A/N: Ok. So there's only going to be a few more chapters. I would be lying if I told you I remembered where I was going with this story... Sorry about that! But let's see if I can still do a good ending.

Lost

Chapter 14: Labor

It had been hours that he was banished from her mind. He sat in silence as he watched her face scrunch up time to time, a small grunt or groan here or there. He knew she was fighting, and she was fighting hard. He'd peaked in a few times and she seemed to be holding her own. But it was only when she whimpered his name that he wanted to force his way through her mind to tell her that whatever the darkness was saying wasn't true.

He resisted though. He had to. He couldn't keep rushing to her rescue. She had to fight alone. Just as he had to fight against his own insecurities in the form of Snoke. He used this opportunity to meditate on what all had happened so far. And as he did so, he found himself comfortingly rubbing Rey's arm as she slept in his arms.

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"What makes you think he wants to be with you? You're weak! You can't even overcome the darkness!" Dark Rey spat as she landed a particularly hard blow against Rey's own saber. As she stumbled backwards, she panted from the gruelsome battle she was waging for her mind. "Just give it up, girl! He'll be a lot happier with someone that can bring out his power. You are definitely not that person."

Rey glared at her, sweat rolling down her face as she stood straight up again, holding her saber in defense. "You don't know what you're talking about!" she hissed back as she lunged at Dark Rey, sabers clashing again.

Dark Rey laughed sinisterly while she was on the defensive. "Keep telling yourself that. But I've seen his mind, Rey. And he has such a fear of the darkness that he's bound to give in to it again. And when he does... you won't be able to save him," she said before pushing her off of her. Dark Rey ran at Rey while she was regaining her balance, slashing wildly at her, a flurry of red clashing violently with blue in an attempt to knock the saber from her hands. "You'll never be able to save him, Rey! His mind is already lost to the darkness!"

"You're wrong! There's still light in him!" she hissed, parrying all the blows Dark Rey threw at her. It was a constant volley of insults from this figure in front of her. It was getting tiresome. All she said, Rey was certain she'd had those doubts before.

"You're so naive! How can you sit there and say he still has light when he hasn't shown you any of it?"

Rey hesitated for a moment as their sabers stayed together, a struggle for dominance as they glared into each other's eyes. "If there was no light left in him, he would never have disbanded the First Order and destroyed the bases. He never would have agreed to meet Leia."

Dark Rey rolled her eyes as the two shoved off of each other, paces apart as they started a dangerous circle around the room. "Has it never occurred to you that he may be lying to you? That all of this was just a show to get you to trust him?"

"He wouldn't!"

"Ahhh... but he would. You see... he's so desperate to have you at his side, that he would be willing to risk everything. Even if it was for nothing. This whole thing has been a show. He's set the stage and he's been acting nonstop so you'd stay by his side. But once he's confident he has you unconditionally... he'll go back."

Rey's eyes widened. That was her worst fear. "He won't."

Dark Rey laughed loudly. "What makes you so sure? You think you know him. But you don't know the first thing about him!"

"I do know him!" Rey hissed back at her. "I know that he disbanded the First Order because he was tired of fighting, that he was tired of running, that he was tired of bloodshed! I know that he would never just go back to it after all he's given up. He took a major risk giving up the First Order and coming back to the Rebellion. He could have gone to prison! But he came anyway! I know there's good in him. You're the one that doesn't know anything," she said as she calmly took her stance again. "Now shut up and let's end this."

Dark Rey's eyes widened a hair, but she got a satisfied smirk on her face nonetheless, sinking into her own stance to take on the offense. "Yes... let's end this," she said softly, her voice holding a calm malice to it.

Before either of them could blink, their sabers met in a clash of red and blue.

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Ben sighed as he saw his mother's ship approaching them. Her voice came on the radio as he navigated to the landing area. "I trust you returned safely?"

He rolled his eyes quietly. "Yes. All the bases are destroyed, as promised."

"Come on in. We have a lot to discuss."

Ben frowned with a heavy sigh. He didn't have anything to discuss. Not here. Not while Rey was fighting for her own mind. How would he even describe that to her? He landed without problems and went inside, carrying Rey in his arms as she slept. And of course, the person he didn't want to see, had to approach them first: Poe Dameron. "Solo, what happ-"

"Not now, Dameron." He shoved past Poe as he walked his way to Leia in the counsel room. When he met his mother's eyes, she already knew what was going on. "Before you say anything-"

"It's not your fault, Ben." Ben stopped for a moment, analyzing those words. Leia let out a heavy sigh and nodded her head to the bed in the corner. Ben gently laid Rey down on the bed, his hand lingering on Rey's for a moment. "I knew as soon as I heard you were going to that planet that it would be a difficult one. Though I must admit... I thought it would prove more difficult for you; not her."

Ben glanced at Leia for a moment and sighed heavily. "I should never have brought her there."

"Uh-uh. Don't start with that. You two had a mission to destroy these bases. You couldn't have done it alone and she was just as eager to help. You're a team now," Leia said softly as she gently held Ben's hand on Rey's hand. Ben stared at their hands for a moment before nodding silently. "Now, we just wait patiently while she fights whatever darkness is in her mind." Ben nodded silently again as he rubbed his eyes. "You're exhausted. Go get some rest. I'll call you if there's any changes."

"I'm not leaving-"

"Ben. I didn't say anything about leaving, but you can't very well sleep standing up. Lay on the couch."

Ben hesitantly nodded. He leaned his head forward and kissed the top of her hand, sending a gentle message to her before departing. "Come back soon, Rey. I know you'll win." He walked over to the couch, feet barely able to be lifted from the sheer exhaustion of the past events. He plopped onto the couch with a heavy sigh, eyes shutting almost immediately.

Leia turned her attention back to Rey and sighed softly. "Rey, you're strong. I believe in you. He's fought his own battle, and won. Because of you. Hurry back. You've worried him enough," she said softly into her hair. It was all in jest, but Leia knew it was what she needed to hear.

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Rey lay panting heavily on the ground, saber on the opposite side of the room as Dark Rey slowly advanced on her. Her body was weak. She was exhausted. All she wanted was to sleep. She silently apologized in her mind to Finn... to Rose... to Poe... to Leia... to Ben. Her eyes watered as she thought of Ben. She'd finally saved him. She'd finally managed to get him to give up on the First Order. She'd finally gotten him to love her. And now... the darkness was going to win.

"I knew you were too weak to win." Dark Rey stopped a few paces away, her boots heavy on the ground, shaking it under Rey's body as she walked. "You could have occupied a small corner of your mind if you'd given up long ago. But you're far too worn out to even survive now. What a shame."

She was right. Rey was far too weak. There was no way she could win this. They'd been fighting for what seemed like an eternity. And now, it was only delaying the inevitable. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of what all could have been had she just been stronger. She lowered her head so her forehead was touching the ground, tears pooling in small puddles on the floor. "Come back soon, Rey. I know you'll win."

Her eyes shot open, breath hitching in her chest. Ben! She felt the panic in her chest swelling as she tried to think of how she would come back to him. How?! He wasn't there to help her! She couldn't do this on her own. "Rey, you're strong. I believe in you." Leia! Her eyes darted to the side, landing on her saber on the opposite side of the room. They needed her. She needed to win this. But how?! If only Ben were here... he'd know what to do. "He's fought his own battle, and won. Because of you."

Her eyes widened a fraction. Because of her. He wasn't alone when he was fighting. She's not either! Her eyes darted to the other side of the room, sensing a small part of Ben still remaining on the other side of the room. She scanned silently, looking for her eyes narrowed when she came across what she was looking for: his saber. "Hurry back. You've worried him enough." She smiled at that. She envisioned him over there by the saber, smiling at her as he held out his saber for her to take. And then it occurred to her...

She was never alone. She slowly raised her tired body up from the ground, grunting as every fiber of her muscles screamed in protest. But she pushed on. She stood to her feet with a heavy sigh and stood straight, glaring at Dark Rey. Dark Rey looked her up and down, trying to make sense of what her game was. "Have you finally given up?"

Rey only smiled in return. "I never have." She threw her hands out to the side, summoning both the sabers in an instant. "And I never will," she said as she lunged at Dark Rey again, knocking the saber from her hands and slashing relentlessly at the figure, who was still managing to dodge her attacks. Rey landed some with her sabers as she continued on the offense. "It's time for you to go!" she hissed as she force pushed Dark Rey, knocking her off guard temporarily, before lunging right back at her with the sabers in full swing in a dancing flurry of elegant destruction. Dark Rey screamed in pain as each hit from the sabers continued to dismantle her collected facade. It was only when her back hit the wall behind her that she realized it was over. Rey grinned at the Dark Rey. "It's over."

"No! No-" Rey slammed both sabers into the Dark Rey's gut, a gasp the only thing falling from her lips. "H-how?"

Rey leaned closer. "I have no use for the darkness. Not when I have so much light in my life." Dark Rey let out her last breath as she disappeared like smoke. Rey sighed, falling her to her knees in utter exhaustion. It was time for her to rest now. She smiled softly, closing her eyes as she leaned against the wall, cradling both her sabers as the room filled with light once more.

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Her eyes fluttered open quietly. She tried to adjust to the room, but it was dark. She felt warm though. What was she laying on? Her hand hesitantly reached out to touch the warm surface her head was laying on only to be met with skin. Her eyes widened a hair. She gently raised her head to look up, seeing his sleeping face a few inches away from her own. She smiled softly. Ben. He'd never left her side. She delicately caressed his face, moving stray hair from his strong jaw and laying a gentle kiss to his cheek. He let out a sigh of contentment, his arm pulling her closer against him. "It's rude to watch people sleep," he breathed in their connection.

Rey's cheeks flushed as she softly laughed against his chest. "Sorry." Ben's eyes opened, looking around as if he forgot where they were. Rey stretched against him with a sigh of content as she nestled back in against his chest. "How long was I out?"

Ben snickered softly. "A day or two."

Her eyes widened as she shot up and looked down at him. "What?" she gasped.

He grinned up at her, tangling his hand in her hair at the base of her head and pulling her back down to him. He laid an affectionate kiss against her lips, Rey instantly melting into it. "You didn't miss anything."

Rey smiled into the kiss. "I missed you," she countered as she deepened the kiss.

He chuckled into her lips, moving them so she was on her back and he was hovering above her. When they broke apart, he smirked down at her. It was then she noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. Her face reddened, which only made him chuckle again. "I have to admit... I like this shy side of you." She playfully punched his chest and he came to rest next to her on his side. "Are you... ok?"

She looked at him for a moment and nodded quietly. "It's done. No more darkness," she said with a small smile.

He gave her a grin in return. "Good." He hesitantly moved the hair from her face, making her eyes drift back to his face. It looked like he was debating something with himself, but she wasn't quite sure. All she did know was that nervousness was rolling off of him in waves. She gave him a small reassuring smile as she laced their fingers together. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

"Are you ok? You seem nervous..." He stilled for a moment. "Is there something on your mind?"

His dark eyes met her green ones, a smoldering passion hidden deep in the dark pools. It almost took her breath away. She'd never seen him look at her like that before. She felt her face heat up under his gaze. "I was thinking..." he started as he idly played with her fingers laced between his. "Are you... happy... with..."

"With... you?" she asked softly. He nodded quietly. Rey smiled affectionately as she cupped his cheek. "There's no place I'd rather be than with you, Ben."

He gave her a small ghost of a smile then. "Rey... I-"

The lights flipped on in the room, causing Ben to groan through their connection so loud it rattled Rey to the core, but she still laughed softly. They looked around at the offender and saw Poe standing there with Finn. Ben glared at the two while Rey shyly smiled at them. "H-hey, guys," she said nervously. It was then that she realized exactly how close her and Ben were in this small bed. She blushed as she crawled over him and stood up, fixing her outfit, feeling smaller than a speck of dust.

"Uh... are we interrupting something?" Poe asked.

Ben glared at him. No crap, Dameron! Rey smiled and held up her hands defensively. "Not at all. What's up?"

Poe and Finn looked at Ben, who had stood and slipped his shirt back on with his back to them. "Leia wanted us to come check on you guys. She said Ben hasn't left for three days and you haven't woken up for two so she wanted us to make sure you guys are still alive."

Rey blushed and nervously scratched the back of her neck. "Y-yeah. We're fine."

Poe looked down at her, then flicked his eyes at Ben, then back at Rey. "Are you sure you're all right? He didn't do anything to you, did he?" he whispered to her.

Rey glared at him. "No he didn't." She punched his chest and sighed heavily. "I'm going to take a shower. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."