Chapter Text
“You drove me mad but I'll drown in your love forever
Still I'll be there all the night you can't remember.”
-Ray Dalton “If you fall”
“Ben.”
A smile that warms him to his core. Her hands on his face. Her lips on his. The hot spike of love that thrums through their bond.
But it fades as fast as it came.
“No! Stay with me!”
“Ben!”
And then a hollow thud, screaming and then silence.
When there is sound again, it’s not Rey’s voice he hears.
It’s Leia’s.
“Ben.”
Ben gasped harshly, feeling like he can’t breathe, that his body is too small for how he feels. He feels like he’s had the wind knocked out of him, that he was just slam dunked into his self.
He’s also cold.
So very cold.
….and naked?
He gasps and chokes as he roughly sits up. His hands go to the icy stone he is on. The sheet like fabric that was covering him began to slide sideways when he grabbed it. He blinks rapidly, trying to clear his vision.
“Ben.”
Ben twists his body to find the speaker. His mother sits in a chair next to…whatever he was laying on. His long legs dangle off the side as he wraps the fabric around his chilled body.
“Mom.”
It takes a moment for him to realize she’s bathed in blue. That she’s young and beautiful in her simple traditional Alderaanian dress.
“Mom!” He cries, he voice breaking on the word.
Leia rises and moves to stand in front of him. He knows she’s gone but in that moment she is there. Her hands slid over his, her thumbs rubbing his palms. It’s then he notices that they’re intact, unblemished and whole. No evidence of the ordeal on Exegol remains. He lifts them from her grasp to stare at them, turning them over looking for proof it actually happened.
Leia smiles serenely at her beautiful boy. She reaches up and brushes hair from his face. “Of all the things I created, of all the things I did wrong….you are the one thing I did right. I only wish I could have realized this sooner. Your dad….he knew. But I was selfish. So focused on my own goals that I pushed you both away. I never meant to hurt either of you.”
Tears slide down his face and she brushes them aside. “What is breaking your heart my son?”
“You’re gone. Dad’s gone. Everyone is gone. I’m alone.”
Leia lifted his face to look at her. “You once told Rey that she would never be alone because you were there. Do you think it’s not the same for you?”
Ben’s eyes widen. “Oh maker. Rey. Where is she?” He begins to slide from the stone table but Leia stops him. “I can’t feel her!” His voices edges towards panic.
“You can’t go out there yet. She’s safe. I promise you. Her guide will not allow anything to happen to her. She is in good hands.”
Ben wraps the fabric around his frame a little tighter. “Where am I? What happened? Who is guiding her?”
Leia moved her chair so she can sit in front of him, his hands in hers again. “You are in my tent…at the Resistance base. When you healed Rey, you gave too much. In your desperation to save her, you doomed yourself. You were fading so fast, too fast for Rey to stop. So we pulled you here and gave you enough of ourselves to make you whole again.”
Ben swallowed hard and shivered. “Who…was has Rey?”
Leia watches his face as she tells him “Your grandfather.”
Ben’s eyes widen before she soothes him. “No Ben, not Vader. Anakin.”
She strokes his back as he doubles over sobbing into his lap. His hand clutched the fabric against his chest as he tries over and over again to reach Rey.
**********
Exegol: Sith Throne Room
“Ben!”
Rey’s screams bounced off the walls, echoing back to her. She slammed her fists into the floor and it splintered into a million cracks from the impact. She gathered up his clothing into her arms and cradles it against her chest. She sobbed into the fabric, her heart shattering within her battered body. She presses his shirt against her face, her tears soaking it. Her chest ached at the emptiness she felt without the bond. Even though she knew there would be no answer, she continued to call for him, over and over until her voices gives out.
Rey wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her sobs finally tapered off. She was simply too worn out to cry anymore. She tried to push to her feet but fell back down. She knew she had to get up, get out. But the idea of going back to her life without him seemed a task just too impossible. She felt hollow. The constant feeling of the bond had become so natural to her that now she felt disconnected from everything around her.
But Rey was a survivor. She pulled Ben’s sweater on over her tunic and clipped the two sabers to her belt. She got to her hands and knees and pushed to be able to stand. She wobbled and reached out…and her hand was grabbed to help steady her.
“Thank you…” Rey startled when she looked up and saw the face of the person helping her.
A young man smiled down at her. His hair an unruly mess like Ben’s but lighter in color. His smile reminds her of Master Luke’s and he’s dressed simply in Jedi robes.
“Who…?” Rey stammers.
“I’m Anakin.”
“Vader!” Rey cried as she stumbled back from him.
He winced slightly and holds up his hands. “No. Not Vader. Vader died long ago. I’m simply Anakin Skywalker.” The blue glow of his presence seems to dim slightly.
“Don’t go!” Rey reached for him and her hand grabbed onto his robes. “Please.”
He steadies her before answering. “I’m not. I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“I…I wasn’t prepared for this…any of it. I’m not even sure what is real anymore.” Tears slide down her cheeks again. “Is…is Ben with you?”
Anakin shakes his head as he slides his arm around her slim waist. Gently he pulls her against his body and he begins to walk her away from the destroyed throne room. “He is with his mother.”
Rey’s head drop as she begins to sob again, the grief being too much for her. Anakin stops and swings her into his arms, Rey’s head cradled against his chest. She cries herself into sleep, rocked by the movements of the grandfather of her lost half.
Once she’s asleep, he stops and glances to his left. Luke shimmers into visibility next to them. He is young again, no longer worn down by the bitterness of his life. Anakin nods to Rey and addresses his son.
“Let Leia know we’re on our way. And find me someone who can fly that bucket of bolts that she flew here.”
Luke nods curtly and vanishes.
**********
Exegol airspace, on board the Millennium Falcon
Finn paces back and forth behind the two pilots chairs.
“We can’t just leave her here!” He cries.
Lando looks out the front glass and peers down at Luke’s X Wing. It’s cockpit is open but no Rey to be seen. Chewie moans softly in agreement.
“We aren’t leaving yet Finn.” Lando reached out and grasps the younger man’s arm. “We can wait a while longer.”
“You know old man, you really should consider retirement.” Replies a voice from behind them all.
Finn, Chewie and Lando all spin to see the Force ghost of Luke Skywalker. His cocky grin tugs at Lando’s heartstrings as he’s reminded of the first time he met the kid.
“What…how..?” Finn’s mouth drops open.
Chewie howls in greeting as Lando unbuckles to stand up.
“Luke!” Lando reaches out and is shocked at how solid Luke feels when he grabs his hand.
“Lando. I need a favor.”
“Of course, what can we do?”
“Can this hunk of junk tow that?” He gestures to the X Wing.
Lando considers and glances at Chewie. Chewie rumbles a response. “We can get it out to one of the larger ships and they can get it back. But what about Rey?”
“I need you to take her back to the Resistance base. I have someone bringing her out to the X Wing but she’s in no shape to fly.”
“What about Kylo Ren?” Finn clenches his fists when he says the name.
Luke looks to him and gives a small shoulder shrug. “Kylo Ren is dead.”
Lando makes a choking noise as he looks away, wiping his eyes.
Luke claps a hand on his shoulder.
“But Ben Solo is alive.”
Chewie takes over as Lando sits heavily in the pilot seat. With expert technique, the Wookie lands neatly next to the X Wing.
“There!” Finn turns and runs for the ramp as the ghost of Anakin Skywalker carries her out of the Sith fortress. Chewie calls out and follows after him. The two of them meet him at the base of the ramp. Rey is unconscious, caked in dirt and dried blood and wearing a too large black sweater. Anakin hands the girl over to Chewie who cradles her like a child and turns to take her into the ship. Anakin watches him go before looking back at Finn.
“Thank you…for bringing her out.” Finn swallows hard. “Will…will she be alright?”
Anakin nods. “Physically, yes. Emotionally….that’s yet to be seen. Be gentle with her. It was very hard in there. For both of them. You’re going to have to put aside your anger and your jealousy when it comes to her. You are useless to her if you can’t do that. You and the pilot. Trust her. She will know what to do.”
Finn stares after the wookie before looking back to Anakin. “I can’t promise I can do it all at once. But…I’m willing to try. For her.”
“Do it for you too.”
Chewie emerged from the crew quarters and called to Finn. Anakin nods to him and steps back. “You better go. Wookies aren’t known for this patience and she is going to need medical care.”
Finn makes towards the ship before he turns back to Anakin. “Luke said Kylo Ren is dead. Is it true?”
“The dead cannot lie. May the Force be with you Finn.” Anakin faded from sight and Finn saw Luke was gone as well as he closed the ramp.
“Next stop, Resistance Base. Finn, do you mind keeping an eye on our girl in there? We’re going to jump as soon as we clear orbit. Chewie says Rey needs a doctor and we’re fresh out of those out here. I’ve already contacted Dameron and let him know we’re headed that way.” Lando’s eyes were on the control boards but Finn thought he could still see tears in the man’s eyes.
“Of course.” Finn made his way into the captain’s quarters and settled in on the floor next to the bunk. He held Rey’s filthy hand in his own. “Hang on a little longer Rey. We are going home.”
**********
Resistance Base: General Leia's tent
Ben cried himself out after Leia had moved to sit next to him, her arms around him. She pushed aside some of his hair and kissed his forehead. His head was heavy on her shoulder and his breathing was deep and even.
The blue light in the tent grew brighter as Luke appeared. He glanced at his nephew and Leia nodded slightly.
“They’ve got her. They’re on the move. With Lando piloting they should be here in a few hours.” He paused before continuing. “He may want to find some pants.”