Chapter 4 - Fade Until I'm Gone

Author's Note: And we're at the end! Yes, I know it's a little bittersweet. I hope y'all enjoyed the story! :D

~ Amina Gila

The planet looks the same here, like it did before, and they go down to the surface. Crosshair spent most of the time in the cockpit with the Techs, half asleep in his chair, idly listening to their incessant rambling about energy frequencies or something-something that he doesn't follow or care to know anything about.

He certainly doesn't mind the thought of going back, because... he has an endless list of reasons, actually. Crosshair wants to make sure the others will be alright first, though.

Omega and Wrecker have bonded with each other, and their own-selves, and if not for what happened to him here, he'd probably be able to say the same.

He certainly can't say he likes this-him very much.

Crosshair has his-Hunter, so he doesn't feel the need to look to the other, though it still hurts seeing the difference. The others are looking to him to be... what he was in this reality. He feels bad for leaving that, even if there's nothing he can do about that. He can't be in both places at once.

They don't really talk, not until they find the portal opening again. They don't stop until they're there.

Echo is the first to approach it, pausing when the others hesitate. Tech does the same.

Wrecker is the first to turn back, scooping both Omegas into his arms. It's unreasonably adorable to see him holding them both. The other Wrecker turns to Crosshair and considering how long they've been apart in this reality, Crosshair hugs him back. Maybe it's just as much been the way Crosshair has... gotten accustomed to being physically affectionate with Omega and thereby, his brothers, that he doesn't mind.

He wraps his arms around his brother's waist, clinging to him. Wrecker's hands stroke down his back, over his armor, but it's still tight enough that he can feel the pressure and warmth. "Be careful," he requests, and there's an underlying note of desperation in his voice when they pull apart.

"We'll be fine," Crosshair reassures, and somehow, he's entirely certain of that. He trusts Hunter to take care of them, no matter what's happened. They're not going to be fighting the Empire, fighting something they can't win. They'll just survive, and admittedly, that's a little bit relaxing. If they're going to protect Omega, they need to... change what they do. Crosshair doesn't have a problem with it, not after they lost Hunter. He wants some time to just breathe for a while, so they can be together again.

The Empire will catch up with them eventually, but Hunter said they'll take that when it comes, and Crosshair trusts his word.

Wrecker turns away to hug himself and both Omegas – he's probably the only one quite childish enough for that.

Other-Omega moves to hug Crosshair, and he's still adjusting to her freely shown displays of affection, but he crouches to hug her back. His little sister wraps her arms around his neck, and he holds her close, gently cradling her against his chest. He should say something to her, because he'll never see her again. "Be careful, kid," he requests.

Omega nods, pulling back, and he squeezes her shoulder. She's not his, but she looks at him much the same way – with blind loyalty and adoration. "I will."

Crosshair stands, turning to Echo next – Echo, who had temporarily taken Hunter's lead role without him, and took care of them, even if they had... disagreements over time. Echo wanted to fight. Crosshair did because he was angry, but he didn't want to risk losing everyone he had left, and the same could be said for Tech.

He doesn't really have anything to say to him, so Crosshair settles on touching his shoulder, and Echo nods to him, without a shred of distrust, unlike how he's seen the other.

In the background, he sees the Omegas hugging.

Crosshair has the sense of mind to just hope this is other-Tech, because it would be very embarrassing if he hugged his own – Tech would just snip something about trying to get rid of him and that would be very embarrassing. He grew up with Tech, even if they aren't exactly... close in the way Crosshair is with Wrecker and Hunter and Omega – they don't touch each other – but Tech had to live a month without him. That would've been hard.

Crosshair throws those worries from mind, stepping forwards and outright hugging him before Tech can launch into a long speech about something. Tech freezes for a second before somewhat awkwardly returning it. "Attempt to avoid activating any further space-time connections," Tech advises.

He scoffs, squeezing him a little tighter, then steps back. Tech is smiling faintly, and he looks calm, which is... the most any of them can ask for.

He turns to other-Hunter last, who's been watching him with something like longing the entire time.

There are so many things Crosshair should say to him, but he doesn't know where he'd start. Doesn't even know how he'd start – Hunter was their leader, and if one of them just walked away, it would destroy him. Other-Hunter hasn't really reached out to him, not beyond that one conversation they had. It was hard for him, obviously – that was evident from how he reacted to waking up to him.

They embrace each other tightly, Crosshair pressing his face to his brother's shoulder. They cling to each other, and he relaxes instinctively at being held in Hunter's arms. He feels as protective now as he does protected, and it's a strange change, though not something he inherently minds.

It's senseless how badly walking away hurts, because these aren't his squad anyway, but they're still his family. He needs to make sure they'll be alright.

"If he hurts the kid –"

"I'm not agreeing to any acts of violence," Hunter replies flatly, despite sounding slightly amused, "Especially not involving you."

"Hm," he grumbles.

They step back, even if Crosshair doesn't want to. It's time for them to go.

**w**

While the others are talking, Hunter turns to other-Crosshair, because he's the one he's most worried about. The others will be alright – probably – because they're together, but Crosshair isn't... really with them yet. He's here, but not in mind, and Hunter wishes he could stay to see it through to the end, to make sure he'd be alright. He can't do that, though.

"They'll take care of you," Hunter offers uncertainly.

Crosshair scoffs, turning away. He looks... hurt? Or something.

"They still care about you," Hunter reminds, even if he doesn't think Crosshair believes that. He'd wondered, too, though he thought their irrationality had overwritten all common sense. It was never about him. It wasn't like it was for Crosshair, evidently.

"Do they?" He sounds somewhat disbelieving, mostly hurt.

"The most important thing for me was always to keep us safe," Hunter replies, "And with what the Empire is doing to the clones, it's not safe for us there. It's not safe for us anywhere, but we have to try, because I'm not going to lead us into a fight I know we'll never win." It's similar, at least, to how his other-self feels. It's clear enough that they've all been trying to find somewhere to settle down, to just leave and lay low.

Hunter can't imagine a life without war, but they've always been different than the regs. They can learn, at least, for Omega. And for each other. They've been apart long enough.

"You're not him." He sounds frustrated, hurt.

This isn't Crosshair, and Hunter knows he can't really reason with him at this point. Not now. Crosshair does care about them, consciously, but he's not able to see that clearly. "Our core is the same," Hunter reminds, tugging him into a hug again, "And he's afraid. It'll take time but he'll try. I know he will."

There isn't much he can offer, but Crosshair hugs him back tightly.

"I know you never meant to hurt them, and I never did, either," Hunter continues, "That – it wasn't something you could stop." It doesn't make him feel much better, but it's something he needs to give Crosshair, at least.

When they finally break apart, other-Crosshair falls back towards the others, watching.

Echo is the first to step through, and Tech follows with a final backwards glance. There are so many things that Hunter wishes he could do here, but he has his own family, and that's more than what he can handle already.

The Omegas wave to each other, and she and Wrecker step through the portal together.

Other-Omega is by Wrecker and Hunter, and it reminds him a little of how his own is sometimes, though other-Omega is far closer with her Hunter than they are in his own reality. It's... weird, and he wants that. He wishes he could feel capable of that responsibility.

His gaze catches Echo – who he knows will help take care of them, in his own right. Echo's the one he trusts to take care of them.

Other-Crosshair is standing next to his Hunter, arms crossed, looking horribly out of place in his dark armor. He doesn't want them to go, but none of them have a choice. Hunter's gaze hovers on him a moment longer before he turns away, stepping through the portal.

His own Crosshair is half a second behind.

The energy shifts, rippling abruptly, sharply enough that it nearly throws him off balance. The odd pulsing in his head raises to a whole new level as he struggles to reaccustom himself to a different energy field.

Nope, not doing that again.

"We should leave," Tech says, his voice cutting through the haze on Hunter's mind, snapping him back to the present.

They – yeah. It feels oddly quiet, but it's familiar, and they're home.

**w**

They're on the way back to Ord Mantell. His brothers made... something of a life for themselves, that can still use their talents, even if it's not the life they're trying to find. Hunter doesn't really know what to think about Cid. He doesn't trust her – has no reason to – and nor do his brothers, but what they have is working for them. For now, at least. It's something, and with what they know about living in the galaxy, it's the best they've got.

He's in the back, working at one of their computers – okay, he was before half falling asleep there – when Echo comes over to him. "I wanted to ask you," he says, "About earlier, when you were talking to Crosshair. You were trying to get his permission to get his chip out, even if you know it's not really something he could consent to."

Hunter casts him a slightly confused sideways glance. "I didn't want him to feel threatened."

Echo turns sideways, crossing his arms, and Hunter turns his chair to look at him. "We never did the same for you."

They hadn't. Tech stunned him in the training room, and he'd woken up moments before Kamino was fired on, with his chip removed. "I – I wouldn't have let you do it," Hunter replies. "If I knew what you were planning to do. It was part of what made us soldiers, and I wouldn't have wanted you to take that." Which is probably why other-Crosshair was panicking so much.

"I had to ask," Echo replies, "I was remade into... this, and I learned to live with it, but it wasn't what I wanted to be."

"It's fine," Hunter assures him, honestly. He's glad they did it, and he's proud of them, too. "You did what you had to. You kept us safe, and I – I'm not angry about it."

Echo nods to him, smiling faintly and touching his shoulder. His older brother's displays of affection are rare, and Hunter reaches back to squeeze his hand. Echo hovers a few minutes before heading back.

He doesn't remember dozing off, only the dream that follows, that feels far more real than normal dreams.

Crosshair is nestled in his arms, head resting on his chest. "I didn't... mean to hurt you," he offers quietly.

He hears himself sigh. "I know." He doesn't offer any useless platitudes, because they aren't appropriate right now. They won't help or change what happened between them – in either reality. "It wasn't something you could have helped. I know that now."

"You did what you had to," Crosshair continues quietly, "Even if I didn't accept it."

"I wish we noticed on Kamino," Hunter admits, "That it wasn't you. That you needed our help."

Crosshair's momentary silence says everything he needs to about it. He understands it, but he's not happy about it. "Do you... want me to stay?" he queries.

Hunter twitches. "Of course. You're our brother."

"Then, I'll stay," he replies.

He fades back into half-consciousness, struck by how strangely real it was. It was... of the other reality. They're safe, and that's what he needed to know.

All of them are safe here, too, for now. Echo might not like it, exactly, but Tech and Crosshair are certainly relieved by it. Wrecker and Omega have made it obvious enough that they'll follow whatever he decides.

Hunter just hopes he'll make the right choice.

He can feel the pulsing of their heartbeats, their energy-signatures, and Hunter lets himself relax in that. All his brothers are here, and... they're together. After spending so long apart, after being by himself for a full month, there's nothing he cares about more than that.

He's missed them so much.

Things have... changed, though he can't say it's in a bad way. It's just different, not something he's used to. They worry about him too, now, the same way they do for each other. They never used to – it wasn't something they had to do. Hunter was always the one who took care of them, protected them, and made decisions to keep them safe. That's... not the same anymore.

Echo might not exactly... agree with what Hunter wants, but he's not going to outright object to it, and Hunter is grateful for that. He doesn't – can't – have the same self-assuredness that he once did. He needs his brothers to make those choices, too, even if it's not something he's comfortable with yet. They can take care of themselves, too – somewhat, at least.

Echo took the role as a leader, temporarily, and that hasn't really changed. Hunter finds himself turning to Echo more and more, whenever they're making decisions, because he just... needs that. They're family though, and what Hunter wants is to stop having to worry about any of this.

He fought long enough for something he didn't believe in. He can't do that anymore. He can't risk losing his brothers to a war they have no hopes of winning, where death and loss is guaranteed.

Echo is used to that, but they're still... family. With the kid, she's their center, their purpose now, and they'll all have to get used to letting go of their lives as soldiers eventually, if they're going to settle down.

Hunter is ready to do that. To stop fighting, stop leading, stop worrying.

He doesn't know if the quiet will sit with Wrecker for long, but they'll all have to adjust to it. Tech is ready for it, too, and... he thinks Crosshair is also. Probably. Hopefully. Either way, they're in this together.

When he finally curls up on the rack he's hardly dared sleep on since he came back, it's to be surrounded by the calm and steady presences of his brothers and sister.

(Echo and Wrecker are in back, already asleep, and Omega's in the gunner's mount. Crosshair and Teck are awake together. Probably, leaving them alone is a guaranteed disaster, but Hunter's missed them enough that he's more morbidly curious to see what'll happen than he cares to avoid it.)

He's almost forgotten what it feels like to be home.

**w**

"I am uncertain how I feel about your proximity after having a vivid dream of you attempting to stab me," Tech gripes when Crosshair sits next to him.

"It wasn't a dream," Crosshair snips, stabbing at him with a toothpick. Tech slaps his hand away without even looking. "It was a premonition."

"I believe the connection we unintentionally established with the alternate reality will cause our memories to occasionally loop back and forth," he replies, ignoring his unasked-for opinion entirely.

Which is an altogether weird concept, but everything multiversal is. And Crosshair doesn't care to know more about that now than before he knew it existed. It's a bit... above their skillset. They can hardly keep their own family together, as is.

He's content with just sitting there, listening to Tech's occasional ramblings. They used to do this when they were younger. It got annoying sometimes but they – they're brothers, and that means putting up with some of their more annoying habits sometimes. It's worth it.

And Tech deals with him, too, so...

He doesn't actively remember leaning on his brother's shoulder, but it happened somewhere though, and Crosshair falls asleep there.

He knows what it is before it fully forms in his mind, probably partly because Tech told him it'd be happening from the start. It's something from the... other reality.

Wrecker is half-sprawled in one of the Marauder's seats when Crosshair hesitantly approaches. He shuffles forwards, dropping a hand to Wrecker's shoulder.

Wrecker tugs him closer, and Crosshair is mildly surprised when other-him doesn't even object to being settled awkwardly half in his brother's lap. The last time that happened, the level of screaming that ensued made Hunter lock himself in the 'fresher and Tech's disappointed looks was enough to make them stop scuffling half an hour later. "We missed you," Wrecker tells him, arm wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah," he murmurs, "Same." There are a few heartbeats of silence, and he lowers his head to Wrecker's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he offers finally.

Wrecker squeezes him slightly, holding him close. "I know," he replies. "It's okay."

Crosshair nestles against him, curling in his arms. "I shot you," he argues grumpily.

"It was nothin'," Wrecker promises, and Crosshair doesn't believe him at all. His other self probably doesn't, either, but he doesn't argue that point.

"So," he asks after a few minutes of awkward silence. "How'd you manage to survive without me?"

"It was boring," Wrecker tells him immediately, "But the kid's amazing."

Crosshair hums a sort of conceded agreement. There's a distant crash and an Omega-like yelp in the background, and for some reason, he instantly feels like he should be looking at Tech. "How is she?" he asks finally. "After what I said to her?"

Wrecker stills, and Crosshair feels the way he stiffens slightly, but he doesn't let go. "She's okay," he offers finally. "She's the one who told us it wasn't your fault."

Of course, it was, and Crosshair feels a strange sort of warmth inside him. She cares about them, and he loves her for it.

She gave them something they never knew they needed.

There's shuffling and movement, and Crosshair pushes himself up, turning around. Omega's standing there, watching them. He casts a sideways glance at Wrecker, who sort of just looks at him. He doesn't understand Crosshair's wariness, probably. He can understand his alternate-self's concern, though he doesn't share it. He's used to the kid, has no reason to be afraid of hurting her or wary of her acceptance of him.

When he wakes, half of the mind of going to the back to join Hunter because that'd be the normal thing to do, it's to feel Tech's arm around him, and his brother's cheek pressed to Crosshair's hair.

There go any thoughts of moving.

Tech's datapad is off for once, balanced somewhat precariously on his leg in a way that's bound to fall if he moves a little wrong. He's breathing evenly, at least mostly asleep.

He's going to stay here if only to make Tech drop his datapad just so he can laugh at him.

Crosshair nuzzles against him, closing his eyes again.

**w**

When she sleeps, she dreams.

Crosshair is balanced semi-awkwardly on the stairs of the gunner's mount, twisted sideways in a way that can't possibly be comfortable, but he manages to be in some of the most awkward positions without it bothering him. " – we were attacked by this thing," Omega hears herself saying. "Tech said it was some kind of dragon. It stole the capacitor. Hunter and I went to get it back."

She's holding Lula in one arm, leaning up against the wall, her helmet and bow resting opposite her.

"Wrecker made this for me when we were out there chasing it," she continues. "Hunter lost his mask when the creature attacked us again, and I went into an underground tunnel to get the part myself. He was okay, though." In Omega's reality, it was Crosshair she was with there. They'd gone together, and he'd tracked it by its footprints. Hunter's tracking abilities would've been so much easier then.

It's them – in the other place. They're talking, despite how Crosshair was acting towards her earlier, and it soothes something in Omega, because she needed to know this. She wanted to see them alright, to know what was happening with them. She wanted to know if they'd be alright.

"That explains the colors."

She grins at him. "It's perfect."

He hums, glancing past her to the gunner's mount. "It's Wrecker's work," he replies, a faint smirk on his face, and Omega giggles.

She knows it's meant teasingly. Other-her must, too.

"It's different with you here," she tells him. "It's... nicer with you here. We've missed you."

Crosshair glances to where Wrecker is sitting nearby, watching them. "I know."

It ends there, and Omega wakes to holding Lula against her chest, the mount lit by the bright lights on the ceiling. She's used to sleeping in very different places, and it's relieving to be somewhere that she instantly recognizes as safe. As where she wants to be.

Here, with her brothers.

They had a picture of them in their barracks, one they lost when they left Kamino, and Omega had been upset about that when she realized it. Now, with them all together, it doesn't really matter. They have everything they need, right here.

Their other-selves do, too, somewhere – at least there's one more reality that does. After seeing how Crosshair was talking to her earlier, Omega needed the reassurance. She needed to know that he cared, that they'd form some kind of... something, even if it's not the same as what she has with her own.

Omega reaches over, tugging back the edge of the curtain to look out at the rest of the ship, at their home. The Marauder is the only home they have now that Kamino is gone, and Omega still has to constantly try not to think about that. She doesn't want to accept what it means. She didn't want to go back, but she didn't want to see it gone.

She has to try not to think about what happened to Nala Se, too. She doesn't want to know.

But her brothers are here, and they have each other. That's what matters.

She might miss her other-self somewhat, because she's never had a sister before, but that's something she can live with. They all will, because they're still the same.

In the hold, Crosshair and Tech are the only ones in her line of sight. They're curled up together, and she practically melts from the sheer adorableness of seeing it. It's so much like when they were little. They all used to snuggle up together, and it had been so hard to be without that, even if she's gotten used to it.

Omega stands, setting Lula down and tiptoeing down the stairs. She moves quietly to avoid disturbing them, or at least outright waking them.

They've all changed even since Hunter came back – something about Tech and Crosshair have gotten a shred more chaotic. They bicker in a way she never knew them to before, but it seems familiar somehow, and that familiarity is settling back in as they relax with Hunter's return.

Omega curls up next to Crosshair, resting her head on his thigh, closing her eyes. He twitches slightly, draping his arm across her.

It reminds her a little of when they were young, but that doesn't really matter. Their time apart is over. They're together now, and it's the only thing that matters.

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