How long has it been? Almost TWO MONTHS. But now the wait has been worth it, because guess what? :D

The story is DONE. Total of twelve chapters, but each one will be posted each day. I owe you all big time but was saddened no one reviewed anymore in the long wait. But now that the rest of this amazing story is here, I expect them in loving detail. ;D

Chapter Seven

Dance Amongst the Trees and Flowers

The sooner they got this over with, the better she'd feel and forget about the fact he partially saw her birthday suit. Now that she was back outside and dressed in her favorite white gossamer uniform, Ben had by this time made himself at home.

She just as soon as struggled to catch her breath because of how dashing he looked. Yesterday's pilot and today's prince were combined with his preferred laidback manner in the loose white shirt which was taut on his arms and shoulders, the sleeves pushed to his elbows. That said, she wondered how she looked in her uniform which was modest but clung to her every curve. However...

"Thought I'd catch up on the market wrap-up," Ben told her, turning off the HoloNews. But when he looked her up and down, there was that frown of his. "You didn't have to put that back on, you know." It was either that or my nightgown. When she said this, he raised an eyebrow. "You packed nothing else because -?"

"Didn't plan on staying more than a single night," Rey answered. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. There he went again with telling her THEY needed to work on her "practicality", which annoyed her to no end. When he said "we" as though they were a team, it made her stomach act up. The feeling bothered her very much, no thanks to the imagery that she shoved down only to reemerge. Your fault, Mom, if I don't say it enough. Never mind; onward to work. She had the datapads in her lap as soon as she plopped down at the far end of the lounge, as far away as possible.

"What first - figures or correspondence?"

"Figures - damn it, the city's economy took a quick slide down," Ben spat, glaring down at the datapad in his hand. "It's big enough for me to appreciate the fact we are just privately held. How you think Grandfather did in my absence?"

Granted that... "Did well enough, unless someone chose to sell on impulse and without -" She halted then and there as everything slid in place, angering her to the core. That shop was her life as much as it was this man's family's.

It does make sense: you're here in Coruscant because Anakin is worried Palpatine will sell his stocks. He's taken big hits and a very expensive divorce settlement last year. That means...the Skywalker shop in Alderaan might be included. I know that he and Anakin had been friends and partners for a long time, but why would Cos Palpatine even think of doing this without telling his own partner? But when she said this, Ben's jaw tightened. "Never underrate the power of one purely unadulterated, marauding ex-wife who was known for breathing down the man's neck. They were convenient because of oldest family traditions; no wonder his dalliances with other women were also legendary. Also, you recall hearing of Unkar Plutt?"

The one name Anakin would have her run news searches on every single week, almost like an obsession. How do you forget a name and face like that? "One of many archenemies of Anakin Skywalker, no different than Sheev Palpatine had been at the end of the Clone Wars to him and his family as well as the Republic." And imagine trusting a man who was Supreme Chancellor long after his expired term based on "elected emergency", turning out to be a corrupt man who wanted more and would have transformed Lah'mu into a tyranny, used people while putting on a friendly face. He pretended to be a friend only to stab them in the back. At least his grandson more than earned the trust, even used his nobility status to live a less than greedy life keeping both flourishing big blasters - the figurative term for larger businesses - and small, lively ones like Anakin's going. "Anyway," Rey added, "Plutt holds resentment ever since your father found out about his behind-the-scene activities aside from trading gadgets, weapons and ships...which includes prostitution and child slave labor. Han Solo wasted no time reporting it and bringing it to the attention of the local authorities in Tatooine, which was beginning to ban the concept of slavery, but there were still a few of those remaining. Plutt was one of them to hide it so well, until your father, Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca caught on."

Hearing his father's name and those friends who were handling the Calrissian mining colony in Cloud City on Bespin, Ben's expression was grim yet again. He'd been just a kid when this happened, hearing about it through the family. Han had been there for work and nothing more, but you'd learn to expect this stuff, granted he'd still had smuggler's instincts. "Only he was able to get off in Tatooine because the system was still ways off from being fully healed; Grandfather always said that it took time for things to really change. So, yes, Plutt was back on the streets in no time, but his ambitions of rising higher were crushed. He's still the trader he is now, but left Tatooine after biding his time. Grandfather always knew this would happen," Ben said through his teeth. "But Plutt had the gall to imply he could go after a family that persevered through thick and thin." Except with whatever happened with your father that caused you to leave.

"Damned right." Rey grinned with pride. "A widower with young twins made it through good and well, still shows the world he's a hell of a survivor. That's exactly why I think the old man is formidable, just like my grandfather was to the end of his life. Plutt is wasting his time." Only these things should never be taken lightly, because like Ben said, Cos Palpatine's weak spot was his ex-wife who also happened to use any trick to get what she wanted...and it was rumored that dirty hands were a part of it. Rumored, never proven.

That smile just about made her toes jolt with electricity and curl under. "Ah, yes, raising two children without the love of his life. I used to wish everyone had that fortune of 'for life'. Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara are a rare exception." Now the bitterness was back. When he noticed her uncomfortable shift in her seat, he quickly apologized. "Forgive me. Perhaps I should learn to keep my cynical take private."

She shook her head, understanding where he was coming from, and this surprised him. "I was raised by both grandparents and a single mother." But with far more failure than success on Lilé's part. There had never been a father in the picture; neither her mom or her grandparents told her his name, saying that he was better off not being in their lives. Could have disobeyed his "elite" family, but he didn't - despite the fact he LOVED Lilé Kenobi. Hardly a damned excuse!

What was it about Ben Solo that cooled her with his cynicism and warmed her when he opened up and smiled? He was a living thermostat. It just made her want to sit right next to him and cozy up until he came back out of his shell - nope, too intimate for her liking. She settled on changing the heavy topic to a lighter one.

"What do you think R2 might be doing with your grandfather and 3PO?"

And that laugh of his erased the tire in his features, bringing back that warmth which wasn't from the fireplace before them. "His usual. He is glad to do what the master says, is free to have his opinion and make 3PO lecture him. I'm still surprised they lasted in the family all these years. Wonder if they'll still be here in my care..."

Without thinking, Rey blurted it out. "What if you got married yourself if you wanted to? I might see them highlighting the days of any kids you have." Now it seemed her cheeks were a thousand degrees thanks to the surprise in his widened orbs. Oh, you did it now.

"Why, that's a shocking thing to say, coming from you." The way he said that and the hand over his chest was enough to make her burst with laughter.

"I'm sorry, for my mistake!"

"And you say it while laughing." Could she help it, with his over the top display of shock? Even when she tried to keep any more laughter in, she failed, which earned a broader grin to defeat all the others. It was enough to instill the warm temperatures as well as make Coruscant's city lights shine brighter.

~o~

Rey Kenobi was intelligent, that was certain enough. When he watched her research on the HoloNet about Anakin's outside coming ins, he was thoroughly impressed and not one inch short. Just a single mention of a memo or a file, and she recalls in a heartbeat as well as checks to be sure - whether it was months old or less, or much older. She's so keen on this stuff than taking things apart and putting them back together alone. No wonder Grandfather takes pride in his little assistant. Just like the yacht décor, this woman has the knack for business; she could have been so much more than just confined to repairing ships.

Besides her brains, there was the fact she was adorable, too. Not just the dainty little nose pointed straight at the content, but the change from her tongue tip protruding through her lips in deep concentration to the inside of her mouth to form a bump on either cheek. And the fact they'd switched places so that she was sprawled across the lounge while he was in the loveseat, stretched out like a nexu feline.

Seeing that made him resent his bitterness which ruined the pleasant mood before.

He'd wondered if this was her job to remember every memo, to which she'd replied was helpful thanks to a good memory. Anakin really was lucky to have her, not that his memory was fading just yet. What was her reply? "I was just really lucky; good jobs don't grow on trees." He found that hard to believe, even though she was right, granted that she was as close as family since their grandfathers were longtime friends. For someone so gifted, she wasn't used to compliments and praises like Ben was giving her. You'd assume she was willing to wallow in them.

"Down in the lobby, you said I had an eye for design."

"That, and now a nose for business. I think you would have been perfect for this."

"Then I should try to figure out if I have a mouth, too."

And when she said that, it was all the more reason for him to agree that she certainly had it, and a sweet and sensuous one, at that. He wasn't sure about her, but he sure was having images of his own that raced through his brain against his wishes - and to say they were inappropriate was an understatement. She didn't even seem to be aware of the effect she had on him, so that innocence just made the remark seductive. To try and clear his head, Ben cleared his throat out of habit and stood to make his way over to the great window where he had the majestic canvas of stars in the liquid black sky without a cloud above various shapes and sizes of shimmer and lights. This was different than what he preferred of Alderaan and Naboo, but nevertheless...

"Maker, it's a masterpiece. It's just like a supernova." Rey had joined his side, stunned and gasping for breath.

He knew how grand the view and the lobby below were, but he would rather pay attention to her than all of that - just like now. She was so captivating it was hard to ignore, and it just caused his lowermost male parts to flood, because how and why was it that no men seemed to want to spoil this luscious but hardheaded lady? On the other hand, he could just be making an assumption. If there's really another man - and if it's not her friend Finn - then he must already be doing that, and a poor job. A spoiled girl doesn't blush at compliments the way she does, or not expect anything above what she wants.

"That building - I can make it out from here just a little," Rey suddenly said, pointing beyond. "That dome...that's the Galactic Senate building, which is also for the Supreme Chancellor."

There really didn't seem to have been much change except occasional renovations. And there was one other thing he really wanted her to see, and to help her, he steered her to be right in front of him and pointed in the direction of the oval-like structure which glittered because of its transparisteel windows. "That is the Senators' Apartment Complex." And Grandmother had been one of them. Grandfather said she had the best in the uppermost levels, complete with a balcony and view of the city.

And not only had Coruscant been the capital since millennia ago, but it was rumored that the now-extinct Jedi Order were the ones to usher in this era of peace - save for some conflicts - and were claimed to have a great power known as "the Force" which was also treated as mysticism. Something that was an energy field created by all living things. Their opponents had been called the Sith, or Dark Side users, and were eradicated to the point of extinction. As far as anyone was concerned, this was just a story involving magical philosophy, and that those people were just ordinary and mysterious at the same time. Nonetheless, the Jedi earned the world's gratitude for the way things were today.

Ben noted how Rey craned her neck at the sight of the Senators' apartments. Her back was against the front of his body, which hadn't been intentional, and not only was there that familiar burst of heat, but the whiff of her skin once again. "How is this view compared to what you would have asked for below this level?" he husked in her ear, making her shiver against him.

"...I don't think I ever would have gotten this."

That response and the proximity took all of his restraint to not bury his nose into her neck. "Not at all." She glanced up at him then and there, the smile accentuated by her lidded irises...bedroom eyes, indeed. And the sweetest lips to match. It made him wonder if they'd taste just as sweet as they looked.

And unfortunately, the moment was over because she had to bring up typing up everything they went through this evening in one document. Sighing and trying to keep the frustration at bay, Ben agreed. That was exactly why they were here: business.

~o~

They were in a forest, where grass grew around their ankles and sprinkled with wildflowers of blue-purple, yellow and white. The sun rays peeked over their heads, reflecting off the golden chains draped over her loose curls. On either side of her head and perched on her ears was a blooming flower of dark pink, almost red. Her dress was that of a princess, being a bold green like the surrounding forest and shimmering with leaves in the fabric, the shoulders off and reaching the wrists while the skirt ruffled with the waving grass.

She had the honor of seeing a muscled torso before her eyes, so broad she thought it was too perfect to be human, and it pressed up to her body just as one hand took her by the hip and another latched one of her hands into it, leaving her remaining palm to grip a mighty shoulder just as HIS hot breath washed over her ear and senses.

"Would this be one of your fantasies, Rey Kenobi...?"

His hands released her only to pull her flush against his half-naked body - the rest of him was covered up in black from the waist down - which caused her breasts to push upwards and display plumped curves, which was way more than she was used to. Her flesh lit with fire from there to all over; it was hard not to shudder at the contact, which burst into a moan when his lips found their way to her throat, where it met with her shoulder...

~o~

Rey wasted no time in hitting the secure button on the door, just as soon as he was gone. You really just about made a fool of yourself, even if you didn't KISS him directly like you almost did!

She was tempted to whack her forehead against the durasteel door, but that would give her a tremendous migraine. Just one second, she'd glimpsed the Galactic Senate building and the Senators' residential building, and the next was when she glanced right into those beautiful midnight eyes and drifted right into them. Bless her rational thinking even if it was at the last minute, but curse her for nearly humiliating herself! And what was to blame? All this opulence...this grandeur. This made me into an idiot like my mother - and so did Ben Solo. Him and his way of making me feel on edge and relaxed, and the fact he's so sarcastic, funny in a way, and SEXY...oh, listen to me: I'm going on and on like Mom would. And the man wasn't a potential suitor, but her boss, for bantha's sake! After tomorrow, it was back to a normal life in which he would finish his visit and she'd do old man Anakin's next correspondence.

The poor bath she'd thought she'd have was long cold by now, the bubbles faded out along with the calming aroma. The robe she found was hung back where she'd grabbed it. She decided that she'd languished enough tonight and just wanted to sleep...until that blasted dream of the dance in the forest and his fantasy inquiry attempting to seduce her once again.

Rey's eyes flew open at the sound of her comlink beeping rapidly, informing her of a transmission at this time of night. She quickly turned it on without bothering with the lights; she had to remind herself that her uncontrollable breathing and heartbeat were just a result of being startled from sleep and NOT the dream itself. And when she saw who it was - "Grandma!"

"Your mother is too busy with her usual, so I thought I'd ask you how Coruscant is, sweet girl," Sabé told her with a wry smile. "Just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing, being safe and all." Her eyes twinkled. "I believe I interrupted you from sleep, correct?"

At least she didn't ask if she interrupted anything like her daughter would. "Well, I was just sleeping. But don't worry; I'm not mad at you," Rey promised, blinking and forcing a smile. "Glad you know this is a business trip, unlike her." And that there's no implication of a man combining business with pleasure. There was no ill will in their family, just frustration. Especially when your own mother tried all your life to put stupid thoughts in your head.

Thinking that last part made her flash to her dream, which she quickly shook off and replaced it with Ben's gentleman's exit from the previous night. "And what about Anakin's grandson? I trust he's not what your mother pesters you about," her grandmother said with a stern lip. Rey shook her head. It was then that she noted the time from the corner of her eye and gawked at how early in the morning it was, being pre-dawn if the sky hadn't yet grayed. And what were they up to at this hour?!

She soon learned the explanation: "Lilé met some new friends and allowed the time to get away even from me. Can't say I'm surprised, now that she might have ensnared a new week's worth of a prince. Don't even remember his name at the moment, not that you'll care, either." And they said grandparents tended to love the grandchildren more than their own children. Truer words had never been spoken. "But I'll tell you he has a luxury in Chandrila as well as a private yacht vessel. I've all but given up a long time ago. I'm too old for this, as you know."

And it wouldn't be a surprise, either, that Lilé was still living on that high from the new "friendship", overcome by intoxicating emotions, and would soon follow excitement and caf until she either drove this person away or he would get bored of her himself, culminating in embittered sadness. All of this meant employment this week was once again out of the question. Why couldn't her mother ever come to her senses?

That tiny voice in her head didn't help matters: and what about YOU last night?

She ignored that, because she didn't have to respond. Unlike her mother, there was no sense pretending a fairytale was on the horizon ahead. Not even with a certain handsome estranged grandson of her employer.

~o~

They were heading back to Rey's suite together even when she didn't really invite him in. After speaking with Cos Palpatine. The man knew how to talk, but it was a shame that despite his genuine kindness, he didn't have anything interesting to say outside of business. Even with what I said about his wife, it's no wonder she wanted out. Likely feared being bored to death. And it certainly turned out Anakin Skywalker's fears were well-founded: Unkar Plutt had placed out an investigation, using a handful of his thugs, and clawed his way in to hint that the Skywalker mechanic shop in Alderaan might not be one hell of an investment for a man with current financial restraints. Thankfully, Ben knew how to put on the charm and persuade Palpatine through the use of numbers, in order to honor their families' long-running history. He never once stood a chance.

Rey was clearly blown away by the show. Who knew what was going on in that pretty head of hers as she thought of a fitting description for him. "That means we should contact your grandfather and tell him the good news?" Oh, Anakin did deserve to hear it, but he was in the mood for something else, and anything to calm down the impending issues in his own mind.

"He can wait for a while longer. Right now, I feel like a toast to our success."

Unkar Plutt was born in 16 BBY, Rey the year before, so it was a bit of an issue if he's an enemy of the Skywalker family. Though because he LOOKS so old in "The Force Awakens", it does make me think that alien species (any one of them) do grow and age faster than humans, kind of like animals being older than humans and therefore not living as long as they do. I decided to therefore just have Plutt be older than we know him, which would make sense for this story, therefore he must have been born around Ben's time.

Thermostat being used in here - I have no idea, regrettably, what the SW equivalent is. :(

Nexu - a feline predator, like the one which attacked Padmé in AOTC.

At long last, I mention the Jedi, Sith and the Force. They are purely treated as mythology in here, just like we often treat fairytales and other mythos.

Rey's dream just...whoo, it was sweet and sensual. As a fun fact: the color green was perfect for her dress because of its symbolism as a popular hue for wedding dresses in the medieval times before Queen Victoria gave us the traditional white. Green represented love, lust and sexual desire in the old days.

Review, review, REVIEW! :3 I'm so excited for the next chapter coming up.