POV: Ahsoka Tano

Anakin has been gone for almost a month. He contacts me whenever he can, but he's obligated to protect Padme. It was dark out right now. I was really missing him... I was just about to get ready for bed when my holoprojector started to beep. Launching myself across my bed, I grabbed it and hit the hologram button. "Padme?" I asked, confused.

"Looking for Anakin?"

"Well, it is his channel. What are you doing with it?"

"I was just curious about who he's always making calls to."

"Me?"

"What does he call you about, Ahsoka?"

"He tells me that the mission is going well and how he should be training me more, but he can't at the moment."

She looked like she didn't believe me. Only the first part was true... "Padme?" Anakin's voice broke into the room. "What are you doing with my projector?"

"Uh..."

Padme's hologram disappeared and Anakin's took her place. "Sorry," he whispered, looking over his shoulder. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Why did she have your com?"

"I miss you more. Well, I don't really know. I was on the bridge with Rex."

"You win this time," I laughed. "Ani, when are you going to come back to me?"

"Soon, my love. Jabba is finally beginning to cooperate with us. At first, he thought I was a threat, but it's fine now..."

"We miss you," I said, rubbing my stomach.

"I miss and love you both."

"Anakin, you'd better go..."

"No. This is my down time. I'm allowed to stay in my quarters."

"You're sure? I don't want you to get in trouble because of me..."

He laughed, "I'm talking to my Padawan. What's wrong with that?"

"Well, what if you say you love me? Someone might hear you..."

"Well, I love you."

I smiled. "I love you, too." His smile appeared, but within moments, Anakin shook and his smile was gone. He looked upset by whatever had just happened. "Anakin, are you all right?"

He sighed in frustration. "Let me check..."

He ran away from the projector and out of the room. "You love him?" I looked back and saw Padme come into the room and take his holoprojector. "What do you have that I don't?"

"Padme, he doesn't love me."

"Save your lies for someone who can't see them. You better end everything with him and soon. Anakin Skywalker is mine, child."

"Child? Senator, I'm sixteen. I'm pretty sure that no one owns my master."

"He's twenty-five. I can get him arrested and expelled from the Council. Is that what you want for him?"

I wanted to cry. "No."

"End everything now."

That was the last time I contacted Anakin...

He was gone for two months and I ignored all of his calls. He was probably cheating on me for her... He was back in the temple now. I didn't have to leave my quarters while he was gone, which was good because my baby bump was beginning to show. I'm three months pregnant...

I could feel his anxiety from across the building.

All of a sudden, he burst through the door. How could he cross that amount of distance within a short time? I just laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. "Ahsoka?"

POV: Anakin Skywalker

"Ahsoka?"

I looked at her, but she wouldn't look back. "Leave me alone," she groaned.

My heart was beginning to break, piece by piece. "What? Why...?"

She rolled over to face the wall. I slowly walked over to her and touched her shoulder. She flinched and yelled, "Don't touch me!"

My hands flew back as her scream left her mouth. What had I done? I tried to think back to something I might have said that could have upset her... Nothing. "Ahsoka! What did I do?"

She sat up carefully and glared at me. "Do you love her?"

"Love who?"

"Padme!"

I was shocked. "No! Why would you think that?"

"She told me... Anakin, we can't –"

"Please, no..." I interrupted. "No, no, no! Ahsoka, please, don't say it!"

"We can't do this anymore," she whispered.

I could feel tears forming in my eyes while I was looking at her. I left the room. What had I done? What did Padme say to her? I ran to my speeder and took off for the Senate building.

Once I got there, I ran as fast as I could. The fury and anguish was beginning to overtake me. My heart continued to break, the tears fell, but I kept running. I saw Padme's door and ran to it. I force-pushed the entire door into the room and looked for her. "Ah, Anakin. So nice to –"

"What the hell did you say to my Padawan? She won't talk to me. She won't even look at me!" I screamed.

"Ani... stop!" I began to force-choke her. It wasn't intentional. I guess it was my anger taking over me...

"Mommy?" I dropped Padme and saw a little girl. Who was she? "Mommy! Mommy!"

The little girl ran to Padme and they hugged. "Shmi, it's okay. Mommy is fine."

"What... what did you just call her?" I yelled, fury building.

"Anakin..."

"Why?"

"She's... she's your... daughter."

The little girl looked at me. "Daddy?"

I could see a resemblance. Blue eyes, dirty blonde hair that I had as a child... "No! She can't be mine! There is no way!"

Padme looked at me and stared. "This is your daughter," she spoke slowly. "You can go take a blood test. She's one hundred percent your child."

This can't be happening... "How old is she?"

"Almost five."

"Why... how did I get you pregnant?"

"Our time together was without protection. I used protection with the other men."

"Why didn't you tell me that I had a daughter?" Most of the shock wore off, but the anger returned.

"I never saw you!"

"You rescued me from Felucia and took me back to Tatooine. Those were two opportunities!"

"Daddy, mommy said you'd come..."

The child wrapped her arms around my knees, which was as high as she could reach. I was a tower to her. She looked a lot like me... "I'll... I'll come back later."

I slowly unlatched the child from my knees and ran out. I left the building, got back on my speeder, and went back to my quarters in the temple.

I entered the room and was met with silence. I knew Ahsoka was awake. I walked over to my bed and laid on my back. Why did I have to be so stupid? "Did you meet her?" I turned my head slowly to look at her. "Your daughter, I mean." She sounded so hurt. Padme and Ahsoka don't need me. All I do is bring children into this world and hurt their mothers... I closed my eyes and silently cried. I faced the wall so Ahsoka couldn't see my face. I felt her hand on my arm. I welcomed her touch, but didn't physically react to her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

POV: Ahsoka Tano

I whispered, "I'm sorry." He wouldn't look at me now, but I felt everything. Pain, shock, anger, confusion... I crawled over him and laid next to him. I couldn't be with him for a while, but that didn't mean that I didn't love him. I looked at his face. He was crying and his teeth were clenched. He looked like he wanted to scream so bad... "Anakin..."

He wouldn't answer. I grabbed his hand – also, clenched – and tried to fit my hand into it. "Ahsoka," he gasped, his voice shaking. "Don't... don't make this harder..."

His whole body was starting to shake and the tears were flowing freely down his face. His face was twisted in a tremendous amount of agony. I couldn't be with him because he has a daughter to take care of. It's his secret daughter. Once the Council finds out about my child, it will probably be taken away from me... "I'm sorry," I whispered again, rubbing his back.

One month later.

The Council summoned Anakin and me. Had they sensed the distance and tension between us?

We walked silently to the chambers. Upon arriving, he bowed to the masters and motioned for me to stay close to him. Master Windu spoke first. "Skywalker, it has been brought to our attention that your Padawan has been getting slightly... bigger." All eyes except Anakin's turned to me. Anakin's eyes were unfocused and blank. He looked as if he had lost his will. Windu continued, "Do you know why this is occurring?"

"She is with child," he spoke quickly.

I stared at Anakin. Was he trying to get me expelled? "How did this happen?"

POV: Anakin Skywalker

Master Windu wants to know how Ahsoka got pregnant. If I said that we were in love, we'd both be expelled. I had this part planned out, luckily. "I took advantage of her one night and commanded her to remain silent about the matter."

I couldn't look at Ahsoka. My heart had completely broken when I said that, but it's better for me to leave and for her to become a Jedi. I saw the hurt and confusion in Obi-Wan's eyes. He didn't think I would break the rules and expected that I wouldn't lie to him. "Padawan Tano, true this is?" Yoda asked.

I looked at Ahsoka and she stared back, looking as if she wanted to cry. I nodded at her and she spoke. "Yes... yes, Master."

Windu stood up and glared at me, as did a couple other masters. "Your rank as General of the Clone War and rank of Jedi Master are now –"

Plo Koon raised his hand to silence Windu. "Temporarily strip him of his privileges and ranks. He is the Chosen One. We may need him later..."

Windu sighed and looked at Yoda, who nodded. "Your ranks and privileges are temporarily removed. You are not allowed to be with Ahsoka or in the temple until the pregnancy is complete or until further notice."

I nodded. "I understand, Master. I will do as ordered and I will leave immediately." He waved his hand and we left. Ahsoka trailed behind me. I could feel her anxiety rising. We entered our quarters and she silently stood in the doorway. "Get it out, Ahsoka," I whispered, not meeting her eyes. "I can sense your anger." I began packing a few things for my departure.

"How could you do that? Why wouldn't we tell them the truth?"

"Ahsoka," I turned to face her. "I care about you. I want you to be a better Jedi than me. If we told them the truth, neither of us would be allowed to remain in the temple."

"How can you seem so calm about this?"

"I had it planned out."

"This... is this what you wanted? Us to be physically separated?"

"We're separated already, Ahsoka. You told me that we couldn't do this anymore, remember?"

"I didn't want this! I still love you!"

In the next few moments, I wasn't myself. "Ahsoka, this is the best thing to do right now! It was either this or I killed myself! I tried with my lightsaber while you were sleeping. You said we had to end this, I took it to the extreme! Do you want me to kill myself?"

She started to cry and my words sunk into my mind, reverberating. "I... I hate you! Get out!" she yelled.

Good. She should hate me so she can get over me. She will probably be reassigned to Obi-Wan in my absence. I left with my small case of clothing and electronics. I ran right into Obi-Wan. "Master, I'm –"

"Anakin, how could you do this to her?"

"I'm heartless," I whispered. "I'm leaving."

He stopped me. "I thought you were my brother. Anakin –"

"Do you hate me, too? Go talk to Ahsoka. She hates me."

I turned away from him and left. I got into my starfighter and set the coordinates for Tatooine. I figured that I could get myself even more depressed this way...

Now that I was away from Coruscant, all the guilt and sadness crashed down on me. Why had I done this? I lost all the respect people had for me, I lost my ranks and privileges, and most importantly, I lost Ahsoka...