Finn watched as Chewie carried Rey onto the Falcon. She looked so weak and small and there were several visible wounds covering her body. Based on appearance it would be hard to believe that this was the girl who had saved them all. This was the girl who had defeated the great and feared Emperor Palpatine. There had been rumors among the rebellion that Rey was unfit to be a Jedi, and that a no one from nowhere couldn't be their greatest warrior. They said she was in way over her head and called her crazy for facing the emperor alone. But Finn know her better than anyone else in the Resistance. She was stronger than any of them knew. She had defeated the emperor and she'd conquered the darkness within her. Finn couldn't be more proud of his best friend.

Following Chewie into the crews quarters, Finn hurriedly pulled out some blankets and a first aid kit as the Wookie laid Rey on one of the bunks. Finn looked at Chewie. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Chewbacca let out a small whimper but his eyes were hopeful. Finn sighed. "Don't worry." He looked over at Rey who's chest rose and fell slightly as she slept. "She's going to make it through this. Rey's strong. She'll be all right." Chewbacca let out a loud cry that sounded like a purr and Finn smiled. "That's the spirit, buddy. Now, we need to get back to the base as soon as possible. I have to talk to Poe. Can you help Lando pilot?" Chewie shook his head and Finn nodded. "I'll take care of her. You can go." The Wookie nodded and clamped Finn on the shoulder before making his way off to the cockpit.

Finn sat at Rey's bedside and opened the first aid kit, unsure of where to begin. She had so many wounds. Most of which he couldn't access or even begin to care for. Not only did he not have the medical ability to help her, but many of her wounds were under her clothes. Finn couldn't invade her privacy like that. It would be awkward for both of them. He would have to wait until they landed at the base to find out how badly she was injured. There Finn could get her a female medic to help her with the injuries that lay beneath her garments. He did worry because he didn't know the extent of her injuries but they should land at the Resistance base soon. There he could get Rey a medic to properly examine her.

The Falcon jarred slightly and Finn heard Chewie let out an apologetic cry. He looked back to Rey who moaned slightly and rolled over. Scrapes and cuts covered her arms, along with dirt and blood. Finn sighed as he saw the arm cuff she wore over her scar, the one she had received from one of Snoke's Praetorian guards. He didn't understand why she was so self conscious about it. Something about it bringing back too many memories and reminding her of something she wanted to forget. It was an odd scar to be sure. Almost in the shape of two hands reaching for each other. Finn sighed and laid a blanket over her. He knew that that scar held a great significance to her because of what happened that day in Snoke's throne room.

It was because of Ren. Finn felt his blood boil and he clenched his fist. He looked down at Rey. That manipulative bastard had messed with her head and broken her to no end. Finn couldn't bear to see her so weak. All the times he'd heard her muttering in her sleep and talking to herself in her room when she was alone. She was so confused and conflicted. It was Kylo Ren's fault she couldn't figure out where she belonged. He'd put the seed of conflict in her mind. Finn wondered where the bastard was now. Finn looked over to Rey who still slept peacefully and sighed. She tried so hard to find solace in her friends but they didn't know how to give her the comfort she needed. None of them knew what she was going through. Finn only knew barely. He tried to understand, but nobody truly could.

Just then, Rey startled and shuddered. She let out a soft cry and whimpered. "Ben!" Finn sighed and laid a hand on her forehead. He noticed she was holding some kind of black fabric. He reached over to take it from her but her grip tightened around it. "Ben." Rey whispered, her brow creasing. She called for him often. Finn wasn't certain who Ben was, but every once in awhile, Rey would call his name in her sleep. Finn used to have to go to her room to wake her and try to calm her when the nightmares were get really bad. Towards the end of the year, her nightmares had gotten worse. He and Poe would have to take turns checking on her and make sure she was alright. That was how their friendship had grown so strong. They all needed each other.

They were close now. It wouldn't be long before they reached Ajan Kloss, the planet where the Resistance's base was currently located. Rey began to tremble and Finn laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. He didn't want to wake her but if she was having a nightmare she would wake soon anyway. "Rey? Hey. It's alright. Your safe. Palpatine is dead. The First Order is defeated." Finn frowned. He knew that most of her nightmares revolves around her friends being or in danger. "Everyone's fine. We're safe now." Rey slowly opened her eyes. "F... Finn?" She asked. Finn nodded and brushed the stray hairs from her forehead. "It's me, Rey. Everything's going to be alright." Rey lurched forward and threw her arms around him.

Finn hugged her back, grateful that she was alright. Rey seemed so fragile and small at the moment. Finn noticed how cold she felt in his embrace. "Thank you." She whispered, swueezig his slightly and letting out a ragged sigh. Finn felt her waver slightly and gently pushed her back onto the bunk. Then he pulled a blanket around her shoulders. "We'll be landing soon. Just lay still." Rey sighed, snuggling further under the blankets as tears formed in her eyes. Finn startled upon seeing her so upset. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned about Rey's weak state. "He... He's gone." She said, her expression blank. Finn's brow creased. "Who's gone Rey."

Rey struggled to sit up and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "Ben." She whispered. When Finn did not respond she met his eye. "He... He saved my life, but it killed him in the process." Finn's eyes widened. He had so many questions. Who was this man who saved his best friend? Rey sighed, reading his mind and knowing that he wanted to hear the full story. "There's so much to tell. I... I don't know where to begin." Finn sighed. "Perhaps you should rest..." Rey shook her head furiously. "No! I have to tell his story. The Resistance has to know how we were able to win this battle. They have to know of his sacrifice." Rey swallowed. "But I want you to be the first to know."

Finn blinked and nodded. Still uncertain of what he was about to hear. Rey sighed, unsure of where to begin. "I'm not sure how our going to react so I'm just going to come right out and say it. Ben Solo is Kylo Ren." Finn's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to make a sneer comment but Rey lifted a hand and cut him off. "Finn. I need you to hear me out before you judge him." Finn grunted and crossed his arms. So Kylo Ren was dead? At least he could find some comfort in that. "Fine." He said and Rey smiled weakly. "Thank you, Finn." She sighed, tears gathering in her eyes. Finn didn't understand why she was so worked up over Ren's death. Surely she hadn't become emotionally attached. He'd manipulated her for years! He was her enemy!

"I suppose I'll begin by telling you that he was manipulated by both Snoke and Palpatine from childhood. That's no excuse for what he did, but he was targeted from birth because of his Skywalker lineage." Rey sighed. "After I left for Ahch-To we discovered that we had a bond. Ben and I. We could see each other at times, even though we were thousands of miles apart. He couldn't see where I was, and I couldn't see where he was. We could only see one another. This kept us both safe, keeping the other from knowing our location. My grandfather... Palpatine, called it a dyad. A dyad in the Force." Rey took a deep breath before continuing. "Neither of us could understand why the Force had connected us. We couldn't control it. The connections would happen at random times, whether we wanted them to or not."

Finn lifted a hand. "Wait one second." Rey tilted her head. "You said that neither of you were responsible for the connection... How do you know that? What if Ren was doing it all along?" Rey sighed, remembering how confused Ben had had been during their first bond. His bewildered expression had been rather cute now that she recalled. "He didn't do it... the Force did. It was so strong." Rey said, staring slightly into space. "The pull, drawing us near to one another. I didn't know how or why until the end but we needed each other." Rey sighed. Finn knew there was romance involved that was coming up. She hesitated because she didn't know how to tell him. The thought slightly turned his stomach but Finn nodded for her to continue.

"One night, he... he comforted me when I felt alone. We ended up reaching out to one another. I discovered that it was Luke Skywalker himself who was the cause for Ben's downfall. Luke... admitted that he had made a mistake which led to Ben turning to the dark side. So I went after him to try and bring Ben back to the light. Ben offered me his hand more than once. It was after he killed the Supreme Leader Snoke to save my life that I realized we could not be together. He still craved the power." Rey swallowed, wiping her eyes and sighed. "The connections continued, much to my displeasure, which led to him finding us several times." Finn blinked. So that was how Ren knew where they were all the time. Rey continued.

"Ben and I battled one another on the Death Star ruins and it was then that we found out Leia had died. Ben knew at once that his mother had passed, but I had only realized too late and... I ran him through with his own saber." Finn's eyes widened. She'd stabbed him?! Run him through with his own lightsaber?! Finn couldn't believe it. He'd seen the anger in her eyes that day. He'd witnessed the rage, but he'd never thought she do something so violent. Rey sighed, reading his thoughts and continued. "I was able to heal him as I healed the sand serpent and I ran away, stealing his ship. It was then that Ben Solo was redeemed and Kylo Ren died."

Rey paused before continuing, taking deep breaths and wiping under her eye with her thumb. "Ben then came to Exegol and helped me defeat the Emperor." Rey hesitated as more tears formed and she shuddered, choking slightly on a breath. Finn reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "You don't have to continue..." Finn said. "No. No I have to say this." Rey said, placed her hand on his arm. "After the battle, I had defeated the emperor, but in the process it killed me. My energy had depleted and my lifeforce was drained." She said finally. "I died, but he brought me back. Ben Solo sacrificed his own life to save me, knowing he would die, then... h... he died in my arms."

Finn sat in silence, letting all this information sink in. Rey had died?! He looked at the girl who sat before him, alive and fairly healthy. How could she have died? Her heart just... stopped? And how had Ren been able to bring her back? Had he transfered his life force into her, bringing her back to life? Finn looked down and rubbed his forehead. He felt a headache coming on. It was all too much to process. Finn felt slightly hurt by the fact that Rey had not shared this with him sooner. All this time she had been trying to turn Ren back to the light? Perhaps if he'd known he could have comforted her. All the nightmares and visions... If only Finn had known. He could have offered her some comfort or even tried to help Rey bring Ren back. He might not liked Kylo Ren, but if it meant easing her pain then he would have done anything.

So Kylo Ren was Ben Solo, and he killed his master to save Rey's life, then sacrificed himself to bring her back to life? Finn found it all so hard to believe. Kylo Ren was pure evil. He was a horrible person and Rey herself had referred to him as a monster. Finn sighed. It was true that he had been a pawn of the First Order at one time. But Ren had been worse. He was a Knight. The knight always took out more pieces in a chess game than the pawns. Finn rubbed his temples and thought about it. But it was also true that all the peices were controlled to protect the king, and they were controlled by one being. In this case, the entire First Order had been controlled by Snoke and Palpatine.

Whether or not Finn had chosen to kill in the end, he knew what it was like to be chosen from a young age for such a horrible fate. And as bad as that had been, Finn had been merely a nobody, Ren was a somebody. That meant that all of Palpatine and Snoke's attention had been on him. They would have no interest in a Stormtrooper. Finn would never know what it was like to have someone put thoughts into your head, confiding and conflicting you. If what Rey said was true, and the emperor had penetrated Ren's mind when he was a child, then he and Finn were not that different.

Finn looked over at Rey. "You really did love him, didn't you?" Rey averted her gaze. She looked at the ground and nodded, but she didn't look ashamed. "It didn't start out that way. I loathed him at first. I... I thought of him as a monster. But I saw light in him, and I grew to love him... ." She said, her voice breaking slightly. Finn sighed. "That's what I was afraid of." Finn rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. "Are you sure he's gone? I mean, is there any way he could have survived?" Rey shook her head. "His body disappeared and he became one with the Force." Rey said, wiping her eyes. Finn leaned forward and pulled Rey into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Rey." Finn hugged Rey tightly as she trembled.

When he pulled away, he helped her to lay back down and covered her with a blanket. Finn knew Rey was suffering a great loss. Finn had never lost anyone so dear to him, but he knew what it felt like to fear loosing someone. He could only imagine the pain of loosing Rey. And Finn didn't know what it was like to love someone that much. He couldn't relate to an affection that deep. Finn loved her, but in a different way. He loved her like a best friend. Not quite sisterly love, but not romantic love. Ren... or Ben must have loved Rey deeply to give her his own life. If what Rey said was true and they had a connection that powerful then she must have felt the loss of his death stronger than she would have normally. Finn couldn't imagine loosing someone he loved like that.

Rose came to mind and Finn sighed. He did love Rose, but he found himself catching feelings for Jannah. He and Jannah had so much in common. Finn had always been conflicted when it came to his and Rose's relationship. Rose was so smart and intelligent and Finn loved spending time with her. But she seemed more interested in her studies and research than spending time with him. Finn knew that that sounded horrible and it was no excuse but he found himself enjoying Jannah's company. She was so brave and courageous and an amazing fighter. Finn felt guilty about his feelings for Jannah but he couldn't deny them at the same time. Just as Rey could not deny her connection to Ren.

At the same time, Finn tried to remember that he had known Rose for a year and had only just met Jannah. His attraction to Jannah could just be because he was able to talk and relate to her. Their pasts were so similar he felt connected to her in a way. Perhaps it was just a passing fling. Because Finn could relate to her, he felt that he had feelings for her, whereas he'd cared for Rose for a long while now. Ever since she kissed him. He hadn't been prepared but after she'd sacrificed herself to save him, he realized that she cared for him and he cared for her in return.

Finn rubbed a hand across his face. He couldn't think straight. From everything Rey had just told him about her and Ben's relationship, Finn would have feelings for both of them. Jannah because of their past and connection, and Rose because she'd sacrificed herself for him and he cared for her. It seemed that there was a lot of sacrifices happening recently. But in Finn's case, Rose lived when she made her sacrifice. When Ben made his sacrifice, he died in the process and Rey had to deal with that loss. Rose risked her life to save him because she cared for him. Rey would have been disappointed if Finn ever forgot that.

With a sigh, Finn made his way to the cockpit to face Lando and Chewie. "Hey kid." Lando said. Finn nodded and took a seat, still a upset and confused about the whole "love triangle". Lando noticed his dull mood and frowned. "What's wrong with you? We've won the war! You should be happy!" Lando let out a joyful laugh and Chewie called out in agreement. Finn gave them a weak smile but Lando gave him a look that told Finn he wasn't buying it. Finn sighed. "Just some personal issues." He said and Lando frowned. He shook his head and pressed a few buttons then looked at Chewie. "Take over, furball." He said and Chewbacca let out a growl of disatisfaction.

Lando stood and walked over, taking a seat by Finn. "What seems to be the problem son? Does it have something to do with that young lady in there?" He asked, motioning to the crews quarters. Finn shook his head. "No. No, Rey's alright." Lando let out a breathy laugh. "That's not white what I meant son. I mean is there some kind of romantic issue?" He said slowly as if having to spell it out to Finn. Finn's eyes widened and he shook his head waving his hands. "No! No! See, it is a... erm... a romantic issue, but it doesn't have to do with Rey. She and I are just friends." Finn said and Lando seemed to understand. "Your worried about your beloved? I'm sure she's alright. Well find her when we land back on base."

Finn smiled weakly and shook his head. "Nope. Wrong again. Um... see, I know that she's alright. I say her just after the war ended. Or rather, I've seen them both since the war ended." Lando raised an eyebrow and Finn groaned. "It's not what you think." Lando let out a low bellow but then became serious. "So your torn between two women?" Finn was a bit amazed that Lando hadn't thought something completely different but looked down and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah basically." Lando nodded. "I see. Well son, that's a difficult thing thing, it is." Finn leaned forward and shook his head. "I don't know what to do. Do you have any advice for me?"

"Listen kid, I know it's tough. But you've gotta look deep inside yourself and you'll realize that you know which one you truly love." Finn sighed. "It's just that I don't want to make the wrong choice and hurt one of them." Lando nodded. "That is a noble thing to say boy. It's a good thing to take your time. Don't rush into a decision. Women are hard creatures to discern. You have to be sure. But like I said, if you look deep inside yourself, you'll realize which one you need to choose." Finn sighed. "Thanks Calrissian." Lando chuckled slightly. "Ah to be young and in love... and slick with the girls. You know, the only girl I couldn't nab was the dear sweet Princess Leia herself. My good ole buddy Han stole her heart."

Finn's eyes widened. "You loved General Organa?!" Lando bellowed. "No! No." He drew out the "no" in a long laugh. "I didn't know what love was. I was... infatuated. She was a beautiful young thing, Leia was. She had so much spunk and that deity attitude. Yet she was always so well composed and a very good leader. I never could understand how someone as smart and beautiful as her fell for a smuggler much less, an idiot like Han." Lando chuckled. "Ah well. The past is in the past. I'm old now and there are many things I live to regret. Don't make a choice you'll regret, son. Cause it'll follow you for rest of your days. Remember, be certain."

Author's Note:

So, touching base on another thing that I feel was untouched in Rise of Skywalker. Finn's romantic relationships. I feel that Rose didn't gave enough of a part and that Jannah was a littl unimportant to the plot. I don't mind her, as you can tell in my writing, I consider her a love interest for Finn. But it really should have been determined in the story what would happen with them. Aside from all that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that Rey took a few paragraphs to explain to Finn what had happened with Ben when we all clearly know. I understand that I could have just said she explained the whole thing to him but I felt it was needed with Finn's reaction throughout the story. Please be sure to comment and leave me your feedback below! Thank you!!