He has to step away.

It's been nearly a year now since they've last seen him, but that doesn't stop the emotions from randomly hitting Hunter so hard that he's nearly doubled over in pain.

Sometimes it'll be a distant memory that someone reminisces about aloud.

Other times, it's nothing more than his belongings suddenly making an appearance, as if he just left his kit out and will clean it up when he returns.

Today though, it is simply the thought of how he might react to their shenanigans on this calm, backwater planet.

The sun is setting in the west, painting glorious shades of pink and red in the sky. The tall, stocky trees act as a natural shelter, keeping the squad hidden with their excessively long branches covered in thick leaves. Some type of bird is making its presence known, loudly voicing its opinion about their arrival nearby.

Everyone is content. Not a single complaint has been voiced or a concern raised yet. Wrecker is peacefully lounging underneath the shade of one of the glorious trees. Echo and Tech are debating where the best location will be to view the stars later tonight. And Omega just entered the ship to look for something to play with.

It seems as if everybody is thriving in this beautifully designed world without a care in the world. In fact, this is the most relaxed he's seen them in a long time.

Yet Hunter has to step away from them all because he feels so incredibly miserable. He can't bear to drown them in his unforgiving, horribly timed sadness. It always seems to happen when everyone is in good spirits, so he often tries to play it off with a smile. Unfortunately, a smile won't be able to hide his sorrow today.

So while they all laugh and enjoy their evening, Hunter quietly watches from the steps of the Marauder. Here, he can grieve and think without dragging down the morale of his brothers and sister.

Omega approaches him from behind. Seeing his hanging head and slouched shoulders, she sets Lula aside and decides to sit beside him. She plops down close to him so that she doesn't risk falling off the step. Then, gently, her head rests against his shoulder and clings to his arm. "You're thinking about Crosshair again, aren't you?"

He swallows the lump in his throat. Should he deny it so that he doesn't ruin her night as well? Or would it be better for both of them if he's honest with her?

"I can always tell when you're thinking about him." She says, making the decision for him. "Whenever someone mentions him, you go off to be by yourself for a while. Or if someone accidentally leaves his stuff out."

Maker, is he really that obvious?

"It's okay to feel sad." Omega continues. Her hands now casually play with his fingers, allowing him a bit of distraction. "I miss him too. A lot more than you might think, actually."

His jaw locks, fearing what might happen if he opens his mouth to speak. Already he feels like he's bursting at the seams, the pressure of holding it together for her becoming more difficult the longer she confesses her true feelings.

"I know I didn't know him as well as you four, but he's still my brother too." She says, her voice now becoming slightly strained with emotion. "While it might not be personal experiences, I do know him from the stories everyone's told me. And from his things we've packed away to keep safe."

Hunter pulls his arm out from Omega's grasp and drapes it over her shoulders to pull her close. She cuddles tight to him, her face slightly pouting as she closes her eyes. "I know I don't have the right to miss him as much as the rest of you do, but he did save me. I could have drowned on Kamino, but he rescued me and AZI."

Hunter lets out a deep sigh, the memory now washing over him. Looking back, he's not sure why he thought Crosshair would kill him at that moment. How didn't he put the pieces together that he was saving the little girl?

While they had their differences, Crosshair hadn't made a single move to kill any of them. So why was their first thought that he was going to shoot him now that they were out in the open? It was clear that was aiming to save Omega, as his eyes were the only ones that could possibly see that deep in the dark, unforgiving waters.

It's one of the many things Hunter would do differently if he had the chance.

"What are you thinking about right now?" She asks, tipping her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes are brimming with tears, but she manages to keep them at bay.

"I'm thinking about how I left him on that platform." Hunter instantly replies just above a whisper. He blinks, surprising himself with his own honesty. "How I left his fate in the hands of the blasted Empire again."

Omega nods thoughtfully, her brown eyes looking up at him as if she knows that's not all he's thinking about. 

"I'm thinking about how I'm banking on the Empire to save my brother." He finds himself choking up, the image and thought growing more horrific as the seconds pass. "Maker, Omega. I pray every night that the Empire came back for him because at least that means he's safe. He'd be better off there than all alone on Kamino." He breathes as his shoulders hunch.

A soft tear rolls down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away before Hunter can see. "We offered him to come with us. It's not your fault he chose to stay."

Hunter shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Omega." He deeply sighs as he hugs her closer. His hand comfortingly rubs her shoulder as he stares into the distance. "It goes a lot deeper than my regret in letting him stay behind."

She frowns. "I don't think I understand."

"No." He quickly agrees. "And I don't think anyone else will either."

She looks back down at her feet. She wishes she could make him see that Crosshair chose that fate. Each of them offered him the opportunity to join again, but he was adamant about staying with the Empire. It isn't until now that she considers his decision might involve more factors than she originally thought. 

She glances up at him. "That's not what you were thinking about before I came over, was it?"

A laugh suddenly escapes Hunter and she finds herself lightly smiling. He uses the heel of his hand to remove the tears that have embarrassingly appeared in his eyes and on his cheeks. It's rare for him to show his true emotions, especially in front of her. "No, Omega. It wasn't." He finally answers.

Her head tilts. "Then what were you thinking about?"

He smiles as he nudges her head with his. "I was picturing Crosshair perched in those branches above Wrecker. He'd be lazily taunting him for a bit, then he'd eventually climb higher up to grab Wrecker the fruit he was begging for."

Her nose scrunches. "That's it?" 

"That's it."

A moment of silence pauses between them. She's always known that Crosshair's missing presence has affected them all. While Hunter has just admitted to a deep regret that haunts him, she never thought merely an idea of what Crosshair might be doing if he was with them could also be upsetting.

"You really miss him, don't you?" She asks.

"Every day."

She finds herself realizing that the others must have these thoughts as well. Perhaps when Wrecker says he's feeling a little down, it is simply because he found one of Crosshair's spare toothpick packs in the drawer and nothing more.

Or maybe when Tech suddenly falls silent while they're working together, he's merely thinking about how when Crosshair would be helping him he'd be calling each tool by its wrong name just to get him riled up.

Perhaps when Echo offers to see her to bed, it's because he wants someone to talk to about Crosshair. Maybe when he tells her about his incredible shots that saved them in battle, it's because he has been thinking about it all day, and knows that she'll gladly listen with a smile.

She chuckles, allowing Hunter's imagery to formulate in her mind. She can easily see Wrecker gladly taking the fruit from his brother's hands. He would then snatch Crosshair off the ground, squeezing him tight as he loudly demands to be let go, even though he kind of likes the attention.

"Maybe we'll get to see it one day." She says to Hunter. She grabs his hand again, this time holding it tightly.

"I hope so." He chokes back, his eyes locked on the sturdy branches above Wrecker. If he really thinks about it, he can almost see his slender body hiding in the thick leaves, as if he's been with them the entire time. "I really hope so, Omega." He quietly repeats.

~~~~~~~~~~

Guys, I love the Bad Batch so much. I was going through my old drafts and I have so many that I now feel the need to edit and publish so be ready for an influx of short stories and one-shots.