Author's Note: Alright, so this one's been in my drafts for awhile, waiting for my beta to get to it. But life's been rough on them lately, and I'm still hoping they have time for my long-fic " A Master and an Apprentice", so we're just gonna post this and hope for the best XD I absolutely love the Rebels TV show, sometimes more than The Clone Wars (I know, crazy right? But there it is). I just kept looking over my prompts, wondering what the heck to write and then it hit me that I *was* actually capable of writing about more than just the Disaster Trio XD Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this quick, fluffy birthday party!

Author's Note II: What the heck?! There's no character slot for "Kanan Jarrus"? Or "Caleb Dume"? Or "K. Jarrus" or "C. Dume" or "Kanan J." or "Caleb D.". What the heck, . Good thing the man's name is in the title, cause he is not listed as one of the characters in this fic, through no fault of my own.

Out in the middle of nowhere, ringed by stars of all different kinds, a ship and her crew might possibly have been on fire...

Kanan let out a frustrated growl as he opened the oven once again to black smoke. The orange astromech beside him let out a mournful whistle. "I know, I know! Why can't I get this, Chopper?" Hera always made fantastic cakes for their birthdays, and he just wanted to return the favour. But this was his second attempt, and he had nothing to show for it but two ruined cakes down the garbage chute.

Ezra walked into the galley just as he set the cake on the stove and closed the oven door, cutting off the steady stream of smoke.

Coughing dramatically, Ezra asked, "What are you doing in here?"

The sight of his Padawan frantically waving smoke away from his face only made Kanan grumpier. "I'm trying to bake a cake for Hera's birthday!"

"What for?"

"Because…!" Kanan sighed, leaning against the counter next to the still-smoking cake. "Because it's been a tough few months. And… Hera always manages to make our birthdays special, and we usually can't return the favour. I wanted today to be different."

There was a pause as Kanan and Ezra looked at each other, Kanan sure he was telegraphing the words he couldn't say as clear as day to his apprentice.

After a moment, a slow smile spread across Ezra's face. "Aaaahhh, I gotcha." Then his face turned solemn. "Have you never baked a cake before?"

"No! It wasn't exactly on the list of my Temple lessons! Can you help me?"

"You think I know how?! My parents died when I was seven. And even before they did, it wasn't like they had time to cook with me between working like slaves in the factory, and hiding from the Empire!"

Kanan let out another sigh, taking off the pink and orange oven mitts that Sabine had so lovingly decorated, to run a hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do then."

"Don't know what to do about what?"

Sabine popped her head around the doorway, peering skeptically at the smoke that was disappearing through the vent. She glanced at Kanan and Ezra's chagrined faces, then to the ruined, black cake. "What did you two do?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Okay! Okay!" She half-yelled to quiet the clamouring voices of the two men and the droid as they both started talking at once to defend themselves. She held out her hands in a placating manner. "Okay. What exactly are you trying to do here?"

Kanan explained, sourly, and Sabine started laughing before he'd even finished. "You two are supposed to be the great hope of the Rebellion? You two who can move objects with your minds, and wield swords made of pure energy? And you can't bake a cake!"

"Hey," Kanan huffed, not willing to admit her point just yet. "When you grow up in the middle of a Galactic war, and they even pull you out of training to become one of the Temple's youngest Padawan's ever, cake-baking is just not high on the priority list!"

Sabine threw her hands wide in an all-encompassing gesture. "Apparently it is!"

He frowned.

Chopper made a chortling noise while Ezra huffed a laugh, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. "You just described our exact situation, Kanan."

Kanan smiled, running another hand through his hair. "Oh. I guess I did."

"Well, unlike you boys," Sabine said, pulling out bowls and ingredients. "I didn't become estranged from my mother until I was older, so I do know how to bake." She shoved a bag of flour into Kanan's hands, and a mixing bowl into Ezra's just as he started to laugh at his Master's perplexed expression.

"That's right," she said, grinning at his shock. "You're helping too, buddy. Chopper!"

Chopper beeped.

"Get us some eggs, will ya pal?"

He let out a low tone, saluting as he rolled off to the refrigeration unit.

"And will somebody turn that oven down? It's about two hundred degrees too hot!"

Behind Sabine's back, Ezra shook his head at his Master, pointing his hand at the stove and turning the dial back with the Force just to annoy him - "That's an indulgent use of the Force, Ezra, that's not how it should be used!" - Kanan glowering at him the whole time.

Sabine finished tying the apron strings over her armour with a snap. "We've got work to do!"

Several hours later, Hera and Zeb got back from their supply run. Kanan held his breath as he listened to the two wander the halls, calling for their crewmates. He motioned to Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper to stay put where they were all hiding in the rec room, lights turned off. All three nodded the affirmative.

Kanan could sense Hera and Zeb slowly finding their way to the group in hiding, as he knew Ezra could too. He waited until he could hear Hera's voice in the hallway, floating closer.

"If they've run off somewhere on some mission I didn't authorize, I swear - "

Kanan flicked the lights on.

"Surprise!" all three humans shouted, Chopper throwing in some celebratory-sounding beeps.

Kanan felt like his heart could burst from the look of joy on Hera's face as she took in the meager decorations they'd scrounged up. The colourful lights Ezra had found… and the cake. Smelling wonderful, looking pristine… Kanan was proud of their handiwork.

But he was more interested in the absolutely touched look on Hera's face.

"You guys… I don't know what to say!" Hera had a hand on her heart, her eyes shining as she looked at the small group.

Zeb gave a broad smile behind her as Ezra said, "Happy Birthday, Hera!"

"Happy birthday, Hera," Sabine repeated.

"You guys…" Hera held out her arms to them, enveloping them in a crushing hug. "I haven't had a surprise party in years!" She let out a laugh, finally letting them go.

"It was all Kanan's idea!" Ezra said, clapping him on the back.

Kanan smiled warmly as Hera turned her eyes on him. He stepped forward, their arms catching each other in an embrace at the same time.

He murmured in her ear as he held her close. "Happy birthday." Lowering his voice to a more… intimate pitch, he finished, "Hera."

He felt her shiver slightly as she pulled back, giving him an equally affectionate smile.

A flash of heat came over him, warming him from the inside out, and he felt his lips pull back in a smile he usually reserved for when they were alone. The urge to crush their lips together was overwhelming. He'd already started leaning in… when Sabine coughed. The heat disappeared as quickly as it had come, as his senses were viscerally reminded of where they were.

He stepped back quickly - perhaps too quickly, judging from the amused looks his crewmates were giving each other - and latched onto the first distraction he could think of. "We baked you a cake!" He exclaimed, gesturing with both hands dramatically.

"Um," Sabine stepped forward, hands on her hips. "I baked a cake, you almost set The Ghost on fire."

"I did not!" Kanan retorted, gratefully falling into the old routine. "There wasn't that much smoke."

Zeb's rough voice spoke up. "I always thought if anyone was gonna burn the Ghost down, it would be this guy." He jabbed a thumb at Ezra.

Ezra crossed his arms. "Hey! I take offence to that!"

"You were supposed to."

"Guys, guys!" Hera, ever the mediator stepped in. "Why don't we all sit down and eat the cake? My mouth is watering just looking at it."

Chopper beeped an affirmative.

"Chopper, you don't even have a mouth to water," Kanan replied skeptically.

"I call the end spot!" Ezra shouted, racing for the table.

"Nuh-uh, you know that's my spot," Sabine countered, trying to beat him to it.

"You know there's two end spots, right?" Came Zeb's dry voice.

Kanan and Hera just smiled.

He leaned back in his seat, patting his full stomach. Man, he was stuffed.

He glanced around the table. Sabine was just savouring her last bite, Ezra was still shovelling his third piece in, and Zeb was eyeing the last piece on the cake plate, clearly considering having a fourth. Only Hera was finished, leaning back in her seat just like him.

He smiled at her from across the table, a happy, contented smile. She mirrored it.

"Well!" Hera said out loud, glancing around the table at the rest of her family. "That was absolutely delicious. Now I feel bad for never baking your guy's cakes."

Ezra and Sabine both choked, while Kanan felt his mouth drop open.

"What? You don't make our cakes?" He said, dumbfounded.

She shook her head.

"But… but that's why we made the cake! Because you put so much energy into our birthdays, making them special, and baking the cake!"

"Sorry to disappoint, love, but no, I never made your cakes. You think I have the time to run a Rebel cell, mother all of you, and bake all four of you cakes? Any time I know a birthday is coming up, the first thing I do when we land on a planet is pick up a local cake and freeze it!"

The whole table stared at her for the space of two heartbeats.

Sabine spoke up first. "Well then."

Followed closely by Ezra. "My life is a lie."

He could not have told you why, but Ezra's words hit him in just the right way. He started laughing.

Soon, Ezra was chuckling too, and then Hera and Sabine, and then the whole table was laughing uproariously.

It felt really good to laugh. It had been a very hard few months, and there had been precious few opportunities to actually pause and relax let alone have fun. It felt wonderful to have this moment of real levity with his friends.

He looked at Hera, examined the creases at the corners of her eyes as she laughed. Looked at Ezra and Zeb, purposefully falling into each as they rolled around, seeing who would be the first to fall. Looked at Sabine and Chopper as they high-fived one another.

This was his family, and he wouldn't give them up for anything.

He noticed Hera giving him a soft look from across the table, and knew they were thinking the same thing.

That this was their family. They might drive each other crazy sometimes, but they were there when their friends needed them. No matter what. Their family was why no one in this room would stop fighting the Empire until every last Imperial surrendered.

Because family was everything. And this one was Kanan's.

He looked at Hera with the same soft expression. Maybe one day they could have more than just stolen moments of peace together. But for now, this moment was worth it.

Out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by stars little and large, a ship and her crew rested…

The End