The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

BBAW Day Six

Emerie has never seen, well, real food before. Her family is very happy to introduce it to her.

Emerie is preparing to leave when Hunter calls them down, requesting they stick around long enough for their first family dinner. Omega's bright eyed "please?" had her melting faster than flimsy, so here they are, seated around what's definitely the biggest dining table Emerie has seen in her life outside on some patio on Pabu.

She didn't even know people ate outside. It's not something she ever did when she was with the Kaminoans, and it's certainly not something she ever did with Hemlock. Outside is dangerous, and it always has been. In her mind, there's always danger, crawling in the shadows, but her family insists she's safe here, and somewhere deep inside, she thinks she believes them.

They're soldiers. They would know danger better than she could.

Seeing food is – well, it's strange. So strange.

"I've never had anything like this before," Emerie says, studying the strange fruit in front of her.

"It'll take some getting used to, but they're better than rations," Omega promises.

"Definitely," Wrecker agrees whole heartedly.

She's never had anything that's not a ration in her life. She thought that's all anybody ever ate. There's so little she knows about the galaxy. That's increasingly clear.

So, here they are, Wrecker hovering over her and insisting she try as many things as possible.

"I've never had anything but rations," Emerie remarks.

"Never?" Wrecker chokes, coughing. "How could ya live?"

"I thought this was how everybody lived."

"It's not!" Wrecker splutters, "Ya should stay here with us." He's overly exuberant about food, Emerie thinks, honestly, but she's never really enjoyed eating. It's always the same – bland and half tasteless. This is different.

"I –" Emerie's gaze turns to Hunter in silent question – he's their leader, and his word is what counts hardest. He's a good leader. They care about him. It's not like Lama Su, who gave orders with what seemed like little reason and took no question, and definitely not like – like the doctor.

Hunter's gentle. His squad loves him.

She's hurt Crosshair. Omega, too. She hurt her sister.

"You would be welcome here," Hunter answers with a gentle smile. He looks tired, and his face is too thin, but he seems happy now.

She wants too, honestly, but her brothers are already dealing with enough issues with having Tech back in such a jarring way. "Thank you," she says, "But I think I'll go with Echo, at least a short time. I have a lot to make up for."

"You were only doing what you were taught," Hunter points out, "All of us did."

"I still knew better."

"Not now!" Wrecker whines, "We're eating!"

Hunter hides his smile by lowering his head back to his plate again.

He is a leader Emerie thinks she would follow anywhere.

"Y'know," Wrecker adds, "Maybe I'll take ya to get some ice cones."

Crosshair groans. "Not again."

"Yeah, again! Emerie's never had 'em before! Neither has Tech!"

"Usually, you ask whether we are interested, first," Tech objects loudly.

"What's an ice cone?" Emerie asks, because she's never seen or heard of that before. It's not something Omega mentioned, even if she did talk about food sometimes. She hated what they ate on Tantiss, and Emerie can finally see why.

Wrecker grins widely. "I'll show ya!"

He waits for them to finish up before taking her off to some stand – she passes the other clone cadets Hunter and Wrecker had apparently freed on the way. Echo, Tech, and Crosshair wander off somewhere, and Hunter tags along as probable supervision. Omega's coming for the ice cones, of course.

Wrecker gets her an ice cone that's bright red, and she studies it carefully before licking it. "It's cold."

"It's ice," Omega says with a giggle.

Emerie can't fully understand the desire to consume something of subzero temperatures, but it is sweet, and it does taste good.

"Should we get one for Crosshair?" Hunter asks, eyeing the stand.

"Of course!" Wrecker agrees exuberantly, in unison with Emerie's "why would you not give him one?"

"Crosshair gets a little... twitchy when he's sugar high."

Wrecker laughs. "I like him like that."

"It's funny, until you decide to free-climb the great wall."

He blinks. "Oh."

Hunter pats his shoulder. "In honor of our first family dinner, maybe I'll take the risk."

Emerie smiles as he takes up another. "You seem like a good leader."

Hunter pauses, turning back to her, a little surprised. "Thank you," he supplies, and heads of fin search of Crosshair.

"He's the best," Wrecker promises.

"You will come by when you and Echo have time, right?" Omega queries, grabbing Emerie's free hand.

She looks around the brilliant Pabu Island, breathes in the fresh scent of grass and ocean, so full of all the life and light that her life has been devoid of for so long. Then to her little sister, the child who taught her what it meant to live. "I think I'll come here whenever I can."

Omega inhales with an elated gasp, throwing her arms around Emerie's waist. She's never been hugged before, at least not in a very long time. It's something entirely foreign to her, but then Wrecker's arm comes around her shoulders, his other hand on Omega's, pulling them both against his chest as if they somehow grew up together, as if they knew each other from birth, as if nothing else ever mattered.

To him, with as simple as Wrecker's mind appears to be, that may not be entirely impossible.

Emerie leans into it a little, no matter what it is she's done, deciding to – just once – take the moment of being with them.

With... her family.

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