Chapter 3

Rey froze, clearly shocked to see him. Kylo returned her gaze evenly, though his own heart rate had spiked. It had been months since Kylo had been in Rey's presence and he reveled in the feel of the force surrounding and connecting them. It was more potent when they were in close proximity.

"What…What are you doing here?" Rey sputtered.

Kylo's mouth twitched upwards slightly, amused at her discombobulation. "I told you I knew you were on Naboo."

A wrinkle appeared between Rey's brows. "Yes, but…I didn't sense you coming?" She shook her head. "How come I didn't sense you?"

He enjoyed her confusion, enjoyed the pulse racing at her throat, knowing his proximity was the cause. "Come with me and I'll teach you."

The wrinkle between her brows turned into a frown. "No. You know I can't."

He took a step forward, intent on convincing her to join him this time. "Rey-"

She stepped back, swinging the staff away from him. "No."

Suddenly there was the sound of scuttling behind Rey. They both turned towards it as Finn scrambled to his feet.

"Rey! Get down," he yelled, pointing a blaster at Kylo.

Kylo began to raise his hand to defend himself but before he could Rey yelled "STOP!" and stopped the blaster bolt in the air. Despite his flash of anger at the interruption, Kylo's mouth twitched upwards again, knowing she had gleaned that particular trick from their shared bond. Then he turned towards Rey's traitorous friend, his anger at Finn's attempt to shoot him barely contained.

The look on Finn's face was a mixture of shock, confusion, and betrayal. He held the blaster aimed at Kylo. "Rey, what are you doing?" he demanded, glancing between them.

Rey too looked between Finn and Kylo, panic at having exposed herself evident in her expression. Bitterness clawed at Kylo at her embarrassment. He looked at her, attempting to keep his expression blank, and waited for her answer.

"I…I…" Rey swallowed, looking back at Kylo, as if for help. He narrowed his eyes slightly, daring her to answer truthfully.

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and turning back towards Finn. He looked between her and Kylo and began shaking his head, the blaster still pointed at Kylo. "No…No Rey, tell me you're not joining his side."

Rey shook her head vigorously. "I'm not." Kylo looked away, doing little to mask his annoyance.

"Then what's going on?" Finn shook the blaster towards the suspended bolt. "Why are you protecting him?"

Kylo's patience ran out. He turned towards Finn, not bothering to hide his contempt. "She belongs with me. I came to make sure she is."

Confusion and disgust were immediately evident in Finn's expression as he shook his head. "She doesn't belong with you." He took a step towards Kylo, who narrowed his eyes. It wouldn't take much for Kylo to stop the traitor in his trajectory. It was only worry of what Rey would think that stopped him. "You're evil," Finn continued. "The First Order is the bane of the galaxy." He advanced another step, blaster still pointed towards Kylo. "Rey would never join someone who would betray his own family." Another step. "She would never join a murderer."

"You know nothing," Kylo responded. Scarcely contained anger burned in his chest at the mention of his family. Barely keeping a rein on it now, he turned towards Rey, who stood frozen, wide eyes trained on the both of them. "I take it you didn't tell them of how you came to me?" Her lips parted and she shook her head, silently pleading with him to stop. He could sense her panic. It only fanned the flame of anger in his chest.

Finn turned his head towards her. "What is he talking about?"

Rey closed her eyes a moment before responding. "I did go to Snoke's ship, to Ben, willingly."

Finn only blinked at her. "Why?"

Rey opened and closed her mouth a few times, glancing at Kylo, whose patience with Rey's reticence to admit the truth was running out. Her refusal to join him before they were interrupted also clawed at him. He felt his emotions beginning to spin out of control, though he attempted to keep his exterior calm. He could see by the way that she kept glancing quickly at him that Rey sensed his inner turmoil, just as he sensed hers.

Finn asked again. "Why, Rey?"

Rey inhaled and exhaled quickly. "Because I wanted to bring Ben back to the resistance." Her eyes darted towards Kylo and then away. "Because with him on our side we will defeat the First Order."

Finn stared at her, mouth open. Kylo seized his moment of distraction and shock to steal his blaster out of his hand, pulling it into his own and immediately pointing it at the traitor.

Rey immediately screamed "NO!" Finn whipped his head around, arms up as if to defend himself, and then fell to the ground unconscious. The previously frozen bolt suddenly flew past Kylo and hit a tree behind him.

Kylo looked first at Finn, then at Rey and raised his eyebrows. "You knocked him out."

Rey huffed. "To keep you from shooting him." She marched over to him and grabbed the blaster out of his hand. He let her, but then grabbed her wrist before she could back away. The irritation in her expression melted away.

"Rey," he said softly, his thumb brushing across the inside of her wrist. Her breath hitched as they stared at each other, his heart rate increasing again at the contact. After a prolonged moment he continued. "You belong with me."

She shook her head slightly, but didn't respond. He sensed the indecision warring in her mind and felt his own anger and rejection waiver, hope dawning once more. He took a step closer, so that she had to tilt her head up to look at him. His hand on her wrist remained the only place they touched, but it felt intimate. She breathed in slowly, as if trying to keep herself calm.

"You know why I can't," she replied, sadness in her expression. "It's not that I don't want to join you-"

"Then join me," he interrupted, hope growing.

"It's not that I don't want to join you," she continued, more purposefully, "but I cannot and will not betray my friends, my morals, or," she lifted her chin, "my belief in the return of Ben Solo."

Before he could reply his holoprojector chirped. He let out a sigh of exasperation and let go of Rey's wrist. When he turned it on Zira appeared before him. "Pardon the intrusion, sir, but Hux is headed to Naboo as we speak."

Kylo whipped away from Rey, exclaiming, "What?" He narrowed his eyes. "How does he know my location?"

Zira's expression darkened. "It wasn't me who informed him."

Kylo felt the sting of betrayal. "Krye."

Zira nodded. "She was the only other one who knew where you were headed."

"I'll deal with her when I return-"

Zira interrupted him, "You don't have much time. I hailed you as soon as we dropped out of warp. We are in Naboo airspace right now."

Though he knew Rey could take care of herself, panic seized him at the thought of Rey in Hux's grasp. He glanced back at her. "I'm on my way now. Hold off Hux as long as you can."

Zira nodded and then ended the connection. Kylo turned around and Rey put a hand on his arm. "Don't go back. Come back with us. Join the Resistance. Fight against the First Order with us."

He looked away and instead replied, "Will you come with me?"

Rey shook her head and took a step back, disappointment evident in her eyes.

He ignored it, anger at her rejection returning. "Then I have to go." He wrenched his arm from her grasp and walking away quickly, headed towards his ship when Rey called out to him. He stopped and turned back.

"Will you tell Hux that you found the Resistance?"

Kylo sensed the fear she was trying to hide and wondered if he should soothe her discomfort after she yet again rejected him. He stared at her several moments debating before answering.

"No."

Turning back around, he continued towards his ship, intent on keeping Hux from getting to Rey. Or your mother, said a voice in the back of his mind. He pushed it aside and increased his pace.

Rey watched Kylo leave in silence. She sensed the anger, betrayal, and panic he was trying to keep at bay. It amazed her how strong their connection felt in close proximity and she wondered if he sensed her emotions as easily. The thought troubled her. Once he disappeared from view she shook her head, reminding herself she needed to get herself and Finn back to the safety of the base. Turning around she stared at Finn and concentrated, trying to remove whatever thing she had done to knock him unconscious. Guilt and worry gnawed at her at what she had done to her friend, though she reminded herself that it had been necessary to protect him. She only hoped he would see it that way.

Nothing she was doing seemed to be working and she began to panic over being discovered before they could get to safety. She glanced over her shoulder, waiting to hear the sound of approaching TIE fighters. Not knowing what else to do, she kneeled down and shook his shoulder. "Finn. Please wake up!"

He began stirring and Rey's relief was instantaneous. His eyes opened and he seemed confused. "What happened?"

Rey pulled at his arm. "I'll tell you later. We need to go."

Finn's expression abruptly cleared and he jumped up, wrenching his arm away from Rey and looking around quickly. "Where did he go? Where is that monster?"

Rey pushed at Finn. "He left –"

Finn whipped around in surprise. "Left? What do you mean he left?"

"Finn!" Rey said, exasperated. "We don't have time for this. The First Order is on their way. We have to go now!"

At that moment they heard the sounds of a ship close by. Finn nodded quickly. "Right. Run now. Answers later."

Rey nodded. "Yes. Answers later. Now go."

They moved quickly towards the back entrance of the bunker. The sound of the ship seemed to be getting further away. Rey wondered if it was Kylo's ship they heard and why she hadn't heard it approaching before. She wondered again how Kylo had managed to mask his presence from her. Perhaps it was similar to Luke cutting himself off from the Force. She needed to find out so that it didn't happen again.

As they moved quickly through the woods the sound of TIE fighters hit their ears. They were at a distance, but definitely approaching. Rey and Finn glanced at each other and then broke into a run. As they jumped over felled trees, getting scratched by errant tree branches, Rey hoped the canopy overhead would be enough to hide them. The Falcon came into view, much to Rey's relief, indicating they were nearly there. She reached into her shirt and whipped the key off her neck. When they reached the doorway Rey's hands were shaking, making it difficult to get the key in the hole. She paused to take a deep breath and tried again, this time successful. The approaching TIE fighters sounded nearly on top of them as first Finn and then Rey climbed down. Rey quickly sealed the door and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Once at the bottom Rey turned on the flashlight and started the long trek back to the bunker. Before she had taken ten steps Finn said, "Rey."

She turned to find him still rooted in place next to the ladder. She sighed, knowing she was going to have to explain herself.

Finn looked at her with a mixture of confusion and anger. "What happened back there? Why did you stop me from shooting him?"

"Because…" Rey searched for the words to make him understand. "Because there is still good in him. Because if he can be turned back to the light then we can end the war."

"Turned back to the light?" Finn took a step forward, shaking his head, incredulous. "I have seen firsthand what Kylo Ren is like. There is no turning him back."

"You don't understand – "Rey began, but was interrupted.

"No. This is the same man who pursued us relentlessly on Crait. Who leads the First Order." Finn's voice rose. "Rey, this is the man who tried to kill his own mother!"

Rey shook her head. "He didn't."

"He shot a canon right at our base! He blew a hole in it!" Finn's voice rose with each exclamation.

Rey put up her hands between them. "I know he did. But I have felt the war inside him. He can be turned. Please, Finn. Believe me."

Finn stared at her a moment in disbelief, comprehension dawning. "You like him."

She closed her eyes. "Finn-"

"I can't believe this."

Opening her eyes she saw Finn was pacing back and forth in the small space. He stopped and looked at her. "Does anyone else know about this?"

Rey swallowed. "Leia knows. But I asked her not to tell anyone. Please don't tell anyone. I don't want them to know yet."

Finn laughed hollowly. "Don't tell anyone," he muttered to himself.

Rey took a few steps towards him, intent on convincing him, and then stopped, falling to the ground. Pain shot through her heart and she gasped. From a distance she heard Finn calling her name. Waves of pain flowed through the force, and she knew the source. She looked up at Finn.

"We have to go now."

Finn grabbed her shoulders. "Rey, what's wrong. What is it?"

She stood up, her hand still on her heart as the feeling began to recede. "We have to get to Leia now."

Finn held on to her as she tried to walk by him. "You can't go anywhere. You need to rest."

"No!" she said sharply, wrenching her shoulders from his grasp and rushing around him. "We have to go now! We have to get help! We need to get to Leia now!"

The receding pain only fueled her panic as she ran down the corridor. After several moments she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Please stop and tell me what's going on," Finn said, panting.

Rey took a deep breath, barely keeping a handle on her panic. "We have to get to Leia. Ben is hurt."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :)