Chapter Text
Sabine helped Ezra stumble weakly towards Ahsoka's ship. She wanted to make jabs at him about being so weak and out of shape, but she knew it wasn't his fault he had been struggling to survive all this time, all alone. To be honest she felt guilty, like it took her too long, that his poor condition was just a visual reminder that it was her fault. He was unnaturally pale, so thin, he was covered in sweat and dirt after this last battle. His body concealing a years worth of pain and injuries, and not just physical ones.
"It's not your fault you know." Ezra spoke up, his voice dry and quiet. "It was my foolish decision, and you could've shown up a decade later, or even given up and not come to find me at all."
"I would have never done that!" Sabine's voice was deep with disgust at the horrible thought.
"Heh, I know." Ezra whispered and closed his eyes as the fatigue set into his weary bones. "I knew it was gonna be you, it had to be you. Nobody else would do it." They got inside and Sabine helped Ezra gently down onto one of the bunks.
"Don't worry." Sabine smiled. "We're going home "
"Home." Ezra looked up, he saw the familiar style of etchings on the wall around the bunk. A tired smile tugged at his mouth as he rubbed the Lothcat with his fingers. "Home." He closed his eyes. "Sabine?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry I had to give you my burden." His words slurred and he passed out.
Sabine looked down at the exhausted lump, his labored raspy breathing hurt her own chest. Her face was stern with concern as her eyes surveyed his face. The deep dark bags under his eyes, the lines from stress wrinkles already marking his once youthful expression. Her gaze lingering on his lips, his dry chapter lips. Wait, why was she looking at his lips? Before she could analyze her thoughts from the back of her mind any further, Ahsoka's voice saved her from herself.
"Let's get out of here, we can rendezvous with Rex later, we'll check up on Ezra after we're safely in hyperspace." Ahsoka grabbed Sabine by the arm. "He's safe now, he's home."
"No, not yet, not until we're back on Lothal."
"Sabine." Ahsoka's voice was quiet and she turned to her, Ahsoka gave her a warm smile. "You are his home." Sabine sniffled back a tear at that and then nodded. "Come on, the sooner we get to safety, the sooner you can lecture and fuss over him."
Sabine laughed slightly, "Deal." She turned and looked out the view port at the remains of the smoldering rubble of the chimera. She smirked proudly to herself, "Make some art appreciation out of that, grand asshole." The ship turned as Huyang entered the hyperspace coordinated, and the flaming debris was left behind and out of sight forever, replaced with the colors of hyperspace that had always reminded her of a certain young Jedi's eyes.
As they traveled safely towards Lothal in hyperspace, Rex had connected his ship to Ahsoka's and finally came on board to reunite with the others. They were all elated with the successful turn of events. Ezra was safe, the chimera was destroyed, and they were on their way home with high spirits. As Rex jokes with Ahsoka and Huyang hemed and hawed at the tactics of their mission, it was all background noise to Sabine. She had gone to get the med scanner, she was worried about Ezra. How was it that he always got himself so beat up and in trouble? He really would be lost without her. She walked over to find him still dead asleep from his exhaustion and injuries. At least he was dead asleep and not dead, she had to count this as a massive win, even if it did take a year. She finally snapped herself out of her thoughts and turned on the scanner, slowly waving it up and down across his body as it whirred, her expression fraught with concern. It finally finished and began to load the readout. Sabine read the list and furrowed her brow.
"Hey." A quiet raspy voice jerked her from out of her thoughts. She glanced down to see Ezra looking up at her, his expression exhausted and weak. "Are you ok?"
Sabine scoffed slightly and smirked with amusement, "I should be asking you that, you little punk."
Ezra frowned a little, Sabine's voice was giving her away. He spoke back up, "I'll be ok you know."
"Oh, yeah, I know." Sabine began to pace slightly, her tone pitched with stress. "You're fine, so totally fine! Cause you're always fine!" Her ranting caused Ezra to chuckle slightly as she continued. "Ezra, look at this!" She held up the med scanner and began to read off the results listing down the screen. "Broken ribs, cracked shoulder blade, excessive scar tissue from blaster wound, multiple internal injuries and bruising, several healed wrong mind you, burns, lacerations, concussion, malnutrition, dehydration, severe exhaustion, traces of food poisoning, asthma, high blood pressure, acute stress levels, history of anaphylactic allergies from localized flora and fauna, fever-"
"I'm fine Sabine...."
"I'm not done yet!"
He reached up and put a hand gently on her arm to cut her off, "I'll be fine, because I'm with you." Sabine looked down at him and he smiled warmly up at her.
"Wow. So typical of you." She shook her head. "You're the one on your death bed, and you're the one consoling me." Ezra gave her a classic smirk. "You're getting a full medical and lab work when we get back."
"Sabine...." Ezra tried to protest.
"I will shove the meds down your throat if I have to, and so help me I will lock you to the bed with Force repression handcuffs." Ezra moaned loudly in defeat and she couldn't help but laugh a little. The ship jerked slightly as it came out of hyperspace, causing them both to be distracted from their conversation.
"Well, we've arrived at our first stop." Rex announced as he walked over.
"Rex!" Ezra beamed but coughed weakly as it irritated his ribs.
"Hey lieutenant, welcome back." Rex nodded and looked him up and down. "Even if you are a little worse for wears."
"Better damaged than destroyed." Ezra shrugged.
"You're more than just damaged, mister." Sabine slapped his arm.
"Owwwww....."
Rex chuckled to himself and shook his head with an eye roll, "You and my commander would've gotten along so well."
"That they would have." Ahsoka smiled as she walked up beside him. "How about it, want to get some air and stretch your legs? We need to fuel up and grab a few supplies."
"You are staying in bed." Sabine pointed sternly. "I am going to get you some medical supplies."
"Awwwwww but Sabine!"
"No buts except your butt in bed." Sabine turned and walked off, leaving Ezra speechless with his jaw dropped.
"Uhh..... Is she mad at me?"
"Are you kidding?" Ahsoka chuckled. "I haven't seen her this excited in months."
And so as they continued home, they all rested and enjoyed each other's company, catching Ezra up on some of the things he missed back in his home galaxy. Ezra was so amazed that so much had happened, he actually felt a little embarrassed that he helped spark such a chain of events and have his sacrifice be a part of something so big. The highlight of the trip was finally getting to eat something that resembled edible food. Granted it was a ration bar, but Ezra wanted to cry. He also wanted to try and escape out the window when Sabine wanted to try giving him an IV. Yes they were in hyperspace, and yes he probably would've been torn apart, but Ezra didn't care, he was willing to take his chances. Luckily he didn't have to, because the trip went by quick enough and before they knew it, they had arrived back at Lothal.
"Here we are Ezra." Sabine stood next to him as they looked out the view port. "Home."
"Yeah." Ezra smiled at her, his eyes shining with new life. "Home." He looked at her for a few moments before following her gaze to see the world that he helped liberate.
"This is fulcrum." Ahsoka checked in.
"Greetings fulcrum, welcome back. You are clear for entry."
"Ohh Hera doesn't sound happy, heh." Rex chuckled.
"Oh don't worry." Sabine gave Ezra a smirk. "She's about to cry tears of joy."
Ahsoka landed in the hanger where Hera was waiting to greet them, hands on hips and a stern expression on her face. She had not been happy about this trip and the two weeks that they were gone. She was ready to lay into them, psyching up her lecture in her mind. The ramp lowered and the steam released, Ahsoka and Rex were the first to step out.
"Greetings general." He nodded.
"Rex, I need you to go check in with command. I have to speak with Ahsoka for a moment."
"Now, go easy on her." Rex gave her a sympathetic glance as he backed off.
"Easy!?" Hera scoffed and then turned to Ahsoka. "You abandoned your post for two weeks, dragging not only Rex but Sabine with you on another wild nuna chase!" Hera was fuming, starting to pace, Ahsoka said nothing but folded her arms in wait. "I know you want to help and be supportive, but this has gone on long enough! You cannot continue to feed into and support her delusions. The rebellion needs you, all of you. I need you all! Sabine can't heal from a wound you keep helping her pry open." She let out a huff. "I already lost my son, I do not want to lose my daughter."
"Hera." Ahsoka spoke quietly. "You haven't lost anybody. And don't worry, this was the last time I'm going to take Sabine out in her searching."
Hera took a breath and paused, staring at Ahsoka before speaking back up, "Do you really mean that? Do you promise?"
Ahsoka smiled, it was simple but warm, "Yes Hera, I promise. She's home."
Ahsoka stepped aside as she heard footsteps coming down the ramp. Only to Hera it sounded strange, like one set of steps were strong and sturdy, and the other were staggered and stumbling, as if from a weak gait of injury or fatigue. Sabine's figure showed up in the fading steam around the ship. But she seemed hunched as if she was caring something. No... Someone? The figures finaly emerged. Sabine looked straight forward, smiling at Hera. It was confident and proud, with a slight hint of I told you so, but it was a relieved smile, like a soldier whose war was finally over. Next to her, the scrappy looking boy with ragged dirty clothes and scruffy dark blue hair. He was thin and covered in wounds, but when the tired blue eyes opened and looked up, the entire galaxy suddenly froze, as if everything from the last piece of a long unfinished puzzle was finally placed, and all seemed right in the world. Hera was frozen. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She felt her very foundation trembling. The boy smiled at her, a youthful innocent familiar smile that still somehow existed after all of the hells he had been through in his short young life. He swallowed hard, the tears already forming near the corners of the grin on his cheeks.
Hera took a breath, a gasp, and finally found her voice, "Ezra....?"
"Hi Hera." His voice was tired and weak, the same as the lost little boy they had saved a long time ago. "I'm home."
"Ezra.... Is it, is it really.....?" Hera held out a hand and took a shaky step forward.
"It's really me, I promise." He gave a tired laugh and went to step forward, Sabine releasing her hold on him to help keep him standing. He took a few hurried steps and stumbled.
"Ezra!" Hera rushed forward and dove down on her knees to catch him. "Are you...." She put her hands on his face and he looked up at her. Her heart swelled in her chest as she looked down at her poor boy. He looked horrible, but that didn't matter anymore, because he was home. "Ezra." Hera wrapped her arms around him tightly and sobbed bitterly. Ezra pushing his face into her shoulder and did the same. "I'm so sorry." She finally blurted out. "I didn't want to give up on you. I didn't mean to, but I had to."
"I know." Ezra whispered. "It's ok, I understand." They both looked at each other and smiled, their faces drenched in tears, refusing to let go just in case this was a dream.
"Hera!" They all turned to see Kanan rush into the doorway, panting hard and trying to catch his breath. "I could feel it, in the Force. Are you, is he, is he really...."
"Kanan!" Ezra choked out, his words catching in his throat as the tears began to fall again at the sight of his beloved master.
"Ezra..... Ezra!" Kanan rushed forward, not bothering to use any bit of focus to worry about his surroundings, he hit himself on a railing and ran into the corner of a crate, but he had to get to him, to his Padawan, to his son. "Ezra!" Kanan lunged forward and hugged Ezra tightly, causing the boy to fall back off his knees as he tightly squeezed his arms around his master.
"Kanan. Kanan, I missed you so much!"
"Ezra. I was so worried. I tried so hard to find you in the Force, but you were gone. I didn't want to believe you were gone. I couldn't feel you one with the Force, so I knew you were alive. But I couldn't find you. I'm sorry Ezra. I failed you, I failed you as a master."
"No Kanan." Ezra gripped his shoulders. "I only survived because of you. I would be dead if it wasn't for you."
"Ezra." Kanan rubbed his head and ruffled his hair, he smiled. "I'm so proud of you. Look at everything you've accomplished."
"Hey, I learned from the best." Ezra shrugged and received a hard slap upside the head. "Ah! What was that for?" He rubbed the sore spot.
"Don't you ever do anything so stupid and selfish and reckless and dangerous like that again!"
"Hey." Ezra smirked a Kanan's lecture. "Again, I learned from the best." Kanan let out a scoff and brought Ezra back into another hug, Hera wrapping her arms around her boys.
"Sabine." Hera reached out a hand. "You made this all possible. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, I'm sorry I tried to stop you. But thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for finding Ezra, for bringing him home. You saved our family."
Sabine smiled and walked over to join the pile of hugging, "Thank you Hera." They all shared the embrace and Hera once again looked up to see Ahsoka smiling fondly at them.
"You too."
"I'm sorry?" Ahsoka blinked with confusion.
"I said all of my family." She held out her arm again. "Thank you for bringing my family back together again. And that includes you." Ahsoka smiled and let out a sigh and she finally made her way over and joined the hug. "I'm sorry for what I said."
"Consider it forgotten."
They all shared in the familial embrace for what seemed like forever, yet time stood still. It felt like nothing could tear them apart, they would refuse to ever let that happen ever again. The rebellion came first. That was how the saying went. But what was the rebellion without rebels? Hera realized that the saying was wrong. It was family, family had to come first. Speaking of family, there was one member Ezra hadn't met yet. The little one currently under the watchful eye of his reluctant babysitter droid Chopper. But that would have to come later, there was something they had to take care of first.
"Alright mister, come on, let's go." Sabine spoke with firm authority.
"But Sabine!" Ezra whined as Sabine dragged his weary body after her. "I'm fine! Just let me go to bed."
"Oh I'm taking you to bed alright. A bed in the med bay." Sabine's words made Ezra groan loudly and caused her to smile slightly.
"Sorry, but this is captains orders." Hera followed behind with Kanan in tow.
"Just like old times." He smirked. "It feels like nothing has changed."
"And I'll make sure it stays that way." Hera smiled at him.
"Now sit down and stay in bed before I go get those handcuffs." Sabine shoved him down on the cot.
"Ohhh kinky." Ezra purred. "Sabine I had no idea you were so- AH!" He cried out in pain as Sabine pinched his nose tightly.
"Just for that I'm telling the doctor not to give you pain killers, and I'll make sure they use the biggest needless on you."
"Noooooo please!"
Hera and Kanan laughed as they enjoyed the familiar playful bickering they thought they would never hear again. It had been so long since Hera had seen Sabine smile so much and look so happy and feel so alive again. Hera realized it was the exact same for herself. Ezra coming home had brought home back to all of them. She couldn't wait to tell Zeb and Kallus, they would come back right away at the news. They both sat back and observed Sabine giving Ezra a hard time as he protested with the doctor and whined about treatment, but soon enough he had to submit to the medical care, changing into a medical outfit and having to be hooked up to an IV and monitors, they gave an oxygen tube under his nose and bacta patches being placed on the worst of the wounds. He lay exhausted and a little emotionally defeated in the bed. Night fell. Hera and Kanan had to get back to work, but Sabine kept vigil by his bedside. She wanted to make sure he was a compliant patient, but she also felt like if she left he might disappear again. Ezra had been resting as his body began to heal with all of the treatments. Sabine was dozing in the chair.
"Sabine?" Ezra's voice was barley a whisper. "Are you awake?" No response. Ezra let out a sigh and licked his lips. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving me. I knew I could count on you. You were the only one who never gave up on me." He paused and smiled. "I thought about everyone all the time, but I worried about you the most. The burden I left on you, leaving you like that, it was selfish, and I'm sorry. I swear I'll never do that again. You don't do that to somebody you love." He paused again and looked up at her, she hadn't moved or made a sound, so he continued. "I'm sure you already knew, after all this time, how I felt about you, and I knew you didn't feel that way about me. But.... But I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. And when I saw you again, heh, it was like falling in love with you all over." He smiled to himself and let out a wistful sigh. "I love you Sabine. No matter what, I will always love you." He let out a tired breath and leaned his head back against the pillow, the little speech having exhausted the air and energy in his lungs.
"I love you too, you idiot."
"......What?" Ezra sat up slightly, had he imagined it? He looked at Sabine and she opened her eyes and smiled
"You heard me." She sat up. "You think I wouldn't go through all that for somebody I didn't love? And when I lost you, I realized something." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "The life I had without you, the very thought of never seeing you again, never talking to you again, seeing you smile, hearing you laugh..... I felt like part of me had died. A part of me that had woken up and immediately broke." She sniffled back some tears and looked at Ezra, who was staring back at her wide eyed in surprise. She smiled, "I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize what I had. I only realized what I had when I lost it. And when I lost it, I knew I had to get it back, no matter what." She put her hand on his and held it tightly. "And never let go again."
"I'll never leave you ever again Sabine. I'm so sorry."
"You have the rest of your life to make it up to me." Sabine knelt down beside his bed, her face over his.
Ezra smiled, "Deal."
And with that, they finally shared their first kiss. But it would surely never ever be their last. As he finally started to recover and could rejoin the fight, they stayed together. They had a second chance at life, a second chance at love. Love in the time of rebellion. When you love somebody, you fight harder than anything to keep them with you. And maybe that's why family had to come first. You can't fight a rebellion without something to love, someone to live for. And with the love between those like Ezra and Sabine, there was no stronger force out there to help the rebels defeat the empire.
Watch out Palpatine, your nephew is back!