Kylo Ren was tired.

The weariness had been with him for years now, but it was worse now. The old bow-caster wound in his side ached from his recent exertions. The fire that had been awakened in his blood from combat was cooling now. He thought longingly of his bed and drank from his cup of wine.

It wouldn't be long now.

"Kylo Ren." The Bond had never died; she had just learned how to shut it down as she had that long ago day on Crait. After a while, he gave up trying to reach her. It was enough to know that she was still alive.

"Rey Dameron. Jedi Master and First Protector of the New Republic. Welcome to my throne room. Such as it is." He raised his glass to her and took a drink.

Twenty five years after he had first met her, and she was more beautiful than ever.

Her hair was just as black though she wore it longer now. Her body had the same lithe toughness she had as a young woman. A light saber was firmly attached to her belt. Her eyes glimmered with tears as they had the last time they had met in the flesh … "Ben ..."

"That's Kylo Ren. Supreme Leader of the First Order. Lord of all that I survey." He carefully laid his cup down. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Jedi Master?"

"Han." She swallowed. "My son Han."

"Ah, yes. I thought that might be it." He steepled his fingers. "You know he's not dead."

"I know." She stared at him with those eyes that had already had the power to make him do foolish things. Did she know that she had that power back then- did she know that she still had it? "He's a scholar, Ben. Not a warrior. He didn't know what he was doing."

"He knew exactly what he was doing, Rey." He cursed himself for the slip, certain that she would hear the longing in his voice. "He came for Leia." He sighed. "He came for my daughter."

"You found them."

"Yes. They almost made it. He may not be a trained Jedi Knight, but he certainly put up a good fight." He paused. "I had to take his hand, Rey. I'm sorry."

Damn it.

He had not apologized to anyone in decades and here he was acting like a lovestruck boy. What was wrong with him?

In spite of his words, Rey blushed and smiled slightly. "Maybe it will teach him to think before he acts again." She paused and came up to him. She was light years away but he felt like he could feel her breath on his face. "You'll let him go, won't you?"

"Yes. My daughter fought for him. She begged for his life. I agreed to send him back to you- on one condition."

"Yes?" Rey seemed to be holding her breath. She was closer to him than she had been since that day in the elevator.

"She has to marry a man of my choosing."

"Oh, Ben. No. How could you do that to her?"

"It's for her own good."

"It will kill her." Rey looked down. "It will kill Han. Who will you make her marry?"

"Han Dameron."

She stared at him in utter shock. "Ben-?"

"It's time for this to end, Rey. I won't make my daughter suffer the same regrets that I do. She will have her chance for happiness." He smiled. "Presuming you allow it."

"Could we stop them? Han has too much of his father in him to obey me if I said no." Rey's eyes closed with remembered pain. "It's been ten years since I lost him."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Poe Dameron had died in bed with his family beside him. Perhaps he would have preferred to die in battle, but at least the last thing he saw was Rey.

Kylo doubted he would be so lucky.

"I met Leia's mother once. On the field of battle. Sheeva." Rey chose her words carefully. "She wasn't what I expected for you."

"Sheeva was strong, and she loved Leia fiercely."

"And you? Did she love you, Ben?" Why did it matter so much to her now? They had a few stolen moments years ago- they had been enemies for decades. Why did she look at him like she cared about him?

"We were fond of each other. In a fashion." Sheeva had respected his power. Without her, he would never have learned the self-restraint to rule. "She gave her life to save Leia when the other Knights turned traitor."

"I'm sorry, Ben."

"So am I." Sorry for so many things that he could not begin to list them now.

"I like your hair. The gray makes it look distinguished." She reached out to touch it and then pulled back as though she remembered they were not really there, as though she remembered what had happened the last time she touched him.

"Thank you. You're even more beautiful than I remembered."

She blushed. "Damn you, Ben Solo. I haven't blushed in years and you've got me acting like a schoolgirl."

He smiled thinly. "I know how to end this war now, Rey. A way to stop the senseless bloodshed. A way for our children to be happy together."

As they had never been allowed to be.

"I'm listening," she said cautiously.

"There will be a public wedding. Leia will make the announcement about an alliance between the New Republic and The First Order after the wedding. I will then stun you, Han, and the other Jedi Knights in attendance and prepare to murder you."

She stared at him in confusion.

"Leia will stop me. In fact, she will kill me. Once the New Republic sees her kill her father in defense of her new family the alliance will be assured. Leia will be the acknowledged leader of the First Order and will be able to transition it to a more peaceful form of government."

"Are you insane?!" She shouted. "How did you get Leia to agree to this mad plan-"

"She doesn't know. She'll think I'm serious."

"Ben." Those eyes- those damnable eyes that he had ever been able to forget no matter how hard he tried and to be honest he never tried as hard as he should have- filled with tears. "You can't do this. You can't make your daughter kill you thinking you've gone mad."

"She'll be better off. It will bring peace, Rey. And I will finally get to rest."

"You've always been selfish, Kylo Ren."

He had not expected the venom.

"Leia will have Han. She'll have you. She'll be fine. The First Order will FINALLY be free of the legacy of Snoke … of my legacy." He gave her a crooked smile. "And you'll be rid of me at last."

"I never wanted to be rid of you, Ben." This time she did touch his cheek, her fingers tracing the old scar that time and bacta had never erased. "I just wanted you to come home."

"You were my home," Ben admitted softly. "I just learned that too late to do me any good."

"It's not too late," she said softly as she had said to him once before. "There's still time."

"It's too late." Too late for so many things … "Leia is strong-"

"I'm not talking about Leia's pain." She brought her face so close to his her lips were almost touching his. "I'm talking about mine."

"Rey-?"

"I don't want to be rid of you, Ben Solo. I loved Poe. I love my son. I love my life. I've been happy." She breathed into his ear. "But a part of my heart will always belong to you. Please don't go, Ben. Please don't go where I can't follow. Not again."

"I've only brought you pain-" Force but he wanted to kiss her.

"This won't take it away. It'll only make it worse. There's good in you, Ben Solo. You've fought for your daughter. You fought for your people. Now it's time for one last battle: fight for yourself." She brushed his lips with hers. "Fight for us."

His arms wrapped around her and he let himself drown in her light. "It won't be easy," he warned her. "It would be easier to set aside old hatred for everyone if I weren't here-"

"Not for Leia. Not for me." She kissed him again. "Stop trying to find reasons to give up on what we both want. Haven't we suffered enough? Haven't we waited long enough? Come back to me, Ben Solo. Not the New Republic. Not the Light Side. Just come back … to me."

And she held out her hand to him as she had done once so long ago.

And as he had done once before, Kylo Ren removed his glove and reached out.

But it was Ben Solo who took Rey's hand.

Author's Note: I couldn't help myself.