It wasn't the first time Ezra had woken up in an unfamiliar place, but it was certainly the first time he had found himself in a comfortable bed upon doing so.

His head throbbed; his mouth felt like it was full of cotton. On the table next to him sat a water bottle. He touched it hesitantly, but there was no impression left on it. Sitting up, he promptly chugged it. It did very little to help the fog in his brain.

Ezra was still wearing his own jeans, although someone had changed him into a different sweatshirt. It was slightly too big for him, but it was soft. He couldn't sense anything from it. Probably new, then. Smelling it, he tried to recall the last time he wore something this clean.

There was no clock in the room, but it was dark outside. The faint murmur of voices drifted in from the adjacent room.

He let the sleeves fall past his hands, thankful for the small amount of protection the fabric provided, and ventured outside.

The room was dark with the exception of the glow from a TV, illuminating Kanan stretched out on the couch. He noticed Ezra and muted whatever he was watching.

"Hey." Kanan sat up straighter on the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not really sure. What happened?" He wrapped his arms around himself, but it brought very little comfort.

"I was hoping you could tell me, kid. We found you in the alley. You seemed pretty shaken up."

Ezra shook his head as if it would help clear away the fuzz. "I don't remember."

Kanan let out a small breath and smiled. "Maybe that's for the best. What's the last thing you do remember?"

"I-I tried to take someone's wallet, but something happened." Closing his eyes, he tried to put together some semblance of the night, but everything after grabbing the wallet was lost to him. The haze in his mind started to expand and he felt himself start to sway on his feet.

Kanan sprang off the couch as if to catch him, but Ezra took a step back.

"I'm okay. I think I just need more sleep."

Kanan raised his eyebrows but didn't press any further. "Okay, we'll talk in the morning."

"Looking forward to it," Ezra muttered under his breath.

He could feel Kanan's eyes on him as he went back inside the bedroom. Hopefully, he'd be able to slip out in the morning before anyone realized he was gone.

Kanan made a groaning noise as he opened his eyes. It warm under the blankets and for once he had been having a good dream. Hera was curled up next to him, her head nestled on his shoulder. A noise of some kind had stirred him from sleep, but he couldn't remember exactly what.

Sounds of movement came from the next room followed by the yowl of a cat and then the sharp crack of shattering glass.

"Karabast!" hissed a voice.

Kanan laughed quietly to himself. He probably should have told Ezra about Chopper. Hopefully, the kid wasn't allergic.

Hints of sunlight peaked through the blinds. He wanted to sleep a little longer, but if Ezra was awake and up, he should be too. It must be a little awkward for Ezra to find himself in some stranger's apartment. Slowly, Kanan extracted himself from underneath Hera's embrace. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes.

It was soft, but Kanan heard the undeniable sound of a door opening and closing. He was not a morning person and it took longer than normal for it to register.

"Ezra?" Kanan opened the door of the bedroom and cautiously stepped over the pieces of a broken vase. Hera would not be happy. He checked the kitchen, the bathroom, and the spare bedroom, only to find the cat. "Kriff," he muttered. In hindsight, he should have seen this coming.

There was no time to get properly dressed, only to grab his coat and slip on a pair of the first shoes he spotted, a pair of flimsy flip flops. His plaid pajama bottoms would have to do. By the time he made it out the door, he could just barely see Ezra disappear around a corner up ahead.

Running in flip flops was near impossible, but he was able to manage for a few streets, slowing down once he caught sight of the boy. He watched as Ezra entered a large boutique. Kanan hurried his steps. The kid had no money, why would he possibly go into some swanky store? Despite the early hour, there was a decent number of shoppers. One of them eyed Kanan's attire and he felt his face grow warm.

He spotted Ezra in the back, looking at merchandise on a table. The kid glanced up at the ceiling, his eyes searching for something. Kanan started to make his way over, but before he could approach him, he felt the soft pull of a nearby Wielder. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. They're were mostly pairs of parents shopping with their child. A group of teenage girls were looking at jewelry. No one that Kanan believed to be of any threat.

He was just about shrug off his ability, when he noticed an older gentleman in a suit, which seemed a little too formal for shopping. The man stood on the opposite wall of where Ezra was, texting on his phone. But every so often, he would lift his eyes and watch the boy for a few seconds. Ezra was examining a rack of shirts, one hand in his jacket pocket. He took one side glance at the busy employee behind the cash register and began to turn to the door, only for a security guard to appear and grab him by the arm.

"Really, kid?" the guard demanded.

Kanan heard Ezra stammer as he tried to escape the man's grasp.

Kriff, this would not end well. He needed to intervene.

"Are you accusing my son of stealing?"

Recognizing him, Ezra's eyes went wide with shock, only to quickly narrow. He scowled at Kanan, still struggling with the guard's hold on him.

The security guard took in Kanan's plaid pajama bottoms and sandals, his eyebrows raised. Neither his nor Ezra's disheveled appearance, gave the impression that they could afford anything from this store. There was also the issue that they looked nothing alike. Still, Kanan knew attitude more than anything was necessary when it came to lying.

"Let go of him," he said, emphasizing each word. "If he say's he didn't take anything, he didn't."

Everyone in the store was staring at them now. Kanan noticed that the man in the suit was especially watching with keen interest. The guard dropped Ezra's arm, regarded Kanan with cold eyes, and walked away.

"Seriously?" Kanan hissed once they had left.

"Are you following me?" Ezra demanded. He took a pair of green gloves out of his pocket and put them on.

"You weren't exactly stealthy this morning."

"Well I wasn't exactly anticipating your crazy cat to attack me."

Kanan snorted. Yeah Chopper was a pain, but Hera lo-.

He felt the pull again and casually glanced over his shoulder, confirming his suspicion. Karabast.

"You want to tell me why it was so important to steal those?" He gestured to Ezra's gloved hands. "You could have just asked us for a pair."

Ezra didn't answer.

"Fine, don't tell me," Kanan said, a little sharper than he meant to. Ezra's eyes flashed with anger at him. Kanan took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone. "Look, I'm just trying to understand. It can't be easy being on your own so young. I just thought you could use someone to look out for you.".

"First of all, we just met," Ezra argued. "And honestly, you're not the first person to say that to me. No one ever does something simply to be nice. There's always a catch."

"Kid, I've saved you three times now. Think you can start trusting me at least a little? I just want to help you."

"Why? There are thousands of kids alone out there. You want to help me just because I'm a freak like you?"

Kanan frowned at the choice of word, but chose not to comment on it. "I was around your age when things started to get really bad. Almost overnight they were doing everything in their power to hunt us down. If it wasn't for-" he trailed off and took a deep breathe. "Look, I had someone to protect me. E.M.P.I.R.E. is relentless. If they find out about your abilities, they won't stop until they have you."

"I'm not some lost puppy. I can take care of myself."

"Oh, really?" He raised his eyebrows and gently grabbed Ezra's arm to pull him off into an empty alley.

"Hey!"

Kanan held a finger to his lips and gestured to the street they had just left. A few moments later the older man wearing a black suit walked past. Though he kept his head straight, Kanan could see his glance slide to the pair of them for a brief second.

"That guy right there is a Wielder." Kanan told Ezra once he had checked that the man had continued down the street. "I saw him leave the store right after us. Now, maybe it's a total coincidence. Or maybe he was following us. You've heard about the Inquisitors, right?"

Ezra nodded.

"There's a reason there are so few of us left," Kanan said, his tone steady and serious. "Inquisitors are ruthless, and they won't care that you're a kid. If anything, it makes you a more valuable capture. That is why I want to help you. Because you don't deserve what will happen if those monsters find you."

Ezra wrapped his arms around himself but didn't reply right away. His face was solemn, as if he were considering Kanan's warning. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke. "How did you know?" His voice was quiet. "I mean, how did you know what he was? What I am?"

Kanan's face softened. There was unmistakable fear in the kid's eyes. Kriff, he was so young. Ezra should be worrying about getting good grades or asking someone to a dance, not if he was going to end up in some lab, getting dissected. "It's hard to describe, but I can sense when someone is a Wielder. It's like this weird hum in my mind that draws me to them. When I was younger, I felt it constantly. But now, with everything E.M.P.I.R.E. has done, it happens maybe once a week, if even that."

"I thought you were telekinetic? I've never heard of someone with two abilities."

"Guess I'm lucky," Kanan replied with a dry laugh.

Ezra snorted and leaned up against the brick wall. "Figures. You get two cool, useful powers and I get this bullshit." He wiggled his fingers.

"Yeah we still need to talk about that. Whatever happened last night, I'm assuming it had something to do with your ability?"

Ezra winced and stared down at Kanan's feet; his brow furrowed. He seemed to be debating whether or not to answer. Eventually he lifted his head, but didn't meet Kanan's eyes. "When I touch something, I feel things."

"Don't most people?" The joke slipped out before Kanan could stop himself. Luckily, Ezra didn't appear to be too annoyed. He simply rolled his eyes and continued as if Kanan hadn't spoken.

"I can feel the strong emotions that people felt while touching the object. Sometimes I see images or even hear thoughts, anything strong enough that left an impression." He inhaled deeply and ran his fingers through his hair. His expression grew pained. "The same thing when I touch people, only so much worse. All their fears, their desires, their memories. I can feel everything. If I touch them too long, I lose myself." He shuddered and held his arms close to his chest again, as if he were trying to keep himself together. It was almost an unconscious motion, one that Kanan realized Ezra did often.

"So, I'm guessing something like that happened last night when we found you."

Ezra nodded. "I honestly don't remember much if it, but yeah. I must have gotten overwhelmed. That hasn't happened to me in a really long time. Not since right after my parents-," he trailed off, his eyes hard.

Kanan reflected on the events of the past few days. Small details that he noticed, but not thought much about. Like Ezra's hesitation at the diner's entrance or how he had refrained from touching anything at the table. Why he had risked getting caught just for a pair of gloves. The state they had found last night.

How had he not put the pieces together? Kriff, he had seen Cal go through the same thing. Back before anyone knew anything about Wielders, Kanan had been there when his friend collapsed after simply picking up a doll they had found in the woods. He'd seen how Cal avoided touching anything until he learned to control it. Horror and guilt suddenly flooded him, remembering how he had touched Ezra's hands right before he fainted. Force only knew the trauma the kid had experienced all because of him. How did he seem to always make things worse?

Ezra started speaking again, breaking Kanan out of his reverie. "I've heard so many stories about these incredible abilities. Everyone else gets superpowers and I get stuck with this thing." He waved vaguely with hands.

"The name for it is psychometry. It's an incredibly rare gift."

"I wouldn't exactly call it that," Ezra said, bitterness bleeding through his words.

Kanan flushed. "You're right. Bad choice of words, I'm sorry." He ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn't put it up before he left the house and it was starting to bother him. "Ezra, you can learn to control this. I have a friend I think can help. If you don't mind sticking around for a bit, that is."

Ezra studied Kanan's face for a moment before smiling. It was the first time Kanan had seen him do so. "I wouldn't mind sleeping in a warm bed for once."

"Come on," Kanan chuckled. "There's someone I want you to meet." He put his arm around the boy's shoulder.

They were just about to enter the main street when he felt it. Jerking away from Ezra he spun around, his eyes searching the alley. It was empty. Aside from the building's fire escape, there was no where a person could have hidden. If someone had been watching them, surely he would have sensed them sooner. Still, it unnerved him.

"Kanan?"

"Sorry, I thought I heard something. Uh…let's hurry. Pretty sure my feet are frozen."

They walked home in silence, Kanan, remaining alert to those around them. There was no pulling sensation, nor did he see the man in the suit again.

When they got back to the apartment, Kanan breathed in deeply, the smell of cinnamon and syrup thick in the air. "Wow, breakfast two days in a row."

Hera smirked. "Don't get use to it. And you're cooking dinner tonight. Don't forget Sabine's coming over."

He nodded in response. "Ezra, this is my girlfriend Hera. She was with me last when we found you."

"You gave us quite a scare, hun." She gave Ezra a warm smile, one which he surprisingly returned. "You feeling better?"

"I think so. Is that French toast?" He sat down at the table, his eyes comically wide with excitement.

"Sure is. One of the few things she can make."

Hera hit Kanan lightly on the shoulder. "You're one to talk. Let me guess, we're having spaghetti tonight."

"Hey, you can't beat a classic."

"You could try," she replied, giving Ezra a sly smile.

He snorted and took a bite of French toast.

"Don't encourage her," Kanan laughed, sitting at the table. Hera joined them, a steaming mug of tea in her hands.

"So, um what's your power?" Ezra asked, his tone sheepish.

"Oh honey, I'm not a Wielder."

"Sorry, I just assumed."

"There's a lot less of us left than people think," Kanan said. "E.M.P.I.R.E. wants people to believe we're some massive threat to keep them afraid. They want to divide us. They're planning something, we just don't know exactly what that is yet."

"Ezra, there's a whole network of people trying to help Wielders. It's been slow going, but we're making progress. We have hope one day everything will be better. We're going to make sure of it."

Ezra smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He took a few more bites of food before changing the subject. "You said someone is coming over tonight?"

"Yes," Hera said excitedly. "You'll get to meet my little sister, well she's not really my sister. I was her mentor for the Big Siblings Program. Sabine is about your age. Just started her freshman year at college."

"Cool," Ezra replied. Kanan couldn't help but notice the bite in his tone. Another reminder of the normalcy Ezra would never get to experience.

Hera must have heard it too. She gave Ezra a sympathetic smile. "Would you want to go shopping with me later? Get you some new clothes."

"You-you don't have to do that. Look, I really appreciate all your help and giving me a place to stay, but I don't-."

Kanan cut him off. "Kid, she's been looking out for everyone long before you and I came along. Besides, you can't keep wearing the same thing."

"I have other clothes," Ezra said, defensive. "There's an abandoned building where I sometimes crash. I've stashed a few things."

"Okay, we'll stop by there today, so you can grab your stuff," Hera responded. "But my offer still stands, just think about it."

He nodded and mumbled a thanks. "Um, do you all mind if I took a shower?"

"Of course," Kanan laughed. "You can borrow some of my clothes and we'll toss yours in the wash."

He grabbed Ezra a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt and showed him where the bathroom was.

"So many things we take for granted," Hera said softly once Kanan sat back down. "How is he, really? Did he say anything about what happened?"

"Yeah, he has psychometry." He heard Hera take a sharp intake of air. "Do we still have Cal's contact info? I know he's been off on missions."

"If I can't find it, I'm sure Ahsoka knows." She paused, frowning. "Did you tell him?"

Kanan shook his head. "Just that they might come after him for being a Wielder. I didn't mention the real reason they'd want him."

"You're going to have to tell him, love. He needs to know how much danger he's in." Hera took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know. I will. It's just that he seems so much younger than I was. He's still a kid. How do I tell him what we're up against? What might happen to him. Kriff, how can I protect him?"

Hera stood and wrapped her arms around Kanan, leaning her chin on his head. "We'll figure it out together. We always do."