Rey carefully turned the brittle page of the Jedi text in front of her. The symbols were becoming more familiar after all of Ben's lessons, but she still encountered ruins she didn't recognize.
"Ben," she asked, expecting him to be at his desk but nothing but silence met her ears, she looked around the room. He must have slipped out while she was deep in thought.
She sighed, the baby was growing so large inside her that the effort to stand seemed greater than the reward. So, she opted for the easier option.
She initiated a mind bridge to Ben.
He turned toward her suddenly, panic written across his face, "What is it? Is it time?"
She blinked slowly, irritation coloring the Force around her as it rolled off her body in waves.
"Oh, sorry, I just thought…" he tried to smile, but he realized his mistake. Pointing out the baby was already late was not helpful.
"What do you need?" he asked, trying to sound chipper but she could see only appeasement in his face, her irritation not quite ready to subside.
"I didn't notice you leave," she said.
"You were deep in thought, I'll come back," his tone was so sweetly endearing.
His efforts didn't go unnoticed on Rey's part, "I can't decipher this symbol, could you help me?"
"Of course, I'll be right there," he answered; she could already see him walking when she closed the connection.
"Alright, which one is it?" Ben asked as he crossed the room from the low door that the caretakers has insisted was plenty tall enough. "Is it the text written on Tython? That one always gives me trouble. It's just so old."
Ben paused when she didn't answer and examined Rey more closely.
She was staring at her belly with wide eyes, a hand on either side of the enormous bulge.
The sight sent fear tingling up his spine. Ben pressed his lips together, he had been fooled only a moment ago and wrong guesses on this subject had consequences, he knew.
"So, is the baby kicking?" He ventured, that seemed like the safest thing to ask.
Rey shook her head silently.
"You look thirsty," he offered, growing nervous.
"It's time," Rey whispered.
It's was Ben's turn to look shocked, although logically, birth was he eventual end of pregnancy, one always seemed to assume that the actual moment would remain in the future somehow. No matter how one prepared, the timing was often something of a surprise.
Ben looked into the tiny baby's face as it nestled in against his chest. He'd never held an infant before. It seemed so small and fragile he was sure he was doing something wrong.
"Am I supporting her head correctly?" he asked for the sixth time.
Rey chuckled.
"What do you want to name her?" Rey's voice was soft and tired, but happy.
He looked up at Rey, tearing his eyes away from the sleeping child.
"I don't know, I...hadn't thought about it, I figured you would pick something out." He stammered.
Rey smiled, something about the way he held the tiny baby softened very hard place inside her.
"I was thinking of 'Leia,'" she told him.
Ben's jaw clinched and his face fought to control his emotions. He carefully raised the baby's soft head to his lips, placing the gentlest of kisses atop her fuzzy crown.
He looked back at Rey with tears welling in his eyes, he nodded, to overcome with emotion to speak.