The purchase of the house had gone smoothly and now Rey and Ben were the proud owners of their first common home. Since the property had been on the market for longer than estimated, they got it for a very good price. A real bargain, so to speak. Now that they were settled on Naboo, Ben made the arrangements to have the rest of his fortune transferred to a bank in the city of Theed and they signed on to open a bank account for all of their savings. Building an academy would require both time and money, so they would both have to take a job to ensure a steady income. Once the academy was built, they planned to have the students' parents pay a fee for their lodging and for all of the resources they would need so they could eventually make a living off their teaching.

They found an available job in a small community outside of Theed at a repair shop. They had been looking for a new mechanic for some time and Rey was perfect for the job. In addition, they were short on droids, so Rey brought R2 with her to the shop owner's great joy. Ben was hired as a shop assistant, which included doing a lot of heavy lifting and keeping the place clean. It may not have been the most fun or exciting job, but he did like it at the shop and getting to spend every day with his wife certainly didn't make things worse.

It was on the weekends that they really had time to work on the academy. But since they were only two people and a droid, the process was discouragingly slow. Thankfully, they had something to look forward to which would hopefully keep their minds off their big project for a little while. Rose and Finn were coming over to spend a day at their new home in the Lake Country. Ben and Rey were far from finished with furnishing, but at least all the essentials were there and they were both very proud and eager to show it to their friends.

They were outside working in the garden when a small space craft touched down on the field they owned right next to the Falcon and when its passengers emerged out of the door, Rey and Ben were there to receive them with open arms. Rose was carrying a potted plant in her hands and gave it to Rey. "A little housewarming gift," she said and Rey thanked her. But once the plant was in her possession, she saw what had been hiding behind it.

Rose's belly had grown round and Rey's eyes were immediately drawn to it, widening in surprise. "Rose! You're pregnant?" Rose nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, I am." Rey pulled her in for a second hug and Finn got one, too.

"Congratulations! What wonderful news! Right, Ben?"

"Yeah," he said, "that's great to hear. Congrats!" He shook hands with Finn, gave him a pat on the shoulder and Rose received a friendly embrace.

"How long have you been pregnant?" Rey asked, genuinely curious.

"Fourteen weeks," Rose said and Rey did the math.

"Fourteen weeks? But then you were pregnant when we had our wedding! Why didn't you say anything?" She looked between her two friends, slightly disappointed in them, but not enough to be mad. This was a happy moment, after all. Finn was the one who answered.

"We didn't want to steal the spotlight. That was supposed to be your day, so we agreed to keep it a secret until further notice." That certainly explained it and Rey did appreciate the thought.

Finn and Rose were then escorted to the house where Ben and Rey showed them around. Rose commented on how beautifully quaint it was and they were both impressed by the view from their balcony. It was definitely the part both Ben and Rey liked the most about their abode. The balcony was accessed through a door leading out of the kitchen, which was rather convenient when you wanted to have your meal outside. If the weather allowed it, which was most of the time, they liked to have their breakfast out on the balcony where they could watch the sun rise over the lake.

Ben and Rey had planned out the perfect day for their visitors and the first thing they did was pack a picnic bag and head down to a boat rental a little ways down the shore. There, they rented a moderately sized motorboat and took it out on the lake where Finn and Rose could get a good look at the beautiful Lake Country. One day, they wanted to buy a boat of their own, but renting one wasn't so bad, either. After their sightseeing trip, it was time to start preparing for dinner.

Although neither of them really had any cooking experience, Ben and Rey had managed to learn a thing or two since they moved in together and they always helped each other out in the kitchen. Finn and Rose insisted on helping as well, in spite of their hosts assuring that it wasn't necessary. They set the table out on the balcony and enjoyed their meal in the pleasant evening air. That's when Finn and Rose told them about their brilliant idea.

"So we've talked about your big project with the rest of the union members," Rose said, "and we all think it's a wonderful idea that you want to build this academy and teach young children how to use the Force. Therefore, we have decided to throw you guys a fundraiser!" Rey dropped her jaw, suddenly finding it hard to speak or even breathe.

"What? Are you serious?" She exchanged a look with Ben. Surely they were joking? But no. Rose, sensing her shock, reached across the table to take Rey's hand.

"Yes. A fundraiser is the perfect way to create awareness for your project and the money you raise will help you with the whole construction process."

"We also have several volunteers in the ISU who want to help you build the academy," Finn added. "If you'll have them."

There were tears in Rey's eyes and Ben was feeling overwhelmed by their generosity. They didn't have to throw a fundraiser for their sake, but chose to do so anyway. It really warmed his heart. "I think we're going to need all the help we can get," he said, smiling. "How are we ever going to repay you for all this?"

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Finn said, smiling back at Ben. "We don't ask for anything in return." To Finn, it might have been obvious, but to Ben, it was something entirely new. He was so used to the ways of the First Order where no one ever did anything for anyone unless they were ordered to – not because they wanted to. Then again, friendships in the First Order weren't exactly encouraged. Every kind of relationship had to be strictly professional. Either way, Ben didn't believe anyone really cared that much about being friends as much as they cared about doing their job and looking good in front of their superiors. If it came down to it, he was sure no one in the First Order would have hesitated to bring a colleague down in order to make themselves look better. But this – the relationship he had with Finn and Rose – was different. This was what it felt like to have real friends. The ones who will always have your back, no matter what. Ben decided that he liked having friends.

After the sun had set and the stars came out to light up dark canopy above, it was time for Finn and Rose to leave. Ben and Rey bid them a fond farewell, thanking them for their company and for everything else. They watched their space craft take off into the air and waved their friends goodbye, hoping it wouldn't be too long until they saw each other again.

Three weeks after Finn and Rose's visit, Rey began feeling different somehow, although she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was that made her feel this way. She tried to act normal around Ben, but, as always, she couldn't hide anything from him no more than he could from her. He kept asking if she was all right and she kept assuring him that she was. In truth, there was nothing wrong with her. She was as healthy and happy as ever. But something had changed, that much was certain.

The answer came late one weekend morning as Rey returned home from the city market with some fresh food as well as a couple of tools they needed for building up the academy. Ben was outside working with a few volunteers from the ISU, so he wasn't there to see the wide-eyed look of shock on Rey's face as she felt something beat inside of her. She grabbed on to the back of a kitchen chair before moving to sit down on it, clutching her stomach with one hand as she did so. Not far away from her, a familiar voice spoke from beyond the other side of the Force.

"Now that's a feeling I know all too well." Rey looked up to meet the smiling face of Leia. It was the first time she had appeared since the wedding. Her presence was not unwelcome. Rey smiled back, almost in relief. She hoped maybe Leia could say what was going on with her.

"Leia."

"Rey." The ghost of the former general sat down in the chair next to her and took a loving hold of her hands.

"What was that?" Rey asked with a quizzical brow. "I've never felt anything like it before." There was a secret embedded in Leia's smile which made her somewhat nervous.

"That's because you've never been in this condition before."

"Condition?" Rey was still in the dark and Leia, sensing her fear, decided to quell her worries before she got worked up.

"There is nothing wrong with you," she said and immediately, Rey relaxed. Leia went on explaining. "I came here because I sensed you needed guidance. What you just felt inside of you… Can you describe it to me?"

"Um… I don't know. It felt like… Like a heartbeat. But it wasn't mine, it was just… inside of me." Recognizing herself in Rey's explanation, Leia nodded.

"That's exactly what I felt when I was expecting Ben."

As Leia's words sank in, Rey once again placed her hand over her belly. "Is…" She didn't know if she dared to say it. If she dared to believe it. "Is that what I felt? Am I…?" She couldn't say the word. But then, it wasn't really needed.

"Yes," Leia confirmed her suspicion. "The first time I felt it, I was overwhelmed, too. That's when I knew that my child was going to be strong with the Force. And I bet yours will be, too."

With tears in her eyes, Rey threw herself into Leia's open arms and they silently rejoiced over the news. "Just promise me one thing…" Leia said as Rey pulled back. "Promise me you'll be a better mother than I was." Rey frowned at the statement. She didn't want Leia to blame herself for all the horrible things that had befallen her son. She made to protest, but Leia remained persistent. "Just promise me." Her eyes were pleading, telling Rey only one thing: Don't make the same mistakes I did.

Rey swallowed back the rest of her tears and nodded. "I promise." Leia gave her a smile of both sadness, happiness and pride and reached out to stroke her rosy cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered and the words spoke of more than just this one promise. Leia thanked her daughter-in-law for all of the things she had done for her son that she herself never could. Thanks to Rey, he now had a chance at a better life.

Rey watched as the ghost before her faded away, returning to the other side, and she was left feeling both cold and warm at the same time. She shuddered before collecting herself and getting up from the chair. She needed to find Ben.

He was on the site down by the lake where they had begun building the huts in which the students were to live. Rey could already picture how it would look once finished and smiled at the image in her head. She hoped their future padawans would be happy and comfortable. If anything, at least they would have a beautiful view over the lake.

A couple of bricks hovered in the air as Ben used the Force to help place them with precision in the construction of the walls. Sensing her presence, he let the bricks fall into place before turning around to greet his wife. Rey smiled at the way the sunbeams illuminated his dark hair, giving it a golden glow. The sleeves of his white tunic were rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms, and she could see he was starting to get a tan.

"Hey," he said and pulled her in close to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Did you get the tools?"

"Yes, but I left them in the kitchen. I was wondering if you wanted to take a break?" Ben gave her a nod.

"Yeah, sure."

They sat down on the green bank of the lake, looking out over the water. It was quite the idyll. "I was thinking I might paint this one day," Ben said suddenly, out of the blue. "What do you think?" There was no doubt in her mind about the answer.

"I think it's a wonderful idea." After finding out he had an artistic side, Rey had been surprised at how talented he actually was. His poetry in particular was very inspiring and able to evoke so many emotions within her. It had taken some effort to persuade him to read it to her, but when he did, it was like music to her ears. His voice had a calming effect on her and it often happened that she fell asleep to it like a child falling asleep to a lullaby.

Remembering the reason she had come, Rey summoned her courage. This was a secret she could not keep for long. If she didn't tell him, he would find out sooner or later anyway.

"Ben?"

At the mention of his name, he turned to look at her, their faces close. "Hmm?"

"I need to tell you something."

"And what's that?" Rey hesitated. How was she going to phrase it?

"I felt something… inside of me. Almost like when I first felt the Force awakening within me." Ben shifted where he sat to get a better look at her, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Is that what's been going on with you lately?"

"I believe so. But now I know what it is." At first, she had him worried that something was wrong, but the look in her eyes told him otherwise. She was not alarmed, but perfectly serene.

"What are you saying?"

Rey didn't say anything at all, but grabbed Ben's hand and placed it over her belly. He looked mildly confused as she did so, but then, after only a few moments, everything seemed to clear. Ben drew in a breath as a strange energy transferred itself from Rey into him, almost like an electric shock. With misty eyes, he gazed into hers and that's when she knew he had felt it, too. A heartbeat.

"Is it… Is it true?" he asked, his voice thick. "You're with child?" Rey nodded, her own eyes tearing up from the revelation. She hadn't fully comprehended it until now, seeing Ben's reaction. Suddenly it was real and she finally had the courage to say it out loud.

"I am. We're going to have a baby." Like Rey had thrown her arms around Leia, Ben now threw his arms around her, crying tears of joy.

"We're going to have a baby," he echoed her words, as if he needed to make himself realize that this was really happening. "We're going to be a family."

A/N: Here you go, guys! A little Saturday treat! I don't have a lot to comment on this chapter other than I hope you like it and that the next chapter is going to be sort of an epilogue, moving forward in time a little bit. So be on the look-out for that ;)