Go the Distance: A Reylo Fanfic

Prologue

Ben Solo grew up an only child. He lived a privileged life with he parents Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. His parents were very active in the military. His mother was one of the most respected generals of her time and his father loved the thrill of living life on the edge. He was a Navy SEAL and Ben could recall many times during his youth when his father would pack up and leave for who knew how long.

There were few good memories Ben had that involved his father. Ben remembered the times when Han would hoist him on to his shoulders and run around the yard. Ben loved baseball because of his father when they used to play catch in the yard. Or when they accidentally broke a piece of furniture because they were wrestling and they tried their best to hide the evidence from Leia. Ben used to have such a good time with his father, he used to believe his father cared about him.

But he was wrong. The rest of his memories involving his father were times he'd wish he could forget. Like when his father would hit Ben for no reason because of something he'd said or done wrong without meaning to. His father would yell at him or flat out ignore and avoid him whenever he was home. His father never wanted to play catch or wrestle or do anything with Ben anymore after he turned six.

Ben could recall every time his parents fought over Han's job. Leia hated watching him leave no matter how much they fought and argued at home. Ben remembered how stressed she was, always checking her phone, discreetly making sure his mission was going as planned by using her resources late at night. Despite how tough and cold she appeared to be on the outside with her cadets on base, she was a more compassionate and understanding person than she appeared to be.

When he was little, he was always sad because of his father's departures. Ben remembered all the times when his mother had hugged him and reassured him that Han would return home safely. And until Ben was ten, he believed his mother, and he believed that his father would one day come to the realization that his family needed and wanted him here with them. The weeks and sometimes months of his absences took tolls on both of them, until it got to the point to when Han was home, it didn't even feel normal or natural anymore.

Ben's image of his father completely changed when he was ten years old. He had been listening to his parents yell and scream at each other for about twenty minutes. This had been their worst fight yet, and Ben knew that this one would not result in just a silent treatment for a day or two.

This was the last straw for both of them.

Ben could still hear his mother's voice shake as she was on the verge of tears while she screamed and begged Han to wake up and stay home, to take a less dangerous position in the military so he could be apart of her life and in their son's.

Han shouted back that he would never give up his job he loved for anything, not even his family...not even for his ten year old son.

Ben had felt his heart clench and he could not believe that his own father did not love him in the ways Ben always believed he had.

He'd watched Leia slap him and Han hit her back, "do not ever accuse me of not being here for my son." He'd growled at her.

Ben stepped into the room, tears rolling down his cheeks and his parents both stared at him with shock, his father looked like a deer in headlights.

"Ben, I didn't mean—" he tried but Ben wouldn't listen to him, never again.

"Shut up! You will never be my father! My father would never choose his job over me and mom!" Ben cried, "you have never been there for me, you missed my first day of school, my first baseball game, my first everything! Even when you are home I know you don't want to be here, and I don't want you here with us anymore!"

Han took cautious steps towards his son, like he was a land mine about to explode. "Ben, clam down. Apologize to your father." Leia said calmly.

Ben was horrified at his mother, still defending him after everything he had done to her. "You are still defending him?! He just hit you! I know what he does to you when he leaves us mom. Dad makes you sad and worried. I've seen you cry over him while you are downstairs in the dark, you still search for him while he's on his missions and when he comes back you guys fight and argue and the cycle repeats every single time!"

"Go to your room right now!" His mother's harsh tone ordered, the strict general inside her was surfacing.

"No."

"Ben listen to your mother." Han's stern voice ordered, and Ben had finally had it.

"I don't care if you even come back after this mission, you are not my father, not anymore. And if you do, I don't want to see you ever again. Any man who chooses work over family is not a man, nor is he fit to be a father." Ben turned around and ran out the door. Sprinting into the dark street, he had to get away from his house and his parents.

—-

He ran until he reached his uncle Luke's house. In the pouring rain he knocked on the door and Luke opened it wearing a colorful robe. "Ben? What are you doing here?"
Ben opened his mouth to answer but Luke already knew, he always seemed like he had this ability to read minds. "Parents fighting again?"

"How did you know?" Ben asked as he stepped inside Luke's old fashioned, elegantly furnished mansion.

"You've got that look in your eyes. How bad was it this time?" Luke asked kindly, bending down to meet his nephew's eye level.

"The worst. Dad hit mom and said he'd always choose his job over us, over me. He didn't even take it back or try to, then I yelled at him and I divorced him." Ben explained, with a flare of anger burning in his brown eyes.

Luke masked his amusement at his nephew's declaration of divorcing his father. Instead of exposing his amusement, Luke put his hand on Ben's back and said, "give your father some time. He may not seem like he does, but he loves you and Leia very much. He just has a very unusual way of expressing it. I know it doesn't seem like it, but one day you will understand your complex and very dense father." He told Ben with a small smirk on his lips that made Ben giggle.

"What are you wearing? And why are you all sweaty?" Ben asked, finally processing the shiny and silky robe his uncle was wearing. Ben did not forget Luke's words but wanted to change the subject.

"This? Come here, I'll show you." Luke took Ben's hand and lead to the staircase it lead into a dark room and when they rounded the corner there was a single light above what looked like a giant cage. There was a dummy that looked like a grown man in the middle of the cage and Ben tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"What is this uncle Luke?"

"This is a boxing ring. That thing in the middle is a dummy, it acts as a punching bag, but it helps me practice facing an opponent."

"What do you mean?"

"Stay outside the ring and I'll show you."

Ben did as he was told and watched his uncle close the door behind him to the ring.  Luke put on some huge black mittens and began to hit, punch, kick and attack the bag like it was a threat. Ben watched from the other side of the cage in awe of this. Luke looked so angry but so focused as he fought the punching bag until it fell to the matted floor of the ring sending a loud THUD throughout the room.

"Wow! Can I try? Please uncle Luke can I try it?" Ben pleaded and jumped up and down like a rabbit.

"Sure, come in here, you can use my gloves." Luke opened the gate and Ben ran inside with a skip in his step, the anger that was in eyes earlier had vanished.

Ben laughed as Luke put his sweaty gloves on Ben's hands. Even though they looked funny Ben felt powerful, like he could stand up to anyone and defeat who ever chose to stand in his way.

"Now, show me what you got. Hit the bag and see if you can make it fall over." Luke instructed.

Ben looked at the dummy in front of him, he closed his eyes and imagined the dummy was his father. The same rage coursed through his veins as he opened his eyes and threw the first punch.