Chapter Text
Less than twenty - four hours later Rey was moved to a regular room and the girls and Ben were able to join her for dinner. Not that Mara or Mira could eat, they were way too excited.
"We missed you Mommy - so very much!" Mira said.
"I'm so sorry we told Aunt Rose what we were doing, I really am," Mara looked shamefaced. "I didn't know she was bad."
Rey of course, handled this beautifully.
"You trusted Aunt Rose and I understand that it made sense to trust her again. You also really missed your toys and New York and I understand that too, just know that when Dad and I tell you to follow the rules, it really is the best," Rey's voice was very gentle, "you should also be very careful when an adult asks you to keep a secret."
"Are you mad at us?" Mira's voice was anxious and her lip trembled.
"You can punish us if you need to," Mara's voice was resigned.
"Well, I think you learned your lesson but we learned a lesson too," Rey glanced at Ben.
"What's that?" Mira wrinkled her nose.
"No ipad unless Mom or I are beside you," Ben said sternly, "And I think a break from the ipad for two weeks is fair enough." He and Rey had discussed this at length and realized they needed some new guidelines.
"We understand," the girls said in unison.
"How long do you have to be here?" Mara wanted to know.
"The rest of the week, they want to monitor my head and my lungs just to be sure I'm okay, but I'll be out soon," Rey assured them.
"Daddy is doing a good job of taking care of us," Mira smiled at Ben.
"I'm sure he is," Rey glanced at Ben with fondness, "I think we'll keep him around."
"Does that mean you guys are going to get married?" Mara looked at both of her parents.
Rey prettily blushed but kept silent.
Ben cleared his throat, "When we decide that, you'll be the first to know, I promise."
Truth was, Ben wanted nothing more but right now Rey just needed to get better.
"Great and then we can have a baby sister," Mira grinned.
Mara frowned, "No we need a baby brother, not a sister."
"Well than we can have both, Daddy can just give Mommy another set of twins," Mira suggested.
Ben practically choked on his coffee.
"How's everyone?" Poe's voice was a welcome interruption.
**************
Leia and Han took the girls back to the Hotel they were staying at so Ben and Rey could catch up with Poe. The girls were feeling a little more secure now that Rey was up and Ben really didn't want them around for the conversation. He'd been to distraught to properly talk to him earlier but Ben needed to know the truth.
"So how long have you worked for the FBI?" Ben demanded.
"Three years," Poe admitted, "I suspected something was up with Rose awhile ago as well as Uncle Luke and Mom was in no mood to listen so I went to them."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ben ran his fingers through his hair. He was glad to see his brother but he felt a little hurt at being so left out. "I mean you knew about Dad, knew Luke was up to something and even knew Rey, why all the secrecy?"
Poe put his hands in the air, "To be fair I didn't know about Rey and you or the girls being yours, I suspected more than once but never really knew."
"Why didn't you say anything if you suspected it?" Rey demanded.
"Exactly," Ben frowned, he would have been able to reconcile with Rey and be in the girls' lives much sooner.
Poe grimaced, "To be honest I didn't think you were ready Ben. You were so sold on being in charge of the company and that was all that mattered to you. Maybe it wasn't fair to you, but four months ago you were commitment phobic and it just seemed improbable. Why stir the pot?"
"But you told me just yesterday that I'm a good dad," Ben shook his head, "Was all that made up to make me feel better?" There was a lot of truth in what Poe said but it made Ben insecure about his current parenting.
"I meant what I said, you are a good dad," Poe explained, "You've stepped up to the plate in really tough circumstances. But I knew you had to meet Rey and her kids to even have a chance, I couldn't just tell you about them or your job would be first. But in order to meet them you had to be in New York and to do that I had to leave. I couldn't leave until I had what I wanted."
"What did you want?" Rey looked at Poe warily, "what was more important that us being a family?"
"Rose's trust for starters, I knew she worked for Shadow and I had to convince her to betray her father in law if need be," Poe grimaced, "She reluctantly agreed to keep my card finally - although she didn't use it until after Brendol kidnapped her son. She splilled her guts after that and agreed to go through with setting up a meeting with the girls -"
"Wait, excuse me," Ben turned on his brother, "YOU KNEW MY KIDS WERE TALKING WITH AN AGENT FROM SHADOW AND YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP IT?" He'd never been so tempted to beat his brother up.
Rey looked gobsmacked, "You knew?"
"Of course I knew, we know everything you do on that Ipad," Poe sighed, "But before you murder me, remember that it wasn't my decision to let the kids be used as bait but my bosses and it was the only way we could think of to draw Shadow out. Between Rose's and Armitage's willingness to talk and arresting four Shadow agents on the scene alive we were able to locate arrest Brendol and Enric Pyrde. Shadow is no more, you guys are safe now. " Poe assured them, "We've been trying to nail Pryde and Brendol for years."
"Rey and my daughters almost died in the process though," Ben glared at Poe and practically spat. "I mean come on Poe couldn't there have been a better way?"
Rey put her hand on Ben's arm, "It's okay, I'm okay, the girls are okay."
"You're really okay with this?" Ben wasn't, "I almost lost you," he tenderly placed his hands on Rey's face, "You could have died."
"But I didn't," Rey met his eyes with pure love, "I am okay and so our the girls."
"So we are all okay?" Poe asked hesitantly.
Rey glared at him, "We are okay but if you ever put my girls in danger again, I don't care what your boss says, you're a dead man Dameron. This is your one mess up."
"Got it," Poe gulped. "Finn wants me to resign from the FBI now anyway so we can start a family."
"Good idea," Ben hissed. He wasn't as quick to forgive as as Rey.
"So what's going to happen to Rose and Hux?" Rey asked.
"Because Rose talked first, she's being placed in a High Security white collar prison," Poe explained, "Her sentence was five years but I suspect it will be lessened with good behavior, she did a lot of internet stalking and money transfers but never killed anyone. Armie has killed a few so he's got fifteen years, his lawyer is hoping to reduce it to ten but being Brendol's firstborn isn't doing him any favors."
"What about Brandon?" Rey sounded truly concerned about the Hux's son.
"He was found safe but pretty shaken," Poe admitted. "His Aunt Paige and Uncle Nodin have custody of him."
"Rose and I were such good friends and I never suspected any of this, I feel so stupid," Rey admitted.
"Rose had no idea who Armitage's father was when they married Rey," Poe told her. "Armitage had tried to distance himself from his dad but once they had Brandon, Brendol used him to control Rose and Armitage over and over again. You know you would do anything for the girls, put yourself in their shoes."
Ben could understand that.
"So what about Luke, what's his part in all of this?" he demanded.
"He's seized total control of the company," Poe sighed. "It's what he's always wanted. I don't know, it's not like he has anyone to leave it to or anything but I think he never really forgave Mom for being raised in wealth when he was raised in poverty."
"I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe we should just let the company go," Ben sighed. "I mean you have Finn, I have Rey and the girls, surely we can get other jobs doing other things."
"Maybe you are right," Poe agreed.
"So we're just gonna let Luke Skywalker win then?" Rey glanced between them, "This company belongs to both of you, and to our kids and to Poe's future kids, Bloody hell no. We're gonna get that wanker right where it hurts. There is no way he's taking this away from you. "
Poe and Ben looked at her.
"What exactly are you suggesting we do?" Ben sputtered.
"Call you're mother, if there's anything she's good at, it's scheming."