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Ben's heart pounds and cold sweat trickles down the back of his neck. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Rey says, pacing as her mouth screws up in pain. "I've never had a baby before."

"I'll get my mother." It's the only thing he can think of. Rey's having their baby... a few weeks early, and on the Millennium Falcon...

"Sounds good," Rey offers, panting.

Ben darts out from corridor and spots Mother sitting next to Luke, talking to Finn. Her nephew. Ben still can't wrap his mind around it, and he doesn't have time to try right now. "Can you come with me?" he requests. "Now?"

"What's wrong, Ben?" she asks, taking in his face.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just—Rey's in labor. I think. She thinks."

"What?" yelps Poe from the bunk he's laying on.

Finn's jaw drops. "Now?"

Mother rushes into the corridor, where they find Rey still pacing, breathing too regularly. In, out. In, out. In, out.

"How far are we from D'Qar?" Rey asks through gritted teeth.

"Far enough. A day or so," Mother answers.

Rey lets out a barking laugh. Ben clutches her elbow. "You'll be fine." She will be. She's strong.

"You will be," Mother agrees. "I had Ben on this ship."

"You did?" That's news to him.

"Really?" Rey looks to Ben, and in her hazel eyes, Ben sees pain, fear, but also excitement and love, and with all that is in him, he loves her. He wishes he could take her pain away.

"Yes," Mother says, smirking. "Hopefully Ben will be more help to you than Han was to me. Because you are helping, Ben."

He nods. "Of course."

"What happened with Han?" Rey inquires, sighing, clearly in-between contractions.

Mother's eyebrows quirk upwards. "He fainted."

"Really?" Ben's jaw drops.

"He got it together when it counted, though," she adds.

Rey's face blanches, and she clutches her abdomen and strains not to scream. A low whimper emerges instead.

"Come on." Ben reaches to carry her.

"I can walk myself!" she hisses.

"I know. But you don't have to." He picks her up in his arms anyways, just like he carried her a year earlier, on Takodana, only focusing of what information he could glean from her about the map, ignoring the sparks inside that hinted she was far, far more important.

Rey looks into his eyes, conscious this time, and smiles as if she knows what he's thinking. Which, she probably does. We've both changed so much.

I love you.

Ben carries Rey towards the bunk, which a horrified looking Poe has vacated.

"Are—are you okay, Rey?" Finn asks.

Rey tries to answer but bites down as another contraction seizes her. Ben sets her on the bunk, and she grips his hand so hard she almost breaks it. A scream finally emerges in answer.

"Oh, dear," says C-3PO.

"I'll be fine," Rey ekes out, still crushing the bones in Ben's hand.

Banished to the cockpit and/or the corridor, Finn watches as Lando informs Chewie that Rey's in labor. The Wookiee sits silent, shocked.

"Leia's with her," Luke clarifies.

Chewie bobbles his head as if to say, oh, okay then.

Luke puts his hand on Finn's shoulder as another scream erupts. "Can we talk?"

Finn nods.

Once in the corridor, Luke swallows hard. Finn has a hard time processing. This is my father.

I do have a family.

Leia's his aunt. Ben, his cousin.

"What was my mother like?" he blurts out.

Luke nods to himself. "She was smart. And brave. And beautiful. We met in Maz's cantina… she was dancing…" Memories pour from Luke's lips, washing through Finn as he tries to concoct the image of a woman he always knew existed, but now knows her name. Nishi.

"She left because she knew I would have left the Jedi way for her," Luke says. "I never knew she was pregnant."

Finn nods, emotions coursing through him, rushing and cascading and churning, bubbling to overflow. "The Jedi way is stupid, then," he finally says. And he's not sorry.

Luke shrugs. "It wasn't worth it."

"Why does protecting the galaxy mean giving so much up?" Finn demands. "I mean, I get that it's got to involve sacrifice. That's obvious. But shouldn't each Jedi be able to make their own decision? Like about whether to pursue a relationship?" He thinks of Poe.

"I agree," Luke says, looking at Finn. "I'm so sorry."

"What happened wasn't your fault," Finn clarifies.

"No, it was. Partially. The ghosts are right about many things, but not everything. Yoda told me my father was too far gone. He wasn't. I mean, clearly, even Obi-Wan couldn't live by the rules forever. And if my father had had Jedi support, none of this might ever have happened. But it did happen, and regretting all of that—it's not going to help." Luke swallows. "I want to make a new way for the Jedi, from now on. With a greater focus on personal responsibility, and choice. If Rey and Ben want to continue to train, as I suspect they will, they're welcome to. And their child will be able to make his or her own choice. And you, Finn, you can choose too. If you want to."

Rey cries out again. Finn flinches. "I want to train as a Jedi," he agrees. "I also want to pursue something… with someone."

Luke leans against the wall and smiles. "Are you talking about Poe?"

"Yeah," Finn says. "Yeah, I am."

"Good. The man's been in love with you since well before I met you, I'm guessing."

Finn smirks and reaches out. "Can I—can we—?"

Luke wraps Finn up in his arms. Father. It'll be weird getting used to that term, and yet Finn feels that Luke won't pressure him about using it.

He'd like to use it, though. Eventually.

"Can you ask Poe to come here?" Finn requests.

His father nods.

Poe appears minutes latter, bruises still marring his face. "Hey, buddy."

Finn kisses him. "He's not going to make me choose."

"What?" Poe blinks. The air feels suddenly warmer, more alive. Rey screams again.

"Between being a Jedi, and being with you."

Poe's face caves into something so vulnerable, so beautiful, that Finn doesn't know how he ever feared talking to Poe about how he felt. "You want to be with me?" Poe repeats.

"I do," he confirms.

Poe cups his hand around the back of Finn's head and draws him closer. Are his eyes shining? Finn wonders.

They kiss again, and even with Rey's screams in the background, Finn feels so whole, so right, so at home, that raw wounds of that's happened to him—the numerous atrocities he committed as a stormtrooper, the hours of Hux's voice droning on and on, the cowardly way he tried to run on Takodana, everything that he's ever been ashamed of—feel healed, and he isn't ashamed of the scars.

Rey doesn't want to scream, but she can't help it. Agony twists and crushes her from the inside, and there's no place to take the pain besides her lungs, no place to release it besides her voice.

"You're doing great, Rey," Leia assures her.

"What would doing badly look like?" Rey groans.

"Something would look like it's wrong, and everything seems fine. The baby I think is in the right position, you're progressing normally, you're going to be fine."

She hopes so, but fine extends far beyond just having this child. What kind of mother will she be? She never had one, and Rey's terrified she won't be able to be a good one, and that's all she wants: to give her son or daughter all the love she possesses, wrap them up in her arms at night and plant kisses on their foreheads, tell them they'll be safe and never give him or her cause to wonder that she'll ever leave.

"Rey?"

"What if I'm not a good mother?" she manages. "I don't know how."

"I don't know how either," Ben admits. "We'll figure it out. We'll have to." His voice shakes as he runs his hands over Rey's sweat-soaked hair.

Red and white excitement shoots through her. She wants to hold this baby, wants to give him or her everything. This child that she clung to as a reminder of Ben's love for her when her memories wavered during her captivity—she's about to meet him or her.

"We—" Rey says through gritted teeth. "Are going to be great parents. Or at least, we're going to give it everything we've got."

Ben chuckles.

Pain bears down on her again, and she loses herself in screaming, despite Leia and Ben both pleading with her to just breathe, just breathe.

Leia gasps.

"What?" Ben demands.

"Your water broke, Rey."

"Does that mean I'm almost there?" And that this pain will finally end?

Ben grips her hand tightly now as Leia nods.

"How long does it usually take to have a baby?" Poe wonders as he sends BB-8 back into the room to check in on Rey. Although, the moans seem to suggest it will take a little while longer. In the meantime, they've all crowded in the cockpit.

"Leia took almost a day to have Ben," Luke says.

"So we could be back at D'Qar?" Finn asks.

Chewie huffs.

"I take it that's a no."

"What is going to happen back on D'Qar?" Poe questions. "I mean, we'll have to regroup to take on what's left of the First Order... but with Ben. What will happen? It's our fault for breaking him out. And he'll have a kid, and probably a wife because I'm assuming they'll get married. It doesn't seem right to keep him locked up."

"We'll see what we can do," Lando says. "I think his actions on Ahch-To will work in his favor."

"I can't believe you're arguing to free him," teases Finn, jabbing Poe in the thigh.

"I can't believe you're his cousin," Poe returns. "Finn Skywalker. You guys are the most complicated, messed-up family in the entire galaxy, and yet we all want to be like you."

If you want to be a Skywalker, just say the word, Finn thinks. Not actually. Not yet. But someday.

Luke sighs.

"You all right?" Lando inquires.

"Yeah. I'm just—I wasn't there when you were born. I didn't know you existed. It reminds me of my father... he thought his wife was dead." Luke looks at him. "If I had—maybe—"

Finn grabs his father's hand. "It's all right." It is.

"You lost so much."

"We both did." Finn does wonder what life would have been like, if he and Ben grew up together. Would the older boy have mocked him, or protected him, or both? How would Han have treated his nephew? The man he called Solo is actually his uncle. Finn can't help chuckling at that, but there's a bittersweet stalk too that springs up, making Finn wish that Han was here to find out about his nephew, meet his grandchild.

Another scream. BB-8 sticks its head back into the room and bloops.

"Translation, please," Finn requests.

"BB-8 says it won't be long now," Poe says. "And that there's a lot of blood."

"Beyond what's normal?" Luke demands.

BB-8 shakes its head and beeps again.

"Leia's not worried, so we're not going to worry either," Lando declares. "She'll be fine."

Ben's forehead pressed against her own, his hand tightly clutched in hers, Rey tries to focus on everything but the pain.

"You can do it, Rey," Ben murmurs, and she bears down again, groans tearing from her throat, tears flowing from her eyes, and she hears Leia gasp and the sharp cry of an infant.

Rey gasps as R2 bleeps in excitement. She peers upwards as Leia, her voice choked, announces, "You have a daughter. Ben, come here."

Leia has Ben cut the cord, and Rey's crying as Ben places her daughter on her chest. Snoke won't ever get her. Rey has her daughter, and she's safe. We're both safe. Snoke will never hurt her, or her daughter, or Ben again.

She looks to Ben and sees tears running down his face.

"She's got your hair," Rey croaks.

"We both have dark hair," he points out.

Rey studies the dark tufts. "No, it's definitely yours."

Ben reaches out, his hand stroking his daughter's damp hair, his face contorted in wonder.

"We have a daughter," Rey whispers again as her daughter looks up at her with such trust. I'll never abandon you, she thinks. No matter what. I promise.

Her daughter's fingers curl around Rey's fingers, and Rey's laughing, and Ben's grinning so wide he looks adorably stupid, Leia's wiping her eyes, and Rey's never felt so happy in her entire life.

R2 wheels back in with C-3PO, who has a basin of water. Ben washes their daughter as Leia helps Rey deliver the afterbirth. When her daughter's swaddled in her arms and Ben's sitting next to her, BB-8 spins into the room, sticking out a fiery thumbs-up.

They laugh.

BB-8 chirps.

"Yes," Rey agrees as Leia adjusts a blanket over her. "They can come in."

It's almost a stampede as Poe, Finn, Luke, Lando, and Chewie storm into the room, all gaping.

"It's a girl," Rey says, feeling her cheeks flush.

"What's her name?" Lando inquires.

She hasn't even discussed it with Ben, but Rey knows the name she wants to give. "Padmé."

Luke's eyes tear up. Rey glances at Ben, who's smiling and nodding and wiping at his eyes again.

"I can't believe it," Poe breathes. "It's all just—sorry, guys—but it's all just crazy. Good crazy. But crazy."

"Can I hold her?" Finn asks.

Rey nods. Ben looks uncertain.

"She is my relative," Finn reminds Ben. "Cousin. Oh, good grief, she looks like you." He's teasing, though, and Ben can't help grinning.

"She's gorgeous," Poe says, peering over Finn's shoulder.

Chewie holds his arms out, and Ben and Rey both acquiesce.

"I'm going to spoil my great-niece," Luke promises.

"Not as much as I'm going to spoil my granddaughter," Leia interjects.

"Oh, Han would be so proud," C-3PO gushes.

The room falls strangely silent until Chewie gently murmurs his agreement.

Even with his face wet, Ben's smiling so much, Rey realizes. She doesn't think she ever dreamed he would look so free.

Three weeks later, back on the Resistance base, Ben wakes up as rose sunlight floods the room. Rey sleeps next to him, dark hair strewn over a pillow, and he has no desire to disturb her. Both of them were up with a fussing Padmé for most of the night.

But he can't sleep. Later that day, Poe and others will be leaving to take on the remnants of the First Order. None of them are naïve enough to think they'll ever eradicate the First Order, or the Empire, or whatever shape it will take next, from the galaxy. But they can buy a few more years of peace, and that's what they'll do.

For so many years, Ben believed in finality, craved it, as Snoke had. Now, he understands. There will always be conflict. No matter how strong the Light grows, there will always be shadows.

And that doesn't mean the galaxy's a terrible place. It's good, too.

Ben takes in the sight of his daughter, finally asleep, drenched in pink light. He and Rey will be vigilant, as will Finn, Poe, Mother, Luke, Chewie… so many. They'll protect her as best they can, be honest with her, teach her to acknowledge the Dark and hope that, when she makes her choices, she chooses the Light.

Ben reaches down and picks Padmé up, cradling her against his chest. He loves her so much. More than ever, he understands his father now.

I'm so sorry, he thinks again.

"It's okay, you know," says his grandfather to his side. Anakin smiles at him, at his great-granddaughter, and fades.

It is okay, Ben tells himself. Because his father's love reached out beyond death. Love like that could never be killed.

And in the end, his father's love helped save him.

The Resistance agreed to let Ben live with Rey for the meantime, albeit with restrictions, based on what happened on Ahch-To, and the appearance of Obi-wan Kenobi's ghost. And Padmé seems to be steadily winning even Admiral Ackbar over. Still, Ben doubts many of them will ever shake off their suspicions, and he can't blame them.

"Treat them well," Obi-Wan had warned after that meeting, looking at Rey and Padmé with hope.

"I will." When Ben considers what the Dark Side holds, he never wants to go back. It offers power, but only a fool would choose power over the love that surrounds him here, with his soon-to-be wife, his daughter, his mother and uncle and cousin and friends.

What if Padmé despises you when she realizes what you were? whispers his old doubt, the darkness that lingers.

"Ben?"

He turns to Rey, who's sitting up in bed, running her hand through her tangled hair. He brings their daughter over, kissing Padmé on top of her hair.

If she did, I'd still love her, Ben admits to himself. "I'm just—I'm sorry, Rey. I keep worrying."

"I know." She kisses him and makes a face at their stirring daughter. "But I'm here. And even if someday I'm not, others will be." She laughs. "Even the dead are always here."

He nods. "And if others come? Others, like Snoke? To corrupt her?" Because he is not naïve. He knows what potential his daughter carries.

Rey bites her lip. "We'll do what we can."

What we can. Ben studies his daughter. She's not him. She's a whole new person, and her upbringing would be different than his. He'd do whatever it took to protect her, and though he can't predict the future, today he can choose to trust, trust in the Light.

"Don't be afraid," Rey says, and he lowers his head to her shoulder, feeling the fear, acknowledging it, and feeling it fade, fade away, as he reaches out, caressing his daughter's cheek.

Thank you so, so much to everyone who read this story! Every follow/favorite/review has really been appreciated. Special thanks to msmarymack96 for beta'ing!

I may eventually write a sequel to this (I'd be interested to explore Ben and Rey as parents, plus Ben's continual adjustment to life post-First-Order and Finn's adjustment to being a Skywalker), but we'll have to see. Life's been picking up pace, and my roommate has asked me to write another post-TFA fic with a distinct arc for a certain character, so I'm drabbling around with that for now. I may wind up posting that story sometime next week (it would still be Reylo and Stormpilot, because I can't break up my OTPs). In the meantime, I created a tumblr as hamliet, because apparently I really need another time waster/outlet for feels in my life. :D

Much love to all of you.