Rey's Baby

Part 4

Rey paused to wonder if she only felt so wonderful because things had been so awful for the last few months. Then, she decided it didn't matter. She was blooming, finally, after all the pain and sickness. A few weeks after she first felt the baby kick, she'd been transformed into a glowing example of impending motherhood. Her hair was glossy and her eyes bright, her husband told her she looked more beautiful than ever before. Rey tenderly patted her now-visible bump, grateful her appetite had returned full force. She really was eating for two now, and no longer craved raw meat. Salty foods still turned her stomach but she didn't mind that so much.

Her months of illness had led Rey to think ill of everyone around her, it seemed. She endeavoured to make up for it, starting with her neighbour. Phasma came as usual with the vitamin drink and a new addition of a small white cake. Rey had begun taking her drinks again once the pain stopped. She felt guilty for pouring them away and had briefly worried if the concoctions she'd mixed herself had made things worse. The cake tasted like marzipan and she gobbled it down with enthusiasm. Phasma had turned out to be an excellent baker, with the little cakes and the chocolate brownies she'd made months ago. Rey made a mental note to ask her for the recipes when she called again.

By her fifth month of pregnancy, she had really started to show. Dr Canady warned her not to overdo things and to make sure she got enough rest. He hadn't been at all condescending when the pain stopped as he'd insisted it would, and had treated her with tenderness and respect. Rey felt a pang of guilt about wanting to go back to Dr Kalonia when Dr Canady put his stethoscope to her stomach and broke into a warm smile upon hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The special attention he'd given her marked him out as not just a competent doctor, but a caring one too.

As Ben rehearsed and prepared for his upcoming role, Rey had been getting ready for hers. The nursery was coming along and she'd been busy buying maternity clothes for herself and a layette set for the baby. She would hold up the tiny romper suits, her heart melting as she imagined her infant son or daughter filling them. The subject of names hadn't been broached again but Rey was now leaning towards Hope for a girl. She still wanted Han for a boy, but not if it made Ben unhappy. Their son would need a name at some point, and they couldn't put the discussion off forever.


The opening night of Ben's play 'No One's Ever Really Gone' came a couple of months after they'd celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Leia arrived in town for a short stay, mostly to fuss over her expectant daughter-in-law, but she did accompany Rey to see the play. The Huxes were also there for the opening night as was Mr Snoke's assistant, Dopheld Mitaka. It went as well as it could and the reviews were pretty much as expected. Kylo Ren received universal praise from the critics for his performance, while the play itself got mixed reactions. Most found it too long, too contrived, and with too many twists that left the audience behind. But it got Ben noticed, as he'd hoped it would, and that was the main thing.

Luke had accompanied his sister to New York. He kept clear of his nephew, knowing his presence wouldn't be welcome. Rey went with him to visit Lor, who was still barely clinging to life in his coma. She hadn't been to the hospital for weeks and she felt bad about it, but there had been no change in the retired priest's condition. The sisters tended to him and prayed hard for his recovery, although it seemed unlikely he would ever wake up. Rey had long abandoned the scarf she'd been knitting for him. The wool would make nice booties for the baby, so it wouldn't go to waste.

Leia took her daughter-in-law shopping on Fifth Avenue buying gifts for her and the baby. She had been over the moon to hear she was going to be a grandmother and promised to visit them often, even if Ben complained about it. He didn't say a word but Rey could tell he wasn't thrilled at the prospect. She had saved her son's christening gown and hoped they would use it when the time came. The subject of names resurfaced and Rey ventured Jane or Hope for a girl. Michael, if it was a boy. When Ben had gone to the theatre, she mentioned wanting to call their son, if they had one, Han. Leia got choked up with emotion and said her late husband would have been honoured. Rey thought it unlikely her husband would ever agree to it. Ben argued they shouldn't give the baby a name with the weight of his grandfather's legacy attached to it. But then, he'd immediately contradicted himself by suggesting Anakin as an option.

No One's Ever Really Gone folded after a month and Ben got offered a screen test at Universal plus another television pilot. His career was going from strength to strength. Everything seemed to be full of possibilities from the life around her to the life inside her. Spring came and Rey kept blooming. Her stomach grew bigger and rounder, and she could see the baby moving underneath her skin. It kicked hard and she would jokingly scold it. Stop it, you little devil, she chuckled telling it she couldn't wait until it was born. Not long now, she thought with a sliver of anxiety. Dr Canady had given her exercises to do in preparation for a natural childbirth; she didn't want drugs unless absolutely necessary. The baby would be breastfed not bottle fed, her previously modest bosom having swollen in readiness. When May came around, Rey packed a small bag with everything she would need in the hospital and kept it by the door. All that was left to do was wait.


At the end of the first week in June, she got a call from St. Joseph's Hospital, Lor had passed away in his sleep. Sister Katharine called to tell her the news, the two had spoken on a couple of occasions during her visits to see Lor and she was a kindly woman. The funeral was to be the following week at the church where he'd worshipped since his retirement. According to Sister Katharine, Lor had briefly regained consciousness at the end and his last thoughts had been of Rey. She was touched to know that and she wept to have lost such a dear friend. It wasn't unexpected after his prolonged coma. But still, she would miss him.

Ben had started filming the first season of his detective show and so he couldn't accompany his wife to the funeral. Luke and Leia sent a wreath but were unable to fly over due to work commitments. There was a decent gathering of Lor's friends and former congregation. Rey recognised Mrs McCaffrey, the woman who had been his cleaning lady since he moved to the city. The older woman came over to her red-eyed and with a grave expression, a small package wrapped in brown paper in her hands.

"It's a sad occasion," Mrs McCaffrey said. "He was such a lovely man."

Rey agreed, lamenting his loss as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"Well, they do say 'one in, one out'," the older woman said indicating towards her prominent bump.

She rubbed her swollen belly, feeling sad Lor would never get to meet her child.

"This is for you," Mrs McCaffrey said holding out the package to her. "Lor was conscious for a few minutes before the end and he was adamant you should have this book. I've spoken with the library and they said you can return it when you're ready."

Rey recalled Sister Katharine mentioning Lor had woken up for a few moments but she hadn't mentioned anything about a book. She thanked Mrs McCaffrey and went to hail a cab to take her back to The Supremacy. Apparently, Lor's last words had been 'The name is an anagram,' but they didn't make any sense to her. He had wanted to tell her something before he'd fallen into the coma and she wondered if the book held the key to it. Rey toyed with the edge of the wrapping paper as she sat in the back of the cab but decided to wait until she got home to give it her full attention.

Phasma was coming out of the building as she went in. The two talked briefly about the funeral and then Rey excused herself, eager to find out more about the book. Phasma offered to postpone the shopping trip to sit with her until Ben returned from work, but she politely declined. Once she got inside her apartment, she tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a black leather bound book with 'All For Satan by B.B. Yates' written in faded gold lettering on the front cover.

Rey flicked through the pages in bewilderment — it was a book about black magic and noted practitioners of it. Why would Lor be so insistent she be given such a thing? The name is an anagram, he'd said. So, taking the Scrabble set from its place under the coffee table, she picked out the letter tiles which spelt the book's title and jumbled them up to try and form other words. All For Satan became Or A Last Flan, A No Fall Star, Fan Or A Stall, and so on. All nonsensical and providing no insight into what Lor might have been trying to tell her. Rey tried it with the author's name and the author and title together, but nothing illuminating emerged.

She picked up the book again and turned to the middle section of glossy pages filled with old black and white photographs. The third one showed a severe-looking Victorian-era gentleman stood next to a young boy in his teenage years. The boy had piercing eyes and she felt she had seen them somewhere before. Underneath the picture, it read 'Thaddeus Noakes and son, Noam.' Had this been what Lor wanted her to see? Rey hoped his horror stories about The Supremacy were over, but it appeared he'd managed to leave her with one last scare. She turned to the chapter dedicated to Thaddeus Noakes and began reading it. The more she looked at the name of his son, the more it bothered her. She arranged the letters and gasped as the answer jumped out at her — Noam Noakes was Aamon Snoke.

Rey knew she had seen those eyes before. The photograph, being black and white, hadn't shown their blue colour, but the intensity was unmistakable. His father, Thaddeus, had died at The Supremacy, possibly murdered by members of his own coven. She read on about candlelit Black Masses and Sabbats, recoiling in horror at the mention of infant sacrifices. The blood and flesh of newly born babies were of particular value to those who practised Black Magic and worshipped Satan. This was what Lor wanted to warn her about, she was sure of it. The book said there were active covens all over Europe and North America. She cradled her belly ready to fight anyone who would dare to threaten her baby.

"Don't you worry, little one," Rey cooed over her bump. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

She read the chapter on Spells and Witchcraft, a shiver going through her at the mention of Talzin Root or Devil's Eye, as the fungi was otherwise known. There were descriptions of other ingredients used in spell casting and stories about supposed witches from centuries ago. The account of the 1590 North Berwick witch trials caught her attention. A Scottish coven had supposedly plotted to kill King James I by conjuring up terrible storms when he'd sailed back to Scotland from Copenhagen with his new bride, Queen Anne. One of the accused, a woman named Agnes Sampson, had confessed, under pain of torture, to being involved in the plot. She spoke of bleeding a toad of its venom and keeping it until she could procure a soiled bed sheet belonging to the king to "bewitch him to death". It seemed obtaining personal items belonging to the object of the curse was essential to its success.

Rey paused to eat a chicken salad sandwich, her appetite mercifully not affected by the tales of animal sacrifices and bloodletting. She had bolted as well as locked the apartment door and put the chain on. A short time later, she heard rattling and cursing outside when Ben arrived home.

"What's going on?" he inquired concerned as his wife put the bolt and chain back on.

She had checked over his shoulder for any sign of the Huxes, her fears about who might be members of a coven increasing. There were Phasma's herbs and black candles to consider. The interest of elderly neighbours, who'd repeated old wives' tales to her about how carrying low meant a boy as did growing extra hair, didn't seem so harmless now. Something occurred to her that she hadn't yet considered, or rather, hadn't wanted to consider. Did Ben already know the truth about the man he regarded as his mentor?

"Does the name Noam Noakes mean anything to you?" Rey asked fearing his reply.

"What is all this?" he scowled attempting to get a better look at the book she had clutched to her bosom.

"Answer the question," she demanded, needing to know he was as in the dark about it all as she had been.

Ben threw his hands up in exasperation. "Noakes? As in, the guy Lor said died here back in the 1890s or something?"

"That's the one," Rey affirmed. "Do you know who his son Noam is?"

"What is this — Twenty Questions? Do I get a prize if I guess correctly?" Ben went past her into the living room and sank into his armchair.

She could see her husband was tired after a long day at work but she wouldn't let the matter drop. "Noam Noakes — it's staring you right in the face," she insisted before spelling it out to him. "He's Aamon Snoke."

A flicker of understanding passed over Ben's face before he shrugged it off. "So what if he is? Sons aren't their fathers, you know."

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Rey was more upset and disappointed than angry.

Ben reached for her but she pulled away from him. "Mr Snoke told me once in complete confidence. It's not as if he's proud of it or anything."

"Devil worshippers sacrifice babies, did you know that?" Rey sobbed. "Lor left this book for me and there are all kinds of things in it about Satanism and witchcraft."

"I might have known that crazy old man would still be filling your head with nonsense from beyond the grave," Ben raged eyeing the book with fury. "Are you saying you think we're surrounded by witches plotting against us?"

"Well, I —," When her husband said it out loud like that, it did sound ridiculous. But why couldn't it be true? People believed all kinds of things in the name of religion, and Satanism owed as much to paganism as Christianity did. Still, Rey began to waver in her conviction that she and her unborn child were being targeted by a coven.

"You've got yourself all worked up and it isn't good for you or the baby," Ben said and he held out his hand to her again. "Give me the book — please. I don't want you upsetting yourself anymore with it."

Rey looked at him contemplating her next move. She hesitantly held the book out in her hands but didn't relinquish her grip on it. "I don't want to see Mr Snoke ever again, and I don't want you to see him, either. Lor was right, we never should have come to this place. Promise me you'll have no more to do with him-him or the Huxes."

"The Huxes are in on it too? I must have missed the black cat and broomsticks when we went over for dinner," Ben mocked. "Watch out when Phasma wrinkles her nose or you might get turned into a toad."

Rey puffed out a sigh, his sarcasm wasn't helping. "Belief can be a powerful thing, whether it's real or not." She wasn't only talking about witchcraft now.

Her husband seemed to understand and his gaze softened. "Daughters aren't their mothers or fathers, either," he said. "I know you're afraid, I feel it too. Your parents chose the demon drink over you, and my mom and dad were so scared I'd grow up to be a monster, they pushed me away rather than face it. All this devil and witches business is just a manifestation of your fears for the future getting the better of you."

She began to protest at his explanation but some of what he'd said made sense. Hadn't she spent years lying to herself about her parents rather than face the bitter truth? The nuns in the orphanage told her her mother and father drank themselves to death and were never coming back for her, but she'd refused to accept it. Yes, people could make themselves believe all kinds of crazy things if their will was strong enough. Maybe her determination to be a good mother was making her overreact and see dangers where there were none. But if she could delude herself that her dead parents hadn't abandoned her on the streets and would return for her one day, other people could certainly convince themselves demons and witchcraft were real.

"I don't feel safe," Rey admitted tears pooling in her eyes.

Her husband wrapped his arms around her and she didn't fight him. "I would kill anyone who ever tried to hurt you," he vowed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I promise you, no one will harm you. You are safe — both of you."

She let Ben take the book. He promised he would return it to the library first thing and she wasn't to give it another thought.


Rey couldn't stop thinking about what she had read. When she got up the next day, she found a note from her husband staying he'd gone out early to return the book and he would try to get off-set early so they could have dinner together. Rey thought about going to the library to read All For Satan in greater depth. She had a need to convince herself it was all nonsense. Instead, she sought out an old bookstore in the neighbourhood which she'd passed many times with the intention of someday going in. The owner, an elderly man known simply as Yoda, looked in vain for a copy of All For Satan but he did find a few other titles on the same subject.

As Rey skimmed over them, it seemed to her most of the occultists, such as Madame Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley, gained a level of success and notoriety from their involvement in the occult that otherwise might not have come their way. The degree of theatricality involved marked them out as people who craved attention by whatever means necessary. There was undoubtedly a great degree of conviction among some of the practitioners of magic but belief didn't make any of it true. Many people, predominantly women, identified as witches in centuries gone by were no doubt innocent victims of superstition and religious fervour. The old crones of folklore were likely practitioners of ancient herbal remedies still used by some cultures in their traditional medicines and passed down as old wives' tales among the supposedly more enlightened.

One book caught her eye for its mention of Sheev Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker. The rumours of the involvement of both in a cult called The Dark Lords of The Sith had been the subject of much speculation. Rey had no previous reason to doubt Ben's grandfather suffered from mental illness and that his various acts of murder and attempted murder happened as a result of it. However, as she read about the alleged rituals The Dark Lords of The Sith engaged in, she couldn't help wondering if there was more to it. Anakin Skywalker had reputedly been anointed by the devil (working through Sheev Palpatine) and had arisen as the demonic Darth Vader. Had something similar happened between Snoke and Ben when her husband took the name, Kylo Ren? No, it couldn't be true. The book spoke of The Dark Lords of The Sith having yellow eyes when they channeled the devil. Hadn't she seen eyes like that somewhere? Try as she might, the memory eluded her. The matter of prime concern to Rey was her pregnancy, and the book said Palpatine performed a ritual which drained the life from Anakin's wife Padmé after she birthed their twins. Over twenty years later, Anakin had killed Palpatine (who, by that time, was a corrupt senator in league with the mob) to save his son's life. That much at least was true, Luke had told her so himself.

Rey thanked Yoda and left the bookstore with only a cookery book. Confusing mental illness with signs of demonic possession is what led to innocent men, women, and children being tortured and burned or hanged as witches in years gone by. She wouldn't go down that road. In the early June sunshine, amidst the hustle and bustle of a modern city, it seemed all the more ridiculous to imagine herself surrounded by people who used the energy generated by sex orgies to strengthen magic spells and sacrificed unbaptised babies to the devil.


Sleep didn't come easily to Rey in the last week of her pregnancy. Her back ached from carrying the extra weight of the baby and she couldn't rest on her sides because of the size of her bump. It's only a few more days, she told herself, not wanting to wish her life away but hoping the baby would hurry up and be born. The summer heat was upon them already and Rey had the air conditioners going at full power. Ben brought her ice cream when he came in from work and rubbed her sore back. She did her best to set her fears aside but still refused dinner with Mr Snoke.

During her last appointment with Dr Canady, Rey had complained to him that Phasma's vitamin drinks were giving her heartburn. She had begged to be given pills for the remainder of her pregnancy. To her surprise, he hadn't put up any argument against it and even said she could tell Phasma the pills were his idea to save any awkwardness. It gave her some peace of mind to be able to refuse her neighbour's offerings. As much as Rey tried to banish her concern about witches, she couldn't entirely rid herself of suspicion. She also dispensed with the silver charm and its Talzin Root as a precaution. When asked, Rey said the fastening must have come loose and she'd only noticed its absence when she came to take it off before bed. In reality, she'd thrown it down a storm drain. The door was kept locked and chained when Ben was out. Rey had already fixed and returned all the small electrical appliances brought to her by her neighbours, letting it be known she wouldn't be taking in any more until after the baby was born. Hopefully once that happened, she could talk her husband into moving again. Maybe to California, if he got an offer from Universal.

Rey had been confining herself to the apartment, unhappy at staying in but unwilling to go out. However, she needed to pick up a few last minute items for the baby and it couldn't be put off any longer. She had experienced a couple of Braxton Hicks contractions and the baby had moved low inside her ready for delivery, but she still had a few days left before her due date. Rey put on a sleeveless maternity dress and sandals ready to brave the heat outside. She went to the drugstore for baby powder and lotion before going to pick up some blankets she'd ordered. The department store wasn't busy but it was stuffy and she needed to sit down for a few minutes.

"It's hotter than hell in here," a male voice complained.

Rey jumped in her seat unaware someone was sitting next to her until he'd spoken. As she turned her head, she saw with shock that it was Poe Dameron. He wore a pair of dark glasses and held a white cane in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said immediately regretting her choice of words. "I mean — I'm Rey, Kylo Ren's wife. I was so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I, um, take it there's been no improvement." She wished the ground would open and swallow her up, at least he couldn't see her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Nope, still blind as a bat," Poe jested but there was a bitter edge to his words. He gave a heavy sigh and managed to summon up a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Rey. Your husband is doing well for himself, I hear. Maybe I should ask him for my lucky tie back, not that it ever brought me much luck."

A feeling of dread gripped her, Rey recalled reading in the occult books about how witches needed a personal item from their targets to cast spells and set curses. "Your lucky tie? What do you mean?"

"When we both had the callback audition for that crummy play, Kylo got coffee on his tie and I offered him mine. It was a gift from one of my past girlfriends and I'd never liked it," Poe explained. "I was only joking about wanting it back," he said at being met with silence. "Rey?"

"I'm still here," she confirmed feeling sorry she'd made him wonder if she'd left. "It's just — Ben, I mean, Kylo didn't tell me about the tie."

"I guess he thought I'd cursed it after he lost out on the part," Poe jested.

Rey began to go faint and she took a few deep breaths to steady herself. It was all so much worse than she'd ever suspected. Not only was Mr Snoke and, most likely, the Huxes, involved in black magic, but her husband had to be in on it too. She felt sick.

"Hey, are you alright?" Poe inquired as she grabbed her bag and got to her feet.

"Yes, I'm fine," Rey lied almost overbalancing with the weight of her baby bump. "I'm pregnant and due any day now. I should really be getting home."

"That's great news," Poe said with a warm smile. "Congratulations to you and your husband."

She thanked him and wished him well before hurrying out onto the street. It all became clear to her — Poe's blindness and Lor, poor Lor — people could be bewitched to death. He had been missing a glove the last time she saw him. Ben must have taken that too. Lor was going to tell her about Snoke but they'd got to him first and silenced him. He had fought them, though. He made sure she got that book and she found out about Noam Noakes and his witchcraft.

As her shock gave way to resignation, panic began to set in. Where could she go where she and the baby would be safe? Rey thought of Dr Canady, but as one of Mr Snoke's close personal friends, she couldn't be sure he wouldn't betray her confidence. Leia would help her, she was sure of that. But her mother-in-law lived almost three thousand miles away and needed to get on a plane to reach her. She had to find a safe place to wait for her arrival and the only other person she could think of who might help was Dr Kalonia. Rey almost got hit by a car in her haste to cross the street to get to the public phone booth. She searched frantically through the directory and found the number of the doctor's office. The receptionist told her Dr Kalonia was fully booked and had no appointments available but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Rey left the phone booth and hailed a cab determined to keep her baby from harm.

She experienced another contraction on her way to Dr Kalonia's office. It was stronger than any of the others she'd had and it took her breath away for a few seconds. The heat wasn't helping. She felt tired and afraid but she would protect little Han or Hope if it was the last thing she did. There were a couple of women already waiting to see Dr Kalonia and she grudgingly took a seat, hoping she could jump the queue when the next patient came out. Rey pleaded the urgency of her case but was told, if she wasn't in labour, she'd have to wait. She wondered if she should ask to use the phone to call Leia. It was probably best done privately, she decided and hung on, praying the other women would hurry up. When her turn came, she almost cried in relief. Dr Kalonia listened patiently as Rey explained what the trouble was and promised to do all she could to help. The doctor had the receptionist bring Rey a glass of water and got her to lie down on the couch. She told her to try and get some rest while she made some arrangements.

The next thing Rey knew, the door was opening and Dr Kalonia came back in.

"I must have fallen asleep, I was so tired," she said.

The doctor said nothing as Dr Canady and Ben followed her into the room.

"Sweetheart, you gave us all such a scare," her husband said his face a mask of concern as he stroked her hair.

Rey tried to get away from him but her stomach impeded her and Dr Canady blocked her escape.

"My goodness," he said. "I've had some expectant mothers go a little cuckoo but this is a new one on me. Rest is what you need."

Dr Canady and Ben took an arm each and led her out of the office, thanking Dr Kalonia for her help. She threw Rey an apologetic look and said she would have been derelict in her duty of care if she hadn't contacted her previous doctor. Everything was going to be fine, she assured her.

Rey didn't know what to do, she couldn't run away and Dr Canady threatened to give her an injection if she caused another scene. A cab was waiting for them and she sat in the back between the doctor and her husband.

"No one is going to hurt you, sweetheart, you have to believe me," Ben pleaded as he put his arm around her.

How could she trust a word he said? He was in on it, he had to be. His career had been going nowhere before she got pregnant and now he was turning down offers. The coven had done their part and now there was a price to be paid. She and her baby were going to have to pay it.

Rey thought about asking the cab driver for help but Dr. Canady had his syringe poised. She could scream once they got to The Supremacy and hope the police would come to investigate. Her husband and the doctor would probably be able to explain it all away, though. Who would believe that witches were after her baby? Rey kicked herself for not making calling Leia her first order of business. It might take her a day or two to get to New York but she wouldn't let anyone take her grandchild.

The Supremacy lobby was empty once they got inside. Ben pressed the button for the elevator and it arrived soon after. Rey saw the guy operating it was the Puerto Rican who didn't speak good English. Her hopes were fading fast when she looked down at the bags she was holding. She fumbled around in her purse taking hold of her door key and then she remembered the tub of Johnson's baby powder she'd bought. When the elevator came to a halt on the ninth floor and the doors opened, Rey let all her bags fall to the floor as she clutched her key in one hand and the powder in the other. The three men bent down to pick them up and she sidestepped them going into the hallway. She pulled the iron grill closed before they could get up and threw clouds of powder in their direction as she hit the elevator button. It started to descend and she ran as fast as she could towards her apartment. Rey almost buckled under the pain of another contraction but she gritted her teeth and got to her door. She was shaking so much, it took three attempts before she could unlock it and then secure it properly.

Ben and Dr Canady were hot on her heels, she thought she could hear the Huxes too. Rey went straight to the telephone doubling over as yet another contraction hit her. She managed to dial her mother-in-law's number begging her to pick up as it rang and rang. The call went through to the answering service, and all Rey could do was stress how urgent it was for Leia to call her back as soon as possible. She thought of other people she could contact; Finn and Rose had moved apartments and she didn't have their new number. Jessika Pava might help but she didn't have her address or anything. Red hot pain surged through her and she tensed. After it receded, she felt wetness running down her legs — her water had broken.

"Oh God, no," Rey gasped.

The next thing she knew, strong arms were supporting her as she sagged towards the floor.

"Hush, sweetheart," Ben murmured into her ear. "It's all going to be just fine, I promise."

"No, get away from me," Rey shrieked. "You're all witches."

Phasma helped Ben hold her while Dr Canady readied the syringe. "It will be over soon," the doctor said jabbing the needle into her arm.

"No," Rey whimpered her hand going to her stomach. "Don't hurt my baby."

"Get her to the bed, she's in labour," Dr Canady said.

As the outside world began to fade into the background, Rey could only apologise to her child. "I'm so sorry, my little one," she whimpered.


The first thing Rey became aware of was the pain and soreness between her legs. She opened her eyes and saw her husband watching over her appearing haggard as if he hadn't slept for days.

"Where's the baby?" she asked attempting to sit up and look for the bassinet.

Ben got up and helped her to get comfortable. "Phasma is watching over him while you get your strength back."

"It's a boy? Can I see him?" Rey tried to get up again and couldn't. "Please, don't let anyone hurt him."

Her husband tucked the bedcovers securely around her. "I promised I would kill anyone who tried to hurt you or the baby, and I meant it."

Rey was tired and weakened by the birth. Her eyes closed and she fell back to sleep in an instant. The next time she woke up, she again asked to see her son. Dr Canady came in and told her she needed to rest, jabbing her with another needle before she could protest. When she awoke, her breasts were sore, swollen and leaking milk.

"I should be nursing my baby," Rey argued as her husband stopped her getting out of bed.

"You haven't been yourself lately. You need to rest a while longer," Ben insisted sitting beside her to make sure she stayed put.

She burst into tears slapping him away as he attempted to comfort her. It wasn't her that had gone insane, it was him and his creepy friends. "If I'm crazy and you're not all witches, then bring me the baby. Let me see him and hold him. I want my son."

Ben heaved a heavy sigh and picked up a glass of water from the bedside cabinet. "You will see him soon, I promise." He held out the glass and a white pill for her to take.

"I don't believe your promises," Rey screeched. "I want my baby."

Her husband told her she wasn't well and he only wanted her to be her old self again. There were tears in his eyes as he called the doctor in.

Dr Canady burst into the bedroom brandishing his syringe. "You will be up and around in a day or two if you do as you're told," he said. "Take your pill and drink your water or you'll get dehydrated."

She needed to get her strength back and another injection wouldn't help with that goal. Rey took the pill and drank the water. Later, Mr Peavey's wife brought her a bowl of soup and a cup of tea. Ben came and went but there was always someone with her. She didn't see the Huxes. Phasma was supposed to be tending to her baby in her absence and she could only hope her precious boy was unhurt. Rey wasn't sure how long it had been since the birth. The pills made her hazy but she still felt sore and weak. She managed to fake taking the next three pills that were given to her and some of her strength returned. When Mrs Peavey left the room to get fresh tea, she crushed the pills up with two teaspoons she'd hidden and placed the powder on a tissue.

"I hate to be a bother but would you mind putting another spoonful of sugar in," Rey asked after taking a sip from her cup and grimacing.

Mrs Peavey smiled and took her cup back into the kitchen. She got the tissue and poured the crushed up pills into Mrs Peavey's tea, hoping there would be enough to knock her out. Her own tea was far too sweet when it was returned to her but she drank it enthusiastically, watching as the other woman drained her cup too. In the distance, Rey could hear a baby crying and her breasts grew so heavy they hurt. She held her breath waiting and watching as Mrs Peavey faltered in her knitting. The older woman's eyes soon drooped and she began to snore.

Rey slipped out of bed and, standing on wobbly legs, she gathered every ounce of her strength. Her little boy needed her and she wouldn't let those witches have him. She went first to the kitchen and took out the biggest and sharpest knife they had from the block. The front door was secured but it had been that way when Ben and Dr Canady got to her. Rey went to the closet, the one whose lock had likely been jammed by Mrs Kanata when they first viewed the apartment. It hadn't saved the old woman, she'd gone the same way as Lor. Rey had always wondered about the thin board at the back of the closet as it appeared to be part of the partition which separated their apartment from the one next door. It had wobbled when she'd tested it and a bit of force could probably work it loose.

The towels and linens looked to have been recently disturbed. A few were badly folded and the paintwork on the shelving had been scuffed. Rey swept the shelves clear and slid them out. She pushed at the board and it gave way, opening to reveal a dark passage. There was the distant noise of chattering voices and she clutched the knife in her hand following the sound. It brought her out in a closet next to the Huxes' master bedroom. The door to the living room was ajar and she could see Armitage passing around a tray of drinks to various guests. Mr Snoke wasn't there but she saw Dr Canady, Mr Peavey, a couple of elderly widows who'd knitted her baby booties, Phasma, and Ben, her loving husband, sat laughing and talking as if he didn't have a care in the world. Her heart broke all over again and she tightened her grip on the knife as she moved closer. Rey got to the door and froze, in the corner stood a black bassinet with a silver cross of St. Peter hanging down from the black lace covered hood. The baby inside started to fuss and she found herself moving closer.

Phasma caught sight of her first. "Rey put the knife down," she demanded.

"Get back or I'll cut your heart out, if you've got one," Rey hissed.

She held up the knife staring daggers around the room as she advanced on the bassinet.

"Sweetheart —," Ben began stopping when she jabbed the blade in his direction.

"You're not giving my son to Snoke, I'll kill you all first," Rey warned.

Armitage set the tray of drinks down and stepped closer to her holding his hands up in surrender. "Mr Snoke is dead," he told her. "He was cremated this morning."

She stopped and looked around — everyone was dressed in black, but she'd assumed it was a witch thing.

"I didn't tell you, sweetheart, because, well…" Ben gestured towards his wife, dressed as she was in a long blue nightgown and clutching a carving knife.

Rey began to feel faintly ridiculous. She didn't know what to make of any of it, her legs were shaking and she wanted so badly to fall down weeping. The baby let out a piercing cry. She couldn't stop yet, she hadn't got what she came for.

"He's hungry," Ben said.

Rey kept hold of the knife and closed the short distance between her and the bassinet. The baby was wailing in earnest as she parted the black lace and took a first look at her son. He had black hair like his father, a shock of it, he had his father's eyes too. She let the knife slip from her hand and it embedded itself in the Huxes' carpet.

Phasma came towards the bassinet with a bottle of milk in her hand but Ben waved her away.

"His mother is here now," he said in a commanding voice.

She retreated, somewhat reluctantly, but gave a bow of her head.

Rey looked at her husband and then at the baby. "Yes, little man, your momma is here," she smiled opening the buttons of her nightgown.

Ben rubbed her back in soothing circles and kissed her cheek. "I'd like to call him Michael Anakin Han Solo - if that's okay with you."

She considered it for a moment as she scooped the baby up and put him to her breast. He wrinkled his tiny nose, she supposed he'd got used to bottle teats, but he soon latched on to her. "Michael Anakin Han Solo," she agreed. "Mikey, for short."

Her husband gazed at them both with adoration.

Rey hummed little Mikey a lullaby, his eyes looked almost golden as he peered up at her. "Who's momma's beautiful boy?"

She felt silly for her earlier outburst but no one seemed to be holding it against her. Phasma had picked up the knife and taken it to the kitchen. Everyone else carried on with their drinks as if nothing had happened. Rey glanced around at them; Dr Canady with vol-u-vent crumbs on his tie, Armitage Hux making sure his guests were using coasters, and Mr Mitaka nervously sipping from a glass filled with soda water. Her suspicions seemed ludicrous in the face of such banality. All of them witches? she chuckled to herself. The baby gave her a gummy smile as if, he too, thought it ridiculous.

The End.


Just a few notes...

In Rosemary's Baby, it's Tannis Root that is used in the drinks and charm. I changed it to Talzin Root after Mother Talzin, Nightsister and mother of Darth Maul.

The Knight Sisters in part 1 are also named for the Nightsisters. There are other Star Wars references there too, including the vampiric serial killer named after Sir Christopher Lee.

Michael was top of the Most Popular Names for Boys list in 1966. I also like it for Rey and Ben's baby because of the current pop culture references with Michael in The Good Place, and (I don't watch it but I've heard about it) Michael Langdon in American Horror Story.

I've leaned into the ambiguity more than Ira Levin did in Rosemary's Baby. It could all be seen as 'from a certain point of view', if that's how the reader wants to interpret it. Little Adrian/Andrew in the original story is clearly the son of the devil in the end. As for little Mikey...? I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Thank you for reading this reylo Halloween AU. Please do leave a review, if you're so inclined.

Happy Halloween to you all!