*Although I have no issue to the ending of TROS, I just felt inspired to do my own alternate one. If you have not seen the movie DO NOT KEEP READING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Please note, I know there will be die hard fans, and my story will have holes in the technical details, so...please be kind. I tried to keep it as true to the Star Wars world as i could, writing at 2 am.

Last warning...SPOILERS FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Lastly...I own nothing! Cause if I did, I certainly wouldn't have to work so hard. I hope you enjoy and please...COMMENT, REVIEW, SAY HI...I am a comment junky. Let me know what you think as I have never written Star Wars fic before.I

Altered

His fingers gripped the edge finally, the room silent after the thunderous crashing of stones shook him to the core while he clung to the ledge fearing it would throw him off. It was to quiet, but he didn't want to call her name for fear that Palpatine was still alive. His muscles burned and his leg was badly injured, which made the climb back up to help Rey agonizingly slow and he feared the worst now that it was so very quiet.

Slowly Ben pulled himself up the last few inches, hauling his weight over onto the floor, panting with the effort. He looked up to see Rey laying on the floor about 30 feet from him, and she was still. Raising to stand his heart dropped and he felt the cold grip of fear on his soul, as if a piece of him was suddenly gone. His leg gave out under him and his hands caught his fall, rocks biting into his palms unnoticed and he gathered himself to rise. He hobbled the last couple feet, collapsing beside Rey, her eyes staring vacantly up at him, her skin, chalk white against the grey stone.

NO! His mind screamed at him as he scrambled to gather her limp form in his arms, pulling her to his chest with desperation. He had lost so much already, he couldn't lose her. Not her. She didn't deserve what should have been his ending, and his mind struggled to focus as time seemed to slowed. The force gathered around him, flowing through him, calming him.

He closed his eyes and placed his hand on Rey's abdomen focusing the life force inside of him directly to the point of his palm. He had never had such a control of his force before and he felt the light rise up from the depths, flowing as if a warm river of life from his hand into Rey. He had felt her do the same when she had saved him, and he had marveled at her strength and ability. Now, he understood how the balance gave him a wealth of power he could never imagine could exist, and he willed it, pleaded for it to give back her life.

In that moment it stretched out into what seemed like an eternity, and he froze as he felt a small, strong hand cover his, his eyes snapping open, turning, to take in her face.

Rey was staring up at him in disbelief, shifting slightly as her head came up, eyes, questioningly searching his face with an unasked thought. Recognition dawned and Ben saw her face brighten, a small smile playing on her lips, "Ben?" She whispered in a soft voice hesitantly as her hand reached up to stroke his cheek.

It had been so long since someone had touched him with such tenderness, his eyes filled with tears and he stared in wonder at the powerful woman in his arms. Never had he desired someone so much in his whole life, and up until the moment she healed him, it had been a twisted obsession. One that the dark had bent and distorted in his mind into something all consuming, until Rey had admitted, she had longed to take his hand, Ben's hand.

It took only a fraction of a second for the tension to snap between them and suddenly her lips were crashing into his. He didn't even remember moving towards her, but her arm around his waist weas crushing him to her, and he felt the warmth of her body through the sheath of her wraps against her back.

Ben felt Rey shift and he reluctantly pulled back, finding, to his amazement, she was smiling, almost shyly at him, causing him to grin. He couldn't help it. For the first time in his life, the darkness was quiet, and he was whole.

Rey's face suddenly shifted to concern and she shifted her gaze over Ben's shoulder, while keeping her hand on his cheek, "Palpatine?"she whispered, her eyes flicking back to his.

"You did it," Ben whispered back, almost as encouragement, "You killed him." He said with a little more conviction, wanting to ease the concern he felt through her hand.

Rey's eyes softened a little as the returned to his face and he relished in the feeling of her hesitant touch on the damp strands of his hair that curled around his temple and cheek. He felt her take a deep breath and knew their moment was coming to an end.

"The fleet." She said suddenly, letting the world slide back in to their momentary bubble, and they both looked up to see the star destroyers exploding as the rebel fleet swarmed like wasps, taking out the guns.

"We need to get out of here." Ben finally said as they both took note of the destroyer directly above them starting to descend in flames, explosions rumbling like ominous thunder. "Can you walk?" He added, as the pain of his leg started to creep back into his awareness.

Rey's lips tightened and she gave a sharp nod, "You?" She asked, and Ben could feel her on the edges of his mind, the force bringing her presence into awareness.

He didn't have to answer, their connection told her all she needed and she shifted out of his arms and stood, reaching her hand down as he looked up at her. Suddenly, the weight of her gesture unveiled the reality of his situation. He may have killed Kylo Ren, but he, Ben Solo, had nowhere to go.

He felt Rey there, searching as he hesitated as she reached for him, "Ben," Rey said, causing him to lift his eyes from her hand to her face. "Come with me." She added, softly but with absolute confidence.

He reached out, taking her hand before he could even think, and she helped him stand, quickly tucking herself under his arm on the side of his injured leg. They moved as quickly as possible back to the lift, passing the fallen bodies of the Knights of Ren, and Ben feeling Rey's eyes drift to him as she surveyed his handiwork.

He felt a twinge of guilt twist in his stomach as he thought of all the things he had done for the First Order, and as Supreme Leader, causing his steps to falter. "You should leave me here." He said softly, voicing his insecurity.

Rey stopped with him and shifted herself slightly so he could look her in the eye, her face hard and determined with resolve, the same look she had regarded him with, when she had called him a monster.

"I'm not leaving you." She said firmly, and Ben felt his anger spark.

"Look around you Rey," he said bitterly. "My past may be dead, but do you really think I can just show up along side you to the Resistance?!"

Rey took a step back from him carefully, as his anger drifted through to her through their bond and Ben clamped down on his mind tightly. Her eyes narrowed as she pushed against his walls for a moment. The anger and fear that ruled him, hadn't just disappeared. He was still very aware of the darkness inside of him, but as Palpatine had said, when he pulled the life force from them both, their joining had become something else, a balancing of souls as well as the force between them.

"I won't let them hurt you." She said forcefully, causing Ben to chuckle, which in turn caused Rey's face to shift with frustrated impatience. "Ben, we need to get out of here. Where else can you go?!"

Ben felt the darkness rise in him like a tidal wave with his anger and he lashed out towards Rey, "I don't know! But they will NEVER accept me!" He yelled, the force rippling around him cracking the stones around his feet.

Rey blinked at his sudden anger, her eyes narrowing at his, causing the fire to suddenly be snuffed out as quickly as it rose, leaving Ben spent and feeling guilty for his outburst and his eyes dropped to the cracks at his feet in shame.

"Come with me." Rey said quietly as the rumbling of the exploding ship started to vibrate the floor in the cavernous room. Her words were spoken slowly, each one accentuated purposely to convey her seriousness of conviction, causing Ben to look back up into her eyes.

"I don't know if I have the strength to do this." He whispered as he had to his father, reaching out with the force subconsciously for Rey's strength.

Rey stepped towards him again, her posture softening at the vulnerability he laid in front of her, till she was close enough to touch him and placed a light hand on his chest over his heart, "You do. And I will be with you, I promise."

The force seemed to ebb and weave between them like joining bodies of water, swirling and mixing, light and dark, ebbing and flowing in a harmonious, fluid motion and Ben shuddered with the calm it created. He breathed in, closing his eyes and focused on the warm hand on his chest.

He nodded quickly, and felt Rey slip under his arm again as he opened he eyes, resolve propelling him forward. He knew what came next was just the beginning, but now, Rey was by his side, literally and figuratively.

They made their way to the where Rey and Ben had left their ships, pausing briefly as they reached them, Rey eyeing Ben's Silencer for a moment. There was no way they would be able to both be in one ship.

She moved him forward to his ship just as the ground heaved under them the rumbling of the falling ships became deafening.

"Stay close on my wing." Rey yelled as Ben's ramp descended as she turned to leave.

Ben grabbed her hand stopping her momentarily. He knew this would be risky and that he would very likely be shot down, thought of as an enemy fighter after Rey and he wanted to say something, but as soon as she turned and fixed her gaze on him, all words left him. What could he say to her that would cover what she was doing, and how she had saved him, brought him back to the light?

"Ben," Rey said, snapping him out of his thoughts, a ghost of a smile on her lips, "we need to go now." She said with an encouraging nod in the direction of the top of his ramp.

He settled for a squeeze of her hand and a short, curt nod before hobbling up the ramp and into his ship. The ground heaved again, rocking both ships badly and throwing Ben in his seat with such force that it nearly knocked the wind out of him. He clenched his jaw and set to starting the engines and getting the comms up and running.

No sooner had he done that when Rey's voice cracked in his ear piece, "Gotta go, now!" with such urgency that Ben could feel her anxiety leeching through their bond as an explosion started to make its way towards the ships from the direction of where they had just come from.

Both fighters rose, just as the flames burst out from the base of the Sith temple, Ben making sure his firing systems were inactive, while staying close to Rey's wing.