End of the Beginning (A New Hope Series)

Chapter Eight - Dreams

   Rey. With a gasp, Rey's eyes snapped open and she spun around. That voice. She knew that voice. Rey. She let out a ragged breath. His voice. Rey scanned her surroundings, a thick forest, illuminated by the moon's light, but Ben was no where to be seen. Rey. Rey shuddered. It took all of her willpower not to melt at the sound of his deep, soothing voice. "Ben?" Rey called, her voice desperate and pleading. She had to find him, she was desperate to find him. Rey swallowed hard, fighting the urge to retch. Her stomach was churning. Rey pressed a hand to her abdomen, over the spot where Ben had rested his hand and suddenly felt weak. His presence was near. She could feel him. Rey looked through the trees. There was no one in sight. So then, where had the voice come from? Rey.

    With a growl, Rey began to run. She ran as fast as her feet would carry her through the woods. She was frustrated to be sure but still weary of how close the voice had been. Rey. He'd called her name five times now. But Rey still couldn't find him. She spun in circles, searching for him until she was dizzy. Rey bumped into a large tree and clutched the trunk for support so that she would not collapse to the ground. Her stomach groaned. Rey. Rey gasped when she felt a hand brush across her cheek. It hadn't been solid, or warm, like human flesh, but rather, a whisper of a touch. She blinked. It had been his touch. Of that much she was certain. She'd felt his presence and knew he was with her. But she couldn't see him.

   The hand brushed against her skin once more, this time on her arm. The cold mist that had been his presence, lingered on one spot particularly. Rey gasped in pain as the trail where his hand had crossed her skin began to burn. But it wasn't his touch that burned, it was her scar. Rey looked down at the twin marks that the Praetorian Guard's blade had left on her arm. It throbbed and stung, becoming red and inflamed. Rey hissed and winced as a sharp pain shot through her bicep. She opened her eyes and looked at the mark then and gasped. The skin had torn open again and the scars began to bleed. The hot, sticky substance dropped down her arm and Rey watched as the skin knit back together, leaving no trace of the scar.

Looking up, Rey saw a shadow. His shadow. Rey gasped and reached out, but her hand passed right through his non-physical form. He wasn't actually there. Rey let out a whimper and crumbled slightly. The pain in her stomach had grown worse. She gasped for air, trying to calm the growing nausea. Rey squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that whatever was happening would pass. Rey? He called her name ever so gently, this time as a question. Rey looked up as his finger hooked under her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. Though she could not see him, she knew he was there. "Ben." She said, not as a question, but as a confirmation. He smiled and Rey felt him rest his hand on her stomach. As soon as he laid his hand against her, the pain subsided. Rey sighed. She felt him lean in and place a kiss on her forehead and tears entered her gaze.

   Rey. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, my love. You're not alone. I'm right here. You're not alone. Rey gasped and jolted out of bed. She blinked, her breathing rapid and shallow. She looked around and realized that she was in her bedroom at the Resistance's base. Had it all been a dream? Rey lifted a hand to her stomach where she still felt the steady hum of her child's life Force. Rey let out a steady breath, trying to calm herself. Too much excitement wasn't good for the baby. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep the tears from falling. They streamed down her cheeks like a falling river. Rey drew her knees up close to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, then rocked back and forth, trying to calm herself.

With shaking hands, Rey reached out and grabbed Ben's sweater and pulled it close to her face, holding it against her nose so that she could breath in his scent. It took several minutes before Rey was breathing normally again. The nightmares were nothing new, but this one had been so vivid. Rey looked down at her arm and winced. Reaching up with one hand, she hesitantly removed the cuff that covered her scar. Rey gasped. The scar was gone. Rey turned her arm in every direction to get a better look but for sure and for certain, the scar was gone. How long had it been gone? Rey shuddered. She hadn't noticed it was missing when she took a shower the previous day. Though, she hadn't really been paying attention. But the question that nagged Rey was "how?" Had Ben healed it when he healed her on Exegol? Or had her dream been more than a dream?