A/N: first chapter. Please tell me what you think of the chapter and if you think I should continue :) Enjoy!

Walking back up the street towards her speeder, Ahsoka was slightly surprised to still see it there. Although she was relived, she half expected that one of the locals would try to steal it, or even parts of it. The people on Lothal were not in the greatest of economic terms. And with the port around, there were non-locals around as well and they were not the most trustworthy or reliable either. Not to mention, but it seemed that there were not any Imperials around the city today. Even though that made her job of looking around Lothal a bit easier, her focus was not on inspecting the city anyway. She was more looking towards the ends of farmlands and the mountains, places that ere easy to hide a small base or group of people for the rebellion. Although they knew that the Empire's presence on Lothal had grown slightly, the numbers were still low enough that it was worth looking over. And that was what Ahsoka spent the whole day doing. Only now, in the later part of the day, did she decide to look around the capital to learn more information about the planet.

But she was glad to go home…or at least back to the base. As much as she liked to explore, she had seen enough mountains and tight spaces. But that was not what was bothering her the most. There was a…flow of the Force. Like a small beacon. The sense of the Force on the planet was so unique and different than what she usually connected to.

She was so lost in thought that she barely gave notice to a person bumping into her. She didn't even notice that the person was smaller. She just heard a small sorry and felt a sudden rush of the Force. If it weren't for that, Ahsoka would not have even stopped in surprise. It was like she was hit with cold water, but instead of feeling surprised or attacked, she felt her own energized rush.

After turning around, she saw a little boy running. She stared after him for a couple of seconds before she moved her arm, brushing it against the pockets on her belt.

It was only then that she felt the emptiness of the pocket.

Staring after the boy again, she felt things tie together. Perhaps she wouldn't get off of Lothal without being victimized by a thief.

"Hey!" she called, breaking into a run as she followed the boy, "Wait!"

She would need money to be able to make it back to the base after she stopped at a port.

She followed the boy through the streets. The boy pushed through people first, which left her an open space to follow.

"Wait!" Ahsoka called to him before seeing the small boy move into an alleyway.

Following him quickly, Ahsoka almost halted as she realized that the boy was trying to climb up a small fence. It was the break that she needed. Running up to him, Ahsoka grabbed his hips gently and pulled him down, turning him and placing him on the ground so she could stare him down.

Only she was the one who got a surprise.

When she was running she didn't realize how small this boy was. She wasn't expecting a kid. The running made him look taller. Or she just wasn't paying that much attention. The boy had rather large blue eyes as well. A piercing blue that was slightly alarming from the edge they could have but comforting at the same time by the deepness. His hair was matted and knotted, but it was dark. His skin was slightly dark as well, though definitely not as much as Kaeden's. Both of them were panting, staring at each other.

Ahsoka stared at the little boy. Reaching into the Force, she could feel him. The little boy was very strong in the Force, but that did nothing to ease Ahsoka. There were a lot of fears for Force-sensitive children in the Empire and what they would be forced and trained to do. She already felt some fear for the child. She remembered Hedala Fardi how many years ago, but it seemed that this boy didn't have anyone. Or at least anyone to protect him. She guessed that he was seven or eight, but he was forty, maybe fifty pounds underweight. There were no muscles on his tiny body. He looked so scared, no terrified, staring up at her.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'm s-sorry. Please d-don't hurt me." the boy told her, starting to cry, fumbling his words in his plea.

Even though Ahsoka was crouching, Ahsoka was still taller than him, or seemingly taller than him. The montrals construed her size. But she hoped that kneeling would help diminish at least some of the boy's fears. He was trembling as though he had just come out of freezing water on Hoth. His surge of raw, deep fear worried her. Even getting closer, Ahsoka could see how…small the child was. He was tiny; only skin and bone. His clothes were old, dirty, ripped in some places, and hung off him terribly. And they smelled like the boy. Ahsoka could guess by the dirt on the boy's face and hands and by how greasy his hair was that it had been weeks since he had any sort of cleaning, the clothes even longer. As she got closer, Ahsoka forced herself to make sure that she wouldn't grimace or have her nose twitch. This little boy was already scared and she didn't want him to feel like he was being judged.

"It's alright," Ahsoka told him calmly, her voice taking a very gentle tone. "I don't want to hurt you."

The boy didn't seem convinced and Ahsoka did not blame him. This boy was even wise to be fearful of the unknown, especially if Ahsoka was right and he was Force sensitive. But she was also concerned with what happened to this child and why he was so weary and so easily afraid.

Ahsoka decided to keep talking, her voice soft and gentle so that he would see that she wasn't a threat and didn't want him scared of her.

"It's alright," Ahsoka told him gently. "Just…"

Give her back the money? Looking at him she saw that he clearly needed the credits more than she did. Stay there so she should questions him? Force knew that she had a lot of those running through her mind. Why was this child alone? Why was he in such a deplorable state? She had seen poverty but this was something drastically different than what she had seen before. Where did he live? Did he even have a home? When was the last time that he ate anything substantial? Maybe she should start with the first and most prevalent one.

"Sweetheart, where are your parents?" Ahsoka asked him gently, her voice still in a comforting tone.

The boy looked at her, seemingly very confused and for a brief moment Ahsoka worried that for some reason he might not know Basic, but she sensed some understanding in him in the Force, it was just that he was searching for an answer. Maybe he was an orphan? Or a runaway? Either way, she could feel how he was not just scared as she kept feeling his Force signature. He was hungry too, desperately hungry.

"How about you give me back the credits and we go out to lunch together? Just us. We can go any place you want," Ahsoka told him. She wanted to make sure that this little child had something to eat and Ahsoka wondered if she fed him if he would open up a little more. And it would make sure that the credits he took would go to good use in case someone tried to take them from him or if his parents, if he had any, used it for other purposes.

She could tell that the boy was very tempted by the idea, but he was also thinking hard about something. Ahsoka could see how smart he was. He was wondering how safe it would be to go with her, even if in a public place. He had just met them and there was a seeded worry in him to be weary of others. What had happened to this child?

And then, she felt something in the Force. His Force signature was…searching her's. She could even sense what he was looking for. He was trying to sense if she was safe, if he could trust her. She didn't know if he knew what he was doing specifically or even if he knew what he was doing at all and it was just a natural response. Either way, however, she knew that he was strong enough to manipulate the Force without even realizing it. And as she watched the boy, he seemed surprised as well that he was met with a strong signature as well.

Finally, the boy nodded, slowly reaching into his pockets to get the credits. Ahsoka gave him a comforting smile and he held out his hands, the credits in his grasp. Ahsoka held out her hand slowly to not scare him and he placed the credits back in her palm. She gave him a smile and her fingers lapsed on them.

"Okay," the boy agreed, his voice small.

Ahsoka nodded, smiling as well before she moved to put the credits back in her own pack. She slowly got to her feet and the tiny boy looked up at her. She seemed to tower over his small stature.

"Where do you want to go?" Ahsoka asked him. "I haven't been around here before. You know any good places?"

The boy nodded innocently before he turned and moved slightly quickly out of the alleyway. Ahsoka followed at a much slower pace, though making sure he was always in her sight so she could follow him. He would look back at her every now and then to make sure that she was still following him. She sensed that he was slightly worried and she guessed that it was about a worry of her leaving. From her following, she could sense the small trust that he was having for her start to build. He was trusting her to follow and afterwards, she knew the trust would grow because he knew he could count on her to follow through.

She followed him through the streets. Although she kept a lookout for any Imperials, it seemed like a slow day in the town. No sign of any pick-ups. It seems like she really did come on a good day to check around.

After a couple of minutes, the boy stopped at a colourfully signed vendor with a small line. She stood beside him silently, looking for what he picked out as a family in front of them ordered. It was some type of food where he put meat in this large wrap-like thing and add some sauces and spices, vegetables, and other toppings before wrapping it all up together in the hold of the wrap.

She felt a tug on her hand and she looked down to see that the boy was trying to get her attention. She kneeled down again and the boy moved a bit closer to tell her, "I want the number three."

Ahsoka nodded and smiled, "you got it."

The boy smiled, letting go of her hand. Ahsoka moved back to her feet when the family in front of her moved. She stepped forward and gave the man behind the vendor window a smile. He seemed to eye the little boy beside her carefully before looking at her. She began to realize that this many not be the first time that this little boy has either gotten someone to buy him food, or that there was some other history between the two. Whatever the case, Ahsoka didn't particularly care about that now. She wanted to make sure this boy had something to eat.

"Two of your Number Threes please," Ahsoka told him pleasantly.

The man looked back at her and nodded, giving the little boy one last look before he wrote the order down and placed it for the cook to see as he finished making the food for the family before them. Ahsoka took the money out of her pack and gave it to the vendor before she was instructed to stand off to the side and wait.

She noticed that the family before them was now staring at the blue-haired boy as well. She tried to sense what their fascination was, if it was from some type of history or if it was for first judgement from examination. She found…disgust mostly. There was some sadness and pity, but it was mostly a sense of disgust. Probably from how he looked and how he smelled. It was towards him, not the Empire who destroyed the economics of planets that weren't apart of the Core Worlds. But she had a horrible, sinking feeling that the child's isolation was from something else, something that happened to him.

The boy didn't seem to notice the looks from the family or even just the people walking by, or he couldn't care. Ahsoka didn't know which one it was, but it made her think that she was not the first to give him charity of food. Perhaps she was a line of people who came through Lothal and felt pity for the tiny child. It didn't seem like locals cared enough to do anything long term.

Ahsoka watched the boy use his shoes, his extremely worn in and overused shoes, in the dirt to make some sort of pattern in the dirt. She didn't know how the shoes weren't completely broken. They were ripped off at sides and the heels were no longer attached and flapped with each step. There were some small holes at the top and she saw he had no socks. She could only imagine how comfortable they would be being that worn in and the soles being completely ripped and unconnected by wear.

She was so distracted by just watching the mysterious boy entertain himself in the wait by moving his shoes in the dirt and moving around every now and thinking about the boy and again that she almost missed when the vendor called out their order for pick-up. If it hadn't been for Ezra running towards the window again, Ahsoka would probably have not noticed. She completely missed the other family receiving their food and leaving. Ahsoka turned as well and offered a smile to the vendor before she grabbed the square-type plates that held the wraps. She turned to the boy and saw him standing there, more fidgety, and with wide eyes as he looked at the food with anticipation.

"Do you want any dressing?" she asked, eying the extras that they could add.

The boy shook his head no and he held out his hand for the plate. Ahsoka looked back at the extras and saw that there was not anything that she wished to have either. She looked around, trying to spot a place where they could sit to eat before she realized that hiding back in the alleyway was probably where he would want to be. In all fairness it was where he felt safe and it would be a good place to have privacy, especially if any Stormtroopers decided to drop in.

"Let's go back to the alley, okay?" Ahsoka told him, watching as the boy still held out his hand in excitement for the food.

Although the dark haired boy looked slightly disappointed, he nodded to agree to follow the suggestion. Like before, Ahsoka watched him run and she followed at a slower pace, although she moved slightly more slowly this time to make sure that the food would not drop from the plates being unbalanced.

She could notice some eyes following her as she walked, one pair from the vendor she was sure, but she decided to let it go. She didn't know how she felt about locals talking about a Togruta doing out of the box things like feeding homeless kids around when Imperials could come because she thought that could raise some eyebrows, however she tried to think of one thing at a time. Imperials weren't the main concern for her at this point; this boy was.

When the two made it back to the alleyway, the boy turned to look at her again as he waited patiently as Ahsoka walked through as well. She could a spot where they could sit facing each other, where the boy's back would be to the opening but Ahsoka could still see it so that she could monitor who went past or tried to look in.

The boy was still almost vibrating in anticipation of eating the food. So, when the two were sitting, Ahsoka gently passed him the plate. Ezra almost ripped it out of her hands, letting the plate hit the ground before his hands darted to the wrap and already beginning to take large bites out of it.

The Togruta stared at the boy in surprised, blinking a couple of times. She had never seen someone so needy for food, especially a child.

But she could sense as he ate that his walls were down. He wasn't shielding himself so much. He was focused more on the food. It would be a good time to ask him some questions. She decided to start off with the main one that crossed her mind.

"What's your name?" Ahsoka asked him as the sat down to eat. "Mine's Ahsoka."

The boy nodded, not saying anything about the interspecies marriage. Ahsoka knew that it wasn't the most popular on Lothal, as most people who lived here were human, but he didn't seem curious about it.

Ahsoka decided to prod him again.

"Can you tell me your name? Or how old you are?" she asked him.

The boy was silent for a couple of moments as he chewed on the Tenders he was eating before he finally answered, "Ezra. Ezra Bridger."

Ahsoka nodded, offering the boy an encouraging smile.

"That's a nice name, Ezra," she told him.

The boy just shrugged, going to take another quick bite of the food. He was quick eat the wrap, almost finishing half of it in seconds. Without even realizing it, as Ahsoka was watching him, she was feeling her stomach slowly drop because it showed how hungry Ezra was.

Ahsoka realized as her hand started to shake slightly from holding it up so long and losing balance in her hold that she actually did have something in it. She forgot that she had her own wrap. Looking down at it finally, Ahsoka forced it to her lips and to take a bite before her eyes moved back towards Ezra. Before Ahsoka was done chewing and swallowing her own bite, Ezra had already stuffed the rest of his wrap in his mouth and was chewing on it to swallow, his cheeks bulging with the food. Ahsoka had it in her mind to warn him not to choke, but she knew Ezra wouldn't heed it. Besides the point, this boy was starving. Who was she to tell him to eat slower.

After the boy swallowed, Ahsoka sat in her spot, still shocked and trying to think of what to say. This boy was starting to talk. She needed to learn more, but she also needed to be careful. She didn't want to spook him.

Staring down at her own wrap, she suddenly didn't feel like eating. She looked at Ezra, who was starting to eye her wrap as well. Ahsoka sighed and forced a very small smile on her face.

"You can have mine, I'm not too hungry," Ahsoka told him, gently giving Ezra the wrap.

Although the boy had the manners not to just grab it out of her hands, but the instant it was in his, he was trying to stuff all of it in his mouth as well.

Ahsoka watched him, waiting for another opening before she asked him.

"Ezra, can you tell me how old you are?" Ahsoka asked him again.

The boy stared back up at her and swallowed the food that was in his mouth. He coughed slightly before answering her, "eight."

Eight? Ezra looked like a small seven year old…maybe a average six year old. How was he eight?! How long had he been on the streets? Maybe he was also just a small child before but still. Even if he was short for his age, Ezra was still far too skinny for a growing child.

Before Ahsoka could ask another question, Ezra suddenly stopped eating and turned pale. Ashoka's expression turned to one of confusion and before she could figure out the hints on her own, Ezra was already on his feet and to the other side of the small alleyway, though slightly in the middle of it and was hunched over slightly. Ahsoka held out her hand to try and catch him, but he was fast on his feet. When she heard gagging sounds, Ahsoka was on her feet and making her way over to him just to see the last of Ezra throwing up the mashup of the wraps he just ate onto the ground near his feet. Ahsoka stuck up her nose slightly. She had seen many things in the war, clones with missing limbs, blood, even dead clones without their heads or heads of clones and vomit was always something that could always set her stomach into twisting motions. At least it didn't smell, or at least the smell of Ezra was overpowering the stench of what was on the ground.

Ahsoka was chiding herself in her thoughts. She should have known this would happen. Ezra looked starved, it was obvious that he had not ate in a while, and he ate the two wraps in less than a couple of minutes. She should have known that a) the food was too rich and b) that no matter what the food, Ezra's stomach would have most likely rejected it. She should have tried to find something a lot easier on the stomach for him.

Ezra was hunched over for a couple more seconds after the last of the vomit came out, gasping and trying to catch his breath. The Togruta stared at him for a couple of seconds before she tried to grab at the pockets on her belt. She should have something that he can use to wipe his mouth. Going to a pocket at her left side, she found the small cloth, something that was ripped but she used for cleaning her lightsaber. It was old, but it would do the job.

Ahsoka offered the boy the cloth and Ezra stared at it for a couple of seconds before he took it. Ahsoka watched him wipe his mouth, though she was sure the taste would be there still, but she tried not to think about that. Ezra throwing up the food like this probably happened often, and was one of the reasons why he was so small.

"Are you alright, Ezra?" she asked, just in case he felt light headed. When was the last time he had any water?

Ezra nodded, offering the cloth back, not knowing the mannerisms. Ahsoka didn't make a face though as she took the cloth and acted normal holding it so Ezra's feelings wouldn't get hurt and she stuffed the cloth back in her pocket.

"It happens sometimes," Ezra told her weakly. Ahsoka could tell that he probably still felt sick to his stomach. She took a step closer and offered him a smile as she gently moved a hand through his hair to try and comfort him. She didn't want to make it awkward, and she hoped it didn't come off that way even if she was nervous. She knew how to take care of kids but…Ezra was different somehow. She knew he had been through a lot. And comfort may be too foreign for him now, or something that scares him. But instead, he leaned slightly into her touch. That only made her chest tighten because she knew that could confirm something else.

Ezra was alone on the streets.

Maybe he was alone period.

But if so, then where were his parents?

Stroking his hair again, ignoring the feeling of grease on her fingertips, she asked him, "Ezra, can you show me where you live?"

~.~

Ezra pointed the way as he sat in front of Ahsoka on her bike. Ahsoka had to stop herself from trying to drive with one hand while the other would wrap around Ezra because she feared in the speed he could maybe fly off, but she realized how ridiculous she was sounding.

The way wasn't too far from town. If Ezra just told her to go to the Tower than she would have been able to go there herself without any direction. She could spot the Tower from the town. As she got closer to it, going down the roads, she realized where she was going: to an abandoned Tower. It was another confirmation about Ezra's state of affairs, how he was not in a home, he was in a place.

But when he led her up there with ease and what her eyes saw when she was up at the top was worse.

There were broken windows. There was glass all over the floor. She could already feel the wind on her, making her cold. It was so much colder up in the tower, there was more wind because they were higher up. Yes it would save Ezra from most of the elements, but hard winds and rain could still come in. Glass could fly, Ezra could get a cut and Force forbid that happen because what if it got infected. The list of scenarios going through Ahsoka's head was astounding as she felt her chest get heavy. Ezra was eight. And as Ahsoka expected, he was alone. No adults were here, and she doubted that any were coming.

"You live here?" Ahsoka asked as she looked around the tower. She saw in one corner a bed, not really a bed just a couple of blankets and a poorly made make-shift pillow with a stuffed loth cat. There were some boxes a bit away where she guessed he put food when he found it. There were tattered towels and clothes a bit away. This was it? This empty, dirty, abandoned tower was this boy's home? She knew for certain that the boy was alone. She would have definitely had questioning and worried parents if he wasn't. And there would be more bedding. She knew for certain this boy was alone.

Ezra nodded.

"Don't you get cold?" she asked. The nights were cold and those blankets were thin. She didn't want to even imagine him in the winter months with just that to keep him warm. There were broken windows, poor insulation…

Again, Ezra shrugged before going to sit on the blankets. Ahsoka watched him bring one to wrap around himself, to comfort himself with the touch and to use it like a shield to protect him. In the force he felt somewhat guilty and embarrassed to show her his home.

The Togruta didn't like this at all. A child as young as Ezra alone? Like this? She wondered for how long. Obviously the boy had been able to survive, but only barely.

Ahsoka walked to the 'bed' before sitting down across from him, a little bit away so that Ezra could keep the space he wanted. She crossed her legs and stared at him, wondering where to start first.

"Ezra, where are your parents?" she asked him.

There was a silence between them. One that seemed like it was screaming and making the most horrid of noise. It was a silence that only made Ahsoka feel more sick to her stomach. A silence that spoke volumes more so than Ezra's answer could. The silence was the answer of something terrible that has happened. A silence that proved something horrible happened.

"The Empire took them." she heard the boy whisper as he reached out to hold the stuffed Loth Cat close to his chest to comfort him. The boy's eyes filled with sorrow at the thought and he hugged the stuffed animal tighter to him, as if trying to squeeze from love from it to him. The Togruta watched as his eyes started to gloss over in expectant tears.

Ahsoka's brows furrowed. So they took the parents but left the kid? Maybe Ezra ran away and they didn't bother to look for him. Or they didn't know. Stormtroopers were scatter-brained in comparison to the clones, and they were constantly changing who was there and who wasn't.

"How long ago?" Ahsoka asked gently, knowing she was walking on ice now. She didn't want to set Ezra but she needed more information.

"A year an a half I think." Ezra answered, not looking at her, "it was before the start of the harvest season last year."

Although it made her sick to her stomach to confirm, Ezra's extra description did fit the timeline. Ezra had been alone for a year and a half? Ahsoka felt as though she couldn't breathe. How had he survived the winter up here? How…there was a lot of things she wondered how he survived. But for now she wouldn't ask them. Something was more important and that was getting Ezra the help that he needed.

"If you want to come to my ship…you can," Ahsoka offered to him. Ezra stared up at her, slightly confused. She quickly elaborated with her voice almost tripping over itself, sensing the boy's confusion and fear. "What I mean is that you can spend the night on my ship. You can have a shower, a warm bed, a safe place to get some rest."

Ezra stared at her. She knew that it had to be an offer that he didn't get a lot. He didn't quite know how to answer. She watched his body language carefully. He was still holding himself closed off, making sure to keep himself in a separate space to make him feel safer. He was holding his stuffed Loth Cat and by his expression, Ahsoka could see he was in great thought. His sense in the Force was full of curiosity. He wanted to say yes; Ahsoka could tell. She could sense that he liked the prospect of a warm place to sleep, but she also sensed some fear. Ahsoka understood that too. Even if she did give him food and didn't seem like a threat, he was still cautious. Ahsoka didn't want to know what made this boy seem so…calculating in his answers. He was still very young, but he was a thinker. He needed to think. It was a part of survival, the only way for him to survive.

And in all honesty, it made Ahsoka feel sick to her stomach. A child shouldn't have to be so thoughtful in their decision making. Yes, it was good to think, but not like this.

However, Ahsoka could sense one other thing.

He wanted to trust her. She could sense that.

Ahsoka watched as the boy turned to stare from space to stare at her. Ahsoka stared back at him, trying to bring down her walls slightly so that he could sense a safety in her. She wanted to help this boy and she hoped Ezra could sense that.

Perhaps he already had.

"Can I bring Theo?" Ezra asked, holding his stuffed animal closer to his chest.

With relief and hope, there was a sigh of relief before Ahsoka smiled warmly. "Of course!"

~.~

Ahsoka sat thinking on the ground in the calm night on Lothal, sitting close to the ship still so that she could easily walk on and leave, or if Ezra needed anything. As of now the boy was sleeping on the only bed in the ship, tucked up in a blanket Ahsoka found in the supplies kit to keep him warm as he hugged his stuffed Lothcat in his sleep after she had him take a shower and change into a shirt she was able to find in an old pack by nothing but sheer luck so that he had clean clothes. It was a cute image as Ahsoka watched the boy fall asleep, and rather quickly, and to just watch him. She could sense the relief and security. He felt safe and that made Ahsoka feel better.

However, there was still a million of other things to think about because Ahsoka knew that she couldn't leave Ezra on Lothal in the way that he was.

At first she thought about trying to look for an orphanage, or a family friend Ezra could go with, but she realized that if no one took in Ezra yet after a year of the tiny child on his own and wandering the streets, than no one would. And already that didn't leave her with a lot of options. She didn't know how she felt about taking Ezra off of Lothal. Lothal was Ezra's home and all he had known. It would not be fair to suddenly take him away from all of that, but she didn't know what to do on Lothal for him. And even if she did take him off world, where could she put him? In another orphanage? Maybe she could contact Bail and he could place Ezra in a good orphanage where she'll know he will be placed with a good family.

And that would have worked. Ahsoka would have been okay with that.

Except for the fact that there was one thing to completely undermine all of that thinking: Ezra was Force Sensitive.

This wasn't like Hedala. She had her father and family not just to take care of her, but regular her use of the Force. She had a family to watch over her. Ezra didn't have anyone. And she didn't trust every child in an orphanage or even the family to keep that secret. She could ask Bail to place Ezra in a family that he trusted, but Ahsoka knew that she would be anxious. She knew what the Empire would do to someone like Ezra.

And that left her with one other option: that she would raise Ezra.

But she wasn't so sure on that plan.

She was a part of a rebellion and Ezra would be a part of it as well. Although he wouldn't be under constant disruption, his home life would not be so smooth either and definitely not as stable as it should be. His life with the rebellion would be probably constantly moving from at least one base to the other and there wouldn't be a lot of friends that he could play with. He would be around weapons. And although they were not under constant fire, sometimes there were attacks. Ezra was a child. He shouldn't be around that. And where would he get an education? Who would train him? And who would actually take care of him? Ahsoka was constantly going from one base to the next, going from a base to a planet, going to new ports or planets to check out if they could be used for bases…Ezra's life with her would be unstable if she raised him. She didn't even have room for him in her quarters unless she put in a request to get another room.

Yet, she thought, who else would be able to take care of him?

Ezra needed someone.

He needed her.

Ahsoka sighed and looked over her shoulder up the ramp to where Ezra was. She pursed her lips. A voice came from her memory there no accidents. Trust the Force.

Maybe there was a reason she met Ezra.

This was not at all what she was expecting when to find when she went to Lothal.

~.~

"Ahsoka?"

The Togruta was so into her meditation that she didn't even hear the boy walk up to her. Ahsoka's eyes immediately opened and turned her head to look up the ramp. She wasn't sure how long she was in mediation, but it was still night. By the quick look in the sky, the moons had moved and it had been a couple of hours in meditation. Ahsoka had tried to find peace, to find it in herself to know what to do, although she already knew what the offer to Ezra would be. She knew it before she started meditating.

Staring at the boy, even in the night Ahsoka could see how much better Ezra looked after taking a shower. His hair was clean and not as dark and it wasn't matted as much. It seemed slightly longer. And his face was no longer dirty and his eyes seemed to stand out more instead of the dirt.

The boy didn't look scared as he approached her. She could sense that his fear in her was gone. There was still the feeling of his want to trust her. Ahsoka knew he did not just want it, but he needed it too. It had been so long since he could find someone to truly rely on and he desperately wanted that again.

He approached her slowly, holding his stuffed Lothcat close to him in comfort and the blanket over his shoulders while the ends dragged on the ground.

"You should still be sleeping, Ezra," Ahsoka told him softly. He needed it. And she wanted him to get a good rest while both of them knew it was safe to do so, where Ezra didn't have to fear going to sleep and getting hurt because his guard was down.

But Ezra just shrugged. Ahsoka could tell that he had a question, so she offered him another smile and she patted the ground beside her as a silent indication for him to sit down next to her. He did so, letting the blanket flow behind him as he sat. When he was ready, he tugged the blanket closer around him to keep warm, though still holding Theo close to him.

"Do you have a question, Ezra?" Ahsoka asked.

The boy hesitated, but finally nodded. She could see from his facial expressions that he was nervous though. Despite that, Ahsoka waited patiently and finally Ezra asked his question.

"Do I have to go back?" Ezra whispered.

Ahsoka's shoulders dropped slowly as she regarded the boy. His face was so hopeful, but also nervous. Ahsoka could read between the lines. Ezra was asking, though in different words, for a home.

And Ahsoka knew that she could provide him an answer without even thinking about it.

Ahsoka gave him a small smile and told him confidently: "No, Ezra, you don't."

Although he was surprised, Ahsoka could sense the immediate happiness, the relief. She was surprised that Ezra was so quick to attach to her, but perhaps it was because he was desperate, or he trusted her more than she realized. She had seen how calculated Ezra was in his decision making before. His barriers were down because he felt safe around her. Maybe one of the reasons why he trusted her so much and was attached because it was the first time he could truly do that and he wanted to keep that feeling.

Ahsoka kept a smile, but she still inhaled deeply.

"Ezra, if you come with me, it's going to be different than living here. You would be staying on Lothal anymore. You'd be moving with me and most likely be staying on places in ships. It would be something called a base, but there aren't a lot of other kids to play with. And there will probably be a lot of rules in some of the places," Ahsoka told him gently. "You need to know that. There are going to be changes."

Ezra nodded, taking all of her words of warning and caution in. But instead, he only had two other questions.

"But you will take care of me?" Ezra asked her, his voice a little softer, as though he wasn't expecting a good answer.

Ahsoka gulped, but nodded and her tone became more confident.

"If you want me to," Ahsoka promised. Ezra needed someone. She could be that person.

The boy smiled.

"Can we grab the last things at the Tower?" Ezra asked.

Ahsoka nodded, "whatever you want."

~.~

On the way back, Ezra had fallen back to sleep. Ahsoka allowed him to do so, knowing that he needed it. It felt good to know that Ezra felt so comfortable with her that he could easily go to sleep. It almost scared her how fast Ezra attached himself to her. She was expecting ab it more resistance. She wasn't expecting it to go so fast. She wasn't expecting to suddenly be a guardian, even short term, of a child who was quite possibly an orphan. Ahsoka would do her research on the Bridgers later.

Upon arriving at the base, she was not surprised to see Sato and Bail Organa waiting for her as she asked for permission to come in and land. Through the glass she could see their faces, slightly curious and slightly unimpressed. She was not surprised by that either. She arrived back hours later than she initially told them.

Leaving the pilot's chair, Ahsoka went past Ezra. The helmets he grabbed and other quick things were on the other side of the small hallway out. She would leave them in there over night before finding them a spot in her room after she had some rest.

When she carefully picked up Ezra, she felt the boy shift and stiffen in slight fear from being touched in his sleep. Ahsoka coaxed him gently as she made sure the blanket was still wrapped around him and brought him to rest against her hip.

"It's just me, Ezra," Ahsoka told him gently. "Go back to sleep."

The boy did so, moving to rest his head against her shoulder. Ahsoka smiled slightly before moving more down the hallway to press the button that would lower the ramp for her. As she watched it go, she didn't realize how loud the sound was. She never noticed it before.

Ahsoka carefully unbounded from the ship, Ezra still wrapped up in a blanket against her, his head on her shoulder. She was sure that he had fallen right back to sleep. He could meet the others in the morning.

Walking down the ramp, the two men walked up to meet her.

"You are quite late, Ahsoka," Sato told her. "We were starting to get concerned."

The girl nodded once.

"I am sorry," she told them, moving more down the ramp and into the light and Ezra became more visible. "I got slightly…sidetracked."

Even though Ahsoka looked slightly worried, the male faces softened.

"Ah," Sato said, looking down at the boy in Ahsoka's arms, a slight, but warm smile coming to the face as he looked over the sleeping child. He could recall his own memories about holding his own son as such.

"I think I know what happened," Bail agreed. While both men were confused about the new child, the sleeping face of the boy made any worries or annoyance drift away.

The Togruta sighed and told them, "my apologies, Generals, but…I can explain fully later. He didn't have anyone and it didn't feel right to leave him."

Sato nodded and tried to connect the pieces already, "where are his parents?"

Ahsoka gently helped Ezra shift on her shoulder when he moved. When Ezra stopped moving, Ahsoka answered him, "they're gone. The Empire arrested them about a year ago…he's been alone ever since."

Bail nodded, looking at the boy. No parents and alone, he would have done the same thing. And he didn't even see what Ezra was before.

Ahsoka looked over at Ezra carefully before looking at the others. She knew that they had questions and she knew that she didn't quite want to answer them right now. There was a child on her hip and shoulder, aching for some comfort and they were aching to ask many questions and get answers.

"I can explain my findings in the morning, but if you two wouldn't mind, I would like to get him to bed," Ahsoka told them.

Although they were slightly surprised, they agreed. Ahsoka could talk to the other Generals in the morning when everyone else was up.

Without another word, Ahsoka carefully walked out of the landing zone and through the hallways. The lights were brighter both through the lights and from the reflection off of the metal walls and floors. She felt Ezra move in closer to her lekku to hide the light in his eyes. The sudden movement and comfort she sensed from him both made her feel warm, but also terrified her a little.

It was so late that the base was pretty quiet. Everyone had gone to get rest. The hallways were empty and Ahsoka was glad to avoid all other confused glances she most likely would have gotten if everyone else was awake.

Slipping into her own quarters, Ahsoka felt more relieved to be in the comforting, familiar walls and room. She was in the higher Generals quarters along with the others. She had a small living space that she made work as a very small kitchen area for small snacks and an office-like space and a space for her to relax on a couch. The other room was a small bedroom and a refresher. Her quarters was a single room. Ahsoka was starting to wonder if she would have to ask around for a room change if Ezra was here.

But for tonight at least, Ahsoka gently placed Ezra in her bed. It was by no means the most comfortable bed as it would be on the ground base. This was more of a small bunk than a bed, but sh knew it was better than the floor that Ezra would sleep on before. Carefully placing Ezra on the bed, his head placed lightly on the pillow, Ahsoka made sure that the blanket was still comfortably around him and assuring that he was warm. The boy laid still on the bed, breathing softly, though his breaths seemed louder in the silence than they should be.

Not being able to help herself, Ahsoka stroked his hair one more time before leaving the room, keeping the door open so Ezra would be able to move out of it if he wanted and didn't feel closed in before turning on the light in the refresher so that there was light around the rooms. She didn't know if Ezra was scared of the dark, but she tried to convince herself she turned it on so that Ezra could see where the refresher was if he needed to use it.

At last, Ahsoka almost fell onto the couch in the main room. She let out a sigh and slight groan kicking off her shoes with her feet and hearing them hit the floor lightly. The soles of her feet hurt, but she tried to relax her shoulder muscles as she laid out on the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, she was beginning to realize that she had no idea what she just got into.