Hello! The Return affected me so much that I wrote this instead of doing my job today.

"You sound like him."

Crosshair froze at Omega's words. She was on the floor of Echo's ship, leaning against Batcher's flank. Crosshair was in a nearby seat, cleaning his rifle. The others were in the cockpit.

"Who?" Crosshair asked, though he knew the answer.

Had Omega waited for them to be alone to bring this up?

"Tech." Omega's voice was hushed. "You said my name during the mission and for a second I- I thought you were him."

Crosshair closed his eyes. The ache that had plagued him since Omega told him about Tech's fall flared. He didn't want to talk about Tech.

But he needed to.

"It was worse when we were younger." He found himself saying. "Luckily he talked more than me, so it was easy to guess."

Omega nodded. She looked at Crosshair, asking for more. Crosshair slowly got up and sat at Bacher's head to scratch under her chin. The hound's leg began to jog up and down in her sleep. Crosshair smiled slightly.

"Hunter used to joke," He went on haltingly. "That when the long necks made us, they put most of my voice into Tech and most of his eyesight into me. I'd always tell him they gave me Hunter's height too."

Omega smiled at that.

"Tech hated it when we said it." Crosshair went on. "He'd say that it was impossible. I'd tell him to stow it or I'd steal the rest of his eyesight."

Omega laughed out loud. She got a wistful look on her face.

"I loved listening to him talk." Omega said. "He'd get so excited, in his own way. And when he taught me to fly, it was some of the happiest times in my life."

Her eyes were shimmering with tears now. Ignoring the lump in his own throat, Crosshair moved to sit beside her. Omega laid her head on his shoulder. The warmth from her and Batcher was welcome.

"I miss him." Omega whispered.

Crosshair nodded.

"I know." He said. He hesitated. "If I could trade places with him-"

"No!" Omega said. She sat up, eyes angry. "I wouldn't rather have him than you! Don't say that!"

She forcefully shoved herself closer to him. He let her. Kriff, she really had him wrapped around her finger like the rest of them.

A part of him was selfishly glad that she had said that. But- Tech deserved to be here far more than Crosshair did.

"I'm glad you sound like him." Omega said firmly. "It's like having a piece of him here."

She paused a moment before continuing.

"You're like him in a lot of ways." She said. "Good ways."

No, I'm not.

"I'm glad you think that." He said aloud.

Their strongest shared trait was their stubbornness.

Omega looked down again.

"We- never had a chance to be together as a family." She said. "Except when you were decanted, and when I found you again. And- on Kamino, when it was destroyed."

Crosshair repressed a wince.

"I wasn't exactly acting very brotherly." He said dryly.

"Well, I forgive you." Omega shot back.

She said it in a teasing way, but Crosshair had to stop himself from widening his eyes.

Forgiveness. He hadn't thought he'd want to hear those words. But it felt so good to have Omega say them.

He immediately shut down any thought of his brothers saying it. He didn't really deserve it. Not yet. Maybe never.

But there was a chance. Except- with Tech.

Too late he realized that he hadn't guarded his expressions well enough. Omega was looking at him with concern. She reached over and placed her hand on his.

"He forgave you." She said. "He was the one who pushed hardest with me to go after you. He wanted you back."

Crosshair bowed his head.

"You're like him too." He rasped.

Omega smiled sadly and put her head on his shoulder again.

"I try to be."

They sat together in silence until Omega eventually succumbed to the soothing rhythm of Batcher's breathing.

Crosshair kept a careful eye on her. He worried that nightmares would eventually haunt her. She had said that she'd had them on Tantiss.

Dreams of Tech falling.

Crosshair tightened his grip on Omega's hand. If was the bearer of one of their last reminders of Tech. He'd do his best to live up to it.

The way that Crosshair sounded like Tech this episode was so heartbreaking. And I want to write new, soft Crosshair. I do still think that Tech is alive, but these guys don't know that right now.

Anyway, stay safe, remember to review, and enjoy!