Work Text:
Luke looked down at the child cradled in his arms and smiled. He pulled her up close and gave a small kiss upon her head. She was small, with a round nose, and a small tint of pink was upon her cheeks. Her eyes were closed and her curled lashes laid against her cheek. Brown hair was chaotically splayed and tufted on her head.
Luke could never manage to make her hair stay down. He tried water, using a soft comb to lay it down against her head, but it stuck back up after a few seconds. He even tried a small drop of Han’s hair gel, but it’s like the hair personally detested him. It never wanted to stay down.
He wondered for a moment, looking at her hair. He thought about the mother he never knew and wondered whether if she had this dark brown hair just like her.
Luke looked up at the sky. The setting sun laid just over the horizon, sending hues of gold, pink, and yellow to meet the purple and blue for a while longer before saying goodbye. Stars hung above his head and few twinkled in pale red. A large moon was rising behind them, a multitude of sparkling colors dotted the surface. From a certain view, Luke holding his infant child looked like a painting. A masterpiece depicting some holy scene. A soft late spring breeze blew Luke’s hair to the left and rustled his clothes. It scattered a few fallen flowers from trees and plants around him and he reached for one, a bright yellow, and twirled it’s stem around. He brought it to his nose to smell it then tucked it behind his daughter’s ear.
Luke began slowly rocking himself and hummed a tune that he heard Leia use. The baby girl sighed and nestled herself deeper into the blanket surrounding her. Luke gave a soft pat to her back.
His girl, little Rey, was a new found joy in his life. Luke loved her from the moment he saw her. From the moment her tiny hand wrapped around his finger. From the moment that she cooed at him. Giggled. He loved spending time with her, watching her, and taking her outside to talk to her about the birds and the trees. He told her stories about his life. Though of course he knew she didn’t understand a lick of what he was saying, it provided a comfort to him and her.
He could feel Rey through the Force. Her presence was gentle and innocent, so pure and unscathed by the ill of the universe that Luke felt an all the more desire to protect her and care for her.
He already loved her, immensely so. The bond they shared grew each day, growing stronger and deeper. They’ve only known each other for a small amount of time, nearly a month, and yet, to Luke, it has felt so long.
Leia told him the time passes by quickly. That before he knows it, Rey will be running around, learning, laughing, and living. She told him to put a book together for Rey, marking the events of her life. Small little achievements. Rey’s first word, Rey’s first walk. You’ll forget it, she said, it’ll all meld together and you can’t pick out what happened here or there. She’ll be mischievous too, Leia told him one day. She said she felt it.
Leia loved Rey as if she was her own. She looked after Rey while Luke was away on some Jedi diplomatic relation to a distant planet for a few days. She coddled her, adorned her in fancy silks and fabrics, and took her to meetings. Leia was glad that she was a calm baby during those times. Taking care of Rey made Leia think that maybe, she’ll decide to have another.
Rey stirred in Luke’s arms. She wiggled and opened her eyes.
“Hello there, little one,” Luke said softly and bent his head down to touch his nose against hers. A small hand tried to reach up but struggled under the wrapped fabric. Taking notice of this, Luke helped her and she put her hand against his face and cooed. Luke closed his eyes.
Rey made a happy noise. Luke focused on her contentedness and sent his own happiness to her through the Force. She responded with a delighted squeal and kicked her legs. Luke lifted up his head to look at her. She smiled at him, showing gums and bright eyes.
Luke kissed her forehead.
-
Rey wobbled taking her first steps. Luke was right there with her, with some of his students, mostly younglings, watching her in awe. Many of the children cheered Rey on, excited to see something like this. Rey plopped down on the floor, midway through her third step, and a collective sigh was let out.
Luke’s nephew, Ben, was off to the side watching Rey with a tilted head. He walked away from his spot and over to Rey, lifting her up on her feet again. He held her hands and whispered, “Go,” into her ear and let dropped one of her hands. She wobbled again, but moved forward, one slow step at a time. Luke scooted himself closer and held out his arms with a smile. Rey laughed and called out to him. Ben let go of her other hand and she stumbled her way over into Luke's arms. Both of them giggled.
“You did it!” He hugged her and kissed her head. The younglings around them cheered and Rey wiggled herself out of Luke’s arms to clap.
“Yay!” She shouted.
-
There was something sacred about Luke meditating with Rey in his lap. It was an everyday ritual for them. Once in the morning before breakfast and then once in late afternoon, before the sun begun to set. They would sit outside when it was quiet and cool. Rey would always focus on the sounds of the leaves rustling, birds chirping, and the deep breaths that came from her father.
From time to time she would open an eye and look up at him. She would watch until Luke would reach his hand up to her head, his eyes still closed, and move her head back down. Rey would huff and stick out her lip.
“Only ten more minutes,” Luke whispered. Rey sighed and closed her eyes again and breathed in time with Luke.
-
Rey woke up crying hysterically one night. Outside it was pouring hard, the branches of the trees scraping against the building, lightning striking the ground miles away, followed by piercing thunder that made Rey’s ears ring.
Luke sensed her alarm and strode across the room to her. She yelped when the thunder boomed again. Luke took her into his arms and she sobbed into his shoulder. He petted her hair and rocked back and forth.
“It’s okay. It’s alright, Rey. I’m here. I’m with you,” he said. Rey clung to him tightly. She focused on him and his energy, becoming enveloped in his love and started to calm down. Luke held onto her for the rest of the night, even after she fell asleep and never let her go.
In the morning, Rey woke up warm in his arms and placed a kiss upon his cheek.
-
Luke watched Rey run around with Ben one afternoon. She laughed and teased him and Luke shook his head.
Such a young girl and yet, she manages to pick on everyone older than her.
Rey jumped around and tossed dirt at Ben. Ben dusted himself off, but Rey threw more dirt at him and laughed. He glared at her then scooped up some in his hand. She ran off before the dirt could hit her clothes. Rey turned around and stuck her tongue out at him.
“Ben can’t get me! Ben can't get me!” She nagged.
Ben stomped his foot on the ground and made a sour face and walked off. Rey chased him and tugged on his shirt, trying to get his attention. She called out to him but he just took her hand off of his shirt. Rey stopped, watching him sit down by a tree and cross his arms. Rey looked over to Luke who patted his lap. She ran over and plopped down. Luke groaned in response.
“Why’s Ben mad?” she asked.
“Don’t know. Maybe,” he started to tickle her, “It’s you throwing dirt in other people's faces.” Rey squealed and squirmed. Luke laughed and kissed her cheek.
Rey pushed herself out of Luke’s arms and ran a few feet in front of him.
“Watch this!” she yelled. But then she became blocked out by something. Luke tried to look around it, but the mass that appeared in front of her grew and flooded the scene.
Images, quick ones, begun to flash by.
He saw Rey grown up, all alone. He saw sand for miles. Tatooine? No...too deserted. A black figure breached through a thick flowing fog. A glow of red sliced through the air. A growing fire broke down a building and singed the ground around it. He felt a chill. He felt death, but couldn’t see who or what it was. A boy stood at the end of a dark hallway. Ben. He turned around and grew. His face changed, turning older. His hair became darker, longer, and wavier. Cold eyes filled with hatred and despair stared back at him. But a tinge of loneliness were weakly shone through underneath. Ben raised his hand and pointed behind Luke. Luke turned around to find Rey in pain. She was crying over a body. He felt an anger slowly beginning to boil within her. Then she was gone. Snow gently fell around him and Luke grew cold. He heard distant echoes of buzzing lightsabers clashing. An ugly scarred face towered above him with a sneer spread across its face. The scene faded away and Luke was left alone in darkness.
-
Luke woke up in a cold sweat and fumbled out of bed. He called out for Rey. No answer. He called out again and no answer. Luke’s feet touched the ground. It was soft. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Stone? A breeze blew through, carrying a bitter, salty smell. Luke walked out and remembered.
Just a dream. Memories. A vision. The same vision that wouldn’t go away. Luke shook his head and rubbed his temples. The isolation was starting to get to him.
-
A girl slept, splayed out on cold metal. A face appeared to her. It was familiar, but she couldn’t place who it was. He smiled at her, with bright blue eyes. Blonde hair that faded over the years hung around his face. She felt she knew him. She must. She felt a connection with him. She felt a tug to seek, to find. But she couldn’t. She was alone on this sorry excuse of a planet with no way out.