The Foundling

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A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. I really appreciate it.

Chapter Three-Babysitting

In her late teens, Leia had already followed her adoptive father's footsteps into politics, becoming a junior legislator by the age of fourteen. It wasn't a role she particularly enjoyed. In her younger years she had chaffed at the responsibilities of being a princess, feeling there should be more to her role then standing silently, and smiling on occasion, during the endless ceremonies she was forced to endure on Alderraan. She was very vocal about her dissatisfaction, until during one trip, when Leia once again expressed her lack of enthusiasm in the politics her mother had to deal with, the Viceroy explained to her what Alderaan meant, and what she would have to do one day as its queen—to carry on the legacy of Alderaan's harmonic culture with pride, even at the expense of what she wanted. Bail also told her tales of the Jedi, defenders of the old Republic; the young princess also overheard him talking of Darth Vader's powers.

Here she was, all these years later, a senator in the Galactic Senate of the New Republic on Hosnian Prime. As she did in the Imperial Senate, she represented the Alderaan sector in the Galactic Senate. She was part of the Populists, a powerful, yet unofficial, political faction. The Populists believed that individual member planets should retain their full sovereignty, while the Centrists favoured a stronger galactic government and a larger military. She had just heard that Mothma, the chancellor, had left the office. The tensions he had left behind were threatening to cripple the senate and Leia was being pulled into the middle of the warring factions.

"I'm going to take Rey with me." Leia told Han as she began her preparations to leave.

Han frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. She's only five. She'll get restless. You know how those meetings can drag on for hours."

"You can't look after her, you're about to go on your trip with Chewie, and I'm not leaving her in the care of a droid. Not after what happened to Ben." A flash of pain crossed Leia's face as she spoke.

Han blanched at the memory. He had been a stay at home dad at the time, and on one occasion he had been forced to leave Ben in the care of one of the kitchen droids, BX. Ben was only a toddler. The Solo's protocol droid, who normally took on the role of nanny when Han or Leia were busy, had left to carry out important senatorial endeavours for Leia. After having berated Ben for running around with a power drill, BX went rogue, having picked up a kill order from a transmitter, and suddenly turned on the boy. He nearly succeeded in his attempt to kill Ben via decapitation with his knife arm, until thankfully the transmitter was destroyed, freeing the droid from his mandate to kill.

The only reason that Han had left his son home alone with the kitchen droid in the first place was because he and Lando were busy deactivating the very same transmitter that was being used by a mad doctor to turn harmless droids across the galaxy into mass murderers. Inadvertently, Han had saved his son by deactivating the deadly transmitter in time, but it did little to assuage his guilt over the trauma his young son had suffered because of it.

"Are you ever going to forgive me for that, Leia?" Han asked bitterly.

Leia sighed heavily. "I haven't got time to talk about this now."

"Tell me something I don't know." Han threw his hands up in the air. "You don't have time for anything anymore. Don't worry. I'll cancel the trip."

Leia felt her own frustration building toward her husband. "You can't do that. Chewie hasn't seen his family for ages. Just go. Rey will be fine with me."

"She'll be bored." Han said stubbornly.

"She'll be alright. I managed to cope just fine when I was her age. Anyway, it will give her some insight into preparing for her future role in the Senate." Leia refused to be swayed.

"She's five years old, Leia." Han retorted irritably. "And she may not want to follow in your footsteps. Stop trying to mould the girl into a mirror image of yourself just because you couldn't do the same with our son."

"How dare you!" Leia rounded on him angrily. "That is not what I am doing! I never forced Ben into doing anything he didn't want to do!"

"Ben never wanted to be a Jedi!" Han fired back at her. "But you shipped him off to Luke anyway."

"He needs guidance." Leia put her hand to her head as a headache began forming at her temples.

"You just don't want him to end up a scoundrel like me." Han muttered.

"That's not true." Leia rubbed her forehead. "I'm not having this argument again, Han."

"You don't trust Ben."

"I do." Leia's voice faltered, revealing the lie.

"Then let Ben look after Rey." Han challenged her.

"Don't be ridiculous. I can't give him that kind of responsibility." Leia waved her hand dismissively.

"If he's responsible enough to train as a Jedi, he's responsible enough to take care of a kid for twenty-four hours. Give him some credit, Leia. You say that you trust him, then show it."

Leia gazed at her son's wary face. It broke her heart that he was always so guarded around her. She could see the scepticism in his dark eyes when she explained that she was entrusting Rey in his care. "I have faith in you, Ben."

Ben didn't believe her; she could see it. Leia wished she could reach out to him, to tell him that she loved him in spite of their differences. She wanted to show him that he had her support for always and her guidance, if only he would ask. She would walk through the gates of hell to keep him safe. She wanted to say that and more, but she couldn't. The words caught in her throat and they ended up just staring at each other silently.

Han looked at Ben's solemn face and mustered up a smile. "You'll be alright, kid. It's only for a day."

Ben just shrugged nonchalantly as if it was no big deal. He wasn't stupid. He knew they were asking him as a last resort. If they had any other choice, they wouldn't dare leave Rey with him. It didn't surprise him. His mother was putting duty above her family again. It was better that Rey learned that she would always come second to that, just like he had been forced to.

Han sighed. "Rey's in her room. She's already dressed and had her breakfast. Just keep an eye on her. There's plenty to keep her entertained."

Ben wanted to laugh. His parents really didn't have a clue about the little girl they had adopted. Rey had been up with the sun, scavenging again. She had various places where she hid her stash. Ben had spent the best part of the morning putting the stuff back so she wouldn't get into trouble.

"Right." Leia cleared her throat. "If you need anything, Ben. You know where to contact me."

"Uh huh." Ben mumbled.

Leia sighed as she gave up on trying to connect with her monosyllabic son. "I'll go and say goodbye to Rey." She said wearily as she left the room.

Han looked at his son critically. "Can't you make a bit more effort with your mother, Ben? She's trying her hardest to show you that she's willing to trust you with more responsibility. Just don't let us down." He warned before following after his wife.

Ben and Rey sat in the blue butterfly garden as they meditated. Ben had taught Rey the same technique that Luke had shown him. His uncle had said that meditation was not just an exercise to clear the mind of chaotic thoughts, but was a way of seeking personal growth and discovering what you're really capable of. Ben had struggled with this lesson at first, his mind was always wandering. Luke had become frustrated with him, thinking that his nephew was too headstrong, unruly, and inattentive to be a good Jedi student. It was one of the reasons he had been reluctant to train him, until Leia had insisted. It had taken many months but Ben had finally learned to master his chaotic thoughts enough to maintain a semblance of calm which pleased his uncle.

Ben opened one eye when he heard a stifled giggle from beside him. He saw Rey with a hand over mouth, staring at one of the blue butterflies which had landed on his head. Ben reached up and brushed the creature away. It fluttered in the air, joining its friends as it hovered over the pretty flowers.

"You're supposed to be concentrating." Ben lectured Rey. "You can't let yourself become distracted." He sounded so much like his uncle that he winced. "Actually, forget that!" He announced, changing his mind and rising to his feet. "Next lesson."

Rey looked up at him with interest as he picked up two sticks and fashioned them into crude weapons. She pushed herself onto her feet and took one when he passed it to her.

"You have to use your imagination now, my little Padawan." Ben said as he took up a defensive stance with his practise stick. "Imagine this is a jedi lightsaber. You remember the picture I showed you when I read you that story about the ancient Jedi?" Rey nodded mutely. "Now paint a picture in your mind of your own weapon." He encouraged her as Rey pressed her eyes tight shut. "Can you see it?"

"Yes." Rey's response was a soft exhalation.

Ben grinned. "What colour is it?"

"Purple."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Any colour but purple."

"Yellow."

"That's better." Ben nodded in satisfaction. "Get a feel for the weapon. Imagine yourself swinging it back and forth."

Rey concentrated hard as she swung the crude staff back and forth. Ben helped her adjust her posture, as well as the placement of her hands on the pretend saber. "That's good." He encouraged her. He was getting a kick out of this teaching thing. "Now open your eyes and we can begin."

They were both hot and sweaty when Ben decided it was time to take a break from their training. They both lay on their backs in the tall grasses, sucking on ice pops and staring up at the clear blue skies above them.

"You did well, my little Padawan." Ben praised Rey. He saw her smile at his new nickname for her. "You got a few good hits in there."

Rey beamed; she blossomed under his praise. It had been an enjoyable day, Ben decided. Insects buzzed around them. He drank in the radiant heat of the summery day. He let his eyes close in a way that appeared restful. He felt a rare calmness settle in his soul, content to dwell in this peaceful moment forever. Gentle winds moved the foliage of the distant trees, creating a mosaic of light and shade, the steady soothing lyrics of nature that surrounded him on all sides made him drift into a peaceful doze.

When he woke again it was to find his mother standing over him. Ben scrambled to his feet in a daze, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. "What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion. "I thought you weren't back until tomorrow."

"The meeting ended sooner than expected." Leia responded cryptically. "Where's Rey, Ben?" She demanded.

Ben was annoyed at her tone. "She's right he- "He stopped talking when he noticed the spot next to where he had been lying was empty. "She was right here." He said defensively.

"Well, she's not here now." Leia snapped at him. "You were supposed to be watching her, Ben!"

"I was." Ben ran his fingers through his thick hair agitatedly. "I mean I am. She's around here somewhere." He could sense that she was. "Rey?" He called out. "Rey?"

"I knew you weren't ready for this kind of responsibility." Leia scolded him. "But I thought I would try and give you the benefit of the doubt. You've let me down, Ben."

"Your meeting didn't finish early, did it?" Ben replied resentfully. "You came home because you don't trust me."

"And I was proved right. You were asleep, Ben." Leia retorted.

Just then Rey came running out of the house. She was wearing Ben's jacket again. The hem dragged through the tall grasses as she moved. In her hand she held his training saber. She held it aloft, feeling extremely pleased with herself. She so wanted to impress him and show him she had remembered what he had taught her, but with the real thing this time. In her excitement she tripped over the hem of the jacket and fell, accidentally igniting the saber as she did so.

A/N-thanks for reading. Please review!