Please be aware that some content of this chapter may be deemed M rated

Eleven

She kissed him good morning and headed to the bathroom.

"You need to fatten that bony shebs of yours," Rex joked.

That cost him a pillow to the head.

He grabbed it and gave her some time alone before heading in after her when he heard the water running.

"Mind if I join you?"

She seemed quieter today. He sidled up behind her and was immediately taken aback.

"What's this?" he questioned the gritty film covering her abdomen.

"It's called body polish Rex."

It smelt just like her. Floral and heady, he had never smelt anything quite like it before in his life.

"Here, turn around and I'll put some on you."

He obliged and she began smoothing the sweet smelling paste over his back.

He enjoyed the sensation, like being scrubbed anew.

Mostly, he enjoyed the simple act of being touched.

She methodically worked her way down his back, shoulders and buttocks.

She heard him take in a deep breath when she headed down his thighs.

"Turn," she ordered, standing to meet him face to face.

"Do people always do as you ask"? He laughed.

"Yeah, but they do for you too, don't they? Now, kiss me."

Again, he did as he was told.

He kissed her seductively, the water falling in between their joined mouths, his arms circling her waist.

Breaking the moment she moved away and continued the spa treatment, noticing the scars accumulated along the length of his chest.

One in particular looked new, the flesh still slightly pink as it puckered in one spot on his manubrium.

Undaunted in her mission, she continued to work the gritty cream.

Kneeling down in front of him, she looked up at his involuntary erection.

"I don't think that needs polishing," he said, his voice quiet and dark.

She continued to gaze upwards. A slight smile crossed her lips as she placed him in her mouth.

She heard him suck air quickly through his teeth, and move back against the shower wall for support.

###

Slowly she made her way upwards, Rex lost in the euphoria of the past few minutes.

She drank the water running off his chest until she reached his mouth.

Scratching her hand across his chin she stated simply, "you need a shave."

Gemma walked out of the large recess and grabbed a towel.

That's when she felt it.

A nagging dull ache that had woken her was starting to bite more ferociously in her abdomen.

She grabbed the towel rail and bent over, Rex oblivious.

Collecting herself, she quickly pulled on some underwear and a floppy tunic when the buzzer rang.

"That'll be breakfast," she tried to sound as normal as possible.

"Good," she heard him happily yell back as he continued with his morning shaving ritual.

Gem opened the door fully expecting the catering droid, but instead was greeted by a huge bulk of a man in full armour.

"Morning Ma'am" he said with a laconic smile.

It was Fives.

She had met him the night before, or was that the evening before that. She couldn't think, the pain in her gut causing her to lose all concentration.

"Sorry to bother you Ma'am, but we are looking for the Captain, and I was wondering if you knew where he was?"

He was looking past her the entire time, peering into the apartment.

"No, I haven't seen him at all since we left the Bunker the other night."

He heard the shower still running, he looked her over once more, noticing the wet hair hanging loosely over her shoulders.

"Look, I just need to know he's here and OK and -" moving past her into the apartment.

"I said, I am sure I don't know where he is." Gemma was cross and irritated more from the pain than the soldiers presence.

"Listen up Ma'am," he said in a threatening tone, "if you don't want this apartment crawling with blue and white in the next two minutes, you'll -"

"Fives!" The ARC stood to attention at the familiar sound of his Captains voice. Rex was standing only in the brown pants, his chest glistening from moisture as the two soldiers faced off.

"I'll just make some caf," Gem said feeling the tension between them, any excuse to escape.

"What in the Nine Corellian Hells is going on here?" Rex was impatiently pulling the top over his head.

"It's Cody Sir, he's sending out search parties for you! Nobody has seen or heard from you in days and -"

"I'm on leave Fives," Rex implored.

"I know Sir, but, well, it's just not like you to be out of the barracks. Cody's mentioned base inspections and - "

Crash!

The both stood silent.

"You right Gem?" Rex looked annoyed at how quickly his indulgent morning had been disrupted.

"Gem?" he asked again as he and Fives headed towards the kitchen. Rex stopped and turned slowly towards the ARC, who took the hint and stood at parade rest.

Rex opened the galley door to be greeted by the woman, writhing in pain in front of him. Broken cups were scattered in front of her as she moaned clutching her abdomen.

"It hurts!" she yelled at them, pulling her top up, trying to look at the source of her agony. Fives had moved forward and he quickly looked at his Captain.

"Phantom pain," he said, both men nodding their heads in agreement.

"There's nothing make believe about this mir'sheb," she spat back.

"Get Kix," Rex stated matter of fact.

"Sir," the ARC replied.

###

Rex moved quickly, pulling her to her feet and carrying her to the bed. Fives waited patiently outside the apartment.

A couple of female Senate workers passed and giggled to one another as they noticed the soldier standing duty.

"Ladies" he said, smiling and nodding as the continued on their way.

"Fives?" Kix asked as he made his way towards the apartment.

"Phantom pain, in the bedroom, she's in a bad way."

Kix followed the sounds of pain coming from the darkened room.

She was in a foetal position with Rex sitting behind her.

Kix moved over to her and saw the pain on her face.

"Gemma , it's Kix." She heard the compassion in his voice and attempted a smile.

"Sometimes the nerves don't get the message that they are healed after treatment in the Bacta. The healing happens too fast for it to register. It's quite common, and it only lasts a couple of days. Being clones we are used to regenerating fast. Humans can tolerate the treatment, it's just takes them a little longer to heal. You'll be fine, I promise."

She held his hand and nodded, stifling a groan as another wave of pain surged.

Rex was out of his element. Out of uniform, out of the barracks and in unfamiliar territory.

He was uncomfortable having both the ARC and the unit medic seeing him with a woman and most of all he was uncomfortable with both of them seeing her so vulnerable.

"Kix will give you something to put you to sleep Gem, and in a mi -"

She roused screaming.

"Not a good choice of words Sir," Kix's voice raising as he spoke.

She immediately lifted her right leg, collecting him just below the eye socket, sending both the hypodermic and the medic back across the room.

Hysterical, she slammed her head back into Rex, catching his lip, he instantly tasted blood.

"Slana'pir! You're NOT reconditioning me!" she screamed.

"Gem, you don't know what you're saying. The pain is making you delusional," Rex tried to grab her as she tossed and turned attempting to make an escape.

"Fives," Kix yelled out to the ARC. He wandered into the room, obviously eating something and took in the scene.

The unmade bed, the wet towels on the floor, discarded clothes, and the gold medal hung ceremoniously over the top of the bed head.

"You need some fresh air in here Cap, open up a window or two," he said flippantly.

"Fives," Rex growled, growing impatient.

"OK, I hear you. Don't worry, there is an ARC here to help, yet again," he mumbled the last couple of words out.

Rex had managed to pin her shoulders down onto the mattress; she looked up at him wild, fear in her eyes.

He felt her pain, and knew the fear it brought along with it.

Fives positioned himself next to Kix and placed two huge hands onto her thighs, rendering her legs immobile. He pressed his entire weight into them and she yelped in pain at being positioned uncomfortably straight.

"Quick," he said to Kix as he moved forward and injected the hypo into her abdomen that was bare only for a feint scar and pair of white lace underwear.

"Count back from five for me Gem," Kix said.

"Fek you," was the response.

She tried in vain to keep her eyes open but the sedative effect of the injection was too strong and they closed as the three men watched her entire body slump.

"I really must have a word with Hardcase about teaching her Mando'a," Rex said quietly.

###

Kix watched him as he covered her with a blanket. It was a simple act of intimacy, he just wished he was the one doing it.

"She didn't get the full dose Captain, she shouldn't be out for too long," Kix stated professionally.

"Well, then, let's not let all this wonderful food go to waste!." Fives was delighted with the array that had arrived during the course of all the excitement.

Rex wiped a thumb across his lip, looking down at the blood before taking in the medic's shiner.

"You OK?" he asked.

Kix laughed, shaking his head and together they stood and looked at the ARC as he piled his white plate high.

###

"Nice digs you have here Cap. Tell me, she looks good, smells good, has a mouth on her that a Hutt would envy, kills Sith, and is a politician! Give me something, there must be something she can't do?" Fives was incorrigible, leaning on his thighs, cheekily awaiting a response.

Rex sat and remembered the one thing she wouldn't do and smiled slightly.

Kix noticed his Captains reaction and looked away.

"Nope," Rex smiled as he ate, "she's perfect, in every way and let's just leave it at that."

"Oya! The Captain of the five hunderd and first has a heart!"

They continued to eat, filling Rex in on what was happening outside the closeted world he had made, ever so briefly, for himself.

###

Gem woke feeling light headed, but thankfully the pain had gone.

She pulled herself up and heard voices coming from the other room.

Slowly she emerged from the bed, determined to join them.

They all looked surprised when she came through the door.

She was a mess. Her hair wild and knotted, she swayed a little before the Captain jumped up and escorted her over to where they were sitting.

She noticed Rex's swollen lip and then looked over to the ever kind medic, remembering the kick that sent him backwards.

She winced at the thought.

"Please don't get up, I believe I owe yet another round of apologies," she quietly said.

"Not at all Ma'am," Kix motioned for her to sit. "We should have told you first about Reed and also the problems associated with non-clones in the Bacta."

Looking at Rex she just said, "I don't think I can do this."

Rex blew out a breath. This wasn't in his training, but then again, nothing he had experienced in the last few days was.

He didn't know what to say. If she were a soldier he would simply revert back to what he would say to any one of them in his unit.

We all have a duty to perform. It's what we were bred to do.

He thought for a more appropriate response.

"Nonsense," he said with a low voice, placing an arm around her, drawing her into him.

She just looked up into his eyes, communicating on a different level.

Again the natural feeling tugged in his chest.

The other two soldiers watched this act of intimacy, one secretly envying his Captain.

It was Fives who broke the silence.

"Well, I think we might call it a day Sir, Ma'am."

They got up from the couch and headed towards the door.

"If I end up on base inspections with Cody I'll cut your kama in half and shove it up your sorry shebs," Fives waved a finger at Rex.

He grabbed Fives arm Mando style and spoke to him in the mysterious language.

"Thanks ner vod," she heard Fives reply.

He did the same to Kix, who all the while, looked back over the Captain's shoulder at her as he spoke, and replied the same.

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