Guys! I'm so sorry for the delay but real life has been hectic! Thank you for your patience and for the lovely reviews, they make me want to write and write and write :D Enjoy the new chapter! Xx

Back on the island, Rey opened her eyes with a gasp.

What have I done? He's gone back to– What have I done?

She wiped her tears and stood, marching straight to Luke and Leia.

"He sent me away! He lost it and then he completely rejected me!" she yelled. Rage and sadness roiled inside her, fighting to overcome one another. She looked at Luke imploringly, full of pain and anguish. "I may have… oh master, you didn't see him, I fear– the Dark Side, I–"

"Rey, calm down. Remember, there is no emotion. There is only p–"

"HOW CAN I BE AT PEACE WHEN HE WON'T EVEN TALK TO ME?" she exploded. Then, realising that nobody except Luke could understand the reason of her distress and anger, she regained her composure and softly whispered, "I'm sorry I couldn't help. If… well, he's unreachable now, and I… It's all my fault."

Her eyes filled with tears. She glanced at Finn and Poe, and wished she hadn't: Finn had such a betrayed expression on his face that she felt instantly guilty. She ran away then, unable to face any of them and yearning to be alone.

The door suddenly burst open, and a couple of Stormtroopers followed by Captain Phasma entered the small room.

"Supreme Leader Snoke demands your presence, immediately," she said.

Dread caught Kylo Ren's heart at those words. He had felt the Dark Side take him over. His mind was a mess, his emotions all over the place. If Snoke entered it now he wasn't sure he could manage to hide the bond, even after Luke's teachings. He may be furious with Rey right now, but he knew exactly what he felt in his heart, and the last thing he wanted was to expose her to Snoke.

While Phasma and her men escorted him to Snoke's chambers, he frantically thought of something to grasp on to, something that would be interesting enough so that Snoke would linger on it, getting sidetracked.

A serene, beautiful, familiar face popped in his mind, and a feeling of calm and determination descended upon him. He would think of Leia, and Snoke's attention would focus on it, and he would torture and punish him for being weak, pathetic and still a son.

Kylo couldn't help but chuckle. His mother, whose mere sight had just caused him to lose control and fall prey to the Dark Side again, would be his salvation against Snoke. The irony of it all wasn't lost on him.

"Hello Rey. Mind if I join you?" Leia asked, kind and motherly.

Rey had spent the night on her own, in a little cave not too far from the one she usually occupied, but far enough to make it clear that she wanted to be alone. In the morning she had resumed her physical training, to keep her mind occupied. Leia had found her just as she had stopped for a break.

She nodded at the General, and the two women sat on the bright green grass.

"I know everything now, Rey. I believe I need to thank you."

Rey looked at her, surprised. "Thank me for what, General?"

"Luke… he told me things about my son." She made a sad smile. "It's funny. The day before yesterday I wouldn't have called myself his mother. I stopped considering Kylo Ren my son after… after Han. His death destroyed me in more than one way. You see, I've had years to think about the reason Ben left us and turned to the Dark Side. Snoke targeted him from the day he was born, but if Han and I had been more present in his life… I know things might be different now. It's our fault that he strayed. But the thing is, even though he did some inexcusable things over the years, I've always known there was still Light in him, I could feel it. When he… killed Han, I was convinced that my Ben had died too, that he was definitely lost, irretrievable. But thanks to you he's changed." Leia watched Rey with eyes full of emotion.

Rey shook her head. "Not thanks to me. I may have this bond with your son, but I'm not the reason he has been feeling the call to the Light. I saw what's in his mind. He never stopped feeling torn between Light and Dark, and even though he refused to acknowledge it, he never truly stopped caring about you, his parents. You have always been his pull to the Light. And in the end, what triggered his change was exactly the thing that was meant to bury him in darkness. Snoke told him that killing his father would make him all-powerful, when in reality it completely crushed him. I was able to see it, the love he bears for his father. It's deep, and it made all of his certainties crumbled to dust. His doubts invited more and more Light in his mind. So, I really don't deserve your gratitude."

Leia reflected a few minutes on those words. She closed her eyes, her lips exhaling a silent thanks. Rey realised with a pang that she was probably talking to Han. Then Leia spoke again.

"You do deserve my gratitude, though. My brother said you've been training with Ben, that you've been actively working to bring him back. And Rey, you're being successful! I don't know whether Luke has told you this, but Ben is the one who revealed the details about the attack on Eufornis Minor. And he also said that sometimes he can see glimpses of him, of his nephew, especially when he's with you. That means Kylo is slowly succumbing to Ben. So, thank you. Thank you." After her heartfelt speech, Leia took Rey's hand in hers and squeezed, her eyes shiny.

Rey bit her lip, and looked down. She didn't want to crush Leia's hopes, but she had to downsize them. She couldn't let her believe Ben would come back completely.

"Leia, to be honest… I don't think Kylo… I don't think Ben can come back from the Dark Side completely. He'll never be able to live without it, it's part of who he is. I believed he could be brought back enough that he'd find a balance, and– and I truly believed it was working. I see Ben in him, and not mere glimpses, I truly see him, I see him for the person he could be. But… you weren't there yesterday. He looked at me like I was his enemy again. He was Kylo Ren, completely dominated by the Dark Side. The pain he was feeling… it was too much." Rey laughed bitterly, her eyes burning. "I may even have made things worse. I made him lose control, and he almost destroyed his cell. And now he hates himself for it. He told me to leave and never come back, and I'm pretty sure he hates me as well. You really shouldn't thank me."

Leia didn't answer, but she observed Rey for a few minutes in silence. The young woman was visibly hurt and upset, although she was making an almighty effort to control herself. So many emotions, ready to explode. So very alike…

"You know Rey, when Ben was a little boy he used to get terribly angry or terribly upset whenever he couldn't do something on the first try, or when he made a mistake. He lashed out at me, or Han, but in the end he always came to us to apologise, because we were just… someone he could take his anger out on, when in reality he was angry at himself. I think he's still very much angry with himself, for what he has done, and for seeing me, the reminder of that. He doesn't hate you, Rey. He's just being… Ben."

"I tried to probe his mind," Rey said with a faint voice. "I was desperate to understand and I entered his mind without permission… of course he hates me now."

"He did the same to you, and you forgave him. He'll do the same. And he'll reach out to you soon: pain makes us wish for the comfort of the people we love. My son has been lonely all these years, and now he has someone who is deeply connected to his soul. If what Luke thinks is true, and seeing me yesterday triggered the pain he's feeling, he'll come back to you. You'll see. Just wait for him."

Rey nodded mutely, overwhelmed. Leia got on her feet, leaning down to press a kiss on the top of Rey's head. "Calm down now. Find peace."

Rey snorted. "I can't. I've been trying all night, but my mind just… I feel restless, I can't shake off the anger, the fear… I'm scared. Fear leads to the Dark Side," Rey said, faintly.

Leia gave her a look. "Maybe Ben isn't the only one who needs to find balance. Use your bond, Rey. You can balance each other out." She smiled, and then she turned and walked down the slopes, towards the others.

Rey mulled over everything Leia had said. She found her last words quite unsettling. They reminded her too much of what Kylo had told her about… about her inner darkness. I am Light. Light, and nothing else, she thought stubbornly. She shook her head, feeling dizzy and drained. Determined to find some peace of mind, she closed her eyes, concentrated and started meditating.

"Rey. Rey. Rey!"

She opened her eyes, gasping lightly. The sun was already beginning to set. She shook her head and focused her attention on Finn's worried face, hovering in front of her.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your meditation, but Leia needs to go back to the Resistance base, and we're leaving. I wanted to say goodbye."

"No Finn, I'm glad you came to me. I should apologise, I haven't been a very good friend these past two days, but after what happened yesterday I– " she looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction. She remembered his expression when she had returned from Kylo's cell.

Finn's expression darkened. "So, you're training with the enemy."

Rey bit her lower lip. This conversation was going to be so complicated. "Finn I… I know this is unexpected but–"

"Unexpected isn't the word I'd use, Rey! How can you do whatever it is you're doing side by side with him? He tried to kill us all, he killed Han! You called him a monster not too long ago! Just… just give me a good explanation, please."

"Finn, at first I didn't want to have anything to do with him. But there was this Force-bond between us, so it was unavoidable. We can enter each other's minds, so I was bound to learn about him! And, well, I learned he's changing."

At those words, Finn snorted, looking at her in disbelief. "How do you know he's not acting? How can you be sure?"

"He can't lie to me, Finn. I see his mind, I see his very soul through the bond. I'm not naïve, I know he's still very much influenced by the Dark Side. You know I waited all my life on Jakku for someone who had left me there, so you know I'm not one to forget easily, Finn: I haven't forgotten what he has done. But I… thanks to the bond, and the things I was allowed to see, I have chosen to forgive and start all over. I promise he's not the same person he was months ago. He deserves a second chance."

Finn regarded Rey, her flushed cheeks, her bright eyes, and considered the certainty and the clarity of her words. He sighed. "Alright. I can't forget and I won't forgive him, but I trust you. But, Rey, be careful, please."

She smiled at him and hugged him tightly, murmuring, "I miss you very much, you know?"

"I miss you too. But we'll see each other again. Soon," he answered.

They joined Luke, Leia and Poe at the beach, where the ship awaited. Rey hugged Finn again, smiled at Poe and Leia and then stood next to Luke, watching them disappear inside, the General first, then her best friend and the pilot, who placed his hand on the back of Finn's neck. Rey stayed on the beach until the ship had disappeared in the darkening sky. Then she turned to Luke.

"What am I going to do with– Leia said I should give him space and wait for him to come back. But– what if he can't? What if they torture him again and he can't come back?"

Luke smiled. "You do exactly as I say: eat something, get some rest, and tomorrow I'm going to teach you how to follow and probe his force signature without being detected. That way you'll be able to know what's happening to him, but you'll be discrete and he'll have his space."

Rey thanked him, relieved, and together they climbed back up to have some dinner.