A/N: Twistedstitcher27 asked for Rex coming with some grief with Shoka (…) having doubts and questions about the war after Fives dies.

Wake

"Rex" Shoka pleaded "slow down"

The courtesan coaxed the tumbler from his hand, only for the solider to take a swing straight from the bottle.

The Togruta had never seen the captain is such condition.

She saw him after being Force-tossed from the building several stories high. She saw his fresh scars after he was shot, more often than not, just few milimiters from his vitals. She saw him beaming with pride after victorious battles as well as being sorrowful after those 501st had lost.

She only heard about him being so distraught - just once... it was after the Umbrara? Unbarar? Umbara campaign. She's heard that he drank himself to a stupor at 79's. Good thing there were few medics from different battalions among the patrons, who responded to unresponsive captain and alerted 501st medic crew. After Rex had to have his stomach pumped, the 501st medics made everyone at 69's aware to watch the captain's alcohol intake when he was like this. Not because he was an alcoholic, that wasn't the case, but it was apparent he might want to take another shortcut to desensitization.

"Rex?" the man didn't answer to the courtesan's plea. "Rex, please, talk to me."

The Togruta delicately took the bottle from his trembling hands.

"- left us behind" the clone captain finally slurred out.

Rex's hands shook even more once the bottle was out of his reach. Shoka didn't know if it was due to distress or alcohol.

"who did?" the courtesan tried to keep the conversation going, as she started to undress him.

She was sure that the last thing he would have wanted was to wake up hungover in a crumpled uniform, that's supposed to be fresh and pristine at all times. Besides, as far as the clones complains went, the full dress uniform was uncomfortable, stiff and restraining – it wasn't a good replacement for a pajama. Did clones even have any form of sleepwear?

"-left... cannot follow"

"who left you? Where did they go?"

As Shoka was removing his suit shoes, she looked up when he failed to answer her questions, afraid something might have happened... Rex outstretched his right hand - focused his whole attention on it.

what was so captivating in his five fi-? oh...

"he went to- to meet Echo"

That's why he was in his parade dress uniform.

"-not commming b-ck"

Wake.

Of course, it wasn't official – clones didn't have funerals nor wakes. But they mourned the loss of their closest brothers just the same – together, over a bottle, dressed their best.

That's why Rex was already plastered when he came to 69's.

"had to h-ve the talk with... Hi-bki... for a sssecond time in span of a year-" He didn't resist when Shoka gently pushed him to lie down and started to tackle his trousers "sshe took it bet-ter lasst ti-me"

Shoka unbuttoned upper part of his uniform.

"what is this?" the Togruta noticed a red stain on one of his gloves.

She had to tug at the blood soaked glove, as it stuck to his hand – the jerking motion aggravated the wound, blood started to flow again.

"Oh! how did you hurt your hand? Want me to comm Kix or Coric to check it?"

Rex shook his head.

"Fox came to... to fun-ral... I dunno wh-y? Apologissse?"

The courtesan unclasped one of the layers of her get-up from a golden ring around her neck and wrapped the grazed knuckles with the intricate piece of cloth.

"if not for Jessse, I would have kill-d im" suddenly the man sat up.

Eyes bulging. Throat clenched.

Shoka worked with too many drunk patrons, to know exactly what was about to happen. She leaped towards the table, grabbed a golden bucket, that was normally used to chill bottles of wine, shoved it under the clone's face, just in time for Rex to vomit into it.

The good thing was, it was the alcohol he drank just a while ago. The bad thing was - it was the only content of his stomach as far as she could tell.

The worst, however, was that the captain was hurting. Even though the clones believed that they were resilient enough to withstand any form of combat related stress.

"nightmares... they are not over " Rex slumped onto Shoka's shoulder.

His forehead was clammy from sweat, cheeks wet with tears, a thick string of saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth to her half-naked chest.

Rex sobbed, whimpered, quietly in her arms.

Apparently they weren't.