A returning Echo

Chapter Twenty One

"I brought you a little surprise," he said when you separated. You gave him a questioning look before he leaned over and grabbed something. He glanced over his shoulder with a smirk before he swung around and something hit your face.

"Hey!" You said, looking down to see Marvin sitting in your lap. Echo chuckled beside you and you playfully glared at him. "I guess I'll just cuddle Marvin then," you said while turning your back to Echo and laying down.

A second after you got comfortable, Echo's arms snaked around your body and you felt him rest his head behind your neck. He placed gentle kisses there, his strong hands gently rubbing circles on your stomach.

"I heard you got sick while on Dohbar," he mumbled.

"It was nothing. Just nerves after me and Kwol's fight."

"Well, at least you two made up. Either way, we're in a medbay, if you want to talk to a nurse-"

"Echo, it was nothing. I've gotten sick plenty of times from nerves before. Plus, where or who would I even have gotten ill from? It's the only explanation."

"I suppose you're right..." he said, his hand reaching up from your stomach to your chin. You felt him lean forwards as he turned your face to meet his. He placed another gentle kiss on your lips before leaning his forehead to yours.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Aid said as he walked into the room. Echo sat back and a slight flush came to his cheeks as the other clone smirked.

"Hey, Aid."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, walking over to start removing medical equipment from you.

"Sore. Tired. I want to get out of here."

"Well, I don't blame you. I've been here a lot as well, keeping an eye on you. Sans has been making me give hourly updates on you since he's been busy with the shinies."

"And have you actually been checking on me every hour or do you make stuff up?" You asked jokingly. Aid just met your gaze with his own serious look before he replied.

"General, sometimes I don't think you understand how much we really do care about you in the 17th. Of course I actually checked hourly. Especially after you stopped breathing for a second-"

"Wait, she stopped breathing?" Echo asked, his eyes going wide. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"It was on the transport here, she was stable - well, sort of - after that."

"I don't care when it was! I'm her riduur! I need to know these things!"

You turn your head to give Echo a questioning look at the unknown Mando'a word, and you miss how Aid looks at your ring finger and snorts.

"You're not her riduur, at least not yet."

"Either way, I will be some day, and I still deserve to know!"

"Hey! Stop arguing! It's over now and you can't change the past. If you don't quit, I'm kicking you out," you interrupted. Echo opened his mouth to argue but you gave him a stern look and he grumbled to himself while turning to glare at Aid again.

"Let me do a quick exam to see how you're doing, and you may be able to go back to the temple," he said while walking over to you. He motioned for Echo to get up, and he reluctantly did, and you smacked his arm when he stuck his tongue out at your medic.

"I need to check your ribs," he said, before casually adding, "you'll have to take off your top."

"No, no way," Echo said.

"Relax, ARC-y, her chest can stay covered, it's one of her lower ribs that's broken."

"It's fine, Echo. Nothing my men haven't seen before."