Chapter 42: 16weeks Along
"Mmm", I open my eyes and groan. These past few months I have spent so much time alone but I feel more lonely than on Jakku. I convinced Kylo to stop giving me the Sydith stuff. I hate it, and to think it's mixed with his blood makes me queazy. I stretch out my legs and arms and roll over and sit in the edge of the bed. My stomach has pushed out like I ate way to much. I run my hand over the tiny bump and think back to when my stomach was completely flat till about a month ago. I roll my head to stretch out my neck muscles. My body has been more soar and tired but I feel better.
I take a quick shower and throw on some new clothes and grab my cloak from the door because I'm slightly chilly today. I creep down the stairs and am startled to see Kylo sitting at his desk and all the shades open, I must of forgot to close them before I went to bed yesterday. The clouds are beautiful, all other buildings hidden from sight.
He been so busy with the Knights that we hardly see each other as it is. This is a welcome surprise. He looks up and gets up from his chair immediately to meet me at the bottom step. Before he even says anything he wraps his arms around me and tucks his head into my shoulder and just holds me tight. I wrap my arms around his neck and just hug him back. Like most beings he craves physical contact but I am the only person in the galaxy who can show him that and I never really see him. He's always gone. He pulls away and just looks at me. "The Doctor is coming to do a scan." He says and tucks a stray hair behind my ear.
"Really? So you finally caved?" I ask. He hasn't called the doctor back to do a scan since he confirmed I was pregnant. Kylo said he wanted to wait till I got better but I think there are other reasons. Maybe once we see the baby it will be more of a reality to him and that scared him.
"Yeah, I hardly see you so I thought we should do it while I am here for a few hours. He will be here in 15 minutes. Go eat." He says. I pout but do as I'm told. I eat whatever the droids bring. Poor things cross the bridge so many times their parts might wear. Today is eggs and bacon. I eat quick and run back over to Kylo at his desk. Suddenly the port doors open and the immaculate clean Doctor emerges. The door slams behind him. I get an eerie feeling he does not approve of this.
"Mr. Ren, I was hoping for a phone call earlier." He says then shoots a look at me and points to the couch.
"What do I do?" I ask.
"Just lay down on your back and lift up your shirt, please." He says coldly. Even his manners sound fake. I walk slowly over to the couch. Kylo follows behind me and stands behind the couch, I lay down across it. Slowly lifting my shirt. From this angle my stomach almost looks flat again. I cover my eyes with my arm and wait for the doctor to finish fishing out of his crisp white bag. I feel Kylo bend over the back of the couch and grab my arm from my face.
'Don't you want to see?' His eyes soft. I just smile back up at him. I do but I'm just nervous. This will make it so much more real. I take a deep breath when the cold object grazes my stomach, I look down and see the doctor holding onto a flashlight looking object with a glowing ball on my skin. For a few minutes he moves it around and observes the small flat screen that sits in his lap. Dr. Greken stops the motion on my stomach and puts the scanning device away.
He hands the screen to Kylo and his eyes widen. I feel his heart quicken, he turns and walks away still holding the screen.
What is it?
He doesn't answer, he walks over to his desk and places the device down and his hands on both sides of the screen. I can feel sadness and worry. I pull my shirt down and walk over to him. He puts his hand up and freezes me before I get to close to see the screen, but he doesn't turn around.
Why won't you let me see? It's my baby too.
He looks over to me but I still can't move. Kylo then walks past me over to the doctor, thanking him and escorting him out. When the door shuts he unfreezes me.
'Don't move' As much as I want to, I don't. He starts circling me.
"Do you want to know the sex of the baby?" He asks. He stops in front of means looks down at me and half smiles.
"You can tell?" I ask surprised. I try to push past him but he puts his arms on my shoulders and stops me. He's laughing now. "What?" I ask, smiling. I step back to see his face better. Taking a deep breath, soaking in all his features. I wonder what ones our baby will inherit.
"Girl." My heart stops at his words.
"Can I see her?" I ask, my hands cover my mouth to contain my excitement. He walks over to the desk and grabs the screen, handing it to me and my eyes fall over every inch of the small looping video on the screen. The 4d image of the tiny pink baby has me speechless. She's just wiggling around in there and trying to suck on her hand. I have not really felt her move yet, just fluttering. I know I will never let anything hurt her. I run my fingers over the image and a tear falls onto the screen.
Kylo takes it from me and goes and sets it on the desk and comes back to embrace me. Comforting me. I just cry for a minute into his shoulder. My body suddenly tired from the excitement, I slouch a little and Kylo catches on. My body has a hard time keeping up with me, I always feel so drained. He squeezes me tighter.
"How would you like to get away for a few days?" Kylo asks, I perk right up.
"Where to?" I pull away from him, his hands grab my elbows.
"Courscant. I have to go check out a few things there." He says. I frown at the memories of General Hux and the King. I lower my head and shiver. That was the first time I felt Kylo cared about what happened to me. "Hey, hey," he grabs my chin and makes me look at him, "This is different. I wouldn't bring you if I didn't feel you were safe and out of eye view." He puts his hand over my stomach and gently caresses my tiny bump with his thumb. "I can't believe our daughter is in there." He says, his words take my breath away, Our Daughter...
"Did you want a son?" I ask, wondering why I felt sadness from him earlier.
"Hah, no. Actually I'm thrilled." He stops touching my stomach and backs away. "We can leave right now if you want."
"What do you have to do there?" I ask, even though I really don't want to know the answer.
"Eliminating an issue. I'll only be gone for a few hours once there. You will be perfectly safe in my apartment. As safe as you are here."
"Do you have places everywhere?" I ask surprised. I walk around him and to the port door. "Ready." I say, smiling at him. I'd like a change of scenery, plus I get to spend some time with him. He walks over to the counter and grabs his helmet and hold it to his side. He turns and walks over to me, touching my face slightly with his leather fingers. I close my eyes and lean into his touch. Suddenly his lips are on mine. I was not expecting him to do this, I feel very distant from him lately. This is all a nice surprise. I kiss him back but within seconds he pulls away. I open my eyes and he is smiling at me.
"I love you, remember that. Okay? And remember to pull your cloak tight around you, there will be some stormtroopers there and I don't need word of this getting out." He says.
"Then why are you bringing me?" I ask, now I feel turned off by the idea of going and jeopardizing everything.
"If I leave you here, it may look suspicious. Plus I want you to come." He says. He smiles and opens the port door with the wave of his hand. Once outside I soak in the sun on my skin. I feel Kylo grab my wrist and snap me out of it. He pulls me on board his ship and within a few minutes was are in dead space. I stare out the window and just stare at the stars. I almost forgot what they looked like. "See why I like that change of view?"
I smile at him, "They are beautiful." I yawn and tilt my head to the side to rest against the side of the chair. I run my fingers over my small bump. The ship jumps into hyper speed and Kylo gets up from his chair and kneels in front of me. I move my head slowly to look at him. "I hate being so tired all the time."
He frowns at me. "I know. But," he removes his glove off his right hand and wraps his fingers around the back of my neck and stroking my jaw with his thumb, "lets enjoy this time we have while she is still in there." He brings his other still gloved hand over my stomach and gently rubs it. I love that he acknowledges her now. "Sleep, we will be there soon." He goes back over his chair and soon I give in to my exhausted body.
I wake to Kylo nudging me away because we landed on Courscant. Stretching my legs I get up and walk around for a few second to bring blood flow back to my body. My stomach growls so loud Kylo looks at me and his eyes narrow.
"Sorry," I mutter and grab at my stomach. He finished shutting every thing down and hisses his helmet shut. Outside the front widow I see the smog coming off the tops of the buildings. They buildings are window to window and we are on the very top of one. Everything so cramped together here. I try my hardest to push the memory of Hux back by closing my eyes and digging it deeper and deeper into my mind. I open my eyes and Kylo is standing right in front of me. He grabs both sides of my cloak and pulls it right around me. I pull the hood up and hold my cloak shut.
The ramp opens and I see the familiar masks of stormtroopers who straiten when the ramp hits the ground, Kylo stomps out and I follow but stop when we come face to face with General Green.
"Ahh, Master Ren and Rey. Nice of you to join me here.
You didn't tell me he was going to be here
'I didn't know'