Chapter 10: Talk Me Home

Kylo tried not to focus on Rey's conflicted expression as he guided her into his mother's apartment. While Leia seemed all too pleased to be meeting Rey officially as his girlfriend, despite the circumstances, he could feel the waves of distrust and confusion rolling off his kitten.

He'd be lucky if she ever let him call her that again after all this.

Telling her the truth of his past was something Kylo had always planned on doing, ever since the first night they shared with one another in his office. The second she had mentioned his first job, he knew he'd have to tell her eventually.

Leia led them into the living room area, which as comforting and light as Kylo's penthouse was dark. Where Kylo had black leather, charcoal gray rugs and dark wood, Leia preferred a soft white love seat, wooden floors and bamboo furniture. It suited her, just as Kylo's furnishings suited him, but he couldn't escape the glaring evidence of just how different they were.

"So," Leia began, as they took their seats opposite her on a twin loveseat, "tell me everything, every detail. Don't leave anything out."

Kylo intended on leading the conversation, but Rey began telling Leia about her arrival to the office and how her manager had been acting suspiciously interested in her weekend. Aside of her, he clenched his fists, enraged Hux would repeatedly corner Rey, sniffing around for answers.

"I'm sorry, Rey," his mother held up a hand, as she continued with her retelling. "I'm going to have to stop you." Leia gave a pointed look at her son. "When I say everything, I mean everything."

The meaning behind her command became clear.

"No," Kylo snapped. "You don't need to know everything."

"I do, if I'm going to help," Leia answered back, managing to keep her frustration from leaking into her voice the way his had. You're lucky I happen to be both a board member and your mother."

Kylo tried not to notice the way Rey shifted at the last word his mother spoke. They needed to have a conversation — in private — about his birth name, but now was not the time. First, he needed to level-set with Leia.

"I'm not sharing the intimate details of our relationship with my mother," he insisted, practically growling at her.

"Ben Solo, If you think I'm going to sit here and-."

"That's exactly what I think," he snarled. "I came to you for help. You said you would. I didn't think you were going to manipulate my situation, but I guess I should have known better. After all, you are always looking out for number one, right mom?"

Leia set him a cross glare, but didn't respond.

He flinched out of shock, when he felt Rey's hand slip into his. "Kylo." That was all it took. One single word. Just his name from her lips and he stilled. She was looking at him the way she had before the elevator incident with Hux. There was pure adoration in her eyes and he hoped it was real. He hoped they could survive this — survive his choice to not share his history with her too soon.

"Alright," he nodded, give her hand a squeeze. He turned back to his mother. "What exactly do you need to know?"

Leia observed the interaction with unmasked curiosity. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "I don't need to know the details around your intimate moments," she clarified, "but I do need to understand more about how you two came together and just exactly how deep you both are in this."

"Deep," Rey answered without hesitation, then as if only just remembering he was next to her, she turned to see his reaction. Kylo was beaming over at her. "Or at least I am," Rey added, gnawing on her lower lip.

"You're not alone," he answered, not looking away. He squeezed her hand.

"Neither are you," she responded, squeezing his hand back.

"Perfect," Leia replied. "Now that that's settled, shall we order in? This might take a while."

If someone had told Rey she'd be eating Thai with Leia Organa-Solo that evening, she would have laughed. Rey had looked up to the female entrepreneur ever since she had read an article about the woman purchasing his father's company in the late seventies. Leia had been an inspiration to Rey as she studied at university and worked her way through article prompt after article prompt for the First Order.

Now, she was sitting at the woman's island in the kitchen, enjoying krathong tong and pad kra prao while having unlimited access to the woman's brain. She could ask her anything she wanted — anything — but all Rey could think to ask was what had happened to Ben Solo?

It was obvious the second she had heard Leia call Kylo 'Ben' why he had chosen to bring them here. What wasn't obvious was what had happened to Kylo to make him change his name and sever his familial ties. And why hadn't he told her? Was he ashamed of her? Was he scared of her reaction? Rey wanted answers.

"Have you ever tried lad na?" Leia asked Rey, opening another container which appeared to contain some sort of broth or soup.

"No," Rey shook her head, as she peered into the container. Leia merely smiled and began spooning the contents into a clean bowl for her.

"It was always Ben's favorite," Leia informed her. "Comfort food," she smiled.

"Thank you, Ms. Organa," Rey said, as she took the bowl offered to her.

"Oh dear, please call me Leia," she insisted kindly. "My mother was Ms. Organa."

"A-Alright," Rey nodded, though she was still star-struck from meeting her idol and reeling from the fact her boyfriend had hidden an entire life from her.

Kylo had been hovering around her since they arrived, not initiating contact with her but clearly savoring it when she gave it to him. Rey could tell he was upset but she didn't want to discuss his choice to hide this part of his life from her in front of his mother. It was a conversation for private.

"How did you get started writing, Rey?"

Oh...right.

Rey knew she should have expected this question to come up. Still, she was unprepared for the storm of emotions which came with it. Normally, she could push down her personal past and give the college admissions answer everyone wanted to hear. Whether it was due to finding out Kylo had a family who he had intentionally left or because she was hurt he'd kept the truth from her, she felt her old wounds reopening.

"Uh, well my biological parents abandoned me outside of Surry when I was about six," she began, ignoring the way Kylo sucked in a breath or how Leia stilled. "And it took me years to stop wondering why or what happened to them. My dad is a cop, so investigating the details came sort of naturally to me. Then that turned into investigative journalism and then it developed into a love of writing in general. And here I am."

No one moved for what felt like an entire minute.

"Rey," Kylo spoke first, placing an arm around her. It wasn't until he touched her that she realized she was shaking slightly. "Baby, come here." He wrapped her in his arms, keeping her tucked into his chest, while his hands worked up and down her back in slow, calming strokes.

He had never called her 'baby' before and she found she kind of liked it. The endearment sounded softer and more innocent than 'kitten', which had a permanent naughty connotation in her mind now.

After a few moments, she pushed back on him, telling him she was ok and wiping at her eyes, which were a bit damp.

Kylo kept an arm around Rey, as they resumed eating their dinner. She had never been so grateful to have him around.

"I think you could be an exceptional journalist, Rey," Leia told her, not lingering on her emotional response the the former question. "Which gives me an idea."

"Do tell," Kylo implored her.

"An old friend of mine runs a small newspaper on the west coast. It's not as big as the Times or the Wall Street Journal, but it is an award-winning publication with a knack for turning out reliable news. I think it could set you up for a proper career in the journalism world," Leia concluded.

Rey immediately felt the pain of her past vanish at Leia's offer. It was as if the woman was handing her a pair of ruby slippers and sending her down the yellow brick road.

The paper Leia mentioned was exactly the type of place Rey wanted to be. It was what she had always envisioned when she thought of pursuing writing as a career. No more fluff pieces or dumb columns, just real news for real people.

Elated, she turned to Kylo and her smile fell from her face. He was glowering at his mother.

"No," he replied stiffly.

"Kylo," Rey placed her hand on his thigh.

"You don't understand," his voice came out softer when he spoke to her, but the underlying defiance was still there. "She means to separate us."

Rey had heard Leia say the words 'west coast' but it hadn't actually sunk in until Kylo pointed it out. Suddenly her perfect job didn't seem so perfect.

"I'm not trying to separate you," Leia argued, "but seeing as how you've left me with no other options, I have no other alternatives to offer you."

"There has to be something else," Kylo grumbled, dinner forgotten in the wake of Leia's suggestion.

"Of course," Leia nodded resolutely. "You could step down as Editor or Rey could try to find a new job, but I can't have you both working there if Hux's allegations come to light. If he finds any proof that the two of you were involved it could ruin us."

Rey watched as he cursed, running his hands through his hair frustratedly. His body was taut with agitation. He reminded her of a caged beast at the zoo, like one of the jaguars who paced constantly along the walls of its chamber. There was a wildness to his eyes, as he tried to think of a way out of their predicament.

Leia resumed eating, while Rey picked at her food, appetite gone in the wake of the offer.

If Hux had never seen them at the coffee shop, he wouldn't have had any idea. They had been so careful and it wasn't as though Kylo was granting her any favors. Rey still worked as hard as she had prior to spending time with her Editor.

Hux ruined everything. He had treated her unfairly since her first day at the First Order. Despite her constant drive and the timeliness of all her assignments, he and never been pleased with her work. He was probably loving the fact he was about to destroy her career and her love life in one swoop.

The man was despicable.

And to think just this morning Poe had thought her manager was trying to-

Rey leapt off her bar stool. "What if Hux wasn't credible?"

Leia and Kylo both turned towards her.

"What do you mean?" Leia was the first to speak.

"Before the assault in the elevator, he cornered me at my desk and others saw it. My friend Poe was a witness," she informed them. "He actually told Hux to leave me alone because he thought the way he was talking to me was inappropriate."

Kylo looked like Christmas had just come early, but Leia didn't seem quite convinced.

"What are you thinking, Rey?" Leia asked.

"If I go to Connix and complain about how Hux has treated me in the last leading up to the events of today, it would be grounds for dismissal, correct? You can't have a hostile workplace."

"Touché," Leia grinned, then to Kylo she added, "I like her."

"Me too," he replied, still smiling at Rey. "Me too."

After finishing their dinner and coming up with a new plan, Kylo and Rey got ready to leave. Despite Rey's idea having merit, they still had to come up with a back up plan in case it didn't work.

In the end, Rey had agreed to send her resume and some samples of her most recent work to Leia to make the introductions with Lando Calrissian, Kylo's unofficial uncle. Once Leia had given Rey her personal email address, they bid her goodnight.

"I'll see you in the morning," his mother reminded him as he hugged her. "Rey," she addressed his girlfriend. "Come by any time. It was a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Thank you," Rey smiled. "It was nice to meet you as well."

Kylo led her back down to the car, carrying the leftovers Leia had insisted on sending home with him. Apparently she was still in mom-mode even if her son was full-grown and could order his own food.

The ride back to Rey's apartment was a silent one. Despite the fact neither of them were speaking, Kylo could hear the wheels in Rey's mind churning.

He knew the opportunity to work at The Calrissian Chronicle was a step in the right direction for her. It would give her a better opportunity for her writing to develop with topics she actually enjoyed researching. A year or so working for a paper like his Uncle Lando's and Rey would easily be promoted. Kylo recognized her potential and knew what she was capable of. It wouldn't be unheard of for her to be made editor at some point.

If he was being honest, Kylo could admit the opportunity was perfect for her. His uncle was a great employer, offering the best benefit packages and competitive salaries. Plus, California offered much nicer weather than New York. It would certainly suit Rey's personality.

But if Kylo was being selfish, he didn't want her to take it. They were in the early stages of their relationship and he didn't trust himself not to spend every last dollar he made on round trips back and forth between New York and LA in order to see her during the weekends. It was certain to put a dent in his bank account.

The money didn't matter to him. As much as he liked his apartment, his sports car and his tailored wardrobe, none of those tangible items could compare to how fulfilled he felt when he was with Rey. He'd gladly part with it all to be with her, but California was not somewhere he'd be able to live.

Ever.

Plus, the one thing he did love about New York was his job. It was the first thing he had achieved for himself. Of course, no one but Rey would believe that, considering his mother purchased the entire magazine as part of the largest publication merger of the past decade.

Leia never respected Kylo's choice to distance himself from the family's legacy or their endless drama (his words, not hers). When he had joined the Supremacy, Anthony Snoke had owner and operated the publishing company. Kylo worked his way up through the ranks as a writer until Snoke put him in charge of the First Order.

It had been the proudest day of Kylo's life, until at five o'clock on the dot, his mother strolled in and announced she was purchasing the company. The next day he ceased being an individual and was once again under the umbrella of Force Publications.

That day had started good too, only to end in disappointment, just like today. He sighed, as he pulled up to Rey's apartment.

She didn't move to exit the car. Her face was a mixture of emotions ranging from confused and hurt to contemplative and wistful. Kylo reached across the gear shift to take her hand in his.

"Rey." She startled, snapping out of whatever reverie she had been in. "Rey," he started again, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "About tonight..."

"Were you going to tell me?"

"Yes," he answered honestly. "I wasn't trying to hide it from you. Everything was so new and I didn't know how to bring it up. I was afraid I'd scare you off."

"But I told you about my parents and how I was adopted," she insisted, shaking her head.

"You did," he nodded, "but you weren't completely honest either," Kylo reminded her. "You never told me that you were abandoned."

He watched her suck in a breath. Her face contorted in anguish.

"And I understand," Kylo quickly added. "Some memories leave scars."

Rey raised her eyes to his, bushed tears twinkling at the edges. "We're a mess, aren't we?" she asked with a small chuckle. "Drinking in the office, sleeping together before we had a real date...," she shook her head trailing off. "Are we crazy?"

"Maybe a little," Kylo chuckled in return. "But I think we are the right brand of crazy to balance each other out."

"Is that even possible?" she laughed, wiping away her tears.

He shrugged. "Does it matter as long as we are happy?"

"No," Rey leaned over, kissing him.

"Why don't you pack your overnight bag?" he suggested . "I'll wait here for you."

Rey raised her eyebrows, as she sat back in her seat. "Is that a good idea with Hux and everything?"

"You said so yourself," Kylo pointed out, "Hux already came after you in front of Dameron before the elevator incident. It shouldn't be difficult to build a case against him and have him terminated."

"Kylo..." Rey looked worried again.

"Get your bag, kitten," he told her.

Even though there wasn't a single ounce of dominance in his tone, Rey complied.