#Rex you look after our baby

[andors-oar]

The score for when Echo leaves is called ‘Where I fit’😭

[david-talks-sw]

Debunking more myths in the GFFA: the Jedi and the clones.

I wrote a post debunking the various myths about how "the Jedi condone slavery", a while ago. Something I had omitted (because it's such a big topic) was the following two statements that concern the clone troopers' relations with the Jedi:

"The clones were genetically bred to have accelerated growth, so they're technically child soldiers."

"The clones were slaves of the Jedi."

Both the above statements are inaccurate, let's explore why. 

"The clones were child soldiers"

Let's get the easy one out of the way first, because it's a logic that cuts both ways. If age is our only determination of the maturity of a Star Wars character, then Grogu is not a baby. He is aged 50, and is thus a middle-aged man.

Who cruelly eats the babies of a woman...

... and knowingly tortures animals for his own sadistic pleasure.

Of course, I'm kidding. Grogu's none of the above things.

The narrative frames him as a cute baby who does innocent baby stuff. Him eating the eggs is played off as comedic, as is him lifting with the frog. To this day, some fans still call him "Baby Yoda".

Conversely, despite the clones being 10/14-years-old, their actions, behaviors, way of thinking, sense of humor, morals etc, are all those of an adult.

Like, Ahsoka is technically older than Rex in this scene.

The scene doesn't portray them as peers, though. This isn't written as "a teen and a tween talking". No, Rex looks, acts and behaves like a grown-up and is thus framed as such by the narrative.

You can make the argument "they're child soldiers", but (unless you're doing so in bad faith) you'd also have to argue that "Grogu's an adult".

"The clones were the Jedi's slaves"

Nope. For all intents and purposes, they're in the same boat as the Jedi, who George Lucas stated multiple times had been drafted to fight in the war.

Again: both the Jedi (monk/diplomats untrained for fighting on a battlefield) and clones (literally bred en masse only to fight) are being forced to fight by Palpatine and the Senate.

Though, on paper, the clones were commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, it was actually done by the Sith (who either manipulated or assassinated Sifo-Dyas then stole his identity, depending on the continuity you choose to adhere to). The rest of the Jedi had no idea these clones were being created.

So while the clones are slaves... they're not owned by the Jedi.

They're the army of the Republic, they belong to the Senate. This isn't exactly a scoop, they refer to the clones as something to purchase...

... and manufacture.

As far as the Senate’s concerned, clones are property, like droids. 

Like there's a whole subplot in The Bad Batch about this very point: after the war, the clones are decommissioned and left out to dry because they literally have no rights, they served their purpose.

The only trooper to ever canonically blame the Jedi for the clones' enslavement is Slick, who the narrative frames as having been bribed and manipulated by Asajj Ventress into betraying his comrades.

Also, the only canonical Jedi shown to ever be mean, dismissive or mistreating the clones in any way, is Pong Krell.

And it's eventually revealed he’s in fact a full-on traitor, hence why the story frames him as an antagonistic dick from the moment he's introduced. He doesn’t represent the Jedi in any way.

We know this because the other Jedi we’ve been shown are always prioritizing their clones’ lives over theirs, if given the chance.

Finally, if we wanna get even more specific... as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the clones belong to Palpatine. 

Palpatine who is a Sith Lord. 

Palpatine who arranged for the creation of the clones and had them all injected with a chip that would activate upon hearing a code-word...

... and forced them to murder their Jedi without hesitation or remorse.

When you bear all that  ⬆️  in mind and when you read this quote by George Lucas...

"The Jedi won't lead droids. Their whole basis is connecting with the life force. They'd just say, 'That's not the way we operate. We don't function with non-life-forms.” So if there is to be a Republic army, it would have to be an army of humans."    - The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, 2020  

... narratively-speaking, everything falls into place.

Sidious knows that:

If he orchestrates a war designed to thin the Jedi's numbers, corrupt their values and plunge the galaxy into chaos...

If he wants to draft the Jedi - peace-keeping diplomats who’d never willingly join the fray - to fight in his war...

... then the only way they won't resist the draft and abstain from fighting is if they think joining the conflict will save lives.

So he creates a set of cruel, sadistic villains for them to face, opponents who will target innocent civilians at every turn...

... and instead of lifeless droids, he prepares for the Jedi an army of men... living, mortal people who, despite being well-trained, will be completely out of their league when facing the likes of Dooku...

... Ventress...

... Grievous...

... Savage Opress...

... or the defoliator, a tank that annihilates organic matter.

Thus, in order to save as many clone and civilian lives, the Jedi join the fray despite knowing that doing so will corrupt their values. 

And as the war rages on, a bond of respect is formed between the two groups.

Clearly, the Jedi don't like the fact that the Republic is using the clones to fight a war, but for that matter, they don't like being in a war, in fact they advocated against it.

However, it's happening regardless of their issues with the idea or personal philosophies. Said The Clone Wars writer Henry Gilroy:

"I’d rather not get into the Jedi’s philosophical issues about an army of living beings created to fight, but the Jedi are in a tough spot themselves, being peacekeepers turned warriors trying to save the Republic."

And bear in mind, the Jedi are basically space psychics, the clones are living beings that they can individually feel in the Force... 

... so the Jedi feel every death but need to move on, regardless, only being able to mourn the troopers at the end of every battle.

We see this in the Legends continuity too, by the way.

(that is, when the writers actually try to engage with the narrative)

Also, if you ask the clones, they’re grateful the Jedi have their backs.

When Depa Billaba voices her concerns about how the war is impacting the Jedi's principles, troopers Grey and Styles are quick to make it clear how grateful they all are for the Jedi's involvement:

So the clones aren't the Jedi's slaves. If anything, they're both slaves of the Republic (considering how low the Jedi's status actually is in the hierarchy).

Only I'd argue the clones have it much, much worse. 

The Senate sees the Jedi as "ugh, the holier-than-thou space-monk lapdogs who work for us"... but a Jedi has the option to give up that responsibility. They can leave the Order, no fuss or stigma. 

A clone trooper cannot leave the GAR! If they do, they’re marked for treason and execution. Again, they’re not perceived as “people”.

And it doesn’t help that the Kaminoans, the clones’ very creators, see the troopers as products/units/merchandise. A notion that the Jedi are quick to correct whenever they get the chance.

How The Clone Wars writers describe the clones' relationship with the Jedi.

George Lucas hasn’t spoken much about this subject aside from the quote from further up. But to be fair... the Prequels aren’t about the clones’ dynamic with the Jedi, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t talk on that subject so much.

He did mention that part of The Clone Wars’ perks is that he could:

“Do stories about some of the individual clones and get to know them.”

But that’s as far as it gets. 

So for this part, I'm just gonna let Dave Filoni, showrunner of The Clone Wars and the upcoming series Ahsoka, and TCW writer Henry Gilroy - both of whom worked closely with Lucas - take the wheel. They make themselves pretty clear on how the clone/Jedi dynamic is meant to be viewed. 

Here’s Henry Gilroy:

"In my mind, the Jedi see the clones as individuals, living beings that have the same right to life as any other being, but understand that they have a job to do."

"The clones see the Jedi as their commanding officers on one hand, but also, at least subconsciously, they look to them for clues to social/moral behavior."    

"Some clones may find themselves getting philosophical leadership from the Jedi that helps them answer some of the deeper questions of life."    

"We thought this was a great opportunity to show how the Jedi interact with clones. Specifically, Yoda in a teaching role of the clones, who were socially new, who kind of grew up— who were created to fight, and he really broadened their horizons and helped them realize there was a great big universe out there that was bigger than just fighting and killing."    

And here’s Dave Filoni’s comments:

"I truly believe that the Jedi try to humanize their clones and make them more individual, as Henry says."    

"I think we saw that in Revenge of the Sith, when the Clones were colorful and named under the Jedi Generals, and then in the final shots of the film with Palpatine and Vader near the new Death Star, the ships are grey, the color and life is sucked out. The Stormtroopers are only numbers and identified by black and white armor or uniforms in A New Hope." 

"The soldiers have become disposable to the Emperor."    

"That is something the Jedi would never do."    

"Yoda teaching the clones much like he taught Luke. ‘Cause that was kind of natural for [the Jedi], a natural instinct to take to these clones like they’re students."    

None of the above quotes from two different writers of The Clone Wars, who had many interactions with George Lucas, frame the Jedi and the clones’ relationship in a negative way. 

How much more proof do we need that "the clones were slaves of the Jedi” isn’t the intended narrative?

My point being that while the clones' ordeal is indeed horrible, the Jedi have nothing to do with it. The narrative of The Clone Wars always frames it as the fault of the Sith, the Senate and the Kaminoans.

If you go by the intended narrative, the Jedi were the clones' teachers and brothers-in-arms. The clones and the Jedi were not just comrades.

They were friends.

[macfrog]

I miss our beloved scom family. How are they doing this fine day?

god, i miss them too. here's what they probably got up to today.

something blue 3.6k words | series masterlist warnings: y'all know the drill: being a mom.

Sarah leads Ellie, the way she always does, into the kitchen at seven a.m. sharp.

She stops by Joel first, squeezes into his size at the counter, and pushes onto her tiptoes. When he sidesteps to let her see (even though he point-blank refused to let you), she wraps two arms tight around her sister and hoists her up.

“Pancakes!” the three-year-old squeals, and loses her grip on her plastic dinosaur. He falls headfirst into the counter.

“Shh!” Sarah hisses, slinging Joel a disgruntled look. She sighs and swipes the T-Rex from his hand.

“The heck you lookin’ at me for?” he grumbles.

The girls eye you the entire walk over to the table. One as suspicious as the other. Sarah moves smooth, floats over to her spot with her chin skyward.

Ellie thumps at her heels, staring you down and almost stumbling into a chair.

“Careful, Nel,” you whisper, and her poker face cracks. You turn to Sarah. “I know it’s pancakes. It’s the only thing your dad ever figured out how not to burn.”

Joel’s shoulders jump. He swallows the laugh in his chest and says nothing.

Ellie sucks the chocolate clean from her dinosaur’s head. Last week, she decided his name was Bill. You, Joel, and Sarah are still trying to figure out where the hell she came up with it. Whoever he’s named after, she doesn’t like him much – not with the rate she lobs him around.

Kid’s an enigma. She suits it just fine.

She stares at you, still, as Sarah helps her up into her chair. Judders forward with each shove under the table. Comical, the two of them; like Pinky and the fucking Brain, you once told Joel – though you’re still not sure who’s who.

Your eyes drop to a stain on the toddler’s outfit. “You want me to wash that yet, Gagarin?”

She looks down. An arm swishes up to dab at the tangerine splotch. She grins, amused with herself, and shoves the dino back between her gums.

Sarah shakes her head. She turns back to you and flashes a trademark Joel frown. Eight years old and somehow, she manages to encapsulate the same fifty-six-year-old, unimpressed glower.

“Nel,” she turns, uttering between teeth, “You can’t wear dirty clothes today, remember?”

“I don’t think spacesuits are allowed at preschool,” you sigh as you push yourself up. “Much too sophisticated – huh, baby girl?”

Ellie giggles and flings her arms to the ceiling, sending Bill in a somersault across the table. She’s in nothing but pull-ups underneath the onesie – although it’s rare for her to ever be in much more than her pull-ups and, usually, one loose sock.

The suit means she’s feeling fancy. But what the fuck for?

All of Sarah’s leftover chaos, the magic she left in your veins after she was born, seems to have poured into her little sister. Smaller, mightier – more reckless, but not half as savvy.

Rarely seen without one of her prehistoric pals in her fist; evidence of what she had for lunch smeared around her lips. Chasing after Sarah, after Shimmer, after a butterfly that found itself trapped in her bedroom last month.

She scaled a chest of drawers trying to reach it. Joel caught her just in time. Some nights in bed, you can still feel his heart pounding from the scare she gave him.

Chalk and cheese. Sarah and Ellie. The former calm, composed. Candid and levelheaded, book smart and (alarmingly) wise beyond her years.

The latter – well.

It’s her first time on the planet, too, you try to remember.

You wander over to the washer, tossing the suit into the drum. You dig an elbow into Joel’s side and he flinches.

“Can I see yet?”

He turns, shielding whatever’s in front of him with a wide shoulder. “Not yet, baby. Not done.”

“You’re taking fuckin’ forever,” you mumble, pressing the words into his shoulder blade. From the corner of your eye, you watch the girls babbling to each other, scratching Shimmer between her floppy ears.

Joel twists, still hiding with his hands, and dots a tiny kiss on the tip of your nose. He smells like coffee and toothpaste. It still dizzies you every time he’s near enough for you to breathe it in.

“I’m almost done. Promise.”

You steal a kiss from his lips and smirk, stepping away. “Okay,” your eyes drift down to the counter, “If you say s…Alphabet sprinkles?”

His jaw slackens, moves like a bubbling fish. “Uh – they’re for – they’re for somethin’…Duck?” he clears his throat, “Tell your mom what they’re for, would ya?”

Sarah freezes. She stammers just like her dad. She does a lot just like him.

“A…a…a school project,” she says, and stares down at the dog.

“A – a – a school project?”

Your daughter nods. Still fixed on the smudges of sable around Shimmer’s eyes. “Bake sale.”

“You never told me about any bake sale,” you cross your arms, “What’d you make?”

She’s quick as lightning. “Cupcakes. But we haven’t made ‘em yet. Tonight, right, Dad?”

Joel’s voice is hoarse with panic. “Tonight,” he rasps.

You lean back against the counter, eyes shifting to the right. A different tactic. A rogue tactic, that’s for sure, but she has her moments. “…Nel?”

Your youngest looks up from her belly button.

“Not Nel,” Joel pleads, catching your eye for half a second.

“Why not Nel?”

His voice drops. “That kid would spill a state secret if you dangled a marshmallow in front of her.”

You tsk. “That’s mean. And wrong, anyways. The reason they have state secrets is ‘cause of kids like her. We should be proud, Miller.”

Ellie’s clutching the dinosaur when you look back over, chewing on his tail. She blinks back, and you wonder if there’s anything other than mastermind plans of mischief behind her eyes.

Joel says she has the same look in her eye that you do. Like you’re in on something the rest of the world has yet to catch up on. Twins, from the moment she stumbled ass over foot out of your body.

She talks just like you, and acts just like you, and – some nights, chatting sleepy gibberish under the slow turn of her rocket ship nightlight – you figure she must think just like you, too.

The perfect little riot.

Joel nudges you away, whispering, “Go on,” and you snicker, pushing off.

The sun combs through the room, glinting off cutlery and radiating from your daughters’ smiles. They chat and giggle and kick their feet; Sarah blows raspberries and Ellie sprays saliva all over the table when she tries to copy.

This is life, now.

You used to wake up to a silent house, sip your coffee and watch the oven clock count down the minutes until you had to leave for work.

You used to keep the radio on, even when you were out back – just to feel like someone was home with you. You used to sing to yourself as you flicked every light off at the end of the night.

Now, the laughter lives in the walls. It echoes even when you’re home alone. The oven clock counts down until there’s another pair of smaller hands in yours; until your man’s arms are back around your waist where they belong.

Come nightfall, you pluck odd socks and toy cars from under the couch. You tuck your children into bed, nuzzle your nose into their cheeks. You curl up beside Joel and trace shapes into his palm.

I love you, you write, some nights.

Dickhead, on others.

It takes a village, they all say. And sure, sometimes it does.

Sometimes, though, all it takes is two neighbors, a handshake deal, and a little bump named Duck.

“Woah, Nellie,” Joel chuckles, setting the first plate down. He clicks his teeth and taps a light knuckle on the girls’ hands, locked in a death grip. “Play nice. I got yours here, too, kiddo.”

Ellie straightens immediately. She watches, eyes fixed and glasslike, as her own breakfast is presented to her. And then she breaks into a wide grin, cheeks swelling. Her heels thud thud thud on the legs of her chair.

You lean over, cocking your head to see.

Two stacks of fluffy pancakes – a healthy dollop of chocolate spread on Sarah’s, and Ellie’s drizzled in golden syrup. Shards of strawberry and slices of banana scattered over the towers; blobs of whipped cream like clouds.

And on top of each, in clumsy sprinkle letters: Duckie and Nellie.

Sarah grins, two front teeth brand new and beautiful. She picks up her cutlery and raps them against the table, a nervous jitter about her.

You realize, just as her eyes flicker across yours, that she’s not beaming at her pancakes.

You realize, as he sways over to your side, that she’s beaming at him.

He’s holding two more plates. He sets his own down, a messy crater carved into the chocolate.

Your brows pull. “What happened –?”

“Bill happened,” he scoffs, shooting Ellie daggers.

She’s too busy tearing her stack apart, mixing a paste from syrup and cooked batter. There are few things the kid loves more than food and mess – and nothing she loves more than both at the same time.

She looks out of her mind happy, smothering the glossy mixture all over her cheeks, chewing in contentment.

“Like ‘em?” Joel asks, and you glance up.

“Yeah,” you laugh, eyes welling, “I love them. What’s the occasion, Miller?”

“Just…” his head wobbles as he considers it, “…we wanted to ask you somethin’.”

You turn to Sarah.

She’s still smiling, wider than you’ve ever seen. So bright that you worry she might shatter the glassware on the table.

“We?” you ask, smiling much the same.

She gives nothing away, and yet, at the same time – everything. Her knee bounces with excitement. Her breathing quickens.

“You wanna read yours?” Joel asks, tilting the plate in his hand.

You laugh, shaking your head. “No,” you sniff, “I’m scared.”

He lowers the plate.

The letters blur in and out of focus as you blink.

Red, green, yellow, pink. The second M is an upside-down W. The Rs lean into each other, chocolate pushing from the middle of the letters. A question mark crafted from a C and half of another letter.

Your lungs jump, though you knew it was coming. Though you’ve talked about it for months, now.

Let’s just get it outta the way, make it easier for the girls when we’re older. Few forms to fill out then it’s done. We don’t gotta make a big deal of it.

Can’t afford to make a big deal of it, anyway.

Wouldn’t want to make a big deal of it.

You’ve never been one for big deals.

This is a big deal. This is a big fucking deal, Joel.

All multicolored, flecks of whipped cream on them. Silly little alphabet letters.

Marry me?

Joel kneels as you swivel around to him. He kisses your cheek, takes your hands, rubs his thumbs across your knuckles.

“Look,” he says, voice trembling, “I know we said we wouldn’t make a big deal of it. But…you gotta let me make a big deal of it, honey. You gotta let me make a big deal of you.”

You laugh, tears spilling down the front of your shirt. Your heart is pounding, body alight with nerves or excitement or both, in one lightning bolt of feeling.

It’s everything you ever wanted, and nothing you ever expected.

“Everything I have –” Joel says, “– the kids, the house, the dog – I found it all with you. Because of you. I love you so much, and I can’t – I can’t take another minute that we’re not…”

His hands squeeze yours, and you swear you feel your pulses align. Beating together, two hearts on the same bassline.

He swipes the tears from your cheek, catches them in his palm. “…It don’t have to mean anything, I know that – but you, darlin’…you mean everything. What do you say we go do it?”

It’s the easiest thing in the world. And not just because you knew it was coming, knew to expect it soon enough.

Joel could’ve asked you the minute you found out you were pregnant with Sarah, and you reckon you would’ve said yes.

It’s easy. Loving him is so easy. Being with him is so fucking easy.

Coffee at sunrise, low volume TV in the bedroom. Skin and sheets, marks on your neck and chest and thighs. Laughter for breakfast, homework for dinner. Two bodies squeezing into one tiny shower cubicle, Joel’s hand over your mouth to muffle your giggles.

“Today,” you whisper, cupping his jaw. “I want to do it today.”

“Today?” his eyes flash over your shoulder to his daughters, “We gotta take the girls to –”

“No, we don’t,” your head shakes, “Do we have a marriage license?”

“Got it last week.”

“Then they come with. We get all dressed up, all four of us, and head down to the courthouse. We’re married by the end of the day.”

He laughs, loose and disbelieving. Shakes himself back into the room. “Today,” he repeats. “As in, right now?”

“Right now, baby.”

“Okay. Yeah, alright. Today.”

“Ask me.”

Joel’s cheeks lift. Tears disappear into his beard.

You lean forward, lining your forehead against his. “Ask me, Miller,” you whisper.

It’s no big deal. It’s a regular Wednesday. Packed lunches and dinosaurs with Nutella in their teeth.

It’s no big deal, but when he asks you, time stops.

“Will you marry me?”

“Fuck yeah, I will.”

Sarah takes forty-five minutes to apply your mascara, some powder, and a pink lip. She promises she’s being neat, and you tell her you don’t care – you’ll love it either way.

She says she knows, but she promises she is anyway.

Ellie curls up in your lap and twists your necklace around her fingers. She asks four times if her spacesuit is dry yet.

“Ellie,” Sarah warns – and you know it’s serious when she uses her sister’s real name – “You can’t wear a costume to a wedding.”

“Mama is!”

“No she ain’t! Brides are s’posed to wear white. Mama’s dress ain’t white. What you got on is fine,” she decides.

Ellie knows better than to keep arguing. She catches her heel in her hands, huffing. “Wanted to be an ass-traut.”

You catch Sarah’s eye. Don’t.

She bites her giggle.

“You are an astronaut,” you squeeze your toddler, “Our astronaut. Whether you’re in your spacesuit, or you got your big bare butt out for us all to see.”

She giggles into herself, a sound sweet enough to convince the sun to rise at dawn. Her baby teeth are small and wonky. She snorts, settles in your arms again, and watches Sarah lean in with the lipstick.

You lift your chin, holding steady. “Is Dad ready?”

She pauses, letting go of her breath. “He says he’s been ready the last half hour,” she mutters, and dabs more color on.

“Is he nervous?”

Her eyes lift. Eyelashes long and thick – black mascara that you made her pinkie swear she’d wipe clean the moment she gets home.

She smirks. It’s like looking in a mirror. “Are you?”

You press your lips together, blending the pink. “Little bit. You think that’s a good sign?”

“Mhm.”

Sarah straightens, capping the lipstick. She smiles at her masterpiece. “You look beautiful, Mama.”

“Well,” your chest fills, “I’m only beautiful ‘cause you made me that way, Duck.”

Joel’s voice sails upstairs and into the little pink room.

“Courthouse is closin’, sun’s almost down, they’re diggin’ my damn grave already. Are we good to go, or what?”

Sarah grins and leaps over an upturned toybox in the middle of her room. She pirouettes out to the landing, pursing and then smacking her lips together.

You fix Ellie’s skirt and lead her out after her sister. “’s go, Nellie.”

“Mama,” she tugs at the fabric, “I gotta…Need…need…”

“Shit,” you whisper, watching the ballerina twirl downstairs to her dad. “Uh…Duckie?”

“Hi, pretty Duck,” Joel calls, catching her in his arms. He spins her around and the skirt of her dress billows.

Her little heels click when he lets her down. She keeps on spinning, watching herself in the mirror.

“Baby?” Joel calls. “Y’all ready?”

“Nel’s gotta go!” you reply.

He scoffs. “She nervous or som’?”

“Or som’,” you sigh, walking the kid into the bathroom.

Ellie takes about as long as a three-year-old should, to be fair to her. It requires an amount of determination that right now, neither of you have the focus to lend it. Potty training doesn’t wait up, even for weddings.

Eventually, she announces with a triumphant shout that she’s done, Mama! – and claps her hands as the toilet flushes.

You carry her downstairs, heels clunking on the solid wood. At the bottom you set her free – and she sprints out to join her sister on the lawn.

The pair run circles around one another. They cartwheel on the grass; they race Shimmer and use the flowerbeds as hurdles. They dirty their dresses – ivory stained with bursts of green – though they look better that way, anyway.

They take turns playing Swingball with the only remaining racket (a mysterious disappearance that neither will own up to, and both are most certainly involved in). Sarah tells Ellie that she won – and the smaller girl throws her fists in the air and roars in victory.

Joel stands on the porch, hands in his pockets, watching. Even from behind, you can see the shape of his cheeks: he’s smiling. He crosses one foot over the other and taps his heel against the wood.

You emerge from the house slowly, quietly. “We didn’t get matching corsages this time,” you say, and he turns.

He starts, as though he glitches for a second. As though his world tilts on its axis, just from looking at you. His expression softens, his lips curve into a smile.

Then he breathes a laugh – a shaky thing, like he’s seventeen again, watching his homecoming date saunter over.

“That’s alright,” he replies, and slips a hand into his suit pocket. He fishes out two white tulips. “Remembered Alice dropped these off the other day. Here.”

Delicately, lighter than the breeze, he tucks the flower behind your ear. He steps back to admire his work, just like his daughter did.

All the best parts of you, you reckon, are the parts that are loved by them.

“How do I look?” you ask.

Joel sucks in a shattered breath. “Beautiful,” he chokes, like it’s all his voice will allow. He sniffs, drags his knuckles across the bottom of his nose, and says, “You ain’t never looked more beautiful.”

“Your turn.”

You take the second tulip from his fingers and drop it into his breast pocket, turning it until it looks perfect. “There,” you pat his chest, “Now we both look beautiful.”

He steps forward, dipping his head to kiss you. Arms around your waist, hands splayed on your back. He laughs against your lips. “Don’t think I don’t know what this is,” he mumbles, tugging at the pale material.

“It still fits!” you say, running a palm down the smooth silk. Flashes of light, a squealing guitar, heated kisses and a thudding bassline. It spins past your eyes as he leans in again.

He tastes the same. Less alcohol, sure – but that same, sweet-as-honey, instantly intoxicating taste. Like you were a goner before you even hit the mattress.

You look back up, and Joel’s eyes are on yours.

“After two kids, it still fits,” you whisper.

“Hm,” he muses, glancing down. His hands slip around your ass. “Looks even better than it did then, Mama.”

You laugh against his lips. “It’s my something blue.”

“Oh, yeah?” He lifts an eyebrow. “What else you got?”

“Well, something borrowed –” you hold your left hand up, a plastic ring glinting in the sunlight, “– Duck gave me some of her finest jewelry. Something new –” you wiggle your earlobe, “– Mother’s Day earrings, and…something old…”

Joel tilts his head. His expression tightens, tightens, tightens – until he understands. He clicks his teeth and steps back. “Funny. You’re so funny, I ever tell you that?”

You giggle, letting him drag you across the porch. “I’m just bein’ realistic, man. What else do I got that’s as old as you?”

He ignores you. It makes you laugh even harder.

It always did.

The wind surfs through silk, lifting your skirt as you stride over the driveway. Your hands stay interlocked – and you know that, secretly, Joel’s as nervous as you.

He whistles and his daughters look up.

“Serena, Venus,” he calls, nodding to the truck. “Get in.”

They skip over. Sarah takes her dad’s hand – the picture of royalty as he aids her up into the backseat – and Ellie swings into your arms.

You strap them in, point fingers to warn them not to bicker, and climb in the front.

The doors slam closed and you exhale slowly. Two kids aren’t any more complicated than one – especially in yours and Joel’s case – but holy shit, they’re tiring.

They compare dresses in the backseat. What color is yours, Duck? Pink, Nel. Is mine’s pink, Duck? Yours is yellow, Nel.

Joel’s hand slips around your knee. He smiles. Gives your leg a little squeeze. He flicks the radio on, and an Eagles track sways through the cabin. He fixes the tulip in your hair, peppers kisses along your wrist.

His voice is as soft as Henley’s, when he asks –

“Wanna go to a wedding?”

[starwarsbundle]

The Clone Wars Headcannons they probably deserve; pt. 1/6

And we are back, baby!

With what, I hear you ask? Why, THE CHAOTIC SHENANIGANS OF COURSE. Since ya’ll loved my Bad Batch Headcannons so much, now it’s finally time for the Clone Wars!

And who better to start out with than our sad-sassy-b1tch(tm), Obi Wan Kenobi?

(Also if you haven’t simped for this man at SOME point, you’re lying to yourself.)

Obi Wan is the kind of guy who is secretly ripped but no one realizes it - and that’s primarily because he always wears so many layers that he just comes across as soft. It was discovered at some point when he for some reason decided to spar shirtless, and every single Jedi who’d thought he was basically just a soft dad has gone 0_0 - until someone basically has to throw a robe over him like the Birth of Venus to keep everyone from melting in awe.

Drinks caf to live. Even in the low moments of the war, this man is a walking talking stress-bag, who DOESN’T get enough sleep - to the point where Cody has to basically file a restraining order on his General to force him to nap.

Fight flirts and Serious flirts. We all know Kenobi is the biggest sassiest flirt on the face of the earth, but here’s the thing - there’s two different types of flirt he uses, playful-I’m-not-actually-interested-in-you-romantically and seriously-can-you-take-me-on-a-date-or-marry-me-PLS. Cody and Satine mostly get the latter, but it is SO hard to tell the difference to the point where nobody knows whether to take it seriously or not. (Poor Cody takes it seriously)

FUN FACT: Rex is the only one who can tell the difference, and has been trying to help Cody figure it out for a while - with no success.

Is not the serious and sensible one of the Disaster Trio. Oh boy NO. He only looks sensible compared to Anakin - but away from him is basically the biggest disaster and danger magnet EVER SEEN. (Where do you think Anakin-dramatic-ass-Skywalker got it from, hm??)

Has great personal hygiene. Always smells like soft, sweet soap.

Is physically incapable of giving hugs (is touch starved(tm)) but would melt like butter in a hot pan into a hug. Might even cry a little too - he’s only held together by sass, stress, and caf, okay?

Is pedantic about having his robes ironed. He tried to drum this habit into Anakin - with many sighs and no success.

Absolutely has used his Disappointed(tm) Voice on everyone at some point. Cody has picked up on this voice and uses it on Anakin frequently.

Reads romance novels. Take this as you will.

Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man (After Midnight) by ABBA is absolutely his JAM. (Also if you haven’t listened to this song and thought of Kenobi, where’ve you been?)

Has a sweet tooth - and unfortunately no time to indulge it.

Obi Wan Kenobi… I swear everyone new to the SW fandom is like “no I will not simp for this man”, and then has the biggest Obi Wan simp phase ever.

[leonskittybunwriting]

Plot: Leon comes home from the war wounded and his dog comes with him and becomes his service dog too. 

Warnings: wounded Leon, war dog, also service dog. chubby reader. Emotional. smut (not detailed it was time skipped) 

A/N: I don't know resident evil characters, and I don't own resident evil!

Leon limps into the house with a groan and limps over his short chubby wife and wraps his arms around her waist causing her to giggle. 

You turn around in his arms and kiss his chin gently “How's your leg baby?” You ask him gently. 

Leon sighs and puts his forehead against yours and says softly “It hurts but being able to hold you and kiss you makes me happy.” 

A small bark I heard which causes Leon and You to look over at the dog that came home with Leon from the war and that dog that became Leon's service dog. 

“Rex, come here boy.” Leon calls.

Rex is a beautiful Australian cattle dog, his a dark blue with white spots patterns with one green eye and one blue eye. 

Rex walks over to him and Leon leans down, pets him gently and says “I got to go to the bathroom, stay here and protect my woman alright?” 

Rex gives a soft huff and nod before sitting next to you. 

You give a soft giggle at Rex before becoming worried “Baby wait, do you need help?”

Leon shakes his head with a smile and says “nah I got this baby.” You smile and nod before going back to cooking, giving Rex some raw meat now and then and smiles when Rex licks his chomps. 

After she puts everything on the baking sheet she throws it into the oven and puts the timer on and she sits on her knees in front of Rex who licks at her chin which causes her to giggle and pet him. 

“You're such a good boy” You whisper and kiss Rex’s head before getting back up. 

Leon limps into the kitchen and smiles at the sight “Did you spoil him baby?”  

You blush and say softly “always.” Leon shakes his head and limps over to her and gently rubs her stomach and he whispers in her ear “Our little one is growing isn't he?” 

You blush and nod “Yes he is, just like his daddy.” Leon smiles and looks over at Rex and says “Go potty, Rex.” 

Rex gives a bark before going over to the doggy dog and goes out into the backyard. 

You and Leon watch Rex go to the bathroom and play outside for awhile before You get his dog food and water ready for him. 

Once you fill up the bowls, Leon gets the bowls and puts them on the floor by the table and calls Rex in as You set the table. 

Rex starts to eat at the same time as you and Leon do. 

After Rex ate and drank all his food and water he lay down by Leon's feet and looked up at You as you ate your food. 

Leon watches as you slowly eat your food and he asks softly “You okay baby?” 

You blink a little and nod and whisper “y-yeah i'm just so exhausted and tired.” 

Leon nods and says “Cooking a baby will do that, go lay down baby.”

You nod and get up and walk to the bedroom and crawl into the bed and cuddle one of the blankets. 

After about a few seconds Rex and Leon join her. 

Leon wraps his arms around her waist and whispers “what's wrong baby?” 

You shake your head as you start to cry and Leon coos at you and cups your face “hey hey, baby it's okay I'm here.” He whispers kissing your face and neck gently. 

You start kiss him gently and Leon kisses you back before pulling back and says “Rex go wait in the hall until we're done.” 

Rex barks and huffs before going out into the hallway. 

2 hours later

Leon huffs as he lays on top of you as he holds you close and he whispers “you feel so good baby.” 

you blush panting softly and look up at him his face was so sweaty and his hair stuck to his face “I'm glad I feel good for you baby.”

Leon chuckles and kisses your lips gently holding you close and nuzzles you and calls for Rex “come here boy.” 

Rex runs into the bedroom and lays on the bed and stares at them both. 

Leon chuckles and says “do you think he knows?” You giggle and say softly “yeah I think so, he's pretty smart.” 

Leon chuckles and says “yeah you're right.” He leans down and kisses your lips gently holding you close, gripping your naked hips and he whispers “How are you feeling?” 

You nuzzle him a little and whisper “I'm feeling better, I think I just needed you to hold me and make love to me.” 

Leon smiles and kisses her face gently and he whispers “If you need me to make love to you in the future let me know and I'll come limping.” He chuckles softly at his own joke. 

You shake your head at his joke and smile a little before whispering “I love your limps.” Leon chuckles and says “You know when I got wounded my captain said that chicks love men who can barely walk or have a limp and I told him I was married and he told me that that's even better.” 

You blush and kiss his lips gently and whisper “To me you're the same Leon that dumped coffee on me on the first day we meant.” 

Leon tears up slightly and kisses your lips gently, holding you close “thank you, baby.” 

[yoitsjay]

Fireball

Pairings: Wrecker x Short Fem! Reader

Summary: you and Wrecker have a special bond, and nobody, not even the grand Admiral can say anything about it without a little bit of violence.

Warnings: tarkin being a creep and an asshole, sexual innuendos, angst, Wrecker is a sweetheart, tensionnn

Word count: 2,756

Thanks for the help @moomoog017

It wasn’t often when The Bad Batch was stationed on a Jedi cruiser, let alone Anakin Skywalker's Jedi cruiser, but Admiral Tarkin and the general wanted an update on a current mission of theirs, plus Ahsoka had to see her best friend in the whole wild world.

You had a day before the meeting, but as soon as The Marauder had landed you basically sprinted off said ship and towards the padawan who was waiting for you with a huge grin. “Soka!” A squeal left your lips as you embraced the younger girl tightly, both you and her letting out soft giggles as you whispered some unintelligible things before you pulled away and bowed to Anakin. “Master Skywalker, a pleasure as always.” You spoke up, deepening your voice and trying to be professional towards him, but the snort that Ahsoka let out made you laugh again.

Anakin chuckled and pulled you into a hug, ever since you had met Anakin and Ahsoka, you had become your own chaotic little trio, especially in the fighter jets, now that was a fun time.

“Fireball! Wait up!” Wrecker called out, a laugh laced in his words as he jogged after you, Hunter, Tech, cross and echo however, just walked towards you, Ahsoka and Anakin. Anakin patted your head before walking towards Hunter, shaking his hand in greeting as they shared some words that you weren’t really paying attention to.

Ahsoka grinned at you again, grabbing your hand gently. “You want a tour? some things have moved around since you last came here, Rex can show your boys to their barracks.” Ahsoka offered, noticing your cheeks burn red when she had called the bad batch ‘your boys’

Ahsoka gave you a look, but you simply swatted her shoulder with your other hand. “I’d love a tour.” You breathed out, turning to look at Wrecker with a bright grin. “I’ll come find you later for our sparring date!” You called out, before running off with Ahsoka.

You still felt like a child at heart, despite the fact that you were ruthless on the battlefield, cutting through droids like they were nothing but an inconvenience to you.

After the tour, Ahsoka had brought you around to the barracks where many of the reg’s were, as well as The Bad Batch. You walked inside, taking a look around before you spotted ‘your boys’ who were enjoying themselves in their designated little bunks, making fun of the shiney regs. You thanked Ahsoka again for the tour and she nodded before walking away whilst you headed towards the five boys, shooting crosshair a look when he spotted you.

“Quit teasing the babies Cross, unless you want to be treated like a baby again.” You joked, but even at your teasing words crosshair had shut his trap and backed up, no longer making fun of the reg like he had been previously.

You looked up at Wrecker, shooting him a wide grin. “I’m ready for our training sesh Wreck! let's go.” You spoke up, watching as he jumped off his bunk, landing on the ground beside you. “Hell yeah! I'll kick your butt!” He exclaimed, and you simply nudged him before heading to the training area that Ahsoka had shown you.

Thankfully it wasn’t too far of a walk from the barracks either so when you're done kicking wreckers ass he doesn’t have that far to limp. Soon, you and Wrecker were in your sparring stances. Your lightsabers and robe were off to the side in a neat little pile so you were standing in your regular clothes which consisted of a tighter pair of light tan pants with knee high brown leather boots.

Your top was just a simple tank top tucked underneath your pants, and over that you had a belt which had clips for your lightsabers, as well as a thigh harness where you would normally put holsters for blasters, but instead held a small credits pouch on one leg, and a ration pouch on the other. And finally, you had two bracers on each arm, made from the plastoid armor clones usually wore, painted with the bad batches colors, the numbers 99 on your right arm at the top of the bracer.

You didn’t wear a lot of armor, forgoing protection for flexibility, You were small, so less of a target anyway especially with how fast you were.

You cleared your throat, tightening your hands into fists as you stared at Wrecker, nodding. “You ready big guy?” You asked, a sly smirk playing across your lips. “Of course” Wrecker replied, before sprinting after you. You let out a soft squeak, sliding under his legs, grabbing his ankle as you slid under to try and trip him, but it didn’t work.

Instead you jumped backwards onto your hands, kicking your legs up just as he spun around. You managed to clock him in the jaw before he grabbed your ankle and tossed you into the mat tied onto the wall. You grunted but quickly recovered again, rolling your shoulders back as you charged at him this time, using the force to give you a boost up into the air above him, where you landed on his shoulders.

You wrapped your legs around his neck, squeezing slightly as you tried to force him to fall backwards so you could pin him. You did manage to get him to fall, but you didn’t predict that you would land on your back so hard, which forced you to release your hold on his neck.

Wrecker grunted, getting onto his knees as he gave you a quick look to make sure you were okay, and when you gave him a thumbs up he just grinned and grabbed your ankles before pulling you towards him. “No!” You squealed, trying to wiggle out of his grasp, managing to free your leg which you sent flying towards his face.

You landed a swift kick to his chest, having missed his face but again it was enough for him to let you go, so again you got to your feet. Wrecker recuperates quickly too, grabbing ahold of your arms before you could run away.

Wrecker then slammed you into the matt underneath him, pinning your arms behind your back as he pressed his weight onto your lower back. You felt his codpiece drag against your leg for a moment, a small gasp escaping your list, a blush rising to your cheeks as his chest pressed into your back. You close your eyes for a moment, before hearing the buzzer of the match being won. You quickly wriggled from his grip, sitting on the mat a couple feet away as you panted heavily.

There was an unrecognizable emotion on Wrecker’s face for a moment, but it quickly dissipated as he offered his hand to you. However you playfully slapped it away and you stood up on your own. “Another round?” You asked, but before Wrecker could agree your and the squad’s names were called down for the meeting in the briefing room. Wrecker groaned, but you simply shrugged before sliding your vest and robes back on, clipping your lightsabers to your belt.

On your way out of the room Wrecker lifted you up, placing you on his shoulders with a grin, you laughed, resting your hands on your thighs while his hands gripped your legs to keep you steady. When you reached the briefing room Wrecker helped you down, and you entered with the large man following close behind, Hunter and the other boys were already inside, talking with Rex while Ahsoka and Anakin talked with-

“Admiral Tarkin.” You snarked, catching everyone’s attention. Your distaste for the Admiral was very well known, especially after he said some choice words when you were still a padawan learning under Kit Fisto, though at the time he was only a general.

The Admiral turned to look at you, a slight scowl making its way onto his lips. “Commander Y/n.” He greeted, yet you grinned. “Ah ah! its General now Doll” You snarked, using the name he called you all those years ago. Tarkin rolled his eyes but said nothing else, turning to look at Anakin.

“Are we ready to start the meeting then?” He asked, and Anakin nodded. The meeting was boring, and filled with logistics you couldn’t really bother to pay attention about. However you felt Ahsoka nudge your arm, and you jolted slightly before looking up. “Hm? sorry could you repeat that?” You asked sheepishly, glancing over at Hunter who looked… angry?

You turned to look at Anakin, who was also frowning, but towards Admiral Tarkin. You looked at him finally, eyebrows furrowing as he spoke up. “I said- if you would even bother to pay attention- That you and your malformed squad can cover the ground assault.” He spat.

Almost immediately rage filled your veins, Ahsoka and Anakin specifically could feel the air around them stiffened as you raised your hand. Anakin’s eyes widened, looking away for a moment, shielding Ahsoka’s eyes as a bright flash flew from your hand and landed right into Tarkin’s eyes.

Time seemed to crash back into them after that, and as you lunged for Tarkin Wrecker managed to catch you, holding you like he would hold Lula in his arms. Despite your kicking and screaming he gripped you tightly.

Ahsoka looked around, taking a step closer to you and away from Tarkin as he sneered. “How dare you!” He exclaimed, but you were basically frothing at the mouth in anger. “No! you don’t get to speak to my squad like they’re just lowlifes!” You shouted, managing to wiggle from Wreckers arms, slipping past him and his brothers, landing a swift punch to Tarkin on top of the temporary flash blinding he just recieved.

You stood over him, hands balled into fists as you still seethed, but began to calm down, Anakin walked over to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. You flinched slightly, but relaxed when you realized it was him. “Let's go take a walk, come on.” He mattered to you, nodding to Hunter, silently telling him to busy himself and his squad while you face your punishment for punching the Admiral.

Anakin and Ahsoka helped you calm down for a couple minutes as you just walked. But soon you paused, turning to face them as tears streamed down your face. Ahsoka gasped softly, and Anakin just frowned even more. “He has no right to speak to any of the clones like that, let alone my family.” You growled, wiping away your tears as a sigh escaped your lips.

Anakin spoke up quickly as he stepped towards you, having to lean down a bit in order to speak to you without completely towering over you. “Listen, we all heard what Tarkin said, so the punishment you’ll end up getting probably won’t be that bad, you'll probably just get benched at the temple for a couple days to meditate and calm your emotions.” He explained, probably from experience.

You sighed, but nodded. “Yeah okay… i can do that.” You muttered, and walked with Ahsoka and Anakin back to the front deck to receive your punishment from the jedi temple. Of course with Ahsoka and Anakin having your backs the blow definitely was a bit lighter, but kind of deserved.

“Three days at the temple, no action and you have to help reorganize the library and holocron vault with Lady Maru. That is all… oh, and Y/n… im proud of you.” your old master, Kit Fisto’s voice carried through the room as he issued your punishment, you definitely didn’t expect him to give it, but the sting did hurt less coming from him.

“Thank you, Master.” You bowed, and when the transmission ended you groaned, turning to your fellow Jedi. “I better go find my men and let them know we have to make a trip to Coruscant.” You muttered, offering them both a sad smile as you walked away.

You let yourself wander the halls a bit before reaching the marauder where Anakin had told you they ended up. They were all sitting outside talking, probably discussing you. When they saw you walk towards them, Wrecker was the first to approach, laughing as he picked you up and squeezed you tight.

Your cheeks flushed, but you ignored that feeling and just grinned. “I wouldn’t let him talk that way about you guys.” You stated, getting set down once you had reached the rest of them. Echo sighed, and rolled his eyes before walking back into the marauder, ever the mom he was. Crosshair was just smirking, he even gave you a little thumbs up before he too went into the Marauder.

Hunter had his head in his hand, but underneath the palm of his gloved hand you could see the smile that graced his lips, and that only made your grin get bigger. Tech then stepped forward, glancing up at you from his datapad.

“Your actions were unexpected, and we did not know you had the power to blind… that will be useful… But the Admiral deserved that punch.” Tech told you, sparing you another glance as he just stood to the side of Hunter, who was now looking at you.

You offered the man a shrug, hearing the sigh that followed. “Well? what happened after?” Hunter asked, and your smile slowly faded as you thought about how to tell them. Your hesitancy only made Hunter more worried however.

“Don’t worry, it's nothing too severe… but I need a ride to the Jedi temple. Im on library and holocron duty for three days, and i have to meditate and calm my ‘center’ which is such horse crap-” you cut yourself off with a sigh, running a hand through your hair as you offered Hunter a reassuring smile. “You guys just continue the mission without me, I'll be fine.” You explained.

“It’s not that we’re worried about you, Fireball… were worried about the library.” Hunter jokes, patting your shoulder as you walk inside the Marauder with him and Wrecker, “Har har, you're so funny… not!” You huffed, taking your seat in the cockpit, hugging your legs to your chest as you smiled at Wrecker, who sent you a wink.

“I’ll always defend you guys, even if it gets me kicked out.” You huffed, looking out the window. Hunter snickered, as did crosshair. “We know.” Wrecker spoke up, reaching over to place his hand on your knee. You tried to hide the bashful expression that spread across your face, but Crosshair caught it before you could hide it, and he groaned audibly.

“Can you and Wrecker just kiss already? were done seeing you eye fuck each other.” He snarled.

Your and Wreckers eyes both widened, and at the same time you shouted “What?!” like Crosshair’s words were entirely false. The rest of the men in the ship gave you and Wrecker a deadpanned look, and Crosshair just slips his leg forward as you go to stand up, of course tripping over his leg and falling right into-

guess who’s arms-

Wreckers arms.

A soft gasp escapes your lips but is quickly silenced when your head is pushed down, and your lips meet Wreckers… though you don't bother pull away, and instead deepen the kiss just as Wreckers arms tighten around your waist before his hands slide down to your thighs, squeezing slight which drew out a soft whine…

You pulled back, and you stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before hearing Hunter clear his throat. “If you're gonna eat each other's faces, go get a room.” he teased, but he wasn't wrong. But before you could stand up, Wrecker did, holding you tightly in his arms. “Wait!” You squeaked, and Wrecker paused.

“if we uh- do this… none of you can say jack shit to anyone!” You shouted, glaring at Crosshair. “And uh- never on any republic base.” You added, hearing Wreckers chuckle. “Don’t worry mesh'la, if I fuck you ill do it in a place where nobody can hear how you scre-”

“Okay enough you two! Let's drop her off on Coruscant and you can do all that… grossness When we get back.” Echo interrupted quickly, and Wrecker set you down. “Yeah okay- cool-” you choked out, sitting back down in your chair, burying your face in your hands as you tried to rid yourself of the embarrassment, especially when Wrecker and Crosshair were laughing.

Oh boy… What have you gotten into?

➺

Tag List:

Wrecker:

All:

[padawansuggest]

Obi-Wan: *dragging Cody eagerly into the room while holding his hand* Guys, I have super important news! Cody and I are getting married!

Anakin: …oh? I mean… I guess it’s about time. I don’t know if I can bring the twins, will we have to get a babysitter for them?

Obi-Wan: Absolutely not, that’s free baby-holding hours and I’m not letting you cut them!

Cody: What do you mean it’s about time?

Rex: Well, the war’s been over nearly eight months. We just expected you two to tie the knot sooner.

Ahsoka: I mean, you already live together. The 212th kept your… dalliances quiet, through the war because they didn’t want the higher ups to break you guys up.

Anakin: Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed. I had money on you guys getting married no less than a week after the war.

Obi-Wan: Dalliances??

Rex: ??? Yeah?? You two aren’t very subtle, Cody didn’t even try sneaking out of your room after!

Obi-Wan: *looks at Cody in worry* Cody, why would you have to sneak out of our room? That’s where you sleep?

Cody: ??? I don’t know? The quartermaster said it was okay if we slept in the same room.

Obi-Wan: What’s wrong with Cody and I sharing a room?

Anakin: …remember when I was fourteen and you told me where babies come from?

Obi-Wan: …yes?

Anakin: ??? That????

Obi-Wan: …but we weren’t trying to make babies?

Cody: Do we even have the right parts to do that?

Obi-Wan: I think I have the carrier parts but I stopped checking if they worked a while back.

Anakin: WERE YOU TWO NOT HAVING SEX???

Obi-Wan: Oh gross!

Cody: 🤢

Rex: WHY WERE YOU TWO SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM????

Obi-Wan: BECAUSE WE COULDNT TRUST EACH OTHER NOT TO ACTUALLY SLEEP ON OUR OWN AND IT WAS NICER!

Ahsoka: Why are you two getting married now??

Obi-Wan: I don’t know TAX BENEFITS AND SHIT we’re in LOVE fuck off!

Cody: Oh gross you guys really just assume we naked touched???

Anakin: oh my god. What was your exact marriage idea composed of?? Tell me right this second!

Obi-Wan: um??? We said we wanted to be a family and raise some padawans together???

Anakin: *starts dragging Obi-Wan off to the bathroom* You’re taking a pregnancy test right this second, you chose the wrong wording! Every time someone I love is asexual or a top the force shoves a baby in them!

Obi-Wan: oh my god

[yeetus-feetus]

i have a little brother who is 12 years younger than me, and when he first came into the family (he's adopted) I used to take him with me everywhere because he was adorable and I loved looking after him (and sometimes forces to take him with me when I went out). And people used to think he was my kid when I went to the shops or the park.

It STILL happens sometimes!!

and I'm now just imagining this happening with Dick and Jason, or Dick and Damian.

Omg there was this one time where I was hanging out with a group of my friends and my baby brother wanted to come with me, so I brought him along. And we're at the shops and he wants donuts so he's looking at all the options through the glass and this lady behind us taps me on the shoulder and goes

"is that your son deary?"

And I'm like "no, no he's not mine he's-"

And before I can finish she turns to my other friend like "is that your little boy?"

And she laughs and goes "oh god no"

And then my little brother smacks one of the guys in the leg and goes "I want that one! I want the T-Rex with the red sprinkles!"

And so he says "lol okay, can I get the red T-Rex for the little man please?"

And the old lady just frowns and goes. "Is he the father?"

And my other friend is trying SO HARD not to laugh, and the old lady is looking at him suspiciously like she's gonna ask him next, as I go "none of us are the father, that's my little brother, I'm looking after him"

And this lady is like "oh I knew I saw some resemblance there, good on you" and I'm trying so hard not to disappoint her by saying that we do not in fact share any genetics and we're only related through law.

And she's saying "you should probably get you mother to teach him how to tie his shoe laces, I'm so worried he's going to trip over them and hurt himself" and now my other friend who was already laughing is basically on the floor in tears like

"don't worry ma'am I'll tie them, we won't let him get hurt"

And I can't help but picture this as Dick and the other titans. It would be so fucking funny. Like I'm just imagining Dick and Kory being asked if this kid is theirs, and then they asks Donna and she's like 'oh Hera no'. And then Roy is the one ordering the donut and Wally is the one laughing so hard he's in tears.

Oh God I desperately need someone to draw this. It'd be so funny to show my friends like, this is what our shenanigans did. It's DC fanart now😭

Or maybe I'll write a fic with the same premise, don't count on it.

[slotmachines-fearofgod]

babby ahsoka + twins

Please enjoy this not proofread not edited not ready WIP! we need more baby ahsoka & clones in the world

---

For the first time in his (relatively short) life Rex was at a loss. 

They were investigating some temple on behalf of the Jedi. Anakin had been sent because of his intense attunement to the Force and the 501st had happily followed his lead. Rex hadn’t gotten much out of the man, just that the Jedi would know what to do and all he needed to worry about was following their lead. 

Rex was going to kill him. 

When they first landed and entered nothing had seemed off. It was an old, crumbling structure built by neither Jedi nor Sith millenia ago. The Jedi wanted it investigated due to the strange flow of energy around it, an energy that had steadily been increasing over the past month until the signal reached Coruscant itself. Rex had braced himself for mental games or mind tricks but there had been nothing. 

In fact, there had been so little sign of anything that Anakin decided it would be best for them to split up. Coming as a surprise to no one Ahsoka took Fives, Echo, and Rex along with her down the side passageways, leading them through a winding maze Rex wasn’t sure he’d be able to figure out on his own. 

Which was what led them here. 

Rex stared down at the three children in front of him and felt the vague urge to cry.

Fives blinked up at him, his big eyes full of curiosity as he looked at Rex’s armor. Rex, still frozen from where he’d busted through the door that had trapped his compatriots, watched as his second waddled up to him and grabbed his kama. 

“Fives?” Rex croaked, incredibly out of his depth. 

Fives laughed brightly, “See Echo! I told you it would catch on.”

Echo, now half his original size, scowled, “No fair. Why do you get the fun name?”

Ahsoka, his little commander, his almost-sister, his charge, stuck her finger in her mouth and immediately jammed it into Echo’s ear. 

Echo yelped, scurrying away from the girl who was grinning with her fangs out, “Ew!”

“What’s your name?” Ahsoka asked, seemingly innocent. 

Echo grumbled quietly so they couldn’t hear, still trying to wipe the spit out of his ear. 

Fives ran over to him, laughing all the way, “It’s Echo! It’s ‘cause he only repeats what the trainers say!”

“Shut up!” Echo’s face lit up red as he smacked his brother, “I do not!”

“Ow!” Fives whined, rearing up to hit Echo back, “Don’t be such a tubie!”

“I hate you,” Echo growled, “Stop being so mean.”

“I’m Ahsoka!”

Both clone cadets momentarily paused to look at the togruta girl. 

“I’m a Jedi!”

And with that their feud was forgotten. Rex sighed and walked over, accepting that this was his life now, as Echo launched question after question at a giggling Ahsoka. Fives was trying to bodily drag her away to see her do “cool Force shit,” leaving Rex to wade in between the pack to pick up the little padawan. 

“Hey,” Fives complained, “Give her back.”

“Hush,” Rex fixed him with a look, “Give me a sitrep cadet.”

Fives rolled his eyes, a move that would’ve gotten him another hour of training at the least on Kamino, while Echo stiffened into a less than perfect parade rest. 

“Sir!” Echo started, his voice just a little too loud in the echoing chamber, “Myself and CT-5555 were enjoying our downtime in the bunks. We were taking the allotted rest period to sleep and woke up here in this…where are we? Sir.”

Rex sighed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand, “We are on the planet Erot in the Outer Rim. As for the name of this place, I was not granted access to that information.”

All three kids' eyes widened. 

“Outer Rim?” Ahsoka asked, “That’s so cool!”

Rex shifted her onto his hip so she’d be easier to carry. If he had to guess, they were all about five or six standard years. They could speak plainly and fluently and had little coordination issues, but they were much younger then they’d been a mere five minutes ago. 

“Ahsoka,” Rex started, “Do you remember what you were doing in this room?”

Ahsoka shook her head, now looking around the space, “No. I was in the creche with Uzaa and we were going to class with Master Che. I was late.” Ahsoka looked down sheepishly, a blush of her own on her face. 

Rex smiled weakly, “It’s alright. We’ll work it out.”

“Who are you?” Fives piped up, never content with being silent too long. 

“I’m Rex,” he could answer that at least, “Captain Rex.”

“Captain?” Echo looked up at him with something like admiration, “Wow. Does that mean the war has started?”

“What war?” Ahsoka asked, now alarmedly squirming in Rex’s arms, “Why do you all look the same?”

Rex winced, “It…may be best if we regroup before we talk about everything,” he said apologetically, “But I’ll explain.”

Ahsoka frowned, wiggling so much that Rex gave up and just set her down, “Okay. Are we going back home?”

That was a good question. Right now Rex wasn’t sure what to do with his sort-of soldiers. And there was no way he was getting back through the tunnel system without a guide to help. 

Rex looked around the room, searching for clues or hints of what did this to them. There were strange carvings on the floor in the center and metal piping running along the ceiling, but other than that the place seemed empty. Devoid of anything and everything except for the group of four at the door. 

Rex pinched his nose as he pulled up his comm, already dreading this call. 

“Skywalker here, what’s your status Rex?”

“Uh,” Rex looked down at three innocent and eager faces, “I need a rendezvous at my position ASAP.”

“What?” Skywalker’s voice changed, now startled and anxious instead of cool and collected, “What happened to Ahsoka? She can’t lead you?”

Ahsoka gasped, “He knows me?”

“...What was that?”

“That is my predicament sir,” Rex sighed again, “I believe your padawan activated something. ARC troopers Fives and Echo are down along with Tano.”

“ARC trooper?!” Fives cried in excitement, now bouncing on his toes, “We make ARC troopers?”

Rex gave all three of them a scolding look and pressed a finger to his lips. They all looked down at their feet, adequately shamed. 

“Riiight,” Skywalker drawled, “Sounds like I should see this myself. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Bring Kix please,” Rex tiredly requested.

“Of course,” Skywalker sounded less upset now. It helped soothe some of Rex’s own nerves as he mentally cussed out stupid Force shit in every language he knew. “I look forward to seeing what this is about.”

Rex let out a breath of relief as the call ended. He sat heavily next to the kids, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. 

At least until Echo rounded in front of him. 

“Captain?” Echo asked in a small voice.

“Yeah?” 

“Are we in trouble?”

Rex softened a bit and shook his head, “No. It’s just been a long day.”

Echo hummed, “So is it true? Has the war started?”

Ah yes. The great war. The one they used to dream about as kids. Their strange light at the end of the tunnel. 

“Yeah,” Rex said hoarsely, staring into Echo’s eyes and suddenly being hit with the realization that this Echo’s brothers were still alive, “It’s started.”

Echo frowned, “But you’re not an A clone. Why are you deployed?”

Rex shook his head, “It’s complicated. We’ll explain later, I promise.”

Echo seemed unhappy with that answer, but he didn’t get another word in before Fives was bullying his way into Rex’s line of sight. 

“You said we’re ARC troopers,” Fives accused, “But we haven’t even graduated our base combat modules!”

Rex laughed softly, “You’ll get there someday. Trust me.”

Fives scowled, unsatisfied with Rex’s half answer but Rex wasn’t really sure how much to tell them. Telling them everything - Rishi, their batch’s destruction, their missions with Torrent - seemed unwise. They were still kids. They deserved to be kids. Just for a little bit. 

Rex startled as he felt a weight lean into his side, briefly reaching for his blaster before looking over and realizing it was Ahsoka. 

She looked up, her usually large eyes now seeming comically huge on her face, “‘M cold.”

Right. Togrutas were warm blooded. And she hadn’t gotten as lucky as Fives and Echo, whose blacks shrunk with them. She was still stuck with her skirt and stupid tube top. Rex wanted to rip that thing to shreds and replace it with armor. He’d had the instinct many times before but now…

Rex just opened his arms, allowing the girl to crawl into his lap with a happy sigh.

He glanced at Echo and Fives, unsurprised to find them bickering quietly off to the side. 

“Boys,” he called, his voice booming around the chamber, “Cut it out.”

Fives made a frustrated noise and stomped his foot, going off to sulk in the corner, while Echo stared after him with an angry look. Eventually the younger of the two made it over, subtly checking out of Ahsoka had left any room in Rex’s lap. 

Rex scooted backward against the wall so the three of them could sit more comfortably before he called out, “Fives. Come here.”

Fives turned around, stuck his tongue out, and turned back to the corner. 

“CT-5555,” Rex put a little more authority into his voice, “Now.”

Fives hesitated, fighting with himself a little bit, before groaning and stomping over. Rex gave him an appraising once over, finding nothing wrong with him other than the attitude. 

“What’s this about?” Rex tried his best to go for strict older brother but he was pretty sure the image was ruined by the two kids in his lap. 

“Don’t wanna be here,” Fives mumbled, crossing his arms and looking down, “I miss 4040.”

Ah. Cutup. Fives’ favorite of his old batch. 

Rex relaxed a bit, crooking his finger at Fives and watching the kid tentatively step toward him, “It’ll be alright. We’ll get you three fixed up in no time.”

“Fixed?” Echo craned his neck to look up at Rex. 

Rex winced, knowing where Echo probably jumped to, “Back home, I mean.”

Echo nodded, slumping against Rex as Fives tried, and mostly succeeded, to fit himself between his brother and his future commander. Rex held the three of them in his arms and tried to remember to breathe. 

He didn’t know what to do with this. They couldn’t fight and there was no way in hell Kamino would take Fives and Echo back. He didn’t have the first clue what to do with Ahsoka, hell he didn’t even know if they’d allow her back at the temple after this. Were the Jedi as strict as the Kaminoans? Certainly not except for the exceptional cases. The issue was this was most certainly an acceptable case. 

They sat in a tight anxious silence for the next few minutes. Rex was shielding as best he could, but his skills were rudimentary at best and he knew it was getting to Ahsoka. Adding on to that Fives and Echo kept poking each other and making faces when they thought Rex wasn’t looking. Eventually one of them was going to hit Ahsoka and he just knew that would start an all out war. 

Ahsoka perked up before the rest of them, her eyes going wide and her figure stilling. Rex let out a sigh of relief, well aware of what that meant by now. 

Sure enough, a few moments later they heard hurried footsteps and a few calls between troopers. Rex had them all stand, drawing his blasters and putting on his helmet as he walked to the door. 

Skywalker was the first in line, his face curious but not alarmed. Rex let the blasters fall when he saw him, nodding respectfully to his general. 

“Rex,” Anakin greeted him, “Mind showing me what this is about?”

Rex nodded, peeking over his shoulder to see Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase. That was good. The boys would love Hardcase. 

“Yeah,” Rex stepped aside and pointed at the trio of children, “Feel free to take a look.”

Anakin, it seemed, had the same reaction to children as Rex did. Which was freeze. 

Kix nudged him aside easily, sparing a curious glance at his general, before he too paused in the doorway. 

“Hi!” Ahsoka waved cheerily, one of her hands in Echo’s, “I’m Ahsoka!”

[misskattylashes]

Part two of our EYCTE to OMB and back again essay

Part 2

Resolution

The final parts of the cycle are The Car and One Man Band. The Car is an album of self reflection from Alex, but unlike TBHC where he blames the world around them for their problems, he is taking a long good look at himself. Tracks like I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am and Big Ideas deal with fame and the ridiculousness of it. But it is opening track Mirrorball that sets the scene of what the majority of the album is about. Alex is the romantic fool. Miles is the one who used to always cut and run (where’s that insatiable appetite to look them in the eyes and say baby it’s been nice). Sculptures ends with a plea to Miles to be the one to help him come down from being ‘Alex Turner’ (flash that angle grinder smile etc), then onto Jet Skis on the Moat. I am still of the conviction that Jet Skis is a personal in joke between the pair of them. But the rest of the track, to me points to their reconciliation. Miles has admitted to having depression after EYCTE and lines like ‘didn’t recognise you through the smoke, Pyjama pants and a subutteo cloak’, and ‘you know it’s alright if you wanna cry’ indicate someone who has let themselves go a bit (see Doubles on OMB).

Body Paint is the heart of the album. It is Alex’s letter to himself. ‘For a master of deception and subterfuge you’ve made yourself quite the bed to lie in’. In other words, his attempts of leading his double lives have come and bitten him on the bum. It always fascinates me that it is during Body Paint on the tour that the screen behind shows several images of Alex all at once, which I always think represents his many personas.

Hello You makes mention of Electric Warrior (T Rex Album – Miles is a massive fan) and the line about ‘picking your moment along a country lane, the kind where the harmonies feel right at home’ talks very much of two young boys in the French countryside recording their first album. Let’s not forget that during the tour, the Mirrorball only ever came down for Mirrorball, 505 and Hello You….

Then we get Mr Schwartz, I think even non Milexers are pretty aware that Mr Schwartz is autobiographical, even if they just believe it is about the persona that Alex puts on. But on a deeper, Milex level, the opening like put your heavy metal to the test, to me is a play on testing your mettle, to see if someone has the strength to stick something out. The middle eight, ‘having attempted twice both incorrectly, do we get a third try’, I don’t think this is talking about TLSP, I think this is talking about their relationship. It would seem it became romantic during the recording of TAOTU, but the demands of Alex’s fame and need to appear straight got in the way, as well as Miles’ reluctance to commit. EYCTE nearly pulled them apart because their relationship was being played out in public night after night on tour, it became too much and almost broke them. I think the third try relates to today’s Milex. Understated, virtually invisible, played out in private with just their closest friends in the know. To the public Alex is Mr Schwartz with the gorgeous girlfriend and straight image, but it’s all part of the show. The Car is Alex’s grown up album, his realisation that some things are worth waiting for, that he is to blame for the mess his life is in and a plea to Miles to be patient because there may well be a place for dolls like them, if they only bide their time and let Alex do his thing because people are depending on him.

Finally we have One Man Band, Miles’ album of self reflection. It starts with Troubled Son where Miles admits he always runs away before things get too deep. Part of the reason I think Alex let it slide after EYCTE, was he was possibly convinced Miles was going to run away again anyway. Another interesting track is Baggio. In the past Miles has spoken of his childhood heroes and it has often been the Beatles. It was only really last year he opened up about Baggio and the effect him and the 1994 Italian football team had on eight year old Miles. He admitted to finding them sexy, so he is as good as saying his sexual awakening involved men, not women. Which I think is a big admission, as I have said before I think privately young Miles was the one with issues around his sexuality more than Alex.

Then we have The Wonder, which Miles issued a press release saying it was about reflecting on the return of a former lover….’this time it’s never ending, hold back the fear, your touch so ever tempting, I’ll keep you near’ ahem…

Ransom is Miles singing to a lover who has hold of his heart and this time he has run out of money to pay the ransom…in other words he can’t run away now like he has done before. Then finally we have Scared of Love, which is pretty much what it says on the tin. Miles confessing to our unseen lover that he is scared of love and them admitting they are too, but it’s okay.

So, there we have our cycle. It starts with Alex wanting to be one of the strokes – ie wanting to be famous and it has fucked up his life and his most important relationship, and ends with Miles admitting he’s scared of love, so maybe if he’d had a bit more courage he would have held on when Alex cooled down after EYCTE and not let them temporarily fall apart.

Which leads me to my opinion that we’re not going to get TLSP 3 any time soon. I get the feeling that for much of EYCTE their relationship was still in that in-between friends/lovers/not quite knowing what they are even though they loved each other, but after a period apart and a lot of self-reflection their relationship is different, so the stage dynamic would be different too. The sort of mock making out would probably feel awkward to them, and we all know Alex finds it hard to keep away from Miles when he’s nearby (hello Dublin night two), so would we end up with ECYTE part 2, which would be great for us as an audience, but maybe they don’t want the intensity of it to break them apart again.

So with the circle complete, we move forward. Miles has The Evils, and it would appear Alex is working with Tom and Loren on something. It would be great to see The Shadow Puppets together again; but personally I can do without it, if it means for the majority of the time they can be together in peace enjoying the life they deserve. They’ve waited long enough for it.

[their80smichelle]

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲

Jon Bon Jovi x Reader

Not a request but I felt the need to write about anxiety even if it’s not really explicit (I may have just wrote about my own experience and how my body is acting right now too) @damianodavds

Masterlist

Warnings : none except grammar, fluff/angst

I was in the kitchen backing some cookies listening to T-Rex, humming the song that was playing. John was in our room playing guitar trying to find a bit of inspiration for new songs. Work from yesterday as been stressful and I had to do something today to empty my mind.

I put the cookies in the oven and take a glass of water. I felt my body weakening a bit and my hands started to shake but I ignored it. I start to clean all the mess from the cooking after finishing my glass. I take a tray and turn around but I suddenly knock the empty glass with the tray and it falls on the floor and breaks.

- Shit… I mumble my hands shaking as I look at the broken glass on the floor.

Right after it I hear Jon ask « You’re okay ?? » from our room. « Yeah ! Sorry ! » I reassure him sighing. I bit my bottom lip and sigh again, then I see Jon leaning on the doorframe, he looks at me with his soft eyes and a small smile « you alright ? ». I look at him almost feeling guilty just for a poor broken glass. I nod « I may… have just broke a glass but yeah… just be careful when you walk.» I answer crouching down to clean the broken glass.

«Hey, hey… stop it, I’m going to clean it.» He says crouching next to me with a hand on my back. My hands were still shaking and I couldn’t hold anything correctly or move without being clumsy. I sigh, « I’m sorry » I apologise again « About what ? Just go to sit and try to calm down okay ? It’s fine baby. »

I only nod and get up to go to the living room and sit on the couch. Well I sit for like thirty seconds and get up again to look around trying to find something to do. It’s fun how anxiety works. You’re getting worked up and feel like your energy is overwhelming but you can’t do anything to let it out cause you’re just shaking and clumsy as hell. You can’t even sit down and wait for it to go away, it can last for days. Funny right ?

- Hey, wanna go out for a walk ?

I turn around to my boyfriend and smile at him. I don’t think saying I’m lucky to have him is enough. He’s more patient with me than I am with myself sometimes.

[zzthekaiju]

Best of the Reptiles in Media - 02 - Heart

Here we are again taking a look at some of my favorite scaly heroes. And this time, we go to the realm of animation. That golden frontier where anything is possible.

A lot of people have asked me what my favorite animated film is. And ever since 2016, I've had the definitive answer. It's a film from Japan staring who might be one of my favorite animated protagonists of all time. One that I wish was recognized by way more people than just the cult following his movie got.

You could say that this character...has a special place in my Heart.

And yes, that is his name. You'll learn to appreciate it.

Omae Umasou da na (You are Umasou) (2010) is an anime adaptation of a series of children's books revolving around a belligerent Tyrannosaurus Rex who ends up adopting a baby Ankylosaurus, with all the mishaps that implies. I'll admit, when I heard about this film for the first time, I wasn't sure what to think. Surely, this free film uploaded to Youtube wouldn't possibly--

It proceeded to rewrite my brain chemistry forever. It really is a great film. It's beautiful to look at, the animation is really action-packed and cute at the same time, it's got a gripping story (which I'll get into), and above all, it's main character is a martial arts-practicing Godzilla-looking T-Rex who engages in interspecies adoption. WHAT MORE COULD I HAVE ASKED FOR?!

But enough beating around the bush, why is Heart so compelling to me?

Let's start with an introduction. Heart is a Tyrannosaurus Rex from a prehistoric world whose lost egg winds up found and adopted by a kindly Maiasaura. Unfortunately, a carefree life of fun and peace with his mom and half-brother Light is brought to an end when he discovers his true nature as a "Big Jaw" (as in, carnivore). After running away out of fear of what he might do to his family, he grows up hardening both his soul and his combat skills so that he may survive the unforgiving badlands outside of the forest he grew up in (complete with training montage).

Then, as if life wasn't done throwing him curve balls, Heart is imprinted upon by a little baby Ankylosaurus he was just about to eat (complete with calling him the Japanese word for delicious, hence the name). Soon, Heart is caught between going with his true nature or taking a few cues from his own adoptive mother...

Design-wise, Heart isn't winning any accuracy contests, but then again, no creature here is. And it hardly matters, either. This dino manages to find a great balance between looking like the kind of character I'd want a plushie of (seriously, why haven't we gotten on to that) and one that conveys great ferocity and coolness. A major part of how that's conveyed is his expressions. This guy is a GOLDMINE of reaction faces for almost every occasion. So much so that, long ago on my Instagram page, I posted a compilation of faces that either cracked me up or just showed his facial range in general.

What's your favorite? Let me know in the notes/reblogs!

Anyway, then there's when he fights. And MAN, does it go hard! Heart doesn't exactly wear kiddie gloves when he's put in a combat situation, utilizing heavy kicks and deceptive agility as his opponents barely keep pace. We see him go up against sauropods and other Big Jaws, and really, I just need to show you these GIFs to sum up what it's like.

But that's not where Heart truly shines. It's his role in the narrative. You see, in most dino media aimed towards younger audiences, the big mean carnivore is the villain. This was most prevalent in works like The Land Before Time with Sharptooth, and the Carnotaurs from Disney's Dinosaur (both of which were the stuff of nightmares for little dino nerds like me). Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Giant theropod dinosaurs are indeed scary, so of course they make for good villains. But then you consider that most of these predators aren't hunting our adorable plant-munching protags because they're evil. It's just in their nature as predators. What are they gonna do? Go vegan?

And that's the troublesome crossroads Heart finds himself at. You could say this film offers a deconstruction of the "vicious meat-eating dinosaur" archetype. The Anti-Sharptooth, if you will. We're obviously meant to root for him because he's the protagonist and an altogether pleasant guy, but at the same time, both herbivore and carnivore are fully-sapient beings here, and Heart must feed.

The film does NOT restrain from showing him hunt down his prey, but it has the intelligence to show that this is not malice or even pleasure, it's simple survival instinct. He is a huge shade of grey in what would otherwise be a very black-and-white scenario in any other film. And it gets even harder for Heart when Umasou enters the picture.

For the record, almost all of Heart and Umasou's interactions are the definition of adorable. Little Umasou is such a little ball of sunshine both inside and out, and poor Heart just doesn't have the...well, heart...to either eat or abandon him. Seeing his exasperation while keeping him safe while also training him in the ways of fighting like an anime protagonist (complete with training montage) is all kinds of endearing and a testament to Heart's strength of character. Of course, it leads to the inevitable point where he has to let him go...but unlike the source material, it doesn't take. Umasou knows that he and his adoptive dad are as different as can be, but he doesn't care. He's his family, and vice versa, something Heart comes to accept whole-heartedly (I did it again, didn't I).

And with that, the ending to this amazing nature vs. nurture story is very bittersweet, starting with Heart and Umasou reuniting with the former's mom.

Actually, before I keep going, I just want you to know that this scene in which they finally see each other again made me go from "wow, great movie, ten out of ten" to "I NEED TO TALK TO MY MOM!!!" in less than a minute. Seriously, if you're looking to strengthen your maternal bonds, watch this movie and watch the magic happen.

Aaaaanyway, after a heated battle between Heart and the one implied to be his real dad, the truth remains that he can't stay. He's resigned himself to a life as an outcast, never being compatible with his parent and brother's kind while at the same time being shunned by his fellow Big Jaw for adopting food. Nevertheless, he leaves in high spirits, having mended what had for the longest time been a broken bond. That, and he doesn't have to be a straggler alone, anyhow.

Really, Heart is everything I love about a lot of protags in one big package. He's a reptile (a dinosaur no less), he's a badass, he's a nice guy, he rages against what he is in order to be WHO he wants to be, and he's undoubtedly dad of the year. I hope more people come to recognize and appreciate him as much as I do.

Also, he's heavily implied to be in a steady relationship with an adorable Elasmosaurus, so he's got that "interspecies romance" trope possibly going for him too! C'mon, fellow You are Umasou fans old and hopefully new, you can't tell me you don't see it too!

[nyxgoddessofstars]

Saleucami farm house before ahsoka found ezra escape the other galaxy and retired from the rebellion. 1 ABY

Ahsoka rubbing her swollen belly trying to get to her and Rex bed room: I really can't wait to meet you and also not feel like an oversize bantha

Rex in the kitchen re heating the leftovers his brothers gave him and hearing his wife voice and turning down the stove and finding ahsoka and gently lifting her into his arms and bringing her to their room and settling on their bed.

Rex: It's only a handful of more weeks mesh'la but how about I rub your ankles. I made your favorite my freshly baked bread and the famous bantha Stew Gregor always makes when I visit him and wolffe on Seelos .

Ahsoka breaking into a smile and a happy tears running her checks because of her hormones and Rex just gently wiped them away. Then rubbed her swollen belly felling the baby kicking. Then going back down stairs and coming up with dinner for his wife.

Ahsoka enjoy her food: thank you Rex I don't know how I would handle my pregnancy with out you.

Rex who just started to rub her ankles and smiled at her: It's no issues my love just enjoy your food then rest I know you need it.

In the world between worlds

Padmé looking back from Ahsoka and Rex at Anakin: How come you couldn't be as loving or caring as rex for the four days you knew about my pregnancy. Before kriffing turning to the dark side and messing up the whole entire galaxy with the empire.

Anakin hiding behind something trying to hide from his angry dead wife: Angel I didn't know what to do to make you comfortable and don't blame me. Now please don't kill me about that our son and daughter fixed it so please just leave it alone.

Obi wan and Cody in the background sharing a bucket of Mantell Mix watching Padmé trying to kill Anakin.

If someone who is a digital artist could draw this that would be amazing. But if not could you just like it and reblog it.

But if you would like to draw it happens after the final season of rebels and during a new hope.

And shut up about Gregor being not alive I know he would be a great uncle to Ellian

Also I'm totally fuck me I just got my knee fixed and I'm stuck on the couch for six weeks

[badbatchsprincess]

Heated ~ pt.17

Pt.1 ~ Pt.2 ~ Pt.3 ~ Pt.4 ~ Pt.5 ~ Pt.6 ~ Pt.7 ~ Pt.8 ~ Pt.9 ~ Pt.10 ~Pt.11 ~ Pt.12 ~ Pt.13 ~ Pt.14 ~ Pt.15 ~ Pt.16 ~ Pt.17 ~ Pt.18 ~ Pt.19 ~ Pt.20 ~ Pt.21 ~ Pt.22 ~ Pt.23 ~ Pt.24 ~ Pt.25

Masterlist

Summary: This is an ABO Bad batch!Poly x Omega Reader smut with a plot. This takes place as an AU before order 66. Y/N previously served under the 501st before being transferred to Special Forces 99. This is her adventure with these rowdy Alphas in a quickly changing universe.

THIS IS AN ABO AU ABOUT THE BAD BATCH (NO CANON OMEGA!) Due to the unfortunate situation of her name being Omega… Omega the child from the canon series is not going to be apart of this fanfic/porn with a plot. I feel obligated to put this warning in because it makes my skin crawl thinking anyone could make that mistake. 

Warnings: Canon Typical violence, slight adherence to cannon events but just slightly... angst babes... angst... trauma response, big sad, big emotions, grief and loss

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

"Ow!"

You were a bit distressed listening to the way Wrecker was groaning in pain. "Baby, I already gave you more than what I should have for the pain. Are you sure it’s not working?" You sighed, running your hands over his as he rubbed the side of his head.

“It aches,” he whimpered, leaning back against the side of the ship.

You looked to Hunter, wondering what you should do. If these were normal circumstances, you’d request taking him back to Coruscant to see Layla, but that wasn’t an option.

He looked at his brother with a worried expression, and you returned the same look to him. He had felt your distress start about an hour ago. He didn’t like the scent you were emitting while you scanned your alpha repetitively, thinking you must have missed something.

“Wrecker has sustained many head injuries since we were children,” Tech chimed in. “Perhaps it’s just some nerve damage or remnants of a concussion.”

“I’d like to get him to a real medical center if we can,” you said, watching Hunter help guide Wrecker from the ship out into the docking bay on Ord Mantel.

You slipped on your helmet and trailed after them, keeping close to Tech and Echo.

When you reached Cid’s, all of you slid inside, finding the Trandoshan behind the bar cleaning glasses.

“Nice look, sweetcheeks,” she smiled at the armor.

“Thanks, Cid,” you went to take the helmet off, but Hunter stopped you. He set Wrecker down on a stool and turned to face the far corner of the bar.

You faced the same direction, watching a hooded figure approach you cautiously.

Hunter placed you behind him again, watching the man approach.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Cid snarled at the hooded man.

You watched the man push the hood back, revealing bleach-blond hair and the sharpest jawline in the known region.

“Rex?” Hunter raised a brow. “Captain, what are you doing here?”

You shoved Hunter to the side, ripping off your helmet. “Rex!” You ran forwards, jumping into the air and wrapping your arms around his neck.

He caught you in a hug, bringing you in close. You pressed your nose into his collar as he swayed, keeping you both upright.

“Hey, Kid,” he said lowly. You heard the emotion in his throat, knowing he was fighting back his feelings.

“Where have you been?” You whispered, feeling him set you back down on the ground. “What happened?” You felt tears well up in your eyes.

He looked at you with a saddened expression, and you suddenly knew things were so much worse than he was letting on.

“We need to talk,” he sighed.

“How did you find us?” Hunter asked, worried that their location might be compromised.

“The Martez sisters,” Rex replied. “Said they worked with you on a job. A bunch of rogue clones. Told me where I could find you.”

“Ah, great. More clones,” Cid grumbled. “I’m not taking in any more strays!”

“Why’d you come?” Hunter asked.

“I’m trying to find our brothers,” he said as you clutched onto his waist, refusing to let go. “After Order 66, there were a few who didn’t follow command. They were detained and imprisoned by the Empire. I’m trying to get them out.”

“Your chip didn’t work?” You asked, looking up at him.

He sighed and shook his head. “It did. I almost killed Ahsoka.” You saw the tears rising up in his eyes as he fought them back. “She saved me. Fives warned all of us. He even found the evidence of what the Chancellor was planning. He had him executed.”

Your eyes widened in horror. You felt a tear spill down your cheek. “Fives?” Your best pack mate… gone.

He nodded, and you started to cry in earnest. He held you close, trying to comfort you. Even Echo had to sit down, taking in the news. It was a bit of a shock to say the least. He slumped down, putting his head in his hands. Echo was the last domino….

“Where’s Ahsoka?” You inhaled a shaky breath.

“We separated after the crash,” he said, looking up at the other clones. “We were transporting Maul off Mandalore when the order was given. General Tano and I were on General Skywalker’s Venator. He was called back to Coruscant because the Chancellor staged his own capture. One second I was speaking with Ahsoka, and then next all I knew was that I had to kill her. She was smart enough to get me separated from the others to take out my chip. I’m not entirely sure what happened next, but the ship was going down, and we were racing against Maul for the last ship out of there. The others had all turned on us. They were going to kill us, they were aiming the ship for a crash landing onto an icy moon.” He let a tear slip, and you reached up to wipe it away. “Ahsoka fought them off for as long as she could. Jesse, Ridge, and the others… they-they didn’t make it.”

You shook, backing up from Rex in disbelief. You placed a hand to your chest, suddenly feeling like the room was zooming out on you. All you remember was letting out a blood-curdling scream as you felt your heart rip apart. You knew at some point the others knelt around you, trying to console you, but you no longer felt real… Nothing felt real. 

The grief took over all of your senses, and your body shook, trying to process the fact that the only people you considered family were all dead… you suddenly felt very, very alone.

They died turning on their sister… on little Soka.

You heard Cid yell at the other customers, kicking them out of the bar and closing down shop. Even she was disturbed hearing your wails.

You inhaled sharply, trying to force yourself to breathe. You whined, “Where is Kix?”

Rex shook his head. “Missing,” he wiped his own tears. “I searched for him before we were called to Mandalore, but he was nowhere to be found.”

You sobbed into your hands, still kneeling on the bar floor. Cid came over, handing you a napkin to wipe up your tears.

“And you all wonder why I worry about her,” Cid chastised, running her claws through your hair. “Listen, sweetcheeks, I’m not the most comforting person I know, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

You nodded silently, leaning into her, trying to quell the pain in your body. Her unusual warmth made you sob even more.

“Where is General Tano?” Tech asked.

Rex shrugged. “We agreed to separate and go into hiding until things cooled down,” Rex said, running his hands up and down your spine as you continued to cry.

“W-what about Ani?” You whispered, looking up at Rex with red, tear-stained eyes.

He just sighed and shook his head. “Holo channels said he died protecting the younglings in the Jedi Temple. He tried stopping the coup.”

You just bit your lip, feeling another wave of grief hit… your entire pack… gone…just like that.

“Shh,” Cid cooed. “It’s okay.”

Your entire body shook with hiccups.

“Did any other Jedi survive?” Hunter asked.

“Not that I know of,” Rex replied.

You whined.

“How about you all go talk somewhere else?” Cid snapped. “You’ve all upset her enough!”

They all went to stand when Wrecker let out a howl, clutching his head. Rex put his hand on your shoulder, kneeling and reaching for his gun. “What’s wrong with him?”

You noticed his hand on his blaster and suddenly leaned forwards, grabbing onto Rex’s armor. “He’s fine. He’s had a concussion and needs to go to a medical facility.”

Rex was suddenly very protective of you, scooching you under him like a worried parent. “Have you had your chips removed?”

Hunter went to his brother. “No, but they didn’t activate.”

“Just Crosshair’s,” Echo said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Rex pulled out his weapon. The others returned the action, ready to defend their brother.

You whined, clutching onto Rex while Cid tried to defuse the situation. “Hey! Woah! No shooting in my bar!”

“I’ve seen what those do,” Rex snarled. “You cannot go on without taking them out… now! You’re a danger to everyone and everything. Even her!” He looked down at you.

They flinched at his tone. Clearly, this was bigger than they realized.

“How do we remove the inhibitor chips?” Tech asked, being diplomatic.

“I know a place,” Rex said. “But we’ll have to move quickly. I’m going to need your help, kid.”

You nodded and wiped away your tears. “I can help. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

~~~

The planet of Bracca was nothing more than a trash wasteland. The entire planet had been used as a junkyard, including retiring all of the Republic star cruisers and Venators. Rex explained everything Fives had found, including providing you with a copy of his findings that Ahsoka had retrieved. You studied the material, gaining a good understanding of what needed to be done.

“Are you sure the ship hasn’t been totally stripped?” Echo asked, following his old captain.

Tech helped you leap across a large gap in metal.

“I was here just a few days ago with some of our brothers,” he said. “I think the technology is still intact.”

“I sure hope so,” Hunter said, seeing the star cruiser in sight. "It seems it’s still mostly intact. Luckily, the metal strippers haven’t had much time yet to get at the innards."

As you approached the side of the ship, you noticed a couple of locals working on a door panel, taking out the wiring and salvaging what they thought might be valuable.

Rex snuck up on them, hitting them with stun blasts. The boys dragged the unconscious bodies inside the ship, keeping them out of sight while the rest of you clambered inside the massive ship.

Everything seemed to be pretty much the same and functional.

“It’s looking alright to me,” Tech said, turning on his flashlight to better inspect the interior.

“Alright, this way,” Rex said, leading you all to where the medical bay would be at the back of the vessel.

Hunter pushed you up and over some knocked-over crates before you all followed Rex down the main corridor, taking you right to the medical bay. “We have to switch on the ship’s reserve power for the machines to work.”

“I can do that,” Tech volunteered.

“Great,” Rex nodded.

“I’ll go with,” Echo said, walking with Tech to climb up to the bridge.

“As for this,” he said, looking at the undamaged medical machinery, “I’m still trying to figure out a way to do this without hurting anyone.”

“I can be of help,” you nodded. “I was reading Fives' file. It says Tup’s removal killed him, but I noticed a small error in the removal process.”

You plugged your datapad into the main holoscreen to look at Tup’s scans.

“Knowing what we know now, it was obvious the Kaminoan who performed his operation didn’t want him to survive. She intentionally nicked his cerebellum with the intention to turn him into a vegetable. Luckily, we did this surgery in our sleep back on Coruscant.”

“So you can do it?” Rex asked, hopeful.

“Absolutely,” you nodded. “Let me get this whole place sterilized before we begin.” You looked around, reaching into one of the drawers, pulling out sterilizing spray, and got to work cleaning the machinery.

Just when you were about finished, Tech got the power up and running to the medical bay, switching on the machines and medical droids.

They beeped at you, and you told them what needed to be finished. You pulled out a hair clipper and turned to Hunter. “Sorry, Sarge.”

He sighed and outstretched his hand. You placed the buzzer in his hand, and he turned to find a mirrored surface somewhere.

“Is it gonna hurt?” Wrecker asked, getting anxious.

You shook your head. “Nah. I’ll knock you out so you’ll be asleep. Best nap you’ll ever take.”

He sighed, feeling more relieved.

“Alright. Let’s get this done as quickly as possible. I don’t want more scrappers finding this place,” Rex nodded.

You heard Echo and Tech coming back into the room and turned to face them. “So, who wants to go first?”

~~~

Tech volunteered to go first, his trust in you evident in the resolute gaze he held as you prepared for the delicate procedure. He laid down on the medical table allowing you to begin.

With unwavering precision, you navigated the intricate network of his brain using the laparoscopic tools, honing in on the tumor-esque chip. With careful hands and steady focus, you delicately extracted the foreign object, a weighty burden lifted as it landed in the sterile dish.

"Atta girl," Rex's voice carried a note of admiration as he waited you operate. The hum of machinery filled the room as the repair sequence initiated, weaving its magic to mend the cellular damage within Tech’s skull.

Glancing over the scans, you couldn't help but shake your head at the evidence of neglect evident in his medical history. "It seems like he had a broken arm around the age of ten," you remarked, a tinge of sorrow coloring your tone. You could see where the bone had healed over. 

Wrecker confirmed with a nod in affirmation. "Oh yeah, I remember that. He fell off Crosshair’s shoulders trying to climb into an air vent when we were cadets."

The injustice of their past treatment weighed heavily on your mind, making you sigh of frustration. "Did none of you receive proper care there?"

Rex's response was tinged with bitterness. "Not really, kid. We weren’t regarded as people, you know? More like commodities."

The grim reality of their upbringing settled like a heavy fog in the room, but your attention quickly returned to Tech's progress, "He should be waking soon," you reassured, a gentle smile gracing your lips.

"Good," Hunter nodded in agreement. "Wrecker, you’re up next."

Despite his gruff exterior, Wrecker winced visibly as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. "Ugh! Argh!"

Recognizing the urgency, gesturing towards his head with a sense of resolve. "Sooner rather than later, Wrecker. We'll have you feeling better in no time."

As the others carefully moved Tech off the table and onto the floor, where the diligent droids attended to him, you turned your attention to Wrecker, offering a reassuring smile as you guided him onto the surgical table.

"Don’t worry, Alpha," you murmured soothingly, your fingers tracing the scar tissue on his temple. “It will be the best nap you’ve ever taken."

Though reluctant, Wrecker acquiesced, laying back with a resigned sigh. With practiced efficiency, you initiated the machinery. Placing an oxygen mask over his face, you administered the anesthesia, watching with relief as Wrecker succumbed to its effects, his troubled expression turned to easy slumber.

"Alpha, huh?" Rex's voice held a note of curiosity as he regarded you with a questioning expression, Just like Ani used to do when he knew you and Ahsoka had gotten into some mischief.

"It’s complicated," you replied with a wry smile, your focus unwavering as you monitored Wrecker's vital signs.

"How complicated?" Rex's arms folded across his chest, his stance was like a concerned parent.

You hesitated, your gaze flitting briefly to Hunter, Echo, and Tech before returning to Rex. "Very."

Rex’s brow furrowed in confusion as he attempted to decipher that cryptic response, but before he could press further, Tech stirred, the daze lifting from his eyes as he sat up slowly. "Did it work?"

With a warm smile, you nodded, relief flooding your senses at the sight of his returning consciousness. "Yes, Tech. It worked perfectly."

"Well, that is good news," Rex remarked, a hint of relief coloring his tone as he observed Tech's gradual return to lucidity.

With Tech's procedure successfully completed, you turned your attention to Wrecker, guiding him through the final stages of his own treatment with care. As the last traces of anesthesia faded, he roused from his slumber, his movements sluggish. 

“All done,” you announced, stepping back from the machine as the robots efficiently disposed of the biochip.

"All done," you said, stepping back from the machine, watching the robots take the biochip away and dispose of it.

"Good," Tech said, helping Wrecker come back to himself.

"What about Echo?" Wrecker asked.

"I checked; the chip was too damaged during his injuries on Skako Minor," you replied, watching Hunter slide back out unconscious on the table. "He’s no threat."

"Love to hear it," Echo smirked.

“Alright, I gotta get out of here and return to base,” Rex said, handing you a secure com device, “For emergencies, or if you just miss me.”

Rex gave you one last hug before disappearing down the hall and back towards his ship.

“We just have to wait for Hunter to wake and then we should be good to go,” you nodded, running your fingers through Hunter’s loose hair.

“That wasn’t bad at all,” Wrecker said, drinking some of Tech’s water.

“I told you,” you smiled, looking at the two alphas on the floor sitting cross-legged like children. It made you smile wondering what they were all like as cadets. Probably just as chaotic if not more.

Hunter started to stir, drawing your attention back to his beautiful face. Your fingers went to the spot behind his ear that gave him shivers. You scratched that spot and down his neck, causing him to wake up a bit more.

He hummed, enjoying your touch.

“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” you joked, tugging his hair lightly.

“Mmm, five more minutes,” he smiled, flashing you his white teeth.

“Here,” Tech stood at his side, helping him up and giving him some water to rehydrate.

Hunter greedily downed the water before grunting, trying to stand.

“Feeling okay?” You asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, finding his feet and turning to face the others, “How long has it been?”

“A few hours since we touched down,” Tech said, checking his data pad, “I would advise we vacate this planet before any trouble arises, seeing as our business is done here.”

“Agreed,” Echo nodded.

You put your helmet back on and grabbed your pack.

“Are you feeling awake enough to travel?” You asked the three alphas.

They all nodded, assuring you that they were fine. It was still impressive to see their remarkable recovery times. The Kaminoans worked very hard designing them, apparently.

The hike up to the bridge felt like it was taking forever. Luckily, Tech got the lifts up and working, which was lovely, but you’d never been on a Star Destroyer before. It felt like double the size of Ani’s Venator.

The thoughts of the tall brunette Jedi made your heart clench, but you fought back the tears. This wasn’t the time or place for slipping back into your grieving. You had a mission to complete and right now, Tech needed to power down the ship

"Hey, guys!" Echo's voice crackled through your comms, a sharp interruption in the quiet hum of the ship. You pushed the button on the side of your helmet to respond, your voice slightly muffled by the gear, "What?"

"Wrecker and I found a literal ton of military-grade missiles and weapons systems down here. I think we could sell them for a small fortune," Echo said, excitement evident even through the crackling transmission.

Hunter replied with a heavy sigh, his voice tinged with skepticism, "So we're just going to become arms dealers now?"

"Well, we're already mercenaries, and these will be worth so much more than anything Cid could pay us."

Hunter's response was a resigned acceptance, "Okay, after we power down the vessel, we'll get the ship to load up what we can fit."

"Sarge, there are so many DC-15A's down here. They're the fancy carbine ones too," Wrecker practically drooled over the crates of guns, his enthusiasm palpable.

"Okay, we'll be on it once we reach the bridge," Hunter concluded. You trotted behind him, the rhythmic clank of your boots echoing in the metallic corridors, keeping pace with his determined stride and Tech's long legs before you all reached the bridge.

"Mesh'la, can you assist me?" Tech's voice was focused as he removed his pack, the urgency evident in his tone.

You nodded and knelt down next to him as he climbed under the console, the metal cold against your knees. He asked you to lay down next to him and hold a clump of wires while he started severing the connections he had made in order to power this monstrous ship.

As Tech was busy working, you noticed the faint sound of beeping coming from one of the machines, a subtle but persistent sound.

"What's that?" You asked quietly, your voice barely a whisper.

"What's what?" Tech paused his work to listen, his brow furrowing in concentration, "Oh, that's a proximity alarm."

"Proximity alarm?" Hunter repeated, his footsteps echoing as he approached, all you could see from under the console was his shins as he leaned over the controls.

"We've got incoming," he announced, his voice firm.

Your heart quickened its pace, a surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins as you and Tech dropped what you were doing to investigate the source of the alarm. In the distance, the unmistakable sound of TIE fighters closing in sent a chill down your spine.

”Imperials," Tech's tone was grim, his words hanging heavy in the air like a dark cloud.

Your blood ran cold.

"We need to leave now," you urged, a sense of urgency creeping into your voice as you felt the weight of impending danger pressing down upon you… but this was something more… you felt it tingle in your spine. 

"Let's get down to the others," Hunter agreed, and the three of you made a break for the lifts, the urgency of your footsteps echoing in the narrow corridors.

At a full sprint, you made it down to the weapons bay in record time, your breath coming in ragged gasps as you skidded to a stop. You were huffing and puffing, sweat trickling down your brow, but you found Wrecker and Echo in the distance, their figures silhouetted against the dimly lit bay, totally unaware of the impending danger.

"We gotta go!" Hunter's voice cut through the air like a knife, his urgency palpable as he waved for the others to follow.

They turned to look, their expressions shifting from curiosity to concern as the sound of gunfire rumbled through the ship. They must be opening fire trying to flush you all out.

You continued your sprint, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you grabbed a new fancy rifle from Wrecker as you ran for the back of the ship, following Tech's guidance.

"There should be an exit right around-" Tech's words were cut off by a red flash of blaster fire, the sound reverberating through the narrow corridor, making you yelp in surprise.

You all ducked and turned in the other direction, your footsteps quickening as you sprinted like your lives depended on it, the adrenaline propelling you forward. Echo provided cover fire as you turned out of the weapons bay and into the main hallway towards the nose of the ship, the sound of blaster fire echoing in the distance had your hair standing up on end. 

"They're going to do a forward-to-aft sweep. We can alternate corridors and get to the hangar bay," Echo's voice was calm but determined.

"I'll tap into their com systems," Tech's fingers danced across his datapad as he worked, his focus unwavering, "We can track their movements."

You all slowed down following Tech's directions, wondering how a ship his big ever managed to fly through space.

Hunter held up his hand, signaling for you all to stop, his eyes scanning the corridor for any sign of danger. You heard the crackling com chatter coming from their helmets as four regs passed through the halls on their sweep. You had to hold your breath, too scared they would be able to hear you.

When the coast was clear, Hunter gave the signal, and you all began your quick pace again, following Tech.

You heard a slight crackle in your own helmet before Tech had tuned you all into the Imperial channel…Then you heard the sound of your nightmares…

"All squads."

"Yes, sir."

"Push the targets towards the hangar. We'll pin them down."

"Roger that."

…Crosshair…

You sucked in a nervous breath, the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end as a chill ran down your spine. He was here… he found you.

You looked up at Hunter, even though you couldn’t see his face you sense him tense at Crosshair’s voice too.

"He found me," you whispered, the weight of his presence hitting you.

"We won't let him hurt you, adi'ka," Hunter promised.

"Actually," Tech stepped forward, his voice calm but resolute, "I think he's here for us. He doesn't know what happened to Y/N." Tech gestured to his brothers, his expression neutral "He probably thinks we got her killed. He's here for revenge. They wouldn't have opened fire on us and risk hurting his mate. I believe Crosshair thinks she's dead."

"Then we have to keep her disguise intact," Echo nodded in your direction.

"We can't go to the hangar bay anymore," you reminded, your voice tinged with urgency, "How the hell are we getting off this ship?"

"We'll go to the artillery deck instead and climb our way down," Hunter decided.

The artillery deck wasn’t too far from your current location; it was the center of the ship, and Tech chose the side that was slightly tilted towards the ground for an easier descent. With the help of his datapad and Echo's scomp, the two clones opened the blast doors, revealing the massive ion cannons sitting there in the decrepit deck, their imposing presence a grim reminder of the firepower at the republic’s disposal.

As a medic, you had never been to this part of a Republic vessel, the sight of the massive cannons almost made you cower. You were familiar with the sounds those cannons would make in action, but you hadn't ever seen it in person yourself, the gravity of the situation sinking in as you took in the sight before you.

The boys quickly cleared the room, their movements swift and purposeful as they prepared for the descent ahead. 

Wrecker shifted uncomfortably, his unease evident even through his helmet, "Uhh… okay, I’m not going down that way."

"There they are!" The sound of voices made you all flinch and spin around to find the regs filing in, guns drawn.

You heard the sound of their blasters powering up, and you swallowed heavily. You were karked…

"Tapping our comms to track our movements? So predictable…" Crosshair’s silvery voice gave made your spine tingle, his presence like death itself. You caught Crosshair’s gaze clock you, but he didn’t seem to care as he focused on his main target, his eldest brother. You realized that he really believed you to be dead, even though you stood a mere few feet from him. Your heart raced.

Hunter spun around to face his brother, his expression unreadable behind his helmet, his resolve unwavering despite the looming threat. Wrecker stuck his head out, his voice tinged with defiance, "Nice to see you too, Crosshair."

Tech leaned to Echo, his voice low but urgent, "Reroute reserve power to the cannons."

Echo very discreetly knelt down to scomp into the system and began working on the computers, his movements swift and purposeful despite the chaos unfolding around you.

“You know if these fire, the whole deck will collapse,” Echo whispered back.

“Exactly.” Tech replied. 

You didn’t like the sound of that…

Crosshair then lowered his weapon, handing it to his second in command, the tension in the air palpable as he moved with purpose. The female trooper took it as Crosshair went to remove his helmet.

When the airlock disengaged and his face was finally visible, you had to hold back the gasp at seeing his features, the sight of him made your heart ache. His eyes were sunk in and surrounded by purple rings, the dark circles a stark reminder of the toll that the broken bond had taken on him. He looked exhausted, his features drawn and haggard. He hadn’t been sleeping… he looked awful. 

His entire figure was leaner, his frame gaunt and emaciated. The alpha has been suffering, his pain evident even through the stoic facade he wore. You heart broke looking upon him. 

"You’re going to tell me exactly what happened to her," he growled, his voice low and menacing. Hunter immediately saw the rage flooding his brother's eyes, the fury simmering just beneath the surface. Crosshair looked feral.

Hunter hesitated, his expression unreadable behind his helmet, his gaze meeting Crosshair's with steely resolve.

“She died, Cross,” Hunter lied, his voice steady despite the weight of the lie.

“Fucking TELL ME!” He raised his voice, the sound reverberating through the narrow corridor, his rage palpable even through the crackling comms.

Hunter was trying to fabricate a believable story that Crosshair would believe.

"The bond killed her. You betrayed her, and it killed her.” Hunter squeezed his pistol tighter.

“Liar!” He snarled, his voice low and menacing, his gaze locked with Hunter's in a silent battle of wills, “You couldn’t handle that she belonged to me… and you fucking killed her!”

“That’s not true, Crosshair. We tried to help her. We—we tried…” Hunter sighed, his voice tinged with regret, his words a silent plea for understanding, “she wasn’t strong enough to survive the bond.”

“You betrayed her, brother,” Tech added, his voice neutral, “when you almost shot her for the pup. You know why they had to put her in stasis. Yes, she told us. Your betrayal damaged the soul bond. It took her life.”

Crosshair roared, his fury echoing through the narrow corridor, his rage was nearly painful to listen to. He was getting angrier, it was consuming him. The grief of loosing his mate had taken a toll on the sniper.

Crosshair pressed the side of the blaster to his temple and his hand to the other as he was taking in this information. He was starting to become deranged, his sanity slipping away, his grip on reality growing ever more tenuous with each passing moment. The loss of a mate was maddening, the weight of his grief threatening to consume him whole, his rage boiling over like a violent storm.

The once stoic sniper was muttering to himself, his words a frantic whisper as he cursed the maker.

“Echo… any time now,” Tech signaled, his voice urgent, his words a silent plea for a much needed distraction. Echo could sense that Crosshair was close to shooting Hunter.

When the ARC trooper looked up, you knew it was time to brace, your heart pounding in your chest as the tension in the air reached its breaking point, your adrenaline coursing through your veins like a wildfire.

“Kill them,” Crosshair ordered.

Before anyone could move an inch, Echo powered up the cannons, watching them slide along the floor and punch out Crosshair and some of the troopers in a wild fury. 

Before you knew it, the floor was giving out, and all of you were free-falling down into the floors below. Unfortunately, the damage to the ship was greater than you anticipated, and you all got separated as the integrity of the ship dissolved.

You watched the artillery deck, or what was left of it, rise further and further out of your reach as you plummeted into the floors below with a scream. You felt the hard impact of a smooth piece of metal hit your back before your head collided, making you go numb

You groaned, watching everything become fuzzy as you tried to focus on your surroundings.

You were fading in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay awake but the damage has been done. You were certain you had a concussion amongst other things. The pain in your shins confirmed this theory. But, the fight in you wasn’t over, and the knowledge that Crosshair was nearby with an army of soldiers had you forcing yourself up onto your hands and knees, trying to regain control of your body out of survival.

“There’s movement over here,” you heard the voice of a reg behind you. When you looked down, you noticed your hand was bleeding, cut up on some sharp metal. You bit back a yelp before forcing yourself up on wobbly legs and heading towards the side of the ship again clutching your injured hand to your chest.

“Hey,” you heard Wrecker call out to you, and you stumbled over to him pushing through the dust. From where he stood, he could see the true extent of all the damage. The entire ceiling had caved in, leaving just a few troopers to look down from the rotting structure above.

“We have to move,” Wrecker said, guiding you to an opening. “Are you alright?”

“I’m bleeding,” you showed him your hand. You were still a little dazed from the fall.

“We have to get you back to the ship,” Wrecker said, closing his hands over yours in a comforting manner.

Your helmet was still dialed into Crosshair’s. “Drop the charge,” you heard him say.

You looked over Wrecker’s shoulder, seeing the troopers above throw a handful of detonators down towards your level carelessly.

“Wrecker!” you yelled, yanking him towards the hole in the side of the ship, but it was too late; the blasts went off, punching you out of the side of the ship with the force of the explosion.

All you remember seeing was the side of the Star Destroyer and Wrecker’s hand outstretched to yours as you plummeted down into the junkyard below. Your fingers missed by mere seconds before you were swept into unconsciousness once again.

~~~

Crosshair had recovered from the hit of the ion cannon to find the entire floor had been dropped out, leaving his brothers scattered in the rubble below.

Not knowing if they had even survived, he ordered the bombs to be dropped just to be safe. Once the space was cleared, he and his men rappelled down into the rubble to confirm the kills.

He grabbed his rifle, raising his nose in the air, trying to pick up on his brother’s blood scent over the smell of incendiaries.

“Sir,” one of the troopers removed his helmet, making Crosshair’s blood boil; he was violating code. He had the reprimand on the tip of his tongue.

The trooper bent down, pushing his fingers into a puddle of fresh blood. “It’s… Omega,” he brought his fingers up to his nose.

Forgetting his previous thoughts, he walked over to bend down and repeat the trooper's actions. When he brought the red liquid up to his nose, his heart nearly stopped.

Omega… his Omega… his mate.

They lied…

Did he just drop bombs on his beloved mate? Crosshair’s entire reality was spinning.

He sniffed the precious blood one more time before looking around wildly… she was alive. She was here. And he just ordered them to kill her. His entire insides flipped, making him feel violently ill. He forced back the bile rising in his throat as the anxiety filled his senses.

“She’s here,” he growled. “Find her! Sweep the whole fucking ship!”

Crosshair began to look under the rubble, sniffing for more blood. He picked up on a trail of small drips leading him back to the side of the ship. That was a good sign.

She must have climbed down the side. Crafty little thing.

When he peered over the edge, he saw a small figure lying on a piece of sheet metal down below.

Shit.

Snapping his rappelling cable into place, Crosshair descended the side of the ship, lowering himself until his boots touched the metal below. He unclipped and ran over to the limp figure, kneeling down next to the body. He was confused to see a little mandalorian curled up on her side. He noted the blood smeared on the surface below her and knew suddenly it was this woman who left the trail. 

“Please, Maker,” he begged in a whisper. “Please.”

He placed both hands under the beskar helmet, unclipping the airlock and lifted it slowly. His breath was punched out of his chest when your hair came tumbling out of the helmet, and he laid eyes on your beautiful face once again. You were alive.

“Y/N,” he sighed, bringing a gloved hand up to your brow, touching the massive gash slashing through it. You were hurt… badly.

“Thank the Maker,” he felt relief flood his entire body. He commed into his team, “I have her.” He said with confidence and relief. 

“She’s alive?” his second radioed back.

He grabbed one of his blaster reflectors and held the metal under your nose. He saw the mirror fog up, letting him know you were still breathing.

“She’s alive,” he confirmed, putting the reflector back on his hip before slinging his gun around his shoulder to cradle you.

“We’re making our way to your location,” she cut the line.

Crosshair leaned forward, gently supporting your head with his hands, lifting you up from the ground and sitting you up against his chest. He held onto you tightly, unable to resist the rumbling purr coming from his chest finally feeling his torment begin to lift.

“Commander?” his second approached cautiously. “Is she alright?”

“No,” Crosshair was distressed. “She fell from the blast. I need the medic.”

“I’m here, sir,” the medic came forward, dropping to his knees at Crosshair’s side.

“She’s breathing, but she’s hurt,” Crosshair showed him your cut-up brow and hand.

“I’ll give her some bacta, but we need to get her back to base,” the medic said, scanning your body. “She’ll need a full evaluation, but I’ll do what I can.” 

“Do what you need to do,” Crosshair said. “Her survival is the most important thing.” He continued to stroke your hair as the medic spread bacta to the massive gash in your brow, along with cleaning and wrapping up your hand.

Crosshair suddenly felt like there were eyes on him. He looked up, surveying the area, searching for the familiar helmets of his brothers. He was certain they were watching; they wouldn’t leave Y/N behind… not when they tried so hard to keep her hidden from him. 

~~~

“Crosshair has her,” Echo confirmed, zooming in his scope.

Hunter hissed as Tech stuffed gauze into the wound in his side. During the explosion, they had all been separated, and Hunter had been flung into the side of some shrapnel that managed to miss his armor by an inch. The metal pierced his side, making the sergeant wince.

“We can’t let him take her,” Wrecker snarled. He just had you… you were so close.

“We’re outnumbered,” Tech said factually. “Crosshair will have us executed now that he has her. He doesn’t know that killing us will kill her. The best thing we can do for her is to stay alive and figure out a plan to get them both back.”

“Then we’ll track their ship,” Echo nodded. “We know they’re taking omegas back to Naboo.”

“Get the trackers on those ships,” Hunter forced himself up onto his knees, ignoring the blazing pain in his side. “She’ll need us.”

“Hold on,” Tech urged. “We have to get you to a medical facility. That metal was in deep.”

“I’m fine,” he growled, but his little brother pushed him back down, shaking his head. “You’re going to bleed out if you keep moving around.” Tech was getting frustrated. Being split like this was making his heart ache. On the one hand, you were unconscious in the care of their mind-controlled murderous brother, and on the other, Hunter lay in front of him, injured more than he’s ever been.

There was no chance they’d get out of this intact if they tried chasing you down. To Tech, the solution was clear… they were going to have to let you go with Crosshair.

Echo watched Crosshair kneel down, picking up your limp body and holding you close to his chest as they began to walk back to the transport ship climbing the ramp.

“He’s taking her onto the ship. The troopers are loading in,” Echo narrated.

“Take the shot,” Hunter ordered, gritting his teeth as Tech wrapped tight bandages around his torso.

Wrecker handed Echo the rifle, twisting on the long-distance barrel. Echo pulled out a tracker from his utility belt and loaded it into the chamber.

He waited for the loading ramp to close shut behind Crosshair before aiming the rifle. He locked onto the side where no one would see it and fired the bullet. He watched the little circular tracker magnetize to the side of the ship, starting its transmission signal.

“I got it,” Echo confirmed, looking to his data pad. He watched the beacon signal back to his tech. “We got you, Tiny.” He watched the imperial vessel unfold its wings before the ship powered up and lifted into the air taking you off planet. 

DADDY'S HOME

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Taglist: @substantial-exposure

@rains-on-kamino

@minimissmoo

@z-and-the-batboys

@aynavaano

@9902sgirl

@sideofhorny

@sxftiebee

@booksandtitts-blog

[mochalottie]

Masterlist

(Because even though no one asked for one...I wanted to do it to keep my brain entertained)

Avatar (Cameron Movies)

Oel Ngati Kameie (37k+ words) Series about Spider being adopted into the Sully. Post Way of Water.

To protect (2k words) Oneshot about Spider being injured on the SeaDragon.

Baby Mine (6.5k words) 5 times Spider called someone Mom or Dad and one time someone called him Son.

Eywa Provides (23k words) Multi chapter, complete - Feral Na'vi Spider living alone in the forest who is, surprise surprise, adopted by the Sullys.

Our Hearts Beat in the Womb of the World (115k words) Multi chapter, complete - Spider is adopted by Tonowari and Ronal. That's it. That's the fic.

For the Nights and Days of Life (387k words) Multi chapter, complete - All humans leave Pandora after the final battle leaving Spider behind. Oh, and he’s blessed by Eywa. That’s it. That’s the fic.

You Brought light, and new life (78k words) Multi chapter, complete - The comfort fic/sequel that everyone (surprisingly) wanted and I definitely needed.

What am I supposed to do, dance with it? (8k) Oneshot - Spider turns into a tiger. That's it. That's the fic.

Let the Wind Carry Us to the Clouds Multi chapter, ongoing - Aka the ikran racing!au I've snatched up and twisted into my own version, which features some Nocorro but centrics around our boy Spider!

Every Family has Someone Who Falls (160K+) Multi chapter, complete - the time loop au where Spider is thoroughly put through the wringer.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

When You Can't Look on the Brightside, I'll Sit with You in the Dark (63k words) Multi chapter - a Zukka Alice in Wonderland AU where Sokka is Alice and Ozai is the Red King.

If Music is the Food of Love, Play On (4k words) Oneshot - Zuko essentially pining after Sokka in a Modern AU

Final Fantasy XV

Stronger than the Tides (13k words) Oneshot - Mermaid AU for Reverse Big Bang 2023

Blessed be the Boys Time Can't Capture (6k words) Oneshot - heads of families in Eos are vessels for the Greek Gods.

FFXV Song ficlets Series of Oneshots based on songs by Lauv. Includes multiple ships and AUs.

New Dawn (74k words) Multi chapter, complete - Ignis x Male!OC

Star Wars Prequels

Rock You Like a Hurricane Multi chapter, second part abandoned -The Obikin Band AU with Obi-Wan on drums, Anakin with vocals, Rex on Bass and Ahsoka on Guitar

The Mandalorian

Chakaar (22k words) Oneshot - Din Djarin x Male!OC Where a curious thief gets too involved with a grumpy Mandalorian and gains a family in return.

Inheritance Cycle

The World Ahead Multi chapter, incomplete - The Eragon/LOTR crossover that no one seemed to need, but two people very much wanted.

The Witcher

Destiny Changed Series of Oneshots - Jaskier is a Witcher and falls in love for Geralt the Nobleman. That's it, that's the series.

Voltron Legendary Defender

Space Family to the Rescue (1k words) Oneshot - Sick Keith is cared for by his Space Family.

Love is Endless (6k words) Oneshot - Keith pines for Lance in a Modern AU.

(Techni)Colour Vision (60k words) Multi chapter, complete - Klance through many film AUs.

[superlarva]

Rex got Fives a blanket :)

Here's chapter 2 of my fic about Rex parenting baby domino twins!

Chapter 1 here! <- Although you probably don't really need to read it to figure out what's going on.

Next chapter: 03

Summary: Rex brings his newly acquired 7 year old Fives home, making a few stops along the way.

CW: Implied/referenced child abuse

Chapter 2 - The Journey Home

It was dark outside. And raining. Always raining. Fives shifted closer to the nice policeman. His hand was warm. Fives held it a little tighter.

Echo always said policemen were like superheroes. He had read about them in a book one time. Apparently, they made sure people were following the rules and kept everyone safe. Fives had not been sure they were real; it had seemed like a fantasy.

He had asked his mom who the police were once. She had gotten mad and said that the police would only come if he and his brothers were really bad. She had said that they would separate them and make sure he never saw Echo or his other brothers ever again.

Fives looked up at the nice policeman as they walked through the parking lot. His mom was sort of right: they had separated him from Echo.

But she was also sort of wrong.

This policeman had not asked a million questions like the other ones, had not yelled and been scary like the other ones. Instead, he had offered to let him stay with him until he had to go back home—was he going back home?

Fives figured maybe some of the policemen were like Echo’s version and some were like his mom’s. He was glad that this one was like Echo’s.

He liked this one.

They stopped walking.

The nice policeman—Rex?—pulled something out of his pocket and clicked a button. Fives jumped back when the car in front of them lit up and emitted a strange beeping noise.

It was like he was back at home. Back at home going through a drill.

The drill.

It had been Heavy’s idea: during morning drill they would escape.

Halls of flashing red lights and loud sirens.

Climbing over the citadel walls.

Then the explosion.

Cutup, Droidbait, and Heavy gone.

Just him and Echo left.

Just him and Echo.

Then just him.

Rex tried to coax Fives into the backseat of his car, but the boy would not budge. He had tensed up when Rex unlocked the car, and was now just staring absently at the vehicle, rooted in place.

Rex needed to get the kid out of the cold rain and if Fives would not move himself, he had no other option. Rex crouched down in front of the boy, “I’m gonna pick you up and put you in my car, okay?”

Nothing.

“Alright, up we go,” Rex swung Fives up into the back seat.

The contact seemed to get the boy’s attention and he made a quiet whine of protest when Rex extracted himself from him. Rex quickly strapped Fives in before shutting the door so no more rain would get in.

As Res walked around the car to the driver’s side, he checked his phone and sighed when the screen came up empty. Cody had taken a taxi to Kamino General to check on Echo while Rex was signing paperwork. He had said he would text any updates on Echo’s condition.

Rex ducked into the car and checked Fives in the mirror. The boy was curled up with his knees to his chest, the same way he had been when Rex had first seen him. Rex twisted around in his seat so he was facing Fives, “Hey, buddy.”

Fives peaked up at him.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry. Should we stop somewhere on our way home?”

Fives’s eyebrows pushed together, but he nodded his head.

“Any type of food you’re in the mood for?”

Fives shrugged, eyes darting around that dark car, before offering a small, hopeful, “Pizza?”

Rex grinned and started up the engine, “Pizza it is.”

After they crossed out of Kamino, Rex pulled off the highway and found a small pizza place in the outskirts of Coruscant. It was a quiet family run place and the older man behind the counter greeted them warmly when they walked in. There was a couple at the front ordering and a group of teens sitting at a booth in the back whispering excitedly about something.

The prospect of food had seemed to energize Fives a bit and as they waited in line he bounced on his toes a little. Rex decided on a slice of classic peperoni, then looked down at Fives, who was squinting up at the menu, “Anything look good?”

Fives hummed and then pointed to one of the pizzas with a pile of colorful toppings on display over the counter, “What’s that one?”

“Uh,” Rex craned his neck to see the small label over the heads of the couple in front of them. He turned back to Fives, “The Works.”

Fives looked up at him, a fire in his eyes Rex hadn’t seen before, “That one. I want that one.”

The couple moved away from the counter and Rex and Fives filled their place. The old man smiled down at the boy from over the counter, but his expression soured quickly, and Rex became painfully aware of just how odd the pair of them must look.

Fives was wearing a sleeveless undershirt, a pair of boxers, and nothing but socks on his feet in cold December weather. He was—quite honestly—filthy, and bruised head to toe. Rex on the other hand, looked fairly well put together. They painted quite the picture.

Rex grimaced and shuffled around in his pockets for his wallet, taking care to make sure the man would be able to see his 501st patch on his jacket as he did. That was sure to stop him from calling the police, even if it would mean he jumped to the slightly wrong conclusion.

“We’ll have a slice of peperoni and a slice of The Works.”

The man behind the counter looked up from Fives and smiled despite the look of horror brewing behind his eyes, “That’ll be $3.98, anything else I can get you, officer?”

Rex looked at Fives asking a silent question, but the boy just stared back looking slightly overwhelmed. Rex doubted Fives could fit more than one of the giant slices in his stomach, and figured that even if he could, it likely wouldn’t be good for him to eat too much while half starved. He smiled up and the man and took out a wrinkled ten, “Two waters.”

They paid for their food and then went to sit at a table by the front window, away from the other customers. Fives shivered as he sat in the metal chair and Rex cursed internally for his stupidity.

“Wait right here. I’ve got a blanket in the car for you, I’m gonna run out and get it really quick.”

“Okay,” Fives said softly, eyes darting around the Pizza shop.

“It’ll only take a second. You’ll be able to see me through the window, and I’ll be able to see you, okay?”

Fives nodded.

Rex stood and turned to the old man behind the counter, “I’ll be right back, gonna get the kid a blanket from my car.”

The man nodded and smiled at Fives, who offered a weak smile in response.

Rex left the shop and made his way over to his car, looking over his shoulder to make sure Fives was still sitting at the window. The boy was watching him, gripping the edge of the table. Rex grabbed the blanket from his trunk quickly and jogged back to the pizza place, waving it over his head for Fives to see.

As he entered the shop, the boy visibly relaxed but then stood suddenly, the chair screeching backwards with his harsh movement. Fives’s face was racked with guilt and he looked like he was standing at attention, his shoulders squared and thrust backwards, back straight as a pillar, and legs pinned together.

Rex strode over quickly to Fives and wrapped the large grey blanket around his shoulders. He sat in his chair. Fives watched his movements intensely, clutching the edges of the blanket around himself and pulling them in tight. He looked so small engulfed in the blanket and Rex chuckled.

Fives shot him a quizzical look.

“At ease, little soldier.” Rex motioned to the chair, “Sit.”

Fives obliged him a little stiffly, but just as he did the man behind the counter called out their order and pushed two slices of pizza and two cups of water over the counter.

The boy moved to stand again, but Rex waved a hand in dismissal, “I’ll get it. You sit.”

Fives sank back into his chair and Rex grabbed the food, depositing a colorfully decorated slice and a water in front of the boy, “Drink some of that water first.”

Fives nodded seriously, and grabbed the plastic glass with two hands, treating it as if it were an ancient relic, so fragile that if he held it the wrong way it might break. Rex smiled and watched the boy proceed to down the whole glass in a few gulps as he took a few sips of his own.

When Fives set the cup down Rex raised an eyebrow, “Want some more?”

Fives ears turned pink, and he shook his head, “No. ‘m sorry.”

Rex set his own cup down, confused, “No, it’s okay, you can have some more. It’s no problem.”

Fives didn’t say anything, so Rex grabbed the boy’s cup and stood, “I’ll get you some more.”

Rex could feel Fives’s eye boring holes into his back as he refilled his cup. He did not like the way Fives watched him. There was so much suspicion in his eyes. However long it took, he was going show the kid that he could be trusted.

“Okay,” Rex said after they both finished their meals. “Here’s the plan: we’re gonna head home, but first we have to stop at the store and pick up a few things for you.”

“I don’t need anything,” Fives protested.

Rex frowned, “Yeah, you do. I need to get you a booster seat. It’s not safe for you to be in the car without one.”

Fives mirrored his frown, brows drawn together.

Rex continued, “You also need a clean set of pajamas for tonight and clothes for tomorrow at a minimum. I know it’s not a lot, but I think we’re both tired. It might be better to do the rest of the shopping tomorrow.”

Fives pulled a face, “I thought you said we were going to see Echo tomorrow?”

As soon as the boy realized what he said, he clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes full of fear.

Afraid of challenging authority, Rex analyzed. He figured the best thing to do was to pretend he couldn’t see Fives’s fear, and answer normally, “Assuming Echo is well enough for visitors tomorrow, we will, but no matter what, they likely won’t let us see him for very long. We’ll have time for both.”

Fives didn’t seem completely satisfied with Rex’s answer, but he seemed to accept it, looking out the window at the car. Rex followed his gaze, “Ready to go?”

The boy nodded.

They stopped at the Target near Rex’s apartment. He figured it would be better for Fives to start getting comfortable with his new neighborhood rather than stop at some random store on the way.

As they walked up to the sliding doors, Fives tugged on Rex’s sleeve. “Hm?” Rex asked, looking down at the small boy still engulfed in his blanket.

“What’s a booster seat?”

“It’s a chair that you attach to the seat of the car to make it more comfort—”

Rex was cut off by a muffled shriek from Fives as the sliding doors automatically opened. The boy jumped into Rex’s side and grabbed his hand with both of his own, dropping the blanket on the sidewalk behind them. Rex would have laughed if the intensity of the overreaction hadn’t been so concerning.

“Just an automatic door. They open for you when they see you on the motion sensor,” Rex explained, kneeling down and grabbing the blanket, throwing it back over the boy’s shoulders.

Fives looked from the door to Rex and pulled back his hands, the fear slowly melting into a sheepish smile, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Rex said, “They still scare me sometimes too, and I’m all grown up.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Fives looked over at the store a bit uneasily.

“Hey, Fives?” Rex asked softly, watching the boy carefully, “Have you ever been inside a store like this before?”

Fives shook his head, “We weren’t supposed to leave the house. Except for— Except for training.”

“Okay,” Rex said slowly. He could unpack that later, right now he just needed to get through the shopping without traumatizing the kid any further. “It’s a pretty big store, so you need to stay where I can see you, ’kay?”

Fives nodded seriously.

“And there’s going to be a bunch of other people in there, but they won’t hurt you.”

Fives nodded again.

“And if you see anything you want for tonight, let me know and I’ll see if we can get it, alright?” Rex looked down at Fives’s little hands, which were gripping the blanket around him tightly, and held out his own, “If you want to hold my hand, you can.”

Fives tentatively reached out his hand, searching Rex’s face as his did. Rex offered an encouraging smile and, seemingly satisfied, Fives took his hand.

They got a pair of shoes for Fives first and paid for them immediately so Rex could cut the tags off and put them on the boy’s feet. He had chosen a pair of blue and white lace-up sneakers after trying on a pair with Velcro and deciding that Rex’s “kind” (shoes with laces) were cooler.

After Fives was all set with his new shoes, they made their way to the boy’s clothing section. Rex pointed to the racks of pajamas, “Do you want to pick out a pair while I go get you some underwear?”

Fives didn’t say anything in response, but his grip on Rex’s hand tightened.

Rex looked down at the boy and noticed his eyelids were drooping a little. The calories from the pizza must have worn off. “Together?” Rex asked, cracking a smile at the sleepy look on Fives’s face.

The boy nodded and rubbed his eyes.

Rex led them over to the pajamas and pulled out a set of long sleeve navy dinosaur print pjs, “You like dinos?”

Fives’s eyes lit up a bit behind the sleep and he reached out for them.

“Hold on, lemme see if they have it in your size.”

They did in fact have both smalls and extra smalls, which Fives seemed to be in between the sizes of. Rex eventually decided on the small because even though it would be a little big on the kid, at least he would grow into it.

As Rex threw the pair of pajamas in the crook of his arm, he felt a slight tug on his hand from Fives. The boy was holding up a second pair of dino pjs, “Can we get one for Echo too?”

“Yeah,” Rex said taking the clothes from Fives and folding them over the other pair. He hoped Fives and Echo weren’t identical. It’d be a nightmare to tell them apart if they were wearing the same clothes.

They made their way through the rest of the store, picking up a couple packs of underwear and socks, a new set of clothes, a puffy winter coat, and a booster seat for Fives, as well as matching products in different colorways for Echo. By the time Rex paid and loaded everything back into a cart to take it out to the car, Fives looked like a zombie. His hand had loosened its grip on Rex’s and every so often his eyelids would droop and his head would begin to sag before he caught himself and whipped his head back up into alertness.

Fives made it back to the car without falling asleep and even helped Rex load the trunk by throwing in the small bag of clothes while he set up the car seats. Once Fives’s booster was strapped in, Rex picked up the boy and placed him gently in the seat, showing him how to buckle the seatbelt under the armrest.

Fives sagged back into the seat and Rex chuckled, “Comfy?”

Fives nodded and closed his eyes. Rex repositioned the blanket around the boy’s shoulders before shutting the door and making his way back around to the driver’s side.

The rest of the ride home was short, only a few minutes, so Rex was surprised when he parked in his usual spot and turned to see Fives fast asleep, slumped against the seatbelt.

Rex sat for a moment, just staring at Fives. His son.

His son.

Even though he didn’t know him—hadn’t known he even existed for years—Rex was filled with a strange sense of pride. It didn’t wash the guilt away—he was sure nothing could wash the guilt away—just covered it a little, obscuring it from the forefront of his thoughts.

It was a nice feeling, Rex thought. And he could live with that.

@marierg @stressed-cherry @ffdemon @renton6echo @bambambunny