A/N: Two of my favorite characters to write in this story (besides Rey and Ben) are Poe and Hux. I didn't realize how much fun I had writing them as the comic reliefs. This is a pretty funny chapter with a pretty funny Hux. Enjoy!

~XIII. The Unexpected Visitor~

Hux had a recent paper published by the science journal, which was a big deal in his newly tenured position as a head physicist at Coruscant Academy, a private military school in Pasadena. He had facetimed Ben with the good news when Rey happened to be passing by behind him, also finding out about his friend's accomplishment. Thus, the pair suggested he and Phasma have dinner at their place to celebrate.

That evening, Ben and Rey decided to prepare Hux's favorite meal: Shepard's pie and bread and butter pudding – beloved dishes that Hux's grandparents would make for him as a boy. Rey was always up for learning new recipes, so she tackled this dinner as a fun project. Ben on the other hand was in a new element, so his lack of skills made for a messy preparation while he assisted Rey. Things got a little too carried away while they prepared the bread and butter pudding, causing an impromptu mini food fight with the powdered sugar that Rey was going to use to garnish the dessert. The mess started on the count of Rey making fun of Ben for the ridiculousness that he looked while sifting the powder and trying to steal a few handfuls of sugar to eat when she wasn't looking.

Once their little war ended, they needed to clean up before their guests would arrive. Ben volunteered to sweep up the powdered mess since he was the one to 'open fire first', so Rey headed to the bathroom to grab a quick shower and get ready for dinner. Since his hair was thankfully protected from the beanie he was wearing, Ben quickly tossed the garment in the laundry, smoothed out his messy black locks and went to the bedroom to change into a fresh collared shirt and jeans. He finally finished sweeping as much of the mess up as he could and had taken both dishes out of the oven.

Then he heard a knock on the door. Perfect timing, he thought.

Ben moseyed over to the front door and swung it open with such vigor. In just one second, his grin had reshaped into a frown.

It was Bazine Netal, the ex-girlfriend.

"Hello Ben."

"What the hell are you doing here?" his tone was sour.

"Now is that a way to treat a woman?" Baz slyly replied.

"I can think of other words to better describe you than 'woman'," he spat.

"Oh Ben, you always know how to sweet talk a lady."

She lazily ran a finger down the side of his face, his jaw quivering with fury. Without invite, she pushed her way past his massive form and let herself inside the apartment.

"Oh, smells good. Have you taken up cooking, baby?"

Ben stiffly turned and walked up to her. "What are you doing here, Baz?"

"Can't I check up on my lovely boyfriend for no reason at all?"

"Last I checked you and I are over."

"I'll be the judge of that," she winked at him.

"Baz, I'm serious this time."

"Are you really still mad at me, Benny? I said I was sorry, jeez hold a grudge much?"

"Well let's see, you cheated on me – TWICE - and took advantage of me so many times I lost track. So yes, I'd say holding a grudge is absolutely appropriate!"

"Ugh, I didn't even stay with those guys. That's why I'm here. I choose you!"

"No, you choose my money, my loft, and my resources. Well guess what; I'm currently jobless, have a roommate and everything else is none of your concern. So please, leave before I make you leave."

"Oh, come on boo," Baz decided to turn up her flirting. She walked over to him and started lazily feeling up his chest until her hands began snaking their way around his neck. "Forgive me already. And I'll show you how sorry I am," she fake-pouted.

Thankfully for Ben, there was another knock on the door. He gently but forcefully took Baz's arms off him and walked over to open it.

"Hey dude, sorry we're late. Couldn't find close enough parking," Hux greeted him.

"Yeah, well we could've been here a bit earlier but Hux wanted to stop by the liquor store for some Guinness. I swear, your Irish roots get stronger and stronger each day!"

"Guys, we have a situation," he briefed his friends.

"What's up?" Phasma asked.

"Oh Benny, who was at the door?"

They recognized that voice. It was a nasally, pretentious, high-pitched tone that was deplorably unforgettable.

"Well, well, well, look who they let out of the brothel," Hux mocked.

The redhead never liked Baz to begin with. He was always civil with her for his best friend's sake. But now that they weren't together, Hux wasted no time in showing his true abhorrence for that horrible human being.

"Armitage," she said tautly.

Baz was shocked to see Ben's friends but tried to be the bigger person and not let them see a weakness.

"Baz, what are you doing here? Last I remember you weren't allowed back here?" Phasma asked irritatingly.

"And last I remember Ben is the one I'm in a relationship with, not you," she scowled.

"Actually, you two broke up," Hux corrected the unwelcomed guest.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I've changed," Baz huffed and crossed her arms proudly. "And I know Ben can change too and we are practically getting back together."

"No, we're not." "No, he's not." Ben and his friends said at the same time.

He motioned to his friends that he would continue.

"Baz, we're done. Look I know we have a history, but a tainted one. You weren't the best girlfriend and I wasn't the best boyfriend. But I've changed. And while you may think that change is for you, it's not. It's for me. So I beg of you, leave."

"No, Ben! I'm staying."

"The hell you are!"

"You stay out of this, Gwen!"

"Don't you yell at my woman!"

"Don't you yell at me! Ben! Tell your friends they're being rude!"

"Baz! Get it through your thick, dense skull. You and Ben are over! He's moved on!" Phasma vehemently told her.

"Oh he is, is he? So you mean to tell me that Ben's got a new plaything and you don't think I'm afraid to fight her? Because I will. Ben's mine."

"Too late, honey, Ben's taken. Legally," Phasma sneered at the witch.

Shit. Ben had totally forgotten that Rey was getting ready in the other room. Shit again, he thought. Baz doesn't know he's married. Wait, did he want her to know? But did he want to use that 'excuse' as an actual thing? Ben never really thought of sharing that bit about him with anyone outside of Hux or Phasma because as legal as it was on paper, he and Rey didn't seem to really acknowledge it. Probably because they both know it's a temporary status. So what's the point in sharing the bit of temporary news, right?

He wanted to stop Phasma because it really wasn't any of Baz's business to begin with, but if this was what it took to get her to leave before Rey was done getting ready, he'd do it.

"What do you mean legally?" Baz was puzzled.

"Like in holy matrimony," Phasma and Hux grinned so wide, their cheeks were starting to get sore.

As if on cue, the door to the bedroom flung open and Rey, freshly showered with a cute buttoned top and denim shorts cheerfully skipped down the small corridor.

"Ah, all clean now! When are Hux and Phasma supposed to come?"

As she finished her sentence, Rey finally entered the room and was met with so many sets of eyes- one of which she didn't recognize.

"Rey, hey!" Phasma pleasantly greeted the other woman.

Phasma went over and hugged Rey. She didn't usually greet her this way, but the two girls, along with Rose, were getting along so well that the hug didn't really seem off place for Rey. In fact, she appreciated it because she thought of Phasma as a genuine friend now.

"Hey Phas," Rey smiled, albeit a bit confused. She glanced between Ben and Baz for a second. "What's going on-"

"HER?! YOU SHACKED UP WITH THIS LITTLE TART?!"

Hux stifled a laugh. He just couldn't help enjoying Baz's plans fail. And his girlfriend was not afraid to take her down. As if this day wasn't already going so well for the redhead.

"This little 'tart' has a name, and it's Rey," Phasma frowned at the unexpected visitor. "Rey this is Baz, Ben's twat of an ex. Baz, this is Rey. Ben's WIFE."

If looks could kill, Phasma's leer had seemingly pierced Baz in the gut because the woman looked ready to implode.

Straightaway Rey had caught on to the important part. Ben's ex-girlfriend must have showed up unannounced and she had found out that they were married. Rey didn't know what to think about that. She and Ben never discussed sharing this personal bit with anyone outside of their friends because it was temporary. Sure, they've been getting along pretty well the past month, but they both knew it had an expiration date. Though oddly, she liked the sound of her title when Phasma said it. In fact, she was trying her best to hide her blushing face.

After the initial shock, Baz only grew more furious. Her plan to take Ben back was crumbling. She had to act fast.

"YOUR WIFE?! Are fucking kidding me?! Ben, I gave you five amazing years and you throw that all away to marry some fresh meat without so much as a memo to me?!"

"It's none of your business, sweetheart," Hux taunted her. "Ben's not your boyfriend anymore."

"I never agreed to that!" Baz hissed at him. "Ben, I know you better than anyone and we've shared so much together. You need to decide between me or this bitch-"

"Hey that's not nic-"

"You shut up, Armitage!"

Baz didn't care how she was speaking to Hux or Phasma or how she described Rey in front of everyone. She was enemy number one in her eyes. She turned back to Ben.

"You need to decide between the two of us right now who you want to be with. And I'm warning you, Ben Solo. If you don't choose me, I'm leaving and never coming back. No begging me for another chance."

"He never asked for another chance!" Hux said, this time he was just milking on Baz's rage. She shot him daggers, but it didn't faze him at all. He was quite enjoying it.

Rey had stopped talking long ago. She was quiet, trying to hide behind Phasma in case this Baz girl decided to strike. But Phasma needed to step away from the situation and let the three of them figure this mess out. She contritely patted Rey's shoulder and she and Hux stepped aside, waiting for this argument to be over.

"Well Ben?"

Baz crossed her arms and glowered at Rey, causing the petite woman to cower in more fear as she stood alone. She then turned to Ben and flashed her most flirtatious smile, hoping he would come to his senses and pick her over that other woman.

The spotlight was on him. His friends were anxiously waiting for him to make a move, Baz was becoming impatient, and Rey… Sweet innocent Rey, trying everything to not make eye contact with him. Her fragile appearance showed just how out of place she was, but she also seemed to be scared to hear Ben's decision. Deep down - and she would never admit this aloud - she was hoping he wouldn't reject her. Especially not in front of an audience.

Ben heaved a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. This time, his eyes had locked at one of them. His resolve emanated through his body, standing straighter and more confidently, walking towards the woman he'd choose.

A warm touch had wrapped around Rey's waist. She had been staring at the floor since Phasma left her side, trying her best not to complicate anything for anyone, especially the unexpected visitor. She was taken aback, flinched a bit when she felt an arm wrap around her and then looked up. He softly smiled at her and turned back to Baz. It was a good thing he looked away because in that moment Rey didn't even try to hide her flushed cheeks.

"It's no contest, Baz. I choose Rey."

He chose her. Ben chose Rey.

"And I'll chose her every time."

Her heart fluttered at his words.

Baz's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Phasma punched her boyfriend's arm because he was about ready to burst into laughter from Baz's expression. She looked over at Ben and gave him an encouraging nod to continue.

"Now if you'll excuse me, my wife and I have guests over for dinner."

When Phasma had said that word moments ago, Rey was slightly amused. But when Ben said it just now while she was in his hold, her insides melted completely.

After a little bit of yelling every vulgar name she could say to Ben, Hux was able to drag Baz out the door and down to the lobby, making sure she went out of the building and stayed out. Finally, they were able to have a peaceful evening.

It took a minute for the air to settle into a comfortable lull. When Hux came back, they properly congratulated him on his achievement at work and they proceeded to have dinner. Hux was blown away by the food Rey and Ben had made. Phasma made fun of Ben, imagining how funny he looked trying to cook. Rey had mentioned their little food fight and she and Ben were lightly bantering about who 'won'. Phasma shot a knowing look at her boyfriend, the two noticing how their friend had gotten close to the woman he met in Vegas. After a nice evening, their guests needed to leave as there was work the next morning. Rey helped Phasma put some leftover bread pudding in foil wrap while Ben and Hux waited at the door, grabbing their coats.

"Well I must say, you host pretty entertaining dinners, Ben. More fun than our poker nights back in college," Hux joked.

"Dinner and a show, a great combination," Ben sarcastically rolled his eyes.

While Baz put a sour note at the start of his evening, seeing her face fall made up for it. Now he hoped that she was out of his life for good.

"So, what was that whole confession about?"

"What are you talking about? What confession?"

"You know the whole 'I choose Rey' thing, hmm?" Hux egged him.

"Well I certainly wasn't going to choose, Baz," Ben tried to answer him casually.

"Yeah, but all you had to say was 'Rey', not 'I choose Rey every time'," Hux had said that last part in a mocking dreamy voice.

"Dude it's nothing!" Ben shoved his friend, trying to hide his colored cheeks.

"Nothing my ass, your face looks like you broke out into hives," he laughed.

"Thanks for dinner you guys!" Phasma and Rey had walked over to the men. "Whoa Ben, you alright?"

He glared at the smirking redhead before turning to the women.

"Yeah, just a bit warm in here," he tried to play it off.

Rey looked at him, saw his flushed face and grew concerned.

"Are you getting sick?" she asked.

Between Rey and her friends, she was the 'mom' of the group, taking care of anyone who was under the weather. So instinctively, she stepped towards him and placed the back of her palm on his forehead.

If Phasma was lost a minute ago, the look on Ben's face explained it all. She looked to her boyfriend, who was holding in his expression as well and she caught on, impishly grinning at what was happening before them.

Rey focused for a few seconds, really feeling for Ben's temperature.

"Well you seem warm, but nothing that calls for a fever. Maybe get some water or fresh air," she suggested.

As if whatever compelled her to touch his forehead instantly turned off, she then realized what she was doing, where her hand was, and that there was an audience around her. She quickly let go and fiddled nervously on her shirt sleeve.

"Such a lovely evening," Hux hummed pleasantly.

This didn't help the two people who were turning redder by the second. As much as Phasma wanted to join in on the teasing, she felt like they needed to give Ben and Rey a break. She said her goodbyes and dragged her boyfriend down the stairs before he made things even more unsettling.

Ben and Rey headed back to the kitchen and cleaned up, doing the dishes and wiping the countertop dry.

"I like your friends," she said out of the blue.

"I like them most days," he kidded.

"I had fun tonight," she smiled. Then it faltered. "Well… except…"

Ben stopped her. "It's alright, Rey. I'm sorry about that. Baz and I are over. She won't be bothering us anymore."

Rey nodded her head and continued drying the dishes with the towel. A bit more silence passed between them. When they had finished, Ben offered for them to have dessert. They scooped some rocky road ice cream into bowls and sat at the kitchen island.

Ben felt that Rey wanted to talk. He knew that she was being considerate and not asking about his ex. But he did throw her in the conversation without so much as a warning. He had warned Phasma and Hux when they arrived. It was only fair to let her ask a couple questions.

"Rey?"

She looked up from her bowl, surprised to hear him speak.

"I'm sorry you got sucked into the situation earlier. I didn't know she was coming. I couldn't run and tell you because I was trying to get her to leave before Hux and Phasma came over."

"It's alright," she believed him.

"No, it's not. She was a bad person who poisoned my life, much longer than I should've let her. And I'm sorry if I made anything awkward for you. I wanted her to leave and especially didn't want her to harm you."

"Thanks," she nodded curtly.

"Really, if you have any questions, I'll answer them. It's only fair."

Did she have questions? Did she care? Did Rey even have the right to ask about his love life? It's not like they were really together and sharing their pasts with one another. Sure, she told him about Hobbie, but that's because he had asked her what her reason was for being in Vegas. But, after the events that happened earlier, she was a bit curious of a few things. Mainly, why he would choose her, Rey – a girl he'd barely known for two months - over apparently a long-time love in Baz. But Rey being Rey was too nervous to ask him such an intimate question. Especially if she was involved.

"Did you love her?" she muttered barely above a whisper.

"Wow, going straight for the big questions huh?" he chuckled nervously. "No 'how'd you two meet?' or 'Why didn't it work out?'… cutting out the middleman."

This lightened the mood a bit. Rey smiled at him. If this was how he coped, she wouldn't push it.

Ben had to think about his answer. He was with Baz on and off for five years. He had to have felt love, right?

"I was in love with the idea of the kind of girl she was, the temptation she gave me. Baz well, you can see she wasn't a good girl. And my parents fought a lot. I'm not really a relationship kind of guy," he said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry I broke your streak," she joked. This made him laugh too.

"But Baz was this fantasy, this want, and she learned how to control me. Soon I was five years deep in a relationship with her. On and off. But she used me. I know she did. I guess by letting her use me and letting this relationship not be anything too serious, I could count this as semi-committed," he explained.

Ben had never really shared his thoughts about his past relationship with Baz. This was a cathartic release. And he only trusted Rey with his deepest thoughts.

"But that didn't mean I wasn't an emotionless person. When she cheated on me the first time, it was a wake-up call. I tried to toss her out. She fought her way back and promised to be faithful. She got her way of course. But then she started using me even more. My money, my loft, and because she knew my mom had so many connections, she always made me buy her the most expensive things and take her to the most exclusive places."

"Sounds like a gold digger."

Ben eagerly nodded.

"Oh, and she knew she was. But she kept me on a tight leash. When I got upset with her for trashing a hotel room when she and her friends went to Cancun for a weekend, she didn't even care, like she was entitled to act up. She got mad at me for getting mad at her and slept with another guy again. I ended it and closed her off. That's when I realized I was never really in love with her. I was in love with the idea of having that bad girl. And being the non-committed type, it was the perfect situation. She had been trying to call and text so many times these past few months, but I went cold on her. Probably why she showed up unannounced."

"Wow… and I thought my fiancé breaking up with me was bad," Rey tried to lighten the mood.

"No, your ex is a fucking prick. Mine is just bat shit crazy!" Ben chuckled.

"Preach it," she said, raising her spoon to clink his.

"Well, I'm glad she's out of your hair, Ben. Commitment or not, you deserve better company than Baz," Rey sincerely replied.

"Thanks, Rey," he smiled. "You too."

So why did you pick me? Rey was pining to ask him. Augh. What if Ben was just playing it up for Baz to truly believe he didn't want to get back with her? Yeah, let's go with that. Ben didn't mean anything of it, Rey tried telling herself. We're good. This is good. Just a temporary thing. But her mind was still itching to know what he thought.

They cleaned up their bowls and decided to call it a night. Before Rey headed down the hall to the bedroom, she asked Ben one more question.

"You swear there's no more crazy ex-girlfriends who will want to barge in here and steal my soul for taking you off the market?" she half-joked.

She really was concerned. Poe had a run in with a few 'ex-lovers' before and he'd share stories with Rey, Finn, and Rose about the crazy things they did to try to get him back. One instance included a girl climbing up to his third story bedroom window and tried to break into his apartment in the middle of the night to see him.

"God, I hope not," Ben chortled. "Don't worry Rey. Baz won't bother us anymore. Besides, if she knew how scary you looked holding a stoker, she'd back off," he smirked.

"You'd be surprised the number of ways I can harm someone with a stick," she boasted.

"I can believe that. You almost murdered me, remember?"

"Again, instincts!"

He really wouldn't ever let her live that down.

"Well, I better turn in now," she gestured toward the direction of the bedroom. Rey turned and started her way down the hall.

"Hey Rey?"

"Hmm?" She stopped in her tracks, turning a little too eagerly to face Ben again.

"Thanks for helping me out earlier. You know with the Baz thing."

"All I did was stand there," Rey giggled. "But you're welcome?"

"Well, you made it easy for me to choose you over Baz," he said brazenly.

OH MY GAWW- Be cool, Rey. Be cool.

"Well I sure hoped you'd pick your wife over your ex-girlfriend, otherwise our whole ruse would've been unraveled," she tried to kid.

But who was she kidding? She was about ready to scream. And she didn't even know why she was so worked up about it all of a sudden.

"Fair enough," he blushed.

There was something in Ben's mind that made him be so bold at that moment. Maybe it was the teasing from Hux that got his brain all jumbled, or maybe deep down he really did mean something when he said those words. I choose Rey every time. He wanted to explore them but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. Besides, this was only a temporary arrangement. He couldn't start having feelings for her now. Right?

"Goodnight Ben." Rey waved at him when she reached the bedroom door.

Maybe he'll think about the right thing to do tomorrow. Because seeing that beautiful woman staring back at him across the hall, Ben was certain that he made the right choice.

"Goodnight… wife," he winked at her.

Rey blushed and grinned at him before shutting the door. She smiled at that word. Wife. This day was officially the best, scariest, and weirdest day they've ever shared in the loft. And the sudden onset of nerves to almost everything Ben said to her were a relatively new feeling. How on earth was Rey going to last the next four months without wondering the meaning of everything that happened that evening?! Including her own fluttering thoughts!

"I'm in trooouble," she muttered helplessly to herself.

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Poe's Birthday

"Poe's quite the lady's man, isn't he?"

"More like a man whore, but let's go with lady's man, sounds more grown up," Rose joked.

~.~.~

"Guys, this Kaydel."

"How do you know Poe?"

"We're... acquainted."