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Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 3

Luke didn't say a word the whole walk down to the Falcon. He focused on listening to Rey's story while trying to absorb everything to memory. It struck him how deeply Rey became so entangled with everything going on – how she found BB-8 and Finn on Jakku, meeting Han Solo, being drawn to his father's lightsaber, her vision, the destruction of the Hosnian system, being taken to Starkiller and watching Han die at the hands of his son. Throughout her narrative, she had to pause to stop herself from becoming too emotional.

Especially when talking about Han's death.

Luke brushed at his eyes, remembering his close friend. At least he was one with the Force, and now at peace.

As Rey kept speaking, Luke couldn't stop from noticing her reactions whenever she brought up his nephew. The way she talked about him interrogating her and fighting her in the snow, he could feel the anger and hate seething off of her. Kylo Ren repulsed her; there was no doubt about that. What was interesting to Luke was how the Force felt when she talked about him. The Force was actually stronger around her. Not from the hate she was feeling, but from something else he could not place.

Interesting….

The girl was indeed powerful. And she was completely unaware of it.

Without learning proper control over her abilities, she was bound to do something reckless. Or harmful.

And the more she spoke, the more Luke couldn't help becoming fond of her, of admiring the strength she must have had to overcome what life had thrown at her. She truly had the heart of a Jedi, and the endurance of a warrior.

Could he... could he train her? Should he?

Maybe this time could be different. Changes could be made, new rules sorted out, ones that were more inclusive.

But the chance of creating another Kylo Ren stalled that line of thinking. Fear was making him question everything.

()()()()()

"I thought Finn and I were going to die on that horrible planet, but then I saw lights in the distance and Chewie had found us with the Falcon!" Rey threw her arms in the air as her voice rose. "We left the planet just as it started to implode and jumped into hyperspace." She looked to Luke, expecting him to be enthralled with the story, but he seemed to be deep in thought.

Something is troubling him.

"You know I–" her voice caught in her throat as she thought of what to say. "I thought about going back for him." Her voice lost all the bravado it previously had as she cast her eyes upon the last remaining steps. "I knew Leia would probably want the chance to see her son again, even after what had happened. I did stop to look back just before I boarded the Falcon, but I knew there wasn't time to get him. The planet was tearing apart and Finn desperately needed medical attention…" Her voice trailed off as she lamely laid out the excuses as to why she couldn't rescue his nephew.

"I'm so sorry, Master Skywalker," she muttered as the Falcon's ramp was lowered, Chewie running out to greet them. Pure joy spread across Chewie's face as he went straight for Luke.

Moments before Chewie got to them, Luke grabbed Rey's arm to gently turn her to face him. He looked firmly into her eyes, trying to convey the seriousness of his coming statement.

"He's not dead Rey." Luke's grip dropped away from her upper arm as Chewie enveloped him in a big, hairy hug. He lifted Luke off the ground as he told his old friend in Shyriiwook how much he had missed him.

Rey stood there, frozen, still looking in the direction Luke had been just a moment before. All she saw now was the black ocean, its soft waves lightly brushing against the rocks of the island cliff.

But – she tried to form her thoughts together. I saw him trying to get up, to look at me after I slashed his face with the lightsaber. He could barely support his weight on his arms. He didn't have the strength to go searching for a way off the planet. We were in the middle of a forest! I barely made it out on the Falcon!

Her thoughts poured into her at an accelerated rate. It can't be possible. Luke has to be wrong. He wasn't there. He didn't see what Ren looked like… But deep in the crevices of her emotions, she always felt like he was alive. She just never gave those feelings much merit, because she thought it would have been impossible for him to get off that planet so fast.

Rey turned to see Luke buried by a huge expanse of fur.

"I've missed you too, my dear friend. More than you know." Luke wrapped his arms around the giant Wookie, patting his back.

Emitting a long, sustained whistle, R2-D2 came gliding down the ramp. He stopped once he hit the ground and started swaying back and forth in excitement. Chewie placed Luke back on the surface of the island as he twisted toward the noise.

"Artoo!" Luke dashed in the direction of the expressive droid, his robes billowing behind him, his face suddenly years younger. Going to his knees, he placed his palms on either side of the droids smooth, rounded top.

Rey headed toward the happy reunion, taking her time to allow them more privacy. She was still lost in her thoughts as she saw the last of the Jedi press his forehead against his metal friend. As she finally closed the gap between her and the exultant group, she heard something close to the sound of soft purring coming from the droid.

"I'm sorry I had to leave," she heard Luke whisper. "But I just couldn't stay after everything that happened." Soft beeps touched Rey's ears. Artoo's gentle pleas tugged at her heart.

"Of course, my dear friend." Luke raised his head. "I promise to take you with me wherever I go, from now until the end of my days." Artoo beeped loud with satisfaction and Luke let out such a genuine laugh, that Rey felt herself smiling down at the two best friends.

()()()()()

"Finn!" Rey exclaimed as she saw his face in the holoscreen. She grabbed the communications board as she inched closer to get a better view of him. The sheer amount of happiness inside her made her smile so big that her cheeks felt like they were going to cramp. But she didn't care. Seeing him finally awake was worth more than any physical discomfort.

"Rey!" Witnessing his pure elation at seeing her made her come even closer to his image. "I'm so happy to finally see you! When I woke up, Poe told me you already left to find Skywalker and I didn't even get to say goodbye." His smile melted into a worried look. "I've been worried something happened to you. I can't get out of this bed and no one would tell me if you actually found Skywalker or not. The higher ups aren't telling us anything more about your mission."

Rey thought about the communications officer who had previously answered her calls to the Resistance base. Just like the last couple of days, he wouldn't give her any information on Finn, his only interest in hearing her daily report. But after the third time of being so rudely dismissed, Rey made it quite clear to the man that she would not give them any information on Luke unless they patch Finn through to her. After a moment of tense silence, the officer reluctantly told her he would see what he could do. Ten minutes later, Finn finally appeared on the holoscreen.

Rey relayed the experience with the comms officer to Finn.

"Ugh. That's Officer Markoos Kaling, one of the people in charge of communications and making sure our signals stay undetected from the First Order. Poe went to talk to him, on my behalf, about having me speak with you. Apparently the conversation didn't go so well." Rey grimaced at the thought of the communications station not letting Finn talk with her. And if it would be possible to never speak with Kaling again.

Rey decided to speak first about what she'd been up to and what she'd seen since leaving D'Qar. Finn patiently listened to her accounts about finding Luke and how the man never gave her an answer if he would train her or not.

"You really want to be a Jedi?" he asked, in awe.

"I don't know. I mean, I have the Force, and I want to know how to use it. I was confused at first if I really wanted to be a Jedi–"

"Why?"

"The Jedi code forbids attachments. I can't just give up the things I've gained over this last week. I do want to be strong with the Force and learn how to fight with a lightsaber so I can be useful to the Resistance, but I thought the cost to do so might be too much for me. I–" She paused and looked down at her hands on the comms board. "You're my first friend, Finn. We've been through a lot together, and you're probably the only one who understands how I feel." Her thoughts suddenly turned to Kylo Ren, but she pushed them away.

Rey glanced up to see that Finn's face had softened from her words. "Rey, you and I never had many opportunities to make friends and to lead a happy, comfortable life. Those chances were taken from both of us. I want you to know that you're so important to me, and I value your friendship above everything else." He paused as if contemplating what to say next. "If I were in your shoes, it would be extremely hard for me to give you up and go down a different path. I don't know if I could honestly do it after tasting what it's like to have a connection with someone else…. But Luke did tell you that he thought the ways of the Jedi should probably change. At least for the next little while. Maybe you could still become a Jedi and have a life full of friends and possibly even a family."

Rey was trying to stop the tears hovering on her eyelids from spilling over. Being able to talk to someone about how she felt and having them actually care enough to give her comforting advice was all new to her, but something she always wanted. It was also wonderful to hear that Finn valued her friendship just as much as she valued his.

"What if attachments really lead to the dark side," she whispered, as if what she was asking was somehow forbidden to discuss.

"I know you're strong enough to resist. Besides, I would never let you turn to the dark side." They both chuckled at his last statement. She watched as the smile slowly vanished from his face and he looked to be lost in his own thoughts. Worry crept into his features.

"Finn, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering something." Rey patiently waited for him to continue. "After I woke, Poe told me what happened after Kylo took me out." Rey shifted in her chair at the sudden change in subject. "I know what roughly happened between the two of you, but I want to hear the story directly from you... if you're okay reliving it again." He stared at her questioningly.

Rey turned her head to the side, examining the many control buttons and knobs that lined the wall. She did not particularly like talking about her fight with Kylo Ren, especially since she just told Luke about it not too long ago. But Finn deserved to know what had happened.

She took in a steady breath and started to relay all that she remembered about her tense confrontation with their shared enemy.

Finn gasped at certain parts and visibly got angry at others, but he never interrupted her. She could tell he was too focused on what she was saying to actually speak.

When she felt like she conveyed the entire story, Rey was emotionally drained. She'd gone into more detail about the fight to her friend than she had with Luke.

After a few moments of just sitting there in the quiet, Finn finally spoke. "Wow."

"Yep."

"I mean, you kicked his ass!" Finn couldn't hide the pride that showed in his face. Rey crossed her arms over her chest, letting a little smile glide across her lips. "And I can't believe he offered to become your teacher! After everything he did, did he seriously think you'd become his apprentice?"

She shrugged, trying not to remember how desperate his plea had been. "I don't know. Who knows what goes on in that awful head of his."

"Well, at least he died right along with that horrible, frozen planet. I hated being stationed there." Rey felt her breathing still. Finn visibly relaxed.

Should I tell him?

Just as she was about to be honest, she heard someone talking to Finn, his head turning toward the voice. He tensed before his face fell. "Looks like our time is up. General Organa wants to speak with Skywalker personally, so I have to get off the line." Rey stammered to regain her composure. "They need us to cut the transmission and reestablish a new connection in a few minutes. Apparently we've been talking too long on this specific channel." Rey saw Finn glare off into the distance at something. She would bet her next three meals that Officer Kaling was the one telling him to end the transmission.

"Okay," Rey said through a tight throat. "I'll tell Luke to come in and wait for the holoscreen signal."

Neither of them went for the controls. They both looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Please be careful out there, Rey. And know whatever you decide, I'll always be your friend." He gave her a soft smile. The one he reserved just for her.

"Thank you, Finn. And don't worry, I'll be careful. Just promise me that whatever the doctors say, you follow it, okay?" she ordered sternly. "It's going to take time for you to heal and you need to be patient."

"I promise." She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw Finn's eyes start to gleam with unshed tears.

"Goodbye, Finn. I'll talk to you again soon." She quickly pressed her hand on the holoscreen and ended the transmission before he could see her become too emotional. As she sat there for a few moments, she thought about how she didn't get the chance to tell him the whole truth about Kylo Ren.

Next time. I'll tell him the next time. At least he can rest easy thinking that monster is never coming back.

She sighed as she got up.

What I would give for that to be true.

()()()()

After Rey informed Luke about his sister requesting to talk with him, she retreated to her personal living quarters on the Falcon. Well, living quarters wasn't the most accurate way to describe it. More like her own personal closet that she slept in. It was a small eight by eight room, with the bed taking up more than half the living area. Just to the right of the door was a sink and a small mirror that hung on the metallic, rusted wall.

There was only one bathroom on the freighter, and it was situated right across from her room. To say that it's been interesting sharing it with Chewie would be an understatement. That Wookie could shed a lot of hair. And spend a lot of time doing his "business". Maybe Rey could somehow change his diet.

He'd probably rip my arm off, just like he did to Unkar back at Maz's.

She rested atop the sheets of her bed, eyes lazily staring up at the sparse ceiling, legs finally thanking her for allowing them a reprieve. Her hands came up to rest behind her head as she reviewed the events of the day. She almost couldn't believe how much her life had changed in such a short period of time.

I've met the legendary Luke Skywalker. But he wasn't how she imagined him to be. He did have a commanding presence about him, but at the same time, he seemed to be very reserved. Even though his answer to training her in the Force was still somewhat unanswered, she did feel comfortable around him and began to trust him the more they talked.

I wonder how he knows that Kylo is alive? She considered this question for a few moments. Maybe he can feel him through the Force. Is that how I felt he was still alive, the Force was letting me know?

Closing her lids for what felt like only a moment, Rey finally felt her exhaustion hit her.

I'll just lay here for a couple more minutes and then I'll get ready for bed...

.

.

.

The ocean breeze hit Rey's face and stung her eyes. She drew up her hands to defend herself from the sudden pelt of air. Standing at the edge of a cliff, she looked out at the sea rippling in the softness of the moonlight. Her cloak swayed behind her, the thick fabric snapping harshly with every curl. Through the strong gusts, she took a deep breath and sighed.

My island, she thought to herself. She had dreamed about this island so often, that she knew to recognize it as just that: a dream. Sometimes she was here during the day and other times, she visited during the quiet hours of the night. She preferred to be here during the dead of twilight, for it felt more peaceful. More mystical.

As she looked out into the darkness ahead, she couldn't help but feel like she'd seen this view before. Somewhere...

Odd. I've never visited an island before. I've only ever lived on Jakku.

She had a thought in the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp what it was. It was like trying to grab and capture fog, but all it would do was become thicker the more you tried to grasp it. Mocking you for your efforts.

She heard a heavy thud and a sharp exhale from behind. Her body jumped and turned to see a man lying on his back, looking up at the sky in surprise. Maybe a bit of wonder, too. His black attire blended in with the night, the pale skin of his hands and face contrasting harshly against the darkness of the ground.

This man was... familiar.

He rolled onto his stomach and slowly stood, facing away from her, seeming to be unaware of her existence. His presence dominated the area, her eyes involuntarily roaming over his wavy black hair and broad shoulders. She could feel the immense power this man possessed and it frightened her, but she couldn't look away.

Ben, she thought.

Ben? Who's Ben?

He pivoted around, eyes locking onto hers.

Ben Solo.

Kylo Ren.

All the memories of this man hit her mind in a violent rush of images. Her eyes went wide with fear, her mouth suddenly dry.

How did he find me?

But he seemed just as surprised to see her as she was him.

Rey started to shake, taking a few steps back to put more distance between them. Fear flashed across his face. He extended his hand out to her, palm open, beseeching. Her stomach fell as her boot hit the open air. She teetered and shot her arms out in front of her to grab onto anything. Her eyes locked onto his face as he rushed to her aid.

But it was too late.

Her fingers caressed his own, feeling his touch for the very first time. And then she fell, looking up at his shocked expression. Time slowed for her as she felt his eyes sear straight into her soul. She could feel his horror, his desperation at losing her.

He wants to save me.

As quickly as the thought came, time went back to its normal progression, his silhouette becoming smaller as she plunged toward the sea.

She tried to scream his name, but the air refused to depart from her lungs, holding onto it with a torturous grip.

The darkness swallowed her whole.

A/N

I know in the book Rey sees the ship lowering to get Kylo after their fight on Starkiller. But for the sake of drama, lets pretend she never saw that ship… ;)