" . . . Rrrrgg," I muttered under my breath. I had just spent half an hour searching for Ezra, who was supposed to be helping me fix the Phantom. He wasn't anywhere on the Ghost. Where could that infuriating Loth Cat have gone?!

I was stomping down the hall and I kicked Ezra's shared room as I passed. I was about to go on and into the kitchen when the door opened and I could hear a huge Lasat yawn. I froze in my tracks. Oops.

"Sabine?" Zeb growled, asking in a sweet voice.

"Yeah Zeb?" I replied in a high nonchalant voice, not turning to look at him.

"Was that you who just WOKE ME UP FROM MY NAP?" Zeb lowered his voice dangerously. I winced.

"No, no, of course not Zeb, I would never - "

"RAARRGGGG!!" Zeb dropped his fake forgivness and charged at me. I yelled and started running. Zeb didn't usually chase me if I woke him, but recently he hadn't been getting good sleep, thus the reason for his naps. I guess, with a sleep deprived Zeb, that meant everyone was going to pay for waking him up.

I ran to the ladder leading down to the bay and jumped right over it, front flipping for fun, and landed perfectly - and right in front of a suprised Hera. I grinned and hid behind her just as Zeb came roaring down the ladder.

"HERA!" He tends to yell when he gets grumpy.

"What's wrong Zeb?" Hera said calmly. "I thought you were sleeping?" She said it such a way that I knew it was actually her asking me.

Zeb growled, scratching his back.

"I WAS, until that BLASTED Mandalorian slammed on my door and WOKE ME UP!" I swear, if I was out there, I would definitely be in several pieces.

Hera winced in simpathy. "I'm sorry Zeb, I can't help you. Maybe you should just go back to bed and talk to her when you see her next. I won't have you tearing any of my crew members apart, sorry."

Zeb shut his eyes, took a few deep breaths, then stormed up the ladder, muttering.

"Don't wreck my ship, Orelious!!" Hera yelled after him. The stomps lessened slightly. Hera shook her head and moved aside. I grinned and stepped in front of her.

"Thanks Hera! Man, I thought I was dead."

"Not so fast, young lady." Hera put her hands on her hips, leaning forward.

"What on Lothal possesed you to kick Zebs door? You knew he was sleeping!"

"I forgot ok?" I said, upset that she wasn't just going to let me go.

"And what made you forgot such a thing as that?" As usual, Hera's voice deepened ever so slightly when she was mad.

I cringed, then rolled my eyes when I remembered the reason.

"I'm looking for Ezra. He's supposed to be helping me with the diagnosis and fixing of the Phantom, but he's nowhere to be found! Its like he dropped off the face of the galaxy or something, he is litterally . . ." Hera was shaking her head.

"Karabast, I forgot it was today," she muttered under her breath, interupting me. I looked at her curiously.

"What's today?" I asked, forgetting. Hera was staring off into the distance, clearly in her own thoughts. I gave her a few seconds, then snapped my fingers in front of her face. She shook her head, then looked at me. Or, in my general direction. She still wasn't fully on Lothal.

"I'm sorry Sabine, but can you diagnose and fix the Phantom by yourself?"

I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Uh, Hera, is Ezra ok?" I asked, suddenly thinking maybe somehing had happened to the kid.

Hera shook her head again and began to turn around.

"No, no, he's ok Sabine, I'm just giving him a break from chores today." She began walking toward the ladder but I grabbed her hand.

"Uh, no, your not leaving here with that. You muttered that you 'forgot it was today'. What's today?" Hera sighed but decided to answer. She put a hand on a ladder rung and turned to me.

"Just, if you see Ezra, let him off the hook today, ok? Thanks," and she began climbing the ladder. I seethed in frusteration at her ability to answer questions whithout actually being answering them. It was so frusterating.

"Hera!" I called after her. "What in kriff is today?!" Hera stopped climbing the ladder to turn and glare at me.

"Come on Sabine. Think. Its Empire Day, remember?" Then she got to the top and left, leaving one Madalorian speechless.

I walked slowly over to the ramp and sat. Empire Day. The day Ezra's life began, his birthday. The day Ezra's parents were taken and his whole life ruined. The day he learned the word 'street rat', and all the pain that came with it. It slapped me upside the face hard. That's why I kept hearing footsteps in the hall at night. He was getting up. That's why Zeb couldn't sleep. He kept waking him up. That's why Hera was letting him off the hook. So he didn't have to interact with his family - like friends.

I knew Ezra liked me, and I may just have the tiniest inkling of 'like' towards him as well, but right now, I thought of him as a brother, who was quiety suffering, with no lap to cry on or shoulder to lean on.

I thought of Hera's words, to leave him alone, and for once, decided she was wrong. Ezra only acted like he wanted to be alone, but I was pretty sure he didn't want to be.

In fact, as I thought over everything, I remebered something suspisious about the foorsteps out side my room. They seemed to be heavier outside my room than when I heard them down the hall. Now, I know that would just make sense, considering I was closer to my door than down the hall, but they were extra heavy.

And then it struck me - he had been trying to wake me up!! I gasped, and almost started crying with that realization. He had been trying to get my attention, tell me something was wrong, when all I wanted was more sleep. I felt so terrible. I made up my mind, right then and there, to go look for him. And find him.

I stood up, sniffed and took a step. And didn't take another. Where was I supposed to find him? I have already been looking for the boy all morning; what made me think I would just stumble upon him now?

"Think Sabine, think," I muttered to myself, walking side to side on the ramp. I couldn't think of anything. A quarter of an hour went by, and still, nothing. I sighed in frusteration and sat, pulling at my hair. Where on Lothal is he?

Getting no answer, I decided to just start walking. So I got up, and began walking, not towards the town or plains, but towards the greatest cluster of rocks. I don't know why, but I felt that if I wanted to be alone, then I would try to get lost among the Lothan rocks. I began walking that way, hoping to find something that would lead me to him.

I walked and walked, eventually actually losing myself, but finding nothing. It was past noon; the sun would be setting in a few hours. I wiped sweat off my brow and kept walking, thinking only of Ezra, and of nothing else, so as not to distract me from what I was doing.

It was getting pretty late; I had been out here for too long. I decided to check around a few more of the bigger rocks, and then head back. Or try to at least.

As I continued walking, something about where I was started to look farmiliar. I couldnt place it though. It was like a place from a dream.

When I rounded the final rock, it all fell into place. I saw a huntched up figure leaning comfortably against the rocks. This place looked identical to the place that we had had our 'discussion' after my dark saber training. I should have known he would come here. I had discovered this place earlier; I didn't know he had though. But that's of the past. This now.

I walked over to him and sat down. He didn't acknowledge me, just continued staring into the sun. His face was tear streaked, and his eyes bloodshot. I felt so bad for leaving him all alone here.

"Hey," I said gently, trying to get a feel if he wanted me here or not. He sniffed, but showed no other signs of caring of my exhistance. I sighed and scooted closer to him. I rested my head on his shoulder, just enjoying the silence. If he didn't want to ackowledge me, then that's ok. He didn't have to. I was here for him, not the other way around.

A few minutes past and I was getting tired. I wanted to talk to Ezra, but I didn't know how to comfort him or what to say. I made myself more comfortable on his shoulder and thought about what I would want in his situation.

"Mhm," I murmurred to myself aloud, thinking, my hair brushing my nose. I swiped it away, only to have it fall again. Annoyed, I swiped it again, only to have gravity pull it back to my nose. I sighed, and was about to ignore it, when I felt a hand brush my cheek, pulling the hair back, tucking it behind my ear. I couldn't help but smile. Ezra slowly brought his arm around me and hugged me to himself. I hugged him back.

We stayed quiet like that for a minute, and then he began to cry. I didn't realize it at first, he was so quiet about it. But then his shoulders started shaking, and he covered his face with his right hand, squeezing me to him with his left. I hugged him tight, shut my eyes, and tried to hold back my own tears.

"I'm sorry Sabine," he whispered. I rubbed his shoulder.

"Its ok," I whispered back.

"I'm sorry you have to . . . to see me like . . . like this . . " he continued, talking through his sobs. I felt so bad for the kid. I wanted him to know that it was ok now, but how to convey it? I decided to just go with it. I sniffed and said.

"No, Ezra, you don't get it. This is why I'm here. I'm here for you. I know you've been by yourself for years, dealing with your problems alone, but not anymore. Now you're with us. And as long as you are, you won't be suffering alone." I hugged him tight, with silent tears falling, and he hugged me back, with both arms this time. He buried his head on mine.

"Thank you Sabine . . . Thank you so much," he whispered. I smiled, closing my eyes, peaceful.

*sniffs* *whispers* I liked that one.
*no longer whispering* It was fun incorporating everyone else (minus Kanan) into a oneshot for once. Did you like it, or should I have just stuck to the script?
Anyway, not much else to say, thanks for reading, love ya'll, bye!!!

~Me