AN: Hello to my dear readers! Sorry it's been a little while since I last posted! However, this may be the last chapter for a while because I leave for school in three weeks, and it's going to be busy leading up to and as soon as I get there.

Also since the shinnie Pidge from my last chapter was so well liked, most of this story will be from his point of view.

Disclaimer: I am a student not a multimillionaire.

The recently painted trooper sat quietly in the bustling mess hall, thoughtfully staring at the food he was pushing around on his tray; he sat alone at the table and had tuned out the conversations around him. The familiar hiss of the hydraulic doors opening coupled with the loud ring of familiar yet different laughter caused Pidge to glance up. Captain Rex walked through the doors, helmet off and under his arm, holding the hand of Commander Tano, who had just been laughing at something he said. The other members in the mess hall glanced up, a few whispered to each other, more than a few quirked lips, a couple of stifled snorts of laughter, and everything went back to the normal conversations.

Pidge was confused. He hadn't been with the 501st very long, transferring only days before his first battle assignment, the same assignment where both the Captain and Commander were seriously injured and had broken professionalism and protocol in an answer to each other's distress. Logically he also knew protocol had been changed to allow clones to ability to partake in relationships, but he still couldn't get his head wrapped around such an obvious and open expression of it, especially between commanding officers. And to top it off, almost no one in the 501st was surprised by the relationship, they supported it even! The only person Pidge had ever seen object or even slightly disapprove of the relationship was General Skywalker who only gave a half hearted objection to the two of them going on a date during the few hours of downtime back on Coruscant, only to be silenced by General Kenobi. Pidge shook his head at it all.

"Something the matter trooper?" Pidge glanced up, startled; in his musings he had lost track of his surroundings.

"No, Sir." He replied to the senior trooper, who rolled his eyes at the response.

"Yes and my father was a bantha." Echo grinned, sliding down on the bench across from the younger soldier. There was silence as Echo expectantly waited for Pidge to start talking.

"It's just that Sir, I know that protocol has changed and all, but I'm still confused Sir…" Pidge trailed off, rubbing one hand along the top of his head.

"Spit it out trooper. And stop calling me Sir, my name is Echo."

"Sorry Sir, ah, Echo, it's just that I'm surprised at the… openness, I guess, of their… their relationship…" another round of laughter drew the troopers attention to the table where Rex and Ahsoka sat next to each other, surrounded by other brothers.

"Ah. You mean the Captain and the Commander's relationship." Echo clarified, turned back to the Pidge

"Yes S…, I mean they're our CO's, I would have thought that the relationship would be more...convert." Pidge admitted

"It was." Echo snorted "Until the protocol changed. Then most of Torrent decided it was time the relationship was brought into the open."

Pidge stared open mouthed between the ARC Trooper and back at the CO's across the mess. "You mean they were dating before the protocol change." His eyes bulged slightly

"Not really dating per say. But Torrent is responsible for hiding the budding relationship before it became official." At the start of Pidge's objections he continued "The Captain and Commander are both people who put others first, they're always looking out for the rest of us. The fact that they found each other and have a close relationship is something they both need and we enjoy watching because some of the few times they relax and smile is around each other." Echo explained seriously.

"And their CO's are okay with such open expression of their relationship?" Pidge questioned as General Skywalker entered the mess with another Jedi General.

"General Skywalker wasn't too crazy about it at the beginning but none of us really listened to his objections. He still tries to object sometimes, but only half-heartedly since he knows none of us listen."

Pidge nodded, understanding a little bit more of the Captain and Commander, but still wrapping his head around their relationship.

Echo stood up to leave.

"If you just watch them for a little while and get to know them, you'll see why we encourage and protect them."

Pidge did watch. He saw that the two could often be found walking the halls together, sometimes hand in hand, other times just close together. He almost forgot to salute them when he heard the Captain laugh and then saw him grab the Commander's hand and kiss it gently. The Commander seemed so easy going and gentle around the Captain that Pidge had to remind himself she was a Jedi Commander and was a fierce warrior and the Captain was a stern faced veteran. On the battlefield they were focused powers, the mission was the first priority and they reverted back to complete professionalism. It was no different than the rest of the troops, Echo explained later, off the field everyone was much more relaxed but on everyone was very focused.

The first time he was injured, Pidge saw the Captain escorting the Commander into the med bay. Ahsoka was trying to persuade Rex that her injury was nothing more than a scratch and didn't warrant a trip to the med bay.

"Ahsoka. You promised as soon as the med bay calmed down you would let the medics take a look at your arm." Rex sighed

"It's not even bleeding anymore, Rexster!" The Commander winced as she tried to cross her arms and the Captain rolled his eyes.

After the medic cleaned and lightly bandaged the wound on Ahsoka's arm, the two didn't leave right away. Instead, they checked in on the men staying in the med bay, talking with the conscious troops and stopping by the ones who were still unconscious. After leaving the bedside of a seriously injured trooper, Pidge noticed that the Commander's face a drawn, lips pressed together, and arms wrapped around her body; the Captain placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and murmured to her.

"They fought well Ahsoka. You must remember that, be proud of their sacrifice."

The Commander nodded and smiled at her boyfriend gratefully before the two continued on their rounds. When the two reached Pidge, the young commander smiled and sat at the edge of his bio bed.

"Pidge isn't it? You were with us on that recon mission a while back right?"

"Yes Ma'am. It was my first mission." Pidge nodded respectfully

"Did you get your paint after that mission?" the Captain asked

"Yes Sir, I painted my armor when we got back to Coruscant."

The two CO's stayed a while longer, talking with Pidge before Rex's com buzzed and he stepped away. A few minutes and he came back and quietly told the younger woman they were being summoned to the bridge. The togrutan rolled her bright blue eyes and nodded.

"See you around Pidge." Ahsoka patted his leg and left with the Captain.

A few weeks later and the mess was a buzz with the rumor that the Captain had collapsed at his desk and the Commander had dragged his shebs down to the med bay.

"Now do you understand?" Echo asked as he sat across from Pidge, this time joined by Fives.

"How funny was the Commander dragging the Captain to the med bay? I heard you both saw it."

Fives laughed "It was great. She was yelling at him the entire time, her Mando'a has gotten much better recently."

"Now do you understand the Captain and Commander a little better?" Echo asked again

Pidge nodded "They protect each other and keep each other laughing, while also protecting and leading the rest of us."

Echo and Fives nodded approvingly

"We're going to start setting them up for their next date, care to join us?" Fives leaned forward conspiratorially

Pidge grinned "Absolutely."

Sorry it's a shorter chapter. Hopefully I can squeeze out one more chapter before I leave. Please R&R!

Shebs-Backside