For the first time in months, Rey awoke with a smile. Though she didn't fully understand the circumstances surrounding the previous night's events, she'd been able to speak with Ben, and that in and of itself allowed her heart to sing. She lay in bed, relishing the sun's rays and they poured through the blinds of her window. If Ben could visit once, perhaps he could even do it again.
Rey's positive temperament lasted beyond the morning. She was still feeling quite well when she received an unexpected visitor in the afternoon.
"What a pleasant surprise!" Rey said as she opened the door for Poe. "I had no idea you were-" Rey stopped short when she saw the forlorn look on her friend's face. The pilot looked as if he hadn't had a decent night's slept. Even BB-8 looked uneasy, with his head pointed at a slight downwards angle.
"Can I come in?" Poe asked.
"Sure, sure," Rey opened the door wider to let the two in. "What's going on?" she asked nervously. Unless an emergency was underway, it wasn't like Poe to stop by unannounced.
"We should probably sit down before I start discussing the matter," Poe said.
Rey's thoughts ran wild as she led Poe to the couch. She wondered if another base had been attacked. They'd been fortunate in that the attacks had slowed within the last few months, but perhaps it was only a matter of time before violence with the First Order reignited.
"It's about Ben," Poe said. "There was an accident last night,"
Rey's heart thudded faster in her chest. "What kind of accident?"
"The prison that held Ben," Poe said, "Was attacked,"
Rey fought to keep her composure. Attacks on spacecraft happened often; as a former Resistance pilot, she knew that better than most. She'd been in many battles, and she'd still lived to tell the tale.
There's no need to get worked up, she thought.
"Is Ben okay?"
Poe took hold of Rey's hand, but she jerked it out of his grasp. "Is Ben okay?" she repeated, her voice beginning to rise.
"The ship received a direct hit," Poe explained. "We don't know who did it- could be the First Order, Rebels, or even extremists. All we know is that the vessel disintegrated in a matter of seconds,"
The child Rey carried must have felt her heart breaking, because the baby kicked with a force unlike any she'd felt before. Rey's world froze in that moment, trapping her in the reality that Ben was no longer a part of the galaxy.
"I don't believe it," Rey's voice broke as she struggled to put cohesive thoughts together. "I saw Ben last night. He used the Force to visit me. He can't possibly have died,"
"Rey," Poe said gently, "The Resistance inspected the wreckage. There were no survivors,"
As Rey began to tremble, Poe reached out to place a hand on her shoulders, but she caught his arm and shoved him as hard as she could.
"LIAR!" Rey screamed.
Poe recoiled, startled by her reaction. "Rey-"
"YOU TOLD ME EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY!" Rey balled her hands into fists and began to hit Poe repeatedly as tears streamed down her face.
"Rey!" Poe caught her wrists in a tight grip. "Stop!"
As Poe held Rey's gaze, she realized he had tears in his eyes as well. Coming out of her shocked stupor, Rey fell into Poe's chest and began to sob.
"I'm sorry," Tears burned Poe's eyes as he hugged her tightly. "I'm so, so sorry,"
[To be concluded in "A Father's Love"...]