Rose and Rey

Med Bay

Theed

Naboo

Luke Skywalker choked slightly and his eyes widened, "Rose Tico?"

The doctor tilted her head, her lekku shifting, "Yes?"

"Rose Tico," Luke repeated again.

"Yes?" the doctor stated again, her face curious.

Luke leaned back and groaned, "I'm sorry, Doctor. I ... uh ... I had a very weird dream, a nightmare really, and ..."

"I was in it?" the doctor asked, moving forward now with a hand scanner, which she proceeded to pass carefully over the Jedi's body.

The Jedi relaxed cooperatively, even as he focused on the alien face above him, "Well, a ... human woman named Rose Tico was in my dream, but she wasn't anything like you at all."

"Was she eeeeevil?" Ben asked excitedly.

The doctor shot the younger man a curious glance, and Ben explained, "I was evil in Uncle Luke's dream, which is kind of cool."

The Togruta chuckled as Luke continued slowly, "No, she ... the Rose Tico of my dream, wasn't evil. But she was kind of a fool. She said, and did, some really silly things ... I'm sorry, Doctor. It doesn't matter."

The doctor smiled reassuringly, "It's normal to have unusual dreams in a comatose and semi-comatose state, Master Jedi. In fact, I consider it quite reassuring. Your injury was very serious, and I confess that ..."

She trailed off, and Luke sat up slightly.

"Don't prevaricate, Doctor. I want to know all the facts, good and bad."

She sighed, her face grave, "I originally gave you a 10% chance of surviving, and only a 3% chance of ever regaining consciousness. Your recovery thus far is a medical miracle."

Luke blinked, then nodded, "Ok. Well, thank you very much for your excellent care, Doctor Tico."

Her face softened and she gestured at Ben, "I can only take some of the credit, Master Jedi. Your family and friends have been a loyal and faithful presence, and I am certain their care and love assisted substantially in your recovery."

"I'm sure they did," Luke agreed, smiling at Ben, who looked back in a clearly embarrassed way.

"So," the Jedi Master continued with determination, "can I get up for just a minute and use the refresher? I feel grimy and my beard is like, crazy long. I realize you all had other things on your mind, but I never could stand having a beard."

Tico frowned in clear concern, then nodded, "Very well, so long as your nephew helps you to the door of the refresher. Medical treatment has kept your muscles from wasting away from atrophy, but you haven't been fully vertical in 9 weeks, so you must be cautious. And don't mess with your beard. You probably aren't coordinated enough to be handling razors or scissors."

Luke nodded meekly and slowly sat up, then moved his legs to one side of the bed, then slowly rose to his feet even as Ben moved forward to wrap a long arm around his uncle's shorter form.

"Gah," Luke said aloud, closing his eyes and reaching for the Force. He was suddenly very dizzy, and his head hurt.

"Are you all right?" Ben asked worriedly.

"I'm ... I'm Ok," Luke said, shuffling carefully toward the refresher door. A moment later, he was inside, the door was shut, and he was staring gloomily at his reflection in the mirror.

He looked terrible.

He looked like a scruffy looking nerf herder ...

Han!

"Ben!" he called out.

"Yes?" came the answer through the door.

"Is ... uh ... your dad doing Ok?"

Luke held his breath for the two seconds for Ben to respond.

"Uh, yes?" his nephew replied in a puzzled tone. "He's fine. He and Chewie are on Coruscant helping Brehanna move from one apartment to another."

"Brehanna?" Luke asked in a puzzled way, then continued quickly. "Never mind. Talking through the door is tiring. Give me a few minutes and I'll be out."

He made use of those few minutes with great pleasure. After using the facilities, he washed his face and hands, smoothed back his tangled hair and beard, and straightened his lame green hospital gown. He looked ridiculous, but perhaps slightly less ridiculous now.

Well, he'd looked ridiculous before. Humility was in important character trait for a Jedi Master.

With a weary sigh (who would have known that walking would prove so tiring?), he turned to the door, opened it, took a step out, and stopped in astonishment.

Standing beyond his hospital bed were two figures: one, his nephew Ben Solo, the other a young female human, very familiar. The two were clasped in an extremely close embrace and were kissing one another passionately.

"Rey?" Luke sputtered out in astonishment.

The young woman stepped back from Ben and turned, her face rosy pink, "Master Skywalker, it's so good to see you awake!"

"Ermmmm," the Jedi Master mumbled, his eyebrows hiked toward his excessively shaggy bangs. "Er, uh, Ben, um, is there anything you want to tell me?"

His nephew drew himself up to his full height (which was impressively close to two meters – Ben had inherited his both his father's and paternal grandfather's height.)

"Yes, Uncle Luke. Rey and I are ... are married."

Luke felt himself pale and he actually wobbled in place, causing both his nephew and (new) niece to rush forward and guide him to the bed, where he collapsed, weak from over-exertion and incredulity.

"Really, Ben," Rey said with an indulgent smile as she stepped back from Luke's bed. "You should have given him a little more warning."

"Subtlety isn't my strong point," Ben replied with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Thankfully, you have ever so many other strong points," the woman breathed back, leaning back in for another passionate kiss.

"Do you, uh, need a room for yourselves?" Luke asked weakly.

The couple broke apart again and Rey blushed even rosier, and Ben looked apologetic, "No, of course not, Uncle Luke. We're just, uh, well, we just got married a week ago so ..."

Luke sat up a little bit more, "Why are you here? You should be on a honeymoon somewhere, not looking after your aged, cranky relative. Not that I'm thrilled with a marriage between two former mortal enemies, but I guess it's a bit late to intervene thanks to my being inconveniently unconscious for so long."

"Mortal enemies?" Rey asked in amazement.

"Was Rey in your dream?" Ben cried out in delighted surprise.

"Dream?" Rey demanded, turning her gaze on her husband.

"Yes!" Ben said, "I was going to tell you about it but ... er ... we got a bit distracted when you came in here, with kissing and all. Yeah, Uncle Luke had a nutty dream with me as an evil Dark Sider. While he was unconscious, I mean."

Rey turned her gaze back on her master, her smile gentle, "We aren't mortal enemies, Master Skywalker. We've been seeing each other for more than a year. Don't you remember?"

Luke blinked and sighed, "No, I don't. I'm sorry, I can't seem to think clearly and my memory is blank in spots. Except for the ... the dream, I guess. You ... you and Ben had a complicated and antagonistic relationship, and fought a lightsaber battle in a forest on Starkiller Base."

"Starkiller Base?" the woman repeated, her forehead creased in bewilderment.

"Who won?" Ben asked with a curious glint to his eye.

Luke hesitated, "Rey did."

The married couple looked at each other, and then Ben reached out take his wife's hand, which he kissed dramatically, "No surprise, there. Rey is a full fledged Jedi. She'd kick my butt without any particular problem, I'm sure."

"Except that Rey wasn't trained at all," Luke said thoughtfully, thinking of his nightmare. "And Ben, you'd spent tons of time training. So that was weird."

Rey coughed, "I beat Ben without any training?"

"Yep," her master said with a shake of the head, "in fact it was the first time you picked up a lightsaber, and you managed to slice his stupid helmet in half, not to mention give him a scar. Of course, you should have cut his head in half ... Lightsabers are amazing weapons and they usually sever random limbs, not leave minor injuries. But yes, helmet in pieces, face mostly Ok."

"Helmet?" Ben asked curiously.

"Scar?" Rey demanded.

"Yes?" Luke continued, his hand stroking his ragged beard. "Yes, it was quite absurd. First Ben beat me in a lightsaber duel in spite of having far less training, and then a few years later you, Rey, beat Ben without any training."

"Oh Uncle Luke," Ben said sympathetically, "it's understandable that it didn't make any sense. You had brain damage. Of course, only someone with brain damage could come up with such an absurd plot, but you get a free pass from me, and I'm the local bestselling author."

"That you are," Rey said warmly, her besotted gaze on Ben's face.

"Enough!" Luke said grumpily. "Get out of here, get a room, enjoy your ... er ... you know ..."

He floundered before picking up determinedly, "I'm awake and I'm fine, so leave."

Ben sighed and plopped down onto a chair, pulling Rey down to the chair next to him, "No can do, Uncle Luke. Truth is, you have to have someone, er, looking after you all the time. A trained Force Sensitive someone, I mean. You haven't been quite the easy patient the last couple of months."

"In what way?" Luke asked worriedly.

"Well," Ben continued slowly, apologetically, "Aunt Mara tried to shave your beard, for example, and you would have thrown her into a wall if she hadn't stopped herself with the Force. You were unconscious, of course, so she didn't hold it against you, but yes, you've been a bit ..."

"Aunt Mara?" Luke repeated blankly.

Rey's eyes widened, "Yes, Mara. Your, uh, your wife?"

Luke Skywalker's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

He'd forgotten about his wife!

Author Note: Thanks for those of you reading this unapologetic bashing of The Last Jedi. I'm having fun, and I hope you are too. Thanks to my wonderful editor, who is enjoying the bashing ride.