Spark Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/21921337.

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Category: F/M Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Relationship: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Kylo Ren/Ben Solo Character: Rey (Star Wars), Ben Solo, BB-8 (Star Wars), Finn (Star Wars), Poe

Dameron, Ben Solo | Kylo Ren Additional Tags: Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Rise of

Skywalker Spoilers, Force Bond (Star Wars), Redeemed Ben Solo, Alternate Ending, Spoilers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Awkward Romance, POV Rey (Star Wars), POV Ben Solo, POV Kylo Ren, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Force Dyad (Star Wars) Stats: Published: 2019-12-23 Updated: 2019-12-27 Chapters: 7/? Words:

9821

Spark

by Laylahcousland

Summary**spoilers, do not read this if you have not seen the movie yet**

-Updates daily-

The force works in mysterious ways and a Dyad is not so easily torn apart. Ben finds himself between life and death, his soul inextricably linked with Rey's, not allowed to pass on and no longer in possession of his own physical form, his soul now resides within Rey. She must find a way to resurrect him because sharing a body just won't do.

Notes

This is my very first fanfiction so please be gentle, I am not a writer by any stretch. I found the movie left me wanting and decided that I'd write something to fill that void. I hope you enjoy it! I will post a chapter daily or at least attempt to :)

Chapter 1

Light, so much light. She saw nothing and yet she saw everything. Voices murmured, indistinct and in every language imaginable, encouraging her forwards. Rey felt herself floating happily towards them, wanting the peace and warmth their words offered with every fiber of her being. Here she had no hands to reach with, no feet to run with, no body to feel pain, there was only the force.

A voice, different from the rest, more solid, gripped her and pulled harder in what felt like the other direction. At first she fought it, not wanting to leave this place of peace, she had almost forgotten who she was and what she had just been through. Suddenly it all came rushing back to her. Palpatine. The Last Order. Ben! It was Ben! He was pulling her back, calling her soul back into her body.

Rey could feel his arms around her, his hand on her abdomen as he summoned her spirit back to his. She felt as if she was going to burst as he pushed every last ounce of his life force into her, his soul wrapping tightly around her own. When she opened her eyes a smile greeted her, the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen, relief plain on his face as he watched the color return to her cheeks.

"Ben," she whispered, lifting a hand to gently stroke his cheek. She had died, she had become one with the force, but here she was alive and in Ben's arms. Ben... Ben Solo looked upon her with awe and through their bond she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. Rey smiled back at him, reflecting his emotions. They both surged forward at the same time, lips meeting in an almost desperate kiss. When Rey finally pulled back and their lips parted she had a few sweet moments of peace in his arms, staring into his eyes, feeling utterly whole, before it was all torn away from her. She felt the connection between Ben and his body break, a snap in the force, and watched in horror as his body slowly shut down before her eyes.

"No..." She whispered, desperately trying to revive him as he had revived her, "No, no, no... No, you can't leave me... Ben!" Her voice cracked and trembled as tears cascaded down her cheeks, her hands pressed to his face, his chest, his arms, as she tried in vain to force his soul back into his body, "Ben!" she cried loudly, shaking him by the shoulders.

She felt his body disappear before she saw it disappear, her hands falling through to the cold ground beneath where he'd lain. His face appeared peaceful as it faded from sight but that did nothing to comfort her. Rey let out a guttural scream of anguish, causing the ruins around her to tremble once more, as she lashed out instinctually before collapsing to the ground, hands tangled in the clothes Ben had left behind.

He could feel himself fading but held on to every second with her that he could. When her eyes fluttered open and she said his name he felt a warmth run through him. She was alive again and for the briefest of moments everything was perfect. He looked upon her in awe, how had he ever considered hurting this woman, this precious being? Rey... She smiled and touched his face, he melted into it, before he let go he had to show her, show her how he had always felt deep down. Ben leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss. He felt himself fading as they kissed, the feeling of her lips upon his the last physical sensation before his vision dimmed. Ben felt satisfied, she was alive and that was all that mattered; he found himself sinking into a place of happiness and warmth as Rey's smiling face slowly fell away. She's alive. She's alive...

She lay there, clutching his clothes to her chest on the cold stone floor for a few moments before falling debris forced her out of her grief stricken stupor. A boulder landed dangerously close to her, the ruins were collapsing rapidly and if she didn't leave now Ben's sacrifice would be for nothing. Rey struggled to her feet, tying Ben's shirt around her waist. The ground around her shuddered, urging her into motion, Rey ran dodging falling rubble while also summoning the lightsabers to her with a tug of the force. She ignited them mid air, using them to slice through debris that would have otherwise crushed her, before catching them without missing a step. She pushed as hard as her body would allow in the direction of her X-wing. Lightning crackling menacingly around her, ships hitting the ground in the distance causing it to buck wildly beneath her feet. Once she was clear of the main temple she launched herself into a force jump, propelling herself up and over the trembling ground to land mere feet from her ship. Rey climbed into it, firing it up as fast as she could, heart racing but hands sure, as if directed by the force, she felt a calm come over her as she settled her helmet onto her head and pulled the X-wing up into the sky.

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

Once again this is my first fanfiction so please bare with me and my chaotic writing style. Hopefully the shifts between perspectives are clear. Enjoy :D

She was everywhere, her scent, her warmth, her light; He was swallowed by it, by her. Ben couldn't tell where she ended and he began, it was all the same. He could hear her voice, as if she was in an adjacent room, muffled and indistinct but undoubtedly her. The voice was strained and laced with a deep sorrow. Ben reached out instinctually towards it, soothing, calming. He couldn't stand the thought of her hurting like that. At first he felt no change and fought against the crash of her sadness against him, struggling to not let himself be overcome by it. No, he had to be strong, for her, he had to help her. He had to. Ben absorbed her sorrow and replaced it with peace, the peace he had felt with her in his arms. He poured every ounce he had back towards her and soon the sadness abated, replaced with a gentle calm, and he could rest.

Ben wasn't sure how much time had passed but the next time he heard her voice it sounded closer, more distinct and easier to understand. Now she could have been only a few feet away. She was chanting her voice smooth and ethereal,

"Be with me, Be with me, Be with me..."

Meditating, she was meditating. He could feel that she was unbalanced, that sorrow still tainted her feelings. He felt her frustration, her anger and... Loneliness? No, no, he needed to comfort her. Ben reached out his feelings towards Rey,

"I'm here," He reassured her, "I'm here..."

Rey's eyes burst open and she tumbled to the ground, concentration lost as Ben's voice rang out clear in her mind. It was him! Force, it felt good to hear that voice. Rey lay sprawled out on the ground, gaze directed up through the canopy above her as she caught her breath. For a moment it had felt as if he was right next to her, the smell of him, the feeling of his breath on her cheek. It was the first sign of him she'd had since those last moments on Exegol. It was then that doubt began to color her thoughts. Had it actually been him or was it only wishful thinking? The results of an overactive imagination? Her thoughts rarely strayed from him, it was so bad that she had been

useless to the resistance since her defeat of the Emperor. The others had assumed she still mourned for Leia and gave her a wide berth. Rey did grieve for the loss of Leia, they'd grown close in their time together, closer than she had ever been to Luke, but it was for Leia's son that her heart ached. It was probably just a figment of her imagination... Probably, maybe...?

"Ben...?" she said out loud, feeling a little foolish at first, that is until he answered.

"Rey!" She'd heard him? She'd heard him! Ben could barely contain his joy, it poured out of him towards her, "Rey! I'm here!"

Rey froze, blinking a few times before sitting up suddenly, casting her gaze out around her. "Where are you?" she asked as she hauled herself up onto her feet.

Where was he? That was a good question. Force, WHERE was he?

"I don't know," was his uncertain answer.

"Force ghost?" Rey wondered aloud, spinning around in an attempt to catch a glimpse of him. This would be the simplest answer. She had watched him die; felt the force leave his body.

"I don't think so," Ben answered, clinging to the clear chime of her words, desperately awaiting the next.

"Can you see me?"

Ben struggled through a fog, fighting his way closer to her, "I can feel you."

The hair on the back of Rey's neck stood on end, a wash of his scent drifted over her and she closed her eyes inhaling deeply, "You're here." She said quietly, reaching out towards him with the force.

Suddenly Ben burst through the fog, pulled forward by Rey, and his world regained color. When Rey opened her eyes again he saw what she saw, felt what she felt, smelled what she smelled. Sure enough there it was, the faint smell of the soap he liked to use, drifting around them. They stood in

the center of a clearing within a forest on a warm sunny day. Rey's skin glistened with a thin sheen of sweat from the exertion of her meditations and Ben felt himself shiver when she did.

"I'm here," he marvelled, looking down at his hands... HER hands. Force, he was inside Rey! He was seeing through her eyes, feeling what she felt. It was glorious but also alien.

"Yes, I know you're here but where?" She asked him again, frustration beginning to filter into her voice as she looked around for the source of the scent.

"Inside you," he said, still fascinated by the sensations he was experiencing, "I'm here." he repeated. How could he show her what he was experiencing? He wasn't sure but.. Maybe... Ben concentrated, imagining himself, the body he'd left behind, he imagined himself standing whole again before her and felt his consciousness drift. Then, suddenly, he was looking down at her.

Rey blinked and then there he was, standing before her, whole and smiling down at her. Shock rolled across her face and her mouth fell open. He chuckled and she felt his happiness at her reaction run through her.

"Ben." Rey raised a shaky hand to touch his face but where it should have met warm skin it only found air.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, "This is the best I can do right now."

Tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks as she stared up wondrously at him, "How?"

Ben shrugged, unsure, "Maybe when I brought you back it bound me to you?" a wrinkle appeared between his brows while he considered this, how was he here inside her instead of with the force. He should be dead. He had died. Hadn't he? Ben wasn't so sure anymore.

"I don't think I ever passed over, I only remember feeling you. Just you."

The tears broke free and she let out a sob of joy, her eyes searching his, taking in every detail. His face was smooth, free of scars, he looked just as he had on Exegol when she had last seen him, he even wore the same clothes. Her gaze wandered down to find a familiar hole on the right lower part of his shirt, the shirt that she kept carefully folded and tucked under her pillow. Ben's eyes followed hers and he covered the hole with his hand.

"Sorry," he apologised again, "Holding this form is difficult for me, it's easier to use my

memory."

Rey shook her head, "Stop apologising! You're here, that's all that matters." Ben smiled, dipping his head to catch her gaze, bringing it back up to his face. His expression was soft, a playful smile lifting his lips. It was so utterly different from the cold and composed look Kylo Ren had always worn. Rey couldn't help but smile back. They stood like that, just staring at one another for quite some time before a sound from the surrounding forest pulled their attention away. Rey turned back to where Ben had stood and he was gone. There was a moment of panic before a soothing sensation ran through her and she heard him.

"It's okay, I'm still here, just lost my concentration." His voice sounded tired but he made the effort to reassure her, "I'm here."

Rey released the breath she hadn't realised she was holding and turned back towards the rustling in the forest. Her hand slid to the saber at her side, "Who's there?" she challenged.

A familiar trill rung out and a sigh of relief escaped her, "BB8."

The round orange and white droid came rolling merrily out of the forest, right up to her, trilling all the way. Rey smiled and shook her head, "Just talking to myself," she answered, kneeling down to give the droid a pat and to readjust his antennae out of habit, "What do you need?" The small droid looked up at her and let out a succession of excited beeps, "They're back? Already?" BB8 squeaked again and then trundled off in the direction he'd come. Rey stood, watching him go.

"Your friends have returned?"

His voice startled her, and then warmed her, "You're still here."

"I am," he yawned, "I think I over did it with the projection, but it was worth it to see you smile again."

Rey yawned shortly after he did, echoing him, "Maybe." She stood there, staring back towards the rebel camp, conflicted.

Ben laughed and urged her on, "Well? What are we waiting for? Go, go see your friends."

She nodded and as she made her way back towards camp she thought about what she was going to do now. She'd spent the weeks since Exegol trying to find Ben in the force and now she had, he was here, with her, but what now? Rey could feel his presence now, a lazy warmth that sat near her heart, she could feel his exhaustion, could feel him quietly watching her with her own eyes. This was going to take some getting used to; But force she hadn't been this happy in a long, long time.

Chapter 3

In the weeks following the destruction of the Final Order the rebellion had changed dramatically. Their fleet had been restored and every day news of a new planet pledging their support rolled in over the comms. It was almost too good to be true, if this momentum continued they really may have a chance of defeating the First Order. For even though they'd triumphed over Palpatine the First Order remained; ruled now by a coalition of high ranking generals, each exterting dictatorial influence over their given sectors. The reports they'd received indicated that conditions on these worlds were rapidly deteriorating. Martial law had been instituted and all worlds were now under strict blockades. Finn, now a general of the resistance, had just returned from a mission attempting to obtain landing codes they could use to infiltrate and sabotage the First Order on these worlds. From the look on Finn's face as he strode towards Rey the mission had not gone well.

"Hey," he said with a forced smile before pulling Rey into one of his crushing hugs. He gave her a squeeze before releasing her and then stepping back, "Have you seen Poe..?"

The briefest twinge of jealousy brushed up against her mind.

Rey shook her head, "No, I just got back from training. Is everyone okay?"

Finn looked away over her shoulder, "We had a few casualties," A haunted look drifted across his face and was gone as fast as it had appeared.

Rey frowned, reaching out to give Finn's arm a squeeze, "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Finn nodded and then looked back to her, "We really could have used you out there..."

Rey flinched at this, dropping her hand to her side, "You know I'm not ready to be in the field yet... My control of the force is erratic, I could hurt someone Finn..."

Realizing he had no idea what all had happened since Exegol, or even exactly how long it had been, he was suddenly filled with questions. However, he could feel Rey thinking, "Later..." so he fell back and tried to calm the jealousy he felt rising in him. No, Finn was her friend, just her friend... Right?

Finn's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, taking a deep breath in, "What's that smell?"

Rey blinked with surprise, He could smell Ben too? She mustered a shrug, "New soap?" She lied smoothly.

Finn appeared to buy it but Rey could feel his suspicion through the force. Something had been different with Finn for a while now, something had changed. The force moved differently around him now than it once had and she wasn't sure exactly what that meant. He'd once mentioned he had something to tell her but now whenever she brought it up he avoided the subject.

She decided to leave it be for now and gestured to Finn, "Come on, we will find him together."

Her suggestion was accepted with a more earnest smile and in a lighter tone he said, "After you."

They found Poe in the middle of the hanger in front of the main holomap, his arms crossed, a serious expression upon his face. When they strode up next to him he pointed to a planet on the map, "We need those landing codes for Bracca Finn, please tell me you got them."

Finn shook his head in dismay, "Poe they put up a planetary shield, they know that if Bracca falls the rest of the mid rim will follow, the codes we obtained had already been cycled out. The shield they're using has new rotating code tech and without a cypher there is no way we are getting on that planet."

Poe let out a heavy sigh, "We almost have every free navy in the galaxy on our side and it still isn't enough. They're all too afraid to leave their planets unprotected. A coordinated attack against Bracca with that shield up would require everything we have. We need to find a way to deactivate it..."

Finn nodded, placing a hand on Poe's shoulder, "I know Poe."

Rey sensed a shift in Ben's mood when Bracca was mentioned, felt him come closer to the surface and listen to Poe intently. He knew something. 'All right, out with it!' she thought at him.

If Ben could squirm uncomfortably right now he would. "I was the one that ordered the

construction of that shield," he admitted, "But it wasn't because we were worried about rebels taking Bracca." Ben paused and Rey could sense that he struggled with admitting the rest, "We built it to keep people in, not out. When I was... We captured force sensitives and imprisoned them there in a top secret facility. Who would look for a prison full of force sensitive children on a scrap world like Bracca?"

'A prison? For children?!' the disgust she felt for the idea colored her emotions, 'Why? Why would you do that?' she thought at him once again.

"Because if they grew up to be Jedi they could threaten the First Order. The plan was to turn them to the darkside young. The ones who showed a little too much potential along with the ones that were weak we... We killed them." he shuddered at the thought.

Rey had to fight to control her emotions, not wanting Finn or Poe to notice anything amiss. She fought back tears, tears that were not only her own, she felt Ben's regret, his shame at the actions of Kylo Ren. It took all of her composure to keep this inner turmoil hidden.

Poe turned to Rey then, drawing her attention back to him, "I received a communication for you a couple of hours ago, from Maz, she needs to speak with you, something about force sensitives. I don't know, she wouldn't tell me much." This obviously irked him but he tried to mask it by looking away and running a gloved hand back through his hair, "Anyways, let me know what she wants yeah? I may not be a Jedi but I am the General of the resistance, I need to know about all of the threats we face. Be them real or.. invisible," he said the last word with a flourish of his hand.

Poe and Rey didn't always see eye to eye and she knew he had a hard time leaving plans to a mystical force. Rey had long since abandoned explanations and demonstrations and instead learned to just leave the military planning to Poe and he had learned to leave the Jedi stuff to her. It was an arrangement that worked and under that thin veneer of tension was a strong bond of friendship, even if they did sometimes butt heads.

Rey nodded, "I'll go call her now." And with that she headed towards her quarters, leaving Finn and Poe to discuss strategy while she dealt with the growing flood of emotions within her.

Chapter 4

Chapter Notes

A short little chapter with a tiny bit of foreshadowing. 3 Happy Holidays everyone 3

She had moved to a private room in one of the dorms they'd set up to accomodate all of the new recruits after her return from Exegol; Curious eyes followed her every move now, and rumors of her defeat of Palpatine had led to a strange form of hero worship that made Rey incredibly uncomfortable.

Her new chambers were austere, minimal, but comfortable. A twin sized bed, a desk, a comm, a holoscreen and even a private bathroom. It wasn't much but it was more than Rey had ever had to herself before and she found it down right luxurious.

"How long has it been? How long have I been gone?" His voice was soft, almost tremulous.

"Six weeks," she replied sitting down on the edge of her bed, "When you disappeared it felt like a piece of me went with you, like there was a hole in the force where you once fit." Rey lifted a hand to touch her abdomen, remembering the feeling of his hand there when he brought her back.

Ben hesitantly reached out, imagining that her hand was in fact his, Rey let out a gasp as he made her hand move, a gentle caress of his thumb along the fabric over her abdomen. His world went dark as she closed her eyes and a shiver went through them. A few moments later Rey drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes, pushing Ben back gently. He retracted his control the moment he felt her resist it and her hand fell down to her lap.

"How did you do that?" Rey asked quietly, a tension replacing the moment of peace they had just shared, "You moved my hand, it felt like your hand was on me, like it wasn't mine any more." That hand closed into a fist. "Don't do that." The last was said firmly.

The thought of losing control of her own body terrified her. She knew Ben would never hurt her but Kylo Ren... He was another story.

He hadn't meant to scare her, only to comfort her. His regret over upsetting her clear, "I'm

sorry," he could feel her react to his apology, the tension easing slightly. "I won't do that again," he promised.

Rey shook her head, "It's fine, I just. I just need you to ask first."

"Of course, yeah, I should have asked." he chastised himself, he needed to be showing her that she could trust him; just two months ago he'd been Kylo Ren, terrorizing her and her friends, trying to manipulate her to the darkside. The thought made him feel awful, dirty, wrong. Darkness still dwelled within him but he had found balance since that moment on Endor when his mother had reached him and he had finally been able to release his anger.

Rey stood abruptly, walking over to her comm terminal, she needed a distraction, she needed to think about something else. This was a lot to absorb and it would take time. Rey keyed in Maz's comm info and settled back on her heels while she waited for it to connect, trying to ignore the emotions she felt coming from Ben.

The comm flickered to life after a few moments and Maz's face appeared, "Rey! It's good to see you girl!"

Rey smiled, "Hey Maz, Poe told me you wanted to talk with me?"

Maz's face sombered, "I have received word that General Parnadee has been rounding up force sensitives in the mid rim and shipping them to Bracca. My informants tell me most of them are turning up dead..." Maz paused, her eyes narrowing, "but I sense you already knew this."

Rey blinked a few times, stuttering, "I... I.."

Maz smiled and waved a hand, "It's fine girl, I understand.." Maz leaned forward and lowered her voice, "You've found him, haven't you?"

Rey nodded stiffly.

"Good, good." Maz returned her nod, "I won't ask for details but if you need someone to talk to I will always be here."

Rey smiled then and her posture relaxed, "Thank you."

"All right, tell Poe I have people working on finding that cypher he needs. Take care of yourself Rey and keep an eye on Finn."

Before she could ask Maz what she meant by that the comm channel closed, leaving Rey alone in her room with Ben once more.

"Parnadee," Ben mused, "I'm surprised to hear she survived Exegol." He considered the current political situation, knowing that he had had a part in its creation, "I suppose the good thing is that the Generals hate each other. They will rule separately and be loathe to lend aid to each other unless they see a benefit for themselves. That is probably why the resistance hasn't been attacked here yet. They're all too busy fortifying their own positions. If we're lucky they may even start fighting amongst themselves..." Ben trailed off when he realised that Rey wasn't really listening. She'd moved back over to her bed, sitting on the edge once more. He sensed her unease but he couldn't hear her thoughts unless she directed them right at him. He stayed quiet, trying to exude calm to help Rey find balance in her emotions.

A smile crept up onto Rey's lips when she felt Ben try to comfort her, 'I do feel better... When you were gone no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find balance,' she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, reaching for him, 'but now... That hole is gone.'

Warmth enveloped him and he relaxed into it, he wished he could hold her but this would have to do. He let images of holding her filter through his mind, relaxing further, allowing it to lull him to sleep.

Rey felt Ben relax, felt him drift off to sleep, not gone just... Quiet... It was almost like he laid peacefully next to her, if she strained hard enough she could make out an image of him at peaceful rest. She took a deep breath and let the steady thrum of his spirit next to hers pull her down into a restful slumber.

Chapter 5

Chapter Notes

They explore this new situation a little. SFW for now... Enjoy 3

She was in a forest, a dense fog filtering through the trees around her; the scent of blaster bolts and blood hung heavy in the air. In the distance she could hear a battle and as she moved through the trees she noticed more and more bodies strewn upon the forest floor. The bodies were smoking, body parts scattered all around.

The screech of a lightsaber being ignited pulled her attention behind her. Kylo Ren stood only a few feet away, his mask shot through with veins of red, his saber spitting angrily, its power barely contained. Rey gasped and stumbled back, tripping over a body, ending up sprawled out upon the forest floor.

Ren loomed over her, his shoulders blocking the light from above; he raised his saber over his head with a violent jerk of his arm, preparing for a devastating downstroke. Rey desperately tried to reach for the force but there was no answer.

Ren's blade descended upon her in slow motion and just as it was about to split her in two another intervened. Ben lurched between them, his blue lightsaber catching Ren's red with a hiss.

Rey scrambled out of the way, heart pounding; she watched as Ben and Ren clashed, evenly matched, neither giving an inch until Ben managed to force push Ren back with a grunt.

The pair stood apart now, both breathing heavily. Ren's movements were slower, more calculated and brutal, while Ben's were more instinctual, more energetic. Ben was faster while Ren was stronger.

Ben made the first move this time, dashing towards Ren, blade spinning; Ren managed to parry Ben's first flourish but was caught off guard as Ben dipped under one of his overhead slashes. Ben's blue lightsaber flashed, catching Ren in the side. Ren staggered, dropping to one knee.

Ben quickly spun away, his gaze flicking over to Rey, "Go, I've got this." The briefest of smiles crossing his face, "I will never let him hurt you again..." and with that Ben backed up further into

the fog, Ren following with a furious roar.

Rey awoke with a start, bolting upright in her bed, Ben's shirt held tightly to her chest. A dream. It was just a dream. It took her a few moments to collect herself and to remember.

"Ben?" she whispered, reaching for him with the force. He was where she'd left him, a comforting pulse near her heart. She felt him react to her touch of force with a flood of warmth, his consciousness slowly rising back up. She could feel his sleepy smile.

"Rey." He said her name with a soft reverence, if he could he'd have rolled over and tucked her against his chest. He could feel Rey blush at this thought and he let out a relaxed little laugh, his spirit stretching like a loth cat next to hers.

"How long was I gone this time...?" he asked softly.

"You never left, I just woke up." She said aloud, tucking his shirt back under her pillow before rubbing her eyes.

Relief ran through him, he had feared that he would fall into that dark silent place again and time would slip by without him knowing. Six weeks. Force, she'd been forced to mourn his mother alone, forced to navigate this world imbalanced for six weeks while he'd been in some kind of dreamless slumber.

"You kept my shirt," he said as he watched her tuck it carefully under her pillow, a little flutter of satisfaction in his voice.

"It was all that you left behind," She replied quietly before getting up from the bed and heading towards the fresher.

The lights flickered on as she entered the small room, hesitating just inside the door as she realized something, 'You see everything I see?' she thought to him.

"When your eyes are open I see what you see, when they're closed it gets dark." It took him a few moments to catch on to what she meant and this time it was his turn to flush.

'How are we going to do this then?' she thought, 'I need to use the fresher and I can't do that with my eyes closed.'

Ben tried to close his eyes but found that no matter how hard he tried he could not. He saw what she saw, felt what she felt, he could sometimes share sensations of his own with her but it seemed like unless he was asleep he was forced to observe whatever she did... Unless... An idea took hold.

He tried to project himself again. Imagining his body as he had before. It was easier this time than it had been the last. Once again he felt his consciousness drift, blurring into his projected form.

Suddenly Ben stood beside her, looking down at her with an amused look upon his face.

She rolled her eyes, "Well?"

Ben turned his projection around and found his vision followed; he turned towards the sink and the mirror, surprised when he saw his own face reflected in it, Rey standing just a step behind him. His gaze flicked to hers in the mirror and with a playful twinkle in his eye he chuckled, "Well it worked but if I stand like this I will still see everything."

Rey let out an exasperated sigh and pointed to the corner, "No peeking!" she ordered, waiting for him to do as she asked.

Ben raised his hands, "Okay, okay. Corner it is." He turned towards the corner, crossing his phantom arms across his phantom chest.

When she was satisfied that he couldn't see anything she moved towards the fresher, turning her back to him as she stripped out of her dirty clothes, turning the water on and then stepping in, closing the glass door behind her.

He felt the shift of fabric against her skin, felt the clothes fall to the floor, felt her shiver as the cold air within the room tickled her skin, and then felt her relief as the warm water washed that chill away. Ben did his best to try to think of other things but his thoughts kept being interrupted by the feel of her hands against her own bare skin, the water running down her back. Despite his efforts a

heat pooled within him, if he had a mouth it'd be dry right now. Force this was uncomfortable. It took more control than he wanted to admit to not just turn around and take her in. He had always found her irresistible, beautiful, tempting... She began to wash her hair and he nearly groaned with pleasure at the sensation.

He was stronger than this, he chastised himself and fought to think of something else, anything else. Ben felt ashamed of his reaction to her, she deserved better, she deserved someone that could control his desires. He ran his ghostly hands through his hair in a habitual motion of nerves. Force was this to be his future? It was torture.

An ardour wafted off Ben's spirit, brushing against hers. Rey could feel his efforts to contain it, his embarrassment at her being subjected to his baser desires. It caused a similar heat to rise within her and she let out a sigh. If she wanted to, she could lose herself in that feeling. Lose herself in him. Force, she was tempted. Since Exegol she'd imagined thousands of different scenarios but never this particular one. They were still strangers in a sense and as much as her body wanted to give in she was not ready to.

Rey changed the water to cold, trying to put out that fire within her, smiling as she heard Ben yelp over in the corner.

The sensation of sudden cold surprised him, "Ack!" he said with a shiver. It was so shocking that it snapped him out of his arduous thoughts and back to reality. He felt Rey turn off the fresher and step out, wrapping a towel around herself before going to find clothes. He found his projection tugged along behind her, apparently a few meters away was its maximum distance. Ben kept his gaze cast away from her while he felt her dress and when he sensed she was fully clothed he asked a little sheepishly, "Can I turn around now?"

Rey was at her desk, pulling her hair back into her usual buns, she took a few moments to finish before she replied, "All right."

Ben turned back towards her, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry about that..." he said quietly, a flush of color upon his cheeks, "I.."

Rey held up a hand to stop him, "It's fine. I guess this is something we just have to get used to."

Ben stepped closer, "I'll find a way to give you more privacy, I promise." His words were earnest.

He wanted so badly for her to trust him, for her to feel as safe with him as he did with her; but he knew that would take time.

She nodded and then smiled, "I know."

A loud knock on the door interrupted them pulling a loud sigh of exasperation from Rey, "What is it now?!"

Chapter 6

Chapter Notes

Flashback to the day of Leia's funeral. Hopefully it makes sense 3

A few days after the events of Exegol the resistance had gathered on Ajan Kloss to pay tribute to General Leia Organa. It had been a beautiful service, friends and colleagues alike ascended the dias to recount memories of Leia and her heroics. She was greatly missed and many tears were shed, however the general atmosphere was one of hope and happiness. Leia had succeeded in leading them to a massive victory; she'd also succeeded in pulling her son Ben Solo back to the light, though the latter was only known by a select few.

When the service was over Rey had found herself alone in her new quarters, sitting upon the edge of her bed, Ben's shirt upon her lap. The wound he'd left in the force was still raw, it had left Rey unbalanced, her abilities stunted and unpredictable. The war was not yet won, her friends needed her, but it was as if she'd lost an arm and a leg, pieces of her were missing and it left her feeling useless.

She sighed and stroked the fabric of the shirt, a finger catching in the hole she had burned through with Kylo Ren's lightsaber. Rey had thought that discovering who her parents were was all that she wanted, all that she needed. Now that she knew who they were she almost wished she could forget. She now realised that the family she had truly been seeking had been right in front of her and now... Now they were all gone. Leia, Luke... Ben... Ben most of all. Her very soul wept for him. Through their connection she'd seen his heart and it was good, he had been through so much pain, manipulated by palpatine from birth, and then finally he had broken free only to die in her arms moments later. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, dropping onto the shirt as she stroked it. Rey had spent the day surrounded by her friends but she had never felt so alone. How was she going to go on without him?

Just as her hands had begun to curl into fists upon her lap a ghostly hand had appeared over them. Leia sat next to her, a serene smile upon her face, "Oh Rey, he's not gone. No one is ever really gone.."

Rey looked over at Leia's force ghost incredulously, almost not believing her eyes, it took her a few moments before a smile broke through her tears, "Leia..."

Leia lifted a ghostly hand to touch Rey's face, wiping the tears away, "You are going to be fine. It will take time but you will find him."

Rey looked confused, shaking her head, "Leia I'm sorry but Ben is dead... I saw him disappear."

Leia had just continued to smile, patting Rey's hand comfortingly, "No, he's not. He's here, even now, inside you." Leia gestured to Rey's chest, "He will always be with you no matter where you are or what you do."

"I don't understand." Rey said with a sniffle.

"You will." Leia responded softly giving her hand one last pat, "May the force be with you Rey." And with that she'd disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

The visit had left Rey confused but also oddly hopeful. It had encouraged her to reach around her wound in the force, to look for him, to not give up. For a fleeting moment on Exegol she had been a vessel to every Jedi that had ever become one with the force, so brimming with power and light, it was hard to start from the beginning again but that is just what she'd done. One small step at a time. It'd taken her six weeks, six weeks to find him, and he had been exactly where Leia told her he was.

Now here they were, awkwardly maneuvering around each other, and Rey had no idea what their next step should be.

Rey had hoped for more time alone with him, so that they could discuss, well, everything. That, apparently, was going to be harder than she thought as they were once again interrupted; This time by a loud knock on the door.

Rey let out an exasperated sigh, looking away from Ben, "What is it now?!"

To her surprise, this time when she looked back, Ben still stood there. He shrugged and asked, "Should I get back in your head?"

She shook her head No, she preferred him like this, it was easier when she could see him, "Just, try to stay quiet, okay?"

Ben pantomimed zipping his lips and stepped back to lean against the wall next to the door.

Rey opened the door to find C-3P0 and R2-D2.

"Ah, Greetings Miss Rey, R2 and I have a message for you." C-3P0 said in his usual posh voice.

R2 beeped indignantly, insisting that he was the one with the message and 3P0 had just tagged along.

Rey laughed, "Alright R2," she said, "What's your message?"

R2 wheeled forward into her room, nearly knocking her over.

"Really R2, you must work on your manners," 3P0 chided before following him in.

Rey let the door slide shut behind them, turning around with a curious expression, "Okay... We have privacy now R2, what do you need to tell me?"

R2 spun around and trilled at the spot Ben stood. Rey froze, looking at Ben. He raised a brow and just offered another shrug.

"Whoever are you talking to R2? Master Ben isn't here." 3P0 said, spinning around to scan the room, "I think you are due for maintenance."

R2 beeped at 3P0, causing the golden droid to gasp, "Well I never! Wherever did you learn such language?"

Rey cut through the droids bickering, "You have a message for me?"

R2 settled and projected a holomap into the room. Rey looked questioningly at 3P0.

"R2 says this map may lead to a library of Jedi holocrons," 3P0 informed her, "Master Luke was going to look into it before the destruction of the academy. R2 says his memory was corrupted during the battle and he only just managed to repair it now."

R2 beeped proudly while Rey and Ben looked closer at the map.

"This leads into the unknown regions," Ben said, walking amongst the map, tracing the path it took, "I remember discussing this with Luke before.. Everything. He never told me he'd actually found it..."

Rey placed a hand on R2, "Is this information secure? According to Luke's journal Holocrons can be dangerous, we can't have the wrong people finding out about this..."

R2 trilled that of course it was secure, only the four of them knew about it.

"All right, lets keep it that way for now." Rey stood moving back over to open the door to let the droids out, "I'll meet you in the main hangar in a little while, I have a few things to do before we run this by Finn and Poe."

She closed the door to the sound of 3P0 insisting R2 run a diagnostic.

"That droid has always been different..."

Rey turned to him, "R2?"

Ben nodded, "If it were possible I'd swear he could use the force..."

Rey moved over to her bed, pulling out a box from beneath it. The box contained Luke's journals and the original Jedi texts she'd taken from Ach-To. She pulled out one of the journals and sat on the edge of the bed again. Ben hovered near her, curious.

"Somewhere in here I remember him mentioning the library..." she said, flipping through pages

until she found it, "Here..." A sketch of a jedi holocron was accompanied by Luke's musings on where they may be found. A few locations had been crossed off, others had question marks written next to them. A scrawled warning about the dangers of holocrons accompanied it all.

"He was never the most detailed of historians."

"Do you think we should follow this map? See what he may have found? Perhaps there is something there that explains this..." She said the last part with a gesture between the two of them.

"Possibly," Ben said, "But can the resistance really spare you right now? The war isn't over yet."

Rey sighed, even though she felt better now having found him, her abilities in the force still felt stunted. Something had happened when she died. Like a reset button had been hit. It felt like she was starting from the beginning all over again.

"I have been struggling to relearn how to be the Rey they remember. They all look at me like I'm some sort of invincible hero. They don't know, they don't understand, no one does... Other than you," she glanced up at Ben and smiled.

He returned her smile but then shook his head, "Maybe, maybe if you told them, they'd understand...?"

Rey blinked at him, that was the last thing she'd expected him to say.

"Do you trust them?" he asked quietly, taking a seat next to her.

"Of course I do!"

"Then tell them. Tell them everything."

"Right, Oh hey guys, just so you know I found Ben Solo. He is inside me, right where his mother told me he was, he can feel and see everything I do, oh and we're a Dyad in the force, not that I know what that means! Oh and I've also had to relearn how to use the force."

Ben winced, "Okay you make that all sound way worse than it is."

Rey laughed, "Do I? I sound like I've lost it! They'll ship me off to a medical facility for examination."

Ben watched her as she stood up and paced away from the bed, giving her a sympathetic look, "Rey, they know what you have been through, they know you died.. Right?" The look on her face told him they didn't, "Really?" He'd always thought of the trio as thick as thieves, not a secret between them, the more time he spent with her the more he realized how little he truly knew.

"Rey, you need to tell them..."

She crossed her arms and huffed stubbornly, turning away from him, "That is easier said than done."

He stood and moved to stand directly behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind comfortingly, "I'll be with you, I'll help you."

Rey looked up over her shoulder at him, Force how she wished she could feel him right now...

"Ben, could.. Could you do that thing I told you not to do?"

He smiled and nodded, imagining that her arms were his own, wrapped tightly around her. He felt her relax at the sensation, "Like this?"

She nodded and closed her eyes, and for a few moments it did feel like being held by him.

"Thank you..." she whispered before pushing away to turn back towards him, "We should go, R2 and 3P0 are waiting."

Chapter 7

Ben followed Rey silently, always just a step behind her, mostly because he wanted to be but also because he had to be. The hangar bay was a bustling hive of activity, people moving every which way, weaving around ships and scattered equipment. It all looked so chaotic in comparison to how the First Order ran things.

Ben found himself moving out of the way for people as they rushed by, even though he knew they couldn't see or feel him. He watched as most people turned curious looks towards Rey, their eyes following her as she marched through the hangar, a look of purpose upon her face. He felt her try to get his attention as they walked.

'Are you okay?' she thought towards him, 'I know that last time it was exhausting for you to hold your form.'

Ben considered this while he dodged yet another technician, "I feel fine, maybe the more I do it the easier it is?" he shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Rey nodded, pausing as she caught sight of Poe and Finn; R2 and 3P0 were also there, bickering as usual.

'Are you sure we should do this?'

Feeling her uncertainty he placed a ghostly hand upon her shoulder, he'd have squeezed it if he could, "I'm here, even if they throw us in a medical facility." He said the last in a teasing tone and he felt her try to mask a smile.

'Behave.' Rey thought as she strode forward.

Ben stepped around, walking backwards in front of her, a mischievous glint in his eye, "I'll try my best to not be too... Distracting." He said the last bit with a grin while running a hand back through his thick black hair.

"Force save me." Rey sighed before walking right through his projection toward her friends.

Finn and Poe had their heads down, looking over the main holomap, when she approached

them.

"We could use this hyperlane to get more supplies to Yavin 4," Poe was saying, his finger tracing a path, "We will need an x-wing escort though, just to be safe."

Finn nodded before looking up to smile at Rey as she came to a stop at the edge of the Holomap. His smile melted quickly though, turning to shock and then anger. His hand went to his belt and he had his blaster out so fast no one really noticed until he let off a shot; A shot that went right through Ben's phantom form, striking a control panel behind him. Rey and Ben both ducked, Ben immediately moving to check on Rey, concern for her plain. Rey gently brushed Ben off before hesitantly standing to face Finn.

"Whoa! Finn? What the kriff is wrong with you?!" Poe said, quickly disarming his friend, tossing the blaster away.

Finn glared at where Ben stood, his whole body vibrating, "How did that monster get in here?" he asked Rey through clenched teeth.

Rey slowly lifted both hands a mystified look upon her face, she lowered her voice, "You can see him?"

Finn nodded stiffly in response.

Rey's eyes widened and she looked back to Ben whose expression mirrored hers.

Poe cast his gaze back and forth between Rey and Finn his confusion plain, "Can someone please tell me what in the galaxy is going on here?!"

Rey swallowed nervously and nodded, "Can we go somewhere more private?" she asked, her gaze shifting to the growing crowd of curious onlookers gathering around them.

Poe had a hand on Finn's chest, restraining him. He tried to get his friend to look at him, "We can go to the utility room over there. Okay?" Poe waited for Finn to look at him and nod. "All right, nice and easy, lets go buddy."

Poe led them all to a utility room filled with crates and supplies, he ordered everyone out and waved Rey and Finn in. 3P0 tried to follow with R2 but Poe lifted a hand to stop them. "Wait here." He instructed, pointing to a spot next to the door before letting the utility room door shut with a hiss between them.

"Okay," Poe said, turning around to look at Finn, "Why did you just shoot a console?"

Finn gestured forcefully to where Ben now stood next to Rey, "You don't see him?"

Poe looked to where he pointed and then back to Finn, "See who?"

All the pieces finally fell into place for Rey, this is what Finn had been wanting to tell her: he was force sensitive! Rey turned to Finn, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Finn shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, "You.. You had enough to worry about without me adding to your troubles."

Rey shook her head, placing a hand on Finn's shoulder, "Finn you're my friend... You're family... Nothing is more important to me..."

Finn's look soured, "If that's true why didn't you tell me about him?" he pointed to Ben again, "He is supposed to be dead."

Poe couldn't look more confused if he tried, he raised a hand and interjected loud enough to pull their attention over to him, "What are you two talking about?! Could someone please enlighten me?"

Rey heard Ben snort behind her, holding in a laugh, "This is not amusing!" she and Finn yelled at him in unison.

"Oh come on.. It kind of is." he said, arms crossed over his chest, gaze shifting between the three of them, "Poor Poe, please end his suffering."

Poe rolled his eyes and let out a sound of frustration.

Rey sighed, "Okay... Finn is, apparently, force sensitive. He is seeing Ben Solo, who is standing just there." She pointed at Ben, "You can't see him Poe because only his spirit is here. Only those strong in the force can see him," a pause,"A lot has happened that I haven't told either of you about, mostly because I didn't think you'd understand... But Ben convinced me that it is important for me to tell you.. Everything."

She gestured to the crates, "You guys should sit down, it's a.. Long story..."

"Okay, so you died to kill Palpatine, and Ben sacrificed himself to bring you back?" Poe said, still sounding very very confused.

"Yes, but because we are a force dyad he didn't actually die, his soul, his spirit, is trapped inside me."

Poe ran a gloved hand over his face, "I'll never get the hang of this force stuff," he complained.

"So that is Ben Solo and not Kylo Ren?" Finn asked, still tossing suspicious glares Ben's way.

Rey nodded, "Leia died to bring Ben back to the light, to help him release his anger and escape the darkside. If Ben hadn't come to Exegol I'd be dead and Palpatine would have succeeded. He saved me twice that night..." She looked up to Ben and smiled that smile that always melted his heart. Ben smiled back.

"So even before Exegol you and Kylo Ren had a connection?" Finn asked, his pain at the fact that she'd hidden it from him plain.

"Yes... I, I didn't think you'd understand. I should have told you. I'm sorry."

Finn heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head, "I kept secrets too... I'm sorry Rey, Poe."

Poe clapped Finn on the back, "It's all right, we all have our secrets, but maybe from now on lets try to keep a few less, yeah?"

Rey and Finn nodded in unison and they all sat in silence for a few moments before Finn spoke again, "So, now that you've found him does that mean you'll be able to help on missions again?"

Rey hesitated, looking up at Ben before responding, "My relationship with the force hasn't been the same since I died. It's like when the spirits of the Jedi left me they took a lot of what I knew about the force with them. I can still fight but I'm not the Rey you remember, if another Palpatine were to show up I wouldn't last a second."

"Well it's a good thing that the First Order is fresh out of supreme leaders then," Poe said with a smirk.

Ben smirked too, looking to Poe, "I used to hate him but I have to admit he's growing on me."

It was Finn's turn to grasp Rey's shoulder, "We are here to help you, and I need a teacher. You know, so I don't go shooting at random consoles anymore when I see a force ghost."

They all chuckled at that and Rey nodded, "I will try. All I can do is try."

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." Ben chimed in, and when Finn and Rey looked at him he shrugged, "Luke used to quote master Yoda at me from dawn until dusk. It was drilled deep into my brain."

Finn released Rey's shoulder and looked as if he was ready to get up, "Wait," she said, "There is something else."

"Of course there is." Poe said with another exasperated sigh, gesturing for her to continue.

"R2 found a map in his memory banks. It was badly damaged and he has only just now managed to repair it. It's a map that could lead me to a Library full of Jedi holocrons. I want to go, I want to see if I can find anything that will tell me more about this force Dyad. I want to finish Luke's work." a momentary pause, "But Ben thinks I should stay here and help you with Bracca. Maz told me that she has received word that General Parnadee is rounding up force sensitives in the mid rim and sending them there. Ben says that the planetary shield there isn't to keep us out but to keep them in..."

Poe's brows shot up at the last part, "Really? Does Ben know where we can find a Cypher that would crack it?"

Rey looked up at Ben who shook his head.

"I was preoccupied with finding the sith wayfinder at the time, I left those details to my generals." His expression was apologetic.

"No, he doesn't," she replied to Poe.

"Well that's just great, here we have the late Supreme Leader and even he can't get us on that kriffing planet." He said with a growl of annoyance.

"Maz did say she had her people looking into finding one," Rey said, trying to cool Poe's frustration.

"I guess that is better than nothing," He said as he stood, dusting off his pants, "Until we have that Cypher though we are stuck in a holding pattern, so I think maybe following that map to the holocrons is our best move right now."

Rey's face lit up with excitement, "Really?"

Poe nodded, "I want Finn to go with you, take BB-8, 3P0, and R2 with you as well. Figure out how long this trip is going to take and Finn can arrange the supplies?"

Finn nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"All right then, we have a plan." Poe smiled at Rey and Finn as they stood too, "May the force be with us."