Nu Kyr'adyc, Shi Taab'echaaj'la

Chapter 1 - Stolen Dreams

Author's Note: A guest on ao3 suggested this fic, and... well, it's not the kind of thing I normally write, but I had so much fun with it. I hope y'all enjoy the romance and angst and found family. :D

There are five chapters, and I'll be updating every Wednesday. ^-^

Also, this is for the 501st Bingo square of "ghosts". :)

~ Amina Gila

"... Wow."

Anika can't help the small smile that plays on her lips at the sheer awe and reverence in Fives' voice. "Cool, huh?" she agrees, nudging his shoulder, mindful of the fact that they're in public, as they stand in one of the many doorways of the Room of One Thousand Fountains in the Jedi Temple. When she first came here, she'd been overwhelmed by it, by the greenery here. It seemed like something out of a fantasy, not a real place that could exist somewhere in the galaxy.

Fives whistles quietly. "I know you said it was... beautiful, but this is..."

"A lot?" she supplies when he trails off, linking her arm with his. Through the Force, she can tell that no one else is around in their immediate vicinity, and anyway, Jedi are allowed to platonically touch people. No one needs to know that she's holding Fives' arm because she wants to be close to him.

"Mm," he agrees, his head turning all around as he tries to take in the sights of this place. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"Yeah," she answers dryly, "Just don't go blabbing to Jesse and the boys. They'll be jealous."

"Well," he deadpans, "I don't know. I think we could all fit in here reasonably well without overcrowding the Jedi here."

Anika laughs. "True, but I'd probably be banned from the Temple. Now, c'mon. Let me show you my favorite spot here."

It's by one of the water fountains, tucked in a small alcove under the shade of a large tree with enormous leaves. Anika isn't certain what species it is, but it's very old. She can feel its ancientness when she touches its bark, the steadfastness of its life.

Fives leans back against the tree, not seeming too out of place in his armor despite being in the Jedi Temple. She settles next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, secure in the knowledge that they're alone and in private.

They've officially been together for half a year now, though their friendship started growing much deeper in the aftermath of the Citadel, after Echo died. Fives was struggling and grieving, and Anika helped him, stood by him, held him, talked to him. She supported him, and somewhere during the way, Fives went from being just a friend to being her confidante. He's Rex's right hand, and Rex is hers. The three of them are almost inseparable now, especially with – with Ahsoka gone.

At first, when they both realized how much they'd come to care for each other, they'd talked about it, agreeing to wait until after the war when they could be equals to act on their mutual feelings. But then, there was a mission, a bad one, and Fives nearly died. It shook them deeply, a harsh reminder that nothing is a guarantee in war. Though they don't talk about it, they know that it's not unlikely for one of them to die before it ends.

They... talked about it, because they had been all too conscious about the power imbalance between them, with Anika being Fives' General, and him just being a random ARC trooper – even if he is practically Rex's second now. They'd finally agreed that while on the fronts, Fives will follow her lead, and while together, she'll follow his. It's... a tricky arrangement, but they make it work.

"What do you think we'll do when the war ends?" Fives asks finally, resting his head against hers and threading their fingers together. It's not the first time he's brought it up, the question of what will happen to the clones after the war. For as much as they look forward to it, they also dread it, because there's so much uncertainty. The clones were created for the war, so they won't be needed the same way when it ends. It's terrifying, the unknown of it all.