A/N: My first Star Wars fic. Maybe my only one. Who knows? Enjoy. Has The Rise of Skywalker spoilers.

The hot air began to chill with the setting of the suns, yet Rey was unbothered by it from her place above the ground where she meditated. Life on Tatooine was different than Jakku, with less people near the Lars homestead than her home in the AT-AT troop compartment on the outskirts of the Graveyard Ships. And the people who were there, were much friendlier than anyone she'd had to deal with before she'd joined the Rebellion.

She breathed in, wind gently blowing loose strands of hair about her.

Now there was no Rebellion.

Just a Skywalker, in the desert, lightsaber with a kyber crystal attuned to gold strapped to her hip.

A balance.

"Be with me," she murmured. "Be with me."

Even now she reached out for that balance, the essence inside of her that was no longer her. It had been released with the death of the Sith, with Palpatine.

She smiled when she felt the other essence inside reaching out, filling her. There was a warm tingling in her body, spreading from her lower abdomen, up her diaphragm, and then into her limbs. Around her, the air was alight with it, light, and heavy all at once.

"Be with me."

Her chest soared, everything feeling just right, another presence standing tall beside her.

The voice she yearned to hear spoke, just next to her ear, "I am with you."

Rey opened her eyes, tears shining in them, and looked upon Ben. The fading suns shone through his translucent form, that glowed ever so slightly with a different form of existence, but there he was.

"Ben."

She lowered herself to the ground, uncrossing her legs, and tried to reach out to him. But her hand could not touch his face, not really. She let it fall.

"You took my family's name," he told her.

She blushed, shuffling back, yet he came forward, towering over her. Once where she might have felt frightened, or some unresolved tension from him, his presence made her feel safe, whole.

"I-I'm sorry. I—"

He smiled down at her, so rare, the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, even more beautiful than all the green she had seen on Takodana.

"It's alright."

He reached out, as if to touch her, and she stared up at him.

"Ben, you can't… You're not… You died."

To her surprise she felt his hand on her cheek, so strong, reassuring, and a tear fell from her left eye. He brushed his pointer finger across her skin to wipe it away. Her mouth stayed open in surprise.

"I am with you."

"You're a ghost," she told him. "The Force can do things, we could do things, but this shouldn't…"

He pressed his other hand to her lower abdomen, to where he'd put his life force in her, and she gasped at feeling his hand there, gasped at the life she felt there, though he was dead. Rey reached out a shaking hand, grasping his wrist.

"I am with you."

Rey was gasping now, close to sobbing.

"Ben, I'm so alone."

"You left your friends."

"I will go back to them."

He held her by her chin, his own expression softer than ever, caring. "Promise?"

"And what about you?" Rey asked, reaching out to his face, running her fingers over the scar she'd given him.

He closed his eyes, but leaned into her.

She rose on her tiptoes, cradled his head in her hands now when he didn't answer her.

"Ben, what about you?"

Ben, the only man that loved her like this, that knew what her own battle had been like, kissed her, holding her tight, but it was no answer. Still, she cherished it like she cherished a drink in the burning sands of Jakku, like she cherished the Force amongst desolation, his presence amongst loneliness, and answers, balance, hope, winning, against all the wrongs in the galaxy. They were both crying when they pulled away, and Rey tried to wipe away his tears, but he caught her hands, grip tight, reminiscent of the days of when he was her enemy. It did not frighten her.

"I bind myself to you as your guardian spirit," he told her.

Ben kissed her once again, lips barely there, but the Force stronger than ever. His hand rested against her abdomen, and she breathed in, life, death, pouring into her, and energy swirled around her, blowing. Eyes closed, she saw not what happened, but there was a fullness within her, but an emptiness about her.

When Rey opened her eyes again, Ben was gone.

She held her arms out, looked up towards the sky, and murmured, "Be with me."

Inside, the answer was clear, Ben's voice deep, confident, filling her with warmth, security, "I am with you."

The sky darkened, and she smiled.