CHAPTER Seventy

Gregor hadn't been able to sleep; one too many Tihaar, they had finished the bottle. The room started to spin as soon as he lay down; he couldn't take his liquor any more, becoming the worst kind of drinker, a lightweight; he had noticed this since he had the Cure. He giggled to himself at the thought.

Standing at the rear door, he inhaled the cold night air, through his nostrils, taking deep breaths and then exhaled, several times, hoping it would clear his head.

"Osik, it's chilly. Enough to freeze ya gett'se off." He giggled again. The cold air was finally clearing his head. He had seen the glares Rex had given him after dinner, although he couldn't say anything, as he had more than he normally did. Wolffe had just been pedantic, scrolling down his datapad and rolling his eyes.

A few more minutes clearing his head and he wouldn't have to make a dash for the fresher, after he lay down.

He scanned the area surrounding the house; he checked the perimeter as a matter of course each night. There was only ever a local making their way home but tonight there was a small figure he recognised, walking along the path towards the road out of town.

Ana? What was she doing out at this time?

Pulling his coat on, he followed her at a discrete distance.

She had no coat or shoes, and seemed distracted.

"Ana!"

No answer, he didn't like this. He had no comlink to contact Rex but daren't leave her, as he would lose her. He continued to follow her, as she headed towards the outskirts of town onto the forest edge. It was even colder here, with a misty dampness.

The Forest was dense and the temperature dropped further; it was only his exertion that was keeping him from shivering.

"Fek!" He lost her, as she disappeared into the forest; he should have fetched the others and they could have fanned out.

"Come on Gregor, you know how to track people. Do it."

In tracking mode, he noticed the tiniest items at odds with its surroundings, anything broken deliberately, missing, or added. Finally he saw her tracks; footprints in the soft ground. A piece of her nightgown caught on a prickly bush; snapped branches, where she pushed some aside.

He hadn't lost his ability and he wasn't going to lose her. He slowed down, the tracks showed she was weaving about, not someone who knew where they were going. He continued slowly, taking measured steps; he didn't want to frighten her.

There! Sitting in the undergrowth propped against a tree.

"Ana?"

Her eyelids flickered. He pulled off his jacket; she needed it more than him. Carefully he wrapped it around her and picked her up. She was unconscious now; he slapped her face.

"Come on Ana, wake up! You need to stay awake." There a soft murmur, he couldn't understand what was said but he needed to get her somewhere warm. They had gone out quite a way and then he heard voices.

"Ner Vod, here!" He shouted, as he struggled over uneven frozen ground towards the town.

.

Rex turned over in bed and felt the cold empty space beside him; his gut told him something was wrong and he rose to check. Kallie was snuffling in her sleep, and rubbing her face; a sure sign she was just about to wake for a feed but there were no lights on anywhere. He checked the whole house.

Ana was gone.

It was late, there was no way of knowing when she left the house or if she was taken. He was sure if there had been an intruder, they would have heard but nothing else had been removed from the house. Everyone was here except Gregor.

Too many questions.

Where was Ana?

Why had she left?

Had she left alone?

Where in Haran was Gregor?

They were pulling on their coats, as Essie spoke to Jed;

"He's done nothing to her Jed, I can vouch for him. Will vouch for him. She's not well. Jay's coming later today. Just get here as soon as you can." She jabbed at the comlink.

"We need other's to help. So we can cover as much ground as possible."

"Gregor left his com." Wolffe entered the room having checked the outhouses and storage, "Nothing out there."

Both missing.

"If she's with Gregor, she's safe."

"If." Whispered Tula.

Rex wiped his hand over his face, "I should've come back sooner. Been here."

He felt Essie's strong hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing you could have done differently. I've seen this before….. Ana's mother was the same. I had hoped…I'll contact Jay as well."

.

Tula stayed, waiting for Jay; the rest of them, armed with torches and blasters headed out in different directions.

Rex took the path from the rear of the house; he checked the outhouses again – nothing.

Sweeping his torch backwards and forwards he shouted.

"Ana! Gregor!"

Heading into the forest, he still had questions.

Why?

And Gregor what has he got to do with this?

Did he have an 'episode'?

Damn! They all had scars from the war.

"Ana! Gregor!"

He pushed on.

The air grew chillier as he strode on.

Stopping perfectly still, he listened.

Yes, he heard something.

He moved forward a few steps and stopped again.

"Ner Vod, here!"

Gregor's voice; he headed to it.

A few minutes and Gregor kept shouting, with Rex returning the calls; finally Gregor emerged from the undergrowth carrying Ana wrapped up in his jacket but Rex saw she had no shoes and only her nightdress on.

"What the Fek…..?"

"Need to get her inside, Ner Vod; she's hyperthermic." Gregor was breathing hard, with the exertion and cold. He passed her over to Rex; he wasn't shivering yet but would be soon, if they didn't get back to the house double quick. He bent over to catch his breath; she was heavier than she looked.

"Come on." urged Rex; he wasn't going to lose a brother as well.

.

Jay was already at the shop and the search called off. Rex took her straight upstairs, the room was heated with portable heaters and Tula was over the stove boiling water to make a warm sweet drink.

Ana was put straight into the pre heated bed, with warmed blankets and Jay took the heated drink in with him.

"I'll answer any questions after I've examined her."

Rex and Essie withdrew to give him room.

After an eternity, Jay emerged.

"Her temperature is nearly normal now and I've sedated her. She should sleep for about 24 hours. What happened?" he looked at Rex.

Essie and Rex described the last few weeks.

For Jay, the diagnosis was straightforward. Post natal psychosis.

Luckily for Ana the blood tests results showed her hormone levels had been the cause and could be treated fairly simply but it would take several weeks.

.

A confused Ana sat propped up in bed; everyone was tiptoeing around her and Jay said he needed talk to her.

He smiled.

"What do you remember last?"

"When?"

"Your last memory, before you woke up?"

"Dinner; Gregor had too much to drink and he was funny."

"How did you feel?"

"Happy...I need to feed Kallie, where is she?" Ana looked around.

"Essie's fed her; you've been ill."

"Ill?"

"Yes, don't you remember?"

"No."

"How have you been feeling this last few weeks."

"Tired, a bit tearful but last night. Happy, the baby blues were going."

"So you knew you were a little depressed?"

"It was just the 'baby blues'.

"You've been asleep for at least one rotation."

"So not last night?"

"No, the night before."

"What happened?"

"You had a blackout and walked out in the cold, with no coat."

"Why would I do that, it's stupid."

"You tell me."

"I don't know."

.

"She's stable but confused and has totally blocked out what she did. And I suggest we don't try and get her to remember. The meds will help her."

"She will recover, won't she?"

"Yes, Rex, she will."

Rex sighed in relief, and pulled his daughter closer to him; he didn't want to let her go.

.

The rebellion was ramping up and since Ana's diagnosis, he had been back and forth but he was a clone bred for fighting and now he had a proper family to fight for, including two adopted Aunts. Jay had come through; he was a good man. The change in Ana since he had given her the hormone meds was amazing and she was herself again, and enjoying their daughter. Just as it should be.

Rex watched his daughter being fed; she was growing fast and developing her own personality even at three months old. Her hair had lightened going a soft strawberry blonde with messy curls and she had his eyes. They had been dark blue at first then they changed; he still couldn't believe he was a father.

If it wasn't for the Empire, he would feel content.

He went to fetch Ana a drink; he knew she would want one after feeding, even though it was by bottle now. His mind went back to last night, when he had returned from his strategy conference. Ana had come to him, saying she missed him and she was like she had been when they first got together. They made up for lost time; she had shown him how much she missed him and he realised how much he missed her. That closeness.

The ferocity of Ana's kiss surprised him but he replied in kind.

Rex felt her hand in the middle of his chest pushing him back, he complied and dropped onto the bed, letting Ana crawl up him; he pulled the silky nightdress she had put on over her head and off. He tossed it aside, not caring where it landed, he eas too engrossed in his wife.

He didn't need that to be aroused by her.

Just the sight of her, as she leant back, eyes half closed, relishing each one of his touches, as he explored her changed body, fed his arousal. She was slightly different; slightly larger, more marks. He didn't care.

Her own battle scars but it was all her.

He loved every one of them.

He kissed every one of them.

Ana opened her eyes and looked at her husband, move away from her breast; she leant over his chest.

"Agh."

She left her mark on him and worked her way down his body with her mouth. He enjoyed this, his reaction was proving as much; finally she took him, his hand grasping her hair. She could hear and feel his enjoyment, which in turn fed hers.

It was a night worth waiting for.

They curled together in a haze of satisfaction; her nose tucked under his chin, he could feel her breaths gradually slowing.

"You okay?" He checked.

"More than."

"So….not lost my touch then?"

He felt the chuckle rather than heard it. "You know you haven't."

Rex relaxed further and kissed the top of her head, content.

.

Rex walked out of the kitchen holding the tray he had prepared; he stopped and watched, as he saw Wolfe leaning over Ana and Kallie. Wolffe was close, his hand on her shoulder, stroking her, moving down to rub her back and she wasn't protesting. Rex read his lips - 'she's beautiful ...just like you.' Ana looked up, he could see the slight movements of her head indicating she replied and then she looked back down to her daughter. Rex watched closely, as Wolffe stood up and backed away saying 'Ok'.

It was intimate, it reminded him of the holo that Tula had taken of the three of them not long after Kallie was born. It was almost a replay. Remembered comments popped into his head; people talked. He did not believe it; Wolffe denied it. Dr Niemens, Sasha had inadvertently let something slip then back tracked but she was Ana's friend, so would defend her.

He was feeling uneasy, where his thoughts were leading.

Making a noise, Rex announced his presence; as he heard him, Wolffe moved even more quickly away, putting more distance between him and Ana. Ana looked around and smiled; Rex walked slowly over to her, just as she was finishing with Kallie and getting ready to wind her.

"Ooh, Thanks love, I need this." She took a couple of gulps and sighed "That tastes good" then put it down and put Kallie up to her shoulder.

"Hey, let me." Rex offered, again, feeling the surge of love for his daughter; it was there whenever he saw her, whenever he held her close. She snuggled into his neck, as he rubbed her back, in case she had any wind; As normal she didn't and she soon fell asleep against him. He inhaled deeply taking in her unique baby smell and rubbed his nose against her now strawberry blonde curls, his mutation and he realised she had his eyebrows. He walked around with her against his shoulder and started humming, he wasn't sure what it was called but he had heard the tune somewhere. Ashoka would have loved her; she liked all younglings even that Huttlet. He still missed her even though he had Kallie and Ana, and Maya; they meant everything to him. Another few days and he had to go back to Yavin.

He dismissed his previous thoughts.

.

That evening, Ana had finished feeding Kallie and put her to bed; he needed to ask, as the thoughts that had popped unheeded into head earlier that day were bothering him again, more than he would have imagined, especially after last night. This afternoon, he had seen, in that unguarded moment, how his brother looked at her; he remembered seeing his reaction when she had screamed in labour. Ana had never given him any cause to think so himself but ...Wolffe.

He pulled Ana to him and she automatically curled herself into him; he had to know now, otherwise it would drive him insane. "Did you ever sleep with Wolffe?" He could feel her tense up next to him and he had his answer before she even said the words.

"Do me the honour of a truthful reply?"

"Yes." At least she was honest.

"How many times?"

Silence.

"How many?" He needed to know now, he knew that the Wolfpack had got a reputation in the GAR for getting women, some of the few clones who did.

"Kriff! are you having to count?"

He got out of the bed and paced up and down; he had been so happy this last year, ever since they got back together; it had given him something else to fight for, to look forward, not back. He thought she had waited for him and it now felt like he had been living a lie.

More lies.

More disloyalty.

"Rex, please...it was after I came to Atollon; you were away…..you told me to leave; I didn't know…I didn't know what to think...I was..." she was struggling to explain. "Don't blame Wolffe."

Rex felt her hand rest on his back. "I didn't tell you, because if you never knew, it wouldn't hurt you."

"Were we together?" He had thought they were back together, sort of, when she came back for him after ...Ashoka.

"You had disappeared. Again. You told me to leave. You didn't contact me. I thought you didn't want me…again."

Rex dismissed her explanation.

"Is he better than me?"

"How?"

"You know."

A pause.

"Different." She pulled him around to face her, "Rex, we need to sort this out for Kallie, for your daughter. She needs her father."

"Were you happier with him?"

"No!"

Rex looked at his daughter fast asleep in the crib, with no cares as yet. He would do anything for that child; shrugging her hands from his arms, he stormed out of the room to find the other person involved in this.

"Rex?"

.

Wolffe was still up and checking his datapad,"Child Development Milestones." An Imperial publication but by a well respected paediatrician, Kallie would need to be checked regularly to make sure she was meeting these. It looked like she was well on her way for these few months and exceeded in some parts. He expected no less; he knew his and his brothers genetics but not Ana's, other than she was healthy, physically. He looked up as he heard the determined footsteps heading towards him.

"Ner Vod?" He asked, as he saw Rex, with a look on his face, that he hadn't seen for a long time.

Kriff! She's told him.

He braced himself for the fallout and it hit him square in the jaw.

Rex had not even thought out his moves. It was blind rage. Wolffe went down with a satisfying thud and Rex stood above him, fists curled tight, oblivious to the shouts and concerned voices raised around him.

"Rex, stop, please."

He stood, glaring at Wolffe, the anger burning through him.

"Gregor, Essie, get him away."

Two sets of hands pulled him away from Wolffe.