Here it is, the final chapter! I can't thank you all enough for all the support you've shown me!

The sun was just beginning to rise across the grounds of the base as Rey blinked open her eyes, the faint beams of yellow-gold streaming through the small window and glinting off the few lighter brown strands in Ben's hair, mostly hidden beneath the thick curtain of black.

She ran her fingers through those beautiful strands now, gently, so as not to wake him. For all of Ben's worry over her sleeping habits during the course of his trial, he had been the one who had really suffered. Forcing himself to stay awake through most of the nights in order to watch over her and expending so much of his remaining energy to project himself in to see her whenever he'd thought it necessary, it was no wonder that his exhaustion had become so deeply embedded in his bones that Rey had felt literal pain in her own.

Now, though, they had all the time in the world, and with Rey's nausea calmed down to a more manageable level now that the trial was over, she simply wanted to enjoy the rare moment when Ben was asleep and she wasn't.

Carefully, Rey shifted so she was propped up against the pillows with Ben's head resting against her bare chest, his ear pressed over her heart as she combed her fingers through his hair, trying and failing to remember ever feeling anything so incredibly soft. In his sleep Ben appeared almost boyish, much younger than his thirty-one years, with his pale face relaxed and free of the sharp lines of pain and darkness that had haunted him for most of his life, and a soft smile stretched across Rey's lips as she eagerly drank him in.

He was finally free, in all possible permutations of the word. Free of the whispers in the night that had haunted him since he was a baby, free of the massive burden of guilt that he had carried since his father's death, and now, free from the galaxy-wide price hanging over his head.

And best of all, Ben was also free to love her, and she to love him. For even as Ben had sought to prove himself worthy of hearing another kyber crystal's call, he and Rey would not be returning to the old, stifling ways of the Jedi, to the teachings that required commitment to a lifetime spent in celibacy and solitude, and where the smallest mere flash of anger or pain was something to be either completely ignored, or stamped out as swiftly as possible.

Master Luke had explained some of it during Rey's time on Ahch-To, with her gleaning the rest from the ancient Jedi texts she'd taken from the island when she left. The Jedi were forbidden to marry simply because their entire philosophy sought to remove all feelings of attachment and possession from a person's mind, thinking they could then focus only on doing what was right without passion or prejudice.

What neither Master Luke nor the texts had included, however, and what both Rey and Ben had both come to realise, is that by eliminating those very feelings of passion and attachment, the very essence of the person themselves was also eliminated. Most people weren't meant to be automatons, floating through life with their emotions held in perfect check. Most people needed their feelings to not only survive, but to thrive.

Like Ben had said: it was time to let all old things die. The Jedi and the Sith were the two extremes of an ancient religion that no longer applied to either of them, and it was now time for them to forge their own path.

And, while Rey understood the potential dangers that came with two powerful Force-users who were so attached to each other that they would be willing to burn down the entire galaxy in order to save them, Rey also knew that there was little reason to think that she or Ben would ever fall into such a trap. Neither of them had any ambitions of grandeur; Ben had had enough experience with running the First Order for a year to know it was something that he never wanted to attempt again, and while Rey had somewhat enjoyed her time with the Resistance, and especially the opportunities she'd had to fly the various types of ships, for the moment she was most looking forward to returning to their home on Naboo and getting it ready for their baby.

An instinctive smile stretched across Rey's lips as she imagined their sweet baby son curled up on Ben's broad chest, with Ben's hands spanning nearly the entire length of his tiny body as he held him. Ben was going to be such a wonderful father, she could just feel it.

As if in response, Ben sighed in his sleep, prompting Rey to press a kiss to his forehead as she spread his beautiful hair across her chest like a fan. Sometimes it actually frightened her how much she loved him, at how easy it had been for him to work his way into her very soul, even as she had tried so hard to fight it. She had spent her entire life fighting to survive while clinging to the belief that her parents would one day return to her, never wanting to admit to herself that as the suns began to set and she scratched yet another mark in the wall of her shelter, the possibility that they actually would return grew more and more remote.

But the belonging she had sought was never behind her, as Maz Kanata had so bluntly said. It had always been ahead.

And now, that belonging was quite literally a part of her. Rey had given Ben her whole heart, trusting that it would be safe in his hands, and he in turn had not only given her his own, but also the very family she had always desired.

Rey had often wondered if Maz had been able to sense the bond between her and Ben when she'd said those words to Rey on Takodana, or if she had just been trying to help her feel better. Regardless of the reason, those words had stuck with Rey throughout the entire horrible year she had spent following the battle on Crait, where she had tried so hard to train every single last emotion out of her. Because no matter how far she ran or how high she jumped or how many times she completed the training course, she still wasn't able to keep her thoughts from wandering to Ben.

It was also then that Rey had realised that somehow, she had always been aware of him, even before she knew who he was. Certain times over the course of her life on Jakku where she had felt things that she couldn't explain, a cold shiver racing down her back during the hottest part of the day, dreams and visions of places that she knew she'd never before seen, and, as the years stretched on, sometimes such overwhelming feelings of horror and anguish that all she wanted to do was curl into a tight ball under her thin linen blankets, anxious and confused as to where such dark emotions could be coming from.

Now she knew they had been coming from Ben, from his desperate cries into the void whenever the darkness threatened to overtake him completely. For even as he had believed that he needed to completely succumb to the Dark Side of the Force in order to please Leader Snoke, something inside him had held him back, preventing him from cementing his conversion.

Rey, along with Anakin and Leia, had been Ben's pull to the Light, holding him just barely enough on the edge of the precipice to keep from losing him completely.

And unbeknownst to either of them, it was that connection that then fuelled every single interaction they had once they did meet. Ben's curiosity about her that had prompted him to remove his mask before he interrogated her on Starkiller Base, and the subsequent something she had seen hidden deep inside his beautiful dark brown eyes that at first glance had been unidentifiable, but what she now knew was recognition.

For as soon as Rey set eyes on Ben's face, her soul immediately recognised him as the very piece it had been missing, and something that had been hidden so deeply inside her that she hadn't even known it existed, awakened.

Passion.

Passion for him.

"Passion isn't something to be feared, sweetheart, it's to be embraced," Ben had told her the very first time they became intimate, trying to soothe her nervousness. He had been so nervous himself, so scared of hurting her and thus so focused on ensuring that she was relaxed and comfortable that by the time he entered her Rey felt absolutely no pain at all, only relief that their unique connection was finally made complete, and a pleasure so intense that she could've drowned in the blackened sea of Ben's eyes.

A blush crept up Rey's cheeks at the memory, of the sheer amount of desire emanating from Ben as he studied her naked body, of her own as she ran her hands along the soft skin and hard muscle of Ben's chest, shoulders, and back, answering every one of his gasps and moans with one of her own. For from the very first time she had seen him stripped to the waist across their bond Rey had been captivated, the exquisite sight fueling the deep, visceral hunger inside her that no amount of food could ever satiate.

She looked down as Ben breathed in, his thick eyebrows knitting together as he slowly woke, his beautiful full lips stretching into a smile as he focused in on her face.

"Hey," he said, thick and raspy. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Rey whispered, still stroking his hair. "I'm perfect."

Ben's smile grew wider, and he shifted onto his side, reaching up to cup her cheek.

"Yes, you are that," he murmured just before bringing their lips together in a soft kiss, one that Rey lengthened by curling her arms around his neck. Since returning to her room at the end of the trial they had made love no less than three times, pausing only for a quick trip to the mess hall after Finn delivered some clothes for Ben, and yet Rey still wanted—no needed—more of him.

"Please," she begged as they broke for air, trailing kisses along Ben's jaw and neck as his hands slipped underneath her bum, lifting her so she could straddle him. He was already hard, as he usually was when he awoke, and thanks to Rey's reminiscing she was already more than ready for him.

"Anything," Ben said as he trailed his hands down to her breasts, gently rubbing his thumbs across her nipples. "I'll give you anything, sweetheart, you know that."

"I only want you," Rey murmured, rolling her hips against him and gasping as Ben surged forward, capturing her right nipple between his lips as her fingers once again buried themselves in his thick black hair. "Just you."

"You've got me, my angel," Ben said as he kissed his way across her chest to her left breast, giving it the same care he had shown the other. "Always."

"Always," Rey repeated. "I like that." She brought their lips together in another deep kiss as Ben lifted her, positioning himself between her legs so she could sink down on him. Rey's lips parted in a soft sigh once they were fully joined, her head tipping forward to thud against his shoulder. No matter how many times they made love those first few seconds were always a bit mind-boggling, the sheer amount of pleasure flowing across their bond so intense that she could practically hear it crackling.

"Rey," Ben said on a gasp as Rey took hold of his shoulders and started to move, his hands settling perfectly in the curves of her hips.

"I'm here, love. I am with you," she murmured. She slid her palms up to cup Ben's cheeks as she kissed him, parting his lips with her tongue as Ben whimpered.

"You feel incredible," Ben groaned into her mouth, his palms trailing up and down the planes of her back. His breath hitched as Rey clenched down around him, and he broke away from her lips to kiss down her jaw to her neck, murmuring fervent nothings into her skin that sent bolt after bolt of searing heat through Rey's body. Droplets of sweat beaded on her forehead as she clung to him, whimpering as Ben's hand slipped down between their joined bodies, touching her exactly where she needed him.

"Ben!" she cried as the burning hot current coursing through her suddenly spiked. "I'm—I'm—!"

Her voice cut off as her climax overtook her without warning, and she sobbed her pleasure into Ben's hair, holding him as closely as their skin and bones allowed as he came only seconds later, his climax triggering an aftershock that was almost more powerful than her own. She felt as though she were floating in a cloud of their ecstasy, that the whole entire universe had condensed down to just the two of them, wrapped so tightly in each other that Rey could feel every single part of Ben's being, and he hers.

A dyad in the Force. Two that were one. A power even stronger than death itself.

"Mind, body, and soul," Ben whispered into her throat, as if he'd read her mind. "You're mine, and I am yours." He tilted her chin, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone as he softly kissed her lips.

"Yes," Rey said. "Always."

Ben smiled, pecking her nose before lifting her into his arms and carrying her towards the fresher.

"I'll finish packing while you clean up."

"Good. I won't be long," Rey assured him. She knew Ben was eager to leave as soon as possible, as was she, a sentiment that was reinforced when she emerged from the fresher to find that Ben had already stacked their three crates of belongings right next to the door. After a quick trip to the mess hall for breakfast and some rations for the trip, Rey slung her satchel across her shoulder and was just about ready to contact Finn to ask about a transport ship when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in?" said Rey, surprised when the door slid open to reveal Poe and Finn, along with a small flatbed cart.

"Ah, we thought you might need some help with your stuff," Poe said with a rather sheepish grin. "Figured that you shouldn't be carrying too much since you're… you know…"

"Oh. Yes, thank you," Rey answered shortly. She had never been particularly close to Poe, and his guilty vote at Ben's trial had only proved to her that he had enjoyed his position as Leia's surrogate son far too much to want to admit that Ben could ever be redeemed.

"And… there's also someone waiting to see you guys in the hangar," Finn added. "Actually, a couple of someones."

"Oh? Who?" Rey asked, barely a split second before she felt an ice-cold bolt race down her spine. She whipped her head up to look at Ben, his expression frozen into one of barely-concealed panic.

"Ben? What is it?"

But Ben only shook his head, making a very poor attempt at a smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Don't worry."

"But—" Rey started, her jaw snapping closed as it finally hit her.

Oh.

Taking Ben's hand, Rey pressed a quick kiss to his knuckles as they followed Poe and Finn out of the building and towards the massive hangar that housed most of the Resistance ships, her mind roiling almost as much as Ben's. Of all the not-so-coincidental timing…

Ben, you don't have to do this, she sent across their bond. Not if you don't want to.

I'm fine, Rey, he shot back, almost angrily. I told you not to worry.

Rey scowled, but before she could protest again the ship came into view, so odd amongst the mass of fighters and transport ships. Her heart skittered, her fingers instinctively tightening

around Ben's as they drew closer to it, and to the two figures standing in front of the lowered hatch as if they had been specifically waiting for them to arrive.

Which they had. Rey had absolutely no doubt about it.

"Hello, Ben. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" said Lando Calrissian before they had even come to a halt, his hands held together in front of him as he gave Rey a polite but formal nod. Next to him stood Chewbacca, his back ramrod straight and his eyes trained on a point some distance away. "And Rey, it's nice to see you again."

"Hello," Rey said coolly, fighting against the strong urge to step in front of Ben, whose cheeks had gone as white as freshly fallen snow. "We heard you two were on a mission?"

"Yes, and a very successful one, I might add," said Lando. "In fact, Chewie and I managed to find an entire system that with just a little help, should be absolutely perfect for the rest of the Stormtrooper refugees."

Chewie howled in agreement, and Ben flinched at the sound, his mind still a thundering stormcloud of swirling emotions. Rey huffed in frustration, and was just about ready to ask if they could be on their way when Lando held out his right hand towards Ben, uncurling his fingers to reveal a set of golden dice linked by a chain.

"I believe these are yours," he said, jerking his head in Ben's direction when Ben didn't budge a single inch. "It's all right, kid. Go on and take 'em."

Ben breathed in, his chin quivering as he slowly reached out his hand, gulping as Lando dropped the dice into his palm.

"Thank you," he said, softly but still clear. "I… um…"

"He used to love to play with those when he was little," Lando said with a rather sly grin. "He loved them so much that he'd sometimes even fall asleep with them still clutched in his hand, back when he was about yay big or so." He let out a sharp breath as he regarded Ben, studying his face. "I'm pretty sure you weren't much taller than waist-height the last time I saw you."

"I wasn't," Ben said, only a bit louder. "I was ten."

"Yes, that's right," said Lando. "I remember now." He stepped forward, placing his hands on Ben's arms. "It's good to see you again, kid. Take good care of her, all right?"

Ben's eyes went wide, his head snapping back as if he'd been slapped. "You mean take care of Rey, right?"

"Well, yeah, her too, but from what I've seen she can pretty much take care of herself," said Lando. He shot Rey a wink, looking back towards the ship. "Now, the Falcon on the other hand, she's kinda getting up there, so she's gonna definitely need a little TLC from time to time, and—"

"What?" Ben practically squeaked, squeezing Rey's fingers to the point of pain. "You mean—?"

"What, they didn't tell you?" Lando asked, looking around for Finn and Poe, who seemed to have mysteriously disappeared.

"Tell us what?" Rey demanded. "What do you mean?"

"The Falcon is yours, Ben, yours and Rey's," Lando stated. "It's what Han would've wanted."

Ben went rigid at the mention of Han, and he looked down at the dice resting in his palm, sucking in a deep breath as his fingers slowly curled around them.

"Ben, we don't have to," Rey said quietly. "If it's too hard, we don't—"

"Rey," Ben cut in, meeting Rey's eyes in a silent plea.

What do I do?

Only what feels right, Rey answered. You don't owe anyone anything, Ben. I mean it.

Ben gave a nod, gently squeezing Rey's hand. Then he turned to Lando and Chewie, squaring his shoulders.

"Thank you. Rey and I will take good care of—"

He was cut off by a howl from Chewie as the Wookiee suddenly leaped forward, enveloping Ben into a hug that could've very well crushed a smaller man, grunting softly into Ben's neck as his other arm snaked around Rey's waist, pulling her in as well.

And Ben had been right; there really wasn't anything that could compare to getting hugged by a Wookiee.

"I missed you too," Rey heard Ben rasp into the mass of fur covering Chewie's chest.

Chewie growled something that Rey didn't quite catch as he released them, ruffling Ben's hair before swiping his furry paw across his eyes. Ben's face was streaked with tears as he glanced up at the ship that had once been his father's pride and joy, his right fist tightly clenched around the gold dice as he slipped his arm around Rey's shoulders.

"We'll take good care of her," he said as he scrubbed the tears from his cheeks. "I promise."

Just then Poe and Finn reappeared, walking down the Falcon's ramp. Apparently they had been busy loading Rey and Ben's luggage onto the ship during their conversation.

"You're all set to go," Finn said. He glanced up at Ben, tilting his head in question and drawing Rey into a tight hug at Ben's answering nod. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Rey replied. "You too."

"I will." He stepped back, raising his hand halfway as if planning to offer it to Ben before dropping it back to his side, nodding as Poe clapped Rey on the shoulder.

"We hate to lose you, Rey," he said. "Don't be a complete stranger now, all right?"

"We'll see," said Rey. At the moment she couldn't imagine a possible reason for she and Ben to ever return, but there was no point in sharing that with Poe. The moment was already tense enough.

"Be careful with Master Luke's fighter," she added. "It's a bit dodgy."

"I will," replied Poe.

"Just remember, she's gonna need a bit of TLC," Lando called as Ben led Rey up the Falcon's ramp. "She's not as young as she used to be!"

"We will," Ben said. Then he pressed the button that raised the hatch, turning to Rey as soon as it locked into place.

"Rey," he rasped as he drew her into his arms. "I can't—I don't—"

"Shh, love, it's all right," Rey murmured, stroking his back. "These last few days have been pretty overwhelming, haven't they?"

"Yeah," said Ben, followed by a rather morbid chuckle. "And I'm beyond ready for it to stop now."

"Me too." She rose onto her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to Ben's cheek. "So, which seat would you like? Pilot's or copilot's?"

"Ah," Ben murmured as he led Rey into the cockpit, ducking his head as he paused in the centre of the four chairs, running his palm across the top of first the back of the pilot's chair, then the copilot's as an image of a small Ben sitting on his father's lap and laughing as he pretended to fly flashed across her mind.

"I'd like the pilot's seat, at least to start with," he finally said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Rey whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's your ship."

Ben shook his head, his lips quirking into that soft smile that Rey adored. "No, it's our ship. Yours and mine."

"Ours," Rey said, matching his smile. She pressed a quick kiss to Ben's lips before sliding into the copilot's seat, watching as Ben carefully hung the golden dice from their proper place on the console. Then he settled his lanky body into the pilot's chair, sucked in a deep breath, and began flipping switches as though he had done it a thousand times before. He was so tall that his head almost touched the ceiling of the cockpit, but Rey could tell that on the inside, Ben felt as though he were ten years old again.

"Ready?" he asked once the engines were up and running, his large hand trembling slightly on the throttle as Rey covered it with her own.

"Ready, Captain Solo," she said. "Take us out."

Dusk was falling across the mountainous island as Ben set the Falcon down on the flattest stretch of land he could find, wincing as the elderly ship pinged and groaned in protest at the uneven terrain. Lando had been right; she definitely needed a bit of babying, not to mention a slew of repairs and adjustments that he'd already noticed. He would have to add those to his to-do list once he and Rey returned to Naboo.

"Sorry 'bout that," he whispered as he patted the console, earning a rather cheeky smile from Rey.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you," she said as she stood up from her seat, stretching her arms up over her head and yawning. They had flown for the entire day, with Ahch-To being as remote as it was, and while Ben had had the controls for most of it he knew that Rey still had to be exhausted from the trip.

As eager as he was to see more of the island—the scholar part of him was very curious to explore such a legendary ancient Jedi temple—he knew his boyish enthusiasm could wait until the morning, after Rey had gotten a good night's sleep.

"We should rest now," he said as he reached for her hand. "Have something to eat and then go to bed."

It was a testament to just how tired Rey was that she didn't utter a single word of protest as Ben led her into the main hold of the ship, sitting her down at the circular holochess table as he set about digging through their supply of rations for something that looked remotely appetising. For all of the improvements the Resistance had made since the end of the war, they still hadn't learned how to cook very well.

They ate side-by-side in a comfortable silence, with Rey's head leaning against Ben's side and his arm wrapped around her. All around him he could sense the Force, ebbing and flowing like the harsh ocean that surrounded the island, the soft call of his crystal a gentle reassuring presence through the violent crash of the waves.

"Don't be afraid," Rey whispered from under his arm, her eyes closed and a soft smile gracing her lips. "I feel it too."

"I'm not afraid," he whispered back, brushing his lips across her forehead. "I'm with you."

"Mmm," murmured Rey. "And I'm with you."

They headed back to the bunks shortly thereafter, where Ben realised that the two Resistance generals had placed their belongings inside the Captain's quarters rather than in his old room, likely under the assumption that that was where Ben and Rey wanted them. But they had no sooner stepped across the threshold when Rey tugged Ben to a stop, offering to gather the things they needed for the night as she practically shoved him towards his childhood quarters. A knot rose in Ben's throat at her thoughtfulness, at how easily she could read him with only the briefest of glances.

Piloting the ship had been one thing, but sleeping in his father and mother's bed… that was very much another, and not something that Ben felt like tackling at the moment.

As Ben changed for bed and settled in on his old bunk, so short that his feet dangled off the end, his heart swelled even more as Rey emerged from the fresher and climbed up next to him, immediately kissing him breathless. Ben's arms instinctively wrapped around her as Rey slid her leg across his hips, scrabbling with the waistband of his sleeping pants and peeling them down his legs for him to kick off. She was already naked, her beautiful lithe body glowing in the soft bluish lights that lined the floor of the room, and Ben moaned as he slid his hands up to palm her breasts, already a bit fuller from her pregnancy.

"Rey," he groaned as she broke away from his mouth, trailing hot, opened-mouth kisses down his jaw to his neck as she ground her hips down against his, pulling another loud moan from his throat as she took his hard cock in hand and began stroking him.

"Sweetheart!" Ben gasped, clenching his teeth. "I won't—I'm not—!" He curled his fingers around her wrist, stilling her hand. "Please, I want to be inside you."

Rey grinned as she locked eyes with him, his breath hitching as she softly brushed her lips across his and positioned him between her thighs, sinking down on him so exquisitely slowly that he'd nearly bit through his bottom lip by the time he was fully sheathed. Rey's body hugged him perfectly, like they were made only for each other, her plush lips parting in a silent Oh as Ben glided his palms down her sides and across the slightly rounded swell of their child. Rey's hands grasped onto his shoulders as she pushed up onto her knees and slid back down, her gorgeous hazel eyes holding his own, unblinking and lust-blown.

"I love you," she said on a gasp, her fingernails digging into Ben's skin as he felt her climax building like a wave. "Ben!"

"I'm here, my angel," Ben said as he planted his heels on the end of the bunk, gripping Rey's hips as he thrusted up into her, his own climax racing towards him like an out-of-control speeder. "I'm right here with you!"

She leaned over then, fusing their lips together as she clenched down around him, and that was all it took for Ben to come, the sensation tearing through him like a lightsaber through snow, pulling Rey over the edge with him as she cried out her pleasure against the ancient walls of the ship.

"I love you," she murmured drowsily into his shoulder as Ben shimmied the blankets up over them. The Force surrounding them was calmer now, as if it too was drowsy, ready to sleep.

"I know," Ben said as he kissed her nose, his entire body still tingling. "I love you too."

They held hands as they climbed up the ancient stone steps, still shrouded by wisps of morning fog that hadn't yet burned away. The wind, harsh and biting, whipped their hair into their faces while the ocean below them crashed against the rocks, relentlessly beating them into submission.

Despite being able to fall asleep rather easily after their lovemaking, Ben's night had been a restless one. Strange dreams of caves and tidepools, lightsaber duels and crackling bolts of Force lightning eventually pushed him out of bed to pace around the ship, fidgeting with various odds and ends and attempting to ignore the ghosts of his deceased family members as he begged the darkness to please just go away.

Like that had ever worked in the past.

Rey had eventually found him in the main hold, shivering from the cold and holding an old Jedi training remote in his hand that he'd found stuck underneath one of the chairs. Silently, she had taken the remote from his hand, draped a blanket across his shoulders, and led him back to bed, holding him tightly in her arms for the rest of the night as he drifted in and out of his nightmares.

And once he had awoken, the very first thing he noticed was Rey. The feel of her soft skin against his own, the scent of her hair spread across his neck, the warmth of her breath on his forehead, and once again Ben was reminded that he wasn't alone, that he was loved by the very woman who had been able to see through the cracks in his masks to find the lingering threads of conflict hidden so deeply inside him that he had long believed them to be invisible.

The woman who was soon going to become his wife, and have his child, and who he loved more than life itself.

"Were those around when you were here before?" Ben asked as they passed yet another nest housed in one of the rocky outcroppings, the egg-shaped birds huddled inside regarding them with suspicion.

"Yes, Master Luke called them porgs," answered Rey. "Don't they look like they're about to cry?"

"Either that or dive-bomb us," Ben said warily, relieved when the chubby, goofy-looking bird slinked back down into its nest. He'd always had a preference for land animals over birds, specifically ones of the fuzzy variety that he could cuddle and play with.

Not that he'd ever had the option of owning a pet. His parents' lifestyle hadn't really ever landed him the opportunity, and neither had Master Luke's training temple.

Attachment was forbidden, after all.

"But not anymore," Rey murmured, squeezing his hand.

"No," Ben agreed. "Not anymore."

He paused then, drawing Rey closer to him as he closed his eyes, attempting to pinpoint the call of his crystal through the cacophony of elements battering against the island.

Breathe, he told himself, his fingers going slack in Rey's. Feel the Force flowing through you.

Breathe…

Relaxing his shoulders, Ben breathed in as deeply as he could, his arms falling to his sides as he exhaled, opening his mind to the path on which the Force had beckoned him. And then, as if riding on a gust of wind, Ben suddenly heard his name, and his mind's eye zoomed in on it as though it had been illuminated by a spotlight, a single speck of light glowing at the bottom of a huge pool of darkness.

His crystal.

He opened his eyes again to find Rey staring up at him in wonder.

"You've found it?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "It's underwater." He retook Rey's hand, jerking his head towards another path that led away from the steps. "This way."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes until they came upon a rather odd flat outcropping of stone with a gaping hole in its centre. Rey tugged on Ben's hand, frowning as she studied their surroundings.

"Ben, I've been to this place," she said with a shiver, her hazel eyes radiating nervousness. "Master Luke always said it was a dark place, are you sure this is right?"

"I'm absolutely sure," Ben replied, hoping his voice didn't betray his own jangling nerves. He was definitely in the right place as the crystal's call was constant now, a beacon piercing through the roar of wind and waves. He brushed his fingertips down Rey's cheek, attempting a smile as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I'll be okay, sweetheart. I promise."

Rey swallowed hard, nodding. "All right," she said softly. "I'll be waiting for you here."

"All right."

After pressing a soft kiss to Rey's forehead, Ben sucked in a deep breath to get his bearings and dove towards the black hole of the water. The salt stung his eyes, and the freezing cold pierced his body like a thousand knives as he swam down, down, down into the vast expanse of nothingness towards the single speck of light he could see. In his mind he could sense Rey, struggling to maintain a soothing presence across their bond even as Ben knew she could no longer see him.

It's all right, sweetheart. I'm still here.

Feeling Rey's sigh of relief, Ben kicked even harder towards the crystal, glowing brightly against the black emptiness of the pool. As soon as he was able to close his fingers around it he pushed off the bottom, his lungs ready to burst by the time he finally broke the surface, gulping for breath. He quickly scrambled out of the pool, shoving the wet hair from his eyes as he cradled in the crystal in his palm, gingerly running his finger down one of its many smooth facets.

Unlike his original crystal, this one was green, just like the broken one Rey had found on Coruscant that she then healed to yellow. It was also larger than his old crystal, leaving Ben to wonder just how long it had been lying there at the bottom of that pool, waiting for its owner to come and claim it.

It was a question to which he would likely never have the answer, especially if in all his years of solitude on the island, Master Luke hadn't even realised it was there.

His heart quickening, Ben closed his fingers around the precious stone and hurried around to the edge of the cave.

"I'm here, sweetheart," he called, smiling when Rey poked her head over the ledge. "I've got it!"

"All right, I'm coming down!" she said excitedly. "Don't start without me!"

"I won't!"

Ben was practically giddy as he sat down cross-legged on the floor of the cave, carefully laying out the various pieces he'd collected to compose his new lightsaber. A section of Rey's old staff, a small piece of a wooden carving from Chandrila, made the year he was born, a couple of spare parts from the Falcon, and, the most important component of all, the golden dice.

He looked up as Rey appeared, a beaming smile on her beautiful face as she took her place opposite him, crossing her legs. He had watched as she'd assembled her lightsaber on Coruscant, in awe of both the process and of her, and he could now sense the same awe and wonder coming from her as he prepared to do the same.

Closing his eyes, Ben breathed in and raised his hands, the Force flowing through him like a powerful river as he visualised the various components coming together to form the hilt, with the crystal settling perfectly inside. Once it was finished and had dropped gently into his outstretched hands, he opened his eyes, his lips quirking into a tentative smile as he examined it.

To him it looked perfect, but the real test would come when he attempted to ignite it.

As if she'd read his mind, Rey got to her feet, pulling her own lightsaber from her satchel as she stepped over to stand next to him.

"Ready?" she asked as she raised her hilt.

Ben gave a single nod, his own hilt at the ready.

"Now."

The two blades ignited simultaneously, one green, one yellow, their combined hums echoing across the cave as identical smiles of relief spread across both their faces. Tears stung Ben's eyes at the melodious sound; no longer the warbly, unstable cry of a cracked and bled crystal, but the proud, constant hum of a crystal that had never before been touched, shielded by a thousand generations of Jedi just for him to find.

And now, Ben Solo's journey back to the Light was finally complete.

Disengaging the blade, Ben carefully hooked the lightsaber onto his belt and reached for Rey, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her head under his chin as tears of gratitude and relief poured down his cheeks.

"I love you so much, sweetheart," he sobbed into Rey's hair. "Thank you. Thank you for believing in me when no one else would."

Not even me.

Rey only shook her head, her arms tightening around Ben's waist.

"You'll never have to thank me for loving you, or believing in you," she said into his chest. "Not ever."

"I know," he replied. "But I'm still going to." He dipped his head, tilting her chin up to press a soft kiss to her lips. "Are you ready to go home now?"

"Yes," Rey said with a slight frown. "But I thought you wanted to explore some of the island first?"

"No, not anymore." Ben let his palm drift down to Rey's abdomen, covering the barely-there swell of their baby. Their son, who would be coming along in only a matter of months whether they were ready for him or not. The first of a brand-new generation of Skywalkers, but one that would have none of the crushing burden of legacy that Ben used to carry.

"I'm ready to go home."

Rey smiled, a huge, wide smile that showed off her dimple in all of its glory as she rose up onto her tiptoes to kiss him, her lips warm and plush against his.

"All right," she said once she pulled away, caressing his cheek. "Then take me home."

Two years later.

"Daddy! Me catch!" cried little Tai, not a split second before he leapt from the rock he was perched on directly towards Ben, barely giving his father enough time to get his arms out in order to catch him. Tai landed in the water bum-first, sending small waves spraying in all directions as Ben scooped him up, clutching him to his chest.

As the peals of Tai's sweet laughter filtered through the tall trees that surrounded them, Rey couldn't help but join in, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as Ben placed Tai back up on his rock, warning him to let Daddy get set first instead of just leaping in blindly. But just as he had the first time, Ben had no sooner taken a single step back when Tai launched himself at him yet again, nearly smacking their heads together.

Their son was definitely a handful, and had been since the day he'd been born almost a full month early, but as the ancient cheesy saying went, full hands meant a full heart, and Rey couldn't imagine her heart being any fuller than it was in that moment.

She leaned back on their spread-out blanket, nibbling on a small piece of flatbread as she watched Ben toss their son into the air, his own laughter intermingling with Tai's high-pitched giggles as the little boy wrapped his chubby toddler arms around Ben's neck.

"Say hi to Momma, little one," Ben said, waving in Rey's direction.

"Hi Momma!" Tai said obediently, curling his fingers into his palm in his best imitation of a wave. "Love you!"

"I love you too, sweet boy!" Rey called back. "Be careful now, okay?"

"Uh huh!"

Tipping her head back, Rey closed her eyes, revealing in the warmth of the Naboo sunlight against her skin. On Jakku the suns had been something to fear, to cower from, lest they cause her to dehydrate too fast or burn her skin to a crisp, but on Naboo sunshine was something to be celebrated. A sign of peace, and happiness.

Of new life.

The last two years had been a whirlwind, beginning with she and Ben's marriage ceremony shortly after they arrived back on Naboo. Aside from chalking it up to yet another intervention by the Force, Rey still couldn't quite explain how everything had managed to fall into place like it had. From learning that someone had already paid for hangar space for the Falcon once they arrived to the chance meeting with the lead councillor of the Amidala family once they visited the bookshop to resume Ben's employment, she and Ben had been the recipients of so many unexpected blessings that it was still difficult for her to wrap her mind around all of it.

Not the least of which was discovering that Ben, apparently the sole surviving member of the Amidala family, was now heir to a trust fund totalling no less than three million credits, and not one but two separate houses, one located in the main city that was so big that Rey far preferred to call it a palace, and a slightly smaller but no less decadent home out in the lake country. After taking a few days to process all of the startling information, Ben had asked Rey which home she wished to live in, saying that he would go along with whatever she chose.

And, without hesitation, Rey had informed Ben that she had no intentions of living anywhere except their home in the forest. She had absolutely no desire at all to live in a palace, and with the simple modifications that Ben had already planned on making to their little log cabin, Rey knew that it would be just perfect for them and their growing family.

She did concede, however, to hold their simple marriage ceremony on the balcony of the lake house, which she discovered later had been the very same place where Anakin Skywalker had taken Padme Amidala as his bride, and to keep that house as a possible vacation spot, as it really was set in such a beautiful area of the planet, one Rey knew that her children would grow to love just as she had.

The palace, they decided, would be much better suited to be converted into multiple smaller homes so as to help ease some of the burden of the millions of families displaced by years of galactic war, a decision that while a bit unpopular with some of the locals at first, proved to be fruitful when one of the families to take up residence in those new homes eventually played a key role in negotiating one of the most lucrative trading contracts that Naboo had ever seen, bringing goods back to the planet that hadn't been seen in generations.

Naboo was at peace, the galaxy was at peace, and now the Solo family was at peace.

A peace that was suddenly shattered by a shower of cold droplets as Rey was broadsided by a still-giggling toddler, his wavy dark brown hair—only a shade or two lighter than Ben's—dripping water all over Rey's chest as he scrambled onto her lap, settling his head down under her chin and popping his thumb into his mouth.

"I made the mistake of telling him it was time for a nap," Ben said apologetically as he quickly towelled off Tai's hair, laying the towel over him like a blanket once he was done. "I didn't think he thought that I meant right this very second."

"Oh, it's all right," Rey said with a laugh as she squeezed her sweet son to her, whose eyes were already closed. "It's a beautiful afternoon for a nap outdoors anyway." She breathed in, resting her cheek on Tai's head as Ben settled in behind her, wrapping his long arms around them both.

"You've been pretty tired lately too," Ben whispered into her ear. "Why don't you try and rest a bit, hmm?"

"Mmm, okay," Rey murmured, smiling softly as she leaned back against Ben, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat. She had been quite tired lately, and a bit nauseous as well, but it had only been earlier that day that she'd had her very first vision of their unborn daughter, a little girl with brown hair and hazel eyes who wanted to grow up to be a teacher and scholar, just like her daddy.

"I've got a good reason to be tired lately," she added, tilting her head up to gaze at her husband, smirking at the look of confusion that fluttered across his face.

"Rey?" Ben said, his eyes widening in shock as she took his hand, guiding it to her abdomen. "Are you—are you really—?"

"Close your eyes," she whispered. "Can you see her?"

She watched as Ben closed his eyes, his lower lip starting to quiver only a few seconds later.

"Oh," he breathed. "Oh sweetheart, she's so beautiful! She looks just like you!" Ben's eyes were shiny with tears as he cupped her cheek, brushing a soft kiss across her lips. "We're gonna need to add another bedroom to the house now."

"Yes, but we still have some time," Rey said. Tai had ended up spending most of his first year in with his parents, which had honestly suited Rey just fine since it made the middle-of-the-night feedings that much easier, and she had little doubt that the new baby would be any different.

Besides, it still amazed her how quickly Tai had already grown, and while she loved every single hug and snuggle that she still got from him, and especially his cuddly afternoon naps, Rey was very much looking forward to snuggling with a tiny one again, to wrapping her to her chest as she had done with Tai to keep him as close as possible, ensuring that he would never have to struggle to remember what a hug felt like.

Not like she had.

"I love you," Ben whispered, trailing his thumb across her cheek. "I love you so much."

"I know," Rey said with a smile. Then she pressed a kiss to Ben's lips and tucked her head under his chin, closing her eyes as little Tai sighed in his sleep. She was surrounded by her two most favourite people in the entire galaxy, and as she drifted off, Rey couldn't imagine being happier than she was in that moment.

Rey and Ben's story might've sounded like something out of an old angel tale, the lonely scavenger who gets taken captive by the dark prince and they eventually fall in love, but Rey didn't much care. For the hows and whys of their story had never really mattered to her, not really.

The only thing that did was that they had found each other, and now neither of them would never have to be alone again.

They were a dyad in the Force. Two that were one.

And Solo was just their name, no longer their destiny.

The end.

I can't wait to see what you think! Please don't hesitate to leave me a review!

I am also planning another Reylo story as part of the Reylo Fanfiction anthology, so this won't be the only Reylo story that I write.

Thank you again for all of the support! I appreciate each and every one of my awesome readers!

ETA: My new story is up, titled Hope In Front of Me, and it is a companion piece to this one. :) Be sure to check it out!