He holds Rey for quite some time, just being together, but she begins to shift and draw her head back to catch his gaze. He wants to press her head back into his chest, but she clearly wants to say something, so he ignores the impulse.

"I really need to be alone with you." She looks around the main cabin at all of the children sprawled out wherever they could find space. Some sleep soundly, others fitfully. Finn and a few of the other older kids murmur quietly in a corner. "Do you think they'll be okay with just Poe and … Armitage to watch over them?" she asks.

Ben's nose scrunches up at the mention of the annoying man. He's not sure why he dislikes him so much, but his ire is visceral. Though ... he seems harmless enough. It would be a balm to his soul to have Rey just to himself in their small cabin. And anyway, the kids are still armed. "I think so, but maybe we should check in with Poe."

She nods once and gets a pensive expression on her face. "In the future, Hux is a genocidal mad man, but whatever happened to him clearly hasn't yet. Because now he just seems sort of lost, like a twyla that's been kicked too many times."

His eyes widen. "Genocide?" How bad did the future get?

Rey grimaces. "It doesn't matter, it won't happen now. But yeah … he was sort of responsible for blowing up the whole Hosnian system."

Now Ben's eyes are bugging out of his skull. "And you wanted to bring him with us?!"

Rey hushes him and he quiets down, watching the sleeping children shift. "He was also responsible for the stormtroopers. In my time he was a general."

Ben's glance cuts to where Poe and Hux sit, the game completely forgotten as Poe flirts and the ginger idiot blushes. He tries to see it, how this slender, vaguely sickly-looking man rose to general, but instead he catches him stealing looks at Poe. All Ben can do is shake his head. So much had changed for him in the future, who's to say what events did to Armitage Hux.

Holding hands, Rey and Ben approach the two men and stand there awkwardly.

"Course, my ship is only a one-seater, but I think we could make something work," Poe says to Hux in a conspiratorial voice.

The lieutenant chokes and Ben clears his throat while Rey's eyebrows shoot up.

"Oh, hey Ben, Rey," Poe acknowledges casually.

"Uh, can we talk to you? Over here?" Rey asks with a jerk of her head.

Then Poe cups Hux's face for just a moment, grinning. "I'm sure he'll behave himself. Right, Hugs?"

He raises his hands, still trapped in binders, and wiggles his fingers, making an incredulous look.

Poe's lips pull into a mocking pout and he says, "Not 'till I'm sure you mean everything you've been telling me. You're cute, but no one is that cute."

When Hux ducks his head, Ben thinks he might wretch.

At least Poe takes a moment to add a set of binders to Hux's ankle, linking him to the dejarik table. "Be back in a bit," he says, flashing one of his blinding smiles.

As they turn away, Ben doesn't know what to make of the sadness he sees in the prisoner's eyes.

Once they're out of Hux's earshot, Rey whirls on Poe. "What the hell was that?!" she whispers furiously.

Poe rubs the back of his neck and gives her a sheepish look. "I know, I know … but you shoulda seen his expression when I burst in on him. He just looked … haunted. Didn't fight when I put the binders on him, and only asked what I was gonna do with the kids if he took me to them. I think … I think he was worried about 'em."

With a troubled face, Rey shakes her head. "I know he's not the same man I heard about in the future, and I do hope we can work with him. But … I don't think he's a good man. The things he does in the future ..."

"Well he ain't done 'em yet," Poe argues stubbornly. "He coulda commanded the kids to fire on me. They were drilling, fine little fighters. I wouldn't have stood a chance. But he never said a word. Just stood there while I talked to 'em."

Her worried eyes catch Ben's and he can feel through their connection how conflicted she is about this. Rey doesn't want Poe to be hurt. She lets out a long sigh. "Okay. Okay." She pauses and briefly glances back at the topic of discussion. "Do you think he'll help us find their families?"

Poe stands up straighter. "Yeah, yeah I do."

Ben snorts. "This isn't just because you want to use those binders for something else, now, is it?" The dark look Poe gives him takes Ben aback. He'd thought Poe was just having a bit of fun, but … "Wait, Poe, are you serious about him?"

"I don't know!" Poe exclaims and one of the children snuffles in his sleep so he lowers his voice. "I just … there's something about him. Like … if someone just gave him a little care he might … oh hell, I have no idea what I'm doing." He throws his hands up in the air.

Rey's mood shifts quickly, and she steps up to Poe. "We'll have to have a long chat. I have some pointers," she says with a knowing smile.

Through the bond, Ben gets strong impressions of Kylo Ren and he wants to be offended, but now that he's met … himself, he must admit that Rey probably does know something about the care and feeding of homicidal maniacs.

Poe gets a relieved look on his face and he eagerly asks, "Yeah?"

Nodding, she says, "Yeah."

"Well," Ben interrupts. "Not that your twisted love life isn't fascinating, but do you think you can handle the kids and Hux for a little bit?"

Poe's face splits into a huge, smug grin. "I hope you're staying hydrated."

Rolling his eyes, Ben huffs out an annoyed sound, but Rey just giggles.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Poe mutters, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Go be soulmates or whatever."

Rey leans forward and pecks him on the cheek. "Thanks, Poe."

Finally alone, Ben takes Rey's face in his hands and simply looks at her. There's so much to say … but right now he just wants to drink her down, allow his fear of losing her to be drowned out by her love.

"Are you alright?" he asks from his heart.

He watches as her face shifts into a mask and she nods, smiling through the bleakness he feels emanating from her.

"Rey …" he pushes, his tone laced with doubt.

Her eyes grow liquid with grief. "I … I didn't know someone could be so cruel, so … malignant."

"I hate that you had to hear those words in my voice." He's surprised at the venom in his voice.

She presses her cheek into his palm as she places her hand over his. A shuddering breath escapes her, and she holds his eyes intensely. "I never, ever thought of him as you. That wasn't you. It could never be you. Even … even at your darkest, you would never have done to me what Palpatine had planned."

A thread of discomfort winds through him—he feels better able to claim he knows what his future self would have done after his vision—but it's still not him. Then he decides it's all too confusing. They have a lifetime to untangle everything. Together.

"You're right. I never would have. I … he … could never even conceive of something so monstrous."

Her head tilts in his hands and she says, "You seem … more confident about him, I guess."

Even though it's only been a few hours since he came face-to-face with Kylo Ren, it feels like another life and the reminder of his haunted eyes and desperate love for Rey makes his chest constrict, almost painfully.

"I … my vision, it was him. In the cavern. I understand him, now. I think."

Her eyes fly wide and her lip quivers slightly. "You s-saw him?"

Ben nods his head. "He asked me to take care of you."

"He … he did?" Her voice quavers.

"Oh, Rey … he truly did love you. I think it was the only thing he had, in the end."

Gaze clouding with disbelief, she frowns. "But … it was just a vision. It came from you."

Ben takes in a deep breath. He's surprised he's not hurt that she's so eager to know that his future self loved her. He thought she knew, but she's clearly still seeking confirmation. Instead of the jealousy he would expect, he just wants to give her all the security he can.

"Time doesn't matter to the Force. The future, the past, it's all the same. It was him."

"How do you know?" she asks, her voice breaking but her eyes shining with hope.

He smiles at her, gently, warmly. "I felt it."

Swallowing thickly before she lets out a long sigh, she presses herself forward, wrapping her arms around him. He immediately enfolds her and feels her smaller body tremble against him.

"Thank you," she sighs into his tunic.

Then she pulls back and lifts her face, clearly inviting him to kiss her.

Chest swelling with happiness, he swiftly descends on her mouth. Oh, yes. This. Just the two of them is all he needs, all he wants. And nothing will stand in their way.

It's not long before his hands begin to wander.

Rey's perfect sleeping face makes his heart ache with how much he loves her. He'd thought he'd be asleep, too. She'd certainly done her best to tire him out. But he's wide awake, his mind spinning out into the realm of possibility.

He wants to laugh until he cries, yell his triumph to the skies, revel in his freedom. Tripping through his own mind, he's a livewire of energy and he can't stay settled any longer.

Gently, he untangles himself from around his precious Rey and she makes a sad little whimper when he withdraws. It's enough to make him want to return to their small berth, but he contents himself with watching her slip back into deep sleep.

Ben dresses quickly, not sure why he's so hurried, but he's impatient to live this new life he's wrenched back from his dark masters. The Force glints and shimmers, wrapping him in surety. His life is his now, no more taint, no more corruption. Just him and his girl.

When he bursts into the main cabin, he's frustrated to find everyone asleep. Even Poe is snoring away with Hux's head leaning on his shoulder. Ben sighs. He's going to have to find a way to accept the ginger irritant.

He steps around all the sleeping children, making his way to the cockpit. He almost trips over his uncle tucked against the far wall as he leaves the central gathering space. Luke is also sleeping lightly.

Is anyone still awake? Sure, they'd been through hell, but he can't be the only one feeling like this. How can they all be sleeping when the bright, brilliant future is right here, right now?

His mother is alone in the cockpit, reviewing something on a datapad.

"Where's Dad?" he asks, surprised to find they aren't glued at the hip.

"Oh, I finally convinced him to get some sleep. It's not every day he almost dies." She cracks a wry grin. "At least not every day." Her eyes grow serious and she sits up from her lounging position, setting aside her datapad. "And you. It's not every day you get possessed by pure evil. How are you?," she asks seriously.

He flops into the co-pilot's chair and looks out onto the blue of hyperspace. How is he? One would think he'd be full of anger at being so ill-used, but instead he's simply impatient to live.

"I'm good, Mom."

A skeptical eyebrow shoots up and she looks at him keenly. "Really?"

Taking in a deep breath, he tries to think over everything that has happened from the minute they set foot on Moraband. He'd laid his future self—his fear of himself, really—to rest, then finally faced the shadow presence of his whole life … sent that shadow to the abyss. He should probably be traumatized; he's not entirely certain that Rey isn't. Hell, maybe he is.

But right now, he's brimming with life and an uncontainable joy at finally being truly free.

"Yes, Mom. Really."

She smiles and pats his knee. "I'm proud of you. I've always been proud that you're my son, but now … now you've become the young man I always knew you could be. Despite spectacular failure on our parts."

Ben rolls his eyes. How long will it take his family to forgive themselves and just get on with it? But then he looks at his mother more closely. She doesn't seem wracked with guilt like his father and uncle. Instead, there's a deep serenity to her, a new wisdom.

"What's changed?" he asks curiously.

Leia snorts loudly and gives him an incredulous look.

Chuckling lightly, Ben says, "Okay, other than finally putting down Palpatine for good. I mean with you."

She gives him a look of complete peace then smiles at him with something in her eyes he can't define. "I finally talked with my father."

For a moment, he thinks she means Bail, but no, he couldn't be a Force ghost. Ben certainly wishes he could; he'd like to meet him. Growing up, she'd kept Alderaan alive for her son with such beautiful tales, raising him with nearly-dead traditions. His grandparents had figured prominently in such stories.

But no, she means Anakin … Vader. He wants to say something, but it all just feels trite. What can you really say about the Princess of the Rebellion coming to terms with the Sith Terror of the Galaxy?

Leia seems to understand his struggle and explains, "For years I refused to have anything to do with him. Luke would speak with him from time to time, but the only way I routinely used the Force was to make him leave when he would try to talk to me. The minute he opened his mouth, he was gone."

Maker, his mother is so effortlessly strong. She's no Jedi, but she can wield the galaxy with her hands. The only person he knows with more ferocity is his beloved.

"But this time," she continues, "I decided to listen. Everything changed with you when Rey made me finally listen. So I did."

"What did he say?" Ben asks, finding he needs to know for his own journey.

Unfortunately, his mother shakes her head. "No … that's mine. But the past doesn't own me any longer."

And there it is. The truth of Ben's new life. He leans forward and takes her hand in his, catching her gaze. "Yes. Exactly. It doesn't own any of us any longer, Mom."

Leia's lips curve into a proud smile. "No … no it doesn't."

He pulls away and sits back. They both return their eyes to the streaking stars and Ben's exhilaration keeps pace with the Falcon at light speed.

After a long while, Leia stifles a yawn and Ben is relieved at the reminder that his extraordinary mother is human after all. "Go. Sleep. I'll stay here."

"You don't want to get back to Rey?"

He focuses on where she lives in the back of his mind and finds her slumbering soundly. "She's fine."

Leia shakes her head and lets out a quiet chuckle. "You'd think the Force couldn't still surprise me, but what you two have …" She stands and clasps his shoulder. "Well, it's beautiful."

In his mind, Ben has almost designed the whole house he wants to build for Rey when her hand in his hair makes him turn as he groans in pleasure.

She never startles him, every molecule in his body knowing hers like his own. But he must have been deeply focused not to consciously realize she was awake. Reaching up, he pulls her hand from his hair and tangles his fingers with hers.

Leaning down, she kisses him. One of those deep, connected kisses that whispers 'later' and 'forever' in the same languid sweep of her tongue. After she's thoroughly kissed him, she takes her seat next to him, their hands still connected.

"Are we almost home?" she asks.

"Is Hosnia Prime home to you?" he asks, pleased that she thinks of his family's apartments in such a way.

Rey shrugs and squeezes his fingers. "Home is where you are."

Such a simple statement, but she's right. From the moment he laid eyes on her, she has been his home. Across time and the stretch of the galaxy, she has always been his home.

Turning towards her, he declares, "I love you, Rey. I think I was born loving you."

Her eyes catch his, and there's a whisper of insecurity. He wonders if he can ever finally chase it away. But then it's gone, as if he imagined it, and she's beaming at him. She floods the bond with her emotions, how she can't remember feeling loved before him, how he showed her what tenderness was. She loves him, utterly. He doesn't need to hear the words to feel it in his sinew and bones.

"I think … I think this was how it was always meant to go. The Force … something went wrong in the future. Do you feel it? The balance?" she asks.

"I feel it, I do." It's as if the Force itself has healed.

Rey nods and turns back to the stars but keeps his hand in hers. He smiles and pulls her fingers to his mouth, kissing them softly before also facing the glow of hyperspace.

It all feels impossibly right, Rey here, turned towards the future, finally moving forward instead of struggling through the morass of legacy and expectation. He's not destined for anything, anything but Rey.

After a short lifetime of nearly breaking under the weight of too many masters, he's found freedom in sharing. He may be Rey's, and she his, but somehow, it's finally happened. His life is his own to craft, to win, to lose. To succeed, to fail. It's his.

He's Ben Solo.

And his life is finally his own.

THE END

A/N: Thank you, ArtemisBare and Silvergrain for your encouragement and input. You both make me better.

Thank you, Readers! I can't believe the story itself is over. I'll try to post the epilogue in the next few days. I cannot begin to express what an amazing group you are-so generous with your kindness. Thank you for holding my hand through this journey.