Many thanks to the readers who are continuing with this story. its getting longer than I originally planned.

Reviews and comments are always welcome.

CHAPTER Forty Nine

Wolffe stood at the end of the makeshift bar, leaning on the durasteel top; it was sticky from spilled alcohol. He downed his third glass of "Atollon Brandy," it didn't taste that bad until it hit your oesophagus, then you knew what pain was and right now Wolffe needed some pain in his life, it helped him forget.

He watched as Ana made her way out of the bar minus Rex.

His tracked to the rear of the room where they had been sitting; Rex was alone and Wolffe recognised the expression on his face.

"Di'kut." He muttered, Rex had fekked it up.

"You okay Commander?" Asked the Bar man; he knew Commander Wolffe occasionally came into the makeshift bar for one, but he hadn't been in recently except for the last time, when he was with Ana and had helped her. That was a few months back before she had partnered up with Fel and helped him in his little enterprise. The bar man suddenly realised, who she had recently sat down with; now that was some gossip that hadn't reached him. He poured the Commander another shot before commenting.

"Can't live without 'em, eh Commander."

"Harrumph." Snorted Wolffe and knocked back his drink in one. "Nah, and there's no fool like an old fool." Was his reply, as he carefully placed the shot glass back on the bar, stood up, back straight as a rod and marched out of the door.

.

In the quiet confines of the med bay, Dr Niemens observed her assistant from behind her desk. She could see there was something different with Ana; she was ...distracted. Yes distracted was the word.

She thought she knew why and that it was to do with a man, well two men from what she had observed since Ana had come to Atollon. Nothing much escaped her observations and that was why she was here. This person was an insignificant woman, in the whole scheme of things but could be useful; she would have to do something about the distraction, this was not planned.

She was her friend, wasn't she?

"Ana?"

No response.

"Ana!"

The curly red hair bounced as her head shot up, eyes flicking from side to side in confusion.

"Yes?"

"What's the matter? Your mind's not on your work."

"Yes it is." The reply was harsher than the Doctor had heard from her assistant before.

"No it isn't." She could see Ana's mouth open to disagree again. "You've been staring at the same screen on the datapad for the last twenty minutes. You're not that slow."

Ana sighed, "I'm sorry."

The Doctor rose from behind her desk and went to stand next to Ana. "What's the problem? Are you ill?"

"No, it's nothing."

"It's not nothing if you're ill." Her voice pitched lower in sympathy. "You can tell me. Are you sure its not the after effects of that virus on Seelos? Trust me I'm a Doctor."

A ghost of a smile flitted across Ana's face but quickly disappeared. 'Trust me I'm a Doctor' was a private joke between them.

"I…"

"If there's something you need to sort out, go and do it, now."

"No there's nothing. I'm just tired. Didn't sleep."

The Doctor knew a lie when she heard one but she would let her assistant have her subterfuge, on this occasion. She went to the drugs cabinet and chose a small packet of medication.

"Here. These will help you. Now go, get some sleep. I can manage we're not busy."

Ana took the pills from her and looked at them sitting in the palm of her hand.

"I said go, shoo."

Ana smiled again, 'shoo' was not normally a word you heard from the Doctor and not in the context she meant. She left the med bay but had no intention of taking the medication, she had to think.

.

Rex was in the mess hall nursing his mug of caf that had long since gone cold; he was mulling over what he could possibly do to retrieve the situation.

Why did she need more time, more time for what?

A thought sprang to mind and he did not like it.

Not what, who?

He dismissed Wolffe, he'd already spoken to him.

Was there someone else?

He'd been away for months with SpecForce, many new people had arrived and he didn't know most of them.

He looked around the mess hall and realised, he could not put a name to anyone currently sitting in there.

He would normally try Zeb, he was always good for what was happening on the base but the Ghost crew were out on a mission again. Although even he had been a bit more mellow since he had been marooned on that Geonosis moon and Rex thought there was more to that but he couldn't put a finger on what it was.

He couldn't talk to Gregor; although he struggled at times he usually had a grasp on a persons intentions. He read body language like no other clone. But he and Wolffe had headed back to Seelos just an hour ago, to continue working on the walker that had replaced the old tank. Wolffe, give him his due, had some brilliant ideas for it.

But where did that leave him; he had potential recruits to go over and the last squad had one final test to complete. He needed to plan that but he just couldn't put Ana out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. He had to see her again; the reasons for this request of hers was driving him mad.

He needed to act.

.

The corridor was stark and impersonal, the door to her quarters grey durasteel; he could not imagine Ana living here. He took one more breath, his fist poised to knock on the door. It dropped down ready; what was he going to say that he hadn't already?

What did I say in the bar?

Osik! I'd been so wound up I couldn't be sure what I actually said.

He took another breath and raised his fist to knock again, when the door opened suddenly and a young girl nearly walked into his fist; he stepped back quickly. She jumped back, startled; "Captain Rex?"

"Yes." He smiled, struggling to remember her name but he was sure he didn't know her.

"Maya?" Ana's voice came through from inside her quarters, "if you need anything else and I mean anything let me …" her voice stopped suddenly "Rex?"

"I'll go." Maya scuttled off down the corridor like scared rabbit, with Ana watching her closely, a worried look on her face.

"A friend?" Asked Rex.

"Yes. She's alone. she needs some guidance…or a friend at least." Although at that time Ana felt it was she herself more in need of guidance. "All her family, everyone she knew was killed on Batonn."

"Ah!" Rex recognised the name of that unfortunate planet, Arihnda Pryce was involved and Thrawn, if he remembered correctly.

"She's broken. She helped me once, at a bad time. So, I'm just returning the favour."

"We need to talk." It was all he could think to say now. Ana nodded and let him in. He looked around the room. Yes, she had put her personal touches on it. There were holographs propped upon shelves, bits of jewellery, flimzi books, food and plants, healthy looking ones, on a shelf next to the tiny window. How had she got those?

"Caf?"

Rex nodded.

"Thank you." This all felt very formal, nothing like what they had before on Seelos.

Has what we had on Seelos gone forever? Did I destroy that?

"Make yourself comfortable." Ana had said as she headed to the small galley. He sat down at the small table. Ana's personal touches could not do anything for the metal furniture.

A couple of minutes later Ana emerged from her tiny galley with two cups of Caf and some fruit loaf for him. He stared at it. How had she managed that …here? He accepted the mug and took a drink, it was even sweetened. Ana sat opposite, arms resting on the table in front of her.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes."

"Then talk."

"I shouldn't have done what I did. It was wrong on so many counts... for you….and for me. I realise now how much I need you….. "

"You left me, twice and then said I shouldn't be here. You didn't want me." She butted in, determined to have her say. "That hurt."

She watched his reaction, it told her nothing.

"I've always wanted you, loved you, since Seelos but I thought it would be better, safer, for you, if you were back there with….."

Interrupting again, she said, "You thought, you thought. I can make my own decisions Rex. And you need to appreciate that."

"I know, l ...just…."

His hands had found their way across the table and rested on hers; Rex realised she had not removed them. Hope blossomed in him for a few seconds.

"Or was it just that it was easier for you, if I wasn't around?" She pulled her hands away.

Rex was shocked by the question, shocked that she could even think that way.

"No! Never. All I wanted to do was make sure that you were safe. When you came to me after Ahsoka died…..you helped. But I couldn't ask you to stay. It wasn't your fight. It wasn't right for me to ask."

"Why not."

"It just wasn't." His instincts were telling him this wasn't going well.

"I'm a liability, am I Rex. Is that what you're saying. Can't look after myself, can I? Just some weird woman that used to live alone with a Tooka."

"That's not what I meant."

"Isn't it?"

Was it? Thought Rex. Was it?

"No it isn't." His reply was vehement.

Ana wrapped her hands around her mug, hugging it to her chest, for comfort..

"Rex, I'm training up on the medical side, with Sa…Dr Niemens, she thinks I can be of use."

"Ana, you're not weird. You saved my life. It's just …I didn't want to lose you in this….place. I didn't want to lose you that way when there was something I could do about it. I didn't want lose someone else."

"So what's changed your mind?"

"I'm not sure." He paused unsure how to even start to explain, "There was this battle, with Clankers. We won."

This sounded like one of his old nightmares.

She sighed. "I need more time, Rex; I can't just switch it on and off…..I'm sorry. You should have given me a choice."

"What is it with needing more time? You know what the issue is with that." It was the worst thing she could have said; he had tried to be patient but there was only so much he could do.

"I just need more time."

"Is there someone else? Are you with someone else now." He didn't really want to know; he didn't think he could actually cope with her being with someone else.

"I'm not with anyone Rex."

Her reply was a whisper so soft, he very nearly didn't hear it. And the expression on her face was not one he had seen before.

"It's just that I need…."

"Yeah, I get it …..more time. Well you can have it ok." With that he stormed out, his chair sent flying across the room, leaving her sitting at the table alone

He stood outside her room, that women could wind him up so tight, it felt as if his insides were coiling. It had not gone well. He was no further forwards and still did not have the answer that he wanted or needed but now he was getting angry. He didn't have the time for all this; he was a soldier and had missions, this was a distraction.

Soldiering was what he was born to do.

He had been a fool to think there was anything else he could have.

Kanan has been wrong; Rex pulled out the old folded holograph and threw it on the floor in disgust.

If she was playing hard to get. Hard luck. He didn't play those sort of games. He had the final test for the Specforce trainees to complete.

.

"Is that a dare, Corporal Barrell?" The Captain's eyes were shining in anticipation of the challenge; something to get the adrenaline pumping. He was getting used to that now.

The mutton chopped soldier straightened, if it was possible, his already straight, spine in response. "If you wish to take it, as one, yes sir."

The team was in "Flyboys" bar, having a little celebration, in advance of them passing. He had joined them, hoping it wasn't premature. They were a good squad all destined for the different areas of Specforce.

"You're on." The captain shook his hand, but forearm to forearm; Jom recognised it as the Mandalorian greeting. "Stang! A Mando!"

"Another round." Yelled Arick at Fel, "the good stuff."

"There is only good stuff." he said, "Best Moonshine this side of the Kessel run."

Rex shook his head.

"It's Ana's best."

Rex's head whipped around at that and fixed a stare on the barman. What had happened was still niggling him, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. The barman didn't look Ana's type.

"I'll get these", he muttered and headed up to the bar.

"Hey, what's wrong with the Cap," queried Melshi.

"I think it's to do with a woman." Whispered Arick.

"Why?"

"Just something." She shrugged.

"I didn't think clones had women."

"He's a clone?" Melshi sounded amazed. "I thought they were all dead, retired or Stormtroopers."

"Well not all of them, obviously."

"Apparently there are two more, but they're off base."

"So. Are they like ….. normal?"

Arick rolled her eyes so much they almost looked inside her brain, at Rostok's question.

"Oh he likes women." Arick confirmed, "he looks. You wouldn't notice but he does. At one in particular."

"Come on spill the beans." Rostock wanted to know, they all did.

"Syndulla." Barrell confirmed triumphantly. "He's worked with her."

Arick shook her head.

"That mechanic with the impressive….blond hair." sniggers emerged from the group, at the use of language.

Arick shook her headagain. Finally she said, "Shall we make it interesting, a few side bets?"

Some credits and notes were thrown on the table. "Four rotations then we collect on who guesses correctly.

"What if no one guesses?"

"It goes behind the bar for the next round." Hands were shook.

"You know, for SpecForces, you're pretty easy to creep up on." Rex commented dryly, as he brought up the tray of drinks. His conversation with the barman had been instructive and it appeared Ana was a bit of a barterer, which explained how she managed to make the fruit loaf and her herbs made the moonshine drinkable.

Perhaps he had underestimated her; he shouldn't have, she coped alone on Seelos.

He realised now his anxieties had fuelled his actions.

"Battles leave scars, some you can't see." Kanan was right.

He placed the tray on the table "Ana's Special." He picked up a glass and raised it.

"K'oyacyi!"

The squad returned the chant, not understanding what it meant but it sounded and felt good.

The discarded holograph was retrieved in the early hours of the next morning. Someone had to keep the bets honest.