The World between Worlds

Chapter 2- Just a dream

Rey was exhausted and excused herself from the festivities early; she had died today and lost so much she cared about. She went and hid in her shelter, lying beneath Ben's cloak. Sleep had not come easily. The fire had died, and the last revellers had long since gone to their beds. Ajan Kloss was dark and quiet but for the native night-time creatures that inhabited the planet when exhaustion finally took her.

A warm hand lay on her stomach, and with all her might, she reached for it. Rey sat upright in his hands as his face searched hers, concerned and relieved. She touched his jaw tentatively, his face, his hair, lingering upon his cheek as his hands held her firmly. A meek smile touched the corners of his face.

"Ben."

Rey leaned forward and kissed him. As their lips met, Ben's arm held her to him, almost desperate. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and as it lingered, it deepened and said everything they had wanted to say to each other but had denied it out of fear. The touch of his lips were warm against hers, and as Rey pressed herself against his chest, she opened hers against his with a sigh, and Ben's already desperate grip around her waist pulled her closer. Rey's gentle hand upon his jaw now reached behind him, entwining with his hair.

She lost herself in the feel of his arm around her, of his chest against her, of his heart pounding against her, of the blood rushing in her veins, of the sweet warmth of his lips, the ardent movement of his against hers and the moist darkness within that held his breath. She could smell that musk and that salty sea. It felt good and right, as it always should have been. She pulled back from him, and he smiled at her and laughed.

"We need to go," she said to him, her hand clinging to the back of his neck, and the smile on his face faded.

"No, no, Ben, stay with me, be with me, please."

His face was full of sorrow, and suddenly Rey awoke.

She clenched her eyes shut and allowed a solitary tear to fall from her face. It was just a dream.

Rey spent the next few days pouring through the ancient Jedi texts. There was so much information contained within their pages but nothing about the Dyad. She went to C-3P0 and Beaumont about the scripture she couldn't read, but even the text they had deciphered contained nothing about the Dyad. She searched through each of the texts again, this time in hopes of finding a way to bring someone back from death, but it was more from desperation she knew there was nothing within the texts about such capabilities.

She was creating her new lightsaber when she wasn't searching for information on the Dyad. Maz had provided her with a crystal through her Gatherer friend Savi. With Chewbacca and Maz's help, Rey had begun to craft a saber of her own using parts of her staff. The work had been tricky, but thankfully, there was all sorts of information in the texts, often written in Luke's own hand to guide her. Chewie and Maz seemed knowledgeable, having seen others fix or adjust their sabers in the past. Rey was grateful for their help.

She was exhausted when she went to her bunk, a new lightsaber in one hand and one of the ancient Jedi texts in the other a few days later. Still, she sat within the darkness of her shelter and continued to pour over the ancient, worn pages. The heavy book rested on her lap, open upon the original Jedi, a balance of light and dark as she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

A warm hand lay on her stomach, and with all her might, she reached for it. Rey sat upright within his hands as his face searched her own, concerned and relieved. This time, Rey knew it was a dream, but she didn't care; she touched his face, his hair lingering upon his cheek as his hands held her firmly.

"So real," Rey exclaimed.

A gentle smile touched the corners of his face.

"Ben," Rey whispered his name as she leaned forward and kissed him. As their lips met, Ben's arm held her to him, almost desperate. The kiss was sweet to start but quickly deepened. The touch of his lips against hers were warm, and Rey urgently pressed herself against his chest, opening her mouth against his, attempting to explore the warm, moist darkness beyond. Ben's already desperate grip around her waist pulled her closer. Rey's arms enclosed around his neck; she didn't care that this wasn't real. Rey lost herself in the feel of Ben's arms around her, his chest against hers. Ben's pounding heart, the blood rushing in her veins, the sweet warmth of his lips and their ardent movement against hers became Rey's world. Rey could smell that musk and that salty sea. She pulled back from him, and he smiled at her and laughed.