A/N: Chapter 14 is here! Thanks again to all of you lovely followers (including you new folks)!;D And PLEASE remember to leave a review if you enjoyed it!

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Ben sat with his face in his hands, having spent the entire night restlessly pacing the Falcon's dimly lit corridors. He was no longer accustomed to its strange rattles and shudders as it hurtled through hyperspace. And what was worse—he imagined that he saw ghosts lurking around every corner. His father and Chewbacca. His mother and that irksome droid Threepio. Even Lando Calrissian, who he had not seen since he left to join Luke's training temple all those years ago.

Raising his head, Ben contemplated the empty hold as he sat on the edge of the worn cushions that formed a semicircle around the dejarik board. Despite the creaks and groans of the old freighter, the absence of voices—of movement—was unsettling. Nothing was as he remembered it, and he could not help but view himself as an intruder now—an outsider. It felt wrong to be on Han Solo's ship without him in it.

"Ben?"

Startled from his thoughts, he glanced to his left and saw Rey standing in the entryway. She blinked sleepily and rubbed her eyes.

"Is everything all right?"

"I'm…just thinking," he replied, suddenly realizing how long it had been since someone had bothered to ask him that question.

"About?"

Ben shook his head. "It's nothing."

Her brow furrowed, but she did not press him further. Instead, she made her way over to a nearby chair and started rummaging through the satchel that was perched on the seat of it. He watched her curiously, her back turned to him. Finally, Rey straightened and then faced him again, holding a nutrition bar in each hand.

"Here," she said, tossing him one.

Surprised, Ben caught it as she came over and sat down across from him, the dejarik board standing between them.

"Feeling better?" he inquired.

Rey had already torn off the wrapper and taken a large bite of her bar, so she merely smiled and nodded in response. Her cheeks were stuffed full, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked away. Suddenly, the ship didn't feel so empty anymore.

"And you?" she asked once she had swallowed. "Did you get any rest?"

"No," he answered, munching quietly.

"Because of what happened on the Finalizer?"

Ben's chest tightened, and he stared at the floor. "In part."

"I'm sorry about your friends."

"They weren't my—" he stopped and sighed wearily. "Well, maybe they were once."

She did not pose anymore questions, and they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. When she had finished, Rey sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I checked the navicomputer, and we've still got about twenty-four hours before we reach Naboo."

It was apparent from the look on her face that she was expecting something from him, so he raised an eyebrow at her. "And?"

"Well," she began with dramatic emphasis, "are you going to just sit there and stare at the wall?"

"I might."

Rey frowned at him, and Ben failed to conceal the teasing smile that was forming on his lips. She blinked, her green eyes widening slightly as she realized that he was baiting her.

"So, this is how it's going to be, is it?"

He shrugged and feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh?" She sat up a bit straighter and canted her head. "Well then, I suppose that I'll be deciding how we pass the time."

"Be my guest," he replied, gesturing nonchalantly.

Rey looked around the hold, thinking, and finally, her gaze drifted down to the round board in front of her.

"Dejarik?" she suggested, glancing up at him.

Ben considered for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

She pressed a button, and eight holographic monsters appeared on the board's outer orbit. Observing the team that had been randomly assigned to him, he kept his face perfectly impassive as Rey leaned forward.

"Your move," she said.

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He sat with his elbow on the edge of the board, his hand propped against the side of his head. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a hard line as she stared at the three remaining monsters on the board—just as she had been doing for the past five minutes.

"Rey—"

"Shut up, Ben," she warned.

With a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the seats and watched her. She was surrounded. There were only two options left for her Monnok—attack or flee. The first would end in a swift defeat, and the second would only delay the inevitable. But Rey was stubborn, and she was apparently convinced that if she thought long and hard enough, she could discover a third option.

He waited in silence until she finally decided to attack his Houjix. The Monnok savagely drove its spear through the blue quadruped's skull, eliminating it from the game. Now only the Monnok and Ben's Mantellian Savrip remained, and it was time to make his final move. Savagely, the Savrip picked up the smaller creature, tearing it in half.

Rey grimaced and crinkled her nose in disgust, a series of triumphant musical notes indicating that the match was over. Clearing his throat, Ben shifted and lowered his head in an effort to hide his grin.

"Don't—you—dare."

"I didn't say anything," he chuckled, meeting her furious gaze.

"You thought about it."

He shook his head and laughed again as she continued to glare at him.

"You cheated, didn't you? You must've! We agreed—no mind reading!"

"I didn't," Ben insisted.

"Then how?" she demanded.

He took a deep breath, shrugged, and looked down at the board. "I played a lot when I was a kid, and…I had a good teacher."

Rey's accusations suddenly ceased. Finding that he was unable to raise his eyes, Ben swallowed and stared at the black and white pattern beneath his fingers.

"Not bad, kid—but predictable. Let me show you a trick. Once you learn it, you'll never lose again."

Something warm and soft touched the back of his hand, and he glanced up. Rey's much smaller hand was resting on top of his own, and he saw only compassion in her eyes. Her anger and frustration had faded away in an instant, and there was no bitterness—no resentment.

"How can you look at me like that?" Ben asked quietly. "After all the things I've done?"

"You started down the dark path a long time ago," she answered with a gentle smile. "To turn back now, after all those years—it takes strength and courage. And a good heart."

Sadly, he shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. "I'm not good, Rey."

"Your actions prove otherwise. You killed Snoke to protect me. You saved me on Adamus and on Chandrila. You were trying to make the galaxy a better place even before you left the First Order. And now that you have, you've chosen to stop them—to help the Rebellion defeat them once and for all."

He took no pride in her praise, because there was one simple truth underneath it all. One truth that she deserved to hear—and would hear—from him again and again until she finally understood just how much she meant to him.

Slowly, Ben turned his hand palm side up and tenderly grasped hers. The simple contact was enough to send a jolt of electricity up his arm, and she gave a soft gasp, glancing down for a moment before meeting his gaze again.

"Once, I told you that you came from nothing—that you were nothing."

A lump was forming in his throat, and tears were welling in her eyes. Never letting go of her hand, Ben rose from his seat and moved to kneel in front of her.

"I've never been more wrong," he said, swallowing hard as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "Rey, you're everything. And without you, I'm nothing."

She sniffed, and he reached up with his other hand, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"For so long, I wanted to hear you say that you didn't mean it," she responded in a trembling voice. "I wanted to be someone. Someone important. Someone worthy of a Skywalker. I realize now that neither of us were ready. We both needed time to figure things out. Who we were supposed to be. Who the Force willed us to be."

She leaned forward, gripping his hand tighter as she gazed fervently into his eyes. "Now there's only one thing left standing in our way. When this war is finally over—we can be together. We won't have to fight anymore. We won't have to be separated ever again. We can live our lives in peace."

His face fell. "Rey, even if the Resistance accepts my help now, they'll never let me walk free once the conflict ends. I'm a war criminal. They'll want me to stand trial—"

"No," she interrupted firmly. "They'll see. They'll see that you've changed, and when you help them win the fight against the First Order, they will have no choice but to grant you your freedom."

"Rey—"

"They will," she persisted, her eyes blazing with stubborn determination.

Ben sighed, unwilling to argue with her further. "I hope you're right."