A/N: Everyone is probably getting impatient with me for the lack of timely updates. Since I haven't been home very much the past month, I'm not able to do alot of work on the laptop. In this chapter, Kanan and the others are starting a search for Rex and Hera tries to keep the others spirits up, especially Ahsoka's and Zeb's. Is Rex dead? Wait to find out!

Chapter 10 Search and Memorial

Kanan readied a pack full of provisions looking over at Ezra, Ishta-Thuda and several of Tatanaka's best trackers. The tribal chief agreed to lead the search for Rex and would give the GHOST family any help they needed. A very tired and sad Zeb wanted to help and grew angry when Kanan told him no.

"Zeb, you are in no condition to go on a long journey," Kanan said to him.

"It's my fault...Rex...is...missing," the Lasat said his voice heavy with emotion. His eyes were tear-filled and his eyelids were swollen from constant crying. Tirawa had held him close as he cried off and on through the night.

"Kanan's right, Zeb," Hera answered going over to lay a hand on his arm, "You are exhausted both emotionally and physically. Besides, you are running a fever and need alot of rest."

"It's my fault...," he whispered closing his eyes.

Tirawa hugged him around the waist tighter. That seemed to calm him a bit feeling the touch of his beloved lifemate/wife.

"Take care of him...and Ahsoka," Kanan said giving Hera a quick kiss.

"I will."

Hera watched her husband and Ezra leave, tears in her eyes. She looked back at Zeb standing tall, Tirawa pressed close to him, feeling him tremble. She layed her head against his chest feeling his heart beating strong...a heart that was now breaking with grief.

Several days passed while Kanan and the others searched for Rex. Ahsoka pulled away from the GHOST family only speaking to Hera, Sabine or the other natives from the village. The Togrutan woman wouldn't talk to Zeb or Tirawa. She even went as far as forbidding Cody to play with Totonga and Ashla. The hybrid boy didn't understand the anger or grief, but knew his papa wasn't around. He cried every night for Rex and always wanted Ahsoka to hold him.

Hera and Sabine were worried seeing the former Jedi grow more distant and angry so unlike herself.

A week after the search began, Ahsoka had a breakdown that was bad. It started with Tirawa trying to help Cody when the boy fell and was crying from a skinned knee.

"Tirawa!" Ahsoka cried out, "What are you doing?! Get away from my son!"

Zeb watched the interaction and stepped forward.

"Ahsoka, calm down. Tirawa is just trying to help."

"Help?! Zeb, where were you when Rex needed help?! You let go of him and let him go over the falls! I hate you for that! You let my husband die!"

She ran over and beat her fists against Zeb's chest and then hit him in the face as far as she could reach. The Lasat stood taking the punishment not wanting to hurt her, but Tirawa reacted. Letting out a native cry, she ran into the taller Togrutan flattening her to the ground.

"Tirawa!" Zeb cried out and tried to pull his human wife off Ahsoka. Ahsoka being taller and stronger than Tirawa, threw the native woman to the side using a powerful Force push.

"Leave me alone!" Ahsoka cried out and Force threw Tirawa across the shelter where she fell unconscious. Zeb watched in horror and then turned to Ahsoka growling.

"Ahsoka...," he growled his green eyes narrowing with anger and rage.

She stood her ground and readied to battle with a being twice her size. Ahsoka gave Zeb a stare that would've melted stormtrooper armor, uttered a growl of her own and cut loose with her Force abilities that were formidible on their own. Raising her arms up, eyes shutting and tears squeezing out of them, she Force pushed Zeb against the wall of the shelter. The Lasat let out a grunt as the wind was knocked out of him. Growling he picked himself up and readied to go after his former friend, a friend who had been like a sister to him. Ahsoka had other ideas.

Raising her arms higher, Zeb felt himself being lifted off his feet and his throat tightening up.

"Ahsoka!" Hera cried out in horror.

The Togrutan woman chose to either ignore her or couldn't hear because of the beating of her heart. Zeb rose higher in the air, his face turning a bright red. He reached over to his throat, his eyes widening, breath coming in choking gasps.

"Ahsoka stop!" Hera yelled and signaled to Sabine. Ahsoka kept on and began to squeeze her fists together.

Zeb's gasping grew worse and a cracking sound made Hera cringe. It was the sound of the Lasat's neck breaking. That's when Sabine took a flying leap and landed on Ahsoka breaking her concentration. Zeb fell to the ground his breath coming in sobs of both relief and fear. Tirawa ran to his side cradling his head in her lap. Sabine raised a fist up and gave the Togrutan an old-fashioned roundhouse punch to the jaw knocking her out cold.

"Karabast!" Sabine gasped as she picked herself up. She looked over at Hera who was kneeling next to Zeb who was still gasping.

"Hera...how is he?" the Mandalorian girl said bending down laying a hand against the Lasat's sweaty cheek.

"I'm no doctor, but I think Ahsoka nearly crushed his trachea. I wish Kanan were here..."

"Husband...hurt," Tirawa sobbed caressing Zeb's head. She leaned down to kiss him on the mouth. Zeb opened his eyes and saw her.

"Tirawa...," he whispered his voice a hoarse croak.

"Begadi-Zeb," she said softly tears falling onto his face.

Hera took a medical scanner that Kanan and Rex had adjusted to solar power and ran it over Zeb. A look of concern crossed her face.

"Well?" was Sabine's response.

"Thank the Force, Zeb is a Lasat, for if he weren't, he'd be dead. His neck has tiny fractures in it."

"Ahsoka broke his neck?!"

"No, Sabine. There's a few cracks in several of his vertebrae. Can you go to the GHOST and in the medbay bring me a neck brace? We'll adjust it to fit Zeb."

"Will do!"

The crying of three small children made Hera turn away from Zeb and Tirawa. It was Cody, Totonga and Ashla. The three hybrid children were huddled in a corner holding onto each other.

"Oh...," Hera said holding out her arms to the children. They ran to her clinging in fear. Ashla being the smallest wanted to be picked up. The little Lasat/human girl layed her head against Hera's neck sucking on a thumb while she sobbed. Hera felt that the child had a wet diaper.

"Ssh...sweetheart, it's okay."

She knealt down to embrace the other two children seeing they were wet too. At that moment Ahsoka came to and saw Cody crying. Cody heard his mother stir awake and broke free from Hera's embrace to run to her. She held her son tight beginning to cry.

"Ahsoka," Hera began to say.

"Hera don't...just leave us alone," the female Togrutan sobbed out, "Just leave us alone. You and your family have done enough to me."

At that, she stood up, Cody in her arms and ran out of the shelter.

"Hera, here's the...," Sabine began to say and saw Ahsoka run out with a crying Cody in her arms, "What happened?"

"Ahsoka...left. Maybe it's for the best."

Hera looked over at Tirawa who was still cradling a semi-conscious Zeb in her arms.

"Tirawa, I have to help Zeb," she said to the native woman hoping she could understand and stood back to let Hera help.

A brace was put on the Lasat's neck and Hera was relieved that it fit with a few adjustments. His breathing had slowed and Hera gave him a shot of painkillers to help him rest better. Later on, she'd go to Sisiutl and ask for his help if Zeb was still in pain.

Tirawa concentrated on caring for her twins who were still crying. All the commotion and yelling had scared them. Hera and Sabine helped her get the twins cleaned up and into clean diapers. They were given bottles of milk to calm them down even though they were both weaned now. The children fell asleep in their mother's arms and she layed them next to Zeb who was asleep due to the medications.

Several more days passed and Ahsoka didn't come back. Finally Sabine spotted her amongst the other native women who were lead by Tatanaka's wife T'Keesa, a big woman with a very maternal nature about her. She had instantly taken a liking to the GHOST family, especially Ezra, Sabine and Zeb. Hera was relieved to see that Ahsoka and Cody were doing all right but she hoped they wouldn't return to the shelter. She knew that Cody wasn't at fault and that made her feel worse for she loved the little boy. It was hard to forgive Ahsoka for what she had done to Zeb. The Lasat was recovering slowly and wasn't able to speak very well with his throat being so sore. Tirawa cared for him with all the love she could give him. Sabine and Hera took care of Totonga and Ashla so the coulpe could have some time alone.

With the winter arriving, the couple had very few places to have a romantic interlude. Armed with a bunch of animal skin blankets, Hera had them go aboard the GHOST, at least the cargo bay which was the only part of the ship that wasn't freezing.

Tirawa layed several fur blankets on the deck gesturing Zeb to lay with her. He nodded the crooked grin she loved on his face. She pulled an even warmer blanket over them as they shed clothes. Soon neither felt any cold.

A days later, Kanan and Ezra returned, Rex not with them.

"Kanan...," Hera whispered and gave her husband a welcome home kiss and hug.

"There's no sign of him," Kanan said seeing Sabine giving Ezra a hug and kiss to his cheek, "We looked for miles. Ezra and I reached out with the Force and...nothing. We have to resign the fact that Rex may be...dead."

"Oh...Kanan..."

"We have to tell Ahsoka."

"Kanan...Ahsoka isn't here with us anymore. Something happened while you were gone."

Hera went on to tell Kanan and Ezra about how Ahsoka nearly killed Zeb with her Force abilities.

"How is he?" Ezra asked a frown appearing.

"Zeb is doing okay. That Lasat physique of his can take alot of punishment. I put a neck brace on him for awhile while his neck and trachea heal. Tirawa has been mother-henning him much to his enjoyment. The children are a bit traumatized, for they saw the whole thing. Cody is with Ahsoka, Totonga and Ashla were scared more than Cody and Ashla cries nearly all the time. Her and Totonga have nightmares and want to be held more than normal."

"Ma Ma!" came a frightened little girl voice from the children's area of the shelter. It was Ashla and the toddler stood clutching her Tooka doll her diaper sagging showing she had messed herself.

"Oh...sweetheart, come here," Hera said holding her arms out to the child. Ashla ran to her and Hera picked her up.

"Whoa...," Kanan said getting a whiff of the baby's diaper, "Someone has a messy diaper."

Ashla's answer came in a sniffle and a thumb in her mouth.

"Sweetie, you need a bath," Hera said her nose wrinkling, "Let's get you cleaned up."

Hera with Kanan's help gave the small Lasat/human girl a bath in a carved out wooden tub that the natives made for the GHOST family. A much bigger one was made for the adults and even fit a Lasat! Ashla sat whimpering and sucked her thumb.

"Sweetheart, you need to take your thumb out of your mouth so I can wash your face," Hera said.

"No!" Ashla said and tried to stand up and Kanan got her sat back down. The hybrid child's Lasat-like mouth formed into a pout looking similiar to Zeb. That made them smile.

"Kanan, can you hand me a towel?"

Ashla saw that Hera was distracted and jumped out of the tub.

"Ashla! You little scamp!"

At that moment, Tirawa and Zeb came out into the area that served as the main living quarters and saw Ashla naked and her fur dripping onto the ground. The child ran to Tirawa.

"Ma Ma!"

The native woman picked up her daughter tickling her little furry stomach. That made Ashla's tears stop. Tirawa carried her back to Hera to help finish with her bath. Zeb stood grinning at how much of a handful Ashla was. He knew she was behaving like a typical Lasat toddler and that made him remember how much trouble his own younger siblings were for his parents.

Later that day, Kanan sat his family down to discuss Rex's memorial. Zeb looked more sad and leaned over to lay his head against Tirawa's shoulder, the native woman murmuring soothing words to him.

"The sooner this gets done the better," Kanan said staring at Zeb, Ezra, Sabine and Hera. Tirawa leaned against Zeb. Thankfully the children were asleep in their crib-like beds.

"I know," Hera said seeing the sad expressions on her family's faces, "But we can hold out hope, can't we?"

"I don't know. One of us should get Ahsoka and tell her."

"We will," both Ezra and Sabine said together.

Kanan nodded and clutched Hera's hand feeling just as sad as the rest of them did.

The next day beside the river which thankfully was free of ice, Kanan performed a memorial for Captain Rex.

"Friends and family, we gather here to lay to rest a dear friend and brother, Captain Rex. He was not only a former trooper for the Grand Army of the Republic, but a fighter in the new rebellion too. Rex joined us a few years back along with his comrades Commanders Wolffe and Gregor. Ahsoka Tano also joined our fight against the Empire and became Rex's loving wife. He became part of our sometimes dysfunctional family, Ahsoka too. I know I'll miss him and admit at first I didn't trust him being a clone trooper, but getting to know Rex and his two friends Gregor and Wolffe, made me realize how wrong I was. Rex has been an important part of our growing rebellion against the Empire and shown us...shown me...the bravery, the loyalty he has for all of us. He leaves behind not only his wife Ahsoka Tano but a son Cody as well. He also leaves behind his two brothers Gregor and Wolffe and adopted brother Zeb who they enjoyed playing games of Sabaac with and serving alongside. I, Hera, Ezra and Sabine will miss his humor and the amount of knowledge he had of preparing for battles. Goodbye...my friend...and brother."

Kanan swallowed hard and looked over at Hera who stood, tears in her eyes, arms around Ezra and Sabine who were both crying. Zeb stood tall, Tirawa pressed close her arms around his waist. The Lasat's eyes were full of tears and Kanan saw his bottom lip quivering. Ahsoka stood next to Tatanaka and T'Keesa, the big native woman putting an arm around the younger woman's shoulders. Tears were streaming from Ahsoka's closed eyes.

Kanan placed a tiny bark boat into the water and on it placed Rex's native amulet of marriage on it. That was the only thing they found of Rex's that was laying on the shore of the river. He pushed the little boat away so the current could catch it. Ahsoka opened her eyes and let out a sob and clung to T'Keesa like a child. Zeb let out a sniffle and blinked his eyes, tears trickling down the furry cheeks. He bowed his head the sniffling getting louder. Tirawa murmured softly to him and saw Hera come over to comfort him too.

Ahsoka lifted her head from T'Keesa's shoulder and looked over at Zeb sniffling his eyes closed, tears streaming down his face. Seeing the Lasat's bruised neck still in the brace made something break inside her. She realized that Zeb wasn't responsible for Rex's death. She pulled away from T'Keesa and wiping a hand across her wet face, walked over to where Zeb stood.

"Zeb," she said her voice heavy with emotion, "I'm sorry...I'm so...sorry..."

Tirawa growled at Ahsoka and tried to push her away but Zeb stopped her. The Lasat looked down at the shorter Togrutan and tried to say something but couldn't talk past the lump in his throat.

"Zeb...forgive me?" Ahsoka pleaded.

Sniffling more, Zeb gave her a grin and pulled her to him in one of his spine crushing hugs. Ahsoka began to cry and leaned into the hug more the feel of the soft Lasat fur soothing to her.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed over and over again. Crying just as much as her, Zeb held her close feeling her trembling. Tirawa caressed Ahsoka's back in a soothing manner and that calmed her enough to lift her head from Zeb's chest. She looked up at the Lasat and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then walked away.

"Now the healing begins," Hera said to Kanan...