Chapter Thirty-Six

Approximately one month later...

Outside, it was threatening to snow; the cloudy sky was heavy and white, and the air was sharp with cold. It was warm inside though, and the brightness of the sky added a pleasant, cool undertone to the light of Brenna and Rex's bedroom, where Brenna, Jensine and Edme were gathered for what was shaping up to be the first of many, many dress-fittings.

"Mom, it's fine," Brenna huffed.

Jensine continued to tug at the waist of Brenna's dress, frowning as she did so. "You're going to be much bigger come spring. We need to make sure that the dress will still fit you for the wedding."

There were notes of irritation in the blonde woman's voice, and Brenna wondered if the constant dress-fittings were a subtle way of her mother expressing further annoyance over being kept out of the loop. After she'd learned she was pregnant, Brenna had made a trip to Dr. Bores in Belleau-a-Lir; following the assurance that everything was developing normally, and as soon as Rex had been feeling well enough to join the family for dinner, the two of them had informed the adults that she was pregnant and they'd be getting married that spring.

The kids had been watching a holo in another room at the time, as Brenna wanted to wait a little bit longer before telling Iri that she'd be a big sister, soon. As they'd agreed, neither Rex nor herself had made any mention of the Mandalorian ceremony, which was going to remain their secret.

After they'd shared the news there had been much hugging and kissing of Brenna's cheek, as well as laughter and nudges at Rex's ribs. A flurry of speculation had broken out, and before either Brenna or Rex knew what was happening, Jensine had taken command of the bulk of the wedding planning. It was to be expected.

However, Brenna was starting to wish she'd never said anything at all, especially as her mother kept tugging on the waist of the dress, glaring at the garment as if it had wronged her in some way. "It's just not right," Jensine said with a shake of her head. "I don't think it will look right on you once you start to show. Maybe the fabric is too silky..."

Edme, who had a few skills as a seamstress, gathered the length of material that made up the skirt and ran it through her fingers. "It's a good, soft texture. It's very flattering." She smiled at Brenna, who took the expression to be a show of support. "I think it will look lovely."

Brenna smiled back, even as her mother sighed and stepped aside, surveying the dress with pursed lips. "Hmm...maybe. I have my doubts, though."

There was still a distinct edge of criticism to her mother's voice that made Brenna want to scowl, because she liked the dress: sleeveless, ivory pale, with several embroidered vine patterns running vertically along the skirt. The cut was such that it would provide her growing belly with enough room several months down the road. It wasn't ornate or overly expensive, but it was well-made and she thought it suited her, and she hoped Rex would like it as well.

Again, she found herself fighting back a sigh of exasperation at her mother, but Edme spoke up before either Brenna or Jensine could say anything further.

"I'm glad you're waiting until the spring," the copper-haired woman said as she stepped back to admire the full effect of the dress. "It's so beautiful out here, especially then. I love when the grass turns green again, and everything is bright and alive for miles all around."

Edme's tone was wistful, and a glance at her showed Brenna that her sister-in-law's gaze had turned to the window, beyond which they could make out the mountains. "You have the hydendock trees by your house, though," Brenna said, thinking of the times she'd been out to the house since her recent return to Alderaan; it was a lovely place, much smaller than her mother's home, but cozy and pleasant. "They'll be beautiful when they bloom later in the spring."

"They are, but there's something so...open out here," Edme replied, looking back at Brenna as Jensine knelt to fiddle with the hem. "I love this place. I always have."

"Yes, but having a wedding right at the start of foaling season?" Jensine muttered, examining the hem as if checking the stitching. "I don't see why you had to wait to get married."

Brenna's memories of her childhood were still foggy, even though she'd spent hours and hours looking through the old pics and holos that chronicled those earlier days out here. Some things, though, remained in her mind: the scent of sun-kissed grass; buzzing gadflies darting among the quagga; a warm, gentle wind that caressed skin and coaxed hats to tumble to the ground. So, she had no firm memory of spring on Alderaan, but she had a fairly good idea of what to expect when the season turned.

"Because it's cold and miserable right now," Brenna replied. She grasped a handful of material and gently plucked it out of her mother's hands. "And Ed's right; spring out here is bound to be lovely."

"Oh, it is," Edme said with a grin. "Very romantic."

Jensine sighed and stood back up, crossing her arms and studying Brenna's reflection in the mirror. For a moment the three of them were quiet, taking in the sight, then Jensine exhaled again and looked at her daughter. "I suppose it will work out. Anyway, I always knew you'd make a beautiful bride, Brenna. I just wish your father could see you."

The kindness in her mother's words was wholly unexpected; they were filled with warmth and affection, and Brenna felt a sudden, burning sensation behind her eyes, because she realized that she was glad she'd have the opportunity to share this experience with her mother, despite any bickering that might ensue, especially since she only had one parent alive. Of Garris Damaris her memories were patchy, but she wondered how much was due to the fact that she'd been so young when he died, and how much was due to the side-effects of the hycosine. I wonder if Dad would have liked Rex?

Brenna took a deep breath. There was pain at the thought of her father, because her memories of him were so spotty, more so than the others that she was still trying to reclaim, and she wished that it weren't so. But it was, so she tried to accept the pain and then let it go with an exhale.

"I'm just glad you found Rex," Jensine added. "He's an excellent quagga trainer. Done more with Nova than I ever could have; in a couple of weeks, those folks at the midwinter auction won't know what hit them." The words were loaded with admiration, as if Rex's best quality was how well he interacted with the equines, at least according to Brenna's mother.

"Mom."

Brenna sighed, but Jensine continued, a trace of mirth appearing in her pale blue eyes. ''But more importantly, he's a good father to Irini and a good man in general. I have no doubt that he'll make a fine husband to you."

Before Brenna could reply, there was a light rap at the door, followed by Rex's voice. "Bren?"

"No!" Edme called out, hurrying to the door as if to lock it. "Stay out, Rex!"

"It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding," Jensine added with a shake of her head. "One of the oldest traditions around."

There was a pause, then Rex spoke again, his voice bewildered. She could imagine his perplexed expression, and the image made her smile. "Bren? Can Iri and I talk to you when you're...available?"

"Just a second," she replied, gathering up her dress and preparing to step out of it. Several minutes later, she was back in her pants and sweater and she'd shooed out her mother and sister-in-law. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was Iri, in Rex's arms and giving her a curious look.

"Baby in Mama tummy?" Iri asked brightly while her father stepped in the room.

Brenna looked at Rex, who gave a somewhat abashed smile. "Jess let the wampa out of the cave," he said, setting Iri on the floor and glancing around the room with caution, as if ensuring that the wedding dress would not jump out at him.

"I figured that was our cue to talk to her about everything," he added with another glance at his wife. They'd discussed the matter a fair bit, so they each had some idea of what to say to their daughter, but Brenna had hoped to wait a bit longer before sharing the news with Iri

Where the three-year old normally would have clambered up to the bed to nestle in the pillows and blankets, she remained standing, casting inquisitive looks up between her parents. "Mama has baby in tummy?"

The adults exchanged glances, then Brenna bent to pick up her daughter; she sat at the edge of the bed, and Rex took a seat beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Yes, Mama has a baby growing in her tummy," Brenna said with a pat at her stomach. "My tummy will get bigger and bigger soon, and eventually, we'll have a new baby."

"You'll be a big sister," Rex added, a note of pride in his voice. "And I know you'll be a wonderful one, Iri'ka."

"Yes, you will," Brenna said, smiling at Iri's thoughtful expression. "You'll be able to show your new brother or sister so much, sweetheart."

Rex spoke up next. "Do you have any questions, Iri?"

There was a pause, during which Iri seemed to consider her response. Brenna felt Rex tense beside her; they'd discussed appropriate responses to all of the potential questions that Iri could ask, but she knew he still had his reservations about exactly what information Iri would want. Finally, the toddler looked between her parents. "Watch faan-taa holo?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Brenna replied with a smile. "Why don't you ask Nana to put it on for you?" The little girl giggled and clambered out of Brenna's arms, making a beeline for the door.

Once Irini was out of the room, Rex gave her a wry look. "That was easy."

Brenna laughed and leaned into his side as she looked up at him. "For now. I imagine once she processes the idea, she'll have all kinds of questions. She's thoughtful...just like you."

He smiled. The expression was filled with pride and love, and Brenna rested her head on his shoulder, wanting to be as close as possible to this man. She felt Rex's arm tighten around her shoulders, then he kissed her forehead. "Feeling alright?"

Nodding, she shut her eyes and inhaled his scent. "You?"

"Never better."

There was a pause, then his voice turned querying and slightly apprehensive. "Your mother and Edme were just kidding about the dress thing, right?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at this, so she sat up and met his eyes. "Sort of. I think it's one of those old traditions that nobody knows where it came from but they still follow. Something to do with arranged marriages, which used to be pretty common on Alderaan, from what I understand."

Rex's brows had knitted at the mention of arranged marriages, but he seemed to shrug off his question in light of reaching up to cup her cheek and kiss her mouth, gently. "I'm sure the dress is beautiful," he said when they parted. "But I'd marry you even if you were wearing a pillowcase."

"What about armor? It was a lot more flattering than I thought it'd be...and so practical, too." She tried to say the words completely deadpan, but lost it when he pulled a face.

Seeing her giggle at his expense, Rex replied with a look of mock-sternness, then grabbed her middle and pulled her down on the bed alongside him, nuzzling her neck in an extraordinarily ticklish way in order to make her squeal in protest, which she did. Finally, after she was gasping for breath he pulled back and shifted so that he was leaning over her. "No armor," he said firmly, adding: "please," a moment later.

Brenna smiled and touched his cheek. "No armor. Just a dress."

He bent to give her a swift kiss, then laid back down beside her, and they were both quiet for a few minutes; the sounds of one of Iri's favorite holos had begun to trickle through the house, and Brenna could hear their daughter and Jensine laughing. She sighed and turned her head to look at Rex, who met her gaze. "Mom doesn't like the dress I picked out, of course," she said, trying not to sound overly petulant. "But my options are limited...I'm not going to be the same size when spring gets here."

Rex shifted again, turning on his side and propping his head up on his hand, while he rested his other palm on her belly, above her sweater. "Do you like the dress?"

"It's perfect."

He shrugged. "Then I think it's your call, not hers."

"Of course it is," Brenna said with an exhale. "But I just hate bickering with her over every little thing. I wish she could just...back off sometimes, you know?"

"You still want to go through with the wedding?" His voice was calm, but his eyes on her held a trace of uncertainty. "We don't have to, you know. We're already married...this is sort of for everyone else."

Even through her clothing his hand on her belly was warm, and she placed her right hand on top of his as she added: "Yes, I do still want to go through with it. I'm really happy that she's – that everyone's – going to be there. Especially Iri; I think she'll have a blast. I think we all will...it's just that Mom drives me crazy, sometimes. Some things don't change, I guess."

Something changed in his expression; his face turned speculative and he said nothing for a few minutes, instead slipping his hand beneath her sweater and rubbing broad circles against her stomach. Finally, he glanced at her again. "I got a comm from Fives earlier. Looks like he and Marliss made it to Mandalore without any issues; the others there are going to disseminate the cure as much as they can, but there are a few more places that Fives wants to visit. He mentioned Ahsoka, too. Said he met with her on Onderon and passed along some of the cure for her to spread around as well."

"That's good," Brenna said with a smile. "Any clone who wants the cure should be able to get it."

Rex nodded; again, she saw something in his eyes, something thoughtful and – she thought – a little wistful as well. At first she was curious, then she remembered that he'd worn much the same expression when Ahsoka had mentioned providing the cure to as many clones as they could. A name he'd mentioned flickered through her mind: Cut Lawquane. A former soldier, just like Rex, who'd chosen a similar path, albeit before her husband had even known such a thing was possible. Brenna recalled the day after their impromptu wedding, when he'd told her about Cut, and she could see the gratitude on Rex's face as he spoke of the other man.

Cut would probably want the cure, too, especially if he had a wife and children to live for on Saleucami. Contacting a humble farmer in the backwoods of the Outer Rim world would not be easy, especially with the limited range of her equipment. Her mind began to race as she thought over the logistics of such a thing.

"Cred for your thoughts?"

Rex's baritone voice broke her out of her reverie and she blinked at him, then pressed his hand tighter to her stomach. Outside, it was cold and blustery, but the snow-light that came through the window cast him in a soft glow, and she thought, maybe, just maybe, I can surprise him. In the meantime, she cleared her throat. "Do you think Ahsoka would be able to come to the wedding?"

"I hope so," he replied. "I can ask her." He paused, then exhaled in a long, slow breath. "She might want to bring a date."

"That's fine," Brenna said, shrugging. "Even though it's going to be small, Mom will probably have enough food for an army."

Because not everyone was certain how the clones would be received by the Damaris' friends and neighbors, the wedding was set to be relatively small in order to limit the amount of exposure to the former soldiers. Only folks that Jensine knew had no love for the Empire were to be invited, and if anyone asked, Rex's mother had simply produced a large number of boys who looked strangely alike, and no, there was nothing odd about it at all.

But all of that was a long way from right now, and Brenna was lying beside the man she loved, so she lifted her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him close, kissing him because they had a few, precious minutes to themselves, because she enjoyed it, and because there was nothing else in the galaxy she wanted more.

Two weeks later...

If anything, Rex thought it was even colder in Belleau-a-Lir, at the edge of Lir Lakir, than on the Damaris' ranch in the mountains, but it wasn't too bad beneath his coat and hat. It was a beautiful day for an auction; the sun was shining in the cloudless sky and the cold air seemed to refine everything, making each color brighter and more vibrant.

"Good girl, Nova," Rex murmured, patting the quagga's striped neck as he ran the brush across her side. In response, she gave a low whicker, but remained standing calmly in the open-sided stall, eyes heavy-lidded in enjoyment of the grooming and the attention from her favorite Human – or so Rex fancied himself.

Aside from the occasional flick of her ears towards a passer-by, Nova seemed unconcerned with the presence of so many strangers and new stimuli, which pleased the former captain. When Jensine had mentioned that she thought Nova would fetch a good price, he'd done a bit of research on events such as the midwinter Belleau-a-Lir consignment auction, and learned that a quiet, well-trained animal was bound to fetch a better price than one who appeared skittish and nervous. Many hours had been spent in training the quagga: ensuring that she would take any rider, listen and follow every command, and anything else he could think of. Nova was no longer concerned with the sound of blaster-fire, and she would happily carry a child just as well as an adult.

Already, it seemed that his efforts were paying off. Several potential buyers had stopped to chat with him this morning, and he had not missed the way their eyes lingered on Nova's glossy coat – winter-thick, but not shaggy or unkempt – and the vivid array of stripes that rippled down her muscular neck, and he'd already had to refill the spec-sheets in the container that was attached to the side of the grooming stall. Even those who did not pause to speak with him studied her, and he was convinced that Nova was the finest quagga present at this auction, even among the others that Jensine and Caith had brought.

Right now there was a young couple standing a few paces away from the Damaris' paddock, glancing over Nova's spec-sheet and murmuring to one another. The man, a dark-haired fellow about Caith's age, glanced at Rex, who offered him a nod but said nothing else. Rex stepped to the side to put the brush back in the grooming kit, both to give them an unobstructed view and show that Nova was just as content on her own as she was with her handler.

"Oh...Maric," the woman said, her voice a little breathless. "She's beautiful. And it says here she'll take a child rider as well."

There was a pause, then Rex heard the man reply as he busied himself with the grooming kit. "She is pretty, Clera, but we really should look around a little more..."

Despite his words, his tone was wistful, and Rex smiled to himself. He glanced at Nova, who had finally taken an interest in the couple. Her ears were lifted and pointed towards them, and her nostrils were flaring as she took in their scent; with the morning sun shining down on her coat, Rex knew that she looked impressive and judging by their enamored expressions, the potential buyers thought so, too. Logically, he knew that Nova didn't understand what was happening, but he felt a flash of pride when she arched her neck and seemed to preen, just a little, under their attention.

Good girl, he thought, biting back a chuckle as Nova regarded the young couple. Clera laughed and smiled up at her husband, who smiled back, then murmured to her; they shared a nod, then turned to leave, but Rex had a good feeling that he'd see them again.

"Rex!" The sound of his name made him turn, and he lifted his gloved hand in greeting as Caith and Tavi approached, the former carrying a datapad. "Got the line-up for the auction this afternoon," Caith said as he held up the 'pad. "We're lucky; all of our quagga have pretty good slots – about an hour after lunch, so buyers should be full and hopefully ready to spend some money."

"Good to hear," Rex replied with a nod. With Nova groomed and the auction starting later on, he didn't have much to do now, so he leaned against the paddock fence, Caith joining him a moment later. "How are Jensine and Kix?"

The mention of his mother made Caith roll his eyes skyward. "When we left, Mom was about to start arguing with another seller about the scales being used to weigh all the bundles of wool. So, I guess 'normal' might be a good answer."

This was the first time that the vilpaca wool was to be sold, so Jensine had asked Rex to oversee the quagga for the most part, while she dealt with the new challenge, and admittedly, he was not surprised to hear that there was trouble brewing.

"Kix is with her, right?" he asked. As long as the level-headed clone was around, Rex figured that everything would work out well, but he was never quite sure with Brenna's mother.

"Yeah. He said he'd make sure no punches were thrown."

Before Rex could reply, Tavi tugged on his father's arm. "Can I go see Nova, Dad?"

The brown-haired man nodded and his son meandered towards the quagga, who dropped her head and snuffed at the little boy's ear while he patted her side. The men stood by and watched for a moment, then Caith shot Rex an appreciative glance. "You did a really good job with her. Mom's delighted with how she turned out."

Pleased, Rex nodded, but said nothing for a moment as he regarded Nova and Tavi, the latter of whom was clearly delighted with being snuffed by the striped equine. Nova was good with kids, he'd made sure of that, and while it pained him a little to have to sell her, he knew that he'd done the best he could, and that she would make her new owner happy.

Tavi giggled and patted her nose, the sight of which made Rex smile. He thought, absently, that he'd like a son. Or another daughter.

It didn't matter, really.

As it had done every time it crossed his mind, the thought filled him with an odd mixture of apprehension and joy, as did most thoughts of the child – his and Brenna's child – that was developing within his wife. Sometimes he could hardly believe it was happening; she had only just started showing, and he'd seen pics of her from when she'd been pregnant with Iri, so had an idea of what was coming. The thought of her belly, round with their child...

Rex released a breath, because he suddenly felt unable to contain the feeling of joy that had overwhelmed the apprehension. With each thought of the new life that he'd helped create, other thoughts were fast on its heels; there was so much he needed to do, to plan, to prepare. Sometimes it was enough to make his head spin, though he tried not to let worry for the future consume his thoughts. Instead, he inhaled again and savored the smells of oats, hay, and-

Well, manure didn't smell so great, but the scent was easily ignored.

"Too bad Bren couldn't make it out this time," Caith said, leaning back against the fence as he watched his son. "She said she had work?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Rex spotted Maric and Clera returning; the young couple was meandering towards Nova in a manner that suggested they were trying to seem nonchalant, so he allowed them their illusion and focused on Caith. "Yeah. She's been up to her eyeballs in freelance work, lately, but it's not always as consistent as she'd like. I know she'd rather have something more stable."

The situation was a bit tricky, because she wanted to work from home, to be with him, Iri and the soon-to-be little one, but freelance work was sometimes difficult to come by, and she was afraid of having too large a gap between jobs. Rex hadn't been able to find a solution to that problem, yet, but he was considering his options.

"It's tough right now," Caith said with a nod. "I'm lucky I can do all of my work from home, and Ed doesn't mind the commute to the school. Actually..." He paused and pursed his lips, his eyes scanning the paddock as if searching for something. "Ed and I are thinking of moving out to mom's house."

Something pinged in the back of Rex's mind; it was like a warning, but of a positive sort. "Are you?"

The bearded man smiled at his son, who had taken to walking along the paddock's perimeter, appearing to examine every inch. "Even with everything you and your brothers are doing, she could still use the help, and it is a family business," Caith replied, leaning back against the fence and toying with the hem of his shirt. "The three of us love it out there, too."

There was something in his tone, an unspoken question, and Rex ran his brain through all of the potentials before replying. "You have a nice little place," he said at last, thinking of the occasions he and Brenna had spent in the modest blue house that wasn't too far from the Damaris' ranch. "What would you do with it?"

Caith met his eyes and grinned. "Actually..."

We're drawing near the end...less than ten chapters left. (Including the epilogues.)

Thanks for reading!

Next up: Brenna's new/old memory.