Hey guys! I've been really excited to write this chapter, and I hope you like long chapters because this one is much longer than I usually write. I mean… a lot longer. XD I kind of got carried away. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :D

Q/A's and Reactions:

Ezraismybae- Really?! Wow, you should get an award for that. XD I'm an Aussie, and not even I can eat vegemite straight!

DevilSPR- XD. I prefer to think of it as brotherly bonding. The only couple I ship in SWR is Kanan and Hera, because they're adorable together. :D

Chiibe the Rebel- I love family bonding! :D

Azulablue92- I'm glad you liked it, and there will be some more light shed on Sabine's backstory soon enough. ;D I have a really good story arch coming up for Sabine and Ezra… and one for Kanan and Ezra… and one for Ezra in general… XD It'll all make sense soon. And I tried out the quiz as well. I got one wrong, but seriously?! How should I know what language Sabine translates in episode 2?! What a weird question. XD

Taylor Fireheart- Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! :D I was already planning something like that, since there's a lot of potential there, but I have so many ideas I want to throw into this story that I just think about how to fit everything in with my spare time. XD

Coral Iturbe- Lo vi en línea y yo soy como " Pobre Kanan ! " No puedo esperar a ver lo que sucede en el libro 7 !

Fantasie Adventura Dreamwriter- I'm so glad you liked it! :D

Jelsa777- Aw, I'm glad! Enjoy the chapter!

Rebels Lover- So true! That's what I do in my free time anyways! XD

Midnight Luna- XD yeah, I hate shots as well.

CptBcktHd- XD *Shakes head slowly* Storm troopers.

Kanan's POV

"Okay, we're almost there," I pointed out as we all crossed the street.

"Good, cause I'm starving!" Ezra exclaimed, tucking his hands in his pockets as a cool breeze drifted by. He had gone shopping with Hera after the doctor's appointment, and despite his initial resistance, he was now snuggled cosily into his new black hoodie. He was wearing a pair of grey jeans, along with durable, brown boots. Small tufts of fluff were rimmed around his hood, and if I remembered correctly, the inside of the garment was lined with warm, soft cotton. By the looks of the shifting weather, he was going to need all the layers he could get for the approaching winter.

We walked down the relatively quiet street on the 'light side' of town. Crime was much less common in this area, and it was patrolled regularly to enforce order. The street lamps lit up the street with a dim yellow glow as restaurants just finished the rush hour. Like always, we were having dinner out to settle Ezra into the family and get to know him a bit better. It was a tradition that Hera and I had done since from when I could remember, letting the foster child warm up and get to know us more.

A car engine roared loudly as a police vehicle rounded the corner, making everyone stop and turn to watch. Ezra immediately tensed, back straightening and eyes narrowing. The car slowed down and rolled closer, halting ever so gently in front of us. I raised a brow, folding my arms uninterestedly. But it seemed Ezra had a different plan in mind, electric orbs searching desperately for the nearest alley. Zeb was quick to react, grasping the boy's left arm and resulting in a painful yelp. Ezra had ignored it so smoothly throughout the day that I'd forgotten he had his vaccines earlier.

The teen had jumped forward in an attempt to get away from Zeb, but only landed in front of me, and the police car. He suddenly froze as the tinted window rolled down, revealing a police officer with a finely trimmed ginger beard. I yanked on Ezra's good shoulder and pulled him to beside me, my grip firm as a simple 'Don't even try,' message. "Kallus," I greeted sourly. "Little early for you?"

He raised a brow, readjusting his police hat and replying "Not after last meeting. I'm on 'dark side' duty, starting from tomorrow."

I could feel the electricity practically leaping off of Ezra, his muscles twitching under my fingers. Kallus glanced up and down the rigid teen with disapproval. "Taking on street urchins now, Jarrus?" he asked with a snarky tone. A growled rumbled in Ezra's throat as he puffed out his chest indignantly.

I frowned, my lips pulling into a thin line. "That's really none of your business," I replied coldly.

He scoffed, pulling something out from behind him and stating "But this is." Turning back, he handed a folder through the window, which I took hesitantly. In bold letters were the words 'The Spirits Investigation,' titled on the paper. My brows furrowed. "I told the office that I didn't want to accept this role," I pointed out, waving the folder dismissively.

"You don't think I know that, Einstein?" Kallus scowled, before continuing "It's a partner investigation, and they've already got me as one of them. They wanted me to give you this since you left it back at the station earlier. Check the pay. I think you'll be surprised."

I released my grip on Ezra and flipped open the folder. My eyes widened when I realised that the pay was double my current salary. When the police force had offered me this job, I was obviously sceptical. Trying to track down the elusive, street-smart gang of teenagers known as 'The Spirits' seemed like an impossible task. Many had tried, and all had failed. I glanced up at Kallus and asked "Shouldn't the police be focusing on more dangerous groups like the Imperials?"

He shook his head quickly. "It's coming into winter, and you know what that means."

I nodded slowly. Winter was The Spirit's prime season of crime. Reports of hooded pickpockets, midnight robberies and even transport hijackings always spiked up near the end of the year. And all led by the one they refer to as 'The Phantom'. I quickly scanned through the papers once again, almost forgetting that everyone else was there. "And they've raised the bounty," Kallus added. "Two thousand for whoever catches the Phantom."

I gazed up at Kallus, a greedy, devilish grin lining his lips. Sighing, I slipped the folder and my arm and muttered "I'll think about it."

He gave a sharp nod, winding up the window and driving away smoothly. Once the vehicle rounded the corner and disappeared out of view, Zeb asked "What was all that about?"

I started strolling down the street again, gently urging everyone to follow. "Work," I replied to Zeb.

"But you promised that work wouldn't get in the way again!" Sabine pointed out defensively.

I'd forgotten that I had to drop out of Sabine's last music concert due to an emergency meeting at the station. She was not happy about that. 'Sabine, I promise that work related things won't get in the way of family events anymore, okay?' I had told her after three days of the silent treatment. The teen had doubtfully agreed, and was now making sure I kept to my word.

I gently placed my hand on Sabine's back as we continued our journey to the restaurant. "It's not going to get in the way. Tonight, it's just about all of us going out to dinner. Just like we planned," I reassured gently. The teen glanced up at me with piercing amber eyes. After a moment of consideration, she nodded and turned to talk to Ezra instead.

After a small stroll, we finally made it to the new restaurant and walked in. The area was lit up with warm, soft light and tables were set around everywhere. Some families and couples were already seated, eating away and having casual conversations. Young and old, small and large, many had come to try the new food joint. A waiter walked up at us and smiled a forced, plastic grin. "Table for four?" he asked.

I frowned, glancing over my shoulder and counting everyone once again. Only then did I realise that our young charge wasn't with us. My eyes widened as I quickly pushed past the others and stormed back outside, fearing that the street smart teen had run off. But to my surprise, I found that he was standing at the entrance, electric eyes vacant as he stared up at the building. "Kid?" I asked cautiously.

He suddenly snapped out of his trance, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "I-I don't think I'm allowed to be here," he mumbled, fear surfacing in his eyes.

"Why?" I probed, taking a step closer.

Ocean blue orbs flickered at the surroundings as strands of navy hair blew around in the frosty wind. "Street rats aren't tolerated in this part of town," he stated, his fingers beginning to twitch again.

I frowned, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. I hesitated when he flinched at the contact, but was relieved that he didn't object or resist. Sighing, I pointed out "But you're not a street rat anymore."

The teen stiffened, racing emotions suddenly concealed beneath an expressionless mask. "I… just don't think it's a good idea for me to be here," he admitted, shaking his head quickly.

I squeezed his shoulder gently, mustering a weak smile. "Ezra, it's going to be fine. Trust me," I reassured. "We'll go inside, have a tasty, steaming hot meal and then have dessert. Sound good?"

His stomach rumbled loudly, Ezra clutching his waist in an attempt to silence the plea. "Hmm… okay," he muttered in defeat as I gently led him back inside with a chuckle. The others were standing by, slightly confused and nervous. When they saw us approach, I knew that they had questions but I simply walked back up to the counter to be greeted by the waiter again. "Hello sir, table for?" he asked cautiously.

"Five," I clarified.

The waiter nodded, glancing quickly at Ezra. Suddenly, the man's eyes narrowed and his lips pulled into a thin line. "Have I seen you before?" he quizzed suspiciously.

Ezra ducked his head, hiding his features behind a veil of hair. "Nope," Ezra mumbled with a deep, gravelly voice. The waiter eyed him for a moment longer, before snapping back and leading us to a table. I decided not to question what just happened as all five of us took seats around the table, the waiter leaving us to skim through the menu. Ezra sat in between Zeb and Sabine, while I sat next to Zeb and Hera. Placing the folder that was still under my arm beside my feet, I tried to push work out of my mind and focus on dinner instead. Ezra opened the menu and quickly scanned the contents, before scratching his head in confusion. "Something wrong?" Hera asked with a motherly tone.

He shook his head quickly. "No, no. Everything's fine," he defended.

Hera nodded, and after another moment, continued "So what would you like?"

"Food," he blurted out before he could contain himself.

Sabine hid a small smile, Zeb punching the teen's good shoulder and chuckling sarcastically "Nah. We were gonna give you cement."

Ezra frowned, glaring at the older male, before asking "Well, it's been a while since I've had a hot meal… let alone one in a restaurant. So, what do you suggest?"

I flinched slightly at the thought. Poor kid. Even orphans should have the right for decent food, no matter what their situation. Before Zeb could answer, the waiter walked over and placed a basket of fresh buns on the table. "On the house," he bowed, before departing swiftly.

With lightning fast hands, Ezra snatched one of the buns and wolfed it down in large, speedy bites. "Whoa kid, slow down!" I warned, but it was too late. The bread was no longer, disappearing into Ezra's stomach in the span of seconds. The teen reached out for another, Zeb placing a hand on his shoulder to slow him down. But Ezra growled and twisted out of Zeb's grip, grasping a bun and huddling in his seat defensively. And as if it was never there, the bun was gone again, all that remained being a few crumbs lining Ezra's mouth.

Before he could lunge for another, I pulled the basket away and out of reach. He stretched his hands out over the table while clawing for the bread, a desperate, animal-like instinct glazing over his eyes. Zeb held him back with a rough hand, quickly smacking him up the back of the head. "Snap out of it kid!" he hissed, trying not to cause a scene.

"Zeb!" Sabine scowled.

But the young adult's method worked, Ezra shaking his head and taking in the event with disoriented, distant eyes. "W-What?" he mumbled defensively as he realised everyone staring at him. "Can't a kid eat?"

"Not like that you're not," Zeb grumbled, releasing his grip on the teen's torso with a slight shove.

"Ezra, you shouldn't eat so quickly," Hera pointed out. "You could choke if you keep that up."

Ezra folded his arms defiantly, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. Of course, Hera had informed me about the boy's eating habits. She said that dinner last night didn't last longer than a minute, the hard headed teen shovelling his food quickly and without pause. It was silent for a moment, until he glanced up guiltily and mumbled "Sorry… Hera."

Hera's expression softened, sighing gently. "It's okay Ezra. We understand. But please, just take it easy," she smiled, pushing the basket back into reach of the three teenagers. Zeb and Sabine grabbed their share, Ezra hesitantly taking his third. And even though he did eat it considerably slower, he was still hunched over defensively as he snacked. Obviously there was still room for improvement.

Suddenly, Zeb snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up with intelligence. "I got it! Ribs!" he announced.

"What?" Sabine quizzed.

"I mean, a rack o' ribs would be perfect for Ezra," he explained, a proud grin pulling at his lips. "It tastes good, will get some meat on his bones, and is perfect for his… style of eatin'."

Ezra raised a brow at that last comment, but I nodded my head thoughtfully. "That's… actually a really good idea," Sabine admitted. "Who knew you actually had some of those, am I right?" she added with a snort, rewarded with a warning smack from Hera.

Zeb glared at the girl, before slumping back in his chair, a satisfied glint in his eyes. "Okay Ezra," I agreed. "What do you think?"

The teen shrugged and snickered "As long as it's cooked, it's fine with me."

I nodded, the waiter walking over and bowing slightly. "Are you ready to order?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks," I started. "We'll get a rack of ribs-"

"Make that two," Zeb interjected, lounging back without a care in the world.

I nodded, before continuing "So, two 'rack of ribs', and a medium steak for me. Sabine, Hera?"

"Uh, a chicken schnitzel, thank you," Sabine informed politely.

"And a chicken parmigiana, thanks," Hera finished with a smile.

The waiter jotted it down quickly, before asking "And drinks?"

"Beer," Zeb answered.

"Lemonade," Sabine and Hera spoke at once, exchanging a mischievous glance before giggling.

"I'll take a beer too," I added, before turning to Ezra and asking "What would you like?"

He scratched his head, brows furrowing as he thought quickly. "Uh… whatever you got, I guess?" he mumbled unsurely.

The waiter eyed the boy suspiciously, before muttering "I'll assume that's a coke." The man twisted on his heel, swiftly leaving and disappearing into the kitchen.

"I don't think that guy likes me," Ezra said after a moment, rolling his empty cup along the rim.

"Now why in all the galaxy would anyone not like you?" Zeb taunted, punching the teen's shoulder jokingly.

Ezra smirked, flicking his fringe with swagger. "I know? Crazy right?" he chuckled mockingly, continuing to play with his cup. "Guess I just don't reach his standards."

"Since when do you care about standards?" Sabine pitched up.

"I don't," Ezra grinned, nudging her shoulder gently. "Thought you would have learnt that after lunch."

Sabine rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Yeah, don't remind me."

"Why? What happened at lunch?" I asked curiously.

Ezra shrugged innocently, a charming smile lacing his features. "Oh, nothing important. Just an average lunch," he summed it up.

Sabine shook her head in disapproval, though a slight grin pulled at her lips. "Oh, that reminds me," Hera said. "How was school today?"

Both teen's faces darkened, Ezra finding his lap extremely interesting all of sudden and Sabine stiffening slightly. The two exchanged an uncertain glance with each other, a conversation passing between the two silently. Like always, Hera was the first to speak up. "What's going on?" she asked worriedly.

Sabine composed herself quickly and answered "My day was fine. Just like usual."

"And Ezra?" Hera probed, brow raised.

Sabine shifted her gaze to Ezra, who ever so subtly shook his head. Sabine frowned, the table suddenly rattling and Ezra gasping sharply. The teen's eyes narrowed at the girl as he bit his lip in pain. "That's it. Spill," Hera ordered, brow furrowing.

"It's nothing," Ezra replied, a little too quickly. "Just… weird…. Going back after so long, you know?"

Hera's expression softened, as she said "I know. But you'll get used to it, I promise."

Ezra leant against his arm with doubtful eyes. Hera and I both knew there was more going on than they were willing to tell us, but I decided to let it slide as the waiter arrived with the beverages. The man handed out the drinks and left as quickly as he's arrived, leaving us all to continue our outing. Ezra glanced at his cup with a confused expression, gently swishing the liquid back and forth. "It's safe… right?" he asked nervously.

"It's just coke. It's harmless," Sabine reassured. "When was the last time you even had a soft drink?"

He raised a brow, and replied "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Sabine thought for a moment, before shaking her head and saying "On second thought, just drink it and find out for yourself."

Ezra smirked, grabbing the cup and raising it to his lips. He chugged down the cool beverage in a few gulps, before slamming the cup back on the table and clasping his head in pain. "Aww!" he groaned, face twisting. "My head!"

A spike of concern shot through me, unsure of what to do, until Sabine laughed and explained "There's brain freeze for you."

Hera's face shifted from worry to relief as she smiled sympathetically at the teenager. Zeb bellowed with laughter, patting the boy roughly on the back a few times. Ezra moaned, until suddenly letting out a high pitched hiccup. He clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with surprise as everyone stared at him. All was silent, until he once again released an uncontrollable hiccup. Zeb laughed, watching the boy in amusement as he continued to hiccup.

"It's not… *Hick*… funny!" Ezra protested, cheeks blushing slightly.

"It is kinda," Sabine giggled.

Ezra glared at the two beside him, who were taking enjoyment out of his misfortune. Even I had a small smile pulling at my lips. "Anyways," Hera intervened, trying to divert the conversation. "Ezra, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Ezra glanced up at Hera with shadowed, electric eyes. "Not much ta…*Hick*… talk about," he replied bluntly. "I'm just a…*Hick*… orphan like all the others in this stink-*Hick* town."

"But surely there are some things that you like to do though?" Hera reasoned hopefully.

Ezra thought for a moment, before shrugging and answering "Too busy…*Hick*… surviving to worry about that."

Hera frowned, and probed "Then what are things you like to eat? Maybe you like chocolate, or ice-cream, or-"

"Peanut butter," I cut in before restraining myself.

Everyone shifted their surprised gaze to me, Ezra adverting his eyes to the ceiling. I swallowed deeply for a moment, taking a swig of my beer and explaining awkwardly "He… uh… likes peanut butter."

"And, how do you know that?" Zeb quizzed suspiciously.

"Cause he told me," I answered plainly.

Zeb, Hera and Sabine exchanged a confused gaze, before Hera asked "And when was that? At the doctor's appointment? Because you've been at work, then went to Zeb's game, and now we're here."

"And we haven't heard one word about peanut butter, or anything the kid likes in general," Sabine pointed out.

"Uh…" I mumbled nervously, turning to Ezra for a moment. His cobalt eyes were glazed over, but exchanged a misty glance with my teal green one. After a moment, and a few untimely hiccups, he sighed and explained "Last…*Hick*… night. I talked to Corporal last night and…*Hick*… told him a bit about me. No biggie."

"No biggie?!" Zeb scoffed sarcastically. "Learning anything about you is a biggie in my books!"

Hera cleared her throat loudly, crystal green eyes narrowing at the young adult. He opened his mouth to reply, but a sharp glare from me made him bite his tongue and step down. Ezra combed a hand through his hair, face contorted in deep thought. He dragged a hand down his face and sighed. "Look guys, *Hick* I appreciate the effort. But I'm as common as concrete. So it doesn't *Hick* really matter what I do and don't like," he said, shaking his head hopelessly.

"Of course it matters!" Sabine protested. Her expression softened as the boy glanced up at her doubtfully, placing a hand on his arm encouraging. "You're one of us now," she said with a small smile. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

Something sparked in those eyes as a glint of light brightened his features. The teen was quick to duck his head as blood rushed to his cheeks, hiding his features behind blue-grey bangs. After a while of light conversation about random things, Ezra's hiccups became a distant thought and the waiter came back with plates of food stacked on his arms. He handed us our food, almost throwing Ezra's plate and floating away before anyone could protest. Ezra raised an unamused brow, and said "Let's hope the food is better than the service."

I smirked at that, starting to dig into my steak while Zeb showed Ezra how to cut the rib's properly. Once handed one of the bones with a thick layer of juicy, smothered-in-sauce meat, the teen bit into it savagely, shaking his head like a dog to encourage it into his powerful jaws. Hera sighed, Sabine giggled, Zeb grinned and I watched curiously. As Ezra chewed on his first bite, his eyes shot open with awe. "This… is amazing!" he gobbled, ripping further into the meat.

I chuckled. "Glad you like it."

He glanced up for a moment, still pulling the cooked flesh off the bone with sharp, piercing teeth. The meat disappeared into the teen's mouth with each bite, eyes still wide with pure bliss as he ate. Barbeque sauce was smothering his fingers, lips and cheeks as he gnawed on the now clean bone. "Fanks," he mumbled through a mouthful.

Everyone smiled, drawing joy from the boy's ecstatic reaction and continuing their meals. After a relatively silent dinner, besides Ezra's hums of delight as he ate, everyone cleaned their plates and slumped back in their seats with satisfied stomachs. Hera stood up, a napkin in her hand as she walked over to Ezra and bent beside him. She giggled, his mouth stained with red-brown sauce as he looked up at her guiltily. "Now, how was that?" she asked while attempting to wipe his face.

"It was great!" he grinned, before his eyes became hollow and he stared down at his lap. "Thank you… I loved it."

Hera smiled, wiping the last of the sauce off. "I'm glad."

He glanced up at her, and mustered a weak smile. Hera stood up and dusted herself off. "Okay. We all finished?"

Everyone nodded as I pulled out my wallet. Waving to the waiter, he strolled over quickly and offered me the bill. After fixing up dinner, we all stood up and stretched, picking up our things and exiting the building. "It tasted pretty good, don't you think?" Sabine asked as we walked down the silent streets.

"I enjoyed it," Zeb stated.

"It was the most amazing thing I've had in years," Ezra sighed, eyes staring into the abyss as he licked is lips.

I smiled, patting his shoulder encouragingly. "I've got a surprise for you back at the Ghost then."

He glanced up at me, indigo eyes shining with curiosity. "Oh do you now, Chief? And what would that be?"

I grinned, replying "It's a surprise."

He rolled his eyes as we arrived at the Phantom. It wasn't a long trip until we made it back to the house, Ezra concealing a suspicious, and excited energy behind his poker face. Once we entered the Ghost, I strolled into the kitchen and flicked on the lights. "So, after Zeb's soccer match, which went great by the way," I smiled, dumping my folders on the counter and opening the freezer. "I went out to the store to get some dessert for us all. And I figured, Ezra, that since you were so cooperative at the doctor's appointment, I'd get a treat…"

Sabine, Zeb and Ezra watched me curiously, while Hera stood to the side with a smile. Slowly, I pulled out the box of ice-cream waffle cones and held it up for the trio to see. Zeb and Sabine's faces immediately lit up with joy while Ezra took a moment to realise. I grinned, opening the frosty box and handing them each one. Suddenly, Ezra's eyes widened with awe for the second time this night. He licked the ice-cream cautiously, humming in delight and devouring his while Sabine and Zeb munched on theirs.

After eating the top layer of ice-cream, chocolate syrup lay nestled within the cone. Ezra's expression shifted from one of pleasantly thrilled, to utterly astonished. "Chocolate and everything," he murmured quietly. I placed my hand on his shoulder, relieved when he didn't flinch. Suddenly, the teen flung an arm around my waist and embraced me in a side hug. But as quickly as the moment had started, it had finished as he scurried away and into the living room, Zeb and Sabine soon following suit. The two glanced over their shoulders and shrugged while Hera walked over and shot a warm smile. "Nice one… Corporal," she taunted. I grinned, beaming on the inside, until Hera's expression darkened and she shifted her attention to the folders on the bench top.

"Now Hun," she pressed gently. "Time to fill me in on your work situation."

Hey everyone! Wow! That was a really long chapter. So much to think about! Like do you think Kanan will accept the investigation? Who are these mysterious Spirits? Is Ezra finally starting to warm up to the others? Tell me what you think, I love to read your reviews! :D Anyways, I just want to announce that STAR WARS REBELS SEASON 2 IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY! (Well, technically it is exactly 1 week for me but…) OMG! I'm so excited everyone! :D On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you guys for season 2? For me, it's like 1000000! XD Have a great day everyone and may the force be with you, always!

-Superherotiger