The transport gave a jolt as it docked. Rey unfastened her seat belt as soon as the door to the ship's door opened, trying to ignore the barrel of the blaster pointed her way. She'd seen this standard precautionary measure many times with the Resistance, but she never thought it would be used on her.
"Hurry up," her guard said impatiently. Rey gave him a scowl as she exited. He certainly wouldn't have said this if he were a female in her current condition.
This particular station that held Ben was by far one of the better ones Rey had seen over the past few years. The building was two stories high, complete with thick walls and guards bustling about like bees in a hive. When it came to the capture of high-ranking officials in the First Order, the Resistance spared no expense.
As her ill-tempered guard led the way into the main office, Rey wondered how Ben was being treated here. Had he at least been allowed outside? Despite the Force-dampening capabilities, had the dark side been able to seep in through some overlooked cracks? Or would she be looking into the eyes of someone she didn't recognize, like the time she'd saved him from the First Order?
"Sign this," The guard broke Rey's thoughts when he thrust a clipboard and pen into Rey's hands. After consenting that she did not carry any concealed weapons (not that she'd even had the chance to sneak any in) and acknowledging that any violent behavior upon her half was punishable by law, she handed the clipboard directly back to the person behind the main desk. The clerk, a woman she'd recognized from various encounters in years past, refused to meet Rey's gaze as she quietly whispered a soft "Thanks,". As Rey was directed to the waiting cell to meet her husband, she wondered with a sinking heart just how taboo she'd become in Resistance culture.
Rey heard Ben's footsteps before he entered the room. She could see the outline of his body through a translucent pane in the door, one of a tall figure with a shock of black hair. "You've got twenty minutes," somebody growled on the other side. There was a click, and then the door swung open.
Unable to wait any longer, Rey rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her husband. With her now prominent bump, it was hard to pull Ben in as close as she wanted, so she made up for it by holding onto him tighter.
"I've missed you so much," Ben said, his voice flooded with relief.
Rey was wondering why she couldn't feel Ben's arms around her, but then she felt the cuffs pressing against her stomach. Pulling back, Rey's breath caught her in throat as she slid her hands from Ben's back, down his arms, and onto the restraints that secured his wrists.
"What have they done to you?" Rey asked as she traced her thumbs around where the metal met his chaffed skin.
Catching her fingers in his grasp, Ben said, "Don't worry about that. All that matters is that you're here,"
Rey bit her lip. "I've been sick with worry," she said. "They won't tell me anything about how you're doing or what's been going on,"
"A lot of the same: a single confined space with three square meals a day," Stealing a quick look at the armed guard nearby, Ben's voice dropped. "Likewise, they haven't provided me any updates. How has the Resistance been treating you?"
Rey mirrored Ben's response. "A lot of the same. I'm pent up in a small building with security all around. Glorified house arrest, really,"
Stretching the shackles as far apart as he could, Ben placed his hands around Rey's midsection. "So this is what twenty-five weeks looks like," he said, allowing a small smile to play across his face. "How's the baby?"
Rey placed her palms on top of Ben's. "She's doing well,"
It was as if a light turned on behind Ben's eyes. "She?" he asked, his eyes shining brightly.
"Yes," A smile now crept onto Rey's face. "We're having a girl,
As if on queue, Rey felt a flutter of movement from within. "Did you feel that?" Rey gasped.
"I did," Ben said excitedly as he pulled her in for another kiss. "I did,"
The security guard gave a loud cough to remind the couple that they weren't alone, but Rey didn't care. This was their moment as a family. She wanted to remember the feel of Ben's lips as he smiled, and the happiness that seemed to radiate from him like the sun. Why couldn't it stay like this forever?
"Ben," Rey confessed when their lips parted, "I'm scared. I can't remember the last time I even held a baby," Her fears began to tumble out before she could stop them. "I have no clue how to be a parent since I didn't have any of my own growing up. And worst of all, I don't know how I'm going to do any of this without you,"
Ben kissed the top of Rey's head as he slowly rocked her back and forth. "Don't worry about parenting," he said softly. "You place the well being of others before your own. Our daughter is blessed to have such a caring woman to call her mother,"
Rey placed her chin against Ben's chest as she looked up at his face. "She'll need her father too," Rey said. "A man that would give anything to help the ones he loves,"
"I'll always be with the two of you," Ben promised, "No matter how many light years they put between us,"