FADE | Kylo Ren

- chapter thirty-eight

She pulls back from the kiss, her forehead against his for a moment of just serenity. She holds him, terrified to let go just in case this is some horrible nightmare or some sort of afterlife dream. But she is alive, she can feel him, her fingertips grazing agains his pale cheek.

        Suddenly remembering her, Florence looks around for Rey. She's sat only a few feet away looking right at them but not really, she is completely lost in thought.

Ben woke her up before Florence — fully certain that just his life force wouldn't be sufficient to get Florence up and going again without compromising his own life. Part of him thought he could do it that way, he would give her his life in a heartbeat, but he knows her. Florence wouldn't accept that, she would wake up and make sure they woke him up anyways. It seemed better to do it the other way around.

"Rey?"

"Mhm," she turns her head to look at them, blinking a few times. "You okay?" Her voice is coarse and rough,

Florence nods. "Are you okay?" Her concerns are not of herself, she feels quite alright for just having died. Rey, on the other hand, looks rough. She looks tired beyond belief, desperately in need of rest. Everyone is, they've been at this war for so long, it's time they all get some well deserved time to just breathe. To be surrounded by friends and family and feel no fear.

"I will be," she promises with a lazy nod. Florence isn't quite having it, Rey looks completely empty and worn out, but she has no time to say anything before Ben speaks up.

  "We have to get out of here," he reminds them. Around them, the walls are crumbling, the ceiling falling down around them. It won't be long before the entire place collapses. Rey nods sleazily.

"Okay," she says, voice weak and raspy. "Let's go."

Ben and Florence help Rey stand up, slowly making their way over to the platform that brings them back up to the surface, the place crumbling around them as it does. Every single one of them is weak and making their way out is a proper struggle but they manage, together.

They only let go of each other once they have reached the ships.,Rey almost falls over as soon as they do, but Florence is quick to catch her, holding her up firmly. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm just... I'll be okay," she assures them. "Where are you two headed now?"

Florence and Ben exchange a look, they haven't spent any thought as to where they will settle down. It is a conversation to be had later on, but first, Florence remembers she made a promise.

"I promised Poe I'd see him on Ajan Kloss," she says, looking up at Ben, almost a bit afraid as to what he might think about that. But he doesn't seem opposed to that idea. And he isn't. He goes wherever she goes — happy to follow the way she leads.

His lips stretch into a soft smile. "Okay. So we'll go there until we figure out where to next."

Rey looks content with their answer. "I'm glad." Before they climb into their ships, she takes the lightsabers she used to kill the emperor, holding them out toward Ben, knowing that if they belong to anyone, it is to Ben Solo. One is his grandfather's and the other his uncle's.

          Ben only takes the green one, nodding toward her. He has no use for two lightsabers and Rey has most definitely made herself worthy of the other one. It has been by her side for over a year. "You keep the other."