it may be. Instead he stared at her, his eyes wistful as he took in her presence. He could feel her anger and disappointment as strongly as he could feel his own despair, his sense of loneliness and how undeniably lost he felt at his core.

"You hate me now," he said matter-of-factly, his eyes boring into hers. The vulnerability behind them was nearly enough to make Rey falter; he seemed stoic yet ready to crack. "I can feel it."

Rey hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She could feel his anguish just as intensely as she felt her own pain. The vacillating emotions and dynamic between them in just the past couple days was overwhelming to say the least. After everything he'd done, the choices he made, how could he stand before her still so broken? It didn't make sense. "I don't... hate you," she replied tersely, turning away and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm angry with you."

Kylo's eyes barely flickered, though he heaved an almost imperceptible sigh before forcing a small chuckle. "It's just as well."

Before Rey could respond, the connection ended. Spinning around to find herself alone once again, her countenance deflated and she sighed deeply before undressing and stepping into the sonic.

. . . . . . . .

Kylo was unable to sleep. He'd often struggled with insomnia over the years but he had a more discernable reason for this present moment in time. As he paced the floor of his chambers, he couldn't stop thinking about Rey. Their conversations, the visions, the dreams… the pieces were starting to come together but the picture in his mind was still such a blur. He knew the dreams he'd been having all these years meant something. A little girl crying out on a desert planet. Had they always been dreams? He recalled Rey's memories, flashes across his mind like a whirlwind almost as vivid as his own. He'd always known that little girl. He'd somehow always known he'd cross paths with her. Uncovering the truth of Rey's parentage had only solidified what he'd known since he was a child. He was destined to find her but for what? He'd always wondered and his vision of her, standing by his side, had seemed to be the answer until her blatant rejection.

How could he make sense of this?

After his unanticipated force connection with Rey, the room suddenly felt more empty. Her demeanor had been tempestuous at best and though he kept a firm handle on his emotions, there was no denying she could see through it all. She could see and feel the inner workings of his mind and heart just as clearly as he could see hers. Despite this vision, despite this insight, how was it that he could still be so painfully wrong about their fate?