Sorry about the extremely long time between updates. I had finals week at my school and both forensics and martial arts have really started to heat up. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait though :)

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Enjoy!

"So, I hear you finally adopted."

Luke rolled his eyes, looking at Jia Zhiang as he took another swig of his glass of beer. He'd never acquired much of a taste for alcohol himself, but every now and then he would let himself be tempted at a social occasion. "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"I don't know. You've just always been so committed to the cause. I guess I just assumed you'd never listen to reason." That was something Luke really liked about Jia, when it didn't irritate him-she would say whatever she wanted to say whenever the need struck her. However, she was one of the most accomplished Jedi he'd met in the years since the Downfall of the Empire-and she was just as eager to help him build a new Jedi order.

As Luke had quickly learned, he hadn't been quite as alone as he'd thought. Ever since the Republic's formation, as soon as people learned that he had proclaimed himself a true Jedi, he'd been flooded by 'Hidden Jedi'-Force Sensitive beings who had learned the ways of the Jedi in secret, being taught by the few Jedi Masters who had escaped Order 66 or had taught themselves out of old textbooks smuggled away from the Empire's ceremonial book burnings. There weren't nearly as many of the Hidden Jedi as he would have liked, but they had given him a starting point and a way to assess exactly what would need to be done to heal the Jedi Order. Jia had been one of his staunchest supporters from the very beginning; unfortunately, in other respects he hadn't been so lucky. There were still quite a few people out there who believed a new Order wasn't necessary-in fact, some of them believed that the Republic's downfall had been caused by the Jedi. "It's not necessarily a sure thing. We're going to the Archives tomorrow to see if we can find who Rey's parents really are." She'd been staying with him for a couple of weeks now; he seriously doubted they would find anything at the Archives. People didn't typically abandon their babies if they were planning on coming back.

"She's an adorable baby."

In spite of himself he sat up just a little straighter. "She really is, isn't she?"

Jia just laughed as they looked over the list of documents piled in front of them-all that remained of the great Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They'd had to do jump through all sorts of hoops just to get to this point-including hacking almost all of the Empire's most secure files. And even so, what they had found was very small compared to what they would need to get a new Jedi Order up and running. "So, what have we got?"

"A few old student rosters, some very old texts…but nothing truly substantial. We're missing hundreds of holocrons." Luke had learned about them very late in his teachings, as Ben Kenobi hadn't had any on hand to use to instruct him; they were incredibly old ways of Jedi teaching that contained lessons on movements and forms.

"Mrax said he found a couple on the planet Jelucan."

That was good news at least. "I'll take a look at them. Can he come over tonight? Leia and Han have been looking after Rey a lot this week; if I'm not careful she's going to like them more than she likes me."

Jia laughed. "I'll tell him." They stood up and shook hands, leaving a few coins on the table to pay for their drinks. "Travel well, Luke Skywalker."

"You too. We'll meet again as soon as we have further information." He headed out, already putting the papers back in his bag and preparing to switch from Jedi mode to Father mode.

~TBF~

When he arrived back at the Solos' house, Ben and Rey were playing with a pair of model X wings in the front room, as if waiting for him to come back. "Luke!" Ben cried, scrambling to his feet and running over to give his uncle a hug around the knees. Luke laughed, while at the same time being very taken aback-he'd expected the opposite treatment. Rey was right behind him with a hug of her own. She could walk a little bit now; apparently Ben was teaching her.

Han was reading a book on flight maintenance in the kitchen. "How'd it go?" he asked as Luke gathered up all of Rey's things that had somehow ended up scattered all around the room in seemingly no particular reason or order.

"We're getting there." Luke replied. "Slowly but surely. How was she?"

"Great-she always keeps Ben entertained, which means I can actually do something productive once in a while."

"What did you get accomplished?"

"I organized the spice drawer-Leia is always complaining about how just looking at it is enough to give her a headache. So, you're going to the archives tomorrow right?"

"That's the plan. I just want to make sure we're not missing anything."

"Probably a good plan. This way you won't get any…surprises when she's older."

Luke nodded, watching as Rey and Ben rammed their X wings into one another and practically fell to the ground laughing. He couldn't put words to the real worry that was on his mind-what if the Archives really did find something and Rey's parents weren't really dead? He would have to deal with that thought for years-what if they changed their minds and decided they wanted their daughter back? He wouldn't exactly be able to stop them-and what if Rey actually wanted to get to know them as she got older? It would open an entire world of new and frightening possibilities that he wasn't sure he was ready to confront.

Almost as if she sensed his worry Rey looked back at him and smiled broadly. She had the most radiant smile; it lit up every part of her face like the sunlight on a hot day. Luke felt as though an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders; they'd cross that bridge if and when they came to it. All he knew for sure was that Rey had grown on him-and now there was no way he was going to give up his little girl unless he was sure she'd be safe and happy.

~TBF~

They ate dinner in a contented silence that night. Rey sat in her customary spot at one end of the table, swinging her legs in the special chair Luke had got her that would hold her securely while she ate yet still kept her level with the table so she could see him. He'd made himself a meat sandwich and ground potatoes; he'd given her potatoes and a little bit of bread to see how she liked it. She'd eaten baby food for the first week, but eventually she'd grown very curious about what he was eating and he'd soon transitioned her to smaller portions of what he ate-which she seemed to adore.

She seemed to be in an especially good mood; every time he looked up at her she was smiling at him as she scooped up potatoes with her fingertips. For the hundredth time he wished she could talk; he would give anything to know what was going on inside that little head of hers. "What is it?" he asked after a while, knowing she wouldn't answer. Indeed, she just shook her head and smiled even more widely (if that was possible).

She waited impatiently while he cleaned her up before she hopped down from the high chair and toddled across the room to the bookshelf that Luke had especially reserved for her books. It was the first shelf off the ground; just her height. Without so much as looking back at him she grabbed one of the books off the shelf and went over to the chair Luke usually reserved as their reading chair, where she waited for him to sit down, pick her up, and set her on his lap.

He examined the book at a glance; it showed a little X wing pilot on the front with the words So You Want To Be a Pilot? written across the top of the cover. "Do you want to read this?" In answer, she settled back into his chest as if making herself comfortable. He read it all the way through, taking extra time to turn the pages so Rey would have enough time to look at the pictures the way she liked to. Once he got to the last page, she indicated that they go back to the beginning and read it again; Luke had no objections to that so they did. When he'd finished the book a second time, she made him read it a third. He was just starting to worry about what he would do if she wanted to read the book a fourth time when he realized she'd fallen asleep in his lap, chest rising and falling softly as she dreamed-probably about piloting an X wing of her very own.

He chuckled softly as he picked her up and set her down in her crib, where she immediately curled up with her blanket and rolled over while still sleeping soundly. "Sleep well, young one." he said, kissing her forehead as he ensured everything was locked up for the night. Once he was sure the room's temperature wasn't too hot or too cold and that Rey would be more than comfortable until morning, he checked on her one last time and went back to his own room to read before he went to bed.

He didn't think he could exactly be faulted if he reached out with the Force every now and then to be sure she was still sleeping peacefully.

~TBF~

The next morning, bright and early, Luke and Rey were in the speeder headed for the archives. Rey was practically glued to the window, watching the early morning traffic curiously; Luke just found it an annoyance. Sure, he'd been fascinated by everything about Coruscant when he'd first arrived; it was the polar opposite of Tatooine with its gigantic buildings and knots of people everywhere you looked. But the novelty had soon worn off once he'd realized how early he had to leave to get to anything on time and how there was a rush hour every hour due to the influx of urban life. Even just a couple hours after sunrise the lanes were clogged with speeders and he ran the risk of being late.

They arrived at the archive building with just a few minutes to spare. It dominated the horizon; long and grey, with huge banners displaying the flag of the New Republic snapping proudly from its windows. It wasn't busy; they didn't meet many civilians as Luke parked the speeder and helped Rey down onto the pavement. He let her walk up to the front steps on her own as she was fiercely independent and hated being picked up unless it was absolutely necessary; watching Ben run around had incited a fierce fire within her to learn to walk as well so she could keep up with him. However, he did carry her up the front stairs because they were simply too big for her small feet.

"This is the Archive building." he explained in a quiet voice as the heavy concrete doors opened smoothly to admit them. "It holds nearly all of the knowledge in the known galaxy and it's been around for centuries-almost as long as the Jedi Order itself. We're going to try to find out what happened to your parents."

They walked up to the front desk, where a Twi'lek typed away at a computer. "Appointment?" she asked, riffling through a stack of papers.

Luke nodded. "Luke Skywalker. 09:00."

She checked a piece of paper and nodded quickly. "The Head Librarian is expecting you. Please, right this way." She looked down at Rey with a small smile. "Would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Two waters, please." As she went to fulfill his request, Luke glanced at the map on one wall that showed where all the Librarians' offices were located so he could acquaint himself with the layout. The Archives were oddly shaped; the hallways twisted around and through each other like snakes and there were books everywhere he looked-from holonovels hot off the press to ancient tomes about life and rudimentary scientists older than the galaxy itself. He'd been here many times over the years to peruse the ancient stacks about what life had been like in the very ancient days of the human race but it had been a while; at first he wasn't sure where to go. The map itself wasn't much help; it was filled with red and blue lights to indicate whether Librarians were in or out.

Finally, he located the Head Librarian's office and headed upstairs with barely a minute left before his appointment officially started. The office was lavishly furnished, with real velvet seats and large floor to ceiling windows that flooded the small room with sunlight. It, like the rest of the building, was filled with books-mostly books whose bindings had cracked from age and looked like they could fall apart with only a small amount of prompting. A wizened old human sat behind a massive desk, with an even more massive book settled on his lap; he seemed to have more wrinkles than skin but his eyes were bright and attentive as they took in Luke and Rey. "Luke Skywalker." he said with a pleasant smile, indicating a chair in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat." Luke sat down in the chair indicated, pulling Rey into his lap. She didn't seem very happy with the idea, but she complied well enough. "I assume this is the child you wish to inquire about?"

"Yes. She was left on my doorstep two weeks ago with nothing more than her name. I have no idea where she came from-and though I expect her parents have no wish to come back and pick her up I feel it would be wise to check just to be certain."

"An excellent choice." The Librarian leaned over the desk so he could scrutinize Rey carefully. She took one look at him and shifted away, as though she were almost afraid of him-but he only laughed. "Don't worry, little one-you have nothing to fear from me." With fingers as gentle as butterfly wings, he took her small hand and examined her palm. "Let's see if we can figure out where you've come from." He pulled out a small portable scanner from his pocket and ran it over her palm once and then twice, as if reading frequencies Luke couldn't see. Once he was satisfied, he withdrew the scanner and plugged it into a holodrive on the side of his desk. Information appeared on his data pad almost instantaneously; he read through it quickly, nodding once every so often.

Finally he sat back and faced Luke again. "Her full name is Rey Inanian, from the planet Hosnian Prime." Luke raised an eyebrow slightly; Hosnian Prime was the site of the new government facilities. "Her parents departed in a shuttle two weeks ago; trackers lost them on the outskirts of the known galaxy."

Luke wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Are they dead?"

"At this point, it is impossible to tell-although I can tell you that those who dare to venture beyond the galaxy's borders do not usually return. I can't imagine why they would have dropped their only daughter off on your doorstep, but I digress."

"Do you think they will ever come back and try to claim her?"

"I cannot say with full certainty-but I can tell you that the chances would likely be highly improbable."

"What reason would they have had to attempt intergalactic travel?"

"Perhaps…they knew something no one else did, or they simply wanted to be explorers and try to gain some glory. Not all of the planets outside of our galaxy are uninhabited; if you know where to go, you will find things are just as civilized as they are here. They may have had all sorts of reasons for leaving their child, but I suppose we will never know for sure." He looked at Rey almost tenderly, who was playing with the underside of his desk and not looking at anyone. "For all intents and purposes, she's an orphan."

"Do you think it would be all right if I…adopted her?"

The Librarian smiled at him with a look that made Luke think he'd seen more than his fair share of cases like this. "Yes, Master Skywalker. I think that would be a very good choice." They shook hands and Luke left with Rey in tow, still looking around at everything in a sort of subdued wonder. His head was spinning; he knew what had happened to Rey's parents but his visit had raised more questions than it had answered. Would they ever be back? Why had they left the galaxy in the first place? Now he might never know. Worse, neither would Rey.

Yet he had to wonder, as he drove back to the house and snuck glances at Rey out of the corner of his eye every so often, if that was truly a bad thing. If her family ever came back…that was a problem for another day.

For the moment, she had a new family. She was happy. And he wasn't going to let anything change that.

Review, follow, and favorite! Thanks for reading!