Chapter Text
Moodboard by NChubik <3
~*~*~*~*~*~
Present day
[Rey is 15]
Rey tumbled out of her bedroom window and landed in the bushes. She dust herself off before sneaking across the front lawn to Finn's idling Ford F150. Jessika was waving enthusiastically from the front passenger's seat. Once again, Rey was grateful she lived in a modest one story home in a quiet neighborhood.
If any of the neighbors were looking out their window at that exact moment, they’d hardly be able to see her due to the amount of trees that shrouded every home from prying eyes. (Not that any of her neighbors were all that nosey.) Most were older couples with fully grown children and grandchildren that visited in the summers or for holidays. Some were even retired. And most all of them were asleep at eleven on a Friday night just like Rey’s trusting adoptive mom Maz.
“Come on Kanata we don’t have all night!” Finn said as Rey climbed into the back.
She barely had the door closed before he peeled out slamming her back against the seat.
“Finn, what the hell?” she exclaimed.
“Sorry, but we’re running late.”
Rey laughed. “It’s just a high school party. There’s no such thing as running late.”
“I know that, but the flyer clearly stated that start time was nine.”
“Sorry I had the closing shift,” Jessika grumbled. “You didn't have to wait for me to get off work. I could've found another ride."
"Are you kidding me? We've been going to parties together as a trio for years now," said Finn, as he ran a red light. "Three Musketeers and all that remember?"
"Snap’s parents won’t even be home until Monday," Rey leaned forward and swiped a piece of gum from the middle console. "And Tallie said the caterers and DJ are booked through Sunday.”
Finn snorted. “Caterers and a DJ for a high school party. Freaking rich kids.”
“What the hell are you on about Calrissian? You’re one of them!” Jessika playfully hit him on the arm.
“I know but even I have my limits. No way would I ever book a caterer or a DJ for a high school party! My parents raised me better than that.”
"Oh my god shut up."
Finn and Jessika's bantering faded into the background, as Rey stared at her wrist. She pushed aside some of the many bracelets she always wore until she saw it. The tiny number that everyone was born with. Traditionally, it was called a “Soul Mark” but Jessika preferred to call it the “Mark of Doom”. It was a number permanently etched onto the wrist that changed every so often. A countdown until the day you would meet your soulmate. Rey hadn’t given much thought to hers until middle school when her classmates started meeting theirs.
In this kind of world, it was perfectly normal for teenagers to get married if they were lucky enough to meet their soulmate that soon. And if soulmates met as children or if there was a big age gap, it was perfectly normal for them to begin a years long courtship until both parties’ parents gave them permission to get married. Of course there were also many stories about those who chose not to be with their soulmates. But the consequence of not being with your soulmate resulted in a life of failed relationships. If you didn’t share a soul mark, your relationship was doomed.
By the time Rey started high school, a lot of her classmates were already in the courting and wedding planning stages. Others like Finn and Jessika still had a few years to go before they would meet theirs. Rey never talked to anyone about her soul mark and thankfully, nobody ever pushed her to. She kept hers well hidden with bracelets made out of colorful beads and chunky charms.
“It’s rare, but some people don’t have a soulmate,” Maz explained one day when Rey was crying about hers. “Take heart child. You can still have a beautiful life.”
“A life lived alone and without love” is what Rey heard. That had been several years ago. Now, she was 15 fighting back tears of bitterness as she stared at the 0 that constantly taunted her. A cruel reminder she was destined for no one. That she was only always meant to be alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
15 years ago
Before Maz Kanata adopted her, all Rey had known was rejection and loneliness. As a baby she was left in a cardboard box behind a Pizza Hut and her family never came looking for her. She spent the first six years of her life in the foster care system bouncing around from home to home. Each of them left her feeling even more unwanted and unworthy of love than the last.
Shortly before she turned seven, she was placed with Maz after a concerned teacher finally reported the bruises all over little Rey’s malnourished body. At first, Rey wasn't sure what to expect of this short, older woman but it didn't take long for her to realize Maz was nothing like her previous foster families.
Maz met her soulmate young and they’d spent thirty eight long, happy years together before he passed away from cancer. She was never able to have children of her own, but fostered many throughout their marriage and continued to even after her husband was gone. By the time Rey was placed with her, Maz was ready for something permanent. She immediately felt connected to the fragile little brunette with sparkling hazel eyes and a timid smile.
For the first time in her life, Rey had her own bedroom and bathroom that she could decorate the way she wanted. She was finally able to pick out her own clothes that actually fit and were free of holes and stains. The kitchen was always fully stocked and they ate meals together. Rey was also free to snack whenever she wanted.
Under Maz's care, Rey was never yelled at or insulted and Maz certainly never laid a hand on her. She was nothing but kind, warm and loving. All things Rey hadn’t known. She finally felt like she was truly home. She finally knew what it was to be truly cared for by someone who genuinely loved you.
Usually an adoption was a long and expensive process, but Maz had a generous friend with connections who helped finance and speed things along. On her seventh birthday, Rey officially became a Kanata and shortly after that started referring to Maz as “mom”.
~*~*~*~*~*~
8 years ago
[Ben is 15]
“Ben stop slouching!” Leia snapped. “You’re going to have back problems when you’re older if you continue to sit like that.”
Ben rolled his eyes as he sat up straighter, refusing to look in her direction. He kept his gaze on the tall buildings in downtown Chandrila as they drove through on their way to visit one of Leia’s friends who lived on the other side of the city. The side of the city where his mother's non profit organization Mirrorbright was heavily involved. The side of the city that didn’t have exclusive country clubs, expensive private schools or gated communities of sprawling estates with pristine lawns like where they lived.
“I know you’re mad, but when we get to Maz’s I need you to look less...murderous.”
“I had plans,” Ben muttered.
“Oh really? With who?”
“Travis and Warren.”
Leia sighed and Ben rolled his eyes knowing what she was going to say next.
“I really wish you’d find new friends, Ben. Those two are nothing but trouble.”
He didn't reply as he continued staring out the window. What he didn’t tell her was the truth. That his real plans were to meet up with Bazine Netal who had promised him third base. She was his long time crush who was finally giving him the time of day now that he’d made some changes to his looks. He was no longer a shy, quiet, lanky wallflower.
His hair had finally grown out enough to cover his large ears and he stopped slicking it back with gel. Dress shirts and bow ties were no longer part of his daily outfits. He'd been gaining muscle mass and definition thanks to football. He was finally someone people wanted to be friends with and a guy girls wanted to date. Now there was a tiny smile on his face thinking about Bazine and all the promises she'd made to him for the next time they hung out.
Leia looked over at him while they were at a red light and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You didn’t actually have plans with Travis and Warren did you?”
Ben's smile fell into a scowl. His mother was annoyingly perceptive.
“You were going to meet up with that older girl. Bazine Netal.”
Ben groaned. “Stop being so dramatic, mom. She’s only sixteen.”
“I’ve told you. Girls like her are bad news.”
“If it were up to you, I’d be a monk.”
“Hasn’t she already met her soulmate? I seem to remember her mother saying as much when we had brunch at the country club the other day. I believe they’ve even set a wedding date for when Bazine turns 18 after she graduates high school.”
“But she doesn’t want him!” Ben turned to look at her. He needed her to understand that what he and Bazine had was more real than any stupid soulmate. “She wants me. And I want her, too.”
Leia bristled. “She’s off limits for a variety of reasons including but not limited to the fact she’s already engaged.”
Ben clenched his teeth to keep from arguing with her further. She was still upset with him for the hickeys Bazine left all over his neck the last time they were together. He glared out the window as Leia turned down a quiet street with identical red brick homes and tall oak trees.
“You will behave while we're here and be kind to Rey.”
“Who’s Ray?”
“The foster child I helped Maz adopt.”
“Ah yes. Another one of your charity cases,” Ben rolled his eyes. Leia pursed her lips as he continued talking, his words dripping with sarcasm. “I guess you want me to pretend to like him? Be his friend? Invite him to hang out? Tell him which girls to stay away from? Maybe we could even talk about our soulmates. Maybe he’s already met his. And I can tell him all about how I’ve been forced into an uneventful life of celibacy until I meet mine.”
“Ben…Rey is a girl.”
He snorted. “What the hell kind of name is that for a girl?”
Leia parked in front of Maz's house before turning to face him with fury in her eyes. “I’ve had enough of your attitude today. If you continue down this path then I’ll be forced to –“
“What?” Ben interrupted. "Ground me again?"
"No."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"Grounding you doesn't seem to do anything. I may be forced to take more drastic measures."
"Like what?" Ben laughed. "Send me to live in the mountains with crazy Uncle Luke?"
“Do not tempt me."
"Come on, Mom. You wouldn't. Dad would never agree to that."
"Your father and I actually agree on most things, Ben. Especially when it comes to straightening you out. Now remember, please behave the entire time we're here."
Ben frowned. "How long are we going to be here?"
Leia thought for a moment. "Two...maybe three or four hours. I don't know."
"Oh my god, I hate my life," Ben put his face in his hands.
"Now who's being dramatic?"
Ben didn't answer as Leia got out of the car. He sent a text to Bazine saying he would sneak out to come see her later after Leia went to bed. It wouldn't be the first nor the last time he did that. After getting an enthusiastic reply text, Ben got out of the car with a smile on his face for the promise of later. But first, he needed to survive a boring uneventful afternoon.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Present Day
[Rey is 15]
Rey wasn’t black out drunk, but she also wasn’t completely sober. From the moment she set foot inside Snap’s house, she gulped down as many drinks and shots that she could get her hands on. She lived for parties especially the ones thrown by Chandrila's wealthiest spoiled brats.
Her alcohol tolerance was surprisingly high for someone as little as she was. She'd been sneaking out and going to these parties ever since she was twelve and Finn's older cousin Jannah invited them. Massive hangovers and questionable memories aside, Rey loved them. It was a chance for her to completely let loose and for a few hours forget about soul marks and soulmates.
She'd decided a while ago that she wasn't going to let the cold hard fact that she had no soulmate ruin her fun. Jessika and Finn had long since disappeared into the crowd of people leaving Rey to her own devices. They'd been there for three hours and Rey had accomplished so much.
After playing a couple rounds of beer pong, Rey let some people take body shots off her then she made out with no less than five people. Currently, she was straddling some basketball player's lap sucking bruises on his neck while he played poker with some friends. The bulge pushing against her thigh was proof that he was enjoying her attention despite the fact he seemed really focused on his card game.
"A royal flush," he finally said, laying out his cards as his friends groaned. Then he turned his full attention to Rey. "Ready to find somewhere more private, Sweetheart?"
Rey frowned. “Don’t call me that.”
“Don't call you what?”
“Sweetheart. My brother calls me that.”
“You have a brother? I thought you were an only child?”
“He's not my real brother. Just the son of a long time family friend who’s older and acts like he’s my brother. It’s really annoying actually.”
The guy who's name she couldn't remember looked at her confused. "He calls you Sweetheart?"
"He does it to annoy me," Rey rolled her eyes then looked at him apologetically. “Sorry. Did I totally kill the mood?”
"No, you didn't, Swee - Babe," he kissed her on the forehead and let out an annoyed sigh when she scrunched up her nose. "Let me guess... He also kisses you on the forehead?" When Rey said nothing and looked down, he laughed a little. “I’m beginning to think your brother has a crush on you.”
"I told you. He's not my real brother."
"Still. I think he has feelings for you."
Rey laughed at the absurdity. “Why? Because he calls me Sweetheart and kisses my forehead? He's eight years older than I am. Trust me, there is nothing even remotely romantic between us. And anyway, he’s already met his soulmate and it is definitely not me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
8 years ago
[Ben is 15; Rey is 7]
“It is so good to see you again, Leia,” Maz smiled, as they hugged. "Han couldn't make it this time?"
"You know how he is. Off traveling the world again with that race car of his. But I did bring someone else with me that you haven't seen in a while."
Ben was standing on the front porch with his hands in his pockets staring at the ground. Leia reached out and dragged him inside. Maz's eyes widened as she adjusted her bifocals and stepped closer to him.
“Who is this tall, handsome young man? Surely this isn’t your Ben?”
He kept his hands in his pockets as Maz invaded his space to hug him tightly. “Hey Maz...”
“It really has been too long."
"I've been busy with school and football."
Maz smiled widely. "He is growing like a weed! Not the lanky little boy I remember and he’s growing his hair out. I like it. Although I do miss seeing those ears turn red."
"Thanks," Ben muttered, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
"Will Rey be joining us for lunch?" Leia asked, looking around.
“Not this time I’m afraid," said Maz, as she led the way to the dining room. "She had a big breakfast but may join us later."
Leia stopped walking and turned around to face Ben, who almost ran into her since he was looking at the ground. “Ben, why don’t you go introduce yourself to Rey before lunch?”
"I'm sure she'd love to meet you!" Maz smiled. "Her room is at the very end of the hall on the left."
Ben was about to say that no he'd rather not go make nice with the charity case, but then he saw the look Leia was giving him. It meant he had zero choice in the matter and had to do as he was told or else. So he let out a defeated sigh and turned to walk down the hall. There were a lot of photos hanging up of Maz with her late husband who for reasons unknown was nicknamed Chewie. Ben smiled a little. He didn’t really remember Chewie except that he was one of his father’s closest friends.
The next group of photos were of a little girl with bright eyes and a warm smile. One photo in particular caught Ben's eye. The little girl had a smile so big that her eyes and nose were scrunched up and there were dimples cutting into her freckled cheeks. Her brown hair was in two braids that fell over each shoulder. She was wearing a fluffy pink tutu with a shirt that said “Birthday Queen” and the number “7” on the front. There was a sparkly gold plastic crown on her head that matched her shoes. She looked so happy and carefree, Ben couldn't help but smile himself.
He heard a voice coming from behind a door that was slightly ajar. There were several colorful drawings taped outside of butterflies, flowers, princesses, unicorns and castles. Ben nudged it open with his foot and leaned up against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The room was predictably small and reminded him of the laundry room back home. But it was every bit a little girl's room.
All the furniture was white with a floral design carved into the wood. The pillows and blankets on the bed were in pastel colors. There was a bookshelf filled to the brim and a row of succulent plants across the window sill. White fairy lights ran around the perimeter of the ceiling and a gauzy pink canopy hung over the twin sized bed.
In a corner of the room was a small white table with four chairs. Rey was sitting down wearing the "Birthday Queen" outfit. The other chairs were occupied by stuffed animals. Each one had it's own plastic teacup and saucer. Rey was pretending to pour tea into the cups with the coordinating teapot as she babbled on about tea time with the Queen completely unaware of her visitor. Ben was about to say something when it happened. His soul mark started burning.
What the hell?!
Ben looked down at his wrist, his eyes widening in both awe and horror as the number changed to 0. He hadn't paid much attention to his soul mark determined that no matter who his soulmate was, he had no intention of following through with marriage. And now that he knew her, he was even more set in his resolve to ignore it.
He wanted to laugh and cry. Laugh because of course his soulmate was never going to be Bazine or anyone even remotely like her. And he wanted to cry because how cruel were the fates to make his soulmate a little child from nowhere? She was nothing. And she never would be anything. Not to him. Without a word, Ben ran down the hall and out the front door leaving his soulmate behind.