Saga Worth Fighting For: Captain Rex/OC, romance/drama. Sequel to The Fighting Kind, Completed 6/29/15,

Happy, delicious feels! Wonderful talks and sharing of experiences!

 

I'm thinking that, maybe, Nissa Skywalker would enjoy this...

 

So lovely! I love that episode of TCW, where we meet Cut.

 

@Nyota's Heart - It was wonderful to revisit Cut and Saleucami! Thank you for the comment. ​

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@Ewok Poet - Thanks for recommending the story! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! ​

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@gracesonnet - It's one of my favorite eps. I've always wanted to see Rex go back. Thank you! ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Nine​

Months later...

Rex was nervous, and he didn't care for the feeling.

He also didn't quite understand it, as this was technically his and Bren's second wedding, something that they'd decided to have more for their family than for each other. The two of them had called each other husband and wife for about six months now and he'd long since grown used to the idea. But when he'd woken up that spring morning, having slept in the clones' 'barracks,' due to some odd, Alderaani tradition about the groom seeing the bride the day before the ceremony, he found that he was a wreck. He'd barely spoken to anyone, hardly touched his breakfast, and his hands had actually trembled as he'd buttoned up the shirt that Bren had given him to wear.

The nervousness was worse now that he was standing with Fives beneath the bright, afternoon sky and waiting. It was tradition for the couple to each pace the line in front of their guests, escorted by someone of the same gender who was close in age, so that they could meet in the middle and say the words that had been memorized in previous weeks. There was no one to preside over the ceremony, as it was considered something that both parties entered of their own free will, with no one necessary to bind them, though the escort was apparently a common practice. Rex tried to remember the reason behind the tradition, but found that he couldn't, now.

Instead, he tried to see past the assembled guests – there weren't too many – and find Brenna, who was waiting with Marliss and Iri on the other side of the grassy pathway that had been lined with flowers. Apparently, there was a signal of some kind that Marliss was supposed to give, which was when he and Fives were supposed to start walking. The path curved before their guests; he couldn't make her out.

Rex sighed.

Beside him, Fives nudged his shoulder. “You alright, vod?”

“I'm fine,” Rex replied, automatically straightening his shoulders. “Just ready to get underway.”
A quiet chuckle escaped from his brother. “Eloping to Zeltros doesn't seem so crazy now, does it?”

Rex tried to shoot Fives a glare but his heart wasn't really into it, so the expression was more of a chiding look. Above their heads the sky was that same, unwavering blue color it had been the past few days, and the breeze was gentle and warm. From their position in one of the closer pastures to the Damaris' home, Rex could see green, swaying grass everywhere he looked, though this section had been trimmed to allow everyone to move freely. There were no trees out here, but several curving arches had been placed to delineate the ceremonial area, each one coated with flowers of a myriad of colors. The guests had all gathered between the arches and were waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Having an audience was a little unnerving. Not that Rex had never been in front of groups of people before, but this occasion was...different. The meaning behind the ceremony was intensely personal, but was also meant to be witnessed and cherished by those in attendance. He was starting to realize that, in a way, this moment would last forever, or at least as long as everyone present was around to remember it.

A scan of those assembled revealed those brothers who had come with him to Alderaan and a few more, who'd traveled to the planet to attend the ceremony; there was Ahsoka and the Bonteri fellow, and when he caught his friend's eye she gave him a huge grin and a 'thumbs-up,' which would have made him chuckle had his gut not been twisting so; Brenna's family stood at the front, and he saw Caith give him a nod of acknowledgment. There were other people, too. Not many, but he could see Dr. Bores and her assistant, which was good to know, as the physician had taken care of many of Bren's prenatal exams. Nala Se stuck out, her pale head holding still against the backdrop of the mountains, and her gaze serene.

Aside from a handful of the Damaris' trusted friends and neighbors, there was no one else present, for which he was thankful for a number of reasons. Although he had a viable ID, Rex technically wasn't a legal citizen of the Republic, and every clone present was considered by the Empire to be a traitor, so it was necessary to keep the ceremony small. He'd been a bit worried about Ahsoka showing her face, but she'd cleverly obscured her distinctive white facial markings with stage make-up for the day in order to keep a low profile.

There was a beat of silence, then Fives nudged his side again. “Don't worry about anything, vod,” he murmured. “You'll be fine.”

“I know,” Rex replied with a frown as he thought over the words he'd have to say, very soon. “It's not like we're facing a clanker army, Fives. I can handle this.”

“Of course you can,” Fives said in an even voice. “But as First Brother, it's my job to support you, right? Well,” he added with a chuckle. “This is me supporting you.”

Perhaps in another time he would have laughed, but right now he could hardly breathe, so Rex only nodded. After a beat, he looked at his brother. “You remember the plan?”
Fives cast his eyes skyward, though he was smiling. “Yessir, Captain, sir.”

Rex's stomach was twisting again, so he only exhaled in reply. He really thought they would have started by now. What's the holdup? Is everything alright with Iri? Kriff...did Bren go into early labor or something? A thousand scenarios played through his mind, each one worse than the last, so he decided to act. “Something's wrong,” he said, moving to step forward. “I need to-”

But he was stopped by Fives' firm grip on his bicep. “You need to wait right here,” the former ARC said mildly. “Hang on to your shebs, Captain. It's about to start.”

No sooner had Fives said the words than Rex caught sight of a flicker of light from the other end of the path, which was – apparently – the signal that they'd been waiting for. Where there was once a low murmur of conversation through the audience, everyone fell silent as Rex and Fives began to move forward.

Initially, Rex hadn't really understood why he needed anyone to escort him, tradition or not. He was a grown man, fully capable of walking on his own. As a former soldier, he'd been through countless battles; he'd overcome dangers that most “ordinary” people only read about, he'd never once met an enemy he hadn't found the courage to face, if only briefly. But now, each step seemed harder than the last because his heart was suddenly racing and his stomach had continued to knot itself into a virtual kor vella twist, so much so that he had a flashback to his recovery from the accelerated-aging cure.

Fives, though, was steady, and while he'd released his grip on Rex's arm, just having his brother beside him was enough to keep Rex's movements controlled and even, and he found that he was grateful for Fives' presence, after all. They walked past the assembled guests, many of whom took pictures with holo-cams – he tried to ignore that – until they reached the center of the audience, though they continued to face forward, waiting for Marliss, Bren and Iri to approach.

Rex inhaled again, hoping to calm his roiling gut. The scent of flowers and warm sunlight drifted through the air. A few people in the crowd coughed and spoke in brief, hushed tones, and he considered shooting them a glare because they should have done their best to be quiet. As he was about to do so, Fives nudged his side again, redirecting his attention. Rex's head turned; he saw Brenna.

And his breath caught.

The first thing he noticed was that the rounded swell of her belly was clearly visible through the ivory-pale dress, which floated down and around her legs. She'd started to show more and more in recent months, and he found that he never got tired of running his hands over her belly, feeling for any movement from their developing child. The dress clung to her, but not tightly; it revealed the swells of her body, but did not show them off, only caressed them. Embroidered green vines crept up from the hem and curved around her as if embracing the growing life. Her hair was loose and gently curling, falling down her shoulders and shining in the sunlight. She was smiling, hugely, and she was smiling at him.

Beside her, Iri was in a dress of pale green that complimented the one her mother wore without actually matching. His daughter was barefoot and clutching Brenna and Marliss' hands, peeking out from behind her blonde curls at the audience, most of whom were grinning at the child. As she followed the adults, Iri looked up and caught his eye, then shouted, “Daddy!” which sent a ripple of laughter through those assembled.

The bulk of his nervousness fled at that, so he lifted his hand and gave Iri a salute, making her tug on her mother's hand and urging her mama to go faster. Brenna laughed and shot Marliss a glance; their paces quickened just a bit, which seemed to pacify the toddler for the time being, though she continued watching Rex with excitement.

As his wife and daughter approached, he met Bren's eyes and studied her expression; she seemed a little nervous too, the realization of which cast the rest of his agitation aside for the moment. They were in this together, after all. He watched as she glanced at Marliss, who hugged her once then stepped aside. At nearly the same moment, Rex felt Fives' embrace, which he returned even though most of his focus was on Bren and Iri. Fives stepped aside as well, leaving Rex with his girls.

Alderaani weddings were a bit more ceremonial than Mandalorian, but thankfully, Rex remembered rehearsing all of this, and his body moved on its own because every bit of his attention was on Bren and Iri. His heart had started beating quickly and he itched to reach for Bren's hand, but it wasn't time, not yet.

A step behind him, Fives spoke, his voice clear and ringing through the crowd. “Rex, do you enter this union freely and of your own volition?”

“I do,” he replied, his eyes on Brenna, still.

Marliss spoke next. “Brenna, do you enter this union freely and of your own volition?”

Her smile was wide. “I do.”

There was a pause, then Rex remembered that it was his turn to take action. He dug within the pocket of his trousers and withdrew the plain, silver bands that Brenna had bought months and months ago, and placed the larger of the two in her outstretched palm. Iri watched the exchange with longing; she'd begged to carry them, but both of her parents had decided that such a thing was only asking for trouble.

Clutching his ring in her right hand, Brenna extended her left hand to him and met his eyes, still smiling. Thinking over these words one last time, Rex took a breath, then reached out and slid the band upon her third finger. Her skin was warm beneath his fingertips.

He took a breath; he only had to say one thing, very briefly, and he did not want to screw it up. “I am yours, Brenna,” he said as his heart continued to beat furiously. “Today, tomorrow, and every day after. This is my promise.”

A relieved exhale escaped him, which he thought Brenna noticed, for her lips quirked into a half-smile. It was not a wholly nervous expression though, and he wondered if – as it had been for him – some of her nerves had fled once she realized that he was anxious, too.

Rex held out his left hand and watched her take a deep breath, then she slid the band across his finger with a light touch. “I am yours, Rex,” she said, smiling at him fully. “Today, tomorrow, and every day after. This is my promise.”

As she finished speaking, she squeezed his fingertips gently, then twined her hand with his own as was the custom. Everything was always better when they were touching. He gave her a grin, adding a wink for good measure because it would perplex her. Indeed, she seemed confused for a moment, but he shook his head slightly and squeezed her hand again to reassure, then let her go.

Because it wasn't over, yet.

This was the point during an Alderaani ceremony where the guests offered a traditional blessing on the newlyweds, but before anyone could speak, Fives cleared his throat and faced the audience. “Rex has something he'd like to add,” the former ARC said, nodding to his brother.

Rex took another breath and dropped to his knee so that he was facing Iri, who was looking at him with interest. He pitched his words to be very clear. “Irini, ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad,” he said to the little girl. It was a Mandalorian adoption vow, and while it was something of a formality at this point, he'd wanted to recognize his bond with his daughter at this time, too. “Irini, I know your name; I know you as my child.”

Her pale brows furrowed as she studied him; he could practically see her thinking over the words, and decided that he'd have to start teaching her Mando'a soon. At last she nodded once, solemnly. “Okay, Daddy.”

Beside him, he felt Brenna's hand settle on his shoulder, so he scooped Iri up and kissed her cheek, then got to his feet and wrapped his free arm around Bren's waist so that he could pull her close. His wife and his daughter were in his arms, his whole heart was here, and he felt the very last traces of his unease fall away with their closeness.

Silence settled around them for the space of a heartbeat, then the others started speaking the blessing, most of them reading from little pieces of flimsi that had been provided before the ceremony. Their voices rang out, some of them not quite in unison, but still sounding clearly beneath the cloudless sky. “May the road always rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back.”

Caith and Edme were grinning as they spoke, the latter also managing to snap pics with her holo-cam and the former giving him a knowing look, which sent another bout of nerves through Rex, albeit for an entirely different reason, one that would occur later on this evening. Looking beside them, Rex watched as Jensine recited the words, regarding them with bright eyes as her voice blended with the other guests'. “May the sun shine warm upon your faces, and the rains fall softly upon your fields.”

Jesse, Kix, Coric and Chopper were seated with a few other clones Rex had recognized after a moment; they were men from assorted legions, men he'd worked with during the War. As they spoke – in unison, of course – each clone's posture was straight, and at his gaze they offered him a sharp salute, which made him chuckle as he picked out their distinct voices, voices that echoed his own. “May laughter always grace the halls of your home. May the joy of living for each other fill the whole length of your days.”

Ahsoka was with Lux Bonteri. They were standing close, their arms around each other's waists; he was reading from the flimsi while she seemed to have memorized the words, and when Rex caught her gaze, she grinned at him again as the final lines were spoken. “And may the light of love always find a dwelling place in your hearts.”

There. It was done...right? Still holding their daughter, Rex looked back at Brenna; they hadn't covered what was supposed to happen now, and he felt a flare of apprehension that he'd missed some crucial part of the whole thing.

But she chased the feeling away when she reached for his cheek, drew him close, and kissed him, quite soundly.

*****​

A/N: The wedding vows are taken from traditional Celtic ones, though I tweaked a few things to better fit the narrative. For the ceremony itself, I considered the usual elements in a Western-style wedding and tried to think of the reasons behind them, so I could figure out how to make an Alderaani wedding feel right, in-universe. Rex's adoption of Iri was also an important moment; this chapter is really about the three of them coming together – formally – as a family.

Thank you for reading.


Next time: Party time!

 

Incoherence with sheer blissified feels! SQUEEEEE! I thought I recognized the Celtic origins. Rex recognizing Irini at the same time just. Put it over the top!

 

D'awwww! I've been to 2 weddings in the past 2 weeks so I'm all verklempt. I love the description of Brenna's dress.

 

Endless apologies for the belated posting. Real Life got in the way. Nyota's Heart and gracesonnet, thank you for reading and commenting! ​

*****​

Chapter Forty ​

Later...

Although the ceremony had been brief, the celebration that followed lasted well into the evening, and Brenna had to admire her mother's ability to throw a damn good party.

What looked like hundreds of strands of tiny lights had been hung around the patio behind her mother's house, creating an ambient glow that provided a lovely contrast to the growing darkness. A table filled with a wide assortment of foods and beverages was laid out to one side, and a series of smaller tables and chairs were stationed just off the edge of the brick patio, as it was serving as a dance-floor. There was no live band, but Jesse had taken control of the music-player and was doing an admirable job. Quite a few people, herself included, were dancing to the current upbeat song.

The party was more than nice, actually, and Fives commented on the fact as the former ARC trooper guided her across the patio like he'd been born to dance. “Best party I've been to in ages,” Fives said as they moved beneath the twinkling lights. “There's a ton of food – your mom really went all out, didn't she?”

“Yes, but she loves this kind of thing,” Brenna replied, thinking over all of the planning; she glanced around and noticed Jensine in deep discussion with Nala Se even as she ensured that her grandchildren were behaving. “I am glad the preparation is over, though. It's nice to be able to relax and enjoy it.”

Fives nodded thoughtfully. “I loved eloping with Mar, but this is pretty fun, too. Different, you know? We didn't have too many parties in the army.” He gave her an overly stern look that was meant to tease. “The good captain never would have permitted it.”

Brenna glanced over his shoulder and watched as Rex and Marliss danced, the former not quite as adept as his brother, though the the blonde woman was laughingly trying to guide him along. Rex looked up, caught her eye, and gave her a look that was only a little exasperated. In response, she mouthed, I love you, which made him give her his half-smile, the one that sent a thrill of desire and love through her all at once, and she wished for a moment that they were alone together.

Beyond him, she could see Caith and Edme in each other's arms, looking at one another like no one else existed. A few others were dancing as well, and from what she could tell, everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. Her feet were starting to ache a little and she knew that she should probably sit down soon, but she was reluctant to do so, just yet.

“I wish I remembered more of our time on the Resolute,” she said to Fives. “Rex and I have talked about a few things, like how we met and got together, but so many of those moments are-” She paused and searched her memory, just to be sure. Finding nothing, she gave the former ARC a shrug. “They're gone.”

His face fell a little and she regretted her words at once, not having meant to make him unhappy. “So it's really wonderful to have this,” she added, indicating the area. “The wedding, the reception...I'm making new memories.”

Fives nodded, but she could still see that he looked uneasy, even though the expression smoothed away. They danced for a minute or so, then he gave her a wry smile. “I remember, back on Mimban,” he began, his voice taking on a storyteller's lilt. “I saw you look at Rex, again and again, like there was no one else in that cantina. I remember thinking that you were pretty and that you looked nice, and that I hoped he'd be able to get over his stubborn, di'kut attitude and prove how charming he could be, and win your heart.”

“Oh, really?” she laughed, nudging his shoulder. “You didn't just want him to get laid?”

He had the grace to flush, but he recovered quickly and increased the pace of the dance just a bit. “Well...that too. But, you know I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, Bren.”

She lifted a brow and he grinned at her, his embarrassment apparently forgotten. “Yes, I wanted him to...unwind, but in the back of my mind, I also hoped that – whatever happened between you two – would make him truly happy, even if only for a while.” He looked up, past her shoulder, and she thought that he was looking at Rex and Marliss. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “I had no idea what it would lead to.”

Fives looked back at her and gave her another smile, a softer one than she'd seen before. “Guess that's life, huh?”

She returned the look and they danced for a little while longer, until she realized that she had to get off of her aching feet for a few minutes. After parting ways with Fives, Brenna slipped off her shoes and made her way across the patio, crossing over the cool grass to the table where her mother was seated alone, now. At her daughter's approach, Jensine shifted a chair so Brenna could sit easily. Once she was seated and the pressure was off of her feet, Brenna extended her legs so that her feet were flat against the grass and gave a sigh of relief.

Neither of them spoke at first and for a little while, Brenna was content to watch the others: Iri and Tav were dancing together, albeit clumsily and with the guidance of Caith and Edme, and she had to chuckle at the sight; Fives had claimed his wife from Rex again and was sweeping her around with far more vigor than he'd shown Brenna, and she could see the shared gleam in the couple's eyes as they faced one another, pressing their bodies closer than was really called for; standing near the food table, Jesse, Kix and several of the other clones were speaking to each other with enthusiasm; Nala Se had collected a plate of food and was examining a piece of blatberry pie with mild curiosity; the young fellow that Ahsoka had brought – his name escaped Brenna at the moment – was engrossed in conversation with several of Jensine's neighbors.

Rex and Ahsoka were dancing. As she'd noted before, when they'd been planning the Kamino infiltration, Brenna thought that her husband actually looked relaxed when he spoke to the Jedi, which in turn set Brenna at ease. He was laughing at something the Togruta was saying.

As they often did when she thought about her husband, Brenna's hands curled around her swelling stomach, rubbing gently. Despite what she'd forgotten, she knew that everything had changed, immeasurably, from those earliest days when they'd first met. So much of Rex's old life had been taken away from him, and while she was glad that he wasn't fighting battles or shooting droids any more, she found that she was thankful that some parts of his past had made their way into his present.

Brenna sighed. She knew better than most how important those parts could be, and what it meant to have them taken away. However, while she thought that some memories might never come back, she was grateful, more than she could really say, that she had all that she did.

Beneath her hand, a familiar, light pushing motion caught her attention, and she smiled to herself. Hello, little one.

“Are you hungry?”

Jensine's voice broke Brenna out of her thoughts, and she glanced at her mother, who was sipping a flute of pale, sparkling Alderaani wine that looked delicious. But of course that was out of the question, so Brenna nodded. “A little bit. I ate earlier, though.”

Jensine eyed her over the rim of the glass. “You're eating for two, Brenna. You need to keep your strength up.” There was a pause, during which Brenna thought that her mother was going to scold her or something, but then Jensine startled her by setting the glass down and getting to her feet. “I'll be right back. Are you hungry for anything in particular?”

All of the food was fantastic, but upon a moment's reflection she realized that she had a definite craving, so Brenna looked up at her mother. “A little of everything would be nice, but definitely something sweet.”

With a nod, Jensine moved towards the food-table, gracefully side-stepping those who were dancing, and Brenna relaxed back in her chair again, savoring the feeling of being off of her feet. It had been a long day. After glancing around to make sure that Iri was still with Caith and Edme, she closed her eyes for just a moment and pressed her hands to her belly, hoping to feel the baby move again.

When her eyes opened this time, it was to see Caith and Jensine approaching, the former bearing a plate of food and the latter carrying a flute of what Brenna knew was sparkling fruit-juice, having sampled it earlier. As Jensine offered her the juice, Caith set the plate down; she eyed the selection with appreciation because she was hungrier than she'd realized. Looking between her mother and her brother, both of whom had taken seats on either side of her, Brenna thanked them, then began to dig in.

Caith leaned back in his chair and regarded the festivities. “It's a great party, Mom.”

“It is, isn't it?” Jensine sounded pleased, though in the next moment she frowned. “I'll have to check on the quagga soon, though. I'm expecting a few foals to drop any day now.”

“They'll be fine for the night,” Caith replied. “You should stay and enjoy all of your hard work.” Jensine shot her son a look and he sighed. “Or just ask Kix to check on them for you. I'm sure he'd be willing.”

The blatberry pie was better than she remembered, and judging by the baby's kick, Brenna thought that he or she approved as well. Once she swallowed her bite, she looked at her mother. “What were you and Nala talking about, before?”

A gleam of excitement appeared in Jensine's eyes, and she sat up, her hand toying with the bottom of her glass. “The Kaminoan has a lot of knowledge about genetics and breeding, and I intend to make use of it.” She lifted a brow at Brenna. “That husband of yours will have the quagga training well in hand before too long; he's going to make me obsolete unless I find another aspect of Damaris Quagga to focus on.”

Caith plucked a honey-stick from the plate he'd brought Brenna and crunched it, ignoring her mock-glare and looking thoughtful. “That's not a bad idea, Mom. I can watch the accounts; you can handle the breeding, and Rex can focus on training.” He glanced at Brenna, who shifted her plate away from him. “What do you think?”

“I think it's a good idea,” Brenna replied, selecting the last honey-stick before her brother could do so, then biting into it with deliberation as Caith rolled his eyes. “And I can find work if I need to, though it's not as much as I'd like. But...” She paused mid-chew and glanced down at her swollen stomach. “My family's getting a little big to stay here,” she said after a moment, looking back up between her mother and brother. “It's wonderful out here, but we need more space.”

She expected her mother to scowl and say something about that being nonsense, and she expected Caith to offer her some words of encouragement. What she was not expecting was each of them to look very pointedly in another direction, which sent a flare of alarm through Brenna, because she was reminded, for a moment, of those first few weeks after her return, when everyone had treated her like a stranger. But it was a fleeting feeling, as Caith did smile and squeeze her shoulder, saying it would all be fine, that she shouldn't worry, while Jensine sipped her drink and looked very satisfied with something.

But before she could ask, Jensine's face shifted into an uncommon expression, one that was soft with longing, and she took a deep breath, blinking up at the stars. “I wish your father was here.”

Half-wondering if her mother had had one too many glasses of wine, Brenna exchanged a glance with Caith, though neither of them said anything, instead waiting to see if Jensine would continue. When she didn't, Caith cleared his throat and indicated the party before them. “Yeah, me too. I think Dad would have liked this.”

Jensine gave a short, sharp laugh. “Garris hated parties. He would have escaped to the barn as soon as he could have.” She looked over at Brenna and offered her daughter a warm look. “He would have danced with you, though. He would have thought you looked beautiful. He would have been right.”

Working to stave off her surging emotions, Brenna nodded and glanced down at her plate, unsure of what to say. A moment later, though, she looked back up at her mother, who was watching her grandchildren. “Do you think Dad would have liked Rex?”

Caith glanced over at this, and they both watched as Jensine sipped her drink with a thoughtful expression. Finally, the blonde woman nodded once, slowly. “It might have taken a while for him to come around,” she added, her eyes shifting back to her children. “You were always his little girl, Brenna, and he was very protective of you.”

She smiled to herself, perhaps at some distant memory, then sipped her drink again. “But Rex is a good man. Garris would have seen that, eventually.”

The three of them sat quietly for a few more minutes as Brenna finished her meal, then stretched out her legs again to wriggle her toes in the cool grass, which felt wonderful on her swollen feet. She glanced at the others and saw that Rex and Ahsoka had stopped dancing; now they were discussing something with the brown-haired fellow that the Jedi had brought. Iri and Tavi had found the clones, and from what she could tell, Brenna realized that the toddler was using all of her considerable charm to try and finagle some more dessert out of one of her many uncles.

She'll be ricocheting off the walls, tonight, Brenna thought with a sigh. No honeymoon for me and Rex, I guess. She wasn't upset with her daughter, of course, but her hormones had been much more active than usual – especially after seeing how nicely Rex filled out the shirt she'd gotten him for the ceremony – and she found herself thinking of her husband's muscled torso and broad shoulders with longing. Maybe she could at least get him to rub her feet, if they didn't have time or energy for anything more physical.

The evening was balmy; there was a gentle breeze that ruffled her hair and her dress, she wasn't hungry and her feet were much less sore than before, so Brenna took another moment to close her eyes and savor the peace. Jensine and Caith had resumed talking business, but she had little interest in conversations about the quagga, instead choosing to listen to the song that Jesse had started to play: a quiet, romantic melody that she'd always liked.

“I was going to ask you to dance, but you look like you're ready for bed.” Her husband's voice lifted her out of her drowsy state; her eyes opened and she saw Rex kneeling beside her chair. At her look, he smiled and placed a hand on her belly, the silver band he wore winking as it caught the lights above their heads. As his other hand moved to twine in her hair, she thought he looked happy. Peaceful, for the most part, though she caught a trace of anxiousness in his eyes that she chalked up to his constant concern over the pregnancy.

Brenna stretched out her legs again and regarded him. “I'd like to dance with my husband,” she said, holding out her hand. “But I might need help getting out of this chair.”

“Happy to oblige.” He stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet with ease. After nodding to Caith and Jensine, Rex led her to the patio, though he stopped before they reached the bricks and looked down at her feet. “No shoes?”

She shook her head and reached her arms around his waist, so that she could rest her head on his shoulder, and she felt rather than heard his low chuckle as a reverberation in his chest. The song was of the slow, swaying variety, and she was thankful, because that really the only kind of dancing she thought she could manage right now. She shifted so that her arms were around his neck, and she sighed when she felt his hands rest on her hips, holding her as close as was possible given her swollen stomach.

The music drifted around them, the lights twinkled above their heads like so many stars, and Rex's body was warm and familiar against hers, reminding her that she could never be close enough to this man. He was solid in a way that was unlike anything else in the galaxy, and pressed as she was against him, each inhale brought her his scent. Home. She exhaled into the shell of his ear, half-thinking, half-whispering: I love you.

“I love you, too,” he replied, turning his head to speak so that his breath feathered her cheek. His hands tightened on her hips, not possessively, but with an intent that made her shiver.

They didn't say anything else for about half of the song, until she felt him chuckle again. Pulling back, she blinked at her husband, hoping she looked more awake than she felt. “What's so funny?”

Rex kissed her cheek, gently, then murmured into her ear. “It occurred to me: I wanted to marry you so much, I did it twice.”

*****​

A/N: Soundtrack for this chapter: “Hold On,” performed by MoZella, (when Fives and Bren are dancing), and “I Only Want To Be With You,” performed by Shelby Lynne, (when Bren and Rex are dancing.) Both are available an YouTube, and worth a listen.

Told ya' there'd be tons of fluff after all that angst. Thanks for sticking around! We're drawing to the story's close; there are 43 chapters total and two epilogues, so not much longer to go.


Next time: Rex's experience during the reception, plus his wedding gift to Bren.

 

Totally, absolutely worth the wait! Brenna talking with Fives--has the warm, caring feel of good friends. Bren with her mom and brother---one big awwww! Rex and Bren together, you know that always gets a melt!

Yup, will be listening to the sound tracks.

 

Oh gosh, this made me tear up! I love the image of Nala Se examining the dessert so carefully, and that Fives is a good dancer. Everything is great!

 

I forgot to mention my other favorite part too: Rex kissed her cheek, gently, then murmured into her ear. “It occurred to me: I wanted to marry you so much, I did it twice.”

Awwwww!

 

Haven't yet caught up, but thought I'd drop in to say that I'm glad to see this is updating again.

 

@Nyota's Heart - So glad it was worth the wait! I hope you enjoyed the music. ​

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@gracesonnet - That line of Rex's is one of my favorites, too! ​

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@Kahara - Real Life got in the way, but I'm back. ​

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Thank you all for reading, and for your continued patience. ​

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*****​

Chapter Forty-One​

A few minutes earlier...

Rex had never danced before, and he was starting to understand why. Even the non-formal variety was trickier than it looked, a series of coordinated movements that were unlike anything else he was familiar with. While he wanted to blame his inability to master it on the fact that the glass of sparkling wine he'd had was going to his head, he knew that wasn't really true. Marliss was a patient teacher, though, and he felt bad for stepping on her feet as many times as he had.

The fourth time it happened, she gave him a wry look after he apologized. “Don't worry,” she said as she indicated Fives, who was sashaying around with Brenna like he'd been born to it. “It took him hours to get it right; the moment he found out there was going to be dancing at your wedding, he made me practice almost non-stop. I think he did it just so he could show off.”

Once an ARC trooper, always an ARC trooper, Rex thought with a shake of his head. “I wouldn't put it past him.”

The blonde woman laughed, her green eyes crinkling with merriment. “I think he's a little jealous that we didn't get a party when we got married,” she said as she evaded another inadvertent foot-stomp. “Like a trip to Zeltros wasn't enough.”

There was only mild amusement in her voice, but Rex cleared his throat at the mention of Zeltros, and decided to focus on making it through the rest of the dance without stepping on Marliss' feet any more. Of course he'd been told there would be dancing at the reception, and in retrospect it should have occurred to him to practice. But he'd been busy with quagga training, raising his daughter, and caring for his pregnant wife, not to mention preparing his surprise for Bren.

He hoped she'd like it.

A glance showed him that Fives and his wife – two times over, now – were deep in discussion, but she caught his eye and mouthed, I love you, which sent a thrill of happiness through him, so he returned the words with a half-smile that made her cheeks grow pink. The sight made him anxious to have her in his arms again. He could tell by the way Bren was moving that her feet were probably starting to bother her, and he considered advising her to take a break, but before he could do so, the song ended and he watched as she bid Fives farewell and made her way towards the tables, presumably to sit down.

Satisfied, Rex thanked Marliss for the dance, smiling to himself as she and Fives made a beeline for one another as the next song began; a glance showed him that his wife and daughter were both occupied, but before he could move to join either of them, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“May I have this dance, Mr. Damaris?” Ahsoka's voice was teasing and when he turned, her grin widened. Beyond her, he could make out Bonteri seated and conversing with several of Jensine's neighbors.

“Sure, kid,” he replied, and he chuckled when her eyes rolled skyward at the nickname. “I'm not great at this dancing thing, though,” he said as he put his hand in hers when the next song began. “So you should watch your feet.”

Ahsoka laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”

Neither of them spoke for a minute or two as they caught the rhythm of the music; it was a light, wordless melody that sounded vaguely familiar, like something he'd heard once, a long time ago, but couldn't place where or when, or what he'd been doing when he'd heard it. He fumbled a little bit, but Ahsoka was sure-footed and had the Force to give her notice of a misstep on his part, so after the first minute or so when he didn't crush her toes, he was able to relax a little more and enjoy the moment.

Despite the stage makeup that obscured her markings, Ahsoka looked like...Ahsoka. There was something about her that he thought he'd know anywhere, even if she changed every single thing about her appearance. There was something about her that would always be striking, no matter how she looked.

That thought gave him pause. Striking. She was, though, and it was a realization that did not bring him any pain or discomfort, or make him think he was – on some level – being unfaithful to Bren. It was true; Ahsoka was beautiful, inside and out, and he cared for her as a dear friend, even if it had not always been so.

As they danced, he studied her and thought again, yes, she is beautiful. It was no surprise that he'd once harbored romantic feelings for his friend, and for a few moments, buoyed by his own relaxation and – perhaps – the wine, he allowed himself a few idle musings of what-may-have-been. In truth, he had no real way to know what shape either of their lives would have taken had things not worked out as they had. Perhaps, if she hadn't fallen for Bonteri, and he hadn't met Brenna-

“Cred for your thoughts?” Her voice was quiet, nearly blending in with the music.

Rex blinked and regarded her again, feeling a little bit like he was emerging from a dream. “Just thinking about...the past.”

She smiled at him. It was a softer smile than the one she'd given before, though again, there was only happiness within the look. “Me too. I was thinking-” She paused and he watched her eyes dart behind him, to where he knew Bonteri was seated. “I was thinking that I'm really happy where we each wound up,” she said at last, looking back his way.

Of their own accord, his eyes found Brenna again; he noted that her shoes were off and she was rubbing her toes through the grass, which confirmed that her feet were hurting. Thankfully, that was something he could take care of, later. He smiled to himself and looked back at Ahsoka. “Yeah. Me too.”

“Thank you for not letting me give up on him,” she said, indicating Bonteri with a tilt of her head. “I think I'd have regretted it. And...thank you for being such a good friend, Rex.”

He tightened his grip on her hand. “Anytime, anywhere, Ahsoka.”

A few minutes later, the song ended.

As Ahsoka slipped off, Rex got himself another flute of the sparkling Alderaani wine, half-wishing that it was ale, and considered going to Bren; however, she was talking to her mother and brother – and eating, quite happily, too – so he looked for Iri and found that his daughter was also occupied, working the dessert table and entertaining Kix, Coric, Chopper, and a few of the other clones who'd found their way to the area. He sighed. She'd be completely wild if she ate too much sugar, but the smudge of chocolate on her face indicated that it was too late to stop such a thing from happening, so decided to let her have her fun, this one evening.

There was something he still needed to speak to Ahsoka about, anyway. His friend had returned to Bonteri, who was alone, now, watching her with a look in his eyes that Rex recognized as pure infatuation, and he chuckled to himself as he approached the pair. Ahsoka had taken a seat beside the young man, and had started to dig into the roasted gorak, but at Rex's approach she looked up and gestured to the food with her fork.

“This is delicious,” she said, the words slightly muffled as if her mouth was full. “Remind me to compliment Mrs. Damaris on her roasted gorak. Seriously,” she added as Bonteri chuckled. “This is fantastic! Don't you think it's fantastic?”

“It's very fantastic,” he replied, smiling at her as Rex slid into the chair across from them. “The most fantastic.”

She harrumphed, but when she looked at Rex, he could see that she was pleased with the young man's teasing. She gave a swallow, then regarded him with curiosity. “What's up, Rexter?”

Sipping his drink, he glanced around to ensure that no one else was within earshot, then looked back between the pair as he set the glass down. “How is...everything going?”

Bonteri tilted his head in momentary confusion but Ahsoka's expression turned thoughtful. She took a few seconds to deliberately select another bite of her dinner, acting casual, as if they were still discussing the quality of the food. “Good, for the most part. We're still getting things off the ground, so it's a little...fumbling, right now, you know?”

Nodding, Rex toyed with the bottom of the flute and considered how to best phrase his next words. “Are you still in contact with Senator Organa?”

Bonteri shifted in his chair but Ahsoka's face did not change; instead, her expression remained mild, though he could hear the barest edge of seriousness in her voice as she speared another piece of roasted gorak with her fork. “To a degree. There's only so much he can be involved with.”

She lifted the fork to her lips, then paused and looked at him. “Any particular reason you're asking?”

More seriousness had crept into her tone, and he thought he knew why, but in the interest of keeping appearances light, Rex sipped his drink again, ensuring that the movement was casual. “I was wondering if he might need any slicing work done.” He allowed himself a smile. “I happen to know someone who's very talented in that area, who could do a lot of good work for him.”

As she chewed, Ahsoka exchanged glances with Bonteri, who lifted his shoulders in a way that seemed to say, it's up to you. Nodding, she looked back at Rex and swallowed the last of her food. “Maybe. I can look into it, and let you know.”

“Thanks.” Rex relaxed into his chair a little more and watched Iri out of the corner of his eye; she'd managed to get Kix to give her a piece of pie and was happily consuming it, splattering her dress with bright, purple filling. He hoped that it could be easily cleaned and looked back at his friend. “Bren's gotten a bit of freelance work, but I'm hoping that she can find something more long-term. Nothing too...exciting,” he added, frowning. “Nothing openly connected to any side projects that the Senator may be working on. Something stable.”

Ahsoka smiled and nodded once. “I understand, Rex.”

“You have a lovely family,” Bonteri added. “You want to keep them safe, but provide for them as well. It's more than commendable.” He paused and took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over the assembled guests, over the entire area that was glowing softly in the darkness, then fell back on Ahsoka, who smiled at him. He smiled back, then looked at Rex again. “What you have, what you're building...it's something bright and precious, and it reminds me why 'Soka and I are doing what we're doing.”

There was conviction in the young man's words and earnestness in his eyes, so Rex inclined his head in acknowledgment. “A part of me wants to join you,” he admitted after a moment, glancing between them and briefly thinking of training the rebels on Onderon. “But my life is here. My future is here.”

“I know,” Ahsoka replied, placing a hand on his arm. “And I wouldn't have it any other way.”

There was quiet between them for a few more minutes as Ahsoka finished her meal, then Bonteri asked her to dance and she accepted. As they rose from the table, Rex did as well, thinking to find Brenna again and see if she'd rested enough to dance with him. He glanced around for Iri, and seeing that she was still engrossed with her uncles, he made his way across the patio, towards the cool, green grass where his wife was seated with her family.

Bren's legs were stretched out, the soles of her feet resting along the grass, and her hands were cradled around her stomach. Her head was tilted to the side, her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted as if she was sleeping. The lights from the patio cast her in a luminescent glow, and again he thought that she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen.

At his approach, Caith and Jensine greeted him, but he hardly noticed as he knelt beside Bren, thinking to rouse her as gently as possible, because while he wanted her to get as much rest as she needed, he didn't think she wanted to sleep the evening away. And of course, there was his surprise.

“I was going to ask you to dance, but you look like you're ready for bed,” he said, holding his face close to hers.

Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked at him a few times as she emerged from her impromptu nap, and again he was struck with her beauty; he'd heard that pregnancy made a woman look particularly lovely to her mate, but he didn't think that his perception of his wife was entirely due to that fact. No, Brenna was beautiful because she was. That's all there was to it.

Absently, Rex placed a hand on her stomach, hoping to feel the the baby move, then lifted his other hand to reach for her hair; he moved the strands through his fingers and savored the scent that greeted him because it was her. Desire filled him, but it was passion only in part. The bulk of it was centered on giving her what she wanted, everything she wanted, because he knew as long as he could be with this woman, as long as they shared their lives, he would be content.

With her and Iri, and the life they were building around them, he felt like a whole man.

It felt like it had taken so much hardship to reach this point, but there was no doubt in Rex's mind that he would have gone through it all again, if it meant he could still end up here, with the woman he loved and his children. His family.

Despite these pleasant thoughts, he felt the nervousness in his gut, again; she would like his surprise, of course she would. No question.

He hoped.

Because her stomach was growing a little unwieldy, she needed help getting out of her chair; as he did so, he shot a glance to Caith and Jensine, the latter of whom offered him a conspiratorial wink, and he sighed. Soon.

He felt a moment of concern over the fact that Bren was barefoot, as he had no wish to break her toes, but thankfully the music was not something that he'd have to waltz to and she seemed content to wrap her arms around him and do little more than sway from side to side. This close, each breath brought him her scent. Her body was so warm against him, and he savored the feel of her, thinking he could never be close enough to her, thinking there was nowhere else he wanted to be than here.

“I love you,” she murmured into his ear, her arms tightening around his neck. The movement of her body against his filled him with another kind of desire, and as he replied in kind he squeezed her hips, hoping she would understand, hoping that she, too, felt the same way. He thought she did, for he felt her tremble beneath his hands.

Longing flared within him, right along with the anxious feeling that he really should have set aside by now. Soon, he thought, kissing her forehead. Very soon.

*​

Rex lost count of the exact number of minutes that passed, but he thought it was perhaps another half-hour that he danced with his wife. They both knew that their daughter was safe and happy with the rest of their family, and the music surrounded them was easy to get lost to while they were so close together, so they did. While they danced, he forgot to be nervous, though he was still very careful not to step on her feet.

Finally, Bren pulled away and blinked up at him. “I'll be right back,” she said, indicating the house. “The little one's playing bolo-ball with my bladder.”

As she slipped out of his arms to make her way to the house, he couldn't help but grin at the mention of the sport. Left alone on the dance-floor, Rex glanced around for his daughter and sighed when he spotted her; Iri's legs were splayed across Jensine's lap and her head was resting against her grandmother's shoulder, and he thought that she was fast asleep. Jensine was rubbing the toddler's arm as she spoke to Caith and Edme, who were also seated at the table, Tavi snuggled against his dad, seemingly as zonked out as his cousin. Kix sat with them as well, leaning easily back in his chair and regarding the area in a wide-eyed manner that made Rex think his brother was perhaps a little tipsy.

Rex approached the table and knelt beside Iri, stroking her curls and ensuring that she was well. When he looked up at Jensine, the blonde woman lifted a brow. “I think she's down for the night.”

“We can put her to bed if you want to take Brenna, now,” Caith added, shifting his hold on his son.

Nodding, Rex looked back at his daughter. He wanted to say goodnight but was reluctant to wake her up just to satisfy his own desire, so he was torn for a moment. However, he was saved from having to make a decision when she gave a huge yawn and her eyes peeked open to regard him. “Daddy?”

“Hey, kiddo,” he replied, leaning up to kiss her forehead. “Ready for bed?”

“No.” She buried her face in Jensine's dress-shirt and shook her head. “Want to stay up. Want more pie.”

Rex glanced over at Kix, who looked guilty for one instant as he gave Rex a sheepish smile. Jensine, however, only chuckled and rubbed the toddler's back. “I think you've had enough pie for one day, Irini.”

“I'd have to agree.” Brenna's voice made Rex glance over his shoulder to see his wife approaching, her dress swaying with her movements. She came to stand beside him so that she could regard Iri. “It's bedtime, sweetheart. I'll take her, Mom.”

This was said to Jensine, but the blonde woman only shifted her hold on the toddler and gave Rex a deliberate look. He stood up, too, slowly, and watched as Brenna's forehead creased in confusion. “I have something to show you,” he said to her. “But it's not here. Jensine and Caith offered to put Iri to bed for us.”

“What is it?” There was bemusement in her voice.

Rex shook his head. “It's a surprise.” As her confusion seemed to strengthen, he added, “An overnight surprise,” hoping she'd get the hint.

Brenna studied him for a few moments, then looked at the others. “Do all of you know?”

Her brother cleared his throat, but it was Jensine who spoke. “We'll take care of her, Brenna,” she said, indicating Iri, who'd fallen back asleep as the adults spoke. “Don't worry about a thing.”

There was a moment where he thought she'd refuse to go unless he told her what was going on, and because he didn't blame her for the feeling, he very nearly gave everything away. Eventually, though, she seemed to shake off any doubt and she agreed to play along. After kissing their daughter goodnight and bidding the remaining guests goodbye, they made their way to one of the speeders, which had – much to Rex's surprise – been covered with hundreds of flower petals, probably at the same time that his and Bren's overnight things had been stowed.

“Very...colorful,” she said as she settled in the passenger's seat. “Did you know they were going to do this?”

Rex exhaled and brushed a few dozen purple, red and pink petals off of the controls. “No. Is this another tradition I'm unaware of?”

She laughed and nodded, then glanced at him as he started the speeder. “Where are we going?”

In response, he reached around her shoulders and pulled her close. “You'll see.”

The air that slid by them was cool against his skin, and the stars were clearly visible with so few lights around. Rex thought that she was more tired than she wanted to admit, for she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting her hair be lifted by the breeze of their passage through the night.

It wasn't a long drive, not at all. Soon he was maneuvering the vehicle down the winding driveway, towards a modest, blue house that was tucked within a stand of curling hydendock trees that were not ready to bloom, quite yet.

Soon, though.

There were a few lamps on inside, and there was one set on the porch, facing the yard and the driveway and pooling its light just beyond the edge of the speeder. It was quiet, save for the humming engine and the faint rustle of wind in the trees.

When he shut off the speeder, Bren's head lifted and she looked around, blinking in confusion. “Caith and Edme's house? Rex...what are we doing here?”

Rex took a deep breath to stave off his nerves, then reached for her hand. “Welcome home, Bren.”

*****​

A/N: There've been a few hints dropped about Rex's surprise, so hopefully it's not coming out of left field.

On Rex and Ahsoka: No, I don't ship them, but as I've said, I do think they have a strong friendship, one that I enjoy writing. I couldn't resist tossing in a bit of “what-if” here, mostly as an homage to all of the wonderfully-written stories that pair them romantically. It's a part of our little fanon here in the TCW 'verse, after all.

Thanks for reading!

Next time: Home, at last.

 

Squeeeee! Oh god, this line made me cry: “I was thinking that I'm really happy where we each wound up,” she said at last, looking back his way.
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Too many TCW (and post-TCW) feels going on right now.

 

laloga - I loved the what-if musings and how natural and understandable it would be to have them at such a moment, and to celebrate (each in his/her context) the choices and partners they've wound up with. And the fact that they're still great friends. I like Bonteri. He seems a decent, compassionate, sincere type.


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What a wonderful surprise for Brenna! Definitely, truly happy they were all in on it.

~!

On a side note, happy as happy can be that Brenna will be helping Bail Organa with whatever he has in the works in a clandestine fashion.

 

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@gracesonnet - I really did enjoy writing a Rex/Ahsoka friendship. They make a great team! Thank you for reading. ​

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@Nyota's Heart - Rex & 'Soka needed a moment to reflect on all they've been through together, and where they've each wound up. Thank you so much for reading & commenting! ​

*****​

Chapter Forty-Two​

As Rex slipped out of the speeder and stepped onto the driveway, Brenna felt herself frown and looked around again. “Home? But...?”

“Come on,” Rex said, taking her hand and helping her out of the vehicle. “Let me show you.”

He led her down the little walkway that curved towards the steps of her brother's house, then they made their way up to the porch, which was where she stopped him again. “Rex?”

All she needed to do was say his name; he caught on to her confusion and looked at her again, taking both of her hands in his own. A breeze sent his shirt rippling over his torso as it did the same to the hem of her dress, which billowed around their feet, and his expression was half cast in shadow by the lamp on the porch. He took a deep breath, as if to steady himself. “It's not Caith and Edme's house, anymore. It's ours.”

She felt her head shaking. “Ours...? I don't...how?”

A half-smile came across his face and he indicated the front door, again pulling her along as they stepped inside. Within, everything looked the same as it had the last time she was here, a few months ago. The living room, scattered with a few of Tav's toys; the kitchen, tidy and small with its round dining table and curtained windows that Edme had said she'd sewn; the stairs that led to the bedrooms, to the room she'd spent so much time in, when she'd returned from the Resolute.

She hadn't spent as much time here recently as she apparently had in the past, but it didn't matter, because this house still felt like a home.

Rex tightened his hand over hers. “We still need to get our stuff in here, but it's ours, Bren. Yours, mine, Iri's and-” He placed his other hand over her stomach. “-the little one's.”

Still stunned, she couldn't really form a coherent sentence. All she could do was gape at him. Apprehension crossed his face again, but she could see that he was working to fight it away while he led her through the living room as he continued. “It's perfect. We all know this place, already, and it's not too far away from your mother's house, so I can commute to the ranch pretty easily. That wasn't a long ride, right?”

She shook her head wordlessly and he nodded, seemingly satisfied. As they walked through the lower level, he indicated the stairs, his voice growing more eager with each word. “There's room here, Bren, for all of us. You won't have to live with your mother anymore, but you can still keep your workspace there, if you want. Jensine's fine with it. And-”

“Rex,” she broke in, causing him to halt his steps as he looked back at her. “What are Caith and Edme going to do?” They'd stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, which she could see had been recently cleaned; everything from the the tiled counter-tops to the round, wooden table gleamed beneath the low light above the sink, the only illumination in the room at the moment.

“They love your mother's house,” he replied at once. “They want to live there. It seemed like the most logical option.”

Brenna looked through a slit in the curtains, out the windows, to the darkness beyond. He was right; her mother's house wasn't far, and she did remember hearing her brother and Edme say something about wanting to move out there, permanently. But still. “To...swap houses?”

“Yes.” He straightened, his body automatically sliding into parade-rest, as it sometimes did when he was uncertain with how a situation would play out. Some things, she thought, were too deeply ingrained within him to ever be forgotten, and she found that she loved him a little bit more for the fact.

She said nothing as she continued to move through the kitchen on her own, running her hands along the polished woodgrain of the table. As she did so, little things trickled back into her memory: the hours she'd spent here, with her brother and his wife, after she'd left home; Tucker's knee bouncing beneath the table's surface as they spoke about his squad-mates; her comlink buzzing the night of Order 66.

The thought made her throat get tight, and even as she was dismayed at the fact that her hormones were making her so emotional, she felt a strange kind of joy swell within her; even though she didn't remember just why, she knew she'd always loved this place.

“Bren?” There was nervousness in his voice, and when she looked up to see him watching her, she knew at once that he could not read her expression. “Are you...is this...okay?”

She blinked at him, still a bit overcome to speak more than a few words. “You bought us a house?”

This made him frown, as if deep in thought. “Sort of. It's technically part of the Damaris' family, as are you – and me, now, I guess – so it's....” He trailed off as she nodded and ran her hand along the dining table again. Finally he exhaled and his arms fell to his sides as he stepped towards her. “Bren, I wanted us to have a place of our own. A place we can share. A place where we can raise our kids, a place we can always come back to, no matter where else we go. A home.”

“What about your brothers?”

His eyes still held traces of anxiety but his shoulders lifted into a shrug. “They're doing pretty well without me. We're all making our own lives, out here. I'll miss being close to them, but other things are more important, now.” He took a breath and reached for her hand, the one he'd slid the ring onto, hours ago. “Right?”

She looked around one more time, then met his eyes. “And everyone knew about this?”

He nodded once, then seemed to hesitate as he spoke, as his words became more halting with each passing moment. “Is it okay? I mean...all of this, is it okay? I didn't ask you about it, I know, but it...seemed like a good idea, and I thought...well, I wanted to surprise you.”

Brenna shook her head, and watched his face fall. However, she was still gathering her words, so she squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “It's...wonderful, Rex. It's...perfect.”

Relief swept across his face, but in his fashion she thought he had to be sure before he'd truly give himself over to the emotion, so he took a deep breath and put his hands on her shoulders, meeting her eyes with all seriousness. “You're sure? You're really happy with this?”

“Yes,” she replied, her hands cradling her stomach out of habit as she felt herself beaming at him. “I'm happy with this, Rex.”

“Oh, good,” he said with an exhale and a half-smile. “You had me worried for a second.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but a gentle, pulsing motion against her hand made her look down. Rex, of course, immediately caught the meaning of her look, and his hands dropped from her shoulders to cover her belly along with her own; his hands were broad and warm beside hers, and for a few moments they stood, feeling.

Her husband hardly appeared to be breathing, so intent was his focus, though after a few minutes he exhaled and looked up at her, delight and fierce pride in his eyes. “Bolo-ball is right,” he murmured. “This kid's strong.”

“Tell me about it,” she said with a grimace as the baby kicked her insides, again.

Rex's expression changed to one of sympathy and he embraced her shoulders, indicating the way out of the kitchen. “I thought we could sleep here, tonight. I had some of our overnight things brought over.” He lifted his brow at her and something familiar gleamed in his eyes. “You up for a foot rub?”

She smiled at him and nodded, and as they began to step through the house – their house – together, she slid her hand around his waist. This new development, along with her earlier nap had revived her a little bit, and she found that she was eager to spend some time with her husband, alone. “Maybe more than just a foot rub,” she ventured as they reached the stairs. “I could use a distraction, and you're an excellent one.”

He made no reply other than a satisfied, half-smile, and they went upstairs, together.

*​

Months later...

Brenna was tired of being pregnant.

Unfortunately, the little one was apparently quite happy where he or she was and had refused to come out, and Brenna knew that the constant waiting was starting to wear on both her and Rex. Her due date had come and gone without so much as a false-labor-pang, and Rex, who had been as prepared as anyone could be for the birth of his child, had been at something of a loss. She'd tried to reassure him that this was common, but she could tell that the idea of waiting any longer did not sit well with her husband.

The week after her due-date had been tense. At first, every sharp intake of her breath or wince had caused Rex to practically launch into the coordinated plan he'd put together of the quickest way to get her to the medcenter in Belleau-a-Lir, until she'd finally told him to be patient, half-joking, half-threatening to make it an order because really, it was getting a bit tiresome to be asked constantly, “is it time?”

Of course she was irritable and anxious as well, and while her memories of doing this before were returning, this was a new experience for her husband, so she'd apologized. Eventually, they'd decided that he needed a distraction and she needed to be left alone, so it was one late spring afternoon that she found her house full of clones, all of them riveted to the vid-screen that was showing the Galactic Cup Semifinals.

Bolo-ball had accomplished what she'd thought to be an impossible task: keeping Rex's mind occupied thoroughly enough for her to relax and nap a little, without either of them worrying about the other.

As Brenna lay curled up on a cushy, love-seat, her eyes were closed, but she knew the clones well enough now to distinguish between them. Right now, Jesse was whooping from his place at the far end of the couch. “Come on, you lazy son of a nerf-herder! GO!”

“He is lazy,” Coric said, his tone vaguely disgruntled. Brenna heard the sound of a bottle of ale settling on the low table before the couch, then the former medic spoke again. “Look at how slow that guy's running.”

Kix sighed. “Any of us could outpace him.”

“Kriff, I could outpace that, and I'm just a civvie,” Caith replied from his place on the end of the couch closest to Brenna. Despite the quiet, rolling cramps that she'd been experiencing the last few days, she smiled to herself, because her brother sounded like he was happy to be among the clones.

Her smile faded when she felt a stronger cramp than before, but a few deep breaths allowed her to work through the pain. They'd started several days after she was supposed to give birth, and at the first indication of contractions, Rex had practically carried her to the medcenter...for nothing. The cramps were common, apparently, and were not necessarily early signs of labor, so she'd been instructed by Dr. Bores to return only after her waters broke. In case it happened quickly, Jensine had offered to take Iri for the next few days – kriff, she hoped it didn't take any longer than that – until Brenna went into labor.

The entire house was baby-proofed, the nursery was long since ready. They had a massive supply of diapers, formula, clothes, blankets and everything else they would possibly need. Iri had been well-versed in her new role as a big sister and seemed to be looking forward to meeting her new sibling. Rex had practiced diapering until he'd announced he could diaper anything, practically in his sleep. The quickest route to the Belleau-a-Lir medcenter had been mapped and tested by Rex and Caith, with alternate routes in case of traffic or other unexpected delays. Jesse and Chopper had gone over the speeder at least a dozen times, checking to ensure that it was in perfect working order.

All they had to do now was wait.

“My kid could outpace that,” Rex added, a scowl in the words. “Bylluran Athletic is making a pretty poor showing this year.” Despite the annoyance in his tone, the reverberation of his voice from his place beside her on the love-seat was pleasant, and she felt his hand absently reach for her stomach as if to stroke.

Her first inclination was to shift away, as she had started feeling an aversion to being touched and prodded after so many doctor's visits, but she reined the feeling in and held still. His hand lightly brushed her stomach, then rested on the curve, as if just allowing her to feel his presence. The warmth of his skin was also a comfort, even though the cramps were growing a little more unpleasant with each passing moment.

Apparently another play was happening. Rex's hand lifted and the clones and Caith fell into anticipatory silence. Brenna exhaled. Sleeping wasn't really possible, because of the cramps and her huge, swollen belly – among other things – and she'd been unwilling to be too far away from Rex, so she'd decided to just try and drift off while the guys watched their bolo-ball. It was kind of nice, actually. Their talk was often amusing and while she wasn't the galaxy's most avid bolo-ball fan, she was interested enough to try and keep up with the game.

In the background, one of the guys swore softly, but she thought the play was still happening for they remained quiet, otherwise, and she took another deep breath, sinking further into repose. Her thoughts meandered to the list of possible names they'd come up with...she thought there was one in particular that Rex favored, though he'd been reluctant to say anything of the sort, especially since they still didn't know the sex of the child, but she knew he'd be happy no matter what, and she would be, too.

Besides-

Jesse's shout was not the thing that pulled her from her near-sleep, though it probably would have been in any other circumstance. “Kriff, he almost had it,” the tattooed clone said in a disgusted voice. “What in the nine Corellian hells is going on with this team?”

No, it was a sharp pang, harsher than any cramp she'd felt so far, that caused Brenna's eyes to open and her breath to catch.

“He's got it,” Caith said, his voice rising into a shout. “He's going for it!”

Chopper spoke next, his voice uncommonly forceful. “Go, you lazy barve!”

The others, Rex included, broke into a strange chorus of insults and encouragement to the players on the vid-screen before them, and Brenna's hand moved to her stomach, where another, rippling pain appeared, and she felt something warm and wet trickle down the insides of her thighs, a sensation that she remembered all-too-well. Oh, kriff.

The clones and Caith were still shouting at the bolo-ball players. Brenna sat up as best she could and regarded her husband, whose eyes were fixed on the game; apparently the distraction was still working rather well and he'd not noticed the change in her position. For one silly moment she felt a little bad for breaking his calm, as he'd been so agitated the week, but the feeling passed in an instant. Taking a deep breath as another, painful contraction moved through her, Brenna pitched her voice as calmly as she could. “Rex.”

Although Rex immediately flicked his eyes in her direction, she could tell that part of his attention was still on the game.

“Oh, kriffing hell! He dropped it!” Jesse sounded disgusted, but she only had eyes for her husband, who was now regarding her with trepidation.

Brenna nodded at her belly. “My waters broke. It's time.”

Rex's eyes widened and his breath caught; she watched as his entire body was trapped in stillness for one instant while a host of emotions played across his face – shock, relief, joy, fear – then he bolted upright, causing everyone to whirl around and face the former captain as the vid-screen showed a recap of the last play.

“Battle stations,” he roared, suddenly and completely “Captain Rex” again, despite his civilian garb. “Heads up! Move out! It's go time, lads!”

Immediately, the clones – and Caith, to Brenna's amusement – leaped out of their seats and began bustling through the house, carrying out their pre-assigned tasked with brisk, military efficiency: Chopper grabbed the bags that were filled with Bren and Rex's overnight items and raced for the door to set them in the speeder; Caith was on his heels, having been tasked with piloting the vehicle and dealing with it once they reached the medcenter; Jesse was on the comm to the medcenter, alerting them that Bren and Rex were on their way; Kix and Coric were doing a brief check of Brenna's vitals, something that Rex had insisted on, though she thought it was a going a little too far.

Really, though, she never failed to be impressed by the clones' efficiency. They'd planned out almost every aspect of this moment, and she knew that she was in good and capable hands; it was amusing, too, to see that each clone had seemed to have fallen back into his military persona while carrying out this new “mission.”

While the others bustled around them Rex stood by, taking her hand in his and asking her what felt like a hundred questions that all sounded the same. “Are you in pain? Are you okay? How far apart are you contractions? How much-”

“She's fine, Captain,” Kix said, his hand on Brenna's wrist as he checked her pulse.

Coric, who'd taken her temperature, gave her an apologetic look even though she could see the anxiety in his eyes; none of them had been through anything like this, before. “Everything checks out normal.”

“We're ready to go, Captain,” Chopper said as he barreled back into the room, thumbing behind him towards the driveway, where Brenna could make out Caith and the speeder.

Nodding, Rex took a deep breath and met Brenna's eyes. Within his, she saw again how nervous he was, though she could also see that he was working to stave off the feeling, so she smiled at him, despite the contraction that was beginning to ripple through her body. “Are you ready?” she asked.

He gave a helpless laugh and put his hand on her waist, guiding her towards the door, out to where their ride was waiting. “Not really.”

*****​

A/N: The first section is inspired by one of my favorite scenes from “The Office.” The second section makes me giggle waaay too much. I don't have kids and have never been pregnant, so I did a lot of research on going into labor, as well as talked to a few friends who've experienced it, so this section is as accurate as I can make it. If you see a glaring error, please let me know.

Wow. One more chapter & two epilogues left! Thank you so much for reading.

Next time: “Hours later, Rex's hand ached.”

 

laloga - this chapter had me all gooey and melty! Rex's "Is this okay" followed by his relief when it turned out to be perfect. I just evaporated ... and now the anticipation over a safely about to be delivered youngling. You have no idea none! how chuffed I am for that. More than one fic I've read recently have involved the loss of a youngling prematurely so this is totally absolutely welcome for me!

 

More squeeee! It's funny, I only just saw The Office last year (I know, I'm lame) but as I got to the surprise, I immediately thought of Pam and Jim. I like your way better though.

Nyota's Heart, oh no! I'm glad this story didn't have that kind of gut-wrenching surprise (when I saw the first Call the Midwife episode, I really thought they were going to Go There for a few minutes--and it would kind of make sense, after all, given the show's subject matter-- but SPOILER: they didn't! Big sigh of relief while watching that episode).

I have to laugh at Rex et al's "let's plan 5 different ways to get to the hospital" because my dad is like that even for trips to the grocery store. Ironically, he was probably like, "oh, wait, that's happening?" with my birth because I was the third child and by then, my parents were like, "pfft, whatever. Car seat laws aren't a thing yet, just throw her in the backseat*! She's fine!"

I love how Caith is one of the guys now







if you feel like reading my thread hijack:
*My mom admitted the lack of car seat to me just last night like it was some horrible family secret. Now, granted, it was 1983 so car seat laws really weren't quite a thing yet-- but car seats were real. Remember though, that my mom had just spent 10 minutes telling me about how when my oldest sister was born in 1974, she had a devil of a time getting a "Love Bucket" (early car seat prototype--literally a bucket with a seat groove for baby) set up in the car while my grandmother and the middle-aged nurse were throwing shade about it nearby, until my mom gave up and just held BigSis while my dad drove home. Then Mom spends 5 minutes going into detail about the car seat she had for my brother, born 4 years later. It was a weird contraption of a "seat," buckles, and fake steering wheel that looped over the front seat and once my brother got to be a toddler, he could magic his way out of it in about 30 seconds. She jumps forward to lovingly reminisce about the top-of-the-line Greico car seat/infant seat she got for my baby sister, who's 5 years younger than me (and maybe by then, car seat laws were actually real?). Heck, I still remember how fancy that thing was and my sister's in her mid-20s now.
THEN Mom breaks out the, "oh, when we brought you home, I don't think we even had a car seat, sweetie. But you know, I slept in an open dresser drawer when MY parents first brought ME home and I turned out all right!" Between this and me being the only one of my siblings who didn't go to preschool, I think we know who the favorite child(ren) are in my family.

 

Not quite caught up, but somewhere in the wedding planning. Now that's an assignment to make infiltrating an Imperial stronghold look easy! I'm enjoying how Jensine is coming to terms with both Rex and Bren, and how none of it makes her an easy person, but you can tell that she cares very much. And with -- oh happy day -- a separate dwelling being a possibility, Bren just might manage to live on Alderaan after all. Liked Rex's fondness for Nova and his interactions with the potential buyers, who I hope will be the ones, and maybe even future friends. They seem like good eggs. The reveal about Bren having another kiddo on the way was a surprise, and I loved their reactions (as well as Iri's seeming nonchalance -- perfect kid reaction, not really getting how much of a change it implies). And the cure being kind of brutal on the body for a while seems sensible, though I hadn't thought of it before -- but you're right, it makes total sense. Especially since it has that "magic cure" thing going on, which there are rarely any of IRL. Anyway, I'm very much enjoying some happy Rex/Bren times -- they certainly worked for it!

 

@Nyota's Heart - Yikes! Well, I wasn't about to have tragedy of *that* level strike in the final chapters of this fic... I'm glad you liked all the good feels here. Thank you so much for reading!​

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@gracesonnet - LOL! There's no accounting for the actions of our parental units. Best to just smile, nod, and keep all the screaming internal. Yes, Caith has been "adopted" by the clones. Thank you for the kind words!​

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@Kahara - I'm thrilled you're still enjoying the story! Particularly the stuff with the cure; it felt like the kind of thing that should not come easily. Thank you! ​

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*****​

Chapter Forty-Three​

Hours later, Rex's hand ached.

He hardly noticed though, because pain was such a minor feeling when compared to the host of other sensations that were spiraling through him right now. Brenna's grip was strong, but she was stronger, and later on he would think that never in his life had he been so proud and so completely terrified for anyone like he was for her during the birth of their child.

It lasted...well, he wasn't sure, really. Rex's entire world had shrunk to the woman beside him, to her primal cries and the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, to the way her hair was matted to her face and the ever-present grip of his hand in hers. Nothing else existed; he was only vaguely aware of the soft lights of the delivery room or the comforting voice of the Nautolan doctor who was helping Brenna. If asked in that moment, he honestly couldn't have said if he was hungry or tired or scared or anything, because all of his focus was on the woman he loved.

“There's the head,” Dr. Bores said, her voice lifting easily above Brenna's gasps. “One more push, Brenna.”

Both of Rex's hands were around Bren's single one; she was gripping his right hand hard enough to shatter the bones, or so it felt, and he'd covered hers with his left, pressing their skin as close as he could as if he could will his own strength into his wife.

“You're doing so well,” he whispered, though whether it was to her or himself he wasn't quite sure.

He had no idea, not really. It was all so much. Pain, fear, joy, hope...they were all coalescing within him until he thought there was no way he could contain any more emotion; as it was, he was so strung with tension he thought for sure he'd fracture apart any second now. Brenna whimpered and her red-rimmed eyes met his as her head turned, slightly. Her mouth opened but no sound came out and in the next moment her eyes squeezed shut and her grip on his hand tightened again, impossibly, and he said her name, he thought, but he wasn't sure of anything once he heard his child start to cry.

It was a sound like no other.

High, plaintive, angry, scared.

Alive.

His child. Bren's child. Their child.

There was something wet on his face but he hardly registered the fact when Dr. Bores spoke again, the Nautolan's voice lilting easily above the baby's cries. “A healthy little girl,” she said, handing the child to the assistant, who would clean the infant before bringing her to her parents. “Congratulations.”

A girl. Brenna's eyes were on his but her grip had slackened somewhat, and it was only when her fingers lifted out of his grasp to brush against his face that Rex realized he was crying, too. Neither one of them seemed capable of speech, but again it hardly mattered when they were with each other.

“Here she is,” Dr. Bores' Human assistant stood before him, holding a bundle in a pale, peach-colored blanket. “She's perfect.”

Perfect. The word echoed in Rex's mind as he accepted the bundle and looked into his new daughter's face for the first time. She was warm, pink and squirmy; her cries had faded somewhat but her face was contorted in such a way that suggested she was unhappy with the present circumstances, with the cold, dry air and absence of warmth that she had probably grown used to. She was so small, fitting into the crook of his arm with room to spare, and he could see the tiny edges of her fingernails on her hands, which were starting to curl upright as if she was reaching for something.

She was perfect.

Rex looked at Brenna, hardly daring to speak. He saw that her eyes were open and fixed on their daughter, so he shifted in order to let her get a better look. Brenna lifted her hand to pull down the edge of the blanket that covered the infant, then she smiled.

“Hello little one,” she said softly. In response, the baby made a soft, mewling sound and shifted in Rex's grasp, turning her head towards her father. Brenna smiled again, this time at him. “I think she likes you.”

The doctor and her assistant were moving around, taking care of a few things, but they'd pretty much fallen away from Rex's focus in light of everything else. He knew from his research that the baby would need to eat soon, and that Bren would likely be exhausted and need to rest; he knew that he needed to let Caith know, as his brother-in-law was in charge of relaying the information to the others. He knew that he probably needed to use the 'fresher.

But all he could do was stare in awe.

Several minutes later Brenna spoke again, the sound of her voice nearly jarring him from his reverie. “What do you want to call her?”

They had a few names picked out, but he had no clue right now. He had no words at all. He was at a complete and utter loss, because in the weeks before the birth of his second child he'd wondered how he could contain any more love; his love for Iri and Brenna was something so massive, sometimes he thought that it took up his whole heart, and he'd wondered what would happen when he met his new child.

But it was a silly thing to worry about, he knew that, now. Now he understood there was no limit to the love he could contain, nor the fierce threads of protective energy and pride that were winding tighter and tighter between himself and the infant in his arms.

“I don't know,” he managed after a beat, looking at his wife. Brenna nodded and exhaled, leaning her head back against the pillows; her hand was still lifted, touching the baby's blanket. Something clicked in his brain and he cleared his throat. “Do you want to hold her?”

He could see that Bren was exhausted, but she nodded eagerly. As carefully as he could manage, Rex passed their daughter to her, then leaned forward so that his face was close to his wife's. Brenna cooed wordlessly and smoothed her free hand across the infant's face, and he thought that if he'd been a Jedi like Ahsoka, he would have been able to sense her overwhelming joy.

Brenna closed her eyes and tilted her head down so that she was inhaling the scent of her baby. “What are we going to call you, little one?” she murmured.

How do you give someone a name?

Rex still didn't know, exactly, but he did know that he wanted his daughter to be strong and kind, intelligent and brave. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to have everything she wanted, and then some.

So he leaned forward as well to breathe in the scent of his daughter. There was nothing he could compare it to and no real way to quantify it other than he thought she smelled...warm. While inhaling his daughter's new-baby scent, he mentally ran through the names they'd picked out, examining each before discarding it immediately, when Brenna spoke again. “How about 'Tana?'”

Tana. It had been Bren's suggestion, his favorite one, actually. It was a good name, he thought, a strong name. Tana Damaris. It had a pleasant ring to it; it was a name with some history, a name that would, he hoped, bring the strength and compassion of its original bearer. If the baby had been a boy, the name would have been Tano, but that had never felt quite right. Rex wondered if this, too, was meant to be.

“Tana,” he said, stroking his daughter's smooth cheek; when she turned her head towards the sensation, a thrill of awe and amazement passed through him. “Tana Damaris. I like it.”

Brenna smiled at him. “Me too.”

Satisfied, Rex nodded and they both looked back at their daughter as he said, “Hello, Tana.”

*​

Later...

As it had every night this week, the sound of Tana's wail lifted Rex out of his sleep. His eyes opened to see the darkness of his and Bren's bedroom, lit only by the faint glow from night-lights in the kids' rooms down the hallway.

Beside him, Brenna shifted so that he could see her eyes were open as well, and for a moment they looked at each other, but he sat up first. “I'll get her.”

Brenna offered him a drowsy smile and murmured something to the effect of “thank you,” but the words faded before she'd finished speaking them. After pulling on a thin shirt over his sleep-pants, Rex hurried to his daughter's room and activated the lamp that was fixed along the wall so that he could see what needed to be done. Tana lay in her crib, her little limbs flailing, her face red and scrunched as she cried, and even though he'd lost track of how many times he'd replayed this exact same scenario, Rex smiled.

He bent and lifted her out of her crib, pressing her to his chest and murmuring to her as he tried to figure out what she needed. “What is it, kiddo?”

In his arms, Tana quieted a little bit, but not so much that he thought she'd just wanted attention; she smelled fresh and clean from her last diaper-change, so he decided that she was hungry, and carried her through the dark, now-quiet house to the kitchen. Several minutes later, formula bottle in hand, he settled on the couch and offered it to his daughter, who quieted as she began to suckle greedily. Thank the Force.

As she ate, a peaceful quiet descended upon the room, and Rex sighed and leaned his back along the cushions because his eyes felt heavy. Sometimes it wasn't this easy. A few times since they'd brought her home a week ago he'd been up for hours trying to figure out what she needed, when none of the normal things would suffice. A baby's needs were supposed to be simple: to be fed, to be clean, to feel loved. Not so different from anyone's, he'd learned. Sometimes, though, Tana seemed to just want to be out of her crib, and that was okay, no matter how tired he was. Rex's daughter ate while he fought back a yawn, though he failed. His body trembled with the force of it, and he sank further into the couch.

The soft sound of bare feet on the hardwood floor caught his attention; he turned and saw Iri, standing in the entryway to the living area, rubbing at her eyes and looking at him. “Daddy?”

“Iri'ka,” he said, fighting back another yawn as he pulled himself upright. “Did Tana wake you?” She nodded, her curls bobbing with the movement, and her lower lip began to tremble in the manner it did when she was about to cry, so he patted the cushion next to him. “Will you keep us company? When we're done, I'll tuck you back in.”

Iri beamed, as much as anyone could beam while half-asleep, and padded over to him, clambering onto the couch. He paused in feeding Tana so that he could lift his arm and embrace the toddler, who snuggled into his side with a sigh. Rex sighed as well, out of relief, as he had no wish to have two screaming kids in the house right now and he was thankful to have avoided such a thing. He glanced between his girls; Iri was asleep already, her head lolling against his chest, her long lashes resting on the curve of her cheeks. Her lips were parted in her sleep, just like Bren's did.

A nudge against the bottle in his hand alerted him to the fact that Tana was finished, so as carefully as he could manage, he set the bottle aside and made sure that she was comfortable as well. Once she'd been burped, he considered putting her back in her crib, but was reluctant to move just yet. Both of them were quiet and he really was tired; having struck – for the moment – a fragile balance between different kinds of contentment, so Rex closed his eyes, leaned his head back again, and held his daughters close.

“There you are.” Brenna's voice was soft but it was her touch against his shoulder that made him open his eyes. The light in the room was dim, and he could see that she was standing beside the couch, looking down at the three of them with a drowsy smile. “I wondered what happened to you.”

Rex glanced at the chrono on the wall and realized that he'd been here for almost an hour, then blinked up at his wife. “Tana was hungry,” he said with a yawn. “And she woke Iri up...guess we were all pretty tired.”

Bren smiled at him again, then indicated Tana. “I can put her down if you want to put Iri in her room.”

Rex looked between his daughters. Tana's eyes were closed, now, but he knew that they were brown, like her mother's, and the fuzz of hair on her head was dark as well, though Bren had remembered that both had been true of Irini when she'd been born, and that her eye and hair color had gradually changed as she aged. It was common among babies, so he'd come to understand; the possibilities were endless. There were countless different futures that could come about for any of them.

But right now was all that mattered.

So he glanced back up at his wife. “In a little while. Will you sit with us for a minute?”

She agreed, and he shifted carefully to one side in order to allow her room. Soon she was leaning close to him, Iri – still asleep – in her lap and his arm around her shoulders, while Tana was asleep in his other arm. Brenna rested her head against him and he dropped a kiss against her forehead, savoring the smell of the woman he loved.

When she spoke again, there was a stronger, sleepier edge to her words than had been there, before. “This is nice.”

In his arms, they were safe, all of them. His girls.

Rex smiled. “This is perfect.”

The End​

*****​

Longish note today...

As I've mentioned, this fic and its predecessor are meant to mirror each other in some ways. Chapter 29 of TFK features a moment between Rex and Bren when she talks about giving birth alone, and how she would have liked to have another person with her. That was the inspiration for the birth scene in this chapter.

Rex and “his girls.” It wasn't a planned theme, but I loved that line of Tucker's from TFK, (ch. 42), and wanted to echo the idea throughout this story. Speaking of girls, I debated quite a lot about the sex (and name) of the new child, but in the end chose to keep with the idea of Rex and his girls. Gosh, that name...I agonized over choosing it. I think it's a nice homage to Ahsoka.

It's always kind of bittersweet coming to the end of a story. While there's definitely a similar feeling during the writing process itself, it's magnified once the story is “out there” for everyone to see. Before now, it's still private, still existing mainly in my mind, (and heart), so it's a very personal thing to know it's all posted.

I started writing this fic in the late spring of '12. It's been a long, often emotionally draining journey getting this written and edited, but I'm proud of the final result. Many, many thanks again to LongLiveTheClones and Jade-Max for their awesome beta-work. If you have not done so, you should check out their stories!

We have two epilogues after this, which I hope you'll enjoy.

As always, thank you so much for reading. Really. I know I say it all the time, so the words might lose meaning, but I do always mean them. Thank you for taking an interest in my story. If you feel inclined, please let me know what you thought.

On to the epilogues!

 

Yup, that phrase encapsulates this chapter and the entire reading experience. Perfect!

Thank you for sharing this marvelously eventful, touching, deliciously yummy journey with us!

I will devour the epilogues as well.

 

Oh my gosh, Rex's girls!!!!!!! Awwww! I love the parallels between this and The Fighting Kind, especially with Rex holding Brenna's hand, and the repetition of Tucker's line. I'll be sad when there aren't any more chapters to read. Also, it was The Fighting Kind that got me back into TCW last year. I found your stuff on FFN while noodling around, started reading The Fighting Kind and was like, "oh right, there was that 2nd Clone Wars cartoon show they did" (I'd seen some season 1 episodes back in the day but didn't really get into it beyond that for whatever reason). So I started watching the show on Netflix too and between that and TFK, I was like, "this show is my OTP now."
So a very belated thank you for writing such awesome stories that build on Rex, Ahsoka, etc. I want to save TFK and WFF to my Kindle, that's how much I love them

 

Nyota's Heart- Thank you so much!

gracesonnet - I'm so glad you enjoy my ramblings! Hearing that makes all of this struggle worthwhile. Thank you for being awesome.

*****​

Epilogue One​

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Approximately ten years later...

Much to Irini's disgust, the door did not slam when she stormed out of the house and away from her parents.

She compensated by stomping down the porch steps and into the front yard, deliberately knocking a few of Tana's toys aside in the process. A gust of autumn air lifted her fair hair above her face and she shivered, regretting for one instant the fact that she'd not grabbed a sweater, but she pushed the feeling away and crossed her arms before her chest, scowling up at the cloudless sky.

Wrong. It was all wrong.

They lied to me, she thought with a sniff, swiping at her runny nose with the sleeve of her shirt. My whole life...they both lied to me. How could they?

She stood, swaying slightly in the wind for a moment while she debated her options. Running away was, of course, the preferred choice, but she had no way to get anywhere worthwhile, and all of her clothes, holos, and art supplies were here, anyway. If Uncle Fives and Aunt Mar had been dirtside, maybe she could have convinced them to give her a lift to...somewhere. Saleucami, maybe, so she could see Jek again.

But her aunt and uncle were offworld, having adventures of their own like so many others, and she was stuck here. Probably forever.

Irini sniffed again and blinked back another hot prick of tears. Stupid parents. All Dad ever talked about was being honest and honorable, and all this time he wasn't even her dad, just a guy who looked enough like her to pass as her father. Ugh. No wonder she just knew he loved Tana more.

That thought was enough to spur her steps forward, having reached a decision. It was only about five klicks to her Nana's house, and Irini knew from experience that it was a distance easily covered on foot, though she'd have preferred a quagga, or – even better – the speeder, which her father let her drive sometimes, when Mom wasn't around. It was their little secret, hers and Dad's.

No, she thought with another scowl, kicking up a few loose pieces of gravel as she strode along. Not Dad. But what? Rex? That sounded weird. She knew that he'd been a captain, back when he was in the army, but the title had little meaning to her. He never talked about any of that stuff, anyway.

The gentle hum of repulsors pulled her out of her thoughts and made her pause. Turning, she lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sun and squinted as the vehicle approached, then she sighed when she saw who sat behind the controls.

Her dad pulled up and glanced around to regard her, his customary wide-brimmed hat casting half his face in shadow. He cleared his throat and Irini braced herself for a stern reprimand, a near-order for her to get back home at once, young lady, so we can discuss your behavior.

What she got surprised her. “Need a lift?”

There was no trace of a scolding in her dad's voice, and as he spoke, another, more insistent gust of wind brushed over her, causing her to shiver just a little bit. But rather than answer, Irini shoved her hands in her pockets and glared at him. “No.”

He simply looked at her, his eyes – the same color as hers – showing no anger or annoyance, or even worry, though if she looked very hard she thought she could make out a hint of sorrow, which startled her. When he spoke again, his voice was calm and steady as it always was. “You're going to your grandmother's, right?”

Irini nodded and he seemed satisfied as he added: “Well, so am I.”

“Good for you,” she said, and turned on her heels to keep walking.

There was silence for one moment, then she heard him again. “Irini Damaris.”

Ugh. It was that tone, the one she knew so well, the one that said, do as I say, or else you're in a huge pile of osik. He was good; she had to give him that. He didn't even have to say anything other than her name because they both knew that she'd turn her butt around and do exactly as he wanted. As though it was agreeing with him, the wind kicked up again and sent a chill right through her, and when she looked back at him, Dad held up her favorite sweater, which he must have grabbed before he left the house.

“Fine,” she grumbled as she made her way back to the speeder. So that he would understand how ticked-off she was, she flopped down on the seat and slammed the door shut, then crossed her arms and faced forward, unmoving.

The speeder hummed gently, but it remained still. Perplexed, she glanced at her father, who then nodded to the sweater, which she'd apparently sat upon. “Your mother thought you'd be cold,” he said as Irini sighed and began to tug the sweater out from under her butt. “So did I.”

Okay, it was nice to be warm, she had to admit, but she was still angry, so once she'd pulled the sweater over her head, Irini re-crossed her arms and nodded to the road ahead. “Can we just get going?”

A faint smile lifted the corner of her dad's mouth but he urged the speeder forward, and they drove in silence for a few minutes before he spoke to her again. “When we get to the ranch, I'll need you to help with Pepper and Zola,” he said, as if he was completely unaware of how upset she was. “Zola's not taking to a rider as well as I'd like, so I want you on the lead-line while I-”

He broke off when Irini made a noise of disgust; his brow lifted as he regarded her for a moment, though the speeder continued its pace down the empty, winding road. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

She gave him her steeliest glare. “You can't tell me what to do,” she said, scowling. “You're not my real dad, remember?”

Even as she said the words she regretted them, for the sorrow she'd noted before flared a little stronger in his eyes, for all that it faded quickly and his face returned to its normal, annoyingly stoic expression. “I remember,” he said after a beat, glancing at her again. “But you stormed out before you heard the whole story, kiddo.”

She scowled at him again, harder. “I heard enough.”

“Iri'ka-”

“Don't call me that,” she huffed, turning her head to glare at the countryside as they zoomed by. The mountains loomed in the distance, though in the immediate area all she could make out was boring swathes of grass and the same houses that had always been around. “I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad. I'm thirteen.”

A quiet sound escaped him at this; it was like a chuckle, but sort of sad and dark, and out of the corner of her eye she watched his grip on the controls tighten, as if he was preparing himself to speak, or perhaps preventing himself from speaking. Finally he took a deep breath and looked at her again, briefly, as he slowed the speeder's pace just a bit, then stopped it fully on the side of the road.

Oh, kriff, she thought, feeling dread clutch at her belly. This is not good.

Silence descended upon them when he cut off the engine, and for a long, long moment he said nothing, until he exhaled deeply. “Thirteen. Do you know how many lives I had taken by the time I was your age?”

The words struck her with the force of a slap. Irini felt her lips part in shock as she stared at her father, at the quiet, stern man who could somehow make her mother laugh like no one else in the galaxy. She said nothing – what could she say to that? – and he continued after a moment, his voice taking on a distant tone, as if he wasn't really even speaking to her, anymore. “Too many to remember. Mostly we fought droids, of course, but there were many, many wets – organic life-forms – who died by my blasters during the Wars.

“By the time I was four, I could shoot as well as a person six, seven, or eight times my age. By the time I was seven, I could dismantle a tank and kill a man, both with only my bare hands.” He took a long, slow breath and glanced her way, again. “By the time I was Tana's age, I was leading dozens of men to their deaths on a daily basis.”

While he'd spoken, Irini had frozen in her seat, horror and shock at his words pinning her in place and casting aside the bulk of her annoyance, which seemed petty, now. He'd never spoken of his time as a soldier to her or to her sister. She'd known about the accelerated-aging thing, but that, like his army days, was distant, like something out of a holo-film. Of the Wars themselves she'd heard snippets from her uncles and had pieced those together with the histories she'd learned at school, but she'd never heard any of this. Her eyes were hot, but all she could do was blink at him.

He gave her a half-smile that was a little sad, then reached for her hand and grasped it within his own, his larger one covering hers completely. “But do you know what happened when I was your age?”

Irini felt her head shake. Now she was riveted, not just by his words, but also by the secure press of his hand over hers; it was a warmth that surrounded her better than any sweater, and again she felt a flare of regret for her harsh words of a few minutes ago.

Dad smiled at her again, but it was a truer one than before. “I met you,” he said, squeezing her hand gently. “I met your mother. And my life was never the same.”

She didn't know what to say. “Dad-”

His eyes on her were filled with love even though his voice was measured. “Before you and your mother, I had very few things to live for. I had my brothers, of course. I had my duty, always. And it wasn't a bad life, no matter how horrible it may sound,” he added, a knowing look in his eyes as her cheeks grew warm. “But it was...a dream,” he said after a moment, frowning to himself. “A waking dream. When you and your mom came into my life, I woke up.”

Irini exhaled and looked down at their hands, at his own dusky skin that was a few shades darker than her own, at the weathered fingertips that had always been there for her, offering support and guidance, even when she wanted none of it. He was indestructible, her dad, solid and unmoving as any mountain. Like the mountains, he would always be there.

His words about his soldier days had caused most of her anger to flee, though something huge and sorrowful still pressed on her heart. He'd revealed a part of himself that she had not seen, but she still felt as if something larger had been taken away.

Because it was not within her to give in so easily, she sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall and looked up at him again. “You're not my real father.”

He'd been almost smiling, and at the words his face fell a little, though it was only into a more thoughtful expression. “That's technically true,” he said slowly. “I didn't impregnate your mother-”

“Eww...gross, Dad!” Irini made a gagging sound and tried to pull her hand away, but his grip was firm.

“-with you,” he finished, and now she knew his half-smile was at her expense, even though his voice was still steady. “Only your sister. But Iri'ka,” he said, turning to her fully and holding her eyes with his own. “I like to think that I've never given you a reason to doubt that I love you. Have I?”

His eyes were her eyes; she'd heard her uncles talk about distinguishing themselves during the Wars – she'd asked Uncle Jess about his awesome face-tattoo on more than one occasion – but she'd always taken no small amount of satisfaction that she, not Tana, looked more like their dad and the other clones. It had always been a reminder of the shared blood between them.

But now...well, any of them could be her dad, right? Blood was blood. It wasn't anything special.

It didn't make a family.

Irini blinked hard and shook her head. “No, you haven't. I guess.”

“You guess?” He sounded faintly amused and she sighed.

“I know you love me, Dad,” she said at last, taking a breath to stave off the tremble in her hands. He squeezed harder and she felt tears threaten her eyes again, so she hurried to say what she wanted to say before she stared crying like a di'kut. “I know you love me, but...now I just feel like I don't know you. I feel like Uncle Jess or Kix or Fives or any of them could be my dad. It's not-” She huffed and swiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand. “It's not special, anymore. You and me, I mean. Not like it was before you and Mom told me the truth.”

Ugh. Now she really felt like a baby, especially when fat, stupid tears started rolling down her cheeks, no matter how hard she worked to fight them back. There was a pause, then she felt her dad's hand lift from her own and she thought, great, now I've really ticked him off, but rather than turn away from her, she felt his arm curl around her shoulders and pull her close against his side, which was when she really got going.

Irini had no idea how long they sat there, on the side of the road, while she wept into her dad's shoulder. It was not gentle crying, like in the holos, where the tears would slip down the actors' faces but they still looked beautiful; this was pure sobbing, the kind that caused her breath to grow short and wracked her body with the force of it, the kind that wrung her dry from the inside out and made her feel like there was no light or goodness anywhere, even when the sun shone peacefully above their heads.

Through it all, her dad held her close.

At first he spoke softly to her, murmuring in Basic and Mando'a, though he never once told her to stop crying. He was simply there for her, as he had always been. After a few minutes he grew silent and embraced her completely, allowing her to soak his shirt with her tears; he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head until finally, thank the Force, her tears ebbed and all that remained were those annoying little hiccups that followed an outburst of this kind.

She sat for a moment, collecting herself, then looked up at him even though she didn't know what she was supposed to say.

“I'm sorry, Daddy,” she managed at last, her voice small and trembling.

He said nothing at first, only rubbed her shoulders and smoothed back the strands of her hair that had become stuck to the side of her face with her tears. When he did speak his voice was mostly kindness, tinged with notes of genuine curiosity. “What are you sorry for, Iri'ka?”

Sniffing, she swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, then hugged her arms to her sides and leaned into him again, sighing when he embraced her. “For saying that you...aren't my dad.” She hiccuped again and inhaled, breathing in his scent and savoring how warm he was, how safe she'd always felt with his arm around her. “I was angry. I didn't mean it.”

His arm tightened on her shoulders. “I know you didn't, Iri. But...apology accepted, anyway.”

Nodding, Irini rubbed her face on the soft fabric of his shirt, trying to scrub away the last of her tears. “And I'm sorry for running away.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him at this. “I wasn't going to let you get far, kiddo.” He sighed, and his voice turned slightly wistful. “I know you'll leave one day, and I'm trying to prepare myself. But for right now, you're stuck with me.”

“I'm okay with that,” she hiccuped, smiling when she felt him drop another kiss against her forehead. “You're a pretty good dad.”

“'Pretty good?'” he repeated, his voice round with mock-incredulity. “Are you calling me a slacker?”

Irini sat up and offered him another, broader smile, filling as much hope as she could into her expression; sure, he could say her name and get her to do what he wanted, but she had a few tricks up her sleeve, too. “Yep. You know, if you wanted to, you could let me drive the rest of the way to Nana's house. That might help.”

For one long, long moment he said nothing; his face turned so solemn and she thought she may have gone too far. Finally he glanced around, as though Mom was about to materialize out of thin air and scold them both, then grinned at her in a rare moment of levity. “Sounds like a plan, kiddo.”

*****​

A/N: You know sometimes when everything just falls together and you're torn between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh? That was me writing this. I'd wanted to write Iri's POV for some time, in part because she's so central to Rex and Brenna's story, yet she has no voice, and in part because apparently I can relate waaay too closely to the mindset of a 13 year old girl.


Yes, that is a mention of Cut Lawquane's son, Jek. He took quite a shine to Iri, it seems.

 

Wonderful slice of life moment. A realistic and touching exchange full of the initial and understandable "What!" from Irini followed by the resurgence of the closeness and the reality of "this is my daddy" of the heart kind of thing versus a technical biological connection.

 

Welp, I'm crying. And this came right after Father's Day too!
"Uncle Jesse's sweet face tattoo"--LOL, I bet he'd love Iri's description of it

 

Saw this on tumblr today and thought of laloga!
(Photo of the periodic symbol for gold, Au, and caption: when you find a really good alternative universe fanfiction)


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