Chapter Text
They landed on a neutral planet, neither rebel nor First Order-occupied.
(Han would not bring his son in only for him to be locked away forever.)
As they landed, Ben’s breath hitched in his throat as he saw a lone figure, old, but standing tall in the middle of the plains.
Han looked at him with a knowing smile. “Go to her, son,” he said, pulling the landing gear.
Ben unbuckled himself from his seat and rushed to the door, waiting impatiently as the door slowly slid open. Once the opening was big enough to fit him, he dashed down before the platform fully landed, moving towards her.
Mother, he thought, then realised, I never got to say goodbye.
To his surprise, she in turn started running towards him, the small dot becoming larger and larger at a speed unnatural for a woman of her age. As she got closer, he started recognising all the features that came to mind when he thought of home- her hair tied in a sensible bun, the faint wrinkles around her eyes (which have become very pronounced)...
They collided in the middle, and he enveloped her with his arms.
“Ben,” she said, and she was crying. “My son is home.”
He wanted to respond, but was too choked up to say a word. All he had were unsaid words, and things he could never say.
I thought you were lost forever.
I don’t deserve this.
Momma.
He curled his fingers on her back, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender and sandalwood. The scent of home. He didn’t know how much he missed this until now. She has never changed, all this time.
But he had.
He stilled, and Leia noticed. Still not letting go, she raised her head to look up at him. “Ben?” she called out imploringly.
“I have done terrible things,” he rasped, not meeting her eyes, gulping back a sob, “You should not forgive me so easily.”
“I may not be able to forget,” Leia answered quietly, caressing his face with a trembling hand, “But you will always be my son.”
Ben thought back to the other timeline, and all the ghosts that hounded his conscience. His father. Countless more innocents. Nearly getting Chewie killed.
But they came from a time that has not yet come.
Perhaps it was not too late.
There were so many he could save, knowing what he knew now.
He could stop the First Order machinery and undo their sins. And his sins.
While nothing he could do now would wipe the red from his ledger, and he would never be a hero... he owed it to himself to at least try.
“I will do better,” he promised, and the small smile on Leia’s face was worth it. Behind him, he could feel Rey’s presence coming towards them, a blinding light in the Force.
“Kylo?” Rey said.
He turned to look at her. “Ben,” he corrected.
Her face turned a little red for some reason, and her Force presence glowed even brighter. “That’s a nice name,” she whispered aloud, “Are you truly good now?”
At that, her face hardened into something a little more defensive, and Ben recognised his Rey in that.
Nothing yet has been lost.
“You’ll have to stick around to find out,” he answered teasingly.
Rey smiled. “I suppose I’ll have to then.”
This was his second chance.
His second chance to make things right.