Skeletons in the Closet

by SukitheBean

Summary:

In which the batch take shore leave on Coruscant with their medic, Bones, who wants to spend the entire time trying to make Tech laugh. But as her past catches up to her, she realises that she's going to have to come clean about a few things to her squad.

Chapter 1: What Kind of Bees Produce Milk?

“What kind of bees produce milk?”

The question rang through the cockpit, lingering for far too long. Bones heard Hunter sigh as he braced himself for what would follow.

Tech looked at her quizzically. “Bees don’t produce milk to feed their young. Only mammals can produce milk and bees are insects. Bees do however produce honey, primarily for food-storage purposes…”

Deflated, Bones sat back in her seat. The joke had died and she didn’t even get to say the punchline. What a waste. It was a good one as well. But just as she was about to give up hope, a voice piped up from behind her.

“Boobies.” Crosshair said.

 Tech stopped mid lecture and turned to his silver haired brother in shock. Of course he’d be the one to get to boobies first.

“Excuse me?” Tech said raising a brow.

“It’s the answer to her stupid joke. Boo-bees produce milk.”

Bones could barely keep the grin off her face as she watched Tech’s expression move through multiple stages of shock, realisation, disgust, and disappointment. “That was a terrible joke. You’ll have to do better than that.” He said to her.

“He’s right. That one was terrible.”

“Shut up Crosshair. No one asked you.”

He wasn’t wrong though, she conceded. She had one goal: make Tech laugh. It was a game she’d been playing since she her first assignment with clone force 99 after quickly realising just how rare a sound it was to hear from her goggled squad mate. She’d heard Hunter let out a chuckle often enough. Wrecker’s boisterous laughter was constantly booming through the ship. Even Crosshair snickered if he found something particularly amusing. But not Tech. In all her time with the batch she’d never witnessed his lip even curl at one of her jokes. She’d need to step up her game if she was ever going to succeed.

“Initiating landing sequence on Coruscant now. Please refrain from distracting me further, Bones. Unless you want us to crash.”

She scoffed. “Please. I could literally flash you and you’d still land us without a hitch.”

That at least got his attention, even if he seemed more exasperated than amused by her antics. Which was a bit of a shame. Not that she’d ever seriously try it on with any of her squad mates. It had just been quite some time since anyone had been interested in her breasts. Or maybe all the booby-talk in a confined space with four men was starting to get to her.

“I’d let it go, Bones. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tech laugh at anything. He ain’t gonna start now.” Wrecker said.

“Never. I refuse to give up. Everyone laughs. Even Tech.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, Doc. Tech’s sense of humour has always been broken.” Crosshair said.

“My sense of humour is not broken, nor has it ever been. I simply do not express my amusement in what you would call a typical manner.” Tech said defensively. “That, and I most likely have a higher threshold than most for what I consider funny. I’m afraid crude jokes with painful puns would fall below that threshold.” He finished by looking pointedly at Bones, who stuck her tongue out at him.

“You just wait. I’ll get you to laugh. And when I do it won’t just be some pitiful little chuckle. It’ll be a full-bellied, rib-hurting, lung-collapsing laugh that’ll have you on all fours gasping for breath.”

“Now that, I would pay to see.” Hunter said with a smirk.

Shore leave had become rarer than a purrgil for the batch. As the war had dragged on, the demand for their specialised skillset had them bouncing from one system to the next almost constantly on critical assignments. But for the next four glorious rotations, they had officially been permitted a break. And on Coruscant no less.

“Finally!” Wrecker cheered, disembarking as soon as the Marauder touched down. He stretched out in the sunlight as Crosshair and Hunter soon followed.

The plan was to hit 79s that evening, but before that, Tech insisted on work on the necessary repairs for the Marauder. Due to their latest run of back-to-back missions, their last jump had totalled the ship’s hyperdrive and he needed to make a trip to acquire the necessary parts. Bones volunteered to go with him as she needed to replenish her medical supplies, as well as seeing another chance to attempt to tickle Tech’s funny bone.

“Okay, how about this one. Where does the king keep his armies?”

“Well, that is dependent on the tactical ability of the king. If we are to assume that the king is experienced with warfare and has a talent for strategy, then—”

“Bzzz. Wrong.”

Tech turned to his squad mate, startled. “How can I be wrong? I’d barely even began to answer.”

“The answer is his sleevies.”

Tech slowly blinked behind his goggles. “What?”

“Where does a king keep his armies? In this sleevies.”

“That was worse than the boobies one.”

It took all her willpower to keep a straight face. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say boobies before.”

“And you never will again.”

“Don’t worry I’ll come up with a better one while we walk.”

“You know, Bones, with all the time you spend coming up with jokes it surprises me that you elected to become a field medic. Perhaps your skills would be better suited to a career in comedy. I hear that in Coruscant bars they often have what is called ‘open-mic’ nights where you can share your gift with others. Why don’t you try one out.”

“Thanks for the tip but I will definitely pass. You and the others are the only ones that will get to experience the wonders of my comedy. I wasn’t built for the stage anyway.”

Tech turned his head away, the corners or his mouth slightly upturned. “I disagree.”

“You do? Tech, do you think I’m funny?”

“I think you try very hard.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, thanks. That’s very flattering.”

Once they made it to the first shop Tech bartered with the shopkeeper for a deal on a hyperdrive motivator and stabilising plates. Bones waited to the side, stewing silently as she attempted to come up with several more jokes to throw at Tech once he was done.

“How come you didn’t just get the parts from engineering at the base?” She asked Tech once he was done.

“I have generally found that I can get better deals and less hostile service from local vendors. The regs tend to react disagreeably when they see that our squad is in for repairs.”

“Oh, I see.” She said frowning. “That’s not very nice of them.”

“It’s not a problem. Plus, the regs will insist on performing ship-wide diagnostics and general repairs themselves and I prefer to operate on my own. Naturally we have butted heads on this topic on more than one occasion. Obtaining the essential parts myself makes it easier on everyone.”

“Yeah, but still.”

“I wouldn’t let it concern you.” Tech said lightly, seeing the frown still on her face. It warmed him to know that she cared enough for something like this to bother her, even if it wasn’t a topic worth dwelling on. “I don’t believe you’ve been with our squad long enough to truly understand the turbulent relationship we share with the regs. Although if we do end up at 79s tonight as planned, you’ll see the full extent of it.”

“Is that so? Don’t threaten me with a good time.” She chuckled.

Tech smirked. “Precisely why you fit right in.”

Unlike Tech, Bones would usually stock up on medical supplies at the Coruscant base. But since they were in the area, she took him to a small clinic where she knew she could buy in bulk. “I think we need at least two dozen more bacta shots and patches. We could make do with the salve and creams for minor injuries, and more gauze too. We’re all out from that time we wrapped Wrecker up like a mummy.”

“I remember. That was also the day Wrecker broke the door on the ship’s supply cupboard because he wanted to rise out of it as if it were a sarcophagus. Hunter was furious.”

“You could say he was a little wound up.”

Tech nodded, missing the joke entirely. “He was.”

“Or maybe he was just too wrapped up in himself.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. His anger was entirely justified. Any destruction of GAR property would fall to us to repair. Which it did. Either way, it was a highly enjoyable way to waste time while hurtling through hyperspace.”

“Tech these are some stellar mummy-related puns I’m dropping. You could at least acknowledge them.”

“They are not, and I will not.”

The clinic was small with white lighting that washed out the colour from every surface. The civilians that were milling through gave the two troopers wide birth, their curious eyes burning holes in their backs before they scuttled out of the shop. The shopkeeper was less than happy to see good business be chased out the door and rushed to serve them and get them out of there.

Bones lent over the counter, her fingers drumming on the surface as Tech examined the pain relief medication on the shelves. “Meiloorun flavoured? What would be the point of that?” He muttered to himself, goggles scanning every packet causing her to smile fondly. They’d be here for hours if she didn’t drag him away.

“Matheldi?”

Bones perked up. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man behind her. He had dark hair and bright eyes despite the obvious bags underneath them, a typical trait of a doctor. He was well groomed, and his clothes were newly pressed with his shirt neatly tucked into his slacks. He smelt of fresh laundry and spiced cologne. It made her stomach turn. For a moment she forgot how to breath.

“It’s Jais. Jais Harr?”

“Yes. I know who you are.” She said flatly. “Hi.”

“Maker, little Mattie Yenken! I haven’t seen you since the academy. How time flies. What have you been up to?”

He was trying to be polite. He must have noticed her uniform, her armour, the blaster at her waist. Her eyes flicked to Tech hidden between the aisles. He wasn’t watching but she could tell his ears were trained on their conversation. “I’m a field medic in the GAR.”

Jais’s mouth opened, then closed. His brow set as if his suspicions had been confirmed. “Oh, that’s nice.” He said. “I thought…never mind. How’s that going?”

Bones’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing. I just…I thought you would have moved into something more lucrative. You were top of the class until you…”

“Dropped out?”

“Yeah.” He gave her a wry smile, the kind you only give when a conversation is going south. “I just opened my own private practice.” He said changing the subject. “Paediatrics. I’m here picking up an order for a patient. How about you?”

“Shore leave.”

“Right, right. Of course. And how’s your family? I was always such a fan of your father.”

“Wouldn’t know. Been away for a while.”

He nodded and swallowed. Bones tracked the motion of his adam’s apple as it dipped just below the thick collar of his pristine jacket before bobbing back into place. His eyes darted around looking for an exit. “Well, it was great seeing you, Mattie. Maybe we can all catch up together some time. We could organise a class reunion. I’m still in touch with a few people from the good old days, how about you?”

“No.”

“Ah, I see. Well, good to see you.” He turned and walked out of the shop having not picked up his order. He’d get it later.

Before the cold of Jais’s swift absence could consume her, she felt a warm presence by her side. “Your order was prepared. I took the liberty of retrieving it on your behalf. I hope that was alright.”

She turned to Tech and smiled. “Thanks.” She took the bag from his hands and walked stiffly out of the clinic.

Conversation on the walk back was as sterile as a surgeon’s scalpel. She could tell it was getting to Tech from the way he fidgeted; she was usually so chatty. Back when they first met, he mistook her chattiness for obnoxious showboating (which it sometimes was). But he soon understood her charm, appreciated her sharp wit and goofy sense of humour. It became something that set him at ease, and he was soon able to be himself around her and breeze through a thousand and one topics in her presence. But her silence? He didn’t know what to do with that. He’d never experienced it before.

“Bones, I—” He hesitated. “There’s still time before we need to return to the ship. We could walk for a bit longer.”

“I thought you wanted to get repairs underway as soon as possible.”

“It can wait.”

She eyed him curiously. “I’d rather just get back to the ship.”

“I insist.” He paused in the street, tugging on her arm to stop with him. “You’re…unsettled. I wouldn’t want you returning to the ship this way.”

“Unsettled?” A tinge of mirth in her tone. “Is that what they call it these days?”

“What would you call it?”

She turned away. “Forget it. I’m fine. Really. Jais just took me by surprise, that’s all.” Now that she thought about it, this neighbourhood was very close to the Republic Medical Academy. The winding pathways were so familiar to her that her feet had dragged her back to the old clinic she used to moonlight at before she’d even realised. These were her old stomping grounds. She was bound to run into people from the past sooner or later.

“If you ever needed someone to talk to, you know I would always be willing to listen.” His voice was softer than usual with an edge of uncertainty as he bravely crossed into an area of their friendship that they hadn’t yet ventured. To Bones, his open vulnerability was beyond endearing.

“Oh, Tech. Thank you. That means a lot, but I’m really fine. Never better.”

The sunlight caught on his amber lenses giving his hazel eyes a honey glow as he frowned at her. He beckoned her to a nearby bench that was overlooking the promenade.

“I understand that unlike the rest of us, you have quite an extensive history before joining the GAR which can result in a number of proverbial skeletons in the closet. While I would never want to pry into your background out of respect, may I instead ask you why you became a medic?”

She hummed, considering his question. “Why did I become a medic for the GAR, or how did I get interested in medicine? They have different answers.”

“I suppose either will suffice. Whichever you’re most comfortable with answering.”

Bones sighed. “I got into medicine because of my dad. He’s a well-respected cosmetic surgeon and I wanted to be just like him growing up. There’s this picture in his office that said: If life gives you lemons, a simple operation can give you melons.”

“I see you’ve gotten your sense of humour from your father.”

“No, actually. That was my picture. I put it there. My dad is really dull, and I wanted to brighten up his office. My talent for comedy is a gift from the stars.”

“Ah, I should have guessed. You are truly unique.”

She hummed in agreement. “He and my mother actually live not far from here. Down there, turn right, and keep walking straight for about ten minutes.” She pointed down a small lane that passed under the flow of speeder traffic and stretched into a much quieter, secluded area of the upper levels.

“I see. And you didn’t want to visit them during our time here?”

She turned away. “No. Absolutely not.”

Tech couldn’t help the twinge of hurt that pierced his gut at her words. He’d done enough prior research to know who she was. Matheldi Yenken, Mattie for short, was the youngest daughter of the Yenken family. Very wealthy and deeply seated in the upper crust. But when she was with them, with him, she was Bones. Just Bones. It was only natural that she would be ashamed of introducing her squadron to her family. Coruscanti high society was no place for clones.

“That’s not what I mean, Tech.” She said, carrying a knowing look.

His brow furrowed. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to. I can see what’s going on up there.” She tapped her finger lightly against his head. “This hasn’t got anything to do with you and the boys. I’m proud of the person I’ve become, I’m proud of the work I do, and I’m proud of my squad. It’s not you I’m ashamed of Tech. It’s them, it’s this.” She threw her hand out gesturing across the promenade, the tall buildings, the cleanliness of the upper levels. “This place, this world, I can’t really explain what it does to you. But the people in it, they’re monsters. And once upon a time, I used to be one of them. I’ve done everything in my power to leave it all behind me.”

“Is that why you became distressed upon meeting an old acquaintance today?”

She brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them close. “Sort of. Jais is…complicated. I don’t think now’s the time to get into that. He just brought up a lot of memories that I’d rather forget.”

She felt his hand on her shoulder, warm and heavy. “Mattie, look at me.” She jerked to attention at her name. She’d never heard him say it before. “You’re not a monster. No part of you is. I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been carrying this with you in silence, and I’m not sure I understand what it is you’re so ashamed of, but I hope you know that you have nothing to prove to us. You’re a part of our squad now which means that we accept you exactly as you are. You don’t have to hide yourself from me.”

She sat up. “From you?”

Tech snatched his hand back as if she’d burnt him. “I…I just mean that I’m well equipped at tackling these types of conversations having read extensively on topics of emotional navigation.”

“Oh, right.”

“And I very much appreciated your honesty today.”

She smiled. “Hey, I joke but I’m rarely dishonest.”

“I will take your word for it. Although I do sometimes find that you use humour as a defence mechanism to inappropriately deflect from painful or awkward situations.”

“Woah, you weren’t kidding about reading up on this stuff. That’s complete psycho-babble.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?”

“We can both be right.” She felt lighter from having vented. “Do the others know about, you know, my family and where I come from?”

“When you entered our team, I only divulged what I deemed to be critical information. Your personal history and upbringing were not expressly important in that regard, so I kept it to myself. Since you proved yourself highly capable in your position as our medic, I saw no reason to bring it up again.”

She nodded, shoulders sagging in relief. “I don’t think I’m ready for the others to see that side of me just yet.”

“Of course. Your secret is safe with me.”

Bones smiled. She got up from the bench stretching out her limbs. “So, you looked me up before I joined. I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Find anything juicy?”

“If by juicy you mean escapades that were particularly explicit or risqué, I think you already know the answer to that.”

“Hey, all the girls in my class modelled for that calendar. And it was for charity.”

“Your Life Day photos were very impressive. The photographer was masterful at utilising the lighting and setting to their advantage. And I especially liked the way you salaciously straddled the tree branch in your underwear.”

“Yeah, you and everyone else. That’s why it sold so well. We raised a lot of money that day. You know, two seconds after that photo was taken, I fell out of the tree and smashed my nose on an exposed root.”

Tech let out a bark of laughter. It was lightning fast and quickly covered by a cough. Bones thought she’d imagined it until she caught his sheepish expression.

“You laughed! I got you to laugh! And it was at my expense as well!”

“I’m sorry. The imagery of you gracelessly falling from a tree in your underwear took me by surprise.”

“We had to stop shooting because of all the blood.” She shoved him on the bench as he continued to grin. “Great, no one is going to believe this! If I’d have known that was all it took, I would have told that story much sooner.”

On the way back to the Marauder, Bones attempted several other jokes to make Tech laugh, none of which worked. Tech was just glad that she was back to her chatty self again. Status quo reached. Crisis averted.

Chapter 2: An Offer of Free Food...

Summary:

In which the cat is let out of the bag way too early, and Bones is forced to reveal her wealthy upbringing to the batch. But what else could she be hiding?

Notes:

So the angst continues in this instalment.

Warnings: Angst (ofc), Not a lot of Tech in this one, Big Brother Hunter, Crosshair being a dick, ofc's life falling apart.

When Bones and Tech returned, they were immediately greeted by Hunter. He stepped in front of them and braced a hand over the entrance, blocking their way.

“Um.” He scratched the back of his head. “You have a guest.”

She cocked her head to the side. “What? Who?”

“Some guy named Jais? I dunno. Looks fancy. Says he knows you– are you alright?”

Bones was well aware Hunter could hear that her heart had started beating rapidly. In a fluster she turned to Tech, who looked just as lost as she did. “Perhaps he’s here to apologise for earlier.” He suggested.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Rich people never apologise.”

“Wait a second, earlier? What happened while you two were out?”

“Nothing. Just get rid of him.” Bones had already decided that whatever Jais wanted, it probably wasn’t good. She was about to make a run for it when his head popped around the entrance to the Marauder.

“Mattie. I thought I heard you.” He gingerly walked down the stepladder. She sympathised a little, having tripped on those steps before. People didn’t realise how much of a flex it was to walk down them smoothly. “I asked after you at the base and they pointed me in this direction. Your friends here allowed me to wait on the ship until you returned.”

Mattie’s eyes drifted to Crosshair as he walked past entrance into the cockpit. The look on his face was sourer than usual, if that was possible. She could only imagine how things went down with Jais aboard. They could barely stand regs on their ship, let alone rich, spoilt nat-borns.

“We’ll just give you two some privacy.” Hunter said, dragging Tech, who looked like he’d much rather stay, with him onto the ship. Mattie wanted to reach out to them but clinging onto her squad mates in front of Jais would have been mortifying. No, she needed to keep her cool.

“They seem nice.” He said, far too forcefully.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, you probably won’t believe me, but I came here to apologise.”

Her eyes widened. “Apologise? To me?” She might have imagined it, but she thought she heard Tech say “I told you so” from the ship.

“Yes. Back at the clinic, I feel as if I may not have put my best foot forward. We haven’t seen each other in so long and…I know things between us didn’t exactly end well.”

“I punched you.” Bones blurted out before backtracking. “That came out wrong. I mean, no. You’re right. Things didn’t end well. They ended horribly. And now you want to apologise after all this time? I’m sorry, I just don’t believe it.” Sensing a trap, she put up her guard. Vulnerability didn’t exist where Jais was from. People didn’t say sorry unless they had a good reason to. He had an agenda, she just needed to work out what it was.

“The truth is I’ve been thinking a lot about the guy I was at the academy, about what an asshole I used to be. To you especially. Honestly, it must have been fate that I saw you at the clinic today. Some divine message telling me to write my past wrongs.”

If that meeting was fate, she’d hate to think what else it had in store for her.

“We were so close once. I’d love to be that again. Let me take you out for dinner tonight.”

Bones scoffed at the idea and ran a hand through her messy braid. She was about to say something witty in response until she saw the look on his face and realised that he was being completely serious. “No.” she said immediately.

For a moment the shock of her response froze him, which pleased Bones immensely. He’d actually thought she’d say yes. The prick was probably used to girls lining up outside his precious little private practice.

“No?”

“No. I already have plans tonight.”

He looked even more flustered by that. “Well, can’t you reschedule?”

“No.” Saying it was like a superpower. She was inflicting damage every time she said it and she could see the cracks starting to form in his perfect façade. She’d break him if it was last thing she did.

“Come now, Mattie. Don’t make me beg in the middle of this place. It’s filthy but I will do it you know. For you. Would you like me to get on my knees?”

It was tempting. The thought of seeing the dust of the hangar smeared across his pristine slacks was more delicious than the most expensive meal he could ever promise her. But she wanted to see the tail end of him even more. “What will it take for you to leave me alone?”

“The only way I’m leaving here is if you agree to have dinner with me tonight. I’m not asking you to accept my apology, just let me make it up to you. We can go anywhere you like, no matter the cost.”

“You can’t just buy me, Jais.”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” He said, his gaze was so fierce with determination, she almost believed it to be sincere. His voice melted into velvety smooth butter. “Please, Mattie? Just one dinner. That’s all I’m asking.”

Bones wasn’t a fool, but she wasn’t heartless either. She could appreciate how much he was stepping out of his comfort zone here; a couple regs openly gawked at them as they walked by the hangar. “Fine. One dinner.”

His eyes lit up, his mouth lifting into a swoon-worthy smirk. “You won’t regret it. Do try to wear something nice. I’ll comm you the details. What’s your number?”

“You can find me under NAT-2345.”

He stared at her.

“Before you ask, no, it’s not fake. That really is my designated number. Here, I’ll just give you my frequency.”

Once he’d left, Bones stepped onto the ship just in time to hear four pairs of feet rapidly shuffle away from the entrance. She found her squad mates all trying to pretend that they hadn’t just been listening in to every word.

“In case you didn’t catch that,” She began. “I won’t be able to make it tonight.”

They were quiet. Quieter than she’d ever seen them. Wrecker was the first to speak. “So, who’s your friend?”

Bones frowned. “He’s not my friend.”

“I don’t like him.”

“Neither do I.”

“So, you’re going out for dinner with him?” Hunter asked, trying to steer the conversation.

“Well, it’s free food at a nice restaurant so, why not?”

“From what I hear, that’s no skin off your teeth.” Crosshair sneered.

So, Jais had told them. He’d told them everything.

“You seemed to know him pretty well. You were chatting like old pals. There was a lot of history there. I could tell.”

“You must have been imagining things.” Bones narrowed her eyes at the sharpshooter. “What do you want from me Crosshair?”

“The truth for a start.” He came to stand directly in front of her, toothpick hanging from his lip, eye cast down at her smaller frame in judgement. “Be honest. Who are you?”

“You know me. I’m Bones. You gave me that name, remember?”

“Are you? Or are you just some rich heiress with daddy issues getting her kicks by joining the army?”

Bones bristled and surged forward, blood pumping. “I’ve got plenty of kicks to go around. I think the next one might have your name on it. Right up your ass.”

Hunter was between them in an instant. “Alright. Enough. What Crosshair was trying to say is that we were all taken by surprise.”

“I’ll say.” Wrecker said with a chuckle. “That guy was all kinds of posh. Where’d you even meet a guy like that, Bones?”

“She knows him because she’s one of them, Wrecker. She just never told us.”

She glared at Crosshair. He had always been so sensitive. He needed to be eased into the idea of her, coaxed and guided like a feral nexu. It would take some time for him to accept this new dimension of her. A prequal in her story where he didn’t exist. “We were at the medical academy together here on Coruscant. But when I joined the army we lost touch. I lost touch with everyone I used to know.”

“What made you join?”

“Crosshair, don’t.” Tech finally piped up. He’d been sat in the pilot’s chair quietly taking things in. Perhaps Bones was right after all. It was too soon for them to know about this. She’d only just finished integrating herself into their tight-knit team, painstakingly weaving herself into their tapestry thread by thread, learning their patterns, meshing with their vibrant colours. And now it was as if those threads were all getting pulled out. She was an outsider all over again.

“You’ve been awfully quiet.” Crosshair sniped at him. “Don’t tell me. You knew the entire time, didn’t you? But you didn’t say a word.”

“It wasn’t necessary for you to know. And it wasn’t my place to reveal that information.”

“Well, everyone knows now, so, are we done here?”  Bones threw her hands up and made to leave, but Crosshair blocked her way.

“Not until you tell us why you joined the army.”

Flashes of blood. The memory of it being stained into her shirt and on her hands whipped across her vision. The whirring sound of sirens and fire. Before she could panic, she shoved him away. “Oh, kriff off, Crosshair! I don’t owe you anything.”

“Yes, you do actually. We let you on our ship, on our team. And now we find out that you’ve been lying the entire time.”

“I didn’t lie.” She said through gritted teeth. “I’m allowed secrets.”

“Not with us you’re not.”

“Leave her alone Crosshair.” Hunter stepped in again. “Look, why don’t we all just step outside, get some fresh air. Or fresh-er air.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes and shrugged his brother off. “Whatever.” He gave Bones one more look of disdain before retreating. It broke her a little to see him act that way towards her. She’d worked hard to gain his trust, and just like that it was shattered. She wondered if she’d ever get it back.

“Give him time.” Hunter said to her gently. “He’ll come around once he realises what a moron he’s being.”

“He’s always a moron. But I don’t know if he’ll come around.”

“He will.”

“How can you be so sure?” She knew full well that Crosshair’s moods could last weeks at a time.

“I just am.” He smiled. “Why don’t you get ready for your date. I’ll keep the boys away. It might be best to let them process this for a bit.”

He was about to leave when Bones gripped his arm. “I really didn’t mean it to be such a big deal, Hunter. I just wanted to tell everyone at the right time.”

“I know. For the record, I’m sorry it happened the way it did.” He said, his eyes soft. “How would you have told us if that guy hadn’t shown up here?”

“I would have bought you all mansions on a paradise planet with your own personal butlers so you’d never have to lift a finger again. Then while you were all busy sipping fruity drinks and swinging in hammocks by the beach, I would have come clean.”

Hunter laughed. “I think we would have figured it out by that point.”

“Nah, you’d all be too buzzed on alcohol and dazzled by my generosity to even question it.”

He shook his head and gave her shoulder a fond squeeze. “Take care of yourself tonight, vod’ika.”

Warmth blossomed in her chest at the word. Little sister. She could always count on Hunter to say the right thing at the right time.

She turned to her bunk where a thread-bare choice of clothing waited for her. Something nice, huh? Her options were blacks, or blacks. Or, alternatively, she could wear blacks. She pulled some out and pursed her lips. Maybe she could make this work. She rummaged for a pair of scissors and got to work.

Notes:

So I've decided to make this a five chapter ficlet. I've got the nuts and bolts all in place, I just need to edit them up to scratch and then I'll get to posting. As always, kudos and comments are very much appreciated!

Chapter 3: ...Is an Offer I can't Refuse

Summary:

In which Bones goes out on a disastrous date with a grade-A asshole and is forced to confront a horrible side of herself she desperately wanted to leave buried. Will the others ever be able to forgive her when they find out?

Notes:

Things get darker here.

Warnings: car crash, mentions of drunk driving, mentions of death, major angst, blackmail

Bones tugged on the hem of her new dress as it dared to ride up her thigh again. In her defence, she had thought it was going to be a cute bodycon moment, but the trouble with blacks was that they were made to be skin-tight. So, if you cut them up and stitched them back together again to make, say, a dress, it will still be skin-tight.

She openly growled at a man who dared to ogle her cleavage that was spilling over the neckline. He scurried past without a second glance. Dammit, she knew she’d cut it way too low. Fidgeting again, she tried to ignore the onlookers as she waited on the street corner until Jais finally arrived.

“Sorry I’m late, I needed to find a place to park…” He trailed off at the sight of her. “Wow, you do clean up well. Reminds of the time we made that calendar—”

“Let’s just get this over with.” She said and stomped the rest of the way to the restaurant.

He’d chosen a place that was hidden just off the main street. The sign out the front was hand painted and written in sleek Aurabesh making it look chic and understated. It was the kind of place a guy would take a girl if he wanted to impress her with his knowledge of the area.

“I discovered this place while I was a resident.” He said smugly, beginning his spiel. “I came here often enough to get to know the owner. They even named a drink after me. Would you like to try it?” He’d ordered two of The Jais before she could reply. It was spotchka with lemon juice. Much like the guy the drink was named after, it was unpleasant and hard to swallow.

He wasn’t just bragging when he said he knew the owner. Not long after they’d sat down, the head chef came out of the kitchen and greeted him personally. They chatted boisterously enough that other customers were beginning to look over. Bones dipped her head to hide her face, embarrassed by the spectacle of it all. Jais was obviously laying it on thick.

By the time the chef had left Jais had already ordered for both of them. “Don’t worry you’ll like it.” He said. “You still like colo claw fish, don’t you?”

At least she going to be fed the most expensive thing on the menu. “So, what do you want?”

He frowned at her question, lemony spotchka just inches from his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what do you want? You didn’t invite me out because you like me, and certainly not because you pity me. You don’t have a heart big enough for that. You want something.”

He set his drink down with a sigh. “Can’t you just enjoy this? I thought it might be nice to catch up with an old friend.”

Her face darkened. “We’re not friends.”

“Maker, Mattie. You’re not still upset about that whole speeder incident, are you? It’s ancient history.”

“Ancient history?” Mattie scoffed. “They’re still rebuilding the plaza where you crashed.”

“It was just a bit of fun. You know how it was at the academy. Work hard, play hard.”

She bit her lip, her shame painted across her face. “Was it just a bit of fun to the people who lost their lives? The families who lost their loved ones?”

His gaze softened. “Is that all you’re worried about? You were always so compassionate. I admired that in you. If it’ll put your mind at ease, I’ll inform you that the families are most likely living like kings and queens right now. They were handsomely compensated for their troubles.”

“And their silence.”

His smile vanished. “What would you have had me do? If people knew what we did, we would have been kicked out of the academy or worse. Our families would have been dragged through the mud as well. We would have lost everything. We could have gone to jail. We could still lose our medical licenses. Is that really what you want?”

“If it means owning my mistake, if it means I could be at peace with myself, then yes.”

He paused, considering her, suddenly seeing her in a new light. Then he smirked, a thin oily scar that stretched across his face. “That’s why you joined the GAR? Because you felt guilty?”

Bones averted her eyes to the able, fingers gripping her thighs until they left little crescent moons in her skin.

“Do those friends of yours know? I bet they don’t. I bet they wouldn’t take too kindly to such weak reasoning. It screams privilege. Making their war your own self-actualisation story. They would detest you for it.”

“That’s not the reason I joined.”

“I think it is. The thing is, at least I know who I am. At least I have pride. Whereas you with your armour and your silly little moniker, Bones, you spend so much time denying it. You ran away from your birth right and lied to everyone in the process. Including yourself.” He leaned forward over the table. He was so close she could smell his suffocating cologne. “I could tell them you know. What if I dropped by tomorrow and mentioned it. What do you think they would do?”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Clones were beyond honourable. Everything they did, they did with dignity and compassion. Especially the batch. If they ever found out she was in a speeder crash that had killed civilians—no, a speeder crash that had killed civilians and had been covered up, they would never look at her the same way again. The shame of it all was eating her alive.

“Or I could hold my tongue.” He said, leaning backwards, giving her some room. “For a favour.”

There it was. Finally, the reason he orchestrated this entire farce.

“I have been trying to use the carrot to get what I want from you, but since you refuse to bite, I’ll have to resort to the stick.”

“What do you want?” She spat out.

“Your father is head of the board of directors for the Coruscanti society of biological sciences. Get me on that board and you’ll never have to hear from me again.”

Bones stared at him, her jaw hanging loose and her eyes wide. She must have been like that for some time because Jais was starting to look at her strangely.

“Bones? Did you hear me? Close your mouth, you look like a fish.”

Speaking of, their colo claw fish arrived at that very moment. Bones’s gaze dropped into the bowl, the bright orange caviar, the succulent meat, the oversized claw, the garnish. Before the waiter could leave, she reached out to him. “Excuse me, could I get this to go?”

He startled, his eyes drifting to Jais for only a millisecond, sensing the tension, and nodded. “Right away, miss.”

Jais raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving. I’m done with you.”

“But we were making a deal.”

“Fuck your deal. Fuck you. Fuck this place. I’m going to take my fancy food and get the fuck out of here now.” She may have said that too loudly as the people in the next table looked over with horrified expressions.

“Then I’ll tell your team—”

“Tell them.” She said. “Go ahead. I’m done with secrets.”

She trusted those boys with her life. They’d always come through for her. Every single time. It was about time she came through for them, even if that meant completely destroying herself in the process.

The waiter came back, her meal neatly wrapped and boxed. She muttered her thanks and fled. She could hear Jais calling out to her, she could see the other guests staring as she briskly walked past their tables, but she barely registered any of it. She hopped into a cab and told the driver to take her to 79s. He turned around and looked her up and down.

“You sure that’s where you want to go, sweetheart? Nothing there but clones.”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

They drove off, Bones cradling the caviar in her lap.

79s was heaving. Clones in all states of drunkenness were spilling out onto the streets, the glow of the neon sign above painted their armour a rainbow of colours as they dry heaved and vomited onto the sidewalk. Bones smiled.

“I’m gonna ask you one more time. You sure you want to be here?”

“Yup. This is me.”

She paid the confused man in cash and hopped out, sidling past clones at the bar until she found who she was looking for. The batch had acquired a booth for themselves at the back. The regs gave them wide birth, grumbling over their presence. Hunter caught sight of her first, but even he had to do a double take before he recognised her. “B-Bones?”

At the mention of her name, the others to look up. “Hey.” She tugged on the hem of her dress, suddenly self-conscious.

“You look like a girl.” Wrecker said, stunned.

“I am a girl.”

“I know, it’s just I, um, forget when you’re in your armour, you know?”

She smiled fondly. “I know.” They made room for her to squeeze in next to Tech.

“Where did you even find a dress—”

“Are those blacks?” Tech said incredulously, getting a closer look at the material.

She nodded. “I made a few minor adjustments. Turns out people aren’t the only thing I know how to stitch together.”

“It— you look, um, great.” Hunter fumbled.

“Thanks. I feel really uncomfortable.” Bones replied, deadpan.

“And how was the date?” Venom dripped from Crosshair’s lips at the word date. He eyed her as he ground down on a toothpick, arms crossed defensively in front of him.

“Awful.” Bones said honestly. “But he paid for my food, so I got something out of it at least.” She said, plonking the colo claw fish on the table. “Want a bite?”

The portion size was small, but the way their eyes lit up at the chance to try the delicacy was worth it. Bones swiped some forks from behind the counter and they all tucked in. Wrecker shovelled the caviar into his mouth, eyes popping out of his skull at the strong flavour. “Just tastes like salt water.”

“It’s supposed to be rich and creamy. Kind of like butter.”

“Then eat butter.” Wrecker looked at the small, orange-tinged pearl drops as if they’d insulted him. “Or just go to Kamino and dip your head in the ocean. You get the same taste.” The claw fish flesh went down much better, and they were soon fighting over the scraps left in the box.

With a drink in hand Bones allowed herself to stretch out and lean back against the booth. It was noisy, smelt heavily of sweat, and the unpleasant tang of strong spirits had been absorbed into every surface, but it felt peaceful. It felt right. She tried her best to keep Jais’s threat from hanging over her head, hoping none of the others noticed the dark clouds forming behind her eyes. While the others were comparing clanker kills from their last mission (Crosshair was in the lead), she caught Tech’s eye on her.

“Everything alright?” He said softly.

She smiled and nudged his arms with hers. “Everything’s great.”

As the night drifted on, Wrecker leant over, his drink sloshing dangerously close to the rim of his cup. “Hey, Bones. You’re rich, right?”

“Yup.”

“How rich?”

“Like, rich, rich.”

He tried to process that. “Are you rich enough to buy 79s?”

“Wrecker, my family could buy 79s maybe four-hundred times over.”

“Woah. That’s a lot of alcohol. Even I couldn’t drink all that.”

“Actually, with her family’s wealth, Bones could afford to buy 79s five-hundred and thirty-seven times over precisely. And that’s only considering her father’s income. If we were to add her mother’s and brother’s salaries on top of that—”

“You have a brother? What’s he like?”

“Tall, skinny, big nose. And he hates me. I once pulled his pants down in front of the entire school for a laugh. I don’t think he ever got over it.”

Wrecker’s laughter bellowed across the bar. “You were one of us even back then.”

Slowly but surely, any awkwardness that still lingered was eased away with alcohol and loud conversation. They drank and laughed until they were finally kicked out onto the streets by the bartender for being too rowdy. The cold night air hit her hard in her short dress, and she leaned drunkenly into Tech to soak up his body heat, laughing at something Wrecker had said as they stumbled back to the Marauder.

There was a mute tension that simmered through the ship as they began to retire to their bunks. The ruckus of the night had died down and the unspoken words of the day remained between them. Finally out her makeshift dress, Bones dawned a new pair of blacks and wrapped herself in a thin blanket from her bunk. Her eyes drifted to Crosshair, who lounged on his bunk with his eyes shut. He wasn’t asleep. She could tell because his toothpick was still twitching in his mouth.

She cleared her throat. “You want to know why I enlisted?”

His eyes opened and homed in on her. One arm came out from behind his head and plucked the toothpick from between his lips. He rolled it between his forefinger and thumb then signalled for her to continue.

“Back when we were still students, Jais and I got into a speeder accident.” With enough alcohol still in her system to loosen her lips, she continued before she lost courage. This was it. No turning back. No more secrets. “We were drunk and messing around and he somehow managed to nosedive us right into a busy plaza. We got out lucky, but two people died, and another person succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. At least seven more were injured.” The toothpick fell to the floor. She watched as his usually stony face blanched with horror. She didn’t need to look around to know that the others were also listening.

“I never heard about this.” Tech said. From his place in the cockpit she could see the disbelief written all over his face. “You…you must be joking. Bones, tell me you’re joking.”

“I’m not.” She whispered.

“I did extensive background research before you joined our team and there was no mention of you being part of a speeder accident.”

“You wouldn’t have found anything. Jais’s father was running for a position in the senate and couldn’t afford the scandal. He managed to pull a few strings to cover the whole thing up. The news outlets, the journalists, he managed to keep them all at bay, and the families involved were paid for their silence.” She remembered speaking with Jais’s father and his army of lawyers herself, his thinly veiled threats, his millions of credits which he paid out of pocket. All so his son could go on living his best life at the academy. Stress free. No consequences. Bones threw a hand over her eyes to cover her shame. “It was the worst moment of my entire life.”

“Bones.” Hunter said her name with enough force it knocked her back. “Your actions didn’t just lack good judgement. They’re compassionless. You realise you’ve killed civilians. You’ve destroyed their families forever.”

“I know. I know.” She thought back to those days following the accident often. The anxiety, the nightmares, the sleepless nights, the number of times she vomited thinking about the victims and their families mourning their loss, all because of a single split-second senseless decision made by her. “I get it. This is a lot to hear.”

“A lot to hear? Kriff, Bones.” Crosshair breathed out a mirthless laugh. “I always knew you liked to joke around, but this. This isn’t funny. This is disgraceful.”

She took his admonishment knowing it was true. There was no point denying it and no one bothered to defend her.

“So, what? You enlisted out of guilt? Is that what you want to tell us?” Crosshair spat the words out as if they’d left a foul taste on his tongue.

“No. That’s not why.”

“Then why? Why are you here?”

She twisted a thumb in the sleeve of her blacks pulling at the stitching nervously. “When it happened, it was such a blur. I mean, we’d trained for exactly this kind of situation at the academy but when it came down to it, the realness of it all, it was like my body just wouldn’t move. I tried to organise relief, but I was so panicked. Jais couldn’t even string together a sentence. But then before the emergency services even showed up, the clones were on the scene. I don’t even think they were on duty at the time, but they showed up anyway. I’d never seen anything like it before, they knew what to do immediately. Treatment was administered, the wounded were seen to and rushed to hospital. The whole thing was cleared up in a matter of minutes.”

She could still remember the accents in their armour as red as the blood on the rubble. One of them had looked her over once things had died down. He’d asked her if she was hurt and told her everything would be alright. He hadn’t even cared what had happened or even if it was her fault. He just wanted to help.

“I was inspired.” She said quietly. “It’s funny. For most of my life, between my father and the academy, I lived and breathed medicine. But I never knew what it truly meant to help people, to actually give a shit about someone else’s life until that moment. That was when I realised that couldn’t stay at the academy. I could have the best qualifications in the galaxy from the best institution, but I’d never know what it would mean to be a good doctor. So, I left, and joined the GAR.”

They were silent when she finished, each contemplating, processing, trying to piece together bit by tiny bit of what she had just said, wondering what the best way to respond would be. Would Crosshair explode with a new bout of accusations, or would she be met by Hunter’s stern ferocity. Wrecker was always the first to understand and attempt to see things from her perspective, but even he would have trouble with this. And Tech, who had so much faith in her, whom she tried daily to make laugh with terrible jokes, would they ever laugh together again?

“Look, I know I can’t change the past, and I can’t imagine what you must think of me now, but I have sworn to spend every waking moment of my life righting my wrongs. Every choice I have made since then has been put towards becoming someone I can be proud of. I want to help people. I want to make a difference.”

“Is that enough, Bones?” Hunter asked her. “Will that ever be enough?” His gaze was guarded, his eyes flickering over her form before coming back to her face, checking her sincerity. He was re-establishing his entire opinion of her as a soldier. As a person.

“I have to try.” She replied.

Hunter dragged a hand down his face as a wave of lethargy washed over him. This was supposed to be shore leave. It was supposed to be fun. “Alright. I’m calling it there. It’s late and we’ve all got a lot to think about and anything said now isn’t going to be conducive towards a good decision.”

“And what decision would that be Hunter?” Crosshair’s icy tone cut through and washed the team into another round of silence. They all knew what decision he was making.

Bones held her breath. This was it, she thought. This was the end of it. Hunter was going to report her and kick her off the team.

Hunter gave Crosshair a stern look. “We’ll talk more in the morning.” He used his captain’s voice on him. And that was that. The strangely quiet Wrecker stormed into the fresher without looking at anyone. Crosshair settled back into his bunk and rolled over to face the wall. Hunter sighed before moving to get into his own bunk and Tech swivelled his pilot’s chair around to face the control board. Bones could see his face in the reflection of the front screen, the creases in his forehead and the bouncing of his knee telling her that he was in deep thought.

She thought she’d feel lighter after spilling her guts. Everything was out in the open now and they’d be able to see her as she truly was. But in saying the truth it was almost as if she’d completely lost herself. No more fun-loving, inappropriate joke-making Bones. Enter the innocent killing, joy-riding spoilt rich brat. She’ll become Mattie to them again.

With the tears beginning to swell behind her eyes, she decided she couldn’t stay on the ship tonight. They needed space form her. She could at least give them that. Quietly as she could, she pressed the release on the door and slipped out.

Notes:

I swear this was supposed to just be a light-hearted story. Then this all happened. Next chapter coming out once it's edited. Comments & Kudos always appreciated!

Chapter 4: Make a Wish. Make it a Good One.

Summary:

In which the Batch discuss Bones’s future on the team when they receive an unwelcome visitor. Meanwhile Bones’s pondering brings her face to face with a surprising individual that might be able to lend a helping hand.

Notes:

Warnings: no real warnings here, just reader going through it. Small fluffy moment at the end. Tech being a good friend.

“Alright. Let’s get this over with.” Hunter said from his seat.

The others, minus Bones, crowded around him with uncharacteristic obedience. At least they were taking this seriously, he thought.

“She has to go, Hunter.” It was surprising to no one that Crosshair was the first to speak up, even if his soft, regretful tone was.

“Hang on. Does she have to? She’s never let us down before.” Wrecker argued. He’d been the quietest throughout Bones’s talk the night before. He might have been stunned into silence by the revelation, but he’d been soaking up every word she’d said, registering the tone of her voice, maybe he even noticed the anxious press of her fingers as she pulled on the threads of her blacks. Out of all his brothers, Hunter trusted Wrecker’s opinion of people the most. His ability to identify the goodness in someone was practically instinctual. Although he did sometimes give them the benefit of the doubt too generously.

“Wrecker, she killed people. And not just in a battle. How are we supposed to trust her to watch our backs in the field knowing that?”

“She said she was sorry.”

“Actually, she didn’t.” Tech said. “She never specifically used the phrase ‘I’m sorry’ while speaking with us.”

“Yeah, well, she sounded it though.”

“She did. She may have thought the act of saying it would draw away from the main point of her thesis, therefore making her words less impactful. Besides, I don’t think a simple I’m sorry would be appropriate. While she can express regret to us, it is not us she needs to say sorry to.”

“The victims’ families.” Hunter concluded, getting Tech’s message. “Do we know if she ever spoke with them following the accident?”

“She didn’t mention it, so we can’t say for certain. But I would assume she did, given the personal grief she has shown over the events.”

“We should assume nothing. She’s already lied to us plenty.” Crosshair said.

“She did not lie to us.” Tech argued. “She withheld the truth.”

“A lie of omission then. It’s still a lie. And if she withheld from us, maybe she withheld from them too.”

Tech was on his feet. “You’re jumping to conclusions. We know Bones’s character, and she would have confronted the families without hesitation.”

Crosshair scoffed. “I’m jumping to conclusions? Why don’t you take a look at yourself, lover boy.”

Crosshair was right. It was rare for Hunter to see Tech so emotionally invested to the point that logic starts to fly out the airlock. They all knew about Tech’s crush, and his feelings for her had only grown the more she’d integrated with the team.

“And by the way,” Crosshair continued. “She literally just told us something that we would have never pegged her doing in a million years. So, no. We don’t know her character. We can’t trust another word that comes out of her mouth.”

Before Tech could reply, Wrecker stepped in. “I agree with Tech. We’ve known Bones a while now. She deserves a chance to prove herself.”

“Not to mention she came clean on her past without provocation. I have no doubt that she had already considered the repercussions that we may never forgive her and may never want to work with her again. She told us because she knew it was the right thing to do.”

Hunter had thought about that too. Late last night when he’d heard the door release and Bones fled the Marauder, he’d contemplated what had compelled her to come clean. Sure, she’d fought with Crosshair earlier that day but that was nothing new. Something must have happened on her date with this Jais guy. He just couldn’t figure out what.

“Let’s give her another shot.” Wrecker said enthusiastically. “You’ll see. We’ll get a new mission, take out a few clankers with her. It’ll be the same as always—”

“No.” Hunter said. “If we’re not able to clear this up by the end of shore leave then we’re leaving her behind.”

Tech spun round to face him, his face more desperate than he’d ever seen before. It almost broke Hunter to look at it. “I’m sorry, but we can’t take this baggage with us into battle. It’s too distracting. I’m not putting everyone’s lives at risk while we try to sort through our feelings. If we – and I mean all of us, Crosshair – can’t come to terms with this by the final day, she’s out.”

He’d expected some animosity from Tech. Maybe he’d launch into another heated argument in support of Bones, but he just stormed out without another word.

“Woah.” Wrecker said, summing up Hunter’s thoughts too. “He must be really mad.”

“He must be really whipped.” Crosshair sniped.

“Let him work through it on his own. We need to—”

There was a shuffle at the door. Hunter thought that maybe Tech had returned, but that scent didn’t belong to his brother. With his enhanced senses, the cologne was enough to make Hunter’s eyes water. The others, noticing his distress, were on their feet and at attention.

“Knock, knock.” An oily voice called. His gelled head stuck around the corner of the door. “I do hope I’m not bothering you.”

 

Her fingers slipped across the small shrine in the corner of the plaza where ribbons and fresh bouquets of flowers had been laid for the victims. Even after all this time, there was still someone out there grieving for their lost loved ones. Bones’s heart clenched at the thought.

There were no pictures. Most likely Jais’s father forbid it due to the implications it could bring upon his son. A photo, a keepsake, anything that could link him back to this place would have been removed. Even her being back here was probably a big no-no. Bones wanted to shout out her presence in defiance until the whole galaxy could hear. “I’m here” She muttered under her breath. “I’m here and there’s nothing you can karking do about it.”

“Nothing I can do about it, hm?” A voice croaked beside her. Bone blinked. She was certain she hadn’t said that out loud. “Too loud so early in the morning, your thoughts are. Troubled with things out of your control, I sense you are.”

She turned to the small green man beside her. One of his large ears twitched as he gazed up at her with kind, wide eyes. “G-general Yoda?”

“Unfair, it is, that my name you know, but your name, I do not. Tell me, will you?”

For a moment, she forgot to breath. “Uh.”

“Uh? A strange name, it is.”

“It’s Matheldi, sir. Mattie, if you prefer.”

His eyebrow raised. “Do you?”

“Well, yes.”

“Another name, I sense you have. Given to you by your clone brethren, it was.”

She was about to ask how he knew she was a soldier since she was only wearing her blacks but decided against it. This was the Yoda, for kriff’s sake. He knew everything. “It’s Bones, sir. I’m a field medic for Clone Force 99. Or, I was…”

“Was?”

“Yeah, I…might not be for much longer. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details, sir. You’re probably extremely busy.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Bore me you will, you say? Busy I am, you say? Came here today because I was busy, you think?”

She looked around the quiet plaza. It was still early morning and the civilians had yet to rise. It was just the two of them. “No, I guess not. Why are you here then, sir? If I may ask.”

“Escaped the temple for a little while, I did. Stressed about the state of things, I’ve become. A nice place to sit and think, this plaza is, so come here from time to time, I do.”

“I see.” Bones responded quietly.

“And you? What you are doing here, may I ask?”

“Me? I, uh…”

“Certain ‘Uh’ is not your name, you are? Say it an awful lot, you do.”

Her jaw dropped. No one would ever believe her if she told them that she had not only met Yoda in a random plaza, but he had teased her. “I guess I came here to think too. Things have gotten a little complicated for me right now.”

Yoda hummed thoughtfully. “Then help each other, we could. Work through my own problems by listening to yours, I could.”

“Really, General, it’s not worth—”

“Tell me what is bothering you. Like to hear about it, I would.”

Bones looked at him, his eyes so large, so open, so ready to see everything for what it was. Including her. It made her want to tell him every single tiny secret she ever kept; from the first time she’d wet the bed to the last time she’d kissed a boy. Was this a jedi thing, or just a Yoda thing?

“I told my squad mates about something terrible that I did in my past and I don’t think they’ll ever forgive me for it. I’ll probably be reassigned and never get to work with them ever again. Maybe I’ll even be deemed unfit for duty and have my license revoked. I might never work as a medic again.”

“In the past, what you did, very bad, was it?”

“Extremely. The worst thing you could possibly do when you’re young and stupid.”

“Deep regret in you, I sense. Blame yourself, you still do, for what you did in the past. Unable to let go, you are, and so eats away at you, the blame does.”

Tears welled in her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks before she could even think to control herself. She crouched in front of the flowers and buried her face in her knees. “It was all my fault. I should never have done it. And now these people are dead because of me.”

“A terrible accident, these people were in.”

With blurry vision, Bones looked up at Yoda, startled. “You know about that?”

“About the speeder accident, I know. An acquaintance of one of the families, I am. Lost their child, they did. Twelve years old now, they would be.”

She threw a hand over her mouth in horror as fresh tears began to fall. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She said it over and over again. But no matter how many times the words flew from her mouth, the meaning never hit home. There weren’t enough sorry’s in the world the make up for what she did.

She felt Yoda’s hand wrap around her own. “Come.” He spoke gently. “Sit by the fountain, we shall.”

The sound of water bubbling became more pronounced as they made their way over to the fountain. The surface was in flux as the constant stream disrupted it, but she could still make out the small bronze bars at the bottom.

“A-are those credits?”

“Yes. Like to make wishes on them and throw them into the fountain, people do. Fond of this ritual, I have become. Full of hope, it is.” He pulled out two credits from within his robes and held one of them out to her. “Perhaps in need of some hope right now, you are. Join me in making a wish, would you?”

“I appreciate the thought, General, but I don’t think it’ll help.”

“The point of making a wish, that is not. A show of faith, it is. But faith in what, you have, I wonder. The republic? The clones? Your team?”

“Of course I have faith in them. I trust them with my life.”

“Faith in yourself, you have too, yes?”

Bones averted her gaze to the bottom of the fountain. Her silence was his answer.

“Accept you made a grave error in life, you must, then learn from it, you will. Feel like an open wound, this vulnerability can, and a difficult barrier to overcome, self-loathing is. But a good heart I sense you have. Already attempting to make amends, you are. The right thing to do, telling your team was. Whatever they decide now, know this, you should.”

She gulped. He was right. She knew deep down that she was doing everything she could. So why did it never feel like enough?

“Have faith that your team has seen you as I have, you must. All you can do now, it is. A wish, you should make, to help guide you.”

She took the credit from his palm and clutched it in her own. Her hand felt sweaty, and quivered as she held it over the edge of the fountain. She closed her eyes and made her wish, before slowly opening her palm and letting the credit fall. It hit the surface and descended quickly, it’s solid shape distorting into ripples as it sunk and hit the bottom without fanfare. Beside her, she watched Yoda do the same and take a deep breath in. He exhaled noisily through his mouth, as if dispelling every bad thought that had plagued him that morning.

“A good wish, that was. Resolved my own internal grievances with your help, I have.” He smiled at her.

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“Done more than you think, you have, Matheldi of the Yenken family, Bones of Clone Force 99. Touched by your honesty today, I was. Remember you fondly, I will. With you on your travels, may the Force be.”

He turned and left the plaza without another word. It wasn’t until he was well out of sight that Bones realised she’d never told him her family name, which meant he either knew exactly who she was all along, or worked it out along the way.

She let out a long breath, feeling lighter after Yoda’s guidance. She was doing the right thing, he’d said. And if Master kriffing Yoda said that then it must be true. What will be will be, she concluded. If the others decided to kick her off the team, then she’d keep her head held high and continue doing the right thing for as long as she could.

But if they decided to believe in her…Maker, she hoped with all her heart that they’d decide to believe in her. She hoped her wish came true.

“Bones!”

At the sound of a familiar voice, Bones looked up from her seat at the fountain. “Tech?” She said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

He sidled next to her, taking up the seat that Yoda previously sat in. “You have to come back to the Marauder. The others are considering kicking you off the squad. Hunter has given us until the end of our shore leave to reach a decision.”

“Oh. Right. I figured as much.”

Tech paused. His tone became soft. “Aren’t you worried? Don’t you want to remain with us?”

“Of course I do. More than anything. But Tech, if I get kicked off the squad, it’s because I deserve to be. I’m sorry I left yesterday; I just don’t think my presence there is going to help anyone right now.”

“I believe it will. Go back and remind them why you became a part of our team in the first place. Plead your case.”

Bones scoffed. “What case? What I did was—”

“It was horrible, yes. Out of all the scenarios I had in my head of what your time studying medicine was like, I never thought you’d be capable of something like that.”

She peaked out from behind her bangs. “But…you’re not mad?”

“I was. For a while I didn’t know what to think. Do you know how rare it is that I am rendered speechless? Well, I was last night.”

She allowed herself a small smile. “So, what are you doing here?”

Tech was quiet for some time. His leg bounced, a nervous tick that was becoming increasingly telling on him. “Have you ever heard of Castellan restraints?” He eventually blurted out.

“…I’m sorry?”

“Castellan restraints. They were a behaviour modifier used during the Cold War and Galactic War. A candidate for this type of conditioning was primed using IX serum which is distilled from the chemical dimalium-6 found on Quesh and specifically formulated for its subject. It alters their brain chemistry and makes them more susceptible to manipulations. They could even forget who they were altogether.”

Bones blinked slowly at him. “So. Brainwashing. Right. Tech, did you have a point?”

“The thing is, last night, this practice was playing on my mind. I don’t how long I sat thinking about it, and about you. I thought about how the Bones I know and the Bones you described in the speeder accident were two completely different people. I thought about the amount of effort someone must go through in order to recreate themselves on that level, to become someone so foreign that I wouldn’t even recognise them anymore. I imagine it’s not dissimilar to undergoing a self-inflicted brainwashing like Castellan restraints.”

“Tech, I’m sorry. I’m still not following you.”

“What I mean is that you are not the person you were then, and you have gone through a lot to become the person you are now. Over the past months I have gotten to know that person very well and I can safely say that she is quite remarkable.”

She felt heat rise on her cheeks. Was now an appropriate time to blush? Oh, kriff it. She was already blushing. “Wow, Tech. That was…such a ridiculous segue to get to the point. And so not the same thing at all.” His reply was cut short when Bones wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him tightly. “But I very much appreciated it. Thank you.”

He went completely stiff. It was all he could do to wrap his wooden arms around her midriff. He swallowed. “Any time.”

 She unwrapped herself from him. “So, I rendered you speechless, eh? You, the biggest chatterbox in the galaxy? And I made you laugh yesterday. Whatever happens now, I guess I can call that a win.”

His pulse skipped at her coy smile, glad that she was back to her old self again. “Are you ready to return to the ship?”

She got up and stretched her limbs out. “Right. Time to face the music. You know, I’ve spent way too much time getting emotional with you on park benches this shore leave. What’s up with that?”

“I would assume it’s to do with the calming atmosphere and the openness of a vacant seat in a public area which allows you to let your guard down.”

“You could say I was working my way through some deep-seated issues.”

“Bones. You’re ruining the moment.”

“You’re right sorry.” She said. “My delivery on that last joke was too wooden.”

“Please stop. This bench isn’t even made of wood.”

“That was the last one I swear.”

Notes:

Yay a jedi cameo! And not just any jedi, THE jedi. Speech was hard in this one, but I hope I did Yoda justice.

Please leave kudos and comment for hugs and kisses!

Chapter 5: A Penthouse full of Cakes and Clowns

Summary:

In which Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker are once again confronted by Jais on their ship, who inadvertently helps them find a new perspective on their teammate. And Bones has come to a final decision.

Notes:

So glad we're out of the angst bump in this story. It's so much more fun when everyone's happy. This one's a tad longer than the others (nearly 5k). It's the ending so I thought we should make it a good one :)

Warnings: Swearing, bad parent/daughter relationships, blackmail, threats, fluff, Tech being cute

Hunter had never been the type of person to dwell on topics of money. Primarily because he didn’t have any. Secondly because he didn’t need any. Food and clothes were all supplied by the GAR, and beyond that he had his brothers and a ship to call their own. He wanted nothing else. So, when he was faced with a person like Jais, whose entire world view revolved around money, (how much you had, how much you spent, how much more you could make) he honestly didn’t know how to react. It was such a foreign concept that he couldn’t relate to in the slightest.

He found himself slouched against the control board in the cockpit watching Jais prance around the Marauder, his eyes following the man’s every movement like a wolf on a hunt.

“So, you all sleep here too? In the same room?”

“Yeah. Where else would we sleep?” Wrecker retorted.

“Even Mattie sleeps here with you? All of you together like a…”

“Like a what?” Crosshair stepped forward, daring him to finish.

“…like one big happy family, of course. My father’s ship has a master suite and sleeping pods for all the staff. Doesn’t your leader even get a room to himself?”

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose. He must not hit a civilian. He must not hit a civilian. “Was there something you wanted?”

“Well, Mattie left so quickly yesterday I didn’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye. I thought I’d just stop by and see how she’s doing. Poor thing. She really was quite distraught.” His smile was practically dripping with venom at her name, Hunter was surprised he didn’t slip on the excess that fell from his chin.

“She was?” Wrecker said with a hint of worry.

“Oh, yes. The poor dear. It was all my fault really. I dragged up some old memories that were better left forgotten and got her all riled up. It’s a shame she isn’t here now. I would love to put it all behind us once and for all. Clear the air as it were. You know, she and I go way back. We have so much history together. Some of it might even shock you seasoned gentlemen.”

Jais didn’t realise that Hunter was genetically engineered to be a master-tracker; he could sense a trap a parsec away. “She’ll be back soon.” He said, though he himself wasn’t too sure about that. Bones was pretty upset when she left, but she’d have to reappear sooner or later.

Jais’s smile faltered slightly. Hunter smirked. He wasn’t about to take whatever bait he was dangling. “I wonder, did Mattie mention anything last night when she returned? Anything that was at all out of the ordinary?”

Hunter’s eyes slid to Crosshair, who chewed on his toothpick silently. “No. Not a word. She was as normal as ever.”

Switching tactics, Jais pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. “I was hoping to give her this, but perhaps you could deliver it to her on my behalf. It’s handwritten on paper you see. We tend to do things traditionally here.” He held it out for Hunter to take, but he didn’t move a muscle.

“Just leave it there on the bunk and we’ll make sure she gets it.”

Jais frowned. “Not the most courteous bunch, are you?”

“We don’t entertain much.”

“Aren’t you at all interested in what’s in that envelope?”

“No.” Hunter could tell he was getting impatient. He was trying desperately to get them to engage so he could effectively drop whatever bomb it was he was holding onto. Hunter had a pretty good idea of what it was already.

“Well why don’t I tell you anyway. It’s an application of sorts to be delivered to her father. She’ll know what to do with it.”

“So that’s your play.” Hunter said, cutting straight to the point like a knife through fabric. “You’re trying to blackmail Bones into speaking to her father on your behalf. And you’ve threatened to come out about the speeder accident if she doesn’t.”

Jais rolled his eyes. “So, she did tell you already. Honestly, she really is quite predictable. So unbearably noble. It actually makes me sick.” His smile crept back on his face. “But what’s this? You’ve all abandoned her already, haven’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, she’s not here. Let me guess. She told you last night, and you didn’t take it well, so she’s run off.” Jais let out a cruel laugh. “She always did love running from her problems.”

“Bones doesn’t run from anything.” Wrecker said, suddenly on his feet. Out of the three of them he cut the most intimidating image. It brought Hunter more pleasure than he cared to admit seeing Jais quiver at the sight of Wrecker at full height. “And she didn’t run from this. She’s a good person.”

Hunter could stop his smile from forming. The big softy.

Jais sneered. “No matter, I have other means of getting what I want. I can expose her part in the speeder accident to the higher ups here if she doesn’t cooperate. It’s not ideal, but I could still spin a story that doesn’t involve me. My family has that kind of power.”

“You can’t do that. She’d get kicked out of the GAR.” Wrecker said, the severity of it dawning on him.

“And she’d probably be court martialled.” Crosshair said, jumping in for the first time.

“That’s why it’s a threat, you dolt.”

“You’d seriously destroy her life just so you could get a piece of paper in front of her father?”

“Don’t say it like that. It’s really nothing personal. I just know how to get what I want.” He opted for shoving the envelope into Hunter’s chest this time, giving him no other option but to take it. “Please do let Bones know that the colo crab claw I paid for doesn’t come cheap. I expect this all to be sorted by tomorrow evening.”

He slipped out of the ship leaving the three baffled soldiers to mull over the envelope he left behind.

By the time Bones and Tech returned to the ship, Jais was long gone, but his presence still lingered. Or maybe that was his cologne.

“Guys? Hey. Look, I wanted to say—”

“Never mind that now.” Hunter said. “Jais just stopped by and left this for you.” He gave her the envelope.

“Woah, it’s not even flimsi.” She noted, wasting no time tearing into it and unfolding the application inside. It included his personal statement: I am the right candidate for the board due to my many achievements. For example, while still in the springtime of my career… Ugh, please.

She tossed it over her shoulder. “You should have just put this in the trash where it belongs.”

“Jais said if you don’t take it to your father, he’ll try and get you court martialled. Bones, he’ll tell them about the accident.”

“Let him.”

Hunter’s eyebrows shot up. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. If it happens it happens. I’d rather that than give him what he wants.”

“For kriff’s sake Bones.” Crosshair stepped in, taking her by surprise. “Don’t you get it? He gets what he wants either way. I don’t know what his problem is, but that guy obviously has it out for you. Don’t let him destroy everything you’ve worked for.”

She was stunned. Did this mean they still wanted her on the squad?

“He’s right.” Hunter said. “Look, I’ve barely gotten through two conversations with him and I can tell he’s the worst of the worst. I think you should try and fight this. But whatever you decide here Bones, we’ve got your back.”

Her lip began to tremble, and the boys grew quiet. They’d never seen her cry before, but they knew what was coming. Before the tears could fall, she took a breath to steady herself. “Okay, I-I, um, I think I have a plan. I’m going to pay my old man a visit. Will you come with me?”

“If you want us there.” Hunter said with some apprehension. “But are you sure he’ll be happy to have clones in his house?”

She sniffed, then pulled the most serious face she could muster. “I would say yes, but that couldn’t be father from the truth.”

A chorus of groans sounded around her. “Is it too late to change my mind?” Crosshair muttered.

 

The Yenken’s home in Coruscant was a penthouse on the 5127^th level that overlooked the planet’s sprawling metropolis. On cloudless days you could see for miles and count the speeders slugging it in the air traffic below, crawling like ants to their destinations.

She thought that the security guards would give them trouble when they entered the building, but she just flashed her ID and they were waved through. Since her parents owned the entire top floor, she had to punch in the keycode to take them up.

“There’s a chair in the lift! And little water cups of water! With fruit in it!” Wrecker said with glee, immediately taking a seat in the service chair. “I think this might be bigger than the ship.”

“Not quite. In fact, it is several feet smaller than the living space on board the Marauder. Though this much room does seem redundant for a lift. I thought the purpose of such a device was to get from A to B. What is the point of the amenities?” He asked Bones.

“Beats me. I think it’s stupid.” She said, while helping herself to a cup of lemon water.

The elevator pinged and they all threw their cups in the provided bin. They stepped out and were immediately greeted by a man in a black waistcoat. “Prescot! Long time no see!”

“Miss Yenken. What an unexpected pleasure.” He said, his tone dryer than Tatooine.

“Guys this is mum and dad’s butler, Prescot. Prescot, I’m here to speak with my dad.”

“I’ll announce your arrival to him.” He buttled off into the house without another word. Bones could never tell if he hated her or not, but she quite enjoyed his no-nonsense attitude. If anything, he was efficient.

“Your family does not have a protocol droid?” Tech asked her.

“Hm? No. Dad hates droids with a passion. Says they lack the human touch or some bullshit like that.”

Prescot soon appeared again. “Your father will see you in the drawing room.” They all made a move, but Prescot stood in the way. “I do apologise, but your father requested to see you alone. I will escort your friends to the games room and see they are taken care of.”

She looked at the others hesitantly.

“Go on, Bones. We’ll be fine here.” Hunter reassured her.

“Yeah, better than fine. You got any food?”

“I will notify the kitchen staff to send a platter.” Prescot said.

“Make it an extra big platter.” Bones added on Wrecker’s behalf.

“Aw yeah! Now that’s how you treat guests!”

She gave Prescot a grateful smile, who in turn looked as if he was trying extremely hard not to roll his eyes. “Helpful as always Prescot! You never fail to make whoever I bring home feel deeply uncomfortable.”

The butler’s expression didn’t change as he took her friends into the house. Tech paused for a moment, remaining with Bones in the entrance hallway. “Forget me, it’d be far more of a challenge to make him laugh.” He muttered under his breath, causing her to let out a giggle. “Are you certain you’ll be fine on your own?”

“Of course. It’s just my famously difficult and intense father that I’ll be dealing with. Nothing to be afraid of.”

He hesitated for only a moment before he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “We’ll be right here if you need us.” He said before trailing after the others.

She couldn’t begin to describe just how much stronger she felt at his touch, but Bones poured an ice bucket over the warm tingling that filled her stomach. She needed to focus.

The walls on the way to the drawing room were lined with paintings of landscapes from across the galaxy. Some were quite obscure, but others were recognisable. The Easthills of Lothal, Appenza Peak in Alderaan. Places her father had travelled to for conferences and business meetings.  

The door whooshed open and she stepped inside a large oval room with a fireplace and mantlepiece on one side and full-sized windows on the other overlooking the buildings below. A circular sofa cradled a low standing table in the centre of the room. And standing in front of the fireplace, arms behind his back, was her father.

“Matheldi.” His father said. “Is there a reason you’ve come unannounced?”

“Hi to you too, Dad. This is my home. I should be able to come and go as I please.”

He shot her an impassive stare.

“Where’s mum?”

“She attends hover board aerobics this time every week.”

“Ah, a shame I’ll miss her.” There was an awkward lull in the conversation that Bones felt compelled to fill. "You didn’t want to join her? I guess you never had a problem with getting into shape. You always were such a natural father figure.”

Utter silence.

“Shame about your sense of humour though. I’m afraid no amount of exercise can fix that.”

“Let’s forgo the pleasantries, Matheldi.

“Oh, is that what we were exchanging?”

“What is you want?” His tone became sharp; she was testing his patience.

She sighed in defeat and got to the heart of things. Sticking a hand inside her medical satchel, she rummaged around until she pulled out a crumpled letter. Her father raised an eyebrow as she tried her best to iron out the creases. She held it out for him. “This is for you.”

“You know I don’t like being handed things. Just tell me what it is.”

“It’s an application for the vacant seat on the director’s board for the Society of Biological Sciences.”

His impassive stare broke as his lip quirked. “You think you’re qualified to be on the board of directors?”

“What? No! Of course not. I’m not delusional. But Jais Harr is. You remember him? He requested I present this to you personally and convince you to give him the seat.”

He took the envelope and spent less than ten seconds scanning its contents before chucking it onto the fire. The flames licked at the paper hungrily, engulfing the words in an instant. “I would never give the position to such a clown. Are you marrying this boy? Is that why you did this for him?”

Bones pulled a face. “No, gross.”

“Then he has some kind of leverage over you. You wouldn’t have brought this to me otherwise.”

Her eyes lit up with surprise. Her father was a condescending bastard, but he was smarter than she gave him credit for. “He’s threatening to come forward about the speeder accident if I don’t convince you.”

“Oh, that nonsense again.” He rolled his eyes. “I thought I raised you better, Matheldi. Blackmail is simply an opportunity masked as a threat. It can only control you if you let it.”

“That’s easy to say when you own the penthouse of one of the tallest buildings in Coruscant. Everything must look so small to you.”

He smirked at her words. It was almost as if he was proud that she had enough fire in her to bite back. “Yes, it does. Including Jais Harr. I will crush him like the gnat he is and make this problem go away for you, if you agree to my next proposition.” He turned to her, his eyes cold and unblinking. “End this silly little stint of yours with the army and come home.”

She froze. “You…you want me to what?”

“You’ve embarrassed me enough by playing solder for so long. I want you to finish your training as a doctor from a reputable school and become a proper medical professional. I’ll even give you a junior position on the board if that’s what it will take.”

Her eyes widened at her father. He stood like a statue in front of her, unmoving, expressionless, a face and a heart made of pure stone. “But I love being a medic.”

“No. I will hear no more of your childish dreams in the army. Not to mention how undignified it is for a lady of your standing to be surrounded by those clones all the time. Imagine what they’re saying about you. About us. Luckily no one has been foolish enough to discuss this while I’m in earshot, but I hear rumours.”

She felt acid pool in her gut and fury rise up her throat. Her eyes narrowed as she snarled. “That’s what you’re worried about? Your karking image? This is my life. I’ve never been prouder of my work than I am now. I’m actually helping people. I’m making a difference.”

For the first time in their conversation, her father laughed. It was a foul noise, that sliced through the room with expert precision. “Don’t be so naïve. This is war. Millions will die with or without your presence. You’ll be far better off here where I can keep an eye on you.”

“You really are the biggest asshole I’ve ever known.”

“Oh come now, Matheldi. I know I am harsh on you, but I believe you could excel here if you just gave it a chance. You were always so stubborn to change. It’s time for you to grow up and accept your position in this world.”

Bones bit her lip, her teeth sinking in hard enough she thought she might break the soft tissue. “No.”

His stare became hard. “What was that?”

“I said no. I’ve had enough.”

“How dare you. You think I’ll fix this mess of yours with Jais when you show me such disrespect?”

“Oh, please. You and Jais are exactly the same and you don’t even realise it. I came here so Jais could get what he wanted. Now my own father is trying to use me so he can get what he wants too. You’re both the best at using others to get what you want. Congratulations. I’m so impressed. But I’m not going to be some pawn in your game any longer. In fact, I’m removing myself from the board. I’m going to go back to my team and we’re going to go enjoy the rest of our shore leave in peace, far away from you rich fucks.”

“You will do no such thing.” He said sternly. “When the GAR find out what you did—”

“Oh, they’ll find out. I’m going to tell them.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to what?”

“I’m going to tell them. I’m going to tell everyone. The GAR, the press. I’m going to tell them the whole story and leave nothing out. Then both our families will be dragged through the mud and we’ll lose our good name forever. None of us will survive the scandal. Not me, not Jais, not even you. I don’t care what they do to me, but I know how much losing face means to you.”

That’s the thing about these noble-types, they were obsessed with image. And once you understood that, it’s doesn’t take much to beat them at their own game.

Bones smirked. “Or I can hold my tongue,” She said, mimicking what Jais said to her the previous night. “If you deal with this issue with Jais and allow me to continue being a field medic.”

Rage blossomed across his face at her words. “Well played, daughter.” He snarled through thin lips. “I would be proud if I wasn’t furious. You’ve really spun this debacle in your favour.”

“A giant asshole once told me that blackmail is simply an opportunity masked as a threat. It can only control you if you let it.”

“How touching. You do listen to me after all. I didn’t know you had it in you to be so ruthless. You’ve surprised me.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a fucking treasure. Do we have a deal?”

 

In the games room the boys waited for Bones to reappear. True to his word, Prescot arranged for a large platter of assorted cheeses, breads, fruits, and cured meats to be served. Crosshair took out his toothpick and swiped a jogan fruit, just before Wrecker inhaled the entire platter. He tossed the purple fruit in his hand, his eyes following the tracks of his goggled brother who paced back and forth on the Naboolian rug.

“Will you calm down?”

Tech stopped pacing and started tapping his foot instead. “Perhaps one of us should have accompanied her. She hasn’t spoken with her father since being assigned to our squad.”

“Then they have a lot of catching up to do. Besides I think the last thing her father would want to hear is, ‘Meet my boyfriend. He’s a clone.’”

Tech flushed. “I’m merely looking out for a squad mate. That’s all. She did ask us to accompany her as a show of moral support. Not to scarf down her kitchen’s supply of jogan fruit and nerf strips.”

“Wish they had more.” Wrecker said as he licked the platter clean.

“I can arrange for some spiced nysillim tea to be sent up to cleanse your palette, along with a batch of Keshian spice rolls, sir. They happen to be Miss Yenken’s favourite dessert.” Prescot said, gathering the saliva covered platter with disdain.

“Prescot, you’re the best! Hunter, can we keep him?”

“I’m sorry, please ignore him.” Hunter said to Prescot as he fled the room.

“Tech, sit down and wait like the rest of us. The doc can handle herself.” Crosshair said.

“Oh, it’s the doc again, is it? What do you care, anyway? You were the one that wanted her off the squad.”

“That was before I realised how much of a pain every other noble on this karking planet is. You know that di’kut Jais actually gagged when he walked onto our ship?”

“That’s not so surprising. We have become nose blind to our own stench, but I imagine it’s exceedingly potent.”

“My point is,” He continued, biting into his jogan fruit. “It’s a wonder Bones didn’t turn out worse considering. And it’s hard to find a good medic these days. All the good ones tend to die prematurely. We should try and hold on to the one we have.”

Tech let it go. That was as much of a compliment that Crosshair was ever going to give. He sat down just as Prescot reappeared with a pot of tea, five small cups, and tray of flaky, swirling pastries covered in creamy icing.

“Didn’t know Bones had such a sweet tooth.” Hunter said, watching the icing drip in large gooey lumps from the spice roll he took for himself.

“Oh yes. Ever since she was very young.” Prescot informed him. “I had to monitor her sugar intake throughout her childhood. The summer of her ninth birthday was particularly harrowing when she ate three four-tier cakes in one sitting. It was quite the massacre. She’d eat her own hand if it was made of chocolate.”

“No way. But she tells me off if I go over my ration limit!” Wrecker moaned.

“She has grown up a surprising amount since her younger days. I have no doubt that this is somewhat due to her current occupation.”

The hint of sad nostalgia in his tone was not lost on Hunter. It was weird hearing stories of Bones as a child. Not only because they were completely different to the clones’ own upbringing, but because it was strange thinking that Bones had a life before them. She seemed to slot in so naturally and take every new experience with them, no matter how ugly, in stride. He didn’t know who the sky high-living, cake-devouring, dress-wearing Metheldi Yenken was. He just knew Bones.

Despite himself, he smiled. Who was he kidding? They were never going to let her go.

 The door whooshed open, and their medic stepped in. All four of them were on their feet.

“Well?” Tech pressed.

“All taken care of. The old man and I came an understanding. Ooh! Keshian spice rolls! Prescot, you shouldn’t have.”

“I live to please, miss Yenken.”

“You definitely do. And you’re very good at it.” She whisked one up and shoved the whole thing in her mouth in one go.

“Woah. Let me try!” Wrecker took three spice rolls and shove them all in his mouth.

“Nice one! Can you do five?”

“Do you even have to ask?” He laughed, already stacking the rolls up.

“So, that’s it? Just like that?” Hunter asked.

“Yup. Situation’s been dealt with, sarge.” She said as she sucked her fingers clean of icing.

“You might be in your own home but do try to show some decorum, Matheldi.” Her father strode into the room, his face sour. He cast a withering eye over the clones, only pausing on Wrecker’s cybernetic eye. “I think you and your friends have overstayed your welcome. Please see yourselves to the door.” He left without another word. The others turned to her, concerned.

“Oh, don’t even worry about it. He’s always been prickly. But we should go. I wouldn’t put it past him to call security. Prescot, you mind bagging these up for us? We’ll take them to go.”

“I believe there is still a jar of Cavaellin spiced creams from your previous visit, Miss Yenken. Shall I pack those too?”

“You know me so well.”

Packed with sweet treats they made their way out of the building and back down the levels. When Bones stepped back onto the Marauder it never felt cosier. The gentle whirring of machinery, her cramped bunk, even the smell of it was welcoming. It smelt like home. And Wrecker’s farts.

“Sooo,” She began, her tone laced with apprehension. “Is this still my bunk?”

Hunter ruffled her hair. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Her body deflated, tension rolling off her in waves. She felt tired all of a sudden, realising that she hadn’t slept in over 48 hours. “That’s great.” She said dreamily. “Really…great.”

“Why don’t you take a nap? You’ve had a long couple of days.”

“What? No…’m not even tired…” She yawned while lying back. She was out before her head hit the pillow.

By the time she opened her eyes again, it was dark. She could just make out the outline of Crosshair in the bunk opposite her, snoring lightly. From the cockpit she could hear the faint sounds of erratic beeping that could only come from someone who was chronically on their data pad. Smirking, she crept her way behind his chair.

“I hope you’re not thinking of scaring me.”

She groaned and plonked herself in the co-pilot’s chair. “Was I at least quiet?”

“As a rancor.”                                                                                               

She pouted. “What are you doing up?”

“I’m always up.”

“Is that code for you couldn’t sleep?”

He looked up from his data pad and turned to her. She squirmed slightly under his full attention. “I wanted to tell you something.” He said in a hushed tone, as if he was worried about being overheard.

She sat up straight. “Sure. You can tell me anything.”

He could feel his heart beating, trying to jump out of his chest. “I,” His lips parted, the words lingering on his tongue, sticking in his mouth. “Am very glad you’re here.”

Bones felt heat prickle up her neck and her face turn crimson. She looked down, trying to hide her blush. “Me too.” She whispered.

“I thought I’d try and find this to celebrate.” He passed her his data pad.

Staring at her from the screen was a picture of herself wearing a scarlet, lacy lingerie set. Her hair was blown out and caught in the wind, and a pair of strappy black heels dangled from her feet as she straddled the tree branch, giving the camera her best come-hither look.

“You want some advice, Tech? Never sit like that on a tree without proper protection. It chafes like a mother fucker.”

He had to suppress his laugh so it came out as a loud exhale. But as he met her gaze, he knew that she’d caught him. Kriff, that was twice now.

“Have any of the others seen this yet?”

“No, I told you. I only shared the information I deemed critical.”

“Good. Delete it.”

“Actually, I think I’ll keep it.”

“Tech!” She hissed, chucking the data pad at him. He ducked to the side and it bounced harmlessly off the back of the seat. She pounced on him and wrestled him in the chair. He gasped and sunk further down the seat, hands automatically jumping to her waist to steady her. “Promise you won’t tell them.” She said, her face dangerously close to his.

He gulped. “I promise.” He’d never intended to share her with his brothers anyway.

She breathed out a sigh of relief and rested her forehead against his. “It feels good to be home.” With her eyes closed, breath fanning gently across his face, there was no way for her to know the effect she had on him. She had no idea that she could make his brain short-circuit with a simple touch, his skin prickle with yearning for more of her touch. He was so far gone for her it wasn’t even funny.

His hand moved around her waist, resting on the curve of her back. “Welcome back.” He whispered into her ear.

Notes:

And that's that. A little slice of Tech/Bones fluff at the end for ya, just to show how much I appreciate you sticking around til' the end.

I intend to write more on Bones in other stories at a later date. There'll be some drabbles, an Echo introduction too, and I'm planning a full length story with her that'll generally follow the events of TBB seasons 1-3. But we'll see how things go. If you're interested in seeing something like that, please do leave kudos and comment your thoughts! It's really motivating for writers when the community engages with their work.

Until next time then! <3

Notes:

Oh, look. Another Bad Batch medic oc story. Because we don't have enough of those. But honestly, I'm surprised those boys stayed alive during the war without one.

I really wanted to explore this trope a little since it's so popular, give a little more depth to it maybe. Hopefully I've succeeded and added something new. This was first designed to be a tiny drabble to get to know Bones and where she fits in with the batch, then it grew into a full blown short story. I blame my oc and her baggage. More baggage to be unpacked in the next chapter. Kudos and comments much appreciated!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Bones and the Batch