Author's Note: Hi everyone! This is my first Star Wars: The Clone Wars fic so tell me what you think. This takes place about five to six months after Ahsoka left the Jedi Temple. I plan on making a second chapter that would take place after Order 66, but so far this part sets that one up. Also, please don't comment on how my story is different from the now canon idea. This is my idea, I know it will be different from what Filoni made and nothing is as good, but please enjoy anyway!

"Captain, I can't get in contact with General Koon." Fives told Rex, "my comlink broke in the blast, that or it was fried by the Seps."

"Mine too, sir." Rooney answered, helping Jesse stay up on his bad leg.

Rex looked down at his own comlink as he heard a blast, the ground shaking again with another blast. Part of the Torrent Company went in with General Koon and the Wolf Pack to help stop a Separatist invasion of Denon. They were waiting for more back up with General Secura and Bly's Company but there have also been some air attacks. They were more outnumbered than they imagined, but Rex knew that the gap would be closing in and the Generals were more concerned about the damage being done to the planet. There were many civilian casualties as the Separatists bombed a part of the city, creating a sense of terrorism so that they would give in.

During one of the attacks a bomb separated him and a small group of other clones from the others. Jesse had landed in a wrong way on his leg, making it twist in an unnatural way that he could barely stand on his own. And the new rookie Blue got hit the worse, the blast and being hit with debris breaking through his armour and created a large wound on his shoulder and part of his upper chest. Another rookie Rooney was helping him stay up as they saw blood slowly come down his armour. Now they were trying to get in contact with Wolfe as they were basically hoarded into an alleyway. Blue was going to need medical attention and Jesse couldn't do much until his leg was set right. That left him, Tags, Fives, Rooney and Aytes to try and get them out of there, but against a wall of debris they knew that they would have to go around back ways blindly and Rex didn't like that idea either.

"Mine's not that much help either." Rex commented, looking at them. He picked up a blaster from the ground as he heard Fives mutter, "fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."

Rex answered, "We're going to have to keep moving, try and head south to get back onto our lines."

"Yes, sir!" they answered.

Aytes moved on the other side of Jessie so that they could move faster. Fives went first and Rex watched as the others followed. He took one last look around before following to make sure that no one was following them.

The group had only gone down a couple of roads before they heard metallic clanking on the ground in a unified form. Rex, Fives, and Tags quickly turned around, seeing a group of thirty or so droids coming down the road, another blast quickly shaking the earth for another couple of minutes.

"Clankers!" Rex shouted, "get down!"

Looking around quickly as they saw the blasters come flying past their heads. Quickly going down another alleyway there were some trash bins they could hide behind. After Blue and Jesse were sitting behind each one, they got out their blasters and tried to aim as well as they could as the other five clones tried to use smaller bins to take shelter from as they tried blasting the droids. Rex grit his teeth, avoiding a shot as he watched another droid fall from one of their blasters. More droids were coming closer than they were going down.

"Commander?" Tags called, asking for more direction.

"Hold your ground as best you can! If we run we won't get far." Rex answered. If needed they could attack the droids with their hands but that would be more dangerous. But Rex was put into a corner. They would not get far with Jesse and Blue needing assistance.

The droids were coming close. Rex gritted his teeth, trying to think of what they could do. He didn't want them to condemn these men to death at the hands of droids, but they couldn't run either, at least not without leaving Blue and Jesse and he wouldn't do that.

As Rex was quickly trying to assess the situations they could make, watching some droids fall at the hands of their blasters. He heard something fall behind him. Before he had any time to turn around, someone in a brown hood rushed past them from behind. Still running, the clones watched the mysterious person take out two lightsabers, white light piercing the dark alleyway as they sliced through the droids. She could tell it was a woman by how she moved. And she had a tall head, or something to hold her hood up a little high. The clones stood in awe for a moment, watching the creature. As Rex watched, seeing some uncanny familiarity as the person moved.

"Who the…" Rooney commented, surprised.

"Lets just be glad she's on our side!" Rex answered, bringing himself back to reality and firing again.

The mysterious fighter quickly went through the droids, their bodies clinking the ground and echoing in their ears. When the clones saw the last one fall by her hand, they stood still, their blasters now aimed at her, just in case. People weren't just supposed to have lightsabers and run around cities. Even though they weren't red, he didn't want to take the chance that it was someone bad. Rex saw the lightsabers go off and the woman put them at her belt again.

All of them stiffened as the person turned around, looking at the clones before taking down her hood as she said in a joking voice, "Honestly I would have thought that in the months I was gone you boys would be better at hitting your targets and staying out of trouble."

Rex didn't know what shocked him first: the voice or her face. When they saw the face under the hood, all of the clones stood there in shock. Rex felt as though his heart had stopped beating in shock, his hands went numb and he was surprised that his gun didn't fall out of his hands. The others felt the same. Fives looked as though he was seeing a ghost. But to them she was.

Rex gulped and stuttered out, the arm holding his blaster going to his side. He stared at her and asked, "C-Commander Tano."

The orange Togruta gave him a wider smile, "it's just Ahsoka now, Rex."

She looked…partially different. She had gotten a little taller in the past seven months. It might also be a small trick though, because he could see that her montrals were a little taller. Her lekku were longer too. And her facial markings had gotten more elongated slightly to go with her face as it grew. Rex knew that she would look different but…it was a weird feeling. He had seen her grow for three years and he didn't really notice it until he thought about it then. Now it was almost staring him in the face.

She wore a long brown cloak that covered most of her, but with it more open now Rex cold see her in a green shirt with a diamond neckline. She also wore some type of gold belt that held up her black skirt. Her legs were protected by black leggings as well and combat boots completed her look

"Ah-Ahsoka." Fives stuttered out.

She offered him a smile before telling them all, "it's good to see you all too."

There was another sudden boom, maybe five blocks away. Another one followed it, slightly farther away. Ahsoka immediately frowned as she looked up at the sky, noting how it was starting to get dark. Ahsoka turned back to them and told the clones, "come with me. I know a place you can stay."

"Com-Ahsoka we have to get back to battle." Rex said, his hands still shaking slightly. After she left the clones had gave in to the thought that they would never see their Togruta Commander again.

That old Commander shook her head and explained, "they are making a crescent around you. They've cut off everything this way, you'd have to go way out to avoid them. There's nothing you can do about it, at least not in the dark. With all of the buildings being knocked out I can't even lead you there I don't know what the streets are like."

Ahsoka looked at the two injured clones and told the group, "besides they can get medical help. Tomorrow you can get going back, after the Separatists have started the plan about where they stop and close in, but right now you'd just commit suicide trying to get back in!"

The clones stared at her. There was a sense of following her command still installed in them. There was their hope for her still installed in them.

Ahsoka heard another bomb, this one getting closer by maybe a block. They had to get going before more droids came, maybe even tanks. And she didn't want to leave them but other people on this planet needed her too, people who were a lot more helpless than them. She turned back to them again and said, "Rex, come on! I can get you help! I have to get back home and I can take you but if we are going to go then we need to hurry! What other choice do you have?"

They stared at her and she gulped, trying to think of what to do. Ahsoka could feel the pit in her stomach of being with them again, that good but horrible feeling. Good to see them again, but bad that she left them. When she had been trying to get back home with no luck of survivors she heard the old familiar blasters and decided to take a look. She knew the clones immediately and before Ahsoka knew it, she was running to their aid. She wouldn't let them die and she knew if she left them then they would have.

"Rex, do you trust me?" Ahsoka asked desperately.

The Commander stared at her before turning to the others, seeing their faces. As shocked as they were, he knew their thoughts. It was thoughts that they had never doubted even during the trial. They knew she was innocent. You don't lose faith in people who have saved your life more times then you would care to admit.

"If course, Ahsoka." Rex answered, Fives nodding.

"Then come with me! We're going to need to hurry!" Ahsoka told them, going to help Fives with Blue. Rex and Aytes helped Jesse while Ahsoka looked around before saying, "follow me. I'll go as fast as we can. We have a bit of a walk."

The clones nodded. Ahsoka had one of Blue's arms around her shoulders and they walked at a certain pace, going not too fast but not slow either. They all knew that unless they wanted to get ambushed again then they had to get moving away from the war zone. Ahsoka moved them down more alleyways.

"How far do we have, Ahsoka?" Rex asked.

"At the rate we are going, about a forty minute walk. But you'll be safe for the night." Ahsoka answered, stopping at the edge of an alleyway and turning right. She didn't like how they still had their armour on. The locals would see them and have fear around here, and they stuck out, but she knew that they needed it. Once they got to her neighbourhood it would be even quieter, people might get suspicious and scared, but it would be dark then and hopefully they could sneak well enough to stay hidden, even if people were looking out their windows for stragglers.

Fives looked over at her and asked, "were exactly are we going?"

"There is a group system going in place on the planet. When the Separatists started to attack people came in to save others, help others go on the run. There is a housing network where people can go to stay the night to get to hotels that are offering rooms for free, to other family members, things like that. They stay for a night, get some rest and food and then can get going again in the morning to a directory to another house. The place I am taking us to is one of those places." Ahsoka answered them, helping Blue stand, "and the people have good medical experience."

"They're welcoming clones?" Rex asked, surprised.

Ahsoka turned down another alleyway, the clones following her. She answered, not looking back at them, "they will be. Trust me when I say that you can trust them. They'll help you."

The clones looked at each other with slight confusion before Tags shrugged. Fives looked at Blue and saw him getting slower. He looks past him at Ahsoka and tells her, "I'll carry him."

"I'm fine." Blue groaned.

"Shut up." Fives grumbled, "we'll also go faster this way."

Ahsoka nodded and helped Fives take Blue on his back. After making sure he was steady she looked back at the others and looked up at the sky. The sound of the bombs was farther away, but it was also getting darker. It would be easier to stay hidden, but she knew that the others would be worrying about her. She knew not to be gone this long and even if the others knew that Ahsoka could handle her own, they would still worry that something happened.

Rex could tell that she was getting a little nervous as she looked up. He wanted to ask, but knew that she wouldn't answer him truthfully anyway. So, he let it go and helped Jesse as Ahsoka walked ahead at a slightly faster pace. Most of the time they were quiet, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves. The clones could tell by Ahsoka's haste and cautious movements that they did have to be careful not to be seen. She was looking around often, as though making sure no one was around. It confused Rex slightly since they had left the war zone a while back, but she knew something he did not and with that Rex knew that he had to trust her.

It was an odd feeling just being near the old Commander. After General Skywalker told him that she had left and the position of Commander went back to him, he had grown into the idea that he would never see her again. But even just being near her again was a sense of familiarity that Rex already knew he was going to miss when he and the rest of the clones went back to fighting in the battle.

It was completely dark, the moons coming out when Ahsoka told them quietly, "it's not too far now, only a couple of blocks or so. You all still with me?"

She looked back at them and Rooney grinned, "we came this far."

Ahsoka smirked as well before giving them a single nod. She turned back in front of her and went to the end of the alleyway before looking around. She tells them, "from here on out we have to be a little quick, but still quiet. We'll be on the more open roads."

They nodded and she looked at them all once more before she led them on again. Rex looked around as they walked at a slightly faster pace. There were normal suburban like houses. They were from what looked like buildings made from rock, yet looked beautiful and sturdy. He could also tell that they were old, but they fit their purpose. They were rather large as well, some three stories high. Maybe they weren't meant to be simple family houses but elegant apartments. Or perhaps they used to be for the rich way back in the history of Denon.

Ahsoka led them straight down a couple of blocks before making them turn right at a corner and they went down almost five blocks before she stopped. During that time she was looking around more rapidly to make sure they were not spotted. Most of the lights in the houses were out but whatever she was hoping to hide from, they were still out in the open.

Rex looked at the house that she stopped at. It was two stories high, the top story significantly smaller than the bottom story, but through dark red curtains Rex could still see that lights were on. The house was white stone, smooth, old, and beautiful and was still a significant size. Ahsoka sighed and walked up the front steps to the front door. The clones followed, taking the injured clones carefully up the stairs.

Looking around once at the top for good measure, Ahsoka knocked a five-beat different paced rhythm on the door. After a couple of seconds the door opened and the clones had to squint from the new bright light.

Rex saw a yellow Twi'lek open the door. At first glance she looked eighteen, maybe nineteen. She looked at Ahsoka with a smile of relief, "oh Ahsoka we were starting to get worried…"

Ahsoka gave her a smile, but the Twi'lek looked over her shoulder and saw the clones. Ahsoka looked over at them herself a little before she said, "I…had to pick up some people."

The Twi'lek stared at them before someone else came to the door: a human male who was maybe twenty-four with short black hair but a gentle face.

"Ahsoka, what took you so long?" he asked before he too saw the clones and that sudden gentle face went dark, his eyebrows furrowing, "you've got to be kidding me."

"Ahsoka do you know how dangerous it was to bring them here?" the Twi'lek asked.

The Togruta defended, "they would have died! I wouldn't leave them. And they need help. Two of them need medical attention."

"They are participants in war, not innocents." the boy answered, "especially after everything that happened—."

Ahsoka cut him off abruptly, "I understand your concern but they needed help. And that's what we do is it not? And of everyone I brought them here."

The Twi'lek stared at the clones, looking over the two with injuries. There was conflicting in her expression and Rex knew it well. She was weighing pros and cons about them. Ahsoka told her, "Shay, they need help. I never closed my door and neither have you. I hope we don't start now."

Both of them stared at her before the Twi'lek looked at the clones. After a couple of seconds he sighed, "you're going to have to explain it to Tilly then, and before she punches one of them preferably."

The Twi'lek moved in but the male human stayed at the side of the door. Ahsoka went up to him and whispered something before he looked at Rex and rolled his eyes before leaving and muttering, "I'll get Todem."

Once he was gone, she looked back at them and said, "come on." She looked around as they followed her instructions. When they all managed to get inside, Ahsoka shut and locked the door behind them.

Rex took a quick look at his surroundings, a natural instinct from the war whenever they went into an unknown place. The walls around him were homy. He could see a kitchen off to one side with the rest of the room being a large live-in area. The kitchen walls were white yellow that somehow blended in with the light green on the walls of the sitting area. He saw a couple of couches and a kitchen table, some type of entertainment area and artwork on the walls.

"There is a back door, a basement getaway door, and in a worse case scenario there are windows." Ahsoka told him, knowing what the clones were doing when they were looking around. They wanted to know different ways to get out other than the front door if they needed to quickly leave.

Rex looked back at her and nodded, taking off his helmet. The other clones did the same out of respect before Shay took out some bottles of water from the fridge. She held them in her arms before she handed them to the clones, "here. Make yourself…comfortable."

The Twi'lek's nose twitched in disgust a little bit from the last word before they turned when they saw another Togruta come into the room, this one a male. He was about the height of the clones and had red skin like Master Shaak Ti. He had horizontal ovals over his eyes that went to his ears and smaller circles across his forehead and down his nose. He looked very gentle as well, more peaceful than the male they had met before. He had horns that went out a little, but they were tall and thick with splotches of brown on the white.

He looked immediately at the injured clones before saying, "lay him on the couch."

Another human male, this one with dark skin, came behind him with a pack, setting it down before helping Jesse sit in a chair, letting it sit on the coffee table to keep it up. The Togruta helped Fives set Blue down on the couch. He told him, opening the pack, "I used to be a doctor, Captain Rex. I'll take care of him."

All of the clones stood up straighter in surprise.

"How…?" Rex began to ask before the Twi'lek answered from behind him, her arms crossed.

"You're the only ones who would trust Ahsoka enough to come here. And we see the Captain's helmet." she answered, still not looking impressed that they were in their home.

Rex saw the other boy come back, this time with two others, another male, this one with blonde hair and a girl with dark brown hair who looked intimidating for one even smaller than Ahsoka. Maybe it was because she had arm muscles that even most rookie clones didn't have yet. And she had a burning anger in her eyes look at them.

"Ahsoka bringing them here was dangerous." the other girl answered, "not just for us but for you."

"I wouldn't leave them." Ahsoka insisted, defending herself and the others, "the Separatists blocked them completely off. There wasn't a way to get them back. And Blue and Jesse were hurt. I wasn't going to leave them."

"You shouldn't have gotten involved," the other girl insisted.

"You don't need to protect me anymore." Ahsoka answered, her voice hard and unrelenting.

Rex stared at her. There were many in the small area and it was crowded and with the tensions running high between the others it seemed more stifling than it might have been. The Twi'lek sighed and answered, "Ahsoka is right. They were injured and didn't have anywhere to go. And if Ahsoka allowed them here then I trust them too."

"Doesn't mean I have to. Doesn't mean I've forgotten." The brunette hissed.

"Please do. For tonight at least." Ahsoka answered desperately.

The Twi'lek came forward and answered, "take a seat. Any of your coms working?"

The Twi'lek crossed in front of them and went down a small hallway and into a room before Rex answered, "no, Sir. We were in a blast and all of them got destroyed."

"Take them off," they heard the Twi'lek answer, "all of them. I'll take a look."

She came back with a rather large tech tool kit. Rex raised and eyebrow and looked at Ahsoka. She told him, "Shay's pretty amazing at mechanics and tech. If they can be used at all she'll make them work."

The clones nodded, all but Blue taking off his as the other Togruta was looking at his wounds and helping him out of his armour. The Twi'lek sat at the table, opening the kit before taking all of the comlinks. She stared at each of them for a moment before she set them on the table, "they're pretty beaten up, but I think I can manage." She was already lost in concentration as she began to quickly take one apart. Rex and Aytes watched in amazement at how fast her hands were working before they heard Ahsoka say, "seriously, boys, sit down."

"We already ate without you," the first male they met commented to Ahsoka, "but the leftovers are in there. Should be enough for all of you."

She nodded, going through some cupboards. Awkwardly, the clones looked around and found chairs to sit at. It felt…uncomfortable sitting down in this place that they knew they weren't wanted in, but it felt like they had to follow the orders of Ahsoka again.

Rex looked over his shoulder and saw that there was one cupboard completely full of containers of different foods, all stored nicely but…there was just so much. Ahsoka took out a couple before heating them and finding plates.

"How far out did they get now?" the one helping Jesse asked.

"They aren't really heading west now, they're going north. I think they are trying to get around the clone army." Ahsoka answered, her back still to them, "they're cutting them off."

"That's how they caught you then?" The male Togruta asked.

"Yeah, we got caught in a blast." Fives answered, "we got split from our team…if any of them are still alive."

They heard something hit the counter, maybe a plate being set down too harshly. Everyone looked over at Ahsoka who was now frozen for a couple of seconds before they saw her go back to spreading the food from the containers. They all knew better than to ask, and the second female said to bring attention away from Ahsoka: "do you at all know what they are heading for?"

"Us…now at least." Rex answered.

"There is nothing north for them to really want." the blonde male said, standing beside the other female.

"No there isn't. The library was what I thought they were going to, but they changed their course. And they wouldn't make that drastic of a change even for the new army, they would just spread it out more but still stay on their target." the first male said.

"Then what exactly are they searching for. A terror campaign is one, but if they really wanted that there would have been more destruction." the brunette said, "especially if they wanted to get the attention of the Republic."

"We can contact Trennoy tomorrow, tell him that the civilians will most likely be going in a new direction and towards him so he can set up more houses for the network. Then a new map setting can come out about where they are. From the eastern side Viscada and Armella can look on the eastern side to see how far north they are there." Shay said, not looking up.

"Either way, I'll contact him, let him know about the changes." Ahsoka said, moving towards the table with plates of food in her hands, "at any rate they are bigger now."

"Of course it has. Two armies are going at it now." Shay replied, still not looking up as she already took apart two comlinks.

Ahsoka didn't reply before setting the plates down, "eat. Todem is a good cook. But I guess anything are better than those ration bars."

The clones were surprised about the plate full of different foods. After Ahsoka gave Jesse and Blue a plate as well, though she doubted Blue would be able to eat much with Todem working on him, but it was worth the effort. Ahsoka had already turned back to the counters and sat up on the edge of one before grabbing a plate herself when Rex had gotten out of the shock. She looked around and commented, "I should have done this before. Everyone this is Rex, Fives, Rooney, Aytes, Jesse, Tags and Blue," Ahsoka pointed to each of the clones as she introduced them before continuing, "and these are my roommates Todem Wherle, Pash Demari, Bellamy and Tilly Callabri, and Shay Whenna. And that's our friend, and Tilly's boyfriend Thayer. He lives behind us."

Ahsoka pointed to all of them as well and Rex nodded, "thank you all."

Tilly began to roll her eyes before her brother elbowed her.

"Sir…this is quite much. We don't need all of this." Rooney commented.

"I think I'll agree with Rooney on this," Fives agreed.

Ahsoka shook her head and swallowed the food she had been eating, "nonsense. Eat. I know it'll be the best thing you eat until you get back."

Tilly nodded and said, "seriously, she won't stop until you do."

Ahsoka grinned before she began to eat again, settling her empty stomach. The clones all looked at their plates. Rex knew how stubborn she could be and the food did smell good, so he gave in, eating from the plate. The others followed suit. Bellamy looked at the clock on the wall before he said, "I'll start the fire outside, it's too cramped in here."

Ahsoka nodded, "good idea." It would give them the space they would want from the clones.

"You can have fires around here?" Tags asked.

"Our deck outside. That used to be the big common area but it burnt down many many years ago. I think that woman said sixty or seventy. Either way there are some parts of the wall on either side still so you'll be hidden from neighbours still." Bellamy answered.

Rex raised his eyebrow and looked at Ahsoka, "you set fires in a place that was destroyed by one?"

Todem answered with a small smirk, "we like to tempt fate and dance on the gravestones of it."

The clones and the others chuckled before Bellamy said, "I'll start it."

Ahsoka told the clones, "some of the walls are still up so it's hidden. We'll be safe out there."

And she knew that they would have some time to talk.

Todem looked up at the other clones and told them, "he's going to need to lay down. I have painkillers but they'll make you two drowsy."

"I'll take them still." Blue muttered, "not like I'll be much help if anything comes in anyway."

Rex nodded. They would need their rest before somehow getting him back to the battle lines. All of them would need a good rest before going back and they would need it to get Blue and Jesse back.

Ahsoka told them, "they can take my room. They should all be able to fit on the floor."

"Jesse will need a bed too." Pash informed them.

Shay told them, not looking up from the coms she was working on, "take that old press-up bed from my room for when my sister visits."

"And we should have enough extra sleeping bags," Todem agreed, nodding once, "I'll need some help getting him to your room."

"I'll help you bring them." Rex answered.

"Me too." Fives answered, getting up with his Commanding Officer.

Todem nodded, getting up and moving to position Blue so they could pick him up easier. Ahsoka told them, "I'll bring the food out to you two once you are settled."

"Thank you," Blue said before grunting as Rex got on the other side of him and Todem and Rex helped him up. Pash took his legs gently to try and not cause any more pain. Blue grunted again, gritting teeth Ahsoka moved to take their plates, putting them in the kitchen sink before Todem told Rex the instructions so that he knew ahead of time what to do, "we're going to go down that hallway, the second door on the left. It'll be a bit of a hard corner so Pash will go first."

"Fives, Jesse, I'll get the cot so don't follow just yet." Ahsoka told them, setting her plate down and moving before the group of three to go to the room Shay had come from. Todem looked at Rex and he said, "at the count of three."

Rex nodded.

"One…two…" Todem muttered, the three of them got ready to lift, Blue bracing for the pressure on his shoulders.

"Three," the three men said together and lifted Blue from the couch. The injured clone grunted again before the three of them tried to move as fast, yet sturdy as they could as to not cause Blue any more pain. When going past the other room, Rex saw Ahsoka waiting at the door. Pash told them, "go at a bit of an angle now, I'll guide you in."

Rex nodded as he and Todem moved to the one side before Pash looked behind him as they slowly went through the doorway, making sure not to bang Blue against the sides. Once they made it through the doorway, Rex saw the bed and the three of them turned again so that Rex and Todem could was him to the bed in the proper position. They gently lowered Blue down on the red and gold patterned comforter and he let out a sigh, propped up against some pillows. They turned when they saw Ahsoka come in after them, holding up this large rectangular box thing. She set it down on the ground near the large window at the corner of the room in front of a dresser and matching nightstand. She pressed some sort of button and stepped back as the large thing suddenly shot out legs and it went up to about Rex's knee level before it folded out into a mattress and bed. Rex looked at Ahsoka and she shrugged before calling out, "we're ready for Jesse."

Pash and Todem moved out of the way as Fives helped Jesse in. Todem went on the other side, helping him across the room before they helped him sit on the bed and gently bring his leg up.

When the two were settled in, Tilly walked in with two bottle like canteens of water, "here, the pain pills. You'll probably be out within the next hour." She handed both the injured clones a canteen and then a small white pill. For someone who did not like them here, she was starting to become more tolerable of them. But Rex knew that it wasn't for them, it was for Ahsoka. He felt some kind of jealousy and understanding about them wanting to protect Ahsoka because that used to be his job. And maybe it still was but…not like before.

"Thank you, Sir." Blue muttered, though it was only in pain and the thank you was genuine.

Tilly didn't say anything before leaving the room. Todem told them, "Pash and I can start setting out the bed rolls for whenever you want to head in."

"That won't be necessary." Rex started before Ahsoka shook her head.

"You are not sleeping on the floor," she told him sternly.

He thought about wanting to argue with her, but he decided against it. He hadn't been away from Ahsoka that long.

Fives sat on the edge of the bed before looking around, looking at the walls of the room as Pash and Todem left the room. Ahsoka had been looking at Rex, arms crossed, knowing she won the fight. While they were guests she was not going to make them sleep on the floor and in their armour uncomfortably, even if they were supposed to be used to that.

"Nice room, Com—Ahsoka." Fives quickly corrected himself.

Ahsoka and Rex turned their attention to Fives. Ahsoka's look of determination dropped and she gave him a smile.

"Comfy bed too." Blue grunted and Ahsoka couldn't help but giggle.

"Thank you." she told them, a smile still on her face.

Rex looked around the room, this time actually looking around and taking in the surroundings. The walls were a dark, home-like and comforting brown. The side of the wall beside the door turned into a closet, though it was barely full of clothing. It only contained maybe eight or nine shirts with a more casually fancy dress which he guessed was for special occasions.

On the left wall was a medium sized dresser, on it different things like make-up and fragrances, a small hand holding mirror, and the one corner was holding a small vase filled with some type of thin red bark coming out of it. He knew it was for decoration, but it seemed to accent the room, even if it was in one corner. Beside the dresser was a full length mirror and then a little bit away was the bed and nightstand. Then there was the wall where the window was. It was long and took up most of the length of the wall. He saw that Ahsoka set candles up on it. Then on the fourth wall in the corner by the window there was a tree-like plant in a large blue and white pot. It would have been about Ahsoka's size. He wondered if it was real because he wondered how it would live to get enough sunlight. If it needed it. Beside it was a semi-long two shelf book shelf that was pretty bare. The bottom was filled with three basket-like things that contained something, but he couldn't see. On the second shelf were some holobooks. Only about eight and he could see that the majority of them were about culture and languages. There were a couple of fiction ones, names that he didn't recognize but he never had time to read anyway. None of the clones did. A little bit farther down the shelf were some holodisks for music. But there were only three of those. He didn't recognize them either. On the top was some type of album or folder with things almost falling out on white paper, actual paper, something that was rarely used now. Beside it were some small figurines of what he thought were musical instruments and certain buildings with at the end something that would play ongoing holoimages. The one that was playing as he looked at it was an image of Ahsoka with Tilly and Shay on some planet that he didn't recognize, but they were sitting on some type of wall in front of a type of tower he didn't know, but he saw other people taking pictures and he knew that it was some tourist attraction.

"That is a good picture." Rex commented.

Ahsoka turned to the image and she nodded, "yeah. They like to travel and since I've been to a lot of planets I can give them some tips. And I can actually enjoy visiting the planet instead of going on it for missions and then leaving again. Been to a lot of different places over the past couple of months."

Rex nodded and he couldn't help but smile at hers. She looked so much more…happy. There was so much less stress in her eyes. She was much more at peace. She was finally living a normal teenage life, or at least somewhat. These people really have helped her.

"It's still a little bare though," Rex said.

She shrugged, "it's hard to get into the habit of…well having things."

He could understand that. Jedi weren't supposed to have any items in case they formed attachments. It was hard to break a habit.

"Whoa…" Blue mumbles.

The rest of the clones and Ahsoka look at him to see him staring at the ceiling. The other clones stood frozen in awe as well. Rex had never seen anything like it. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

On the ceiling of the room was a painted on version of the entire galaxy as best it could be placed. The Outer Rim, the Inner Rim, major stars, even detailed moons and suns. The back was painted black so that it looked as though you were looking up at the sky and seeing everything in view. It was surprisingly calming just looking at it.

"This is…amazing." Rex told her.

Ahsoka smiled as she looked up as well, "that's Pash. He is amazing with old art like painting and drawing. It was a surprise for my birthday. Tilly and Shay took me out of the house all day so he could do it. When I came back it was to this. I still claim it's one of the best works he's ever made."

It was beautiful. Ahsoka continued, "in the dark there is kind of like a back light on the paint, so they shine out."

She walked over to the light switch and flipped it down and all of them looked up. It was as though there was some backlight behind it. It must have been the pant, but it did look like looking up at the actual night sky as the planets glowed, the stars glowing brighter. It looked so surreal.

"This is the best work of art I've ever seen." Fives commented.

"He's really talented." Ahsoka told them.

She sighed and looked around, "I'll go see how the others are do—."

There was a knock at the front door, a certain rhythm to it, and immediately the clones's backs straightened. Ahsoka held out her hands and told them, "hang on, it's okay. Just wait here so they can't see you."

"Who's 'they'?" Rex asked, following her as Ahsoka moves back down the hall to the main area.

"People who need help." Ahsoka answered.

Shay was already directing the other clones to the hallway and Ahsoka and Rex went through them. Rex grabbed his blaster and Ahsoka moved to take his shoulder and push him back to the hallway.

"Stay here, don't make a sound. We'll direct them to the next house." Ahsoka told them.

"Will he be calm?" Tilly hissed.

"Yes he will." Ahsoka promised, looking at the clones as the stayed against the wall. She gave Rex a pointed look. She may not be their Commander anymore, but she could boss them around and she knew they would listen to her.

Rex made one curt nod before Tilly went to the door, opening it slightly. He didn't want to start anything, but he would be ready to protect his brothers, and Ahsoka, if needed. Rex could hear the soft voice of a woman. She sounded tired and Rex could hear some desperation in her voice. She wasn't a threat, but she may not be alone.

"I saw the star. Is there a way we can stay the night?" the soft voice asked, "there are only three of us: me, my sister and son."

He heard Tilly answer, "I'm sorry, we're full tonight, but we can give you some food for the trip."

"We have an extra blanket too if you want to wrap him up." he heard Ahsoka say.

"How far away is it?" the woman asked. Rex could tell that she was tired and he felt a little guilty that they couldn't stay because of them. It sounded like she had a child to care for. He let out a silent sigh and moved his blaster down. There was no threat.

Ahsoka went past them as though they weren't there and he watched her go to a chest that was on the other side of the couch in the living room area. He could hear someone going through the cupboards for what he guessed was the food that they were talking about giving the family.

"It's five blocks down, not too far." he heard Tilly tell the woman.

Ahsoka came back with a knitted blue blanket with some type of yellow object on them.

"Here, this will keep him warm." he heard Ahsoka tell them.

"Thank you." another woman's voice answered.

"And this is the food. One container for each of you." he heard Bellamy tell them.

"Thank you so much." the original voice told them.

After a couple of seconds, Rex heard the door shut and he fully relaxed again. Moving away from the wall he heard Tilly mutter, "with every kid I see they keep getting younger."

"Poor thing looked five or six." he heard Ahsoka say.

Rex turned the corner and some of the group turned to look at him. Aytes came out from the side as well and Ahsoka saw the question on their faces. She tells them, "in the front window there is a star wind chime out. It lets people who are fleeing the battle zone and surrounding places that houses with it offer help to those who need it such as offering them a place to stay the night, food, sometimes even clothing for travellers who need to get to other places such as family, hotels that are offering free rooms, things like that. I'm surprised that you didn't see or hear the wind-chime, but I guess it isn't windy."

Todem looked at the clock on the window before saying, "I'll set up the rest of the bedrolls for you."

"Yeah you should get some rest." Ahsoka agreed.

"And I have the fire all ready." Bellamy joked, rolling his eyes.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes herself and looked over at him, "fine then I will enjoy it myself."

The others grinned and Tags told Todem, "I'll help you with the bed rolls."

"I can stay up with you, Commander," Rex told her, "besides…it would give us some time to talk."

Ahsoka was silent as she stared at him. It was only a couple of seconds, but it felt like minutes. Long, painful minutes. The room was quiet too. Finally, Ahsoka nodded, "you're right. I owe you that."

She left them suddenly, without even a goodbye. She knew there were things that he wanted to say to her and it was only fair that she keep an open ear. And maybe there were things she wanted to say to him too. She was sure he had questions and he deserved answers. All of the 501st did. But especially Rex.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Ahsoka told him.

Rex nodded, putting his blaster where it was before so the others knew that he didn't have it in case they became concerned.

"We'll help with the beds too," Aytes told Todem, that way Rex and Ahsoka would have their privacy.

Rex nodded before Ahsoka gave them a soft smile, "I'll see you all early tomorrow then."

"Yes. Night Ahsoka." Rooney told her.

She gave them a smile, "Good night boys."

Ahsoka turned to Rex and motioned to the large sliding doors in the living room, "come with me."

Rex nodded and followed the Togruta girl as she turned around and made their way to the doors. She opens it and he follows her, shutting the door behind them. Rex looked around and saw in the small area, put over in stones now, a small fire in the middle. It was burning slowly and small, but it looked inviting all the same. The night was dark, however the lights from the houses made light so it didn't seem so dark. The fire certainly helped. Looking around, he could see a staircase at the one side of the house that led to the second story.

Ahsoka stopped at the doorway and said, "usually we just sit on the ground."

Rex nodded once, "that sounds good to me…though I still can't believe that you just left a fire unattended out here."

Ahsoka shrugs and he sees a small grin on her face, "live a full life."

He cracks a smirk and shakes his head, "yeah sure."

They go to the fire and he watches Ahsoka make a place in front of it, sitting with her legs crossed in front of it. Despite the joking, he could see that the hardness of the topics she was sure were coming hit her, a frown now on her face as she looked down at the stone. Rex stared at her for a couple of seconds, wondering how to start talking to her before he sat on the stone ground in front of the fire as well, almost on the opposite side of Ahsoka from the flames.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Rex managed to say, "your lekku…they're longer."

She looked down at them and nodded, "yeah I've noticed that these past couple of weeks. The montrals are about the same size though since I've last seen you."

He nods, gulping a little before both were silent again. Ahsoka asked him, "did…did Anakin tell you I was gone?"

She looks up at him and he nods.

"Yeah. General Skywalker came in that night and told us. He didn't want word to get out and have us get told by someone else," he answered.

Ahsoka nodded. She gulps before admitting to him, her voice in a tone of guilt that Rex had never seen the Commander have before: "I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye. I know you weren't my Company but we did work a lot together. I wanted to say goodbye but…it all went so fast. I told them that I was going to leave and I left. It's not like I had anything to pack and no excuse to stay anymore."

"I understand Com-Ahsoka. We were…surprised. But we knew that in the decision you made you had to leave." Rex explained.

She nodded, looking down at the fire. She felt bad about just leaving them with no word. Perhaps the Council wouldn't have seen it as appropriate, but Ahsoka had worked with the Company for three years. She had fought along side them and went to the med bays with them sometimes. They had put their lives in her hands more times than she could count and her the same with them. She should have said goodbye.

There was silence between them, Ahsoka thinking about the Company and Rex knowing her guilt. He would never admit that when General Skywalker told him the news that he wasn't sad. He didn't care to admit it but she had grown on him from that young bold, temperamental girl to a calm and wise leader. Even if she was only seventeen she had grown a lot and he knew that she would make a good Jedi and he was proud to fight by her side. And even though it was just to kill a couple of droids, Rex had felt that familiar feeling of when she was with them, before she left the order. However, although he was sad she left he knew she would be feeling worse. He didn't know specifically happened to Jedi after they left the order. He figured they were shunned and looked down upon, probably the same as what he would think of deserters. and he knew that the Commander had to live in a new life without the order.

"Was it hard?…" Rex finally managed to get out. His voice in a low whisper. He shakes his head a couple of times and explains, "I know it was hard Ahsoka, but…what was it like?"

Ahsoka's stare didn't leave the fire as she thought about what to tell him, if she should confess everything and just tell him things that she thought needed to be locked up, things that she didn't think she would reveal again. Or at least reveal to someone that was a part of that Old Life. Finally, her eyes raised and she looked at him. they both stared at each other, Rex's eyes never leaving her face.

"Rex, I was terrified." Ahsoka admitted finally, her voice a little louder than his own, and a little more emotional, more hurt. She tells him: "Your world surrounds the Jedi, in different ways than mine but still that was the centre. That was your roots and you built yourself on them. It's the only life you ever know and I….I left it. I left everything about me and I was left with nothing but the clothes on my back.

"I was terrified to be in something so new and as I began to go into Coruscant I realized how dangerous my choice would be. My face had been plastered everywhere it could be on the planet. There would be people out there who would want me for my bounty even if it was no longer on my head or people who just couldn't wait to get their hands on a Jedi for their own agendas. There are plenty of people out there who would love to kill a Jedi, even if I no longer was one. And I knew that once my separation got out that Separatists would be on my tail for intel and more betrayal for me to join them. I had no weapons to protect me and I can handle myself one on one but I knew if I got in a crowd I wouldn't win. I found a cloak to help me hide but I lived in shadows of alleyways. I was starving, going through trash for food, completely dehydrated…I couldn't even beg for food because I knew that someone would recognize me. For those first couple of days I literally ate trash and scraps that couldn't fill a plate. I had gone from having a place to call home and having people surround me to having nothing and being absolutely alone, no one to talk to or go back to at all, my entire life completely cut out in a matter of minutes. I was helpless and completely alone and for the first time, even with all the battles I've been in, I really was scared."

She wouldn't admit the amount of times she cried in those first days both from the emotions of what happened and not knowing what to do, what plan to take. She could admit everything though so freely now, knowing that it was not her finest hour but it was a part of her, and she grew a lot from it. And she knew that Rex would understand. And he wanted the truth. She could admit now looking back that the council had destroyed her. Her emotions weren't of anger, surprisingly but they were of hurt, hurt that they couldn't trust her and that it seemed that most of them didn't try. Hurt that she wondered if she could trust herself, stuck between the ideas of how she felt about herself from how she didn't know to trust herself to stay away from the Sith to how she betrayed the Jedi deserting it to how she felt about the council and the betrayal of the people she respected and thought that she could trust to help her and guide her when they seemingly turned their backs without a second glance. And truthfully, some betrayals were worse than others. And it hurt her to know that they weren't there for her when she really did need them. She knew running away looked bad on her part, however looking back now, she somehow knew that they weren't going to listen to her even if she stayed and perhaps it was that revelation when Ahsoka knew that she couldn't stay with them.

Ahsoka was silent for a couple of minutes, Rex listening intently to what she said and staring at her. He had no idea how alone she was during that time. He had lived with his brothers all his life and it was a strong, constant presence. He tried to imagine being without them, completely knowing he would be on his own and never having their presence again, nor anyone else's for that matter. He couldn't imagine that, but trying to find that feeling still created a pit in his stomach.

Trying to change the subject to something better, or at least better than what those first days must have been, Rex asked: "you picked yourself up somehow though. How did you get to Denon? How did you get to live here?"

Ahsoka smiled a little and it was the first genuine smile Rex had seen since he first saw her again in the war zone. She answers, looking at the fire, "I didn't pick myself up Rex. I owe all of this new life to Senator Amidala."

Rex's confusion was obvious even if Ahsoka didn't look at him. Ahsoka explains: "Apparently after Anakin told her what happened she made it her mission to find me. And it seems that my skills in hiding worked very well. She had been out for apparently as long as I had looking for me. Finally she found me."

Ahsoka stopped, a small pang of sadness hitting her as she remembered Padme's face when she saw Ahsoka in the state she was in, how she had hit rock bottom after eight days. It was a face that broke Ahsoka's heart just as much as Ahsoka's appearance must have broke Padme's. But even if Ahsoka had looked and smelled the worse she possibly could, Padme brought her into her arms and allowed Ahsoka to silently cry, feeling some relief of seeing a familiar face that didn't look at her with disappointment, that Ahsoka still had one safe space. Ahsoka imagined that she looked dirty, smelled even worse. Ahsoka remembered looking up from the alleyway where she was sitting and seeing her, wondering if she was perhaps getting sick or delirious.

Ahsoka finally continued, "she gave me a very, very generous amount of money. She wanted to help get me started.

"So, I had the money, but I didn't know where to go. And as much as Senator Amidala gave me, I had to spend it wisely. I knew I couldn't go to Shili since it would be the first place people who were looking for me would go. So, I cleaned myself up a little, got some new clothes and a cloak to try and make sure I blended in. After a couple of days I thought that Denon would be a good choice, at least for now. I could hide in an urban planet easily, it wasn't controlled by Sith, and I could probably get a job easily."

She frowned, still not looking up at Rex but feeling his eyes on her. She continues:

"When I was getting a ticket to Denon someone found me and I was attacked. I was able to keep myself safe a little from the lightsabers, but I didn't want to seriously hurt anyone either. I ended up with some cuts and bruises and damage to my one lekku. Considering you don't have any you don't know how sensitive they are and how much it hurt. Thankfully I was still allowed on the train even after the giant brawl that I was being blamed on for starting. On Denon I stayed in the shadows, keeping my money for food instead of a hotel. I bought myself a small aid kit and tried to fix my lekku myself. While I was doing that Shay found me and offered help, telling me that she could treat my wounds so I didn't have permanent damage or long lasting nerve pain problems. She took me back here and helped clean me up with Todem's help. Pretty soon we were talking, and I met everyone else. They knew I was a former Jedi, but that didn't seem to upset any of them. I think they felt sorry for me…well I guess they must have because they offered to let me stay the night on their couch. They kept insisting so I gave in. The next morning they explained that they had a room that was for rent and I was welcomed to stay. Apparently Tilly and Bellamy really advocated to the others to give me an option to stay. With the money the Senator gave me I was able to pay rent and buy furniture for the room, pay my fair share of the food. And I got a job as a basic repair mechanic at the place Shay works at to help supplement my income. I'm no where near as good as her. She can take scraps and make them into legitimate working parts, but it was the only skill that I could really take with what I did before with me. And I always liked working in mechanics so it was a good fit.…

"And I guess that's it. That's how Senator Amidala started my new life and how the others in the house supported me so I could see it through. Had it not been for her I'm sure I'd be dead on Coruscant after my third or fourth week."

She looks up at him again and sees Rex smiling. The expression surprises her. She stares at him, her brows furrowed a bit.

"What?" she asked.

He shrugs and admits, "I don't know. I…I guess I'm just glad that it worked out well for you. You seem to be in a good place even after everything that happened."

She smiled too and told him, "thank you. Like I said, I can't really take a lot of credit. It was the others that took me in and helped me get better. They…gave me another family."

He nods. Rex was then brought back to when he met with Cut and how he made a new family. He looks back at the fire for a short moment before he looks back up at her and asks, a frown on his face again, "did you ever think of coming back?"

Ahsoka shook her head, "no, I was certain of that. And I became more certain after I came here. Rex, most of them didn't even apologize to me about what they did. They claimed that it was somehow my Great Trial and to me it was as though they were saying that in the end it wasn't their fault and they have nothing to apologize for. And even if it was my Great Trial, they could have at least apologized for how they treated me. Even Obi-Wan who I had worked with and fought beside for years just sat there and condemned me to my death. I couldn't trust them and I could barely trust myself anymore. Rex, would you stay with people who you knew didn't have your back, that they were ready to throw you to the wolves and let you die without a second thought? That the people who you would fight beside may not fight to save your life?"

She looked up at him, watching for his reaction. Rex stood there shocked by the question. He had clones that went to the dark side, Slick being one of them. It was uncommon but it was there. He had put so much trust in his brothers and them in him. But he knew that Ahsoka probably felt the same with the other Jedi. He tried to think of not being able to trust them, if he could really go into battle with them. And if he was being honest with himself, Rex didn't know if he could. He didn't know if he could go into countless of dangerous battles with people not trusting him and being by his side to make sure he didn't die, that if the worse came that they wouldn't do their best to keep him alive as he would them.

He admits to her, "no, Ahsoka…I don't think that I could. Not without being worried at least."

She nodded, "neither could I. I had this…giant doubt about the life I was in and the people that I was with. Everything I had been a part of and I believed in had basically been shattered. There were people in there before I trusted with my life that literally threw it away, left me to die on accusations and circumstantial evidence. They were ready to let me die. It was a cold betrayal. And some of them didn't even have any shame for it."

Rex stared at her.

She gulped and explained further, her voice lower, "then there was myself. I didn't know if I could trust myself, if I would go to the dark side. I began all those 'what if's after I left…Back on a mission with Anakin and Obi-Wan I saw a vision of myself…myself in the dark side. I went back to then. My vision said that if I stayed with Anakin I would turn to the dark side. I began to think should I go to stay away from that, or if the Council knew it would happen either way. The feelings crept in and my trust in anyone, anything was just about shattered. Rex, you have no idea what that is like. How it destroys you."

He stares at her, the distress in her voice hurt him and made his stomach dropped. No, he had no idea.

He asked her, "how did you come out of it?"

She looked at him and told him, "I realized that I could trust myself not to go to the dark side because even after everything had happened, I was hurt but I wasn't angry. My feelings didn't invest into hate. And I realized that, even now, if anyone on the Council needed my help I would still risk my life for them. I would still fight along side me if they needed me, I would give my life for them. And to be honest, I would still fight for Barris. She was one of my greatest friends. I came to realize that she wasn't specifically targeting me, I just happened to be the one there and she couldn't stop her plan once it was in motion. And she did do something for me. She exposed the Council to me. She exposed me to this giant flaw in the system I believed so much in. She did show me how I couldn't trust them, at least not like before and that perhaps my life was elsewhere. But I don't hate her. I don't hate her at all. And I realized that hate led to the Dark Side, but I sure wasn't heading there. At least not yet. Even after a cold betrayal, having one of my friends betray me and the Council throw me away to die without even a second glance, I'd still be there for them in an instant. All of them."

Rex couldn't help but feel proud by that. He always knew that Ahsoka was a good person. Even when she was young and was overconfident and bold, he knew that there was light in her. It radiated off of her even in her 'Snippy years'. He knew that she was innocent of the crimes she was accused of, which was why he hated to follow orders to bring her in. But orders were orders. But he was proud even after the charges and brutal trials that she did not lose that good part in her.

She looked up at the house, which now most lights were off or dimmed. She continued, "I came to find trust again with these amazing people who let me stay with them. This…amazing group of people who saw someone in pain and helped them, no questions asked and with nothing they wanted in return. They took me in because they knew I needed someone and they let that be them. They acted in a way where they earned my trust. They knew that I was on the break of some type of break down whether it went to severe anxiety or depression, but they helped me find trust again in others. They helped me when I needed it and they didn't want anything in return. They were there for me when they barely knew me. Every time I cried Shay was there with some tea while Tilly sat by my side and the girls and I would talk all night so they could help me through it, Pash would bring home sweets every now and again and leave them on my bed, Todem would make my favourite breakfast after finding what I responded to the best, Bellamy and Thayer were ready with a joke, Pash was pretty funny…they just wanted to make sure I was okay. And honestly…I've never had that before, people who were that close. I mean…of course there was you and the other clones but it was different. This was a whole other dynamic of friendship and family. They saw someone hurt and wanted to help. I found myself smiling again, laughing again. They did pretty ridiculous things to help that but it was just…a complete change from the Order lifestyle. They would wake up to loud music and sing to it as they ate and got ready for work, banging their heads along with the rhythm and screaming into their forks like micophones, they would jump on the couch dancing, they would jump on you just to say hi, they would joke so much with you…the atmosphere was lighter, granted they weren't Jedi and had those responsibilities but it was a lot happier, lighter. When you are around happy people I guess that happens though."

Rex had also looked at the house. All of them seemed like good people, and good people for Ahsoka. He had seen the way they were defensive to the clones and he thought that it was because they were soldiers. But Rex began to realize that it was because they were worried for Ahsoka and what their reappearance would do to her. If she would fall back into the girl they first met. They wanted to protect her. And that was something he knew more than they would probably know. Because for years that was his job. But they were doing a spectacular job themselves and he was glad that Ahsoka found them.

"They sound like pretty great people." Rex commented.

Ahsoka looked back to her friend and nodded, a small smile on their face, "yeah. They are all pretty great."

A door opens and both look over to the doorway leading to the kitchen. She sees Bellamy at the doorway letting the light from inside flow out into the darkness. He walks over, letting the door shut.

"I hate to interrupt this…reunion but Ahsoka you should probably get some rest." Bellamy explained, standing beside her.

Ahsoka looked up at him and shook her head, "I can take the first watch."

"Thayer and Shay are going to take the first watch." Bellamy stated. He looked over at Rex and commented, "and no offence to you Captain but you should probably get some rest too after the day you had. Once Shay gets the com working I'm thinking that your General will want you and your men back up and running. And it'll have to be early in the morning while it is still dark so people don't see you."

Ahsoka looked at Rex before she shrugged and Rex already knew what was going through her head.

"I'm going, you are too." Rex insisted.

Ahsoka scrunched up her face at him and Bellamy chuckled before he said, "Ahsoka, you're going to do something stupid like going into a war zone and fighting like you did today and you're going to need your rest to do it."

A smile cracked on Ahsoka's face and Rex chuckled as well. Ahsoka told Bellamy, "that's fair."

She looked back at Rex and said, "I guess we are both going to bed."

The Captain nods and he gets up. Ahsoka takes the bucket of water that was beside her and tips the water on over the fire. Smoke soon follows a sizzling sound and there is no light on the deck besides what comes in through the windows. Ahsoka sets the bucket down before she sighed and said, "night Rex."

"Night Comman—Ahsoka." Rex said, correcting himself again.

Ahsoka chuckled, "old habits die hard, huh?"

A smile cracked on his face and he nodded. She went to turn around before a questions suddenly sprung in his mind, "wait! If we're taking your room, where will you go?"

She looked back at him and stared for a moment, as though she was thinking of something before she told him, a small smile on her face before she pointed back up at the second floor, "they have a small living area with a couch I'll take."

The idea of her going into a less comfortable place for the night because of him did make him feel a pang of guilt, but she took him out of his thoughts again when she told him, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Ahsoka gave him a last smile before she went up the old staircase and went inside, going through the door and disappearing inside. Bellamy looks at Rex and he says "Thayer found some more sleeping bags at his place for you. We have an alternating guard shift."

Rex nods, "thank you, Sir."

Bellamy nods and turns to go back to the main house before Rex says, "uh…Sir?"

Bellamy sighed, "and Commander?"

"Yes Sir?" Rex asked.

"I'm sorry about how…abrasive we seemed to be when you first came. We just didn't know about bringing part of the war to us." Bellamy answered, "we didn't know what harbouring clones would mean to this part if the Separatists found out."

"I understand, Sir. We don't want to hurt any innocents, especially ones that opened up their home for us. Tomorrow we will leave and we will make sure that the Separatists never knew you helped us." Rex answered.

"Thank you. Shay thinks that she just needs to get an old piece of scrap metal from the scrap yard and she'll be able to make a signal." Bellamy explained.

"Sounds great, Sir." Rex said, "Tags could come along and help. He's pretty good with tech and machinery."

Bellamy grinned and said, "no offence, Commander, but trust me, he'll only slow Shay down. I've seen her make a holo pad out of spare metal and an old battery in a matter of hours. If she can't fix yours she'll make a whole new one."

Rex smiled a little as well. He tells him, "fair enough, Sir. Thank you, again."

Bellamy nodded and turned around, going to the second floor like Ahsoka. Rex looked after him before he looked over at the main house again. He sighs and walks towards it. Looking through the blackened windows from the curtains he sees a small lamp light that was on, but it was barely there, as though like a candle light. Rex opens the door and he sees the Twi'lek is gone, however the coms and pieces are there, a full com almost made. He keeps himself from smirking. They could really use someone like her working for the Republic.

Rex also sees Thayer and Todem on the couch, talking and drinking some caf. They look at him and give him a small smile.

He asked Todem, "how are Jesse and Blue?"

Todem gave him a smile, "both are doing fine, Jesse may have some slight dull pain for a while in his leg but it'll be okay within a couple of days I'm sure. Blue stopped bleeding thankfully. Now it's just to make sure that it doesn't get infected. We don't exactly have a pharmacy here, so every couple of hours I'll change the wound dressings."

Rex nodded, "thank you, Sir. I'm just gonna check on them."

Todem nodded, "Two of us will be up all night. Get your rest Commander."

"Right, Sir. Thank you." Rex said before going off down the short hallway. He opens the door and sees Blue and Jesse are sound asleep and his other brothers on the floor in bed rolls, sleeping as well, although more lightly like they normally did. He felt a little better seeing that Blue's bandages were clean. Jesse was laying on the bed sleeping peacefully. His leg was elevated a little to help it heal from the slight sprain. Rex sighed and went through the door, taking off his armour as quietly as he could before getting into the empty red sleeping bag. He sighed, relaxing as he laid on his back.

"How's Commander Tano?" Fives asked.

Rex was silent for a little bit before he heard a very very far off explosion. It was something other people in this neighbourhood probably didn't hear since Rex and the other clones had almost supernatural sensitive hearing for things like that. Rex answered finally, "She's doing fine. Still stubborn."

He heard a couple of snickers. Rex smiled a little himself before saying, "we all better get some sleep. It's probably going to the best night's rest we'll get in a while."

The others seemed to agree. Soon, they all were silent and Rex fell asleep, only waking up every now and again when he heard Todem going to check and change Blue's bandages.

~.~

Rex woke up early in the morning, seeing from the clock at the one side of the room that they had about an hour and a half before the sun would come up. He groaned a bit and sat up, rubbing his head. He was tired from the sleep. The only time he stirred was when he heard Todem come in to look at and sometimes change Blue's bandages. It was good, silent rest, however he wished that he was able to get more. But he would force himself to wake up. He pushed the shoulders of his brothers on the floor, gruffing out in a tired voice, "come on, boys, time to get up."

They groaned a little and he gets up, cracking his back with a stretch before he looks over at Jesse. He didn't know how much the drug would still be in their system, but both him and Blue were asleep. Tags, Aytes, Rooney, and Fives were waking up on the floor at his feet before he gently shakes Jesse's shoulder. The clone grumbles and opens his eyes, "time to get up already?"

"Yeah. How's your ankle?" Rex asked.

"It doesn't feel so bad now." Jesse answered, "help me up. I'll see how much pressure I can put on it."

Rex did as he asked and let Jesse put his arm around his shoulders as he gently put pressure on his bad foot. He let out a small grunt before saying, "it's better than yesterday, but I definitely can't run on it."

Rex nodded and the others moved their bed rolls so that it would be easy for him to get through. He could hear someone coming down the hallway and they all looked to see Tilly there, surprisingly wide awake for someone at this hour.

"I'll help you take Blue," she told them, putting her brown hair in a ponytail. She looked over at Rex as she twisted her hair into the band, "Shay should be back any minute to finish your com."

"Thank you, sir." Rex told her as Fives woke up Blue.

Tilly went on the other side of the bed and helped Fives sit Blue up and bring him to the edge of the bed. Rex watched as Tilly directed Fives that they make a chair with their hands and arms so that there would be less strain on his arms. After Blue put his arms around their shoulders, he grunted only slightly when he was lifted.

"We'll follow you," Rex told them.

Tilly and Fives nodded before moving very slowly and carefully as they moved Blue from the bed to the couch in the main room. They set the tired clone down carefully again. Before Rex could follow with Jessie, Tags went on the other side and put Jesse's other arm around his shoulders as well to help him walk. They followed the last group of three and Rex helped Jessie onto the other side of the couch. Looking around the room, Rex saw Todem in one arm chair in the other corner, sleeping silently as he leaned his head against the back of the chair.

Just as Rex helped Jessie down, he heard someone fiddling with the door. Immediately all clones came to attention before Tilly whispered, "that's Shay."

And as soon as the door opened, Rex saw the Twi'lek, who looked tired and was carrying a bag that clanged together to make a certain metallic noise. She came into the house and shut the door behind her.

"Oh good," Shay told them as she took off her shoes, "you're up."

From all the commotion, Todem stirred as well, rubbing her eyes. Looking around, he was startled to see all the clones in the room. Realizing what happened, he sighed and rubbed his eyes again and said, "you should have woke me up, Tills."

"You looked so peaceful sleeping." Tilly grinned and he rolled his eyes.

She walked to the sliding door and told them, "I'll get Ahsoka."

There wasn't time for anyone to respond before she left. Shay grumbled as she set the bag on the table by the com, most things placed together from all the others. It almost made a complete full one. It made a large 'clank' noise that made Todem jump slightly before he got up, walking to Blue.

"I don't know how the kriff she can be so awake at this hour." Shay mumbled, going to start some caf.

"She usually wakes up a half hour from now anyway for her workout." Todem commented.

"Still not natural." Shay grumbled before she got out some mugs. She looked over her shoulder at them and commented, "I'm going to assume all of you want a cup as well? And that Thayer left last night as well."

"Definitely one for me. And yeah, left a little after you went to bed." Todem told her before turning to Blue, sitting down on the coffee table, "let me check your bandages."

Blue nodded, moving so that it was easier for the Togruta male to check them.

"More like my three hour nap." Shay grumbled a little, "Rex? Boys? What about you?"

The rest of the clones looked at Shay in surprise. Rex knew that they should be humble and say no, but that cup of caf would probably be the warmest and nicest thing they would have for the next couple of days or weeks. And he knew that his brothers were all thinking the same thing.

"That would be great actually." Rex admitted.

Shay nodded and began to set out more mugs before they heard the door open in the living room again. Rex and Fives looked to see Ahsoka coming in with Bellamy, Pash, and Tilly behind her. He was surprised a little to see her in a new change of clothes. This time she was wearing dark red, thin but slightly large stretchy pants and a white tank-top-like shirt that was a little lose on her as well. It was surprising. He had never really seen her in anything but her Jedi uniforms and what she wore yesterday was something similar.

She looked slightly tired, but he knew that it was just because she woke up. That was something that hadn't changed. The other men though looked tired though.

"How are we doing this morning?" Ahsoka asked, a smile on her face.

"You early morning people make me nauseous." Shay grumbled before going through the bag she brought in and getting out some small parts and a power source.

Ahsoka grinned as she looked at the clones. She comments, "this isn't even that bad. I'm used to waking up at different hours."

"Aren't you tired at all?" Shay asked as she worked on the com with the new parts, "I'm pretty tired as is."

Ahsoka grinned, "you don't know what tired is. Rex, Jesse, Fives you remember the "Siege of Unrest", as we called it?"

The female Togruta's grin widens and Fives groans, "you mean the almost four consecutive days, those 78 consecutive hours that we were up. Yeah, I don't think I'll ever forget that. The 501st could barely stand. We wanted to celebrate that victory with nothing but sleep."

Shay yawns before Tilly goes to the caf machine and begins to pour it into cups. Rex looks back at Ahsoka as she looks over Jesse's ankle. He raises an eyebrow and comments, "not to get too personal, Ahsoka, but how did you get a change of clothes."

Everyone in rooms looked over at Ahsoka, who also froze with a hand on Jesse's leg, her touch light not to hurt him, but the question caught her off guard. Rex saw everyone also freeze slightly as well. In the corner of his eye, he saw Tilly raise an eyebrow and grin. He was surprised by their reaction and was about to ask another question before Ahsoka answered him:

"We use my room a lot for refugees, so I have some clothes packed up on the second floor."

The female Togruta gave him a smile before going back to Jesse, checking his leg. She commented as Tilly started handing out the caf, "well the swelling has gone down a lot at least."

Jesse nodded and thanked Tilly when the brunette gave him a mug of hot caf. She gave Ahsoka the other mug and the Togruta thanked her before taking a sip, letting the warm beverage move through her, as if now coursing through her veins before she got up to help Tilly hand out caf. Rex saw Bellamy get something from a drawer in the kitchen area before he placed it on the kitchen table close to Shay's work.

Shay took a large gulp of her caf before declaring, "it's done." Bellamy pressed the small coin-like object on the table and an image of a map. Rex, Aytes, Fives, and Tags walked forward to look at the map.

Ahsoka went on the other side of Bellamy and leaned against the table as she looked at the map as well. Bellamy explained, as he pointed at a certain house on the district map, "that's where we are."

He moved his finger to draw a circle around another part of the city district, "that's where the battle is. We'll give you this map so you can find your way back."

"Do you remember the route we took last night at all?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'll remember the way once we get going." Rex answered.

Ahsoka nodded and Shay pushed the new com to them, looking almost the same as the ones they came in with, but there was some gold metal on it instead, and it was slightly longer to fit in the new pieces and rewire it. Rex looked down and Shay explained, "it'll be just like new. And I buffed it up a little, so the signal will be more powerful so even from this far away and if the Separatists are fiddling with the signals."

Rex stared at her, raising an eyebrow and the other clones looked surprised as well.

"We could use someone like you for our tech on Coruscant." Rex admitted.

Shay shrugged, getting up with her car in hand, "yeah, I know."

The others grinned and Shay moved to stand on the other side of Ahsoka, as though to give her moral support.

Rex looked at the com and he sighed before changing it to contact Wolffe As soon as it picked up, there was shock on the other side, "Rex? That you?"

Ahsoka took in a deep breath as she heard the other clone voice. She took a drink of the caf and Shay rubbed her shoulder before Ahsoka walked off, going towards her room. Rex stared after her before he looked back at the com.

"Yeah, Wolffe. I'm with Fives, Jesse, Blue, Aytes, Tags, and Rooney." Rex answered.

"We thought you were dead." Wolffe growled angrily, "were the kriff are you?"

"Blue and Jesse got injured. We were separated from a blast and some civilians took us in for the night." Rex explained, keeping the answer vague.

"How injured are they?" Wolffe asked.

"Blue's going to be out for a while, Jesse only has a bad ankle." Rex answered.

"How fast can you get back here. General Koon is taking us along the south, they made a barrier around, but we broke off the one side and are trying to close in. General Mundi will be arriving soon as well. Would you be able to meet us? The 501st is going insane without their Commander. I don't know how you can reign them all in." Wolffe growled.

Rex chuckled, "our General has rubbed off on us."

"I'll say. Just get back here. We can really use your help." Wolffe told him.

"It'll take us most likely an hour and a half or so." Rex admitted.

"We're already on the move, we'll take you when you come, but make it as quick as you can. I'll tell General Koon about your status."

Rex nodded, "alright. We will meet you. What are your co-ordinates?"

Wolffe gave him such information as well as where they were planning to attack. During that time, Bellamy looked at the map and pointed to the spots so Rex could also visually see. Rex kept the mental image of those points on the map in his mind and he nodded a thank you to Bellamy.

"We will met you there." Rex told him before they switched off the com.

Bellamy made the image collapse before Rex took the com and the object for the map.

"Boys, get your armour on, we have to get going while it's still dark." Rex told them.

Tags, Rooney, Fives, and Rex set their empty mugs on the kitchen counter before going back to Ahsoka's room. They saw her putting something in her drawers before she looked over at them, "sorry, I'll leave you to get ready."

Before they could say anything, Ahsoka already left the room. Rex stared after her as the other clones got their armour on. After a couple of seconds, Rex relented and did the same. He didn't know exactly what Ahsoka was feeling, but he knew that if she wanted to say anything that she would come to him.

After the clones were ready, the clones grabbed their blasters after putting on their helmets. Aytes grabbed Jesse and Blue's helmets as well before leaving to give it to them. As the clones moved from the room, Rex took one last look around the room to make sure that none of them were forgetting anything.

Something, however, caught his eye. At this angle, he could see his markings on a piece of paper that stuck out slightly from the binder book he saw last night. Walking to it, he gently opened the binder and he saw numerous pieces of paper or thick parchment. To his surprise, on the one at the top was a drawing of him and his brothers with Commander Tano. It was so odd. It wasn't an image, but a drawn memory. It was after their mission on Ryloth and he and some of his brothers were with her in the mess hall, having some down time before they made it back to Coruscant. It looked almost like an image, like it should be, but it wasn't. Confused, he moved that one and saw a parchment underneath with a drawing of Ahsoka and Senator Amidala, smiling together.

He saw Ahsoka come into his line of vision beside him, putting the book back. Rex stared at her, surprised, both by the action and by the pictures. Ahsoka looked embarrassed and she stuttered, "I'm sorry. I…you weren't supposed to see those."

"What are they?" Rex asked her.

She frowned and told him self-consciously, "I…I didn't have any images of us. And when I left I didn't really have anything to remember you by except for memories but…it wasn't the same. I couldn't…"

She looked down at the book and told him, "Pash offered to draw some things, some memories that I could look back at."

Rex held up his hand. He could tell she was embarrassed and he didn't want her to keep pushing that. And he understood why she had these. Truthfully, he was wishing that he had something like a holoimage of her as well, something that he could see and be reminded of their best memories. He tells her, his voice soft, "it's alright, Ahsoka. I'm not mad. I was just…surprised to see my Jaig eyes on paper."

Ahsoka smiled slightly before her and Rex heard Tilly call, "Commander! Ahsoka, time to go. You'll be pressed for dark as is."

Ahsoka looked at Rex, her frown returning. He could see something in her eyes through his helmet. There was slight pain. She wanted to go with them. And truthfully he wanted that as well. Even if it was only for a couple of minutes, fighting by her side yesterday was an ease of familiarity he took for granted until she left. He was going to miss her again.

Ahsoka forced herself to give him a smile, "you better get going, they are right."

Rex nodded before he told her, "you have a com here? We can contact you and let you know which direction the battle might go in, if the war zone will come in this direction."

Ahsoka smiled and told him, "yes we do. That would be a great help actually."

He nods and the two of them leave the room. They walk down the hallway together before seeing the clones ready at the door. Aytes and Rooney were holding up Blue like how he was carried earlier this morning and Tags was helping hold Jesse up.

"We're sorry about leaving the mess, Sir." Fives told the group of hosts.

"Don't worry about a little dishes." Pash told them, "you have more things to deal with."

"I told Ahsoka we will contact you if we can about information about where the battle could move." Rex told them.

"That would be really good intel so we can plan refugee rest stops." Shay agreed.

Rex nodded and Ahsoka told them, "good luck, stay safe."

They nodded, "Thank you again, all of you."

The others nodded as well. Rex saw that painful look in Ahsoka's eyes again before they left, Ahsoka giving them a small wave before they shut the door behind them. The female Togruta sighed and felt arms envelop her to comfort her but she told them, "I'm okay." And she was. As much as she missed them and talking with them was good, she was going to be okay.

As Rex and the others went to the sidewalk and began to go as quietly as they could down the street, Rex looked once more back at the house to see the star chime in the window that they were talking about. As they walked back, using the map they were given, Rex noticed a couple of houses with star chimes as well, bringing a small smile to his face.

The clones had made it back to their base on time for the next attack and the group did not hear from the clones until the next week when a large package of blankets was delivered to them with a note of 'for guests' that Ahsoka knew was from them.

It was the last time that they heard from any of them besides Rex until months later.