"Please don't leave me! Come back, please!"

Kylo Ren growled in frustration. The eyes that had only just closed to sleep moments ago, opened, staring into the darkness.

It had all started a few days after he fought that girl. It began as strange waves of emotions, which grew into thoughts that weren't his own, even visions if he was alone in a quiet room; as he was now. He had always been told to be careful when reading the mind of another Force-Sensative, that there could be consequences. A door once opened to a flood could not be easily shut. In his desperation to find the map to Luke Skywalker, he had entered into her mind against better judgement, not fully trained to be able to shield his own. He had read her mind, and she his. From that moment they were tethered together. Her presence was always there, like a ghost just in his peripheral. He only assumed she experienced the same. A small part of him felt pleased at the thought.

"Please!"

He sighed, the image of the little girl with her arm stretched out to the ship flying away seemed to be burned into his eyelids. She was having a nightmare, he'd been able to garner that much from the fact that most of his nights were plagued with this same vision. He was losing sleep, and this made him more irritable than usual. Phasma would be less than pleased if he were to put more of her Stormtroopers out of commission. Kylo would go to his master for help, if he wasn't afraid of the punishment he would receive from leaving his mind open to the girl, which could help the Resistance. His mother. An unsettling feeling hit him then. Images of his father, Han Solo, falling into the abyss assaulted him. Monster. No, he wasn't a monster, it had to be done, it was the only way he could embrace his destiny. Still doubt tugged at the recesses of his mind. Why did he always have to doubt?

Rey's cries grew louder than usual. Kylo wondered with genuine curiosity if his tumultuous emotions were effecting her. It couldn't go on this way. Having Rey in his head at all times was not only a liability, it was exhausting. He sat up in bed, closing his eyes and breathing in deep. Perhaps if he meditated hard enough he could sever the connection. He delved deep into his mind, attempting to find the invisible cord which anchored their consciousnesses together. He focused his thoughts on her; her face, her voice, her eyes, even the weight of her body in his arms; something he remembered too well. Finally he found her there, like a light in the darkness. Perhaps if he could just find a way to snuff it out, she would be gone.

He hesitated. Kylo tried to tell himself that maybe the connection could become beneficial, he could use it against the Resistance. He couldn't admit that some small part of him liked the thought of not being alone. He had always felt alone. The son of the infamous Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa. His mother's position as General, and his father's restlessness from years of smuggling across the galaxy meant that he was often left to his own devices. There weren't many children around, so he usually had his head in a book, or playing with whatever droid was around. When he was old enough, his mother had shipped him off to be trained as a Jedi by his uncle Luke.

Rey had been abandoned by her parents, and so had he. This made Kylo feel oddly connected to her.

Against his better judgement, he resolved to fix the issue in another way. Instead of pulling back, he focused on her presence, let it consume him. To his surprise, he suddenly found himself within her dream. He could feel the sand whipping at his face, the sun scorching his skin. A young girl was kneeled next to him, alone and crying.

He stood there, not sure what to do. "Rey?" Kylo' voice came out weak, unsure. She acted as if he wasn't there at all. "Rey." He voice was stronger now, determined. Young Rey looked up at him puzzled. For a moment Kylo panicked, not knowing what to do. She seemed afraid of him, and he really couldn't blame her. Monster. He ignored the word echoing in his head, uttered by the older version of the girl staring at him now.

"Come with me, I want to show you something." He held out his hand to her. Rey seemed reluctant, but Kylo patiently stood there, minding that his expression stay soft. Finally, her small hand timidly found its way into his.

They began walking and the desert wasteland around them started melting away. The sand underfoot replaced by cushy moss, trees shading them from the blistering sun. He heard an excited gasp from the girl, and kept walking ahead, knowing exactly where to go. The trees opened up to a small clearing where the moss was particularly thick on the ground. Sitting against a log in the middle, reading a book, was a young boy with dark hair. The boy looked up hearing them approach. Kylo stopped and looked down at the young Rey; her once tear filled eyes replaced with wonder. He let go of her hand and motioned towards the boy. She ran over to him without a second thought. The boy was much easier to trust than the man.

Kylo had thought the girl would be comforted by someone her own age, and luckily he had been right. He allowed himself to watch them only for a moment, embroiled in some sort of conversation he couldn't hear. Even if it was just a dream, he was glad that his younger self wasn't alone for once. Kylo turned his back on the children, and stopped suddenly, confronted with very familiar hazel eyes. The fully grown version of Rey stood facing Kylo, a confused and shocked expression on her face.

Kylo Ren's eyes shot open, his body flushed. He felt like he had when Rey bested him during their duel. Embarrassment. He hoped to simply manipulate her dream unnoticed, instead he had been caught red handed. He waited for some sign of her anger, but nothing came. Kylo laid back down, closing his eyes. Everything was quiet. Finally. Slowly he drifted off to sleep.

That night both Kylo Ren and Rey got a peaceful night's sleep; dreaming of a little boy and a little girl together in a forest.