TBB - Life goes on? (Echo/Hunter)
By GunRoswell
Preface
Long distance relationships
Can we talk?
Preface
Set during and around season two of Star Wars the Bad Batch
Echo has joined in Rex's cause.
What will it mean for Hunter's and Echo's relationship?
Things are already falling apart with the remaining team…
Part of Echo/Hunter series
Notes:
Echo's departure from the Batch still stings me as much as it does Hunter and the rest of them. So, here is another tale. Mostly from Hunter's point of view. His inner thoughts.
Long distance relationships
'Near or far the same me you love will always be close to your heart.'
"I'm going with Rex, Hunter. The others… they need our help."
The tears Hunter had barely managed to hold with the others barely within an earshot while Echo had told Hunter of this decision. Not that it had come as a surprise but Hunter had thought they had discussed this already. Agreed that Echo would wait. That they could wait. Only things had gone badly on Coruscant and Hunter wasn't arguing Echos choice wasn't right. But the timing of it all… they had just made up again. The seemingly endless quarrels finally having been put aside.
Yet there they were. With Echo living them. Leaving Hunter.
"Hunter, it's only for a while not forever." Echo tried to assure Hunter with a forced smile which wasn't fooling either of them.
And so they had parted. With Echo waving at them when the Marauder had taken off.
Hunter felt like shit. The mess they had found themselves in on their last mission for Cid… Badly would have been an understatement. Suffice to say things had gone so totally wrong in all the possible ways.
And whom was Hunter going to blame all it on? Well that answer was easy enough for once. Himself.
Having been the one so adamant to remain on Ord Mantell and play delivery service for Cid. Space Uber Taxi as Wrecker had put it after a few to many beers consumed. But it was mostly Hunter still living in the fantasyland of one day soon landing on a big gig where the payoff would render them independent from anyone and they could finally settle down somewhere far, far away from the Empire. All of them.
As Hunter still entertained the thought of finding Crosshair and convincing him to come back and naturally, Echo had already done so. What a wonderful dream for sure!
What an utter joke this plan was turning out be! And the joke was on him, kicking him totally hard on his shebs. Hunter practically could hear the laughter of random people while pointing at them when their or rather Hunter's jig was finally up.
The last mission! Hunter did not want to go back there at all. The whole thing making him shiver and not in the good kind of way either. The team thinking they could become miners! For sure! The mission having turned out to have become one big cruel twist played out on the Batch's expense once again.
They had lost the ship, put themselves in harms way several times over, had verbal fights in front of Omega and then having been stranded on the planet for days only waiting for a pickup!
Omega being the kid she still was had tried to contact Echo. Her very first choice too. Going to Echo for help. And who could blame her for it? Not Hunter. Because truth being told Echo was the first person Hunter had gone to for support. Be it for some issue or another, a plan needing hammering down… but mostly it had been emotional support. Echo had always been there for Hunter. Ever since joining the team, their family. Echo had always been there.
And now, Echo was gone.
It wasn't like Hunter could simply pick up the comms and call him. Well, he could. They had chatted for a bit the very next day Echo had gone on his own mission and a few times after that too. But the strain, the distance had been felt between them already. And so now how could Hunter simply call Echo now just because he was feeling bad? Missing Echo? Could he though?
But Echo would most certainly want to know what they had been up to during his absence. And the latest mission… well, Hunter would not want for Echo to know about their royal failure. Their inability to hardly function without him. Well, mostly not function. They had managed in the end, right? But, well, yeah.
Hunter could lie of course. Having already warned the rest of his family not to tell Echo what really happened during their latest mission. Loosing their ship and all. Especially that!
Omega had practically grilled Hunter as to the reasons why not. And Hunter had evaded most of them by simply telling her it would have worried Echo unnecessarily as he was on an important mission himself. Hunter simply wanted to protect them both. Echo and Omega. By lying!
Yeah really fucking great choice there Hunter he berated himself.
Hunter felt the migraine pounding his head. Not that the several shots of whatever supposed good stuff according to Wrecker he had drank the night before helped his condition either. A sure-fire way in gaining a headache!
Letting out a heavy sigh Hunter leaned back in the chair.
The others were sleeping while Hunter having offered to take the watch duty was sitting in the pilot's seat. Having learnt his lesson the hard way, Hunter wasn't about to leave the Marauder unguarded ever again. That much was for sure!
Unfortunately it also meant for Hunter having a lot of time on his hands and leading the silence around him to bring up all them bad thoughts Hunter had so valiantly tried to push aside. The choices he had made ever since they had gone on their own…
Oh hell! It's not like Hunter could go back in time and change any of it could he! It was what it was. The decisions made, the choices taken… But he could still dwell on them in the midst of the night cycle couldn't he? Really wallow in the self-hatred and the doubt he felt when alone with these thoughts of his.
Because Echo wasn't there to calm him. To assure him of any of it.
Echo, Hunter realised, having been so much more to him than simply a squad mate. A family member. No, Echo had been his partner, his lover, the other parent to Omega. But also Hunter's conscience. His moral guide. The person Hunter could go to for anything.
And now it was only Hunter with his own thoughts. His own misery. That being mostly if his own making.
The truth being told Hunter should have made a different choice when Echo had told him he was staying behind. With Rex.
And why hadn't he? Oh yes! The dream. The fantasy of a better future just for them! That reason!
What if he had made a different choice? Was it already too late though? To change his mind?
There was something else too which had kept Hunter from leaping right onto the Rex bandwagon. Something which now having the time Hunter had thought of. The one tiny thing still bugging him on some level. But then again not a good thing at all. All this thinking he was doing while feeling down and in the dumpsters.
But and so the thing… well Hunter felt a tad jealous too being totally honest. Yeah, it was that kind of a night, him suddenly being totally honest to himself! This would prove interesting enough. So many of these things hiding there in the corners of his mind.
And so guess this thing too had been laying dormant somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind. Because Echo and Rex had always been chummy. They shared a long history. And Echo always thought very highly of Rex. So, there was that.
Not that Hunter himself didn't. He really liked Rex. Always had and thought Rex to be very capable. Almost as good as Cody. But there was a bond Echo and Rex shared something rather tangible too. Something Hunter felt he did not share with Echo himself.
Echo had never mentioned there had been anything between himself and Rex except deep friendship. But now, that Hunter had the time to think about it all… Well Echo had been quite eager to jump the moment Rex needed his help.
Was there something still lingering between Echo and Rex? Maybe something neither of them had realised before? And why was Hunter even thinking about this? What the hell was going on with him?
Hunter let out another more desperate sigh.
What the kriff was wrong with him on this night?!
Hunter had never been the jealous type, right? Well almost never. He had been and still was very protective of his team. His family. But that was different. Then again Echo, was his first real relationship. So guess his jealousy was valid? To some extent?
Hunter kept on staring into the dark starry sky visible through a sliver from the viewport even when docked in the midst of the tall buildings of Ord Mantell.
He only wished Echo was there. The two having shared long hauls in space having been on the watch duty together. Either chatting or simply basking each other's company in perfect silence. Sometimes even cuddling if they felt like it.
But Echo was gone now. Having more important things to do than Hunter or the Batch.
Can we talk?
'How can you tell someone you need them when they are doing something very important with so many's future on the line?'
"Can we call Echo now?" Omega was already up and about and eager as ever. "You promised we could try." Omega reminded Hunter.
"Omega…." Hunter wiped his tired face with his hand. The caf he was sipping not helping any after yet another sleepless night even if it hadn't been his time on watch duty during the night before Tech having manned the helm even while docked. "I said we could comm Echo some day soon as he might be in a tight spot you know because off the mission he is doing with Rex is important and all."
Omega stared at Hunter with a pouty face clearly not liking the answer she was getting at all.
"But you promised." Omega's lip was trembling the kid trying to hold her tears back. She missed Echo. They all did. Almost as much as Hunter did.
"Yeah Hunter. You said we could call 'im 'cause it's been a few days we've heard anything 'bout Echo." Wrecker had joined them at the breakfast nook off the Marauder backing Omega in her request. As why wouldn't he. Wrecker missed Echo too.
Hunter sighed. Seemed to have become somewhat of a trend for him lately? All that sighing? Or maybe he had always done it?
"Look, you both know how… "
Hunter was rudely interrupted by the loud beep from their communications console just at the same time as Tech arrived to the galley.
"Someone's trying to reach us." Tech was already on his way to have look-see as to whom it was calling them this early hour followed by Omega totally eager with her hopes already having risen as to the whom.
Hunter exchanged glances with Wrecker before getting up and moving to the console with Wrecker on tow.
Tech had already opened the channel and was chatting when Hunter and Wrecker reached the two. Hearing the familiar velvety but somewhat grumpy voice he knew all so well Hunter felt the good kinds of chills and thrills running through him.
"Echo." The name escaped from his lips on a low whisper hardly audible as all other three members of the Batch were already busy chatting Echo up. All of them speaking on top of the other as they were only too happy to hear from him finally and making Echo laugh in the process.
"Sorry guys, but one at the time please." Echo's voice came through loud and clear. He wasn't using the holo frequency due to power consumption and the bandwidth needed him being in some remote area most likely at the moment. At least Hunter thought that to be the reason for using audio only.
So, respecting Echo's wishes they each took their turn in chatting with Echo Omega being allowed to go first. But of course.
After all three had exchanged their news with their misplaced family member, it was Hunter's turn finally. Knowing Hunter wanted most likely to chat on private with Echo, Wrecker shooed Omega and Tech to the galley.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"So how are things with the… cause?"
"Good. Could be better though."
"So rescued a lot of them?"
"We have. But we could be doing more…" Echo paused as he wasn't about to repeat what Hunter already knew. That Rex and him and the others too now working to free the other clones still in the Empire could use some major help.
Hunter felt chocked. He knew he had made the wrong call and backing on it now would perhaps not be the right choice either. Hunter felt so conflicted. All the bad thoughts trying to push through again. And it wasn't good at all. As here he was, talking to the man he loved in a longest while and all Hunter could think about was what Echo was doing with Rex instead of him. And why Echo had chosen to leave him, Hunter, for some regs he most likely did not even know.
Hunter knew the why of course. They had talked about it all at length. The reason for Echo wanting to save others. It was Echo's redemption from his time in captivity with the Techno Union. But not just that. No. It was so much more. It was whom Echo was. The one willing to give his own life to save others. And Hunter should have known better by now than to even think about the reasons behind Echo wanting to do this!
So why was Hunter feeling so petty all of a sudden?
Hunter gulped, catching the worried silence on the line. He knew Echo so well as did Echo Hunter.
"I hear ya." Hunter's tone more gravely than usual. "I… I have been thinking a lot… you know because… well… we… are apart and all… so that maybe…"
Hunter had a difficult time finding the words he needed to say. His thoughts all jumbled up in his brain at the very moment.
"About…" Echo spoke in more hushed tones too sensing Hunter's dilemma and wanting to help him in whatever he was feeling about. "Us?"
Now it was Echo's turn to sound chocked, perhaps somewhat confused even. The connection falling silent. Clearly Hunter wasn't the only one with doubts on there mind.
Hunter immediately realising the implication of his words, Echo having misunderstood what he meant in a worst way. Most likely thinking the exact same thing Hunter had. About perhaps wanting to move on?
"No! I mean… no Echo! Sweetheart no nothing bad… not really!" This brief exchange and the following misunderstanding had made Hunter snap out of this swirling vortex filled with gloomy thoughts he had been swimming in ever since Echo had left them. Realising only then how wrong he had been all this time. The jealousy for nought. Because Echo had not really left them. Left Hunter. No, Echo was doing the more which the rest of them needed to be doing and Echo loved Hunter.
"Echo…" Hunter felt the tears stinging behind his eyes again. "Echo I love you so much and no distance between us will change that." Hunter was so coarse his words were barely audible.
"You do?"
Yeah, Hunter had been right. His words Ill spoken earlier for sure.
"Of course I do. And I can only hope you still love me too." Hunter felt it even across space but was asking just in case. Something about Echo he had always been able to sense which only made him wonder about his own lapse in judgement while having all those jealous thoughts before.
"I love you Hunter. More than anyone else in the whole wide galaxy." Echo spoke his truth then.
Hunter felt the warmth inside of him. The few words spoken by his partner more assuring than any other could have been. His tears falling freely now.
"Well then guess what I'm about to suggest will make you love me even more."
"Yeah?" Was all Echo managed. "I don't know if it even possible." Echo sounded more relieved now clearly.
"Yes, love." Hunter wiped his fallen tears and cleared his throat. "What would you say if the four of us came to join you in the efforts? I think we could be of some use to the cause."
Echo was silent for a while making Hunter worry. Perhaps he had spoken too soon after all?
"You mean it?"
"I do Echo. I really do."
"Then you would make me the happiest and most luckiest man alive."