A/N: I'll probably add a lemon to the end of this one when I'm feeling inspired.


Kanera's Vows:

D180/0 ABY, Lothal

Now that Hera's enforced maternity leave was finally over, she decided she was going back to the Rebellion where she belonged. She knew she said she didn't want to raise Jacen in the snow, but she was done with being left out of the action. Not that she didn't appreciate the holiday, she really did. But six whole months of a holiday? That was just too much. Aside from taking care of Jacen, she really had nothing else important to do. The Ghost had been given a complete overhaul. Twice. The Lothhawk got her special attention as well. Hera had begged and pleaded and wheedled until she had to use her General voice to get them to let her play with the Defenders too, since no one but herself thought she should be working. She'd finished fine tuning those three months ago. After that, she got the bright idea of giving flying lessons to the newer Defender pilots and anyone else who wanted to learn to fly. Teaching people to fly was a pretty good way to pass the time, if she knew she wasn't needed elsewhere. She might even make that her full time job one day. But not yet. The Rebellion was still in full swing and Hera was determined to go back to it.

Tonight was her last night on Lothal. Sabine and Ezra had made her a special dinner and were sad to see her go, but they understood. Now it was hours later, and Hera was impatient for morning to come so she could leave for Hoth. She was doing anything but sleeping like she should be as she stared up at the ceiling and counted rivets when the more solid form of Kanan that she could actually see appeared in the bed beside her.

"Darling," he said. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

Hera rolled her eyes and turned on her side to face him, propping her jaw on her hand. "Thank you, Kanan Obvious, for the update."

Kanan barked out a laugh. "You haven't called me that for years. Not since before we were a couple."

Hera raised a brow, her eyes twinkling, thankful for the distraction from her insomnia. "Is that what we are?" she teased. "Can we be a 'couple' when you're only half here? Wouldn't that make us only three quarters of a couple?"

Kanan chuckled, not offended by reality. "Ah, but if you round up, it still makes a couple," he said with a 'so there' tone.

Hera inclined her head in a nod of acknowledgment. "I'll grant you that one. But as far as the vast majority of the galaxy is concerned, I'm a single." She sighed forlornly, only half joking. "I don't think I like being a single."

Kanan scooched over the last few centimetres between them and grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her as his hand caressed the line of her jaw, thumb rubbing gently over her lips, making Hera inhale at the contact. "I'll just have to fix that now, won't I?" he said half playfully but with a hint of serious undertones.

Hera gave him a look. "What do you mean by that? Despite everything I just said, you know I consider us to be practically married."

Kanan cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently. His eyes searched hers as he said, "What would you say to getting married for real since we never got to make that happen after you asked me? Well, sort of real. I'm not exactly alive and it would be just between us, kind of like the Mandalorians do. But I've always wanted to marry you and I never got the chance."

Hera looked into his eyes, so sincere and loving, and felt awful about putting off making them official before he died. Awful that it took extreme circumstances for her to even realize how much she was not contributing to their relationship that she really should have. And he never complained. If he wanted to marry her now, she felt like it was the least she could do for him. Yes, he was just a ghost, but Hera couldn't see herself ever loving anyone else. Her heart would belong to Kanan until her dying day and every day after that as well. "I would say yes, Kanan," she answered. "I would love to marry you."

Kanan's face turned up in a massive smile. "Thank you, Hera," he breathed before kissing her hard and quick and then jumping off the bed. Hera sat up and watched him curiously as he started rummaging through the drawer under her bed.

"What are you doing, or should I even ask?" Hera asked dryly.

Kanan emerged from his digging with a triumphant look on his face and tiny bag in his hand. "I hid this at the back of your junk drawer years ago, knowing you never really look in there or clean it out. There's stuff in there from ten years ago, I swear. I figured it was the perfect hiding spot."

Hera looked at the bag resting on the palm of his hand, knowing she'd never seen it before. "You weren't wrong. This is a surprise."

Kanan smiled happily and climbed back on the bed, kneeling in front of her. He opened the bag and emptied two simple gold rings into the palm of Hera's hand. "I bought these for us a few years ago with the hope that one day we could make our relationship official. That was actually just before we joined Phoenix Squadron. It's one of the reasons I was such a jerk about joining the bigger Rebellion. I saw my dreams of a quiet life for us flying out the airlock," he explained apologetically.

Hera stared at the rings in her hand, tears welling in her eyes. "Kanan," she said. "I wish I'd known. I wish I'd done things differently. A lot of things, in fact."

Kanan shook his head and leaned forward, kissing the tears off her cheeks. "It's okay, darling. I knew how much you loved me. I can feel your emotions after all," he said with a crooked smile. He closed her fingers around the rings. "It would make me very happy if you wore them both for me, on a necklace perhaps, since my ring would never fit you. I'd wear it myself but I can't exactly take it back with me into the Force, so that wouldn't work."

Hera nodded quickly. "Of course I'll wear them. I might have to go shopping for a chain first, but I promise I'll do that first thing in the morning."

Kanan smiled, sighing happily. "Good. That's good." He took her hands in his and looked into her beautiful shimmering emerald eyes. "Hera Syndulla, I have wanted you since the moment I first heard your voice. I have loved you since the day you accepted me as part of your crew. It would be my greatest honour to be your husband for the rest of time."

Hera beamed at him, eyes looking back into his glorious teal ones, so happy to get to see them again every day. "Kanan Caleb Dume Jarrus, I have wanted you just as much since I first saw you even If I didn't let myself do anything about it for a ridiculous amount of time. I think I loved you almost as long, but again, I refused to let myself feel that, which was beyond stupid, but I know for sure that I love you now even more than I ever have. I will wear your rings and be your wife for as long as I live and beyond."

They leaned towards each other and sealed their vows with a sweet kiss that slowly turned passionate and fiery. Hera blindly reached over and placed the rings on her bedside table and wrapped her arms around his neck. They loved each other for as long as Kanan could hold his solid form, leaving Hera finally tired enough to fall asleep.

Kanan used the last of his energy to kiss Hera on the forehead and then ghost across the hall to Jacen's room and press a kiss to his sleeping son's soft green hair. Finally feeling complete, Kanan returned to the Force to recharge for another day so he could spend more time with his little family tomorrow.