Author's Apology: Sorry for the delay in posting and the short chapter. I've had a really hectic and ridiculous week.
Thank you guys for reviewing, supporting, being amazing. Seriously, I can't thank y'all enough. You keep me going when crap is crazy. Your reviews and positive messages make all the difference to me. Thank you so, so, so, much.
When Kylo Ren finally returned to his apartment, he hadn't expected to see Phasma and Ashlyn passed out on the couch with Jacen soundly asleep between them. Nor the Sabacc dice all over the floor. While he didn't want his son to ever learn that game, he had a feeling the whole ordeal had been more or less a distraction. Either way, he didn't want to deal with that now. Instead, he needed to get everyone where they belonged.
He walked to the couch, bending down to pick up Jacen. Which, in turn, woke up Phasma with a start. The two exchanging glances, Phasma silently understood it was okay to leave. She placed her hand on Ren's shoulder as he held his son in his arms. The two silently taking the moment of grief before Phasma ultimately left.
Ren continued his plan as he carried Jacen into his bedroom and gently placed him in bed. He pulled the covers up over his son and looked at him for a moment longer. It seemed like yesterday he was sleeping on the couch while his son slept on his chest; he was so tiny when he was a baby. Stars, how the years have gone by without much consequence. Now, if he was right in his assumptions; that could all change. He silently prayed it wouldn't come to that. For once, he'd like to be wrong.
For what it was worth, and to Ashlyn and Jacen, it was worth a lot; Kylo Ren was a good father. At the end of the day, even though he had been away more than not as of late, he tried his hardest. Granted, a lot of it came naturally to the man. That same man who panicked over what kind of father he would be from the moment he felt Ashlyn was pregnant to the day Jacen was born and even now. He feared he would not be there for his son when he needed him. He afraid he'd be just like Han. But, that was where he had been wrong. He wasn't Han and Ash wasn't Leia.
They were their own and they had their own beliefs and compromises. Some making more compromises than the other. However, Ren was far from a bad parent and Jacen Solo held no animosity towards his father. In fact, the genuine excitement from the boy whenever he returned from a mission still destroyed his composure. His son loved him; his son was a much stronger version than what young Ben Solo could have ever been.
Quietly, Ren crept out of Jacen's room and wandered back to the living room where his sleeping wife remained on the couch. A small, but sad smile appearing on his face as he sat down next to her on the couch. She had to have sensed him the moment he did; her body jerked slightly as she inhaled deeply before opening her eyes to see him. She lifted her head, looking around to see Phasma and Jacen were gone before looking back at him. "He's in bed now." Ren confirmed. "Must have been exhausting playing Sabacc all night." He was only somewhat teasing.
Ash knew her husband didn't care for the game, nor wanted their son to learn. However, she had good reason. "It was a good distraction for him. For all of us."
"I figured as much." Ren agreed as Ashlyn shifted on the couch to be closer to him. She moved into his side as his arm wrapped around her, holding her close to him as they sat in the briefest moment of silence.
"I'm sorry about Brass." He said nothing; instead he tightened his grip around her. An awkward attempt at a side hug if anything. "And I'm sorry that everything is so screwed up right now." Ash draped her arm around his midsection then. The two knowing that this new development was going to change everything. Their earlier agreement to stay home being a big part of that. However, Ashlyn knew she had to be understanding in this situation. They had lost a friend tonight. And yet, there was still so much Ashlyn was not prepared for that Kylo Ren kept to himself.
"I promised you I'd fix this; fix us."
"But it has to wait." Ashlyn added, looking up at him.
He wanted to stay home, he wanted to repair the damage of these last ten years. The constant disappearances; the always full schedule. She took all of it with as much grace as she could. Still sticking by his side through it all. He knew he owed her for their slowly crumbling marriage. However, if he was right about the Knights, then he needed to worry about protecting her more than saving their marriage. At least for right now. "Let's go to bed." He offered, his voice groggy from sleep deprivation these past few nights. Ash was the first to move, pulling away from him before getting off the couch all together as she made her way to the bedroom.
Kylo Ren soon followed after, walking into the master bedroom and seeing Ash slide under the blankets. He smirked as he watched her nightly ritual of shimmying under the blankets to get comfortable with slight amusement as he made his way to his closet. Ash frowned. "What is it?"
"It's just good to be home." He said in truth. No matter what was happening, no matter how things had been crumbling, one thing was certain. He loved her more than anything and being home with her again was the safety he needed in his life. He removed his shirt and exchanging his pants for sleep pants; Ash had already cuddled up under the blankets, staring out at her husband as he wandered to the bed and getting in. The light was off seconds later and soon he was lying next to her. The two staring at each other in the darkened room as their eyes adjusted to the night. "No matter what happens-" He began. "You and Jacen will be safe. I promise."
She forced a smile, scooting closer to him as she leaned up to peck his lips. The blissful ignorance to what could have been lurking around the corner. "I know." He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his body as she relaxed against him. The tingling sensation prickling from under her skin was something that never went away. Not since their bond began. They both could feel it; it was warm and comforting. Something both parties really needed in that moment.
Gasping. She was gasping and uncertain as to where she was. Nothing felt familiar. Her eyes snapped opened as she stared into the blackened abyss in front of her. This felt different; it felt wrong. She knew this wasn't a shared dream with her husband, she could immediately tell as the world around her grew colder.
She sharply turned, sensing something out of place. There, under a spotlight, was the onyx throne. Her heart began to thud in her chest as Ashlyn cautiously walked to it. Her shaky legs feeling as though they'd give way any moment. What was the throne doing here? Why now? It had been ten years and yet seeing it there only brought up painful memories.
"So, you're the girl I've heard so much about." The deep, distorted voice said. Ashlyn turned around only to see someone different. Someone that felt so familiar and yet a total stranger. She stared at the man in the crimson Mandalorian mask; he kept his distance. "The girl who brought balance to the Light and Dark." Ash didn't move as he continued. "I've been wanting to meet you for a long time now."
She dared; calling back to the man. "Who are you?"
"You don't know me. Not yet, at least. But, you will." The man explained, reaching up to his mask and carefully removing it. The man under the mask was not what she had expected. He was young; looked to be her age with dark green eyes and shaggy, shoulder length brown hair.
She continued to stare at him, taking him in as he tucked his helmet under his arm and walked closer. Quickly, Ash found herself matching his steps as she backed up. Her knees hitting the onyx throne and unbalancing her as she fell into the chair. Her hands gripping at the arm rests as the stranger stopped moving.
He looked at her, somewhat curiously and fondly. "It suits you." He said before doing something truly confusing. He knelt down before her; placing his helmet down to his left.
"What are you doing?" She finally found her voice.
"Don't be afraid." He offered. "I'm here to help make things right." He frowned then, looking frustrated over something that Ashlyn didn't quite understand. "It's okay-" He looked down at the ground. "We figured out how to change it. How to make it better."
"Make what better?"
His head snapped upward; his intense green eyes staring at her. "The timeline. It's all wrong. He should have never gone this way. Not with his potential." Ashlyn tried to wrap her head around what he was saying; it sounded like gibberish to her. None of it making sense. "Perhaps it's because you balanced so perfectly. Maybe if we unbalanced you-" He seemed to be talking more to himself then; spewing ideas of something that Ashlyn couldn't understand. "No matter. We will fix it."
He began to fade then, she knew what that meant. She was waking up. "Wait!" She cried out to him. It didn't matter, the dream collapsed.
There was something rather odd about waking up; Kylo Ren was still sound asleep next to her. Something he very seldom did when she had a dream like that. Yet, he hadn't moved an inch. Was it possible that he didn't see it? Ash found herself frowning as she stared at the man. How did he not see it? How could he sleep through that? Then, curiously, Ashlyn suddenly couldn't remember her dream. Did she even dream in the first place?
"Why must you panic so early?" He grumbled next to her, shifting as he tightened his hold on his panicking red haired wife.
"Sorry. I'm not sure what happened there..." Ashlyn said; trying to process what was happening yet coming up empty. He snorted, leaning down and kissing his wife on the top of her head. Ash snuggled into him out of habit; even though things were far from perfect between them, it was hard not to want to be close to him. To enjoy these little moments while she could.
She smiled to herself, her mind wandering then to StarKiller and the times she slept in his bed before they had ever kissed. The times when she simply couldn't sleep and against her better judgement still managed to be cuddling into him. A similar time where her mental state would mess with his sleep schedule. My, how things really didn't change, she realized.
Now, he found himself smiling too at the sudden positive shift coming from the woman in his arms. A feeling he hadn't registered from her since his return. "What are you thinking about?"
"Remember after Sid passed and I couldn't sleep?" She asked him. "And against my better judgement I stayed in your apartment so we both could get some sleep."
He grinned, rolling over so now he was on top of her. His dark eyes looking down at her. "How could I forget? My accidental cuddler." He teased. "You were so quick to deny we had anything."
"We didn't!" Ash tried to defend herself from so long ago. "Not then at least!"
Ren scoffed. "Please, you clearly found me irresistible. Even then. Why else would you share my bed?"
Ash smirked. "To keep you from whining over not being able to sleep."
"Is that so?" He frowned, leaning down and kissing her face fervently, causing Ashlyn to laugh at the sudden attack. He slowed his attack, his lips lingering on her cheek for a moment as he lifted his head again to really look at her. Taking her in; the smile that still ghosted on her face. A smile he would kill a thousand and one planets for. Her laughter died down then as he leaned in to kiss her properly and tenderly. A moment of shared bliss that needed no words to explain; they both understood it. A simple moment to remind the other how much they meant.
When he did pull away, Ash looked into his eyes longingly, somewhat questioningly as she found herself insecurely asking. "Even after all this time; ten years of this-"
"I'd still choose you every time." He answered without pause. "All of this. You, Jacen; the path destiny had laid out for me. I would pick it every single time and not look back."
She smiled, reaching her hand to his face and placing it gently on the scar that ran down the right side of his cheek. A reminder that was slowly fading, but still there. A reminder of a time that seemed ages ago. It didn't matter, they were here and things were going to work out. "We have a spy." Ash suddenly said.
Ren frowned as he grinned, turning to see the ten-year-old standing in the doorway. "It appears we do." He only nodded once. "Come on."
Jacen beamed as he quickly ran for the bed, jumping onto it as Kylo Ren rolled off Ashlyn, making room for the child as he wiggled into the middle of them. "How long have you been awake?" Ashlyn asked, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him to her.
He merely shrugged, not answering her question but finding his own. "Can we make breakfast?" He looked at his father for approval.
"We can, as long as your dad has time." She was looking at him now, knowing he'd have to leave them for the day, but maybe there was hope he'd stay a little while longer.
Ren exhaled through his nostrils, contemplating for a moment before nodding. He didn't want to leave either. "I have some time."
"Let's go get everything setup, okay?" Ashlyn offered; and in that millisecond of approval, Jacen was rushing off the bed in a giddy frenzy and out of the room. She rolled her eyes playfully, looking at her husband. "Thank you."
"For what?"
Ashlyn leaned over, kissing him. "I know you have a lot going on today, thank you for making the time for us."
He pulled her close again, kissing her lovingly. He knew how much this meant to her, to Jacen as well. Stars, it meant a lot to him as well. A few moments of bliss to forget the potential chaos that could be awaiting him. He'd take that in a heartbeat.
"EW!" The two quickly pulled away, seeing the impatient ten-year-old that had run back into the room.
Ashlyn merely laughed as the ten-year-old ran out of the room again in disgust over his parents' affection. She looked back at Kylo Ren as she got off the bed. He nodded; signaling he was coming. Ash took that as him needing a moment before she left him alone.
As he watched her leave, a feeling of dread began to take over. What if he wasn't wrong and the imminent threat was far worse than any of them had been prepared for? Everything could spiral out of control if the Knights were alive. In that moment, he feared he was going to lose everything.
Final Thought: Some cute moments but... I think we should all be concerned about Ashlyn not remembering her dream... or the fact that Ren didn't see it either... hmmm. Anyway! Remember to review and see y'all in the next chapter!