News of Rey's pregnancy spread quickly across the galaxy, renewing the hope that perhaps the Jedi Order would, in fact, reemerge from the ashes of near-extinction. Ben and Rey had discussed the possibility of training young users of the Force, had even begun construction of a new Temple near the capital city of Naboo, but something always held them back. Their fear, though they would never admit it, was far too great with the still-fresh memories of the war they had barely won.
Finn and Poe were ecstatic when they heard about the baby (they were the first to know, naturally, and also appeared to be the source of the rapid spread of the news all the way to the Outer Rim), and were quick to offer their services should the parents-to-be need any help with preparations.
Having spent the majority of her life without a maternal figure to teach her about such things, Rey was completely blindsided by the changes her body endured throughout those turbulent months. Ben, bless his heart, tried his best to keep up with her near-constant mood swings and increasingly difficult demands, but he was reaching the limits of his patience.
After she first told Ben she was expecting, he was in denial for some time. He asked how she knew, how she could be certain it wasn't just a mild illness making her feel queasy each morning, something that could be cured. Rey wanted to be hurt, wanted her husband to feel some inkling of excitement as all growing families should feel. Not that she would know much about that. But, having witnessed his nightmares, she knew exactly why he wasn't happy. After all they'd been through and fought for to reach this point of freedom, to have it threatened so soon was overwhelming to say the least.
She'd missed her monthly cycle, she explained to him. After tracking it almost obsessively on Jakku, she knew exactly when it was due, and knew something wasn't right when it still hadn't appeared after a week. Then the dreams began. She dreamt of gentle laughter and tiny hands, splashing in the streams, running through the meadow beside their home, the complete opposite of Ben's violent visions. She saw her child in her mind, saw her own eyes in the plump face of a grinning toddler, eyes partially hidden behind unruly locks of raven hair just like their father.
Ben was in denial until his wife's belly began to swell, slowly at first, then enough that none of her old clothes fit the way they did before. Her daily bouts of nausea morphed into vicious mood swings, driving him mad - though he was truly afraid that if he even hinted at his misery, she would separate his head from his body without mercy. Neither Rey nor Ben noticed that the more severe her symptoms became, the less they thought of his nightmare and the warning it bore.
Rey went in search of a doctor as soon as she had her anxiety under enough control that she could manage a trip into the city without falling into a state of panic. Her only experience with doctors was after suffering a severe injury, so she wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a doctor under normal, non-life-threatening conditions. She was pleasantly surprised to find an older woman on the other side of the door she had been directed to.
"May I help you?" The woman asked, gentle face crinkling as she smiled. She had kind, almond eyes and silky black hair that framed her features in a way that made her look much younger than she appeared. Now that Rey really looked at her, though, it was hard to say what age she truly was.
"I'm pregnant," Rey blurted, the words still foreign on her tongue. She didn't know how else to begin the conversation.
The woman chuckled and glanced down at the bump barely concealed by Rey's tunic. "You don't say. Come inside, dear. I'll make you some tea." She held out her hand and Rey grasped it, noting the strength in the small woman's hand. "I'm Doctor Mika."
Rey smiled, feeling at ease in the doctor's presence. "I'm Rey. Rey Solo."
Rey followed behind the woman, taking stock of her surroundings. The home was modest and minimally furnished, but still bore the comfort of well-loved home.
"Solo, as in Han Solo the Rebellion General?" Doctor Mika asked, busying herself with the kettle. Rey settled in an armchair that melted around her like butter and drew a comfortable sigh from her lips. "I didn't realize he had any family other than Leia and their son." A strange look flashed across her features, but disappeared again before Rey could think anything of it.
"I'm married to his son," Rey replied, fond memories of her father-in-law flooding her mind.
A loud crash sounded from the kitchen and Rey looked over in alarm, meeting the doctor's wide-eyed stare. Her hand was extended out, empty, once grasping the tea cup that now lay in pieces on the floor.
"Ben," Doctor Mika whispered, eyes shining.
Alarm prickled across Rey's neck. "Yes, Ben," she echoed cautiously. "Do you know him?"
Tears began to flow freely down the doctor's face. "He's alive," she whispered, tone utterly disbelieving. "He's alive?!"
"Yes, he's alive."
"And he's...himself?"
Realization dawned on Rey in that moment. The Doctor didn't know what had happened, how the war was won. She began to wonder how many others in the galaxy had no idea the sacrifices Ben had made in order to restore peace and balance across the systems. How many people believed him dead, or worse? How many didn't know he defeated Kylo Ren? "Kylo Ren is dead," Rey stated. "Ben Solo defeated the Emperor. I owe him my life."
The kettle let out a screech, causing both women to jump. Doctor Mika hurried to remove the kettle from its hook over the fire, placing it gently on a tray with two small clay mugs and an assortment of wonderfully fragrant dried leaves.
"I delivered him, you know. Ben? I was the first to lay eyes on him as he took his first breath. I watched him grow, watched the darkness grow as well. I never believed he was evil. There was too much light in him, the dark couldn't possibly hope to snuff it all out. I was so afraid he'd died as Kylo Ren. He deserved redemption. A second chance at life."
Rey didn't know what to say to that. They'd kept to themselves for the most part after the war ended, so conversations with strangers about their personal lives, especially something as private as this, were near-nonexistent. She felt a spark of anger flicker under the satisfaction of knowing there were others who believed in Ben when he didn't have anyone else believing in him, or his worthiness of redemption. The anger she felt was as puzzling as it was short-lived.
"Thank you for never giving up on him," Rey murmured, bowing her head in respect. She didn't know the woman, but she exuded a warmth and transparency that made the mother-to-be feel as if the Force was telling her to trust the doctor.
The house was silent for a time, save for the sounds of quiet sipping. It wasn't until Rey finished the very last drop of her tea that she realized just how much more at ease she felt. The aches in her back and hips had diminished considerably, along with with the eternal anxiety that seemed to plague her day after day.
"What's in this tea?" She asked, suddenly suspicious.
The older woman chuckled, shooting Rey a quick wink. "Now I can't go sharing all my secrets, can I? That's bad for business." She stood and extended her hand out toward Rey. "Let's get you checked out, shall we?"
The exam room at the back of the doctor's house was small but impressively stocked and shockingly clean. Rey lay back on the plush cot, watching as a cluster of screens resembling the cockpit of a ship began to light up as the doctor hit so many buttons and switches that the Jedi wouldn't have been surprised if the entire house took off into the atmosphere.
"What does that do?" Rey asked, pointing to a wired device with a rounded tip. Mika picked it up, turning it in her hand to show it off.
"This," she explained, "is going to show us an image of what's going on inside that tummy of yours." Mika reached up and turned one of the monitors so Rey could see the grayscale image projected on the small screen. "I'm going to rub some jelly on your skin - it will be cold, just to warn you - and then this little wonder here will glide right over and show us how your baby is faring."
Rey looked down at the little wand, wondering how in the world it could do any of what the doctor was describing. If anything, it looked like a weapon.
Doctor Mika scooped a handful of clear, gelatinous something out of a jar, shooting Rey a warning glance before smearing it across her lower abdomen. Rey sucked in a sharp breath, every hair on her body raising at the intense cold of the jelly. "Told you," the doctor chuckled. "Now, let's take a look at that baby."
Rey wasn't expecting sound to erupt from the little gray monitor, and when it did, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"What is that?" She hissed, clutching her chest. It was a loud, erratic thumping noise that sounded a little like the inside of her head that one time she stood up too fast in the infirmary.
"That's the sound of your baby's heart beating," Doctor Mika whispered, sliding the wand over Rey's distended tummy. She was staring up at the monitor with a small satisfied smile. "Congratulations, Rey. You and Ben have a healthy baby girl on the way."
Something warm bloomed in Rey's heart. She'd never felt anything like it, but it was comforting and exhilarating all at once. For the first time she began to feel true joy about the child growing within her. Ben's fear from his vision was about a baby boy, right? Maybe once he knew they were expecting a girl his fears would be alleviated.
"Wait..."
Rey's eyes darted from the moving images on the monitor to the frown now marring the doctor's face.
"Something isn't right here. I see a third leg." She pointed to a blurry blob on the screen and Rey wondered how the woman could possibly make anything out. "And there's a third arm." Mika reached beside her and scooped up more jelly, spreading it further up Rey's stomach. She moved the wand back and forth, searching, still frowning.
The young mother lay defenseless on the cot, suddenly afraid of whatever was growing inside her. There was something terribly wrong, she knew it. She could feel the doctor's unease, her reluctance.
A sharp gasp caused Rey to jump once again, but this time Doctor Mika was smiling. "I found it! Listen, do you hear that?"
The thrumming noise had somehow doubled in frequency, beating relentlessly against Rey's ears. "Why did it change?" She glanced at the monitor and noticed another blob that looked different from the first.
"There's a second heartbeat. A little boy by the looks of it. Rey, you're having twins."
There it was. The fear again.
She no longer had good news to take home to Ben. His vision could still come to pass.
The doctor noticed tears streaming from Rey's eyes but didn't say anything of it. She knew how overwhelming this news was.
With a cup of tea for the road and a hug goodbye, Doctor Mika set Rey on the road back to her home. The good doctor was no Jedi, but she was in tune with the Force, enough so to sense the change in the former scavenger's demeanor upon receiving news of a second baby. It was none of her business, Rey's fear of the unborn child, but she wondered all the same.
Ben didn't have to ask. He stood waiting on the balcony for Rey to arrive home, having felt the sudden shift in her mood across town. His wife fell into his arms with a heavy, burdened sob, clutching at his chest with trembling hands. The question was left unspoken, but she heard it all the same.
Looking up at him, she basked in the affection that radiated from his eyes, worry and love shining brighter than the cloud of apprehension that hung over her head.
"Twins," she explained after some time. "We're having twins. A boy and a girl."
He was silent for a while, trying to process the storm inside his mind. "What....what does this mean?" He finally asked, holding his wife closer.
"We'll have to be careful," Rey whispered. She felt Ben's hand travel down to her bump, stroking slow, gentle circles over their babies. "If your vision comes to pass we'll either have our daughter to protect from our son, or a galaxy to protect from them both."