Chapter 1

If Rey knew one thing for sure, it was that life would kick you in the nuts over and over and there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it. She thought this as she walked down the street to the subway holding a cardboard box containing her miniature rose plant and a pink sparkly notebook, a precious present from her adopted daughter.

'Let go.' She had been 'let go.' It sounded like it should be a good thing, like letting go of a balloon or a kite, leaving her free to soar above the clouds, but she felt like she was hurtling towards the pavement instead. Hot tears threatened to pour down her cheeks but she blinked them back. There would be time to cry in private later. She needed to be strong. After all, this didn't just affect her.

It had seemed like a great idea at the time, to adopt some kids and have a ready-made family. It was a dream come true for an orphan who had spent her childhood hopping from foster home to foster home, and though money was always tight, Rey loved Star and Warren as if they were her own.

Star, was five and the light of Rey's life with her beaming smile and eternal optimism. Warren, ten, was more of a challenge, and Rey had had to work hard to gain his trust but the boy's intellect was outstanding and she had high hopes for his future. She tightened her grip on her box of meagre belongings. Guess they would just have to make the best of it. Again. Rey wished life would find another poor bastard to pick on.

After a hot exhausting journey, Rey arrived home and silently sent out a prayer of gratitude that the kids were still at school. She mustered the strength to walk up the steps to the front door of the small home she shared with her children, popping the key in the lock and sighing at the sight of the 'final notice' envelopes littering the carpeted floor. Rey closed the door behind her and sunk to the ground.

'I could really use a break here,' she said out loud before burying her head in her hands.

Benjamin Solo slammed his glass down on the counter in front of Hux, causing the man to jump. 'I don't give a damn how far away the store is, if you feed me this cheap ass vodka again I will drown you in it, do I make myself clear?'

'Yes Sir,' Hux replied with a look of loathing on his face.

'And wipe that look off your face. If you hate me so much, why do you continue to work for me?'

'I don't hate you Sir,' Hux said unconvincingly.

'You're a shitty liar Hux,' Ben shot back.

'Yes Sir,' Hux conceded.

Ben walked away before he made the image of his fist connected with Hux's face a reality. He could feel the angry red heads eyes boring a hole in his back as he exited the room.

Hux was an enigma to Ben. He hated his job as Ben's butler (that was abundantly clear) yet he chose not to leave. Ben enjoyed pushing to see how far Hux would go before reaching his final limit, even insisting he come on this journey with him aboard his yacht knowing that Hux always became violently seasick. But yet again Hux had decided to grin and bear it. Well, grimace and bear it anyway.

Ben could only assume that it was the 'relationship' Hux created in his head with Ben's adoptive father that kept Hux skulking around. It was sickening how he pandered to Sirius Snoke, a man that most people, including his own children, wanted to recoil from. Hux seemed to think that the nicer he was to the odious man, the more chance there was of him being remembered in the aging millionaires will. Ben knew how laughable that was because Ben's father didn't care for 'nice.' He wanted destroyers. World conquerors. Unmatched captains of industry.

Sirius Snoke raised his two adopted children to take over his business and that goal took a firm hand and a firm belt apparently. Ben shook the unwelcome thoughts of his difficult childhood away as he returned to the top deck, taking in a deep breath of sea air as he stared out over the glimmering horizon.

They had been stuck in port at this stupid country bumpkin town for two days and they were still no closer to fixing the problem with the yacht's engine. It was ridiculous that they couldn't find one capable mechanic in the whole place.

Ben did have to admit that if he hadn't called his crew incompetent fools, perhaps they wouldn't have quit leaving only Hux, Ben, and a few remaining staff onboard with no one capable of fixing the broken engine. Perhaps a small amount of the blame was on him here, but most of the blame could be attributed to the incompetent fools themselves!

'Sir.' Ben turned to see Hux standing to attention behind him on the deck. 'I was talking to some of the other boat owners in the area and they said there is a girl, Rey is her name. She isn't a mechanic per se, has a number of jobs from what I understand, but the men consider her an expert when it comes to engine work. They gave me her number.' Hux held out his hand with a small piece of paper held gingerly between his finger and thumb. Ben snatched it away.

'Thank you Hux. I will deal with this,' he said, looking down at the number scrawled on the tiny scrap.

'Very well Sir,' Hux drawled in his British accent before bowing slightly and taking his leave. Ben rolled his eyes. The bowing was absurd but it made Hux crazy so he kept insisting on it.

Ben took his phone out of his pocket and dialled the number.

'You better by worth my time,' he growled as he waited for the phone to connect, 'I am not in the mood for anymore time wasters.'

Rey was lying flat on the floor with the pile of unopened bills covering her chest when she felt her pocket buzz. She fished out her phone and frowned at the unknown number.

'Hello?'

'Is this Rey?' A deep voice enquired impatiently.

'It is. Who may I ask is speaking?' Rey asked, pulling herself up to a sitting position.

'This is Benjamin Solo. I'm a visitor to your… town and my yacht has a mechanical problem. I need to get out of here so when can you come?'

'Hold on a second! What?' Rey shook her head trying to take in all the information that had been thrown at her in the last thirty seconds.

There was an audible sigh on the other side of the phone, 'I need you to come and fix my boat, as soon as possible. Can you do that?'

This time the voice was very slow and very patronising. Anger bubbled up to Rey's stomach and she considered hanging up, but catching sight of a picture of Star and Warren on a nearby occasional table had her swallowing her fury. This guy was an asshole, but he was probably a rich asshole and she wasn't in the position to be turning down paid work.

'Yes. I can come now. Just tell me where you are.'

'Excellent. Obviously we are docked at the harbour, it's the biggest boat. You can't miss it.'

Rey rolled her eyes. 'Okay, I'll be thirty minutes.'

'Very well. We can discuss the issue of payment once I see whether or not you are capable for the job.'

The voice hung up and Rey was left feeling relieved to have something to distract her from her current predicament, but also feeling exceedingly angry that she would have to play nice with such an obnoxious individual. She picked herself up and located her tool kit. Picking up her phone she called her best friend Rose for a lift, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions about why she was home so early. She wasn't ready to delve into her little sob story yet. That was for later… after at least two glasses of wine.

When Rey arrived at the harbour and waved her friend goodbye, she had to concede that there was no way she could have missed which vessel belonged to Benjamin Solo. His yacht was at least twice as big as every other boat she could see.

A tall, pale man met her as she approached the boat.

'Miss Rey I presume? I am Armitage Hux, Mr. Solo's personal butler. You can address me as Hux. Please come this way,' he said in a very proper British accent. Rey smiled and followed him, wondering if she should have curtsied.

Once they were on deck she came face to back with Benjamin Solo. The first thing she noticed was how tall he was, then how broad his shoulders were. He was wearing white linen trousers and a light blue shirt. She noted with interest that his hair was jet black and styled to fall just above his shoulders. He turned and met her with a scowl.

'Well? Can you do it?' he demanded, marching towards her and forcing her to crane her neck to meet his eyes. Wow. Such a deep brown…

'Can you do it?' he repeated loudly causing Rey to blink hard.

That voice! It shook her insides…

'Mr. Solo I haven't had time to inspect the engine, but as I haven't came across an engine I haven't been able to fix yet, I can say with some confidence that I'm sure I can have you sailing the ocean blue again in no time.'

Ben's mouth quirked up a little then it was gone. Was that a hint of a smile? She noted with interest that she very much wanted to see him smile. She noted with even more interest that she wanted to be the reason for that smile. Curious.

'Hux, show her to the engine,' Ben said and he turned away from her signalling that the conversation was over.

Rude! I take it all back! She thought to herself angrily as she followed Hux to the engine room.

Ben had been surprised to find that the girl was so young, early twenties maybe? And very attractive in a girl-next-door kind of a way, not nearly sophisticated enough for him, but maybe with the right guidance?

Ben shook his head. Was he really getting hot and bothered over the help?

'Get a grip Ben,' he told himself as he sipped his martini, but his mind kept wandering back to her shapely tanned legs and her pretty mouth.

Rey hoped she hadn't gotten in too deep. Sure, she had fixed fishing boats and tugs before, but a super-yacht? This was something else.

'I didn't expect to find a fellow Brit all the way out here!' Hux shouted back to her as they clunked down some metal steps.

'Ahh yes! Guess that would be a bit of a surprise. I've lived here so long now I sometimes forget that I'm not a native.'

'I see,' Hux replied. Clearly disinterested. 'Well, here we are. Shall I leave you to it?'

Rey took a look at the complex machinery in front of her.

'Ahh… Yes sure.'

'Just call if you need anything.'

Then she was alone with only a massive hunk of metal to keep her company. Rey swallowed.

'Okay time to get to work.'

An hour later sweating profusely with streaks of dirt in her face, Rey reappeared on deck.

'Done!' she said cheerfully wiping her hands on a rag.

Mr. Solo sat in a deck chair with his legs crossed leaning his head on his finger and thumb. He observed her from the privacy of his sunglasses but said nothing. Rey suppressed a shiver.

'Hux!' he shouted, making Rey jump.

Hux appeared on deck.

'Yes Sir?'

'The girl seems to think she has fixed the problem. Start the engine so we can test her theory.'

'Yes Sir,' Hux replied before disappearing once more.

Rey crossed her arms over her chest,

'The girl has a name. It's Rey, remember?'

Ben didn't reply. They both heard the engine roar into life and Rey smiled smugly at Ben.

'See? Told ya!'

'I'm impressed. Well done. I'm also impressed that you didn't draw out the time that you worked on the problem in order to hike up the price. You do know this job pays minimum wage by the hour, right?'

'Hey! I just fixed a super-yacht! That's worth more than an hour's pay!'

'Are you suggesting you should receive the same wage as a skilled mechanic? Now now Rey, that seems a little… egotistical. You are at best a glorified handyman. I am happy to pay you for the hour, but that is all,' he said with a wave of his hand.

'Of all the low down cheap tricks! I want 100 dollars or I'll fix your engine so it never works again Mr. Solo!' Rey said taking a few steps towards him.

Ben's warm eyes turned cold as he stood up and came towards her. 'Are you threatening me, Rey? I don't think you want to do that.'

Rey couldn't believe she was arguing back, but she was sick of being taking advantage of and treated like dirt. She wasn't going to take it anymore. Certainly not from some prissy little rich boy who by the look of his fingernails had never worked a day in his life!

She plonked her toolbox down on the deck. 'I'm not leaving here without my money.'

'And I will pay you for the hour,' Ben replied.

'Look richy rich, we both know you can afford it so just give me what I'm asking for and I'll be on my way.'

Ben laughed, 'Why on earth should I do that? You're in no position to dictate to me.'

'Give me my money or you'll be sorry,' Rey said in what she hoped was a threatening voice.

'Very well,' Ben said as Rey held her ground, but soon she realised what a mistake she had made. Ben picked her up as if she weighed nothing and threw her over the side of the boat. Rey screamed as she splashed into the cold water below and watched in horror as her tools went flying past her a couple of meters away and sank never to be seen again.

'No one threatens me!' came an angry voice from the deck.

'You asshole!' Rey shouted back as she treaded water, 'I'll have you arrested!'

'I'll have you arrested if you don't get out of here!' he bellowed back.

Rey dragged herself to shore and squealed in frustration. She took out her phone, but found it so waterlogged that it was un-usable. She heard the yacht start to pull away.

'Hey!' she shouted, waving her hands in the air, but no one noticed her.

Rey sat down on the ground and gritted her jaw in frustration.

'Rey?' She looked up to see the diner owner Leia walking her dog and peering at her questioningly. Rey burst into tears at the sight of a friendly face.

'Oh honey!' Leia said before coming up to Rey and putting an arm around her. 'It can't be that bad! Come on. You're soaked through! Let's get you home!'

Rey sobbed and nodded, allowing Leia to pull her up off the ground and lead her to her beat-up truck. Gary happily bounced into the front seat and Rey followed suit. On the way home, Rey laid out the entire story to Leia about being let go, the mounting bills, and of course the asshole who had thrown her off his boat.

Leia listened quietly until they arrived back at Rey's house.

'Seemed like life has really done a number on you, but there is at least something I can do to help. You can come work at the diner. I'm one waitress short.'

'Leia, you don't have to do that!'

'I know I don't. I want to do it. So do you want the job?'

'Yes. Yes I really do. Thank you so much, Leia.'

'Great! You can start tomorrow! And Han can give you some of his old tools. He has thousands of them, more than he could possibly use. Silly old hoarder that he is,' Leia said with a roll of her crinkled eyes.

Rey felt like crying again at the generosity of her dear friend.

'Leia, I…' she started to try and explain how overwhelmed she was.

'Hush now! You have to get inside, get dry, and go get those kids of yours!'

'Oh god! Yes!' Rey said suddenly realising she would have to get a move on if she didn't want to be late. She jumped out of the car and ran towards the house.

'Thank you, Leia! See you tomorrow!' she shouted back as she sprinted inside.

Benjamin Solo had all the money he could want, but he was lacking in every other area. His own butler Hux hated him and even his sister Phasma couldn't stand to be around him.

Ben was not concerned with what others thought of him. The only opinion that mattered was his own. He preferred his own company, occasionally selecting women to spend a night or two with before cruelly casting them aside. He never considered the feelings of others, it was a waste of time.

That evening on the deck, he was congratulating himself on being so very self-aware that he didn't need to concern himself with the thoughts of others - when the boat suddenly rocked quite violently. Ben managed to steady himself and began walking down the deck to shout at someone for the near-miss when the boat rocked again and Ben fell overboard into the water below, banging his head on the side of the boat as he fell. And as unconsciousness claimed him, he could have sworn he heard a woman's laugh echoing in the night sky.