Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. – The Fray, "All at Once"

"He's coming for me."

The words startle her awake. She had been half-asleep, walking the dunes of Jakku in her mind, when she had felt the connection tug at her – but, stubbornly, she had refused to acknowledge his presence. Now, she has no choice.

"What?" She sits upright immediately. He is standing at the foot of her bed, his back to her. "How do you know?"

He laughs without humor. "I'm well-acquainted with the voices in my head. I noticed that there's a new one."

She stands and walks to him. His shoulders tense in response, but he does not turn to face her. "Why would he come for you now, after all these years?"

"I'm the last one left. The last Skywalker blood in the galaxy is in my veins. He means to finish what he started when he – " He breaks off abruptly. The Force surrounding them in their bond suddenly feels strained, painful. She can feel the rage and turmoil building in him, though she has no idea why this time.

"When he…?" she prompts, but he remains silent, only raking his gloved hands through his hair almost violently. She can't help but notice the way his hands shake as he lowers them back to his side. "Ben?"

He whirls to face her, and the expression on his face is one of absolute anguish. She takes a step back in surprise.

"This is my fault," he growls. "Just like everything else has always been my fault!"

The shelves in her room on the Falcon rattle from the Force laden into every word of his shout. On instinct, her hand settles on her hip, but her lightsaber is not there. Why would it be, if she was trying to sleep?

"How could it be your fault?" she demands, crossing her arms. Over the past few years, she has learned that it is easier to talk Ben through his thought process than to oppose him outright.

"'I will finish what you started.' That's what I would say, when I was – meditating. Snoke suggested that I speak to my grandfather directly to seek his guidance."

"But your grandfather turned to the light in the end."

"I wasn't speaking to Anakin; I was speaking to Darth Vader. Almost literally."

Her brows furrow in confusion. "How could you – "

He waves a hand dismissively, cutting her off midsentence. If she didn't know better, she would say that he seems embarrassed, for some reason. "It's not important. What matters is that he's coming. He wants to make me the powerful Sith that my grandfather was. He wants me to finish what Darth Vader started."

She nods resolutely, possibilities already running through her head. "Okay. We can fix this. Poe and Finn can stay here, and Chewie and I can take the Falcon to someplace neutral – someplace you can get away to easily, and then – "

"What if I don't want to?"

Only he would argue over their escape plan. "Fine," she says exasperatedly, "what's your idea, then?"

He pauses, his eyes studying her intently in the half-light of her room. "What if I don't want to be rescued? Maybe I want what he has planned for me."

Now it's her turn to pause. She is surprised, yes, but it is more than that. She is disappointed in him for even thinking that way. Still, she hides it, lifting her chin defiantly. "Is that what you want?"

He sits on the edge of her bed, sighing, all his anger from before gone with that one breath. "I don't know," he admits quietly. "I don't know what I want anymore."

Carefully, she sits beside him, covering one of his hands with her own. "You'll have to decide soon," she whispers.

He meets her eyes even as a tear threatens to roll down his cheek. "I know."

With that, he is gone.

She climbs back into bed, though she knows it's pointless. She won't be getting any rest tonight.

It's a week before she sees him again.

The moment he appears, she makes a quick excuse to Poe and Finn, and heads back to the clearing where the Falcon sits. He follows close behind.

As soon as they're alone, he speaks. "You said we could find someplace neutral."

She tries to ignore the hope that fills her at his words. "I did."

"Where?"

"Jakku," she says, smiling ruefully. "It's a garbage heap, but it has no affiliation to the Resistance or the First Order. It's our best bet at evading notice."

"Will you meet me there tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yes," she replies immediately, perhaps too quickly, if his expression is anything to go by. "Yes. What time?"

"Two standard hours after noon?"

"I'll be there. But Ben…what happens after that?"

"I have a plan," he says, his voice confident despite the worry in his eyes. "Will you help me?"

Her heart nearly stops at the familiar words. She must force her expression to remain calm when she whispers, "Of course, Ben. You know I will."

He nods, his own expression barely concealing the emotions churning within him. "We'll meet four miles outside of Niima Outpost and begin your training there."

"Training?" she repeats, confused.

"If we want to beat Palpatine, we'll need to know each other even better than we do now – and for all your progress these past years, your abilities remain largely untapped." The corner of his mouth lifts in a half-formed smirk, as if he's trying to remind himself of what it's like to smile. "You do still need a teacher."

She laughs, surprised. He isn't wrong. "You could learn a few things yourself, Supreme Leader," she teases. "Scavengers know more than they let on."

"It will be an even exchange, then. I look forward to it." His relief is written plainly across his face. It makes him look far younger than she has ever seen him. "Thank you, Rey."

"You're welcome," she replies, smiling as she reaches for his hand. He meets her halfway, locking his fingers with hers.

Tomorrow, they start over.

A/N: Are you freaking out as much as I am? xD I really hope these two team up again in IX!