A/N: And now for something completely different… a contemporary take! This story has been mostly written for a while now, sitting in my docs folder awaiting final edits while I worked on some original content. I could edit forever, but here it is. Some of the characters may be a little OOC, but hey… we're just having fun. After this, my plan is to get back to Anakin's Interventions during breaks from said original content.

In this story, Chandrila is a university located in the town of Alderaan (which doesn't blow up this time). Anoat is a prestigious university in the big city of Coruscant, about a two hour drive away. Naboo is a very nice community along the coast.

Chapter title inspired by the song "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses. (And kudos to anyone who caught the Monty Python reference. :D)

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Jungle

She was free at last.

Free of Unkar Plutt's meaty paws and totalitarian regime at the orphanage. Free of shuffling from one foster home to the next, never settling down long enough to make friends or feel at ease. Free of her abusive ex-boyfriend, who'd sought to save her from her circumstances and take advantage of her for his price. Free of starving, of struggling, of questioning what the future held in store for her.

She was free of it all. Her own independent, self-sufficient woman. Nobody could hold her back anymore. At last.

Shouldering her duffle bag, she stepped off the public transit bus and walked up the sidewalk to the broad stone gateway. She'd spent the majority of her free time over the last year of high school compiling her records and references, and after countless college applications and scholarship forms, she'd received a response from Chandrila University. The letter had been a dream come true, like a lifeline reeling her out of the depths. Sometimes it still didn't feel completely real.

We're pleased to welcome you… Happy to offer a full ride scholarship…

Pausing just inside the gate, Rey took a soul-deep breath. Her shoulders fell unburdened; her steps felt light. Nothing but freedom and possibility stood before her now. A smile bloomed across her face. She hadn't felt such hope in a long time, and it felt good.

She withdrew her map of the campus. She needed to get to Falcon Hall, the dormitory where her orientation was slated to begin. Finally finding the building labeled on the roughly-drawn diagram, she looked up, gathered her bearings, and started off down the brick-paved walkway.

Mature trees shaded the neatly mowed commons to either side of the walkway, their leaves rustling in the occasional breeze. A casual football game was taking place on the widest stretch of grass, and here and there, students sat on benches or lounged on blankets as they talked and ate and studied. The sight held all the peace and promise she could hope for.

Winding her way through the campus, she spotted the high-rise dorm in the distance, visible above the dining hall and health services buildings. As she drew closer, she could make out several AC units hanging out the small, somewhat-dated windows. Up the steps, big block lettering spelled out Falcon Hall above the double doors. If only on principle alone, the plain brick façade was the most glorious thing she'd ever seen. Hitching up her bag, she started up the steps to the dorm's entrance.

As she approached the doors, she noticed a boy coming from the opposite direction. He too was heading for the dorm. He arrived at the door first, but upon seeing her approach, he stopped and held it open for her.

She wasn't used to such chivalry. Awkwardly skirting around him, she muttered a quiet, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He let the door close behind him and fell into step beside her. "Are you here for orientation?" he asked, nervously gripping the strap of his bag.

She glanced over at him. "Er… yes."

"So am I." He extended a hand. "My name's Finn."

He seemed harmless enough, with his friendly smile and anxious gaze. Warming to him, she clasped his hand with a small smile of her own. "I'm Rey."

"Nice to meet you." He looked around. "Guess it's through here," he said, gesturing to a neon paper sign taped to the wall. A bold black arrow pointed the way.

They walked down the hall together, coming through the last doorway into a common area. Students lounged on the sofas and chairs around the room. Some looked a bit on edge, continually glancing around as they clasped their book bags to their stomachs. Others curled up along the periphery of the room with their earbuds in and hoods over their heads, perusing their computers with the bored air of having been here many times.

The difference between incoming freshmen and jaded upperclassmen, Rey surmised.

"Hey guys, can I have your attention, please?"

Rey turned toward the source of the voice. A burly, bearded young man stood in the corner of the room with a clipboard in hand. There was a nametag pinned to his T-shirt, but she couldn't make out his name at this distance.

"He must be the RA," Finn muttered.

"All incoming freshmen, please come with me," the man called through the common room. Several people stood up to follow him, and Finn and Rey joined them.

"My name's Temmin Wexley, but you can call me Snap. I'm the lead resident adviser here in Falcon Hall. We'll start with a tour of the campus, stop to get your keycards made, then come back here to go over services and amenities, and finally distribute room keys. You can leave your bags in my office until we get back. Any questions? Okay, let's go…"

…

In no time at all, Rey fell into the groove of attending classes. She'd always wanted to be in a position to help people, to be a fixer of sorts, after so many years of not being able to fix her own situation. After careful consideration during her high school years, she'd decided she wanted to become a physician's assistant. She dreamed of being accepted at Anoat, one of the leading universities in the nation, but to get into their PA program, she first needed a bachelor's degree. Biology had seemed the natural choice for a major, as it would prepare her best for the classes she'd take later. The courses were challenging, but she reveled in them. Each lesson learned, each test passed, was a step closer to her goal. And it was so interesting to figure out how it all worked, to discover what drove the life forces in every living thing on Earth. It was fascinating. Almost magical.

She had stayed in touch with Finn after orientation, having discovered they shared a similar background. Finn had been orphaned as a child just like her, and had likewise spent time in orphanages and foster homes. He felt like the first true friend she'd ever made, more like a brother than anything else. She knew he had her back, just as he knew she had his. He'd majored in mechanical engineering, so she didn't share any classes with him, but they tried to have lunch together at least once a week when their schedules allowed.

Another of Rey's new friends was her roommate, Rose Tico. Along with her elder sister, Paige, Rose had turned out to be one of the sweetest human beings on the face of the planet. Rey had heard horror stories about roommates in college, so Rose's bubbly personality and clean habits came as a wonderful surprise. The two girls hit it off immediately. And Paige, while quiet and more serious than her younger sister, had been much the same. Rey had met the elder girl when she came to help her sister move into the dorm during orientation week. Rose had proudly informed Rey that Paige was in the master's program in the biology department, and upon learning Rey's major, Paige had earnestly told her to reach out if she ever needed anything.

Rey had even found a little part-time job at the on-campus coffee shop. The manager was flexible with her hours, so her schedule never interfered with her classes, and she was able to save up enough money to occasionally go shopping or take Rose or Finn out to eat. For the first time in her life, she actually had her own money.

All in all, Rey was happy. Things were coming together. She was finding her place, as well as her people. She finally felt like she belonged.

…

The whirlwind that had been her first term in college was quickly drawing to a close when she received a text from Finn one evening.

Mind if I come over?

She quickly replied for him to come on up, then stood from her desk to go unlock the front door. "Finn's dropping by," she said to Rose as she passed by her roommate's open door.

Rose's head popped up from her own light studying. "Okay! I'll be out in a minute."

Rey smirked as she headed for the door. The last few times the three of them had hung out, she'd noticed that her two friends kept sneaking glances at one another. Their mutual fledgling crush was rather cute, and she hoped for their sakes that they could figure out something between them. They were the best people she knew, and they deserved every happiness.

Finn let himself in when he arrived, and joined Rey on the couch. Rose made her appearance a few minutes later, taking the chair across from them.

"So, I was talking to one of the guys in my foundations lecture after class this morning," Finn said, bracing his elbows on his knees. "His name's Poe; cool guy. He told me there's gonna be a party over in Crest Hall after final exams finish up, before everyone goes home for winter break. You guys wanna go?"

Rey exchanged a glance with Rose. She'd never been to a college party before.

"Who all is going?" Rose asked.

Finn shrugged. "I don't know. Some of the guys from my class, some of the folks in the dorm. Mostly freshmen, I believe. I don't think it's going to be anything crazy, not like the frat parties I've heard about. It's just to celebrate being done with our first semester."

Rose looked at Rey. Rey shrugged.

"Sounds like fun," Rose said. "Count us in!"

…

The term came to a close, and the evening of the party arrived. With their final exams behind them and colder air moving in from the north, Rey and Rose found themselves huddling arm in arm as they trudged through the blustering wind over to Crest Hall.

"Remind me why we're suffering these conditions to go socialize when we could've stayed in with popcorn and hot chocolate and a good movie and vegged out on the sofa like our brains deserve?" Rey griped as they walked.

"Because this is going to be fun," Rose replied matter-of-factly. "It's healthy for us to socialize, Rey."

"Is it, though?"

"Yes. And the more you complain, the more cold air you're breathing in, so hush. Come on, Crest Hall isn't much farther."

They pushed their way through the doors and were immediately engulfed in a rush of warm air. Rey sighed in relief and straightened away from Rose to begin unzipping her coat. She whisked her knitted hat off her head and stuffed her gloves in her pockets as she followed her roommate down the corridor. She could already hear the muffled sound of music in the distance.

The common room was nearly full when they stepped inside. Someone had set up a speaker system with their phone, and music played over the cacophony of conversations and laughter. People balanced little paper plates of finger foods with plastic cups of punch as they stood around tables and talked. A few had even formed a makeshift dance floor at the side of the room.

"Rey! Rose! There you are!"

Rey turned at the sound of Finn's voice. He bounded up to them, grinning widely.

"Glad you made it!" he said over the din. "Want some punch? Come on, let's get you set up, then I want to introduce you to some people."

He turned and disappeared into the crowd. Rey followed behind Rose as they wound their way after him through the people to the refreshments spread.

"Here you go," Finn said, handing each of them a plastic cup. Rose took hers with a nod of thanks. Rey accepted her cup and gave it a suspicious sniff, then took a small sip. Surprisingly, it hadn't been spiked… yet.

"Come on, I want you to meet Poe." Finn put a chivalrous hand to the small of Rose's back as he gestured for them to come with him. He cut through the crowd to the far side of the room, approaching a group of young men around their age congregating around one of the tables.

The one in the middle saw them coming and broke out in a wide smile. His white teeth practically glowed against his tanned skin. "Hey buddy!" he exclaimed, stepping away from the table. "Are these the friends you mentioned?"

Finn caught him in an arm clasp as he confirmed it. "Yeah. This is Rey, my friend from orientation, and this is Rose, her roommate."

"It's nice to meet you both," Poe said warmly. He reached out to shake their hands. "I'm Poe Dameron. Finn talks about you guys all the time. Glad you could come out tonight."

"Thanks for the invitation," Rose replied. Rey smiled demurely in agreement.

"This is my old buddy C'ai Threnalli," Poe said, pointing his thumb at the tall young man standing next to him. C'ai nodded in greeting. "We've been friends since middle school." He pointed to the other man. "And this is Ben Solo." He leaned in to speak behind his hand in an audible whisper. "Don't let the frown put you off. He just isn't a big partier. He's all bark and no bite. Practically gums his food, but don't tell him I told you that." He shot a wink over his shoulder at his friend, who merely rolled his eyes.

"So what are you guys studying?" Poe asked, directing his question first to Rose and then to Rey.

"Electrical engineering," Rose replied. "I want to work with computers."

Poe's mouth curled in a little frown of astonishment. "Nice! All that code would do my head in. That's great, Rose!" He turned to Rey. "What about you?"

"Biology," she answered. "I'm hoping to get into PA school."

"Physician's assistant, huh? Good for you."

"How long is the program?" Ben interjected.

Rey glanced up at him, a little taken aback by how deep his voice was. "Around three years," she answered tentatively.

"Do you have to do a residency afterward?"

She turned toward him as the rest of the group's conversation moved away from school. He was quite a bit taller than her, with a mop of handsomely tousled black hair and broad shoulders that were accentuated by the way he'd folded his arms over his chest. He held a cup of punch in one hand, balancing it on his opposite forearm as he studied her with sharp dark eyes.

"It's optional, but I'd like to do a residency," she replied. "It's only one additional year, but I want the experience before I start seeing patients on my own."

"Sounds wise."

"What about you?" she asked, cocking her head at him. "What are you studying?"

He took a sip of his punch. "Mechanical engineering, same as Poe, Finn, and C'ai, with a minor in political studies."

"Interesting combination."

He shrugged. "I like to know how things work."

Rey grinned at the concise duality of his explanation. "That's biology for me. The more I've learned, the more I've realized it's all just one big puzzle. All the little parts and moving pieces come together to make the whole thing work."

The corners of his lips twitched. "It's the same for me. All the equations and theories, the math and science that make the pieces work together. It's a puzzle."

"So what's your end goal? What do you want to do with this puzzle?"

He sighed, and averted his gaze as his countenance became thoughtful. "I'm not sure yet. I've considered adding poli sci as a second major, then pursuing one of them to master's or PhD level. Maybe I'll teach, or do research." He shrugged.

"Well, you've got plenty of time to decide."

He nodded. "That's true." He glanced down at her cup. "Have you had anything to eat?"

She shook her head.

"Neither have I. Do you want to see what they've got?"

"Sure."

He led her to the refreshments, the crowd of students easily parting to let his tall frame through. He handed her a paper plate before taking one for himself, and they went down the line, filling their plates to brimming full.

She noticed him glancing at her heaping plate. "Are you going to finish all that?" he finally asked, raising a brow.

There had never been quite enough food at the orphanage; how Unkar Plutt had never been officially reprimanded was beyond her. But now, when presented with the opportunity to indulge, she made sure she got her fill. She looked up at him and nodded confidently.

"Where are you going to put it all?" he questioned. "You're thin as a rail."

She smirked. "Don't worry, I've got room." She nodded at the plate of food in his hand. "Worry about yourself, Solo."

He looked down at his plate, and a sheepish expression stole across his face. "Clearly I'm a growing boy."

She giggled, and he flashed her a grin.

…

"Well! For someone who was so adamant about not going to the party tonight, you sure looked like you were enjoying yourself," Rose teased as she pranced into Rey's bedroom. She plopped down on the bed and wrapped her fuzzy robe around herself with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Okay, fine. You were right, it was fun, and I'm glad you made me go." Rey gathered her pajamas into a bundle. "Are you finished in the bathroom?"

"I am, but don't think you're escaping me that easily." Rose followed her to the bathroom, and leaned against the doorjamb as Rey stood before the mirror to brush her teeth. "It looked like you really hit it off with that Ben guy. You spent the whole night talking to him."

Rey shrugged. "So?" she managed around her toothbrush. "He was nice."

"Nice, huh?"

Rey gave her roommate a look in the mirror.

"What?" Rose laughed. "I'm only teasing you. I'm glad you had a good time, and found someone to talk to. He seems like a nice enough guy, from what I could tell. Maybe a little hard to get to know, but I guess as long as you don't mind that…"

Rey spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her brush. "He's just quiet," she said in his defense. "Once I got him talking, he opened up just fine." She met her friend's gaze in the mirror as she took her hair out of its ties. "But what about you, hmm? I happened to notice that you and a certain someone were practically joined at the hip all evening."

To her pleasure, Rose blushed. "Yes, well. Finn is really cool."

Rey turned and leaned back against the bathroom counter with a lazy smirk. "Cool, huh?" she drawled.

Rose raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. Point taken." She straightened off the doorjamb. "And with that, I'm going to bed."

Rey grinned. "Sweet dreams," she said, wiggling her brows.

Rose rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shut her bedroom door behind her.

…

Rey had resolved to ask Finn more about his friend the next time she saw him. Nearly everyone had gone home for winter break, but seeing as she had nowhere else to go, Rey had opted to stay in the dorm. Finn had done the same, and they'd decided to get together for a small Christmas dinner and gift exchange in Rey's dorm room.

After stuffing themselves full of Chinese takeout and opening their gift to each other, the two friends settled comfortably on the couch to let their food digest. Rey set up her laptop on the coffee table to stream a movie.

"Hey, Finn?" she said after a while. "I've been meaning to ask you about Ben." She continued to mindlessly watch the movie from her comfortably curled position in her new Chandrila-themed sweatshirt.

On the other end of the couch, Finn's eyes remained locked on the computer screen. "What about him?"

"I don't know. What do you know about him?"

He shrugged. "Not much. He isn't very forthcoming. But he's a good guy. A bit misunderstood, I think. People write him off because he's so quiet."

"He talked to me just fine at the party."

Finn made a sound of mild surprise. "I'm glad he did. Sometimes I think he's afraid to let people in." He glanced at her. "Not that I've asked him, but I suspect there are some family issues at home."

They exchanged a meaningful look.

"But he's been a good friend to me and the guys," Finn continued. "Wicked smart, too. A little bossy, always takes over our group projects, but I've learned a lot from working with him."

Rey smiled. "I'm glad he has you guys."

"Me too. You know, he was telling us the other week that his dad owns a bar here in town, just off campus, called The Shaggy Dog. Sounds like a cool place. Once everyone gets back from break, I think we should check it out."

He didn't have to explain why for Rey to understand. If Ben had brought it up, then for some reason he wanted to go there, but he didn't want to go alone. If there were family issues at home, whether it was estrangement or something more, then a show of solidarity would help.

Either way, it was an unspoken rule: The abandoned ones always stuck together.

…

The halls rang with grumbling and bemoaning as the students returned to their dormitories. Classes commenced the next day, and the spring term began.

Rey finished her morning classes early. This term, she'd managed to secure a better lunch break between the morning and afternoon blocks. She pulled out her phone to text Finn as she shouldered her way out the door.

Where are you?

The reply came a minute later. Sitting outside the engineering building. Come on up.

Slipping her phone into her back pocket, Rey began the hike across campus to the engineering building. As she rounded the corner to the courtyard, she spotted Finn, Poe, and Ben sitting along the low brick wall. Rose was standing by Finn. They took notice of her as she approached.

"Do we all have a break at the same time?" she asked, still catching her breath.

Poe shrugged. "Looks like it. Our next class isn't 'til two o'clock."

"Same for me," Rose said.

Rey met Finn's eyes. He took the hint, and turned to the quietest of the group. "Hey, Ben, weren't you telling us your dad owns a pub near campus?"

"Yeah."

Poe quickly jumped on board. "We should go check it out for lunch!" he decided.

"Ooh, that sounds good!" Rose seconded.

Ben shrugged. "If you guys want. It's a bit of a walk."

"We've got plenty of time!" Poe exclaimed. He clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

Poe hopped off the brick wall and hefted his book bag onto his shoulders. The others picked up their bags and followed him out of the courtyard, down the broad brick path toward town. Rey fell into step with Rose and Finn as Ben and Poe took the lead.

"Didn't you say it was called The Hairy Dog or something?" Poe asked Ben as they walked up ahead.

"The Shaggy Dog."

"How'd your dad come up with that name? Seems a bit random."

"He named it after his old dog, Chewie."

"Who was… shaggy?"

There was a nod of messy dark hair. "He was an Irish Wolfhound."

"So your dad named his pub after a dog. Not something like, oh, say Little Bennie's?" There was a smirk in Poe's tone.

The taller man snapped his gaze to his side; the corner of his mouth was turned down in disgust. "Absolutely not."

"What about Sweetie-Pie Solo's?"

"No."

"Baby Ben's?"

A groan emanated from Ben.

"I got it, I got it… Behemoth Benjamin's."

"Your mind is a disturbing place, Poe."

Poe laughed. A few paces behind them, Rey bit back a giggle at the shorter man's off-the-wall teasing. Silly or not, it chipped at the subtle tension gathering around the tallest member of their troop. Finn had been right; something was going on with Ben. Rey was suddenly grateful for Poe's backhanded tact.

They trekked through the maze of buildings to the edge of campus, crossed the street, and went a couple blocks down the next road over. Rey spotted the hanging sign at a distance, shaped like a large, hairy dog. Gothic-styled lettering stood out in gold relief against the dark brown paint: The Shaggy Dog Bar & Restaurant.

Ahead of her, Ben's steps slowed. Rey studied him for any sign that they should be concerned, but he was absolutely stoic. Only his eyes gave away anything as they flicked back and forth over the lettering on the sign. Poe, Finn, and Rose continued on, although Finn glanced over his shoulder at them before following the others inside.

Rey stepped up beside Ben. "We can go somewhere else if you want," she offered quietly.

He seemed to rally. "No, no. Let's stay. The food's actually pretty good."

Poe was holding the door open for them. "Reckon your old man'll be around?" he asked Ben as they stepped inside.

Ben shook his head. "He's never here. The general manager runs the place."

They found an empty booth in the back—which seemed a wonder, as the restaurant was packed—and sat down. Finn claimed the spot beside Rose, so Poe slid into the opposite side. Ben waved Rey in first, then took the outer seat. She noticed that he stretched one leg along the outside of the booth. He really was incredibly tall.

"Where's C'ai, by the way?" Rose asked as she went about dispersing menus and flatware.

"Off with his girlfriend," Poe said over the top of his menu. "She's at the community college, so he goes to see her whenever he has time."

"Well, he's missing out," Rey piped up as her eyes skimmed down the choices. "The food here looks great."

Beside her, Ben snorted softly in amusement. "What are you thinking about getting?"

"I haven't the faintest idea." She looked up at him. "What are you getting?"

"The Reuben."

"I don't know that I've ever had a Reuben, actually." She found it on the menu and read the description.

Something in her face must've given away her uncertainty, because Ben huffed a laugh under his breath. "They're good. You can try some of mine if you want."

The waitress came by and took their orders. When the food was brought out, Ben pushed his plate toward her.

"Here, try it."

"But I don't want to touch all over your food!"

"Just pinch off a bit."

She reluctantly did as she was told, and popped the bite in her mouth. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but… this was a pleasant surprise. It was actually quite good.

She covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, wow. You're right!"

He shot her a grin. "Want half of it?"

"What? I can't take your food!"

"Even trade. Half of my Reuben for half of your turkey melt." He raised a brow at her.

It only took her a moment to decide. "Deal."

She pushed her plate toward him, and they exchanged sandwich halves. She hid her smile behind her half of the Reuben, musing over the combination of items that should've never gone together and yet somehow did.

…

Trips to The Shaggy Dog became their group's end-of-the-week treat. They'd meet at the engineering building and walk over to the packed little pub for lunch. Rey usually found herself sandwiched between Poe and Ben, and as the group talked and teased and commiserated and laughed, Ben would snag her pickle and she would steal a few of his fries.

She'd never shared her food with anyone before.

The passing weeks were measured in lectures and lunches, late-night study sessions and grueling exams. The days became longer as winter thawed into spring, and eventually, on one promisingly warm and sunny Friday afternoon, Poe addressed the table.

"We need to figure out what we're doing for spring break," he announced.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

At the same time, Rose queried, "What did you have in mind?"

Poe shrugged. "I don't know, but we have to do something. Go on a trip, go to the beach…"

Rey frowned. "You don't want to go home for break?"

"I'll see my folks soon enough," Poe replied. He shot her a wide grin. "We need to do something fun! Come on! We're nearly done with our first year of college. We need to celebrate!"

"My parents have a beach house," Ben piped up.

The table turned to look at him as one.

"They'll be away for work that week, so it'll be free," he elaborated nonchalantly. He was fiddling with his straw as he spoke, and Rey noticed the tips of his ears, just poking through his mop of hair, were pink.

Poe stared at him, dumbfounded. "How are we just now learning about this?" he muttered to himself.

"Are you sure your folks won't mind?" Finn clarified.

"They won't care," came the quiet confirmation.

"Buddy, this is going to be fantastic!" Poe exclaimed, a grin finally breaking through. "Are you positive?"

Ben nodded.

"Great! And we can carpool. I can drive my Mustang. It'll be a tight squeeze, but she can fit four plus me. We can pool money for groceries. And I've got a cooler I can bring, and…"

As Poe continued to plan out loud, Ben glanced over and caught Rey's eye. He gave her a little smile, and she smiled back.