Ƭhe next morning Ben woke up before Rey, she was still sleeping peacefully beneath him, her left arm was still wrapped protectively around his waist. She had insisted that he lay on top of her again, because she was afraid that it would reopen his wounds if he laid on his back. He had to admit that it did still hurt a little, but he could manage. Though he hadn't argued when she'd gently pulled him on top of her and covered him with the blankets, before tenderly stroking his hair to soothe him to sleep.

It hadn't taken him long to fall asleep, and when he did he had dreamt of his mother rocking him and singing him to sleep when he was little. He remembered that she had done that every night when he was a small child, especially when he had nightmares.

He had been young when he left to train with his uncle, only seven. He could remember that he had missed his mother so much that he had cried himself to sleep most nights. He had missed her even more when he had gone to train with Snoke, he had feared that he would never see her again.

He gently nuzzled against Rey's shoulder, trying not to think about it. He looked at her, hoping that he hadn't accidentally woken her up.

She moved her right hand, placing it on his back, but she didn't wake up. He sighed, relieved then laid his head back down on her shoulder. He focused on the feeling of being in her arms and instantly felt comforted. Laying this way, he felt so close to her. Closer than he had ever been to anyone else. Their bodies were pressed together, and she held him tightly all night long. Being with her, he felt safe and protected; he felt loved.

Several moments later, the cell door opened and Snoke's knights poured in.

"The master has requested us to bring you to him," one of them said.

Rey woke up as he spoke, she pulled Ben closer to her, holding him protectively. She didn't want them to take him from her again.

Ben touched her cheek. "I'll be fine," he breathed against her lips before he kissed her.

He stood and went with the knights willingly, not wanting Rey to get hurt.

The knights grabbed Ben's arms and forcefully led him to the throne room. They aggressively threw him to the floor at Snoke's feet.

Ben groaned inwardly as his body slammed against the hard stone floor, but he didn't dare to show his pain outwardly and give Snoke and his knights the pleasure.

He pushed himself up from the floor and looked at Snoke. "You sent for me?" he asked with a bit of his father's cockiness.

Snoke stood from the throne and approached him. "My knights went into the forest this morning to find the traitor gone."

"Perhaps he was eaten by wolves," Ben suggested.

Snoke slapped him across the face. "Don't play games with me, boy!" he snapped. "There was no blood and his ropes were cut clean in two with a blade."

"Maybe a hunter found him and set him free," Ben said.

Snoke struck him again, harder this time. "Do you take me for a fool? I know you helped him escape, and even if you didn't it was your idea to take him to the forest, which means that it is your fault that he has gone unpunished."

Ben turned to look at him again, his face now stained with blood and his eyes dark.

"Since he is not here, you shall be punished in his place," Snoke said.

Ben was growing tired of taking Snoke's abuse, he had always believed that he deserved it because Snoke said that he did. But Rey didn't believe that he did, even after what he had done. He prepared to defend himself, he raised his hands to block Snoke's next strike.

Ben felt a sudden pain in his stomach as Snoke kicked him, knocking him backwards. He hit the ground hard, and before he had a chance to move, Snoke's knights were upon him. He could feel pain all over his body as they kicked, punched and struck him from every direction.

He probably could have fought his way out, if he really had to... if he had something to fight for. If Rey or his parents were in danger, he could have fought his way out, or slipped through some gap between them. He had always accepted the pain because he thought that he deserved it, and he tried to be strong because Snoke told him that he was weak.

Ben closed his eyes and thought of Rey. He had to fight for her, he had to stay strong to protect her and he couldn't do that if he allowed them to beat him to the point that he could barely stand, as they had in the past.

He began to fight with all of his strength, and he did have a small advantage. Despite being pinned to the ground and surrounded on all sides, he was stronger than any one of them, and no matter where he kicked or punched, he hit one of them.

He noticed that none of the knights that he had trained were present. Snoke was smart enough to know that their loyalty was stronger for the young prince who had trained them than it was for him, his only power over them was fear. But he knew that fear wasn't strong enough to make them harm the one they saw as a big brother, the one who had always protected them, took their punishments and cared about them as Snoke never had.

The knights were beginning to feel the result of Ben's attack, and were beginning to back away from him. Finally Ben stood and faced the knights, with his fists raised ready to fight them.

Snoke watched, surprised. Ben had never fought back before. It's the girl, Snoke thought. She's given him something to live for, something to fight for, something to die for.

At this rate, his knights would be the ones one the floor wounded. If only Snoke could use this raw power for himself, but there was only one reason he would fight this way, for the girl.

"You weak pathetic fools!" Snoke yelled at his knights. "You can't even take down one man!"

His words had the desired effect, his knights began to fight harder. One of them kicked him in the legs, knocking him to the ground. The others reacted quickly, attacking him while he was down.

After a moment, Ben gathered his strength and stood again. He was growing weaker, but the unconscious bodies of Snoke's knights were beginning to pile up.

"Enough!" Snoke shouted, and the fighting stopped.

Snoke approached Ben. "You've finally proven yourself to me, you've finally shown your strength."

Ben looked away, not daring to meet the gaze of the man who had instilled fear into him since he was a boy.

Snoke placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "I have always loved you like a son, Ben," he said, pulling him into a hug. Snoke leaned closer to his ear and added in a whisper: "I killed my son," as he stabbed him with a dagger that he had hidden in his left hand.

Ben collapsed to the floor clutching the wound. He was in utter shock, Snoke had a son?

"You're just like him, he too betrayed me for the love of a woman, I killed her too. Just as I'm going to kill your beloved."

Ben screamed in anger, rising to his feet and lunged at Snoke.

Snoke lifted his hand grabbing Ben by the throat and squeezing tightly. He lifted Ben off of the ground slightly. "You're not strong enough to save her from me," Snoke squeezed his throat until he was gasping struggling for air.

At last he stopped struggling, Snoke released him and he fell to the ground, rubbing his sore throat. He leaned forward, taking sharp breaths, gasping for air.

Snoke looked down at the defenseless young man at his feet. He lifted the dagger over his head, slamming its hilt down on the back of Ben's head.