Sixty One

They sat looking at the bland food in front of them in the GAR Mess.

Fives, Jesse, Kix and Tup.

None of them talking, just staring at the food they knew they should eat, but none of them able to bring themselves to do so.

Exhausted.

Depressed.

Fed up.

Jesse leaned on the table with his hand rubbing his forehead.

Kix was worried about him.

The death of Hardcase had shattered the tightly knit group, but none more so than Jesse.

He hadn't spoken about it, kriff, he hadn't spoken much at all. Kix could see the signs, but was at a loss on how to approach his oldest and dearest friend.

"Sir," a younger clone in white walked up to the formidable foursome.

Everyone had all heard the rumours about what happened on Umbara.

This ubiquitous durosteele table represented the guts of the 501st. Others were giving them a wide berth, not sure when one, or all of them would eventually crack under the pressure.

Like their Captain.

"Corporal?" Fives answered, looking up at the younger version of himself.

"There is someone here demanding to see CT-7567."

They all straightened and stared at the soldier.

He took a slight step back, wondering what he had said to elicit such a reaction from the four seasoned veterans.

"That would be Captain Rex, Corporal?" Fives said menacingly.

"Yes Sir."

"I'll see to it then," he said lifting his tired body out of the chair slowly.

The younger man watched, and even as desolate as Fives was, he still appeared taller, bigger than his identical counterpart.

He was an ARC first and foremost and took the lead for the other battle weary brothers he sat with.

As he turned, the Mess doors hissed open and the woman swept through.

"Get out of my way! Do you know who I am?" The shrill in her voice startling every trooper in the room.

"Fives!" Gem yelled as she ran straight to him. The need to feel again was paramount, and Fives stopped for a moment and allowed himself the luxury to try and mend all that Umbara had taken in a brief embrace with his Captain's girl.

She pulled away and looked at him. The dark rings under his eyes, his unshaven face and the down turned mouth. Gem then quickly scanned the others seated at the table. All dressed in various combinations of their uniform, all shocked at her presence in the Mess hall, but all too depressed to say or do anything about it.

Kix simply stood and smiled. The medic always had a way about him, even during a time of obvious distress, his kind eyes could elicit a warm welcome.

Gem immediately went to him and they held each other, she could smell how exhausted they were, their uniforms as crumpled and tired as the bodies they covered.

"Jesse," she walked to the other side of the table and wound her arm around the seated soldiers neck, resting her hand on his shoulder as he gently lent into her. She looked at the other soldier sitting with them, and extending her other hand, Tup tentatively took the outreached limb and held it firmly.

"Where's HC? Off getting more caf?" She turned to look back at the servery for the first 501st soldier she had ever met.

They all sat silent.

Fives cleared his throat and spoke.

"Hardcase didn't make it Gem, he was KIA."

Gemma looked down immediately to Jesse, tears were already welling in his eyes, the rawness of his grief still evident.

"He saved us all Gem," he whispered as she pulled his head back against her chest.

She was struck at the devastation sitting in front of her, she had never seen any of them this inconsolable.

"Where's Rex?" she demanded.

"You haven't heard then Gem," Kix spoke slowly. Gem let Jesse go and stepped back a little from the group, her cheeks instantly prickling as she stared at the medic.

"He's in the Infirmary," Tup unaware of the relationship between his Captain and this woman.

Gem swung around to the other soldier instinctively cradled her abdomen, the maternal movement not lost on Kix as she began to sway.

"He's alright Gem,' the ARC rushed out, "he's just exha-u-s-t - "

The words spoken by Fives were a blur as the room began to spin in front of her.

"Grab her quick, she's going to faint," Kix yelled as Fives stood and caught the woman before she hit the floor.

"Put her on her side," Kix ran to the medical cabinet pulling out a small vial and snapping off the tip before he knelt and placed it near her nose. The strong scent of ammonia rousing her as she lay awkwardly in the ARCs arms for a second time.

"He's OK Gem, he collapsed from exhaustion, he's not injured. Do-you-understand?" Kix was watching her comprehend what he said. "Let's get you to your feet and check you out in the med bay."

Kix helped her stand and Fives swept her up into his arms, jostling her slightly under the mountain of material she was wearing.

"Kriff Gem, I must be tired, you weigh a ton," he laughed.

"Come on," Kix said changing the subject as her cheeks flushed as the colour returned.

#

"Put her here Fives." Gem lifted her arm in protest, but Kix merely said, "humour me Gem while Fives see's if the Cap is awake?"

He watched her as he took her vitals, knowing this woman and what he saw, he had put two and two together. Gem never wore heavy velvet gowns, she was more at home in tight pants or short dresses, and together with the increased weight gain he had to ask.

"How far along are you Gem?"

She stared at him first.

How could he have known?

Dropping her head she merely shook it, avoiding his steady gaze as he continued to slide the cuff over her arm and inflate it.

"Does the Captain know?"

She shook her head again. Kix watched the mercury bubble drop in the sphygmomanometer.

Then the question he had to ask. The clones were fiercely protective of each other.

"Is it his?"

"What sort of question is that? Of course it is!"

Kix smiled, "well at least I finally got you to answer me. Have you seen a civilian doctor?"

"No."

Kix sighed. "OK, let's draw some blood and check that everything is OK and I'll get a name of someone for you to see here on Coruscant."

Gem just looked up as he placed a syringe into her arm and watched mesmerised and silent as the vial filled with the crimson liquid.

#

Fives walked in to see his captain sitting and taking sips of water from a medical droid. He saw his ARC and rolled his eyes.

"You're awake Sir," Fives said with a smile as he took the plasticup from the med mech and handed it to Rex.

Rex cleared his throat. "How long have I been in here?"

"Two days. You went seventy two hours straight without rest. If you hadn't collapsed, Kix was going to have you knocked out. We were all taking bets as to who he was gonna get to jab your atin shebs."

Rex smiled and rested back against his pillow. The electronic door hissed open and Kix walked in, standing next to Fives shoulder to shoulder, he smiled.

"Good to see you Sir. High Command has apparently more questions you need to answer."

Rex swayed his head in disdain, "Tell them to fek off, would you?"

"No can do Sir, you'll have to tell them yourself?" They looked at one another and stepped aside to reveal the woman standing behind them.

The look on both Gem and Rex's face said it all.

Rex then let out a sound that was unfamiliar not only to himself, but all present in the room.

All bar her.

He could no longer hold his emotions back as they came tumbling down. He quickly covered his face with his hands as she moved forward and grabbed them with her own.

"You've been in a crucible, that's changed you," she said.

"I don't understand," he said as he silently began to cry. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into her.

"I don't either," she whispered.

"Hardcase," he managed to get out.

"I heard Rex," she replied, "Fives told me. I'm so sorry."

Fives and Kix looked at one another and left the room silently.

"Fek, is this ever going to end?" Fives asked his friend.

"I have a feeling that things are going to get a lot better. Soon vod, soon." He slapped the ARC on the pauldron and guided him out of the med bay.

Fives smiled, "that's what I like about you Kix. Always the optimist."

#

Rex was tired and hurt emotionally. Losing two thirds of his company, it was Teth all over again.

'This can't be happening?'

Hardcase was gone.

Jesse inconsolable.

Fives had questioned his judgement.

A Jedi had been executed.

He had committed mutiny.

It didn't get much worse.

Gem had left the infirmary and headed back to her apartment. She knew the time had come, she had to tell him about the pregnancy and hoped he would accept the child growing strong inside her.

The first trimester had been tough. She had hidden the sickness from him whenever he was posted back to Coruscant. Kix had been spot on.

She was nineteen weeks into the confinement and could no longer hide her small ballooning belly under large cloaks and tight supports.

#

"Captain, they are sending you back to your quarters. You can leave the med bay as soon as they disconnect everything." Kix was tired and he too was looking forward to the anticipated leave they were getting. His plans were to go to sleep and not wake up until it was a week later.

"I'll see you," he hesitated, "around Sir."

Smiling he lent forward and extended his hand. Rex took it and shook it hard. They were beyond formalities now, Umbara had seen to that.

Kix left and a medical droid bumbled in and drew the curtain behind him.

Rex looked down as the droid pulled the sheet back and began to withdraw the catheter out of his member yet again.

"Do you have to do this every time I am in here?"

"It's protocol Captain," the droid answered with no intonation.

"Kriff," he muttered, the pain intense as the mechanical nurse began to pull on the fine wire.

That was it.

Rex had finally had enough, and letting out a tirade of the worst Mandoalorian profanities, he grabbed the droid and spun it's head around in a lock so hard until he heard the electrics cut out; the droids eyes loosing all light.

"That's for Hardcase," he grunted with satisfaction as he let go.

"Sir!" Kix walked back in hearing the commotion looked with horror at the scene.

Rex was naked, a wire hanging out of his penis, and a new model medical droid beginning to smolder.

"Charge it to my account," he said, wincing as he pulled the wire out himself and getting out of the bed he boomed, "Where's my fekking armour?"

Kix smiled.

Umbara was over.

His Captain was back.

#

She walked from the bed to the refresher, pulling a silk gown delicately over her shoulders.

"Take that kriffing thing off! I want to see you, all of you," Rex said as he watched her from the bed.

She turned and lowered the gown past her shoulders, low enough for him to see the small of her back.

"I said all of you, and that's an order," he growled.

Gem sighed and on returning left the gown on, but open.

She saw him smile, sneaking bits of her anatomy as she made her way back to him.

"Mesh'la," he whispered as she stopped just in front of him.

Rex positioned himself at the edge of the bed and deliberately opened the gown slowly. Looking and inspecting every part of her he drew her into him and held her against his head. Gem wrapped her arms around him, holding him in place until he moved slightly away.

"You look different," he said, inspecting her quickly, "maybe it's just I've been away too long this time."

It was now or never.

She moved her hands down and holding his face up to her own she announced.

"We are having a baby Rex."

He continued to stare at her, apparently oblivious to her previous comment.

"Rex," she spoke softly, "did you hear what I said?"

He had heard alright.

Rex sat back and moved his hand ever so slowly over her abdomen.

Rubbing it fondly he said quietly.

"I have nothing to offer you."

"You Rex, you are what you offer me. Aliit, darasuum."

He stood up and pulled her into him.

The tragic events surrounding Umbara were still fresh in his mind. The loss of so many men, the pain of the treason by Krell, the questions, the endless meetings, the answers, all culminated to this point.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I know," she replied.

#

'Fek, Cody was right. I should have taken more care. A baby, how'm I gonna explain this to High Command?'

Rex was in the 'fresher, taking longer than the usual five minutes, and he didn't care.

Then he found himself smiling, uncontrollably smiling.

'I wish I could get a communiqué to Cut, he's be laughing so hard right about now.'

With renewed purpose he closed the tap and grabbed a towel and drying himself quickly he headed back out to his, his what?

His family.

He had made a life for himself outside the GAR. He had done it. He had proven the Aiwa Bait wrong. He was more than a number, more than a mass produced killing machine.

He was going to be a father, and he stopped for a second and remembered Echo.

'Eyayah, ner vod.'

Looking for Gem he found her in the galley preparing food. Rex swept her up into his arms and swung her around the tiny kitchen. She giggled at his enthusiasm and he stopped quickly.

"Did I hurt you?" A worried look flicked across his face.

"I'm pregnant Rex, I won't break," she laughed.

"I want to scream it out to everyone!"

She had never seen him like this before.

"OK Gem, in all seriousness, how the fek are we going to handle this?"

"Don't worry Captain, I have it all under control."

###

To the real Hardcase - sorry, but we knew it was eventually coming, I know you clowns will keep reading, you have to, we're vode after all, and to a Guest who wanted a mention - hey CT- 7587.

See you in February. . . .