Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Sky & Co.

I am sorry to keep ya'll waiting. Life gets in the way, I'm afraid. Anywho, hope ya'll like this one!

Big thanks Delta808th, Kelana-ti, Guest, Janizary, and spikala for reviewing! And thanks again to the wonderful emjalen for beta reading this!


"What'cha doing, Rexter?"

Rex jumped and almost dropped the small comlink that he'd been about to slip into a belt pouch. He'd literally just finished speaking with a concerned Skylar, who'd called to check on him and Ahsoka, when he'd heard his Commander's sleepy voice pipe up from the bed beside him. He turned and fixed the young Togruta woman with a mock glare that caused her to roll blue eyes at him. "Nothing important, Commander." The comment earned him yet another eye roll, but the smile she gave him was nothing if not mischievous. The captain found himself breathing a sigh of relief, thankful that she was healing so rapidly from her most recent brush with death. Rex doubted he'd be able to see trenches as safe spots any more, at least not for Ahsoka.

"You were talking with someone while I was sleeping, weren't you? A girlfriend, perhaps?" she queried, a twinkle in her eye. She's teasing me, as always. But this wasn't a funny subject to him, especially since she was the only girl he would ever want. To hear her talk about him having feelings for someone else... It just... He had no other way to describe it other than the fact that it felt completely wrong. If only I could work up the nerve to tell her that...

Of course, even after all that time keeping watch over her as she recovered from the commando droid's point blank shot, he somehow still couldn't bring himself to reveal his feelings towards her. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't bear the thought of living without her, but all that came out was, "I wasn't aware that the men and I were even allowed to partake in... relationships." Ahsoka began to swing her legs over side of the bunk as he spoke, but a stern look from him had her frozen in place. "And you know that Kix wants you to stay in that bed for at least another day."

Ahsoka's sour look made him chuckle and reminded him of the day he'd first met her. She'd made him laugh then and she could still make him laugh now, no matter how bad things got. If he hadn't had her to talk with after Umbara... I don't even want to go there. Rex forced himself to lock those thoughts away and focus on the girl... no, woman in front of him.

She crossed her arms, still glaring at him, "You don't like it back here either, Rex."

"That may be, but, in matters of health, Kix outranks us all, Commander. That, and I don't want to risk facing his wrath, thank you very much."

She laughed, shaking her head at him and causing her lekku to swing, "I think I liked it better when you just called me 'Ahsoka'." He paused, uncertain as to how he should respond to that. He had to admit, it felt much better to be able to just call her by name then have to continuously defer to her. Not that she didn't deserve the respect, but it would be nice to be able to talk with her like normal friends, even when his heart wanted something more... Stop doing this to yourself, Rex. You're only asking for trouble.

He cleared his throat and gave her a pointed look, "Maybe when it's just you and me, I could. But right now, this entire bay is full of my brothers and, as Captain, I've got to set the example for them. You know that, sir."

Ahsoka rolled her blue eyes at his excuse. "Then just shut the door, Rexter, and you won't have to worry about that," she answered, looking pointedly at the doorway of her private room.

Yeah, that's a good idea, Rex thought sarcastically. It'll definitely give the boys some not so good ideas... "I think it's best if it's left open, sir." He could feel the heat creeping up the back of his neck. Oh Force, please don't let her notice.

Of course, she did notice. Unfortunately. "Why, Rex. You're not blushing, are you?" she barely managed to whisper, fighting to hold in a laugh.

Caught, he gave her a sheepish look while rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, sir. I'm not used to-"

Ahsoka stopped him with a wave of her hand, causing the door to slide shut. "Flirting?" she questioned innocently, fighting to hold back a smirk.

Rex very nearly choked at the question and immediately started backpedaling, "No, sir. That's not... I mean-"

This time, Ahsoka actually did laugh and Rex felt his face get hot. "It's okay, Rexter. I kinda like it when you're 'not' flirting with me." Her blue eyes met his brown ones with a look he couldn't quite fathom. It wasn't quite the same look that he'd caught Skylar giving Fives once before, but it was close enough to make think that maybe, just maybe, Ahsoka was beginning to care for him in the same way that he cared for her.

But I thought she liked that Bonteri boy? Rex himself harbored no ill will towards the newly minted Senator, not anymore at least. When Ahsoka had told him that Bonteri had knocked her out and had taken her to meet with the Death Watch, the captain had been more than ready to go looking for that boy and teach him a lesson, clone style. But after meeting the young man on Onderon, he'd realized that the kid had merely been caught between a rock and a hard place. And I've been there before, he thought sadly, Umbara coming back to the forefront of his mind. Who am I to judge when I was used to do so much worse?

"Rex?"

"Hmmm?"

Ahsoka's expression was concerned as she watched him carefully, "You got quiet on me all of a sudden. Was it something I said?"

Rex shook his head, forcing himself to push Umbara to the back of his mind. "Not really. It's just... Nevermind."

"Rex, I swear, if you don't tell me what the haran is going on with you, I will court-martial you," she threatened with a growl. But it wasn't the threat and her tone that got his attention. It wasn't even the fact that this was the first time she'd ever growled at him. It was the Mando'a curse word that she'd used. Ahsoka never cursed. That, and she really hadn't been exposed to the language enough to have picked up that particular word.

The young woman huffed when he raised his brow at her, "I heard Fives use it. But that's not important right now," she finished, looking at him expectantly.

"What you said, about... 'flirting'. I... thought you liked that Bonteri boy." He'd been planning on saying that he actually wanted to try his hand at flirting with her, but, once again, what he'd been planning on saying wasn't what had slipped out.

She winced and he mentally cursed himself. He'd known that was a touchy subject and he'd brought it up anyway.

"Rex, Lux never..." Ahsoka took a deep steadying breath, looking anywhere but at him, "He never really cared for me like that. He loves... loved Steela," she trailed off miserably.

Could I be even more of a di'kut? "I'm sorry, little 'un," he responded softly, falling back on the nickname he'd used to call her back when she was still new to command.

She smiled at the moniker, but still didn't meet his eyes. Her hand found its way to his and she clasped his fingers tightly. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Rexter. In a way, he kind of helped me put things in perspective."

"What do you mean?"

Ahsoka finally met his eyes, giving him the same look she'd given him only moments before, "I realized that there was someone else who I cared for more. Who would never turn his back on me. No matter what."

He squeezed her hand, offering her a reassuring smile, "And I never will. But what about the Code? It's not against the regs for me to care about you, but-"

"Remember Callista?"

"The Altisian Jedi? Yeah, I remember her. I also remember that she shook a lot of your beliefs too." He remembered Ahsoka's solemn attitude when they'd finished that particular mission as she'd struggled to process all that they'd been exposed to. It had taken the young Togruta about a week to get back to her normal snippy behavior, but she'd never been exactly the same since.

"Well, I was thinking... After I'm Knighted, which shouldn't be too much longer-"

"You want to join them?"

"Mmhmm. I've given it some thought and I have to agree with Master Altis' teachings. You know, about how not all attachments are bad and that some can even strengthen us? Well, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be as strong as I am now without you. I'm only sorry that it took me this long to realize it."

Rex smirked, bringing their joined hands closer to his face and brushing his lips softly against her knuckles, a move he'd seen once in a holodrama, "As you should be. You certainly kept me waiting long enough, kid."

Ahsoka scowled at him mockingly, but the effect was marred by the darkening of the chevrons on her montrals and lekku, the Togrutan equivalent of a blush. At that moment, Rex found that he most definitely enjoyed making her blush.


haran = hell

di'kut = idiot, moron

Please R&R.