Chapter 4: Before the Date

Kanan got ready for work, putting and extra pair of clothes in a bag for him to change into after work for his date with Hera. He was nervous, which was new for him. He hadn't been this nervous since he was going to take his officer exam. He took a deep breath, and headed to work.

Walking into the station he walked up to Hera.

"Hey Hera." Kanan said.

"Hey Kanan." Hera greeted. "Are you ready for tonight?"

"Yeah," Kanan responded trying to not sound nervous. "So we need to go on patrol now."

"Yep," Hera said.

"Think we will see Phantom?" Kanan asked.

"Possibly, he seems to do something on Wednesday, whether it is pick-pocket or shoplift." Hera explained.

"What does he normally steal?" Kanan asked. Thinking it would be stuff like games or expensive.

"The strange thing is, it's normally food." Hera said.

"Food?" Kanan asked, "Why would he steal food? Can't he get that at home?"

"We're not sure." Hera said. "We would think it is just a phase, but it has been going on for several years."

"How many years?" Kanan asked.

"I think it's been about eight." Zeb provided walking in from patrol.

Chopper followed after him, he seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Rough night?" Kanan asked.

"Shut up." Chopper said.

"Someone missed their coffee." Zeb remarked.

"And I told you to shut up." Chopper yelled.

"We might want to leave." Hera whispered to Kanan. "It won't take long before Chop breaks out the taser."

"He will taser someone on the squad?" Kanan asked in a shocked whisper as he and Hera left the station to the cars.

"He's shocked everyone at least five times, including Ahsoka." Hera said.

"Wait, who's Ahsoka?" Kanan asked.

"Fulcrum." Hera explained. "She prefers to be called Fulcrum, especially after her old partner ditched the department and became a part of the mob."

"Wow," Kanan muttered.

"She almost left the force all together, but she came back, and now she's our head." Hera explained. At this point the two had reached the cars, "Well we'll talk later."

"Okay." Kanan said. He got into his own car and started to drive around the town, it was boring, that was until he got a call on the scanner.

"Officer Jarrus," Fulcrum's voice rang through. "We have a shoplifting on 3rd and Maple. You are closer than Hera, go check it out."

"Yes sir." Kanan said, calling her 'sir' despite the fact that she was female.

Kanan turned on his sirens and drove toward the site and what did he see, well of course Phantom running full speed away from the site, clutching an apple in his hand.

Kanan pulled over and started after him, but he soon lost him.

"Darn it." Kanan said, before heading back to his car, and headed over to the store that was the victim of the shoplifting.

"Oh, there you are officer. My guess is that Phantom got away." the cashier asked.

"Yeah, sorry, about that. What did he take?" Kanan asked. He saw the apple but figured there was other stuff.

"Just an apple, I honestly don't know why the manager made a big deal over it. Then again over all he's probably stolen about $200 worth of groceries over the years." the cashier said.

"How many years has he been shoplifting?" Kanan asked.

"About eight I think." the cashier said. "He sometimes buys food, but he also shoplifts at least twice a week."

"What does he usually take, either stealing or buying?" Kanan asked trying to get information sorted out.

"Just simple foods." The cashier said. "Fruit, bread, can of beans occasionally. Not much."

"Odd." Kanan said. "Well thank you for the information. I will keep an eye out for him."

Kanan walked back to his patrol car, and it was a silent for the rest of the day.

However it was not so silent for Ezra.

It all started because of the manager of the grocery store had put in a camera and saw him pinching an apple for breakfast. An alarm went off all over the store and he knew he was in for it. He ran, ran as fast as he could out of the store and down the streets.

After about three blocks a police car started coming towards him.

"Darn!" Ezra said. He picked up the pace as the officer, the same bloody officer that appeared in his dreams and seemed to have something against him. But he was too quick and agile he soon lost the officer. He slowed to a walking pace.

"All that fuss over an apple." Ezra said to himself, taking a bite of said fruit. He walked as he ate back to the park and took a seat on the bench. All too soon it seemed, the apple was gone. He tossed the core into a trash can. "I should probably stay out of that store for a while."

A little boy around four ran up to him. "Hi!"

"Hey." Ezra said with a smile, he liked younger kids, they saw him as a kid like them, not a thief or a nuisance like the adults did.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

Kids were also the only ones who cared to learn anything about him, "Ezra."

"I'm Sean." the boy introduced. "Will you play with me?"

"What would you like to play?" Ezra asked.

"Maybe we can play with my ball." Sean said pointing to his blue rubble ball about the size of a soccer ball.

"Sure." Ezra said.

Sean smiled and grabbed the ball and tossed it at Ezra, who caught it and tossed it back.

This went on for a few minutes, until a woman came over.

"Sean, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?" the woman asked. Ezra supposed this was Sean's mom.

"But he's not a stranger." Sean protested. "He's my friend."

"He is not your friend, he's a dirty, naughty boy." the woman spat, throwing the insult portion directly at Ezra, whose heart ached at the comment.

"But," Sean tried.

"We're going," the woman said, grabbing Sean by the wrist, and started to drag him away. "I never want to see you talking to that boy again."

Ezra sat sadly on the bench. That's why he hated adults, they only saw what was on the outside. He was dirty from his lack of access to a shower, and naughty, (because she couldn't say anything else to a four year old) because it was the only way for him to survive on streets.

Tears started to leak out of his eyes and down his cheeks, which Ezra quickly stopped, crying never solved anything. He got up and went closer to the playground to watch the younger kids play, no one else came over to him, supposedly told by their parents not to go near him, which just ended up making the pain worse.

Across town later the day, Kanan walked back into the police department to go on stand-by. Hera was already there, she came over and smiled.

"So what do you planed for our date?" Hera asked.

A small blush crept up his neck as Kanan responded, "Well, do you know any good places to eat? I did kind of just get here and all."

"Yeah there's this good diner a few blocks from here." Hera suggested.

"Okay." Kanan said, thinking he should have thought this through better.

"So what happened with you today?" Hera asked.

"Well Phantom shoplifted today, but he got away." Kanan said.

"He's always does." Hera said.

"I'm beginning wonder what is up with that kid." Kanan said.

"What do you mean?" Hera questioned.

"Well I questioned the cashier, and apparently he's been shoplifting for the past eight years, but it is never much." Kanan said. "She said it's always simple food. And according to a citizen he always takes less than half the cash in the wallet when he pickpockets."

"Yeah." Hera said, sound slightly suspicious herself.

"And he seemed rather short, skinny and dirty for a kid his age." Kanan said.

"So, you think something maybe up at home, like his parents neglect him?" Hera asked.

"Yeah," Kanan said. "To bad we don't know where he lives."

Ezra went back into the tunnel slide he was currently living in after all the kids left for their naps. He wanted to see about getting some more sleep before going to find someone to pick pocket.

In Ezra's sleep he of course was plagued by dreams, mostly bad.

"Ezra hide under the bed." his mother ordered.

"Why?" the seven year old Ezra asked.

"Don't question your mother just do it." his dad said.

Ezra crawled under the bed and could see his parents feet. Suddenly he heard the door slam open.

"Well if it isn't the Bridgers." said of voice Ezra didn't recognize.

"We don't want trouble. Leave now and we won't call the police." Ezra's dad said.

"Now see why would we do that?" the stranger questioned.

"Please, just leave us be." Ezra's mom begged.

"Oh we will leave you be, for the rest of eternity." the stranger said manically. "Imperials, you know what to do."

Imperials? That was the mob his parents spoke out about.

There was a loud bang, Ezra realized it was a gunshot, before he saw his mom fall to the ground, blood coming from her chest. Ezra bit his hand to keep from screaming. Another gunshot and his dad fell to the ground blood coming from his stomach.

"Let's get out of here before the cops show," the head Imperial said. "They should be here in a couple of hours," he added with a laugh.

Ezra waited until he was sure they left the house.

"Mom?" Ezra asked quietly. "Dad?"

"Ezra," his father responded.

Ezra crawled out and went over to him.

"Dad." Ezra whispered.

"Ezra, I'm going to be honest with you." Ezra's dad said.

"Okay." Ezra nodded.

"Your mom is dead. And I'm dying." Ezra's dad said.

Ezra wasn't stupid, he knew what dying meant. "No, daddy, you, you can't."

"There's no stopping it Ezra." Ezra's dad said. "Ezra you're a smart boy. I know you can make it."

"I need you." Ezra sobbed.

"I'm sorry Ezra. You can't have me." Ezra's dad said. "Be strong son. I" he started to close his eyes, "love," he never finished his sentence.

"Daddy, Mommy?" Ezra asked sobbing. And he wailed and sobbed until four hours passed and the police showed up.

"Get the bodies out of here." the head cop said.

Two officers grabbed his parents' bodies.

Ezra lifted his arms, begging to being picked up and comforted, the police ignored him and walked out. He didn't know what to do so he followed them out.

"Wait," Ezra called after as the last cop was leaving.

"Go away kid." the officer said.

"What will happen to me?" Ezra asked with tears in his eyes.

The officer turned to look at him, before turning and leaving, leaving the seven year old orphan to fend for himself.

Ezra woke up with a cry of distress and like this morning ended up tumbling down the slide and onto the ground. "Uff."

Ezra got up off the ground thinking of his nightmare of a memory, he hated the police, probably all because of that jerk officer.

Ezra walked around the town to find someone to pickpocket.

Sorry about the long wait. I've been very busy because I am in the school play, which in case you are wondering is almost over.