Sunlight poured in from the sole window in Rey's room, and she pulled her covers up to her head to shield herself from the brightness. Her eyes were still stinging from all the crying she had done.

It had been two days since Ben's call. Two days since he broke her heart and shattered it into a million pieces. Everything he had told her, the coldness of how he addressed her had devastated her so much, she hadn't been able to muster calling him, or calling Hannah behind his back. If she did that, she might just burst into tears and things would get even worse between her and Ben. She couldn't bring Hannah into this, although she was pretty sure Ben must've told her something by now.

She curled up into a ball and tried to keep the tears at bay. She would stay in bed for the entire day if she could. It was Saturday after all, and she found herself sobbing again. If it were any other weekend, she would have gone to Coruscant to visit Hannah and Ben. Or they would've come to visit her in Jakku. Neither was going to happen and it hurt so much that she was having a hard time breathing.

Once she had calmed down, she dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen to have breakfast. She hadn't been eating well, but knew she had to. She had almost collapsed at work yesterday when she skipped breakfast, and word quickly got around, no thanks to Tallie Lintra, the scrapyard's gossipmonger. Word had even reached Plutt, and she had to endure his fake show of concern. He had then had the audacity to try and rope her into having lunch with him alone, but thankfully, his secretary Erin was quick to offer her some sandwiches so she was able to leave quickly.

Wrapping her robe tightly around herself, she put the frying pan on the stove, watching the oil sizzle before cracking an egg and frying some bacon strips along with it. She felt like she was on autopilot. She barely remembered making toast, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting at the table, staring at the fried egg atop the toasted bread, strips of crispy but burnt bacon beside it. She remembered the first breakfast she ever made for Hannah and Ben. They had toast and bacon then too, and Hannah liked jam on her bread while Ben preferred his with butter. She remembered when he joked around her, when he first came up with their complimenting game. She remembered Hannah being a chatterbox, laughing and smiling as she stared lovingly at her parents. Even back then, her daughter had wanted her to be with her father. She knew that now. If things had been different...maybe if she had been able to sort out her feelings quickly…

She slammed both fists on the table, causing the plate to jiggle before she stood up, grabbed her phone and dialed Finn's number. It was unlikely now that she and Ben would be together, but goddammit, she was going to find a way to at least be in touch with Hannah.

Finn answered after a few rings. "Peanut! I've been waiting for your call. Any updates on you and Ben?"

Rey nearly choked. He sounded so enthusiastic. So happy for her, that she was unable to stop herself from crying.

Finn's tone quickly changed to worry. "It's okay, Rey. We're here. Poe and I are both here."

She continued to sob, wishing that Finn and Poe were with her that very moment. She had been dealing with her burdens alone for so long but this was one burden that, for the first time in years, she felt she couldn't bear alone.

Somewhere in the background, Poe asked, "What happened?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Finn said. "Peanut, I'm going to put you on speaker so Poe can hear, okay?"

She nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see, and when she heard Finn confirm that she was on speaker, she managed to stop sobbing. "Finn...Ben has cut ties with me."

"He what?"

"He cut ties with me," she repeated. "He told me I can't talk to him or Hannah anymore."

Rey could imagine the shock on Finn's face as he said, "But...but didn't he say he loves you?"

"I don't know what happened." She shook her head as she tried to fight the onslaught of fresh tears. "He called me two days ago and I was about to tell him how I felt but then he...he suddenly said I can't be in their lives anymore."

"Did he tell you why?"

"He told me he was doing it for Hannah. That I can't be there for her because of the distance and that he doesn't want her to hope that we would be together. And now, he's forbidding me from contacting him or Hannah." Another sob threatened to escape her throat but she managed to swallow it down.

"But you're Hannah's mother," Finn said, flabbergasted. "He can't do that."

"He can," Rey refuted sadly. "I'm not legally Hannah's mother. I have no parental rights over her."

She heard Poe say, "Maybe you still do."

"Yes, maybe." She squared her shoulders and sniffled. "That's why I needed to talk to both of you, especially you, Poe. I remember Finn mentioning you have a lawyer friend who used to be the best family lawyer in the country. You think it's possible for me to be able to consult with him? I can't pay much, but-"

"Actually, my friend is a she," Poe corrected. "She's a senator now, but she owes me a favor. I'm sure you can consult her pro bono."

"That's great. But I would feel bad not compensating her for her time."

"Nah, it's fine," Poe reassured. "I can arrange for you two to meet. She's in Coruscant right now."

Her breath hitched. "I can't go there. That's where Ben is."

"You don't have to let him know you're there," Poe pointed out. "Coruscant is a big city. Anyway, I'll call her right now."

Rey heard footsteps fading and a muffled conversation. Poe must be talking to his lawyer friend.

"Rey, it's going to be fine, alright?" Finn said. "Even if things didn't work out with Ben, you might still be allowed contact with Hannah."

"Okay." She nodded. She didn't want to hope, but here she was, hoping. Not being able to talk to Ben hurt far more than she ever thought possible, but it hurt even more not to be able to talk to her daughter.

About a minute later, Poe came back to the phone. "Alright, she agreed. She's free to meet at lunch today."

Rey's eyes widened. "Lunch? Today?"

"Yes, today. I'll text you the address of the restaurant as well as her contact information. You think you can make it?"

"Yes. I'll go," Rey was quick to say. This wasn't part of her plans for the day, but she was willing to do anything, absolutely anything for even a sliver of a chance to be with her daughter again.

"You want us to come with you?" Finn offered.

Rey shook her head. "No, I can go on my own. Besides, D'Qar is too far. I don't want to bother you guys."

She could almost hear Finn nod. "I think you better get ready. Coruscant is three hours away. We can't have her waiting."

"Alright. Thank you Poe, thank you Finn. I'll let you know what happens." She quickly said her goodbyes and started for her room to change when her message notification dinged. It was from Poe.

Name: Leia Organa
Phone Number: 202-555-0149
Address: Commensale di Destro
Table 5
3935 Slan Street
Central Square, Coruscant City

Rey froze when she saw the text. The name Leia Organa was familiar, though she couldn't point a finger on where she had heard that name. But what caught her attention the most was the restaurant, and her heart broke anew. It was the same restaurant where she, Ben and Hannah had dinner after watching Wicked. The same restaurant where she and Ben had sung "I Finally Found Someone". Those were happier times that would never happen again, but she was determined to scavenge whatever scraps were left of her relationship with the Solo family.


Leia Organa stepped out of the Bentley as Artoo held the door out for her. She looked up at the sign and smiled. Comensale di Destro was her and Han's favorite restaurant. Even though he had since passed on, she made it a point to eat at this restaurant from time to time, and after months away from home, it was good to be back.

She hadn't planned on going to the restaurant at lunch today though, but she owed Poe Dameron a favor. His work for her as a lobbyist had helped her greatly in her career, and so a little legal consultation for his friend was the least she could do.

She stepped inside, and the maitre d' quickly greeted her. "Ms. Organa, welcome back. We've missed you."

Leia beamed. The staff always did treat her well. "Same table as always, Ricardo."

"Of course. Although, your guest has arrived ahead of you. She's at your table right now." The maitre d' led her to the table, where she found a pretty young woman, looking around nervously. She was dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, which told Leia that any consultation this young lady wanted, it wasn't about any business venture. This felt more personal.

When the young woman saw her, she quickly stood up. "Senator Organa?"

"Please, dear, call me Leia." She held out her hand, and the woman took it. The handshake was a little on the limp side, and the girl was trembling. Poor thing. Must be from the cold. "And you are?"

"Reyline Kenobi, ma'am. You can call me Rey."

Leia raised her eyebrows. She shared the same name as the woman who broke Ben's heart. And the name Kenobi… "Rey Kenobi. Your name sounds so familiar. Have we met?"

Rey shook her head. "I don't think we have, ma'am."

"Oh. Well. I meet so many people, I must be mixing them up in my head." Leia wasn't so sure about that. She was certain she heard of that name somewhere. Nonetheless, she gestured to the chair. "Please dear, take a seat. Now, can you tell me what's troubling you?"

"I...I have a daughter." Rey bit at her trembling bottom lip and let out a shaky breath. "Her father has forbidden me to contact her and I was wondering if I have any legal claim to her."

"You're her mother, aren't you? You have parental rights."

"It's not that simple. You see...I relinquished my rights to her before she was born."

Leia tilted her head. This was...different. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm the egg donor which resulted in my daughter," Rey explained. "And I signed an agreement to relinquish parental rights towards any children that result from my eggs being used."

"I see." Leia nodded. She wasn't really one to enjoy giving people bad news, but it was part of her job. "Under these circumstances, you don't have any rights. You have to make an appeal to her father and make it work between the two of you. Only he can give you parental rights."

Rey's shoulders slumped inwards. She looked crestfallen. "The father and I had a falling out so I don't think that would be possible."

"You are friends with the father?"

"We used to be."

Leia's lips flattened into a fine line. Mother to mother, she could feel the girl's pain. She may not have been close to Ben growing up, but she would be distraught at the prospect of anyone taking her son away from her. "Can you tell me more about your circumstances?"

Rey forced out a smile. "I'm not sure where to start."

"Start from the very beginning. Like how you became an egg donor and we'll work from there."

Rey nodded and started talking. Leia listened as she told her about being an egg donor and the reasons why she did it. This impressed Leia, that Rey would do anything to save her dying grandfather. She continued to listen with rapt attention on how Rey had met her daughter after the girl had run away to see her, and how she had been in a close relationship with her daughter and the girl's father for the past four months up until a few days ago, when her daughter's father suddenly told her he was cutting ties.

Leia grew stock still, her heart beating so fast she was almost breathless. She wondered how on earth she didn't put two and two together when she should've known the first moment this young woman told her her name.

She held up a hand to stop Rey from talking. "Wait. Your daughter. Is her name...Hannah Padme Solo?"

"Yes, ma'am. How do you know that?"

"And her father?"

"Benjamin Solo, ma'am."

"Oh my God," Leia said softly and put a hand against her chest. She felt a little faint.

Rey looked at her worriedly. "Ma'am? Do you know Hannah and Ben?"

"Yes, I know them." She nodded. "They're my granddaughter and my son."


Ben turned to his side to look at Hannah, who had her head propped up on the table by one hand while the other toyed with her food. The dining room was silent as neither of them seemed too keen on talking, especially Hannah.

It would've been better if Mother was here, he thought. At least she could bring in some conversation to break the ice. But she was off having lunch with someone who needed legal consultation and probably won't be back until much later. Meanwhile, he had to be the one to keep an eye on Hannah. She was, after all, at risk of running away again.

He turned back to his food. He had done everything he could to ensure Hannah didn't run off. He had applied strict parental controls over her phone so she wouldn't be able to get in touch with Rey; took hours off of work to drive her to and from school and constantly checked if she was still in her room. It had worked so far, though how long he had to do this, he wasn't sure. The last time he and Hannah had a falling out was when she had overheard him yelling at his father that he never wanted her, and it had taken her almost a year to fully forgive him for that. He shuddered to think his daughter would stay angry for that long or more, and he swore he was going to find a way to properly apologize to her. None of his attempts were working; not his words, not the gifts...or rather peace offerings...of candies and toys. Not even the promise of taking her to the park or the fair, or taking her shopping. She was as stubborn as her mother, and he felt a twinge in his heart at the thought of Rey. If things hadn't turned out the way they did, she would still be visiting them for the weekend…

Hannah put her spoon and fork down noisily on her half-full plate, shaking Ben from his thoughts. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"You sure, Sweetheart?" he asked gently. "You haven't been eating well. You might get sick."

She made a face and pushed her plate away. "Not hungry."

Ben's jaw tightened. She was being bratty, and it was beginning to grate at his nerves.

He pushed the plate back in front of her, and in a stern voice, said, "Finish your food, young lady. And you're not to leave the table until you've eaten every single morsel."

Hannah glared at her food before scarfing down what's left of her baked beans and sausage. She even lifted the plate to her face so she could lick it clean, much to Ben's chagrin.

She put the plate back on the table, indeed clean of every last morsel, and asked to be excused. Ben slumped his shoulders in defeat and let her go.

Once she had left, he took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He wanted to discipline her for her behavior, but at the same time, he knew he had no one but himself to blame. The wounds were still too raw, not just for Hannah, but for him as well, and probably for Rey too. He wondered if the pain would eventually disappear, or if it ever would.

After putting the empty plates in the dishwasher, he walked to his study so he could work on some reports. In truth, he could do this in his actual office on a workday, but work was the only thing distracting him from everything happening in his life right now. If he didn't, he would be lost in thought again, and his heart would break once more at the memory of Rey crying over the phone, begging him not to leave her. But why would it matter to her if he left? She had Tommy. He meant nothing to her. He was just a friend that could easily be discarded. People lost friends all the time.

Only, he didn't think of her as just a friend. He had loved her. Fuck, he still loved her. He loved how she engaged him in stimulating conversations. Loved her humor, her caring, nurturing nature. Her gentleness and determination, her diligence and her strength through everything she had gone through in life. She was the strongest woman he knew, so he was confident she would get past this. After all, she was no longer alone. She had that Tommy guy.

As for him, he didn't know if he would ever be over her. She was unlike any woman he had ever encountered in his life. He had never been one to put people on pedestals. As his parents had taught him, that way led to disappointment. But put her on a pedestal he did, and he couldn't see himself bringing her down from that no matter how much she had unknowingly hurt him. Every other woman who would come into his life in the future would be compared to her and the connection he had with her. This was a once in a lifetime thing, and he had ruined it.

Not for the first time, he wondered if he had been too rash in his decision to cut her off. Maybe he should have talked to her first, but how? Should he have told her that he had seen her kissing her ex? Or maybe be more subtle and ask her if she had any visitors that night? It didn't matter, he thought sadly. What was done was done. There was no taking it back. The only way now was to move forward.

He growled at himself. Here he was, getting carried away with his thoughts again. With a sigh, he turned to his laptop and started typing, when he heard knocks from his office door.

"Hannah?" he called.

"No, Son. It's me."

"Mother." He stood up and straightened his sweater as well as the collar of the shirt underneath it. Can't have her see the wrinkles. She always noticed those things. "Please come in."

Mother let herself in, and the smile on Ben's face faded when he saw her stern expression. "Ben, I have someone here who wishes to speak to you."

He tilted his head. "Who?"

Instead of answering, she stepped back and called, "You can come in now, dear."

Slowly, a young woman stepped inside the office, and Ben's knees nearly buckled from beneath him when he saw it was none other than Rey. She was under dressed for the climate, and there were bags under her red-rimmed eyes. Still, she was stone-faced as she looked him dead in the eye, and God help him, he still found her beautiful.

He turned to his mother, his tone hard as he said, "Mother, what have you done?"

"I'll explain everything at a later time," she said, her voice just as austere. "The point is, you and Rey need to talk out whatever issues you have with each other. Hannah doesn't know she's here yet, and unless you two sort things out, I'd prefer she not know, otherwise she'll just end up crying again."

He glowered at his mother, trying his best not to look at Rey. "I thought I made my stance perfectly clear about her being in our lives."

"And you've made yourself and your daughter miserable because of it. I'm not going to stand by and watch my granddaughter become unhappy because of some misunderstanding between you two." Mother let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Now, you two talk about this like adults. I'm going to take Hannah to the playground. And once you're done talking, give me a call so I can decide if it's safe for Hannah to come back."

Mother pivoted and marched out of the room, slamming the door on her way out. Ben winced and finally turned to look at Rey. It seemed like his mother wasn't the only one angry with him at the moment.

He scrambled for words. Should he tell her he had nothing to say to her? Ask her why she even bothered to come here when he had made his decision perfectly clear? Demand that she explain why she brought his mother into this? That last thought gave him a pause, and he finally asked, "Were you the one my mother was meeting for legal advice?"

"Yes," Rey spoke for the first time, her voice flat. "Apparently, she and I have a common friend. Poe Dameron."

"One of Mother's lobbyists?" His lips flattened. He remembered his mother speaking of Dameron. She had praised him often enough that he had gotten jealous at one point. "So...he and your friend Poe are the same person?"

"Yes." Rey's voice took on a sharper edge. "My gay friend Poe, who happens to be married to my gay friend Finn, who you saw me 'kissing' on the porch."

Ben felt the color drain away from his face. He was so certain he had seen Rey kissing a man intimately, but now… "So...that wasn't Tommy?"

"God, no!" She looked horrified. "Why would I get back with the guy who dumped me because he couldn't stand being second to my grandfather? And I wasn't kissing Finn. At least not on the lips. And yeah, your mother told me everything. About you going to Jakku and why."

The color returned to Ben's face until his cheeks grew hot. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

Rey stared at him, perhaps daring him to speak. Even with their height difference, he felt small under the heat of her gaze.

After what seemed like forever, she sighed. "Is this what this is all about? Because you thought I had a boyfriend?"

He swallowed and looked down at his shoes as words continued to fail him. He had never been more embarrassed in his whole life, not to mention guilty. If he could shrink and disappear, he would.

"I told you I didn't have a boyfriend," she said, her voice softer now. "Do you really have so little trust in me?"

"It's not that I don't," Ben spoke, nearly stumbling on his words. "I was just so hurt. I really thought you were kissing some guy."

"And so you decided to hurt me back by cutting ties with me?" Rey asked. She sounded pained. "By taking yourself and Hannah away from me?"

He shook his head. That wasn't his intention at all, but he could see why she would think that. "I know it must look that way to you, but I honestly only had Hannah's best interests in mind. She can't have an absentee mother. And I don't want her to continue hoping for us to be together after you had already rejected me during camping in the desert and-"

"I didn't reject you," Rey cut in, which made Ben look up at her. She looked a bit shocked by her own words, eyes wide and lips partially open.

"You didn't?" he asked in disbelief.

"No, I didn't," she admitted, then looked away. "I just...didn't know how to respond to your confession. I have very little experience when it comes to relationships. Tommy was the only boyfriend I ever had and he couldn't deal with the fact that my priorities had changed."

"I would have," Ben blurted out.

"Would have what?"

"I would have been able to deal with your changing priorities."

"Maybe." She shrugged, tapping her foot for a bit. Then, for the first time that day, she smiled, and Ben felt his whole body grow warm from the glow. "But if you had been in my life back then, you would have been charged for dating a minor."

He knew he shouldn't be laughing at that, but a chuckle managed to escape from him. Rey was chuckling too, and he felt the tension in the air dissipate until he was able to breathe easier. He liked this. Sharing a bit of levity with her. It felt right.

Then, Rey's expression darkened again, putting him on edge. "Besides, if you really are able to deal, don't you think you'd be able to deal better with me possibly having a boyfriend? You have to admit, it was pretty shitty of you to try and take Hannah away."

"You're right, it was shitty," he agreed. "But really, I was only thinking about Hannah's well-being."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Only Hannah's well-being?"

He sighed and looked down again. "Alright. I confess that seeing you...thinking you were kissing someone else...it just fucking hurt so much that I didn't think things through. I know now that I came off as really selfish. I shouldn't have tried to keep you away from Hannah. I shouldn't have been so rash with my decisions. I should've talked to you first." Tightening his lips, he looked up at her again, and in the most sincere voice he could muster, said, "I'm really sorry, Rey. For hurting you. For hurting Hannah."

She gave a short nod. "I'm sorry too. For not handling your...confession very well. Maybe if I hadn't deliberately ignored you after that...maybe if I had just talked to you, we could've avoided all this. I suppose I was scared that if I confronted it, our friendship would be ruined."

Ben nodded, unsure what to say next. But if she didn't want to ruin their friendship...then, he was willing to make the sacrifice. "Rey, can we be...friends again? You know. Start over."

He waited for her to answer, but she didn't. Not for a long while. She didn't even look at him as she swayed on the balls of her feet. She was going to reject him again, he thought, and braced himself. But she surprised him when she asked, "Did you mean it though? That you...love me?"

His heart lurched to his throat, and he swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that, but this time, he did manage to cobble up enough sense to say, "Y-yes. I...I meant it. Every word of it."

"Like did you mean that you love me as a friend?" Rey pursued. "Or…"

"More than a friend." Mustering as much courage as he could, Ben straightened himself and said, "I'm in love with you, Rey."

There. He had said it. It still probably wasn't the best confession in the world, and definitely not under the best circumstances, but it was a helluva lot better than his last confession, and the heaviness he had been carrying for days suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

He kept his gaze steady on her. Watched as her throat bobbed and her cheeks flushed with color. She looked so goddamn beautiful, he just wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her. Still, he steeled himself for rejection. After all, it was what he deserved for all the hurt he had caused her.

"Why?" Rey asked, finally meeting his eyes. "Why me?"

"Because you're you." He walked around his desk until he was standing within an arm's length of her. He could just reach out and hold her but he kept his hands in his pockets. She seemed ready to run away, but he soldiered on. "Do you have any idea how amazing you are? How smart, funny, caring...you're just beautiful inside and out. And I know now that you should have someone far better than me. But God help me if I don't want to strive to better myself to deserve you."

Her cheeks colored again, and her eyes were wide, throat bobbing with another swallow..

After several moments of silence, he let out a nervous chuckle. "Now would be the best time to say something."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked, sounding every bit as anxious as he felt.

"Say what's in your heart," he said softly. "Tell me how you truly feel. If you do or don't feel the same way. And I'll accept it no matter what."

Her lower lip trembled. "Ben…it's not that I don't have feelings for you-"

"Wait," Ben felt his heart pound. Did he hear her right? "So you do have feelings for me?"

"I...I do." She seemed surprised at herself for finally admitting it, and he felt his heart soar. "You're a great guy, Ben. You make me laugh. You really listen and you're genuine. I've never...had this kind of connection with anyone. Not even with Tommy. It's scary."

"I'm scared too," he admitted. "I know you said before that love can ruin friendships and that's the reason why I've bottled it up for so long. I guess I should've known I would eventually...explode."

Rey laughed. "Well...your confession was explosive. You caught me completely off guard."

"Doesn't mean I don't mean it. Because I do."

Their eyes met again, and a well of feeling spread across his chest at the way she was looking back at him. There was warmth there. Softness. She had never looked at him that way before.

"So...what now?" she asked.

"I...don't know," Ben said unsurely, but his certainty on one matter was clear. "I know what I want but the question is what do you want?"

She started chewing on her lip again. Nervous. "I mean, if it were up to you. What would you want to happen?"

"I want to take the next step," he said in a steady voice, though deep down he was shaking. He'd never felt so vulnerable in his life. He was baring himself to her; risking another heartache, but screw it, she was worth it. "Of course, it's entirely up to you. If all you want is friendship, then I am ready to accept that."

"And...if I want more than friendship?" she asked hesitantly, her words making it hard for him to breathe.

"Then...if that's the case…" He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "If that's what you want, then I'm never letting you go."

Rey's breath hitched, and he stared deeply into her eyes, which were now beginning to grow misty. His hands, still in his pockets, clenched into fists as he tried his best to remain standing, even though his knees threatened to give away.

The silence, thick and heavy, stretched on between them, so much so that the ticking of the clock seemed to echo inside the study. But this time, he would wait. He would wait for her to say something rather than prod it out of her.

Finally, she said, "And what about the distance? If you don't think I could be Hannah's mother because of it, what makes you think a long distance relationship between us would work?"

He could see and hear her anguish, his mind racing back to the horrible things he had told her over the phone. Guilt ate away at him again, and if he could take back everything he had said to her then, he would.

"Rey, I'm so sorry I said all those things," he apologized. "I didn't mean any of it. You made it work. And that's the truth. You're a wonderful mother and I should never have even put that into question."

"And if we become a couple and then break up?" she challenged. "What's to stop you from keeping me from seeing Hannah again?"

Her mistrust stung, but he should have anticipated it. He must've really broken her, regret seeping into his every pore. "I understand why you feel that way. But I can give you my word that this time, no matter what happens, if we have a falling out or if we find other people, that I won't take Hannah away from you. Not anymore."

Rey stared at him then, as though trying to gauge if she could still trust him or not, and he kept his eyes on her, barely blinking until she asked, "Do you promise?"

"I promise," he said solemnly, and that seemed enough for Rey, her tense shoulders relaxing.

"You better keep your promise, Benjamin Solo. Or else I'm getting a lawyer." She grinned, mischief in her eyes as she added, "Oh wait, we have your mother."

Ben burst out laughing, not just from finding her threat genuinely amusing, but from sheer relief. It felt so good to have her joke around him again. "You know, this is one of the things I love about you. Your sense of humor."

He gave her a meaningful stare, and she turned a deep shade of pink. She looked absolutely adorable.

"I love you, Rey," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to reign in his emotions. "I really do. And I'm willing to work hard to be better. For you."

Rey lowered her eyes as a small smile formed on her lips. "I...I like you, Ben. A lot more than I should. And I...I want to...I do want to be with you." She paused, no longer smiling as she bit her lip. Ben was barely breathing. "But I think you know by now how I am with change. And this...this is a big change. I like my routine. I like the dynamic I have with you and with Hannah. And I'm not sure I have it in me to step out of that."

Ben felt his shoulders sag. For all of Rey's positive traits, she was also as flawed as any human being could be. Her insistence on hanging onto what she knew and never changing was holding her back.

He chose his words carefully. "I understand why you would want to cling onto what you know. Believe me, I know how scary it can be to step out of your comfort zone. But change is the only constant in this world. You have to learn to let go of the past. It's the only way for you to move forward."

"That's the thing. I can't." She shook her head. "I've lived this way for almost ten years and I can't change it. I don't have the strength to."

"You do," he insisted, his tone gentle but encouraging. "If you were able to change your routine to include me and Hannah, then maybe you can give you and me a chance at this. Yes, it's a big change, which is why we'll take it one day at a time. Baby steps. And if it's any consolation, we can go back to the way things were if it doesn't pan out."

"That's another thing," she pointed out. "My last relationship didn't end well, and with the distance between us...what if this one doesn't work either?"

"We can make it work," he said. He knew he was repeating the same thing he had told her in the desert, but the situation couldn't be more different. Rey had admitted to wanting to be with him, and it was giving him more confidence. "There are a lot of long distance couples who made it work because they kept communication lines open. We already have that."

"I know, but I don't want this to fail." She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm so scared that it would because...this is you, Ben. You're not just any guy. You...you mean a lot to me and if it doesn't work out, I'd be devastated. I didn't even cry at all when Tommy ended our relationship, but with you...I'm not sure my heart can take it."

That rendered him speechless. She may not have articulated in so many words that she loved him back, but this...it was greater than those three words. She did feel deeply for him; so much so that the prospect of them not working out frightened her.

He cleared his throat. "Rey...you know how I was with my previous relationships, if you could even call it that. But you have no idea how badly I want this to work. I love you so much that if it doesn't work out, I'd be devastated too. But I'd rather take my chances, than regret not taking them at all."

"You know I can't leave Jakku, right?" she reminded, and that brought Ben a dose of reality. No. She couldn't...wouldn't leave her home. Perhaps not even for him. That one truth was a hard pill to swallow, but if one of his father's last pieces of advice was anything to go by, it was that relationships require compromise and sacrifice.

"Then...we will continue to visit and call each other," he offered, though deep down, he still hoped that once she had settled all her financial responsibilities, she would reconsider moving to Coruscant. "There are couples out there who only see each other once every few months. We can see each other every weekend."

"And what about Hannah?" she pointed out. "If it doesn't end well between us, it would hurt her. We can't be selfish. We have to think about her too."

"Yes, we do," he agreed. "Which is why we will make her understand that no matter what happens, we will continue to co-parent her. That she will always have you in her life just as you will always have her in your life. I'll make sure of that."

Rey nodded, then in a small voice, asked, "I'll still have you in my life too...right?"

Ben was unable to stop the small smile dancing on his lips. "You will for as long as you'll have me."

They fell quiet again as they stared at each other, neither moving a muscle except to breathe. Ben held her gaze, his throat constricting when her lips and shoulder trembled.

Then, he felt the breath knocked out of him and a tightness around his body. It took a few moments for him to realize that Rey had thrown herself at him, her arms tight around him.

He quickly held her, tucking her head beneath his chin and reveling in the warmth of her. He still couldn't believe it. He had been ready for an unpleasant confrontation when she first stepped into his office. Ready to receive her anger after he had turned her away. He could never have imagined that she would admit to having feelings for him, let alone be in his embrace like this.

They stayed that way for what seemed like forever. Could she feel his heart beating? He hoped she could. He hoped she realized how much this gesture meant to him because God, he had missed having her in his arms. All the other times had been brief, friendly hugs (except for that one afternoon in the pool) but this time...this time he liked to think it was different. That they shared more than just relief at having overcome a major hurdle together.

He buried his face in her hair like he had always wanted to, eyes closed as he took in a breath. In that moment, he swore he would do everything in his power not to hurt her again. That he would do anything and everything to make her happy, because it was what she deserved.

After a time, Rey pulled back, though she kept her arms loose around him. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, and he reached out to wipe them away with his thumbs, his hands framing her face as he did so.

His smile disappeared when he found himself staring at her lips, heart hammering against his rib cage when Rey in turn stared at his lips. He dipped his head a little closer, but her eyes widened and she turned away.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, pulling away and tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm...I'm not yet ready. I...I want to take things slow. Baby steps."

"Of course." He nodded, managing to hide his disappointment. But really, this was worlds better than he could ever have hoped for. "I'll give you as much time as you need."

"Thank you." She looked up at him and smiled. Then, to his surprise, she pulled him down by the lapel of his sweater and planted a kiss on his cheek. She finished with a loud smack and let him go. "You should call your mother. I'd love to see Hannah again."

"Uhm...y-yeah. S-sure," he stuttered, still reeling from the unexpected kiss. That wasn't just a friendly kiss, and the way Rey was looking at him seemed to confirm that. He smiled awkwardly at her, then grabbed his phone to call his mother but stopped short of pressing the call button. "You know what? How about we go to the playground and surprise Hannah?"

Rey's face brightened. "That would be wonderful."

He beamed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go get our daughter."

Our daughter. That felt good to say. Hannah was as much his as he was hers. He didn't want to be too cocky, but he was starting to believe they were one step closer to becoming the family he had always wanted. The family Rey needed. He knew he and Hannah could never fill the void left by her grandfather, but if she could find room in her heart for them, then they would be able to make her world brighter.

He led her out of his office, opening the door for her before trotting to walk by her side. That was when he noticed her hugging herself and rubbing her arms. She wasn't dressed for the chill.

He stopped her when they reached the living room. "Hold on. Let me get you a sweater."

He hurried up his room, practically running and grabbing a black sweater from his closet before heading back to where Rey waited by the main door.

He handed her the sweater. "It's a little big, but I don't want you to get cold."

"Thanks, Ben." She smiled and put it on. It was indeed much too big, and she had to roll up the sleeves just to get her hands out.

He chuckled. "Are you wearing the sweater or is the sweater wearing you?"

"Haha, very funny," Rey replied sarcastically, then gave him a playful push on the shoulder. "Not all of us are built like a Mack truck you know. Anyway, let's go get Hannah."

Still smiling, he once again held out the door for her and walked with her down the sidewalk, shortening his strides so she could keep up with him. The playground was just a few blocks away, and he took the time to catch up with what he had missed with Rey, though he knew nothing much would surprise him. She did pretty much have the same routine she had always had since before they even met.

However, he knew they'd had an unusual, if not stressful week because of all the misunderstandings between them. He apologized again for the call. "To be honest, I was expecting you to be a lot angrier with me. I expected you to yell at me after everything I said and did, but you didn't."

"I was angry," Rey admitted, giving him a tight smile. "I felt that I had lost you, and that I only had Hannah left. I was ready to fight you for the chance to see her again, but Leia managed to calm me down after she told me your side of the story." Her smile widened and her eyes twinkled. "She also showed me your cute baby pics."

He stopped walking. "What baby pics?"

Rey only laughed and walked faster, and he had to catch up. "Rey, which baby pictures did she show you?"

"There's the playground now!" She pointed and jogged. Ben lengthened his strides until he kept up with her, and while there were other kids playing, his eyes zeroed in on Hannah, her grandmother standing close by as she played on the swing. Rey apparently saw her too, because she quickly waved and yelled, "Hannah!"

Hannah stopped swinging, and Ben saw her eyes widen as they moved closer. She got off the swing and ran towards Rey, jumping up into her mother's arms. "Rey! You're here! You're here!"

"Yes, Sweetie, I am," Rey cooed, lifting the girl up and hugging her tight. "You're daddy and I are okay now."

"Really?" Hannah pulled her head back, looking from one parent to the other. "But I thought Daddy didn't want us to talk to you or see you anymore."

"And I'm sorry about that, Sweetheart," Ben interjected, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of dark hair away from his daughter's face. "We're going to be fine now. From now on, things will be back to the way they were." Well...not really back to the way they were. He and Rey had an understanding now, but it was something he would rather they kept to themselves for the moment. "I already apologized to Rey and she forgave me. Will you forgive me too?"

Hannah's answer was immediate. "Yes, Daddy. Just don't keep Rey away anymore, okay?"

"I promise," Ben vowed, and moved closer to plant a kiss on Hannah's forehead. The girl swiftly snaked one arm around his neck, pulling him closer until he was hugging both Hannah and Rey at the same time. His little family.

He heard his mother clear her throat, and he pulled back from the embrace. He had forgotten she was still there, but she wasn't angry. In fact, she was beaming.

"I'm glad you two have settled your differences," Mother said, then turned to Rey. "My dear, why don't you and your daughter play on the swings for a bit? I'd like to talk to my son."

"Okay." Rey nodded, shifting Hannah's weight to her other arm. "Thank you so much, Leia. This wouldn't have been possible without you."

If Rey meant them reconciling, or them meeting in the first place, Ben wasn't sure. Either way, his mother was definitely instrumental to both.

Rey gave him one more meaningful smile before heading with Hannah to the swings. Ben continued to stare at her until his mother elbowed his side.

"So. You two patched things up, huh?"

"Yeah, we did. We talked it out and smoothed things over."

Mother narrowed her eyes at him, then smiled mischievously. "It looks like you two did more than just talking."

His brows knitted in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Now, don't play coy with me, Son," Mother teased, elbowing him in the ribs again. "She's wearing your sweater, is she not?"

Ben couldn't have turned red in the face any faster. "Mother!"

"Well?" She put her hands on her hips. "Did you or did you not-"

"No!" he denied with a vigorous shake to the head, though he managed to keep his voice low enough not to get Rey and Hannah's attention. They were both having fun on the swings. "I just lent her my sweater because she was cold. That's all."

"I see." Mother didn't even bother to hide her disappointment.

Ben rolled his eyes before he remembered something. "Rey told me you showed her my baby pictures. Which ones?"

Without a word, his mother took out her phone and showed him.

"Oh my God," he mumbled, sliding his palms up his face and bringing his glasses up to his forehead. "I can't believe you showed my girlfriend naked pictures of me!"

He froze at his own words. 'Girlfriend' had slipped so easily from his tongue that he hadn't had the chance to stop it. He was glad Rey didn't hear. Mother on the other hand, looked positively brimming with joy.

"She's your girlfriend now?"

"N-no. I mean, yes. I mean…" He tried to find a way to clarify the situation before finally settling on an explanation. "We're both going to take our relationship to the next level, but she wants to take it slow. So it's not official yet."

"Well then, you better make it official real soon." Mother jabbed his chest with her forefinger. "Or else it won't just be your baby back side I'll be showing Rey. I'm talking about full frontal nudity."

"Mother!"

"I'm just teasing, Ben." Mother laughed, taking his cold hand and patting it. "You better take care of this one. She's a keeper."

"I know." He sighed, his emotions finally settling, though his heart did race when he saw Rey look at him from across the playground and smile. "I can only hope that I'm deserving of her."

"You are." Mother tightened her grip on his hand. "Give yourself a little more credit, Ben. She wouldn't agree to take the next step if she didn't think you were worth it."

He let out a small smile. He and Rey still had a long way to go. This was just the beginning after all. They still had the distance between them and the fact that she was still shackled to her hometown, but as long as they worked on their relationship together, as long as they had Hannah and Mother's support, he was confident they would make it.