It had been three months since their wedding day and Rey's pregnancy was progressing rapidly. Ben was seeing to it that she was well taken care of and while her belly grew, he became more and more anxious. Rey knew he was nervous about becoming a father. Though he had nothing to worry about, she realized that it stemmed from his relationship with his own father. Han and Ben loved each other, but Rey had witnessed firsthand, the struggles Ben faced when it came to his relationship with his father. She knew that he feared their child would one day loath him as he came to hate his own father. Rey had tried to tell him that he had nothing to worry about. Ben had come to despise Han because Han was not present in Ben's early years. But Rey had no doubt that Ben would do everything possible to always be a part of their child's life. He was going to be a wonderful father.

   Rey sat in the rocking chair that Ben had made her and watched as he tended to the garden. As it turned out, he was apparently good with his hands. Rey enjoyed watching Ben create things as opposed to... well... destroying them. During their peaceful time on Naboo, Ben discovered that he was a very gifted carver and had a green thumb when it came to growing things. Rey was glad that he found something he enjoyed. She knew he had alway struggled when it came to finding a purpose. And as it seemed, Ben had decided his sole purpose was making her happy. Though Rey couldn't deny that he was very good at it. The rocking chair, the garden, cooking three square meals a day. He did it all for her. The rocking chair had been carved with the same design on his grandmothers necklace, the garden had been planted with hundreds of lilies, (once Ben found out they were her favorite), and the food was always made in abundance and variety.

   With a hand on her enlarged belly, Rey stood and called to her husband. Ben brushed off his hands and waved, unable to hear her. Rey smiled, laughing and shaking her head. "Come here," she shouted with her hands cupped around her mouth to make her voice travel further. Ben tilted his head, still not able to hear her. "What?" He shouted back. Rey let out an exasperated sigh. "Come here!" She yelled once more. Ben shrugged his shoulders, lifting his hands outward as if to show her that he couldn't hear her. Rey rolled her eyes and waved him over. "Get over here!" She said with a smirk. Ben still couldn't hear her, but he must have understood, because he began picking up his tools and cleaning up the dirt he had just uprooted. Rey had come to realize that her husband was a bit of a perfectionist, never leaving a job unfinished. Perhaps that was where his determination to find her all that time had come from.

   Ben raised an eyebrow as he approached her, then laid a hand on her baby bump. "You could've just used the Force, you know." He said as he bent down to kiss her stomach. Rey grinned. "Yes, but we are trying to live more normal lives, remember?" She emphasized 'normal' and Ben smirked. "We are never going to be a normal family, my dear. You may as well accept it." Rey rolled her eyes in turn and laid her hand over his. "The baby has been kicking. I wanted you to feel it." She said and Ben's eyes lit up. He stayed completely silent as she moved his hand to the spot where she had felt the baby's foot. They didn't have to wait long before the baby began to kick at their hands. "A bit protective of his mother, isn't he?" Ben asked and Rey smiled. "You are so convinced that it's a boy. What happens if the baby comes out and it's a girl?" Ben stood and kissed Rey on the lips. "Then I shall love her and protect her as I do her mother."

   As Ben wrapped his arms around Rey, she wondered how her life became so wonderful. It was hard to believe that any of this was real. Rey knew in her heart that it was, but to see how far she had come, how far Ben had come, how far they both had come... It was truly amazing. Rey went from being a nobody from a scrapyard planet to a wife and mother. And Ben went from being the feared Kylo Ren to a husband and father. And they both had become war heroines. If Rey was being honest, she never would have seen this outcome in the midst of everything that had happened. Nobody could have foreseen this being their future. But it was more than she could've hoped for. Rey felt as though that's all she ever thought about anymore. How lucky she was. But it was always important to count your blessings and their family was a blessing to say the least.

   For the rest of the evening, Ben and Rey spent their time in the gardens. Ben insisted that they go for a short walk every evening for the past few weeks. He said that it would help move the pregnancy along. Rey rubbed circles along her stomach as they walked. The pregnancy was moving quickly. It had only been three and a half months since Rey found out about the baby and she had almost carried to baby completely to term. It would be any day now that the baby would come. Rey couldn't deny that the idea of labor made her somewhat nervous. She had no idea what to expect or how painful it would be. But that's what every mother must've gone through at one point or another. Every mother was once a new mother. There was a first time for everything, and every woman had to face the fear of giving birth at least once in their life if they planned on having children or starting a family.

   Rey reached for Ben's hand, grasping it tightly as she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She bent over, grasping her stomach with her other hand. A slight panic set in as Rey realized that it could've been a contraction. Was that possible? Or would her water break first? She couldn't remember. The panic on Ben's face only matched what she felt inside as he wrapped an around her waist. "What is it, my love? Are you alright?" Rey nodded, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. "Is the baby coming?" Ben asked, excitement and concern filling his voice. Rey tried to speak but couldn't find words. So, she shook her head and continued to take deep breaths. After a couple of seconds, the pain went away, and Rey stood upright again. She didn't dismiss the fact that she very well could be having this baby today, but she was relieved for the time being.

   As Ben walked Rey over to a bench beside the pond and helped her to sit down, Rey straightened her dress, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. Dresses were about the only thing she was able to wear now that the baby was so big. And Ben made sure that she had a closet full of them. Rey knew that he secretly favored seeing her in dresses, even though he never gave her his opinion on what she should wear. There were times where Rey wore his favorite dresses and times where she wanted to wear her old attire. Either way, Ben told her she was beautiful with a hug and a kiss. But today, he seemed to especially like her dress, for he had told her several times about how beautiful it was on her. The dress was a deep peacock blue, with a heart shaped neckline, and sleeves so long they dragged the ground. Rey thought it was a bit much but compared to the others it was quite plain. After smoothing out the dress, it had been a few minutes and Rey felt well enough to stand, but as soon as she did, she knew she shouldn't have.

   Ben rushed to Rey's side, reaching out to catch her as he watched her stumble forward tediously. Rey managed to catch her balance, but her vision was fuzzy. She had completely blacked out for a couple of seconds. It was probably just from standing up too quickly. But then the pain hit her, shooting through her stomach and back like an electric shock. Rey leaned on Ben for support as she felt her knees go weak. Ben didn't wait for her to regain her balance this time and picked her up immediately. Rey protested slightly but her arguments were weak, and she knew she couldn't carry herself back up to the house. She just needed some rest. Then the pain would go away. "Um, sweetheart?" Ben's voice caused Rey to open her eyes and the look on his face was pure terror.

   That's when Rey realized, her water broke. It dripped down her dress and Ben's arm, creating a puddle on the pavement. Rey's heart dropped. She wasn't ready. Surely this couldn't be happening. It was too soon. Ben turned around and started walking towards the house, being careful not to bounce Rey. She looked down at the trail of fluid that dripped behind them, and panic began eating away at her. "Ben. I'm alright. You can put me down now." Ben looked at her as if she was crazy but all she could think about was how her water broke while he was holding her. She made a mess all over him. But he didn't seem to even notice as he shook his head and kept walking, quickening his pace. Rey expected there to be pain, but she couldn't feel anything. She didn't even feel the wetness that trickled down her legs.

Rey's mind was running a million miles an hour. She couldn't keep one straight thought. What was she thinking? She should be concerned about having to give birth to their baby any second now. Then she realized that her vision was blurry, and she could barely see her husband's face from a few inches in front of her. Then the pain hit her. It felt like a knife, stabbing into her back and uterus over and over. Rey cried out. She felt tears form immediately as she grasped for her own consciousness. She felt as though she was going to vomit and pass out all at the same time. The tears rolled down her cheeks as Rey reached up to touch Ben's face. She struggled to maintain her consciousness, but she could feel it fading. How did all of this happen so suddenly? "I love you," she whispered as she went limp in Ben's arms.

When Rey awoke, she was laying on a table with bright lights shining in her face. She could still feel the agonizing pain that coursed through her body. She looked down, seeing that she had been prepped for labor. Ben must have called the doctor. But how long had she been unconscious for? Was it time to push? The doctor was no where in sight. Rey turned her head to look around, with every movement, each inch causing splintering pain. She could see Ben and the doctor talking in the doorway to the room but couldn't hear a word that was being said. Why weren't they helping her? Rey looked down, wondering if perhaps the babies had been delivered already while she had been in and out of consciousness, but her stomach was still the same size as before and the movement of her belly informed her otherwise. Rey groaned. The baby was kicking her mercilessly, trying to escape.

   Rey tried to call out to Ben, but her voice failed her. She couldn't talk, she couldn't hear, and she couldn't move. Was labor supposed to be like this? Rey hadn't read about anything like this in all her books about pregnancy. Except for the parts where they talked about what to do when there were complications. She couldn't seem to remember any of the advice from the books now though. Was that what this was? Complications? It felt like she was paralyzed, watching the world around her but unable to do anything. Helpless to comfort her husband, helpless to move the labor along, and helpless to make any decisions for herself. Ben's face was serious. She knew the doctor was discussing the seriousness of her situation with him. Rey struggled, trying to get Ben's attention in any way possible.

   Then all at once, the weight of the situation hit her, and the realization set in. She could die. It wasn't extremely common, but it also wasn't uncommon for women to die during childbirth. Ben's grandmother had. During the past three months, Rey had done as much research on pregnancy as she could. She wanted to be ready. But nothing could have prepared her for this. But because her pregnancy was not a normal one, there was no sure way to know what to expect. She had no idea what was going to happen from here. But as her mind raced, fear took hold. Overwhelming fear. The fear of losing the baby, the fear of her family losing her, and fear of the possibility of both. What would Ben do? What would the baby do without a mother? If neither of them survived, then Ben would be completely alone. He didn't have anybody else.

Tears rolled down Rey's cheeks as she prayed that nothing bad would happen to her or the baby. Only seconds later, Ben and the doctor entered the room. The doctor walked to the end of the bed and Ben came to Rey's side. "It's time," the doctor said grimly. Ben took Rey's hand and squeezed it. He reached out and brushed the hair from her forehead, meeting her eye with a sad smile. "It's okay, my love. It's going to be alright. I need you to be brave. It's almost time to push." Rey shook her head and Ben's face filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry, baby. But you're going to be okay. I promise. You're just going to need a lot of strength. I know you have it in you. You're capable of anything. You can do this. Just be brave, and be strong, Rey. I love you so much. You can do this."

"I can't," Rey choked out the words, tears streaming along her cheeks as she shook her head. Ben's expression became pained, and he bit his lip. "Baby, we don't have many options. You've already gone into labor; we can't go back now. There's no other choice. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't mean for this to happen..." Ben's voice broke and he whispered the last sentence. Rey tried to gain the strength to talk to Ben, but she knew she was going to need every bit of strength to push out their baby. So instead, she gave his hand a small squeeze and nodded once. Ben leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You're gonna be okay." He nodded, trying to convince himself of his own words. "I'm right here, Rey." Ben cradled her face in his hands then stood and pressed his forehead against hers. "You're not alone," he whispered.

Those three words were all Rey needed to carry on. The very same words he had said to her in her darkest time. It was those words that convinced her Ben was still redeemable. And those were the words that made her realize that she was in love with him. The man who fought against her, then saved her. Rey recalled everything they had been through together. How he had comforted her and made her finally feel like she had somebody who understood her. Even if he was the enemy at the time. She remembered all the fights and battles that they fought. Separately, together, and even against one another. She then thought of all of those whom they had lost along the way. Luke, Leia, and Han. Thinking of them gave her strength. Even Ben and Rey herself had faced and defeated death. If she could go through all of that then she could surely deliver a baby.

Rey gathered all the strength she could muster and prepared herself to push. Ben stood by her side, holding her hand in one of his and holding her hair out of her face with the other. Rey took deep breaths, then looked at the doctor. He nodded, giving Rey the confirmation to begin pushing. As she began to push, Rey forgot everything she ever read in those silly pregnancy books. They were all rubbish. Nothing could have prepared her for this. The pain was overwhelming and almost numbing at the same time. It felt as though her cervix was being torn in half. Rey didn't know how much more she could take of this. It was excruciating. But she wanted to get it over with. So, Rey leaned forward, pushing with all her might. "I can see the head," the doctor said excitedly.

Ben kissed the back of Rey's hand and stepped towards the doctor, trying to catch a glimpse of the birth. "Go ahead," Rey's said between breaths. Ben squeezed her hand then let go for a moment to look for the baby's head alongside the doctor. "You're doing great, darling! You're almost there! Just a little more! Come on baby! You can do it! Just give us one more big push!" Rey glared at Ben. "I'm... Trying!" She said in between grunts. Rey pushed even harder, screaming loudly and Ben looked up with wide eyes before hurrying to her side. Rey reached out and took his hand then squeezed it with all her might. Ben winced with a surprised look in his eyes. It wasn't much longer before the cries of a baby filled the room and Ben was holding their newborn in his arms.

Finally taking a moment of peace, Rey fell back into her pillow, letting out a sigh of relief. It was over. She could finally rest. Ben walked over to Rey's side with the baby and kissed her on the forehead. "It's a girl." He said, in a voice barely above a whisper. Rey wanted to hold her baby, but she didn't have the strength to lift her arms. Ben realized this and leaned over to lay the baby on her chest. "She looks just like you," he said with a proud smile. Rey looked down at their little girl. Her crying had stopped the moment Ben laid in her Rey's arms. Rey lifted a finger and brushed it against the baby's cheek. "Hi there, sweet girl." Rey whispered. The baby cooed as she wrapped her little fingers around Rey's and opened her eyes. "What should we name her?" Rey asked Ben. Ben thought for a moment, stroking Rey's hair back with one hand and gently cradling the baby's head with the other. "What about Padme?" He asked and Rey smiled. "That sounds perfect."

"Mr. and Mrs. Solo," the doctor interrupted their beautiful moment. "I must ask that Mr. Solo take the baby and place her in the basinet now. We must prep for the second birth." Ben and Rey's eyes widened and Rey felt the room spin. "What?" She asked and Ben stepped towards the doctor. "What do you mean, 'second birth', doctor?" The doctor tilted his head and frowned. "Were you not aware? Your wife is having twins." Ben took a step back in pure shock and Rey began hyperventilating. She wasn't sure if she could go through that again. She didn't know if she would survive a second round. Rey knew she should be happy that they were going to have two babies, but fear consumed her, and she felt the pain creeping its way back up her spine.

Doing as the doctor instructed, Ben took Padmé from Rey's arms and carried her to the basinet. Every fiber of Rey's being was screaming. She didn't want her baby taken away from her so soon. But she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her and give birth to the other baby at the same time. Ben wrapped their baby girl in a blanket to ease her crying before returning to Rey's side and taking her hand once more. Rey looked at Ben, knowing he could see the fear in her eyes. Through their dyad, he could feel everything she felt and she could feel what he felt. He knew Rey was getting weaker by the second. Neither one of them knew how much more she could take. Rey lifted her hand and cradled Ben's cheek. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered, trying her best to comfort him. But her efforts were fruitless. Ben could sense her fear through their dyad. No amount of lying would be able to convince him that Rey wasn't scared.

As the doctor positioned himself, Rey began to push. As she did, her screams filled the room , causing Ben to wince with sympathy. After only a couple of seconds, Rey felt an unbearable pain tear through her entire body. Darkness overtook her. As the seconds passed... or maybe they were minutes... hours...? As the time passed, Rey slipped in and out of consciousness. When she was finally aware enough to open her eyes, her vision was blurry and dim. But she could see clearly enough to see that Ben was holding a baby boy in his arms. He laid a hand on Rey's shoulder and kissed her forehead. "It's a boy." Rey nodded. "I can see that," she said weakly. Ben grinned. "What shall we name him?" Tears swelled in Rey's eyes as she felt herself slipping. "Han. Name him Han." She said quickly as she drifted off again.

   When Rey lost consciousness, the doctor made Ben leave the room as he examined her, trying to find the issue. Ben held one baby in each arm, bouncing them ever so slightly to comfort them. Not long after Rey had gone into labor, Ben contacted Poe and asked that he arrive with Rose and Zorii as soon as possible. They arrived as Ben tried to calm his crying children. Rose and Zorii were the first to approach, each offering to take one baby from him. Ben was reluctant to let Padmé and Han go so soon, but they needed a woman's comfort and he needed to be at his wife's side. He handed them over gently, Rose taking Padmé and Zorii taking Han. Poe spoke to Ben briefly about Rey's condition and said that he would talk with the doctor after he was done examining her. It was Finn who had arrived first though, rushing into the building before any of the others, asking where Rey was and to see her as soon as possible.

   They all waited anxiously for the doctors return, when finally he exited the room. Ben was the first to greet him and hear his report. "She's alive. But she's not doing so well. The complications began before she gave birth to even the first twin, the second baby nearly killed her. She's stable for now, but only time will tell. I'm not sure why this was such a difficult labor, but I'm going to run a few tests and make sure that the babies are healthy. For the time being, the mother will need plenty of rest." Ben nodded, anxious to go to Rey and be by his wife's side. He wanted to be there when she woke up. So as soon as the doctor finished speaking with him, Ben began to make his way to Rey's room. As he walked towards the room where his wife lay, Finn began to follow. Ben turned and held up a hand. "I need to be alone with her."

   Finn looked at Ben, taken aback. "She is our friend. We deserve to see her." Finn looked around but no one else seemed to share his sentiment. "You think you're awfully entitled don't you?" Ben asked and sighed, trying not to say something he'd regret. Then he rephrased. "Did you not hear? The doctor said that she needs rest. You may visit her once she has woken and is feeling better." Finn looked mad. "Why are you going then? Maybe she'd rest better if the likes of you weren't around." Ben's eyes widened and he struggled to maintain his composure. "What exactly are you implying? She is my wife. And I will be going to her side," he growled. Finn shook his head. "I am going in to see Rey and you can't stop me Solo." Ben stepped in front of Finn with his arms crossed. "Yes, I can." Finn tilted his head. "I am her general. I am your general. I command you to step aside." The room fell silent. "And I... am her husband. But you... are not my general," Ben said sinisterly, a bit of his old self slipping through. Kylo Ren was difficult to keep dormant with Finn around.

   Poe placed a hand on Finn's chest, stepping between them. "Come now gentlemen," he said, pushing Finn away from Ben. "Let's be civil here. Now is not the time for petty arguments. What would Rey say if she could see you both now?" Poe looked from Finn to Ben. "We all need to get along for Rey's sake. Now more than ever." Poe looked squarely at Finn. "Let the man go to his wife and we can go see if Rey is alright when Solo has informed us that she had woken up." Finn scowled but stepped back. That's when Rose intervened, "Finn. Why don't you help me with Padmé. I'm sure Ben won't mind you holding her for a bit." She said, giving Ben a stern look, informing him not to argue. Ben wasn't overly fond of the idea but was anxious to get back to Rey. "Just take care of my children. Rey will be anxious to see them. And I will inform you all once she has woken up and is feeling well enough for visitors." With that, Ben turned on his heel and entered the room where his wife lay.

It was several hours after Ben entered the room that Rey regained consciousness. When she did, she noticed Ben had fallen asleep while holding her hand. Rey smiled slightly and ran her fingers through his hair. "Ben," she whispered. He didn't stir. Rey sighed. He must be exhausted. She knew he would've stayed awake as long as he was able. So, she decided to let him sleep for a little while longer as she played with his hair. Rey smiled as she swirled each tendril between her fingers. His hair was always so soft. Rey was eager to see her babies, but she knew Ben would have them somewhere safe. She couldn't ignore the pain that lingered throughout her entire body. It was like an unbearable soreness. But it wasn't as bad as it was a few hours ago. She assumed it the doctor had given her some pain medicine. For that she was glad.

   For about the next thirty minutes, Rey was quiet, trying to rest and regain her strength. After a while, Ben stirred and opened his eyes. His face lit up as soon as he realized Rey was awake and he sat up quickly. Ben took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "Are you okay? Is everything alright? Are you feeling any better?" Rey smiled, kissing Ben's knuckles. "I'm fine. Still in a bit of pain, but it'll be alright. I'll get better." Ben looked away as he blinked tears away. Rey tilted her head and pulled Ben closer. "Hey. Hey. It's okay. I'm alright." Ben nodded, burying his head in Rey's shoulder. "Come here," Rey whispered. Ben climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her waist gently. Rey pressed her forehead to his while playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry I haven't been very strong for you, Rey." Ben whispered. "No, sweetheart. No apologies. Everything is perfect. We have a beautiful family." Rey said with a grin. "I love you," she said with a kiss.

Authors Note: Well, we are almost at a close for this story! There will be one final chapter, that being the epilogue, showing a little bit into Ben and Rey's future. As far as the rest of this story I hope you all have enjoyed it! Sometime soon it will be undergoing some editing so keep an eye out of you wish to see the updated version in the future. Otherwise, I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it! Please be sure to leave a vote and comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter and the story altogether! Have a wonderful day!