She's …. she's someone's mother. In the midst of all the terror and turmoil, somehow she hadn't quite let that in. But feeling that warm burst of complete happiness and acceptance has shifted everything inside of her.

Rey. Orphan. Slave. Scavenger. Jedi … Mother.

The beauty of her child's energy makes Rey's breath hitch. The unhindered joy her baby feels at truly connecting with her is life changing. Soul changing.

She's sensed her of course, enough to know they're having a daughter, but not like this. This is so much more blinding and nuanced. Now she's able to perceive the fear much more keenly, how much she wants to be near her papa. But now, now Rey understands that she wants them both.

Glancing to Kylo, she sees a calm smile on his face and she can finally sense how all three of their energies are woven together in this moment and she honestly hadn't known she could feel such peace.

And the belonging, oh, the belonging. After so many years of needing her family, this child is hers. Her family. She can't help it, she starts to cry.

The smile is wiped for Kylo's face as he exclaims, "Rey?"

Her baby also responds with a burst of pure love and it just makes Rey cry harder. She never thought … she never thought anyone would love her like this. But here, in her body, this new life loves her. No reservations, absolute. Always. This, this is the belonging Maz talked of.

"Rey, what did I do? I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he entreats and Rey smiles through her tears.

"You didn't do anything, everything's alright."

He looks slightly relieved, but still quite skeptical.

Mama …

Rey soothes her hands over her belly and smiles down on the fledgling life inside her.

Mama loves you.

Her daughter seems to glow even brighter under her words and Rey blinks a bit realizing it's true. Somehow, in the space of a week she's gone from feeling invaded to loving this child so completely that she can't fathom a galaxy without her in it.

Kylo is still looking at her worriedly and she wipes her eyes. He opens his mouth as if to speak but quickly closes it again.

"What? What is it?" Rey prods.

He shakes his head. "I … it's none of my business."

She laughs slightly. "I think plenty of things that shouldn't be your business certainly are now."

His eyes flash with that vulnerable hope she's starting to notice he tries to hide. "I only … I only wanted to know why you were crying."

Rey look away, explaining this … Kylo may know her more intimately than anyone else in some respects, but in others, they're virtually strangers. And what they know of each other has rarely been spoken. Hesitantly, she offers, "You know, about … about my parents."

Jaw tightening, he nods once. "They never should have done that. I don't understand how they could."

Her fingers tighten over her stomach and she finds a new way to hurt. Nothing, nothing would ever make her abandon her daughter. What was so wrong with her that her mother sold her? Rey would die first. Rey would kill first.

The baby starts to send waves of comfort, in her little baby way, and Rey swiftly pulls herself together. Kylo really needs to teach her how to shield her emotions and thoughts. She won't allow this brilliant little being to shoulder her burdens.

Taking in a deep breath, she continues, "Anyway, until recently … I had no idea what family really was, let alone how it might feel. But … but our baby, she … she, oh gods, she loves me ... I … it overwhelmed me. I …. I have a family. For the first time in my life, I feel loved."

Rey looks up into Kylo's eyes and she finds so much sadness and then something … more, something infinitely tender. He whispers, "You are loved."

He holds her eyes intensely and she knows she doesn't quite understand everything he's saying; he couldn't mean … no, of course not. "I … I think Finn loves me, Leia might ... but it's easy to believe it won't last, that they'll leave me too. This though … I know, I just know that this is … permanent."

"Yes. It is," he says meaningfully.

Suddenly realizing how open she's being with him, how she's been lulled like she had on Ahch-To, Rey stands quickly.

"It's late," she says abruptly.

Looking up on her, Kylo blinks a few times then rises slowly. "Uhm, yes … but I don't mind. Whenever you need me, I'm here." His hands begin to move towards her, but then he's grasping them behind his back.

Now that he's standing, he's towering over her and she looks up into his face. He means it. Something in her bones makes her certain he means it. For all of his atrocities, he has a strange sort of honor and somehow she knows, for the rest of her life, Kylo …. Ben? Whatever his name, this man will always be in her life. Deep in the Force, she knows he'll never leave them. The bond won't allow it.

"I … I should let you sleep," she says awkwardly.

"You … you don't have to go."

Rey shakes her head, feeling the need to retreat. She's been too open, he's been too tender … too understanding. Too much like Ben.

"I'll be useless tomorrow if I don't get some rest."

She's at the door when she stops. Speaking to the durasteel she asks, "Tomorrow. Would you show me how to shield my feelings and thoughts? I don't … I don't want her to worry about me."

When he's silent for a bit too long, she looks back at him over her shoulder. His head is hanging slightly and he seems a bit stooped. His hair shifts slightly when he nods. "Yes, I'll show you," he says in a low, sad voice.

Swiftly turning her head back to the door, she doesn't quite know why she just wants to run. "Good. I'll be back tomorrow after dinner."

In a flash she's out the door.


"Goodnight, Rey," he murmurs into the empty cell.

For a long time he just stands there, silent and still. Too much is running through him to do anything else.

He loves her. Force, he loves her!

Finally, he brings his hands to his face and scrubs violently. He knew he cared, he knew he … desired. But this … this is a disaster. He's handed her the keys to his undoing and she has no idea.

He'd come so close to blurting it out when she'd talked of no one loving her. He'd wanted, fiercely, to take her face between his hands and vow to love her forever.

Because he knows now, he knows this is it for him. The wrongness he'd felt when she'd spoken of never feeling loved before … he'd seen in that moment that he loves her, he's always loved her.

Over the years there had been officers who had attempted to curry favor with Lord Ren. One was even so bold as to hack into his rooms and wait naked on his bed.

That was the first time he'd ever been in the same room as a naked woman. And also the last. He hadn't been like the other students, sneaking looks at holoporn. It just … it just didn't interest him.

But, Rey, beguiling, confounding Rey had brought forth so many new feelings, stirrings in his core, burning need that he couldn't understand.

His chaste existence had always been appropriate and right for his life's path. Hux's women always seemed like a distraction and a poor use of energy. Snoke's … indulgences something he just refused to think about.

Love though ... he'd hoped to avoid that trap. He'd given his boyish love to his parents, look where that had landed him? Then he fell in love with the Jedi teachings and that, well …

And then Snoke. His blind devotion to his master turns his stomach now.

This though, this is the worst of the lot. Condemned to love the incandescent Rey and only ever be allowed to orbit her, her and his daughter.

His twin stars.

Shakily, he sits on his cot, staring blankly at the icy floor. This will destroy him.

His twin stars.


It's entirely too early for this. Leia walks into the command center only to see Finn and Poe arguing with furious, whispered voices. She glides around the room, keeping herself from their sight and listens. The last thing she needs is her second and their best recruiter to be at odds. She's got quite enough on her plate, thank you.

"You asked her to marry you!" Finn spits, his voice rising loudly enough that a few other Resistance members look over their shoulders.

"Not really! I just offered to help her with the baby … ya know maybe in time …"

"You," Finn points at his chest, "are an idiot."

"What?! You know how I feel about her!"

Finn raises an eyebrow. "I know how you feel about anyone pretty."

"This isn't like that," Poe says, his face darkening.

"Really," Finn responds, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, really! Rey is … she's special."

"Well that's the only smart thing you've said."

Poe swipes his chin with his hand. "Look, I just … I've never known anyone like her, and once I realized you liked Rose, that I wasn't going to be getting in the way …"

Finn looks around quickly to make sure no one is listening. "Yeah, well … you're still and idiot."

"Why?" Poe challenges.

"Because the father is Kylo Ren! Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"I guess you do, because that's half of why I offered! The father is Kylo Ren! Who wants a monster like that to be a father to her kid?"

Finn takes in a deep breath and is obviously steeling himself. "Rey does."

"What?!" Poe exclaims so loudly that the whole room turns to watch the obvious drama that's coming.

Leia chooses this as her moment and walks swiftly up to the two men. "Gentleman, perhaps this discussion should be had elsewhere?" Her brow is raised and she hopes that's sufficient.

Finn immediately looks sheepish but Poe is glaring at Finn, working his jaw. But he finally says, "Yeah, yeah." He starts to walk to his station but turns around and says to Finn, "This conversation isn't over!"

Sighing heavily, Finn mutters to himself, "He's gonna get himself killed."

Leia considers bringing Finn into her counsel, but decides it might not yet be time. She'll let Dameron cool off, then she'll send him to fetch her son.


Kylo has been pacing his cell for well over an hour now. He'd woken remembering his realization of last night and had quickly tamped it down. Love … he's not sure even he can keep that under his shields at all times.

Instead of mooning over Rey, he's been focused on the general's words from yesterday. That he was going to earn his keep. What had she meant?

He'd given her a sizable bit of intelligence, but of course there's far more in his head. He groans at the thought of hours of reciting codes and base locations. He'll do it, of course he will. But, Maker, he hopes it's something else.

Just when he'd started to consider a little jail break, his cell door slides open and an extremely pissed off Commander Dameron is on the other side.

Oh goody, this will be fun.

"Pilot," Kylo spits with bad grace.

"Snake," Dameron responds.

"You'll have to come up with something better, that's rather old by now."

"Whatever, Ren. You're coming with me."

"Oh I am, am I?" Kylo knows he really should play nice, but … but this man has designs on his family, he just knows it.

"Yeah, you are. Mommy said so."

That shuts him up. This is the price to stay. To stay with Rey and their daughter.

Fuming silently, Kylo finally gestures. "Lead the way, Dameron."

The arrogant, insolent, brash pilot leads them through many corridors carved from the ice and he wonders if the general selected this base because of Hoth.

Dameron stops abruptly and points through a door. It seems to be a small conference room with two data stations. Kylo has to duck to enter. It's petty, but it amuses him that Dameron doesn't.

Once the door slides shut, Kylo leans against the wall, arms crossed. "Well? Is this where you threaten me? Perhaps try to pull that blaster before I can snap your neck?"

"Oh, don't think I don't want to. And don't think I couldn't kill you. But my commanding officer has assigned me this duty and I always put the Resistance first."

They stare at each other for a long time and finally Kylo is just too bored. He rolls his eyes and says, "And what is that duty?"

Dameron glares at him for a moment. "We gotta find a new base. General Organa thought your particular knowledge would help us find one more secure than this one."

Kylo can't help the shocked expression on his face. She'd trusted him like this? With the safety of everyone? Then he sees. No, not everyone. Rey. She's entrusted him with Rey.

It's good she'd asked him to do this. The First Order had found Shenden within days, it was only his orders that kept Hux in line. "Then, by all means, let's begin."

There's another contest of wills over who will sit first.


"No, no, no!" Kylo shouts.

"Atalyn is perfect! Outer Rim, friendly to the cause, not too populous."

"Were you not listening? The First Order plans to target the Rim next." Gods, this man is thick.

"The Rim is huge! We'd blend right in!"

"Yes, because there's no way the First Order would prioritize a planet rich in dilantyn," Kylo mocks.

"Oh. I … I hadn't remembered that."


"No way. Not Tatooine."

Poe blinks. "But why not? There's an old abandoned Hutt palace. Some Jabba guy got himself in with the wrong people and now no one will go near the place, afraid they'll come back."

"Just, no."

"Ren, you're being unreasonable. Which I'll admit isn't exactly unusual for you. Tell me one good reason Tatooine is a bad idea. The palace is huge, the locals leave it alone, there's an oasis for water …"

Kylo knows the real reason. He won't make his mo- Leia Organa go back to that place. He knows it was … Han Solo who'd made sure the whole place was emptied after what had happened to her there. She still doesn't know what he did and he plans to keep it that way.

Finally Kylo grumbles, "I don't like sand."

"You don't like sand," Dameron remarks slowly.

"It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere."

"Uh huh." Dameron shakes his head. "Yeah, no dice."

Kylo sighs, disliking to use Rey in this way. "Rey would hate it."

Poe looks down. "Yeah, okay. Next planet?"


"Corellia."

Kylo blinks, about to refuse just on principle. Dameron has to know what he's doing, his family's history with that particular planet.

"Look, the First Order never went there, they don't maintain a presence like the Empire did. The planet is dangerous, to be sure, the industry never recovered. But if you wanna blend, that's the place to do it. I'm sure with Leia's contacts with … uh … yeah …" Dameron trails off.

Maker, he does not want to go to Corellia. But this idiot space-jockey is right. There are scores of abandoned factories that would be absolutely perfect. Probe droids would never be able to discern them. Vast criminal contacts for re-arming. Many people in poverty, ripe for recruitment. And he'd personally done everything he could to make it look very unattractive to the First Order.

Godsdammit.

"Fine." Kylo spits.


The door to his cell creaks and Rey enters gingerly. His heart almost stops at the sight of her and he suddenly realizes that this is the worst possible time to try and teach her to shield her mind. He's going to have to show her how he shields his and there's something rather essential he'd prefer she not know.

I love you.

Then he notices how quiet it is. The baby, she's not reaching out. Is something wrong? His eyes fly to Rey's in a panic, but Rey smiles.

"She's sleeping. I don't think she's meant to be quite so … active yet."

"Ah, I see." He feels a flash of disappointment, he so enjoys spending time with her. But … to be alone with Rey is … appealing."

"So, I thought we should go to my training room, if that's okay?" she asks brightly. She seems eager and happy and it warms his chest.

"Is it alright with the general?" Not that they could stop him.

"Yes, I cleared it with your mother."

His lips form a thin line and he says before thinking, "Don't call her that."

Rey rolls her eyes. "Whatever. She's your mom. Get over it. Now come on."

Kylo blinks. He's not been dismissed like that in a very long time.

He follows her in a slight daze.


A/N: Thank you, darling ArtemisBare! You even read when dead on your feet with exhaustion. I'm telling you, your twins are undercover miniature scientists studying sleep deprivation.

Thank you readers! It's just so, so, so fantastic to be back. I don't think I'm going to do a formal update schedule because I'm able to kinda write as the muse wills now. I know that I'll always update both 'Unbidden' and 'Powerless' at least once a week, but probably twice that. You have all made it so special to start posting again. *blows sparkly kisses*