Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hunter ran a hand along his bearded jaw as he read the information on the datapad. It seemed as if Omega’s latest mission had once again been a success, with no injuries or casualties. Hunter was filled with not only relief, but also pride, which swelled in his chest with tangible warmth. Leave it to his kid to carry on the legacy of Clone Force 99’s flawless success rate.

Hunter typed out yet another message of gratitude to Rex, who had been responsible for the majority of the information, and continued to read through the rest of what he had received. It was so different from the mission reports he had been responsible for during the galaxy’s last war, though it had its similarities. The Alliance was much more disorganized than the GAR had been, but they were getting there.

Hunter was certain Rex played a big role in that. His own aversion for mission reports didn’t stop him from acknowledging how useful they were, and the greater organization of the entire system. That wasn’t something he had quite set aside, even after all these years of peace on Pabu. It was undoubtedly the same for the former captain.

He grimaced and shifted the datapad to his left hand, giving him the freedom to rub that same shoulder. It had been in rough shape lately, but given all the aches and pains he had as an aging soldier, it wasn’t exactly surprising. Just the other day, he had nearly dragged Wrecker to the clinic to get his back checked out. Turned out even enhanced strength could still put strain on the back over time.

Hunter’s comm suddenly chimed on his belt. He reached for it, leaning forward upon the stone railing as he answered. “Hunter here.”

“I would certainly hope so.” Hunter chuckled at Tech’s quip. It relieved him to no end that, even after everything, nothing about his brother had changed over time. “It is safe to assume that you have not yet eaten today. Phee mentioned the possibility of having you join us for lunch.”

Hunter hummed. It was true, of course; Hunter had been too preoccupied with receiving Rex’s transmission about the outcome of Omega’s latest mission to even think about food. He took a moment to assess the lightheadedness he was starting to feel before he answered. “Sure. But only because it’s Phee asking.”

Tech’s response was dry, even if Hunter could detect the humor in it. “She is my wife, Hunter.”

Hunter held up a hand defensively, despite the fact he couldn’t be seen. “All yours.” He chuckled and sighed, his brow pinching at the surprising effort it took to exhale his amused breath. “I’ll be up in a bit. Ten minutes, fifteen tops.”

“You are not that old yet. I will anticipate you arriving sooner.”

Hunter huffed and shook his head. “See you then.”

He hung the comm back on his belt and blew out another breath. Hunter’s grimace returned as he rubbed at his chest. It had grown tight, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. He had spent the better part of the last few days anticipating news on Omega’s mission, and that kind of stress always tended to set him and his body on edge.

Hunter shook off the sudden feeling of dread on his shoulders and stood from where he’d been half-slumped over the stone. He was surprised when he stumbled a bit, the lightheadedness multiplying at the quick movement. Hunter stopped and recollected himself, blinking a few times as dark spots swam across his vision.

Okay, maybe the meal situation had been more dire than he had thought. It probably didn’t help that he was living off of tea rather than water right now, too.

Hunter braced himself for whatever lectures Tech would have waiting as he tucked his datapad under his arm and retrieved his empty mug with his free hand. He had only been strolling along for a minute or so when that tightness in his chest grew from uncomfortable to unbearable.

Hunter stopped in his tracks, wheezing on his own breath as he spotted a nearby bench. A quick detour wouldn’t hurt. He just needed an extra minute or two to breathe past this, and then he would be on his way again.

He hadn’t even made it halfway over to the bench when a sudden jolt of pain brought Hunter to his knees on the stone. The mug and datapad fell from his grasp, the former shattering as the latter clattered and more than likely fractured along the vidscreen. Hunter, however, couldn’t concern himself with the state of either when it was becoming increasingly difficult, impossible even, to get any air in at all.

Maybe it was time to admit that something was wrong here. Very, very wrong.

The pain along Hunter’s shoulder and chest exploded as he reached for his comm, making him gasp as he crumpled more to the ground. He tried to fight it the way he always had, especially out in the field, but he wasn’t a soldier anymore, and his strength was depleted. All Hunter could do was activate the comm before the darkness pulled him in with only one last thought on his mind.

At least Omega’s okay.

Omega was just about ready to collapse when she finally made it back to her yurt on Yavin. The mission had been longer and a bit more grueling than she had expected, but it was worth the additional effort, considering she had gotten her entire team home safe. She was proudly able to report no injuries.

But only because she had been able to fix herself up enough to pass that off as the truth. Hiding injuries was a learned practice, one she had picked up from a certain member of her family. She was her father’s daughter, after all, and she didn’t have to be reminded of that. It was something she spotted on her own time and time again.

The wound wasn’t anything bad enough to justify a report, anyway. It was a small gash that would only require a few stitches she could easily do herself. That, and a sonic, was all Omega needed before she could finally rest.

She’d been promised at least a few days of reprieve before the next mission by Hera herself, who had recently been promoted to General Syndulla. It had a ring to it, Omega had to admit. Having a friend in high places also had its advantages.

Omega found her medpac and sat down at the table in the center of her yurt as she set to work on her arm. The gash was thankfully just below her skull tattoo, which meant she didn’t have to worry about the scar messing with her ink. That marking was too precious to her to be altered in any way, even if her brothers would assure her that it was a proper addition.

Well, probably not Hunter. He would be too busy worrying about how she got it.

Omega smiled at the thought even as she sewed up the gash. The pain was familiar, and as expected, it didn’t take long. She was soon tying it off and applying a generous layer of bacta, securing it in place with a healthy wrapping of fresh gauze. There was no doubt it would be fully healed by the next time she had to set out.

Omega had just cleaned up and was about to head to the sonic when she heard someone approaching with hardly concealed urgency. She stopped in her tracks and turned just in time to see none other than Rex standing in her doorway.

Her brow furrowed. “Rex, what—?”

“You need to come with me.” Rex gestured with his head back to base. “Now.”

Omega’s heart instantly dropped into her stomach. A visit from Rex was nothing new, but little could ever shake up the former captain like this. The fact he was bringing her back to base meant that either something major had gone wrong with a current mission, most likely Echo’s, or…

Or it was the rest of her brothers.

She didn’t question him. Omega instead slipped her jacket on and followed Rex, who led her from the collection of yurts back to base. All the long-range comms were kept there for obvious security reasons, which meant Omega was more than familiar with them for the calls she would often make back to Pabu between missions. She had been planning on hopping on one tomorrow.

As it turned out, her brothers had other plans. Omega shouldn’t have been surprised, but something about it wasn’t right. Rex’s rigid posture was enough to tell her that.

He took her to one of the more private stations, and that only made the worried pit in Omega’s stomach grow larger. She sat down, nodding to dismiss Rex from the room before she activated her end of the comm. “It’s Omega. What’s going on?”

“Ah, there you are.” Tech failed to hide the tension in his voice, despite the fact his relief upon hearing her was also evident. “It is nice to hear from you, Omega.”

Omega wanted to smile, but the knot of dread tied within her stomach made that impossible. “Same, Tech, but please just tell me what’s wrong. Rex looked like he was about to keel over when he got me.”

Tech sighed, and that never meant anything good. Omega swallowed hard and braced herself. “Do not be alarmed. He is going to make a full recovery.”

Omega was slammed with a wave of concern so strong that it made her nauseous. She gripped the edges of the comm console tight enough to turn her knuckles white. “Who?”

Tech hesitated. “Hunter.” Omega let out a ragged, pained breath. “He has suffered a myocardial infarction.”

Omega blinked a few times in disbelief, because it was all she could do. “You mean…”

“Yes. Colloquially known as a heart attack.”

Omega’s hand rose to cover her gaping mouth. She rested her elbow against the console and stared ahead into nothingness.

She couldn’t comprehend it. Hunter, as unyielding as he always was, being brought down by his own heart. It was easy to believe given all the stress he’d endured in his life, sure, but it was still a foreign concept to Omega.

Nothing could ever hurt her brothers. She had watched Hunter get shot straight in the chestplate and survive. She had seen Crosshair make that shot without his shooting hand. Even Tech had managed to walk away from that fall on Eriadu.

None of that could have ever prepared her for this.

“As I said before, he will make a full recovery. It was, thankfully, mild.”

Omega somehow spoke around the sudden lump in her throat. “But his heart stopped.”

Tech was silent for a beat too long. “Yes.”

Omega closed her eyes. There was something so utterly fragile about the idea of Hunter’s strong heart stopping. She had heard it so many times underneath her own ear in a comforting rhythm that had never failed to ease her to sleep, even after the worst of her nightmares. To imagine it coming to a halt, in the middle of a random day…

Omega shook her head, hoping her stunned stupor would fade with the motion. “Is he awake?”

“Not at the moment, no. It will likely be quite a while before he wakes. Due to the mild nature of the infarction, they do not anticipate him to wake with any amnesia, which is certainly a relief.”

“Definitely.” Omega was still swimming through the shock of it all, and she doubted that she was the only one. “How are the others taking it? And you?”

“Wrecker is… managing. Phee and I are monitoring him. Crosshair is harassing the medcenter staff.”

That at least got Omega to let out an amused huff. “No surprises there.”

“I am relieved that his recovery is guaranteed, and will likely be swift. However… I was the one who found him.”

Omega’s heart somehow sunk even further. “Tech… I’m sorry. I can’t imagine.”

“I would encourage you not to. Thankfully, Hunter commed me just before he collapsed. That timing was of the essence in preventing a worse outcome.”

Omega blew out a breath. “Yeah, leave it to Hunter to try to make his own imminent death as easy as possible for you.”

“It is certainly in his nature.”

Omega ran her hand over her head and closed her eyes again. She couldn’t imagine not being there when Hunter woke. Her mind was made up before she had even declared her thoughts. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Tech let out a light breath. “While we would never protest your company, Omega, there is no need to come if you are otherwise occupied. Hunter would say the same.”

Omega flinched at the way in which he mentioned Hunter. He was right, of course, but Tech having to speak for him made all of this feel much too real. “I’m not busy. I’m supposed to have a few days to rest, anyway. Hera will make sure I can do this.”

Tech hummed. “Then we will prepare for your arrival.”

Omega breathed just a little bit easier at the thought of being there. She nodded. “I’ll comm when I’m close. Keep an eye on Wrecker and Crosshair for me.”

“We will.” Tech took another audible breath. “I look forward to seeing you.”

That finally got the ghost of a smile to tug at Omega’s lips. “Same here, Tech. Omega, out.”

She regretfully cut the comm from her end, but wasted no time sliding out of the room. Rex was waiting there, his expression grim as he automatically stood at attention, as if he was about to receive a harrowing mission report.

Omega set a hand on his shoulder. “Something happened to Hunter. Tech says he’ll be fine, though.”

Rex exhaled a breath of relief. “That’s good. I was… whatever it was, it didn’t sound good. Not from Tech’s urgency.”

Omega grimaced. “It wasn’t.” She willed herself to say the cruel, unrelenting truth aloud. “Hunter had a heart attack.”

Rex’s eyes widened. Omega just nodded.

“I’m heading back to Pabu now. I’ll shoot Hera a comm, but I don’t have much time for anything else. I want to be there when he wakes up.”

Rex returned her nod. “Understood. I’ll do what I can to help on this end.”

Omega tilted her head at him in gratitude. “Thanks, Rex.”

They held each other’s gazes for a long moment, and that was all it took for Omega to wrap her arms around him. Rex held her just as tightly.

There weren’t many clones left as it was. Their family had once been by the millions, spread across the galaxy, and that number was ticking down more and more with each day, and each battle. Omega might have almost lost a father, but Rex had also almost lost a brother.

Omega squeezed Rex’s shoulders as she pulled away. She then set her focus on getting back to her yurt and packing up whatever necessities she could for the next few days, although she knew there would be plenty waiting for her back on Pabu. Omega then sent Hera a quick comm regarding her situation and set back out to base, where her ship awaited her.

It was either Rex or Hera who had already authorized her departure. Omega made a mental note to thank them both as she went airborne, keying in the coordinates to the only true place she could call home in this galaxy.

Omega took a few minutes to stare into hyperspace and at least try to wrap her head around all this. But no matter how many times she tried to imagine it, a scene where Hunter was unresponsive and left to the mercy of both fate and whatever his brothers and the doctors could do, Omega couldn’t make sense of it.

She eventually pushed herself up from her chair and headed towards midship. Omega needed to show up at her best for her brothers, which meant she couldn’t skip out on that sonic she had missed before. As she did so, however, she had to take extra care of the freshly wrapped wound on her arm.

And wasn’t that just the most ironic thing to have right now? A wound she had hidden to keep others from worrying, to prevent a blemish from forming on her impressive record. How long had Hunter similarly hidden the symptoms that could have prevented this? Was it a sudden onset, or had he kept himself from saying anything to keep the others from worrying about him?

Both were possible, but one certainly seemed more likely than the other. Omega herself was proof of what he had done.

Omega wanted to curse him for it, but she couldn’t, not when she had carried on that trait of his. Not when she finally understood why he did it, even if she didn’t like it.

But what really continued to haunt Omega as she washed, got dressed, and made her other preparations for landing was the reason why this had happened to Hunter in the first place. A lifetime of stress had its toll, but why had this happened now?

It hadn’t been her fault, had it?

Omega had to shake the haunting thought off. She had spent the better part of her early life as a medical assistant. She knew better than to trace something like this back to just one cause. It usually took several.

It was only a few hours to Pabu, and despite the fact Omega needed sleep, any attempt at rest was fitful. She was too busy ruminating about Hunter. None of this felt real, and it wouldn’t until Omega actually laid eyes on him. Until she had to see him in what was probably his least favorite place, a medcenter bed that was far too comfortable inside a room full of potential triggers for his senses.

Though, the passage of time had been somewhat softening Hunter’s enhanced senses. Not completely, in the same way that Wrecker maintained most of his strength, Crosshair still had a steady hand, and Tech had a memory sharper than most others. But his senses still weren’t the same as they had once been.

Ironically enough, Omega figured her brothers were better at coping with those changes than she was. In a way, it was easier at a distance, when she had the war distracting her from it all. It did, however, mean that with each visit she could make back home, things were even more different than before. A little more grayish-white in Hunter’s hair. A bit more severity to Tech’s limp. A slight tremble to Wrecker’s grasp. A new scowl line in Crosshair’s cheek.

And as Omega laid there on her bunk, trying to come to terms with the fact that Hunter’s heart had actually stopped, she thought about all of this and quickly realized that she wasn’t ready to start losing them. Not even after all the peaceful years she had gotten to have them to herself.

Omega blinked the wetness from her eyes and composed herself with a breath. She couldn’t break, at least not yet. She would be the first to say that tears weren’t a sign of weakness, something she had learned from Wrecker, but she wanted to be as strong as she could for her brothers when she arrived. For Hunter.

Omega commed Tech as promised when she was just a few minutes out. He assured her that she had a clear spot in the landing zone by the Archium, and as Omega flew her ship into Pabu’s blue atmosphere, she could see the spot that had been reserved for her. It wasn’t as if Pabu got many visitors, anyway.

Omega landed, powered down the ship, and opened the hatch without hesitation. Her brothers and Phee were already waiting for her at the end of the gangplank, and she took the stairs two at a time to get to them.

Wrecker was first. Omega was more than happy to all but launch herself into his awaiting arms, latching onto him the same way she always had. He held her back just as tightly, knowing the limitations required for his enhanced strength as he buried his face in the muss of her blonde hair.

They stayed like that for a while until they both pulled away with wet eyes. Omega lifted a hand to Wrecker’s cheek as he tightened his grasp on her shoulders.

“For what it’s worth, m’happy to see you.” Wrecker managed a genuine smile as Omega wiped any stray tears for him.

Omega returned his smile the best she could. “Me too, Wrecker.” She reached up to tap her forehead against his. “It’s been too long.”

Wrecker nodded his agreement. He stepped back to let their next brother approach, which was Crosshair. He was, unsurprisingly, chewing on a toothpick, but the action was anything but casual. It was nervous.

Omega threw him a knowing look just before she wrapped her arms around him. The fact that Crosshair leaned into the embrace and fully returned it in the presence of others told her enough about how much he needed it. She ran her hand over his back before she pulled away, setting a hand on his shoulder and raising her brow. “You can’t harass the people who are trying to help him, Crosshair.”

Crosshair scowled, though it was only half-hearted. “I’m not harassing. But if they want to keep making up rules about visitation…”

Omega rolled her eyes. “They’re not ‘making up rules.’ It’s always been that way.”

“Then they should change the rules. It shouldn’t matter how much we visit if he isn’t even awake.”

Omega huffed and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “There are still things they have to do when he’s not awake, Cross.”

Crosshair just hummed, clearly unconvinced. Omega let out an amused huff and dropped it for now, instead turning to Tech. She enveloped him in her warm embrace, closing her eyes as she remembered the tension in his tone as he spoke of what had happened.

Omega lowered her voice to a whisper only Tech could hear as she spoke to him. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to see him like that, Tech.”

Tech held her just a bit tighter. “I am simply relieved it was me and not one of the others.”

Omega exhaled a pained breath. “But it shouldn’t have had to be any one of you.”

Tech didn’t argue with that. They separated, and Omega immediately reached over to Phee. There was something about Phee’s embrace that made Omega feel just a little more fragile, but not in a bad way. Omega had to take a few breaths to compose herself in Phee’s arms, and Phee held on tightly until Omega was ready.

Phee kept a hand on Omega’s back as she pulled away and wiped underneath both of her eyes. “Thank you for keeping an eye on them, Phee.”

Phee smiled and ran circles over her back. “You know you don’t have to thank me for that.”

Omega returned her smile and steadied herself with one more light sigh as she looked between Tech and Phee. “How are the kiddos doing with all this?”

Tech adjusted his spectacles. “They do not quite grasp the severity of the situation, which is likely for the best at this time. Though they have been invaluable in assisting Wrecker.”

Omega found it in herself to beam as she playfully punched Wrecker’s shoulder. “Uncle Wrecker’s been getting lots of bonding time in, eh?”

Wrecker shrugged, though he couldn’t fight the smile on his lips. “It’s been nice to spend some extra time with ‘em.”

Omega turned to Crosshair with a teasing lilt to her tone. “So, you really have been doing nothing other than harassing the medcenter staff?”

Crosshair smirked around his toothpick. “I’m ‘suggesting,’ not ‘harassing.’”

Omega shook her head fondly at him. “Sure.”

The lighter mood was only temporary, as Tech was soon stepping close to set a hand on Omega’s shoulder. She could read the newfound severity in his eyes even before he spoke. “You should go see him.”

Omega’s lips tightened as she was faced with the reminder of why she was here in the first place. “Is he supposed to wake up soon?”

Tech shook his head aimlessly. “That is not something we know. The mildness of the infarction did not necessitate an induced coma, and as such, it is less predictable to say when he will wake.” Tech lowered his hand from Omega’s shoulder. “However, quite a few hours have already passed, and knowing Hunter’s characteristic stubbornness, I would not at all be surprised if he were to wake sooner rather than later.”

Omega let out a fond chuckle and nodded. “Sounds about right.” She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the medcenter. “I’ll head over, then.”

Phee’s brow creased as she stepped in closer at Tech’s side. “You okay to go alone?”

Omega eased herself with a quiet breath. “Yeah. I’ll be okay.” She looked around the group. “You guys focus on getting a meal in. Okay?”

Tech wrapped an arm around Phee as she pointed at Omega. “We’ll be saving some for you. Come eat when you’re done visiting.”

It wasn’t a request. Omega offered her a smile and a nod before she turned and headed for the medcenter.

She hadn’t been there all that often, aside from regular check-ups throughout the rest of her childhood spent on Pabu, but the staff was nice, and they were more than capable. It was fairly small, given the island’s rather sparse population, which would make it even easier for Omega to get to Hunter, and it wasn’t far from the Archium.

Omega was immediately hit with the smell of antiseptic as she stepped inside. It was an oddly familiar smell, bringing her back to those early days on Kamino, but it wasn’t hard to understand why her brothers were so averse to it, especially someone with as keen a smell as Hunter.

The person at the front desk smiled and spoke before Omega could even approach. “He’s down the first hallway, third room on the left.”

Omega nodded, the lump in her throat now too large to speak around as she bypassed the desk and headed down the hallway. She stopped just outside the designated room, composing herself with a quiet breath before she gently pressed the button to activate the door. It slid open, and Omega turned the corner to step inside.

The air was still and quiet, aside from the constant, soft chiming coming from the monitor affixed to Hunter’s chest beneath a blanket and a comfortable tunic and pants, which had undoubtedly been brought over from the house. Hunter looked completely at ease for once in his life, with no furrow in his brow or stress lines around his mouth.

If it weren’t for the chiming of the monitor and the gentle rising and falling of his chest, he would look lifeless to Omega. And to think, just a matter of hours ago, he technically had been.

Omega somehow walked forward and lowered herself numbly into the chair at Hunter’s side. She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on the chair before she took the time she still had to observe him up close. Someone had already braided his hair—Crosshair, if she had to guess—to keep it out of his way. Omega tucked a loose tendril away for him, one that definitely hadn’t been so gray the last time she’d visited.

That began to rock Omega’s fragile composure. She took Hunter’s hand and gently laced her fingers through his, studying his varicose veins and increasing age spots. They weren’t extreme, given that Hunter and her brothers weren’t that far into their aging yet, but it was enough to push Omega closer to the edge of breaking altogether.

These were the same hands that had saved her countless times, that had fought in countless battles and won nearly every time. There were still scars from those fights, mostly clustered along the callouses on his knuckles, but these hands were a far cry from those that had once caught her in a midair fall on Pantora.

Time was cruel. It had always been cruel, but it would only get crueler, stealing away half a lifetime more Omega would have gotten with Hunter and her brothers. She blinked back the tears that arose at the mere thought of it. Knowing her luck, Hunter would wake up the moment she started crying, and the last thing she wanted was him worrying about her as soon as he woke.

Instead, Omega pivoted, trying to find her voice as she looked over Hunter’s still form again. She let out a trembling breath, keeping her tone hushed as she held Hunter’s hand just a bit tighter for the strength she needed. “I would tell you how badly you just scared us all, but you’d take personal responsibility for that, and that’s not my goal.”

Omega chuckled to herself quietly and sighed. She watched her thumb run over the back of his hand and continued to speak without thinking much about the words she said.

“I really hope you weren’t worrying about me. Well, I know you were, but I hope that’s not what caused this.” Omega closed her eyes and willed her trembling lips to still. “I should have been here. If I had been here, you wouldn’t have been worrying so much. I could have helped you. And if…”

Omega couldn’t will herself to actually say it out loud, the horrible truth of what had happened between then and now. She cleared her throat.

“If the worst had happened, I could’ve at least been here to say goodbye.”

And there it was. The reason that Omega was so wound up about all this, hidden beneath the reserves of strength she had built up over the course of her life. She didn’t regret leaving like she did, going to serve a cause that desperately needed her, but she did fear what would happen in her absence. What she would miss.

This was precious time with her father and the rest of her brothers, slipping away from her grasp as the war waged on. The same could be said for her niece and her nephew, who had each undoubtedly grown since the last time she’d been home. Time passed, and Omega stood somewhere on a plane of her own, watching it go by as if she was on the outside.

Omega hadn’t really thought about it all until now, until she was forced to come to terms with the fact that she had nearly lost Hunter. He had nearly died. He had died, if only for a brief few seconds.

And to think she had no idea until Tech had commed her.

Omega was lost amidst these heavy thoughts when Hunter suddenly shifted, and a quiet groan passed through his lips. Her eyes widened as she looked up from their entwined hands, watching as Hunter’s eyelids flickered open. His brow furrowed in confusion as his head lolled on the pillow towards her.

Hunter’s gravelly voice was even more hoarse when he spoke. “‘Mega?”

Omega managed a genuine smile as she leaned closer to him. “Hey, Hunter.” She ran a hand over his head and she squeezed his hand as the chiming on the monitor grew more rapid. “You’re okay. Don’t worry.” She gestured with her head back towards the door behind her. “I’ll get the nurses.”

“We’re here.” Omega looked over her shoulder as two members of the medcenter staff strolled in. They offered her and Hunter small smiles as they approached, though the nurse’s question was directed towards Hunter as they spoke. “How are you feeling?”

Omega watched as Hunter blinked a few times, his gaze sweeping the room as he gave the situation his full assessment. Knowing how his brain worked, she couldn’t help chuckling quietly to herself. “Fine.” He tried to swallow and instead started coughing. Omega set a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Thirsty.”

One of the nurses brought over a cup of water and handed it off to Omega. She thanked them and lifted it to Hunter’s lips, helping him to take small sips as they continued to check the monitor. “Your vitals are looking good. Everything is working as it should.” The nurse gave Hunter a bright look. “We’re gonna keep you the rest of tonight and tomorrow, but we’ll probably be able to let you go after that.”

Hunter grunted, clearly not happy at the idea of being stuck there but also not wanting to impart his frustration onto an innocent party. Omega spoke for him as she smiled. “That sounds great.”

Hunter almost looked timid before he quietly asked his question. “What happened?”

Omega tried to be the one to say it, but the words died in her throat. Thankfully, the nurses had a better bedside manner. “You suffered a mild myocardial infarction, what you might know as a heart attack. There was a partial blockage in your heart that we were able to fix.”

Hunter looked far too unconcerned at his diagnosis. “What does that entail?”

Omega snorted as one of the nurses lifted an amused eyebrow. “It means you’ll have to lay low for the next few weeks. We’ll have you come in from time to time for some check-ups, and so we can refill your medicine. You should make a full recovery, though, barring any further complications.”

Hunter nodded. He still didn’t seem to be picking up on the full gravity of the situation, though Omega could see the gears turning as he looked over at her with disbelief, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was there. She squeezed his hand again, but stayed quiet as the nurses spoke amongst themselves.

“We’ll try to get some food in you soon, but otherwise, what you need right now is rest.”

Omega tried not to frown as she tightened her grasp on Hunter’s hand. “Do you need me to leave?”

The nurse kept quiet, instead looking at Hunter. He shook his head with wide, pleading eyes, and the nurse relented. “You can stay until it becomes clear that he’s fighting sleep.”

Omega nodded. One of the nurses refilled Hunter’s cup of water and left it on a nearby table before they quietly dismissed themselves from the room. Omega let out a soft breath as she focused back on Hunter, who was still observing her with soft, concerned eyes.

When Hunter spoke, his voice was more steady than before. “You’re really here.”

Omega huffed and brushed away more of the hair from his face. “Of course I’m here.”

His brow rose. “But you just got back from a mission. Didn’t you?”

Omega fixed him with a look. “How’d you know that?”

Hunter shrugged the best he could in his current position. “I have my ways.”

Omega gave her eyes an exaggerated roll as she sighed. “Hunter…”

He chuckled. “It’s fine. Everything I see is authorized by the captain himself.”

“Former captain.” The pit returned in Omega’s stomach as she looked down at their entwined hands. “You really shouldn’t be doing that.”

Hunter hummed. “Why not?”

“Because. All you’ll do is worry.”

“Isn’t that what I’d be doing anyway?”

Omega let out a frustrated groan. “But… it’s different when you’re tracking everything. Is this,” she gestured to the bed he was laying on, “not enough to open your eyes to that?”

She looked up at Hunter again, watching as a more thoughtful pinch grew between his brows. His stare flitted between hers as he spoke more carefully. “What do you mean?”

Omega’s jaw tightened. “The number-one cause of heart attacks is stress, Hunter. And yours just happened to hit right after my mission report came in.”

Hunter’s eyes started to widen in realization. “You think this was your fault?”

Omega didn’t have anything to say to that. Her gaze simply fell to their hands again.

“Omega.” Hunter sounded wounded. “This isn’t on you.”

Omega’s composure started to fracture as her vision blurred. “If I had stayed here, you wouldn’t have been worrying so much. And I would’ve been here to help if something like this still happened.”

“Omega…”

“I’m missing so much while I’m gone. You’re grayer. Tech’s limping more. Wrecker’s lifting less. Crosshair’s… grumpier. And the twins get taller every time I come home.” She closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry as she spoke on her tumultuous thoughts. “Maybe I made the wrong choice. I know this fight is important, and it’s worth the sacrifice, but I’m not sure if I’m—.”

“Omega.”

Hunter’s voice bordered on a plea. It was out of character enough to make Omega’s jaw snap shut. She still had her eyes closed, though.

“Look at me.”

Omega exhaled a shaky breath and glanced up at him. Hunter was watching her with wide, sympathetic eyes, threatening to make her break even further as he gently squeezed her hand.

“This isn’t your fault.” He punctuated his words with a nod. “And you didn’t make the wrong choice. They need you.”

Omega winced. “So do you.”

Hunter tilted his head. “True. But if it’s us versus the whole galaxy? I think we both know what the right answer is.”

Omega bit her cheek and gave her head an aimless shake. “It’s not that simple, though.”

Hunter let out a light sigh. “It never is.” He glanced down at their hands as he thought through his words. “I’ve always asked myself if I was actually doing the right thing. When we were on the run from the Empire, I wondered if we should have been risking it all to bring Crosshair home instead.” Omega set another hand over his at that. “When we were running missions for Cid, I wondered if we should have been helping Rex and Echo instead.”

Hunter paused. Omega didn’t speak, instead hanging from every word Hunter was so vulnerably sharing with her.

“There was always another option, another right answer. But I knew I had to go with my gut.” Hunter met Omega’s gaze again with enough certainty to make her breathless. “And yours led you to the Rebellion.” He nodded. “Don’t doubt yourself now.”

Omega managed a small, genuine smile for him. “Thanks, Hunter.” Her brow rose as she deflected with humor. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to keep me from staying home.”

Hunter huffed. “That’s how you know I’m telling the truth. It’s the opposite of what I want.”

Omega laughed before she let out a heavier sigh. Hunter’s brow furrowed again as he gave her a once-over.

“But that’s not all that’s bothering you. Is it?”

Of course Hunter would notice. Omega was a fool to hope he wouldn’t. “It’s nothing.”

“Hey.” Hunter leaned closer, grimacing at the movement. Omega was about to warn him to relax when he lifted the hand she wasn’t holding and used it to brush away her hair the same way she’d been doing to him earlier. She didn’t have the strength to tell him to stop. “You can talk to me.”

Heat prickled behind Omega’s eyes as she took a deep breath. “I know. But you also just had a heart attack, so you’ve got enough going on as it is.”

“I’ve got nothing going on, actually, so this would be a big help.”

Omega let out a curt chuckle before she cleared her throat to compose herself. She yet again watched her thumb trace circles on the back of his hand as she willed herself to find the strength to speak on her deepest, darkest fears. “You almost died, Hunter.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Omega closed her eyes. “But it’s different this time.”

Hunter’s question was genuine. “Why?”

Omega shook her head. “Because, Hunter. You weren’t in battle. You weren’t on a mission. You weren’t doing anything. It was just… life. Aging. I don’t know. We couldn’t control it or stop it.”

Hunter let out a low hum. “And?”

“And I wasn’t here, Hunter! I had no idea what was even happening!” Omega’s voice started to break as she reopened her eyes to look at him through her tears. “What if I’d still been on the mission? I wouldn’t have been able to come here. If it was worse, I wouldn’t have…” Omega hiccuped on a breath, and she forced herself to pause until she had composed herself enough to go on. “I wouldn’t have been able to say goodbye.”

Omega sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her arm. She really didn’t want to cry right now, not when Hunter was laid up in a medcenter bed. He had enough to worry about, and adding an unnecessary burden of guilt wasn’t her goal.

“I’m scared, Hunter.” The words came out quiet and shaky, just like the tear that Omega couldn’t hold back. “I’m scared of actually losing you and the others, especially now that I’m not here.”

Omega went quiet as another tear fell. Hunter’s free hand palmed her cheek, brushing away her tears the best he could as they sat in the honest, vulnerable silence together. When Hunter did speak, his voice was quiet and as soothing as his touch upon her face. “I understand.” Omega could only offer him a surprised look as he continued. “I’m always waiting to get the call that something happened to you on a mission.”

Omega frowned at him. “Hunter…”

“I know it’s different, the aging and the missions, but it’s also more similar than you think.” Hunter’s brow rose. “We wouldn’t get to say goodbye to you either if something happened, would we?”

Omega hesitated before she nodded solemnly. She was loath to admit that it was a thought she’d had more than once before, when things weren’t looking great on a mission.

Hunter let out a sigh before he lowered his hand from her face. His gaze strayed from hers as it flickered around the room. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… well, I’m scared, too.”

Omega’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really? You’re admitting that you’re scared?”

Hunter nodded. “But I’m not letting my fear keep you here. You shouldn’t, either.”

Omega could only blink a few times at what she was hearing. It wasn’t often that Hunter shared such a tender part of himself with her, and it certainly had the intended impact. It gave her a lot to think about, but also presented a simple solution.

Omega tucked away the weight of his words for now as a small smile started tugging at her lips. “When did you get so wise?”

Hunter huffed and returned her smile. “Don’t know. Guess that really does come with age, after all.”

Omega laughed and shook her head. She gave his hand a squeeze and blew out a breath. “You’re right, though.”

“It’s always nice to hear that.”

Omega snorted. “I’m being serious, Hunter.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you.” Omega then clicked her tongue as a new realization set in. “Of course you’re helping me when you’re the one who’s laid up in the medcenter.”

Hunter simply shrugged. “Nothing’s gonna stop me from helping my kid.”

Omega beamed with warmth at his words. She watched as his gaze strayed to her arm, illuminating a new light of worry in his eyes as he started to lean closer.

“That’s a fresh wound.” He pointed with the hand Omega wasn’t holding. “Isn’t it?”

Omega looked down at her bandaged gash and scoffed. “It’s fine, Hunter. I already took care of it.”

“But you reported no injuries.”

Omega groaned. “Hunter…”

“How’d it happen?”

“Hunter!” Omega was laughing even as she shook her head at him. “Are you seriously worrying over this when you’re the one who just had a heart attack?”

Hunter gestured with his bearded chin towards the closed door. “You heard ‘em. I’ll be fine.”

“And so will I.”

Hunter looked as if he wanted to challenge her, but he didn’t, and Omega quickly realized why. His eyelids were fluttering, a sure sign that he needed to let himself rest again.

“Alright, it’s nap time.” Omega kept her grasp on his hand even as she stood from the chair. She bent down to place a gentle kiss on his head. “I’ll go so you can sleep.”

Hunter hummed as he gazed up at her. “You look tired, too.” His brow pinched. “Did you get any sleep after your mission?”

Omega resisted the urge to roll her eyes again as she instead told him the truth. “I came right here.”

“Is that a no, then?”

Omega sighed and nodded. Hunter clicked his tongue and shifted on the bed, clearly trying to make room for Omega. She started to wave him off. “Hunter, I’m not sure if—.”

“You’ll fit.”

Omega raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think I’m a bit old for this?”

Hunter scoffed. “Never.” Hunter finally let go of her hand, but only to open his arm to her. “Plus… I’d really like it if you stayed.”

That quiet vulnerability in Hunter’s tone immediately dissipated any hesitance left within Omega. She smiled and nodded, appeasing the hopeful part of herself that had wanted to stay with Hunter like this all along. “Okay.”

Omega managed to fit in the space he had made for her, carefully resting her head against his chest the way she always used to. She closed her eyes as he fiddled with the blanket, setting it over both of them before he leaned her head against his. The warmth, and life, that radiated from him soothed Omega like nothing else could, but she was still able to speak on a new thought amidst her drowsiness.

“Crosshair’s gonna be pissed, you know.”

Hunter hummed. “Why?”

“Because he got yelled at for violating visitation rules, and this definitely counts.”

Hunter chuckled. “Well, he probably deserved it.”

“I’m sure he did. He’ll still be pissed, though.”

“Nothing we could ever do to prevent that.”

Omega hummed her own agreement and closed her eyes. She slightly repositioned herself so that her ear was closer to his heartbeat. It was just as strong as before, reassuring her like nothing else could.

Before sleep could fully take her under its spell, however, Hunter said one last thing. “Omega?”

Omega’s voice was barely a whisper. “Yeah?”

Hunter’s hand ran over her back. “I told you that you’d be stuck with us for the long run. I don’t plan on breaking my word anytime soon.”

Omega knew it was out of his hands, especially with something like this, but she appreciated the sentiment all the same. “I know.” She found one of his hands and entwined it with hers again. “I love you, Hunter.”

Hunter brushed some of the hair back from her head and kissed it the same way she had to him just minutes before. “Love you too, kid.” He let out a soft, content sigh. “Thanks for coming.”

Omega squeezed his hand. “I always will.”

That was something she meant with everything in her, because it was the least she could do for him, the person who had always come for her no matter what, and who had never stopped searching even when it seemed impossible. She couldn’t stop time from passing, and neither could he, but that didn’t matter.

They would always be there for each other until their last moments arrived. They couldn’t control when that would be, but they would continue to control everything else they could, and that would be enough for Omega. She would always have enough of these kinds of moments to sustain her through it.