Author's Note: Mission Day Four is about 12K long [and is broken down into three parts] and has some of my personal favorite moments; you'll probably notice them when you read em - enjoy!

Mission Day Four - Part One

Toweling dry as she stepped from the shower, Ahsoka felt a twinge in her neck as she tilted her head to see what she was doing to dry her legs, but forced herself to ignore it. She waited until she was dry and dressed before taking a deep breath, wiping the steam off the mirror, and stared at her reflection.

Almost afraid of what she would find, Ahsoka tilted her head to the side as she lifted her lek off her neck, gently touching the imprint which remained on her skin from where Rex had bitten her. The tips of her fingers ghosted over the bumps, barely there after a night's rest, but a blatantly tender reminder of what had occurred the night before.

It wasn't the only injury she'd incurred.

Paw print bruises around one ankle where the furry creature had grabbed her; an impact ache on one hip, and a sore arm where she'd struck the ground had also made themselves known, but it was the mark on her neck which held her attention.

There was a lesson in that disastrous sequence at the cantina and it wasn't in Rex's treatment of her. Given the chance, she wouldn't have done anything differently with Rex, but then, she felt that she'd somehow put him in the position, making him have to do it. If she'd been quicker on stage, she'd never have been pulled from it.

She couldn't see the mark with where it was on her neck and, hopefully, Rex wouldn't either.

Looking at her reflection, she let her lek go, tilting her head this way and that to familiarize herself with how it felt and where it rubbed against the bite mark. Meeting her own gaze, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for facing Rex again.

This was Rex.

Rex. Her friend and companion; team mate and protector. He wouldn't judge, he'd just... well she didn't know what he'd do, to be honest; they'd never been in this situation before. She only hoped he'd accept her apology for dragging them both through the events at The Catalyst and put it behind them to be able to accomplish their mission's goals.

That thought in mind, she opened the door determinedly and strode straight for the bedroom door, hesitating only a moments before opening it, too. Rex wasn't where she'd left him the night before, but a quick glance showed him to be seated at the holonet terminal.

Her gut clenched as she considered the implications of that location, but didn't follow through with the thought. She needed to talk to him and adding further issues to the situation weren't going to help. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth.

"Rex-"

"Ahsoka-"

They spoke at the same time as Rex abruptly turned to look at her, his expression more closed than she'd seen it for a long time, and her heart sank. He looked about to continue and she held up her hands, feeling her throat threatening to close. "Don't," she told him with a shake of her head. "Just don't say anything, until I say something first, all right?"

He stood, standing in his regulation at ease posture which should have looked ridiculous but only served to remind her of just who and what he was. A man; a soldier; a clone. He'd been born and bred for combat, not this kind of intrigue and here they were expecting him to meet the challenge.

Not that he couldn't, but the unfairness of it suddenly seemed disproportionate.

He waited in silence, watching her, and Ahsoka saw the tendon in his neck flex. It almost cost her the nerve she'd gathered, but a stern mental reminder that this was her fault and she needed to fix it had her standing her ground. "I owe you an apology, Rex."

"I- what?"

His confused interjection caught her off guard. "I owe you an apology; for last night." Ignoring his incredulous look, she forged ahead. "I was too close to the edge of the stage, if I hadn't been trying to show off, that creature wouldn't have caught me and pulled me down. You should never have had to been put in the position to need to rescue me like that; I'm sorry."

He was quiet for a moment, continuing to stare at her, almost as if he'd never seen her before and then, much to her surprise, he chuckled. A soft sound at first, it cut off just as it gained true voice and Rex shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"What?"

"Ahsoka, I was going to offer you an apology."

"For what?"

He lifted one hand and rubbed the back of his neck, watching her intently, and the reference wasn't lost on her.

She flushed. "Oh; that." Averting her gaze she struggled to find the words to explain a reaction she didn't fully understand. "If I'd been more careful, you wouldn't have had to, Rex. I'm okay, I just-"

"Ahsoka; look at me."

Glancing at him, she found she couldn't hold the contact. "I don't know what happened to me, okay? I'm fine this morning though."

"There's a reason you reacted like you did last night when I bit you," Rex's words were audibly reluctant, like he was saying something he didn't want to, "if I'd known last night what I know now, I would never have-"

"What do you mean what you know now?" Unconsciously, her gaze flew back to his, reading the nuances of his posture. "What-" she glanced to the terminal where she'd spied him upon entering the room and the why of it fell into place. "You... Rex, tell me you didn't."

"I was concerned about you."

"So you went on the holo net?!"

"What else was I supposed to do?" he demanded. "You'd already locked yourself in the bedroom and wouldn't talk to me."

"I was scared, Rex; I've never had that happen to me before!"

"And I wasn't? With all we've been through, you've never shut down like that and we've been through a hell of a lot, Ahsoka."

"That didn't give you the right to look it up!"

"Someone had to."

"You should have asked me first."

"You were already gone and I wasn't going to sleep after that." He took a step towards her, his eyes blazing with an emotion she didn't completely comprehend. "I was," he paused, as if searching for the right word, "I was worried about you."

The fist in her chest loosened with the heartfelt admission but didn't dampen the hurt his actions had unleashed. She felt... betrayed was too strong a word, for it would imply she'd lost trust in him, but certainly as if he'd not respected her privacy. On some level it irked her to know that Rex knew more about her physical reactions than she did. "How would you feel, Rex, if I went on the holonet and looked up your physiology?"

He smiled faintly, a hint of a tease in his voice. "Flattered you cared enough to know?"

"Hurt, Rex. You'd feel hurt," her correction was as raw as she felt in that moment. "I can't believe you would... that you..."

"I was trying to help, Ahsoka."

His voice was soft, contrite, and stopped her in her tracks. Ahsoka snapped her lips closed, suddenly feeling awful for not appreciating the gesture for what it had been. Staring at him for a moment, her throat tightened, blocking her ability to speak and her eyes suddenly burned.

Everything hit her at once; from the stress of learning that Anakin had crashed his fighter and wouldn't be with her on this mission. To learning what was expected of her and Rex. To the tension between them and the disastrous nightmare her first round at The Catalyst had been. Rounding it off, as if that weren't enough, was her strange reaction to having Rex bite her; a reaction she felt even now as she stared at him.

Taking the two steps to close the distance between them, Ahsoka practically threw herself against Rex's chest. Her arms wrapped tightly about his waist as the floodgates broke and she buried her face against him, sobbing brokenly into his shirt.

The lightning shift from hurt, irate Ahsoka to sobbing Ahsoka caught Rex completely off guard as she launched herself at him. He had the presence of mind to take a half step back and brace himself for violence, only to find himself suddenly wrapped in a death grip of a hug.

One moment she'd been glaring at him; accusing him of delving into the documented evidence of her species traits like they were some kind of delicate, super secret intelligence only those of the race were privy to. And now she was clinging to him like her life depended on it.

Rex did the only thing he could think of; he folded his arms around her shoulders and held her as tightly as she was holding him.

Ahsoka shook in his embrace, quaking and sobbing as if she were broken, and he adjusted his hold. Wishing there'd been some kind of training for how to deal with this situation, he firmly ran one hand down her back in what he hoped was a comforting motion. Having nothing to fall back on, he did what he felt was appropriate.

He ducked his head to hers, pressing his lips to her brow and closing his eyes as he let her lean on him, willing her to draw strength from him; to collect herself when she was ready. He murmured words against her skin without thinking; words he'd never recall later but ones that seemed to give her comfort.

Rex didn't know how long they stood there before Ahsoka's crying jag eased, dwindling into hiccups and the odd sniffle, and he changed the long stroke of her spine to a circular motion. Easing his hold on her only as he felt hers give a little, he didn't let her out of the circle of his arms as he looked down at her, concerned.

Her forehead tilted against his collarbone, her breathing slowly returning to normal and marred only with the odd gasp or hiccup.

"Ahsoka?"

"I'm okay," her words were muffled and choked, far from sounding 'okay'. "I'm sorry, Rex," she laughed, that, too, sounding watery. "I didn't mean to cry a lake on you."

"I won't dissolve," he assured her, still at a loss, "and you know I like to swim."

She giggled, finally lifting her head and turning away.

The glimpse he caught made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, her face blotched with dark orange spots, the white markings on her face brighter than normal, though because of the crying jag or something else he wasn't sure. Maybe he should have researched more of her physiology than just the biting thing.

"I'll be right back," she told him, heading for the bedroom.

He let her go, not sure what else he could do, following her. She disappeared into the 'fresher and he heard water turn on. A couple of minutes later, she emerged looking more like herself. Her face was still slightly swollen, but her eyes were once again clear and direct, if slightly embarrassed.

She looked startled to see him waiting for her in the doorway to the bedroom. "Sorry about that, Rex," she flushed a deeper sienna hue; the deepening blue to dark blue on her lekku and montrals was embarrassment and black, he now knew should it happened, was arousal. "I... shouldn't have gotten angry with you."

"We knew going into this assignment it wasn't going to be easy," he reminded her, "this isn't exactly what you were trained for."

"You either," she countered, advancing on him. "I'm still a little stung you researched my biology," a lightning quick smile assured him she wasn't angry, "find anything interesting?"

That was an understatement. "A thing or two," next he would have to research his own and see if there was anything he could do to temper his attraction to her. "Care to see?"

The relief in her eyes as she nodded lifted his spirits. He stepped back and motioned her to the holonet console.

Rex folded his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, trying to sleep but unable to get his mind to shut down as he normally did. The pleasurable freedom of being under the covers and out of the leather pants for a few hours of shut eye was lost to his concern for the young woman in the next room.

Caught somewhere between teenager and woman, Ahsoka had been asked to shoulder a burden that should never have come to her.

The circumstances of their mission had been very straightforward when General Kenobi had laid them out on the Resolute. Rex was finding that having them laid out bare bones for a mission like this was very much like dealing with ARC troopers. They only told you what they thought you needed to know for an operation, not the detail that could make a difference.

A good example was the Council's abuse of trust when it came to Ahsoka. General Kenobi had obviously known what they were asking of the teen, but he'd asked anyway. Her cooperation hadn't been an option; she'd been ordered on this mission. Like a good soldier, she'd risen to the challenge, researched her role and set about executing her task to the best of her ability.

Her breakdown several minutes ago notwithstanding, he didn't doubt Ahsoka's ability to perform her task. He'd left her to explore the holonet information he'd saved for her, suspecting that she would have questions based on her reaction the night before. Knowing he'd found the information enlightening, but difficult to read in some respects, he'd retired to bed to try for a few hours of shut eye before they had to return to The Catalyst.

Considering everything that had occurred in the last few days, Rex's inclusion in the mission now left him conflicted.

He was too close to the situation.

He desired Ahsoka in ways that he'd never really understood before having to spend time with the fringes of this seedy town's respectable. And that was being nice. He'd heard more sexual acts and positions described in lewder terms than he'd known existed in such a short period of time that he felt... dirty. Sullied. Unclean.

To hear Ahsoka described within those terms was enough to test his patience, to drive him to the razor's edge of control. He'd never been more disgusted in his life.

Yet, despite the fact it repulsed him to have other speak of her in such a fashion, to his shame, it excited him too. It excited him to think of having her with him in the ways they described, willing and wonton, his for the taking.

He groaned softly as the natural physical reaction to those thoughts manifested itself and he rolled to his side, bending one knee for balance.

Ahsoka was a sexy young woman, more than a teenager but not yet an adult, and was being forced to explore a sexually charged aspect of her nature to ensure her performance was flawless. Having her practice on him was pure hell, watching her on stage had been levels beyond the pleasurable torture of her writing on his lap. Unable to touch in either case, knowing he was the only member of her audience meant safety for her and agony for him. With an audience, hazards like the one from the previous night became a marked danger and rendered him jealously angry with her. He wanted her for himself… and knew she wasn't for him.

Rex wondered how anyone could have remained unaffected in his position.

He was floundering, losing sight of the mission with each dance Ahsoka practiced and performed and his instincts already screaming at him to prevent her from going on stage again. After what had happened the night before, everything within him wanted to scrub the mission and retreat - but they'd come too far to go back now.

Ahsoka's determination to see this through to the necessary conclusion no matter the cost to herself, was a hallmark of her character. An admirable trait, yes, but one that concerned him for her in this instance. This mission should never have come to her or proceeded without the guidance of her Master.

Rex's gut clenched painfully with the thought of General Skywalker in his position. Somehow, he doubted his General would be having the same problems when it came to Ahsoka, or have reacted in the situations in the same manner. Anakin had far more galactic experience than either his apprentice or his Captain and Rex wished he could have channeled that or at least had access to it.

Exhaling as he willed his undisciplined body to settle, to allow him to sleep, Rex turned his face to the pillow and closed his eyes. The faint, distinctive cinnamon and clove scent of Ahsoka's skin enveloped him immediately, filling his lungs and sliding between his ribs like a well-placed knife.

Rex groaned, throwing one arm over his eyes as he rolled onto his back and tried to forget what he'd smelled. Now that he was aware of it, though, the sheets seemed to be saturated with her scent. It enveloped him completely, rubbing against his skin, his brain already filling in the blanks with the memory of waking to find her straddling him, and he was beyond aching to agony in moments.

Conscious of what had occurred the last time he'd attempted to find even a little relief, Rex gritted his teeth and did his best to banish the images and sensations. Trying to picture something, anything that would help, he took a deep breath.

Bolo ball.

With a start he realized the season was in full swing, he had access to holo feeds and he'd never given it so much as a thought since arriving on planet; since being given this assignment. He wondered who was ahead so far this season. His thoughts turned towards the playoffs and Ahsoka's eager expression sprang to mind as she'd leaned forward to help shave his-

That wouldn't work.

Rex focused on something else... his blasters.

Picturing the DC-17 blaster pistols was calming and mentally he decided to perform an exercise that he'd done a million times; he'd clean them.

He imagined them in hand, his fingers tracing over first of the barrels to check for deficiencies. The smooth shaft was warm in his hands as if he'd just fired and he frowned, running his fingers along one side of a barrel, feeling a raised seam-

Rex choked, realizing that cleaning his decee probably wasn't the image he needed right in that moment. Folding his hands and locking his fingers together to cradle his head, he slid them behind it.

His armor, that was a safe topic, right? No; Ahsoka had helped him paint the stripes on the last set.

His brothers? His brow furrowed; thoughts of Torrent Company inevitably led to images of Ahsoka's bravery and good humor. Of her putting herself in the line of fire again and again to save them when they were supposed to be protecting her.

Battle images quickly resolved in the odd lunge as she came at him to knock him out of the way or he returned the favor, resulting in a quick pin of her beneath him to the-

Rex cut the thought off quickly and harshly, shifting his focus again.

His General - stuck back on the Resolute in a bacta tank thanks to a series of stupid heroics that had saved many, many men. Unfortunately, thoughts of his General always brought with them thoughts of his Commander and Ahsoka's concerned and earnest image sprang to mind; the expression she'd been wearing when she'd heard of Skywalker's 'accident'.

Snapping his eyes open, Rex stared at the ceiling for a long moment, wondering if the Force was torturing him for lusting after one of its agents. For he wasn't under any impression that it was anything different and, much as he hated himself for it, he couldn't seem to stop.

Not only couldn't stop, but felt it intensifying daily.

Physically, he was as strung out as he'd ever been; if he was wound any tighter, he'd pop. Which wouldn't exactly be a bad thing,he thought darkly. The release would have been more than welcome.

The physical agony aside, it was the mental strain that was undeniably worse.

Having to watch Ahsoka putting herself out there while keeping himself in check. Watching her as his every fiber of self told him it was wrong, yet couldn't stop. They were there for a mission and he was ogling his young Commander, consumed with jealousy and rage. Not all of it directed at the male populace around him.

If nothing else the whole experience was proving to be a humbling one. He wasn't as strong as he'd thought; he wasn't above the baser urges of his men; he wasn't the untouchable pillar of strength others had viewed him to be.

He wasn't, Rex realized as he struggled to find the most comfortable position possible, the trustworthy friend Ahsoka saw him to be.

If he had been, he wouldn't desire her as he did; wouldn't be thinking of her in the context he had no business envisioning based on their military relationship. He wouldn't have been lying there, wishing she was next to him, and struggling with the knowledge that he wasn't sure he could have resisted reaching for her if she had been.

Ahsoka pushed away from the holonet terminal, unable to read further, her mind whirling with what she'd learned.

Perfectly natural, she thought, moving to sit in the same chair where Rex had brought her the night before, a perfectly natural reaction... to one's chosen mate!

Sinking to the seat, she buried her face in her hands, bracing her elbows on her knees and pressed her finger tips to her temples. Rex had, thankfully, left her to her own devices. She was so mortified to discover why she'd reacted to him as she had, she wasn't certain she could have faced him in those moments.

Part of her wanted to scream at having been so foolish, so obvious and transparent. You could have shouted it from the stage and gotten it over with, she thought caustically, it would have saved a lot of time and worry! Not to mention that, thanks to his research, Rex had to know how she felt about him - and if he didn't know, he would certainly suspect!

She felt like an idiot.

Yet, despite that, another part of her was vastly relieved. She was glad to know she had submitted to Rex so blatantly, so trustingly, because he was Rex and not because she'd been handled the way she'd been. It gave her peace of mind to know that it was a reaction to him and not just any male. If anyone else had tried to do what he had, she would have resisted, according to the research, with prejudice. Just as well they hadn't tried; without knowing what was happening to her, she'd have blown their cover for sure.

And now I owe Rex another apology, she grimaced, dropping her hands to fold them together.

It was only then she noticed she was shaking.

Pushing back to her feet, she paced across the room and then back, nervous energy translating into movement as she struggled with the new information and the knowledge that Rex shared the same. Except he didn't, she realized mid-step on her tenth trip towards the main door, pulling up short. Rex may have read the same information, but could he really understand it without being Togrutan? She wasn't sure, but her instincts were saying 'no'.

Yes, he knew what the reactions were supposed to mean, but he couldn't really be sure, could he? Or was she just latching onto what she hoped was the case? There was no way to tell for sure until Rex woke from his nap and it wasn't a conversation she was looking forward to.

Instead, she focused on the night before and other details that had been pushed to the back of her mind in the face of her violent physical submission to Rex.

Like… watching Ishka give a lap dance; she'd seen new moves she would have to try and, discomforted or not, she had to practice. She couldn't risk looking like an amateur. Or the fact she'd been told that males had approached Rex; how had he turned them away? What had he said to discourage them?

Focusing on the various details, she left her embarrassment fade away. Yes; she would need to talk with Rex, but she also had a mission to complete and her own feelings and reactions for the stoic Captain aside, she couldn't allow herself to founder. Together, she and Rex would have to get through this. They would just… know each other a little better when it was all said and done. No harm in that, right?

Her gaze trailed back to the bedroom door, urging Rex to come through it so she could get it over with.

As it turned out, Ahsoka had most of the day to herself, with Rex emerging from the bedroom with barely an hour before it was time for them to go to the cantina. It left her no time to address the personal issue with the weight it deserved, and instead, she pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the mission.

Rex submitted to a second variation of lap dance techniques, but Ahsoka didn't tease them both with a full routine. Instead she made sure she was all business, showcasing what she'd learned and being sure to show him the two options as to how she'd done the dance the first time and what she'd seen at the cantina the night before.

Unfortunately, Rex was able to give her very little feedback beyond his reactions, but Ahsoka was heartened. Rex had been rigid on the chair but she could tell by the way his biceps flexed when he enjoyed something and filed away the routine for later. She would need every trick in her arsenal to make good on the trust Jedi Council and GAR Intelligence had placed in her to accomplish the mission.

As they got ready to leave that night, Ahsoka packed a few more of the outfits to ensure she had something fresh, part of her hoping that their target would appear tonight and part of her hoping he wouldn't. She and Rex needed to talk about what had happened and they would need to do it soon.