The house was not particularly large, the yard was small, but all of it was well kept. The neighborhood itself seemed pleasant, friendly even. Even Kylo- tall, massive, his head obscured by the black hoodie he wore- was given friendly nods rather than suspicious looks. All in all, it was an extremely nice place to live.

He had no doubt that Han Solo hated it.

There was a beaten up cargo truck in the driveway.

"The Falcon lives," Kylo muttered to himself with a soft smile. He paused for a moment at the door, then rang the doorbell.

The woman who opened it was young, blonde, and obviously pregnant. Her face lit up when she smiled and she held out her arms to him. "Ben!"

"Kylo," he reminded her gently as he stiffly hugged her back. "Your brother Ben is dead, Kaydel. Remember that. It's what keeps you safe."

"Of c-course, Kylo. Come on in. You're just in time." She took his hand and pulled him into the house. This close, he could see the wrinkles around her eyes when she smiled. She wasn't even a teenager the last time I saw her, he realized. They age so fast … "Congratulations by the way."

She smiled again. "Thanks." She lowered her voice. "I want to talk to you about it … after."

He nodded. "Where is he?"

"In the bedroom." Kay pointed. "Chewie's with him."

"Of course he is." Kylo smiled. Chewbacca had been Han's friend for almost sixty years. Of course he would be here at the end, Rules be damned.

"Go on in. I'm sure Chewie told Dad that you're here."

Kylo smiled at her one more time and lowered his hood as he made his way into the bedroom.

Chewbacca was Cloaked, looking like a youthful tall blond man. He signed "Hello" to Kylo … probably from force of habit as he knew that Kylo would understand him if he choose to use his native language.

"Hi, Chewie."

Chewbacca did not hug him as Kay had. He reached out and clasped Kylo's shoulder and squeezed it. "He doesn't have much time," he signed, keeping his back to the old man lying on the bed who seemed to be lightly dozing.

"Leia ..." Han whispered and then opened his eyes. "Ben!"

"Hello, Dad." Kylo did not bother to correct his father. There would be no point now. "It's good to see you. You're looking ..."

"Like hell, I know." Han laughed … which turned into a coughing fit. "Don't ever grow old, kid. It's not worth it." He looked up at his son. "Though looks like that won't be a problem for you. Fifteen years, and you look almost exactly the same. See you grew your hair out to cover those ears."

Kylo shrugged. "I'm easy enough to spot as is. I don't want to make things too easy for them."

"Them being your mother?"

"Mother. Grandmother. Luke went into hiding rather than be drug into their tug of war. I'm just trying to live my life."

"I know, kid. I know." Han coughed again. "Kay's going to talk to you. She needs your help. And so do I ..."

"Dad, I'd help you if I could ..."

Han shook his head. "I'm ready to go, son. I don't mind." He reached over to the nightstand and picked up pair of golden dice on a chain. "Give these to your mother as a reminder of me. Of us."

Han knew what he was asking, Kylo thought. He knew the risks. "I will."

"Ben … when I'm gone..."

"Yes, Dad?" He was calm. Luke had taught him that much.

"Kay. Her family. Look after them. Protect them."

"I will."

"I know you will." Han reached out and took one of Kylo's hands in his own. Han had always been so strong, but now … now he was so weak … so frail. "You're your mother's son … but mine too. You have her power, but you've always had my heart." Han smiled. "I love you, Ben."

"Love you, Dad."

"Stay with me? Stay with me until the end?"

"Of course."

..**..

Kay didn't cry when Han died. She had been watching him die for years now. She called the funeral home and made the arrangements. "You'll tell Mother, won't you?"

"I will." Leia will know, of course. Kylo had no doubt that she had been paying for this house, for the medical care that Han had been receiving. She had not forgotten her mortal husband.

"Good."

"Do you want to see her-?" Kylo asked softly.

"No." The vehemence in Kay's voice surprised him. "She hasn't been a part of my life for the last 15 years. I don't want her to be a part of it now. I have what I need. My husband. My baby." She looked at Kylo. "Ben … my baby ..."

"Yes, Kay?"

"She's like you, isn't she? She's going to have the Force."

"Yes." He had felt it the moment he hugged Kay. The baby was going to be strong in the Force. "That potent Skywalker blood" as Luke had called it had carried forth for another generation.

"I hoped she wouldn't have it. I wanted her to be like me. Normal. Mortal." Kay choked back a sob. "You know what Mother and Grandmother will try to do when she's born."

"They won't touch her. I won't let them. Either of them. I promise you." He wouldn't let Kay's child be like him – torn between the Jedi and the Sith. Raised to be a weapon by both sides … "I won't let them have her."

Kay hugged him again. "Thank you, Ben. Thank you."

This time, hugging his little sister was easier. This time he allowed himself a precious moment to feel human again … "I need to talk to Chewie. I'll be back."

"Okay."

Chewbacca was still sitting with Han's body. He looked up as Kylo walked through the room. His Cloak had dropped- once more he was a Wookie that even a Mortal could see.

"I need you to talk to Maz. Ask her to arrange a meeting for me."

"With your mother?" Chewie growled.

"My mother- and my grandmother."

Chewie snorted. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Will you do it?"

"Yes. I heard you speaking to Kaydel. She's my family too." Chewbacca reached out with a hairy hand. "And so are you."

"Thank you, Uncle Chewie. Thank you."

***...***

Maz had a way of adapting to the times like no one else that Kylo knew.

Her Castle had been everything from a Speakeasy, a Jazz Club, a Disco, and now a sort of generic dance club. Closing down the Club to Mortals was probably not an easy thing for her to do, but she had always had a soft spot for Chewbacca and that's why Kylo had asked him to make the request.

He was his father's son too, after all.

He spotted Jedi Knights and Sith Acolytes as he made his way into the club. Their shared hatred of Kylo led to glares, but none of them made an attempt to attack him. The neutrality of Maz's Castle was sacred. No one who'd be tempted to break that neutrality would have been allowed through the doors.

Leia and Padme- his mother and grandmother respectively- were sitting at a table together. They were idly chatting when he walked through the door.

"Son," Leia said. She looked younger than Kaydel, a beautiful woman in her early 20s.

"Grandson." Aside from looking paler than Leia, Padme looked every bit as youthful as her daughter. Unlike Leia, however, Padme wore dark glasses to conceal her eyes. "It is good to see you."

Kylo nodded to both of them, his stomach knotting itself in anxiety. Both of them were extremely powerful … and unpredictable. "Mother. Grandmother."

"Do you bring word of my son?" Padme asked. "Is that why you summoned us?"

"No." Kylo handed Leia Han's dice. "He wanted you to have them."

"I see." Leia closed her fist over the dice … her hand shaking slightly. "Thank you, Ben."

She had been married to Han Solo for more forty years, but that was all the animation that she showed over the death of her husband. A simple tremor in her hand.

"The death of a Mortal has nothing to do with me, Grandson." Padme's beautiful face slipped into a look of annoyance. "Why am I here?"

"Kaydel. My sister Kaydel. You will still away from her- from her family." He glared at them. "Both of you."

"I think I should be allowed to visit my daughter and future grandchildren," Leia said mildly.

"You left her 15 years ago. She doesn't want to see you- either of you. And she wants her children left alone." He looked at both of them. "And we all know the one reason either of you would contact her now."

"Her child will be strong in the Force," Leia stated. "The child will need instruction." She glanced over at Padme. "So she doesn't wind up like my parents. We wouldn't want her to make the same poor choices that Anakin Skywalker did."

"Anakin loved me enough to find a way to make me Immortal," Padme said mildly. "A shame that you did not love your husband- and daughter- that much, Leia."

"He made you a monster! He made himself a monster!" Leia snapped. "Han wouldn't have wanted that. Neither would Kay." Leia looked at Kylo. "Who will teach the child if I do not?"

"I will."

"Unacceptable," Padme snapped. "You're barely trained yourself."

"I agree," Leia murmured.

"Too bad. I'm not asking your permission. I'm telling you Kay's decision."

"Do you think that you can stand against us by yourself, boy?" Padme snapped. "You will do what we tell you or you'll be dealt with!" Her eyes glowed with a venomous yellow.

"Ben … listen reason," Leia said gently.

"No. I'll fight you both if I have to-"

"Alone?" Padme sneered.

"No. With the Knights of Ren." Kylo smiled slightly at the both of them, watching Padme turn even paler and even his mother losing some of her fabled composure.

"You can't trust Snoke! Not with this child!"

"Snoke had a parting of the ways with the Knights of Ren," Kylo said with a slight smirk. "His replacement is the one I have made a deal with."

"His replacement?"

"He's talking about me," a young woman said as she was escorted to the table by Chewbacca. She was dressed as a Knight of Ren, but her clothing was white rather than back. "Uncle Snoke was no longer feeling up to the challenge of leading the Knights of Ren. Kylo Ren-" She nodded to Kylo- "Helped him make that decision."

"Kylo Ren is you?" Leia glared at her son. "Do you know that I've had a death sentence on you for almost six years now?"

"And I had spent the same amount of time trying to find him to offer him a place at my side. They call him the heir to Darth Vader, you know." Padme smiled.

"I'm no Vader," Kylo dissented. "I just want to be left alone- the Knights allowed me to do that. And helped me finish the training. Lady Ren is a good friend of mine."

"Like Kylo, I did not have the best relationship growing up with my family," the Lady Ren admitted. She removed her helmet, revealing a surprisingly lovely young woman. "I was taken from my parents to be raised by my Uncle and Grandfather because they lacked the Force. I won't allow another child to know that kind of pain."

"Snoke is your Uncle," Leia whispered, her eyes growing wide. "That means that your grandfather would be …."

"Sheev Palpatine." The Lady Ren smiled tightly. "I am the Lady Rey Palpatine. Master of the Knights of Ren. I stand with Kylo Ren. To fight him, is to fight me- and my Knights. I do not think either of you want that, do you?" She raised a light saber that burst into yellow light.

Neither Leia or Padme said anything.

"Good. I think we all understand each other." Rey doused her light saber. She turned to Kylo. "Now that we've settled that, why don't you buy me a drink and show me around? This is the first time I've been invited to Maz's Castle."

"Of course," Kylo said with a smile. He offered her his arm. "This way, sweetheart."

Rey slipped her arm through his. "Lead the way, my dark knight."

They walked off.

Padme looked at Leia. For once, there was no anger in either of their gazes. "You saw that, right?"

"The way he looked at her?"

"And the way she looked at him." Padme smiled. "I think Kaydel may not be the only one to give you grandchildren in the future, Leia."

Author's Note: So in this AU, the Force makes Force Sensitive people long lived. Those who follow the Light Side, the Jedi, basically tap into the Force naturally and are born that way. They can manifest as Force Ghosts if they choose after death. The Original Sith are Light Siders who turned to the Darkside due to its greater offensive capabilities … they do, however, possess the ability to make NORMAL people into Sith. Vader made Padme into a Sith to save her from dying in childbirth. The Jedi consider the Sith an abomination. The Sith aren't too fond of them either.