To someone, who said "Kylux is dead" – well, it's not. The story isn't a crossover, but the general idea is from L. M. Montgomery's book. Reviews are welcomed, as always!
Ben of Green Gables
1. Finders keepers
Luke Skywalker was on the way. For someone who didn't leave his home for ten years, a ride to the town located 40 miles away was like a great journey.
What a sunny morning… He thought while driving old flying pod slower than a snail. Weather perfect for work in fields. I bet Leia is hanging laundry now. Ah, dear sister and her crazy ideas. Who would have thought, that some day she'd convince me to one of them. What a woman.
Yet he was used to agree to whatever she wanted. So now he passed the gates and took a passage to the aerodrome. If everything was alright, there should be a shy, poor orphan, waiting ready to be a consolation for a couple of oldies.
Yes, Leia decided, they need a 'new hope' in their empty estate… and life. They were both over sixty years old, so they required help. Especially with housework. She also dreamed about giving some abandoned child a shelter and an assurance. Two weeks ago they asked via holograph link with orphanage for a quiet, polite, teenager girl.
That's why today Luke Skywalker was scouting around airport, looking for young lady with golden locks and small suitcase. It was how he imagined her. Unfortunately, there wasn't any girl at similar age, but Luke was patient man. He sat on a bench, checked up the sky while putting hands into loose sleeves.
"Nice weather, isn't it?" He tried to strike a conversation with an adolescent sitting next to him. There was no answer, but he didn't mind. "The suns are shining high at this time of the year. They're warming whole planet." Again, no word from his companion. "Are you waiting for someone?" He asked directly turning his head toward him.
The young man looked nervous and unhappy. Luke noticed, that he wore black used robes. From under the hood slipped heavy raven locks surrounding his rather extensive face with prominent nose and numerous moles. Well, mother nature didn't blessed him with beauty, Luke assumed. Or will he become a swan one day?
"Yes, I am." The youth spoken up while old force user forgot, what was he asked about.
"Ah, right… Who are you waiting for?" Luke smiled supposing some girl's name will be the answer.
"I never met this person." Raven haired boy let down his head.
"Hm. Then how do you plan to find her or him?" Force user was surprised. "Do you even know how that individual looks like?"
"No, I don't." Short, tense response. But Luke loved to dwell on a subject.
"Then, what will you do?"
"I'm waiting." His voice was really deep.
"Huh?"
"Maybe that person will find me." Full lips whispered rather hopelessly.
"Where are you from?" Luke sounded interested.
"From Helepolis. And from Yavin earlier. Well, originally from Chandrila. I was born in Hanna City…" He bit his lips as he revealed to much.
"That's a long way indeed…" Luke hummed. "Why are you here now?"
"I… I didn't choose this place… Just… they sent me here." He seemed to be embarrassed. "You know, the orphanage. They put me into ship, et voilà, here I am. They said, man named Skywalker will take me to my new home."
Luke stared open at him. That impossible. It should be a girl! Not an enormous juvenile with past darker than his hair and clothes. It has to be some mistake… But what to do now? Send him away? An orphan? No way. That would be cruel. So…
"Well, I think, I'm the man you're waiting for." He rose up and pulled his hand out. "I'm Luke Skywalker."
The teenager's eyes widened in disbelief. He furrowed thick brows, but got up and shook the other's hand.
"Nice to meet you, master Skywalker. You can call me Kylo Ren." He introduced himself.
"Is this your name?" Luke doubted.
"No…" Boy said carefully. "My name is Ben Organa, but I prefer to be called Kylo. It's more… suituable." He ended dramatically with odd hand gesture.
"Well, Ben… we are, just who we are. There is no need to be someone else." Luke was slightly amused by this awkward presentation. In the end he guided this lost child toward his pod.
2. Cards on the table
Leia Skywalker nearly fell from her chair.
"Are you insane?!" She hissed at him. "What have you done! You brought home some suspicious type who is impersonating an orphan! He might as well be some minor delinquent!"
"But he's not… There's a band on his hand from Helepolise Orphanage." Luke interrupted her calmly.
"Oh, what do you know…! You and your… premonitions! Please, look at him!" She shouted.
"He looks fine. He is just… big."
"I think, I'm going crazy. We wanted a girl. A girl! Little, tender girl, not a masculine mountain of muscles, which will murder you while sleeping!"
"Leia, please, he will hear you."
"He should! How dare he…"
"Dare to what, Leia? To be, who he is?"
"…"
"I told you. He is a good boy."
"For force's sake, brother, you're talking like you know him for ages!"
"Well, that's how I feel…"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Dear sister, let's look at it another way… We needed someone to help us. Fate gave us a gift we maybe don't fully appreciate now. But... he is strong. He will be a great help at field labour."
"Luke, I need someone to share my chores at the house, like gardening and cooking. Can you imagine him threading a needle to sew buttons?! Because surely I can't!"
"He is emphatic and sensitive under his thick skin. And also a fast learner. I taught him how to ride my pod and he succeeded."
"You… what?!" Leia went pale.
"In addition he can read and write. We should send him to school."
"Oh, enough of this! I don't want to hear about it anymore! Tomorrow you will bring him back to the airport and put him into a ship to Helepolis."
"Leia, don't be such a…"
"Zip! I said! We don't need him. He is useless."
"I don't believe in what you say. Let's talk again tomorrow."
"I don't want to see him here tomorrow!"
"Leia, please be reasonable…"
"ENOUGH!"
A glass on table broke in half. Brother and sister looked at each other, then at Ben standing at the doorstep. He was furious.
"I heard every word!" He shouted.
"I told you to speak quieter…" Luke complained at his sister.
"I don't need your disdain!" He looked at Leia stormy. "And I especially don't need your compassion!" His eyes aimed at Luke this time. "I suspected from the start it had to be some mistake! No one asks about seventeen year old emotional wrecked teenager! There was no chance somebody would take me! Yet they sent me to you! And now you said, you don't need me! FINE! I will go! There is no need to be impolite, you know?! But that's ok, I'm used to this! Everywhere I go, there is no place for me!"
The tears started to roll down his cheeks. His face was ugly grimaced and he clenched his fist. He dropped his head and went quiet. Leia and Luke were shocked by this unpleasant outburst. He turned and left the house. His large silhouette vanished in the darkness.
"That was…" Leia started.
"Yeah…" Luke sighed worried. "Great fear I sensed in him. And unknown power."
"I sensed only a hurt toddler. What a temper. Well, well. I'm wondering, who his parents were."
"Are you sure, you never gave birth to some Han Solo's child…?"
Leia took that as an insult and went out. The mention of her beloved melted her usually cold heart.
She heard sobs before her eyes localised him. He was sitting on the grass holding his head on knees encircled by his arms. His half-empty bag lied behind him. Even though his body was big, now he looked small and miserable. Leia kneeled next to him and hugged him tight. He froze.
"My son, I shouldn't act like that. I'm old woman, so I'm supposed to be wise, yet my words were nothing more than poison. Please, forgive me. We should do as Luke said. We talk about this all tomorrow. Come with me. There is a warm bed waiting for you upstairs. The room is somehow girly, but you know… we expected… never mind. Tomorrow we remove all the pink stuff."
Ben discreetly dried his tears and nodded. It was hard not to cry, but he tried. He clumsily grabbed his bag and let Leia drag him back to the house.
3. Goodbye, summer.
For once his life turned out to be gracious to him. Luke and Leia decided to keep him for good. He still didn't believe his luck. The old force user tried to convince Ben to call him and his sister 'uncle' and 'aunt'. That was something new. He worked hard at harvest and even harder on himself. Now, when everybody knew about his short temper, he trained at ability to tame his fierce personality. Leia appreciated his effort. And she used to bake delicious apple pies.
A month after his arrival to Green Gables, he started to attend to jedi-church. Luke preached sermons there sometimes. Ben listened about the force and its connection with every molecule of universe. Among other members of the community was also an energetic tomboy, Rey. She was always doing something funny and was scolded by her caretaker, Amilyn Holdo. That purple-haired witch was constantly giving him goose bumps. Rey tried to convince him, she is not that bad, even if she made her wear dresses. Rey preferred trousers because climbing on trees was easier then. Ben and the young teen befriended quickly.
At the beginning of September he would go to school. Ben looked forward to it with anticipation. Rey reassured him, that it will be fine. She already knew all kids from neighbourhood.
"…and then Poe was like what?!, and that was so killer-comical, ya know!" Rey babbled about her friends again. "Hey, did ya throw out that pinky lace curtain from your room already?"
"Yes, I did, why?" Ben sapped dry ground. Luke asked him to prepare a dewatering ditch.
"Oh, pity, I was going to put that in Poe's pocket instead of handkerchief." She stuck her tongue out. "If a whole class ever saw it he would probably die of shame."
"Not nice." Ben swiped with shovel.
"Yeah. We always put each other in troubles, ya know. It's a harsh friendship!" She laughed sitting on fence. "Oh, I bet this autumn Hux is going to take part in classes again. He will be having his hands full."
"Who is he?" The first time Ben heard about him.
"The son of our local doctor. He's always helping other kids with maths, because he is smart."
"Eww, it sounds like he is a bookworm."
"Oh, no, he's cool! He's two years older than you. But he had a gap year, ya know."
"Ha? The golden boy didn't pass his exams?"
"Ha ah! No way in hell! That will be funny, ya know. His father was on a mission and sent him to his siblings in Dantooine. But yesterday Finnie saw him in apothecary."
"Rey, you ugly gossiper, stop talking behind people's back." Finn appeared with large package.
"Speak of the devil!" Girl giggled. "What do ya have there?"
"Business for Ben's auntie." He looked meaningfully at his colleague.
"Oh, shit." Ben already knew.
"What? I wanna know too!" Rey's eyes were flying from one to another.
"Beat it to your home, sunny child." Finn gave her stroke on head.
"Fellows, where ya're going?!" She yelled. "I wanna see it too!"
Thank the force, she didn't follow them. Ben didn't need her laughing while trying new clothes on.
Couple of days ago, Leia dug the heels in and lead him to a tailor. Finn's mother took his measurements and promised to finish his attire before the school starts.
"Good afternoon, ma'am." Finn greeted Leia preparing last portion of jam. "I'm bringing the delivery from my mom."
"My, my, Finn, you grew up so much!" Leia wiped her hands. "Ben, let's see! Can you go to your room and change into this?"
"Yes…" somehow Ben wasn't pleased.
"Need help?" Finn asked him. He already knew, that collars and cuffs were horrible to button up.
"I'll appreciate that."
They went upstairs. Ben tossed the bundle on the linen and started taking off his shoes. Finn was looking around the room. Besides the bed, small desk and wardrobe there wasn't any furniture.
"Quite Spartan. You don't like paintings on walls?"
"Well... Usually I don't mind, but there were hanging so girly pictures, that I got rid of them. You can take a peep, they are still in the bottom drawer. Somehow I was afraid of throwing them away, aunt Leia may actually like them."
"Yeah, they are soooo lovely. They sweeten your black moods, such excellent contrast! You definitely should hang them back." Finn joked.
"Maybe in next life." Ben finished with his clothes. "How does it look?"
"Not bad." Finn nodded. "Although it's kinda weird seeing you without black hood, in white shirt instead." He added honestly. "Do we have a mirror?"
"Downstairs."
Leia was delighted by Ben's new look. She prattled never ending compliments and straightened up his collar. Finn was chuckling behind the table. He helped Leia bring a mirror from her room. Ben had a chance to look at his reflection. He didn't like it.
His black robes masked all his imperfections. Now the shirt set off his wide shoulders and it's colour didn't go well with his light complexion. His biceps stretched the thin material when he tried to loosen up the tight collar. Trousers weren't any better, even if black. They were clinging his muscular legs and combined with the top made Ben look bigger than he already was. In addition, his hair…
"Yes, we have to do something about it." Leia guessed his thoughts. "I wonder, you probably don't want to cut it…?" She demonstrated scissors with her fingers.
"In short hair I look odd." Ben dropped his eyes.
"Well, some things can't be helped. But you can't go to school with your hair down. You should tie them up."
For Ben it also wasn't a brilliant idea.