Making myself feel better after the Rebels season finale by writing self indulgent marching band AUs and titling them after the most dramatic song in existence. Enjoy?

Wake Me Up Inside

Anakin was sure that, after four years of competitive marching, this year would prove to be the hardest. The competition had gotten tougher, and their freshman this year were less well-prepared than they had been in years past. Most, that is. A few in his section were exceptionally good, but only a few. Pit percussionists had always been misbehaved, of course, but his drumline knew better than that.

They had proved that to him that morning, when they arrived in the band room half an hour earlier than early and one of the Sophomores, Barriss Offee, had brought the entire section coffee. It was nice to have selfless (And rich) underclassmen sometimes. This was the second competition of the season, and, after their big victory at the first, they were determined to do even better at this one.

That was one of the reasons they were so disappointed when they came in fifth in their class. Sure, the class was huge and fifth was honorable, but they could do so much better. Especially since their rival band under Director Grievous's lead had beaten them. It just wasn't fair - Just because the other band was richer shouldn't mean that they always scored higher. They had better props, and could afford private lessons for every single student, and had mountains of visuals, but the other band had more spirit by far. Anakin sighed. There was no way they would live this down.

As the band loaded the buses in the dark, everyone was quite tired. The freshman flocked together like lost geese as the older kids helped load the larger instruments onto the trailer, and as soon as they finished, Anakin plopped down in the nearest seat he could find and made a mental note to save the seat beside him for Padme, who was currently lecturing her section outside about the visual that, surprisingly, the entire section had flubbed.

The senior shut his eyes and leaned his head back, a long breath he had been holding in escaping his lips. He honestly couldn't wait to get home and sleep. He heard a soft plop beside him and smiled, the back of his mind telling him that Padme had finally come back. He kept his eyes shut as he let out a soft, "Hey, beautiful."

Then he heard a chuckle that was definitely not his girlfriend's. His eyes shot open with the speed of a charging hyena, and then focused quickly in the dark on the tiny, caramel skinned girl beside him.

"Hey, Skyguy. Can I sit here, maybe? Barriss is with Luminara in the back talking something about intonation, and all of the other seats are filled except for the one next to Director Windu and he scares me." Anakin made a strangled noise as Ahsoka finished and began to deny the request when he was cut short by Padme walking by. She smiled and made eye contact with him, and he made a desperate face and tried to get her to save him.

"Let her." She mouthed, "I'll be fine," Anakin gave a panicked look over Ahsoka's head, but Padme just smiled, winked, and continued walking to the one empty seat. He sighed. The trip was normally only four hours, but somehow he just knew this one would feel like longer.

"Is that a yes...?" Ahsoka asked, her voice tilting up in a question. Anakin made a small, growl-like noise.

"Sure. Why not."

And that his how, an hour into the drive home, Anakin looked up from texting Padme to notice something that he hadn't before.

The weight against his shoulder wasn't just his imagination as he had thought - Ahsoka was folded neatly in on herself, her head leaning on Anakin's shoulder, drool dripping slowly from her lips and tiny snores being emitted from her mouth. She was asleep. His phone buzzed as Padme texted him back.

"Comfortable?"

With a scowl on his face, Anakin tried to see over Ahsoka's puffy hair to where Padme sat three rows away. She snickered at him, then pointed to her phone. He looked down in time for another buzz.

"Aww, look at you, you're going to be a good dad one day."

Anakin gasped in disbelief then looked back again to see her laughing at him still. He furiously texted her back.

"u take that back or we wont make out for a week"

"Aw, you think you could survive that?"

He paused.

"No. But im still mad at u. Come save me, ok?"

No response. He looked back to see the brunette girl grinning and shaking her head very, very slowly. And he growled, but couldn't bring himself to push Ahsoka off of him. She just looked so...litte, with a slight sunburn on her toffee cheeks and her dark lashes fluttering with a dream. He glared back to Padme to see her putting both hands over her heart and a look of pure adoration on her face.

"2 weeks."