A/N: Alright, let me tell you about this part of the story. I'm going to say this a lot, especially in the second half (Act II), but this was one of my favorite chapters to write. Rey's been talking about this gala for so long, there needed to be a turning point chapter and this is it. Like the movie with the same name, this part of the film was their turning point as well.

HOWEVER... I wrote so much for this part of the story that it went almost 10k words so I had to split it up lol. Hence why we have Gala Weekend Pt. 1 & 2. Hope you enjoy!

~XIX. Gala Weekend Pt. 1~

~i. Will You Be My Plus One?~

Monday came too soon after such a high spirited Fourth of July weekend. Rey, who usually picked up hours on the weekends to work overtime to prepare for the gala, skipped both days to enjoy a weekend with Ben, their friends and his family. As expected, she was met with a mountain of paperwork on her desk that morning. Ever since the scolding by Lando, Snap wasted no time in making the office a living hell for Rey. She was expecting it and while she didn't like his antics, she never showed it affecting her, which drove Snap crazy. He started picking up slack and doing his own paperwork (so he says, but Rey knows he makes his assistant do it for him) and kisses Lando's butt during every meeting. Rey in turn had been working extra hard with the planning aspect, securing things in place, naturally pleasing her boss, much to Snap's chagrin.

"Andor! I was surprised to hear you weren't in the office this weekend. Glad you finally took some time off for the holiday," her boss Lando stopped by her desk after their morning meeting. "What'd you do for the Fourth?" He took a sip of his coffee awaiting her response.

Rey wasn't on bad terms with Lando, in fact it was hard to get on the man's bad side. He wasn't an intimidating man. When it came to business, he was authoritative, though he found a balance in camaraderie to allow a better workplace for his employees. However, the past few weeks had been very busy for everyone with business dealings as the summer months were the busiest, and event planning that it had been quite some time since she had a casual conversation with anyone at the office, let alone her boss. Which was why him dropping by her desk for a brief chat threw her off balance for a second.

"Rey? Hello?" Lando waved a hand in front of her face.

After shaking off the small shock, she replied.

"Sorry, was completely out of it for a sec. First cup of coffee hasn't gone through my system yet," she tried to joke.

This made Lando chuckle.

"Right, Fourth of July," she remembered what he asked. "I went to a barbecue with my husband's family."

Rey froze in her seat. She realized too late she had just shared that tidbit and couldn't take it back.

This time Lando almost spit out his coffee. "Your husband?! You're married now?!"

"Y-yeah, didn't I tell you? I could've sworn I mentioned it," she tried to play it cool.

Of course she didn't tell him. But she didn't know what else to say to her boss' response. She didn't tell anyone at work. Aside from Leia introducing her to the Skywalker-Solo clan, the only ones who knew of her nuptials were their friends. And they wanted to keep it that way. The less people who knew the better.

"No, and I'm a little hurt I didn't get an invite," her boss replied.

She wasn't sure if he was being serious or joking. A part of her feared that it might've hurt her chances for a promotion.

"I'm sorry, it was just a spur of the moment thing. We eloped actually."

Why the hell was she sharing something so personal with her boss?!

"Ah, young love," he crooned. "I take it you're bringing him to the gala then?"

"Well-"

"You should definitely bring him. I want to meet this fella. You're one of my top dogs here, Andor. I want to meet the guy who was lucky enough to snag you." He smirked.

"Uh-"

Before she could put in another word, Lando turned and walked away, whistling as he sipped his morning coffee.

Despite planning for this event for nearly five months, Rey had dismissed the thought of even thinking about taking anyone as her date. She and Hobbie were long over before this project even began so she assumed she'd go alone. Even living with Ben and getting more comfortable around him, Rey felt it would be too bold of a move to ask him to accompany her or that he would even be remotely interested in attending a work function. Though, if she were being honest, lately she had been thinking of asking him to be her plus one. Despite the awkward mishaps with Baz and his college friends, Rey had begrudgingly admitted to herself that she was become rather fond of Ben's presence. And with the weekend they spent together having fun at his family's estate, she would never admit this aloud that she was harboring strong (yet complicating) feelings for him. While terrified for what just happened between her and her boss, she was somewhat excited to have a reason to ask Ben to go with her to the gala.

The rest of the afternoon Rey couldn't really focus on her work. She had grown nervous and didn't know how to ask Ben to the event. Knowing she wouldn't get anything else done, she decided to call it an early day and head home.

When she reached the loft, she was surprised to see Ben in the kitchen trying to whip something up. Her apprehension had slipped away for now as she couldn't help but be tickled at the sight in front of her – Ben wearing a flour stained apron reading a cookbook and desperately trying to measure the right amount of whatever bottle he was holding onto a measuring spoon. When the door to the loft slammed shut, he looked up at an amused Rey.

"Baking something?" she stifled a laugh.

"Attempting to," he admitted. "I was going to scoop myself a bowl of ice cream when I had the sudden craving for a Pizookie."

"What's a Pizookie?" she couldn't help but chuckle at the peculiar word.

"What's a Piz- Are you serious?!" Ben was indubitably shocked. He placed the measuring spoon and bottle down and turned his attention back to Rey. "It's only a gluttonous masterpiece that brings together the two best confections in the history of desserts!" he gestured wildly flapping his arms for emphasis.

This time Rey let her amusement display freely. She couldn't take him seriously with his childlike actions.

"And that is?" she asked him.

"Ice cream on top of a skillet cookie," he proudly answered. "Basically, cookies a la mode," he said as a matter of fact.

"Sounds… very sugary," she chortled.

"I can't believe you've never tried it," he was still astonished by her revelation.

"Will you make me one?" she asked sweetly.

As if she needed to butter up to him. Ever since the barbecue, Ben was glued to her, wanting to do anything and everything will Rey all weekend. He may as well have been a puppy dog yearning for her attention.

"Well that's obvious now! You haven't lived until you've had a Pizookie!" Ben declared. His eagerness fleetingly died when he turned back to his mess. "Okay well, maybe we'll have to wait on that. I don't want to ruin your experience by giving you a charred block," he shrugged.

Rey simply shook her head and giggled, then went over to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out another smock to wrap around her waist. She walked up beside Ben and playfully nudged his hip.

"What kind of cookie are we making?"

He had a lopsided grin and tried his best not to blush at their brief contact. He could definitely get used to this.

"Well the original Pizookie is just a chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream. I've got the ice cream covered, just bought a new tub."

"Of course you did," she teased while wiping down a bit of the flour stained countertop. "Alright, let's make some cookies!"

For the next half hour, Rey helped Ben whip up a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. As she taught him how to prepare the dough with a bit of her secret touches for the perfect cookie, he further explained how the Pizookie came to be. Next, Ben grabbed the two small skillets he bought right before his baking conquest and helped her press dough into the pans before setting them in the oven. While cleaning up and waiting for the cookies to bake, they continued to talk about their favorite desserts. Ben made fun of Rey for liking oatmeal raisin cookies - the most boring of the cookies - and Rey threatened to not make crème brulee - a favorite dessert of his - if he didn't stop making fun of her beloved oatmeal treats. Ben of course ceased his teasing because he was impressed that Rey knew how to make such a complicated dessert.

The timer chimed and Ben took it from there. He had Rey sit on a stool to watch as he removed the skillets from the oven and placed them on wood boards to cool. He proceeded to open the tub of vanilla ice cream and scooped up two almost perfect half circles of the creamy mush onto the freshly baked desserts. He then grabbed a bottle of chocolate syrup and drizzled generously on top of the ice cream and cookie. When his masterpiece was deemed complete, he beamed proudly at his creation. He slid the dessert over to Rey, grabbed a spoon and handed it to her. He quickly drizzled chocolate on his skillet then grabbed a spoon of his own.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Rey questioned. He was waiting for some reason.

"No, I want to see your reaction first," he explained. "I'm serious, this is life changing."

For the umpteenth time that day she laughed at him. She shrugged, knowing he wouldn't budge and scooped up a satisfactory amount of cookie and ice cream then took a bite. It was good. Damn good. She admitted this to herself. Her cookie, the one thing she wasn't afraid to brag about, was soft and chewy, and the cold ice cream merged well with the warm biscuit. It was a match made in dessert heaven. She looked up at Ben who was waiting expectantly for her feedback.

"It's… not bad," she said plainly. "Pretty good."

"Just good?!" he was initially shocked. Then he saw a smirk spread across her lips. "Oh, you're evil," he narrowed his eyes at her. "Come on, tell me the truth. Say it."

While she couldn't hide her smile, she tried her best not to giggle.

"Say it, Rey," Ben demanded impatiently.

"Okay, okay," she gave in. "This is delicious!"

"Isn't it?!" He said immediately digging into his melting dessert. He happily sighed that his sweet tooth was finally satisfied and proceeded to clean his skillet with his spoon.

Rey thoroughly enjoy this impromptu activity with Ben. It eased her in a way that brought on a bit of confidence she didn't think she'd have when she spoke next.

"Hey Ben?" she asked after taking another bite of her sweet dessert.

"Yeah?" He looked up from his plate, a mouthful of cookie and ice cream on his sticky face.

She couldn't help but smile at his boyish state. She glanced back down at her dessert and played with the chocolate drizzle, smearing it onto the warm cookie.

"Do you want to… maybe… go with me to my gala next weekend?"

She let the words settle between them so he could grasp what she just said. Then she looked up hesitantly. After initial surprise, a chocolatey smile formed on his lips.

"I'd love to go with you."

They both beamed, suddenly very shy with one another, then proceeded to finish their desserts in idyllic silence.

It was only two weeks away and while Rey was feeling stressed about everything that needed to be done, it was now second to her new feeling of euphoria that she was going to attend this magnificent event with someone special. Ben was floored that Rey had asked him to her gala. Granted, he knew she was preparing for this for the past several months, and he helped in getting his parents to agree to go, but he didn't assume that he was going as well. Though the thought of seeing Rey all dressed up in what he could only imagine a stunning ensemble, he desperately wished he could be her plus one. Which was why he - without question - said yes when she finally asked him. Ben was looking forward to a spending a magical weekend with Rey in Catalina.

Not much was spoken about the gala after that except his initial questions – what to bring and wear, and how to get there to start. Sure, Rey gathered the courage to ask him and Ben boldly accepted, but it was Rey and Ben – they made everything difficult. At least this awkwardness was for good reason.

It was the Friday before the event approached and Rey and Ben were sharing some pasta for dinner that night. There was one lingering question that Ben had yet to ask, with Rey knowing what it was and was nervous herself to answer or bring it up either.

"So," he tried to bring it up casually. "What else is going on other than the gala?"

"Presentations for our benefactors and potential sponsors on the first day, then the second day we get unlimited access to everything at the resort," she replied.

"Ah, first work then play. Smart move," Ben chuckled.

"That's how we lure them in," Rey laughed along, albeit nervous.

"Uh…" he mumbled. "If the gala goes through Sunday, where are your guests staying?"

"A-at the resort," she cleared her throat. "Everyone attending is getting a generous deal. It comes as part of the price of their tickets."

"Um… so," he didn't know how to ask the next thing. Nervously, he scratched the nape of his neck, not wanting to make eye contact with her. "Uh… do we get rooms?"

It was her time to be nervous. As if she weren't already. "Sort of," she answered. "You're technically coming as my plus one, not a separate guest since I'm an employee and we're going for free. So…" she didn't know how to finish that.

Why was it so hard for her to say that they had to share a room together? They've been living together for almost five months. Hell, they slept together in Vegas!

Ben knew this reticence wouldn't end until they changed subjects. So he bit the bullet and just spoke up.

"Hey we share a one-bedroom here. It's all the same, right?" he tried easing their minds.

"Right," she sighed in relief.

Okay, she thought. Maybe it won't be too awkward after all.

~ii. A Formal Affair~

Saturday morning came and Rey started her day at 6 AM. She informed Ben that the gala dinner was really the main event for the first day, but they had meetings and presentations in the afternoon for some of their larger benefactors. She needed to take the ferry to Catalina with her co-workers and help set up before 10 AM. She informed him when she would check in and will have a keycard for him at the front desk for their room when he was to arrive; that way he could get ready for the gala that evening at the resort. After Ben ran a few last minute errands, he packed up his bag for the weekend and headed to Catalina.

While the gala wasn't a black-tie event, it was still a formal affair. Ben wore an all-black suit with a crisp white shirt and a burgundy silk tie. He made sure to take his outfit to the dry cleaners to get any wrinkles out from sitting in his closet for god knows how long. He arrived at the ballroom a few minutes earlier than Rey had suggested they meet. He was very anxious, fidgeting with the glass of coke in his hand at the bar, debating whether to break their no alcohol rule and down a glass of whiskey to calm his nerves. It didn't resort to that as his worriedness simply melted away when from across the room, his eyes met hers. Rey donned a white strapless dress that hugged her torso tight with a sheer lace layer before the rest of the soft fabric flowed freely down her legs to just above her calves. She was an absolute vision. Out went Ben's anxiety and what replaced it was a positively heart-aching desire for the woman in front of him. She strolled over to him, thanking her makeup for hiding just the faintest of blushing and smiled warmly when he reached in for a hug.

"You look… wow," He was speechless.

"You're not so bad yourself," she matched his expression.

They lingered for a bit and exchanged bashful cues, unsure of what to say or do next.

"This place is crazy nice," he said, scanning around the immediate area. "You did a great job planning this whole thing."

"It's wasn't just me," she shrugged.

"Rey, come on. It was all you," he bragged for her. He turned to the bar tender to order Rey a ginger ale and another soda for himself.

"Cheers," she said. They clinked glasses and sipped their beverages silently, the good nervousness still clouding around them.

Their silent exchange of smiles and feigning blushes was then interrupted.

"Andor! Nice job this afternoon. The board is very satisfied." Rey's boss spotted her and walked up to the pair.

"Thank you, sir" Rey nodded curtly. Then she turned to Ben, "Sir, this is my husband Ben. Ben, my boss Lando."

"Lando Calrissian, how you doing son?" he heartily shook Ben's hand.

"Ben Solo. I'm well, thanks."

"Wait… Solo? As in Leia Solo? You two related?"

"Yes sir, she's my mother."

Rey and Ben were expecting her boss' next reaction. It was the same one she had when she discovered this information all those months ago in Vegas.

Lando's eye bulged from their sockets. He glanced at Ben, then turned to Rey.

"Wha- Rey, you married Leia Solo's son?! No wonder you wanted to keep it a secret!"

Rey and Ben laughed.

"Well I didn't want to brag," she joked, eliciting a haughty grin from Ben.

"Now don't you go leaving me for Skywalker Enterprises young lady. You're the heart and soul of Cloud City!"

This made Rey a bit shy, she never usually received this much praise for her work. Ben proudly beamed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed her side lightly, showing her with a wide smile that he was happy to hear what her boss said of her.

Leave it to Snap to interrupt a good moment. When he spotted Lando, he walked up to the trio with his wife in his arm.

"Lando! Rey."

"Hey Snap, Myrra," Lando greeted the newcomers. "How're you doing, Mrs. Wexley?" he asked Snap's wife.

Before she could answer, Snap spoke for her, "The missus actually reached her team's sales goal all by herself this past quarter at work. She got a hefty bonus and an award for it," he arrogantly shared.

"Congratulations," Lando clinked glasses with Snap's wife.

Snap then turned to Rey and her guest.

"Hello," he tried to size up the tall man that was Ben. Though with Ben's profile, no one could look any tougher unless they were a Navy Seal. "Snap Wexley. And you are?"

Ben knew exactly who this guy was. If it weren't for Rey's boss and the slime's wife around, he would've junk punched the man the moment he stepped in view. But he knew better and decided to be polite – well, just a little.

"Ben. I'm Rey's husband." He extended his hand and gave Snap a rather firm shake, producing a muffled wince from him. Ben saw from the corner of his eye Rey's lips curling up briefly because of it.

"Ah, Rey you never mentioned you were married. Didn't know you were seeing anyone, you're always working," Snap tried to rattle her, though nothing could ruin her evening.

"Well I try to keep it professional at work," she answered him politely.

"What line of work are you in, Ben?" Snap was more nosey than interested.

"Nothing right now. But I'm working on getting my pilot's license."

"Ah well, good luck with that," an uninterested Snap replied. He sniggered pompously towards Rey, as if trying to tell her that he was winning in this pretend race in his mind.

Like Rey and pretty much everyone at the office, Lando knew how Snap worked. He wasn't the most liked person at the office, but he was good at his job. That was the only line of respect that Lando had for him. Sizing people up and belittling them, he knew that of Snap as well. Lando was just waiting for Rey to share who Ben really was, knowing Snap would flip. He didn't have to wait any longer though, nor did Rey have to say anything because another pair of guests had found their way to the circle. Their boss was first to recognize the familiar faces and he brightly grinned.

"Leia Solo, what a magnificent surprise!" Lando happily greeted an old friend.

"It's great to see you again, Lando," Leia said gracefully.

"Han you sly dog, it's been a while!" He and Han slapped shoulders and chuckled.

"You still owe me from the poker game you lost a few years ago," Han said to him.

"Let's take it up on the fairway tomorrow. See if I can win my money back," Lando said.

"Oh Calrissian… always trying to get out of paying your debt to me. Sure, I'd be glad to take your money and then some," the two old friends bantered.

Immediately, Snap straightened himself and stepped towards the esteemed woman.

"Mrs. Solo, it's an absolute honor," He extended his hand to shake hers. "I'm Snap Wexley. I work for Mr. Calrissian at Cloud City. If I'd have known you were attending, I would've personally requested an audience with you. I didn't even know you confirmed your invitation!"

It took everything in them for Ben and Rey to not let go of the snickers they were presently trying to hold in.

"Actually," Leia proclaimed, "It was more of a personal invite."

Before Snap could ask who invited her, Leia did the best damn thing, in Ben's opinion, that put the man in a state of shock.

She stepped towards Rey with a loving expression.

"Rey dear, you are a thing of beauty," Leia held both of Rey's hands out and revered her before giving the young woman a welcoming embrace.

"H-how do you two know each other?" Snap asked dryly.

"Why she's my daughter-in-law of course!" Leia happily pronounced. Then she turned to Ben. "Hi sweetheart, you're looking ever handsome." She pinched his cheek before kissing the tender spot.

"Hey Mom. Hey Dad," he said before shaking his father's hand.

Han reached for Rey's hand and kissed it. "Hey kiddo," he winked at her.

"Rey," Snap cleared his throat forcefully, "You never said you had… personal connections with Leia Solo."

"Like I said, I try to keep things professional at work and my personal matters at home," she modestly reminded him. "Trying to make an honest living."

If Ben could be any prouder of the woman beside him, why he'd shout to the skies.

"Oh she's wonderful," Leia added. "In fact, I think it's time to let family help you out, dear. Lando, I'll give you a ring on Monday to see how I can help your program this fall."

"Looking forward to it, milady," He bowed to her. "Rey, since you clearly have good rapport with Leia herself, I think you'd be up for the challenge to take on Skywalker Enterprises as another client."

"She'll do great as always," Leia said proudly.

Can this night get any better? Ben thought. He was loving every moment of this.

Lando finally excused himself, promising to meet up with Han the following morning for a round of golf. Snap followed shortly, reluctantly walking away with his wife, kicking himself for not being able to land Leia Solo as a client of his own.

Once the four were alone, they finally let out a bout of hysterics.

"Mom, that was awesome. Thank you!"

"For what?" Leia feigned confusion.

"Honey, it was so obvious that tool was a work rival for Rey," Han explained.

"Oh," Leia was a bit surprised. "I just knew he was a kiss up. Didn't know he was mean to Rey. I'm sorry you have to work with him dear."

"We all have to deal with one of those people," Rey brushed it off.

"Well you played it amazingly. I mean did you see the look on his face?!" Ben snorted.

"Like he got smacked in the gut with a foul ball!" Han shrieked.

The two men high-fived, continuing to tease the poor sap.

Leia and Rey smiled at the men. Then the older woman turned to her. "I am serious, Rey. I do want to work with you."

"Oh my goodness! Thank you so much," Rey was overjoyed. With a contribution from Skywalker Enterprises, she could only imagine the possibilities they could do to help the youth in the program.

"You guys having a good time?" Ben asked his parents.

"Free drinks, food and a golf course? I'm in heaven," Han sighed happily.

"It's been a while since we've been to Catalina but you two were right, this event has been wonderful," Leia admitted.

Ben and Rey smiled at what Leia had said, staring at each other in delight exchanging silly expressions and soft giggles.

Han briefly studied his son and Rey gawking at each other with goofy grins.

"You two look like newlyweds," he blurted.

"They are, Han! They're still recently married," Leia corrected her husband's remark.

"No, no. Look," he gestured for his wife to stare at them. "They literally look like they just got married or something. Rey in a white dress and Ben in a black suit."

This never occurred to Rey or Ben. One look at what they were wearing from their own perspectives and what Han was saying was almost right. Cue the blushing faces.

"Oh you're right, honey," Leia cooed. "I sure wish we were there when you two got married," she said. "I bet it was as beautiful as you two are tonight."

"Aaand this is where we go our separate ways," Ben grumbled, not being able to stand one more embarrassing moment with his parents. "Mom. Dad." He hurriedly excused himself and Rey.

He placed a hand on the small of Rey's back, turned and guided her anywhere far from his parents.

"Have a good night," Rey said quickly before Ben whisked her away.

Leia and Han laughed one last time watching the young couple run off.

"They better give us grandkids soon!"

~.~.~.~

The rest of the evening belonged to Rey and Ben, with the two enjoying all the amenities offered at the event. After tasting the mouthwatering food from the buffet –Rey literally tried everything on the menu - Ben in return practically inhaled every plate from the dessert cart, satisfying his sweet tooth. Pleased with their appetites, Ben and Rey sauntered over to the makeshift casino area of the ballroom. The theme for the evening was 'Casino Night' so naturally poker tables and other tabletop games were setup for guests to earn money for door prizes and raffles.

Ben had discovered that there were so many things about Rey that he was yet to learn, but he was always impressed each time she shared more about herself. Tonight, he learned she was good at gambling – okay, just Craps. Still, he was impressed.

Poe had taught Rey how to play the game of Craps the first time the four friends went to an Indian casino and resort in San Diego. She told Ben that when they were in college, they'd play Dungeons and Dragons some nights at Finn's dorm room. Poe argued that Rey always rolled the best actions for her character when they played, saying she would have a hot hand in gambling by playing the dice game Craps. He wasn't wrong. Rey wasn't an expert, but she had more than just beginner's luck.

Tonight, her heavy streak continued. She was rolling seven's left and right. Ben was thoroughly enjoying watching her in her element, along with everyone else gathered around the table.

"Here," she turned to Ben and offered him the dice.

"What?" he was confused.

"Toss it," she said.

"Oh no, no, no." Be raised his arms defensively, "I don't want to ruin your streak."

"You won't," she assured him.

"Yes I will. Trust me," he was adamant in accepting her offer.

"I do trust you. That's why I want you to take this next round," she said.

"You don't want to bet on me, Rey," he dolefully sighed.

"Yes, I do," she gently smiled at him.

She took his hand and placed the dice on his palm and gave him a light squeeze. He glanced at her, surprised by her actions. She was looking at him square in the eyes.

"You got this, Ben."

He stared at the dice hesitantly then back at her. That smile. It was comforting.

"Alright," he tautly nodded. "So, what do we need, a seven?"

"Mhm. Go on, shoot," she encouraged him.

Nervously, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tossed the dice across the board.

"Seven!" the dealer shrieked.

Everyone around the table burst into wild applause. Ben raised his arms in victory as he couldn't believe his eyes.

"That was the scariest moment of my life!" he breathed.

Rey cheerfully clapped and turned to him, "Told you," she smirked.

Ben decided he wouldn't get lucky a second time so he asked Rey if they could cash in their chips. She laughed at him but agreed to leave the table.

As they waited in line to exchange their chips for a ticket stub, he turned to her.

"Thanks… for that. I would've never had the guts to do what I just did."

He really would have never had the confidence, but she had faith in him and that was all that mattered.

She smiled, bumping arms with him as they moved closer to the front of the line.

"You're worth it."

A/N: If you know what a Pizookie is then you know that stuff is delicious! This coming from a girl who isn't too fond of sweets or chocolate anymore or as much as a girl should be. Just needed to write a disclaimer saying I don't own the original idea to, as Ben would describe, the perfect dessert lol

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Gala Weekend Pt. 2 (A Walk In The Garden; Sleeping Arrangements)

"When was the last time you were really happy? No worries about anything, just enjoying yourself and living in the moment."

Rey didn't realize how much she was sharing and how open she had been. She had felt so relaxed, so... happy that evening just talking with Ben.