Ben's POV:

"Dad I'm sorry!"

"Padmé I cannot believe you did that!"

"Dad please stop! It was an accident!"

I looked over at her and she cowered.

"I told you I would handle it! Why didn't you listen?!"

I brought her to Naboo. There was a meeting of Senators I had to attend to so I let her stay with their kids.

"Commander Solo, there's a disruption in the courtyard. Your daughter is in the midst of it."

I ran out so fast. It happened to me and it can't happen to her. I was too late.

Kids her age were lying unconscious on the floor, a few with disjointed limbs.

I shook the image out my head and looked over at her.

"What you did is unforgivable. I don't even know what to do with you now."

She was crying so hard. She didn't even understand what she did.

"But they were calling me names-"

"What do you expect me to say?!"

"Dad..."

"I can't protect you all the time Padmé." I regretted saying that.

I was so angry at myself for not preventing it that those words slipped out.

I didn't mean them but I couldn't take them back.

"Dad please help me!"

I looked down. "I'm sorry Padmé." I put the Falcon in autopilot and pulled her into my arms.

"I'm so scared of this energy. I don't know where it came from," she hiccuped.

"I know. But like I said. I can't help you. You have to fight this yourself. I know you can."

I pet her hair until she quieted down.

"Uncle Luke said he had a surprise for us. We're going to see him now."

She began readjusting herself as she pulled away from me.

"What about mom?" Her breath was shaky with tears.

"She said she'd meet up with us."

She nodded and sat back in her seat.

"I'm really sorry."

I turned off autopilot and kept flying.

"Padmé if you knew half the crap I'd done when I was younger, you wouldn't be apologizing."

She whipped her head over to me. "Like what?"

"Nothing important. Looks like we're here."

We landed on the tail-end of the town in Tatooine.

Luke was waiting for us just outside.

When the ramp let down, Padmé ran out.

"Uncle Luke!"

"Padmé, look at you. How are those balancing stones?"

"I've almost got all of them."

He patted her on the back. "Splendid. Ah, Ben."

He reached out to me for an embrace.

"Ready for my surprise?"

I shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled and cleared his throat. "I gained an apprentice."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Congratulations?"

"No, it's a good thing. I mean I failed with you, and Rey chose the Grey Jedi way but now I have a whole new face."

"Gee, thanks."

Luke chuckled. "I know. Come on, you two. He's waiting inside."

A young man sat alone at a table and stood up once we approached.

"Xach, this is Commander Ben Solo and his daughter Padmé Solo."

Padmé glanced away and the boy didn't take a second look at her. He outstretched a hand to me. "Pleasure to meet you sir."

I took his hand and sat down. Padmé sat on the far end, folding her arms.

The boy had short, dark brown hair, with a little Jedi braid under his ear. He was like the walking metaphor of nighttime. His eyes were as dark as the night and his skinwas as pale as the moon.

"How long have been training with Luke?"

"Not long, sir. Uh five months I believe."

His voice was shaky. He was so damn energetic.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen sir."

I wasn't even this excitable at this age. It was almost nauseating. I looked at Padmé. Didn't seem she was going down that path.

Luke cleared his throat and pounded his fist on the table. "There's a reason for this meeting. Ben, you are skilled with the Force, and you're training your daughter. I was hoping you'd help me with Xach."

I looked between them. "Um sure."

Luke clapped once. "Great. I have one condition. With all these missions I've been going on, especially with your wife, Xach can't come to most."

"What're you getting at?"

"He has to live with you."

Padmé reacted faster than I did.

"What?! I don't want some weirdo in my house!"

Xach's smile faltered.

"Padmé, quiet."

She stood up. "Dad! You can't be serious!"

I sighed. "Please wait outside."

I saw tears brimming in her eyes as she looked over at Xach.

She ran out, her energy in a dark place.

"Maybe she's right. It's a bad idea."

I looked up. "No. It's a good idea. Padmé needs all the help she can get. You may be a good influence, like an older brother to her."

Rey 's POV:

They came home with one person extra.

"Rey, this is-"

"Xach, nice to see you again."

Ben was awestruck. "Of course you already know him."

Padmé walked past me without even a hello, going inside.

"I'm not going to ask."

Xach ran a hand through his hair and nodded.

He seemed almost... "Are you worried about her?"

Xach looked up, his eyes wide. He gave a nervous laugh and stepped back.

"Oh no ma'am, I mean yes of course... I don't know why-I just met her-I mean she has something...she's different."

Ben stepped up behind me. "I'm getting used to the little crush thing, okay, but the second she starts getting older, and in her teens, hands off. No flirting or looking at her funny, got it? No touchy feely. I don't want you getting in a relationship
/with her. We don't need that."

Xach's face relaxed. "Of course not. Luke has been training me in the original Jedi ways. I know the do's and don'ts. Well most of them."

Xach walked past us. Once he was far enough away, I elbowed Ben in the ribs.

"Ow, hey!"

"Why'd you say that? You know he won't be able to help himself."

"What're you saying?"

I put a hand on my hip and smirked.

I walked inside, leaving him pestering me with questions I didn't answer.

I noticed that Padmé was training harder with Xach around.

I was watching from far away, smiling. They got along so well.

I turned around to go inside when I was proven wrong.

Padmé pushed past me, running inside and to her room. Both men stared at me like they didn't know what to do.

"Ugh."

I ran in after her.

She left her door open. She was stuffing a pillow into her crying face.

"Padmé-"

"Go away!"

I stopped and sighed before coming in and closing the door.

"What happened?"

I sat on the edge of her bed, stroking back the flyaway hairs from her ponytail.

"Dad likes him better than me!" Her voice was coarse and cracked with sobs.

"And I know you do too."

I straightened myself. "You know none of that is true. Xach has only been here a year and sure he has a bit more experience because of his age but that doesn't replace you."

She sat up, hiding her eyes under her hand.

"I just don't want to disappoint you guys and I feel like I always have to prove myself when he's around."

I pulled her into me. "No, honey."

"I'm just-I'm so stressed out."

I closed my eyes. "You'll be alright. Do you want him to go?"

Her sobbing stopped. I felt her frustrated feelings.

She was hesitating.

I stood up. "I'll go talk to your father."

She grabbed my wrist. "Wait, mom. Is he really going to leave?"

I turned around. "I don't know."