cover by the fantastic ladyburrito!

We have a kid for you. Rey, 17. Foster father just got arrested on multiple charges. Needs a bed tonight.

Kylo reread the message from the social worker as he walked into the house. Gwen would want to talk about it. They'd been waiting months already and while seventeen was a bit older than he'd expected, he had no doubt his wife would want to take the opportunity.

"I've already said yes," was her greeting as he set down his briefcase and shrugged out of his blazer. "I thought you wouldn't mind, since we'll only have him for a year at most. Amy said this one would likely leave as soon as graduating, so." She was washing the (already clean) bedding for the child's room. "I thought you wouldn't mind."

"I don't." He did, but it wasn't worth the fight at the moment, since he had wanted to say yes anyway. It still grated on him that Gwen had decided without his leave. She was a strong-willed woman and at times he was irritated at her stubbornness. "When will they be here?"

"I'm not sure. Things are apparently chaotic."

He nodded. With police involved it was sure to be, especially if they were taking statements from the teenager, which they probably were.

"How are you feeling?" Gwen stiffened.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "You?"

He pulled out a bottle of the good whiskey and a tumbler. It had been a stressful day even before the message. "I don't either." Too many emotions were boiling away under the indifference he layered over everything. It was much too sudden of a development to have an idea of his emotions.

The pale women scoffed when she heard the telltale trill of ice into glass. "Are you really going to drink when Amy could be here at any moment with our foster child?"

"I'll be done with it by then," he assured.

"Hm."

Kylo resisted the urge to roll his eyes, reminding himself that he was an adult and soon-to-be parent, sort of. He hadn't wanted to be a parent yet, maybe ever. But Gwen… well, he owed it to her. He was also relieved that it was an older child coming to them instead of a youngling. It would be less pressure; he could step back and let Gwen take on parenting mostly. She wanted to mold young minds, well, here was her chance.

He stretched long legs out and leaned back in his office chair, the scent of whiskey and leather soothing after the bullshit of his everyday life. The cool alcohol burned a line to his chest, settling in his stomach. Kylo rolled his neck and sighed. THis was what he'd looked forward to all day. This beautiful peace, finally. Even his inner demons were quiet now.

When the doorbell rang he had nearly unwound. He unfolded his tall frame from the chair and sauntered downstairs, hands empty, the scent of whiskey overwhelmed by the mint he'd popper into his mouth. He ran a hand through dark hair to his shoulders and took his place on the love seat, one leather shoe clad foot cross to the other knee.

Gwen was at the door welcoming them in. He could hear her polite, clipped tones, the murmur of Amy's more friendly voice. But the kid was either quiet or hadn't spoken yet.

"Rey, this is my husband, Kylo."

Kylo looked up from his tented fingers and stared at the unexpected sight. There was Amy with her pastel violet hair and Gwen obviously uncomfortable. And hiding slightly between the two was a slight girl.

A beautiful girl, his mind automatically amended.

She was not short, but the women on either side of her dwarfed her in height, and she was too thin from malnutrition on top of a slim frame. Her wide eyes were brilliantly sharp despite her nerves, and her brunette hair pulled back.

She looks like Padme came out of the back of his mind. And she did, though her eyes were definitely more hazel than his grandmother's had been.

He was staring too long and he cleared his throat as he realized. Kylo stood and nodded as he said, "You must be Rey. Welcome."

"Hi."

Quiet then.

"Rey, would you like to see your room?" he asked. Gwen would want a moment alone with Amilyn to discuss the strange turn; they'd been clear in their preference for a boy.

The teen glanced from one woman to the other before murmuring, "Yes, please."

"This way." he nodded toward the stairs, taking the moment to further inspect this stranger in his home. She wore frayed basketball shorts that hung off her and a tattered t-shirt that was a size or two too large. Her shoes were worn and stained from use. She would need new clothes.

"I'll help bring in your other things later," he said as he directed her toward the hall.

She shrugged the straps of her backpack tighter on her shoulders. "I don't have anything else."

"Oh." He stepped to the side, hand on the doorknob. There was a long, awkward moment as she stood uncertainly in front of the door, shifting between her worn sneakers, before he turned it. "Well, this is yours. Your room now." And he turned the knob, swinging the door open.

Like every other room in the house, it was nice. The ceilings were high, large windows, walls a soft grey-blue bordering on what he'd consider a white. The was a blue and green patterned throw rug, desk, dresser, nightstand, and bed all matching almost black wood. The bed was full-sized because why not (that had been an argument between him and Gwen; she'd thought it silly to have anything larger than a twin, but Kylo remembered waking up at fifteen and suddenly being uncomfortably large for his bed), and there was a bookshelf with some classic novels all children should be exposed to at some point. Otherwise, it was bereft of personality, a space waiting to be filled.

Rey stepped in, drinking in the details Gwen had spent hours upon hours agonizing over, and set her bag on the cerulean bedspread.

"We thought we'd be getting a boy." he trailed off and rubbed his neck by way of explanation.

"It's nice," she assured. "Really nice. I'm not big on frilly things anyway." She trailed her fingers over the black mesh top of the desk chair, tipped her head as she studied the cup of various pens and pencils.

Kylo wanted to give the women downstairs time, but was at a loss as to what to discuss with a teenage girl. He hadn't been able to talk to teenage girls when he was their age and the talent hadn't seemed to come with age.

"You can pick up some things tomorrow when we go shopping."

"Shopping?" She frowned at him, the slight furrow forming between her brows at odds with the smooth plumpness of her cheeks.

He gestured toward her meager belongings. "You need clothes at least. And, ah, other things, I'm sure." Girls were more high maintenance on average, requiring more than boys from what he could remember.

"I'm fine." Her cheeks were red. She was cute, with the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

"Hm. I don't know what your last foster home was like, but we prefer wearing clean clothes every day, and maybe not having to wash them every other day to do that."

She coughed and he realized it had been a soft laugh of sorts. "Okay," she conceded.

"It wasn't a choice anyway." Kylo wasn't sure why he'd said that, but Rey merely nodded dutifully.

She turned to the two doors on one of the walls. "Am I connected to another bedroom?"

"Just the bathroom and closet."

"I have a bathroom?" As though doubting his words, she flicked open one door. BY her reaction, the closet was not what she expected. "I've had bedrooms smaller than this."

Her wide hazel eyes were sparkling now, her guard lowering as she became comfortable with his presence, or perhaps forgetting it. "I could sleep in here."

Kylo hid a chuckle. "I don't think the mattress would fit."

The raised brow tossed his way did not make his amusement abate. The cynical expression was soon wiped away by her awe once she opened the bathroom door.

It was all in pale blues and greys and silvers and colors were supposed to be soothing according to Gwen. Rey gaped at the mirror covered wall with its vanity lighting, the smooth marble counters, the basin bath. She turned to him with questions written in her eyes. "THis is all for me?"

"Yes." Her pink lips parted and she blinked around herself once more. "There's a half bath downstairs and a bathroom with the guest bedroom across the hall."

"How many bathrooms are there?"

He was no longer hiding the smile. "Three and a half. THere's also one in the master suite."

The girl shook her head and repeated the number to herself. "And how many bedrooms?"

"Just the three." Before she could comment on that, he added, "Then there's the sitting room where I met you, kitchen, dining room, den, and my study."

"Why are there so many rooms?" The wonder was written clearly across her face.

Kylo shrugged. "This was the house we bought. Come, Gwen and Amy will probably need to speak with us."

She followed him with softly padded steps, the ball of her foot hitting before the heel so she made little noise. Kylo wondered if that was a learned behavior; he'd once walked the same way when an angry Han was home. It would make sense, given the state of her and her status as a foster child.

"Ah, there you are." Gwen stood and gestured for him to sit beside her and the girl stood awkwardly once more.

"You don't need to be here if you want, Rey." Amy smiled at the girl and Rey nodded.

"You can explore your room more if you'd like," Kylo said. Rey tossed him a grateful smile and excused herself, leaving the adults alone. "I like her," he told the women once she was out of sight. "I want her to stay."

Gwen took a deep, steadying breath. "Kylo."

Amy's face brightened. Whatever she and Gwen had decided must have been less positive. "She's a really good kid," the social worker assured them. "She's smart, responsible. She reminds me of you when you were young, actually."

The reminder that she'd known him when he was an angry teen… "Is she that angsty?"

"What?" Amilyn startled. "No, I meant. Well, she's serious, thoughtful. But she's much more even tempered. She is a really good kid. She just needs somewhere stable. SO she can graduate. She's looking to get a scholarship, and-"

"What grade is she in?"

Amy pursed her lips before answering. "She's a junior, but-"

"I thought she was a senior?" Gwen was not pleased with the response. "That's nearly a year and a half away, Amy. Is it really a good idea to have a teenage girl here?"

Kylo turned his dark eyes on his wife. "What's the difference?" He shook his head. "She stays."