Hi everyone!

OneLittleSpark18: I am so happy that my fic is a story you come back to! Honestly it makes my day.

jainasoloFel600: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy!

I really like this chapter, and I hope you all do too!

Mando'a translations at the end!

Waves of eager happiness poured off of Rex as he flew them home. The sun was setting over Coruscant, casting the city in a golden glow. Ahsoka felt his joy easily. As she had guessed a week ago, they were forming a force bond. She was a little unsure how they were doing it. She'd have to ask Anakin how exactly he had bonded with Padme. She'd also have to ask him how exactly she should go about telling Rex. A force bond was an intimate thing. While Ahsoka welcomed it, Rex might not feel the same.

In any case, she was glad to feel him cheerful. It was the happiest he'd been in weeks. More clones were being taken, and it weighed heavily on his shoulders. Even now his happiness was fettered by a strain of worry.

The twins were one of the few things that could lift Rex's spirits this much. Ahsoka had arranged the visit after she caught some very heavy feelings through their burgeoning bond.

She was glad to see those feelings replaced with memories of Leia smiling up at Rex. They'd learned something today. Leia was a very serious baby, smiling rarely, with two exceptions. Her father and her Ba'vodu Rex both received countless smiles from the little girl.

It'd risen Rex's spirits immensely.

"Rex?" Ahsoka said.

"Sir?" Rex replied, his eyes still on the lanes.

"Did you get to spend much time with the baby clones on Kamino?" Ahsoka asked.

Rex didn't reply at first.

"Why do you ask?"

"You're really good with the twins. I just wondered if you'd had practice." Ahsoka said.

Rex went quiet again.

"No, sir." He finally said. "Every clone visits the nurseries once early on. Just to show us where we came from."

He took another pause.

"We snuck in once, Cody and me." He said. "We liked the little ones. Most clones do. We got caught before we could see the ik'aad'e."

He smiled wistfully at the memories.

"I honestly thought they were gonna decommission me for that one." He said. "Took me a long while to break rules again."

Ahsoka was quiet. The way he mentioned the fear of being killed as a normal part of his childhood reminded her of the darkness on Kamino.

"What about you, sir?"

"Hm?"

"The ad'ik'e, did you spend any time with them? When you were on Kamino with General Ti." He asked.

"I did." Ahsoka said. She paused, remembering. "It was my favorite place on Kamino. When I had a break, I'd either spar with the men, or go hold the babies."

Ahsoka frowned slightly, recalling Nala Se and the lecture she'd given.

"I got told to stop." She said. "The Kaminoans told me I was messing up their environment. It was one of the reasons I left."

Rex gave her a curious sidelong glance.

"They had the nursing droids though."

"Rex, when was the first time you touched another living being?"

Ahsoka could feel Rex thinking about it.

"When I was around one standard, I think." Rex mused. "Yeah, it was then. The first time we were allowed together as a squad. Before, we could see each other because our infant pods were next to each other, but we couldn't get near each other. My batchmate, was it Nav or Spook? Anyway, he bumped into me and our hands touched. I remember thinking it was weird."

Rex trailed off.

"Most people can't remember when they were touched for the first time, Rex." Ahsoka said quietly. "Most people are touched from the moment they're born. Most species need it."

Rex gave her another bemused look.

"At the temple, we could use nursery droids." Ahsoka went on. "It'd be easier and leave the initiates and other Jedi more time for their studies and duties."

She realized that they had stopped moving, parked in front of their apartment building. Rex was now fully facing her. He wore one of his intense expressions, one of attentiveness.

"We don't, because even the Jedi know how important it is to make that sentient connection. For the younglings to know that someone cares." Ahsoka said.

"I don't quite understand. We knew we were cared for." Rex responded. "We were taken care of pretty well."

"There's a difference between being cared about and being cared for."

Rex paused, and nodded.

"I suppose that part didn't come until later, with my brothers." He mused. "So that's why you left? The littles weren't being cared about?"

"Partially." Ahsoka said. "It was every way the clones were treated. Some of the trainers-"

Ahsoka paused, remembering the brutal beatings she'd tried to stop, both physical and verbal. She also remembered Nala Se sounding as annoyed as a Kaminoan could, telling her the trainers' methods were not to be disturbed.

"I remember that." Rex said quietly. "I- didn't have the best trainer. She didn't like my hair much."

Ahsoka's eyes were immediately drawn to his head. His hair was just a hint longer than he'd kept it in the war.

"I love your hair." She said softly.

Rex snorted.

"You might like it, but not many on Kamino did. My trainer in particular thought it meant I was defective. She kept pushing to get me decommissioned."

A little face flashed through Ahsoka's mind, one with bright, eager eyes and a rare but genuine smile.

"That's what finally pushed me over the edge." Ahsoka said. Her fists clenched. "The kriffing decommissioning."

"It was a fact of life." Rex said with a shrug.

"It shouldn't have been!" Ahsoka felt her voice rise. "No child should have to fear for their life for making a mistake, or being different."

Rex looked at her.

"Who was it?" He asked.

Ahsoka stared straight ahead.

"Plenty of clones. Master Ti always just told me we had to bear it. But near the end-" Ahsoka took a deep breath. "His name was Quiz. He was three or four standard. Called him that because he constantly asked questions."

She smiled slightly as she recalled the young clone's chatter. What's the difference between humans and Togruta? On the inside, I mean. What does the Force feel like? Can you use the Force to aim a blaster better? To pilot a starship better? What kind of starships have you been on?

"I paid attention to him because he was blonde like you. He was brilliant. Passed all the tests with flying colors and sometimes even found mistakes in the programs." Ahsoka said. "And knew everything there was to know about every starship. And I mean every starship. From Mandalorian fighters to Corellian freighters. He knew it all."

Rex was still intently studying her.

"What was wrong with him?" He asked.

"Nothing!" Ahsoka spat. "There was nothing wrong with him. He was just built differently!"

Rex blinked at her outburst. Ahsoka took a few breaths before going on.

"He- he would get overwhelmed. When they started using ordnance sounds or the real thing he'd just curl up with his hands over his ears. Sometimes at meal times he'd get the same way." Ahsoka said. "And he had a hard time communicating. Anyone but his trainer or squadmates would get frustrated because he was so literal. He'd get mad over the smallest things.

"I'm surprised he made it to that age." Rex said.

"Quiz had one of the good trainers." Ahsoka said. "And his brothers adored him. They all protected him for a while until-"

The day she'd come into the mess hall, looking for Quiz's squad. She'd been met with a group of solemn cadets, one smaller than it used to be. They'd taken him in the night.

"Commander." Rex's voice was sympathetic. "You know the Kaminoans. What did you expect?"

"I thought he could be support." Ahsoka admitted. "He loved the ships. Couldn't he have been a mechanic?"

"That's not how it works." Rex said quietly.

"It should have been!" Ahsoka's voice was nearly a shout as she rounded on him. "Why did he deserve death, Rex? Why did any of them deserve death?"

"I'm not saying it was fair-"

"No. It wasn't." Ahsoka regained control of her temper. "And we did nothing about it."

"What about General Ti? Fives always said she helped a lot of troopers." Rex asked.

"Master Ti did her best. I see that now." Ahsoka said. "But she didn't have the support of the council to challenge the Kaminoans more. The council was too afraid to do anything. They didn't want to see that there was something wrong with the army they used."

She heaved a sigh and looked up to the sky glittering not with stars, but ships and transports.

"When Quiz was taken, he wasn't killed right away. I could still feel him. So I asked Master Ti about it. She just told me that there was nothing we could do, that we had to keep on the Kaminoans' good side so we could save others. I felt his life force fade later that day." Ahsoka closed her eyes. "So I demanded to go back to Coruscant, screamed at the Council and told them they were cowards, and told the whole Order to kark off."

"You left because of us." Rex said. There was a note of disbelief in his voice and she realized she hadn't really told anyone why she'd left.

"In the end, yes. I couldn't be part of an Order that condoned sentients being treated that way. And when I thought of you, or Jesse, or any of my men being treated that way-" She sighed again. "Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have left. I abandoned the men I said I cared so much about. I could have done more good if I had stayed, like Master Ti said."

She felt Rex's eyes on her and waited for his response.

"I grew up on Kamino when General Ti wasn't there. There were some good trainers, kind trainers." Rex said. "But not many, and they often had to hide that they cared. A lot of the clones, we thought the only people who cared were our brothers."

He fell silent and seemed to wait for something. She looked at him and found him staring into her eyes in a way that made her heart beat harder.

"If we knew that someone, a Jedi, had left behind everything because of us, because they cared," He said softly. "I think it would have helped."

"Thank you." Ahsoka said.

"Thank you, Commander." Rex said. "For caring."

He was still staring into her eyes. His own soft gaze was all she could seem to see. For a moment his focus flicked down, to her lips.

On instinct she reached for his feelings. He was nervous, but the fear she'd sensed in him before was gone. The longing had grown stronger.

A gentle brush against her hand made her look down. He had tentatively intertwined his fingers with hers. She pushed her hand into his, pressing their palms together as she met his eyes again.

His other hand moved, slowly, towards her face. She leaned in, anticipation for the touch making her heart pound.

"Captain! Commander!"

Fives' voice jolted them both out of their moment. The ARC was jogging towards their speeder. Cold disappointment washed over Ahsoka as Fives stopped, hands on his hips.

"Are you two all right?" Fives asked. "You've just been sitting here for five minutes.

"We were talking." Rex said, his voice cracking..

Fives shrugged and looked towards their apartment.

"Jesse's got something to tell us." He said, then gave a mischievous grin. "It's about Rhys."

The next day, Ahsoka looked at the small diner as she got off her speeder bike. It seemed unremarkable, like the many other restaurants in CoCo Town. She caught sight of the boys' speeder already parked and four clones waiting for her at the entrance.

"How was work?" Rex asked as she approached them.

"As fun as listening to bickering politicians can be." Ahsoka said with a shrug. "Jesse, is Rhys not here yet?"

Ahsoka had been excited when Jesse had announced the night before that they'd finally be meeting the elusive Rhys. She was eager to see the type of woman that not only Jesse would fall for, but would actively pursue a relationship with a clone.

"She'll be here soon." Jesse said, grinning. "She told me to get a table without her."

Ahsoka exchanged looks with Kix, Fives, and Rex.

"Rhys is real, right?" Fives asked. "It's not gonna be Ridge in a wig?"

Jesse laughed a bit louder than was necessary. He was nervous, Ahsoka realized. Either of what they'd think of Rhys or what Rhys would think of them.

"No, she's way prettier than any of us. Except maybe the Commander." Jesse said.

The hostess, a middle aged Pantoran woman, approached them. She was overly cheerful as Jesse told her how many were in their party and that they were waiting on one.

"So these are your friends!" The woman said.

"Yup!" Jesse said with a grin. "Finally all here!"

Ahsoka blinked. Jesse was a regular here, but she'd never heard him mention the place.

"This way!" The woman practically sang.

Ahsoka was getting suspicious. If it weren't Jesse leading them, she would have suspected a trap. Rex was just as uncomfortable, she could tell.

They settled in a booth, Ahsoka pinned between Rex and Fives. Ahsoka felt her face heat as Rex's shoulder was jammed against hers.

"Your waitress will be right over." The hostess said with a wink at Jesse and left four fifths of the group a little more confused. Jesse led the small talk for about five minutes. Then the waitress, another Pantoran woman, came up.

"What can I get you to drink?" She asked them.

Jesse looked up at the waitress, a smile spreading.

"You already brought me mine." He said and pulled the woman down into a deep kiss.

Fives sputtered, Kix's jaw dropped, and Rex froze. Ahsoka herself started laughing. The woman, presumably Rhys, and Jesse started laughing as well.

"Hello." Rhys said, pushing Jesse off as he tried to keep kissing her. "I'm Rhys."

"I guessed that." Ahsoka said, reaching out to shake hands. "I'm-"

"No, let me guess." Rhys said, taking Ahsoka's hand and sliding next to Jesse in the booth. They had to squish further together to make room, pressing Ahsoka deeper into Rex's side. "You're Commander Tano."

"Please, I get enough of that at home. Call me Ahsoka."

Rhys smiled at that. She was pretty. She looked to be around the clone's physical ages, the later 20's. Her blue skin was tattooed with only a hint of gold around her cheekbones. She had sparkling golden eyes and near-white lavender hair that she had half pulled away from her face.

"Okay, Ahsoka." Rhys said. "I'm assuming that's Fives."

She gestured to Fives, who hadn't really composed himself.

"Er, yes, ma'am." Fives said.

"The Captain Rex." Rhys pointed to Rex.

Rex really hadn't composed himself, but he managed to mutely put a hand forth to be shaken. He had to reach across Ahsoka to do so. His chest was inches from her face.

"And Kix, the vod'ika." Rhys finished with a wave at the medic.

"It's a pleasure, Ma'am." Kix said.

He alone had recovered his wits.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Rhys said. "You're Jesse's favorite topic."

"Uh oh." Fives muttered. "I don't want to know what he's told you."

"Don't worry, Fives, I've cut out the embarrassing stuff. Which left me about five minutes of content." Jesse said. He had his arm curled around Rhys' shoulders and she was leaning into him.

"Thanks, vod." Fives said with a roll of his eyes.

"He's lying." Rhys said. "He's told me plenty of embarrassing stories. But plenty of good ones, too."

Another waitress who looked to be related to Rhys came and took their actual orders.

"My family owns this diner." Rhys explained. "It's how we met."

"How did that happen?" Kix asked. "How did you look at Jesse of all people and decide he was the one?"

"She must be into patriots." Fives said.

Jesse rolled his eyes.

"I asked her out first, di'kut'e." He said.

"That's what we're asking." Ahsoka said. "Why did she say yes?"

"Because the way he asked." Rhys said. "All politeness. He started out confident but started stammering at the end. I couldn't say no."

"And why did you think she'd be interested?" Fives asked Jesse. "She is clearly out of your league."

Jesse shrugged with a sheepish grin. "A hunch."

"Liar." Rhys said. "He knew I was sympathetic to clones. The first time we met he'd come in for a bite and we had a group of er- prejudiced individuals there at the same time."

Ahsoka winced. Jesse must have made a tempting target, a lone clone.

"They started coming at him and I kicked them out." Rhys finished.

"It was more than that!" Jesse protested. "You slapped the leader! And told them, what was it? That 'if you can't have respect for our boys in white, you better get out before I get the blaster?'"

Rhys flushed an indigo color.

"Something like that." She admitted.

Ahsoka was impressed and she could feel her companions felt the same. Rhys had passed their test with flying colors. The look on her face when she looked at Jesse gave her extra credit.

Their food and drinks came and the conversation fell into lighter topics, of day to day life and interests. At one point Ahsoka jolted as Rex's thigh brushed against hers. She felt him stiffen.

He didn't move away. Ahsoka's mind raced. He was uncomfortable, she could tell, but he hadn't moved. Should she move? He relaxed slowly, so Ahsoka assumed it was okay to keep her leg right where it was.

About halfway through their meal, a high pitched shriek cut off their talking.

"Jesse!" A voice squealed.

A short blur rocketed across the diner. An older Pantoran man came out of the back, following.

"Gia! Come back here!" He said.

The blur, which turned out to be a young Pantoran girl skidded to a halt in front of their table.

"Mummy! Why didn't you tell me Jesse was coming?" The girl said with a stomp of her foot. She looked to be four or five and was a near copy of Rhys.

Rhys sighed and reached for the girl.

"I wanted to spend time with Jesse and his friends alone, Gia."

Gia pouted and wriggled out of her mother's grip and into Jesse's lap. Jesse grinned down at the little girl and put his other arm around her. She cuddled up to his chest like she'd been there a million times.

"I'm sorry, Rhys." The older man said. "She heard their voices-"

"It's all right, Dad." Rhys said. "She would have found out eventually."

Gia seemed to notice the strangers at that point, especially Ahsoka, and hid her face in Jesse's chest. Fives and Kix were laughing and Rex smiled.

"This is Gia." Rhys said. "My daughter."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at her.

"You work quickly, Jesse." Fives said.

Rhys gave a sad smile.

"My husband was an officer in the Republic Navy. He was killed in action the first year of the war."

The mood around the table immediately sobered.

"I'm sorry." Ahsoka said.

Rhys reached over to stroke Gia's hair. Jesse pulled her closer.

"He died bravely." She said. "He saved many lives. And he left me Gia. So it's not all bad."

"What was his name?" Rex asked.

Rhys looked curiously at him.

"Naj." She said. "Why?"

"To add his name to remembrances." Rex said. "If he died with us, he deserves to be remembered with us."

Fives and Kix nodded together.

Rhys blinked and Ahsoka could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Thank you."

"Mummy, can I wear her hat?" Gia piped up, pointing at Ahsoka.

Everyone laughed and the tension broke.

They managed to turn the conversation back to more mundane topics. Ahsoka smiled as Rex began trying to get little Gia to look at him. He ignored the conversation and spoke to her in a soft voice. He moved his leg away from Ahsoka's in the process. Her thigh felt cold where he'd been touching her. Eventually Gia turned to him and smiled. Ahsoka had rarely seen Rex look so triumphant.

"Okay, the real question." Fives said as the meal came to a close. "What in the galaxy are you two doing all the time? Besides the obvious."

Ahsoka choked on her drink and was aware of Rex turning Coruscant Guard red next to her.

"Fives!" Rex protested.

"It's not that!" Jesse said testily. "We talk, and go on walks and I'm just around when she works. And-"

He hesitated.

"I've been teaching him to cook." Rhys said. She squeezed his arm. "He's getting pretty good, too."

"You shebs!" Fives said. "You absolute osi'yaim!"

He sounded actually offended, though Ahsoka didn't know why. Jesse gasped and covered Gia's ears.

"Watch your kriffing mouth!" Jesse hissed.

"You've been holding out on us!" Fives said. "We've been sitting at home, eating his cooking!"

He jabbed a finger at Rex, who didn't seem to mind.

"And you could have been making us decent meals!" Fives finished.

Ahsoka started laughing, along with Rhys.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Commander!" Fives protested. "You know what, if you think he's that much of a catch, Rhys, listen to this!"

Fives proceeded to tell one of the more embarrassing stories involving Jesse and a game of strip sabacc. Ahsoka kept laughing as Jesse retaliated in kind. It began some sort of war, with each trying to out embarrass the other. Kix occasionally piped up with a tale or two. There ended up being stories Ahsoka hadn't ever heard. She was laughing so hard she had to lean on Rex for support. Kriff, this was good, Ahsoka thought as Kix described exactly how Jesse reacted when he found out what a catheter was. A wave of warmth washed over her. Was it her happiness, or Rex's? She couldn't tell it apart right then. Her men were safe, Jesse had found someone who looked at him the way he deserved, Rex was here and-

Rex's comm beeped. He brought it up and his face went white. Ahsoka felt a blast of arctic fear.

"Rex?" She asked.

Rex shoved the comm back.

"We need to go." He said.

"What?" Jesse protested. "Why?"

Rex's voice had taken on a tone Ahsoka hadn't heard since the war.

"Cody's been taken."

Cody's modest apartment was a disaster. The turned over furniture had blaster holes, the lights had been shattered, and glass scattered the ground. It took Ahsoka a moment through the chaos of the Coruscant Guard bustling about to notice a body slumped in the corner.

"Oh kriff." Fives said from behind her.

Rex entered the room, slowly at first, and then business-like as he approached the Guard in charge, who Ahsoka recognized as Stone. Kix went to join the medics around the body.

"Who else lived here?" Ahsoka asked Jesse.

"It was Cody, Boil, Wooley, and Trapper." Jesse said.

Ahsoka's heart lurched. From what she could see, the body was that of a clone. Who had died?

"Sirs!" One of the medics piped up.

Rex and Stone turned to the huddled group.

"Sirs, we got the bio chip reader and we've identified the body." The medic said. "He was CT-55-5026."

Rex frowned.

"What battalion was he from?" He asked.

"He didn't have one, sir. According to our records, he was never deployed. The war ended right as he graduated training. He should have never left Kamino."

"Osi'kyr." Stone muttered. "Thorn was right."

"About what?" Ahsoka asked.

"The Kaminoans are sending our own brothers to kidnap us." Rex said. "And take us back to Kamino."

Mando'a:

Ba'vodu: Uncle

ikaad'e: babies if I got the grammar correct

ad'ik'e: little ones

vod'ika: little brother, used in this context as a very close younger brother

vod: brother

di'kut'e: idiots

shebs: backside

osi'yaim: useless, despicable person

osi'kyr: strong exclamation of surprise or dismay

Okay, before you all find out where I live and lynch me for another fake out kiss, I SWEAR I did not start this scene with the intention of making them almost kiss again. It just kind of led me to that point where it didn't make sense for them to NOT kiss and I knew it wasn't time for them yet. So Fives had to interrupt. I'm also a little bit evil so there's that. Apparently in my head Rex finds heart to heart conversations extremely hot.

On Quiz: yes, he's supposed to be on the autism spectrum. I am, and so is my nephew. So this part, me realizing that if we weren't smart enough like Tech, my nephew and I would be considered defective, is very personal to me.

I developed Rhys to be rather average. She's brave yes, and has a good view of clones because of her late husband, but really she's just an normal working woman. I think the clones would crave normalcy and find that attractive in a person. I also wanted Jesse to get an adopted daughter because as the Dad Batch have proved, clones are dads that just need a child. Also, I will die on this hill, Rex. Loves. Kids. Oh, and I read a headcanon somewhere that Jesse cannot handle medical stuff and I love that, so there's a bit of it here.

Things are getting personal and up front with the kidnappings. Rex is not going to handle this well.

As always, wear your masks if you're not vaccinated, remember to review, please don't hunt me down, and have a great few weeks!