Ʀey unpacked her's and Ben's bedding as Poe and Ben built a fire. While Finn and Rose began preparing to cook a stew. Soon a delicious aroma filled the camp and everyone gathered around the fire. Finn and Rose passed out the bowls of soup to each of their friends.

Finn said the blessing, then they all began to eat.

"This is delicious," said Ben.

"Thank you," Finn and Rose both replied at the same time. They turned to smile at each other.

Once they were finished eating, they all helped Finn and Rose clean up and put the dishes away. Then they gathered around the fire again. Rey sat down on the ground in front of a log.

After a moment, Ben came over and sat on the log behind her. Poe was glaring at him, but Ben just ignored him and focused on Rey.

"How are the wedding plans coming?" Rey asked Rose. She tried not to giggle as she felt Ben begin to play with her hair.

"Good, but we've decided to postpone it," she answered.

"We decided that it wouldn't be a good idea right now, Snoke could attack at any moment," Finn added.

"I hope this war will be over soon," Ben said as he continued braiding a small strain of Rey's hair. When he was a little boy, he had always liked doing his mother's hair because he wanted to make her look beautiful and he wanted to spend time with her. His mother always seemed to enjoy it and he hoped that Rey would too. She certainly seemed to be.

"Me too," Finn agreed.

"It's lasted too long." Ben began braiding another strain of Rey's hair. "I was a young lad when it started, I barely remember a time when there was peace."

The others nodded, they had all been young when the war began and peace had became nothing but a distant memory.

"How did you get brought into all of this Ben?" Rose asked gently. "I know you don't agree with Snoke."

Finn nodded. "Why did you join him? You seem way to nice to join some guy who was trying to destroy your home and your family."

Ben's eyes grew sad and he began to fiddle with Rey's hair nervously. "It's... it's a long story."

Poe gestured for him to continue. "We have plenty of time." His tone sounded more like someone trying to interrogate someone than have a friendly conversation.

Ben didn't look at him, he kept his eyes on what he was doing. "It's not something I enjoy talking about..." he said softly, the pain was evident in his voice.

Rey wanted to comfort him, but it was difficult with him sitting behind her. She didn't want to take his hands and make him feel as though she didn't like him touching her hair, she liked it very much. She lifted her hand and gently placed it on his calf in an attempt to comfort him. She rubbed his leg in a comforting manner.

It worked, but Poe was still shooting him a suspicious look.

"... and I'm actually a little tired, so I was thinking of going to bed early," he continued.

Rey stared into the fire, feeling disappointed. She had been enjoying spending time with him. And she was certainly enjoying the feeling of his fingers brushing through her hair and gently rubbing her scalp, it felt amazing. But she could also understand why he didn't want to stay. It was strange, she was already beginning to feel lonely without him.

"I understand," Rose replied sweetly.

Ben nodded and stood up. "Goodnight," he said in a low voice keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Goodnight," they all replied.

Ben looked down at Rey and she noticed something that the others couldn't see, the tears that he was keeping in. She knew that there was something about his past that he was keeping hidden from her, something painful. He knelt down next to her. "Goodnight, sweetheart," he whispered.

"Goodnight, beloved," she whispered, leaning closer to kiss his cheek. She didn't care if Poe got mad at her for kissing him, he needed a kiss right now.

He offered her a small smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

She hugged him. "I'll miss you tonight, sweetheart," she whispered into his ear so that only he could hear.

"I'll miss you too, darling," he breathed.

"I wish I could spend the night in your arms again," she whispered.

He smiled shyly at her, then kissed her forehead before he turned and walked away and went into his tent.

"Between us, I still don't trust him," Poe said in a low voice. "I think he could still be in league with Snoke."

"I don't think so, Poe," said Rose. "I think something's bothering him."

Rey nodded. "I think that something has been bothering him for a while, I've just been too blinded by hate to see it." She looked at the ground feeling a bit guilty and disappointed in herself. "Or perhaps I was just to worried about my own pain to care."

Finn sat down on one side of her, while Rose sat on the other. "That's not true Rey," said Finn. "You forgave him, most wouldn't have had the strength to."

Rey nodded. "I want to be there for him, but honestly I don't know how. I spent most of my life alone, it's hard to know how to give things that you've never received."

Rose rubbed her back gently. "When you were alone after your father died what did you wish for?"

"Someone to listen to me, and hold me, and tell me that they would be there for me," Rey replied thoughtfully.

"Then that's probably what he needs right now," Rose answered.

Rey turned to smile at her. "You're right, I'll go talk to him. Thank you, Rose."

Rose smiled and hugged her.

"I don't understand why you even care, " said Poe. "He deserves far worse than what he's getting."

"Poe, he's my husband, " Rey reminded him.

"So? That doesn't mean that you should let him cry on your shoulder just because I tried to get him to spill whatever he's hiding."

"I understand that you don't trust him, but you don't have to treat him that way. You don't know what he's been through," she said. "

"What he's been through? He hasn't been through anything accept betraying his parents and his kingdom," he replied.

"You don't know that. I don't even know the whole story. I'm his wife. I should talk to him, gently. If something is bothering him he'll tell me, he trusts me, " Rey answered.

"He trusts you? Why?" Poe asked.

"Because he cares about me and I care about him," she whispered.

"You care about him? Why? Wait... what's going on? I thought that you and the prince hated each other." Poe looked at them, confused.

"Ben never hated me," she answered. "And I... I don't hate him anymore."

"I don't understand. Even if you've forgiven him, why are you so worried about him? Why do you care about him so much? If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were actually in love with him, " Poe accused.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing. What's wrong with me caring about my husband? Wouldn't there be something wrong if I didn't care about the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with?" she asked.

"There's a difference between caring about someone just because you are married and feel obligated and being in love. Tell the truth, which is it?" Poe questioned, and Rey felt like he had turned the interrogation on her.

"I..." she blushed and looked down at her hands. "I am in love with him," she whispered. She had told Ben, but this was the first time she had admitted it to anyone else, besides Rose. She hadn't even told his parents. "I'm not ashamed of how I feel about him."

Poe's jaw dropped. "Why in the world would you fall in love with that monster?"

Rey glared at him. "My husband is not a monster. He's kind and gentle, and he has changed... so have I."

"You've chosen him over us, over your kingdom. You're just as much of a traitor as he is," Poe yelled.

"I shouldn't have to choose between my husband and my friends, but if that's how it must be then I choose him. I won't let anyone come between me and my husband," she yelled back. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper so that Ben wouldn't hear what she was about to say. "I was forced into a marriage that wasn't my choice and I'm finally happy and in love and you treat me like a traitor for it?"

Poe pointed a finger at her and opened his mouth to speak, but Finn interrupted him.

"He's not as bad as everyone claims," he spoke up to defend Rey.

"Once you get to know him, he's actually pretty sweet," Rose added.

Poe still seemed shocked. "So not only has he gotten Rey brainwashed, but the two of you as well?"

"Poe you don't know him like we do. He would do anything for Rey, and he cares about me and Finn too. Since I met him he's always treated me like a sister," Rose defended him.

"I love Rey like a sister, and to me no one will ever be good enough for her, but he really loves her and I'm happy for both of them," Finn went on. "I mean haven't you watched the way he treats her?"

Poe sighed, giving in. "Fine, I'll give him a second chance."

Finn nodded. "He's become a good friend."

Rey smiled at him. "Thank you Poe." Then she looked at Ben's tent. "I should go check on him."

Poe crossed his arms. "Fine go and pamper your baby. But don't blame me if he betrays all of us and I punch him in the face. And if he hurts you, he'll get something much worse."

Rey ignored his first comment. "He would never hurt me," she assured him.

Finn and Rose both nodded, then Rey stood and walked over to his tent, next to her's.