flowered-bicycles

[flowered-bicycles]

awwww this is so soft and lovely 😭 ❤️

The Batch Family: The Second Day of February

A peek into Beth's life on February 2nd through the years.

Part of my AU "The Batch Family" [Collection Masterlist]

Word count: 2k | Batch ages: Multiple

Note: The sections don't necessarily follow any sort of pattern or theme, I just liked the concept of seeing what's going on on the same day each year. It's also very Beth-centric, even though the section headers are the boys' ages. And I teased a lil somethin-somethin for her future at the end 🫢

5 months old

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Beth asked, cradling the receiver between her cheek and shoulder as she fiddled with papers strewn across her desk.

"Girl, you couldn't pay me enough to get out of this house," Arla sighed on the other end of the line.

As if on queue, a baby started crying in the background. Beth shook her head, grateful she was far from having such chaos in her home. Granted, if her friends saw the mess of portfolios and proposals her internship had her up against, they'd probably say the same thing.

"Sheeka, too," Arla said calmly through the wailing. "You know she had the audacity to say we're co-parenting her brood? Like bitch, I didn't get the IVF quadruplets. My Echo's enough to handle on his own, thank you. Yes... yes he is... oh he's just one big cute handful isn't he..."

As Arla's voice devolved in high-pitched coos, the crying quieted down into mere fussing. Beth hardly noticed her friend was no longer paying attention to their call; she really wasn't either. A lot had changed in all of their lives. Pretending to carry on their nightly phone conversations was a thin and desperate thread holding their friendship together.

"Well, let me know if anything changes," Beth eventually said. "I could really use the extra night to prepare for this presentation."

There was a raspberry sound, possibly from Arla though it could've also been from her baby. It was hard to tell. "Oh, and I'm the one that needed to be convinced to take a night off. I see how it is."

"I'm just saying, if your babysitter falls through, or Sheeka changes her mind, or..."

"Beth. Put down the paperwork. Step away from the spreadsheets. We're going out drinking and that's final."

The line clicked and Beth sighed, though she wasn't mad. She missed her friends. It would be good for them to get out and have fun, like they used to before all these adult responsibilities. She just hoped she wouldn't have to hear about yet another baby story....

- - -

5 years old

"Hun, get your feet off the table."

Beth swooped through the living room, whisking up toys and shoes and even a piece of pizza crust. She couldn't even remember the last time they'd had pizza.

"My feet aren't on the table, my socks are," Hunter said.

Beth decided to ignore the comment as she was already halfway down the hall.

"Stop it!" Crosshair whined as Beth popped into the first bedroom, depositing one set of shoes and picking up another.

Wrecker only giggled as he continued batting the stuffed animal in his brother's face.

"Stoooop!" Crosshair pushed at him a bit. Wrecker stumbled back dramatically.

"Moooom, he pushed me!" Wrecker wailed.

Beth snatched away the stuffed toy, adding it to the collection of odd items in her arms. It's not like she bought them a bunch of things. Money was tight and she never wanted them to have too many possessions to take care of. But there were five of them, so the quantity still added up whether she liked it or not.

"No hitting. No pushing," she said before leaving.

The next bedroom was worse than the last. Bedding on the floor, toys on the beds, a pile of sticks in the corner. Where had those come from? She hadn't let them outside all day.

She dumped the items from her arms onto the nearest bed. She'd have to deal with all this later.

"Where you going, Momma?"

Tech shuffled behind her down the hall. He kept pulling up his pants. Great, she must've accidentally put him in Wrecker's again.

"Bathroom. Please don't follow me."

"That's unfortunate."

Her eye twitched. He said that phrase all the time now.

She hurried into her room and Tech stopped at the doorway. They didn't always obey that one house rule of Mom's room being off limits, so she was always surprised when they did choose to stay out.

Beth closed the bathroom door and let her head rest against the wood. She was losing it, she could feel it. She'd made it through the sleepless nights of infancy, the tantrums of the terrible twos, the scariness of their first day of school. But right now, for some reason that may only be a symptom of PMS-ing, she felt more overwhelmed than ever. She had so much to do, constantly. The boys were everywhere. She felt like she barely connected with them outside of commands to stop doing things. When had she become this person? When had she stopped being a good mom?

She took in a few measured breaths. Something had to change. She wasn't sure what, or how, but she was determined to turn this ship around.

- - -

10 years old

"Pardon me for the intrusion."

Cody gave Beth a nod as he stepped into the kitchen. She looked up from her recipe book in surprise.

"Your boys invited me to scope out their spot for the tree house. Hope you don't mind."

"Of course not!" Beth gave an easygoing smile. "I'm so glad you're helping them with this. I'm afraid my carpentry skills don't extend past IKEA bookshelves."

Cody laughed. "Well, your boys are more eager to learn than mine. I'll make sure they get some useful skills out of this, and stay safe."

"I appreciate that."

Cody looked like he was about to continue the conversation, but then Hunter and Tech tugged on his sleeves and pulled him reluctantly away into the backyard to join the others. Beth shook her head in amusement as she watched them through the window. They skipped about as they explained their plans, talking over each other, desperate for his attention. Cody remained calm and directed their energy easily.

Beth felt a little twist in her chest. Not for the first time, she wished she had a man. Not Cody specifically, of course. But someone strong and kind and capable of handling all the things she failed at. Someone the boys could look up to. Someone she could lean on.

She quickly shook herself. No, dwelling on those thoughts would only make it worse. She had to make it on her own.

"It is what is it," she muttered, flipping to the next page of recipes and pretending dinner plans were the most important thing to focus on.

- - -

15 years old

"Excuse me, do you have the time?"

An elderly woman paused by Beth's cart with a friendly smile. Beth pulled out her phone to check

"Ten 'til four."

"Thank you, dear."

The woman's squeaky wheel kept moving down the aisle and Beth returned to her comparison of two protein powder brands. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but rattle off her boys' schedules.

Ten 'til four on a Tuesday... Hunter and Wrecker in driver's ed. Echo at debate practice. Tech with his study group. Crosshair walking home.

At least, that's where they all should be, and she felt it to be true even though there was always the possibility of a teenage boy doing his own thing without her knowing. She didn't mind them having their freedom, but she also preferred to still picture them as her perfect, well-behaved boys.

She finally settled on one of the protein powders and pushed her cart along. She turned the corner toward the registers and tried not to grimace at the excessive displays of Valentine's food and flowers. It was barely February and the stores had had this crap out for weeks already. All the same, she did slide a box of heart-shaped chocolates into her cart. No one else would be buying her any.

Just as she found a register with a short line, however, came a commotion from behind her. The old woman from earlier had collapsed into a display of conversation hearts. Beth abandoned her cart and rushed over to her.

"Ma'am, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Beth cradled the woman's head and checked for a pulse. Her eyes fluttered open and cast about in confusion.

"I... I don't know what happened..."

Others in the store were hovering, looking to be of help. One crouched beside Beth and caused her to do a double-take. It was her neighbor, Commander Wolffe.

"Ma'am, are you hurt anywhere?" he asked in his rough, deep tones. Beth instantly felt flushed and nervous, as she always did around the man.

"I... just wanted some candy... for my grandkids..."

"I'll call for help," Beth said, taking out her phone.

Wolffe shook his head and began helping the woman up. "I'll take her to the hospital in my squad car. You'll be alright, ma'am. We'll make sure you're taken care of."

"But..." The lady, leaning heavily against Wolffe, pointed at the fallen candy display. "I get them every year...."

"How many grandkids do you have?" Beth asked.

"Five."

Beth smiled. She quickly grabbed five boxes of the conversation hearts and handed them to Wolffe, looking over at the store manager who was standing nearby.

"You can ring them up with my cart," she said and the manager nodded in agreement.

Beth watched as Wolffe slowly walked the woman out the doors. She glanced down and noticed he'd left behind a basket of items. She scooped it up.

"And this, too," she said to the manager, who ushered her over to a register.

Wolffe reminded her of the boys she'd grown up with. Jango, with his quiet and serious demeanor, and Boba with his rugged assuredness. He intimidated the hell out of her. She wasn't sure she could ever be with a man like that, but she felt like at this point in her life, she might owe it to that little voice in the back of her mind, that suspiciously sounded like a combination of Arla and Padme, to at least be open to the idea. They'd been neighbors for a few years now but rarely interacted. Maybe a door would open by taking him his groceries.

- - -

20 years old

"Well? Shadow or no shadow?"

The man in bed beside her mumbled as he rolled over and rubbed at his eyes.

Beth sighed. "Shadow."

"And what does that mean again?"

"Six more weeks of winter."

He groaned and she joined him. She tossed her phone across the bed and wiggled in closer to him. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"What are we going to do with these six weeks, mm?" he hummed against her.

Beth dragged her finger through the hair on his chest in thought. Things were so different now. Two decade of madness, trying to keep up with her boys and all their activities. She'd still worked, had some of her own hobbies and passion projects. But never this much time to do with as she liked.

And never with a partner.

"What if..." There was one thing, one dream she'd always had but never actualized. Maybe there was a way the two of them could finally figure out how to make it happen.

"Go on," he encouraged. She could feel his lips smile against her forehead.

"What if we got a cabin in the mountains somewhere? Like, a B&B, or maybe Padme knows someone who'd let us rent for a few weeks? We can invite the boys. I know they all have their things now, but even if they stopped by for a few days, whenever they had the time... I don't know. Maybe it's a silly idea."

"No. No, no, no." He pulled away to cup a hand along the side of her face. He was grinning. "That sounds fantastic!"

"Really?" she asked. It still felt strange for her to voice what she wanted, and to have someone so readily support it. "We'd probably just be doing the same things we'd be doing here at home..."

"But it'd be in a cabin so it'd feel more special," he nodded, as if he was finishing her sentence. "I'll teach you how to snowboard, we'll get fires going in the evenings, we'll wear nothing but flannel... it'll be great!"

His smile was infectious. Beth grinned in return. She leaned forward to kiss him but he was already shimmying out of bed.

"No time to lose!" he beamed. "Call Padme. Let's make this happen."

Beth fell back on the bed with a huff. She loved her husband, but sometimes he could be just as much a handful as her sons.

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AHH YOU CANT JUST STOP LIKE THAT

What Happened Last Night (2)

Fives wakes up on New Year's Day with no recollection of the night before. Shenanigans ensue as he goes on a quest to piece together what exactly he and his brothers got up to on New Year's Eve.

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Part Two - 10:00 AM

Fives x fem!S/O | 3k words

Content: drinking, drunkenness, hangovers and related symptoms, memory loss, sexual references, cursing

Note: So happy the first part got such positive reception! I didn't mean for this much time to pass before part two, though, so hopefully I can get the rest of the story out in quicker updates.

"So... what happened last night?"

Fives questioned their new companion as the four of them trudged down the walkway. They were quite the motley crew. Faith, obviously, was the normal one. She had her partially-braided hair beneath a beanie while the rest of her was snuggly wrapped in a nice pink peacoat. She walked in a straight line at a steady pace.

And then there were the hungover clone men beside her.

They all had on lady's sunglasses to block out the stupidly bright winter sun. Their crocheted scarves and pastel hats, also borrowed, were pulled haphazardly around their faces. Their hands hadn't been able to fit in any of the offered gloves so instead they cradled steaming paper cups of caf, though only Hardcase could stomach drinking it. Tup had promptly thrown up his first gulp in the bushes outside Faith's apartment; Fives had wisely decided to not even chance a taste.

And now they were shuffling down the streets of Coruscant's surface level at varying paces, trying so hard to appear normal that they very much looked like creatures who had never been outside before. Faith had to hide her amusement every time she looked over at them.

"Do you really want to know?" she responded to Fives's question with one of her own. She didn't mind telling the stories, only that there were so many it would probably take her all day to properly tell them all.

Tup groaned from behind rose-tinted glasses and an orange plaid scarf. "No, I really don't."

Hardcase chuckled over his near-empty caf cup while Fives swerved to avoid a lamppost that he had suddenly noticed.

"We have to know," Fives insisted. "We need clues."

"We need breakfast," mumbled Hardcase.

"You had a plate full of eggs, you're fine."

"You used up all my eggs?" asked Faith. "I needed those for a recipe."

"We'll get you more." Fives elbowed Hardcase. "Right?"

"Ow!"

"We don't have time for this... where are we even going?" Tup whined.

Faith slowed down with a shrug. "I don't know. I was waiting for one of you to take the lead."

Fives handed his untouched caf over to Hardcase and set his hands on his hips. "How? How can we possibly know where to go when we don't remember anything?"

"And when we don't have a proper meal on our stomachs?" Hardcase chimed in. Tup was about to protest but he held up his hand. "I'm being serious. Get some food in you, and you'll feel better. My headache's already gone."

"Okay, okay," Faith stepped in. "How about this. There's a cafe up ahead. Let's stop there, get something to eat, and I'll tell you everything I know. Then we can come up with a plan on where to go."

They all agreed on the plan and followed Faith to the cafe, getting a booth in the back where no one would get to overhear whatever details were shared about their wild New Year's Eve. A waiter brought over glasses of orange juice and slapped down some menus. Faith slid in behind Tup on one side, much to Fives's annoyance. He made room for Hardcase to join him on the opposite side, but the antsy clone waved him off.

"I gotta find the 'fresher first."

"We don't have time!" Tup hissed after him.

They would've been on the move sooner had it not taken fifteen minutes to convince Hardcase to change back into his own clothes. He'd grown quite fond of Faith's ultra-soft sweatpants, despite what little they did to cover his manhood. Fives had refused to let him outside until he changed into something more publicly acceptable.

"Are all clones that... well-endowed?" Faith mused while watching Hardcase scurry away.

Tup almost choked on his juice at her shameless question. Fives couldn't decide between feeling self-conscious or attracted.

"I knew you were checking me out!" Hardcase called across the cafe.

"Wait," said Fives, fighting the urge to readjust himself while on such a topic. "So we didn't... I mean... you know...?"

Faith shook her head and smirked nonchalantly.

"But... I woke up in your bed." Fives also fought to keep his disappointment from showing. There were bigger problems at hand, true, but it would've been nice to know he'd at least had a good tumble in the sheets for all these troubles.

"You passed out in my bed," she leveled an unamused look back at him. "You went in my room without asking, begged me to snuggle with you, and then passed out."

Tup started snickering.

Fives glared at him. "So... we snuggled?"

"I did not snuggle with you."

Fives hid his frown behind a menu. He must have been sloppy drunk to not even score first base.

"Where did you sleep?" Tup asked. He tried for another sip of juice, pausing to make sure the liquid stayed down before going for another.

Fives couldn't help but lower his menu back down as Faith finally started sharing some useful information about the night before.

"Well, most of you had passed out around the place. My friends had already left, except for Suzy, who was just as drunk as the rest of you. So I walked her home and crashed on her couch. She's just across the street from me so I didn't think it was too big a deal leaving you all at my place. I was planning to be back before you woke up, but then I remembered your jacket and thought I'd get that taken care of first. Took longer than I thought."

"And Dogma was there when you left?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, the two of you were on the couches. Hardcase on the floor. Fives in my bed."

Fives felt a warm tingle at hearing her say his name.

"And what time did you leave?" Tup kept up his questioning. He wished he could be taking notes.

"It was probably close to one at that point. Not too late."

The waiter returned just as Hardcase made his way back from the refresher. Hardcase put the orders in for them, giving Tup a knowing look as he pushed Fives further into the booth to take his seat.

"Frittatas and fruit, huh?" Faith raised her eyebrows. "I would've taken you for a meat and carbs guy."

Hardcase slung an easy arm across the back of the booth. "Oh I'll eat anything, but a hangover like this, gotta stick with the brain food."

"Sheesh, you sound like Kix," said Tup. He supposed fruit didn't sound too disgusting, especially since he'd been able to keep down half a glass of OJ so far.

"Kix." Fives sat up straight as an idea took hold. "Dogma's a practical guy, right? If he woke up before us, he'd probably want to get some medical help first."

"And leave us to fend for ourselves." Hardcase nodded. "Sounds about right."

"He probably took Rex's helmet with him, too."

Tup visibly relaxed in the corner of the booth. "Well then... case closed. No need to rush."

Fives could see Faith shaking her head and gave her a questioning look.

"You didn't have any helmets with you. Not at the party or when you came to my place."

Tup tensed back up again.

"It's okay," Fives quickly supplied. "We still have a starting point. We'll find Kix, see what he knows. Go from there."

"Doesn't sound like much of a plan," Tup grumbled. "The food's taking forever and we don't even know if Kix knows anything. We're screwed."

Fives glanced over at the chrono hanging on the cafe wall and had to admit he was starting to worry, too. It was already half past 10. An hour and half left before Rex would put an end to their active service.

Faith must have noticed his worry as she leaned in toward him. He'd been annoyed at not being able to sit next to her or across from her, as if seating arrangements really mattered that much. But her effort to get closer to him specifically did make him feel a little better.

"Maybe we can split up? Whatever you need from me, I'll help."

She gave a genuine smile and Fives found a surge of confidence.

"Okay," he decided, grabbing his juice glass and slamming down the liquid. His stomach turned at the sudden weight but he pushed aside the feeling. "Tup, stay here with Hardcase and get some food in you. Faith, leave your comm here. We'll use Kix's to let you guys know what we find out."

"Why am I the only one who needs food?" Tup asked him suspiciously.

"I'll get a stimpack from Kix or something," he tried to act casual as he pushed Hardcase out of the booth so he could join Faith.

"And why couldn't I get--" Tup started arguing back but Hardcase shushed him.

"Tup, stop cock-blocking him, man," he said loudly, giving Fives a wink as he slid back into the booth. "Read the room."

Fives couldn't hurry Faith out of there fast enough.

* * *

All around him, figures blurred as they moved faster than his mind could keep up with. Lights streaked across his vision and the beat of a bass vibrated the floor beneath his feet. There was the smell of alcohol and sweat, sounds of laughter and trumpets, the warmth of huddled, dancing bodies mixed with cold breezes from the open windows.

That was all on the outside. In the inside, he was the happiest he'd ever felt. Like he was floating on clouds. No missions, no firefights. Just the company of his brothers and booze, and a night that promised infinite possibility.

He could feel the burn of liquor in his throat and a body pressed up against his, though he couldn't see who it was. And then everything started to blur further and further into oblivion, until it disappeared altogether and all that was left was a throbbing in his temples and a lurch in his stomach.

"You okay, there, soldier?"

Faith rubbed at Fives's back as he hunched over a paper bag in the seat beside her. He tried to focus on her touch and not the weight of the liquid accumulating in the bag. They'd taken a speeder cab; a mistake. He was embarrassed at not being able to chip in any credits to pay their fare, and now worse, the motion was finally dislodging those sickly symptoms he'd been fighting to keep down all morning.

"What the hell did I drink?" he moaned, cursing the fact his breath now stank to high heaven.

"Blurrgfire," Faith said with a small laugh. "You had about eight of them at the party. Not sure what you'd had before I showed up. And then at my place, you boys helped me clear out all the wine people have gifted me... I think one was a 50-year bottle. That's probably what did you in."

"And you really stayed sober the whole time?"

He wished he could remember her. Pieces of the party were coming back to him. Silly words distorted by blaring speakers, like shingaling and slizzard. Some faces glitching in slow motion, like Hardcase and his redhead. But no Dogma. No Rex. And no Faith.

"I've been on medication for depression for a year now," she explained so casually that Fives finally forced his eyes away from the floor to look at her. "It feels so good to feel normal for once, I don't mind being the chaperone for my friends. I stay out of the way and let them have their fun, keep an eye on things, make sure no drinks get spiked, that everyone gets home safe. And yeah... sometimes I pick up some strays along the way. You clones are by far the funniest guests I've had."

He had so much he wanted to ask her, not about their current predicament, but about her life. He'd spent time with plenty of civvies while on leave, but none interesting enough to have a meaningful conversation with. Besides, it was easier to leave a stranger behind in a bed than to have to say goodbye to a friend.

"Well I'm glad you find my problems so entertaining," he decided to tease instead. He hadn't felt too nauseous turning his head toward her, so he thought he'd try sitting back in the seat again. Faith's hand stayed on his shoulder to steady him and then regretfully pulled away once he'd settled.

"You said you left your apartment around one?" he said. He hoped by hearing more details, other memories would come out. "So where were we at midnight?"

Faith tucked a leg under her and started outlining the timeline as she knew it. She'd arrived at the cantina with her friends at 9. Fives and his brothers were already there and had immediately taken to her pretty friends. They'd all drank and danced for a few hours, and then the topic of her untouched wine collection came up. They left around 11, but the group split on the way to her apartment. Fives, Tup, and her friends Lenny and Lecrae had ran off in search of fried chicken, for some reason Faith couldn't remember. They'd shown back up at her place just before midnight with more liquor, no chicken, and new tattoos. They rang in the New Year and then played strip poker until everyone either left or passed out.

"I got a tattoo, too?" He already had a sleeve of different patterns and symbols but hadn't noticed anything new added. And no telltale itch that usually accompanied fresh ink. But then again, he'd really only been able to feel a headache so far.

"Supposedly on your ass? That's how the strip poker thing started. You wouldn't show anyone without making a game out of it first. I think you were full of shit."

There was a teasing glint in her eyes that gave Fives that sense of déjà vu all over again.  It was the strangest thing. He couldn't remember her but he knew she had been part of his night. If her account was true, she would've been in the background of everything, silently laughing at their antics and subtly keeping them out of any real trouble. She wasn't a knock-out beauty, so he likely hadn't paid her as much attention as the others in his inebriated state, at least not until everyone else had left. A shame, he now knew. She was cute in her own way. Endearing. He wanted everyone to like him, but the feeling was even stronger with her. Maybe it was better they hadn't slept together. A woman like her, he'd want to remember every moment with.

He shifted under the guise of resettling his stomach, while really making sure his knee could knock against hers whenever the speeder turned a corner.

They soon arrived at the GAR headquarters. Kix wasn't scheduled for this next mission so Fives was confident he'd be putting his time in the medbay instead. If he hadn't gone out on his own New Year's adventure. Faith couldn't recall whether she had seen a clone like him or not at the party. Fives had to trust that Kix didn't suddenly get fun overnight and would be hard at work per usual.

They hustled through the hallways to the medbay, and then snaked their way through the beds toward the back room. No sign of Dogma anywhere, though there were plenty of clones who looked like they'd had a similar night. Fives made a beeline for some cabinets, looking for a stimpack. Faith hung back awkwardly and jumped when Kix burst through the door behind them.

Whatever chastisement was on the medic's tongue died out upon the sight before him. "What are you wearing?"

Fives still had Faith's sunglasses and bucket hat on, finding the florescent lights just as bothersome as the sun. He'd undone the scarf in the cab when he'd been throwing up his guts so the pink and yellow fabric now flapped about as he spun between cabinets and drawers.

"Hey, man," he responded nonchalantly, having finally found a stim. "You seen Dogma?"

Kix shook himself. "You know what, I don't want to know. You need to leave."

Fives went to the corner next to the full-length mirror and shrugged his pants down enough to see his rear. No tattoos. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed, so instead he just jammed the stim into his flesh before Kix could grab it away.

"Aren't you supposed to be deploying soon?" Kix demanded. He went to toss the empty stim and did a a double-take when he noticed the strange woman standing in the corner. She gave a small wave and he sighed.

"You can't just march in here with a civvie and steal supplies," said Kix.

"I'm not stealing. They're meant for the GAR and I'm using them...."

"They're meant for battle. Injured, dying soldiers. Not to erase the mistakes of a reckless night out." Kix waived his hand toward the door and it was clear he was frustrated by more than just Fives. "I'm a doctor, not a nanny."

"So no Dogma?" Fives changed the subject.

"No," Kix snapped.

Fives cursed. Their one lead. Now they were back at square one.

"Would he have gone to anyone else?" Faith asked.

Fives only rubbed at his temples, finding it difficult to think. The effects of the stim would take a few minutes longer to be felt, but he didn't have minutes. The morning was waning and they were no closer to figuring anything out than they had been when they'd first woken up in a groggy stupor.

Kix looked at the time on his holopad. "Alright, I've got a battalion coming in soon. I need every hungover lump in here to clear out. Including your girlfriend. Let's go."

He shooed them all the way out into the hall, though Fives didn't need too much coaxing to get out of there. He wasn't a fan of the medbay.

"We can retrace your steps," Faith was starting to suggest as they walked down the hallway at a substantially slower, more uncertain pace than when they'd come in.

But then came a booming voice that caused them both to jerk in surprise.

"Fives! What the kriff?!"

They turned to find a clone standing across the hall, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed beneath a Republic cogwheel tattoo. And he was pissed.

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HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!! and omg this is so soft and lovely and i wish for you to be able to have this irl <3

Birthday Song

Crosshair sings you a song for your birthday.

Crosshair x reader | 580 words

Note: Year 3 of my tradition writing super self-indulgent Crosshair scenes for my birthday 🙃 I will never tire of finding ways to make grumpy toothpick man soft and tender.

You pulled the blanket tighter around your shoulders as you gazed out at the city from your balcony. It was chilly but not unbearable. It was your birthday and you felt at peace.

You'd told anyone who'd asked that you didn't want it to be a big deal this year. It wasn't a milestone age, there was a lot to worry about going on in the galaxy, it just didn't feel like the time for big celebrations. A nice, simple day was all you could really ask for.

Your man, Crosshair, was never one to make a fuss about such things anyway, so he'd hardly complained at the order to not bother with any special plans. Instead, the two of you had gone about the day as normal, attending to your own errands, comfortably working around each other without too much direct interaction.

Now you were taking a break outside, enjoying fresh air in last few hours of winter sunlight, silently reflecting on your year and the goals you had for yourself heading into the next one. You were content with where you were, proud of the things you'd accomplished, even if they weren't as impressive or flashy as others of your age. And you already had a few things to look forward to, new challenges to work through that would surely make you just as happy come your next birthday.

The small smile resting on your face started to grow wider as you felt a presence behind you. That was another thing to feel especially grateful for, you noted, as warmth pressed into your back and thin arms snaked around to pull you closer. You leaned into Crosshair's embrace, resting your head back onto his shoulder. His mouth pressed into your hair with a low hum.

Then the hum grew into a tune. You closed your eyes as soft words floated in the air around you.

Like a river flows... Surely to the sea... Darling, so it goes...

Your body subtly shifted to the side, and then to the other, as Crosshair began rocking you back and forth. Swaying in time to the music you both heard in your heads.

Some things are meant to be...

You loved his voice. Some called it snake-like; menacing, even. And you could agree it was not a tone you'd want to hear at the other end of a blaster. But right now, there were no blasters. There was no war. No reason for him to be so cutting and severe. Now, his voice was soft. Gentle. Conveying few but meaningful words. And when he sang, you felt even more of his heart being shared.

Take my hand... Take my whole life too...

You breathed in deeply, and then your voice joined his.

"For I can't help... falling in love... with you...."

A light kiss was pressed to your temple as your harmony concluded.

"Happy Birthday, love," he whispered.

You tilted your head to try and get a look at him. He smiled down at you, looking just as serene as you felt.

"I love when you sing," you said.

Predictably, he huffed a little. "Only for you."

And it was true. No one knew the talent he had but you. He could sell records, perform at ritzy lounges... as you often teased. But not today. Today, you could keep his voice just for yourself.

You hummed and stood on your tip-toes to give him a kiss. "And what a lovely birthday song it is."

All Characters Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @justanothersadperson93, @arctrooper69, @sleepycreativewriter, @techie-bear, @theroguesully, @cw80831, @cdblake1565, @msmeredithrose Bad Batch Tag: @kaijusplotch, @rebel-finn, @lucyysthings, @marvel-starwars-nerd,@nekotaetae, @severalseashellsbytheseashore, @lackofhonor, @flowered-bicycles, @foodmoneyandcats, @nahoney22, @dangraccoon, @lulalovez, @skellymom, @the-mom-friend-dot-com, @aconstructofamind, @fruityfucker, @tardisgirl420 Cannot tag (please update your blog settings to allow tagging or notify me of a name change): @the-stars-ar3-with-us, @horoscope-misreader96

✨Join A Tag List Here!✨

🎂 Birthday Cake story (2024) | 🎁 Birthday Surprise story (2022)

🌙 Master Master List | ☘️ Stories Master List

[flowered-bicycles]

lmaooo thanks for the tag @ladysongmaster

glad to say ive got some good traveling buddies!

id be safe from outside danger, sure, but i dont know how much of a ruckus those two will cause with each other LOL

im vv happy with this arrangement though <3

NPT: @mandytrekkie @parasiticstars @callsign-denmark @dangraccoon @goose-nest @asciiid

Tag Game!

Thanks to @leapingbadger for the tag!

You have to go on a 72-hour hyperspace journey with the last Star Wars Character saved in your photos.

Who is your traveling buddy?

How do you feel about it?

And will you survive if you ran into trouble?

Look, I get two travelling buddies! Cute little Grizzer and - now I'm actually not 100% sure if this is marshal commander Fox with him, or sergeant Hound (?). Shame on me. Anyhow, I think it will be a nice trip. I make good coffee and snuggling Grizzer will surely fill up any possible gaps in conversation. My humour is quite dark, so I think I might go along well with the Corries. And I feel pretty safe with these two by my side!

Absolutely adorable art by @secretly-a-trekkie

NPT to @tealmisthams (I have a tiny guess who your company might be ☺️) @ladylucksrogue @queen-of-mandalore @whyamismall @aknightreaderr and anyone who wants to play!

[flowered-bicycles]

absolutely sobbing omgggg i love this so much!!!

Hi!!! I listening to the Florence and the Machine song “girl with one eye” and it got me in a super angsty mood, and I had this idea that what if reader saves Rex from being tortured like a heroine and does the dramatic bridal carry and everything, instead of the usual reader being saved like a lot of fics end up writing in terms of super angst (absolutely no hate, I love those too) I just think it would be nice to see the reader being extremely capable!

You obviously do not have to write anything like this, I just had the idea and you are by far one of my favorite writers (my dyslexic ass cant write for shit)

Anyways, hope you have a wonderful day!

Saving Rex

Rex x reader | 4.4k words

Content: torture (not shown but discussed), injuries, general angst, reader with some physical strength/stamina, friends to lovers, hope and love prevail

Note: I'd really like to believe I could carry Rex down a flight of stairs if I needed to. Maybe I'll use that for motivation during my next workout 😝 (Also this got really emotional in some places, please don't hate me)

To say you were panicking was an understatement. Rex had never been this late to a rendezvous. And with comms jammed, there weren't many options to figure out what could be keeping him. It was one of your only nightmares coming true. Something happening to that noble, wonderful man you called a friend.

You paced restlessly between the walls of the bunker, an eye on the door at all times. Any noise, any howl of the wind or scrape of someone's boot on the concrete floor, made you twitch in alarm. You had never experienced the seconds ticking by so slowly. Kriff, where was he?

"You should get some rest."

While you watched the door, Anakin watched you. Normally he would tease over any emotion you showed for his Captain; no matter how much you tried to keep such feelings under wraps, the Jedi always seemed to sense the truth anyway. But now he put jokes aside and did what he could to quell your anxieties.

You only shook your head in response and continued your pacing.

Anakin sighed and fell back in his chair. The other men in the bunker were anxious, too. Even if he couldn't feel it, he could see it all around. Bouncing knees. Fiddling with random objects. Untouched food and unspoken words. No one was going to sleep, even though everyone needed it. It was going to be a long night. Unless Rex found his way back.

Anakin could admit he was worried for the clone, too. They had fought alongside each other for so long now, it didn't seem possible that there'd be a day where one of them was no longer standing. But what he couldn't admit, at least not to anyone else, was that he had a very bad feeling this time. He kept trying to reach out in the Force, find some trace of his comrade out there, and he kept coming back with an even worse feeling than before.

A sudden sound at the door caused everyone to sit up, tense and hopeful. Three knocks with a very specific rhythm. Someone from your team. You could barely breathe as you waited for Anakin to open the door.

Ahsoka hurried through, along with a gust of wind that fluttered some of the more lightweight objects around the room. Anakin quickly shut it behind her. You'd almost forgotten she had been out, too. Gone to look for Rex, help him get back. But she hadn't brought anyone back with her. Now you really couldn't breathe.

"What'd you find?" asked Anakin, noting the urgent expression on the young girl's face.

"They've taken him to the fortress across the south bridge. I followed a... trail," she quickly glanced over at you, omitting what the trail was composed of for your sake, though you could make an educated guess if you had to. "They have him in a tower. I couldn't get eyes on him, but... Well, I could hear him."

Her face screwed up in distress at the memory and everyone in the room knew exactly what she meant.

"Any way we can carry out an extraction?" asked Anakin.

"If not now, then when?" You marched forward, determined and resolute. You could breathe again, though just barely. "Nighttime. Storm. Now is the only time."

Anakin still looked to his padawan for confirmation. She'd seen the fortress and would know whether it was a risk worth taking, even for someone as dear to them as Rex.

To your satisfaction, Ahsoka didn't hesitate to nod quickly. "That's why I hurried back as fast as I could. I couldn't get to him on my own, but with a small team...."

"It'll have to be really small. We can't risk blowing our cover here," Anakin agreed and finally uncrossed his arms. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been holding himself this whole time. But now there was some hope, and all that was needed to reach it was a bit of daring action. Something he was never in short supply of, and something hew knew Rex wouldn't hesitate to do for him if the roles were reversed.

"You, me," you motioned to yourself and Anakin. "Ahsoka can keep guard here."

"And me," came a clone's voice by your side. All of them were intently listening to the conversation, and while any one of them would have been eager to volunteer to save their Captain, one knew he was needed more than any other. Kix.

"There may not be time to administer first aid on sight," Anakin cautioned.

Kix puffed himself up a bit. "I'll do what I can. You two focus on getting us out without a fuss."

Anakin smirked and you cast him a grateful smile of your own. This was not an ideal outcome, learning that Rex was in distress. But at least he wasn't dead yet, and you could work with that. Now his fate was in your hands. And with a burning fire in your heart, you knew you would save him.

- - -

Rex waited until the echoing of their footsteps was gone before allowing himself to collapse. His knees hit cold stone but the jolt was barely felt amongst the rest of the pain radiating throughout his body. He curled in on himself, arms gently folding around the worst of the injuries in his middle, and his head hung low in exhaustion.

He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this. He hated the thought, but it was true. An entire day of torment and torture, relentless and unforgiving. Even with all his training, this situation was proving difficult to bear.

There was only one thing keeping him alive, he was sure of it. You. The memories of your smile, your laughter, all the lovely things you somehow said at just the right times. The thought of you continuing on without ever knowing how he felt. You were strong and capable in your own right, but he still wanted to be there for you. To protect you. To love you.

Gods, how he loved you.

He couldn't be broken in this place. No, not before seeing you one more time. He would give you his heart, and then he could finally let go.

- - -

Your feet thunked against each step of the spiraling stone stairs. Anakin's and Kix's were not far behind. Only a few guards and droids had had to be taken care of thus far, done swiftly and discretely by the two soldiers while you focused on navigating through the labyrinth of the fortress to the tower that held Rex. But as soon as you'd reached the door leading upward, Anakin had voiced his unease. Worse was coming, he insisted. And if they proceeded, they'd be just as trapped in that tower as their Captain was.

You pushed forward without a second thought.

And they reluctantly followed.

You weren't dumb. You knew it was foolish to rush into an enemy's territory with no plan and no backup. You knew you could be condemning Rex with your impulsive actions rather than saving him. But somehow, those sensible thoughts were overwhelmed by a deep and desperate need to find him at any cost. If you could just see him, then everything would be okay.

Thunk, thunk, thunk. One step and then another and another. Your lungs heaved and your thighs burned but you kept climbing. You weren't sensitive to the Force, but you swear you could feel yourself getting closer to him.

The sudden sound of a lightsaber igniting behind you finally gave you pause. You stumbled on the next step as you slowed and turned. Anakin had stopped several steps below and was staring downward, waiting for something.

"What is it, sir?" Kix huffed beside him.

Anakin only held up a finger as if he were trying to listen. You were panting, too, and tried to hold in a breath so you could hear whatever he could. There was only the hum of a lightsaber and the wailing of the wind from the other side of stone walls.

And then suddenly there was pounding. The whole tower seemed to shake with the thunderous footsteps of soldiers making their way upward, blocking your only way back out. Anakin jerked his head toward you.

"Go. Find him. I'll push them back."

As Anakin rushed downward, Kix wavered in between. Rex would need his aid, but his aid would be worthless if they couldn't escape. He finally looked back at you, too.

"You've got this," he stated before raising his blaster and following General Skywalker.

You resumed your trek upward, your attention slipping back to its previous singular focus of finding Rex. Of seeing him again. Alive.

You finally reached the top of the tower and were met with a simple wooden door. Again, you knew you should slow down and think through a strategy. What if there were guards on the other side? What if their blades slipped because you startled them? But you couldn't help yourself. You'd come too far to not burst right through.

There were no guards. There were no blades. But there was, thankfully, distressingly, Rex.

He was slumped against the far wall. Motionless. You crossed the room with a few bounding strides and gently pulled him away from the wall.

You'd anticipated him being in bad shape, but not to this extent. His armor was stripped and the tattered clothes they had him in instead did nothing to hide his condition. Bruises along his arms. A sickly pallor to his skin. Dark circles beneath his eyes and cracks along his lips. His head swung toward you listlessly as you turned him. You quickly positioned his body against yours and your hand cradled his head in support.

"Rex," you coaxed, willing your voice to remain strong. Panic wouldn't help him like this. "Rex, it's okay. We're going to get you out of here. Okay?"

His eyelids fluttered but couldn't seem to stay open. He did turn toward your voice, and through a series of near-unintelligible mutters, you managed to make out your name.

"Yes," you smiled, moving your hand to cup the side of his head so you could run a soothing thumb along his cheek. "Yes, it's me. I'm here. I've got you. You're okay now."

He shifted his arms, and at first you thought he was ready to try standing. You made to move, too, but then noticed he was doing something else. He held his hand over his chest, on the side of his heart. And then slowly, his other hand reached out to rest onto your chest.

You shook your head at him, not understanding. Was he hurt there? Did they do something to his heart?

Then Rex's worn face contorted into what could only be a smile. A small but serene smile, like he'd finally found peace. The smile slowly slipped away and his body started to feel heavier in your arms.

Now you couldn't keep the panic at bay. It came out in full force, along with tears and desperate squeezing. 

"No no no. Rex. Wake up, Rex. Please. You can rest soon but we have to leave first. Okay? We have to go now. Please."

You didn't know what to do beyond pleading and shaking him. He couldn't slip away now, not when you'd just gotten here. A part of you had hoped that maybe, just by seeing you, his spirits would lift. That you would be that little kickstart to his heart that'd help him keep going. But sadly, it seemed your fantasies of him returning your affections were only that. In reality, you could have been anybody coming to his rescue, and you'd be too late either way.

No. You shook yourself now. No, it didn't matter how he felt or didn't feel. You loved him. That fire in your heart was still burning, and you were going to get him out of here alive.

You carefully but swiftly got your legs back under you, still keeping Rex's body supported as you maneuvered each other into the right position. You weren't a soldier. You didn't have the same build as the clones. But damn if you weren't just as determined and capable. So with a deep, steadying breath, you heaved his body across your back. One of your arms wrapped around his closest leg, keeping it tight against your side as you reached across to grab at his arm. He was heavy, but secure, and you knew you could carry him this way for as long as it'd take to escape. And as an added bonus, you'd heard a soft grunt from him as he'd bent over your shoulders. He was still alive.

You wasted no time standing around with the extra weight. You were back out the door and heading down the stairs faster than you could register. One hand running along the wall for balance and the other firmly grasped on Rex's forearm. Your thighs had done the most work to get you up the stairs; now it was your knees taking the brunt of effort going down. In your mind you alternated between prayers for your joints and prayers for Rex's life.

The sounds of your steps were drowned by the reverberating sounds of combat. The echoes made it hard to tell their distance away as you continued your descent. You braced yourself for the inevitable, feeling more and more grateful the further you went without sight of any blaster fire. You estimated only a quarter of the way left by the time you met some of the carnage on the stairs. Sizzling metal and blaster marks on the walls. It was another several of floors of picking your way between it all before you then came across Kix and Anakin. They'd made good progress pushing the onslaught back.

You hovered just beyond their reach so as to keep Rex away from the crossfire. Anakin's lightsaber did most of the work to keep the enemy at a distance, though occasionally a shot would ricochet onto the wall by your head. But slowly and surely, you were all able to make it down to the next step. Lower and lower. Closer and closer to the end.

Eventually Kix was able to pause in his help and scurry up to check on Rex. He nodded at you when he confirmed a pulse but was just as unsuccessful as you in his efforts to get the Captain to wake.

"Dehydration, possible blood loss from these wounds here," the medic chattered, more to himself than anyone, as he dug through his pack. He tore open a bacta patch and slapped it across an oozing mess of scabs on Rex's shoulder and then handed you a stim while he continued to rummage.

You jabbed the stim into the back of Rex's thigh, thrilled that you managed to elicit another groan from him. Any sign of life was a good one at this point.

"Need me to take over?" Kix asked once he'd found a breathing mask and stood back up. You shook your head, already heading back down the stairs. Anakin had managed to get through a good amount more of the droids. Kix shrugged and then rushed ahead to continue laying down blaster fire.

The fight to escape took far longer than anyone would have wanted. Even once you'd made it out of the stuffy tower, there was the maze of hallways to run back through, and more enemies to fight along the way. All hopes of a stealthy rescue were long gone. It made you nervous, wondering if you'd be able to make it out at all, at this point. The further you moved into the open, the harder it was to keep fighting. If you were lucky enough to make it outside the fortress of droids, then you'd be surrounded by a storm. You were but a Jedi, a medic, and a civilian staff member carrying a near-unconscious soldier. The path forward was looking rather grim.

You eventually got yourselves into what seemed to be a supply closet. You knew there was a service door leading outside down one end of the hall, and the front entrance to the fortress itself was only around another corner as well. But you were flanked by droids on either side. Anakin kept the door to the closet open so he could continue to pick off the droids, while you were finally able to take a break from carrying Rex as Kix more properly tended to some of his injuries.

"How's he looking?" Anakin asked over his shoulder. He wasn't sure what he wanted the answer to be. He was glad Rex was alive, but they were all running out of options. From his estimates, they'd either need to surrender and think through a better escape plan later, or barrel forward with a Hail Mary and hope for the best. Either option would be difficult with Rex in this state. If he was getting worse... if he wasn't going to make it... Anakin shuddered at the thought of having to make that call.

Kix didn't immediately answer. He'd removed the breathing mask which seemed to have sparked some energy back into Rex. He was groaning and huffing, clutching at his midsection and rolling his head back and forth restlessly. Kix tried getting his attention but the Captain only continued to fidget and groan.

"Was he like this when you found him?" Kix asked you.

"No, he was quieter. He knew who I was, though."

Kix motioned for you to come closer. "See if he'll respond to you again."

"Rex." You quickly saddled up by his side, ignoring the pain in your back and legs from crouching. "Rex, look at me. It's okay. Just breathe. You'll be okay."

Surprisingly, your voice seemed to work. Rex stilled, turning his head toward the sound. That weird little smile crept back on his face.

"Rex?"

He responded with your name, small and rasping, but clear all the same. You couldn't help but smile in return.

"Oh good, you are awake enough."

With lightning speed, Kix was back in view with a vial of... something. He tipped it into Rex's mouth and held his hand over to keep the Captain from spitting it back out. Rex sputtered and writhed against Kix's hand but eventually swallowed the liquid down with a hard, painful gulp. Rex's eyes had shot open in the process. They were red, but alert.

"It's okay," you tried soothing again. Rex relaxed against the wall he was propped against and locked his eyes with yours.

"You... came... for me?" he croaked out.

You nodded. For a second, you could have sworn tears were brimming in Rex's eyes. Maybe it was only the medicine.

"Hate to ruin the moment," Anakin called back out. The blaster fire from the hall had grown louder, closer. "But we're out of time here. Kix, anything in this closet we can fashion into a grenade?"

The medic scrambled up to look amongst the shelves.

"Rex, you able to stand? I need you both shooting blasters if you can manage it."

"I will try."

Rex was already trying to push himself off the wall. You wrapped an arm around his back and help hoist him up. His legs shook wildly from the sudden weight. You kept him leaning against you, one arm over your shoulder.

"It's okay, I've got you."

Rex smiled down at you, far too softly for what the situation allowed. You held his gaze with surprise.

Kix was pouring random bottles into each other, hoping they'd make the desired effect. Anakin was cursing as the droids drew nearer. Rex seemed to be trying to tell you something with his eyes. And just when you were about to suggest looking into the air vent situation of this place, there came a large and reverberating kaboom.

You all froze. Including the droids, who then appeared to have been given new orders as they neatly turned in the opposite direction and marched away. Something had happened by the entrance. After a few moments, you could hear their blasters firing again, along with the sounds of other weapons. Familiar weapons. Anakin grinned.

"Obi-Wan," he said before running after them.

You could've cried. Instead, you looked back up at Rex and smiled.

"Ready to go home?"

- - -

You hadn't left Rex's side for a second, much to Kix's chagrin. It was that much harder to heal a battered brother with a stubborn civvy sitting in the way. But, despite his many grumbling complaints, he still let you stay. He knew your heart. And Rex's. It'd be best for both of you to keep close, until you knew each other's.

Though when Rex did wake, you could barely get out one tearfully happy hello before seemingly everyone else on base came to his side, too.

"Thank the gods you're alive!"

"Glad you're okay, brother."

"Good to have you back."

"Can't keep a good man down."

Rex appreciated their words, he really did. He tried not to notice how silent you'd fallen amongst them. It was your words he wanted to hear most.

"How did we get out of there?" he instead asked Anakin. He remembered waking in a dark room, Kix shoving something down his throat, your voice as you sweetly called his name. Beyond that was a blur. He was pretty sure he'd passed out once he tried walking.

"I kept think about the storm," Ahsoka was the one to answer instead. "And how it would give them cover getting to the fortress. And then I thought if they happened to get caught, that'd provide just enough distraction for us to start with a good attack."

"And by us, she of course means the 212th," smirked Cody. Obi-Wan was busy sending word back to Coruscant on the mission, though they all owed it to the Jedi's decision to go looking for General Skywalker and the missing 501st. Without the added reinforcements, Ahsoka's plan wouldn't have stood a chance.

"We're just really glad you're alive, Rex," Ahsoka said softly.

"Yeah, we don't know what we would have done without you," said Anakin, though he was looking toward you as he said it. Everyone else followed his gaze, causing you to blush at the sudden attention.

"They carried you the whole way, you know," Anakin added, now directed toward Rex.

Rex's eyes grew wide, impressed.

"Don't you remember?" prompted Kix.

"I... remember you finding me," Rex told you. "In that cell. I remember feeling hope again."

Your ears were still hot from Anakin's obvious insinuations of your feelings, and now everyone was giving each other looks at Rex's words. You decided to deflect with some humor.

"Right before you tried to cop a feel," you smirked.

That did the trick. A chorus of salacious oohs and laughter rang through the rank of clones gathered. Fives went up and clapped Rex's shoulder, his bad one. Rex's wincing caused Kix to hastily shoo away Fives and everyone else making a ruckus. You remained, noticing that through it all, Rex had a blush rivaling your own.

"I... I didn't..." he stammered once most of his visitors had disappeared. Anakin gave you one last look before then coaxing Ahsoka to leave as well.

"It's okay," you reassured. "You were out of it."

"No, I wasn't, I... I was..." Rex huffed. He was having a hard time finding the right words. "Never mind, it's silly."

He fell back against the pillows with a sigh. You scooted your stool forward and rested your hands on the bedside.

"Please tell me, Rex. I feel like you've been trying to tell me something ever since I found you. But I was so focused on trying to keep you alive, I didn't understand. I'm sorry."

Rex smiled back at you, encouraged. "It's alright. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would make it out alive. But I... well... I didn't want to let go without..." He paused, embarrassed again. This was going to sound ridiculous if you didn't feel the same.

"Without...?"

"Without giving you my heart first."

He looked at you hesitantly to find your lips had parted in surprise.

"I know. It was a silly thought--"

"No," you breathed. Your hands now slid from the blanket onto his. The memory of him in your arms, beaten and bruised, using what strength he had left to gesture between his heart and yours... you wished you'd understood then. You'd thought he hadn't cared for you in that way at all.

Rex's eyes watered along with yours as your hands clasped together and a newfound understanding settled in between.

"You can't ever disappear on me like that again," you said with a wobble in your voice. "Anakin's right, I don't know what I would have done without you. I... I love you too much to even think of it."

Rex brought your hands up to meet his lips. He kissed your knuckles softly.

"I love you, too. And... I think I'm going to need to reconsider some things, knowing that you love me back."

He gazed over your clasped hands and met the eyes of Anakin, on the other side of the medbay looking in on the other patients. He wasn't the only injured soldier from the mission. General Skywalker was a good man for checking on them, just as he would do once he could stand on his own feet again. The look he now shared with the Jedi was one of agreement. A lot had changed from this mission, and a lot would need to still change. Love, sometimes, took priority even in war. Anakin knew that better than most.

"I don't want you to--" you started to say as realization dawned. But Rex quickly shook his head.

"We have time to discuss it. Right now, just let me hold you."

You didn't need to be asked twice. Helping him carefully scoot over, you then slipped under the hospital blanket and tucked yourself in at his side. It felt right, like where you were always meant to be.

Your worst nightmare had played out in a harrowing day of panic and fear. And now your greatest dream was nestled at your side, safe and sound and alive. It had been a frightening price to pay, one you hoped you'd never have to spend again, but the heart you now held was surely a worthy reward.

Every Character Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @justanothersadperson93,

@arctrooper69, @sleepycreativewriter, @techie-bear, @theroguesully, @cw80831,

@cdblake1565, @msmeredithrose

Clone Bois Tag: @kaijusplotch, @rebel-finn, @lucyysthings, @marvel-starwars-nerd,

@nekotaetae, @severalseashellsbytheseashore, @lackofhonor, @flowered-bicycles,

@foodmoneyandcats, @nahoney22, @dangraccoon, @lulalovez, @skellymom,

@aconstructofamind, @the-mom-friend-dot-com, @tardisgirl420

Cannot tag (please update your blog settings to allow tagging or notify me of a name change): @the-stars-ar3-with-us, @horoscope-misreader96

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[flowered-bicycles]

awwww thats so sweet

i love when people are willing to break into schools and change the grades of unfair grading for their loved ones 🙂‍↕️❤️

The Batch Family: The Grade

Tech goes on an adventure to fix his first bad grade.

Part of my AU "The Batch Family" [Collection Masterlist]

Word count: 2.6k | Batch ages: Teens (14 y/o)

Note: As much as I love the little Batch boys, I'm excited to share more of them as teenagers. There's quite a lot of interesting things that happen in this part of their lives. 👀 Though poor Tech would very much like to skip through this rough time, please.

Tech had a problem. A really big problem.

He paced restlessly throughout his bedroom, stepping around furniture and over piles of laundry out of habit more than attention. He shared a room with Hunter and Wrecker, and it was always in disarray. Every surface littered with the most random objects. Shelves and closets bursting with mysterious clutter. Echo and Crosshair had refused to deal with their mess a long time ago and now happily roomed on the other side of the wall with their crisply-made beds and labeled sock drawers.

Wrecker snored loudly from his bottom bunk and Hunter's music could be heard faintly through his headphones from the bed above. They never paid Tech any mind as he kept the lights on well past bedtime. So Tech slowly picked his way around the cramped room, lost in deliberation over what to do about his problem.

He had received a bad grade.

His thumbs rubbed over the now-worn essay clutched in his hands. There were still a few weeks left in the semester but some of the classes, like his AP English class, had already graded their final papers. He couldn't bring himself to look at the bright red B- plastered over the top of his essay on To Kill a Mockingbird again. It made him feel like the room was closing in around him every time he looked at it.

He had never in his life received such a low grade before. Well, maybe when he was little. Did that count? He paused his pacing to consider. No, surely grades didn't count that young. But they most certainly counted now. It was only his first semester of freshman year. How had he failed so quickly? This paper would bring down his grade for the class... his whole GPA. Oh he felt sick to his stomach.

He rushed over to his desk chair and sat down heavily, letting the essay fall to the floor while he rubbed his hands along his legs. His left leg ached under his ministrations but he couldn't seem to stop.

"Still hurts, huh?"

Crosshair was leaning against the doorway, munching on some salami. He was the other night owl of the family.

Tech couldn't look at him. He balled his fists into his lap and tried to focus back on formulating a plan to get out of this mess. There had to be a way he could convince his teacher to reconsider.

Crosshair picked up on the anxious energy and stepped into the room. A paper with an unmistakable red letter lay at his brother's feet. Crosshair stooped to pick it up.

"Well-written, but interpretations were too literal," he read off the handwritten note. "Focus on applying key concepts learned in class next semester."

Crosshair glanced down at Tech, who looked like he might vomit or cry. Or worse, both. He knew better than to tease Tech about it; the guy had had a rough start to his freshman year and had still taken the time to help the rest of them with their weak subjects. 

He made a show of reading more on the paper, even though there wasn't anything further. "Hm, it also says... You're actually the best student I've ever had but I had to give you a B so my other loser students don't feel bad."

Tech rolled his eyes but Crosshair saw the small twitch at the corners of his mouth all the same. Satisfied, he tossed the paper onto the nearest stack of crap and pulled another swivel chair over to sit next to Tech. He offered him a slice of salami. Tech shook his head and Crosshair shrugged, popping it in his mouth instead.

"I don't get it," Tech lamented quietly. "I thought that's the whole point of an interpretation. It's how you personally see something. I didn't think there was a right or wrong way to read a story."

Crosshair silently chewed while Tech ranted on.

"And I did apply the key concepts. I highlighted the literary devices used, the themes, the context of the time it was written. I met the format requirements and I used proper grammar. You should've seen some of the other essays we had to peer-review. Wrecker's written better stuff than some of them. How in the world they ended up in an AP class...."

Tech let out a frustrated huff and started rubbing at his thighs again. Crosshair put his hand in the way over his left leg so he couldn't aggravate the still-healing injury further.

"It's just a grade," he tried saying, even though he knew Tech wouldn't agree. "And it's not even that bad."

"Not that bad?" Tech stood up more forcefully than he should have. Crosshair noticed his subtle shift in weight to his right leg. "Look, I know these things don't matter to any of you, but I need a perfect GPA. The colleges I want to go to, they're not cheap. And Mom...."

He trailed off with a sigh but he didn't need to finish the thought. Crosshair understood.

"I need to make it work myself," Tech said more quietly. "But now... I can write every paper perfectly for the rest of high school and it won't even matter because I screwed it up right in the beginning."

Tech hung his head and Crosshair cocked his. After a moment, he stood to face him with folded arms and a determined look set in his eyes. He and Wrecker were already several inches taller than the rest of them, though Crosshair was significantly lankier. Tech often wondered if Wrecker had stolen some nutrients from him in utero.

"Do you think your teacher was wrong?"

"Well, I mean, it's their opinion, just like it was my opinion--"

"Do you think," Crosshair repeated more forcefully, "that your teacher was wrong? That you truly deserved a better grade?"

Tech thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes. I deserved a better grade."

Crosshair let his arms fall. "Alright then. Let's get you a better grade. Grab a coat."

He slipped between Tech and the dresser to get over to the window. Tech frowned as he watched him quietly open it and pop out the screen.

"What--"

"Coat," hissed Crosshair as he stepped through.

As if to accentuate his point, a wave of chilly December night air fluttered in, rippling the curtains and causing Tech to involuntarily shiver. From the other side of the room, Wrecker gave out a strained snore.

"And preferably before Hunter notices," Crosshair urged him further.

Tech had never snuck out before. He knew Crosshair did, usually using his bedroom as the passage so Echo wouldn't rat him out. Sometimes even Hunter would, though he never liked it when his brothers went somewhere without him. Tech didn't care much what any of them got up to. He'd only tell if Mom asked, and if he'd happened to even notice in the first place.

He wasn't sure what Crosshair's plan was but he knew it wasn't worth debating right here in the open window. So he grabbed his coat and hurried through. Crosshair expertly closed the window and replaced the screen, and then set off at a brisk pace down the side of the house. Tech followed behind. They stopped briefly at the garage, where Crosshair pulled out a coat of his own hiding behind boxes of seasonal decorations. 

"My spare," Crosshair explained as he shrugged it on. "So no one sees a missing coat inside."

Tech nodded, impressed.

They slipped through the gate, which was rarely ever locked, and out into the neighborhood. Tech noted they were heading in the direction of the high school.

"I don't know what you think we can do about this at--," Tech referenced his watch, "eleven p.m. on a Tuesday. It's not like the teachers live at school."

He was still thinking the only way forward was through a persuasive conversation with his teacher. He'd already composed a few introductory statements in his head.

"Eleven, you say?" Crosshair ignored Tech's questions. "How's your leg? We'll have to take the long way around to avoid the security guard. He'll be in the gym parking lot."

Tech didn't ask how he could possibly know such a thing this soon into high school.

"It's... fine," Tech partially lied. The cold air seemed to be making it feel stiffer than usual. Keeping up with his brother's long strides also didn't help.

Crosshair took them through a neighborhood that wrapped around the back of the school. Tech tried to talk some sense into him, finally having guessed at what he planned to do. Though, notably, Tech's protests did not stop him from following along anyway.

"It wouldn't be right."

"God, you sound like Echo."

"I wouldn't have earned it."

"But you should have. You said so."

"Well..." Tech faltered for another argument and found he didn't have any.

"You can't let one lousy teacher..." Crosshair's voice trailed off as he noticed something up ahead. Tech though he heard him swear under his breath.

"Hey! What are you guys up to?"

They were passing by Rex's house. Crosshair hadn't considered that in his plan. And of course he just happened to be outside tonight, with his little sister, Ahsoka. It looked like she was helping catch his basketball as he practiced free throws.

"You're just... out for a walk?" Rex asked.

"Part of his therapy," Crosshair growled out.

Rex's eyes narrowed in return. "Kinda late, isn't it?"

"I could ask you the same."

Rex had never gotten along with Crosshair. He was more Echo and Hunter's friend. He scowled at the skinny boy, trying to figure him out. He never could.

"No Hunter?" Ahsoka's voice cut through the awkward tension. The twelve-year-old thought Hunter was the coolest boy ever. It was very annoying.

"He's asleep," said Tech. Rex looked over at him as if he'd just noticed he was there. Tech gulped and then tugged at his brother's sleeve, eager to avoid things escalating. "Come on, Cross. Let's go."

Crosshair reluctantly peeled away. Rex watched as the two odd Batch brothers walked down the rest of the street and turned the corner.

The school was only another corner away. They quickly crossed the faculty parking lot and snaked through the various buildings. Tech noticed how Crosshair stuck to the shadows, where the dim pools of nighttime lights didn't reach. He followed in kind.

When they finally came upon the administration building, Tech's leg was really starting to hurt. He leaned against the wall while Crosshair picked at the lock.

"I don't know about this, Cross," Tech started to whine again. His stomach still felt as twisted up as it had when he'd been back in his room with that darn paper.

"What don't you know?"

Crosshair got the door unlocked surprisingly fast and slipped inside just as an alarm let out a loud set of pips. He dashed to the alarm box just behind the front desk and punched in a code. Even in the darkness of the room, Tech could tell what it was. He mentally logged the information for future use.

"I don't know if... if I..." Tech stuttered, closing the door quietly behind him. Crosshair was leaning over a computer. Blue light lit up his face like a ghost as he booted it up. "I don't know if I deserve this."

Crosshair's eyes flitted over to his, a prominent crease in between them.

"What do you mean? Of course you do. You said--"

"I know what I said but it's... it's not just about this paper." Tech sighed and collapsed into the chair beside him. "I got an A minus in Algebra. Algebra. I could do those equations in my sleep but I missed one question on the test and...."

He sighed again. He wrapped his arms around his queasy stomach and stared into the light of the computer. Crosshair turned around and rested against the edge of the desk.

"I couldn't play soccer this year. I didn't make any friends. Most nights I can't fall asleep until I literally pass out. Meanwhile, you all are doing just fine. I mean, look at you. Sneaking out and picking locks and things. Everything comes naturally to you. You're so..."

There were a dozen words he wanted to say, to show how much he admired Crosshair, but he panicked when he looked up at his brother's confused face and settled for a lesser, though still true, adjective.

"Calm."

Crosshair snorted.

"You have no idea what it's been like for me," he said in a low voice. He didn't elaborate and Tech knew better than to pry. Just hearing the implication was enough for Tech to confidently abandon that line of thought. He didn't need to compare himself to others.

"Well, anyway, it's been tough for me, is all I'm saying. High school is a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

He could sense Crosshair was about to speak so he quickly help up his hand.

"And don't say anything about my leg. Please. I know. It held me back."

"Actually, it didn't. If anything, it gave you a leg up. If you can suffer through something like that and still get A's and B's? Then you can do anything. And if you really can't manage, well then there's no hope for the rest of us."

Tech mulled over his words, finding it a little easier to breathe as he did so.

"What, no praise for my pun skills?"

Tech smirked. "Yeah, that was a good pun."

"Thanks. I've been holding onto that one for months." Crosshair pushed off the desk. "Oh and also? High school's not hard. It just sucks."

Tech laughed. It wasn't even that funny of a comment so it must have been his inner relief causing him to let out a few chuckles. Crosshair turned back to the computer to click on a few things that looked promising.

"You can hack this stuff, right?" he asked. When Tech didn't answer or make any moves closer, he warily looked over.

"There's nothing to hack," said Tech. He'd been able to let go of his stomach and was picking at one of his nails.

Crosshair stood. "What?"

"They won't actually put our grades in the system until the break. In case there's any make-up exams or extra credit projects, stuff like that."

Crosshair blinked down at him incredulously. "What... You... Then why did you come?"

Tech gave a sheepish smile and a shrug. "Thought maybe it'd help distract me from having a panic attack?"

Crosshair groaned, sitting back on the desk with a shake of his head.

"Besides, now I know how to break into the school if I ever need to. You wouldn't have shown me if I'd asked."

"Oh, don't pretend you had a whole plan," Crosshair swatted a hand toward him, though it only fell into the empty space between them. Tech could tell he wasn't too mad but he decided to try and smooth some feathers anyway.

"Thank you, Cross," he said with a small smile. "High school does suck, but... at least I've got you."

Never one to fully lean into a heart-to-heart moment, Crosshair only rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too. Whatever. Let's get out of here. Security guard will be heading to the back now so we can go out the front."

Tech shut down the computer and Crosshair reset the alarm. The door wouldn't be locked but the morning janitors weren't likely to say anything, chalking it up to the ever-forgetful night crew.

"Maybe we should go for nightly walks a few more times," Tech suggested as he fell into step with Crosshair. "So Rex doesn't get suspicious."

"Pft. Who cares what he thinks."

"He'll say something to Echo. And then Echo will tell Mom."

"You worry too much. No wonder you don't have any friends."

Tech elbowed him away. "Rude."

Crosshair chuckled and draped an arm over Tech, bringing him in close as they crossed the empty parking lot and headed back home from their adventure.

Every Story Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @sleepycreativewriter, @cw80831, @cdblake1565

The Batch Family Tag: @kaijusplotch, @marvel-starwars-nerd, @lackofhonor,

@flowered-bicycles, @techie-bear, @skellymom

Cannot tag (please update your blog settings to allow tagging or notify me of a name change): @the-stars-ar3-with-us, @horoscope-misreader96

✨Join A Tag List Here!✨

🌙 Master List of Master Lists | ⚽️ The Batch Family Master List

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- reblogging [as ive already participated] but sending this out for anyone who sees this to join -

THAT MEANS YOU 🫵 PERSON SEEING THIS POST

10 people I'd like to get to know better

(starting a new post since the last one was getting pretty long)

Tagged by: @eclec-tech (thanks friend!!! 😄)

Last song: with lyrics = Warrior by Hannah Kerr; without lyrics = Where I Fit from the Bad Batch soundtrack

Favorite color: it changes all the time, currently it's purple

Last book/fic: just finished reading Persuasion (Jane Austen) after binging the Ascendance of a Bookworm series

Last movie: Muppet Christmas Carol

Last show: Doctor Who (currently rewatching the classic era)

Sweet/spicy/savory: I have a massive sweet tooth; I'll pass on the spicy because I like my food to taste like something other than "fire" 😜; savory's great too!

Relationship: single at the moment and biding my sweet time

Last thing I holonet searched: synonyms for various words 😂 Trying to finish my long fic within the next month!

Current obsession: (too many, but since it asks for obsession and not obsessionS I have to go with...) Star Wars - mostly clones, Din Djarin, and Tech Lives ❤️

I look forward to telling you:

Just kidding! Here's my real answer:

NPT: honestly I'd love to get to know anyone who reads this post, so feel free to answer even if I don't tag you!!! Since the challenge calls for 10 tags, though, here goes:

@here-comes-the-moose @ireadwithmyears @marvel-starwarsfangirl @indigofyrebird @rendomski @lifblogs @anoray @leapingbadger @faithwalkcreationscloneart @veterinaryrambles

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THE PLOT TWIST? MY JAW DROPPED? TEARS IN EYES? THIS IS SO GOOD THANKS FOR THE TAG!!! ❤️❤️👈😭

[ MAIL SENT - FORWARDED THROUGH: ] MISS MAYA CHAENG : STYLIST CONTACT 2XXX48032XXX mayakcburberry@gmail.com --- UNLOCK CODE AVAILABLE TO: MS. V. P. POTTS ---

Hoping to see you done and dolled up. Would be a delight is it comes to picture the way I'm imagining it. Yours Truly. A.E.STARK

___________________________________________________

It arrives by delivery from her stylist

_____________________________

[ MAIL SENT - FORWARDED THROUGH: ] MISS PEPPER POTTS : STYLIST CONTACT 2XXX48032XXX pepper.potts@starkindustries.com --- UNLOCK CODE AVAILABLE TO: MR. A.E. STARK --- I’m sure your imagination is running wild, but I think I’ll be the one calling the shots here. However, I’m intrigued to see if your “vision” matches reality. Just don’t be too disappointed if it’s not exactly as you pictured. 😉 Yours Truly, V.E. POTTS ___________________________________________________

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oh this is so much fun!!’ thanks for the tag @ladysongmaster <3

let me think… (i have many)

firecracker, or cracker for short: my friends think im a little bundle of sunshine (firecracker) because im so bouncy and energetic around them

alternatively, sunshine: ive been told the room lights up when i walk in (:sob:) and i can make many smile with my compliments, just like sunshine

bubbles: once more, im a bubbly person (derogatory to myself lmao)

tornado: when i was younger i was seen as a person who was super energetic and left chaos in my wake

now for the more calm ones

snips: i like to think id be a sniper if i were a clone, so i snip ppl from afar

berry: i like to eat a lot of berries. thats it.

snuggles: theyd probably tease me relentlessly because i LOVE hugging people and cuddling and shit idfk

npts: @callsign-denmark @goose-nest @mandytrekkie @parasiticstars @asciiid

Clone name tag game

I woke up this morning wondering..

Imagine you met some clones and befriended them (the dream, I know!) What name do you think they would come up with for you?

As much as I love them, I don’t mean pet names like cyare, mesh’la, or sarad. I am wondering about the kind of crack names they make up for themselves and each other.

Mine would probably be one of these:

Burnout — been burnt out for so long that it felt like a fitting name, they would use the name lovingly as they watch me constantly crash and burn in my attempts to get myself together, setting far too high expectations of myself

Enigma — based on the fact that several people have described me using this very specific word at completely unrelated moments in my life the clones figure it would probably work as a name

Awoooo — it started out teasingly because I couldn't stop gawking at the commander all. the. time. over time they would just start calling me by that name

NPT: @eternal-transcience @ulchabhangorm @badbatchposts @ghostymarni @orangez3st @crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf @covert1ntrovert @lonewolflupe @ladylucksrogue @thecoffeelorian and anyone else that wants to join!

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IM SCREAMING??? this was plot twist after plot twist (lowk thought it was gon be gay hunter x cobb LMFAO)

Trying out a type of poll, let's see how this goes...

I'll pick two characters at (somewhat) random and you decide how to ship them! 💕 Answer solely on your own feelings, not necessarily what may be in canon.

Let me know if you like this style of poll and I'll keep it going. And maybe I'll write a little something for the winning vote 👀

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Send this to ten other bloggers that you think are wonderful. Keep the game going, make someone smile!!! ♡♡♡ -@asciiid , @nan0-sp1der's mun

ur gon make me sob, ilyyy

[flowered-bicycles]

ah i knew my humour was unparalleled

on your left

Added to the list…

[flowered-bicycles]

10 people I’d like to get to know better

10 people I’d like to get to know better

Since I had two separate tags in this, @spaceyjessa and @laughhardrunfastbekindsblog I decided I would make a separate post.

Last song:  with lyrics: Beautiful Boy by The Last Dinner Party (I found out about this band like two weeks ago and now I’m going through a phase I’m obsessed)

Without lyrics: I am ready by Kevin Kiner & Sean Kiner: from the bad batch season three soundtrack. Been listening to it a lot lately, as it feels pretty prevalent to the time of my life that I’m at

Favourite color: light pinks and baby blues

Last book/fic: the last book I finished was defy the storm, by Tessa Gratton (I’m getting closer and closer to being caught up on THR)

Fic: Mace Windu fixes the timeline (You should read it, it’s wonderful) 

Last movie: the rise of Skywalker (yes, I love the sequel trilogy and what about it 💅)

Last show: the bad batch... I’m re-watching, again... how predictable 🙄

Sweet/spicy/savory: I have a big sweet tooth, especially when it comes to chocolate

Relationship: single real life, but in love with countless fictional characters inside my head🤩

Last thing I googled: what does the quest cookies and cream protein bar taste like? (look, I have arfid. I can’t just buy new things to try without knowing exactly what I’m getting into first)

Current obsession: Star Wars, duh! Specifically clones and TBB, the Mandalorian and the high republic

I look forward to telling you: that if you’re reading this you’re wonderful

No pressure tags (and I’m sorry if you’re being tagged again)  @clonethirstingisreal @eobe @dystopicjumpsuit @sunshinesdaydream and anyone else who would like to.

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thanks for the tag, @dangraccoon!

last song: back in black ac/dc (listening to it rn as im responding LOL)

favouritr colour: sapphire blue / sunset orange

last book/fic: a touch of ruin by scarlett st clair (its a smutty persephone x hades series)

last movie: the miraculous ladybug movie 😃🫵 (dont judge i was curious and its lowk good)

last show: the What If marvel series (god i love bucky)

sweet/spicy/savoury: SAVOURY (salivating thinking of sausage rolls frfr)

relationship: craving physical touch single (proudly)

last thing i googled: how to get rid of mucus in the lungs (im sick okay. ive been hacking out my lungs for the past like four days)

current obsession: i havent the foggiest idea tbh, prolly fighting my inner demons for school and trying to better myself for 2025 (im too busy/burnt out for actual obsessions)

i look forward to telling you: it will all get better. i swear. i know this sounds stupid and worthless and constantly constantly constantly told over and over again, but i SWEAR it will get better. you may be in the thick of it now, but please dont look into the shadows for hope. you wont find it there. find it in the things you love, and support yourself and be proud of yourself as you work towards your future self. they are holding a hand out to you, waiting with a smile for you to catch up. it will get better. i promise.

tagging my lovelies: @parasiticstars @asciiid @mandytrekkie @goose-nest and YOU 🫵🤠

10 people I’d like to get to know better

10 people I’d like to get to know better

Since I had two separate tags in this, @spaceyjessa and @laughhardrunfastbekindsblog I decided I would make a separate post.

Last song:  with lyrics: Beautiful Boy by The Last Dinner Party (I found out about this band like two weeks ago and now I’m going through a phase I’m obsessed)

Without lyrics: I am ready by Kevin Kiner & Sean Kiner: from the bad batch season three soundtrack. Been listening to it a lot lately, as it feels pretty prevalent to the time of my life that I’m at

Favourite color: light pinks and baby blues

Last book/fic: the last book I finished was defy the storm, by Tessa Gratton (I’m getting closer and closer to being caught up on THR)

Fic: Mace Windu fixes the timeline (You should read it, it’s wonderful) 

Last movie: the rise of Skywalker (yes, I love the sequel trilogy and what about it 💅)

Last show: the bad batch... I’m re-watching, again... how predictable 🙄

Sweet/spicy/savory: I have a big sweet tooth, especially when it comes to chocolate

Relationship: single real life, but in love with countless fictional characters inside my head🤩

Last thing I googled: what does the quest cookies and cream protein bar taste like? (look, I have arfid. I can’t just buy new things to try without knowing exactly what I’m getting into first)

Current obsession: Star Wars, duh! Specifically clones and TBB, the Mandalorian and the high republic

I look forward to telling you: that if you’re reading this you’re wonderful

No pressure tags (and I’m sorry if you’re being tagged again)  @clonethirstingisreal @eobe @dystopicjumpsuit @sunshinesdaydream and anyone else who would like to.

[flowered-bicycles]

oh shit, cap’n got a hit man list? man dont call yo tickle buddies on me, i was kidding 🙌🤠

on your left

Added to the list…

[flowered-bicycles]

this is so lovely omg i love this sm 😭❤️

The Batch Family: The Resolution

The boys are determined to see their New Year's resolution through.

Part of my AU "The Batch Family" [Collection Masterlist]

Word count: 2k | Batch ages: Kids (10 y/o)

Note: I'm finally back to writing for this AU! Consider this my New Year's resolution, to write as much as possible for these boys. <3

A line of ten-year-old boys marched purposefully down the dirt path, in the same order they often found themselves in. Hunter, the leader, always setting the course and assuming the others would follow. Making sure they did was Echo, the trusted number two. Tech and Wrecker were often interchanged in the middle, depending on who got the most distracted along the way. And at the rear, Crosshair, keeping an eye on everything.

Today, they were on a mission. It was a new year and they had just learned about the concept of setting resolutions. Things they wanted to accomplish in the new year. Their mom had suggested things like winning a soccer game or keeping their rooms clean. But there was one task Hunter had his sights on, and after an animated 5-minute speech in the living room, his brothers were all on board as well. They had to have a treehouse.

Well, it would be more of a house on the ground next to a tree. But being only 10 and having no father to help safely construct something so high, they'd have to make do. And the Batch boys were nothing if not resourceful.

Their first step was to get some inspiration. They needed to check out a few other treehouses first, starting with Waxer and Boil's.

The Kenobi house was modest but its yard was massive. The backyard was seemingly always under construction. It'd started with an extended patio, then came along a pool, and most recently a small putting green got added. Obi-Wan had his vegetable garden in the corner and kept talking about adding a chicken coop. And somehow there was still land to spare for more of their dreams and tinkering.

In the front, the ground rolled and dipped for several car lengths from the road to the door, and it had towering pine trees that provided plenty of shade. It was between three of these pines that Cody had built a sizable treehouse for his sons just a couple years prior. Their friends' parents heard about nothing else all summer.

Now the house mostly went unused, save for a few random playdates with friends who still found it cool. Hunter was one such friend. His imagination ran wild every time they were invited over. And oftentimes he found himself longing for one as he spun up adventures in his own yard. He'd even put it on his Christmas list but all he'd gotten were socks and LEGOs. Well, he supposed he was grateful for the LEGOs. But he still wanted his treehouse.

Hunter gathered his brothers in a half circle around the pine trees at Waxer and Boil's house and stared up at the real-life example. Normally they'd gaze at it in awe and wonder, but today their eyes narrowed in analysis. How was it put together? What did they like or not like? Was there any way to replicate it on the ground and still have it look cool?

"Whatcha doin?" came Waxer's voice from the front door. He'd noticed them through the window and came shuffling out, still in his pj's and munching on some sort of candy. The break from Christmas through New Year's was the only time his dads let nutrition and routine slide.

"We're gonna build a treehouse," said Hunter matter-of-factly.

They all continued to stare up at the thing, the only sounds coming from Waxer's snacks.

"Wait, so what are we doing?" asked Wrecker, never one to sit in silence long.

That got the ball rolling. Hunter directed Tech to take notes as he and Crosshair circled the trees, calling out things they noticed. It was made out of wood. It had windows on all sides. The roof was flat, which didn't really look like a house. They'd want one of those pointy roofs for theirs, especially if they grew tall one day. Eventually Wrecker was allowed to climb up into it with Waxer and start describing the inside for them. Since the house was wrapped around the trees, there wasn't much room on the floor to move about. Hunter recalled the last time they were all up there, seven of them, and it was pretty cramped.

"But we won't have trees," Echo pointed out.

Hunter nodded seriously. "Okay, so it can be the same size. Waxer, what's the size?"

The boy clambered down one of the tree ladders and landed with a shrug. "I dunno."

"Can you ask your dads? We need it exact."

"Ooh, maybe I can Google it!" said Tech, who finally looked up from his notebook. Their mom was allowing some supervised computer time later in the week to look up information on treehouses, and Tech was very eager to come up with things to Google.

"Sure, add it to your Google list."

Tech swiped through his notebook and scribbled Size underneath the only other item on the Google list so far: floor plan. What shape it could be and where to put things. His mom had helped him with that one.

"That means we'll need a door," said Crosshair. He was holding onto Waxer's bag of candy while he ran inside and not-so-subtly sneaking a few pieces for himself.

Tech flipped back to the other page to scribble Need a door.

The Kenobi's front door reopened and out strode Cody. He, too, was still in pajama pants and slippers, a rare sight for the otherwise disciplined man.

"So, what's this I hear about you boys building a treehouse?" He settled next to them with hands on his hips and an easygoing smile. He'd always been fond of Bethany and her boys. He just wished she'd let him help out more. Maybe now was his chance.

"It's our rez-oh-loo-shun." Wrecker over-pronounced the word to get it right. He'd been practicing all morning, tired of Tech correcting him.

"We're going to build it on the ground," explained Hunter. "Mom said we could put it by the tree in the backyard."

There were several trees in their backyard, but Hunter had already taken to thinking of the one in the corner as the tree, the treehouse tree.

"Ah, that's quite the ambitious resolution," smiled Cody. "Need any help? I've still got a few leftover beams...."

"No thank you. We can do it."

Hunter had a hard time asking for help, and an even harder time accepting it when it was offered. Especially when it was for something like this, something that any other kid would have their dad to go to. Their mom did as much as she could for them but certain things were out of her wheelhouse and she always felt bad about it. And Hunter could always sense her sadness. If it was something Mom couldn't do, then they would figure it out and do it themselves. That's just how it worked.

Cody frowned in thought. He'd have to get crafty here. "Hm. Well, do you have any tools?"

Hunter shook his head, and behind him Tech scribbled Need tools.

"Hardware?"

Again, a shake of the head, and a note of Hard wear scribbled down.

"Where are you getting your wood? Personally, I like working with cedar, though you might want to consider a pressure-treated wood if it'll be on the ground. Keep out bugs and that sort of thing. That's what I have on the steps here."

Cody walked over to one of the trees and fondly patted a rung that was screwed into the trunk.

"And then for the roof I went with corrugated galvanized panels. Holds up better under rain. I know it looks pretty flat but I gave it a slight slope and fitted some PVC pipes in the back here to catch the runoff."

Cody walked around and pointed out his handy work with great pride. He missed talking through these details with the other parents; he'd exhausted the conversation long ago.

"Of course, that's just what I did. I'm sure you boys will figure out what works best for your treehouse."

Hunter gulped down the worry that was building in his stomach and Tech had stopped taking notes and even Wrecker and Crosshair pulled their attention away from the candy bag to gape at the amount of foreign information. This was suddenly seeming like a really big project, maybe bigger than they could handle.

Echo went over to Hunter and whispered, "I think he should help us."

Hunter pursed his lips but thought it over. What was it that Ms. Ti was always saying in class? No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. He wasn't sure why he thought about that right now. But now that he had, he knew Echo was right.

"Um, Mr. Cody?" he called out. Cody walked back over to the boys, keeping his expression pleasant and innocent. "Maybe... Maybe you could give us some advice? You know on the wood and the tools and things."

"And the size," added Wrecker.

Tech whined. "But that was on my Google list!"

Cody looked between each of them. They were all very eager, and very proud. He couldn't be the one to take that away from them. The world was bound to push them down one day. They'd need their fun and their victories now while it mattered most.

"I'll tell you what," he decided, putting his hands back on his hips. "You boys finish your research. Figure out how big you want it, where you're going to put it. Maybe draw a picture of what you want it to look like. I'll let you use whatever tools and extra materials I have in my shop. Though, your mom will probably want me handling the table saw."

He could see their eyes light back up again at the proposed arrangement.

"Anything else you need, I suggest you work for it. There'll be plenty of rainstorms this winter and spring. You can clean gutters, rake leaves. Whatever you earn, I'll match the amount to get you the rest of the materials. Oh, and whatever your mother says goes. If she needs you doing chores or homework, the treehouse can wait. Sound good?"

A chorus of Yeah's and Yes sir's echoed throughout the yard as the boys jumped for joy. Hunter, especially, was very excited. He'd thought this trip down the street was a simple recon mission, that they would get their list of to-dos and nothing else. But now they had a deal. Mr. Cody would lend them some tools and money, so long as they earned their share. That sounded fair enough to him. He and his brothers were no strangers to hard work. If they stayed after it, then they could have their treehouse by summer break.

Cody watched in amusement as the Batch boys went back to throwing out ideas again. His own sons were inside, likely playing that new video game they got for Christmas, but they had been out here with him building their own treehouse. They were hard workers, too. Cody knew as well as anyone that families came in all shapes and sizes. He was glad to see these brothers were persevering despite the challenges their family dynamic came with.

Behind him, Obi-Wan had come out to see what the commotion was and rested his chin on his husband's shoulder with a sigh.

"Does this mean I'm not getting my chicken coop this year?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "I can multitask."

Obi-Wan only hummed. He'd believe it when he saw five Rhode Island Reds in his backyard.

When Tech had finished writing down the last of their ideas, Hunter went over to shake Mr. Cody's hand and Crosshair deposited the now-empty bag of candy in Mr. Kenobi's hand. The troop then set off back home, naturally falling into their usual line-up. Hunter, looking at the wide-open world in front of him, keen to take it head on. Echo, peering over Hunter's shoulder just as often as he checked on the brothers behind him. Wrecker, skipping into the footprints of the others in the ground and Tech almost running into him as he read over his notes. And Crosshair, silent but no less engaged, observing everything they did contentedly.

It was going to be a great year.

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