A/N: hope you had a great New years folks, sorry for the gap in updates! Lemme know how you find it…

Chapter four

Rey wandered aimlessly through the greenery, it was beautiful to say the least. She took it all in, she had never had this many people in her life, nor had she been somewhere so beautiful, let alone having a purpose before. This was all so alien to her, but it was meant to feel good. And that was the problem, it didn't feel good. Not even close.

The more time Rey spent with the General and the others, the more alone she found herself feeling and she didn't understand why. She enjoyed the camaraderie and the belonging, but it also highlighted a wall she didn't realise she had. Maybe it was just her. Maybe she was damaged goods, worth nothing more to anyone than to be left behind… Her only exception was Finn. From the moment he had been knocked out cold and come to asking her about how she felt, to the moment Chewie told her he came back for her and only her, she had found herself struggling not to care for him. He was tall, muscular and endearing and she hated it. She wasn't capable of relationships, she didn't really understand people.

Finding Luke gave her meaning, it gave her purpose where she had none. It made her matter. And as stupid as that sounded and as pathetic as it made her feel, it was the truth. And Luke had just honoured Finn by revealing he was a Jedi, and completely dismissed her. Just like that, she was nobody again.

Nothing out here made much sense to her, the mass of luscious greens and steely blues began to swiftly shift from beautiful to overwhelming, and Rey found herself uneasy. Her heart began to pound rapidly, a twig snapped behind her. Rey spun round and swung a blow at Finn, Finn ducked and grabbed her arm.
"Rey! What the hell?" He asked, his offended expression turned to one of concern as he held her in a strong embrace. She writhed out of his hold, "I'm fine." She dismissed, freeing herself from his grip.

"Did you follow me?" She asked as she continued walking, Finn nodded.

"Absolutely."
Rey frowned at him, "I just wanna be alone…" she complained as she walked on, Finn grabbed her arm, fed up.

"And I don't want you to be." He declared. She turned to look at him, her expression puzzled as she tried to make sense of him. He pulled her closer, their noses inches apart. The hammering of her heart against her ribs was so loud she was worried he might hear. She shrugged him off, and he didn't object.

"Finn…you're confused. You've had too much of Chewie's soup. It's gone to your head."
"No, it hasn't." He said clearly. Rey backed away from him.
"I'm sorry, Finn…I'm not…we can't…" she couldn't even bring herself to say it.
"Rey, you have people who care about you. Whatever happens next, don't forget that. You belong here. With us. With me."
"What about Luke—"
"What about him? You're the girl who BB8 trusted…on instinct. You're the girl who beat Ren, you're the girl who saved my life and you're the girl I came back for. You're that girl."
Rey studied him, it was as if he read her mind, and not unlike two ships drawn closer by the current between them she found herself moving closer to him. She placed a tentative palm on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. She pressed her ear against his chest, and letting the moment be what it was, he held her in a silent embrace. As tears stung her eyes, she realised this was the first time anybody had held her in a long time. Ren was right, she was so lonely. Her life had been so empty before this. A few seconds had passed when Finn felt Rey stiffen in his arms, she pulled away, her eyes never quite meeting his as she mumbled, 'you're sweet, Finn.'
Finn watched her as she walked off further into the woods, he stood in her wake unsure what to make of what had just happened. A strange vibration pulsed through the woods, dropping the trees like dominoes, Finn was knocked back into the river, his head colliding with a rock, warm blood seeped from his skull and coloured the water around him.

Rey stood motionless as she stared at him, Kylo Ren. He removed his mask for her and nodded out of courtesy.

'There she is…' he said in that uncomfortably calm manner he had, 'the girl that got…away.' He extended an open hand to her, but she didn't move. Considering it to be a rejection, he suddenly clenched the hand shut—blocking her airways instantly, he tilted his wrist upwards, and her body hovered up into the air. Her muscles tense and her veins bulging, her skin began to redden.
'Put…me…down…' She ordered. Ren smiled, 'bossy, even when you have no control.' He flicked his wrist toward the giant black ship behind him and her body flew onto the ramp. Stormtroopers marched down and surrounded her, two took her from beneath her arms and dragged her into the ship.

Kylo turned and faced his ship, he paused and glanced back at General Leia's fortress. The air felt…different. It was as though the darkness he pulsated didn't get absorbed by everything around him as usual, no, this time it seemed to knock against something and ricochet away.

There was a Jedi nearby. He would deal with that later, but first, he would turn the girl. He ascended the ship.

Luke's meditative state was deeply disturbed, what he had felt could only mean one thing. Awaking with a jolt, 'Leia!' He cried, rushing down the corridor. Poe stood in the lobby, 'where's Leia?' Luke demanded.
'She's tending to Finn, we found him…head split open, floating in the river—a dark pulse knocked half the trees out the ground, and Rey is nowhere to be found.'
'No…' Luke mustered, terror clogging up his veins, 'no, no, no…No!' He roared, the impact made the windows around him crack. He needed to calm down. He needed to save Rey from turning to the dark side.

The only reason Rey knew they were speeding through space, was from the faint hum enveloping the ship. She was cuffed again, to the same damn chair he had her trapped on before. He strolled in, he always removed his mask for her since she had commented on it. It was almost chivalrous if he wasn't so twisted. Her head stung from the force of hitting the ground.

'Rey…Rey, Rey, Rey…I've been spending some time in your mind. I've been following you since you showed me where Luke was hidden… I'll come back to him another time.' He stopped moments from her, he was taller than her, he towered over her, his dark aura almost intimidated her.
Raising a gloved hand, he grazed her cheek then pulled off his glove. She squirmed, dreading his touch. He repulsed her, there was no other word for it. The power he had was so alluring but revolting. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him. This seemed to amuse him as he leaned even closer so she could feel his breath on her skin.

'I can't decide if I should kill you or kiss you… funny isn't it?'
'Kill me.' Rey advised, 'or I'll kill you.' She met his eyes with a stubborn glare, his soft brown eyes narrowed at her.

'Should I be flattered that you think me so evil, you'd rather die than be touched by me?'
'You killed Solo.'
'I did, what had to be done, which is more than I can say for those before me!'
The monitors lining the wall exploded, Rey flinched. He pressed his nose against her cheek and inhaled, closing his eyes. She grimaced, clenching her jaw.

'Rey, I advise you start giving me some respect.'
'You can't respect someone you despise.'
He raised a surprised eyebrow, 'I despise you? What has any of this,' he gestured around him, 'got to do with you exactly…? You're nothing but a scavenger who hitchhiked her way into someone else's battle.'
Rey glared at him, Kylo stumbled back from the force that rippled from her. He chuckled, impressed.

'That's more like it…'