AN: Alright everyone! Get ready for some action! Your reviews make me so happy!

She shows him the baby's room with a great deal of pride. It's smaller than her own rooms, but well equipped with everything a baby could ever need. Kylo had seen to that. And even Snoke had made sure that the child's every physical need would be cared for. As much as he denied wanting a female child for his plans, he certainly wasn't going to let her go without. Perhaps it was because he'd seen the force powers possessed by herself, and wanted healing powers and strong mental guards in his new band of warriors.

They walk through the gardens, but their walk consists mostly of going to the safe place inside of the hedges where he can discard his mask, and she can sit down, and they can just breathe together for a few moments. His hands always seek her stomach when they're alone, and he's taken to murmuring softly to her belly in words so low she can't quite make them out. She doesn't pry though. Father and daughter can have a few secrets between them, she muses.

He rubs swollen feet and an aching back, presses featherlight kisses to the swell of her stomach, and whispers words of adoration in her ear when he holds her in their bed, which after a surprisingly short amount of time really begins to feel like theirs again instead of just hers. She has the vision of his grandmother twice more, and each time he seems more troubled, and a storm of conflicting emotions swells inside of him. She tries to kiss away his fears, but all too often that sort of kissing leads to desperate touching, which can only lead to disappointment while they do everything they can to avoid triggering the baby's arrival early.

"That's a foot- do you see that?" he asks in awe one morning a week after his arrival. She glances down at her bare stomach to see the sure outline of a little foot. "Incredible."

"She is." Rey smiles. "Do you know she's supposed to come tomorrow?"

"Yes...I know." his face takes on the strangest swell of emotions. Anticipation, joy, excitement, but also fear, even dread. She runs her fingers through his hair, and he catches her hand, holding it fast in his own.

Neither of them need to say that they wish things could stay like this just a little while longer. That this is the safest their little family will ever be. That once their daughter has entered the world, Snoke will not hold back trying to bring her to the darkness. The very idea of it makes her sick.

"I'm sorry." he whispers against the skin of her belly.

"Don't apologize. What choice did we have?" her words don't console either of them. His guilt is so thick it's almost tangible, and his thoughts are a muddled mess. "Sh...sh, my love. It's alright. It's alright." she pushes the strength of her love for him through the bond, and feels him start to tremble. "Oh Ben...what is he doing to your head?"

"Instilling loyalty, I think. I've seen him do it before. With his guard, some of the Knights, even his Generals. He wants to be certain that I serve him only, that I'll follow him blindly, but he can't find a place for his persuasion to take root. Everything's been taken up by you, by the bond. He senses it, and it enrages him. I know he believes my loyalties have shifted to you above him."

"Have they?" he sits up and grabs her face gently, his thumbs brushing her cheeks.

"Yes." It's quieter than a whisper, barely more than a breath, but it resounds in her heart as if hed screamed it. She clasps her hands on top of his as he leans in to kiss her, just the gentlest press of his mouth to hers. She rests her forehead against his, and breathes deeply, basking in his utter adoration.

"Would you leave this place with me?"

"If there was any way I could and guarantee your safety. I won't risk your life. I won't risk her life." his eyes flicker to her stomach, and she nods. "I know that this isn't the life you wanted, but it's still a life. I only want to be with you."

"My love…" she sighs, and kisses his cheek. They sit that way for a long while, until he has no choice but to rise and prepare for his daily audience with Snoke. Rey has been excused from making them for the time being; she supposes it's no longer novel for him to have her treated like a doll and dressed like an empress. She hadn't been beautiful to begin with, and the fact that she was fat and covered in wavy lines where her skin had stretched certainly did not add to hee appeal. Her husband growls as he picks up his mask, and he strides across the room to take her face in his hands again.

"You have always been the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. You're more beautiful now than I have ever seen you- carrying my child has made you softer, maybe, than you once were, but it hasn't changed the fact that you're too thin everywhere except your stomach. You're completely, and utterly bewitching, more than any creature I've ever seen, and I've traveled the galaxy. Ive seen the angels of the moons of Iago, far and wide believed to be the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy, and they're Hutts compared to you." he kisses her forehead and then her lips. "Someday, I hope you see what I see when I look at you." he leaves her stunned to silence, staring after him as the door slides shut. She hadn't even realized she'd been projecting her own self doubt through the bond so loudly. Truthfully, she didn't know if she'd ever see herself as even a fraction as beautiful as he seemed to find her, but his fervent words and gentle kisses and caresses proved that he adored her, body and soul, and that mattered more to her than her own opinion of her beauty.

She's waiting for him when she starts to feel a twinge in her lower back- it's different than her usual aches and pains. It hurts like hell and then abates. And then comes back again a few minutes later. She shakes her head and denies it to herself. The pain vanishes. And then it comes back again. Her fingers twist in the bedsheets and she lays back against the pillows, determined to calm herself completely, because that would surely make the feeling vanish altogether. She almost believes it's working, almost, when the pain starts again, a little sharper than before, and tears start to sting the corners of her eyes. She repeats this pattern for several of the pains, closing her eyes and hoping they'd stop. She'd had little twinges in the weeks leading up to this. Surely these could just be those twinges, those practice pains, two one had called them, again. But the cycle of pain continues, and she finally has to accept that this might not be practice. That it might be real. She breathes through the current pain rippling through her, and When it passes she pushes herself out of the bed and pushes the button that summons her droid.

"Lady Ren, how can I be of service?" 21B9 asks, staring at her with the soft white lights that form his visual receptors.

"I think I'm in labor, two one." She huffs.

"Are you experiencing contractions, my Lady?" She nods. "How often?"

"I don't know. I haven't kept track or timed them or anything. They started maybe an hour or so ago? Maybe two hours. Three at the most." She shakes her head, and he pulls up his holopad.

"Tell me when one begins and I will time it out for you." He says, and she nods. They're only waiting a few minutes when she signals that the pain has begun. The droid takes careful notes on his holo as he waits for the pain to cease, and then they wait for the next one to arrive. It doesn't take nearly as long as she'd thought it would to begin. "Your contractions appear to be coming at an interval of five minutes apart. This indicates a progressive labor."

"What does that mean?" She asks anxiously.

"It means, Lady Ren, that your infant is preparing for arrival. May I check your progress?" The droid asks, and she nods warily. Two one never made her feel as uneasy as the other med droids of the order, but she thought that anyone who wasn't a bit uneasy about a droid prodding their down belows was insane or a liar. "It is as I suspected. You are dilated exactly four point seven eight centimeters, and progressing nicely. Your infant should arrive within the next twenty four to forty eight hours."

"I thought...you told me first babies usually came late." She bites back tears welling up in her eyes.

"I told you that it was not uncommon for a first baby to come after their projected arrival date. I also told you that many babies arrive before their projected arrival date. The best that can be given to a humanoid female is a rough estimation."

"I see." She nods. Her fingers clasp tightly at the bedsheets as she feels another pain start to grip her. What had started off as mere twinges were now pains in earnest. She'd still had worse before, but she sensed it would only get more painful from here.

"Rey?" The bond comes flooding open so quickly it almost hurts her head. They kept it sealed tightly when either of them was with Snoke. "What's wrong? I could feel your pain bleeding through, no matter how I tried to hold the shields up."

"The baby is coming." She tries to speak calmly. She really does try to keep her voice from wavering. But she knows she sounds like a frightened child.

"The baby- right now? You're certain?"

"Two One did checks. He's sure."

"I'm coming to you."

"Are you finished with Snoke?"

"No. I'm coming anyways."

"Ben, you-" the bond snaps shut again, and she huffs in frustration which drains from her almost instantly as she's filled with relief. Despite her protests, she knew she needed him. Very much. She waits for him while Two One keeps track of her every motion, every pained grimace, or sharp intake of breath. When the door flies open, she sighs with relief. His mask is notably absent, left in the hall where he'd met with Snoke, and he's kneeling at her bedside within seconds. He tugs off his gloves and takes her hands,

"How are you?" He asks, his voice anxious.

"Better, since you're here." She says honestly.

"What can I do for you?"

"Honestly? I just want you to hold me. Please?" her voice is small, almost shy. He rises and crosses to the other side of the bed, his side, and crawls in, taking her into his arms at once. She presses her face to his chest, and lets his heart beat and the smell of him calm her. "Will you be in trouble for this?"

"I don't care. He knows the child is coming. If he wants the map I have to be with you." He kisses her forehead, and she nods. As another wave of pain begins to crest, all she seems to care about is the fact that he's there with her. She reaches for one of his hands, which he surrenders at once, and she grips it tightly. He stares at her with a mix of terror and awe in his dark eyes.

"That marks four minutes since you last experienced a contraction, Lady Ren. I would recommend that you be taken to the medical unit." Two One announces and Rey nods. She knows an elaborate set up has been made for the arrival of her child, and countless human medics, the best in their field, had been called in to await it's birth. Kylo has her scooped up in his arms and is carrying her across the room before she can protest.

"You know, I am capable of walking." She insists, though she's not really sure that she is. Not during one of the contractions, but certainly in the interim.

"I know. But I'm here to take care of you. Let me." He whispers as they emerge from their rooms, and she just nods and presses her face to his neck. She feels the eyes of countless troopers and palace staff on them as her husband strides purposefully through the halls. They'll always be a subject of fascination she supposes. She supposes that they've all wondered about her, since Snoke had never seemed particularly keen to make an announcement of his first Knight's marriage. She was sure there were rumors around the palace, questioning who she was and whose child she carried. Well, there would be little room to doubt on that point now. Kylo Ren would not march through the halls carrying just anyone; and maskless, no less.

She's tense with pain when they arrive in the medical wing- an odd addition to a palace, she'd thought before Ben had explained that Snoke was weaker than he'd ever let anyone believe. He'd extended his lifespan beyond what was normal through the force, and true age was finally catching up with him. His days were spent in a splendid onyx hall, and his nights were spent wrapped in a healing tube.

"Lady Ren, your droid sent us your notes. It would appear labor is progressive." The medic who speaks to her is a rather severe looking woman with gray hair and angular features. "I would like to perform a brief exam, if that is acceptable to you...and you, Lord Ren." Her eyes flicker nervously to Kylo.

"You have my permission." Rey nods, but the woman still hesitates. "Give her your bloody permission, Ben, She's scared of you and I'm not keeping this baby in here forever!"

"Go on." He nods, and the medic finally proceeds.

"Everything is normal as far as I can see. You're just over five centimeters dilated. Things are progressing. I'll leave you alone for the time being. If there's anything you need, do not hesitate to press the call button." And with that she vanishes.

"Kriff, is everyone so scared of you?" Rey finally asks.

"Most people." he admits with a shrug. "Not you."

"No. not me." She takes his hand in hers again, and holds it against her cheek before he presses it to her belly. "Not her either." he smiles a tremulous sort of smile that warms her from the inside out. She squeezes his hand tightly as another pain begins, and she grits her teeth to keep from crying out. "You aren't feeling this, are you? The bond isn't-"

"No, I'm not. Just the echo of it. I know you're in pain, I can feel where you're hurting, and my brain is going haywire trying to tell me I need to find a way to stop it, to protect you." She knows the feeling well.

"Well, I'm afraid you can't protect me from this, my love. It is what it is."

"There are pain reducers you could have administered, some so potent they claim you wouldn't be able to feel-"

"I don't want that." She cuts him off with a shake of her head. "She's my daughter and I'm going to give birth to her the natural way. I want to feel- I want to remember."

"But if it could take the pain away-"

"No." She says even more firmly. "I know it's difficult to feel that I'm in pain. I know exactly what you're feeling. But this is pain with purpose, Ben. in the end, we get our baby. And I don't want anything from the First Order when I do this. I want it to be just us. Just our family. Alright?"

"Alright." He nods, and lifts their joined hands to his face to kiss hers. "I can't say I won't suggest it again."

"I know." She smirks. "But all I want is you."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere."
….

It takes seven hours to even get to the point where she's ready to push. More than once she'd considered changing her mind and having Ben fetch someone to administer the painkillers, but she'd stayed strong. She held tightly to Ben's hand, not even releasing him when the medics came to check her. And he never wavered from her side even once. He was on edge, she could tell. His every move was tense, more than once he snapped at the medics who grew pale and tense each time they had to enter the room.

"Don't scare them away, Ben! Do you want to catch this baby?" Rey growled, after which he was quieter than before, if not excessively agitated. She'd have sent him away if she wasn't so busy gripping his hand tightly. She pushes, and pushes, but the baby wont come. She sees the flashes of fear in the medic's eyes, and panic rising in Ben. When the medics say that the baby is breach, she doesn't know what that means. The medics exit again, saying they'll return at once, and she twists uncomfortably as he lifts his hand to brush sweaty hair out of her eyes. "Ben? What is it? Ben? What does this mean?" She pants, her chest heaving as tears welled in her eyes again. "Breach?"

"It means the baby is backwards." He says, his voice as soothing as ever, but his emotions are haywire.

"It's stuck?" She gasps, her voice hoarse from crying out.

"I'm afraid so." He kisses her hands softly, and she whimpers more pathetically than she's ever done in her life as new tears start to streak down her face. "Hey, hey, it's alright, it's going to be alright!" He insists, his voice portraying surety that his eyes do not.

"I'm scared." She admits, letting a sob escape from her lips.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to be afraid." He insists as he squeezes her hands.

"I can hear their thoughts as clearly as you can…" She exhales sharply, and she bites her bottom lip harshly as she feels another pain. She's too tired to scream any more. "They think I'm going to die, or the baby's going to die. They want it to be me- they have orders for it to be me- I'd rather it was me!"

"Don't- You're both going to be fine. She's going to be fine. They're just on edge. You know how he makes everyone feel. You're going to be alright. You're so strong. You didn't survive on your own for over a decade on Jakku just to give up now, when you have a family who loves you. When there are people who need you. I need you. She needs you." she pulls his mouth to hers with strength she didn't know she had left. The kiss lasts no more than two seconds, but it conveys everything she wanted to say to him. "The medics are coming back in. you're going to blow their minds, because you're going to do what they don't think you can. You're going to have this baby, right now, without any help from them. You're going to do it all alone."

"Not...all alone." She corrects, squeezing his hand, and he offers her a tremulous smile.

"You know you have me. Forever." The medics return, with a few more, their faces drawn and serious.

"Master Ren, we've been instructed-"

"Catch the baby." Rey commands, cutting off the stern faced woman.

"Lady Ren, we've already tried-"

"I'm not asking. Catch the baby or Kylo Ren will. And he will be none to happy about it!" She groans as she feels her body gearing up again.

"I suggest you listen to Lady Ren." Her husband adds, and the medic takes her place at Rey's feet. She grabs onto his hand, and feels him pushing his strength into her. She lets it wrap around her mind, focusing on it more than on her sore muscles. She roars as she bears down with every ounce of her energy, and the medic seems almost stunned, her face betraying her emotion for the first time in the day.

"She's doing it- Keep going!" The medic encourages, and Rey almost scoffs. As if she would stop now!

"So soon, sweetheart, you'll get to hold her so, so soon." She closes her eyes and breathes deeply, and pushes with the pain. It's agony, worse than she had ever known before, but she keeps going. She has something to fight for. Everything to fight for.

Family. Love. Home.

For a moment she thinks nothing will ever compare to the overwhelming relief that floods through her as the pain and pressure all but vanishes.

And then her daughter cries.

A tiny, wrinkled pink thing with a smattering of curly black hair covering her head, and the most perfect, pouting lips. The most beautiful thing she's ever seen, and it's covered in blood and all sorts that Rey isn't even sure she wants to know about. Shes precious. She's perfect. And she's hers. She's theirs. The medic swiftly cuts the cord and takes the wailing baby away to clean her, and Rey collapses back, letting out shuddered sobs of relief.

"You did it." Kylo whispers softly, pressing his lips to her temple, not caring about the staring medics. He presses his forehead to hers, and she lifts a trembling hand to his cheek. "I knew you could do it." The medic approaches and places the baby on her mother's chest. Rey is frozen for a second, not so much as breathing as she takes in the tiny face of her little girl, the tiny life she'd created with her husband, that she'd carried inside of her for nine months.

"Oh...Look at you. Look at you!" Rey gasps, her lips quirking into a smile. "Beautiful, beautiful girl. My beautiful girl." She pressed her lips to her forehead, and looks up to Ben. His face is the usual mask of indifference, but his eyes tell her everything. She glances from his face to their daughter's, and she tilts her head in question. He glances shyly at the medics, but reaches forward slowly, and trails his index finger along the red, round cheek of his daughter. He snaps his hand back suddenly and held it to his cheek. "Ben?"

"I can't...I shouldn't touch her. She…"

"She's ours." Rey insists. "Please. Hold her. Please?" He nods sharply and reaches slowly for the child. She transfers her into his arms with an unpractised ease, and she watches as he holds their child stiffly, his strong, black clad arms contrasting strangely, and beautifully with the soft pink figure of their daughter wrapped in a white, gauzy blanket. Her heart flutters wildly, and she can't see anything except for them. The center of her world was right before her eyes. At first she thinks her vision is growing fuzzy because of the unfallen tears in her eyes. And then it grows spotty, and her ears start to ring, and Ben's talking to her, but she can't hear it. It's like being submerged under the water while swimming. She turns her head slowly towards the medics she feels working at her feet, and the thing that strikes her most before she fades to black is that she had never seen so much blood in her whole life.