One year later.

The SUV rocked slightly over the potholes on the country road. It looked like it had snowed a few days ago judging from the piles at the edges of the road and the melted patches in the areas touched by the sunlight.

"How did you find this place?" Rey asked, chuckling softly. They'd been driving for an hour already since leaving the airport.

"It will be worth it," Ben answered, giving nothing away.

Rey nodded her head eyeing him skeptically, a smile kissing her features.

Ben reached for her hand across the center console and slid his thumb over the back of her hand a few times, "Almost there."

"Ohh," Rey lifted her hand to her mouth, a small breath of air escaping her lungs, "It's beautiful."

Ben smiled appreciatively at her excitement. He turned the car into the cutest New England farm Rey had ever seen. It looked like it was cut out of a Norman Rockwell winter scenery. A snow covered, red barn sat beside a neat cottage with a wrap-around porch. Everything was tucked in behind a wooden rail fence.

"It's perfect, how did you find it?" Rey asked again as she stepped from the car. Ben was already around the car, holding her hand to keep her from slipping on the icy driveway.

"Sorry, I guess they didn't treat the driveway yet," he quipped.

Rey looked up at him, "Ben, what is this place?"

He swallowed apprehensively; he looked back at the little blue cottage and pulled Rey onto the snowy sidewalk with him, away from the ice. The crunchy snow felt more stable under her feet than the ice and Rey looked around a little more. There was a Christmas wreath decorating the door and garland strung on the railing around the porch.

"It's so cute," she gushed.

"Do you like it?" Ben asked, watching her carefully.

"I love it," Rey looked at him then.

"It's my family's home," he paused looking back at the house, "I grew up here."

Rey gripped his arm a little tighter, "Here? You actually grew up here? I can't imagine even seeing the home I grew up in again, and you still own it, and can visit it all the time, anytime you like? What is that even like? Can we go inside?" She tugged his arm, "I want to see your room."

Ben laughed, "It's not exactly like it was when I was little, we have used the house since then…mostly for holidays like this."

"I don't care, I still want to see it," her voice was full of excitement.

Ben open the door and Rey stepped inside, immediately pulling off her snowy boots and placing them in the tray by the door to drip off without ruining the dark, hardwood floor.

"I love it," Rey breathed, "It must have been hard to leave this for Denver."

"Well, at the time, ResistCorp needed an urban presence…" Ben's voice trailed off, "The west seemed like a better launching pad than New England."

Just then the door opened behind them.

Leia and Han stepped in.

"You're already here!" Leia exclaimed, "Did you show Rey around? Make sure you show her where everything is so she feels at home."

Ben was nodding as he approached his mom and swept her into an embrace, "I'll show her everything."

"I know," Leia patted him on the back. Rey could never get over how small Leia looked near Ben. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a child grow up to dwarf you in size.

Ben's room was upstairs, it was small and cozy with a single bed across from the window overlooking the meadow.

"This must have been an amazing place to grow up," she said turning to look at Ben whose large frame somehow seemed to make the room look smaller.

"It was nice having the stability," he nodded, reaching for her, "I know you didn't have that as a kid, I would do anything to give it to you now." He held her tight against him.

"I know you would," Rey touched his cheek and pushed his wavy hair away from his eyes.

"And," Rey took a deep breath, "if I ever do have children, I would want them to grow up in a place just like this."

Ben rested his chin on the top of Rey's head as he held her close.

"Hey guys," Han's voice drifted up from the downstairs, "we're going to get some groceries, we'll be back in a little while."

Ben called down that they would see them when they got back. Ben finished showing Rey the house and telling little stories about things that happened in each room that made Rey laugh.

"Hey, I know we said we would open our gifts tonight, but I have one I can't wait to give you." Ben told her as they walked into the living room where a tree stood decorated in Christmas splendor.

Rey laughed, "Are you sure? I don't mind waiting."

"I can't wait anymore," Ben told her, poking around under the tree.

"Here, this one's for you," Ben held out a large box to Rey.

"Oh goodness, am I going to be shipping this back to myself? I don't know if it fits in my suitcase," Rey giggled as she took it from him.

Ben laughed softly.

"Oh, it's light," she gave it a shake, "so mysterious."

Ben's eyes twinkled, "Well, open it and see."

Rey gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and tore off a section of the paper revealing a white cardboard box inside, no words or pictures, just a plain white box, "Hmm, no clues."

She tore off the rest of the paper, revealing a lid. She removed the lid and set it to the side. Red and white tissue paper filled the inside of the box.

Rey cast Ben a look, "Ahh, deception, it's not as large as it once seemed." She giggled again.

Ben watched her carefully.

She dug into the paper until her fingers brushed something interesting.

It was a small velvety box. Rey froze in place.

Her gaze locked on Ben's eyes.

They both seemed to be holding their breath.

Rey pulled out the tiny box with trembling hands.

"What is this?" she whispered.

"Open it," Ben said softly.

Rey bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

She opened the box and gasped softly.

A diamond ring.

She looked to Ben and found him kneeling in front of her.

"Will you marry me?" he asked his face a mixture of hope and fear and longing.

Tears sprang into Rey's eyes and she covered her mouth with one hand as her lips pulled into a pout to hold back a small sob.

Ben's eyes widened, "Sweetheart."

Ben reached for Rey as she dropped the smaller box back into the larger and lifted her other hand to cover her face as well.

She drew in a ragged breath.

"Sweetheart, come here," he took the box from her lap and set it on the sofa beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"Shh, it's ok, I-I can take it back, I'm...I'm s-sorry." His voice broke in multiple places as he stroked her hair and searched her eyes.

Tears were streaming from Rey's eyes as her head gave a little shake.

"I thought you were ready, I didn't mean to pressure you," he began again.

Rey drew in another shaky breath and shook her head, lifting a finger to his lips to stop him before he said anything else.

Ben moved to sit beside her on the sofa and pulled her close.

"You-" Rey began testing her voice, feeling stronger in the safety of his arms.

"You want to-" she bit her lips together again, holding back a torrent of sobs.

Ben wipes away her tears with his thumbs, quiet now. Waiting.

"You-you want to be my family," Rey whispered.

Ben closed his eyes and exhaled suddenly, fighting back tears of his own that sprang up as the understanding of her words hit him.

"Yes, I love you," he lowered his eyes to meet hers, "I want to be your family. I want to be with you forever, you're my life, Rey." He kissed her forehead and whispered into her hair, "You are my everything."

Rey touched his cheek, her eyes probing him as if to verify he was actually real, just once more.

"I love you too," she whispered.

He kissed her then.

"Is that a 'yes?'" He asked, suddenly pulling back to look into her eyes.

Rey laughed, brushing tears away from her eyes.

"Yes, it's a yes." She nodded, smiling.

Ben released her, and reached for the box, eager to get the ring on her finger.

Rey exhaled quickly, the ring was beautiful.

There was a knock on the door and Leia and Han poked their heads in, "And the answer is…?" Han asked.

"She said 'yes!'" Ben answered, squeezing Rey a little tighter in his arms.

Rey laughed, wiping the happy tears away again.

"She doesn't mind this old house as much as you were afraid she would?" Han asked.

Rey looked at Ben, confused.

"I…uh…hadn't gotten to that part yet, Dad," Ben's dark eyes clouded with apprehension again as he looked back to Rey.

Rey pulled away from him slightly to see his face better, "What part?"

Ben pushed a lock of hair away from her face and behind her ear.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to," he began gently.

Rey raised her eyebrows, "Tell me, Ben Solo."

"We're opening a branch in the New England area, nearby," he took a deep breath, "It's ours to manage, if we want it."

Rey blinked several times.

"And we could live here," she looked around, "all the time."

"We'll give you the house as a wedding gift either way," Leia said, wrapping her arm around Han's waist as she spoke.

Rey looked back at Ben. She laughed as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, "Yes."

His face broke into a smile and he pulled her into a kiss.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.