Ezra knew that he shouldn't waste hot water-that's one of the many, many things he'd learned in a lifetime in the foster system. But for once he had the opportunity to take a hot shower somewhere he was pretty sure people wouldn't yell at him to hurry up after five minutes so he allows himself to just stand under the comforting stream of water for a bit before starting to wash his hair with the shampoo Hera had given him to use. Getting to thoroughly clean himself with actual hygiene products felt heavenly. This was definitely not how he'd expected today to go when he'd woken up this morning.

His current lodgings weren't the worst he'd had-the abandoned warehouse at least kept out most of the weather even though it didn't do much about the temperature. And the colony of feral cats he shared it with were probably some of the nicest neighbors he'd had. They kept him from having to deal with rats and other pests chewing his belongings or trying to nibble on his toes while he slept, and when he had food to spare he shared it with them (one cat in particular who he'd named Dev had taken a special shine to him and would let him pet him and even curled up with him while he slept sometimes.) He could get clean water by filling up bottles at public drinking fountains, so that was that taken care of. The only thing he really worried about was food. He knew if he went to a shelter things might be easier, but he was too afraid that they'd turn him back into the foster system since he was technically on the run, and he refused to go back there, especially to that last home…

It made him shudder to even think about it. So he did what he had to in order to survive on his own. He took odd jobs doing chores where he could (he was counting the days until he was old enough to be considered for actual jobs), scavenged for most of his food, and, when he had to, stole if he couldn't get something he needed any other way.

Summer was usually a good season for him-lots of tourists wandering around in crowds he could hide in and leaving unfinished food lying around that he could eat-there was so much of it that he could even share with his feline family on a fairly regular basis. But with the end of summer came the end of the tourist season, and it was a lot harder to get food. Usually by now he would have been moving on to a new spot: somewhere there was a fall tourist season, or where there were farms that were willing to pay him under the table for help with harvesting or that he could scavenge fallen and unusable produce from. But hard as he'd tried, he found that he just couldn't leave this place-maybe because of the list of names and addresses which he kept safely hidden away in his pillow case.

Zeb Orrelios. Hera Syndulla. Sabine Wren. Alexsandr Kallus. Kanan Jarrus. All of the other players who had been in that Star Wars VR game with him. He'd signed up for the game on a whim using the library computer-it had sounded like a good way to spend a weekend in total safety and comfort for once. Sometimes now, though, he wondered if he would have been better off not playing that game at all. It had given him hope, a family, a purpose, only to dump him back out on the streets, a loth rat again, pining for the family he knew he would never have in real life. He'd hacked into the testing facility's files (it had almost been laughably easy) to find the other players, but he'd never been able to bring himself to go to any of their houses. What could he really expect? That just because they'd been a family in the game they'd, what, want to adopt a penniless street kid? Ha. They probably didn't even remember him.

Or at least that's what he'd thought until today. It had been a rough week for scavenging-he was drinking as much water as he could to help stave off the worst of the hunger pangs, but two days without food have left him light-headed and not in the best headspace to be making smart decisions, which was probably why he'd accidentally wandered into one of the most notorious convenience stores in town. Who knew what kind of trouble he would have gotten into if he hadn't run into Zeb.

Zeb. He was still having a bit of a hard time believing that the man he'd accidentally run into was Zeb, but who else could he be when he knew so much about the game, and looked and acted so much like the Lasat Ezra had known in there? The same went for Hera. Ezra wanted to believe that this was real, that they'd really been looking for him and wanted him, but it all seemed a little too perfect-a little too good to be true. So he was keeping his guard up until he knew that he could trust them. He'd already accidentally given away more than he had intended, and he'd have to be more careful from now on.

"Ezra?" He jumps when he hears Hera's voice calling through the bathroom door-he should have known not to push his luck.

"I'm almost finished!" he quickly calls.

"Oh, no, Ezra, take your time!" Hera answers. "I just wanted to tell you that I found some clean clothes for you. If it's okay I'm going to open the door just a crack and slide them in for you for when you're finished showering."

"I... Um... Sure?"

Ezra hadn't expected that. Clean clothes? Really? That sounded pretty amazing. He didn't exactly have a spare set of clothes and couldn't have afforded to wash them even if he had. If he really needed to wash them and managed to get a bucket of rain water, he'd rinse them and then wrap himself in blankets to keep warm while they air dried. He knew these clothes Hera had found for him were probably just going to be someone else's clothes to borrow for a bit, but he'd take what he could get.

Even though Hera had said he didn't have to, he hurries through the rest of the shower and then dries himself off with a heavenly soft towel before going to inspect the clothes Hera had left for him. Surprisingly, they looked like teenage clothes: shorts and a t-shirt, not at all what he'd expected. They were a bit big for him, but a lot less so than if they belonged to, say, Zeb. Once he was dressed, he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do. He couldn't exactly stay in the bathroom forever (even though it was nice enough and big enough he could have happily lived in it) so he follows the path Hera had taken him up the stairs back to the bottom level of the house. He then follows the sound of voices into the kitchen where Hera and Zeb were apparently deep in conversation about something. When they saw him they abruptly stopped, which didn't exactly raise his confidence levels-he'd learned that it was almost never a good thing when people stopped talking when you walked into a room.

"Hey!" Hera greets him with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Clean," Ezra answers honestly-even if he wasn't sure yet if he could trust these people he was grateful at least that they'd let him use their shower.

"That's good!"

"You still hungry?" Zeb asks. "We heated soup up for you if you'd like some."

"I'm pretty much always hungry," Ezra admits-dammit, he needed to stop being so open with these people, but it was hard to stop when something that smelled so tantalizing was sitting about five feet away from him on the kitchen table!

"Go on then, go eat, " Zeb gently urges him.

He didn't have to tell him twice. Ezra half walks, half runs over to the table, trying and failing not to look too eager. When Zeb had said soup, he'd expected some stringy Campbell's chicken noodle soup or something, but instead he found a bowl of thick potato soup, smothered in cheese and bacon bits and chives. He almost started crying because it looked so good, and admittedly a tear or two did slip out when he started eating it because it was easily the best food he'd had in longer than he could remember.

"Sorry it's just leftovers, but hopefully it's okay for now-you'll have to tell us what foods you like best so we can add your preferences to the menu around here," Hera says, taking the seat next to him.

"And once you finish we'll take you upstairs to pick out a room-there's one I think you'll like but it's absolutely fine if you prefer another one" Zeb adds.

Wait, what? Asking about his favorite foods, talking about him picking out a room? It almost sounded like they wanted him to move in! But that was impossible-right? How could they want someone they'd only just met to live with them?

Just then Ezra heard the sound of a door flying open and then slamming shut somewhere in the house, followed by the sound of running feet getting closer and closer until a man appeared in the doorway, panting and slightly disheveled. Ezra felt his breath catch in his throat as he stares at the man in utter disbelief-it couldn't really be him.

The man's eyes land on him, and a soft, hopeful look crosses his face. "Ezra?" he asks.

Kanan.

Ezra wanted to respond, but he abruptly found that he couldn't get his breath back-couldn't breathe at all. He cognitively knew that he was breathing and getting air into his lungs, but it felt like he was suffocating-his chest was tight and heavy, like someone had dropped a boulder on it, and his heart was racing like a jet engine.

"Ezra?" Kanan takes a step towards him, a frown creasing his brow. "Are you okay?"

Ezra wanted to answer, but how could he when he felt like he was dying? If this was the game Ezra could have communicated with Kanan through the force but now-

Almost as if he'd heard his thoughts, Kanan was suddenly right in front of him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ezra, can you hear me?"

Ezra manages a small nod.

"Good. Can you tell me what's going on?"

Ezra tries to again but fails, finally shaking his head.

"That's okay. I promise, you are going to be okay. I'm going to try to figure out what's wrong and how to help you, but I'm going to need you to let me in. Can you do that?"

Let him in? What did he mean by that? But then Ezra feels a familiar presence tugging at his consciousness, gently trying to gain access. It was so familiar that he didn't even stop to think about what he was doing-by reflex he opens himself up to it. Moments later Kanan's presence came flooding in, calming him, surrounding him, telling him that everything was going to be okay. He hears himself letting out a soft whimper as he all but falls into Kanan's arms, Kanan catching him and holding him close.

"Sh-it's going to be okay, " Kanan says soothingly. "I've got you."

Slowly Ezra felt his breathing returning to normal, his heart rate evening out. He felt a lot better, but at the same time incredibly spent, like a piece of laundry that had been harshly wrung out and then hung out to dry. Part of him was desperately holding onto consciousness, convinced that something horrible would happen if he fell asleep. But there was Kanan's presence, encouraging him to rest, telling him that if he did he'd be fine-that he'd keep him safe. Ezra felt his eyelids growing heavy, but he fights to keep them open.

"Kanan..."

"It's okay, kiddo, " Kanan says soothingly. "I think you had a panic attack. It took a lot out of you, and I promise you'll feel better if you rest. "

"Don't... Don't leave me," Ezra weakly begs.

"I'm not leaving you," Kanan answers, hugging him closer. "I promise, I'm never leaving you again."

Ezra nods silently into the hug, finally giving in and letting his eyes close, feeling, for the first time in far too long, safe and secure, Kanan's comforting presence staying with him even as he drifts off to sleep.

When he next opens his eyes, the sun was much lower in the sky. He was lying on something incredibly soft, and he was cocooned in cozy warmth. He was 99% sure that this was a dream so he keeps his eyes shut, wanting to enjoy it for as long as he could.

"Hey, lazybones-finally awake?"

His eyes fly open at the sound of a voice right next to his ear, and he bolts upright, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Whoa, whoa, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!" the voice apologizes.

Ezra whips his head around, trying to locate the source of the voice and figure out where he was. His eyes finally land on a girl sitting near the head of the bed he was currently in who looked a lot like...

"Sabine?" he warily asks.

"Yep!" the girl beams at him, swinging her legs back and forth over the edge of the bed. "Welcome back to the land of the waking!"

"...Doesn't the phrase go 'the land of the living'?"

"Technically, but you didn't die so land of the waking sounded less worrying-didn't want you to think you'd momentarily kicked the bucket in your sleep or something."

"I'm not sure that I haven't died and gone to heaven," Ezra admits.

"Believe me, I get that-I felt the same way when Dad found me and introduced me to the others and they rescued me from that godawful foster home."

"...Dad?"

"Kanan," Sabine clarifies. "People looked at us weird if I called him and Hera by their first names, so I started calling them Dad and Mom and it just stuck. And Zeb is Uncle Zeb now. It's pretty much the relationships we had on the ship, we just started using the official titles."

"So... You guys are like a real family out here?"

"Ever since we found each other-I've only been with them about a month, but apparently they all found each other at the beginning of summer and moved in together and went through foster parent training so they could take us in if we needed homes when they found us."

"...They did that?"

"Yeah, they did! I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad are on the phone with my social worker right now, finding your social worker and trying to finalize getting you placed with us."

"What?" Ezra feels panic rising in his chest. "No, they can't! I-I've got to stop them before they-!"

"Ezra, it's going to be okay-trust me, if anyone gives them any problems Kanan's gotten pretty good at that Jedi mind trick stuff to help move things along. "

"I-I can't go back…" Ezra whispers, drawing his knees up to his chest. "I can't go back to that home…"

"What home?" Sabine asks with a frown, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Ezra, talk to me. Did someone... Did someone hurt you?"

"...They were going to send me to conversion therapy."

"They were going to fucking what?" Sabine's eyes flash dangerously.

"Because they found out I'm bi..."

"... Did your social worker know about this? "

"Yeah, and he was fine with it-actually I think he supported it. That's why I ran, I knew I would never be safe as long as he was the one in charge of me."

"...Come with me." Sabine stands up abruptly, and Ezra was jolted up with her as she takes him by the wrist and practically drags him along with her down to the kitchen where they found Hera and Kanan sitting at the table.

"Mom! Dad!" Sabine cries as soon as she enters the room. "You will not believe what Ezra's old foster parents were trying to do to him! They were going to-"

"They were going to send it to conversion therapy," Kanan finishes for her.

"-send him to conversion- Wait, how did you know that? "

Yeah, Ezra wonders, how did he know that?

"You two should probably sit down," Kanan answers, gesturing to the empty chairs at the table.

"Okay..." Sabine says slowly, doing that she was told. Ezra does the same, anxiety starting to crawl back up into his chest-this didn't sound like good news.

As if sensing these thoughts, Kanan turns in his direction, his eyes softening as they fall on him. "Hey, kiddo. You sleep okay?" he asks, and Ezra could feel his presence reaching out to him again. He didn't let him in-didn't want to risk being put to sleep again-but he finds himself leaning into it, absorbing the warmth and comfort it brought.

"Yeah, I slept fine," Ezra answers.

"Good." Kanan gives him a warm smile before taking a deep breath and sobering. "I feel like I owe you an apology. I promise I'd never invade your privacy on purpose, but when we connected through the force, I found out some... private things about you-about your life-without meaning to. I swear I wasn't looking around in your head or anything like that! It's more like we opened the connection and before I could stop them some of your memories came over to me."

"O-Oh." Kanan talking about the force like it was real sounded kind of insane, but how else could he explain their connection? And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't suspected that he himself had used the force at times...

"What did you see?"

"Mostly that your foster homes were just as bad if not worse than mine were," Kanan answers wryly.

"Wait, you were...?" Ezra could hardly believe it-Kanan had been a foster kid too?

"Yes. Which is why we're doing everything that it takes to bring you home," Kanan answers. "We've got it worked out with Sabine's social worker for you to stay with us until we're able to make things more permanent with your placement, and she's trying to take over as your caseworker, both because you're a long way from where your old case worker is and because of the neglect from said case worker."

"...I want to believe that everything will be okay," Ezra mumbles, wrapping his arms around himself. "But even if I get placed with you for now, they could always come up with some reason to take me away later. They never let you stay in the good homes for too long... "

"You leave the placement to us," Kanan answers firmly. "But as for the long-term..."

He looks over at Hera, who nods before continuing for him, "We wanted to ask you first, but we'd really like to look into trying to officially adopt you-both of you-if that's something you two would be open to."

"...Yes! Oh my gods, yes!" Sabine cries after a moment of stunned silence, throwing her arms around Hera.

Ezra, for his part, stares at them open-mouthed. No-no way! How could they possibly want him when they hadn't even known for an hour? It was insane!

"Ezra?" Kanan says gently. "Is everything okay? I know this is probably moving very fast for you, so if you need some time-"

"I-I just don't understand," Ezra whispers. "You don't even know me, why would you want to adopt me?"

"We don't know you out here, true-but I had the pleasure of getting to know what an amazing young man you are as my Padawan, and from everything I've seen you're still the same person. I'm just sorry it took us so long to find you that you felt like we didn't still want you or love you," Kanan answers softly.

Ezra takes a deep breath. It still scared him a bit, feeling this was some horrible prank. But Kanan's presence had never wavered: it was pure and honest, and Ezra knew it well enough that he'd know if he was lying or trying to trick him.

"I just have one question," he finally says.

"Of course, ask me anything you like!"

"...Can I call you 'Dad' and Hera 'Mom' like Sabine does?"

"O-Of course! If you want to, we'd be honored," Kanan answers, his voice suddenly sounding thick with emotion.

Ezra finally lets Kanan back in, allowing his presence to come flooding through him and hugging him tightly, letting his tears fall freely, finally opening himself to the memories of his family and how much they loved him which he'd been blocking out for months for fear pining for them would break him. Kanan-his dad-hugs him back just as tightly, and he could feel his emotions, how much he loved him and wanted him. And then he felt Sabine and Hera join the hug and he revelled in the feeling of being completely surrounded by his crew. No. Not just his crew anymore-his family.