Epilogue

A few years later...

Author's note: Ben Solo my lovelies. Enjoy!

"Sir, this just came in."

Ben regards the datapad shoved under his nose somewhat contemptuously, but doesn't break stride stomping up the ramp of his ship. His secretary's last minute attempt to grasp his attention for chores that she believes need to be dealt with before he departs from Kuat Drive Yards is very daring, he has to admit.

"What is it?" he scowls, entering the main corridor. He nods at Mike to remain at ease and signals at his pilot waiting at the entrance of the ship's cockpit to proceed with departure.

Kaydel hesitates, keeping her arm outstretched with the datapad. "It's ...um…"

Ben side-eyes her curiously, because she never hesitates to approach him about business, despite the fact that she remains intimidated by him after years of being at his service. He has already signed all needed documents for the release of the newly constructed RZ1 A-wing Interceptors to the New Republic as Director of Kuat Systems Engineering, and has already discussed with King Prana the details of his new cruise ship - so he's fairly certain he has not left any unattended tasks for the day.

"It had better be important, Kaydel," he warns. All he wants to do is go home, and she doesn't seem willing to grant him the luxury of peace that easily tonight.

"It's a wedding invitation."

"And this concerns me because…"

There's a sharp, determined inhale from her before the information tumbles out. "It's from your ex-wife, sir, asking if you will be attending her wedding to Mr. Dunton, Head of Coruscant's National Bank, in the next standard month. She wishes to know if you will be bringing any guests."

Ben pauses abruptly in the middle of the corridor, and Kaydel's heels screech to a halt next to him. He presses his lips together, glaring at his secretary and wondering if this is some kind of a perverse joke on her part, or if she has suddenly lost all ability to keep her mental faculties intact. The woman fidgets under his stare.

"There is a private note, stating that Mr. Dunton has not yet decided if Coruscant's National Bank will be investing in the new freighters that are being constructed by Kuat's shipyards," Kaydel continues in a small voice. "She says she could help with the decision under certain conditions."

Ah.

Of course... He should have known. Hannah is really going out of her way to make his life hard. He resumes his stride.

"Send my condolences," he states over his shoulder, "and tell her that Kuat has already brokered a deal with Corellia. We won't be needing his funding."

"Condolences, sir?"

"Yes, for the wedding. And feel free to respond to the invitation by saying that Mr. and Mrs. Solo will not be attending due to other more important engagements."

There's a long pause behind him, and he has nearly reached his blessed quarters by the time Kaydel decides to speak out a little cautiously. "Is that what you really want me to answer back, sir?'

His door whooshes open, but Ben remains glued to his spot, fuming silently and tightening his fists. The leather of his gloves cricks in the silence of the corridor.

His years married to Hannah were bad. Very bad. And the problem is that he can't really blame her for resenting him so much by the end. She was alone. She had turned her back on the Chiss society, and her society had done the same towards her. In their eyes she had fallen from grace from the moment she chose a foreigner of such questionable morals as her husband. Her father being overthrown from power was only a natural consequence.

Ben is aware that Hannah was a proud, strong woman who cared about him in her own distinctive way, but never understood that he was devoted to someone else, and that certain feelings could not be altered or forgotten just because she wished them so. Their marriage could not go on if one of them was essentially absent.

Ben tries not to think about the terrible fights that would accompany his indifference towards her, or the days of heavy silence that would drag after his subsequent disappearances. He tries not to think of the lengths he would reach to piss Hannah off. Of the misery, frustration and hopelessness that clung to his painful years away from Rey. No.

It all belongs in the past now. There is no point in digging out and reviving what has been buried and done for. But Maker, he still hates when he is reminded of it.

"Don't give in to feelings that eat at what you are." He can almost see Rey smile at him with the saddest, most compassionate eyes one bright morning. His past had reached out to haunt him once again, as it would happen in one form or another, more times then he would care to acknowledge. "Look at what you have in your hands right now and hold on to that."

Ben can almost feel the soft sensation of her lips pressed against his own. Her sweet breath on his face, and her caress on his hair. His chest expanding with this radiant emotion that feels like his body is not enough to contain.

She is so full of Light, his little girl. His vigilant Jedi. His wise, strong, beautiful wife.

He is glad he listens to her more times than not.

"Actually, no." He turns his head over his shoulder to address his secretary. He should really be more patient with her, and maybe give her some time off to spend with Dameron now that he thinks about it. She's extremely tolerant of him. "Just say that Mr. and Mrs. Solo will not be attending. Thank you, Kaydel."

"Have you told Rey about the padawans?"

The blue holoprojection of Nyxx glows impatiently on his desk, and Ben knows he is far from getting any rest in his quarters this evening. He really wants to get a couple of hours of much needed sleep before he reaches Naboo, since it will be dawn by the time he gets home, and Maker only knows when he'll get the chance to approach his bed again - clearly, the galaxy is conspiring against him tonight.

Ben pinches the bridge of his nose at the annoyance that flares inside him. He understands that Nyxx is anxious to relocate the Academy to quieter and safer planets, and that Naboo is one of his top choices at the moment. But he really needs time to talk Rey out of her adamant refusal to get involved with anything that has to do with being a Jedi. He also has to get through that stubborn head of hers that, no, she's not stepping on some ancient Jedi rules if she starts to teach young padawans about the Force, and that it won't be the end of the galaxy if she does.

"You know she's not the easiest person to discuss things with at times. I think if you were to give me a few more months…"

"We don't have a few months, Ben." Nyxx glares at him in blue. "There's enough volcanic activity on Yavin IV already, and I don't think any of us feel like waiting for it to properly erupt before we start evacuating the damn planet. Why is it so difficult to talk to her?"

"I never said it's difficult!" Force, he's so persistent. "I just want to figure out how to approach the subject. She can get a bit…touchy."

"Frankly, I don't care how touchy you get with each other because she is your wife, you know? But I would appreciate it if you please talked to her. She's the most powerful Jedi of our generation, and the young ones could learn so much from her. I'd hate to see this opportunity go to waste."

Ben wants to grunt, because he's very much aware of her abilities and the fact that she's been denying this part of her - a part that literally defines her - for the sake of outdated beliefs. Sometimes he wishes Luke would appear to talk some sense into her. He's fairly certain his uncle should have a completely different outlook about life as a Force ghost by now.

He hopes.

"You don't understand," she had said a few months back, crouched over her petunias and digging out the weeds that threatened to drown her flowers. There was a small crease between her brows, and her irritation had stung in his chest. "Sometimes we just can't have it all. I'm perfectly happy with the choices I've made, and I wouldn't change them for all the Force in the galaxy."

Ben had stared at her profile for a few moments, watching her struggle with the earth, before he eventually reached for a wild wisp of hair and set it behind her ear. There was dirt on her cheek, and he had wiped it away with his thumb, wishing he could wipe away her trepidations with the same ease.

"There's nothing wrong with being a little selfish sometimes," he had said softly to her. "What's the point of following a rule that hurts no one else but you?"

He knows all about vows that hold no true value. But she doesn't seem to see it the same way as him.

The chair creaks as Ben settles back broodily. "I'll see what I can do. But I can't guarantee that she'll accept. You know how she gets."

"I know how both of you get," Nyxx doesn't hesitate to point out. 'Have you accepted the ambassador's position in Naboo?"

"I"m not going back into politics. I've sworn that I wouldn't …"

"See, that's exactly what I mean. You two idiots need to sit down and discuss for once, instead of breeding the next generation of Force sensitives."

Breeding the...what?

"Watch it." He shoves an accusatory finger at Nyxx's smirking face, although his emotions are a bit divided between defending Rey's honor and feeling rather accomplished about the outcome of their… joining. "You're talking about my wife," he warns, but there is no real heat behind his words, and his dickhead of a friend senses it.

"How are the twins?" He snickers, arching an eyebrow.

Ben can feel a gigantic smile breaking across his face. A huge shit eating grin that he's pretty sure even Rey can sense in her sleep at this very moment.

Fuck my life…

He's been dying to tell his friend about their new skills for days.

"Maker, Nyxx… You won't believe the stunt they pulled on my mother last week."

He couldn't be more proud.

The horizon is just starting to turn into a shade of deep blue by the time he sets foot on the landing bay of his home. It's that very moment of dawn when the air is crisp and tranquil, unstirred yet by the world's worries and troubles. The chirping of birds has just begun to ring timidly from the treeline, and the distinct fragrance of Naboo roses saturates the morning haze.

It's that very moment of dawn that happens to be his favorite of the day. Especially when he finds himself draped over his sleeping Rey like a blanket, her light puffs of breath fanning on his hair, and her slender arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders, anchoring him down as if he could disappear in the middle of the night without her being aware.

Maker, he has missed waking up next to her. It's been nearly a week.

He hurries up the stone pavement of the estate's garden - his steps disrupting the stillness of the morning - all the way to the secondary entrance door at the side of the house. If he's lucky enough Rey will still be asleep by the time he slips under the covers to drag her warm body in his arms.

His cock stirs in anticipation just as the doors slide open for him to enter his home. He hopes and prays that the twins will remain asleep long enough for Rey and him to indulge on a few moments all to themselves, perhaps he'll even have the chance to get her to moan his name once or twice before they wake up. If he gets to come too it would be even better. He'd really like that.

Maybe the twins will grant them a half hour or so. Twenty minutes at least.

They can be quick.

There's a sudden loud crack from under his shoe, which resounds in the family room and has him freeze in his spot like a statue. Ben swears under his breath. The dim light barely illuminates the toys scattered on the floor, and he dreads to look back at which one he has just crushed under his heel. If it's Jaina's new starship he's in real trouble.

Ben traipses carefully through the rest of the room and into the main hall.

The house is quiet. Not a single whir of a droid can be heard. But as he reaches within him for that thread which hums to the rhythm of his heart, he realizes with some surprise that Rey is awake and expecting him.

I'm in the shower.

She calls to him, and Ben practically flies up the stairs.

He can't wait to get his hands on her.

But as he rushes by the twins's bedroom he slows down to peek a look inside. He could steal a quick moment to check on them, he figures. To make sure they haven't fallen off their bed or something.

He approaches Jacen carefully. His three year old son is deeply asleep on his belly, with half his blanket on the floor and the rest barely covering his little body. Ben kneels to gently caress his boy's mess of hair away from his face and cover him up again. He picks up the little Ewok bear from the floor and tucks it under his arm, wondering with a little worry when his son will decide to actually speak instead of projecting images directly into their minds. Rey doesn't seem to be very concerned, but Ben…

Ben knows all about silence.

He lingers for a moment longer at his side, studying his boy's peaceful features before he finally gets to his feet. With one last caress, he heads over to Jaina's bed. She's fast asleep too, with her black locks sprawled on her pillow and her hands on each side of her head. Ben can't help but smile and shake his head. Even in her sleep, she takes up as much space as her vibrant personality. May the Force have mercy on the poor fellow who falls for his daughter. Ben might not need to keep an eye on her future husband, after all. He might not even have to pull a blaster on him, or have him beat up by his bodyguard as a warning.

Ben smoothes her covers and leans in to place a soft kiss on the crown of her head. Her hair smells of berries and some exotic flower he can't identify even if his life depended on it - probably some new cleansing wash Rey has gotten for her. Who knows what else he's missed in the span of a week.

He turns away to head towards the door.

It frustrates him so much at times - becoming aware of the everyday details he misses. Maybe Nyxx is right. He and Rey should seriously sit down and discuss their most prickly subjects. The ones they have been tiptoeing around for years. He knows Rey misses being a Jedi and studying the ways of the Force. And he is really tired of commuting between Kuat and Naboo every week. A position as Coruscant's ambassador on Naboo would be the ideal way for him to remain at home. But would she be willing for him to return to politics?

Ben sighs.

There's really only one way to find out.

"Daddy?" A little voice calls to him in the dawning light. "Iz dat you?"

Ben halts at the door with a wince. He doesn't believe he has made a sound so far, and the kiss he set on Jaina's head was very soft, yet he managed to wake her up.

"Hi, Princess," he whispers, because he at least hopes Jacen remains asleep. It's still so early for them. "It's me."

Jaina sits up in her bed, with her hair in a tangle of curls around her small face and her arms outstretched towards him expectantly. He knows exactly what that means.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep, Starlight. It's still very, very early. The sun is not out yet, and R2 is still powering up so you won't have anyone to play with...No? Aren't you sleepy? Oh, you are? Well, why don't you...oh… right… ok. Well, mommy might want to put you back in your bed though, so... No?"

Ben sighs and approaches Jaina. He really doesn't know what it is about the women in his life that have such a strong influence on him. He picks her up, and she wraps her tiny hands around his neck and settles her head on his shoulder.

"Well, maybe this one last time, alright?" he mumbles in her curls.

He can feel her nod sleepily as he carries her out of their room, down the hall and towards his and Rey's bedroom. Jaina is fast asleep by the time he settles her under the covers of their bed. The sky is turning a lighter shade of blue outside the windows, but there is no sunlight drifting in so he figures she might sleep a little more.

Long enough for … He glances towards the fresher. The door is shut, but that is definitely running water he hears inside.

Come on in...

Ben bites his lip to hold back his smile. Yes, the women in his life certainly have a good hold on him. He sheds his overcoat as he hurriedly makes his way towards the fresher, and tosses it on the armchair by the door.

The fresher is full of steam when he enters, and he can barely make out Rey's figure through the shower glass. He can feel her anticipation down to the tips of his fingers.

And not only.

Ben locks the door - just to be on the safe side - and tugs on his tie.

"What took you so long?" Rey complains, peeking at him from the back of the shower. Soap suds are running down her hair and merging between the valley of her breasts, and if that isn't a sight to welcome a working man, he doesn't know what is. His fingers stumble over the tiny buttons of his shirt, as he struggles to undo them, and Ben nearly curses in frustration. He wants to suckle on her tits and his damn shirt is holding him back.

"King Prana changed his mind about the design of the lounge in his new cruise ship for the fifth time, and I had to assemble a last minute team to get his wishes jotted down," he grumbles, tugging on his sleeve. "I wanted to wring his neck."

Rey giggles just as he finally, finally, peels his shirt off and tosses it in a corner.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea big guy, he has rathtars, from what I remember."

"Yes, well…" Fuck this. He struggles for a second too long with the button of his trousers, but manages to undo it, tugging down the zipper over his growing erection. Her eyes are hungrily drawn down there and any logical thought is trampled underfoot. "Rathtars won't be any good to him if he's already dead."

"Don't use the Force in vain, baby. We've said that before."

"I would be doing the galaxy a favor," he grumbles, as his pants pool at his ankles. He kicks them away, and when he looks up Rey has her most radiant smile trained on him. His knees feel somewhat weak, but his cock is as hard as rock and he believes he is most definitely good to go.

"I think you still owe me a favor from our last time," she grins at him.

"I don't recall that."

"You had said that if I was a good girl, next time I could ask you for a favor."

Ah... right.

"I know what that favor is - and the answer is no."

She pouts as she steps back for him to get into the shower. She is giving him that look, and Ben knows his little minx is not about to give up that easily. But he has to keep some semblance of control over her, because she has taken control of everything else in his life.

"You're not wearing the mask," he warns.

"Not even if I say please?"

She wraps her arms around his neck and presses her warm, wet body against his naked skin. Ben wants to sigh at how good it feels.

Force, he's missed her so much.

His hands land on her ass and squeeze.

"I'll go down on you every day…" she hums promisingly, licking his collarbone and making his head spin "... suck you off and swallow every drop if you let me wear that mask tonight."

His straining erection is being rubbed between their bodies, and his eyes want to roll back in his head from mere bliss. Yes, he's quite aware of her negotiating skills.

"You want to lick me off, kitten? Is that what you want? Wear my mask?"

She peers up at him innocently through her lashes while he smirks down at her. He is really going to enjoy this.

"I do."

"You have not addressed your request to me properly yet," he says. If she wants to play games, then he is more than happy to oblige and set the rules. "Ask again. Nicely."

But she is a stubborn little thing and doesn't comply easily.

A smack resounds in the fresher and Rey jumps with a small wince. "Please...May I wear the mask after I suck you off, please?"

He really loves that pleading look on her. It completely unravels him into small bits.

Her request, however, is still incomplete. He rubs her perk buttock for a moment before smacking it once more. He knows this one stung.

"Master!" She hurries to add in a heartbeat. "May I please wear the mask after I suck your cock, Master?"

Much better.

Her cheeks have heated up, her fingers are digging in his shoulders, and that little vulnerable look has made its appearance in her beautiful eyes. Ben wants to fall on his knees, lick her cunt and grant her the stars. He will make her come so hard tonight she will remember it for the rest of their lives.

But first...

"No you may not, my pet," he admonishes, utterly bemused. "You are far from earning it. But…" He wraps his arms around her, setting a tender kiss on her forehead. That delicious tension immediately melts from her body. He is nearly sorry to see it go. "I will give you this instead..."

He tilts her chin up to finally kiss his wife.

It's tender and warm, and Rey hums in contentment when his tongue slides inside her mouth. Their connection throbs to life. His hold on her tightens, their mouths mold together and her nails dig painfully into his skin. But heaven tastes so good today that there's no amount of pain he won't take to sate his hunger.

One of her legs wraps around his thigh, and Ben senses her urge and desire for more. He backs her up against the tiles of the shower wall and lifts her off the ground. Her legs wrap around him just as she breaks away for air.

"I miss you," she whispers against his swollen lips, just as the same words echo a little sadly through their bond. They make his chest ache. "I hate being away from you for so long." Her fingers run through his wet strands, smoothing his hair away from his face and scraping against his scalp. Her beautiful hazel gaze lands on him. Her love drowns him.

"I know honey… Believe me, I know." Maker, he hates being away from her even more than she does. They really need to talk about their options. They can't avoid it anymore. "Listen, there are some things I've been meaning to…"

"Shh…" she sets a finger on his lips and looks at him with such understanding, part of him wonders if she already knows. "Later, my love. This isn't the moment."

He swallows and nods in acceptance.

She is so right.

"I've been waiting for you all night," she says thickly. "Don't make me wait for a second more."

He doesn't need to hear that twice.

He shifts her carefully in his arms, so that the tip of his cock presses against her entrance. It feels warm and pliant, and so damn welcoming that he barely restrains himself from thrusting in with all that he has. He shuts his eyes and sinks in slowly. Languidly. Reveling in the way her walls stretch around him. She moans his name just as he seats himself fully within, and he sighs in the blissful relief of finally coming home. He tugs her close with the bond, delving inside her mind, and capturing her lips again.

There is nothing he wants more than to get lost inside his woman. Inside her body, inside her mind. Inside her soul.

He pulls out a little and pushes back in with a groan - the sensation of her simply too exquisite to hold back in silence. Then he does it again. And again. Because this is what he is meant to do in this life. Make love to his woman. Every day of every month of every one of his years.

"I'm staying inside you all day," he slurs drunkenly on the column of her neck. She laughs, this hearty decadent sound that makes him want to pound into her until she has no more orgasms left to give him.

He tries to reign in the urge, because she is up against a fucking wall, but his whole damn body hurts with how much he wants her.

"More…" She moans against his ear. "Give me more…I won't break."

Ben swears that he is the one who will break into a million pieces.

Don't hold back, baby.

Her voice tugs on his control. Unleashes him. And it's all it takes for him to snap. To thrust.

To worship and fuck.

He slams his hand on the wall for purchase, because Rey is taking all of him today, like the hungry creature she has become. Every desperate grind and relentless thrust. Every grunt of adoration. And she returns it. Turns it into this endless reflection of the naked being they are, writhing against the plain tiles of a wall, enveloped in steam and cascading water on some insignificant planet in the corner of the galaxy.

It is primitive - this being they are - archaic. It is the very essence of the universe. The cradle. And there is nothing else it desires in all of creation than to be set free.

His woman is clenching around him silently now, head tipped back and lips slightly apart, and he knows he is just a thrust away from following.

His balls clench, and his body surges, on the verge of falling.

He really needs to pull out.

He should really pull out…

Don't.

Rey's voice fills his mind and he whites out. His control slips out of reach.

Ben orgasms inside her gloriously. Unhindered. Muffling his groan on her shoulder and pumping his semen deep in her body. He is delirious with ecstasy, and overwhelmed with relief, and so fucking happy to fill her with his spend that he could even kiss a Hutt if she asked him to.

His knees melt, and he slides down to the ground with her body wrapped around him.

"Are you alright?" She pants in his ear, but he feels so weak he can't even raise his head from the resting spot on her shoulder.

"Give me a moment…" he mumbles, out of breath on her skin. He feels like his soul will depart from his body any second now. Thankfully Rey is willing to grant him all the time in the world, sitting on his lap and caressing tenderly the stubble of his jaw.

When his heart returns to a pace he believes he will survive, he loosens his suffocating clutch and pulls back to regard her sheepishly. His cock still remains shamelessly tucked inside her, twitching with the last waves of excitement.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't…"

He is afraid he's kind of fucked, because these are Rey's dangerous days, and they were supposed to wait a couple of years or so before they considered trying for a third kid. But it seems like it's too late now.

"Shhh...it's ok," she smiles at him, caressing his cheek. "If it happens, it happens...I don't mind."

Her hazel eyes are clear and bright, and the smile on her face is breathtaking. He nearly wheezes in relief.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Ben realizes the chances of getting her pregnant with just one… shot are rather slim, but not impossible. The caveman inside him would beat at his chest and roar in pride if he managed to get his woman knocked up today.

He pulls out slowly, but doesn't take his eyes off her. There is a spark of mischief in their bond that feels like an itch, and it's most definitely emanating from her.

"Did you do this on purpose?" He narrows his eyes at her.

"Do what on purpose?"

"Let me finish inside you?"

She rolls her eyes. "You're being paranoid."

Ben snorts. He knew it. "You are not getting my mask."

"I did not let you cum because of the mask!"

But Ben believes otherwise. He leans in close enough to touch noses with her. "You are in trouble, Mrs. Solo. You have no idea how much trouble you're in."

"I did not!" she chuckles in mock appallment.

"Excellent! Then, you have nothing to worry about when I strap your pretty wrists to our bed and blindfold you tonight."

She blinks at him anxiously while he raises a brow at her. She has been teasing the monster all morning, and now that it's coming out to play she is squirming in discomfort. She should have known better.

"Baby, I'm getting a little worried... What are your plans?"

Truth is, he has already made the most perverse plans for her, and part of him wonders if he'll be able to hold back all day.

"It depends on your behavior, actually," he concedes, thoroughly enjoying watching her work the flesh of her bottom lip. "For one thing, you will not be allowed to say a single word, nor let out one single whimper, while I do all sorts of lovely things to your strapped body. And if you so much as make a sound, I will gag your mouth, flip you over and fuck your ass until you can't sit for a week. Any questions?"

She parts her rosy lips to object. "What if…"

"And no safe word," he tuts. It's not as if she really needs one anyway. He is always aware of her limits. "That, my love, is your punishment for thinking you could deceive me."

They stare at each other for a solid minute, with just the sound of the running water breaking the silence between them.

Come on little bird… He urges hungrily. Give me your consent...

"Will you let me come at least?" She arches her brows at him after what seems like an eternity.

Ben ponders on that for a moment. He is extremely thrilled about the prospects of their evening together, but he doesn't want to be that cruel to her. Not after being away from her for a week.

"Perhaps... If you suck me off."

"Wait. What!"

Ben laughs his heart out at the appalled grimace on her face. She is a terrible negotiator. The absolute worst. "Ok. Listen to this. What if... I grant you the favor I promised, and allow you to finish because I feel so generous today? How does that sound? Deal?"

Rey shakes her head and gives him a full-hearted cheeky grin before she lands a sloppy kiss on his mouth.

"Alright then, hot shot, you've got yourself a deal. Even though, we both know how much of a jerk you are." She pats him on his chest and tries to get up to head out of the shower. But he's not ready to let her go yet. He snags her arm and pulls her back down for another deep kiss while she squeaks adorably in surprise.

"Now you may go…" he smiles against her lips when he finally releases her. Her hazels crinkle in affection, and he feels like he will never have enough of this woman. He is the luckiest bastard in the universe. "Quickly, before I change my mind and drag you back in here for a second round." He senses his cock already stirring in interest.

"Hold that thought for later," she teases him. She helps him off the ground, and he watches her step out of the shower to wrap a towel around the curves of her body. Ben can't - for all the Force in the galaxy - take his eyes off her. He rakes his eyes over her body, savoring the changes that have come with time and motherhood, and swears she becomes more beautiful with each passing year.

"In the meantime," she continues, completely oblivious to his reverie, "finish your shower while I go prepare breakfast for all of us. The kids should be up soon enough, and they have really missed you. I hope you got some sleep," she glances at him in concern, as she towel dries her hair.

"Two hours."

She pauses with a frown.

"I'll be fine. I've gone through worse."

He tries not to think of those days. He picks up the soap and begins to lather his chest and armpits.

"Your mom is coming over for lunch, and she said she might take the kids to town for dewberry gelato in the afternoon. Maybe you could get some rest then."

"Doubt it."

Rey hums in agreement, because they both know how difficult it is for him to sleep still. Old habits can be hard to break. And the only way he can truly rest is if Rey is in his arms. Not to mention that their quick hump in the shower was barely enough to curb his need for her. He doesn't believe he can wait till nightfall to have another go with her. Maybe if he's lucky enough, the twins will preoccupy his mother long enough in the garden for him to corner his woman against the kitchen counter for another quickie.

He continues to soap the rest of his body, being extra careful with his half hard cock - no need to get a full hard on now and waste it in jerking off - and then proceeds to squirt shampoo on his palm to lather his hair. He knows Rey would disagree with the order of his washing habits, so he's thankful she can't see him.

She's so patient with him.

He should do something for her tonight, he thinks. Instead of rest, he could take advantage of his mother's presence and escort Rey out to a fancy dinner this evening. They don't have many opportunities to spend time together and enjoy each other's company these days. And having her all dolled up for him always drives him wild.

Yes. That sounds like a plan, he decides, as he starts rinsing the suds from his hair and body. He can hear Rey going through the cabinet in search of her creams.

He can even try broaching Nyxx's proposal about having her teach the young padawans. Very carefully, of course. And who knows? If she takes it well, maybe she'll let him have his way with her tonight. Maybe he can even get a third kid into her belly once he's at it.

A little Han.

He'd really like that, Ben thinks, with a little tightening of his throat.

"Don't take too long, baby. I'll be downstairs," her voice tears him from his thoughts just in time to hear the door whoosh open. A sudden need takes over him. He shuts the running water off and stares at it swirling down the drain.

"Rey?"

"Yeah?"

He watches the remaining drops fall - their splash resounding in the quiet room. Their breaths come out in unison, and Ben can feel his heart thud against his ribs, speeding up to match her own. He has sworn to never let a single day go by without letting her know. Without telling her. One never knows what the day may bring.

"I love you."

Her breath hitches in the narrow space, and he can sense her hesitation at the door. It wooshes shut after a moment, and right when he thinks he has been left alone with his spiraling thoughts, Rey steps in the shower with him again.

She wraps her arms tightly around his body and sets her cheek between his shoulder blades, holding him together. The shadow that had come to settle inside him dissipates.

"I love you too."

The words are simple, but it's all Ben needs to hear. He sets his own hands over hers and remains completely still, cherishing the moment.

He had spent years of his life searching and dreaming for a moment such as this - the simple feeling of companionship and belonging. He will never understand what he has done to deserve his woman's love, but he has it, and not a day will go by where he will not be grateful for this marvelous gift life has brought to him.

Ben wants to say more, but somehow words escape him right now. It doesn't really matter, though, because Rey understands.

And that is more than he could ever ask for.

Author's note: I am out of words as well, my friends, now that this story has finally come to an end. I owe you infinite gratitude for the support and love you have graced me with throughout its making, and also an apology for the little pain I have made you suffer *cringe*. Ok maybe not so little, but I'm still forgiven, right? Oh... Well...Perhaps I should quit while I'm still ahead and try to make up for it with another story. How about that? No? *pout*

Well, I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO HAS TAKEN TIME TO READ, KUDO AND COMMENT AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY UNREPENTANT HEART FOR BEING AWESOME!

Love and be loved.

Goodnight, my friends.