Oh my gosh... the follows! Thank you so much guys. c: You're all so sweet in the reviews as well. It means so much to me! I wish I could reply to them, but tbh I don't have a lot of time to write this story, let alone reply to the reviews. But just so you know, I see all of them, and each one just... GAH. You guys are awesome, thank you so much for your kindness! Enjoy this chapter. :D

Chapter 7

Rey paused when they reached the giant door and eyed the camera. She could see the lens zoom in, then readjust, before zooming out again. She could feel Ben tense up with each passing moment of silence. She was glaring at the camera, very tempted to blast it to oblivion.

Nothing happened.

Rey sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. She walked to the door speaker beneath the camera and tapped the frozen screen. Holding the button, she spoke against the mic.

"General Organa, if you're there, I want you to know that this is entirely safe."

There was staticy silence on the other end, but she knew they'd heard her. She waited impatiently for them to reply, their doubt angering her. She jabbed the button again. "Do I need to force this door open? Trust me, this is safe."

This time, Leai's quiet voice replied. "I'm trying, Rey. They're not letting me."

Rey glanced hastily to Ben, who was staring dazedly at the speaker. How long had it been since he'd heard his mother's voice?

"Is it Poe?" Rey spoke back lowly. There was no reply, until said pilot grabbed hold of the mic.

"Rey, you've gone insane." His voice was insistent.

"Poe Dameron, you idiot. I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I need you all to trust me, got it? Leia knows what's been going on. You haven't been told everything that's gone on between Ben and I. For one, he killed Snoke." Rey's voice was bitter, her frustration acute. She had promised Ben she'd let him in, and look at them now. They weren't even letting her in.

"Rey, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Finn spoke in that firm voice of his, asking for confirmation. Rey absently nodded, blushing when she realized they couldn't see it.

"I'm positive."

"He hasn't... fooled you into being controlled in some way? This isn't a trick?"

"Finn..."

"I trust you Rey." Leai's voice interrupted the others. Rey heard Ben suck in a sharp breath behind her. "We're opening the 1B hatch, be careful coming in."

The mic clicked off, and Rey turned to face her companion once more. His cape billowed around him, making him look even bigger then he already was, yet, he didn't hold an indicative demeanor. He looked terrified.

She noticed that as she moved towards the doors he limped ever so slightly, favoring his wounded leg. She bit her lip and tucked that little bit of info in the back of her mind to remind herself later to have his wounds cared for. C3PO could handle that much at least.

The doors slowly cranked open, and although they went at the same speed they normally went, they seemed to move at a snails pace. It made her anxiety heighten by leaps and bounds, but she refused to let it show. Even in the Force. She didn't want Ben to know how scared she truly was of what would happen when they crossed through that door.

She turned to face him. He looked sullen and remained silent. His stony face had been replaced, the one he'd worn for so long, and she knew it was simply a barricade. A mask. She almost wished- almost- that she could master such calm. She tended to let her emotions play across her face, even without her noticing it. Ben could too- she'd witnessed it first hand- but only when he was with her. Alone.

And when he'd been with Snoke, but he'd struggled to hold up a facade.

She hoped she could break that mask away so he could be himself more often. Not just around her, but with everyone. So they could see that he wasn't Kylo.

She took a deep breath when the door slammed to a creaky halt, inside nothing but an empty black hole, like a mouth waiting to swallow them up.

Daringly, she reached for Ben's hand. Either he didn't notice or he ignored her, so she let it drop back to her side limply. She stepped forward, glancing about for any signs of life, but the hatch was empty.

They must all be in the safe corridors, or the control rooms. So she stepped forward briskly towards the entrance. She could hear Ben's steps behind her, but they were uneven, reminding her again that he was injured. She slowed just a little, realizing that it probably was unnecessary since his legs were so much longer than hers. Even with one leg out of commission he could still surpass her.

It drew her mind back to their first fight, in the Forrest. My how things had changed, how they had changed.

Before she could even grab the door handle it swung open. Chewy stared out, cooing quietly. Ben balked visibly as he stumbled back from the giant Wookie, hand falling to his hip where his lightsaber rested. But he didn't grip it, rather his hand fell to his wound.

No one spoke. Rey wanted to melt into the floor from the awkwardness of the situation. Chewbacca blocked their path, his eyes digging right into Ben's, daring him. As though to say, "You just try- try hurting any of them, and I'll rip you apart."

She didn't blame him, although his doubt pained her. Ben had killed Han, right in front of him. If she was being completely honest with herself, she wouldn't trust Ben either if she was in Chewy's shoes.

No words were spoken- none were needed- until Chewbacca backed away and allowed them through. Rey went first, rather stiff from the suspense, while Ben almost dashed past, ducking under the furry arm that swatted at his head, like some bear smacking their cub. It would've appeared friendly in other circumstances, but it was meant as a heading.

Rey could tell Ben took the hint.

She turned back and skidded to a stop. No one was in the hallway but Leia, standing and leaning against her cane before the door. Rey stepped to the side beside Chewy as the two Solos stared each other down. Leia was surprisingly calm and steady. No smile, but she didn't wear a frown either. She was just taking everything in. Her eyes scanned up and down Ben's tall shape, while he just stared dully down at her. His jaw was slack and his eyes bright. From a distance, it looked like he was tearing up.

Finally, when her eyes landed on his face, Leia let her mouth twitch in a smile. "You're older." She murmured. "Just as handsome."

Ben's shape shook, his foot slid further away in an unreadable action. But the thing that told Rey he wasn't about to hurt anyone- or anything- was the fact that he had one arm wrapped around his chest, and the other was just hanging. His hand was nowhere near a saber, and he was left totally unprotected.

"You're older too." His voice was gravelly and thick. Was he crying?

Leai took the tiniest step forward, and when Ben remained planted where he was, she didn't hesitate. Rey watched as she walked faster to her son and flung her arms around his chest. He dropped to both knees, his one arm still wrapped around himself while his other rose to his face. His shoulders were shaking, but Leia only held him tighter. Her cane dropped to the ground and her head was buried in his thick unruly hair. She was talking quietly, too quiet for Rey to hear what she was saying.

Whatever it was it only made Ben crumble more. He fell back, now huddled on the ground, and the General followed. She crouched before him while hugging him against her breast, rocking back and forth while her hands rubbed circles against his back.

Rey was suddenly rushed with an onslaught of unreadable feelings. First, loneliness, then such tearful happiness and joy... it was all so strange. It made her want to cry, too.

Would her mother had welcomed her back so willingly, as Leia was doing? Would Rey accept it, like Ben? Would she even be happy if her mother or father attempted to make amends?

There was a muffled "I'm sorry. I killed him." And it was audibly Ben's. His voice tugged at Rey's heartstrings, making her so desperately wish to comfort him.

But Leia was doing it so much better than she'd ever be able to.

Chewbacca rumbled softly, and she turned to face him. He gently patted her shoulder, then turned and disappeared outside the door, letting it gently slide shut. It meant a lot that he trusted them enough to leave.

Should she leave too? Give them time alone?

But Leia was already pulling away, her hands moving from Ben's back to his face. Her's was soaking wet from tears, and even from an angle Rey could tell Ben's was just as streaked- if not more so.

"We're going to fix this." Leia whispered.

"I'm weak, I can't." Ben said quietly, yet his voice was so deep it reverberated off the walls, making it easy to hear. Rey's legs almost moved forward, but she stopped herself in time. Ben somehow knew it- or maybe he sensed it- for he glanced her way. His eyes were glistening and sparkling like nothing she'd seen before. They'd always been dark and shadowed, dull, lifeless. They held an almost indescribable fire now. "Not alone." He finished.

It was obvious he meant her, and she gave a half smile. Leia nodded her head with a soft smirk, her arm sliding to wrap around her son's broad shoulder's again. "You're never alone."