Zeb was absolutely steaming as he stalked his way through the facility, and he must have looked it because anyone even close to getting in his path was quickly scurrying out of the way. Good. Fuck them. Fuck this entire place. Thanks to them, the last almost year of his life had been a whole frigging lie.

Well… Not entirely. Just because everything in their lives had been being manipulated by some sadistic puppet master that didn't change the fact that these people around him were still his family, and everything that he felt for them was absolutely real. But he was still pissed beyond belief, and he could tell the others felt the same way.

He somehow managed to make it outside without giving in to anger and destroying something, which was something just short of a miracle. He had to keep moving-if he stopped then the angry energy would burst out and explode in a way that he'd probably (possibly) regret later. So he was a bit reluctant to stop when they reached the car and Kanan called for everyone to regroup-he knew they needed to talk about this but damn what he wouldn't give or a piece of wood and a knife so he could at least burn off some of this pent up emotional energy.

"So we need to talk about what happened back there," Kanan says.

"What's there to talk about?" Sabine spits. "Freaking Dr. Tano has been manipulating us and spying on us this entire time!"

"I think we need to talk about how we all feel about that," Kanan clarifies.

"We're fucking pissed, that's how we feel!" Zeb snaps.

"Okay, that's fair," Kanan sighs. "Better question-what do we want to do about all of this?"

"I dunno." Zeb shakes his head.

"I vote we get a restraining order," Alex says dryly.

"Seconded," Zeb agrees-he didn't want her to be able to come near their family ever again.

"But how could we report this to the police?" Hera asks. "Who's going to believe us if we tell them that a woman was manipulating our lives to try to turn us into Star Wars characters? It's not like she ever tried to physically harm us in the real world so I'm not sure we have the grounds for a restraining order."

"We could figure out something," Zeb grumbles, but, even though he hated to admit it, he had to admit that Hera had a point.

"I think right now the best thing we can do is go home and go on with our lives like this never happened, as much as I wish there was something we could do to fix this," Kanan sighs.

"You can act like nothing happened if you like, but I'm sleeping with one eye open for the forseeable future. I don't trust that bitch not to come after us." Zeb crosses his arms over his chest.

"Zeb, I don't think she's evil, just…. Really sad and lonely. I mean, can you think of any other reason she would be trying to turn herself and others into fictional characters?"

"Oh sure. Lonely. That excuses it," Zeb snaps. "Well the rest of us were plenty lonely and you didn't see us go fucking around with other people's lives like they were labrats!"

"That's true and I'm not disagreeing with you," Kanan quickly answers. "I just meant that I don't think we're in any immediate danger from her."

"You believe what you want, but I'm not going to let my guard down until I know she's not going to try to snatch one of us away and force us back into the game so she can turn us into aliens so we have to join her stupid communce."

"I hate to admit it, but you have a point," Hera sighs. "I feel like most of us can hold our own, but I'd feel safer if I knew that at least one of us was with the kids at all times when they're not at school, and maybe alert the school to be extra careful as well."

"Do you think we'll be okay?" Ezra asks quietly, finally speaking up. "I mean, if she was behind all of this, do you think she could… I dunno, find a way to fuck with our adoption process?"

Zeb felt a cold chill at that-wait, could she try to find a way to get the kids taken away from them?

"I don't think she'd do that," Kanan says firmly. "But even if she for some reason did, don't forget-she's not the only one with the force."

Ezra looked mildly relieved at that, but Zeb could tell that none of them felt fully at their ease about all of this.

"Come on," Hera finally says, breaking the solemn silence that had settled over the group. "I think we'll all feel a bit better with some distance between us and this place. Let's meet back up at the house and we can figure out what to do from there."

No one had any objections so Zeb gets into his truck with Alex and starts towards home, Zeb quietly grumbling under his breath until he feels Alex's hand on his arm.

"Love, take a breath-you like you're about to explode," Alex says softly.

"I look like I'm about to do some day drinking when I get home is what I look like," Zeb mutters.

"Mind if I join you?" Alex asks wryly.

"Not at all," Zeb answers, chuckling in spite of himself which somehow helped release a bit of the tension he was holding inside. "So-how are you holding up? You haven't said much…"

"I think I'm still trying to process this all," Alex admits. "It's a bit hard to believe that everything that's happened to us was being manipulated by an almost perfect stranger…"

"I know how you feel," Zeb sighs before asking quietly, "A-Are we still okay? You don't want to break up or anything, do you?"

"Of course not!" Alex answers fiercely. "U-Unless you do?"

"Never." Zeb reaches over to briefly squeeze Alex's knee. "Hell, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I was fully prepared to do that on Lira San, and just because we'll be doing it in a different location now my feelings about that haven't changed."

"...Garazeb, did you just propose to me?" Alex asks after a brief pause.

"...Shit, didn't mean to but I guess I kind of did?" Zeb answers sheepishly.

"Zeb… That's very sweet, and I absolutely feel the same way, but out here we've only known each other for-"

"No, no, I totally understand!" Zeb hurries to reassure him. "There's no need to rush anything! It's just…. Nice to know that we're on the same page, is all."

"I couldn't agree more," Alex answers, squeezing Zeb's knee and sending a series of very pleasant tingles up his thigh.

"And you're fine with me being like this, right?" Zeb asks, something Dr. Tano had said still eating at him. "I mean-you're okay with me being human and not a Lasat, right?"

"Are you kidding me?" Alex laughs. "I've had enough concerns about my sexuality without wondering if I'm really attracted to alien cats."

"Fair," Zeb agrees, also laughing.

"What about you?" Alex asks a little while later. "You're happy as a human, right? You didn't choose to be a Lasat in the game because you-?"

"Nah." Zeb shakes his head. "That might be some folk's cup of tea but not mine. I'm perfectly happy being plain old human, thank you very much, and I'm almost positive Hera feels the same way. I don't know where Ahsoka got it into her head that any of us would actually want to look like our avatars-"

He trails off as he suddenly realizes there was one person who might be an exception to that. "...Bean."

"What?" Alex asks, looking confused.

"Sabine. We were all so angry at Ahsoka that we didn't think about Sabine-that maybe becoming more like her avatar might be something she wanted…"

"...You might have a point," Alex says slowly. "But she was as upset as the rest of us about what was going on. I'll admit I don't know much about her situation, but somehow I don't think she would have wanted to choose that route."

"Yeah, yer probably right… But I still feel like one of us should talk to her and make sure she's alright."

"Which is incredibly thoughtful of you and one of the reasons I love you so much." Alex smiles softly at him.

"Thanks." Zeb gives him a sheepish smile before returning his thoughts to the matter at hand. "I'm not sure how would be the best way to approach this-if I should talk to her, or maybe Hera or Kanan? But I also don't want to single her out…"

"Maybe we can all have one large meeting to discuss everyone's needs right now?" Alex gently suggests after a minute of contemplation. "So no one feels 'singled out', as you put it, and make sure everyone is being taken care of."

"That's a great idea, 'Lex!" Zeb beams at him.

"I do have those on occasion," Alex chuckles.

"Yes you do," Zeb agrees with a warm smile, finally allowing himself to relax a little. There was a lot going on right now-a lot-and it would be a while, if ever, that things went back to the way that they were before. But they were a family, and, as a family, they'd get through this together, just like they always did.

5 Months Later…

Zeb takes a deep breath of the early morning air, watching the mist rising off the surface of the lake and nursing a mug of strong black coffee. It was going to be a long, hectic day so he was trying to get in as much peace and quiet as he could before everyone else woke up and the work began. He'd come down by himself, but he wasn't surprised and didn't really mind when a little while later Alex comes shuffling out onto the porch and proceeds to curl up next to him on the porch swing.

"You don't have to get up just because I did," Zeb tells him, shaking his head.

"Bed was cold without you…" Alex mumbles sleepily into his arm. "If you don't want me to get up then stay and keep me warm."

"Okay love," Zeb chuckles, indulgently ruffling his hair. Ever since Alex had moved in a month ago he'd discovered that he was a very cuddly person before his morning coffee-or maybe Zeb just brought out that side of him. Either way Zeb didn't mind at all, and he found his hand curling around Alex's, his fingers tracing over the gold band on Alex's hand that had been there for a week as of today. Maybe proposing to Alex a week before Kanan and Hera's wedding was technically a social faux pas, but the timing had just felt right, and Kanan and Hera had enthusiastically given him permission when he'd asked them.

He would have liked to have asked Alex's parents for their blessing as well but, as Alex had feared, they'd stopped talking to him as soon as he'd introduced Zeb to them over a Skype call as his boyfriend. Zeb still felt a bit guilty about that, but Alex kept reassuring him that he'd rather have him than the parents who had been abandoning him since birth anyways. And he did actually seem happier somehow-as if a burden had been lifted off of him-so Zeb was doing his best to believe him.

After allowing Alex some more cuddle time, Zeb gets up to get them both some caf. He ends up finding Kanan in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup.

"Hey," Zeb greets him.

"Oh, hey!" Kanan answers, looking startled, as if he hadn't even noticed Zeb walk in-which maybe he hadn't. No one could fault Kanan for being a little distracted today.

"How are you feeling?" Zeb asks gently.

"Nervous," Kanan admits, and his knuckles were looking a little pale as they clutched the handle of the mug. "But nervous in a good way, I guess? I mean, I'm marrying the love of my life in front of all our family and friends, there's no reason I should be nervous, right?"

"You can still be nervous about taking the next step even though you know it's the right one and the one that'll make you happiest," Zeb reassures him.

"Thanks, Zeb." Kanan gives him a grateful smile.

"That's why you chose me as your best man-so I can help keep you calm and get you to the altar in one piece, both physically and emotionally."

"You've gotten me through worse, buddy." Kanan lightly nudges him.

"Damn straight," Zeb laughs, nudging him back.

There wasn't actually going to be an altar at this wedding-just an arch covered in flowers in the backyard. Kanan and Hera had wanted to keep their wedding sweet but simple: a small ceremony performed by an old friend of Zeb's, Chava, and the reception was going to be a potluck in the house. Partly this was because neither of them really liked to make a big fuss over things, but the other part was to save money for the honeymoon, which was going to be a family trip to Disneyworld they were leaving out for the very next day. Maybe a family trip at an amusement park wasn't everyone's idea of a romantic honeymoon, but Hera and Kanan had had their hearts set on doing their first big trip together as a family, and Zeb and Alex were going to make sure that the two of them had plenty of time to themselves by being there to keep an eye on the kids as needed.

After making sure that Kanan didn't seem to be in any danger of a meltdown Zeb takes the coffee out to Alex, and they had just enough time to drink it before their responsibilities for the day began, Zeb as Kanan's best man and Alex as Hera's man of honor. (Although they were a bit old for it Ezra had been chosen as ring bearer and Sabine as the flower girl just to evenly spread out the roles, and neither of them seemed to mind, just excited to be a part of the wedding.) There was a lot of running around-making sure the bride and groom were properly dressed, making sure that all of the decorations were in place, helping the guests (mostly coworkers of Hera and Kanan's) drop off their food for the potluck and then find their seats, and of course keeping a weather eye out to make sure Dr. Tano didn't crash the wedding (they'd had radio silence from her since they'd left the facility so almost everyone had finally put that behind them, but Zeb couldn't help but keep his guard up just in case.)

Somehow they managed to get it all done with minimal fuss and no unexpected guests, and almost exactly on time Zeb found himself standing next to Kanan under the flower arch. He could tell that Kanan was still a bit nervous, even as the kids walk down the aisle together, Ezra looking a dapper gentleman in his suit and Sabine every bit an elegant lady in her fluttery lilac dress. Of course Alex was handsome as ever in his steel grey suit. And then Hera appeared, as dazzling and brilliant as the sun in her orange saree, confidence and joy radiating with every step as she walks herself down the aisle. (She'd declined to even attempt to invite her birth family to the ceremony, saying that if they couldn't be bothered to come to any of the other important events in her life they weren't welcome at this one, and she'd also declined to have anyone else walk her down the aisle because she didn't need anyone to give her away-she was an adult freely entering a partnership with the man she loved so why did she need anyone else's permission?) Her confidence was contagious because by the time she reached the end of the aisle any hint of nerves had disappeared from Kanan's face, and it was with the utmost surety and conviction that they both exchanged their vows and said "I do".

The reception to follow was completely Sabine's handiwork-she'd insisted on doing all the decorating herself, and the kitchen, dining room, and back porch had been transformed in swaths of soft blues and greens, with a sprinkling of twinkling fairy lights adding to the simple but elegant atmosphere. Zeb wasn't exactly the most social person in the world so he found himself hanging back from the small crowd who'd come to wish the couple well, and he was absolutely staying away from the dance floor Sabine had set up in the living room because she had sworn to drag him out onto it at some point during the party. Fortunately he had someone even more antisocial than him to keep him company.

"The wedding's been lovely," Alex says as he sits curled up next to Zeb on the porch swing.

"It has," Zeb agrees, lazily draping his arm around Alex's shoulders.

"You know, we might consider letting Sabine help with our wedding," Alex hedges.

"We might do," Zeb agrees before asking with a playful smirk, "Did she ask you to say that to me?"

"I'm not sure it was much a request as a command-I swear she has wedding fever, we'd barely announced our engagement and she'd already pounced on me," Alex grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aww, I'm sorry, love." Zeb kisses his cheek, trying not to laugh at how adorably disgruntled Alex looked. "But that's what you get for being the soft uncle."

"Me the soft uncle?" Alex protests. "You're the one who can never say no to either of them!"

"I think it's just safe to say we're both in trouble," Zeb says wryly.

"If I had a drink in my hand I'd say I'll drink to that-and as it is I'd get up to go get one if I wasn't so comfortable here…"

"Aww." Zeb gently kisses the top of his head before asking softly, "You don't regret any of this, do you? You're happy here with all of us?"

"Garazeb." Alex reaches up to tenderly cup his cheek with his palm, and Zeb happily nuzzles into the touch. "I would gladly go through all of that again if it meant ending up back here with you just like this."

"Yeah, me too," Zeb breathes. And he absolutely would, in a heartbeat. He never would have imagined almost a year ago that signing up to play a video game would completely change his life. But he was so glad that it had.

-Fin