Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.

Big thanks to ComradeGoonie, laloga, and Depthcharge2030 for reviewing!

As soon as Fives and Teanna were out of earshot, Rex crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Skylar as she shifted uncomfortably.

"You and Fives," was all the Captain said. Skylar wanted to shoot herself for not even considering that other clones besides her brothers might be able to see what she was beginning to feel for the ARC trooper. Her buir had often told her that her face was like an open holobook and that she needed to be careful with her expressions. And since clones were used to looking for the thousand and one little differences that made someone unique, they read her easily. At least, Captain Rex had.

Cordav shook her head, one hand on her hip as she pinched the bridge of her nose with the other, "I wish. But it's not like that, and it'll never be like that. I won't allow it, sir." She crossed her arms. "Fives and I both have jobs to do and we don't need any distractions." K'uur, Skylar! At the rate she was going, she might as well go ahead and confess to one of the Jetiise.

Rex seemed a little taken aback at her answer. "As long as it stays that way, I don't see the need to mention it to our COs, then." No wonder Fives likes you so much, Captain. "As far as I know, we never had this conversation." If he had been one of her brothers, she would not have hesitated to hug him. As it was, she didn't want to embarrass him. I still can't believe that I hugged Fives last night. Judging by the fact that he didn't hug me back, I either shocked him or he doesn't feel the same way... Skylar Cordav! Focus!

"Thanks, Captain."

"Call me 'Rex.'" He seemed clearly uneasy having a nonclone defer to him.

"'Skylar.'"

"Okay, Skylar," the blonde clone unfolded his arms, one hand resting on the helmet hooked to his belt. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I know my news last night shocked you pretty bad."

Rex cleared his throat, "Well, I wasn't exactly expecting it."

Before either one could say anything else, the 501st Captain's wrist comlink beeped, "Rex here."

Skylar patted his arm wordlessly and headed to the med bay. At least he knows that I care. It seemed to be the only thing she was capable of doing lately. But caring didn't keep Gabe from being paralyzed. And it didn't help my brothers that lost their lives. She stopped right before the doors to the medical bay and shook her head. I've gotta stop thinking like this.

The doors opened and a clone almost walked into her. From his posture, Cordav could tell that something wasn't right. She doubted that he was even capable of paying attention to where he was going.

The sergeant caught his arm and pulled him to a standstill. "What's wrong, trooper?" she questioned gently, looking at the spot on his visor where she knew his eyes were.

"Nothing, ma'am." He pulled his arm out of her grip.

"It's not nothing," Skylar said, blocking his escape. "I can tell by your posture and your voice that something bad's happened to you."

"I just lost the last man in my squadron, ma'am. I really don't want to talk about it." She knew that feeling all too well. But Skylar also knew that if it wasn't for her brothers forcing her to talk about their losses, she'd have been a nutcase.

"You don't have to. Not right now. But I'd at least like to know your name and number, so I can check on you later."

He stiffened, taken by surprise. "Umm. My number is CT-9075/3213. I don't have a name, ma'am."

"What did your brothers call you?" she asked softly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, vod'ika." He cocked his helmeted head. "Means 'little brother.'"

"Thirteen, ma'am. My squadron called me 'Thirteen.'" Displacement. He was trying to deal with his loss by acting as if he hadn't been that close to his teammates. Cordav had seen it happen before.

"Okay, Thirteen. You can call me 'Skylar.' I'll be around to check on you later, I promise. No funny business, alright?"

"Uhh... Yes, ma'am. I mean, Skylar." She smiled softly and stepped aside to let him pass. Even though she didn't have her helmet on, and therefore didn't have access to the 360, she knew that Thirteen had looked back at her before he rounded the corner. I'd better check up with him after I call Deena and no later. There was no telling what a grieving man might do. Especially if he was the last of his team. Jinx had been a wreck after the Battle of Geonosis. And, although she hadn't heard of a clone committing suicide before, it was still probable. The best way to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid in the future is to stick him with some of my boys. Maybe Beta could take him under their wing, now that Gabe's out of commission. I'll com Zey about it as soon I know that Thirteen's okay.

After checking in with Fives, Teanna, and Beta, and reassuring Gabe in a roundabout way that his wife wouldn't think him a burden, Skylar headed back to her quarters to com Deena on the secure channel that Mereel had programmed into her handheld comlink.

"Sky, it's the middle of the night here. What in the manda are you thinking?" The half-human woman gasped as she realized something, "Is Gabe okay?"

"Sort of, Deena. He's alive and he sends his love."

"How bad is he hurt?" The other woman seemed close to panicking and Skylar couldn't blame her. Gabe was the love of Deena's life and she cared more about him and their baby than she did about herself.

"He's paralyzed from the waist down." Gabe's wife gasped, and Skylar hurried with the rest before the other woman freaked out too much. "The good news is that he's being invalided out. I told the Jetiise about you being a nurse and... Get this. I managed to talk them into letting Gabe stay with you."

Absolute silence as her sister-in-law digested the news. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that she'd fainted. But Deena was a strong woman just like herself. It was one reason why Gabe had been so infatuated with her from the start. When those muggers had cornered the woman, she'd fought tooth and nail even though she'd once told Skylar that she'd known it was hopeless. How she'd managed to hold on until Gabe happened to come to her rescue, Deena still didn't know.

"You're not pulling my leg, Sky?"

"Never about this." The sound of her little niece crying came over the link. "I'd better let you go so that you can tend to Briika. Give her a kiss for me, 'kay?"

"Okay. Tell my husband that I love him and that Briika and I can't wait to see him!"

Skylar chuckled, "Will do."

After closing the link, she sighed to herself. Talking with Deena and hearing the affection for her husband in the other woman's voice left her feeling restless. It made her think of Fives even more and that was a luxury she couldn't afford for his sake. You have no idea how I feel about you, do you, F'ika? I wish you did, but that's just the way it has to be...

Now to check on Thirteen.

She decided to check the mess for him before she went to his squadron's quarters. If he wasn't in the mess hall, she could still grab him something to eat. Clones were bottomless pits. They'd eat almost anything put in front of them and they were especially fond of sweets. Before entering the mess, Skylar checked one of her belt pouches to make sure that she still had a few pieces of that candied fruit left. Since Thirteen was just a trooper, she doubted that anyone had even thought to introduce him to candy. Well, I'm going to rectify that right now.

I'd better make sure that I save some for Fives.

k'uur = be quiet

Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)

manda = Mandalorian collective oversoul

Please R&R.