Author's Babble: Okay... I lied. There's actually only 2 chapters left after this. Not 3. And in that comes this overbearing sadness that this story is ending and the question of what the heck comes next?

Well, I might write another story. I haven't decided if it will be another Kylo Ren story or a Bucky Barnes story. If it will be completely AU or story based. I'm still working things out. Any suggestion on that front is welcomed.

And as we reach the end, I can only ask if you guys want to leave a review, leave whatever you want. A question about the story, about anything really. I'll answer it in the final chapters in the babble section. Just want to say 'hi'? Go ahead. I want to hear from as many of you as possible so I can thank each and every one of you before this story comes to an end.

Beep. That faint beeping continued to echo in the distance until it became a persistent ringing in her headspace. A quick gasp of air, eyes fluttering open, but barely to greet bright fluorescent lighting. Shadows. Familiar shadows that formed to shapes of people yelling words that she couldn't make out. They were completely muffled and overshadowed by the long ringing.

Her eyes closing again before opening once more after who knows how long. Her head was turned to the side. She saw him. Silent and unmoving. He looked peaceful in a way as he lied on a similar stretcher. Another gasp as people took him away to a different room. She could make out Hux, but only by his hair, following after him.

Gasping. She was awake again, although she wasn't sure she fell asleep. Now she could see Phasma stomping next to her stretcher, yelling to worried personnel that she didn't know. What was she yelling? What was the panic. Oh, she realized. It was her. It was him. It was the current state they were both in.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Broke through the persistent ringing as the ship shook violently from an unseen shockwave from the explosion of the Supremacy. Something she'd learn about later. For now, Ash was certain she was dying as the drawled-out ringing returned and she began to see white.

The ringing stopped and soon it sounded like the ocean echoing through her ears as she opened her eyes to see a beautiful and lucious grassy field in front of her. One lit by the warm sun and cooled by the gentle breeze. It was familiar in many ways and only completely recognizable when the hut came into view. Maridun, she realized.

She was sitting in the grass; the warm tingles on her bare arms as she looked down at the grey sundress she was in. As she looked back up, this time, she wasn't alone. He was staring back at her, sitting with his legs crossed. He wasn't wearing his normal uniform, instead he was in a relaxed black shirt with black pants. He looked sad, but his eyes were that warm honey glow she came to love. "Hi." She said.

His lips quirked upward slightly. "Hi."

"I'm dead, aren't I?"

Ren snorted. "Why do you always assume you're dead?"

Ash shrugged. "One of these times I will be."

He rolled his eyes at her logic. "Well, you're not."

"I saw them take you away." Ash wasn't sure if those words were even hers. They seemed so foreign. What had she seen only a few moments before? "There was an explosion… panic. I don't remember much after that."

"They blew up the Supremacy." Ren confirmed. "We were on a nearby transport unit on our way back to the destroyer. The aftershock hit the ship enough to cause it to shake."

"That's where we are now?" She asked. "What happened?"

"We're both passed out at the moment; reaching out to each other for some sense of comfort."

Ash frowned, not really understanding. "Passed out?" It all flooded back to her now; the fight, the lightsaber, the stone. She destroyed it.

"You haven't woken up yet."

"But you have?"

"Not exactly."

Ash groaned. "Listen, if you're going to be cryptic-"

"And if you're going to be impatient." Ren gave it right back, receiving a glare from his wife. "I'm trying to rehabilitate from the separation of the stone. It's taking a lot out of me."

Ash bit her lip, looking down as she did. "Then why are you using your energy to be here?"

He smirked. "I'm not. Although, I am very interested as to how we're sharing dreams again. It's been a while."

Ash found herself smiling at that. "I miss seeing you in my dreams."

"I miss you."

She looked back at him. "Then when I wake up, I'll come see you."

His smile dropped immediately. "You can't." He explained. "Not until I'm back to normal. I'm still out of control."

"You seem fine now."

"You're also dreaming."

"Fair enough." Ash didn't argue, her mind immediately beginning to fill with panic as she looked back down at her stomach. She remembered the other surprising news. "Is the baby okay?" Kylo Ren tensed as Ash looked back at him in horror. "Is the baby okay?" She asked again, her voice echoing as her own panic began to wake her up, ripping her from her shared dream with him.

A warm, tingling sensation started from her toes and all the way up to her face. A familiar tingling that she had felt before; the child. The Force within the child growing inside her was buzzing throughout her being as her body twitched ever so slightly. With a sigh of relief that the child was unharmed, she was fully coming to. Slowly, her eyes began to flutter. She inhaled deeply, like it was her first breath in years. The air burning her lungs from the sudden and overwhelming intake. She let it out after holding it in for a moment. She was most certainly in a medic room.

Her head turned slightly to the door as she began to sense someone. Her eyes scanning over the exhausted Force User that entered the room. The two girls staring at each other silently; no words needed to be said right away. They felt it. Rey made the first move as she walked further into the room and closer to the red-haired girl on the bed. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "Where are we?" Ash asked, her voice scratchy from sleeping.

"Ascension destroyer. Medic wing." Rey answered. "We're hovering above Chandrila."

She frowned, her face hurting slightly. "Chandrila?"

"The new meeting place for the new Galactic Government. Leia and Hux have a meeting with a few leaders today; the new shift in ordered governments is beginning." Rey explained.

"We won?" She asked, coughing slightly from the dryness of her throat.

A small smile crept on Rey's lips as she nodded a little eagerly. "We won…" Ash sat back again, her attention fixated on the ceiling as she let out a long sigh. For the first time in a long time, she felt relieved. "Ash-" Rey's voice was soft, causing the girl to turn her head once more to look at her friend. "Why didn't you tell me what was happening on the Supremacy? We could have stopped him together."

Ash sat up fully now, her body aching and desperate for more rest. Yet, Ashlyn was known to be restless if sitting still for too long. "If I did, I would have lost you. Or him. In all my dreams, when it was the three of us fighting, someone would die. I couldn't risk it." She looked down at her stomach, thankful in so many ways that the baby was okay. However, there was still one person on her mind. One person who's wellbeing she was uncertain of. "Ren?"

"He separated himself for a while." Rey explained. "He said he needed to be locked away until his body could reset from the sudden loss of the darkness."

Ash realized Kylo Ren had been telling the truth in their shared dream, after all. "Does everyone know what happened?"

Rey shook her head. "Not everyone. Leia believed it was for the best that this be kept within a close-knit group, for the sake of the integrity of it all."

"How is he now?"

Rey almost didn't want to answer; however, she knew a lack of answer wasn't acceptable and the full answer was just as awful. Instead, she settled for a diplomatic one. "He's been worse."

Ash frowned. "Rey-"

"Master Skywalker says it's not easy for someone to suddenly be ripped from a stone like he was. In fact, most die from it. However, Ren has been holding on. Luke says it's because he has something to live for." Rey gestured to Ash's stomach. "Speaking of-"

Ash groaned, ready for a scolding of the century as she rested her head against the dashboard of the bed. "This-" She said, waving her hands over her stomach. "Was not planned."

Rey smiled. "Well, at least it's a nice surprise, right?"

Ash gave her friend a pointed look. "A surprise, for sure." Ash looked down at her hands as they idly played with a stray string on the thin blanket draped over her lower half. "How long have I been asleep for?"

Rey pursed her lips. "Four days."

She grimaced. "Four?" Rey could only nod in reply. "So… when can I bust out of here and come back to the world of the living?"

"Well, once you're examined and cleared we can rejoin everyone down on Chandrila."

Ash found herself frowning contemplatively. "And what happens then?"

Rey stood from her chair, shrugging. "Whatever we want. The war is over and a new day is dawning." Ash smiled, as she watched Rey leave the room to find the examiner.

After being poked and prodded by the medical examiner, Ash was given clearance to leave the ship with Rey, who was still patiently waiting for her. It hadn't really hit Ash yet, the significance of it all until she took a transporter to the planet's surface and walked out into the daylight of the beautiful Hanna City. Stars, this city was breathtaking. It wasn't like Coruscant by any means, it was clean and somewhat vibrantly calm. Ash looked around the landing area, where other ships from the Resistance and Ascension were landing to drop off or pick up anyone that wanted to go back and forth. In the distance, she saw the familiar black x-wing and the pilot and droid that went with it. Joining him, was the ex-trooper.

Ash nudged Rey, getting her attention. Rey began smiling, happy to see Finn and Poe. She had chosen to stay by Ash's side during the travel to Chandrila, and while there really was no need to worry about their safety since the war had ended, it was still a sigh of relief for her.

Poe and Finn spotted the girls, the group meeting in the middle as Poe quickly pulled Ash in for a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you up and about."

Ash smiled into the hug, holding him tightly and lingering for a moment before pulling back and hugging Finn. "I'm glad you're both okay." She said into the second hug. After their shared moment, she kneeled down to BB-8 and nudged him playfully. "I have some parts for you back on the destroyer." The droid beeped happily, causing Ash to laugh.

"So… I guess some congratulations is in order?" Poe said nervously, his eyes falling to Ashlyn's midsection as she stood back up.

Ash rolled her eyes. "Don't get weird on me, hero. I'm pregnant, not a pariah."

"Is there a difference?" He joked, receiving a playful whack on the arm from Ash.

"Does everyone know I'm pregnant?" Ash asked with a slight panic in her tone. The foreign concept of being with child was already messing with her in the first place.

Poe thought for a moment, humming obnoxiously before nodding. "Yeah. Pretty much everyone does."

"Who told?" The group went silent as Finn and Poe avoided looking at Rey, whom was also trying to look unsuspicious as Ash gawked. "Rey?!"

"Listen, you were passed out, I didn't know what was going on when they brought you back to the destroyer so…" She paused, sighing. "They would have found out anyway."

Ash's smile was more of a grimace. "I appreciate it, but… now everyone is going to be insufferable and making a big deal about it." She looked at Poe. "Like you!"

Poe merely grinned at the accusation. "We have so much to show you both and General Organa will be very eager to see you're awake."

She frowned. "Why's that?"

"Well, you're carrying her grandchild and all-" Ash groaned audibly, receiving a hearty laugh in return as she followed the group into a very large and ornate building.

The group had made their way into the original location of what had used to house the New Republic, before its relocation to Hosnian Prime. A sore subject that was not to be mentioned for a multitude of reasons, one being that anyone on Hosnian Prime was now dead thanks to StarKiller. It left quite an impression, one that would not be so easily forgotten by the remaining senators and any alliance members wishing to reconfigure the government. A difficult task, but one Leia was determined to work towards. Especially now that she had a team who wanted the same thing. She'd vouch for their legitimacy.

She sat in one of the lounge areas with Armitage Hux and Gwendoline Phasma, enjoying the peace and quiet as they awaited their next meeting. They had won. The war that seemed never ending and so very one sided was over. What did Leia Organa do now? Most of her life was spent fighting in some sort of resistance and trying to create a better governing power for the galaxy as a united whole. However, the wrong people had been in power each and every time. It wasn't easy, but Leia fought.

Then there was the matter of her son. While the knowledge of his relapse wasn't exactly publicly known, it was still a hinderance. Should the already leery members of the newly forming government catch wind of this, it would shake their trust in them. She knew her son was going to have an extremely hard time convincing them otherwise, he didn't need the extra weight holding him down.

And finally, there was Ashlyn and the child. While it wasn't a headache for Leia or an obstacle to overcome, it was still occupying her mind. She was going to be a grandmother, who wouldn't be excited over that? However, there was a part of her that was holding on to the fact that someone was missing from the picture. And while Han wasn't exactly the best husband, he was still a great father. He'd be one hell of a grandfather, as far as she was concerned.

It made her wonder what kind of father her son would be, having watched his father disappear so frequently. While that was the case, Han was still a loving father and was there for his son as much as he could be. She wondered the kind of impact that would have.

When Hux found Kylo Ren and Ashlyn, they were in the Throne Room. The bombs had been placed, ready to bring down the tyrant ship. It was quite the curveball when Brass had contacted them about the Force Users that should not have still been on board the ship. But, they were. And when he found them, it was an image he wanted gone from his mind, yet now burned there forever.

His first thought had been that Ashlyn was dead. She wasn't moving as she lied on the floor around the bodies of Snoke and the Praetorian Guards. Kylo Ren, on the other hand, was writhing in a ghostly pain that neither Hux nor Phasma knew what to do with. Ashlyn had to have died, that was the only logical explanation as to why this was happening. However, to his surprise, when Phasma told him otherwise and that Ash was actually alive, they knew they had little time to react.

They sedated Kylo Ren and carried him off the ship, separating him from all contact. He was a danger to himself and others then and Hux needed some answers. The first answer he got was from the medical examiner on board and after doing a quick blood test, to his shock, learned of Ashlyn's pregnancy. The second answer came when his destroyer was invaded by an overly panicked Light User who needed to see for herself that Ash was in fact alive. That was when he learned that he needed to move Kylo Ren to a much more secure room and the big secret of this matter began.

Either way, the diplomatic trio had one thing in common, the shared relief on their faces when they saw the redhead enter the room, trailing behind the Resistance trio. "Look who woke up." Poe said.

Ash smiled happily seeing that Phasma, Hux and Leia had all survived and, for the most part, looked well. Leia was first out of her seat as she made her way across the room and hugging her daughter-in-law tightly. "I am so grateful that you are all right." Her eyes quickly skimmed downward and back up to Ashlyn's face. "Both of you."

"Medic says everything is fine. I'm healthy and everything's good." Ash confirmed. "And-" She hesitated slightly, looking from Leia then to Hux and Phasma. She knew what their next question was. "I'm about seven weeks."

"So, you've been hiding this from us for a while." Hux smirked, as he walked over to hug Ashlyn. The two embracing for a good moment before Ash pulled away to hug the blond that walked over as well.

"Believe me, it was hidden from me too." Ash joked as she hugged Phasma, who was now getting used to the gesture from the redhead. "I'm glad you're both safe." She meant it. As the two pulled away, her mind began to fill with hundreds of questions. Questions she wasn't sure she knew where to start with. So, she started with the most generic. "What happens now?"

Hux was the one to answer. "Now, we play the part of politicians. This is where General Organa and myself fight to get our hopefully, new leader, into power and convince of the new shift of things in the Galaxy."

"Easier said than done, I assume?"

"You have no idea." Hux smirked. "Right now, we are in the main senate building and Senator Varrek, whom I'm sure you'll meet soon, has been gracious enough to set up housing for those that will be staying on the planet surface." Hux explained. "As for you. Your part in this war is over, should you wish it to be. You can rest, relax and enjoy the downtime until further notice."

She frowned. "Further notice?"

"My dear, if Kylo Ren becomes the next Leader of the Galaxy… you're going to have a very busy life ahead of you." Hux explained.

Oh right, she thought. Madame Supreme. Ash forced a smile then, knowing the only people who could sense her distress in the room would not bring it to light right then and there. "Well then-" She said. "I guess I should return to the ship."

"That won't be necessary." Hux explained. "When I said there are those staying on the planet, that also meant you. Chandrila will be your new home for a while. There is an apartment ready for you." Before Ash could ask her next burning question, he already had an answer. "Once Ren is better, he will be joining us down here."

Ash nodded, looking back to her group of out of place friends. "Then we should go explore then?"

"I will be accompanying you." Phasma added, securing her blaster to her belt.

Ash frowned. "Not that I mind your company as well, but is this one of those things I'm not going to like?"

Phasma smirked. "It's exactly one of those things you won't like."

"As the wife of the-" Hux began, only to be immediately interrupted by Ash.

"Yeah, yeah. I need bodyguards." Ash sighed. "Well, let's go." And with that, the group left the senate building once more.

Spiraling, gnawing, biting. Pain, fire, heat, ice. His entire body was screaming as it fought violently against the sudden and immediate loss of the darkness. A severed connection that would kill those weak enough to let it. Kylo Ren was no such person. He had Skywalker blood in his veins. He was not going down without a fight.

His body covered in a cold sweat as he yelled in torturous pain. Stars, it was blazing in this confinement. Or was it freezing? He couldn't tell anymore. He didn't know where he began or ended. Who was he anymore? Was he even alive still? He wasn't certain he could tell at this point. Did it matter?

Yes. It mattered. It mattered more than anything. But, not for the reasons he had originally thought. Kylo Ren had always had a plan; a defined purpose that set him apart from so many before him. A natural born leader and the son of two driving forces to a rebellion that spread throughout the galaxy. He was gifted with the Force, he was unstoppable. He was going to change the Galaxy. He was Ben Solo. A thriving force that broke down walls with such gusto and such drive. He was a phoenix rising. Ben Solo was going to change it all.

None of the old dreams mattered any longer. The ideas of grandeur were a thing of the past, it seemed. A wasted and foolish dream that held no merit now that he knew what was really important. The redhead. Stars, she was beautiful. She was keeping him going. Flashes of her smile crossed his mind every now and then. He could never give up his fight to live and yet, he would throw it all away, all of it, if she said to. She was his muse, she was his purpose. He never thought in a million years that anything could change that.

Then it did. The elevator. In the elevator he felt this pop. This resurgence of energy that pulsated from her. It wasn't her. Well, it was. It was a part of her, but it was also a part of him. At first, it was unclear what he was feeling. Such power, such ferocity. Then, it made sense. A child, the child. The one he had dreamt about. It was real, which made the reality all the more terrifying. They were marching into uncertainty. They could have died and they almost did. In fact, he almost killed them thanks to the darkness. He would never forgive himself for that. She could tell him a thousand times over for the rest of their lives that she forgave him and yet he still could never.

Now, there was so much to worry about. If he thought the stakes were high in going after Snoke, it was nothing compared to this. He had a senate to convince, a Galaxy to potentially run, a wife that he nearly killed, oh, and he was going to be a father.

A father. That was a weird thought. He didn't know if he could be a father. Sure, his vision was tempting and so wonderful to him. He wanted to be one, especially if delving into parenthood meant doing so with Ash. However, now that the realization was hitting him and the reality was set in stone. He was afraid. What if he couldn't be there for his child like he wanted to be? He was setting himself up for failure by doing exactly what his mother had done to him. Be consumed by politics and not have time to be fully present. Well, at least he wouldn't make his child feel like a monster. That was one positive in all the doubt, right?

Luke came to see him daily, although it felt like an eternity between each visit. He was the only person allowed in the room that could not only help him, but also someone he wouldn't feel too awful accidentally killing in the process. Luke said he was getting better, each day he was growing stronger and winning his fight. At times, it didn't feel like it. But, he knew he had to. He had fight and he had to win. If not for her, then for their child.

As night fell over the busy Hanna city, Ash found herself in her new apartment on Chandrila. It was surprisingly a rather large living space. With two bedrooms, a living area, a kitchen area and a balcony that overlooked the city. It was beautiful. But it meant nothing to her as she stood there quietly and utterly alone.

While she appreciated her busy day out with friends (although one was really there to keep her safe), the distraction being a necessary one, it didn't stop her from feeling that weight of what happened. He tried to kill them. A thought that was hard to ignore as it crept forward in her mind. Without much of a debate, he so easily struck down on the projection of her. Knowing he would be ending not just her but their unborn child as well. And while she knew in her heart that it wasn't him. It was the stone. She couldn't help but doubt even just a little bit. A part of her knew that doubt was more prominent considering she was alone now.

Everything was changing, it was clear in how her afternoon went. For the first time in over a year she didn't feel like she had to be on guard. She didn't feel like her actions were going to cause a complete and total meltdown of one side of a war. The war was over. And while Ashlyn should have been relieved, it left a pretty big question lingering in the air. What the hell was Ashlyn Solo supposed to do now?

What type of person was Ashlyn going to become. A mechanic from Lothal that grew up with the best of the scum of the galaxy and now potentially the wife of the next Supreme Leader and mother to perhaps the next lineage in leaders. Yet, it didn't feel like that meant she had a place in all this. Her place was by Rey and Ren's side during a war that she was useful during. Now? She didn't feel like she had much use anymore. What did Ashlyn Solo do now that she wasn't exactly needed?

With a sigh, she rested her arms on the balcony and leaned forward. The night was quieting and, in that silence, came that dreadful reassurance of loneliness as she bit the inside of her lip.

She frowned unexpectedly, sensing she was no longer alone in her apartment. Her hand lowered to her side with ease, her fingers grazing her lightsaber hilt. With two quick beats, she grabbed the saber tightly and turned with force, the amber blade whizzing out as she stepped into the apartment ready for a fight. However, what she saw was not exactly what she expected to see. In the corner, against the wall, he was sitting with his knees curled to his chest and his arms on his knees. His head down as he sat there.

Sighing with a hesitant relief, she retracted the lightsaber. He wasn't really there, she knew that. "Ben?"

His head snapped up as confusion adorned his features. He hadn't been aware of his projecting until he frowned in recognition. His jaw fell slack as his body relaxed slightly. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's fine." Ash said softly, reattaching her lightsaber to her belt. "The Force likes to connect us when we need it most." He snorted in reply. "It's true."

"I know it is." He snapped; a part of him still not wanting to admit when he needed the help. Ash felt his pain tugging at her as she walked over to where he was sitting. She hesitated only a moment before positioning herself next to him. The two barely touching as she crossed her legs. "You deserve better."

Ash rolled her eyes, grinning at how ridiculous that sounded to her. "I have what I need and want."

Ren stared at her with such intensity, even though he wasn't physically there it still held weight in it. "And what if I can't give that to you? What if everything's changed and I no longer have it in me to be what you need?"

"You're right-" Ash agreed with an airy chuckle. "Everything has changed. And while I don't know what that means for you or for me… for us. Where our place is in all this. I really don't know where we go from here. But, wherever it is, I want it to always be with you. I don't know what part I have to play in all this anymore, my story is probably over. But yours is just beginning, another chapter has started and I want to be right there with you through it." She fought hard against the doubt in her mind. Her heart was strong, her heart knew what she wanted. She knew Ben Solo was in there, fighting to get out. She knew Ben Solo was not the monster on the Supremacy.

Kylo Ren rolled his eyes. "Your part isn't over, Ash." He replied dryly. "You have much more to give. So much more."

She smiled sadly. "What use am I if I'm not fighting in a war or fixing things?"

His brow quirked upward. "Who said you had to stop fixing things?"

"Do you really think the wife of the next Supreme Leader should be a mechanic?"

"Yes." Ren stated simply. "Because she's a damn good one." Her smile widened to a sincerer one. "Just because you're not doing something profound, doesn't make it any less important. You saved the galaxy, you've done more than enough, more than what anyone deserves. Let alone what I deserve."

"You deserve more than you give yourself credit for."

He snorted. "I don't deserve you or our son." The weight fell into the room again as the tension spread like wildfire. Of course, he was taking it to heart. He could feel it residing within her too. "What I did to you both-"

Ash gently placed her hand on his arm, and although he wasn't actually there, they could feel it. "Let's save that conversation for another day." She offered. "When you're really here."

"See?" A smirk tugged at his lips. "You're too good for me." Rolling her eyes at him, she placed her head down on his arm, resting it just below his shoulder. The two sitting in silence before Kylo Ren finally asked. "How is he?"

Ash's lips pursed slightly. "He's okay. It's weird, there's nothing that anyone else can see or do when it comes to him. He's basically the size of a berry. But I can feel him. Well, that sounds dumb." She let out an airy laugh. "I can feel the Force beginning to take shape within him. Medic says I'm about seven weeks."

"Seven?" He stuttered slightly. "We've only been married for seven-" Then the math clicked and he was back to smirking again at the memory of their first night on the Ascension destroyer. "I suppose that makes sense." Ash sat up again, the two falling silent, but a happier silence between them. "It feels so long ago." He commented.

"It does." Ash agreed. "From arriving to StarKiller all the way to now… it feels like an eternity has gone by without us realizing it." She laughed. "We've come so far from when you Force choked me."

Ren frowned at that. "You couldn't have picked a better moment?"

"It was our first moment. And looking back on it, it was kind-of funny."

"How is Force choking you funny?" He asked dryly.

Ash smiled then. "Because no matter how hard you tried to convince yourself you hated me, you ended up marrying me and now I'm pregnant with your child. That's how."

"You have such a weird sense of humor." He said fondly, the two of them dropping their guard without realizing it.

"I have to keep myself entertained somehow." She replied, her smile faltering slightly. "Hux says I have to be under almost constant surveillance. While he doesn't believe anyone would try and harm me, he wants to be sure. It's not the worst, though. Our apartment is nice."

He saw through her hesitance. "But, you don't like it?"

"No." She frowned contemplatively. "I do, I just don't like being alone in it."

Kylo Ren sighed; frustrated that he couldn't be with his wife yet. "Soon." He answered the unspoken question. "I will be out soon."

Final Thoughts: I have nothing except I better start wrapping this story up! Jeez! Remember to review and see you guys next time!