Song- I Try by Jasmine Thompson
When I first imagined Zander, I immediately thought of Cole Sprouse, because as you can see from the picture above, he looks like a nice combination of Daisy and Adam.
One thing I've really enjoyed writing so far is the family dynamic. Though Ben is not physically with them, Rey and Zander still consider him part of their family, and he them. So when he is around, I find their interactions to be very interesting because it's very sweet yet heartbreaking to watch. This was probably one of my favorite chapters to write, so enjoy!
Ben- three years later...
The command room at the western headquarters of the Defenders of Peace was in a lull compared to its usual hustle and bustle.
Where there were usually many people pouring over maps and coordinates were unfilled posts and empty chairs.
Only two were taken.
Ben Solo was leaning back in his chair sipping his morning coffee, while his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was slumped over the table analysing numbers.
He felt a familiar tension in the Force, a pressure in his gut.
"Ben, Ben."
Rey's voice called out in a clear whisper that only he could hear.
Ben looked across the table. "Grandfather-"
"Go to your fiancée." Anakin assured him. "I'll cover for you."
Ben closed his black eyes, following the string to Rey's Force aura.
He opened them to find himself in Rey's living room.
It must have been around the middle of the night, only a single light on over the small table.
Rey sat on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her face was red and puffy, her hazel eyes bloodshot.
She stood to meet him. "Oh, Ben. Thank the Force."
He strode over to her. "Rey, it must be past midnight here. Why aren't you asleep?"
"Zander was supposed to be home three hours ago, but hasn't showed up yet." Her lips blubbered and tears began to fall.
"Ben, what if something happened to him? I don't know what I'd do-"
"Hey, hey, hey." Ben shushed as he wrapped his arms around her.
"You would have felt something if it had. I'll go find him and bring him home."
"You will?"
He gave her a small smile. "I promise."
Ben kissed Rey's forehead before closing his eyes once again, trying to locate his son's Force energy.
He was met with a dark night sky and a chill in the air. A fire blazed several yards away from him. Five teenagers sat around it, chatting lightheartedly.
Ben pinpointed Zander, who was grinning as he had an arm wrapped around a pretty blonde girl.
A tick formed in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.
"Zander Benjamin Solo!" He yelled across the clearing, knowing fully well only his son could hear him.
Zander's face went slack.
"I've got to go." Ben saw him say to the girl before standing up and leaving the fire.
Ben waited until they were miles away before turning to his son.
"Have you lost your damn mind?" He roared.
"I came to find your mother sobbing on the sofa, distraught at just the thought of you being dead. You're the only family she has left, Zander."
Ben huffed. "You're all that she has now. Don't make her worry like this."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I wasn't thinking-" Zander started before Ben cut him off.
"Damn right you weren't thinking." He snarled.
"Don't go apologizing to me when your mother is the one who needs to hear it."
Ben paused, wiping a hand across his forehead as he allowed himself to cool down.
"Look, Zander. I probably shouldn't be telling you this as you're fifteen and I don't want to make you worry, but if you're going to be staying out recklessly late, then you're not leaving me any choice."
Ben looked into his son's large brown eyes. "Your mother is dying, Zander. I can feel the life force I gave her beginning to fade."
Zander's face had a crestfallen expression, as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him.
Ben continued. "Now, this doesn't mean that she's going to be gone by tomorrow. This could take months, years to happen. My point is, you've got time right now. I still want you to be a kid and have your fun, but you have to choose wisely how you spend your time."
He swallowed. "If I had known how short my life was going to be, there are many things I would have done differently."
The two of them walked silently through the trees before Ben spoke again.
"Was she worth it?"
Zander wore a confused look. "What?"
"The blonde who was hanging on your arm." He gave him a sly smile. "Was she worth it?"
Even in the dark, Ben could make out a new redness in Zander's cheeks.
"Oh, that's Sienna."
"And?" He pressed. "Do you like her?"
Zander shrugged.
"I don't know, Dad. It's hard to tell with girls like her. Sometimes I think she's just leading me on. How did you know with Mom?"
Now it was Ben's turn to blush.
"There's a story right there." He paused, slightly nervous.
"Does your mother ever talk about her days with the Resistance?"
"A few stories here and there, but not much."
"Did she ever tell you any involving Kylo Ren?"
"When I was younger, she did. They always involved lightsaber duels."
Ben anxiously ran a hand through his wavy dark hair.
"What do you know about Kylo Ren?"
"Just that he did some bad things for the First Order."
Zander's brown eyes brightened. "And that you killed him."
Ben let out a small, sad laugh.
"Zander, I was Kylo Ren. I fell prey to lies that filled my head, and for a long time, I felt trapped. Your mother saved me. She brought the goodness back from deep inside me, saw me for who I really was. Because of that, I guess, in a way I did kill Kylo Ren. I killed him by becoming Ben Solo again."
The two walked quietly for some time.
"Zander," Ben's voice grew serious. "I need you to promise me that you won't say a word to your mother about her life force fading."
He hesitated. "It might, uh, excite her."
"I know." Zander nodded. "I notice the way she brightens when you enter the room, and how that light dims the moment you leave. She really wants to be with you, Dad. She loves you a lot."
Ben smiled to himself as they made their trek in the dark.
The two of them made their way to Rey's home. Ben stopped him before they reached the door.
"Now, when we go in there, you're going to apologize to your mother. Understood?"
"Understood." Zander nodded.
"Hey, Dad?"
"Yes, buddy?"
"Thanks for talking with me."
Ben smiled. "Any time."
The two of them walked into the living room to find a sleeping Rey on the couch. She sat up in a haze at the sound of her son's footsteps.
"Zander! Where have you been? You made me sick-"
"I know, Mom. And I'm sorry." Zander embraced her in a hug as she stood up, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"I wasn't thinking about how you would feel if I stayed out so late. Please forgive me."
Rey began to cry into her son's shirt. "I forgive you; I'm just glad you're alright."
Ben watched his little family with a bittersweet sort of happiness.
Soon enough, he would be able to show his affection by other than his actions and words.
Soon enough, he would be holding his love in his arms.
Rey caught his eye and gave him a look, as if to say "well done, thank you."
Ben simply nodded, the corners of his lips slightly curving upwards as he began to fade away.
Happy May the Fourth, readers! How are you guys celebrating today? As I type this, I'm wearing my Kylo Ren shirt with my hair up in Rey buns. I'm planning on watching The Rise of Skywalker today as it is now on Disney + in the U.S. Fingers crossed that an alternative ending is with the deleted scenes!