This fanfiction follows The Last Jedi. Don't read it if you've not seen the movie because spoilers.

Chapter 1

General Leia Organa died.

No one quite knew why. Some said she lost the will to live after losing Han, Luke, and Holdo so close together. Some said it was the shock of how small the Resistance had become and learning her son now led the First Order. Some theorized her days had been numbered since she had been blown into space.

The only thing Rey knew was that the powerful woman who had welcomed her to the Resistance with open arms was gone forever the morning after their escape from Crait.

The Resistance had declared a day of mourning before resuming operations. They were still limited to the Millenium Falcon, which meant they were planet-locked until repairs were finished anyway. It was as good timing as any to face their losses.

Most of the Resistance had gone exploring the local establishments, hoping to drink themselves into oblivion. After all, General Organa was only one of many lives lost in the last few days. There were many to grieve. Rey, however, still felt too far removed from the others to go with them.

She, Finn, Chewie, and Rose were the only ones left on the ship. Chewie oversaw the repairs on the Falcon. Rose remained in a coma with Finn watching over her. Everyone had something to do or someone to be with.

Except Rey. She was in the cargo bay with the porgs in an attempt at privacy during the repairs.

She had been invited along to the drinking, of course, and Finn always welcomed her company next to Rose, but she couldn't accept. She hadn't told anyone about her force link to Ben. She had meant to tell the general, but now…

Rey sighed and closed her eyes as more tears slipped down her face. She felt like a traitor keeping it a secret, but who could she talk to who would understand?

The force shimmered and connected her to him, filling her with both dread and relief. Her heart had become so twisted since knowing him. She laughed through a sob. "Why you?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

Ben said nothing. And after a moment, Rey opened her eyes. He stood before her, masked and perfectly still. No, not perfectly still, she realized. He was trembling, shaking even.

"I hadn't seen that mask since you interrogated me," Rey said. She stood and walked up to him, feeling bold in her grief. He remained silent, and she glared at him. "Are you so angry with me that you won't even acknowledge me? I had losses too. If anyone should be angry, it's me! You ordered the deaths of so many. You tried to kill me, Luke, and General Organa-"

A choking sob came from Ben, and Rey froze. That had not been a sound of anger. He was overcome with a different emotion.

"Ben, remove your mask," Rey said, her nerves tingling with mortification already for misreading him.

Ben shook his head quickly and clenched his fists.

Rey took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming herself. "Ben, remove your mask."

He did nothing, and Rey took a step closer, carefully reaching up. When he didn't stop her, she undid the clasps that held it in place and took the mask from him.

Ben was crying.

His eyes were puffy and filled with tears that continued in a steady stream down his cheeks. His lips trembled, and a rash appeared to be forming around his neck from the combination of trapped fluids in his mask. He stared at Rey now with all the terror and pain of a child who had just discovered it was alone in the world.

Rey took the mask and set it down on the floor beside them, never breaking eye contact with Ben. "You grieve her too, don't you," she said. It wasn't a question, and he didn't answer it.

Rey carefully took his gloved right hand, removed his glove, and wrapped her hands around his.

"You weren't there for me," Ben said, his voice breaking with another sob.

Rey squeezed his hand. "I'm here now," she said. "I miss her too." A fresh trickle of tears escaped her and rolled down her face.

Ben gently brought up his other hand, still gloved, and wiped the wet trail away. He hesitated, then brought his arm around her and pulled her tightly to his chest. "Thank you," he whispered, leaning his own head against hers.

Rey tensed at the hug initially, then relaxed, feeling their bodies meld together through the force connection. She felt safe for the first time in years, and it broke the dam of her grief.

Her breath came in deep, noisy gasps between wails of her loss. Not just of the general, but of Luke, her hope for her parents, her failure to convert Ben, and even the loss of Finn's attentions on her, for though she didn't see him romantically, she knew she was no longer the closest person to him, nor was he still the closest person to her. She also sobbed for the confusion of caring so deeply about her worst enemy.

Ben sobbed too, squeezing her so tight it hurt, but she welcomed the distraction of physical pain while feeling out the cracks in her heart.

After some time, his grip slackened, and he stepped back to gaze at her. "We shouldn't do this," he said.

"I know," Rey said. "But I don't want to be lonely."

Ben studied her, then reached into a pocket to pull out a black silk handkerchief. He reached out to her face, but paused when she flinched. "May I?" he asked. Rey hesitated, then nodded.

Ben held her face still with his gloved hand and wiped the tears off it gently with the piece of cloth in his uncovered hand. He handed the cloth to her when he was done. "For your nose," he explained when she didn't immediately take it. She blushed, for her thoughts had drifted to wishing his uncovered hand had been the one to hold her face.

She blew her nose on his cloth, looked at his own messy face, and tugged out her own handkerchief. It was a ratty off white square cloth, stained with grease, dirt, and oil from long years of use. She took one look at it and started to put it away again when he stopped her gently with his hand on hers.

"I would be honored," he said. "Please."

"It's disgusting," Rey said.

"It's yours," he insisted. "I want it." His voice was its usual quiet, calm tone, but his eyes were filled with a greedy fire.

Rey backed away from his intensity on reflex, leaving the rag in his hands, and the connection severed.

She took deep breaths to clear her mind. She knew her connection to Ben remained, but she hadn't known their feelings remained as well. He still clearly cared for her, and she felt as drawn to him as ever.

She still had his handkerchief, and she gazed at it thoughtfully, noting that it had Kylo Ren monogrammed on one corner. "Should say Ben Solo," she muttered, then glanced at it again.

She was holding his handkerchief.

She had taken a physical object from him through the force.

They could transfer items through the force!?

Rey shook her head in wonder and looked down to where she had set his mask. It was still there, which meant he no longer had it.

Whoops.

I swear I wasn't planning to write another one, but then I was thinking about the force connection and how silly it would be if Rey realized she was short on sugar while cooking and used the force connection to borrow a cup of sugar from Ben. Not that Rey likely knows how to cook or that Ben would have easy access to sugar, but I thought it would be fun. For the record, I don't know where this is going or where it will end. Review it if you want more. :P

If you're confused on my interpretation of the force connection, Ben brought back rain in The Last Jedi. If he can bring back rain, he can bring back other things. Maybe even people! I'll be severely disappointed if the third movie doesn't follow-up on that foreshadowed ability.