Steady On.

Chapter 23.

Her wound was closed, she was sure it. It wasn't throbbing any longer, nor was it bleeding, and for that she was thankful.

She still felt the pain of the kicks though, and beneath her wound, she was scarring.

Everything else, however...

With a start, Rey opened her eyes for the first time since being healed. The room was dark, except for the small lamp that was lit to her left. Trying to sit up, Rey winced and fell back against the bed.

"Stop straining yourself."

Jumping, Rey's head whipped towards her left looking past the lamp and seeing a dark figure sitting in the corner, ignoring the spike of pain shooting through her.

From the shadows, sitting awkwardly in a small chair, Kylo Ren leaned forward, the light illuminating the side of his face.

His soft eyes looked Rey over, feeling the pain she was ignoring. Rey still paid no mind to it as her eyes glued to him in disbelief that he was truly there.

Blinking a few times and trying to close her mouth, Rey tried to think of something to say.

"You... You're here? How di-" She stammered, being cut off by Kylo.

Kylo moved closer to her, studying her face. "It doesn't matter now. How do you feel?" His voice was low, and Rey detected a hint of concern and anger in it. Still in shock, Rey glanced away as she tried to pinpoint what hurt and what didn't.

Now that she was awake, her body felt a bit numb, and her ribs were killing her. She assumed it was from the kicks that Sano.....

Her eyes widened as she looked back to Kylo, who was already answering her unasked question.

"He got away. My mo-.... I was told he was a new member to the resistance? I was not given the details, but he escaped after causing quite the trouble to your base. Everyone is packing up to leave." He explained, watching for Rey's reaction.

Rey glanced away, feeling angry that she had not been more wise or expecting when it came to Sano. She thought about their first challenge, and how she felt his intentions on just his first day there. Cursing herself, Rey couldn't fight the oncoming wave of responsibility and guilt that washed over her for how the situation played out.

Adjusting the pillow beneath her head, she folded it in half and moved up so that she could see him better.

Still, Kylo simply watched her. He was curious as to how she felt, and if she felt anything that had happened only hours before she woke.

He, however, felt sick.

Kylo Ren had been sitting there cursing himself for coming to Excora, knowing that just choosing to do so was a move to the light. And when he channeled it to save Rey, he was overtaken by it for just a moment. He feared the light, he was enraged by it, and for the scavenger, he was fueled by it. The darkness within him quickly ran it out once Rey was brought back, but deep down, Kylo knew there was still traces of it that would never leave him.

He saved his mother twice now, his guilt for killing his father still ate at him, and now, he was the savior of the last jedi...

Shaking his head, Kylo bit the inside of his cheek as he silently reminded himself that he saved her to benefit the First Order for when she turned... The dark vision he had of Rey, would come true. He was certain of it...

"How did you do it?" Rey asked, pulling him from his thoughts. Kylo looked back to her, meeting her warm gaze.

'I'll save you, too.' His mind echoed to him.