First Night

They all sat around the small table in the main living space of the VCX-100 Corellian-made light freighter, better known as the Ghost.

Ezra had made the decision only a few hours ago to join the crew and now he was sat having his first meal with them all.

It was so good!

He couldn't remember the last time he'd even had a warm meal that had been cooked properly. Couldn't remember the last time someone had made a meal for him.

He shovelled it all in as quickly as he could, not stopping once through the entire thing. Everyone else around him exchanged slightly startled glances, some with worry coating their surprise, some with concern, some (Zeb) with amusement.

Ezra eventually finished and looked up at the others in confusion, noting the looks that were going round the table.

"What?"

"You ate that so quick!" Sabine said, staring at him in disbelief, wondering how he'd managed to get it all down so fast.

"You should be careful when eating that much at that speed, you know," Hera put in, "you could end up choking."

As everyone started talking, Ezra started to feel a little sick. Actually, a lot sick. He'd eaten too much too quickly. His body wasn't used to so much at once. His face paled and he felt bile rise up the back of his throat. Zeb noticed.

"Hey. You alright, kid? You're looking a little pale."

Ezra didn't reply. Instead, he stood up and ran promptly straight to the refresher, not having time to lock the door as he brought up everything he'd just eaten. He was glad that Hera had shown him around earlier when he'd come back aboard to tell them he wanted to join the crew, otherwise he wouldn't have known where the refresher was and would have ended up throwing up all over the lovely, clean ship.

Everyone else - even Chopper - had gotten up and followed him, worried about what was going on. But now, as they approached, they could hear their youngest and newest Ghost member vomiting inside the refresher, breathing heavily and moaning in pain.

"Alright, everyone, back to whatever you were doing. Give him some space," Hera ordered as the mother inside of her kicked in once again. "Ezra? Are you alright in there?"

"Just are too much too fast, Hera, but I'm fine! Just not used to having so much food!"

Of course! I should've known!

Hera sighed to herself. It was obvious that the new Spectre hadn't eaten properly in quite a while. His body would have become accustomed to running off of very little food. It would be too much for it to handle with all that food she'd just served Ezra. It wasn't his fault, of course, but it meant she wouldn't be able to give him full portions for a while. She would give him small amounts like what he was used to and then gradually increase them bit by bit overtime.

For now, however, she went into Kanan's room and retrieved one of his shirts and a pair of pants that were getting just a bit too small for him, then made her way back over to where Ezra was still standing inside the refresher. He'd cleaned himself up and Kanan had brought him a drink of water to get rid of the taste that the stomach acid had brought with it.

"You can wear this for tonight while we get your clothes washed," Hera told him and the boy nodded. She handed him the clothes before turning around to give him some privacy to get dressed. When he finished, she picked up his dirty outfit and turned to leave, but Ezra's voice stopped her.

"Sorry."

She paused, not sure if she had heard him correctly, then turned fully to face him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "for being greedy and eating too much and then being sick everywhere and for having to use someone else's clothes and making you do the washing up. I would do it myself, but I don't know where you keep the washer or anything."

Hera felt a surge of fondness for the young teenage boy and smiled warmly at him to make him feel better, saying, "It's okay, Ezra. It wasn't your fault. And in any case, I should've known you wouldn't have been able to eat that much. As for the clothes, don't worry. They're Kanan's, but they're too small for him now. He won't mind you using them. And I don't mind having to wash you clothes, Ezra."

"Really?"

"Really. Now go get some rest, you look exhausted. Remember, you'll be sharing a room with Zeb from now on. Do you know where his room is?"

"Yeah. Thanks, by the way... for everything."

With that, he walked off in the direction of his new room and climbed up onto the top bunk, falling asleep long before his head ever hit the pillow.

Zeb awoke to the most horrendous screaming and panicked. What's going on? Who's in danger? Is anyone injured or dead? It it the Empire?

He shot up out of bed and looked around frantically, realising as he looked that it was Ezra who was screaming.

The door opened behind him, making him jump slightly, and the rest of the crew poured in.

"What's going on?" Kanan asked in a worried voice. He was the first into the room. Through the Force, he had felt Ezra's fear and pain and had woken instantly.

The kid chose that moment to wake up just then. He started as he saw everyone crowding around in the room and looking at him with great concern.

"What- what's-" he struggled to find his voice. "What's going on?"

"You tell us, kid!" Zeb snapped. "You were screaming just then like you were being tortured!"

"I was?" Of course, I was! Stupid nightmares, I thought they'd have gotten better by now! Now everyone will be mad at me for waking them!

"I think you were just having a bad dream," Hera said sympathetically in a voice not unlike that of which his own mother used to use when she was comforting him as a young child.

"Oh... sorry..."

"It's alright to have bad dreams," Sabine cut in, "we've all been there and we still sometimes get them now."

"Really?"

"Yeah, 'course!" Zeb said, silently hoping the kid wouldn't remember this in the morning. He had a reputation as the tough, hardened warrior to keep up. "Well, except Chop. The only thing in his head is bolts 'n' screws 'n' faulty droid parts." He chuckled as Chopper whirred and beeped angrily at him, but then growled in frustration as the stupid astromech ran over his toes. "CHOPPER!"

Ezra chuckled at that and tried to force a serious expression onto his face as Zeb glared daggers at him.

"Well, sorry I woke you all up. I'll try not to let it happen again," he said finally. The rest of the crew were quick to assure him that it was okay and that he didn't need to apologise and that if he needed them, they'd be there for him.

It was unusual being fussed over and Ezra definitely was not used to it. But it felt nice. As everyone filed out of the room and Zeb got back into the bunk below him, he couldn't help smiling. Something he hadn't done in a long time. There was this sense washing over him, this calming peacefulness, this incredible amount of happiness, this feeling of belonging, this feeling like he was a part of a family.

Family!

What a weird word! He hadn't used it in so long, but yet... it felt... right!

As Ezra drifted back off into sleep, he knew he'd made the right decision joining this crew. Maybe it was a coincidence they'd met that day. Maybe it wasn't. But if it was just by chance, he'd met these people, it was a nice accident to have had.