•LEGACY - A Reylo Story•

EPISODE XXXIV - CHEWIE

Even with every Resistance sympathizer in the galaxy on the lookout, there's been no word of Rey besides the snippets Snoke gives him. Snoke's given up talking to him and rejects every word Ben tries to say, but instead shatters into his mind with images of Rey scowling, or Rey wrapping her arms around her stomach, or Rey cursing and yelling. Never crying. If she cries, Ben knows, she'd hide her tears.

Please believe in me. I will find you.

The more time Ben spends with her friends, the closer he feels with her. Despite his tentative beginnings, after another month of training, Finn's proving himself quite skilled with the lightsaber.

Still, Ben can tell that they don't fully trust him. Even his mother. They know he's holding something back, but for Rey's sake, Ben doesn't know what else he can do.

Is it for Rey's sake? Or your own, because you don't want them to know you've created another mess? A mess that, this time, you can't have Snoke burn away?

Murderer.

Ben clamps his hands over his ears, but the voice is inside his head, and it's not even Snoke's: it's his own.

R2 blips and whirs, asking if Ben's okay. He nods.

The door opens, and C-3PO wobbles in. "R2! There you are. We need you upstairs. Oh—oh, hello, Master Ben!"

"Hello, 3PO." He smirks as he remembers all the pranks he used to play on the golden droid.

"Well, R2 will be back in just a little bit—R2! Wait for me!"

A Wookiee roars. Ben's head snaps up as Chewbacca enters the cell.

This is the first time he's seen his father's oldest friend since the time Chewie shot him with his bowcaster, the same weapon Chewie wrestled out of a curious Ben's five-year-old hands, whimpering in the first and only time Ben's seen him show fear.

And now Ben doesn't know what to say. He thinks of how betrayed Chewie must have felt, watching Ben murder his father, Chewie's dearest friend.

Ben doesn't realize he's backing up until he's against the wall. "I'm sorry," he ekes out. He can't tell if Chewie's approach is menacing or gentle. At least they monitor these cells.

If Chewie wants to harm him, Ben doesn't blame him. He's assumed Chewie hates him since he hasn't seen the Wookiee over the past months.

Months. Rey's got to be five months.

With a roar, Chewie charges at him, but instead of punching him or tearing his arms out, Chewie grabs the sides of his face, studying him with a definite glint in his eyes, as if to see whether the face staring back at him belongs to Ben or Kylo Ren.

Ben. Mostly. I hope.

Chewie embraces him.

It's so unexpected Ben doesn't know what to do. With his nose crushed against the Wookiee's fur, he wraps his arms around Chewie.

The Wookiee pulls away and sits beside Ben.

Do I mention Father? "Any news of Rey?" he asks instead.

Chewie moans and shakes his head.

"It's all my fault," he admits out loud, partially because he knows the only other person who can understand Chewie is his mother, and partially because it was to Chewie Ben confided most of his childhood secrets—except the first man he killed, and

Murderer.

Chewie snuffles as if to say he already knows it's all Ben's fault.

"There's something you don't know, though," Ben says. "No one does. It's worse than you think. I can't tell them. Rey—I can't—I love her, Chewie."

Chewie turns to stare at him.

"She gave herself to the First Order for me. To protect me." He's crying. "They wanted her, and she was afraid they would kill me. I don't deserve her, Chewie."

Chewie doesn't move. He's like a huge, furry statue. And then he wraps an arm around Ben and pulls him to his side. Ben leans his head against Chewie's shoulder as the words rise up, swooping to the tip of his tongue.

"Rey's pregnant, Chewie. With my child. Snoke wants the baby, I know it. But I can't tell them. She's a Jedi, and—I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless, sitting here, while she's—"

Chewie groans, but under his massive arm, Ben feels no judgment. He doesn't know whether the Wookiee will tell Mother, or if that thought horrifies him or relieves him.