A note from your humble author: Lemon alert! MWAHAHAHA

She was running through the forest, bounding over rocks, and leaping up into the trees, but he was still pursuing her. She would have to prepare herself for another stand; she could not let him keep her on the defensive. Today he was vicious.

She could feel him hunting her, he was getting close now. She watched silently from the canopy as he stalked her below.

She leapt down and surprised him with a series of furious strikes that he barely managed to fend off, but she could feel the rush of the battle fill him with a fevered pitch of ecstasy as suddenly she was forced back against his regrouped attacks. She could feel his eyes burning into her and suddenly she was disarmed and helpless before him as he held his humming saber to her exposed throat.

"You're not fooling me, scavenger!"

"What?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Suddenly he powered off his saber and backed her into the nearest tree where she couldn't get away.

"You gave up the fight on purpose," he accused.

"And what if I did?" she asked, as he pressed himself against her and she could feel his heart hammering in his chest as quickly as her own, partly from their recent exertions, partly in anticipation.

"Perhaps I should punish you for it," he said with a sly smirk on his face as he seized her in a hungry kiss and forcefully thrust his tongue into her mouth. His hands gripped her around the waist and puller her hips into him. She could feel the bulge in his trousers pressing against her, and she reached down and stroked him. He growled into her mouth at her touch.

She could feel him begin to pull off her clothes, and she desperately wanted to feel her skin against his and began yanking open his belt. He kneeled down to help her out of her boots and leggings and stopped to graze his lips over her thighs and flick his tongue along her wet fold. "Ben," she sighed as she felt her knees nearly want to give out beneath her, her hands tangled in his soft black hair.

He threw his shirt to the forest floor and admired her as she stood completely bare before him. "My Rey," he breathed as he reached for her and locked her in another furious kiss that nearly stole her senses away. She felt his hands gently massage her breasts then move lower to grip her thighs and suddenly she felt herself being lifted. She cried out a little in protest but he held her back firmly against the massive tree, which was surprisingly soft due to all the moss that had grown over it. As soon as she felt him positioning himself at her entrance, she gave in to him completely.

"I love you, Ben," she confessed as she gently cradled his face in her hands and looked into his beautiful dark eyes.

She cried out in bliss as he pushed inside of her, filling her completely. She felt him tremble against her, felt him reach for her through their bond, wanting to join with her in every way. "Rey, I love you so much," he said as he began slowly pumping himself inside of her.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him as the waves of pleasure threatened to drown her. She wasn't afraid of being dropped now, not by him. He would never let her fall. She could feel his pleasure through the force and it heightened her own in an overwhelming loop of sensations. "Yes, Ben, more," she begged, and cried out as he increased his speed inside of her.

Suddenly it seemed as if all the forest swirled before her eyes as the burst of her release came and shook her to her very core. She could feel that he was close when she leaned in and scraped her teeth along his throat, he threw back his head and came inside of her with such force that she could feel herself tightening around him again.

Gently he lowered her to the soft forest floor and lay on top of her so that he could look down into her warm eyes. "Am I dreaming again?" he asked.

"If so, you're the best dream I've ever had," she replied with a smile. He placed a soft and tender kiss to her lips and sighed in his content.

Every day, every moment he shared with her, filled him with happiness and peace unlike any he had ever known. He knew he could never let her go, never lose her. The path ahead was dangerous for them both. The night before he had had a terrible nightmare, of a majestic grey beast, brought down by some unseen attacker, the creature's pitiful yelp ringing into the cold night air. He had felt powerless and afraid and had awoken drenched in sweat. When he saw her lying next to him, looking so peaceful, gently breathing and warm, he swore he would never let anything take her from him. But unlike his grandfather, he would not allow himself to fall into darkness.

"Rey, help me see the life of the forest," he asked her as they lay in each other's arms in the warm patch of sunlight on the forest floor.

Earlier that morning, before they began sparring, they had sat in meditation. Ben was getting better at finding the place of peace that separated himself from all things, even her, but when he had opened his eyes he could sense that she had not gone to that same place, she had done the opposite. She had reached out with the force and felt every living thing, in much the same way she had the first time she had met his grandfather.

"I could see you, feel you. You're different from all the other life, and not just because of the force. I think it's because of our bond. I think I could find you anywhere now," she said.

"That's worth a test," he said. And they had spent much of the morning with him hiding in various places and her finding him through their bond, before they eventually moved on to sparring.

He had been impressed. Could he feel all the life too? Could he find her? Anywhere?

"Everyone is packing up to leave."

"Just for a little while?"

They got dressed and sat together in that state of meditation until he could feel it, everything, everyone. He could feel the birds in the trees, the insects crawling over the leaves, the many Ewoks, all of the scurrying people packing up to leave and return to the resistance. They were like little lights in a dark expanse that went on forever, and he could feel her. Her light was different. It looked different, it felt different, and to him it was the most beautiful light of all.

"This would have been useful back when you were hiding from me," he commented with a smirk.

"I don't think the focus on life is a darkside technique, besides, if you had found me before I became Grey, I wouldn't be able to help you now."

She was right. The force could work in mysterious ways, but he had no doubt that things had happened the way they did because they were meant to. He was meant to be with her. She was meant to be his. If he had succeeded in capturing her when he was still in the darkness Snoke would have intervened eventually, taken her from him, destroyed her. He shuddered at the thought. Snoke still wanted to take her from him, and he would not allow it.

BB-8 came rolling up, chattering in binary about how everyone was wondering where they had disappeared to, and that it was time to leave. BB-8 often came off as an annoyance to Ben, most droids did, but he suddenly realized that if not for that innocuous little ball droid Rey would have never been set in his path. It was even the intervention of a droid that once brought his parents together.

Back at the camp Rey watched as little Yibya tearfully hugged his grandfather goodbye, then turned to take Poe Dameron's hand.

"I never thought I'd end up here again," said Ben, as they made their way to their X-Wings.

"It's a beautiful place. The Ewoks are a little weird, but they seem nice enough. I wouldn't mind coming back to see more of it some time, hopefully under better circumstances."

They joined the squadrons on their way back to Takodana. They would leave their X-Wings and take the Millennium Falcon from there to Coruscant. The Falcon would be more comfortable for the two of them to fly in together, and they didn't want to alert all of Coruscant that two resistance pilots had arrived on the planet. Stealth would be required for this mission.

Maz came out of the fortress to greet them on their return.

"You two are making me proud," she said as she gripped Rey's hand and patted Ben on the arm. She had heard all the news. "I'm sorry about Lando, he was a good man. But I see you've brought home a couple of new force-sensitives. Luke's going to have his hand full, especially with the little Ewok."

"Poe and Finn are going to help him with Yibya," said Rey.

Maz suddenly had a knowing twinkle in her strange beady eyes.

"Solo?"

"Maz," replied Ben, knowing he was about to hear it.

"I sense danger ahead, for you both, do not forget all that you have learned from the Grey way, and may the force be with you."

Maz's warning did not bode will with Ben. The tiny alien woman had a strange way of knowing things and he was still shaken from his dream. He simply nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Rey and Ben were just on their way to the Falcon when Finn approached them, with little Yibya and BB-8 close behind. The ball droid happily ran circles around the little Ewok child, who seemed to enjoy the droids antics.

"Rey, where are you going? We just got back!"

"There's still more Knights of Ren to deal with. We're on our way to Coruscant," she said.

Finn's face took on a sober expression. He knew they were both strong in the force, but his recent encounter with Aldo Ren reminded him of just how serious the dangers ahead would be for them. "Be careful, please," he said.

"We'll be back," she promised.

But as they turned to leave he called again. "Uh…Ben…"

Ben was surprised that Finn would address him; the ex-stormtrooper only ever seemed to barely humor his existence. He turned and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"By any chance, do you know what Uchama means? He keeps calling me that."

Ben just smiled and sincerely did his best not to laugh. "He's calling you Old Man."

"Old?" cried Finn, looking wounded. Yibya never used that term for Poe.

"Only elderly Ewoks use canes," he explained, and did his best to stifle his laugh until his back was turned and both he and Rey were on their way again.

It did not take them long to reach the ecumenopolis. General Organa had arranged for Ben and Rey to have access to her personal apartment on Coruscant to use as their temporary base of operation. It was not a new dwelling for Ben.

When he and Rey walked inside they were both greeted by a servant droid named C529.

"Master Solo, your mother told me to expect you. How good to see you again. The last time you were here you were a very young boy."

"I remember," he replied, and sadly he did. The old apartment bought back a surge of many old forgotten memories, most unpleasant. Growing up, his family had never lived on any one planet. His father was a wanderer by nature, and his mother's home world had been destroyed by Vader before he was born. Coruscant was where they stayed when his mother was wrapped up in her duties as a senator, and because of that it had always been the most lonely of his many childhood homes. A city planet was no place to raise children. He could already feel himself itching from the claustrophobia of the overcrowded planet.

Rey could sense his discomfort and placed her hand in his. This time Coruscant would be different, she would not let him feel alone.

After the silver droid had waddled off they got down to business.

"Do you think Hiji Ren will expect us to come looking for him?" she asked.

"It's hard to say. Knights of Ren are used to being the hunters, not the hunted, but Snoke will have surely figured out our intent by now. He'll want us stopped. He'll want us dead."

"What about luring him out? I can be bait again."

"NO! I'm not putting you in that position again. Not if I can help it. Besides it shouldn't be hard to draw him out, all we have to do is let him know we're here."

"How?"

"We're going to have to pay a visit to the underworld."

They casually walked into a seedy night club that flashed neon lights. Inside a band played a raucous tune for a disinterested audience. The lights were low and the establishment was sparsely occupied. Most of the patrons sat at the bar drowning themselves in Corellian whiskey and other more dangerous substances imported from the outer rim.

Rey didn't particular like Ben's plan but she moved to the other side of the bar and waited for what he assured her would happen. To her surprise, it didn't take long.

"Hey pretty lady. Why don't I buy you a drink," purred a male Rylothian.

"No thanks," she replied.

"Ah, I see. How much?" he asked, darting his eyes up and down her body. She wasn't even dressed provocatively, just her usual tunic, vest, and leggings, and she couldn't help but burn with rage at his crude assumption.

"What makes you think I'm for sale?" she snapped, and suddenly a few of the other patrons were paying attention to the outburst.

He was just about to open his mouth and say something very insulting, when he felt a tap at his shoulder and turned around to find himself confronting a very tall human male who looked very angry.

"I think the lady's had enough of you, scram," said Ben in a cold voice, and Rey could sense genuine anger from him, even though this had been their plan.

"Or what, tough guy? Get your own whore!"

The next moment the Rylothian's piercing scream rent the air, and the music came to a halt. All the patrons stared at the tall man wielding the thrumming blue light saber and the trembling Rylothian who gripped his stump of an arm in horror as his limb lay on the floor.

Ben! You said you were only going to brandish your weapon!

She exclaimed through their bond.

I'm sorry, Rey. But I didn't expect him to get THAT insulting.

He turned off his saber and gently grabbed her arm and escorted her back outside of the club. The moment they made it outside, they knew that they were being followed. Brandishing a Jedi weapon in a place like that was sure to attract attention from First Order spies, who were everywhere, especially in the underworld. They moved slowly.

When they were sure that they had been seen they moved into an abandoned warehouse and waited.

Their pursuer did not follow them into the building, but they knew that he would be outside watching.

Suddenly blinding lights glared through the dirty windows of the warehouse.

"Get down!" he shouted as he tackled her to the floor just as blaster fire from the hovering ship outside tore through the building.

"That was fast," she said once the attacker stopped firing. The ship zoomed off, but they could sense it was only circling the building, looking for a place to land.

They jumped to their feet and switched on their sabers.

Suddenly a black figure crashed through one of the windows and rolled into the room with vibrodaggers flying. Ben and Rey dodged the projectiles, and braced themselves as Hiji Ren charged. He dove for Rey, his blades sparking in the darkness, but she was able to block him with her saberstaff.

Ben lunged for the knight and managed to separate him from Rey. Though Hiji Ren's weapons were suited better for short range combat and for throwing, he was lightning fast and able to hold his own against the two Grey Jedi who fought against him.

Hiji Ren shot a grappling hook that pulled him up several stories into the rafters above and away from his opponents.

"Kylo Ren! I've been expecting you. The Supreme Leader is very disappointed," stated the knight through the mechanical filter of his mask.

Ben and Rey were already running up the stairs to face the taunting knight.

Rey had reached the top before Ben and sprang at Hiji Ren, her saberstaff twirling and singing as she rained blows against his blades. Ben was coming up behind her when Hiji Ren threw a small detonator to the stairs just below Ben. The device exploded on impact, shaking the whole building and causing the staircase to collapse with Ben still on it. He managed to prevent his fall at the last moment by grabbing onto a bent portion of the handrail.

"Ben!" she cried, while still fighting against the knight who was using this moment to gain the upper hand in their battle. It worked. Hiji Ren managed to stab Rey in the chest with a small dagger, she cried out in pain as the blade pierced into her. Ben had just pulled himself up in time to see her cry out as Hiji Ren stabbed her. He watched in horror as she slumped upon the platform.

"Rey!" he shouted, and suddenly the force seemed to take control of him. He was able to jump from where he had landed below to where Hiji Ren waited above, his blade still dripping with Rey's blood. Ben crouched beside her and felt for her pulse, it was there, but he could sense that she was in terrible pain and the wound in her chest was slowly trickling blood. Hiji Ren ran for the broken window and stopped at the ledge.

"Oh, don't worry, Kylo Ren. Your woman will not die quickly. She will suffer! As I promised the Supreme Leader that she would."

Ben moved to lunge for the knight before he could jump out the window.

"I wouldn't!" continued Hiji Ren. "Do you see this?" he exclaimed as he held up a small vile that seemed to be attached to his glove by a strange mechanical device. "The wound is not lethal, merely a small hole, ah, but the poison! Even now she suffers!"

Ben ground his teeth in fury. He began reaching for the force to destroy the knight.

"If you use the force to kill me, she will die!" he threatened. "If I die, the vile will self-destruct. That is a very rare, very special poison, and this is the only antidote in all of the core galaxy, you would never find more in time to save her."

"What do you want?" he growled, knowing that if there was an antidote then surely Hiji had some intention of extorting him.

"The Supreme Leader isn't done with you, or her. Bring her to the roof!" he ordered as he jumped out the window.

Ben ran back to Rey and scooped her up in his arms. "Rey, can you hear me? Rey, please wake up!" he begged.

"Ben?" she asked weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Hang on Rey! I won't let you die!" he said as he picked her up in his arms and ran up the remainder of the stairs and out onto the roof.

Hiji Ren waited in front of his ship. The ramp was down and inside Ben could see a special holding area, designed for transporting a prisoner, a force-sensitive prisoner.

"I'm taking you back to the First Order, Kylo Ren, and you're going voluntarily or she dies!"

"What about Rey?"

"Though the Supreme Leader would like her dead, he'd prefer having you brought in alive, for now. Leave her here and get in the ship."

"And then not give her the antidote," he accused.

"Oh, I'm prepared for that," he said as he detached the vile and strange mechanical device from his glove. "Even when not attached to me, the vial is still remotely set to self-destruct in the event of my death. This little device also has a handy timer. Attach it to her wrist and in five minutes the antidote will be administered. Examine it for yourself and see, I can detonate it from here with the push of a button, so don't try anything," he threatened as he gently set the vile and attached device on the ground then slowly backed towards his ship.

Ben was frantic; he could feel Rey weakening through their bond.

No, Ben, please. Fight him, save yourself.

She weakly pleaded through the bond. She could hear everything being said but every breath ached, everything grew darker before her eyes.

I won't let you die. I don't care what they do to me.

He picked up the vile and its attached device and turned it over, examining it. He could see the timer had a five minute pre-set and that it was receiving a signal from a pulse monitor somewhere on Hiji Ren. He turned back to Rey and attached the device to her wrist and switched on the timer.

"Rey, I love you. No matter what happens. No matter what they do to me. I love you," he spoke as he wept and gently stroked her face.

"No…Ben…" she cried, and cringed in agony as the poison continued to spread through her veins.

He kissed her trembling lips and brushed the tears from her cheek, then rose and walked to the ship.

Ben!

She pleaded again. But he walked into the ship's holding cell and watched as the clear doors shut around him and locked into place. He could see her still lying on the ground, feebly trying to move, but in too much pain to even get up.

Hiji Ren walked up the ramp, and Ben could sense his satisfaction. He closed the ramp and Ben watched in anguish as she disappeared from his view.

"At last I have captured the mighty Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader will be most pleased. You see, he wanted her dead, and you brought in alive, and I have succeeded in both."

Ben cast him a murderous look.

"That's right, there is no antidote. It was only a placebo."

A note from your humble author: Dun dun dun! What will happen to our heroes now? You'll just have to tune in next chapter to find out! Same bat-time, same bat-channel!

YAY, thank you to all who gave me the kind feedback. You guys are awesome. I really love reviews and feedback so please keep encouraging me. I really want to know what you guys think of the story so far. Also thanks to all my readers and followers :D