A/N: Clarification is needed. I was going to do a scene with Kef Bir, but realized that that was when Rey got the wayfinder to Exegol. And then she went to Ahch-To. So! This chapter was going to be about the battle at Kef Bir, but yeah. Kinda changed my mind when I realized I was going to be going out of order. Either way, I think this will be the last chapter, since I can't exactly go back and do the Kef Bir scene lol TROS needs to hurry up and come out to Disney Plus so I can use it for reference material... Oh, and also... Ben had another ship. I'm going to say his ship was a TIE Fighter because Rey clearly crashed his silencer lol I had to go back and fix chapter 2 so many times it's ridiculous...Anyway! Enjoy! R&R!

CAVE

Chapter 3: Change

He was so stupid. He wanted so desperately to speak with Rey, to tell her that he had changed his mind about the dark side and the First Order. He wanted so badly to run back to her and take her away from all of this. He just wanted to talk to her. Even if she yelled at him, he wanted to tell her his thoughts. He wanted to tell her that he felt the same about her. That her love was not one-sided. But he couldn't. He sighed as he rushed into the Citadel, blaster in hand as he was prepared to handle business. He followed Rey here. She'd beaten him here. If he had any hope of helping her, he needed to hurry. Any troopers that stood in his way were gunned down. They were stopping him from getting to Rey. They needed to fight together. They were each other's support system. They had to stand up to Palpatine together or they both would fall separately. He rushed past the guards and skidded to a halt when he saw the Knights of Ren. He glared at them all, knowing that he was no longer their leader. Palpatine commanded them now. Which spelled bad news for him. Within a moment, he was disarmed and he was getting the mess beat out of him.

Then he felt their bond. He felt her struggle. Like she had no other choice but to strike down Palpatine. She hesitated as they saw each other in their minds. "You're not alone, Rey," he said to her privately, nodding at her with the beginnings of a smile. She closed her eyes and passed the saber to him through their bond with a soft, "Neither are you." When he pulled the saber from behind his back, the Knights of Ren remained frozen for a moment. He shrugged at them as if telling them 'ok, let's do it.' The fight was on. Bodies flew through the air, men fell to the ground with a new gaping hole. Ben leaped over and stabbed them from the back. There was such a flurry of emotions as he fought the Knights of Ren, vanquishing his demons one at a time as each of them fell. When they were all gone, he looked briefly at the carnage and found that he accepted it. He rushed to the throne room where Rey was fighting, too.

Soon, he was face-to-face with her and they shared a brief intimate moment, staring at each other and connecting mentally as they turned on Palpatine, sabers blazing, defiance in their eyes. They would win. They had to.

X~x~x~x~x~X

Stupid ravine! This wasn't how he imagined winning the fight! Rey needed him and he got himself thrown down a freaking hole! He climbed up, the pain in his body reminding him he'd been injured. But that was the least of his worries. He couldn't feel her. "Rey!" he called through their bond. It found no ears. It just hung there, echoing in his head with nowhere to go. He struggled and limped over to her, desperate to get to her in time. Her body was limp... cold... lifeless. It tore him apart as he looked down at her. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't be! He finally made it to her and cradled her lifeless form in his arms, feeling every bit of his lonely soul crying out to her to return to him. His chest felt uncomfortably tight. He couldn't breathe. How could he when his air had left him? She'd moved on. She wasn't here anymore.

No! Stop it! There had to be something he could do to bring her back! She had healed him when he was impaled by her. That had to be it. He pulled away and held her in his arm, a hand going to her stomach. He knew what he had to do, and he knew he had the strength to do it. A life without her wasn't worth it. He didn't want to be without her. He had to show her that she was his everything. He would gladly lay down his life for her. The world would be better off without Ben, but not without Rey. This world was missing something extraordinary if Rey wasn't in it. He closed his eyes and concentrated, pouring as much of himself as he could into her. He had to bring her back. This had to work. If it didn't, then he would die alongside her. He couldn't be without her. He wouldn't be. "Please, come back, Rey. I need you. Please, Rey... Please stay with me," he whispered through their bond. It kept repeating. It kept going and going, echoing as if it were a mantra that was used to bring her back to him. He wasn't sure it was working, but he felt his energy leaving him. He was getting really tired. He felt the fatigue start to take over as the will to live started to leave him. He wanted Rey. That was all he wanted in his messed up life. Her. He couldn't be without her... Oh, Force, he couldn't make it!

A warmth laid on his hand and his eyes shot open, his sight landing to her as her eyes started to move, as if searching his face for something. Recognition. She sat up, but he kept his arm around her, hand on her stomach. "Ben," she breathed, a smile coming to her lips.

He couldn't bring himself to speak. His side of the bond they shared blew wide open as all of his happiness, all his joy, all his relief, love, all of it flowed freely, hiding nothing from her. He was so happy she was alive. He felt his lips start to curl as she touched his face, eyes scanning his as if she were searching for the resolve she needed. He just stared back, searching her face as well, hardly able to believe that he saved her. That he, Ben Solo, former leader of the Knights of Ren, was able to save the woman he loved. He had finally done something right in his messed up, sorry excuse for a life. And as if he needed to be any happier, she pressed her lips desperately to his, holding his face in her hands affectionately. His own hand held her behind her head and pulled her closer to him, as if he needed her love to keep him alive. "I love you so much, Ben," she whispered through their bond as she pulled away to smile at him, a true smile. One that showed genuine happiness.

It was his turn to smile this time. A real smile. It made him look like a boy. He looked so young when he smiled so genuinely. He had nothing to hide from her. He wanted to show her how extremely happy he was, how happy she had made him. He had redeemed himself.

And he wouldn't be around to see the aftermath of it.

He felt his vision start to blur, body starting to give out as he blinked a few times, struggling to stay with her. "Ben?" He couldn't hold on any longer as his eyes shut and his body slumped backwards, Rey catching him in time to keep him from hitting the ground. She was in utter disbelief. He couldn't be... He can't! She screamed at him over their bond as she felt it start to fade. "Ben, please stay!" she begged as she transferred some of her energy into him. She couldn't let him die. Not here. Not like this. She'd finally told him how she felt. She couldn't be alone again! Not without Ben! She begged him over and over again through their bond as she infused more of her life into him. His hand flew up and grabbed her wrist on his side. She lifted her head from its bowed position and saw his eyes open, seemingly in a daze. "Ben!" she cried as she flung herself atop him, nuzzling close to him. "Stupid! You almost died!" she hissed at him, earning a weak chuckle from below her, the deep rumbling reverberating in her ears.

He gently lifted her head to look at him as he smiled weakly at her. "Life without you isn't worth living," he said simply.

His words held so much love that Rey's eyes started to blur from the onslaught of tears. She knew he meant it. He meant every single word. She flung herself at him, pressing her lips to his again, and again, peppering his face with kisses, earning a soft chuckle from Ben. When she was satisfied, she pulled away and smiled down at him. "You can't leave me again, Ben," she whispered, almost begging him to stay.

Ben smiled at her and nodded. "I promise," he whispered, pulling Rey close to him to hold her close, heartbeats mingling into one as he sighed in contentment. "I love you, Rey," he whispered to her, earning a sob from the woman above him.

"I know," she whispered, pressing her lips to his once more.

He was so glad that he changed. That it wasn't too late to redeem himself. That he was able to live to see her like this with him. He didn't care what was next for them. As long as he had her, life was worth living, no matter what happened.

X~x~x~x~x~X

TWO MONTHS LATER...

"BEN SOLO! GET BACK HERE!" she screamed as she ran after him, down the jagged path away from their little hut. She darted after him, saber in hand, but not ignited, as she darted down the path. Ben continued to run on ahead of her, not once looking back as she called after him. He kept pace, sensing that she was getting closer, but making no moves to lose her. As he ran, he saw his surroundings change to that of where Luke had taken Rey to train her, the same place that Luke has also died at. They affectionately named it "Luke's Rock."

Rey let out an exasperated huff as she saw him stop running. Finally. But his own saver was ignited in a flurry of white. He rounded on her and she ignited her own saber in defense, stopping his strike in time as her foot slid backward to stop her from skidding. She noticed his dark eyes boring into her with some hidden emotion that she had yet to place. He'd been doing this recently. He'd go from normal to broody and completely shut her out from their bond, as if he were hiding something he didn't want her to see. It worried her, but she decided not to push it every time. When she did, this happened. He would run to Luke's Rock and round on her like he had a moment ago and they would engage in a light saber battle until he yielded. Then he would go back to normal and walk back to their home as if nothing happened, leaving Rey to wonder what was happening to him.

"When will you tell me what's going on with you, Ben?" she hissed as she pushed him back with her own yellow saber. Ben said nothing as he went on the offensive again. She put her light saber up defensively, blocking his attacks in time. He was going full force, which was something she hadn't seen him do in quite a while. Each attack was stronger than the first as he continuedto push her back slowly, step by step. She felt her back press against the wall and she felt panic rising in her chest. She felt boxed in and Ben didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. She started to weigh her options. She could Force Push him, but she didn't want to hurt him. But if he continues like this, she didn't know how far he was willing to go. Would he hurt her? He continued to advance quickly and she realized her time was up to think. She raised her hand and pushed with the Force, shoving him backwards. His boots slid against the ground, his hand going down to catch himself as he slid back from the push. He looked up at her from his bent over position, his dark eyes unreadable as he considered what she'd done. She felt the bond wobble a little, barely picking up some amusement that she'd actually pushed him.

He stood from his bent over position then. His eyes were watching her as she stayed posted with her hand out to him from the push, ready to do it again if need be. "Ben, what is wrong with you?" she asked as she tried to regain her breath from the slight exertion.

Ben stood silently, eyes fixated on her as if he were considering his next move. Without warning, he lifted his hand and froze her in place as he had the day they first met. Her eyes widened as she realized what he'd done. He sauntered over to her, eyes trained on her face. She was scared, but something in her told her he wouldn't hurt her. At least she hoped not. She still hadn't gotten a peep out of him. This time was different than all the other times that they'd sparred. He hadn't frozen her all the other times. And he certainly hadn't looked at her as he was now. His eyes held a predatory glint to them, which was different from what she'd seen him look at her with. She couldn't remember him ever looking at her like he was now. Had the darkness reclaimed him? Was Palpatine truly not dead? All these thoughts raced through her head as he stalked closer and closer, each step striking more and more dread into her heart.

He stood before her, eyes trained on her face. Her breath caught in her throat as she smelled his natural scent she loved so much. He stood only a foot away, but she felt his warmth radiating off of his body. He slowly reached his hand out and gently held her cheek, his thumb lovingly caressing her skin. Rey felt a shiver run through her body, which didn't go unnoticed by Ben. "Are you afraid?" he asked gently, his voice deep and level as always.

"No," she breathed out as she continued to search his face for what he was thinking. She partially lied, but she didn't want to tell him that his lack of normalcy was scaring her. She refused to admit that she was scared of the one she loved.

He didn't respond as he let his eyes flick down to her lips briefly before returning to her eyes, as if asking permission as he always did. She had come to appreciate that about him. He never really took liberties with her. He always left the choice up to her. She knew he wanted to and she didn't stop him. He leaned forward quietly and pressed his lips to hers gently, one hand placed affectionately on her cheek as the other snakes around her lithe waist. He released her from her frozen state and she instantly wound her own arms around his neck, leaning into the kiss and returning it for all she was worth.

After a moment of kissing her breathless, Ben pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. She felt his side of the bond open as his eyes invited her in. A smile formed on her lips as she closed her eyes and let him take her on another tour of his mind.

She first saw through his eyes as he watched her sleep peacefully in his arms. She felt worry and concern coming from him at the memory, as if he were stressing about something, but she couldn't figure it out. She wanted to know, but there were no leads as she shifted through the memory. Just as she felt she was getting closer to why, she felt him coaxing her to another memory.

She searched on as she saw him watch her smile at him as she cooked dinner. She felt his happiness, his love, his... hesitation and worry. Her brows creased in confusion as she tried to understand why that was cause for concern. Having no answer, she continued on and watched as he ran out the door, Rey behind him as they raced on down the path to Luke's Rock. That was the first time they battled. She watched as he started his attack, her body dodging all he threw at her. Then she felt his emotions again. She felt his longing, his love, his adoration for her. She felt it all in a flurry of Ben. She felt his deep attachment to her and how the thought of losing her scared him to death. How he couldn't live without her. How he needed her-

She was being pushed along his memories again. She sighed when she realized he was hiding something from her. The closer she got to finding the answer, the more urgently he ushered her along to a different memory and feeling. She looked up at him and saw his eyes, those dark eyes that held so much restraint, yet showed every feeling he had, starting back at her lovingly. She searched his eyes for a long moment, feeling him nod against her to keep going.

She closed her eyes and resumed her search. Another memory of them together. They were laying in bed after bathing in the lake together. She'd told him she loved him and then there was the worry and concern even after he returned the sentiment. She frowned at that. Why was he so concerned? Why the worry? Did he not feel the same anymore? Was he about to leave her? Was that what this was about?!

"Stop," he whispered aloud, making her open her eyes to blink away the tears she didn't realize were forming. His own brows were creased in worry as his other hand went to her face to hold her gently. "Rey, I promised you that I would never leave you again, didn't I?" he asked gently, his tone consoling. She nodded curtly. "This isn't going how I thought it would," he said with an embarrassed chuckle. She eyed him suspiciously then. Feeling her eyes on him, his cheeks started to turn red as he hesitantly released her and pried her arms off of him, holding her hands in his.

"Ben, what-"

Ben gave her a shy smirk. "I promised you I would never leave you again." She didn't interrupt as he tried to find his words. She waited as patiently as she could, despite her fear of what was going on. He looked into her eyes again, his thumbs gently caressing her hands in his. "I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, Rey. About us. About what future we have with everything that's happened. And I've decided," he said as he released her hand to dig into his pocket. As he withdrew the ring she instantly recognized as Leia's, he got down on one knee. She gasped as she felt that familiar hesitation and worry. "Marry me, Rey," he said gently, his voice wavering just a bit as nervousness reared its ugly head.

Rey didn't know what to say. She just stood frozen in place as she looked from his mother's ring to his nervous face. His face held the same expression as it did when he offered her his hand after defeating Snoke together. She knew her silence was tearing him apart. She was trying to formulate something to say, anything at all! Then, without warning, she threw her arms around him and kissed him desperately, shouting through their intimate bond. "Yes! Yes, Ben!"

Ben smiled at her through the kiss and wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her closer. His life was complete. He'd made so many changes since meeting her and he regretted nothing except that he didn't change fast enough to have his parents alive. She pulled away and smiled that smile at him as when she was revived by him on Exegol. He slipped the ring on her finger and she kissed him again. "I love you, Ben," she whispered through the bond.

"I know," he whispered back.