Sabine wanted to like the dress. She really did. She knew that Kanan had picked it out for her because he thought it would look good on her and so that she could be a "princess" for the first time in her life, which was really sweet of him. And despite her doubts about the glittery, too-bright pink fabric it was made of she had been willing to give it a try. But when she put it on this morning and looked at herself in the mirror all she could see was all the ways it was making clear that she didn't have the type of body it had been made for-no curves or bust to fill it out, her shoulders were too broad,and the skirt was a couple inches too short. She felt ugly and awkward and all wrong, and it didn't help that she'd already woken up with some really bad dysphoria that morning.

Hera, who had been helping her with the dress, had been as sweet and supportive as possible, telling her that the dress just wasn't a good fit, that there was nothing wrong with her, but somehow or other she found herself crying, even though she didn't even like the stupid dress in the first place. She could tell that Hera was feeling uncomfortable-didn't know what to do to help-but when she had left the room Sabine had only started crying harder, feeling abandoned and like she was too much of a mess for even her family to be able to handle. She wasn't sure how long she'd lain there on the floor crying in front of the mirror when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and then a warm presence reaching out and surrounding her.

"Now why is the most beautiful girl in the world crying on a nice morning like this?" Kanan's voice asks gently.

"Dad…" Sabine lifts her head up to see Kanan sitting next to her on the floor, and when he reaches out and draws her up into a hug she doesn't fight him.

"Bean, I'm so sorry," he whispers. "I picked out a dress I thought would make you feel like a princess but instead my terrible taste made you cry…"

"It's not the dress' fault I'm ugly," Sabine mumbles.

"You're not ugly," Kanan answers firmly. "That is an absolutely terrible dress, and frankly I'd think we should burn it except I'd be afraid of the toxic fumes it would let off."

In spite of herself Sabine started laughing, actually feeling better as she snuggles into Kanan's hug. "I'm sorry, Dad, I know you were trying to do something nice for me…"

"Don't apologize." Kanan kisses the top of her head. "What I want you to do is go get dressed in clothes that make you feel your best and most confident and then we're going to take you to the Ren faire where people who actually know something about clothes and fashion can help you pick out some garb that will make you feel as amazing as you deserve to feel."

"Really? A-Are you sure that's okay?" Sabine asks-she hadn't meant for Kanan to offer to get her a whole new outfit!

"Of course. I want my daughter to be happy," Kanan answers.

It felt wonderful having Kanan calling her his daughter like that, but she still felt like an entirely new set of clothes way too much of an extravagance, especially since Kanan and Hera were working on adopting not only her but Ezra (while she never heard them talk about finances, she knew that process was expensive.)

"Can I maybe see what you have here first?" Sabine asks-even if she could find just the basics she'd feel a little less guilty about this.

"If you want to, sure," Kanan answers. "Whatever you'd like to do."

"Thanks." Sabine gives him a smile. "I'd like to be wearing at least some sort of garb when we get there so I don't stand out, y'know?" It was partly true, but also she was using it as an excuse so Kanan hopefully wouldn't think that she was worried about money.

"Makes sense," Kanan agrees with a smile. "And if you find something that you like better at faire you can always change."

"Sure, sounds perfect," Sabine agrees.

In the end she did find enough to make a solid base for an outfit-a soft as silk dove grey shirt and a pair of nicely fitting black pants paired with a pair of tall black boots she already owned. This was definitely more her style. It turned out she wasn't really the princess type-she was a rogue. And all she needed were a few accessories to finish the look! Everyone in the family took turns complimenting her, and while she certainly wasn't vain it was still really nice to hear.

With everyone dressed (more of less), they were all set to go. No one had a big enough car for all six of them, and Alex needed to stop by his apartment to change as it was, so Zeb and Alex took Zeb's truck with the plan to meet them at the Ren faire's gate while Kanan drove the rest of them in his car. Sabine felt excitement coursing through her as they headed deeper into the woods, not only from the promise of adventure but because this was going to be their first time having an outing with their entire family. It had been so, so long since they'd all been together. She could only hope that it all went well-that they still felt like a family out here and after all this time.

Eventually they pulled into a large dirt parking lot which was much busier than Sabine had expected-not only were there lots of cars and staff directing said cars into parking spaces, but there were lots of other people going to the faire (or "patrons" as Kanan called them) walking up to the gate in small groups and even finishing putting on their garb behind their cars. When Kanan pulled into a parking space there was a pair of girls, one dressed in yellow and one dressed in pink, helping each other into harnesses that help up very large and detailed fairy wings. If the parking lot itself was already this interesting, she couldn't wait to find out what was inside the gates of the faire.

After some minor costume adjustments of their own, together they made their way up to the front gate. There were so many interesting and colorful costumes everywhere that Sabine looked that she would have been perfectly content just people watching until Uncle Zeb and Uncle Alex got here, but to her surprise she felt Hera putting a hand on her shoulder and heard her ask Kanan, "Do you mind if Sabine and I go in now and find you later?"

"Sure, we can come find you once Zeb and Alex get here," Kanan answers.

"Perfect." Hera nods, looking satisfied by his response before turning to Sabine. "Bean, ready to go?"

"Um, sure?" Sabine answers uncertainly. "But what are we doing?" And couldn't it wait for the others to arrive?

"Indulge me for wanting to have a bit of a mother-daughter shopping trip to find the rest of your costume?" Hera answers with a sheepish smile.

"Oh!" Sabine hadn't been expecting that-sure Hera had taken her shopping for new clothes when she'd moved in, but that had been more out of necessity than anything. Now Hera wanted to take her shopping just for fun? Sabine wasn't exactly the type to spend hours on picking out an outfit, but the fact that Hera wanted to make this a mother-daughter activity, something Sabine's birth mother had refused to do with her, made this sound fun and special.

"I'd actually really like that," Sabine admits.

"Really?" Hera asks hopefully.

"Yeah," Sabine answers with an eager nod. "Let's do it."

That decided, Hera leads the way through the gate and, after asking directions to the nearest shop that sold women's garb from someone selling maps, starts walking towards their destination with great purpose, Sabine having to take long strides just to keep up with her. Soon they reached a shop full of colorful fabrics and garments of all shapes and sizes. Sabine was admittedly a bit intimidated-she had no idea where to even start on all of this-but Hera had no such qualms, walking boldly up to one of the shop attendants and saying, "Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help us? My daughter is trying to put together a Ren faire outfit but we're both pretty new to this. Do you think you could help us with picking out and trying on some things?"

Though it was far from the first time Hera had called her her daughter, Sabine couldn't help but feel a small burst of pride that someone as amazing as Hera had chosen to be her mom, even though they had no blood ties and Hera had absolutely no obligation to treat her as her own. She knew there were hundreds if not thousands of moms out there who didn't love their biological kids a fraction as much as Hera loved her which pretty much made Hera the best mom ever.

"Oh, la, of course I'd be happy to help!" the shop girl answers, bustling over to them, her shimmering skirts making a rather satisfying swishing sound. "What are you ladies looking for today?"

"Bean?" Hera looks over at Sabine. "This is for you, what would you like to try?"

"I…" Sabine rubs her arm, feeling a bit nervous now that she was being confronted with this total stranger asking her about clothes. "I'd kind of like to try a corset, but I don't know if I have the right body for one, at least not yet…"

"Oh, sweetie." The girl gives her a surprisingly comforting pat on the hand. "You aren't meant to make the corset look good. The whole point of a corset is for it to make you look your best. And believe me, the right one can work wonders."

"Really?" Sabine asks hopefully.

"Really." The girl nods her head sagely. "Let's get your measurements to get an idea of what size you are and then we can start the fun of actually trying them on!" She pulls a tape measure out of her pocket. "Arms up, please!"
Sabine does as instructed, feeling a lot less shy now and actually starting to feel excited about this.

Once her measurements had been taken, the shop girl starts pulling corsets of various designs and colors off the racks. There were two Sabine really liked-one an iridescent lavender and one a dark purple with a lacy black overlay. The shop girl helps her try the lavender one on first, demonstrating to Hera how to properly lace it up. It was a bit uncomfortable, but really not much more than wearing a bra, and the results were totally worth it-her waist actually went in, giving her the appearance of having hips, and the corset made the most of the bit of chest she had. She knew that she didn't need to have an hourglass figure or breasts in order to be a girl, but there was something incredibly personally gender affirming about this that she was actually getting a bit emotional. The next corset, which Hera laced up this time under the watchful eye of the shop girl, fit just as well, and Sabine started to wonder if she could get away with just wearing corsets all the time.

"So, which one do you like best, Sabine?" Hera asks as she turns around in front of the mirror to get the full effect.

"I don't know," Sabine admits. "They're both so pretty…"

"And they both go very well with your hair," the shop girl adds, which was encouraging since Sabine had specifically picked out corsets she thought would go well with her white and purple hair.

"I think you have a point!" Hera laughs. "Let's get both of them."

"Both of them?" Sabine repeats. "Oh, no, Mom, you don't have to-!"

"I want to, so just let me do this, okay?" Hera gently tucks a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "I know you'll get a lot of use out of them."

"Thanks, Mom." Sabine gives her a grateful smile, which Hera returns before going to pay for the corsets.

Once the transaction was complete, Hera and Sabine head out into the faire to find the others, Sabine proudly wearing the purple and black lace corset (the shop was nice enough to hold the other one behind the counter for them so they didn't have to carry it around all day and they could just pick it up before leaving.) It took a bit to find others-cell reception was very spotty out here-but finally they finally catch up to them at a booth that sold little bendable snake-like dragon toys that could be worn wrapped around your arm or belt. Ezra was the first to spot them, and his eyes widen when they fall on Sabine.

"Wow, Bean, you look great!" he says, quickly adding, "And just to clarify, I mean that as your brother, I'm not trying to hit on you or anything!"

"Don't worry, I already knew that," Sabine reassures him, fighting a smile-she knew he was thinking of how he'd awkwardly tried flirting with her when they first met in the game until she'd privately explained to him that she was a lesbian and wasn't interested in guys, even ones her own age, at which point he'd immediately and respectfully backed off and they were able to settle into the much more comfortable sibling relationship they had now.

"You look very beautiful, Bean," Kanan tells her with fatherly pride.

"Thanks!" Sabine beams at him. "It's really starting to feel like I've got an outfit coming together!"

"That's the fun of garb and making a Ren faire character-getting to build on it, you never really stop developing them and they'll sometimes surprise you," Zeb says sagely before gesturing to the stall. "Speaking of which, you need to get choosing your dragon!"

"My what?"

"It's a tradition-or I thought it could be the start of a tradition, all of us having dragons," Zeb explains. "I even talked Alex into wearing one so you and Hera need to pick ones or you won't match the rest of us!"

Sabine saw that Ezra already had a little orange dragon on his arm while Kanan had a dark green one, Zeb had a purple one, and Alex had a grey one looped a little less conspicuously around his belt.

"Thank you, Uncle Zeb!" Sabine gives him a quick hug before considering the display of dragons in front of hers, finally settling on a little pink and purple one while Hera chose a mint green one.

"Kind of feels like we're forming a little adventuring party," Kanan laughs as they all walk back out into the Ren faire. "Matching dragons and everything."

"Might as well be," Zeb chuckles. "I couldn't think of a better party to go adventuring with." And Sabine quite agreed with him.

For the next few hours Zeb led the way around the faire and they wove their way in and out of shops and even a few shows. It seemed like they couldn't go five minutes without Zeb being stopped by someone he knew who wanted to talk, but Sabine didn't really mind. For one thing she liked feeling like she was getting a cool behind-the-scenes look at faire and like she already had connections there. For another, it just felt really nice having Zeb introducing them all to everyone in his family.

Sometime around one they decided to take a break to stop for lunch. She and Ezra were allowed to pick out whatever they wanted to eat, but Zeb highly recommended a food stall that sold homemade pasta, and after trying the lemon crab ravioli that was the special of the day she had to agree it had been a good choice.

Sabine was almost finished eating when she spotted a familiar head of white hair on the other side of the clearing where the family was eating. Jack? It had to be, she didn't know anyone else around her age in a town like this who had hair that color! Eager to go say hi, she gently tugs on Hera's sleeve. "Mom? I just saw a friend, can I go say hello?"

"Sure, Bean-just don't go too far, okay?" Hera answers. "You know we've been getting really spotty service out here."

"I won't," Sabine promises before turning to Ezra. "You should come with me!"

"What? Why?" Ezra asks, looking a bit startled as Sabine starts pulling him along.

"Because I go to school with Jack, and you'll probably be going to my school too and it wouldn't hurt to have another familiar face there," Sabine answers.

"...Oh my gosh. That's right." Ezra's eyes go wide. "I-I'm going to be going to school again, aren't I?"

"More than likely-I can't imagine you'll get away with not going to school considering you're even younger than me," Sabine agrees.

"I… Wow." Ezra shakes his head. "I don't know how to feel about that. I mean, going back to school doesn't exactly sound fun, but at the same time it means getting a degree, maybe even getting into a college so I can get a job that pays well when I grow up…."

"I'd say you're a little young to be worrying about that sort of thing, but the truth is I know how you feel," Sabine admits. "I mean, until I found the rest of you, I figured once I was eighteen I was completely on my own and would have to figure out how to support myself. But now… Now it feels like I've got a bit of cushion to fall back on-like I'm not going to be immediately kicked out onto the streets if I don't know exactly what I'm doing or can't find a job right away once I'm an adult, y'know?"

"I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm not going to be back out on the streets tomorrow." Ezra rubs his arm nervously. "I mean, I know Hera and Kanan-Mom and Dad, sorry, I'm still getting used to calling them that-and Uncle Zeb aren't that sort of people. But my brain still won't let me relax because it's convinced that I'm going to do something wrong and get myself kicked out…"

Ezra's shoulders were hunched up, as if unconsciously trying to make himself take up less space so as to be less of a burden. It was a posture Sabine knew all too well, and she finds herself wrapping an arm around him.

"Hey," she says softly. "I know it's a bit hard to believe right now but we're all really happy to have you here, and you're definitely not getting kicked out. Trust me-right after I moved in and Mom and Dad and Uncle Zeb were helping me paint my room I accidentally knocked a paint can over-orange paint went all over the carpet. I was freaking out-just about had a panic attack, I started crying and everything. But you know what they said?"

"No, what did they say?" Ezra asks quietly.

"They just laughed and said it was just like me to make even the floor colorful. And then when they saw I was really scared they all hugged me and told me it was okay, that I wasn't in trouble and accidents happened. Uncle Zeb even offered to replace the carpet-said it was old and needed to be replaced anyways just to make me feel better-but I asked him to leave it alone, kind of as a visual reminder of how much everyone cares about me, y'know? And then we ended up taking more paint in other colors and splattering it all over the place too and it turned out really amazing!"

"They did that?"

"They did. And I know you're probably still going to be nervous for a while-heck, I was too-but just know that you can always talk to them about it. Or, y'know, if you don't feel comfortable with doing that, you can come to me since I kind of know what you're going through."

"Thanks, Bean." Ezra finally cracks a smile, looking up at her.

"Of course." Sabine playfully ruffles his hair. "That's what big sisters are for."

The two of them finally reach Jack, who, as it turned out, wasn't alone. Hiccup was also there, along with his other partner, Astrid (the two of them went to a different school than Jack and Sabine), as well as Jack's stepsister Toothiana who was a senior and a year above Sabine and Jack. (Sabine may or may not have a bit of a crush on her, or at the very least appreciated her taste in hair colors: turquoise and royal blue with bright yellow bangs.) Toothiana had brought along her friend and classmate, Tadashi (who, small world, was Sabine's friend from camp, Fred's, boyfriend) and Tadashi had brought his little brother, Hiro, who, while only thirteen, was also a senior. Poor Ezra seemed quite confused by the end of the introductions (not that Sabine could blame him) but seemed to gravitate to Hiro as someone close to his own age. At first Sabine was worried they weren't getting along because they seemed to be having a rather heated debate about whether a blaster/lightsaber combo was possible, but when Hera came to collect them he and Hiro traded phone numbers cheerfully enough to "continue the discussion" as Hiro put it. Sabine wasn't sure why Ezra was so keen to keep having this argument until she noticed the rosy glow on his cheeks as they walked away.

"Aww… You like him, don't you?" Sabine whispers, gently nudging him.

"What? No, I don't!" Ezra protests.

"Mm hm." Sabine knew her little brother better than that-she'd have to see what she could do about matchmaking the two of them. But she'd let it go for now-today was family time, after all.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly enough-they focused more on shows as they'd already seen most of the shops in the morning. Ezra ended up absolutely falling in love with the jousts and swordfights and Sabine could tell that Kanan was going to have an eager student for his stage combat skills (which worked out in her favor since, while she enjoyed the occasional sparring match, she much preferred art to mock fights, and hopefully Kanan wouldn't spend as much time trying to guilt her into them since he had a willing participant.)

The day ended with a little interactive show called "Pub Sing" that involved singing and a circle dance. Sabine got a pleasant surprise when Toothiana asked her to dance (she was pretty sure Jack was behind that, and she made to thank him for that later.) Then it was time to drive home. Alex had been invited to stay for dinner, and since he had to pick up his car from the house anyways he'd agreed, something Sabine hoped might become a regular occurrence-she liked having all of her family together, and she hoped that someday they'd actually all be living under one roof. She was lost in imagining what that might be like when she feels a small pressure against her side, and she looks down to see that Ezra had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Smiling, she adjusts herself so that they'd both be more comfortable. She didn't have everything yet. But for now this was more than enough.