Baze opened his eyes blearily. Where was he? He was in a white room, with machines beeping softly.

"Mr. Malbus?" a soft feminine voice asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Wharami?" he asked drousily, his tongue seemingly thick and heavy.

"You are at Yavin 4, recovering from the attack on Scariff." she responded.

Scariff- Chirrut ! "CHIRRUT!" He sat up ubruptly only to lay back down with a moan of dispair. Chirrut had died. He had felt his pulse die into nothing, had felt the aweful void where Chirrut's presence always was. Of course the Force would kill Chirrut and save him-

"Chirrut Imwe is recoving down the hall." the woman said, oblivious to his thoughts.

He stiffened. What? "Chirrut is alive?" he asked urgently.

"Well, he is in a coma and is not waking up, but his vitals are strong and he is healing at an acceptable rate, so there doesnt seem to be any reason forYou concer-"

"Take me to him." Baze ordered.

"I am sorry, but you are still recovering. It is against protoc-"

Baze gripped her shoulder so hard she yelped. "TAKE ME TO HIM NOW." he shouted.

He must have terrified her as she gulped and whimpered "Right this way sir."

He stood, body aching, and hobbled behind her to a room three doors down. As the door opened, he let out a huge sob as he took in the pale still form of his husband. "Chirrut!" Baze ran forward and fell to his knees by Chirrut's head. He groped for Chirrut's hand, and sobbed again as he felt the pulse, strong and steady, just as it had been in life. It was then that the dam broke, gut heaving sobs tearing from his chest as he burried his face in Chirrut's chest . He cried until he could no longer move and fell asleep against the side of the hospital bed.

That night, he had a dream like none other. He was floating, in a swirl of bright colors. they floated around him, each one a bright speck of light with threads tying them to everything else. He somehow KNEW, that this was the force that Chirrut always saw.

He felt shame rise in him. He had turned his back on the Force, blaspheming what he had so devoutly followed for so long. He had let anger fill him, poisoning his faith, and yet, and yet the Force had given him back the love of his life, had given his Chirrut new life. Into the void he shouted "Heal Chirrut Imwe and I will serve you all my life, as fervently, no, MORE fervently than I ever had before. Just, heal him, give him to me and I will serve!"

When he woke up, he was in a bed again. But this time, when he looked around, Chirrut was in the bed with him. The woman from before came in. "Your love for him is admirable, Mr. Malbus. If anything can wake him up, its you."

"No, if anything can wake him up, it will be the force." he said with conviction.

She smiled and nodded. "Be that as it may, it is time for his bacta treatment. While he is gone, you have two visitors."

Jyn and Cassian walked in just as they wheeled Chirrut out. Jyn hugged Baze tightly and they all cried. "How did we survive?" Baze asked after a long silence.

"No one knows. A ship appeared at Yavin 4, with you, Chirrut, Me, Cassian and Bodhi laying passed out inside. Strange thing is, there was no one else aboard. It just touched down, and then turned off. They think Bodhi must have piloted it, walked over to where we were lying and collapsed."

Baze snorted. "What do YOU think?" He asked

Cassian looked at him. "I think that its a little too farfetched. If I had to guess, I'd say Chirrut pulled some strings with his chanting."

Baze figured that was as close as the man would get to admitting that the Force had saved them. "And you?" He asked Jyn

"I think we ought to be grateful for this second chance." She said simply.

Baze laid down, and sighed. They were all silent for a long while until he broke the silence. "He was dead. He wasn't there. He had always been there, since the first moment I saw him. I could always feel him, like a light touch in the back of my mind. But then, suddenly, he was gone, the space he had been an aching void. I know he was dead."

The others looked at each other and he knew they realized he had changed. He believed again.

Just then the nurse wheeled Chirrut back into the room. "How is he?" Casian asked.

"Its too soon to be sure, but the preliminary results of his post treatment tests indicate a marked improvement compared to previous post treatment tests. Basically, he seemed to get more out of it this time. If this continues, he may get better in a few months."

'Ha.' Baze thought. 'The Force will do it in one month.' He said, mentally challenging the Force both he and Chirrut had served to do more than asked.

That day, he lay next to Chirrut and chanted long forgotten hymns, his tongue stumbling over unused phrases. The air grew thick that night, as if his words could be felt in the air around them. Finally, he slept, curled around his partner as if sheilding the smaller man from all things.

Days passed, 6 of them, in fact, and he did nothing but pray and chant and meditate. It was awkard, yet comfortable, like old lovers that had been separated and were relearning each other. He remembered why he loved the old hymns and prayers, yet it was bittersweet. He was faced with long buried memories of afternoon prayers, sunlit rooms, and rooms that echoed with dozens of voices chanting in unison. Tears came freely as he grappled with pain and loss in ways that he had never done. On the 7th day, he was in mid prayer, his arms wrapped around Chirruts chest, when he felt the body in his arms MOVE.

He froze, and there it was again, Chirruts left arm was moving!

"Chirrut!" He exclaimed. A soft groan followed, and then... his eyes fluttered. "Chirrut!" He shouted in joy.

"Too loud." Chirrut muttered, voice almost unintelligible.

Baze hugged him tightly, only for Chirrut to wince in pain. "Baze?"

Baze forced himself not to squeeze Chirrut. "Yes love, Im here. We made it, we won!"

"Jyn? Bodhi? Casian?"

"Theyre all alive. Bodhis still injured, but we are all alive!"

Just then, a nurse rushed in. "He's awake!" Soon there were dozens of people in their roon, doing hundreds of tests.

"I don't understand Master Imwe, this shouldn't be possible. Just two weeks ago, you were medically dead."

Before Chirrut could answer, Baze said "The Force was not finished with him."

The woman looked at Baze, then at Chirrut. "Perhaps. Either way, you still have a long way to go sir. Take it easy." She glared at Baze, as if accusing him of not controlling his husband.

When everyone had left, Chirrut turned to him, worrying his lip with his teeth. "Was I really dead?" He asked.

"You were. Your place in the force was hollow. I couldn't feel you. It was a blank spot in my mind. Apparently, when we arrived at Yavin 4, they thought you were dead at first. The Force gave you to me. Me, the blasphemous Guardian! It gave me the chance to be with you again, gave you life"

"Baze-" Chirrut said hesitantly. "Are saying you've-"

"Returned to the faith? Yes. I swore if you woke, I'd devote myself to the force. I've, I've been praying and meditating and I have made peace with my inner demons. I had not realized how much I missed the faith." Suddenly he was aware that Chirrut was beaming, radiating joy.

"My prayers have been answered!" Chirrut said, his voice choking with emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. "Thank Force!"

They both smiled wider than they ever had. "Perhaps, some meditating might ease your injuries?" Baze suggested.

"Yes. Yes, of course. I am one with the force and-" he began

"-the force is with me. I am one with-" Baze joined him, until they had found a rhthym and soon it was just them and the force, starting the second chapter of their life.