A/N: I do not own Star Wars. I am merely playing with some of the characters.

Ben's back in this chapter. This is my longest one yet. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!

Chapter Six

Leia waited until they'd merged onto the freeway to ask about Ben's bruises.

"Tell me you haven't been fighting again," she'd said in the calm, steady voice she only used when she was truly angry.

The last thing he wanted to do was tell his mother about Rey. He wasn't ashamed about defending her, but he wasn't sure how she would react to finding out that he'd gone out looking for her and found her getting assaulted by some guy, only to put himself in danger by assaulting the guy in return. He definitely didn't want her knowing that he'd taken her to his apartment, where he was currently keeping her.

He winced at the thought. Keeping her? She wasn't a stray dog he'd decided to adopt. She was a human. Despite his arguments against her kidnapping accusation, he was finding it harder and harder to call it anything else. She was free to leave if she wanted to. He couldn't quite understand her need to desire to, but it was her decision. Sooner or later she would realize that.

So why did his gut twist every time he thought about it?

"Ben, are you even listening to me?" His mother sounded resigned and as tired as he could recall her ever having been.

"What?"

His mother sighed, though she kept her eyes steadily on the road as she went on, "At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is important that you at least try to change. One day you'll wake up and realize this path isn't going to lead anywhere good. You're almost thirty. It's time to grow up."

How can I when you continue to interfere in my life and treat me like a child? Still making appointments and driving me to them like I'm fifteen years old again. Ben longed to say the thought out loud, but it would only lead to another argument. After the events of the past couple of days, he found he was simply too exhausted to bother.

"So, Ben Solo. I've heard quite a lot about you."

I'll bet you have, Ben thought bitterly, though once again he kept his thoughts to himself.

He hadn't been surprised to find out that the therapist his mother had set him up with was situated in the wealthiest area of Alderaan. The large marble building looked like it would have been better suited as a castle, but instead hosted a variety of independent practices from therapy, physical therapy, doctor's offices, dental offices, and a law firm.

Leia explained that his new therapist's name was Maz Kanata and she'd been practicing therapy for the past forty years. She had two Master's degrees in both clinical psychology and occupational therapy, as well as a PhD in clinical psychology. She'd been called to consult on a number of high profile cases, mostly having to do with celebrities and politicians, which of course explained how his mother had been able to connect with her. He wondered if she'd had sessions with the woman.

The senator had insisted on waiting for him, which did nothing to improve Ben's attitude. He wanted nothing more than to take his mother's car and drive back to the apartment to check on Rey. He felt incredibly guilty leaving her with no explanation, but hopefully she understood that he had no choice.

Now, as he stepped through the door that Dr. Kanata held open for him, he could only hope that his time went by quickly and that Rey was using the time alone to relax.

"Have you ever been to a therapist before?" Dr. Kanata asked as she gestured for him to take a seat in the royal blue wingback chair in the center of the office.

Ben shook his head as he sat the proffered seat. "Aren't you supposed to have a sofa?"

Dr. Kanata smiled at that as she sat in the matching chair facing his. As he regarded her, he had to admit that she was nothing how he'd imagined she would be. She was small, not even five feet tall, but had a quiet, intense energy that seemed to fill the entire room. She dressed in a simple orange blouse and black slacks and her dark hair was in an elaborate French braid that hung down to her waist. What struck Ben the most about her, however, was her large tortoise-shell glasses that enlarged her dark brown eyes. He got the impression she took in the world through permanent magnifying glasses that allowed her to stare deep into the souls of those around her. Despite the drastic height difference he had to admit that he was a little intimidated by her.

"I find that when my patients and I are on an equal footing, it makes for a more relaxed atmosphere. Though if you want one, I'm sure I can have one brought up."

There was no way for him to tell if she was joking or not. Either way, he didn't bother to reply.

"So," she said, as she picked up a small notepad from the glass coffee table between them. "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Solo."

Ben shrugged and crossed his arms. "I'm sure you already know everything you wanted to already."

"I want to hear it from you."

Ben seriously considered saying nothing for the rest of the session. He didn't have to spill his demons to a stranger he'd barely met. But as his dark gaze met the woman's equally piercing one, he realized that she would probably infer more from his silence. So he spoke.

"I'm twenty-seven. I'll be twenty-eight next month. My friend owns a bar in town and gets me free drinks whenever I want them. And I have a problem with my temper which, thanks to the local news media, is now common knowledge."

The doctor raised an eyebrow and leaned forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. Her magnified eyes were unsettling as they stared at him and said, "I didn't ask why you're here. I asked about you."

Ben raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if he was going to like this therapist. "I…I used to draw."

"What did you like to draw?"

Ben thought for a moment, but knew what his answer was the moment he'd been posed the question. "People."

"Did you ever decide to pursue it?"

"Once."

"Why didn't you?"

And just like that, images ran through his head of things…Paige…that he had done his best not to think about for a long time. Watching her storm out of the apartment and out of his life forever after destroying everything he'd worked so hard to achieve.

How was it possible that he'd known this doctor for less than ten minutes and she was already getting him to bring up memories he'd rather stay buried.

"That's none of your business."

"I'm sorry," Dr. Kanata said as she began scribbling in her notepad for the first time. "You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. This is a safe space."

Ben was far from convinced, and did as he'd initially planned and refused to say another word. His mother may have talked him into this ridiculous session, but he didn't have to cooperate.

By the time his hour was finally up, he'd succeeded in burying all thoughts of Paige and his art, and instead thought about Rey. She'd been alone in the apartment for most of the afternoon. He hoped she didn't try to overwork her body by wandering around, then smiled to himself because he knew she wouldn't have.

His mother tried to engage him in conversation on the drive back to the apartment but he hardly paid attention. By the time Leia pulled into the complex's parking lot she'd given up and instead merely thanked him for giving Dr. Kanata a shot and told him she would see him later.

He waved her off absent-mindedly then hurried into the building. He said a brief hello to the security guard who was stationed at his post this time around, then ignored Phasma once he'd reached the tenth floor.

"How's your cousin? Feeling better?"

"Yes," he said impatiently, then hurried away from the towering blond, who always seemed to be lurking in the hallways waiting for him to appear.

"Rey?" Ben called once he opened the door. He was surprised to find the lights off and the air still and undisturbed. He knew immediately that something wasn't right.

"Rey!" he called, storming into the apartment without bothering to close the door behind him. He went straight for the spare bedroom, hoping she was simply taking a nap. He willed himself to see her asleep on the bed as he swung the bedroom door open, knowing as he did so that he was only kidding himself. And, sure enough, the door opened into an empty bedroom. Upon a quick check of the bathroom, his bedroom, and the hall closet, he reluctantly faced the truth.

Rey was gone.

The disappointment he felt upon the realization washed over him so heavily that he nearly suffocated on it. He frantically checked the kitchen, living room, and the dining table for any sign of a note or motive as to why she left. Sure, she'd been threatening to leave ever since she'd woken up on the sofa. But she hadn't. He'd come to hope that maybe she was beginning to trust him and would soon realize staying with him was a much better option than staying with that Atkin jerk.

Whoever he was.

He'd been an idiot to get his hopes up. No, scratch that. He'd been an idiot to let another woman into his heart. He'd thought nothing would equal the pain he'd felt the day Paige left him, but somehow this was worse. He'd only known Rey for a day. He didn't know anything about her. He didn't know where she lived, what kinds of foods she liked, her favorite movie. Hell, he didn't even know her last name. The girl was practically a stranger to him.

A stranger who he couldn't seem to get out of his head.

"Ben?"

His head snapped up at the one voice he did not want to talk to at the moment. Phasma had appeared in the doorway, staring quizzically at him before turning her gaze on the door he still hadn't shut. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, Phasma," Ben lied, doing his best to keep an even voice. "Everything's fine."

"Where'd your cousin storm off to?"

At first the words didn't quite register with him as he thought his neighbor was trying to pry more personal information out of him. When he looked up and studied her slightly worried expression, it dawned on him that maybe she knew more than she was letting on.

"Why do you think she stormed off anywhere?" he asked.

She seemed to pick up the slight edge to his otherwise calm tone because her usual pompous demeanor was evaporating quickly.

"Because she did. A little over an hour ago. Made straight for the elevator looking like she'd just seen her dog die or something. She looked like she might've been limping but she was clearly determined to go somewhere."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Ben snapped at her. He could feel his fists clenching, almost by instinct, and he felt that white-hot stab of fury he usually felt right before he was about to punch someone.

Phasma seemed to pick up on it, but she didn't back down. "I didn't know I was supposed to give you a play-by-play on your cousin's actions! Last time I checked, your private family matters were none of my business."

Ben snorted as he crossed his arms in an effort to keep himself calm. "Like that's ever stopped you before."

"What's that supposed to-?" Phasma began, but Ben raised a hand to cut her off.

"You know what? You're right. It is none of your business. So why don't you go on home and forget about any of this."

Phasma opened her mouth, no doubt to argue some more, but she seemed to think better of and closed it as she turned to head back the way she'd come. "Fine. I'll see you later."

The door closing in her face was the only reply he felt satisfied in giving her.

Once he was alone again, Ben was suddenly at a loss for what to do. Should he go back out and look for her? He would feel like a stalker. Go to the homeless shelter? What if she didn't come? She knew he'd volunteered there because she'd seen him. He'd also told her. Now he regretted that decision because it meant she might start avoiding the place in an effort to avoid him. Where would she get her meals if she didn't go back?

Come to think of it, why was she resorting to eating at the homeless shelter if she liked with asshole? Wasn't Atkin feeding her? Or was he too much of an ass to take care of her? He'd certainly looked as though money wasn't an issue the night Ben had seen him. If he could afford to buy clothes for himself, why did Rey look like a street urchin?

Something didn't add up.

Before he could try to talk himself out of it, he went into his bedroom and fired up the laptop that he rarely used anymore. He sat down at the desk he used more as a storage container than desk and tapped his fingers on the surface impatiently was he waited for it to come to life. Once it did, he immediately began a search.

Minutes into his quest, he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere. He'd tried typing in Atkin, Rey, Alderaan, California in varying degrees, but nothing yielded any results. He continued his amateur search for another half an hour before he finally caved and picked up the phone.

"Hey, buddy. I see you were a no show last night," Hux said by way of greeting. "Maybe that stunt affected you more than you thought it would."

"You have no idea," Ben muttered.

"Huh?"

Ben sighed and stood up to begin pacing the room. "Forget it. Listen, I need you to do a favor for me, and I need you not to ask any questions."

"Well, this just got interesting. What is it?" Hux asked, and Ben hated how eager his friend sounded.

"Does your dad still have access to the police database?"

Hux's dad, Brendol Hux, was a retired police chief who was still an occasional point of contact when the department needed a hand. Now that he was retired he didn't use it as much, but he still had it for when he was called upon to assist on a case.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because I need him to look someone up. Please don't ask me why."

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Hux asked, sounding worried for the first time that Ben could recall.

"No, but someone I know may be. Can you do it or not?" Ben inquired impatiently.

"Yeah, sure. Who are looking for?"

"His name is Atkin. I don't know if it's his first or last name, but he's a tall guy. Looks around our age."

"Is he big? With the face of a blowfish?"

Ben stiffened, not daring to imagine that his one and only friend might know the one and only guy he wanted to beat the living shit out of. "Yeah…"

This time it was Hux's turn to sigh. "There's no need to look him up in the database. I know who you're talking about. His name's Atkin Plutt. Once the star quarterback of the Alderaan High School football team, now heir apparent to his father's junk shop."

"How the hell do you know him?"

"Now it's your turn to keep a secret." He hesitated a moment, and Ben could hear some background chatter. When Hux spoke again his voice was much softer, sounding as though he was whispering. "He hooks me up from time to time. Just the occasional bit of weed, nothing serious. His connections run deep." He paused again, then asked a moment later, "Why are you looking for him? The guy's nothing but trouble."

"Do you know if he lives with anyone?"

"Just his dad. He never moved out, though I'll never understand why. His old man's a loser who never finished high school and treats anyone he talks to like scum on the underside of his shoe. I've seen him throw a punch or two at Atkin from time to time, though no one's ever had the guts to punch him back. I know a few guys who would like to, though," Hux explained.

Ben wondered if his friend considered himself one in that group, but didn't ask. He had more pressing concerns on his mind. "What about a girl? Do you know if a girl lives with them, or has at any point?"

"What's this all about, anyway?" Hux asked suspiciously.

"Didn't I say not to ask question?"

"I feel it's my duty to ask if you're thinking about doing something that might get you killed."

"Don't worry about me and just answer the goddamn question!" Ben yelled. He would have hung up already if he didn't still need the information Hux had. "Does a girl live with them or not?"

"I've seen one hang around Atkin sometimes when we do business. I don't know if she lives with him, though I don't think she does. She always looked homeless. Dirty hair in three buns, giant dirty jacket. Honestly, she looked like another one of his customers. Is that who you're talking about?"

"Where can I find him?" Ben ignored the question with one of his own.

"What are you going to do?"

"Tell me now or I'll beat it out of you later. Either way, I'm going to get what I want," Ben warned. He stopped pacing and sat back down to retrieve a pen and paper. He knew Hux would cave and give him the information. He knew Ben too well to know he didn't make idle threats.

Once Hux had reluctantly given him the address, Ben hung up, stuffed the phone back in his pocket, then grabbed his car keys. He was grateful Phasma wasn't lurking outside his apartment as he made his way down the stairwell, too impatient to wait for the elevator. He might have actually punched her if she'd tried to stand in his way.

Once he was inside the car, he pulled out of his designated spot and nearly hit two cars as he swung on to the street. His thoughts were on nothing but Rey as he sped faster and faster to the address Hux had given him. When he found the building he parked a block away then opened his glove compartment to make sure the gun he kept stashed there for emergencies was still there. He took it out, made sure the safety was on, then tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. He untucked his shirt to conceal the gun, then crossed the street and made his way to the building. This time he made sure he came prepared.

If Atkin Plutt wanted a fight, Ben would make sure to give him one.