Nineteen

They lay together. She against his shoulder, their hands entwined as he compared the size of his to hers.

Their fingers clasping together momentarily and then releasing again.

He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, clenching his fingers once more around hers.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

He snorted and replied, "I'm too tired to think."

It was true, he was exhausted and only when he was dirt side with her did he relax enough to realise just how tired he really was.

Rex was completely recovered from the Blue Shadow virus and had been given the all clear to return to active duty. It was only a matter of time before he would be deployed to another battle.

"Why Gem, not Skylar?" He mused.

"Pardon?" She moved up onto his chest, her chin resting on her hands as she looked into his eyes.

"Why do we call you Gem and not Skylar?" He asked again.

"No real reason, my father always called me Gem. I never did like Skylar anyway."

He nodded slowly, now twining a piece of her dark hair between his large brown fingers.

"My turn," she questioned. "Where did the name Rex come from?"

"Oh no, no, no." He laughed heartily, she smiled at the sound.

"Did Fives put you up to that?"

"What?" she asked innocently, smiling broadly.

"Anything, you can ask me anything, but I won't tell you that."

She leaned forward and kissed him.

Just as he began to commit fully to the passion building did she pull away.

"OK," she said, now kneeling in between his legs, he looked at her hair falling over her bare shoulders, she was beautiful and he smiled.

He couldn't remember ever being this happy.

"Who was she?"

"Who was who?"

"The woman you slept with before me?"

He felt his face immediately prickle and he looked away from her gaze.

She followed it cheekily.

"You said I could ask you anything. Come on, give?"

He looked into her dark, sparkling, playful eyes.

He couldn't lie, it wasn't in his training.

Breathing in and out slowly, he knew the answer would hurt.

"Ahsoka," he said quietly.

###

She couldn't breathe.

Gem got out of the bed, pulling a robe around her as she paced.

"She's a, she's a Padawan!" was the best she could do.

Rex sat in the bed quietly, allowing her some time to digest what he had just told her.

He watched as she kept moving all the time gauging, calculating how this was going to play out.

He would have rather been on a forty klick run, or disarming a droideka, than trying to grapple with the emotional issues of a woman.

He suddenly felt so young.

"She should be reported to the General, she should be stripped of her light sabres, she shou -"

"Will you just stop for a minute Gem!" Rex spoke loudly as he moved out of the bed, pulling on his black under shorts. She was immediately taken aback by the tone of his voice.

"If you report her, you'd have to report me, and besides, need I remind you, wasn't your mother a Jedi?"

She turned to look at him, nodding her head at his comment. "I was waiting for that. So it's OK for her but not my mother?" She was angry, hurt.

She pulled on some pants, flung a top over her head and grabbed her running shoes. She dropped one and cursed as she bent down to retrieve it, sneaking a quick look over at him. His eyes hadn't left her for a second.

"Where are you going Gem?" he asked slowly.

"I need a walk, that's all."

"Don't do anything stupid OK?" Wincing at his idle threat.

'Di'kut!'

"No, I won't. You and Ahsoka already did that!" She spat the sentence back at him. He flinched at her acerbic words.

She left the apartment, running into Fox as she turned the corner too fast.

'Fek, is this man everywhere,' she thought to herself.

"Ma'am?

But she didn't reply, she just kept walking heading towards the one place she knew she could think. The familiarity of the running tunnel was where she would figure out what to do with this new information.

Fortunately for her the gym was practically empty, and the Sarge wasn't around to start an inane conversation.

She didn't feel like talking, she was desperate to run, to forget.

Rex had inadvertently opened a raw wound, one that hadn't healed in over twenty years.

Floundering with the control panel she had to stop and calm down as she plugged the terrain and climate conditions into the computer. She sprang up and opened the hatch, glancing quickly at a couple of bewildered soldiers watching her as she stepped inside and slammed it shut.

Not thinking, she just began, and kept going.

###

Rex took a deep breath and got dressed in his armour and knowing full well where she was heading, made his way towards the gym. He felt sick in the gut, wondering what she would do, she was hurt, a politician, and a woman; a lethal combination at the best of times.

Rex spotted Hutch as he entered the gym. It had been just on an hour since she had left, hopefully enough time to settle down and cool off a bit. He noticed three men all watching the monitor of the tunnel. Gem had been ruthless in her programme. She was running flat out in a jungle with high humidity on a steady incline.

"Take it easy Ma'am, you're up to twenty four klicks, time to start cooling down." Sarge warned over the intercom.

"Look at this boys, perfect running posture, efficient use of arms and placement of the head. Captain!" Hutch jumped to attention in front of the screen.

"Sarge, how's things," Rex smiled extending his hand. The Sarge had helped rehabilitate him on more than one occasion after injury. They were old friends in an army with constantly changing personnel.

"Good Sir, we are just watching the young politician going through her paces, although, she should be finishing and letting up by now." He said watching the monitor while he spoke.

"Come on Ma'am, time to call it quits, I'm banked up with boys waiting," he boomed down the comm.

She ignored them all, Rex could see the look of determination on her face as she continued to pummel her legs into the track.

He leaned forward and pressed the comm switch.

"Representative Gem, we are turning the tunnel off now, please make your way to the exit."

She recognised the voice and began to slow until she reached the hatch that he had already opened for her. She was drenched in sweat, and in her rush to leave had not put on an appropriate running shirt. Her top, wet, was soaked, and clung to her body as she stepped through a little shaky.

Rex put his arm out to help her but she shrugged it off, glaring at him. She was unsteady, her legs weak from her own punishment.

"Ma'am, allow me," the Sarge said as he quickly draped a towel around her shoulders, covering her heaving bosom distracting near on every soldier in the gymnasium. She couldn't speak, she was too out of breath. Gemma lent forward, hands on her knees as she tried to regain her breath.

"Nice work Ma'am, that is your best distance yet." He looked between her and the Captain and he felt the tension. He knew Rex had extracted her off the moon and that together they had killed two Sith.

There was history there, but at that point, he wasn't interested in knowing it.

"Ma'am, Sir." He excused himself and walked over to a couple of young recruits doing some one on one maneuvers on the mats.

She looked at him not speaking.

"You done here?" Rex said calmly.

She nodded.

"Good, allow me to escort you back to your accommodation," he replied formally.

"Thank you Captain." Gem walked next Rex, noticing other soldiers nodding their respects to the man walking just on her left.

During the time in the tunnel, she had berated herself about the way she acted in response to his openness.

He could have lied and told her nothing, but instead he was honest and she had vilified him for that. He had also come looking for her, but he needn't have worried, she knew she would keep his secret. The implications of the forbidden relationship would ruin both their careers. She cared for him too much to risk that.

She was ambivalent towards the young Jedi.

Together they left the gym and he escorted her home, where upon opening the door he hesitated to step inside without invitation.

"It's OK Rex, I acted inappropriately. I'm sorry. You have my word I will say nothing."

"I'm the one who should apologise, I hurt your feelings and for that I am sorry."

His eyes were looking into hers, no hurt, no fear, just brown, honest and his.

She looked up at the ceiling, blinking away the water beginning to build as she hooked her index finger onto the top of his utility belt. Gently pulling him inside, he smiled knowingly.

He didn't know it yet but he was about to experience the aftermath of a disagreement known as 'make up sex.'

It was going to be the finest afternoon of his life.

###

His wrist comm beeped. Leaning over to the bedside table he quietly flicked in on.

Report in. 0700.

He knew what it meant. He flopped his head back on the pillow and rubbed his eyes between his middle finger and thumb, letting out a slow yawn. He stretched fully before slowly pulling himself out of the bed.

She was still sleeping as he headed towards the 'fresher. He turned the tap on, relieving himself before stepping inside the running water and without hesitation he began to shave his head as he did every morning. The whole process only took him five minutes. He knew every part that required attention with the sharp blade, he never missed, never cut himself. He could have let his hair grow longer. It would be easier to maintain in the field, but the ritualistic shaving was a habit he now enjoyed. He never tired of it. It meant he was alive to do so when so many of his brothers weren't.

He dried himself and walking back into the room, looked for his black bodysuit. Lying over the edge of the chair he pulled it on automatically.

She woke to the clipping sounds of his armour being replaced.

She didn't say anything, knowing this day would be coming.

Once finished, Rex walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, his armour making a grinding sound as he sat. He frowned and looked at his shin plate and readjusted it.

Gem sat up covering herself with the bed linen.

"Let me get dressed quickly," she said moving the sheet aside to get up.

"No, stay in and sleep a little longer, it's early." It was oh six hundred hours.

"I had a good time yesterday," he smiled remembering their love making from the previous afternoon, which had lead well into the evening.

"Me too," she smiled, blushing slightly. "When will you be back?" Always being optimistic for a response.

"Not sure, Gem, I have a briefing in an hour with the General."

"And her?" she looked down at the thought of his Commander. She was beautiful, brave, and ruthless on the battlefield from all accounts, a Jedi, and his previous lover.

"In all honesty, I don't know," he studied her face for a reaction.

He wished he hadn't told her about Ahsoka. However his pride swelled thinking she was jealous of his Commander and it felt odd to have someone feel so emotional about him.

"I suppose I can't ask where you are heading this time."

"Nope," he smiled again, closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head once.

"I don't want you to worry OK, enjoy being here on Coruscant. Try and negotiate peace or something, you're good at extracting information and getting your own way," he said happily.

She stifled back a laugh but it wasn't enough to stop the tears beginning to build in her eyes.

"Go on, get going before I have my wicked way with you again."

He laughed as he stood, "There's not much left in the tank Gem!"

She shook her head looking up at him. Rex leaned down and kissed her quickly on the mouth. Moving just slightly back he looked into her large dark brown eyes, he wanted to say something, but couldn't think of the words.

She said them for him.

"Stay safe, come home, I'll be waiting."

He tapped his left glove in acknowledgement.

He smiled, turning and left the apartment.

She waited until she heard the door hiss shut before falling back into their bed and allowed her checked emotions free.

###

"Captain."

"Commander" he nodded as he passed the familiar patrol station, putting on his helmet as he walked.

###