We've Done It All Before (And Now We're Back to Get Some More)

We took a chance (Like we were dancing our last dance)

Anakin sat on the edge of Poe's boat, feet dangling above the clear water. BB was licking his ear, clearly happy to have made a new friend. It was such a different scene than the one this morning, when he ran into the goathouse with excitement for the day, and instantly found all traces of the three men gone. With a pang of fear in his heart- fear that they had left him on the island and took a part of him with him- he sprinted to the docks just in time to find the sailboat pulling out of the docking harbor. He shouted after them, and was soon allowed on the ship, and welcomed to spend a day with his potential fathers.

They had been sailing for a while now, just circling around the nearby islands, but never straying too far from the docks. Finn and Poe were focused on steering the ship, with Poe at the wheel and Finn controlling the rigging. Ben had stationed himself opposite Anakin, and was sketching him from a distance, an unknown talent of his.

"You know," Ben spoke wistfully, "I used to sketch your mother exactly like this."

Anakin turned around, intrigued.

"Really?"

"Yeah." His mouth showed a hint of a smile. "We would go out rowing, almost every day, and she would sit on the rowboat facing me - like you're doing now, and she'd smile real hard." Ben was grinning now. "She always liked to smile. And she'd say 'C'mon doofus, draw already, I'm getting impatient!'. Your mother was a real character alright."

By the time that Ben had finished his story, Finn and Poe came to sit by him, forming a circle among the four of them.

"Aw Benny that was so touching," Poe teased. "You sound like you're still half in love with her or something like that!"

Ben's expression faltered.

"Yeah, something like that." He murmured.

"Anyways, while we're sharing, I first met your mother when I was staying in France. I tripped and dropped my pastries on the ground right in front of her, and she just laughed at me. She took my hand, and told me that she knew someone who could help me solve my pastry problem. Sure enough, she did, but it was her. Late one night, we snuck into Maz's bakery, but she assured me that it was okay, since she knew the owner. We stayed up all night baking." Finn intervened. "You know," he added, "She even convinced me to buy this here guitar? Said it added to the mystique of one's persona."

Finn picked his guitar out of it's case and began to strum the first few chords to "La Vie en Rose" when Poe shared his story.

"Well, I believe I had the best time with your mother. We met at a Janis Joplin concert, when her friend ditched her for some guy, and she decided to stick by me for the whole evening. The next day, I took her to the record store and bought her so many records, I lost count!"

The stories of Rey and his fathers lasted long through the afternoon, and Anakin found that they really helped him get a better understanding of his mother's past. He felt closer to her now, closer to all of them. But, as the day went on, and the sun went lower and lower in the sky, he realized that he was going to be late for his rehearsal dinner with Paige.

"Hey guys, this has been really fun, but I have to go - wedding stuff."

The three men only nodded. Before he left the boat, Anakin asked them all one last thing.

"Would you still come to my wedding? It would really mean a lot to me, even if mom got mad at you for being here. You're family to me."

Ben spoke for all of them.

"It's a promise, kid."

Anakin then left the ship, but the mention of family stuck with Ben, and he was struck with the need to visit his own.

Back in the hotel, in her room, Rey looked through the many photo albums she owned, silent tears dripping down on two specific pictures.

A baby photo of Anakin taken just in time for Christmas, and a sketch of her, sitting on a rowboat, smiling at the artist.

***

When Ben pulled up to the Villa, he felt nerves creeping up his back. But it was too late to turn back now, since Chewie, - the family dog- decided to bark when he saw movement in the driveway. So, Ben took a deep breath and marched up to the front door to ring the doorbell.

Leia answered the door with a gasp. She was shocked to see Ben standing on the porch, somewhere he had not been in almost twenty years.

"Benjamin? What are you doing here?"

"I can't stay for long Mom, I just came to talk with you and dad about something."

"Leia? Is that Ben I hear?" Han had just come around the corner and had pulled Ben into a crushing hug the minute he saw him.

"Dad, let go, I can't breathe."

Han just chuckled and released his grip on his son.

"I hear that you have something to discuss with me and your mother? Could it possibly have to do with a girl?" Han inquired with a smirk.

"Han! Leave the boy alone, he only just arrived. Ben- honey, won't you stay for supper?" Leia supplied, noticing the blush creeping up on her son's cheeks.

"Um, I guess I could stay for a bit."

Leia just smiled and let them to the dinner table.

"So Ben, who's the girl?" Han couldn't help himself.

Ben just blushed further and murmured, "You already know her, Dad."

Han gasped as Ben's words registered.

"It's Rey! She's got spunk, I've always loved her."

"Yeah, I know Dad, me too. Her son- You guys remember Anakin, right? Well, he invited me and two other of Rey's exes to his wedding this weekend. I just don't know what to make of it all. I miss her, and I wish I could fix things between us." Ben answered.

"Well," Leia had made her way into the conversation now. "Why don't you just talk to her? And before you tell me that she won't listen, just try to think about how she feels. Then try harder. Do you think your father ever gave up? No. And you won't either. Rey probably won't like me telling you this, but I believe she still has feelings for you. You just have to try to become the person she first fell in love with again."

Leia's words were stuck in Ben's head on a loop.

She still has feelings for you. She still has feelings for you. She still has feelings for you.

He couldn't prevent the smile that took over his face.

"Mom, could you pass the potatoes?"