When Luke first felt Rey’s presence in the Force again after days of searching, it took all his self control not to leap into action. Instead, he forced himself to trust the teams who were mounting the rescue. He knew they were all perfectly capable and he could sense that Rey wasn’t badly injured. He was less certain of her mental state, but he managed to practice some patience as he waited for the rescue teams to bring her home.
Patience only went so far and he was waiting in the common area by the elevator when she finally made it back to her apartment. Sensing her proximity as the elevator doors opened, Luke stood quickly to greet her.
“Rey,” he whispered, taking in the cuts and bruises as he looked her over. It was all he said before he moved forward and pulled her into a fierce hug.
Rey was exhausted. There had been little to no sleep and whenever any of them would drift off in the slightest, they were rudely awakened. She was sore all over but she knew that she had been lucky compared to some of the others. When the elevator doors opened, she sensed him and she didn’t even have time to speak before she was in his arms and she held onto him tightly. It felt so good to be held, to feel safe, to know that Luke wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. Yes, she could take care of herself but for the moment she was content to hold on tight and let his quiet strength refresh her.
After a few moments, she moved back enough to look at him and gave him a shaky smile. “Hi, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” It has surprised her even, just how happy she was to see him standing there, how much it meant to her that was waiting for her. Rey was still getting used to people caring about her and she wasn’t sure what exactly she and Luke were to each other but whatever that was or would be in the future, right now he represented home and safety and she was glad he was here.
Reluctant as he was to let go, Luke stepped back when she did. “I think I have some idea, because I’m just as relieved to have you back.” Rey was one of a handful of pupils he trained, but he had to admit that she was more than just his student. Rey was becoming someone he really cared about.
“How is Wookie? I was worried about him, he’s still so small and he hasn’t been with me that long,” Rey had worried about the puppy and truthfully it had been something to focus on rather than the pain and humiliation they were being put through. She didn’t even give him a chance to answer before she was hugging him again, just because he was there and she needed something to hold on to. “I guess we should go inside” she said when she finally let him go.
“He’s fine,” Luke assured her. “He missed you.” He murmured the answers into her hair, nodding as he reluctantly pulled back once she ended the embrace. “I missed you, too,” he added. “I was so worried while you were [...] You have no idea what a relief it is to see you’re all right.” She was right, they did need to go inside, but he found himself just standing there.
“I couldn’t feel you. I couldn’t feel anything,” she said. “Not even the other people with me. It was if they had shut off the Force. I tried to call you but it was like there was a wall. I’ve gotten so used to being aware of people that it was frightening.” She had especially goten used to be able to sense Luke. Even if she couldn’t pinpoint the Force signatures of other Force users specifically yet, she could always find Luke. She opened the door and then turned round and gave him a little giin. “You missed me? I would have thought you’d have been glad to have a break from me.” She was trying to lighten things but the truth was that she had missed him too, had spent a great deal of time thinking about him, wondering if was looking for her and she wasn’t sure what it all meant.
Luke nodded. “I couldn’t sense you, either. I knew you were alive and still in Atlantis somehow, but I had no sense of what you were feeling, whether you were hurt or whether you were all right. There was something blocking your connection to the Force, but I couldn’t find its source no matter how hard I looked.
He paused, leading her into her apartment and letting the conversation hold while a very excitable puppy greeted its master after a long absence. When he spoke again, his expression was open and serious.
“I was scared, Rey. I didn’t know what had happened to you. At the days wore on, I started to think I might never see you again.”
Rey had to struggle to keep her mouth from dropping open. This was easily the most personal thing he’d ever said to her. Even when he’d talked to her about Leia and his conversation with her, that had been different. This was about her and it was a surprise. She sat down and indicated that he should do the same. “I was scared too. They did awful things to us and no one could fight back really. Some were hurt worse than others, it was almost as if they were picking on certain people.” she reached up and touched the side of her face. “I got this back eye from smarting off at one of the agents. Hard to believe I’d do such a thing isn’t it?” she managed a smile.
“Yes, you’re usually so soft-spoken,” Luke managed to say with a completely straight face. “You would never talk back to anyone.” Despite his joking, it killed him to hear that she’d been tortured and the thought of one of her captors striking her made him feel so angry. He had to squash the feeling, knowing the dangers of such anger. Without thinking, he reached out wordlessly to touch the darkened, puffy skin on her cheek. “Does it hurt?” he wondered aloud after his hand had lingered there a moment.
His gentle touch surprised her but it wasn’t unwelcome. “Not much. It looks worse than it is but that felt nice.” She was beginning to see that Luke was full of surprises. For all that he could be a hard taskmaster during training, there was a kind gentle soul underneath and she liked that side of him. “At least I know it will fade even if takes a few days.” There were other scars left from the kidnapping that wouldn’t fade as quickly and she was prepared for that. She still had nightmares from all that happened before she’d come here and she didn’t like to think what this might add to those.
Nodding, Luke reluctantly pulled his hand away. He realized he was taking some liberties with her personal space and the tips of his ears turned a little pink as the only evidence of his self-consciousness over that awareness. She didn’t seem to mind it, but he wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship should be here. He was her trainer and she his student, but she was also not that much younger than him. It was a grey area, one that left him feeling conflicted.
“How are you otherwise?” he asked her, studying her both with his eyes and the Force. She was remarkably good at blocking for the little training she’d had. Mara, he realized, was usually easier for him to read than Rey was.
She noticed his ears and tried not to smile, it was rather endearing she thought but it wasn’t something she could just come out and say. Whatever was between them was not something she’d experienced before so she just tried to let things happen as they might. They had a connection, had one even before the whole Disney thing if she were honest with herself, but she had attributed that to the Force. This was altogether different but she didn’t mind it.
“Before I came here, I had gone through a hard time,” she said slowly as she tried to explain without telling him things he wouldn’t want to hear. “Being captured by the First Order, interrogated, finding out that I had these abilities…..I didn’t know what any of it meant. After I came here, I had nightmares about it. I still do but they’re not as bad as they were but now, I’m afraid they’re going to come back and everything that’s happened this past week is going to be there too. I don’t like to admit that I’m afraid, I couldn’t when I was living on my own, I had to make sure no one took advantage of me but I’ll be honest with you, I’m afraid.” she didn’t say the “because I trust you” but it was true. She did trust Luke and it surprised her just how much she meant it.
“I’d be worried if you weren’t afraid,” Luke told her. It could be a dangerous emotion, but admitted to it was a good first step. The next was not being controlled by that fear.
“I can’t take away your fears, but I can help you calm them,” he told her, back to his Jedi Master mode for the moment. “There are some meditation techniques that should help with the nightmares. These memories, too, will fade with time.” His time and expression softened again then. “And if you need someone to talk to, I’m here. You’re not alone anymore, Rey. You never will be again if I can help it. That much I can promise you.”
She nodded, appreciating his offer. “Thank you, I tried to meditate while I was there, it wasn’t easy but it did help. Anything else you can teach me would be appreciated..” It came out a lot more formal than she’d meant for it too and she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. At first she was afraid to do it but he had hugged her when he’d seen her so surely he wouldn’t mind this and she could feel that other than surprise, he didn’t mind it.
“I know and I’m glad of that. I’m glad that you and Poe are both here.” She didn’t quite know to tell Luke what she was thinking but the truth was that as happy as she was to have her friend there, there were some things that she couldn’t talk to him about. The way she still didn’t quite understand the Force and what it all meant and Luke understood that. “And I promise to always be here for you too. All you have to do is ask.”
Luke slipped an arm around her and pulled her in a little closer, hoping he could offer her a little comfort. He didn’t know everything she’d been through and he didn’t know just how long it was going to stick with her or how to really ease her fears, but holding her was something he could do. He smiled as Wookie jumped up on the couch with them. If they both wanted to just sit like this for a while, that was fine by him. He didn’t have anywhere more important to be.