Ezra sat on his father's shoulders. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around the man's head.
"Giddy up horsey, giddy up!"
Ephraim chuckled. He held on to Ezra's legs as he acted like he was trying to buck the small child off. Ezra shrieked with delight.
"Ephraim, careful! You'll make Ezra fall." Mira scolded as she caught up to them.
"You're no fun." Her husband complained, but he slowed his movements down to a more gentle pace.
Mira rolled her eyes, but leaned forward and pecked him lightly on the lips. They broke apart with a laugh at Ezra's eww of disgust.
A scream suddenly cut through the air like a knife. The source appeared to be from a nearby alley.
Ephraim frowned. He lifted Ezra off his shoulders and handed him to Mira.
"Wait here." He took off toward the alley, disappearing into it.
Confused, Ezra clung to his mother as she held him tightly. She stroked his hair gently.
A yell carried through the air, followed by a crash. Both of them jumped at the sudden sounds.
What was going on? Terrified, Ezra Mira setting him down, right in the doorway of a store.
"Stay here sweetie." His mother whispered.
"If we are not back immediantly, run and get help alright." At his nod, she kissed his forhead and ran off.
Ezra waited for only a few moments. What happened? Was Daddy okay? Finally he couldn't take it anymore and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him toward the alley.
He came to a screeching halt at the mouth of the alley to find both parents being held at gunpoint. In his mother's arms she held a small child, while Ephraim stood protectively in front of them.
Ezra arrived just as the gun went off once. Then twice.
Two bodies fell.
Ezra screamed.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kanan shot up when he heard the scream. He threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Hera stirred at the movement, opening her eyes.
"What is it?" She murmured sleepily. Kanan didn't answer; another scream did it for him.
He raced out the door. Hera was on his heels, throwing her housecoat over her shoulders as she ran. They met Sabine out in the hallway.
"What was that?" The girl rubbed her bleary eyes.
Another scream cut threw the air. This time they could identify the source, the room at the far end of the hall. The room that Zeb shared with Ezra.
Kanan dashed over. He yanked open the door and flicked the light on. Behind him, he heard Hera's sharp intake of breath.
Ezra was tossing around on his mattress. His blanket laid in the floor from where he had kicked it off. He whimpered in his sleep, teeth gnashing.
Zeb stood awkwardly by the youth's bed, pulling at his arm and pleading with the tormented teen.
"Come on kid, wake up." Ezra didn't respond, lost in whatever nightmarish world his mind had conjured. He whimpered again.
Some part of Kanan's mind registered that these were the first vocal sounds he had ever heard from the boy as he hurried forward. Zeb stepped back, letting Kanan take his place.
He sat on the edge of the bed and gripped the boy's shoulders. He shook him lightly.
"Ezra, wake up, please." He patted the teen's cheek. Ezra wriggled at the touch, but Kanan kept his grip.
Ezra suddenly jerked into a upright position with a cry, his forhead connecting with Kanan's own with a sickening crack. He pulled back with a yelp of pain, rubbing the tender area.
In his sleep-laden state, Ezra didn't seem to register that he was safe. He scrambled backwards until his back hit the wall. His tear-filled eyes stared at them, unfocused.
Hera slowly sat by Kanan. After checking to see if he was alright, she turned to Ezra. Her gaze was gentle as she tried to calm him.
"It's alright Ezra, you're alright, calm down." She soothed.
Ezra's breath began to slow. His expression began to clear as his fogged mind started to realize where he was at. He looked down, cheeks flushed with a mixture of adrenaline and embarrassment. He tensed when Hera reached for him. She paused.
"Are you okay, hon?"
Ezra gave a nod, but it was obvious he wasn't. His small form still trembled and his face was ghostly pale. His eyes still glistened with inshed tears He glanced at Kanan, noticing the red mark on his head. Horror marred his face, followed by guilt. The man noticed.
"Kid, its okay. It's not like I'm dying." He smiled to relieve the tension, but it only seemed to make it worse. He sighed, standing.
"Come here." He motioned beside him. Ezra shook his head, shrinking back.
"Come here, I'm not mad, I promise." He tried to coax him, trying his best not to lose his patience. It was too late at night for this.
Ezra hesitated a moment longer before scooting over. Kanan reached down to take the boy's hands and guide him up to his feet. He noticed the boy stiffened at the contact.
"Come on, let's go downstairs and get a snack." He motioned for the others to go back to bed as he led Ezra toward the door.
Hera wanted to insist on coming with him, but stopped herself before the protest could leave her lips. It was best to leave them alone, let them have some 'male bonding' time together. And Kanan had once been in Ezra's shoes, he might be able to reach the child more then the rest of them could.
….
Kanan led Ezra to the kitchen. He had him sit down at the table.
"How about some hot chocolate? Does that sound good?"
At Ezra's nod, he pulled the mix out of the cabinet. As he heated up the water, he watched the teen out of the corner of his eye. The boy had propped his head on his fists, eyes staring off into something unseen.
What had the kid dreamed about? It was times like this Kanan wished that the boy would speak, but he had a feeling that even if he would, it wouldn't have done them much good. Ezra was extremely wary and mistrustful of others, and even after almost two weeks of living with them, still had not even attempted to open up to them.
He poured the coca into two mugs. He went over to the table, handing one to Ezra. The boy accepted it, taking a small sip.
Kanan sat down directly across from the boy. He supped his own drink as he watched Ezra's face light up. The boy nursed his cup, sighing in contentment.
Soon the teen finished and sat his cup back down with a soft clank. Kanan chuckled at the sight of his face. The youth's upper lip now sported a chocolate mustache.
Still laughing, Kanan handed him a napkin. Ezra took it with a faint grin. Small, but it was there, and it warmed the man's heart to see it.
After cleaning himself up, Ezra motioned to himself, then pointed at Kanan. The elder smiled. He knew what the boy was trying to say.
"Don't mention it." Seems this little trick worked on Ezra too.
When he was Ezra's age. Kanan suffered from nightmares. Rarely was there a night when he wasn't waking up in a cold sweat and a cry on his lips.
To help with these 'mind terrors' his adopted mother Depa would fix him some coca and would sit with him. No words were ever exchanged. They would remain in silence, soaking in each others presence. These had helped Kanan more than any comforting words or hugs ever could.
For Ezra, it worked perfectly. Already he seemed more at peace than earlier.
The boy tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand, catching Kanan's attention.
"I think it's time you were in bed." He placed the mugs in the sink. He went to Ezra's side of the table. He held out his hand.
Ezra frantically motioned to himself, pointing at his head. He shuddered.
"I know kid, but you gotta rest." Inspiration struck him.
"Tell you what, how about we kick Zeb into the living room and I take the bed? That way I'll be right there if they start." He had thought about offering to let him stay with both him and Hera, but figured that because of his age Ezra would feel insulted at being treated like a little kid. Besides, didn't Zeb always say he slept better on the fold out couch bed than his own mattress?
Ezra hesitated, his gaze flicking from the outstretched hand to the man's face.
"Come on Ezra. Please, trust me."
Another second passed. Than another.
Kanan was starting to think he wasn't using the right method. Maybe he was expecting the boy to move faster than he could. Maybe he should stop pressuring him, give him more time. Sighing, he was about to drop his hand….
Era reached out. Slowly, his small fingers wrapped around Kanan's larger ones. His face was doubtful, nervous. But when he saw Kanan watching him, he looked up and gave a faint smile.
Kanan felt his heart glow. He gave the small hand a quick squeeze before pulling him to his feet. It was such a small gesture, a simple act of trust. Some may have even dared to call it insignificant.
But it was a start.