Another chapter of "A Lasat's Tough Journey". This story is turning out to be one of the toughest ones I've ever written. It is a shameless piece of family fluff and romance. Hopefully fans of fan fiction have checked this one out. The next chapter is alot different from the previous ones as it is a little more mature in it's subject matter.

Chapter 10 "Healing"

A week went by and Zeb's arm grew stronger. The pain was still there but not as bad. Dr. Triplet did some more tests and it showed that indeed the nerves were regenerating in the Lasat's arm. Zeb could now move all four fingers and also was able to bend his hand at the wrist.

"Garazeb," Dr. Triplet said as he examined the Lasat, "Try to bend your arm at the elbow."

"Okay, Doc," Zeb answered looking over at Kanan and Hera.

Zeb moved his head so he could look down at his bare arm. Dr. Triplet had removed the sleeve of the Lasat's jumpsuit and also the arm brace. He bit on his lower lip and flexed his fingers. They still shook alot but were moving better than a few days before. He bent his hand at the wrist, the shaking getting worse. The Lasat's facial features contorted into an expression of deep concentration. Slowly the purple-striped fur arm raised up a couple of inches at the elbow.

"Garazeb!" Missy called out to the left of the bed where she sat keeping vigal, "Look at your arm!"

Zeb turned his head and looked over at the woman he loved.

"Missy..." he whispered.

Missy moved her repulsor chair closer so she could reach his face. Slowly she raised her weakened left arm up to the Lasat's face to carass it in the way of a lover. Zeb nuzzled his face against her hand enjoying the feel of her skin against his fur.

Kanan and Hera smiled seeing their reactions to each other. Kanan closed his eyes opening himself to the Force and felt the bright beacon of love that Zeb and Missy were expressing to each other by a mere touch. Hera caught his expression having loved Kanan for a long time.

Dr. Triplet cleared his throat to get everyone's attention back.

"That was very good, Garazeb. The nerves are coming along fine, alot faster than I thought. I don't know if you'll get full use of your arm, but only time will tell."

"Doctor, what his other arm or his legs?" Missy asking the question that everyone else was afraid to ask.

The look on Dr. Triplet's face was answer enough but he had to say something. He turned back to Zeb who was still close to Missy.

"Garazeb, because of the severity of your spinal cord injury, your legs will never heal and neither will your left arm. I'm sorry..."

Zeb's eyes widened and he turned to Missy who gave him an expression of love and sympathy. He swallowed hard feeling the tears begin to form in his eyes. He looked over to see Missy had tears streaming down her cheeks. Missy leaned her face against his, Zeb feeling the warmth of the tears on his furred cheek.

"Your right arm is the only part of your body to regain sensation and movement. I wished it could be more...but I'm sorry."

Zeb closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Missy reached over to give him a soft kiss on the lips. That made him feel better having his love so close by.

Angela had been standing off to the side with Cynda who was hugging her and sniffling. The past week since the return from Attolon, Cynda had become quieter and was prone to crying spells. It was like something had broken inside the young Lasat. Angela attributed it to the girl's young age and the worry she felt for Zeb. Master Sabela had noticed that his Padawan was developing strong attachments for the nurse and also Missy.

Earlier in the day, Cynda had talked to Missy while the two were taking a break while Zeb had therapy and more tests.

"Missy," the Lasat girl said, "I...I don't wanna be a Jedi anymore."

"Cynda...sweetheart, why?" Missy asked gesturing to the girl to sit on her repulsor chair arm seeing that the child just needed a mother's touch. Cynda moved over and was sitting on Missy's lap even though she couldn't feel the girl sitting there. She did feel the Lasat girl's warm furry face next to hers.

Angela came in a few minutes later to see that Cynda was fast asleep on Missy's lap making her smile at how innocent the alien child looked.

"You'll make a great mother, someday," the nurse said.

Two days later:

Zeb was taken back to the rehab center and settled back into his room. When the Lasat came through the doorway of his room, the first thing his eyes fell on was his beloved bo-rifle on the shelf above the dresser. The Lasat weapon was in a protective clear case to keep it pristine.

Zeb's eyes welled with tears and he sucked his breath in a sob. His teary eyes also took in all the family pictures on the dresser, the newest one on the nightstand.

This picture had the whole GHOST crew along with Rex, Gregor and Wolffe, Master Sabela and Cynda. They were standing in front of a Life Day tree that was in the dining hall at Chopper Base.

The picture had Master Sabela standing in the back since the Barrelian was even taller than Zeb. The Lasat in his repulsor chair was up front due to being shorter than the rest of them. Rex, Gregor and Wolffe stood behind Zeb with the regal standing of soldiers. Kanan and Hera stood behind Zeb, their hands on his shoulders. Sabine, Ezra and Cynda were kneeling next to the Lasat while holding his hands. Chopper was standing near Sabine.

Zeb smiled remembering how much fun it was to be with his family again. Missy caught the expression and that made her love him even more.

While Zeb was resting and Missy kept vigal at his bedside, Cynda broke the news to Master Sabela about leaving the Jedi Order. This was the hardest thing that the Lasat Padawan had ever told to her mentor.

"Master Sabela," Cynda said her voice shaky with emotion, "I...I don't wanna be a Jedi any longer."

Sabela's golden eyes grew wide with shock and he looked down at his apprentice.

"Why, child? You have the potential to be a great Jedi. Already you have the gift of healing."

"I...I just don't want this kind of life anymore. I want to stay here with Garazeb and Missy. I love them."

"Child," Sabela said blinking his own teary eyes, "I've known for awhile you've been unhappy with your training. Being a Jedi takes alot of commitment and patience. Cynda if this is what you want, I won't stop you. I only hope you won't forget me and how much I love you like a father. You are a gifted healer and I hope you use that gift for good. Become a nurse or even a doctor if that's what you wish."

Sabela reached down to kiss the Lasat girl on the forehead.

"Be good...Cynda Bolec...May the Force be with you..."

The Barrelian Master turned away so she couldn't see the tears falling from his eyes. He walked away and that would be the last time Cynda would ever see him again.

Cynda watched the person who was more like a father to her walk out of her life forever. It felt like her heart was breaking. She sat on the couch, put her hands over her face and began to cry. T'Pell who was on her way to get Missy for her daily therapy session, heard the Lasat child's sobs.

"Cynda...honey what's wrong?" she asked going into the rec room where the two Jedi had gone to talk. She sat down beside her placing an arm on the girl's shoulders.

Sniffling loudly, Cynda spoke:

"I...I just told Master S...Sabela that I don't wanna be a Jedi...anymore. He...is sad at me...leaving. I...I didn't mean to hurt him..."

"I know, honey, I know," T'Pell said putting an arm around the Lasat girl's shoulders more. She reached up to carass her face.

"I...I hurt him! I...I...I...hurt him!" Cynda wailed throwing herself into the Twi'lek's arms.

"Ssh...Shhh...honey, don't cry."

"T'Pell?" came a voice from the doorway. It was Estrella. "Is everything all right?"

"Cynda just told Master Sabela about wanting to leave the Jedi Order. He was hurt about her decision but understood why. Their goodbye as you can see by her crying, was very difficult."

"If you want, I'll take over. You've probably got something to do," Estrella said moving her chair over to the couch.

"I do," T'Pell answered, "I have to get Missy down for therapy. It's been hard to pry her away from Garazeb's side."

"It's pure love, child," Estrella said laying a hand on Cynda's knee. The child looked up at her, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this little girl."

After T'Pell left, Estrella got Cynda to look over to her.

"Baby," the old woman said, "Come over here and sit on your Gran Estrella's lap. It's okay."

Cynda shook her head.

"I...I'm too...too big," came the sniffly response.

"Nonsense! No child is ever too big to sit on their grandmother's lap. C'mon, baby, it's okay."

Cynda got up from the couch and gently sat on Estrella's lap. It looked a bit awkward since Cynda was the same size as a human child of fifteen years. Estrella didn't care and with her withered hand stroked the Lasat child's back feeling the shaking under her hand. She whispered comforting words and began humming an old lullabye that her own mother sang to her long ago. It did the job of calming Cynda, for she fell into a deep sleep nursing her right thumb in her mouth like a small child. That made Estrella smile more.

Angela, with Zeb in tow came into the rec room after the Lasat had been down getting a nerve test on his arm. They both saw that Cynda was asleep on Estrella's lap of all places! She caught the looks.

"The poor little girl told her Master that she didn't want to be a Jedi anymore. He left a few hours ago and she is heartbroken! Cynda's been crying off and on for the past few hours and just fell asleep."

Zeb looked over at his soon to be adopted daughter and gestured with his weak right hand that he would take over holding Cynda.

"Green eyes," Estrella said moving her repulsor chair next to his, "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Angela gently woke up Cynda and the girl let out a whimper at being woken up.

"Cynda?" Zeb asked seeing that Angela was getting the still half-asleep child onto his lap. "It's Garazeb. It's okay, kid. Just go back to sleep."

He nuzzled his face onto the top of the child's head, a Lasat parent's sign of affection. Cynda felt his touch and opened her eyes for a moment.

"Papa..." she murmured.

Zeb swallowed hard at the sound of the child's word.

Estrella took notice of how Zeb was comforting the little girl who was the same species as he was. Angela did too.

"Baby," Estrella said to Zeb, "You will be a great father."

"I hope to be...someday."

Zeb and Angela kept on comforting Cynda who fell back asleep, sucking her thumb. Angela saw Zeb frowning a bit at the sight of the teenager sucking her thumb.

"It'll be fine, " she said, "Cynda has been through a traumatic shock and she is reacting like only a young child would. The crying and thumb sucking will end when she feels better. Right now she feels lost...abandoned...unloved."

"Karabast!" Zeb said almost waking Cynda up, "After Missy and I are married this spring, we are going to formally adopt Cynda as our daughter. In Lasat culture, when a child is orphaned, they are adopted into a new family and will carry on that family's name. Cynda will have the family name of Orrelios."

Angela reached over to give the Lasat a kiss on his forehead.

Later that day when Cynda felt a little better, Angela took her, Zeb, Missy, Hera and Kanan for a tour of the Naboo capital city of Theed. T'Pell came along to help Angela out with the two quadriplegic patients. Hera and Kanan couldn't help watching Missy and Zeb holding hands and laughing enjoying each other's company. They realized that these two were meant to be together. The residents of Theed didn't give Zeb and Missy a second glance used to seeing interspecies couples all the time. Naboo was one of the safest worlds where couples could feel safe from the xenophobic eye of the Empire. Even the Gungans who frequented the city didn't think nothing of seeing a human female and a Lasat male together.

An elderly Gungan female offered them some meilorrun fruit when they moved their repulsor chairs past the fruit stand. The couple smiled and thanked her.

"Yousa a fine couple," she said in her sing-song language, "Wery young.."

Zeb let out a giggle at the Gungan's statement of him and Missy.

"Thank you," Missy said seeing Hera and Kanan pick up the fruit for them.

"Never seesa couple like yousa in Teed before. Hooman and Le-sat wery diffwent...but nicsa."

Zeb couldn't hold in his laughter and neither could Missy. That made the old Gungan like them even more.

"Laugh...nicsa sound."

That got Hera, Kanan, Angela and T'Pell also laughing,

The Gungan female took Zeb's and Missy's hands in her bigger ones, "Yousa have a good life. Many years...many younguns..."

Missy and Zeb looked over at each other knowing the old alien being was right about them.

Saying goodbye to the elderly Gungan, Hera, Kanan, Angela and T'Pell took the couple to a park where they could see the birds swimming on the lake and the children playing around the area. Zeb and Missy never let go of each other's hands and were constantly staring into each other's eyes, the attraction between them obvious.

A group of Nabooian, Gungan, human and Twi'lek children came over to them having never seen a Lasat before, let alone one in a repulsor chair.

"Your eyes are pretty," a little human girl said as she watched a little boy who was her brother poking at Zeb's legs.

"Why can't you walk?" he asked.

"I got hurt a year ago in a big explosion," the Lasat tried to explain, "Got a big boo boo in my back."

"I'm sorry," the child said and then ran a hand over the Lasat's hand, "I like your fur. It's a pretty shade of purple and smells like a wet Tooka."

Hera and Kanan stifled giggles. They saw Zeb flinch a bit at the notion of his scented fur coat. Ezra and Sabine always ribbed him about it in their sibling way. Missy was also trying to stifle her giggles.

"Oh, Garazeb," she said laying her head on his shoulder, "You do have a scent about you, but I don't care. I love you no matter what you smell like."

That got them all to laugh.

Towards evening the group returned to the rehab center. Missy and Zeb were very tired and it didn't take long for Angela and T'Pell to prepare them for bed. Zeb was snoring before Angela even left the room. Missy, in her room fell asleep dreaming about her upcoming wedding to Garazeb. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Two days later Hera and Kanan had to return to Attolon. Zeb and Missy saw them off and Missy watched her love almost cry at saying goodbye to his legal guardians. A few days before they and Missy's parents had gotten started on the wedding plans which would take place in two months. T'Pell's brother Tigan knew a Nabooian holy man who would perform the marriage ceremony. He was known for performing many interspecies marriages, but this was the first time he would do one for a Lasat and a human. That didn't matter to him, all that mattered was the love the couple felt for each other, and after meeting Zeb and Missy he could see how much they loved each other. He hoped it would be a long and loving joining hopefully with some little ones he could perform baptisms on.

Zeb kept up with his therapy determined to be able to raise his arm up at the shoulder so he could put an arm around his soon to be lifemate/wife...