It hurt.

That was the only thing he really understood. He had allowed himself to hope and now he hurt so badly deep into his stomach.

They were gone. Gone from the world because of Ezra.

Ezra clenched his hands together, feeling them tremble but being unable to stop them. He knew his message of hope had brought a lot of good with it, a lot of people was free because of it and had brought those who heard it hope of a different future.

But it had lead to the death of Mira and Ephraim Bridger.

They had broken out but gotten separated and stayed behind to ensure others came out and hadn't left the prison at all. Killed in a escape attempt that had started because of Ezra's words, mirroring the ones they had said so long ago when Ezra had been so young.

His shoulders trembled as guilt seeped through his spine and into his stomach now that he had time to think and was no longer focused on the mission, the guilt leaving a coldness so profound that Ezra didn't know if he could ever get warm again as he dropped his face into his hands.

He heard the door open but couldn't move from his bunk, his whole body shaking. 'They're...alive inside me...I... I...I just need to...remember...remember...Oh First light...they're gone!' He let out a small sob into his hands.

"Karabast...Ezra?" A warm furry hand was suddenly on his shoulders before he was lifted of the bunk and against a much larger and warmer chest of a Lasat.

Ezra wanted to talk, to assure Zeb but all that came out was another heartbreaking sob against the others chest.

"Oh karabast...kid..." The other sighed and sat down on his own bunk, holding Ezra tightly. If he knew where Kanan was, he'd get him. Or Hera, they were better then him at this comforting thing but they were out somewhere, perhaps talking to Commander Sato and...it was clear Ezra needed someone right now and best option was him he guessed.

He was pretty sure Ezra didn't' want Sabine to see him crying. And Chopper wasn't exactly any better then him at comforting.

So he let the teen cry against his chest, slowly rubbing his back with a careful hand, feeling whole body tremors go through the lithe frame as Ezra hands slowly curled into the fabric underneath him.

"They're gone...they're gone and its all my fault..." He hiccuped.

"No, no its not. Ezra you-"

"If I hadn't sent out that stupid message they wouldn't have tried to escape! I could have...I could have saved them! They...they wouldn't have escaped..." Ezra wanted to scream but all he could do was dissolve into more tears against the others warm chest.

Zeb sighed, ears flickering before drawing himself and Ezra back against the wall of his bunk, squeezing him slightly.

"...Guilt a terrible thing Ezra." He murmured quietly, a blast and the sound of screams in his ears before he shook it away, focusing on the teen on his lap. "It eats you up if you let it..." He listened to the strained sobs for a few more moments.

"...Do you honestly think your parents would have tried to escape at some point even without the broadcast? Don't you think that to hear you, your voice, to know you were alive was enough for them to be happy?" He brushed his fingers through the others dark hair, feeling a bit of relief to hear the others sobs quiet down slowly.

'Karabast...how do you mend a broken heart? Hera where are you?' He thought as he slowly continued brushing his fingers through the dark strands. "You can't let guilt eat you up, you've done so many things for so many people, so much good and I don't know about you but from everything I know, I think they would be proud of you."

Ezra shuddered and tucked harder into Zeb, curling up as small as he could.

"...I just wanted to see them...I wanted...wanted to see them so badly. I...thought..." He swallowed. "...I let myself hope...I...I thought...this time...they were alive, they lived...they..." He shook. "And I can't even bury them..."

"...But you can remember them." Zeb murmured quietly, dragging a blanket to them and wrapping it around Ezra, tilting the others face up to dry tears carefully, his face set in serious lines. "You can carry those memories around and honor them as best you can. Be it to light a candle every year on their days. Or to just think of them and all the fondness you have for them." He peered into those blue eyes that were red rimmed from the tears.

"...We've all lost something somewhere along the road Ezra. Along this damn path the Empire set us all on. But you're stronger then them. And your parents knew that, you are every inch their son, son of people who spoke out."

Ezra's adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, staring at Zeb.

"And you're every inch a part of this family. We aren't going anywhere. We'll keep fighting this fight as long as we got each others. We can continue what your parents started back in their little home on Lothal, to make a better future for those who comes after us."

The two stared at each others for several moments before Ezra buried himself back against the Lasat's warm chest, shaking still but no longer sobbing.

"...Thank you..." He whispered quietly.

"Yeah yeah, that's it, continue snotting my shirt up. Just let it all out." Zeb chuckled sarcastically. "Like I needed to be anymore smelly then I already am."

"Smelly old Lasat..." Ezra whispered, sniffling a bit and smiling ever so slightly.

He wouldn't be alright today. He wouldn't be alright tomorrow.

But he could be alright eventually.

As long as he had everyone.

"Hey, call me old again and lets see if I bother sharing space waffles with you again." Zeb chuckled quietly then squeezed Ezra carefully to him.

"...Zeb?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Thank you."

"Yeah, well...I get first dibs on the fresher tomorrow and...errg...sorry for hitting you so hard when you were a 'cadet'."

"Its fine...just don't do it again and deal, fresher first." He snuggled in, closing his eyes.

"Heh, sleep well blueberry."

Author note: Figured I'd add a bit more meat to this...poor Ezra and Zeb knows a thing or two about surviving guilt