Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction using characters and elements from the Star Wars universe, created and trademarked by George Lucas and currently owned by Disney. I do not claim ownership over any Star Wars characters or elements from the Star Wars Universe. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and is not claiming to be any part of the Star Wars canon. Thank you to Disney for letting me play with the characters and not suing me for writing them into a new situation.

NOCTURNE IN THE KEY OF B SOLO

by MALOREIY

~ Chapter 4 ~

Maz Canata was an eccentric old biddy. She'd been the owner of Ben's apartment building for as long as he'd been living there and probably decades before.

She was sometimes nosy and sometimes bossy, but was always available to her tenants for help addressing an issue. She brooked no nonsense and had no problem throwing trouble-makers out on their ears. Sometimes he thought she took a sick joy in doing it, too.

Maz was the reason Ben still lived in a mediocre apartment building with a rickety elevator that always sounded like it was going to fail and plummet him to his doom.

She never treated him like a celebrity, though she obviously knew who he was. She never treated him like a failure. She never made demands of him, she never criticized his lifestyle.

Most importantly, she never forwarded any complaints about the way he played music really loud and sometimes even really late at night. He wasn't deluded enough to believe that no one ever complained. As his neighbor's notes proved, the walls could be paper thin, and who wanted furious Rachmaninoff waking them up at three o'clock in the morning?

But Maz never chastised him, never suggested he play quieter or keep to business hours.

So rather than moving someplace nicer, which he could easily afford, he stayed in Maz's building. Instead, he remodeled his own apartment, at his own expense. It was the only apartment with real wood floors and granite countertops. The walls had fresh paint and the cabinets in the kitchen were all new.

Only the front door stayed the same, so no one would know at a glance that Apt C3 was nicer than the others.

Maz never said anything about the upgrades, but she never raised his rent. She never discounted it, either, but Ben didn't blame her. He paid for the comfort of a familiar and acceptable living situation and was happy to do it.

Since Maz didn't hold with the newfangled technology, Ben always had to go to her office to pay his rent. When he did, he often stopped in and spoke amiably with her for several minutes.

Usually it was only when she caught him trying to sneak by and just stick the envelope through the slot that she wouldn't let him go until he'd told her everything new in his life.

Sometimes, like this time, he let himself be caught.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she could see right through him and that he was making a fool of himself.

He'd asked a question that he thought was perfectly casual.

"It feels like the building's been a bit full lately, are all the apartments filled now?"

Her unblinking stare through her overly thick glasses told him that she thought his question anything but casual.

"Yes," she said slowly, sitting behind her desk, "a full house." Then she beamed up at him. "And a full pocketbook for me!"

He couldn't decide what to say next, as she seemed curiously reluctant to come forth with any further information. Usually she was happy to drop all the latest gossip on him, even when he obviously didn't want it.

"Did we start accepting pets recently?" he asked, inwardly congratulating himself on a better angle.

She stared at him again, and then she pushed aside a stack of paperwork that was in front of her. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms and regarded him. "'We' have always accepted pets, Solo." She sniffed. "I just have very high standards! Only the very best behaved!"

Leaning forward, she added, as if to a co-conspirator, "And the cutest. I make them do tricks for me before I approve their application!"

The idea of Maz rigorously making a tiny dog go through his paces while an anxious owner looked on, surprised Ben into laughing.

"Ah, that's good to hear. You haven't laughed enough lately, Solo." She wagged her finger at him with a maternal fondness in her voice that warmed him a tiny bit.

"I laugh," he protested.

"Not enough!" she insisted. "I know it's not enough because when you laugh, your face looks like it's going to crack."

That should have insulted him, but because she was probably right, the humor of it made him smile again.

Maz reached over to pat his cheek. "There's a good boy! You really are in a good mood today."

He wondered suddenly if all these conversations was just her making him go through his paces.

"I'm not a dog, Maz," he said with slight irritation.

"Ah, but you have those puppy dog eyes."

He had no idea what to say to that. So he steered the conversation back to where he wanted it.

"I think there's probably a dog on my floor now," he said.

Her gaze suddenly sharpened. "Has the dog been troubling you? I was assured BB8 was very well-trained. He could shake, roll over, speak on command. He performed very well. But if he is troubling you, I will speak with the owner immediately!"

"Oh, no, no," he quickly assured her. He didn't want to get poor BB8 in trouble. "The dog is fine. I barely even know he's there."

"Hmm," was Maz's only contribution.

"But I mean, I thought maybe I saw him in the hallway once." Ben pushed through. "I was just wondering. If he was lost, like if he got out…how would I—where should I...return him?"

The excuse sounded lame, of course, and he tried not to wince at it.

Maz stared at him curiously once more.

He had to focus on not shuffling under her gaze. The ticking of the old clock on the wall kept the room from being silent, but not from being uncomfortable.

She must have finally decided something, because she answered him. "C5." She paused. "But I'm sure he knows his way home."

"Oh, right. Yes, I'm sure he's probably a very smart dog," Ben acknowledged.

When Maz didn't say anything more, Ben made a move to leave, but as he reached the door, something stopped him. He turned and decided to push for just one more question.

"Maz, um, BB8's owner. Do you happen to know—I mean, if I returned him, who should I…ask for?" Mentally he kicked himself.

But Maz didn't give him any trouble over this one. "Rey."

For a brief second, Ben felt disoriented. He'd been so sure the neighbor must be—was probably—well, it was silly for him to care. It shouldn't matter if it was a guy.

The disappointment that seemed to be creeping up inside of him made absolutely no sense, and he frowned at himself.

But Maz was still speaking. "Her name is Rey, and she lives in C5 and has a dog named BB8." With a shrewd look in her narrow eyes, she asked, "Is that what you wanted, Solo?"

He gaped at her, trying to process what she had just said along with the uncomfortable feeling that she knew all long he was just trying to get information.

"Ah, okay, thanks," he heard himself saying, suddenly eager to get out of the building, feeling partly ridiculous and partly triumphant.

"She's a nice girl! Don't be giving her no trouble, Solo!" Maz called out to him as he left.

He decided that the embarrassment definitely outweighed the triumph.

A/N: Thanks for giving this story a try! This is the shortest of all the chapters, I know, but we get to see Rey in the next chapter, so stick around!

S&R: CONSTRUCTIVE REVIEWS WELCOME (CRW), meaning I always welcome your thoughts on this story and my writing, both the positive and the negative