Alright, you guys are quiet and that's scaring me. What am I doing right/wrong? Apologies for not posting on my usual weekend schedule, life is crazy right now. But for now, enjoy!

Chapter 15

Rose had to restrain her hands behind her to keep her from squealing at the sight of Finn in his brown Jedi robes. He had always stood tall and proud, but now, he looked… official. Ceremonious. She walked with him shoulder to shoulder (as much as possible with the narrow steps) up the stone pathway to their classroom, sneaking peaks at him from under her untamed strands of hair.

"What are you smiling at?" He asked, catching her stupid grin.

Her heart sputtered. Say something dummy! She thought furiously. "These… robes are comfy."

She pulled at her own tan robes and then looked at him, willing him to compliment her.

"Yeah," He admitted sheepishly. "They're pretty nice."

"Oi! Wait up!"

Rose's hands fell to her sides as they both turned around to see Rey, dressed in clearly feminine designed robes, trotting to them, her hair pulled back into her signature half up-half down hairstyle. Rose shot a glance at Finn, and felt her chest stiffen at the sight of him sputter and gape at the sight of her charcoal robes with flared skirt around her hips and calf high boots. Rose looked down at her robes, and sighed. She was perhaps too short and had to take boys clothes… again.

"You look pretty," Finn told her when she caught up to them.

"Oh, shut up!" She scoffed. "How am I supposed to fight in a skirt?"

It wasn't a skirt per se, more of a flared over robe that covered her hips and was secured by a belt. She could still do a variety of things in such a getup, but Rose blossomed slightly at her envious gaze over her simple, form fitting robes. "I'd rather have that," She gestured with her chin to Rose's simple tunic-like, tan over robe.

Rose lifted her chin, "Come on, let's see what Master Ren's wearing."

"I can hardly care if he's naked," Finn grumbled, his face darkening.

Rose caught Rey's giggle and flushed cheeks as she turned to hide her face from her.

They rushed to the grassy classroom area where they had gathered this morning, the sun poking in and out of the thick clouds. As soon as the cleared the landing, the three halted suddenly, two of three mouths agape. In that moment, Rose was absolutely certain of one thing: Finn did care if Master Ren was clothed or not. He really did care.

He stood an absolute specimen of a man wearing only high waisted black trousers, his torso thick and his arms sculpted with muscles. In his hands, he held Rey's staff and panted slightly, pacing around an erect rock before whirling the staff around in practice, halting a perfect inch before colliding with the smooth surface. As she watched, Rose couldn't deny it: he was a true artist. His steps were precise, light, and his swings of the staff were so quick and well placed it was almost like watching a dancer entertain.

"Borrowed my staff?" Rey called, moving forward and calling them out of their stupor.

Master Ren turned towards her, his eyes sweeping her frame in an appreciative glance before setting the staff straight and tossed it to her. He shrugged slightly, "We're low on adequate supplies."

"Are we staff training today?" She asked with a grin, setting her staff next to her like an old friend.

"No," He answered, turning to Finn and Rose. "Still Force training." He waved them over, gesturing to stand next to Rey.

They arranged themselves in the same manner that they had that morning: Finn, Rey, then Rose. Master Ren looked at the three of them assembled before him, then stepped back and took a flagon of water from it's grassy resting spot, ripping out the cork.

"FN-2187, front and center." He commanded in a low voice, then took a long draw of water.

A chill shot down Rose's spine and she dared to peer at Finn. Finn stayed exactly where he was, his chin lowering. Rose couldn't brag about her use of the Force to a mole hill, but she did feel something that morning. Something that sounded very similar to what Rey had described of the Force. If that was true, then the feeling of hate that exuded from Finn buried the sun, and sent a sudden whip of wind around their legs.

"My name," Finn growled, "Is Finn."

Master Ren shoved the cork back into the flagon and tossed it, the empty hull hitting the grass with a soft thump, and glared at him. "You are what I name you. I name you what the Force tells me. You are FN-2187." He faced him, and pointed to the ground in front of him, "Now, come."

Finn took three steps forward, and with each step Rose felt her dread rising. Beside her, Rey shifted and adjusted her grip upon her staff. It was like light was meeting the darkness, but as to whom was what, they had no idea. Master Ren swaggered towards him, eyes hard upon him.

Suddenly his fist shot out and caught Finn in the stomach, causing him to double over. Rey's mouth opened in objection the same him Master Ren shot her a look, silencing her. He turned back to Finn, and circled him.

"You don't like me very much," He told him, his voice still calm and even, almost condescending. He put two hands onto Finn's back and shoved, knocking him onto the grass.

Rose dug her nails into her thigh to keep her from gasping or shouting at him.

"You think those robes make you something?" Master Ren taunted, lifting his hand. He closed his fist and motioned like he was tossing something. Instantly, Finn's belt unraveled and it and the over robe peeled away from his body, startling Finn, and revealing him to be half naked just like Master Ren (though admittedly with smaller muscles).

Finn scrambled to his feet, his muscles tense as he jumped into a fighting stance. Any sense of decorum feigned for his teacher melted off the moment he hit that stance. Fists brushing his jaw, Finn's upper lip curled over his teeth, and he snarled, "Let's go!"

Rose's hand shot out to Rey, and she nearly screamed, "Get back!"

Rey obeyed, too terrified to speak, scrambling backward until their backs felt stone of the ancient building, their eyes wide and welded to the scene.

The men met in the middle of the grass space, Finn throwing a wild punch, but missed. Master Ren shot a hand out and smacked Finn upside the head, a soft smile on his face. Finn glared at him, whirling around and launching himself again, throwing another punch that was blocked and returned with a slap to his face.

"No," Rey breathed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. "He's deliberate."

"He's challenging his manhood," Rose whispered, "He's keeping Finn from thinking straight."

This continued for three slaps to Finn's face, each one raising his anger to boiling levels until at once, Finn was able to land a solid punch in Master Ren's gut. The problem was, Master Ren didn't do more than exhale and hunch over, before straightening and stepping back into the fray. He blocked Finn's punch, but this time landed an uppercut on his jaw. Finn staggered under the power of such a blow, but kept on.

The next thing that happened, Rose could not understand it. Master Ren changed his fighting style, making his movements more mechanical in motion. He and Finn moved so fluidly together it was almost like watching a choreographed dance. They even moved in a specific pattern, first back, then forth, diagonal, then Master Ren twirled Finn back so that he landed on one knee with his back to him and shouted so loudly the porgs fell silent,

"FN-2187, STAND ATTEN-HUN!"

Finn snapped to his feet, his back erect, his fists pressed to his sides in a soft bend, his face pointed forward. The position of attention, hard wired into every Stormtrooper.

The moment he did it, Master Ren leaned back, a smirk on his face. Finn on the other hand, exhaled quickly, his shoulders rising up and down and he dared to move his head, the feeling of disbelief washing over Rose and Rey.

"Face me," Master Ren commanded, his own voice breathy as his chest heaved softly.

Finn turned, the very motion causing shame to wipe over his face as he had done a military about face.

"Look at me,"

Finn obeyed, his features looking like he was on the brink of tears.

"You, are not, a Stormtrooper, anymore." Master Ren kicked his leg forward and circled Finn, staring him down while his voice remained even. "You weren't even one then, when we first saw each other on Jakku. You were just a scared kid doing whatever he could to survive. If you were a Stormtrooper, you would have fired your blaster, even if you didn't hit anything. You aren't even a member of the Resistance. If you were, your thoughts wouldn't be running off with Rey each time you have an opportunity."

Rose felt her heart shatter, and heard Rey gasp slightly.

"A farm on Lah'mu? A high roller's suite on Canto Bight?" He moved to stand directly in front of Finn, and pointed a finger at Rey, "Look, at, her,"

Finn turned his head to Rey, Rose doing the same, it seemed disobedient not to. Rey stood, a gangly pillar in charcoal grey robes. The wind rocked her, but she stood firm against it, waiting for Master Ren's next command.

"Rey is a Jedi not because she wears a set of robes and has a lightsaber. She is a Jedi because she will give her life to defend those weaker than herself, she will stand for what is right even at great personal cost. She is a Jedi because she finds her identity in a code that she feels to her core, Rey is a Jedi because she has no home, and yet knows she has a place in this galaxy! And you…" He trailed off, leaning away and looking Finn up and down. Finn looked back to Master Ren, the feeling of shame growing in the atmosphere.

"You cannot even look me in the eye, and you want me to make you a Jedi knight?"

Finn swallowed and exhaled through his nose, his eyes pointed to the ground. What Rose would have given to have been able to hear his thoughts at that moment!

Slowly, Finn slid his leg out behind him, and knelt before Master Ren, his eyes locking onto his. "Master Ren, I ask you to teach me the ways of the Force."

"I already taught you how to access the Force this morning," Master Ren chided, lifting his eyebrow, "You used that time fantasizing on how you were going to rescue Rose from me."

Rose's heart stopped, then hammered full throttle.

Finn swallowed, then parted his lips, "Then I ask you to train me to become a Jedi… like my forefathers before me."

Finn's face at that last statement flushed with confusion, as though he too was shocked by the words. Master Ren, however, smirked.

"It would be my genuine pleasure," He breathed. "Rise, Finn, Jedi apprentice."

Finn rose, his eyes capable of meeting Master Ren's. Master Ren hesitated, looking at him, then turned his head to Rey.

"Rey, take a run around the island. Once."

Rey hesitated, looking from him to Rose, then nodded and lifted her staff, and stepped away. The way Master Ren waited for her to leave completely before proceeding brought forth a deeper feeling of fear than what Rose was used to. When had she last felt it? Oh, right, when she thought she was going to be executed aboard the Supremacy.

Master Ren turned to Finn, "Access the Force."

Rose saw him shiver in the cold wind. "I can't do it," He told him. "I don't know how."

"I told you how to do it," Master Ren contradicted, shifting his weight. His look was expectant, like he was simply waiting for the verbal confirmation of his thoughts.

Finn closed his eyes and exhaled. Master Ren waited, watching him with either patience or annoyance, Rose could not say. Finn bit his lip and looked away, "I can't do it. I can't feel the Force."

"You can't admit you feel the Force?" Master Ren asked, taking a step back. "Alright, the hard way, then."

He strutted to Rose, standing close enough to take her shoulders with his hands if he wanted to. Master Ren looked down at her, prompting her eyes to float to him. Did he really have to be so… big?

"Use the Force," He commanded, staring at Rose.

"I can't!" Finn told him, "I don't have that gift like you and Rey do."

Master Ren's hand shot out and slapped Rose across the face, catching her off guard and sending her off balance.

"What was that?" She yelped, pressing her hand to her stinging cheek and ear.

"Rose!" Finn shouted, his eye wide.

Master Ren didn't answer. He lifted the fingers of his other hand, and Rose's arms smacked to her sides, her body unable to move.

"Use the Force," He repeated, lifting his hand once more and swept it across Rose's face.

He allowed her head to move, of course he would! Her hair flew out of it's tether, sticking to her face as tears of pain and helplessness seeped from her eyes. No! She thought fiercely, she would not cry! She would not cry! Stop it! Stop crying in front of him!

"Don't hit her!" Finn bellowed, but didn't move from his position.

"Make me stop," Master Ren taunted, a gleam entering his eye. He lifted his hand, raising it high enough for Finn to see, and called again, "Use the Force."

He brought his hand down to slap her again, Rose's eyes flew shut and she braced herself for the blow…

She opened one eye, the other following suit when she saw Master Ren turned away from her, his hand cupped an inch before her face, a half smile on his lips. She moved her eyes to Finn, and gasped.

His arm was extended, his look a tornado in the darkness. What was more, she could feel it. A something in the air, a tickle on the back of her neck whispering what he was doing. He was using the Force to grab Master Ren's hand. It wasn't a big grab, perhaps like a child's grip against a charged Fathier, but it was the Force.

"Very, good," Master Ren breathed. "That, is the Force."

Finn lifted his head a fraction, his feelings still exuding a deep seeded disgust. He inhaled once, then lifted his fingers.

"Oh, you want to hit me?" Master Ren demanded, his features snapping from proud to fierce.

Before Finn could do anything, Master Ren's other palm shot out to him, sending him flying over the waving grass, through the pillars of stone, and off the cliff.

"Finn!" Rose screamed, her feet lurching her from her post to the cliff to peer over the edge. This cliff overlooked the ocean, leaving little room for the porgs to roost over the lapping waves. It was a good thing, as Finn was caught by the frigid sea and allowed him to burst forth spouting salt water like a fountain.

"Finn!" Rose cried, on her hands and knees. "Are you alright?"

He spat what looked like a piece of seaweed and looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm good!"

She felt, rather than saw, Master Ren move to stand beside her. "When you swim to the shore, join Rey on her run around the island!"

Finn shot him a look of displeasure and muttered a word Rose knew to be a curse, but what it was exactly, she couldn't say. He spread his arms under the water and began to breaststroke towards the shore, the waves hardly bothering him.

"Now, it's time for you to learn the Force."

Rose whirled back to Master Ren, seeing him don his tunic and button it closed. She inhaled, her hair still flapping wildly in the wind.

"There's no innocent here for you to abuse in the name of 'teaching,'" She spat.

He snorted. "You're different than him," He jerked his head to the ocean, "You've already felt the Force."

"I felt the hand of a jerk, who takes advantage of his students!"

He looked at her, her nerves rising to peak levels in the quiet. "I'm not going to apologize for my methods. You knew what you were getting into when you let yourself come here."

The words, "I didn't have a choice!" bubbled to Rose's lips, but she swallowed them. She did have a choice. She chose not to let Finn be alone with Rey. Slowly, she stood, staring him down as best she could. "You killed my sister."

"I had nothing to do with… Paige's, death," He growled.

"Don't say her name!" Rose shouted, "You don't get to say her name!"

"And who the hell are you to give me orders?" His voice was calm, and he hardly blinked as he spoke. "You're a gifted engineer who couldn't find a place in the Resistance until Finn came and made you important. Your sister clawed her way to the pilot's seat, and… you?" He scoffed at her and narrowed his look, "Who, are you?"

SWSWSW

Rose was a true Rebel, Kylo observed as he walked behind her. She had heart, and was enough of a scoundrel to swallow her pride and milk him for what he was worth. He lifted the folded black cloth over her head and brought it down to cover her eyes, making her gasp and lean back suddenly into his chest.

"Wha…?" She started.

"Trust the Force," He told her softly. "You've felt it all day. You felt it this morning in your meditation, then picking up the oyster with the pearl on the beach. You've touched the Force, now I want you to embrace it."

Her shoulders eased slowly, and she moved her body forward to be covered. He tied the cloth fairly tight over her eyes, in case it should fly off in the pesky wind. He stepped away, moving around her as quietly as possible.

"Can you hear me?" He asked in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.

"Barely," She complained.

"Come forward," He commanded, his voice in the same tone, "Follow my voice."

She thrust her leg forward, followed by the other which promptly stubbed a rock and sent her forward in a half trip. She caught herself, and gave a snort of indignation.

"You know what it feels like to move on your own trust," He told her, "Now, reach out to the Force. Let it guide you."

She hesitated, then straightened slowly, her shoulders releasing their tension. Kylo waited, watching her as she practiced careful inhales, the Force prickling around her like fibres of fur bending to static electricity before a touch. A smile spread across his face, warming to the feel of her disciplining herself to feel precisely what he had commanded rather than her own thoughts.

Suddenly, he paused, and touched his face. His cheeks were taut, his lips wide. He rearranged his features to plain expressionless. But only a second passed before he began feeling the smile spread slowly at the feeling of pride swelling for this student. He couldn't remember the last time he smiled; did they always feel this good?

She stepped forward, her toes inches from a cluster of rocks that might have once been tiles. She moved, each careful step navigating her closer to him. Kylo took three steps back, one to the right, and waited. Rose followed him, slowly and with her palms out in case anything should bonk her, but she followed his footsteps almost exactly.

"Am I doing it right?" She asked, her voice a lazy whisper.

"Keep concentrating," Kylo told her, turning his heel and walking slowly away from her.

The island was peaceful, an easy escape into his own thoughts. The native avians, the porgs, were easily managed if he minded where they wanted to nest. Apparently, they liked to gather long moss, and there were some trees somewhere for twigs. They seemed naturally timid creatures, but came with an innate mischief known as curiosity and swooped around his head so close that he could feel the wind of their wings whip past his ears. He looked back at Rose, seeing her dodge the suicidal porg as though it was routine. Other than their screeches, the ocean roar filled Kylo's ears… and nothing more. He fought a shiver as he stepped over a root of some kind. He was completely alone to his own thoughts out here…

Kylo hopped over several rocks, the spray of the sea reaching out to him as he moved. He turned and crouched, watching Rose halt at the first rock. Her hands had relaxed so now she only looked to be making her way in the dark, and her lips were opened a finger's width. She hesitated, her head turning left then right.

Kylo licked his lips, "Are you coming?"

Rose's head moved to face him, and her lips closed. She bent her knees, and sprang forth, her body in a controlled running position, and landed on her feet. Before she could get settled, she hopped another two rocks in the same position until she was one rock away from joining Kylo.

"Stop there," He commanded. She obeyed, swaying with the wind as it had picked up since moving to this particular spot. "Now, take off the blindfold."

Obedient as ever, Rose reached back and pulled at the firm bow, revealing slanted pools of obsidian. She blinked once, seeing him crouched before her… then at the six-foot drop to the ocean below and gasped so loudly she almost lost her footing on the barely flat rock.

"Master Ren!" She shrieked, finding her balance with her arms on either side of her like propellers.

He chuckled softly, "You did well."

"Master Ren!" She shrieked again, looking from him, to the ocean below, (they were above kelp beds that looked like a sea monster, come to think of it), to him again.

He stood, positioning himself to where the Force directed, and leapt from his standing rock to hers, latching on to the rock beneath her feet, then launched himself to the rock behind her and climbed it, taking one last simple jump to the main cliff.

"Use the Force," He called back to her. "Trust it once, trust it a thousand times."

"I'm going to fall!"

"Only if you don't use the Force."

He walked slowly away, feeling if she moved or not. He sighed, not feeling the Force move around her. She was going to kill herself.

She must have leapt to one safe rock, but was so frightened her feet didn't find solid footing. Her screams narrated her movement. Kylo whirled around, arm extended, halting her mid fall. He exhaled through his nose, watching her panic at the sight of the kelp tendrils caress the surface of the water.

"There are three ways of falling right now," He shouted over the waves. "One will save you, one will severely hurt you and possibly kill you, the other will absolutely kill you. Use the Force, it will tell you which one to take."

She made eye contact long enough for him to drop his hand, letting her fall, head first. He turned his heel, and headed down the stone path, the splash of the ocean slight and he breathed a sigh of relief. She had pointed her arms in a last minute dive, saving her.

SWSWSW

Rey panted, her legs beginning to ache from her almost pointless run around the island. There had been a path, she observed, cut for her by students from long ago answering the same commands from their masters. She trotted up the steps to the Caretaker's village, hearing C-3PO's voice talking to the Matron.

"Hey!"

She turned, seeing a topless Finn trudge towards her, sopping wet and shivering.

"What happened?" She demanded, realizing as she halted that there had been a reason for Ben wanting her to leave after all.

Finn looked away, his look almost defeated. "He hit Rose."

"I'm going to kill him," Rey told him, turning her heel to head up the pathway, her chest tightening. Firm was one thing, abusing those weaker than him was another.

"Don't," Finn said, prompting her to turn with a frown. He had been so willing to murder Ben this morning. "I used the Force because of it."

"You did?" She exclaimed, grinning, then frowned. "Why?"

"To save Rose," He said. He shook his head, "Look, I don't know if I can do this. The Force, it's so different than from what I thought."

"It just takes practice, Finn." She told him, the tightness in her chest softening. "Come here, look." She turned back down where she came, pausing to make sure he was following her, and led him down the beach. Her shoes touched the firm sand, bringing a smile to her lips. Sand soaked with water, how far she had come from Jakku!

"Look, stand here," She told him, smiling. He stood next to her, his body exhausted from swimming. "Close your eyes," She commanded, her own eyes fluttering shut.

"I look stupid doing that," Finn sighed.

Rey looked at him, "Then look stupid. I look stupid for a moment and then I move rocks with my mind. I fought and defeated Kylo Ren with the Force. It's easy for me, but if you used it, then you are perfectly able to do all of that yourself. Just try it," She gave him a playful shove.

He half smiled at her and turned to the water, then closed his eyes. "Oh kay," He breathed.

"Reach out," She told him.

Immediately, he shot out his arm. Rey suppressed a laugh, looking at his limb waving patiently in the breeze. She lifted her hand and placed her hand on his elbow, pushing it down. "Reach out with your feelings. Feel the peace of the ocean, the chaos of the tide. Breathe,"

He inhaled deeply, his body looking like it was beginning to sway back and forth. Rey could feel him tap into the Force like turning on a light switch. The problem was, he didn't feel like he did.

"What do you feel?" She asked.

"An order," He whispered. "A belonging. The Caretakers… they need to be here."

"You need to be here, Finn." She urged. "Now, find something to focus on. Something small."

She waited, watching him stand solidly in the chill breeze. He was handsome, she had to admit. He was softly built, with muscles less defined as Ben's, but was nonetheless nice to look at. Something rubbed against her legs and she looked down, then smiled. "Finn, look. Open your eyes."

Finn's eyes fluttered open, and he gasped, seeing pebbles begin to float on their own. He gasped, then looked to her. She giggled, "Yeah, this is what it's like."

He smiled, then spread his fingers wide and lifted his palms. The pebbles lifted around them, including the one beneath his shoe. He laughed, a breathy laugh laden with awe and disbelief. "The Force!"

"Yeah," Rey grinned. "This and a whole lot more."

The pebbles floated for moments more, then dropped suddenly, along with Finn's hands. "Is he worth it?" He asked, looking at her, smile fading.

She swallowed, then nodded. "Yeah, he is."

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