I heartily agree with your reasons for having Ben and Leia alive!
Ben still wasn’t used to being seen. Inside and out. Ugh. So good.
Rey's stubbornness is so canon to me.
“I’m not a tip-yip and neither is the droid,” he said.Ha ha, yes!
“You’re good at distracting me,” Ben finally said a few moments later, when he could bring himself to think, outside of the seemingly endless pool inside their Force bond that showed him everything Rey was, vibrant and curious and brave and compassionate and eager and wanting him and trusting him, despite everything. :hearteyes:
His mother quirked her eyebrow at him at the title. Her lips were pursed in that way that made him feel like he was five years old and that she was trying not to laugh at him. But her gaze was painfully soft. Ben didn’t know how she could stand to look at him. *sobs* I really love them interacting.
Leia listened, then sighed. Her lips made a spasm of amusement. “What am I gonna do, Ben? Order Rey not to walk for two weeks?” I can absolutely hear her lines in Carrie Fisher's voice.
Poe wasn’t there in Finn’s quarters, but had left clear evidence of his presence. Not just through the Force, but through a visual impression: coat draped over a chair, spare badge tangled in an old caf mug, spare boots jumbled in a corner, sentimental replica parts from an old RZ-1 A-wing interceptor on the shelf. A handwritten love letter glued to the wall on what appeared to be Finn’s side of the bed, as if positioned there so that no matter which way Finn turned in his sleep, he would either open his eyes to the letter or to Poe himself. OMG! *Them*.
“Hey,” Finn said, quiet. “I get it.” A solid hand patted Ben’s upper back, no longer afraid. “We all have to start somewhere, okay?” This is canon to me too - that Finn would be able to accept a redeemed Ben faster than a lot of people, and definitely faster than Poe.
“Well,” Poe said, in an artificially carefree voice, “Rey’s known for doing exactly what she wants no matter who likes it or not. So, Supreme Leader.” He finally turned and Ben could see hate in his eyes. The false-friendly tone vanished. “Maybe you should stop trying to control her.” Ouch. But I can definitely see where Poe is coming from here.
Rey, limping worse than that morning, climbed onto Ben’s lap. She was in pain, but she had so much hope for him in her smile. “How’d things go while I was gone?”
Comment on Running ‘Til We Learn to Find Peace
midwinterspring on Chapter 1 Sun 15 Feb 2026 12:11AM UTC
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