Chapter Text
Fox opened his eyes.
He immediately regretted it.
His eyes felt gritty, and he blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings. They were predominantly white, and for one chilling moment he thought he was back on Kamino. But then his eyes focused more and he realized it was some sort of medical center.
He opened his mouth to ask where he was but all that came out was a croak.
"Here," someone said and thrust a water sip-pack up to his face. Fox took a grateful gulp.
He turned his head slowly to see that the hand holding the sip-pack belonged to Cody, who was sitting on a chair next to Fox's… bed. Oh, he was in a bed. Huh.
"What—" Fox tried again, "where are we?"
Cody put the sip-pack down on a tray next to him. "The Temple's Halls of Healing," he replied. "You've been here for three days."
Well. That was probably a bad thing. Fox squinted. "Why?"
Cody raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember?" He glanced to his side, where Fox now noticed there was someone in the chair next to him. Someone small, curled up and bundled under a thin hospital blanket. Asleep, and with large white bandages over one shoulder.
Boba.
Fox inhaled slowly as the memories oozed back into his brain. Boba. The warehouse. Bossk. Hemlock.
Shit.
Cody snorted. "There you go." He reached over and pushed a button on the side of Fox's bed. "Nurse'll need to check you out now that you're awake." He sat back and crossed his arms. "You gave us all quite a scare, vod'ika."
Fox hummed as he pressed his head back against the pillows, slowly rocking it side to side. It didn't feel like his head hurt. But it did feel like he was mostly made of clouds, so that might be why.
"Boba's okay?" Fox asked after a minute.
Cody sighed. "Yeah, he's alright. His shoulder will be fine. Mostly he just refuses to leave you alone for a second, so we've all been trying to keep on him about eating and getting some sleep." Cody wrinkled his nose. "Kid could use a shower, though."
Fox giggled. "He's so stubborn."
"Yeah, he is. I wonder who that reminds me of," Cody teased.
Hmmm. Good question. "Who?" Fox asked after a moment of thinking.
Someone patted him on the hand. Who— oh, it was still Cody. "Don't worry about it, Fox'ika."
"Okay," Fox said happily. Cody was the big brother, he always knew what to do.
"M'fuzzy," he told Cody. It seemed relevant.
"Yeah, I bet you are," his brother said.
Fox let himself drift for a while. It was nice. There were some noises, and a light in his eyes, and someone kept prodding him with things. But then the light and noises and the prodding disappeared, which was better.
"Sleep, vod'ika," someone said.
Great idea.
When Fox woke again, he was much more lucid. He was also in a lot more pain, so that didn't feel like a great trade-off.
There were more people in his room this time. Bly and Aayla were sitting in the chairs next to his bed and Wolffe was leaning against the wall, looking out the window.
Fox shifted, and they all turned to look at him.
"Hey Fox!" Bly cried happily. "How are you feeling?"
Fox made a face. "Awake. Unfortunately."
Aayla smiled kindly. "Pain?" she asked.
Fox nodded. And then immediately stopped nodding, kriffing hell that hurt. "Yeah," he said instead.
Aayla pressed the call button. "They'll come and give you something now that you're up."
Wolffe walked over to stand on the other side of the bed. "You better stay awake for a while this time," he said. "Boba was really mad he missed you before."
Fox vaguely recalled seeing Boba curled up in the chair next to his bed. But there was no sign of him now. "Where is he?"
"Cody dragged him back to Obi-Wan's place to shower and sleep in a real bed. He refused to go home, said it was too far." Bly explained.
Fox furrowed his brow. Home. There was something…
Oh kark, the tooka.
His eyes widened and he opened his mouth, but Wolffe cut him off. "Hound has been stopping by to feed Chewie," he told Fox. "Everything's fine. Everyone's fine."
Fox sighed in relief. Good.
"Thanks," he said simply.
Bly gave him a look. "Yeah, of course, vod'ika. We've got your back."
Fox couldn't help but smile. Of course they did. His batch was the best.
"What happened? With— with Hemlock? And Bossk?" he asked.
Wolffe shook his head. "We don't have all the details. But I'll let Stone know you're awake, he'll come by and debrief you."
Oh kriff. Stone was not going to be happy.
Fox grimaced. "He's going to yell at me," he complained.
"Oh," Bly laughed, "we are all going to yell at you. But Stone gets first dibs because this was his op that you decided to kark up."
"But— for Boba!" Fox sputtered. "A child in danger!"
"Yeah, well, the child wants to yell at you too," Wolffe replied sardonically.
Fox was saved from further abuse when a nurse bustled in and started making him answer all sorts of questions. Aayla and his batchmates filed out, promising to return with Boba in tow.
After the nurse came a very intimidating Twi'lek healer who had strong words for Fox about head injuries and her opinion on his ability to care for himself. He (carefully) nodded in all the right places and agreed that yes, he was an idiot and yes, he did deserve this and no, he would not undo her work by doing anything so stupid ever again.
It was almost a relief when the healer left and was replaced by Stone. Almost.
He stared at Fox from the doorway for a long moment, arms crossed. Then he moved abruptly into the room to stand looking down at Fox in the bed.
"It's a good thing," he said calmly, "that you're not my commanding officer anymore."
Uh-oh. "Yeah?" Fox said, trying to sound casual.
Stone nodded. "Because before, when you were my commanding officer, and you did things that were profoundly stupid, I wasn't allowed to do this." And he punched Fox right in his thigh. Which was uninjured but ow.
"Hey!" Fox cried, trying to grab Stone's arm before he got any more hits in. "I am convalescing, you monster. Don't hit me!"
"I'll convalesce your face," Stone muttered as he dodged Fox's flailing and collapsed in one of the chairs by the bed.
"That doesn't make any sense," Fox told him grumpily, rubbing his thigh.
Stone pointed a finger at him. "Don't talk to me about what makes sense, Mr. Why Would I Wait For Backup When I Could Just Get Brain Damage All By Myself."
"Boba was hurt!" Fox huffed, exasperated. "They were gonna drag him back to Kamino, vod, to be that nutjob's science experiment." Fox crossed his arms. "I had to," he said more quietly. "He needed me."
Stone sighed. "You're impossible." He straightened up in his chair. "You'll be getting a proper debrief and questioning when you've been officially cleared by your healer but I thought I'd swing by and update you today."
"Thanks, vod."
"Well," Stone began, "you stumbled on a strange little plot. Apparently the Kaminoans recently lost access to their only remaining source of the original Fett DNA. A girl clone, if you can believe it."
Fox raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I think I remember Thorn telling me about it. He said Clone Force 99 stole her."
Stone nodded. "So with the girl gone, the long-necks start making some noise about needing a DNA source. Apparently you and I and the rest of us won't cut it, it's got to be 100% original, unaltered Fett DNA. No official bounty, you understand, or even an official target. But among certain circles it was made clear that someone who brought one of the two original DNA sources to Kamino would be well-rewarded for their time and effort."
Fox wrinkled his nose.
Stone snorted. "I know. Never trust a long-neck." He crossed his legs. "Now enters Dr. Royce Hemlock, disgraced scientist recently expelled from the Republic science corps for his unethical experimentation on sentients."
Fox nodded. "I remember his Senate hearing."
"That's the one. He hears about the long-necks' offer and decides to go after Boba, who was still in prison at that time. Hemlock paid a couple of guys to go in undercover and position themselves as friends to Boba, then arrange a breakout. Except about a week later, Boba was pardoned and freed. So Hemlock’s guys are still in prison and Boba is suddenly living with the former Commander of the Coruscant Guard. Who is an asshole and can't be bribed into giving him up."
Fox grinned. "What can I say, I'm a class act." He carefully sat up a little further. "So what, they turn to Bossk?"
"Yeah. Hemlock figures Bossk will want to contact Boba on the outside. So he tells his guys to make nice with Bossk and arrange to break him out, which takes a while. Then they used Bossk to contact Boba and lure him out." He shrugged. "I'm not sure what they told Bossk, exactly, to convince him. Since somebody let him get away I can't question him."
Fox pointed at the bandages swathed around his head.
Stone hmphed. "Excuses," he said, waving his hand. "Anyway, Hemlock’s plan worked pretty well, until you spoiled things and then Bossk took his revenge on his new prison buddies. Now Hemlock will get to make new prison friends himself, once he gets out of the hospital."
Fox nodded and stared at his lap. He thought for a moment. "So Boba really did go there to meet up with Bossk, huh?" he asked quietly.
Stone sighed. "Yeah, vod, he did. But you'll have to talk to him about that yourself. For what it's worth, I don't think he was trying to run. Not permanently, I mean."
Fox ran a hand over his mouth. "Yeah," he said, sounding unsure even to himself. He dropped his hand into his lap. "Thanks, vod," he told Stone.
"Yeah, of course," Stone replied as he stood up. "Get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow for the official stuff." He squeezed Fox on the shoulder and left the room.
Fox laid back against his pillows. It had been a while since Boba had been back.
He was coming back, right?
Boba didn’t end up returning to Fox’s hospital room until the next day. According to all his visitors, the kid had refused to leave the room while Fox was asleep; he wasn’t sure why Boba was staying away now that he was awake. Was his little brother mad at him?
When Boba finally appeared Fox was alone, trying in vain to get the holoprojector that Thire had lent him to play anything other than Rylothian soap operas. Apparently, the Jedi didn’t include holoprojectors in their Halls of Healing because they wanted to encourage their patients to use meditation in the healing process. Fox wasn’t much for meditation so he’d asked for a holoprojector; unfortunately, he also wasn’t much for Ryl or soap operas so it was proving a failed venture.
Boba’s shoes squeaked on the tile floor as he slowly entered the room, eyes downcast. Fox looked over and perked up immediately. He turned off the holoprojector in the middle of someone’s impassioned speech and faced the kid. Boba was wearing clothes a little too big for him, probably borrowed from someone in the Temple. His arm was in a sling and Fox could see bandages peeking out through the collar of his oversized shirt.
“Hey, vod’ika!” Fox greeted him.
“Hey,” Boba said quietly.
Fox blinked.
“I’m happy you’re back,” he went on. “How’s the shoulder?”
Boba shrugged with the good shoulder, looking all around the room but not at Fox. “It’s fine. Should be better in a few days.” He was still standing just inside the doorway, looking ready to bolt.
“That’s good to hear.” Fox frowned. “What’s up, kid? I don’t bite, come over here.” He beckoned Boba over to the chair next to his bed.
Boba approached reluctantly, but instead of sitting he stood behind the chair. He reached out with his good hand and plucked absently at the fabric on the top.
Fox was desperately trying to catch Boba’s eye. What was going on with his little brother? “ Vod’ika?” he tried.
Boba flinched.
“Hey, what’s— Boba, talk to me.” Fox pleaded.
Boba shook his head. He swallowed audibly, then he looked up. His eyes were wet. “I—” he tried. He gripped the back of the chair tighter, but didn’t go on.
Fox was bewildered. What was the kid so upset about? Was it Bossk? Had something else happened?
Boba sniffed loudly. “I—” he tried again. “I—I’m so sorry, Fox!” he cried. Tears began to escape his eyes and inhaled raggedly.
“Sorry?” Fox asked. “C’mon, vod’ika, what— sorry for what?”
“You got hurt!” Boba sobbed. “I ran off and I didn’t tell you and you followed me, you weren’t supposed to follow me! And then that guy almost broke your face and you passed out and I thought you were going to die—” Boba broke off, his sobs growing too harsh to continue.
“Oh no,” Fox said, “oh no, Boba, come here, please.” He opened his arms, begging.
Boba rushed around the chair and threw himself onto Fox. He pressed his face against Fox’s chest and continued sobbing brokenly. Fox wrapped him up and held on, careful of Boba’s shoulder. He murmured soothing words and felt helpless; Boba’s tears soaked into his hospital gown.
When Boba quieted, he mumbled something like “sorry” into Fox’s chest and stood up, wiping his nose on his sleeve and looking embarrassed.
Fox smiled. “It’s okay, Boba. What happened to me wasn’t your fault.”
Boba gave him a look. “It was my fault you were at that warehouse.”
“Yeah, but it was my fault I was there alone. And that I only had a knife on me.” Fox paused, cocking his head. “And that I jumped into a fight five-against-one.”
His little brother thought for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah, okay, that’s on you.”
Fox grinned. “That’s on me.” He reached out and squeezed his little brother’s hand. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, vod’ika.”
Boba nodded silently, staring at the floor for a moment.
“Boba,” Fox asked, “why were you at that warehouse?” He had to know if this was what he thought it might be.
“I— I just—,” Boba shook his head and sniffed. “I wasn’t trying to leave, I swear. I know I’ve tried before so you might not believe me but I wasn’t. I—” He worked his mouth for a moment, lips pursed. “Bossk took care of me, after Dad, and— and on the inside. When I heard he got out I knew he was going to have to run so I— I just wanted to say goodbye.”
“Oh,” Fox said. That was… that was good. Well, lying to Fox so Boba could consort with a known fugitive wasn’t exactly great, but the fact that he had just intended to wish Bossk farewell was… encouraging.
“I’m glad,” Fox told him.
Boba looked up, surprised.
“I’m glad you weren’t trying to leave,” Fox clarified. “I’ve gotten pretty used to having you around, vod’ika. And who would Chewie snuggle if you left? The answer is definitely not me. So I guess it had better be you.” He smiled encouragingly.
“You… you still want me there?” Boba asked, uncertain.
“Of course!” Fox cried. Is that why the kid was all twisted up? What nonsense.
“I absolutely want you there,” Fox told him firmly. “It’s your home. Our home. You’re my vod’ika and nothing changes that.”
“Oh,” Boba said. He smiled a little. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Fox replied, and squeezed Boba’s hand again. They sat together for a moment, relieved.
“Now,” Fox said as he sat back in his bed, “as payment for your many crimes, you must bring your techno-whiz-kid skills to bear on this garbage holoprojector. It only plays Twi’leki dramas and my Ryl is limited to things like ‘please evacuate the town’ and ‘are there any explosives here?’”
Boba laughed as he poked at the holoprojector. “I’m not a ‘techno-whiz-kid,’” he protested. “I’m just better at this than you are. Which is not that hard.”
“Oh, wow, that didn’t take long,” Fox groused. “I am still recovering here, you know. From my grave injury. No need for personal attacks.”
“Hey, you wanted my help so you get my commentary,” Boba retorted. “It’s a package deal, take it or leave it.”
Fox grinned. “I’ll take it.”
Boba Fett’s fourteenth birthday party was held in one of the rooftop gardens of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. There were many Jedi and clones in attendance. Privately, Fox liked to think that Jango Fett would have been furious about the entire thing. It was a nice thought.
He was actually thrilled with the turnout. The whole batch had come, of course, and many of Fox’s Coruscant Guard friends. More Jedi younglings than he could count, as well as an assortment of their Masters, plus many of the gardeners, cooks, and creche-masters that Boba had worked with during his mandatory community service at the Temple. There were also some of the other volunteers from Hound’s massif training facility.
Even a couple of Boba’s classmates had come, looking positively bewildered when they were dropped off at the entrance to the Temple. Fox had come down to escort them up to the garden and enjoyed all the double-takes. One of the mothers had gushed about how excited she was that the Temple did “event rentals” now and asked him about venue options; Fox gave her Mace Windu’s personal comm code for all her event inquiry needs. In Ponds’ bratty, shit-stirring memory, of course.
Boba was having the time of his life, running madly with all his friends and wreaking the kind of havoc only teenagers can wreak. The party guests had absolutely showered the boy with gifts; Fox was genuinely unsure how they would fit everything into their small apartment. The Jedi, at least, thankfully weren’t big on material goods; instead, their gifts had tended toward homemade treats and potted plants and hand-painted items.
Fox’s batch had given what he thought was probably the best gift of all: honorary batch membership. Or as Bly had declared it, “the vod’ika of my vod’ika is my vod’ika.” They had even made a little plaque. Boba had been both thrilled and embarrassed. (Rex had seemed kind of put out; Cody had shoved him and declared “no blonds allowed!” so then there had been a scuffle. A small one.)
All in all, Fox was pretty happy with how he had done, planning a birthday party for the very first time.
He was leaning against a table covered in food, sipping some kind of excellent Temple-made wine and watching as Boba played with his friends. The padawans had decided that Boba needed to be tossed into the air with the Force fourteen times to commemorate his birthday; thankfully, several of the Masters were watching carefully so Fox wasn’t too worried about his little brother being dropped on his head.
Obi-Wan appeared at his elbow, picking through a small plate of finger foods. Fox raised his glass toward him in a silent toast.
“Enjoying yourself?” Obi-Wan asked before he took a bite of something purple and spiky.
Fox nodded. “Yeah, it’s nice. And Boba’s having a blast, which is the part I care about.”
Obi-Wan gave a little half-smile. “Yes, he’s certainly making the most of it. And how are things between you two? Improved?”
“I think we’ve finally gotten each other figured out,” Fox replied. “Took us a while to get there, with a few bumps and bruises.” He gestured at his now-healed skull. He had lost his curls when the healers had to shave his head; he was growing them back out but it was slow-going. Boba thought it was hilarious.
“What about you?” Fox asked. “Skywalker is back soon, right?”
Obi-Wan hummed affirmatively around whatever he was eating, nodding. He swallowed. “Yes, Anakin is due back by the end of the month. I’m looking forward to it, the mind healers say he’s been responding well.” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in helping me wrangle my little brother.”
Fox raised his hands and backed up a bit. “Oh no, you’re on your own there, Obi-Wan. My services are strictly for the 18-and-under crowd. But if you and Cody decide to adopt a troubled cadet after you tie the knot you let me know.”
Obi-Wan choked on his bite of Corellian pasty. Behind him, Fox heard a roared “Fox!” and he didn’t even turn to look at Cody; he just dropped his glass on the table, jumped a nearby shrub, and took off running.
The party continued on for many hours (Fox only hid from Cody for one of them). It was nearing sunset by the time the last of the guests had trickled out and Fox was gathering up the pile of Boba’s gifts to carry home.
The birthday boy was looking out over the rooftop garden’s edge, watching the sun set over the Coruscant skyline.
Fox wandered over, his arms overflowing. “I think you might end up buried under a gift avalanche if we try to fit this all into your room.”
Boba turned to him. “I can think of worse ways to die.”
“Spoiled,” Fox declared. “Ungrateful and heartless. Where did I go wrong?”
“When you let me move in? Or when you wouldn’t let me leave?”
“No,” Fox smiled, “that was probably the only thing I did right.”
“Ugh, why do you always have to get so sappy?”
“It’s your fault. You’ve ruined me. I used to have a heart of stone, you know. It was great. I never cried at holofilms.”
“You cry at holofilms?”
“The ones worth crying over, yeah.”
“You’re very embarrassing.”
“It’s my prerogative.” Fox sighed, looking out at the view. Coruscant could be by turns beautiful and hideous, sparkling with light and oozing with corruption. When he had first arrived it had been an assignment, a purpose, nothing more. He had stayed out of inertia more than anything; no home to speak of, his family and friends already here. But now, despite its pitfalls and terrible traffic, Coruscant was home. Because Boba was here and they had made their life here. Which was really all that was needed, in the end. Speaking of—
"You ready to go home, vod'ika?" Fox asked.
"Yeah," Boba said with a smile. "Let's go home, ori'vod."