Part XVIII

As he grunted into the crook of her neck followed quickly by a heaving sob, Rey's body that was coiled tight, snapped. It was as if her core was beckoning him to be pulled deeper into her with each pulse of her muscles. He held himself, steadfast, with his chest pressed to hers as he gripped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm right here," Rey said softly, attempting to soothe him again, running her fingers through his hair and down his back before she started to hum his lullaby.

They held each other for a long time, shifting some in the bed as he grew soft within her, but he simply rolled them over on their sides, still clutching her tightly to his chest. Every few minutes he would place a kiss to the top of her head, just to reassure himself that she was really there.

It had felt so real. She had just faded into nothingness and Ben thought he would sink into the pain, unable to resurface. It was a miracle that Arlan was able to keep him within his apartment since he had at once wanted to take the entire fleet and decent upon Dantooine.

Hundreds of scenario raced through his mind at once and the darkness of doubt flooded his mind. Beyond the normal dangers of the galaxy, Ben was most shaken by the prospect of Poe finally having his retribution for Rey's tertiary towards the Resistance and for attempting to alter his mind. Ben feared that Rey's mind manipulation had not stuck and that she had been taken, tortured for informational, and then killed.

Ben always swore to himself that if any of the misguided misfits of the Resistance hurt one hair on Rey's head that he would bring all of the fury and hellfire of his New Order and the Darkside of the Force down upon them without second guessing his actions.

Ben couldn't place any blame on Rey, she simply didn't know. The pain she felt on her side was enough for her to endure, but she had no idea what implications her actions had on the other side of the bond. If she were really to die before him, Ben wouldn't know what he would do. Striking himself down to be with her in the Force had crossed his mind, but he also knew that his destiny was to have a warrior's death.

As conduits for the Cosmic Force, both Rey and himself were privy to not only visions of the past and intuitions of the present, but also glimpses into the future. When they had touched hands on Ahch-To everything they knew of themselves and the galaxy was exchanged. Ben was able to see Rey's past that she had long forgotten. Rey was able to access Ben's knowledge of saber forms.

But spending too much time seeking images of the future would drive one mad, so Ben had been very careful about dipping into that part of the Force. He knew that he had been promised a future with Rey, but each time they manipulated a mind, each time they made a change, there was a possibility of the future shifting, and what Rey had done to Poe, even as self-saving as it was, it may still have changed the tides of their life together.

He had to keep telling himself that they were okay, that she was in his arms, and that they would have long lives together. The Force had promised them both that.

"What are you doing here?" Ben finally asked, shifting away from her warm body enough so he could look down upon her face.

"Finn and Rose got married this morning and they are honeymooning here on Coruscant."

"So you decided to surprise me…" just now could he lightly chuckle about the whole ordeal. "How did you know I would even be here?"

"Arlan," Rey answered simply. "Don't be upset with her Ben, she didn't know that I was going to close the bond, she just told me where to land and that you would be here…" she looked around the darkened room. "Where are we by the way?"

"This is our home…"

Rey's face lit up. "Show me," she whispered excitedly into the space between them.

Ben groaned again, not quite ready to let her go, but also knew that he wouldn't deny her anything. So he sat up, pulling her along with him before walking over to a row of doors that were set into the dark paneling of the room. Opening the door on the right, he watched her face as she took in the contents of her closet. "I also find Arlan useful for many things…"

Rey had reached out to touch a silk robe that hung on the back of the door before she pulled a face, retracing her fingers as if the soft fabric had burned her.

His snort made her chest heat. "Not that, Rey." He had felt her disgust and jealousy flow over to him. "I had her pick out some clothes for you."

Feeling embarrassed and thinking back to Endor when Rey was so confident in her bond to Ben, that even a woman in his guard didn't cause one speck of doubt, but somehow this was different. This was their home, their bedchamber, someplace personal and intimate. She reached back out and ran her hands along the fine clothes within the closet, knowing that Ben was just trying to make her feel comfortable here.

They both stood there, completely bare and Ben flayed himself open to her, giving her access to every part of him through the bond. He had nothing to hide from her, and he would bare himself every minute of every day for the rest of their lives if only to receive her feelings of love and trust in return.

Rey reached out, laying her palm on his naked chest, "I do trust you…thank you…and thank Arlan. You both were very thoughtful."

He took her hand from his chest and placed a kiss to her warm palm, "Why don't you put something on and then I'll show you around."

She nodded and reached back for the pale purple robe. The material was cool as she slid it over her shoulders and it caused her to shiver. The sleeves were long but the hem fell just at her mid-thigh. Not bothering with any undergarments because she guessed that they would join again before the night was out, she just wrapped the front of the robe across her chest and knotted the tie around her waist.

"So are we in your palace, Emperor?" She said with a lopsided smile.

"No," he said with his own smile. "We are in a high-rise, granted one of the more affluent ones in the city center, but no palace." He studied her face, "Are you disappointed?"

She had to think for a moment, "Not disappointed, just surprised."

"I'm not here enough to warrant a palace and also it would be a waste of resources. The grounds where the Senate was housed are being repurposed into greenspace and affordable housing for those on the lower levels." While speaking he had pulled on a pair of gray training pants.

He never ceased to amaze her. Kylo Ren had truly turned and she loved him all the more for it. "I think that is a wonderful idea," she reached up and kissed his full lips. "Now show me our home."

Ben's heart swelled even more and he took her hand, "Well you've seen the bedroom…"

"I've seen the bed," Rey corrected with a flirty look.

"What more is there?" He shot back as she swatted at him playfully.

But now Rey took her time to really look around the room. The walls were a dark gray, which she didn't mind since she was used to sleeping in a darkened space. There was a large bed that centered the room and small sleek tables on either side. What she was drawn to the most of the art…an impressionist countryside with rolling hills, a deep blue body of water, purple flowering vines and dark evergreen trees. "Why do I know this…"

Walking up behind her, he rested his chin on the top her head, "The small painting of my mother's that you gave me, I had someone go to Naboo and depict it as it is now."

Reaching out, she felt the texture of the paints, "It's beautiful."

He hummed in reply and then pulled her back towards the other side of the room, "Closets you know…" and they went through an archway. "Fresher…" he announced as they entered the marble covered room.

Just like on his Command Shuttle, the room was large enough to accommodate two, but along with an oversized shower, there was a deep soaking tub and Rey's body ached to feel total submerged in warm water.

But the tour must go on, so they moved out of the sleeping chamber and towards the living room. Ben stopped them at the threshold and swept her up in his arms, "I'll get the droids to come clean this up," he said as he stepped through shards of broken glass. "But this is the living area…"

The room had a beautiful view of the city out of the full wall of windows that sat opposite the entryway. The living area was sunken down a few steps from where the double doors were, and a set of couches were situated towards the windows. Ben continued to carry her past the entry and through another arch. "Kitchen," he said simply finally setting her down.

Rey looked around at the simple space, gray and white cabinets with a white bench top that almost sparkled in the overhead lights. She walked to the stove and then looked back over her shoulder at him and smiled, "I guess I'll need to learn to cook."

"I have a cooking droid right now…or Tyris when he feels up to it."

Next, she inspected an intimate dining area just off the kitchen, simple enough to eat regular meals but also nice enough to entertain. Rey's head swam with the idea of having dignitaries, ambassadors, kings, queens, and Force knows who else over to their home to talk peace and prosperity through the galaxy.

Through the dining room was a set of double doors, sliding them open Rey stepped into an office with dark furniture and bookshelves lined with rare real books that Ben had been collecting from different worlds he visited. A single desk sat at the far end, "When you are here…I mean when you are really here, I will have another desk moved in for you," Ben offered, wanting her to know how much he wanted her to be his equal in every way.

Rey moved to a low couch that rested in front of a fireplace and she tried it out for comfort, "I wouldn't mind ruling from here," she said, bouncing on the soft cushion a few times and looking up at him with a smile. She still stood by her decision to rule with him, but as his supporter, his counsel, his light. She may be his equal in the Force, but she never wished to sit upon a throne and hand down orders.

They walked through another door by the desk and were back out on the entry landing. Directly across is another door, much like the one they just exited. "What's through there?" Rey asked pointed and started across the entry.

Ben took large steps to keep up with her, putting his hand on the knob before she could, "It's nothing…"

Searching his mind, she could only see nervousness and she gave him an unconvinced look before moving his hand and turning the knob herself and walking into the dark room. The lights came up slowly, stopping at just casing a soft glow and Rey studied the room.

It was smaller than the study or their sleeping quarters and only had a few pieces of furniture in it as if it wasn't complete or it was perhaps an afterthought. A breathtaking mural took over an entire wall and she walked up to it, touching the two bright spots in an otherwise dark backdrop of blues and purples. "Two suns…" she mused.

"It's Ahch-To, standing on the precipice of the temple at sunrise."

Rey rounded on him, "You went to Ahch-To?"

He nodded, "Day one eighty-five. I went to forgive Luke, to connect to the Force, and seek guidance. I buried Kylo Ren's hate and vengeance there."

Scanning the room again Rey looked form his solum face to a wooden rocking chair in the corner that appeared handmade and old, then looked to the single day bed against the wall opposite the painting. "What is this room, Ben?" Her gaze returned to him.

His body tensed, the same nervousness rolled off him again. Even though they had talked about it before, there had never been a physical manifestation of their dreams, there had never been a solid and physical place for it… "It's a nursery."

Rey wasn't sure if her reaction would be considered proper for an Empress or for a common woman, but she leaped at him, catching her arms around his neck and kissed him with everything within her.

Ben sank to his knees, resting her on his thighs as she started to roll her hips against his awakened length and he mused that this was a story they would never tell their future child, how their mother and father had made passionate love on the floor of the nursery even before a child was even conceived.

Minutes or perhaps hours later, as they both lie breathless and sweat covered on the plush carpet, Rey looked back over at the Ahch-To sunrise and her heart almost hurt to return to the water covered planet.

Ben felt her thinking about her time on the island and he rolled towards her, tracing patterns on her flat stomach, "It was wet and cold there. The caretakers were hospitable, but there were the strangest little birds there."

Rey giggled, "Porgs," she said turning to look at him. "Chewie kept a few as pets."

He rolled his eyes, "Leave it to the overgrown mutt to be a complete softy towards the annoying little things." His face lit up when talking about the old Wookiee.

"Oh no." Her stomach bounced with her laugh. "He tried to eat one…with its family watching from the bush. The big guy didn't have it in him."

"Told you he's a softy," Ben remembered the times when he would sit atop Chewie's shoulders and pretend he was a pilot racing through the clouds.

He propped himself up on his right elbow, running his left hand over her forehead and through her sex rumpled hair. Bending down to kiss her once more, they were both pulled away by the sound of someone entering the home.

"Ren?" Came the voice of Tyris.

Rey scampered to her feet, grabbing her robe and covering herself quickly. "That door leads to our room," Ben said pointed to the far end of the room and watched Rey move towards it, turning back once to give him a brilliant smile before she disappeared into their sleeping quarters.

He sat up, sighing happily and then stood, pulling back on his pants and going through the main door to the entry. "What is it, Tyris?"

The guard stood up straight, "Arlan said that your quarters may need some attention and I was going to order some droids in to see to it." His eyes roamed the living area and while he had seen the Emperor lash out in anger, this was something different entirely.

"And Arlan didn't think she could come to deliver this message herself," Ben quirked up an eyebrow.

Tyris shifted from foot to foot, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Ben wanted to roll his eyes. It wasn't that he did it out of distrust, but he has access to their minds, to know their every intent. If there was ever a situation where they needed to fight, he wanted them to act like one. But he still gave them free will of what they decided to voice. "Granted."

"Arlan thinks you will dismiss her for her part in…this…" he gestured to the destroyed living area.

While Ben was upset that one of his guards went behind his back, he couldn't find fault in her intention. Arlan had followed the Empress' orders and if Ben was being truthful with himself, he hoped that Rey and Arlan could be friends. Perhaps that would help Rey adjust to life with him when she felt it was time.

But he sighed anyway, "The fault lies with the Empress and her alone. I have thoroughly handled that situation," his body heated with the thought of how he devoured her body, "so there is no need to speak of it again." Tyris seemed to visibly relax and Ben continued. "Tell Arlan and the others that they will join us for dinner this evening." It was the best olive branch he could offer.

Tyris nodded his head, "Yes, sir. What would you like me to make?"

Ben shrugged, "Surprise us…" He turned to walk away but stopped and looked back at the guard. "Send in the droids and then return in an hour to start supper," and he strode into the sleeping quarters without another word.

He walked in the fresher just in time to see Rey slipping her robe from her shoulders. Her bare back curved in all the right places, a deep divot in the middle leading down to her round rear. He groaned as if in pain, and perhaps he was. They had already made love twice since she arrived but she was always so ready for him, and he would thrust himself raw if it would bring her even an ounce of pleasure.

Thankfully she also felt his pain, "Don't look at me like that Ben, I need some time to recover."

Not being able to stop his body reaction to her nakedness, he crossed the cold stone floor and cupped her cheek, kissing her as if to say, my desire for you will never be quenched.

"Take a bath with me," Rey said against his lips as the warm water filled the basin behind them.

He just took her hand, steadying her as she stepped into the large white freestanding tub. Before joining her, he rounded the basin and opened the large window that sat behind the bath. He stripped from his pants, his erection still stood proudly as he slid into the warm water, setting his back to the opposite side of the tub so he could face her.

"Won't someone see us?" Rey questioned looking towards the wide window.

"Not this high up," he remarked, picking up one of her feet and started to kneed his strong thumbs into her soles. She groaned with satisfaction.

"I was going to complain about you sitting way over there, but now…" her voice dropped off as he rubbed into the arch of her right foot and her head lulled back and her eyes drifted closed.

She had added a scented bath oil to the water and it made his hands move effortlessly along her skin. He would have to thank Arlan for this as well since he had not used the tub since occupying the apartment. If there was one thing he was certain of, it is that Kylo Ren does not do bubble baths…alone.

"I've never had a bath before," she breathed out as he worked his hands up her calves, working any stress out of her lean muscles.

"Really?" He asked, pulling her foot out of the water long enough to place a kiss at her ankle.

Sitting up at the cold contrast of the air on her heated skin, she stammered, "Well I've bathed before…"

He smirked, "I know you bathe, Rey."

She settled back down, the water coming up to her chin. "On Jakku I would mostly just scrub the grease and sweat from my body with sand."

"That's why you have such little body hair," he mused as he continued to rub at her smooth legs.

Rey just hummed in response, thinking that she would have gone a lifetime with hairy legs to not have to deal with bleeding and cracked skin. "And a forty-year-old Rebel base doesn't have all the comforts of a home."

"I hope one day you will be comfortable here, Rey." His expression was open and vulnerable. "I want so much to make this our home."

Ben may not know how important those words were for her. This was the first home…first true home she ever had. The AT-AT was an escape from oppression, the Falcon was never her's to claim, and the Resistance base had become a job, a task to be completed so she could return to Ben…to Ben and their home.

A wide feeling in her chest swelled and her eyes began to sting, "I want that too."

AN: I have to say that you readers are amazing. The love that you pour out to me is next level and it makes me smile like an idiot every time I read a comment. So thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart.