Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Previously on Straight to the Heart…

Rey Finn meets Kylo Ren, heir to the Snoke fortune — which includes First Order Airline — on a flight from Jakku. However, she meets him while he is undercover as Matt the radar technician — one of many positions he filled over time at Snoke's requirement that he thoroughly knows the empire. They connect before she realizes who he is — the man behind so many job losses in Jakku, including her brother's. Kylo gives her his number and asks for the chance to explain.

In Naboo, Rey unintentionally meets his mother, and she learns that his name was Ben Solo before he became estranged from his family. His mother, Leia, gives Rey a letter to give to him after learning that Rey will see him again.

After accepting Kylo's invitation to stay in Coruscant before returning to Jakku, Rey meets Cecil Threepio, a longtime friend of the Solos, and the chef, Artoo de Deux. While staying with Kylo, Rey gains insight into Snoke's influence in Kylo's life and the man she begins to see as Ben. Ben shares his past with her, and their connection deepens.

Meanwhile, Snoke has told Ben that it isn't over yet, and Ben suspects something will be revealed with the reading of Snoke's last will and testament. When the news breaks that Snoke has died, Rey decides to call Leia.

Straight to the Heart

Chapter 17

It was a curious position to be in — involved in the lives of strangers as if she had a significant part in them. Rey didn't know them well at all, yet she was on a phone call with his mother. His mother wanted to know from her — Rey, the nobody from Jakku — how her son was doing. It felt as if someone had dropped her in the middle of a story, giving her the threads to weave together, while she really had no place at all.

Rey's hand tightened around the phone as the silence stretched.

"Rey?" Leia finally prompted.

Ben. How is Ben doing? Leia's question ran through Rey's mind, and she slowly lowered to the bed. "I …" she began, but Rey couldn't get herself to say, I don't know. It was not that she didn't know; the scene in the gym was still fresh in her mind. Rather, it felt as though Snoke's ominous words hovered over scales that were about to tip.

Snoke wants him to do what the old man should have done, whatever that means, Rey thought as she remembered Kylo's words from the previous night. His mother wanted to know how Ben was doing, while Snoke seemingly had left one last task for Kylo Ren. Who was he? Who was he to her? She already knew that she didn't see him as before; she didn't see Kylo Ren, the villain in her and her brother's story. But he still preferred to be known that way.

It hit her in that moment, causing her to nearly gasp out loud. He didn't see a future where he would reconnect to his past. Even as he justified his decisions and explained the long term impact, it was all still on the same path. He had chosen the best option he could see, but it was still the road in Snoke's shadow.

"Leia." She breathed deeply. "He is in turmoil over something Snoke said before he died. I think Ky— Ben was right. Ben said that it sounded as if Snoke had implemented something in his will, like one last task. I don't know if it will be just a wish or a requirement, but I have a strong feeling that Snoke wanted to ensure Ben remained on this current path."

"My son," his mother whispered, her voice breaking at the end. She took a few seconds before she spoke again, worry filling every word. "Tell me exactly what he said."

Rey hesitated, suspecting that Ky— Ben would not want her to have this conversation. However, not only shouldn't she have brought it up then, she also truly believed that Leia cared for her son. Whether she was trying to make up for the past or she was just trying to be there for him, Rey needed to talk to someone who was a part of the story.

So she told Leia, sharing with her the incident in the gym and the fact that it frequently occurred over the past two years. A soft sob escaped over the line, and Rey found her own cheeks bearing witness to the hurt she'd seen. It was painful to realize that his arm muscles that she had noticed during the flight were not due to vanity or a healthy lifestyle.

"Rey, I have something to ask of you," Leia finally responded. "I realize that you haven't known my son for long, but you are the first person in years who has managed to crack open the door. As it is, it has been a long time since I've spoken to Threepio about anything. There … there was an understanding when Threepio went to him that … we cannot contact him that way. Please, Rey, consider what I ask before you refuse."

Rey felt as if her lungs' capacity shrunk suddenly, and her hand gripped the white covers. "What is it?"

"When are you leaving?"

The young woman paused before responding. "Friday. I haven't had a chance to speak to Ben about it, but I have to leave by Friday. I have a half day shift at the impound lot on Saturday."

Leia's deep breath was barely audible over the line. "Stay. Please, Rey, you have to be there when the will is read. I know I have no right to ask you to get further involved, but as a mother who still hopes to reconcile with her son, I'm asking you to stay with him. I can't be there for him now, even though I want to. If you do this, I promise there will be a job waiting for you at Skywalker. I still have connections there."

It was a good thing that she was already sitting, because Rey's limbs suddenly felt weak. "I-I can't. My brother … he is expecting me to be there on Friday!"

"I know it's a big ask, and if you say no, I understand." Sincerity was easily detectable in Leia's voice, and Rey knew she was just a desperate mother. Rey understood that on some level, for she knew she would do whatever she could for her brother.

Thus, Rey had to ask herself, could she walk away from Ben now? She had already thought she couldn't, which brought her to him instead of flying back to Jakku. How much more so now that she knew more of his history?

"I … I don't know what to say. I'll call again," the young woman responded, wrapping an arm around her middle. She felt torn between loyalty to her brother and here, with Ben, where it felt like she was needed. In that moment, the memory of when they held hands during the flight flashed through her mind. Feeling his touch almost as if an invisible hand intertwined with hers, Rey repeated, "I'll call again."

"Thank you, Rey, for even considering it. Thank you."

~SW~

It wasn't feasible, of course, because Rey could not be without income indefinitely. She and her brother shared an apartment, and she had to pay her share of rent and utilities, not to mention food. Logically, she knew she had to return, but she found herself desperately trying to think of an alternative.

Sitting in the great room on the couch, Rey stared at the view of the river. If Threepio and Artoo noticed that she was preoccupied, neither of them said anything as they, too, found themselves distracted. All three of them felt Ben's absence. In more ways than one — it felt as if they were spectators as he stood on the tipping point.

Standing suddenly, Rey moved quickly toward the stairs and up to her room. She grabbed her backpack and returned quickly downstairs, where Threepio and Artoo looked at her with great concern.

When Threepio saw the backpack, he quickly turned his chair toward Artoo. "Go grab the picture on my nightstand. Hurry."

Rey watched the shorter man go with a puzzled expression. Before she could speak, however, Threepio said, "Please, wait, just give us a moment. Please don't leave."

"I just need—" she began.

"Here it is!" Artoo shouted, his short legs carrying him as fast as possible back to the foot of the stairs. Handing the frame to Threepio, the younger chef rubbed his fingers nervously.

Threepio stared at the picture frame for a moment before holding it out towards her. "That's Ben. It was taken the summer before the accident. I am here for him. He is more than the man with an all-black wardrobe who doesn't know how to smile — a man shaped by pain and misplaced guilt. Please don't give up on him."

Rey stared at the sepia-colored photo for a long time. With the photo taken in landscape, showing the two people from the chest upwards, her eyes were drawn to Ben's longish black hair curling over his ears, and his small, shy smile. It was almost as if he couldn't contain his joy — probably because of the crop duster that was visible behind him — and she could see hope in his expression. Beside him was a man she assumed was his uncle.

"I wasn't leaving," she finally said. Then, she looked up as her thumb brushed the frame. "I couldn't just sit around here anymore. I thought I would go for a walk, and the keycard is still in my backpack."

Threepio reclined against the back support of his chair in dramatic fashion, while Artoo grabbed one of the two banisters of the staircase. "Oh, thank goodness! I was sure that was it when you shot up those stairs," Threepio said, greatly relieved. "I think I just aged another ten years."

"Stop being so dramatic!" Artoo responded. "But oui, I thought, 'there goes a good one.'"

Hesitating for a moment, Rey gave into the urge and gave both of them a quick hug. "I'll be back in a few hours. I just need some air."

"Will you be back by dinnertime?" Threepio asked, sitting up a bit straighter. "I'm sure Ben will be back by then."

"Yes, I'll be back by then," she replied softly before turning to walk to the elevator.

In the lobby, she was grateful that the building was also a hotel, since the few reporters hanging around didn't give her a second look. Many people came and went, and she was just a face among them, albeit in less expensive clothing.

~SW~

By four o'clock, Rey felt foolish. The idea that she could find a temporary job in Coruscant hadn't been a bad one, but it was not that simple. For one, she wasn't dressed for the part, and secondly, she couldn't give any references. She could just imagine her boss, Unkar Plutt, if a call came about her and a new job. She would be let go faster than ice melted in the dessert. Character references were also out, because a call to her brother or friends would result in a meltdown of another kind. There was also the fact that she'd worked for Unkar since high school, and fixing her friends' cars didn't really count.

It had been a foolish idea to look for a temporary job. What was she even going to say if Ben asked about her return flight? Oh, no worries. Your mom asked me to stay, so I found a job here. How do you feel about another roommate?

Wiping her hand over her face in frustration at what she had attempted to do, Rey looked up and her eyes fell on the display window of a little bookshop. A painting on an easel was in the corner, and the image showed a woman crying though with a joyous smile. Written in gold at the bottom of the painting were the words, Much love where much is forgiven.

The words penetrated her heart, and she stared at them as her mind wandered to her childhood. She hadn't been an easy child for her adoptive parents, especially in the beginning, but they never rejected her. They kept trying, kept showing they were there through their actions. She loved them, and she would never forget that they gave her a home and a brother. Great was the magnitude of thankfulness for what they had done for her.

As she turned away from the store, she wondered how Ben would react if he received forgiveness from his family, from her, and most importantly, from himself.

Would he still hold on to the mask of Kylo Ren?

Author's Note: Thank you for returning to this story! So much has happened since the last update, and I'm thankful to return to writing. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I always appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for every follow, favorite and review.

PS: Some of you may find something about the painting and the words familiar. That's because they are inspired by the true story of a woman who lived a long, long time ago. :)