Yup. There he is.

As subtly and I can, I put my hand on Sabine's waist and direct her towards the sidewalk towards the Underground. "Ezra."

"You're not hungry?" I answer while releasing my tension out into the Force.

Same guy as yesterday too.

"No, I am but we ate here yesterday." Sabine counters, then turns back to me. "I was thinking of going home, we have food there."

"But that requires effort…and I don't want to do that."

I think I have to report about this today. There can't be a good reason that I have somebody tailing me.

Or you could be paranoid and it could be a new professor or TA or administrator.

I don't know.

Yes you do.

…

Shut up Vader.

I'll—

Suddenly my collar gets yanked downward, demanding my attention be pulled down to Sabine who is looking up at me. "What?"

"Nothing. I—Oof!" I gasp for air.

Sabine—

"Fine, we'll go to the Underground…" She grabs my hand and directs us towards the back entrance once again. "Is—Oh!"

"What?!" I ask genuinely.

I'm off her wavelength right now.

Sabine turns around long enough to give me a look then keep pulling me down the stairs and thru the steel door. "I see what you're doing."

Being covert? Tactical?

"Being tactical. You've been looking everywhere, everywhere we've been since Thursday." Sabine says calmly, then peers back to me.

I'll tell her when she's inside. It's not that big of a deal. And she probably needs to know anyway.

"You okay?" Sabine asks, stopping to take a half step towards me.

I pause for a split second then answer "Let's set our stuff down."

Sabine only nods, then takes my hand again and leads us back in the vicinity of where we all sat last week.

"We".

"I…uhh." I start, then glance around one more time. "I think I've got a tail."

Sabine's face scrunches up. "What do you mean—OH!"

SABINE!

"Sorry…" She hisses her apology as I wince at her yelling. "Sorry. My bad."

"It's fine, just…" I trail off, miming for her to turn the volume down before Sabine starts again.

"Let me guess, they teach you how to check if you've got a tail. Basic spy stuff."

"I'm not a spy." I give Sabine a smirk.

"But why?"

Last week.

"You know why." I counter flatly.

It's bad enough with us not mentioning it all weekend. I think she knows, really deep down that it was me.

But still.

"…everything was cleared right. With…work and everything." Sabine says, less a question than a statement.

"Yeah." I quickly nod, and she seems to perk up a little. "They buzzed my phone."

"Okay…then do you know why?"

I shrug, then glance around to see people start filing in. "I've got a hunch."

I think it's Palpatine. He's sending people to keep an eye on me.

Why…I don't know.

But the last thing I need to do is act squirrelly.

"That tournament thing? Kanan and Hera told me that it got some more governmental eyes on me. They might be scoping me out for a job down the line."

Sabine squeezes my hand. "That'd be great. Any idea who? NSA? FBI? CIA?"

"Nah." I shake my head and squeeze Sabine's hand back. "I just…"

I saw him yesterday.

What'd I do?!

Sabine encourages me with a smile before I finish my point. "I know how to read if I'm being followed. I can feel it. First day really back to school and I feel that?" I stop before letting out a sigh.

If you want to talk to me, then talk to me!

"Come talk to you about it. Don't send some guy in. They've got your contact info." Sabine reads my mind. "You're…really amazing. I hope you know that."

"Thanks." I smile.

"No." Sabine moves to grab my knee. "Really. You're amazing. I'm not just saying that. You are."

Embarrassed, I keep my gaze down before I feel myself start to go red. "Let's go grab something quick. Our stuff's safe." Sabine pulls me out of my seat before—

Sabine kisses my cheek affectionately and leads me towards the growing lines at the various restaurant stations. "I'm feeling chicken today, you?"

"Sounds good to me." I shrug and Sabine takes that and begins guiding us into line, four or five people from the front.

"On a lighter note." She turns back to me as the line moves. "Thanks for catching me earlier."

"She was right. I did screw it up." I reply.

Sabine gives me an eye roll before countering "Rinaldi's…I don't know. And it doesn't matter, you caught me."

Yeah, by the—

"I just thought you might break your neck by how you fell, so I reacted. Sorry." I apologize again.

"Don't apologize…you saved me. I would have crashed in a heap and probably hurt something. And besides, she did say—"

"Oh don't." I complain.

"—you do know me more intimately now. And I kind of liked it. You're never that forceful."

"I—"I cut myself off.

That doesn't mean basically grab her in the nook of her crotch and use that to pin her to your body.

It worked, but still!

Having Sabine wrapped around me like a stripper after she yelped in terror was a top 5 embarrassing moment for me.

"You're so embarrassed…" Sabine smirks while keeping her eyes ahead.

"Sorry."

Sabine ignores the comment and grabs two medium cups for us, hands mine off then goes for the ice. "Still like it."

Change the subject.

"Did last night go okay?" I steer towards calmer waters.

Sabine doesn't immediately answer, instead taking her time choosing her drink. "It went alright."

"Headphones?"

"No, I passed out right after I finished my homework. And I didn't hear them so…"

"That's good." I smile while pressing the button for lemonade.

Spent all weekend with her except for last night. And somehow I still was looking forward to class today.

"I was thinking of coming back tonight, if that's okay with you. I hate those showers."

Oh yeah.

"I forgot about that. Yeah, sure. You can use—" I stop myself short.

Now THAT sounds creepy.

Sabine glances back to me as we arrive at the various food options. "Why'd you stop?"

"It sounded awful coming out of my mouth." I shake my head then reach out and grab a chicken sandwich.

I think I'll pass on the nuggets and just get two sandwiches.

"Sounded fine to me." Sabine smiles just before our hands bump up against each other as we reach for the same waffle fries.

"My bad." I pull my hand back as Sabine does the same.

"No, you." She motions for me.

I—Fine.

Impulsively, I grab the fries and set them on her tray before another one slides forward and I set it on my tray.

And now all we have to do is pay.

Sabine right back up to me as we line up. "They should have more than one person working."

"So true."

But that's not efficient.

Sabine takes charge when we reach the front of the line, rattling off all of our food before she dives for her backpack to pay.

Nope.

As Sabine's back is turned, I hand the lady working the register my card only for her to smile and run it.

Thank you.

"Okay, I—Ezra!" Sabine protests when she sees my maneuver.

Giving Sabine a smile, my card finishes running before I get it, and a receipt back. "Thanks."

All right…home now.

And if he follows me, he follows me.

I'm doing nothing wrong. My friend from class wants to have lunch with me.

At my apartment.

"Ezra…"

"Happy birthday." I turn and smile at her.

Sabine's frown grows. "It's not for another month!"

"I know. Any gift ideas?" I fish for an idea.

I'm actually leaning towards just a card and maybe cooking dinner.

Christmas seemed to be too much.

"My birthday's not all that big of a deal." Sabine replies dismissively as we start winding back to our backpacks. "You don't have to get me anything."

Oh that's a trap.

She does want something.

"That's—Ezra." Sabine says quickly, seeing something on my face. "I mean that Ezra. You don't have to get me anything."

This is a trap.

"I'll think about it." I say lazily, then bend down and grab my backpack. "I don't know."

Sabine groans, then hits my backpack. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Thinking." She frowns at me then motions for me to follow her outside. "You…you didn't think this weekend. I didn't. And how'd that go?"

Joke.

"It went alright." I monotone, then glance over to Sabine in time to see her break and start to smile.

"Yeah right…" She laughs, then tucks her hair back as we walk down the hall. "I'm not too afraid to admit that I missed you last night. The storm and—"

"What storm?"

Sabine gives off another smile. "The storm from last night. Lightning. Thunder, all of that?" She states like it's obvious. "You didn't hear it?"

"No."

I tossed and turned a bit, but once I was asleep I was asleep.

"Well tonight should have been the night I stayed in the dorms. I wanted to just curl up with you and listen to it rain. And instead I just had to pull my comforter closer to me."

"Like it's my fault." I tilt my head when I turn to her.

We agreed.

"It's nobody's fault. But I'm still blaming you for it."

"That's not fair!" I laugh.

Sabine's smiling at me as we start up the stairs. "I don't care about fair. I just know that I woke up at 2:30 in the morning due to thunder and you weren't there."

"We agreed to take a night off!"

Four straight nights of sleeping together, increasing every night. We needed a break!

"Still could have curled up with me." Sabine pouts.

I sigh, then push open the door. "Come back over then if you missed me so much. I don't know if you remember but you do have a key."

She knows.

"Really?" Sabine asks, sounding blank before turning and beaming at me.

"I told you, door's open."

24 multicolored lightsabers all continue waving in different directions and intervals while probe droids hover in the air.

"Remember to relax…" I call out to the room. "And focus. Keep your blade up and your attention on your droids at all times."

Bolts fire from a few droids, some of which are deflected, some are not. "Sense the Force around you. Use your feelings to connect to it."

And let it guide you.

The action continues melodically as I pace in between the younglings, lined up in four columns, six deep.

24 total. 24 younglings I'm supposed to be teaching.

A twitch in the Force reaches me just before I see a youngling's shoulders slump and his posture droop.

He's getting tired. And probably frustrated.

Sliding over quietly, I crouch down and slip my arms around him. "Hey. You tired?"

"Can I get some water?" He asks, visor still obscuring his face as he turns to me.

He's tired.

I raise his visor with a wave of my hand, revealing watery eyes and a tired expression. "Of course you can. Go sit down and get some water. You're doing great."

"Thank you Master." He replies before dutifully deactivating his lightsaber and starting towards the side of the training room where a water cooler is set up.

Pulling his drone to me, I deactivate it and slip it into the pocket of my robe. "Let the Force guide you…"

They're all listening to me pretty well. I was afraid they'd all be petulant and not listen.

My eyes fall on Jacen, set smack in the middle of the younglings with a blue saber in his hand. As I look on, he drops his blade with his whole arm and blocks the next bolt sent at him by the droid.

Nice.

Subtlety, my attention is pulled towards the front of the room. My attention follows before I spot Cayle and Master Yoda smirking at me.

Uh oh.

Before I can take a step towards them, Master Yoda taps on his cane three times and all the probe droids disengage. "Younglings. Younglings!"

Small heads peer up from behind their helmets then light up at the sight of the wizened old Master. "Hello Master Yoda." They all chant in greeting. "Hello Master Cayle."

I bow in reverence before Yoda and Cayle return the gesture to them warmly. "Hello. Over, the lesson is I am afraid. Master Bridger has missed his alarm."

Oh no.

"How embarrassing." Yoda cracks a smile. "How embarrassing…"

The room breaks out into high pitched laughter before I call out. "Set your lightsabers and helmets in the cubby where you found them. And may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you Master Bridger." The younglings reply in unison before obeying my request, orderly walking over to the cubby across from the water cooler and lining up to put their equipment back.

I don't think college students would do that if asked. They'd probably leave stuff just lying around everywhere.

Joining Master Yoda and Cayle at the front of the room, we look on as the youngling do as they were asked to do, then file out of the room.

Probably to go home, since it's after five o' clock and their parents are off of work and coming to retrieve them.

Lastly, Jacen sets his lightsaber and helmet in the last available cubbyhole and turns back to the three of us before approaching. "Thank you for the lesson."

"You're very welcome." I crouch down and make eye contact with him before smiling. "I thought you did pretty good today."

Jacen replies by tackling me into a hug. "Yeah! My arms are tired though."

"Next time, if you can think of it…use your wrists." I smile. "I noticed you swinging your arms at everything. All you need is your wrists. Trust them, and trust yourself."

At its base level, the Force is about belief and trust. In yourself, in your body, and in the Force itself.

If you don't believe or trust, you're just another person with a high midichlorian count. You don't stand a chance to become a Jedi.

"I'll try to remember." Jacen smiles, before turning to look at Yoda and Cayle.

Cayle helps out by crouching down. "What? No hug for me?" Jacen instantly laughs and tackles him into a hug. "Good to see you bub."

"You too!" Jacen replies before turning to Master Yoda. "Do you know where my Dad is Master?"

"Up in the Council chambers, he is. Shall I take you to him?" Yoda answers.

"Yes please Master!" Jacen beams and nods. Master Yoda breaks out into a pleased look before starting off toward the door with Jacen in tow.

Cayle rises back to his feet as Jacen and Yoda exit the room. "What did you learn today, young one?" Yoda asks. However, Jacen's reply is lost to the increasing distance between us and them as they leave.

"Nice." Cayle smiles and turns to me.

"Thanks." I smile, then turn back to my small station at the head of the room.

Pulling my tablet and lightsaber back to me, I clip the lightsaber on my belt before Cayle starts to lead me out of the room. "And to think that you were nervous."

"I didn't know how that was going to go…"

That was my first lesson ever! And to younglings who don't know anything!

"I think that went great. You really missed your alarm?" He asks me.

I nod as we exit the room and take a left towards the stairs and the locker rooms. "Never heard it."

If it even went off. I know I set it though.

"You going to Hera's for dinner? Burgers and hot dogs tonight."

Oh that sounds good.

"No." I groan. "Sorry. Got invited to a barbecue at JJ's. The girls are having a 'team dinner' so they decided to cook out."

"How'd that meeting go today?

"Fine." I shrug. "Got the job."

Got a text early this morning, telling me to go to the Athletic Administration Building. Where I met some graduate assistant who congratulated me on 'acing' my interview and that I was hired.

Two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 6. Which really is nothing. But…

I did get hired.

"I read yours and Dooku's report. They really tried to intimidate you?" Cayle asks with a laugh.

"Yup."

This time Cayle does laugh as we descend the stairs. "Idiots. Bet you didn't even break a sweat."

I had more intense dinner discussion when I was a kid.

"Nope."

Continuing down the stairs, Cayle leads me to the empty locker room where all of my personal belongings are. "Good thing you got hired though. Your buddy really came up clutch. Any idea what you'll be doing?"

"Nah." I say while spinning in the combination to my locker. "I'll find out…next Monday."

Since today is Tuesday.

I dance tomorrow.

"Well we'll miss you at dinner tonight." Cayle says as I open the locker. Instantly, he snatches up the shirt and holds it out for inspection. "Oh sweet, It's Nike Dri-Fit and everything…"

"Yeah, they gave me a bunch of stuff. Shorts, shirts, socks, even a pair of shoes. Called it 'my uniform'." I reply using air quotes at the end.

Uniform for a practice.

"Explains where all the money is going…this is nice!" Cayle set my shirt aside and scoops up the shoes. "Damn! What are these? $80 shoes?"

I continue unbuckling my belt. "No idea."

Don't really care.

"And they're just giving out hundreds of dollars in swag to their student workers…shit." Cayle muses darkly.

"Nothing else is going to come of that investigation is it?" I ask causally.

They sure seem like it's completely over and done with.

"Nope. The FBI came out and talked a big game. But now it's going nowhere. They've found some scapegoats to hang out to dry and they'll pay. But the system…" Cayle sighs then glances at my completely new, Nike attire. "Just keeps on going."

"I ask because it sure seems like that on the inside." I remark, then pull my top over my shoulders.

Cayle's eyes dim slightly when he spots my back before he looks away. "Hard to be ingrained corruption. Even when the alternative is clean and fair."

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It may be a legend, but there's always a little bit of truth in Legends.

"You're quiet."

Pausing as I bend over for my shoes, I give him a quick look as he decides to take the issue head on. "You never 'miss' your alarm. Your meeting? A quick text to Kanan two hours ago. You're not here."

"I'm right here." I counter.

Cayle sees through my smokescreen. "Who do I gotta bring out? The Council's favored irritant? Or your friend?"

At least he knows that he can grate on people.

"There's nothing to talk about?"

Yeah there is, I screwed up today.

I'd been doing so good. Everything back in my room.

"Which means there's everything to talk about." Cayle softens his tone. "You're aggressively open with anything about your father and the Dark Side. There are only two things you don't like to talk about."

Mom and...

"Which one is it?" Cayle asks nicely, then sits on the bench placidly.

…

AUGH.

I turn back to my locker and fiddle with my stuff.

I'm not going to reply. He can go ahead and figure it out.

Unzipping a barely used pocket of my backpack, I grab the personal container of hand sanitizer and—

"You and Sabine doing alright?"

Dammit.

"We're fine." I say into my locker as I fiddle with the cap.

Cayle lets out a comedic sound before I feel his Force Signature harden. "You know I'm in the loop about all of the tracking and surveillance."

"Yeah." I nod.

He's one of the ones who fast forwards all of my footage to make sure I'm not doing anything rash or stupid.

"So I crammed late Sunday night all your footage for the weekend…" He starts off casually.

We didn't in there though.

"She never left. Not once, all weekend."

I make a face to the back wall of my locker. "She's done that before?"

"Not how it was this weekend." He informs me. "You guys spent more time curled up under that blanket on the couch than ever before. And when you weren't there you were off screen, somewhere back near your room."

He knows.

…

"Is there really a barbecue and a team dinner? Because it sounds to me like you want to get out of here and back to your apartment."

I do.

Dammit.

…

I guess I have to.

Pulling out my backpack, I set it onto the bench and use the Force to close the door. "You know me too well."

"I can always pull up the live feed here on my phone." Cayle points out. "Hey Kyle, pull up—"

"She's at practice…dumbass." I scowl over at him. Only for Cayle to see my scowl and return with a smile of his own.

"Is it really bad…? Or really good? She's been over there basically every day except for last night." Cayle points out.

That's true.

"Thursday." I begin. "And all that."

That seems to take Cayle off guard a little bit. "Yeah. Weird day, bad day. Lot to take in. She…didn't take the company line on where you were very well."

"I know she didn't."

Cayle laughs. "I got shittalked again didn't I?"

"All weekend."

This time Cayle barks out a loud laugh. "Damn damn damn…you must really like her then."

I laugh back at the comment then smile. "Yeah…I do."

…

"Thursday huh?"

I bite my lip and move to tie my shoes. "Yeah."

Cayle pauses again while I tie my left shoe. "Is she out of her Greek Phase and into you now?"

…

"You could say that."

Cayle loudly claps his hands together then spins into a fist pump. "Yes! Nice dude…congrats."

Don't say congrats…

"What?"

"Congrats makes it weird." I inform him. "It's weird now."

"I can handle weird, weird things happen to me all the time." He brushes it off. "Things seem to work out alright."

…

"She keeps telling me not to put labels on it." I pipe up before my voice breaks off for an instant. "So I, uhh, I'm just going with it. Sorry I'm a little off."

Sabine's got me off my game.

I look up from tying my shoe to see Cayle smiling from ear to ear. "Nothing to apologize for. This is…this isn't a small thing."

"Not helping…" I groan, then go for my other shoe.

"Sorry, sorry." He apologizes. "There is one thing though."

"What?"

Cayle smiles before he even speaks again. "Come to dinner. Bring Sabine. It'll be fun."

I…

"Hera said it was an easy dinner night." I counter. "And she was just over there."

"Ahsoka said that Hera invited her over any time you're invited over." Cayle blocks off an avenue of escape.

"She told you."

"She's my Master." Cayle teases me with a smirk.

He loves having Ahsoka as his Master.

"Go. Call her." Cayle prods me into action.

"You call Hera!" I reply.

"After you call your girlfriend."

"She's not my—!" I fire off, then cut myself short. "She—fine…"

The Force surges subtly at Cayle's happiness as I unlock my phone and navigate to calling Sabine.

…

Dial tone…

"Hey you." Sabine's voice pops into my ear.

She's smiling.

"Hey, it's me." I reflexively smile back, turning away from Cayle.

"I know it's you, that's why I said 'hey you'." She explains with a giggle. "What's up?"

"Not much. Hera and Kanan invited me over for dinner again tonight. I think they wanna see you again." I joke.

Sabine's laugh flows through the line back to me. "yeah, that was fun. Sounds like a plan to me. What are they having?"

"Easy night, so nothing too hard. I think it's—"

I blanked.

"What are we having again?" I turn to Cayle.

"Grilling out. Burgers, hot dogs, easy stuff."

Sabine replies. "Oh that sounds good. Is that Cayle?"

"You heard that?" I ask, then glance to Cayle.

Who is frozen.

"Yeah, tell him to fuck off."

I laugh, then shake my head. "Pass."

"What'd she say?" Cayle asks.

Nope.

"So what do I do? I just got out of the shower here at practice. Do I meet you at your apartment or…?" Sabine trails off.

"No, I'll text you Hera's contact. Text or call her, then she can radio to the gate that you're coming."

"I've already got Hera's number. Ahsoka gave it to me. I've got all of their numbers."

What?

"When'd that happen?" I ask, getting Cayle to straighten up.

"When you helped get out the silverware and stuff." Sabine casually explains. "I was holding Mira and Ahsoka double checked my number then sent over a bunch of contacts."

"Oh." I manage to get out.

She has more than she realizes.

"Anyway, yeah. Sounds good to me. I gotta go and get out of here…I'll see you soon." Sabine says, her tone changing on a dime before the volume behind her escalates. "Love you."

"Love you too."

"Bye."

I reply "Bye." Then watch the call end and the screen revert back to my contacts.

Sabine Wren

It's so easy just to talk to—

"What?" I ask Cayle as he's got…a look on his face.

He looks like he looks when Mira's being super silly with him.

Cayle quickly returns to himself and smirks. "Okay babe." He breaks out a high pitched imitation of me. "I'll pick up the stuff from the store and be right home. I love you…buh bye."

"I do not sound like that…"

Cayle laughs and buries his head in his hands. "It didn't even take six months! I'm replaced in six months!"

"You're not replaced."

He's being dramatic.

"You just said you loved her." Cayle crosses his arms, not looking upset at all. "After she said it to you."

"Cayle…"

"Ezra and Sabine sitting in a tree." Cayle starts.

"Cayle!"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" He sings. "First comes love—"

Oh god.

"—then comes marriage!"

"Cayle!"

"—then you'll be pushing a baby carriage!" Cayle finishes his song, beaming.

I groan, then try and focus on my other shoe.

I'm so doomed.

(A/N: If anybody wants Chapter 51, 51.1, 51.2 and 51.3 come get them. They'll be in my documents folder condemned for all of eternity. Writer's block sucks.

One thing though.

*** Mandalorian Spoliers***

...

...

"Fly to the city of Kaladon on the forest planet of Corvus. There you will find Ahsoka Tano."

Ahsoka. Lives.)