A/N: What do pancakes and this chapter have in common? They're both fluffy LMAO
Sorry, I use humor as a subtext of my emotions and I'm feeling all kinds of things for this last chapter. Author's note at the end (it's just me rambling so you can gladly skip it).
We made it to the end, folks!
~XXXV. Epilogue~
~i. One Year Later~
"Papa is home!" Poe bellowed once he stepped foot in the echoing foyer.
"Do I even need to ask?" Kaydel looked at Rose as the women followed him inside.
"Just go with it, Kay. The man gives himself nicknames to stroke his ego," Rose rolled her eyes at her friend's behavior.
"I am so ready for my vacation to start!" Finn exclaimed when he walked inside the lobby with Hux.
"Rose, we're hitting the tables later!" Hux high-fived his gambling buddy.
"Where's Rey and Ben?" Rose asked.
"You mean the love birds?" Phasma stepped inside moments later. "They're coming. They won't stop with their stupid googly eyes," she rolled her eyes mockingly.
"Ben! Rey! Hurry up, you're slowing us down!" Poe hollered at the pair towing sluggishly behind the group.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Dameron. We're here," Ben dismissed his old friend.
He casually strolled up to the group with Rey tucked at his side in his arms. The couple had been non-stop smiling from the moment they stepped foot at the resort.
What a year it has been. Six months ago, Ben and Rey became 'officially official' as Poe would say. Their six-month probationary marriage blossomed into a real relationship (shocker) and the love birds scrapped any notions for their annulment. Rose and Poe had wondered if they should've gone through with the annulment so they could have a real wedding. Though Ben and Rey decided that their Vegas incident a year ago was the perfect way to start their unique relationship.
They spend the past six months with their relationship in the open, as it should've been, and their friends couldn't have been any happier for them. In other news, Ben finally obtained his private pilot's license about a month before Christmas, and surprised Rey by taking her to destinations in the west coast for the holidays. Their plans to travel and see the world were still a goal, and slowly they've been planning for their next destinations. Rey's new director position gave her a mountain of work to do, but it was all worth it for her knowing she'd get to come home to a loving husband.
Now at the one-year anniversary of their 'crazy Vegas marriage', Leia surprised the couple with an all-expenses paid weekend back to Las Vegas with all their friends. Needless to say, everyone was excited for the shenanigans they'd have that weekend.
"So why aren't we staying at the Grand Hilton again? They've got the penthouse suite, remember?" Finn said to everyone.
Per Ben's directions, they parked at another hotel and had found themselves in a rather fancy lobby.
"Well one, Poe kind of has a history with the receptionist," Ben teased. They all knew what he was talking about and snickered at the former lady's man.
"I'm sorry, what?" Kaydel pretended to get upset.
"Babe, that was way before I met you, promise!" Poe fell to his knees and begged her to believe him.
"It's alright, babe. Just remember you're mine now," she giggled as she pretended to scold him.
"Yes. Yours, only yours!" Poe nodded in compliance.
"I don't think I've ever seen Poe Dameron cower in fear before," Rose chuckled.
"I guess you missed the time I put Poe in a headlock when we went to the courthouse the first time," Rey joked.
"I wasn't cowering in fear kiddo!" Poe defended.
"Then why were you begging me to stop? I do recall I was pressing your adams apple to the other side of your throat?"
Everyone burst into laughter by Rey's remark.
"Come on you guys," Hux tried to help him. "Wuss or not, if it weren't for Poe, we wouldn't have gotten that sweet room."
"Excuse me?!" Ben feigned indignation. "I do recall it was Poe and I who got the room!"
"Actually, it was your mom that got it for us, bro," Poe joked.
They all laughed again.
"Regardless, we can't go back there anyways because it's overbooked," Ben said.
"Yeah well if we find strangers in our room again, Rey and I can take 'em," Rose winked at her best friend.
"That's not necessary because my mom hooked us up with an even better deal here," Ben smugly grinned.
"I don't know of anyone who is more proud to brag about using his mother's connections to get something," Phasma chuckled.
"Never thought I'd see the day either, babe," Hux said to his girlfriend.
"He is like my brother from another mother," Poe said proudly of his oldest friend.
"So, do we all get rooms here?" Rose wondered. This was a much fancier hotel with a much higher price tag.
"Well," Rey started, "Ben's mom wanted our anniversary to be extra special, and since you all are celebrating with us…" she and Ben looked at each other playfully.
"My god tell us already!" Poe whined.
"Not that fun when you pause for dramatic effect is it, Dameron?" Ben smirked.
They all laughed at Poe and Ben's bantering. Some things never change.
"We're staying here at the Venetian," Rey said.
"Sweet, your mom got us all separate rooms? That's so nice of her," Phasma said.
"Nope," Ben said with a punctuated pop of the 'p'.
"They've got a great top floor room here too. You know, with the four-bedroom chairman's suite," Rey raised the keycards in the air for everyone to ogle.
"Dude, I love your mom so much," Poe said excitedly.
They all laughed in agreement, hurrying to the elevators to head to the top floor.
~.~.~.~
"THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STAYING FOR THE WEEKEND?!"
If anyone ever wanted to know exactly how rich Leia Solo was, she barely spent a couple of bucks to book the Chairman Suite. This 8000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 24-hour butler service, personal limousine service, VIP privileged, private floor access… okay, you get it, right?
"A waterfall at the entrance? Fancy," Hux was impressed.
"Holy crap, do you see that view?!" Kaydel and Phasma rushed to the balcony.
"Guys, look! There's a baby grand in the living room!" Poe rushed over to the piano and started pressing the ivory keys.
"Poe stop, you don't even know how to play!" Rose swatted his arm to save everyone from the random pitches vibrating around the space.
"Oh hell yeah, fully stocked bar!" Finn wasted no time in pouring himself a drink.
"I think they like it," Ben chuckled and turned to his wife. He and Rey were standing at the foyer of the suite enjoying seeing the excitement from everyone.
"I would hope so," Rey giggled. "Your mother was so generous to do this for us, sweetheart. Thank you."
"Anything for our friends," he said. "And definitely anything for you, my love."
He leaned down to kiss his beautiful wife before being yanked by the arm not three seconds later by Poe.
"Dammit, Poe Dameron! Why must you interrupt me from kissing my husband!" Rey glared at her friend.
"Sorry, kiddo. But Ben! Dude! There's a workout room in the suite! Our own personal gym?! And it's got super sport equipment!"
Before Ben could say anything, he was already being dragged down the east corridor to said gym with the rest of the guys.
Rey chuckled, rolling her eyes and walked over to where the ladies were standing at the balcony. The fresh air did her good as she was coming off a stressful week.
"Girl, can we come with you to all your anniversary trips?" Rose giggled.
"That's a legit question, can we?" Kaydel joked along.
"I'm not sure all our trips will be as grand as this," Rey shared.
"True," Phasma agreed. "Plus, I love Ben and he's my best friend, but I don't need to be around his sexual frustration for not being able to shack up with Rey because we'll be around."
Phasma, Kaydel and Rose laughed while Rey blushed madly.
"Sorry, we'll try to tone it back a little," she sheepishly chuckled.
"Rey, please. You two are in love. You went through so much this past year, you deserve to show affection," Kaydel said to her.
"Yeah, I mean thanks to you, Ben's not so uptight anymore. You've… relieved his stress for us," Phasma smirked.
"Oh hell, he did the same for Rey!" Rose and Phasma high-fived.
"Alright, I'm going inside. You ladies enjoy," she had to get away from the teasing.
While everyone continued to ogle at the stunning view and the amenities in the communal space, Rey wanted nothing more but to relax on one of the luscious beds in this suite. She found the master bedroom at the end of one of the corridors and opened the double doors to what was the most luxurious hotel room she had ever seen. But nothing excited her more – not the double vanity, walk in closet, huge mahogany writing table, suede couch, or the 70-inch tv – than that plush, California king mattress just waiting for her to sink her body into and fall asleep on a cloud.
As Ben would say, she leaped onto the made bed to give her stamp of approval, sighing happily atop the softest cushion she had ever felt. If she fell asleep all weekend and didn't wake up until they had to leave, she'd be alright with that.
"Excuse me."
She twisted her head to the door, seeing who had come in.
"Yes?" she wondered why Ben greeted her that way.
He was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed and gazing at her.
"I think there's been a mix-up."
"A mix-up?" she grew worried for a bit. Seriously? Another hotel messed something up for them.
"Yeah," he nodded stiffly. "I booked this room. They may have glitched the system," he smirked.
That was all she needed to catch on. Matching his expression, she played along.
"I don't know. I'm pretty sure I booked this room," she played coy.
"Ah, well. When in Vegas, right?" he grinned as he walked over and plopped himself down next to her.
"I guess we can share the room if there's no other available," she playfully sighed.
"Sure. I don't mind having a roommate for the weekend," he winked at her.
"I'm not sure if my husband - who by the way has impeccable taste - likes to share," she teased.
"No, he does not," he shook his head as he leaned forward.
He started to kiss her softly, immediately growing more passionate and he rolled on top, wasting no time in being affectionate with his wife.
"I'm coming in! Hope everyone's decent!" Poe hollered from the hallway.
Ben groaned, lifting himself up and tumbling to Rey's side, allowing Poe to step into their room.
"What now, Poe?!" Ben demanded.
"Geez Rey, are you not putting out every night? Your husband's crabby," Poe teased.
Rey threw one of the pillows at him.
"Get out dude!" Ben screamed at him.
"Alright, alright. I was just bringing your bags in here, sheesh." He placed their bags at the door and stepped back out. "Oh, and we're all going downstairs at 6, if you two rabbits care to step out of your love cave and join us!"
"We'll be there!" Rey said.
Poe shut the double doors to give them a bit of privacy.
"I kind of like the sound of a love cave," Ben smirked. "We can stay here all night and have just as much fun," he grinned.
She sat up a bit, still curled to his chest.
"As great as that sounds, we did come here with our friends."
"But it's our anniversary, Rey. Can't we do whatever we want?"
"We will. Don't worry, Ben. Trust me. Everyone splits up to do their own thing. That's how you and I got to spend alone time together last time, remember?"
"Fine, but one bar and then it's just you and me the rest of the trip."
"We'll see," she stuck her tongue at him.
They both got up and attended to their bags. Ben was pulling out his toiletries intending to take a quick shower when Rey appeared beside him hopping excitedly.
"Can I help you?" he said amusingly at her.
"I know we said we were going to wait 'til dinner, but I want to give you your gift!" she exclaimed. She revealed a small rectangular box from behind her back.
"Are you sure you want me to open it now?"
"Well, technically I got you two things. So… I still have something to give you later."
"Sweetheart, two things?! I thought we said we weren't going to spend so much on each other and put our money aside for travel?"
"Oh please," she dismissed him. "If I want to buy my man a couple things, I'm going to buy my man a couple things. Now open!"
"Fine," he gave in.
He placed his bag down and sat at the edge of the bed. Rey anxiously sat beside him as he teared the paper apart.
Ben chuckled at the gift. They were a pair of aviators. He opened the box and pulled out the metal frames, adjusting them in place and turned to Rey.
"How do I look?" he tried for a smoldering pose.
"Like a pilot," she smiled.
Ben kissed her sweetly and brought her to his lap. With him wrapping his arms around her waist and Rey digging her fingers in his hair, they continued to deepen the passion until they were forced to come back up for air.
"You know, it might have been a bad idea for me to buy you these sunglasses."
"Why? Do they not look good?" he took them off and inspected the frames.
"No," she giggled, placing it back over his eyes. "They look really good on you. Really sexy."
"Oh. Well, then I'm never taking these off," he smirked and kissed his wife some more.
~.~.~.~
Come 6 PM everyone made their way downstairs to the casino and perched at the bar for their first round of drinks.
"Here's to Leia Solo. For getting us this sweet deal at the Venetian so we can have a weekend of fun!" Poe exclaimed.
"Here, here!" Hux cheered following everyone else.
"Excuse me, I'd think you'd include Rey and me in that toast since you guys are all here for our one-year anniversary," Ben joked. "That's why my mom called in a favor in the first place!"
"He's right you know," Rose said.
"My apologies, buddy," Poe and everyone laughed. "Here's to Ben and Rey. If it weren't for their sexual attraction a year ago, getting blackout drunk and getting hitched, we all wouldn't be here today celebrating among friends!"
"Here, here!" Finn said this time.
"Not the sweetest thing ever, but sure," Rey tossed her coaster to her best friend.
"Hey, this trip is just as deserving for us as it is for you guys too," Phasma said.
"How so?" Ben asked.
"You guys drove us all insane for the first six months because you two idiots were so stubborn!"
The ladies threw their coasters at Poe.
"What he means is, he's happy for you two," Kaydel said to save her boyfriend from further abuse. "We all are."
Once they settled from the harassment, Poe spoke up.
"How about this," he tried a third time. "To Ben and Rey. Who's love story taught us that love is a gamble but yields the greatest rewards."
They all smiled warmly at his sentiment.
"That's more like it, Dameron," Rey winked at her best friend.
"Seriously you guys. Can you believe it's been a year since we were last here? A year since you two woke up married," Finn exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's still so surreal how everything happened," Rey said.
"But I'm glad it happened," Ben said to his wife. The pair smiled at each other and started kissing.
"Eeeeep!"
*Wolf-whistle*
"Okay that's enough!"
"Please keep it PG!"
"Oh My Gawwwd I love it!"
"I need a drink!"
The couple broke from their kiss and laughed at their friends.
"I really don't appreciate all this hostility," Ben joked.
"Yeah, where's the love you guys? You've been cheering us on for six months. Then when Ben and I get together you guys hate it," Rey kidded.
"We don't hate it, girl," Kaydel said. "Maybe the guys do, but not us."
"That's 'cause you two are literally all over each other like all the time," Finn said.
"Yeah dude. Get a room!" Poe teased.
Poe and Hux agreed with the ladies laughed at them.
"Look at me, I'm a guy and I'm macho," Rose teased her boyfriend, Poe and Hux.
"All we're saying is the love birds should get a room when they start eating each other's faces," Hux defended the guys.
"Believe me, I want to get a room, but the missus here wants to be in public all the time, I can't help it," Ben joked with Rey.
"You're going to pay for that comment, Ben Solo," she narrowed her eyes at him.
They all jabbed at Ben this time.
"Jokes aside. We really are happy that you two stayed together," Phasma said to them.
After their round of drinks, the group decided to try their luck at the casino for a bit. Naturally, the gambling trio went straight to the poker table to try and get lucky. Phasma, Kaydel and Finn sat at the slot machines with the kittens – only choosing those machines solely for the kittens. As for Rey and Ben, they got comfy at the Craps table.
"Seven!"
Per usual, Rey was on a hot streak. She was cleaning the table with her magic and couldn't be stopped. After her last successful toss, she was waiting for the dealer to slide the dice back to her. Before Rey could reach down for the pieces, Ben swooped in and snatched the red cubes from the table.
"Excuse me?" she feigned shock.
"Yes?" he said casually.
"Those are my dice. Give it back, thief," she winked at him.
"And what if I don't?" he waggled his eyebrows.
"Well you're just going to have to roll a seven so I can forgive you then," she bopped his nose. "And you know, so everyone at this table doesn't mob you."
"Coming right up!" he exclaimed.
Ben confidently took in a deep breath, squeezed the dice in his hands and tossed them across the board.
"Seven!"
Everyone around the table cheered for him. Rey shook her head and giggled before giving her husband a peck on the lips.
"What are you a hot shot at Craps now?" she gazed at him teasingly.
Well, I learned from the best," he smirked at her.
"Like I said, you're worth it," she smiled.
~.~.~.~
"So, who's ready to go bar hopping?!"
Poe managed to gather everyone back to the bar about an hour later.
"Seriously, Poe? Let's take it easy tonight," Rey suggested.
"Yeah maybe like one or two bars," Ben agreed.
"Aw come on you guys, it's Vegas! Sin City!"
"Yeah, exactly. It's Sin City."
"Oh, come on Ben. You guys know all about being crazy, letting loose and having fun!" he said to them.
"The man's got a point," Hux said to the couple.
"Are you really going to listen to mister tramp stamp over here?" Finn made the crowd laugh.
"So, everyone knows about that ink, huh?" Kaydel couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend's expense.
"God please take me to a bar now and put alcohol in me!" Poe was about to die of embarrassment.
They all laughed at him.
"Come on, you guys. What do you say? You two already got married. There's nothing crazier you can do," Poe teased.
"Exactly, so me and Ben don't need to do all the bar hopping then," Rey argued.
"But it wouldn't be a whole group experience without you guys! Come on please, just a few bars and you two can go and be crazy kids for the rest of the weekend."
They were cornered. Everyone was waiting on them expectantly. Eventually they gave in. Damn peer pressure!
"Oh alright. Just a few bars, Poe," Ben agreed.
"Sweet! And besides, it's an unwritten rule that you always have to top your last bout of crazy whenever you come back to Vegas."
"Poe that's not a rule," Rose said to him.
"Hush!"
"Alright, alright we're already going out with you guys," Ben tried to settle the two.
"And I mean since Ben and I are the craziest of us all, we might as well show you guys how it's done."
"Oooohhh!" they all laughed at Rey's jab.
"Damn Ben, you got a wild one here," Poe teased his best friends.
They went to their next bar and just like before, after one round of shots everyone separated. Ben ordered drinks while Rey found a table for them to sit. After a moment, Ben walked up to Rey with a beer in hand and a cosmopolitan in the other.
"So, what's a pretty little English girl doing in Sin City?" he winked at her.
"Trying to have a wild off the books weekend," she stuck her tongue at him.
He chuckled at her response and gave her a quick peck on the lips. They sipped their beverages for a bit while Ben held her close as they people watched around them.
"Brings back memories, huh?" he said of the setting.
"Memories of you hitting on me?" she smirked.
"Hey, but I remembered everything you said," he defended.
"That you did," she smiled before taking a sip of her drink.
Ben polished his beer and set it on the table. Once more he glanced around, not sure what he wanted to do that night at the bar. He wasn't going to overdo it on the alcohol for sure; definitely not. But he and Rey didn't really feel like mingling with the others on the dance floor.
"Do you think Poe will get mad if we just ditch them right now?" he asked her.
She searched the room for their friends. Everyone seemed to be doing their own things and Poe was already in a keg contest. Of course he was. Rey laughed at that sight.
"Let's get out of here," she turned to him.
"Really?" Ben was surprised that Rey immediately agreed.
"Yeah, why not?" she said as she finished her drink and grabbed her clutch.
She held out her hand for Ben to take, the same way he did the first time in Vegas.
"You sure you want to ditch our friends?" he asked her one more time.
"Come on, Ben," she smiled. "Don't think. Just do."
He chuckled, grabbed her hand and followed her out the door.
True to Ben's love of pizza, he led Rey to the secret pizza joint he knew of at the Cosmopolitan. Impressed by the little hole in the wall, and even more impressed by the delicious food, Rey was happily enjoying her intimate time with her husband.
"So, can I give you your second gift now?" she said after finishing her last slice.
"I really didn't want you to get me two things, but there's no telling you to stop so why not?" he chuckled.
"See you know me so well, honey," she giggled and took out a small flat box from her clutch. "Happy anniversary!"
Ben once again grabbed the box and started to unwrap the paper. When he popped off the lid, inside was something he did not expect.
"Is this…?"
Rey knew what he was going to ask.
"Yup. It's a replica."
Remember how Ben was an Avengers fan? Well, Rey got him quite the gift, fitting for a pilot indeed. It was an antique compass similar to the one Steve Rogers (Captain America) had in the films. But instead of a photo of Rey (Steve had one of Peggy) inside the lid, there was an engraving.
Wherever you go, I will follow you. Always. -Rey
Ben was touched by her sentiment. He really didn't deserve such a thoughtful gift. He looked back at Rey and kissed her.
"So, you'll follow me to Texas, then?" he asked hopefully.
"What do you mean?" she smiled, albeit confused by his response.
He took that as a cue for his turn. Ben reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"Happy Anniversary, sweetheart."
Curious, Rey took the paper from his hand and unfolded the document.
"You're flying us to San Antonio?!" she grew wide-eyed.
Ben nodded, sipping his soda before responding. "I just finished the paperwork to get clearance for us to use a charter plane at my dad's airfield. I figured we already went up the west coast. Want to take my wife to eat some brisket in Texas for a weekend," he chuckled.
"That's got to be the most romantic thing you've ever said," she squealed. For the record, Rey was talking about the brisket part.
"So, what do you say? Our next adventure in two weeks in San Antonio."
"You don't have to bribe me with food, darling. Like I said, I'll follow you," she smiled into his kiss.
"I love you, Rey," he said tenderly. "I truly, passionately, deeply love you."
Ben caressed he cheek softly and smiled lovingly at his wife. Without a second thought, Rey got up and pulled him to the door.
"Are we leaving now?"
"Yup," she said and tugged him out into the hallway.
She pushed him up against the wall of records and planted a desperate kiss on him.
"I want to go back to the hotel," she demanded.
It was only 9 PM. They've stayed up later than this.
"Are you tired?" he wondered.
"No," she said non-chalantly. "I just want alone time with my baby."
Ben was confused by what she meant. Then again, he was really confused by her actions just now. They were already alone, separate from their friends. They could do whatever they wanted. What could she mean by- oh... Baby.
"Our love cave awaits, baby," he winked and grabbed her hand, rushing back to their suite.
~ii. One Last Surprise~
To say the least, Texas brisket won over any other brisket Rey had ever had. She loved the food. She enjoyed the atmosphere, the setting, hell even the plane ride over with Ben… but the food. She was in heaven. When they got back from their trip, she had to go straight to work and was busy for the next several weeks. Ben had noticed her fatigue and although she loved what she did at her job, he also knew the stress was getting to her. So, he suggested they take a weekend to drive up to Santa Barbara and spend the day at the lighthouse. Rey of course immediately agreed.
They spent a cool Sunday afternoon at the island, picnicking and people watching until sunset. Rey was still tired, Ben noticed, but she did smile and breath in the fresh air which helped her destress a lot. By sunset, they lazily sat at the edge of the rocks where they first got together. Rey was wrapped cozily in Ben's arms as they both gazed at the painted sky.
"Hey Ben?" she broke the silence.
He looked down at her and kissed her forehead.
"Yes sweetheart?"
For some reason Rey began to fidget. She sat up a bit and turned to face him.
"You remember how Poe joked about when we were in Vegas last month that he teased we'd be going crazy again that night?"
"We didn't, right? Because I made sure to watch my alcohol intake and I do remember the best sex of my life that night with you," he winked.
"Likewise," she smirked and quickly pecked his lips. "Anyways, do you remember when I thought I had bronchitis right before Valentine's day and had to take a z-pack for a few weeks so we wouldn't miss the Vegas trip?"
"Yeah. Why, are you still not feeling well?" he suddenly grew concerned. That would explain her weariness.
"Well… yes and no," she drawled out.
"I'm not following you, Rey," he furrowed his brows.
Alright, she needed to sit up for this.
"I feel great. No more of that bronchitis… But I have been getting a tad of morning sickness."
"Okay?"
"So… I mean seriously, you and I are literally breaking all the records," she tried to lighten the situation.
"What are you talking about, sweetheart?" her nervously chuckled.
"Well, I mean you go to Vegas already married so there's not much you can get yourself into, right?"
"Right."
"Except… well… unprotected sex," she blurted.
Ben didn't understand yet or put the pieces together.
"What are you talking about, you're on the shot still aren't you?"
"Yes, but my z-pack messed with my hormones and pretty much weakened the effects of the shot for like a month."
"Wait…" then it suddenly clicked. "What?"
There's the reaction she was looking for.
"Ben," she took in a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."
Minutes have passed and Ben was still in a bit of shock, he hadn't moved a muscle or blinked an eye since Rey's revelation.
"Darling? Hello?" Rey waved her hand in front of his face.
Still nothing.
So, she kissed his cheek.
Well that worked. It shook him from his paralysis, and he let go of a huge breath.
"So… yeah."
"You're pregnant," he wanted to clarify.
"Mhm."
"And…"
"If you're going to ask if it's yours, I'm going to smack you."
"Okay well, you're definitely pregnant with those hormones," he mumbled to himself.
She heard it though and smacked him anyways.
"Look, if you're being weird about this then fine. I'll deal with it myself. You can come to me when you're ready to be a father."
"Whoa."
"What?"
"It's just… I'm going to be a father."
This time a smile did creep up on Ben's face. A pure, gentle smile and Rey knew that everything was going to be ok.
"You're going to be a great father," she said to him.
He looked at her, almost wanting to cry.
"I love you so much, Rey."
"I know," she smiled.
They kissed briefly and he touched her belly, kissing her navel, whispering loving words to their unborn child. Rey was glowing with happiness.
Ben sat behind her and hugged his wife as they continued to watch the sunset at their lighthouse. Everything seemed blissful, until Rey heard a small sniffle. She looked up and noticed Ben had shed a couple tears.
"What's wrong? Are you not happy?"
"What are you saying of course I am!" he said to her. "You've given me the greatest things in life. Your love. Your hand in marriage. And now a child. I don't know how I can ever do anything or give you anything to show you how much I love you."
Great, now he was making Rey tear up!
"Just be with me," she smiled with a tearful grin.
He kissed the top of his wife's head and wiped her tears.
"Always."
~.~.~.~
Seven Months Later
"And then someone yelled at me and I turned around and standing there was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You're mama. She was beautiful I tell you, son. Even when she almost tried to murder me with a stick," he cooed at his newborn in his arms. "We ended up sharing a hotel room anyway because they messed up our rooms and your uncle Poe and I had to come to the rescue and fix everything. A couple of drinks in your mother that night and she practically threw herself at me. If there's one thing you should know son, is that we Solo boys have some strong genes," he winked at the innocent pair of eyes staring up at him.
"Darling, are you telling our son lies already? He's barely a day old!" Rey said from across the room.
"Sweetheart, I'm telling him the absolute truth," Ben walked over to his wife with their son in his arms. "You threw yourself at me and you know it."
"But that doesn't mean I tried to make the first move," she stuck her tongue at him. "As I recall, weren't you in Vegas to hit on cute English girls?" she smirked at her husband.
"That I was," he winked. "And it worked didn't it?"
"Yes, it did. So technically that means you hit on me first. And you threw yourself at me just as much as I did, "she giggled.
"Okay you got me there," he leaned over and pecked his wife on the lips. Then he looked down at their newborn. "You see that, son? We Solo men know how to sweet talk the ladies."
"Alright, that's enough," Rey rolled her eyes. "Give him to me. I don't need him to be a heartbreaker this early in his life. Besides, your daughter wants some daddy time too."
"Oh, well I won't say no to that!" Ben happily handed his son over to Rey in exchange for his daughter. "Come here, princess."
He took his daughter into his arms and smiled deeply at her hazel eyes – just like Rey's. She was a spitting image of his beautiful wife.
"Now, let me tell you about the time your mama caused an impromptu food fight when we were making dinner for your uncle Hux…"
"Ben! Stop lying to our children!"
That's right, Ben and Rey ended up having twins. Leia had a premonition about it too. She mentioned that twins ran in her mother's side of the family – Padme's mother was a twin. She had told them that the genes skipped generations and she was almost certain that Rey and Ben would have twins. And they sure did. When they learned that they were having twins, the couple decided to keep their genders a surprise. They thought of plenty of names, a good amount for each one, but settled on two and were lucky enough to end up with a boy and a girl.
They named their son Jack, after Ben's favorite baseball player (Jackie Robinson). Ben teased Rey the many times she felt kicking that they had a future all-star in her belly and hoped his child would find a love for the sport as much as he did. As for a girl's name? One morning Rey was enjoying a poppy seed bagel when she felt a kick in her belly for the very first time. She laughed, telling Ben that whichever kid was in there that did it, they must have the same huge appetite as their mother. Thus, Rey suggested that they name their daughter Poppy.
It was a whirlwind of a year for Ben and Rey. Once they professed their love and officially acknowledged not only their marriage but their relationship, they were attached to the hip. And with their Vegas incident (again) leading to the best 'surprise' they've ever had – the twins.
As for the rest of the gang? Eventually, Finn learned enough Vietnamese to propose to Rose with her father's blessing. They were having their wedding in a couple months. Phasma got a full time position being the in-house photographer at Skywalker Enterprises. Hux was planning to propose to her soon. Poe hung up his bachelor days and was stronger than ever with Kaydel. In fact, they moved in together shortly after the Vegas weekend. Now Poe's newest job, which he took very seriously, was to be the best darn uncle for Jack and Poppy - the result of his two best friends' pure love. Han and Leia of course were overjoyed to have little ones to spoil again.
"Just remember, baby girl, that you are capable of doing amazing things. Your mama, grandma and great grandma are the strongest women I've ever met. You're so lucky to be a part of this family, Poppy," he told his daughter.
"And you, Jack Benjamin Solo," Rey said to her son. "You are going to be the best person you can be. Your father and I will love you and your sister no matter what dreams you want to pursue. Just remember to do whatever makes you happy."
Ben sat at the hospital bed, bringing his daughter to rest on Rey's other arm. He stared adoringly at his family – his two beautiful children who inherited the hazel eyes of his wife and the soft black hair of his own. And Rey. The love of his life. His everything. After a life of being dealt bad cards, he drew the luckiest hand.
"We can't wait to take you both to see the world," Rey cooed at her babies nestled in her arms.
"Except Vegas, kids. Because although we love you both to pieces - and that place was what brought your mother and I together - it's a place of bad choices, booze and a whole lot of crazy," Ben informed the doe-eyed infants.
"Yeah, that's what your uncle Poe is for anyways. So no need to drive to Nevada just for that," Rey teased, smirking at her husband.
She and Ben shared a tender kiss and he sat beside her, embracing his wife as she held their progeny safely in her arms.
They could surely get used to this.
After their second trip to Sin City together on their one year anniversary and learning that they were pregnant, Ben and Rey made a promise never to go back to Las Vegas ever again. It was hard at first, what with Poe and all their friends trying so hard to get them to go out on free weekends when the twins were with Han and Leia. But the happy couple decided they didn't need to go away for a weekend to have fun, be intimate and be together. They could have that anywhere.
They got lucky; they really did. That serendipitous moment when they met and the morning after changed their lives forever and for the better because they found one another. Rey would bet on Ben and Ben would go all in for Rey. And they would always win.
But their luck in Vegas was a whole other ballgame that always followed with repercussions.
Because apparently for Ben and Rey, what happens in Vegas never stays in Vegas!
The End
A/N: TL;DR Basically, thank you :)
Not too shabby, eh?
First, thank you for sticking around and giving this story a chance! There are surely other great stories and way better writers on here, so taking your time to read the work of a simple mind like me is much appreciated. I have one-shots, but this was my first BIG Reylo fic published for fanfiction, so I appreciate the love. The movie with the same name is one of my favorites and I had fun plugging in these lovable characters to a story of my own.
Second, thank you for the feedback - whether it was to follow, favorite, or leave a review/pm, I truly appreciate it. I can't imagine anyone would take interest in my work. This is all in good fun, but I'll take feedback (good or bad) any way I can. It helps me grow as a dialogue writer and as a person.
Third, like I said, I've got plenty of Reylo stories if you guys want more. I don't have an epic as long as this one (35 chapters can you believe it?!) ready yet, but I have one in the works and I'm excited to write it because it's based off another movie that I love. However, I do have one-shots and shorter multi-chapters ready to share. My mind runs a mile a minute and inspiration hits me every day. I made a twitter to catalog my thoughts with whatever I'm writing or my random thoughts if you feel like being entertained a couple times a day, so come find me! So yeah, stay tuned...
Lastly, because of quarantine I returned to fanfiction to pass time and found my love for playing out stories again (although I already do that for my day job lol). I first joined ff back in college during a rough time when I needed an escape from the noise. What got me through it was the people I met/interacted with here. I call it 'semi-anonymous socializing'. Pretty fitting, right? Not everyone reads ff or understands it, but it's a nice outlet for those of us who appreciate it. And I love the support we have for each other.
This online community that you build is surrounded by people who 'get you' and don't judge you at all, whereas sometimes the people in the real world just don't fathom your love for a work of fiction the same way.
That's semi-anonymous socializing for you :)
As always, thank you for reading!
Until next time,
-ThoughtsInMyMind