First, I just want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has commented so far, and to all of my new followers. Each and every one of you are putting a smile on my face!

Secondly, some of you might be wondering: are other members of Star Wars going to be in this? And the answer is: YES! I plan on adding all of our beloved favorites into the story eventually. I have big plans for this, and can only hope to stay motivated to see it all the way through.

**Ages of characters might be different from Star Wars canon**

As always, sit back, relax, and enjoy! :)

(P.S.A) This chapter is once again from Rey's POV. In future chapters, I might switch between Ben's and Rey's POV. Dunno, still debating it ;)

Saturday, October 14, 1939 | Part I

Today was the day.

Ben would be here at six o'clock.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious. Actually, I was pretty terrified.

Of course, I've been on dates in the past. But that's only what they were, dates. None of them blossomed into a potential relationship.

Kaydel once teased and said that it was my fault. Little did she know that I took it to heart.

I've been known to have a mind of my own, and many men have not been able to wrap their heads around a strong, independent, and capable women. Nonetheless, I always hoped there would be that one fish in the sea who would accept my strengths, whereas others had persecuted them.

Maybe one day.

Slowly, I creeped out of my bed and opened the curtains while releasing an annoyed sigh.

Great.

Rain.

Not only just rain.

But pouring rain.

That was the last thing I wanted to deal with today.

There goes two potential outfits I could have worn straight out the window.

Once the annoyance left, I stepped down the rickety Victorian staircase before turning into the kitchen to prepare my usual breakfast: oatmeal with brown sugar and a cup of hot tea.

"Good morning my Rey of sunshine," Ahsoka chirped while planting a kiss on the back of my head.

When I was around three months old, I was found alone on Michigan Avenue. There I was, in an old shoe box, saved by a police officer who was making his rounds on an early morning in mid-March of 1923. I didn't have any personal belongings except for a yellow wool-blanket, a snug brown jumper, a light blue knitted hat, and stockings which barely fit around my chunky legs. Safety-pinned to the blanket I was wrapped in was a sheet of paper which roughly translated to:

To Whom It May Concern,

Hello! My name is Rey and my birth parents tried their best to provide for me. However, they hope I will find a family that could give me a future that they could never possibly provide. Have a blessed day.

I still have the note in my jewelry box and despite it having multiple grammatical and spelling errors, it's still one of my most prized possessions.

From there, I was placed up for adoption in one of the many orphanages within the city limits of Chicago. Within two months time, I was adopted by a widow named Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka's husband was a prominent engineer and developer of many patented structures which were and still are being used in the manufacturing of skyscrapers not only in Chicago, but around the United States as well. Despite never being a smoker, Ahsoka's husband tragically died after a long and strenuous battle with lung cancer. Since her husband did not have any living relatives, Ahsoka inherited his entire estate and fortune as stated in his last will and testament.

The two of them always wanted to start a family together, but after many years of trying and several appointments with prominent physicians, Ahsoka was told it would be impossible for her to conceive. With her newly inherited fortune, she decided her new goal in life was to give a child who had and came from absolutely nothing, everything in the world that they could ever need. So there she found herself, at the ripe age of thirty-eight, adopting an infant to lovingly dote upon.

My childhood was nothing less than picturesque. From a young age, I developed a love for all animals, especially horses. Big ones, small ones, brown ones, black ones, white ones, fat ones, skinny ones. It didn't matter, I loved them all. Ahsoka picked up on this, and in return, each weekend, we would take a train an hour outside of the city to a privately owned ranch, where I would spend the entire day riding compact sized horses while Ahsoka snapped pictures on her newly acquired Kodak camera.

When the weekends faded away, my days were filled with what seemed like an endless stream of classes. I wasn't entirely keen on school, but Ahsoka always emphasized the importance of a quality education. So, each and every day, I reluctantly got out of bed, squirmed myself into a freshly pressed uniform, ate a somewhat healthy breakfast, and then headed out the back door towards the model-T which Ahsoka drove me to school in every single day. She was often criticized for operating a car, since it was seen to be a man's job. But Ahsoka would kindly dismiss their remarks, since she was an independent soul.

My life seemed to be perfect up until October 24, 1929.

From that moment on, it seemed like everything began to fall apart.

The stock market crashed.

Within the next few weeks and months, many of my friends were leaving the neighborhood and dropping out of school.

As a six year old, I had the right to be confused.

Why were my friends disappearing into what seemed to be thin air?

Ahsoka went on to tell me with the best of her ability what was occurring within the country, how many people had lost their money overnight, and how they had to leave the city to try and find reliable work.

Thankfully, Ahsoka was one of the few people who did not trust in banks, and left most of her fortune in multiple safes which were under tight surveillance in the basement behind several locks and keys.

We were able to keep our house, but from then on we tried our best to live a modest lifestyle. Ahsoka did not want to flaunt our wealth, in fear that desperate people would target our home and raid our belongings.

And still to this day, we have continued to live modestly, only purchasing materials and supplies when absolutely necessary.

Although the Great Depression was nearing its timely demise, Ahsoka and I had become accustomed to living in our old ways, and did not plan on changing them anytime soon.

So here we are, living each day as it comes.

Enjoying every moment that we can.

"Good morning," I replied while pouring raw oats and water into a saucepan and then placing it on the stove.

"A little birdy told me that you have a date tonight, is that so?"

"Is that birdy's name Kaydel?"

"Perhaps…" Ahsoka quietly whispered while pouring herself a new cup of tea.

My cheeks started to heat up as I nodded, "Well, that birdy is correct."

"Ah, yes. Another boy to give the famous pep talk to," she winked while bumping me gently with her hip before darting across the room.

I stirred my oatmeal in the pot before looking across the kitchen at her, "No, no, no. Please. This one might actually have potential."

She raised her arms in defense, "Darling... I have to let him know not to mess with Mama bear."

I let out a frustrated half laugh while pouring my oatmeal into a porcelain glazed bowl and settling down in my usual seat at the end of our kitchen table. Ahsoka sat down next to me before putting on her glasses to begin whisking through the Chicago Tribune.

After a few minutes of reading, the silence was broken by Ahsoka, "So, have you decided what you're going to wear this evening?"

I shrugged, "Well, the weather is ruining all of my current choices. Also, I cannot forget to mention that my date did not inform me as to where he is taking me tonight, so we could be going to the moon for all I know."

Ahsoka's eyebrows squinted together, an indication she was deep in thought. Soon after, her soulful blue-eyes widened and a grin made its way across her wrinkled face.

"I know what you should wear. The navy dress with the white polka dots."

Rey looked up from the oatmeal towards her adoptive mother.

The navy dress, of course!

It had been several months since she wore it out in public. It was casual, but classy and practical at the same time.

"Yes! That's a perfect choice."

She beamed, "And curl your hair. You know, the special way you kids do it nowadays."

I rolled my eyes before glancing over at her, "Mom…"

She relentlessly continued while she clapped her hands together, "Oh! My goodness, you cannot forget to wear a nice shade of red lipstick as well. Bright lips are in this season."

"Mom…"

"But do NOT wear white pumps, they will certainly get dirty with all of these puddles lining the sidewalks. Maybe go with a nice but you know not TOO nice pair of brown or black pumps."

"Mom…"

"Stockings! You absolutely cannot leave this house without wearing some proper stockings to keep yourself warm. You are as thin as a whippet and I'd hate to see you catch a cold, or even worse pneumonia."

"MOM!" I blurted, shooting her an annoyed look.

"What?!" She exclaimed while sipping on her coffee and looking towards me.

I got up from the table, picked up my bowl and teacup before placing them in the sink, "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Blabbering and being snippy."

Her eyes widened a bit before giving a shy smile, "Sorry my dear... I get carried away sometimes."

Before heading out of the kitchen, I placed a kiss on the top of her once auburn but now graying hair before giving her a tender hug.

"It's okay. I love you even when you babble, Mrs. Snips."

The hours seemed to pass at a snail's pace, and it did not help that I needed to finish some school work before this evening came around.

Eleven o'clock. Began working on organic chemistry.

Noon. Continue dying while working on organic chemistry and then have a twenty minute break to eat a chicken sandwich while contemplating the meaning of life and debating whether or not to become a high school dropout.

One o'clock. Officially see your will to live slowly crumble while working on organic chemistry practice problems.

Two o'clock. Congrats, I've finished organic chemistry and now can move onto something more riveting like geometry.

Three o'clock. Currently sitting at my desk wanting to slam my head into a brick wall because I could care less about the properties of a parallelogram.

Once seeing the clock strike four o'clock, I quickly slam all of my books shut and ram them underneath my bed.

I take a quick bath to freshen myself up before heading over to my vanity to begin prepping my face. Slowly but surely, I put a minimal amount of makeup onto my face. A few strokes of mascara on my lashes and a hint of powder and blush. When finished, I finally top it all off with a lovely shade of bright red lipstick.

Ahsoka had always taught me that less is more when it came to makeup, and she was certainly right.

From there, I began to curl my hair so it framed my face nicely. I pinned several strands back, forming even more softer curls. When I was satisfied with how it looked, I smiled in the mirror to make sure that I had not gotten any lipstick onto my teeth. From there, I headed towards the closet to fetch my dress. Once I neared the doors to my closet, I could hear the doorbell ring.

I quickly looked over my shoulder at a clock sitting on my desk.

5:45.

Really?

Fifteen minutes early?

At least he's punctual.

If he's going to arrive THIS early, then he can most certainly wait.

But of course, I began to eavesdrop as soon as I heard conversation coming from downstairs.

Upon hearing the doorbell ring, Ahsoka got up from her favorite couch within the parlor, straightened up her skirt and blouse before heading towards the door. She opened it with her famous pearly white smile.

"Hello, my name is Ben. I'm here to pick up Rey for this evening," the man stated confidently while sporting a crooked grin.

"Ah. Yes, Ben. Please come in," Ahsoka motioned towards the parlor and closed the door behind him.

"Is there anything I can get for you, a drink? Coffee, water, tea, perhaps?" Ahsoka offered with gentleness in her deep-blue eyes.

He nodded while giving a kind smile in return, "Yes ma'am, water sounds great."

"Take a seat, she may be a little while longer. I'll be right back with your water."

When she turned her back, Ben took this newly found opportunity to gaze across the parlor and into the rest of the house which was in his immediate view. At first he was taken back by the minimal but lavish furnishings that found refuge in the quaint Victorian house. In more ways than one, it was vastly different from the place he called home.

Ben took a step closer to the fireplace mantel, where he found a photograph of what looked to be Rey as a toddler. The slightly chunky child was holding a baby bunny, a kitten, and a gosling within her small arms with one of the cheekiest grins he had ever seen. He smiled to himself contently before taking a seat on one of the plush couches.

Around a minute later, Ahsoka came in holding a tray with a glass of water and a cup of tea for herself.

"I hope you don't mind lemon in your water. We always think it freshens up the drink," she stated as she handed over the glass.

Ben shook his head while grabbing it, "Lemon doesn't bother me at all. Thank you."

She smiled and took a small sip. The pair sat quietly for several moments enjoying their drinks before Ahsoka broke the ice.

"Now Ben, I want to let you know that I am a widow. Rey's father passed right before she arrived. Because of this, I have to be a father figure from time to time, especially when it comes to her dating life. I hope you can understand?" As she finished her sentence, Ahsoka took a sip of her tea before looking across the room into his brown eyes.

He nodded in response, "Of course, I understand."

"Great! So you understand that if you harm my daughter, I will not hesitate to cut off one of your favorite appendages."

Ben nearly choked on his water before looking back at her completely and utterly shocked at what just came out of her mouth.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"I know you heard me loud and clear. So, Mr. Ben, do you understand?"

He sat there completely speechless for several moments before nervously clearing his throat, "I hear you loud and clear, ma'am."

Her eyes beamed once more, "Wonderful! I knew you were a smart boy."

He gave her a hesitant smile while fixing the tie around his neck and taking another sip of the lemon water.

This is definitely going to be an interesting night to say the least... He thought to himself.

Yay! Chapter two is now over. Y'all thought I was going to go straight into the date, didn't ya? Tisk tisk. Anyway, let me know what you think! If you liked it, please leave a review, and maybe send it to one of your friends? Dunno, just a thought.

As always, thank you for reading! :)