Alternate Ending for The Rise of Skywalker

A New Journey

Ben's POV:

Looking around my bag to make double-check that I had everything prepared for tomorrow, I nodded as I crossed off items from my mental checklist. Clothes, check. Toiletries, check. Parts I had here that I would need for my new saber, check. Was I missing anything?

Placing the bag down and glancing around the room, I thought over things that I might need for the journey ahead. My eyes pausing on the nightstand, I walked over to it, looking at a small, clean cut box.

Smiling a little as I traced the opening to it, I gently lifted the lid upwards, to reveal the dainty ring underneath. It wasn't much, quite simple, but I knew that it was Rey's style. She was not one for fancy, showy things.

Gasping a little as a familiar silence crept up, I quickly shut the box and shoved it to the side, wincing slightly as it fell to the ground. For such a small box, it sure made a lot of noise, I noted.

A smile in her voice, Rey asked, "What was that?" Her eyes flicked to the spot that made the noise.

"Nothing," I said, turning her way, grateful for once that she could not see my surroundings. 

Walking towards her, I draped an arm over her small figure, pulling her gently to me.

"Hi," she said warmly. "I missed this."

"Me too," I agreed, voice partially muffled by her hair.

Pulling back, she looked up at my face, her ever-present smile beaming.

"You all ready for tomorrow?" she asked, stretching up to run her finger through my hair.

Leaning my head to her touch, I responded a beat late.

"I think so. You?" was my response, my eyes closed.

"Mhmm," she said, and then pressed her lips to mine.

After a few minutes of this, she suddenly jerked back, responding to some noise she heard where she was at.

"Finn's here," She said, apology evident in her voice.

"That's alright, Rey," I said, pressing a hand to her cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow. Love you. "

"Love you too!" was the last thing I heard, and then she was off, the silence retreated, and I was alone again. Turning back to the spot where the box fell, I didn't have to think twice before adding the small parcel to my bag.

Rey's POV:

Finn only came to check that I was all packed and ready for tomorrow. While I appreciated the sweet gesture, I was slightly annoyed that it took from the already limited time I had with Ben.

It was late, but my mind wouldn't shut off, buzzing with the excitement of a new adventure. By this time tomorrow, Poe, Finn, Ben, and I would be speeding away in the galaxy, heading towards Ilum.

I wondered how we were going to do sleeping arrangements on the Falcon. While good for many things, the sleeping compartments were not really the best. Only two of them were really functional, and those barely even deserved the word. Small bunkbeds and a tight living space, there really wasn't much to the cramped sleeping compartments.

A flutter of butterflies shot through my stomach at the realization that I would probably be the one to share a room with Ben. While I didn't mind, not at all, to share a room with him, I found myself rather nervous, wondering if he would be willing to share a room with me.

I knew he probably would, he loved me, but still a small voice whispered in the back of my brain that he did not, that I did not deserve to be loved, that I was small, and worthless. Closing my eyes and concentrating on shutting that voice up, I reminded myself of how far I have come, of how many people did care for me, that I was not nothing.