Permanent Mark

Chapter Eighteen

Ben bolts from his bed at the sound of her scream.

Han and Leia watch helplessly as Rey thrashes about in her bed. Ben doing the best he can to calm her.

It's not working. It hasn't worked in weeks.

Ben can't seem to break through her nightmares since "the incident" on Jakku.

"Nooooooo......go away!!!" Rey screams, her fists flying, tears streaming from eyes squeezed shut.

"Rey....Rey......I'm here....it's me..."

Ben looks at his mother, desperate. She won't do it until he tells her to. They must try every other avenue.

"Damn it, Leia...do it," Han pleads. He'd tried several times to console Rey, to no avail.

"Hold on....just....maybe....kriff I hate doing it to her..." Leia says, her heart hurting.

"Stop....please....Plutt....nooooo," Rey screams.

Ben covers his face with his hands, whispering.

"Mama....." Ben pleads quietly, almost in tears.

Leia lets out a sob as she walks to Rey, waving a hand over her head. Rey is instantly silent. The three of them sit around her, watching her breathing return to normal and her eyelids relax.

She's in a force sleep.

"This is the third time this week...." Leia whispers, smoothing Rey's hair off of her sweaty face. Han goes to fetch a cool cloth and Ben wipes her face. He's shaking.

"Mama...this isn't healthy for her, is it?"

Ben had stopped saying Mama by the time he was six years old. However when he was afraid, it would slip out, the sound of it causing Leia to cry. She reaches out and takes her son's hand.

"Son, we need to talk. Your father will sit with her."

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Ben didn't understand why he could no longer help Rey. The voice was growing louder. He found himself considerably weaker to resisting it. All of his strength was spent on trying to help Rey.

She'd sleep peacefully under the spell of a force sleep but she'd not wake for at least 24 hours. Then she'd be confused over why she'd missed an entire day. It also led to missed meals. She was losing weight. Something Rey couldn't afford to do.

When she was awake, she was not her usual self. The happy child was fading. She was afraid to leave Ben's side and as much as he loved Rey, he was also exhausted. Which led him to sleeping in his own bed, just needing to rest. He'd always tell himself it would only be a minute, only to wake up to Rey's screams.

The lack of rest and just the overall stress was causing his mental walls to collapse.

His guilt was consuming him.

You did this to her.....

You took her to Jakku....

You should've told her no....

You should've let her kill Plutt....

Then the voice proposed an answer.

Bring her to me. I'll help her...

I'll let you train her....your parents never will....

You need me...SHE needs me....