Summary: Rey meets Leia and Artoo, and learns a little more about Luke, Kylo, and the entire situation. Important conversations are had by all. Guest accommodations are arranged.

Note: This is almost 7000 words long, so this morning I decided to split it into 2 parts. Feel free to treat them both as 'chapters' :)

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Guest Accommodations Part 1

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Luke steadied himself on the bedpost as Rey headed to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. His heart was finally slowing down, but as the adrenaline burned away, the wisps of control holding his body upright and his emotions in check began to fall to pieces. Last night's conversation with Rey played on a frantic loop in his head, especially the part that she'd whispered, barely audible, into his shoulder.

I was trying to disappear.

He didn't know what to do.

On some level, he'd known that she was carrying something around with her. He knew pain when he saw it, and he'd been around long enough to recognize when a person was trying to put her life back together. I've certainly been there, he thought. And whether you were 25 or 55 starting over was, to put it mildly, difficult.

And the Industrial District seemed to be the place to do it. People moved in and out of the building (and Ach-To Avenue in general) all the time. While nobody had lived in Rey's apartment since he'd moved in, Luke had had a few 'hallway neighbors' over the years. Sometimes they waved and said hello, or stopped to talk on their way to the elevator. He'd once wound up on the same running schedule as a couple with a new set of twins and a puppy – had even watched Finnick the corgie when they got overwhelmed with diapers and late-night feedings.

Luke smiled fondly at the memory. The few times he'd met his father, the man just couldn't stop talking about what a handful he and Leia had been when they were small.

But the Durrans were neighbors, not friends. They'd moved out after a year or so, when Jaina finished her teaching degree and Kyp got promoted. He hadn't heard from them since.

And then she stepped into his life. Or, well, fell into it. He hadn't expected to find a friend – to find Rey - when he'd stepped out into the hallway to get his soaked running shoes, planning to stick them on the radiator and hope for the best, and heard the new occupant of apartment 709 trip, fall, and curse.

Her crisp (if soaked) blouse, expensive trousers, understated jewelry, and pantyhose were spectacularly out of place in the barely livable apartment. Standing in the gold slant of light, her dark, shining hair pulled back harshly from the fine bones of her face, Rey had seemed to have been cut out from another picture, from a magazine, and pasted (poorly) onto that scene of rust and rot. His breath had caught, and he'd looked away, planning to retreat as soon as was polite.

But then she'd smiled. She gotten up on her own, brushed herself off, and walked over, grimacing as her feet squelched on the floor. Her eyes were huge, and almost too bright, despite the lines of fatigue and the deep shadows underneath them. She smiled with her whole self.

Luke found himself hoping that he would see it again.

He got his wish that Sunday. Deep in his work – the sequel to Dark Cove had skittered off into a very unexpected direction – he'd only registered Rey, Finn, and Poe's efforts at making apartment 709 habitable after the familiar whirr of a power-washer started up across the hall. They left the door open for most of the day, and damn could Finn and Poe talk! Ignoring them was practically impossible – their banter carried well into his apartment, even into his office, as did her very loud insistence that she pay the two men in pizza and beer.

All was quiet, though, when he came back from his evening run. The light was off under her doorway. Luke supposed that she'd spent the night elsewhere – it was unlikely that she'd finished furnishing (and cleaning) the apartment in one day.

He'd gotten up early, taken a look out his window, and decided that biking was wiser than running.

Luke's instincts had been right. The sky opened up before he got to the Cove. He headed back, pedaling fast as the broken asphalt filled up with dark water and the sidewalk began to disappear. Aside from a few cars in varying stages of disrepair and the rain snapping on his jacket, Luke was alone on the road - the wind and rain had driven everyone indoors, or under plastic bags and bridges.

Which was why a pang of alarm shot through him when he rounded a corner and saw a slight figure in a bright yellow jacket weaving it's way shakily between the deepening cracks in the pavement. Luke squinted – she was barefoot.

A host of explanations welled up in his head, each more alarming than the last. He pulled over, one hand reaching for his cell phone, and steeled himself for the worst.

…Rey?

She was pretty much the last person he'd expected.

Rey's face was wan and pale. The dark circles under her eyes were far more prominent than the last time he'd seen her. Her legs were spattered with mud and she was shivering from head to toe. She looked as if a light breeze would knock her over.

I just got caught in the rain.

Somehow Luke bit his tongue - none of my business none of my business - and suppressed the urge to wrap his jacket around her shoulders. But the storm was getting worse.

She can't stay here.

And so he gave her a ride. At first she'd gripped the frame with white knuckles, barely finding her balance as she lifted her feet shakily off the ground, and then flailed out, snaring his jacket and hanging on for dear life when he kicked off the curb. He tried his best to ground her, to keep the ride steady as her breathing slowly calmed, her grip on his jacket loosened, and she shifted closer to his chest. At some point her arm wrapped around his waist and she began to move with him, her touch sensitive and light. Soon the wind was at his back and her cheeks were tinged pink – he could almost feel her growing warmer.

Glancing down (when he dared), he caught the edge of a smile as she relaxed, and the cold bled out of her limbs. She was all but in his arms.

Can we go faster?

He hoped she didn't feel his heart speed up. Or else blamed it on the bike.

They got to talking after he locked his bike up – apparently her lack of shoes wasn't an accident – her usual pair had 'been lost in the move.'

Luke's jaw clenched. She'd said the same thing about her books, last night in his room.

He sat carefully on the edge of the bed – he'd all but run after Rey that morning, so it was in a rather spectacular state of disarray. The sheets were in knots, the comforter was hanging off the foot of the mattress, and the pillows were piled together on the other side of the bed, save for his extra-large pillow, which was looking considerably flatter than it usually did…

Luke froze. Actually, everything on his side was considerably more mussed than the other side. Which looked barely slept in.

He thought back to the early morning. The first thing he remembered was Kylo knocking on the door, and then a small, sharp elbow hitting his breastbone, jarring him out of a very pleasant drea –

Oh no.

Luke turned red as he realized that his hazy memory of a warm, slender body nestled against his chest, and the pair of long, smooth legs tangled up with his had not, in fact, been a dream. Her head had been tucked right underneath his chin, her soft hair smelling faintly of lavender and musk. Thinking back, he remembered quiet, even breath, and a small hand curling gently in the sheets.

Luke's chest grew tight as he pulled the pillow into his lap. It still smelled of her.

########

Rey splashed water on her face and reached for the soap, trying to organize her thoughts. She stood in front of the mirror in jeans and a bra, glaring at her reflection, Luke's shirt folded neatly on the counter.

This is bullshit.

Somewhere in between brushing her teeth and combing her hair, her neck injury had wished her a loud GOOD MORNING, and Rey's shock had slid right into rage. The half of her that didn't want to rip Kylo's head off just wanted to take a Vicodin and get back in bed.

She could only imagine what Luke was feeling. They had both been on the end of their ropes – it was practically doctors' orders to have a late, lazy morning. Rey was certainly willing. Waking up to golden dawn light, a soft bed and softer sheets, curling up in a warm ball –

- Curled on her side, Luke's warm, solid chest at her back, their fingers twining as he gathered her close -

We could still be there, if Kylo hadn't shown up.

Rey shook herself. Get a grip, Rey. She applied her face lotion and concealer – the shadows under her eyes had been especially nasty this week, thanks to the long hours in the office – and hesitated over her makeup kit. Why the hell did I even bring this?

Well, she was meeting Luke's sister. She didn't want to look like she'd just crawled out of bed.

She'll probably be here soon, Rey thought. I should hurry…

Her fingers tangled in the soft cotton of Luke's t-shirt.

There wasn't enough time to say – to explain, and to ask him what –

Rey shook herself and reached for the mascara.

########

Luke was glaring at the contents of his dresser when there was a soft knock on his door.

"Luke? Is it ok if I make coffee?" Rey asked, her voice muffled through the wood.

"Hold on – " He snatched up an undershirt and pulled it on hurriedly. And immediately regretted it as pain stabbed through his side, dropping him to one knee.

"Luke? Luke, are you all right?"

He grimaced and concentrated on hauling himself upright, trying to use his good side, with moderate success. Then his door creaked open.

"Luke – "

Rey rushed to his side and wrapped her arm partly around his waist, her palm splayed flat, supporting his weak side, and draped his arm over her shoulders. She swayed slightly and leaned on the dresser for added leverage, gripping his fingers so hard it hurt. He couldn't quite stop the sigh of pained relief as she took some of the weight off of his bad side.

"Ok, ready?" said Rey, her voice shaking.

He gasped out something that passed for a 'yes', and they slowly stood and stumbled across the (thankfully short) distance to his bed. Rey helped lower him backwards, her face tight with worry. Luke ended up sprawled flat on his back on the end of the mattress, his eyes shut tight, breathing hard.

Where is she? he thought as she slid out from under his arm. He could feel her knees pressing against his side - she must be kneeling - but –

Luke opened his eyes. She was leaning over him, her face inches from his, her chest heaving, dark hair spilling around her face and ghosting over his skin. His breath caught as her eyes went wide and dark, his world shrinking to the depth of her gaze and the light touch of her thigh against his side.

"Where does it hurt?" Rey asked quietly. He swallowed, his heart pounding.

"Just my side," he said. "I moved too fast. My fault." Rey shook her head and slowly withdrew, settling back onto her heels. Luke's fingers caught in the sheets as he pushed down the urge to draw her back.

"Don't move," she said. "I'll be right back."

Luke had propped himself up against the headboard by the time she returned with an ice pack. He patted his side gingerly, wincing at the touch.

"This happened to me a few times in college," said Rey conversationally. She climbed up next to him and moved his hand away from his side. "I was a total mess for a while."

"What happened?" asked Luke, distracted from the pain by the feeling of her hand on his wrist, her skin still a bit chilly from the ice.

"The first one was a car accident," said Rey, grimacing. She leaned closer and pressed the ice against his side. "Hmm…How's that?"

"Good," said Luke distractedly. She still hadn't moved her hand. Rey pursed her lips, frowning a bit.

"Did they give you a brace?"

"Just an ace bandage – It's not broken, Rey."

"And I know it still hurts like hell," she said dryly. She shook head, laughing a little at herself. "Finn all but attached himself to my ass when I did mine," she said.

"You don't – "

"I know," said Rey. She looked at him sternly. "But I was glad he was there."

Luke swallowed, suddenly grateful for the low light.

"I don't want to hover, but I would like to stick around. Just for a little bit." Incredibly, she looked away.

"I'd be very grateful," said Luke slowly.

As if he could refuse her anything.

"And – I wish there was more time, but I think I owe you an explanation. For Kylo."

"He is not welcome here."

The ice in his voice surprised him. Yes, it had been one hell of a fight at Leia's anniversary, but up until the events of the morning Luke had always believed that the next time he spoke to his nephew both of them would at least be civil. And possibly apologetic.

Luke clenched his jaw hard, anger flaring as he remembered the scene in the living room – He could still feel the solid pull of the stun rod in his hand.

I can't see you with him, he thought. It should be horrible, nauseating, even, to think of it. Maybe he just couldn't. And then that look on his face…

"You know I didn't know you were related, right?" Rey asked, after a tense silence. "He didn't like talking about his family. I wasn't even sure if his parents were alive."

"I had no idea he was even dating anyone, much less, well, you."

"I stopped asking, after awhile," she said quietly. "There were no pictures, no…just nothing left over from his childhood, you know? I mean, I know he's 33, but I still have a few – a few books – "

Her voice trailed off.

"Rey?"

" – Anyway, he never mentioned you. Or his parents. So I didn't know. And we were living together. You'd think it'd come up. I just…" She shook her head. "I didn't know."

"Today was the first time we've spoken in almost five years," said Luke. "I think that Leia can probably tell it better than I can, but there were…" He cast around for the right words. "…Problems. I knew that he works at FO, but other than that…" He shook his head.

"I never would have guessed," said Rey, her voice barely audible. Luke looked at her, frowning.

"Guessed?"

"That you were related. You're – " Rey tensed, the tips of her fingers digging into his skin. "You're just – I'm sorry, Luke."

"Why?" he asked, shaking his head. "Nobody made him come here, Rey. And he knew damn well that it wasn't going to – that it would be pretty rough. It would've gotten ugly even if you weren't here. And I'm glad that you were. Not for that, I mean – " Crap. Crap. Crap. It was Luke's turn to look away. "I mean – "

I mean I like waking up next to you.

Luke tensed as a small, soft hand cupped his cheek, and the mattress creaked softly as Rey edged closer to the headboard. He swallowed audibly, his pulse racing as he turned to face her.

She was so close.

"Rey – "

"I know."

She closed the distance and kissed him.

########

Ice flooded Rey's veins at Luke's surprised gasp. She pulled back immediately, her chest seizing painfully.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry, I – "

She couldn't look at him.

"I – I should go, Leia will be here soon – "

Luke took her hand.

"Rey."

He moved the ice pack out of the way, his eyes never leaving her face, and tugged her hand gently.

"Don't go."

She leaned into him, slowly this time, sighing as his fingers threaded in her hair, and pressed her lips gently to his.

########

Rey was warm and soft, nestled light as air against his shoulder, her lips ever-so-slightly chapped. Winter air, Luke thought, his breath hitching as she slipped her tongue inside his mouth. He tasted peppermint, and wondered if he was still dreaming.

Apparently not – in a dream, his side wouldn't ache when she slid onto his lap.

But it was rather easy to ignore.

The knock on the door was less so. They jerked apart, Rey's legs dangling over the edge of the bed, Luke feeling as though he'd run several miles.

"Crap," Rey whispered. "That's probably – "

His phone rang, the screen lighting up with his sister's name. Rey stood gingerly as he picked it up and set it in speaker mode.

"I'm at the door, Luke," said Leia immediately. "Artoo's going nuts – Down boy!"

There was a scuffling sound, and then an excited bark.

"Coming…Just a second. Just finding a shirt."

Rey smiled, her cheeks slightly pink. No need, she mouthed.

"Be right there," he said, quirking an eyebrow at Rey. He hung up and stood as quickly as he could, crossing to the dresser. "All right, let's try this again…"

"I'll…Hang on. I think putting on the undershirt made it flare up again?" Luke nodded, grimacing, some of the embarrassment returning. "I thought so…"

Rey pursed her lips and rummaged through his drawer.

"Aha! I knew I'd seen you in one of these!" She pulled out a well-worn, blue flannel, button-down shirt. "Now you won't have to raise your arms over your head. Finn figured this one out way before I did," she said, by way of explanation. "Here." She held it up, and helped him pull it on, one arm at a time. Her hands lingered on his shoulders, straightening out the seams and folding the collar. "Can you get the buttons?"

"Yes," he said, rolling his shoulders a bit, wincing at the crack.

"Oh, you're a bit stiff back here," she said, prodding at a knot of muscle between his shoulder blades.

"It's been an interesting week," he said wryly.

"I might be able to help with that. When your side heals a little more," said Rey.

Luke swallowed.

"I might take you up on that," he said slowly. "But Leia's probably waiting."

"Oh. Yes. Right," said Rey, stepping back. "Let's go."

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Guest Accommodations Part 2

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Leia was considering calling Luke again when the door creaked open. She let go of Artoo's leash, smirking as the old Labrador almost knocked her brother over, bouncing up and down and licking everything he could reach.

"Down Artoo! Sit!" Artoo cocked his head wryly, as though considering, and then sat, quivering with energy, tail thumping up a storm on the hardwood floor. "Good boy…" Luke knelt down next to the Lab and unhooked the leash, giving him a hug and a thorough ear rub.

"Good morning Luke," said Leia. "I brought breakfast. And coffee. You sounded like you needed it." She set the Niima Café carry-out bag on the ground, and the cardboard tray with three cups of coffee on the side table next to the door. Luke gave Artoo a final pat and stood up carefully. Leia's eyes narrowed as she caught the wince.

"You're a saint, Leia," said Luke. "Look, I'm sorry for calling you that early – "

Leia waved it off.

"You wouldn't have done it if it wasn't an emergency," she said. "And fighting with Ben is definitely an emergency."

"It wasn't exactly a fight," said Luke, frowning. "But it might have gone that way. Oh – Here – "

Artoo bounced around him, and all but jumped on a slender brunette in a t-shirt and jeans, who was standing awkwardly next to the stairs. Her face lit up as the Lab sniffed and whuffed every inch of her that he could reach, his tongue lolling in a ridiculously doggy smile.

"Hey you," she said, extending her hand. "Are you Artoo?"

The Lab huffed and wagged his tail. Encouraged, she bent and scratched his ears, watching him carefully. After a moment of careful consideration, Artoo snorted, shook himself, and started licking her fingers enthusiastically.

Leia felt herself relax.

"Leia, this is Rey – you spoke on the phone earlier. Rey, this is my sister, Leia Organa."

"His twin sister," said Leia. She held out a hand. "It's lovely to meet you." Rey extricated herself from Artoo and wiped her palm on her jeans, smiling sheepishly.

"It's good to meet you, too," she said. "I'd shake hands, but…"

"Life of a dog owner," said Leia, taking Rey's be-slobbered right hand. "Hands are washable."

Rey's smile was a bit nervous, but she had a strong grip. And Artoo liked her.

Luke clearly did, too. He eyed them both anxiously as they moved into the kitchen – Artoo trotting next to Luke, bumping possessively against his legs – and started dishing out the food, clearly itching to ask her something.

Leia watched Rey carefully. It was clearly her first time in Luke's kitchen – it took a bit of trial and error for the younger woman to find the silverware and napkins, and she stared in awe at the enormous coffee maker for almost a minute before she figured out where the water went.

"I swear that thing is going to develop sentience one of these day," said Leia, nodding at the gleaming array of buttons and dials. Rey grinned.

"My office would kill for one of these," she said. "Engineers," she said, at Leia's questioning look. "I think some of my coworkers would inject their coffee directly into their blood if they could."

"Where do you work?" Leia asked.

"Unkar Industrial – Well, unless they change the name," said Rey, looking away. "We got bought out by First Order Incorporated a few months ago." She got the machine running and leaned against the counter, her half-empty Niima Café coffee cup in hand.

"Ben works there," said Leia, frowning. Rey nodded.

"It's been a bit nuts. The timing was…weird. It happened right after I moved in."

"Into the building?" Leia asked, arching her elbow delicately.

"The apartment across the hall," said Rey. "I – " She squared her shoulders. "I'd been living on a friend's couch for a month. After I left Kylo."

Leia felt as though she had been slapped.

"You were dating Kylo?"

"Living with him, actually," said Rey quietly. "Two years. It's why he came here. Looking for me."

"He found out that Rey was living around here," said Luke, his voice carefully controlled. "Just not her exact address. He wanted me to – " He shook his head incredulously. "To help him find her."

Rey laughed hollowly.

"I answered the door," she said. "You should have seen his face, Luke," she said. "You know, in hindsight…"

Leia took a long drink of her coffee. She was very glad that she was sitting down.

"I didn't know," she said, after a long silence. She looked up and met Rey's eyes steadily. "We'd have insisted on meeting you. Han too," she said quietly.

"He wouldn't talk about you. He never mentioned Luke. Or – well – " Rey shifted awkwardly. "I don't really know what to say."

"My son and I…" Leia pressed her fingers to her forehead. "We have not been on the best of terms for some time." She gestured towards the chair next to her. "What happened? Start with why you were answering my brother's door at 7 in the morning."

Luke turned redder than she'd seen him in years.

"Ah – " he started. "Now that is very easy to explain…"

"I've got this," said Rey, looking rather pink. "I moved here about three months ago…"

########

Finn and Poe had wanted her to talk – had tried to get her to talk a few days after she'd moved onto their couch. Supposedly it was good for you – something about digging the words out and looking at the shapes. And she'd tried. Really. She just never seemed to get much out – just a few vague, disconnected memories that sounded ridiculous (petty, almost) as soon as she spoke. But they'd been there from the start of her relationship with Kylo, had noticed how it was changing her.

She still felt sick when she remembered how she'd drifted away from them, how Kylo had eclipsed her world.

He'd been the only thing that she could see.

And now his mother was asking.

How much do I say?

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Luke listened intently as Rey brought Leia up to speed. It was clear that she was editing out quite a bit – every few minutes her words would falter – but Leia was very definitely getting the picture. On the surface, his sister was as still and calm as a pool of water. Her 'lawyer face', he called it – a good disguise for clients.

For everyone, actually, except for him.

########

This is why lawyers don't represent their relatives, Leia thought. Objectivity is pretty much impossible.
It helped that Rey continued to call her son 'Kylo.' She could deal with the corporate shark Kylo Ren treating his girlfriend like trash, and then chasing her down when she wounded his pride. She could understand that man cutting his family out of his life – the mid-tier lawyer mother with the tiny, barely-in-the-black firm, the container-ship-captain father with the checkered past, and the eccentric uncle who all but lived in his books – all of them wrung out by a world that he wanted no part of.

Not Ben.

Guilt and worry spiked into near panic when Rey described the near-disaster on the cliff.

"I'm all right. Mostly," said Luke after Rey gave him a look. "Just have to rest for a bit."

"Which, clearly, has not happened," said Leia sharply. "…Through no fault of your own," she said grudgingly.

She made Rey repeat what happened when Kylo showed up three times, and then had Luke do the same. It was immediately clear to her that they would need to tread lightly. Kylo had no grounds to prosecute Luke, as he'd entered his Uncle's home with the intent of escalating a domestic conflict and no one had been hurt. It also meant that Rey could not file charges against Kylo. While he'd expressed the desire to find her, at this level it could not legally be considered stalking.

"You'll both need to document the hell out of this," Leia told them. "You were right to call me. And don't worry. I know, I know…" she said, sighing at their incredulous stares. "I know you will anyway. Just stay vigilant. But not the obsessive kind of vigilant. All right?"

They both nodded, looking tired but determined.

"Ok, now that that's out in the open…Luke, are you up for a walk? I think Artoo needs to find a tree. And he's been dying to see you."

A well-timed scratch at the door punctuated her statement. Luke's eyes narrowed. He looked questioningly at Rey, who smiled a little, and nodded.

"I can manage," said Luke. "C'mere Artoo…"

########

"Would you like some more coffee?" Rey asked, after an awkward silence.

"I feel like that should be my line," said Leia, her voice rough. "Maybe in another life…"

"I'm sor – " Rey looked down. "I keep apologizing. I'm trying to stop."

She wondered what that 'other life' might have been like.

"He wasn't always like this," said Leia. "He was a very sweet boy. Very sensitive, very – " She shook her head. "He always had a bit of a temper. But then, so do I."

"Luke mentioned that there was a falling out," said Rey carefully. "You don't have to say."

"After what happened this morning?" Leia snorted. "No, you should hear this. It was five years ago at me and Han's anniversary party – Bigger than it needed to be, in my opinion, a lot of coworkers, and friends of friends…This isn't a large family. I think that Kylo thought that it needed 'padding'." Leia rolled her eyes. "He got into it with Luke…They never quite saw eye to eye."

"I'm not exactly surprised," said Rey. Leia grinned.

"Oh, they have a few things in common," she said. "Ben – Kylo – picked a college based on it's fine arts program – Creative writing. Really." Leia smiled at Rey's expression. "But he switched majors about halfway through his junior year. Gave it up, just like that. God damn I was worried…"

"I never knew that," said Rey. This was just flat-out confusing. "He barely reads." Leia nodded.

"He never said why, just switched to business and economics without a backward glance. He aced the curriculum, got hired by FO Inc. monthsbefore he graduated, and he's been climbing the corporate ladder ever since."

"He seemed happy," said Rey. "Happy with his job, I guess." It was true – Kylo had always been at his most charming at company functions, and when discussing his work. She'd begun to see the results of his skills the rare times their paths crossed at work, and on the edges of conversations with her co-workers. "They really like him there."

"So I gathered," said Leia. "It was the same story five years ago. He was doing extremely well, so what could I say? A bright, ambitious, successful son. Everything a mother could ask for. He even got Alastair Snoke to come to the party." Leia shook her head, still incredulous after five years.

Rey flinched. She remembered Snoke, all right.

"But what happened?"

"Luke had just published his third book," Leia continued. "The first two had done all right, but he was barely getting by – that's why he moved out here in the first place. But the third…" Leia's face lit up. "Hot damn. Things started going extremely well for him." Her enthusiasm was infectious.

"The Dark Cove?" Rey asked. Leia nodded.

"Massive success. And Ben was jealous, as you probably guessed. Didn't stop him from trying to use Luke, though."

"What do you mean?"

Leia's lips tightened into a thin line.

"He introduced Luke to Snoke at the party. It did not go well," she said grimly. "Oh, no, not like that, it was all perfectly civil. Snoke tried to hire Luke. Luke said no. And you'd think that would be the end of it." Rey's lip curled.

"I can see where this was going."

"Ben confronted Luke after Snoke left. I was tidying up on the other side of the room, and I still heard it…" Her shoulders slumped. "Han thought he was going to have to get between them."

"Shit," said Rey.

"Exactly," said Leia. "I've spoken with him a few times since then, but, well…" She sighed. "None of this is your fault, Rey," she said. "And I don't just mean that fight."

"I know," said Rey quietly, swirling the dregs of her mug.

They sat in surprisingly comfortable silence. Finally Leia grimaced at her cup.

"You know what? I would love some more coffee. And I think it's past – Oh, God, it's almost 1."

"Lunch?" Rey asked, getting to her feet.

"I vote we order out," said Leia wryly. "If there's anything in the fridge besides eggs I will eat this table. Now," she said, cracking open the fridge to see for herself. "Tell me about work. Did you study engineering in school?"

"Yeah," said Rey. "Mechanical, with a minor in electrical. I worked at an auto repair shop to pay the bills…"

########

Leia was on the phone with The Jade Tree, a nearby Chinese restaurant, when Luke got back. She waved him into the kitchen, where Rey was sketching out a flow chart in one of Leia's notebooks.

"Timeline," she said. "Figured I'd do it now while it's still fresh in my head." She set the pen down. "How are you doing?"

"All right," said Luke, pulling up a chair next to her. "How did…" He jerked his head at Leia, still on the phone and pouring over a take-out menu tacked to the cluttered corkboard on the kitchen wall.

"She told me about your fight with Kylo," said Rey. She took a deep breath. "I've met Snoke. He's an asshole. I'd even say that he's probably a horrible person. And the First Order is just…I think you did the right thing."

"I'd do it again in a minute," he said. "Rey – Thank you."

"I – "

"They'll be here in twenty minutes," said Leia, hanging up the phone. "Now," she said, sitting across from Luke and Rey. "We have some catching up to do."

########

They talked into the evening, moving back and forth between the living room, the kitchen, and eventually Luke's office where the television was, artfully hidden inside a cabinet sandwiched between two crammed bookshelves. Leia grilled Rey extensively about her college years and some of the high points of her life after (the Kylo-less parts). Luke threw a pillow at Leia when she kept coming back to the subject of 'contemporary dorm life'.

"She's living vicariously through you. Ignore her," he said, blocking Leia's countering throw.

Luke also asked to meet BB as soon as possible.

"If Finn and Poe are ok with it," he said, scratching behind Artoo's ears. The Lab had claimed the spot next to Luke on the ancient futon in the office after the second round of Chinese food arrived. He laid his head in Luke's lap and promptly dropped off to sleep - his only contribution to the discussion was rumbling doggy dreams. Rey squished in between Artoo and Leia, laughing at the lapful of dog hair that she was going to have.

"I'll ask them, but I think they'd love that," Rey said. She'd texted them after lunch, confirming that, yes, she was alive, and that she couldn't talk now, but that Things had happened, and she needed to talk to them both on Monday.

"Sometimes they bring BB on runs – she loves it."

"Artoo was quite a trooper in his time," Luke said fondly. The old dog's ears perked up.

"I can tell," said Rey. She snuggled closer.

Eventually Leia ushered Artoo off of her brother's lap.

"Early day tomorrow," she said, yawning. "Last week our caseload doubled – it must be a full moon. Come on, you."

She turned to Rey as Luke hunted around the apartment for Artoo's leash.

"It was good meeting you, Rey, even in circumstances like this," said Leia, leaning a bit closer, her eyes flicking back to Luke. "Good luck," she whispered.

"Um…Thank you?" said Rey, certain her blush could be seen from space.

"Found it!" said Luke. "Sorry boy, time to go…"

"Call me this week, all right?" said Leia.

"Of course," said Luke.

"Show me out?" Leia asked. "I keep messing up that death trap of an elevator…"

"Sure," said Luke. "I'll be right back, Rey," he said, catching her eye.

Rey hurried upstairs as soon as the door shut. She gathered up the clothes she'd left in the bathroom and headed to her apartment. She dropped off her things and, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed a towel, a change of clothes, and some underwear.

She made it back across the hall before Luke got back and started clearing off the kitchen table, using the time to quiet her thoughts. Or she tried to, at any rate. Luke knocked on the door just as she finished loading the dishwasher.

"Hey," she said, unlatching the door. "Welcome back!"

"I survived," Luke said. "Oh – you didn't have to do that," he said, surveying the much neater kitchen.

"You and Leia got dinner, so it's fair if I tidy up a bit," said Rey. "No problem." She tossed the last empty paper plate into the trash. "I'm really glad I met Leia," she said. "Even if it was for, well, that."

"It's been a very – A lot happened today," he said quietly. He stood very still, hands on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, watching her intently. Warmth blossomed in Rey's core, chasing the fatigue away.

"Yes, it did," she said, leaning against the counter.

This time he came to her, crossing the floor slowly, every movement deliberate, and paused a breath away. She reached out, placed his hands on her waist, and stepped into his warmth.

It was different standing up. Luke wasn't much taller than she was, so she didn't have to crane her neck to run her lips along his, quick and teasing, when he pulled her in close. She felt his smile against her cheek, along with the pleasant roughness of his beard. And like this she didn't have to worry (much) about his injury.

She tugged on his shirt, urging him closer. Luke's arm snaked up her back, tracing light, shivering lines along her ribs. Rey gasped, rallied, captured his mouth with hers, and found herself hanging onto his shirt for leverage as his other arm snaked around her side and lifted her onto the counter. Rey wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and Luke stepped closer, bracketed by her thighs. The kiss grew rough and wet. Rey trembled as her fingers twisted in blue flannel, and fought down the urge to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Rey…" Luke whispered against her mouth.

Rey swallowed, her fingers tightening. She shut her eyes, tried to think. A shiver that had nothing to do with desire twisted in her gut. Luke felt her shudder, and relaxed his hold.

They hung in limbo for a long moment, and then eased apart, leaning against the counter, slowly catching their breath. Finally, Rey spoke.

"Luke, I – "

"It's all right," he said.

"Are you going to say that that was a mistake?" Rey whispered. Luke's fingers twined in hers.

"Never."

"…Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"It might be awhile before I can get a bed."

"Yes," said Luke, almost before she finished the sentence.

"…What?"

"Yes," he said. She could practically feel his smile. "You can stay."

########

Notes:

1. Han in this universe worked his way up the 'hawse pipe' from 'able seaman' to captain on various merchant ships, so he wasn't home a lot when Ben/Kylo was a kid - sometimes he'd ship out for months on end :(

2. The 'Alastair' in 'Alastair Snoke' is of course 100% homage to Alastair from SPN.

3. That wasn't a 'discretion shot'...No nookie for our intrepid heroes. YET.