Thank you all our readers for being part in this story. Also thanks to all the new followers. Warning major feels, major fluff, and possible happy tears and squeeling.

It was sudden, yet Kanan felt it; the panic that caused his heart to clench. Kanan though could tell the panic was not from him. On the contrary, his physical self felt...better; at least better then how he had felt during his imprisonment. That meant if it wasn't him, then…

"EZRA!" Kanan thought to himself in fright.

Kanan, opened his eye and found himself submerged, with wires and fluid all around him. Despite his bodies limited mobility in the cool liquid, Kanan attempted to break the tank open; in a attempt to find and calm the child he sensed. Kanan sensed the boy's increasing guilt, and he had felt the force user's stress. Despite his own mind being cobobbled from pain and confusion, Kanan tried to figure out how to get out of the fluid and to Ezra. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted out of the liquid and down to a gurney.

"What's going on?"

Kanan dearly hoped this wasn't another hallucination conjured by the drugs or worse reality and the Inquisitor was the force user he sensed and that he had used Ezra to get him to wake up. Was that it? Had the Inquisitor tortured him to the point where they needed to send him to the medics before they arrived at Mustafar? Would he be strapped to the gurney, only to be wheeled back to the torture table? Or was this one of the hallucinations they had forced on him with the drugs? What about Ezra, where was he? How was he a part of all of this and would the Inquisitor hurt him if it was real?

As droids and people moved around he heard several voice, including Hera's voice, telling him it was alright.

'No' he thought, he knew how this would end, he had seen it all to many times, Hera laying dead on the ground. 'Please don't let it be another drugged hallucination' he silently begged. The thought of Hera tortured, even if it was just a hallucination, was more than he could bare. Thinking of Hera in that moment, made him remember,

'Ezra', he started to try and get away, he had to help Ezra. Kanan felt hands holding him down, preventing him from leaving the gurney. Not matter how hard he tried to get up, more hands held him in place. This confirmed his fears that he was indeed trapped with the empire. That he was being strapped to the gurney, he could not feel Ezra any longer, had the Inquisitor taken him away? Kanan shivered waiting for the pain to begin, it never came.

"Relax Kanan it is okay" came the gentle voice of … Hera's?

Kanan tried to shake his head of this insane hallucination, he would have none of it.

"Kanan it's okay, try to relax," Hera said again.

Kanan was confused, normally the hallucination would just play out in front of his eyes, could it be something else?

Kanan was too breathless to form the words and he felt someone put an oxygen mask on him. Instead he reached out carefully with the force to see who was there, to know she was there. Kanan needed to know that this was all real but he had to be carefully, if it was the Inquisitor he would attack him while opening up.

That was when he felt them; Ahsoka standing near him sending comfort to and assurance through the force. Hera's warm hands holding his own while another ran gently through his hair. Kanan got a good glimpse of her, her beautiful face smiling onto him.

Kanan was so happy that he almost cried, she was real, it was real.

With Ahsoka's influence, he slipt into a peaceful slumber, before he could ask about Ezra.

SWR

Kanan was getting his vitals done as Hera waited patiently. While she waited, Hera reflected on the pained and panicked expression Kanan had worn on his face, he had even tried to run, what was wrong with him? Suddenly she heard the running steps of Zeb and Sabine coming towards her.

"We got the message!" Sabine exclaimed happily before her face filled with worry, "How is he?"

Hera smiled as she responded, "Stable. He's being looked over and will still need rest, but he will be okay." Hera then recalled another concern of her's, "Has there been any word on Ezra?"

Zeb and Sabine shook their heads. Since Hera had noticed Ezra missing, she had alerted the whole station to search for the child. Any escape pods and shuttles were being guarded. So far though, no word on the kid. Hera looked everywhere she could think of; she just got back to check on Kanan when Zeb and Sabine arrived.

Hera could not understand what made Ezra run off like that. Ezra slowly seemed to warm up to them (just as they had to him) and he had seemed happy about being with them. Ahsoka though revealed to Hera that she could sense Ezra being filled with guilt and when they had tried to help him he had freaked out and run away when Kanan had finally woken. None of it made sense. During Kanan's time in the Bacta tank, Ezra kept worrying about when and if Kanan would wake up. So, why did he run off when Kanan finally did return to the conscious universe? Also could Kanan return to conscious have something to do with Ezra?

"No way he can leave though" Zeb assured Hera, "Any exit off the shuttle is guarded, so it's only a matter of time."

Sabine nodded her head too, "We'll find him, or maybe he'll come find us."

Hera sighed as she responded, "I hope so."

Just then a medica come out, smiling, "Mr. Jarrus has woken up and is asking for you all."

Soon the crew swarmed in and saw him. Kanan now in grey medical clothes, which hang loosely around him and showed his weight loss, laid on the bed, and smiling as they entered. There was still some bruises which the bacta did not help, but he looked much better than when he first arrived.

"Took me a while, but I found my way back." Kanan remarked smugly as they approached his bed.

Hera smiled, then it fell as she scowled and smacked his shoulder, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Hera roared in righteous anger

Kanan cringed when she hit and Hera felt a pung of guilt over the hit, but only for a second or two.

"Ouch, Hera, I'm the one recovering here." Kanan defended himself as he rubbed where Hera had hit him.

"Then recover from that while you're recovering from everything else." Hera pointed out.

"I am working on it, but smacking me does not help" Kanan grinned to her.

Hera tried to smile, but seeing him so hurt had been horrible, and for a short while she had not known if he would pull through. Plus, the horrible sight of him bloody and beaten up form laying passed out in the shuttle along with Ezra who nearly had killed her with his lightsaber was an image she feared she would see again. The month where he had been gone had been the worst she had ever experienced. Kanan noticed her lack of response and sighed.

"Hera, I knew the risk. At least I could get you to safety. If I had not done so, none of us would have made it out. Our crew is too valuable to the rebellion; I thought it was better for only one of us to get captured then to have out whole crew lost, " Kanan answered.

"I know Kanan, but you could have been killed. All I could think of was you and what you must have gone through. They had you for a full month and you are valuable to the rebellion too" Hera answered full of pain.

Kanan looked shocked.

"No, that can't be. I have only been imprisoned for a week" Kanan protested.

The crew looked worried. Sabine shook her head.

"No it was a full month Kanan" Sabine said.

"A month" Kanan gasped unable to grasp how long he had been imprisoned.

Kanan paled considerable.

"I admit it felt like I had been there for months but I figured it was only a week," Kanan said in distress, trying to calm his nerves after realizing he lost a month instead of a week of his life.

"How did you come up with that?" Zeb asked confused.

"I .. I was held inside in small rooms with only a dim light. There was nothing leaving me with a clue about the time passed. I was only taken outside once during my captivity" Kanan blurred out.

It turned in Hera's stomach of the thought but she noticed the pained expression in Kanan's face and his eyes became filled with sorrow. All three of the crew shivered at the thought of being imprisoned in a small dim lit room for a month. However before she could ask him to it her comm sparked to life and she took it.

"Hera here," she called.

"Commander Sato spotted the missing child but he got away again. The boy was very upset and cried a lot, the boy even bit Commander Sato" the voice told her.

"Thank you please keep looking and please give Commander Sato my apologies" Hera told as the biting part distressed and disturbed her a bit.

Hera sighted but was relieved that Ezra at least still was onboard, but she had not seen Kanan's response coming.

"Ezra" he gasped and tried to sit up.

Apparently that was too much for the man's injuries, resulting in Kanan to cry out and grab his aching ribs. That was when the spasm to a hold of the man and shaking. Kanan could only lean back and cry out hoping it would pass soon.

"Easy Kanan it will pass, try to relax" Hera soothed but all of them were in deep distress over the state Kanan was in. Sabine and Zeb was equally disturbed over how weak Kanan was. Finally it died down and Kanan slowly tried to crawl out of bed again.

"Woah, easy mate you can't start walking around; you need to rest, doctor orders" Zeb protested and pushed Kanan down.

"Ezra needs me" Kanan protested but sounded rather breathless.

The movement small as it was, had taken almost all of Kanan's breath and Kanan was now laying taking deep painted breath.

"Don't worry Kanan. Ezra, like you is recovering fine. Right now, everyone is looking for him. I guess he had a freak out when you woke up. We will find him, but first we need to know something; Kanan how did you meet Ezra?" Hera asked.

Kanan looked at them with a painful expression, a pain that did not came from physical hurt but that which came from painful memories. Hera's worries rose, what could have happened between the two that could be so difficult and painful to talk about? Had their meeting something to do with Ezra running off?

"I don't know how to talk about it Hera. Of all the things that happened at that base … my meeting with Ezra was the most … difficult" Kanan said, as his face grew even paler.

The crew was awkwardly silent as they knew what Kanan was going to tell them.

"We know," Hera pointed out, "We know that Ezra was a prisoner too."

Kanan sighed at the comment, confusing the crew a bit.

"Is that how you guys came up with an escape plan?" Sabine asked.

Kanan shook his head, "In truth, the kid in I just met a few hours before we escaped. At an execution."

The crew was shocked as their eyes bugged. Hera in particular felt her stomach drop, what was a kid doing at an execution? What was his role? What role held Kanan in that?

"A fellow prisoner? A Rebel?"

Kanan nodded his head and looked like he was in pain. What was said next shok the crew to the core.

"Both actually. It was my execution; and Ezra was meant to be my executioner."

SWR

Ezra was crawling through the vents hoping he could find an escape pod. Rather leave than stay and be punished for his acts. Ezra looked down and found that no one was waiting outside so he slided down to the ground. Ezra had not taken many steps before someone grabbed him from behind. Ezra screamed in fear, no the Inquisitor must have sneaked up on him again and captured him like they sometimes did. Ezra was panicking and bit the hand to make the person let go of him. Ezra fell to the ground as the hands and arm let go and he cried out weakly as the hard impact hit him. Ezra looked up in fear up at the man who had found him and to his horror was not an Inquisitor. Ezra looked at the older man as he cradled his hand crying out due to the pain.

"Why did you do that?" the man asked in seething pain, though as he looked at Ezra, the man closed his eyes and took a calming breath.

The man then reached down for him a second time which filled him with panic, but he did not wish to hurt the man again. Ezra screamed in horror and ducked under his legs and ran.

"No young one! Hera wants to see you" the man called to him.

That only made Ezra run faster, fleeing from the consequences of his act to Kanan and guilt towards the man. Tears ran down his cheeks and he was shivering; not to mention that his body was not happy that he made so much movement, but he had to.

Otherwise they would capture him and then they would punish him for what he he did. Or worse, what if they sent him back to the Inquisitor? Ezra stopped for a moment at the horrible possibility.

Ezra saw an escape put a little further down but it was guarded, and that meant he could not leave which highered the risk of getting captured. Ezra knew he had to find a hiding space and fast, but he did not know where to go but he sensed that people was heading in his direction. Ezra turned around and ran back towards where the man was, when he saw it.

Ezra hid in a closet just as he heard them; footsteps walking down the corridor and past the door as they looked for him. While sitting there with tears running down his cheeks, he began to think of what the crew, the ship was going to do to him. The fear of being sent back to the Inquisitor plagued his mind he could not bare the thought.

Kanan was awake, he would tell them what happened, of his role in Kanan's almost death. The crew had been so nice to him, and now they were going to hate him. It made his heart hurt at the idea. But, Ezra knew he deserved it, he was like the Inquisitor after all. Ezra did not know for how long he was sitting there, he just hoped he would not be found.

That hope though faded when the door opened.

SWR

The silence after the admission was overwhelming; all three hoped they have somehow heard wrong. Kanan had been meant to be executed... by Ezra? No, it simply could not be that. All three of them decided to speak up at the same time.

"Kanan no" Sabine started.

"That small thing? No way" Zeb protested.

"Kanan, you can't be serious" Hera almost begged to Kanan.

"I wish it wasn't true Hera but it is," Kanan confirmed as the his voice showed how distressed he was for the kid.

"Tell us everything," Hera demanded.

Kanna composed himself as he told them, "I was dragged to the courtyard. There the Inquisitor told me I would be executed shortly. Shortly after that Kallus came out of a door holding a chain attached to a cuff. I thought it was some huge criminal but it was Ezra, who Kallus brought to the Inquisitor. The kid could barely stand on his feets and was limping really badly. The Inquisitor then said that the boys execution would happen on Mustafar that night" Kanan told them but they could all see how much it upset him to tell it to them.

As Kanan reached the part about Ezra being threatened to be executed all of them winced.

"That's... TWISTED!" Zeb hollered unable to keep his temper in check.

Kanan sighed at Zeb's outburst before he continued, "It gets worse. The Inquisitor said that if he wanted to avoid his fate, he'd have to kill me"

The silence at that was even heavier than before. Hera looked like she was about to cry.

"So … did he try, or...?" Sabine asked but her voice was shaking. The mandalorian couldn't imagine the child she had grown close to committing such an act.

Kanan shut his eyes tight together and they could see whatever came next was painful for him.

"I protested against it, called the Inquisitor a monster and that did not please him. The Inquisitor he …. he" Kanan said in a whisper, his eyes shut tight while he touched his chest.

"The monster whipped you" Hera finished for Kanan.

Kanan nodded and the admission almost sent Hera to the floors in tears, Zeb and Sabine were speechless over the things they heard. They all felt more and more crushed as the story unfolded, neither Ezra nor Kanan deserved this.

"Ezra tried to avoid watching he pulled on the chain, they smacked him on the face for that. So he was forced to watch while the Inquisitor … wiped me. The pain I felt. I had to get away, but it only resulted in the Inquisitor having me turned around and continued. If Ezra hadn't shouted at him to stop ..." Kanan opened his eyes, unsure of how to tell the crew such a horrible thought.

Hera sat down on the bed and gently stroke him on the cheek. Kanan looked at her, the pain was still in his eye as he continued.

"After that I was forced to sit up and the Inquisitor gave Ezra his blaster and all I could do was wait for it. Ezra looked so scared about it, I … I told him it was okay" Kanan said uneasy.

"Kanan no how can you say it's okay to kill you" Hera protested tears in her eyes.

"Hera, I told that to Ezra because he was a small child who needed comfort. Ezra was scared and confused and had been ordered to kill someone he did not know to save himself from being executed. The Inquisitor threatened to send me to Mustafar so I would be killed regardless, it was only a question about how. If my death could save a child then I would at least die for a good reason. Even so it does not mean I wanted to die" Kana said in a low voice, in a deep tone, indicating that he was fully prepared to die in that moment he met Ezra.

"So then how did you escape?" Hera asked the question.

"I didn't escape then, I was so … I could not even sit up by myself, they had to hold me, just so Ezra could have a clear …" Kanan shivered.

"He had you at gunpoint?" Hera whispered with tears running down her cheeks.

"Ezra had a straight shot, he could not miss" Kanan confirmed, his voice shaking.

"So how did you survive?" Zeb asked.

Kanan chuckled weakly and smiles as he told them proudly, "Ezra wouldn't do it. Despite what it would cost him, he threw the blaster into the wall so it shattered. Kallus was not happy, he beat Ezra up for refusing killing me, it was horribly to watch." Kanan cringed as he recalled the child in pain, " After that, we were put on a Star Destroyer for Mustafar, he found me and helped me again. Ezra supported me as we snuck out of the Star Destroyer. I owe the kid my life."

Kanan then attempted to get up again, "That's why I have to find him. I promise to tell you the rest later but right now Ezra needs help."

Hera though protested, "Kanan, you barely are able to stand."

Kanan then saw some crutches on the other side of the room and smiled, "With those I can pretty much start my physical therapy."

Hera, though scolded him, sighed as she got them.

"Hera?" Sabine objected.

"Kanan won't rest until he finds Ezra, so the sooner he does the sooner he can get back into bed."

As Hera handed Kanan the crutched, he took them eagerly. Though it took a while to get the hang of them (plus remembering how to use muscles he hadn't needed to use in a week) Kanan was able to get the hang of them.

"Come on." Kanan replied with determination.

"Kanan, were still looking for him." Zeb pointed out, only to get a know it all look from Kanan, "You know where he is."

Kanan nodded as he headed down the corridor to where he sensed the young one. Kanan then thought of something.

"Hera can you hand me the comlink." Kanan asked as he held his hand out.

"You shouldn't go by yourself." Hera told him as she handed him her comlink.

"Too many people might be nerve wracking for him." Kanan pointed out, "I don't know why but the kid feels a lot of guilt. I need to talk to him. Ezra trust me, he'll talk to me, but not with so many people surrounding him. Just stay here."

With that, Kanan made his way down the corridor solo, though he wished he had some more support, he made it to where he sensed Ezra.

SWR

Sabine looked at how much Kanan struggled as he made it down the hall. To see Kanan so ill and hurt, he was like a father to her and see him like this was settling ill on her. Not to mention the thought of him almost being executed and by the small child that she had started to care for was truly unsettling.

"Kanan will be alright Sabine as will Ezra with time you know that" Hera said gently.

"I know Hera but look at him, he can't barely stand. I feel so sorry for him and for poor Ezra he must be really scared for us" Sabine said sadly.

"Why scared of us?" Zeb asked sadly and confused.

Before Sabine could reply Hera did.

"Ezra must think we want to punish him for his involvement in the execution it is probably all he has known in imperial custody" Hera said sadly.

All hang their heads at that.

SWR

Kanan walked down the hall but with great difficulties, he hated being so disabled, but for Ezra he would do this. In truth, he was surprised the other rebels didn't think of checking the closet first.

Kanan opened the door, and sure enough, Ezra was on the floor curled up with tears running down his cheeks.

Ezra looked up and when he saw it was him his eyes lit up, and the tears stopped falling.

"Kanan!" Ezra exclaimed happily as he hugged Kanan's leg. Despite it being a little painful, Kanan appreciated the gesture.

"Good to see you too Ezra," Kanan replied as he slid on the floor to sit, Ezra sitting next to him. Despite his bodies aches, Kanan reached over and whipped the kid's tears but he noticed that Ezra seemed uneasy.
"Are you okay?" Ezra asked nervously, still choking back some sobs.

Kanan smiled for the kid's sake before he told him, "Still a little sore, but should be fine with time. What about you, everyone here being nice to you.

Distracted, from his thoughts, Ezra nodded, "Really nice! They gave me food, and let me shower, and are making sure I'm okay. Not to mention that they let me sleep in a real bed and the blanket keeps me warm and comfortable. They also have been checking in on you too."

How it pierced his heart to see Ezra so happy just because he had such mundane things like a blanket, bed, shower and food. As Ezra said this, his smile soon fell.

Kanan sensed it, "Kid?"

Ezra then blurted out, "Please don't tell them about what happened on the base."

Kanan was little confused "What happened on the base? A lot of things happened there."

Ezra sniffled a bit, "That I almost killed you."

Kanna heart stopped as he finally understood the boy's guilt. Ezra's guilt was towards himself being told to kill Kanan, though he didn't. Yes, he knew the kid thought about it, he had even told Ezra it was okay, but Ezra choice not to. So why did the kid feel such guilt

Ezra started to cry again.

"Please don't send me back to the Inquisitor, please. I know I am just as bad as him but I can't go back!" Ezra begged to him.

Kanan fought hard to not snap out at the mention of the Inquisitor, if he ever saw that Pau'an again, it would be too soon. Right now however he needed to keep a level head.

"Listen to me Ezra, I will never send you back to there, and neither will the crew, none of us want to go near him, and we especially don't want you to ever face him again," Kanan told Ezra with a fierce conviction.

Ezra looked at him clearly a little unsure.

"Ezra, you didn't kill me, that's what matters."

"But..I…" Ezra was mumbling as he began to stutter.

"Ezra, you had a very tough choice to make, a hard one and an easy one. The easy one would be to of killed me, to get it over with. But you made the hard choice to spare me, even if it was at your expense…." Kanan said.

Before more could be said a small droid of a C1-10P unite rolling into the room beeping. Ezra saw it and his eyes widened in fear. Ezra screamed in fear backing as far away from the droid as he could get, desperately trying to find a way out. Kanan wanted to explain but suddenly his left eye began to twitch, he tried to get the uncomfortable motion to stop.

"Kanan no please I am sorry!" cried Ezra even harder when he saw that Kanan held onto his own head.

Alarmed by the scream and cries the crew emerged and found Chopper beeping insulting, Ezra shaking like a leaf and sobbing in Kanan's arms, curled up in a corner clearly trying to get away from Chopper. When Ezra saw them he started to shake and sobbing even worse.

"Please I didn't want to do that. Please, please don't punish me. Please not the droid. Not an imperial droid, please, I promise to behave, please" Ezra sobbed incoherently, on the verge of hyperventilating.

The accusation of being called an imperial droid made Chopper beep several insults and rolled near him making Ezra scream trying to curl into the corner even more. Hera took control of the situation and stood between droid and boy.

"Sabine take Chopper out of here now" Hera ordered before she scooped Ezra into her arms which made Ezra fight against the contact.

"Please Hera, I did not want to," Ezra cried.

"Shhhh hon, take a deep breath. We are not here to hurt you. Easy Ezra please take it easy little one" Hera to smooth while stroking him.

Very slowly Ezra calmed down a little and Kanan started to calmly patting his head once more.

"Ezra" Kanan called out in a shaky voice.

Hera letting Ezra slide to Kanan who rubbed Ezra with shaking hands.

"Its okay Ezra" Kanan mumbled.

To everyone's surprise Ezra calmed rather fast in Kanan's arms and Kanan got better but Ezra still looked horrified at Zeb and Hera.

"Please don't punish me" Ezra whispered beggingly.

"Kid we would not do that, it is not our style" Zeb said.

"Oh please Ezra we would never do that to you" Hera said.

"The droid?" Ezra asked with shaken voice.

A small laughter escaped Zeb.

"You are scared over that piece of tin can crap called Chopper?" Zeb growled in good nature and surprise.

Sabine walked back in without Chopper in time to hear Zeb.

"Imperial droid" whispered Ezra and was shaking.

"Chopper is just our droid Ezra, he won't hurt you" Sabine's voice said glaring at Zeb who suddenly realised why Ezra was scared and hang his head.

Ezra sniffed and Kanan carefully hugged him.

"Ezra I promise you have nothing to fear from the crew or Chopper. They are not here to punish you. They are nothing like the empire I promise you" Kanan managed to gasp out still breathless.

"But I almost killed you, I thought about it. I had my finger at the firing I … I …. I wanted to do it. I am bad" Ezra sobbed a little.

"Ezra I know you held me at gunpoint. Yes you held the blaster but it was not your choice, you were ordered. I told you it was okay and yet you didn't. You spared me Ezra even though it would cost you so much," Kanan told Ezra gently ,"Then you helped both of us escape, you're a hero; and the crew knows that."
Ezra looked up in shock as his tears began to stop, "You think I'm a hero?"

Kanan chuckled at his response, "Of course I do. They think you're the bravest kid they've ever met."

Ezra blushed a bit, but was still unsure.

"Ezra tell me; why did you not execute me like the Inquisitor told you to?"

Ezra was silent for a moment before he answered, Because it wasn't right to kill you."

Kanna smiled at the response, "That's why you're a hero, because you stood up for what was right."

Ezra smiled at the response, "So, the crew likes me still."
Hera took over, "Ezra, you helped get Kanan back to us. Now, we're going to help you."

Ezra eyes watered up with happiness.

"Thank you."

Kanan ruffled the kid's head, "You're welcome."

Hera interrupted, "Now can we please get you two back to bed. The sooner you heal the better."

With that, Hera and Sabine helped Kanan stand so he could use his crutches as Zeb gave Ezra a piggyback ride. Despite the human male's injuries and the stress from the rest of the crew, things in that moment were peaceful.

A/N That was rough. Hope you are all okay and sorry for the harsh feelings part. I hope you all can manage.