Summary: In which Rey is introduced to the Skywalker Family Drama, Luke and Leia decide that they Need to Talk About Kylo, Artoo is a Labrador retriever, and Kylo earns his reputation. Also, there is snuggling.

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Luke's front door slammed shut, knocking Rey out of her shock. She snatched up the blanket and backed into the living room. Her backpack was next to the couch. The middle compartment was open. If she was fast, she could get her baton out seconds –

"Fuck, it is you," said Kylo. Rey made her legs move her backwards as he took in her rumpled hair, flushed cheeks, and Luke's – his Uncle's? - t-shirt riding up her thigh.

His eyes fell to her chest.

"Where did you get that shirt?" he asked.

Rey said nothing. She didn't meet his eyes – she focused on the full picture, like Poe's Uncle had taught her.

Everyone has tells, he'd said, as she mimicked his stance, the metal rod heavy in her hand. The eyes can mess with your head. Some guys fake left, then hit right. He'd demonstrating his point by staring fixedly at her left shoulder, and then kicking her right leg out from under her. Trust your gut.

Kylo took a step forward. The backs of her calves hit the coffee table. Almost there…If I can't get my rod, I might be able to grab that walking stick…

"Where do you think?" she said, shaking. "Don't fucking move!"

"Rey, you're acting crazy," he said. "You need to calm down." Kylo's voice filled with that low, warm, tone, the one that got a whole room listening, and made her feel small. Rey swallowed, fighting the old, fluttering, feeling that wanted to curl up in a corner and hide.

But –

I am not going back. Never.

"Says the asshole who just pushed his way in here," she spat. Kylo's face twisted with fury.

"You – "

"Ben!"

Kylo whirled around.

"Luke," he said cooly. Rey edged closer to her backpack, dropping the blanket in the name of mobility.

Luke stood straight and tall at the top of the stairs, taking in the scene in the living room. He'd thrown the gray bathrobe over his pajamas. On him, it was regal.

Kylo's eyes flickered with uncertainty, so fast that Rey thought she might have imagined it. A fiery thread of satisfaction shot through her as his back and shoulders tensed, and his fingers clenched involuntarily.

Is he afraid?

"What are you doing here, Ben?" said Luke, taking the stairs slowly, not a trace of his injury visible. He caught Rey's eye. "What happened?"

"He – "

"I was in the neighborhood," Kylo growled, shifting on the balls of his feet. "And don't call me that."

"Wait, is 'Ben' his real name?" Rey asked, looking questioningly at Luke.

"It is the name that I was born with," said Kylo archly. "I decided not to live with it."

"None of which answers my question," said Luke, crossing the living room and planting himself directly in front of his nephew. "What are you doing here? And what, exactly, makes you think that you have the right to barge in here, unannounced, uninvited, and upset my guest?"

"Your guest?" Rey flinched involuntarily as Kylo's face contorted with rage.

"Yes. Guest," Luke snapped, his eyes shards of flint. "Which means that you will speak to her with respect, or not at all."

If Rey hadn't lived with Kylo for almost two years, she would have missed the flinch.

"What sort of guest, Uncle?" he asked. He turned to Rey. His eyes licked up and down her body, lingering on her chest and throat.

"Kylo, stop," Rey hissed. "Why the hell are you even here?" She turned away and snatched up the blanket, wrapping herself tight from head to toe.

"Ironically enough…You," said Kylo. Rey turned white, her fingers clutching the blanket convulsively.

"Explain," said Luke, his voice unnervingly quiet.

"Well," said Kylo. "I heard that my girlfriend moved to the Industrial District. Specifically, Ach-To Avenue – "

"I am not your girlfriend," said Rey, her voice shaking.

"And you never even tried to work things out with me. Really, Rey, I was quite hurt…"

Rey's nails dug red crescents into her palms.

"There was nothing to work out," she said. "I wanted you out of my life."

"…And then to see you here…It's been what, three months?" Kylo's lip curled. "Well. A man does wonder."

Rey sucked in a breath.

"Four," she said. "The best four months of my life."

Rey paused, a shivering ache in her chest.

It was true.

"Ben?" Luke cut in. "I'm still waiting."

"As I was saying, when I heard that my ex- girlfriend moved to Ach-To, I just got so…worried," said Kylo, frowning at Rey. "As far as statements go, this one is rather dramatic, even for you."

"I'm doing fine," said Rey stiffly. "And I'm not making a statement."

"It was rather serious, you see," Kylo said to Luke, shaking his head. "Two years…We made a beautiful home together. And then one morning, I wake up, and she's just…gone."

"And I should have done it sooner," said Rey quietly.

"Mother gave me your address as few Christmases ago…I thought that asking you if you'd seen her around wouldn't hurt." He locked eyes with Luke. "All I could find out was her street, you see."

Silence choked the room.

He wants me back, Rey thought. The shapes and colors of the room smeared together as her thoughts slid backwards into eggshell white walls, 400-count sheets, sterile floodlights, and ivory tile cutting into her knees. And silence pouring through her head, threaded through with names and painful smiles and cold diamonds against her skin.

Her reflection in the crystal-clear, floor-to ceiling windows, a pale, painted, thing in Kylo's arms.

You fit perfectly.

Rey swayed on her feet, her fingers pulling the blanket close. She was taking up too much space.

The floorboards creaked. She flinched. Luke slowly stepped around the coffee table, angling his body so that he was between her and Kylo. Nephew and Uncle locked eyes.

"I'd have called ahead, but you know how it is – "

"No, Ben, I don't," said Luke. "We haven't spoken since your parents' twenty-fifth anniversary. You made it quite clear that you never wanted to see me again. You're..." Luke's jaw clenched. "Hunting a woman who wants nothing to do with you." He stepped closer.

"You need to leave."

Rey sucked in a breath.

Oh God. This is happening. Luke -

Kylo laughed.

"How long have you been fu – "

"Kylo, stop!" said Rey, darting to Luke's side. She held up her hand. "Just – We'll talk later, ok?"

"No, we're going to talk now." He reached for her.

Luke moved faster than Rey thought was possible. He picked up the walking stick from the coffee table and twisted the handle sharply. A crackling buzz filled the air. Kylo's eyes grew round as Luke tapped the table lightly with the end of the rod, flinching as electricity seared the wood, and the smell of ozone filled the living room.

"Get. Out."

Kylo backed away, his eyes glued to the stun-rod.

"Fine. It was nice to see you, Luke. I'll show myself out." He turned to Rey. "See you Monday."

Kylo slammed the door. Luke latched the dead bolt, and deactivated the stun-rod when the footsteps stopped and the freight elevator whirred. He set the weapon down against the doorframe and headed back into the living room.

Luke approached the couch slowly, directly, and stopped at the edge of the rug. Rey stood frozen, the blanket slipping on her shoulders – she couldn't seem to keep her fingers tight. Or look at him.

"Have you seen my phone?"

Rey blinked.

"What?" Is that my voice?

"My cell," Luke asked. His voice was quiet. She felt him watching her.

"Why?" She eyed the door.

"I need to – " Luke swallowed, his voice wavering. Rey looked up. He was shaking.

"…Luke?" she whispered. She stepped forward, the blanket falling unheeded to the floor. His jaw was clenched, his face rigid with anger.

"I'm calling his mother."

"…What?"

Luke's smile did not touch his eyes.

"…Who is also a lawyer."

####

Leia Organa-Solo leaned back in her porch swing and tried to ignore the empty space at her side. The fog was rolling in, albeit slowly, and the salty air was thick with that vague heaviness that meant rain, and cold.

Early this year, she thought, yawning. The foghorns had woken her at five or so. She knew from experience that sleep would be useless after jerking awake like that. Especially with an empty bed. So she'd gotten up, turned on the coffee machine, got Artie 2 out of his bed in the kitchen, and took the graying black Labrador out for a walk on the storm wall.

"You're a good boy Artoo," she said, smiling as the old dog's ears perked up, his tail thumping on the wood planks. He sat up slowly and laid his head in her lap, huge brown eyes half-closed. "No, you can't come up here," she said, scratching his floppy ears, a laugh in her voice. "This old thing can't hold the two of us." And the last time she'd let him up, Han's arm had been around her shoulders. Artoo grunted, and licked her fingers.

"We've had a good run, haven't we?" she said, once again grateful that her brother had left him in her care. Artoo spent most of the day sleeping, and damned if he hadn't earned it. Sometimes Leia thought that he saved up all the energy for when she came home in the evenings. Or when her brother visited.

Inside, the phone rang. Artoo perked up immediately.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered. "I bet you it's Luke." Artoo lurched upright and scratched at the door, wagging his tail eagerly. Chuckling, Leia headed inside.

The seventeen-year-old Lab unleashed his inner puppy as Leia picked up the phone, balanced it on her shoulder, mindful of the cord, and settled in by the kitchen window with her coffee.

"Good morning Luke," she said, before he could get a word out. "Down, Artoo." She shrugged two large, wiggly paws off of her lap, fished a half-chewed tennis ball out from under the kitchen table, and nudged it towards the stove. Artoo stayed where he was, and gave her a reproachful look.

"How did you know it was me?" asked Luke.

"It's the twin thing," said Leia, with a little laugh. "And you're one of maybe three people who call my landline these days." She'd kept it because the sound quality was better, no matter what the paralegals said. "So what's going on with you? Is the book going well?"

They made a point of at least talking on the phone every week. Between Leia's schedule and Luke's muse they sometimes went awhile without catching-up in person.

Silence on the line.

"Luke?" She twisted the cord in her fingers. Artoo whined. "What's wrong?"

"I saw Ben today," he said. It was Leia's turn to be speechless.

"What happened?" Are you all right? Is he all right?

"Do you mind if I put you on the speaker?"

Leia frowned.

"Why?" she asked sharply. "Luke, what happened?"

"It involves a friend, who is here, and should be here for this conversation." There was a low thump in the background. "Hang on a second…" Leia could just barely make out the sound of voices. One of which was distinctly feminine.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. Seven-thirty. A smile spread slowly across her face. Artoo cocked his head curiously, letting out a bemused whuff.

"I don't know who that is either," she whispered. "But you need to be quiet so I can listen to Luke, ok?"

Artoo huffed, and laid his head in her lap.

"Good boy. Luke? You still there?" There was a hollow bump.

"…I'm back. Rey, are you ok with speaker?"

There was a muffled 'yes', followed by a tone shift.

"Ok…Leia, I just threw Ben out of my apartment," said Luke. "Leia?" he said, after a long silence.

"It was my fault," a quiet voice said. Leia could almost see Luke's grimace.

"No, it isn't," he said. "Leia, this is Rey. She – "

"Kylo – Ben – he showed up this morning and asked Luke to help him look for me," said Rey. "I just moved into the building and it's…complicated."

"And you said no?" said Leia, her eyes narrowing. Ben, what the hell did you do?

"Yes," Luke growled. "You should have seen him, Leia. It was…bad."

Leia shut her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.

"I'm coming over," she said grimly. "Family meeting." There were whispers in the background, and a faint rumble-thump, followed by might have been a sob.

"I may also need legal advice," said Luke.

"Oh Luke…Just tell me you're all right."

"We're ok. Just – I'll see you soon."

"I'm bringing Artoo," said Leia. "I hope you still have his dish and bed." The black Lab perked up instantly, his tail wagging like a propeller.

"I found the dishes last night – in the back closet under the garden hose and the tarp," said Rey hesitantly.

…Really? Leia thought.

"The bed's in the upstairs closet…" said Luke. "We'll find it."

"Ok – I'll be there soon. Luke…It will be all right."

"…See you soon, Leia."

Leia was on her feet as soon as the line disconnected.

"Give me ten minutes," she said as Artoo bounced to the door and whined plaintively. "Time to go for a ride."

####

Rey sat on the arm of the sofa as Luke put his cell phone aside. Something had loosened in her chest towards the end of their conversation with Leia. To hear it put in terms like that – out in the open, named, seen as something that you called lawyers (and sisters) about – made her feel grounded.

It was a good feeling.

Luke leaned back into the cushions, his face creased with worry. She looked down at him and frowned. He was favoring his good side, and leaning against the end of the sofa, right next to where she was perched, the top of his head level with her waist.

"Does it hurt?"

"No – "

Rey glared.

"Ok, yes. But it's not too bad."

"That's not very reassuring," she said. Suddenly she laughed. "You're a terrible patient."

Luke quirked an eyebrow.

"What?"

Rey shifted her legs around towards the inside of the sofa so that she could face him, not noticing the way that Luke's shirt was sliding up her thighs.

"The nurse said 'no heroing' for oh, what was it…Three weeks?"

Luke turned a truly spectacular shade of red.

"Two weeks," he muttered.

"Well Luke, I think that this morning was pretty much the definition of an epic fail for that one."

"It doesn't count," he said. "Ben was...out of line doesn't even begin to describe it." Luke glared at the door, his mouth a thin, hard line. He looked up at her fiercely.

Without thinking, Rey reached down and laid a hand on the back of his neck. He sighed as she rubbed slow, gentle circles along the hard muscle, pulling him ever-so-slightly closer into her touch and against her hip.

"Well, it sure felt like it," she said, flushing. "I'm going to be saying this a lot, I think…Thank you."

It sounded wrong in her ears, felt wrong in her throat.

"That doesn't really cover it," she said quietly. Luke covered her hand with his.

"You are very welcome."

"…Luke?"

"Hmm?"

She tugged the shirt down a bit.

"Before your sister gets here, I'd like to talk," she said, catching his eye. Luke nodded and squeezed her hand.

"So would I," he said. Luke paused, and took a deep breath. His voice was quiet. "Rey, I need to ask. Did Ben hurt you?" Rey tightened her grip on his shoulder.

"Not physically," she said, her voice a whisper. "But it was – I was – I had to leave." Luke's fingers dug into the couch.

"Were you afraid?" Rey swallowed.

"Yes." Luke tightened his grip on her hand.

They sat in silence, Luke nestled in the crook of her arm, Rey steadying herself on his shoulders.

"We should probably get dressed," she said finally. "Then we can talk. And eat."

"Probably," said Luke. "But that would mean moving."

"I'll help," she said, and immediately blushed.

"...Really?"

"Ok, wow, that…came out wrong. But if you, um, do need help, I – "

"Well, I won't refuse a hand up the stairs," he said seriously. "Or coffee."

"Amen to that," said Rey.

"We'd better get to it, then," said Luke, not moving.

"Ok, since I'm obviously going to have to be the adult here…" Rey hopped off the end of the couch, pushing down a twinge of disappointment as she moved away from Luke's warmth. "Come on." She planted herself in front of Luke and held out her hands. "Don't you want your shirt back?"

"Eh…Nope," he said, looking her up and down. "Looks way better on you." He took her hands firmly. Rey snorted.

"Charmer," she said, tugging gently. "Up you go."

They walked up the stairs together.