Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Ahsoka awoke the next morning, she thought she still dreaming. She momentarily forgot where she was and assumed that her room in the Temple was just a figment of her imagination. But as her eyes adjusted to the morning light all of the memories from the previous day came flooding back to her.
After she returned to the past, she and Anakin had eaten a typical modest meal from the mess hall before retiring to an early bed. They, as master and student, shared chambers, but she had her own room.
The night before she had given the excuse of being exhausted from the trials and her adventures from the last few days, which was not untrue. By her biological time clock she had fought Vader, died, and been brought to the past all in the last twenty-four hours. Despite her best efforts to stay attentive to Anakin and his emotions, she was too tired to try and change anything at that point and was asleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.
The sun gleamed through the small window in her simple bedchamber. She had not had enough energy the night before to close the shades, so the skyline of Coruscant was clearly visible. In some ways it seemed brighter than it had in her original time. Even the sun seemed to have more life. While Imperial Center always seemed to have a sinister tinge to it, this capital city still had the sense of hope that it used to have.
That it never lost. Ahsoka thought. All of her memories were yet to happen, so could she really say her past was the past, or the future? That thought just gave her headache.
Regardless, the skyline was absent of the Imperial propaganda that constantly graced Coruscant in her timeline, replaced by wartime news and ads for new technology, just like she remembered.
Anakin and her rooms were also exactly the same as her memories. They were rarely used, since she and her master were often in off-world, but they still held the same comfort and familiarity that they always had.
When Ahsoka stepped into the common room, complete with a small kitchen and a few chairs, she noted that Anakin's door was still closed. He always used to be awake before her, already preparing some sort of breakfast. Once mentioning he had difficulty sleeping in the silence of the Temple, used to the sounds of the war. He had cited this as his excuse when she caught him leaving one night. Anakin had claimed he took walks or speed rides to help him fall back asleep. She hadn't believed him then, and definitely didn't now, but hadn't pushed. He was her master and she should trust him.
Despite her exhaustion the night before, she was still an early riser, a habit conditioned by years of running and spying. As a teenager, which she supposed she was now, she was never awake earlier than Anakin, appreciating any sleep she could get. But that time was long over, at least it used to be.
She walked into the refresher. It was more cluttered than other parts of the apartment, though still impeccably clean. Anakin was by no means a neat freak, but he had been raised by Obi-Wan and certainly had some of his habits, at least in the 'fresher. She knew Anakin's private bedroom was littered with droid parts and tools he could tinker with. But their essential belongings were always organized such that they could leave at the moment's notice. She, being raised as a Jedi had very few personal items and rarely ever brought along the things she did have.
Ahsoka peeled off her clothes. She hadn't changed the night before, so she was still wearing something she had been for at least a day, maybe more. Ahsoka looked down at her body. It was obviously much younger, and absent of the scars she had acquired over the years. She was still adjusting to the limitations of her younger body and her shorter Lekkus. She had spent a decade and a half building her abilities, and now all of her progress has been reversed. Her skin was smoother and cleaner, but the bodily maturity she had developed was gone. She was a teenager again, too skinny and short.
Ahsoka emerged from the 'fresher wearing a clean set of clothes and set a pot of tea on the stove. She placed a piece of bread in the toaster and cut a piece of fruit to eat.
She spent the next hour basking in the morning light contemplating the life she had lived, before pushing it completely from her mind.
Anakin's door sliding open pulled her from her thoughts.
"Hey, Snips." Anakin said, stretching and groaning.
Snips, Ahsoka thought. I haven't heard that in a long time. But she stopped herself before she could lose herself in the memories of a life that will never take place.
"Good morning, Master."
"You're up early." He said as he poured a glass of blue milk for himself.
"You're not." She responded curtly, staring out the window.
Anakin looked sheepish. "Yeah, I guess." He moved on almost too quickly. "Uhhh…we don't ship out again for a few days, so we've got some time on Coruscant for training. Which is great, it's high time we go back to the basics for a bit."
Ahsoka nodded. She could sense his hesitation. "Okay, Master let's get to it." She said maybe a little too enthusiastically.
Ahsoka jumped up quickly, her fruit fell off the table, but Anakin caught it and set it back down on her plate.
"Okay, calm down Ahsoka, we've got all day. Let me grab some breakfast first." He laughed, a laugh that used to haunt her dreams.
She wasn't really pretending; she was actually excited to train. Yes, she was freaked out to be there, but she was also incredibly happy. Sitting around the table with the man who killed her was sort of disturbing, but this was also Anakin and this was a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Ahsoka was also struck by the peace in the force around her. Not only was Coruscant physically brighter, but the spirit surrounding it was. The Force had clarity. While she could still sense the Dark growing, the Light was much stronger the Dark.
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"Good morning, Master Obi-Wan." Ahsoka said brightly.
Obi-Wan walked into the room where she and Anakin were sparring. "Hello, Ahsoka. You're very…awake this morning."
Anakin nodded, shooting her a confused look. "She was awake before me, that never happens."
She paused, trying to remember what exactly her lie was. "I'm—ah—just happy to be back."
Anakin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We're all happy your back."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Agreed. But shouldn't you be meditating? This is what this time is meant for."
"Yeah, we'll get to that." Ahsoka's master shrugged him off.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.
Anakin grinned and lifted his practice saber. "Would you like to join us, Master?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I'll pass, but please don't let me deter you. By all means, continue."
Anakin smirked at his former master. "You're just worried you'll lose."
"Anakin, I am sure you don't mean that."
"But of course Master." Anakin said with a bow.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, again, something he did quite often when he was with his former apprentice. "Unlike you, I can stay away from a fight."
Anakin scoffed. "I'll believe it when I see it. Come on Snips, let's go again." He said without breaking his mocking eye contact with Obi-Wan.
Ahsoka jumped into action. She was doing her best to hold back, trying to channel her Jedi training and not the survival techniques she had picked up from Bounty Hunters and thugs after she left the Order.
They had been sparring for an hour or two and she had realized that Anakin fought differently than Vader did. Darth Vader couldn't move very agilely in his life support suit and compensated for it with force and power. Anakin Skywalker was wild and flexible in his movements. His aggression was certainly there, but controlled. It was almost exactly like the Daughter described. Everything was present, but it mattered what he was focusing on.
She had seen him loose control before, like when he thought Obi-Wan had been killed by that bounty hunter but was actually undercover. Anakin had told her then that he would hunt the supposed killer to the ends of the galaxy to bring justice for Obi-Wan's murder. Anakin was a beacon of Light, but it still cast shadow.
The battle between them was not desperate or angry, but almost teasing. Ahsoka and Anakin whipped around each other, almost like a dance. Somewhere along the way even he disappeared. There was nothing else in the galaxy than Ahsoka and her lightsaber. It was like an extension of her body.
In an instant, or maybe an hour, she found herself pinned by Anakin.
"Ugh," She groaned, not even having to act anymore. She just slipped into old habits. "I swear one day I'll beat you, Master."
Anakin laughed. "We'll see about that."
He pulled her up. To her astonishment and embarrassment they had gathered quite the crowd with their show.
"She almost had you, Anakin." Obi-Wan commented, returning Anakin's humorous tone from earlier.
"Agree, I do. Your skills, improved, they have." Master Yoda said.
Ahsoka smiled sheepishly. "I've been practicing."
"In the last few days?" Master Windu said, staring at her curiously. It seemed like he was going to inquire more, but Master Koon cut him off.
"Well, you're certainly a very gifted Padawan. And one day you will be an exemplary Jedi. But you still have much to learn, little 'Soka."
"I know."
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The rest of the day went by quickly. She and Anakin never got around to meditation, spending the entire day sparring. Obi-Wan scolded the pair for a while, but eventually joined them.
Watching Anakin and Obi-Wan spar is thrilling. They know each other so well that it was almost a game to them, and tirelessly long. Whenever one got the upper hand, the other would easily trip him up. It usually ended in a draw, but sometimes one bested the other. That circumstance tended to result in childlike gloating from the winner, even if it was Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a respectable and calm Jedi in most situations, but when it came to Anakin, he lost a degree of reserve. They were closer than most Masters and Padawans should be after the apprenticeship is over. Even in combat they were less partners, and more best friends, like brothers. If Anakin was meant to be her father figure, Obi-Wan was definitely her Uncle keeping them in line.
Ahsoka returned to their apartment that night with a smile. It had been a perfect day. Anakin had been happy and open to her the entire time. It was incredible to her that someone so filled with Light could somehow become what he became.
"How long did you say we're on Coruscant this time, Master?" Ahsoka asked as they were eating dinner.
He sat back in his chair. "Don't know. I expect just a few more days. There's some business in the Outer Rim we'll probably get called in for, but we've got time."
"Huh. I thought we'd have less time."
"Yeah, these last few days feel like they've been years." Anakin said. "But don't worry, Snips. That's all over, now."
She almost asked what he was talking about when she remembered. The last few days she had been under trial and on the run. Ahsoka could only imagine the wear it had put on her master. He needed to trust the Jedi and the Republic and her, who were all working against each other. There were times from her past she couldn't remember and that would most likely be dangerous for her cover, but she would never forget that time and the pain and betrayal she had felt.
"I'm fine, Master," she assured him. "It's in the past."
"Are you sure?" He said hesitantly. "You've been acting weird all day."
Kriff, she thought. (A/N: Star War version of a swear word. I'm basically using it as the f-word)
"I'm fine. Just trying to get back into the swing of things." Ahsoka said.
He didn't look convinced but didn't press.
Eventually she retired to her bed chamber and Anakin to his. Ahsoka meditated on her bed. She had gotten into the habit of clearing her head before she went to sleep in the future, or the past, well the future. Ugh. Anyway, it kept away nightmares, dreams of Jedi dying around her and she not being able to do anything.
Ahsoka was about to finally get some rest when she heard, or rather sensed, movement in the apartment. Anakin's soft footsteps could be felt through the ground. He was taking another one of his nighttime strolls. It was most likely just a way to go to sleep, but she wasn't entirely sure. As a teenager, at least the first time, she would never had followed him. But she wasn't that person anymore and this might have something to do with how he fell to the Dark Side. Maybe he was meeting someone? Palpatine or another person trying to turn him to the Sith?
Regardless, it was her duty to protect him. So, despite any reservations she had out of respect for his privacy, she snuck after him. She stayed far enough behind him that he couldn't sense her already well shielded force signature and following him out the Temple and into the night.
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It was days like today that made him forget the war. Wonderful days in the Temple spent playing around with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. There were very few things that could make a day like this any better, and he was about to do one of them.
Almost every night he had on Coruscant he spent with his secret wife, Padmé. He had refrained from leaving the Temple last night, knowing that he shouldn't leave Ahsoka alone, and knowing that Padmé would understand.
But he couldn't stay away much longer, so when he was sure Ahsoka was dead to the world he stealthily left the apartment with Artoo in tow. In his speeder he followed the usual roundabout route he took to visit his wife, through some less than civilized alleyways all the way to the Senate Apartment Complex and Padmé's penthouse.
"Master Ani!" Threepio said happily as he walked through the door, ruining his plans of jumping up behind his wife and scaring her.
"Anakin!" Padmé jumped up from her spot of the couch and ran into his arms, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Angel."
She smiled at him, but he could tell she knew he wasn't fine. "How's Ahsoka?"
"She's…well she's…" He sighed. "She's different. I mean I think this last week has changed her trust in the Jedi." Anakin paused as he tried to think of the right words. "She hesitated."
"When?" Padmé asked gently.
"When I gave her back her Padawan braid. I don't think she was sure she wanted to come back."
His wife nodded. "It makes sense for her to somewhat lose faith in the Jedi after what she's been through. I even find myself questioning the Republic's justice system. How could someone who was completely innocent be found guilty, and someone as kind as Ahsoka?"
"There's a war on, Padmé. People are scared, they're jumping to conclusions." Anakin shook his head. "But enough about that. I've missed you. I feel like I haven't really since you in forever. There hasn't been any time since I got back to Coruscant."
"There you and I agree."
Their lips touched for one glorious moment before they were interrupted by a large crash. Anakin immediately lit his lightsaber, brandishing it in front of him.
Laying on the terrace, clearly having fallen from the roof, was his Padawan. She was staring at him and Padmé, whom he still had an arm around, with her mouth hanging open.
"Ah—Ahsoka? Where did you come from?" Padmé asked with her eyes wide.
Ahsoka ignored her. "What the kriff is going on?" She cried, obviously dumfounded.
The shock of her stunning arrival finally wearing off, Anakin and Padmé sprang away from each other.
"It—it's not wh—what is look like, I swear!" Anakin sputtered.
Ahsoka pushed herself off the ground. "How long have you two been…ah…canoodling?!"
Anakin fought the urge to laugh. "Canoodling?"
His apprentice turned bright red. "Yeah, you know…um—canoodling?"
He and Padmé glanced at each other, holding in the urge to burst into laughter or tears.
"We're not…uh…canoodling?" He responded sheepishly.
Padmé gave him a pointed look. "I have no idea how you're going to explain away this one."
"I'll find a way." He said.
His wife rolled her eyes. "You might as well tell her."
"Why can't you?"
"Anakin."
He sighed and turned towards Ahsoka, who was still looking between them incredulously. "Ahsoka, Padmé and I, we're…umm…"
"Please just spit it out, Master."
"We're married." He said.
Ahsoka actually looked somewhat relieved, "You have no idea how much sense this makes." She muttered.
"What?" Padmé asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Ahsoka blushed. "How…how long?"
"Since the start of the Clone Wars." Anakin said quietly.
"So you're telling me that this entire time you have been secretly married to Senator Amidala?"
"Yes." He mumbled.
Ahsoka pinched the bridge of her nose. "Holy kriff, Anakin. Do the Jedi know? Does Obi-Wan know?"
"No, and you can't tell them, especially not Obi-Wan." He said urgently.
Ahsoka didn't respond. Anakin had never seen her so betrayed and confused. The fact that he was causing her this pain hurt him so much.
Padmé looked at Anakin, studying his expression. "Threepio, Artoo, come with me. I'll leave you two alone." She turned to her husband. "Talk to her." She whispered harshly in his ear.
With Padmé gone, the silence seemed so much more deafening.
"I wanted to tell you." He said, his voice small.
"Why didn't you?" She sighed, staring out the window.
"It was never the right time."
Ahsoka laughed condescendingly. "I'm sure there was a point in the last three years when you could have mentioned, 'Hey, Snips. By the way I've been lying to you this entire time. Actually I'm married to Senator Amidala. Would you pass the Blue Milk?"
Anakin looked down. "I wasn't sure how'd you'd react. And I guess my fears were warranted."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're obviously not handling it very well."
She looked even more outraged. "I'm not mad that you're married, I'm angry and hurt that you didn't tell me. After everything we've been through as a team why couldn't you just tell me? Were you ever going to?"
He hesitated, trying to figure out the words to explain this to her. "After the war is over, win or lose, I'm leaving the Order."
She softened slightly.
He continued. "Padmé is going to leave the Senate. We're going to live on Naboo and start a family."
"You were going to abandon me." Ahsoka murmured.
"What? No, never!" Anakin said, dismayed. "I would never abandon you. The truth is Ahsoka, you will be a Knight long before this war is over. You are more than capable, it's just your age that makes the Counsel hesitant. And even if you aren't, I have no doubt that Obi-Wan will be there for you."
"What about Obi-Wan? You would leave him?"
Anakin exhaled. "Obi-Wan will be fine without me. He'll get over it, he always does."
Ahsoka shook her head. "Why didn't you tell him?"
He snorted. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure how you'd react. I didn't tell Obi-Wan because I was sure how he'd react. Obi-Wan is a devout Jedi. He'd make sure I was be expelled by the Order the moment he found out."
"I don't believe that."
"Great, now you sound like Padmé."
"What does she think of this?"
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Well, she's the one I'm married to so…?"
Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "I mean, what does she think about not telling us?"
He sighed. "She thinks I should have told you a long time ago."
"I agree."
Silence fell between the pair again, this time comfortably instead of awkwardly.
"Well, what are you going to do?" Anakin asked timidly.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone. But you have to promise me that you won't lie to me anymore."
"Absolutely." Anakin said, relieved. "You're not going to make me tell Obi-Wan, are you?" He asked softly.
Ahsoka closed her eyes. "No, I'm not. That's your business, but please, Master, be careful. If you keep this secret long enough, Obi-Wan might never forgive you. And despite what you think, he cares for you. You two need each other."
"Maybe we did once, but we don't anymore." Anakin huffed.
Ahsoka stared at him like she was in another world. "No, you still do. You just haven't figured that out yet."
Anakin tried to ignore her, but that thought ate away at him. There had been a time in his life where he had been like a father to him. The older man had been there for him at some of his darkest times. Everything he knew about the galaxy and about being a man came from Obi-Wan and his mother.
Obi-Wan was his best friend, there was no denying that. there was a strong bond between them that had developed over the past thirteen or so years. But the question was, did Obi-Wan value their friendship over his training enough to keep his secret? Yesterday he would had said no with certainty, but based Ahsoka's reaction he wasn't so sure anymore.
"By the way, how did you follow me?" Anakin asked Ahsoka, shaking himself from his thoughts.
Ahsoka smiled knowingly. "I have my ways."
Anakin sighed. "Well, as happy as I am that you're okay with all of this, I'd really love to have some time alone with my wife." He blushed.
"Oh, say no more." Ahsoka grinned, turned on her heal, and left the couple to do whatever they do on a night like this.
Author's Note: So there you have it, chapter 3. Ahsoka now officially knows about Padmé. I hope the humor was actually funny, I'm not very good at that. The last past was sort of meant to be told from Anakin's point of view to a certain degree. Also there is not meant to be any romantic tension between Anakin and Ahsoka. I'm fulling on the Anidala train. As always keep reviews kind and supportive. Thank you so much.
