Taking the Throne

Planning the seeds of elimination

"You are worried."

"hmmm?"

"I can feel it, you are worried. You are afraid that you are putting me in danger by keeping me here."

Ben closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"Yes. I am." He spoke softly against her forehead and into her hair.

"What are we going to do? Should I leave?"

"No."

"But if I leave there is no conflict."

"I will not let you leave. Never again. You belong with me."

Rey bit down on her lower lip and tried to swallow the rising tension from her stomach. It felt like his skin and touch were feeding her life. The thought of being apart was inconceivable-but the time had come to make some sort of move. They could not stay in his quarters forever. Her instinct was to run, to leave while he slept to try to protect him.

"Don't even try." Ben's voice was calm.

"Get out of my head."

"It's not like I am trying. It makes me happy that you are not hiding from me anymore. I want to know what is going on in your head...because most of the time you do not." Before he could buffer his words she was winding up to lash out at him. Placing his fingers against her lips he quieted her," Always ready to fight, huh? Always reacting, never thinking. Go ahead and be mad, it is the truth. Running will make no difference."

Pushing his hand away, Rey sat up on her elbows, pulling away from his sweaty arms.

"Let's leave. Go so far away that they will never find us. We can go to the island...only we know of it. They will never find us." she was speaking fast, almost breathless,"Ben, it will be just us....let the galaxy figure it out."

Looking down, waves of sadness washed over him. There was nothing he wanted more, but he knew there was no way out. The first order would find them, somehow, it was inevitable. They would never be safe and if they wanted a future, there was work to be done. They would have to end it all, or rule, together.

"Ben, there has to be another way. There has to be!" Rey could not hold back the deep guttural sobs that choked her words," All...all I ever wanted....was to belong to some one...to matter....and now that I have it...we can't be free!. I don't care about power...or ruling...or saving anybody but you and me. We need to leave. Now!"

Silently, he pulled her back against his chest. Stroking her hair and whispering into her ear, he tried to soothe her outburst. He whispered things about loving her, about loving her freckles and the way she crinkled her nose. He whispered that he loved to to be close to her, to feel her, to taste her. He whispered that every waking moment he was not inside of her was agony. Taking her fingers and running them over his face to his collar bone, he told her the he loved his scar because she would always be with him. He whispered to her that he would destroy it all if it was the only way they could be together. He whispered that he had never loved and the only thing he could ever love as much was what they created together-their family.

The more he spoke the harder she cried, and the more urgent and heated his voice became. Kissing his way from her ear, his lips caught her tears as the fell out of the corner of her eye. It was all the pure truth.

"Marry me, Rey. Be my Empress."

"Ben....no."

"No?"

"I don't want to be an Empress. I want peace....with you."

"Together we can bring peace to the galaxy.....we can create the peace we need in order to ensure our future."

"Just kill Hux and leave."

"It's not that simple."

"What do we do?"

"We wait and observe. We move forward with the coronation....and our wedding."

"I don't need a wedding to belong you."

"No, but the first order does....and so does the galaxy. You will be the most beloved ruler in history and I will be by your side. Hux will wither away or be exposed.We will find the way to cleanse and eliminate anything in our way."