AN: Alright, part two! And, as promised, focusing a bit more on the comfort part of the genre. And maybe we can get through this one without an accidental psychology lecture at the end this time. We'll see.

The flight back to the Ghost was a quiet one, with Ezra staying locked in the fresher, and Kanan giving the teenager the space he seemed to need, while fighting off the growing urge to burst in there and make sure Ezra was okay.

But Kanan was a Jedi at heart, and could tell the difference between what he had logically decisions and emotional impulses. And frankly, he had spent enough time with Ezra to tell that the teenager shut down and got annoyed whenever he was forced in to social situations. So while Kanan really wanted to make sure that his Padawan was okay, and sit down and have a heart to heart with him, it was pretty obvious that it would have to wait. And it was even more obvious that forcing it would be a Bad Idea™.

So he stayed sitting at the pilots seat, running unnecessary system checks, just for something to do.

A few of his lower ribs were aching, and he had the sneaking suspicion that a worried lecture from Hera was in his future. Again. God damn it.

Kanan spent the rest of the trip quietly worrying over Ezra, and using the Force to try and multitask between keeping an eye on his padawans maelstrom of emotions, and heal his own cracked ribs. One of those tasks went a considerably better than the other. Which was normal really, as Kanan had never really been the best at Force healing. A side effect of never getting proper instruction in it.

He was startled out of the Force by the console beeping, informing him that they would be exiting hyperspace soon.

He got out of the chair, wincing a bit as his aching ribs made it very clear that the movement was not appreciated. After pausing for a second to steady himself, he made his way over to the fresher door, and knocked lightly on it.

"Ezra? We'll be coming out of hyperspace in a minute. How are you doing?" He called, shifting awkwardly on his feet as Ezra didn't reply.

"Ezra?"

"'M fine." The teenager mumbled from the other side of the door.

The ship dropped out of hyperspace, and the Ghost was visible out the window.

Kanan moved back to the pilot seat, and guided the Phantom in to its port on the Ghost, completing the familiar docking sequence easily.

Ezra came out of the fresher, looking like he had been crying. Kanan didn't comment on it.

The two headed in to the Ghost in silence, Ezra trailing morosely behind.

When Kanan had said that Ezra needed some time to himself, he had thought the teenager would spend some time meditating alone, before coming to talk about what had happened with Kanan. Ezra had kept himself locked in his room for two days now, and honestly, that's when it's time for an intervention.

Not to mention that while he was giving the kid space for now, Zeb was starting to get irritated about having to crash on the couch.

Kanan knocked on the door to the room, hoping that the padawan inside was awake.

"Ezra? Look, I get that you need some time alone with this, but you've been locked in there for days. We're getting worried. I'm getting worried."

There was a pause, and some rustling on the other side of the door.

"I'm fine. Go away."

"Yeah, see, the fact that you're self-isolating? That's making me think that you're not fine. Look, we have to talk about this no matter what, so there's no point avoiding it. I'm not mad at you, I'm worried for you."

The door didn't reply.

"You've been cooped up in there too long. Look – we're parked out in the middle of nowhere on Lothal right now, you want to come for a walk? Get some air?"

More silence.

"Please Ezra."

Another pause, this one longer, before the door opened, revealing Ezra, who was looking at the ground with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Okay. Let's go, I guess." He said unenthusiastically, shrugging a bit.

They left the Ghost, and walked in silence for a while. A while after the Ghost was out of sight, they reached a small hill, and Kanan stopped, sitting down on the top. After a brief hesitation, Ezra joined him.

After a moment of silence, Kanan began to talk.

"From an outside view, people assume – well, assumed – that the Jedi were perfect. But we're still just people. Everyone's struggled with the dark side before. It's just something we have to work through."

Kanan paused for a moment, and let out a shaky breath before continuing.

"I was fourteen when the order was destroyed. My master – well, she didn't make it. I got away, but I was alone. I spent my whole life in the temple, and suddenly I had to make it on my own. Shockingly enough I was kind of a human disaster. I didn't meet Hera and Chopper until I was an adult, and honestly? I was not a stable human being. At all. If I had been regularly using the Force, I would have fallen, and fallen hard. So uh, basically what I'm trying to say here is… I've been there. And while touching the dark side like that was wrong, I'm not upset with you, or angry or anything. I'm just…"

"Disappointed?" Ezra deadpanned, a small smile twitching on his mouth.

Kanan snorted.

"Nah, not that either. I'm just worried, and I want to help you be okay again."

Ezra gave a quiet, disbelieving laugh, before looking up at the sky, an amused smile on his face.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a fucking nerd?"

"Ezra."

"And like, not the cool nerd in holos. Like, the kind of nerd that gets beat up for lunch money every day."

"Ezra."

"Like, I actually just have this compulsion to shove you in a locker right now, if we were on the Ghost, you'd be in a locker already."

"Padawan."

There was a pause, as Ezra looked back down at the ground with clear embarrassment.

"…Thanksfornotgivinguponme." He mumbled out finally, bright red.

Kanan grinned.

"Don't think I quite caught that, say it again? Slower too."

"Well that's unfortunate, because I'm not repeating it."

"But Ezra, the memories! We need to get this moment on film! Or in writing or something."

"…I'm going to cause some non-specific, permanent damage if you don't stop talking. Immediately."

"Wow. Non-specific damage. I'm terrified."

"You should be. It'll be good and permanent. And damagey. Like… I dunno, blindness? First threat that came to me, shut up."

Kanan burst out laughing, before ruffling Ezra's hair. Said teenager took this as a justifiable reason to give him a good shove, sending him rolling about halfway down the hill.

"Victory!"

"You're so mean Ezra. I'm actually starting to think you might be mean enough to follow through on those threats, you devil child." Kanan complained melodramatically, folding his hands over his chest and staring mournfully up at the sky.

"Don't make me follow through on that locker thing. God, you really are a massive nerd."

"Wow. Now I'm just hurt. If I go blind from like, emotional pain or something, it's entirely your fault."

"Fight me."

AN: There's really no way to sum up how I feel about the way I ended that apart from just going :D

So anyways if you need me I'll be in hell later losers. I accept lectures about how terrible I am in the form of reviews.

Look, no psychology lecture this time!