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Fives didn’t really believe in that Force osik that the Jedi Generals did. He admitted that weird things happened around the Jedi, but the idea that there was some mystical power leading them in their actions was a little hard to believe.
When Rex returned from Skakko Minor, with Echo braced against him, Fives was ready to fall to his knees and thank whoever he needed to, including the Force if needed.
To see his twin standing there, framed in the light of the sun as it started to peek over the horizon, almost had him in tears. He had grown so used to the hollow ache that had taken residence in his chest over the past couple of years, that having him back felt like someone had taken a knife to his lungs.
The fact that he managed to keep it together was a surprise to him as he slowly made his way closer to the ship.
Anyone else might not have recognised him as being Echo, not with three out of four limbs being robotic; not with him almost looking like a skeleton with skin stretched over it; not when his hair was all gone, metallic ports embedded in the sides.
But Fives would know his twin anywhere.
Maybe that was part of that whole Force thing.
Or maybe it was just because Echo was his twin, and they had some sort of connection that way.
Whatever it was, as soon as Echo’s feet left the ramp, Fives was rushing over, dragging him into a crushing hug, ignoring Rex’s admonishments.
“Oof!” Echo stumbled slightly, freezing at the sudden contact, “F-Fives?”
When all Fives could do was nod, not willing to trust his voice just yet, Echo wrapped his arms around him, leaning on him more than hugging, but squeezing as tightly as he could manage. Metal was digging into Fives in some very uncomfortable places, but he couldn’t care less.
“Y-You’re alive? How?!” Fives looked up to see Rex staring softly at him, “How did you- “
“…When looking into the last of the Separatist strongholds, a transmission came through, repeating one phrase and one phrase only.”
“CT-1409.” Echo whispered, “It was what they taught us during interrogation training, remember?”
“Exactly.” Rex sighed, “So, Clone Force 99 and I went to investigate, and we… found Echo.”
“I should have- “
“- You were still recovering Fives.” Rex patted his gently on the back, “And… I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case it was nothing but a trap.”
“Recovering?” Echo frowned, “Recovering from what?”
Rex smirked, “Echo…. You’re looking at the hero of the Republic.”
“Huh?”
Fives practically began to glow at the praise, despite feeling more than a little embarrassed at the awe-struck look on Echo’s face.
“I… might have uncovered a plot against the Jedi, exposed the Chancellor of the Republic as a Sith Lord and helped with the case to gives clones rights?”
The awe-struck look didn’t disappear.
In fact, it looked like Echo had tears in his eyes.
“Fives, you really- “
“- It was nothing.” Fives had been swimming in all the praise for weeks now but hearing it from Echo was completely different somehow.
Thankfully, his twin seemed to get the hint, scanning him from head to toe, eyes lingering on the bacta patch on the side of his head before running his flesh hand over the soft stubble that was now Fives’s hair.
“All the others just shaved the side of their heads.” He teased, as Fives rolled his eyes.
“And now they look silly. At least my hair is all the same length.”
“Yeah… but I think I kind of miss it.”
Eyes flickering to Echo’s own bald head, Fives silently agreed with the sentiment.
“Well… it’ll grow back.” He whispered, giving Echo a reassuring smile even as he saw tears building up in the other man’s eyes.
“Yeah.” Echo softly agreed, “It’ll get better.”
Why did Fives get the feeling that Echo wasn’t talking about hair anymore?
……………………………………
After Echo was cleared to leave the Healing wings in the temple by both healer Che and Kix, with strict instructions on what to eat, how much physical activity he could do, and the reassurance that his chip had been removed before the implants were installed, Fives rushed to stand by his twin’s side.
“Want to go for a walk?” He asked, glancing over at Kix, just to double check that would be okay, smiling when the medic nodded.
“Yeah.” Echo whispered, “I think that would be nice.”
It was a slow process, Echo getting used to the new prosthetic legs, but eventually, they found themselves outside.
As Echo leaned heavily on him for the majority of the walk, Fives could only focus on that solidifying presence that was once again beside him, barely aware of the time passing or Echo’s soft observations.
“-ives? Fives?”
Stunned, he looked up, wincing guiltily at the knowing look on his twin’s face.
“I don’t think you’ve left my side since I arrived.” Echo smiled fondly at him, “If you need to go and rest, you can you know.”
“Are you saying I look tired or something?!”
“Yes.”
Fives opened his mouth to protest, only for Echo to raise a silent eyebrow at him, a look he clearly learnt from Rex… and which had the same effect.
“I am tired.” He admitted, “A lot of us are though. Kix says it’s the sudden shock of a war being mostly over and this sudden realisation that we’re… meaningless now.” He shrugged, “What’s the use in soldiers when there’s no war?”
Echo stared at him for a moment, before shrugging, “So, we stop being soldiers.”
“You honestly think it’s going to be that easy?”
Gesturing all around them, Echo nodded. “We’re in the Jedi Temple.” He stated, “I’ve just watched clone medics and Jedi healers working together. I think if any of us are feeling truly lost as to what to do with our lives, they’ll be there to help us.” A mischievous grin flashed across his face as he nudged Fives in the side, “Maybe you can help out in the creche? You’re about the same age mentally… and physically come to think about it.”
Unable to stop himself from chuckling at the teasing, Fives flung an arm over Echo’s shoulders and pulled him closer.
“Thank you.” He sighed, “I needed that.”
“They do say laughter is the best medicine.”
“Who says that? Kix?”
“Kix believes in violence and violence only.”
“… You’re scared of him?”
“You’re not?”
“Touche.”